LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
September 25/15

Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
http://www.eliasbejjaninews.com/newsbulletins05/english.september25.15.htm

Bible Quotation For Today/But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.
Mark 10/28-31: "Peter began to say to Jesus, ‘Look, we have left everything and followed you.’Jesus said, ‘Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields, for my sake and for the sake of the good news, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this age houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields, with persecutions and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first."

Bible Quotation For Today/On the white stone is written a new name that no one knows except the one who receives it
Book of Revelation 02/12-17: "‘To the angel of the church in Pergamum write: These are the words of him who has the sharp two-edged sword: ‘I know where you are living, where Satan’s throne is. Yet you are holding fast to my name, and you did not deny your faith in me even in the days of Antipas my witness, my faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan lives. But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling-block before the people of Israel, so that they would eat food sacrificed to idols and practise fornication. So you also have some who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. Repent then. If not, I will come to you soon and make war against them with the sword of my mouth. Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches. To everyone who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give a white stone, and on the white stone is written a new name that no one knows except the one who receives it."

Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on September 24-25/15
In first, a policy speech from Pope to Congress/MICHAEL WILNER /J.Post/September 24/15
Taiz: Yemen’s forgotten battlefront/Manuel Almeida/Al Arabiya/September 24/15
Why the Middle East should take note of Carly Fiorina/Caitlin Miller/Al Arabiya/September 24/15
How can Egypt’s Prime Minister succeed/Abdel Latif el-Menawy/Al Arabiya/September 24/15
7,000 airstrikes later, ISIS lives on/Joyce Karam/Al Arabiya/September 24/15
Fleeing Syrian rock band helps fellow refugees keep up/AFP/Ynetnews//September 24/15
Russia’s intervention in Syria must be stopped/Haid Haid/NowLebanon/September24/15
Obama Throws Christian Refugees to Lions/Raymond Ibrahim/Gatestone Institute/September 24, 2015
Time to Dismantle the UN Human Rights Council/Jagdish N. Singh/Gatestone Institute/September 24, 2015
Iranian Supreme Leader Khamenei In Article Marking Hajj: 'The Idols Will Be Shattered'/MEMRI/September 24/15
Hungarian Imam Ahmed Miklós Kovács: Hungarian Right-Wing Political Parties Are Our Enemies/MEMRI/September 24/15

Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin for Lebanese Related News published on September 24-25/15
Hezbollah arrests CIA infiltrator
Daryan Says Dialogue, New President to Resolve Political Crises
Salam Heads to New York for General Assembly Session
EU Leaders Pledge more Support to Lebanon to Cope with Refugee Crisis
Families of Hostages Threaten Street Action after Eid
Lebanese Pilgrim Missing after Deadly Hajj Stampede
Russian marines join Hizballah in first Syrian battle – a danger signal for US, Israel

Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin For Miscellaneous Reports And News published on September 24-25/15
Putin to Meet Obama in New York Monday
Yazidis Urge ICC to Open Probe into IS Atrocities
Syria Drone Strike Prompts Legal Challenge against UK Govt
Russia Announces Naval Drills in 'East Mediterranean'
Assad Makes Rare Public Appearance for Eid Prayers
NATO Head Concerned by 'Substantial' Russian Syria Build-up
Shaaban Says 'Tacit Agreement' between U.S., Russia to End Syria War
Islamic State blows up 21 Christian homes in Nineveh Plain
Report: Jordan king shuns Netanyahu 'until further notice'
Hamas Accuses Egypt of Flooding Gaza Border
Saudi Arabia: More than 717 pilgrims die in stampede in worst haj disaster in 25 years
Yemen Mosque Bombing Kills 25 during Holiday Prayers
New Phase of EU's Anti People Trafficking Op to Start October 7
Migrants Keep Coming as Merkel Tells EU to Do More
White House expresses condolences over ‘heartbreaking’ hajj stampede
Warring sides in Syria reach deal on 2 villages, border town
Dutch: No sign militants posing as refugees to reach Europe
British Labor Party chairman Jeremy Corbyn to speak at pro-Israel event next week
Report: Putin plans air strikes in Syria if no US deal reached
Saudi Arabia plans to crucify protester as it ascends to UN Human Rights Council chair
Canada Offers Condolences Following Tragedy Near Mecca
Jihadi militant shown weeping before suicide attack in Syria

Links From Jihad Watch Web site For Today
Islamic State blows up 21 Christian homes in Nineveh Plain
Pope Francis: “We know that no religion is immune from forms of individual delusion or ideological extremism”
Video: Toronto mosque collecting money for the Islamic State
Fanaticism: The Moderate Version
Video: Students say Ahmed’s clock looks like a bomb
Why Arab Muslims refuse Arab Muslim ‘refugees’
Video: Do Muslims in the U.S. believe Sharia law supersedes the Constitution?
Video: Gavin McInnes on Ahmed Mohamed: “This kid was not making a clock and innocently taking it to school”
Enraged New Jersey Muslim warns school board: “We’re going to be the majority soon”
Huffington Post Promotes Dubious Dawa Advocates
New Glazov Gang: Dr. Bruce Thornton on “Europe’s Muslim Refugee Catastrophe”

Hezbollah arrests CIA infiltrator
Now Lebanon/September24/15/A source close to Lebanon’s Hezbollah has revealed to Kuwait’s Al-Rai newspaper the identity of a CIA spy who was responsible for security at the party’s Al-Rassoul al-Aazam Hospital in southern Beirut. According to a report published by the daily earlier this week, South Lebanon resident Sadek al-Hariri’s position in the hospital’s security department gave him access to sensitive information. In a previous report released before Hariri’s identity was revealed, the paper said that “the agent was privy to the medical files of high level Hezbollah officials and members.”“It is not unlikely that he may have passed on information about the medical condition of the party’s Secretary-general Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.”Hariri also worked at the site of many of Hezbollah’s rallies, the Sayyed al-Shuhada Complex, where he was part of a security apparatus, known as “unit 1000,” the daily reported. “The interrogations with the agent are focused on finding out the extent of the damage caused by his relationship with the [CIA].”The revelation comes after reports in the Lebanese press in late 2014 said that Hezbollah had uncovered another spy within its ranks, this time working for Israel’s Mossad. Elnashra, the first outlet to report on the story, said Hezbollah had arrested a “high ranking member” of its foreign operations apparatus (Unit 910). Online news outlet Janoubia soon followed up with its own report on the Mossad agent’s capture, citing a source as saying that he had helped foil “a series of… security operations outside Lebanon.”

Daryan Says Dialogue, New President to Resolve Political Crises
Naharnet/September 24/15/Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Latif Daryan led Eid al-Adha prayers on Thursday, calling for dialogue and the election of a president to resolve the country's growing political crises.
“Political crises are increasing, institutions are getting paralyzed and the presidential elections are not being held,” said Daryan in his sermon at Mohammed al-Amin Mosque in downtown Beirut. Top officials, including Prime Minister Tammam Salam, attended the prayers. “We are all concerned on the nation, the state and the Republic,” said Daryan. He called for “preserving legitimacy,” saying “solutions can only come through the constitution, consensus among all Lebanese, and coexistence.” “Solutions should also come through dialogue and consensus through the state institutions, the government and the parliament,” he stated. Daryan called for the election of a president also through consensus, describing him as “the symbol of the nation's unity.” “The situation will only improve through his presence,” said the Mufti.“Things will get straight only through dialogue and by distancing ourselves from violent rhetoric that is leading to more differences in our community,” he said. Daryan also called for backing the government and “not to do injustice to it.” “Israeli attacks on Al-Aqsa mosque compound lead to extremism,” Daryan warned. “Action is needed to stop the assaults on it, on Jerusalem and Palestine,” he said. Clashes erupted last week at the Al-Aqsa mosque compound as Jews celebrated their New Year, or Rosh Hashanah. Israeli police said they raided the Al-Aqsa compound to stop youths who had barricaded themselves inside the mosque from disrupting visits by Jews and tourists. Clashes broke out during the raids, with protesters throwing fireworks, stones and other objects at police, who fired stun grenades. In his sermon, the deputy head of the Higher Shiite Islamic Council, Sheikh Abdul Amir Qabalan, also called for the election of a consensual president. He urged the Lebanese to be united and said officials should stand together against Israel and corruption.

Salam Heads to New York for General Assembly Session
Naharnet/September 24/15/Prime Minister Tammam Salam traveled to New York on Thursday heading the Lebanese delegation that would represent Lebanon at the U.N. General Assembly and the meeting of the International Support Group for Lebanon.Salam is expected first to attend a session during which Pope Francis will address the U.N. on Friday.The premier is also scheduled to attend the opening of the U.N. Sustainable Development Summit during which he will give a speech. On Monday, the General Assembly session will officially kick off and the next day a summit on fighting extremism will be held during which leaders, including U.S. President Barack Obama and Salam will give speeches. The PM will also address the General Assembly and the International Support Group for Lebanon on Wednesday before returning to Lebanon. He is expected to focus in his speeches on urging countries of influence to help Lebanon overcome its political crises by electing a new president. He will also call for more support to the Lebanese army to boost its role against terrorism and urge further assistance to help Lebanon confront the burden of Syrian refugees. Salam is expected to hold meetings with top world leaders on the sidelines of the General Assembly.

EU Leaders Pledge more Support to Lebanon to Cope with Refugee Crisis
Naharnet/September 24/15/European Union leaders, faced with a staggering migration crisis and deep divisions over how to tackle it, managed to agree early Thursday to boost border controls to ease the influx and to send 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion) to international agencies helping refugees at camps near their home countries. The leaders also pledged to boost support to Lebanon, Turkey and Jordan to help them cope with the millions fleeing the fighting in Syria. "The more money we give to address the root causes that are driving people to leave, the less likely they will be to leave their homes," German Chancellor Angela Merkel said. "We need to do more to stabilize the countries and the regions from which these people are coming," British Prime Minister David Cameron said as the meeting began. He announced Britain would commit another 100 million pounds ($152 million) for Syrian refugee relief — including 40 million pounds ($61 million) to the World Food Program — to help feed refugees in camps close to the conflicts they are fleeing. French President Francois Hollande said his country would give 100 million euros over two years.It was not clear how much of the pledges they have made would go to Lebanon, which hosts around 1.5 million Syrian refugees.

Families of Hostages Threaten Street Action after Eid
Naharnet/September 24/15/The families of the Lebanese servicemen taken hostage by jihadists in August last year have warned that they would resort to the streets again after the Eid al-Adha holidays.
“All options are available, including returning to the blocking of streets,” Nizam Mughit, the brother of one of the captives, told As Safir daily published on Thursday. “This is the third Eid that we celebrate and there is no one to take action,” he said. “That's why we should move after the Eid to exert bigger pressure on the officials so that we reach the results we want.” The soldiers and policemen were taken hostage by the Islamic State extremist group and al-Qaida-linked al-Nusra Front when they overran the northeastern border town of Arsal in August last year. The relatives have on several occasions resorted to the streets, blocking major roads in frustration. Their efforts have not led to results despite claims by Lebanese officials, mainly Lebanon's only negotiator General Security chief Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim, that the captives are doing well. However, the negotiations with the jihadists have not led to a deal on a prisoner swap.

Lebanese Pilgrim Missing after Deadly Hajj Stampede
Naharnet/September 24/15/A Lebanese pilgrim was reported missing Thursday following one of the worst-ever stampede tragedies at the annual Muslim pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia, which left at least 717 people dead and 863 others injured. “We were told about four missing pilgrims of whom three have been found unharmed, and search is still underway to locate a fourth pilgrim,” Lebanon's general consul in Jeddah Ziad Atallah announced. He reassured that he was following up on the issue closely. Later on Thursday, Atallah announced the death of three Lebanese pilgrims and a Palestinian pilgrim who is a resident of Lebanon, noting that they died of “natural causes” not related to the stampede. He identified the Lebanese as Hussein Ibrahim al-Ezzi, Ahmed Mohammed Awwad and Sabah Qassem Zein, and the Palestinian refugee as Ali Mohammed Ayyoub. Atallah had received a phone call from Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Latif Daryan, who contacted him after the tragedy to inquire about the situations of the Lebanese pilgrims. The stampede, the second deadly accident to hit the pilgrims this month following a crane collapse in Mecca, broke out during the symbolic stoning of the devil ritual, the Saudi civil defense service said. The civil defense said that it was still counting the dead, who included pilgrims from different countries. Nearly two million people from across the globe were attending the hajj, one of the largest annual gatherings in the world. Iran said at least 43 of its citizens were dead and accused Saudi Arabia of safety errors that caused the accident. But a Saudi minister blamed the pilgrims themselves, saying they had not followed the rules laid out by authorities. "Many pilgrims move without respecting the timetables" set for the hajj, Health Minister Khaled al-Falih told El-Ekhbariya television. "If the pilgrims had followed instructions, this type of accident could have been avoided," he said, vowing a "rapid and transparent" investigation.

Russian marines join Hizballah in first Syrian battle – a danger signal for US, Israel
DEBKAfile Exclusive Report September 24, 2015/Before dawn on Thursday, Sept. 24, Russian marines went into battle for the first time since their deployment to Syria, debkafile’s military and intelligence sources reveal. Russian Marine Brigade 810 fought with Syrian army and Hizballah special forces in an attack on ISIS forces at the Kweiris airbase, east of Aleppo. This operation runs contrary to the assurances of President Vladimir Putin to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Sept. 21 – just three days ago - that Russian forces in Syria were only there to defend Russian interests and would not engaged in combat with the Syrian army, Hizballah or Iranian troops.The ISIS force defending the air base is dominated by Chechen fighters under the command of Abu Omar al-Shishani, who is considered one of the terrorist organization’s leading commanders in the last two years. The 27-year-old al-Shishani hails from the Chechen enclave of Pankisi in Georgia, like many others who joined ISIS from 2012.  However, targeting Chechen fighters was not the only reason for the order given by Russian command in Syria to attack the air base. In DEBKA Weekly 678 of September 11, we predicted that the first Russian mission in Syria would be to break the Syrian rebel siege on Aleppo, Syria’s second-largest city. As their first step, the Russians would have to prevent the cutoff of highway 5, running from Aleppo to Damascus, and keep it open for Syrian army reinforcements and military equipment to the city.  The offensive to regain Kweiris airbase that fell to ISIS in mid-June is the first step in the implementation of Russia’s operational plan for the Aleppo area. Meanwhile, little substance was to be found in the reports appearing, mainly in the United States, suggesting that Putin, disappointed by the Obama administration’s unwillingness to send the US Air Force to collaborate with Russia in the fight against ISIS, would try to talk Obama round if and when they meet on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly on September 28. According to debkafile’s sources, these reports were spread to cover up the serious crisis in the US war against ISIS. While Russia poured troops and advanced hardware into Syria, establishing bases and launching offensive action, the US anti-Islamic State effort suffered a heavy blow with the decision of Obama’s ISIS war czar, Gen. John Allen, to step down in early November. Sources close to the general were quoted as referring to his frustration “with the White House micromanagement of the war and its failure to provide adequate resources.”'The fact that the Russian forces launched their attack on ISIS shortly after the announcement of Allen’s upcoming resignation shows that Putin is not waiting for US cooperation in the war on the Islamist terrorists. That said, debkafile’s military sources point out that the most ominous aspect for the US and Israel of the Russian attack on the Syrian airbase is that Russian marines were combined with Syrian and Hizballah special forces. For the first time in 41 years, since the 1974 war of attrition against the IDF on the Golan, Russian troops are fighting alongside Syrian forces. It is also the first time that a world power like Russia is willing to go into battle with an acknowledged terrorist group, such as Hizballah. Our sources point out that the joint attack was completely counter to the tone and the content of the comments exchanged by Putin and Netanyahu at their summit. A full report on Russian military activity and strategic objectives in Syria, and a rundown of the content of the Putin-Netanyahu talks in Moscow appear in the coming issue of DEBKA Weekly out Friday, September 25.

Putin to Meet Obama in New York Monday
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/September 24/15/Russia's President Vladimir Putin will meet U.S. leader Barack Obama during his visit to the U.N. in New York on Monday, as the U.S. frets about a military buildup by Moscow in Syria. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed to Russian news wires that the meeting will go ahead after the two leaders address the United Nations General Assembly. Putin will also hold a meeting with Japan's Premier Shinzo Abe, Peskov said Thursday. A senior U.S. official said the Obama meeting has been arranged "in the context of the U.N. General Assembly" at the request of Putin. "It would be irresponsible not to test whether we can make progress through high-level engagement," the official told AFP. Washington and its EU allies have urged Moscow to explain its military buildup in its longtime ally Syria, which has been reported to include airport facilities and bases, as well as planes and tank-landing ships. The U.S. and Moscow have been locked in a bitter feud over the crisis in Ukraine that has pushed relations to their lowest point since the Cold War. Putin and Obama last held a fleeting meeting on the sidelines of an APEC Asia-Pacific summit in Beijing in November 2014. Their last official bilateral meeting was in June 2013 at the G8 summit in Northern Ireland. Moscow on Thursday announced naval exercises in the east Mediterranean, which are set to run into next month.

Yazidis Urge ICC to Open Probe into IS Atrocities
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/September 24/15/Iraq's Yazidi minority -- the target of brutal attacks from the Islamic State group -- urged the International Criminal Court Thursday to launch probes into the militants for genocide and sexual slavery. Two Yazidi groups handed over documents to the court which show "that ISIS has systematically committed atrocities amounting to genocide and that these crimes fall within the jurisdiction of the ICC," said Murad Ismael from the Yazda group. Chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda earlier this year said IS has committed crimes of "unspeakable cruelty" including mass executions, rape and torture. But she said she could not investigate as neither Iraq nor Syria are signatories to the court and her "jurisdictional basis... is too narrow." The new report however specifically names some 20 foreign fighters from countries who have signed the ICC's founding Rome Statute. A Kurdish-speaking minority mostly based around Sinjar mountain in northern Iraq, the Yazidis are neither Arabs nor Muslims and have a unique faith which Islamic State militants consider to be heretical and polytheistic. In August 2014, the jihadists made an unexpected push into areas of northern Iraq that had been under Kurdish control and were home to many of the country's minorities. The worst-hit were the Yazidis, who were massacred and abducted in large numbers when IS entered the Sinjar area. Tens of thousands scrambled up Mount Sinjar in a panic and remained stranded there for days with no food nor water.
'Despicable crimes'
"It is abhorrent that such despicable crimes should be inflicted upon innocent civilians anywhere on Earth," said Ismael in a statement. "The Yezidi community has been shattered by the sick crimes of ISIS terrorists who sought to annihilate the Yazidis on the basis of their religious distinctiveness," he added, using another name for IS. According to figures from the Kurdish autonomous region, 1,280 Yazidis were killed in the IS offensive. Hundreds are still missing. More than 5,800 were also abducted by IS, and although some 2,000 managed to escape, "more than 3,000 innocent women and children remain captive... subject to systematic rape on a daily basis," said Ismael. Eighty percent of the Yazidi population is now displaced and living in camps, he added. "ISIL sought to annihilate the religious identity, traditions and the very existence of the Yazidis," Yazda and the Free Yazidi Foundation said in their report to the ICC. Ismael, who traveled from Houston, Texas to present the report to the court in The Hague, told AFP he was "confident that once the court reads through the details" it will decide it has jurisdiction over the case.

Syria Drone Strike Prompts Legal Challenge against UK Govt
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/September 24/15/Britain's government is facing a legal challenge Thursday over its use of a drone to kill two British Islamic State (IS) group jihadists in Syria, even though it is not part of military action there. Prime Minister David Cameron announced this month that a British drone had killed two British jihadists and another unidentified militant in the group's stronghold of Raqqa in August. That was the first such strike carried out by Britain in a country where it is not at war and prompted fierce criticism from human rights campaigners. Now two leading members of Britain's Green Party and legal rights charity Reprieve have said they are preparing to launch court action against the move. Their lawyers claim that the government has either failed to draw up a "targeted killing policy" or failed to publish it, both of which are illegal. "The Raqqa strike, and the intention of the government to pre-authorize targeted killings in the future in countries where the UK is not at war, is of concern to the claimants and many others," they said. "The concern is heightened by the lack of clarity about the circumstances in which the government reserves the right to kill British citizens outside of an armed conflict."British forces are taking part in air strikes against IS targets in Iraq but not Syria after parliament voted for only limited participation in coalition strikes last year. Cameron said the strike in Raqqa was an "act of self-defense" as one of the militants had been planning "barbaric" attacks in Britain. He said the move was "entirely lawful". He could be set to ask parliament to vote on extending Britain's role in the strikes to Syria after parliament returns from a recess on October 12.

Russia Announces Naval Drills in 'East Mediterranean'
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/September 24/15/Russia's defense ministry on Thursday said it will hold naval drills in the "east Mediterranean" in September and October, as the West frets over a military buildup by Moscow in Syria. The exercises include three warships from Russia's Black Sea Fleet, including the Saratov landing ship, the Moskva guided missile cruiser and the Smetlivy destroyer, the ministry said in a statement. The drills will involve "40 combat exercises, including rocket and artillery fire at sea and airborne targets," the statement said. The ministry said that the Mediterranean drills -- which were restarted in early 2013 -- had been planned since the end of last year and did not link them to the conflict in Syria. The United States has accused Moscow of sending troops, tanks and fighter jets to Syria in recent weeks, sparking fears that Russia could be preparing to join in fighting alongside its long-standing ally President Bashar al-Assad. Syrian officials said this week that they have received new warplanes and sophisticated missiles from Russia and some reports in Russia alleged that Moscow has dispatched soldiers to the war-torn country. In an interview with Interfax news agency, the Syrian ambassador to Russia Riad Haddad that Russia's support on the ground "will happen if it is needed.""Russia's help will help Syria finally win over terrorist groups," he said, adding that there is a "high level of cooperation" between Syria, Russia and Iran on the conflict.Russia officially alerted the airport in Cyprus earlier this month through the international aviation authorities to divert aircraft from the area between Syrian port of Tartus, where Russia has a naval facility, and Cyprus. The Moskva cruiser, the flagship of the Black Sea Fleet, left its base in Crimea on Thursday and is now heading to the exercises, the ministry added separately. Russia, which has supported the Syrian regime throughout the four-and-half year conflict that has claimed some 250,000 lives there, says any support is in line with existing military contracts and that personnel have been sent to train the Syrian forces.

Assad Makes Rare Public Appearance for Eid Prayers
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/September 24/15/
Syrian President Bashar Assad attended holiday prayers at a Damascus mosque on Thursday, state media reported, in a rare public appearance for the embattled regime head. Assad led Eid al-Adha prayers at the al-Adel mosque with state and ruling Baath party officials as well as a number of Muslim religious leaders and civilians, Syria's official news agency SANA reported. The presidency's YouTube account posted video footage of Assad speaking outside the mosque. "Syria hasn't known the joy of Eid for more than four years, but when we say 'Blessed Eid,' it's because we believe that this blessing... is the only thing that will bring back safety and stability to Syria," he said. Assad commended regime soldiers "who are on the front lines fighting terrorism," as well as Syria's public employees and students.
On Wednesday, Assad issued two decrees increasing monthly wages for public sector employees in Syria, in an apparent gesture on the eve of the Muslim holiday. Since the uprising against his rule erupted in March 2011, Assad's few public appearances have been mostly limited to official prayers on feast days. In a photograph published Thursday on his official Twitter account, Assad appears standing in prayer, flanked by Prime Minister Wael Halaqi and Grand Mufti Ahmed Badreddin Hassoun. "Syria knows the real Islam, atop the minarets and in the mosques," Minister of Religious Endowment Ahmed Samer Qabbani said in a sermon at the al-Adel mosque quoted by SANA. "We ask God to defend our country against evil and harm, and to grant success to President Bashar Assad," Qabbani said.
Damascus has been largely spared the devastation wrought on other Syrian cities by the civil war, although there has been periodic mortar and rocket fire by rebels entrenched in the suburbs.
At least 240,000 people have been killed in the conflict.

NATO Head Concerned by 'Substantial' Russian Syria Build-up
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/September 24/15/NATO head Jens Stoltenberg told Agence France Presse Thursday he was concerned by Russia's "substantial" military build-up in Syria and urged Moscow to play a constructive role in the fight against Islamic State jihadis. "It underlines the importance of Russia making clear what are their intentions," Stoltenberg told Agence France Presse in an interview at NATO HQ in Brussels. "I think the first step now is to sit down with the United States and to make clear what are (their) intentions... and to try to cooperate and give a constructive contribution to the efforts led by the United States to fight ISIL (Islamic State)." In no circumstances should the build-up be used to bolster President Bashar Assad, a long-time Russian ally, Stoltenberg said. After a string of reverses for Assad on the ground earlier this year, Moscow has begun resupplying him with modern military equipment, causing concern in western capitals and raising questions about Russia's intentions.
Reinforcements -
Russia also began reinforcing its naval base in the Syrian port city of Tartus and building up facilities in the president's Western stronghold around Latakia. "It is of course a cause for concern," he said of the military build up. Stoltenberg said this rise in Russian activity "increases the need for them to make sure that they play a constructive role and that they seek to do that in a cooperative and constructive way with the (anti-IS) coalition led by the U.S." NATO welcomed recent contacts between Moscow and Washington on Syria, he said, "but at the same time I am concerned because there is also the risk that these forces will be used to support the Assad regime. "To support the Assad regime is not a constructive contribution to fighting ISIL (nor) to finding a political solution to the conflict," he said."The Assad regime is actually part of the problem," Stoltenberg added. Washington and its allies have up until now insisted that Assad has no future in Syria, but there have been recent signs of a change, perhaps allowing him an interim role until a new government is formed. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Saturday that while Assad must ultimately step down, that need not be immediately on reaching a settlement to end a conflict which has now cost some 250,000 lives. Russia has consistently backed Assad as a bulwark against what it sees as a terrorist threat made worse by Western bungling which has allowed IS to seize huge swathes of territory in Syria and neighboring Iraq.

Shaaban Says 'Tacit Agreement' between U.S., Russia to End Syria War
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/September 24/15/Russia and the United States have reached a "tacit agreement" on ending Syria's bloody crisis, a senior adviser to Syrian President Bashar Assad has said. "The current U.S. administration wants to find a solution to the crisis in Syria. There is a tacit agreement between the U.S. and Russia to reach this solution," Bouthaina Shaaban said in an interview with state television late Wednesday. "The U.S. recognizes now that Russia has profound knowledge of this region and a better assessment of the situation," she said."The current international climate is heading towards detente and towards a solution for the crisis in Syria."Shaaban said there was a "change in the West's positions" over Syria's war, which has killed more than 240,000 people and displaced millions since 2011.Russia, a decades-long backer of Syria's regime, has said it would not accept Assad's departure as a prerequisite for launching any peace process in the war-torn country. While the United States has called for Assad's ouster for more than four years, Secretary of State John Kerry said last week that "it doesn't have to be on day one or month one or whatever." On Wednesday, French President Francois Hollande called for a new Syria peace conference "so that all the countries who want to see peace restored in Syria can contribute."While Hollande maintained that there could be "no transition without (Assad's) departure," German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Thursday that the Syrian leader should be involved in the talks. "We have to speak with many actors, this includes Assad, but others as well," Merkel told a press conference after an EU summit on the migration crisis sparked by the Syrian war.The diplomatic flurry came amid concerns about increased Russian military support to Assad, including Moscow's announcement Thursday that it would hold naval drills in the eastern Mediterranean region in September and October.  On Wednesday, the Syrian military deployed Russian-supplied drones for the first time, a security source in Damascus said. The army has received new weaponry from Russia for its fight against jihadists, including at least five fighter jets, a senior Syrian military official told AFP.

Islamic State blows up 21 Christian homes in Nineveh Plain
September 24, 2015/Raymond Ibrahim
Earlier this week, the Islamic State blew up 21 homes belonging to Christians in the once Christian majority Nineveh Plain, northeast of Mosul.
Islamic State blows up homes
An official of the Kurdistan Democratic Party in Mosul further said that the Islamic State has throughout the months detonated “hundreds” of homes in Nineveh Plain, primarily to strike fear into the hearts of the remaining residents. Earlier, the Islamic State decreed that all schools in Mosul and the Nineveh Plain which bore Christian names, some since the 1700s, must be changed. The teaching of the Syriac language and all Christian religious education has been abolished. Reports indicate that the Islamic State took these moves “in order to erase all traces of cultural and religious pluralism in the conquered areas and turn schools into propaganda tools of jihadist ideology among the new generations.”Once home to some the oldest Christian communities in existence, since the Islamic State invaded and occupied the Nineveh Plain, numerous Christians have been slaughtered or enslaved, while the rest have fled. Last June, a Nineveh Provincial Council member said that “more than 120 thousand Christians [were] displaced from Mosul and Nineveh after the Islamic State invaded Mosul. He further noted that “about 20 thousand of them have migrated Iraq since last year…. The lack of interest of the federal government towards the displaced Christians pushed them to migrate outside the country … the psychological and moral damage was greater than the loss of their money and property as a result of ISIS occupation of Mosul.” 

Report: Jordan king shuns Netanyahu 'until further notice'
Roi Kais/Ynetnews /Published: 09.24.15,/King Abdullah, allegedly fuming over Israel's 'provocative' demeanor on Temple Mount, has said relationship with Israel is at risk. King Abdullah refuses to speak to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu until further notice, the London-based Arab newspaper Rai Al-Youm reported on Wednesday, citing sources in Amman. The report said that the reason for the king's could shoulder is the recent violence on Temple Mount. The London-based Arab newspaper Al Quds Al Arabi also reported that the Jordanian Foreign Ministry has rejected messages from Jerusalem, which it called "misleading."Last year, during similar unrest in Jerusalem's Holy Basin, Jordan recalled its ambassador to Israel after expressing its grave dismay to the Israeli ambassador. According to Rai Al-Youm, Jordan has decided to change tactics and now lobbies forcefully for a UN Security Council resolution rebuking Israel's conduct. King Abdullah has stepped up its rhetoric recently, saying after a meeting with British Prime Minister David Cameron that unless Israel changes course, its bilateral relations with Jordan will be damaged. The message was echoed by the holder of the Palestinian portfolio in the Jordanian Foreign Ministry, who told the Hamas-affiliated newspaper Al-Risala that unless Israel changes its ways, they will take increased diplomatic steps against it. He didn't rule out expelling the Israeli ambassador. Earlier this week, King Abdullah met with Arab-Israeli lawmakers and vehemently condemned Israel. "Al-Aqsa Mosque is for Muslim worship only," he said, and rejected the idea of sharing it with other religions. Israel's "provocative" policy of "Judaizing" Jerusalem's holy places will bear grave consequences for the entire region, he added. Also on Thursday, a senior Jordanian official told the London-based Arab newspaper Al-Arabi Al-Jadeed that Jordan had stopped importing Israeli goods, chief among them potatoes, citing "defects" to the crops.

Hamas Accuses Egypt of Flooding Gaza Border
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/September 24/15/Hamas on Thursday accused Egypt of further besieging the Gaza Strip by flooding the border area to the south of the Palestinian enclave, which is already under an Israeli blockade. Egypt has been carrying out digging work in the area for several weeks that Palestinians believe is intended to flood the last remaining tunnels between Gaza and the Sinai, where jihadist fighters have been battling Egyptian forces. Palestinians fear such moves will further isolate Gaza, where more than 100,000 were left homeless in last summer's war with Israel and which is blockaded by the Israeli army. Egyptian officials have declined to comment on the work criticized by Hamas, the Palestinian Islamist movement that runs the Gaza Strip, where residents have reported water seeping over the border. "Why are they digging those trenches and those water pipes around Rafah?" Hamas' chief in Gaza, Ismail Haniyeh, said during a speech to commemorate the Muslim Eid al-Adha holiday. "And why discard neighborly relations and the history of Gaza, which has always defended the regional security of Egypt and Arab countries? We are telling our Egyptian brothers: Stop this project. We will do our duty against those who besiege Gaza and plot against it." Egypt has already established a buffer zone 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) long and half a kilometer wide along its border with Gaza.
Since the ouster of its Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013, Egypt says it has destroyed hundreds of tunnels used to transport militants, merchandise and arms between the Gaza Strip and the Sinai Peninsula. Hamas lost a major ally in Morsi and has had strained relations with President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who overthrew him while army chief. Tunnels have long been used to transport people and goods in and out of Gaza. Egypt controls the only crossing into Gaza not overseen by Israel.

Saudi Arabia: More than 717 pilgrims die in stampede in worst haj disaster in 25 years
REUTERS/09/24/2015/MINA, Saudi Arabia - At least 717 pilgrims were killed on Thursday in a stampede outside the Muslim holy city of Mecca, Saudi authorities said, the worst disaster to strike the annual haj pilgrimage in 25 years. At least 805 others were injured in the crush at Mina, a few kilometers east of Mecca, caused by two large groups of pilgrims arriving together at a crossroads on their way to performing the "stoning the devil" ritual at Jamarat, Saudi civil defense said. Thursday's disaster was the worst to befall the pilgrimage since July 1990, when 1,426 pilgrims were crushed to death in a tunnel near Mecca. Both stampedes occurred on Eid al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice), Islam's most important feast and the day of the stoning ritual. Photographs published on the Twitter feed of the Saudi civil defense on Thursday showed pilgrims lying on stretchers while emergency workers in high-visibility jackets lifted them into an ambulance. The haj, the world's largest annual gathering of people, has been the scene of numerous deadly stampedes, fires and riots in the past, but their frequency was greatly reduced in recent years as the government spent billions of dollars upgrading and expanding haj infrastructure and crowd control technology. Safety during haj is a politically sensitive issue for the kingdom's ruling Al Saud dynasty, which presents itself internationally as the guardian of orthodox Islam and custodian of its holiest places in Mecca and Medina. Unverified video posted on Twitter showed bodies, clad in the white toweling of those undertaking haj, lying on the ground by the side of the road, surrounded by debris, as pilgrims and rescue workers attempted to revive them.
JAMARAT
Street 204, where the stampede occurred, is one of the two main arteries leading through the camp at Mina to Jamarat, the site where pilgrims ritually stone the devil by hurling pebbles at three large pillars. In 2006, at least 346 pilgrims died in a stampede at Jamarat. Reuters reporters in another part of Mina said they could hear police and ambulance sirens, but that roads leading to the site of the disaster had been blocked. "Work is underway to separate large groups of people and direct pilgrims to alternative routes," the Saudi Civil Defence said on its Twitter account. It said more than 220 ambulances and 4,000 rescue workers had been sent to the stampede's location to help the injured. Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya television channel showed a convoy of ambulances driving through the Mina camp. Some of the wounded were evacuated by helicopters. An Arab pilgrim who did not want to give his name said he had hoped to perform the stoning ritual later on Thursday afternoon but was now too frightened to risk doing so. "I am very tired already and after this I can't go. I will wait for the night and if it not resolved, I will see if maybe somebody else can do it on my behalf," he said. Efforts to improve safety at Jamarat have included enlarging the three pillars and constructing a three-decker bridge around them to increase the area and number of entry and exit points for pilgrims to perform the ritual. More than 100,000 police and thousands of video cameras are also deployed to allow groups to be dispersed before they reach dangerous levels of density. "Please pilgrims do not push one another. Please leave from the exit and don't come back by the same route," an officer kept repeating through a loudspeaker at Jamarat. Two weeks ago 110 people died in Mecca's Grand Mosque when a crane working on an expansion project collapsed during a storm and toppled off the roof into the main courtyard, crushing pilgrims underneath.

Yemen Mosque Bombing Kills 25 during Holiday Prayers
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/September 24/15/A suicide bombing claimed by the Islamic State group targeting Shiite rebels at a mosque in Yemen's capital Thursday killed at least 25 people and wounded dozens more during holiday prayers.Sanaa, seized by the Iran-backed Huthi insurgents a year ago, has been shaken by a string of bombings in recent months by IS, a radical Sunni organization which considers Shiites to be heretics. Thursday's blast ripped through the Balili mosque, located near a police academy, where the rebels and their supporters go to pray, witnesses said. It came as Muslims marked Eid al-Adha, the Feast of the Sacrifice, the most important holiday of the Islamic calendar. Witnesses said that after a first blast inside the mosque, a suicide bomber detonated an explosives belt at the entrance as worshipers rushed out. The perpetrators hid explosives inside shoes and clothing to get past searches introduced at the entrance after the previous attacks, according to the mosque's head of security, Adnane Khaled. "We found a shoe bomb and explosives hidden in underwear and abandoned in the toilet," he said, adding that two devices had failed to detonate while a third had exploded inside the shrine, causing panic. "As the crowd rushed to leave the prayer room, a suicide bomber tried to force his way into the mosque," said Khaled. "He was stopped at the entrance by a security officer and blew himself up."Blood stains and debris were seen on the floor of the mosque after the blast, while Huthi rebels inspected the damage. In an online statement, IS said one of its members wearing a suicide belt had struck "Huthi infidels." IS, which controls swathes of territory in Iraq and Syria, has repeatedly targeted Shiites in Yemen's capital and elsewhere. Bomb attacks targeting several Shiite mosques in Sanaa on March 21 killed 142 people, with IS also claiming attacks on mosques in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. The Huthis seized the capital of Sunni-majority Yemen in September 2014 and expanded their grip to other parts of the country.
Extremists exploit chaos
Pro-government forces backed by air strikes and troops provided by a Saudi-led Arab coalition have recently managed to wrest back some southern provinces, including the second city of Aden. After six months in exile in neighboring Saudi Arabia, President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi returned to Aden Tuesday with a vow to liberate the country from the Huthis. In a speech to mark Eid, Hadi said the Huthis had "suffered defeat after defeat" and that "Yemen will soon be freed."The Arab coalition launched air strikes against the rebels on March 26, and started a ground operation in July. Hadi loyalists began an all-out offensive against the Huthis in oil-rich Marib province east of Sanaa earlier this month, aiming to retake its capital. The United Nations says around 5,000 people have been killed in Yemen and 25,000 wounded, many of them civilians, since late March. Yemen descended into chaos after the 2012 ouster of longtime strongman Ali Abdullah Saleh, and security has broken down since Huthi militiamen swept into the capital unopposed. IS and the Yemen-based branch of its jihadist rival al-Qaida have exploited the turmoil to boost their activities in the impoverished country on the tip of the Arabian Peninsula.
Al-Qaida has long been the dominant jihadist force in Yemen, located next to oil-flush Saudi Arabia and key shipping lanes, but experts say IS is seeking to supplant its extremist rival. Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) controls parts of the vast southeastern province of Hadramawt, including the provincial capital Mukalla, which it is seized in April. It has distanced itself from IS' tactics, saying that it avoids targeting mosques to protect "innocent Muslims."The United States has waged a longstanding drone war against AQAP which it regards as the jihadist network's most dangerous branch.

New Phase of EU's Anti People Trafficking Op to Start October 7
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/September 24/15/The second phase of an EU operation against migrant traffickers in the Mediterranean, allowing for arrests in international waters, will begin on October 7, the bloc's foreign affairs chief said Thursday."The political decision has been taken, the assets are ready," Federica Mogherini said at the Rome headquarters of the EU military operation, dubbed EUNAVFOR MED.The EU recently approved the use of military force against migrant traffickers, including the seizure of vessels used to ship people across the Mediterranean, many of which set off from the coast of Libya.Under the new phase, European warships will be used against traffickers but on the condition they remain within international waters and do not stray into Libyan territory, Mogherini said.
The EUNAVFOR MED operation, launched at the end of June, currently has four ships and several planes at its disposal. The first phase of the operation was focused on reconnaissance, surveillance and intelligence gathering, including speaking to migrants rescued at sea and compiling data on trafficker networks.

Migrants Keep Coming as Merkel Tells EU to Do More
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/September 24/15/Thousands of migrants streamed through the Balkans Thursday as German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned after an emergency summit that Europe still had to get to grips with its biggest post-war refugee crisis. French officials meanwhile said a young African was killed by a Channel Tunnel train while trying to get to Britain, just the latest in thousands of deaths this year among people desperate to start a new life in Europe. Hungarian police announced 10,046 migrants, a new daily record, had arrived on Wednesday. Migrants, many from war-torn Syria, are pouring through the Balkans on a zig-zag trek to Germany, which they see as a beacon of stability and prosperity. The previous record in Hungary was set on September 14, when 9,380 migrants crossed just before the country effectively sealed its border with Serbia with razor wire.That closure -- and subsequent clashes with riot police on the border -- led thousands of migrants to enter Croatia, quickly overwhelming authorities who then started bussing them to the Hungarian border. On Tuesday almost 9,000 migrants entered Croatia, also a new high. Over the last week, more than 44,000 refugees have entered the country from non-EU Serbia.That influx has fuelled tensions between the two countries. In tit-for-tat moves overnight, Croatia and Serbia further restricted traffic at the last major crossing point on their joint border, Tanjug news agency reported in Belgrade.
Aid for Syria's neighbours
EU leaders agreed at an emergency refugee summit early Thursday to boost aid for Syria's neighbours, which are housing millions of refugees fleeing years of civil war and the ravages of Islamic State extremists. The leaders agreed to mobilize an additional one billion euros ($1.12 billion) for the U.N. refugee agency and the World Food Program (WFP), as well as more help for Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan and Balkan countries. The run-up to the summit had seen major divisions open in the 28-nation bloc, especially between western and former communist eastern members.But EU president Donald Tusk said he was sure the "risky blaming game" was over. "Tonight we have a common understanding that we cannot continue like we did before," Tusk told a press conference. Tusk said EU leaders also agreed to strengthen the bloc's outer frontiers, pointing to a "change in the way of thinking about our external borders". He added they also agreed to set up controversial "hotspot" reception centres in frontline states -- probably in Greece and Italy -- to quickly sort genuine conflict refugees from economic migrants. On the eve of the summit, interior ministers decided to relocate 120,000 refugees, defying opposition from eastern states Hungary, the Czech Republic, Romania and Slovakia. The decision was approved by a majority of countries under the EU's system of votes, weighted according to the member. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said he would appeal to the EU's top court rather than accept the "diktat" from Brussels. Hungary's hardline prime minister, Viktor Orban, hit out at Germany, telling Chancellor Angela Merkel there should be "no moral imperialism" when it came to European discussions on migrants.
Drop in the ocean
The relocations are just a fraction of the 500,000 migrants who have come to Europe's shores so far this year and the estimated four million camped on Syria's borders. "I am deeply convinced that what Europe needs is not just selective relocation of this kind, but much more a durable process for fairly distributing refugees among member states," Merkel told parliament on Thursday. "A first step has been taken, but we are still far from where we should be."Consumer confidence in Germany is being dampened by Europe's refugee crisis as consumers worry about the economic consequences of the huge influx of migrants, a poll meanwhile found on Thursday.

White House expresses condolences over ‘heartbreaking’ hajj stampede
AFP, Washington/Thursday, 24 September 2015/The White House on Thursday offered condolences after a “heartbreaking” stampede in Saudi Arabia that left more than 700 Muslim pilgrims dead. “The United States expresses its deepest condolences to the families of the hundreds of Hajj pilgrims killed and hundreds more injured in the heartbreaking stampede in Mina, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” said National Security Council spokesman Ned Price.“As Muslims around the world continue to celebrate Eid al-Adha, we join you in mourning the tragic loss of these faithful pilgrims.”

Warring sides in Syria reach deal on 2 villages, border town
By Reuters | Beirut, Geneva/Thursday, 24 September 2015/Warring sides in Syria have reached an agreement under U.N. supervision over the fate of two villages in the northwest and a town near the Lebanese border, sources familiar with the talks said on Thursday, as a ceasefire in the areas held. The deal included the withdrawal of rebel fighters holed up in the mostly regime-held area near Lebanon, and the evacuation of civilians from two Shiite villages under rebel siege in Idlib province in northwest Syria, the sources said. It would be implemented within six months, during which time there would be an extended ceasefire in the areas. Evacuation of wounded from both sides would begin on Friday.

Dutch: No sign militants posing as refugees to reach Europe
Reuters, Amsterdam/Thursday, 24 September 2015/Dutch authorities said on Thursday there was no sign of militant groups systematically using Europe’s asylum provisions as a way of smuggling attackers into Europe disguised as refugees. Far-right politicians in the Netherlands and elsewhere in Europe have suggested in recent months that the hundreds of thousands of people fleeing war and poverty in the Middle East and Africa pose a national security threat. But, echoing scepticism expressed by other intelligence services, a spokeswoman for the AIVD intelligence agency said there was no evidence that militant organisations like the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) were infilitrating fighters across Europe’s southern and south-eastern borders. “There are no structural signals of refugees coming in with terrorist motives,” a spokeswoman for the AIVD intelligence agency told Reuters. “It is possible that individuals may use it (the route) but we don’t see groups coming in.”Germany‘s domestic intelligence service, however, warned on Tuesday that radical Islamists posing as humanitarian helpers could try to recruit young refugees arriving in the country. Dutch anti-Islamic politician Geert Wilders recently referred to the influx as an “Islamic invasion”, saying that thousands of Islamist militants were concealed among those fleeing conflict in Syria and Iraq. A poll this week showed his far-right populist Freedom Party would nearly double its seats, from 12 to 29 in the 150-member parliament, if elections were held now. More than half of Dutch voters oppose a European deal under which the country will admit an additional 7,000 refugees. The Dutch government has been stepping up security measures amid growing concern at the threat of attacks by returning militants and plans to grant sweeping cable-tapping powers to intelligence agencies.

British Labor Party chairman Jeremy Corbyn to speak at pro-Israel event next week
GIL HOFFMAN/J.Post/09/24/2015/Controversial new British Labor Party chairman Jeremy Corbyn will address next Tuesday's Labor Friends of Israel reception, his office confirmed Thursday. Corbyn angered the Jewish community by calling Hamas and Hezbollah terrorists friends and by publicly endorsed a blanket arms embargo on Israel and the boycott of Israeli universities involved in weapons research. He has come under increasing pressure to make amends with the Jewish community since he won the Labor leadership race September 12. The reception will be Corbyn's first lecture to a Jewish audience since the election, so it will be watched very closely. Some 400 people, including some 30 members of parliament, are expected at the event, which traditionally has been addressed by Labor's leader. "I am looking forward to welcoming the leader of the Labor Party and shadow foreign secretary to this year's LFI reception," said LFI's chairwoman in the House of Commons, MP Joan Ryan. "I hope this will mark the start of a conversation on how the next Labor government can best contribute to the peace process and a two-state solution."Corbyn revealed last week to The Church Times that he has a “Jewish element” in his family. Other speakers at the event will be British Shadow Foreign Secretary Hilary Benn and Israeli Labor MK Erel Margalit, who said it was important that Corbyn and other British parliament members hear the pro-Israel speeches at the event. "It's very delicate but we are expecting unequivocal support for Israel," Margalit said. "The British Labor Party has been a very close ally of Israel and my party and we expect it to continue to be."Margalit said he would deliver a "proud Israeli Zionist address" at the event. He will also speak on a panel with British politicians organized by BICOM, the Britain Israel Communications and Research Center. "My speech is going to be a bold statement about Israel being ready for compromise and looking forward to working with allies in the UK and US against the extremists of Iran, Hamas, and Hezbollah," he said.

Report: Putin plans air strikes in Syria if no US deal reached
REUTERS/09/24/2015 /WASHINGTON - Russian President Vladimir Putin is preparing for unilateral air strikes against Islamic State in Syria if the United States rejects his proposal to join forces, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday, citing two people familiar with the matter. Russia has increased its military presence inside Syria and its arms supplies to the Syrian army as it steps up support of longtime ally President Bashar Assad, drawing warnings of further destabilization from Western countries that oppose Assad. A Russian diplomatic source told Reuters on Wednesday that Moscow sees a growing chance to reach international agreement on fighting terrorism in Syria and end the crisis that has stretched into its fifth year. Bloomberg reported that Putin's preferred course of action was for the US government and its allies to agree to coordinate their campaign against Islamic State militants with Russia, Iran and the Syrian army. It cited a person close to the Kremlin and an adviser to the Defense Ministry in Moscow. Bloomberg cited a third person as saying Putin's proposal called for a "parallel track" of joint military action accompanied by a political transition away from Assad, a key US demand. Russia has communicated the proposal to the United States, according to the news service. But one source told Bloomberg that Putin was frustrated with US reticence to respond and was ready to act alone in Syria if necessary.

Saudi Arabia plans to crucify protester as it ascends to UN Human Rights Council chair
JPOST.COM STAFF/09/24/2015/In a move that has drawn severe criticism from numerous organizations and activist groups from around the world, Saudi Arabia, which was tapped last week to head the Human Rights Council at the UN, is preparing to crucify and behead a protester who was still a minor at the time of his arrest, the BBC reported Wednesday. Ali Mohammed Baqir al-Nimr, a member of Saudi Arabia's Shi'ite minority, was convicted on a variety of charges including taking part in anti-government protests, breaking alliance with the king, sedition, rioting and attacking security patrols in 2011. Nimr was 17 years old when Saudi authorities arrested him. As a signatory of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, Saudi Arabia is forbidden from enacting capital punishment against people under the age of 18. UN human rights experts also added that al-Nimr was subjected to torture and did not receive a fair trial. "Any judgment imposing the death penalty upon persons who were children at the time of the offense, and their execution, are incompatible with Saudi Arabia's international obligations," the UN group said in a statement Tuesday. Despite Saudi Arabia possessing "arguably the worst record in the world" in terms of women's rights and dissidents, on September 17 the kingdom was chosen to lead a powerful five-member group of ambassadors, according to CNN. Dubbed the Consultative Group, the powerful group has the mandate to select applicants for more than 77 positions in regards to country-specific and thematic human rights mandates, documents published by the UNHRC state. As a result, Saudi Arabia has been targeted on social media platforms by vocal opponents, including journalists, politicians and the Geneva-based NGO UN Watch, which is a vocal critic of the international body, according to CNN.
Hillel Neuer, the NGO's executive director, said that Saudi Arabia's ascension to the leadership position of UN Human Rights Council was "scandalous," adding "Petro-dollars and politics have trumped human rights." Hillel also said the "UN often describes these experts (on the Consultative Group) as the ‘crown jewels’ of its Human Rights Council...yet the world body only undermines their legitimacy by picking a fundamentalist theocracy that oppresses women and minorities to preside over the experts’ appointment.” The practice of displaying publicly executed bodies, although rare, serves both a piratical and psychological purpose in the kingdom. Saad Hamid, an expert in international law and Islamic jurisprudence, explains that "Death followed by crucifixion is the punishment in the Islamic penal code for a specific charge of attacking and targeting civilians and causing them deliberate injury or death with the intention of terrorizing them."  Hamid went on to say that "The aim of showing such mutilation is a form of extreme deterrence so no one would even think of doing the same thing in the future."

Canada Offers Condolences Following Tragedy Near Mecca
September 24, 2015 - Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada
The Honourable Rob Nicholson, P.C., Q.C., M.P. for Niagara Falls, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today issued the following statement concerning reports that at least 700 pilgrims were killed, and more than 800 injured in a stampede in Mina outside Mecca:
“We are saddened to learn of this tragic loss of life. On behalf of all Canadians, I offer my deepest condolences to the families, friends and loved ones of the pilgrims who died in this terrible accident.
“I also extend my wishes for a swift recovery to the worshippers who sustained injuries in the accident.”
Canadian citizens in Mina, Saudi Arabia requiring emergency consular assistance should contact the Embassy of Canada in Riyadh at +966 (11) 488-2288, or call DFATD’s 24/7 Emergency Watch and Response Centre

Jihadi militant shown weeping before suicide attack in Syria
By JPOST.COM STAFF /September 24/15/Uzbeki national Jafar al-Tayyar can be seen crying as he hugs his fellow extremists goodbye after leaders in the Uzbek-led Imam Bukhari Jamaat militant group, an affiliate of the infamous al-Nusra Front, order the scared operative to climb into an armored vehicle packed with explosives and drive it into the besieged villages of Fua and Kafriyeh. "I'm just scared I won't succeed," Tayyar weeps to his fellow fundamentalists. At the end of the two minute video, viewers can see a large explosion, fire rising high into the sky, as al-Tayyar's fellow jihadis storm the village's defenses, Daily Mail adds.Tayyar's suicide attack was part of a larger mission that took place last Friday, which included over 200 rocket attacks and another seven suicide missions in all against the village of Fau, the Times of London reports. The main actor behind the siege was al-Qaida's Syrian affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra, also known as Nusra Front. Nusra Front later put out a statement, boasting of their assault on the villages, and circulating drone video footage showing the devastating impact of their attack.
A ceasefire has since silenced fighting in the area, Daily Mail reports.

In first, a policy speech from Pope to Congress
MICHAEL WILNER /J.Post/09/24/2015
WASHINGTON - Pope Francis addressed the US Congress on Thursday and, through it, the American people, in an unprecedented event in Washington drawing tens of thousands. The Catholic leader's speech— the first ever from a pope to a joint meeting of Congress— was delivered in English, his third language, to a full chamber of guests and lawmakers. Sitting behind him were Vice President Joe Biden and Speaker of the House John Boehner, both Catholics. Francis did not shy away from policy matters long considered vital to Church doctrine, but also known to challenge and divide the United States. In front of four sitting Supreme Court justices, he called for an end to the death penalty; as the US ambassador to the United Nations looked on, he criticized the US-led arms industry and the "shameful and culpable silence" of those that have let it fester and grow. As the pontiff progressed, and as members of Congress listened carefully through his thick Argentine accent, the address maintained a political character. But it did not fall down classic partisan lines. The pope can be said, in short, to agree with Democrats on climate change, prison reform, issues of social justice and on diplomatic initiatives with countries like Iran, and with Republicans on the sanctity of life and the preservation of the classic family unit. None of these issues went unaddressed by Francis, who has repeatedly demonstrated his will to engage in politics since first ascending to the papacy in 2013. Of all issues, those most harshly dividing the chamber were climate change and migration— cornerstone issues of the 2016 US presidential campaign and of Francis' Vatican.
"I call for a courageous and responsible effort to redirect our steps and to avert the most serious effects of the environmental deterioration caused by human activity," Francis said, to the applause of Democrats and quiet among Republicans. "I am convinced that we can make a difference and I have no doubt that the United States– and this Congress– have an important role to play."In a formal welcoming ceremony at the White House the day before, addressing 11,000 invited guests, Francis thanked US President Barack Obama for his initiatives on the environment. And in his Thursday address, he repeatedly quoted from his recent encyclical on climate change and the heavenly imperative to stop it. On both occasions, he noted that he was born of an immigrant family and praised the United States as a nation built by immigrants. The message on Thursday was honed and pointed: "Do unto others," he said to the applause of Democrats, "as you would have them do unto you." "Our world is facing a refugee crisis of a magnitude not seen since the Second World War," Francis said. "On this continent, too, thousands of persons are led to travel north in search of a better life for themselves and for their loved ones, in search of greater opportunities."Francis' message comes amid a raucous debate among Republican presidential contenders over immigration policy with Mexico and the place of Muslims in American politics.
"Is this not what we want for our own children?," he continued. "We must not be taken aback by their numbers, but rather view them as persons, seeing their faces and listening to their stories, trying to respond as best we can to their situation; To respond in a way which is always humane, just and fraternal. We need to avoid a common temptation nowadays: to discard whatever proves troublesome."Earlier this month, Francis called on all of Europe's Catholics to take in as many refugees as they could accommodate, amid an historic influx of migrants from conflicts in the Middle East.
"Our world is increasingly a place of violent conflict, hatred and brutal atrocities, committed even in the name of God and of religion," Francis said on Thursday. "We know that no religion is immune from forms of individual delusion or ideological extremism. This means that we must be especially attentive to every type of fundamentalism, whether religious or of any other kind."Warning against the "simplistic reductionism which sees only good or evil," the "righteous and sinners," Francis also called for dialogue between nations long at odds. Francis was a chief architect of Washington's rapprochement with Cuba, and has hailed the Iran nuclear deal as a step on the path to peace. On his first-ever trip to the United States, Francis continues on to New York on Friday to address the United Nations' 70th general assembly. He will then travel to Philadelphia for the World Meeting of Families summit.
While full of policy charges, Francis' historic speech to Congress also included prescriptions for Washington as a whole. "The challenges facing us today call for a renewal of that spirit of cooperation, which has accomplished so much good throughout the history of the United States," Francis said. "The complexity, the gravity and the urgency of these challenges demand that we pool our resources and talents, and resolve to support one another, with respect for our differences and our convictions of conscience." "Politics," he continued, "is an expression of our compelling need to live as one, in order to build as one the greatest common good: that of a community which sacrifices particular interests in order to share, in justice and peace, its goods, its interests, its social life. I do not underestimate the difficulty that this involves, but I encourage you in this effort."

Taiz: Yemen’s forgotten battlefront
Manuel Almeida/Al Arabiya/September 24/15
The highland city of Taiz, in Yemen’s southwest, is renowned for many things. Five hundred years ago it was the political capital before that shifted to Sanaa, yet it continues to be the country’s cultural capital, home to many of Yemen’s most prominent writers, poets and artists. On top of the cultural legacy, there is also the city’s history as a commercial hub, which gave rise to an educated and cosmopolitan mercantile class. Taiz sits close to the Red Sea’s Mocha port, once part of a major trade route and from where the famous coffee beans were exported. Since 2011, the city also gained the epithet as the birthplace of the Yemeni revolution. It was early that year that the local youth started to organize protests against the disastrous 33-year rule of then President Ali Abdullah Saleh. With security forces employing gradually more violent methods to disperse the increasingly large crowds, local tribes and militias intervened and started attacking government forces. Events in Taiz have gone somewhat under the radar. But the violence, death and destruction there has reached unparalleled levels.The conflict between local militias and government forces escalated in the following months and it only ended with a ceasefire brokered by the governor of Taiz, Hamoud al-Soufi, weeks after Saleh signed the GCC deal that involved a transfer of power to his vice-president, Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi. Today, however, Taiz and its people continue to suffer greatly from the indiscriminate shelling carried out by the alliance of Saleh loyalists and Houthi rebels, who stormed the city in March this year as part of their military offensive following last year’s coup.
The local resistance
Having been expelled from much of the city in the summer by a combined offensive from local resistance militias, pro-Hadi military forces and coalition airstrikes, the Republican Guard units loyal to Saleh and pro-Houthi forces have taken up positions in the outskirts of the city, mostly in the north and northeast. From there, supplied via Ibb governorate just north of Taiz, they have been indiscriminately shelling residential areas with tank and mortar fire. The local resistance against the Saleh-Houthi alliance is made up of various groups which include liberals, seculars, socialists, Islamists and Salafists. Among them, two stand out. In the northwest of Taiz, the self-made Sheikh Hamoud al-Mekhlafi leads a powerful militia (of Islamists mostly) that played a central role in expelling pro-Saleh forces from the city centre in 2011, before their return during the current conflict. Al-Mekhlafi, who carved for himself the role of informal police chief and arbiter of local disputes, is an Islamist loyal to the al-Islah party, a coalition of tribal and Islamist groups of various kind in which Yemen’s Muslim Brotherhood plays a prominent role. Then the military units loyal to the Yemeni government are located in the northern front, south of the city and in its southern suburbs, all coordinated by a military council headed by Brigadier General Sadek Sarhan. Other important pro-government military commanders are Brigadier General Yusef al-Sharaji and Brigadier General Adnan al-Hamadi, the commander of the 35th Armored Brigade that early on in the conflict declared its allegiance to the Yemeni government.
What next for Taiz?
With much of regional and international media focused on the government-led counter-offensive in Marib, the coalition’s aerial campaign in the capital Sanaa, and the return of the Yemeni government in exile to Aden, events in Taiz have gone somewhat under the radar. But the violence, death and destruction there has reached unparalleled levels, with the civilian population and key infrastructure such as hospitals taking a heavy toll. Amidst this seemingly senseless brutality from the Houthi-Saleh alliance, what is the alliance’s strategy in Taiz? As an alien force with virtually no local support, it is practically impossible for it to regain control of the city. The goal instead seems to be to protect Sanaa’s southwestern flank. Now on the defensive in Marib governorate east of the capital, the Saleh loyalists and pro-Houthi forces are apparently trying to ensure the government-led offensive toward the capital does not gain further momentum on another front. Unless there is a major shift in the current power balance, Saleh loyalists and pro-Houthi forces will eventually have to withdraw from their positions on the outskirts of Taiz toward the north to Ibb. In fact, current events in Taiz are following a similar pattern to the occupation and gradual withdrawal of pro-Saleh and Houthi forces from the former southern capital of Aden in July.Preparations are already under way by the Yemeni government and local authorities to distribute much-needed food and medical supplies, restore all basic services and repair key infrastructure, as soon as Taiz ceases to be a constant target. Most likely, the city will also be used as a strategic point to build up the pressure on the Houthis further north. One existing concern within Yemeni government circles and among the Arab coalition is the alleged presence of dozens of al-Qaeda members among the local militia fighters. This raises worries about the challenges that the post-conflict scenario in Taiz will pose to the re-assertion of the central and local government’s authority and the control over local militias. In any event, the Taizians’ plight seems to be drawing closer to an end.

Why the Middle East should take note of Carly Fiorina
Caitlin Miller/Al Arabiya/September 24/15
Last week the 11 hopefuls in the Republican presidential nomination took to the world stage to make their case to the American people and wider global community. The administration of President Barack Obama and its failed policy, or indeed lack of a policy in the Middle East means that foreign affairs is playing a central role in the upcoming U.S. election. Carly’s sentiments are refreshing in a Washington climate where the Obama administration seems divorced from reality. During Obama’s presidency, the world has seen stability and security in the Middle East deteriorate at an exponential rate. In Syria, over 250,000 people have perished, four million refugees have fled the country, and another seven million have been displaced internally. The global migration crisis is the worst the world has seen since WWII. President Barack Obama has touted Libya as a success story. He has alienated U.S. allies in the region with his infamous “red line” policy in Syria. In a part of the world deeply rooted in tradition and fidelity, a profound distrust in Obama and America was perpetuated by his inaction in Syria. This weariness was further exasperated by Obama’s deal with Iran signed in July of this year.
Winning back trust
Republican presidential hopefuls have their work cut out to win back the trust of the American people and of U.S. allies. The American people no longer want to be viewed as weak on the international stage, especially in the Middle East. During last week’s debate, the candidates felt the pressure to emerge as strong leaders, especially on foreign policy. Carly Fiorina, the only female candidate for the Republican presidential nomination, asserted that this election is about leadership, “challenging the status quo, solving problems, producing results.” Carly espoused that if she is elected as the next President of the United States, “every ally and every adversary will know America is back in the leadership business.” This message was well received by the American people. On Monday, CNN announced that Carly shot to number two in the polls following her strong performance in the debate.
Clear assurances
However, U.S. allies in the region need more than good intentions from the future president. They need clear assurances that the next president is true to their word with a decisive plan to cultivate global security and stability. Perhaps sensing the need to be resolute, Carly laid out her plan for the Iran deal in clear terms. She stated that on day one in the Oval Office she would call the Supreme Leader and tell him “that unless and until he opens every military and every nuclear facility to real anytime, anywhere inspections by our people, not his, we, the United States of America, will make it as difficult as possible and move money around the global financial system.”Carly’s sentiments are refreshing in a Washington climate where the Obama administration seems divorced from reality. Shortly after signing the nuclear deal with Iran, Ayatollah Khamenei tweeted a picture of President Obama with a gun to his head and the accompanying words: “We welcome no war, nor do we initiate any war, but if any war happens, the one who will emerge loser will be the aggressive and criminal U.S.” In spite of such rhetoric, the Obama administration - either ignorantly at best, or calculating at worst - continues to embrace Iran.
Hillary Clinton
Carly went on to challenge Hillary Clinton, whom she could potentially be up against in the presidential primary. Clinton has been careful not to highlight her record as Secretary of State due to her overall ineffectiveness and ineptitude. Carly noted Clinton’s alleged “lying about Benghazi, of lying about her e-mails, about lying about her servers.” One Republican presidential hopeful, Senator Ted Cruz, even went so far as to claim, “If you vote for Hillary, you are voting for the Ayatollah Khamenei to possess a nuclear weapon.”Carly was not the only candidate with a strong debate performance last week. Governor Jeb Bush had a good night, too. During the debate, Trump challenged Bush on his brother’s track record. Bush retaliated, “There's one thing I know for sure. He kept us safe.” Bush went on to say that his brother “sent a clear signal that the United States would be strong and fight Islamic terrorism.”
Even those who disagree with President George W. Bush’s policy in the Middle East can concur that he was resolute and transparent with U.S. allies in the region. As Bush famously said, “Every nation in every region now has a decision to make. Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists.” This steadfast and stoic leadership is a far cry from Obama’s wavering “red line.” Governor Bush reminded the debate audience what happens when America leads from behind and when America fails to provide military and political support to our allies in the region: voids are created. And the void in Iraq created a vacuum for the emergence of ISIS. In this election anything is possible, but one thing is certain. In order to make the world a safer and more stable place, America needs a strident leader. The next U.S. president must be a champion for justice, not afraid to stand up to brutal adversaries and to support long-term allies. As we enter the next phase of the election, America and the world will be watching to see which candidate has the fortitude to steer America forward. And after her most recent performance, everyone should take note of Carly.

How can Egypt’s Prime Minister succeed?
Abdel Latif el-Menawy/Al Arabiya/September 24/15
“Mahlab managed to gain people’s admiration thanks to his diligence and presence in the street among the people. However, continuing to have this trust and admiration is linked to the size of practical achievements and to the government’s capability to communicate in a way that bridges the gap between officials and citizens. And the question remains, how can Ibrahim Mahlab succeed?” Around a year ago, I wrote the aforementioned statement in an article called “How can Ibrahim Mahlab succeed?” However Mahlab’s journey as Prime Minister of Egypt has now ended. Despite the reasons and motives, we must salute this man who had accepted the challenge of becoming premier, assumed responsibility at a difficult time, and worked hard.The path to success is through adopting a scientific approach in developing and executing plans. Mahlab made many right decisions and he’s also made mistakes; however thanking him and voicing appreciation to him is a duty. We must also evaluate the phase of his reign; therefore this must be the basis of respecting the man’s efforts and honesty. I hope such an approach becomes part of our lifestyle.
Sherif Ismail
Egypt’s new Prime Minister Sherif Ismail, who served as a minister in Mahlab’s government, was one of the most honest and serious men on the level of performing his role during the past phase. I've met him on several occasions and I sensed his perseverance to resolve the country’s energy problem. I felt that he was willing to do anything as long as it helps solve problems. After following up on his work in the previous phase, I always said that he dealt with the energy crisis as if he’s addressing a problem in his own household; thus, doing everything he can to resolve it. Therefore, I ask those who have already launched a campaign criticizing him to be patient. But are the person’s positive traits enough to succeed? The certain answer is no, they are not. I hereby repeat that the path to success is through adopting a scientific approach in developing and executing plans, developing a system and communicating in a way that bridges the gap between officials and citizens.
Scientific approach
So to what extent does the government follow a scientific approach that’s based on solid studies in order to specify priorities? To what extent do we benefit from the experiences of those who preceded us or who passed through similar crises in their countries and succeeded at overcoming them? To what extent does the government, or rather its state institutions and apparatuses, adopt a scientific approach to specify the media plans to efficiently communicate with the people? What I can say now is that this is not completely happening - and even if it did happen, it was amidst the absence of coordination among the state’s different parties. Therefore, there was no consistency as no scientific methods were adopted to evaluate the situation and follow up on it. At least, this is what I and others think. The government had historical opportunities to create a positive atmosphere by marketing the major and huge projects which were launched. However this was not properly dealt with. Although there were many important measures and laws, there wasn't a proper approach to market them and explain them in order to gain people's support. Therefore, a new and different approach is needed to address all these details.
Creating harmony among the different ministries and adopting the proper scientific approach in specifying priorities which the people approved is truly the right path to achieve success. Many opportunities have been lost on the level of communicating with people, and if this is not realized and if no well-studied scientific measures are taken, more opportunities will be lost and success - which is now possible - will become difficult to achieve.

7,000 airstrikes later, ISIS lives on
Joyce Karam/Al Arabiya/September 24/15
The expected departure of General John Allen, the U.S. envoy to the anti-ISIS coalition, should not have come as a surprise following the growth of ISIS in both landmass and recruitment over the last year. If anything, Allen’s resignation, expected this fall, pinpoints to a frustrated strategy, and a prolonged fight against ISIS beyond the Barack Obama administration and possibly his successor’s presidency. One year and almost 7,000 airstrikes into the campaign against ISIS in Syria and Iraq, the jihadist group is neither on the cusp of defeat nor awaiting serious setbacks in its Levantine strongholds of Raqqa, Mosul and Deir al-Zour. Its trajectory, owed in large part to the political dysfunction and disintegration in Iraq and Syria, looks promising, as paths to negotiated settlements crumble in Damascus, sectarian divisions dominate Iraq and reluctance overshadows the coalition’s future moves.
Airstrikes won’t defeat ISIS
While the air campaign has hindered ISIS progress in Diyala province and helped break it in Kobane, Tal Abyad and Tikrit, the group has made substantial gains to its so-called caliphate, adding the cities of Ramadi, Palmyra and towns bordering Aleppo and Homs.If it has taken 15 years to defeat Al-Qaeda with ground troops and full-fledged war, expecting a shorter timeframe against ISIS’ “Caliphate” is likely a fantasy. The ascendance of ISIS in Iraq and Syria offers lessons into defeating it. Its rise could not have occurred or been sustained today without the lopsided mistakes of the post-Saddam governments in Baghdad and the continued fallacies and brutality of the Assad regime across Syria. In many ways, ISIS is one byproduct of the post-Baathist structures in both Baghdad and Damascus, and expecting any form of orderly transition to their unraveling is no longer realistic. The disintegration of the Iraqi and Syrian states as we knew them since 1958 and 1961 has brought forth militias and decentralized powers at the expense of the centralized government. Over one thousand armed groups exist in Syria today after four years of conflict, while sectarian militias and autonomous parties have more say in national security matters than the government in Baghdad. ISIS itself, as a non-state actor exploiting the grievances of and terrorizing the local population has become the loudest exhibition of the disintegration.
The late fathers of ISIS – namely Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and Abu Ayyub al-Masri – drew early support for the group in 2004 and in the aftermath of the Debaathification policy that left over 100,000 civil servants unemployed and was an early sign of malignancy in the new state of Iraq. While Zarqawi’s brand was defeated in 2009, the resurgence of Al-Qaeda was only a question of time given the failure of the Nouri al-Maliki’s governments in achieving political reconciliation and ending the disenfranchisement policies against Iraqi Sunnis and Kurds. ISIS’ comeback in 2014 in Mosul was foreseen by many in Washington, given the political incompetence of Maliki and the raging conflict in bordering Syria.
Political malignancies continue
The political malignancies that gave rise to ISIS in 2003 have not changed today, minimizing the impact of the airstrikes and undercutting the military efforts. In fact, ISIS’ ability to expand its territory in Syria into Palmyra and near Aleppo while maintaining control of Raqqa and Deir al-Zour in the last year, is a testimony to the limitations of the air campaign. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, ISIS today controls more than 50 percent of Syrian territory, stretching from pockets near Aleppo into Raqqa and Deir al-Zour and bordering Homs. While the group lost Kobane in January, that was due to the presence of an equipped Kurdish force on the ground, the rejection of ISIS by the locals, and escalated use of aerial bombing for four months. The Kobane example has so far failed to repeat in Mosul, or Ramadi, the latest Iraqi city to fall into ISIS last June, partly because of the local tribal support and a loose coalition of thugs and former regime members that the group has on the ground. Also, the failure of the Iraqi government to reconcile and recruit an anti-ISIS cross-sectarian force plays right into the hands of ISIS. Those setbacks have to do with internal Iraqi divisions and the extent of Iranian influence in post-Saddam Baghdad. General Qassem Suleimani, commander of the Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, has major say in the trajectory of the war against ISIS in Anbar and beyond. Iraq’s fight against ISIS is largely being led by Shia militias and Suleimani himself. That is one reason why the aftermath of the fighting is marred by sectarian agendas, looting and lawlessness – all of which have ended up backfiring and helping ISIS. In Syria, the latest events in the form of Russian military escalation in Latakia, the death of the political process, and the expansion of Hezbollah, Jabhat al-Nusra and Ahrar al-Sham, is welcome news for ISIS. It normalizes the atmosphere of fragmentation and militarization, making the group’s gains part of the new war, its realities, military and economic order. The group is staging stronger offensives near Homs and in the North against Jabhat al-Nusra, and should not be underestimated in the event of the Assad regime’s sudden collapse in Damascus. One year into the formation of the global coalition against ISIS and as the political stalemate continues, it is likely to expect this war to stretch for over a decade. If it has taken 15 years to defeat Al-Qaeda with ground troops and full-fledged war, expecting a shorter timeframe against ISIS’ “Caliphate” is likely a fantasy.

Fleeing Syrian rock band helps fellow refugees keep up
AFP/Ynetnews/Published: 09.24.15,
ZAGREB - Like tens of thousands of their fellow countrymen fleeing war, members of a Syrian rock group exiled in Lebanon undertook a perilous journey to reach Europe. But their trek, which has already taken them through five countries, has led to an unexpected "exile concert tour", on the way to their hoped-for final destination of Germany. "We are all humans ... Thank you all very much for coming!" Anas Maghrebi, lead singer of Khebez Dawle, told the audience of some 300 at the start of their concert in a Zagreb club late Wednesday.The alternative rock band from Damascus fled Syria to neighbouring Lebanon in 2013, a year after a fellow band member was killed. But in August Maghrebi and two other band members decided to try to get to western Europe to continue their careers. "In Beirut we realised that we have to move on... but when one holds a Syrian passport it's like holding no passport, it's useless. We were forced to travel illegally," Maghrebi told AFP ahead of the concert "From Syria with Love" in the Mocvara alternative club. The 25-year-old recalled the uncertain journey squeezed into a van on a Turkish road, floating on a dinghy towards a Greek island and sneaking under heavy rain through bush and vineyards in the Balkans. They were joined by five other Syrian musicians.However, the young man with a gentle smile recalled, the most remarkable moments were all defined by music. They include distributing the band's CDs to friendly tourists at a beach on the Greek island of Lesbos, where they arrived along with 23 other refugees on a dinghy, or making police officers listen to their music while being held at a station in Ilok, a little town in eastern Croatia.
'Getting both older, younger'
"Being detained there, at a police station, and making the officers listen to our songs that talk about freedom and jail was a remarkable moment. It's rather ironic!" said the brown-eyed Maghrebi, wearing a cap and a red and white keffiyeh, or Middle Eastern scarf, around his neck. "During this journey we grew so much, one gets both older and younger. One gets back that sense of youth, rebellion, freedom, wilderness." All of that became virtually palpable at the concert. The club resonated with the sounds of indie rock, strong guitar riffs and Maghrebi's emotion-filled voice. When the journey started the only thing the musicians had on their minds was reaching their final destination - Germany. But their European debut took place unexpectedly one day in Kutina, a little town some 60 kilometres southeast of Zagreb. Organisers called them to perform at a concert held at a primary school. "It was perfect," Maghrebi said, although the instruments were not their own as they were travelling without them. He had to sell his equipment to finance his trip. "Most of the audience were Croatians. They enjoyed, we enjoyed."One of them, Petar Varat, liked the concert so much that he came to listen to the band again in Zagreb. "It is important to see these young men, to share the same values," he told AFP. Ema, a 30-year-old translator, came to lend her support, describing the band as "courageous". After Zagreb, the next concert is planned for Sunday in Ljubljana, the Slovenian capital. They were invited there by Bosnian rock band Dubioza Kolektiv. Maghrebi also saw these unplanned concerts as an opportunity to dispel prejudices about the migrants and his nation. "Mass media keep promoting the refugees as poor people with sad faces, waiting for food and roofs to sleep under... This is much bigger than that," he said. "What happened is Syria is much bigger ... It is about a whole nation, a cultural, civilised nation being expelled from the country."The musicians are heading for Berlin in hopes of continuing their careers and hopefully reuniting with their fellow band member who stayed in Beirut. Maghrebi described the first album from Khebez Dawle -- the Arabic term for Syria's ubiquitous state-subsidised bread -- as a story of a young man who witnessed the Syrian uprising. The next one will be strongly influenced by their current journey. "There is a lot of inspiration in the whole journey. Too much inspiration actually," Maghrebi said, smiling.

Russia’s intervention in Syria must be stopped
Haid Haid/NowLebanon/September24/15
“For the moment it is the judgment of our military and experts that the level and type [of Russia’s involvement in Syria] represents basically force protection," US Secretary of State John Kerry said on Tuesday. Kerry’s statement comes just as more solid evidence is released confirming Moscow’s increased military support for Bashar Assad’s regime. The Russian government hasn’t denied its military support for Assad and has stated that its aim is to fight terrorism, protect Syria's statehood and prevent a total catastrophe in the region. The timing of this support, followed by increased public discussion about the need for a no-fly zone to protect civilians and reduce the wave of refugees emigrating to Europe, has raised many questions about what Russia’s real intentions are. How far are the Russians willing to go to keep Assad in power? Will this tip the military balance in Syria? How should the international community react to it?What kind of support
While Russia has been a strong political ally of Assad's regime since the beginning of the Syrian revolution in March 2011, it has significantly increased its military support in recent weeks. Its support for the regime in the last four years has been primarily limited to weapons, experts, loans, and political cover in the UN Security Council. But it's become clear that Russia has stepped up its support in terms of more sophisticated weaponry and being directly involved in fighting in Syria. On 17 September Reuters released a report on the new weapons from Russia being used by the Syrian Army. "The weapons are highly effective and very accurate, and hit targets precisely," A Syrian military source told Reuters in response to a question about Russian support. "We can say they are all types of weapons, be it air or ground."While the main objective of the Russian mission will become clear when the size and types of forces deployed to Syria are known, Russian forces in Syria are expected to provide pro-regime groups with firepower, air support and combat effectiveness. The reported recent arrival of fighter jets also signaled offensive intent, as they are an essential weapon of the Assad regime both in its fight against opponents and, to a larger extent, against civilians as a means of collective punishment.
What is this support for?
Many theories are being discussed reagrding why Russia chose this moment to increase its military involvement in Syria, especially as it follows a flurry of diplomatic activities in August to reach an end to the conflict in Syria. The first theory is that it's meant to keep Assad in power, especially after regime military losses to rebel groups in many areas. Assad's fall would mean Russia losing its main ally in the Middle East and allowing the US more influence in the region. Assad’s military power has deteriorated, but there are no substantial indications that it will collapse any time in the near future given Iran’s continued support. Be that as it may, the Russians may be looking to prevent any Western action that could undermine Assad, such as the establishment of a much-discussed no-fly zone. Another theory is that Russia is trying to reduce the level of Assad’s dependence on Iran by increasing its support for the regime. Iran has been providing the Syrian regime with loans, fuel, military experts and, most importantly, boots on the ground; sending militias from Lebanon, Iraq, Iran and elsewhere. This theory seems unlikely, though, as Russia is not expected to match Iran’s support and might create conflicts of interest if it did. It’s even been reported that Russia directly discussed and coordinated its escalation in Syria with Iran. Russia could also be imposing Assad as a partner in the fight against ISIS by reaching a deal similar to the agreement in 2013, when Assad purportedly handed over Syria’s stock of chemical weapons as an alternative to the threat of US airstrikes. If so, it seems that Russia is planning to achieve this imposition by keeping the scale of its military presence in Syria unclear as a means of leveraging its position. Such a deal might help reduce Russia’s political isolation in the international community by putting it back in the role of a major and crucial negotiator in any ultimate solution to the Syrian crisis. For the time being, at least, this theory could prove to be the most convenient.
It has to be stopped
International actors should change their current position towards Russia’s intervention and start actively trying to stop it. The international community’s response thus far has varied from issuing warnings and condemnations to accepting it and convincing Russia to be productive about it. The US administration reached out to Russia as soon as the first Russian fighter aircraft arrived in Syria, asking it to try to coordinate militarily and avoid any potential escalation there. This gave Russia the satisfaction it’s looking for by changing the dynamics of the conflict in Syria. If the international community does not stop Russia from supporting the Syrian regime by all means, it will only worsen the conflict and make it more difficult to find a solution. Now more than ever Assad knows that Russia and Iran will do whatever it takes to keep him from falling, and this will only increase his appetite for human rights violations and war crimes, thus prolonging the conflict for many years to come.  The excuse usually used by international actors to justify their lack of action to protect Syrian civilians by military means is their concern that doing so might push the Russians and the Iranians to retaliate and increase their support, leading to more bloodshed. This argument works vice versa, too, as regional backers of the opposition — mainly Saudi Arabia and Turkey — would be expected to meet this with more support in turn. But international actors are delusional if they think that they can talk sense into Russia about changing its approach in Syria and playing a productive role in fighting ISIS without imposing serious measures. While Putin called for a joint alliance to fight ISIS, recent reports confirm that fighting ISIS is hardly his priority as Russian forces are active in areas close to fighting lines with rebel groups, such as Hama, rather than with ISIS. Russia’s position towards Syria has also been consistent, gradually evolving their support for the regime, and there is no evidence that contradicts this. Doing nothing is not going to make things better, and the consequences of such inaction will not be limited to Syria. The absence of a clear strategy to end the conflict in Syria has prolonged and aggravated it since its inception in March 2011. Letting Moscow bleed by watching it get bogged down in another costly war, such as in Afghanistan in the 1980s, is not in anyone’s interest. It’s worth mentioning that though the Soviets were the ones losing the war in Afghanistan, the cost of that war is still being paid today by everyone, especially in that it created the perfect breeding ground for Al-Qaeda.Russia’s increased support for the Assad regime should not be seen as a checkmate but should rather motivate all actors to genuinely start acting on their commitments to protecting Syrian civilians and reaching a proper political settlement to end the conflict there.
Haid Haid is a Syrian researcher based in Istanbul. He tweets @HaidHaid22

Obama Throws Christian Refugees to Lions
Raymond Ibrahim/Gatestone Institute/September 24, 2015
http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/6564/obama-christian-refugees
Why are Christian minorities, who are the most to suffer from the chaos engulfing the Middle East, the least wanted in the United States?
To the Obama administration, the only "real" refugees are those made so due to the actions of Bashar Assad. As for those who are being raped, slaughtered, and enslaved based on their religious identity by so-called "rebel" forces fighting Assad -- including the Islamic State -- their status as refugees is evidently considered dubious at best. The Obama administration never seems to miss an opportunity to display its bias for Muslims against Christians. The State Dept. is in the habit of inviting scores of Muslim representatives but denying visas to solitary Christian representatives. While habitually ignoring the slaughter of Christians at hands of Boko Haram, the administration called for the "human rights" of the jihadi murderers. In Islamic usage, the "cause of Allah" is synonymous with jihad to empower and enforce Allah's laws on earth, or Sharia. In this context, immigrating into Western lands is a win-win for Muslims: if they die in the process somehow, paradise is theirs; if they do not, the "locations and abundance" of the West are theirs.
Muslims all around the U.S. are supporting the Islamic State and Muslim clerics are relying on the refugee influx to conquer Western nations, in the Islamic tradition of Hijrah, or jihad by emigration. The fate of those Iraqi Christians who had fled from the Islamic State only to be incarcerated in the United States has finally been decided by the Obama administration: they are to be thrown back to the lions, where they will likely be persecuted, if not slaughtered, like so many Iraqi Christians before them. Fifteen of the 27 Iraqi Christians that have been held at a detention center in Otay Mesa, California, for approximately six months, are set to be deported in the coming weeks. Some have already been deported and others are being charged with immigration fraud. Many of the Iraqi Christian community in San Diego -- including U.S. citizen family members vouching for the refugees -- had hopes that they would eventually be released. Mark Arabo, a spokesman for the Chaldean community, had argued that "They've escaped hell. Let's allow them to reunite with their families." One of the detained women had begged to see her ailing mother before she died. The mother died before they could reunite, and now the daughter is to be deported, possibly back to the hell of the Islamic State. Members of California's Iraqi Christian community and their supporters protest the months-long detention of Iraqi Christian asylum-seekers at the Otay Mesa detention center. (Image source Al Jazeera video screenshot) Why are Christian minorities, who are the most to suffer from the chaos engulfing the Middle East, the least wanted in the United States? The answer is that the Obama administration defines refugees as people "persecuted by their government." In other words, the only "real" refugees are those made so due to the actions of Syrian President Bashar Assad. As for those who are being raped, slaughtered, and enslaved based on their religious identity by so-called "rebel" forces fighting Assad -- including the Islamic State -- their status as refugees is evidently considered dubious at best.
As Abraham H. Miller argues in "No room in America for Christian refugees":
"What difference does it make which army imperils the lives of innocent Christians? Christians are still be[ing] slaughtered for being Christian, and their government is incapable of protecting them. Does some group have to come along -- as Jewish groups did during the Holocaust -- and sardonically guarantee that these are real human beings?"In fact, from the start of Western meddling in the Middle East in the context of the "Arab Spring," Christians were demonized for being supportive of secular strongmen like Assad. In a June 4, 2012 article discussing the turmoil in Egypt and Syria, the Independent's Robert Fisk scoffed at how Egyptian presidential candidate "Ahmed Shafiq, the Mubarak loyalist, has the support of the Christian Copts, and Assad has the support of the Syrian Christians. The Christians support the dictators. Not much of a line, is it?"
More than three years later, the Western-supported "Arab Spring" proved an abysmal failure and the same Christian minorities that Fisk took to task were, as expected, persecuted in ways unprecedented in the modern era. The Obama administration never seems to miss an opportunity to display its bias for Muslims against Christians. The U.S. State Dept. is in the habit of inviting scores of Muslim representatives but denying visas to solitary Christian representatives. While habitually ignoring the slaughter of Christians at hands of Boko Haram, the administration called for the "human rights" of the jihadi murderers. And when persecuted Egyptian Copts planned on joining the anti-Muslim Brotherhood revolution, Obama said no. Then there is the situation that every Arab nation the Obama administration has meddled in -- for example, Libya and Syria -- has seen a dramatic nosedive in the human rights of Christian minorities.
The Obama administration's bias is evident even regarding the Iraqi Christians' illegal crossing of the U.S.-Mexico border, the occasion on which they were arrested. WND correctly observes: "At the same time the Obama administration [is] deporting Christians, it has over the years allowed in hundreds of Muslim migrants from Africa and the Middle East who crossed the Southern border the same way the Chaldeans did."
Meanwhile, as the Obama administration nitpicks at the definition of refugee and uses it against severely persecuted Christian minorities, it turns out that four out of five migrants -- or 80 percent -- are not even from Syria. And while Christian minorities pose little threat to the United States -- indeed, they actually bring benefits to U.S. security -- Muslims all around the U.S. are supporting the Islamic State and Muslim clerics are relying on the refugee influx to conquer Western nations, in the Islamic tradition of Hijrah, or jihad by emigration. As Koran 4:100 puts it: And whoever emigrates for the cause of Allah will find on the earth many locations and abundance. And whoever leaves his home as an emigrant to Allah and His Messenger and then death overtakes him -- his reward has already become incumbent upon Allah. In Islamic usage, the "cause of Allah" is synonymous with jihad to empower and enforce Allah's laws on earth, or Sharia. In this context, immigrating into Western lands is a win-win for Muslims: if they die in the process somehow, paradise is theirs; if they do not, the "locations and abundance" of the West are theirs. All the while, the Obama administration is turning away Christian refugees fleeing the same hostile Muslim forces as Muslims -- who are being welcomed into America and Europe.
**Raymond Ibrahim is author of Crucified Again: Exposing Islam's New War in Christians (published by Regnery in cooperation with Gatestone Institute, April 2013).

Time to Dismantle the UN Human Rights Council
Jagdish N. Singh/Gatestone Institute/September 24, 2015
http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/6446/dismantle-human-rights-council
What makes the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) ignore such rights violations? The answer is simple: most of the member states of the Council are themselves the worst violators of rights of their own citizens, and they are trying to save each other through a conspiracy of corruption.
When Hamas was raining rockets down on Israel, most members of the UNHRC seemed unconcerned that Jerusalem might have had moral and legal obligations to protect its citizens. The horror is that so many corrupt countries go along with it to protect their own corruption. More sickening is that countries pretending to stand for freedom, such as the United States, fund nearly a quarter of the UN's budget. It is time for those who truly care about human rights to dismantle this show. Like it or not, the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) is a big flop. It does not care a fig for what it is supposed to do: promote and protect human rights in general, and freedom of association, assembly, expression, belief and religion, sexual preference and women's rights and the rights of racial and ethnic minorities in particular.
The past record of the UNHRC shows it has overlooked rights violations in a large part of the world in general and the Middle East in particular. The UNHRC has notoriously been obsessed with inventing rights violations by Israel, the Middle East's only democracy, where women and minorities -- the most oppressed sections in most of the nations in the world -- enjoy equality in law and practice both. Since March 2006, when the UN General Assembly brought the UNHRC into existence, it has condemned Israel 61 times, compared to just 55 condemnations of all other nations in the world combined.
How many times has the UNHRC condemned states such as Iran and Saudi Arabia, which oppress their own citizens -- women and minorities in particular -- and inspire many states to follow them? What makes the UNHRC ignore such rights violations? The answer is simple: most of the member states of the Council are themselves the worst violators of the rights of their own citizens, and they are trying to save each other through a conspiracy of corruption. The mandate of the UNHRC Advisory Committee experts is too restrictive for them to look into the rights abuses of the states they themselves belong to. Experts tend to pass time discussing some vague, high-sounding priorities, initiatives, working methods, procedural efficiency measures and proposals, such as creating a world human rights court for ensuring citizen safety and human rights.
Recently, the UNHRC voted on a resolution that condemned Israel for human rights violations allegedly committed during the 2014 Israeli strikes on Gaza. Forty-one countries voted in favor of the resolution. The United States alone voted against it. India, Kenya, Ethiopia, Paraguay and Macedonia abstained from voting. The McGowan Davis Commission Report on the Israeli strikes claims that the Israeli military deliberately targeted civilian areas and residential buildings. The UNHRC brought it to a vote and called on Israel and Hamas "to cooperate fully with the International Criminal Court" -- another unaccountable, biased and politicized group.
Although the McGowan Davis Report also criticized Hamas for violence against Israeli citizens, its net effect amounted to equating Hamas, a lawless, terrorist actor, with Israel, a democratic state with a sound judicial system. That approach to life is something that most member states of the UN Human Rights Council have in common with Hamas. Neither group seems to believe in secular democracy or human rights. The Hamas Charter preaches the politics of hatred and violence against Israel, but Hamas does not spare even its own people, whom it used freely during the war last year as cannon-fodder before the eyes of international television crews. Hamas threw many of the more progressive Palestinians off the highest floors of buildings in Gaza when it took over in 2007 and expelled officials of the Palestinian Authority (PA) and Fatah. Hamas activities have also included the support of the so-called "Axis of Resistance": Iran, Syria, Hezbollah, and the Islamic Jihad. After Hamas's parent movement, the Muslim Brotherhood, came to power in Cairo, then Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi blessed Hamas.
In June 2014, senior Hamas leaders Khaled Mashaal, Fauzi Barhum, and Mushir al-Masri praised the abduction and murder of the three Jewish teenagers. When Hamas was raining rockets down on Israel, most members of the UN Human Rights Council seemed unconcerned that Jerusalem might have had moral and legal obligations to protect its citizens by resorting to "Operation Protective Edge," aimed at countering more than 11,000 attacks from Gaza into Israel since Israel totally withdrew from the Gaza Strip in 2005. Given the pattern of lawless, unpunished (often rewarded) behavior of many member states just now -- such as Iran, rewarded for violating the Non-Proliferation Treaty by being fast-tracked to building nuclear weapons; Russia, which invaded Ukraine with no push-back; and China, which has been building military land-fill islands throughout the South China Sea while encountering no serious negative response -- why shouldn't the leaders of Hamas employ a practice illegal under the Geneva Convention -- using the civilian population in Gaza as hostages -- to protect themselves, and dub the impending civilian casualties as "Israeli crimes against humanity"? By contrast, any perceived infraction by Israel of the even most trivial nature is treated as an international catastrophe. The horror is that so many corrupt countries go along with it to protect their own corruption. More sickening is that countries pretending to stand for freedom, such as the United States, fund nearly a quarter of the UN's budget.
It is time for those who truly care about human rights to dismantle this show.
Jagdish N. Singh is a senior Indian journalist based in New Delhi, India.
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Iranian Supreme Leader Khamenei In Article Marking Hajj: 'The Idols Will Be Shattered'
Special Dispatch | 6165 | September 24, 2015 The Middle East Media Research Institute
On September 23, 2015, to mark the annual Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei published an article on his website Farsi.Khamenei.ir titled "The Idols Will Be Shattered," accompanied by an image of a shattered Statue of Liberty.
Following are excerpts from his article:
"... The study of the lesson [of the Hajj], and implementing it, are the source of a blessing that could renew the lives of the Muslims, bring them prosperity, and save them from the troubles that afflict them, in this era and any other. The idol of the soul, the idol of pride, [and] the idol of sexual lust; the idol of tyranny and subservience; the idol of global tyranny [i.e. the U.S.]; the idol of sloth and irresponsibility; and the other idols that shame the precious human soul – a plan that will spring forth from the depths of the heart will shatter them. Then, liberty, honor, and health will replace dependence, hardship, and humiliation.
"Oh brothers and sisters making the pilgrimage from every nation and every country, delve deeply into the word [i.e. "hajj"] that teaches the divine wisdom; examine precisely the source of the Islamic world's troubles, particularly in western Asia and in North Africa; define for yourselves a mission and a responsibility in accordance with [your] potential and individual and public tools; and exert yourself in them.
"In these days, the evil policy of America in this region is causing war and bloodshed, destruction, displacement, poverty, backwardness, and religious and sectarian division. On the other hand are the crimes and occupying activity of the Zionist regime in Palestine, which have reached the height of injustice and crime. [The Zionist regime] continually disrespects Al-Aqsa Mosque and tramples the blood and money of the oppressed Palestinian people.
"You Muslim [pilgrims] – this issue is your top priority. You must ponder it, and know that with which you are charged under [the law of] Islam. The senior clerics, politicians, and cultural figures have a weightier mission, in the fulfillment of which, unfortunately, they are remiss. Instead of dealing with sparking religious schism, instead of remaining passive in the face of the enemy, and instead of engaging in trivial matters, the clerics, politicians, and cultural figures [respectively] must all identify the great pain of the Islamic world, and must accept and implement the mission with which God has charged them.
"These events that evoke weeping and that are taking place in the region – in Iraq, in Yemen, in Bahrain, in the West Bank, in Gaza, and elsewhere in Asia and Africa – are the greatest woes of the Islamic ummah.
"The plots of the global tyranny [i.e. the U.S.] in this matter must be identified, and ways to resolve [this matter] must be considered. The nations must demand this of their governments, and the governments must be true to their responsibilities..."
"Signed, Ali Khamenei
"September 18, 2015."

Hungarian Imam Ahmed Miklós Kovács: Hungarian Right-Wing Political Parties Are Our Enemies
The Middle East Media Research Institute
September 24/15/MEMRI
Imam Ahmed Miklós Kovács, Vice President of the Hungarian Islamic Community, discussed the issue of immigration, drawing a parallel between Muslim immigrants to Europe and Jewish immigrants in the past, in a July 24 Friday sermon. Imam Kovács said: "The Jews and the Gypsies were the scapegoat in the past. No matter what happened, people could always hate the Jews and the Gypsies. It seems that now, we Muslims will be the ones to take their place." He further said that although many Hungarian Muslims supported right-wing political parties in the past, this is no longer "halal."
Following are excerpts:
Ahmed Miklós Kovács: "We know fully well that the Islamophobia now sweeping through Hungary is caused by fear-mongering and incitement, and that the government and some groups are inciting public opinion against the refugees or the immigrants. We know that many of the refugees or immigrants are Muslims. I am sad to say that we have reached a point where all Muslims are placed in the same category, as the immigrants and refugees accused of taking jobs [from Hungarians], and of seizing the country and so on. This is a calculated campaign of incitement, intended to destruct attention from other problems. Now we Muslims are going to be the 'problem,' just like among extremist, radical or other right-wing parties. The Jews and the Gypsies were the scapegoat in the past.
"No matter what happened, people could always hate the Jews and the Gypsies. It seems now, we Muslims will be the ones to take their place. We are the one who would be hated, insulted, and used to frighten people, because there is great political benefit in that. A lot of money is invested in using the Muslims to frighten the Hungarians - even Hungarians from the countryside, who have never seen a Muslim in their lives. They can be frightened if they are told that the Muslims are coming, the Arabs are coming, the Turks are coming, that the refugees are coming or whatever.
"There were times when these right-wing parties and organizations... Let's call them by their names - Jobbik, the Hungarian Guard, the [Sixty-Four] Counties Movement, the Army of Outlaws, and so on. They were times when they were sympathetic toward the Muslims. They went to the Iranians and the Turks, and talked in a phony way about 'our Central Asian brothers, who are Muslims.' Now we see that it was all just a lie, a political game, in order to gain some [political] benefit from the Muslims at the time. When they stood alongside the Palestinians and the Turks, they were not being sincere. It was all for political gain. If they were [really] standing alongside the Muslims, they would be speaking out against Islamophobia today.
"They are not doing so. Instead, they are only adding fuel to the fire, so that people will hate the Muslims even more in this country. If this continues, things will be terrible. We Muslims should not let this happen. We must protect our rights. We know that many people from this parties and circles, back when they still wanted to associate with us, converted to Islam.
"They were even Muslims who trusted this parties and circles. For example, it is well known that many Muslims in Hungary voted for Jobbik in 2010. Some Muslims joined [extreme right] self-defense organizations. Some Muslims became [extreme right] party members, and some party members became Muslims. That's how it was. But today, we have reached a turning point, and one no longer claim to be on both sides. No.
"Either you are with us, with Islam, or else you are with them, the enemies of Islam - because from the moment they incite against Islam and the Muslims, these organizations can be considered the enemies of Islam. We know full well that Allah did forbid us from having good, friendly relations, from cooperating and working with those non-Muslims who do not harbor animosity toward Islam, who do not strive to incite hate against Muslims, who do not hunt Muslims, but who live in peace and call for peace in society. It is our duty to treat those non-Muslims well, to maintain good relations with them, to cooperate and work with them, because they are our friends.
"As for those infidels who operate against the Muslims, want to drive us out, do not want any mosques in Hungary, and do not want Muslims to live in Hungary, they are not our friends. They are considered our enemies because they are against us. Thus, it is haram – forbidden by religion – for any Muslim in this country to support these parties, groups, and organizations, or to vote for them, work with them, or provide them with any kind of help. By doing so, the world would be acting against the Muslims – and we all know how a Muslim who acts against fellow Muslims is viewed."