LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
June 17/16
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
http://www.eliasbejjaninews.com/newsbulletin16/english.june17.16.htm
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Bible Quotations For Today
What I say to
you in the dark, tell in the light; and what you hear whispered, proclaim from
the housetops.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ
according to Saint Matthew 10/27-33:"What I say to you in the dark, tell in the
light; and what you hear whispered, proclaim from the housetops.
Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him
who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a
penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground unperceived by your Father.
And even the hairs of your head are all counted. So do not be afraid; you are of
more value than many sparrows. ‘Everyone therefore who acknowledges me before
others, I also will acknowledge before my Father in heaven; but whoever denies
me before others, I also will deny before my Father in heaven.
God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what
is right is acceptable to him.
Acts of the Apostles
10/23b//27:34-43/:"So Peter invited them in and gave them lodging. The next day
he got up and went with them, and some of the believers from Joppa accompanied
him. The following day they came to Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and
had called together his relatives and close friends. On Peter’s arrival
Cornelius met him, and falling at his feet, worshipped him. But Peter made him
get up, saying, ‘Stand up; I am only a mortal.’ And as he talked with him, he
went in and found that many had assembled; Then Peter began to speak to them: ‘I
truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who
fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. You know the message he
sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ he is Lord of all.
That message spread throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism
that John announced: how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and
with power; how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by
the devil, for God was with him. We are witnesses to all that he did both in
Judea and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree; but God
raised him on the third day and allowed him to appear, not to all the people but
to us who were chosen by God as witnesses, and who ate and drank with him after
he rose from the dead. He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify
that he is the one ordained by God as judge of the living and the dead. All the
prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives
forgiveness of sins through his name.’"
Pope Francis's Tweet For Today
Even in the worst situation of life, God waits for me, God wants to embrace me,
God expects me.
Même dans les situations les plus difficiles de la vie, Dieu m’attend, Dieu veut
m’embrasser, Dieu m’attend.
حتى في أسوء أوضاع الحياة، الله ينتظرني، الله يريد معانقتي، الله ينتظرني
Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials
from miscellaneous sources published on June 16-17/16
Lebanese Banks: Comply or suffer the consequences/Amin Nasr & Ranya Radwan/Now
Lebanon/June 16/16
Yes, Hezbollah Attacked the Banking Sector/Ahmad El-Assaad June 16/16
Israeli MI Chief: Another War Would Turn Lebanon Into ‘A Country of Refugees/Haaretz/16
June/16
The Major Historical Mistakes that have made from Lebanon the failed country of
today instead of making it the Dubai of the Mediterranean/Rogers Bejjani/Face
Book/June 16/16
A decisive phase in the battle for Aleppo/Dr. Halla Diyab/Al Arabyia/June 16/16
A document between Riyadh and Washington/Abdulrahman al-Rashed/Al Arabyia/June
16/16
Who stands to gain from the Orlando tragedy/Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor/Al Arabyia/June
16/16
God bless America, land of ‘no religious tests’/Faisal J. Abbas/Al Arabyia/June
16/16
On naming streets/Turki Aldakhil/Al Arabyia/June 16/16
Obama answers critics on why he refuses to pin terror blame on 'radical Islam';
expert says argument is 'counter-productive'/Christian Today/Hazel Torres 16
June 2016
Egypt: Christian girls kidnapped, forced to marry and convert to Islam/Ruth
Gledhill/Christian Today/posted on June 13/16
Palestinians: Anarchy Returns to the West Bank/Khaled Abu Toameh/Gatestone
Institute/June 16/16
Turkey's Conquest-Fetish/Tales from Erdoganistan/Burak Bekdil/Gatestone
Institute/June 16/16
Iranian Supreme Leader Khamenei's Advisor, Ali Akbar Velayati And Associate
Tells Shi'ite Clerics In Iraq: U.S. Is Plotting To Divide Iraq And Syria/MEMRI/June
16/16
Editor Of Al Hayat Saudi Daily, Ghassan Charbel : The Current Middle East Crises
Is Like 1,000 Hiroshimas/MEMRI/June 16/16
The battle for Haghia Sophia in Istanbul escalates/Pinar
Tremblay/Al-Monitor/June 16/16
Titles For Latest Lebanese Related News published on
June 16-17/16
Mashnouq: Security under Control, Embassies Warnings Based on Old Info
Lebanese Banks: Comply or suffer the consequences
Report: Salameh Asks Health, Educational Institutions to Reopen Bank Accounts in
Bid to Resolve Crisis
Nusra-Linked Syrian Held in Beirut as Suspect Arrested for Plotting Attack on
Army
National Dialogue Session to be 'Decisive' on Electoral Law
British Ambassador Visits Center that Supports Migrant Domestic Workers
Lebanese Cabinet Shuns State Security Topic as Mashnouq Raises BLOM Blast Issue
Child severely injured as thieves open fire in Qaa
Syrian shot for unknown reasons in Arsal
Kaag visits London, meets UK officials
Jisr: Kataeb resignation from cabinet won't stop its work
Khazen: Ogero dossier biggest scandal in history of state
Hariri from Chtaura: General Convention aims at modernizing Future Movement and
starting to practice accountability
Yes, Hezbollah Attacked the Banking Sector
Israeli MI Chief: Another War Would Turn Lebanon Into ‘A Country of Refugees
The Major Historical Mistakes that have made from Lebanon the failed country of
today instead of making it the Dubai of the Mediterranean.
Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin For Miscellaneous Reports And News published on June 16-17/16
Pro-Assad Druze fighters leave
Palmyra front over mistreatment
UN: ISIS committing genocide against Yazidis
Saudi deputy crown prince to meet with Obama
US praises Saudi’s leading role in solving Syrian crisis
Israel ex-defense minister, Moshe Yaalon says to run for PM
Turkish gold trader Zarrab is denied bail in US sanctions case
Masrour Barzani: Post-ISIS Iraq should be split in three
Pieces of EgyptAir Plane Found at Bottom of Med
Iran Appeals to U.N.'s Top Court against U.S. Block on Frozen Funds
Fallujah Faces 'Disaster', NGO Warns
Poland to Send F-16 Jets, Soldiers in Fight against IS
Russia Announces New Ceasefire for Syria's Aleppo
Libya Car Bombing Kills 10 Anti-IS Fighters
Mistrust Clouds Yemen Peace Talks, Eight Weeks On
UAE Says War Over for Its Troops in Yemen
Israel Revokes Senior Palestinian Official's Entry Permit
Black Box Recovered from EgyptAir Crash Site
Links From Jihad Watch Site for
June 16-17/16
Ramadan in France: Muslim planned knife and machete jihad attack
on tourists
NY Times: “Unlikely anything will ever explain why” Orlando jihad happened
Father of Orlando jihadi: “Club should have had good security”
Omar Mateen told police he’d strap bombs to hostages
Orlando jihadi texted wife during attack; she responded that she loved him
Muslim privilege killed 49 people in Orlando
Gun shop owner says he reported Omar Mateen before Orlando jihad massacre
Utica, NY imam: “Islam is the religion of peace…In this religion, there is no
time, no space for any type of violence”
Gay Muslim: Islam is no religion of peace
Robert Spencer in PJ Media: It Was John Brennan Himself Who Halted LEO Training
on Islam, Jihad
Hugh Fitzgerald: When a Petulant President Presumes to Give Lessons in Language
Ben Rhodes: “Will be more effective combating ideology” of Islamic State “if we
don’t describe them as religious org”
Muslim who said 9/11 “changed the world for good” is on Homeland Security
Advisory Council
UK Muslim police chief: “Freedom of speech does not mean freedom of offending
culture, religion or tradition”
Non-Muslim Utah Lieutenant Governor Spencer Cox apologizes to LGBTs for Orlando
jihad massacre
DHS whistleblower: “Self-radicalization” is myth, “concept of operating alone is
anathema to the Islamic worldview”
Reading the Qur’an during Ramadan 12: Juz Wa ma min dabbah
Obama’s Post-Orlando Tirade: Islam is Sacred and Beyond Reproach
June 16-17/16
Mashnouq: Security under Control,
Embassies Warnings Based on Old Info
Naharnet/June 16/16Interior
Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq reassured Thursday that the security situation in
the country is “under control,” dismissing recent security warnings by some
foreign embassies. “I repeat: the security situations are under control and
nothing justifies the new warnings, which are inaccurate,” Mashnouq announced on
Twitter. He had earlier in the day said that “the circulated information is old
and dates back to two months ago.” “It seems that the embassies have only
learned of this information now and they are acting accordingly, but we already
took all the precautions at the time,” Mashnouq told reporters after a cabinet
session. “There is nothing new that justifies the warnings that have been issued
by the embassies and the Lebanese State does not usually issue such warnings. We
repel the threats through the work of the security agencies,” he added. “The
information is based on arrests and intel and is not a viewpoint. The details
are clear and specific but there is no need to announce them,” Mashnouq said. He
also repeated that Sunday's bombing in Beirut's Verdun area “has nothing to do
with the previous investigations or the recent warnings.” The powerful blast
that targeted the headquarters of BLOM Bank and shook the western part of the
capital injured only one person but caused extensive material damage. BLOM Bank
has been criticized by some pro-Hizbullah politicians for taking a hard-line
position after Lebanese banks began abiding by a U.S. law that sanctions doing
business with the Iran-backed Lebanese group. Media outlets and social
networking websites have in recent weeks been abuzz with reports attributed to
security agencies and foreign embassies about possible terrorist attacks during
the holy month of Ramadan against touristic sites such as restaurants, pubs and
malls. Mashnouq himself had announced that three Islamic State-linked cells had
been busted in three months that preceded Ramadan.
Lebanese Banks: Comply or suffer the consequences
Amin Nasr & Ranya Radwan/Now
Lebanon/June 16/16
On Sunday, June 13, a powerful explosion from a 15 kilogram explosive device,
which was planted in a flower pot in front of BLOM Bank’s main branch in Verdun,
rocked Beirut. The bombing did not resemble previous explosions that targeted
Lebanese politicians or the deadly attacks that claimed hundreds of lives in the
southern suburbs of Beirut. Was this explosion meant to convey a message? The
explosion took place on a day when banks were closed and during Iftar time, when
Muslims go home to break their fast during Ramadan. Furthermore, the explosion
comes amid the on-going debate and growing tensions between Hezbollah and the
governor of Lebanon’s Central Bank Riad Salameh over the US-Hezbollah
International Financing Prevention Act, a law signed into effect by US President
Barack Obama last December. The act that holds a raft of heavy sanctions for
banks caught doing business with any organization and individual affiliated
directly and indirectly to the Party of God anywhere on the globe. In response,
the Central Bank governor, in an effort to safeguard the economy and follow
international financial laws, recently issuing circular No. 137, calling on all
Lebanese banks to abide by and apply the US act. Hezbollah then countered by
decrying the Central Bank circular as a war of elimination and demanding
adjustments to the decree. Salameh later announced the banks that they should
obtain approval from the Central Bank and offer justifications before resorting
to closing any account allegedly linked to Hezbollah. “The law cannot be
changed, it is an American law aimed to be applied within the US banking system.
It is not directed against Lebanon but it is clear that Lebanon has the biggest
role in applying it because the concerned organization (Hezbollah) is Lebanese,”
Wissam Fattouh, Secretary General of the Union of Arab Banks, told NOW.
Lebanon’s banking sector has two choices: comply with or defy the US-Hezbollah
International Prevention Act, both of which could have severe repercussions on
Lebanon. If the banking sector continues to abide by the US Act, closing
official Hezbollah-linked accounts, then it will maintain its good standing with
the international community but will still have to deal with Hezbollah’s ire.
Economist Nassib Ghobril trusts that the banking sector will remain resilient
and adapt to any situation, “The Lebanese banking sector proved from 1975 to
1990 that it is capable of acclimatizing to the lack of political stability and
security and its repercussions, such as decrease in growth or declining credit
opportunities.” Ghobril added, “The proof is the banking sector’s assets that
totaled $188 billion in April 2016, which is equivalent to 360% of the GDP, and
is one of the highest ratios in the world.” If Lebanon’s banking sector chooses
to defy the US Act it risks international financial isolation, which “could
cripple Lebanon, since the banking sector finances the state and private
sector,” according to economist Jassem Ajaka. Ajaka also asserts that Hezbollah
is aware of the risks associated with not implementing the legislation. However,
Hezbollah has called for the annulment of Circular No. 137 and is demanding the
implementation of the “agreement it had allegedly reached previously with
Governor Salameh, under which accounts held in Lebanese liras, as opposed to US
dollars, would be exempt from closure, and banks would be required to get
approval from the Central Bank prior to taking any action.”It is still not clear
whether or not Lebanon’s banking sector can reach an agreement with Hezbollah,
but according to Ghobril, “In the coming days the credibility of Lebanon’s
banking sector and the ability of the Central Bank to strengthen the monetary,
financial and economic stability will remain in place.”
Report: Salameh Asks Health, Educational Institutions to Reopen Bank Accounts in
Bid to Resolve Crisis
Naharnet/June 16/16/Central
Bank Governor Riad Salameh has asked a health institution and an educational
institution to open new bank accounts, after their previous accounts were closed
in connection with the anti-Hizbullah U.S. sanctions law, a media report said on
Thursday. Salameh hopes his move “will be a first step to resolve the crisis,”
al-Akhbar newapaper said. “The governor dispatched two envoys to a health
institution and to an educational institution to ask their administrations to
open new accounts in a bank that was specified by the governor himself,” the
daily added. But Salameh's step, according to March 8 sources, “does not mean
that the crisis has ended, seeing as it only corrects a mistake that was
committed against civilian institutions that have nothing to do with the
financing of Hizbullah,” al-Akhbar said. “Hizbullah has also noticed that the
branches of the 'hard-line banks' in Dahieh and other areas where the party is
influential have stopped calling depositors whose names are not on the U.S.
sanctions lists to ask them to close their accounts,” the newspaper revealed.
“Some of these branches had contacted dozens of their clients, without clear
justifications, informing them of the need to close their accounts,” al-Akhbar
said. The development “means that the banks have abode, for the third
consecutive day, by the mechanism that was set by Salameh and the (Central
Bank's) Special Investigation Commission for the closure of any account,” the
daily added. It noted, however, that “Hizbullah will wait for additional steps
before announcing that the crisis has been resolved.” The new developments come
in the wake of a bombing on Sunday evening that targeted the Beirut headquarters
of BLOM Bank, the second largest bank in the country. The powerful blast that
shook the western part of the capital injured only one person but caused
extensive material damage. BLOM Bank has been criticized by some pro-Hizbullah
politicians for taking a hard-line position after Lebanese banks began abiding
by a U.S. law that sanctions doing business with the Iran-backed Lebanese group.
Last month, Lebanon's Central Bank instructed the country's banks and financial
institutions to comply with the new measure against the Lebanese Iran-backed
group. Hizbullah has fiercely criticized the law and accused Governor Salameh of
"yielding" to Washington's demands.
Nusra-Linked Syrian Held in Beirut as Suspect Arrested for Plotting Attack on
Army
Naharnet/June 16/16/The
State Security agency arrested Thursday a Syrian man in Beirut on charges of
“entering Lebanon illegally” and “having ties and contacts with al-Nusra Front,”
al-Qaida's Syria branch, media reports said. Later on Thursday, the General
Security agency announced that another Syrian has been arrested for “belonging
to a terrorist group.” “During interrogation, he confessed to belonging to a
terrorist group, recruiting and inciting young men to join the Syrian conflict
alongside the aforementioned group, and plotting, along with others, for an
attack on a Lebanese army checkpoint with the aim of killing soldiers,” the
General Security said in a statement. “He was referred to the relevant judicial
authorities at the end of the investigation and efforts are underway to arrest
the rest of the culprits,” it added. The announcements come in the wake of a
blast the targeted the headquarters of BLOM Bank in Verdun on Sunday and injured
one person. They also come amid security concerns in Lebanon about possible
attacks by the extremist Islamic State and al-Nusra Front groups during the holy
month of Ramadan. A recently-leaked army intelligence memo has revealed that
security agencies were asked to up their security measures after information was
obtained about a Nusra Front plot to launch terrorist attacks in Beirut's Hamra
area. According to the document, army patrols and “political and security
figures moving without security convoys” are likely targets.
National Dialogue Session to be 'Decisive' on Electoral Law
Naharnet/June 16/16/The
June 21 national dialogue session will be “decisive” regarding the issue of the
new electoral law, a media report said on Thursday. “The issue has been put on
the front burner and it is being addressed with same attention that is being
given to the election of a new president,” al-Liwaa newspaper quoted informed
parliamentary sources as saying. “The national dialogue session that will be
held on Tuesday, June 21 will be decisive in this regard and the parliamentary
blocs are preparing to submit their suggestions on the new electoral law to
Speaker Nabih Berri,” the sources said. “The new law will take into
consideration the outcome of the municipal polls and the interests of all
parties regarding their representation, which means that it will involve
proportional representation,” the sources added. Berri had on Wednesday stressed
the need to reach a new electoral law, hoping the dialogue session will
“approach this issue in a positive manner.”Rejecting the 1960 electoral law,
under which the last parliamentary elections were held in 2009, Berri noted that
“proportional representation is the best system for everyone.”
British Ambassador Visits Center that Supports Migrant Domestic Workers
Naharnet/June 16/16/Meet
Leena, Lebanese anti-slavery campaigner, and Sarah, Beirut librarian from India.
Two women with different stories but one common ideal: fair treatment. Both are
concerned by the situation of migrant domestic workers in Lebanon --
particularly those known as the "shut-in maids," who are rarely or never allowed
to leave their employers' homes. Ten years ago, a friend asked Sarah to
translate for a young Indian domestic worker summoned to court. Now she runs
Insaaf (meaning Justice or Equity), a safe space for migrant domestic workers in
the heart of Dora, where her dedicated colleagues provide much needed services
such as orientation, language courses, legal counsel and social activities. It
was these services which caught Leena's eye, after research she conducted with
funding from the British Embassy. "Employing a domestic worker in Lebanon can be
a timely and costly process," says Leena. "It can be frustrating, uncomfortable,
and integrating a new person into your household may be challenging due to
language and cultural barriers.”From this simple idea came Leena's big idea for
a social enterprise: EQUIP, a unique new approach which will support agencies,
employers and workers in equal measure to help build professional and
sustainable working relationships. Leena plans to offer key services like skype
introductions and airport welcomes, to make both sides more comfortable; first
aid courses, to give employers more confidence in their workers; and, crucially,
a mediation service to help resolve problem cases. Together, Leena and Sarah
welcomed British Ambassador Hugo Shorter to Insaaf to mark International
Domestic Worker's Day (June 16th) along with workers from around the world.
Amidst the cake and the selfies, it was a chance to hear about their hopes for
the future. "Every Sunday rest day off must be implemented and the contact we
are signing must be implemented," said worker Dianne, explaining that many were
given no rest days and paid at exploitative rates below the contract they had
signed. Others cited not being given enough to eat. "Domestic workers perform a
respectable and valued job," said Ambassador Shorter, "but they don't enjoy the
same protections at work as other employees -- and the rights they do have are
particularly open to abuse because of their situation. The women I've met today
deserve respect, adequate rest and the chance to see friends and family, just
like the rest of us -- the right to live in a Fair Home. This is an issue for
which the Embassy has long been an advocate, and I’m pleased that after granting
Leena a Chevening scholarship to the UK, we were able to fund her initial
research. We look forward to supporting EQUIP as it moves forward."
Lebanese
Cabinet Shuns State Security Topic as Mashnouq Raises BLOM Blast Issue
Naharnet/June 16/16/The
cabinet on Thursday avoided discussing the controversial topic of the State
Security agency, as Interior Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq raised the issue of the
blast that targeted the Beirut headquarters of BLOM Bank. The cabinet, which
convened in the absence of three resigned ministers, briefly tackled the OGERO
Telecom file and decided to postpone discussions on it for 15 days.
Telecommunications Minister Butros Harb was tasked with preparing a detailed
report within 15 days about OGERO's situations and the tasks and jurisdiction of
OGERO chief Abdul Menhem Youssef, LBCI television said.Speaking to reporters
before the session, Education Minister Elias Bou Saab ruled out that the issue
of State Security would be tackled, hoping all parties would avoid decisions
that might “create obstacles and paralyze the government.” The session came a
day after media reports said that State Security chief Maj. Gen. George Qaraa
had sent the premiership a decree on sending his deputy Brig. Gen. Mohammed al-Tufaili
to retirement due to the fact that the latter “has reached the retirement age
stipulated by the law.”“He is awaiting the cabinet's decision on the issue,” the
reports said. Sources close to Prime Minister Tammam Salam told As Safir
newspaper in remarks published Thursday that it was up to the premier to raise
the issue during the session. “During a phone call he received from ex-president
Michel Suleiman, Salam noted that he has not signed any decree extending Brig.
Gen. Tufaili's term, as Suleiman stressed that delaying Tufaili's retirement or
extending his term would be illegal,” Voice of Lebanon radio (93.3) reported.
“Minister Michel Pharaon is expected to raise this issue but the absence of
(Finance) Minister Ali Hassan Khalil indicates that the issue will not be
discussed,” the radio station added. Pharaon had warned that “any extension for
Brig. Gen. Tufaili would be an extension for the crisis.”“It would jeopardize
the cabinet because it would disregard the opinion of all Christian ministers,”
the minister reportedly cautioned. The dispute between Qaraa and Tufaili has
effectively paralyzed the State Security agency and deprived it of funding.
Qaraa is backed by the Christian ministers while Tufaili is reportedly backed by
Khalil, Nouhad al-Mashnouq and the ministers of the Progressive Socialist Party.
Christian political parties and ministers have described the exclusion of Qaraa
from security meetings at the Grand Serail and the financial “siege” that is
imposed on the agency as an “encroachment on the rights of Christians in state
institutions.”Separately, Mashnouq raised the issue of the bombing that rocked
BLOM Bank on Sunday evening, noting that “there is nothing new in the
investigations.”Asked about the blast and the issue of the anti-Hizbullah U.S.
financial sanctions while entering the session, Hizbullah's ministers Hussein
al-Hajj Hassan and Mohammed al-Hassan declined to comment, saying: “We are
'fasting' these days.”The powerful blast that shook the western part of the
capital on Sunday evening injured only one person but caused extensive material
damage. BLOM Bank has been criticized by some pro-Hizbullah politicians for
taking a hard-line position after Lebanese banks began abiding by a U.S. law
that sanctions doing business with the Iran-backed Lebanese group. Last month,
Lebanon's Central Bank instructed the country's banks and financial institutions
to comply with the new measure against the Lebanese Iran-backed group. Hizbullah
has fiercely criticized the law and accused Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh
of "yielding" to Washington's demands.
Child severely injured as
thieves open fire in Qaa
Thu 16 Jun 2016/NNA - One child was severely injured as his received a bullet in
his neck, after his father caught two thieves robbing his house in Masharii Qaa,
National News Agency correspondent.
Syrian shot for unknown
reasons in Arsal
Thu 16 Jun 2016/NNA - Syrian national Ahmad Daher Sissi was shot and hurt in his
stomach in Arsal for reasons that are still as yet unidentified, National News
Agency correspondent reported on Thursday.
Kaag visits London, meets UK
officials
Thu 16 Jun 2016/NNA - United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon Sigrid Kaag
met on Thursday in London with senior UK officials to discuss Lebanon in the
current regional context. Discussions focused on Security Council resolution
1701, prevention of violent extremism and concrete opportunities to further
stabilise Lebanon as well as to shield the country from the impact of the Syria
crisis, providing both humanitarian and long term development assistance. The
Special Coordinator is expected to brief the UN Security Council on 7 July in
New York.
Jisr: Kataeb resignation from
cabinet won't stop its work
Thu 16 Jun 2016/NNA - "Future" parliamentary bloc member, MP Samir Jisr
confirmed to "Voice of Lebanon" radio on Thursday his respect to Al-Kataeb's
decision, indicating that "their (Kataeb) resignation from the cabinet will not
stop Kataeb's work, but it would affect their performance." "I respect each
person's stance and decision of resignation from the cabinet," the MP said,
adding that based on his personal principles, he considers negative decisions
fruitless, especially in the current circumstances in Lebanon. Jisr wondered
where the country would be heading if a cabinet crisis is added to the currently
presidential crisis which Lebanon is suffering from. Commenting on the relation
between the "Future" and the "Lebanese Forces", the MP explained that "our
relations have not been entirely cut with any political party, especially the
Lebanese Forces," pointing out to a long history of political cooperation with
the Lebanese Forces. Jisr hoped all the Lebanese would reach agreement to exit
the power void crisis.
Khazen: Ogero dossier biggest
scandal in history of state
Thu 16 Jun 2016/NNA - Member of Parliament, Farid Khazen, on Thursday expected
Ogero dossier to be the biggest administrative, financial, and security scandal
in the Lebanese state's history. Interviewed by the Voice of Lebanon radio
station, the lawmaker deemed Janna dam project as being handled with sheer
virulence. Touching on the heatedly debated extension of the State Security
Deputy Cheif's mandate, Khazen denied any sort of guarantees that have allegedly
confirmed to Rabieh that this extension wouldn't be taking place."Prime Minister
Tammam Salam is wise enough not to head in this direction," he added. Also, the
Member of Parliament said that the resignation of ministers from the current
cabinet would only deteriorate the situation, not improve it.
Hariri from Chtaura: General
Convention aims at modernizing Future Movement and starting to practice
accountability
Thu 16 Jun 2016/NNA - Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri indicated, during an
Iftar he held on Thursday in "Sama Chtaura" restaurant in the Bekaa in honor of
families from the West Bekaa, Rashaya and Ersal, that the General Convention he
would hold would be aimed to modernizing Future Movement and to venturing into
practicing accountability. "Dear friends from West Bekaa, Rashaya, and Ersal,
our Iftar today is very important to me. It is my first opportunity to visit
this region that is dear to me and meet with its loyal and good people after
years of forced absence due to circumstances that you all know. It is an
occasion to express my thanks and gratitude to each one of you for the loyalty
you have shown and are still showing every day to the "Future Movement" and the
national Harirism. This was evident in the last municipal elections in the West
Bekaa and Rashaya in cooperation with the Progressive Socialist Party who is
joining us in this blessed night of Ramadan," he said.
"Your cherished region has chronic needs that increased due to the Syrian
crisis, which led to the closure of borders in the face of your agricultural
products and the flow of Syrian brothers fleeing the crisis. You are and
continue to be people of Arab nobility and chivalry in welcoming them and trying
to lessen their suffering and the woes that forced them to flee the brutality of
the Assad regime and its criminal allies," he added. "There is no doubt in
this and Rafic Hariri used to praise your bravery, loyalty and the way you
welcome your guests. This is who you were, are and will always be. These
problems are additional to the problems of the country in general, including
economic deterioration, difficulty in finding job opportunities for the youth
and absence of any serious work on infrastructure. These problems are related to
the political situation, that we are trying to solve as soon as possible," he
continued.
"There is no solution except electing a president. This will allow the state's
institutions to work normally and will allows us in collaboration with the
parties who have a good will to advance the economy, ensure job opportunities to
the youth and develop the infrastructure in all of Lebanon. Your region has
special developmental needs that did not get enough attention and priority in
the past. But in the past years, I was not here. Now I am here and I will stay
and these things will change," he stressed. "You all know the work we have done
on the issue of Litani river pollution. After Eid al-Fitr a water tratment plant
will be financed by an Italian loan of 32 million dollars and the World Bank
approved a 55 million dollars loan for the drainage network," he indicated.
"This will be announced after Eid al-Fitr by your MPs, the Council of
Development and Reconstruction, the Ministry of Environment and the World Bank.
But I wanted to be the first to announce the launch of this project. After that,
we will continue the project of cleaning the Litani River and will work on
completing the Arab highway as part of several projects in the region. You heard
in the last few days about the Future Movement's decision to hold its General
Convention mid-October, and that until then all its bodies will be considered as
caretaker bodies that will focus only on preparing this Convention," he noted.
"Let me explain to you: This means that elections will take place in all sectors
and regions, to elect the representatives who will participate in the general
convention. These representatives will be your voice in the general conference
to define the political line that you want to see in the movement, deliver your
region's demands and express your opinion in voting for the movement's
leadership," he went on to say. "I have one wish: give a good share to the
youth, not less than 40%, in all local and national bodies. It is not enough to
say that the Future Movement needs new blood. It is not enough to say that women
should play a role in the political life: This is the way to modernise the
movement and increase women's role in the movement and in politics," he said.
"To explain more: Considering all the movement's bodies as caretaker bodies that
will focus only on preparing this Convention, means starting to practice
accountability within the Movement: Everyone is at the disposal of the president
until the general convention," he underlined. "I am responsible for everything
that happened. But we should all take responsibility and work together to renew
the movement's activity and path as well as the path of national Harirism
because this is the most precious trust that Martyr Premier Rafic Hariri left
us," he reietrated.
"When we talk about national Harirism we mean a group of constants, most
importantly protecting the country, its stability and the Lebanese people, our
people in the regions, coexistence and national unity. Your region will remain
an example of coexistence and national unity as proven by the distinguished
presence of our Christian friends from all regions here tonight. Our constants
are moderation, rejecting discord, protecting the state and refusing any attack
on its sovereignty and its exclusive right to weapons and authority all over the
Lebanese territories," he maintained.
"When we hold local or national dialogues or when we take political steps
Lebanon's interest, these constants cannot be negotiated or bargained. I will
touch a question I know many of you are asking regarding the usefulness of
dialogue with Hezbollah. The main reason of this dialogue was to work on
reducing tension and preventing discord between Sunnis and Shiites. In this
regard, I know the difficulty of appreciating this work, that we will continue,
as long as there are people working on fuelling this discord. The real measure
is not what was achieved but the tragedies and scourges that were avoided in
case of strife," he told. "I am saying this in the presence of our heroic people
from Ersal and Toufayl. You are heroes because despite all the attempts to
accuse you of being extremists and outlaws, you remained the bulwark in the face
of extremism; you adhered to Lebanon's Arabism and the state's institutions,
starting with the Lebanese Army that is fighting the toughest battles in the
face of terrorism. I am aware of your suffering, your patience, the injustice
that befell on you and the blockade imposed on you from all sides," he said.
"We are working, although we do not announce that, to adjust things and I am
sure you know that. You will remain a pillar for national Harirism, moderation,
coexistence, the state, Lebanon and its Arabism," he concluded.
Yes, Hezbollah Attacked the Banking Sector
Ahmad El-Assaad June 16/16
Regardless of who planted the explosive device that targeted the Bank of Lebanon
and Overseas, “BLOM Bank” in Verdun, we can safely say that Hezbollah is the one
that… initiated the time fuse.
Hezbollah’s practices, in Lebanon as overseas, were the reason Hezbollah
International Financing Prevention Act was issued by the US in the first place.
Hezbollah meddled in the affairs of all Arab and foreign States, both verbally
and in action, trying to unsettle its security and stability. Was it expecting a
pat on the back for that?
The sanctions came as a result of Hezbollah’s actions. But the problem is that
these sanctions don’t only affect Hezbollah, but they also affect its
environment, i.e. the Shiite community, because, in the eyes of many countries,
including the United States of America, every Shiite has unfortunately become a
suspect, due to the bad reputation that Hezbollah has brought upon all the
Shiites. The bigger problem, is that Hezbollah hasn’t learned its lesson. It
keeps on bringing more and more harm to the Lebanese people as a whole, and
specifically to the Shiite community, which it pretends to be protecting.
Dropping accusations of treason on the Lebanese banking sector, undermines the
trust in this vital sector, and shakes its pillars. This directly reflects on
the living conditions of the Lebanese people, the Shiites included, especially
of those who live on a limited income and who have put the fruit of their lives’
work in banks, whose lives are made easier by banks, and the thousands of
households that live from their work in banks.
Hezbollah’s booby-trapping of the Lebanese Central Bank and the banking sector
with a destructive rhetoric, has financial, monetary, economic and social
repercussions comparable to those of any given IED. Nay, it is even worse than
shattering the glass facades of the targeted bank in Verdun.
Hezbollah’s attack of the Lebanese Central Bank and the banking sector has paved
the way for violent attacks, through political instigation, which turned the
banking sector into the enemy; even though it wasn’t the Central Bank nor the
banking sector that issued any of the sanctions. They are merely implementing
these sanctions as they should, under the penalty of severe sanctions that would
affect them, and throw the entire banking system out of the international
monetary system.
We wouldn’t be anticipating the investigation if we said that Hezbollah is the
one that attacked the banking system, because their immorality predicted their
actions.
Israeli MI Chief: Another War Would Turn Lebanon Into ‘A Country of Refugees’
By Haaretz/16 June/16
Military Intelligence chief Herzl Halevi said Wednesday that another war with
Lebanon’s Hezbollah would be much harsher for the home fronts on both sides.
“If there is another war, Israel will recover and rebuild,” Halevi said at the
annual Herzliya Conference at the IDC Herzliya.
“We are a strong society, an advanced society. Lebanon will become a country of
refugees that will have difficultly recovering, and Hezbollah will lose its
political support base.”
Halevi said further that the next conflict may already be in the making because
Syria has resumed manufacturing weapons expressly for Hezbollah, contravening
the terms of the United Nations-backed ceasefire that ended the Second Lebanon
War in 2006.
“Hezbollah has put its hands here and there on ammunition of the sort it hadn’t
had access to previously,” Halevi told the conference.
He said that Syrian military industries had resumed weapons production, for
Hezbollah, adding that these arms were “not for the fighting in Syria, it is
weaponry meant for combat against Israel.”
“The world shouldn’t accept this, it is a violation of Security Council
Resolution 1701, passed after the Second Lebanon War, and Israel shouldn’t
accept it, either. To a certain extent this could move up the outbreak of
another round of conflict.”
Halevi said Iran was also providing Hezbollah with weaponry, which he referred
to as strategic arms. He said these transfers were being carried out under the
cover of providing aid for the war in Syria, but that some of these weapons are
actually being transferred to Lebanon. “This is also something that neither the
world nor us should ignore,” he said.
Halevi said the next war would be different from the conflict a decade ago with
Hezbollah and the 2014 Gaza war against Hamas and its allies.
“The next war in the north will be essentially different, not just from the
Second Lebanon War and Operation Protective Edge, but from the Yom Kippur War
and what came before that. In the Yom Kippur War we had a single casualty on the
home front from a rocket from Syria,” Halevi said.
“In the next war, it will be a whole different situation. We are stronger than
ever in relation to our enemies. We will cope with any challenge. But it’s
important to know that the way to achieve this will not be easy or simple. As
happens in wars, there will be a price.”
Regarding Israeli intelligence on Hezbollah, Halevi said: “I say with all due
caution that I think that never before has an army known as much about its enemy
as we know about Hezbollah. But the next war will not be simple or easy.”
Halevi also mentioned the January 2015 incident in which two Israeli soldiers
were killed by Hezbollah fire.
“It’s not certain that Hezbollah understood the full potential for casualties in
this incident,” he said. “If it had, the response would have been different …
and today on the radio we’d be talking about the third war with Hezbollah.”
Halevi said Israel was still clearly the strongest player in the region.
“Maybe because of the Holocaust we still carry this feeling of persecution … but
in the region we are perceived as very, very strong, as aggressive and
unpredictable and very powerful,” he said. “It’s very important to preserve this
asset.”
The Major Historical Mistakes that
have made from Lebanon the failed country of today instead of making it the
Dubai of the Mediterranean.
Rogers Bejjani/Face Book/June 16/16
1. Cairo Accord: Allowing Fedayins, in contradiction with the Armistice
Agreement signed with Israel in 1948, to use a portion of south Lebanon,
referred to later as Fatehland, to launch attacks on Israel. (Joumblat and Sunni
Lebanese pressure. Nasser behind them).
2. Allowing the flux of Palestinian refugees from Jordan after September 1970,
including the general commandment of the PLO. (Joumblat and Sunni Lebanese
pressure).
3. Prime Ministers (Sunnis) permissive attitude; thus allowing the PLO to
control not only Fatehland but large portions of the Capital and country.
4. The refusal by Lebanese Mahometans and a conglomerate of "Leftists" (brand
sounding ridiculous today) neutrality as an official status for Lebanon in the
Arab Israeli conflict.
5. Kamal Joumblat and the conglomerate of "Leftists" (wannabes Che Guevara),
used the PLO to combat a portion of Lebanese that has surged against the PLO
dominance over the country, especially that the latter was dragging Lebanon in
an endless spiral of violence with Israel. Joumblat aimed to use the PLO
leverage to improve the political share of the Mahometans in the Lebanese
political system, while the plethora of leftist groups was still idiotically
dreaming of the Internationale!
6. The combating of the 17 May accords between Israel and Lebanon by Walid
Joumblat, Amal and behind them Syria's Assad. Those accords would have expedited
the Israeli withdrawal in coordination with the Lebanese government, would have
spared Lebanon thousands in death and billions in destruction but most
importantly would have spared us the rise of Hezbollah!!! Today's 1701 UN
resolution is not very far from May 17 Accords.
7. The nomination of an irresponsible demented man as interim Prime minister by
Amine Gemayel.
8. The violation of the Lebanese constitution by Michel Aoun from the first day
he took office as interim PM until the day he escaped to the French Embassy,
leaving behind him death and destruction; but most importantly allowing the
Syrian regime to affirm its grip over the Lebanese political game.
9. The defection of Aoun from March 14 to March 8; thus giving legitimacy to the
largest terrorist organization on the planet and the master assassin in Lebanon:
Hezbollah.
10. The defection out of fear and opportunism of Walid Joumblat from March 14,
thus depriving the latter the parliamentarian majority.
11. The adherence of Saad Hariri to the S(Saudi)S(Syria) equation.
12. The refusal of Sleiman and Salam to name a technocrat not affiliated cabinet
prior to the expiration of Sleiman's term.
13. The dialogue between Mustaqbal and the largest terrorist organization on the
planet and the master assassin in Lebanon: Hezbollah.
14. The Bkerke meeting that has limited the candidature of 4 Maronites for the
Presidency. A mistake carried by disastrous Patriarch Rai and the 4 candidates
themselves.
15. No contest by Zahra, Hamade and Fatfat (members of the parliament
secretarial) of the absurd compelling 2/3rd quorum; that allows a minority to
decide over the identity of the next President.
16. The candidature by Saad Hariri of Sleiman Frangieh.
17. The candidature by Samir Geagea of Michel Aoun.
18. The implosion of March 14.
Tension Between Assad Forces,
Hizbullah Sparks Intense Battles Between Them In Aleppo Area
MEMRI/June 16, 2016 Special Dispatch No.6482
In the recent hours, there have been increasing reports in the Arab media and on
social networks that intense battles are taking place between Hizbullah forces
and Syrian regime forces in the rural area north of Aleppo. Confirmation of the
reports can be found in Facebook posts by regime supporters who blamed Hizbullah
for the fighting and rebuked the organization, saying it that it had come to
help the Syrian army, not control it. Websites proposed several possible reasons
for the fighting between the two allies: Hizbullah’s insistence on running
battles on its own, without coordinating with regime forces; Hizbullah’s
opposition to the ceasefire in Aleppo, which Russia announced early this morning
with the regime’s consent; and anger on the part of Hizbullah that regime forces
had failed to defend military positions that Hizbullah had won in very costly
battles.
The following is a review of reports on the fighting between Syrian regime
forces and Hizbullah:
Reports: Intense Fighting Between Hizbullah, Assad Forces
At 02:30 am on June 16, 2016, the Lebanese website Janoubia, which is known for
its opposition to Hizbullah, cited “Syrian sources” in a report stating that
“real battles are taking place in Tel Al-Maysat and Al-Bureij in the Aleppo area
between Assad’s army and Hizbullah troops,” and that “the Syrian air force
bombed Hizbullah positions on three separate occasions.” According to the
sources, “this is not the first clash [between the sides] in the recent days,”
and “the reason for the conflict is the Assad’s army rapid withdrawal from
positions that Hizbullah had won in very costly battles.” The report stated
further that both sides have sustained dozens of losses in the fighting. Several
hours later, the site reported that there had been heavy fighting between the
sides since 01:30 that night in the region of the Shi’ite villages Nubl and Al-Zaharaa
north of Aleppo, and that seven regime soldiers and officers had been killed.
[1]
Syrian Opposition Website: “Yesterday’s Friend Is Today’s Enemy”; Assad Army
Gave Russian Air Force Coordinates Of Hizbullah Positions
The oppositionist Syrian website “Shaam” reported under the heading “Yesterday’s
Friend Is Today’s Enemy” that “intense fighting involving heavy weapons and
artillery” had started during the night between Hizbullah and Assad forces along
several routes in the rural area north of Aleppo, and that a major road in that
area had been blocked. The report added that Russian jets had bombed Hizbullah
positions in the area, having received the coordinates from the Assad forces,
and that dozens of Hizbullah troops were killed and injured in these air
strikes. According to the website, battles also broke out south of Aleppo
between the Iraqi Al-Nujaba militia and Hizbullah on the one hand, and regime
forces on the other. The website noted that the clashes started as brawls and
escalated into gunfights and eventually into battles involving heavy weapons and
even jets, adding that officials from both sides intervened to stop the
hostilities.[2]
Syrian Oppositionist Website: Hizbullah Members Insisted On Fighting
Independently Of Regime Forces
Several possible reasons for the schism between Hizbullah and the regime forces
were proposed. The Syrian website Aletihadpress.com, which describes itself as
“neutral,” reported that conflict had erupted in the town of Al-Haylan in the
northern rural area of Aleppo after Hizbullah members refused to obey the orders
of the liaison officer and insisted on running the battle independently of the
regime forces. In response, regime forces fired at Hizbullah troops, and the
skirmish escalated into an artillery exchange. The website noted that
Hizbullah’s position in the area had also been bombed from the air, but it was
unclear whether by Syrian or Russian jets.[3] The Syrian oppositionist website
Orient News cited sources as saying that the reason for the fighting may be
Hizbullah’s opposition to the ceasefire in Aleppo that Russia had unexpectedly
announced several hours after midnight with the regime’s consent.[4] Another
speculation pointed to Hizbullah’s complaints about incompetence on the part of
the Syrian army, namely its claims that regime forces had failed to defend
positions that Hizbullah had won with great difficulty north of Aleppo, and had
also failed to assist Hizbullah forces south of the city.[5]
Regime Journalist On Facebook: Hizbullah Came To Help Us, Not Control Us
Evidence of the schism between regime and Hizbullah forces could be seen in
comments made on Facebook by Syrian journalist and former MP Sharif Shhade. He
wrote: “National sovereignty is a red line. The decision always rests with the
Syrian [military] brass. We must quickly resolve any disagreement with the
assisting forces, since there is no room for conflict at this stage. Sons of
Hizbullah, you have come to help us, not to control us. Please rethink your
position.”[6] Kinana Allouche, a pro-regime Syrian journalist, held Hizbullah
responsible for the incident. She wrote on her Facebook page: “This afternoon,
Hizbullah elements attacked the men of resistance in Nubl and Al-Zaharaa as well
as officers in the Syrian Arab army. Intense clashes erupted as a result. This
is a message from a Syrian citizen to all the forces assisting the Syrian Arab
army: The Syrian Arab army is the pride of the ummah. You are here to assist it
against terrorism and not to control it. The Syrian Arab army stood by you in
your war against Israel. Do not toy with us. Stop doing harm.”[7]
Endnotes:
[1] Janoubia.com, June 16, 2016.
[2] Shaam.org, June 16, 2016.
[3] Aletihadpress.com, June 16, 2016.
[4] Orientnews.net, June 16, 2016.
[5] Shaam.org, June 16, 2016.
[6] Facebook.com, June 16, 2016.
[7] Facebook.com/984704858291665, June 16, 2016.
Latest LCCC Bulletin For Miscellaneous Reports And News published on June 16-17/16
Pro-Assad Druze fighters leave
Palmyra front over mistreatment
Albin Szakola/Now Lebanon/June 16/16/BEIRUT – Druze soldiers fighting on behalf
of the Syrian regime have withdrawn from the Palmyra front following
“mistreatment” and returned to their homes in Suweida. “With God’s help 63
fighters that were in Palmyra, including a number of injured, have returned to
Suweida,” a local pro-Assad outlet based in the southern province reported on
June 13. The Suweida News Network added that the natives of the Druze-populated
province were transported home on two buses provided by the command of the
National Defense Force militias that serve as an auxiliary to the Syrian army.
In a detailed update to the story published the following day, the pro-regime
Facebook news page explained that the Druze volunteers “did not receive proper
and necessary treatment” despite their sacrifices fighting on behalf of
government forces on the flashpoint front against ISIS. “Thanks to everyone who
helped bring back our youth; special thanks to the leadership of the National
Defense Force in Suwaida,” it said. The young men had all volunteered as a
contingent called the “Bayrak Suweida” that fought under the direction of Syrian
Military Security’s Branch 217, and took part in the April 2016 battles to seize
the Jabal Antar area outside Palmyra during the regime’s campaign to wrest
control of the UNESCO World Heritage Site from ISIS. Collage image of “Bayrak
Suweida” fighters. Three Suweida residents—Raed Abou Hamra, Mamdouh al-Barbour
and Muthana al-Tawil—were killed in the fighting, while 20 others were injured,
according to a description of the “Bayrak Suweida” unit provided by the Suweida
News Network. A pro-rebel outlet also covered the withdrawal of “Bayrak Suweida,”
saying the fighters returned home due to a “breach of the contracts signed
between them and the regime.” Step News explained that the Druze volunteers—who
were commanded by a regime officer from the Raqqa province—were promised a
salary of 110,000 Syrian pounds (approximately $220) for every month on the
front, with 10 days-vacation included. However, the fighters were not paid as
promised while complaints rose over lack of care for the wounded, prompting the
Suweida residents to leave the unit. According to Step News, the Syrian officer
in charge of the unit, Turki Abu Hamad, detained them outside Palmyra, before a
National Defense Force leader in Suweida could intervene and secure their
release. A popular Facebook news page based in the Druze-populate province
provided a similar account of the incident, saying that the National Defense
Force in Suweida had to organize an armed force that went to the Palmyra region
to access the detainees and “bring them back unharmed to Suweida.” While Suweida
is under regime control, residents of the region have generally maintained an
autonomous attitude against not only Islamist rebels but also regime efforts to
enlist Druze locals to fight in far-off areas of the country. Pro-Assad figures
in the province in mid-2015 ramped up efforts to press Druze youth in the
province to join the army as rebels operating in the Daraa province to the west
at the time notched battlefield victories over forces loyal to Bashar al-Assad.
However, Druze youths in southern Syria have protested against the regime’s
military conscription efforts, while the Sheikhs of Dignity have opposed young
men joining the army to fight outside the province. NOW's English news desk
editor Albin Szakola (@AlbinSzakola) wrote this report. Amin Nasr translated the
Arabic-language source material.
UN: ISIS committing genocide against
Yazidis
Reuters, Geneva Thursday, 16 June 2016/The ISIS militant group is committing
genocide against the Yazidis in Syria and Iraq to destroy the religious
community of 400,000 people through killings, sexual slavery and other crimes,
United Nations investigators said on Thursday. Their report, based on interviews
with dozens of survivors, said that the Islamist militants had been
systematically rounding up Yazidis in Iraq and Syria since August 2014, seeking
to “erase their identity” in a campaign that met the definition of the crime as
defined under the 1948 Genocide Convention. “The genocide of the Yazidis is
ongoing,” it said. The 40-page report, entitled “They Came to Destroy: ISIS
Crimes against the Yazidis”, sets out a legal analysis of Islamic State intent
and conduct aimed at wiping out the Kurdish-speaking group, whom the Sunni
Muslim Arab militants view as infidels and “devil-worshippers”. The Yazidis are
a religious sect whose beliefs combine elements of several ancient Middle
Eastern religions. “The finding of genocide must trigger much more assertive
action at the political level, including at the (UN) Security Council,” Paulo
Pinheiro, chairman of the commission of inquiry, told a news briefing.
Commission member Vitit Muntarbhorn said it had “detailed information on places,
violations and names of the perpetrators”, and had begun sharing information
with some national authorities seeking to prosecute foreign fighters. The four
independent commissioners urged major powers to rescue at least 3,200 women and
children still held by ISIS and to refer the case to the International Criminal
Court (ICC) for prosecution.
Road map for prosecution
“ISIS made no secret of its intent to destroy the Yazidis of Sinjar, and that is
one of the elements that allowed us to conclude their actions amount to
genocide,” said another investigator, Carla del Ponte. “Of course, we regard
that as a road map for prosecution, for future prosecution. I hope that the
Security Council will do it because it is time now to start to obtain justice
for the victims,” added del Ponte, a former UN war crimes prosecutor. ISIS,
which has proclaimed a theocratic caliphate - based on a radical interpretation
of Sunni Islam - in areas of Iraq and Syria under its control, systematically
killed, captured or enslaved thousands of Yazidis when it overran the town of
Sinjar in northern Iraq in August 2014. At least 30 mass graves have been
uncovered, the report said, calling for further investigations. ISSI has tried
to erase the Yazidis’ identity by forcing men to choose between conversion to
Islam and death, raping girls as young as nine, selling women at slave markets,
and drafting boys to fight, the UN report said. Yazidi women are treated as
“chattel” at slave markets in Raqqa, Homs and other locations, and some are sold
back to their families for $10,000 to $40,000 after captivity and multiple
rapes, according to the report. Militants have begun holding “online slave
auctions”, using the encrypted application Telegraph to circulate photos of
captured Yazidi women and girls, “with details of their age, marital status,
current location and price”,” it said. “No other religious group present in
ISIS-controlled areas of Syria and Iraq has been subjected to the destruction
that the Yazidis have suffered,” the report added.
Saudi deputy crown prince to meet
with Obama
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English Thursday, 16 June 2016/US President Barack
Obama will meet with Saudi Arabia's Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on
Friday in the White House, where the two are expected to discuss conflicts in
the Middle East including the campaign against ISIS, a spokesman said on
Thursday. The deputy crown prince is on a visit to the United States aimed at
restoring frayed relations with Washington and to promote a plan to slash the
kingdom's dependence on oil revenues. Earlier on Thursday, Prince Mohammed bin
Salman visited the Pentagon and held a bilateral meeting on security issues of
mutual concern with US Defense Secretary Ash Carter. Carter held enhanced honor
guard to welcome his guest on the steps of the Pentagon. On Monday, in the first
item on his itinerary, he met with US Secretary of State John Kerry in his home
in Washington. The State Department said that the two shared an iftar dinner – a
meal that marks the end of the day’s fasting during the Islamic holy month of
Ramadan – and “reviewed the strong and enduring relationship” between their
countries. Kerry and Prince Mohammed also “discussed a broad range of regional
issues, including Yemen, Syria, Libya, and countering terrorism.” Saudi’s plan
to reform its economy, unveiled in April, was also discussed. The two also
talked about the deadly Orlando shootings on Sunday, and “expressed their shared
commitment to continue their cooperation in combatting the spread of violent
extremism, both regionally and internationally,” a state department spokesman
said. Then on Wednesday, Prince Mohammed met with a number of leading
congressmen and women in Washington. A previous release stated that he was set
to meet with Paul Ryan, the speaker of the House of Representatives, Democratic
minority House leader Nancy Pelosi, and US Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker,
in addition to prominent business leaders in the US capital. The deputy crown
prince is leading a large delegation on this visit, which includes ministers of
energy, foreign affairs, information and trade, along with military commanders.
After Washington, the visit is also expected to include stops in New York and
California.
US praises Saudi’s leading
role in solving Syrian crisis
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English Thursday, 16 June 2016/US Department of State
spokesperson John Kirby said the meetings and talks between Saudi and US
officials were fruitful and friendly. “If you’re asking if there’s this big
philosophical divide between the Saudis and the United States on how to move
forward on the ground in Syria, the answer is ‘no,'” Kirby said. Kirby said
Saudi Arabia had been one of the first countries to join the United States and
Russia in forming the International Syria Support Group, which was established
to find a political solution to the Syrian crisis. He said: “If it were not for
Saudi leadership, we wouldn’t have that first meeting of the Syrian opposition
groups back in December in Riyadh.” He said the Saudis shares US concerns about
trying to implement a political agreement in Syria that could lead to a
transitional operation and the creation of a new government not headed by
President Bashar al-Assad. He added that the US is committed to stopping ISIS in
Syria. “The Saudis are the leading figures capable to help us stop (ISIS’s)
aggressive activities,” Kirby said.
Israel ex-defense minister,
Moshe Yaalon says to run for PM
AFP, Tel Aviv Thursday, 16 June 2016/Israel’s ex-defense minister Moshe Yaalon
on Thursday said he will run for premier accusing Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu of scaring citizens in order to hold on to power. Yaalon, forced out
in May to allow Netanyahu to expand his coalition by bringing in a hardline
nationalist party, has repeatedly criticized the current government since
leaving office. “The current leadership must stop scaring citizens as if we are
on the verge of a second Holocaust,” Yaalon told a conference in Herzliya,
Israel, saying security threats were being exaggerated. Israel “deserves a
leadership that stops zigzagging and encouraging hate between different groups
in Israeli society to remain in power at any price,” he added. In the remarks
broadcast online Yaalon added: “My intent is to run for the leadership of Israel
in the next elections” which are due to take place in 2019 at the latest. There
has been speculation that a new center-right party could be formed, with polls
showing that one including Yaalon could pose a challenge to the Likud party, to
which he and Netanyahu belong. When he resigned last month, Yaalon warned of a
rising tide of extremists in the country as well as in Likud. Yaalon, also a
former armed forces chief, had repeatedly clashed with far-right members of the
coalition before resigning. One high-profile dispute saw Yaalon and top military
brass strongly condemn a soldier who was caught on video shooting a Palestinian
assailant in the head as he lie on the ground posing no apparent threat.
Far-right politicians and protesters defended the soldier, who is currently
facing a military trial for manslaughter. Yaalon was replaced as defense
minister by Avigdor Lieberman, a hardliner who has spoken of harsh actions
against Palestinian “terrorists”. Yaalon was seen as a counterweight to
religious nationalists who hold key positions in Netanyahu’s right-wing cabinet,
though he has in the past voiced opposition to a Palestinian state.
Turkish gold trader Zarrab is
denied bail in US sanctions case
Reuters, New York Thursday, 16 June 2016/A US judge denied bail on Thursday to a
wealthy Turkish gold trader on charges he conspired to violate US sanctions
against Iran, rejecting the defendant's proposal that he hire his own guards to
keep him in custody. US District Judge Richard Berman in Manhattan said federal
prosecutors showed it was more likely than not that the trader, Reza Zarrab,
posed a flight risk if freed from federal custody and that no conditions would
reasonably assure his appearance at trial. He has been in custody since March.
The judge said the Iranian-born Zarrab, a dual national of Iran and Turkey, had
no ties to the United States, has significant financial resources, and has
strong ties to other countries that would not extradite him if requested. Those
factors "provide Mr. Zarrab with the incentive and the wherewithal to flee and
render him a flight risk," Berman said. Benjamin Brafman, a lawyer for Zarrab,
did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Zarrab had sought to be
released on $50 million bond, and held in a 15th-floor Manhattan apartment under
24-hour watch by armed guards at his own expense. The case has attracted much
attention in Turkey, where Zarrab was arrested in 2013 as part of a corruption
probe into individuals with close ties to Tayyip Erdogan, then Turkey's prime
minister and now its president. It has also drawn scrutiny in the United States
over whether the criminal justice system should tolerate different treatment for
the wealthy and the poor, with the latter lacking the resources to self-finance
their living conditions prior to trial.
Masrour Barzani: Post-ISIS
Iraq should be split in three
Reuters, Erbil, Iraq Thursday, 16 June 2016/Once ISIS is defeated, Iraq should
be divided into three separate entities to prevent further sectarian bloodshed,
with a state each given to Shi'ites, Sunnis and Kurds, a top Kurdish official
said on Thursday. Iraqi troops have expelled ISIS from some key cities the
militants seized in 2014, and are advancing on Mosul, the largest city under IS
control. Its fall would likely mean the end of the group's self-proclaimed
caliphate. But even if ISIS was eliminated, Iraq would still be deeply divided.
Sectarian violence has continued for years and a power-sharing agreement in
Baghdad has only led to discontent, deadlock and corruption. Masrour Barzani,
head of the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) Security Council and son of
KRG President Massoud Barzani, said the level of mistrust was such that they
should not remain "under one roof". "Federation hasn't worked, so it has to be
either confederation or full separation," Barzani told Reuters in an interview
on Wednesday in the Kurdish capital Erbil. "If we have three confederated
states, we will have equal three capitals, so one is not above the other." The
Kurds have already taken steps towards realizing their long-held dream of
independence from Iraq, which has been led by the Shi'ite majority since the
overthrow of Saddam Hussein, a Sunni, in 2003, following a US-led invasion. They
run their own affairs in the north and have their own armed forces, the
Peshmerga, which have been fighting ISIS militants with help from a US-led
coalition. Sunnis should be given the option of doing the same in the provinces
where they are in the majority in the north and the west of Iraq, said Barzani.
"What we are offering is a solution," he said. "This doesn't mean they live
under one roof but they can be good neighbors. Once they feel comfortable that
they have a bright and secure future, they can start cooperating with each
other."His father has called for a referendum on Kurdish independence this year
as the region is locked in territorial and financial disputes with the central
government.
Baghdad has cut off payments from the federal budget to the KRG to try to force
the Kurds to sell crude produced on their territory through the state oil
marketing company and not independently. The Kurds also claim the oil region of
Kirkuk, in northern Iraq, as part of their territory. Barzani said that the
Sunnis' feeling of marginalization by the Shi'ite leadership had facilitated the
takeover of their regions by ISIS militants. In addition, Iraq endured months of
wrangling and chaos over a government reshuffle that was to curb corruption. In
May, frustration over the delays culminated in the unprecedented breach by
protesters of the Green Zone, which houses parliament, government offices and
many foreign embassies. Ahead of the battle for Mosul, Barzani said the city's
different communities should agree in advance on how to handle the aftermath.
Mosul's pre-war population of 2 million was mostly Sunni, but included religious
and ethnic minorities including Christians, Shi'ites, Yazidis, Kurds and
Turkmen. "I think the most important part is how you manage Mosul after Da’esh
is defeated," he said, referring to an Arabic name of ISIS. "We don't want to
see the gap of liberation and then a vacuum, which probably will turn into
chaos."Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi at the end of last year expressed
hope that 2016 would be the year of "final victory" over ISIS with the capture
of Mosul.
Pieces of EgyptAir Plane Found at Bottom of Med
Naharnet/SourceAgence France Presse/June 16/16/A deep-sea robot has located
pieces of the missing EgyptAir plane at the bottom of the Mediterranean as
investigators race to find the black boxes that could reveal the cause of the
crash. While the wreckage discovered may offer clues about why the Airbus A320
went down with 66 people on board nearly a month ago, its manufacturer said
Thursday the flight recorders held the key to unlocking the mystery. "The first
photos of the wreckage do not allow to establish any scenario of the accident,"
an Airbus statement said. "Only the black boxes could contribute to a full
understanding of the chain of events which led to this tragic
accident."Investigators have said it is too soon to determine what caused flight
MS804 from Paris to Cairo to crash on May 19, although a terror attack has not
been ruled out. The search vessel John Lethbridge, equipped with an underwater
robot, arrived in Egypt last week to begin searching an area around 290
kilometers (180 miles) north of the Egyptian coast. The robot discovered pieces
of the fuselage at "several sites", the Egyptian board of inquiry said late
Wednesday. A source close to the investigation told AFP that the robot, operated
by Mauritius-based Deep Ocean Search, had found "small fragments" of the plane.
Some wreckage had already been pulled out of the Mediterranean by search teams
last month, along with belongings of passengers. The "pings" emitted by the
black boxes were detected by French survey ship Laplace on June 1 but the flight
recorders' exact location has not yet been established. Limited battery life
.The area where the plane crashed is believed to be about 3,000 meters (10,000
feet) deep and its flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder should have
had enough battery power to emit signals for four to five weeks.
Investigators expect the signals to continue until June 24.
But the John Lethbridge has equipment capable of locating them even with no
pings, according to the source close to the probe. The black boxes of Air France
Flight 447, which crashed in 2009 in the Atlantic Ocean, were located nearly two
years later and recovered from a depth of almost 4,000 meters.
The flight data recorder gathers information about the speed, altitude and
direction of the plane, while the cockpit voice recorder keeps track of
conversations and other sounds in the pilots' cabin. France's aviation safety
agency has said the EgyptAir plane transmitted automated messages indicating
smoke in the cabin and a fault in the flight control unit minutes before
disappearing from radar screens. On Monday, Egyptian investigators confirmed
that the aircraft had made a 90-degree left turn followed by a 360-degree turn
to the right before hitting the sea. Investigators were able to narrow down the
search site thanks to an emergency signal sent via satellite by the plane's
locator transmitter when it hit the Mediterranean. The passengers on the plane
were 30 Egyptians, 15 French citizens, two Iraqis, two Canadians, and citizens
from Algeria, Belgium, Britain, Chad, Portugal, Saudi Arabia and Sudan. They
included a boy and two babies. Seven crew and three security personnel were also
on board. The crash came after the bombing of a Russian airliner over Egypt's
restive Sinai Peninsula last October that killed all 224 people on board. The
Islamic State group claimed responsibility for that attack within hours, but
there has been no such claim linked to the EgyptAir crash. IS has been waging a
deadly insurgency against Egyptian security forces and has claimed attacks in
both France and Egypt. In October, foreign governments issued travel warnings
for Egypt and demanded a review of security at its airports after IS said it
downed the Russian airliner over the Sinai with a bomb concealed in a soda can
that had been smuggled onboard.
Iran Appeals to U.N.'s Top Court against U.S. Block
on Frozen Funds
Naharnet/SourceAgence France Presse/June 16/16/Iran has appealed to the U.N.'s
highest court against a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that $2 billion in frozen
Iranian assets must be paid to American victims of terror attacks blamed on
Tehran, the tribunal said Wednesday. In its filing to the International Court of
Justice (ICJ) based in The Hague on Tuesday, Tehran argues that "Iran and
Iranian state-owned companies are entitled to immunity from the jurisdiction of
the U.S. courts," the tribunal said in a statement. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled
in April that Iran must hand over nearly $2 billion (1.7 billion euros) in
frozen assets to survivors and relatives of those killed in attacks blamed on
the Islamic republic. These included the 1983 bombing of a U.S. Marine barracks
in Beirut and the 1996 Khobar Towers bombing in Saudi Arabia. The decision
affects more than 1,000 Americans. Tehran, which signed a landmark nuclear deal
last year with world powers leading to the unblocking of other frozen funds, has
reacted angrily to the Supreme Court ruling. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani
announced late Wednesday that "Iran has officially lodged a complaint with the
international court and we will pursue our case until we get a result." "The
American courts have illegally decided that these funds must be given to
Americans and the families of victims killed in Lebanon," he said, quoted by
Iranian media. "It remains unclear what these Americans were doing in Lebanon,
and how this affair concerns Iran."In its filing to the ICJ, the Islamic
Republic argues that the legal proceedings underway in the U.S. breach the terms
of a 1955 bilateral treaty of amity, economic relations, and consular rights
signed with the United States.It further calls for the United States "to make
full reparations to Iran for the violation of its international legal
obligations in an amount to be determined by the court at a subsequent stage of
the proceedings."
Sanctions relief 'too slow'
After more than a decade as an international pariah, Iran took a step back onto
the world stage in July 2015 when after years of tough and protracted
negotiations it struck a landmark deal in Vienna to rein in its suspect nuclear
program. In return for the scaling down of its nuclear activities, painful U.N.
and Western sanctions were lifted on the Islamic republic, including on its
lifeblood oil exports. Iran however has complained that major powers have been
slow to implement their side of the bargain, with badly needed foreign
investment into the country proving slower than hoped. The United States has
also maintained its sanctions targeting Tehran's alleged sponsorship of armed
movements in the Middle East, such as Hezbollah in Lebanon, and its ballistic
missile program. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on May 21 called
on Washington to take "more serious and concrete actions" to alleviate the
situation.In Tuesday's filing, Iran says that because the U.S. has maintained
its designation of the country as a major state sponsor of terrorism its assets
including the Central Bank, also known as the Bank Markazi, have been "subjected
to enforcement proceedings in the United States" even if they should benefit
from immunity under the 1955 treaty. To date U.S. courts have "awarded total
damages of over US$ 56 billion... against Iran in respect of its alleged
involvement in various terrorist acts mainly outside the USA," Iran says,
according to the ICJ statement. The U.N. court, which recently marked its 70th
anniversary, will now have to decide whether it has jurisdiction to rule in the
case. Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has meanwhile warned
candidates in the U.S. presidential election against questioning the Islamic
republic's nuclear deal. "We do not violate the nuclear accord... candidates in
the American presidential election are threatening to tear up the nuclear deal.
If they do so, we will burn it," he told visiting dignitaries, his website said
Tuesday.
Fallujah Faces 'Disaster', NGO Warns
Naharnet/Source/Agence France Presse/June 16/16/Under fire and nearing
starvation, thousands of Iraqi civilians trapped in the jihadist bastion of
Fallujah face a "humanitarian disaster", a prominent Norwegian NGO said
Thursday. Tens of thousands of others who have managed to flee the city as Iraqi
forces press a bid to dislodge the Islamic State group also find little relief
on their way out. "We have a humanitarian disaster inside Fallujah and another
unfolding disaster in the camps," the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) said in a
statement. "Thousands fleeing the cross-fire after months of besiegement and
near starvation deserve relief and care, but our relief supplies will soon be
exhausted," NRC chief Jan Egeland said. Fallujah, which lies west of Baghdad, is
one of the last two major Iraqi cities IS controls, the other being Mosul. For
three weeks, Iraqi forces backed by a U.S.-led coalition air strikes have
alternated barrages of artillery fire with an attempt to move forward in street
battles against IS jihadists. Progress has been hampered however by IS'
systematic use of civilians as human shields. "Make no mistake: There is
absolutely nothing safe for civilians fleeing Fallujah. No safe exits, no safe
passage, no safe haven without risking their lives," Egeland said. "They risk
being shot at, killed by explosive devices on the roads, or drowning while
crossing the river."According to the International Organization of Migration
(IOM), at least 48,000 people have managed to escape since the offensive was
launched on May 23. "Those who flee IS-controlled areas and manage to make it to
safety will soon find out there is very little we can offer them: we are running
out of food, drinking water and medical services," the NRC said. The group,
which is working in camps for the displaced near Fallujah, said it can only
offer survivors three liters (six pints) of water a day -- well under the 10
liters needed in temperatures nearing 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees
Fahrenheit). More than three million Iraqis have fled their homes since a
lightning IS offensive in 2014 saw swathes of the country fall into jihadist
control.
Poland to Send F-16 Jets, Soldiers in Fight against
IS
Naharnet/Source/Agence France Presse/June 16/16/Poland on Wednesday said it
plans to send F-16 fighter jets plus 210 soldiers and military personnel to Iraq
and Kuwait to join the U.S.-led coalition fighting the Islamic State jihadi
group. Up to 60 members of the special forces will be sent to Iraq while 150
soldiers and military personnel will head to Kuwait, according to Poland's top
security official Pawel Soloch."There will also be support elements in other
countries in the region," the National Security Bureau chief said, quoted by the
Polish news agency PAP. He did not specify a timeline for the plan, which still
needs to be approved by President Andrzej Duda. Defence Minister Antoni
Macierewicz however said on Wednesday in Brussels that he hoped that four F-16
jets would land at NATO bases in the Middle East before the Western defense
alliance's summit in Warsaw early next month. IS seized large swathes of
territory in Iraq and Syria, scattering government and rebel troops with ease,
but Washington has marshaled NATO and other allies to help force the jihadists
back from key areas. Most of the 28 NATO member states contribute to the anti-IS
coalition individually but the alliance itself as an organization has no direct
role in the campaign.
Russia Announces New Ceasefire for Syria's Aleppo
Naharnet/Source/Agence France Presse/June 16/16/Russia announced a last minute
48-hour ceasefire for Syria's war-torn Aleppo late Wednesday, just hours after
Washington warned Syrian President Bashar Assad and his ally Moscow that they
must respect the nationwide truce agreed in February. The vital northern
province of Aleppo has been ravaged on multiple fronts in a devastating war that
has killed more than 280,000 people. Dozens of fighters were killed in a fresh
bout of fighting between the regime, rebels, and jihadists south of Aleppo city
on Wednesday, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Backed by Russian
and government air strikes, pro-regime fighters are locked in battle with rebel
groups and al-Qaida affiliate al-Nusra Front for a string of villages lying in
hilly terrain between strategic routes. "On Russia's initiative, a 'regime of
silence' has been introduced in Aleppo for 48 hours from 00:01 16 June (2101 GMT
Wednesday) with the goal of lowering the level of armed violence and stabilizing
the situation," the Russian defense ministry said in a statement. The statement
did not specify who Russia has discussed the two-day ceasefire with. It accused
al-Nusra of attacking various Aleppo neighborhoods with multiple rocket
launchers, as well as mounting a tank attack southwest of the city. The
five-year conflict has drawn in world powers who back opposing sides --
including the United States which broadly supports the opposition and Russia on
the side of Assad. "Russia needs to understand that our patience is not
infinite, in fact it is very limited with whether or not Assad is going to be
held accountable," said U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Wednesday. "We
also are prepared to hold accountable members of the opposition," he said after
a meeting in Norway with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif.
U.N.-hosted peace talks aimed at ending the conflict have been stalled since
April, and a fragile ceasefire deal between the government and non-jihadist
rebels has all but collapsed. "It is very clear that the cessation of
hostilities is frayed and at risk and that it is critical for a genuine
cessation to be put in place," said Kerry.Efforts were underway, he said, to
reach a new agreement "in the next week or two" to reinstate the ceasefire
across Syria, leading to more humanitarian aid deliveries and a resumption of
the peace process.
Fresh Aleppo clashes
Since fighting erupted in Aleppo province on Tuesday, at least 70 fighters in
total have been killed and the villages of Zaytan and Khalasa have changed hands
twice. The strategic border province is criss-crossed with supply routes for
various sides of the conflict, including rebels, regime, Kurds, and jihadists
such as the Islamic State group. Aleppo was once Syria's commercial powerhouse,
but it has been a battleground since 2012 when rebels seized the east of the
city confining the army to the west. A hospital in eastern Aleppo supported by
Medecins du Monde was heavily damaged in an air strike on Tuesday, the
France-based charity said, without reporting casualties. Three other hospitals
in Syria were hit in bombing at the start of June, leaving 10 dead. As opposing
forces close in from either side, residents of both halves of the city fear a
potential total siege on the northern metropolis. The U.N. says nearly 600,000
Syrians live in besieged areas, most surrounded by government forces. Earlier
this month, it said the government had granted preliminary aid access to 15 of
18 besieged areas, after one was taken off the U.N.'s list. Dozens of opposition
activist groups accused the U.N. of "capitulating" to Damascus on aid access.
The scathing report, authored by The Syria Campaign (TSC) advocacy group, was
based on testimonies from current and former U.N. staff and other aid workers.
It accused the U.N. of "choosing to prioritize cooperation with the Syrian
government at all costs," allowing the regime to unduly influence U.N. aid
strategy. The U.N. humanitarian coordinator for Syria, Yacoub El Hillo, said
however that while aid access was not ideal, the U.N. continues to "assist
Syrians based on need."TSC spokeswoman Bissan Fakih countered: "A U.N. with the
backbone to stand for its principles would help get aid to hundreds of thousands
of Syrian civilians under siege, many of them only a few minutes' drive from
where the U.N. is based in Damascus."
Libya Car Bombing Kills 10 Anti-IS Fighters
Naharnet/Source/Agence France Presse/June 16/16/A suicide car bombing on
Thursday killed 10 members of forces allied to Libya's unity government who are
fighting the Islamic State jihadist group, hospital sources said. "Ten dead and
seven wounded were brought in... after a suicide attack carried out by Daesh
(IS) in Abu Grein," 130 kilometers (80 miles) west of the coastal city of Sirte,
said a source at the central hospital in Misrata, from where the pro-unity
government forces have launched an offensive against the jihadists.
Mistrust Clouds Yemen Peace Talks, Eight Weeks On
Naharnet/Source/Agence France Presse/June 16/16/Yemen's warring parties are
struggling to seal a peace deal as mutual mistrust has overshadowed eight weeks
of U.N.-brokered talks in Kuwait that have failed to achieve any major
breakthrough. Yemen's foreign minister and the head of the government
delegation, Abdulmalek al-Mikhlafi, told Sky News Arabia that nothing has been
achieved since the talks began on April 21 and "we have been revolving in a
vacuum". He went further, threatening to pull out of the talks in a week's time
if the Shiite "Huthis continue to reject peace."The war in Yemen pitting
Iran-backed Huthi rebels and their allies against pro-government fighters backed
by a Saudi-led coalition has cost more than 6,400 lives since March 2015.
Another 2.8 million people have been displaced and more than 80 percent of the
population are in urgent need humanitarian aid, according to U.N. figures. U.N.
envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed has urged Yemen's rival parties to "make
concessions" insisting that "failure is not an option" in the talks. But a
Western diplomat closely following the meetings told AFP of "persistent mutual
distrust" between the warring sides. The government's Gulf Arab backers, mainly
Saudi Arabia, have given their vocal backing to a peaceful settlement in
Yemen.However, their warplanes have kept up deadly raids -- nine rebels were
killed late on Tuesday in the northern Jawf province. Fighting has also raged on
the ground despite a ceasefire which formally took effect on April 11.But Ould
Cheikh Ahmed is still pushing for peace. After arduous consultations with the
negotiators and diplomats from countries sponsoring the talks, the U.N. mediator
in early June drafted a three-point peace plan he submitted to the delegates,
according to government and diplomatic sources. The plan calls for scrapping the
rebels' "constitutional declaration" announced in February last year under which
the Huthis dissolved the government and parliament and formed their own Supreme
Revolutionary Committee to rule Yemen. A military commission would be formed to
oversee the rebels' surrender of heavy and medium weapons they have seized and
withdrawal from parts of the country they overran, including Sanaa which has
been under their control since September 2014. Also under the plan, the
government -- which has moved to the main southern city Aden -- would return its
headquarters to Sanaa "within two months", while President Abedrabbo Mansour
Hadi would declare a general amnesty. Hadi's government would be replaced by a
"national partnership government," paving the way for the resumption of the
political process for a two-year transitional period, under the plan.
Wide gap
In a bid to achieve rapprochement, the U.N. envoy had tried to push the two
sides to release half of all their prisoners before the Muslim fasting month of
Ramadan, which began on June 6. The Huthis have announced the release of 187
prisoners and Saudi Arabia, which backs Hadi's administration, said last week it
freed 52 children. Direct negotiations, which resumed on Monday after an almost
two-week interruption, were focused on "security and military issues", Ould
Cheikh Ahmed said Wednesday. "The gap remains wide between the two sides,"
another Western diplomat told AFP. The head of the Huthi delegation, Mohammed
Abdulsalam, told Yemeni media late Tuesday that they would reject any deal that
does not include their input on the makeup of the transitional body. "Any deal
that does not meet our demands on forming a consensual authority... will be
rejected," Abdulsalam said. This should include Huthi agreement on the
president, the national unity government and military and security committees,
he said. The government has resisted proposals for a unity administration with
the rebels, fearing it would undermine the international legitimacy of Hadi. But
despite the lack of a breakthrough, both parties want to continue to negotiate
and "10 of the 18 countries sponsoring the negotiations have promised to provide
guarantees for any peace settlement," according to a diplomatic source.
UAE Says War Over for Its Troops in Yemen
Naharnet/Source/Agence France Presse/June 16/16/The United Arab Emirates has
said war is over for its troops in Yemen after a nearly 15-month intervention as
part of a Saudi-led coalition in which around 80 lost their lives. The
announcement by a government minister, which the crown prince of the UAE's
richest emirate Abu Dhabi then posted on his official Twitter account, came with
large swathes of the country, including the capital Sanaa, still in the hands of
Iran-backed rebels."Our standpoint today is clear -- war is over for our troops,
we're monitoring political arrangements (and) empowering Yemenis in liberated
areas," state minister for foreign affairs Anwar Gargash said. His comments came
in a speech late on Wednesday to foreign ambassadors and senior Emirati
officials, including Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan. Sheikh
Mohammed is also deputy supreme commander of the UAE armed forces. The UAE was a
mainstay of the Saudi-led coalition which intervened in Yemen in March 2015 as
the Iran-backed rebels threatened to overrun the whole country, prompting
President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi to flee into exile. The coalition succeeded in
pushing the rebels out of southern cities, where Hadi's government has set up
base, but the rebels remain in control of most of the central and northern
highlands as well as the Red Sea coast. U.N.-brokered peace talks are under way
in Kuwait but after eight weeks they have made no major breakthrough in the face
of deep mistrust between the warring parties. It was the first time in the UAE's
history that it had deployed ground troops beyond its borders. In March, UAE
special forces also played a major role in driving al-Qaida out of the
southeastern provincial capital of Mukalla, which it had held for a year. The
jihadists had taken advantage of the conflict between Hadi loyalists and the
rebels to seize several cities in the south and southeast. The intervention cost
the lives of UAE air crews as well as ground troops. In March, a Mirage jet
crashed in Yemen killing both its crew. And this week alone, two UAE helicopters
crashed with the loss of their four crew. More than 6,400 Yemenis have been
killed since the intervention started, the majority of them civilians.
Israel Revokes Senior Palestinian Official's Entry
Permit
Naharnet/Source/Agence France Presse/June 16/16/Defense Minister Avigdor
Lieberman has revoked a senior Palestinian official's permit to enter Israel
over alleged attempts to destabilize society, sources said Wednesday. Mohammad
Madani, head of the Committee for Interaction with the Israeli Society, told AFP
the decision to cancel his VIP card was proof of the "racist policy" of the
newly appointed Lieberman.The card enabled Madani to travel freely between
Israel and the Palestinian territories in his role to cultivate ties. Lieberman
was widely reported to have said that Madani tried to form a joint Israeli-Arab
party as a means of destabilizing local politics. Madani, member of the ruling
Fatah party's Central Committee, rejected Lieberman's claims. "If partnership
between the Israelis, Arabs and Jews, in political life in Israel cause such
misery and anger within Lieberman, it reflects how far Israel of today is from
any attempt to achieve a just and comprehensive peace in the region," said
Madani. "It also confirms that the current cabinet in Israel is a government of
war, not peace," he said in a statement. A spokesman for Lieberman confirmed the
details of the report, but added no further comment.
Black Box Recovered from EgyptAir Crash Site
Source/Agence France Presse/Naharnet/June
16/16/A search team on Thursday recovered the cockpit voice recorder from the
EgyptAir plane that crashed into the Mediterranean last month in a major step
towards establishing the cause of the tragedy. The device was found broken into
pieces but the salvage experts managed to retrieve the recorder's crucial memory
unit, Egypt's civil aviation authority said. Officials are preparing to transfer
the recorder from a search vessel in the Mediterranean to Egypt for analysis, a
statement said. The cockpit voice recorder keeps track of conversations and
other sounds in the pilots' cabin. The breakthrough came hours after a deep-sea
robot located pieces of the main body of the plane at the bottom of the
Mediterranean. Airbus said the flight recorders held the key to unlocking the
mystery of why the plane went down with 66 people on board en route from Paris
to Cairo nearly a month ago. "The first photos of the wreckage do not allow to
establish any scenario of the accident," an Airbus statement said. "Only the
black boxes could contribute to a full understanding of the chain of events
which led to this tragic accident." Investigators have said it is too soon to
determine what caused flight MS804 from Paris to Cairo to crash on May 19,
although a terror attack has not been ruled out.The search vessel John
Lethbridge, equipped with an underwater robot, arrived in Egypt last week to
begin searching an area around 290 kilometers (180 miles) north of the Egyptian
coast. The robot discovered pieces of the fuselage at "several sites", the
Egyptian board of inquiry said late Wednesday. A source close to the
investigation told AFP that the robot, operated by Mauritius-based Deep Ocean
Search, had found "small fragments" of the plane.Some wreckage had already been
pulled out of the Mediterranean by search teams last month, along with
belongings of passengers.
Limited battery life
Search teams are still looking for the flight data recorder, which gathers
information about the speed, altitude and direction of the plane. The area where
the plane crashed is believed to be about 3,000 meters (10,000 feet) deep and
the black boxes should have had enough battery power to emit signals for four to
five weeks. France's aviation safety agency has said the EgyptAir plane
transmitted automated messages indicating smoke in the cabin and a fault in the
flight control unit minutes before disappearing from radar screens. On Monday,
Egyptian investigators confirmed that the aircraft had made a 90-degree left
turn followed by a 360-degree turn to the right before hitting the sea.
Investigators were able to narrow down the search site thanks to an emergency
signal sent via satellite by the plane's locator transmitter when it hit the
Mediterranean. The passengers on the plane were 30 Egyptians, 15 French
citizens, two Iraqis, two Canadians, and citizens from Algeria, Belgium,
Britain, Chad, Portugal, Saudi Arabia and Sudan. They included a boy and two
babies. Seven crew and three security personnel were also on board. The crash
came after the bombing of a Russian airliner over Egypt's restive Sinai
Peninsula last October that killed all 224 people on board. The Islamic State
group claimed responsibility for that attack within hours, but there has been no
such claim linked to the EgyptAir crash. IS has been waging a deadly insurgency
against Egyptian security forces and has claimed attacks in both France and
Egypt.
In October, foreign governments issued travel warnings for Egypt and demanded a
review of security at its airports after IS said it downed the Russian airliner
over the Sinai with a bomb concealed in a soda can that had been smuggled
onboard.
Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources
published on
June 16-17/16
A decisive phase in the battle for
Aleppo
Dr. Halla Diyab/Al Arabyia/June 16/16
Aleppo, the second-largest city in Syria and scene of several clashes since
unrest erupted in March 2011, sums up the dynamic of the conflict. Once the
country’s commercial hub, Aleppo has become a frontline, its eastern districts
captured by rebels in 2012. With more than 40 militant factions fighting in the
strategic city, it is under constant shelling. Aleppo is a focal point in the
Syrian war, not only due to its geographic closeness to the capital, but because
of its military importance, from which the opposition can counter government
forces and the Kurdish district of Sheikh Maqsood in the north of the city.
While government forces are not ready to give up their fight for Aleppo, al-Nusra
Front has expanded there, constantly shelling the city and entering it via the
border with Turkey. The territorial expansion in Aleppo of the al-Qaeda
affiliate has raised concerns among military factions that are reluctant to
affiliate with the group in order not to lose Western backing. The fight for the
city is becoming more brutal, and the prospects for a political solution
shrinking. The faction that wins Aleppo will shape post-war Syria. The conflict
in Aleppo also highlights the issue of rebel groups’ loyalty, which can shift
according to which factions can secure them political and military support. As
such, rebels that may claim to stand with a ‘moderate’ faction one day, could
declare allegiance to Al-Nusra the next day. While the fight for Aleppo grants a
political identity and presence to some militant factions, the genuine Syrian
political opposition is becoming increasingly frail. Some opposition leaders
withdrew from the Geneva talks in April amid disagreement over the transition
process, which they insist should exclude President Bashar al-Assad.
Militarized diplomacy
With the involvement of groups such as Ahrar al-Sham and Jaysh al-Islam in
political discussions - which was not the case in the previous Geneva talks -
the talks are now militarized. Despite their opposition to the Islamic State of
Iraq and Syria (ISIS), this could torpedo diplomatic talks due to the power
these militants have on the ground, and stunt the evolution of political
opposition in Syria. Their role in the conflict is gradually expanding from the
battlefield onto the negotiating table, despite the fact that most of these
militants who have been granted a voice are reported to be responsible for war
crimes against innocent civilians, including women and children. As such, a
resolution of this conflict will be formulated by armed groups, not politicians.
With a whirlpool of competing factions attempting to secure control of Aleppo,
atrocities have mounted on all sides. The fight for the city is becoming more
brutal, and the prospects for a political solution shrinking. The faction that
wins Aleppo will shape post-war Syria. If al-Nusra succeeds, this will change
the Syrian conflict into a direct rivalry between it and ISIS.
A document between Riyadh and
Washington
Abdulrahman al-Rashed/Al Arabyia/June 16/16
I got a chance to look at a rare document written in March 1945 that shows the
nature of tense US-Saudi relations. It reminds us of the situation today. Back
then, the US government had not appointed an ambassador, depending on what was
called “the secretary” to represent it. Since Saudi Foreign Minister Prince
Faisal bin Abdulaziz was absent, King Abdulaziz assigned his consultant and
Deputy Foreign Minister Youssef Yassine to send a message to US Secretary Rives
Child following disputes with Washington that had prevented the selling of arms
to Saudi Arabia. Yassine wrote: “We are ready to do everything that helps
strengthen ties between the two countries. All [US] demands that serve mutual
interests will be met and facilitations required by the US will be granted, but
in a manner that guarantees the sovereignty of the country and does not make the
kingdom of Saudi Arabia subject to foreign criticism or be interpreted that the
Saudi kingdom is an American colony.”Yassine continued: “Mutual interests
between the US government and the Saudi government do not resemble interests
with other countries. We wish to strengthen these interests. Saudi Arabia will
thus be glad to welcome a special American delegation or to send an Arab Saudi
delegation headed by one of the princes. These delegations, however, will not be
formed unless Saudi Arabia is certain that the US has the readiness to
reconsider its stance and it’s willing to work on that.” In his message, Yassine
said the king would await a response from Washington within 10 days, and Saudi
Arabia would seek other options if the United States insisted on its stances.
Washington confirmed it desire to cooperate. It justified its reluctance by
saying it was busy establishing the Atlantic Charter, which later came to be
known as NATO. Riyadh realizes the significance of a superpower and wants strong
relations with it, but on terms that serve mutual interests
Then and now
Yassine’s letter was written four years after the World War ended and was left
with battles over influence with Soviet Union over its outreach targeting the
Middle East. It had been four years since the end of World War II. There were
battles over influence with the Soviet Union, which had begun to expand in the
Middle East. Today is very similar. Saudi Deputy Crown Prince Mohammad bin
Salman’s current visit to the United States comes at a time when bilateral
relations are tense. Like in the message in 1949, Riyadh realizes the
significance of a superpower and wants strong relations with it, but on terms
that serve mutual interests. One of the most prominent issues today is
Washington’s abandonment of support for Arab countries such as Saudi Arabia in
the face of Iranian expansion and threats. The openness to Tehran comes at the
expense of Arab countries, as the new relation is not linked to stopping its
hostile activities in the region, including in Iraq, Syria, Yemen and Arab Gulf
countries. Washington’s abandonment of its previous stance has confused all
political calculations between it and Riyadh, and made each seek other options
for the first time since the era of US President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who set
the foundations of relations with Saudi Arabia in 1945 following the end of
World War II. If Washington wants to maintain interests in the Gulf, it must
accept mutual interests. What is happening in the region due to the US political
tilt toward Iran is no secret. As a result, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab
Emirates (UAE), Qatar and other countries have improved relations with Russia
and China. Iran has sent arms and troops to Syria, Iraq and Yemen, and formed
sectarian militias to fight there. This has strained Saudi-US ties. Sixty-seven
years since the letter, those ties require a long discussion to understand the
basis upon which both sides must deal with each other.Some in Washington believe
that relations with Saudi Arabia and the other Gulf countries can be replaced
with relations with Iran, since the Iranians have become willing to open up to
the West and end their hostilities toward it. I believe Prince Salman’s current
visit to the United States represents a chance to open this discussion. This
article was first published in Asharq al-Awsat on Jun. 16, 2016.
Who stands to gain from the
Orlando tragedy?
Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor/Al Arabyia/June 16/16
America is once again mourning its sons and daughters, whose lives were
senselessly and brutally ended by a mass shooter armed with a semi-automatic
weapon of war in Orlando, Florida on 12 June 2016. During President Barack
Obama’s terms in office he has been obliged to address the nation on 18 such
occasions, his tone emotionally charged, his demeanour angry. But on this
occasion, he came across as despondent and resigned, perhaps due to his
inability to tighten up on gun laws faced with an intransigent
Republican-dominated Congress. For those of us on the outside, the fact that
anyone can buy guns online or at gun fairs without background checks is sheer
madness and even crazier is the fact that a large minority of Americans believe
the answer to reducing such attacks is more guns! I would like to express my
condolences to the victims’ loved ones and to all those battling to survive in
trauma wards. I cannot imagine what it must be like to lose a child or a sibling
in this way, never having the opportunity to kiss them goodbye. Just as most
Americans are struggling to understand what really happened, so am I. There is a
cloud of confusion over this incident and, to be honest, the sum total of what
we have learned so far does not sit right in my opinion. There are many
unanswered questions. The gunman Omar Mateen is said to have been partially
motivated by his ingrained homophobia, but, according to The Telegraph, he had
been seen at the Pulse nightclub on more than a dozen occasions and was a
regular user of multiple “gay dating apps” where he posted his photographs. The
Palm Beach Post quotes one of his former classmates revealing his belief that
his old school friend was gay, adding that he had approached him “romantically”.
What is really astonishing is that he reportedly worked for G4S, the world’s
largest security company, for nine years. A firm that is often subcontracted by
the US government. During that time he was investigated and trailed by the FBI
over a period of ten months, and Mateen was only psychologically evaluated once
– at the start of his employment. His colleagues alerted authorities after he
told them that he had family links to al-Qaeda, was a member of Iran’s proxy in
Lebanon Hezbollah and was heard declaring his ambition to kill people. It is
highly unusual for someone to support both al-Qaeda and Hezbollah at the same
time. Trump has opportunistically tapped into people’s heightened fears to
regurgitate his call for a ban on Muslims for which he seems to be gaining
traction with voters
Daniel Gilroy, a former police officer who worked with him as a security guard,
says he complained several times to his superiors that Mateen was dangerous,
bigoted and always angry. “I saw this coming,” he said. The killer succeeded in
fobbing off the FBI, arguing that he merely spoke out in anger as a result of
being discriminated against because of his faith. The FBI concluded that his
co-workers were racist and closed the file. Two months later his file was
reopened when it was discovered that he was an acquaintance of Moner Mohamed Abu
Salha, a member of al-Qaeda-affiliated Jabhat al-Nusra, whose claim to fame
rests on his being the only American suicide bomber in Syria. Again, the FBI
dropped the case determining that the relationship was superficial.Incredibly,
his employer was informed in 2013 that Mateen was under FBI scrutiny yet kept
him on in the knowledge that doing so meant he had legal access to firearms and
worked in sensitive areas.
‘Racist, abusive and mentally unstable’
The gunman’s father, his ex-wife and the Imam of his local mosque say he showed
no sign of having been radicalized, although many who knew him describe him as
being racist, abusive and mentally unstable. He was characterized by his former
wife as an ordinary fun-loving person at the start of their marriage but who
became increasingly short-tempered and disturbed as time went on. Despite the
call he made to 911 declaring his allegiance to ISIS, the group, as far as I
believe, has not claimed responsibility for the mass killing but has hailed
Mateen as “a soldier of the Caliphate” after the attack. Intelligence experts
believe he was a lone wolf inspired by the ISIS’ warped ideology rather than a
trained member. Was he a homophobe or a self-hating homosexual? Had he been
radicalized or was he suffering from mental illness? Why were no neon red flags
raised by the FBI or his employer in light of witness reports and his
association with a notorious al-Qaeda-linked terrorist? Why were his community
and/or religious leaders not asked to keep an eye on him? Adding salt to the
wound is a surge in anti-Islamic feeling within the US as the presumptive
Republican presidential candidate Donald J. Trump piles logs on the flames.
“Appreciate congrats for being right on radical Islamic terrorism” was his
initial response. Senator John McCain’s daughter Meghan tweeted back: “You’re
congratulating yourself because 50 people are dead this morning in a horrific
tragedy?”Since, Trump has opportunistically tapped into people’s heightened
fears to regurgitate his call for a ban on Muslims for which he seems to be
gaining traction with voters. He has also been bending the truth to amplify his
point, referring to Mateen as “an Afghan” notwithstanding that he was an
American citizen born and educated in New York and thus, should be considered
either as a home-grown terrorist or a deranged individual. The Fort Hood and San
Bernardino attackers were also Americans. He accused Obama of “failing us” and
Hillary Clinton of wishing “to admit the very people who want to slaughter us”.
Ms Clinton’s handling of the affair was circumspect and presidential. Her mood
was sombre as she outlined the measures she would take as president to minimize
future incidents while warning that the demonization of Muslims would play right
into the hands of ISIS and al-Qaeda. She took the opportunity to encourage Saudi
Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait, among others, to do more to stop their citizens from
“funding extremist organizations” and for supporting radical mosques and
schools.
De-radicalization efforts
Saudi Arabia, in particular, is leading the charge against radicalization. It
has produced a blacklist of extremist groups, deports sympathizers and has
instituted harsh penalties against recruiters and funders. More Muslims have
been targeted by terrorists than anyone else. In this instance, Clinton’s
accusations were out of sync with her overall message urging all countries to
work together to end this scourge. American Muslims were among the first to
strongly condemn the shooting while being concerned for their families’ safety.
Haters have hurled insults outside the mosque where Mateen worshipped and
threatening tweets were sent to a mosque in Dearborn. My heart goes out to them
too. This is the time for all people to stand united against terrorism.
Innocents all over the world are being targeted almost daily yet, for some
reason, condolences from the US government and people are sparse.
We are all in this together and if we are pulled apart by politics or bigotry,
the only winners will be the bad guys. It is my fervent hope that once the
election rah-rah is done, whoever gets the White House will reach out to the
Muslim World instead of erecting destructive ‘them and us’ barriers.
God bless America, land of
‘no religious tests’
Faisal J. Abbas/Al Arabyia/June 16/16
There is a lot one could disagree with when it comes to President Obama’s
foreign policy, particularly in the Middle East. The situation today is far
worse than it was when he first assumed office back in 2009. In contrast,
advocates of the so-called ‘Obama Doctrine’ would argue that everything he has
done – or more accurately he hasn’t done, particularly in Syria – helped serve
US interests and protect American lives. Yesterday however, even the harshest
critics of the Commander-in-Chief couldn’t help but stand by his side as he
delivered one of his most powerful and passionate speeches yet, which addressed
the very heart of what it means to be an American. Although he didn’t name him
personally, President Obama’s speech served as a heavy-worded response to what
many are referring to the appalling and racist election campaign run by the
Republican Party’s presumptive nominee, Donald Trump. Never failing to exploit
any opportunity for political gain, Mr. Trump utilized Sunday’s atrocious
Orlando Shooting, which saw a troubled Muslim open fire and kill 49 people at a
gay club in Florida, to renew his calls for a US ban on Muslims. The infamously
outspoken candidate also hinted that President Obama – whom he has often mocked
as being ‘un-American’ –may even have had a link to the horrific attack, which
is the worst act of terrorism the US has seen since 9/11. Yesterday’s
presidential speech is linked to a much wider context, reflecting a general mood
which is growing increasingly frustrated with the Trump campaign
Yesterday however, President Obama displayed traits of a true leader and decided
to rise above the personal and petty comments, focusing – instead – on the
worrisome, bigger picture. “That’s not the America we want,” he said describing
a nation where citizens face discrimination for their religious or racial
profiles. Furthermore, “it won’t make us more safe, it would make us less safe”
and it would mean that the “terrorists have won,” he argued. “We don’t have
religious tests here,” added President Obama, in reference to a clause within
the constitution which stipulates that no American citizen will ever be required
to accept or adhere to a religion or doctrine as a prerequisite to hold a
government job.
Trump’s new McCarthyism
Political observers you meet here in Washington believe that yesterday’s
presidential speech is linked to a much wider context, reflecting a general mood
which is growing increasingly frustrated with the Trump campaign. In fact,
observers here anticipate that Trump is on the same path of another notorious
American demagogue, Joseph McCarthy. This view is backed by the fact that a
number of ‘big-wigs’ inside Trump’s own party are distancing themselves from
him. This includes both former Presidents George HW Bush and George W Bush, who
have opted not to endorse him. And most recently, House Speaker Paul Ryan who
said yesterday that a Muslim-ban isn’t in the country’s “best interest.” For its
part, major US newspapers seem to have had enough of Trump’s obscenity, deciding
to end what so far has been a free ride for the Republican candidate. Indeed,
this was made clear by both the New York Times and the Washington Post’s most
recent Op-Eds. In return, Trump has retaliated by withdrawing the credentials of
some of the most prominent US media outlets, hence barring them from the access
needed to cover his campaign.
It maybe still possible to win the future cooperation of Arab leaders, but for
that to happen, Mr. Trump must abandon his hateful rhetoric. For me as an
observer, such reactions are refreshing; not just because they protect innocent
American Arabs and Muslims from discrimination, but because they restore faith
in US values and show that – contrary to many might believe – this nation’s
conscience is still pretty much at large. As for Trump, he must realize that if
he does become president; he is going to have to deal with many Arab and Muslim
countries. Some of these countries are essential US allies, particularly when it
comes to its economy and war against terrorism. It maybe still possible to win
the future cooperation of Arab leaders, but for that to happen, Mr. Trump must
abandon his hateful rhetoric and drop his exploitation of the politics of fear –
once and for all!
On naming streets
Turki Aldakhil/Al Arabyia/June 16/16
The satirical show “Selfie” continues to hold a mirror to society. It exposes
our secret worlds and complex behaviors. We suffer from worrisome
contradictions, and are quick to judge and categorize others. One of the show’s
recent episodes was about a controversy over naming a street. The story was not
about naming a street after a creative person, philosopher, thinker or poet, but
about what lies behind this behavior. Most of the neighborhood’s residents
refused to name the street after Avicenna, Ghazi al-Gosaibi or Mohammad al-Thubaiti,
and suggested naming it after Abi Saasaa, the poet from the era of Jahiliyyah.
What an irony!
Remembrance
When touring the world, you can see statues immortalizing important people. In
Britain there are statues for major war leaders, and in Germany and France there
are statues of philosophers, scientists and musicians. Names of streets are a
symbol of remembrance, and a way of saying thank you
They have inscriptions describing their legacy and history. However, when
artists die, all we talk about are the snakes in their graves! These great
people made a difference, and enlightened generations with science, art,
leadership and literature. They are worthy of appreciation. Fortunately, streets
so far continue to be fair to these people, just like they were fair to Arab
authors in the past. An example is Taha Hussein Street in Riyadh. Names of
streets are a symbol of remembrance, and a way of saying thank you. Palestinian
poet Samih al-Qasim (1939-2014) once said: “We will give the streets the names
of those who did not walk on them for long.” This article was first published in
Okaz on Jun. 16, 2016.
Obama answers critics
on why he refuses to pin terror blame on 'radical Islam'; expert says argument
is 'counter-productive'
Christian Today/Hazel Torres 16 June 2016
U.S. President Barack Obama lashed back at critics who accuse him of failing to
address the growing problem of terrorism by his failure to use the term "radical
Islam" to acknowledge the source of the problem.Speaking at the White House on
Tuesday, two days after the mass shooting in Orlando, Florida, which killed 50
people, the President insisted that the fight against terrorism cannot be won by
using that term, Newsmax reports. "We cannot beat ISIL unless we call them
'radical Islam?'" Obama asked incredulously. "What exactly using this label
would accomplish and what will it change? Will it make ISIL less committed to
try to kill Americans? Would it bring more allies for military strategy than it
is served by this?" The answer, he said, is "none of the above." "Calling a
threat by a different name does not make it go away," Obama went on, adding that
this is just "political distraction." "There is not a moment where we have not
been able to pursue a strategy because we didn't use the label "radical Islam,'"
he said. Obama said not once has an adviser told him that if he uses the phrase
it would lead to the defeat of the enemy. The President then harped on his
oft-repeated formula for stopping terror: Making it harder for people to kill
Americans by way of stricter gun control measures.
"We cannot prevent every tragedy," said Obama. "There are common sense steps
that could reduce gun violence and the lethality of somebody intense to do
somebody harm." These steps, he said, include a ban on the sale of assault
weapons. However, Obama's arguments were quickly refuted by Walid Phares, a top
foreign-policy adviser to presumptive Republican presidential candidate Donald
Trump. "The president's statement is counter-productive to our
counter-intelligence activity," Phares said, according to WND. Phares said
identifying the enemy—radical Islam—creates clarity to the public and America's
allies, adding that not creating distinctions actually risks the alienation of
all Muslims. He said accurately describing the enemy is crucial in the fight
against terrorism. He cited World War II as an example. "What would be the
profit of calling Nazis 'Nazis' or during the Cold War calling the Bolsheviks or
Communists 'Communists'? This is the number one goal when you are in a
confrontation, is to identify for your allies and for your people who you are
fighting against," Phares said. He said this is crucial in America's
counter-terrorism campaign. "We need our experts within our own agencies to be
able to make a distinction between those who are jihadists and those who are
not," Phares said. He said the government can't expect help from the public in
the war against terror if the government can't define who the enemy is. "You
need to educate your public. If the public doesn't know who the enemy is, what
the ideologies, narratives and words are, how will the citizens help you?"
Phares asked. "How will they detect? How can they report if they see something,
say something? What is that something they're going to see or hear about?"He
said naming the enemy is also vital in building alliances to effectively fight
this enemy.
"President Obama is talking about the world looking at us if we use these words.
Precisely. The French use Islamist. The British do the same. The Russians have
the same terminology," said Phares, adding that moderate Arabs and Muslims also
use specific words to describe the radicals among them.
Even the grand imam of Egypt, whom Phares says is the equivalent of the Catholic
pope, has no problem using clear terminology. "He calls them Islamists, takfiri,
jihadists. So if the highest figure in the Arab and Muslim world and so many
other figures do designate them with these words, what is the president talking
about?" he asked. Phares said he is at a loss on where Obama gets the idea that
using terms like "radical Islam" would turn all Muslims against Americans.
Egypt: Christian girls kidnapped, forced to marry
and convert to Islam
Ruth Gledhill/Christian Today/posted on June 13/16
http://www.christiantoday.com/article/egypt.christian.girls.kidnapped.forced.to.marry.and.convert.to.islam/88241.htm
Teenage girls in
Egypt are being kidnapped and being forced to convert to Islam and marry,
according to new reports. International Christian Concern says the local
Christian community in Egypt is "paralysed" by the spate of disappearances of
the young girls. They include Amal Shaky, 19, kidnapped presumably on her way to
Cairo University, according to International Christian Concern. Her family
thought at first she had gone to her party but when she did not appear, went to
the police, who suggeted to her father that he had killed his daughter and
thrown away the body. After harassing Zakaria, the officer refused to file a
report and asked for a few hours to investigate the matter. Amal had also been
kidnapped in 2011. "More than 40 days have passed since my daughter was
kidnapped, and they say that the matter is under investigation," Amal's father
told International Christian Concern. "I don't know how long I should wait. Wait
until they tell me that my daughter is killed or got married?"Human rights
abuses in Egypt are causing increasing international concern. Human Rights Watch
recently reported that Egyptian security forces arrested tortured 20 people,
including eight children. World Watch Monitor detailed how a few weeks ago, a
Christian boy was kidnapped in Upper Egypt and released days later after a large
ransom was paid. Anthonius Farag, 13, was taken outside his school in the
village of Mansheyyit Manbal, off Matay. A Muslim child was released at the same
time after the kidnappers established his religion. According to the Coalition
of Coptic Egypt, a Coptic advocacy group, the Upper Egyptian province of Qena
saw 72 cases of kidnappings, extortion and related violence against Copts in the
period from 2011 to 2014, the most recent figures it has.
Palestinians: Anarchy Returns
to the West Bank
Khaled Abu Toameh/Gatestone Institute/June 16/16
http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/8273/west-bank-anarchy
Hostility
towards the Palestinian Authority (PA) seems to have reached unprecedented
heights among refugee camp residents. A chat with young Palestinians in any
refugee camp in the West Bank will reveal a driving sense of betrayal. In these
camps, the PA seems as much the enemy as Israel. They speak of the PA as a
corrupt and incompetent body that is managed by "mafia leaders." Many camp
activists believe it is only a matter of time before Palestinians launch an
intifada against the PA.Nablus, the largest city in the West Bank, is surrounded
by a number of refugee camps that are effectively controlled by dozens of Fatah
gangs that have long been terrorizing the city's wealthy clans and leading
figures. Hamas, of course, is cheering on the sidelines as it watches the
PA-controlled territories going to hell.Palestinians fear that their communities
may be facing a return to anarchy and falatan amni, or "security chaos."
Recent incidents are yet another sign of the Palestinian Authority's failure to
enforce law and order, especially in refugee camps such as Balata (near Nablus)
Qalandya (near Ramallah) and the Jenin refugee camp. Moreover, these incidents
are an indication of mounting tensions among rival camps inside Fatah and
between the refugees and the Palestinians living in the big cities surrounding
the camps. These camps, which are hotbeds for gunmen and terror groups, have
long been off-limits to the Palestinian Authority (PA) security forces. Tens of
thousands of Palestinians live in these three major refugee camps in the West
Bank. Although the refugee camps there located in areas controlled by the PA,
the Palestinian security forces do their best to steer clear of them. Attempts
by Palestinian security forces to arrest camp residents wanted for various
crimes have often resulted in armed confrontations.
Disgruntled members of PA President Mahmoud Abbas's ruling Fatah faction are
mostly responsible for the anarchy and "security chaos." Many of the Fatah
members once belonged to Fatah's armed wing, the Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, which
was officially dismantled several years ago under pressure from Israel and the
international community, specifically the Americans and Europeans, the biggest
funders of the Palestinian Authority.
These men regularly accuse the PA leadership of turning its back on them and
ignoring their demand for jobs and money. A quick chat with young Palestinians,
including Fatah members, in any refugee camp in the West Bank will reveal a
driving sense of betrayal. And no, they are not afraid of speaking out against
President Abbas and the Palestinian Authority in front of any stranger. In these
camps, the PA seems as much the enemy as Israel. They speak of the PA as a
corrupt and incompetent body that is managed by "mafia leaders." Others see the
Palestinian Authority is a pawn in the hands of Israel and the US. More
importantly, many of the camp activists believe that it is only a matter of time
before Palestinians launch an intifada against the PA. Make no mistake: these
individuals have no love for Israel. Not a single one is prepared to relinquish
the "right of return" to Israel, even if and when a Palestinian state is
established supposedly within the pre-1967 lines. And many are fully in favor of
an "armed struggle" against Israel.
But hostility towards the Palestinian Authority seems to have reached
unprecedented heights among refugee camp residents. The feeling is that the PA
leadership has done virtually nothing to improve their living conditions and
that the real money is going to big cities such as Ramallah, Nablus, Bethlehem
and Hebron.
"The Palestinian Authority is controlled by thieves who do not care about us,"
complained Hassan Abu Ayyash, a young man who describes himself as a "Fatah
activist" from the Al-Amari refugee camp near Ramallah.
"They are getting hundreds of millions of dollars from the international
community and distributing them among themselves and their sons. Look at all the
big buildings and fancy restaurants and bars in Ramallah. Where do they get all
the money to purchase expensive cars?"
The camp residents are not even afraid to vent their anger against senior
representatives of the Palestinian Authority.
Earlier this week, unidentified gunmen intercepted the car of the Palestinian
Authority Minister for Social Welfare, Ibrahim Al Shaer, as it was making its
way from Ramallah to Jerusalem. When the car reached the Qalandya refugee camp,
on the Ramallah-Jerusalem highway, the gunmen stopped it and forced the driver
out. The gunmen, who are believed to be members of Fatah, fled with the car.
Hours later, the PA security forces managed to recover the minister's stolen
vehicle. Palestinians described the carjacking as a severe blow to the
Palestinian Authority's "prestige."
In an incident that reflects similar sentiments, unidentified gunmen opened fire
at a Palestinian Authority police station in the village of Al Yamoun in the
northern West Bank. Again, the suspects are believed to be disgruntled Fatah
activists. Residents of Jenin said that the shooting reflected the growing state
of "security chaos" in the area and the weakness of the PA in tackling the
problem. The attack was the second of its kind against the same police station
in recent months.
In April of this year, a fierce gun battle erupted between Palestinian Authority
security officers and members of the Jaradat clan in the refugee camp of Jenin.
The clash started during an attempt to arrest a clan member. Two people were
wounded.
In April of this year, a fierce gun battle erupted between Palestinian Authority
security officers and members of the Jaradat clan in the refugee camp of Jenin.
The clash started during an attempt to arrest a clan member. (Image source:
Palestinian Press Agency)
Last month, masked gunmen from one of the refugee camps stole a Palestinian
police car in broad daylight from the center of Ramallah. The stolen car was
returned to the police hours later, but no one was arrested because that would
have stirred more trouble for the Palestinian Authority and resulted in a
violent confrontation with the camp residents.
Nablus, the largest Palestinian city in the West Bank, exemplifies the growing
West Bank anarchy. The city is surrounded by a number of refugee camps that are
effectively controlled by dozens of Fatah gangs that have long been terrorizing
the city's wealthy clans and leading figures.
But there are also instances where it seems that rival Fatah leaders hire the
unruly gunmen from the refugee camps to settle scores among themselves. Earlier
this month, for example, gunmen opened fire at the home of Ghassan Shaka'a, the
former mayor of Nablus and a senior PLO and Fatah official. No one was hurt in
the attack, which was apparently only aimed at sending Shaka'a a warning
message.
Shaka'a later announced that the attack on his home was in the framework of
"internal rivalries" among the top brass of the Fatah leadership. He said he
believed that the attack was aimed at dissuading him from running again for
mayor of Nablus. Expressing his deep frustration with the lawlessness in his
city, Shaka'a said that the "security situation in the (Hamas-controlled) Gaza
Strip was better than that in the West Bank." His last remark is seen as being a
direct criticism of the Palestinian Authority for failing to rein in the gunmen
from the refugee camps.
According to some of Mahmoud Abbas's top aides, the scenes of lawlessness are
far from spontaneous. Rather, they say, they are being orchestrated by ousted
Fatah operative Mohamed Dahlan, who is based in the United Arab Emirates. The
aides claim that Dahlan has been funding many Fatah gangs in the West Bank
refugee camps, as part of an effort to buy loyalty and establish bases of power
for himself.
Dahlan, they argue, is eager to succeed President Abbas. Thus he has been
working hard to undermine the Palestinian Authority and sow anarchy and dissent
in the West Bank. He wants to show that Abbas is losing control and that only a
"powerful" figure such as Dahlan would be able to restore law and order. Dahlan,
for his part, has strongly denied the allegations.
The return of anarchy to the streets of West Bank cities and refugee camps is a
bad omen for President Abbas and his regime. It's also a natural result of the
failure of the Palestinian Authority over the past two decades to offer the
residents of the refugee camps any realistic hope for a better life.
The PA, like most Arab countries, has spent years upon years lying to the camp
residents, telling them that they should remain in their misery because one day
they will return to their families' former homes inside Israel. Adding to this
extraordinarily extended effort of deceit, the Palestinian Authority has
marginalized the refugee camp residents, cutting them out of any process of
state-building. It appears that the residents have had enough. Abbas's talk of
establishing an independent Palestinian state is hard to reconcile with the
"security chaos" in the territories under his control. Hamas, of course, is
cheering on the sidelines as it watches the PA-controlled territories going to
hell.
*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.
Turkey's Conquest-Fetish/Tales from Erdoganistan
Burak Bekdil/Gatestone Institute/June 16/16
http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/8238/turkey-conquest-fetish
Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his fellow Islamists are keen
admirers of the idea that Muslim Turks capture lands belonging to other
civilizations because, in this mindset, "conquest" means the spread of Islam.
"Look, now there is the Islamophobia malady in the West ... [Its] aim is to stop
[the further spread of Islam]. But they will not be able to succeed." — Turkish
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, June 4, 2016.
In Erdogan's narrative, Muslim Turks have never invaded foreign lands by the
force of the sword. What they did was just conquering hearts. This is not even
funny.
1071 is a very special year for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan -- and
his Islamist ideologues. Erdogan often speaks about his "2071 targets," a
reference to his vision of "Great Turkey," on the 1000th anniversary of a battle
that paved the Turks' way into where they still live.
In 1071, the Seljuk Turks did not arrive in Anatolia from their native Central
Asian steppes with flowers in their hands. Instead they were in full combat
gear, fighting a series of wars against the Christian Byzantine [Eastern Roman]
Empire and featuring a newfound Islamic zeal. The Battle of Manzikert in 1071 is
widely seen as the moment when the Byzantines lost the war against the Turks:
before the end of the century, the Turks were in control of the entire Anatolian
peninsula.
Another divine date for Erdogan is May 29, 1453. That day saw the fall of
Constantinople, capital of the Byzantine Empire, after an Ottoman army invaded
what is today Istanbul, modern Turkey's biggest city. The conquest of
Constantinople was not a peaceful event either. The city's siege lasted for 53
days and cost thousands of lives. The Byzantine defeat left the Ottoman armies
unchecked, clearing the way for their advance into Christian Europe in the
centuries to come. The long and violent Ottoman march into Europe came to a halt
in 1683, when the Ottomans were defeated during the siege of Vienna. By then the
Ottomans were in control of north Africa, most parts of the Middle East and
central and eastern Europe, totaling 5.2 million square kilometers of land.
On every May 29, the Turks, proud of being -- possibly -- the world's only
nation that celebrates the capture by the sword of their biggest city from
another civilization, take to the streets for grand ceremonies. The 563th
anniversary of the conquest was celebrated with a major event created by a team
of 1,200 people. It saw a 563-man Mehter concert [an Ottoman military band], a
show by the Turkish Air Force aerobatics team, special conquest celebrations, a
fireworks display, live broadcasts in six different languages and the world's
largest 3D mapping stage used to reenact the conquest.
There is more than enough evidence about the Turkish Islamists'
"conquest-fetish." Turkey's leaders have too often spoken of "liberating
Jerusalem and making the city the capital of an independent Palestine."
In September, then prime minister Ahmet Davutoglu, another Islamist, said:
"By Allah's will, Jerusalem belongs to the Kurds, the Turks, the Arabs, and to
all Muslims. And as our forefathers fought side by side at Gallipoli, and just
as our forefathers went together to liberate Jerusalem with Saladin, we will
march together on the same path [to liberate Jerusalem]."
Erdogan and his fellow Islamists are keen admirers of the idea that Muslim Turks
capture lands belonging to other civilizations because, in this mindset,
"conquest" means the spread of Islam. That is hardly surprising: political Islam
typically features a tendency to spread to non-Islamist or non-Muslim parts of
the world. But the way Erdogan defends "conquest," even in the year 2016, looks
just too ridiculous.
On June 4 Erdogan was addressing students at a theology faculty. In his speech
he said:
"When we look at the way Islam has spread to the world we see that it rather
features the conquest of 'hearts' rather than conquest by the 'sword'... Look,
now there is the Islamophobia malady in the West ... [Its] aim is to stop [the
further spread of Islam]. But they will not be able to succeed."
Then he advised the students:
"Just like our [Turkish] arrival into Anatolia, just like the conquest of
Istanbul ... I know you will be behaving with the same consciousness ... A 'New
Turkey' will rise on your shoulders ... [to succeed] you must reproduce. God
[commands] you to have at least three children."
It is amazing that Erdogan still has the power to shock -- in absurdity -- even
the most seasoned Erdogan observers. In his narrative, Muslim Turks have never
invaded foreign lands by the force of the sword. What they did was just
conquering hearts. This is not even funny.
And what about God's commandment for at least three children? There is not a
single verse in the Koran about the ideal size of a Muslim family. There is not
a single hadith that commands three, four or no children, apart from a dubious
source which quotes Prophet Mohammed as advising Muslims that when the day of
judgment has arrived, the ummah should be a large tribe.
On June 4, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addressed university students,
saying, "Just like our [Turkish] arrival into Anatolia, just like the conquest
of Istanbul ... I know you will be behaving with the same consciousness ... A
'New Turkey' will rise on your shoulders ... You must reproduce. God [commands]
you to have at least three children."
But things in Turkey are not progressing in the way Erdogan wishes. Official
figures show that Turkey faces the prospect of an aging population. According to
the government's statistics department, the fertility rate in Turkey fell to
2.14 children per woman in 2015, from 2.37 in 2001. "Turkey is one of the
fastest aging countries in the world," says Didem Danis, an academic. By 2023,
10.2% of the Turkish population will be made up of people aged 65 years and over
-- compared to 7.7% in 2013.
The Turks have never invaded foreign lands by the sword; Turkish students of
theology should prepare to conquer other lands; God commands Muslims to have at
least three children; and Turkey will rise to its glorious Ottoman past thanks
to a rapidly growing population... these are the fairy tales from Erdoganistan.
Burak Bekdil, based in Ankara, is a Turkish columnist for the Hürriyet Daily and
a Fellow at the Middle East Forum.
© 2016 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do
not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No
part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied
or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.
Iranian Supreme
Leader Khamenei's Advisor, Ali Akbar Velayati And Associate Tells Shi'ite
Clerics In Iraq: U.S. Is Plotting To Divide Iraq And Syria
MEMRI/June 16/16 /Special Dispatch No.6481
On May 18, 2016, Ali Akbar Velayati, director of the Iranian Center for
Strategic Research and an advisor and associate of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali
Khamenei, spoke to Iraqi Shi'ite clerics, warning them that the U.S. was
plotting to divide Iraq and Syria into a number of entities. Such a move, he
said, would damage the entire resistance axis from Iran to Syria, Iraq, Lebanon,
and Palestine.
Velayati praised the actions of the Iraqi pro-Iran Shi'ite Al-Hashd Al-Sha'abi
militias as "the strongest and most serious religious force" operating in the
country, and added that it is these Shi'ite militias that should liberate the
Sunni city of Mosul, Iraq.
Stressing that the Iranian model of the rule of the jurisprudent should also be
implemented in Iraq, Velayati hinted that that country should come under the
authority of Khamenei. It should be noted that Iraq's highest Shi'ite authority,
Ayatollah Ali Sistani, opposes the implementation of this political model in
Iraq.
Back in March 2015, Ali Younesi, an advisor to Iranian President Rohani and
former Iranian intelligence minister, had said: "Iraq is not merely a sphere of
cultural influence for us; it is also our identity, our culture, our center, and
our capital. This issue is relevant today as it was in the past, because just as
there is no way to divide the territory of Iran and Iraq, there is no way to
divide our culture either. We must either fight each other or unite. The purpose
of such a union would not be the elimination of borders; rather, that all the
countries in the Iranian expanse would become closer, since their interests and
security are interconnected."[1]
Following are excerpts from Velayati's statements to the Iraqi Shi'ite clerics:
"For the line of resistance, Syria is the gold ring. If Syria is divided, its
government will collapse and the takfiris who are connected to Israel, Saudi
Arabia, and America will take over. This will certainly have a negative impact
on Lebanon and Iraq too.
"The line of resistance begins in Iran and passes through Iraq to Syria,
Lebanon, and Palestine. This line of resistance stands against the spread of the
Zionists and their American supporters and [supporters in] some Western
countries.
"Therefore, we, and you, must be sensitive to what is happening in Syria,
because if the Syrian government and nation are defeated by the takfiris, their
next move will be in Iraq, and even Iran will not remain at peace because of
their harassment.
"From the dawn of the history of Islam to this day, the Iranian and Iraqi
peoples stood side by side and were inseparable.
"There is no doubt that Iraq is the most important country for the Arabs – both
potentially, at this time, and in actuality, in the future. Since the dawn of
the history of Islam, Baghdad has been the geographic center of Islam. Iraq's
geographic and political conditions, its deeply rooted nation and culture, and
the happiness granted it by God have always meant greed in its enemies' eyes...
"A few months ago, a U.S. army commander said that Iraq should be divided into
three parts. Dividing Iraq would weaken it and perpetuate the internal enmity
among [the various elements of] the Iraqi people. Then Iraq's forces and
resources would be squandered on self-destruction.
"How can Baghdad, Kirkuk, Mosul, and Basra be divided? To whom will these
important cities in Iraq belong? This is a very important plot desired by
America, by backward states, and by America's mercenaries in the region. We must
fight this.
"The other issue is Syria and its connection to Iraq. Those who said that Iraq
should be divided into three parts are actually the ones who are presenting the
Plan B proposed by U.S. Secretary of State [John Kerry], who said that if the
current Syrian regime does not leave, there will be no option but to divide this
country [that is, Syria] into five parts.
"In Lebanon as well, [the Americans] have sown division and seek to ignite
internal strife. These struggles will harm Lebanon, the region, and the entire
Arab world. Anything happening to Lebanon, Syria, and Iraq will have negative
consequences for other countries, including Iran. If the Satanic takfiri group –
ISIS and its ilk – is victorious in Syria, its next moves will be in Iraq.
Naturally, the reverse is also true. Therefore, the fate of these countries is
intertwined.
"The enemies want to change the existing borders of the countries of the Middle
East in order to distort the nationalist characteristics of countries like Iraq,
Lebanon, and Palestine, and to damage the unity that has been created at various
points – just as they have done today in Libya. The solution to the regional
problems and damage is to preserve [the countries'] internal unity, and to
remain vigilant regarding existing plots that are undoubtedly headed by America.
"America's presence in every country does damage. America cannot be allowed to
make decisions for Iraq, Syria, and other countries. Why? What have they [i.e.
the Americans] done [for these countries]?
"[The pro-Iranian Iraqi] Al-Hashd Al-Sha'abi [militia] is the pride of Iraq,
Iran, and the Islamic world, like Hizbullah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen.
It should be esteemed. No force in Iraq is stronger, more religious, more
serious, and more influential than Al-Hashd Al-Sha'abi. The [militia members]
who are Iraqi say they are loyal to Iraq and that they take care of it. We trust
them.
"Mosul should be liberated by Al-Hashd Al-Sha'abi. We must suppress all the
foreign forces and elements that have caused instability in Iraq.
"We [in Iran] are very optimistic about Iraq's future. Iraq's democracy is
similar to Iran's democracy, which is [based] on religious values. Therefore, it
should be esteemed. The Iraqi people undoubtedly desires this too.
"Al-Hashd Al-Sha'abi comprises people who believe in Islam, who know that if
they die in this path they will become martyrs, and [know too] that this is the
path of the Imam Hussein. The stronger this force becomes, the better it will be
for Iraq's future...
"We must support and maintain the Marja'iyya [supreme Shi'ite religious
authority] in Iraq. The fatwa by the Marja'iyya in Najaf [Ayatollah Ali Sistani]
caused the people to arrive on the scene and to save Iraq from the Americans and
the takfiris.
"Obeying the rule of the jurisprudent can help achieve victories. If it not
under the shade of the rule of the jurisprudent, Iraq cannot be saved. This is
like how Iran was saved from the evil of the Shah, America, and Israel – thanks
to the rule of the jurisprudent – and today [Iran] is in a position to say 'no'
to any tyrant."[2]
Endnotes:
[1] See MEMRI Special Dispatch No. 5991, Advisor To Iranian President Rohani:
Iran Is An Empire, Iraq Is Our Capital; We Will Defend All The Peoples Of The
Region; Iranian Islam Is Pure Islam – Devoid Of Arabism, Racism, Nationalism,
Match 9, 2015.
[2] Tasnim (Iran), May 18, 2016.
Editor Of Al Hayat Saudi
Daily, Ghassan Charbel : The Current Middle East Crises Is Like 1,000 Hiroshimas
MEMRI/June 16/16/ Special Dispatch No.6479
In an article in the London-based Saudi daily Al-Hayat, editor-in-chief Ghassan
Charbel wrote angrily about the difficulties of a Syrian refugee whose search
for a proper burial-place for his mother in the Middle Eastern country hosting
them all came to naught. With this story, Charbel describes the sorry situation
of Arab citizens impacted by wars in the region, in light of the indifference of
the Arab countries and the international community. Enumerating the Arab "Hiroshimas"
– for example, the Hiroshima of fanaticism, the Hiroshima of tyranny, and the
Hiroshima of backwardness and poverty – he argues that the number of victims of
the endless wars in Iraq and Syria, the collapse of Libya, and the schisms in
Yemen, Sudan, and Somalia equal that of many Hiroshimas.
The following are excerpts from his article:[1]
"Hey you, Arab journalist – do not write about Barack Obama's visit to Hiroshima
– you have no right to do so. You have more than enough Hiroshimas [of your
own]: The Hiroshima of tyranny, the Hiroshima of takfir, the Hiroshima of the
militias honed [for battle]... the Hiroshima of minorities, [and] the Hiroshima
of fanaticism, backwardness, and poverty.
"I will simply ask: How many Hiroshimas equal the endless wars in Iraq? The open
slaughter in Syria? The complete collapse in Libya? The schisms in Sudan, Yemen,
and Somalia?
"Leaving Hiroshima aside, here is a story [of a refugee whose mother died] that
I was given permission to pass on, provided I do not identify where it took
place. The problem was not that his mother died – I don't mean he wasn't
bereaved, because it is known that a mother's love is all-encompassing... He
felt a little guilty because when his mother died he thought, 'Now she can
finally rest,' since death is [sometimes] preferable to a certain kind of life.
Not to mention that he had seen her die many times, continually, over her final
months, as grief hooded her eyes, and wrinkles appeared rapidly on her face – as
though she realized that she would not return to the country that had expelled
her. He concealed from her the fact that the [house] key she carried with her
now remained a key without a house... He could sense her frustration. She would
look at him and then down at his hands, to make sure he had brought something to
satiate her grandchildren's hunger.
"Many [refugees] just like her fanned out to Lebanon, Jordan, and Turkey. They
scattered throughout the margins of the Syrian homeland, with hope of returning.
The seasons changed, and the homeland only grew more distant. She would ask him:
When [will we return]? He would lie to her, and to himself.
"The problem was not that his mother died – it was what to do with his mother's
body. Immediately after her death, his brother went to find a plot for her, in
the cemetery of the village that hosted some of the refugees. He was told,
politely, 'no'. The cemeteries are reserved [for locals] and are not open to
foreigners. Moreover, [apparently] mixing the bones [of locals and foreigners]
is of great concern, since it is like mixing histories. He does not blame the
villagers, who actually welcomed [the refugees]. They thought their ordeals
would not last long and that the [refugees] would soon leave. This war, which
comprises several local, regional, and international wars, misled them. Perhaps
the owners of the land [i.e., the locals] feared that the bodies of foreigners
would become roots [in the land for them], and that if there were [too] many
foreign bones, identity would become confused. Because we are in the Middle East
– in a place that hates the living and fears the dead.
"His brother tried to find a solution, such as to digging a small pit in an
isolated location. But a grave is considered a bad omen for the environment, and
brings down property values. The only person who showed flexibility offered to
hold the body for a limited number of days in return for a [sum of] dollars.
[The brother] almost laughed, because he was looking for a pit for burying his
mother's bones, not a hotel to house her – and where would the son of a refugee
get hold of dollars? What would happen when the deal with the landowner expired?
What a terrible thing it is that a refugee is helpless to do anything about his
mother's body[!]
"Strange thoughts came to him: What if he were to place her body on a pile of
dry branches and set it alight? He immediately banished this thought, since the
religion forbids it. What about letting it decompose in the open, in protest
against the brutality of this world? This thought he banished [also]. He
considered rising at dawn, carrying the body on his back, and charging the
[Syrian] border while carrying it. But if his country had mercy for dead bodies,
it would have mercy for the living [as well]. There is no recognition of a right
of return, not even for the dead.
"[Even] strang[er] thoughts entered his mind. No point sending the body to the
White House, because Obama cannot possibly be in charge of stability in the
Middle East. It couldn't be shipped to the Kremlin either, because the czar
[Putin] doesn't care, and produces dead bodies [on his own] without batting an
eyelid. Who knows, maybe [Russian Foreign Minister] Lavrov would accuse the
deceased of conspiring with takfiri [terrorism]?
"How terrible it is to leave a refugee helpless [to bury] his mother's body[!]
"He went on hallucinating: Perhaps he would send the body to the elegant and
extremely polite Special Envoy Staffan de Mistura, with a recommendation that he
should include in his documents a plan for safe passage for dead bodies
returning from Jordan, Turkey, Lebanon, and Iraq. But poor de Mistura is quite
busy, lost between Kerry's quagmires and Lavrov's lies – this dead body is Arab,
and the Arab League, which is expiring due to boredom, should urgently arrange
graves for many Arabs.
"He envied [refugees] who had crossed the sea, because if his mother had died in
Germany, they would have found a hole for her – and the same goes for Sweden.
Those countries are far more merciful than our crooked homelands, which begrudge
[us] freedom, honor, and security while we are alive, and then graves [when we
are dead].
"He will not send her [body] anywhere, under any circumstance. When night falls,
he will bear her far away and look for an abandoned well and hide her there.
Such are our countries – we lose our lives there, and our bodies are lost in the
margins.
"The terrible Middle East [equals] 1,000 Hiroshimas."
Endnotes:
[1] Al-Hayat (London), May 30, 2016.
The battle for Haghia Sophia
in Istanbul escalates
Pinar Tremblay/Al-Monitor/June 16/16
The Haghia Sophia Museum, which is one of the most popular tourist sites in
Istanbul, was built as a Greek Orthodox Christian basilica in 527. It was
converted to an imperial mosque when the Ottomans conquered Istanbul in 1453.
Following renovations in 1931-35, it was reopened as a museum under the rule of
the newly established secular Republic of Turkey. Ever since 1931, the yearnings
of the Turkish conservatives to reopen the site as a mosque has never ceased. In
the last decade, with tacit government approval, Islamist groups as well as
ultranationalists have periodically carried Haghia Sophia to the headlines. They
have organized rallies calling upon the government during Friday sermons and
initiating petitions to focus the public attention on the matter.
Finally on April 11, 2015, a day before Greek Orthodox Easter Sunday, which
coincided with the Prophet Muhammad’s birthday, for the first time in 85 years
there was a Quran recitation inside Haghia Sophia. In November 2015, a young
visitor from Sanliurfa province, Fatih Dortbudak, performed salat (prayer)
inside the museum. As onlookers shared the photo, the hashtag #AyasofyayaOzgurluk
(Freedom to Haghia Sophia) became a trending topic on social media. In December,
Yusuf Halacoglu, the Nationalist Action Party’s deputy parliamentary group
chair, submitted another bill to the Turkish parliament requesting the reopening
of Haghia Sophia as a mosque. He had submitted a bill in November 2013 as well.
Every year on May 29, more extravagant celebrations of Istanbul's conquest and
TV documentaries emphasizing the concept of "perfidious Byzantine" provoke
feelings of entitlement to the Haghia Sophia mosque.
This year, on May 28, thousands gathered in front of Haghia Sophia and prayed
for the building to serve as a mosque. The activists claimed they have gathered
15 million signatures for their cause. It has become such a contentious matter
that when the German government approved a resolution declaring the 2015
Armenian massacre a genocide, senior Justice and Development Party (AKP)
officials suggested tit for tat — that Turkey should now allow Haghia Sophia to
become a mosque.
The most crucial step into opening Haghia Sophia as a mosque was announced June
1. State-owned TV channel TRT informed viewers that they will be broadcasting a
Ramadan show, including a reading of the Quran, from Haghia Sophia every sahur
(predawn meal). The first guest of the show was none other than Mehmet Gormez,
the head of the Turkish Religious Affairs Directorate. He talked about the dome
of Haghia Sophia and explained its importance in Islamic history.
This decision set off the alarm bells among secular Turks and Orthodox
Christians. The Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs promptly issued a statement
expressing concerns over this “regressive” decision showing lack of respect for
a UNESCO World Heritage site. The statement noted that these actions are not
compatible with “modern, democratic and secular societies.”
The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs on June 8 went on the offensive inviting
Greece to “use common sense in its rhetoric and statements,” while accusing them
of not having a mosque in its capital city and hence suppressing the religious
freedoms of Muslims in Thrace.
As the war of words between the two governments continues, the Greek officials
Al-Monitor spoke with asserted this should not be a bilateral matter, taking
their concerns to the European People’s Parliament.
In the meantime, international views are conflicting as well. While the US State
Department commented that Turkey should respect the traditions of Haghia Sophia,
Germany stated that the use of Haghia Sophia is a domestic Turkish matter.
On June 10, when the Turkish media headlines suggested that the Greek consul
general in Istanbul was sent to Haghia Sophia around 2 a.m. to check out the
Quran recital, pro-AKP media outlets lashed out in anger asking how the diplomat
dared to inspect Haghia Sophia.
A Greek diplomat, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told Al-Monitor, “In
the last five years, Turkey has converted three other churches with the name
Haghia Sophia into mosques and senior Turkish government officials keep using
Haghia Sophia on social media and other platforms as a bargaining chip whenever
something goes against their wishes. This is a monumental building with immense
symbolic value for Christians, so we are worried about it becoming a sacrifice
for populist policies.”
Aris Abaci, a researcher in Turkish-Greek relations, told Al-Monitor that both
sides are sticking to their usual style of fighting words, yet he observed that
the rebuttal of the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs this time was different.
Abaci said, “For the first time, we see that the Turkish official language
argues modernity should not be presented as if it is against Islam. It also
indicates that it views Haghia Sophia exclusively from a religious angle.” Abaci
added that both sides are approaching the issue in terms of identity politics,
hence ending up at a zero-sum game.
Angelos Syrigos, an assistant professor of international law and foreign policy
at Panteion University in Athens, agrees that the main fear behind the Greek
reaction is that Haghia Sophia will soon be turned into a mosque. “The reason
for the transformation will be the need of [Turkish President Recep Tayyip]
Erdogan to increase his popularity in view of a referendum that will introduce
Turkey to the presidential system,” he told Al-Monitor.
Ridvan Kaya, the chairman of nongovernmental organization (NGO) Ozgur-Der and a
columnist for Haksoz, approached the matter from a different angle, posing the
question, “Why would it bother the Greeks that it functions as a mosque? Its
real purpose is not served when it was a museum, but that was acceptable. When
it is a mosque, it is not? Why not?” Kaya also explained that most of the
conservative Turks perceived the conversion of a mosque into a museum in the
1930s as the new republic de-Islamizing the country. He said, “Haghia Sophia
symbolizes the conquest of the Ottomans. The republic turning it into a museum
is viewed as ostracizing Islam.”
Murat Ozer, the chairman of NGO Imkander and an art historian, provided a
comprehensive analysis of the situation. Ozer said, “It is a tradition that
those who conquer take over the places of worship and convert them to their own.
Almost all Byzantium churches were converted in Istanbul and then the Christian
population was supported by the sultanate to build new ones. So all existing
Greek Orthodox churches of Istanbul were erected after the conquest. The new
rulers cared not about destroying what was there, but making sure it became a
part of history that could no longer dominate. The main concern is to establish
the power and prestige of the empire to the enemies.”
He emphasized his disapproval of this matter becoming an item for opportunistic
politics. He said, “Historic resources indicate that when the new republic was
established, it was somehow coaxed into handing over Haghia Sophia as a museum.”
Many pundits provide a similar argument: Some blame the Kemalist establishment
for being too eager to fit into the Western civilization, while others insist
Western powers forced it upon Turkey. Either way, it is a matter of
independence. So in this perception, full independence cannot happen unless
Haghia Sophia serves as a mosque.
Ozer added that the best way to preserve a historic building is to keep it in
use. He provided several contemporary examples in Istanbul where a part of a
church is functioning as a mosque, while the other part is a museum. “Since
Haghia Sophia became a museum, it has been under renovation. Yet when it was
functioning as a mosque for over 400 years, it was not deteriorating as fast,”
he said.
A Muslim scholar who asked to remain anonymous told Al-Monitor, “The matter of
Haghia Sophia has been manipulated shamelessly in the last decade. They are
feeding the dream of an Ottoman revival as if one of the cast members of a TV
show will appear to reopen Haghia Sophia as a mosque. For pious Muslims
everywhere, it is really sad to watch this opportunistic propaganda.”
The worrisome question is precisely that: Can Erdogan reverse the process once
the majority of the public is convinced Turkey cannot be independent unless
Haghia Sophia is serving as a mosque?