LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS
BULLETIN
January 24/17
Compiled
& Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
The
Bulletin's Link on the lccc Site
http://www.eliasbejjaninews.com/newsbulletins17/english.january24.17.htm
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Bible Quotations For Today
We must
work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming when no one
can work
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 09/01-12/:"As he
walked along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, ‘Rabbi,
who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’ Jesus answered,
‘Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God’s works
might be revealed in him. We must work the works of him who sent me while it is
day; night is coming when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am
the light of the world.’When he had said this, he
spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva and spread the mud on the man’s
eyes, saying to him, ‘Go, wash in the pool of Siloam’ (which means Sent). Then
he went and washed and came back able to see. The neighbours and those who had
seen him before as a beggar began to ask, ‘Is this not the man who used to sit
and beg?’ Some were saying, ‘It is he.’ Others were saying, ‘No, but it is
someone like him.’ He kept saying, ‘I am the man.’ But they kept asking him,
‘Then how were your eyes opened?’He answered, ‘The
man called Jesus made mud, spread it on my eyes, and said to me, "Go to
Siloam and wash." Then I went and washed and received my sight.’They said to him, ‘Where is
he? ’ He said, ‘I do not know.’"
We entreat you on behalf of
Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no
sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God
Second Letter to the Corinthians 05/11-21/:"Therefore, knowing the fear of
the Lord, we try to persuade others; but we ourselves are well known to God,
and I hope that we are also well known to your consciences. We are not
commending ourselves to you again, but giving you an opportunity to boast about
us, so that you may be able to answer those who boast in outward appearance and
not in the heart. For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in
our right mind, it is for you. For the love of Christ urges us on, because we
are convinced that one has died for all; therefore all have died. And he died
for all, so that those who live might live no longer for themselves, but for
him who died and was raised for them. From now on, therefore, we regard no one
from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point
of view, we know him no longer in that way. So if anyone is in Christ, there is
a new creation: everything old has passed away; see,
everything has become new! All this is from God, who reconciled us to
himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; that
is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself,
not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of
reconciliation to us. So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his
appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might
become the righteousness of God."
Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources published on January 23-24/17
Ex-Hostage's Daughter Finds Dad's Love
by Meeting His Lebanese Captor/Associated Press/Naharnet/January
23/17
The facade of political representation in Lebanon/Joseph A. Kechichian/Gulf
News/ January 23/17
The suicide bomber who stopped for coffee/Diana Moukalled/Arab
News/Tuesday 24 January 2017
Israeli Army changing tactics for possible Third Lebanon War/Yoav Zitun/Ynetnews/January 23/17
This Is the Time to Confront Iran Regime/NCRI Iran News/January 23/17
Palestinians of Syria: A Year of Killings and Torture/Khaled
Abu Toameh/Gatestone Institute/January 23/17
Turkey Jails American Pastor/by Uzay Bulut/Gatestone Institute/January 23/17
Iran Trains Children for War/Majid Rafizadeh/Gatestone Institute/January 23/17
Seize Saudi Oil, Solve World Problems/Raymond Ibrahim/January 23/17
President Trump: It’s too early to predict/Khaled Almaeena/Al Arabiya/January 23/17
What if Trump is worse than Obama/Abdulrahman al-Rashed/Al Arabiya/January 23/17
A miserable end!/Turki Aldakhil/Al
Arabiya/January 23/17
ISIS is not just lurking; it is preparing for the long haul/Dr. Theodore Karasik/Al Arabiya/January 23/17
Titles For Latest
Lebanese Related News published on January 23-24/17
Qatar media attack Trump. why?
Dr.Walid Phares/January
23/17
PM Hariri meets Tripoli municipal delegation, says will follow up on livelihood
demands
Lebanese Army Running 'Pre-Emptive' War against Terrorism
Costa Would-Be Suicide Bomber Says 'No Regret'
4 Asir Supporters Held in Connection with Botched
Costa Attack
Rifi Slams ex-Allies for 'Bowing to Hizbullah', Vows to Beat Party's Candidates in Polls
Casualties in Fierce Nusra-IS Clashes in Arsal Outskirts
Chamoun: Hizbullah Must
Surrender its Arms
Mustaqbal Justifies Aoun's
'Warning', Says Reflects Keenness for Stability'
Kataeb Urges Electoral Law that Ensures 'Diversity,
Pluralism'
Ex-Hostage's Daughter Finds Dad's Love by Meeting His Lebanese Captor
Geagea Warns of Escalatory Political Measures over
Electoral Law
Geagea: New election law will be based on hybrid vote
mode
Australian Ambassador Praises Security Efforts during Talks with Hariri
Kuwaiti Prince's envoy starts official visit in Lebanon
Interior Minister hopes Beirut development projects will be achieved by 2020
ISF via Twitter: No information about kidnapping young man in Zahle
French presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron arrives in Lebanon
Kuwaiti Prince's envoy starts official visit in Lebanon
Defense Minister, EU Ambassador discuss military
cooperation
Hamadeh, Shorter take up Brussels conference
decisions
Minister Hasbani, Beirut Governor dwell on city's
healthcare affairs
The facade of political representation in Lebanon
The suicide bomber who stopped for coffee
Titles For Latest
LCCC Bulletin For Miscellaneous Reports And News published on January 23-24/17
White House Says Trump Open to Joint Anti-IS Syria Ops with Russia
Syrian opposition: We’ll continue to fight if Astana fails
Iran: Promises by Rouhani's Government Are
Emptier Than Ever
Outrage at Confirmation of 5-Year Jail Sentence on Young London Mother
in Iran
Astana Talks: A Brief Analysis of Iran and Russia's Positions
UK Woman Imprisoned in Iran Has Conviction Upheld in Appeals Court
Ukraine Seizes Iran-Bound Plane 'Carrying Missiles'
Afghanistan: Iran is supplying Taliban with rockets to strike us
Italian experts in Cairo to review footage in Regeni
case
US citizen fighting with Kurds killed in Raqqa
Egypt extends participation in Arab coaltion
Discussion on US embassy move to Jerusalem in ‘beginning stages’
Trump invites Netanyahu to White House
Trump Reverses Unpopular Obama Executive Action on Abortion by
Reinstating Mexico City Policy
Trump Signs Order Withdrawing U.S. from TPP Trade Pact
Ex-PM Valls Fights Leftist Outsider for French
Presidential Nod
Assailants Kill Five Egypt Soldiers in Sinai
Links From Jihad Watch Site for on January 23-24/17
Hugh
Fitzgerald: Professor Kishwar Rizvi
and “Misinformation About Islam”
Trump
affirms support for Egypt’s fight against terror in phone call with Sisi
In
final hours in office, Obama sent $221,000,000 to the “Palestinians”
Robert
Spencer: Trump’s History-Changing Vow to Eradicate ‘Radical Islamic Terrorism’
Pope
likens Trump to Hitler, warns of “walls and barbed wire”
Sharia UK: Birmingham City Council plans to bury old
Qur’ans in city cemetery
Robert
Spencer: Why Barack Obama is the worst President in U.S. history
Top
10 Reasons Keith Ellison Should Terrify You
Sharia at University of Kansas: Women’s-only lunchroom for Muslimas
Sweden:
Muslim migrants gang-rape woman, broadcast it live on Facebook
Muslim
cleric linked to jihad massacre gets $150,000 of legal aid in fight to stay in
UK
Germany:
Muslima slits policewoman’s throat, “frustrated” she
couldn’t join Islamic State
Latest Lebanese Related News
published on January 23-24/17
Qatar
media attack Trump. why?
Dr.Walid Phares/January
23/17
It has been noticed that Qatar controlled media has been
opening fire on President Trump during the campaign, in the transition time and
since inauguration. Al Jazeera has been leading the
campaign for months. The most recent smear was conducted by al Arab daily in London targeting two
Middle Easterners working for Trump: Dina Habib, from
Egyptian descent, appointed as an advisor on economic initiatives in the White
House. And Walid Phares who served as a foreign policy advisor during the
campaign. The Qatari newspaper, according to Arab media "is
targeting Habib because of her Egyptian ancestry,
while Egypt is opposing Qatar for its
support to the Muslim Brotherhood. And Phares
because of his exposure of the Ikhwan and his
outreach to moderates in the Arab world." The Arab media wrote that
"Qatar is taking
significant risks by attacking the US President. It will isolate
itself in the Arab world."
PM Hariri meets Tripoli municipal
delegation, says will follow up on livelihood demands
Mon 23 Jan 2017/NNA - Prime Minister Saad Hariri met,
at the Grand Serail on Monday, with the municipal
council of Mina, headed by Abdul Qader Alamuddine, who presented his host with a memo of
livelihood needs in this region of Tripoli.During the
meeting, Hariri expressed relief amid the current political situation in the
country and the return of the constitutional institutions to their regular
work. Moreover, the Prime Minister said he would "personally" follow
up on the list of demands. "You know how Mina, Tripoli, and the North mean to me. We will do
our best to achieve studies related to the projects listed in the memo and we
hope to implement what is possible during this government's term."Separately,
Hariri met with a delegation of the political command of the Palestinian
factions, headed by the Secretary General of Fatah Movement in Lebanon, Fathi Abu al-Ardat.
Lebanese Army Running
'Pre-Emptive' War against Terrorism
Naharnet/January 23/17/The suicide attack attempt
that was foiled in Beirut's Hamra area over the
weekend, is part of a strategic and decisive decision taken at the highest
levels of the Army Command and the Directorate of Intelligence, to launch
pre-emptive war on terrorists, prominent military sources told Ad Diyar daily on Monday. The sources that spoke on condition
of anonymity said: “The security forces endeavors in
that regard are to launch a pre-emptive, relentless war on terrorists in order
to uproot them and combat their menace.”“The army
will continue to chase extremist cells and implement pre-emptive operations
against them. It will exert the maximum effort possible to prevent them from
launching attacks,” added the source. Pointing to a simultaneous arrest in
North Lebanon, they said: “The simultaneous capture of two terrorists (in Hamra and North Lebanon) who were seeking to implement two
suicide attacks, indicates that plots are set to target the Lebanese arena at
this stage. “But, the army assures the Lebanese that protective measures to
ward off the threats are at highest levels, and there is no need to worry or panic.”They assured that the operation was a joint effort
between the army and Intelligence Branch of the Internal Security Forces. On
Saturday, the Army intelligence agents arrested a would-be suicide bomber at
the Costa cafe in Beirut's
Hamra district, one of the capital's busiest areas. A
man wearing an explosive bomb belt was detained by authorities after entering
the crowded cafe on the main street of the bustling district. Sources said the
man was being followed by security forces, who have stepped up foot patrols in
the neighborhood in recent weeks.Separately
in North Lebanon on the Saturday, Army intelligence
agents arrested a would-be suicide bomber in north Lebanon. He was receiving instructions
from a Raqa-based IS operative.
Costa Would-Be Suicide Bomber Says 'No
Regret'
Naharnet/January 23/17/Interrogations continue with
the arrested would-be suicide bomber who tried to detonate an explosive belt
Saturday in the upscale Hamra neighborhood,
as he proclaimed that he “does not repent his act” and “would do it again,” al-Akhbar daily reported on Monday. Omar al-Assi was nabbed on Saturday inside the crowded Costa cafe,
in one of the busiest neighborhoods in the capital Beirut. The daily said interrogations
with the assailant continue. He said he was not resentful for trying to target
innocent civilians, “I am not sorry. I would do it again if I had to,” he was
quoted as saying. Reports have said that the assailant had entered the cafe and
waited at a table for the place to become more crowded to inflict the biggest
possible number of casualties. A worker at the cafe said the assailant had a
small chat with him about work, and asked about the rush hour at the place.
Sources said the man was being followed by security forces, who have stepped up
foot patrols in the neighborhood in recent weeks. The
man was injured during the arrest, with several soldiers holding him down to
ensure he was not able to detonate the belt, one security source said. The army
intelligence agents raided Assi's house in Sidon's al-Sharhabil area hours after the attack where they seized a
computer and arrested two of his brothers and several of his relatives from the
Bukhari and Habli families.
Military sources told LBCI television that the would-be attacker had taken part
in the 2013 deadly clashes between the army and Ahmed al-Asir's
group in the Sidon
suburb of Abra. Assi's
mother was quoted as telling the Army Intelligence in South
Lebanon during interrogations, that her son's conduct has changed
recently.
4 Asir
Supporters Held in Connection with Botched Costa Attack
Naharnet/January 23/17/ Four
supporters of detained Islamist cleric Ahmed al-Asir
were arrested Monday in the southern city of Sidon in connection with Saturday's botched
suicide attack on Hamra's Costa cafe, state-run
National News Agency reported. “An army intelligence force raided several
locations in the city of Sidon
and its suburbs this afternoon,” NNA said, adding that four Asir
sympathizers were arrested in the crackdown. It identified them as Mohammed M.
(owner of a car repair shop in the al-Hesbeh area), Marwan H. (hairdresser in the Taamir
Ain el-Hilweh area), Mohammed D. (owner of a juice
shop in the Zaroun al-Njasa
area, and Hilal A. “The arrests are linked to the
investigations into the Costa incident,” the agency added. Two brothers and two
relatives of the Costa would-be suicide bomber, Omar al-Assi,
were arrested Sunday at his family home in Sidon. According to media reports, Assi had been injured during a 2013 Sidon gunfight between Asir's
group and the Hizbullah-affiliated Resistance
Brigades. He later became affiliated with the extremist Islamic State group
which ordered him to carry out Saturday's failed attack.
Rifi Slams ex-Allies for 'Bowing to Hizbullah',
Vows to Beat Party's Candidates in Polls
Naharnet/January 23/17/ Former justice minister Maj.
Gen. Ashraf Rifi has lashed
out at his former allies in the March 14 coalition, accusing them of “bowing to
Hizbullah.”“Corrupts cannot build a state and those
who surrender cannot build a state. We are against corruption and surrender,” Rifi said in an interview with Kuwait's al-Qabas
newspaper. "Some of us endorse a principled approach while others resort
to pragmatism... Pragmatists might cooperate with the occupier in a certain
period while principled individuals shun any post or personal gains,” Rifi added. He warned that “the approach of pragmatism
sometimes leads to high treason.”“Military imbalance
does not at all justify agreeing to Hizbullah's
policies,” Rifi added, pledging to continue
confronting the Iran-backed party his stances. Asked about his opposition to
Prime Minister Saad Hariri's policies, the
ex-minister said: “He who wants to bow let him bow alone. I will not let
leniency go down in my history and I cannot find a convincing justification for
this.” “Hizbullah cannot overlook or eliminate me,
even if it possesses 200,000 rockets. I'm not engaged in a military
confrontation with them. We're equal demographically and we are present on the
same land,” Rifi went on to say. As for the new
government, the ex-minister described it as “Hizbullah's
government.” “The party has 17 ministers in this government and this is a major
national crime against the cause,” Rifi lamented. As
for the districts in which he will field candidates in the next parliamentary
elections, the ex-minister said he will have nominees in Tripoli, Minieh, Dinniyeh, Akkar, central and western Bekaa,
Iqlim al-Kharroub and
Beirut's second and third electoral regions. “We will not engage in Sidon's electoral battle
out of respect for (MP) Mrs. Bahia Hariri and ex-PM Fouad
Saniora,” Rifi added. “We
will not allow a win for any of Hizbullah's
candidates in our electoral strongholds,” the former minister vowed.
Casualties in Fierce Nusra-IS
Clashes in Arsal Outskirts
Naharnet/January 23/17/Fierce clashes erupted Monday
between the al-Nusra Front and Islamic State rival
jihadist groups in the outskirts of the Bekaa border
town of Arsal, state-run National News Agency reported.
“Rockets and medium-caliber weapons are being used in
the fighting in the al-Malahi and al-Ajram areas in Arsal's
outskirts,” NNA said. Deaths and injuries on both sides have been reported, the
agency added. Militants from the two groups are entrenched in Arsal's outskirts and in mountainous areas along the undemarcated Lebanese-Syrian border. The Lebanese army
regularly shells their posts while Hizbullah and the
Syrian forces have engaged in clashes with them on the Syrian side of the
border. The two groups overran the town of Arsal in 2014
before being ousted by the army after days of deadly battles.
Chamoun: Hizbullah Must Surrender
its Arms
Naharnet/January 23/17/Leader of the National Liberal
Party MP Dory Chamoun, urged Hizbullah
and all other armed factions in Lebanon
to surrender their arms to the Lebanese Armed Forces after their proven ability
to protect the country following the Costa cafe incident, al-Joumhouria daily reported on Monday. “Hizbullah
and every faction outside legitimacy must surrender their weapons to the
Lebanese army because it is has proven successful in protecting Lebanon.
Confidence of the Lebanese in their army and its performance is mounting,” said
Chamoun. Commenting on the suicide attack attempt
that was foiled by the security forces and army, Chamoun
said: “The foiled suicide attempt in Hamra and the
continuous success of the army and security forces in missions
like that one, raise the morale of the security elements. It makes them more
active in their fight against terrorism and reassures the Lebanese.”On
Saturday, the Army intelligence agents arrested a would-be suicide bomber at
the Costa cafe in Beirut's
Hamra district, one of the capital's busiest areas. A
man wearing an explosive bomb belt was detained by authorities after entering
the crowded cafe on the main street of the bustling district. Sources said the
man was being followed by security forces, who have stepped up foot patrols in
the neighborhood in recent weeks.
An army statement had said the operation was a joint effort with the
Intelligence Branch of the Internal Security Forces.
Mustaqbal Justifies Aoun's 'Warning',
Says Reflects Keenness for Stability
Naharnet/January 23/17/Al-Mustaqbal Movement
justified the reasons that made President Michel Aoun
warn he would use his constitutional powers to prevent the parliamentary
elections shall political parties fail to agree on a new electoral law,
assuring his keenness on Lebanon's stability and on the welfare of the
presidential term, al-Akhbar daily reported on
Monday. “The President is unlikely to accept his term to begin with a setback
of this kind or a failure in staging the elections and violating the
constitution,” unnamed Mustaqbal sources told the
daily. “Aoun wants his term to reflect stability in Lebanon.
Holding the parliamentary elections is one of the conditions for stability,”
they added. Over the week end, reports said that Aoun
has threatened to obstruct the upcoming May elections if parties fail to agree
on a new law that will govern the polls. He stresses the necessity to hold the
polls on time amid strong rejection of the 1960 law and term extension of the
parliament. “The President sees all options acceptable as long as the polls are
held on time and the parliament does not extend its own term,” the reports have
said. The constitutional powers bestowed to the President allow him to prevent
the parliament from extending its own term, reports said. Political parties are
bickering over amending the current 1960 majoritarian
election law which divides seats among the different religious sects. The
country has not voted for a parliament since 2009, with the legislature instead
twice extending its own mandate. The 2009 polls were held under an amended
version of the 1960 electoral law and the next elections are scheduled for May
2017.
Kataeb Urges Electoral Law that Ensures 'Diversity,
Pluralism'
Naharnet/January 23/17/The Kataeb
Party on Monday called for an electoral law that guarantees “correct
representation, diversity and pluralism.”In a
statement issued after its political bureau's weekly meeting, the party warned
anew against “procrastination in passing a new electoral law,” noting that the
deadlines are nearing. “The party will intensify its contacts with all the
relevant parties, starting by the president, in order to reach the approval of
a modern electoral law that ensures correct representation and preserves
society's diversity and its political pluralism,” Kataeb
added. Speaker Nabih Berri
and Interior Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq
have warned that the country is likely headed to parliamentary elections under
the controversial 1960 electoral law due to the parties' failure to agree on a
new law. Hizbullah has repeatedly called for an
electoral law fully based on proportional representation but other political
parties, especially al-Mustaqbal Movement and the
Progressive Socialist Party, have rejected the
proposal, arguing that Hizbullah's weapons would
prevent serious competition in the Iran-backed party's strongholds. Mustaqbal, the Lebanese Forces and the PSP have meanwhile
proposed a hybrid electoral law that mixes the proportional representation and
the winner-takes-all systems. Berri has also proposed
a hybrid law. The country has not voted for a parliament since 2009, with the
legislature instead twice extending its own mandate. The 2009 polls were held
under an amended version of the 1960 electoral law and the next elections are
scheduled for May 2017.
Ex-Hostage's Daughter Finds Dad's Love by
Meeting His Lebanese Captor
Associated Press/Naharnet/January 23/17/She tried
drugs. She tried arguing. She tried writing a book. After a quarter century,
the daughter of the longest-held American hostage during Lebanon's civil
war says she's found her father's love. And it took coming face-to-face with
one of his captors to do it. "I was searching and searching and this
search, the journey, brought me closer to my father," said Sulome Anderson, a Brooklyn journalist whose father, Terry
Anderson, was seized by Shiite militants in Beirut in 1985 and held until 1991. "I
love my dad very much. My dad has always loved me. I just didn't know that
because he wasn't able to show it to me."Her
recently published book, "The Hostage's Daughter," chronicles what
happened after she met her father for the first time, at age 6, after his
release from his long imprisonment. Anderson, then the chief Middle
East correspondent for The Associated Press, was among around 100
foreign hostages taken during the war. Sulome
Anderson said she expected him to be a "superman" as a young child.
Real life was more turbulent. Before she turned 10, the two were having
screaming fights. "One of the problems that we had after I came home was
communication," Terry Anderson said in a telephone interview from his Orange, Virginia,
home. "I was not able to express my feelings well and of course she was a
very small girl in a very confusing and often scary world. So we didn't really
connect very well."Sulome, now 31, said she
escaped into drugs and depression for years, growing so distant from her father
that they went weeks and months without speaking. They became more estranged as
Terry Anderson and his wife, Sulome Anderson's
mother, divorced. Sulome Anderson hated when he
married a horse trainer only six years older than herself. At the peak of her
rebelliousness, she cranked up the volume of the song "Gold Digger"
by Kanye West, a passive aggressive message to the
wife of a man who received tens of millions of dollars after suing Iran. The
money, through bad investments, eventually disappeared. The new marriage fell
apart.
Sulome said her father gave her a Rolex after she
graduated from New York
University with a 3.7
grade point average, but she pawned it for drugs within a month. She attempted
suicide three times. Her climb out of darkness began after learning she
suffered from borderline personality disorder. By 2009, she had given up plans
to be an actress and decided to become a journalist. Before long, she headed to
Lebanon,
her mother's birthplace, and began trying to reconstruct the events surrounding
the Lebanese hostage crisis that tore her family apart. The trail she followed
led her to a Hizbullah official in one of the
southern towns near the Israeli border. That man revealed himself to have been
one of her father's teenage captors. Sitting in a room with the man's wife and
children, she confronted him, and then forgave him. Terry Anderson said he was
amazed at the encounter. "I was just astounded that she found somebody who
had been there on the other side and interviewed him, which I thought took a
fair amount of guts," he said, adding that he'd never discouraged the
pursuit. "I think she did some extraordinary things, went on a very
difficult personal journey, but also accomplished a pretty important piece of
journalism doing it," said Anderson,
now 69 and retired. "She's now a better journalist than I ever was."
He said he'd been scared for his daughter as she pursued her career, but he
never tried to interrupt her journey. In the book, Sulome
Anderson tells of nearly entering Syria last year to report on
developments there when an FBI agent warned her intelligence officials believed
her life was in danger. She didn't go. Terry Anderson said his daughter had not
told him in advance of that trip "because I would have screamed and hollered.""We seem to have moved up an entire
level in evil since my day," he said.
Geagea Warns of Escalatory Political Measures over Electoral
Law
Naharnet/January 23/17/Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea, voiced a warning on
Monday that the party will be compelled into taking some “negative political
steps” shall it be embarrassed into having the elections postponed or having
them staged on the bases of the current 1960 majoritarian
system. “We will exert efforts until the end, but we have good intentions. We
are open to all parties but we won't accept these elections to be staged
according to the 1960 electoral system,” stressed Geagea.
“We don't wish to resort to negative political measures. But, if we were
embarrassed into either postponing the elections or having them staged based on
the 1960 law, then we will be compelled into taking measures to stop this,” he
added. “We can not keep an election law, admitted by everyone as unfair,” he
added. “After deliberating around 17 draft electoral laws, it is time to agree
on a new one. Otherwise let us turn to the parliament and put the proposed laws
for voting. Let the democratic process take place,” remarked Geagea. Asking every political party to take his words
“seriously” he added: “We are not willing to have anything disrupt the positive
process in the country.”
Geagea: New election law will be based on hybrid vote mode
Mon 23 Jan 2017/NNA - Lebanese Forces Party chief, Samir
Geagea, said on Monday that the new election law will
be based upon a hybrid vote mode, which combines the proportional and majoritarian systems. "This is what we are working on
because this is a solution that satisfies most of the parties," Geagea told an interview on "al-Hadath"
TV channel. "We and our allies will absolutely not accept to extend the
mandate of the current Parliament and we will not accept to hold the
legislative polls as per the 1960 law," he underlined. "We are
working with the Free Patriotic Movement to reach a political action to prevent
extension and to hold the legislative elections as per a new law; the
legislative elections' crisis is a political one and not technical," he
revealed. Turning to Syria,
Geagea maintained that "the Syrian regime cannot
last forever." "It can be given doses to extend its longevity but not
forever. In the end, this regime will not persist.""Hezbollah
got drained in Syria; and
today, it is whether Iran or
Russia that negotiates on
the behalf of Syria
and not Bashar al-Assad," he continued. He also
maintained that the LF position from Hezbollah was still the same. "This
does not prevent us from being in the same government in order to address
people's issues (...) in the end, there will only be the strong state in Lebanon."
Furthermore, Geagea denied fresh statements by Iran's
Foreign Minister--who said that the election of the Lebanese president was the
result of a Saudi-Iranian agreement--stressing that President Michel Aoun's election was Lebanese-made "par
excellence."
Australian Ambassador Praises Security Efforts during Talks with Hariri
Naharnet/January 23/17/Prime Minister Saad Hariri received on Monday at the Grand Serail the Australian Ambassador to Lebanon Glenn Miles.
During talks, Miles hailed the Lebanese Security Force’s efforts mainly their
success in foiling the attempt of a would-be suicide bomber that could have
rocked Beirut's
upscale neighborhood of Hamra
over the weekend. “We expressed our support for the Lebanese people, given the
events in the weekend and the foiling of the terrorist attack in Hamra, which shows the strong confidence the people have in
the Lebanese security services,” said Miles after the meeting. “We discussed
the strong relations between Australia
and Lebanon
including the strong people to people links, as well as the forthcoming
elections and the progress towards them which is looking very positive,” he
added.
Kuwaiti Prince's envoy starts official
visit in Lebanon
Mon 23 Jan 2017/NNA - Envoy of the Prince of Kuwait, State Minister Sheikh
Mohammad Abdullah al-Mubarak al-Sabah, arrived on Monday in Lebanon, aboard a
private jet, for talks with the Lebanese officials. Speaking to reporters at Beirut airport, the envoy indicated that during his stay,
he will meet with President Michel Aoun to
congratulate him on his election, as well as to extend him with an official
invitation to visit Kuwait.
He will also meet with House Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Saad
Hariri. "We are looking forward to seeing Lebanon in a leading position in
the Arab World, so that it should be an exemplar supporter for the Arab system
and the peace efforts in the region," he said.
Interior Minister hopes Beirut development
projects will be achieved by 2020
Mon 23 Jan 2017/NNA - Minister of Interior, Nohad Mashnouq, hoped on Monday that the municipality of Beirut
will be able to achieve all the development projects for the capital by 2020.
"This municipality is capable of producing not only with its material
capacities, but also with efforts and passion," Mashnouq
said during an intervention in a press conference held by Beirut
municipality's chief, Jamal Itani, a news conference
at Sursok
Museum.
ISF via Twitter: No information about
kidnapping young man in Zahle
Mon 23 Jan 2017/NNA - Internal Security Forces (ISF) Directorate General on
Monday categorically refuted what has been circulated in one of the media
outlets about the kidnapping of a young man, A.S., in front of the Lebanese
University in Zahle, saying no information is
available over kidnap operation. "No one has submitted a claim in this
regard," ISF said via Twitter.
French presidential candidate Emmanuel
Macron arrives in Lebanon
Mon 23 Jan 2017/NNA - French president candidate, Emmanuel Macron, arrived on
Monday in Beirut, in a two-day state visit, where he is scheduled to meet with
a number of Lebanese officials and the French Diaspora in Lebanon.
Kuwaiti Prince's envoy starts official
visit in Lebanon
Mon 23 Jan 2017/NNA - Envoy of the Prince of Kuwait, State Minister Sheikh
Mohammad Abdullah al-Mubarak al-Sabah, arrived on Monday in Lebanon, aboard a
private jet, for talks with the Lebanese officials. Speaking to reporters at Beirut airport, the envoy indicated that during his stay,
he will meet with President Michel Aoun to
congratulate him on his election, as well as to extend him with an official
invitation to visit Kuwait.
He will also meet with House Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Saad
Hariri. "We are looking forward to seeing Lebanon in a leading position in
the Arab World, so that it should be an exemplar supporter for the Arab system
and the peace efforts in the region," he said.
Defense Minister, EU Ambassador discuss military cooperation
Mon 23 Jan 2017/NNA - Minister of National Defense, Yaacoub al-Sarraf, met on Monday
with European Union Ambassador to Lebanon, Christina Lassen,
and the accompanying delegation, over the means to bolster support for the
Lebanese army. "During the meeting, we discussed several projects in the
military, paramilitary, and civil fields. We considerable rely on the
cooperation [with the EU]," Minister al-Sarraf
said following the meeting. "Our government adopts a very clear policy
regarding full cooperation with the international community in general, and the
EU in particular, to achieve the set goals, which shall guarantee stability and
preserve security," he added. "We are keen on enhancing cooperation
between the EU and the Ministry of Defense," he
stressed. "We did not have the chance to discuss the enhancement of
economic and commercial complementarity, but we rely
on your support in that respect, because economic growth constitutes a key
force to fight terrorism," he explained. For her part, Lassen
indicated that during the meeting, she felicitated the Minister and the
Lebanese Armed Forces for securing stability in Lebanon."We also discussed the important existing cooperation
between Lebanon
and the EU, and, for the past years, we have worked on bolstering cooperation
with the Lebanese military and the other security services in the
country," she said. "We are looking forward to enhancing this
cooperation," she concluded.
Hamadeh, Shorter take up Brussels conference decisions
Mon 23 Jan 2017/NNA - National Education and Higher Education Minister, Marwan Hamadeh, met on Monday at
his ministerial office with British Ambassador to Lebanon, on top of a
delegation from the British State Department for International Development,
with talks reportedly touching on UK contributions to support the project aimed
to secure education for the displaced students. Talks also touched on the
international commitment on the long term to secure continual provision of
education for the Lebanese students and refugees in public schools. On
emerging, Ambassador Shorter said that talks dwelt on strengthening relations
between the UK and Lebanon on the educational and developmental levels,
in addition to the follow-up of the decisions by the recent Brussels Conference
related to the Syrian refugees in Lebanon,
and to continue to stand by Lebanon
and providing support in this dossier. On the other hand, Minister Hamadeh met with Industry Minister, Hussein Hajj Hassan,
whereby they discussed educational matters related to the Beqa
district and Baalbek-Hermel in particular.
Minister Hasbani,
Beirut Governor dwell on city's healthcare affairs
Mon 23 Jan 2017/NNA - Public Health Minister, Ghassan
Hasbani, met, at his office on Monday, with Beirut
Governor Ziad Shbib, with
whom he discussed an array of healthcare affairs relevant to the city.
Following the meeting, Minister Hasbani announced
preparations for the formation of joint committee and setting work mechanisms
to address healthcare issues in the capital. For his part, Shbib
said that talks focused on the scientific, administrative, and legal relation
that should be existing between the Ministry and the
apparatuses affiliated with Beirut
municipality.
The facade of political representation
in Lebanon
Lebanon’s unique parliamentary republic balances representation with confessionalism
Joseph A. Kechichian/Gulf News/ January 23/17
Beirut: Although Lebanon boasts at least twenty political parties to give the
appearance of full representation, in reality most play marginal roles in
internal politics, even if the country is nominally a parliamentary democracy
where the competition for ideas could add value.
At a time of intense bickering among party leaders to agree on a new electoral
law that will govern the Spring 2017 parliamentary
elections, President Michel Aoun is apparently poised
to use his constitutional privileges to hamper the polls, precisely to nudge
the parties into action. Sources close to Aoun said
the potential is available for the President to obstruct these elections since
he is supposed to sign the decree that authorises them. This mechanism, Aoun believes, will prevent parliament from extending its
own term for a third time in a row.
He is apparently ready to back any new law (the hybrid or proportional
representation system, for example), if the parties can settle on one.
For now, the bickering is over amending the current 1960 majoritarian
election law, which divides seats among the country’s different religious
sects.
Inasmuch as each and every party is led by powerful and charismatic
personalities, sometimes the leaders of prominent families who prize their
confessional identities above all else, it was not a surprise to witness the
current roadblock. Ironically, most leaders claim that their “party” is
multi-confessional, which may be accurate in a few cases, even if token
participation does not make these groups tolerant.
In reality, political parties are little more than loose coalitions in the
hands of powerful families that mobilise voters for local and parliamentary
elections, whose objectives are to negotiate between and among clan leaders to
propel their religiously defined and inclined candidates into office. Charmingly,
and despite recent changes, Lebanon
remained a highly sectarian society.
Of course, representation in parliament reached a parity between Muslims and
Christians (64 seats for each) under the terms of the Constitution as amended
by the 1990 Ta’if Accords, though party coalitions
seldom ushered in cohesive blocks. In fact, no single party has ever won more
than 12.5 percent of the seats in parliament, and no coalition of parties has
won more than 35 percent, which effectively translated into limited power for
the parties themselves. Still, wily and rival political leaders honed survival
skills as they displayed chameleon like qualities by aligning themselves in one
constituency, and opposing each other in another.
In 2017, the leading parties include Amal and
Hezbollah, overwhelmingly Shiite, the Phalange, Lebanese Forces and Free
Patriotic Movement (FPM), mostly Christian, and the Progressive Socialist Party
(PSP), which is chiefly a Druze party. There are branches of pan-Arab secular
parties, including the Ba‘ath and the Syrian Socialist National Party, along
with a slew of smaller parties, most of which are drawn along sectarian lines.
Hezbollah, nominally an FPM ally, has repeatedly called for an electoral law
based on proportional representation, something that Aoun
must balance with demands made by other political parties, especially the
Future Movement and the PSP, which have rejected the proposal. The latter have
argued that Hezbollah’s controversial arsenal of arms effectively prevented
serious competition in regions where the Iran-backed party enjoyed supremacy.
Since what defined political parties in Lebanon more than any other
characteristic is patronage, which translates into a relatively efficient model
of “clientelism,” neither Aoun
nor any other leader possessed the intrinsic capabilities to alter the system
because political parties lacked ideological norms, with little or no programs
in most cases.
The last parliamentary elections in Lebanon were held in 2009, under an
updated electoral law mandated by the Doha Agreement. It divided the country
into 26 electoral districts and mandated that elections be held on a single
day, rather than consecutive weekends. Lebanese political parties or, more
accurately, Lebanon’s
feudal political leaders seemed anxious to replicate that experiment in 2017.
The suicide bomber who stopped for
coffee
Diana Moukalled/Arab News/Tuesday 24 January 2017
He smiled at the café waitress and ordered a cup of chocolate Frappuccino, before starting to gaze at the other customers.
Then he asked the waitress about the low customer turnout in the place. She
guessed that it could be due to the cold weather.
These details are not about an ordinary customer; they are about the young man
who was planning to blow himself up in a café in Beirut’s famous Al-Hamra
neighborhood. His attempt was foiled by the security
forces who managed to preemptively arrest him.
The story is a bizarre one. It is strange for a suicide bomber to choose a café
that does not serve alcohol and is not frequented by many people. The people of
Beirut have become scared of visiting nightclubs
since Istanbul’s
New Year’s Eve massacre. But the Beirut
suicide bomber turned his back on nearby pubs and nightclubs. Did he wish to
decrease the number of casualties? Or did he suddenly have crisis of conscience
over his awful crime? What makes it more ambiguous is that the suicide bomber
did not, unlike in similar cases previously, rush to
blow himself up as plain-clothed security forces approached him.
As Lebanese people, we are not removed from the crises of our surroundings. We
have several times suffered from fighting and suicide bombers. So the reality
that the security forces managed to preemptively
arrest a suicide bomber, who himself felt hesitant over committing the crime,
gives us a sense of temporary relief, despite the fact that the political
disappointments, exploited by extremist organizations to recruit suicide
bombers, do still exist.
The Lebanese public have been very busy discussing the life of this would-be
suicide bomber, after his name, identity and photo were revealed. He apparently
took part in clashes in 2013 between the Lebanese army and supporters of the
militant preacher Sheikh Ahmad Al-Assir. Those
confrontations thereafter produced a number of suicide bombers who implemented
operations in Lebanon and Syria.
Lebanon
has avoided one disaster, yet the existing political and sectarian
disappointments, the weakness of the state and the strength of militias are
factors that could produce more suicidal bombers.
Suicide operations do not often give us the opportunity to approach the
offenders to understand their motives or gauge the prospects of their retreat
from carrying out their plots. When considering the life stories of suicide
bombers, we find that most of them had very defective, flawed lives. Most of
them suffered disorders at home or in their surroundings, which turned to be
weak points through which terrorists managed to recruit these young men,
deceived by the illusion of defending major causes.
The potential suicide bomber at the Al-Hamra café
ordered a cup of coffee before reflecting on his own
fate. Perhaps he concluded that coffee and chocolate are better than a futile
death.
• Diana Moukalled is a veteran journalist with
extensive experience in both traditional and new media. She is also a columnist
and freelance documentary producer. She can be reached on Twitter @dianamoukalled.
http://www.arabnews.com/node/1043426/columns
Latest LCCC Bulletin For
Miscellaneous Reports And News published on January 23-24/17
White House Says Trump Open to Joint Anti-IS Syria Ops with Russia
Naharnet/Agence France Presse/January 23/17/U.S. President Donald Trump is open to
conducting joint operations with Russia to combat the Islamic State group in
Syria, his spokesman said Monday. "If there's a way we can combat ISIS
with any country, whether it's Russia
or anyone else, and we have a shared national interest in that, sure, we'll
take it," press secretary Sean Spicer told reporters when asked about the
prospect of joint military action in Syria.
Syrian opposition: We’ll continue to
fight if Astana fails
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English/Monday, 23 January
2017
Syrian rebels vowed on Monday to continue fighting if talks fail, the spokesman
for the armed opposition said during the Astana meeting which started Monday.
"If the negotiations succeed, then we are with the negotiations, but if
they don't succeed, unfortunately we'll have no choice but to continue
fighting" rebel spokesman Osama Abu Zeid said.
Mohammad Alloush, head of the Syrian opposition
delegation, told the conference that the opposition wanted to ensure the
ceasefire held in all parts of Syria.
He added that as outlined in Security Council Resolution 2254, there needed to
be a commitment to the provision humanitarian aid. He said that the opposition
was not at the talks to get their share of power, but to restore security to Syria
and guarantee the release of detainees. And he stressed that the opposition was
ready to do whatever it took to restore security and peace in Syria. The UN envoy to Syria
said he hoped Astana would lead to direct UN-led negotiations based on security council resolutions. He said he wanted parties to
agree to oversee and implement a nationwide ceasefire. Kazakhstan’s Foreign Minister Kairat Abdrakhmanov stressed that
his country believed that the only solution to the Syrian crisis was through
negotiations based on mutual trust and understanding. He said: "Today's
meeting is a clear representation of the international community's desire for a
peaceful settlement to the Syrian crisis. Kazakhstan believes the only way to
resolve the crisis is through negotiations, based on mutual trust and
understanding."
Warring sides meet
Syria's warring sides meet
in Kazakhstan's capital with
Russia, Turkey and Iran, sponsors of the talks, trying
to make progress towards a goal others have repeatedly failed to reach: an end
to the six-year-old conflict. The talks are the first time the opposition and
representatives of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad
have come together since United Nations-brokered negotiations in Geneva were suspended
early last year. Organizers played down expectations of a breakthrough in the
capital, Astana. There are no senior government figures among the delegations
and Kazakhstan's
foreign ministry said on Sunday it expected the meetings to be over by midday
on Tuesday. The main Russian negotiator at the talks, Alexander Lavrentyev, said it was still unclear if the Syrian
government delegation and the opposition would meet face-to-face, or
communicate via intermediaries. Adding to the difficulties, Russia and Turkey remain at odds over
fundamental issues such as whether Assad should stay in power or step down for
the sake of reconciliation.
The head of the Syrian government delegation, Bashar
al-Jaafari, told reporters on the plane to Astana on
Sunday that the agenda would focus on strengthening a ceasefire that has been
largely in force since last month. Jaafari played
down Turkey's
role as a party to the talks, saying they were between Syrians only. "Turkey is violating Syrian sovereignty so there
is no Syrian-Turkish dialogue," he said, a reference to Turkish support
for anti-Assad armed groups in the north of Syria.
Hard going
Diplomats from Russia, Turkey and Iran gathered separately on Sunday
at a hotel in Astana to discuss the coming negotiations. Alexander Musienko, an adviser to Russia's
ambassador to Kazakhstan,
told reporters that preparatory talks had been "hard going ... But one
needs to give time to our negotiators to let them complete their mission. "Undoubtedly one cannot resolve issues like this in
just one day," he said. Some observers said the meetings in Astana could
help jumpstart the Geneva
negotiations led by the United Nations. The UN Special Envoy for Syria,
Staffan de Mistura, is
attending the meetings. "The Astana process is a little bit of an unknown
quantity, not quite sure what the Russians in particular have got in
mind," said a senior UN Security Council diplomat, speaking on condition
of anonymity. "But provided that it helps get a genuine UN-led process up
and running again ... then it can play a constructive role." The talks
notably exclude the West, although Moscow
extended a last-minute invitation to the new United States administration last
week. Moscow and Ankara
back opposing sides in the conflict, with Turkey
giving aid to anti-Assad rebels and Russia's military having turned the
tide of the conflict in favor of Assad. [Agencies]
Iran: Promises by Rouhani's
Government Are Emptier Than Ever
NCRI/ Monday, 23 January 2017/ Referring to the nuclear deal anniversary,
Khamenei’s representative in Sistan
and Baluchestan province said that “today, we see
that there’s an increasing youth unemployment, economic problems have deepened
and the government’s promises are emptier than ever.” Speaking in Zahedan on January 20, Abbasali Soleimani added that “it should be investigated which side
did win the negotiations. Prior to the nuclear deal, we had 11,800 kg of
enriched uranium, thousands of centrifuges and the balancing power in the soft
war, all of which have decreased following the nuclear deal.” “Some
government officials maintained following the nuclear deal that today we have
the trump card, shadow of war has been removed from the country and that there
will be an economic breakthrough…. Now, however, it should be asked which
economic problem has been resolved, which transactions has been facilitated and
which investment has been freed due to the nuclear deal?”,
added Soleimani. Also Mullah Kazem Sadighi said in this regard
in Tehran’s
Friday prayers that “following the nuclear deal, some tried to prettify it by
expressing optimism and encouragement, believing that all the economic problems
were going to be resolved within a year. The sanctions were supposed to be
lifted. Today, however, economic recession, youth unemployment and closure of
manufacturing plants are still going on, and the problem is that not only the
previous sanctions have not been lifted, but new ones have been introduced as
well.” Also Khamenei’s representative in Khorasan Razavi province, Mullah Alam-ol-Hoda, attacked the nuclear deal and Rouhani’s foreign policy in Mashhad’s Friday prayers,
saying that “not only is the country’s interaction-based policy a failed
policy, but it will bring the nation (regime) nothing but misery and destroy
the regime and revolution if kept being followed. The result of nuclear
deal was that the number of our centrifuges decreased from 20,000 to just
5,000, our 20 percent uranium enrichment was reduced to 3 percent and our
11,000 kg of enriched uranium reserve was down to 300 kg. Arak’s heavy water reactor was removed only
to be filled with concrete.”
Outrage at Confirmation of 5-Year Jail
Sentence on Young London Mother in Iran
NCRI Iran News/Monday, 23 January 2017
PRESS RELEASE
For immediate release
Confirmation in Iran of the five-year jail sentence on the young London mother Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe has
been condemned as ‘outrageous’ by Struan Stevenson, a lecturer on Middle East
politics and former British member of European Parliament. Speaking in Scotland Mr Stevenson said: “Nazanin
Zaghari-Ratcliffe was arrested at Imam Khomeini in Tehran last April as she attempted to return to the UK following a
holiday with her two-year-old daughter Gabriella. She is a 38-year-old charity
worker, from Hampstead, northwest London,
married to Richard Ratcliffe. She has dual
British/Iranian nationality, but because Iran does not recognise dual
nationalities, those detained cannot receive consular assistance.
“She was sentenced to five years imprisonment by Iran’s revolutionary court on
‘secret charges’, apparently relating to an alleged attempt by her to organise
the ‘soft-overthrow’ of the Iranian regime, whatever that is supposed to mean.
Reports from the regime’s media suggest that this sentence has now been
finalised by the Tehran
prosecutor Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi.”
Stevenson continued: “Nazanin’s toddler, Gabriella,
remains in Iran
with members of her family after authorities seized her passport. In a recent
phone conversation, she told her husband that Revolutionary Guards officials
said she must choose between having her daughter, Gabriella, stay with her in Tehran's Evin prison for up to three days a week, or sign a document
saying she does not want the "right to be with her young daughter",
basically relinquishing custody of her own daughter. She told her husband that
both options were clearly unacceptable. According to Amnesty International UK, Evin prison authorities imposed this cruel choice in an
attempt to counter negative publicity caused by the 37-year-old being separated
from her toddler. Nazanin’s husband Richard has
branded her sentence as “a punishment without a crime” and said she was
struggling with being separated from her daughter and suffering hair and weight
loss as a result of her ordeal.”
Struan Stevenson continued: “Serial abuse of human rights has become a daily
fact of life in this medieval, theocratic regime, under the supposedly
‘moderate’ presidency of the smiling Hassan Rouhani.
More than 70 people have been hanged so far this year, many of them in public;
at least 2700 have been executed since he took office three years ago and yet
the West continues to seek ways of securing commercial contracts with this evil
and oppressive regime. The Justice Minister appointed by Rouhani
is Mostafa Pour Mohammadi,
a man who has publicly admitted and gloried in his key role in the murder of
30,000 political opponents, mostly from the People’s Mojahedin's
of Iran
(PMOI or MEK) opposition group in 1988. It is unacceptable that the UK can simply sit back and wring its hands in
dismay at this treatment of a UK
citizen and her child.
“There must be immediate and public condemnation of Nazanin
Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s sentence and demands for her
urgent release. She was originally sentenced the day after Britain restored our UK
embassy and ambassador in Iran,
supposedly because we wished to resume normal relations. This sickening verdict
by the Iranian regime proves that there can never be a normal, civilized
relationship and Britain
should now threaten to sever diplomatic ties with the country unless Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe is released.”
Note: Struan Stevenson was a Member of the European Parliament representing Scotland
(1999-2014). He was President of the Parliament’s Delegation for Relations with
Iraq
(2009- 2014) and Chair of Friends of a Free Iran Intergroup (Caucus) from
2004-2014. He is now President of the European Iraqi Freedom Association
(EIFA).
Astana Talks: A Brief Analysis of Iran and Russia's
Positions
NCRI Iran News/Monday, 23 January 2017
Why Iran Regime and Russia
differ on Syria?
Monday, January 23, 2017 – Alarabiya.net. With a new
administration under Donald Trump taking the helm in Washington,
Iran has shown its concerns
by opposing any participation by the United
States in upcoming Syrian peace talks scheduled for today
in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan.
“We have not invited them, and we are against their presence,” Iranian Foreign
Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif
said on January 17, according to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, citing Iran’s Tasnim news agency.
This is Iran trying to keep
a straight face for its dwindling social base back home, knowing they have lost
hegemony in the Syria
dossier to Russia,
and yet refusing to admit such a strategic setback. Zarif’s
remarks, however, went against pledges made by Russia
and Turkey, who have
recently taken the initiative out of Iran’s
hands in Syria,
of inviting the new Trump administration to the Astana talks. US officials have also signaled
Washington
will be taking part in the new effort.
This latest development points to a major conflict over one of the many
definite flashpoints to come between Washington
and Tehran over the Middle
East. This goes parallel to the highly possible strong approach
Team Trump is on the track of adopting, making a significant U-turn in
comparison to the Obama administration and their immensely flawed appeasement
policy.
In fact, it also proves how Moscow never
considered Tehran
a strategic partner. It is quite obvious Kremlin would prefer a strong
relationship and a real “reset” with the White House, and not the mullahs and
what little they have to offer. While Iran
considers Syria its 35th
province, it has never been the case for Moscow.
“If the enemy attacks us and seeks to take Syria
or Khuzestan [oil-rich southwestern Iranian
province], our priority would be to keep Syria,
because if we keep Syria,
we can take back Khuzestan. But if we lose Syria,
we would lose Tehran,” said senior Iranian
cleric and former IRGC intelligence chief Mehdi Taeb in describing the
utter importance of Syria
for Iran.
Russia’s objectives
Russia, however, has a
variety of objectives in its return to the Middle East
after 40 years. With crippling sanctions imposed by the US and Europe over the
row in Ukraine and Crimea, Moscow is considering to not only gain a foothold in
a strategic corner of the globe, but to also obtain a bargaining chip for
future deals with Brussels and Washington. Russia
seeks to maintain its hold on Syria
as a Middle East ally and a profitable market
for its export of military weapons. This, however, does not spell into
maintaining Syrian dictator Bashar Assad in power.
The arrangements Moscow
is looking for can be reached in talks with the West. Tehran, on the other hand, is trekking a
completely different trail and continuing its original path of establishing a
disastrous “Shiite crescent” across the region. Meaning Iran simply cannot have an overhaul take place
in Syria,
while this is exactly what the Western-backed Syrian opposition seeks. Iran has invested heavily in Syria and its conglomerate of Shiite
militias–far more powerful than what is left of Assad’s army–are taking orders
from Tehran, not Damascus. Syria
is the cornerstone and the backbone of Iran’s
Middle East strategy, stretching from Iraq
to Lebanon and even Yemen. As a
result, with Russia pursuing a main objective of obtaining more concessions
from the US and Europe on various issues including Ukraine, the possibility of
Moscow and Washington reaching an agreement over Syria vastly in contrast to
Tehran’s interests should not at all be considered farfetched.
This lays the ground for a dangerous potential, from Iran’s
perspective, of Russia and
the US coming to terms over Syria’s future.
Moscow is in pursuit of a fast solution for Syria and sees Washington involvement in the Astana talks
in line with such an objective.
And this is why Zarif,
Iran’s top diplomat, seems
to have shown such a harsh reaction, as if Iran
is being thrown under the bus by Russia. The
dispute between Moscow and Tehran
over Syria
and its future are serious, to say the least. As I explained in a recent
Gatestone piece: “Iran
may have enjoyed tactical gains in Aleppo.
However, Russia apparently
has separate, long-term interests in complete dissimilarity from those of Tehran. Russia has
conducted secret direct talks with the Syrian opposition. To add insult to
injury, Iran – viewing the
Obama presidency as a golden era – is also concerned about the incoming
presidency of Donald Trump and his administration, who
seem to have strong views against Tehran.
UK Woman Imprisoned in Iran Has Conviction
Upheld in Appeals Court
NCRI Iran News/Monday, 23 January 2017
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe
was fighting a five-year sentence on unspecified charges relating to national
security
A British-Iranian woman sentenced to five years in jail in Iran on unspecific
charges relating to national security has had her conviction upheld in the
appeals court, according to judiciary officials. ‘The guardian,’ reported on
January 23, the following is a part of this article. Nazanin
Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a project manager with the Thomson
Reuters Foundation, the news agency’s charitable arm, appealed against her
sentence earlier this month in what was her last legal opportunity to challenge
it.
“Her sentence has been confirmed,” Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei, the judiciary spokesperson, told reporters in
Tehran on
Sunday, the semi-official Isna news agency reported. Zaghari-Ratcliffe, 38, is serving her prison term in the
women’s ward of Tehran’s
notorious Evin prison alongside other Iranians behind
bars on political or religious grounds. She was originally found guilty in
September.
The Iranian Revolutionary Guards, the elite forces that arrested her in April
at the airport while she was about to return to the UK after a family visit,
have accused her of orchestrating a “soft overthrow” of the Islamic Republic –
accusations her husband has vehemently denied. Her imprisonment, which is part
of a string of cases involving dual nationals, has cast a shadow on the thawing
in Tehran-London relations in the wake of the landmark nuclear deal. The
Iranian judiciary has also arrested a number of other Iranians with dual
citizenship from western countries in recent years.
Tobias Ellwood, the Foreign Office minister for the Middle East, visited Tehran earlier in the week, meeting Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s
family at the British embassy in Tehran.
It was not clear if Ellwood had discussed her imprisonment with his Iranian
counterparts.
Last year, the British ambassador also met Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s
two-year-old daughter, Gabriella, who has been placed in the care of her
Iranian grandparents. Gabriella was accompanying her mother during the visit to
Iran.
After her arrest, Zaghari-Ratcliffe was transferred
to the southern Iranian city of Kerman,
where she was held for weeks in an unknown location before being taken to Evin prison.
Although the exact reasons for her incarceration are unclear, Iranian
authorities have hinted that her arrest is linked to the 2014 imprisonment of
several employees of an Iranian technology news website, according to Amnesty
International. They were given long prison terms for participating in a BBC journalism
training course. Zaghari-Ratcliffe was a project
assistant at the BBC’s Media Action, the broadcaster’s international
development charity, in 2008-09. The BBC is loathed by the Iranian
establishment, mainly for its Persian service, which is watched by millions of
Iranians via illegal satellite dishes.
Richard Ratcliffe has claimed his wife is being used
as a pawn in political deals with the UK. Iranian officials have denied
this, but Tehran
has shown a pattern of behaviour in previous cases involving dual nationals.
Last year, it notably released the Washington Post journalist Jason Rezaian alongside other Iranian-Americans, swapping them
for Iranian nationals held in US jails for crimes including violating economic
sanctions. Ratcliffe wrote to Rouhani
this month, complaining about his wife’s prolonged imprisonment and saying that
despite the trial no crime has been identified in public. “I am also the father
of Gabriella Ratcliffe, two years old, who has had
her British passport confiscated by the Revolutionary Guard, and not returned
despite family and government requests. Nazanin has
occasional visits from Gabriella via a blindfold, at the discretion of her
captors, far less than the visits reported to the UN. I am reduced to parenting
by Skype,” he wrote. He added: “I have stated publicly I regard both my wife
and daughter as being held by Iranian factions for other agendas, as bargaining
chips for international and domestic politics, inventing lies to protect their
economic interests. This is a politics that it is unfair on my family to be
involved in. It is a politics for which my family has paid a heavy enough
price. “I have now not seen my daughter or wife for 10 months. This is a very
long time not to be able to see how they are.”Richard
Ratcliffe said on Sunday: “The lack of justice in Nazanin’s case continues to be a stain on Iran. The
continued attempt to frame Nazanin behind secrets and
lies brings shame.“It is a
needless waste of a mother and child’s life for their own political bargains and
economic interests [...] And yet this ordeal
continues, with all its consequences for Nazanin and
Gabriella, and for all of us watching on. It is no way to toy with people’s
lives. There is no way we will let it rest. Nazanin
will not be forgotten.”More than 850,000 people have
signed a petition on change.org, calling on Iran to release her. An FCO
spokesman said: “We are aware of reports that Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s
appeal has been decided and are urgently seeking clarification.”
Ukraine Seizes Iran-Bound Plane
'Carrying Missiles'
On Sunday, 22 January 2017, Al Arabiya.net reported: Ukraine has announced that it has seized an
airplane destined for Iran loaded with arms at Kiev’s Zhulyany
Airport. The plane was reported on
Sunday carrying Russian-made anti-tank guided missiles. The Russian agency Interfax confirmed that
the weapons were discovered by Ukraine’s
border police in Kiev’s
airport following a search of 17 containers that were not registered in the
flight’s cargo manifesto. A spokesman
said that three containers were found to be storing the missiles – which are
light weight, infrared guided anti-tank missiles – while the remaining storage
boxes contained airplane spare parts.
During an investigation, the airliner’s crew members – whose origin of
either Iranian or Ukrainian has yet to be confirmed – denied knowledge of the
weapons shipment.
The shipment was later confiscated by Ukrainian authorities for
violating international law governing the transport of goods and weapons. Most UN sanctions on Iran were lifted a year ago under a deal Iran made with Britain,
France, Germany, China,
Russia, the United States
and the European Union to curb its nuclear program. But Iran is still
subject to an arms embargo and other restrictions, which are not technically
part of the nuclear agreement.
Afghanistan: Iran
is supplying Taliban with rockets to strike us
Staff writer, Al Arabiya EnglishMonday,
23 January 2017/Iran continues to provide the Taliban with missiles to hit
Afghan forces, the governor of Helmand province told Afghanistan’s daily newspaper Hayat Allah Hayat. He stated that
ten rockets were fired by the Taliban at government headquarters in Helmand
province, which borders Pakistan,
and that the inscription on the missiles showed that they were made in Iran. Afghan
officials added that Iranian-made missiles launched by the Taliban were found
in clashes that took place in the cities of Krmesar
and Sunken. The governor believes that the reason behind Tehran’s
support of the Taliban is due to the dispute between Iran
and Afghanistan regarding
the Helman River, which flows into lake Hamon in Baluchestan
province in eastern Iran.
Tehran believes Afghanistan changed the path of the
river causing the lake to dry out. Additionally, in February 2016, the Afghan
authorities found Iranian-made mines and a large stock pile of arms and
ammunition in a warehouse in one of the headquarters of the Taliban that
security forces raided in the Bamyan province, center
of the country.
Italian experts in Cairo to review footage
in Regeni case
Staff writer, Al Arabiya EnglishMonday,
23 January 2017 /Egypt’s public prosecution has said it has agreed to allow
Italian and German experts to retrieve and examine CCTV footage related to the
murder of Italian student Giulio Regeni.
They will try to view footage from a metro station in Cairo’s Dokki
district, where Regeni is believed to have been last
seen alive. Italian Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano
told the Italian parliament last week that Italy “will not rest until it
uncovers the truth behind the murder Regeni”.
Investigators have already made leads from footage found showing Regeni during his last days. An Egyptian TV channel on
Monday showed a video in which is seen speaking to the president of the Egyptian street
sellers' trade union, Mohamed Abdallah. The video was
filmed using a Cairo
police micro-camera hidden in one of Abdallah's shirt
buttons, sources said. Last September, Egyptian and Italian prosecutors
confirmed that Egyptian police investigated Regeni in
the days leading up to his abduction, torture and murder but dropped the probe
after assessing he had posed no genuine threat. Despite that, Egyptian
authorities have continuously denied that its security forces were involved in
the Regeni’s abduction and murder. Regeni, who was an Italian graduate student researcher
focusing on the work of unions in Egyot, was
kidnapped and tortured last year, with an Italian autopsy reporting that his
body was covered with cuts and his bones were broken, indicating he was hit
with “fists, batons and hammers”. A letter “X” was also carved on his forehead
and hand.
US citizen fighting with Kurds killed in Raqqa
Staff writer, Al Arabiya EnglishMonday,
23 January 2017/An American citizen fighting alongside Kurdish militia fighting
ISIS was killed last week during clashes near Raqqa, the official website of the People's Protection
Units (YPG) said on Sunday.
Paul Todd – who took the name Kawa Amed - was a volunteer who joined the YPG forces, was from Los Angeles, California.
Todd was killed while fighting ISIS militants near Suwaydiya
village in northeastern Syria. A video was released showing
a compilation of images of Todd, along with a voiceover: “My name is Paul Todd,
I am from California,
my Kurdish name is Kawa Amed,"
"I came to Rojava to support Kurdish people and
indigenous rights around the world.” “We are going to go to the frontline, I
will be in heavy weapons unit, and I am very happy to do this to support the
Kurdish people and Rojava revolution, long live Kurdistan,” he said. Todd joined the YGP on the 4th of
November, 2016.
Egypt extends participation in Arab coaltion
Staff writer, Al Arabiya EnglishMonday,
23 January 2017/Egypt's National Defence Council on Sunday extended the
military's participation in an Arab coalition operation in Yemen, the
presidency said in a statement. "The National Defence Council agreed
during the meeting to extend the participation of the required elements from
the Egyptian armed forces in a combat operation outside the nation's border to
defend Egyptian and Arab national security in the Gulf, Red
Sea, and Bab al-Mandab
areas," the statement said, according to Reuters.
The presidency did not specify how long the extension would be for.
Discussion on US embassy move to Jerusalem
in ‘beginning stages’
Al Arabiya English and agenciesSunday,
22 January 2017/The United States’ White House has said that they are in the
"beginning stages" of discussing move of US Embassy in Israel to
Jerusalem. The embassy is currently located in Tel Aviv and US President
Donald Trump pledged during his divisive campaign for the presidency that his
administration would look hard at staying true to the proposal. Former
Secretary of State John Kerry said earlier this week that moving the embassy to
Jerusalem would be “explosive” since both Israel and the
Palestinians claim the city as their capital. Former US
administrations have avoided formally recognizing Jerusalem
as Israel’s
capital. Should Trump makes good on his campaign promise, analysts say it would
up-end decades of US
policy, enrage the Muslim world and draw international condemnation.
Trump invites Netanyahu to White House
Reuters, WashingtonMonday, 23 January 2017/President
Donald Trump invited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to visit Washington in early
February during a phone call in which they discussed the importance of
strengthening the U.S.-Israeli relationship, the White House said on Sunday. In
his first call with Netanyahu since taking office on Friday, Trump stressed his
"unprecedented commitment to Israel's security." "The
president and the prime minister agreed to continue to closely consult on a
range of regional issues, including addressing the threats posed by Iran," the
White House said in a statement. Trump also said peace between Israel and the Palestinians could only be
negotiated between the two parties, but that the United
States would work with Israel to achieve that goal.
Relations between Israel and
the Obama administration ended on a contentious note, when the United States
declined to veto a UN Security Council resolution calling for a halt to Israeli
settlement-building. The readout from the White House did not include any
mention of moving the US
embassy in Israel to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv,
an action that would likely spark anger in the Arab world. Earlier on Sunday,
the White House said it was only in the early stages of talks to fulfill
Trump's campaign pledge to relocate the embassy. "We are at the very
beginning stages of even discussing this subject," White House spokesman Sean
Spicer said in a statement. Aides said no announcement of an embassy move was
imminent. Washington's
embassy is in Tel Aviv, as are most foreign diplomatic posts. Israel calls Jerusalem its eternal capital, but
Palestinians also lay claim to the city as part of an eventual Palestinian
state. Both sides cite biblical, historical and political claims. Any decision
to break with the status quo is likely to prompt protests from US allies in the
Middle East such as Saudi Arabia,
Jordan and Egypt. Washington relies on those countries for help in fighting
ISIS, which the new US
president has said is a priority. The US Congress passed a law in 1995
describing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and saying it should not be divided, but
successive Republican and Democratic presidents have used their foreign policy
powers to maintain the embassy in Tel Aviv and to back negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians on the status of Jerusalem. In early
December, then-President Barack Obama renewed the presidential waiver on an
embassy move until the beginning of June. It is unclear whether Trump would be
able to legally override it and go ahead with relocation of the embassy. US diplomats say that, despite the US legislation, Washington's
foreign policy is in practice broadly aligned with that of the United Nations
and other major powers, which do not view Jerusalem
as Israel's capital and do
not recognize Israel's
annexation of Arab East Jerusalem after its capture in the 1967 Middle East war. Israel
approved building permits on Sunday for hundreds of homes in three East Jerusalem settlements in expectation that Trump will
row back on the previous administration's criticism of such projects.
Trump Reverses Unpopular Obama
Executive Action on Abortion by Reinstating Mexico City Policy
John McCormack/Standard/January 23/17/President Donald
Trump signed an executive order on Monday reinstating the Mexico City Policy,
which bars federal funds from going to overseas organizations that perform or
promote abortions.The policy was first enacted under
President Reagan and has since been rescinded twice at the beginning of
Democratic administrations (Clinton and Obama) and reinstated twice at the
beginning of Republican administrations (George W. Bush and Trump). When Gallup conducted a poll during the second week of Obama's
presidency, the pollster found most early executive actions taken by Obama were
popular except for two: his order to close the prison at Guantanamo Bay
and his order rescinding the Mexico City Policy. "[M]ore Americans say
they disapprove (50%) than approve (44%) of his decision to order the closing
of the Guantanamo Bay prison for terrorist suspects in Cuba within a year," Gallup reported. "Further, Obama's
decision to reverse the prohibition on funding for overseas family-planning
providers may be the least popular thing he has done so far. [...] Fifty-eight
percent of Americans disapprove of Obama's decision to lift this ban, while
only 35% approve of it."
Trump Signs Order Withdrawing U.S. from
TPP Trade Pact
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/January
23/17/President Donald Trump moved Monday to pull the United States out of the
Trans-Pacific Partnership, making good on a pledge to scrap a deal he denounced
as a "job killer" and a "rape" of U.S. interests. Embarking
on his first full week in office, the 45th U.S. president began rolling out
his policy agenda after a tumultuous first weekend for his administration by
signing a series of executive orders. Among the first was a memo on
withdrawing from the vast TPP trade pact, which aimed to set trade rules for
the 21st century and bind U.S.
allies against growing Chinese economic clout. "We've been talking about
this for a long time," Trump said as he signed the executive order in the
Oval Office. "Great thing for the American worker what
we just did." Promoted by Washington
and signed by 12 countries in 2015, the TPP had yet to go into effect and US withdrawal
is likely to sound its death knell. Its signatories -- Australia, Brunei,
Canada, Chile, Japan,
Malaysia, Mexico, New
Zealand, Peru,
Singapore, the United States and Brunei -- together represent 40
percent of the world economy. The real estate mogul's White House bid was
fuelled in part by a pledge to overturn trade deals -- such as TPP and the
North American Free Trade Agreement -- that he says
have drained U.S.
jobs and destroyed its industrial heartlands. Trump also signed two other
orders, on freezing the hiring of federal workers and hitting foreign NGOs that
help with abortion.
White House pilloried
The Republican leader is looking to shift attention firmly back onto his
policy agenda after a first few days that put his incoming administration on
the back foot. "Busy week planned with a heavy focus on jobs and national
security," he tweeted early Monday. Since he was sworn in on Friday,
Trump's White House has been pilloried for lying to the public about inaugural
crowds and over a campaign-style speech by the president before a memorial to
fallen CIA officers. On Saturday several million Americans poured onto the
streets for women-led demonstrations against Trump, the scale of which were
unseen in a generation, in a potent rebuke to the president. Trump has
upbraided top aides over unfavorable media coverage
on everything from crowd sizes to suggestions he has ruled out releasing his
taxes. He is the first presidential candidate in recent memory not to do so. On
Sunday the president vowed to swiftly start renegotiating NAFTA in upcoming
talks with the leaders of Canada
and Mexico.
Trump has already moved to curb Obama's health care reforms and more quick
legal tweaks -- in the form of executive orders -- are expected on immigration
and limiting environmental legislation. But more substantive changes will need
buy-in from the Republican controlled Congress.
'Massive' tax cuts?
On Monday, Trump was hosting separate meetings with business leaders,
unions and members of both houses of Congress. He will also meet the speaker of
the House of Representatives, Paul Ryan.Tax
reform is likely to be high on the agenda. "What we're doing is we are
going to be cutting taxes massively for both the middle class and for
companies, and that's massively," he said. "A bigger thing, and that
surprised me, is the fact that we're going to be cutting regulation
massively." Reform of Obama's health care laws is also likely to be on the
menu. Trump has publicly promised that none of the tens of millions of
Americans who obtained health insurance under Obama will lose it. That makes
any meaningful changes difficult to pay for. But the more urgent task for Trump
may be to keep always skeptical establishment
Republicans on board the "Trump train."
Dissent in check
Trump's approval rating is around 40 percent, according to the RealClearPolitics average, low for a president just starting
out. That could make legislators think twice about toeing the line with an
unpopular leader. But Trump's bareknuckle style has
also kept dissent in check, with some terrified they will become the object of
a presidential tweet that sets off a world of political pain. Senator Ben Sasse was among the few who had mild criticism for Trump's
decision on the trans-Pacific trade deal. "It's clear that those of us who
believe trade is good for American families have done a terrible job defending
trade's historic successes and celebrating its future potential," he said.
"We have to make the arguments and we have to start now."On
Thursday, Trump will travel to a Republican Congressional retreat in Philadelphia to further
build ties. The following day, he will host British Prime Minister Theresa May
-- the first White House visit of a foreign leader under the new
administration.
First Day of Syria Talks End without
Apparent Breakthrough
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/January
23/17/ A first day of indirect peace talks between Syrian rebels and the regime
of Bashar Assad in Kazakhstan's capital Astana ended
Monday without any apparent breakthrough, sources told AFP. "Our
delegation's meetings are over for today," a source close to the regime
told AFP, after rebel spokesman Yehya al-Aridi told reporters the opposition's meetings were also
done for the day. Monday's talks, organized by rebel backer Turkey and regime allies Russia and Iran, could have marked the first time armed rebel groups
directly negotiate with Assad's regime since the conflict began in 2011. But
the rebels backed out of direct talks because of the regime's ongoing
bombardment and attacks near Damascus.
The rebels, however, participated in indirect talks with the regime and held a
three-way meeting with Russia,
Turkey
and the United Nations, an encounter Aridi described
as "long and productive."Aridi told
reporters the "two sides are working on issues relating to the
confirmation of the ceasefire" brokered last month by Ankara
and Moscow. He
said that the rebel delegation had met with Russia
-- which launched a bombing campaign in support of Assad in September 2015 --
and discussed "achieving a ceasefire in Syria". The talks are
scheduled to continue on Tuesday, with Aridi saying
he expected they would take place "through mediation." More than
310,000 people have been killed and more than half of Syria's
population displaced since the start of the nearly six-year conflict.
Ex-PM Valls
Fights Leftist Outsider for French Presidential Nod
Leftist outsider Benoit Hamon will fight ex-prime
minister Manuel Valls for the French Socialist
presidential nomination next Sunday after winning the first round of a primary
seen as a battle for the party's soul. Dismissed as a serious contender when
the campaign began in December, the 49-year-old former education minister
placed himself in the driving seat with what he called a "message of hope
and renewal". With Europe apparently
shifting rightwards and the deeply unpopular President Francois Hollande ruling himself out, the Socialist primary has been
billed as a fight -- a left-leaning faction represented by Hamon
versus Valls' centrist, pro-business camp. The
leftist Liberation daily on Monday billed the second round as a battle between
"a left that takes charge versus a left that dreams."
Hamon scored 36.3 percent with Valls
trailing on 31.1 percent, according to results published late Sunday. Between
1.6 million and 1.7 million voted, the head of the primary organising
committee, Christophe Borgel, told RTL radio -- less
than half the four million who took part in the first round of the rightwing
primary. Maverick former economy minister Arnaud Montebourg
was eliminated with 17 percent and immediately threw his support behind Hamon. But whoever wins the Socialist nomination faces long
odds. Polls show the presidential election coming down to a contest between
conservative ex-premier Francois Fillon, far-right
leader Marine Le Pen and Emmanuel Macron, the 39-year-old former economy
minister. A defiant Valls, 54, told his supporters
the Socialist primary runoff would be "a clear choice between unachievable
promises and a credible left". Choosing Hamon,
he said, would mean "certain defeat" in the presidential election
whereas he offered a "possible victory". Some Socialist supporters
said Hamon was a breath of fresh air. The
mild-mannered ex-minister said he offered hope to a party ailing after five
years under Hollande -- with Valls
by his side until December -- beset by economic sluggishness, labour protests
and infighting among the Socialists. His supporters had voted "through
conviction and not out of resignation", Hamon
said. Hamon performed strongly in three TV debates
crammed into a short campaign, attracting attention with a proposal to give the
poor and people aged 18-25 a "universal income" rising from 600 euros to 750 euros ($640 to $800)
a month. He also campaigned heavily on the environment. Valls
poured scorn on the universal income proposal, saying it would ruin France. The two
men face off in a TV debate on Wednesday.
The photogenic Macron has stolen the limelight from his former Socialist
government colleagues in recent weeks, with his campaign speeches packed to
overflowing. But with rightwing ideas apparently taking root across Europe, most opinion polls show a Fillon-Le
Pen presidential showdown as the most likely scenario in May. Spanish-born Valls appears to have been punished for his association
with Hollande, struggling at times in a contest he
had been expected to dominate. He set out to modernise his party but has
struggled to unite his camp, with his rivals accusing him of betraying leftist
ideals by forcing through labour market reforms. - Tactical voting? -Some
Socialist heavyweights have hinted they could abandon their party's nominee and
back Macron instead if he looks to have a better chance of reaching the second
round of the presidential election against Le Pen. Macron himself has ruled out
a pact with the Socialists, promising that his En Marche (On the Move) party
will field hundreds of candidates in parliamentary elections in June.
Communist-backed firebrand Jean-Luc Melenchon, who
like Macron is standing as an independent, also threatens to split the leftwing
vote. The influence of Le Pen, who leads the anti-immigration National Front
(FN), has overshadowed the entire presidential campaign so far. She told a
meeting of rightwing populist parties in Germany
on Saturday that Europe was about to "wake up" following the victory
of Donald Trump in the US
election and the British vote to leave the European Union.
Assailants Kill Five Egypt Soldiers in Sinai
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/January
23/17/The Egyptian army said Monday that assailants killed five soldiers in the
Sinai Peninsula, where security forces have
been targeted in a spate of jihadist attacks. "The armed forces mourn with
great sadness and sorrow the five martyrs who were martyred in Sinai at the
hands of disloyal fundamentalist elements, enemies of the nation and
religion," the military said. The statement did not elaborate on the cause
of their deaths.Jihadists have killed hundreds of
soldiers and policemen since the military overthrow of Islamist president
Mohamed Morsi in 2013 unleashed a bloody crackdown on
his supporters. The crackdown decimated the Islamist movement and killed hundreds
of his followers, and set off a jihadist insurgency that has killed hundreds of
security personnel. Most of the attacks have taken place in the Sinai
Peninsula, which borders Israel
and the Palestinian Gaza Strip, but attacks have also been carried out in other
areas including Cairo.
And the majority of these attacks have been carried out by the jihadist Islamic
State group, which views Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood
group as heretics.
Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis
& editorials from miscellaneous sources published on January 23-24/17.
Israeli Army changing
tactics for possible Third Lebanon War الجيش
الإسرائيلي يغير
تكتيكاته لإحتمالات
حرب ثالثة مع
حزب الله قي
لبنان
Yoav Zitun/Ynetnews/January
23/17
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/2017/01/22/israeli-army-changing-tactics-for-possible-third-lebanon-war-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AC%D9%8A%D8%B4-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A5%D8%B3%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%A6%D9%8A%D9%84%D9%8A-%D9%8A%D8%BA%D9%8A%D8%B1-%D8%AA%D9%83%D8%AA/
The IDF is adapting its tactics to counter Hezbollah's tunnel systems and
projected strategy of rapidly invading Israeli territory at the onset of
hostilities to project a picture of victory by taking a community or IDF
outpost.
Two major changes are shaping the IDF's preparations
for a possible third Lebanon
war: First, the army is training designated forces for ground maneuvers to fight entire companies or platoons of
Hezbollah fighters that infiltrate Israeli territory. Second, it is training
brigades to effectively and proficiently destroy Hezbollah's tunnel strategy.
The first approach entirely changes the outlook of battalion commanders,
brigade commanders and thousands of combat soldiers for the next war. The
traditional doctrine of rapid mobilization and entry into enemy territory in
order to force surrender or defeat has been adopted by Hezbollah's battle plan.
The IDF believes that Hezbollah's Radwan Forces
will attempt to infiltrate Israel
in the early stages of a future war and attempt to paint a portrait of victory
by planting the Hezbollah flag over an Israeli community or an IDF outpost
along the border.
In recent weeks, the IDF has conducted several brigade exercises in order
to reinforce changes in military doctrine for a fight against Hezbollah. For
example, Nahal Brigade infantry forces were
integrated into an exercise with the 401st Armored
Brigade wherein a defensive war simulation in the north was conducted.
According to commanders, the scenario simulated included a force of
Hezbollah fighters attempting to invade Israeli territory and the combined IDF
force was to reinforce border communities, conduct ambushes at strategic
points, conduct tactical deception, contain and secure the area and eliminate
the enemy force.
"The enemy's offensive capabilities have improved," said a
senior IDF officer with the 162nd Division. "Brigade commanders were
defensively spread out with soldiers before they even reached the simulation
area. Such a move gives flexibility to the division, which is responsible for
the defense of the area and allows us to correct
defensive vulnerabilities. Today, battalions realize they will immediately be
playing defense regardless of fire or approval to maneuver."
IDF assessments today are that while Hezbollah hasn't dug tunnels
crossing the border into Israel
like Hamas, they've definitely built infrastructure and fighting tunnels in and
around Shiite villages in southern Lebanon.
The coordination of infantry forces with armor
and engineering units is based on the principle of "location, insulation,
destruction."
"Today, every brigade force includes at least one engineering
platoon with heavy equipment such as the D9," explained the officer.
"The best way to deal with a tunnel is to neutralize it without entering
it. In the north, we see anti-tank missiles as a bigger threat than
tunnels."
In regards to the amount of changes to brigades in the next war and the
new defensive tactics, the officer said, "An operative plan is in the
works. We are practicing logic and competencies and short battles. You plan
12-24 hours in advance and not days in advance. I explain to commanders that
the war begins defensively and we should practice routine defense
before moving attack, which is good because it is an intermediate step before
people can throw a grenade or fire a shell without permission."
This Is the Time to Confront Iran
Regime
NCRI Iran News/Monday, 23 January 2017
Iran Has Changed, but for the Worse
The pro-Iran engagement policy camp long advocated how a nuclear agreement with
Iran would lead to a slate of numerous changes sought in the regime, rendering
benefits to go around for everyone. More than one year down this road, the
world has witnessed many changes in Iran. However, they are nothing to
boast about, wrote Heshmat Alavi
in the Forbes on January 21, the article continues as follows:
The nuclear accord, while it should have never been supported or discussed by
the international community in the first place, has been successively violated
by the Iranian regime. Tehran
continues its atrocious executions, human rights violations and ongoing
oppression of ordinary citizens inside the country. And the mullahs in Tehran
have continued their mantra of exporting “Islamic Revolution” by engulfing the
entire Middle East, and beyond, into mayhem, as we are unfortunately witnessing
so vividly today in Syria.
The main “change” we have witnessed in Iran has been the numerous
instances where the regime has either stretched or actually violated the
flaw-riddled Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the heavy water-level
limit aggression being the latest such case.
The reinstatement of the Iran Sanctions Act with 99 votes in favor was a very important first step. This move has set an
example of what is needed to guarantee Iran understands there will be
consequences for agreement violations. And yet we need to go beyond and build
upon this momentum.
This is the time to counter Iran’s
terrorism in the region and the world. Iran is and has been, of course,
the world’s leading state-sponsor of terrorism. Iran is busy destabilizing
Syria with an incredible human catastrophe, as in Iraq, Yemen and Lebanon,
boasting about enjoying control over four Arab capitals of the region.
The “change” we have seen in this regard is that Tehran is willing to dispatch
tens of thousands of proxy militias to Syria and repeat a Srebrenica-style
massacre, caring not an iota about how the international community might
respond. Let us hope Aleppo has opened our eyes
to the horrific potential in Iran’s
support for extremism and its export of Islamic fundamentalism.
The “change” the world has witnessed in Iran’s pursuit of a vast
weapons-of-mass-destruction program is its bold new approach in proliferating
efforts related to mastering ballistic missiles. Iran’s missile tests have continued
to violate United Nations Security Council resolutions, yet there has been
hardly any serious global response.
Iran’s
ballistic missile tests “are not consistent with the constructive spirit” of
the JCPOA, former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
said in a report.
As we speak, reports indicate the Iran-fostered and -nurtured Lebanese
Hezbollah vaunts of stocking over 120,000 missiles in its arsenal. If gone unanswered,
there is no limit to what extent Iran will exploit the lack of will diseasing the international community.
This is the time to confront Iran
over its violation of human rights on its own home turf. In 2009, the Iranian
people revolted for their God-given rights, shaking the very pillars of the
regime’s foundations. And yet former U.S. President Barack Obama, then recently
elected to the White House by the American people with high hopes of “change,”
failed to respond to their cries for support. The oppression and repression of
the mullahs’ regime that followed is something the world should never forget.
As Obama continued his devastating appeasement policy with Iran, the
mullahs have not changed their course. They have not changed their designs. They
have not changed their hegemonic focus.
This is a time for the United
States to respond. Senator Robert Menendez
(D-NJ) has in cooperation with Senator Robert Corker (R-TN), chairman of the
Foreign Relations Committee, introduced the Countering Iran Threat Act. This,
too, is an initiative that the next Congress can and is recommended to build
upon.
If so, this can be the building blocks of the West,
spearheaded by America,
deterring Iranian aggression. This can lead us, as a world, in moving to
a better day and a higher hope where the Iranian people can ultimately achieve
the freedoms and blessings the democratic world enjoys today.
The world now finds itself before an opportunity to counter Iran’s
continuing threats. We are entering a new era in American foreign and national
security policy.
In a letter hand-delivered to U.S. President Donald Trump, nearly two dozen
former senior U.S. government officials–representing a rare bipartisan
spectrum–urged Washington to work with the Iranian opposition National Council
of Resistance of Iran.
As Iran
continues its domestic oppression and military buildup,
this should be one focus of the Trump administration’s foreign policy and the
agenda of the new Congress.
Palestinians of Syria: A Year of Killings and Torture
Khaled Abu Toameh/Gatestone
Institute/January 23/17
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/9805/palestinians-syria-killings
According to the reports, Syrian authorities are withholding the bodies of more
than 456 Palestinians who died under torture in prison. No one knows exactly
where the bodies are being held or why the Syrian authorities are refusing to
hand them over to the relatives.
Mainstream media outlets seem to prefer turning a blind eye to the plight of
Palestinians living in Arab countries. This evasion harms first and foremost
the Palestinians themselves and allows Arab governments to continue their
policies of persecution and repression.
It remains to be seen whether the UN Security Council will get its priorities
straight and hold an emergency session to discuss the murderous campaign
against Palestinians in Syria.
Perhaps, somehow, this will overtake "settlement construction" as a
topic worthy of world condemnation.
2016 was a tough year for the Palestinians. It was tough not only for those
Palestinians living in the West Bank under the
Palestinian Authority (PA) regime, or the Gaza Strip under Hamas. When
Westerners hear about the "plight" and "suffering" of Palestinians,
they instantly assume that the talk is about those living in the West Bank or Gaza Strip. Rarely does the international
community hear about what is happening to Palestinians in the Arab countries.
This lapse doubtless exists because the misery of Palestinians in the Arab
countries is difficult to pin on Israel.
The international community and mainstream journalists only know of those
Palestinians living in the West Bank or the
Gaza Strip. Of course, life under the Palestinian Authority and Hamas is no box
of dates, although this inconvenient fact might be rather unpleasant to the
ears of Western journalists and human rights organizations.
In any event, mainstream media outlets seem to prefer turning a blind eye to
the plight of Palestinians living in Arab countries. This evasion harms first
and foremost the Palestinians themselves and allows Arab governments to
continue their policies of persecution and repression.
The past few years have seen horror stories about the conditions of
Palestinians in Syria.
Where is the media attention for the Palestinians in this war-stricken country?
Palestinians in Syria
are being murdered, tortured, imprisoned and displaced. The West yawns.
Foreign journalists covering the Middle East swarm by the hundreds throughout Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.
Yet they act as if Palestinians can only be found in the West
Bank and the Gaza Strip. These journalists have no desire to go to
Syria
or other Arab countries to report about the mistreatment and trespasses
perpetrated by Arabs against their Palestinian brothers. For these journalists,
Arabs killing and torturing other Arabs is not news. But when Israeli policemen
shoot and kill a Palestinian terrorist who rams his truck into a group of
soldiers and kills and wounds them, Western reporters rush to visit his
family's home to interview them and provide them with a platform to express
their thoughts.
Palestinians living in Syria,
however, are less fortunate. No one is asking how they feel about the
devastation of their families, communities and lives. Especially
not the hundreds of Middle East correspondents
working in the region.
"The year 2016 was full of all forms of killings, torture and
displacement of Palestinians in Syria,"
according to recent reports published in a number of Arab media outlets.
"The last year was hell for these Palestinians and its harsh consequences
will not be erased for many years to come. During 2016, Palestinians in Syria were
subjected to the cruelest forms of torture and
deprivation at the hands armed gangs and the ruling Syrian regime. It is hard
to find one Palestinian family in Syria that has not been
affected."
According to the reports, Syrian authorities are withholding the bodies of more
than 456 Palestinians who died under torture in prison. No one knows exactly
where the bodies are being held or why the Syrian authorities are refusing to
hand them over to the relatives.
Even more disturbing are reports suggesting that Syrian authorities have been
harvesting the organs of dead Palestinians. Testimonies collected by some
Palestinians point to a Syrian government-linked gang that has been trading in
the organs of the victims, who include women and children. Another 1,100
Palestinians have been languishing in Syrian prisons since the beginning of the
war, more than five years ago. The Syrian authorities do not provide any
statistics about the number of prisoners and detainees; nor do they allow human
rights groups or the International Committee of the Red Cross to visit prisons
and detention centers.
The most recent report about the plight of Palestinians in Syria states
that 3,420 Palestinians (455 of them females) have been killed since the
beginning of the war. The report, published by the Action Group For Palestinians of Syria, also reveals that nearly 80,000
Palestinians have fled to Europe, while 31,000 fled to Lebanon, 17,000 to Jordan,
6,000 to Egypt, 8,000 to Turkey
and 1,000 to the Gaza Strip. The report also mentions that 190 Palestinians
died as a result of malnutrition and lack of medical care because their refugee
camps and villages are under siege by the Syrian army and armed groups.
Palestinians flee Yarmouk refugee camp, near Damascus, after fierce
fighting in September 2015. (Image source: RT video screenshot)
Alarmed by the indifference of the international community to their plight,
Palestinians in Syria
have resorted to social media to be heard in the hope that decision-makers in
the West or the UN Security Council, obsessed as they are with Israeli
settlements, might pay attention to their suffering. The latest campaign on
social media, entitled, "Where are the detainees?" refers to the
unknown fate of those Palestinians who have gone missing after being taken into
custody by Syrian authorities. The organizers of the campaign revealed that in
the past few years, 54 Palestinian minors have died under torture in Syrian
prisons. The organizers noted that hundreds of prisoners and detainees, after
they were apprehended by the Syrian authorities, remain unaccounted for.
Another report revealed that more than 80% of the Palestinians living in Syria have lost
their jobs and businesses since the beginning of the civil war. The report
added that to support their families, many Palestinian children have been
forced to quit school and search for work.
Yet to the international community and Western media, these figures and reports
about the Palestinians in Syria
are ho-hum at best. The Arab countries care nothing about the Palestinians in Syria who are
being killed, tortured and starved to death. In the Arab world, human rights
violations are not news. When human rights are respected in an Arab country, that is news.
The Palestinian leadership in the West Bank and Gaza Strip are also blind to
the suffering of their people in the Arab world, specifically in Syria. These
so-called leaders are too busy ripping out each other's political throats to be
bothered with the welfare of their people, being smothered under the
undemocratic and repressive regimes of the Palestinian Authority and Hamas.
Such leaders are more concerned about President Donald Trump's intention to the
move the US embassy to Jerusalem than about
their own people. In the past two weeks, Mahmoud Abbas and his officials have not missed an opportunity to
warn that moving the US
embassy to Jerusalem would spark unrest in the Middle East. The killing, torture and displacement of
Palestinians in an Arab country seem not to be on their radar.
It remains to be seen whether the UN Security Council will get its priorities
straight and hold an emergency session to discuss the murderous campaign
against Palestinians in Syria.
Perhaps, somehow, this will overtake "settlement construction" as a
topic worthy of world condemnation.
*Khaled Abu Toameh, an
award-winning journalist, is based in Jerusalem.
© 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.
Turkey Jails American Pastor
by Uzay Bulut/Gatestone
Institute/January 23/17
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/9815/turkey-jails-american-pastor
"[T]he charging documents do not present any evidence against him.... He
is being held simply because of his Christian beliefs and is facing grave
danger in a Turkish prison." — Gene Kapp, American Center for Law and Justice.
"The government of Turkey
-- led by an Islamic party -- has begun increased crackdowns on Christians, and
Pastor Andrew, if convicted, may face years in prison based on extremely
serious -- and false -- charges," wrote Jordan Sekulow,
Executive Director, American Center
for Law and Justice.
"A Turkish judge had the option to deport Pastor Andrew, release him on
weekly sign-ins at the local police station, or imprison him. The judge chose
to remand Pastor Andrew to prison." — American Center
for Law and Justice.
The global "human rights community" has done nothing to help him. One
hopes that the incoming Trump administration will stand up for his freedom.
American Pastor Andrew Brunson has been jailed in the city of Izmir,
in western Turkey,
on charges of "being a member of an armed terrorist organization".
Brunson -- a U.S. citizen
from Black Mountain, North
Carolina -- has led Protestant churches in Turkey for over
23 years with the knowledge of local authorities, and has raised his family
there.
Brunson and his wife, Norine, were summoned to the
local police station in Izmir
on October 7, 2016 to discuss their application to renew their visas. They
thought they would be receiving a long-awaited permanent residence card;
instead, they were detained by Turkish police.
While Norine was released 13 days later, Pastor
Brunson was informed he would be detained until deportation, based on being a
"threat to national security".
American Pastor Andrew Brunson, pictured with his wife Norine,
has been jailed in Turkey
on spurious charges of "being a member of an armed terrorist
organization". "He is being held simply because of his Christian
beliefs and is facing grave danger in a Turkish prison," according to the American Center for Law and Justice.
During his 63-day confinement, he was denied access to his Turkish attorney and
for part of this time placed in solitary confinement. His belongings, including
his glasses, phone, pen and watch, were confiscated. He was also denied a
Bible.
On December 8, he was taken to a counter-terrorism center in Izmir; then to court. He was questioned, then
on December 9 imprisoned after being charged with "membership in an armed
terrorist organization."
Pastor Brunson is now in the Sakran 3 Nolu T Tipi Prison near Izmir. The authorities there declined Gatestone Institute's requests for comment.
The American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), which
represents the Brunson family, is working to secure his freedom. "He faces
a serious, yet completely unfounded, charge -- 'membership in an armed terrorist
organization.' In fact, the charging documents do not present any evidence
against him," the ACLJ's Gene Kapp told Gatestone.
"He is being held simply because of his Christian beliefs and is facing
grave danger in a Turkish prison," the ACLJ reported.
"A Turkish judge had the option to deport Pastor Andrew, release him on
weekly sign-ins at the local police station, or imprison him. The judge chose
to remand Pastor Andrew to prison."
Brunson is now allowed visits with his Turkish attorney, said Kapp.
"However, due to an emergency decree in Turkey, those visits are recorded
and any notes taken by his attorney are copied. Thus, Pastor Andrew has no
attorney-client privilege."
Earlier reports that claimed that Brunson is held in the same cell as Islamic
State terrorists were denied by his wife, Norine.
Brunson's future seems uncertain. "No trial date has been set. In recent
days, the court has denied an appeal," Kapp
said.
Gatestone asked the ACLJ for an interview with
Brunson's Turkish lawyer, but Kapp said:
"As this case continues, we are not at liberty to put our representatives
in Turkey
on the phone with reporters. I am sure you can understand the sensitivity to
this case and the nature of the serious charges."
More than 99% of Turkey's
population is Muslim; there are about 10,000 Protestant Christians in the
country.
According to the Association of Protestant Churches in Turkey, 100 expatriate Protestants have been
prevented from serving in Turkey
during the past four years: their visas or residence permits were not extended.
"The government of Turkey
-- led by an Islamic party -- has begun increased crackdowns on Christians, and
Pastor Andrew, if convicted, may face years in prison based on extremely
serious -- and false -- charges," wrote Jordan Sekulow,
executive director of the ACLJ.
An American, Brunson, has been stripped of all of his basic rights and is being
held in a Turkish prison despite there being no evidence against him. The
global "human rights community" has done nothing to help him. One
hopes that the incoming Trump administration will stand up for his freedom. *Uzay Bulut,
a journalist born and raised a Muslim in Turkey,
is currently based in Washington
D.C.
Follow Uzay Bulut on
Twitter
© 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.
Iran Trains Children for War/النظام
الإيراني
يدرب الأطفال
ليشاركوا في الحروب
Majid Rafizadeh/Gatestone
Institute/January 23/17
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/2017/01/23/majid-rafizadehgatestone-instituteiran-trains-children-for-war%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%86%d8%b8%d8%a7%d9%85-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%a5%d9%8a%d8%b1%d8%a7%d9%86%d9%8a-%d9%8a%d8%af%d8%b1%d8%a8-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%a3/
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/9801/iran-child-soldiers
The children, as young as eight years old, are trained to hate the US and
Israel and to attack their enemies in the West, as well as to oppose Western
values.
Iran's
actions are a direct violation of international humanitarian law that is
defined as a war crime by the International Criminal Court. According to the
United Nations, "Human rights law declares 18 as the minimum legal age for
recruitment and use of children in hostilities.
Finally, these institutions that recruit children for war, in violation of the
international humanitarian law, are the main beneficiaries of the sanctions
relief and billions of dollars being poured into the Islamic republic as a
result of the nuclear deal.
Iran is using new methods of
recruiting and training children through its paramilitary militia group, Basij, one of the five branches of Iran's Islamic
Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The children, as young as eight years old,
are trained to hate the US
and Israel
and to attack their enemies in the West, as well as to oppose Western values.
One of Iran's
tactics has been to air promotional video clips on its state media outlets to
seduce children. One of the most recent jihadist promotional clips is titled,
"Martyrs who defend the sacred shrine."
The translation of the video clip, according to the National Council of
Resistance of Iran (NCRI), goes:
"Let us rise up to save the sacred shrine.
I have joined [Imam] Hossein's army division.
... I have a warrant from the [Imam Ali] to defend the sacred shrine.
On my leader [Ali Khamenei's] orders I am ready to
give my life.
The goal is not just to free Iraq
and Syria;
My path is through the sacred shrine [in Syria],
but my goal is to reach Jerusalem.
... I do not regret parting from my country;
In this just path I am wearing my martyrdom shroud.
... From Mashhad [north-east Iran],
I will walk on foot to Damascus.
I am like the bird who flocks to the sacred
shrine."
The training and teachings inspire hatred in these young children, through
rampant anti-Americanism and anti-Semitism, and focus on damaging the national
security of the Unites States ("the Great Satan") and Israel
("the Little Satan").
At Mashad's theme park, "City of Games for Revolutionary Children," children are
trained to engage in wars against the US
and Israel.
They fire bullets through US and Israeli flags or at effigies such as that of
the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
According to Israel National News:
"After registering, children don military uniforms and split up into
groups of 8-10. They are accompanied by a 'commander' whom they pledge
to obey. They then go through 12 activity stations, which include simulations
of the Iran-Iraq war, a 'Revolution chamber,' defending various holy shrines,
and traversing a minefield with barbed wire. Along the way, they are told about
the directives of the Imam (Ayatollah Ruhollah)
Khomeini and Supreme Leader Khamenei."
The "commander" teaches the children about
Islamist values. The Middle East Research Media Research Institute (MEMRI)
quotes Hamid Sadeghi,
director of Iran's Child and
the Future Cultural
Center (which runs the theme park):
"One of [our] cultural experts guides the children at the City of Games. First they are
brought into the stations of the Ghadir [Shi'ite holiday honoring Imam
'Ali's succession to the Prophet Muhammad] and of the Lovers of Ahl Al-Bayt [the family of the
Prophet Muhammad descended from 'Ali], and [the guide] explains to them about
the Mahdi [the Shi'ite
messiah]. Then they reach the station of the Rule of the Jurisprudent [Velayat-e Faqih], and then the
station of the Revolution, where the guide explains about the Islamic
Revolution ...An explanation is also provided about the directives of the Imam
[Ayatollah Ruhollah] Khomeini and [Supreme] Leader Khamenei."
At the "City of Games for Revolutionary Children" theme park in Mashad, Iran, children are trained to engage in wars
against the US and Israel. (Image source: Courtesy Raja News Agency, via Al Arabiya)
The training includes teachings about religious holy wars. Sadeghi,
pointed out:
"At the City of Games,
we are trying to convey to the children messages about fighting, the Holy Defense and current global issues, through games,
amusements, and group activities."
Iran is not only seducing children, but has actually repeatedly used children
in wars, for example, assigning them tasks such as clearing minefields.
Iran's
actions are a direct violation of international humanitarian law that is
defined as a war crime by the International Criminal Court. According
to the United Nations:
"Human rights law declares 18 as the minimum legal age for recruitment and
use of children in hostilities. Recruiting and using children under the
age of 15 as soldiers is prohibited under international humanitarian law –
treaty and custom – and is defined as a war crime by the International Criminal
Court. Parties to conflict that recruit and use children are listed by the
Secretary-General in the annexes of his annual report on children and armed
conflict."
Several Iranian institutions play a crucial role in this matter: the Office of
the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the Ministry of Intelligence (Etela'at), and the militia group Basij.
Finally, these institutions that recruit children for war, in violation of the
international humanitarian law, are the main beneficiaries of the sanctions
relief and billions of dollars being poured into the Islamic republic as a
result of the nuclear deal.
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh,
political scientists and Harvard University scholar is president of the International
American Council on the Middle East. He can be
reached at Dr.rafizadeh@post.harvard.edu.
Follow Majid Rafizadeh on
Twitter
© 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.
Seize Saudi Oil,
Solve World Problems
Raymond Ibrahim/January 23/17
Would you like to know how the United
States can virtually eliminate global
Islamic terrorism and world hunger with one stroke?
Seize the oil wells of Saudi
Arabia.
If this sounds preposterous and unethical—“the U.S. doesn’t go on the offensive
and it certainly doesn’t ‘steal’ other peoples’ natural resources, especially
its allies!”—consider some facts:
First, anyone who sees the Islamic State (ISIS) as a cancer on earth that needs
to be eradicated—and most Americans, including U.S. President Donald Trump,
do—must also see Saudi Arabia (SA) in similar terms. For the desert kingdom
enforces the same kind of Islam that ISIS
does—with all the religious intolerance, beheadings, crucifixions, mutilations,
and misogyny we associate with the terrorists.
Worse, SA spends a whopping 100 billion dollars annually—trillions over the
decades—to support and disseminate the vilest form of Islam (“Wahhabism”/Salafism) around the world. Virtually all
radical literature, radical mosques, radical websites, and radical satellite
programs—all of which create radical Muslims—are funded by SA. In other words,
if you trace the “radicalization” of Muslims—including formerly good neighbors and colleagues that suddenly got pious, grew a
beard or donned a veil, and then went on a shooting spree, or “martyred” themselves in a suicide attack—Saudi money will almost
always be at the end of the line.
It gets worse still: the Islamic kingdom is not only the chief exporter of
radical ideologies; it is also the chief financier and material supporter of
the worst terrorist groups. ISIS and al-Qaeda
would not exist without Saudi and other Gulf largesse.
So how is SA able to fuel this multifaceted and global jihad? Entirely from the oil reserves beneath the Arabian
Peninsula.
Now, in a fair world, surely the Saudis should keep the natural resources of Arabia—even if it was the West that discovered and
created the technology to utilize oil. But when they openly use that wealth to
spread hate, turmoil, terrorism, and the slaughter of innocents around the
world, surely the international community is justified in responding—in this
case, by seizing the weapon from out their hands, that is, the oil wells.
Some may argue that, whatever the merits of this argument, there’s no way U.S. leadership
could sell such a war to the American people. Actually, they could—very easily;
and all they would have to do is tell the American people the truth for a
change.
Remember, the establishment has already behaved more “spectacularly,” including
by going on the offensive against several Arab rulers—in Iraq, Libya,
and now Syria.
In every case, the real motives for war were/are hidden from the public,
probably because they didn’t and don’t serve American interests (hence why ISIS
is now entrenched in “liberated” Iraq, “liberated” Libya, and still being
“liberated” Syria). All U.S.
leadership and media had to do was portray Saddam, Gadhafi,
and Assad as “monsters” persecuting their own people. That was enough for most
Americans to acquiesce to the waging of these wars if not heartily support
them.
In the case of Saudi Arabia,
the establishment wouldn’t have to deceive the public: the Saudi regime is a
monster. As in ISIS held territories, women in SA are little better than
chattel; blasphemers, apostates, and homosexuals are persecuted and sometimes
executed; all non-Sunnis—from Hindus to Shia—are
subhuman infidels to be treated accordingly; house churches are closed, Bibles
and crucifixes confiscated and destroyed, and Christians caught worshipping in
private thrown in jail and tortured. SA is arguably even more backward than
ISIS: women can still drive in Mosul
and Raqqa, whereas they are forbidden in SA; and the
Saudi government has its own special department devoted to tracking down and
executing witches and warlocks.
Nor is Saudi savagery confined to the Peninsula.
The SA regime once issued a fatwa, or Islamic-sanctioned decree, still
available online for all to see, calling on the world’s Muslims to hate all
non-Muslims (meaning more than 99% of Americans; such is how “our good friend
and ally” really feels about us).
In short, from a libertarian or humanitarian point of view—and that’s the point
of view that was used to justify war in Iraq,
Libya, and Syria to the
public—the tyranny of Saddam, Gaddafi, and Assad pale in comparison to that of
Saudi leadership.
In this context, what is to stop, say, the UN Security Council—America, France,
Britain, Russia, and China, all nations that have suffered from Saudi funded
radicalization and terrorism—from sending a military coalition to seize and
internationalize the oil wells of Arabia? How would that be any different than
seizing the assets of a terrorist organization, which the SA regime amounts to?
There would hardly even be a “war,” certainly nothing on the scale of the U.S. invasion of Iraq.
The oil can be shared equally, fair international prices can be established
and, to assuage any Western guilt, revenues—including the 100 billion spent
annually sponsoring Islamic radicalism and terror—can go to the poor and needy
of the world, including the Muslim world. Peninsular Arabs can still be
maintained by a rich stipend; they can keep Mecca
and Medina and,
if they still choose to, practice Sharia on other
another without being a threat to the civilized world at large.
A win-win for all concerned—the developed world, the underdeveloped world, and
even Peninsular Arabs content with practicing Islam among themselves. Even the
world’s Muslims, whom we are told are overwhelmingly moderate, should welcome
the liberation of their sacred places.
The only ones who lose are those committed to using oil wealth to spread
radical Islamic ideologies and terrorism around the world.
If this proposal still sounds too “unrealistic,” remember: we already have
precedents of the U.S.
behaving more spectacularly. In 2003 the Bush administration accused Saddam
Hussein of being behind 9/11, of developing weapons of mass destruction, and of
committing unprecedented human rights abuses. Because these accusations were
false or exaggerated—even the human rights violations were often carried out
against ISIS-types—most Security Council nations rejected war on Iraq. Even so,
the U.S. invaded and
conquered Iraq;
and the average American was fine with it all.
So what’s to stop the U.S. from either going it alone again or in cooperation
with all or some Security Council members—perhaps a joint Trump/Putin endeavor—and severing the bloodline of global terrorism?
It’s not realpolitik, “balance of power” theories, or
ethical standards that prevent the U.S. from defanging
the head of the jihadi snake. If the U.S. could go against international opinion and
invade Iraq
on a number of false/dubious pretexts, why can’t it do the same in SA—a nation
that is guilty of supporting and disseminating radicalism and terrorism to ever
corner of the globe? Incidentally, unlike Saddam, Saudi leadership—to say
nothing of 15 of the 19 terrorists of 9/11—was actually involved in the strikes
of September 11, in case Americans are still interested in payback.
So why hasn’t this proposal been implemented? Because the Saudis know better
than anyone else exactly how vulnerable their terrorist activities make them
and long ago bought off top and influential Western politicians, institutions,
universities, and media—in a word, the establishment. Put differently, Saudi
wealth is not just spent on the offensive jihad—the spread of radical ideas and
groups around the world—but the defensive jihad as well. This consists of
“donating” billions to key Western elements, who in turn whitewash SA before
the American public—you know, our “indispensable ally in the war on terror.”
The establishment has another, more subtle job: to condition Americans into
believing that the very idea of seizing Saudi oil is as unrealistic and absurd
as … well, as Donald Trump becoming president was once.
But times are changing and old paradigms are breaking; things once mockingly dismissed
by the establishment as “impossible” and “ridiculous” are coming to pass. More
to the point, there’s a new American government in town, headed by one whose
immense wealth immunes him to Saudi bribes—one who promises to drain the swamp.
Surely one of the foulest things that will be found stuck around the drain hole
and in need of rooting out is the unholy alliance between Saudi Arabia
and the establishment.
President Trump: It’s too early to
predict
Khaled Almaeena/Al Arabiya/January 23/17
And finally, it happened! An outsider has occupied the
White House.
After a bitter election campaign that was a first in several things including
verbal duels and mudslinging, Donald Trump finally triumphed over Hillary
Clinton and both Democrats and mainstream Republicans. For him, was it a dream
come true? Had he ever imagined that he would be standing in front of the tops
guns of the ruling American political elite, addressing a huge crowd, berating
past politicians and officials and giving a talk which could well be
characteristic of a populist leader in a country far from the United States?
His speech, punctuated by pauses, was measured and meant to be devoured by a
public not only in the United
States, but across the globe. He was on the
mark at times, such as when he stated that patriotism leaves no room for
prejudice. He openly focused on the gap between Washington and the country and said he
wanted to bridge that canyon. The new president’s reference to the
international arena was mainly in the context of bringing jobs back to the US and making America great again. Many people in
all corners of the world continue to wonder what that means
Skepticism and hope
His appeal to unite the country was received with both skepticism
and hope. However, in his short speech he did not specify how he would attempt
to achieve that objective. There are many minority groups in the United States
that need help. They are also apprehensive as a result of past election
sloganeering and the appointment of individuals thought to be callous in their
attitude toward minorities. The new president’s reference to the international
arena was mainly in the context of bringing jobs back to the United States and making America great
again. Many people in all corners of the world continue to wonder what that
means. The other international reference was to eradicating “radical Islamic
terrorism.” Many secular and liberal Arabs thought this remark was unnecessary.
He could have just mentioned terror groups in the Middle
East. Well, over this weekend in the United States over lunches, dinners
and drinks and even across the globe, people will be trying to figure out what
to expect from the Trump Presidency. My advice to them is: Enjoy the weekend.
It’s too early to predict.
**This article was first published in the Saudi Gazette on January 22, 2016.
What if Trump is worse than Obama?
Abdulrahman al-Rashed/Al Arabiya/January 23/17
Even if the new American President Donald Trump decides to build walls with his
neighbors, expel 10 million illegal residents from
the US and abstain from extending his protection over Europe and southeast Asia
and his allies in the Middle East, we will not worry much because American
policy under former President Barack Obama has been so bad to the extent where
Trump is acceptable regardless of what he does or does not do in our region.
Even if Trump calls a truce with Iran,
supports Assad in remaining in power in Syria, abstains from supporting
millions of refugees and displaced people and keeps silent over Russian
expansion, then all these happened during Obama's era. Terrorism has spread
across the world. It targeted more than 10 European cities in such an
unprecedented manner which no one imagined and it's all a result of the policy
of recklessness which the former administration adopted. Chaos erupted in seven
Arab countries and the policy of the former administration encouraged it during
every crisis. When the revolution erupted in Libya,
Obama sat and watched until ISIS and terrorist
groups spread and killed the American envoy. No one in the region expects Trump
to fulfill political and military achievements and it will be a great
accomplishment if his administration decides to halt Obama's policy which
encouraged Iran
to expand the scope of wars and let terrorist groups spread out. In Egypt, and
under the pretext of supporting the revolution, Obama's policy pushed the army
to oust President Hosni Mubarak and then he left it in chaos which led to
military intervention. In Yemen,
he insisted on democratic change and then gave up his support and let rebels
seize power through the force of arms. His stance in Bahrain was as bad as he tried to
support the opposition and impose it, however, Gulf countries prevented him
from doing so and sent their troops there.
‘Left as prey for the Iranians’
In Iraq, Obama withdrew whatever was left of his military power that was
symbolic and that represented an important part of agreements with the Iraqi
state. He left this strategic country as prey for the Iranians and the
terrorist ISIS organization. Meanwhile, Syria's
developments represented the worst disaster during Obama's era and during the
region's history in more than half a century. His hesitancy and misleading
promises played a role in increasing destruction, murder and displacement which
the Syrian people suffered from. It turned out that Obama sold Syria to reach
compromises with Iran, in order to achieve his nuclear agreement with it, and
that he granted Iran a lot more than lifting of sanctions and ending the policy
of containment as he gave it huge financial sums, kept silent over its
destructive military role in the region and did not protect his citizens and
naval forces in the region from the aggression of the Iranian Revolutionary
Guard.
During Obama's presidential term chaos spread in the region, and the number of
terrorist groups, terrorists and their activity doubled around the world. No
one wanted Obama to militarily intervene - considering the failure of American
military intervention in Iraq
during George Bush's era - but Obama was wrong when he prohibited his allies
from selling weapons to the Syrian opposition because he did not want to anger
the Iranians. He was also wrong when he underestimated terrorist groups and
only realized their threat when they filled the world with terror. After these
horrible failures during Obama's eight years in power, I do not think anyone
will be worried by any policy adopted by the new American president, as it
cannot be worse than previous policies and their current results. No one in the
region expects Trump to fulfill political and military achievements and it will
be a great accomplishment if his administration decides to halt Obama's policy
which encouraged Iran
to expand the scope of wars and let terrorist groups spread out.
**This article was first published in Asharq Al-Awsat on January 23, 2017.
A miserable end!
Turki Aldakhil/Al Arabiya/January 23/17
The recent operation against terror cells in Jeddah
proved the security forces’ vigilance and advanced skills in combating
terrorism. The operation in Al-Yasmeen neighborhood in Riyadh
earlier this month came as a heavy blow for ISIS.
This was followed by another blow when security forces besieged a rest house in
the Harazat area of Jeddah. After calling on the
terrorists to surrender peacefully, the latter attacked security forces and
opened fire on them before detonating suicide belts they were wearing in order
to blow up the explosives' factory they were working in. Meanwhile, a terrorist
named Hussam al-Jahni was
arrested along with a Pakistani woman who worked with him, who is said to be
his wife. The significant point in these recent operations is that there have
been no victims among security forces. This indicates the level of the security
force's advanced skills in confronting terrorism.
Continued improvement
Saudi policeman Gibran Awaji was confronting two beasts who wore suicide belts
during the raid in Al-Yasmeen neighborhood,
but he bravely defeated them using only his gun. This portrayed an amazing
scene to all media outlets across the world. All these operations add to the
security apparatuses’ success. It’s true that Saudi Arabia is one of the
countries that is harmed most by terrorism but during
the past two decades, it has established solid, experienced and interconnected apparatuses
with advanced skills. In the past, security operations, such as the raid in
King Fahad neighborhood,
the siege of a villa in al-Ras neighborhood
and the operation at Abdulaziz Oasis compound in the
eastern province, were different and often involved a gunfight. At the
beginning, they were all battles but operations have now developed and
terrorism is being combated through a qualitative approach. It's funny how
terrorists find justifications to manipulate women and exploit them for
purposes of terrorism, but actually kill a woman if she honorably
works to feed herself and her children!
**This article was first published in al-Bayan on Jan
23, 2017.
ISIS is not just lurking; it is preparing for the long haul
Dr. Theodore Karasik/Al Arabiya/January
23/17
Despite a kinetic campaign against Islamic State of
Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) led by Russia
and America from different
angles, ISIS continues to persevere. How many
times in the past few months did readers see headlines regarding the ISIS’s demise in Mosul and
other parts of the Levant? A
dozen perhaps. Or reports of drone strikes decapitating ISIS leadership? Or that Ibrahim al-Baghdadi is injured?
The truth of the matter is ISIS is resilient,
nimble, and not easy to kill.
The Obama administration, in its waning hours, sent a message to al-Qaeda and ISIS. A B-52 attack, west of Aleppo, killed more than 100
fighters of presumably the Khorasan Group who still
lurks in that geographical zone despite many attempts to drone them to death.
Simultaneously, the Pentagon reported that B-2 stealth bombers had flown their
first combat mission in nearly six years to attack two training camps in Libya dropping over 200 precision guided
munitions (PGM)s that killed over 70 ISIS
fighters.
Now under President Donald Trump, ISIS is ready for a new fight and appears to
be focusing on strengthening its hold over a triangle of Syrian territory
connecting its main base of operations with Palmyra
to the southwest and Deir al-Zor
to the southeast with reinforcements coming in from Iraq. ISIS
is digging in and ready to put up a fight. In Mosul,
ISIS had two years to consolidate its power.
It looks like it is going to be able to manage robust pockets in parts of Mosul for some time. ISIS’s
capital Raqqa is next with probes already beginning. Raqqa represents the core of the ISIS
and they are unlikely to leave without a fight. Now under President Donald
Trump, ISIS is ready for a new fight and appears to be focusing on
strengthening its hold over a triangle of Syrian territory connecting its main
base of operations with Palmyra to the southwest and Deir
al-Zor to the southeast with reinforcements coming in
from Iraq
A major ground intervention by one of the main external players, the US,
Turkey, or Russian and Iranian-backed Syrian government forces, to expel the
ISIS from Raqqa in 2017. The city is sprawled out and
is a major urban operation nightmare.
ISIS must be joyful of President Trump’s
attitude to come kill them. It is also enjoying the Astana talks
that for them represents a new direction to exploit with terrorism. It
is no joke to the Central Asian states that Uzbek citizen Abdulkadir
Masharipov turned out to be well-connected to ISIS in Raqqa. With the Trump
administration leaning toward sending 30,000 ground troops to East Syria
likely, ISIS likely intends to bog down the
outside powers and their regional proxies. ISIS
seems emboldened now.
Divided over ideology
First, ISIS is divided over ideology yet
remains a formable force according to a recent report. There is no doubt that
disciples are able to execute a campaign designed to build morale and boost the
costs of a campaign against ISIS. To be sure, ISIS continues to capture military equipment, transport
oil, and grab territory. Such moves build fighter confidence to continue their
cause for another day. Interestingly, ISIS
attrition is not decreasing morale or creativity. Second, is ISIS
finding ways to innovate off the shelf technology, capitalizing on their losses
by relying on new weapons supplies and the ability to gain access to military technology. ISIS is now
able to have eyes from above for surveying the terrain around them and deliver
rudimentary explosive devices. Now ISIS drones
carry small payloads. In urban battles from Sirte to Mosul, ISIS fighters are
able to continuously use suicide bombers to instill
confusion, fear, and test defenses for future
operations. Third, is strategic space and depth in which ISIS
operates. ISIS appears to be focusing on strengthening
its hold over a triangle of Syrian territory connecting its main base of
operations with Palmyra to the southwest and Deir al-Zor to the southeast
Geography plays a key role in ISIS’s resilience. The group uses broad deserts and plans mixed
with 21st century interconnectivity while knowing the local terrain and tribes
that to ISIS networks with in this area,
between Anbar and Deir al-Zor. Deir al-Zor
has so far been a secondary priority for the Syrian army and its allies, which
are battling against rebel forces in western Syria.
These ISIS fighters are able to project “at will” knowing their enemies’
weakness to hold any territory in Syria’s East. Just when the
Russian-led Syrian Arab Army captured Aleppo, the injection of Turkey’s
Operations Euphrates further into the central northern core of the broken
Syria, and the pressing forward of the Iraqi-led Operation “We Are Coming,
Nineveh” to clear Mosul, ISIS was able to launch multiple terror attacks in
Baghdad, in Jordan, and in Turkey abroad while recapture Palmyra.
ISIS struck out at Russia
tremendously. The actions of the outside and regional powers were overmatched
in the past month by ISIS fighters. It is
lurking in the background. The aim is to create an impenetrable urban
stronghold throughout the areas under ISIS
control, thus playing for time. It’s a strategy used before in Sirte, Libya. Ultimately, Mosul may be captured but the Iraqi
government could still lose the peace. The lack of a plan for Mosul’s future
may create a security vacuum, which in turn stirs a major power struggle,
causing further problems and the return of ISIS, who by this time, are making
the Battle for Raqqa epic.