LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS
BULLETIN
January 30/17
Compiled
& Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
The
Bulletin's Link on the lccc Site
http://www.eliasbejjaninews.com/newsbulletins17/english.january30.17.htm
News Bulletin
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Bible Quotations For Today
One sows
and another reaps. I sent you to reap that for which you did not labour. Others
have laboured, and you have entered into their labour
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 04/31-38/:"Meanwhile
the disciples were urging Jesus, ‘Rabbi, eat something.’But
he said to them, ‘I have food to eat that you do not know about.’So
the disciples said to one another, ‘Surely no one has brought him something to eat?’Jesus said to them, ‘My food is to do the will of him
who sent me and to complete his work. Do you not say, "Four months more,
then comes the harvest"? But I tell you, look around you, and see how the
fields are ripe for harvesting. The reaper is already receiving wages and is gathering
fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may
rejoice together. For here the saying holds true, "One sows and another
reaps." I sent you to reap that for which you did not labour. Others have
laboured, and you have entered into their labour.’
But sin, seizing an opportunity
in the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness. Apart from the
law sin lies dead
Letter to the Romans 07/07-13/:"What then should we say? That the law is
sin? By no means! Yet, if it had not been for the law, I would not have known
sin. I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, ‘You
shall not covet.’ But
sin, seizing an opportunity in the commandment, produced in me all kinds of
covetousness. Apart from the law sin lies dead. I was once alive apart from the
law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died, and the very
commandment that promised life proved to be death to me. For sin, seizing an
opportunity in the commandment, deceived me and
through it killed me. So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and just
and good. Did what is good, then, bring death to me? By no means! It was sin,
working death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to
be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure.
Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis
& editorials from miscellaneous sources published on January 29-30/17
That ’60s Show: Lebanon struggles to adopt an election law/Makram Rabah/The Arab
Weekly/January 29/17
Batroun, Lebanon’s ancient coastal city waiting to be
unearthed/Khalil Jahshan/The
Arab Weekly/January 29/17
Moscow’s message is clear: Russia is in Syria for the long haul/Khairallah Khairallah/The Arab
Weekly/January 29/17
The man in charge of Lebanese women’s affairs speaks out/ Samar Kadi/The Arab Weekly/January 29/17
A Post-National Framework for Peace and Stability in the Middle East/ Sam Farah
/For Syria Comment /29January 2017
Islam Strengthening in Europe with the Blessing of the Church"/ Giulio Meotti/Gatestone
Institute/January 29/17
Turkey: Erdogan's Grab for Absolute Power/Burak Bekdil/Gatestone
Institute/January 29/17
Austria: Does the Church Really Care about Terrorism/ Judith Bergman/Gatestone Institute/January 29/17
Counting down to Doomsday with Donald Trump/Maria Dubovikova/Al
Arabiya/January 29/17
Oman’s participation in the Islamic coalition: What are the benefits/Dr.
Ibrahim Al-Othaimin/Al Arabiya/January
29/17
Entertainment in Saudi Arabia and the meaning of city living/Turki Aldakhil/Al Arabiya/January 29/17
The first seven lean days of Donald Trump/Hisham Melhem/Al Arabiya/January 29/17
Israel, Egypt emerging as Trump’s top allies in the Middle East/Thomas
Seibert/The Arab Weekly/January 29/17
Trump administration debates designating Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist
group/Reuters/January 29/17
Titles For Latest Lebanese Related News
published on January 29-30/17
Aoun tells LCI: No one shall be stronger than
state
Aoun Adamant to Use 'Constitutional Powers' to Block
1960 Law, Extension
Aoun: No One Should be Stronger than State and I'm
Not Thinking of a 2nd Term
Bassil: Winning Presidency Doesn't Mean Giving Up
Partnership in Parliament, Govt.
Geagea: Hybrid Law Achieves Correct Representation
for All Political Forces
Syrians Denied Entry at Philadelphia Airport, Sent Back to Lebanon
Palestinian Security Official Hurt in Sidon Assassination Attempt
MP Aoun Says Electoral Law Discussions Have Entered
'Final Stage'
Lebanese Car Dealers in Benin Hit by Nigeria Import Ban
Army raids refugee camps in Zgharta, arrests 15
persons for illegal entry into Lebanon
Sleiman to Officials: Mixed electoral law
unconstitutional, open to challenge
Kanaan: Government delayed budget discussion but time
still available, financing salary series can be through reducing waste
expenditure
Anonymous persons set fire to a vehicle along Akkar
Highway
In Lebanon Camps, Syria Refugees Slam Trump Bar
Beirut Airport puts into effect travel ban set by US Administration
Hariri returns to Beirut
Hasbani: I do not think Lebanon is a main target of
terrorism, but there are cases to be vigilant and deterrent against
Kassem: Prolonging discussion of electoral law to
preserve certain leaderships is illogical
Palestinian official survives assassination attempt in Sidon
Syrian family returns to Beirut following Trump’s decision
That ’60s Show: Lebanon struggles to adopt an election law
Batroun, Lebanon’s ancient coastal city waiting to be
unearthed
Moscow’s message is clear: Russia is in Syria for the long haul
The man in charge of Lebanese women’s affairs speaks out
Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin For
Miscellaneous Reports And News published on January 28-29/17
It’s not a Muslim ban... it’s working out very nicely’
Federal judge bars deportations under Trump ban
Netanyahu backs US embassy move to Jerusalem though signals no urgency
Amid refugee ban, Trump recruits Saudis, Emiratis to support Syria safe zones
‘Welcome to Canada,’ Trudeau tells refugees
Syrian regime ‘retakes control’ of Wadi Barada
US raid in Yemen kills 57 people, including militants
Israeli troops kill Palestinian in West Bank
Iran Regime Can't Be Trusted
Iran Regime's Judiciary Has Been Profiting From Bank Deposits
The Coup De Grace on Iran's Domestic Productions by Rouhani's
Government
Rouhani's Adviser Warned: If Rouhani's
Government Fall, Its Rivals Will Fall Too
Iran: The Capital City Is Only Ten Percent Prepared for Possible Earthquake
Arab Countries Should Defy Iran Regime and Its Interference
Iraq Shi'ite paramilitary calls for ban on U.S.
nationals
Philippines: Airstrikes killed 15 IS group-linked militants
Giuliani says Trump asked him how to legally enact ‘Muslim ban’
Links From Jihad Watch Site for on January 29-30/17
Trump:
“This is not about religion — this is about terror and keeping our country
safe”
Conway
explains that immigration ban targets not Muslims, but countries with history
of harboring terrorists
Video:
Robert Spencer on Hamas-linked CAIR’s Hussam Ayloush Longing for
Infidel Deaths
Canada’s
Trudeau on Trump’s immigration ban: “Diversity is our strength #WelcomeToCanada”
Netanyahu:
“President Trump is right. I built a wall along Israel’s southern border….Great
idea.”
Priebus says more countries could be added to the
immigration ban
Merkel
tells Trump that global fight against terrorism no excuse for banning Muslim
migrants
France
and Germany, intent on national suicide, “concerned” over Trump immigration
policy
DHS
“will continue to enforce all of President Trump’s Executive Orders” on
immigration
Trump
bans Canadian/British dual citizens from 7 Muslim countries from U.S.
The
Hill: Trump’s immigration ban is “the perfect ISIS recruiting tool”
Fort
Lauderdale airport shooter indictment doesn’t mention that he did it for the
Islamic State
Federal
judge blocks Trump immigration order for those detained at airports
Trump
orders “a comprehensive strategy and plans for the defeat of ISIS”
Cancel
your vacation plans: Iran bans US citizens, says US ban is “obvious insult to
the Islamic world”
Links From Christian Today
Site for on January 29-30/17
Pakistan
Acquits 112 In Case Of Torching Christian Homes
Chaos
And Anger As Trump Ban For Muslim Countries Begins
The
Pope And The Knights Of Malta: High Profile Catholic Feud Explained
Myanmar:
Two Baptist Pastors Reportedly Charged With 'Unlawful Association'
Iraqi
MPs Says Trump Muslim Ban Harms The Fight Against ISIS
Trump
Refugee Order Dashes Hopes Of Iraqis Who Helped The U.S.
President
Trump: What Will It Take For Christians To Disown Him?
Latest Lebanese Related News
published on January 29-30/17
Aoun tells LCI: No one shall be stronger than state
Sun 29 Jan 2017/NNA - President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun, said that Lebanon was standing in front of its last
opportunity to build a strong state through institutions that work in favor of the country and its citizens, expressing his
refusal for anyone to be stronger than the state, in order not to enter into
chaos. President Aoun’s fresh words came on Sunday
during a Television interview with LCI, the French TV news channel, at
Aoun Adamant to Use 'Constitutional Powers' to Block 1960
Law, Extension
Naharnet/January 29/17/President Michel Aoun is still adamant to use his “constitutional powers” to
block any attempt to return to the 1960 electoral law or to extend the
parliament's term, a media report said on Sunday. “President Aoun's stance on rejecting the 1960 law and extension for
the incumbent parliament is conclusive and irreversible, because it is unacceptable
to keep the current law, and thus the political forces are asked to reach
consensus over a new law,” ministerial sources close to Aoun
told al-Joumhouria newspaper. The sources stressed
that Aoun “is committed to the implementation of his
oath of office and he will not back down from it.”“He
will use his constitutional powers to block holding the parliamentary elections
under the 1960 law and to prevent the extension of parliament's term,” the
sources warned. Aoun had openly announced during a
cabinet session on Wednesday that he prefers parliamentary “vacuum” over
extension. The president has insisted on an electoral law containing
proportional representation, which he believes is a system that ensures balance
and correct representation for all parties.
Aoun: No One Should be Stronger than State and I'm Not
Thinking of a 2nd Term
Naharnet/January 29/17/President Michel Aoun stressed Sunday that “no one should be stronger than
the State” in Lebanon as he ruled out running for a second presidential term.“
Bassil: Winning Presidency Doesn't Mean Giving Up
Partnership in Parliament, Govt.
Naharnet/January 29/17/Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil announced Sunday
that the election of FPM founder Michel Aoun as
Lebanon's president will not push the movement to give up “full partnership” in
the parliament and government. “Mistaken are those who thought that winning the
presidency would mean giving up full partnership in the electoral law,” Bassil said at the Mar Mikhail Church in Shiyyah, where the FPM and Hizbullah
marked the 11th anniversary of their memorandum of understanding in the
presence of Loyalty to Resistance bloc MP Ali Ammar.
“Mistaken are those who believe that winning the presidency would push us to
give up partnership in the parliament and government,” Bassil
added. “The Mar Mikhail understanding brought down the walls of civil war, the Maarab agreement removed the lines of confrontation inside neighborhoods and homes, and our agreement with al-Mustaqbal Movement demolishes the walls of marginalization
for the sake of partnership,” the FPM chief went on to say. Ammar
for his part said Hizbullah “rejects extension and
the 1960 law,” calling for “a modern electoral law that does not eliminate
anyone and takes everyone's concerns into consideration.”
Geagea: Hybrid Law Achieves Correct Representation for All
Political Forces
Naharnet/January 29/17/Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea has announced that
the political parties have almost reached an agreement over a new electoral
law, stressing that a hybrid electoral law that mixes the proportional representation
and winner-takes-all systems would ensure “correct representation” for
everyone. “We're on the verge of realizing the awaited dream, which is the
approval of a new electoral law,” Geagea told the
Central News Agency, hailing what he called the “mighty efforts that were
exerted by the LF and the other political forces.”“The
hybrid law that we proposed together with al-Mustaqbal
Movement and the Progressive Socialist Party has proved to be the appropriate
law, in light of the support it enjoyed from most parties and the consensus
that made it the starting point in the electoral consultations,” Geagea added.“I'm
very happy because we are on the brink of agreeing of an amended version of the
hybrid law. “What the Lebanese have been looking for since many years is about
to become a reality through the drafting of a new law that ensures correct
representation and involves reforms that would make the anticipated electoral
juncture more transparent and the subject of the region and the world's
attention,” the LF leader went on to say. Asked about cries that the latest law
formula has been tailored to fit the sizes and interests of the political
forces and that it is “a copy of the 1960 law that incorporates deformed
proportional representation,” Geagea dismissed the
claims, emphasizing that the political parties that drafted the latest
suggestion had shown “great responsiveness and openness to the political
formulas that improve representation.”“The hybrid
format ensures correct representation for all parties and those who believe
that they have no place in it will not find their place under any other
format,” the LF leader went on to say. Accordingly, Geagea
called on those who reject the hybrid law to propose a feasible alternative. As
for President Michel Aoun's remarks that he prefers
parliamentary “vacuum” over another extension of the parliament's term, which
indicate that he might refrain from signing certain decrees, Geagea noted that “what President Aoun
is doing is part of his powers.” Had he not issued his warning, “we would not
have been on the brink of producing a new electoral law,” he explained. Geagea also pointed out that three factors have contributed
to pushing the solution forward: “the clarity of President Michel Aoun's stance and his firmness; the alliance between the LF
and the Free Patriotic Movement and their coordination with the president in
this regard; and al-Mustaqbal Movement's positive
stance.”
Syrians Denied Entry at Philadelphia
Airport, Sent Back to
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/January
29/17/Six Syrians including Christians were turned away from
Palestinian Security Official Hurt in
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/January
29/17/A senior Palestinian security official on Sunday survived an
assassination attempt in the southern city of
MP Aoun Says
Electoral Law Discussions Have Entered 'Final Stage'
Naharnet/January 29/17/MP Alain Aoun
of the Change and Reform bloc has announced that the electoral system that the
parties are mulling is based on a Free Patriotic Movement proposal, noting that
64 MPs would likely be elected under the proportional representation system and
the other 64 according to the winner-takes-all system. In remarks to Asharq al-Awsat newspaper, Aoun said a “technical extension” of the parliament's term
is probable, revealing that “discussions have entered the final stage and are
focused on the distribution of seats and other details.” The MP accordingly
called on political parties to “review their calculations and give up the
choices of the 1960 law and term extension.”“The
meetings will continue next week after communicating with the other parties who
were not represented in the meeting,” Aoun added,
referring to four-party meetings that were held earlier this week between
representatives of Hizbullah, AMAL Movement, al-Mustaqbal Movement and the FPM.
The parties had reported major progress after their last meeting on Friday.
Lebanese Car Dealers in
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/January
29/17/Surveying his sprawling car dealership on the fringes of
'Encourage smuggling'
"This decision will encourage smuggling, it's
back to square one," Gouton said. Several
agreements were signed in the past between
'Killing business'
It isn't just
Army raids refugee camps in Zgharta, arrests 15 persons for illegal entry into Lebanon
Sun 29 Jan 2017/NNA - Lebanese Army patrol raided, on Sunday, refugee camps in
a number of villages and towns in the district of Zgharta,
arresting 15 Syrians for illegal entry into Lebanese territories, NNA
correspondent reported.
Sleiman to Officials: Mixed electoral law unconstitutional,
open to challenge
Sun 29 Jan 2017/NNA - Former President Michel Sleiman
warned, on Sunday, of "the seriousness of adopting any unconstitutional
electoral law, such as the mixed law, since it would be challenged by the
Constitutional Council.""This would cause
disappointment for the Lebanese people after waiting so long for the Parliament
to pass a modern law of relativity, which provides proper and fair
representation," added Sleiman. In a letter
addressed to President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun,
House Speaker Nabih Berri,
and Prime Minister Saad Hariri, as well as various
heads of political parties and parliamentary blocs, Sleiman
pointed to the "gravity of resorting to unconstitutional options."He attached a copy of the bill prepared by
the "Republic Gathering" that adopts total relativity within the
province and preferential vote within the judiciary. Sleiman
stressed that the "mixed law is unconstitutional, because it does not
ensure equality between candidates, and not even between voters themselves."He hoped that "with the beginning of
the new presidential era and following the renewal of constitutional life
through holding of parliamentary elections, a national defense
strategy would be endorsed for
Kanaan: Government delayed budget discussion but time
still available, financing salary series can be through reducing waste
expenditure
Sun 29 Jan 2017/NNA - Finance and Budget Parliamentary Committee Head, MP
Ibrahim Kanaan, stated that "the cabinet has
delayed its discussion and reference of the annual budget to Parliament, yet
there is still time for said discussion," adding that "financing of
the ranks and salary series can be ensured through reducing waste expenditure."Speaking in an interview to the
"Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation" on Sunday, Kanaan
indicated that "the draft budget should include the reform recommendations
made by the Finance and Budget Committee, following the discussion of the draft
budget in the year 2010."He stressed that "any additional taxes are
rejected with regards to the salary series," adding that "its
financing can be through revenues resulting from the reduction of waste
expenditure, application of transparency, and resorting to resources that do
not directly affect and burden citizens."
Anonymous persons set fire to a vehicle
along
Sun 29 Jan 2017/NNA - An "Opel Ascona"
vehicle was set on fire on Sunday evening by anonymous persons along the
international highway to Akkar, nearby the vegetable
market junction, following which they fled to an unknown destination, NNA
correspondent reported. Civil Defense units arrived
immediately at the scene to extinguish the fire while investigations were
initiated into the incident.
In
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/January
29/17/Shivering in their makeshift homes in camps in eastern
Sun 29 Jan 2017/NNA - Airlines operating at
Hariri returns to
Sun 29 Jan 2017/NNA - Prime Minister, Saad Hariri,
returned to
Hasbani: I do not think Lebanon is a main target of terrorism,
but there are cases to be vigilant and deterrent against
Sun 29 Jan 2017 /NNA - Deputy Prime Minister, Public Health Minister Ghassan Hasbani, ruled out, on
Sunday, any belief that Lebanon could be a main target of terrorism, adding
however, that "there are cases which entail our vigilance and deterrence."Hasbani stressed on "the strength of
security in Lebanon," adding that "security apparatuses are cautious
and alert despite the risks posed to the region," while highlighting
"the need to put an end to terrorism."Speaking
in an interview to "Al-Arabia Al-Hadath"
Channel, Hasbani asserted that "security work
will continue in a systematic manner to prevent any terrorist attacks."Referring to the electoral law issue, Hasbani noted that "we have come a long way in terms
of reaching a new electoral law that takes into account proper and equal representation."He stressed that the main objective is
to come up with a law that ensures fair representation. "Priority today is
to resolve outstanding issues and reach the parliamentary elections the soonest
possible, since the goal is to put an end to tension prevailing at the
political and social level in the country," Hasbani
underscored.
Kassem: Prolonging discussion of electoral law to
preserve certain leaderships is illogical
Sun 29 Jan 2017/NNA - Hezbollah Deputy Secretary General, Sheikh Naim Kassem, considered that
"the attempt to prolong discussions of the parliamentary elections law in
order to preserve certain leaderships in the country is an illogical
matter," proposing instead "to return to the relativity law based on
13 districts.""We have repeatedly called
for an impartial electoral law based two major pillars, namely ensuring wide
representation and unifying standards between regions and communities for
fairness and equity purposes," Kassem explained.
Speaking at a memorial ceremony held in the area of Jiyye
on Sunday, Kassem stressed on his Party's priority in
fighting the Israeli enemy, noting that "our combating of Takfiris is a branch of our fight against
Palestinian official survives
assassination attempt in Sidon
Sun 29 Jan 2017/ NNA - The official, Ismail Sharrouf,
at the Embassy of Palestine survived an assassination attempt while he was in
his car near the Central Bank in Sidon, National News Agency reported on Sunday.A hail of bullets were fired on Sharrouf's
car and he got slightly injured. He was transferred to one of
Syrian family returns to Beirut following
Trump’s decision
Sun 29 Jan 2017/NNA - A Syrian family comprised of 6 members returned to
Beirut, after it was barred from travelling from Doha Airport in Qatar, in
implementation of US President Donald Trump’s decision to prevent certain
nationals from entering the United States, NNA correspondent at Rafik Hariri International Airport reported on Sunday. It
is to note that President Trump's decision includes nationals of seven
countries, in particular
That ’60s Show:
Makram Rabah/The Arab
Weekly/January 29/17
Many of the objections to this 1960 law, as it is commonly known, were
championed by Christian parties that equated their decline from power to the
adoption of the laws, especially after the end of the civil war in 1990 and the
Syrian tutelage in 2005, which was clearly partial towards their Muslim
compatriots. Be that as it may, much of the proposed alternatives to these
defunct laws brought about other challenges that were never fully acceptable
to Lebanese Muslims, who achieved parity with the adoption of the 1989 Taif agreement. It curtailed the Maronite
president’s previously unchecked powers.
The recent election of Michel Aoun as president in
The antagonistic manner in which many Lebanese factions are trying to push
through these changes reveals a different reality. Recent statements by
Interior Minister Nouhad Machnouk,
who is tasked with supervising the election process, exposed the pretence of
many of the supposed champions of the hybrid law. For more than six years, it
was ignored by all the Lebanese political classes, which refused on various
occasions to discuss it in parliament.
Instead of devising ways to gerrymander and twist legitimate electoral laws
to serve personal narrow agendas, the Lebanese political parties are better
off practising what they preach by adopting key reforms that are required for
any fair election, regardless of its model.
Allowing competent women to hold office does not require a sanctioned female
quota nor a law; adopting a single ballot list and stopping vote
rigging merely require a conscious decision from the so-called
champions of reform. Adopting a modern law, unlike the 1960 one, might be a
solution to one of
**Makram Rabah is a
doctoral candidate at
Batroun, Lebanon’s ancient coastal city waiting to be
unearthed
Khalil Jahshan/The Arab
Weekly/January 29/17
Batroun - It has Phoenician ruins, Roman artefacts, a
medieval castle, Byzantine-style churches and arcaded Ottoman souks; however,
its heritage is still waiting to be uncovered. The origins of Batroun, one of
“Under the old castle, there are vestiges and structures that I personally
visited. If we don’t uncover this heritage, we cannot say that Batroun has a civilisation and, without civilisation, the
city has no international value,” Mubarak added, noting that of all ancient
cities on the Lebanese shores, Batroun is not listed
by the UN cultural agency, UNESCO.
Mubarak said he has tried for many years to engage
“This entire region is an archaeological area,” Mubarak said. “We are sitting
on huge treasures. You name it:
Nonetheless, Batroun, 50km north of Beirut, boasts
enough ancient vestiges and edifices — in addition to tree-shaded beach
resorts, seafood restaurants and bustling nightlife — to woo large numbers of
local and foreign visitors, especially during summer.
“With its many archaeological and historical sites, its old souks and churches,
Batroun is a tourist destination par excellence,”
said Batroun Mayor Marcellino
al-Hark. “The city was the biggest trade centre on the Lebanese coastline in
the early 19th century. Today, most investments are centred on tourism-oriented
projects.”
Batroun’s beaches are popular for their crystal-clear
waters. “It has been tested. It is the only stretch of coast in
The city of 20,000 inhabitants has undergone some face-lifting in the past
decade. A large part of the old vaulted souks has been renovated and floored,
red-tiled old houses — some turned into motels — and restaurants restored and
churches revamped. Restoration work is ongoing at the site of the Crusaders’
castle.
“We have strict laws on how to deal with old structures,” Hark said. “You
cannot do any restoration or touch any old house without a special permit and
we have a list of specifications that one has to follow. This is our wealth; we
do not want to waste it. It is for us and for our children.”
The old part of Batroun was built from sandstone
chipped out of the “Phoenician wall”, which was sculpted by its inhabitants
more than 2,000 years ago to protect them from storms and invaders. People
quarried stone to build temples, houses and churches. Only 225 metres remain
from the original wall, which was more than 1km long, about 5 metres tall and 1
metre wide.
Typical to any coastal city, the sea has traditionally contributed to Batroun’s wealth. Since ancient times, merchandise was
imported and exported through its port. The sea produced fish, salt and
high-quality sponge and its warehouses store imported food items.
Batroun and its surroundings prospered from
agriculture, including mulberry trees — whose leaves provided the staple food
of silkworms — olive trees, vines, almond trees, wheat and barley. However,
none of these activities has survived.
“We had the best quality of sponge in Batroun’s sea.
I used to dive 15 to 30 metres to fish for sponge when I was a boy. Sponge was
exported to the
With its many old churches, traditional houses and ancient relics, in addition
to services and entertainment facilities, Batroun is
claiming a place on
However, for the veteran excavator, what is above the ground is much less than
what is buried underneath. “What we care for the most is our heritage, our
civilisation. We want to know our origin,” Mubarak said.
***Khalil Jahshan is
executive director of the
Khairallah Khairallah/The
Arab Weekly/January 29/17
While waiting to see what
The deal was signed just 48 hours before Trump’s arrival in the White House.
In the end,
The US Senate has confirmed Trump’s appointee for secretary of Defense, James Mattis. Unlike
Trump, Mattis has a clear vision of what needs to be
done in the
No one really believes
Worldwide military bases are useless in the absence of a strong economy. Still,
Russian President Vladimir Putin is attached to past practices and is building
up Russian presence in the
The deal builds on the 1980 friendship and cooperation accords between
Some of the articles of the agreement show the extent to which the Syrian
regime has surrendered to
The Russian side can send tax-free all sorts of weapons, ammunition and
equipment needed for the duties and security of the base and ship personnel and
their families. The Syrian customs and border police cannot inspect and control
all personnel arriving at Tartus naval base on war
vessels. Finally, the new agreement grants full civil and administrative
immunity to Russian personnel.
Are
Among the objectives in the Middle East that seem to interest the new
Such talk reveals that
*Khairallah Khairallah is a
Lebanese writer. The commentary was translated and adapted from the Arabic. It
was initially published in middle-east-online.com.
The man in charge of Lebanese
women’s affairs speaks out
Samar Kadi/The Arab Weekly/January 29/17
“Women’s issues are not a concern for women only but are a concern for
the whole society. It is important to include men in achieving equal gender
rights. Men should get involved in the struggle for equitable gender rights as
much as women,” Ogasapian told The Arab Weekly in an
interview.
Ogasapian, from Prime Minister Saad Hariri’s centre-right Future Movement party, is still
new to his job. His big office was mostly empty, except for the main desk and a
seating area to the side. Boxes and files were stacked in one corner under a
photo of Lebanese President Michel Aoun, next to a
large national flag.
Strong interest and greater focus by international organisations,
including the United Nations, International Monetary Fund, World Bank and other
donors in women’s empowerment are among key reasons for creating the new
portfolio.
“The prime minister also reckoned that there should be a ministry to
follow up on women’s affairs because it is a matter in which he is keen on
having a positive input,” Ogasapian said.
He explained that improving women’s status in the Arab world, especially
in times of conflicts and refugee crises, is a tool for fighting terrorism.
“Educating women, improving their conditions and giving them an effective
role in society helps in combating poverty and ignorance and consequently in
combating extremism that could eventually lead to terrorism,” he said.
Ogasapian said
“In
Sexism is entrenched in Lebanese law, although the country is becoming
increasingly liberal. For instance, marriage and divorce laws in
“Today, Lebanese women have big capacities, education and skills and have
succeeded in imposing themselves in the private sector and in different
professions, including the judiciary, medical, business and even information
technology. Their potentials are big. Nonetheless, they are not able to reach
leading public and political positions,” Ogasapian
noted.
“The problem is in the culture and in the patriarchal mentality of the
society.”
Hariri’s government is expected to implement an electoral law before
parliamentary elections scheduled for May that may include a quota for women.
“We are aiming for a 30% female quota and hope in any case to have no
less than 20% of parliament seats. However, it should be a provisional
measure,” Ogasapian said.
Drawing a comparison between gender equality in
Challenges awaiting Ogasapian are big and the
list of issues under scrutiny is long. Feminist movements have been pressing
for Lebanese women’s right to give their nationality to children with
non-Lebanese fathers and for the amendment of Article 522 in the Lebanese Penal
Code, which allows rapists to get away with their crime if they marry the woman
they raped.
“We are seeking the complete elimination of Article 522 but women’s
nationality right is a complicated issue, many women are against it because it
pertains to the country’s demographic structure. Christians consider this
subject an existential matter. It will create discrepancies in the confessional
balance,” the minister noted.
Officials argue that such a right would allow Palestinian refugees as
well as Syrians, who are mostly Sunni Muslims, to gain Lebanese nationality if
they marry Lebanese women, thus upsetting the delicate sectarian balance.
“We will raise the voice and carry women’s cause at home and abroad.
Political leaders are becoming more receptive to women’s issues. It is my cause
now, so let’s hope for the better,” Ogasapian said.
Latest LCCC Bulletin For
Miscellaneous Reports And News published on January 29-30/17
It’s not a Muslim ban...
it’s working out very nicely’
Agencies Sunday, 29 January 2017/President Donald Trump on Saturday
defended his executive order barring travelers from seven Muslim-majority
countries from entering the
Outrage in France
French President Francois Hollande on Saturday
warned his new
British disagreement
British Prime Minister Theresa May does "not agree" with the
restrictions on immigration imposed by Trump and will intervene if they affect
May had sparked controversy in
Spicer responds
But White House press secretary Sean Spicer on Sunday defended Trump’s
latest executive order on immigration and refugee vetting, arguing that the
Obama administration originally flagged the seven “countries of particular concern.”“The Obama administration put these first and
foremost,” Spicer told ABC’s This Week. In February, 2016, the Obama
administration added
Federal judge bars deportations under
Trump ban
The Associated Press, Washington Sunday, 29 January 2017/A federal judge issued an emergency order Saturday night
temporarily barring the
As the decision was announced, cheers broke out in crowds of demonstrators who
had gathered at American airports and outside the
Under Trump's order, it had appeared that an untold number of foreign-born
No longer welcome
Some foreign nationals who were allowed to board
flights before the order was signed Friday had been detained at US airports,
told they were no longer welcome. The DHS official who briefed reporters by
phone said 109 people who were in transit on airplanes had been denied entry
and 173 had not been allowed to get on their planes overseas.
Trump billed his sweeping executive order as a necessary step to stop
"radical Islamic terrorists" from coming to the US Included is a
90-day ban on travel to the US by citizens of Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya,
Somalia or Yemen and a 120-day suspension of the US refugee program. Trump's
order singled out Syrians for the most aggressive ban, indefinitely blocking
entry for anyone from that country, including those fleeing civil war.
The directive did not do anything to prevent attacks from homegrown
extremists who were already in
'Extreme vetting'
As a candidate Trump pledged to temporarily ban Muslims from coming to the US,
then said he would implement "extreme vetting" for people from
countries with significant terror concerns. Trump told reporters Saturday the
order is "not a Muslim ban."
"It's working out very nicely," Trump said of the implementation of
his order. "We're going to have a very, very strict ban and we're going to
have extreme vetting, which we should have had in this country for many years."The order sparked protests at several of the
nation's international airports, including
"If we send a signal to the Middle East that the
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took to Twitter
Saturday afternoon to say that refugees were welcome in
Hameed Khalid Darweesh and Haider Sameer Abdulkhaleq
Alshawi were detained by immigration officials after
landing at
Those already in the US with a visa or green card would be allowed to stay,
according to the official, who wasn't authorized to publicly discuss the
details of how Trump's order was being put in place and spoke only on condition
of anonymity. Trump's order also directed US officials to review information as
needed to fully vet foreigners asking to come to the
'Case by case'
The US may still admit refugees on a case-by-case basis during the freeze, and
the government would continue to process requests from people claiming
religious persecution, "provided that the religion of the individual is a
minority religion in the individual's country." The Council on
American-Islamic Relations said it would challenge the constitutionality of
Trump's order.
"There is no evidence that refugees - the most thoroughly vetted of all
people entering our nation - are a threat to national security," said Lena
F. Masri, the group's national litigation director.
"This is an order that is based on bigotry, not reality."
John Cohen, a former Department of Homeland Security counterterrorism official
who worked under Democratic and Republican administrations, said the order didn't
address
Trump's order drew support from some Republican lawmakers who have urged more
security measures for the refugee vetting program, particularly for those from
"We are a compassionate nation and a country of immigrants. But as we
know, terrorists are dead set on using our immigration and refugee programs as
a Trojan Horse to attack us," House Homeland
Security Committee Chairman Michael McCaul said in a
statement Friday. "With the stroke of a pen, he is doing more to shut down
terrorist pathways into this country than the last administration did in eight
years."
It is unclear how many people would be immediately impacted by the non-refugee
travel ban. According to the statistics maintained by the Homeland Security
Department, about 17,000 students from the seven designated countries were
allowed into the
Last year the
No refugees were in the air when the travel ban was signed Friday, but about
350 people were in transit in
"This in effect could be a permanent ban," she said. "Many of
these people may never be able to come."
Netanyahu backs US embassy move to
Jerusalem though signals no urgency
Sun 29 Jan 2017/NNA - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu voiced support on
Sunday for moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem but mentioned no time frame,
after a Republican activist accused Israel of pressing the Trump administration
to delay the pledged step. In an interview with
Amid refugee ban, Trump recruits Saudis,
Emiratis to support
ByMichael Wilner/Jerusalem
Post/29 January 2017/In their call, Trump also
expressed his view that an international nuclear agreement brokered with
WASHINGTON -- US President Donald Trump and Saudi Arabian King Salman bin Abd Al-Aziz
"agreed to support safe zones in Syria" in a phone call on Sunday,
the White House said, marking a potentially dramatic shift in Washington's
posture toward the civil war there. The White House cast Trump's support for
safe zones in
‘Welcome to Canada,’ Trudeau tells
refugees
AFP, Ottawa Sunday, 29 January 2017/Prime Minister Justin Trudeau welcomed
Canadian immigrants Saturday in a sunny Twitter message written in stark
contrast to Donald Trump's order temporarily banning all refugees and many
Muslims from traveling to the United States.
"To those fleeing persecution, terror & war, Canadians will welcome
you, regardless of your faith. Diversity is our strength #WelcomeToCanada,"
Trudeau posted on Twitter.The message comes one day
after Trump signed a sweeping executive order to suspend the arrival of
refugees for at least 120 days and impose tough new controls on travelers from
Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Syria and Yemen for the next three months. Since
then, travelers from those countries have been stopped from boarding US-bound
planes, triggering angry protests and detentions at airports.
Some who were already in the air when Trump signed the executive order were
detained on arrival, The New York Times reported. On Saturday, Canadian airline
WestJet said it would reimburse passengers prevented
from traveling to the
Syrian regime ‘retakes control’ of Wadi Barada
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English Sunday, 29
January 2017/The Syrian army said on Sunday that it had recaptured a flashpoint
area from rebels near Damascus that supplies water to the capital. Wadi Barada had been the scene of
fierce fighting in recent weeks between regime and rebel forces that tested a
fragile nationwide truce and left millions in
US raid in Yemen kills 57 people,
including militants
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English Sunday, 29
January 2017
Helicopter-borne commandoes launched a raid in southern Yemen at dawn on
Sunday that killed around 57 people which included 41 al-Qaeda militants and 16
civilians. Residents and officials as well as al-Qaeda itself said the attack
was carried out by the
Israeli troops kill Palestinian in West
Bank
AFP, Nablus Sunday, 29 January 2017/A Palestinian was shot dead Sunday and five
others were wounded by Israeli soldiers at the Jenin
camp in the occupied West Bank, Palestinian medical sources said. The person
who was killed at the camp located in the northern
A wave of Palestinian attacks that erupted in October 2015 has resulted
in the deaths of 252 Palestinians, 40 Israelis, two Americans, a Jordanian, an
Eritrean and a Sudanese. Most of the Palestinians killed were carrying out
knife, gun or car-ramming attacks, according to Israeli authorities, with
others killed during protests, in clashes or air raids on
NCRI /Sunday, 29 January 2017/In an interview with
Aljazeera TV, London-based author and political analyst Dr. Mohammad Ghawas talks about the outcomes of Astana peace talks as
well as the Iranian regime’s destructive violation of the ceasefire.
Part of the interview is as follows: The Syrian opposition reiterated its
commitment to the ceasefire in Astana peace talks, calling on
Iran Regime's Judiciary Has Been Profiting
From Bank Deposits
NCRI /Sunday, 29 January 2017/Following the clashes between regime’s rival
bands over the bank accounts belonging to head of Iranian regime’s judiciary,
making bank deposits and using its profit by the judiciary has been banned.
According to state-run ISNA news agency, Gholamreza Tajgardoon, head of joint commission on 2017 budget bill,
spoke of a commission’s directive according to which the judiciary will be
obliged to transfer all its received funds to the treasury, thus being
disallowed to deposit them in banks and use their profit. The judiciary and its
head Sadegh Larijani have
for years been depositing the received funds in banks instead of transferring
them to the treasury, thus taking advantage of the huge profits associated with
these bank deposits. This type of plundering has not been limited to regime’s
judiciary alone. “We have seen such approach being followed in some
organizations and universities as well”, confesses Tajgardoon,
“depositing their resources into bank accounts and using the resulting profit
for administering their relevant organizations. This had also happened in
government departments. The recent joint commission ruling, however, applies to
all the departments operating under the judiciary or the government.”The
issue of judiciary’s bank accounts had turned into a political controversy
between MPs and the judiciary in recent months. A while ago, regime’s media
reported on 63 bank accounts belonging to Sadegh Amoli Larijani with nearly 250
billion tomans in annual profit. Afterwards, Mahmoud Sadeghi, a member of
regime’s parliament, asked for clarification in this regard, calling on the
judiciary to make public the report of its bank accounts’ operations in the
past five years. Mahmoud Sadeghi’s
remarks was faced with a backlash by
The Coup De Grace on
NCRI /Sunday, 29 January 2017/The Council of Ministers of the Iranian regime
reduced the tariffs of 8 basic and primary commodities from 5 up to 50 percent.
The terrorist Qods Force News agency wrote: “as the
Council of Ministers ratified the law, the rate of different types of white and
brown rice was reduced from 32 to 5 percent. Additionally, the rate of butter
and meat sheep decreased respectively from 20 and 26 to 5 percent. The
reduction in tariffs endangers the production of commodities in
The member of the Iranian Parliament Committee on Agriculture, Abbas Papizadeh said that the
independence of the country in the field of food security will be lost with Rouhani's decision (the sate-run Fars News Agency, 25th of
January 2017). Abbas Papizadeh
said that the tariffs reduction on the aforementioned commodities ends the
domestic manufacturing. It is actually in favor of
importers such as the merchants of the Iranian regime and it also supports the
foreign productions. The head of the union of agricultural products also stated:"the government enactment to reduce tariffs on
the imports of agricultural products will increase the imports and we are
concerned about the future of Agriculture in
Rouhani's government has implemented the dirty policy
of tariffs reduction on foreign commodities in other fields including textile
products as well." Regarding this matter, the state-run ISNA News Agency
writes that Rouhani's government has simultaneously
reduced tariffs on the import of clothes and fabrics (ISNA News Agency, 12th
December 2016). As a matter of fact, these are the instances of government
measures in destroying the national production as well as the proliferation of
unemployment among youths and people. These policies are also in favor of the looters affiliated with the Iranian regime.
Rouhani's Adviser Warned: If Rouhani's
Government Fall, Its Rivals Will Fall Too
NCRI /Sunday, 29 January 2017/ By publishing several tweets Hessamedin
Ashna the cultural advisor to the Iranian president,
warned Khamenei’s faction that: “If Rouhani's Government Fall, Its Rivals Will Fall Too.Referring to the recently collapsed high rise (Plasco building) from within, he added: not always the
buildings and infostructures collapse vertically and
straight down. Sometimes there are serious damages to the adjacent buildings
and to owner-occupied buildings with glass facades (pointing to Khameneis faction) so it is recommended to refrain from
throwing stones at others'.
NCRI /Sunday, 29 January 2017/ Pointing to the country’s poor preparedness for
natural disasters, the head of Iranian regime’s Crisis Management Organization
said that “
“More than 80 percent of regions in
Arab Countries Should Defy Iran Regime and
Its Interference
NCRI /Sunday, 29 January 2017/ The former Minister of National Education to
combat illiteracy and the member of the National Rally of Independence (RNI) of
Morocco, Najima Tai Tai in
an interview with Al-Jazeera newspaper stated:"the
meddling of the Iranian regime in the internal affairs of some Arabic countries
like Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, and Yemen has made me very sorry. The meddling has
caused disaster and destruction for all countries of the region including
A reporter asked Najima Tai Tai:"the
UN General Assembly with 105 participating countries has recently passed a
resolution to prosecute the perpetrators of killings in
Mrs.Tai Tai replied: “this is the smallest thing the
international community and the UN could do for the Syrians. The Western
countries and the UN are the spectators of the war crimes in
Iraq Shi'ite
paramilitary calls for ban on U.S. nationals
BAGHDAD (Reuters)/January 29/17 - Iraq's Popular Mobilization on Sunday called
on the Iraqi government to ban U.S. nationals from entering Iraq and to expel
those who are already in the country, in a reaction to the new U.S. travel
curbs on Iraqis.
Popular Mobilization is mainly a coalition of Shi'ite
paramilitary groups armed and trained by
Philippines: Airstrikes killed 15 IS
group-linked militants
Associated Press/JIM GOMEZ/January 29, 2017
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Philippine airstrikes have killed 15 Muslim
militants linked to the Islamic State group, including a suspected Indonesian
militant, while one of Southeast Asia's top terror suspects was seriously
wounded in the country's south, the military chief said Sunday. Military Chief
of Staff Gen. Eduardo Ano said the body of the
suspected Indonesian militant, known by his nom de guerre Mohisen,
was recovered by troops along with three dead Filipino followers of militant
leader Isnilon Hapilon, who
was seriously wounded in the hilly outskirts of Butig
town in Lanao del Sur
province. Eleven other militants were reportedly killed, Ano
said, citing intelligence, but added their bodies have not been found. Hapilon was wounded in the arm and was losing blood after
air force aircraft, including FA50 supersonic fighter jets, dropped six
500-pound (225-kilogram) bombs Wednesday night and Thursday on a militant
encampment in an ongoing offensive, Ano and another
air force official said. It was the first time that the FA50s, which were
acquired from
Hapilon reportedly was designated to lead an Islamic
State group branch in
Duterte has repeatedly warned the emergence of
Islamic State-influenced militant groups is fast looming as a major national
security threat. While pursuing peace talks with two large Muslim rebel groups
in the predominantly Roman Catholic nation, he has ordered the military to
destroy smaller but brutal extremist groups like the Abu Sayyaf,
which is dreaded for cross-border kidnappings, beheadings and bombings.
Duterte has asked the two Muslim rebel groups in
talks with the government not to help extremists under attack by troops,
warning that may bring them in a new conflict with
Giuliani says Trump asked him how to
legally enact ‘Muslim ban’
Dylan Stableford/Yahoo/January 29/17
Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani says President Trump tasked him with
coming up with a way to legally implement his controversial executive order
banning immigration from seven predominantly Muslim countries.
“I’ll tell you the whole history of it,” Giuliani said in an interview with Fox
News’ Jeanine Pirro on Saturday night. “When he first
announced it, he said ‘Muslim ban.’ He called me up. He said, ‘Put a commission
together. Show me the right way to do it legally.'”
Giuliani, a former
“And what we did was, we focused on — instead of religion, danger,” Giuliani
said. “The areas of the world that create danger for us.
Which is a factual basis, not a religious basis. Perfectly legal, perfectly sensible. And that’s what the ban
is based on.”
Giuliani and Trump head into the clubhouse for their meeting at Trump
International Golf Club, November 20, 2016 in
Giuliani and Trump head into a meeting in November. (Drew Angerer/Getty
Images)
On Friday, Trump signed an executive order barring people from seven countries
—
“I think it’s a good idea to tighten the vetting process,” Senate Majority
Leader Mitch McConnell said on ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday. “But I also think
it’s important to remember that some of our best sources in the war against
radical Islamic terrorism are Muslims, both in this country and overseas.“I think we need to be
careful,” McConnell added. “We don’t have religious tests in this country.”
The Trump administration insists the ban doesn’t constitute one.
“It’s not based on religion,” Giuliani said. “It’s based on places where there
is substantial evidence that people are sending terrorists into our country.”
“It’s not a Muslim ban, but we were totally prepared,” Trump said while
speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on Saturday. “It’s working out very
nicely. You see it at the airports, you see it all over.”
On Saturday night, a federal judge in
The decision came after the American Civil Liberties Union and other activist
groups filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of two Iraqis who were held at
New York City’s John F. Kennedy International Airport.
“There is imminent danger that, absent the stay of removal, there will be
substantial and irreparable injury to refugees, visa holders, and other
individuals from nations subject to [Trump’s] executive order,” Judge Ann
Donnelly said in her ruling.
“President Trump’s executive order is simply un-American,” New York City Mayor
Bill de Blasio said on CNN’s “State of the
But Giuliani, who currently serves as a White House cybersecurity
adviser, said the ban is simply an example of Trump “negotiating in the best
interests of the
Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis
& editorials from miscellaneous sources published on January 29-30/17
A Post-National Framework for Peace and Stability in the Middle East
Sam Farah /For Syria Comment /29January 2017
The Syrian crisis, about to enter its sixth year, has created the largest
humanitarian disaster since the Cold War, causing hundreds of thousands of
deaths and creating the worst refugee crisis of our generation. Yet, the Syrian
crisis is hardly the only fire burning in the
Beyond the devastating human cost of these conflicts, instability in the
Mr. Brzezinski warns that
The Current Framework of the Middle East
The framework for the Middle East was laid out at the beginning of the
20th century with the fall of the
Nationalism is defined as a political movement to unite people into
nations based on shared language, race or religion. This idea emerged in Europe
in the 19th century, and spread to the
The Armenians and Assyrians were the first victims of nationalism in the
Two other nationalist movements, Arab nationalism and Zionism, were also
gathering strength and about to collide. Zionism was born in
European-educated Arab intellectuals from the
In 1919, Ben-Gurion (quoted in Wikiquote, 2016)
wrote, “We, as a nation, want this country to be ours; the Arabs, as a nation,
want this country to be theirs.”[4] Tensions between Arabs and Jews grew. In
1947, the Arabs rejected the UN partition plans for
Kurdish nationalists have demanded a homeland partitioned out of
territories in parts of
Today, the Arab countries of the
Religious radicalism and terrorism thrive in the
While the
A stable Middle East is of vital importance to
A New Framework
Many blame the current arbitrary borders of the
Nationalism as a cause of war, authoritarianism, and racism is well
established. The role of nationalism in European wars, including the two world
wars, is well documented. After decades of war,
Candidate Countries
The selection of countries for this new
framework aims to defuse existing tensions that exacerbate the current
conflicts and fuel extremism. These countries are
The Gulf Cooperation Council countries (GCC) would continue to develop
their own relationships and would not be part of this proposed post-nationalist
bloc. Historically, the GCC’s main strategic threats
have been Arab nationalism, pan-Islamic movements, and
The Pillars of the New Framework
While this proposed framework borrows heavily from the European
experience, it is not a proposed union. This proposed framework is built with a
series of multilateral agreements between the named countries aimed at
replacing the current framework which is built of nationalistic bases with a
post nationalist framework built on three pillars, deemphasizing borders,
multiculturalism, and regional projects.
In this new bloc, borders would be frozen where they are and
deemphasized, with the ultimate goal of guaranteeing the free movement of
capital, people, goods and service within the bloc. Borrowing from the example
of the ECSC, a regional body would be created to manage the region’s water and
energy resources, as well as transit roots for energy from the Gulf area and
This new proposed framework for the
Creating a new bloc with deemphasized borders, regional projects, and
multiculturalism should defuse most of the regional conflicts. Since
A Prerequisite for Peace not a Product of Peace
Some believe that post nationalism will be the result of peace and that
creating a post-nationalist bloc would be putting the cart before the horse.
The European experience proves otherwise. After decades of conflicts and two
world wars, Europeans sought an escape from the nationalism that had devastated
the continent. The political elite took the lead in the search for a new
structure for governance. The result was the E.U., a pioneering experiment in
interdependence and multiculturalism. In 2012, the E.U. was awarded the Nobel
Peace Prize. Explaining the Nobel Committee’s decision, Chairman Thorbjorn Jagland argued that the
E.U. has transformed
The Alternative
Many have argued that the promotion of liberal democracies is a
precondition to peace in the
How do we get there?
It took
Post nationalism in Europe remains a deeply misunderstood process in the
Work on the new framework should be initiated by local politicians, most
likely from
Potential Obstacles
There will be resistance to such new framework from Islamists and
nationalists inside the region. There are also potential obstacles from outside
the region; the U.S might want to continue to isolate
For those who see too much chaos in the
Considering the decreasing strategic importance of the region to the
Bibliography
Beehner, Lionel. “How Proxy Wars Work:
And What That Means for Ending the Conflict in
Bernstam, Michael. “Redraw
Country Lines in the
Brzezinksi, Zbigniew.“Toward a Global Realignment.”
The American Interest 11, No. 6, (April 17, 2016).
http://www.the-american-interest.com/2016/04/17/toward-a-global-realignment/
Dzyubenko, Olga. “Kyrgystan
says Uighur militant groups behind attack on
Mackey, Peg. “
Noren, Alexander. 2012 Nobel
Prize Award Ceremony. video. 80
min. 2012.
http://www.lectoro.com/index.php?action=search&ytq=2012%20Nobel%20Prize%20Award%20Ceremony
Petraeus, Gen. David (ret.). Address to the
Senate Armed Services Committee on
Prospero, a blog published by The Economist.
http://www.economist.com/blogs/prospero.
Schuman, Robert. “The Schuman Declaration – 9 May 1950.” European Union. Last updated Dec. 12, 2016.
https://europa.eu/european-union/abouteu/symbols/europe-day/schuman-declaration_en
WikiQuote. David Ben-Gurion.Last
updated on July 1, 2016.
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/David_Ben-Gurion. Originally
published in David Ben-Gurion, Memoirs (The World Publishing Company, 1970),
36.
WikiQuote. David Ben-Gurion. Last updated on July
1, 2016. https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/David_Ben-Gurion.
World Resources Institute Blog. http://www.wri.org/blog
[1] Zbigniew Brzezinski, “Toward a Global
Realignment,” The American Interest, 11, no. 6 (April 17, 2016),
http://www.the-american-interest.com/2016/04/17/toward-a-global-realignment/.
[2] Gen. David Petraeus (ret.), Address to
Senate Armed Services Committee on
[3] Wikiquote, David Ben-Gurion. Last updated on July 1, 2016.
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/David_Ben-Gurion.
[4] Ibid.
[5] Peg Mackey, “
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-iea-oil-report-idUSBRE8AB0IQ20121112.
[6] Olga Dzyubenko, “Kyrgystan
says Uighur militant groups behind attack on
Reuters, Sept. 7, 2016,
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-kyrgyzstan-blast-china-idUSKCN11C1DK.
[7] Lionel Beehner, “How Proxy Wars Work: And
What That Means for Ending the Conflict in
[8] Robert Schuman, The Schuman Declaration – 9 May 1950, European Union,
last updated Dec. 12, 2016,
https://europa.eu/european-union/about-eu/symbols/europe-day/schuman-declaration_en.
[9] Andrew Maddocks, Robert Samuel Young and
Paul Reig, “Ranking the World’s Most Water Stressed
Countries in 2040,” World Resources Institute (blog), Aug. 26, 2015,
http://www.wri.org/blog/2015/08/ranking-world’s-most-water-stressed-countries-2040.
[10] “Multiculturalism and the E.U.,” Prospero (blog) The Economist,
April 30, 2015,
http://www.economist.com/blogs/prospero/2015/04/multilingualism-and-eu-0.
[11] Alexander Noren, 2012
Nobel Prize Award Ceremony, video, 80 min, 2012,
http://www.lectoro.com/index.php?action=search&ytq=2012%20Nobel%20Prize%20Award%20Ceremony.
[12] Michael Bernstam, “Redraw Country Lines in
the Middle East,” Forbes, Dec. 23, 2015,
http://www.forbes.com/sites/realspin/2015/12/23/redraw-country-lines-in-the-middle-east/#78181fda7765.
The post A Post-National Framework for Peace and Stability in the
Islam Strengthening in Europe with the
Blessing of the Church"
Giulio Meotti/Gatestone
Institute/January 29/17
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/9835/church-strengthening-islam
There are now many Catholic commentators who are questioning the Church's
blindness about the danger Europe is facing.
"Islam has every chance massively to strengthen its presence in
Europe with the blessing of the Church.... the Church is not only leading
"It is clear that Muslims have an ultimate goal: conquering the
world...Islam, through the sharia, their law...allows
violence against the infidels, such as Christians....And what is the most
important achievement?
"[T]hey are not refugees, this is an invasion, they come here with
cries of 'Allahu Akbar', they
want to take over." — Laszlo Kiss Rigo, head of
the Catholic Hungarian southern community.
François Fillon published a book entitled,
Vanquishing Islamic Totalitarianism, and he rose in the polls by vowing to
control Islam and immigration: "We've got to reduce immigration to its
strict minimum," Fillon said. "Our country
is not a sum of communities, it is an identity!"
Everyone in
Décadence is also the title of a new book by
the French philosopher Michel Onfray, in which he
suggests that the Judeo-Christian era may have come to an end. He compares the
West and Islam: "We have nihilism, they have fervor;
we are exhausted, they have a great health; we have the past for us; they have
the future for them".
Archbishop Liberati belongs to a growing branch
of Catholic leaders who refuse to see the future belonging to Islam in
Monsignor Carlo Liberati, Archbishop Emeritus
of Pompei (left) belongs to a growing branch of
Catholic leaders who refuse to see the future belonging to Islam in Europe, and
who speak in open opposition to Pope Francis (right).
Pope Francis's official vision is personified by Bishop Nunzio Galantino, who was
appointed by the Pontiff as the Secretary General of
There are now many Catholic commentators who are questioning the Church's
blindness about the danger
"Islam has every chance massively to strengthen its presence in
Dandrieu lists Pope Francis' gestures and
speeches in favor of Islam and migrants:
"On October 1, 2014, the Pope received Eritrean survivors of a
shipwreck off Lampedusa; on 8 February 2015, he made
a surprise visit to a refugee camp in Ponte Mammolo,
northeast of Rome; on April 18, he used the first official visit of the new
Italian president, Sergio Mattarella, to demand 'a
much larger commitment' for migrants; on 6 September 2015, at the conclusion of
the Angelus in St Peter's Square, he called for 'every parish, religious
community, monastery and sanctuary in Europe to host a family' of refugees; on
March 24, 2016, he chose to celebrate the Holy Thursday in a structure housing
900 refugees, and to wash the feet to twelve asylum seekers; on May 28, he
received children whose parents died in a boat that sank, filled with migrants;
during the general audience of June 22, Francis went down to the crowd to bring
back fifteen refugees".
But as Liberati's case demonstrates, resistance
to Pope Francis' vision of
"It is clear that Muslims have an ultimate goal: conquering the
world", Cardinal Raymond Burke said.
"Islam, through the sharia, their law,
wants to rule the world and allows violence against the infidels, like
Christians. But we find it hard to recognize this reality and to respond by
defending the Christian faith (...) I have heard several times an Islamic idea:
'what we failed to do with the weapons in the past we are doing today with the
birth rate and immigration'. The population is changing. If this keeps up, in
countries such as
The first to denounce this dramatic trend was
Cardinal Christoph Schönborn,
Archbishop of Vienna and a candidate tipped to be the next Pope, is very close
to Pope Francis, and is a centrist. Last September, on the anniversary of the
Siege of Vienna, when
After a Tunisian, who arrived among a flood of migrants into
The head of the Czech Roman Catholic Church, Miloslav
Vlk, also warned about the threat of Islamization. "Muslims in Europe have many more
children than Christian families; that is why demographers have been trying to
come up with a time when
"
Cardinal Dominik Duka,
Archbishop of Prague and Primate of Bohemia, has also questioned Pope Francis'
"welcoming culture".
Among the Eastern Catholic bishops there are many voices raising concerns
about
Another voice belongs to the French-born Bishop Paul Desfarges,
who heads the diocese of
On the political level, there is another a
tendency, that of strong Catholic leaders who challenge Pope Francis on the
Islamic question and immigration. The most important is the French presidential
candidate François Fillon, one of the first
politicians who "doesn't hide the fact that he's
Catholic". Fillon published a book entitled,
Vanquishing Islamic Totalitarianism, and he rose in the polls by vowing to
control Islam and immigration: "We've got to reduce immigration to its
strict minimum," Fillon said. "Our country
is not a sum of communities, it is an identity!"
These politicians, bishops and cardinals might convince Pope Francis not
to abandon
*Giulio Meotti,
Cultural Editor for Il Foglio, is an Italian
journalist and author.
© 2017 Gatestone Institute. All rights
reserved. The articles printed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the
Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced,
copied or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone
Institute.
Burak Bekdil/Gatestone
Institute/January 29/17
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/9849/erdogan-absolute-power
Erdogan will effectively consolidate the power of
three legislative bodies into one powerful executive office: himself.
Erdogan's "Turkish-style presidency" is
already a presidency with too much power held by one man. If approved at the
referendum, the changes will make Erdogan head of
government, head of state and head of the ruling party -- all at the same time.
It would transfer powers traditionally held by parliament to the presidency,
thereby rendering the parliament merely a ceremonial, advisory body.
The opposition looks fragmented and helpless in telling the masses that reforms
would concentrate excessive powers in the hands of a leader who has
increasingly displayed authoritarian tendencies.
At the moment, Erdogan is effectively the absolute
ruler. If he wins the vote he becomes the absolute ruler. If he loses, he
remains effectively the absolute ruler until he tries again to become the
absolute ruler.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip
Erdogan's one-man show goes on; he may soon progress
from effectively having absolute authority to actually having absolute
authority. He would apparently like to put an official seal on his increasingly
autocratic regime. If a simple majority of Turks vote "yes" in a
national referendum on proposed constitutional amendments in April, Erdogan will effectively consolidate the power of three
legislative bodies into one powerful executive office: himself. He would then
be installed as a leader with virtually unlimited authority.
Although the current constitution grants him largely symbolic powers, Erdogan has acted as the effective head of the executive
branch since he became
Erdogan replaced Davutoglu
with Binali Yildirim, who
has proven to be more enthusiastic about terminating the prime minister's
office and transferring all powers to an all-powerful president. As Erdogan's (and Yildirim's) ruling
Justice and Development Party (AKP) lacked the parliamentary majority to put
any constitutional amendment to public vote, the proposed changes therefore
required support from the opposition benches. (A minimum of 330 votes is
required in the country's 550-member assembly, as opposed to 317 seats controlled
by the AKP.)
A year ago, that would have looked unimaginable. But a nationalist opposition
party, the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), made a U-turn from its public
pledges of "never letting Erdogan become the
executive president," and decided to support the reform bill. Political
observers are still trying to figure out what may have pushed the MHP from one
extreme to the other; there is not yet a clear explanation.
Erdogan's "Turkish-style presidency" is
already a presidency with too much power held by one man. If approved in the
referendum, the changes will make Erdogan head of
government, head of state and head of the ruling party -- all at the same time.
Erdogan would have the power to appoint cabinet
ministers without requiring a confidence vote from parliament, propose budgets
and appoint more than half the members of the nation's highest judicial body.
He would also have the power to dissolve parliament, impose states of emergency
and issue decrees. Alarmingly, the proposed system lacks the safety mechanisms
of checks and balances that exist in other countries such as the
With support from MHP, the reform bill passed in parliament with 339 votes in favor -- nine more than required to put it to a national
vote.
The way the Turkish parliament debated the bill looked like a prelude to the
way Erdogan's totally autocratic presidency will fuel
tensions in the months ahead. Several rounds of fist-fighting broke out. Brawls
were daily scenes in parliamentary sessions. Screaming matches and physical
altercations sent lawmakers to hospitals.
In one instance, an independent female lawmaker handcuffed herself to the
microphone on the lectern for an hour to protest the presidential bill.
Deputies from the government benches tried to remove her but opposition
deputies sprang to her defense, while punches and
kicks were exchanged. The assembly saw its first-ever
brawl between female lawmakers who punched each other and pulled one another's
hair. One female opposition deputy was thrown to the floor and her prosthetic
artificial arm knocked off, injuring her severely.
Several brawls recently broke out in
Nevertheless, Erdogan is happy. He will soon launch
his "yes" campaign together with the nationalists in the opposition
(MHP). He is confident that he will win -- he has not lost a single election or
referendum since he came to power in November 2002. Observers expect that a
clear majority of his party loyalists (around 40% of 50%) will vote
"yes" in addition to around half of the nationalists in opposition
(around 6% of 12%). That makes a combined 46% of the vote. Some of the splinter
Islamist parties and non-AKP voters who favor a
presidential system, too, are expected to vote "yes," lifting the
pro-Erdogan vote to a range of 50% to 55%. There is a
sizeable group of "undecided" whose preferences may be influenced by Erdogan's huge propaganda machinery or by the argument that
a strong president would strengthen
The opposition (Kurds and secular and liberal Turks), on the other hand, looks
fragmented and helpless in telling the masses that reforms would concentrate
excessive powers in the hands of a leader who has increasingly displayed
authoritarian tendencies. There are concerns that the opposition, under the
state of emergency Erdogan's government declared in
2016, may find it too difficult effectively and freely to campaign against the
proposed amendments.
Even in the unlikely event of a win for the "no" campaign it will not
be the end of the world for Erdogan. He would be
bruised, perhaps badly. But he would play another card: a snap election. He
would win new parliamentary elections and push for similar amendments, once
again trying his chances. He would have nothing to lose. He appears to rely on
a popular support keeping him afloat.
From a policy-making point of view, however, a "yes" or a
"no" vote will not fundamentally change the dynamics under which
**Burak Bekdil, one of
Turkey's leading journalists, was just fired from Turkey's leading newspaper
after 29 years, for writing what was taking place in Turkey for Gatestone. He is a Fellow at the Middle East Forum.
© 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.
Judith Bergman/Gatestone Institute/January
29/17
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/9760/austria-church-migrants-terrorism‘
The Austrian Military Intelligence Service has predicted that up to 15
million migrants from Africa could arrive in the EU by 2020.
Cardinal Christoph Schönborn,
Archbishop of Vienna, recently admitted on Austrian television that he had come
to "rethink" his approach to the migrant crisis: Instead of accepting
all the refugees, aid should be given in the Middle East and
"Will there be an Islamic conquest of
Cardinal Schönborn subsequently backtracked,
saying that his words had been misinterpreted as an attack against Muslims and
refugees: "
In his Christmas sermon, broadcast live on
"Barbed wire, fences and walls are now many people's answer to the
refugees [coming into]
Bishop Zsifkovics declared that we cannot let
"Cowardly terror attacks, like that in
Since the bishop's speech, the Austrian Military Intelligence Service has
predicted that up to 15 million migrants from
Austrian diocesan Bishop Aegidius
Zsifkovics. (Image source: Catholic Church of
In November 2016,
Bishop Zsifkovics' sermon was broadcast only
five days after Anis Amri, an illegal immigrant from
Bishop Zsifkovics is
The Archbishop of Vienna, Cardinal Christoph Schönborn, tipped to become the next Pope, appears to have
a more realistic take on developments in
His statements made big headlines, and were described by one Austrian
commentator as:
"unusual words for a representative of the Church... But they are
also words which prove the cardinal's [sense of] reality. Yes, the enormous
onslaught of asylum seekers has overwhelmed us -- yes, you can admit
that."
That such a view is considered "unusual" says it all.
Cardinal Schönborn has clearly harbored doubts about the migrant situation for a while. In
September 2016, he made headlines when speaking at the festival of the
"Holy Name of Mary," which was introduced 333 years ago to celebrate
the Western victory over Ottoman forces at the Battle of Vienna, in 1683. In
his speech, Cardinal Schönborn asked, "Will
there be an Islamic conquest of
He subsequently backtracked, saying that his words had been
misinterpreted as an attack against Muslims and refugees:
"
Already in February 2015, the British anti-extremist think tank, the Quilliam Foundation, translated an ISIS document, which
detailed plans to use
What the
"And whoever emigrates for the cause of Allah will find on the earth
many locations and abundance. And whoever leaves his home as an emigrant to
Allah and His Messenger and then death overtakes him,
his reward has already become incumbent upon Allah. And Allah is ever Forgiving and Merciful." (Quran 4:100).
Unfortunately, national decision makers all over Europe ignored the news
contained in this
One can think of many valid reasons for Cardinal Schönborn
to "rethink" his approach to the migrant crisis. One of them is the
inability of Austrian police to protect Austrian women from sexual assaults by
migrants. In a pathetic move to cover up their helplessness,
The precaution does not seem to have been very effective, especially not in
"We have not had anything like this happen here before. They were
dancing around the victims and then suddenly grabbed their breast or stuck
their hands between their legs. That's what made it hard for others to notice
what was going on -- it all happened amid festivities."
In Oberdorf,
Then there is a 72-year old grandmother refusing to eat and dying in
hospital, after apparently losing the will to live. On September 1, 2015, she
had offered her hand to a 17-year-old asylum seeker from
Are these events what Bishop Zsifkovics had in
mind when he preached that accepting migrants from the Middle East and
Since New Year's, in the Innviertel region,
statues have been beheaded, prayer books burned and sacred images destroyed.
Police have said the attacks could be religiously motivated, but they have not
yet identified any suspects. On New Year's Eve, a chapel in the
In the past year, Innviertel has witnessed an
influx of migrants as part of
While it remains to be seen who did this, the beheading of religious
statues certainly raises the legitimate suspicions of a religiously motivated
attack. If so, might Bishop Zsifkovics and others in
the church who think the same way be persuaded to rethink their stance?
Bishop Zsifkovics, unlike Cardinal Schönborn, but with so many of his peers in Western Europe,
seems to view reality as something they can bend to their wishes and discard at
will, especially if it offers the opportunity for moral posturing. The
destabilization of
*Judith Bergman is a writer, columnist, lawyer and political analyst.
[1] The
"... It has a long coastline and looks upon the southern Crusader
states, which can be reached with ease by even a rudimentary boat and note that
the number of 'illegal immigration' trips from this coast is massive, estimated
to be as high as 500 people a day, as a low estimate. According to many [of
these immigrants], it is easily possible to pass through Maritime Security
Checkpoints and arrive in cities. If this was even partially exploited and
developed strategically, pandemonium could be wrought in the southern
In September 2015, Newsweek Europe also reported on ISIS making calls for
hijrah to
© 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.
Counting down to Doomsday with Donald
Trump
Maria Dubovikova/Al Arabiya/January
29/17
So welcome to the epoch of two-and-a- half minutes to
Midnight. The Doomsday clock has never ever been so close to midnight. Even in
the worst days of the
Considered populist during his presidential campaign, Donald Trump since the
first days of his presidentship proves that he is
not. Now many the world over are having doubts about Trump
being a harmless populist rather than an unpredictable activist.
Trump during his presidential campaign gave many promises that were looking as
traits of his epatage image, populist declarations,
whatever, but not the realistic pre-election campaign promises. But what is
happening is that all of them appear to be put into action one by one. The
withdrawal of the
Cutting UN funding
The draft order entitled ‘Auditing and Reducing US Funding of International
Organisations’ and obtained by The New York Times, even though it is being kept
on hold by the Administration is quite shocking. And in case
of the UN even dramatic. The draft order is to terminate funding to the
UN and its bodies where
The UN appears to be in a very strange situation regarding this order in case
it is finally signed. In case the UN yields to Trump, it will lose its
credibility in the eyes of the international community. In case it does not
yield to Trump’s pressure it has to face enormous, hardly resolvable financial
crisis and crisis of credibility.
The UN appears to be in a very strange situation regarding this order in case
it is finally signed. In case the UN yields to Trump, it will lose its
credibility in the eyes of the international community. In case it does not
yield to Trump’s pressure it has to face enormous, hardly resolvable financial
crisis and crisis of credibility. Trump is putting the final charge to blow up
the rest of the shaky remains of the world order founded by the international
community following the World War II. And thus setting the
stage for uncontrollable chaos in the world.
The
The resolution of the Arab-Israeli conflict that has been simmering for over 60
years, lies exclusively in the two-state solution.
With Trump, this issue takes on totally new and dangerous dimensions. On
December 23, 2016, the Security Council has unanimously voted for the 2334
resolution reaffirming that
Another significant worry stems from Trump’s position
on
And at the first signs as Iranians were banned from traveling to the
With the notorious Christian rhetoric, renunciation of support for the LGBT
community, of NGOs dealing with abortions, Trump is moving closer to
He will bring American factories and plants back home, damaging the existing
global economic system, just because this according to him,
will be better for the home politics and home economy. He will kick out all the
immigrants, if this gives jobs for the Americans and permits to cut state
expenses. And this can be proclaimed racist, discriminative, inhumane.
For Trump it is not. Nothing personal. Just business. But for the rest of the world – it is a
countdown to Doomsday.
Dr. Ibrahim Al-Othaimin/Al Arabiya/January
29/17
The announcement by the Sultanate of Oman that it will join the Saudi-led
Islamic military counter-terrorism coalition has been widely welcomed in the
Gulf, throughout the Arab world and by the wider Muslim community.
Experience
The accumulated experience of Omani security agencies,
including its highly qualified and competent foreign intelligence agency, will
provide significant assistance to the coalition due to its deep-rooted
experience in combating terrorism and extremism.
The coalition can collaborate with the Omani security agencies regarding
information exchange and the unification of vision and mechanisms to combat
terrorism and extremism. Likewise,
Global Peace Index
According to the third report of the Global Peace Index, issued by the
**This article was first published in Saudi Gazette on Jan. 26, 2017.
Entertainment in
Turki Aldakhil/Al Arabiya/January 29/17
Cultural, entertainment and art events in
**This article was first published in Okaz on Jan 29,
2017.
The first seven lean days of Donald Trump
Hisham Melhem/Al Arabiya/January 29/17
He stormed
“The world is a mess”
In his first seven days, Trump wielded his pen like a sword slashing previous
decisions, undermining settled laws, and signing new executive orders
proclaiming new policies that are likely to create new adversaries and enemies.
In the city where Trump reigned, Executive Orders were raining daily; he signed
them with relish under the limelight, pretending that his signature will render
them concrete realities. He may not know, or even care that some of them may not
muster the inevitable legal challenges. He signed them with the abandon that
only the head of a Junta could display after a successful coup, signing
military communiques introducing the new post-coup
political reality. For what Donald Trump and his new lieutenants have wrought
is nothing short of a political coup. Yet beyond the glee and the arrogant
braggadocio, President Trump could not hide the fact that most of his executive
orders related to international trade and security, were rooted in the fear and
loathing of a hostile world. In his first television interview with the ABC
network, president Trump was asked about the impact of his decision to suspend
immigration from seven majority Muslim countries; his answer mirrored the
gloomy world he invoked in his inaugural speech. “The world is a mess. The
world is as angry as it gets. What, you think this is going to cause a little
more anger? The world is an angry place.”
It was ironic that President Trump signed his order banning Muslim immigrants
and refugees on Holocaust Remembrance Day. The symbolism was powerful and
poignant
One of the most enduring and disturbing vignettes of President Trump’s first
week at the White House was the joint brief press conference at the conclusion
of his talks with visiting British Prime Minister Theresa May. A surreal moment
came in the middle of the press conference when president Trump extolled the
benefit of torture, oblivious to the fact that American law prohibits torture.
Trump stated that his defense secretary retired
General James Mattis had stated publicly that he is
against torture, specifically waterboarding, then he
added “I don’t necessarily agree” but that in this case Mr. Mattis
“will override” him. Before this encounter, president Trump emphatically told
an interviewer that he believes that torture “works”.
In seven days, President Trump began to upend the complex political, economic
and strategic architecture that Democratic and Republican presidents have built
and preserved in the world and at home since the end of the Second World War.
Even before his inauguration, Mr. Trump succeeded in alienating
Globalization and its discontents
By withdrawing from the Trans-Pacific Partnership
(TPP) trade deal, designed to deepen and expand economic ties among the twelve
countries bordering the Pacific Ocean, minus
Trump’s decision to act on his xenophobic pledge to build a wall separating the
United States from Mexico, its third largest economic partner and a country
with which America is linked in so many complex ways, is disconcerting to say
the least. Mr. Trump came to undermine the policies of his three predecessors
towards
President Trump’s position on the Mexican wall is bizarre and embarrassing, but
his views on Iraqi oil that he repeated during the campaign and during his
first week in office are downright dangerous and illegal. Mr. Trump has been
criticizing the Obama administration because it withdrew from
The Muslims are not coming
And on the seventh day, it was the Muslims’ turn to
get Trump’s angry attention. During a visit to the Pentagon, president Trump brandished
his pen and signed another executive order suspending admission of all refugees
for 120 days pending the establishment of a rigorous system of vetting the
backgrounds of applicants from majority Muslim countries, while giving, for the
first time preference to religious minorities, namely the Christians. The order
also halts the admission of refugees from
The order was called “Protecting the Nation From
Foreign Terrorist Entry into the
When drafts of the order were leaked to some newspapers earlier in the week
they contained a section calling for the establishment of safe zones inside
“The voyage of the damned”
What followed the day after the order was issued, were countless tales of woes,
by immigrants, refugees and permanent residents who were stranded at airports
all over the world; families were ejected from planes waiting to take-off from
overseas airports, others detained after landing in the US and others were send
back to their original homes. By one stroke of a pen, president Trump debased
the ideals of
It was ironic that President Trump signed his order banning Muslim immigrants
and refugees on Holocaust Remembrance Day. The symbolism was powerful and
poignant. In the spring of 1939, the
Brick walls and virtual walls
President Trump’s first week, saw him dueling with
journalists and pundits and politicians including members of his own party who
criticized his obsession with his image as a strong and popular leader, and his
insistence contrary to the facts that his inauguration was the most watched in
history. Mr. Trump even defended his senior advisor Stephen Bannon
who accused the American media of being the “opposition party”. Mr. Bannon went as far as demanding the silence of the media
since it failed to understand the Trump phenomenon, saying to a reporter from
the New York Times “the media should be embarrassed and humiliated and keep its
mouth shut and just listen for a while”. The next time a journalist in an
autocratic country is kicked in the teeth, the tormentor will be quoting
Stephen Bannon, telling the journalist to keep his
mouth shut. Never before, a senior official in the White House dared to insult
and intimidate the American media as Mr. Bannon did.
It is as if Mr. Bannon was putting another brick in a
virtual wall separating the media from president Trump’s White House.
Throughout history, great civilizations and great cities mastered the art of
erecting walls to fend off “the barbarians”. Magnificent walls were built to
protect
Israel, Egypt emerging as Trump’s top
allies in the Middle East
Thomas Seibert/The Arab Weekly/January 29/17
Washington - Israel and Egypt are emerging as US President Donald Trump’s top
allies in the Middle East as he tries to strengthen US ties in the region with
a focus on countering Iran’s influence and fighting Islamic extremists.
In his first few days in office, Trump had separate telephone conversations
with Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Egyptian President Abdel
Fattah al-Sisi. He invited both leaders to visit him
in
Netanyahu and Sisi were the first leaders from the
Trump and Netanyahu “agreed to continue to closely consult on a range of
regional issues, including addressing the threats posed by
Following Trump’s inauguration,
In contrast, Trump did not comment on the settlement expansion, which is
considered illegal under international law. The new administration’s stance is
seen as an encouragement for unilateral Israeli action. “The president
emphasised that peace between
In his conversation with Sisi, Trump discussed
“military assistance to
US media reported that Trump was planning to designate the Muslim Brotherhood —
Sisi’s main political adversary — a terrorist organisation.
The Egyptian president came to power in 2013 after toppling Muhammad Morsi, a senior Brotherhood member.
Trump’s overtures to
Trager said
Trump’s US-Israel-Egypt triangle could face other challenges as well. The new
president’s foreign policy agenda foresees a decidedly pro-
One controversial issue could be Trump’s plan to move the
CNN reported that Trump’s team had informed US allies that it was moving the
embassy to
Fahmy expressed hope that the “reality of the
situation” in the Middle East as well as objections raised by
Trump administration debates
designating Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist group
Reuters/January 29/17
Washington - A debate is under way in the Trump administration about whether
the United States should declare the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist
organisation and subject it to US sanctions, officials and people close to
President Donald Trump’s transition team said.
A faction led by Michael Flynn, Trump’s national security adviser, wants to add
the Brotherhood to US State Department and US Treasury lists of foreign
terrorist organisations, the sources said.
“I know it has been discussed. I’m in favour of it,” said a Trump transition
adviser, who declined to be named because of the sensitivity of the issue.
The adviser said Flynn’s team discussed adding the Muslim Brotherhood to the US
list of terrorist groups but said it was unclear when — or even if — the
administration ultimately would go ahead with such a move.
Other Trump advisers and veteran national security, diplomatic, law
enforcement and intelligence officials argue the Brotherhood has evolved
peacefully in some countries, officials and people close to Trump’s entourage
said.
They worry that a US move to designate the entire Brotherhood a terrorist group
would complicate relations with Turkey, a key American ally in the fight
against the Islamic State (ISIS), and where the Islamist-rooted Justice and
Development Party (AKP), which dominates the Turkish government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan
is in power.
The Muslim Brotherhood in
It is not clear which faction within the
There was no immediate comment from the White House.
Some conservative and anti- Muslim activists have argued for years that the
Brotherhood, which was founded in
Some branches of the Brotherhood, including the Palestinian group Hamas, have
engaged in anti-government violence and provoked violent government reactions. Ayman al-Zawahiri, the leader of
al- Qaeda, was once a member of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood.
Other offshoots in
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Trump
spoke by phone recently and discussed ways to boost the fight against terrorism
and extremism.
A US official who declined to be identified said there had been discussions at
the State Department that looked at intelligence and information on the group
in which it was thought “it would be difficult to justify legally, in terms of
the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood, to meet the criteria”.
“It’s one thing to say one group’s ideology has been used to influence a
terrorist organisation and another thing to say that this group is a terrorist
organisation,” said the
Following the September 11th, 2001, al-Qaeda attacks on the
After years of investigations, however, the
A British government review into