LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
August 13/16
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
The Bulletin's Link on the lccc Site
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Bible Quotations For Today
Whoever does not
carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 14/25-35/:"Large crowds were
travelling with him; and he turned and said to them, ‘Whoever comes to me and
does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes,
and even life itself, cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not carry the cross
and follow me cannot be my disciple. For which of you, intending to build a
tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has
enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able
to finish, all who see it will begin to ridicule him, saying, "This fellow began
to build and was not able to finish." Or what king, going out to wage war
against another king, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able
with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand?
If he cannot, then, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and
asks for the terms of peace. So therefore, none of you can become my disciple if
you do not give up all your possessions. ‘Salt is good; but if salt has lost its
taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is fit neither for the soil nor for
the manure heap; they throw it away. Let anyone with ears to hear listen!’"
We know that we have passed
from death to life because we love one another
First Letter of John 03/11-22:"This is the message you have heard from the
beginning, that we should love one another. We must not be like Cain who was
from the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because
his own deeds were evil and his brother’s righteous. Do not be astonished,
brothers and sisters, that the world hates you. We know that we have passed from
death to life because we love one another. Whoever does not love abides in
death. All who hate a brother or sister are murderers, and you know that
murderers do not have eternal life abiding in them. We know love by this, that
he laid down his life for us and we ought to lay down our lives for one another.
How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother
or sister in need and yet refuses help? Little children, let us love, not in
word or speech, but in truth and action. And by this we will know that we are
from the truth and will reassure our hearts before him. whenever our hearts
condemn us; for God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.
Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have boldness before God; and we
receive from him whatever we ask, because we obey his commandments and do what
pleases him."
Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on August 12-13/16
The Usual Suspect… is “Unknown/Ahmad
El-Assaad/ August 12/16
Erdogan in the Kremlin/Abdulrahman
al-Rashed/Al Arabiya/August 12/16
Choosing authority over chaos/Turki Aldakhil/Al Arabiya/August 12/16
Why is Iran intensifying crackdown on dual citizens/Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Al
Arabiya/August 12/16
The White House document and war policies/Fahad Suleiman Shoqiran/Al Arabiya/August
12/16
Professor Sheikha Al-Jassem During Debate On The Concept Of Shame In Kuwaiti
Society: I Consider The Niqab A Violation Of Human Rights/MEMRI/August 12/16
'Abd Al-Rahman Al-Rashed: Terror Is Product Of Extremism In Media, Mosques And
Schools/MEMRI/August 12/16
What Europe can do for human rights in Iran/Elaheh Azimfar/Vocal Europe/August
12/16
Sanctions must remain to end Iran's human rights violations/Shahriar Kia,
contributor/The Hill/August 12/16
Examiner: Freelance Jihad/A.J. Caschetta/The Washington Examiner/August 12/16
Turkey, Europe's Little Problem/Burak Bekdil/Gatestone Institute/August 12/16
Hamas: Vote for Us or Burn in Hell/Khaled Abu Toameh/Gatestone Institute/August
12/16
Titles For Latest Lebanese Related News published on
on August 12-13/16
Maronite Lebanese Leaders: Thugs and Merchants
The Usual Suspect… is “Unknown
Report: Salam Says Seven Other Candidates Eligible for Presidency
Lebanon Stops Saudi Woman, Kids Heading to Join IS in Syria
Lebanese Army Contains Armed Clash in Bekaa's Hawrtaala
Top Tripoli Gunman Released from Jail after Serving Sentence
Egypt Envoy Says Shoukry to Carry New Presidency 'Ideas' to Lebanon
UNIFIL Chief Meets Berri, Reiterates Efforts to Maintain South Stability
Speaker of the House, Nabih Berri reviews situation in south with UNIFIL
Commander
President, Michel Sleiman visits Salam, underlines need for election of
president
Zayed from Boustros Palace: Egyptian FM holds new ideas to activate presidential
file in Lebanon
Maronite Patriarch, Bechara Rahi reviews situation with Bou Saab, Araiji
Economy and Trade Minister, Alain Hakim reviews with Brazilian Ambassador
bilateral ties
Tourism Minister Michel Pharaon tackles with Lebanon's Ambassador to Argentina
ways to boost ties
Army Chief, Jean Kahwaji meets Bishop Boulos Matar
Interior Minister, Labor Minister of Bangladesh hold talks
Zaeter meets with MPs Abbas Hashem, Nabil Nicholas, administration of civil
aviation
Taif: A ball everyone kicks into the other’s court
Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin For
Miscellaneous Reports And News published on
on August 12-13/16
Four Dead as String of Blasts Hit Thai Tourist Resorts
More than 200 Civilians Killed in 4 Months in Yemen War
London schoolgirl who joined ISIS ‘killed in Raqqa’
Final assault against ISIS in Syria's Manbij launched
ISIS abducts 2,000 civilians in Syria
Kurds say ISIS overseer killed in joint ops with US
U.N.: 100,000 Displaced as Iraqi Forces Poise for Mosul Battle
Turkey working on new decree to hire air force pilots
Gulen says will return to Turkey if independent body finds him guilty
Israel spy loses challenge to US parole conditions
23 Egyptians Kidnapped in Libya Freed
Iran regime hangs two men in public for killing suppressive forces
Maryam Rajavi’s statement on Montazeri’s tape recording about Iran’s 1988
massacre
Links From Jihad Watch Site for
on August 12-13/16
Media in frenzy over Trump claim that Obama and Hillary founded
ISIS, ignores DIA document showing how they did
Czech bishop decries “ruthless welcome policy” and obfuscation
about jihad terror, is censored by his own paper
Czech bishop decries “ruthless welcome policy” and obfuscation
about jihad terror, is censored by his own paper
Journalist investigating alleged ‘honor killing’ reports death threats
Mayor bans burkinis on Cannes beaches: they show “allegiance to terrorist
movements at war with us”
UK: Massive voter fraud in Muslim areas, no challenge because of “political
correctness”
“Islamophobia” shock horror: Muslim Bollywood star detained at US airports
Anni Cyrus’ “Unknown”: Obama’s Iranian Mullah Odyssey
Germany: “We have substantial reports that among the refugees are
hit squads”
on August 12-13/16
Maronite Lebanese Leaders: Thugs and Merchants
Elias Bejjani/August 12/16/Lebanon's political leaders in general, and in
particular the Maronites are a bunch of Trojans and hypocrites because they
portray themselves as Godly idols and make their stupid and faithless sheep-like
followers worship them. These thugs are nothing but evil and evilness
Report: Salam Says Seven Other
Candidates Eligible for Presidency
Naharnet/August 12/16/Prime Minister Tammam Salam stressed on Friday that
Lebanon is in dire need for a “wise” president to fill the over two year vacuum
and assured that there are seven candidates eligible for the post other than the
names of the four nominees circulated in media outlets, An Nahar daily reported.
Without naming the candidates that he sees eligible to be head of state, Salam
said in an interview to the daily that the “political life in Lebanon will not
be regulated unless a president is elected.” On rumors circulating that the Free
Patriotic Movement would escalate measures in October and head for a
confrontation if a president was not elected in September, Salam expressed
pessimism and said: “the date is approaching and there is no light on the
horizon. “The circumstances are not ripe for a confrontation. Who will face
whom? There is no possibility for confrontations because everyone is in
trouble,” the Premier told the daily. “What is possible to do is to resign from
the government which does not offer anything, on the contrary, it harms the
institution and drives for further collapse.”“They can not threaten me with
this. I have settled my opinion and hesitated before the national
responsibility,” he added, pointing to previous warnings that he would resign
from the cabinet shall political factions fail from agreeing on controversial
files that have been palayzing the country and its institutions. Salam has
warned previously that he would step down from his post amid a political crisis
and the obstruction of the cabinet's work. Lebanon has been without a president
since the term of President Michel Suleiman ended in May 2014. Hizbullah, MP
Michel Aoun's Change and Reform bloc and some of their allies have been
boycotting the parliament's electoral sessions, stripping them of the needed
quorum. Hariri, who is close to Saudi Arabia, launched an initiative in late
2015 to nominate Marada Movement chief MP Suleiman Franjieh for the presidency
but his proposal was met with reservations from the country's main Christian
parties as well as Hizbullah. The supporters of Aoun's presidential bid argue
that he is more eligible than Franjieh to become president due to the size of
his parliamentary bloc and his bigger influence in the Christian community.
Lebanon Stops Saudi Woman,
Kids Heading to Join IS in Syria
Associated Press/ Naharnet/August 12/16/Saudi Arabia's Interior Ministry says a
woman and her three children have been stopped in Lebanon from entering Syria to
join the Islamic State group.
The ministry said early Friday that Saudi officials received a warning from the
woman's husband about her plans and "competent authorities in the sisterly
Republic of Lebanon" found them and returned them to the kingdom. A number of
Saudis have joined the extremist Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria. The
announcement marked a rare moment of cooperation between Saudi Arabia and
Lebanon after months of icy relations. In February, Saudi officials halted a $3
billion arms deal with Lebanon over the kingdom's ongoing tensions with Iran.
The Shiite power supports the Lebanese militant group Hizbullah, both of which
back embattled Syrian President Bashar Assad.
Lebanese Army Contains Armed Clash in Bekaa's
Hawrtaala
The army intervened on Friday after an armed clash broke out
between members of the al-Masri family in the eastern Bekaa town of Hawrtaala,
state-run National News Agency reported. The violence did not cause any
casualties but resulted in the burning of two houses, NNA said, adding that
machineguns were used in the clash. The agency attributed the unrest to a “blood
feud.”After encircling the town from all sides, according to media reports, NNA
said the army was staging patrols on the town's streets as well as raids to
arrest the shooters.
Top Tripoli Gunman Released from
Jail after Serving Sentence
Naharnet/August 12/16/Top gunman in Tripoli's Bab al-Tabbaneh neighborhood, Ziad
Allouki, was released from jail on Friday after serving his sentence, media
reports said. Allouki had turned himself in to the military intelligence in 2014
along with other leaders of armed fighters in the northern city of Tripoli. He
was charged with threatening an army soldier with a weapon in 2013, and was
sentenced to three years in prison. Allouki arrived at Tripoli late during the
day where crowds of people gathered to greet him. He said: “As long as the
security forces are present in Tripoli there is no need to take up arms
anymore.” Tripoli had previously witnessed several rounds of deadly gunbattles
between the rival neighborhoods of Bab al-Tabbaneh and Jabal Mohsen. Allouki was
the so-called leader of the Souk al-Qameh fighting frontier in Bab al-Tabbaneh .
But when a strict, unprecedented security plan got underway in the city, he went
into hiding and decided afterward to turn himself over to the authorities.
Egypt Envoy Says Shoukry to
Carry New Presidency 'Ideas' to Lebanon
Naharnet/August 12/16/Egyptian Ambassador to Lebanon Mohammed Badreddine Zayed
announced Friday that Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry will propose “new
ideas” regarding Lebanon's presidential crisis during his upcoming visit to the
country. “I discussed with (Foreign) Minister (Jebran) Bassil the preparations
for the visit of Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry to Lebanon next week, which
comes at a very important moment regionally and locally,” said Zayed after his
talks with Bassil in Ashrafieh. “Egypt is keen to offer all support to Lebanon
in the current period and we all understand the challenges that the region is
going through and how critical is the regional situation. This is the reason
behind Egypt's keenness on the current Egyptian-Lebanese interaction,” the envoy
added. He declared that the visit will tackle “specific aspects, most
importantly the need to put an end to the presidential vacuum and to underscore
Egypt's special ties with all of Lebanon's components.”“Egypt is keen on these
strategic and unique relations,” the ambassador added. Asked whether the
Egyptian FM's visit will involve any new initiative regarding the Lebanese
crisis, Zayed said “the visit will carry new ideas on how to interact with the
Lebanese affair and, God willing, it will begin to address the situation.”As for
Egypt's ability to help Lebanon elect a new president, the ambassador noted that
Egypt “has several times expressed its willingness” to help. “The visit's aim is
to prepare for this situation and for this development that is necessary at the
moment for Lebanon, which now needs a president more than ever,” Zayed said. “We
will start this process and we hope it will lead to the needed result,” he
added. Lebanon has been without a president since the term of Michel Suleiman
ended in May 2014 and Hizbullah, MP Michel Aoun's Change and Reform bloc and
some of their allies have been boycotting the parliament's electoral sessions,
stripping them of the needed quorum. Al-Mustaqbal Movement leader ex-PM Saad
Hariri, who is close to Saudi Arabia, launched an initiative in late 2015 to
nominate Marada Movement chief MP Suleiman Franjieh for the presidency but his
proposal was met with reservations from the country's main Christian parties as
well as Hizbullah. The supporters of Aoun's presidential bid argue that he is
more eligible than Franjieh to become president due to the size of his
parliamentary bloc and his bigger influence in the Christian community.
UNIFIL Chief Meets Berri,
Reiterates Efforts to Maintain South Stability
Naharnet/August 12/16/The Head of Mission and Force Commander of the United
Nations Interim Force in Lebanon Major-General Michael Beary met with Speaker
Nabih Berri on Thursday where he briefed him on the situation along the Blue
Line and the UNIFIL's efforts together with the Lebanese army to maintain
security in the south, a UNIFIL press statement said on Friday. This was Beary’s
first meeting with the Speaker after he assumed command of UNIFIL on 19 July.
UNIFIL Head of Mission briefed the Speaker on the situation along the Blue Line
and UNIFIL’s engagement with the people of South Lebanon in efforts, together
with LAF, to maintain security and stability in the area within the framework of
Security Council resolution 1701 (2006), said the statement. Following the
meeting, the UNIFIL Force Commander said: “I was extremely encouraged by the
warm reception and strong words of support I received today from the Speaker. I
assured him of UNIFIL’s firm resolve to continue working with the local
authorities as well as with all the relevant Ministries to facilitate the
extension of state authority in UNIFIL’s area of operations.”He added: “I told
the Speaker that one of my central priorities is to reach out to the people of
the south whose safety is at the heart of our operations. Preserving stability
through UNIFIL’s continued operations on the ground is of paramount importance,
but this goal can be accomplished only by working together with the people of
south Lebanon who have warmly welcomed and hosted the peacekeepers.”“I assured
the Speaker of my firm commitment to our mandated tasks under resolution 1701.
The accomplishments that we have witnessed and worked on in close coordination
with the LAF for the last 10 years need to be treasured, preserved and
strengthened,” concluded the statement.
Speaker of the House, Nabih Berri
reviews situation in south with UNIFIL Commander
Fri 12 Aug 2016/NNA - Speaker of the House, Nabih Berri met on Friday noon the
Head of Mission and Force Commander of the United Nations Interim Force in
Lebanon (UNIFIL), Major-General Michael Beary. Both men tackled the situation in
Lebanon, particularly in the south and the role of the UNIFIL. UNIFIL
distributed the following statement: This was Major-General Beary's first
meeting with the Speaker after he assumed command of UNIFIL on 19 July. UNIFIL
Head of Mission briefed the Speaker on the situation along the Blue Line and
UNIFIL's engagement with the people of South Lebanon in efforts, together with
LAF, to maintain security and stability in the area within the framework of
Security Council resolution 1701 (2006). Following the meeting, the UNIFIL Force
Commander said: "I was extremely encouraged by the warm reception and strong
words of support I received today from the Speaker. I assured him of UNIFIL's
firm resolve to continue working with the local authorities as well as with all
the relevant Ministries to facilitate the extension of state authority in
UNIFIL's area of operations." And he added: "I told the Speaker that one of my
central priorities is to reach out to the people of the south whose safety is at
the heart of our operations. Preserving stability through UNIFIL's continued
operations on the ground is of paramount importance, but this goal can be
accomplished only by working together with the people of south Lebanon who have
warmly welcomed and hosted the peacekeepers.""I assured the Speaker of my firm
commitment to our mandated tasks under resolution 1701. The accomplishments that
we have witnessed and worked on in close coordination with the LAF for the last
10 years need to be treasured, preserved and strengthened." Separately, Berri
met with Deputy Ahmad Fatfat and discussed the general situation in Lebanon.
Also, Berri reviewed the general situation in Lebanon and the ambiance of
dialogue with former Deputy, Faisal Daoud. Berri met with Military Investigative
Judge, Riad Abu Ghida and discussed the general situation in the country.
President, Michel Sleiman
visits Salam, underlines need for election of president
Fri 12 Aug 2016/NNA - Prime Minister, Tammam Salam, received this afternoon at
the Grand Serail former President, Michel Sleiman, with talks between the pair
reportedly touching on the overall situation in the country. On emerging,
Sleiman heaped praises on the paramount national role undertaken by Premier
Salam at the current difficult circumstances, saying he's greatly contributing
to preserving stability in the country. Sleiman said that they both saw eye to
eye over the need to constantly adhere to the Constitution and law, holding
everyone hindering the election of a new president of the republic 'responsible
in front of history.' In reply to a question about the potential extension of
the mandate of Army Commander, Sleiman stressed the priority for the election of
the president of the republic, who is entitled to appoint a new army commander.
Zayed from Boustros Palace:
Egyptian FM holds new ideas to activate presidential file in Lebanon
Fri 12 Aug 2016/NNA - Foreign and Expatriates Minister, Gebran Bassil met on
Friday before noon at his ministerial office Egyptian Ambassador to Lebanon,
Mohamad Badreddine Zayed. The ambassador said following the meeting that they
discussed the arrangements of the forthcoming visit of Egypt's Foreign Minister,
Sameh Shoukri next week. "Shoukri's visit to Lebanon will hold new ideas to move
the presidential file," the ambassador confirmed. He stressed the need to
swiftly elect a president. "Egypt is ready to provide all support to Lebanon at
this stage," he asserted. Later, Bassil met with US Ambassador to Lebanon,
Elizabeth Richard and tackled bilateral ties between both countries as well as
her country's aid to the Lebanese army. Both sides discussed the Syrian
conference which will be held at the United Nations in New York on September 19.
Separately, Bassil met the Austrian Ambassador to Lebanon, on a protocol visit.
Maronite Patriarch, Bechara
Rahi reviews situation with Bou Saab, Araiji
Fri 12 Aug 2016/NNA - Maronite Patriarch, Bechara Rahi, on Friday received in
Diman Education and Higher Learning Minister, Elias Bou Saab, and discussed with
him the general political situation and educational affairs. Separately,
Patriarch Rahi received Culture Minister, Raymond Araiji, and discussed with him
recent developments relevant to presidential election and cabinet work. Both
also discussed activating religious and environmental tourism, focusing in their
talks on Wadi Kannoubin subject. Amongst Rahi's visitors had been former
Minister Salim Sayegh.
Economy and Trade Minister,
Alain Hakim reviews with Brazilian Ambassador bilateral ties
Fri 12 Aug 2016/NNA - Economy and Trade Minister, Alain Hakim, on Friday
received at his office Brazilian Ambassador, George Geraldo Kaderi, and
discussed with him bilateral ties in light of the developments in Brazil and the
election of a Brazilian President of Lebanese origin Michel Tamer. Both also
reviewed local developments.
Tourism Minister Michel
Pharaon tackles with Lebanon's Ambassador to Argentina ways to boost ties
Fri 12 Aug 2016/NNA - Tourism Minister Michel Pharaon received on Friday
Lebanon's Ambassador to Argentina, Antonio Andari, with talks touching on
tourism relations between the two countries. The Ambassador presented Minister
Pharaon with two projects to strengthen tourism relations, "especially since
there is a large Lebanese community residing in Argentina."
Army Chief, Jean Kahwaji
meets Bishop Boulos Matar
Fri 12 Aug 2016/NNA - Army Chief, Jean Kahwaji met on Friday noon at his office
in Yarze Archbishop of Beirut Maronite, Bishop Boulos Matar. The latter
congratulated Kahwaji on the occasion of the Army Day. Separately, Kahwaji
received a delegation from the Maronite League headed by Antoine Kleimous who
came for the same purpose. The visitors praised "the sacrifices of the military
institution to preserve Lebanon's stability".
Interior Minister, Labor
Minister of Bangladesh hold talks
Fri 12 Aug 2016/NNA - Interior and Municipalities Minister, Nuhad Mashnouk met
on Friday at his ministerial office Bangladeshi Labor Minister, Nour Islam.
According to a statement issued by the ministry's media office, both sides
tackled bilateral ties between both countries. Also discussions focused on the
issues related to the residency of the Bengali workers in Lebanon and ways to
facilitate and speed up the deportation of violators of the residency in
Lebanon, through the coordination between the Lebanese authorities and its
security forces, and between the Bangladesh Embassy in Beirut. "We have an
excellent relationship with Lebanon since 1971. We hope ties will grow
positively in the coming years in order to contribute to the prosperity of the
economy between the two countries and boost humanitarian ties in the whole
world," the minister of Bangladesh said following the meeting.
Zaeter meets with MPs Abbas
Hashem, Nabil Nicholas, administration of civil aviation
Fri 12 Aug 2016/NNA - Public Works and Transportation Minister, Ghazi Zaeter, on
Friday received at his office MPs Nabil Nicholas and Abbas Hashem, with the
minister informing them of starting works on the collapsing highway of Dbayeh.
Separately, Zaeter held a meeting with the administration of civil aviation
whereby he was informed of up-to-dates relevant to works in Rafic Hariri
International Airport.
Taif: A ball everyone kicks
into the other’s court
Nayla Tueni/Al Arabiya/August 12/16
During last week’s national dialogue session in Lebanon, participants discussed
aspects of the Taif Agreement that have not been implemented, including the
establishment of a senate, which attendants suddenly realized was a national
need. However, this is not clear to most Lebanese. Can anyone convince us of the
use of a senate now that we are convinced there is no need for a president, and
that the country can go on with an incapable government and paralyzed
parliament? We all support the Taif Agreement. It was signed more than 25 years
ago, but it has not been fully implemented, and what has been implemented has
not been done properly. Syria helped develop the agreement, but it obstructed
its implementation during its tutelage over Lebanon. This tutelage ended in
2005, and ever since we have appeared incapable of progressing a single step,
especially since one party has assumed the role of that tutelage. It wants us to
fail in order to serve its aim of changing the system. The Taif Agreement should
not be a ball that everyone kicks into the other party’s court and exploits
whenever they want to distract the Lebanese people from more important affairs
Implementation and reform
Adherence to the Taif Agreement means implementing it. This requires explaining
some of its points. To avoid confusion, these points must be explained by those
guarding the agreement, particularly those who participated in formulating it.
We should begin implementing it before discussing how to amend it, so that
change is achieved smoothly. Change becomes a problem during unordinary
circumstances and an imbalance of power. The Taif Agreement includes an item on
administrative decentralization - this seems easiest to implement, but it has
not been implemented. The agreement also talks of reconsidering administrative
provinces, and of a council of ministers. The senate is thus part of a
comprehensive series of reforms. The Taif Agreement should not be a ball that
everyone kicks into the other party’s court and exploits whenever they want to
distract the Lebanese people from more important affairs. Let us first elect a
president. Let there be cooperation with him on workshops that lead to reform,
instead of destroying the bases of the state and establishing a sectarian
senate. This waste of time is shameful when everyone knows there are more urgent
affairs to finalize.
**This article was first published in an-Nahar on Aug. 8, 2016.
The Usual Suspect… is “Unknown
Ahmad El-Assaad/ August 12/16
In Lebanon, when security and political cases reach a dead end, that means that
the criminal is politically immune. And when the perpetrator remains unknown,
that means that he has been identified. Moreover, when no suspect has been taken
into custody, that means that the political party he belongs to has control of
the country. We say that because the investigation in the BLOM bank explosion in
Verdun was apparently forgotten, and heading towards the same ending… or lack
thereof. In most political crimes in Lebanon, the leads are discovered, the
culprits are arrested and then taken to Court. With the exception of those
crimes where a particular political party is suspected. In that case, either the
investigation bearsnofruit, or, if suspects were located, such as in the case of
the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, they are quickly “taken care of” – be it by
hiding, killing or any other means. We at the Lebanese Option Party have
experienced this, first hand. The investigation in the killing of our comrade
Hashem Salman has still not reached a conclusion to this day, even though the
crime was perpetrated in front of media cameras and people’s eyes.
Thus, the information said to be available in the BLOM bank case has still not
reached a result. The main lead, which was clear as day, was apparently not
followed – actually, no one bothered to follow it. This type of negligence is no
longer acceptable. Political forces must demand to reveal the circumstances of
this dangerous crime, and to investigate the BLOM bank case with a sharper eye.
Latest LCCC Bulletin For Miscellaneous Reports And News published on on August 12-13/16
Four Dead as String of Blasts
Hit Thai Tourist Resorts
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/August 12/16/A string of bomb attacks hit popular
tourist towns across Thailand, leaving four dead and many wounded, with
authorities Friday ruling out terrorism despite suspicions insurgents in the
kingdom's deep south are responsible. In the normally peaceful resort town of
Hua Hin, blood-spattered tourists were treated by rescue workers as forensic
teams picked through the rubble, with police scrambling to reassure visitors the
situation was under control. "This is not a terrorist attack. It is just local
sabotage that is restricted to limited areas and provinces," national police
deputy spokesman Piyapan Pingmuang said in Bangkok. No one has claimed
responsibility for the 11 bombings, and the seemingly coordinated attack across
five provinces does not match common patterns of violence in the turbulent
nation which is currently under military rule. Analysts said Muslim insurgent
groups could be responsible, but that the targeting of tourists far from their
stronghold would be an unprecedented escalation in a simmering conflict largely
contained to the southern border region. Some observers said that anti-junta
forces could be plotting to discredit the regime, which has staked its
reputation on bringing stability to the kingdom after a decade of unrest. "The
bombs are an attempt to create chaos and confusion," Prime Minister Prayut
Chan-O-Cha told reporters as he called for calm. Britain and Australia reacted
by advising their nationals to avoid public places. - Royal retreat -Worst-hit
was the upscale resort of Hua Hin which was rocked by two sets of twin bombs in
the past 24 hours -- one pair on Thursday night and the second on Friday
morning. Two people were killed and more than 20 wounded, including foreigners.
A further two blasts struck Friday at Patong beach on the popular tourist island
of Phuket while three more were reported further south -- two in the southern
town of Surat Thani, killing one, and one more blast in Trang, which also left
one person dead. A Thai police spokesman said a total of 10 foreign tourists
were wounded, including two Italians and one Austrian. Embassies in Bangkok said
four Dutch and three Germans were also among the wounded. "It was very shocking.
There was a loud noise and police were running everywhere, it was terrible,"
said Michael Edwards, an Australian tourist staying in a guest house in Hua Hin
close to where one of bombs detonated.
"I was just surprised that it happened here... now I'm thinking if it's worth
staying," he told Agence France Presse. Hua Hin, which lies about 200 kilometres
(125 miles) south of Bangkok, is popular with both local and foreign travellers
and was for years the favourite seaside retreat of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the
world's longest reigning monarch. The 88-year-old is currently hospitalised in
Bangkok for a number of health issues, a source of anxiety for many Thais and a
key factor in the kingdom's past decade of political turmoil. The blasts erupted
on the eve of Queen Sirikit's 84th birthday, which is also celebrated as
Mother's Day in Thailand. Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a political expert with
Chulalongkorn University, said the attacks were a "blatant challenge to the
military", which has ruled over Thailand since ultra-royalist generals seized
power in a 2014 coup. "A military government like this is supposed to be about
law and order," he told AFP. The attacks came less than a week after the junta
saw its draft of a new constitution approved in a referendum, giving the
generals a fresh claim to popular legitimacy. However rights groups criticised
the junta's bans on debate and campaigning in the lead up to the poll, calling
it far from free or fair. - 'Record tourism' -One region that voted down the
constitution was the "deep south" -- the three southern border provinces home to
a long-running Muslim insurgency against the majority-Buddhist state. Zachary
Abuza, an expert on Southeast Asian militant groups, said that while the
southern insurgents had not carried out coordinated attacks for years, it was
possible "a small cell" was behind this assault. "Whoever has perpetrated these
wants to do serious damage to the Thai economy. That is where the junta is the
most vulnerable." Thailand's deputy police spokesman Krissana Pattanacharoen
told AFP the improvised explosives were similar in style to those used in the
deep south, but that it was "too early to draw conclusions". The country's
reputation as the "Land of Smiles" has suffered in recent years from political
unrest, including small-scale bombings, transportation accidents and a number of
high-profile crimes against foreigners. But tourists continue to flock to its
white, sandy beaches. The kingdom is expecting a record 32 million visitors in
2016 -- a bright spot in an otherwise lacklustre economy. The latest blasts came
just days before the first anniversary of the last major attack on tourists in
Thailand -- an August 17 bomb that killed 20 people, mostly ethnic Chinese
tourists at a crowded Hindu shrine in Bangkok. Two Uighur men from western China
have been accused of the attack and are due to go on trial this month. Both have
denied any involvement.
More than 200 Civilians Killed in 4
Months in Yemen War
Associated Press/ Naharnet/August 12/16/The office of the United Nations' human
rights office says deaths among civilians due to Yemen's conflict have been
"steadily mounting" with more than 200 people killed and more than 500 wounded
in four months, including 50 in one week.
The spokesman for the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Ravina Shamdasain
said on Friday that violence has been escalating across Yemen. He noted that
July and August witnessed the worst incidents with eight children killed in a
July 5 rocket attack in the eastern city of Marib. On Aug. 7, 16 civilians were
killed in airstrikes in the district of Nihm, east of the capital Sanaa. Since
March 2014, a Saudi-led military coalition has waged a campaign against Shiite
rebels and allied forces who occupy the capital.
London schoolgirl who joined ISIS
‘killed in Raqqa’
Reuters, London Friday, 12 August 2016/One of three schoolgirls who left London
in February 2015 to join ISIS has reportedly died, her family lawyer told
Reuters on Thursday. Attorney Tasnime Akunjee said the family of Kadiza Sultana
learned of her death in Raqqa, Syria, a few weeks ago. She was believed to have
been killed by a Russian air strike in Raqqa, ITV News reported earlier on
Thursday. Sultana was making plans to return to Britain and her family was
communicating with her to discuss her possible escape from Raqqa, according to
an interview published by ITV with Sultana’s sister, which includes recordings
of purported phone calls between the sisters. Sultana, 16, along with two other
friends, flew from London’s Gatwick Airport to Turkey on Feb. 17, 2015. The
British Home Office and British Interior Ministry could not be reached
immediately for a comment.
Final assault against ISIS in
Syria's Manbij launched
By Staff writer Agencies Friday, 12 August 2016/US-backed forces battling ISIS
near the Turkish border in northern Syria said on Friday they had launched a
final assault to flush the remaining jihadists out of the city of Manbij. "This
is the last operation and the last assault," said Sharfan Darwish, a spokesman
for the Syrian Arab and Kurdish forces. The Syria Democratic Forces, with air
support from a US-led coalition, said last week they had taken almost complete
control of Manbij, where a small number of ISIS fighters have been holed up.
This week, the top commander for the coalition fighting ISIS says the terror
group’s foreign fighter stronghold in Syria likely will be in complete control
of the Syrian Democratic Forces in “a week to weeks.” “The pocket of enemy
resistance shrinks on a daily basis in Manbij,” US Gen Sean MacFarland told
reporters at the Pentagon via teleconference from Baghdad. “I don’t give it very
long before that operation is concluded.”Captured by ISIS forces in 2014, Manbij
has served as a key transit point for foreign fighters and the trafficking of
stolen goods.
ISIS abducts 2,000 civilians in Syria
By AFP, Beirut Friday, 12 August 2016/ISIS group fighters on Friday seized
around 2,000 civilians as they fled the former militant stronghold of Manbij in
northern Syria, US-backed forces and a monitoring group said. The Arab-Kurdish
alliance known as the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) expelled most ISIS fighters
from the town last week, but a small number remained. “While withdrawing from a
district of Manbij, jihadists abducted around 2,000 civilians,” the SDF said.
Kurds say ISIS overseer
killed in joint ops with US
Reuters, Baghdad Friday, 12 August 2016/The ISIS militant in charge of the
group’s oil operations in Iraq and Syria was killed on Thursday in a joint
operation between the Iraqi Kurdish and US Special forces, the Kurdistan Region
Security Council said in a statement. Sami Jassim al-Jabouri, also known as Haji
Hamad, and his aide were killed “in the vicinity of Qaim,” an Iraqi town near
the Syrian border, the statement said.
Combined operation
A Pentagon spokesman said coalition forces conducted a combined operation
against an ISIS “associated target” in Iraq on August 11 but were assessing the
results of the operation.
“The mission was coordinated with and approved by the Government of Iraq and
conducted in partnership with Iraqi Security Forces,” said Adrian Rankine-Galloway,
a Pentagon spokesman.
Kurdish peshmerga fighters are actively engaged in the fight against ISIS, the
ultra-hardline Sunni militants who proclaimed a “caliphate” over parts of Iraq
and Syria. The Kurdish self-rule region in northern Iraq also hosts a base used
by troops from the US-led coalition assisting Iraqi forces in the war on the
militants.
U.N.: 100,000 Displaced as
Iraqi Forces Poise for Mosul Battle
Associated Press/ Naharnet/August 12/16/The U.N. refugee agency says that more
than 100,000 people have been displaced as Iraqi forces clear territory ahead of
the critical battle for the Islamic State-held city of Mosul. Iraqi leaders have
repeatedly promised that Mosul — in IS hands for more than two years — will be
retaken from the militant group this year, though U.S. officials have said that
timeline is unrealistic. Now, aid groups worry that a million more could be
displaced from in and around Mosul as the operation moves forward. The UNHCR
said this week that about 43,000 people have been displaced from the Mosul area
since March and 66,600 people from the nearby Shirgat area since June. Available
camps for the displaced are already overflowing from the influx, leaving
thousands without shelter.
Turkey working on new decree to hire air force pilots
Reuters, Istanbul Friday, 12 August 2016/Turkey’s government is working on a
decree to meet demand for new air force pilots, Defense Minister Fikri Isik said
on Friday, after a purge of thousands of military following last month’s failed
coup. Turkey, NATO’s second-largest armed forces and a partner in the fight
against Islamic State, dismissed or arrested tens of thousands of soldiers,
officials and bureaucrats since the coup bid, in which rogue troops commandeered
jets, helicopters and tanks in an attempt to seize power. Isik told Haberturk
television that Turkey’s role in the US-led coalition against ISIS will continue
without interruption following the coup. He said the decree for pilots would be
published very soon. The United States uses the Incirlik Air Base in southern
Turkey to launch attacks against Islamic State militants. Western allies are
concerned President Tayyip Erdogan’s purge of the military and government may
impact Turkey’s stability. Turkish officials have been angered by what they see
as the West’s focus on the crackdown on alleged coup sympathizers and a
perceived lack of sympathy over the violent coup in which 240 people were
killed. The defense minister also said the three Turkish military attaches – two
from Greece and another from Bosnia – still at large following last month’s
failed coup were now believed to be in Italy. Turkish officials say two military
attaches fled from Greece to Italy, and other diplomats are on the run after
being recalled as part of the post-coup investigation. Two generals captured in
Dubai and another in Kuwait have been sent back.
Gulen says will return to
Turkey if independent body finds him guilty
By Reuters, Paris Friday, 12 August 2016/A US-based Muslim cleric accused by
Ankara of masterminding last month's failed coup said on Friday he would only
hand himself over to Turkish authorities if an independent international
investigative body first found him guilty. “If a tenth of the accusations
against me are established, I pledge to return to Turkey and serve the heaviest
sentence,” Fethullah Gulen said in an opinion piece in French daily Le Monde.
Gulen, who denies any involvement in the coup and has condemned it, said he
believed the Turkish justice system was now controlled by the country's
executive arm. Turkey is pressing the United States to extradite the 75-year-old
cleric and has purged tens of thousands of his suspected followers from the
armed forces, other state institutions, the media and academia.
Israel spy loses challenge to
US parole conditions
Reuters Friday, 12 August 2016/Jonathan Pollard, a former US Navy intelligence
officer convicted of spying for Israel, on Thursday lost a bid to overturn
restrictive probation conditions imposed when he was released in November after
serving 30 years in prison. US District Judge Katherine Forrest in Manhattan
denied a challenge by Pollard to requirements imposed by the US Parole
Commission that he wear an electronic tracking device and submit his work
computer to monitoring.Pollard’s lawyers argued the conditions were arbitrary.
They argued that he posed no flight risk, nor a threat to disclosing secrets as
he would need to remember information from over 30 years ago that they said had
no remaining value. They contended that leaving the computer restriction in
place was preventing Pollard from taking an investment firm job. But Forrest
ruled that the commission had a rational basis for imposing both conditions,
such as Pollard’s expressed desire to leave the United States for Israel, where
his wife lives and where he was granted citizenship while in prison. She also
noted that the commission also had reviewed a letter from US Director of
National Intelligence James Clapper stating that documents Pollard had
compromised remain classified at the levels of “top secret” and “secret.”
Pollard, 62, pleaded guilty in 1986 to conspiracy to commit espionage in
connection with providing Israeli contacts with hundreds of classified documents
he had obtained as a Naval intelligence specialist in exchange for thousands of
dollars. He was sentenced in 1987 to life in prison. After serving 30 years,
which included time in custody following his 1985 arrest, Pollard was released
on parole on Nov. 20 from a federal prison in North Carolina and now lives in
New York. Israel had long pushed for his release. As part of his parole, Pollard
must remain in the United States for five years.
23 Egyptians Kidnapped in
Libya Freed
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/August 12/16/Twenty-three Egyptian workers
kidnapped in Libya were freed and returned to their country on Friday, Egyptian
state television reported. One of the freed Egyptians told state television they
had been kidnapped by people demanding ransom, in an interview at a border
crossing between the neighboring North African countries. State television
reported they were freed by "Libyan special forces in coordination with the
Egyptian general intelligence service". It aired footage of the workers arriving
at the border crossing, waving Egyptian flags and prostrating themselves to God
in gratitude. They were kidnapped near the oil town of Brega and held hostage
for 10 days, one of them said. Thousands of Egyptians brave the unrest in Libya
for employment despite government warnings to avoid the war-torn country. In
2015, the Islamic State group's affiliate in Libya announced it had kidnapped
and beheaded 21 Coptic Christians, most of them Egyptian.
Iran regime hangs two men in public
for killing suppressive forces
Friday, 12 August 2016/NCRI - The mullahs' regime hanged two men in public on
Thursday accusing one of having killed three state suppressive force (police)
agents earlier this year and the other of having killed a local judiciary chief
last year. The first victim, who was identified only as Abbas T., was hanged at
dawn on August 11 in a public square in the southern Iranian city of Kazerun,
the Mehr news agency, affiliated to the regime's Ministry of Intelligence and
Security (MOIS), reported. He was accused of killing and injuring the regime's
security forces.
Also on Thursday, the regime hanged Hossein Abdollahi in public in Ravansar in
the western Iranian province of Kermanshah. The regime's local prosecutor from
Kermanshah, Mojtaba Maleki, and the provincial head of the judiciary,
Mohammad-Reza Edalatkhah, were present during the public execution, according to
the state-run Mashreq News. Abdollahi was accused of killing Salim Qanbari, the
head of the judiciary in Ravansar on February 10, 2015. There were also reports
that two other prisoners were hanged on Wednesday, August 10, in Gohardasht (Rajai-Shahr)
Prison in Karaj, north-west of Tehran. Last week, Mrs. Maryam Rajavi,
President-elect of the Iranian Resistance, described the mass execution of Sunni
political prisoners in Gohardasht Prison, carried out on the anniversary of the
1988 massacre of political prisoners in Iran, an appalling crime against
humanity. The regime is trying in vain to contain the volatile social atmosphere
and popular protests by terrorizing the public, she said. The time has come for
the UN Human Rights Council and the UN Security Council to end their silence and
bring the record of the Iranian regime's crimes before the International
Criminal Court. Ali Khamenei and other leaders of the regime as well as direct
perpetrators of these crimes must be brought to justice, Maryam Rajavi
reiterated.
Maryam Rajavi’s statement on
Montazeri’s tape recording about Iran’s 1988 massacre
National Council of Resistance of Iran/ Thursday, 11 August 2016/
Maryam Rajavi: Tape recording of Mr. Montazeri’s Meeting with Those Responsible
for Mass Executions of Political Prisoners is a Testament to Mojahedin’s Refusal
to Surrender and to Regime Leaders’ Responsibility for Crimes Against Humanity
Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, the President-elect of the Iranian Resistance, described the
audio recording of a meeting between Mr. Montazeri, then successor to Khomeini,
and those responsible for the mass executions of 30,000 political prisoners in
1988 as a historical document.
She said the recording attested in the strongest possible manner both to the
Mojahedin (PMOI/MEK) political prisoners’ rejection of surrender and to their
admirable allegiance to, and perseverance in, their commitment to the Iranian
people. The recording is also irrefutable evidence that leaders of the mullahs’
regime are responsible for crimes against humanity and the unprecedented
genocide, Mrs. Rajavi said.
Khamenei, whose name is mentioned in the remarks made by the members of the
“death commission” in this very meeting, openly declared his support for the
mass executions that same year, and in the 28 years since has maintained close
ties with the murderous officials who carried them out. He is a mastermind of
these atrocities, and must be made to answer to the Iranian people and put on
trial, she said.
She said: Mr. Montazeri, himself a founder and ideologue of the principle of
velayat-e-faqih (absolute rule of the clergy), emphasizes in the recording, “The
Iranian people are repulsed by the velayat-e-faqih” and “later will say that
Agha (referring to Khomeini) was bloodthirsty and brutal figure.” His statements
attest to the illegitimacy of the ruling regime from the 1980s, to the people’s
repugnance towards the velayat-e-faqih, and to the righteousness of the
resistance to overthrow that regime.
Mrs. Rajavi said: Montazeri’s remarks addressed to the four members of the
‘death commission’ that this massacre was “the greatest crime committed during
the Islamic Republic,” and the four officials’ acknowledgement that they were in
the process of massacring the Mojahedin political prisoners and planning how to
continue this atrocity, leave no room for doubt that the actions of these four
men and many other leaders of the regime involved in these atrocities are, by
any measure or definition, a crime against humanity.
She added: The international community, therefore, is obligated to bring them to
justice. In particular because these four individuals and the others who carried
out the massacre of political prisoners referred to in this meeting have, from
the beginning of this regime to the present day, held posts at the highest
levels of the judicial, political and intelligence apparatuses. At present,
Mostafa Pourmohammadi is Hassan Rouhani’s Minister of Justice. Hossein-Ali
Nayyeri is the current head of the Supreme Disciplinary Court for Judges. And
Ebrahim Raeesi is among the regime’s most senior clerics and the head of the
Astan Qods-e Razavi foundation (a multi-billion dollar religious, political and
economic conglomerate and one of the most important political and economic
powerhouses in the clerical regime).
Mrs. Rajavi said: Montazeri’s affirmation that the Intelligence Ministry had for
some time been investing in the mass executions and that Ahmad Khomeini
(Khomeini’s son) had “been saying for three or four years, ‘The Mojahedin, even
the ones who read their newspaper, to the ones who read their magazine, to the
ones who read their statements – all of them must be executed’” are further
evidence of the reality that the mass executions of 1988 were a premeditated
crime against humanity. This rules out absurd assertions by the ruling regime
and its toadies, who have tried to relate the executions to the Mojahedin’s
Eternal Light military operation and thus blame the organization for this odious
crime, she stressed.
The discussion with the members of the death commission took place on August 15,
1988, less than three weeks after the executions had begun. It reaffirms the
horrifically high number of execution victims and refutes all of the regime’s
deceptive ploys to downplay the extent of this crime. Montazeri in one instance
says, “In the (cities’) prisons, they have done everything imaginable… and in
Ahwaz it was really horrendous.”
Mrs. Rajavi emphasized: Montazeri’s statements, such as his description of the
execution of a 15-year-old girl and of a pregnant woman in Isfahan, as well as
the statements by the executioners in the meeting reveal the extent of the
ruling regime’s ruthlessness and vengeance against the Mojahedin women and their
glorious resistance. Addressing these murderers, Montazeri says, “I reminded
Khomeini that according to the decrees of most religious scholars, a woman, even
if she is a mohareb (enemy of God) must not be executed. But he did not agree,
and said that women, too, must be executed.”
In the audio recording, one of the members of the death commission reveals: “As
for the girls, God is my witness as far as we could, we tried to bargain with
them. I have very strong nerves, but day before yesterday when I saw only one of
them ……. I was really devastated. I started pleading with her to just write a
couple of lines and we would send her back to the prison.”
Mrs. Rajavi saluted all the victims of the 1988 massacre, particularly the women
and girls who frustrated the regime with their heroic resistance. She said: They
paid the price of standing loyal to the cause of freedom and equality. And there
is no doubt that tomorrow's free Iran will indeed blossom from their glorious
sacrifice. This is a future which will be unquestionably realized.
She also hailed members and supporters of the Iranian Resistance and all
freedom-loving Iranians who have participated for several weeks in worldwide
campaigns to honor the 28th anniversary of the massacre of political prisoners
in Iran and to spread the message of those gallant freedom fighters both in Iran
and abroad.
Mrs. Rajavi called on all Iranians, especially Iranian youths, to demand justice
for the victims of the 1988 massacre. This, she said, is a nationalist and
patriotic duty and part of the Iranian people's struggle for regime change in
Iran and to restore the Iranian people's right to political determination, a
right that the clerical regime attempted to fiercely destroy with the 1988
massacre.
She added: Khamenei and his regime have concealed all the information and
details of this crime. They must be compelled to publicly announce the complete
list of names of those massacred and the locations of their graves and mass
graves, one by one.
Mrs. Rajavi emphasized: As far as the Iranian people are concerned, they will
never give up on their demand for the prosecution of each and every one of the
regime's leaders involved in this massacre, no matter how many years it takes.
The United Nations and the UN Security Council must make the necessary political
and legal arrangements for the international prosecution of the regime's leaders
for this crime against humanity.
*Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran/August 11, 2016
Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on on August 12-13/16
Erdogan in the Kremlin
Abdulrahman al-Rashed/Al
Arabiya/August 12/16
It was difficult for a lot of people to accept the handshake between Turkish
President Recep Tayyib Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. The
entente between their countries, and Ankara’s normalization of relations with
Israel, have caused much controversy. However, interests prevail over
principles. Erdogan must have seen Turkey’s need for rapprochement with Russia
and other countries. Turkish Kurds are threatening the country’s integrity and
unity, more Syrian refugees are at its border crossings, and the Islamic State
of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) succeeded in reaching the heart of Ankara and Istanbul.
The recent coup attempt has destabilized the country’s pillars. Turkish tourism
was hit by Moscow’s ban on Russian tourists, who comprise the second-largest
source of visitors at 4 million annually. Some 1.5 million Iranian tourists have
also boycotted the country. As such, the Turkish lira has slid. These are some
of the reasons that pushed Ankara to reach out to Moscow. Arrangements were
initiated before the coup attempt, when the new prime minister said the
government intended to end problems with all countries, including Greece,
Russia, Israel and Iran. The belief that Ankara was forced to make up with
Moscow because it was afraid of a possible Russian attack makes no sense. Turkey
is in NATO, which undertakes joint defense against aggression toward any member.
We cannot disregard the country’s strategic aim of becoming a passageway for
Russian gas to Europe. This was discussed between the two presidents in Moscow,
and they agreed on part of the project. However, extending Russian gas pipelines
to Europe is currently far-fetched because it would break the Western control on
Russian gas, which is forbidden through Ukraine. If tensions between Moscow and
Washington escalate, Turkey’s interests with the West are much more important
than with Russia. Erdogan’s reconciliation with Russia, Iran and Israel shows
political courage, despite his commitment to his image and popularity in Turkey
and the Arab world
National interests
Erdogan’s ententes are based on his desire to reduce the risk of international
and regional conflicts on his country. He must be hoping for a peaceful solution
in Syria, to be implemented most probably after the U.S. presidential election
because it is unlikely that Barack Obama will change his position. Regarding
Turkey’s contradictory stances, such us opposing Russia in Syria then signing a
cooperation agreement with Moscow, this is normal in politics. Erdogan wants to
shorten the gap with Russia, and if he does not succeed in Syria he will have at
least done a favor for Turkey in other areas. This also applies to normalizing
ties with Israel and strengthening them with Iran. Erdogan wants to serve his
country’s interests. Those who fail to understand recent developments have
conjured up an unrealistic image of Turkey acting outside the diplomatic
framework and against its own interests. Erdogan’s reconciliation with Russia,
Iran and Israel shows political courage, despite his commitment to his image and
popularity in Turkey and the Arab world. Our countries should emulate him
because it is normal to have relations with our opponents - even sign agreements
with them - for our interests and needs, especially given the changes currently
taking place. In any case, Turkish entente with Russia and Iran will not affect
the future solution in Syria because the situation on the ground is no longer in
their hands.
**This article was first published in Asharq al-Awsat on Aug. 12, 2016.
Choosing authority over chaos
Turki Aldakhil/Al Arabiya/August
12/16
When it comes to public parks, no one has the right to claim complete ownership
because they are meant to be shared by all. Everyone uses them and benefits from
them collectively. At the same time, individuals entering into such spaces must
give up part of their freedom while using them in order for the public at large
to enjoy. But at the same time, the rules governing the sharing of a public park
does not mean it can be applied to other spaces. There are different rules for
different places. If a tourist decides to go down to a hotel lobby wearing the
same outfit he would wear at a swimming pool, people are bound to look at him
strangely and may even publicly rebuke him. The dress code at a university hall
is different to taking a walk or playing sports. A sermon communicated at a
mosque does not belong in a park. You cannot act the same way on an airplane as
you do in your car. If you do not like a certain behavior, it is your duty as a
citizen to complain to the relevant authorities. But if everyone took matters
into their own hands, there would be mass chaos
Social contracts
The options are limited given several factors that govern the social order
related to a different time and place. You cannot expect to loudly read out a
poem when you’re onboard a plane but you could certainly choose to do so with
friends at a desert camping trip. But it is not your job to destroy someone
else’s device because you do not like it, or yank someone’s headphones or
speakers because you’re angered by what is being broadcast. There are
authorities whose job it is to handle such situations, not yours. If you do not
like a certain behavior, it is your duty as a citizen to complain to the
relevant authorities. But if everyone took matters into their own hands, there
would be mass chaos.
**This article was first published in Okaz on Aug. 11, 2016.
Why is Iran intensifying crackdown on dual citizens?
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Al
Arabiya/August 12/16
The number of Iranian dual citizens being detained and thrown in jail has
reached its highest level. Most of those being targeted are from Western
countries (Europeans or Americans), who have Iranian ethnicity. Iran does not
recognize dual citizenships even if the person was born in another country. Many
believed that Iran would open up politically and socially after rejoining the
global financial system and after sanctions were lifted. Rowhani encouraged the
Iranian Diaspora to visit Iran without fear. So why is Iran ratcheting up its
arrests of dual citizens?
Those in jail
As part of a crackdown on American citizens, the Iranian authorities recently
confirmed that they have arrested Iranian-American, Robin Shahini, who was
visiting his ailing mother. Some of the dual citizens who are currently spending
time in prison are Nazak Afshar, a French citizen who travelled to Iran to visit
her ill mother. He was detained at the time of arrival and was sentenced to six
years in prison. The charges against her are still not clear. Iranian
authorities use dual citizens as pawns for extracting economic concessions or
receiving political and financial gains and can also use them to swap prisoners
. A month later, Nanzanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a British citizen who is also not a
political or human rights activist was arrested. She was with her infant
daughter. The authorities also reportedly confiscated the child’s passport. In
June Homa Hoodfar, a Canadian citizen and university professor, was arrested.
Bahman Daroshafaei, a British citizen, was arrested a few months ago and his
family still isn’t aware of his whereabouts and the charges leveled against him.
Mostafa Azizi, a Canadian documentary filmmaker, was arrested and sentenced to
eight years in prison for “acting against national security,” “insulting the
Supreme Leader,” and “propaganda against the state.” Recently, the Islamic
Republic arrested Seraj Mirdamadi, a French journalist, who was later sentenced
to six years in prison for “assembly and collusion against national security”
and “propaganda against the state”. Hossein Nouraninejad, an Australian
journalist was also arrested and sentenced to six years in prison on charges of
“propaganda against the state” and “assembly and collusion against national
security.” Even the State Department has acknowledged the increasing threat
against American citizens since the nuclear deal was reached. In a March travel
warning, the Department said that since the nuclear deal, “Iran has continued to
harass, arrest, and detain US citizens, in particular dual nationals.”
Dual citizens as pawns
Iranian authorities use dual citizens as pawns for extracting economic
concessions or receiving political and financial gains and can also use them to
swap prisoners. This year, Iran swapped 4 Iranian-Americans for seven Iranian
prisoners in the US. In addition, a report revealed that the US and European
officials and congressional staff were briefed on the following issue, that “the
Obama administration secretly organized an airlift of $400 million worth of cash
to Iran” when four Iranian-Americans were released. Iran can use dual citizens
to put pressure on Western countries to give Tehran geopolitical or economic
points such as ignoring the IRGC’s military adventures, turning a blind eye on
Iran’s breaches of international laws and testing of ballistic missiles, or not
imposing penalties on Iran. The hardliners are also sending a message to the
moderates that the nuclear agreement does not mean more political and social
liberalization. From a trade perspective, the hardliners want to keep the
country closed to competition so that the IRGC and the office of the Supreme
Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, maintains monopoly over the wealth and financial
system. The Iranian government is also sending a message to the West and to the
Iranian people that the Islamic Republic will not only target and arrest
prominent and influential people, but also ordinary citizens such as Mr. Shahini.
Iranian authorities are more concerned about Western cultural infiltration among
the youth than anything else. Iran is clearly attempting to show the United
States, as well as young Iranians, that the nuclear agreement does not mean the
Islamic Republic will welcome Westerners, open up its political and economic
systems, and promote social justice, liberty, freedom of assembly, speech and
the press. Following the nuclear agreement, dual citizens are increasingly being
used as pawns to extract economic concessions or for receiving political and
financial gains, as well as for sending a message to the Iranian people, and the
West, that Tehran will not alter its fundamental policies.
The White House document and war policies
Fahad Suleiman Shoqiran/Al
Arabiya/August 12/16
On Sept. 30, 2011, a US drone headed to north Yemen to target a vehicle crossing
a desert road and carrying six people. The most significant was Anwar al-Awlaqi,
a young man born in New Mexico, raised in the United States and described by the
FBI as al-Qaeda’s spiritual advisor. The passengers perished. Drones put
terrorists under much pressure by limiting their movement and making them feel
like potential targets. On Aug. 5, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
published an 18-page White House document entitled “The Presidential Policy
Guidance.” The document stipulates that measures related to specific terrorist
targets must be as selective and accurate as possible. There is much debate
about drones’ military role and the threat they pose to civilians. The
controversy includes ways in which terrorism can be confronted. The United
States says drones are the most successful and safest way to pursue extremists.
In his article - “The Costs and Consequences of Drone Warfare” - terrorism
expert Michael Boyle discusses drones’ efficiency in the war on terror. For
example, they have made federally administered tribal areas in Pakistan unsafe,
thus decreasing the number of terrorists fleeing to these areas. Boyle says
during US President Barack Obama’s second term, there was a chance to adopt a
new drone policy that decreases costs and avoids long-term consequences. He
urges the use of drones against leadership figures and operatives, while
decreasing or stopping attacks against infantry. The debate over drones focuses
on their accuracy, the number of civilians killed, and the need to set rules for
attacks against certain targets
Improving technology
There is no debate over the need to murder terrorists via specific means that do
not harm civilians. The basic idea is how the United States can improve its use
of drone technology, which other countries compete to possess. Some writers
discuss the possibility of terrorists attaining this technology. In his book
“Drones, American-Israeli domination and Rising Power,” Rabih Yahia writes:
“Terrorists look forward to possessing drones to target densely populated areas
or popular gatherings, especially in cities and during rush hours. This helps
extremist organizations achieve two aims. The first one is to murder more
people, and the second one is to spread fear and chaos.” In the war on terror,
drones are more effective than other machines. The United States is said to have
used them in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia, Libya and the Gaza
Strip. It invested more than $1.4 billion in developing Camp Lemonnier in
Djibouti, from which it launches drones. Some 3,000 people have reportedly been
killed by drones in the past decade. Reconnaissance, and tracking and pursuing
wanted men who flee to unstable and densely populated areas, are the bases on
which European countries, Israel and the United States develop drones. As their
military and technical development continues, discussion emerges about borders,
ethics and rules of engagement. The expansion of drones worldwide means
terrorists could one day attain them. The debate over drones focuses on their
accuracy, the number of civilians killed, and the need to set rules for attacks
against certain targets. Drones play a role in making the world safer, and laws
relating to them will develop. They are terrorists’ worst enemy worldwide.
**This article was first published in Asharq al-Awsat on Aug. 11, 2016.
Professor Sheikha Al-Jassem During Debate On The Concept Of Shame In Kuwaiti Society: I Consider The Niqab A Violation Of Human Rights
MEMRI/August 12/16
In a televised debate, Kuwaiti lawyer Abd Al-Rahman Al-Tahous, Kuwaiti activist
Salma Al-Essa, and Kuwaiti professor of philosophy Sheikha Al-Jassem discussed
the concept of shame in Kuwaiti society. Sheikha Al-Jassem said that she
considers the niqab a violation of human rights. The debate aired on Kuwait's
Al-Majlis TV on July 21, 2016.
Kuwaiti Lawyer Abd Al-Rahman Al-Tahous: "There is a very important issue today.
It may not be true of every household, but for one out of every 10 or 20 homes.
The problem is that of girls who want to leave home and live on their own. The
law allows them to do so, whereas..."
TV host: "Whereas the customs... Our society rejects this out of hand.
Therefore, the Interior Ministry has even established a special body, called the
"social police," the only mission of which is to resolve problems between girls
who leave home and their families..."
TV Host Muhammad Hisham Al-Mu'min: "If the law permits it, why should I refuse?"
Abd Al-Rahman Al-Tahous: "As I was saying, there are things that we as a society
reject. Our customs and traditions override them. Today, nobody can allow his
sister, for example, to live all by herself."
Kuwaiti Activist Salma Al-Essa: "For some people, there's nothing wrong with a
girl wearing shorts and dipping in the sea. It's better than her wearing a
swimsuit, they say. Some families have no problem with that. For other families,
it's a problem if a girl leaves the house without covering her face. They view
this as shameful. So the concept of shame is not a pattern that is true for all
families. It changes in line with the culture of each family. What is acceptable
to you may not be acceptable to somebody else. What is acceptable to me - and I
can tell you that the degree of liberty in my home is high - may not be
acceptable in another family. We have differences even with regard to the
concept of shame. We do not agree on what 'shame' is.
"In a neighboring country [Saudi Arabia in 2002], they had a fire in a girls'
school. The girls were being burnt alive. [The religious police] was unwilling
to open the school gate because perhaps the girls would go out uncovered. Just
imagine - girls are dying, but it's no big deal... It is forbidden to open the
gate and save their lives. So we have a flaw in our understanding of religion,
and I'm sad to say that even our preachers have been unsuccessful in conveying
the philosophical message of our religion. The proof is that the most corrupt
countries today are Muslim countries."
Kuwaiti Professor of Philosophy Sheikha Al-Jassem: "Today, I was talking about
the niqab, and I asked how it could be viewed as a matter of personal liberty.
If you choose to wear the niqab - fine. Personally, I consider it to be a
violation of human rights, because a woman can hardly see or breathe..."
"They got terribly upset, as if I had personally offended them. Perhaps they
really can't breathe, and that's why they get so mad... I told them that a woman
can wear the niqab if she feels like it. I wrote on Twitter that if people are
incapable of being free, they should at least leave me alone and let me live
according to my beliefs."
TV Host Muhammad Hisham Al-Mu'min: "What do you have to say about this? She says
that women who wear the niqab suffocate..."
Sheikha Al-Jassem: "I didn't say that they were suffocating. I said that I
consider it a matter of human rights when a person cannot breathe, but if they
feel that they can breathe, they should just go with it. Let me tell you, most
of my female students at the university's humanities department wear the niqab.
As soon as they enter the classroom, they say: 'Please close the door. We cannot
breathe.' And then they take off the niqab. This is especially true of the
pregnant students. She's three or four months pregnant, and she can't breathe
with all the humidity, when it's 50 º C, yet she wears the niqab. What's left to
say?! And they tell me I'm wrong..."
'Abd Al-Rahman Al-Rashed:
Terror Is Product Of Extremism In Media, Mosques And Schools
MEMRI/August 12/16
In an article published August 11, 2016 in the London-based Saudi daily Al-Sharq
Al-Awsat, the daily's former editor 'Abd Al-Rahman Al-Rashed wrote that the
atrocities committed by ISIS and others in the name of Islam are the product of
extremist ideas that are spread in mosques, schools and the media. Mentioning
the horrific story of Nadia Murad, a young Yazidi woman who was abducted and
gang-raped by ISIS fighters, as well as the case of Egyptian preacher Wagdy
Ghoneim who accused the late Egyptian scientist and Nobel laureate Ahmed Zewail
of apostasy, Al-Rashed stressed that such phenomena will persist as long as
society does not reject and punish all those who preach, and all those who
applaud, extremist ideas and actions.
The following is an English translation of his article that was published on the
Al-Arabiya website.[1]
"A young girl was abducted and gang-raped by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria
(ISIS), along with family members and other girls from her town and other Iraqi
Yezidi towns. This was done in the name of Islam, while extremists continue to
publicly commend these criminals under false justifications such as 'jihad' and
'supporting Muslims.'"One of the victims is Nadia Murad, a brave Iraqi girl who
dared to tell her story and that of her family. She made those at the UN
Security Council weep as they listened to the horrific details of what happened
to her and to around 5,000 Iraqi women abducted by ISIS last year. Some of these
women are still in ISIS-controlled territories.
"I watched her interview with Hasan Muawad on Al Arabiya. She did not talk about
her personal tragedy, but about the wider tragedy of how these hideous idea[s]
are glorified, and how more young men are committing such atrocities while more
clerics are justifying them.
ISIS executed 700 unarmed men in her town in an hour for no reason. They were
all peasants. Murad said she and her family were taken to Mosul, Tal Afar and
Al-Hamdaniya, and she was repeatedly raped. She does not know what happened to
her family as she was separated from them. No one can forgive the perpetrators
of these crimes and who they represent. "She said [that] despite the anger and
pain, she wants to focus on convincing society to reject extremism and not hate
the society where these ISIS criminals came from. However, her tragedy and that
of her people will remain a disgrace to the entire world forever. How can crimes
like these happen in the 21st century via ideas that are promoted by media,
mosques and schools? How have they not been challenged all these years? "The
problem is with extremists, or rather with those preaching extremism. They do
not necessarily live in Ar-Raqqah or Mosul. They may live in Paris or Kuala
Lumpur. They permit rape, murder and aggression against anyone who they think is
not like them. They are the source of the disease. "A few days ago, extremist
preacher Wajdy Ghoneim accused the late Egyptian scientist and Nobel laureate
Ahmed Zewail of apostasy. This is a new crime committed in public, and no one is
doing anything about it. Ghoneim cites extremist scholar Nasir al-Fahd, who is
like him. The only difference is that Fahd is detained in Saudi Arabia while
Ghoneim is free, saying whatever he wants without being held accountable, and
inciting people through his TV appearances and social media accounts. There are
many like him. "We are [experiencing] exceptional circumstances, and terrorism
will not stop unless extremist preachers and scholars are warned that they will
be punished for their extremist calls. Terrorists who murder and rape people are
present worldwide, and are the product of people like that man [Ghoneim] who
accuses others of apostasy and curses them."
[1] English.alarabiya.net, August 11, 2016. The text has been lightly edited for
clarity.
NCRI's Elaheh Azimfar: What Europe can do for human rights in Iran?
NCR /Friday, 12 August 2016/
The European Union ought to take the initiative through the UN Security
Council in bringing the officials of the mullahs' regime to justice over their
role in the massacre of 30,000 political prisoners in 1988, writes Elaheh
Azimfar, the representative of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI)
for international organizations.
In an article on Thursday for Vocal Europe, Ms. Azimfar described the 1988
massacre as an "unpunished crime against humanity."The month of August marks the
28th anniversary of the massacre of more than 30,000 political prisoners, who
were primarily activists of the main Iranian opposition group People’s Mojahedin
Organization of Iran (PMOI or MEK).
The following is the text of Ms. Azimfar's op-ed:
What Europe can do for human rights in Iran?
Elaheh Azimfar/Vocal
Europe/August 12/16
The religious dictatorship ruling Iran has launched a new wave of mass
executions following an increasing discontent and expanding opposition among
Iranian people. At least 36 prisoners were hanged from 2 to 6 August in various
cities. After the execution of 25 Sunni prisoners in Gohardasht prison on August
2, at least seven prisoners were hanged in Qazvin, Taybad and Saqqez the
following day. The regime’s nuclear expert Shahram Amiri was hanged on the same
day. Execution of four prisoners on August 6 in Lakan prison of Rasht is another
recorded execution in that period and more prisoners are now on death row.
These killings in August 2016 remind everyone of 28 years ago when 30,000
political prisoners were massacred in August 1988. This was a crime against
humanity but the perpetrators have not yet been brought to justice. The
prisoners were killed arbitrarily without a trial while some had already ended
their prison terms. On the anniversary of the 1988 massacre, Iranians affiliated
with the National Council of resistance of Iran planned 3-day hunger strikes in
several European countries including UK, Germany, Holland, Sweden and Norway to
call for an end to executions in Iran.
Notion of “moderation” of this regime has no meaning unless those who committed
the 1988 massacre including the “Supreme religious leader” Khamenei are brought
before justice in an international court. If this happened regardless of
political reservations, the executions would not have uninterruptedly continued
in Iran until today.
There is no improving prospect of human rights situation in Iran. The regime has
decided to brutally silence any voice of opposition to safeguard its grip on
power. Mullahs know very well that they are facing an extremely discontented and
explosive society and for them execution is a means of terrorizing people to
keep their mouths shut. Of course they hide their crimes under the banner of
Islam but today it is very clear that their brutality has nothing to do with
Islam.
Iranians insist that no trade and diplomatic relations with Iran’s barbaric
rulers is legitimate until the executions stop because there seems to be no sign
of regret among the Iranian authorities with regards to their abhorring human
rights situation. Instead, they aggressively reject international condemnations
and seem to be quite proud of the crimes they have committed so far and are
committing on these very days.
On August 7, Mohammad-Javad Larijani, Secretary of Iran’s Human Rights Staff,
who represents Iran in Sessions of the UN Human Rights Council, wrote to the
High Commissioner for Human Rights to criticize him for his condemnation of
recent executions in Iran. This letter well indicates the dishonest and
aggressive face of the regime in dealing with international community.
In his letter, Javad Larijani stated in a bold language: “Death Penalty is not a
human rights issue. Rather, it is an issue related to the judicial and penal
system and it is a tool for prevention of very serious crimes.” He further
added: “This is the right of every state to choose its own judiciary, penal,
legal, economic, political and social systems without other states’ interfering
with it.”
He also complained that a number of Iran’s nuclear scientists had been
assassinated over the past few years. The irony is that just few days prior to
this letter, one such nuclear expert, Shahram Amiri, was actually executed by
the regime itself.
In a ludicrous statement, his brother, Sadeq Larijani, who is the Head of Iran’s
Judiciary, was reported by Tasnim News Agency on August 3, to declare that the
Iranian foreign ministry may start a mutual negotiations on human rights issues
with European states if and only if they accept criticisms of the Iranian regime
on issues like arrest of those who deny Holocaust in Europe!
Surely, this regime is nowhere near the point it can be negotiated with on human
rights issues. To negotiate on human rights subject with a regime which over the
past 37 years has halted death penalty under no circumstances, has had over
120,000 political executions and only under its so-called moderate president has
executed more than 2500 people, would definitely send a weak signal to Tehran
that it can go on with the killings with no objection from Europe. It is
appropriate to note that hangings went on in Iran even on the days when the EU
High Representative Federica Mogherini and the Italian Prime Minister Matteo
Renzi visited Iran in April 2016.
In the face of brutal killings that are going on in Iran these days, Iranian
people expect the European states to remain loyal to their principles of human
rights and democracy and to not prioritize trade interests to their ethics to
give in to the religious fascism ruling Iran. The least ethical attitude for
Europe would be to take the opportunity in the coming Session of the UN Human
Rights Council in Geneva in September 2016 to denounce the executions in Iran
and to pre-condition any negotiations or relations with Iran to an immediate end
to executions.
At most, Europe would be expected to take initiative through the UN Security
Council in bringing perpetrators of political massacres in Iran before justice.
This is particularly the case with regards to the 1988 massacre which is a
hitherto unpunished crime against humanity.
*Elaheh Azimfar is NCRI (National Council of Resistance of Iran) Representative
for international organizations
Shahriar Kia: Sanctions must remain
to end Iran's human rights violations
Friday, 12 August 2016/NCRI
– The United States Congress should dismiss any call for appeasement in relation
to the Iranian regime and continue pursuing and holding firm its sanctions
against those in the mullahs’ leadership who are behind the atrocious human
rights violations, argues Shahriar Kia, a press spokesman for residents of Camp
Liberty, Iraq, and members of the People’s Mujahedin Organization of Iran
opposition group (PMOI, also known as MEK). The following is the text of his
article on The Hill:
Sanctions must remain to end Iran's human rights violations
Shahriar Kia,
contributor/The Hill/August 12/16
Following Iran’s nuclear agreement, the thinking was the country would begin to
wind down its human rights violations, especially the use of executions.
However, recent reports indicate 33 people were sent to the gallows on Aug. 2.
Congress should dismiss any call for appeasement in relation to Iran, and
continue pursuing and holding firm its sanctions against those in leadership who
are behind the atrocious human rights violations.
Iranian opposition leader Maryam Rajavi condemned Tehran’s mass execution of
Sunni prisoners as “an appalling crime against humanity."
“The mullahs’ anti-human regime carried out the mass execution of our Sunni
brothers on the anniversary of the 1988 massacre of 30,000 political prisoners
in Iran. They are trying in vain to contain the volatile social atmosphere and
popular protests by terrorizing the public,” she said.
This is while the Iranian Diaspora communities across the globe are marking the
28th anniversary of the extensive 1988 massacre of over 30,000 political
prisoners in Iran in the course of a few months, pledging to have their voices
heard and raise awareness on Iran’s horrendous human rights record.
This marks one of Iran’s most atrocious mass executions in recent times. Iranian
judiciary officials claim 20 of the victims were Sunni Kurds, executed in
Gohardasht (Rajaie Shahr) Prison in Karaj, west of the capital, Tehran. The
victims had denied all charges raised against them, and in video clips and text
posted on the Internet revealed they had spent time in “solitary confinement”
and placed “under torture.”
Iran is known for its skyrocketing number of executions and obtaining coerced
confessions through torture and other banned methods. The mullahs have also
proved their “sickening enthusiasm” of sending juveniles to the gallows, all in
violation of international laws and respecting no bounds in this regard,
according to Magdalena Mughrabi, Deputy Middle East and North Africa Program
Director of Amnesty International. International law, including the Convention
on the Rights of the Child to which Iran is a state party, absolutely prohibits
the use of death penalty for crimes committed when the defendant was below 18
years of age. Yet apparently this is a pretext Iran refuses to respect.
Shahram Ahmadi, amongst those recently executed, had spent 33 months in solitary
confinement and sentenced to death after a “five-minute” trial. He never enjoyed
access to a lawyer.
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein issued a
statement condemning this mass execution of Sunni Kurds in Iran as a “grave
injustice.” The High Commissioner expressed his doubts over the fact that these
individuals ever received a fair trial. Al-Hussein also referred to Ahmadi’s
case, adding he was forced under pressure to sign an interrogation paper
including false allegations raised against him.
This horrific act of carnage by Iran has sparked a series of global
condemnations from a large number of international organizations, accusing the
regime in Tehran of launching these executions with sectarian objectives, and
demanding a halt to human rights violations. The International Federation of
Human Rights Societies and Center of Human Rights Advocate also issued separate
statements condemning the execution of Sunni prisoners in Iran.
Iran was one of the world’s top executioners in 2015 after putting 977 people to
death, according to Amnesty International. Iran hanged 44 convicted drug
traffickers in the span of just two days in 2009. This spelled one of the
country's biggest mass executions to that. While international law absolutely
limits the application of the death penalty to the “most serious crimes”, which
refers to intentional killing, the mullahs’ so-called laws and constitution
criminalize various measures and sentence people to death under such terms, not
seen anywhere else. Even human rights advocates, including the highly praised
Narges Mohammadi, are thrown behind bars for publicly advocating anti-death
penalty campaigns. This mother of twins has been deprived by Iranian officials
and authorities of seeing her own children, and only permitted one phone call in
over a year.
The recent execution of nearly three dozen Sunni Kurds in one day adds to Iran’s
already dismal human rights history, especially in the past three years after
the “moderate” Hassan Rouhani came to power.
In his statement to the UN Human Rights Council - Session 31- on March 14, 2016,
the UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in Iran, Dr. Ahmed
Shaheed, said: “At least 966 persons — the highest rate in over two decades —
were executed in 2015. At least 73 juvenile offenders were reportedly executed
between 2005 and 2015. In the past two years alone, 16 juvenile offenders were
executed.”
In their practice of executing juveniles the mullahs have illustrated yet again
their callous disregard for human rights. 160 individuals remain in torment on
death row in prisons spanning across Iran for crimes allegedly committed during
their juvenile years.
The shocking stroke of irony in the recent executions lies in the fact that this
incident comes as the European Union is reportedly suggesting to launch human
rights negotiations with Iran. Any reasonable party figures Iran would at least
consider halting executions prior to such talks. However, this proves once again
that Iran takes serious only a brazen and decisive language. This should also
serve as a lesson on how Iran disregards and in fact abuses any interceding
measures and has refused to budge on any of its old tactics after the much
boasted “historic” nuclear agreement.
Kia is a press spokesman for residents of Camp Liberty, Iraq, and members of the
People’s Mujahedin Organization of Iran opposition group (PMOI, also known as
MEK). He graduated from North Texas University.
Examiner: Freelance Jihad/الجهاد
الفردي المتفلت من القيادة والهرمية
A.J. Caschetta/The Washington Examiner/August 12/16
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/2016/08/12/a-j-caschettathe-washington-examiner-freelance-jihad%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AC%D9%87%D8%A7%D8%AF-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%81%D8%B1%D8%AF%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%AA%D9%81%D9%84%D8%AA-%D9%85%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%84/
http://www.meforum.org/6187/freelance-jihad
Freelancers answer to no hierarchy and attack with little warning.
Earlier this month, I fired a silver bullet at the heart of the "Lone Wolf"
analysis, a flawed paradigm depicting every jihadist without demonstrable ties
to a terrorist organization as an unfathomable mystery whose motives we may
never know. Since then I have been inundated with inquiries about a replacement.
If we reject the term "lone wolves," some asked, what shall we call them? In a
succinct message, Daniel Pipes offered a wonderful replacement: "freelancers."
It's a suitable enough fit based solely on the association with writers or
photographers who work without contractual obligations to any particular
publication. But the term's etymology in the language of warfare makes it
perfect. The word "lance" comes from the Latin lancea, which is a Roman light
spear. "Lance" became a nearly universal word in Western Europe, adopted by both
Romance (lanca, lanza) and Teutonic (lans, lanze) languages. The legendary
warrior Sir Lancelot gets his name from the weapon.
In the Middle Ages, spears got bigger, and in medieval warfare the term "lancer"
came to denote a horse-mounted spearman. In an era when kings and feudal lords
owned the means of conducting war, the Italian condottiere (like Francesco
Sforza and Federigo da Montefeltro) broke the mold by selling their martial
skills to the highest bidder. Today we call them mercenaries.
Global jihadism has become more dispersed, with greater freedom among
combatants.
The English-speaking world also had warriors who owned the means of conducting
warfare. Indentured to none and able to fight for any cause and in any army,
they were called "free lancers."
Like medieval warfare, the global jihad movement has evolved. Once dominated by
hierarchical structures with centralized power, it has become a more dispersed
phenomenon with less control over, and greater freedom among, combatants. A
pivotal point came with the defeat of the Taliban and dispersal of al Qaeda in
2001.
Osama bin Laden once ruled as the uncontested commander of the most significant
jihad organization. Under him, a Shura council oversaw the activities of four
committees (Special Operations, Military, Public Relations and Finance), which
in turn supervised untold numbers of independent cells.
After the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan, al Qaeda no longer controlled the
means of conducting jihad. The training that once occurred in specialized camps
located in Afghanistan, Pakistan and the Sudan ceased. Bin Laden struggled to
maintain his position atop the chain of command.
But even at its peak of power, al Qaeda associated with freelancers. Khalid
Sheikh Mohammed purportedly cooperated with al Qaeda for years before swearing
bay'a (allegiance) to bin Laden. His nephew Ramzi Yousef fought for the cause
without ever swearing allegiance to anyone. The debate still rages over whether
Abu Zubayda was a member of al Qaeda or a free-lance jihad financier.
Likewise, the Palestinian jihad against Israel was once dominated by
organizations like the PLO, PIJ, Hamas, the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, and
others. During the deadliest period of the "second intifada," the proliferation
of organizations meant that recruiters, handlers and dispatchers were
ubiquitous, and freelancers were rare. And while those organizations show no
signs of going away, the current so-called "Knife Intifada" has brought about a
tactical shift. Kitchen knives and even screwdrivers are the tools of freelance
jihad in Israel. When these are unavailable, an opportunistic freelancer can
always deploy cars, trucks even bulldozers as weapons.
Today's jihadist often works without ties to an organizational hierarchy.
In the late 20th century, jihad terrorism was conducted primarily by
organizations like the Muslim Brotherhood, Hezbollah and al Qaeda. The attacks
were meticulously planned over the course of months and even years. In the 21st
century, it is beginning to look like jihad terrorism might become dominated by
freelancers whose attacks may be near-spontaneous strikes requiring little
planning.
The term "freelancer" captures precisely the entrepreneurial spirit of today's
jihadist who works without ties to an organizational hierarchy but follows the
same pattern concerning targets, tactics and goals. Economically, freelancers
represent the cheapest form of jihad. Operationally, they are less likely than
"members" to attract the attention of law enforcement officials. "Training" can
be conducted online.
Even if they have "no direct links" to an organization's leadership and have
never set foot in Syria or Iraq, American and European Muslims who conduct
attacks in the name of the Islamic State or al Qaeda, or "in defense of
Muslims," are just as much a part of the movement as anyone fighting in Aleppo
or Sana'a.
They are not lone wolves and their motives are not unknowable. They are
freelancers in the global jihad.
**A.J. Caschetta is a Shillman-Ginsburg fellow at the Middle East Forum and a
senior lecturer at the Rochester Institute of Technology.
Turkey, Europe's Little Problem
Burak Bekdil//Gatestone
Institute/August 12/16
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/8669/turkey-europe-problem
Europe is giving signals, albeit slowly, that it may be waking up from the
"Turkey-the-bridge" dream. Germany's Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmaier
said that his country's relations with Turkey have grown so bad the two
countries have virtually "no basis" for talks.
"Italy should be attending to the mafia, not my son," said Turkish President
Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Typically, he does not understand the existence of
independent judiciary in a European country. He thinks, as in an Arab sheikdom,
prosecutors are liable to drop charges on orders from the prime minister.
"We know that the democratic standards are clearly not sufficient to justify
[Turkey's] accession [to the European Union]." — Austrian Chancellor Christian
Kern.
Nations do not have the luxury, as people often do, of choosing their neighbors.
Turkey, under the 14-year rule of Recep Tayyip Erdogan's Islamist governments,
and neighboring both Europe and the Middle East, was once praised as a "bridge"
between Western and Islamic civilizations. Its accession into the European Union
(EU) was encouraged by most EU and American leaders. Nearly three decades after
its official bid to join the European club, Turkey is not yet European but has
become one of Europe's problems.
Europe's "Turkish problem" is not only about the fact that in a fortnight a bomb
attack wrecked a terminal of the country's biggest airport and a coup attempt
killed nearly 250 people; nor is it about who rules the country. It is about the
undeniable democratic deficit both in governance and popular culture.
In only the past couple of weeks, Turkey was in the headlines with jaw-dropping
news. In Istanbul, a secretary at a daily newspaper was attacked by a group of
people who accused her of "wearing revealing clothes and supporting the July 15
failed coup." She was six months pregnant.
Also in Istanbul, a Syrian gay refugee was murdered: he had been beheaded and
mutilated. One social worker helping LGBT groups said: "Police are doing nothing
because he is Syrian and because he is gay."
Turkey is dangerous not only for gays and refugees. A French tourist was left
bloodied and beaten by Turkish nationalists after he refused to hold a Turkish
flag. Grisly footage shows the gang, encouraged by Erdogan to patrol the streets
on "democracy watch," telling the man "You will be punched if you don't hold the
flag." The tourist is alone and does not appear to speak Turkish.
Meanwhile Europe is giving signals, albeit slowly, that it may be waking up from
the "Turkey-the-bridge" dream. Germany's Foreign Minister Frank-Walter
Steinmaier said that his country's relations with Turkey have grown so bad the
two countries have virtually "no basis" for talks. He said that Germany has
serious concerns about mass arrests carried out by Turkish officials. According
to Steinmaier, Turkey and Germany are like "emissaries from two different
planets." Steinmaier is right. He is also not the only European statesman who
sees Turkey as alien.
Germany's Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmaier (right) said that his
country's relations with Turkey under Recep Tayyip Erdogan have grown so bad the
two countries have virtually "no basis" for talks.
Erdogan recently threatened Italy that its bilateral relations with Turkey could
deteriorate if Italian prosecutors investigating Erdogan's son, Bilal, for money
laundering, proceeded with their probe. "Italy should be attending to the mafia,
not my son," Erdogan said. Typically, he does not understand the existence of
independent judiciary in a European country. He thinks, as in an Arab sheikdom,
prosecutors are liable to drop charges on orders from the prime minister.
Italy's prime minister, Matteo Renzi, answered Erdogan in language Erdogan will
probably will not understand: "Italy has an independent legal system and judges
answer to the Italian constitution and not the Turkish president."
In unusual European realism, Austrian Chancellor Christian Kern said that he
would start a discussion among European heads of government to end EU membership
talks with Turkey. He rightly called the accession talks "diplomatic fiction."
Kern said: "We know that the democratic standards are clearly not sufficient to
justify [Turkey's] accession."
Even Turkish Cypriots on the divided island fear that Erdogan's Islamization
campaign may target their tiny statelet. On August 3, about 1,500 people from 80
groups spanning the political spectrum took to the streets in Nicosia to protest
against "Turkey's attempt to mold their secular culture into one that's more in
tune with Islamic norms."
All of that inevitably makes Turkey an alien candidate waiting at Europe's gates
to join the club. According to a European survey, Turkey is the least-wanted
potential EU member -- even less wanted than Russia. Opposition to Turkish
membership ranges from 54% (Norway) to 81% (Germany).
Celal Yaliniz, a little-known Turkish philosopher, likened Turks in the 1950s to
"members of a ship's crew who are running toward the west as their ship
travelled east." The Turks were not alone. Erdogan's "liberal" Western
supporters have been no different.
**Burak Bekdil, based in Ankara, is a Turkish columnist for the Hürriyet Daily
and a Fellow at the Middle East Forum.
© 2016 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.
Hamas: Vote for Us or Burn in Hell
Khaled Abu Toameh/Gatestone Institute/August 12/16
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/8670/palestinians-local-elections
Abbas decided to hold local and municipal elections because his advisors
convinced him that Hamas would boycott the vote, according to senior Fatah
official Husam Khader.
The first sign of Hamas's frightening platform emerged when one of its top
muftis, Yunis Al-Astal, issued a fatwa banning Palestinians from voting for any
other party other than Hamas. "Any person, male or female, who votes for a party
other than Hamas will be considered an infidel and apostate and his or her
repentance will not be accepted even if they fasted or prayed or performed the
hajj [pilgrimage] to Mecca," the mufti ruled.
This Hamas tactic has worked in the past. In the previous parliamentary
election, Hamas used the same propaganda to brainwash and scare Palestinian
voters.
By calling the election and allowing Hamas to participate, Abbas is digging his
own grave, and presiding over the burial of any so-called peace process with
Israel.
It is election season in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Palestinians are
preparing to cast their votes in the local and municipal elections, scheduled to
take place on October 8. The upcoming elections will be different from the last
one, held in 2012 only in the West Bank, when Hamas boycotted the vote, allowing
the rival Fatah faction to claim victory.
This time Hamas has decided to join the political fray -- a move that caught
Fatah and its leaders, including Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud
Abbas, by surprise.
Hamas's decision to participate in the local and municipal elections has further
aggravated tensions with Abbas's Fatah faction, which continues to suffer from
deep internal divisions and rivalries.
In the past few weeks, Hamas and Fatah have been accusing each other of cracking
down on each other's supporters in the Gaza Strip and West Bank in a bid to
affect the results of the election.
According to Hamas, the Palestinian Authority security forces have in recent
weeks arrested scores of the Islamist movement's supporters in the West Bank.
Hamas claims that the crackdown intensified after its decision to participate in
the election. Hamas also claims that some of its detained supporters have been
tortured, prompting some of them to go on hunger strikes in Palestinian prisons.
Samira Halaykeh, a Hamas representative in the West Bank, said that the
crackdown was an "extension" of the campaign of arrests that the PA has been
waging against the Islamist movement for several years now. She predicted that
the latest crackdown would actually serve as a boomerang, strengthening Hamas.
"The Palestinian Authority and its security forces must guarantee security and
safety for all Palestinians so that they can practice their legitimate right to
run and vote in the election," she added. "The Palestinian Authority needs to
avoid any form of intimidation and political and intellectual repression against
the voters."
Another senior Hamas representative in the West Bank, Bassem Al-Za'areer,
condemned the arrests of Hamas supporters by the Palestinian Authority as
"politically-motivated." He too alleged that the crackdown was aimed at
undermining Hamas's chances of winning the election. The crackdown, he added,
reflects the "state of desperation and panic" of the PA following Hamas's
decision to participate in the vote. The Palestinian Authority fears a "fair and
decent competition," he explained.
The Palestinian Authority's crackdown on Hamas on the eve of the election has
even riled some senior Fatah officials, such as Husam Khader of the Balata
refugee camp near Nablus, the largest Palestinian city in the West Bank.
"Political arrests solidify the dictatorship of the ruling [Fatah] party,"
Khader charged. "The Palestinian Authority is searching for any excuse to call
off the election because it fears democracy more than it fears Israel."
According to Khader, Abbas decided to hold the local and municipal elections
because his advisors convinced him that Hamas would boycott the vote. The top
Fatah official predicted that internecine fighting in Fatah would play into the
hands of Hamas in the upcoming election. This is precisely what happened in the
2006 parliamentary elections, when divisions within Fatah facilitated Hamas's
victory.
One man, one vote, one time? Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh (left) and Fatah leader
Mahmoud Abbas (also president of the Palestinian Authority) are pictured voting
in the last election for the Palestinian Legislative Council, which took place
in 2006.
Similarly, Fatah maintains that Hamas has been waging a campaign of intimidation
and detention against Fatah supporters in the Gaza Strip -- also in order to
disrupt the upcoming election and undermine Fatah's performance at the ballot
boxes.
In the past two weeks, several Fatah activists in the Gaza Strip were rounded up
by Hamas security forces, which have also banned Fatah from carrying out public
election campaigns or holding rallies. Last week, as part of this crackdown, a
Hamas court sentenced a former Palestinian Authority "general" to seven years in
prison for "collaboration" with the PA security forces in the West Bank. Another
three Fatah activists were sentenced to five years for the same crime.
In an effort to quell tensions between Hamas and Fatah, the Palestinian Central
Election Commission decided to ask the two parties to sign a "Code of Conduct"
document that requires all candidates and parties to avoid smear campaigns,
slander, and fomenting sectarian or racist strife. The document also requires
all those participating in the election to refrain from "exploiting religious or
sectarian or tribal sentiments" in their campaign and also to avoid any form of
intimidation, such as declaring one another traitors, apostates and infidels.
Although Fatah and Hamas have pledged to honor the terms of the "Code of
Conduct," known in Arabic as mithak sharaf, the two sides, which are not famous
for honoring agreements, seem resolved to resort to all available methods to
persuade voters to vote for each one of them.
For now, the two sides have taken to social media to present their electoral
platforms and wage a smear campaign against each other.
Local elections are supposed to be about who can provide the people with the
best municipal services and improve their living conditions. As such, one would
expect candidates to run on a platform that promises new schools, roads, parks,
sports centers and other municipal services. But in the case of the
Palestinians, local and municipal elections seem to have assumed a new meaning
and role. In fact, the upcoming election seems to be anything but a vote for a
mayor or a member of a municipal or village council.
Hamas, whose leaders seem to be enthusiastic and optimistic about the upcoming
vote, has seized the opportunity to wage a massive election campaign on Facebook
and Twitter to promote its extremist ideology through intimidation and by
accusing its rivals of infidelity, blasphemy and profanity. Hamas's message to
the Palestinian voters: Vote for us or else you will be considered infidels and
you will end up in hell.
The first sign of Hamas's frightening platform emerged when one of its top
muftis, Yunis Al-Astal, issued a fatwa (Islamic religious decree) banning
Palestinians from voting for any other party other than Hamas. "Any person, male
or female, who votes for a party other than Hamas will be considered an infidel
and apostate and his or her repentance will not be accepted even if they fasted
or prayed or performed the hajj [pilgrimage] to Mecca," the mufti ruled.
The Hamas fatwa sparked a wave of anger from many Palestinians, who were quick
to accuse the Islamist movement and its leaders of waging a campaign of
intimidation and terror against voters.
"This is the policy of the Muslim Brotherhood [of which Hamas is an offshoot],"
commented Hisham Sawalhi, a Palestinian from the West Bank. "Those who support
Muslim Brotherhood are believers, while those who oppose them are infidels."
A Hamas-affiliated cartoonist from the Gaza Strip, Baha Yasin, published a
cartoon that carries the same message as the fatwa. "A Palestinian Muslim does
not vote for secular infidels," he captioned a cartoon that depicts supporters
of Fatah as unbelievers who smoke nargilas and cigarettes. The caption
accompanying the cartoon also denounces the Fatah supporters for "insulting
Allah" and Islam.
Rajai Al-Halabi, who is in charge of the "women's portfolio" in Hamas, also
stirred up controversy when she appeared on Al-Jazeera to declare that Islam
surfaced for the first time in the Gaza Strip with the creation of Hamas.
Her declaration, which came in the context of Hamas's election campaign, drew
strong condemnations and sarcastic remarks from many Palestinians. "This means
that all those who died before the establishment of Hamas were infidels,
commented Hamzeh Abu Ajaleh, a Palestinian from the Gaza Strip. "In any case, my
grandfather did not consume alcohol and my grandmother used to cover her head,"
he wrote in reaction to the statement by the senior Hamas official.
"Hamas has launched its unofficial election campaign by issuing deeds of
forgiveness and taking us back to the Middle Ages," said Palestinian political
analyst Mahmoud Sabri.
"They have turned mosques into podiums for political, and not religious,
lecturing. Any citizen who does not vote for Hamas will be closer to entering
hell and will be asked by Allah on Doomsday why he or she did not vote for the
right people. Hamas wants us to believe that if we do not support them, then we
are against Islam and that we are participating in the war against our
religion."
Some Palestinians in the Gaza Strip said this week that Hamas has formed a
special team to manage its propaganda campaign in preparation for the local and
municipal elections. This team has begun operating on two fronts: first, a
public campaign to market Hamas's "achievements" since its violent takeover of
the Gaza Strip in the summer of 2007; and second, one to wage a campaign of
defamation against its rivals in Fatah, depicting them as traitors and Israeli
agents and infidels and enemies of Allah and Islam.
"A vote for Hamas is a vote for the resistance and a vote in support of Allah
and Islam," reads one of Hamas's election banners. Other banners posted on
social media highlight the fact that most of the Fatah representatives are not
faithful Muslims and do not pray or practice any of the other pillars of Islam.
This Hamas tactic has worked in the past. In the previous parliamentary
election, Hamas used the same propaganda to brainwash and scare Palestinian
voters. Hamas has also resorted to the same rhetoric in campaigns during
elections for university student councils and various professional unions in the
West Bank and Gaza Strip. Some Palestinians, particularly Fatah loyalists, fear
that Hamas will once again manage to persuade Palestinian voters to cast their
ballots in favor of the Islamist movement by exploiting Islam to intimidate
them.
However, there is no ignoring that there are other reasons why Palestinians may
nevertheless prefer to vote for Hamas and not Fatah. Nearly two months before
the election, tensions in Fatah seem to be on the rise. Many Fatah
representatives are threatening to run in the election as independent candidates
or as representatives of their clans. This already happened in the 2006
parliamentary election and resulted in Fatah's defeat to Hamas. And this is why
some Fatah officials already have second thoughts about the election and some of
them have even openly called on the Palestinian Authority leadership to consider
delaying them until further notice.
Last week, Mahmoud Abbas reportedly expelled four "rebellious" senior Fatah
officials from the faction. The move came amid growing tensions among Fatah's
top brass over the upcoming election.
For Hamas, the upcoming election is an opportunity to consolidate its power and
extend its control from the Gaza Strip to the West Bank. Hamas also views the
local and municipal elections as a test for future parliamentary and even
presidential elections. Without question, a Hamas victory in the upcoming
elections would have an impact on any future elections and would send a message
to the world that the Palestinian Authority is weak and has lost much of its
credibility and standing among Palestinians. By calling the election and
allowing Hamas to participate, Abbas is digging his own grave. Not to mention
that he will be presiding over the burial of any so-called peace process with
Israel.