LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN

September 13/16

Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani

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Bible Quotations For Today

Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 11/27-33/:"Again they came to Jerusalem. As he was walking in the temple, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders came to him and said, ‘By what authority are you doing these things? Who gave you this authority to do them?’Jesus said to them, ‘I will ask you one question; answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin? Answer me.’ They argued with one another, ‘If we say, "From heaven", he will say, "Why then did you not believe him?"But shall we say, "Of human origin"?’ they were afraid of the crowd, for all regarded John as truly a prophet.So they answered Jesus, ‘We do not know.’ And Jesus said to them, ‘Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things."

Whoever does not provide for relatives, and especially for family members, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever
First Letter to Timothy 05/01-10/:"Do not speak harshly to an older man, but speak to him as to a father, to younger men as brothers, to older women as mothers, to younger women as sisters with absolute purity. Honour widows who are really widows. If a widow has children or grandchildren, they should first learn their religious duty to their own family and make some repayment to their parents; for this is pleasing in God’s sight. The real widow, left alone, has set her hope on God and continues in supplications and prayers night and day; but the widow who lives for pleasure is dead even while she lives. Give these commands as well, so that they may be above reproach. And whoever does not provide for relatives, and especially for family members, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. Let a widow be put on the list if she is not less than sixty years old and has been married only once; she must be well attested for her good works, as one who has brought up children, shown hospitality, washed the saints’ feet, helped the afflicted, and devoted herself to doing good in every way."

Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on September 12-13/16

Lebanon’s state of paralysis/Rami Rayess/The Arab Weekly/September 12/16
Israel/Druze MK: Israel must protect Druze from Syrian Islamists/Ynetnews/Amichai Attali and Goel Beno/12 September/16
Two turning point which could lead to Iran regime downfall/NCRI/September 12/16
Obama’s nuclear deal invalidated UN resolutions that curb Iran/Raghida Dergham/Al Arabiya/September 12/16
The isolation of Tehran/Mshari Al Thaydi/Al Arabiya/September 12/16
Of selfie, narcissism and going ‘social’/Peter Harrison/Al Arabiya/September 12/16
Tyrants and the Hajj/Turki Aldakhil/Al Arabiya/September 12/16
Why there is little cause for hope in Yemen/Khairallah Khairallah/The Arab Weekly/September 12/16
Clinton should Stop Pretending she’s not Elite/David Ignatius/The Washington Post/September 12/16

Titles For Latest Lebanese Related News published on on September 12-13/16
Lebanon: Race between Aoun’s Movement and Attempts to Reach Agreement among Rivals
Bassil Threatens to 'Topple Government in the Street'
Lebanon: Muslim Cleric Freed after Detention over Ksara Bombing
Rifi: There is a Criminal Political Camp and We'll Fiercely Defend Our Security
Raad: Country Needs Real Partnership, Resistance Creating, Preserving Security
Wahhab Supporter who Hurled Majdal Anjar Bomb Says Acted on His Own
Geagea: It is now apparent that elections are not stalled to increase Aoun's chances, but rather an attempt to change the System
Rifi: I will attend any extraordinary cabinet session to dissolve Arab Democratic Party, Tawheed movement
Kurdi calls for a conscientious awakening for sake of country
Naiim Hassan on Adha sermon: for a domestic solution
Bou Saab: Any school opening tomorrow shall be legally pursued!
Lebanon’s state of paralysis

Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin For Miscellaneous Reports And News published on on September 12-13/16
Israel/Druze MK: Israel must protect Druze from Syrian Islamists
Car Bomb Attack on Turkey Ruling Party Wounds 48
Russia Says Truce Covers All Syria, Will Still Strike 'Terrorists'
Syria Truce Set for Sundown but Opposition Seeks 'Guarantees'
Hours before Truce, Assad Vows in Daraya to Retake All of Syria
At Hajj, Syrian Pilgrims Talk of Exile and War
Abbas Hits Back after Netanyahu 'Ethnic Cleansing' Claim
Gulf States Voice Concern over U.S. 9/11 Bill
China, Russia to Stage Military Drills in S. China Sea
Hostile rhetoric escalates between Saudi Arabia and Iran
Internal crisis of Iran regime over sanctions imposed on revolutionary guard’s headquarters
Maryam Rajavi: the schemes and conspiracies to destroy and annihilate the PMOI/MEK have been foiled
Iran – Kurdish young female political prisoner in serious health conditions
Iran: Mullahs’ regime hanged seven prisoners in Bandar Abbas Prison
Former Foreign Minister: "new dawn" for the Iranian Resistance
Continued detention of two Sunni clerics in Sarbaz
Mullah “Ahmad Jannati” fears the advocacy movement for the 1988 massacre
Italy quake town sues Charlie Hebdo

Links From Jihad Watch Site for on September 12-13/16
Imam of the Kaaba: “Terrorism is the biggest problem and Islam has no link with it. Terrorists have no religion.”
UK PM May: “I am proud of the contributions British Muslims make to this country”
London’s police ignore Muslim officers’ ‘extremist views’ for fear of being labeled ‘Islamophobic’
Obama admin slams, Trump camp defends Netanyahu for noting “Palestinians” seek ethnic cleansing of Jews
World Vision ends Gaza projects after its Gaza chief indicted for funneling funds to Hamas
Al-Qaeda top dog: “9/11 will be repeated thousands of times, by the will of Allah”
On 9/11, DHS Secy says jihad plots unknown to public foiled “all the time”
GWU’s “ex-jihadist” Jesse Morton wants to dismantle “entire counterterrorism component of military-industrial complex”
Video: Robert Spencer on jihad, dhimmitude, Islamization, and the failure of Western leaders
Kenya: Three Muslimas wearing niqabs attack police station with knives and bombs
Ohio columnist compares jihad terrorism to car accidents
UK children’s show Fireman Sam won’t be punished for showing character stepping on Qur’an
Hugh Fitzgerald: A Tunisian Moderate Remains, Alas, A Defender of the Faith
Our 15-Year-Trauma After 9/11 — a Nonie Darwish Moment

Links From Christian Today Site for on September 12-13/16
Pope Francis: True evangelising is not debating or winning arguments
One of the biggest stumbling blocks to effective Christian witness and what we can learn from Paul about overcoming it
Blow to Clinton campaign as she falls ill at 9/11 memorial
Trump well received by Values Voter Summit as evangelical leader attacks 'namby pamby' voters who reject him
Right-wing Family Research Council launches tour to mobilise Christians in US election
Academic finds that EU 'leave' voters do not equate Bible with British values
David Cameron resigns as MP to 'build a life outside Westminster'
Britain must do more to help refugees, say Christian and other faith leaders
Tory MP proposes to kick 21 bishops out of the House of Lords
Atheist minister Gretta Vosper receives standing ovation after ban from church

Latest Lebanese Related News published on on September 12-13/16

Lebanon: Race between Aoun’s Movement and Attempts to Reach Agreement among Rivals
Asharq Al Awsat/Wajdi Al-Aridi/September 12/16
Beirut-The Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) has placed a plan for “gradual escalatory” measures in the streets of Lebanon, Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper learned on Sunday. The FPM, which is founded by MP Michel Aoun and led by Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil, is currently holding meetings at several areas in Mount Lebanon with the aim of coming up with a plan that would drive its supporters gradually to the streets. A leading FPM figure told Asharq Al-Awsat there is a tendency to escalate in the streets in light of the Cabinet’s decision to hold its sessions in the absence of the movement’s ministers, adding: “We represent the majority of Christians.” While the FPM hints it might resort to street demonstrations, political leaders are exerting strong efforts to reach a possible solution to the country’s stalemate. Deputy Marwan Hamadeh told Asharq Al-Awsat: “We are trying to manage the impasse and organize the dispute. We will not allow Michel Aoun to take us back to the stage of the Liberation War just because he wants to reach the presidential seat.” The Christians of the March 14 alliance did not welcome Aoun’s decision to resort to protests. Deputy Dory Chamoun told Asharq Al-Awsat: “Hezbollah is using Aoun to reach its target and implement the Iranian policy in Lebanon.”A source from the Future Movement told Asharq Al-Awsat the party was still holding onto the candidacy of Deputy Suleiman Franjieh. The source said: “Hezbollah does not want to elect Aoun as a president, or else, the party would have attended the parliamentary sessions and had voted for Aoun.”He added the party was rather abiding by the Iranian policy that aims to paralyze the country and its constitutional institutions by keeping Lebanon’s decision-making in the hands of Tehran.The source said Iran was not exerting pressure on the so-called Hezbollah to elect a Maronite Christian president in Lebanon, and therefore, Tehran was not abiding to the will of France and the Vatican. Future MP Nidal Tohmeh described the FPM escalation as the last chance for Aoun to be elected president. “Threatening to resort to the streets would lead the country to suicide,” he said.

Bassil Threatens to 'Topple Government in the Street'
Naharnet/September 12/16/Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil has threatened that the FPM would “topple the government” through street protests if the other parties do not heed the movement's demand regarding “partnership” and the National Pact. “The issue is not about the appointment of an officer or an army chief anymore and it has become bigger than this,” said Bassil during an annual FPM dinner banquet in Batroun. “We cannot live together through nice words but rather through sharing responsibility and burdens in the presidency, the government, the parliament and appointments, or else we would be living a lie,” Bassil added. “We must be partners... We are not your employees, workers or second-class citizens. If you reject our president we will reject your president,” the FPM chief warned. “Those who want to cater to the people's interests must facilitate the approval of the oil decrees and the electricity projects,” Bassil noted. He also warned that if the government “does not abide by the people's interest,” the FPM would “topple it in the street” for “violating the National Pact.”“We cannot bear this any longer. If we take to the streets this time, we will not leave them, whether we protest alone or with anyone who would like to join us,” Bassil cautioned. The FPM, which has the biggest Christian bloc in parliament, has suspended its participation in cabinet sessions and national dialogue meetings over accusations that other parties in the country are not respecting the National Pact. The 1943 National Pact is an unwritten agreement that set the foundations of modern Lebanon as a multi-confessional state based on Christian-Muslim partnership. The FPM's boycott of cabinet meetings was initially linked to the thorny issue of military and security appointments. The movement has long voiced reservations over the government's decision-taking mechanism in the absence of a president. Addressing Prime Minister Tammam Salam, Bassil had recently said that “the son of late PM Saeb Salam must pay great attention when he says that the government is respecting the National Pact when it convenes in the presence of ministers representing only six percent of a main component of the country (Christians).”Bassil has also warned that the country might be soon plunged into a “political system crisis” if the other parties do not heed the FPM's demands regarding Muslim-Christian “partnership.”Marada Movement chief Suleiman Franjieh hit back at Bassil last Monday, saying Marada and the other Christian parties in the cabinet “represent a lot more than six percent.”

Lebanon: Muslim Cleric Freed after Detention over Ksara Bombing
Naharnet/September 12/16/Security agencies on Monday released Muslim cleric Sheikh Bassam Tarras from detention, four days after he was arrested on suspicion of involvement in the bomb attack that targeted the Zahle area of Ksara on August 31. Tarras, a former member of the influential Muslim Scholars Committee, was interrogated on Sunday amid protests by the committee and other activists. The MSC also issued a strongly worded statement against the General Directorate of General Security, demanding the cleric's “immediate release” and threatening judicial follow-up on the case. Al-Joumhouria newspaper meanwhile revealed that Tarras, a former mufti of the Rashaya region, had confessed to “having ties to the detained cell and playing a key role in its formation.”“He also confessed to recruiting the mastermind of the cell that carried out the terrorist attack and securing his communication with a terrorist called Abou al-Baraa,” the daily added. Security sources had on Sunday told LBCI television that “investigations have proved that Sheikh Tarras was involved in the Ksara bombing.”The bomb attack left an elderly woman dead and at least ten others wounded. The bomb that was placed at a busy roundabout was likely targeted against AMAL Movement convoys that were carrying supporters to a rally commemorating Imam Moussa al-Sadr in the southern city of Tyre.

Rifi: There is a Criminal Political Camp and We'll Fiercely Defend Our Security
Naharnet/September 12/16/Resigned Justice Minister Ashraf Rifi has stressed that he will “fiercely defend” the security of Tripoli and Lebanon, a day after he lauded Interior Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq's request for the government to disband the Tripoli-based Arab Democratic Party and the Islamic Unification Movement faction led by Sheikh Hashem Minqara. In remarks to al-Joumhouria newspaper published Monday, Rifi confirmed that he would attend any cabinet session dedicated to discussing Mashnouq's request in order to “defend Tripoli's rights and security” and “because the issue has to do with the security of every Lebanese.”And noting that the case “is similar to the Michel Samaha case,” the resigned minister said “there is a vile, criminal political camp that has committed horrible acts.”“The crime of blowing up the two mosques was one of the ugliest crimes against Tripolitans,” he added. “We will fiercely defend our security and the security of every Lebanese anywhere and we will fiercely defend justice in Lebanon,” Rifi vowed. Lebanon's judiciary has recently indicted two Syrian intelligence officers it accused of masterminding the deadly blasts. The double bombing killed 45 people and wounded more than 500, and a series of indictments have already been handed down against Lebanese and Syrians accused of involvement. The indictment names Captain Mohamed Ali Ali, an official in the Palestine branch of Syria's intelligence services, and Nasser Jouban, an official in Syria's political security branch. The two men, neither of whom is in custody, are accused of helping to prepare the attack, placing explosives in cars and assigning a Lebanese cell to carry out the bombing. The Lebanese who are in custody hail from the Tripoli neighborhood of Jabal Mohsen, the bastion of the pro-Damascus Arab Democratic Party.
The attacks targeted two Sunni mosques in Tripoli, which has frequently experienced tensions between Sunnis and Alawites who belong to the same religious minority as Syrian President Bashar Assad and tend to support his government. The indictment alleges the attacks also involved other high-ranking Syrian officials, who are accused of directing Ali and Jouban to organize them. The blasts in the northern city were the deadliest attack in Lebanon since the country's 1975-1990 civil war and raised fears that the conflict in neighboring Syria could be inexorably seeping across the border. Lebanon's political landscape is largely divided between parties that back Assad and those who support the uprising against him that began in March 2011.

Raad: Country Needs Real Partnership, Resistance Creating, Preserving Security
Naharnet/September 12/16/Hizbullah's top lawmaker Mohammed Raad stressed Monday that the country needs “real consensus and understanding over the meaning of national partnership,” while noting that “the Resistance is creating and preserving security” in Lebanon.
“The country needs real consensus and understanding over the meaning of national partnership in governance and citizenship, because ambiguity in this issue would lead to confusion and obstruct all the solutions to our problems and crises,” Raad, the head of the Loyalty to Resistance bloc, said.“Amid all this clamor and malicious political practices, the Resistance is distancing itself and focusing on protecting these pettish parties in our country and all citizens regardless of their sects and affiliations, and on protecting the sovereignty of the country that we are living in,” Raad added. “The Resistance is ready and is improving its readiness amid all this suffering,” the MP went on to say. Turning to the Israeli threat, Raad said “only the Resistance's readiness is stopping Israel from waging a war against Lebanon and the region.”“The Resistance is creating and preserving security and stability, although it does not claim that it is doing so without understanding and cooperation with our Lebanese army and security agencies. However, it is doing so regardless of the political atmosphere that is stuck in the minds of some of this country's political class,” the lawmaker said.
Hizbullah's ally the Free Patriotic Movement, which has the biggest Christian bloc in parliament, has suspended its participation in cabinet sessions and national dialogue meetings over accusations that other parties in the country are not respecting the National Pact. Hizbullah expressed solidarity with the FPM by boycotting last Thursday's cabinet session. The 1943 National Pact is an unwritten agreement that set the foundations of modern Lebanon as a multi-confessional state based on Christian-Muslim partnership.
The FPM's boycott of cabinet meetings was initially linked to the thorny issue of military and security appointments. The movement has long voiced reservations over the government's decision-taking mechanism in the absence of a president. Addressing Prime Minister Tammam Salam, FPM chief Jebran Bassil has recently said that “the son of late PM Saeb Salam must pay great attention when he says that the government is respecting the National Pact when it convenes in the presence of ministers representing only six percent of a main component of the country (Christians).”Bassil has also warned that the country might be soon plunged into a “political system crisis” if the other parties do not heed the FPM's demands regarding Muslim-Christian “partnership.”Marada Movement chief Suleiman Franjieh hit back at Bassil last Monday, saying Marada and the other Christian parties in the cabinet “represent a lot more than six percent.”

Wahhab Supporter who Hurled Majdal Anjar Bomb Says Acted on His Own
Naharnet/September 12/16/A supporter of Arab Tawhid Party chief Wiam Wahhab has confessed to hurling the explosive device that went off under the car of Mohammed Salim Abdul Khaleq in Bekaa's Majdal Anjar on Tuesday, a media report said on Monday.
The detainee, who was arrested two days ago, also confessed that he received help from another supporter of Wahhab who also lives in Majdal Anjar, al-Akhbar newspaper reported. The detained man told interrogators that he “acted on his own” after being “infuriated by the banner that insults the leader of the Arab Tawhid Party.” Abdul Khaleq was behind hoisting the anti-Wahhab banner on the al-Masnaa international highway, according to media reports. Unnamed sources told al-Akhbar that the arrest of the two Wahhab supporters was not “politically motivated,” noting that the Internal Security Forces Intelligence Branch “is probing the case the same as it does regarding any other case” and that the two suspects were arrested after the branch gathered several pieces of evidence. Two Syrian refugee children were lightly wounded in the bombing that occurred at dawn Tuesday. Abdul Khaleq slammed Wahhab as a “bastard” in the banner after the former minister accused a contractor from the Hammoud family of corruption during a TV show and in meetings with popular delegations at his residence, media reports said. Hammoud “has become stronger than the State and he is seeking to deprive citizens of ten hours of power supply because he has influence over some ministers and is seeking illegal financial gains,” Wahhab said.

Geagea: It is now apparent that elections are not stalled to increase Aoun's chances, but rather an attempt to change the System
Mon 12 Sep 2016/NNA - Lebanese Forces Party Head, MP Samir Geagea, considered on Monday that "the presidential elections are apparently being stalled not for the sake of increasing General Michel Aoun's chances, but rather in an attempt to change the current Lebanese System through a new foundation conference."Speaking in an interview to "MTV" Channel Station, Geagea stressed that such attempts "shall not yield any successful outcome since they lack unanimous support."Over the national dialogue freeze, Geagea said: "We are with national dialogue, in general, yet the current dialogue table cannot lead anywhere, particularly due to the diversity of proposed issues for discussion, which cause matters to simply drag on without reaching any results."Geagea renewed his rejection of prolonging the current Parliament Council's mandate in any way, noting that "there is no justification for not reaching a new electoral law, if the will to do so does actually exist!"

Rifi: I will attend any extraordinary cabinet session to dissolve Arab Democratic Party, Tawheed movement
Mon 12 Sep 2016/NNA - "I will attend any extraordinary cabinet session that will dissolve the Arab Democratic Party and the Islamic Tawheed Movement," resigned Justice Minister, Ashraf Rifi said on Monday after the Eid Adha prayers in Tripoli. Rifi praised the work of the security forces and the Lebanese army in maintaining security and stability in the country. He went on to say to all those who are calling for implementing the Pact, that they ought to attend sessions to elect a President then form a government and organize parliamentary elections. Rifi accused Iran of disabling the presidential electoral process in Lebanon. He noted that "Balance, justice and State Institutions alone can protect the country from any threat," adding that, "anyone who dares violate this balance will be held accountable," he concluded.

Kurdi calls for a conscientious awakening for sake of country
Mon 12 Sep 2016 /NNA - Secretary of Dar El Fatwa, Sheikh Amine Kurdi, held the sermon of Eid al Adha in Mohammad Al Amine Mosque in Down Town Beirut on Monday, whereby he said that what the country needs these days is an awakening of the conscience to save Lebanon. The sermon was attended by a large host of political, religious and social figures, including the Cabinet's secretary general, Fouad Fleifel, representing PM Tammam Salam. "Islam is a religion of convergence not conflict, a religion of love and not hate. We will not allow extremists...to affect the essence of purity of this religion," said Kurdi. He lamented the sad state of many countries, such as Palestine, Iraq and Syria, noting that these cases proved the failure of humanity and the greed of world powers. Advocating diversity of opinion, Kurdi wished upon Lebanese officials to revert back to their conscience. "The Eid is an opportunity for us to be positive, forgiving and merciful." After the sermon, Kurdi along with Fleifel and MP Ammar Houri and other personalities visited the tomb of martyr Rafik Hariri and prayed for his soul.

Naiim Hassan on Adha sermon: for a domestic solution
Mon 12 Sep 2016/NNA - Sheikh Akl of the Druze community, Sheikh Naiim Hassan, held on Monday in Abey the sermon for Adha Eid, whereby he called for a domestic solution that can reactivate the role of state institutions. He said that the current silence in national dialogue, coupled with paralysis of state institutions, placed Lebanon in a dangerous situation. "It is as though we have not learned from past lessons, which proved that only the state was capable of protecting everyone."He called upon all political powers to make compromises for the sake of the good of the community. "The only thing left for the Lebanese is genuine unity and focusing on a domestic political solution that gives back Constitutional institutions their role and standing and ability to practice their work normally."

Bou Saab: Any school opening tomorrow shall be legally pursued!
Mon 12 Sep 2016/NNA - Higher Education Minister, Elias Bou Saab, said via Twitter on Monday that "it is not permitted for any private school to open its doors on Tuesday in violation of the government's decision, under penalty of legal prosecution."
 

Lebanon’s state of paralysis
Rami Rayess/The Arab Weekly/September 12/16
Presidential vacuum is approaching 30 months and parliament is refraining from drafting legislation. Gradual disintegration of institutions points towards possibility of erupting chaos
With the suspen­sion of national dialogue, Lebanon seems to have entered a phase of unprec­edented political paralysis. The stalemate might be prolonged amid fears that the viability of the international umbrella preserving the fragile, yet continued, stability in the country is at stake. The presidential vacuum is approaching 30 months and parliament is refraining from drafting legislation and has failed for the last 44 sessions to meet and elect a president. The suspension of the national dialogue poses a new challenge for Lebanese political life. The national dialogue, includ­ing leaders of parliamentary blocs and influential Lebanese politicians, had always been faced with low expectations from the political community and in public opinion. However, it was the only medium in which there was direct political communication among Leba­nese stakeholders. The Lebanese cabinet, which is the only remaining constitu­tional body, will continue as a de facto institution even with the objections of several political parties and the resignation of others. The cabinet has been earmarked for some success with the economy or in politics and it provided cover needed for running state affairs. There was, and still is, consensus that the downfall of the cabinet would mean a leap into chaos and indefinite open political crisis that will be difficult to over­come. Regional players particularly influential when it comes to Lebanon, namely Tehran and Riyadh, continue to be on contradictory terms on numer­ous issues — such as the Syrian conflict, the Yemeni war, the Bahrain situation and several other hotspots — that are far more complicated than the Lebanese crisis. Thus, Lebanese expectations that the arrival of regional help is imminent are futile and the more divisions among them get deeper, the more fragile the local Lebanese situation becomes. Replication of experiences of joining the Lebanese leaders abroad for dialogue to broker a political deal does not seem likely to recur under the current circumstances.
The gradual disintegration of the institutions, the serious threats of assassination of prominent Lebanese figures and the close-ended channels of dialogue all point towards the possibility of erupting chaos as a means to redraw the local political map. This would be likely based on a new distribu­tion of power and balance that does not necessarily take into consideration the Taif Accord that installed a formula of equal representation between Muslims and Christians. This undermines the fragile stability of the country. Despite all those factors, any real plans for powerful Lebanese parties to upset the stability in Lebanon seem doubtful. The regional turmoil seems to be complex enough, which makes Lebanon’s stability a priority, not for the objective itself but rather from fear of negative repercus­sions. Some Lebanese parties seem to work from the idea that addi­tional paralysis facilitates their plans of reaching the presidency but the reality is the opposite. Weakening the state will make it harder to elect a president and “organised” chaos can never be controlled.It is true that the state in Lebanon has been historically the weakest player. Yet its collapse would pave the way for a complete downfall. Then resurrection will be mission impossible.

Latest LCCC Bulletin For Miscellaneous Reports And News published on on September 12-13/16

Israel/Druze MK: Israel must protect Druze from Syrian Islamists
Ynetnews/Amichai Attali and Goel Beno/12 September/16
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/2016/09/12/ynetnews-israeldruze-mk-israel-must-protect-druze-from-syrian-islamists/
As the former al-Qaeda affiliate and other Islamist extremists inch closer to Syrian Druze villages just yards away from the border with Israel, Israeli-Druze MK Hasson calls on the defense minister to ensure the Syrian Druze community's safety.
There is fury and fear amongst Israeli-Druze as Jabhat Fatah al-Shams (formerly Jabhat al-Nusra) continues to capture territory in the Syrian Golan Heights, and approaches the Druze villages there.
The Druze are considered apostates, or "takfiri" by Jabhat Fatah al-Shams, and will be massacred should the terror group reach their villages.
Druze MK Akram Hasson (Kulanu) called on Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman (Yisrael Beytenu) to protect the Syrian Druze in the Syrian Golan Heights in a Facebook post on Sunday.
"Jabhat al-Nusra will commit a massacre against our brothers in Syria, and we won't sit by quietly. Lieberman needs to wake up.
MK Hasson claims that Jabhat Fatah al-Shams never tired to get close to the Druze villages until recently because they were afraid of an Israeli response. The MK's post has garnered thousands of likes and shares. Hasson said in an interview that "…Lieberman changed policy, and the IDF has begun to abandon our brothers in Syria."
Israeli-Druze spiritual leader, Sheikh Moafak Tarif, also expressed his fears over the fate of the Druze in Syria.
"If a massacre occurs, it will be an embarrassment and a disgrace to us all. Israel must warn the terror group against harming Druze. The only request the Druze have is to live in peace and quiet.""The IDF is able to do what needs to be done to prevent an attack on the Druze – even from afar," he said.
Hundreds of Druze made their way to the Druze village of Majdel Shams in the northern Golan Heights, where they held a solidarity rally with their Druze brothers across the border in Syria. The Defense Minister's Bureau responded, saying "this is absurd and worthless, and the whole point is for this unknown MK to make headlines. The IDF, at the behest of the Minister of Defense, to work to prevent the spillover of the Syrian civil war into Israeli territory, to keep the quiet on the northern border, and to keep the quiet of the citizens residing there. The Druze in Syria know that Israel is not indifferent to their fate.

Car Bomb Attack on Turkey Ruling Party Wounds 48
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/September 12/16/A car bomb exploded Monday outside the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) headquarters in the eastern Turkish city of Van, wounding 48 people including two police officers, local authorities said.Turkish officials blamed the attack on the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has waged a three-decade insurgency against the Turkish state and is considered a terrorist group by Ankara and its Western allies. The attack took place near a police checkpoint outside the AKP offices in the heart of the bustling city, the local governor's office said in a statement. "Forty-six civilians and two police officers were injured after a bomb-laden car... was blown up by members of the separatist terror organization," it added, using a term to describe Kurdish militants. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the bombing, which came on the first day of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha. But Besir Atalay, an AKP lawmaker from Van, pointed the finger of blame at the PKK. "The terrorist organization has targeted our party building and the AKP's presence in the past. This is one of their attacks," he added, in live comments on the private NTV television. Witnesses said the force of the blast shattered the windows in the surrounding vicinity and the AKP's provincial offices sustained severe damage. Several ambulances rushed to the scene and television images showed water cannon being used to put out a fire caused by the explosion. Van, a city with a mixed Kurdish and Turkish population on the shores of the lake of the same name, has generally been spared the worst of attacks like those seen in the nearby city of Diyarbakir.The city is a popular tourist destination, particularly with Iranians who arrive from across the border in huge numbers to enjoy shopping and the relaxed atmosphere.

'Rule of law'
The blast came a day after the government announced the removal of 28 mayors, mainly over alleged links to the PKK in a move strongly denounced by pro-Kurdish parties. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan defended the suspension of 28 mayors, saying it was a long-overdue. "You, as mayors and municipal councils, cannot stand up and support terrorist organizations," he told reporters after prayers outside an Istanbul mosque, shortly before the attack. Critics have accused the government of using the state of emergency declared in the wake of the July 15 attempted coup to implement a vast crackdown, but Ankara has defended the measures as crucial at a time it is battling alleged coup plotters and the PKK insurgency. European Union's foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, who visited Ankara on Friday for talks with Turkish leaders, said she expected steps would be taken in compliance with rule of law. The government has also stepped up its military campaign in the restive southeast to eradicate PKK militants, who have launched almost daily attacks since the rupture of a fragile ceasefire last year. In a message relayed by his brother, jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan said the Kurdish conflict could end if the state was ready. "He said if the state is ready for the projects we can implement them in six months," Mehmet Ocalan told supporters in Diyarbakir, without offering further details. Mehmet Ocalan also said his brother was in "good health" amid concerns over the jailed leader's welfare after months cut off from the outside world on the Imrali prison island near Istanbul. A group of 50 Kurdish activists including MPs announced on Monday they were ending their hunger strike on the eighth day, after receiving news on Ocalan's health through his brother, a spokeswoman for the group said. Tens of thousands of people have been killed since the PKK first took up arms in 1984, with the aim of carving out an independent state for Turkey's Kurdish minority. Turkey has also launched an operation inside Syria to remove Islamic State (IS) group militants as well as Syrian Kurdish militia from its frontier.

Russia Says Truce Covers All Syria, Will Still Strike 'Terrorists'
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/September 12/16/Russia said a truce due to take effect in Syria from 1600 GMT Monday would cover the entire country, but Moscow would still strike "terrorist targets.""Today from 1900 (local time) the cessation of hostilities is being resumed across all the territory of Syria," senior Russian military official Sergei Rudskoi said at a briefing, adding Russia would "continue to carry out strikes against terrorist targets."

Syria Truce Set for Sundown but Opposition Seeks 'Guarantees'
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/September 12/16/An internationally brokered ceasefire in Syria was due to begin at sundown on Monday but, with only hours to go, the country's opposition forces had yet to sign on. In a further sign of the deal's fragility, Syria's President Bashar Assad vowed to retake the whole country from "terrorists."The deal, announced Friday after marathon talks between Russia and the United States, has been billed as the best chance yet to halt the bloodshed in Syria's five-year civil war. As well as bringing a temporary end to the fighting, it aims to provide crucial aid to hundreds of thousands of desperate civilians. Under the agreement, an initial 48-hour ceasefire is to begin at 7:00 pm local time (1600 GMT), halting fighting in areas not held by jihadists like the Islamic State group. Aid deliveries to many besieged and "hard-to-reach" areas are set to simultaneously begin, with government and rebel forces ensuring unimpeded humanitarian access in particular to divided Aleppo city. The ceasefire will be renewed every 48 hours and, if it holds for a week, Moscow and Washington will begin unprecedented joint targeting of jihadist forces. After years of stalled peace efforts and the failure of a landmark truce agreed in February, world powers are anxious to end a conflict that has killed more than 290,000 people. Russia's deputy foreign minister Mikhail Bogdanov told state-run news agency RIA Novosti that peace talks could resume within a month."I think that probably at the very beginning of October, (U.N. envoy Staffan) de Mistura should be inviting all parties" to talks, he said.
Rebels seek U.S. assurances
But Syria's opposition and rebels are deeply skeptical that Assad's regime will abide by the truce agreement, and demanded guarantees before endorsing a deal. "We are asking for guarantees especially from the United States, which is a party to the agreement," Salem al-Muslet from the High Negotiations Committee, the main opposition umbrella group, told AFP Monday. "We fear that Russia will classify all the Free Syrian Army (rebel factions) as terrorists," as it was unclear how the deal defined "terrorist groups," he said. Rebel groups on Sunday sent a letter to the U.S. saying they would "deal positively with the idea of the ceasefire" but listed several "concerns" and stopped short of a full endorsement. "The clauses of the agreement that have been shared with us do not include any clear guarantees or monitoring mechanisms... or repercussions if there are truce violations," they said. Ahmad al-Saoud, who heads the U.S.-backed Division 13 rebel group which signed the letter, said they had received no response. Questions also remain about how the ceasefire will apply in parts of Syria where the Fateh al-Sham Front, previously known as al-Nusra Front, is present. A crucial part of the deal calls for rebels to distance themselves from the group before joint U.S.-Russian operations against it begin. But Fateh al-Sham cooperates closely with many of Syria's rebels, including the powerful Ahrar al-Sham faction, which on Sunday issued a scathing condemnation of the Russian-U.S. deal. In a message marking the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha, Ahrar al-Sham's deputy leader Ali al-Omar said Syria's "people cannot accept half-solutions."His remarks suggested a rejection of the deal but hours later Ahrar al-Sham spokesman Ahmed Qara Ali told AFP that they were meant to note the deal's "drawbacks" ahead of a future formal reply.
- Assad vows to retake all Syria -
Ahrar al-Sham is Syria's most powerful non-jihadist rebel group, with a commanding presence in Aleppo and Idlib province, which it rules as part of the Army of Conquest alliance with Fateh al-Sham. Syria's government and its allies including Iran and Lebanon's Hizbullah have backed the truce. But on Monday Assad made clear he was intent on recapturing all of Syria. "The Syrian state is determined to recover every area from the terrorists," he said as he toured Daraya, a former rebel stronghold that surrendered last month after a four-year government siege. "The armed forces are continuing their work, relentlessly and without hesitation, regardless of internal or external circumstances," he added. The run-up to the truce has also seen a spike in violence, with at least 74 people killed in strikes on Aleppo and Idlib cities over the weekend. Fresh raids hit Aleppo Monday, an AFP correspondent said, where residents have struggled to celebrate Eid amid shortages created by a renewed government siege. Aleppo has been divided between rebels in the east and regime forces in the west since mid-2012. In August, rebels broke a weeks-long regime siege of the east, but Assad loyalists restored the blockade on September 8. "We hope there will be a ceasefire so that civilians can get a break," said east Aleppo resident Abu Abdullah. "Civilians have no hope any more."

Hours before Truce, Assad Vows in Daraya to Retake All of Syria
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/September 12/16/Syria's President Bashar Assad vowed to retake all of Syria from "terrorists," hours before a truce brokered by Russia and the United States was due to take hold on Monday. Speaking in Daraya, a former rebel stronghold recently surrendered to the government, Assad said "the Syrian state is determined to recover every area from the terrorists," state media reported. "The armed forces are continuing their work, relentlessly and without hesitation, regardless of internal or external circumstances," he said. Assad made a rare public appearance to celebrate the Muslim Eid al-Adha holiday in Daraya, where state media showed him attending prayers at the Saad Bin Moaz mosque. After years of government siege and fighting, its remaining residents and rebel fighters evacuated the town in late August under a deal with the regime, which has since retaken control. "After five years, some people still haven't woken up from their fantasies," Assad said, referring to the anti-government protests that erupted in Syria in 2011. "Some were betting on promises from foreign powers, which will result in nothing," he added. Assad was joined at the prayers by a number of members of his ruling Baath party, as well as several ministers and members of parliament. The mufti, or Muslim cleric, presiding over the prayers, hailed Daraya as an example for Syria, which has been ravaged by conflict since 2011. "Daraya is living proof for all Syrians that the only option available to you is reconciliation and abandoning fighting," said Adnan al-Afiyuni, mufti for Damascus province. Rebel fighters said they had been forced to agree the deal with the government after the siege created a humanitarian crisis for Daraya's remaining residents. But the government has touted the deal, and other similar agreements, as the best way to achieve local ceasefires and end the violence. More than 290,000 people have been killed and over half the population displaced since the conflict began.

At Hajj, Syrian Pilgrims Talk of Exile and War
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/September 12/16/At first glance it's a camp like thousands of others for hajj pilgrims. But this one outside Mecca houses Syrians, among them refugees and rebel fighters, who speak of the horrors of the conflict at home. Fatima, 38, managed to leave Syria after government troops assaulted her home neighborhood of Baba Amr in the central city of Homs, one of the cradles of the revolt against President Bashar Assad. Of that time, she doesn't want to say much, out of fear of being recognized. She simply says she left "because of the killings and the terror." Settled for three years in Qatar, both she and her husband have found work as teachers. Their two young children have gone back to school. Fatima only agreed to talk on condition that she not give her family name and not show her face. It is partly covered by a surgical mask like those worn by many pilgrims for fear of disease. She spoke as a truce brokered by Russia and the United States was due to start in Syria at sundown on Monday, under the cloud of weekend air strikes on rebel-held areas which killed at least 74 people. The five and a half year old war has killed more than 290,000 people and seen millions like Fatima flee abroad. She dedicated her hajj "above all, to Syria.""All our prayers go to our families there, that God helps them," she said, as another Syrian pilgrim passed carrying a newborn in a cradle. A few hundred meters (yards) away, two men wearing the male pilgrim's simple two-piece white cloth are in discussion. Hung from their necks with a cord marked Syrian Hajj Committee are cards with their names and the number of their pilgrim camp. The committee is run by the Turkey-based Syrian opposition and has managed the hajj for the past four years. Saudi Arabia, which backs the rebels, stripped the Assad regime of its right to send Syrians on the pilgrimage. This year the opposition registered 12,850 pilgrims, Syrian Hajj Committee spokesman Abdel Rahman al-Nahlawi told AFP. He said the committee sends all Syrians who ask, regardless of political opinion, provided they have a passport. Damascus does not recognize the committee and accuses it of discrimination against would-be pilgrims from government-held areas.
Back to war after hajj
"We are here at the hajj as free Syrians, to say that the regime of the tyrant lies when it says Syrians were deprived of the hajj by Saudi Arabia," said former business student Abdullah Abu Zeid. The chubby-cheeked man whose face is framed by a chestnut beard said he had to give up his studies because of the war. He comes from Anadan, a rebel-held town just north of Syria's battleground second city Aleppo. He said he would return to his hometown straight after the hajj despite the long bombardment by government forces that has reduced much of it to rubble. Mohammed Limam, 26, was a first-year student of Arab literature in Aleppo until the war forced him, too, to drop out. He said that now he is a fighter for the rebels who "resisted in the face of bombardments and destruction."He said he had never left Syria before and the first two days away were hard. "I left for the hajj but right after I will go back and if God wills it, we will liberate all of our country," he said. In Aleppo now, "no one lives normally in a house. You take shelter, you hide, you only go out after properly checking the surroundings, to protect ourselves and our loved ones" especially from air strikes. Nahlawi, of the Syrian Hajj Committee, has lived in Turkey for several years and sports round black-framed glasses with a hipster beard. But he has lost none of the protective reflexes of those in the war zone. When Saudi helicopters fly overhead monitoring the hajj crowds, he unconsciously frowns and looks around, as do the other pilgrims. "Only a Syrian could have such a reaction each time he hears a helicopter," he quips.

Abbas Hits Back after Netanyahu 'Ethnic Cleansing' Claim
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/September 12/16/Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has accused Israel of "ethnic cleansing," days after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a similar allegation. The remarks follow Netanyahu's claim during an address rejecting criticism of Israeli settlement building that the Palestinians were seeking a state with "no Jews." Netanyahu called that "ethnic cleansing," drawing a strong rebuke from the United States. Speaking on Sunday night before the Eid al-Adha Muslim festival, Abbas said the Israelis "don't want to progress one iota towards peace, in spite of their deceptive allegations.""On the contrary, they go deeper with their settlements, infringement of holy places, ethnic cleansing and deliberate killing," he said, according to official Palestinian news agency WAFA. In a video address on Friday, Netanyahu said that the Palestinian leadership wanted a state on the basis of "no Jews." "There's a phrase for that, it is called ethnic cleansing," he said. The U.S. State Department called the video "unhelpful" and "inappropriate." "We obviously strongly disagree with the characterization that those who oppose settlement activity or view it as an obstacle to peace are somehow calling for ethnic cleansing of Jews from the West Bank," spokeswoman Elizabeth Trudeau said. The Palestinian leader has made the allegation against Israel before.
Palestinians accuse Israel of ethnic cleansing during the war surrounding the creation of Israel in 1948, a claim the Israelis deny. In his Eid address, Abbas also reiterated he was in favor of meeting Netanyahu in Russia, with President Vladimir Putin looking to mediate between the two sides. Netanyahu has said he is ready to meet Abbas anywhere and at any time, but without preconditions. Abbas did not say whether he had preconditions, but in the past the Palestinians have demanded a freeze in Israeli settlement building, a deadline for the end of the occupation of the West Bank and the release of prisoners.
"In recent days, we have agreed to a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the kind invitation of the Russian president," Abbas said. Netanyahu again spoke of such a meeting as he met Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel in Jerusalem on Monday. "Prime Minister Bettel invited me to Luxembourg but he also said maybe the Palestinians will come there," Netanyahu said. "Well, it's either Moscow or Luxembourg. We'll see, one of them or anywhere else. We're always prepared to have direct negotiations without preconditions." The last substantial public meeting between Abbas and Netanyahu is thought to have been in 2010, though there have been unconfirmed reports of secret meetings since then. Peace efforts have been at a standstill since a U.S.-led initiative collapsed in April 2014.

Gulf States Voice Concern over U.S. 9/11 Bill
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/September 12/16/Gulf Arab states expressed concern on Monday over a bill passed by the U.S. Congress that would allow relatives of victims of the 9/11 attacks to sue Saudi Arabia for compensation. The six-member Gulf Cooperation Council, of which Saudi Arabia is the most powerful member, expressed "profound worry," the bloc's secretary general, Abdullatif al-Zayani, said in a statement. He said the law "contravenes the foundations and principles of relations between states, notably sovereign immunity."The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act by a unanimous voice vote on Friday. The Senate already approved the bill four months ago and it now goes before President Barack Obama. The White House has signaled that he is likely to veto the bill but his veto can be overridden by a two-thirds majority of both houses. Zayani expressed hope that the U.S. administration "will not endorse this law... which will create a grave precedent."Saudi Arabia is a longstanding U.S. ally but it was also home to 15 of the 19 al-Qaida hijackers who carried out the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States which killed nearly 3,000 people. The draft law would allow attack survivors and relatives of terrorism victims to pursue cases in U.S. federal court against foreign governments and demand compensation if such governments are proven to bear some responsibility for attacks on U.S. soil. Two GCC members -- Qatar and the United Arab Emirates -- also issued their own separate statements on Monday criticizing the bill.

China, Russia to Stage Military Drills in S. China Sea
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/September 12/16/China and Russia were to start war games in the South China Sea on Monday, Beijing's defense ministry said, in a show of force after an international tribunal invalidated the Asian giant's extensive claims in the area. The eight-day joint exercises will include a focus on "seizing and controlling" islands and shoals, Chinese navy spokesman Liang Yang said in a statement. They will involve surface ships, submarines, fixed-wing aircraft, ship-borne helicopters, marine corps and amphibious armored equipment from both navies, he said. "Compared with previous joint drills, these exercises are deeper and more extensive in terms of organization, tasks and command" he said in the statement, released Sunday. China claims almost all of the South China Sea and has sought to bolster its case by building a series of artificial islands capable of supporting military facilities. But a U.N.-backed tribunal ruled in July that any extensive claims to the sea had no legal basis and that China's construction of artificial islands in disputed waters was illegal. Beijing reacted furiously, with foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang threatening a "decisive response" if anyone took "any provocative action against China's security interests based on the award". Beijing's land reclamations have prompted criticism from other claimant countries and the U.S., and Washington has regularly sent warships into the strategically vital area to assert the right to freedom of navigation. This week's drills will be carried out off the coast of Zhanjiang city in the southern province of Guangdong. Their precise location was not announced, but they do not appear to be taking place in disputed parts of the sea. They were aimed at "strengthening the capabilities of the Chinese and Russian Navies in jointly handling security threats on the sea", navy spokesman Liang said. China and Russia have close military and diplomatic ties, often in opposition to the West, particularly the United States, and their leaders Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin enjoy a tight relationship. Last August, the two powers held military exercises in the waters and airspace of the Peter the Great Gulf, south of the Russian Pacific city of Vladivostok, involving 22 vessels, up to 20 aircraft and more than 500 marines. In May last year, they conducted their first joint naval exercises in European waters in the Black Sea and Mediterranean, China's farthest-ever drills from its home waters.
 

Hostile rhetoric escalates between Saudi Arabia and Iran
The Arab Weekly/September 12/16
Recent comments by Khame­nei prompted angry reactions from Gulf officials including GCC Secretary- General Abdul Latif al-Zayani.
LONDON - Tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran inten­sified with an ugly ex­change involving Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatol­lah Ali Khamenei and Saudi Arabia’s highest religious authority, Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdulaziz al-Sheikh. Khamenei, in a statement Sep­tember 5th, accused the kingdom in last year’s haj stampede and la­belled Saudi authorities unfit to oversee the annual event, which is one of the five main pillars of Islam. On September 24th, 2015, more than 2,000 people, including an estimated 450 Iranians, died in a stampede in Mina, independent sources said. The death count from Saudi officials was 769. Khamenei’s statement, which was seen by many as an attempt to politicise the haj, called on Muslim countries to “fundamentally recon­sider” management of the pilgrim­age. Al-Sheikh strongly rebuked Khamenei and the Iranian regime, calling them enemies of the Islamic religion. In comments carried by the Jed­dah-based Arab News, Al-Sheikh said: “We have to understand that they are not Muslims. They are the followers of majus (a reference to Zoroastrians who worship fire). Their enmity towards Muslims is old and their main enemies are the followers of Sunnah.”
Tehran in June banned its citi­zens from taking part in the haj, the first time it had done so since the 1980s. The decision by the Islamic Re­public came after months of negoti­ations between Riyadh and Tehran. When Iranian authorities officially announced they would not allow Iranians to participate in the annual Muslim event, they cited a number of reasons, from security to an in­ability to obtain visas in Iran.
The recent comments by Khame­nei prompted angry reactions from Gulf officials including Gulf Coop­eration Council (GCC) Secretary- General Abdul Latif al-Zayani, who denounced the “false and disgrace­ful charges” against Saudi Arabia. Zayani’s statement said GCC countries should consider Iran’s allegations a public incitement “in a desperate bid to politicise this major annual Islamic convergence that brings together pilgrims from all over the world during blessed days on the land of the Two Holy Mosques”. The statement added that Iran’s hostile campaigns included false allegations contrary to the values and principles of the true Islamic religion, which promotes compas­sion, amity and brotherliness.
In a September 7th news con­ference in London, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir also accused Iran of politicising the haj. Jubeir said the Iranians’ motivation was to achieve political gains and divert attention from its internal prob­lems.
Egypt’s most influential Islamic body rejected Iranian calls for joint management of the haj, suggesting that such calls would cause “sedi­tion” in the Muslim world. “We confirm our vehement rejec­tion of calls by some regional pow­ers to internationalise the manage­ment of the two holy mosques in the sacred [Saudi] lands,” al-Azhar’s Council of Senior Scholars said in a statement. “The kingdom of Saudi Arabia is the one responsible for organising the haj affairs without any foreign interference. This bizarre sugges­tion is a new door for sedition, which must be closed,” it said. Tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia date to the days of the shah but relations had been compara­tively cordial. They worsened after the 1979 Islamic revolution and the start of the Iran-Iraq war in 1980, which saw Saudi Arabia and the United States warily back Iraqi dic­tator Saddam Hussein.
In 1987, tensions escalated dur­ing the haj when Iranians in Mecca staged a political demonstration and clashed with Saudi riot police. More than 400 people died in the incident and mobs attacked the missions of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq and France. Diplomatic ties were cut in 1988 but were restored two years later. The 1990s was a period of relative calm between Riyadh and Tehran, particularly during the presidency of Iranian reformist Mohammad Khatami. However, with the 2003 US invasion of Iraq, the revelation of Tehran’s nuclear programme and the election of hardline president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, relations nose-dived. Tensions escalated in 2011 when the United States uncovered an as­sassination plot against Jubeir, who was then the Saudi ambassador to the United States. Iran and Saudi Arabia are on op­posite sides of a number of regional conflicts. In the Syrian civil war, Saudi Arabia is backing rebels fight­ing Syrian President Bashar Assad, who is militarily supported by the Islamic Republic and its Lebanese proxy, Hezbollah. In Yemen, a Saudi-led coalition is at war with Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in an effort to restore the in­ternationally recognised Yemeni government to power.The kingdom broke off official ties with Iran in January after its diplomatic missions were attacked by mobs following the execution in Saudi Arabia of a radical Shia cleric convicted on terrorism charges.

Internal crisis of Iran regime over sanctions imposed on revolutionary guard’s headquarters
Monday, 12 September 2016/NCRI - Iranian regime’s internal crisis over implementation of the global agreement on anti-money laundering and imposing sanctions on revolutionary guard’s headquarters by “Rouhani” government is escalating further. The members of regime’s parliament inclined to Khamenei described this agreement as one with the most destructive effects on Mullahs’ regime which is going to violate regime’s authority. Mohammad Esmaeil Ahmadi, a member of regime’s parliament, said in an interview with revolutionary guard’s news agency on Tuesday September 6: “unfortunately, signature of the economy minister is at the bottom of this agreement. Considering the contents of this agreement, he must have been focusing on something else while signing the agreement.” He described this global agreement as a “disgraceful, dangerous agreement” and added: “implementing this agreement will have the most destructive effects and the parliament should quickly intervene and stop it from being implemented and operational.” Amer Kaabi, another member of regime’s parliament who is also inclined to Khamenei, while criticizing Rouhani for acceding to this agreement, described it as an agreement which will “violate regime’s authority and honor” and said that accepting this agreement is “accepting the most disgraceful agreement in history”. He said that the parliament should rule out this agreement and tear it apart. Regarding the implementation of the global agreement on anti-money laundering by Rouhani government and imposing sanctions on banks and companies belonging to the revolutionary guard, an article in revolutionary guard’s news agency says: “more than 170 big companies and government organizations are in the long list of American sanctions. Accordingly, we will probably see all or most of these organizations and companies being sanctioned by local banks.”
The revolutionary guard published a list of the companies being under sanctions by the United States. Names of organizations such as revolutionary guard, Baseej, Ghaem headquarter, Ministry of Intelligence, Department of Defense, Radio & TV broadcasting and Cruise Missile Group are also on the list.On the other hand, in response to attacks by revolutionary guard and the Khamenei’s band who consider this agreement as one of the consequences of the nuclear agreement, foreign secretary spokesman says that “joining the anti-money laundering body was approved by the previous government and parliament and has nothing to do with the nuclear agreement.”Also Khamenei’s Kayhan newspaper, while expressing fear from the consequences of implementation of the global anti-money laundering agreement, linked it to the great gathering of the Iranian resistance in Paris and said: “it’s not believable that this game, mainly the United States, PMOI/MEK and Saudi Arabia, which is being followed by some from inside, is merely an election game. Basically, they have problems with stability of the system.”

Maryam Rajavi: the schemes and conspiracies to destroy and annihilate the PMOI/MEK have been foiled
Monday, 12 September 2016/NCRI - Last Remaining Iranian PMOI Members Leave Camp Liberty for Albania according to an article written by Adele Nazarian, appeared in the breitbart.com Sep. 11. Here is the story:
On Friday, the remaining 280 members of the Mujahedin-e-Khalq (MEK) — also known as the People’s Mujahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI) — who were stationed in Camp Liberty (Hurriya) in Iraq were relocated to Albania, officially closing the camp which was a place of refuge for the dissidents against the Iranian regime since the 1980s. Albania has a history of accepting refugees. During the Holocaust, the country took in many Jews seeking refuge from the massacre targeting them by the Third Reich. The MEK renounced violence in 2001 and in 2012, the State Department, under Hillary Clinton, delisted them as a terrorist organization. They were initially placed on the list under President Bill Clinton in 1997; a move that some suggested was highly politicized by the administration in an attempt to garner favor with the Islamic Republic of Iran. Upon news of the relocation of the Iranians, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA) and Ranking Member Eliot Engel (D-NY) issued a joint statement on the occasion, noting, “the safety and security of the residents has always been our primary concern, and they have now been effectively placed beyond the immediate reach of Iran and its terrorist proxies operating in Iraq.”The relocation was also welcomed by 28 top former U.S. officials, which included Amb. John Bolton, Newt Gingrich, Lincoln P. Bloomfield, Jr., Frances Townsend, Joseph Lieberman, Tom Ridge, Howard Dean, Marc Ginsberg, and Rudy Giuliani. Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) expressed that he will “continue to stand with the people of Iran and the Iranian-American community who yearn for a free Iran.” The spokesman for UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon also issued a statement thanking member states and international organizations for “the successful resolution of this humanitarian issue.”
PMOI spokesman Shahin Gobadi said:
“The successful conclusion of the relocation process of the residents of Camp Liberty, members of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI or MEK), out of Iraq was a major blow to the clerical regime and a major victory for the Iranian Resistance.” He added, “One has to keep in mind that this happened despite all the conniving and conspiracy and obstructions by the clerical regime which sought to force the residents to either give up resistance and succumb or to be massacred.” Over the past few years, one of the main objectives of the MEK has been to protect its members in Iraq. The release and relocation of them on Friday, physically steering them out of danger, will likely embolden the group to focus on their main task, which is to overthrow the Iranian regime. Camp Liberty has been attacked at least eight times since the 1980s. Gobadi noted that this consisted of “three massacres, five rocket attacks [and] two abductions.” Over 100 MEK members lost their lives as a result. The most recent attack on the site was on July 4. While no casualties resulted in the rocket fire, did not result in casualties although it resulted in produced injuries and extensive damage. This attack was also linked to the Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps. However, news of the resettlement was not received well by the Iranian regime which considers MEK to be a terrorist organization. On Saturday, they issued a statement saying the MEK members were “humiliated” and expelled from Iraq in a “heroic” move. Iranian state-controlled Tasnim News Agency reported that Majed Ghamas, a representative of the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq (ISCI), suggested “the MKO terrorists’ left Iraq on Friday ‘in a humiliating way.'” Maryam Rajavi, the president-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, issued a statement in response to the release of her constituents. In it, she stated her renewed vigor to see that the Iranian regime is overthrown and replaced with a secular democracy. “The schemes and conspiracies to destroy and annihilate the PMOI/MEK have been foiled,” Rajavi said. “And the mullahs’ religious dictatorship, its Intelligence Ministry, the terrorist Quds Force and its various hirelings and proxies in Iraq who sought to eliminate the PMOI/MEK have been left despondent and miserable.”

Iran – Kurdish young female political prisoner in serious health conditions
Monday, 12 September 2016/NCRI - The intelligent forces in the city of Mahabad (Iranian Kurdish region) finally announced that “Manijeh Fatehi”, a 22-year-old girl from Bukan, is held in custody in Mahabad’s intelligence office. The announcement was made under pressure from Manijeh’s family six month after she was silently arrested.According to reports, Manijeh’s family could talk to her on Sunday September 4 for only 20 minutes while being monitored by Mullahs’ intelligence agents. During this short visit, Manijeh couldn’t even explain to her family why she was arrested. Manijeh’s family later said that their daughter has been in serious health conditions. 22-year-old Manijeh Fatehi is daughter of Bahman and comes from Bukan. She was arrested in her house In March 5, 2015 at around 7 pm by three of the regime’s security forces while having no judicial authorization. She was then transferred to an unknown location. Mahabad’s intelligence office has announced that having relations with Kurdish opposition groups was their excuse for arresting Manijeh Fatehi

Iran: Mullahs’ regime hanged seven prisoners in Bandar Abbas Prison
Monday, 12 September 2016 /NCRI - According to the reports from Iran, the Iranian fundamentalist regime hanged seven prisoners in September 10, 2016 in the central prison in Bandar Abbas in Southern Iran. These prisoners (sailors) were kept in prison for drug-related charges and were transferred to solitary confinement two days before they were hanged. The names of the executed prisoners are as follows: Ghasem Daryanavard, Amin Bibak, Khosro Badpa, Sattar Hoot, Mohammad Hanif Boop, Harun Haykal Nejad and Taregh Taraj. Also on Saturday September 3, two other prisoners were hanged in the central prison in Rasht for drug-related charges. These prisoners were executed in the prison after their death sentences were approved by the Attorney General and the head of the judiciary. The two executed prisoners were introduced by their initials as “B”, 52, and “J.P”, 32. It should be pointed out that in August 29, “Ahmad Shahid”, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran, condemned the brutal execution of 12 prisoners by Khamenei’s executioners. He said that execution of these prisoners for drug-related charges was a violation of international law. Ahmad Shahid had called for stopping such executions in Iran one day before the execution of the 12 prisoners took place. He had stressed that issuing death sentences by the courts which do not conform to the international law and not even to Iranian local law is worrying.At dawn on Saturday August 27, Iranian regime executed at least 12 prisoners in a mass execution in the central prison in Karaj.
The names of executed persons:
1. Khosro Badfar
2. Taregh Taradj
3. Abdolsattar Hout
4.Mohammad Amin Bibak
5. Ghasem
6. Taregh
7.Hanif

Former Foreign Minister: "new dawn" for the Iranian Resistance
Monday, 12 September 2016/NCRI - Writing for The Hill, the US news website, Giulio Terzi, the former Italian Foreign Minister, claimed that a "new dawn" had come for the Iranian Resistance. Between rapprochement or conflict with a dangerous regime lies an alternative for Western governments: "put their full-throated support behind the democratic opposition," Terzi writes. Outlining the achievements of the Iranian Resistance, he argues that a better understanding of the movement would give policy-makers an obvious way to resolve the hopelessness of trying to moderate an increasingly "provocative" regime. The Resistance, in the shape of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) and the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI or MEK), has, Terzi argues, withstood an incessant campaign by the regime to annihilate it, including the mass execution of nearly 30,000 of its members in 1988 and, most recently, the attempted killing or capture of those thousands of PMOI members stranded in Camp Liberty in Iraq. In spite of this "carnage," the NCRI "draws approximately 100,000 supporters to its annual international gathering near Paris," Terzi points out.
What the Resistance has accomplished has been with the support of parliamentarians across the globe, but it has been without the support of national executives, he says. This makes the successive blows it lands against the "blood-drenched Ayatollahs," including the successful relocation of its members from Iraq to Albania, all the more noteworthy. For example, those PMOI members in Iraq's Camp Liberty had to withstand "five missile attacks, three direct assaults, and a constant blockade of medical supplies and essential services." More than 150 died, "while much of the international community has turned a blind eye." This strength gives the lie to the oft-made argument that this "inherently violent regime...is the only organized representative for the Iranian people," Terzi says. However, he argues, "There is another government waiting in the wings, prepared to shape a future for Iran that is based on declared principles of secularism, democracy, and gender equality as it has been articulated by President of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, Maryam Rajavi."

Continued detention of two Sunni clerics in Sarbaz
Monday, 12 September 2016/NCRI - According to reports, more than two months after the two Sunni clerics “Molavi Amanollah” and “Hafez Abdolrahim Koohi” from Sarbaz in Sistan and Baluchestan province were detained by the regime’s intelligence agents, the judiciary still refuses to release them. They were supposed to be released following their last court session but their interrogator from the ministry of intelligence told their families that their detention period will be extended for further investigations. It should be pointed out that this is the fourth time the detention of these two clerics is extended by the regime’s judiciary.

Mullah “Ahmad Jannati” fears the advocacy movement for the 1988 massacre
Monday, 12 September 2016/NCRI - Mullah “Ahmad Jannati”: Imam (Khomeini) said that these (PMOI/MEK) must be eradicated so that the roots of the system remain unharmed.Radio Maaref(regime) Friday September 9, 2016
During this week’s Friday Show in Tehran, Mullah “Ahmad Jannati” expressed his fears from the advocacy movement for the 1988 massacre while defending Khomeini’s verdict regarding the mass execution of prisoners in 1988. He added: ”This case (PMOI/MEK) and the publication of the audio file belonging to that credulous Sheikh(Mr. Montazeri), has turned into an excuse by means of which Mojahedin (PMOI/MEK) are trying to denounce our system and Khomeini”. Jannati claimed that Mojahedin (PMOI/MEK) are now being supported by France, United States and Britain and added: … these (countries) are supporting Mojahedin; … They’re planning to gradually strengthen them and give them a more political role. These are the issues we are facing now; What Imam did was implementing the Islamic law. This criminal Mullah defended Khomeini’s verdict for mass execution of Mojahedin (PMOI/MEK) and tried to justify it by saying: “Imam truly did the right thing since Mojahedin were the source of corruption and Imam (Khomeini) was trying to eradicate corruption. I hear some people say “what about Islam’s compassion?” Well, Islam has both compassion and roughness. Imam (Khomeini) said that these (PMOI/MEK) need to be eradicated so the roots of the system remain unharmed. Quran also considers these as “warriors” and gives orders to cut off their hands and their feet, to send them into exile and to hang them. This is Islamic law”.

Italy quake town sues Charlie Hebdo
AFP, Rome Monday, 12 September 2016/Amatrice, the Italian town devastated by last month’s deadly earthquake, is suing French weekly Charlie Hebdo for defamation over a series of cartoons about the disaster. The satirical magazine caused an outcry in Italy by publishing three pasta-themed cartoons on the subject of the quake, including one portraying victims crushed under layers of lasagna. “It amounts to a macabre, tactless and inconceivable insult to the victims of a natural catastrophe,” the town council’s lawyer, Mario Cicchetti, told reporters after the largely symbolic legal move was announced.
Published only days after the quake struck on August 24, killing nearly 300 people, the cartoons struck a raw nerve, notably prompting Interior Minister Angelino Alfano to say he knew where the authors “could stick their pencils.”The French publication responded with a follow-up cartoon showing a woman crushed under ruins and the caption: “It is not Charlie Hebdo who builds your houses, it is the mafia.”There was no immediate response from the French publication to the suit.

Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on on September 12-13/16

Two turning point which could lead to Iran regime downfall
NCRI/Sunday, 11 September 2016
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/2016/09/12/ncritwo-turning-point-which-could-lead-to-iran-regime-downfall/
NewsBlaze.com, published an article covering two recent major events involving the only organized opposition movement, first the relocation of PMOI members from Iraq to Europe, second the revelation regarding massacre of more than 30 thousand political prisoners in the summer of 1988. Following is the full article.
On Friday, 9 September, the remaining Camp Liberty residents were relocated from Iraq to Europe.
13 years of heartbreak and painstaking work in defence of the security and rights of members and supporters of the Poeple’s Mojahedin Organisation of Iran (PMOI) resulted in their release. The PMOI were originally in Camp Ashraf and later moved to Camp Liberty in Iraq. Over the years, many died, many of them killed by the Iranian regime or their Iraqi proxies. Now, all remaining members and supporters of the PMOI, after being officially accepted for resettlement by the government of Albania, moved to that country.
The British Parliamentary Committee for Iran Freedom (BPCIF), today expressed its happiness and joy for this great achievement by the Iranian Resistance. The committee issued a statement on the occasion.
Undoubtedly, today counts as a great and historic day for the democratic opposition and resistance of the Iranian people and all of us as supporters of this liberation movement.– The British Parliamentary Committee for Iran Freedom.
Over the past 13 years, the Iranian regime employed many destructive tactics in an effort to wipe out their PMOI opposition. Many PMOI died in attacks on the camp, and due to medical neglect orchestrated by Iran and successive Iraqi governments.
The people in Camp Ashraf and later Camp Liberty should have been protected by the U.S. government and the United Nations. Instead, they were essentially on their own. The US and the UN contributed to their protection only by issuing occasional statements of “outrage,”usually after another predictable massacre.
Over the 13 years, the Iranian regime provided “extensive financial and military support for the terrorist groups in Iraq, resulting in 8 missile attacks against the innocent residents of Camps Ashraf and Liberty,” the BPCIF statement said.
Those armed assaults left 141 residents dead, and hundreds wounded. Seven hostages, six of them women, were also removed from the camp by the attackers. The whereabouts and the condition of those seven is still unknown. They disappeared without a trace. The Iranian resistance says the intention of the criminal clerical Iranian regime was to either force the PMOI members to surrender or, more likely, to completely destroy the PMOI organisation.
The PMOI members in the two camps put up a heroic resistance, in the face of the Iranian regime’s expansive and destructive well-armed efforts. The only weapons the residents had were their bodies, their intelligence and their ability to rally countless international supporters in the Iranian resistance and beyond.
BPCIF acknowledged “the extensive and highly effective campaigns led by Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) which were decisive in turning the international balance of power in favour of the Iranian people and their Resistance and against the religious dictatorship in Iran.”
The committee also declared their full support for the “recently launched international campaigns and lawsuits against those responsible for the massacre of more than 30 thousand political prisoners in the summer of 1988.”
NewsBlaze reported on the release of audio tapes made by Ayatollah Montazeri, Khomeini’s successor. In those tapes, Ayatollah Montazeri can be heard saying that the murders of the 30,000 people undermine the foundations of Iranian society. They also severely shook the regime.
The British Parliamentary Committee for Iran Freedom said it looks forward to regime change in Tehran. “A new era has begun in which we can clearly see the tides are turning fast towards a regime change in Iran and the fruition of the will of Iranian people for establishment human rights, and gender and religious equality and democracy.”
July 9, 2016 was the day an all-party parliamentary delegation from both Houses of the UK Parliament, attended the gathering of more than 100,000 supporters of the Iranian Resistance in Paris. At that gathering, a statement signed by more than 400 British parliamentarians supported the Iranian Resistance and Mrs Rajavi’s 10 point plan.
Alejo Vidal-Quadras, President, International Committee In Search of Justice (ISJ), said “This is a major defeat for the mullahs and the final failure of its repeated criminal attempts to massacre all the residents in Camp Liberty. It is also a historic victory for the Iranian resistance and the Iranian people and all supporters of democracy and freedom in Iran which was achieved only due to the steadfastness of Ashraf and Liberty residents, and the leadership of Mrs Maryam Rajavi, as well as the international campaigns by many parliamentarians, political dignitaries, lawyers and brave supporters all over of the world.”
The ISJ says it will continue to support the aspirations of the Iranian people to establish freedom and democracy in Iran.
“With safe transfer of all Iranian resistance members in Camp Liberty out of the reach of the Iranian regime and its murderous militias, the people of Iran will now feel strengthened in their struggle for a democratic change to their country.” – Alejo Vidal-Quadras.
The BPCIF wants to see the British government, European Union, Unites States and other world leaders to stop their appeasement policy of Iran’s autocratic dictatorship. Millions of Iranians want peace and democracy in Iran.
 

Obama’s nuclear deal invalidated UN resolutions that curb Iran
Raghida Dergham/Al Arabiya/September 12/16
The Obama administration has quietly voiced warnings that its putative deal with the Russian government is at a breaking point and said it is running out of patience over Moscow’s prevarication and failed promises on Syria. However, there is a clear contradiction between the stance of the US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter, who is skeptic about Russian intentions and military cooperation with Moscow, and that of the Secretary Of State John Kerry, who is always keen to shake the hand of and exchange smiles with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov. This in part explains the Russian diplomacy’s confidence that Obama’s dithering and weakness will not give way, allowing Moscow to continue to act without worrying about the seriousness of US threats. Also, Russia is confident Obama will not suddenly show courage in the last months of his term, especially with regard to military intervention in Syria, and will not break his promise about not sending US forces to fight in faraway lands and in others’ wars, not to mention the fact that he factors in the Iranian element and its implications for his legacy strongly in his calculations. Obama has tied his own hands through the nuclear deal with Iran and now fears anything that could undermine it, leading him to acquiesce to Iran’s regional meddling and alliance with the regime of Bashar al-Assad. Recall that he once called for Assad to step down, before backtracking from his red lines. The alliance that comprises Russia, Iran, the Syrian regime, Hezbollah and other Iran-backed militias in Syria is fully confident that Obama will not challenge their actions in Syria and would instead continue to pretend to see or hear no evil and maintain the US-Russian “partnership” in Syria. That overconfidence has embarrassed the administration of the isolationist US president, especially as the regime continues using barrel bombs and outlawed weapons under Russian aerial cover. The international evidence proving the Syrian regime had twice used chemical weapons after the US-Russian deal to dismantle the regime’s chemical arsenal angered the Obama administration. Adding insult to injury, Russia decided to go on the offensive at the Security Council to defend the regime, leaving Washington’s Western allies in disarray amid continued US reluctance to confront Russia on such a crucial issue. The shivering bodies of Syria’s children, who are being burned by incendiary weapons, have shed light on the Syrian tragedy, fueled and enabled by Russian strikes and Iranian militias, yet without leading to an awakening of the global conscience. For now, the focus remains on fighting ISIS, which has used chemical weapons too, and similar groups. But Washington will not be able to continue to bury its head in the sand to appease Russia or protect the nuclear deal with Iran. If the deal with Russia collapses, the Turkish doors being opened by Recep Tayyip Erdogan could be used to tell Moscow enough is enough and to re-take the initiative.
US-Russian military cooperation is plausible because the status quo in Syria cannot last forever and Russia needs an exit strategy from the quagmire it is nearly in
The Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton has accused Moscow of meddling in the US elections through cyber hacking targeting her party, describing the Russian interference in America’s electoral process as an unprecedented threat from an adversarial foreign power. Obama is taking the threat seriously as well, being a Democrat too, and he is indeed able to put an end to Russian violations in Syria, Ukraine and elsewhere if he wishes. Obama’s measures on Ukraine against Russia have infuriated Lavrov, who has sharply criticized US sanctions on Russia. But on Syria, Obama remains passive and conservative. But he must know that it will be his legacy in Syria that will shape his wider legacy, no matter what he achieves with Cuba and Iran. His policies in Syria have hurt America’s standing to the point that China dared insult him as he arrived for the G20 summit, breaking protocol and giving him an awkward reception. The president of the Philippines has called him jaw-dropping obscenities. The commander of the Qods Force, Qassem Suleimani, even dared to run entire militias in Syria and Iraq and travel to Russia despite US sanctions. To be sure, Obama’s nuclear deal invalidated all international resolutions that had banned Tehran from exporting arms and militias, thus giving Iran full freedom to intervene militarily in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon and Yemen with impunity.
Marginalization
The marginalization of the state and army, which have been replaced by militias, has become the norm in the Middle East and this is very sinister. These militias, as well as ISIS, are recruiting children and women, from Iraq to Yemen’s Houthi rebels. In the latter case, experts say this is evidence of the shortage of recruits in the ranks of the Houthi militias. The same applies to the Shia militias in Iraq and Syria, whose losses have been heavy in the war. Women in the Arab region are not empowered by joining militias. They are needed elsewhere, for example in healing the children who have been paying the price of the men’s abuses and bloody lust for power. According to a UNICEF report, 28 million children have been displaced because of armed conflict around the world, much of it occurring in the Arab region. The role of wise leaders is key to stopping the hijacking of children’s lives, whether in geopolitical wars, chemical deals, or nuclear deals of Obama with Iran and Syria in partnership with Russia. The plight of Syria’s children is a stain on the conscience of all those who have colluded in the Syrian tragedy, without exception. Those men playing the game of international realignment through the Syrian arena are many - led by Russian President Putin, Turkish President Erdogan and the Iranian leadership, which has assigned Suleimani the military functions and the Foreign Minister Zarif the diplomatic function to both finish the job of misleading Washington and the UN.
Falling into a trap
The UN secretary general fell into the trap and legitimized Iran’s role in Syria through the diplomatic gateway. Practically speaking, Ban Ki-moon has legitimized Iran’s military role in Syria on the side of the regime, which the secretary general himself once said must be held accountable for its war crimes and added that it had lost all legitimacy. The UN has, for all intents and purposes, blessed Tehran’s expansionist ambitions in the Arab countries and allowed it to sit at the negotiating table to discuss the future of these countries, thereby rewarding its violations of binding international resolutions.
Ban Ki-moon is now leaving his post after two terms without building the legacy he wanted to leave behind: to end impunity. This failure will haunt him. Despite his supposed moral authority, he failed to tackle the grave violations in Syria, where more than half a million people have died, millions have been displaced and entire cities have been destroyed. Ban Ki-moon fell into the trap of turning the Syrian issue into one of the war on ISIS, instead of emphasizing the real narrative. In turn, Vladimir Putin is not ignorant of what he is doing in Syria. He knows exactly what he is doing and who is paying the price. He knows what he wants, how to guarantee his strategic realignment and with whom he can forge temporary alliances and who is indispensable. His frenemy Recep Tayyip Erdogan is playing his cards in a way that Putin does not like. Putin believes he is better able and more entitled to impose his will in Syria, as befits his authoritarian needs inside Russia as well as his ambitions in the Middle East and at the level of relations with Washington. Erdogan is demonstrating to all those concerned that he has cards no one else has. Meanwhile, the battle for Aleppo remains a fateful one for all stakeholders.
The key men in Syria are Putin, Erdogan, Suleimani and Assad, and this is something Barack Obama has started to take stock of. For this reason, the Obama administration is quietly warning Russia that it has other options, including Turkey, after the latter entered directly as a party to the Syrian war and revived moderate rebel groups led by the Free Syrian Army. This is the option favored by the Gulf countries, which still insist on their positions on Assad, and which have opened a new page of understandings with Turkey, expressing willingness to support the rebels while turning a blind eye to Turkey’s containment of the Kurds. US-Russian military cooperation is plausible, because the status quo in Syria cannot last forever and Russia needs an exit strategy from the quagmire it is nearly in. The Kerry-Lavrov duo continues to work for a deal, but the details contained in the Russian demands may make it hard to clinch. Staffan de Mistura, the UN Syria envoy, is repeatedly positioning himself between the two men, sometimes trying to facilitate an understanding. Kerry did not attend the meeting of the foreign ministers of the Friends of Syria group hosted by the British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, who wants to compensate for his role in the Brexit fiasco through the Syrian gateway. Kerry later joined and expressed reservation on the vision of the High Negotiations Commission for political transition in Syria, advising them to show more realism. In the end, the realism of Barack Obama will determine the fate of the deal with Russia, while Erdogan and Putin will remain anxious to hear the echo of Obama’s pragmatism in Syria.
**This article was first published in al-Hayat on Sept. 9, 2016 and translated by Karim Traboulsi.

The isolation of Tehran
Mshari Al Thaydi/Al Arabiya/September 12/16
The escalating political action on the part of Tehran and its supporters against Saudi Arabia in the Hajj pilgrimage season demonstrates the complexity of the crisis besetting Iran. The Hajj pilgrimage is not new. Therefore, there is no explanation behind the Iranian supreme leader’s newly-stated opinion toward it and about Saudi Arabia’s religious duty toward pilgrims and visitors. Contrary to what is being circulated by Tehran and its counterparts in Lebanon, Yemen and Iraq, the Iranian regime is suffering from the consequences of the war in both Syria and Iraq. Hezbollah is Tehran’s most prominent representative in the region, represented by Hassan Nasarallah who is also facing a worst case scenario given that his militia’s death toll in Syria has reached around 1,600 and thousands have been wounded, according to Western press estimates. Last Wednesday, Radio Israel cited an official source as saying: “A decade after the second Lebanese war, the Israeli deterrent power remains in place on the northern border while Hezbollah has become more preoccupied with the situation on the Lebanese borders with other states and with the internal criticism against it.”Contrary to what is being circulated by Tehran and its counterparts in Lebanon, Yemen and Iraq, the Iranian regime is suffering from the consequences of the war in both Syria and Iraq
Isolation
It is also worth mentioning that Iran is facing political and a legal isolation after the classification of Hezbollah as a terrorist group by the GCC countries, especially Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE, and also after the Arab league classified it as such. On the other hand, the statement released by the summit of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation held in Istanbul last April has condemned Iran for meddling in other countries’ affairs and backing terrorist organizations. It also accused Iran of employing sectarianism in a declaration voted for by 50 members. Many Muslim and Arab countries, especially the African ones - like Sudan, the Comoros and Djibouti - have cut ties with Iran while other countries are watching Iran carefully as well. Therefore, we must not ignore these facts amid rising Iranian voices led by some Western media outlets, especially British leftist ones. In terms of the Iranian escalation toward Saudi Arabia regarding its duties towards the pilgrimage and its care for Muslims, the goal seems to be clear according to the Supreme Leader of Iran Ali Khamenei. The bottom-line? Despite the necessity of countering Iranian propaganda, one should bear in mind that Tehran’s regime remains isolated despite the nuclear agreement led by Obama’s administration, or as I call it the death kiss of Obama. This road has a clear end. It remains to be seen whether Iran will embrace reality.
**This article was first published in Asharq al-Awsat on Sept. 9, 2016.

Of selfie, narcissism and going ‘social’
Peter Harrison/Al Arabiya/September 12/16
When I was a child I remember going through photo albums looking at images of groups of faces staring back at me. I would be captivated by scenes from streets, looking at the people in the background – wondering where they were going, what they might have been thinking at that precise moment the picture was taken. Other images showed views, or buildings, may be even a statue. Sure there were the obligatory images of people standing in front these things, but I was always more interested in what was happening around them rather than the person posing awkwardly with the fixed smile in front of the camera.
Move the clock forward a few decades and take a look at the modern day equivalent of the photo album – social media sites like Facebook or Instagram. Suddenly the images are more about the selfie. “This is me in…” reads the caption. But it’s hard to tell where they are because all you can see is the same face, over and over, with little space left to see the views behind them left in the shot. There’s a tale of a young man called Narcissus, who was so vain that he fell in love with his own reflection. His life passed him by and he died having done nothing except admire himself. I fear this fable might have come true. There has been much written about the self-obsessed era we appear to find ourselves in. And everywhere you look there are people telling each other how great they are. Often narcissism is mistaken – in my view – for confidence. But it appears to me that in many cases it is far from that. Often it is an attempt for reassurance or approval . A prime example of this trait is the likes of Donald Trump, who seems, according to The Guardian newspaper’s Zoe Williams to epitomize “the lack of empathy, the self-regard and, critically, the radical overestimation of his own talents and likability”, traits that many would argue make him a classic narcissist. So many conversations today, seem to revolve around people talking about themselves and their self-proclaimed brilliance. But who are they trying to convince? We all know these people – the ones who somehow manage to guide the conversation away from what you were talking about, to them with almost stealth-like effort. Even when they appear to be showing some form of empathy, they still manage to turn it around onto themselves, their Facebook entry expressing sorrow at some hideous event and the disclaimer: “but there’s nothing I can do”. Sure enough, the next entry is them smiling seductively again into the lens of the phone camera – awaiting the “Likes” and the “Omg, you’re gorgeous” comments.
Gaining approval?
Often narcissism is mistaken – in my view – for confidence. But it appears to me that in many cases it is far from that. Often it is an attempt for reassurance or approval, I believe. Williams quotes Pat MacDonald, author of the paper Narcissism in the Modern World, who explained: “We have a narcissistic society where self-promotion and individuality seem to be essential, yet in our hearts that’s not what we want. We want to be part of a community, we want to be supported when we’re struggling, we want a sense of belonging.”In 2014, UK daily The Independent published the article: “Are we more narcissistic than ever before?” It referred to this phenomenon as a psychological issue. It described people who had very high opinion of themselves compared to how they view others – I know people in this category. Then there was the vulnerable kind – the ones that managed to turn their suffering into a problem shared, whether others wanted to experience it, or not. Yes, I admit, I have been guilty of this as well. Suffice to say the conversation revolves around them as people look to reassure them – it’s tiring work indeed. And if you look at social media, it is exploiting these traits to gather information on our behavior, our interests, and our consumer habits. It’s learning all the time what adverts to show us as we share our location on Facebook, “checking in” to restaurants, cinemas, malls and bars. Meanwhile, many people in the Middle East are enjoying the long Eid break. It’s a time to spend with family or friends. But if you walk through the malls, people are not talking to one another; instead many are staring at their mobile phones apparently oblivious of the people around them. Terrified that they might be missing something – it has a name: fear of missing out (FOMO). Their eyes are glued to the screens of their smartphones, in between taking selfies – it’s not a social activity for the people around them. So I suggest to these people, shutdown your Facebook, put away your phone and look up. Look at the person you’re with, smile and ask them: “how are you?” But mean it, listen to their answer and respond with interest about what they have just said. Forget about the “me” or the “I” and let yourself become absorbed by a conversation where you don’t even feature.

Tyrants and the Hajj
Turki Aldakhil/Al Arabiya/September 12/16
Dictators in the region have consistently politicized the Hajj pilgrimage with the intention to diminish Saudi Arabia’s role whenever a political disagreement erupts with Riyadh. Late Libyan leader Moammar Qaddafi, who was obsessed with disagreeing with Saudi Arabia, used to do. He often verbally attacked Saudi Arabia by exploiting the stories of Hajj and the two holy mosques because he felt that Saudi Arabia possessed a religious significance which he would never have been able to attain. Qaddafi then began to address people in Libya and gathered thousands from Africa as he considered himself “the king of kings” of Africa. He even tasked his media outlets with attacking Saudi Arabia and commissioned former regime poet Ali al-Kilani to write several poems against the Saudi kingdom. Iran is repeating such actions. Political disputes must not be involved in religious rituals. This is what Shiite cleric Ali al-Amin insists as Hajj is a duty that cannot be politicized and Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyid Hassan Nasrallah and Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei do not have the right to amend any shariah principles and duties or any of Islam’s tenets. It’s a shame that Iran banned its citizens from performing Hajj due to a political dispute. Saudi Arabia has had major disputes with many countries and even fought wars with some but it has always remained neutral when it comes to Hajj and the two holy mosques due to their sanctity. Although Saudi Arabia was involved in a relentless war against Iraq, as it was part of the Coalition for the liberation of Kuwait, the countries which stood by the then-Iraqi President Saddam Hussein were not affected during the Hajj season. It’s an old practice that has served as blackmail ever since the era of Qaddafi and later during Saddam Hussein’s rule and it will not end with Ali Khamenei.
**This article was first published in Okaz on Sept. 12, 2016.
 

Why there is little cause for hope in Yemen
Khairallah Khairallah/The Arab Weekly/September 12/16
It is hard to imagine that either side will change its position in near future.
Armed children taking part in rally held by Houthi movement in Sana’a
Since the peace talks in Kuwait ended in August, the situation in Yemen has stalled. The negotiations in Kuwait had been an opportu­nity, albeit a small one, out of the conflict. This, however, is something that can only be achieved if both sides believe that their interests would be served by change, rather than the continuation of the status quo.Given the balance of power in Yemen, it is hard to imagine that either side will change its position in the near future. The “legitimate” side, as represented by President Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi, Vice-President Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar and Prime Minister Ahmed bin Daghr has its own particular strengths, not least its domestic and international political “legitimacy” and the support it is receiving from the Saudi-led Gulf alliance. As for the alliance between former president Ali Abdullah Saleh and the Houthis, it is receiving support from Iran and seems to believe it can hold on to strategic regions of Yemen, including Sana’a and its environs as well as the strategic port of Hodeida. They are claiming to be defending “Yemeni unity”. However, their actions will only lead to division and fragmentation.
With every day that passes, Yemen’s legitimate forces advance. They have been besieging the Houthis in Taiz for months, while liberating areas around Sana’a. A breakthrough does not look imminent though and ultimately there is no indication that Yemen’s legitimate government will be able to return to the capital without a political agreement.
The issue goes beyond the fact that the Houthis are in physical control of Sana’a’s streets — the political balance in the country has changed. Yemen’s north is divided between two warring sides — and divisions between the northerners and southerners have existed in Yemen for decades.
There is a complete lack of political vision in Yemen. Saleh and the Houthis have carved out a small area of control and they are only interested in maintaining their power. This is a power that is based on force of arms, not the will of the Yemeni people or the acquiescence of the regional and international community. So will the support that is being provided by Tehran be enough for this? Likely not, particularly given that regional and international forces have cut off the Houthis from their Iranian benefactors. US Navy ships have seized significant arms and ammunition bound for the Houthis over the past year. Without this supply of arms, the Houthis’ hold will crumble. The Saleh-Houthi alliance is not a stable political project but one born out of opportunism. Thus, when the going gets tough, most observers expect them to turn on each other.
Despite this, the situation on the ground remains the same. The Houthis may be under siege and in retreat but as long as they have fighters and arms — which they have for the moment — they remain a force. The conflict will either continue until one side — Yemen’s legitimate forces backed by the Arab alliance — is able to impose a real change in the balance of power on the ground, something that will likely cost a huge amount of lives and destruction, or the two sides will be forced to come to an agreement. However this conflict resolves itself, the Houthis — unless they are destroyed — will want to be a real partner in any future Yemeni government. This, of course, is their right but they do not have any right to try to enforce their demands through the use of arms, sectarian militias and an alliance with a foreign country. As for things as they stand though, there can be no attempt to establish a strong central government or create a federal government, whether based on six regions or more, until the conflict ends.There is little cause for hope in Yemen and much cause for concern, given the ongoing conflict, the breakdown of negotiations and rising international concerns about the humanitarian situation in the country. Adding to the troubles is the reality al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) has used this period of chaos and uncertainty to bolster its presence, particularly in central and southern Yemen.

Clinton should Stop Pretending she’s not Elite
David Ignatius/The Washington Post/September 12/16
Despite Hillary Clinton’s recent slip in the polls, she has a big political opportunity, even though some of her advisers might regard it as a curse: She can run as the candidate who represents the “mainstream” leadership of both parties and knows how to fix our broken political system.
In a year when anti-elitism has been a dominant theme in both parties, donning this establishment mantle might appear to be a mistake for Clinton. But let’s be honest: Her strength is that she’s the voice of experienced, centrist leadership. She’s not a convincing populist: The more she tries to sound like one, the more she risks coming off as a phony in the final two months of the campaign.
Because Clinton can’t escape her mainstream pedigree, perhaps she would be wiser to try to turn it to her advantage — and explain to voters how she, as someone who deeply understands the system, would try to break the Washington logjam and make government work again for the country. If you’re thinking slogans, try: “Change, from the inside out.”
Running from the center in a polarized country has its risks, to be sure. But Clinton’s current strategy, a sort of Bernie Sanders Lite, doesn’t seem to be working very well, even against a radically unqualified GOP opponent. A CNN poll released Tuesday showed Trump ahead by 1 point; other polls vary widely, but the average compiled by RealClearPolitics shows Clinton ahead now by just 3.3 percent, less than half the margin she had after the July conventions.
A Clinton strategy that played more on her governing experience would have three basic components. The first would be the mass defection of leading Republicans from GOP nominee Trump. Fifty former top GOP foreign-policy officials signed a letter in August warning that Trump would be “the most reckless” president in U.S. history. Republican business leaders have been less vocal, but there’s a deep unease in the broad moderate wing of the party that’s loyal to former president George W. Bush, 2012 presidential nominee Mitt Romney and House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (Wis.).
Trump’s response to the GOP elite’s defection has basically been “good riddance.” He called the 50 foreign-policy experts “nothing more than the failed Washington elite looking to hold onto their power.” He has a similar disdain for traditional conservative policies on trade and the budget.
If Clinton is smart, she will use the GOP leadership’s rejection of Trump to reinforce her core argument that he is intellectually and temperamentally unsuited for the job, and would come to the White House without clear plans or advisers in both foreign and domestic policy. Although lacking any experience in government himself, he scorns the GOP leadership that might help him govern. Even the angriest populist voters might be wary of such a risky bet.