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Bible Quotation For Today/All that the Father has is mine. For this reason I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.
John 16/12-15: "‘I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.
He will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine. For this reason I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you."

Bible Quotation For Today/The word of God continued to spread; the number of the disciples increased greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.
Acts of the Apostles 06/01-12.: "Now during those days, when the disciples were increasing in number, the Hellenists complained against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution of food. And the twelve called together the whole community of the disciples and said, ‘It is not right that we should neglect the word of God in order to wait at tables. Therefore, friends, select from among yourselves seven men of good standing, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may appoint to this task, while we, for our part, will devote ourselves to prayer and to serving the word.’What they said pleased the whole community, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, together with Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. They had these men stand before the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.The word of God continued to spread; the number of the disciples increased greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith. Stephen, full of grace and power, did great wonders and signs among the people. Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and others of those from Cilicia and Asia, stood up and argued with Stephen. But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke. Then they secretly instigated some men to say, ‘We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.’They stirred up the people as well as the elders and the scribes; then they suddenly confronted him, seized him, and brought him before the council."

Latest analysis, editorials from miscellaneous sources published on June 08-09/15
Turkey: "An End to an Era of Oppression"/Burak Bekdil/Gatestone Institute/June 08/15
Saudi Arabia and Iran heading to war/Jamal Khashoggi/Al Arabiya/June 08/15
Analysis: Do the Turkish elections offer a modicum of hope in preserving its democracy/ARIEL BEN SOLOMON/June 08/15
ISIS purloined rockets from Hamas production lines to attack Israel. Netanyahu marks out wide sterile zone/DEBKAfile/June 08/15
Gulf plan key to Yemen solution/Abdulrahman al-Rashed/Al Arabiya/June 08/15

Miscellaneous Reports And News published on June 08-09/15
Obama talks Mideast crises on sidelines of G7 summit
Obama: US lacks 'complete strategy' for training Iraqis
US-led coalition hits ISIS stronghold in Syria
EU: No Iran nuclear deal without U.N. probe of past
Kurdish party thwarts Erdogan's ambitions
Plunged into uncertainty, Turkey could face early election
US Supreme Court: No 'Israel' allowed on passports of Americans born in Jerusalem
French Islamic group faces trial after Jewish stores found on 'target' list
Germany saw dramatic increase in anti-Semitic, anti-Israel crimes in 2014'
Netanyahu: The Palestinians ran from talks with Barak, Sharon, Olmert and now me
Israel-Gaza crossings to reopen after brief closure
Israel isn't on UN list of parties that kill or injure kids
Israel must rethink its policies in Middle East
Bennett: World must recognize Golan as Israeli
Gaza crossings shut after rockets reopened
What if ISIS emerges in Gaza?
Top Israeli Army officer: No operation over a few rockets
Israeli to play Jesus in Christian novel
Four Saudi children die due to chemical poisoning in Iran
Yemen's Hadi Says 'No Negotiations' with Rebels in Geneva
U.S.-led airstrikes aid Nusra against ISIS
Iran arrests hotel staff after Saudis pilgrims poisoned
Pre-Islamic State: Traveling into Iraqi Kurdistan
Iraqi troops beat ISIS in key refinery town
Sisi says sorry: Egypt president issues apology after lawyer beaten
Blair’s new employer, fighting for tolerance and reconciliation?
Opinion: Geneva talks throw a lifeline to the Houthis
Opinion: The long-term fallout of religious warfare
US-led airstrikes kill family in Syria: activists

Jehad Watch Latest Reports And News
Egypt: Terrified Christians flee homes following blasphemy accusations
Libya: Islamic State abducts 86 Eritrean Christians
France arrests two more Muslims in jihad terror plot on churches
TSA failed to identify 73 workers “linked to terrorism”
AFDI Rolls Out New Free Speech Billboard Campaign Featuring Muhammad Cartoon
Bible critic cancels book criticizing Qur’an for fear of jihad attack
Islamic State jihadis funding jihad with UK welfare benefits
Analysts scratch their heads and wonder why Boston produces so many jihadis
Robert Spencer, PJM: First They Came for Pamela Geller, and I Did Not Speak Out
Florida: Imam may have recruited dozens for jihad behind bars

Lebanese-Australian Receives Queen Elizabeth’s Honors
Naharnet/ 08.06.15/Queen Elizabeth II has honored Lebanese-Australian activist Tony Yacoub for his service to the Lebanese community. He recently received a Medal of the Order of Australia from the queen. Yacoub, 63, has been the World Lebanese Cultural Union Australian and New Zealand president since 2011 and between 2004 and 2009. “I’m really, really proud and honored to receive the Order of Australia medal for my service to the Lebanese community, not only in Victoria but all of Australia and New Zealand,” Yacoub told Melbourne-based newspaper The Herald Sun in remarks published on Monday. “We’re proud of Australia. I am Australian but we will never forget the country that we are born,” he said. The Herald Sun said that Yacoub underwent seven operations between March and November 2014, but continued in his role as WLCU president to organize events, festivals, and award ceremonies to celebrate Lebanese emigrants. “I was running all the activities from my mobile phone from text messages and emails,” he said. Yacoub emigrated to Australia in 1974 with his parents and siblings, and worked at picture frame shops for 33 years.

Cabinet in Limbo as Salam Holds onto Authority on Setting the Agenda
Naharnet/ 08.06.15/Prime Minister Tammam Salam has said that he was procrastinating in calling for a cabinet session this week over a dispute on the appointment of high-ranking officials while stressing that he has the jurisdiction is setting the agenda. In remarks to local newspapers published on Monday, Salam said he decided to procrastinate on inviting cabinet ministers for a session on the basis that such a move, in addition to setting the agenda, fall under the powers granted to the premier. He slammed the Free Patriotic Movement without naming it, saying “they always hold the cabinet responsible and urge it to take measures while they paralyze its work.”“They want us to work, follow up issues, preserve the country's economy and security, while they play the game of paralysis,” he told the newspapers. “This is not the first time that we are witnessing such a behavior with the cabinet, but the only difference today is that the obstruction of its work is being done amid a parliamentary paralysis and a presidential vacuum that entered its second year,” Salam said. The paralysis came as a result of the warning issued by FPM officials last week that the party's ministers would block any cabinet decision before security and military appointments are made. FPM chief MP Michel Aoun has bluntly rejected any attempt to extend the terms of the officials. He has been lobbying for political consensus on the appointment of Commando Regiment chief Brig. Gen. Chamel Roukoz as army chief as part of a package for the appointment of other top security officers.Roukoz is his son-in-law. “Is it fair to paralyze the country because of a single post or because of a certain gain?” Salam asked. He hoped that Speaker Nabih Berri and Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat, who met on Sunday, would make a positive contribution. Berri reiterated to his visitors in remarks published in al-Mustaqbal daily on Monday that he backed the cabinet. He vowed to “confront the attempt to paralyze the work of the executive authority and its productivity.”

Hariri Insists on Election of President as Solution to All Crises
Naharnet/ 08.06.15/Former MP Ghattas Khoury revealed Monday that ex-Prime Minister and Mustaqbal leader Saad Hariri discussed with the movement's officials in Saudi Arabia recently the latest crises in Lebanon, in particular the controversy of appointing high-ranking security and military officials. Khoury, who is Hariri's adviser, pointed out that the Jeddah meeting included “all the surfacing crises.” They “agreed on the necessity of appointing a new Army chief after the election of the state's president,” describing it as a priority.
The ex-MP denied reports saying that he was tasked with carrying out contacts with the rival parties to resolve the thorny issue. Hariri met with head of al-Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc MP Fouad Saniora and Interior Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq in the presence of his adviser Nader Hariri. The meeting reportedly touched on Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun's threats to paralyze the cabinet. Lebanon has been without a head of state since the term of Michel Suleiman ended in May last year. The government plunged in a further crisis last week when it failed to agree on the appointments of high-ranking security and military figures. Following the cabinet session, Mashnouq issued a decree effectively extending the term of Internal Security Forces chief Maj. Gen. Ibrahim Basbous for two more years. His move prompted Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil, who is a member of the FPM, to warn that Change and Reform bloc ministers would block any cabinet decision before security appointments are made.Aoun has bluntly rejected any attempt to extend the terms of the officials. He 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.Roukoz's tenure ends in October while the term of army commander Gen. Jean Qahwaji expires at the end of September.

Geagea Meets Mustaqbal MPs: We Only Recognize Authority of Army in its Deployment in Lebanon
Naharnet/ 08.06.15/Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea rejected on Monday "media campaigns" against the army and its deployment in regions bordering Syria in the wake of clashes between Hizbullah and Syrian regime forces with extremists in the neighboring country.
He declared: “We only recognize the authority of the army in its deployment in Arsal and the Bekaa.”He made his remarks after holding talks with a delegation from the Mustaqbal bloc.“The army is present in the manner its deems necessary in Arsal,” continued Geagea.
“Regarding the outskirts of the northeastern border town, we must decide on whether we adhere to the state or not,” he added. “For a year, the military has taken up defensive positions along the outskirts of Arsal, so what is the purpose of calls urging it to deploy in certain areas there?” wondered the LF leader. “How can the positions of the army be subject to media speculation?” he asked. Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah had recently warned that Hizbullah would intervene against the militants of al-Nusra Front and the Islamic State in Arsal's outskirts if the state failed to do so. Since Wednesday, Hizbullah has made a series of military advances in Arsal's outskirts, capturing several posts from al-Nusra's hands.

Jumblat Urges Rivals to Stop 'Absurd' Dispute from Paralyzing Country
Naharnet/ 08.06.15/Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat has called on Lebanon's rival parties to prevent their “absurd” differences from paralyzing the state, As Safir daily reported on Monday. Jumblat, who visited Speaker Nabih Berri in Ain el-Tineh on Sunday, told As Safir that the dispute among the different parties, which is obstructing the work of constitutional institutions, is “minor and silly” and should not paralyze the entire country. Such paralysis comes as the region's “fires are gutting everything around us and threatening to expand” to Lebanon, the PSP chief warned. “We should all be aware of such dangers and rush to overcome the selfish stances,” he added. Jumblat said following his visit to Ain el-Tineh on Sunday that he will seek with Berri “to overcome political obstacles and consolidate stability.”His remarks came as the country plunges deeper in paralysis as a result of a cabinet crisis that erupted after Free Patriotic Movement officials warned last week that they would boycott all sessions unless the government approves the appointment of high-ranking security and military officials.

Hizbullah Links Fleita, Arsal Outskirts
Naharnet/ 08.06.15/Hizbullah fighters managed to link Monday the outskirts of the town of Fleita in the Syrian al-Qalamoun region with the edges of the northeastern border town of Arsal. Hizbullah's al-Manar TV channel reported that the party also seized a number of valleys, including: Al-Turkman, al-Qusair, Aqbat al-Qusaira, al-Siri, al-Hariqa, and al-Tanine. The party has succeeded recently in achieving gains against al-Qaida-affiliate al-Nusra Front in the area, compelling fighters to retreat from their positions. Al-Manar said that Hizbullah inflicted several casualties in the ranks of al-Nusra Front. Hizbullah insists it is fighting in Syria to prevent extremist groups from entering Lebanon. On Friday, Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah claimed that the party managed to "liberate dozens of square kilometers" of land in al-Qalamoun, pushing back al-Nusra Front and its allies. He vowed that Hizbullah will next turn its sights on the Islamic State group which has seized chunks of Syria and Iraq.

Hujeiri Says al-Talli Not in Arsal as Captive Soldier Family Meets Son in Outskirts
Naharnet/ 08.06.15/Sheikh Mustafa al-Hujeiri denied Monday media reports alleging that Abou Malek al-Talli, the so-called emir of al-Nusra Front in Qalamoun, had sought refuge at his residence in the northeastern border town of Arsal after fleeing a Hizbullah offensive in the outskirts. “Abou Malek al-Talli took part in the meeting with the family of the (captive) soldier George Khoury. He confirmed that he is present in the outskirts and will not enter Arsal or allow a battle in it,” LBCI television quoted Hujeiri as saying.
“Al-Talli will not close the door of negotiations in the case of the captive servicemen and he hopes a solution will be reached as soon as possible,” Hujeiri added.Khoury's family visited him in Arsal's outskirts after it was “invited” by al-Nusra Front, state-run National News Agency reported. The family “was reassured about his health and it will issue a statement in this regard,” NNA added. Earlier in the day, Hizbullah's al-Manar TV quoted witnesses as saying that al-Talli “fled to Arsal and Mustafa al-Hujeiri, aka Abou Taqiyeh, is hosting him in his house.” In its Monday issue, pro-Hizbullah al-Akhbar newspaper had reported that al-Talli fled the fierce battles with Hizbullah and Syrian regime forces into the town of Arsal. Al-Talli entered Arsal on Sunday accompanied by two of the group's prominent leaders, sources told the daily.The sources identified one of the leaders as “Abou Souhaib”, saying he was in charge of negotiations with the Lebanese state over the fate of the servicemen who are being held hostage by the group. Al-Nusra and the Islamic State group briefly overran Arsal last August, and are still holding 25 soldiers and policemen hostage. Four have been executed so far, and the jihadists have threatened to kill the remaining hostages unless there is a deal to free Islamist prisoners in Lebanon. Security sources told al-Akhbar that the Army Intelligence obtained information that helped it in locating the hideout of one of al-Nusra's leaders in Arsal. Such information was however denied by the group, which noted that the intended leader was still on the outskirts of the town. Hizbullah backed by Syrian troops has succeeded in seizing swathes of territory under the control of al-Nusra Front in Qalamoun, along the Lebanese-Syrian border. Last week, Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah claimed that the party managed to "liberate dozens of square kilometers" of land in al-Qalamoun, pushing back al-Nusra Front and its allies. He vowed that Hizbullah will next turn its sights in al-Qalamoun on the IS group, which has seized chunks of Syria and Iraq. Hizbullah insists it is fighting in Syria to prevent extremist groups from entering Lebanon. Security sources denied to al-Joumhouria newspaper published Monday that gunmen fleeing the Qalamoun battles breached the security measures that the army took to separate the town from its outskirts. “There are Syrian encampments on the outskirts of the town, which are not under the control of the Lebanese security agencies,” the sources stressed. The remarks come in light of media reports saying that the number of male refugees at four Syrian encampments in areas between Wadi al-Hosn and Wadi Hmeid, which are not under the Lebanese army control, have soared. The sources estimated that gunmen are hiding among refugees. The total area of the Qalamoun being contested is about 1,000 square kilometers — of which 340 square kilometers (131 square miles) lie in Lebanon.

Kataeb Questions Timing of Aoun's 'Escalation', Says Army Must Defend Border
Naharnet/ 08.06.15/The Kataeb Party on Monday criticized Free Patriotic Movement chief MP Michel Aoun without naming him, questioning the “timing” of his latest threats to resort to street action. “Amid the renewal of the visits of envoys to Lebanon and some regional capitals with the aim of helping Lebanon rescue itself from the presidential void, some parties are continuing their obstruction,” said the party in a statement issued after its politburo's weekly meeting. It warned of “alarming indications that are threatening governmental solidarity and pointing to further disintegration and collapse.”“The Kataeb Party questions the timing, extent and motives behind the current escalation and the threats to resort to street action, at a time when all capabilities must be utilized to elect a president before September, during which the army chief's extended term will expire,” the party added. It said two “positive developments” can happen simultaneously in September through “ending the vacuum and giving the elected president the right to take part in choosing the new army commander.” On Sunday, Aoun warned that he may call for popular protests, amid a continued dispute over the appointment of the country's top security and military officials. “They are picking puppet officials who fill the posts in an artificial manner,” Aoun told a popular delegation in Rabiyeh. “Nowadays, we are voicing political objection, and me might reach a phase of popular objection, that's why we might summon you in the critical junctures to be by our side,” Aoun said. The FPM chief 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. Separately, Kataeb commented on “the escalation of military battles in the border areas,” renewing its “confidence and support for the army.”It called on all parties to refrain from encroaching on “the military institution's exclusive right” and not to “implicate it in non-innocent burdens.”The party also stressed that it is for the army to decide what to do in the “threatened and unsafe areas, especially on the eastern border.”Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah had recently warned that Hizbullah would intervene against the militants of al-Nusra Front and the Islamic State in the outskirts of the northeastern border town of Arsal if the state failed to do so. Since Wednesday, Hizbullah has made a series of military advances in Arsal's outskirts, capturing several posts from al-Nusra's hands. Both Hizbullah and Aoun had called on the Lebanese state and army to “liberate” the town and its outskirts.

Rifi Promises to Stop Murderers from 'Killing the Truth'
Naharnet/ 08.06.15/Justice Minister Ashraf Rifi vowed on Monday on the 16th anniversary of the murder of four Lebanese judges to stop perpetrators from “killing the truth” in the series of assassinations that targeted Lebanon in the past years. “We won't allow anyone to assassinate our martyrs again by killing the truth,” Rifi said at the Justice Palace of the southern city of Sidon. “We are in conflict with outlaws, who are unfortunately hoisting slogans in defense of the nation,” he said. He was referring to the series of killings and assassination attempts that targeted Lebanese officials and journalists since the murder of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in February 2005. “We won't rest until the killers of the judges receive their punishments,” Rifi said. He also vowed to stop murderers from hitting the country’s stability and coexistence. On June 8, 1999, Judges Hassan Othman, Walid Harmoush, Imad Shehab and Issam Bou Daher were at a trial at the old Justice Palace in Sidon when two perpetrators opened fire through the rear window of the courtroom and killed them. Five others were injured in the attack. “Justice is the guarantor for the state's existence,” said Rifi in his speech. “It is time for the state to provide judges and Justice Palaces with more security,” he said. He also hailed Lebanon's judges, saying the Lebanese have a huge confidence in them.

Firefighters Contain Hadath Blaze
Naharnet/ 08.06.15/Firefighters were able to control on Monday an intense blaze that has been raging for the past few days at a warehouse in Beirut's southern suburbs neighborhood of Hadath. Head of the Municipalities Union in Dahiyeh Mohammed Dergham told Voice of Lebanon radio (93.3) that firefighters contained the fire at the upper storey at Qarout Mall. “Our efforts are focusing on cooling the lower floors to enable firemen to enter the building this evening.” Civil Defense teams and Beirut's Fire Department have been struggling to douse the fire, which erupted on Friday. The blaze had forced people in the residential area where the warehouse is located to flee to safety. The cause of the blaze has not been disclosed.

Hezbollah official to March 14: Elect Aoun or face indefinite vacuum
The Daily Star/ June. 08, 2015 /BEIRU: Lebanon has two choices: Either to accept Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun as president, or deal with an indefinite presidential vacuum, a Hezbollah official said Monday. Speaking from the Bekaa Valley, Hezbollah's deputy chief Naim Qassem said that “either FPM chief Michel Aoun is elected as president, or the issue will be delayed indefinitely.” Addressing the March 14 coalition, he said that it was “better to choose Aoun” because he is ready to make commitments, broker agreements and ensure that the Taif agreement, which ended Lebanon’s civil war, is fully implemented. He will also guarantee that the country transitions into a more positive phase characterized by domestic cooperation, Qassem added. “If you choose Aoun, then Lebanon will have a president, and if you don’t choose him, then that means you don’t want a solution,” he concluded. Lawmakers have failed in 24 sessions to elect a successor to former President Michel Sleiman, whose term ended in May 2014. Lawmakers from Aoun’s parliamentary Change and Reform bloc, Hezbollah MPs and their March 8 allies, have thwarted a quorum since April 2014 by boycotting parliamentary sessions, demanding an agreement beforehand with their March 14 rivals over a consensus candidate. The first election in May achieved quorum, but no candidate received enough votes. The failure to pick a successor to Sleiman has plunged the country into a presidential impasse that has paralyzed Parliament.

Salam, not FPM, chooses Cabinet agenda: telecoms minister
The Daily Star/ June. 08, 2015 |
BEIRUT: Telecoms Minister Boutros Harb said Monday he rejected the Free Patriotic Movement's warnings that it would paralyze Cabinet if it didn't discuss the issue of appointments.
Harb said he was against any paralysis resulting from attempts by political groups to “impose items outside Cabinet’s agenda on the government," according to a statement released by Prime Minister Tammam Salam's office after a meeting between the two. The FPM has been accused by its political rivals of seeking to paralyze the government over the issue of security appointments after party ministers said last week they would not allow the Cabinet to discuss any topics or pass any decisions until successors to retiring top security officials are chosen. Interior Minister Nouhad Machnouk announced Sunday night that this week's Cabinet session has been cancelled in light of the crisis. Harb noted that only the prime minister was authorized with choosing the items on Cabinet’s agenda, saying that respecting the premier’s prerogatives was essential to preserving the stability of the Lebanese system. Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblatt Monday also denounced what he described as an “expected and almost complete paralysis of government.” The PSP chief urged politicians to separate their “narrow political and partisan” interests from national issues that affect all Lebanese. One of these issues, he said in his weekly column for Al-Anbaa, relates to helping farmers and transporters export their goods after land routes were closed in Syria. He called for “exceptional measures” that would allow the government to subsidize the export of goods, given the importance of the sector to the national economy. Jumblatt’s comments come after Agriculture Minister Akram Chehayeb, one of two PSP ministers in Cabinet, stormed out of Thursday's session after ministers postponed discussions on how to help farmers and transporters export their goods by sea. The minister said that at the beginning of the session, he asked the Cabinet whether a plan he proposed to give cash and logistical assistance to truck owners exporting to the Gulf by sea would be discussed, and was disappointed when his suggestion was ignored. Lebanese exporters were hit hard in April when the Nusra Front and other Islamist groups took over the Nasib crossing between Syria and Jordan. It was the last major crossing controlled by the Syrian government. Jordanian authorities closed the border from their side, and trucks were no longer able to cross in or out. The crossing was considered a gateway for exporters to reach Gulf countries.

Hezbollah controls 64 pct of Qalamoun: Al-Manar
The Daily Star/June. 08, 2015/BEIRUT: Hezbollah Monday seized several crossings linking a northeastern Lebanese border town to a western Syrian village, Al-Manar TV reported, adding that jihadis have been ousted from nearly two-thirds of the border Qalamoun region. The Hezbollah-run channel said party fighters also captured six militant positions on Arsal's eastern outskirts during clashes that left a number of jihadis dead. The report did not specify the number of crossings seized linking Lebanon's Arsal to Syria's Flita, which remains under militant control. A later report said Hezbollah and the Syrian army also captured the Nusra Front's last “strongholds” on the outskirts of the Syrian town of Jarajeer. Dozens of militants were killed in the battle for the two position, Al-Manar said. Al-Manar also said Monday that Hezbollah has cleared 64 percent of the territory once occupied by ISIS and the Nusra Front in Syria’s Qalamoun mountain range and along the border with Lebanon. In a breakdown of the party's victories since the Qalamoun offensive began last month, the report said Hezbollah and its Syrian army allies have seized 225 square kilometers of territory in Qalamoun, on the eastern outskirts of Lebanon's Bekaa Valley. The figure includes 110 square kilometers of land seized on the outskirts of the northeastern border town of Arsal, which has seen pitched battles between Hezbollah and the Nusra Front over the past week. The report added that Hezbollah has taken 90 percent of Nusra's positions in Qalamoun since the offensive began on May 4. Hezbollah fighters made major gains over the weekend, recovering large swaths of land on the outskirts of Arsal, including a cave that Al-Manar said once housed Abu Malek al-Talli, the Nusra Front's top leader for the Qalamoun region. At least 29 Hezbollah fighters and hundreds of militants have been killed since the launch of the offensive.

Free Patriotic Movement MP Ibrahim Kanaan holds 'constructive' talks with Berri
The Daily Star/June 08, 2015/BEIRUT: Free Patriotic Movement MP Ibrahim Kanaan said Monday he held “honest and constructive talks” with Speaker Nabih Berri over the contentious issue of security appointments and other matters. The talks also delved into the situation in Cabinet, the year-long presidential impasse and the failure of Parliament to legislate. Kanaan also discussed with Berri the declaration of intent announced last week which outlined 16 general points of agreement between the Lebanese Forces and the FPM on key issues facing Lebanon. Berri, according to Kanaan, welcomed the thaw in the decades-old rivalry between the longtime Christian foes, saying the dialogue was necessary. Kanaan expressed hopes that a holistic reading of the Constitution would prevail over what he described as a “selective” interpretation of the text.

Aoun's fight for security appointments 'legitimate': Hezbollah MP
The Daily Star/June 08, 2015
BEIRUT: Hezbollah MP Nawwaf Musawi Monday said his party stands behind Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun in his “legitimate” battle over key security appointments.
“The FPM was not late in recognizing the rights of the Lebanese political forces in political representation and administrative appointments,” Musawi told a memorial service in the southern town of Bazourieh.
“However, there are certain political forces that still practice an undeclared ‘Elimination War’ and does not recognize political representation or the right to administrative appointments,” he added, in reference to Samir Geagea’s Lebanese Forces.
“So it is his [Aoun's] right to ask why when there are administrative appointments that belongs to any [other] sect, names would be selected in favor of this side or that, but when it comes to appointments belonging to Christians in particular, some would act as if the FPM does not have a strong Christian representation,” Musawi argued. “Why does this continue?”
“We are on his side in this political confrontation."
Aoun vowed over the weekend not to back down on his demands, accusing the government of trampling over the rights of Christians by preventing them from choosing new security chiefs.
“Christians today have had their rights stolen from them,” Aoun told a delegation of Baabda residents at his Rabieh residence Saturday. “And our [rivals] refuse to give back what they have taken. So we will confront them and we will not change our convictions for whatever the reason, because this is the final battle.”
Addressing supporters in Rabieh Sunday, Aoun did not rule out the possibility of resorting to street protests to press the FPM’s demands.
On the other contentious issue of Arsal, Musawi said the “liberation” of the northeastern border town from jihadis should be a priority for the Future Movement.
"We tell the Future Movement that it is in their interest to recover the town of Arsal before any other party, because keeping [Arsal] under takfiri occupation will spark sectarian strife in Lebanon,” Musawi warned. “Therefore, and to ward off strife, the Future Movement has to take the initiative, before any other party, to use its ties with Arab and regional parties that provide support for the takfiri groups in order to withdraw from Arsal.” Musawi said the Future Movement’s political effort coupled with the Lebanese Army’s military power would be able to free Arsal of militants.

Gunman sticks up Mount Lebanon Burger King
The Daily Star/June. 08, 2015/BEIRUT: A masked gunman robbed a Burger King in the district of Kesrouan overnight Monday, making off with about $6,000, a security source told The Daily Star. The gunman entered the fast food joint on the Zouk Mosbeh highway at 1:30 am, waving his weapon at employees. He told the staff he would shoot them dead if they didn't hand over the cash. “He said that he has 40 bullets and he only needs one per kill,” the source said. The staff then handed him approximately LL10 million ($6,633). The assailant warned them staff that anyone who tries to follow him out would be immediately killed. No customers were in the restaurant at the time of the robbery, the source said. Police are investigating the robbery. The restaurant did not have any surveillance cameras inside or outside of the store.

Gulf plan key to Yemen solution
Monday, 8 June 2015
Abdulrahman al-Rashed/Al Arabiya
The parties fighting in Yemen are not yet willing to accept a political solution to the crisis. This inevitably means that peace talks in Muscat, the upcoming Geneva negotiations and other bilateral meetings being held across the region won’t amount to much. Neither will a repeat of the recent Houthi attack on southern Saudi borders achieve anything for the rebels. There is seemingly no desire for all parties to reach consensus over a reasonable solution to the crisis, unless either side claims a partial military victory or the incapability to carry on fighting. But what makes negotiations a good path for the legitimate government and its allies is that the major mediators are sticking by U.N. Security Council resolutions and the reconciliation plan approved by all Yemenis, including the Houthis and ousted President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who later turned against it after realizing how easy it was to take over the capital Sanaa.
Legitimate or not?
Mediators have informed the Houthis that they refuse to negotiate over the latter’s military presence in Yemeni cities. However, the legitimate government has also confronted the problem of how to categorize the Yemeni army (whether legitimate or not), which until the fall of Sanaa was the army of legitimacy. It is no longer as such, as many of its brigades joined the rebels and some of its leaders declared their loyalty to Saleh. The Gulf project will be the only possible solution to resort to, because it is reasonable and based on letting Yemenis decide their fate via U.N.-supervised elections. There is now a complicated situation in Yemen. The government’s army has mostly become illegitimate, while the legitimate president and government are in Riyadh. This situation is likely to continue until the end of this year. The shelling and fighting will go on, and Geneva might be useful to hold meetings, negotiate and reach a middle-ground solution among the several Yemeni fighting parties. In this case, the Gulf project will be the only possible solution to resort to, because it is reasonable and based on letting Yemenis decide their fate via U.N.-supervised elections. The winner would thus represent the Yemeni people and form a government. At the beginning, some Yemeni parties thought this proposal would be an easy path to take over governance. However, when Saleh in particular realized that he would neither have a part in governance nor dominate power, he decided to sabotage the plan by targeting the interim government. Foreign parties, including the United States and Europe, will realize that the Gulf initiative is the reasonable solution for the crisis via expediting the elections and considering the results as the only legitimate reference, whoever wins. Some parties loyal to Saleh will most likely accept this solution because they will make partial gains. However, the Houthis will object to it because they are a minority that depends on the concept of militia rule. They will only agree to it if they accept to join an expanded coalition that would guarantee some gains but may lessen their influence. Considering the absence of wisdom and rationality, unfortunately war will reign and exhaust all Yemenis. Only then may they accept to go back to the only reasonable plan, which was disrupted the day Sanaa was occupied.

Analysis: Do the Turkish elections offer a modicum of hope in preserving its democracy?
By ARIEL BEN SOLOMON/06/08/2015/J.Post
Regardless of the results of the parliamentary election on Sunday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is probably going to push ahead in consolidating power for himself and his party and continue to Islamize the state.
The question is how fast he will be able to move. If the election results force his AK Party to form a coalition government, it could slow the pace a bit, but many of the state institutions have already been brought under his authority.
The oft-repeated Erdogan quote bears repeating – “democracy is a train that you get off once you reach your destination.”
Rachel Sharon-Krespin, director of the Turkish Media Project at MEMRI (the Middle East Media Research Institute) told The Jerusalem Post on Sunday evening that the preliminary results so far, showing that Erdogan’s AKP might be forced to form a coalition government, could provide some hope for Turkish democracy.
“It would be an irony if the Kurds would save Turkish democracy,” she said, referring to the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), which was projected at press time to make the 10 percent threshold and get into parliament.
Sharon-Krespin wrote in a recently released report published by MEMRI that these elections are crucial as they will determine if Erdogan can become an absolute ruler or whether “his era has come to an end.”
However, she said that in Turkey it is “highly expected that these elections would be rigged,” adding that a Twitter account, known as a whistle- blower and established to reveal truthful leaks, said a team has been set up by the AKP to rig the elections and have a presence at every ballot box.
Asked what would happen if the final results will suggest tampering and rule out other parties making it into parliament, Sharon-Krespin replied that there would “definitely be protests,” particularly in the eastern and southeastern parts of the country.
However, if the Kurdish party is able to make it in, it could be good for minority rights, and that means it would be positive for Turkish Jews.
Michael Rubin, a scholar at the American Enterprise Institute and a former Pentagon official, told the Post, “Let’s be clear, Erdogan got off the train of democracy several years ago.
“The AKP has always been over represented in parliament, sometimes getting twice as many seats as they would have if other parties passed the 10% threshold,” he said.
If the Kurdish HDP and the previous main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) pass the 10% threshold, then the AKP supermajority is over, added Rubin.
“But Erdogan has tasted dictatorship and he likes it.
He does not care much for elections unless people vote for him,” continued Rubin, adding that just as “we saw in local elections in places like Ankara, he won’t hesitate to fudge the numbers when the votes are counted off site to ensure the right results.
“Most Turkish politicians tell me he gets at least a 5% bonus from fraud.”
Not only can he manipulate the results, said Rubin, but “Turkey’s democracy may be too far gone” since “Erdogan has staffed the bureaucracy with his cronies so elections may not change much.”
“Erdogan looks in the mirror and sees a sultan,” he asserted, going on to say that this may be the last chance for voters “to let him and the world know that the emperor has no clothes.”
Daniel Pipes, scholar and president of the Middle East Forum think tank, told the Post that the significance of the elections are being overrated.
“Now, it hardly matters how the elections come out, just as it hardly does in Iran,” he said.
“Erdogan signaled long ago that he sees democracy as a means to an end. He rode the democracy bus until it brought him to near-dictatorship,” argued Pipes.
Asked about Erdogan’s possible foreign policy after the election, he replied that “Erdogan is a brilliant political operator within the Turkish domestic context but far less capable abroad. His confidence leads him to take risks and alienate other governments.”
“I expect something in this arena will bring him down,” he predicted.
According to an article by Pipes published in the Washington Times, he sees a possible foreign policy fiasco developing, perhaps with Russia in Ukraine, Israel in Gaza, the civil war in Syria or the gas fields of Cyprus. “And when that moment arrives, hardly a soul will bring up the results of the June 7 election; and none will remember it as a turning point,” he concluded. •

ISIS purloined rockets from Hamas production lines to attack Israel. Netanyahu marks out wide sterile zone
DEBKAfile Exclusive Report June 8, 2015
Islamic State operatives in the Gaza Strip have been helping themselves to Hamas rockets in recent weeks after furtively penetrating the factory teams operating the group’s production and assembly lines, debkafile’s military and intelligence sources reveal. The jihadis then secretly passed the stolen rockets to their squads for launching against Israel.
By this device, ISIS newly arrived in Gaza has overcome its immediate deficiencies:
1. They are tapping a local manufacturing source to steal rockets, instead of having to smuggle them in from afar through Egyptian Sinai. As the ISIS presence in the Hamas-ruled Palestinian enclave expands, so too will the intensity of its rocket fire against Israel.
2. The Islamists count on acquiring more advanced longer-range missiles by the same means as soon as they are developed by Hamas’ manufacturing plants.
It is hard to determine how this ominous reality relates to the comments the IDF OC Southern Command, Maj. Gen. Sammy Turjman, made to the heads of the local communities around the Gaza Strip Sunday night, June 7, to calm their fears over the resumption of rocket fire in the last two weeks.
“In the Southern Command we have noticed that Hamas is making an effort to stop the rocket fire, although we don’t absolve the organization of responsibility and will respond accordingly,” the general said.
He added: “Because of a few rockets exploding on empty ground, the IDF won’t embark on an operation in the Gaza Strip and jeopardize the gains we achieved [last summer].”
The problem with these platitudes, say debkafile’s military analysts, is that they represent a repeat of the mistake Israel made on its northern front, by letting the Hizballah terrorists pile up a huge arsenal of up to 100,000 rockets and missiles, all pointing one way – south.
Hamas may indeed be trying very hard to prevent rockets being fired against Israel from the Gaza Strip, but it has not been able to keep ISIS undercover agents out of its manufacturing plants or from stealing the rockets. Gen. Turjman does not say how the Islamists managed to creep into the Hamas factories or whether they have been able to invade other parts of the Palestinian military organization.
The point is not how many rockets should be fired before the IDF goes to war in the Gaza Strip, but for how long Israel’s leaders can afford to pretend to make naught of the dangerous situation building up there. ISIS uses such make-believe to fuel its policy of expansion.
Israel, Egypt and Hamas are in fact working together, out of their respective interests, to put a stop to the rocket fire from the Gaza Strip. Egypt has been blowing up smuggling tunnels; Hamas contingents are out there trying to nab the rocket teams; Israel and its armed forces, acting on orders from Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, without informing the public, are marking out a broad anti-rocket sterile zone, stretching from the Gaza border to encompass the communities and towns in the south and up to the international airport to the north. This area embraces a population of 1.6 million and ten cities – Ashkelon, Ashdod, Netivot and Beersheba, long sufferers of Gaza rockets, and further north: Modi’in, Ramle, Lod, Rehovot, Ness Ziona and Gedera. Another Iron Dome battery was positioned in Rehovot, in addition to those defending the south. Most Israelis are not aware of the size and destructiveness of the long-range Grad missiles, at least three of which exploded in the last fortnight. debkafile has attached a photo to this article to illustrate the deadly weapon now in the hands of the Islamist State in Gaza. Since Hamas and Islamic Jihad alone possess rockets capable of reaching Rehovot, some 30 km southeast of Tel Aviv and the same distance from the Ben Gurion international airport, it is now obvious that the Islamists have got hold of them, notwithstanding the efforts made by Israel, Egypt and Hamas.
ISIS’s ability to stealthily invade Hamas poses them all with their most daunting problem.

US Supreme Court: No 'Israel' allowed on passports of Americans born in Jerusalem
By YONAH JEREMY BOB/J.Post/06/08/2015
In a major blow to a 13-year-old effort to bolster Jerusalem's status under American law as an undisputed part of Israel, the US Supreme Court on Monday struck down as unconstitutional a Congressional law which authorized placing "Israel" on passports of Jerusalem-born Americans. The 6-3 split ruling was also a victory for the administration of US President Barack Obama, which said the law unlawfully encroached on the president's power to set foreign policy and would, if enforced, undermine the US government's claim to be a neutral peacemaker in the Middle East. Liberal justices Ruth Bader-Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan combined with swing justice Anthony Kennedy and generally highly conservative Justice Clarence Thomas for the 6-3 majority against Justices John Roberts, Antonin Scalia and Samuel Alito.
Justice Scalia took the majority to task for its legal reasoning, saying its interpretation that putting the word Jerusalem on individual passport documents was tantamount to recognition of Israeli claims over the city was a "leap worthy of the Mad Hatter."
When the court heard oral argument on the issue in November 2014, it appeared split on the historic question of whether it is constitutional to place "Israel" on passports of Jerusalem-born Americans.
After the court hearing, Menachem Zivotofsky, the boy on whose behalf the case was filed, told reporters, "I am an Israeli and I want people to know that I am glad that I am an Israeli, and that I am not embarrassed by the fact that I am an Israeli."
The case, Zivotofsky v. Kerry, has been winding through the US courts for years with major setback decisions followed by unexpected decisions putting the case back on track.
The policy of the US, both under Republican and Democratic presidents, since the founding of the State of Israel has been that passports of Americans born in Jerusalem will read merely "Jerusalem" as place of birth, not "Israel."
The basis of the policy has been to avoid taking sides in the ongoing Arab-Israeli conflict over the status of Jerusalem, including the various competing claims – this despite the state's annexation of Jerusalem decades ago.
But in 2002, the US Congress passed the Foreign Relations Authorization Act which require the US government to place "Jerusalem, Israel" as the place of birth for Jerusalem-born US citizens.
Former US President George W. Bush ignored Congress, claiming it had interfered with his powers to direct foreign policy on the issue of if or when to recognize foreign countries' claims to land, and US President Barack Obama has followed suit. The parents of Menachem Zivitofsky, also born in 2002, sued, and along with a coalition of supporters have pushed the case through the courts to try to force the US president's hand and to comply with the Congressional law. In 2011 the US District of Columbia Appeals Court declined to even give a position on the dispute, saying that it had to defer to the executive at the outset since the issue involved foreign policy, which court's stay away from. The US Supreme Court intervened and ordered the appeals court to revisit the issue and analyze the merits of both sides' arguments. In revisiting the issue in July 2013, the same appeals court declared the 2002 law unconstitutional, taking the president's side that Congress had overreached into foreign policy areas controlled by the executive branch. In April 2014, the US Supreme Court agreed to hear the Zivotofsky family's appeal of the appeals court's second rejection of its case – and its final decision on that final appeal came Monday. The overall prediction had been that despite saving the case on an interim basis twice, that the US Supreme Court would likely side with the president. Justice Kennedy had indicated a possible compromise, suggested by some scholars, in which the law is enforced, but the government adds disclaimers in passports saying the place of birth is not intended to recognize Israel's sovereignty over Jerusalem – theoretically alleviating concerns that the policy change would be viewed as taking sides in the Israeli-Arab conflict. But ultimately, the executive branch's position prevailed without compromise. The State Department had argued that if the court rules for Congress and upholds the law, "irreversible damage" could be caused to America's power to influence the region's peace process. The Solicitor General, who represents the president, had noted that US citizens born in other places in the region where sovereignty has not been established, including the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, are similarly prevented from stating a country of birth on their passports.
Reuters contributed to this story.

Netanyahu: The Palestinians ran from talks with Barak, Sharon, Olmert and now me
By JPOST.COM STAFF/06/08/2015 /Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on the world to hold the Palestinians accountable for their continuing tactic of fleeing peace talks which Israel has always shown itself ready to engage in. Speaking ahead of a meeting with visiting Czech Foreign Minister Lubomir Zaora'lek, Netanyahu voiced his commitment to a two-state solution, but said that the Palestinians refused to engage in direct talks. He listed the long line of Israeli prime ministers who have attempted to reach an agreement with the Palestinians to no avail."They ran away from Barak; they ran away from Sharon; they ran away from Olmert; they ran away from me. " Netanyahu called the Palestinian tactic "a perfect trap." "What they do is they refuse to negotiate, refuse to deal with the framework of John Kerry, in the White House, run to Hamas, which calls for our destruction, go to the UN and try to get sanctions on Israel," Netanyahu said. "They refuse to negotiate and then try to get boycotts on Israel for there not being negotiations which they refuse to enter. Catch 22," he charged. "I think this cycle has to be stopped. I think we have to get back to direct negotiations without preconditions. I think it’s important that the international community stop giving the Palestinians a free pass," he said.

Obama talks Mideast crises on sidelines of G7 summit
Associated Press/Ynetnews
Published: 06.08.15/Israel News
President meets with Hollande on Iran, Cameron and Iraqi PM on Islamic State, as world leaders gather in Germany.
ELMAU, Germany -- US President Barack Obama was huddling with allies Monday on the sidelines of an international summit to address pressing Mideast problems while trying to convince European leaders not to waver on sanctions against Russia in the face of fresh violence in Ukraine. Obama came to the final day of the Group of Seven summit under the strain of an intimidating list of global pressures and little signs of movement to address them among the world's largest industrial democracies. Climate change and terrorism topped the official agenda, but leaders also grappled with Russia's aggressive moves on Ukraine, an upcoming nuclear deadline with Iran, tenuous trade pact politics and an impasse over Greece's international bailout. Obama met privately with French President Francois Hollande, a sometimes skeptical partner in the talks with Iran over its nuclear weapons program. Obama also planned to consult with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi as he struggles against an increasing threat from Islamic State militants. Abadi has called for more help from the US and its partners to confront the militants. He also was scheduled to address G-7 leaders during a closed session focused on terrorism. Obama spokesman Josh Earnest said the president wants to look for "more efficient ways that we can offer assistance to Iraqi security forces" and he expects that will be part of the discussion among the G7, which also includes Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Canada and Japan.Meeting on Sunday with British Prime Minister David Cameron, Obama said he wanted to address the fight against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria and "assess what's working, what's not, and how we can continue to make progress there in dismantling the infrastructure that ISIL has built."On another battlefront, in Ukraine, Earnest said Obama was urging European leaders to renew sanctions against Russia that are set to expire at the end of July. Obama wants the Europeans to leave the financial penalties in place until Moscow complies with the terms of a cease-fire agreement reached four months ago in Belarus. Some of the worst fighting since the cease-fire was agreed to broke out last week in eastern Ukraine. "Russia has essentially thumbed their nose at the commitments that they made in the context of the Minsk negotiations," Earnest said. He urged Europeans to stay the course, while acknowledging it could cause financial pain because their economies are tied to Russia. Obama's meeting with Hollande came as France at times has taken a harder line and expressed more skepticism than Washington on the Iran negotiations. Richard Fontaine, president of the Center for New American Security who worked on foreign policy in President George W. Bush's White House, said he would advise Obama to deliver a direct message to Hollande."What is it going to take to get you back on the bus? Because let's keep these disagreements behind closed doors, rather than doing this in the press, which is harmful to our position," Fontaine said.

Saudi Arabia and Iran heading to war?
Monday, 8 June 2015
Jamal Khashoggi/Al Arabiya
It is wrong to look at Operation Decisive Storm merely as an incidental Saudi military operation against the Houthis. This is a Saudi policy combining diplomacy and war to stop Iranian influence then push it out of Syria and Yemen.
We have heard this before, but where will this dangerous policy end and where will the line be drawn? To what extent will Iran tolerate these consecutive Saudi slaps in Syria and Yemen, and where do major powers stand on all of this?
Answering these questions will help us find an answer to whether Saudi Arabia and Iran are heading to war. Does Iranian infiltration deserve taking such risks and costing the kingdom huge amounts of money, along with the possibility of an open war with Iran?
Iran should know that Saudi Arabia will not draw back from what it started
Let us lend our ears to former U.S. foreign minister, competent analyst and illustrious politician Henry Kissinger. In his book “World Order,” published last year shortly before Operation Decisive Storm, he said the conflict with Iran was existential and covered the continuity of the kingdom, the state’s legitimacy and the future of Islam.
While Riyadh is not executing an aggressive or intrusive policy toward Tehran and its strategic interests, Iranians are behaving as if Kissinger’s description applies to them too. First, the supposed friend of the kingdom, former Iranian President Hashemi Rafsanjani - who was the godfather of the Saudi-Iranian rapprochement in the 1990s - issued statements against it last week no less harsh than any extremist from the Iranian Revolutionary Guards.
Iranian footholds
Then Qassem Soleimani, commander of the Quds Force and hero of Iranian forays into the Arab world, broadcast that his army and Syrian military leaders are in the midst of preparing for battle. What do they have up their sleeves? Will they execute an airdrop on the Syrian coast to protect it from the rebels’ progress, or send a large contingent from the Iranian army to protect the Alawite state that they wish to establish as a foothold in Syria?
I do not know what the Saudi military response for such a folly would be, but I am sure both the kingdom and Turkey categorically reject any direct Iranian presence or division of Syria. Thus, we might consider Soleimani’s broadcast as one of the demarcation lines that may lead to a direct Saudi-Iranian confrontation.
Also, the kingdom will not allow an Iranian foothold in Yemen. This explains the following Saudi attitude toward ongoing negotiations: The Houthis can live however they want inside their country, but they will never be considered a prevailing authority as the government is bound to be pluralist and participatory.
Saudi Arabia does not want an open confrontation with Iran, realizing the high cost of such a war. The same goes for Iran, which knows that the military budget, especially for the air force, is not in its favor. Moreover, Riyadh has alliances with a number of Arab and Islamic countries willing to defend the Land of the Two Holy Mosques. Both countries have enough arms to destroy each others’ capacities. It is a binary threat and an important deterrence.
Iran’s allies in Yemen are subjected day and night to a Saudi-led war against them until they turn to peace, and the blade is now closer to the necks of Iran’s allies in Syria and Lebanon. It is time to either give up these allies in a deal, or carry out the “surprises” Soleimani promised.
‘Fahd line’
Iran should know that Saudi Arabia will not draw back from what it started, and will continue until complete victory. Even though Riyadh is open to a diplomatic solution in Yemen, it is awaiting the outcome of the Muscat-Houthi talks under U.S. patronage. Meanwhile, it has not reduced the intensity of its military operations in Yemen, and was careful to let the Iranians know that the “Fahd line” still exists.
This is an imaginary line drawn by the late Saudi King Fahd in the middle of the Arabian Gulf during the Iran-Iraq war. Iran was informed that any of its planes crossing this line would be shot down without warning. This happened on June 5, 1984, with two Iranian F-4 planes. Saudi F-16 fighter jets shot them down in the Gulf Sea.
After that incident, Iran fully abided by the “Fahd line” until two weeks ago, when a civilian plane tried to land by force in Sanaa airport. This was followed by another entry attempt by a ship claiming to carry relief materials at Hodeidah port. Both times, Saudi fighter jets and marine vessels intercepted the intruders and made them retreat by force. Iran is now fully aware that the “Fahd line” not only stands but has extended to Yemen, and that the kingdom will not hesitate to deal with any crossing attempt.
In both cases, Iran applied its famous “Edge of the Abyss” policy, with one unintentional mistake leading to ominous consequences: had the wings of both planes slightly touched, they would have crashed, leaving a trail of victims. This would have pushed one or both governments to an irrational war. In order to prevent this, the rational one must stop the crazy one who wants to score an absurd media victory.
U.S. involvement
From afar, the international community led by the United States does not want such a nightmare to come true. Even China will agree with the West in this regard. This explains why Washington is making every effort to reach a peace agreement in Yemen, as it called for and sponsored the ongoing negotiations with the Houthis in Muscat. It has taken charge of the talks alongside Oman, while Riyadh and the Yemeni government are waiting.
U.S. involvement in the crisis is useful. Washington will get introduced the hard way to the Houthis, who learned well from the Iranians in terms of lying, procrastinating and dodging. Their true colors will then be evident to the international community, and the latter will understand the Saudi position. If negotiations in Geneva are conducted, the Yemeni people will request that the Houthis and ousted President Ali Abdullah Saleh be bound by a ceasefire, that thousands of detainees be released, and that politics in Yemen be free.
Victory to the Yemeni Popular Resistance can only be achieved by war, or the Saudi threat of a bigger war. Wars are always ugly, but a just war is necessary sometimes to achieve peace.

Turkey: "An End to an Era of Oppression"
Burak Bekdil/Gatestone Institute
June 8, 2015
http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/5915/turkey-election
"We, through democratic means, have brought an end to an era of oppression." — Kemal Kilicdaroglu, leader of the main opposition, Republican People's Party (CHP).
Erdogan is now the lonely sultan in his $615 million, 1150-room presidential palace. For the first time since 2002, the opposition has more seats in the parliament than the AKP.
For the first time since his Islamist party won its first election victory in 2002, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was nowhere to be seen on the night of June 7. He did not make a victory speech. He did not, in fact, make any speech.
Not only failing to win the two-thirds majority they desired to change the constitution, the AKP lost its parliamentary majority and the ability to form a single-party government. It won 40.8% of the national vote and 258 seats, 19 short of the simple majority requirement of 276. Erdogan is now the lonely sultan at his $615 million, 1150-room presidential palace. For the first time since 2002, the opposition has more seats in parliament than the AKP: 292 seats to 258.
"The debate over presidency, over dictatorship in Turkey is now over," said a cheerful Selahattin Demirtas after the preliminary poll results. Demirtas, a Kurdish politician whose Peoples' Democracy Party [HDP] entered parliament as a party for the first time, apparently with support from secular, leftist and marginal Turks, is the charismatic man who destroyed Erdogan's dreams of an elected sultanate. Echoing a similar view, the social democrat, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, leader of the main opposition Republican People's Party [CHP], commented on the early results in plain language: "We, through democratic means, have brought an end to an era of oppression."
What lies ahead is less clear. Theoretically, the AKP can sign a coalition deal with the third biggest party, the right-wing Nationalist Movement Party [MHP], although during the campaign, MHP leader Devlet Bahceli slammed Erdogan harshly for the embarrassing corruption allegations against the president. At the same time, a CHP-MHP-HDP coalition is unlikely, as it must bring together the otherwise arch-enemies MHP and HDP.
Turkey's Nationalist Movement Party leader Devlet Bahceli addresses supporters after the release of preliminary election results, June 7, 2015. (Image source: MHP video screenshot)
The AKP management may be planning for snap, or early, polls but there are hardly any rational reasons for it except to risk another ballot box defeat. Parliament may try a minority government, supported by one of the parties from outside government benches, but this can only create a temporary government.
Two outcomes, however, look almost certain: 1) The AKP is in an undeniable decline; the voters have forced it into compromise politics rather than permitting it to run a one-man show, with in-house bickering even more likely than peace, and new conservative Muslims challenging the incumbent leadership. 2) Erdogan's ambitions for a too-powerful, too-authoritarian, Islamist executive presidency, "a la sultan," will have to go into the political wasteland at least in the years ahead.
The AKP appeared polled in first place on June 7. But that day may mark the beginning of the end for it. How ironic; the AKP came to power with 34.4% of the national vote in 2002, winning 66% of the seats in parliament. Nearly 13 years later, thanks to the undemocratic features of an electoral law it has fiercely defended, it won 40.8% of the vote and only 47% of the seats in parliament, blocking it from even forming a simple majority.