LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
June 09/16
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
http://www.eliasbejjaninews.com/newsbulletin16/english.june09.16.htm
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Bible Quotations For Today
Truly I tell
you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 18/11-14:"What do you
think? If a shepherd has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does
he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that
went astray?And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he rejoices over it more than
over the ninety-nine that never went astray.So it is not the will of your Father
in heaven that one of these little ones should be lost.
Unclean spirits, crying with
loud shrieks, came out of many who were possessed; and many others who were
paralysed or lame were cured.
Acts of the Apostles 08,/1b-8/:'And Saul approved of their killing him. That day
a severe persecution began against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the
apostles were scattered throughout the countryside of Judea and Samaria. Devout
men buried Stephen and made loud lamentation over him. But Saul was ravaging the
church by entering house after house; dragging off both men and women, he
committed them to prison. Now those who were scattered went from place to place,
proclaiming the word.Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed the
Messiah to them. The crowds with one accord listened eagerly to what was said by
Philip, hearing and seeing the signs that he did, for unclean spirits, crying
with loud shrieks, came out of many who were possessed; and many others who were
paralysed or lame were cured. So there was great joy in that city.
Pope Francis's Tweet For
Today
Let us protect the oceans, part of the
“global commons”, vital for our water supply and the variety of living
creatures!
Protégeons les océans qui sont des biens communs globaux, essentiels pour l’eau
et la variété des êtres vivants!
لنحمِ المحيطات التي هي خيور عالميّة مشتركة وأساسيّة للمياه وتنوّع الكائنات
الحيّة!
Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on June 08-09/16
Saad Hariri spies a political lifeline in Lebanon/Michael Young/The
National/June 08/16
Lebanese minister Mashnouq slams Saudi Arabia/Abdulrahman al-Rashed/Alarabiya/June
08/16
Iran’s engagement with Israel and the ‘Great Satan’/Turki Aldakhil/Al Arabiya/June
08/16
The tank of an enemy who is no longer an enemy/Diana Moukalled/Al Arabiya/June
08/16
French Middle East peace initiative: Between surrealism and skepticism/Yossi
Mekelberg/Al Arabiya/June 08/16
Ramadan is the month of charity for all/Khaled Almaeena/Al Arabiya/June 08/16
The Maturing of Israeli-Russian Relations/Anna Borshchevskaya/The Washington
Institute..June 08/16
Titles For Latest Lebanese Related News published on
June 08-09/16
Report: Bank Accounts of Hizbullah Hospitals, Charities Closed
Berri: No Parliament Extension, Some Attempt to Invoke the 1960 Election Law
Investigation with OGERO Chief over 'Negligence' Postponed to June 16
Grenade Tossed into Ain el-Hilweh Camp
Saad Hariri spies a political lifeline in Lebanon
Lebanese minister Mashnouq slams Saudi Arabia
Pheraon from Maarab: Aoun's candidacy to presidency gained Christian legacy
Jumblatt cables Erdogan over Istanbul blast
One killed, another injured in clash in Sidon
State Security makes clarification over suicide of staff member
Lebanese Army seizes tens of narcotics bags aboard boat in Sidon waters
INTERPOL’s global network supporting Euro 2016 security
Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin For
Miscellaneous Reports And News published on
June 08-09/16
‘It was a hoax:’ EgyptAir jet lands
after bomb threat
Car bomb targets Turkish police station on Syria border
Saudi Shoura Council criticizes Iran’s bid to politicize hajj
U.N. Under Fire for Removing Saudi-led Coalition from Blacklist
Libya intercepts 117 Europe-bound migrants
Spats among Iraqi forces delay Fallujah advance
Erdogan lifts lawmakers’ immunity
Assad’s vow to reconquer Syria ‘discouraging’
Iran: Seven prisoners hanged in Mashhad, Shiraz and Tehran
A series of protests in Tehran
Leading site of Iranian oil production is subject to massive closures
Iran's judiciary in Golestan to deal harshly with breaking fast in public
NCRI Statements | President-elect/Maryam Rajavi’s felicitations on Ramadan’s
first Iftar with mothers of martyrs and supporters of the Iranian Resistance
Netanyahu: 'Syria won't become a launch pad against us'
Israel: Terror at Tel Aviv's Sarona Market; at least 3 murdered
Links From Jihad Watch Site for
June 08-09/16
Tel Aviv: Mall jihadis were disguised as Orthodox Jews, murdered
at least 3
Hugh Fitzgerald: You Don’t Have To Be Muslim To Love Ramadan
Ramadan in Israel: Muslims open fire at Tel Aviv mall, nine injured
Louis Lionheart Moment: Lucifer, Lies and Lust: The Dark Reality of Muslim
Paradise
Migrants burn down asylum center for not getting Ramadan breakfast wake-up call
Aftermath of Merkel’s open door? 70,000 crimes committed or attempted by
migrants in Germany
FBI director: Number of Islamic State cases in US has not dropped off
Top Iranian official: Jihad terrorism aims to safeguard “Zionist regime”
UK: FGM cases in Birmingham rocket by almost 30 percent
Refugee mill in overdrive: Assad declares “War on Terror” against Erdogan
Reading the Qur’an during Ramadan 4: Juz Lantanalu al-Birra
Reading the Qur’an during Ramadan 3: Juz Tilka ar-Rusul
Reading the Qur’an during Ramadan 2: Juz Sayaqul
Reading the Qur’an during Ramadan 1: Juz Alhamdulillah
Obama: “Here in the US, we are blessed with Muslim communities…I stand firmly
with Muslim American communities”
The Islamic State calls rival al-Qaeda “Jews of Jihad”
June 08-09/16
Report: Bank Accounts of Hizbullah
Hospitals, Charities Closed
Naharnet/June 08/16/Lebanese banks have practically begun implementing the U.S.
law against Hizbullah, which imposed financial sanctions on the party and its
institutions, informed sources told the daily al-Akhbar on Wednesday.The sources
said that the bank accounts of several Hizbullah institutions, including The
Emdad Committee for Islamic Charity, the Martyr's Foundation and the St. George
Hospital have been closed, including hundreds or maybe thousands of other
accounts. They pointed out that the step is expected after the U.S. imposed the
law and that it will gradually evolve. However, they remarked that the closure
has also affected a number of organizations, schools, and hospitals that branch
out from the parent institution and that their bank accounts have also been
closed.The hospitals that branch out from the Martyr's foundation include al-Rasoul
al-Aazam hospital, Baalbek Hospital, West Bekaa Hospital and other health,
social and educational institutions.The U.S. law targets the sources of funding
of Hizbullah and those “knowingly facilitating a significant transaction or
transactions for" Hizbullah or any individual, business or institution linked to
the group. In May, the Association of Banks in Lebanon (ABL) held a meeting
after Hizbullah's Loyalty to the Resistance parliamentary bloc criticized the
Central Bank for saying it would abide by the U.S. law that came into effect in
April. The criticism came after a cabinet meeting discussed a decision by banks
to shut down the accounts of at least two Hizbullah lawmakers.Lebanon's Central
Bank governor Riad Salameh has said that Lebanon will abide by the restrictions
in the Hizbullah International Financing Prevention Act, which was signed into
law in December.
Berri: No Parliament
Extension, Some Attempt to Invoke the 1960 Election Law
Naharnet/June 08/16/Speaker Nabih Berri expressed annoyance at the joint
committees dead stop and inability to agree on a new parliamentary electoral law
and stated a belief that some lawmakers want to invoke the 1960 law in the
coming polls, As Safir daily reported on Wednesday.
“The meetings of the joint parliamentary committees to discuss the election law
did not yield any results yet. It is still at a standstill,” Berri told his
visitors according to the daily. “I will bring up the issue during the national
dialogue meeting set for June 21, so that everyone assumes their
responsibilities,” he added.“There is a waste of time, which is not innocent nor
acceptable,” said the speaker, expressing belief that some lawmakers are
deliberately trying to bring the 1960 law back into effect. He stressed the need
to “do the impossible to avoid the return to the 1960 law,” drawing attention
that he supports everything that leads to the adoption of the proportional law,
which “has become a national and pressing need.”Berri stressed that he will not
accept another extension of the parliament's term and that the elections will be
held.The joint committees have held several meetings over the last months
without reaching an agreement on a new parliamentary electoral law.The gatherers
have failed to agree whether to adopt the proportional law or the 1960 (winner
takes all) law. Disagreements between the rival political powers over an
electoral law forced parliament to twice extend its own term, once in 2013 and
another time in 2014.Its term ends in June 2017.
Investigation with OGERO Chief over 'Negligence' Postponed to June 16
Naharnet/June 08/16/A hearing against OGERO chief Abdul Moneim Youssef on
charges of negligence was held on Wednesday, reported the National News Agency.
It said that he is charged with neglecting his duties and squandering public
funds. NNA said that the session was also dedicated to assigning lawyers to the
defendants, who are Youssef, OGERO IT Director Toufik Shbaro and Internet
Division Director Gaby Smaira. The hearing was postponed to June 16, allowing
Youssef time to plead his case. Youssef and a number of state-owned OGERO
employees have been charged with involvement in a recently uncovered illegal
internet network. Telecommunications Minister Butros Harb revealed in March that
around four illegal internet stations have been proven to exist in the
mountainous terrains of al-Dinnieh, Ayoun al-Siman, Faqra and Zaarour. Early in
March, the parliamentary media committee unveiled what it described as a “mafia”
that are taking advantage of internet services by installing internet stations
that are not subject to the state control.The owners of these stations are
buying international internet bandwidth with nominal cost from Turkey and Cyprus
which they are selling back to Lebanese subscribers at reduced prices.
Grenade Tossed into Ain el-Hilweh Camp
Naharnet/June 08/16/Unknown assailants tossed a grenade in the southern
Palestinian refugee camp of Ain el-Hilweh, the state-run National News Agency
reported on Wednesday.
The grenade was tossed at dawn into the Taytaba neighborhood and was followed by
heavy gunshots. NNA added that no injuries were reported. Such incidents have
become frequent in recent years in Ain el-Hilweh, the largest of Lebanon's 12
Palestinian refugee camps.By long-standing convention, the Lebanese army does
not enter the Palestinian camps in the country, leaving the Palestinian factions
themselves to handle security. That has created lawless areas in many camps, and
Ain el-Hilweh has gained notoriety as a refuge for extremists and fugitives.
Saad Hariri spies a political
lifeline in Lebanon
Michael Young/The National/June 08/16
Lebanon’s recent municipal elections had more of a national dimension to them
than usual. Because parliamentary elections have been postponed twice since
2013, the local elections effectively became a referendum on national issues –
not least the relationship between the political forces comprising the March 14
coalition that still has a majority in parliament. Two issues relating to March
14 were at play. The first was what would happen to Saad Hariri, the former
prime minister, who has returned to Lebanon after a long absence. The second was
the fate of relations between the Lebanese Forces and Mr Hariri in light of the
electoral alliance between the Lebanese Forces and Michel Aoun’s Free Patriotic
Movement. Mr Hariri’s political fortunes were mixed. Lists he backed won in
Beirut and Sidon. However, in the capital the turnout was very low – showing
that Mr Hariri had struggled to rally his base. His list also won by a fairly
narrow margin against another that included politically inexperienced civil
society figures. However, Mr Hariri suffered a major humiliation in the one
place where he needed to win big. In Tripoli, a bastion of Sunni power, the list
backed by the former prime minister and other major local figures lost to a list
supported by Ashraf Rifi. He is the pro-Hariri justice minister with whom Mr
Hariri had clashed because Mr Rifi resigned from the government without his
approval.
Mr Rifi portrayed himself as the true inheritor of Rafik Hariri, implying that
Saad Hariri’s alliances with politicians seen as close to the Syrian regime had
betrayed this legacy. However, it’s what came afterward that put into
perspective how damaging was Mr Hariri’s defeat for relations in March 14.
In Lebanese Forces areas, banners went up congratulating Mr Rifi. This
underlined that the rift between Mr Hariri and the Lebanese Forces leader Samir
Geagea was far from closed. Mr Geagea was taken aback months ago when Mr Hariri
supported a rival of his, Sleiman Franjieh, for the presidency, without
informing him. At the time Mr Geagea was the official candidate of March 14. In
response, he endorsed Mr Aoun, long a major rival of the alliance, and distanced
himself from Mr Hariri. This brought about the virtual collapse of March 14.
Today March 14 is in disarray. Mr Hariri still supports Mr Franjieh, though
there is pressure on him to back Mr Aoun for the presidency, to end the
debilitating presidential vacuum that has lasted for over two years. Ironically,
Mr Franjieh has told Mr Hariri he would not oppose his voting for Mr Aoun, but
given the results in Tripoli, where Mr Aoun is unpopular, the former prime
minister will hesitate to alienate his base again. Hizbollah can delight in all
this. With March 14 so divided, the party sees leeway to pursue its agenda in
Lebanon and Syria. The presidential void, to which it has contributed
significantly, has rendered the state ineffective, giving Hizbollah room to push
through its priorities without hindrance. Mr Hariri’s frustrations are
apparently growing. On national television, the interior minister, Nouhad
Mashnouq, an ally of the former prime minister, made statements last week that
provoked Saudi ire. He said the kingdom, among others, had backed Mr Franjieh’s
candidacy, and recalled that it was King Abdullah who had persuaded Mr Hariri to
reconcile with Bashar Al Assad in 2010, following the assassination of his
father.
Mr Mashnouq was taken to task by the Saudi ambassador in Beirut, and was
criticised in a leading Saudi newspaper. While unnamed sources suggested that Mr
Hariri was angry with the minister, the reality was likely different. It’s
difficult to imagine the experienced Mr Mashnouq making his comments unless it
was to send a message on Mr Hariri’s behalf.
Mr Hariri is disappointed that the Saudis have pushed him in political
directions that have lost him support among Lebanese Sunnis – including his
unpopular alliances in Tripoli, which the Saudis encouraged to reinforce Sunni
unity. On top if this, the kingdom has cut off the former prime minister’s
funding, so that Mr Hariri’s companies are near bankruptcy, severely limiting
his capacity to fund his political machine. Given this situation it would not be
surprising if Mr Hariri used Mr Mashnouq to send word to the kingdom that he
deserved better than to be blamed for policies the Saudis had pushed him into
pursuing. In the bigger picture this could mean that Mr Hariri is slowly
clearing the way for a political shift of his own, one that could see him favour
Mr Aoun. What would Mr Hariri gain? A return to political life in Lebanon would
allow him to play a more active role, perhaps even as prime minister. A
president and a functioning government would also spur much-needed economic
activity, allowing Mr Hariri to slowly revive his patronage networks. We’re not
there yet, but March 14 was always Mr Hariri’s ticket to national prominence. As
it has fallen apart, his political fortunes have waned, while his political
rivals have gained. Mr Hariri has no choice but to adapt to the new situation,
quickly.
**Michael Young is a writer and editor in Beirut
Lebanese minister Mashnouq slams Saudi Arabia
Abdulrahman al-Rashed/Alarabiya/June 08/16
Lebanese Interior Minister Nohad al-Mashnouq justified his movement’s loss in
municipal elections by denying history and the crucial role Saudi Arabia has
played in his country. Rather than take responsibility for the loss in Tripoli
to another Sunni, Ashraf Rifi, Mashnouq slammed Saudi Arabia and the late King
Abdullah, blaming them for a rise in criticism against his ally Saad Hariri.
Where are good values such as loyalty, chivalry and nobility? Mashnouq will not
be able to convince the majority of the Lebanese people, including the Sunnis,
with his remarks. Saudi Arabia is almost the only country that has stood by
Lebanon and supported his political movement. Mashnouq is fully aware of
reality. I suppose he was triggered by the emotions of the scandalous defeat in
Tripoli.
Loyalty
King Abdullah is considered an important leader in the region, and will be
remembered positively in Lebanon’s history. He was one of the only leaders to
stand by the country after it was targeted by the Syrian regime and its allies
with assassinations, starting with the late Rafiq Hariri. While Paris and
Washington have not played a decisive role in Lebanon, Riyadh considers the
Lebanese issue essential. Saad Hariri’s Future Movement should not justify its
defeat, burn bridges and offend its allies for some marginal and illusory gains
Riyadh and King Abdullah played a crucial role in the Syrian army’s withdrawal
from Lebanon, the issuing of UN Security Council resolutions, and the
establishment of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL). They always supported
the March 14 movement, while the Syrian regime and its allies Iran and Hezbollah
sought to control Lebanon via assassinations, especially after Israel’s
withdrawal from the south. King Abdullah defended the Lebanese cause until his
death. Syrian President Bash al-Assad has tried hard several times, and through
many intermediaries, to convince Riyadh to abandon its position. He even
resorted to threats and insults against King Abdullah, but Riyadh continued
supporting Lebanon and the March 14 movement. Accountability Rivalry between
Lebanese Sunni leaders is not new, but it does not require accusing others to
justify defeat. In Lebanese politics, Sunni and Christian leaders reflect the
diversity of voters, who do not feel condemned to external powers or to the
sanctity of certain leaders, as is the case in the Iran-dominated Shiite
community. Saad Hariri’s Future Movement should not justify its defeat, burn
bridges and offend its allies for some marginal and illusory gains. Rather than
offend the Saudis, the movement should work on the ground to regain people’s
trust.
This article was first published in Asharq al-Awsat on Jun. 08, 2016.
Pheraon from Maarab: Aoun's
candidacy to presidency gained Christian legacy
Wed 08 Jun 2016/NNA - Tourism Minister, Michel Pheraon, said, "Nowadays after
the reconciliation between two Christian parties, General Michel Aoun's
candidacy to presidency gained a Christian legacy and should be deliberated in
favor of finding guarantees that satisfy all."Pheraon's stance came Wednesday as
he visited head of the Lebanese Forces, Samir Geagea, in Maarab. He called for
holding the presidential election before the parliamentary one. Minister Pheraon
reassured that Lebanon would enjoy an active tourism move amidst the strong
factors it possessed at the security level.
Jumblatt cables Erdogan over
Istanbul blast
Wed 08 Jun 2016/NNA - Head of the Democratic Gathering, MP Walid Jumblatt,
cabled on Wednesday Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whereby he condemned
the terrorist blast that shook Istanbul earlier today, offering condolences.
One killed, another injured
in clash in Sidon
Wed 08 Jun 2016/NNA - One was killed and another was injured in a clash that
broke out in Qayaha town in Sidon, National News Agency correspondent reported
on Wednesday. In details, two brothers from Khattab family engaged in a dispute
that soon developed into an armed clash. One was stabbed and injured; his
brother passed away.
State Security makes clarification over suicide of staff member
Wed 08 Jun 2016/NNA - The State Security Directorate clarified, in a statement
on Wednesday, that the man who committed suicide earlier today was a member of
its staff. Incoming news said the deceased was a bodyguard of the agency's
chief.
Lebanese Army seizes tens of narcotics bags aboard boat in Sidon waters
Wed 08 Jun 2016/NNA - The army seized this morning a boat off Sidon seaport,
carrying 46 bags containing 35 kilos of narcotics each, a communiqué by the
Lebanese army indicated on Wednesday.
INTERPOL’s global network
supporting Euro 2016 security
Wed 08 Jun 2016/NNA - An INTERPOL Major Events Support Team (IMEST) has been
deployed to Paris as part of the world police body’s support to the security
framework surrounding the Euro 2016 football tournament. With the potential for
criminals to enter the host nation France using falsified, stolen or lost
passports to conceal their identities, the IMEST will facilitate checks on
individuals against INTERPOL’s global databases including foreign terrorist
fighters, stolen and lost travel documents, fingerprints and internationally
wanted persons. In addition to the team based at the Centre for International
Police Cooperation in Paris, INTERPOL’s 24-hour Command and Coordination Centre
and other specialized units, will be on standby to provide any additional
assistance required to reach out to its 190 member countries in urgent
situations, or in relation to terrorism and organized crime issues such as human
trafficking. "With more than two million fans expected from around the world,
this is an international event bringing with it all the associated threats and
security issues," said INTERPOL Secretary General Jürgen Stock, who also
underlined the need for continued vigilance. "It is vital that police have the
information they require to ensure that anyone entering the country, or who is
arrested, is who they claim to be. Tied to this is the need for countries to
share information they may have on suspected individuals and potential attacks.
"The preparations put in place by France are extremely thorough, but security at
an event such as this is a global responsibility requiring close cooperation
between law enforcement worldwide," concluded Secretary General Stock. With
increased concerns over weapons being smuggled into Europe from the Balkans for
use in terrorist attacks, Mr Stock said INTERPOL was also encouraging member
countries to be extra vigilant at border controls beyond the European Union.
INTERPOL has provided internationally coordinated support for major events
around the world, including the 2012 London Olympic and Paralympic Games, the
2015 APEC summit and will also be deploying an IMEST to the Rio 2016
Olympics.--Interpol
Latest LCCC Bulletin For Miscellaneous Reports And News published
on June 08-09/16
‘It was a
hoax:’ EgyptAir jet lands after bomb threat
The Associated Press, CairoWednesday, 8 June 2016 /A bomb threat forced an
EgyptAir aircraft en route to Beijing from Cairo to make an emergency landing in
Uzbekistan on Wednesday, Egyptian officials said, the latest in a series of
deadly or damaging air travel incidents involving Egypt.The plane, an Airbus
A-330-220, landed at the airport in the town of Urgench, about 840 kilometers
(600 miles) west of the Uzbek capital, Tashkent, three hours after it took off
from Cairo at around 11:30 p.m. on Tuesday.All 135 passengers and crew on board
were evacuated and the aircraft was being searched, the officials said. They had
no word on whether a bomb or any other suspicious object was found on
board.According to the Egyptian officials, an anonymous caller telephoned
security agents at the Cairo airport to say a bomb was on board the flight.The
agents immediately contacted the aircraft and ordered it to land at the nearest
airport, they said, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not
authorized to speak to the media.In Russia, the news agency RIA Novosti quoted
an unnamed official with Uzbekistan Airways as saying the airport has been
closed following the EgyptAir plane's emergency landing.The incident came nearly
three weeks after an EgyptAir flight crashed in the Mediterranean Sea as it was
approaching the Egyptian coast while en route to Cairo from Paris. All 66 people
on board were killed and the search for the plane's flight and data recorders -
the so called black boxes - is still underway.Egyptian officials say the
Paris-Cairo plane was most likely downed by an act of terror.Last October, a
Russian airliner crashed in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula shortly after taking off
from the Egyptian resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh, killing all 224 people on
board. A local affiliate of ISIS claimed responsibility for downing the aircraft
just hours after the crash. In November, Russia said an explosive device brought
down the aircraft. The Russian airliner's crash has decimated Egypt's already
bettered tourism industry. While the cause of the May 19 EgyptAir crash remains
unknown, it has associated Egypt with another air disaster that further dented
the once lucrative industry.
Car bomb targets Turkish
police station on Syria border
The Associated Press, AnkaraWednesday, 8 June 2016/A police station at a town
near the border with Syria has been hit by a car bomb on Wednesday, Turkey's
state-run news agency said, killing three people and wounding 30. The Anadolu
Agency said several ambulances have been sent to the scene of the blast in the
town of Midyat, in southern Mardin province.Television images from the scene
showed thick smoke rising from the site of the attack, which seemed to have
destroyed the facade of a building The attack comes a day after a car bomb hit a
police vehicle in Istanbul, killing 11 people during the morning rush
hour.Turkey has been hit by a series of attack in the past year. Rebels of the
Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, have targeted police and military personnel
since July, when a fragile peace process between the rebels and the government
collapsed. ISIS has also been blamed for a series of deadly bombings in Turkey,
which is part of the US-led coalition against ISIS.Mardin, where government
forces are battling Kurkish militants, has endured similar attacks in the past
months. In May, three people were killed in a car bombing by Kurdish rebels
against a gendarmerie station in Midyat.In April, a soldier was killed and six
others were wounded in a car bomb attack against their outpost in Mardin.
Saudi Shoura Council
criticizes Iran’s bid to politicize hajj
Saudi Gazette, RiyadhWednesday, 8 June 2016/The Shoura Council on Tuesday
strongly denounced the Iranian regime for its attempt to politicize hajj
rituals.“Tehran is trying to get this great ritual out of its religious
framework and turn it into a means to serve its political goals,” the Council
said in a statement, read out by Muhammad Al-Amr, secretary general of the
Council, the Saudi Press Agency reported.Sheikh Abdullah Al Asheikh, president
of the Council, chaired the session. “Politicization of hajj or its use in
international relations is not acceptable to Saudi Arabia, which is exerting all
its potentials to host, serve and take care of pilgrims and ensure their
security until their departure from its territory,” the Council said while
calling on the Iranian regime to appeal to reason in terms of Haj and not to
misuse Hajj to manipulate the sentiments of the Iranian citizens.The Council
commended the positions of countries, parliaments and Islamic organizations
supportive to that of Saudi Arabia by their rejection of Tehran’s attempts to
politicize hajj. “This shows the sound position of Saudi Arabia under the
leadership of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman and its keenness in
enabling the pilgrims to perform their rituals in ease and comfort without
driving the impact of political turmoil and relations between nations into Haj,
the fifth pillar of Islam.”The Council emphasized that Saudi Arabia mobilizes
all its human and material resources and capabilities to serve the pilgrims
without any discrimination among pilgrims from one country or the other, the
statement added. This article first appeared in the Saudi Gazette on July 08,
2016.
U.N. Under Fire for Removing
Saudi-led Coalition from Blacklist
Agence France Presse/June 08/16/The United Nations was forced Tuesday to defend
its decision to remove the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen from a
blacklist of child rights violators after rights groups expressed dismay.U.N.
spokesman Stephane Dujarric insisted that no final decision had been taken, and
that the coalition was taken off the list pending a review that is expected to
be completed before August. "I don't think it's a reversal of policy," Dujarric
told reporters. "We will see what the review is and we will adjust the list as
needed." Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International blasted Secretary-General
Ban Ki-moon over the decision, accusing him of caving in to Saudi pressure and
damaging the world body's credibility. In its annual report on children in armed
conflict published Thursday, the United Nations added the coalition to its list
of shame after concluding it was responsible for 60 percent of the 785 children
killed in Yemen last year. Saudi Arabia reacted angrily and demanded that the
report be "corrected."Saudi Ambassador Abdullah al-Mouallimi said the number of
child deaths blamed on the coalition was "wildly exaggerated," and later
proclaimed that the decision to be taken off the list was "irreversible."Dujarric
said the United Nations stands by the content of the report, but was willing to
review information that the coalition "insists is important for our
analysis.""We stand by everything -- every fact and figure that is in the
report," said the spokesman.Human Rights Watch charged that Ban had capitulated
to Saudi pressure after the United Nations itself had extensively documented the
coalition's airstrikes on schools and hospitals in Yemen. "As this list gives
way to political manipulation, it loses its credibility and taints the
secretary-general's legacy on human rights," HRW's deputy director Philippe
Bolopion said. Amnesty International slammed what it called the "shameful
pandering" to the Saudi-led coalition. "It is unprecedented for the UN to bow to
pressure to alter its own published report on children in armed conflict," the
head of Amnesty's UN office Richard Bennett said in a statement. "Blatant
pandering such as this undermines all of the U.N.'s work to protect children
caught up in war." In Washington, State Department spokesman Mark Toner said the
United States "respected" the U.N. decision to review the report and had not
lobbied on behalf of its Saudi ally.
While insisting Washington takes the safety of children on the battlefield
seriously, he said that Riyadh should conduct its own review."Saudi Arabia has
pledged to establish a commission to investigate credible reports of civilian
casualties and deaths resulting from Saudi-led coalition airstrikes," he said.
"And they promised to clear a full and objective report on their findings. We're
encouraging them to move forward with that as quickly as possible."The coalition
launched an air campaign in support of Yemen's President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi
in March 2015 to push back Huthi rebels after they seized the capital Sanaa and
many parts of the country.The war has left some 6,400 people dead, with more
than 80 percent of the population in desperate need of humanitarian aid,
according to the U.N. The controversy over adding the Saudi-led coalition to the
blacklist followed a similar uproar last year over the decision to exclude
Israel over the deaths of 500 children in the war in Gaza.
Libya intercepts 117
Europe-bound migrants
AFP, TripoliWednesday, 8
June 2016 /Libya’s coast guard on Tuesday intercepted 117 migrants on a boat
bound for Europe, including six pregnant women, before taking them back ashore,
an official said.The group had set out from a beach near Garabulli, a town about
60 km (40 miles) to the east of Tripoli, said Col. Ashraf al-Badri. More than
10,000 people have died crossing the Mediterranean to Europe since 2014, the
United Nations said on Tuesday, as the European Union unveiled fresh plans to
stem the migrant flow from Africa.Those intercepted on Tuesday were received by
medics in Tripoli, before they were taken to accommodations in the center of the
Libyan capital. “The 117 migrants, including six pregnant women, were
intercepted off Garabulli and brought to a port in Tripoli by the coast guard’s
speedboats,” Badri told AFP. Badri did not disclose their nationality, but an
AFP photographer said most were of African origin.Following a rash of deadly
shipwrecks in recent weeks which claimed the lives of hundreds of people, the UN
refugee agency said the number of deaths at sea had risen sharply this year,
with a record 2,814 people drowning since January.And in the past few days, the
overall number who have died since the start of 2014 has reached 10,085, the
UNHCR said.
Spats among Iraqi forces
delay Fallujah advance
The Associated Press, NaymiyahWednesday, 8 June 2016/After securing the southern
edge of militant-held Fallujah, seven battalions of Iraqi Special Forces units
have been unable to advance for two days — a delay that commanders say isn’t due
to counterattacks or difficult terrain, but rather to disagreements about
battlefield strategy among the disparate Iraqi forces fighting ISIS.Unlike
previous anti-ISIS operations, the fight for Fallujah involves an array of Iraqi
security forces. A battle plan that was initially cast as an example of how
those fighters can work together has instead revealed just how fractured Iraq’s
security forces are.“I wouldn’t say the different forces in the Fallujah
operation are cooperating: They’ve just divided up the battlefield,” said
Patrick Martin, an Iraq analyst with the Institute for the Study of War, a think
tank based in Washington.Since ISIS overran Mosul in the summer of 2014, two
groups have come to dominate the fight against the militant group in Iraq: The
country’s elite counterterrorism special forces and the government-sanctioned,
largely Shiite militias known as the Popular Mobilization Forces. Once
highly centralized under former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, Iraq’s security
forces have splintered under the weight of the political and security crises
that were unleashed by the ISIS blitz across Iraq two years ago.Iraq’s military
largely disintegrated in the face of that assault, and in the days that
followed, a number of largely Shiite militia groups took up arms against ISIS
and stopped their advance north of Baghdad.While rebuilding Iraq’s military has
been a slow process with mixed results, Iraq’s Shiite militias have quickly
grown in strength. More powerful than the country’s own military, the militia
fighters were formally incorporated into the Iraqi government force under
command of the prime minister. But most maintain a large degree of autonomy
under leaders with greater political and military clout than the increasingly
embattled prime minister, Haider al-Abadi.
Erdogan lifts lawmakers’ immunity
The Associated Press, IstanbulWednesday, 8 June 2016/Turkey’s president has
approved amendments to the constitution that pave the way for the trials of some
138 legislators, including several pro-Kurdish lawmakers who face terror-related
charges. The state-run Anadolu Agency said Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday
ratified the changes which were put forward by the ruling party and finally
approved by parliament last month after heated debates that devolved into
outright fights. The changes have been criticized by officials in the European
Union and Germany and condemned by Turkish opposition lawmakers. Lasts week,
Turkey’s highest court rejected a petition by opposition legislators to strike
down the legislation. Erdogan has accused the pro-Kurdish People’s Democratic
Party, or HDP, of being an arm of the outlawed Kurdish PKK rebel group.The
parliamentarians at risk of prosecution fall roughly into three categories:
those who are accused of insulting the president, and those under investigation
for corruption or other criminal offenses, and those who like HDP members are
accused of supporting the PKK.The Turkish state has been locked in renewed
conflict with Kurdish fighters since last summer when a 2 ½-year truce with the
Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, collapsed. Kurdish rebels have set up
trenches, barricades and explosives to keep the authorities out of areas where
they want autonomy. The HDP, which backs Kurdish and other minority rights,
denies accusations that it is the political front of the PKK. The party has
urged the government to end security operations in the southeast and to resume
peace efforts.Turkey and its Western allies consider the PKK, which has waged a
decades-long insurgency against the Turkish state, a terrorist group.
Assad’s vow to reconquer
Syria ‘discouraging’
AFP, WashingtonWednesday, 8 June 2016/The United States said Tuesday that Bashar
al-Assad’s vow to recapture “every inch” of Syria was discouraging and urged
Russia and Iran to pressure their ally into respecting a ceasefire.The Syrian
leader made the threat in his first address to a newly-installed parliament in
Damascus, calling into question his commitment to a UN-led peace process and a
truce between government and opposition forces. “We have no choice but victory,”
he said, to applause from a parliament elected under civil war conditions in a
vote that Washington and Assad’s other international critics have not recognized
as legitimate.US State Department spokesman Mark Toner said the belligerent
speech was unsurprising and dubbed it “vintage Assad,” adding that Washington
would call on Russia, its co-chair of the International Syria Support Group (ISSG),
to restrain its ally. “We still believe that Russia and Iran can at least appeal
to those in the regime who still have influence on him to refrain from letting
this political process, this cessation of hostilities, fall completely apart,”
Toner said. “Again, there is nothing surprising in what he said today but, you
know, it was discouraging.”
President Barack Obama’s spokesman Josh Earnest said Assad’s determination to
cling to power “only exacerbates the chaos and turmoil” and said Russia’s
President Vladimir Putin has the power to change his calculus. “President Putin
made a commitment to use that influence to get the Assad regime to abide by the
cessation of hostilities,” he said.The ISSG, a 21-nation contact group that
includes Assad foes like Saudi Arabia and friends like Iran as well as
Washington and Moscow, supported a UN-led process to end Syria’s five-year civil
war through a negotiated deal.
The outline of a peace plan - including a “political transition” away from
Assad’s rule - has been endorsed by the UN Security Council, but Assad has thus
far refused to accept calls for him to step down.
Iran: Seven prisoners hanged in
Mashhad, Shiraz and Tehran
Wednesday, 08 June 2016/NCRI - The clerical regime’s news agencies reported that
seven prisoners were executed in the past three days in Mashhad, Shiraz and
Tehran. The state-run Rokna website wrote on Tuesday, June 7, that three men,
aged 30, 35 and 40, who had been sentenced by the so-called Revolutionary Court
in Mashhad, north-east Iran, were hanged on Monday in the central prison of
Mashhad. Fars News Agency, which is affiliated with the Iranian regime’s
Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), reported on Monday that two Afghan citizens were
hanged in a prison in Tehran. It did not give the names of the victims. The
agency wrote that at the time of the execution, the regime’s prosecutor in
Pardis and the chief of the city’s repressive police force were present. The
clerical regime's official news agency, IRNA, announced on Sunday, June 5, that
two prisoners were hanged in public in Shiraz, southern Iran. The two prisoners
were identified as 22-year-old Amin D., and 28-year-old Mojtaba G. They were
executed simultaneously in Shiraz. The latest hangings bring to at least 127 the
number of people executed in Iran since April 10. Three of those executed were
women and two are believed to have been juvenile offenders. Ms. Farideh Karimi,
a member of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) and a human rights
activist, last month called for an urgent response by the United Nations and
foreign governments to the recent spate of executions and the appalling state of
human rights in Iran.
Iran's fundamentalist regime last month amputated the fingers of a man in his
thirties in Mashhad, the latest in a line of draconian punishments handed down
and carried out in recent weeks. The National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI)
said in a statement on April 13 that the increasing trend of executions “aimed
at intensifying the climate of terror to rein in expanding protests by various
strata of the society, especially at a time of visits by high-ranking European
officials, demonstrates that the claim of moderation is nothing but an illusion
for this medieval regime.” Amnesty International in its April 6 annual Death
Penalty report covering the 2015 period wrote: "Iran put at least 977 people to
death in 2015, compared to at least 743 the year before." "Iran alone accounted
for 82% of all executions recorded" in the Middle East and North Africa, the
human rights group said.
There have been more than 2,400 executions during Hassan Rouhani’s tenure as
President. The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation
in Iran in March announced that the number of executions in Iran in 2015 was
greater than any year in the last 25 years. Rouhani has explicitly endorsed the
executions as examples of “God’s commandments” and “laws of the parliament that
belong to the people.
A series of protests in
Tehran
Wednesday, 08 June 2016/NCRI - The following is a roundup of four protests in
the Iranian capital Tehran on Monday, June 6.
Harandi Street Residents
Residents of Harandi Street marched towards Tehran’s Municipality building, at 9
a.m. on Monday, to protest the lack of security in their neighbourhood. The
regime sent members of the suppresive police force to disperse the crowd.
Football fans rally in Tehran
A group of Esteghlal F.C. fans rallied to protest the interference of the
regime’s Ministry of Sports in their team, the incompetence of the minister in
management and performance and the intervention of police in sport affairs.
Protesting shopkeepers clash with the agents of regime’s discretionary
punishments organization
A group of so-called Governmental Reprimanding Agents raided the supermarkets of
the old Bazaar (known as Town Bazaar) in Imam Hossein Square on Monday.
They aggravated the shopkeepers with lies and looting which led to a clash
between the suppressive forces and the shopkeepers.
Two sellers were arrested and their shops were sealed. After that, the
mercenaries left the area.The people and shopkeepers who witnessed the incident
said that such measures by regime agents happen routinely.
Consecutive protests in Tehran International Airport
A large group of people were roaming around the Tehran International (Khomeini)
Airport due to the increased sensitivity at boarding gates and customs control.
Ultimately, the passengers started to protest, which led to clashes with the
airport security officers.
Some flights were delayed by more than 90 minutes, having been due to take off
at 6 p.m. which created a storm of protest among the passengers. Therefore, the
passengers rallied against the disrespectful behaviour of the airport security
personnel as well as the repressive police force.
Leading site of Iranian oil
production is subject to massive closures
Wednesday, 08 June 2016/NCRI - Some 60 percent of industrial and production
units in Gachsaran, southwestern Iran, have been closed and a number of workers
in these units are unemployed, the clerical regime’s news agencies reported this
week. On Tuesday, Tasnim News Agency, which is affiliated to the regime’s
Revolutionary Guards, quoted the head of the Department of Industry, Mining and
Trade in Gachsaran as saying that more than half of all industrial manufacturing
units in the city are either fully or partially closed.Reza Sharifi told Tasnim:
“Recession, lack of working capital and financial resources, and banks’ deferred
debts are the main reasons for the closure of 60 percent of industrial and
production units in the city. And a number of workers in these units are forced
to stay at home.”The news agency wrote that due to its oil and gas resources and
its status as an industrial city, Gachsaran is very much involved in the
country’s production and income. The city currently produces 30 percent of the
country’s oil and makes a huge contribution to the country’s revenue. The city
is known as the world’s fifth largest repository and producer of oil, and the
second largest producer of gas in the country.
Iran's judiciary in Golestan
to deal harshly with breaking fast in public
Wednesday, 08 June 2016/NCRI - The Iranian regime’s notorious prosecutor in
Golestan Province, northern Iran, threatened with imprisonment and flogging
anyone who publicly violates the fast during daylight hours in the Islamic holy
month of Ramadan, which began this week. The state-run Mehr news agency quoted
Golestan’s Judiciary representative Mostafa Haghi as saying on June 5: “Based on
Article 638 of the Islamic Penal Code, adopted in 1996, people who have no
regard for the sanctity of Ramadan and break the fast in public are considered
offenders and sentenced to punishment of 10 days to two months in prison, or up
to 74 lashes.” “Police will deal strongly with those breaking the fast, and
judicial cases will be formed against them,” Haghi said. He revealed that there
would be extensive monitoring of the internet and social media during Ramadan.
“Individuals on those networks or sites who encourage a breaking of the fast
will be dealt with,” he said. Article 638 of the Islamic Penal Code says:
“Anyone caught performing or mimicking a forbidden act openly in public in
addition to punishment for the act itself, will be sentenced to between ten days
and two months imprisonment or 74 lashes. But if he commits an act which in
itself is not punishable but hurts public chastity, he will just be sentenced to
imprisonment from ten days to two months or 74 lashes.”This law is regularly
applied to instance of breaking a fast. For example, last year during the month
of Ramadan, the flogging sentence was implemented in public for five people in
Kermanshah and four people in the Torghabeh region of Mashhad. These people were
sentenced to 74 lashes each for smoking a Hookah (water pipe) in public.
NCRI Statements |
President-elect/Maryam Rajavi’s felicitations on Ramadan’s first Iftar with
mothers of martyrs and supporters of the Iranian Resistance
Wednesday, 08 June 2016/NCRI - On the occasion of the beginning of the month of
Ramadan, an Iftar ceremony was held on Tuesday, June 7, 2016, at Auvers-sur-Oise,
hosting mothers of martyrs of the Iranian Resistance and supporters of the
movement. Maryam Rajavi extended her felicitations to Muslims the world over and
especially to her compatriots in Iran on the inception of the Holy month of
Ramadan, the month of virtue, peace and friendship.
She wished that the belligerence and carnage, led by Iran's ruling mullahs under
the banner of Islam, be uprooted.
Referring to the humane traditions of Ramadan, as the month of virtue and
worship, and the month of peace, friendship and charity, she pointed out:
In diametric opposition to such culture, today the mullahs fuel and foment more
war and bloodshed in the region. Domestically, too, they have stepped up
repression under the pretext of Ramadan. In a grave disrespect for the sanctity
of this holy month, they impose further restrictions on the populace and
increasingly use flogging and executions as their punishment.
She also noted the horrific class difference, poverty, unemployment and high
prices in Iran and said: There is not a day when we do not hear the cries of the
people afflicted with various calamities including suicides and disintegration
of families. Numerous families have not had a complete meal for a long time;
they do not afford to pay for medical treatment and education of their children.
They live in shanty towns. Millions upon millions of youths remain unemployed
and their talents are perished. They are deprived of their most basic rights and
freedoms, and their short moments of celebration and happiness end with
flogging, libels and arrests.
In such circumstances, the mullahs' record of corruption and plunder is truly
amazing: On one side is the luxurious wealth and lifestyle of the mullahs, their
families and accomplices knowing no limits in extravagant spending and
squandering of wealth; on the other side is the destitution of people who have
to sell their kidneys, corneas, or unborn infants to survive. Maryam Rajavi
said: The regime falsely pretends to be defending the poor and the destitute
while a glance over the situation in Iran and Syria easily reveals how Khamenei
and Bashar Assad have butchered hundreds of thousands of people there. Such a
decadent regime is doomed to go.
In the first Iftar of Ramadan, Maryam Rajavi prayed for the people of Iran and
the region to be free from the clerical regime's evil. She also wished greater
determination and faith for Iran's PMOI freedom fighters.
Netanyahu: 'Syria won't become a launch pad against us'
Ynetnews/Itamar Eichner/Published: 06.08.16, / Israel News
Speaking to a forum of Russian Jewish community leaders in Moscow, Prime
Minister Netanyahu touches on the subject of Syria; Talks about aid Israel gives
Syrians on border
While speaking to the heads of the Russian Jewish community on Wednesday, Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu touched upon the subject of Syria and the civil
war's implications on Israel. "We're making sure that Syria doesn't become a
launch pad for attacks against Israel. Not by the Assad regime, not by
Hezbollah, and not by Islamist groups. We have enough enemies. My policy is to
take every step necessary to prevent attacks. We act from time to time as is
needed."Netanyahu responded to another question saying "you're asking me about
future relations with President Assad? I would ask what the future of Assad is
at all. We're not even going to get into that question." The prime minister
highlighted that he doesn't know if "the Syrian omelette will ever return to its
egg. The countries which surround (Israel), especially Syria, some of them have
fallen apart and need a new arrangement. I spoke about this at length with
President Putin, and the important thing (to consider) is that what will take
their place won't bring about more tragedy and won't threaten (Israel)."Netanyahu
spoke a bit about Israeli aid to refugees, saying "I gave the order to construct
a field hospital which has helped thousands of Syrians; babies, women, children,
me, all with terrible injuries. We treat them there and in our hospitals (in
Israel)."
Israel: Terror at Tel Aviv's Sarona Market; at least
3 murdered
Ynetnews/Published: 06.08.16/ Israel News
A terrorist attack at Tel Aviv's Sarona Market, adjacent to MoD & IDF HQ, has
left at least three dead and at least five persons wounded, one of them
critically; two terrorists have been neutralized; police and Tel Aviv mayor ask
citizens to resume daily routine. At least three people have been killed, five
persons have been wounded at a shooting around 9:30pm at the Sarona Market in
Tel Aviv in an apparent terrorist attack. Two alleged terrorists have been
neutralized at the scene, and the police are investigating if further suspects
have fled. Multiple shots were heard at the open-air shopping center in the
heart of Tel Aviv, adjacent to IDF and Ministry of Defense headquarters, the
Kirya. Magen David Adom (MDA) arrived at the scene and declared multiple
wounded, and their paramedics evacuated wounded persons to Ichilov and Tel
Hashomer Medical Centers.Of those wounded, three died, one is critically
wounded, three are seriously wounded, one is moderately wounded, and two are
lightly wounded.
Terrorists neutralized
The terrorists, apparently two cousins from Yatta in the Hebron area, sat at the
popular restaurant Max Brenner before they set out on their shooting spree. They
wore suits and ordered food before they set out killing indiscriminately. The
restaurant's manager said, "I was sitting in the restaurant, and they got up and
started shooting. Before that, they had ordered someting to eat and acted like
any other customer...They had bags with them; they didn't shout anything, just
took out their weapons and started shooting."One of the terrorists shot with an
improvised weapon that he left behind when he fled, though he was soon shot. The
Israel Police and Shin Bet immediately took him for questioning. Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu landed at Ben Gurion International Airport, returning from
his visit to Russia, and he proceeded immediately to the Kirya to hold a
security meeting.Minister of Defense Avigdor Lieberman was in his office a the
Kirya at the time of the attack and has been kept up to date with updates.
Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai commented on the incident, "It was a hard night in Tel
Aviv. There was another attack in which terrorists, who were apparently sitting
at a coffee shop, hid their weapons and then started firing indiscriminately."We
ask the public to remain calm. We in Tel Aviv are a target of terrorism, and
they are trying to disrupt our lives. We will continue to enjoy living in the
city, and terrorism will not make us surrender. I ask everyone to return to
their daily routine tomorrow."Tomer, who came to Sarona to enjoy the evening,
said, "We were sitting outside and a round of bullets (were fired). Everyone
started running. This is not like a normal terror attack. The shots were fired
for at least a minute. There was a large panic, and we were asked to go inside
the building. They held and kept us (there), and then they came to check that we
were okay. We are waiting for them to open the roads so that we can leave. We
have not seen such a thing in a long time."
A young woman who was hiding in a store until now, said, "I was sitting near Max
Brenner and I saw shots fired. They were fired incessantly in all directions. I
ran to the Super-Pharm and (the assailant) then ran toward me. I was then told
to hide and I tried to escape." The Israel Police announced at around 10:20pm,
"As of now, the public can return to their daily routine; however, they are
requested to employ high vigilance and call the police at 100 to report any
suspicious event."
Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources
published on
June 08-09/16
Iran’s
engagement with Israel and the ‘Great Satan’
Turki Aldakhil/Al Arabiya/June 08/16
Iran is described as the official sponsor of terrorism in the world, not only by
Arab countries but by the international community.This description is not just a
media escalation to confront Iranian expansion, but is recognized by
decision-makers. The US State Department’s annual report puts Iran at the top of
its list of states supporting terrorism. It also classifies Lebanon’s Hezbollah
militia, which is backed by Tehran, as terrorist. The report said Iran supports
sectarian militias in Iraq and the regime in Syria, a country that is also on
the list for supporting terrorism.Despite the nuclear deal, many American
thinkers and decision-makers are fully aware that Iran poses the greatest threat
to the world.
Revolution
The Iranian regime is ready to deal with demons for its own interests. While it
has described the United States as the “Great Satan,” they secretly worked
together to overthrow the Shah. Iran spreads chaos while pretending to be good
and struggling. It condemns devils while running after them and dealing with
them. Recently declassified CIA documents show that former US President Jimmy
Carter supported replacing the shah, and that Ruhollah Khomeini, who became
Iran’s supreme leader, was receiving support from his administration.Washington
exercised great pressure on the shah, forcing him to step down.Negotiations took
place behind the scenes between associates of Khomeini and the Carter
administration. The documents show that Khomeini was willing to sell oil to
Israel. Washington’s secret engagement with him was shocking and
unexpected.Khomeini was not only supported by Paris, where he set the course of
the revolution, but also by Washington since the 1960s. Without U.S. support,
the revolution would have failed. The documents clearly show Khomeini’s almost
total abidance by the United States and Israel.Iran’s political pragmatism
chases the West and deals with it secretly. The nuclear deal is an example.Iran
spreads chaos while pretending to be good and struggling. It condemns devils
while running after them and dealing with them. Unfortunately, not many people
are aware of that.
This article was first published in Al Bayan on June 8, 2016.
The tank of an enemy who is
no longer an enemy
Diana Moukalled/Al Arabiya/June 08/16
Russian President Vladimir Putin has reportedly approved Israel’s request to
return a tank captured by the Syrian army during the 1982 Israeli invasion of
Lebanon.Media outlets affiliated with the resistance did not report this news or
comment on it, though it garnered media interest in Russia and Israel.There will
be more coordination between the two countries which, during the Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to Russia, celebrates the 25th anniversary
of restoring ties.There is increased friendliness between Putin and Netanyahu.
The latter requested the return of the tank because it is the only memory left
for the families of Israeli soldiers who went missing during a battle with the
Syrian army in Lebanon in 1982.In the Syrian war, Israel is no longer an enemy
even if it kills Hezbollah officials. It is so reassured that it requested the
return of a tank due to its symbolism
Lies
This ends all the lies about the resistance. The tank was seized by Syria, the
leader of Arab resistance, which gave it to Putin so he can present it to Israel
as a token of respect for its soldiers. This is happening while Hezbollah is
fighting takfirist groups in Syria alongside Russia – groups that it says are
backed by Israel.Israel is also said to have had Russian support in
assassination of Hezbollah leaders. Can things be more complicated than this?
The shameful silence from the resistance, its media outlets and supporters is
deafening. The Syrian regime has ruled with an iron fist, all in the name of
resisting Israel. Hezbollah has done the same in Lebanon, and is fighting in
Syria also in the name of resisting Israel. Yet in the Syrian war, Israel is no
longer an enemy even if it kills Hezbollah officials. It is so reassured that it
requested the return of a tank due to its symbolism. It is the tank of an enemy
who is no longer an enemy.
This article was first published in Asharq al-Awsat on Jun. 06, 2016.
French Middle East peace
initiative: Between surrealism and skepticism
Yossi Mekelberg/Al Arabiya/June 08/16
Last week on one of the stormiest days in Paris in decades, eminent diplomats
met in the city to discuss the possibility of convening an international peace
conference between the Israelis and the Palestinians. To bring peace between
these two protagonists the international community will most definitely need a
display of power, similar to the one by the elements that flooded much of Paris
while the meeting took place. There was also an element of surrealism in having
so many matchmakers in attendance, but no representation of the future happy
couple – at this stage they were not even invited. Surrealism aside, the absence
of Israeli and the Palestinian representatives typifies not only the inability
to resolve the conflict but also a failure to find a workable process leading
toward a final status agreement.Considering the list of participants, including
the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, Secretary of State Kerry, representatives
from the EU, the Arab League and Russia, among others, it is mindboggling that
there is not enough influence among them to put the peace show back on the road.
Israel’s instinctive response is to reject the very idea of an international
peace conference. An Israeli senior official compared this initiative to the
much maligned Sykes-Picot agreement, while at the same time the Palestinian
leadership cautiously welcomed the idea, but expressed skepticism regarding the
international community’s determination in pursuing it all the way to a just
solution. Israel, as always, is concerned with being outnumbered and
outmanoeuvred in such international gatherings.While at times this is the case,
the rejection of the current French initiative is more a tactical avoidance of
genuine peace negotiations. Whatever, misgivings Netanyahu may have regarding an
international conference, it does not negate the reality that by expanding
Jewish settlements, combined with oppressive occupation in the West Bank, and
the blockade on Gaza, Israel renders peace based on two state solution
improbable and on the verge of impossible. The absence of Israeli and the
Palestinian representatives typifies not only the inability to resolve the
conflict but also a failure to find a workable process leading toward a final
status agreement. There is grave disingenuity in Israel’s insistence on direct
talks, as the only way of negotiating a peace agreement, or its recent
persistent declarations of devotion to a two-state solution based on the
Saudi-sponsored Arab Peace Initiative (API), while at the same time doing
everything in its capacity to derail both.The hollow rhetoric of supporting the
API and its corollary Palestinian self-determination by Netanyahu and his new
Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman, cannot be reconciled with the Israeli
entrenchment of the occupation.
The Saudi initiative
Since its inception in 2002, outlined by the then Crown Prince Abdullah, the API
provided the best opportunity not only for peace between Israel and the
Palestinians, but also for Israeli acceptance and reconciliation with large
parts of the Middle East. Recklessly, it was rejected by the Sharon government
at the time and has never been embraced by any subsequent Israeli government, as
a prudent approach should have dictated. The current outburst of expressions of
support of the API, by Israeli senior officials, is a blatant attempt to deflect
from rejecting the new French peace initiative, and also has more to do with
improving relations with Saudi Arabia than accepting the plan itself. France has
its own reasons for attempting to carry out such a high profile initiative to
broker peace where many others, who were more powerful, failed before. President
Hollande and Lauren Fabious, who was the French prime minister when this plan
was first announced, harbor deep concerns about the implications it will have on
their country and Europe, if the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is not resolved in
the foreseeable future.Considering its large Muslim population, which has
natural affinity and sympathy for the suffering of the Palestinians, the renewed
French proactivity in bringing peace is bound to be popular among them. There is
an extra impetus to do so, as the French society is trying to curtail the
influence of radical Muslims. Without belittling France’s genuine concerns about
the absence of peace in the Middle East, it has also identified a vacancy in the
role of an honest peace broker, and would like to assert itself as a leading
international diplomatic powerhouse.
Washington has ruled itself out from taking on this role, at least until after
the presidential elections, and is anyway seen as identifying too much with
Israeli interests; the United Kingdom is too self-absorbed with the Brexit
referendum; Germany can never play this role for historical reasons; and Russia
has little interest in leading such a process. Under these circumstances, the
French Peace initiative, even if it only keeps the issue of Israeli-Palestinian
peace on the international agenda, should be greeted with at least cautious
enthusiasm. Yet, the main issue, in my mind, is not whether negotiations would
take place under an international conference umbrella or would be conducted
directly. It is whether both sides are capable of tackling the issues at the
heart of the conflict head-on and whether the international community is ready
to be intensely proactive in ensuring they reach the finishing line.
Negotiations without strict deadlines and a clear endgame very quickly become
meaningless in whatever format. If the dignitaries that met last week are
sincere that the current status quo is unsustainable and the only way forward is
the two state solution, they need to back it up with concrete policies. Ordinary
Palestinians, as much as Israelis, hardly pay attention to any new peace
initiative. Their level of skepticism and their distrust of one another, the
international community and their own leadership, has reached new heights. An
international conference might be a good start, but it should move very quickly
to address the core issues such as borders, Jerusalem, refugees, security for
all, and settlements, and do so with intensity, clarity and determination. This
should include necessary incentives and penalties for anyone deemed to be
derailing a just and fair peace agreement.
Ramadan is the
month of charity for all
Khaled Almaeena/Al Arabiya/June 08/16
Fasting is one of the five pillars of Islam. It is incumbent upon all those who
have the physical and mental capacity to do so. It involves abstaining from food
and drink from dawn to dusk. It is also an exercise in self-control and in
avoiding temptations and it encourages doing good and showing empathy for the
poor.However, in the past couple of decades, the month of Ramadan has slowly
transformed into a period of entertainment. Weeks before its arrival, TV
stations advertise their special programs for the month Ramadan, ranging from
comedy shows, romantic dramas and song and dance skits.Invitations are sent out
inviting people for iftar, the breaking of the fast at sundown. Social programs
are held by the elite. And, of course, the malls advertise their products and
services. It is almost like carnival time. These actions erode some of the
spirituality that should be a part of the holy month. However, for many this
still remains a month of worship, good deeds and charity. The last 10 nights of
Ramadan, when the night prayers are held, see the overflowing of mosques as
people offer supplications and beseech the Almighty for forgiveness which is
what every Muslim should do. We should utilize the month for instilling
discipline in our body and soul and for being aware of the need to care for
others. We should develop a sense of forgiveness and above all embrace the
virtues of tolerance and acceptance. We should utilize the month for instilling
discipline in our body and soul and for being aware of the need to care for
others
Ramadan resolutions
Let us, therefore, make Ramadan resolutions to better ourselves. We should all
thank our Lord for his blessings and work together to make this world a better
place for humanity. Let us pray for peace in war-torn regions. Let us beseech
the Lord to deliver the oppressed from tyranny. Prayers too should be offered
asking for people of all faiths and ethnic groups to be able to live in peace
and prosperity. Let us pray that the God of all removes malice, hatred and
bigotry from our hearts and that the descendants of Adam, Abraham, Moses, Jesus
and Muhammad (peace be upon them) be able to live in harmony with those of all
other faiths. We should resolve that the harbingers of hate should not succeed.
Our main goal as humans is to alleviate the suffering of the poor worldwide.
Ramadan is the month of charity. Let us be generous in kind words and good deeds
and strive to better ourselves to serve humanity and our Lord.
The Maturing of
Israeli-Russian Relations
Anna Borshchevskaya/The Washington Institute..June 08/16
Spring 2016
The two countries will likely continue to cooperate, especially on the economic
and military fronts, but Putin's assertive anti-Westernism could still pose
problems for Israel in Syria and elsewhere.
October 2016 will mark 25 years since Russia and Israel officially restored
diplomatic relations after the Soviet Union severed them in 1967 following the
Six Day War. New Israeli Ambassador to Russia Zvi Heifetz said in November 2015
that Russia and Israel plan to mark this anniversary "at the highest possible
level," as reported by the Interfax news agency. For his part, Russian President
Vladimir Putin said the same month, "We are satisfied with our constructive
partnership with Israel. Relations between our states have reached a high
level."
Indeed, Putin pursued improved ties with Israel since he came into office in
March 2000 and the two countries have significantly improved ties on a number of
fronts. Russian and Israeli officials hold meetings and telephone conversations
on a regular basis and maintain multiple open channels of communication. The two
countries have an agreement on visa-free tourist travel for their citizens.
Israel is home to over a million immigrants from the former Soviet Union, which
bolsters Russia's ties to Israel. Russian is the third most popular language in
Israel after Hebrew and English. Economic relations between the two countries
have especially improved, exceeding $3 billion in 2014, a figure slightly higher
than Russia's trade with Egypt the same year. Military relations improved as
well. Indeed, in late 2015, according to press reports, Israel sold ten search
drones to Russia, despite Israel's concerns about Russia's military and
political ties to Iran.
Yet complexities remain. Putin wants to be seen as a key player throughout the
Middle East, and Israel matters in the region. Putin's regional policy, however,
is primarily driven by zero-sum anti-Westernism to position Russia as a
counterweight to the West in the region and, more broadly, to divide and weaken
Western institutions. Israel, unlike Russia, is a pro-Western democracy.
Moscow's growing aggression in the former Soviet Union, especially in Ukraine,
and increasing influence in the Middle East in the context of Western retreat
from the region, complicates Russia-Israeli relations.
IMPROVED RELATIONS
Upon coming into office in March 2000, Putin sought to bring Russia back as an
important actor in the Middle East and worked with everyone in the region,
whether traditional friend or foe. He based this policy on his definition of
Russia's interests, from a purely pragmatic standpoint. This policy included
improved ties with Israel following deterioration of ties in the late 1990s
under Foreign Minister and then Prime Minister Yevgeniy Primakov, who was
decidedly more pro-Arab. As Professor Mark Katz wrote in Middle East Quarterly
in the winter of 2005, "Putin neither seeks to please Washington nor to
accommodate any domestic political imperative. Rather, Moscow's new Middle East
policy results from Putin's personal calculation of Russian interests, one that
does not find many other takers in his own government."
Several factors drove Putin's policy toward Israel, particularly in his early
years in office. One was the struggle with the breakaway republic of Chechnya in
the North Caucasus, a struggle which began in the early 1990s, originally as a
secular separatist movement that grew increasingly radical Islamist in nature in
no small part due to Moscow's heavy-handed policies and egregious human rights
abuses. Putin has drawn parallels between Russia's and Israel's respective
struggles against terrorism. Over the years, he has made this very comparison in
meetings with many top Israeli officials. Ariel Sharon, a Russian speaker who
formed a close personal bond with Putin, in November 2003 called the Russian
leader "a true friend of Israel," as reported by TSG IntelBrief. Israel was
among the few countries that did not criticize Putin over his actions in
Chechnya.
Another driver in Putin's Israel policy involved his emphasis on developing
economic ties in the Middle East. He has correspondingly pursued trade with
Israel, such as high-tech trade in areas including nanotechnology. Overall,
Russia-Israel trade grew to $1 billion annually by 2005 and more than tripled
this amount by 2014, to approximately $3.5 billion. This figure is slightly
higher than Russian-Egyptian trade in the same year. Over one million
Russian-speakers from Russia live in Israel, which matters to the Kremlin. In
terms of Russia's domestic considerations, Putin also had to balance Russia's
policy toward Israel given Russia's large Muslim and small Jewish population,
the persistence of anti-Semitism, and the growth of anti-Muslim sentiment and
concerns about terrorism.
Finally, Putin has sought a Russian role in the Middle East peace process,
guided by hopes of replacing the West and of simply appearing important. Indeed,
under Putin, Russia has grown increasingly assertive, seeking to make its
imprint on the peace process since joining the Quartet more than a decade ago.
In June 2012, Putin traveled to Israel, nine months before Barak Obama made his
first visit as U.S. president. Meeting with Israeli president Shimon Peres in
Jerusalem, Putin said, "It is in Russia's national interest to provide peace and
tranquility in the Middle East, peace and tranquility to the Israeli people. It
is not by accident that the Soviet Union was among the initiators and supported
the creation of the state of Israel," according to a Kremlin transcript. Putin
here conveniently left out Stalin's quick policy reversal after Israel had
aligned with the West.
REMAINING DIFFERENCES AND COMPLEXITIES
Despite improvements in the bilateral relationship, significant differences
remain. In March 2006, Hamas leaders came to Moscow at Putin's invitation. Putin
denied that Hamas was a terrorist organization. Other major difficulties for
Israel have included Moscow's support for Iran's nuclear program and arms trade
with Syria -- arms that could fall into the possession of Hezbollah. Indeed,
Moscow continued to support Iran's nuclear program despite Western and Israeli
concerns that this policy will aid Iran in developing a nuclear weapon.
Russia's most recent involvement in Syria following the Iran deal is likely to
further complicate the situation for Israel. In 2010, following pressure from
the West and Israel, Moscow froze (but did not cancel) an $800 million contract
with Iran for a sale of the S-300 air defense system that could help shoot down
American or Israeli warplanes in the event of a strike on Iran's nuclear
facilities. In exchange, Israel had refrained from criticizing Russia's actions
in the near abroad; for instance, publically, Israel remained neutral on the
Ukraine crisis and did not sell weapons to Kyiv. Yet Moscow and Iran have now
revived talks of selling these weapons. In February of this year, after
sanctions against Iran had been lifted, Iranian and Russian officials announced
plans for an $8 billion arms deal, which, according to the Washington Free
Beacon, includes the sale of S-300s, as well as Sukhoi-30 jets, comparable to
American F-15E fighter bombers. State Department spokesman Mark Toner said
transferring the Sukhoi-30s requires UN Security Council authorization and that
the U.S. will "raise the matter with Russia," as reported by AP.
Earlier, Israel expressed alarm over the P5+1 nuclear agreement reached in July
of this year with Iran while Putin praised the agreement. Netanyahu had been
very outspoken about it, maintaining that Israel is not bound by this deal, and
Israel will always defend itself.
Putin's Syria intervention further complicates the situation for Israel.
Netanyahu met with Putin in Moscow on September 21, 2015. The meeting appeared
to alleviate some Israeli concerns about Russia's Syria intervention. After the
meeting Netanyahu said, "In Syria, I've defined my goals. They're to protect the
security of my people and my country. Russia has different goals. But they
shouldn't clash."
Yet recent strikes in southern Syria could signal greater problems for Israel if
Hezbollah and Iran intensify the ground campaign there. These events again
highlight the need for Western powers to attend to the needs of their regional
allies, lest they be driven toward Russia. At the same time, Russia's
preservation of Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime strengthens Iran's
influence in the region, which is problematic for Israel. From this perspective,
Assad's removal would help address Israel's security concerns.
CONCLUSION
Israel continues to see Russia as an important player in the Middle East, and
ultimately neither side would want to create a serious bilateral crisis. Western
retreat from the Middle East is especially problematic for Israel in this
context, as it reduces Israel's options. Indeed, for Netanyahu, in the context
of strained relations with President Obama it is especially important to create
a better understanding with Putin, to reduce the possibility of accidental
military clashes in Syria, and improve mutual understanding more broadly in
order to maintain balanced ties.
Russia and Israel will likely continue to cooperate, especially on the economic
and military fronts. Indeed, according to Russian and Israeli press reports in
February of this year, the two countries plan on signing a free trade zone
agreement. Yet ultimately, Putin cares more about politics than anything else --
sticking a finger in the eye of the West and, more broadly, weakening the West.
Indeed, helping Assad increase refugee flows into Europe allows him to do just
that. Putin's assertion of influence in the Middle East in general, and
especially in Syria, while the West is retreating, raises questions for Israel
and suggests it has to walk a fine line in an increasingly complicated and
unstable region.
**Anna Borshchevskaya is the Ira Weiner Fellow at The Washington Institute.