LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS
BULLETIN
December 30/16
Compiled
& Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
The
Bulletin's Link on the lccc Site
http://www.eliasbejjaninews.com/newsbulletin16/english.december29.16.htm
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Bible Quotations For
Today
There he made his home in a town called Nazareth, so that what had been
spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, ‘He will be called a Nazorean
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint 02/19-23/:"When Herod died,
an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said,
‘Get up, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those
who were seeking the child’s life are dead.’Then
Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel.
But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go
there. And after being warned in a dream, he went away to the district of
Galilee. There he made his home in a town called Nazareth, so that what had been spoken
through the prophets might be fulfilled, ‘He will be called a Nazorean.’"
This is the Moses who said to the Israelites, "God will raise
up a prophet for you from your own people as he raised me up
Acts of the Apostles 07/2.30-37/:"Stephen replied: ‘Brothers and fathers,
listen to me. The God of glory appeared to our ancestor Abraham when he was in
Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran, ‘Now when
forty years had passed, an angel appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, in the flame of a burning bush. When Moses
saw it, he was amazed at the sight; and as he approached to look, there came the
voice of the Lord: "I am the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham,
Isaac, and Jacob." Moses began to tremble and did not dare to look. Then
the Lord said to him, "Take off the sandals from your feet, for the place
where you are standing is holy ground. I have surely seen the mistreatment of
my people who are in Egypt
and have heard their groaning, and I have come down to rescue them. Come now, I
will send you to Egypt."
‘It was this Moses whom they rejected when they said, "Who made you a
ruler and a judge?" and whom God now sent as both ruler and liberator
through the angel who appeared to him in the bush. He led them out, having performed wonders and signs in Egypt, at the Red Sea,
and in the wilderness for forty years. This is the Moses who said to the
Israelites, "God will raise up a prophet for you from your own people as
he raised me up."
Titles
For Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources
published on December 29-30/16
Syria ready for truce, Assad stays, US is left out/ DEBKAfile/December
29/16
Grave Sleepers” Angers Iranians, President Apologizes/Adel al-Salmi/Asharq Al Awsat/December
29/16
Iran in Syria: Russia Took Over/Heshmat Alevi/Gatestone Institute/December 29/16
Brutal Rise In Persecution Of Christians Around The World Forecast In New/Ruth
Gledhill/Christian Today/December 29/16
UN, Obama Further Radicalize Palestinians/Khaled Abu Toameh/Gatestone Institute/December 29/16
Education in Sweden: "Then Things Got Interesting"/Göran Adamson/Gatestone
Institute/December 29/16
They send their children to universities and others’ sons to war fronts/Turki /Al Arabiya/Al Arabiya/December 29/16
Russia’s choices: To fight or to negotiate/Abdulrahman
al-Rashed/Al Arabiya/December
29/16
Titles
For Latest Lebanese Related News published on on December
29-30/16
Lebanon: Electoral Law is the New Government’s Big Challenge
Former Official: Hezbollah Is Iran Regime's Police in the Region
Hizbullah Delegation from Bkirki:
We're Open to Discussing Any Electoral Law Format
Mustaqbal Politburo Defends Hariri's 'National Role',
Slams 'Voices of Discord'
Houri Says Electoral Law Fully Based on Proportional
Representation 'Out of the Question'
Government Faces 'Uneasy Mission' of Passing Electoral Law, State Budget
Hasbani: We'll Spare No Effort to Secure Release of
Captive Troops
Geagea: New Govt. Can be Formed if Needed, LF behind
New Course in Country
Fresh Tensions in Ain el-Hilweh after Fatah Member
Killed
Hariri: Disputes in Lebanon Not Sectarian, I'll Seek Compromises for Country's
Sake
Oghassabian: Possible to Agree on Hybrid Electoral
Law with 2-Month 'Technical Extension'
Hariri: We will spare no effort to support army, security forces
Hariri: We should build on the consensus that exists today
Somsen pays farewell visit to Machnouk
Airport customs seize suitcase of clothes soaked in cocaine
State Security arrests suspect of belonging to armed group
Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin For
Miscellaneous Reports And News published on December 29-30/16
U.N. Envoy
Welcomes Syria Ceasefire Deal
Erdogan Says Syria Ceasefire 'Historic Opportunity'
to End Conflict
U.S. Calls Syria Ceasefire Deal a 'Positive Development'
Syria Army, Opposition Confirm Nationwide Truce from Midnight
Muallem Says Ceasefire 'Real Opportunity' for
Political Solution
Syrian War 'Cancer on a Global Scale', Says New U.N. Chief
Russian Jets Bomb IS-Held Syrian Town Surrounded by Turkish Forces
Putin Announces a 'Reduction' of Russian Forces in Syria
Drone Strike Kills Local Qaida Chief in Yemen
U.S. Expels 35 Russian Intel Agents as Part of Tough Anti-Moscow Measures over
Vote Hack
No Explosion' on Board Crashed Russian Plane
Iran: More Than One Thousand Girls and Boys 9 to 19 Years Old Registered
Married
Orient TV Interview With Dr. Zahedi Chairman of NCRI
Judiciary Committee
Halting Iran's Aggression, the Only Solution for Syrian War and All the
Conflicts in the Region
Crimes in Aleppo: Iran must be ousted from Syria
Iran: 11000 People Killed in Road Accidents in 8 Months
Belgium: Six Terrorist Attacks Thwarted since November 2014
Russian flights to Egypt will resume soon, Putin tells Sisi
Saudi Arabia welcomes Kerry proposal on Palestinian-Israel settlement
Is Iran now working with Afghan Taliban?
Oman
joins Saudi-led Islamic alliance against terrorism
Latest Lebanese Related News
published on December 29-30/16
Lebanon: Electoral Law is
the New Government’s Big Challenge
Paula Astih/Asharq Al Awsat/December 29/16/Beirut – Contrary to the status quo
that prevailed in Lebanon by the end of 2015, the situation today in the
Mediterranean country looks significantly more positive, especially following
the election of a new Lebanese president in October and the formation of a
unity government that has restored life to the different state institutions.
Nonetheless, the new government, led by Prime Minister Saad
al-Hariri, has a major challenge, represented in the adoption of an electoral
law that would gain the approval of the different Lebanese factions. In this
regard, sources told Asharq al-Awsat
newspaper that there has been an overwhelming agreement over the need to put
behind the 1960 electoral law, which was used in the last parliamentary
elections in 2009. Based on the majority system, the electoral law, which
was adopted in 1960, divides the country into 24 electoral districts. However,
Lebanese politicians are currently studying the adoption of a modern electoral
law that provides an appropriate representation of the different Lebanese
factions. While Hezbollah and other political factions are insisting on a law
that would be solely based on the proportional system, other parties, including
the Future Movement, the Lebanese Forces and the Progressive Socialist Party,
back the adoption of a proportional system in some regions and the majority
system in others. Former Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar
told Asharq al-Awsat
newspaper that he was not optimistic about the achievement of a significant
progress in this regard, adding that he believed that the different political
factions would only develop the 1960 law, by setting a 20 percent quota for
women and activate election monitoring bodies. Also in remarks to Asharq al-Awsat newspaper, former
Minister Karim Pakradouni
said that holding the parliamentary elections within the constitutional
deadline would be a great achievement. He added that he was confident that the
Lebanese political parties would agree on a law that would be solely based on
the proportional system.
Former Official: Hezbollah Is Iran Regime's
Police in the Region
NCRI/December 29/16/The former Secretary General of Hezbollah, Sheikh Subhi al-Tufayli in an interview
with Anatolia News said:"the Iranian regime uses
Hezbollah as its police in the region. Hezbollah is not only an organization
but also a group that lacks will and power and it is controlled by the Iranian
regime. Most of Hezbollah members are aware that the Syrian conflict is based
on the wicked objectives and unfounded allegations. Nevertheless, they are not
able to disobey the orders of the Iranian regime." He also referred to the
killing of the Syrians by the Iranian regime and added:"those
who claims that they came to Syria
to defend Islam; if they really came to help the Muslims, they would not seek
help from Russia
then. Russia
was sure that the Iranian regime is not able to win the war. Consequently, they
meddled directly but unfortunately the war will be longer and more
complicated."
Hizbullah Delegation from Bkirki:
We're Open to Discussing Any Electoral Law Format
Naharnet/December 29/16/A high-ranking Hizbullah delegation held talks Thursday in Bkirki with Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi. “We still
believe that the best solution is an electoral law fully based on proportional
representation, but we're open to discussing any other format,” Hizbullah political council chief Ibrahim Amin al-Sayyed said after the
meeting, in response to a reporter's question. “The visit tackled the domestic
situation, which has involved important achievements, including the election of
President (Michel) Aoun and the formation of the
government,” al-Sayyed said. Asked about Turkey's call for the withdrawal of all foreign
fighters from Syria,
including Hizbullah's forces, al-Sayyed
said: “We are not present in Syria
at the request of Turkey, Saudi Arabia or the United States, we are there as part
of our cooperation with the Syrian state.” “When we sense that it is beneficial
to withdraw from Syria,
we will do so,” he added.
Mustaqbal Politburo Defends Hariri's 'National Role', Slams
'Voices of Discord'
Naharnet/December 29/16/Al-Mustaqbal Movement's
political bureau has noted that there is “no place for the voices of discord”
during the new political stage in the country. In a statement issued after a
periodic meeting held at the Center House under politburo deputy head Bassem al-Sabaa, the bureau
“reiterated its confidence in the leadership of Prime Minister (Saad) Hariri and the national role he is playing to protect
Lebanon.” It described attacks targeting Hariri's role as “nothing but screams
from impotent parties.”“PM Hariri has succeeded in
taking the country into a new phase of national accord that has no place for
the voices of discord, but rather for the voices of reason that seek national
unity and common denominators,” the politburo added
Houri Says Electoral Law Fully Based on Proportional
Representation 'Out of the Question'
Naharnet/December 29/16/Al-Mustaqbal bloc MP Ammar Houri on Thursday stressed
his rejection of an electoral law fully based on the proportional
representation system, noting that only a so-called hybrid law would be
feasible. “The issue of full proportional representation is out of the question
and we cannot accept it as long as illegitimate arms exist,” Houri said in an interview with al-Fajr
radio. “Al-Mustaqbal, the Democratic Gathering and
the Lebanese Forces have proposed a hybrid law that mixes the proportional
representation and winner-takes-all systems, and it is a valid starting point
for discussions,” the MP added. “Anyone who proposes ideas that steer away from
this hybrid law would be seeking to obstruct the approval of a new electoral
law,” Houri noted. Hizbullah
has repeatedly called for an electoral law fully based on proportional
representation but other political parties, especially Mustaqbal
and the Democratic Gathering, have rejected the proposal and argued that the
party's controversial arsenal of arms would prevent serious competition in
regions where the Iran-backed party has clout. The country has not voted for a
parliament since 2009, with the legislature instead twice extending its own
mandate. The 2009 polls were held under an amended version of the 1960
electoral law and the next elections are scheduled for May 2017.
Government Faces 'Uneasy Mission' of
Passing Electoral Law, State Budget
Naharnet/December 29/16/As the new year begins, the
new government will face an “uneasy mission” of agreeing on a new electoral law
and passing a state budget, media reports said on Thursday. The government will
also have to address pressing issues like waste management and electricity.
“The government's mission is not easy, unless it manages to cross the junctures
correctly, come up with quick solutions, dismantle all the political and
non-political landmines in its path, and organize its priorities,” ministerial
sources told al-Joumhouria newspaper. The
government's priorities “are topped by the issue of the state budget, seeing as
the financial situation has been irregular for more than ten years,” the
sources added. “A prompt approval of an electoral law is the key to
facilitating solutions for the rest of the files,” the sources went on to say.
Hasbani: We'll Spare No Effort to Secure Release of Captive
Troops
Naharnet/December 29/16/Deputy Premier and Health
Minister Ghassan Hasbani
announced Thursday that the new government “will spare no effort” to secure the
release of nine Lebanese troops held hostage by the extremist Islamic State
group. “As Prime Minister Saad Hariri has promised,
the government will spare no effort to reach a happy ending for this painful
file,” Hasbani said during a meeting at his office
with Hussein Youssef, the head of a committee formed
by the hostages' families to follow up on their case. Youssef
for his part thanked Hasbani for the efforts that
authorities are exerting to secure the release of the soldiers. He also
expressed the families' joy over the results of the DNA tests that confirmed
that corpses found in the Syrian-Lebanese border region are not of IS-held
troops, hoping the soldiers will return soon to their country and families. The
fate of the troops has been shrouded with mystery for several months now and
the families are demanding to know whether their sons are alive or dead. The
nine troops were among more than 30 servicemen who were abducted during the
deadly 2014 battle between jihadists and the Lebanese army in and around the northeastern border town of Arsal. While al-Nusra Front released 16 captives as part of a swap deal in
December 2015, nine hostages remain in IS' captivity and Lebanese officials
have vowed to exert efforts to secure their release.
Geagea: New Govt. Can be Formed if Needed, LF behind New
Course in Country
Naharnet/December 29/16/Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea has announced that
the new government can be “held accountable,” or “ousted” if needed, noting
that the LF was behind the recent change in the country's political course. “We
now have a president and vigorous political activity has returned to the Baabda
Palace,” Geagea said during the LF's
annual engineers dinner in Maarab.
“We now have a government that has won a vote of confidence, although it is not
at the level of our expectations, but we can hold it accountable and we can
also oust it, seeing as the president can hold new consultations for the
appointment of a new PM,” he added. “With a clear conscience I can tell you
that we in the LF were the main reason behind all the difference that has
occurred, seeing as we changed the entire course of things in the country on
January 18, 2016,” Geagea went on to say, referring
to the date on which he endorsed General Michel Aoun's
presidential bid. He added: “This is the beginning of the road for achieving
our aspirations, and at least now we are no longer lost in the desert and we've
become on the track of building the State.”
Fresh Tensions in Ain el-Hilweh after Fatah Member Killed
Naharnet/December 29/16/Fresh tensions were on
Thursday engulfing the restive Palestinian refugee camp of Ain el-Hilweh after a member of the mainstream Fatah Movement was
shot dead, state-run National News Agency reported. “The Fatah Movement went on
alert at the Ain el-Hilweh camp after the
assassination of Ibrahim Mansour, amid a state of
anticipation and cautious calm,” NNA said. A masked gunman gunned down Mansour with a handgun at the intersection of the camp's
vegetable market, the agency reported earlier on Thursday. A ceasefire had been
reached last Thursday at the camp after several days of deadly clashes between
Fatah and hardline Islamist groups. The violence was
sparked by the assassination of Islamist militant Samer
Hmeid. Fatah members were accused of carrying out the
attack.
Hariri: Disputes in Lebanon Not Sectarian,
I'll Seek Compromises for Country's Sake
Naharnet/December 29/16/Prime Minister Saad Hariri announced Thursday that the disputes in the
country are not “sectarian” but rather “purely political,” adding that he will
seek compromises “for the sake of the country.”“We as
politicians must sacrifice for the sake of the country and we must preserve
stability, which is the basis for the country's progress and advancement,”
Hariri told a delegation of Beiruti families and
figures. “There is a dangerous scheme in the region and we must safeguard Lebanon and
keep it away from the wars and blazes around us,” the PM added. Stressing that
the country “should not be paralyzed” over political disputes, Hariri noted
that “it has turned out that the acute disputes are not confessional or
sectarian, but rather purely political.”“Some sought
to turn these differences into sectarian disputes, but I'm not concerned with
this at all. I will continue the approach of martyr premier Rafik
Hariri by seeking compromises like he continuously did for the sake of the
country,” Hariri went on to say.
Oghassabian: Possible to Agree on Hybrid Electoral Law with
2-Month 'Technical Extension'
Naharnet/December 29/16/State Minister for Women's
Affairs Jean Oghassabian of al-Mustaqbal
Movement announced Thursday that “there is a possibility to agree on a hybrid
law for the upcoming parliamentary elections.”Under
the proposed law, the first round of elections would be held according to the
winner-takes-all system in Lebanon's
26 districts and the second round would be held according to the proportional
representation system in the country's six governorates, Oghassabian
told Voice of Lebanon radio (93.3). He expected a “two- or three-month
technical extension for the current parliament to give time for preparing for
the implementation of the hybrid law.” Hizbullah has
repeatedly called for an electoral law fully based on proportional
representation but other political parties, especially Mustaqbal
and the Democratic Gathering, have rejected the proposal and argued that the
party's controversial arsenal of arms would prevent serious competition in
regions where the Iran-backed party has clout. Mustaqbal,
the Lebanese Forces and the Democratic Gathering have meanwhile proposed a
hybrid electoral law that mixes the proportional representation and the
winner-takes-all systems. Speaker Nabih Berri has also proposed a hybrid law. The country has not
voted for a parliament since 2009, with the legislature instead twice extending
its own mandate.The 2009 polls were held under an
amended version of the 1960 electoral law and the next elections are scheduled
for May 2017.Riachi comments on closure of some media institutions: I will do
my best to find solutions to staff, editors
Thu 29 Dec 2016/NNA - Minister of Information Melhem Riachi commented on Thursday evening on the closure of some
media institutions and their staff's layoff by saying "This is an
unfortunate crisis, and I will do my best to find solutions to those
institutions' staff and editors, both with their employers and with the
Minister of Labor with whom I have already discussed
this matter."In a phone call with the OTV
channel, Riachi said "whatever the media
institution's problems, it cannot be unfair toward its editors."Riachi
added that the "State cannot help in matters of the sort because these are
private institutions and if a certain amount is deducted from the Treasury to
support newspapers, that would cause a crisis for those who do not have the
same support, and this would not be fair.""I
will meet with newspapers' publishers as well as with the press Syndicate Head
to sit down and try to find a solution to this crisis... I am ready to provide
any assistance in this area," he pledged.
Hariri: We will spare no effort to support
army, security forces
Thu 29 Dec 2016/NNA - Prime Minister Saad Hariri
welcomed Thursday the role played by the army and the security forces in the
preservation of security and stability in the country, as well as their efforts
to combat the scourge of terrorism. "The government will spare no effort
to provide support to the army and the security forces so that they can fulfill
their tasks," he said. Speaking on Thursday evening from the Grand Serail, Hariri welcomed the Minister of Defense,
Yaacoub al-Sarraf, the
Commander-in-Chief of the Army, General Jean Kahwagi,
Interior Minister Nouhad Machnouk,
General directors of the ISF, Ibrahim Basbous,
General Security, Abbas Ibrahim, and State Security,
Georges Karaa.
Hariri: We should build on the consensus
that exists today
Thu 29 Dec 2016/NNA - Prime Minister Saad Hariri said
that "we as politicians should sacrifice for the country's sake and
preserve stability because it is essential for the country's progress and
advancement." He added: "There is a dangerous plot in the region and
we should preserve Lebanon
and keep it away from neighboring wars and
fires." Hariri was addressing at his office in the Grand Serail representatives of Beiruti
families and dignitaries who came to congratulate him for forming the
government and winning the vote of confidence.
Hariri welcomed the delegation and said: "We hope the New Year will be a
new beginning. We are here to serve you and to serve the people. The government
will immediately begin studying the vital projects and solving the problems
from which the citizens are suffering all over Lebanon, and in the capital in
particular, namely electricity, water, traffic, and public transport."He
added: "We should build on the consensus that exists today in the country
to reach the Lebanon
that the Lebanese want and I am here to serve this project. I know that a lot
of work needs be done and there are many problems especially for the youth who
are leaving the country. Thus, we have to work to improve Lebanon, activate the economy and make Beirut once again the
jewel it was before. This will hopefully happen and we will all work together
to achieve this goal. I call on anyone who has a vision or an idea to discuss
it with me and I need the support of each and every one of you because this
country proved that we should work together and preserve national unity."He said: "We as politicians should
sacrifice for the country's sake, even in politics, because stability is
essential, we should not hinder the country for the sake of political
differences and we should not put obstacles, because it has become clear that
the major political differences are not religious or sectarian but purely
political. There are some who wanted to turn these differences into sectarian
or religious problems, but I am not like that at all. I will continue the path
of martyr Premier Rafic Hariri who used to round off
the angles for the country's sake. The most important things for us now is to
restore Beirut's glory and make sure it is under no one's mercy, whether
regarding the waste crisis, electricity, or others. What is important also is
to restore tourism as it was before and create new job opportunities for the
youth so they remain in their land. In the coming weeks, Beirut Municipality
will launch a number of projects regarding garbage or electricity in order to
meet the needs of the capital. As for the country's progress, we should not
calculate who wins or who loses but keep Lebanon winning all the time. There
are continuous attempts to disrupt, but what is important for us is to
continuously strive to overcome these attempts, for the advancement of Lebanon and the
capital in particular. We paid a very high price for that with the blood of
martyr Premier Rafic Hariri who always sought to
achieve progress and advancement for the capital and sacrificed his life for
that. He did not make this sacrifice to perpetuate divisions or sectarianism or
to have winners or losers, but he always worked for the country's interest and
for the development of the capital and Lebanon".
He concluded: "There is a dangerous plot in the region, and I have to
preserve Lebanon.
We have to do our utmost to keep our country far from the wars and fires in the
region. Our commitment to moderation has proved its usefulness in sparing Lebanon many
slides. Moderation, and not extremism, is the strength, knowing that extremism
has no religion or sect and is not restricted to Muslims. There are attempts to
accuse the people of Tripoli,
Akkar or others of terrorism. All these attempts
proved their futility and failure. Thus, it is my duty to achieve progress for
the country with you, and for you and for your children and our children."Hariri also received today the State
Minister for Refugees' Affairs Mouin al-Merehbi and former Minister Rashid Derbas.
Discussions focused on the situation of the Syrian refugees in Lebanon. Later,
he met with a delegation from the Lebanese International Finance Executives
(LIFE), in the presence of his advisor Mazen Hanna
and discussed with them financial and monetary. He also received the Lebanese
Athlete Maxim Chaya. Separately, Hariri received
congratulatory letters on forming the government from the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, the deputy Emir Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al-Thani, and the Prime
Minister and Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa
al-Thani, the Kuwaiti Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah,
the German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Jordan's Prime Minister Hani al-Mulki, the Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic
Cooperation Yousef al - Othaimeen,
and UNESCO representative in Lebanon Hamed Al-Hammami. Premier Hariri also received a letter from the
Premier of the State Council at the People's Republic of China Li Keqiang who congratulated him on the New Year.
Somsen pays farewell visit to Machnouk
Thu 29 Dec 2016/NNA - Outgoing Dutch Ambassador to Lebanon, Hestar
Somsen, paid a farewell visit on Thursday to Interior
and Municipalities Minister, Nouhad Machnouk. Following the meeting, Somsen
expressed her appreciation for the Ministry's cooperation with the Embassy. She
stressed the importance of reinforcing cooperation between the Ministry's
security services and Dutch security bodies. The diplomat revealed that she
would assume a new position in Netherlands,
as Director of security policies affairs in the Dutch Ministry of foreign
affairs. Minister Machnouk, for his part, highlighted
the necessity to boost cooperation and partnership with Lebanon and the
European Union as indicated in the ministerial policy of the new government. He
also said that the policy statement defined key priorities including a national
strategy to counter terrorism, electoral reform, and displaced Syrians.
Airport customs seize suitcase of clothes
soaked in cocaine
Thu 29 Dec 2016/NNA - The customs at Beirut International airport seized on
Thursday a suitcase containing clothes soaked in cocaine, smuggled by a
Lebanese coming from Africa. The seizures and
the arrested passenger were referred to the competent authority to take the
necessary legal action, the NNA correspondent said.
State Security arrests suspect of belonging to armed group
Thu 29 Dec 2016/NNA - The State Security regional directorate arrested on
Thursday in Akkar a person from Mhammara
village suspect of belonging to an armed group and of involvement in shooting
at Army elements, the NNA correspondent reported.
Latest LCCC Bulletin For
Miscellaneous Reports And News published on December 28-29/16
U.N. Envoy Welcomes Syria
Ceasefire Deal
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/December
29/16/The U.N.'s Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura praised a nationwide ceasefire deal announced
Thursday and voiced hope it would help aid reach civilians across the
war-ravaged country. "The Special Envoy welcomes the announcement of a
nationwide ceasefire between the Government of Syria and armed opposition
groups in Syria",
which is due to take effect at midnight, de Mistura's
office said in a statement. The U.N. envoy also hopes that the deal, brokered
by Russia and Turkey, "will save civilian lives,
facilitate the delivery of humanitarian assistance across Syria, and pave
the way for productive talks in Astana," the statement added. Moscow, which backs Syria's
regime, and rebel supporter Ankara are pushing
for peace talks to start soon in Astana,
Kazakhstan's
capital. While de Mistura offered support for those
talks, which would take place outside the U.N. umbrella, he also reiterated
that he wants negotiations mediated by his office to continue early next year.
"The Special Envoy is of the view that these developments should
contribute to inclusive and productive intra-Syrian negotiations to be convened
under U.N. auspices on 8 February 2017."
Erdogan Says Syria Ceasefire 'Historic Opportunity' to End
Conflict
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/December
29/16/Turkish President Recep Tayyip
Erdogan on Thursday said the planned ceasefire for
Syria was a "historic opportunity" to end the nearly six-year Syrian
conflict, saying it was a chance that could not be wasted. "This chance
absolutely should not be lost. This is a historic opportunity," he told a
news conference in Ankara
alongside Kosovo President Hashim Thaci.
"This is a window of opportunity that has been opened and should not be
squandered," Erdogan added in his first public
comment on the ceasefire deal that was announced earlier by Russian President
Vladimir Putin. Erdogan reaffirmed that "terror
groups" were not included in the deal brokered by Turkey and Russia which is due to come into
force at midnight. He indicated that Turkey
would press on with its four month incursion into Syria against Islamic State (IS)
jihadists and Kurdish militia. "The fight against terror groups, including
Daesh (IS), will continue with determination until
the security of our citizens is assured." Without naming countries, he
said other states with an influence on the ground in Syria should show "the
necessary sensitivity" to ensure the ceasefire is implemented. The
president confirmed that the ceasefire agreement had come about after talks
between Russian representatives and the Syrian opposition hosted by Turkey in Ankara
over the last weeks. Erdogan denied that peace talks
overseen by Turkey and Russia planned to be held in the Kazakh capital Astana
after the ceasefire is implemented were meant as a rival to the U.N.-brokered
Geneva process, saying they were meant to complement and support those
discussions.
U.S. Calls Syria Ceasefire Deal a
'Positive Development'
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/December
29/16/The United States on Thursday cautiously welcomed a nationwide ceasefire
deal in Syria brokered by Russia and Turkey as a "positive
development," saying it hoped it would lead to fresh talks on the
war-wracked country's political future. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry
invested significant time and energy in trying to bring an end to the civil war
in Syria
through diplomatic means. But more than five years on, his efforts were in vain
as several truce efforts collapsed. And with just three weeks to go before he
leaves office, Washington was not part of the
talks that led to the agreement announced earlier Thursday by Syria's army and Moscow. The ceasefire is due to take effect
at midnight. "News of a ceasefire in the Syrian civil war is a positive
development," State Department spokesman Mark Toner said in a statement.
"We hope it will be implemented fully and respected by all parties. Any
effort that stops the violence, saves lives, and creates the conditions for
renewed and productive political negotiations would be welcome."
Toner said Washington "fully" supports
a call by the U.N. special envoy for Syria,
Staffan de Mistura, for
renewed negotiations in Geneva on Syria's
political future. The United
States has long said that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad must go. "The international community
hopes this ceasefire will hold so a Syrian-led transition toward a more
representative, united, and peaceful government can begin," Toner said.
"An inclusive Syrian-led political process between the Syrian regime and
the opposition is critical for establishing a durable settlement to this conflict."Moscow, which backs Syria's regime, and rebel supporter Ankara are pushing for
peace talks to start soon in the Kazakh capital Astana. While de Mistura offered support for those talks, which would take
place outside the U.N. umbrella, he also said he wants negotiations mediated by
his office to continue early next year.
Syria Army, Opposition Confirm Nationwide
Truce from Midnight
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/December
29/16/Syria's army and key ally Russia on Thursday announced a nationwide
ceasefire to take effect at midnight, in a potential major breakthrough after
nearly six years of civil war. The deal was brokered by Russia and Turkey,
which back opposing sides in the conflict, but does not involve Washington, which has negotiated previous ceasefires with
Moscow. The
agreement, hailed by Syria's
government as a "real opportunity" to find a political solution to
the war, comes a week after the regime recaptured second city Aleppo in a major blow to rebel forces.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, who announced the deal, said Damascus and the "main forces of the
armed opposition" had inked a truce and a document expressing a readiness
to start peace talks.
"Several hours ago, the event occurred that we have not only been waiting
for but been working so much to hasten," Putin said in a meeting with his defense and foreign ministers. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan
described the agreement as a "historic opportunity" to end the Syrian
conflict, which has killed more than 310,000 people and forced millions from
their homes.Syria's army said it would halt all
military operations from midnight (2200 GMT on Thursday) and a leading
opposition body, the National Coalition, voiced its support for the truce.
Putin said he would also reduce Moscow's
military contingent in Syria
that has been flying a bombing campaign in support of President Bashar Assad since last year. The Kremlin strongman,
however, said Russia would
continue to fight "terrorism" in Syria and maintain its support for
the regime. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said seven opposition groups, including the powerful
Ahrar al-Sham, had signed the deal and those who
failed to adhere would be considered "terrorists." Erdogan indicated Turkey
would press on with its four-month incursion into Syria against Islamic State group
(IS) jihadists and Kurdish militia.
Astana peace talks
Syria's
army said the deal did not include IS and the former
al-Qaida affiliate al-Nusra Front, now rebranded the Fateh al-Sham Front. That could cause complications in
areas like Idlib in northwestern
Syria,
where Fateh al-Sham is allied with rebel groups that
have signed on to the deal. Syria's
political opposition and rebels confirmed their backing for the truce, saying
it applied to all parts of the country. "The agreement is for all of Syria and
contains no exceptions or preconditions," said Osama Abou
Zeid, a legal adviser to rebel groups fighting under
the Free Syrian Army banner. The agreement comes after Turkey and Russia
brokered a deal to allow the evacuation of tens of thousands of civilians and
rebel fighters from Aleppo.
Moscow and Ankara
are now pushing for peace talks between Damascus
and the rebels to start soon in Kazakhstan's
capital Astana. "Now we need to do everything for these agreements to come
into force, for them to work, so that the negotiating teams that have been or
are being formed promptly and as soon as possible arrive in Astana," Putin
said. U.N. peace envoy Staffan de Mistura
said he hoped the agreement would "pave the way for productive talks"
in Kazakhstan,
but also reiterated he wants negotiations mediated by his office to continue
early next year.
17 killed in rebel areas
Russia and Turkey have
both said the peace talks they will supervise are meant to supplement
U.N.-backed peace efforts, rather than replace them entirely. Russian Foreign
Minister Sergei Lavrov said that Russia, Turkey
and Iran
were arranging for the talks and pressing for other key international players
to get involved. Lavrov said Moscow
would invite Egypt and try
to attract other regional powers such as Saudi
Arabia, Qatar,
Iraq and Jordan. He
added that Moscow
would seek to involve U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's administration once
he takes office this month, but the process does not appear to involve outgoing
President Barack Obama's administration. The U.S. State Department called the
ceasefire deal a "positive development" and said it hoped it would
lead to fresh negotiations on Syria's
political future. Abou Zeid
confirmed the truce deal was intended to pave the way for new talks in Astana,
with the High Negotiations Committee that has represented the opposition at
previous negotiations expected to participate. Turkey
has long backed Syria's
opposition, and its relations with Russia
soured last year after Ankara
shot down a Russian warplane. But the two countries have worked closely of late
on Syria and Turkey was conspicuously quiet as Assad's forces
retook Aleppo.
In the hours before the ceasefire was to take effect, the Syrian Observatory
for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitoring group, reported at least 17
civilians, including six children, were killed in air strikes and artillery
fire on rebel-held territory near Damascus.
Muallem Says Ceasefire 'Real Opportunity' for Political
Solution
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/December
29/16/A ceasefire soon to take effect across Syria is a "real
opportunity" for a political solution to the nearly six-year war, the
country's foreign minister said Thursday. "There is a real opportunity for
a political solution to the crisis to bring an end to the bloodshed," Walid Muallem told state
television. The ceasefire brokered by Russia
and Turkey
is due to begin at midnight (2200 GMT Thursday).
Syrian War 'Cancer on a Global Scale',
Says New U.N. Chief
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/December
29/16/The Syrian conflict "has become a cancer on a global scale,"
incoming U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres has
said, while hoping Washington and Moscow overcome their differences to help end
the crisis. The war has caused "not only the suffering of the Syrian
people" but also sparks "violent reactions which in some cases lead
to terrorist acts", the former Portuguese premier told Portugal's SIC
television channel in an interview broadcast Wednesday. The conflict began in
2011 as an uprising against President Bashar Assad
but quickly morphed into a civil war after the regime unleashed a brutal
crackdown against dissent. The war has killed more than
310,000 people and forced millions more to flee their homes. It has
since become a complex, multi-front conflict, drawing in global powers as well
as militias and jihadists. While Western powers and some regional states have
backed the rebellion, Russia
and Iran
have thrown their full weight behind Assad's regime. Guterres
termed the conflict a "global threat" and said global powers must
decide to end the conflict, something he judged could not be done without
external support.
Russian Jets Bomb IS-Held Syrian Town
Surrounded by Turkish Forces
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/December
29/16/Russian warplanes have for the first time bombed jihadist targets around
the town of al-Bab in Syria held by Islamic State
(IS) extremists but surrounded by Turkish forces, a report said Thursday. The Dogan news agency, citing military sources, said the air
strikes took place on Wednesday. The report was published after the
announcement of a deal brokered by Turkey
and Russia for a nationwide
ceasefire in Syria.
There was no official confirmation of the report. The agency did not specify if
the strikes were coordinated with Turkey. The Britain-based Syrian
Observatory for Human Rights said "strikes suspected to be Russian"
had been hitting al-Bab for the last two days
"in support of the Turkish operation." There was no comment from the
Russian army. Turkey has for
four months pressed an incursion against IS jihadists inside Syria in
support of pro-Ankara fighters. But they have faced stiffening resistance in
the battle to take al-Bab, taking increasing casualties.Turkey has in the last days stepped up criticism
of U.S.-led anti-IS coalition forces for failing to back the Turkish incursion
inside Syria with air support. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who this week
accused Washington of backing IS jihadists, on
Thursday again attacked the U.S.
for its "support" for terror organizations in Syria.
Putin Announces a 'Reduction' of Russian
Forces in Syria
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/December
29/16/Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday announced a
"reduction" of Moscow's forces in Syria after Damascus and rebels
inked a truce deal. "I agree with the proposal from the defense ministry for the reduction of our military presence
in Syria," Putin said
in a televised meeting, insisting Russia would still continue to
support Syrian President Bashar Assad.
Drone Strike Kills Local Qaida Chief in Yemen
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/December
29/16/A drone strike in Yemen
likely carried out by U.S.
forces on Thursday killed a local al-Qaida chief and his guard, a security
official said. The strike hit a vehicle at Sawmaa in
al-Bayda province, killing Jalal
al-Seydi, who was the "emir" of al-Qaida in
the town of Loder, in
the neighboring southern province of Abyan, the official said. The
United States is the only
country operating drones over Yemen,
but it only sporadically reports on the long-running bombing campaign against
the country's powerful al-Qaida branch. The U.S.
authorities consider al-Qaida's Yemen-based franchise, Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, to be its most dangerous. AQAP and the
Islamic State group have exploited a power vacuum created by the conflict
between the government and Shiite Huthi rebels to
expand their presence in Yemen,
especially in the south and southeast.
U.S. Expels 35 Russian Intel Agents as Part of Tough Anti-Moscow Measures over
Vote Hack
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/December
29/16/The United States on Thursday fired back at Moscow over its meddling in
the presidential election, announcing a series of tough sanctions against
intelligence agencies, expulsions of agents and shutting down of Russian
compounds on U.S. soil. "I have ordered a number of actions in response to
the Russian government's aggressive harassment of U.S.
officials and cyber operations aimed at the U.S. election," Obama said.
"These actions follow repeated private and public warnings that we have
issued to the Russian government, and are a necessary and appropriate response
to efforts to harm U.S.
interests in violation of established international norms of behavior."Among the measures announced were sanctions
against Russia's FSB and GRU intelligence agencies; the designation of 35
Russian operatives as "persona non grata"; and the closure of two
Russian compounds in New York and Maryland that the United States says are used
"for intelligence-related purposes."
'No Explosion' on Board Crashed Russian
Plane
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/December
29/16/Russian officials probing the crash of a Syria-bound military plane said
Thursday that there was no explosion on board, but equipment was functioning
abnormally when it plunged into the Black Sea. "There was no explosion on
board, I can say that for certain," said Sergei Bainetov,
head of flight safety for the Russian airforce.
"But an act of terror is not necessarily an explosion, so we are not
discarding this version."Transport Minister
Maxim Sokolov said the probe has established that the
plane was not working normally but will not issue any conclusions before
January, cautioning journalists not to jump on any theories. "It is
obvious that the equipment was functioning abnormally. Why that happened is up
to experts to work out," he said at a joint press conference on the crash
which killed all 92 on board, including scores of performers from a feted Red
Army Choir troupe. The Soviet-era Tu-154 plane went down shortly after takeoff
from the Sochi airport Sunday morning, after
stopping to refuel on its way to Syria.
The military ensemble was due to give a concert to Russian soldiers at the Hmeimim base, Moscow's
main outpost for its bombing campaign in support of President Bashar Assad. Bainetov said that
the Tu-154, which is not used by commercial airlines, has been grounded by the
air force "until the first conclusions" are made about the crash. Sokolov said that the "main phase" of the major search
operation for plane debris mounted off the coast of the southern city has
finished. "At this time, everything that has to do with the plane's crash
has been brought to surface," he said. So far only 19 bodies and some 230
body parts have been discovered, Sokolov said.
Iran: More Than One Thousand Girls and Boys 9 to 19 Years
Old Registered Married
NCRI/December 29/16/The head of the Civil and Personal Status Registration
Authority of Isfahan – Central Iran stated
that more than 500 children and nearly 500 teenage boys got married this year.
55 of the brides aged also less than 10 years old. As Tabnak
news agency reported on 29th December 2016, Touraj Haj Rahimian stated in this
regard that 533 girls aged less than 14 got married in Isfahan province and 55 of the brides were
girls less than 10 years old. According to the figures, 26250 marriages were
recorded in the registration office. 528 of the brides are aged 10 to 14 and
6540 of married girls are aged 15 to From the beginning of this year until the
end of November, 499 boys aged 15-19 have got married as well. 7671 cases of
divorce have been recorded in eight months of this year.
Iran: Critical Health Condition of a Political Prisoner on Hunger Strike
NCRI/December 29/16/The latest news about Arash Sadeghi on the 66th day of hunger strike; the danger of
stroke and coma. The political prisoner of ward 8, Arash
Sadeghi was transferred to the infirmary last night
due to hypotension (60 over 80), heart palpitations, asthma and coughing up
blood. They connected the oxygen mask and its source to him and returned him to
the ward. The doctors have reported that his condition is extremely serious and
dangerous and as the doctors did the forensic examination on him yesterday,
they said that it is likely that he encounters coma and even death. Arash Sadeghi has stopped medical
treatments since he is banned from visiting his wife and the authorities do not
fulfill his demands as well. He has lost 19 kilograms of his weight and
suffering from severe physical fatigue, abnormal heart rate, chronic breathing,
and kidney and intestinal problems. He was transferred to Evin’s
clinic on Wednesday morning, yet returned to the ward due to dire conditions
and refusing to receive any serum. Mr. Sadeghi was a
philosophy college student studying for his Master’s degree in Alame
University. He has been
deprived of continuing his studies due to his activities as a college student.
He was arrested time and again between 2009 and 2014. He has been sentenced to
19 years behind bars on charges of “propaganda against the state, assembly and
collusion against national security.” Iranian regime authorities have
threatened Sadeghi and cancelled all his visits. His
wife, Golrokh Iraie, has
been condemned in absentia by a so-called “court” for insulting the
“"establishment and the leader” of the hideous mullahs’ regime over an
unpublished piece against the inhumane stoning punishments issued in Iran.
Orient TV Interview With Dr. Zahedi
Chairman of NCRI Judiciary Committee
NCRI/December 29/16/The Syrian opposition Orient TV reported: “After occupation
of Aleppo with Russian support, Pasdar Mohammad Ali Jafari,
Commander in Chief of the Iranian regime Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), said Aleppo is the frontline
defence of the so-called Islamic Revolution. He acknowledged that the Iranian
regime's security domain is broad and has crossed Iran’s borders.”
In this regard, Dr. Zahedi, Chairman of the National
Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI’s) Judiciary
Committee, in an interview with Orient TV said: “Jafari’s
comments show the true nature of Iranian regime. It is clear that the regime of
Velayat-e faqih does not
recognize any geographic border, and if this regime is left free (to continue
its aggression and crimes), it will even go to Indonesia.”
“The regime cannot survive without war and crisis. The reason for the regime
officials expressing such comments is that they want to escape forward. As the
regime’s problems inside Iran,
in the region and in the world grow, the regime runs forward to the same extent
(to escape its collapse and inevitable destiny of being overthrown). This is
the nature of this regime,” Dr. Zahedi added.
Chairman of the NCRI’s Judiciary Committee continued:
“We've had a lot of experience in this field. The regime of Velayat-e
faqih cannot respond to any needs of Iranian people.
At least 60 percent of Iranians live below the poverty line. Over 30 million
Iranians suffer from hunger. These are the words that the regime officials have
been saying (and acknowledging) with full obscenity.”“In
fact, the Velayat-e faqih
regime has perished and perishes the cultivation and the generation (the life)
and the Iranian people have on many occasions raised their voices against the
regime. You have heard that football fans chanted slogans in Ahvaz stadium and
said ‘Bashar Go away, Get lost,’ and also university
students in Tehran said (Iranian regime’s role in the carnage and massacre in)
Syria is a great crime that the history will hold us accountable for,” Dr. Zahedi said.
Halting Iran's Aggression, the Only
Solution for Syrian War and All the Conflicts in the Region
Crimes in Aleppo: Iran must be ousted from Syria
NCRI/December 29/16/The unspeakable scenes we witnessed in Aleppo -- the
massacre of women, children, doctors and other innocents -- broadcast to us
almost live by the civilians trapped in the siege will go down in history along
with Darfur, Srebrenica or Rwanda as major stains on the moral conscience of
the world. Wrote Mr Alejo Vidal-Quadras,
President of International Committee in Search of Justice (ISJ) and former vice
president of European Parliament in an article published in United Press
International – upi.com on December 29, the following is the full text. We
cannot say we didn't know, we cannot say we didn't see it. The constant flow of images of the carnage have filled social media,
creating a worldwide indignation that contrasts with the shameful inaction of
the international community. The U.N. Security Council is paralyzed by the
Russian and Chinese veto and the European Union and the United States
have been conspicuously silent about the main enabler on the ground: the
Islamic Republic of Iran and the Shiite militias it sponsors.
When in the previous years of the anti-Assad revolution the situation started
shifting in favor of the pro-democracy opposition, Tehran took over the defense of the dictator and dispatched its Revolutionary
Guards Corps (IRGC) and militias, such as Hezbollah and other groups of
Pakistani and Afghani mercenaries. The Iranian regime's efforts to defend
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad got reinforced when Qassem Soleimani, the head of the
IRGC's Quds force, went to
Moscow -- in violation of the United Nations resolutions that banned him from
international travel for his involvement in terrorist activities -- and
persuaded the Kremlin to join the conflict with more than logistical and
financial support, and so the Russian bombing campaign started. We saw in
horror the gruesome balance of the Iranian and Russian interventions in Syria, and
Western leaders have shown in their declarations that they know who's to blame.
French President François Hollande said, "It's Russia
and Iran
who did not wish such a political process. They wanted to crush, to destroy the
opposition and also maintain this confusion between terrorist groups and
opposition groups or rebels."British Prime
Minister Theresa May declared: "Assad and his backers, Russia and Iran,
bear responsibility for the tragedy in Aleppo."
Her Foreign Minister Boris Johnson stated that "both Russia and Iran have failed to uphold their
obligations under international humanitarian law."If
we know this, why hasn't the response been more decisive? The main Iranian
opposition organization, the National Council of Resistance of Iran, has since
long identified Fort Behuth, about 22 miles southeast
of Aleppo, as the Iranian forces' headquarters, and has exposed the IRGC
commander of these forces, Brig. Gen. Seyed Javad Ghafari, who has met Soleimani, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah
and Assad himself. Had we just taken appropriate measures and implemented the
United Nations resolutions to prevent the meddling of the Iranian regime at the
beginning, we could have avoided this catastrophe. Instead Iran was
invited to the negotiations table as "part of the solution"!
The international community has failed the Syrian people. Even if the fall of Aleppo is a major blow to
the aspirations of the pro-democracy and moderate rebels, they have stated that
their demands remain: the ouster of the Assad regime and the removal of the
foreign influence in their country, especially the presence of Iranian forces
and their satellite militias. And it is time for the West to deliver to the
freedom-loving Syrians and pursue a stronger policy toward Moscow
and Tehran.
The visibility of this tragedy now opens a window to change the course and at
least try to prevent future bloodshed. The massacre of Aleppo
won't be the last if we do not stop the meddling of the Islamic Republic of
Iran, which has taken to the region its vile record on human rights and has
used sectarian fractures to export belligerence and terrorism across the Middle East. The Ayatollahs have openly celebrated their
role in the massacre of the Syrian people. The so called "moderate"
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani made a phone call to
"congratulate" the Syrian president following the brutal bombings and
killings in Aleppo.
Iran is also active in
destabilizing Iraq, Lebanon, Yemen and other countries. The
consequences of this will be fatal not only for the suffering people of these
countries, but also for the peace and stability of the world. Only by deploying
a firm policy that halts Iran's
aggression could a solution be found for the Syrian war and for all the
conflicts in the region.
Iran: 11000 People Killed in Road Accidents in 8 Months
NCRI/December 29/16/Department of public relations and international affairs of
Iranian regime forensics announced on Tuesday December 27 that more than 11
thousand people have been killed in traffic accidents in Iran in the
first 8 months of the Persian year starting March 20, 2016. The state-run ILNA
news agency quoting this report wrote: “Of the total victims of road accidents
in Iran
this year, more than 9000 were men and 2500 were women.”According
to the news agency, the largest number of fatal accidents occurred in suburban
routes taking the lives of more than 7,000 victims, and in urban routes about
3,200 people lost their lives. These figures were published while the Iranian
regime’s police chief said: “In the first seven months of this year, 288 fewer
people have lost their lives in traffic accidents compared to the same period
last year.”Earlier, Hassan Qazizadeh
Hashemi, Minister of Health and Medical Education, in
March last year in a ceremony had said 17 thousand Iranians are killed annually
in road accident which, according to him, the figure is a “national disaster”
and shameful in the “international circles.” Meanwhile, according to ILNA, the
southern province
of Fars with more than
1,000 victims had the highest death toll in road accidents in the first 8
months of this year. Masood Habibi,
head of the Iranian Red Crescent Youth Organization, said earlier that as a
result of road accidents, 100 people are added to the number of disabled people
across the country daily. According to statistics, each year on average 17
thousand Iranians lose their lives in traffic accidents. Last year, Iran’s Markazi
(Central) Insurance Research Institute announced that among the 190 countries
of the world Iran, after Sierra Leone,
has the highest mortality on the road.
Belgium: Six Terrorist Attacks Thwarted
since November 2014
Abdullah Mustafa/Asharq Al Awsat/December
29/16/Brussels – Belgium has thwarted six terrorist attacks over the past two
years, a senior police official said on Tuesday, according to AFP, with the
country still a prominent target for extremist assaults. “I can announce… that
over two years, since November 2014 precisely, we have been able to foil at
least six attacks,” Eric Jacobs, head of judicial police in Brussels, said in an interview with the daily
La Derniere Heure, without
offering further details. Jacobs was quoted by AFP as saying that although Belgium has
been fighting terrorism for 20 years, with the remarkable growth of population
in the Belgian capital, the number of groups has multiplied. “There are more
than 200 nationalities in the capital. There is not only Daesh
(ISIS). There are other radical movements,” he said. In January 2015, Belgian
police dismantled a cell in Verviers in the east
of the country which was later seen as the rough beginnings of the jihadist
group that attacked Paris
in November that year. On March 22, ISIS attackers struck Brussels
airport and the metro killing 32 people, despite the arrest in the Belgian
capital only four days earlier of the last surviving jihadist from the Paris attacks, Salah Abdeslam. Jacob added that
since that attack, Belgian police and intelligence services have seen a major
increase in information, “up to 600 tips daily”. “A lot of the tips are not
relevant but when we’re told that some grey car is suspect, if we don’t verify
it and there is an attack the next day, they are going to say that we knew and
didn’t do anything,” he said.
The threat level in Belgium
remains high at three on a scale of four levels and is expected to be unchanged
through the New Year holiday. “Forty-five percent of the federal judicial
police in Brussels
are assigned to combat terrorism,” Jacobs said, urging continued reinforcement
of the police services.
Russian flights to Egypt will resume soon,
Putin tells Sisi
Reuters, Cairo Thursday, 29 December
2016/Russian flights to Egypt
will resume soon, Russian President Vladimir Putin told Egyptian President
Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in a phone call, Sisi’s office said on Thursday. Flights to Egypt from Russia were suspended after a
Russian plane crashed into the Sinai desert in October 2015. ISIS
said it brought down the plane with a bomb smuggled inside a fizzy drink can.“President Putin affirmed Russia’s intention to resume regular flights
between Moscow and Cairo in the very near future,” the Egyptian
presidency said in a statement. No date was given for flights to resume. The
Airbus A321, operated by Metrojet, had been returning
Russian holiday makers from the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm
al-Sheikh to St Petersburg.
The crash killed all 224 on board. Russia and Western governments said
a bomb had brought the plane down and Sisi later said
the cause was terrorism. Investigators have yet to confirm this. Britain suspended flights to Sharm
al-Sheikh as a result, and Russia
suspended all flights to and from Egypt, devastating Egyptian
tourism, a lifeline of an already battered economy.
Saudi Arabia welcomes Kerry proposal on
Palestinian-Israel settlement
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English Thursday, 29
December 2016/Saudi Arabia has welcomed the proposals put forth by US Secretary
of State John Kerry on a final settlement of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict,
an official source at the Foreign Ministry has said. According to a Saudi Press
Agency statement, the official added that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
views the proposals as being in accord with the majority of the resolutions of
international legality. It has elements of the Arab Peace Initiative adopted at
the Arab Summit in Beirut in 2002 and by the
Islamic Summit in Mecca
in 2005 and that the proposals represent an appropriate basis for achieving a
final settlement of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, the official was quoted
as saying.
Is Iran
now working with Afghan Taliban?
Masood al-Zahid, AlArabiya.net
Thursday, 29 December 2016/Afghan officials have accused the Iranian
Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of fighting alongside the armed factions
fighting the government in the west of Afghanistan. Head of the Farah Province
council Jamileh Amini said
that IRGC cooperates with the Taliban militias and are actively fighting
alongside them. She claimed that 25 Taliban militants, who were recently killed
in the province, were also members of the IRGC, according to the website of
French radio in Dari. The claims were asserted by Mohammed Nassir Mehri, a spokesman for Farah’s governor, saying that
according to intelligence reports, Iranian authority recently held a memorial
ceremony for Taliban militants killed in the province. Farah Province Governor
Mohamed Asif Nang earlier accused the Iranian regime
of destabilizing the province by inciting violence and fomenting unrest in an
attempt to derail the construction of a dam in the province. Earlier this
month, Afghan Senate accused Iran
and Russia
of bolstering Taliban insurgency. Iranian regime officials have not yet
commented on the allegations.
Oman joins Saudi-led Islamic alliance against terrorism
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English Thursday, 29
December 2016/Oman has joined a Saudi-led coalition of Muslim countries to
fight terrorism, Saudi and Gulf sources said on Wednesday. The sultanate
indicated its willingness to take part in the 40-country alliance in a letter
to Saudi Deputy Crown Prince and Defense Minister
Mohammed bin Salman, the sources said. Deputy Crown
Prince Mohammed was expected to travel to Muscat
in coming weeks to prepare for a visit by King Salman,
the sources said. Saudi Arabia
announced the alliance in December 2015, a move welcomed by Washington
which has been urging a greater regional involvement in the campaign against
ISIS militants who control swathes of territory in Iraq
and Syria.
Riyadh has backed groups opposing Iranian
proxies in unrest or outright war in Syria,
Lebanon, Iraq, Bahrain
and Yemen, and has persuaded
most of the GCC to close ranks against Tehran.
Deputy Crown Mohammed received a written message earlier from Badr bin Saeed Al-Busaidi, the Defense Minister of
the Sultanate of Oman. The message was handed over by Omani Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The Deputy Crown Prince
expressed his appreciation for the leadership of the Sultanate of Oman to
support the efforts of Saudi
Arabia in the leadership of the Islamic
Military Coalition to fight terrorism.
Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis
& editorials from miscellaneous sources published on December 29-30/16
Syria ready for truce,
Assad stays, US is left out
DEBKAfile Special Report December 29, 2016
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/2016/12/29/syria-ready-for-truce-assad-stays-us-is-left-out/
President Vladimir Putin has announced that the Syrian government and
rebels have signed a truce deal and are ready to begin peace talks. The
ceasefire begins Thursday, Dec. 289, at midnight local time. The deal excludes
the Islamic State the ex-Nusra Front and all groups
linked to them. He did not say which rebel groups were covered.
We have been waiting for this event for a long time and working very
hard, said, Putin at a meeting with foreign and defense
ministers. He said the two sides had signed three documents:
The first document covers the ceasefire; the second is a set of measures
to monitor the ceasefire, and the third is a statement of readiness to start
peace negotiations on the Syrian settlement.
Putin noted that the Syrian deal was fragile and required special
attention and patience and constant contact with the partners.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said earlier that Turkey
and Russia
would act as guarantors under the plan. The two countries back opposing sides
in the conflict, which has raged for more than five years. If true, and if the
truce deal is respected, it could end a six-year civil war that has killed
potentially more than 430,000 and forced around 11 million from their homes.
debkafile’s sources
add: The Russian-Turkish initiative, to which Iran
is almost certainly co-opted, brings the Syria war the closest it has ever
been to conclusion in more than five years of bloodshed. Its success will be
tested at midnight on Thursday, Sept. 29, and the coming peace talks in Kazakhstan.
Vladimir Putin pulled off a gamble by stepping up direct Russian military
intervention in the brutal conflict 16 months ago and using his air force to
swing the tide of war in favor of victory for the Bashar Assad government – which was his endgame.
Whether by coincidence or design, Putin’s announcement of the Syrian
truce deal landed on a hectic international stage. US
President Barack Obama and a group of senators weighed in Wednesday with a call
for fresh sanctions as punishment for alleged Russian hackers’ interference in
the presidential election campaign, although many Western cyber experts note
the absence of concrete evidence of this.
At the end of the day, outgoing US
Secretary of State John Kerry delivered his parting shot against Israel in a 1
hour, 17 minute tirade devoted entirely to the elusive Israel-Palestinian
peace.
His content and the bitterness of his tone indicated how far the Obama
administration was out of touch with the latest Middle
East developments and the ebbing of US influence on major events.
Four important points stand out in the Putin Syrian ceasefire
announcement:
1. Syria
cannot celebrate final peace – or even a total end of hostilities. Even if the
62,000 fighters of the seven main rebel groups and government forces truly lay
down arms from Thursday midnight, the war against the big jihadist groups, the
Islamic State and Al-Qaeda’s Syrian franchise, the Nusra
Front, will go on.
In the face of it, the situation of the jihadist groups has taken a turn
for the worst, since the Syrian government army and its backers will now be
free to focus on smashing them for good. On the other hand, some of the fringe
rebel groups may reject the truce and peace deal on the table and prefer to
carry on fighting in the ranks of the Islamist groups, bringing their arms with
them.
2. The incoming Trump administration in Washington
is presented with a serious challenge in terms of world influence by the
Russian president’s success in halting warfare in all parts of Syria after a breakthrough Russian-backed
government victory in Aleppo.
Russia has by these feats
hauled itself up to a new, enhanced strategic standing in the Middle
East.
Russian foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, said
on Thursday that Trump’s administration would be welcome to join the Syrian
peace process once he takes office on Jan. 20.
This was a patronizing invitation to the United States to come along to the
historic peace event as just another player and not as a global superpower.
Donald Trump is most unlikely to accept the invitation, unless he and Putin
come to some quiet arrangement in advance.
3. The continued presence of Syrian forces in Syria is an important issue in
relation to foreign military participation in the war. Putin indicated that he
was amenable to a partial Russian military drawdown Thursday when he met with
his foreign and defense ministers to confer on the
next steps in Syria.
Defense Minister Andrew Shoigu
is quoted as sayomg that Russia
was ready to begin drawing down its deployment in Syria, which consists of several
dozen fixed-wing aircraft, along with helicopters, ships and special
forces soldiers.
“All conditions have been created for the reduction of the Russian group
in Syria,”
Shoigu said, without elaborating on how large the
force reduction could be, or which forces may be withdrawn.
The Russians were pointing the way for Tehran to start withdrawing its
own and Hizballah and other Shiite forces from Syria,
a demand also made by Turkey, co-guarantor with Russia of the Syrian truce.
Iran
will most likely pretend not to hear these messages, at least in the early
stages of the process of de-escalating the Syrian war.
4. There is now no question that Bashar Assad
remains in power in Damascus.
Obama’s demand for his removal was never timely or realistic.
Grave Sleepers” Angers Iranians, President
Apologizes
Adel al-Salmi/Asharq Al Awsat/December
29/16
London – A series of photos showing people living in grave yards outside the
Iranian capital, Tehran, have prompted reactions from both people and
officials. During a conference about government supervision, President Hasan Rouhani said he received an
open letter from an artist about the issue of the grave sleepers. “Who can see
human beings hurt from social issues who take shelter in graves…. and not feel
ashamed?” Rouhani said in a speech. Rouhani compared the situation in Iran with that
in the European countries and other parts of the world. He added: “I have heard
about people in Western countries who sleep on cardboard under bridges out of
poverty, or those who sleep in metro stations, but not in graves.”
“To solve these issues we must all unite and leave aside partisan issues and
differences and address the basic problems of the country,” he stressed. “Who
can, in a great country like Iran,… see that some of their fellow countrymen, who have been
affected by social harm, take shelter in graves due to helplessness?,” added
the Iranian president. Oscar-winning Iranian director Asghar
Farhadi aired his frustration in a letter to Rouhani. “I read the report… and now my entire being is
filled with shame and sorrow,” he wrote. The president said that seeing people
living in such conditions was “unacceptable” to both the Iranian government and
nation and called on all to join hands to address such problems.
The official unemployment rate has risen to 12.7 percent this year from 10.6
percent in 2014, while joblessness among teens and young adults has reached 27
percent. Farhadi’s letter was headlined in several
Iranian newspapers. Shahrvand newspaper on Tuesday
published the images in a report on the homeless people — about 50 men and
women — who dwell in a cemetery in the town of Shahriar, 30 kilometers
west of Tehran.
Many vented their frustrations and anger on Facebook,
Twitter and Instagram using hashtags
like grave dwellers and the homeless. In a follow-up story on December 28, Shahrvand said the homeless were forcibly removed from the
graveyard by security forces after local officials pledged to take action,
which also caused a wave of outrage over social media.
Sayyed Hossein Hashemi, the governor of Tehran, denied the use of force and described
the dwellers as “hardcore addicts,” according to the semiofficial
ISNA news agency. “The publication of reports that these people had nothing to
eat and were hungry was unkind and ill-advised because it should be taken into
account that these people are hard-core addicts,” he said in remarks, adding
that the dwellers had been transferred to a nearby rehabilitation camp.
President Rouhani said in his speech that the
government should do its best not to lose public confidence.He
underscored that the Iranian government attaches great importance to
supervision and inspection in running the country.
He reiterated that lack of supervision would increase the likelihood of
corruption in the society. ‘In cases of financial corruption, if the questions
raised by people are not properly answered, then the government loses public
confidence which is worse than losing billions of dollars,’ said the president.
The president added that investigating a case should result in the criminal
disciplined and preventing the crime from happening again. “The judiciary
should be trusted among people for its honesty. The judiciary should act in a
way that prevents crimes from happening,” he stressed. The President also
continued: “We need public supervision more; people should be involved in supervision.”In the case of corruption, Rouhani
raised the question of “How did the $3bn embezzlement happen in the previous
governments’ tenure with all these supervisory bodies?” Rouhani
was referring to the case of Babak Zanjani who was sentenced to death, after Ministry of Oil
filed a case against him. Zanjani refused to return
to return the money he received from selling Iranian oil in the black market.
Iran in Syria:
Russia Took Over
Heshmat Alevi/Gatestone
Institute/December 29/16
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/9674/iran-syria-russia
It appears that Iran
literally gained nothing from the Moscow
conference, meaning that its participation was merely of a ceremonial nature.
"The regime in Tehran is the source of
crisis in the region and killings in Syria;
it has played the greatest role in the expansion and continuation of ISIS. Peace and tranquility in the region can only be
achieved by evicting this regime from the region." — Maryam Rajavi, President of the
National Council of Resistance of Iran, and a leader of the opposition to Iran's
regime.
The recent three-party conference held in Moscow
with the participation of Russia,
Turkey and Iran came to a
significant end. With mainstream media emphasizing how the U.S. Administration
was completely sidelined in talks that discussed the future of Syria, a different perspective also sheds light
on how Iran
was sidelined to an unprecedented degree. Considering that this session ended
with a document signed by all three parties, one can take a hard look at the
results.
This document emphasizes Syria's independence and territorial integrity as a
multi-racial, multi-religious, non-sectarian, democratic and secular state;
underscores the necessity of reaching a political solution; welcomes joint
efforts in East Aleppo to evacuate civilians and armed rebels; highlights the
need to expand a ceasefire across the country and facilitate access to
humanitarian aid; supports a possible agreement between the Syrian opposition
and the Syrian government; and accentuates continuing joint efforts against
terrorism and especially the Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL), differentiating their
forces from those of the armed democratic opposition.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov (center) holds
a joint press conference with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif (left) and Turkish
Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu
(right) in Moscow, December 20, 2016. (Image source: Russia Ministry of Foreign
Affairs)
A closer look brings us to a preliminary conclusion that most of the articles
are clash Iran's interests. For example, Iran was, and remains, fully against the safe
evacuation of civilians and rebels from East Aleppo.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani went so far as
saying, "Various Islamic states... are worried about the fate of
terrorists and seek their safe exit from Aleppo."
In this document, there is no mention of the Assad regime or any language
discussing its remaining in power. And importantly, while Iran went to great lengths to massacre all
dissidents and annihilate the entire Syrian opposition under the pretext of
fighting ISIS, this document specifically
differentiates and recognizes the separate nature of ISIS and the Free Syrian
Army.
The Moscow
conference also emphasized the role of the United Nations in resolving the
Syrian crisis, highlighting the necessity to abide by UN Security Council
Resolution 2254. This resolution emphasizes the Security Council as the
reference body, also enjoying support from the United
States and Saudi Arabia. There is no reference
to Assad's future role; instead the resolution:
"expressed support for free and fair elections, pursuant to the new
constitution, to be held within 18 months and administered under United Nations
supervision, 'to the highest international standards' of transparency and
accountability, with all Syrians — including members of the diaspora
— eligible to participate."
Taking these factors into consideration, it appears that Iran literally gained nothing from the Moscow conference,
meaning that its participation was merely of a ceremonial nature.
The conference outcome makes it clear that Russia
enjoys hegemony over Iran in
Syria, and that Moscow has imposed its interests and road map on Tehran, leaving the
mullahs no choice but to submit to the status quo. This setback of its hegemony
seems a major reason why Iran
needed to parade Revolutionary Guards Quds Force
General Qassem Suleimani in
Aleppo: perhaps
to boost an iota of morale in its dwindling base of support.
On the ground, Iran's
hordes of Shiite militias relied completely on Russian air power to take even
one step forward. This provides a clear picture of the road ahead.
To bring an end to Iran
backing Assad's atrocities, the international community and Middle East states
need to begin fundamentally to cooperate in establishing a coalition, parallel
to implementing economic and political pressures on Tehran. Companies investing in Iran should
also recalculate their priorities.
Iranian opposition leader Maryam Rajavi,
president of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, went even further to
provide a solution for Syria
and ISIS:
"The regime in Tehran is the source of
crisis in the region and killings in Syria;
it has played the greatest role in the expansion and continuation of ISIS. Peace and tranquility in the region can only be
achieved by evicting this regime from the region."
Iran may have enjoyed
tactical gains in Aleppo.
However, Russia apparently
has separate, long-term interests in complete dissimilarity from those of Tehran. Russia has
conducted secret direct talks with the Syrian opposition. To add insult to
injury, Iran -- viewing the
Obama presidency as a golden era -- is also concerned about the incoming
presidency of Donald Trump and his administration, who
seem to have strong views against Tehran.
"The fact that Trump has taken very firm positions against Iran, including
threatening to rip apart the nuclear deal, has," according to The Hill,
"already terrified Tehran, representing a major contrast to the 'golden
era' under Obama."
Heshmat Alavi is a
political and rights activist. His writing focuses on Iran, ranging from human rights
violations, social crackdown, the regime's support for
terrorism and meddling in foreign countries, and the controversial nuclear
program. He tweets at @HeshmatAlavi & blogs at IranCommentary
© 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.
Brutal Rise In Persecution Of
Christians Around The World Forecast In New
Ruth Gledhill/Christian Today/December 29/2016
http://www.christiantoday.com/article/brutal.rise.in.persecution.of.christians.around.the.world.forecast.in.new.report/103433.htm
A shocking rise in violent persecution of Christians is forecast for next year
by the charity
Release International.
The most dramatic increase is expected to be in the Islamic world, where
Christians are finding themselves at ever greater risk of persecution from both
the state and Islamic militants. Persecution of Christians is also on the rise
in India, from militant
Hindus, and China,
where the pressure is continuing to grow on unregistered churches. The full
figures will be published next month in Release International's annual Persecution
Trends report.The findings are previewed in the
January edition of the charity's magazine, release.
Paul Robinson, chief executive, said: "Around the world Christians face an
increasing array of violent persecutors. These include the brutal Islamic State
in the Middle East, heavily armed militants in Nigeria
and Hindu extremists in India.
"Our report on the likely trends of persecution in 2017 is a wake-up call
to take our prayers and practical support for our persecuted family to a new
level." In the Middle East, the ongoing conflict in Syria and Iraq. Release International
magazine January 2017: Where will Christians be most under pressure in 2017?Release International
"Our report on the likely trends of persecution in 2017 is a wake-up call
to take our prayers and practical support for our persecuted family to a new level."In the Middle East, the ongoing conflict in
Syria and Iraq continues to force tens of thousands, including Christians, to
flee their homes and historic churches in or near the birthplace of
Christianity 2000 years ago face the loss of as many has half their members.
Some Christian leaders fear a mass exodus of all Christians from the region.
Christians who have escaped Islamic State have told horror stories of torture,
sex abused and even crucifixions. With IS now on the run, experts on the ground
believe the persecution will worsen as the group battles for survival. In Iran,
the clampdown on underground churches will continue with Christian leaders
facing arrest, imprisonment and torture or sometimes being offered bail at
$10,000 or more to avoid jail. Attacks against Christians by Islamist militants
in Egypt
are continuing. Nigeria
is where Christians are suffering some of the worst atrocities with as many as
15,000 murdered by Boko Haram
since 2011 and two million people displaced. Muslim Fulani militants continue
to terrorise Christians and others in the north, attacking villages at night,
slaughtering peoplewith knives and seizing their
land. In Pakistan,
Christian mother Asia Bibi remains on death row for a
sixth year on a charge of blasphemy, which she denies, Release reports. Anyone
who dares defend her or try to repeal the blasphemy law risks assassination and
the Supreme Court is struggling to find judges willing to hear her appeal.
"Christians in Pakistan
are considered third-class citizens," says a Release partner. "In
2017 we will face more discrimination, forced conversions and forced
marriages."
UN, Obama Further Radicalize
Palestinians
Khaled Abu Toameh/Gatestone
Institute/December 29/16
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/9675/un-obama-palestinians
Last week's UN Security Council resolution sent the following message to the
Palestinians: Forget about negotiating. Just pressure the international
community to force Israel
to surrender up all that you demand.
Abbas and his cronies are more belligerent and
defiant than ever. They have chosen the path of confrontation, and not direct
negotiations -- to force Israel
to its knees.
One of Abbas's close associates hinted that the
resolution should be regarded as a green light not only to boycott Israel, but
also to use violence against it, to "bolster the popular resistance"
against Israel -- code for throwing stones and firebombs, and carrying out
stabbing and car-ramming attacks against Israelis.
The resolution has also encouraged the Palestinians to pursue their narrative
that Jews have no historical, religious or emotional attachment to Jerusalem or any other part of Israel.
The Gaza-based Hamas and Islamic Jihad see the resolution as another step
toward their goal of replacing Israel
with an Islamic empire. When Hamas talks about "resistance," it means
suicide bombings and rockets against Israel -- it does not believe in
"light" terrorism such as stones and stabbings.
The UN's highly touted "victory," is a
purely Pyrrhic one, in fact a true defeat to the peace process and to the few
Arabs and Muslims who still believe in the possibility of coexistence with
Israel.
Buoyed by the latest United Nations Security Council resolution condemning
Israeli settlements as illegal, Palestinian leaders are now threatening to step
up their diplomatic warfare against Israel -- a move that is sure to
sabotage any future effort to revive the moribund peace process. Other
Palestinians, meanwhile, view the resolution as license to escalate
"resistance" attacks on Israel. By "resistance,"
of course, they mean terror attacks against Israel.
The UNSC resolution sent the following message to the Palestinians: Forget
about negotiating with Israel.
Just pressure the international community to force Israel to comply with the
resolution and surrender up all that you demand.
Meanwhile, the Palestinians are not wasting any time by waiting for the
international community to act against Israel on their behalf. Rather,
they are thinking of ways of taking advantage of the UNSC vote to promote their
campaign to isolate and delegitimize Israel, especially in the
international arena. One thing is certain: Abbas and
his Palestinian Authority cronies are not planning to return to the negotiating
table with Israel.
In fact, they are more belligerent, confrontational and defiant than ever.
In the days following the UNSC vote, the voices emerging from Ramallah and the
Gaza Strip clearly indicate that Palestinians have put themselves on a
collision course with Israel.
This bodes badly for any peace process.
Earlier this week, Abbas convened the PLO Executive
Committee -- a decision-making body dominated by his loyalists -- to discuss
the implications of the new resolution. The declared purpose of the meeting: to
discuss the decisions and strategy that the Palestinian leadership needs to
take in the aftermath of the resolution.
The decisions announced following the PLO meeting are a clear sign of the new
approach that Abbas and the Palestinian leadership
have endorsed. The Palestinian leaders have chosen the path of confrontation,
and not direct negotiations, with Israel. They see the UNSC
resolution, particularly the US
abstention, as a charge sheet against Israel
that is to be leveraged in their diplomatic effort to force Israel to its
knees.
The PLO decisions include, among other things, an appeal to the International
Criminal Court (ICC) to launch an "immediate judicial investigation into
Israeli colonial settlements on the land of the independent State of
Palestine." Another decision envisages asking Switzerland
to convene a meeting to look into ways of forcing Israel
to apply the Fourth Geneva Convention to the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem. The Geneva Convention, adopted in 1949,
defines "humanitarian protections for civilians in a war zone."
The appeal to the ICC and Switzerland
is part of Abbas's strategy to
"internationalize" the conflict with Israel, by involving as many
parties as possible. In this context, Abbas is hoping
that the UNSC resolution will ensure the "success" of the upcoming
French-initiated Middle East peace conference, which
is slated to convene in Paris
next month. For Abbas, the conference is another tool
to isolate Israel
in the international community, and depict it as a country that rejects peace
with its Arab neighbors.
In addition, Abbas and his lieutenants in Ramallah
are now seeking to exploit the UNSC resolution to promote boycotts, divestment
and sanctions against Israel:
"The PLO Executive Committee renews its call to the world countries for a
comprehensive and full boycott of Israeli colonialist settlements in all
fields, as well as all companies working in or dealing with these
settlements."
One of Abbas's close associates, Mohamed Shtayyeh, hinted that the UNSC resolution should be
regarded as a green light not only to boycott Israel, but also to use violence
against it. He said that this is the time to "bolster the popular
resistance" against Israel.
"Popular resistance" is code for throwing stones and petrol bombs and
carrying out stabbing and car-ramming attacks against Israelis.
The UNSC resolution has also encouraged the Palestinians to pursue their narrative
that Jews have no historical, religious or emotional attachment to Jerusalem, or any other part of Israel. Sheikh Ekrimah
Sabri, a leading Palestinian Islamic cleric and
preacher at the Al-Aqsa Mosque, was quick to declare
that the Western Wall, the holiest Jewish site in Jerusalem, belongs only to Muslims. Referring
to the wall by its Islamic name, Sheikh Sabri
announced: "The Al-Buraq Wall is the western
wall of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and Muslims cannot give it
up."
While Abbas and his Palestinian Authority consider
the UNSC resolution a license to proceed with their diplomatic warfare to
delegitimize and isolate Israel,
Hamas and Islamic Jihad, the two groups that seek the elimination of Israel, are
also celebrating. The two Gaza-based groups see the resolution as another step
toward achieving their goal of replacing Israel with an Islamic empire.
Leaders and spokesmen of Hamas and Islamic Jihad were among the first
Palestinians to heap praise on the UNSC members who voted in favor of the resolution. They are also openly stating that
the resolution authorizes them to step up the "resistance" against Israel in order to "liberate all of Palestine."
"Resistance is the only means to end the settlements," said a Hamas
spokesman in the Gaza Strip. "We appreciate the position of those
countries that voted against settlements." He also seized the opportunity
to renew Hamas's demand that the Palestinian Authority stop all forms of
cooperation with Israel,
first and foremost security coordination.
When Hamas talks about "resistance," it means launching suicide
bombings and rockets against Israel.
The Islamist movement does not believe in "light" terrorism such as
stones and knife stabbings against Jews.
Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal,
who is based in Qatar,
reacted to the UNSC vote by saying that the world should now support his
movement's terror campaign against Israel:
We want the world to stand with the Palestinian resistance because it is
just... The armed resistance is the path to liberate Palestine
and Jerusalem.
Hamas is continuing to manufacture and smuggle weapons in preparation for a
confrontation with Israel."
Mashaal did not forget to praise the US
Administration's abstention as a "correction of some American
policies."
Islamic Jihad, for its part, characterized the UNSC resolution as a
"victory" for the Palestinians, because it enables them to
"isolate and boycott Israel"
and file charges against it with international institutions. Daoud Shehab, one of the leaders
of Islamic Jihad, added that the resolution means that Arabs should stop any
effort to "normalize" relations with Israel or conduct security
cooperation with it. The Arabs and Muslims should now work toward confronting
and deterring Israel,
he said.
Clearly, Hamas and Islamic Jihad see the UNSC resolution as a warning to all
Arabs and Muslims against seeking any form of "normalization" with Israel. The two
groups are referring to the Palestinian Authority, whose security forces
continue to conduct security coordination with Israel
in the West Bank, and to those Arab countries that have been rumored to be moving toward some form of rapprochement with
Israel.
The UN's highly touted "victory" is a
purely Pyrrhic one, in fact a true defeat to the peace process and to the few
Arabs and Muslims who still believe in the possibility of coexistence with Israel.
Thus, the UNSC resolution already has had several consequences, none of which
will enhance peace between Israelis and Palestinians. Apart from giving a green
light to Palestinian groups that wish to destroy Israel, the resolution has prompted
Abbas and the Palestinian Authority to toughen their
stance, and appear to be more radical than the radicals.
Far from moving the region toward peace, the resolution has encouraged the
Palestinians to move forward in two parallel paths -- one toward a diplomatic
confrontation with Israel
in the international arena, and the other in increased terror attacks against
its people. The coming weeks and months will witness mounting violence on the
part of Palestinians toward Israelis -- a harmful legacy of the Obama
Administration.
**Khaled Abu Toameh, an
award-winning journalist, is based in Jerusalem.
© 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.
Education in Sweden: "Then Things Got
Interesting"
Göran Adamson/Gatestone
Institute/December 29/16
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/9600/sweden-education
She was proud of her submission, not of her achievements.
Other than that, her email was full of post-modern nonsense such as science as
a "belief" just like religion. In fact, science is doubt based on
knowledge, while religion is certainty based on faith. Would she, I wondered,
also "deconstruct" the Koran?
She had exercised her freedom only to give it up.
She was sitting there quietly in the middle of the classroom -- a Swedish
Muslim all dressed in black with a white powdered face. I was lecturing on John
Stuart Mill at Sweden's
University West. What did I say? I said that while religion may not be true, it
still gives people a sense of belonging and trust, and liberal society cannot
give you that. The liberal soup is thin, and most of us want something richer,
some kind of political main-course goulash. When people say that liberal
society is empty, they actually mean this: I cannot give my life any purpose,
so can someone kindly do it for me? Please hand me some grandiose message to
live by because I cannot figure out anything on my own. Emptiness?
Well, that could be another word for limitless opportunities.
Two days later, the Muslim student sent me an email. She accused me of not
being "neutral". She wrote that I had called religious people
"pathetic". I had not. She accused me of defaming Islam, herself as a
woman and as an individual student.
As for Islam, I had never mentioned it, and as for her, I had never seen her
before. Possibly in her vanity, she seemed to think the lecture was about her;
in fact, it was about John Stuart Mill. She said (and this shook me a bit) that
she would keep me "under surveillance"; she signed off with:
"The student dressed in her pride". Too bad she could not find
something else about which to be proud. She was proud of her submission, not of
her achievements. If you cannot give your life meaning, perhaps somebody will
chip in and do it for you.
Other than that, her email was full of post-modern nonsense such as science as
a "belief" just like religion. In fact, science is doubt based on
knowledge, while religion is certainty based on faith. We had given her the
tools of postmodernism, and here she was trashing the fabric of Western
society. Would she, I wondered, also "deconstruct" the Koran?
But I was not bothered by her email, really. Students have the right to say all
kinds of things, perhaps even to write inappropriate emails to their
professors. It is, someone said, a human right not to "get it". All
it takes is to talk. If a student fails to understand the basic principles of a
university -- free inquiry, the need to question our views -- the university
will introduce the student to them. So I did not reply, but calmly awaited the
next step by my department.
A few days later, an email requesting a meeting was sent out. But she never got
it. I did. How odd, I thought, but I went there and, in front of a wide-eyed administrator,
explained the rise of the modern university as a realm of free discussion,
unhampered by the power of the state and the church; and spoke about the
principles of free speech, and cited Karl Popper, Mill, George Orwell,
Voltaire, and others on the way. She looked happy.
A few days later came another email. Now I was called in for consultations with
Head of the Department and the Head Administrator. "Look", I told
them, "this is a university. Do you know what that means?" They said
they did. "Do you know why I am here?" I gave them the answer. "For lecturing on John Stuart Mill."
"Ten years ago," I went on, "I wrote an article about a
performance of Ideomeneo -- a Mozart opera that was
cancelled in Berlin
because it might offend Muslim sensibilities. The title of the article was 'The
Enlightenment may end up as a historical parenthesis.' Do you know what the
Enlightenment is about?"
I looked at them and they looked back at me.
"We just want you to explain what happened," they said. "I just
did," I said. "I lectured on Mill. Of course, if you are a religious
fanatic, you must be horrified of Mill. If not, what are you doing at a
university? I have to give her that."
"She is just a curious student," they said. They were nodding, one to
the other. "She studied law, and is obviously interested in testing a case
like this, isn't she?" they said. "She is a gifted student, a very
gifted student." Two educated women were mistaking an assault against the
modern world for reverence toward a student they thought was
"independent." It was a heart-breaking scene.
"Have you talked to her?", I asked them.
"Well, no, we haven't."
"Perhaps you should," I said. "You could talk to her about the
university, and about freedom of expression."
Putting a chill on freedom of speech: University West in Trollhättan,
Sweden.
(Image source: University West)
Then things got interesting. I got an email from a "Health
Coordinator". My health? Was something wrong with
it? I thought this was an issue about differences of opinions. I thought about
"mental corrections" in the Soviet Union,
Arthur Koestler and George Orwell.
The health-coordinator turned out to be hands-on. He said his job was "to
put an end to the whole thing."
"And the woman," I asked?
"She never showed up." he said.
"She did not?"
"No."
"Too bad," I said. "She throws out accusations and threats, and
then refuses to talk. Is that a good approach if you want to learn new
things?" He gave me a faint smile, and I thought we agreed on something.
What is the point of going to university anyway? If you only want your views
confirmed, then go to a Koran school. Why does this young woman attend a
university, if we say things she cannot stand? She does it because she wants us
to change.
Three? Five? I have lost
count of how many more times I was summoned. What I do know is that I sent
hundreds of letters during my "case". Eventually, after interminable
months, after lawyers and God knows who had "thoroughly investigated Mill,
me and it," I was "acquitted". My lecture on Mill had, the
"authorities" decided, "not been discriminatory" after all.
What a surprise. But there was a serious side to it. A student pressed button D
for Discrimination, and an academic was thrown into a pit of bureaucracy. The
total cost? Do not even ask.
"Who ever will lecture on Mill when things like this can happen?" I
asked them. "Do you understand the implications of bending over backwards
to the enemies of an open society?"
Finally, case was closed. Or so I thought. Recently, I was told the student had
taken the case to the Discrimination Ombudsman (Diskrimineringsombudsmannen)
-- the highest recourse in Sweden
for cases such as this. A female student bids farewell to hundreds of years of
the battle for women's rights -- suffragettes and feminist icons, socialists
and liberals marching, conveying, demonstrating -- and she does it, notably,
out of her own free will. She had exercised her freedom only to give it up.
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They send their children to universities
and others’ sons to war fronts
Turki /Al Arabiya/Al Arabiya/December 29/16
Those who benefitted from the counseling
program in Saudi Arabia
really dropped a bombshell when they spoke about their experiences during the
conference – Extremism, Between Deceptive Theorization and Ominous Reality – at
the Imam Mohammad ibn Saud Islamic University. They
delivered terrifying testimonies about those who incited them. Badr al-Anzi, one of the men who
benefitted from the program and repented, said: “Some (men) incited us to
‘save’ Islam. Prejudiced men misled us into thinking the society is an infidel
and they told us that the state will torture us if we return home.”When you try and convince a young man that his Muslim
society is an infidel, you psychologically destroy him and then prepare him to
be a carrier of explosive belt. Hani, another man who repented, voiced his pain
over such mad incitement. He spoke about one of the preachers: “He used to
incite me to join the fighting while he prevented his own son from even registering
at equestrian classes. Getting arrested was a blessing in disguise for me;
otherwise, I don’t know where I would have been right now. I now work as a real
estate marketing director in a major firm.” When you try and convince a young
man that his Muslim society is an infidel, you psychologically destroy him and
then prepare him to be a carrier of explosive belt
Tragedies of a generation
These testimonies summarize the tragedies of a generation of young men, which
has fallen victim to an extremist rhetoric of people who send other people’s
sons into struggles and used them to fuel devilish wars. At the same time, they
look after their own sons and send them to the best and most prestigious
universities. They send their sons to western universities on state programs
and try to send others’ sons to raging wars that we have nothing to do with. Is
anyone aware of that? Are there any who will can still
be deceived?
**This article was first published in Okaz on
December 29, 2016.
Russia’s choices: To fight or to negotiate
Abdulrahman al-Rashed/Al Arabiya/December 29/16
Recent events such as the Russian plane crash and the
assassination of the Russian ambassador in Turkey are not significant enough
to compel Kremlin to alter its policy. However, continuing regional and
international struggle and the opposition’s determination to continue the
struggle are two significant factors. Even after Aleppo’s fall the Syrian opposition did not
raise the white flag. Recent developments indicate that we are entering into another
year without any celebrations of a real victory.
Russian authorities are concerned about holding celebrations that serve their
propaganda purposes in the areas they seized in Syria. They also seem concerned
about cleaning and jazzing up the Syrian regime under the umbrella of
negotiations for a political solution – a task which so far nothing implies may
succeed. During the last few days, I have tried to understand the nature of
Russian approach going forward and how the country will be following the major
events that have taken place recently. Aleppo’s
fall and the end of US President Barack Obama’s term mean that Moscow
intends to continue with the war, enable Syrian and Iranian regimes to control
the whole of Syria
and achieve complete victory by force. All this means next year will be another
year of wars.
Or is it that Russia
wants to impose a moderate political solution by benefitting from its military
presence. The fact remains that it’s power saved the
Syrian and Iranian regimes from being defeated after it invested its
intelligence, air force and diplomacy at the UN Security Council.
Thousands of fighters – whether from the armed opposition or terror groups –
will make a negotiation plan or a Russian or Iranian formula for governance
difficult to execute unless they include their major political demands
Contradictory opinions
I have heard contradictory opinions in this regard. One suggests that Moscow is willing to do what Washington failed at, i.e. bring the two
warring parties, the Syrian opposition and the regime, and form a hybrid
government while excluding their marks from the new dispensation.
The second view denies this and insists that Moscow has not changed any of its proposals
for two years now. This includes the regime headed by Bashar
al-Assad, marginal posts for the opposition and promises to diminish the
influence of the central authority over the opposition-held areas. The
solution, according to this school of thought, lies in confirming Assad’s
authority because all future promises of independent elections and
jurisdictions of provinces are fake temptations for a suppressive regime that
has not hesitated to exterminate and displace millions of people. There exists
another view which believes that the Syrian opposition ended with the retreat
of Turkey and accepted the
results of the war in Aleppo.
Since Ankara
considered that to be the case, it is now fighting Kurdish militias and ISIS.
Accordingly, the opposition must accept whatever prominent parties at the
negotiation table are generous enough to offer. Some believe that the situation
in Syria has imposed itself
on the countries in the region, including on Turkey and the Gulf, and that it is
not these countries that invented the crisis. Hence lights won’t go out when
rebels simply exit Aleppo or when Turkey scales
down its support for the Syrian opposition.
The regime control
The Syrian regime does not control one third of Syria
and a part of this area is strategic such as the Damascus
countryside, which the regime forces and Iran’s militias are shelling again.
Thousands of fighters – whether from the armed opposition or terror groups –
will make a negotiation plan or a Russian or Iranian formula for governance
difficult to execute unless they include a minimum of major political demands.
If Russian negotiators really decide to adopt a moderate solution and present
suitable suggestions for the opposition, then this will mean the possibility of
an end to the war. What would be left are terrorist groups, which are possible
to deter if there is popular support of the political solution. We cannot
affirm the direction that events will take in the weeks to come but there is no
doubt that for now, Russia –
and neither Washington nor Iran – gets to
decide as it is capable of pushing things toward resumption of fighting or
ending the war. I do not expect that even Iran – despite its extreme concern
over the Syrian regime – desires the war to continue because of the costs
involved at the domestic and foreign levels. Iran
is aware that it has failed to bring the war to a closure and this has forced
it to rely upon Russia’s
power. The regime in Tehran
will realize that returning with half a victory is better than resuming
fighting in the midst of a region that’s completely hostile to it.
**This article was first published in Asharq al-Awsat on December 29, 2016.