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Bible Quotation For Today/You cross sea and land to make a single convert, and you make the new convert twice as much a child of hell as yourselves
Matthew 23/13-15: "‘But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you lock people out of the kingdom of heaven. For you do not go in yourselves, and when others are going in, you stop them. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cross sea and land to make a single convert, and you make the new convert twice as much a child of hell as yourselves."

Bible Quotation For Today/Paul: What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.
Acts of the Apostles 21/01-14: "When we had parted from them and set sail, we came by a straight course to Cos, and the next day to Rhodes, and from there to Patara. When we found a ship bound for Phoenicia, we went on board and set sail. We came in sight of Cyprus; and leaving it on our left, we sailed to Syria and landed at Tyre, because the ship was to unload its cargo there. We looked up the disciples and stayed there for seven days. Through the Spirit they told Paul not to go on to Jerusalem. When our days there were ended, we left and proceeded on our journey; and all of them, with wives and children, escorted us outside the city. There we knelt down on the beach and prayed and said farewell to one another. Then we went on board the ship, and they returned home.
When we had finished the voyage from Tyre, we arrived at Ptolemais; and we greeted the believers and stayed with them for one day. The next day we left and came to Caesarea; and we went into the house of Philip the evangelist, one of the seven, and stayed with him.
He had four unmarried daughters who had the gift of prophecy. While we were staying there for several days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. He came to us and took Paul’s belt, bound his own feet and hands with it, and said, ‘Thus says the Holy Spirit, "This is the way the Jews in Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles." ’ When we heard this, we and the people there urged him not to go up to Jerusalem. Then Paul answered, ‘What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.’ Since he would not be persuaded, we remained silent except to say, ‘The Lord’s will be done.’"

Bible Quotation For Today/Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint, dill, and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith
Matthew 23/23-26: "‘Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint, dill, and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. It is these you ought to have practised without neglecting the others. You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel! ‘Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup, so that the outside also may become clean."

Bible Quotation For Today/Persecution & Harassment Of Paul
Acts of the Apostles 21/27-28.30b-40a.: "When the seven days were almost completed, the Jews from Asia, who had seen him in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd. They seized him, shouting, ‘Fellow-Israelites, help! This is the man who is teaching everyone everywhere against our people, our law, and this place; more than that, he has actually brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place.’ Then all the city was aroused, and the people rushed together. They seized Paul and dragged him out of the temple, and immediately the doors were shut. While they were trying to kill him, word came to the tribune of the cohort that all Jerusalem was in an uproar. Immediately he took soldiers and centurions and ran down to them. When they saw the tribune and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. Then the tribune came, arrested him, and ordered him to be bound with two chains; he inquired who he was and what he had done. Some in the crowd shouted one thing, some another; and as he could not learn the facts because of the uproar, he ordered him to be brought into the barracks. When Paul came to the steps, the violence of the mob was so great that he had to be carried by the soldiers. The crowd that followed kept shouting, ‘Away with him!’Just as Paul was about to be brought into the barracks, he said to the tribune, ‘May I say something to you?’ The tribune replied, ‘Do you know Greek? Then you are not the Egyptian who recently stirred up a revolt and led the four thousand assassins out into the wilderness?’Paul replied, ‘I am a Jew, from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of an important city; I beg you, let me speak to the people.’When he had given him permission, Paul stood on the steps and motioned to the people for silence; and when there was a great hush, he addressed them in the Hebrew language, saying:"

LCCC Latest analysis, editorials from miscellaneous sources published on July 28-29/15
Iran Deal: $150 Billion to Fund Obama's War/George Phillips/Gatestone Institute./July 28/15
Obama's Gamble with Iran's Theocratic Regime/Robert D. Onley/Gatestone Institute/July 28/15
Israel's Developing Relationship with Cyprus/Simon Henderson/Washington Institute/July 28/15
Is Washington engaging critically with Cairo/H.A. Hellyer/Al Arabiya/28 July/15
The GCC’s options in responding to Obama/Raghida Dergham/Al Arabiya/28 July/15
Saudi Arabia needs clear-cut laws on harassment/Khaled Almaeena/Al Arabiya/28 July/15
Reem Sahwil, a victim of European policy/Diana Moukalled/Al Arabiya/28 July/15
Does Saudi Arabia Have Hawks and Doves/Tariq Alhomayed/Asharq Al Awsat/Monday, 27 Jul, 2015

LCCC Bulletin titles for the Lebanese Related News published on July 28-29/15
Report: Nasrallah beefs security over ISIS threats
Salam Postpones Cabinet Session to Prevent its Possible Collapse
Hollande Voices Support for Salam during Phone Talks
Trash Collection Resumes in Beirut as Ministerial Panel Reaches 'Solution'
Cars Go Up in Flames as Protesters Continue Burning Waste in Beirut
'You Stink' Campaigners Back to the Streets of Beirut
Hizbullah Appeases Salam after Trash Thrown Near his Residence
Report: Aoun Rejects Offer Made by Moqbel on Roukoz
Moqbel Meets Geagea, Gemayel, Says Army Chief Name to be Discussed in September
2 Dead, 2 Hurt as Jund al-Sham and Fatah Clash in Ain el-Hilweh
Ain Dara Residents Block Dahr al-Baydar Road over Waste Transfer Reports
Mustaqbal Urges 'Partnership' in Resolving Waste Crisis, Voices 'Full Support' for Salam
Lebanon on U.S. Watch List over Human Trafficking

LCCC Bulletin Miscellaneous Reports And News published on July 28-29/15
Kerry tells US House Foreign Affairs C'tee that Iran deal makes Israel safer
Republican candidate: Obama marching Israel 'to door of the oven'
U.N. Aid Chief Calls for Greater Syria Access
Senior Hamas official: No more military assistance from Iran
Iran a 'Formidable' Danger to Europe, Says Netanyahu
Toronto Jewish community on alert after threats by hooded men taking photos of synagogue
“Toronto Jewish community on alert after threats by hooded men taking photos of synagogue,” by Toby Trompeter, National Post,
Pope Francis appeals for release of two bishops and priest abducted by Muslims in Syria
“Pope Francis calls for release of priest and bishops abducted in Syria,”
Egypt Police Kill Two Suspected Jihadists in Cairo Raid
Cairo Furniture Factory Fire Kills 19 Workers
Jail for Jordanians Convicted of Recruiting for Hamas
Libya Court Sentences Gadhafi Son to Death
Buildings Damaged, Teenager Missing in Indonesian Earthquake
Syria Army, Kurds Push IS out of Hasakeh City
Ministry: Two Bahrain Police Killed in 'Terror' Blast
Saudi-Led Air Raids, Clashes Shatter Yemen Truce
Second Saudi Execution after Ramadan Pause
Saudi King Backs Turkish Military Action
Blast suspends transport of gas on Iran-Turkey pipeline
NATO: We stand with Turkey against ‘terrorism’
HRW Says Saudi-Led Yemen Raid 'Apparent War Crime'
Canada's FM, Mr. Minister Nicholson to Attend Anti-ISIS Coalition Political Directors Meeting

Report: Nasrallah beefs security over ISIS threats
Roi Kais/Ynetnews/Published:07.28.15/ Israel News/150 strong group of 'Royal Guards' protect Hezbollah's leader in system of tunnels beneath Beirut with direct access to the city's international airport. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has beefed up his security detail in response to a growing number of threats on his life from the Islamic State and al-Qaeda-affiliated Nusra Front, reported the London-based Arabic newspaper Al-Quds Al-Arabi on Tuesday. According to the report, Nasrallah makes use of Iran's Revolutionary Guards for his personal security needs. Only six men are reportedly allowed in the bunker where Nasrallah lives, including Mustafa Badr Al Din, Hezbollah's military leader and Nasrallah's deputy, Naim Qassem. Al-Quds also claimed that Nasrallah is capable of movement through a network of tunnels in southern Beirut that has an entrance/exit point into the international airport of Beirut. Nasrallah also reportedly gets his meals imported from Tehran, directly into the tunnels in Beirut. According to Al-Quds, the team that guards Nasrallah had earned the title of "Royal Guard" and includes 150 combat-ready troops including the personal bodyguards of Hezbollah's internal security chief who was trained in Iran and North Korea. The central team of guards surrounding Nasrallah is said to be made of 20 men led by Abu Ali Jawad. Nasrallah spoke publically through massive screens erected throughout Lebanon on Tuesday, laying out his stance on the Palestinian issue. According to the Hezbollah leader, in order to bring the plight of the Palestinians to the forefront, Arab governments and peoples must be reminded of Israel's aggressive and terrorist nature - a "monster lying on Palestinian ground."

Salam Postpones Cabinet Session to Prevent its Possible Collapse
Naharnet/28 July/15/Prime Minister Tammam Salam postponed a cabinet session that was set to take place on Tuesday to pave way for more consultations and to avoid a further confrontation on its controversial decision-making mechanism. A statement issued by the premiership said Salam set Thursday as a new date for the cabinet to convene. Speaker Nabih Berri and Progressive Socialist Party chief MP Walid Jumblat had urged him to postpone the session. They wanted the consultations carried out by the different parties to pave way for agreements to facilitate the work of the government. Sources close to Salam told al-Mustaqbal newspaper that his resignation is still an option. The prime minister prefers to have a caretaker government rather than keeping a cabinet that does not function, they said. The premier has recently come under huge pressure by the Free Patriotic Movement, which is backed by Hizbullah, to review the government's decision-making mechanism that has been adopted in the absence of a president. The FPM accuses Salam of infringing on the Christian president's powers and says its ministers have the right to take decisions inside the cabinet because they represent the head of state. The cabinet failed last week to agree on the mechanism and adjourned the issue to Tuesday. But it is unlikely to reach any decision this week amid a waste management crisis that is also threatening the government. The crisis erupted when the Naameh landfill that lies south of Beirut, and which receives the waste of the capital and Mount Lebanon, was closed on July 17. Garbage continued to pile up in dumpsters because the authorities had failed to find an alternative. A ministerial committee headed by Salam announced on Monday that garbage collector Sukleen started collecting waste. But it failed to mention the areas where a “balanced distribution of garbage” would be made. The committee's decision is temporary amid a failure to establish new landfills.

Hollande Voices Support for Salam during Phone Talks
Naharnet/28 July/15/French President Francois Hollande has telephoned Prime Minister Tammam Salam and expressed to him France's support for Lebanon and its state institutions, state-run National News Agency said Monday. he talks tackled the current cabinet crisis in Lebanon and its repercussions on the country, NNA said. The French president expressed his regret over “the continued presidential vacuum and the Lebanese political forces' failure to agree on the election of a new president,” the agency added. Hollande lauded Salam's “wisdom,” stressing “his full support for him in the efforts aimed at preventing the spread of paralysis to the council of ministers institution,” NNA said. The French leader also emphasized that France “will continue the plan of equipping the army and security forces in Lebanon that was endorsed as part of the Saudi grant.”On Sunday, Social Affairs Minister Rashid Derbas, who is close to Salam, announced that the embattled premier will “announce his decision at the right time,” amid reports that the PM is on the brink of resignation over the growing cabinet crisis. “What we're seeing on the streets is an inevitable result of the cabinet paralysis,” the minister added, referring to the accumulation of garbage on the streets and street protests over the government's failure to address the waste management crisis.

Trash Collection Resumes in Beirut as Ministerial Panel Reaches 'Solution'
Naharnet/28 July/15/Trash collection resumed in Beirut on Monday evening after the waste management ministerial committee managed to agree on a preliminary solution to the garbage crisis. The solution involves the “immediate resumption” of waste collection in Beirut, a “balanced distribution” of Beirut and Mount Lebanon's garbage to new locations and financial “incentives” to municipalities, Environment Minister Mohammed al-Mashnouq announced after an emergency meeting at the Grand Serail. Authorities would also continue to evaluate the tenders submitted by contractors and the Council for Reconstruction and Development will establish an “operations room” to follow up on the plan's implementation, Mashnouq added. He said thermal decomposition centers will be set up for waste management. LBCI television meanwhile said the agreement involves finding locations for three new landfills. Earlier, Industry Minister Hussein al-Hajj Hassan announced that a “non-temporary solution” was reached for the crisis. “We reached a solution and it's not temporary,” Hajj Hassan told reporters prior to the Grand Serail talks. “It will be discussed today and agreed on and will be followed up through recommendations,” he added. Education Minister Elias Bou Saab had noted that a “vision” for a possible solution was discussed during the committee's morning meeting. The panel's agreement comes on the eve of a cabinet session that will be held Tuesday morning at the Grand Serail. The crisis that erupted on July 17 has seen streets overflowing with waste and the air filled with the smell of rotting and burning garbage. The problem erupted after the central Naameh landfill was closed in accordance with a government decision taken earlier this year. The landfill opened in 1997. It was meant to receive trash from the capital and Mount Lebanon for only a few years until a comprehensive solution was devised. But the government kept extending the deadlines for its closure. The current crisis has prompted citizens to stage angry road-blocking protests in several regions and civil society activists have called for a sit-in outside the Grand Serail that will coincide with Tuesday's cabinet session.

Cars Go Up in Flames as Protesters Continue Burning Waste in Beirut
Naharnet/28 July/15/Two cars went ablaze Monday evening in the Beirut area of Karakol al-Druze and several citizens suffered suffocation after young men set fire to trash dumpsters to protest the accumulation of garbage on the streets, state-run National News Agency reported. A vehicle from the Beirut Fire Brigade has since arrived at the scene to put out the flames, NNA said. Angry protesters also blocked roads with burning trash dumpsters in the Salim Salam, Beshara al-Khoury and Mar Elias districts. Outside Beirut, a number of young men tried to block the eastern lane of the vital Damour highway with burning tires before being dispersed several times by security forces, NNA said. The key highway connects the capital Beirut to the South governorate. Earlier in the day, protesters reopened the coastal highway in the Jiyeh area after receiving pledges from officials that no garbage trucks would be sent to the Iqlim al-Kharroub region. Several demonstrators and policemen were wounded in the morning during an attempt by security forces to reopen the highway by force. Health Minister Wael Abou Faour had urged citizens earlier on Monday not to burn the accumulating garbage, citing several health hazards. Trash collection had partially resumed in Beirut on Sunday but several streets are still overflowing with waste and the air is filled with the smell of rotting garbage. The collection restarted after a temporary deal was found to begin taking trash to several landfills in undisclosed locations. The crisis started after residents living near the Naameh landfill, the country's largest dumpsite, shut it down. The government pledged last year that Naameh landfill would be closed on July 17 and an alternative site be found. But the date came and went with no solution found and residents began blocking the route to the site in the mountains outside Beirut. Initially, Beirut's trash collector, the Sukleen firm, stored waste at its facilities, but by July 20 they were at capacity and garbage began piling up in the streets. Experts have urged Lebanon's government to devise a comprehensive waste management solution that would include more recycling and composting to reduce the amount of trash going into landfills.

'You Stink' Campaigners Back to the Streets of Beirut
Naharnet/28 July/15/Anti-trash activists blocked on Tuesday several roads in Beirut to protest the authorities' failure to find a permanent solution to the waste crisis. The demonstration was planned to coincide with a cabinet session which Prime Minister Tammam Salam adjourned to pave way for more consultations. Tuesday's protest by "You Stink" activists at Riad al-Solh square near the Grand Serail was not the first. The same demonstrators held a sit-in in the area over the weekend to protest the mountains of garbage that had piled up in Beirut and its suburbs. The protesters then blocked the road near Mohammed al-Amin mosque where the environment ministry is located, calling for the resignation of Minister Mohammed al-Mashnouq. They later moved to Beirut's Hamra thoroughfare chanting slogans calling on the authorities to resolve the waste problem. At one point, the demonstrators surrounded the vehicle of Social Affairs Minister Rashid Derbas, who later severely criticized them, telling Voice of Lebanon radio (93.3) that the protesters were on the verge of "smashing the car's windows."They also threw trash bags near the Central Bank that lies in Hamra. LBCI TV said the activists tracked dump trucks on Monday night and found out that the trash was being thrown in Beirut River and a parking lot in Sin el-Fil. The Facebook page of "You Stink" has so far garnered over 6,700 likes. Trash collection resumed on Monday evening after the waste management ministerial committee headed by Salam managed to agree on a preliminary solution to the garbage crisis. The solution involves the “immediate resumption” of waste collection in Beirut, a “balanced distribution” of Beirut and Mount Lebanon's garbage to new locations and financial “incentives” to municipalities, Environment Minister Mohammed al-Mashnouq said following the committee's emergency meeting at the Grand Serail. The trash crisis erupted on July 17 when the Naameh landfill south of Beirut was closed.

Hizbullah Appeases Salam after Trash Thrown Near his Residence
Naharnet/28 July/15/Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has sent an envoy to inform Prime Minister Tammam Salam that the party is keen on the cabinet and to distance itself from recent riots caused by the waste crisis near his residence in Beirut, sources said Tuesday. The ministerial sources told al-Mustaqbal daily that a Hizbullah minister visited Salam in Msaitbeh, carrying with him a “personal message” from Nasrallah in which he stressed “the party's keenness on the PM and his role.” In the message, Nasrallah distanced Hizbullah from chaos when masked men burned trash and threw some of them near Salam's residence, said the sources. Security sources told the newspaper that the men are members of the Hizbullah-linked Resistance Brigades. They blocked several roads in Beirut on Monday night, burned trash, threw some of them near Salam's home and stirred disputes with passers-by, said the sources. Al-Joumhouria newspaper also said that Salam expressed resentment at the incident during an emergency meeting for the waste management ministerial committee that he chaired on Monday. “Is this a message sent to me? Is there someone who wants to put pressure on me so that I resign because of the waste file?” Salam reportedly asked. But Hizbullah Minister Hussein al-Hajj Hassan and Amal Movement Minister Ali Hassan Khalil sought to appease the premier. The ministers held phone talks with Speaker Nabih Berri, who heads Amal, and Nasrallah to inform Salam that both parties reject such acts, said al-Joumhouria. The ministers stressed that the men who caused the rioting do not represent any side, it added.

Report: Aoun Rejects Offer Made by Moqbel on Roukoz
Naharnet/28 July/15/Change and Reform bloc leader MP Michel Aoun has reportedly told Defense Minister Samir Moqbel that he would continue to abide by the law despite an offer to promote his son-in-law in the military institution. Sources told An Nahar daily published on Tuesday that Moqbel suggested to Aoun that his son-in-law Commando Regiment chief Brig. Gen. Chamel Roukoz, whose tenure ends in October, be promoted. But Aoun rejected the idea outright. “How would we accept the violation of the law and the constitution?” Aoun asked Moqbel during a meeting they held in Rabieh on Monday. The lawmaker, who is also the head of the Free Patriotic Movement, and the defense chief have been at loggerheads over the extension of the terms of several high-ranking officials. The FPM says the extensions are illegal. Aoun wants Roukoz to become army chief to replace Gen. Jean Qahwaji whose term ends in September.

Moqbel Meets Geagea, Gemayel, Says Army Chief Name to be Discussed in September
Naharnet/28 July/15/Defense Minister Samir Moqbel announced Tuesday that the issue of appointing a new army chief will be discussed in September, the month during which the extended term of Army Commander General Jean Qahwaji will expire. “The name of the army commander will remain pending until September and will be discussed only one week prior to the juncture,” said Moqbel after meeting Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea in Maarab. “The defense minister will then take the necessary measures, in line with the laws,” he added. Moqbel noted that he would propose “three or four names” for the cabinet to choose from whenever there is a need to appoint a new military official. In the event of lack of consensus, “the defense minister's jurisdiction allows him to postpone the retirement of certain officers and he can also appoint reserve officers,” he added. Moqbel also noted that the political leaders he met in recent days did not suggest any candidates for the military posts. Earlier in the day, the defense minister held talks with Kataeb Party chief MP Sami Gemayel in Saifi. On Monday, he held talks with Free Patriotic Movement chief MP Michel Aoun in Rabieh. Aoun and Moqbel had been at loggerheads after the FPM chief accused the minister of extending the terms of several military officials in an "illegal" manner. The cabinet sessions were recently suspended for more than three weeks due to the dispute over the appointments. The bickering later escalated into a thorny debate over the cabinet's decision-making mechanism in the absence of a president, with the FPM accusing Prime Minister Tammam Salam of infringing on the powers of the Christian head of state. Aoun has been lobbying for political consensus on the appointment of Commando Regiment chief Brig. Gen. Chamel Roukoz, his son-in-law, as army chief as part of a package for the appointment of other top security officers.

2 Dead, 2 Hurt as Jund al-Sham and Fatah Clash in Ain el-Hilweh
Naharnet/28 July/15/Two people were killed and two others were wounded Monday as clashes erupted between the Islamist Jund al-Sham group and the secular Fatah Movement in the Ain el-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp. The violence erupted after Jund al-Sham members Mohammed A. and Mahmoud A. were shot and wounded at the hands of unknown gunmen, state-run National News Agency reported. It identified the slain men as Palestinian national Diab M., a civilian, and Fatah member T. M. “Some residents have fled, fearing a bigger deterioration,” NNA said. Sidon MP Bahia Hariri of the al-Mustaqbal bloc meanwhile contacted senior Fatah official Sobhi Abou Arab and Islamist leader Abou Sharif Aql, urging them to seek a ceasefire and contain the tensions. She was told that efforts were being exerted to that end. The camp had witnessed several similar incidents in recent months. Ain el-Hilweh, the largest Palestinian camp in the country, is home to about 50,000 refugees who live in dire conditions and is known to harbor extremists and fugitives. By long-standing convention, the Lebanese army does not enter the country's 12 refugee camps, leaving security inside to the Palestinians themselves.

Ain Dara Residents Block Dahr al-Baydar Road over Waste Transfer Reports
Naharnet/28 July/15/Residents of the Aley District town of Ain Dara blocked the vital Dahr al-Baydar road Tuesday over reports that garbage from other areas will be transferred to their region.“Ain Dara residents blocked the Dahr al-Baydar road at Hammana's intersection in protest of waste transfer to their region,” state-run National News Agency reported. The key highway links the Beirut, Mount Lebanon and Bekaa regions. Earlier in the day, civil society activists from the “You Stink” movement blocked most roads in downtown Beirut to protest the latest garbage crisis and the government's approach towards it. On Monday, protesters reopened the coastal Beirut-South highway in the Jiyeh area after receiving pledges from officials that no garbage trucks would be sent to the Iqlim al-Kharroub region. The vital road had been blocked for more than 24 hours. Several roads were also blocked in the capital Beirut. Later on Monday, the waste management ministerial committee announced reaching a “solution” that involves the “immediate resumption” of waste collection in Beirut, a “balanced distribution” of Beirut and Mount Lebanon's garbage to new locations and financial “incentives” to municipalities. The trash crisis erupted on July 17 when the Naameh landfill south of Beirut was closed following a campaign by residents and environmental activists.

Mustaqbal Urges 'Partnership' in Resolving Waste Crisis, Voices 'Full Support' for Salam
Naharnet/28 July/15/Al-Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc on Tuesday called for “partnership and integration” to resolve the waste management crisis, as it threw its support behind Prime Minister Tammam Salam. “The growing garbage crisis is the problem of entire Lebanon and it is not limited to a certain region without the others, as the dire consequences are affecting all Lebanese regions, especially the capital Beirut, which lacks an appropriate location for setting up a landfill,” said the bloc in a statement issued after its weekly meeting. It hoped the government's efforts will lead to finding a “comprehensive solution” on the basis of “partnership and integration among all citizens and Lebanese regions.” Commenting on the agreement reached Monday in the waste management ministerial committee, Mustaqbal hoped the provisional plan will pave the ground for a solution based on “the resolutions that were issued by the government in 2010, which were endorsed by the current government in January.” In another stance related to the garbage crisis, the bloc accused members of the Hizbullah-affiliaed Resistance Brigades of throwing trash outside PM Salam's residence in Msaitbeh. It also condemned the interception of Social Affairs Minister Rashid Derbas' car by anti-trash civil society protesters, urging security forces to arrest them and refer them to the judiciary. Turning to the crisis over the cabinet's decision-making mechanism, Mustaqbal voiced its “full support” for Salam as he “shoulders his constitutional responsibilities in preserving the Constitution's stipulations and the premiership's jurisdiction.”“The real gateway to addressing all these complications is the speedy election of a president, … as the continued obstruction of the state's work and the insistence on paralyzing its institutions are the main and direct reasons behind all the circumstances that the Lebanese are facing,” the bloc added.

Lebanon on U.S. Watch List over Human Trafficking
Naharnet/28 July/15/The United States has said Lebanon falls in the category of countries which could exert more efforts to combat modern-day slavery, placing it on the “Tier 2 Watch List.”“Lebanon is a source and destination country for women and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking and a transit point for Eastern European women and children subjected to sex trafficking in other Middle Eastern countries,” said an annual ranking compiled by the State Department and announced by Secretary of State John Kerry on Monday. The 382-page report called for more “investigations, prosecutions, and convictions of offenders under the anti-trafficking law, including officials complicit in human trafficking.” It also urged Lebanese authorities to “increase training for judges, prosecutors, law enforcement officials, and diplomatic personnel about the crime of trafficking and the anti-trafficking law” and “continue to implement standard procedures to identify trafficking victims among vulnerable populations, such as illegal migrants, women holding artiste visas, domestic workers, and Syrian refugees.”The report is the State Department's key weapon for combating human trafficking, and comes in an annual ranking in "tiers"— Tier 1 is best, 2 means more could be done, and 3 is a blacklist that can spark sanctions. Countries in "Tier 3," the lowest category, are those whose governments do not respect international norms or laws on trafficking and are not making significant efforts to do so, according to the report. The International Labor Organization says trafficking in persons represents a $150 billion-a-year industry, including $99 billion for the sex industry alone. Washington estimates some 20 million people are victims. "Trafficking in persons is an insult to human dignity and an assault on freedom," Kerry said in the report's introduction as he called for a comprehensive "fight against modern slavery.""It's a battle against money, it's a battle against evil," he said.

Kerry tells US House Foreign Affairs C'tee that Iran deal makes Israel safer
JPOST.COM STAFF/07/28/2015/US Secretary of State John Kerry, US Secretary of the Treasury Jack Lew and US Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz were testifying on Tuesday before the House Foreign Affairs Committee on the nuclear agreement reached in Vienna between Iran and the P5+1 nations earlier this month. Kerry said that, while he understands Israel's fears regarding the nuclear deal signed between world powers and Iran, the deal in fact makes Israel and the region safer. Addressing concerns that Iran would continue to sponsor terrorism despite the nuclear deal, Kerry said that the US would continue to "push back against Iran's other activities." He said that it was "much easier to push back against an Iran that doesn't have a nuclear weapon," which he argued that the agreement will ensure.
Kerry said that Washington's current level of security cooperation with Israel is unprecedented and the US will continue to maintain its "robust security presence" in the region. Congress began a 60-day review period last week, during which it may choose to vote to approve or disapprove of the deal. A resolution of disapproval would have to come to a second vote with two-thirds support of both chambers in order to overcome a presidential veto. Full House and Senate debates and votes to approve or reject the nuclear agreement are expected in September, after Congress returns from an August recess.
**Michael Wilner contributed to this report.

Republican candidate: Obama marching Israel 'to door of the oven'
Associated Press/Ynetnews/Published: 07.27.15/ Israel News /Mike Huckabee in hot water over comment comparing Iran nuclear deal to the extermination of Jews during the Holocaust; Obama: 'This pattern of attacks by Republican candidates would be considered ridiculous if it weren't so sad'.
WASHINGTON - Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee has likened the agreement on an Iranian nuclear deal to "marching the Israelis to the door of the oven," a reference to the Holocaust. The former Arkansas governor made the tweet Sunday, a day after first making the comparison when denouncing President Barack Obama for his role in the agreement reached July 14 by the United States and five other world powers with Tehran. Responding, Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz said Huckabee's statement was "grossly irresponsible" and called on him to apologize.
Huckabee's controversial comments
But a Huckabee spokeswoman said Sunday his comments reflect a longstanding position that "the Iran deal is a bad deal, bad for America and bad for Israel." Huckabee's tweet called on Congress to reject the nuclear deal. "This president's foreign policy is the most feckless in American history," Huckabee said in an interview with Breitbart News broadcast on Sirius/XM radio Saturday. "He's so naive he would trust the Iranians and he would take the Israelis and basically march them to the door of the oven."Obama, asked about the comments at a news conference in Addis Ababa, where he was meeting with Ethiopian officials, said they were part of a pattern of attacks by 2016 Republican presidential candidates that would be "considered ridiculous if it weren't so sad." He said such issues as the Iran nuclear deal deserve serious debate, not outlandish statements.
"It doesn't help inform the American people," Obama said. Obama responding to Huckabee's remarks. Huckabee quickly responded, saying that "What's 'ridiculous and sad' is that President Obama does not take Iran's repeated threats seriously.""I will stand with our ally Israel to prevent the terrorists in Tehran from achieving their own stated goal of another Holocaust," Huckabee said in a statement his campaign emailed to reporters. In his initial remarks, Huckabee said that "this Iran deal should be rejected by both Democrats and Republicans.""We forget Iranians have never kept a deal in 36 years under the ayatollah. There's no reason to think they will suddenly start doing it."Huckabee said about the deal: "I read the entire thing. We gave away the whole farm. It's got to be stopped."The Anti-Defamation League slammed Huckabee's comments, saying "Whatever one’s views of the nuclear agreement with Iran – and we have been critical of it – comments such as those by Mike Huckabee suggesting the president is leading Israel to another Holocaust are completely out of line and unacceptable.""To hear Mr. Huckabee invoke the Holocaust when America is Israel’s greatest ally and when Israel is a strong nation capable of defending itself is disheartening. The great tragedy of the Holocaust saw the Jews of Europe without allies and without power at the worst possible moment," ADL National Director Jonathan A. Greenblatt went on to say in a statement issued Monday. Huckabee's comments come as the Republican presidential candidates struggle to break through with 16 presidential candidates already in the Republican field, and one of those, New York businessman Donald Trump, getting more attention than most.
**Ynetnews contributed to this story.

U.N. Aid Chief Calls for Greater Syria Access
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/28 July/15/ U.N. aid chief Stephen O'Brien said Tuesday that he hoped to secure better humanitarian access to Syrians most in need during his maiden visit to Damascus next month. Speaking to the Security Council he expressed hope that the visit "will provide an opportunity to constructively engage with the government to address some of the significant access challenges that seriously impede humanitarian operations." "Carving out space to meet the humanitarian needs of Syria's people is today's imperative," said the British former MP, who replaced the outgoing Valerie Amos at the end of May. O'Brien described the level of suffering for most Syrian civilians as "gargantuan" with 12.2 million in need of humanitarian assistance. The United Nations estimates that around 220,000 people have been killed since the conflict began in March 2011.O'Brien said more than one million people have been displaced so far this year, many for a second or third time, on top of 7.6 million displaced inside Syria at the end of 2014. This month, the number of registered Syrian refugees reached four million, the largest refugee population from a single conflict around the world in more than quarter of a century. "We must have rapid, sustainable access to deliver essential humanitarian items to all people in need, in all parts of the country, without delay or hindrance," he said. O'Brien singled out attacks on medical facilities for particular condemnation, saying there had been 14 such assaults recorded in June, 12 of them air strikes. He also urged donors to step up their financial support for U.N. humanitarian efforts, saying the response plan for the conflict is only 27 percent funded. But he acknowledged there were "no humanitarian solutions to this crisis." "A political solution is more urgent than ever to end this futile, hopeless cycle of brutality and violence," he said. U.N. special envoy Staffan de Mistura is due to address the U.N. Security Council on Wednesday on several months of consultations with parties to the conflict on relaunching peace talks.

Senior Hamas official: No more military assistance from Iran
Elior Levy/Ynetnews/Published: 07.28.15 / Israel News
As the group's political wing moves closer to the Saudis, Abu Marzouk admits Iran has withdrawn support; military wing reportedly attempting to mend relations with Islamic Republic. Senior Hamas official Mousa Abu Marzouk on Monday repeated a statement voiced by leaders before, saying that Iran has ceased providing most of its financial assistance to the group. "The aid has stopped and it is still suspense – as was the military aid, whose absence is difficult to deal with, and aid to the residents of the Gaza Strip," said Abu Mazouk. Despite this, he emphasized that Hamas is working to retain close and robust relations with the Islamic Republic. Abu Marzouk's declaration came amid a crisis in Hamas-Iran relations, which began with the beginning of the Syrian Civil War over four years ago, when Hamas backed the rebels while Iran and Hezbollah supported Assad. Relations have continued to cool, especially after Hamas began to improve relations with Iran's major regional rival, Saudi Arabia. Hamas chief Khaled Mashal is a great supporter of becoming closer to the Saudi axis, and most of the group's political leadership agrees. The opposition to this process is led by Mohammed Deif and the group's military wing, which desperately needs the financial assistance to rehabilitate and rearm itself after Operation Protective Edge.
The military wing is also interested in Iranian military aid – both military experts and attempts to smuggle weapons into the Gaza Strip. Deif has been sending delegates to various countries in the region in the hopes of defrosting relations with Iran and regaining the coveted assistance. Some in Israel are well-aware of the internal divisions in Hamas about assistance from Iran. At the beginning of July, the Southern Command's intelligence officer said that "the military wing turned to Iran to get financial assistance to allow it to build up ahead of the next campaign against Israel, in contrast to the general sentiment in the movement that prefers the Saudi axis to the Iranian one. "These are sums the military wing will not get from the organization's budget, and when there's no alternative at home – they turn to the Iranians, who supply the money because they are first of all interested in a foothold against Israel in every possible sphere."

Iran a 'Formidable' Danger to Europe, Says Netanyahu
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/28 July/15/ Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday that Iran posed a "formidable" threat to Europe, accusing its proxy Hizbullah of operating cells across the continent. Just last month, a member of the Lebanese group was jailed in Cyprus for plotting attacks on Israeli targets on the Mediterranean island. Netanyahu, on an official visit to Nicosia, said "Iran and Hizbullah organize a terrorist network that covers over 30 countries on five continents, including just about every country in Europe."Iran and leading world powers signed a deal this month on Tehran's controversial nuclear program, an accord the Israeli leader criticized as a "stunning, historic mistake". Netanyahu said Israel and Cyprus were faced with the dual dangers of Iran and the extremist attacks perpetrated by the Islamic State group, which controls large parts of Iraq and Syria. "ISIS obviously endangers European societies, Western societies, African societies, the whole world," the premier said, using an alternative acronym for IS. "These are two formidable dangers. They are expressed in many weapons, in many attacks, but the most prevalent one that concerns Cyprus and Europe is of course the terrorism that emanates from these areas," he added. Last month, a Cypriot court jailed a Lebanese-Canadian man for six years after he pleaded guilty to terror charges linked to 8.2 tonnes of potential bomb-making material found in his home. Authorities said the man was a member of the military wing of Hizbullah and had helped the group plan "terrorist attacks" on "Israeli interests in Cyprus". Cyprus is not known for its militant activity despite its proximity to the Middle East. But in 2013, a Cypriot court sentenced a Lebanon-born Swedish man who admitted he was a Hizbullah member, to four years in jail after he was found guilty of targeting Israelis on the island. A botched bomb attack on the Israeli embassy in 1988 claimed the lives of three people. Israel has repeatedly criticized the Iran nuclear deal and insists it is not bound to respect Tehran's accord with the West. Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades said he and Netanyahu had discussed the accord, adding that Cyprus expressed "hope that this deal will help generate stability... and assist in addressing the security concerns of the State of Israel". Tuesday's talks also focused on security, defense and the exploration of oil and gas reserves in the eastern Mediterranean, according to Anastasiades. The Aphrodite field, discovered off Cyprus' southeast coast in 2011, is estimated to contain between 3.6 trillion and 6 trillion cubic feet (102 billion-170 billion cubic meters) of gas. Israel has found large reserves off its own shoreline and the two countries are looking to cooperate on energy issues such as exporting Israeli nature gas. "We think that by cooperating with each other we think that we can take it (natural gas) out more easily and market it better to the betterment of both our societies," Netanyahu said.

Toronto Jewish community on alert after threats by hooded men taking photos of synagogue
July 28, 2015 9:32 am By Robert Spencer 5 Comments
Jihadis? Non-Muslim Leftists? No way to be sure at this point, but the scream of “F–k Jews” suggests Islamic anti-Semitism more than just opposition to Israel. However, the hatred of Jews that these men harbor almost certainly derives from “Palestinian” jihad propaganda, which is rooted in the jihad imperative to “drive them out from where they drove you out” (Qur’an 2:191) and destroy Israel utterly.

“Toronto Jewish community on alert after threats by hooded men taking photos of synagogue,” by Toby Trompeter, National Post,
July 28, 2015 (thanks to Stephen):
TORONTO — The greater Toronto Jewish community is disquieted and on the alert after three hooded men took photos and yelled threats outside a Thornhill synagogue. York Regional Police received a call from Beth Avraham Yoseph of Toronto (BAYT) on Friday, according to Const. Laura Nicolle. That afternoon, alerts went out via email and social media from synagogues across the GTA.“This past Wednesday night, three men with concealed faces were observed taking photos of BAYT,’’ read one alert posted to Facebook and viewed by more than 20,000 people. ‘‘When they were approached, they yelled “F— Jews. Watch!”, jumped into their black Volkswagen Golf and drove off. The car’s licence plates were covered. Unfortunately, they were out of range of the BAYT cameras. Please be alert when walking, especially near our shul, and be on the look-out for such vehicles and/or people.” Janice Savage, a BAYT member for three years, said the synagogue has increased its security. ‘‘It’s incumbent on all shul members to be vigilant — as the world we live in becomes more dangerous, the shul is responding to our new reality.”Police cars were seen parked on Clark Avenue outside the synagogue all Saturday, as well as patrolling nearby York Hill Boulevard. “I’m feeling very vulnerable. It was very reassuring on the Sabbath however to see the whole security task force of the BAYT in full swing. Members of the trained security team were at the door checking visitors — as well as a professional security guard,” said one BAYT neighbour who preferred to remain anonymous. York region police said a BAYT security guard observed a car parked by a stop sign on York Hill Blvd., with two men nearby, at around 8 p.m. Wednesday. The guard believed they were possibly taking pictures of the security cameras. “As security approached the men they got into the vehicle (and) fled the area,” said York Constable Andy Pattenden. ‘‘As they were driving away the guard believed he heard an offensive remark.”Const. Pattenden confirmed they yelled “F— Jews,” but had nothing on record about the threat referred to in the email alerts.
The men wore hoodies that shielded their faces, and the licence plate covered with tinted plastic, rendering the guard unable to get the number….

Pope Francis appeals for release of two bishops and priest abducted by Muslims in Syria
July 28, 2015 9:13 am By Robert Spencer
The Pope has said that “authentic Islam and the proper reading of the Koran are opposed to every form of violence,” so why doesn’t he go to Syria himself and initiate a “dialogue” with the Islamic State, during which he can explain to them how they are misunderstanding the Qur’an and Islam? That will fix everything: not only will the Islamic State forthwith release the bishops and the priest, but they will lay down their arms and distribute flowers to all the little children!
As he prepares for that “dialogue” trip, however, the Pope may face resistance from his own bishops. The holy and God-loving bishop of Worcester, Massachusetts two years ago summed up the prevailing view of the U.S. Catholic bishops: “Talk about extreme, militant Islamists and the atrocities that they have perpetrated globally might undercut the positive achievements that we Catholics have attained in our inter-religious dialogue with devout Muslims.” — Robert McManus, Roman Catholic Bishop of Worcester, Massachusetts, February 8, 2013
So what is Pope Francis doing talking about these abducted clerics? He should keep quiet about such matters, so as to preserve the “dialogue”! Will McManus and the other American bishops call him on the carpet, and “oppose him to his face, because he stood condemned,” as St. Paul did to Francis’ first predecessor, St. Peter?
The contemporary Catholic Church, especially in the West, has confused niceness with charity. It may be nice to avoid unpleasant matters and enjoy delicious hummus and pita down at the mosque, but it is not charitable to confirm Muslims in their bullying and supremacism by kowtowing to their wishes and keeping silent about the atrocities they commit in the name of their religion and in accord with its teachings. The contemporary Catholic Church is heading its people to a disaster for which they might have been fortified and prepared had not their leaders lulled them into complacency and deliberately kept them in ignorance by silencing voices who spoke honestly about the looming threat. Ironic that the preachers of “Be Not Afraid” are the very ones cowering in fear of Islamic jihadists.

“Pope Francis calls for release of priest and bishops abducted in Syria,”
by Philip Pullella, Reuters, July 26, 2015:/Pope Francis on Sunday appealed for the release of an Italian Jesuit priest and two Orthodox bishops kidnapped in Syria two years ago, asking leaders to work for the freedom of all those abducted there. Father Paolo Dall’Oglio, a Jesuit priest who worked in Syria for more than 30 years and who supported the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad, disappeared on July 29, 2013 in the city of Raqqa, now a stronghold of militant group Islamic State. Dall’Oglio was well known in the Middle East and Europe for his work promoting Christian-Muslim dialogue. He was restoring an ancient monastery in the desert and had refused to leave the country for his own safety after the civil war started four years ago. Several months earlier, two Orthodox bishops were kidnapped in an area near the Turkish border where they had gone to negotiate the release of two abducted priests. Francis, speaking to tens of thousands of people in St. Peter’s Square for his weekly prayer and message, called for a “renewed commitment” by local and international authorities “so these brothers of ours can regain their freedom soon.”…

Egypt Police Kill Two Suspected Jihadists in Cairo Raid
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/28 July/15/Egyptian police killed two alleged jihadists suspected of involvement in the recent bombing of the Italian consulate in Cairo in a raid Monday on an apartment in the capital, security officials said. The two men were killed in a gunfight when a police team went to arrest them, the officials said. "The two jihadists belonged to Ajnad Misr (Soldiers of Egypt) and investigations reveal that they could be involved in the bombing of the Italian consulate," one official said, adding they were also wanted "for their role in assassinating policemen". The Islamic State group had claimed the July 11 bombing of the consulate -- the first such attack on a foreign mission in Egypt since jihadists launched a campaign against the country's security forces two years ago following a crackdown on Islamists. A civilian was killed and nine others were wounded in the attack. Ajnad Misr has previously claimed several deadly attacks in Cairo, particularly targeting policemen, and have planted bombs outside key buildings such as the presidential palace and Cairo University. In April, the group's leader Hammam Mohamed Attiyah was shot dead in a gunfight with police at a Cairo apartment. Police say Attiya previously belonged to Ansar Beit al-Maqdis, the Egyptian branch of the Islamic State group, and that he broke away in 2013 to found Ajnad Misr, a group operating mainly in Cairo. On July 1, nine militants, including senior Muslim Brotherhood leader Nasser al-Houfia, were killed in a similar police raid on an apartment in Cairo. The Muslim Brotherhood said the nine were leaders of the movement, which was designated a "terrorist group" after the military toppled Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013.

Cairo Furniture Factory Fire Kills 19 Workers
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/28 July/15/At least 19 workers died in a fire that gutted an Egyptian furniture factory north of Cairo on Tuesday, security and health officials said. Twenty-two more workers suffered from burns and smoke inhalation in the blaze in the al-Helw factory on the outskirts of the capital. Security officials said the fire raged through the three-story factory and its warehouse after a gas cylinder exploded. Video footage posted on social networks showed thick smoke billowing from the factory as rescuers crowded to help the victims. Such accidents are relatively common in Egypt, given the dilapidated state of many buildings and failure to adhere to industrial safety norms. In September 2014, six people died and 22 were injured when a textile dyeing factory collapsed in Cairo in an accident blamed on poor construction.

Jail for Jordanians Convicted of Recruiting for Hamas
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/28 July/15/Twelve Jordanians were sentenced on Tuesday to jail terms of up to 15 years for their involvement in a cell recruiting members for the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas. Of 16 defendants, "four were acquitted and 12 convicted of terrorist offenses", a judicial source said. "Four were sentenced in absentia to 15 years in prison, while three detainees got five years," the source said. One was sentenced to three years and four to one year. All were found guilty of manufacturing explosives, carrying out acts to disturb the peace and "recruiting people on behalf of armed groups".Ties between Jordan and Hamas, the de facto power in the Gaza Strip, have been strained since 1999 when the kingdom expelled the Palestinian movement's chief Khaled Meshaal. Two years previously, Meshaal had survived an attempt by the Israeli secret service Mossad to kill kim. Relations between Jordan and Hamas worsened further in 2006 when Amman accused the group of arms trafficking from Syria.

Libya Court Sentences Gadhafi Son to Death
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/28 July/15/ A Libyan court Tuesday sentenced a son and eight aides of slain dictator Moammar Gadhafi to death for crimes during the 2011 uprising, in a verdict strongly criticized by rights campaigners. Seif al-Islam, the strongman's one-time heir apparent who is also wanted by the International Criminal Court, was tried in his absence because he is held by militia opposed to the Tripoli authorities. Former intelligence chief Abdullah Senussi and Gadhafi's last prime minister Al-Baghdadi al-Mahmudi were also sentenced to death, although they can appeal to the supreme court. The 37 defendants were charged with crimes including murder and complicity in incitement to rape during the 2011 revolution.
Libya has been wracked by conflict since Gadhafi's overthrow, with rival governments and powerful militias battling for control of key cities and the country's oil riches. The trial, which opened in the Libyan capital in April last year, has been dogged by criticism from human rights watchdogs and an unresolved dispute with the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague over jurisdiction in the case of the Gadhafi son. Rights groups say the trial was deeply flawed and missed an opportunity to expose the crimes of the Gadhafi regime. Amnesty International called the death sentences "appalling". "Instead of helping to establish the truth and ensuring accountability for serious violations during the 2011 armed conflict, this trial exposes the weakness of a criminal justice system which is hanging on by a thread in a war-torn country with no central authority," Amnesty's Philip Luther said. Human Rights Watch's Joe Stork said the trial was "plagued by persistent, credible allegations of fair trial breaches that warrant independent and impartial judicial review".
The militia holding Seif al-Islam in the southwestern hill town of Zintan is aligned with the internationally recognized government which fled to the remote east last August when a rival militia alliance seized the capital and set up its own administration. Prosecutor general Siddick al-Sour acknowledged that there was no prospect of Seif al-Islam facing the court's sentence any time soon but said that was a matter for politicians.
"The court pronounced sentence and has nothing to do with the political conflict," Sour said. Seif al-Islam's sole appearances before the court were by video link and there had been none since May last year. The U.N. Security Council referred the conflict in Libya to the ICC in February 2011 amid Gadhafi's repression of the popular uprising against his decades-old regime. Seif al-Islam is wanted by the Hague-based court on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity. ICC prosecutors say that as part of his father's "inner circle", he "conceived and orchestrated a plan to deter and quell, by all means, the civilian demonstrations against Gadhafi's regime". Moammar Gadhafi, who ruled Libya for four decades, was captured and killed by rebels in October 2011. Three of his sons died in the 2011 uprising. Another, Saadi, was extradited to Libya from Niger in March 2014. Seif al-Islam has been held in Zintan since his capture in November the same year despite repeated ICC demands for Libya to hand him over for trial. Twenty-nine other defendants, including Senussi and Mahmudi, appeared in court for Tuesday's sentencing. They were brought into the black cage in blue prison uniforms, some with their heads shaved. Most sat impassively in the dock. Senussi has been in custody since September 2012 when he was handed over by Mauritania, where he had sought refuge after the regime's overthrow. "He has from day one had no effective legal representation, no access to his family and the outside world, and no ability to prepare any defense against the charges," his international legal team said. His 17-year-old daughter Salma said her father had been denied a fair trial. "Even if my father did something wrong, I would ask them to put him in a real court in a place with rule of law," she told AFP from her home in Britain. The court sentenced eight other defendants to life in prison, seven to 12 years, four to 10, three to six and one to five. Four were acquitted and one was ordered confined to a psychiatric hospital.

Buildings Damaged, Teenager Missing in Indonesian Earthquake
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/28 July/15/A powerful earthquake rocked remote eastern Indonesia on Tuesday, damaging several buildings and leaving a teenage boy missing after he fell into a river. The 7.0-magnitude quake struck inland in a mountainous area of Papua in the early hours, almost 250 kilometers (150 miles) west of the province's capital Jayapura at a depth of 52 kilometers, the U.S. Geological Survey said. "The quake was felt very strongly for four seconds," said disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho. "Residents panicked and rushed out of their homes." Rescuers were still trying to reach the area closest to the epicenter in Memberamo district, which would take several hours, Nugroho added. An AFP reporter in Jayapura said weak shaking was felt in the city for a few seconds. One house collapsed and another was partially damaged in Kasonaweja city, not far from the epicenter, while patients were evacuated from a hospital after its walls cracked, said local disaster agency official Yonas Taudufu. A 15-year-old boy who was fishing in a river fell into the water when the quake hit and remains missing, he said. A 50-meter (160-foot) crack also appeared in a road. Both Indonesian authorities and the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said there was no threat of any tsunami waves from the quake. Indonesia sits on the Pacific "Ring of Fire", where tectonic plates collide, causing frequent seismic and volcanic activity. A huge undersea quake in 2004 triggered a tsunami that engulfed Aceh province, on western Sumatra island, killing more than 170,000 people in Indonesia and tens of thousands more in other countries with coasts on the Indian Ocean.

Syria Army, Kurds Push IS out of Hasakeh City
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/28 July/15/Syrian troops and Kurdish fighters ousted the Islamic State group from Hasakeh Tuesday, more than a month after the jihadists launch an assault on the northeastern city, a monitoring group said. Government troops and Kurdish forces, who share control of the city, had been battling since June 25 to push IS forces out of the city, which is the capital of Hasakeh province. IS "was expelled by the army from Zuhur, the last district in which it was present in Hasakeh, and its fighters have been pushed to the southern outskirts of the city," said Syrian Observatory for Human Rights director Rami Abdel Rahman. At least 287 IS fighters, among them 26 minors, had been killed in the fight for Hasakeh, as well as strikes by the U.S.-led coalition outside the city, he said. Another 120 soldiers and pro-regime militiamen and several dozen Kurdish forces were also killed. State news agency SANA said Syria's armed forces "dealt great blows to the Daesh (IS) terrorists... in Zuhur" Tuesday, but did not say the jihadists had been pushed out of the city. "Army units advanced again into Zuhur, where they executed a special operation against the terrorist hotbeds", it reported. IS has attacked Hasakeh city several times, but the latest assault was the most serious yet. Its forces initially seized several districts in the southern part of the city, with Kurdish fighters and regime troops mobilizing against them. The Observatory said IS had used at least 21 car bombs and several suicide bombers during the month-long campaign.

Ministry: Two Bahrain Police Killed in 'Terror' Blast
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/28 July/15/A bomb blast killed two Bahrain policemen and wounded six others Tuesday in an area often shaken by clashes between security forces and Shiite Muslim protesters, the interior ministry said. Bahrain has seen frequent unrest since the minority Sunni rulers of the small Gulf kingdom crushed a Shiite-led uprising four years ago. The blast in Sitra island outside the capital Manama comes days after the Bahraini authorities announced they had foiled an attempt to smuggle weapons from Iran. Bahrain's main Shiite opposition al-Wefaq condemned the bombing, insisting that it "categorically rejected" violence. Police blocked routes leading to the island following the explosion -- the latest in a series of blasts targeting police in Shiite villages, witnesses said. "The explosives used in the terrorist incident are of the same quality of explosives seized recently while being smuggled from Iran," the BNA state news agency reported. The interior ministry described the blast as a "terror" attack. Footage of the aftermath of the explosion showed a shrapnel-riddled police bus with shattered windows. Since the Arab Spring-inspired 2011 uprising, protesters demanding political reforms have clashed frequently with security forces in Shiite villages outside Manama.Human rights groups say at least 89 people have been killed. Prominent opposition figures have been jailed, including the leader of the Shiite opposition Ali Salman, who was sentenced in June to four years in prison for inciting disobedience and hatred. Al-Wefaq, which is headed by Salman, condemned the bombing.
"Such incidents have nothing to do with the peaceful (opposition) movement... that demands democratic change in Bahrain," it said in a statement. In March 2014, three policemen were killed in the kingdom's deadliest attack against security forces. They included an Emirati officer from the Saudi-dominated Gulf force that rolled into Bahrain in March 2011 to boost the security forces. Bahrain, home to the U.S. Fifth Fleet, and other Sunni-ruled Gulf kingdoms accuse Shiite Iran of inciting unrest across the Middle East. Manama recalled its ambassador from Tehran over the weekend in protest at "hostile" comments by Iranian leaders. On Sunday, Iranian foreign ministry spokeswoman Marzieh Afkham accused Bahrain of making "unfounded allegations" aimed at creating "tension in the region."Saudi Arabia, a strong backer of Bahrain, denounced the Iranian statements on Bahrain as "aggressive."Bahrain summoned Iran's acting charge d'affaires earlier this month to protest after the Islamic republic's supreme leader Ali Khamenei voiced support for "oppressed people" across the Middle East, including in Bahrain.

Saudi-Led Air Raids, Clashes Shatter Yemen Truce
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/28 July/15/A humanitarian truce in Yemen has failed to take hold after Saudi-led warplanes resumed Tuesday strikes against Yemen rebels whose clashes with loyalists persisted, military sources said. The five-day truce that began Monday was unilaterally declared by the pro-government Arab coalition to allow the delivery of desperately needed relief supplies. The coalition, which mounted an air campaign against the Shiite Huthi rebels and their allies in late March, had reserved the right to hit any military movement by the insurgents. Air strikes targeted rebels north of Aden, Yemen's second city, which was mostly recaptured by loyalists last week after four months of ferocious fighting, military sources said. Raids also struck rebels in nearby Lahj province, where forces loyal to exiled President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi have tightened the noose on insurgents in the strategic Al-Anad airbase. Three air raids targeted a rebel convoy near Sabr, north of Aden, where loyalists had advanced over the past days, military sources said. Other raids hit a building occupied by insurgents in Jaawala -- also north of Aden. An overnight air strike hit rebels in Marib, east of Sanaa, witnesses said. Fighting around Aden has left 28 dead since Monday, including 22 rebels, two civilians and two pro-Hadi southern fighters, said city health chief Al-Khader Laswar. On Monday, coalition warplanes hit positions of pro-government forces in Lahj by mistake, killing 12 people and wounding 30 others, military sources and witnesses said. U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon on Sunday made a plea for all sides to "agree to and maintain the humanitarian pause for the sake of all the Yemeni people". The rebels said they were not consulted about the ceasefire.

Second Saudi Execution after Ramadan Pause
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/28 July/15/Saudi Arabia beheaded one of its citizens for drug trafficking on Tuesday, in the second execution after a pause for Ramadan. Saif al-Hadissane was found guilty of smuggling a large amount of hashish. He was executed in the Al-Ahsa region of eastern Saudi Arabia, the interior ministry said in a statement carried by the official Saudi Press Agency. SPA had reported no executions during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and the Eid al-Fitr holiday which followed it from July 17. The latest beheading brings to 104 the number of executions in the kingdom this year, a sharp increase on the 87 recorded during the whole of 2014, according to AFP tallies. This year's figure is still below the record 192 which human rights group Amnesty International said took place in 1995. Human Rights Watch has accused Saudi authorities of waging a "campaign of death" by executing more people in the first six months of this year than in all of last year. Echoing the concerns of other activists, the New York-based group said it had documented "due process violations" in Saudi Arabia's legal system that make it difficult for defendants to get fair trials even in capital cases. Under the conservative kingdom's strict Islamic sharia legal code, drug trafficking, rape, murder, armed robbery and apostasy are all punishable by death. The interior ministry has cited deterrence as a reason for carrying out the punishment. It has also talked of "the physical and social harm" caused by drugs.

Saudi King Backs Turkish Military Action
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/28 July/15/Saudi King Salman has expressed support for Turkey after it launched air strikes against the Islamic State group in Syria and Kurdish militants in Iraq, state media reported on Tuesday. The king told President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday that he backed Turkey's right to self-defense, the official Saudi Press Agency said. Erdogan had telephoned Salman to brief him on the air strikes it launched last week after a deadly bombing inside Turkey blamed on IS and a reprisal killing of police by Kurdish militants. The king condemned the attacks and said he "supports Turkey's right to defend itself and protect its citizens from terrorist acts" which pose a threat to the security of the region and the world, SPA said. Saudi Arabia is part of a U.S.-led coalition that has been carrying out air strikes against IS in Syria since last September. But Turkey had previously stood aloof, prompting accusations -- strongly denied by Ankara -- of complicity with the jihadists. Turkey and Saudi Arabia have had strained relations since 2013 when Riyadh supported the overthrow by the Egyptian army of Ankara-backed Islamist president Mohamed Morsi. But SPA said the two leaders "emphasized the excellent relations" between their countries in their telephone call.

Blast suspends transport of gas on Iran-Turkey pipeline
By AFP | Istanbul/Tuesday, 28 July 2015/An explosion overnight on Monday suspended the transport of gas along a pipeline connecting Turkey and Iran in the eastern Turkish province of Agri, Ankara’s energy minister said. “The explosion caused a fire. But we managed to put it out quickly. The transportation of gas will resume when the pipeline is repaired,” Taner Yildiz said in a statement, according to state-run news agency Anatolia. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast, but Turkish media pointed the finger at the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). The PKK has fought a decades-long insurgency in southeastern Turkey, and is regarded as a terrorist organization by both Ankara and Washington. Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Monday promised to press ahead with military operations against the PKK until the group disarmed. The separatist group has claimed or been blamed for a series of attacks in recent weeks. Gunmen shot dead a paramilitary police commander late on Monday in a predominantly Kurdish part of eastern Turkey. No one claimed responsibility for the assault, but suspicion fell on the PKK. On Sunday, the PKK’s military wing claimed the killing of two Turkish soldiers in a car bombing in Diyarbakir province. And last week, two Turkish policemen were shot dead in their beds in the southeast, killings claimed by the PKK. The PKK has said a truce between the government and the militants that has largely held since 2013, while peace talks were ongoing, has been rendered meaningless by Turkey’s air strikes against Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq.

NATO: We stand with Turkey against ‘terrorism’
By AFP, Reuters/Tuesday, 28 July 2015/NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the military alliance stood in strong solidarity with its ally Turkey, which requested an emergency Meeting to discuss instability at its borders with Syria and Iraq. “Our condolences go to the Turkish government and the families of the victims touched by these terrible acts of terror. Terrorism in all its forms can never be tolerated or justified,” Stoltenberg said as he opened the NATO meeting in Brussels. “It is right and timely that we hold this meeting today to address the instability on Turkey’s doorstep and on NATO’s border. NATO is following developments very closely and we stand in strong solidarity with our ally Turkey.” Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan had said earlier on Tuesday that he expected NATO to support his country in its fight against terrorism "No steps back will be taken in our fight against terrorism, this is a process and it will continue with the same determination," Erdogan told a news conference ahead of his departure on an official visit to China. Separately, Erdogan also said on Tuesday it was impossible to continue a peace process with Kurdish militants and that politicians with links to “terrorist groups” should be stripped of their immunity from prosecution. “It is not possible for us to continue the peace process with those who threaten our national unity and brotherhood,” Erdogan told a news conference ahead of his departure on an official visit to China. Erdogan also said a “secure zone” in northern Syria, which Turkey and the United States are in talks about establishing, would pave the way for the return of 1.7 million Syria refugees currently being sheltered in Turkey.

HRW Says Saudi-Led Yemen Raid 'Apparent War Crime'
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/28 July/15/Human Rights Watch condemned as an "apparent war crime" on Tuesday a Saudi-led air raid in Yemen last week that it said killed at least 65 civilians in residential compounds. The New York-based watchdog charged that the Saudi-led coalition had failed to investigate alleged breaches of the rules of war during the bombing campaign it launched against Shiite rebels in March and called for a U.N. probe. It said that 10 children were among the dead in Friday's strikes in the Red Sea port of Mokha. Coalition warplanes repeatedly struck two compounds housing the families of workers at the Mokha Steam Power Plant, it added. "With no evident military target, this attack appears to be a war crime," said the watchdog's senior emergencies researcher, Ole Solvang. HRW called for a U.N. probe into allegations against all parties to the conflict, including the coalition, loyalists of the exiled government it is seeking to restore, and the rebels and their allies. "The failure of Saudi Arabia and other coalition members to investigate apparently unlawful air strikes in Yemen demonstrates the need for the United Nations Human Rights Council to create a commission of inquiry," it said. The United Nations says the conflict has killed more than 3,640 people, around half of them civilians, since late March. On Monday, the coalition began a five-day pause in its bombing campaign to allow delivery of desperately needed relief supplies. But the International Committee of the Red Cross has warned that five days are not enough to cover the needs.

Canada's FM, Mr. Minister Nicholson to Attend Anti-ISIS Coalition Political Directors Meeting
July 28, 2015 - Ottawa, Ontario - Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada
The Honourable Rob Nicholson, P.C., Q.C., M.P. for Niagara Falls, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today announced that he will travel to Québec City for a July 30, 2015, meeting of the political directors of the Small Group of the Global Coalition against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). ISIS continues to present a serious threat to regional and global security, including a direct threat to Canadian citizens at home and abroad. Canada stands at the forefront of international efforts to address the significant security and political challenges resulting from ISIS’s terrorist campaign. Canada is taking action to counter ISIS’s barbaric activities and expansionist agenda by participating in Coalition military air strikes and by working with its partners to stem the flow of foreign fighters, disrupt ISIS’s funding sources and counter terrorist narratives. Canada is also actively supporting humanitarian relief efforts to respond to the needs of civilians affected by the conflict. Canada remains fully committed to these international efforts. To that end, on July 30, 2015, Canada, the United States and Iraq will co-chair a meeting in Québec City of anti-ISIS Coalition political directors to review the progress of Coalition efforts to date.
Quick Facts
Since 2013, ISIS has been carrying out a campaign of unspeakable atrocities against children, women and men, including members of religious and ethnic communities in Syria and Iraq. ISIS is a terror group whose goal is the establishment of a single, transnational Islamic state based on an extremist ideology and is willing to forcibly convert or brutally kill those who oppose it. On March 30, 2015, the Parliament of Canada passed a motion to renew Canada’s mission to counter ISIS for an additional 12 months and to expand the mission’s scope to include air strikes in Syria. Canada has committed to funding a range of humanitarian, development, stabilization and security programming to support the countries in the region. Canada’s financial support is helping to meet the urgent protection, food, shelter, health and education needs of thousands of affected civilians. Canada is also working with its partners to help strengthen the resilience of affected countries so that their longer-term development, stability and prosperity can be secured.
One of Canada’s priorities is to support women and girls who have been the targeted victims of sexual violence by providing financial assistance to local grassroots non-governmental organizations as well as to international organizations. Canada also supports the documentation and investigation of international crimes committed in conflict-affected areas as well as the prosecution of the perpetrators to ensure they are held to account.
Quotes
"ISIS continues to present a serious threat to regional and global security, including a direct threat to Canadian citizens at home and abroad. It has committed acts of gruesome violence in the name of an extremist ideology that espouses the forced conversion, enslavement or elimination of all non-believers. Minorities and the women and girls targeted by ISIS are not incidental victims of terror but are deliberately selected by ISIS and are even used to recruit, encourage and reward its fighters."
- The Honourable Rob Nicholson, Minister of Foreign Affairs
Associated Links
Countering ISIS
Contacts
Johanna Quinney
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs
343-203-1851
johanna.quinney@international.gc.ca
Media Relations Office
Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada
343-203-7700
media@international.gc.ca

Iran Deal: $150 Billion to Fund Obama's War
George Phillips/Gatestone Institute./July 28, 2015
http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/6225/iran-150-billion-dollars
The Iran deal does not prevent a nuclear Iran. At best, it only delays it a few years. Under the disastrous Iran nuclear deal, $150 billion would go to a single regime that has been a state sponsor of terrorism for the entire 36 years of its existence. The Iran deal, in five years, will actually lift a ban on sending Iran conventional weapons, including (in eight years) intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of hitting the United States. But Iran is already wasting no time buying weapons and producing weapons on its own. When Obama leaves office, he may think that any catastrophe the Iran deal causes will not "technically" be his, but the next president's. But it is his. It's as if someone is lighting a long fuse and will then say he was not near the dynamite when it went off. Any explosions that result from this huge military and financial payday to Iran will, and should, be known as "Obama's war."
In 1947, U.S. President Truman made history by launching the Marshall Plan, sending $13 billion (about $140 billion in today's dollars) to help rebuild post-war Europe, in order to prevent Western Europe from falling to Communist expansion. Today President Obama is trying to make history through an Iranian nuclear deal that will give an astounding $150 billion of sanctions relief to a regime that was in 2014 considered by the U.S. Department of State, along with Sudan and Syria, one of the world's leading sponsors of terrorism. The Marshall Plan was spread out over 17 countries that were U.S. allies and considered critical in the long struggle that would put Soviet communism on the "ash-heap of history," in the words of President Ronald Reagan.
Under the President Obama's disastrous Iran nuclear deal, $150 billion would go to a single regime that has been a state sponsor of terrorism for the entire 36 years of its existence. $150 billion is an enormous amount of money to the Iranian regime, whose failed statist economic policies, ongoing expansionism and internal mismanagement -- not even to speak of its horrifying human rights record in imprisonments, torture, and widespread executions -- have led to a stagnant economy.
How might Iran spend the $150 billion?
Iran has brutally cracked down on dissent in its own country. It brutally imprisoned, tortured, and murdered those in the Green Movement, whose peaceful demonstrations, begun in 2009, had brought together up to three million protesters, and which threatened to topple the regime. With the new inflow of money, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) will have many more resources at its disposal to crush dissent and tighten its grip on power, making regime change -- which should be our urgent and ultimate goal, rather than a fleeting nuclear deal -- all the more unlikely. Iran has backed the Assad regime in Syria, helping it keep control in a brutal civil war that has cost over 210,000 lives. Assad even wrote a congratulatory letter to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei about the deal, probably in the likely assumption that he will get a substantial boost from this $150 billion boom.
A flush $150 billion in the hands of the Iranian regime will also likely give a boost to the Iranian-sponsored Houthi rebels trying to take over Yemen.
Iran has in the past used its Shia militias to kill an estimated 500 Americans in Iraq and Afghanistan. While the Iraqi Shia militias may be fighting ISIS now, they almost certainly will be fighting and killing more moderate Sunnis in Iraq, who worked with the U.S. government and are willing to work for a peaceful Iraq. Iran has long backed Hezbollah, Hamas and other terrorist groups trying to destroy Israel.
Iran is already sending millions of dollars to Hamas to build and repair tunnels for use in kidnapping and murdering Israelis, and to rebuild Hamas's missile supply. Iran's Lebanese proxy, Hezbollah, already has an estimated 100,000 missiles it could use to attack Israel. With $150 billion, Iran can fund a massive new war against Israel through its terrorist proxies -- using conventional weapons -- to try to obliterate Israel even before Iran gets nuclear weapons.
The fact that Iran pushed to have the UN arms embargo lifted as part of the nuclear deal shows its intentions for where to spend this $150 billion.
The Iran deal, in five years, will actually lift a ban on sending Iran conventional weapons, including (in eight years) intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of hitting the United States. But Iran is already wasting no time buying weapons and producing weapons on its own. Russia recently finalized the sale to Iran of the S-300 anti-aircraft missile system -- in violation of the existing embargo. Although there may still be an official UN arms embargo on Iran, there is no ban the transfer of raw materials that they could use to make arms domestically. Iran already has an advanced weapons manufacturing industry.
If the Iran nuclear deal goes through, the mullahs will have to decide how much of the $150 billion will be used to boost their own arms manufacturing efforts and shore up their domestic reign of terror, and how much will be shared with their totalitarian and terrorist allies? The Iran deal does not prevent a nuclear Iran. At best, it only delays it a few years.
Iran has brazenly vowed not to change its current policies and will continue to finance war, through its terrorist partners, against Israel and Sunni Muslim states. With ICBMs, Iran will not only threaten Middle East neighbors, but also the United States and Europe. Why is Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif so happy? Zarif is shown hugging French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius at the close of nuclear talks in Geneva, Nov. 23, 2014. (Image source: ISNA)
When President Obama leaves office, he may think that any catastrophe caused by the Iran deal will not "technically" be his, but the next president's. But it is his. It's as if someone is lighting a long fuse and will then say he was not near the dynamite when it detonated. Any explosions that result from this huge military and financial payday to Iran will, and should, be known as "Obama's war." Members of the U.S. Congress should move swiftly and boldly to vote this terrible deal down and try to stop the $150 billion from going to boost tyranny and terrorism and spread war throughout a region already on fire.
**George Phillips served as an aide to Congressman Chris Smith of New Jersey, working on human rights issues.

Obama's Gamble with Iran's Theocratic Regime
Robert D. Onley/Gatestone Institute/July 28, 2015
http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/6237/obama-iran-gamble
Obama's Iran deal is a direct manifestation of the President's fundamentally misguided worldview, one that wishes away danger and then believes in the wishes.
Even more concerning is that the Iran deal may directly conflict with U.S. obligations as a signatory of the Non-Proliferation Treaty. The Iran deal may be unconstitutional, violate international law and feature commitments that President Obama could not otherwise lawfully make. By seeking approval of the deal under the UN Security Council, Obama has bound the U.S. under international law without Senate consent.
The gravest consequence of Obama's Iran deal is that the world bestowed ideological legitimacy on the Islamic Republic's radical theocracy, and in so doing has consigned the people of Iran to near permanent rule under the iron fist of Shi'a Islamism.
A total reversal of the Iranian regime's behavior should have been, and still can be, a precondition for the removal of any sanctions related to Iran's nuclear program. An end to Iran's financial and material support for terrorist forces such as Hezbollah and Hamas must be demanded, along with the return of the four American hostages Iran is holding.
There is still time for a better deal that can be had.
As President Obama and Secretary Kerry dominated the airwaves with rounds of media interviews to defend the Iran deal last week, German Vice Chancellor and Economic Minister Sigmar Gabriel flew straight to Tehran for the first of what are certain to be countless meetings by P5+1 leaders to capitalize on new business opportunities in Iran.
In Europe, it seems, there is no debate to be had over the Iran deal; rather, it is a fait accompli.
But in the United States, the domestic debate is heating up, fueled by a Presidential primary campaign and increasingly justified bipartisan anxiety over the bill.
Independent of these political realities, however, the immediacy and tenacity of the White House's defense of the Iran deal (which now has its own @TheIranDeal Twitter account, no less), betrays an acute unspoken discomfort by many Democrats with the practical flaws and global security dangers that the deal presents.
Obama's Iran deal is a direct manifestation of the President's fundamentally misguided worldview, one that wishes away danger and then believes in the wishes.
Haunted by his electorally-motivated premature withdrawal from Iraq in 2011; his refusal in 2013 to confront Syria's Bashar Assad when he used chemical weapons on his own people; his betrayal by Russia's Vladimir Putin to whom he had offered a reset button, and his impotence in failing to respond to the aggressive expansionist moves of Russia, ISIS, Iran and China, the President and Democrat Party, in signing the Iran deal, seem to be trying to absolve the United States of its role at the forefront of the global fight against Islamic radicalism and other threats.
Citing the failed EU-led negotiations with Iran in 2005, which resulted in Iran's massive expansion of centrifuge production, defenders of the deal, such as Fareed Zakaria, have painted a bleak and zero-sum counterfactual argument. It is claimed that the result of Congress's opposition will be an international community that forges ahead on renewed trade relations with Iran, while leaving the United States outside the prevailing global reconciliation and supposed love-in with the Islamic Republic.
There are several serious problems with this defense, and similarly with the White House's blitzkrieg public relations campaign to fend off detractors of the Iran deal, with Secretary of State John Kerry commanding the preemptive, and often totally inaccurate, strikes against Congress. In consideration of the colossal failure represented by the North Korea nuclear precedent, let us consider the issues unique to Iran.
Foremost, opponents of the Iran deal are not universally suggesting the Iran deal be killed outright or immediately resort to "war." This is simply disingenuous. Instead, the opponents' fundamental premise is that a better deal was left on the table, and thus remains available. The very fact that the Iranian regime was at the negotiating table was indeed a sign of Iran's weakness; any timelines for the P5+1 to "close" the deal were artificial constraints that surely erased further achievable concessions.
Second, much ink has already been spilled about the technical weaknesses of the Iran deal. Namely: that Iran's vast nuclear infrastructure remains in place; that the most important restrictions expire in 10 years (a mere blip for humanity); that Iran's uncivilized domestic and regional behavior was a naughty unmentionable; and finally, that the deal undoubtedly initiated a regional nuclear arms race while supercharging the Iranian regime's finances.
Third, the gravest consequence of Obama's Iran deal, and the most damning of its continued defense, is that the world bestowed ideological legitimacy on the Islamic Republic's radical theocracy, and in so doing has consigned the people of Iran to near permanent rule under the iron fist of Twelver Shi'a Islamism.
This capitulation occurred precisely at a time when the West and the broader Middle East are facing off against the Islamic State -- a terrorist force which, when stripped of its social media allure, is ultimately a Sunni-branded spin-off of the extremist Shi'a Islamism that has ruled in Iran since 1979.
The Iranians may be convenient allies as enemies of our enemies today, but not for one second have Iran's rulers suggested their ultimate intent is anything other than the all too familiar "Death to America" and "Death to Israel" propaganda seen for the past 36 years. In what is objectively and wholly a strange deadly obsession, the Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Khamenei, has been rousing crowds with calls for the destruction of two nation-states both during and after nuclear negotiations.
In spite of this public malice, defenders of the deal suggest that "the [Obama] administration is making a calculated bet that Iran will be constrained by international pressure." Why exactly then is Khamenei making clear the opposite?
President Obama's willingness to concede Iran's new-found normalized membership in the community of nations on the basis of this nuclear deal is an affront to the liberal, free, democratic principles that have stood against the forces of tyranny throughout American history.
It is also an affront the American political system and to the members of both parties who are now being cornered by the President into supporting, or not supporting, such an intrinsically dangerous and needlessly flawed bargain with an avowed enemy.
Even more concerning is that the Iran deal may directly conflict with U.S. obligations as a signatory of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). As a number of critics have pointed out, the Iran deal may be unconstitutional, violate international law and feature commitments that President Obama could not otherwise lawfully make.
By seeking approval of the deal under the UN Security Council, President Obama has bound the United States under international law without Senate consent.
If the United States is to remain the vanguard of human liberty, President Obama must distinguish between the vain pursuit of his legacy, and the civilized world's deepest need at this consequential hour for the American President to defend comprehensively the fundamental principles that underpin the modern order. Unless his desired legacy is actually to destroy it.
As opponents of the Iran deal have noted, there is still time for a better deal that can be had.
To start, a total reversal of the Iranian regime's behavior should have been, and still can be, a precondition for the removal of any sanctions related to Iran's nuclear program. Congress can lobby for this change, and should maintain American sanctions and applicable provisions in the U.S. Treasury Department's SWIFT terrorist tracking finance program.
Next, while Iran's regional malignancy may run deep in the regime's veins (through the many twisted arms of Tehran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps), an end to Iran's financial and material support for terrorist forces such as Hezbollah and Hamas must be demanded, along with the return of the four American hostages Iran is holding.
Third, those who argue that Iran's human rights record was not "on the table" in Geneva have needlessly abdicated the West's moral and intellectual high ground to the forces of barbarism and hate that are now waging war across the region. Respect for international humanitarian norms should never be discarded in such negotiations.
At the end of the day, the deeper questions for Obama and the entire P5+1 are this: By whose standards were negotiations conducted? And whose worldview will rule the 21st century?
In defense of Obama's approach, the deal's supporters point out that the Iranians are a "proud, nationalistic people," which is undoubtedly true, but irrelevant, just as it was for the leadership of Germany's Third Reich.
The Iranian regime, by virtue of its radical religious nature, weak economy and political experiment with theocracy, should have borne the burden of coming to the negotiating table with the most to lose. Instead, President Obama, on behalf of the free world, is allowing this pariah state to guarantee its place among the nations, lavishly rewarded for having violated the Non-Proliferation Treaty, and in all its about-to-be-well-funded lethality.
**Robert D. Onley is a lawyer in Ottawa, Co-Founder of the Young Diplomats of Canada and a "Global Shaper" in the World Economic Forum.

Israel's Developing Relationship with Cyprus
Simon Henderson/Washington Institute/July 27, 2015
President Anastasiades will likely use this week's summit to build momentum toward the development of offshore gas reserves, with Iran and other issues making the agenda well. On July 28, Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu will visit Cyprus for discussions concentrating on natural gas, among other key topics such as Iran, counterterrorism, and the Palestinian peace process. The importance of the talks is evident in their timing: the meeting comes just six weeks after Cypriot president Nicos Anastasiades visited Jerusalem, and it will be Netanyahu's first trip abroad since his March reelection. Although the Cypriot media has indicated that no formal agreements are expected to be signed, the agenda will likely include development of the Aphrodite offshore gas field, which lies mainly in the island's exclusive economic zone but also overlaps Israel's EEZ. A map on the website of Noble Energy -- the Houston-based company that discovered the field as well as various Israeli offshore reserves -- indicates that a tiny fraction of Aphrodite, said to be 1-3 percent, extends into Israeli waters. But even this small amount will eventually require a "unitization agreement" so that there is no dispute over revenues from sale of the gas. Progress on developing the island's gas resources contrasts with the situation in Israel, where authorities are stalemated over the regulatory framework for expansion of the already producing Tamar field and the yet to be developed Leviathan field. (Licenses for these fields and Aphrodite are owned by Noble and a consortium of Israeli companies led by Delek.) More broadly, Netanyahu's visit reflects the Israeli government's good relationship with Nicosia. It may even provide an example for possible future agreements with Lebanon on maritime borders and shared hydrocarbon reserves. Yet the talks are also likely to infuriate Turkey, which does not recognize the government in Nicosia or the EEZ agreement between Cyprus and Israel. Turkish commentators suggest that the best use of the Aphrodite gas would be to send it by seabed pipeline to the Turkish mainland. Currently, Noble is examining a more likely alternative: sending the gas via pipeline to Egypt, where it could be used domestically or converted into liquefied natural gas (LNG) for export. In the past, the Turkish navy and air force have harassed drilling activities in the Cyprus EEZ. But discussions on the Egypt option are more advanced than any Turkish proposals, and Cyprus/Noble/Delek will likely go on ignoring Ankara's opposition. Other issues likely to be discussed include the threat posed by Iran -- Cypriot police recently discovered a cache of explosives linked to Tehran's main terrorist proxy, Hezbollah. The subject of Israeli peace talks with the Palestinians will probably surface as well, since President Anastasiades has been anxious to breathe life back into the negotiations. But the gas issue will be at the core of the discussions, and from Nicosia's perspective, Israel's status as a counterweight to Turkey will be crucial to setting a tone for Cypriot development efforts.
**Simon Henderson is the Baker Fellow and director of the Gulf and Energy Policy Program at The Washington Institute.

Is Washington engaging critically with Cairo?
H.A. Hellyer/Al Arabiya/Tuesday, 28 July 2015
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will soon be in Cairo with other senior American officials to liaise with Egyptian counterparts in a wide-ranging bi-lateral strategic dialogue between the two countries. There is a lot to be potentially gained from such a high-level interchange. However, that will require a lot of hard questions to be asked, both of Egypt and the United States, in terms of Egypt’s overall direction, and DC’s commitment to Egypt. None of that is particularly likely. The last time this dialogue was held was in late 2009. A little over a year later, the revolutionary uprising of the January 25 took place. During that year, as well as subsequently in 2012, and for a part of 2013, the Arab Republic of Egypt’s progress was of supreme interest in the policy establishment of the American capital. Within the Beltway during 2011 to 2013, Egypt was regarded as deeply important foreign policy issue. Against the backdrop of the then still fresh “Arab Spring,” which inspired optimism and promise, there was a certain amount of commitment and investment, even if just in attention and interest. Egypt, in a fashion, has to ‘compete’ for attention due to other issues as other parts of the Arab revolutionary uprisings have yet to result in sustainable transitions to more progressive rule. None of that is quite the same anymore in Washington. Almost unanimously, American policy networks, inside and outside of government, regard the Egyptian military’s choice to forcibly remove then President Mohammad Mursi in the summer of 2013 as the ending of the tenuous democratic experiment that began in 2011.
Dipping interest
Subsequent interest in the workings of the country, particularly following widely reported and serious human rights violations, dropped tremendously. Egypt is often compared, quite unfavorably, to Tunisia – where the latter is perceived as holding to the democratic experiment, even if it is rather messy. That has a cost in terms of holding the short-term attention span of the American policy community. At the same time, Egypt, in a fashion, has to ‘compete’ for attention due to other issues, as other parts of the Arab revolutionary uprisings have yet to result in sustainable transitions to more progressive rule. While Egypt is arguably incredibly important in the region from a purely objective analytical lens, there are quite a few other immediate and disturbing concerns. The rise of ISIS, referred to as “ISIL” and then the “so-called Islamic State” by some from 2013 onwards, has occupied a lot of attention in Washington that might otherwise be dedicated to engaging on the Egypt file. With the issue of terrorism becoming even more prescient, and the countries of Iraq, Syria, and Libya becoming embroiled in that discussion, the priority level of Egypt’s own internal issues, particularly with regards to governance, in Washington has dropped even more. There is little expectation that the current political dispensation in Cairo is on its last legs or about to hemorrhage – the political alliances and arrangements in Egypt itself make that unlikely in the short term. In the medium term, there are a number of issues to address, whether political or economic – and few in Washington identify Cairo’s policy directions as succeeding in tackling those critical issues.
Security issue
But more immediate is the security issue, and this will likely dominate a great deal of the discussion in Cairo. It’s proven, however, to be a difficult discussion to have. On the one hand, American officials, in addition to a vast array of European counterparts, recognize that Egypt is facing a serious set of security threats – different ones in different parts of the country. There is the Sinai, where Cairo is battling with a radical Islamist group that has sworn allegiance to ISIS, or the “so-called Islamic State” but there are also other violent groups that are keen to see Cairo’s government crumble. Senior Western officials from a slew of countries have been clear that they expect the situation to escalate in terms of violence and in that fight, they’re certainly not on the side of the militants in any shape or form.
But herein lies the rub. The security of Sinai in particular, and Egyptian security in general in so far as it impinges of Egyptian stability whether in terms of militant groups across the territory or fallout from Egypt’s western border with Libya, is of concern in Washington. However, senior officials from the U.S. and a number of European countries, including those who are quite friendly with Cairo, regularly, albeit privately, express concerns about Cairo’s tactics and strategies in dealing with the security threats domestically and in the region. Increasingly, the impression in Europe and North America is that not only is Cairo’s security solution not delivering the needed results for Egypt, but it may inadvertently be setting into motion a scenario where radical extremism finds it easier to recruit among the wider Egyptian population.
Frustrations
At the same time, no foreign actor has put such frustrations on a priority level which makes it difficult to envisage that Cairo is going to take those frustrations particularly seriously, even though it should. Some in Washington and elsewhere would be sympathetic to the argument that without a critical restructuring of Egypt’s security apparatus and judiciary, along with governance reforms, Cairo will be unable to comprehensively tackle political violence within its borders. Nevertheless, without serious commitment to that argument in Washington and elsewhere, it won’t be taken seriously in Cairo – or during this upcoming strategic dialogue. Herein lies the key question for the United States: is Egypt really that important? Because if it is, it deserves a lot more attention than it is getting now and coming up with ways to advance the human security agenda. If it isn’t that important, then short-term, and short-sighted assessments will win out, every time. The last time there was a strategic dialogue, it was, as mentioned, in 2009. Then, the Faustian bargain had been struck with another Egyptian political dispensation. A year later, Tunisia’s deposed President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali was fleeing his capital, and a month after that, Tahrir Square and other protests broke out in Egypt. None of that kind of upset seems likely anytime soon in Egypt but neither should one forget that a sustainable Egypt polity is best built on recognizing the endemic problems within and setting out a genuine plan for reform in order to address them. That will make Egypt more resilient in the midst of the plethora of crises that have emerged and will emerge in the months ahead. Washington should remind Cairo of all of that during the strategic dialogue. Alas, it probably won’t, which is fundamentally not strategic at all.

The GCC’s options in responding to Obama
Raghida Dergham/Al Arabiya/Tuesday, 28 July 2015
Now that President Barack Obama has sealed his historic legacy with the nuclear deal with the Islamic Republic, and by reviving a bilateral relationship based on strategic partnership between Washington and Tehran, the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have limited options, but not all of them are bad or negative. This is not the time for regret or remorse. The United States has made it clear that its language is the language of interests, and that being accused of betraying its allies is the least of its concerns. It is now clear that Iranian diplomacy engaged in skillful “strategic patience” while U.S. diplomacy resorted to it as a tactic to achieve a paradigm shift in the relationship with Tehran.
The implications of this shift include U.S.-Iranian security partnership much sought by Iran, which is portraying itself as a reliable partner to defeat ISIS and similar Sunni extremist terror groups, and presenting itself as an alternative to the GCC for safeguarding U.S. interests. It is not enough for GCC countries to raise their voices in protest or rush to threaten here or double down there. Rather, the matter at hand requires a new strategic approach that would include willingness to abandon proud and uncompromising “fixed positions.” There is nothing wrong in adapting with new facts produced by “strategic patience” - not necessarily meaning giving in to them, but recognizing them and factoring them in. Especially so when sitting at the strategy drafting board, as part of a comprehensive approach based on self-examination and admitting mistakes, in order to restore self-confidence and the power of initiative. There is no point begging the United States and its partners in the P5+1 framework to influence Tehran and curb its regional appetite in Yemen and its plan to seize Syria
Barack Obama put the White House seal on his historical legacy and will not back down. Congress might succeed in keeping U.S. sanctions on Iran, but it is likely to be tempted as it sees officials and businesspeople alike flocking to Iran from France, Russia, China, and Britain to benefit from the détente and the unlocking of the oil and arms markets. Reaping the fruits. The ink had yet not dried on the text of the Security Council resolution that turned the deal between Iran and the P5+1 countries into an international agreement when the German Vice Chancellor and Minister of the Economy and Energy Sigmar Gabriel flew to Tehran to reap the fruits of Germany’s investments in the Islamic Republic. Germany sees Iran just like it sees Israel when it comes to relations with the Arabs. Germany seems to believe that Iran has not assaulted any of its Arab neighbors just like Israel has not, as Berlin believes. Thus, to Berlin, the aggressors in both cases are the Arabs, regardless of Iranian intervention in Syria or Lebanon via Hezbollah. Germany could “sympathize” with the Lebanese in this regard, but it is practically allied to the Islamic Republic of Iran where its economic interests lie.
Sigmar Gabriel tried to polish Germany’s reputation by raising in Tehran issues like human rights and women’s conditions, but was told this was not his or his country’s business. It did not occur to him raising the issue of Iran’s regional roles, which Germany had agreed not to discuss during the nuclear negotiations as Tehran’s request. He did not object to the Iranian military intervention in Syria like all the other five powers, which decided to accept Iranian intervention in Syria and Iraq as part of the efforts to defeat ISIS and terrorism. The five countries entrusted with guaranteeing respect for Security Council resolutions chose to turn a blind eye to Iran’s violations of two resolutions issued under the binding Chapter VII, which prevent Iran from exporting weapons and personnel.
Even the French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, who was one of the strictest ministers regarding the text of the nuclear agreement, scrambled to Tehran in what was the first visit by a French foreign minister to Iran in more than 12 years. Fabius was very candid, telling a French radio that French companies should not be punished, and pointing out that French companies had an important presence in Iran and experience in many areas.
Taking advantage
Britain is poised to take advantage of the détente and normalization with Iran. China, as usual, is ready to reap the fruits, especially oil ones, and access Iranian markets. Russia is considered Iran’s closest ally, especially when it comes to Syria, regional policies, and the war on Sunni terrorism. Moscow is ready to tap into Iran’s military markets, and cooperate on peaceful nuclear technology. The United States appears to be one of the parties that will benefit the least from the nuclear deal with Iran, but the U.S. worked strongly on a deal based on its rejection of military confrontation and to prevent Israel from dragging the United States into a war with Iran. The military in the United States will benefit because the United States will seek to reassure the GCC countries that the alliance with them continues through arms sales and possibly a “security umbrella”, which will require huge Gulf investments in the U.S. military and defense industries. Certainly, Israel will benefit too, no matter how strongly it pretends to be above the U.S. offer of stepping up military support carried by U.S. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter this week. The Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu is pretending to be categorically opposed to the nuclear deal, but in reality, his protests have been weak from the outset. Today, there are leaks suggesting Netanyahu intends to change his approach based on inciting Congress to reject the nuclear deal. He will reportedly pursue a new strategy: While he could continue his fiery political rhetoric, Netanyahu is very reassured by the historical deal’s implications in terms of recognizing the legitimacy of the Islamic Republic and of imposing religion on the state. This is what he is seeking, and he will press ahead with his quest to obtain international recognition of Israel as a Jewish state with the useful Iranian precedent in mind. Following his visit to Israel, Carter held consultations in Saudi Arabia and Jordan, bringing bilateral security reassurances to the two kingdoms. For his part, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is heading to Doha next week to hold talks with and provide political reassurances to GCC countries. The GCC countries must prepare themselves with new creative strategies. The East and the West are used to typical Gulf policies, and the two now factor this in little because of this.
Predictable reactions
Frankly, some GCC countries have been the cause of this, with their reactions being all too predictable between grumbling and resentment to choosing courses of action that are limited in scope. This harms Gulf and Arab interests, so it is a good time now to mobilize on the basis of initiative-taking. First, it is not in the Arab interest to see the deal with Iran as a defeat for the Arabs. This would be harmful, costly, and superfluous. Iran has definitely won in the nuclear deal that will lift the sanctions on Tehran, remove it from isolation, designate it as a strategic partner, and preparing it to play an important regional role. However, this does not mean automatically that an Iranian victory must equate to Arab defeat. Second, the Arab nations must come up with solutions to the conflicts in the Arab countries, and make earnest plans for the future of the Middle East 10 years from now, when the nuclear deal with Iran expires and the international community is no longer supervising its nuclear program. This means that Arab decision makers particularly those in the Gulf must resolve to find a radical solution to the conflict in Yemen, either by escalating and settling the war, or reaching a political solution possibly involving painful compromises. In both cases, there is no option but to take the initiative and implement a plan for salvation and development that puts an end to the humanitarian tragedy in Yemen.
In other words, there is no need to wait for signs of good faith or otherwise from Iran in the wake of the nuclear deal. There is no point begging the United States and its partners in the P5+1 framework to influence Tehran and curb its regional appetite in Yemen and its plan to seize Syria – or part thereof after its partitioning – to be its strategic conduit to Israel via Hezbollah in Lebanon. Gulf countries have gained a certain reputation during the war in Syria, which is being exploited by Tehran today as it forges a strategic partnership with the United Sates under the banner of defeating ISIS. Tehran wants to designate all components of the armed Syrian opposition as terrorists in Syria. Tehran also wants to build an American-Iranian security partnership in Iraq in preparation for alternative security arrangements that would sidestep the GCC. Meanwhile, the Arab countries traditionally engage in strategic reaction instead of strategic perseverance and taking advantage of the momentum of the initiative.
Developing a strategy
In details, if Syria’s fate is partitioning, then let it be done quickly instead of more killing and displacement meant to complete the ethnic cleansing necessary for sectarian partitioning. If the rejection of the partitioning is serious, then the Arab countries concerned must develop a strategy for escalation, though it is most likely neither willing nor capable of doing so. The leaders concerned must therefore make new decisions either to fully engage Tehran politically, no matter how painful this is, or militarily. In details, if the GCC countries are determined to prevent the disintegration of the GCC, which is part of Tehran’s bid to build a new security system, it is crucial for them to take into account the Gulf and Arab component in the regional balance of power and what this requires as far as Egypt is concerned. At the same time, this bid must study the possibility of benefiting from proposals for a new security system comprising Iran, Iraq, Egypt, and Turkey in addition to the GCC. Finally, there are two views concerning the nuclear deal. One warns that Iran is being set off against the Arab countries, and another that believes the deal heralds an era of safe and cooperative relations between moderate Iran and the Arab countries after hardliners are sidelined on both sides and among Sunnis and Shiites. Both possibilities require new thinking and actions, other than traditional ones. An earthquake has taken place in regional and international equations, and this requires more than mere reactions. It requires a qualitative shift in the Arab thinking and strategy.

Saudi Arabia needs clear-cut laws on harassment
Khaled Almaeena/Al Arabiya/Tuesday, 28 July 2015
The arrest of several youth who were filmed harassing two young girls in the Corniche area of Jeddah during the Eid holidays should be an eye opener for all. The authorities should have stricter laws to put a stop to such unruly and indecent behavior in the region.Harassment is now becoming a social menace. I have personally witnessed women, even elderly, being accosted by youth, some young enough to be their sons, in broad daylight in Tahlia Street of Jeddah. They think it is amusing and are very brazen about it. Unfortunately, cultural barriers that segregate the men from the women within the family do not allow the youth to interact with their sisters, aunts or female cousins. It is time we seriously address this shameful behavior and question the reasons behind such uncivilized acts that are common among the youth. Obviously it has to do with upbringing. Young men in this society are not brought up to respect women in their own homes.
Disappearing piety
Secondly in schools while religious studies form a major part of their curriculum the focus is more on rituals and worship rather than right and wrong. I am sure these youth that harassed the young girls must have fasted and also gone to the mosque in Ramadan. But all that so called “piety” disappeared on Eid day.Many of these young men come from outside Jeddah where it is not the norm to see young girls or women out by themselves. To them it’s a strange phenomena — which by the way should be a normal one!!
So they go on the rampage!!Unfortunately, cultural barriers that segregate the men from the women within the family do not allow the youth to interact with their sisters, aunts or female cousins. The youth grow up with little respect for women.
It is this mentality that influences their behavior. Their women folk are usually subservient, they can’t make any decisions or take any action without the consent of the male guardian. They cannot even leave the house without a male guardian and if they do then they are asking for trouble. Coming from such an environment can we blame them for adopting such a negative attitude towards women.
Bitter truth
We have to face the bitter truth. Our sisters, daughters and wives are more safe going to restaurants, shopping or the movies alone in adjoining states than they are in Jeddah. And here is where the anti-harassment laws can be helpful. And while Shoura Council members debate and delay such uncivilized acts continue spoiling the social fabric and creating an unhealthy environment. Enough of the absurd justifications and blaming the women for not being accompanied by a male guardian or demanding for more Haia (Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice) patrols. We need action. We need clear-cut laws that should be implemented immediately. We need judges and courts that are not anti women and have empathy for their plight. We need a media that not only focuses on the incidents of harassments but also highlights the dangers of their acts that could lead to rape and murder. Anti-harassment laws should be made very clear and be a public knowledge. Above all we need a religious curriculum that also teaches our youth the essence of decency and good behavior. PS: I read that Jeddah seek Guinness entry as “city of festivals”. Well it should also try to be a city of no-harassment. That is our wish and prayer from about 80 km distance from Makkah the holiest spot in Islam.

Reem Sahwil, a victim of European policy
Diana Moukalled/Al Arabiya/Tuesday, 28 July 2015
Reem Sahwil, the young Palestinian girl who was reduced to tears in front of German Chancellor Angela Merkel told the leader that she doesn’t know what her own future looks like as long as her stay in Europe remains unknown. In a televised session, she told the leader that she would like to go on to college and that it was difficult to watch others make something of their lives while she was not able to due to her status as a refugee. It was a moment of appeal, a moment that history will certainly document.Who cannot sympathize with someone as honest and transparent as Reem, the 14-year-old Palestinian girl, as she narrated her and her family’s suffering in Germany, in fluent German, and spoke of her fears of the possibility of being deporting before she broke down into tears. Reem, who made news headlines in several German dailies and websites, seemed to represent the face of Europe’s oppressed newcomers.
An unenviable position
Within seconds, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who’s seen as a strong woman and who prior to this incident was accused of humiliating the Greek prime minister in negotiations over his country’s financial crisis, found herself in an unenviable position. However, Reem’s tears put Merkel and her government in an embarrassing position especially as the incident raised serious questions about the humanitarian dilemma of those fleeing to Europe from the Middle East. This is what actually made German political elites rush to act in order to alter laws concerning refugees. The incident took place during a show about living in Germany which Merkel has taken part in before, however the discussion was novel. For 11 minutes during the forum, Reem explained her story beginning from living in Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon where complications her mother suffered from as she gave birth to her affected her health and made her incapable of walking normally. She continued to narrate the long and complicated process her parents went through in order to attain a visa to go to Germany for treatment five years ago, adding that ever since they’ve lived on hopes that she will heal and that their asylum application will be approved so they can stay in Germany. However, weeks prior to the forum, their application was rejected. Most probably, Reem, who mastered the German language, was excited to attend the forum to narrate her ordeal to Merkel, and this is exactly what happened. However, what Reem did not expect is that her discussion with Merkel would spark such concern and interest among the German and European public.
Failing to comfort
The German chancellor failed at comforting the girl, although she patted her on the shoulder. Merkel’s statement that not all those who seek refuge in Germany can stay and that politics is sometimes hard resulted in a wave of reactions against her. Merkel was criticized after she responded to Reem’s questions in such a manner. It’s true that she was frank and clear but the issue of refugees is not a collective issue but rather the issue of individuals where each individual must narrate his/her own story exactly as Reem did. This discussion began to surface in Germany and Europe as the uproar stirred by Merkel’s confrontation with Reem opened people’s eyes to the fears of thousands of refugees who face the threat of forcible deportation. Reem has succeeded at altering the path of her life following this incident as officials there said she will not be deported and she and her family will stay in Germany. But what would have happened if Reem hadn’t cried and if we hadn’t seen her moving tears? Someone ended up helping Reem who really deserves to achieve what she aspires, but who will help the others? Perhaps the discussion and concern resulting from this incident will pave the way for those who have not had the chance to narrate their suffering on television.

Does Saudi Arabia Have Hawks and Doves?
Tariq Alhomayed/Asharq Al Awsat/Monday, 27 Jul, 2015
Coinciding with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif’s visit to Kuwait on Sunday, Iran launched a clearly organized media campaign aimed at other countries in the region, whether friend or foe. Some of this was carried out by Iran’s allies—Hassan Nasrallah, Bashar Al-Assad, Nuri Al-Maliki—but the most interesting comments came from Tehran itself, and specifically its Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian. In comments carried by the official Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), Abdollahian presented Tehran’s reading of the regional situation following its nuclear deal with world powers, focusing especially on Iran’s stance towards Saudi Arabia. Abdollahian’s comments contained numerous errors and he spoke in triumphant tones regarding the reality of the region following the deal—perhaps to gloss over the numerous concessions Iran had to make in order to seal the agreement. The deputy foreign minister also repeated recent comments made by Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei that Tehran supports “oppressed peoples” throughout the region via Hezbollah, Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and Bashar Al-Assad. He also spoke of how, allegedly, Saudi Arabia had attempted to forestall the nuclear deal. “The security of the region, including that of Saudi Arabia, is part of Iran’s security,” Abdollahian said. “However, the policies of some extreme voices inside Saudi Arabia today are pushing the region towards conflict and shaking its security and stability. Proof of this is Saudi Arabia’s behavior in Bahrain and Yemen and its negative role in several of the region’s important issues, such as in Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon. For this reason, I can confirm that we welcome dialogue with Saudi Arabia and we hope that it will in the nearest time possible dispense with its hawkish policies.”
A question arises immediately after reading these comments: Since when, Mr. Abdollahian, has Saudi Arabia had hawks, as you put it, or even doves? The facts show that since the 1979 Khomeinist revolution Saudi Arabia’s policies towards Iran have been very clear and decisive. All the Kingdom’s monarchs since 1979 have tried to assume good intentions on Tehran’s part, while at the same time taking a decisive stance regarding national security and the non-interference in the affairs of other countries, whether coming from Iran or anyone else. It is well-known that Saudi Arabia does not have, and has never had, hawks or doves in its administration. What it does have is a state, solid and proud, manned by accomplished statesmen, and possessing a clear, rational approach to domestic and international affairs. Unlike Iran, Saudi Arabia has never recruited sectarian militias in Iraq, Lebanon, or Yemen. Unlike Iran, Saudi Arabia does not support a criminal who continues to butcher his own people in Syria. Neither is Saudi Arabia a state sponsor of terrorism, as Iran is.
Moreover, Saudi Arabia did not support a coup in Yemen against a legitimate and internationally recognized president; instead it helped bring about a UN Security Council resolution, supported by the international community, to protect political legitimacy in the country. As for Bahrain, Saudi Arabia’s intervention there is motivated solely by the desire to protect the country and its security, something it also did when Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait in 1990. Iran, meanwhile, seeks to undermine the security of numerous countries around the region. Saudi Arabia has not responded to Iranian-sponsored terror attacks with similar attacks on Iranian soil. It has not funded Iranian operatives or terrorists, or fanned the flames of sectarianism in Iran. Nor does Saudi Arabia host and protect members of Al-Qaeda.
Iran does not respect its agreements. It has not abided by the terms of what was known as the Naif–Rouhani agreement, nor an official security agreement signed with Riyadh in 2001. So, how, after all this, can Mr. Abdollahian say with a straight face that Saudi Arabia’s security is part of Iran’s security? Or that Saudi Arabia has hawks and doves? And, may I ask, what could possibly be the point, after all these recent comments, for Foreign Minister Zarif’s visits to Kuwait, Qatar, and Iraq, especially considering the recent news coming out of Bahrain regarding an Iranian-trained cell attempting to carry out terror attacks in the country?
It is clear that Iran is not just good at spinning rugs; it can spin a fine, fantastical tale too.

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