LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS
BULLETIN
November 15/16
Compiled
& Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
The
Bulletin's Link on the lccc Site
http://www.eliasbejjaninews.com/newsbulletin16/english.november15.16.htm
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Bible Quotations For Today
If you were Abraham’s children, you would
be doing what Abraham did
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 08/38-40/:'I declare what I
have seen in the Father’s presence; as for you, you should do what you have
heard from the Father.’They answered him, ‘Abraham is
our father.’ Jesus said to them, ‘If you were Abraham’s children, you would be doing
what Abraham did, but now you are trying to kill me, a man who has told you the
truth that I heard from God. This is not what Abraham did.
Those who are self-seeking and who obey
not the truth but wickedness, there will be wrath and fury
Letter to the Romans 02/01-08/:"You have no excuse, whoever you are, when
you judge others; for in passing judgement on another you condemn yourself,
because you, the judge, are doing the very same things. You say, ‘We know that
God’s judgement on those who do such things is in accordance with truth.’ Do
you imagine, whoever you are, that when you judge those who do such things and
yet do them yourself, you will escape the judgement of God? Or do you despise
the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience? Do you not realize
that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? But by your hard and
impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath,
when God’s righteous judgement will be revealed. For he will repay according to each one’s
deeds: to those who by patiently doing good seek for glory and honour and
immortality, he will give eternal life; while for those who are self-seeking
and who obey not the truth but wickedness, there will be wrath and fury."
Titles For
Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources
published on November 14-15/16
Hezbollah flaunts American equipment in Syria parade/Alex Rowell/Now
Lebanon/November 14/16
Lebanese Druze, Wiam Wahhab's
Arab Tawhid Party suffers casualties in Syria’s Golan/Now
Lebanon/November 14/16/
Lebanese ad wooing exiles is less than convincing/Michael Karam/The
National/November 14/16
Christian children KICKED OUT of school for refusing to wear hijab or recite Koran/Alix
Culbertson/Express/November 06/16
Saudis implore Israelis for help/ Ali H. Alyami/The
Hill/November 11/16
State of minorities in the bigger Levant picture/Eyad
Abu Shakra/Al Arabiya/November
14/16
Should Iran fear a Trump presidency/Week in Review/Al Monitor/November 14/16
Trump and International Security/Richard Kemp/Gatestone
Institute/November 14/16
Trump's Difficult Ally in Ankara/Burak Bekdil/Gatestone Institute/November 14/16
Trump needs to reverse the Iran deal and assert our interests/ John Bolton/New
York Times/November 13/16
Spare Me the Terrified Jewish Sermons About Steve Bannon/
Bethany Mandel/Forward/November 14, 2016
What is next for Syria in Trump’s era/Dr. Halla Diyab/Al Arabiya/November 14/16
Is it time to understand Donald Trump better/Hassan Al Mustafa/Al Arabiya/November 14/16
Trump files and tackling Russia and Iran/Abdel Rohman
Al Sahed/ in Asharq al-Awsat/November 14/16
Titles For Latest Lebanese
Related News published on on November 14-15/16
Hezbollah flaunts American equipment in Syria parade
Lebanese Druze, Wiam Wahhab's
Arab Tawhid Party suffers casualties in Syria’s
Golan/
Aoun says Arab solidarity puts Lebanon at ease
Saudi denies mediation between Saudi Arabia and Iran
LF will have larger share in government than in past: Bassil
Aoun Receives Credentials of Ambassadors
Report: Forming a Cabinet of 24 Ministers Surfaces amid Aoun's
Support
Adwan Warns: LF Won't Partake in Cabinet without
Sovereign Portfolio
Rifi Slams Hizbullah
Military Parade in Syria, Says Aoun's Speech Provided
Cover
Hariri Briefs Aoun on Cabinet Formation Deliberations
Kataeb Urges Electoral Law that 'Renews Political
Life'
Khalil: New Cabinet Will Give Momentum for Lebanon's
Economy
Geagea, Hariri's aides discuss Cabinet formation
headway
Bassil meets Tracy Chamoun,
Michel Mouawad
Qahwaji Meets Shorter and Hall about Land Border
Security Project
British Embassy Holds 'Remembrance Day' Service alongside Lebanese, Palestinian
Veterans
1 Dead as 'IS Security Official' Comes under Gunfire in Arsal
2 Syrians Held in Tyre District on Suspicion of Terror Ties
Lebanese ad wooing exiles is less than convincing
Titles For Latest LCCC
Bulletin For Miscellaneous Reports And News published on on
November 14-15/16
Christian children KICKED OUT of school for refusing to wear hijab or recite Koran
ISIS uses bearded mannequins as decoys
Revealed: Prominent Iranian clerics in prostitution sting
EU imposes sanctions 18 Syrian officials
Turkish jets hit al-Bab amid push to retake Raqqa
Russian Fighter Crashes in Mediterranean
Obama Says Trump Backed Strong NATO
Putin, Trump speak by phone, aim for ‘constructive cooperation’: Kremlin
Trump names White House chief of staff, chief strategist
Pakistan says India killed seven troops in Kashmir
Kerry arrives in Oman for talks on Yemen
Israeli bill to recognize West Bank outposts
Links From Jihad Watch Site
for on November 14-15/16
Indonesia:
Muslim who firebombed church was wearing t-shirt emblazoned “jihad”
Mauritania:
Muslim clerics demand death for blogger who criticized Muhammad’s treatment of
Jews
Islamic
State leader on Trump: his “utter hate towards Muslims will make our job much
easier”
UK
drops sex-selective abortion prosecution of Muslims for fear of appearing
“racist”
UK:
Muslims used Syria aid convoys to transport items for jihad terrorists
Pakistan:
Top Shia cleric arrested for involvement in targeted
killings of Sunni clerics
Nigeria:
200 Muslim clerics training to counter Boko Haram ideology and propagate “peaceful nature of Islam”
Pakistani
TV: “Trump was born in Pakistan and not in America”!
Sweden:
Muslims brutally beat TV chef because he “looked like Mr. Trump”
Indonesia:
Muslims firebomb church, injure four children
Bataclan bars Eagles of Death Metal from reopening show at
site of jihad massacre
Egypt:
Christian children kicked out of school for refusing to wear hijab, recite Qur’an
Latest Lebanese Related News
published on November 14-15/16
Hezbollah flaunts American equipment in Syria
parade
Alex Rowell/Now Lebanon/November 14/16
US-made M113 APCs spotted in large military parade
held Friday in Syria’s Qusayr, Hezbollah’s first on
foreign soil
In its first-ever military parade on foreign soil, Lebanon’s Hezbollah flaunted
a sizeable fleet of heavy weaponry in the Syrian city of Qusayr
Friday, according to news reports and photos circulated by social media
accounts close to the organization.
Among the arms and vehicles on display were Soviet-made T-72 tanks and KS-12A
anti-aircraft cannons; Russian Kornet anti-tank
missiles (mounted, in some cases, on quad bikes); dune buggy-mounted machine
guns; and off-road motorbikes. Significantly, the parade also featured American-manufactured
M113 armored personnel carriers (APCs),
of the type provided by the United
States to the Lebanese army (LAF), prompting concerns among security analysts that Hezbollah
may potentially have procured them from the LAF, which continues to receive
American military aid. Hezbollah has previously seized M113s from the
now-defunct Israeli-backed South Lebanon Army. It’s possible they also captured
some from a Syrian jihadist faction, Jabhat al-Nusra, which itself won a number off the LAF during an August
2014 battle in the border town of Arsal.Friday’s
parade also reportedly featured a speech by Hezbollah’s Executive Council head Hashem Safieddine. Its occasion
was the annual ‘Martyr’s Day’ celebrated every November 11th by the
organization, marking the anniversary of a 1982 suicide bombing by 17-year-old
Ahmad Qasir targeting an Israeli military
headquarters in south Lebanon’s Tyre.Qusayr was a
symbolic choice of venue for Friday’s parade. It was the first city taken off
Free Syrian Army hands by incoming Hezbollah militants, after a bloody battle
in the spring of 2013 that marked a turning point for the rebels’ fortunes in
the broader province surrounding Homs, then known as the ‘capital of the
revolution.’ Later that year, a Wall Street Journal reporter who visited the
city wrote that, “Today, Hezbollah independently runs Qusayr
[…] The Lebanese militia has established an operations base in the town’s
northern section that is off-limits to most Syrian civilians.”
Lebanese Druze, Wiam
Wahhab's Arab Tawhid Party
suffers casualties in Syria’s Golan
Now Lebanon/November
14/16/
Former minister Wiam Wahhab's
Arab Tawhid Party says it lost seven members in
fighting outside the Quneitra town of Hader.
BEIRUT - A Lebanese Druze party that supports
the Bashar al-Assad regime has claimed that it
suffered a number of casualties in fighting around the Druze-populated town of Hader in Syria’s Quneitra. Former minister Wiam Wahhab’s Arab Tawhid Party issued
a statement November 11 that seven members of its Ammar
bin Yasser Battalion--named after a companion of the Prophet Mohammad venerated
by the Druze--died “confronting armed terrorist groups.”It
identified Rami Salem Mustafa, Qassim
Fawaz Mustafa, Moeen Kamal Mustafa, Oqab Yahya Albasar, Talih Samih Yaasouf,
Ali Ali Yaasouf and Rawad Assad Rakab as all having
died “defending our right and land as well as our nation’s pride and dignity.”The Arab Tawhid Party
went on to “salute the spirit of the martyrs… and all the [other] righteous
martyrs who have fallen defending our people in [the Druze-populated] Jabal Arab and Mount Hermon as
well as every inch of Syria
in order to maintain its unity.”Death notices of the
seven men mourned by the Arab Tawhid Party began
emerging on social media on November 9 amid picked up fighting between
insurgents and pro-regime militias around Hader,
which the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported left at least 29
fighters dead from both sides. The martyrdom announcements, however, made no
mention of any fighters being members of the Arab Tawhid
Party, or its self-declared fighting force in the Syria, the Arab Tawhid
Resistance and its Ammar bin Yasser Battalion. None
of the seven casualties claimed by the Arab Tawhid
Party hailed from Lebanon either, with the death notices from Hader all listing the dead fighters as “sons” of the town,
which lies on the foothills of Mount Hermon near the
Israeli border. In an example of one of the martyrdom announcements, the Facebook news page for the small village of Maqrusa near Hader hailed Rawad Assad Rakab, calling him
one “one of Hader’s heroes who honorably
[fought] in Maqrusa in several battles.”
The Arab Tawhid Party previously claimed it suffered
losses in Syria in August
2014, when it said it lost four fighters in a battle that pitted residents of
the Suweida town of Dama against
Bedouins and Islamist fighters. The pro-Assad party also said it lost five
members in fighting around the Mount Hermon of Arna in November 2013. While Wiam
Wahhab is known for his bombastic and dramatic
statements to Lebanese media, he has not spoken much about his party’s
activities in Syria,
other than his usual declarations of support for his fellow Druze. In late
2013, his party published a short manifesto on the Arab Tawhid
Resistance in Syria, which
explained that it aims to defend the Druze in Syria
against the “takfiri crackdown,” especially in the
foothills of Mount Hermon, which borders Lebanon as
well.
NOW's English news desk editor Albin
Szakola (@AlbinSzakola)
wrote this report. Amin Nasr translated Arabic-language
material.
Aoun says Arab solidarity puts Lebanon
at ease
The Daily Star/November 14/16/BEIRUT: President Michel Aoun Monday told a delegation of Arab state representatives
that regional cohesion was key for Lebanon's
stability. "Arab solidarity puts Lebanon
at ease, and when Arab states are [in conflict], Lebanon suffers the repercussions
of those differences," the National News Agency quoted Aoun
as saying. The remarks came during a meeting with members of the Arab and
International Relations Council who visited Aoun to
congratulate him on his election two weeks ago. During the meeting, Aoun also described Christian-Muslim harmony as the basis
of the region's social fabric, and called for efforts to preserve such a coexistance. Members of the council included former
Chairman of the Arab Parliament Sayyed Mohammad Jassem al-Saqr, Iraqi Vice
President Ayad Allawi,
former Jordanian Prime Minister Taher al-Masri, Lebanon's
Future Bloc chief Fouad Siniora
and Sayyed Mohammad Dandashi.
They met shortly after Prime Minister-designate Saad
Hariri briefed Aoun on his recent consultations with
different political blocs regarding the efforts to form a Cabinet. The same
delegation has also met separately with Hariri Monday.
Saudi denies mediation between Saudi Arabia and Iran
Xinhua/November 14/16/A top Saudi official has denied mediation between Saudi Arabia and Iran by the newly elected Lebanese
President Michel Aoun, Al Hayat
newspaper reported on Monday. Thamer Al-Sabhan, Minister of State for Arabian Gulf Affairs at the
Foreign Ministry, told the newspaper that he doesn't think that the mediation
attempt exist by the Lebanese President, highlighting that Iran knows the
demands of Saudi Arabia and why the country cut its ties with Iran. He also
highlighted the rejection of his country to the interference of the internal
affairs of any country. Saudi Arabia
cut ties with Iran
in January of this year, citing the reason to Iranian interference in its and
other Arab countries' affairs. Short after that the country announced the cut
of air traffic with Iran.
Saudi Arabia has been
opposing the Iranian political stance and involvement in Yemen and Syria as well as its nuclear
activities.
LF will have larger share in government
than in past: Bassil
The Daily Star/November 14/16/BEIRUT: Caretaker Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil has said the
Lebanese Forces will hold a larger share of ministerial posts in the new
government than in the past, dismissing claims that the group would be excluded
from Cabinet. “The question today is not what size the Free Patriotic Movement
and the Lebanese Forces will take in the government, but the question is what
will be given to [them],” Bassil said in an interview
with the Lebanese daily Al-Akhbar published Monday.
“This is the spirit that must be dealt with in the government formation
process,” Bassil added. Bassil,
who is also the FPM leader, said the LF will attain a larger share than before
because of the “understanding” it reached with his group. He was referring to
the alliance forged between the two groups when LF chief Samir
Geagea backed his wartime foe and FPM founder Michel Aoun for the presidential post in January. Geagea’s backing for the FPM founder secured the support of
a major Christian group from the opposing March 14 bloc, eventually leading to Aoun’s election last month. On Sunday, Geagea
said that one of the main reasons behind the delay in the formation of a new
government was an attempt by some parties to exclude his party from Cabinet.
Addressing party members in Belgium via Skype, the LF leader said that both the
FPM and the Future Movement will not allow this to happen.Less
than two weeks after he was appointed by Aoun to form
a new Cabinet, Future Movement leader and Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri has been holding ongoing consultations with
various political leaders.This is in an effort to
eliminate hurdles facing his attempts to form a 30-member national accord
government before Independence Day on Nov. 22.
Aoun Receives Credentials of Ambassadors
Naharnet/November 14/16/Arab and foreign ambassadors
started presenting copies of their credentials to President Michel Aoun, the National News Agency reported on Monday. Aoun received the credentials of Ambassador of Jordan Nabil Masarweh, Ambassador of
Greece Theodore Passas and Italian Ambassador Massimo Marotti,
NNA added. Later, the President received a copy of the credentials of French
Ambassador Emmanuel Bonne, EU Ambassador Christina Lassen
and the Ambassador of Chile Martha Chalhoub. On
October 31, Aoun was elected as Lebanon's 13th
president which ended around two and a half years of presidential and political
vacuum. He was elected with the majority of 83 MP votes out of 126.
Report: Forming a Cabinet of 24 Ministers
Surfaces amid Aoun's Support
Naharnet/November 14/16/After reports that the
cabinet could be formed of 30 ministers instead of the original 24, reports
said Monday that the 24-minister cabinet has surfaced again and that President
Michel Aoun is “enthusiastic” about the latter for
what he sees as better “productivity.”Parties closely
related to the process of lining-up the cabinet are mulling the inclusion of 24
ministers in the government to “escape the torrent of heavy demands for
sovereign and service-related portfolios so that everyone is forced to control
their demands and adapt to the new measure,” As Safir
daily said. According to information obtained by the daily, President Aoun strongly approves this criterion because he wants a
“government that can achieve maximum productivity in a short time schedule.”A 30-minister cabinet cannot achieve that goal
according to Aoun because “it will be stuffed with
state ministers which does not encourage too much optimism,” according to the
daily. But the sources added that a final decision has yet to be reached and
that forming a government of 24 is still a subject under discussion. Prime
Minister-designate Saad Hariri finished consultations
with lawmakers last week, and started working on the formation of the cabinet
which faces some obstacles regarding the distribution of the so-called
sovereign portfolios and some important and service-related portfolios. The
formation process could take months, with horsetrading
likely to revolve around the distribution of key posts like the interior, defense and energy ministries.
Adwan Warns: LF Won't Partake in Cabinet without Sovereign
Portfolio
Naharnet/November 14/16/Lebanese Forces MP George Adwan warned that the party prefers not to be part of the
new cabinet if it was not given a sovereign ministerial portfolio as part of it
share, media reports said on Monday. “The Lebanese Forces adheres to having a
sovereign portfolio, otherwise we prefer not to participate,” An Nahar daily said. The MP assured that the “LF's adamant stances stem from an agreement that was
reached with President Michel Aoun before his
election, that he starts his term by respecting and applying the terms of the Taef Accord which made us support him to reach the post.”Adwan added that the party strongly rejects the
monopolization of portfolios by some sects or parties, “the principle of
rotation must be applied,” he emphasized. Sources close to parties working on
the process of the cabinet formation pointed out to two solutions that could
solve the hurdle. The first is by giving a sovereign portfolio to an
“acceptable” figure that enjoys the liking of both the LF and the Free
Patriotic Movement. The second solution would give the LF three key portfolios
– justice, telecommunications and energy – as well as a portfolio for a pro-LF
Armenian figure, in return for giving up its demand to get a sovereign
portfolio.
Rifi Slams Hizbullah Military
Parade in Syria, Says Aoun's Speech Provided Cover
Naharnet/November 14/16/Caretaker Justice Minister Ashraf Rifi on Monday blasted an
unprecedented “military parade” that Hizbullah has
held in the Syrian border region of Qusayr, noting
that the party “benefited” from President Michel Aoun's
oath of office to stage its show of force. “Hizbullah's
parade in Qusayr before Independence Day puts an end
to the hopes that have emerged about the new presidential tenure's ability or
intention to restore some of the State's prestige and image,” Rifi tweeted. “Hizbullah is
displaying its military might in occupied Syria in a flagrant manner,
benefiting from the oath of office, which legitimized for it the principle of preemptive security,” Rifi added.
Referring to Aoun, the minister asked what would the
“strong president” tell the Lebanese about “an armed militia that has turned
into an army that is taking part in occupying Syria, splitting it and killing
its people.”“Lebanon
has become in a dangerous place,” Rifi warned. “What will the president
say after he took an oath to protect the constitution and preserve Lebanon and its
sovereignty and institutions?” he asked. The minister also called on “all the
forces that reject Iranian hegemony” to “close their ranks in order to rescue Lebanon.”Pictures distributed on social networking websites showed
hundreds of Hizbullah fighters taking part in the
military parade alongside dozens of tanks, armored
vehicles, howitzers and heavy-caliber machineguns.
Pro-Hizbullah media outlets said the parade was held
on November 11 to mark “Hizbullah's Martyr Day” and
that senior Hizbullah official Sayyed
Hashem Safieddine delivered
a speech before hundreds of fighters, carrying to them a salutation from Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah. Hizbullah fighters and
the Syrian army recaptured Qusayr from the hands of
rebel fighters in June 2013 after a two-week assault. The strategic town near
the border with Lebanon lies
along a land corridor linking two Syrian regime strongholds, the capital Damascus and an area
along the Mediterranean coast that is the heartland of President Bashar Assad's minority Alawite
sect. Aoun had vowed in his oath of office to protect
Lebanon
from "the fires burning across the region," while pledging a "preemptive and deterrent" strategy against terrorism.
Hariri Briefs Aoun
on Cabinet Formation Deliberations
Naharnet/November 14/16/Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri met Monday with President Michel Aoun at the Baabda Palace
to put him in the picture of the latest developments regarding the cabinet
formation process. Hariri left the presidential palace without making a
statement but media reports said the visit was “for consultations, not for
submitting a cabinet line-up.”Later on Monday,
state-run National News Agency said Hariri noted that he will "continue
his contacts with the relevant parties, especially that
positive indications have surfaced as a result of these consultations."Sources
informed on the formation process meanwhile told al-Jadeed
television that “the government will be formed within days and all parties are cooperating.”“There is no obstacle that is impossible to
resolve,” the sources added. Voice of Lebanon radio (93.3) meanwhile
quoted informed sources as saying that “all parties have shown positivity,
especially that the government has a specific mission which is holding the
elections.” The political forces are reportedly pushing for forming the cabinet
before Independence Day, which Lebanon
marks on November 22. Horsetrading is currently
revolving around the distribution of the so-called sovereign ministerial
portfolios – finance, defense, foreign affairs and
interior – and other key portfolios like energy and public works.
Kataeb Urges Electoral Law that 'Renews Political
Life'
Naharnet/November 14/16/The Kataeb
Party on Monday called for approving an electoral law that would “renew
political life” in Lebanon.
In a statement issued after its political bureau's weekly meeting, the party
underscored its “openness towards all proposals that ensure real partnership
among all of the country's components.”It also
reminded that it had submitted a draft law based on so-called “individual
districts,” which would divide Lebanon
into over 100 small electorates, describing it as “the most appropriate to
achieve correct representation.”The party also hoped
that the new government will be formed soon in order to cater to citizens'
urgent needs. Hizbullah has repeatedly called for an
electoral law based on proportional representation but other political parties,
especially al-Mustaqbal Movement, have rejected the
proposal and argued that the party's controversial arsenal of arms would
prevent serious competition in regions where the Iran-backed party is
influential. Mustaqbal, the Lebanese Forces and the
Progressive Socialist Party have meanwhile proposed a hybrid electoral law that
mixes the proportional representation and the winner-takes-all systems. Speaker
Nabih Berri has also
proposed a hybrid law. The country has not voted for a parliament since 2009,
with the legislature instead twice extending its own mandate. The 2009 polls
were held under an amended version of the 1960 electoral law and the next
elections are scheduled for May 2017.
Khalil: New Cabinet Will Give Momentum for Lebanon's Economy
Naharnet/November 14/16/Caretaker Minister of Finance
Ali Hassan Khalil assured on Monday that Lebanon
will have a new government that will give the economic and financial sectors in
the country a push forward. “In the few coming days, we are going to witness
the start of a government that will give momentum for Lebanon's economic and financial sectors,” said Khalil during a meeting with Nassif
Seklaoui, head of Lebanon's state-owned Regie Company and a delegation from Imperial Tobacco
Company. “At this historical moment, Lebanon is in dire need for a push
forward and for steps to reinforce confidence in it,” he added.“We are optimistic about the future of our country
and in the coming phase,” added the outgoing minister.
Geagea, Hariri's aides discuss Cabinet formation headway
Mon 14 Nov 2016/NNA - Lebanese Forces chief, Samir Geagea, met, at his Maarab
residence on Monday, with Ghattas Khoury
and Nader Hariri, advisors of Prime Minister-designate Saad
Hariri, over the latest developments concerning the formation of the next
government. Separately, Geagea met with a delegation
of Akkar mayoral unions, with talks touching on an
array of developmental affairs.
Bassil meets Tracy Chamoun, Michel
Mouawad
Mon 14 Nov 2016/NNA - Free Patriotic Movement chief, Caretaker Foreign Minister
Gebran Bassil, met on
Monday with Head of the Liberal Democrat Party, Tracy Chamoun,
who extended felicitations on the election of President Michel Aoun.
Talks also touched on the necessity to assume partnership in the upcoming
government lineup, with the visitor calling for an
empowered woman role. Bassil later met with Head of
the Independence Movement, Michel Mouawad, in
presence of MP Amal Abu Zeid.
"The meeting with Minister Bassil came as part
of the coordination and cooperation following the election of President Michel Aoun," Mouawad told
reporters following the meeting. Bassil also welcomed
today Head of the Maronite Foundation in the World, Nehme Efram, who indicated that
talks with the Minister did not touch on his possible assumption of a
ministerial portfolio. Bassil later met with former
Director General of the Ministry of Information, Mohammad Obeid, with whom he
discussed the current general situation.
Qahwaji Meets Shorter and Hall about Land Border Security
Project
Naharnet/November 14/16/Commander of the Lebanese
Armed Forces General Jean Qahwaji met with British
Ambassador to Lebanon Hugo Shorter and United States Chargé d’Affaires
Danny Hall and talks focused on the Land Border Security Project, a news
release said Monday. The meeting provided an opportunity to discuss the
on-going UK and U.S. support
for the Lebanese army and the border project, including the construction, training,
and equipment being provided in order to reach the goal of securing the
entirety of the Lebanon-Syria border. The United
Kingdom and the United
States officials expressed their steadfast support to Lebanon’s
stability, through strengthening the Lebanese army's capacity and capability to
manage and respond to internal security challenges, as well as the development
of the Land Border Regiment’s ability to control and secure the border from
terrorist infiltration and the illicit trafficking of drugs and weapons.
British Embassy Holds 'Remembrance Day'
Service alongside Lebanese, Palestinian Veterans
Naharnet/November 14/16/The British Embassy in Lebanon held a ‘Remembrance Day’ service Monday
at the Beirut Commonwealth War
Grave Cemetery
in honor of the soldiers who were killed during World
Wars I and II, and in other conflicts. The service was attended by British
Ambassador Hugo Shorter; British Defense Attaché Lt.
Col. Chris Gunning; Brig.-Gen. Pierre Assaf,
representing Lebanese Army chief Gen. Jean Qahwaji;
Lt. Col. Samer al-Beani,
representing Internal Security Forces chief Maj. Gen. Ibrahim Basbous; and Brig.- Gen. Fady Khawaja, representing General Security chief Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim. Ambassadors, diplomats and military attachés
from the U.S.
and European and Commonwealth countries were present. Visiting President of the
International Association of Athletics Federation and double Olympic gold
medalist for Team GB Lord Seb Coe attended the
ceremony along with May El Khalil, the President of the
Beirut Marathon Association. At the end of the service, two minutes’ silence were held before Ambassador Shorter and Commonwealth
Ambassadors laid wreaths on the memorial. Lebanese and Palestinian war
veterans, who served with the British army in World War II, attended with their
families. Ambassador Shorter and Lord Coe met the veterans to thank them for
their service and hear their stories of heroism during battles fought in the
Middle East and Europe. When asked what it
meant for him to attend, 91-year-old Lebanese veteran Fadl
said: “It brings back lots of happy and sad memories. I feel young again.”Remembrance Sunday is marked in the United Kingdom
and the Commonwealth to commemorate the contribution of British and
Commonwealth military and civilian servicemen and women in the two World Wars
and later conflicts. It is usually held on the nearest Sunday to November 11,
which was Armistice Day -- the end of hostilities in the First World War in
1918.The Beirut War
Cemetery is the final resting place of
around 1,200 soldiers, most of whom were from the UK, Australia,
New Zealand, India and South Africa. The war graves are
supervised by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
1 Dead as 'IS Security Official' Comes
under Gunfire in Arsal
Naharnet/November 14/16/A car carrying the so-called
“security official” of the Islamic State group came under gunfire Monday in the
Bekaa border town of Arsal. “Syrian
national Aref Shbeit died
of his wounds after the car of Syrian national Raad Hammadi -- an IS security official who is also known as Abu
Raad al-Homsi – came under
gunfire in Arsal's al-Sabil
neighborhood,” state-run National News Agency
reported, Hammadi was also wounded when an armed
group opened fire at the Kia SUV, which was also carrying a third Syrian national,
NNA said. The agency added that the attackers were likely from the Syrian town
of Bakhaa,
noting that the assault was linked to “a previous dispute with Hammadi.” Voice of Lebanon radio (93.3) said “armed
clashes” ensued between the attackers and Hammadi and
his companions al-Sabil neighborhood.
Militants from the IS and the rival Fateh al-Sham
Front are entrenched in areas along the undemarcated
Lebanese-Syrian border and the army regularly shells their posts while Hizbullah and the Syrian forces have engaged in clashes
with them on the Syrian side of the border. The two groups overran the town of Arsal
in 2014 before being ousted by the army after days of deadly battles. The
retreating militants abducted more than 30 Lebanese soldiers and policemen of
whom four have been executed and nine remain in IS' captivity.
2 Syrians Held in Tyre District on
Suspicion of Terror Ties
Naharnet/November 14/16/Two Syrians were arrested
Monday in the Tyre District town of Deir Qanoun
al-Nahr on suspicion of having ties to terrorist
groups, state-run National News Agency reported. “Army intelligence agents
arrested two Syrians who were employed at al-Hilal
Bakery in Deir Qanoun al-Nahr,” NNA said. The arrests come in connection with
confessions made by another Syrian who was previously arrested in the town of Jwayya,
who told interrogators that they used to visit him, the agency added. The man
was arrested on suspicion of collaborating with a terrorist group, it said.
Lebanese ad wooing exiles is less than
convincing
Michael Karam/The National/November 14/16
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/2016/11/14/michael-karamthe-national-lebanese-ad-wooing-exiles-is-less-than-convincing/
I presume the Lebanese company Demco Properties meant
well when it decided to make "Lebanon is calling", a 40-second ad
apparently aimed at wooing back expatriate talent. I guess it’s just
unfortunate that it came across as a bit weird and somewhat insulting.
For those who haven’t seen it – I caught it on CNN twice in one hour last week
during the coverage of the US
presidential elections – the ad is set in a swish office, towering over what
looks like New York.
A well-groomed but thoroughly bored Arab businessman stares out across the
city. The phone rings. "Lebanon"
is on the other end.
Our man is surprised. He asks "Lebanon"
where "he" – Lebanon
is a man and sounds, as one friend pointed out, like the murderer from Scream –
has been "all this time". With unfaultable logic, the scary voice
replies: "I’m here, I never moved. It’s you who left". Stung by the
reproach, our hero argues that he had no choice, that "things haven’t been
easy". But Lebanon
counters: "It’s even harder for me". Our man is on the back foot.
"I’ve always wanted to come back," he adds, as the camera pans to a
selection of framed family photos behind his desk. Lebanon plays his ace. "Well,
I’ve been working hard day and night and now things have changed. I’m back on
my feet again."
"So why do you need me?" the businessman asks in desperation (it is
at this point that I couldn’t help thinking the poor chap didn’t really want to
go back.) "I want you to walk with me," Lebanon replies. "Home is
waiting." And that’s that. Lebanon
is once again announcing that it is open for business. The timing of the ad is
significant, aired as it was a week after the nomination of Michel Aoun as Lebanon’s
president, a move that ended the country’s 30-month political impasse amid a
level of jubilation not seen since the nomination of Bashir
Gemayel for the same job 34 years ago. Mr Aoun, like his newly elected US counterpart, is an unshakeable
demagogue, and the former army commander has wasted no time in promising to roll
up his sleeves and put things right. First on his to-do list is a pledge to fix
Lebanon’s
chronic electricity shortage, a problem that has blighted the country for four
decades. The mood in Lebanon
is upbeat and many sound-thinking Lebanese to whom I have spoken believe Mr Aoun can solve the power problem and do much more to boot.
Mr Aoun and senior members of his Free Patriotic
Movement (FPM) have also spent years wooing potential benefactors, both at home
and abroad, but it is unclear if there is any relationship between the FPM and
the Demco Group, of which Demco
Properties is part, and which accounts for at least 50 per cent of Lebanon’s
annual steel sales. But if I were a gambling man I would wager that the ad was
inspired by Mr Aoun’s nomination rather than that of Saad Hariri who, as the next prime minister, will soon form
a government. New optimism aside, the reality is that our fictitious New
York-based Lebanese tycoon is still being asked to give up on one of the most
vibrant cities on Earth and take a chance on a nation whose political stability
is still fragile, whose economy is at best sleepy and whose infrastructure is
only slightly better than that of Rwanda.
I called the ad "insulting" because I’m one of those who left Lebanon in 2014, moving my family to the UK after living in Beirut
for 22 years and I’m not convinced I’m ready to "walk" side by side
with Lebanon
any time soon. I gave Lebanon
a chance, moving there from the UK
just after the war at the end of 1991 at the age of 26. Back then the idea was
that we would grow together, Lebanon
and I. And I wasn’t alone. Fifteen years of conflict had displaced hundreds of
thousands of Lebanese and they returned with similar ambitions. I stuck it out
because I had less to lose but most went back when they found they were unable
to command the same salaries they were used to or work within the same
framework of corporate governance as they did in their adopted countries.
Demco would argue it was just doing its bit (and
buying ad space on CNN during coverage of the presidential election is
certainly one way of standing up and being counted), but I’m still not sure I’m
convinced.
**Michael Karam is a freelance writer who lives
between Beirut and Brighton
Latest LCCC Bulletin For
Miscellaneous Reports And News published on November 14-15/16
Christian children KICKED OUT of school for refusing to wear hijab or recite Koran
Alix Culbertson, Express, November 6, 2016
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/2016/11/14/christian-children-kicked-out-of-school-for-refusing-to-wear-hijab-or-recite-koran/
CHRISTIAN children are being deprived of their education and being ousted from
schools for refusing to wear a hijab, it has been
revealed. Schools across Egypt
are forcing girls of every religion to wear the Muslim headscarf and children
of both sexes are being punished if they cannot quote the Koran off by heart.
Even Muslim girls who refuse to wear a hijab are
being forced out of school in a country where Coptic Christians have previously
been able to live free of persecution. Rahman Salem,
12, was ordered to leave her lesson and banned from taking part in any
activities at her school in the Delta, northern Egypt. Other pupils gave her nasty
looks and started leaving the Muslim girl out over the incident. She said: “I
was made to stand all alone in the school courtyard.“The headmistress later came to me and said: ‘Here
in school, you put on the headscarf. Outside, you may do as you wish.’ No girl
can show up with her hair showing. They all have to wear the hijab. “Christian girls have to wear the hijab. As soon as the end-of-day bell rings, they start
taking it off.” Her mother said: “I was told ‘Stop being an idiot! Don’t you
want your daughter to be decent?’.
“I was shocked when other mothers stopped me at the gate. ‘What’s that? How can your daughter show up like this?’“I re-inspected my daughter’s uniform, and incredulously
asked what was wrong. ‘Her head and neck have to be strictly covered!’”Last month another school in the same province of Sharqia put in force rules to make all
female students wear a hijab, with the al-Nassiriya
School’s headteacher posting a large sign saying Islam dress is now
part of the girls’ uniform. And Christian seven-year-old Viola Samir told how her Islamic religious studies teacher held
eight Christian pupils in her class of 35 children back. The teacher then beat
anyone who had not learnt the Koran off by heart.
Usually, Christian students in Egypt
move to a different classroom during religious studies classes where they learn
about Christianity while Muslims stay and learn about Islam. Viola’s father
told Christian persecution website, World Watch Monitor: “When my daughter told
the teacher that the extra texts were not part of the Arabic curriculum [which
all students have to learn], she was severely punished by her teacher. “The
Christian religious studies teacher complained to the headmaster, but he took no
disciplinary action against the Muslim teacher. “In the end, the teacher
allowed the Christian children to leave the class to join their Christian
studies class.”Another parent in a different school
in the same town of Samalout,
155 miles from Cairo,
said his 11-year-old son son was caned for not
reciting verses from the Koran. He said: “”Once, the teacher, Mohamed, caned Abanob on the back of his hands, afterwards forcing him to
stand with his face to the board and both arms up in the air for the entire length
of the lesson.
My son had failed to repeat the Koranic text by heart
when prompted to.”…
ISIS uses bearded mannequins as decoys
Reuters, Bawiza,
Iraq Tuesday, 15 November
2016/ISIS is using wooden replicas of tanks and Humvees
in a bid to subvert an air campaign by the US-led military coalition supporting
Iraqi forces in the Mosul
operations, even using bearded mannequins to simulate extremist fighters. The
Iraqi army captured a handful of the mockups last
week at a training site it retook from the group north of Mosul, ISIS’s last major stronghold in the country, which
government forces have almost surrounded but only breached so far from one direction.When seen close up, the models resemble toys but
from a long distance they might be mistaken for real vehicles. “As our troops
advanced towards the areas we were charged with liberating, Daesh
used tanks and vehicles made of wood to divert the military planes,” Lieutenant
Colonel Abbas al-Azaji said
on Sunday, using an Arabic acronym for ISIS.
It is not clear how effective the mockups have been
at thwarting aerial bombardment, which has been essential to the Iraqi forces’
ground campaign to roll back ISIS from large
swathes of territory it seized in 2014. Baghdad-based spokesman US Air Force
Col. John Dorrian said the coalition had been
tracking ISIS’s use of such decoy vehicles for a while. “We call it
tactical deception. Daesh has been doing it and
that’s certainly a tactic that enemies like to use,” he said. “It is actually
not as troubling as a lot of the other things we’ve seen,” he said, like
setting fire to a sulphur plant and igniting oil wells south of Mosul. Also found at the
training site were two large armored vehicles the
militants had used for assaulting enemy positions, and the blown out remains of
more than a dozen vehicle-borne explosive devices which Iraqi forces had
disabled.
Revealed: Prominent Iranian clerics in
prostitution sting
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English Monday, 14 November
2016/Scandalous details surrounding the life of Iranian hard-line cleric Sheikh
Jafar Shojooni are
re-emerging more than a week after he died, Persian media outlets have revealed.Shojooni, an ultra-conservative militant former
member of Iranian Parliament, can be seen in revealing photos from the 1970's
showing him in bed with unnamed prostitutes. The photos, revealed by Persian
media outlets based in Washington
DC, also exposed another hardline cleric - Mohammed Taghi Falsafi in similar images with another prostitute. Months
before his death, Shojooni addressed the photos when
asked by Aparat News Channel denying their
authenticity. He said the photos were allegedly taken by intelligence staff
working under the Shah before the 1979 revolution but contended that the Falsafi photos were real. He also claimed the prostitutes
were working alongside the Iranian secret police of the SAVAK. When pressed
again by Aparat’s journalist on his photo with the
prostitute and asked whether they were forged, he responded with a smile: “InshaAllah (God willing) they are forged.”The
Persian-American channel reportedly received the photos from someone working
with the intelligence apparatus of Mohammed Reza Pahlavi. Shojooni
died two weeks ago prompting high commemorations from the current Iranian
religious leader Ali Khamenei.
EU imposes sanctions 18 Syrian officials
The Associated Press, Brussels Monday, 14 November 2016/The European Union has
slapped travel bans and asset freezes on 17 senior Syrian government officials
and the governor of the conflict-torn country’s central bank.EU
foreign ministers made the move at talks in Brussels Monday against those
“responsible for the violent repression against the civilian population in
Syria, benefiting from or supporting the regime, and/or being associated with
such persons.” The list includes 13 cabinet members and four ministers of state.It brings to 234 the total
number of people subject to a travel ban and an asset freeze for repression
against civilians in Syria.
Turkish jets hit al-Bab
amid push to retake Raqqa
Reuters Monday, 14 November 2016/Turkish warplanes struck 15 targets in the al Bab area of northern Syria on Sunday in an operation with
Syrian rebels to drive ISIS militants out of the border region, the Turkish
military said on Monday. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said seizing
control of al-Bab, around 30 km south of the border,
is a goal of the operation before targeting Manbij,
from which Kurdish-led forces recently drove ISIS, and the ISIS stronghold of Raqqa. Ten ISIS defensive
positions, command centers and an ammunition store were destroyed in the
strikes, the army said in a statement. Nine Syrian rebels were killed and 52
wounded during clashes in the region, it added. The Turkish military launched
the operation, dubbed ‘Euphrates Shield’, on Aug. 24 and the rebel forces have
so far seized control of about 1,620 square km (625 square miles) of territory,
the military said.
Russian Fighter Crashes in Mediterranean
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/November
14/16/Russia's defense ministry said Monday that a
fighter jet crashed while attempting to land on the Admiral Kuznetsov
aircraft carrier in the Mediterranean off Syria, but the pilot survived. In a
statement to Russian news agencies, the defense
ministry said the MiG-29K fighter crashed due to a "technical fault"
a few kilometers (miles) from the carrier.The
pilot ejected and was recovered and taken aboard the ship. "The pilot's
health is in no danger. The pilot is ready to carry out missions," the
ministry said, quoted by Interfax news agency. The defense
ministry did not say when the incident occurred, but said the plane was taking
part in training flights. It stressed that flights were still going ahead from
the aircraft carrier despite the accident. "The flights of aircraft from
the carrier are continuing in accordance with the set tasks," it said.The ministry released a statement after U.S. broadcaster Fox News reported the crash,
citing U.S.
officials. The Mig-29K is a multi-functional plane developed in the Soviet era
and is used to strike targets both in the air and on the ground. Russia acquired
24 MiG fighters last year. It also deploys Sukhoi bomber planes in Syria. The Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier arrived in the eastern
Mediterranean off the Syrian coast as part of a flotilla of ships sent to reinforce
Russia's
military in the area, its commander confirmed on state television. The ship's
commander Sergei Artamonov said in an interview
broadcast Saturday on Rossiya-1 television that planes had been taking off from
the ship's deck "practically every day for the last four days" to
survey the area. The flotilla has sparked concern from NATO that it will be
used to take part in air strikes on Syria. The fleet canceled a plan to refuel at a Spanish port after Madrid came under
pressure to refuse permission. Russia
has been flying a bombing campaign in Syria for the past year in support
of its ally President Bashar Assad and has deployed a
naval contingent to back up its operation. Officially, 20 Russians have been
killed in combat so far. Russia
says it has ceased air strikes on rebel-held east Aleppo since October 18 after international
condemnation of its ferocious bombardment of the city and has declared a series
of brief ceasefires.
Russia accuses Syrian rebels of using chemical weapons
Reuters Monday, 14 November 2016/Russian defense
ministry says rebels in Syria’s
Aleppo used
chemical weapons against Syrian army.Nearly 30 Syrian
regime soldiers are said to have been affected in the chemical attack,
according to the Russian defense ministry.
Obama Says Trump Backed Strong NATO
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/November
14/16/U.S. President Barack Obama on Monday sought to reassure Washington's European
allies that his imminent successor Donald Trump had reaffirmed his
"commitment to NATO." Obama said he would tell allies "there is
no weakening of resolve when it comes to America's commitment to maintaining
a strong and robust NATO relationship."
Putin, Trump speak by phone, aim for ‘constructive cooperation’: Kremlin
Reuters, Moscow
Tuesday, 15 November 2016/Russian President Vladimir Putin and US
President-elect Donald Trump on Monday agreed to work towards “constructive
cooperation”, including on fighting terrorism, the Kremlin said. In their first
phone call since Trump won the Nov. 8 election, they agreed to “channel”
relations between Russia and
the United States
and “combine efforts to tackle international terrorism and extremism”. “The
importance of creating a solid basis for bilateral ties was underscored, in
particularly by developing the trade-economic component,” the Kremlin said in
its statement. It added that the countries should “return to pragmatic,
mutually beneficial cooperation, which would address the interests of both countries as well as stability and safety the world
over.” The two men will maintain contact by phone and seek to meet each other
in person, the statement said. Trump will take office on Jan. 20, replacing
Barack Obama whose relations with Putin have become tense over various issues
including Syria and Ukraine.
Trump names White House chief of staff,
chief strategist
The Associated Press, Washington Monday, 14 November 2016/President-elect
Donald Trump made his first two key personnel appointments on Sunday, one an
overture to Republican circles by naming GOP chief Reince
Priebus as his White House chief of staff, the other
a shot across the bow of the Washington establishment by tabbing Breitbart news executive Stephan Bannon
as chief strategist and senior counselor. The two men
had made up the president-elect’s chief of staff shortlist, and while Priebus received that job, Bannon’s
post also is expected to wield significant clout. The media executive with ties
to the alt-right and white nationalist movement was given top billing in the
press release announcing their appointments. Trump’s hires were, at first
glance, contradictory, though they fit a pattern of the celebrity businessman
creating a veritable Rorschach test that allowed his supporters to see what
they wanted. Priebus, who lashed the RNC to Trump
this summer despite some intraparty objections, is a GOP operative with deep
expertise of the Washington
establishment that Trump has vowed to shake up. He has close ties to House
Speaker Paul Ryan, a fellow Wisconsinite. “I am very grateful to the
president-elect for this opportunity to serve him and this nation as we work to
create an economy that works for everyone, secure our borders,
repeal and replace Obamacare and destroy radical
Islamic terrorism,” Priebus said in the statement
announcing his appointment. Bannon, meanwhile, helped
transform the Breitbart news site into the leading
mouthpiece of the party’s anti-establishment wing, which helped fuel the
businessman’s political rise. Ryan has been one of his most frequent targets.
“Steve and Reince are highly qualified leaders who
worked well together on our campaign and led us to a historic victory,” Trump
said. “Now I will have them both with me in the White House as we work to make America great
again.”
Pakistan says India killed seven troops in
Kashmir
AFP Monday, 14 November 2016/The Pakistani military accused India on Monday of
killing seven soldiers in cross-border fire in Kashmir, in what appeared to be
an unusually high toll after months of surging tensions between the
nuclear-armed neighbors. “Seven (Pakistani) soldiers
embraced shahadat (martyrdom) at the Line of Control
(LoC) in Bhimber sector in
a crossfire LoC violation by Indian troops late last
night,” the military said in a statement. “Pakistani troops while responding to
Indian unprovoked firing targeted Indian posts effectively.”Following
the incident Pakistan
summoned the Indian High Commissioner to protest the killing of the soldiers.
“The Foreign Secretary deplored the increasing Indian ceasefire violations at
the LoC and the Working Boundary, especially in the
last two months,” said a statement issued by the foreign office. “The Foreign
Secretary asked the Indian High Commissioner to convey to his government that
it must stop the provocative firing and observe the ceasefire. Pakistan is
pursuing a policy of restraint, which should not be construed as a sign of
weakness,” the statement said. However, the Indian army alleged that the
ceasefire violation was initiated by Pakistan. “There was a brief
ceasefire violation, initiated by Pakistan
in Naushera sector, which was effectively retaliated
last night,” Col N N Joshi, Indian Army spokesman in
the Kashmir region told AFP. Tensions across
the long-disputed de facto Himalayan border reached dangerous levels in
September, when India
blamed Pakistani militants for a raid on an army base that killed 19 soldiers. India said it had responded by carrying out
“surgical strikes” across the heavily militarized border, sparking a furious
reaction from Islamabad,
which denied the strikes took place. There have since
been repeated outbreaks of cross-border firing, with both sides reporting
deaths and injuries including of civilians, though the deaths of seven soldiers
in what appeared to be one such incident is relatively high. Nearly 90 people,
most of them young protesters, have been killed in clashes with security forces
in Kashmir. Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif accused India of carrying out the latest
cross-border skirmishes in an effort to distract the world’s attention from the
violent protests. “We are fully capable of defending our soil against any
aggression,” he added in a statement. Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since the end of British
colonial rule in 1947. Both claim the Himalayan territory in full and have
fought two wars over the mountainous region. The two sides have also expelled
diplomats in a tit-for-tat row that has even spilled into the glamorous world
of Bollywood.
Kerry arrives in Oman for talks on Yemen
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English, Monday, 14 November
2016/US Secretary of State John Kerry arrived on Monday in Muscat to try to
revive efforts to end the 19-month long war in Yemen. According to Oman’s offical news agency ONA, Kerry is scheduled to meet with
Omani Foreign Minister Youssef Ben Alaoui after being received by Sultan Qaboos.
This is one of his last journeys as head of the state department before the end
of the Obama administration on January 20. During his visit in Oman, Kerry
will be discussing the possibility of restarting peace talks which have stalled
between the Houthi militias and the government of
President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi.
The war in Yemen,
which has claimed more than 10,000 lives according to the UN, has caused a
serious humanitarian crisis in this country.
Israeli bill to recognize West Bank
outposts
The Associated Press, Jerusalem Monday, 14 November 2016/An
Israeli committee on Sunday approved a bill that if adopted would legalize
outposts built without government permission in the West Bank, territory
Palestinians demand for their future state. It still needs to pass several
stages before it can be adopted. A first reading is expected in parliament on
Wednesday. “The state of Israel today began an historic process of regulating
the settlements in Judea and Samaria,” Cabinet minister Naftali
Bennett, head of the pro-settler Jewish Home party, that promoted the bill
said, using the biblical names for the West Bank. The bill was in part meant to
stop the looming evacuation of the Amona outpost. The
Supreme Court has ruled it was built on private Palestinian land and must be
demolished by Dec. 25. Amona’s fate threatens to
destabilize Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s hard-line coalition.
Palestinians demand the territory for a state and view Israeli construction
there illegitimate, a position that has wide international support. Amona is the largest of about 100 West
Bank outposts built without permission but generally tolerated by
the government. These are in addition to 120 settlements that Israel
considers legal. In 2006, Israeli police demolished nine homes at Amona, setting off clashes pitting settlers and their
supporters against police and soldiers. Several dozen trailers have remained. Yesh Din, an Israeli rights group, condemned the bill
calling it “a legal stunt designed to legally sanction takeover of Palestinian
land in the West Bank. “Israel captured the West
Bank in the 1967 war and built settlements there soon after. The
Palestinians and the international community consider both settlements and
outposts illegal or illegitimate and an obstacle to the creation of a
Palestinian state. In a position that is widely backed internationally, the
Palestinians want the West Bank, along with the Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem, for their
hoped-for state.
Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis
& editorials from miscellaneous sources published on November 14-15/16
Saudis implore Israelis for help
Ali H. Alyami/The Hill/November 11/16
http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/international/305040-saudis-implore-israelis-for-help
The Saudi royals are petitioning the Israelis to save them. As the
president of the Saudi American Public Relation Affairs Committee, Salman al-Ansari, says in this
Hill blog post, the Saudis are imploring Israel to resuscitate their
collapsing economy and defend them against their Iranian Muslim brethren.
This should not have come as a surprise, given the Saudi ruling family’s
obsession with its security and mistrust of Arab and Muslim regimes, especially
the Persians, with whom they share strategic borders and reciprocal religious
hatred.
Having risen to and maintained their power by ruthless force, the Saudi
rulers have mastered the art of ensuring their survival by all the means they possess, can invent or can buy.
For instance, after concluding that there would be long-term adverse
reactions, especially by Americans and their Western allies, to the terrorist
attack on the U.S.
by mostly Saudi nationals on Sept. 11, 2001, the Saudi rulers resorted to what
they know well: creating a diversionary stratagem.
After the 9/11 attack, global media embarked upon an unprecedented
exposure of the Saudis’ repressive policies, toxic doctrine and support for
Muslim extremists and terrorists worldwide. To counter this, the Saudi rulers
tried to refocus global attention on the Arab-Israeli conflict.
They proposed an Arab Peace Initiative, with the intention of achieving
two major objectives: to deflect attention from their role in the 9/11 attacks
and to pave the way for a future defense alliance
with the Israelis, with whom they have shared similar security anxieties about
Iran since the fall of the shah and the establishment of the theocratic Islamic
Republic in 1979.
However, due to the unrealistic concessions the Israelis were asked to
make, they considered the peace plan an unacceptable Arab gambit.
The Israelis saw the peace plan not only as a threat to their country’s
identity but to their country’s survival. Given this reality, the plan was
shelved until the Obama administration reconstructed U.S. policies toward the
Middle East, particularly toward Iran, with which the U.S. and the other
members of the United Nations Security Council consummated a nuclear deal
vehemently opposed by the Saudis and Israelis, albeit for different reasons.
The Saudi rulers are terrified of being dwarfed by Iran’s
burgeoning regional and global influence, and the Israelis are fighting for
their survival.
After failing to convince the Obama administration of the flaws of the
nuclear deal with Iran,
the Israeli and Saudi governments were simpatico in their opposition to the
agreement and in their mistrust of the Iranians’ commitment to give up pursuit
of nuclear weapons. Consequently, they found themselves more open to each
other’s overtures.
The Saudis have intensified their public efforts to lure the Israelis
into a defense
collaboration. But despite their unease over Iranian threats, the Israelis
don’t seem be in a hurry to enter into an alliance with a shifty authoritarian
regime — at least without a tangible public commitment by the Saudis not only
to recognize Israel as a sovereign Jewish state but to end its vitriolic
demonization of Israelis and Jews at home and abroad.
The Saudis are not in a position to reject Israeli demands, given global
awareness of the Saudis’ duplicitous behavior and
current conditions in the Middle East.
The question is whether it’s worth it for the Israelis to risk saving and
prolonging a crumbling and increasingly isolated system that could turn against
them if a better deal with any Israeli enemy is deemed more beneficial by the
Saudis.
Given the tumultuous current and foreseeable conditions in the Middle East, Israelis might be better served to stay out
of deadly intra-Arab and -Muslim conflicts, despite the Israelis’ desire for
normalization of relations with their neighbors.
With or without Arabs’ and Muslims’ recognition of its legitimacy, Israel is in a
better position to continue its unparalleled development instead of
collaborating with the world’s last absolute, unpopular and unstable monarchy,
whose fate is uncertain at best.
**Ali H. Alyami, Ph. D., director of Center for
Democracy and Human Rights in Saudi
Arabia.
State of minorities in the bigger
Levant picture
Eyad Abu Shakra/Al Arabiya/November 14/16
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/2016/11/14/eyad-abu-shakraal-arabiyastate-of-minorities-in-the-bigger-levant-picture/
The Lebanese Parliament has elected Michel Aoun, MP,
as Lebanon’s new president and has thus ended the “Presidential Vacuum” brought
about, since May 25th 2014, by the boycott carried out by Hezbollah and its
subservient parliamentary blocs which would accept no candidate for the post
other than their man… Aoun. On another front, in north western Iraq and northern Syria
new maps of influences are being drawn by Iran’s
expansionism, the Kurds’ ambitions, and Turkey’s calculations.
Aoun’s securing the Lebanese presidency, whatever
excuses are given to justify it, is yet another victory to Iran’s grand plan in the Arab “Mashreq” whose fulfilment began with another Republican US
administration, and solidified, sponsored and nurtured by another US
administration, but Democrat this time around. However, Iran’s new victory in Lebanon
– with due respect to both the country’s absent sovereignty and the post of
president – is but a small drop in the sea of Tehran-led Arab-named militias
inside Iraq and Syria.
Lebanon,
its presidency, parliament, and government are insignificant details that mean
nothing in the “big regional picture” that includes religious and sectarian
uprooting and displacement here, and ethnic cleansing there. Only some Maronite Christians still take the Lebanese presidency with
undeserved seriousness refusing to accept why Iran
– through its arm Hezbollah – nominated Aoun in the
first place; with Washington’s
indirect blessings.
Frankly, Lebanon’s president
is not going to a real “president” simply because Lebanon has ceased to be a real
‘country’. At present it is nothing more than a coastal part of Iran on the east coast of the Mediterranean,
and a large training camp run by a religious militia accorded regional duties
which have brought down the political borders internationally drawn &
recognized in 1920.
Those who do not want to see the facts on the ground, must look no further than
the duties that Hezbollah is ordered to execute in Syria, Yemen, Iraq, the GCC
countries, and even Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula. Then, follow the development of
Iraq’s Shi’ite militia starting with small groupings
such as Assa’eb Ahl al-Haqq, Badr Brigade (later Badr Organization), Abu’l Fadhl Al-Abbass Brigade, Al-Nujabaa etc. and reaching the umbrella organization the
Popular Mobilization Forces’ (PMF) that was legalized and legitimized by Haidar Al-Abadi’s government.
Incidentally, that is the same Al-Abadi who defended
the appearance of General Qassem Suleimani,
the commander of Iran’s
IRGC’s Al-Quds Brigade on
Iraqi battlefields by declaring that he was acting as an advisor of his
US-backed government!
Iran’s new victory in Lebanon – with due respect to both the country’s absent
sovereignty and the post of president – is but a small drop in the sea of
Tehran-led Arab-named militias inside Iraq and Syria
The ‘tri-partite’ liaison
Evidently, in the meantime the “tri-partite” liaison between the rump of Bashar Al-Assad’s regime in Syria, Iran and Russia gathers
pace. The Moscow
meeting that took place last week was yet another landmark on the road to
confirm the Russo-Iranian “Dual Trusteeship” in the “Useful Syria”. The
Russians and Iranians are now actively helping the Al-Assad regime in its
campaign of religious uprooting and displacement throughout ‘Useful Syria’ in
the western part of the country, including the northern
provinces of Aleppo
and Idlib. Elsewhere, while the regime’s army and
Iran’s Shi’ite militias bolster the defenses of the capital Damascus through displacing the Ghouta towns and suburbs surrounding it, Al-Assad and
Tehran strive to keep the southern ‘front’ in the Golan calm in order to assure
Israel of the ‘positive rewards’ of it accepting its share of Iran’s grand plan
in both Syria and Lebanon.
Details are different in eastern and north eastern Syria
where the Kurds and Turks are playing a pivotal role that reverberates inside Iraq. The other
day, in an extremely poignant development ‘The Popular Mobilization Forces’
(PMF)– sponsored and backed by the Iraqi government – announced that after
achieving the “liberation” of the city of Mosul, they will move into Syria to
support the Assad regime! The PMF’s notorious record
in acts of vengeful sectarian violence is well known and documented everywhere
it has operated, from Al-Fallujah and Al-Ramadi to
Al-Muqdadyyiah and Saleheddin Province. Furthermore, in addition to
this militia’s sectarian crimes under the command of General Suleimani, the “Iraqi Government advisor”, several
aggressive and abominable pronouncements were made by the leading figures of
the PMF such as Qais Al-Khaz’ali,
Hadi Al-Ameri et al, which
uncover deeply held sectarian hatred that is surely destructive to Iraq’s
national unity and any chance of coexistence between its major communities.
Consequently, the PMF’s crimes and its leaders’
rhetoric and threats have pushed even Washington
to “advise” the Baghdad government not to allow
this hateful militia to take part in the attack planned against the largest
Sunni Arab Iraqi city, i.e. Mosul.
American endeavors
American endeavors, however, seem to have failed with
a government that is nothing but a façade of the hegemony of Iran –
Washington’s new Middle East ally – over Iraq. Indeed, the PMF went further by
insisting on attacking Nineveh Plain then the predominantly Sunni Turkmen town
of Tal Afar.
In both northern Iraq and
northern and north eastern Syria,
Turkey
feels concerned and has vital interests in two areas:
1- Protection of the Turkmen minorities.
2- Prevention of the creation of “Greater Kurdistan”.
Given the above, Turkey has launched the “Euphrates Shield” between the city of
Aleppo and the Turkey – Syria border west of the Euphrates River in order to
protect the Turkmen and prevent the linking of the Kurdish Afrin – in the north
west corner of Syria – enclave with the bulk of the Kurdish-majority
territories in the north and northeast; and is now deeply concerned about the
fate of the Turkmen of northern Iraq, as well as secessionist Kurds’
aspirations for independence.
In fact, Turkey
is absolutely right to be concerned about the situation in both its southern neighbors. The Iraqi oil city of Kirkuk – inhabited by
Turkmen, Kurds and Arabs – has long been a tinderbox of friction and
antagonism, and the candidly expressed desire of Iraqi Kurds for full
independence may have grave repercussions in the Kurdish regions of eastern
Turkey; noting that Iran has already made inroads within “Iraqi Kurdistan”
through the Jalal Talebani
wing in the Sulaymaniyah District of the so-far
‘autonomous region’.
Hence, the last thing that the Turks want along their borders is a Shiite Arab
– Kurdish alliance under Iran’s
influence against Arab Sunnis and Turkmen left to face an unknown future in the
aftermath of the broad understanding and cooperation between Washington
and Tehran.
In such a situation, the Christian presence in Iraq,
Syria and Lebanon is dwindling as a result of
unwise strategies adopted by several Christian leaders in their respective
fragile and fractious countries; either by aligning themselves with
illegitimate ruling elites, or relying too much on
Western protection without realizing that interests and not moral commitments
drive Western policies.
**This article was first published in Asharq al-Awsat on November 08, 2016.
Should Iran fear a Trump presidency?
European Union and allies remain committed to Iran deal
Week in Review/Al Monitor/November 14/16
First posted on November 12/16
New US sanctions could end up isolating Washington,
not Tehran, as Iran
gains ground in the region; Obama’s decision to target Jabhat
al-Nusra leaders could lead to breakthrough on Aleppo.
US President-elect Donald Trump will give priority to new sanctions and
pressure on Iran,
while considering whether and how his administration might seek to renegotiate
the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
The trend in Europe and Asia, however, is heading in the other direction, where
the emphasis is on breaking down, rather than erecting, barriers to business
and engagement with Iran.
It is difficult to envision a global retreat from Iran, absent an Iranian breach in
its commitments to the JCPOA.
During the upcoming lame-duck session, the Senate is likely to take up several Iran sanctions bills, including targeting
countries and individuals that support Iran’s ballistic missile program.
Julian Pecquet reported that the House Rules
Committee is preparing legislation that seeks to block the sale of Boeing
civilian aircraft and prohibit Export-Import Bank financing of deals with Iran.
These initiatives foreshadow what is likely to be a well-coordinated effort by
the incoming Trump administration and the Republican-majority Congress to pressure
and sanction Iran with the
goal of a possible renegotiation of the Iran nuclear deal, as Trump
promised to do during the presidential campaign. Even if Hillary Clinton had
won the presidential election, there seemed to be a consensus that more sanctions
bills would have been forthcoming, as The Washington Post reported.
It is uncertain whether the Trump administration could force a renegotiation of
the nuclear deal, unless the International Atomic Energy Agency reports a
violation by Iran.
EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini told CNN
Nov. 9 that the JCPOA “is not a bilateral agreement between the US and Iran. … It’s a multilateral
agreement that we have negotiated … enframed into a
UN Security Council resolution, actually more than one.”
The EU is seeking a presence in Iran.
Changiz Varzi reported that
while Iranian hard-liners may seek to complicate or thwart the effort, Iran’s Foreign
Ministry grasps the trade and diplomatic benefits of an EU office. Russia and China,
like the EU, are signatories to the JCPOA and are already at the head of the
queue for business with Iran.
Blocking the Boeing aircraft sales would be a loss for the American company and
a benefit to Europe’s Airbus.
Saudi Arabia, however, might
welcome and encourage the Trump administration to turn up the heat on Iran. Bruce
Riedel wrote that the kingdom is losing ground to Iran
in regional affairs, as it lacks “the tools and instruments to project power
that Iran
has developed over decades. There is no Saudi equivalent of the Islamic
Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which can provide expertise and advisers to
groups such as Hezbollah and the Houthis. There is no
Saudi general like Qasem Soleimani,
the head of the Quds Force in the IRGC with years of
experience in covert operations. The Saudis have good intelligence services but
they are not on-the-ground, battle-hardened practitioners like the IRGC. Riyadh traditionally has
relied on financial support to project power. With the fall in oil prices, that
is harder to draw on. Saudi Arabia
canceled a multibillion-dollar military aid project
for Lebanon
in part to save money. The rivalry is costing both Riyadh
and Tehran a
fortune, but there is no end in sight.”
“Iran
will not become the hegemonic power in the region,” Riedel concluded. “It faces
many enemies and constraints. Iraqi, Syrian and Lebanese Shiites do not want an
Iranian overlord. But Iran
is increasingly the most influential player in the Fertile Crescent at the
expense of Saudi Arabia.”
In Lebanon, which is often a
bellwether for regional trends, Michel Aoun’s
election to the presidency, and his brokering of Saad
Hariri’s return as prime minister, which involved deft diplomacy with
Hezbollah, can be taken as another sign of Iran’s regional ascendancy. Ali Hashem reported that Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif was the first foreign
minister to congratulate Aoun during a visit to Lebanon that included meetings with Hezbollah
Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah, as is custom, and
Hariri, a sign of the new Lebanon
trend. Although the new Lebanese government was blessed in Tehran,
Hashem warned that the “Iranian-Syrian-GCC [Gulf
Cooperation Council] race in Lebanon
confirms fears that the new Lebanese administration is going to face serious
challenges with respect to regional differences.” As this column reported last
week, Aoun’s ultimate objective is to forge an
independent, nationalist course for all Lebanese, which will require continued,
steady navigation of regional currents.
Obama takes fight to Jabhat al-Nusra
The Obama administration has directed the Pentagon to give priority to
targeting the leaders of al-Qaeda’s Syria affiliate, the so-called Conquest of
Syria Front (formerly Jabhat al-Nusra),
a shift in priorities that may offer the potential for a breakthrough in US
Syria policy, including an end to the siege of Aleppo.
Adam Entous of The Washington Post reported,
“Officials who supported the shift said the Obama administration could no
longer tolerate what one of them described as ‘a deal with the devil,’ whereby
the United States largely held its fire against al-Nusra
because the group was popular with Syrians in rebel-controlled areas and
furthered the US goal of putting military pressure on Assad. Russia had accused the United States of sheltering al-Nusra, a charge repeated Thursday in Moscow by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. ‘The president doesn’t want this group to be what
inherits the country if Assad ever does fall,’ a senior US official
said. ‘This cannot be the viable Syrian opposition. It’s al-Qaeda.’”
The new approach, which the Post suggests would accelerate under a Trump
administration, is vindication for US Secretary of State John Kerry, who had
sought to work out a deal with Russia
that would have included military coordination against Jabhat
al-Nusra. We shared Kerry’s view that arguments
within the administration against working with Russia to take the fight to
al-Qaeda were “completely screwed up,” and, unlike many media outlets, this
column has avoided lumping Jabhat al-Nusra and its jihadi
brothers-in-arms, such as Ahrar al-Sham, as “rebels,”
simply because they are fighting Assad.
The shift in US priorities should lead to wider recognition and reporting of Jabhat al-Nusra’s role in Aleppo. The UN plan for Aleppo includes the
departure, not the accommodation, of Jabhat al-Nusra forces. UN Syria envoy Staffan
de Mistura said in October that 1,000 Jabhat al-Nusra fighters are
holding Aleppo “hostage,” and that he would personally escort them from the
city, if they would agree to leave.
Ending the siege of Aleppo,
including the defeat of Jabhat al-Nusra,
is more urgent than ever. Jan Egeland, the special
adviser to de Mistura, warned this week of mass
hunger in advance of a “killer” winter. Humanitarian assistance can only take
place in the context of a US-Russian agreement. Building on a shared interest
in defeating al-Qaeda’s affiliate is a good place to start.
Trump and International Security
Richard Kemp/Gatestone Institute/November 14/16
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/2016/11/14/richard-kempgatestone-institute-trump-and-international-security/
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/9313/trump-international-security
It is the EU, not Donald Trump, that threatens to undermine NATO and the
security of the West. An EU defence union will present a direct threat to NATO,
competing for funds, building in duplication and confusion, and setting up
rival military structures.
"You can't say the past doesn't matter, the values we share don't matter,
but instead try to get as much money out of NATO as possible and whether I can
get a good deal out of it." — German Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen.
This is breath-taking hypocrisy from the defence minister of Germany, which spends less than 1.2% of GDP on
defence against an agreed NATO minimum target of 2%, while freeloading off the America's 73%
contribution to NATO's overall defence spending.
European leaders would do well to recognize that they need the US more than the US needs them, and that real,
concrete, committed defence from the world's greatest military power is more
beneficial to them than a fantasy army that will have plenty of flags,
headquarters and generals but no teeth.
Trump should also prioritize both practical and moral support to anti-Islamist
regimes in the Middle East, such as Sisi's Egypt.
Rather than spreading fear and false propaganda about Donald Trump, they should
be praying that he will provide the strength that is so desperately needed
today, and working out how best they can support rather than attack him.
Since Donald Trump's election, media-fuelled panic has engulfed Europe, including over defence and security. We are told
that World War III is imminent, that Trump will jump into bed with Putin and
pull the US
out of NATO. Such fantasies are put about by media cheerleaders for European
political elites, terrified that Trump's election will inspire support for
populist candidates in the forthcoming elections in Germany,
the Netherlands and France.
In fact, it is the EU, not Donald Trump, that
threatens to undermine NATO and the security of the West. In recent days,
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker,
his foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, and
German Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen have suggested that Trump's election should give
greater impetus to a European defence force.
This has been an EU aspiration for many years. Citing Trump is just a cynical
pretext for speeding it up. It is already well advanced and has gained greater
focus since the UK's
decision to leave the EU. The EU army is a vanity project, seen by many
European leaders as a necessary instrument of the ever-closer union they
desire. Speaking at a meeting of the European Defence Agency in Brussels the day after
Trump's election, Ms Mogherini suggested that the EU
needs "the full potential of a super power, in the field of defence and security."
To the economically atrophied EU, a defence union also has the potential for
enormous financial savings. The intention will be to aggregate national
military capabilities under what will no doubt be described as rationalization
and efficiency. This will bring swingeing cuts to European defence capability.
It will also severely reduce flexibility and the redundancy which is so vital
to military forces that have any expectation of combat in which attrition and
multiple simultaneous threats might occur.
The byzantine EU bureaucracy, combined with timidity in so many European
nations, will ensure its army could never be deployed in anger. An EU defence
union will also present a direct threat to NATO, competing for funds, building
in duplication and confusion, and setting up rival military structures. In her
speech, Ms Mogherini even spelt out the need for a
single EU headquarters for military missions, which
she likened to SHAPE, the NATO command centre.
The German defence minister told reporters on the day Trump
was elected that he must treat NATO as an alliance of shared values
rather than a business. She said: "You can't say the past doesn't matter,
the values we share don't matter, but instead try to get as much money out of
NATO as possible and whether I can get a good deal out of it."
This is breath-taking hypocrisy from the defence minister of a nation that
spends less than 1.2% of GDP on defence against an agreed NATO minimum target
of 2%, while freeloading off the United States's 73% contribution to NATO's overall defence spending. How
much are "the values we share" worth to her country?
Britain
is one of the few European countries that achieve even the minimum 2%, with
some spending only half that. This is what Trump was talking about when he said
European nations need to pull their weight. Contrary to political and media
spin, he has not threatened to take the US out of NATO nor, apparently,
will he do so -- unless forced into it by the EU's drive to become a
super-state with its own army. European leaders would do well to recognize that
they need the US more than
the US
needs them, and that real, concrete, committed defence from the world's
greatest military power is more beneficial to them than a fantasy army that
will have plenty of flags, headquarters and generals but no teeth.
In his insistence that the Europeans contribute more, Trump will have a fight
on his hands because they have no intention of doing so. Neither do most
European governments have any intention of the serious use of military force
ever again. Britain may
still be an exception to this, and France less so. Britain's bilateral defence and intelligence
ties with the US
are already far closer than any other European state. The UK should now be looking at strengthening these
even further, and drawing yet closer to the US in the face of the military
impotence that would accompany an EU defence union.
The European media have also made hay with Trump's non-confrontational approach
towards President Putin, spreading fears that this too will undermine
international security. This is nonsense. He may find more effective ways to
accommodate the Russian president than his predecessor, including resisting
provocative and misjudged European Union expansion eastwards, but he is not the
sort of man to appease the likes of Putin.
Trump will also make a stronger stand against other threats to the US and the West
than Obama has, and it is vital that he does so. He described Obama's nuclear
agreement with Iran as
"the worst deal ever negotiated" and has vowed to counteract Iran's
violations, if necessary hitting them with tough new sanctions and perhaps
tearing up the deal altogether.
Tellingly, since the announcement of Trump's victory, Iranian Foreign Minister
Mohammad Javad Zarif has
already shown how much this worries him. Expect to see Iran's
anti-American provocations curtailed when Trump becomes president. A stronger US stance is urgently hoped for by troubled US allies in the Middle East, including Israel, Saudi
Arabia, Egypt
and the Gulf states,
all of which fear growing Iranian aggression throughout the region.
There is a conflict between the necessary hard-line approach against Iran and greater cooperation with Russia. US
President Barack Obama, in his desperation to achieve and sustain his legacy
nuclear deal, prostrated himself to the ayatollahs and
left a power vacuum across the Middle East.
Both Iran and Russia seized
on his pusillanimity. Re-asserting American influence in the region will be one
of Trump's greatest challenges.
A priority is to hammer the Islamic State and their jihadist bedfellows
wherever they raise their heads. Trump must, in his words, "hit them so
hard your head would spin." He should also prioritize both practical and
moral support to anti-Islamist regimes in the Middle East, such as Sisi's Egypt.
He needs to do the same at home as well, strongly countering the spreading and
corrosive Islamic radicalization in the US. He has said he will crack down
on domestic supporters of the Islamic State, shutting radical mosques and
revoking the passports of US citizens who travel to fight with them. Not only
would this enhance homeland security, it would also help undermine IS's global appeal, especially if European countries
followed his lead.
Time and again, history has shown that only strong leaders, not appeasers, can
maintain peace and security. It was the strength of Ronald Reagan with Margaret
Thatcher at his shoulder that brought about the collapse of the Soviet Union, which had threatened and attacked Western
democracies across the globe for decades.
European leaders need to recognize this too. Rather than spreading fear and
false propaganda about Donald Trump, they should be praying that he will
provide the strength that is so desperately needed today, and working out how best
they can support rather than attack him.
**Colonel Richard Kemp was Commander of British Forces in Afghanistan. He
served in Iraq, Saudi Arabia, the Balkans and Northern Ireland
and was head of the international terrorism team for the UK Joint Intelligence
Committee.
© 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.
Trump's Difficult Ally in Ankara
Burak Bekdil/Gatestone
Institute/November 14/16
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/2016/11/14/burak-bekdilgatestone-institute-trumps-difficult-ally-in-ankara/
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/9310/trump-turkey
They will have to deal with a man who says he does not mind being called a
dictator.
Most recently, the World Justice Project placed Turkey
99th out of 113 countries on its Rule of Law Index 2016, performing even worse
than Myanmar and Iran.
Turkey
is also now the world's biggest jailer of journalists and academics. It also
claims the title of the world's biggest jailer of opposition politicians.
There is little Europe can do about the new
dictatorship emerging at its doors. Germany is offering dissidents
asylum. But asylum can only be an individual, tentative solution for a few
Turks when at Erdogan's target are millions.
Bilateral relations with NATO ally Turkey are probably not on
president-elect Donald Trump's top-50 priority list. All the same, when Trump's
diplomats will have to work with Turkey
on issues that may soon gain prominence -- such as Syria -- they will have to deal
with a man who says he does not mind being called a dictator.
Instead of resembling a Western democracy in the European Union -- to which Turkey has long been struggling to join as a
full member -- Turkey
increasingly looks like Kim Jong-Un's North Korea.
Most recently, the World Justice Project placed Turkey
99th out of 113 countries on its Rule of Law Index 2016, performing even worse
than Myanmar and Iran. The index
measures nations for constraints on government powers, absence of corruption,
open government, fundamental rights, order and security, regulatory enforcement
and civil and criminal justice. Turkey
is also now the world's biggest jailer of journalists and academics.
It also claims the title of the world's biggest jailer of opposition
politicians. A dozen lawmakers from the pro-Kurdish, opposition Peoples'
Democratic Party (HDP) were detained on November 4 because they refused to give
testimony in criminal proceedings. Prime Minister Binali
Yildirim said that democratically elected officials
normally can only be forced from office in an election, but those officials who
mix with and encourage "terrorism" must face legal proceedings. Turkish
prosecutors began probing more than 50 HDP members of parliament after the
legislature voted to scrap immunity in certain cases. Turkish officials say HDP
lawmakers were detained because they refuse to testify in their cases.
On the same day that Turkish police detained Kurdish lawmakers, Turkey
restricted access to multiple social media services throughout the country,
including Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Restrictions
on the messaging services WhatsApp, Skype and Instagram were also detected, validating widespread user
complaints about WhatsApp service failure in Turkey. Iit was the first time Turkey imposed nationwide
restrictions on social media.
The Turkish government regularly adds to its list of real or imaginary enemies.
When a number of foreign diplomats attended the HDP parliamentary group meeting
on November 8, Turkish Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag immediately condemned the envoys for supporting the
pro-Kurdish party. Bozdag claimed that the diplomats'
governments (Belgium, Luxembourg, Greece,
Finland, Austria and the EU) failed to show support for Turkey's battle
against "terrorism." Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said: "The ambassadors' duty is not to
support separatists, it is to respect the sovereign
rights of the country in which they work." According to Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu, the lawmakers
represented "an understanding nested within a terrorist
organization."
All that exponentially grows Turkey's
political distance from Europe and the West.
The EU said a number of Turkish laws regarding fundamental rights were
"not in line with European standards" and expressed "grave
concern" over the arrests. "The anti-terror law [in Turkey] is not
in line with the acquis [EU norms] with regard to its
scope and definitions and its application raises serious fundamental rights
concerns," the bloc said. But there was more criticism in Brussels.
An unusually hard-hitting annual progress report voiced "grave
concern" about Turkey's
crackdown on opponents since the failed coup of July 15. The report said Turkey has
rolled back the independence of the judiciary, freedom of expression and other
fundamental democratic standards. Johannes Hahn, the EU's top enlargement
official, noted the seriousness of the coup attempt [against Erdogan], but said:
"the large scale and collective nature of measures taken over the last
months raise very serious concerns. Turkey as a candidate country must
fulfil the highest standards in the field of the rule of law and fundamental
rights. In this year's report we therefore stress Turkey's backsliding in the area of
rule of law and fundamental rights."The report
only provoked more Turkish ire. As his government rebuffed the report, Erdogan referred to its content as "shameless."
That was not surprising for anyone. Only a few days earlier, Erdogan put his thinking plainly: "I don't care if
they call me a dictator. I care about what my people say about me."
Turkey's political distance
from Europe and the West is growing. The EU
has said a number of Turkish laws regarding fundamental rights were "not
in line with European standards" and expressed "grave concern"
over the arrests of journalists, opposition politicians and academics.
There is little Europe can do about the new
dictatorship emerging at its doors. Germany is offering dissidents
asylum. Michael Roth, state secretary at the German foreign ministry, said that
Germany
is open to providing protection for Turks who have been "politically
persecuted" by Erdogan's government. He said:
"All critics in Turkey
should know that the German government stands in solidarity with them."
But asylum can only be an individual, tentative solution for a few Turks when Erdogan targets millions. With a captain who does not mind
being called a dictator, Turkey
looks like a slow-sinking ship with a majority of passengers aboard dancing
with joy, while a silent minority is systematically intimidated by the crew.
*Burak Bekdil, based in Ankara, is a Turkish
columnist for the Hürriyet Daily and a Fellow at the
Middle East Forum.
© 2016 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved.
Trump needs to reverse the Iran deal and
assert our interests
John Bolton/New York Times/November 13/16
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/2016/11/14/john-boltonnew-york-times-trump-needs-to-reverse-the-iran-deal-and-assert-our-interests/
http://nypost.com/2016/11/13/trump-needs-to-reverse-the-iran-deal-and-assert-our-interests/
Barack Obama’s foreign-policy legacy includes reduced American global
influence, dramatically underfunded military and intelligence capabilities, and
rising concern among longtime allies about
Washington’s understanding of international threats. A world of nuclear-weapons
proliferation and growing radical Islamic terrorism are the consequences.
There is a reason the world is more dangerous today than eight years ago.
During his White House tenure, Obama regarded national-security policy as
a distraction. He preferred instead to concentrate on what he said candidly in
2008 was his main objective: to “fundamentally transform” America.
International crises constantly threatened to divert time and energy away from
that ideological quest.
This is not to say that Obama did not have his own distinct — and badly
misguided — worldview. In Obama’s opinion, and that of all of his top advisors,
most definitely including Hillary Clinton, America’s global presence, its
strength and assertiveness and its manifest success in protecting its allies
and its interests actually contribute to tension, instability and outright
conflict.
Under this worldview, American efforts at self-defense
and mutual security are part of the problem, not the solution.
Nowhere is the spreading global chaos more apparent than in the Middle
East, and it is here that President-elect Donald Trump will face his most
immediate international challenges.
In August 1914, British Foreign Minister Edward Grey observed that “the
lamps are going out all over Europe, we shall not see them lit again in our life-time.” We are
not far wrong to ask whether Grey’s insight applies today in the Middle East:
Radical Islam has spread across the region, shattering governments and
leaving anarchy where terrorist groups, warlords and brigands are taking root.
Post-World War I boundaries are disappearing. ISIS has declared a
caliphate in what used to be Syria
and Iraq.
The Kurds are moving inexorably toward de jure declaration of a “Kurdistan” of uncertain reach.
Turkey
is turning away from its secular constitution toward President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s
own concept of a caliphate.
Al Qaeda and the Taliban are resurgent in Afghanistan. Yemen has
disintegrated.
Worst of all, Iran is now on a path to deliverable nuclear weapons,
legitimized by Obama’s wretched deal, which is providing untold economic
benefits to Tehran through unfrozen assets and renewed trade and investment,
especially from Europe. Iran’s
support for terrorism continues unabated, and its provocative international behavior has only worsened since the nuclear deal. Russia’s
influence in the region is higher than at any time since the 1970s.
President-elect Trump has been emphatic that destroying ISIS must be an
urgent priority, not Obama’s slow-motion approach that has simply allowed ISIS to continue recruiting adherents and training and
deploying terrorists throughout the West. In addition, however, a Trump
anti-ISIS strategy must also correct Obama’s misguided reliance on the Baghdad government, which
has become little more than an Iranian puppet.
In this complex multi-sided war, the defeat of any combatant inevitably
advantages all the others. The goal should be to destroy ISIS while benefiting Iran to the
least extent possible.
Obama’s approach, by contrast, seems aimed at enhancing the benefits to Iran.
Indeed, the hardest question of all may be: What comes after ISIS is defeated?
The goal should be to destroy ISIS while benefiting Iran to the
least extent possible.
Sunni Arabs who previously supported ISIS (or accepted it because they
could not resist) will not again be quietly relegated to the tender mercies of
an Iran-dominated Iraqi government or Bashar
al-Assad’s regime in Syria.
Either a new state must be created out of the wreckage of Syria and Iraq, or some other durable
approach must be found. Moreover, the new Russian airbase in Latakia, Syria,
has dramatically changed the strategic environment in the eastern Mediterranean and beyond.
Unfortunately, the base cannot be made to disappear simply by reversing
Obama’s erroneous policies.
In the midst of this wasteland that has developed over the past eight
years, Israel and America’s Arab
friends are desperately waiting for a strong American president who understands
who his friends are. President-elect Trump can change the regional political
dynamic quickly, signaling that US elections do truly
have consequences.
One key step would be to abrogate the Iran nuclear deal in his first days
in office. There will be considerable diplomacy required to explain this
courageous but necessary decision, but the unambiguous signal it would send
worldwide cannot be underestimated.
While terrorism and Middle East anarchy could fill any President’s day,
it is critical the incoming Trump administration also fashion strategies to
deal with longer-term issues like protecting America’s
constitutional system from the advocates of global governance and the realities
of international competition from the likes of China
and Russia.
Failing to engage in strategic thinking at the outset
of any new Administration risks exacerbating the problems that will inevitably
flow during its four or eight years in office. Doing
the hard preparatory work now will pay off when the uncertain future becomes
all too real.
**-Mr. Bolton is former US
ambassador to the United Nations (2005-2006). He is currently a senior fellow
at the American Enterprise Institute and the author of “Surrender Is Not an
Option: Defending America at the United Nations and Abroad.”
Spare Me the Terrified Jewish Sermons
About Steve Bannon
Bethany Mandel/Forward/November 14, 2016
American Jews have a new reason to be concerned about a Donald Trump
presidency. There was already a major outcry over the anti-Semitism coming out
of Trump’s campaign and his supporter base, and that concern has skyrocketed
with the selection of Steve Bannon, a hero of the
“alt-right” and former CEO of Breitbart, as a chief
strategist in the White House.
But despite many headlines to the contrary, it’s unclear whether Bannon is an actual white supremacist or white nationalist
himself — even though, under his watch, the Breitbart
brand became deeply intertwined with the “alt-right.” Writing about Bannon’s appointment, his former colleague Ben Shapiro of
the Daily Wire wrote today, “I have no evidence that Bannon’s
a racist or that he’s an anti-Semite… [however] Bannon has openly embraced the racist and anti-Semitic
alt-right — he called his Breitbart ‘the platform of
the alt-right.’” Already, the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism and the
Anti-Defamation League have released statements regarding his appointment.
While I’m not exactly over the moon about Bannon’s
appointment, I do not believe that his new title means that a white supremacist
White House is ascendant. All reports from the people I know who are personally
familiar with him suggest that he’s cold, calculating and power-hungry. Such
figures aren’t exactly rare within the halls of any White House; they are par
for the course in Washington
circles. Instead, it’s the fact that Bannon seems
willing to do anything — even associating himself with the “alt-right” if it
means he can profit off it — that gives me most cause for concern.
And yet, despite this concern about Bannon, I
do not want to hear a single terrified synagogue sermon about him. Here’s why.
When I still identified as a Reform Jew, I sat through countless rabbinic
sermons about blatantly political subjects. Climate change was mentioned in the
same breath as the weekly Torah portion, and once I even heard Barack Obama
compared to Jesus! I felt increasingly unwelcome and uncomfortable as a
political conservative, and eventually I stopped attending. It was impossible
to ignore the fact that any negative attention toward a political topic was
always oriented in one direction: rightward. The politicized, liberal bend on
religious topics in the Reform movement became too much and I gradually shifted
right religiously, as I already had politically. I found myself gravitating
toward the Modern Orthodox camp, where not only did most of my fellow Jews
believe what I believed politically, but even more importantly, politics rarely
came up in communal settings.
This past week, as I saw many synagogues’ responses to Trump’s win, I was
reminded of why I left the Reform movement. To be clear, I was no fan of the
President-elect nor did I vote for him, despite having been a registered
Republican for most of my adult life. But in liberal synagogues across the
country, a state of mourning set in; some rabbis compared the response to
sitting shiva. Tears were shed and support groups
sprang up — not because there had been a national tragedy, but because we’d
experienced a democratically decided election.
Steve Bannon Signals Coming Storm for Jews in
Age of Donald Trump
Chemi Shalev (Haaretz)November 14, 2016
According to preliminary research conducted by Pew, roughly a quarter of
American Jews supported Trump’s candidacy, performing nearly on par with
previous Republican nominees. In the pages of the Forward, three Jewish
supporters of Trump explained why they backed his campaign despite some Jews’
concerns about anti-Semitism. Their consensus: accusations of anti-Semitism are
“absolute nonsense” (in the words of one, Joshua Seidel). Is Trump responsible
for the actions of his supporters? That is a matter of opinion; those who voted
for Trump hold one, and those who voted against hold another.
My question now is: How will Trump-voting Jews like Seidel feel about
walking into these synagogues in the coming weeks and months? Will they feel
welcome among religious leaders and congregations who treated the victory of
their preferred candidate as a national tragedy, and who are now poised to rend
their garments over Bannon from the bimah?
A synagogue’s entire purpose is to provide a religious sanctuary for its
members, not to provide a platform to political beliefs, movements or causes
(we have enough of those). Many liberal synagogues go out of their way to make
it clear to individuals who may feel marginalized in more right-wing religious
settings that they have a home; this emphasis on tolerance is a priority of
paramount importance. Tolerance, however, cannot only extend to those with whom
the majority of the community is already comfortable; it should also extend to
those Jews whom they do not understand.
Yes, even the Republicans have to feel welcome — and even the Republicans
who feel just fine about Trump and Bannon. They’re
Jews, too.
A synagogue’s capacity to feel like a true sanctuary should not depend on
one’s political beliefs or choices at the ballot box. For many American Jews,
the reaction of their religious leaders to this election may have stripped a
sacred space from their lives. In order for our nation to heal from the
division caused by this election, we’re going to need to feel comfortable in
our religious communities and know that an honest, open dialogue can occur. If
we continue to react to Trump’s win, and now to Bannon’s
appointment, by mourning instead of understanding, that will never happen for
many American Jews.
**/Bethany Mandel writes on politics and culture, usually from a
conservative perspective. Follow her on Twitter @BethanyShondark
What is next for Syria in Trump’s era?
Dr. Halla Diyab/Al
Arabiya/November 14/16
The American people have spoken and Donald Trump is set to make his way to the
White House. The man who ignited universal controversy with his infamous
statements is now in charge of formulating world policies which might run
contrary to American history when it comes to the Middle
East region. So, how can a man who is known for actively seeking
to sew division and pour oil on the fire of interethnic grudges and hostility
deal with the most challenging turmoil witnessed in the modern history - the
Syrian war?The dynamic of the new American administration’s
involvement in Syria should be explored on three main levels: the future of
US-backing of the rebels, the destiny of the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and America’s future plans to deal with the
growth of the terrorist group, ISIS.
Trump has shown a soft spot for the Russians and has said that he will likely
end military support to the Syrian Opposition in an interview with the Wall
Street Journal on Friday. This puts their territorial advances on the ground at
stake. Trump’s election campaign statement on Syria
paid testimony to the fact that these fears are concrete, as the unconventional
leader will hesitate before he invests in supporting any insurgent group
fighting in Syria
due to his obvious cynical view that “defeating Islamic State (ISIS) was a
higher priority than persuading Assad to step down.”
The Obama administration’s foreign policy operates on two-fold intervention to
topple authoritarian states either directly, like the scenario witnessed in
Libya and Iraq, or indirectly, similar to the situation in Syria where the US
is sponsoring and backing opposition fighters. On the other hand, Trump’s
decision on whether or not to back up the rebel fighters will be based on two
things: what is he going to get out of backing them up? What will American get
in return?
This holds the possibility, however slight, that Trump might turn the tide favorably toward Assad, who he believes is “much tougher
and much smarter” than Obama and Clinton. Trump’s anti-establishment
perspective on Syria is formulated
by unconventional rules of who can rule, control and endure a chaotic situation
like the Syrian situation without causing America further problems. This
belief might spur changes in the balance of military power on the ground,
pushing the Syrian opposition to resort to other powerful international
countries like the UK, Turkey or France.
Business-man mentality
Trump has a business-man mentality and he will be unwilling to give something
for free or simply to fulfil the aspirations of the Syrian people for democracy
and freedom. In addition to that, his fears of a “Trojan horse” situation with
ISIS weigh heavy and by backing the military conflict in Syria, Trump will be burdening United States
with a moral responsibility toward the people who are highly affected by this
conflict. Trump’s cynical character will also question the unpredictable
opposition’s loyalty. One day a fighter may claim to stand with the opposition
and the next they could declare their allegiance to the ISIS.
For Trump, American policy will be about reviving power inside the US first and
foremost while Syrian turmoil will remain low on his agenda
If Obama’s administration chose the first option of the two choices which
Hilary Clinton detailed in her book, i.e. to “stand with the people of Syria
and the region or become complicit in the continuing violence there,” Trump
would prefer the second option by being complicit when it comes to Syria. He
made it clear that the focus is not Syria;
the focus is ISIS, and he believes that no fly zone on Syria can drag
US into World War III. His leadership of the White House - at least for the
coming year - will be an inward looking as he wants to build a better America and wants America to be great again. He is
really not interested in championing the political aspirations of the Syrian
people. He does not champion the same mind-set of former American leaders who
believe that America
has the duty to carry the torch of democratic values to the rest of the world.
Words like freedom and democracy for all are not in Trump’s dictionary of
terminology. He pledged to “rebuild” America
and to “renew” the American dream, so his vision is very inward, aiming toward
Americanizing the United
States.
Who’s problem?
While Syria
for Hilary Clinton, as described in her book, is a “wicked problem,” for Trump
it is simply not his problem unless it causes him a problem. If this happens,
his diplomatic track will be cemented by business-like negotiations with the
Russians and the allies of the rebel groups. He will weigh his support to the
opposition against the prospect of alliance with Russia
to crush ISIS. Trump will not shy away from
negotiating with Putin on a new joint-role against their shared enemy, ISIS, something which he viewed as very difficult for
Hilary to achieve after she made the Russian president out to be so “evil.”
Trump’s political priority is to neutralize ISIS, because they are causing a
long-term problem to the security of the United States. His strategy to
“take care of ISIS” will be as volatile and as
despicable as his outrageous statements. He will not hesitate to shower ISIS’ strong hold areas with bombs and missiles to uproot
the extremist insurgency. The dribbling plan of the American leader against
ISIS might not exclude the possibility of renegotiating a place for the Syrian
President Bashar al-Assad in the future political
plan for Syria.
Something which will be read by the Syrian rebel groups and opposition leaders
as a complicit approach to the situation, which might strengthen the role of other
foreign players involved in the Syrian proxy war.
For Trump, American policy will be about reviving the American identity and
power inside America
first and foremost while Syrian turmoil will remain low on his agenda. Lowering
the expectations of what America
will offer to Syria
in the upcoming year is the only sensible mind-set required to face the
difficult time which the war-torn county will go through.
Is it time to understand Donald Trump
better?
Hassan Al Mustafa/Al Arabiya/November 14/16
Donald Trump won the election and became, by the power of law and the
constitution, the president-elect, contrary to the expectation and
anticipations of many in and out of the US. Throughout his two terms in the
White House, regional leaders and political analysts were frustrated by Obama’s
Middle East policies, which created mayhem, constant chaos and conflicts in Syria, Iraq,
Yemen and Libya. They
perceived him as an isolationist and feeble president, manipulated by the
Iranian and Muslim brotherhood lobbies and surrounded by amateurs, incompetent
and sympathizers of the Arab Springs that spread across the region in early
2011. This repetitive monotonous criticism was recycled by media outlets during
the course of Obama’s presidency, resulting in a widening the gap between
various Arab capitals and Washington, as well
as generating an atmosphere of apprehension – a juncture some radicals have
attempted to capitalize on by pushing Gulf States
into confrontation with the US.
Now the Americans have chosen their next president, so what is our next step?
Will we carry on moaning and groaning about the “racist” president who pledged
to ban Muslims from entering Uncle Sam territories? Or will we adopt a more
radical approach, while trying to explore other alternatives that are neither
sensible nor practical?
Trump’s approach, his policy and the cabinet he picks will define and outline
the relationships and alliance
US-Gulf ties
The relationship with the United States is a strategic matter for Gulf
countries, due to its superpower status as the unchallenged great power in
areas such as economy and technology etc. This is the same reality that pressed
Iran, a country that chanted
the slogan of the “Death to America”
for decades, to reverse its course, in order to achieve deals with the US. For us to
start right, we have to distinguish between Donald Trump
the “presidential candidate”, and Trump the president. The first character is
obliged to appease the voters, while there are domestic and international
obligations and commitments that need to be achieved to gain popularity and
power, lie ahead for the second. Trump’s approach, his policy and the cabinet
he picks will define and outline the relationships and alliance. Policies are
established on building strong partnerships that safeguard the interests of all
parties. Hence, we are obliged to be open realistically and effectively toward
the new leadership in the White House through active diplomacy that knows how
to build relationships with a vision to achieve its goals.
This article was first published in Al Riyadh on Nov. 11, 2016.
Trump files and tackling Russia and Iran
Abdel Rohman
Al Sahed/ in Asharq
al-Awsat/November 14/16
Monday, 14 November 2016/Russia-US relations are important for those in the
West and for us. It’s not only important because Russia
is an active ally of Iran
and a major partner in the war in Syria
but also because much of international relations depends on what transpires
between Russia and the US. A more
optimistic projection is the beginning of a new era of greater cooperation
between Moscow and Washington. The result may be surprising
considering the reasonably good relations between the two countries during
Barack Obama’s eight years as president.
President-elect Donald Trump has commended Russian leader Vladimir Putin and
repeatedly said that he will be able to improve relations with him. However, I
haven’t heard any expert who supports this and thinks that the US, under the
Republican control in the White House and the Congress, can improve the relations.
Several problems exist between the two sides including the conflict in Ukraine,
disagreement over borders and influence of NATO and threats against European
interests. Some Republicans blame the Obama administration for not confronting
the Russian expansion and for not holding on to their old zones of influence
during the days of the Cold War. Trump possesses a strong character and it is
expected that his frequent accusations of Obama policy being weak reflects his
true vision which is likely to lead to tensions between the two superpowers
unless Russia backs down in Crimea and East Europe. Everyone is waiting for
Trump to announce his team and it’s possible that he will choose a Secretary of
State from among the hawks in order to demonstrate that Trump’s America is
different from Obama’s.
Although Obama obtained Congress approval on the agreement, and overpowered the
Israeli lobby, opposition to the nuclear agreement with Iran continues to be strong and may be
obstructed in the new political season
Our concern
But what should be our matter of concern when it comes to relations between Moscow and Washington?
The end of the Cold War in the beginning of the 90s represented the end of the
map of alliances in the Middle East as the
world knew it for almost half a century. This phase was followed by two
contradictory American policies – an aggressive one in the form of invasion of Iraq
during George W. Bush’s term and a passive one as seen during Obama’s term.
Some Republicans criticized the current administration because it completely
ended American military presence in Iraq and violated Bush’s policy,
which was withdrawal of most troops but leaving enough to prevent a vacuum that
may allow other powers to infiltrate an important strategic country. This is
exactly what happened later as Iran
dominated the scene there and the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS)
emerged.
The other chapter in this file relates to Iran’s
nuclear ambitions, American strategic relations with Israel
and Washington’s
interests in the oil-rich Gulf zone. After the negotiations with Tehran were no longer a secret, Israel was the first to actively
oppose these negotiations and the agreement.
Although Obama obtained the Congress’ approval on the agreement, and
overpowered the Israeli lobby, opposition to the nuclear agreement with Iran continues
to be strong and vows to obstruct it in the new political season.
Iran
did not give Obama anything significant in exchange and was quick to reassure
the Russians that its nuclear agreement will not harm its special relations
with them. It then confirmed its alliance with Russia through joint military
operations and other deals. This will probably recolor the map of Middle East alliances and divide them between the
Russians and the West.
Trump’s rise and Putin’s insistence to adhere to his stances may bring back the
ghost of the Cold War but not the war itself. The question is whether this
possible scenario is in our interest? On the one hand, this has negative
consequences because tension will rise. However, it is also possible that this
could lead to US-Gulf defense agreements and
addressing of Israel’s
objections against Hezbollah, which may put an end to Iranian expansion in our
region. There’s no doubt that Trump’s arrival in the White House is a
significant development that will leave its mark on the world including on our
region. Many issues remained suspended during Obama’s term and they will be
linked to interpreting relations with Kremlin and with the presidents’
capability to later cooperate or compete.
We must not expect much during the first half of Trump’s first year, especially
in major conflict zones like Syria
and Iraq,
as his administration’s policy will crystallize only later. During this time,
will Iran
be able to tilt the balance in its favor? Or will the
Arab countries succeed in obstructing the latter’s advancement and prompt the
reversal of the western policy of containment of Iran? Or will Iran alter its behavior in response to new international developments?
**This article was first published in Asharq al-Awsat on Nov. 14, 2016.