LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
June 23/16
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
The Bulletin's Link on the lccc Site
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Bible Quotations For Today
Jesus to
the Canaanite woman: ‘Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you
wish.’ And her daughter was healed instantly.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 15/21-28/:"Jesus left
that place and went away to the district of Tyre and Sidon. Just then a
Canaanite woman from that region came out and started shouting, ‘Have mercy on
me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is tormented by a demon.’But he did not
answer her at all. And his disciples came and urged him, saying, ‘Send her away,
for she keeps shouting after us.’He answered, ‘I was sent only to the lost sheep
of the house of Israel.’But she came and knelt before him, saying, ‘Lord, help
me.’He answered, ‘It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the
dogs.’She said, ‘Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from
their masters’ table.’Then Jesus answered her, ‘Woman, great is your faith! Let
it be done for you as you wish.’ And her daughter was healed instantly.
You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, the hand of the Lord is
against you, and you will be blind for a while, unable to see the sun.’
Acts of the Apostles 12/25.13,1-12/:"Then after completing their mission
Barnabas and Saul returned to Jerusalem and brought with them John, whose other
name was Mark.Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers:
Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a member of the
court of Herod the ruler, and Saul. While they were worshipping the Lord and
fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work
to which I have called them.’ Then after fasting and praying they laid their
hands on them and sent them off. So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they
went down to Seleucia; and from there they sailed to Cyprus. When they arrived
at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. And
they had John also to assist them. When they had gone through the whole island
as far as Paphos, they met a certain magician, a Jewish false prophet, named
Bar-Jesus. He was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man, who
summoned Barnabas and Saul and wanted to hear the word of God. But the magician
Elymas (for that is the translation of his name) opposed them and tried to turn
the proconsul away from the faith. But Saul, also known as Paul, filled with the
Holy Spirit, looked intently at him. and said, ‘You son of the devil, you
enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop
making crooked the straight paths of the Lord?
And now listen the hand of the Lord is against you, and you will be blind for a
while, unable to see the sun.’ Immediately mist and darkness came over him, and
he went about groping for someone to lead him by the hand. When the proconsul
saw what had happened, he believed, for he was astonished at the teaching about
the Lord.
Pope Francis's Tweet For Today
Being Christian involves joining one’s own life, in all its aspects, to the
person of Jesus and, through Him, to the Father.
Être chrétien signifie lier sa propre vie, dans chacun de ses aspects, à la
personne de Jésus et, à travers Lui, au Père.
أن نكون مسيحيين، يعني أن نربط حياتنا، بجميع جوانبها، بشخص يسوع، ومن خلاله، بالآب.
Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials
from miscellaneous sources published on June 22-23/16
The American Camp Against Iran/Abdulrahman Al-Rashed/Asharq
Al Awsat/June 22/16
Jordan’s enemy within defies US anti ISIS wall/DEBKAfile/June 22/16
The National Iranian American Council (NIAC)/Majid Rafizadeh/Gatestone
Institute/June 22/16
Is Russia Really a Threat to Brexit/Con Coughlin/Gatestone Institute/June 22/16
Palestinian Writer: The Jewish And Palestinian Extremists Play Into Each Other's
Hands/MEMRI//June 22/16
The American camp against Tehran/Abdulrahman al-Rashed/Al Arabiya/June 22/16
Bin Laden defending Iran/Turki Aldakhil/Al Arabiya/June 22/16
Why summits and entrepreneurs must stand with refugees/Yara al-Wazir/Al Arabiya/June
22/16
Will Hilary Clinton re-establish the US position in the Middle East/Dr. Azeem
Ibrahim/Al Arabiya/June 22/16
Prove Islamic State a False Prophet/Dennis Ross/USA Today/The Washington
Institute/June 22/16
Activism in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: Clouds and Wind, but No
Rain/Michael Herzog/The Washington Institute/June 22/16
Israeli president, Rivlin to EU Parliament: 'French initiative suffers from very
fundamental faults'/Ynetnews/June 22/16
Sheikh Of Al-Azhar Ahmad Al-Tayyeb: In Islam, Unrepentant Apostates Should Be
Killed; Homosexuality Is A Disease/MEMRI/June 22/16
Titles For Latest Lebanese Related News published on
June 22-23/16
In the matter of the Kataeb latest
soap opera
Lebanese Army Slowly Crushing Extremists near Syria Border
Geagea Rejects 'New Doha Accord', Says Talking to Mustaqbal on Aoun's Bid
Joint Committees Fail to Draft Electoral Law, as Adwan Suggests MPs Vote for One
Report: Petroleum Authority Says Lebanon's Southern Oil Fields are 'Promising'
Tripoli MP Robert Fadel Submits Official Resignation
Kaag Visits Refugee Camp of Rashidieh, Expresses Worry over Living Conditions
Gunfight Dispute between Two Families in Dahiyeh Injures a Man
Patriarch to visit St. Anthony Maronite Church
Hariri: Lebanese Keen on Arab Identity, Won't Betray Brothers, KSA
Interior Minister inspects Ramlet al Bayda beach
Democratic Left Movement stages sit in facing ESCWA
Rifi from Oslo pushes for abolishing death penalty in Lebanon
Ambassadors of France, Pakistan meet Sami Gemayel
Fire ravages thousands of meters of Akkar forest
Car accident leaves one dead in Al Qaser
Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin For
Miscellaneous Reports And News published on
June 22-23/16
Zarif only represents mullahs’ murderous theocracy & main supporter of
international terrorism
Rally planned in Paris against trip by Iran regime’s FM
Steve McCabe: Executions in Iran prove Rouhani is not a moderate
Liberman denies poor ties with US delaying defense package, says deal likely by
November
Kerry talks with US diplomats who urged Syria strikes
Assad Names New Prime Minister
Egypt Govt. Appeals Court Block on Saudi Islands Deal
Fallujah Nearly Cleared of IS Militants but Aid Effort Flounders
Last Push for Votes as EU Leaders Warn over Brexit
25 Civilians Killed in Raids on Syria IS Bastion Raqa
Libya Clashes, Blast at Ammunition Depot Kill More than 60
Yemen Rebels Demand Consensus President in Any Peace Deal
Hamas: Turkey dropped condition that Israel lift Gaza siege before normalization
Turkey Says Normalization Deal Depends on Israel
Turkish FM says meetings with Hamas will continue
Putin says Russia must strengthen as ‘aggressive’ NATO approaches
British MP Jo Cox killed for political views, husband says
Links From Jihad Watch Site for
June 22-23/16
Hugh Fitzgerald: The New York Times and “The Aching and Obvious
Question of Why”
Gay lover says Mateen’s jihadist rampage was really an HIV revenge rampage
Jordanian Deputy PM warns Islamic State is infiltrating the Syrian refugees:
“This is war”
US Muslim reported Orlando jihadi to FBI, disregarding Hamas-linked CAIR’s call
to Muslims not to talk to FBI
Escaped Yazidi sex slave: “Not one Muslim country has labeled the Islamic State
an infidel group”
Nonie Darwish Moment: Why Moderate Muslims Can’t Destroy ISIS
Reading the Qur’an during Ramadan 18: Juz Qad aflaha
Lynch: “Most effective response to terror is compassion, unity, and love”
Indiana: Muslim teen attempted to join the Islamic State, shopped for pressure
cookers
AG Loretta Lynch: Orlando gunman’s motive may never be known
Illinois state government set to establish Muslim-American Advisory Council
Muslim former FBI agent who refused to wiretap fellow Muslims now
Homeland Security Adviser
June 22-23/16
In the matter of the Kataeb latest soap opera:
Rogers Bejjani/June 22/16
1. Samy's show proved meaningless since a resignation is only valid, official
and final when it is formulated in writing and is accepted by the President of
the Republic. Since the Kataeb do not intend to formulate it in writing under
the pretext of the Presidential vacancy, the whole show is the least we can say
ephemeris! It turned sour quite immediately. The Kataeb Ministers could have
boycotted the ministerial council (hypothetically) instead of going through a
badly thought off process.
2. Gereige, Azzi and Hakim were picked by the Kataeb as ministers. They would
have never become ministers otherwise. Ethically, democratically, morally....
They should follow the lead of the political party that appointed them
ministers. Right or wrong.
This situation does not apply to Ashraf Riffi, since the latter did formulate in
writing his resignation and unlike the Kataeb ministers, he represented an
obvious weight in his community Independently from the Mustaqbal.
To their credit, the Kataeb resignation show was as entertaining as the
countless Ramadan TV shows.
Lebanese Army Slowly Crushing
Extremists near Syria Border
Associated Press/Naharnet/June 22/16/In a remote corner of Lebanon near the
border with Syria, Lebanese troops have been quietly making steady progress,
fighting against Islamic extremists holed up in the rugged mountains. It is a
fight less visible than the war against the Islamic State group in Syria, Iraq
and Libya. But hardly a day passes without army artillery stationed on the edge
of the town of Arsal pounding nearby militant positions. Aided directly by the
United States and Britain — and indirectly by Hizbullah and the Syrian army
working on the other side of the border — the under-equipped Lebanese military
has registered steady successes against the militants. In recent months,
Lebanese armed forces have clawed back significant territory once held by IS and
al-Qaida's branch in Syria, known as the Nusra Front, and have killed and
detained hundreds of extremists, forcing many others to flee. According to the
army, the militants still hold about 50 square kilometers of land in the border
area, compared with 20 times this size in the months after Syria's conflict
began. On a tour of the area with the army this week, an Associated Press team
saw army positions set up every few hundred meters. Tanks and armored personnel
carriers with heavy machine guns could be seen pointing toward the extremists'
positions. Most of the activity is around the border town of Arsal, which the
militants briefly took over in August 2014. After five days of deadly fighting,
the military pushed them out to the town's outskirts and into the surrounding
mountains and has been battling them ever since.
Nearly 5,000 troops are now deployed in and around Arsal. They keep a close eye
on any suspicious activity by the extremists who avoid movement during the day.
Giant observation towers as well as many fortifications have been erected.
U.S.-provided drones feed information to the army command near Beirut. Dozens of
Lebanese troops have been killed or wounded over the months of fighting. During
the AP tour, a first lieutenant peered through binoculars toward areas
controlled by the Islamic State group on the edge of Arsal when he spotted a
vehicle moving several miles way. "It's the tanker truck," the officer told some
of the troops in the front-line position, referring to an identified vehicle
owned by a Lebanese man who has a permit to cross into IS-controlled areas,
where he owns plots of lands. "Had it been a truck with a machine gun on top of
it we would have dealt with it immediately," said another officer, pointing to
two 130 mm guns that are always ready to fire. The Lebanese military, generally
seen as a unifying force in a country divided along political and sectarian
lines, has received support and military assistance from the West. The U.S. and
Britain have supplied the military with helicopters, anti-tank missiles,
artillery and radars, as well as training. The American Embassy says the U.S.
has provided Lebanon with over $1.4 billion in security assistance since 2005.
"The American assistance has been the most serious and most effective," said
Hisham Jaber, a retired army general who heads the Middle East Center for
Studies and Political Research in Beirut.
The stepped-up assistance came after Saudi Arabia announced in February it was
halting deals worth $4 billion aimed at equipping and supporting the Lebanese
military, in retaliation for stances by Hizbullah and Lebanon's foreign
ministry. Syrian forces and Hizbullah fighters have also helped the fight by
clearing the militants from areas in Syria across the border from Arsal, hurting
supplies for those in Lebanon. Arsal is home to tens of thousands of Syrian
refugees and in the early days of the Syrian conflict, which began in March
2011, became a major crossing point for arms smuggling to help Syrian rebels
fighting to topple Syrian President Bashar Assad. On August 2, 2014, some 2,000
members of IS and the Nusra Front overran Lebanese army positions as well as
Arsal and captured two dozen policemen and army soldiers and took them to the
fields outside the town. Four of the captured troops were killed. "This (attack)
was a turning point and the Lebanese army command decided to put limits on those
criminal terrorists and to repel them and prevent any effect they might have on
mainland Lebanon," said Brig. Gen. Mohammed al-Hassan, commander of the 8th
Infantry Brigade that is deployed in the Arsal area. Since then, the military
has slowly recovered all strategic hills overlooking Arsal, surrounding it from
all sides and separating the town from the outskirts held by IS and Nusra Front.
Al-Hassan said that just before the 2014 attack on Arsal, IS and the Nusra Front
had some 7,000 fighters, whereas today there are about 900 IS gunmen and some
400 for the Nusra Front. "We have killed about 500, captured 700 and the rest
fled," al-Hassan said.
Geagea Rejects 'New Doha
Accord', Says Talking to Mustaqbal on Aoun's Bid
Naharnet/June 22/16/Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea has stressed that he
rejects any inclination to forge a Doha Accord-like political settlement,
warning that such a move would be “destructive.”“It is true that the current
political system is suffering from problems but no one has said that they have
an alternative system,” said Geagea in an interview with the Kuwaiti al-Rai
newspaper. “Any attempt to call for a new Doha Accord to introduce system
changes in favor of a certain Lebanese group at the expense of another would be
unacceptable and destructive, regardless whether it comes amid peaceful
circumstances or after a security unrest,” Geagea added. “Some parties are
currently calling for such changes and not for a new political system,” he
noted. “It would be wise and rational to respect the current system, regardless
of its flaws, because the calamities we are facing are the result of failure to
abide by this system,” Geagea added. And noting that some parties are
“paralyzing the current system,” the LF leader pointed out that the country
would not have faced a political crisis had a president and a new parliament
been elected on time. Responding to a question, Geagea said that Hizbullah is
“obstructing the presidential election.” “This was especially confirmed after
our nomination of (Free Patriotic Movement founder) General Michel Aoun,” the LF
chief added. The Doha Accord was an agreement reached by rival Lebanese factions
on May 21, 2008 in Doha, Qatar. The agreement marked the end of an 18-month-long
political crisis and followed deadly armed clashes in the country. The accord
involved the election of a consensus president, the formation of a national
unity government, and holding parliamentary elections under an amended version
of the 1960 electoral law. Speaker Nabih Berri has reportedly proposed reaching
a new “Lebanese Doha accord” among the rival parties in a bid to end the current
political and constitutional crises. Asked about the recent talks between LF
media officer Melhem Riachi and al-Mustaqbal Movement leader ex-PM Saad Hariri,
Geagea underlined that “dialogue with al-Mustaqbal Movement has not been severed
and will never be severed.” “It has foundations that cannot be destroyed by any
storm,” he said. Geagea also described the election of Aoun as “the only way to
end the presidential deadlock,” revealing that “dialogue with al-Mustaqbal is
revolving around this point.” “Until the moment, al-Mustaqbal Movement fears
that such a choice would be a leap into the unknown... but what unknown is
bigger than the one we are going through today?” the LF leader added. Lebanon
has been without a president since the term of Michel Suleiman ended in May 2014
and Hizbullah, the FPM and some of their allies have been boycotting the
parliament's electoral sessions, stripping them of the needed quorum. Hariri
launched late an initiative in late 2015 to nominate Marada Movement chief MP
Suleiman Franjieh for the presidency but his proposal was met with reservations
from the country's main Christian parties as well as Hizbullah. Hariri's move
was followed by Geagea's endorsement of his long-time Christian foe Aoun for the
presidency after a rapprochement deal was reached between their two parties.
Joint Committees Fail to
Draft Electoral Law, as Adwan Suggests MPs Vote for One
Naharnet/June 22/16/The joint parliamentary committees tasked with drafting an
electoral law failed to achieve that purpose on Tuesday and scheduled the
upcoming session to July 13. Lebanese Forces MP George Adwan made a suggestion
that MPs vote at the parliament's general secretariat for the electoral law they
deem appropriate, otherwise reconsider the initiative launched by Speaker Nabih
Berri. Adwan's proposal was rejected by Free Patriotic Movement MP Alain Aoun
who said: “We will not accept voting on any kind of electoral law before voting
on the Orthodox law.”The Orthodox law calls for each sect to elect its own MPs
under a proportional representation system based on a nationwide district.
Wednesday's session failed to achieve the desired goal, in light of the
conflicting opinions between the political parties. The FPM, Hizbullah and the
AMAL movement support a proportional representation draft-law, meanwhile al-Mustaqbal
bloc rejects it.Speaker Nabih Berri's initiative aims at ending the political
impasse in the country. He called for shortening the term of parliament and that
the elections be held based on the 1960 law should political forces fail to
agree on a new electoral one. He also called for staging the presidential
elections after the parliamentary ones and forming a national unity government.
But during a meeting of the national dialogue parties Tuesday, Berri had warned
against the same suggestion he called for earlier. He cautioned that holding the
next parliamentary elections under the 1960 electoral law, would make the
citizens “take to the streets” to reject such a move.” For his part, MP Farid
Makari said after the joint committees meeting: “There is no electoral law
appropriate for all. A good law is one that is appropriate for the country.”
Hizbullah MP Ali Fayyad reiterated that the “proportional representation
draft-law” is better than any other.
Report: Petroleum
Authority Says Lebanon's Southern Oil Fields are 'Promising'
Naharnet/June 22/16/Lebanon's oil exploration file is back to the forefront
after it was shadowed by the overall paralysis governing the country, at a time
when Israel is about to start its oil production which threatens to syphon off
Lebanon's oil and gas where the fields overlap. Lebanon's petroleum authority
has finally obtained “seismic” surveys conducted by one of the foreign companies
tasked since 2002 for that purpose. The surveys show that the oil reservoirs in
the southern region are promising especially blocs 8 and 9, al-Joumhouria daily
reported on Wednesday. The new information is based on surveys obtained by the
six-member petroleum authority which has analyzed the data and submitted it to
Speaker Nabih Berri, PM Tammam Salam and Energy Minister Arthur Nazarian,
sources of the authority told the daily. They pointed out that the report
revealed new information which proves the presence of oil in the sea, mainly in
bloc 8, and that the authority had no information about it before that. The
findings have renewed the authority's concerns that Israel would take advantage
of this wealth, particularly where the oil and gas fields overlap, in light of
the political inaction in dealing with this file. It voiced calls to speed up
the exploration and extraction to cut the road short on Israel's hopes. Lebanon
and Israel are bickering over a zone that consists of about 854 square
kilometers and suspected energy reserves that could generate billions of
dollars. Lebanon has been slow to exploit its maritime resources compared with
other eastern Mediterranean countries. Israel, Cyprus and Turkey are all much
more advanced in drilling for oil and gas. In March 2010, the U.S. Geological
Survey estimated a mean of 1.7 billion barrels of recoverable oil and a mean of
34.5 trillion cubic meters of recoverable gas in the Levant Basin in the eastern
Mediterranean, which includes the territorial waters of Lebanon, Israel, Syria
and Cyprus. In August 2014, the government postponed for the fifth time the
first round of licensing for gas exploration over a political dispute. The
disagreements were over the designation of blocks open for bidding and the terms
of a draft exploration agreement. Lebanese officials have continuously warned
that Israel's exploration of new offshore gas fields near Lebanese territorial
waters means the Jewish state is syphoning some of Lebanon's crude oil. Beirut
argues that a maritime map it submitted to the U.N. is in line with an armistice
accord drawn up in 1949, an agreement which is not contested by Israel.
Tripoli MP Robert Fadel
Submits Official Resignation
Naharnet/June 22/16/MP Robert Fadel submitted his written and official
resignation on Wednesday and stressed that he will not carry on his duties as a
lawmaker but at the same time assured that he will not give up on politics.
“From now on, I consider myself a resigned MP and I will not carry out my duties
as a lawmaker,” said Fadel after submitting his resignation to the parliament's
general secretariat. “However, I have not resigned from my political work for
the sake of my country,” he added. The Tripoli MP announced late in May his
resignation from parliament, protesting the surprising results of the municipal
elections in the northern city in which no Christian candidates managed to win
seats on the municipal council. A list backed by resigned Justice Minister
Ashraf Rifi clinched 18 seats on the municipal council. Christian and Alawite
candidates representing the city's two minorities failed to win any seats, which
is a first in the history of Tripoli's municipal elections. “My resignation
gives me freedom and allows me to play a bigger role in reforming the political
culture in Lebanon,” concluded the MP.
Kaag Visits Refugee Camp of
Rashidieh, Expresses Worry over Living Conditions
Naharnet/June 22/16/United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon Sigrid Kaag
expressed concern over the dire living conditions in the Palestinian refugee
camp of Rashidieh in southern Lebanon, a statement said on Wednesday. Kaag
expressed her concern and "reaffirmed that the United Nations, through UNWRA,
will continue to support Palestine refugees hosted in Lebanon," the statement
said. Kaag had visited the camp on Tuesday, during which she met with
representatives of Rashidieh’s popular factions who briefed her on the
conditions of the camp and the socio-economic difficulties facing its residents.
She also toured the camp’s health center, visited school facilities and a
women’s center. Rashidieh, located south of the coastal city of Tyre, was built
by UNRWA in 1963 to accommodate Palestine refugees who were evacuated from
Gouraud camp in the Baalbek area of Lebanon. Most of the inhabitants of
Rashidieh camp originally come from Deir al-Qassi, Alma an-Naher and other
villages in northern Palestine. It was heavily affected during the Lebanese
civil war, especially between 1982 and 1987. Nearly 600 shelters were totally or
partially destroyed and more than 5,000 refugees were displaced. Remaining
shelters need serious rehabilitation. Employment opportunities are very limited.
Most residents work seasonally in agriculture and construction.
Gunfight Dispute between Two
Families in Dahiyeh Injures a Man
Naharnet/June 22/16/A man was injured in the head in a gunfight dispute that
erupted in south Beirut's neighborhood of al-Jamous, the state-run National News
Agency reported on Wednesday. According to NNA, the fighting broke out between
the Jaafar and Moqdad families at midnight in the Dahiyeh neighborhood. The man
was hit in his head and was transported to the hospital. The reason behind the
incident remains unknown. The Lebanese army cordoned off the area and efforts to
track down the culprits continue.
Patriarch to visit St. Anthony Maronite Church
By Paul Tennant ptennant@eagletribune.com
LAWRENCE/June 22/16/ — Members of Greater Lawrence's large Lebanese community
will host a prominent visitor from their ancestral homeland Friday.
Cardinal Bechara Peter Rai, the spiritual leader of all Maronite Christians, is
expected to land at Lawrence Airport at 2:15 p.m. Rai, whose official title is
Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, is making a pastoral visit to Maronite
Christians in the United States. He will be flying to Lawrence from Buffalo,
N.Y. The patriarch will meet and greet parishioners at St. Anthony Maronite
Church, 145 Amesbury St., from 5 to 6:30 p.m., when he will celebrate the Divine
Liturgy (Mass). St. Anthony Church, with about 1,200 families, is one of the
largest parishes in the Eparchy (Diocese) of St. Maron of Brooklyn, according to
Monsignor Peter Aziz, the pastor. The eparchy comprises the eastern United
States. Most Lebanese Catholics belong to either the Maronite or Melkite rite.
Both rites are Catholic and in full communion with the Vatican. The majority of
Catholics in the Merrimack Valley belong to the Latin rite and are part of the
Archdiocese of Boston. The Most Rev. Robert Hennessey, regional bishop for the
Merrimack Valley; Bishop Nicholas Samra, eparch of the Melkite Catholic Eparchy
of Newton; and other religious leaders have been invited to attend the Divine
Liturgy, Azar said. Mayor Daniel Rivera is expected to greet the patriarch at
Lawrence Airport and present a proclamation to him. "We are very blessed," said
Peter Sarkis, a parishioner of St. Anthony Church. "I've heard nothing but good
things about him (Rai)." People who knew Rai when he was a bishop in Lebanon
describe him as a "man of the people," he said.
The patriarch's visit will remind the Maronite community in the Merrimack Valley
that "we are not alone," he said. Rai's last name in Arabic means shepherd,
according to Azar. "We couldn't ask for a better shepherd," Sarkis said. The
patriarch, he explained, is "our direct connection to the pope." Rai was elected
patriarch by his fellow Maronite bishops March 15, 2011. Pope Benedict XVI
appointed him to the College of Cardinals on Nov. 24, 2012.Rai succeeded
Cardinal Nasrallah Peter Sfeir as Maronite patriarch. Sarkis noted Sfeir visited
Lawrence in 2006. "That, too, was a tremendous honor," he said.
Hariri: Lebanese Keen on Arab
Identity, Won't Betray Brothers, KSA
Al-Mustaqbal Movement leader ex-PM Saad Hariri stressed Wednesday that the
Lebanese are “keen on their Arab identity” and that they will not “betray their
brothers, especially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”“Our only project is the State
project. We are the movement of moderation and the rejection of sectarian
sedition. We are the movement that is keen on Lebanon's Arab identity,” said
Hariri during an iftar banquet he held at the Rafik Hariri University in Mechref
in honor of families from Iqlim al-Kharroub. “We will stand in the face of any
scheme aimed at undermining Lebanon's ties with its Arab brothers... We reject
any Iranian hegemony over Lebanon's domestic and foreign policies,” he added.
“The Lebanese rejected the hegemony of the Syrian regime over Lebanon although
it carried the slogan of Arabism, so what do you think they will do in the face
of Iran's hegemony attempts under the slogans of defiance and resistance?”
Hariri went on to say. He also reminded that “Lebanon's Arab identity was
settled” in the 1989 Taef Accord that ended the country's 15-year civil war.
“Any party or armed organization in Lebanon will not be able to force the
Lebanese to accept the approach of surrendering to the Iranian policies,” added
Hariri, referring to Tehran and its Lebanese ally Hizbullah. “The Lebanese who
are keen on their Arab identity will not betray their brothers, especially the
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, no matter how high the voices of bias and
ungratefulness might be,” the ex-PM vowed.
Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has repeatedly lashed out at Saudi
Arabia in recent months over its policies in Yemen, Bahrain, Iraq and Syria and
the kingdom has responded by labeling the party as a terrorist group and by
halting $4 billion in aid for Lebanon's army and security forces. Nasrallah also
criticizes Bahrain's rulers on a regular basis over Manama's crackdown on the
kingdom's Shiite-led protest movement.
Catholic Patriarch pledges spiritual workshop within church
Wed 22 Jun 2016/NNA - Catholic Patriarch Gregory III Lahham vowed on Wednesday
to venture into a spiritual workshop inside the Church, describing the current
tension as a passing cloud. "We shall restore love, and history shall be the
witness," Lahham said during a TV interview. "We will seek to draw a new roadmap
for our church, through dialogue and understanding," he pledged. "We have
suspended Synod sessions due to lack of quorum and we will agree on a date
later," he added, calling media to play a constructive role to avoid strife. As
to his resignation, Lahham indicated that all issues would be discussed during
the Synod.
Interior Minister inspects Ramlet al Bayda beach
Wed 22 Jun 2016/NNA - Minister of Interior and Municipalities, Nouhad Machnouk,
visited on Wednesday Ramlet al-Bayda beach to make sure that the beach remains
open for the public after rumors that new property was being built there. It
turned out that a small hut built on private property has been removed.
Democratic Left Movement
stages sit in facing ESCWA
Wed 22 Jun 2016/NNA - The Democratic Left Movement staged a sit-in on Wednesday
evening outside ESCWA headquarters in Beirut protesting the election of Israel
to chair the UN's 6th Committee (Legal Committee). Protesters handed concerned
sides a memo deploring the matter and received promises to have their memo
referred to the competent authorities at the United Nations.
Rifi from Oslo pushes for
abolishing death penalty in Lebanon
Wed 22 Jun 2016 /NNA - Minister of Justice, Ashraf Rifi, currently taking part
in the 6th World Congress Against the Death Penalty at the Opera House of Oslo,
Norway, delivered a speech in which he stressed that this penalty was not a
deterrent to crime. "The death penalty must be deleted from the Lebanese law in
accordance with modern laws and in line with the international will to cancel
this sanction," Rifi said. "The diligence of Lebanese courts shows that they are
going to decrease the death penalty and replace it with that of hard labor for
life," he added. Rifi also noted that Lebanon was permanently committed to
respect for the dignity of man and his right to a decent life.
Ambassadors of France,
Pakistan meet Sami Gemayel
Wed 22 Jun 2016/NNA - Kataeb Party leader, MP Sami Gemayel, received on
Wednesday at the party’s headquarters in Saifi, the Ambassador of France,
Emmanuel Bonne, with discussions focused on the dialogue table and about the
possibility of finding solutions to the current crisis in preparation for the
visit of the French Foreign Minister to Lebanon, Jean-Marc Ayrault. The pair
also discussed a number of ecological issues, especially that Lebanon is linked
to a series of agreements that commit to meeting international standards.
On another level, Gemayel met with the Ambassador of Pakistan, Aftab Koker, with
whom he discussed the regional situation.
Fire ravages thousands of meters of Akkar forest
Wed 22 Jun 2016 /NNA - A huge fire broke out today in the Akkar town of Adbel,
ravaging 2 thousand meters of forests, National News Agency correspondent
reported on Wednesday. Firemen from Halba Civil Defense rushed to the scene to
extinguish the blaze.
Car accident leaves one dead
in Al Qaser
Wed 22 Jun 2016/NNA - A Lebanese citizen from Wadi Khaled, named Hamza Dargham,
met his fate in a car accident in Al-Qaser region of Salat Al-Maa' on Wednesday
evening, NNA field reporter said.
Latest LCCC Bulletin For Miscellaneous Reports And News published
on June 22-23/16
Zarif only represents
mullahs’ murderous theocracy & main supporter of international terrorism
National Council of Resistance of Iran/Tuesday, 21 June 2016
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/2016/06/22/national-council-of-resistance-of-iran-zarif-only-represents-mullahs-murderous-theocracy-main-supporter-of-international-terrorism/
Increasing crises, futureless status of mullahs’ regime & indispensable defeat
of investing in such a state
The Iranian Resistance strongly condemns the visits to Paris and The Hague made
by Mohammad Javad Zarif, the foreign minister of the religious fascism ruling
Iran, describing it as against human rights, democracy and peace in Iran and the
entire Middle East. The report card of the government that Zarif represents
speaks for itself:
- At least 2,400 executions under the tenure of the regime’s President Hassan
Rouhani – The U.N. Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Iran in his latest
report said around 1,000 people were executed in 2015, resembling the highest
figure in the past 25 years.
- Juvenile executions – According to the U.N. Special Rapporteur the execution
of juveniles in 2014-2015 reached the highest rate in the past five years.
- Increasing crackdown and detention of writers, reporters and artists.
- Intensifying oppression and execution against religious/ethnic minorities
including the Kurds, Arabs, Baluchis and Sunnis.
- Dispatching thousands of armed forces to Syria in a comprehensive show of
military and economic support for the Levant dictator. Some 70,000 Revolutionary
Guards and their hired foreign mercenaries are busy massacring the Syrian people
as we speak.
- Continuing ballistic missile tests in complete violation of U.N. Security
Council Resolution 2231.
On the other hand, the crises of this regime, especially following the nuclear
agreement, have unprecedentedly escalated and the mullahs’ regime has become
significantly weaker and more fragile than ever before in the face of
intensifying social protests, and any investment in this regime is doomed to
fail. The regime’s Supreme leader Ali Khamenei on June 19th once again
reiterated his regime’s nightmare of nationwide uprisings.
“The universities have turned into platforms for divergence from the meanings
and values of the revolution… anyone who challenges the establishment under any
pretext such as elections is an uncertain individual and has no qualification to
appear in the universities,” he said.
The appointment of Ahmad Jannati, one of the most hardline extremists and
criminals known for his die-hard loyalty to Khamenei, who already is chair of
the ultraconservative Guardian Council, as the head of the Assembly of Experts
completely eliminated any illusion of moderation in Iran. Such a notion was
boasted and campaigned with motivated intentions for specific interests by the
regime and a portion of its Western supporters.
On May 13 Zarif described Mustafa Badreddin, the senior Lebanese Hezbollah
commander in Syria recently killed near Damascus, as a “great and tireless man”
and “full of love, sensation and epic in defending the rightful causes of
Islam.” Back in January 2014 Zarif laid a wreath and paid his respects to former
Hezbollah military commander Emad Muqniye.
Zarif cannot distance himself from the regime’s fundamental functions through
various pretexts such as the existence of different factions inside the regime,
and as a result flee from his responsibilities regarding the regime’s crimes
inside Iran and abroad. He must be held accountable for the regime’s actions in
the field of human rights, terrorism and sending thousands of armed forces to
Syria. Any increase in economic relations with the Iranian regime must be
conditioned on specific and practical steps taken by Tehran to improve human
rights, halting the regime’s meddling in the region and its support for
terrorism. Investing in relations with the mullahs is tantamount to beating a
dead horse.
National Council of Resistance of Iran
Foreign Affairs Committee/June 21, 2016
Rally planned in Paris against trip by Iran regime’s FM
Tuesday, 21 June 2016/NCRI - Iranians living in Paris are planning a rally on
Wednesday, June 22 simultaneous with the trip to France by the Iranian regime’s
Foreign Minister Javad Zarif. They will protest against the widespread and
arbitrary executions in Iran and against the mullahs’ continued interference in
Syria. Despite the world powers’ nuclear deal with the Iranian regime, Hassan
Rohani's government continues to torture and hang prisoners. Iran remains the
number one state executioner per capita. Furthermore the mullahs’ regime is the
main backer for Bashar al-Assad’s regime which is massacring the people of Syria
on a daily basis. Zarif is the representative and instrument of the mullahs’
Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in his extremist agenda. Representatives of
Franco-Iranian associations and human rights organizations will participate in
the rally in Paris’ Place de Panthéon on Wednesday at 10.30 am to condemn the
presence of Javad Zarif in France. Participants in the gathering will join the
270 Members of the European Parliament who called last week on EU countries
including France to condition the continuation of relations with Iran’s regime
to a halt to executions. The protesters will also ask the international
community to put an end to interference by the Iranian regime’s Revolutionary
Guards in Syria. They will also declare their support for the major “Free Iran”
gathering scheduled to take place in Paris on July 9.
Steve McCabe: Executions in
Iran prove Rouhani is not a moderate
Tuesday, 21 June 2016/NCRI - British lawmaker Stephen McCabe has encouraged
international support for a major "Free Iran" gathering planned in Paris on July
9. Mr. McCabe, a Member of Parliament from the United Kingdom's Labour Party, in
a video message said he is "very concerned" about the human rights abuses in
Iran. "There's been some 1000 executions in Iran in the last year," Mr. McCabe
said, adding that regime's disrespect for human rights and international law
shows that the mullahs' President Hassan Rouhani is not a 'moderate' as some in
the West claim he is.Mr. McCabe said he plans to attend the July 9 event in
Paris in solidarity with the Iranian people and their democratic Resistance
movement led by Mrs. Maryam Rajavi. Contrary to earlier assessments, a year
after the nuclear deal between the P5+1 countries and the clerical regime,
Tehran’s belligerence in the region has become more widespread, the human rights
situation in Iran has deteriorated and the regime has become ever more closed
and introverted.The major gathering of Iranians and their international
supporters, which will be attended by hundreds of senior political dignitaries,
parliamentarians, human rights and women's rights activists and religious
leaders from the United States, Europe, and Islamic countries, is scheduled to
address this and other pertinent questions and to offer solutions.
Liberman denies poor ties
with US delaying defense package, says deal likely by November
Jerusalem Post/June 22/16/FORT WORTH, TEXAS - Negotiations between the Prime
Minister's Office and the White House's National Security Council on the coming
decade's American defense assistance package to Israel will likely conclude with
a deal by November this year, Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman told military
reporters here on Tuesday. Liberman denied reports saying that talks were
stalled because of poor bilateral diplomatic relations, saying that they were at
the very last stages before a deal. "The Americans are well aware of the threats
we face, the terrorism that exists of every kind, on our borders, and of Iran's
destabilization efforts," Liberman said. He affirmed that Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu was leading the talks for the defense assistance package,
known as the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), but that he had found an
"existing situation" of talks at an advanced stage during his visit to the US,
and had helped further them along. "There is full coordination between the prime
minister and myself in this field. The prime minister is managing the talks,"
Liberman said. He also offered rare praise for his predecessor, Moshe Ya'alon,
for what he described as good management of previous contacts with the US over
the MOU. "The talks are being run well and correctly," he said. "There are
concerns in the Israeli defense industries... [but] my assessment is that this
will be concluded by November," Liberman said. Part of Israel's decision to
purchase an additional 17 F-35 aircraft in addition to the 50 it already
acquired lies in how the MOU talks pan out, Liberman said, since a good portion
of the jets will be paid for using American defense aid. "We will try to
purchase the additional jets," Liberman said. Liberman said he was interested in
hearing the views of US Defense Secretary Ash Carter, who has spent decades in
the American defense industry, adding that the two traded perspectives on a
range of Middle East security developments. Despite its small size, he said,
Israel has won American appreciation for its ability to share high quality
intelligence, and its technological innovations in the world of defense.
Kerry talks with US diplomats
who urged Syria strikes
AFP, Washington Wednesday, 22 June 2016/Secretary of State John Kerry sat down
Tuesday for an exchange of views with the US diplomats who challenged White
House policy and called for air strikes on Syria. Last week, some 50 mid-level
US officials signed a so-called “dissent channel” cable calling for military
action to force Syria’s Bashar al-Assad to agree to peace talks. Rather than
express annoyance at the rebuke, Kerry dubbed the memo “very good,” fueling
speculation in Washington that he too is frustrated with President Barack
Obama’s cautious policy. While widely reported, the contents of the cable remain
classified, so State Department spokesman John Kirby has refused to address the
issues raised by the dissident diplomats. But on Tuesday, he confirmed that
Kerry had met with 10 of the memo’s authors. Kerry was mostly in “listening
mode,” Kirby said, but there was an exchange of views. “I believe the secretary
came away feeling that it was a good discussion and that it was worth having,”
Kirby said. “He appreciated their views and -- just as critically -- their firm
belief in the opportunity that they have to express those views. “And so, they
had a good 30-minute or more conversation.” The US military is engaged in Syria,
but US air strike planners and US-backed militia fighters are concentrating
their fire on the violent extremist IS group. Assad, meanwhile, is hammering the
moderate opposition, with support from Russia. Many US diplomats now feel more
must be done to bring an end to the five-year-old civil war. There is no sign
that Obama, with only seven months left in his presidency, wants to open up a
new and dangerous front in America’s troubled military interventions in the
Middle East. But Kirby -- while repeating the administration’s mantra that
“there is no military solution to this conflict” -- said it would be “imprudent
and irresponsible... not to consider other options.” “And those other options
are still, and have been, and are still being considered,” he added.
Assad Names New Prime
Minister
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/June 22/16/Syrian President Bashar Assad on
Wednesday named electricity minister Imad Khamis as the new prime minister of
the war-ravaged country. Assad tasked Khamis with forming a new government, the
official news agency SANA reported. He is to submit his proposal for new
ministerial appointments in the coming days. The 54-year-old engineer replaces
Wael al-Halqi who had held the post since August 2012. The changes come two
months after Assad's Baath party and its allies won a majority of seats in
parliamentary elections dismissed internationally as a sham. Khamis had served
as Syria's minister of electricity since 2011 and is an electrical engineer by
trade. Since March 2012, he has been sanctioned by the European Union, which
accuses him of sharing "responsibility for the regime's violent repression
against the civilian population." Syria's conflict began in 2011 with widespread
protests demanding reform but has since escalated into a bloody civil war that
has left 280,000 people dead. According to the government, production of
electricity has more than halved since the beginning of the crisis.
Egypt Govt. Appeals Court
Block on Saudi Islands Deal
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/June 22/16/Egypt's government said Wednesday it
had lodged an appeal against a court decision to block the controversial
handover of two uninhabited Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia. The deal over the
islands of Tiran and Sanafir prompted some of the largest public protests in two
years when it was signed in April. The country's State Council ruled on Tuesday
that the islands, strategically situated at the mouth of the Gulf of Aqaba, must
remain under Egyptian sovereignty. "The government will present all the
documents it has to demonstrate the integrity and strength of the case it
presented to the Supreme Administrative Court which has the right to rule on the
case," the prime minister's office said in a statement Wednesday. "It will also
present a dossier containing documents and maps that will assist in resolving
the case."The government argues that the islands -- which can be used to control
access to the Israeli port of Eilat -- have always been Saudi territory but were
leased to Cairo in 1950 following a request by Riyadh. It says the deal to
transfer them was based on a decree by since-ousted president Hosni Mubarak.
Cairo says Mubarak had even informed the United Nations about the matter in
1990. The deal, signed during a visit to Cairo by Saudi Arabia's King Salman in
April, prompted an outcry from many Egyptians, and sparked protests against
President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. Sisi, whose government depends heavily on Saudi
largesse, faced criticism on social media for "selling" the islands in return
for multi-billion-dollar investment deals with Riyadh. More than 100 people were
jailed for up to five years for taking part in demonstrations against the deal
that police quickly dispersed, but they were later freed on appeal. Oil-rich
Saudi Arabia is one of the main regional backers of Sisi, a former army chief
who has overseen a crackdown on the opposition since ousting his Islamist
predecessor Mohamed Morsi in 2013.
Fallujah Nearly Cleared of IS
Militants but Aid Effort Flounders
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/June 22/16/Iraqi forces hunted jihadist fighters
in their last Fallujah redoubts Wednesday as tens of thousands of displaced
civilians massed in overcrowded camps around the city. A month exactly after the
offensive against the Islamic State group's bastion was launched, progress on
the military front exceeded expectations but so did the scope of the ensuing
humanitarian crisis. "The northern and central parts of Fallujah have almost
been cleared of Daesh," Lieutenant General Abdulwahab al-Saadi told AFP, using
an Arabic acronym for IS. "There are few IS fighters left, only in the al-Muallemin
and Jolan neighborhoods in the north of the city," said Saadi, the overall
commander of the Fallujah offensive. "The militants in Jolan are offering some
resistance but we're pushing back and we've killed a number of them," he said.
Operations against IS in northern Fallujah were being conducted by the elite
counter-terrorism service and forces from the federal and provincial police.
Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi launched the offensive against the jihadist
stronghold, 50 kilometers (30 miles) west of Baghdad, a month ago. After an
initial phase of staging operations to encircle Fallujah, elite federal forces
stormed the city center and were able to gain the upper hand relatively quickly.
Abadi declared victory on June 17, saying only small pockets of IS fighters
remained after Iraqi forces raised the national flag over the main government
compound in the city center. Saadi and other Iraqi commanders have said
government forces controlled at least three-quarters of the city. Christopher
Garver, the spokesman of the U.S.-led coalition assisting Iraqi forces, said
Tuesday that by the U.S. military's definition, only a third of the city had
been cleared. U.S. forces battling one of IS' previous incarnations in 2004
suffered some of their worst losses since the Vietnam War in Fallujah, despite
huge numerical and technological superiority. Iraqi forces who have been
reconquering swathes of territory lost to IS two years ago had been expected to
face their toughest battle yet and IS fighters to defend their emblematic
bastion to the death. After breaching the jihadists' defenses in the south of
the city, Iraqi forces moved relatively rapidly and despite persistent violence
in northern neighborhoods the outcome of the battle appears in no doubt.
More aid agencies needed
Tens of thousands of starving civilians, who had been living virtually besieged
under IS rule in and around Fallujah, fled their homes and filled hastily
expanded displacement camps. The influx of families however caught the aid
community flat-footed and relief organizations admitted the response was
inadequate. "We have to admit that the humanitarian community has also failed
the Iraqi people," said Nasr Muflahi, Iraq head of the Norwegian Refugee
Council, one of the organizations providing aid to people displaced from the
Fallujah area. "There are serious funding shortfalls, but there is no
justification why there aren't more aid agencies helping the people of
Fallujah," he said. As already existing camps filled way beyond capacity, other
camps were being set up but the newly displaced families arriving there often
found nothing to sleep on or under, nothing to eat or drink. At a camp in
Khaldiyeh, on the shores of Lake Habbaniyah west of Fallujah, Intikha Mohammed
and her three children had to share a two mattresses with 10 other people. "We
have nothing here, just the clothes we are wearing. My four-month-old son is
sick, I don't have enough milk for him and there's no milk powder at the camp,"
she said. Her tiny boy Ziad, lay all swaddled up on a piece of tarpaulin,
sleeping with a baby bottle dangling from his lips as gusts of burning wind
filled the tent with orange dust. More than 80,000 people have been displaced
since the start of the Fallujah offensive, bringing to more than 3.3 million the
number of Iraqis forced from their homes by conflict since the start of 2014.
Nearly half of them are from the vast province of Anbar, which lies in the heart
of the rapidly unraveling "caliphate" the Islamic State group proclaimed over
large parts of Iraq and Syria two years ago. Abadi has said the next target for
his forces was Mosul, IS' defacto capital in Iraq and the country's second city.
Last Push for Votes as EU
Leaders Warn over Brexit
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/June 22/16/European leaders warned Britain
Wednesday that a decision to leave the EU was irreversible, as the rival camps
made a last-ditch push for votes on the eve of a too-close-to-call referendum
that has set the continent on edge. Just hours before polling booths open,
European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker and France's president stepped in
to warn there would be no turning back if voters endorsed a Brexit on Thursday.
"Out is out," Juncker told reporters in Brussels, dismissing any talk of
renegotiation after a "Leave" vote, while Francois Hollande stressed an exit
would be "irreversible". German Chancellor Angela Merkel was more measured,
saying she wanted Britain to stay but that the decision was down to Britons.
Opinion polls indicate a tiny lead for the "Remain" camp led by Prime Minister
David Cameron, four months after he announced the date for the vote, but the
result is on a knife-edge.Britain would be the first country to leave the EU in
the bloc's 60-year history, dealing a hammer blow to a union already battling
with an unprecedented migrant crisis.
'Better together'
The prime minister, who faces calls to resign if he loses, spent the final day
of campaigning criss-crossing Britain on a battle bus and doing interviews. "If
I had to sum up this whole campaign in a word, it would be that word
'together'," Cameron told BBC radio. Out on the campaign trail, he said: "If we
want a bigger economy and more jobs, we are better if we do it together.""We're
better able to fight challenges from terrorism and climate change, we're better
able to drive good trade deals with China and America." Bosses from nearly 1,300
of Britain's leading businesses signed a letter in The Times saying the country
was stronger in the EU, while James Bond star Daniel Craig and Irish rock band
U2 became the latest celebrities to back "Remain". Bookmaker Betfair said their
latest odds implied a 76 percent chance of "Remain" winning. Some 51 percent of
voters back "Remain" versus 49 percent for "Leave" among those who have decided,
according to an average of polls compiled by What UK Thinks.
'Country is a mess'
Cameron's main rival in the "Leave" campaign and possible successor, Boris
Johnson, said Britain stood on the brink of "independence day" from Europe. "I
do think that we are on the verge, possibly, of an extraordinary event in the
history of our country and indeed in the whole of Europe," Johnson said in
eastern England. Nigel Farage, leader of the anti-EU UK Independence Party,
said: "I genuinely believe we are going to win this."A British withdrawal would
trigger a lengthy exit negotiation, leading to the loss of unfettered access to
its partners in the 28-nation market and forcing the country to strike its own
trade accords across the world. In Europe, the referendum has raised concerns of
a domino effect of exit votes that would imperil the integrity of the bloc,
already buffeted by the eurozone and migration crises. Though many voters fret
over the financial consequences of a Brexit, others relish the prospect of
taking back power from Brussels and reining in high levels of immigration. "I
think we need to make our contribution to Europe and to the global economy. And
the best way we can do that is by being in it, not by ignoring it," Chet Patel,
a 44-year-old telecoms worker told AFP. Pat Hand, a 50-year-old construction
worker, said he would be voting to leave the EU. "The country is in an absolute
mess. I work in construction and every single person on my job is not English,"
he said. Questions about how soon Turkey could join the EU, opening the door for
hundreds of thousands of new migrants to Britain, have been central to the
"Leave" campaign. Sources told AFP that the EU planned new membership talks with
Turkey in a few days to open a new chapter on finance and budget affairs.Turkey
has so far completed only one of 35 chapters needed to join the bloc.
Marking slain MP's birthday
The "Leave" campaign briefly took a slight lead in many opinion polls until last
week, sending sterling plummeting. This fell away after campaigning was paused
for two days following Thursday's killing of pro-EU lawmaker Jo Cox of the main
opposition Labor party. Wednesday would have been her 42nd birthday and a series
of commemorative events were being held in Britain and around the world. Cox's
widower Brendan said his wife, who was particularly noted for her work on
refugee rights, had been killed because of her political views. "She worried
about the tone of the debate... The tone of whipping up fears and whipping up
hatred potentially," he told the BBC Tuesday. In his first court appearance on
Saturday, her alleged killer, Thomas Mair, gave his name as "Death to traitors,
freedom for Britain".
25 Civilians Killed in Raids
on Syria IS Bastion Raqa
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/June 22/16/Warplanes have bombed the Islamic State
group's de facto Syrian capital Raqa, killing at least 25 civilians, after the
jihadists drove pro-government forces out of their bastion northern province.
Twin offensives aimed at severing the jihadists' supply line from the Turkish
border to Raqa city appear to have largely stalled as IS mounts a fierce defense
using suicide bombers.Six children were among the 25 civilians killed in bombing
raids on Raqa city Tuesday, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
"Dozens more were wounded, some of them critically," said the British-based
monitor, adding they were likely carried out by regime ally Russia. The Syrian
government, Russia and a U.S.-led coalition have all carried out air strikes
against IS in Raqa.
The Observatory said fresh raids, apparently by the coalition, also hit the city
Wednesday.
Raqa is Being Slaughtered Silently (RBSS) -- an anti-IS activist group which
gathers news on atrocities in the city -- posted photos of what it said were the
aftermath of Tuesday's strikes. They show a concrete balcony hanging off the
damaged facade of a residential building as a large fire engulfs a white
minivan. The group has accused IS of preventing civilians from leaving the city
in order to use them as human shields. RBSS activist Abu Mohammad told AFP that
Tuesday's wounded were struggling to get proper medical treatment as IS has
recruited most doctors in the city to treat its own fighters.
'Disastrous' retreat
Raqa city was seized by IS in early 2014 and regime forces were expelled from
the entire province that year. Backed by Russian warplanes, government forces
re-entered the province this month as part of an offensive to retake Tabqa, a
key town on IS' supply route from Turkey to Raqa city. But after advancing to
within seven kilometers (four miles) of Tabqa airbase, they were driven back
late Monday in a jihadist attack that killed 40 loyalists. A tribal militant who
had fought alongside government forces recounted how the army had first been
slowed down by mines planted by IS. "Then Daesh used a huge number of rockets
and other explosives to attack the army," which was forced to withdraw from its
main outposts, he told AFP, using the Arabic acronym for IS. Pro-government
website al-Masdar said the IS offensive had led to a "disastrous turn of events"
and "a disorganized retreat that left behind weapons and several soldiers".
Washington-based analyst Fabrice Balanche said the pullback could be attributed
to a lack of "elite forces" engaged in the battle. "At the first suicide
attacks, they retreated," he said. "The Syrian forces were spread too thin to be
defendable."Further west in the adjacent province of Aleppo, another assault
aimed at blocking IS supplies has stalled. The U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic
Forces encircled the jihadist-held town of Manbij on June 10 but have since
faced a barrage of IS suicide attacks. Abu Ibrahim, an SDF field commander
stationed near Manbij, said IS attacked two villages east of the town on
Wednesday morning. "They used a car bomb and tried to break through our lines of
defense, but the SDF was able to block the attack," he said. Coalition warplanes
"weren't leaving the sky" and had quickly responded to the SDF's call for help,
he added.
'Civilians are starving'
On Wednesday, Syrian President Bashar Assad named electricity minister Imad
Khamis as the new prime minister and tasked him with forming a cabinet. The
54-year-old engineer replaces Wael al-Halqi who had held the post since August
2012.Syria's conflict began in 2011 with the brutal repression of
anti-government demonstrations. It has killed more than 280,000 people and
displaced millions. Peace efforts have failed to end the violence, and a truce
brokered by the U.S. and Russia has all but collapsed. U.N. mediator Staffan de
Mistura hopes peace talks can resume in July, but has warned they cannot proceed
"while hostilities are escalating and civilians are starving" Negotiations could
restart if the truce was reinforced, humanitarian aid was increased, and a
"common understanding of a political transition" was reached, he said Tuesday.
"Then we can have, hopefully in July, inter-Syrian talks that are not about
principles but about concrete steps to a political transition."The main Syrian
opposition body -- the High Negotiations Committee -- has called for a
transitional government body without Assad. But Syria's regime says Assad is a
"red line" and it would only be willing to broaden the government structure to
accommodate some opposition figures.
Libya Clashes, Blast at
Ammunition Depot Kill More than 60
Associated Press/Naharnet/June 22/16/A spokesman and a state news agency say
clashes in Libya between pro-government forces and the Islamic State militants,
as well as an explosion at an ammunition depot, have killed over 60 people in
just one day. Hospital spokesman Abdel-Aziz Essa says 36 militiamen loyal to the
U.N.-backed unity government died and 140 were wounded in Tuesday's battles with
Islamic state militants in the city of Sirte, the last IS bastion in Libya. Essa,
who is from the western city of Misrata that's home to the majority of the
anti-IS militias, said Wednesday that most of the casualties came in direct gun
battles with the militants. Meanwhile, the state LANA news agency says the depot
explosion took place near the capital, Tripoli, following clashes with militias
and killed 29 civilians.
Yemen Rebels Demand Consensus President in Any Peace Deal
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/June 22/16/Yemen's Iran-backed rebels said on
Wednesday that they would not sign any peace deal without prior agreement on a
consensus president to lead the transition. The demand from the Huthi rebels,
who control swathes of the country, including the capital Sanaa, comes a day
after the U.N. envoy said he had proposed a roadmap for peace following two
months of negotiations in Kuwait. The Saudi-backed government of President
Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi insists that he is the legitimate president who should
lead any transition. But the rebels said consensus must be reached between the
warring parties on all issues to do with transition. "Foremost among these is
the presidency which is at the center of the negotiations and on which all the
other issues, like the formation of a national unity government and a supreme
military and security committee, depend," a rebel statement said. The peace
roadmap announced by U.N. envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed calls for the
implementation of security arrangements set out in an April 2015 Security
Council resolution and the formation of a government of national unity. Security
arrangements under Resolution 2216 require the rebels and their allies to
withdraw from areas they have occupied since 2014, including Sanaa, and hand
over heavy weapons. "The delegations have responded positively to the proposals,
but have not yet reached agreement on the sequencing of the different steps
provided in the roadmap," mainly when the unity government would be formed, Ould
Cheikh Ahmed told the Security Council on Tuesday. The government has resisted
proposals for a unity administration before the rebels' withdrawal and handover
of arms, fearing it would undermine the international legitimacy of Hadi. As the
peace talks have dragged on in Kuwait, there has been renewed fighting on the
ground despite a U.N.-brokered ceasefire that took effect on April 11. On
Tuesday, the rebels advanced towards Yemen's biggest airbase -- al-Anad -- in
heavy fighting that left 18 rebels and six loyalists dead. The U.N. envoy
expressed "strong indignation" at the rebel advance in a statement early on
Wednesday, saying it was a "grave development that could threaten the
talks."More than 6,400 have been killed in Yemen, since a Saudi-led coalition
intervened in support of Hadi's government in March last year. Another 2.8
million people have been displaced and more than 80 percent of the population
are in urgent need of humanitarian aid, according to U.N. figures.
Hamas: Turkey dropped condition that
Israel lift Gaza siege before normalization
Jerusalem Post/June 22/16/Amid reports about an approaching normalization deal
between Israel and Turkey, Hamas claims that Turkey has renounced the condition
that Israel lift the siege on Gaza that it has defined as a prerequisite for
reconciliation. In a conversation with the daily-Arab London-based newspaper Rai
al-Youm, unnamed Hamas officials said: "Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan
announced to Hamas's leadership that he has done everything possible to lift the
siege or ameliorate it, but the Israeli government stubbornly rejected his
attempts." "Erdogan told the leadership that he must make progress on the
normalization deal with Israel in order to serve Turkey's interests," the
officials in Hamas added. These officials said that they expect Turkey to take
strong measures against senior Hamas officials residing in Turkey, mainly by
limiting their freedom of movement within the state, to meet Israel's condition
for normalization. In a press conference on Tuesday, Turkey's Foreign Minister
Mevlut Cavusoglu said that his country will never give up on the condition that
Israel lift the siege on Gaza., adding that Turkey's relations with Hamas are
"not subject to any discussion" and that it will continue its relations with the
Palestinian terror organization. Lately, senior Hamas leaders have halted their
visits to Turkey. Hamas's political bureau chief, Khaled Mashaal, neither
attended the annual conference of Turkey's ruling party, the AKP, that took
place in Ankara in May, nor participated in Erdogan's daughter's wedding.
Yaakov Nagel, acting head of Israel's National Security Council, said on Tuesday
that Israel and Turkey are "very close" to a rapprochement agreement, echoing
equally upbeat assessments coming out of Ankara. Nagel’s comments in an Israel
Radio interview come just before Israeli and Turkish teams are scheduled to meet
on Sunday in an undisclosed European location, to put final touches on an accord
that has been in the works for months to reestablish relations. The Israeli team
will be headed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s special envoy, Joseph
Ciechanover, and the Turkish delegation will be led Turkish Foreign Ministry
Undersecretary Feridun Sinirlioglu, a former ambassador to Israel.
**Herb Keinon contributed to this report.
Turkey Says Normalization
Deal Depends on Israel
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/June 22/16/Turkey on Wednesday said that reaching
a deal at upcoming talks with Israel to normalize relations downgraded after a
2010 Israeli raid on a Turkish vessel heading to Gaza depended on steps taken by
the Jewish state. "Whether a deal can be reached at the first upcoming meeting
depends on the steps to be taken by Israel," Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu
told a news conference in Ankara. He did not give the date of the meeting
although press reports have said it would take place on Sunday. Relations
between once close allies Turkey and Israel hit an all time low after Israeli
commandos staged a botched pre-dawn raid on a six-ship flotilla in May 2010 as
it tried to run the blockade on the Hamas-run Gaza Strip. Nine activists on
board the Turkish-owned Mavi Marmara ferry were killed, with a tenth person
later dying of his wounds, sparking a bitter diplomatic crisis. All 10 were
Turkish nationals. Two of Turkey's key conditions for normalization -- an
apology and compensation -- were largely met, leaving its third demand, that
Israel lift its blockade on the Hamas-run Gaza Strip, as the main obstacle. "Our
conditions are not very complicated, they are plain conditions," Cavusoglu said.
"They need to be fulfilled the same as our apology demand."
Turkish FM says meetings with
Hamas will continue
By Reuters Ankara Wednesday, 22 June 2016/Turkey will continue to meet with
Palestinian group Hamas in its efforts to promote a long-lasting peace in the
region, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Wednesday, adding the meetings
were not an obstacle in the normalization of ties with Israel. Turkey and Israel
have said they are close to patching up a six-year-old political rift caused
when Israeli commandoes killed 10 Turkish activists while storming the Mavi
Marmara, a ship in a convoy seeking to break an Israeli naval blockade of the
Palestinian territory of Gaza. Turkey has demanded Israel apologize, pay
compensation and lift the Gaza blockade. For Israel, limiting Hamas activity in
Turkey has been key.
Putin says Russia must
strengthen as ‘aggressive’ NATO approaches
Reuters, Moscow Wednesday, 22 June 2016/Russia must boost its combat readiness
at a time when NATO is expanding and moving its infrastructure towards Russia’s
borders, President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday. “NATO is strengthening its
aggressive rhetoric and its aggressive actions near our borders,” Putin said in
a speech in the lower house of parliament. “In these conditions, we are
duty-bound to pay special attention to solving the task of strengthening the
combat readiness of our country.”
British MP Jo Cox killed for
political views, husband says
Reuters, London Wednesday, 22 June 2016/MP Jo Cox, who was shot and stabbed a
week before Britain’s referendum on European Union membership, died because of
her political views and had been deeply troubled by the tone of the campaign,
her husband said on Tuesday. Prime Minister David Cameron appealed to voters
across the generation gap to back staying in the EU, two days before a closely
fought referendum that will shape the future of Europe. The campaign to leave
the EU has echoes of populist movements across Europe and in the United States.
The murder of Cox, a 41-year-old mother of two young children who was an ardent
supporter of EU membership, shocked the country and abruptly changed the tone of
a caustic campaign that has polarised Britons. “She had very strong political
views and I believe she was killed because of those views,” her husband Brendan
Cox told broadcasters. “She died because of them and she would want to stand up
for those in death as much as she did in life.” It was unclear how Brendan Cox’s
words might influence the EU vote that Cameron said was likely to be “very
close”. Cox had been worried about Britain’s political culture, including a
coarsening of language and people taking more extreme positions, her husband
said. She was also concerned about divisive politics globally. “She worried
about the tone of the debate” that focused increasingly on immigration and
“about the tone of whipping up fears and whipping up hatred”. “I think the EU
referendum has created a heightened environment for it but actually it also
pre-existed that,” he said. Britons vote on Thursday on whether to quit the
28-nation bloc amid warnings from world leaders, investors and companies that a
decision to leave would diminish Britain’s influence and unleash turmoil on
markets. In an interview with the Financial Times, Cameron also predicted a
“remain dividend” in the form of an investment surge if Britons voted to stay in
the 28-nation bloc.
Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on June 22-23/16
Opinion: The American Camp Against Iran
Abdulrahman Al-Rashed/Asharq
Al Awsat/June 22/16
Washington DC was divided into two camps about the nuclear deal and the opening
up of Iran in January. It has now become more rejecting of Iran. The White
House, which is a sponsor of relations with Iran and is enthusiastic about them,
has not changed its mind but no longer defends it as much. On the other hand,
those against dealing with Iran have grown in number and have more influence.
Disappointment in the stances of Ayatollah Khamenei’s aggressive regime has
increased, and its hostile statements to the Americans are similar to those that
it made before the nuclear deal was signed and sanctions lifted. An official
commenting on the matter said “We knew that the regime there is bad, but we did
not expect it to be this mediocre”. The struggles and the game of balances in
the capital Tehran reflect the regime’s inability to reconcile with America.
If we analyse Congress’ activities from last week, it is clear that there is a
general orientation towards restricting Iran and punishing it, and that
Washington is walking in the opposition direction to the one it was walking
towards six months ago. The honeymoon period was cut short further due to Iran’s
slow implementation of the promises related to the deal and the fact that it
signed a few more big military contracts with Russia. In addition to this, the
Iranian regime’s leaders are racing to make statements against the United
States, and are besieging officials who are “America’s friends” in Iran such as
the Foreign Minister and President Hassan Rouhani’s aides.
In a noticeable setback, a large majority of Congress’ Finance Committee adopted
a decision that obligates the secretary of the treasury to disclose the liquid
and fixed assets of Iran’s leadership, both at home and abroad, including those
of the Supreme Leader, the President, members of the Trusteeship Council, the
Guardian Council of the Constitution and military leaders. Those who approved
the new law admit that the reason is political and they want to expose the
wealth of the Iranian leaders to their people and to the world. The new
resolution was supported by six Democrats, i.e. from the president’s party. They
also urged the secretary of the treasury to keep Iran on the list of countries
classified as dangerous and non-cooperative in the fight against money
laundering.
Senator David Vitter denounced a deal to sell Boeing aircraft to Iran due to the
fact that it is classified by the US State Department as a sponsor of terrorism.
Two other members of Congress agreed with this view and sent a letter to the
head of Boeing, criticising him for the deal.
Congressman Mike Pompeo criticised the Department of the Treasury and denounced
what he called the administration’s withdrawal of its promise to not let Iran
benefit from loans provided by the Export–Import Bank of the United States to
finance the Boeing deal. Another Congressman Steve Chabot said that he is
working to persuade the administration to stop Russia from selling S-300
missiles to Iran because this would violate sanctions. The US President Barack
Obama’s administration may not change its stance on Iran because it considers
the agreement its project. However, it is likely that the Iranian regime will be
faced with a different situation when the next American president is elected in
about six months’ time, whether Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump is elected. In
my opinion, Iran will tire a lot as long as it does not want to become part of
the new world and as long as the main motive for signing the deal was to lift
sanctions and obtain money and weapons. It is wrong to compare the Obama
administration’s opening up of Iran to its opening up of Cuba and Vietnam as
these two countries renounced wars and weapons years ago whilst Iran is at the
peak of its hostility and involvement in wars.
Jordan’s enemy within defies US anti
ISIS wall
DEBKAfile Exclusive Report
June 22/16
The terrorist attack that ISIS carried out on the Jordan-Syria border on
Tuesday, June 21, in which a suicide bomber blew up the vehicle he was driving
against a Jordanian border patrol, seriously alarmed Amman, Washington and
Jerusalem on five counts:
1. The terrorist, who killed six Jordanian soldiers, came from inside Jordan,
not across the border from Syria, meaning that ISIS had succeeded in setting up
a terror network or networks inside the kingdom.
Suspicion was first raised after the June 6 attack on Jordanian intelligence
headquarters in Ain el-Basha near Amman, in which five intelligence officers
were killed, by the absence of any claim of responsibility. It now transpires
that the ISIS commanders in Jordan had decided to leave no traces for the
national security and intelligence services to follow in their investigation.
2. The jihadists’ success in pulling off two attacks in two weeks in Jordan -
one in the center and the other in the north near the Syrian border, attests to
several networks in play across a widely spaced-out region.
3. The attack on Tuesday took place tellingly at Ruqban, where a large exercise
by a new brigade of the Jordanian military established to fight ISIS has been
taking place for the last few days. The brigade, the first of its kind among
Middle Eastern armies, is armed and trained by US counterterrorism advisors, and
its structure modeled on that of the ISIS military. The entire brigade travels
in new Toyota minivans atop which heavy guns are fixed.
The exercise is therefore preparing for both Jordanian and ISIS forces to fight
by means of fast-moving armed convoys when they engage in their next battle in
the desert areas between Jordan, Iraq and Syria.
But the Jordanians will have the advantage of air cover by attack helicopters.
That ISIS penetrated the site of a joint Jordanian-US military drill with a
truck bomb attests to the upgrading of ISIS operational capabilities in the
kingdom.
4. debkafile’s intelligence and counterterrorism sources estimate that about
3,000 Jordanians have now joined ISIS and are fighting in its ranks. These
homegrown terrorists have the family connections and local knowledge that enable
them to move easily around the country. Most ISIS religious leaders and mentors
are likewise locals, another advantage for drawing new recruits.
5. The Jordanian military, in cooperation with the Pentagon’s Defense Threat
Reduction Agency, is currently completing a $500-million project to build a
442-kilometer defensive fence on the country’s borders with Syria and Iraq as
well as around its bases including those hosting American forces (see map). Its
purpose is not only to protect the Hashemite throne, but also to transform the
89,000-square-kilometer kingdom into one of the most important US military
outposts in the Middle East in the war against ISIS. The fence will also serve
as a barrier between Israel and the forces of ISIS, Iran, Iraq and Syria.
Tuesday’s attack, however, raises questions about the entire fence project.
Washington and Amman are investing huge sums to keep ISIS out of Jordan when the
terrorist peril is creeping up dangerously from within.
The National Iranian American
Council (NIAC)
Majid Rafizadeh/Gatestone Institute/June 22/16
http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/8206/national-iranian-american-council-niac
Some Iranian-Americans argued that NIAC's policies did not seem to be aimed at
improving the lives of Iranian-Americans, but were political and partisan
policies more likely aimed at making more money, getting more fame, media
publicity and self-promotion, satisfying those who provide funding to them, or
going towards where the money is.
"I think Trita Parsi does not belong to the Green Movement. I feel his lobbying
has secretly been more for the Islamic Republic." — Mohsen Makhmalbaf to the
Washington Times.
"It appears that this may be lobbying on behalf of Iranian government interests.
Were I running the counterintelligence program at the bureau now, I would have
cause to look into this further." — Kenneth Piernick, FBI special agent in
counterintelligence and counterterrorism.
I have often been asked why someone with my credentials joined the National
Iranian American Council (NIAC) -- a political institution, not "nonpartisan" as
it sometimes suggests -- and advanced the interests of Iran's ruling clerics,
who now lead the world in human rights violations, with a regime that ranks
number one in executions per capita.
They also ask why one would work with an organization that is run by a director
who is not even Iranian-American; not an American citizen, but holds Iranian and
Swedish passports?
Before coming to the United States, I did not know about NIAC and no one I knew
in Iran was aware of it either.
Although I wanted to contribute socially in helping Iranian-American communities
in the U.S., I also did not want to join a partisan political organization that
pretended to help the communities but instead was partisan and sought money,
fame, and media attention.
At first, NIAC seemed fine: its mission statement says, "The National Iranian
American Council is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to
strengthening the voice of Iranian Americans and promoting greater understanding
between the American and Iranian people."
But soon after joining, I discovered several issues.
First, after joining NIAC in a voluntary and unpaid capacity, I felt as if I
were back in the Islamic Republic of Iran. I began receiving calls and emails
from NIAC indicating that some media outlets were introducing me as "ambassador"
for NIAC. Well, one does not always get to choose what title the TV media
outlets or magazine use to introduce one. Further, in many instances,
journalists would Google my name and find it listed as ambassador for NIAC on
its website.
I was still wondering why NIAC would be opposed to the idea that media
introduces me as their ambassador. Later on, I encountered an article which
said:
"NIAC's inner contradictions never cease to surprise me, but then I guess that
is the nature of Politics. Trita Parsi who staunchly opposed Western
intervention in Libya virtually blaming it on Sarkozy's warmongering and
conforted [sic] in his views by the ever clueless moralist Hamid Dabashi
accusing the hidden agenda's of Western 'Imperialism' with his Broken record
rants on European 'Neo Colonialism' while people were being mercilessly
slaughtered by Libya's Caligula has now added to it's [sic] new list of
Ambassador's [sic] for 2012 an Iranian academic of Syrian heritage. But One who
for a change seems to speak some sense in regard to a country he seems to
understand far more deeply than NIAC understands Iran..."
It seemed most likely their opposition to me being introduced as their
ambassador had to do with my personal views, which differed from those of NIAC.
I criticized Iran's political establishments, strongly condemned human right
violations, criticized the Syrian regime for the bloodshed, and Iran's Islamic
Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) for assisting the Syrian regime.
It soon felt as if my freedom of expression were being taken away. I started to
worry that a journalist somewhere might quote an interview or text and use the
title "Ambassador to the National Iranian American Council," if he might have
found my name on its website. I would then have to track down the journalist,
find his or her contacts, and plead with him or her to remove the title. I was
also worried that I might say something on television or write something that
NIAC might not like. These fears of expressing myself freely were similar to
those that I grew up with having lived and worked in Iran and Syria.
I was also wondering why, if NIAC had issues with my personal views, it kept me
for some months more. Perhaps, I wondered, it might have had to do with what I
had mentioned to them earlier: that I knew some philanthropists who might donate
money to the institution.
I also felt that NIAC's image was bigger than what the organization really was.
Its website gave the impression that it is large, influential institution, and
only works to advance the interests of all Iranian-Americans.
Many Iranian-Americans had mentioned that the NIAC did not represent them, and
that it is solely a political institution pursuing its own interests. Some
argued that NIAC's policies did not seem to be aimed at improving the lives of
Iranian-Americans, but were political and partisan policies more likely aimed at
making more money, getting more fame, media publicity and self-promotion,
satisfying those who provide funding to them, or going towards where the money
is.
I also started to wonder whether the NIAC and Trita Parsi's lawsuit against the
journalist Hassan Daioleslam, which they lost, was a way to silence criticism,
restrict freedom of expression and of the press, frighten people and silence
journalists.
The appellate judges wrote:
"Throughout discovery, the Appellants (NIAC and Parsi) engaged in a disturbing
pattern of delay and intransigence. Seemingly at every turn, NIAC and Parsi
deferred producing relevant documents, withheld them, or denied their existence
altogether. Many of these documents went to the heart of Daioleslam's defense.
The Appellants' failure to produce documents in a timely manner forced
Daioleslam — whom they had hualed into court — to waste resources and time
deposing multiple witnesses and subpoenaing third parties for emails the
Appellants should have turned over. Even worse, the Appellants also
misrepresented to the District Court that they did not possess key documents
Daioleslam sought. Most troublingly, they flouted multiple court orders."
"We have previously recognized a trial judge's authority to punish and deter
abuses of the discovery process, and we do so again today. A court without the
authority to sanction conduct that so plainly abuses the judicial process cannot
function. We affirm the bulk of the District Court's sanctions as the wages of
Appellants' dilatory, dishonest, and intransigent conduct, though in a couple of
minor respects, we reverse and remand for reconsideration under the proper
standard."
Moreover, during the oral argument in October 2014,
"one of the three appellate judges in the Court of Appeals, Judge Robert Wilkins
reminded NIAC and Trita Parsi of their numerous false and misleading
declarations to the court and told NIAC's attorney: "I have got to tell you that
your client is lucky that I was not the district judge, because you will be here
appealing much more severe and higher sanctions because I think he [the district
court judge] had extreme patience in dealing with lots of misleading and false
representations and countless times when your client was trying to slice the
baloney very thin, as far as trying to parse what their obligations were."
The defendant, Daioleslam, stated,
"NIAC sued me in April 2008 to break me under financial burdens. I hired a
lawyer and paid from my own pocket until I had no more resources. I asked for
help and in September 2008 contacted the Legal Project at Middle East Forum.
They contacted several law firms and finally, Sidley Austin LLP and Senior
Litigation Partner and 2012 Best Lawyers' Chicago Products Liability Lawyer of
the Year Mr. Timothy Kapshandy graciously accepted to defend me pro bono.
I am grateful to the Iranian-American community, to the Middle East Forum, to
Dr. Daniel Pipes, to Sidley Austin and its attorneys who defended my case,
notably Mr. Timothy Kapshandy."
It seemed that the media outlets, politicians, or some institutions that give
funds or grants seem to have fallen for the image of the NIAC as being very
influential in the U.S. and Iran, having very powerful connections in Iran or in
the U.S., and being the representative of almost all Iranian-Americans. Those
who are major decision makers in Iran -- Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
and senior officials of the IRGC -- keep issues within their gilded circle and
those Iranians to whom we have access, are not the major decision makers in the
Islamic Republic of Iran.
To illustrate this issue, one possible example is the case of Siamak Namazi, a
friend of the NIAC director and co-founder of NIAC. If the NIAC and Trita Parsi
were really influential in Iran and had connections with the major decision
makers, they would have most likely had Namazi released instead of him
languishing as a political prisoner in Tehran's Evin prison.
It seems that the White House, the mainstream media, some journalists and
politicians, and some donor organizations have been totally fooled by the
exaggerated influence and image of the NIAC.
Nevertheless, the "Ploughshares" group, which the White House has identified as
a key surrogate in "selling" the Iran nuclear deal, gave NIAC more than
$281,000.
The Associated Press's Big Story added that,
"In The New York Times Magazine article, [Ben] Rhodes [deputy national security
adviser] explained how the administration worked with nongovernmental
organizations, proliferation experts and even friendly reporters to build
support for the seven-nation accord that curtailed Iran's nuclear activity and
softened international financial penalties on Tehran.
"'We created an echo chamber,' said Rhodes, a deputy national security adviser,
adding that 'outside groups like Ploughshares' helped carry out the
administration's message effectively."
The editor and publisher Robert Lifson argues, "In the wake of Ben Rhodes
chortling to the New York Times over how easy it was to fool the American media
to get favorable coverage of the Iran nuclear deal comes news that the media
"echo chamber" (as Rhodes called it) was funded by a hard-left foundation."
Some questions remain unanswered: Where and how did NIAC spend this money?
According to the Washington Times, "Mohsen Makhmalbaf, an acclaimed Iranian
filmmaker and unofficial spokesman for Iran's opposition Green Movement" told
The Times previously that "I think Trita Parsi does not belong to the Green
Movement. I feel his lobbying has secretly been more for the Islamic Republic."
Journalists, policy makers, and organizations should be careful not to
exaggerate the NIAC's influence and give it more attention than it deserves;
doing so might only help the NIAC to gain publicity, funding, access to American
politicians, and so on.
Two crucial issues that NIAC possibly fears are: Ignoring the NIAC or following
up with what Washington Times stated about the possibility of violations of
federal law, "Now a lawsuit has brought to light numerous documents that raise
questions about whether the organization is using that influence to lobby for
policies favorable to Iran in violation of federal law."
The Washington Times adds that
"Much of NIAC's less public work has come to light through e-mails, documents,
board of directors meeting minutes and strategy memos that were made public as
part of the discovery process during a current defamation lawsuit against a
critic of the group... Law enforcement experts who reviewed some of the
documents, which were made available to The Times, by way of the defendant in
the suit, said that e-mails between Mr. Parsi and Iran's ambassador to the
United Nations at the time, Javad Zarif - and an internal review of the Lobbying
Disclosure Act - offer evidence that the group has operated as an undeclared
lobby and may be guilty of violating tax laws, the Foreign Agents Registration
Act and lobbying disclosure laws.... Neither Mr. Parsi nor anyone else at NIAC
has registered as a lobbyist or filed papers with the Justice Department as a
local agent of the Iranian government or Iranian companies. Mr. Parsi was shown
and read the documents cited in this article."
The Washington Times asked two ex- federal law enforcement officials about this
issue:
"'Arranging meetings between members of Congress and Iran's ambassador to the
United Nations would in my opinion require that person or entity to register as
an agent of a foreign power; in this case it would be Iran,' said one of those
officials, former FBI associate deputy director Oliver 'Buck' Revell. The other
official, former FBI special agent in counterintelligence and counterterrorism
Kenneth Piernick, said, 'It appears that this may be lobbying on behalf of
Iranian government interests. Were I running the counterintelligence program at
the bureau now, I would have cause to look into this further.'"
*Dr. Majid Rafizadeh, an Iranian-American political scientist, Harvard-educated,
and president of the International American Council. He can be reached at
Dr.rafizadeh@post.harvard.edu or followed at @Dr_Rafizadeh
© 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.
Is Russia Really a Threat to
Brexit?
Con Coughlin/Gatestone Institute/June 22/16
http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/8308/russia-brexit
Even if Britain does vote to leave the European Union, it will still work with
the EU, albeit as a separate diplomatic entity rather than having its voice
submerged by the dead hand of Brussels bureaucracy.
Britain outside the EU will be just as vigorous in opposing further acts of
Russian aggression as it has been as a member of the EU.
NATO, rather than the EU, is the most important organization for keeping Moscow
in its place.
For all his claims to the contrary, there can be little doubt that Russian
President Vladimir Putin will be taking a keen interest in the outcome of
Britain's historic referendum on its membership of the European Union on
Thursday.
The Kremlin's official line is that Moscow has no interest in whether the
British people decide to leave or remain a member of the 28-state economic and
political union. And in his first public comment on the vote last weekend. Mr
Putin said the decision was "the business of the people of the UK," even though
he could not help having a gratuitous swipe at British Prime Minister David
Cameron, accusing him of trying to "blackmail Europe" by calling the vote.
But even though the Kremlin's official position is that it is observing a strict
neutrality on the outcome, the reality is that there is nothing that would
please Mr Putin more than a British vote in favour of Brexit.
Ever since he embarked on his aggressive military campaign to restore Russia to
its former Soviet glory, Mr Putin has made no secret of his hostility to the EU.
He deeply resents the EU's successful integration of former Soviet satellite
states such as Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic, which he still regards as
falling within Moscow's traditional sphere of influence.
Indeed, it was the EU's attempts to build a strategic partnership with Ukraine,
another former Soviet satellite, that prompted Mr Putin's illegal annexation of
Crimea two years ago, as well as his continuing military intervention in eastern
Ukraine. The Baltic States, which also celebrated their freedom from Soviet
control when the Iron Curtain collapsed in 1989, have also been subjected to
menacing intimidation by Russian forces.
Mr Putin believes that, if Britain leaves the EU, then the alliance will be less
robust in confronting Moscow over its aggressive posture in Central Europe and
the Baltics. Moscow is still subject to punitive sanctions imposed in response
to its invasion of Crimea and eastern Ukraine, which, together with the collapse
in the global price of oil, have inflicted significant damage on the Russian
economy.
But while the sanctions have helped to persuade Mr Putin to rein in his military
adventurism in Europe, the sanctions are not universally popular among all EU
member states. In particular, Germany and Italy, which have close trading ties
with Moscow, have been lukewarm about maintaining the sanctions. It is mainly
due to Britain's hardline stance on the subject that EU policymakers have
managed to summon the diplomatic backbone to keep the sanctions in place.
Britain's strained relationship with Moscow dates back to the 2006 murder of
Russian dissident Alexander Litvinenko, who was poisoned with polonium during a
meeting with Russian intelligence agents at a London hotel.
The British military has also taken a lead role in NATO's robust response to
Russian sabre-rattling in Central Europe, and has deployed a heavy-armoured
battle group to the Polish border and fighter jets in the Balkans to deter
further acts of Russian aggression.
But Mr Putin is badly mistaken if he believes that a British "leave" vote will
result in Europe taking a less robust approach to Russian aggression. For a
start, even if Britain does vote to leave the EU, it will still work with the
EU, albeit as a separate diplomatic entity rather than having its voice
submerged by the dead hand of Brussels bureaucracy. And Britain outside the EU
will be just as vigorous in opposing further acts of Russian aggression as it
has been as a member of the EU.
Furthermore, NATO, rather than the EU, is the most important organization for
keeping Moscow in its place. Apart from France, the only other European country
with serious military clout is Britain, and Britain will continue to be a
cornerstone of the transatlantic alliance, irrespective of how it votes in
Thursday's EU referendum.
**Con Coughlin is Defence and Foreign Affairs Editor of the London Telegraph and
author of Churchill's First War (St Martin's Press).
© 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.
Palestinian Writer: The Jewish And
Palestinian Extremists Play Into Each Other's Hands
The Middle East Media Research Institute/Special Dispatch | 6488/June 22/16
On June 19, 2016, Palestinian writer Majdi 'Abd Al-Wahhab wrote an article on
the Elaph website titled "Each Extremist Serves and Feeds the Other – from the
Mufti to the Village Leagues," in which he showed how the Jewish and Palestinian
extremists play into each other's hands and ensure each other's survival.
The following is a translation of the article: "A couple of days ago, I was
speaking to a fellow journalist about the Orlando shooting and its impact on
Muslims in the West and on the U.S. elections. Many Arab writers contend that
the one who benefitted most from the shooting was the American [presidential]
candidate [Donald] Trump, and this confirms the theory that extremists serve one
another. My friend tried to convince me of this claim by citing two examples
from the Palestinian reality...
"The first incident occurred in 1939 during the Saint James conference, a
round-table [conference] in London that was Britain's last attempt to resolve
the Jewish-Arab conflict. According to the story, the Mufti [of Jerusalem], Hajj
Amin Al-Husseini, who at the time was [living] in exile in Lebanon, issued a
decree banning the Palestinians from attending the conference on the grounds
that he [the Mufti] was their sole legitimate representative. Haim
Margaliot-Kalvarisky, who was a prominent figure in [the administration of] the
Jewish Agency and [later] in the Israeli left... came to Ben Gurion with the
good news – as he saw it – that there were groups of Palestinians from Ramallah
and Nablus who were willing to take part in the conference in spite of the
Mufti's [decree]. Ben Gurion answered dryly: 'There is no need for that, because
the Mufti serves our interests better.'
"The second incident occurred more recently, in the time of the West Bank
Village Leagues,[1] whose establishment was [approved] by [then Israeli defense
minister] Ezer Weizman [in 1978], and which were violently opposed by [both] the
Palestinians and the Jews, in particular the settlers. According to the story,
attorney Elyakim Haetzni, one of the heads of the settlement [movement] who
lives in Kiryat Arba and was one of the Village Leagues' most bitter enemies,
approached Ariel Sharon in 1982. [Sharon], who was defense minister [at the
time], needed the support of the settlers, having lost his popularity due to the
Sabra and Shatila massacre. Haetzni demanded that Sharon dissolve the Village
Leagues, explaining: "Of Arafat I am not afraid [because] with him we will never
talk. But I am afraid of Mustafa Dudin [of the Village Leagues] because we will
have to make concessions to him.'
"These two stories certainly clarify the theory that extremists serve one
another. In the first story, Ben Gurion thought that the extremist Mufti Al-Hajj
Amin Al-Husseini served the interests of the Jews better than the moderate
Palestinians, and in the second story, Elyakim Haetzni believed that the
moderate Palestinians were a greater danger to his [settlement] enterprise than
the extremist Arafat. Dear reader, do not believe that one extremist will
eliminate his rival, the extremist [on the other side. On the contrary,] each of
them ensures the survival of the other."[2]
[1] The Village Leagues, formed in the late 1970s in several West Bank villages
and towns, saw themselves as a Palestinian leadership alternative to the PLO,
and aimed to lead the Palestinians to peaceful coexistence with Israel. They
were dissolved by then-defense minister Sharon in late 1982.
[2] Elaph.com. June 19, 2016.
The American camp against Tehran
Abdulrahman al-Rashed/Al Arabiya/June 22/16
Washington, which is divided over the nuclear deal and rapprochement with Iran,
has become more rejecting of Iran. The White House, which is the sponsor of
relations with Iran and is enthusiastic about them, has not backed down, but it
no longer defends Iran much. Meanwhile, the opposing camp has increased in
number and influence. There is huge disappointment due to Supreme Leader Ali
Khamenei’s hostile stances, as his current unfriendly statements toward the
Americans are similar to those prior to signing the nuclear deal. A US official
commented on the matter, saying they knew the regime in Iran was bad, but they
did not expect it to be this bad. The struggles and game of balances in Tehran
have reflected the regime’s inability to reconcile with the Americans.
US Congress
When analyzing last week’s activity of the US Congress, we can see that there is
a general orientation that wants to restrain and punish Iran, and that
Washington is walking a path that is opposite to that which it walked six months
ago. What further shortened the honeymoon period was Iran’s slow implementation
of the promises related to the deal. This in addition to signing massive
military deals with Russia, making statements against the United States, and
besieging officials who are “America’s friends"” in Iran, such as the foreign
minister and President Hassan Rouhani’s aides. President Barack Obama’s
administration may not alter its stance toward Iran. However, Tehran will likely
confront a different situation when the new president, whether Hillary Clinton
or Donald Trump, assumes power. In an obvious setback, most of the financial
committee of Congress adopted a decision requiring the treasury’s secretary to
submit a report on the Iranian leadership’s funds inside and outside Iran. This
targets the supreme leader, the president, members of the Guardian Council and
military leaders. Those who approved the bill admit that the reason behind it is
political, as they want to reveal the fortunes of Iranian leaders to their
people and to the world. Six Democrats, i.e. from the president’s party,
supported the bill. They also urged the treasury’s secretary to keep Iran on the
list of countries categorized as dangerous and uncooperative in
money-laundering. Senator David Vitter condemned Boeing’s deal to sell airplanes
to Iran, and noted that Iran is categorized by the US State Department as a
country that funds terrorism. Two Congressmen share his opinion, and sent a
letter to Boeing’s director criticizing him for the deal due to these security
concerns regarding Iran. Congressman Mike Pompeo criticized the Treasury
Department, and condemned what he described as the administration’s backing down
on its promise to not allow Iran to benefit from the loans of the US
Export-Import Bank to fund the Boeing deal. Congressman Steve Chabot said he
sought to convince the US government to stand against Russia’s selling of S-300
missiles to Iran because this would violate sanctions. President Barack Obama’s
administration may not alter its stance toward Iran because it considers the
nuclear deal its own project. However, Tehran will likely confront a different
situation when the new president, whether Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump,
assumes power in six months. Iran will tire a lot as long as it does not want to
become part of the new world, and as long as all it wants from the deal is for
sanctions to be lifted and to get money and arms. It is wrong to compare the
Obama administration’s openness to Iran to its openness to Cuba and Vietnam, as
these two countries gave up arms and wars years ago, but Iran is currently
manifesting the peak of its hostility and wars. This article was first published
in Asharq al-Awsat on June 22, 2016.
Bin Laden defending Iran
Turki Aldakhil/Al Arabiya/June 22/16
The close relation between al-Qaeda and Iran gets clearer with time. Late
al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden’s documents and American judicial documents
prove these close ties. Iran was not exonerated from the 9/11 attacks, as it was
actually reportedly involved in them.
The six documents that Ash-Sharq al-Awsat daily published provide conclusive
evidence that Iran facilitated the movement of al-Qaeda operatives to training
camps in Afghanistan. This was necessary for the success of the 9/11 attacks.
Hezbollah
According to the documents, the late Hezbollah official Imad Mughniyeh visited
those who carried out the operation in Oct. 2000, and planned their travel to
Iran with new passports before carrying out the attacks. The documents also
prove that Iran’s government ordered its border police not to stamp the
perpetrators’ passports so they could easily move from one place to another. A
meeting was also held in 1993 between Bin Laden, current al-Qaeda leader Ayman
al-Zawahiri, Mughniyeh and Iranian officials to establish an alliance for joint
cooperation and supporting terrorism. In his book “The Looming Tower,” American
journalist Lawrence Wright said Bin Laden sent his best people to train with
Hezbollah in Lebanon, and that Bin Laden met with Mughniyeh, who was in charge
of Hezbollah’s security apparatus, in Sudan. Bin Laden admired Hezbollah’s modus
operandi in carrying out explosions and assassinations and targeting buildings.
Mughniyeh’s attacks were at the peak of their success, as he had founded
Hezbollah’s apparatus for operations in foreign countries. He directed the 1983
bombings against French paratroopers and the US Marine barracks, which killed
more than 58 French soldiers and more than 300 American soldiers respectively.
This is what led to the withdrawal of US troops from Lebanon. Bin Laden admired
Hezbollah’s modus operandi in carrying out explosions and assassinations and
targeting buildings. Hezbollah inspired the explosions that al-Qaeda carried out
in Africa, Saudi Arabia and the United States. The Abbottabad papers that US
intelligence found in Bin Laden’s house prove this collusion between Iran and
al-Qaeda.
The Bin Laden letter
In a letter sent from Bin Laden to one of his operatives called Karim, the late
leader wrote: “I have some notes about your threats against Iran. I hope you and
your brothers take this well. You did not consult with us in this dangerous
matter that harms everyone’s interests. We expect you would consult with us for
these important matters, for as you are aware, Iran is our main artery for
funds, personnel and communication, as well as for the matter of hostages. There
is no need to open a front with Iran.”These documents clarify the extent of
Iranian support and facilitation of activity, without which the 9/11 attacks
would not have been carried out. After revealing these judicial documents,
proven testimonies and Bin Laden’s documents, cooperation between Iran and
al-Qaeda have become clear. US President Barack Obama’s desire to seal the
nuclear deal, it seems, made him contribute to concealing Iran’s roles in major
terror attacks, including 9/11. Iran’s roles also included continuous support of
al-Qaeda, as Tehran facilitated the movement of the organization’s operatives
and arranged their accommodation, as Bin Laden himself said. He talked about his
followers who resided in Iran, and described how Tehran took care of them, even
though he called it “house arrest.” He warned against harming Iran or becoming
its rival, while calling for the targeting of Saudi Arabia. Iran supports
al-Qaeda, as the judiciary, history and documents written by Bin Laden himself
prove.
This article was first published in Al Bayan on June 22, 2016.
Why summits and entrepreneurs
must stand with refugees
Yara al-Wazir/Al Arabiya/June 22/16
There are 50 million registered, forcibly displaced people worldwide. NGOs refer
to them as refugees, some media organizations refer to them as migrants -
ultimately they are human beings with hopes and dreams. These people spend an
average of 20 years in exile, yet their hopes and dreams may be much simpler
than ours as they lack basic necessities such as shelter, education, and the
right to work. For this year’s World Refugee Day, the United Nations has created
the hashtag #WithRefugees. Ultimately every individual, government, media
organization and business must stand with refugees. Arguably, businesses can
achieve the greatest reward by doing so.
Diversity
Refugees provide much-needed diversity to communities. Historically, diversity
has brought much-needed growth to communities. A 20-year study by the
International Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)
showed that migration has had a net positive impact on 20 OECD countries. In
Spain, for example, the net positive contribution of refugees exceeded that of
the natives by 84 percent. Refugees do not create problems – they offer
solutions to them. By highlighting these solutions, governments will be forced
to listen. The Global Entrepreneurship Summit kicks off in Washington DC this
week. Although the agenda does not include refugees, they can and should be at
the forefront of the conversation. The CEO of Chobani yogurts has hired more
than 300 refugees to work in his factory. A group of entrepreneurs in Germany
has tackled the need for more coders by training refugees how to code. These
examples must be repeated until they become the norm, until more entrepreneurs
and businesses follow suit and realize the value of refugees.
Economy
In the age of start-ups, manpower can be one of the most difficult hurdles to
overcome. Refugees can provide that manpower. They can utilize their skills and
be taught new ones.
Furthermore, average life expectancy is increasing worldwide. Between 1990 and
2013, life expectancy at birth increased from 57 years to 64 years, largely due
to a fall in the total death toll from major diseases. In order for governments
to be able to afford to continue financially supporting their elderly, they need
more people who pay into the system. Every day that refugees await their legal
right to work is a day less spent earning, paying taxes and supporting their
host government. Businesses should pressure governments to enable this economic
growth to happen. Refugees do not create problems - they offer solutions to
them. By highlighting these solutions at conferences, summits and global forums,
governments will be forced to listen.
Will Hilary Clinton re-establish the US position in the Middle East?
Dr. Azeem Ibrahim/Al Arabiya/June 22/16
For all its high-minded idealism, we must concede that the Obama doctrine in the
Middle East has been a terrible failure. To be sure, there was plenty to be
critical about the United States’ approach to the region beforehand. And the
Iraq war illustrates those failures better than anything else. So it is
understandable that a courageous visionary / assertive ideologue (depending on
which side of the isle you are on) like Obama would try to do things
differently. Indeed, his Atlantic interview shows that this is what he
self-consciously set out to do: to overhaul the “Washington Playbook”. But the
irony is that, in the end, his approach has displayed the same kind of naïve
optimism that Bush had vis-à-vis the prospects of Iraqi democracy post-invasion.
And it has floundered on the same optimism. Obama, and the rest of us, have
encouraged the people of the Middle East to rise up against tyrannical
dictators, and have cheered them on when the Arab Spring looked like it would
mark a glorious democratic renaissance from Tunisia all the way to Syria. But
just like Bush and Blair, we thought that once tyrants were toppled, democracy
would just magic itself into existence in countries with little to no civil
society, and no cultural experience of democratic compromise. And, barely out of
the Iraqi insurgency, we have still managed to be surprised when Syria, Libya
and Egypt turned into a violent mess soon after. Two waves of optimism later,
the first of the Bush era neo-con project for the “New American Century”, and
the second of the Obama era placating dovish pacifism, have left the Middle East
in ruins. Even as we speak those ruins are still burning. And they will continue
to burn for the foreseeable future. Just like Bush and Blair, we thought that
once tyrants were toppled, democracy would just magic itself into existence in
countries with little to no civil society, and no cultural experience of
democratic compromise There has been mounting frustration at US policy, even
among Obama’s own advisers. And only a few days ago it has emerged that as many
as 50 US diplomats have used internal State Department channels to beg the Obama
administration to change tack in Syria – numbers that are believed to be
unprecedented. The problem for the US is that it sits atop a global security and
trading empire. The definition of a state is a monopoly of force over a given
territory. And though technically every UN recognized state is sovereign and
independent, for all practical intents and purposes the US, I reckon, could
impose its will by military force almost everywhere in the world, with few
notable exceptions: China, Russia, and any country that these two are willing to
stick their neck out for (e.g. North Korea backed by China). NATO members are
fully cognizant of these facts, and they are happy about the situation. Every
Middle Eastern and African country is also perfectly aware of this, though their
opinions on the matter vary: Israel and Saudi Arabia are very pleased about it,
Iran less so.
Wilful ignorance
But the public in the United States appears to be resolutely ignorant of these
facts. And very many US politicians are either wilfully ignorant on this, see
for example Donald Trump and really most of the Republican presidential cohort
this year, or actively opposed to this fact. Obama is not completely opposed,
but he is clearly uncomfortable with this situation. And herein lies the
problem: he has been unwilling to assume the responsibilities that come with
that position America was in. Through the succession of the Bush and Obama
doctrines, America’s role in the Middle East since 2000 has effectively been a
hit and run. No wonder, the situation is a complete car crash. Hilary Clinton,
however, is in neither of those categories. Indeed, she is often derided as a
hawk in foreign policy. Next to Obama, that is certainly true. But there is no
evidence that she is an imperialist fantasist on the scale of the neo-cons in
the Bush administration. Rather, it seems to me that she is simply aware of the
position of the United States in the world – and the responsibilities that
position entails. America is, whether we like it or not, still the World’s
Policeman. When the police stops patrolling the streets, violent crime will go
rampant. This is as true with gangsters in inner city US, as it is with the
cowboys who run a large part of Middle Eastern countries or non-state Islamist
groups. The gangsters, just as Middle Eastern politicians, will always moan
about police intervention and heavy-handedness. But it remains the case that the
threat of force from the policeman smothers the actual violence of the
criminals. That is the essential truth of the “Washington Playbook”. The
question now is whether President Clinton would be able to re-establish
America’s authority in the capitals of the Middle East, and re-impose order. And
whether the American public has the stomach to support what needs to be done.
Prove Islamic
State a False Prophet
Dennis Ross/USA Today/The Washington Institute/June 22/16
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/2016/06/22/dennis-rossusa-todaythe-washington-institute-prove-islamic-state-a-false-prophet/
Washington needs to destroy the group's image and achievements, and give Sunnis
reason to help in that effort.
Fifteen years after 9/11, it might seem strange that terror and securing the
American homeland are central to the presidential campaign. After all, combating
terror was a priority of the Bush and Obama administrations. Both presidents
invested a great deal in preventing external terrorist groups from being able to
carry out terror attacks here and were successful in doing so. Yet the San
Bernardino and Orlando attacks, demonstrating the threat of homegrown terrorists
and their shockingly easy access to automatic weapons, make the choices even
starker, the stakes even higher. Slogans won't prevent such attacks but
intelligence (particularly on email and social media posts), early detection of
possible radicalization, and active cooperation with Muslim communities will all
be part of the answer. Obviously, alienating Muslim communities is not a smart
way to make them active partners in the effort. Nor is it effective in
countering the Islamic State terrorist group, which portrays a world against
Muslims as a recruiting tool.
Defeating and discrediting ISIL is essential for any strategic plan to deal with
terror. Though there are other terrorist groups, ISIL represents a unique threat
for at least three reasons. First, its use of social media is slick,
professional and designed to appeal to those young people who are alienated and
outcast socially. Second, it is a source of inspiration for lone-wolf attacks --
especially with its calls to "kill non-believers" and its claims of heroic
martyrdom for those who do so. Third, it defines as its mission the need to
produce a cataclysmic confrontation with the non-believers to yield Islam's
final victory. And that means even if we do not attack ISIL, it will attack us.
What must be done to defeat ISIL? To begin with, we must blunt its appeal. ISIL
claims to have a divine mandate. Suffering military defeats can demonstrate the
hollowness of this claim. Presently, we are rolling it back in both Iraq and
Syria. Unfortunately, until we undo the group's greatest symbolic victories --
its seizure of Mosul in Iraq and the establishment of a capital in Raqqa, Syria
-- its image of success will remain. Losing the symbols of these achievements is
thus essential and would be impossible to hide.There are other means for
exposing the fraudulent nature of the group's claims, and here social media can
play a role. Take the claim that ISIL fighters are divine messengers. With their
resources and territory being squeezed, increasing numbers of fighters are
surrendering and defecting. Why not showcase those surrendering on social media?
What kind of divine messengers surrender? Similarly, put defectors on social
media platforms and let them tell the story of the brutality, injustice,
exploitation of women, and corrupt and arbitrary nature of rule in ISIL-controlled
territory.
Ultimately, ISIL must be discredited. While we can debunk its claims by
inflicting military defeats and exposing the group's actual behaviors, the
United States and its non-Muslim partners in the coalition cannot discredit ISIL.
Only Sunni Muslims can do that. ISIL claims it is the protector of Sunni Muslims
against the non-believers and "the rejectors" -- the Shiite Muslims. If nothing
else, this tells us that Iran cannot be a partner in discrediting ISIL. On the
contrary, its role in the mass killing of Sunnis in Syria has contributed to the
rise of ISIL.
We need the Sunnis -- clerics, tribes and governments -- to discredit and
replace ISIL on the ground. Indeed, even if we succeed in militarily rooting
ISIL out of Mosul and Raqqa and removing the remnants of ISIL control over
territory, Sunni governance must take the place of ISIL. If it does not, if
there are revenge killings by Shiite militias in the aftermath of liberation, if
Sunnis are politically and economically excluded and repressed (as was the case
when al-Qaeda in Iraq was defeated in 2008), it will be only a matter of time
before we see the next incarnation of ISIL. Our problem in getting Sunnis to
take on this role is that our priority in Syria and Iraq is ISIL -- while Iran,
the Shiite militias and Syrian President Bashar Assad are the Sunni
preoccupations. They see a predatory Iran using Shiite militias to dominate the
region and fear we are ready to acquiesce in their dominance. Until we can show
we take the Iranian threat seriously, and will work with our Sunni partners to
raise the cost to Iran of its destabilizing actions, the Sunnis will be unlikely
to play the role that only they can against ISIL. The next president must
understand this complicated reality and use our readiness to counter Iran in the
region to gain leverage and influence to move the Sunnis to make ISIL their
priority as well as ours.
**Dennis Ross is the counselor and William Davidson Distinguished Fellow at The
Washington Institute.
Activism in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: Clouds and Wind, but No Rain?
Michael Herzog/The Washington Institute/June 22/16
The recent flurry of international and regional activism may ultimately result
in parameters and UN resolutions that dictate the agenda for the next U.S.
administration, so Washington and other actors should weigh each initiative
carefully.
Within days, the principals of the Middle East Quartet (the UN, the United
States, the EU, and Russia) are expected to release a report on the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict that includes recommendations on "the best way to
advance the two-state solution." Together with the June 3 Paris peace
conference, this effort shows that while the conflict has been marginalized amid
dramatic regional upheaval, it is not off the international agenda. Recent
months have seen a surge in the number of actual and contemplated initiatives
relating to the conflict, and this burst could ultimately dictate the
peacemaking agenda for the next U.S. administration. In addition to the French
effort and the Quartet report, there has been talk of a potential Arab
initiative under Egypt's sponsorship. Moreover, the Palestinians, the United
States, or other actors may push later this year for a UN Security Council
resolution (UNSCR) on issues such as settlements, parameters for resolving the
core issues, or recognition of Palestinian statehood.
THE QUARTET REPORT
The Quartet first announced that it would prepare a report on the conflict in
February, and from what is known so far, most of the document will likely deal
with developments on the ground that are hindering a two-state solution. While
this will include mention of Palestinian political divisions, incitement, and
terrorist attacks, most of the onus will probably be on Israel, being the
stronger party. In this context, the report is expected to concentrate on Area
C, the roughly 60 percent portion of the West Bank that is under full Israeli
control -- the Quartet will likely criticize Israeli settlement activities and
house demolitions there, arguing that they erode the potential for a two-state
solution embodied in Area C. Israel contends that this potential still exists,
and that there is no deliberate policy on the ground designed to close the
two-state window.
In her June 6 speech before the UN, European Union High Representative Federica
Mogherini defined the report's main goal as rebuilding the confidence and
conditions necessary to return to meaningful negotiations. It remains to be seen
what those recommendations will be, and in what form the report will be adopted
by the UN, as is widely expected.
THE FRENCH INITIATIVE
The stated goal of the French effort, launched early this year, is to salvage
the two-state solution and revive the peace process by providing an
international envelope to the parties. The June 3 gathering served as a
preparatory conference at the foreign minister level -- twenty-eight countries
attended, along with the UN secretary-general and EU high representative, but
the Israelis and Palestinians were deliberately excluded. It concluded with a
brief, general statement lacking meaningful substance.
France intends to convene a broader conference before year's end, this time
inviting the parties themselves. Until then, working groups will develop
recommendations on immediate measures to preserve the two-state solution, as
well as economic incentives and regional security assurances.
While the substance and specific goals of this initiative remain publicly
elusive, its ultimate aim is to formulate international parameters for resolving
the conflict's core issues, which will serve as a basis for future negotiations
between the parties. The French disclosed their intentions to Israeli and
Palestinian leaders and stipulated them in the "non-paper" distributed to
participants ahead of the Paris conference.
As the French government strives to assert itself diplomatically and boost its
international standing, it seems driven by two main impulses: to fill the void
created by Washington's weakened role in the region, and to sway domestic
constituencies ahead of the 2017 French national elections. Conceptually, its
efforts are informed by the classic, misguided view that resolving the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict is essential to regional stability, and by the
notion that a broad international coalition will enable a resolution that the
parties have been unable to reach on their own -- an idea seemingly born of the
recent P5+1 effort to secure a nuclear agreement with Iran.
For their part, Israelis and Palestinians have shown diametrically opposed
attitudes toward the initiative. Israelis reject it as an unwarranted external
dictate that will give the Palestinians a means of evading direct negotiations.
They also believe that any international consensus will represent an imbalanced
position that disregards core Israeli concerns. As proof of such bias, Jerusalem
cites the failed French draft UNSCR of December 2014, which defined parameters
for a solution along Palestinian lines, as well as the French yea vote on the
April UNESCO resolution ignoring historic Jewish ties to the Temple Mount area,
for which Paris later apologized. Israelis also strongly suspect that France has
a hidden agenda of securing formal recognition of a Palestinian state, as
disclosed in January by then-foreign minister Laurent Fabius and later
retracted. More recently, the French non-paper insisted that future negotiations
will be based on clear timetables, which struck Israelis as a cover for such
recognition, assuming the parties are unlikely to meet these timetables.
In contrast, the Palestinians strongly endorse the initiative, which is in line
with their current strategy of internationalizing their cause. They are
determined to get the international community to deliver what they could not
extricate from Israel themselves, whether directly or through the United States.
They prefer a broad, European-led coalition in which Washington's role is
minimized, in contrast to the traditionally dominant, often exclusive U.S. role.
They have therefore worked hard to ensure wide international participation in
the French initiative.
Yet there has been little enthusiasm for the initiative in the United States,
Europe, or the Middle East. Secretary of State John Kerry accepted the
invitation to the conference with reluctance, and his counterparts in Russia,
Germany, and Britain did not attend. The international community is preoccupied
with more pressing matters, and many regard France as unsuitable to play the
leading role in this sensitive issue. Nevertheless, the initiative seems to be
gaining momentum; on June 20, the EU foreign ministers endorsed it and decided
to partake in preparing incentive packages for the parties. Indeed, many
international actors are concerned about the continuing viability of a two-state
solution and see no better alternative at this phase. Ultimately, the
initiative's fate will be decided in Washington.
THE BIG PRIZE: A SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION
Apparently, France's ultimate goal is to upgrade its planned peace parameters
through a UNSCR. Yet there is tension between this goal and President Obama's
desire to leave behind his own legacy parameters for resolving the conflict's
core issues, through either a speech or a UNSCR. From that perspective, Kerry's
participation in the Paris conference did not signify active support for the
initiative so much as a desire to make sure it does not stand in the way of
potential U.S. moves in the administration's final months. Even so, French and
U.S. goals may still converge at some point.
In the meantime, the Palestinians have prepared a draft UNSCR banning Israeli
settlements, and they hope to persuade the Obama administration not to veto it.
They agreed to postpone their move so as to give the French initiative a chance,
but they will likely renew the UN push later this year.
A REGIONAL INITIATIVE?
While there is no updated Arab Peace Initiative on the table, there is much talk
in the region about an Egyptian-sponsored regional peace effort with Israeli
participation. President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi alluded to the possibility in an
exceptional speech on May 17, calling on Israelis and Palestinians to seize the
existing opportunity by unifying domestically and prioritizing progress toward
peace. He also vowed to support the parties in such efforts. Israeli prime
minister Binyamin Netanyahu quickly welcomed the speech and offered his own
positive (albeit conditional) response to the Arab Peace Initiative first
proposed by Saudi Arabia in 2002.
In Israeli public discourse, talk of a regional peace initiative has become
fashionable and resonant -- a function of growing doubts about achieving a
bilateral breakthrough, disappointment with the Obama administration's regional
policies, and important converging interests with major Arab actors. Arab steps
toward normalization have become more meaningful to Israelis than anything they
would expect from the Palestinians, allowing Israeli officials to present a
paradigm shift: instead of obtaining Arab-Israeli normalization through
Israeli-Palestinian peace, they could try to provide space and cover for
peacemaking with the Palestinians through convergence with Arab states.
Lacking a political initiative of its own and facing international initiatives
it dislikes, Israel sees an Egyptian-sponsored regional effort as a welcome
opportunity. Yet Cairo and its Arab partners will not put their credibility on
the line or test their sensitive domestic constituencies unless they are
convinced the parties are ready to invest in the process and seriously delve
into the substantive issues. In their eyes, this includes the formation of a
broader, more centrist coalition in Israel. Yet the chances of such a government
emerging in the foreseeable future are anybody's guess.
CONCLUSION
Is the recent burst of peace activism much ado about nothing? The answer lies
primarily in the Middle East and Washington. If circumstances ripen for a
regional initiative, it would likely marginalize all other efforts, creating
significant reason for Washington and others to invest in it. On another level,
the U.S. decision on whether to sponsor or veto a UNSCR will have a decisive
impact on which initiative moves forward. Thus, it would be wise to carefully
consider whether the initiatives in question can produce a balanced and broadly
supported outcome that would be of future benefit to Israelis and Palestinians
alike.
**Brig. Gen. Michael Herzog, IDF (Ret.), is a Milton Fine International Fellow
with The Washington Institute. He has participated in all of Israel's peace
negotiations with the Palestinians since 1993.
Israeli president,
Rivlin to EU Parliament: 'French initiative suffers from very fundamental
faults'
Ynetnews/June 22/16
Israeli president addressed the European Parliament and spoke of Israel's
yearning for peace, while condemning international involvement for involvement's
sake that does not take into account certain realities and historical facts.
President Reuven Rivlin delivered a special address before the plenary of the
European Parliament on Wednesday. He addressed European attitudes to Israel,
dismissed the French peace initiative, and spoke of the peace process with the
Palestinians.
Rivlin's speech comes a day before the UK referendum on a potential Brexit and
following a recent peace conference in Paris that did not include Israel. He was
received on his arrival by President of European Parliament Martin Schulz, and
the two stood for the Israeli and European anthems.
European attitudes to Israel
Rivlin began his address by stressing the historical significance, and modern
strength of Israel's relationship with Europe and commented on their shared
values, "Liberty, equality, justice, pluralism and religious tolerance,
democracy; these are the basic tenets inscribed in Israel's Declaration of
Independence. These are the constitutive values of the European Union."
The president noted though that there was growing frustration that Israel's core
concerns were not appreciated, "Just like you, Israel faces difficult and
complex challenges. But, unlike Europe which embarked upon a process of removing
partitions between nations and states, Israel wishes, and indeed must, remain
first and foremost a national homeland, a safe haven for the Jewish People."
He noted, "The State of Israel is by no means a compensation for the Holocaust,
but the Holocaust has posited as a basic tenet the necessity and vitality of the
return of the Jewish People to history, as a nation taking its fate in its own
hands."
The president stressed, "I feel that the massive criticism aimed at Israel in
Europe stems from, inter alia, a misunderstanding and an impatience toward this
existential need of the Jewish Nation and the State of Israel. On the other
hand, and much to my regret, Israel has a growing sense of impatience (when it
comes to Europe). There are those who feel anger and frustration toward certain
European actions, vis-à-vis what they perceive as sometimes unfair criticism,
sometimes even contaminated by elements of condescension, and some would even
say double standard."
He turned to the representatives of the European nations and asked them to
consider with patience Israel's concerns, and respect Israel's democracy and
sovereignty. He said, "My European friends, we cannot agree on everything. But
as friends and as true allies, I call upon you and ask you, let us be patient.
Please respect the Israeli considerations, even when different from your own.
Respect Israeli sovereignty, and the democratic process of its decision-making.
Respect Israel's staunch commitment, indeed its very duty, to protect its
citizens. For us it is the most sacred commandment of all."
Peace Process
The president turned his attention to the need to find a solution to the
conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. He spoke of the importance of
building trust between the parties in order to create the right conditions for
an agreement, and of the important role Europe could play in this vital process.
Speaking of Israel's willingness to reach a solution, the president said,
"Ladies and gentlemen, I am standing here today and saying in no uncertain
manner: from 1993, in which the Oslo Accords were signed, the elected Israeli
leadership has been—and is—in support of the solution of 'two-states for two
peoples'. Furthermore, being well versed in the Israeli Parliament, I do know
that any political agreement brought before the Israeli Knesset by an elected
government will be approved."
He went on to stress that "With all the difficulty and pain involved, we must
look at reality straight in the eye and tell the truth. Currently the practical
conditions, the political and regional circumstances, which would enable us to
reach a permanent agreement between us—the Israelis and the Palestinians—are
failing to materialize."
The president then laid out what he saw as the obstacles to progress. He said,
"First, in order to achieve a comprehensive permanent agreement, an effective
leadership is required. However, the Palestinian leadership today is divided
in—at least—two," and noted that "Hamas, which rules Gaza and is ideologically
committed—in both its political and military leadership—to the annihilation of
Israel."
He continued, "Second, in order to achieve a stable and viable agreement, a
reasonable regional and economic infrastructure is required. But we are living
in a reality where the plague of murderous Jihadi fundamentalism, religious
fanaticism and incitement… Israel is devoting, and will continue to do so, vast
efforts, more than any other actor in the region even at the price of complex
security risk-taking—but Israeli intervention alone will not suffice."
He added that above all, the lack of trust between the sides was a serious
obstacle. "The most fundamental trait of Israeli-Palestinian relations today
which is, to my deep regret, a total lack of trust between the parties on all
levels; between the leaderships and the peoples."
International involvement
The president spoke about the repeated failure of the approach of the
international community, and the need to apply a new paradigm. He said, "I am
afraid that for years the international community has been acting as a mediator
between the parties based on one inflexible paradigm, that of striving to renew
negotiations toward a permanent agreement. This paradigm draws to a dichotomy:
'Two states or a bi-national state', 'All or nothing', 'Here and now' or
'Nevermore'.
"It is by the way by virtue of that same paradigm that various European states
opposed the peace agreement between Israel and Egypt, claiming that it does not
provide a solution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Had that concept been
accepted then, imagine where we would be today. This paradigm relies on the
assumption that the problem which is the crux of the matter in this bloody and
painful conflict is simply the lack of good faith on both parts, and that if we
only exert pressure on 'them', on 'us', they will adhere to a permanent
agreement and to a state of peace."
He continued, "However, as years go by and rounds of negotiations fail one by
one, bringing in their wake, waves of murderous violence and terror, it seems
that this assumption of a 'lack of good will' proves not only to be
fundamentally erroneous, but to ignore the circumstances, the capabilities, and
the present situation on the ground, which by definition would lead to the
failure of any attempt to negotiate a permanent agreement."
He said emotionally, "I speak before you today in the name of the citizens of
Israel, grandfathers and grandmothers, fathers and mothers, sick and tired of
this bloody vicious cycle which soaks up the blood of our loved ones, the blood
of our sons and daughters. I speak before you in the name of these young men and
women who wish to live in their country, and not die in their homeland. I speak
to you today in the name of a nation which abhors war and desires life and
peace. And I must say, one cannot hope to achieve better results while resorting
to the same outlooks and tools which have failed time after time previously."
French Initiative
The president spoke of the latest French Initiative which had been adopted by EU
policy makers. He said, "The French initiative suffers from those very
fundamental faults. The attempt to return to negotiations for negotiations'
sake, not only does not bring us near the long-awaited solution, but rather
drags us further away from it."
He stressed, "If the international community really wishes and truly aspires to
be a constructive player, it must divert its efforts away from the renewal of
negotiations for negotiations' sake, and toward building trust between the
parties, and to creating the necessary terms for the success of negotiations in
the future. In the current circumstances, we must all ask ourselves, 'What can
be done today?' rather than, 'What cannot be done?'"
He continued, "And things can be done. This mission of creating the terms for a
future agreement, creating an infrastructure for trust, and for a life of
dignity for both peoples, demands of us today—the international community and
Israel alike—to invest tremendous efforts in four main avenues."
The president set out the initiatives which needed to be pursued to bring
progress. He called to cooperate with moderate regional powers, develop the
Palestinian economy, invest in joint ventures, and improve education for peace.
The president reiterated Israel's appreciation of Europe's desire to see an end
to the conflict, but noted "If Europe is interested in serving as a constructive
factor in striving for a future agreement, it will be incumbent upon you ,its
leaders, to focus efforts at this time in a patient and methodic building of
trust. Not through divestments, but through investment; not by boycotts, but by
cooperation."
Sheikh Of Al-Azhar Ahmad Al-Tayyeb:
In Islam, Unrepentant Apostates Should Be Killed; Homosexuality Is A Disease
The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI)/June 22/16
https://bay174.mail.live.com/?tid=cmOKH0Tac45hG7ZBBgS7Liyg2&fid=flinbox
Ahmad Al-Tayyeb, the
Sheikh of Al-Azhar, discussed the laws pertaining to apostasy, and said that if
it constitutes a "danger to society," it carries a death sentence. In a daily
show aired on several Egyptian TV channels and posted on the official YouTube
channel of Al-Azhar, Sheikh Al-Tayyeb said: "The four schools of law all concur
that apostasy is a crime, that an apostate should be asked to repent, and that
if he does not, he should be killed." He further said that "the concepts of
human rights are full of ticking time-bombs" and that in Muslim society, sexual
liberty and homosexuality are diseases. "No Muslim society could ever consider
sexual liberty, homosexuality, and so on to be a personal right." The video was
posted on the official Al-Azhar Youtube channel on June 16.
Sheikh Ahmad Al-Tayyeb: "If apostasy comes in the form of a crime,
transgression, or high treason, it is only natural that it will be treated as a
crime that must be fought, and must carry a certain punishment. But if apostasy
does not constitute a danger or crime against society, I believe that society
does not need to deal with this issue. We should be aware that the concepts of
human rights are full of ticking time bombs. My opinion was – and I said this
[in the West] – that no Muslim society could ever consider sexual liberty,
homosexuality and so on to be a personal right. Muslim societies consider these
things to be diseases, which must be fought and treated."
Interviewer: "Protection of lineage is a main goal in Islam."
Sheikh Ahmad Al-Tayyeb: "And protection of moral values too. The problem is that
the [Islamic and Western] civilizations are different. Our civilization is based
on religion and moral values, whereas their civilization is based more on
personal liberties and some moral values."
"As I said, if an apostate has left Islam out of hatred toward it, and with the
purpose of acting against it – this is considered high treason, because this is
a Muslim society, which has had Islam for 1,400 years and other religions for
over 5,000 years. One does not have the right to... In this case, apostasy is a
rebellion against society. It is a rebellion both against religion and what is
held sacrosanct by society."
Interviewer: "What is the punishment of an apostate?"
Sheikh Ahmad Al-Tayyeb: "[Contemporary] jurisprudents concur – and so does
ancient jurisprudence – that apostasy is a crime."
Interviewer: "All jurisprudents agree with this?"
Sheikh Ahmad Al-Tayyeb: "You could say that all jurisprudents agree. A very few
[dissent], but you could say that everybody agrees."
Interviewer: "More or less everybody?"
Sheikh Ahmad Al-Tayyeb: "The four schools of law all concur that apostasy is a
crime, and that an apostate should be asked to repent, and that if he does not
he should be killed."
"There are two verses in the Quran that clearly mention apostasy, but they did
not define a specific punishment. They left the punishment for the Hereafter,
for Allah to punish them as He sees fit. But there are two hadiths[on apostasy].
According to the more reliable of the two, a Muslim can only be killed in one of
three cases, one of which is abandoning his religion and leaving the community.
We must examine these two expressions: 'Abandoning religion' is described as
'leaving the community.' All the early jurisprudents understood that this
applies to someone who leaves his religion, regardless of whether he left and
opposed his community or not. All the early jurisprudents said that such a
person should be killed, regardless of whether it is a man or a woman – with the
exception of the Hanafi School, which is said that a female apostate should not
be killed."
Sheikh Ahmad Al-Tayyeb: "Because it is inconceivable that a woman would rebel
against her community. This underscores the fact that apostasy should be
punished by death only if the apostate constitutes a danger to society."