LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS
BULLETIN
February 04/17
Compiled
& Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
The
Bulletin's Link on the lccc Site
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Bible Quotations For Today
These
things occurred so that the scripture might be fulfilled, ‘None of his bones
shall be broken.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to
We act with great boldness, not
like Moses, who put a veil over his face to keep the people of
Second Letter to the Corinthians 03/07-14/:"If the ministry of death,
chiselled in letters on stone tablets, came in glory so that the people of
Israel could not gaze at Moses’ face because of the glory of his face, a glory
now set aside, how much more will the ministry of the Spirit come in glory? For
if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, much more does the ministry
of justification abound in glory! Indeed, what once had glory has lost its
glory because of the greater glory; for if what was set aside came through
glory, much more has the permanent come in glory! Since, then, we have such a
hope, we act with great boldness, not like Moses, who put a veil over his face
to keep the people of Israel from gazing at the end of the glory that was being
set aside. But their minds were hardened. Indeed, to this very day, when they hear
the reading of the old covenant, that same veil is still there, since only in
Christ is it set aside.
Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis
& editorials from miscellaneous sources published on February 03-04/17
Christian Lives in Syria Matter/Carlo Jose Vicente Caro/Huffington
Post’s Contributor platfor/February 03/17
Christians In Turkey: Attacked, Deported And Seen As A 'Threat Against National
Security'
James Macintyre/Christian Today/February 02/17
How Trump Can Help Persecuted Christians and Protect Americans with One Move/
Raymond Ibrahim/February 03/17
Ways to change the Iran government peacefully/Dr. Majid
Rafizadeh/Al Arabiya/February
03/17
Putting a Spoke in the Wheel of Saudi-U.S. Relations/Salman
Al-dossary/Asharq Al Awsat/February
03/17
Obama, Trump and the Muslim Ban /Amir Taheri/Asharq
Al Awsat/February 03/17
Russia, Turkey, Assad and a New Stage/Tariq Alhomayed/Asharq
Al Awsat/February 03/17
U.S.-Australia Rift Is Possible after Trump Ends Call with Prime Minister/Glenn
Thrush and Michelle Innis/The New York Times/February
03/17
International Armed Conflict Back to Iraq/Abdulrahman
Al-Rashed/Asharq Al Awsat/February
03/17
Quebec: The Crisis of the West/Giulio Meotti/Gatestone Institute/February 03/2017
Who are Those Refugees Australia Doesn't Want/Shoshana
Bryen/Gatestone Institute/February 03/2017
Return of an international armed conflict over Iraq/Abdulrahman
al-Rashed/Al Arabiya/February
03/17
On neutralizing Syria’s ‘Arabism’/Ghassan Imam/Al Arabiya/February 03/17
Mothers can come together to make Saudi roads safer/Khaled
Almaeena/Al Arabiya/February
03/17
Titles For Latest Lebanese Related News published
on February 03-04/17
Lebanese president calls for safe zones in Syria
for refugees
Aoun pushes for new electoral law that represents all
Lebanese
US announces fresh Iran-related sanctions, including on Lebanese entities
Aoun: International Community Must Help Syrian
Refugees Return Home
Army Soldiers Killed in Car Collision on Highway
Bassil meets South Africa FM, says U.S. travel ban
not concerning Lebanon
Mashnouq Says Security Plan Kept Concealed
Aoun Says to Propose 'Referendum' if Parties Fail to
Agree on Electoral Law
Bassil Replies to Franjieh's
Remarks on Electoral Law
Report: Opposition Front Growing to Confront 'Marginalization Practices'
4 Workers Hurt in Blast at Metal Workshop in Taanayel
Tashnag Delegation Meets Geagea,
Calls for 'Forgetting' 1960 Electoral Law
U.N. Refugee Chief Meets Hariri, Vows 'Full Support' for Lebanon
Report: Kataeb, Mustaqbal
Discuss Ties, New Electoral Law Format
Army apprehends 5 Syrians in Ain el Remmaneh
Lebanese Diaspora Energy South Africa's Conference winds up
Links From Jihad Watch Site for on February 03-04/17
Erdogan tells off Merkel for using phrase “Islamist
terrorism”
Do
YOU have all of Robert Spencer’s books?
Trump
says Iran “playing with fire,” imposes new sanctions in wake of missile tests
UK:
Muslim sex abusers in Rotherham scream “Allahu akbar” as they’re jailed for “vile” abuse of girls
Islamic
Republic of Iran: “We are the strongest power… America should be careful!”
Trump
warns that Islamic State jihadis specifically
targeting Jews, Christians and “peaceful Muslims”
Paris:
Machete-wielding Muslim screaming “Allahu akbar” attacks French soldiers at the Louvre
Hugh
Fitzgerald: “I’m a Muslim — Ask Me Anything,” Answers 7-10
Raymond
Ibrahim: The Christian God ‘Loves’ Sex and Booze?
Trump
going wobbly? White House suggests Israeli “settlements” may “not be helpful”
for peace
Trump
to recast Obama’s “Countering Violent Extremism” program to focus on the jihad
threat
Nancy
Pelosi: Trump’s immigration ban “has not made us more safe”
Links From Christian Today
Site for on February 03-04/17
Ukraine,
Separatists Say More Civilians Killed In Eastern Flare-up
Delightful'
Friend Of Archbishop Of Canterbury Faced Charge Of Killing Zimbabwe Teen
Bishop
Of London's Farewell Service: Church Must Stand United In The Face Of 'Great
Promise And Great Peril'
Largest
Ever #VisitMyMosque Day Expected To Attract Thousands
Australian
Catholic Leaders Warn Congregations Ahead Of 'Horrific' Abuse Hearing
Don't
Be Too Quick To Clean Up Islamic State Damage – It Erases Evidence, Says Aid
Worker
Refugee
Groups Speak Out On Impact Of Trump's Policies
The
10 Lessons Pastors Of Expanding Churches Have Learned
Siberian
Man Builds Orthodox Church Out Of Snow
China
Crackdown: Human Rights Lawyers And Christians Arrested And Tortured
Why
Donald Trump Is Right – And Brave – To Get Rid Of The Johnson Amendment
Trump
Wants To Let Your Pastor Do Party Politics. Here's Why It's A
Bad Idea
Latest Lebanese Related News
published on February 03-04/17
Lebanese president calls for safe zones in
Reuters/February 03/17/Lebanese President Michel Aoun
said on Friday world powers must work with
Aoun pushes for new electoral law that represents all
Lebanese
Fri 03 Feb 2017/NNA - President of the Republic, Michel Aoun,
met on Friday at Baabda Presidential Palace with
Elias Aoun, head of Lebanese Press Editor heading a
delegation. "In case of failure to achieve a new electoral law that
represents all the Lebanese segments there won't be justice and we won't enjoy
political stability in the country," Aoun told
his visitors. The President called on the Lebanese politicians to adopt the
unified standard in any law, pointing out that he might resort to referendum in
case of failure to achieve a new electoral law. On the other hand, Aoun said "the written press crisis is a world
crisis," confirming continuous efforts to resolve this crisis. The
President described his relation with Prime Minister, Saad
Hariri as "excellent", stressing "I will be a father to all the
Lebanese and I will take into consideration the interests of all the sects
without exception." Separately, Aoun met the
French Deputy Gerard Bapt, in the presence of Deputy
Simon Abi Ramya with talks
featuring high on the situation in
US announces fresh Iran-related sanctions,
including on Lebanese entities
The Arab News/February 03/17/The United States on Friday announced that 13
Iranian individuals and 12 entities will come under US sanctions. This move
follows the White House putting
Aoun: International Community Must Help Syrian Refugees
Return Home
Naharnet/February 03/17/In light of the aggravating
crisis of refugees that has been burdening Lebanon and its economy since the
war erupted in Syria, President Michel Aoun urged the
international community to facilitate the return of refugees to safe zones in
their homeland. “The International community must facilitate the return of
displaced Syrians back to their homeland,” Aoun told
UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi in a meeting at
Army Soldiers Killed in Car Collision on Highway
Naharnet/February 03/17/Lebanese army soldiers
were killed on Friday in a vehicle collision on the Zahle-Baalbek
highway, the National News Agency reported.Two
soldiers, H.M. who hails from Ali al-Nahri town and A.S.Q.
from Temnin al-Tahta, were
killed early Friday in an accident near Dar al-Amal
State Hospital on the Zahle-Baalbek highway, NNA
said.
Bassil meets South Africa FM, says U.S. travel ban not
concerning Lebanon
Fri 03 Feb 2017/NNA - Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil on Friday met with his South African counterpart Maite Nkoana-Mashabane in
Johannesburg, with talks reportedly dwelling on the bilateral ties, in addition
to latest security developments in the Middle East region.
Bassil, currently in
Mashnouq Says Security Plan Kept Concealed
Naharnet/February 03/17/Interior Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq emphasized
that intentions to carry out a security plan in the eastern Beqaa
valley will not be declared beforehand to the public, An Nahar
daily reported on Friday. “Specific dates for the new security plan will not be
declared beforehand. No details will be given to the media this time,” said Mashnouq in an interview with the daily. He said that
President Michel Aoun has requested that no feedback
or details be given about the plan before it is executed on the ground. “This
time, President Michel Aoun wants us not to mention
anything about the plan before it actually happens on the ground, and we
support him,” he said. For his part, the governor of Baalbek-Hermel district, Bashir Khodr stressed that the “plan will not have a specific date
for execution, nor will the security forces display presence in the said
region. It will be different focusing more on intelligence efforts instead of
(security members) deployment on the ground.” Earlier in January, Mashnouq revealed that the Higher Defense
Council will soon convene to mull and discuss a plan aimed at combating kidnap
rings, which are especially active in the Bekaa
region. The developments come in the wake of a four-day abduction of a
74-year-old Bekaa man, Saad
Risha, who was kidnapped in Qab
Elias and taken to the town of
Aoun Says to Propose 'Referendum' if Parties Fail to Agree
on Electoral Law
Naharnet/February 03/17/President Michel Aoun warned Friday that he would propose a popular
“referendum” should the political forces fail to agree on a new electoral law.
“Any electoral law must be based on unified standards and I will propose a
referendum should we reach a dead end,” Aoun told a
delegation from the Syndicate of Press Editors. He lamented that “there is no
will approve an electoral law.”“How can we build a
stable society in the absence of such a will?” the president wondered. And
stressing his insistence on “an electoral law that achieves correct
representation,” Aoun noted that “the crisis lies in
the fact that each political leader wants to crush the minority that is present
in his community and to steal a number of seats from the other communities.”
While al-Mustaqbal Movement has rejected that the
electoral law be fully based on the proportional representation system, arguing
that Hizbullah's weapons would prevents serious
competition in the party's strongholds, the Democratic Gathering led by MP Walid Jumblat has totally
rejected proportional representation, even within a hybrid law, warning that it
would “marginalize” the minority Druze community. Hizbullah,
Mustaqbal, the Free Patriotic Movement, AMAL Movement
and the Lebanese Forces are meanwhile discussing several formats of a so-called
hybrid electoral law that mixes proportional representation with the
winner-takes-all system. The country has not organized parliamentary elections
since 2009 and the legislature has instead twice extended its own mandate.
The last polls were held under an amended version of the 1960 electoral
law and the next vote is scheduled for May.
Bassil Replies to Franjieh's
Remarks on Electoral Law
Naharnet/February 03/17/Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil replied on Friday
to comments made by Marada Movement chief MP Suleiman
Franjieh, over an electoral law debated among the
main political parties, and said “they must find someone among them who
understands numbers.”“I realize that some cannot
understand figures. Let them find someone among them who does, so he would
explain the suggestions we made,” said head of the Free Patriotic Movement Bassil. On Thursday, Franjieh
described as “complicated” a hybrid law that was discussed by a four-party
panel comprised of the Free Patriotic Movement, al-Mustaqbal
Movement, Hizbullah and AMAL parties. “The law is as
complicated as the ones who endorsed it,” said Franjieh
after meeting a delegation from the Democratic Gathering bloc of MP Walid Jumblat. Franjieh had assured that he backs laws that garner the
approval of all political parties, and rejects “complicated laws tailored to
the interests of specific sides.”The main political
parties are discussing several formats of the so-called hybrid law but the
Progressive Socialist Party has raised the alarm over the representation of the
minority Druze community, warning that any law containing proportional
representation would “marginalize” Druze in the political system.
Report: Opposition Front Growing to
Confront 'Marginalization Practices'
Naharnet/February 03/17/Efforts to form an opposition
front comprised of political parties and independent figures is about to be
formed to confront and reject the “marginalization and policy of exclusions”
practiced by some parties, al-Joumhouria daily
reported on Friday.
The so-called opposition parties, plan to object against
what they described as the “divisive formats of districts and random
classification of parliamentary seats,” they told the daily on condition of
anonymity. They were referring to the latest discussions of a four-party panel
studying a hybrid electoral law for the upcoming parliamentary polls that raised
objection among various political parties.
They raised concerns that some (unnamed) sides have hidden intentions of
marginalizing others and of planning to do so through an electoral
parliamentary law that meets their own interests. Lashing out at the hybrid
electoral law, they said concerns were raised when some “dual parties” showed
willingness to impose a “lame, sectarian, territorial law that only represents
specific political forces.” “The matter pushed us to raise our voices and stand
against it because no one can eliminate another in
4 Workers Hurt in Blast at Metal Workshop
in Taanayel
Naharnet/February 03/17/Four workers were
injured Friday in a blast inside a metal workshop in the Bekaa
town of
Tashnag Delegation Meets Geagea,
Calls for 'Forgetting' 1960 Electoral Law
Naharnet/February 03/17/A Tashnag
Party delegation held talks Friday in Maarab with
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea,
after which it stressed the need to pass a “fair and modern electoral law.”“We emphasized the need to hold the elections within
the constitutional timeframe while ensuring correct representation for all
political forces, confessions and sects,” Tashnag MP Hagop Pakradounian said after the
meeting. “Accordingly, we and the LF share the viewpoint that efforts should be
intensified ahead of the February 21 deadline in order to reach a fair and
modern electoral law,” he added. “We must forget the 1960 law... so that we
leave a modern law for the coming generations and so that, as Christians, we
feel represented in this State, not according to our numbers but rather
according to our existential and real strength as founders of this entity and
country,” Pakradounian added. He also said that that
“there are some reservations regarding the hybrid electoral law.”Asked
whether Tashnag will ally with the LF in the
elections, Pakradounian said his party supports the
rising LF-Free Patriotic Movement alliance and “feels to be in the heart of
this new equation that led to the election of General Michel Aoun as president.”“We have
stressed the need for Christian unity throughout our political history and
today we're witnessing the completion of an essential part of this unity and we
want all other Christian and national forces to take part in this endeavor,” Pakradounian added.
The LF, the FPM, Hizbullah, al-Mustaqbal
Movement and AMAL Movement are discussing several formats of a so-called hybrid
electoral law that mixes proportional representation with the winner-takes-all
system. The country has not organized parliamentary elections since 2009 and
the legislature has instead twice extended its own mandate.The
last polls were held under an amended version of the 1960 electoral law and the
next vote is scheduled for May.
U.N. Refugee Chief Meets Hariri, Vows
'Full Support' for Lebanon
Naharnet/February 03/17/Prime Minister Saad Hariri held talks Friday at the Center House U.N. High
Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi,
in the presence of State Minister for Refugee Affairs Mouein
al-Merehbi, UNHCR representative in Lebanon Ninette Kelly and Hariri’s adviser for refugee affairs Nadim Mounla. We reviewed the
situation of the Syrian refugees in the country that, in percentage terms,
hosts the highest concentration of refugees in the world. I expressed to the
Prime Minister once again our full support for the role that
Report: Kataeb, Mustaqbal Discuss Ties, New Electoral Law Format
Naharnet/February 03/17/A meeting between a Kataeb Party delegation and al-Mustaqbal
Movement official at the Grand Serail on Thursday,
came as part of a series of meetings held by Kataeb
with officials to tackle the controversial electoral law. The meeting comes in
light of talks that a new electoral law format has surfaced and will be put for
discussion, after the failure of a hybrid law proposal that was reportedly
suggested by Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil. The delegation comprised of Kataeb
chief adviser Michel Khoury and politburo member
Albert Kostanian held talks PM Saad
Hariri's aide, Nader Hariri, said al-Joumhouria daily
on Friday. A closed meeting was first held between Khoury
and Hariri where discussions focused on the ties between the two parties, added
the daily. Talks have later focused on the election law that will govern the
upcoming polls. Hariri informed the delegation that a new format for the
electoral law has been put for discussion. He said the format is based on a
hybrid electoral law where 75 MPs would be elected under the winner-takes-all
system in districts, while 53 MPs would be elected under a proportional
representation system. Reports have said the law was suggested by Hizbullah party. The Kataeb Party
had earlier (Wednesday) held talks with the Lebanese Forces chief Samir Gegaea. Talks have focused
on the bilateral relations between the two parties and the electoral law. The
main political parties are discussing several formats of the so-called hybrid
law but the Progressive Socialist Party has raised the alarm over the
representation of the minority Druze community, warning that any law containing
proportional representation would “marginalize” Druze in the political system.
Army apprehends 5 Syrians in Ain el Remmaneh
Fri 03 Feb 2017/NNA - Five Syrians who work in a coffee shop were arrested
tonight in Ain-el-Remmeneh, following raid operations
carried out by the army, National News Agency correspondent reported on Friday.
Lebanese Diaspora Energy
Fri 03 Feb 2017/NNA - Foreign Minister Gebran
Bassil on Friday wrapped up the Lebanese Diaspora
Energy Conference in
Latest LCCC Bulletin For
Miscellaneous Reports And News published on February 03-04/17
Louvre attack: Egyptian
man, 29, believed to be assailant
BBC/February 03/17
French authorities say they believe the man who tried to attack the Louvre
museum in the capital Paris on Friday was a 29-year-old Egyptian man.
Prosecutor Francois Molins said he is thought to have
travelled to
Police are trying to establish if the man acted alone or under instructions, he
added.
The machete-wielding attacker was critically injured after he was shot by
French soldiers in a bid to stop him.
One of the soldiers received minor injuries when the man tried to enter the
museum.
At the time of the incident, hundreds of visitors were inside the Louvre, which
is home to numerous celebrated art works, including the Mona Lisa.
President Francois Hollande praised the soldiers'
actions, saying "this operation prevented an attack whose terrorist nature
leaves little doubt".
He told reporters at an EU summit in Malta on Friday that he expected the
suspect to be questioned "when it is possible to do so".Prosecutor
Molins said the Egyptian man had no identity papers
but mobile phone data showed he had arrived in Paris on 26 January after
acquiring a one-month tourist visa in Dubai.
However, he cautioned, the authorities have not yet formally established the
suspect's identity.
Egyptian security sources though say they have identified him, Reuters news agency reports.
He was believed to have been staying in the capital's 8th district
(arrondissement) which was searched in a police raid earlier on Friday.
There, he bought two machetes from a shop selling guns.According
to the prosecutor, the attacker, armed with the machetes, approached four
soldiers guarding the entrance to crowded shops beneath the Louvre just before
10:00 local time (09:00 GMT).
When the soldiers challenged him, he attacked two of them while shouting in
Arabic "Allahu Akbar" ("God is
greatest"). One of them shot him at least three times, hitting him in the
stomach.
"The attacker fell to the ground, seriously wounded. He has been taken to
hospital and is fighting for his life," the prosecutor said.
He was carrying a rucksack which contained paint spray cans - but no
explosives.
The guards on patrol outside the museum were just some of the thousands of
troops lining the streets as part of the stepped-up response to a series of
attacks in
Though still hugely popular, the Louvre has suffered a drop in visitor numbers
amid fears of a militant attack. A series of assaults by gunmen and suicide
bombers claimed by so-called Islamic State killed 130 people in November 2015.
In January of the same year, 17 people were killed in an attack on the Charlie Hebdo magazine and linked shootings.
Last July, 86 people were killed when a lorry ploughed through crowds
celebrating Bastille Day in Nice.
Security has become a theme of the French presidential election in April, which
sees far-right leader Marine Le Pen and centrist independent Emmanuel Macron
leading the polls.
First Trump-Trudeau meeting expected 'very
soon'
Robert Fife/The Globe and Mail/Friday, February 03/2017
A first face-to-face meeting between President Donald Trump and Prime Minister
Justin Trudeau is expected to take place “very soon,” White House press
secretary Sean Spicer told reporters Friday.
There were tentative plans for the two leaders to meet on Wednesday, but the
shooting at the Quebec City mosque delayed the White House sit-down for at
least another week.
“He has spoken to Prime Minister Trudeau, and I know they are looking at
setting up a time to come down. We have been in constant contact with Canadian
officials, and I think that there will be a meeting that will be set up very
shortly,” Mr. Spicer told reporters during his daily press briefing.
Mr. Spicer was also asked about potential border irritants that Mr. Trump could
be expected to raise with the Prime Minister but he
declined to comment.
The Prime Minister’s Office said a date for the get-together has not been
firmed up. Normally, a new President follows the tradition of visiting
In recent days, Trudeau cabinet ministers have moved quickly to reach out to
Mr. Trump’s cabinet secretaries to seek areas of agreement on continental and
global issues and to demonstrate
Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan,
who commanded troops in
Mr. Sajjan can be expected to seek guidance on
whether the
Mr. Saijan will also ask Mr. Mattis
what the
On Thursday, Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia
Freeland spoke by telephone with newly confirmed Secretary of State Rex Tillerson about coming negotiations on the North American
free-trade agreement and the importance of keeping the Canada-U.S. border open
to trade and travel.
“The two underlined the importance of the Canada-U.S. bilateral relationship,
including mutually beneficial trade and economic ties. Both highlighted the
progress of recent preclearance measures, as well as the need for a safe and
secure border that does not impede the smooth flow of goods and people,” the
Department of Foreign Affairs said in an statement. “The Minister and Secretary
noted the importance of open channels of communication between
Ms. Freeland and Mr. Trudeau’s senior advisers have held meetings and phone
conversations with key players in the Trump administration, including Commerce
Secretary-designate Wilbur Ross, who has been put in charge of U.S. trade
policy, as well as Jared Kushner, the President’s son-in-law, and Mr. Trump’s
chief adviser Stephen Bannon.
Mr. Ross, a billionaire turnaround specialist, has said every aspect of the
North American free-trade agreement will be on the negotiating table, and any
final agreement should contain an automatic measure to reopen the deal later to
address further issues.
The Americans want to discuss country-of-origin rules and the independent
dispute-settlement mechanism that are key features of
the 1994 NAFTA pact, officials say. Country-of-origin rules, which govern how
much content from outside NAFTA a product can contain and still qualify to be
shipped duty-free, are specific to each product and spelled out in writing.
They cover every kind of good and service, from suits to cars. The Trump
administration is expected to take a harder line on exactly what can cross the
border duty-free.
Mr. Trump announced Thursday that he wants to “speed up” renegotiation of
NAFTA, promising either a “renovation of NAFTA or a brand-new NAFTA.” The White
House must give Congress 90-days notice before formally starting talks with
The Liberal government has yet to receive a formal letter from the White House
that would notify
Aside from NAFTA, Mr. Trudeau is likely to raise the problems that have arisen
from Mr. Trump’s sweeping immigration ban on citizens from seven majority
Muslim nations, as well as all refugees – including an indefinite halt to the
settlement of Syrian refugees in the United States.
Amir Tibon/Haaretz/ Reuters Feb 03/17 /The United
States on Friday sanctioned 13 individuals and 12 entities under U.S. Iran
sanctions authority, days after the White House had put Iran "on
notice" over a ballistic missile test and other activities. In a statement
on its website, the U.S. Treasury listed the sanctioned individuals and entities,
some of which are based in the
Gulf Police, Interpol Cooperation
Bolstered by Signing MoU
Asharq Al-Awsat/February
03/2017 /Lyon- The Gulf Police and Interpol have reinforced collaboration by
officially signing a memorandum of understanding that stipulates developing
cooperation and coordination in the field of police work, the fight against
terrorism, organized crime and cyber security. The signing took place based on
the decision of interior ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). GCC
General Secretariat Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani and Secretary-General Jurgen
Stock co-signed the memorandum in
US sends Navy destroyer to Yemen
Reuters, Washington Friday, 3 February 2017/The United States has placed a Navy
destroyer off the coast of Yemen to protect waterways from Houthi
militia aligned with Iran, two US officials said on Friday, amid heightened
tension between Washington and Tehran. The USS Cole arrived in the vicinity of
the
More than 100,000 visas revoked amid Trump
travel ban
Reuters,
Jubeir demands international reaction to address
Iran’s interference in region
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English Friday, 3 February
2017/Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir appealed
on Thursday during a meeting in New York with António
Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations,
for the international community to address Iran’s interference in the affairs
of other countries in the region, especially in Yemen. Jubeir
said that
UN sees western
Reuters,
“There is no question that civilians will be at extreme risk when the fighting
starts in the western sections of
“I however express my concern over disturbing reports of looting and
destruction of civilian property, and looting of humanitarian aid by armed
groups operating in support of the Iraqi Security Forces, in particular by some
local resistance groups.”Hundreds of civilians
allegedly disappeared in a previous battle, for the city of
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English Friday, 3 February
2017/A Yemeni official and tribal sources said that fighters of al-Qaeda
fighters have taken control again in three towns in the Abyan
province south of the country. The security official said that the withdrawal
of the security forces from these areas was a protest following the delayed
payment of salaries, which facilitated the entry of fighters into Lauder, Shukrah and Aked areas in Abyan. The official added that the security forces are
suffering from a shortage of resources, especially weapons, to confront the
enemies. Sources said that al-Qaeda fighters set up checkpoints on the streets
in Lauder and blew up two security buildings using explosives. This comes as
warships, believed to be American, bombed strongholds of al-Qaeda in the
mountainous area south of the country. The source confirmed that the ships
fired several missiles towards al-Marakichah mountain where al-Qaeda elements are stationed. The strikes
come less than a week after a secret raid carried out by the US Navy special
operations in southern
Iran Announces 'Reciprocal Action' to
U.S. Sanctions
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/February
03/17/Iran announced it will take "reciprocal action" against U.S.
individuals and companies after President Donald Trump's administration on
Friday imposed new sanctions on Tehran over its weapons procurement network."In response to the new move by the United
States of America and as a reciprocal action, (Iran) will impose legal
limitations for some American individuals and companies that have had a role in
the creation and support of extreme terrorist groups in the region," the
foreign ministry said in a statement. The fresh
UNHCR chief says safe zones would not work
in Syria
Fri 03 Feb 2017 /NNA - The head of the United Nations refugee agency said on
Friday that safe zones would not work inside Syria for people fleeing the
country's nearly six-year-old war. U.S. President Donald Trump said last week
he would "absolutely do safe zones in
"Let's not waste time planning safe zones that will not be set up
because they will not be safe enough for people to go back," Grandi said. "Let's concentrate on making peace so
that everything becomes safe. That should be the investment." The Syrian
government said on Monday that any attempt to create so-called safe zones for
refugees without coordinating with
Suspected Coalition Raids Cut Water to IS Syria Bastion
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/February
03/17/Water to the Islamic State group's Syrian bastion of Raqa
has been cut after suspected coalition raids on the city's main pipeline, a
monitor and activists told AFP on Friday. "After coalition air strikes,
the main water line was ruptured and water was cut to all of Raqa city," said Hamoud al-Mousa of the Raqa is Being
Slaughtered Silently activist collective. His group said the overnight strikes
hit several bridges in the north of Raqa, including
one known as the
U.N. Peacekeepers Say Attacked by Mobs in
the South
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/February
03/17/Groups of civilians attacked United Nations peacekeepers on patrol in two
incidents in southern Lebanon on Friday, damaging their vehicles but causing no
injuries, the mission said in a statement. The U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon
(UNIFIL) said two patrols in the al-Mansouri and Majdal Zoun areas in south
Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs
speaks with United States Secretary of State
February 3, 2017 -
The Honourable Chrystia Freeland,
Minister of Foreign Affairs, spoke yesterday with Rex Tillerson,
Secretary of State of the
The two underlined the importance of the Canada-U.S. bilateral relationship,
including mutually beneficial trade and economic ties. Both highlighted the
progress of recent pre-clearance measures, as well as the need for a safe and
secure border that does not impede the smooth flow of goods and people.
The Minister and Secretary noted the importance of open channels of
communication between
Quick facts
Canadians and Americans benefit from a trade and investment relationship
valued at more than $1.4 trillion.
Nearly nine million
The
9 Syrian Officials Are Accused of
Torture in
By MARLISE SIMONSFEB/TheNew York Times/ 02/ 2017
The case relies in part on post-mortem photographs
smuggled out of
International lawyers have filed a criminal complaint against nine Syrian
security and intelligence officials in a Spanish court, accusing them of
torture and other human rights violations. It is the first case specifically
citing members of
The court,
In the Syrian case, the court has received 3,600 pages of evidence,
including signed orders, detailing acts of brutality that the lawyers say will
link senior Syrian officials to atrocities, torture and executions in
government prisons and military-run hospitals.
But the case will be focused narrowly on the misfortunes of one Syrian
man whose sister moved to
Her brother, a van driver who earned a living
supplying grocery stores, was 43 when he disappeared in
Almudena Bernabeu, an
international human rights lawyer who is leading the legal team, asked
journalists to withhold the names of the victim and his sister to protect his
widow, children and other family members who are still in
The lawyers said they had drawn on many sources, including archives compiled by
the Commission for International Justice and Accountability, an independent
documentation center based in
Criminal cases related to the Syrian conflict are being prepared in several
other European countries, including
Watch! Erdogan tells Merkel not to use term “Islamist
terror” and praises Turkish democracy
Vincent van den Born/Gatestone Europe/February
03/2017/On her first visit to Turkey since the failed coup in July, German
Chancellor Angela Merkel has voiced her concern about Erdogan’s
reaction to the coup, which consisted of mass-arrests and a strengthening of
his institutional position. She also said to be worried about the freedom of
expression in
Former EU-president Van Rompuy: ‘Trump is danger to
the world and I saved the EU’
Vincent van den Born/Gatestone Europe/February
03/2017
The former EU-president Herman van Rompuy, being
interviewed by Dutch newspaper NRC Handelsblad, said:
“Trump is a danger to the world. To the West in general.
We are in a storm. We do not agree with the
This fact-free opinion is followed by the question on how to deal with a leader
like Trump, and the answer is revealing: “the anxiety [about Trump] is well
founded, but that doesn’t mean you have to isolate [him]. You have to gain
traction in his government, where not everyone thinks the same, and in the
American Congress. That way there is a chance for ‘damage control‘. Be diplomatic,
even if Trump doesn’t make things easy for Europeans.”
There is no explanation of how this would work with a president Van Rompuy just, very diplomatically, described as “[lacking]
the capacity of listening and taking well-balanced decisions.”
Instead of pushing him on this point, the NRC changes the topic, allowing Van Rompuy to prove just how far removed from reality he is.
Asked if he understands the dissatisfaction with unelected EU bureaucrats by
‘European populists’ with whom Trump is popular, Von Rompuy
answers by a scathing attack on national politicians and a defence of his own
policies:
“My mission as EU-president was: solve the Greek Crisis, save the Eurozone. I managed to do that. After that, the world
changed quickly. Is that the fault of ‘the unelected eurocrats’?
The EU member-states themsélves have enough problems
with politicians that áre elected. Look at the
But what is most frightening about the interview is Van Rompuy’s
closing remark:
“I am an optimist and convinced of one thing: even though Trump wants it, the
EU will not implode. We have no other choice than the
There is always another choice. But Van Rompuy
represents an elite so closed-minded, that for them no
alternative exists. They cannot argue about why the European Union is better
than the alternative, because they deny that there is one. There is a danger in
closed minds impervious to the fact that the world is dynamic, or that engaging
other ideas make your own ones better. And Van Rompuy
is that danger’s poster child.
U.S. warns North Korea of
'overwhelming' response if nuclear arms used
SEOUL (Reuters)[February 03/17/ - U.S. President Donald Trump's defense secretary warned North Korea on Friday of an
"effective and overwhelming" response if it chose to use nuclear
weapons, as he reassured South Korea of steadfast U.S. support.
"Any attack on the
Mattis' remarks come amid concern that
The North also appears to have also restarted operation of a reactor at its
main Yongbyon nuclear facility that produces
plutonium that can be used for its nuclear weapons program, according to the
"
The two sides reconfirmed that commitment on Friday.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang reiterated
"We do not believe this move will be conducive to resolving the Korean
peninsula nuclear issue or to maintaining peace and stability on the
peninsula," Lu told a daily news briefing in
"Faced with a current severe security situation, Secretary Mattis' visit to
Once fully developed, a North Korean intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM)
could threaten the continental
Former
(Additional reporting by Ben Blanchard in
Trump rattles world leaders as Cabinet
tries to soften tone
JOSH LEDERMAN and VIVIAN SALAMA/February 03/17WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump's
spats with U.S. allies as close as Mexico and as unlikely as Australia are
leaving his new secretary of state and others in his Cabinet to clean up a lot
of potential damage. It's a good-cop, bad-cop dynamic that could define
President Trump's first two weeks on the job have rattled foreign friends and
foes alike — and even members of his own party — starting with his order to
temporarily halt all refugee admissions as well as immigration from seven
mainly-Muslim countries. Concern only escalated the past few days with his
personal dust-ups with foreign leaders and declaration that
"It's time we're going to be a little tough, folks," Trump said at a
National Prayer Breakfast on Thursday, as unseemly details circulated about his
private phone calls with the Mexican and Australian leaders. "We're taken
advantage of by every nation in the world virtually. It's not going to happen
anymore."
Trump's blunt comments came a day after word emerged of a tense discussion with
Australian Prime Minister Malcom Turnbull, in which
the new
Diplomatic dysfunction was clear. Minutes after the U.S. Embassy in
On the other side of the globe, new details emerged about strained ties between
the
In a follow-up phone call, Trump warned Pena Nieto that he was ready to send
U.S. troops to stop "bad hombres down there" if Mexico's military
can't control them, The Associated Press learned. The White House said the
comments were made in a "lighthearted"
manner. But administration officials described the calls with both leaders as
contentious.
Some top aides are underscoring Trump's emphasis on toughness and brawnier
At the United Nations, Trump's U.N. ambassador, Nikki Haley, said the
But Trump's top diplomats are striking noticeably softer tones.
Rex Tillerson, in his first day as secretary of
state, implicitly acknowledged in an address to staff that many
"Honesty will undergird our foreign policy, and we'll start by making it
the basis of how we interact with each other," Tillerson
said. "We are human beings first."
The former Exxon Mobil CEO offered an olive branch to hundreds of diplomats who
signed a "dissent cable" challenging Trump's order on immigration and
refugees, affirming that "each of us is entitled to the expression of our
political beliefs." While noting the nation's "hotly contested"
election campaign, Tillerson stressed that "we
cannot let out personal convictions overwhelm our ability to work as one
team."
Defense Secretary Jim Mattis
sought to project the same sentiment internationally in
While Trump drives foreign policy from the White House, he appears to be
tasking his top Cabinet officials with the responsibility of follow-up
reassurance. They're also fielding questions from allies about his
taboo-shattering language and trying to clarify the true
Though Tillerson himself lacks experience as a
diplomat, he portrayed himself in his Senate confirmation hearing as a levelheaded tactician with foreign policy views within the
Republican mainstream. He spent his first day at work meeting with Jordan's
King Abdullah II and German Foreign Minister Sigmar
Gabriel.
For many of Trump's supporters, each new antagonistic tweet, statement or
executive order has been a fresh measure of proof that he intends to shake up a
foreign policy establishment they reject and fulfill his promise to put
"America first." They argue he is reasserting American strength after
the weakness of the Obama administration.
After winning the presidency, Trump quickly ruffled
Trump's first meeting with a foreign leader, last week with British Prime
Minister Theresa May, had been a bright spot in his diplomatic debut. But his
immigration order brought thousands of protesters to
Trump's warnings to
"It is not for the first time that a naive person from the
Meanwhile, it fell to Sen. John McCain, a hawkish Republican, to smooth
relations with
The Latest on President Donald Trump
The Associated Press/February 03/17/Sen. Bernie Sanders says President Donald
Trump may be right in claiming he won the general election votes of some former
Sanders supporters.
A participant in a White House meeting Thursday says Trump said he got those
votes because he and the
Sanders was not present. He said in an interview later
that many working-class Democrats who backed him in the presidential primaries
are "disgusted" with
Donald Trump Says 'Iran Is Playing With Fire' After Ballistic Missile Test
NCRI/Friday, 03 February 2017/President Donald Trump has accused Iran of
"playing with fire" as part of a diplomatic spat over Iran's latest
ballistic missile test.’INDIPENDENT’, reported on
February 3, the following is a part of this report:
Referring to the previous administration of Barack Obama, Mr Trump added
that the Iranian government didn't appreciate how "kind" that the US
had been to them - a potential reference to the nuclear deal struck with the US
and other world powers in 2015 where Iran's nuclear capability was reduced in
return for a loosening of sanctions. Mr Trump said that he would not follow a
similar path.Tweet:
Shortly after My Trump's tweet
The episode follows a tweet from President Trump a day previously that he
had put Iran “on notice” over a the missile test that could be in contravention
of a UN resolution. He added that
The missile test occurred at a well-known site outside Semnan, about 140 miles east of
The warning from the
Three senior
“We are in the process of evaluating the strategic options and the
framework for how we want to approach these issues,” the official said. “We do
not want to be premature or rash or take any action that would foreclose
options or unnecessarily contribute to a negative response.“Our sincere hope is that the Iranians will heed
this notice today and will change their behavior.”
NCRI/Friday, 03 February 2017 /The US has imposed new sanctions against Iran
Regime as President Donald Trump has sought to punish
Iran: Smuggling Contrabands by IRGC and
Custom Office
NCRI/Friday, 03 February 2017/On February 1st 2017, the state-run Resalat Newspaper has a headline about the confessions of
the Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance in the Parliament of Iran. The
news reads: “the reports of the
The newspaper writes: “the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Finance attended
the Parliament and stipulated that trafficking, as well as excessive imports,
could be a serious threat to the production and employment condition of the
country."
According to the state-run news agency IRNA, the President of the Iranian
regime, Hassan Rouhani on 13th of February 2016 had a
conflict with the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) and implicitly
accused this organ of corruption and smuggling in
NCRI/Friday, 03 February 2017/ The authorities in
The ruling regime and specifically the mullahs' supreme leader Ali Khamenei are responsible for the harrowing deaths of all
the people who got stuck under the rubbles. Khamenei
and his criminal regime have given absolute priority to the repressive
apparatus at home and allocated exorbitant sums to export of terrorism and war
to the Middle East, particularly to
Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis
& editorials from miscellaneous sources published on February 03-04/17
Christian Lives in Syria
Matter / الأخطار
الوجودية
التي تواجه
المسيحيين
في سوريا
Carlo Jose Vicente Caro/Huffington Post’s Contributor platfor/February
03/17
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/2017/02/03/carlo-jose-vicente-carohuffington-christian-lives-in-syria-matter%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D8%AE%D8%B7%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%88%D8%AC%D9%88%D8%AF%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AA%D9%8A-%D8%AA%D9%88/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/christian-lives-in-syria-matter_us_58941bc3e4b061551b3dfd4a
I was raised a Roman Catholic and yet I decided to write this not because
of my faith but rather because it seemed logical for me to do so.
I have lived in three different continents, and as a result I have been
immersed in different cultures and with people from all kinds of national origins.
This has taught me to tolerate other religions or traditions,
that might seem strange to others, while appreciating the diversity and
richness of humanity and human nature.
And yet I feel a duty to focus on Christians in
Despite my personal views on President Trump, I do not agree with the
temporary ban on citizens from 7 Islamic nations nor do I believe it is a productive
counter-terrorism strategy. It was also poorly planned and executed.
However, I disagree with criticism against President Trump for
prioritizing Christian refugees. I disagree with the argument that refugees
should be treated the same, and it was wrong to give priority to this religious
group. In fact and in a way, the spirit of “Black Lives Matter” actually
applies to the “Lives of Christians” in
As someone who has been studying security problems in the
The war in
Now the vast majority of militant groups in the opposition are Sunni and
while they coerce the Sunni population, which makes up the majority of the
country, and they enforce their own literalist interpretation of religion on
them (especially the Islamists) they do not look upon the population as
infidels, and they claim that they are there to defend them.
As a result one cannot ignore the religious dimensions of the conflict
and why a foreigner would travel hundreds of miles, claiming he is there to
prevent another Battle of Karbala; or to defend the tomb of a Shia saint; or to fight for a
And so
The disappointing but real answer is that no external force actually
provides them adequate help. Even the Kurds who are
said to have no friends but the mountains, are helped by the
This is made all the worse when their only alternative is then to join
regime forces, and they are accused of being part of the “Shabiha”;
thugs of Assad. While Assad’s
After the start of the “Syrian Revolution”, Christians quickly began to
see their place in society disappear. With the rise of ISIS, and the influx of
other Islamist groups that had unlimited budgets from oil-rich nations and were
therefore able to dominate both battlefield alliances and the governance of
population centers, then Christians living outside regime control saw their
rights, properties, and possessions taken away.
American Herald Tribune
Free Syrian Army militant mocking sacked Christian symbols.
While Christians are part of People of the Book, you cannot expect armed
groups full of thugs with AK-47s to be religious scholars. Other Christians who
happened to be more fortunate were forced to pay protection taxes by many of
the armed groups or forced to renounce their religion and convert. Those who
did not renounce their religion were executed. Women were raped or sold into
slavery.
This is not to say that atrocities are not committed against Sunnis or
Shiites but one can argue there has been more leniency
towards them and they have had many more power structures to depend upon for
their defense.
The U.S accepted 12,587 refugees from
But this is beside the point: the importance here is that Christians in
Alas, it’s not 1827 or 1860 anymore when the European powers intervened
to protect Greek Christians and then Maronite
Christians in the
All I ask is for people to take the situation of Christians in
المسيحيون
في تركيا يعتدى
عليهم
ويرحلون
ويعتبرون
خطراً على
الأمن القومي
Christians In Turkey: Attacked, Deported And Seen As A 'Threat Against National
Security'
James Macintyre/Christian Today/February 02/17
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/2017/02/02/christians-in-turkey-attacked-deported-and-seen-as-a-threat-against-national-security%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%B3%D9%8A%D8%AD%D9%8A%D9%88%D9%86-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%AA%D8%B1%D9%83%D9%8A%D8%A7-%D9%8A%D8%B9/
Churches face serious terror threats in Turkey, where hate speech against
Christians in social and conventional media has increased and Church figures
are being deported, according to the country's Association of Protestant
Churches.
The findings come in a Human Rights Violations report for 2016, which
especially highlighted hate speech incidents around Christmas and New Year's
Eve, conveyed through billboard advertisements, posters, leaflets, and online.
According to the report, Protestant religious officials have been handled by
the government as a "threat against national security" and some have
been deported.
Anteb church leader Patric
Jansen was not allowed to enter
Andrew Craig Brunson, the leader of İzmir
Ryan Keating, who is affiliated with the
The report also charts a number of other persecution incidents, including an
amateur theatrical act on a street in the Nazilli
district of the western
It further covers multiple protests and attacks against Protestants in Turkey,
including on February 25 when a group broke the surveillance camera of Samsun
Protestant church and tried to enter; on March 31 when police tightened
security around all churches and Protestant institutions in Turkey, especially the
Protestant church in Ankara and Radio Shema because
of potential terrorist threats; and on November 22 when the pastor of the
Protestant church in Çanakkale was threatened over
the phone.
Around 98 per cent of
بامكان ترامب
حماية
الأميركيين
ومساعدة
المسيحيين
المضطهدين في
نفس الوقت
How Trump Can Help Persecuted
Christians and Protect Americans with One Move/
Raymond Ibrahim/February 03/17
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/2017/02/03/raymond-ibrahim-how-trump-can-help-persecuted-christians-and-protect-americans-with-one-move%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%85%D9%83%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%AA%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%85%D8%A8-%D8%AD%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%A7/
During a recent interview on CBN, President Trump was asked if he thinks
America should prioritize persecuted Christians as refugees. He responded:
Yes. Yes, they’ve been horribly treated. If you were a Christian in
Trumps response is far different from that given by Barrack Hussein Obama back
in November 2015. Then, as president, he described the idea of giving
preference to Christian refugees as “shameful”: “That’s not American. That’s
not who we are. We don’t have religious tests to our compassion,” he had added.
While Obama was making such lofty admonishments, his administration was quietly
discriminating against Mideast Christians in a myriad of ways—including, as
Trump pointed out above, by very obviously favoring
Muslim refugees over Christian ones. Indeed, despite the U.S. government’s own
acknowledgement that ISIS was committing genocide against Syrian Christians—and
not against fellow Sunni Muslims—the Obama administration took in 5,435 Muslims,
almost all of whom were Sunni, but only 28 Christians. Considering that
Christians are 10 percent of
But questions of equal numbers aside, the idea of prioritizing Christian
refugees over Muslims (which I argued for back in 2015) is not only more
humane; it brings benefits to America as well.
Consider:
Unlike Muslims, Christian minorities are being singled out and persecuted
simply because of their despised religious identity. From a humanitarian point
of view—and humanitarianism is the reason being cited for accepting millions of
refugees—Christians should receive top priority simply because they are the
most persecuted group in the Middle East. Even before the Islamic State was
formed, Christians were, and continue to be, targeted by Muslims in
general—Muslim individuals, Muslim mobs, and Muslim regimes, from Muslim
countries of all races (Arab, African, Asian)—and for the same reason:
Christians are infidel number one. (See Crucified Again: Exposing Islam’s New
War on Christians for hundreds of anecdotes before the rise of
Conversely, Muslim refugees—as opposed to the many ISIS and other jihadi sympathizers posing as “refugees”—are not fleeing
religious persecution (as mentioned, 99% of Muslim refugees accepted into the
U.S. are, like ISIS, Sunnis), but chaos created by the violent and supremacist
teachings of their own religion. Hence why when large numbers of Muslims enter
Western nations—in
Indeed, what more proof is needed than the fact that so-called Muslim “refugees”
are throwing Christians overboard during their boat voyages across the
Mediterranean to
Is persecuting religious minorities the behavior of
people who are in need of refugee status in
The
Surely if
Questions of fairness and humanitarianism aside, there are also benefits in
absorbing Mideast Christians refugees instead of Muslims. Christians are easily
assimilated in Western societies, due to the shared Christian heritage and
outlook, and regularly become productive members of society. Muslims follow a
completely different blueprint, Islamic law, or Sharia—which
calls for constant hostility (jihad) against all non-Muslims, and advocates any
number of distinctly anti-Western practices (misogyny, sex slavery, death for
“blasphemers” and “apostates,” etc.). Hence it’s no surprise that many Muslim
asylum seekers are anti-Western at heart—or, as a German police union chief
once said, Muslim migrants “despise our country and laugh at our justice.”
Mideast Christians also bring trustworthy language and cultural skills. They
understand the Middle Eastern—including Islamic—mindset and can help the
All the above reasons—from those that offer humanitarian relief to the true
victims of persecution and genocide, to those that offer stability and benefits
to the
President Trump understands this—even if most liberals and lying media don’t.
Ways to change the Iran government
peacefully
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Al
Arabiya/February 03/17
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/2017/02/03/dr-majid-rafizadehal-arabiya-ways-to-change-the-iran-government-peacefully/
Hoping that the Iranian government would suddenly become a constructive,
responsible, and rational member of the international community on its own is
unrealistic. Fundamental changes from within the Iranian government, that
would alter the revolutionary principles, are inconceivable. This is because
the ruling clerics’ theocratic constitution has confined
Instead of delving into these reasons, which are evident and explicit,
the major question to address would be: what are some effective and non-violent
approaches to channel such democratic reform in
Standing with the Iranian youth
Words are very crucial for this objective. Words from people such as
Nelson Mandela and John F. Kennedy led to people make fundamental changes. In
this case, words from top-level politicians, institutions, or nations can be a
robust tool to empower the Iranian people to achieve their goal.
The Iranian people and opposition groups in and outside
Pressure from international community
Siding with the majority of the Iranian
population also means parting from having close political or diplomatic ties
with the Iranian government.
A foreign government cannot send a contradictory message to the Iranian
people by stating that it supports their cause, but at the same time its
politicians sit at the same table with Iranian politicians shaking hands and
smiling. The Iranian people would view such act as a double standard.
There is an opposite correlation; when foreign nations show their
friendship and support (politically, diplomatically, economically,
geopolitically, strategically or in terms of trade) to the Iranian government,
they are directly weakening the majority of the Iranian people.
Genuine support for the democratic cause favored
by the overwhelming majority of the Iranian people inevitably means excluding
the Iranian government.
Social media and technology
Standing with
Human rights, international laws and domestic groups
Foreign governments should focus on Iran’s human rights violations of its
own citizens, oppression of religious and ethnic minorities (Arab, Turks,
Kurds, Christians, Jews, Sunnis, etc), military interference in other
countries, sectarian agenda, as well as Iran’s breaching of international laws
and UN resolutions. For example,
Supporting opposition groups
Finally, there exists a large number of Iranian
dissident groups inside and outside
Unfortunately, without the political, diplomatic and financial support of
other state or non-state actors, these groups would appear powerless in the
face of
One example was
Putting a Spoke in the Wheel of Saudi-U.S.
Relations
Salman Al-dossary/Asharq Al
Awsat/February 03/17
Marking the first visit made by a United States President to the Kingdom of
Saudi Arabia, former U.S. President Richard M. Nixon, in 1974, addressed the
late King Faisal bin Abdulaziz with a great deal of
respect saying that people from all over the world have sought the Kingdom,
however, Nixon distinguished his landmark stopover as one primarily driven by a
quest for wisdom. Good morals can be drawn from such a dramatic encounter found
in the former royal protocol department undersecretary Abdurrahman al Hamoudi’s narrative “Al Dublomasiyya
wal Marasem Suoodiya” (Arabic for Saudi Diplomacy and Customs). It
speaks of the special relations shared by
Saudi-U.S. relations have proven to be steady and strong even during harsh
times, such as the 70’s oil crises, the September 11 attacks, and even during
the turbulent Obama administration—ties with
King Salman made his first visit upon his appointment
as Defense Minister in 2011. His second trip to
For a ‘cold’ status quo, Saudi-U.S. relations did good enough to strike envy
among other countries—hoping their
Popularly disputed topics with the Obama administration seem to have leveled out to an accord as soon as Mr. Trump stepped into
the White House. Matters such as the
Although the nuclear deal with
Trump’s recent executive order banning travelers from seven Muslim-majority
countries from entering U.S. grounds is controversial and has flooded U.S.
media—but an attempt to pull Saudi Arabia into the heat of dispute, by viewing
the ban as directed against the Kingdom, is just another try at sparking
conflict between Washington and Riyadh.
Saudi citizens still go unaffected by the ban, given that the kingdom is not
one of the listed Muslim-majority countries. Hence the ban has no direct effect
against Saudi interests. Today’s case is similar to that of (Justice Against
Sponsors of Terrorism Act) JASTA—Saudi Arabia did not jeopardize its relations
with the U.S. administration based on fleeting reactions then, why would it now?!
The ban was largely condemned by
Even though Saudi-U.S. relations have naturally undergone tensions throughout
the past eight decades, they never strayed from being the partnership clear in
strategy.
More so, those tensions are what helped sustain relations with such great
momentum.
These days
**Salman Aldosary is the
former editor-in-chief of Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper.
Obama, Trump and the Muslim Ban أوباما
وترامب والخظر
على دخول
المسلمين إلى
أميركا
Amir Taheri/Asharq Al Awsat/February
03/17
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/2017/02/03/amir-taheri-obama-trump-and-the-muslim-ban%D8%A3%D9%88%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%85%D8%A7-%D9%88%D8%AA%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%85%D8%A8-%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AD%D8%B8%D8%B1%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%89-%D8%AF%D8%AE%D9%88%D9%84/
As expected, the decision by the new American President Donald Trump to impose
a 90-day ban on visitors from seven Muslim-majority countries has provoked
violent reactions in many parts of the world, including the United States. The
fact that the majority of citizens of the countries concerned are Muslims has
led some commentators to claim that the ban is anti-Islamic and violates the
The first thing to settle is whether or not the move is anti-Islam.There is nothing in Trump’s Executive Order (EO) to
indicate that this is the case. Although a majority of the citizens of the
nations concerned are Muslims, the EO applies to non-Muslim citizens as well.
The measure is not aimed against citizens of those countries as such; it is
aimed at passports issued by governments of those countries. If a citizen of
those countries has another passport, as is the case with an estimated 4.5
million dual-nationals who have European or even American passports, he would
not be covered by the ban.
Muslims form a majority of populations in 57 out of the world’s 198
countries. Muslims are also found in almost all other countries. The United
Sates itself is home to an estimated 6.5 million Muslims while a further 4.5
million Muslims hold American permanent residency known as the Green Card. In
the case of
The countries concerned –
Take
In 2015,
In
In
The list of the malicious seven is not a brainchild of Trump. It was
established by President Barack Obama in 2016 as a new version of the list of
“States Sponsors of International Terrorism” promulgated by the Bush
administration in 2002. In the same year, the Bush administration pushed
through an amendment to the section 306 of The Immigration and Naturalization
Act to impose a total ban on travel by citizens of the seven countries listed
as “State Sponsors of international terrorism.” The amendment gave the
president the right to waive the ban when and if he desired,
something that both Bush and Obama used extensively. What Trump has done is to
insist on the full implementation for 90 days of an act passed under George W
Bush in 2002. The original list of “sponsors of terrorism” included
At that time,
During his campaign, Trump promised to impose a temporary ban on all
Muslims wishing to travel to the
Tariq Alhomayed/Asharq Al Awsat/February
03/17
News of a Russian-Turkish agreement on Syria with both Iranian accord and
disagreement, and a euphoric joy that Bashar al-Assad
couldn’t mask, have been flooding the media for the past month. “Delusional
festivities” peaked throughout the Astana talks that were convened in the
absence of senior
Two days ago, an important phone conversation was held between the Saudi King
and the U.S. President who initiated the call. The two agreed on several
important ideas including enforcing the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action with
Meanwhile their arrangement on
While Assad’s regime conditioned safe zones with prior coordination,
This shows that
This simply means that the month of “delusional festivities” in
U.S.-Australia Rift Is Possible after
Trump Ends Call with Prime Minister
Glenn Thrush and Michelle Innis/The New York
Times/February 03/17
WASHINGTON — A phone call between President Trump and the Australian prime
minister is threatening to develop into a diplomatic rift between two stalwart
allies after the two men exchanged harsh words over refugee policy, and Mr.
Trump abruptly ended the call.
The phone call last Saturday between Mr. Trump and Prime Minister Malcolm
Turnbull turned contentious after the Australian leader pressed the president
to honor an agreement to accept 1,250 refugees from
an Australian detention center.
Late Wednesday night, Mr. Trump reiterated his anger over the agreement on
Twitter. He called the agreement a “dumb deal” and blamed the Obama
administration for accepting it but then said that he would “study” it. The
tweet was posted after The Washington Post reported details of the phone call.The leaders of the two allies did not seem to agree on
the outcome of the conversation. Mr. Trump’s tweet suggested the agreement
could be at risk while Mr. Turnbull said that, despite the bluntness of the
discussion, the United States had committed to upholding the arrangement.The flare-up — and conflicting
characterizations of the call from Mr. Trump and Mr. Turnbull — threatened to
do lasting damage to relations between the two countries and could drive
Canberra closer to China, which has a robust trading relationship with
Australia and is competing with Washington to become the dominant force in the
Asia-Pacific region.
A senior Trump administration official said the president told Mr. Turnbull on
Saturday that the refugees could include the “next
The Trump administration official said the call was shorter than planned, and
ended abruptly after Mr. Turnbull told the president it was necessary for the
refugees to be accepted.
The details of the call were confirmed by a senior administration official with
direct knowledge of the exchange who spoke on condition of anonymity because he
was not authorized to publicly discuss the diplomatic talks.
Mr. Turnbull, speaking Thursday at a press briefing in
“I’ve seen that report,” Mr. Turnbull said of the Washington Post account, “and
I’m not going to comment on the conversation, other than to say that in the
course of the conversation, as you know and as was confirmed by the president’s
official spokesman in the White House, the president assured me that he would
continue with, honor the agreement we entered into
with the Obama administration with respect to refugee resettlement.”
Pressed about Mr. Trump’s tone, and whether the
president ended the call by hanging up, Mr. Turnbull refused to comment. “It’s better that these things, these conversations are
conducted candidly, frankly, privately,” he said.
Mr. Turnbull again stated that
The Australian government has a policy that bars any refugees who attempted to
arrive by boat from ever setting foot in the country. The majority of the
refugees being held on the Pacific islands of
“I can assure you the relationship is very strong,” Mr. Turnbull said. “The
fact that we received the assurance that we did, the fact that it was
confirmed, the very extensive engagement we have with
the new administration underlines the closeness of the alliance.”
“But as Australians know me very well — I stand up for
Bill Shorten, the leader of
Mr. Turnbull “made it clear he had a constructive discussion” over the refugee
deal, Mr. Shorten said. “But now it appears another, different version of the
same conversation has emerged.”
Kim Beazley, a former Australian ambassador to the
The Mexican government issued a statement denying the A.P. report and said it
did not “correspond to reality.”
International Armed Conflict Back to
Abdulrahman Al-Rashed/Asharq
Al Awsat/February 03/17
U.S. President Donald Trump criticized his predecessor Barack Obama several
times for squandering three trillion dollars to build an allied
Instead of assuring Trump, Iranian authorities indirectly sent Trump indirect
threatening messages through giving orders to one of its militias in Iraq “Harakat al-Nujaba” to launch
missiles in order to show off its’ power. Al-Nujaba
is one of the militias that can target neighboring
countries and is similar to the Yemeni Houthis that
are also used by
Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) brags that foreign military actions
in Syria and Iraq haven’t impinge on the Iranian treasury any additional cost
because it depends on the Iraqi treasury, which has become IRGC financial
portfolio and ruled by pro-Iran groups, especially after marginalizing the
powers of Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi.A number of officials from Trump’s administration
have served in Iraq previously and are familiar with the role of the Iranian
regime there.
What to expect from Trump’s administration in the battle regarding the Iranians
in
It is very unlikely for this administration to send military forces to
At the same time,
The current US leadership in the White House, along with Defense
and intelligence authorities, that have worked previously in Iraq are aware
that Iran was behind the war on its troops in Iraq, including al-Qaeda.They are also familiar with Iran’s way of managing
battles through using local forces such as the so-called Hezbollah in Lebanon,
Hamas and Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine in Gaza, Fatah al-Islam in
Lebanon and a number of al-Qaeda organizations in Syria and Iraq as well as Houthis in Yemen.
Therefore, I believe that confrontations are now more likely than ever in
Quebec: The Crisis of the West
Giulio Meotti/Gatestone
Institute/February 03/2017
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/9881/quebec-crisis
Resistance to
Welcome to Quebec, with its flavor of an old French
province, with its beautiful landscapes, where streets are named after Catholic
saints, and where a gunman just murdered six people in a local mosque.
Violence can be the consequence of societal convulsions, as in the 2011
massacre on
George Weigel, writing in the American publication,
First Things recently called
Sandro Magister, one of
The Church of Saint-Jude in
The Catholic Diocese of Montreal sold 50 churches and other religious buildings
in the last 15 years. On May 24, 2015, the last Mass was celebrated in the
famous Church of
In Denys Arcand's film "The Barbarian
Invasions," there is a moment when a Catholic priest surveys the worthless
religious art kitsch with which his diocese is burdened, to point to the
irrelevance. The old priest says:
"
"Man without history, without culture, without country, without
family and without civilization is not free: he is naked and condemned to
despair", writes
The state of Catholicism in
The Quebec Council of the Religious Heritage has reported that in 2014 alone, a
record 72 churches closed. The situation is even worse in the Archdiocese of
Montreal. From 257 parishes in 1966, there were 250 in 2000, and in 2013 only
169 parishes. Christianity seemed at the risk of extinction; the Archbishop of
Montreal, Christian Lépine, launched a moratorium on
the sale of the churches.
While
An academic report concluded: "Canadian census data shows that Islam is
the fastest growing religion in the country, and that
although most of the Muslim population growth is related to Muslim birth rates
and migration, since 2001 the Muslim population has also increased as a result
of religious conversions by non-Muslim Canadians".
According to demographers, the
Resistance to
*Giulio Meotti, Cultural
Editor for Il Foglio, is an Italian journalist and
author.
© 2017 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The
articles printed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of
Gatestone Institute. No part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced,
copied or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone
Institute
Who are Those Refugees
Shoshana Bryen/Gatestone
Institute/February 03/2017
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/9883/australia-refugees
The refugees are the collateral damage in Australia's widely criticized
"Stop the Boats" policy, the rule that asylum seekers who try to
reach Australian shores by sea will never "make Australia home," even
if they are genuine refugees, are children or have skills. —
"[T]he arrivals by sea seem to prompt anger. One reason for this could be
that migrants and refugees who try to reach
Then-Secretary of State John Kerry worked out the deal with
It is hard to complain about
But a few things about
The Wall Street Journal explains: Under laws first put in place in 2001,
successive Australian governments have required asylum seekers coming by boat
to be intercepted. The conservatives, on winning power in 2013, set up a
maritime blockade that Mr. Turnbull has offered as a model for
So chipper
The refugees are the collateral damage in
To be sure, it's not that
But the arrivals by sea seem to prompt anger. One reason for this could be that
migrants and refugees who try to reach
So off they go to
Out of sight, perhaps out of mind until the UN documented
serious problems in the camps, including physical, emotional and sexual abuse.
The Guardian (
The Manus Island regional processing facility, where
Cases of depression and self-harm are high; two people set themselves on fire
last year, one of whom died, and one girl swallowed bleach. Many have reported
that the biggest problem is the sense of paralysis at being trapped in limbo
indefinitely, according to Tracey Donehue, a former
teacher at one of the facilities interviewed by the Los Angeles Times.
Following the very unpleasant exposure, the government of Malcolm Turnbull announced
in August 2016 that it would close one center on
Enter President Obama.
In September, Turnbull agreed to resettle Central American refugees who were in
a processing center in
Then-Secretary of State John Kerry worked out the deal with
"Congress only learned of the deal through media reports two weeks ago
[November, 2016] and – according to a letter sent to administration officials
by Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), and Rep. Bob Goodlatte
(R-Va.) – the deal is not only a matter of grave
national security concern, but it could be illegal."
It would be illegal if the deal was considered a treaty negotiated by
then-Secretary Kerry. According to the Constitution, it would have to have been
sent to Congress for ratification.
Asked if he had discussed the deal with then-candidate Donald Trump, Turnbull
said, "We deal with one administration at a time and there is only one
president of the
Asked if there was a "Plan B" for Australia, Turnbull said he was
examining several options, but that Australia would not back down on its
decision not to let those refugees stopped at sea enter the country:
"Our expectation naturally, given the commitments that have been made, is
that it will go ahead. The only option that isn't available to [the refugees]
is bringing them to
Whether there is an agreement to be had between the
*Shoshana Bryen is Senior
Director of the Jewish Policy Center.
© 2017 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The
articles printed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of
Gatestone Institute. No part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced,
copied or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone
Institute.
Return of an international armed conflict
over
Abdulrahman al-Rashed/Al Arabiya/February 03/17
The new US President Donald Trump criticized his
predecessor Barack Obama several times. He said that Obama has left
The Iranian authorities sent Trump indirect threatening messages instead of
reassuring ones. They ordered one of their many militias in
The question is not about what Trump can do to stop Iran’s takeover of Iraq but
what the countries of the region can offer to support the national forces there
Limiting Iran’s control
It is quite unlikely for this administration to send forces to Iraq but it will
take steps to limiting Iran’s control. It will most likely consider that the
Iraqi government is responsible and in control and will give it tough choices.
It will most likely boost the role of the allied
forces, like the Kurds for example, to set a balance facing the pro-Iranian
forces. It will also support the national Shiite and Sunni opposition forces to
demand the return of the
The question is not about what Trump can do to stop Iran’s takeover of Iraq,
but what the countries of the region can offer to support the national forces
there. Terrible failures took place after the
When the countries of the region, including the Gulf, left
Collaboration and conspiracy
The current
These authorities are aware of
Thus, I guess that the confrontation is now more likely than ever in
**This article was first published in Asharq Al-Awsat on February 03 2017.
On neutralizing Syria’s ‘Arabism’
Ghassan Imam/Al Arabiya/February
03/17
The constitution is the society’s mirror, the nation’s identity and the title
of sovereignty. It is not a gift that’s given by a nation to another and is not
imposed by one country over another unless the state receiving this “gift” has
lost sovereignty and the state offering it is an invader, aggressor and
occupier.
In the current Syrian case,
It is said the amendments include a proposal to implement “democracy and
secularism” and another proposal to neutralize Arabism from the current Syrian
constitution which was drafted under the supervision of the regime many years
ago. It is based on the current constitution that Bashar
al-Assad himself was elected president for the third time after he spent 14
years in power across two seven-year presidential terms.
Official and non-official Iranian sources were quick to reject and criticize
democracy and secularism. This is self-evident. A religious country like
The Iranian government has so far not declared its opinion regarding the
Russian proposal to cancel
It’s also self-evident that
Despite the regime’s attempt to hide behind this Arabism, its alliance with
regional countries that oppose Arabism and that oppose the Sunni Arab majority
is no secret. A member of the political opposition coalition proposed a draft
constitution without Arabism as he naively though it may work as a democratic
constitution if it cancelled the national identity of the majority of Syrians.
The roof of the skyscraper which President Trump owns is not enough for Syrian
refugees. So where else will he house these miserable people?
Tutelage of opposition groups
Armed religious opposition groups which reject the tutelage of political opposition
groups considered their Islam to be abandoning their Arabism. Instead of
forming one free and unified Syrian army, they acted upon opportunism and
became linked with fanatical organizations, like
These organizations were bitterly defeated when fighting Shiite militias which
The Kurdistan Workers’ Party militia realized that Syrian political opposition
groups and armed groups were abandoning their national identity so they
exploited that and dared announce their separatist identity after the Assad
regime had granted them Syrian nationalities.
It established an autonomy near the Turkish-Syrian border and this zone extends
from east of the
The Russian circus in Astana ended with a Russian-Iranian dispute regarding the
final statement and they disagreed over the necessity of withdrawing foreign
militias from
Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov announced
postponing the
The Syrian refugees
The roof of the skyscraper which President Trump owns
is not enough for Syrian refugees. So where else will he house these miserable
people? Most probably, in the area which
Amid all these intertwined details, there is no coordination among Arabs’
high-ranking figures’ activity. After his visit to Russian President Vladimir
Putin,
Perhaps King Abdullah is in a hurry to be reassured about American financial
aid to his country and needs to make sure this aid will not be canceled in a tweet by Trump as perhaps the latter may want
to anger his predecessor, Barack Obama, who said there is a plan to increase it
from $600 million to $1 billion. But what will King Abdullah II say to Trump
about the possibility of moving the
*This article is also available in Arabic.
Mothers can come together to make Saudi
roads safer
Khaled Almaeena/Al Arabiya/February 03/17
Every day glaring headlines of traffic accidents are splashed across local
papers. Over the weekend there were quite a few. Everyone speaks about the
abnormal high ratio of deaths in the Kingdom compared to the population.
Newspapers highlight deaths on the highways but many tragic accidents go
unnoticed. For the past couple of decades, there have been many road safety
programs organized by the traffic department. Fines have also been increased.
Jail terms are given to errant drivers. However, the dangerous devil-may-care
attitude of drivers continues unabated.
Moreover, there has not been any significant improvement in traffic services.
And to top it all, many drivers know that they can get away with irresponsible behavior behind the wheel. A phone call from a father,
cousin or friend can solve any problem.
What then is to be done? I believe that the first cause of accidents is the
condition of our roads and the haphazardly improvised detours that can be found
in our cities. Secondly, the blame must be placed on unsystematic traffic
instructions and closure of exits. Finally, of course, there is the absence of
police cars on the roads and the failure to enforce traffic regulations. As a
society, we have no safety culture and this is also reflected in our driving.
All of these factors put together are responsible for the tragic carnage on our
roads. What is needed is a sustained safety program, which is easily
implemented and which holds the errant driver totally accountable for his
actions. Apart from this, we need a traffic department with mature personnel,
who are well trained and educated in the enforcement of traffic regulations.
Mothers Against Drunk Driving
In America, there is an organization called MADD (Mothers Against Drunk
Driving) started in 1980 by a woman in California whose 13-year-old daughter
was hit and killed by a drunk driver. This non-profit organization has been
effective to a great extent and it claims that its involvement in aspects of
traffic rules, regulations and safety awareness has helped to reduce by half
the number of traffic accidents related to drunk driving. In
If moms across the Kingdom join together to help make our roads safer, many
lives will be saved!
**This article was first published in the Saudi Gazette on January 29, 2016.