LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS
BULLETIN
January 15/17
Compiled
& Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
The
Bulletin's Link on the lccc Site
http://www.eliasbejjaninews.com/newsbulletins17/english.january15.17.htm
News Bulletin
Achieves Since 2006
Click Here to go to the LCCC Daily English/Arabic News Buletins Archieves Since 2006
Bible Quotations For Today
You are
Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas’ which is translated Peter, The Rock
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 01/35-42/:"The next
day John again was standing with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus
walk by, he exclaimed, ‘Look, here is the Lamb of God! ’The two disciples heard
him say this, and they followed Jesus.
When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, ‘What are you
looking for?’ They said to him, ‘Rabbi’ (which translated means Teacher),
‘where are you staying?’He said to them, ‘Come and
see.’ They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that
day. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon. One of the two who heard John
speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his
brother Simon and said to him, ‘We have found the Messiah’ (which is translated
Anointed). He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said, ‘You are
Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas’
(which is translated Peter).
We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to
despair;
persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying
in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be made
visible in our bodies. Second Letter to the Corinthians 04/05-15/:'For we do
not proclaim ourselves; we proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as your
slaves for Jesus’ sake. For it is the God who said, ‘Let light shine out of
darkness’, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of
the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in clay
jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God
and does not come from us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed;
perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck
down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so
that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our bodies. For while we live, we are always being given up to death for Jesus’
sake, so that the life of Jesus may be made visible in our mortal flesh.
So death is at work in us, but life in you. But just as we have
the same spirit of faith that is in accordance with scripture ‘I believed, and
so I spoke’ we also believe, and so we speak, because we know that the one who
raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus, and will bring us with you
into his presence.
Yes, everything is for your sake, so that grace, as it extends to more and more
people, may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of
God."
Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis
& editorials from miscellaneous sources published on January 14-15/17
Have the Phoenicians reached the New World a thousand years before
Columbus/January 14/17
Aoun’s message to Arabs: Lebanon is a helpless
country/Diana Moukalled/Arab News/January 14/17
Astana talks — Turning point or just another truce/Dr. Hamdan
Al-Shehri/Arab News/Saturday 14 January 2017
Palestinian leader: Peace could suffer if US embassy moves/ AP/January 14/17
Obama’s perfidious parting gift to Iran/Khalaf Ahmad
Al-Habtoor/Arab News/Saturday 14 January 2017
The UN and Obama's Act of Aggression/Maria Polizoidou/Gatestone
Institute/January 14/17
Dubious leaks, true problems/Maria Dubovikova/Al Arabiya/January 14/17
In Paris, grappling with Palestine/Fawaz Turki/Al Arabiya/January 14/17
The UAE: Why do moderates love it, but extremists hate it/Mamdouh
AlMuhaini/Al Arabiya/January
14/17
Titles For Latest Lebanese Related News
published on January 14-15/17
Have the Phoenicians reached the New World a thousand years before
Columbus
Report: Birds Threatening Flights Safety, Hunted Down
Geagea Assures, Efforts Serious on New Law for
Parliamentary Polls
Aoun to Visit Egypt Soon
Report: Aoun Determined, New Election Law Must be
Agreed
Berri Calls for Two Legislative Sessions Next Week
General Security Arrests Two Syrians for Terror Links
Dead Baby Found in Waste Container Southeast Beirut
Finance Minister: Positive ambience for budget endorsement
Jumblatt, Riachi convene
Riachi: President shall be form a guarantee for
calming relations between Hezbollah and Saudi Arabia
Sarraf from Akkar: We face
terrorism with unity, dialogue and strong military
Tenenti: Al Akhbar article
erroneous and misrepresents the way in which UNIFIL operates
Mufti Deryan meets with Saudi Islamic Affairs
Minister in Riyadh
Man killed for not complying with army orders in Hermel
LAF raids Hermel outskirts
Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin For Miscellaneous
Reports And News published on January 14-15/17
US Senate Intel Panel Plans Probe into Russia Spying
Russia ‘invites Trump team’ to Syria talks
Anti-ISIS fight going ‘as fast as possible’
Eight Dead in Raids on Rebel-Held Syrian Town
Chemical agents found in battle for Mosul university
Iraqi Forces Push onto Mosul University Grounds
US Air Strike Kills Qaida 'Senior Leader' in Yemen
Istanbul club attacker ‘fled with son, left wife and daughter’
Turkish court arrests 2 Uighurs in relation to
Istanbul attack
Abbas ‘may reverse’ Israel recognition
A Member of Parliament of Afghanistan: Iran Interferes in Afghanistan in All
Means
Iran: The Plunders of the Intelligence Corps' Officials of the Revolutionary
Guards
The Iran Regime Fears Telegram
Latest Lebanese Related News
published on January 14-15/17
Have the Phoenicians
reached the New World a thousand years before
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/2017/01/14/have-the-phoenicians-reached-the-new-world-a-thousand-years-before-columbus-captain-beale-we-need-further-scientific-evidence/
Sat 14 Jan 2017/Report and translation by Lina Younis
NNA - Despite all what has been published and written in standard books and
what we have learned in geography and history that the Italian Explorer
Christopher Columbus has discovered America in 1492 AD, the British Retired
Sailor and Scholar Captain Phillip Beale challenged such a longstanding
historical fact by shedding light on the possibility that our ancestors the
Phoenicians have crossed the Atlantic Ocean with their sailing boats and
discovered a fourth continent - America.
Is this possible?!
The National News Agency (NNA) met the British Adventurer Captain Philip Beale
at the sidelines of his presentation on Friday at "Adnan
Kassar Business" Auditorium at the Lebanese
American University (LAU) to dwell on his forthcoming expedition across the
Atlantic, to further prove such a standpoint, attended by the representative of
the Ministers of Information, Culture and Tourism, as well as the
representative of the President of the Lebanese - American University George Jabra, Dean of the Faculty of Architecture and Design Elie Haddad, in addition to the President of the
International Association to Save Tyre, UNESCO Ambassador of Goodwill Maha Khalil Shalabi.
In her delivered word, Head of the International Association Shalabi announced the launch of the special project
entitled: "Expedition Crossing the
"The second purpose of my visit is to promote the expenditure and seek
sponsorship for the Voyage and cover the expenses for more research on
Phoenician culture," the former British navy adventurer added. Captain
Beale highlighted during the presentation his upcoming Voyage across the
In 2005, Beary crafted a replica of the ancient
Phoenician sailing boat "
In reply to a question about his forthcoming expedition, Beary
elaborated to NNA that his Voyage aims to prove that the Phoenician sailing
boats were capable of crossing the Atlantic ocean and thus reach the New World,
and second to collect further scientific evidence and proof of the hypothesis
he is currently working on. "I will write a book on what we have
experienced in our Voyage," he told NNA.According
to Beale, the success of the Voyage to cross the Atlantic Ocean could prove
that the Phoenicians had the capability to reach America, but it doesn't prove
that they did. "You need to collect more scientific
evidence," he stressed. For her part, Shalabi
touched on the advantages which will impact
Pending such verification and further scientific proof on such a hypothesis,
can such a thing be indeed conceivable and probable?.>
Report: Birds Threatening
Flights Safety, Hunted Down
Naharnet/January 14/17/Following the latest warnings
that flights in and out of Lebanon's Beirut airport are at risk because of the
large number of birds flying over a nearby garbage dump, reports said Saturday
that hunters are shooting down the seagulls which angered environmentalist
movements in Lebanon. A Lebanese environmental movement condemned in a
statement on Saturday what it described as the “extermination of seagulls."It said hunters are shooting down the birds
near the Costa Brava landill, adding that
Geagea Assures, Efforts Serious on New Law for Parliamentary
Polls
Naharnet/January 14/17/Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea seemed pessimistic
on the potentials that Lebanon's political parties reach common ground as for
agreeing on a new electoral law that will govern the upcoming parliamentary
elections, as he renewed rejection for the current 1960 law that governed the
2009 elections. “Behind the scenes, there are some serious efforts among
political parties in all directions in order to reach a new law before the
month's end,” An Nahar daily quoted Geagea as saying on Saturday. The LF chief seemed
determined and rejected the 1960 law, he said: “We are very much determined to
agree on a new law,” pointing out that President Michel Aoun
would consider the start of his term as unsuccessful, shall that goal fail. Geagea stressed that the LF and the Free Patriotic Movement
have the same goal in that regard, pointing out that efforts are pushing for
the adoption of a hybrid law that brings between the laws proposed by the LF,
al-Mustaqbal Movement, Progressive socialist party
and Berri's proposal. Mustaqbal,
the LF and the PSP parties have proposed a hybrid electoral law under which 68
MPs would be elected under the winner-takes-all system and 60 MPs under the
proportional representation system. On the other hand, Berri
proposed a law under which 64 MPs would be elected under a majoritarian
law and 64 under the proportional representation system. Hizbullah
on the other hand has repeatedly called for an electoral law based on
proportional representation but other political parties, especially al-Mustaqbal, have rejected the proposal and argued that the
party's controversial arsenal of arms would prevent serious competition in
regions where the Iran-backed party is influential. The country has not voted
for a parliament since 2009, with the legislature instead twice extending its
own mandate. The 2009 polls were held under an amended version of the 1960
electoral law and the next elections are scheduled for May 2017.
Aoun to Visit Egypt Soon
Naharnet/January 14/17/President Michel Aoun is expected to visit Egypt before long for talks with
President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi, a trip that was
purported to be part of his tour after Saudi Arabia and Qatar, but was
postponed for pressing reasons, al-Joumhouria daily
reported Saturday.
Report: Aoun
Determined, New Election Law Must be Agreed
Naharnet/January 14/17/As political parties bicker to
find a new electoral law that meets the approval of all factions, President
Michel Aoun made a firm stance and assured that the
upcoming parliamentary elections will not be held based on the current 1960 law
and that a new law must be stipulated, al-Joumhouria
daily reported Saturday. The President's position is firm, and was reiterated
in several occasions the most recent was during an interview with Al-Arabiya television that was recorded during his presence in
Berri Calls for Two Legislative Sessions Next Week
Naharnet/January 14/17/Speaker Nabih
Berri called on Saturday for two general legislative
sessions to be held on Wednesday 18 and Thursday 19, the National News Agency
reported on Saturday. It is to note that sessions will begin at 11:00 a.m. to
discuss and approve 46 items on the parliament's agenda. Berri's
call for a legislative session comes after President Michel Aoun
signed a decree to open an extraordinary parliamentary session to discuss
pressing draft laws.
General Security Arrests Two Syrians for
Terror Links
Naharnet/January 14/17/A task force from the
Information Branch of General Security in Mount Lebanon arrested two Syrian
nationals for having terror links and planning to carry out attacks in
Dead Baby Found in Waste Container
Southeast Beirut
Naharnet/January 14/17/The body of a dead infant was
found early on Saturday in a waste container southeast of
Finance Minister: Positive ambience for
budget endorsement
Sat 14 Jan 2017/NNA - Finance Minister Ali Hasan Khalil pointed, on Saturday, to a positive atmosphere for
endorsing the annual budget. Speaking at the general forum organized by Amal Movement Bureau for Municipal Affairs in Mseileh, Khalil considered that
"we are before a historical opportunity to revive State institutions,
especially in light of the prevailing political and financial atmosphere in the
country."Khalil also disclosed that the
allocations by the Municipal Council shall be given in a periodic manner. He
pointed to the important role by the Administrative Development Ministry in
assisting municipalities, especially in the environmental field. Over the
electoral law, Khalil indicated that "we are in
need of a law that is capable of producing a political regime that ensures
partnership and does not yield crises," stressing on the need to hold the
parliamentary elections this year without any postponement.
Jumblatt, Riachi convene
Sat 14 Jan 2017/NNA - Democratic Gathering Head, MP Walid
Jumblatt, met at his Clemenceau residence on Saturday
evening with Information Minister Melhem Riachi, with talks centering on the latest political
developments. On another note, Jumblatt received
today a response message from Kuwaiti Prince, Sheikh Subbah
Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Subbah,
thanking him for his New Year greetings and well-wishes.
Riachi: President shall be form a guarantee for calming
relations between Hezbollah and
Sat 14 Jan 2017/NNA - Information Minister Melhem Riachi pointed, on Saturday, to a "comprehensive
strategic keen concern for preserving
Sarraf from Akkar: We face
terrorism with unity, dialogue and strong military
Sat 14 Jan 2017/NNA - Minister of Defense, Yacoub Sarraf, said during a
ceremony honoring him in Akkar
that the goal of the new term is to achieve balanced growth that does justice
to border regions. The event honoring the Minister
was organized by Bishop of Akkar diocese for the
Greek Orthodox, and attended by a host of political and religious figures.
"Our priority is to stand by our military institution and bolster
its capabilities...because it is the sole guarantor of civil peace," said Sarraf, lauding the many sacrifices that Akkar made to the country to that end. "We confirm
that we will face terrorism from any side with our unity, dialogue, army, and
security forces." The Minister touched on the outcome of President Michel Aoun's visit to the
Tenenti: Al Akhbar article
erroneous and misrepresents the way in which UNIFIL operates
Sat 14 Jan 2017/NNA - In response to a question by the National News Agency
(NNA) with regard to media reports that accused UNIFIL of corruption and
sectarianism, UNIFIL spokesperson Andrea Tenenti told
NNA that "UNIFIL is very dismayed by the erroneous and scurrilous article
published by Al Akhbar today that misrepresents the
way in which UNIFIL operates. "The allegations it
makes about recruitment and employment in UNIFIL are inaccurate and baseless.
UNIFIL has a transparent recruitment policy in line with UN Rules and
Regulations. Currently, UNIFIL employs around 650 Lebanese staff coming from
157 different locations and they are recruited based on their qualifications. UNIFIL's recruitment policy and guidelines are publicly
available.
"The suggestion that national staff are being
reduced is baseless; in fact over the last few years there has been a
progressive nationalization of positions that were occupied by international
staff, in effect increasing the numbers of senior Lebanese staff.
There is no connection between the Strategic Review mission that the article
mentions and the Fifth Committee's visit. "The upcoming strategic review
is pursuant to a request made by the UN Security Council in its resolution 2305
of August 2016 in order to ensure that the
Mufti Deryan
meets with Saudi Islamic Affairs Minister in
Sat 14 Jan 2017/NNA - Mufti of the Republic, Abdulateef
Deryan met on Saturday in
Man killed for not complying with army
orders in Hermel
Sat 14 Jan 2017/NNA - Lebanese national Mohammad Dandach,
25 years old, was killed on Saturday in Hermel's Wadi Karam for not complying with
the orders of Lebanese Army checkpoint to halt. Dandach
was wounded in the head and transferred to Batoul
hospital in critical condition, where he later passed away, National News
Agency correspondent said.
The incident took place amid a wide deployment of army troops in said region,
aided by military choppers.
LAF raids Hermel
outskirts
Sat 14 Jan 2017/NNA - The Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) raided on Saturday the
outskirts of Hermel, NNA correspondent reported. The
area also witnessed heavy over flights for military choppers aiding the ground
troops in said raids.
Aoun’s message to Arabs: Lebanon is a helpless country
Diana Moukalled/Arab News/Saturday 14 January 2017
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/2017/01/14/diana-moukalledarab-news-aouns-message-to-arabs-lebanon-is-a-helpless-country/
In a recent interview with Al Arabiya TV, Lebanese
President Michel Aoun said: “The issue of
(Hezbollah’s) weapons has now become part of the Middle East crisis, which
involves the US, Russia, Iran, Turkey and Saudi Arabia. This issue is so
formidable that it exceeds the Lebanese state’s ability to address it.” It
seems Aoun will use what he said as a pretext to
strike a balance between his inability to deter Hezbollah’s arsenal of weapons
and its dangerous repercussions on the one hand, and his desire to ease tensions
with Arab countries due to the party’s policies and roles on the other.
There is probably an undeclared desire among all parties to exceed the Lebanese
state’s inability in this regard and maintain stability and close ties with
Arab countries. Undoubtedly, Aoun’s visit to
It seems Aoun has decided to cautiously tread on a
minefield, which
President Aoun is trying to present himself as
fundamentally different from Gen. Aoun. He always
evades the press to avoid embarrassing questions that could make him lose his
temper and talk nervously. His controversial statements have remarkably
decreased, and a policy of containment has prevailed, even temporarily.
But Lebanese internal “harmony” will only postpone the problem, not solve it.
Attempts to strike a balance in
How can
This means Lebanese silence, or rather official inability, regarding
Hezbollah’s mission in
**Diana Moukalled is a veteran journalist with
extensive experience in both traditional and new media. She is also a columnist
and freelance documentary producer. She can be reached on Twitter @dianamoukalled.
http://www.arabnews.com/node/1038626/columns
Latest LCCC Bulletin For
Miscellaneous Reports And News published on January 14-15/17
US Senate Intel Panel Plans
Probe into Russia Spying
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/January
14/17/US senators have launched a probe into Russian spying, saying
intelligence reports of Moscow's interference in the 2016 election and possible
ties to American political parties "raise profound concerns."The
investigation, backed by both Democrats and Republicans on the Senate Intelligence
Committee, could trigger forced testimony by officials of both Barack Obama's
outgoing administration and the incoming government of Donald Trump, who won
the November 8 presidential vote. US intelligence agencies allege that Russian
President Vladimir Putin ordered a covert effort to interfere in the election
to boost Trump and harm his opponent, Democrat Hillary Clinton. A report from
the Director of National Intelligence released early this month says the
Russians hacked Democratic Party computers and accounts to release files
embarrassing to Clinton, and also conducted a campaign of media manipulation
with the same aim. But the public version of the report was questioned for
offering only weak evidence of its claims. An unproven dossier compiled by a
former British MI6 intelligence agent also alleged close ties between the Trump
campaign and Russian government, and said
- British ex-spy's report -"It is critical to have a full understanding of
the scope of Russian intelligence activities impacting the
Trump, who sees an opportunity to cooperate with Moscow in fighting jihadist
groups like Islamic State, has expressed admiration for Putin, and only
reluctantly accepted US intelligence's conclusion that Russian hackers acting
on Putin's authority interfered in the US elections.
- Improper contact with Russian envoy? -The Washington Post reported that
Trump's incoming national security advisor Michael Flynn telephoned
But the president-elect dismissed talk of ideological splits. "All of my
Cabinet nominee (sic) are looking good and doing a great job," he said in
an early morning tweet. "I want them to be themselves and express their
own thoughts, not mine!" The 70-year-old Republican later elaborated,
telling reporters at
Russia ‘invites Trump team’ to Syria talks
AFP, Washington Saturday, 14 January 2017/Russia has invited Donald Trump's
incoming administration to attend upcoming Syrian peace talks in Kazakhstan,
The Washington Post reported Friday, bypassing the Obama administration which
has been notably absent from the process.
Anti-ISIS fight going ‘as fast as
possible’
AFP, Washington Saturday, 14 January 2017/The US-led coalition attacking
the ISIS group in Iraq and Syria would struggle to dramatically quicken the
campaign, a top Pentagon official said Friday, amid mounting pressure to
accelerate the fight. President-elect Donald Trump has repeatedly said he wants
to “bomb the shit” out of ISIS, and on Thursday his pick for defense secretary, James Mattis,
said operations could be intensified -- especially in the push toward the
militants’ stronghold of Raqa in Syria. But Elissa Slotkin, the acting
assistant secretary of defense for international
security affairs, said the pace of the Raqa campaign
can only go as fast as the coalition-backed local forces on the ground.
Commanders “have a plan that I believe is pushing to the limit what we can do
on intensifying that campaign,” said Slotkin, a
political appointee who will not be working under Trump. In
Eight Dead in Raids on
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/January
14/17/Air strikes on a rebel-held town in northwestern
Chemical agents found in battle for
Mosul university
Reuters Saturday, 14 January 2017/Iraqi special forces battled ISIS militants inside
the Mosul University campus on Saturday in a second day of fierce clashes in
the complex and also discovered chemicals used to try to make weapons, officers
said. “There are still clashes. We entered the university and cleared the
technical institute, dentistry and antiquities departments,” Lieutenant General
Abdelwahab al-Saadi of the
Counter Terrorism Service (CTS) told a Reuters reporter in the complex. “In the
coming hours it will be liberated completely,” he said. CTS troops had gathered
in the university canteen. As they unfurled a map of the area, a suspected
Islamic State drone flew overhead and they shot at it. The Iraqi forces also
found chemical substances
Iraqi Forces Push onto Mosul University
Grounds
Associated Press/Naharnet/January 14/17/Iraqi
commanders say that their forces have secured less than a quarter of Mosul
University Saturday as they face stiff resistance from Islamic State fighters
in the battle for control of the city. Brig. Gen. Haider
Fadhil and Lt. Gen. Abdul-Wahab
al-Saadi said that Iraqi forces continued to push
into the university compound from the southeast a day after they first breached
the grounds Friday morning. Thick clouds of black smoke rose over the sprawling
complex Saturday morning. Mortar fire and gunshots could be heard from ongoing
clashes. The massive operation to retake
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/January
14/17/A
Istanbul club attacker ‘fled with son,
left wife and daughter’
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English Saturday, 14
January 2017/Turkey arrested two Chinese nationals of Uighur origins on Friday,
for suspected links to the mass shooting in the Reina night club on New Year's
Eve in Istanbul which resulted in the death 39 people. Turkish newspaper Hurriyet quoted the police as saying that, after staging
the attack, the Reina attacker went to the house he had rented in
Turkish court arrests 2 Uighurs in relation to
Reuters,
Abbas ‘may reverse’ Israel recognition
AFP, Paris Saturday, 14 January 2017/The Palestinians may consider
"reversing recognition" of Israel if Donald Trump moves the US
embassy to Jerusalem, Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas
said in an interview released by the French daily Le Figaro on Friday.
"I wrote to president(-elect) Trump to ask him
not to do it. Not only would this move deprive the
The
A Member of Parliament of
NCRI/January 14/17/The Member of Parliament of
NCRI/January 14/17/In a conflict over plunders, three deputies of the
Intelligence Corps of the Revolutionary Guards have been detained. On Friday
13th of January 2017, state run Amadnews reported
that the deputies of the Intelligence Corps of the Revolutionary Guards were
detained due to economic corruption. According to this source, a security
official has told to Amadnews that these deputies
were detained due to huge economic corruption, broking and extorting money from
the rich and capitalists as well as money laundering. Mehrab,
Azim, and Afshari are the
three senior deputies that work for the Head of the Intelligence Corps of the
Revolutionary Guards, Hossein Taeb.
Having smuggled major raw material for the production of vegetable oil, the
deputies got arrested. Among them, Mehrab got
released on bail but Azim and Afshari
are still in prison. These deputies were detained by the Intelligence Corps of
the Revolutionary Guards headed by Mohammad Hossein Zibaee Nejad known as the Commander
Nejat.in order to carry out one of the main missions
of the Intelligence Corps of the Revolutionary Guards, He was tasked with
stopping the economic activities of this organization. He was also the former
commander of Vali-e Amr
Corps which is originally founded to protect Khamenei
and other regime officials. As Amadnews reported, the
Commander Nejat confessed that the growing economic
activities of the Intelligence Corps of the Revolutionary Guards have led to
the increase of anarchy, extortion, economic insecurity and the corruption of
managers. He pointed out that these activities shall be stopped as soon as
possible. The Intelligence Corps of the Revolutionary Guards is one of the
parallel agencies that were established by Ali Khamenei
in order to proceed some specific missions. This
organization is carrying out activities after a period of time in the form of a
security ministry and since there is no other responsible body for that except
the House of Leadership, it can be called the SAVAK of the Iranian regime.
The
NCRI/January 14/17/Having been scared of the social network channels, the
Iranian regime requested the channels to cooperate and work as a spy for the
government. One of the Telegram channels has been very well welcomed in
The Secretary of the committee that determines the extensive criminal
content tabs, Abdolsamad Khoram
Abadi said:" Among the elections held last year
in
Nevertheless, why does the regime make this much effort to filter Telegram
and what is the main problem? As a matter of fact, the Iranian regime has
tactfully demanded Telegram Company to filter PMOI (MEK) and the Iranian
Resistance websites. The Iranian regime is actually scared of the Mujahedeen
since it perpetrated the massacre of 30 thousand of those so that they would
not have any connection with people but the current cyberspace has destroyed
the plans of the regime. Shohadaye
Telegram has responded that based on the principle of freedom of speech
it would not pay heed to this request and would not shut down or filter these
channels, the state-run website reported on December 31.
Telegram is very popular in
Shahin Gobadi, a PMOI
spokesman, said: “The clerical regime’s attempt to urge even foreign companies
to filter the channels sympathetic to the Iranian Resistance clearly manifests
the regime’s fear and anxiety regarding the growing popularity of the Iranian
Resistance at home, in particular among the young Iranians. It is also an
acknowledgement by the regime that despite all the suppression and censorship,
Iranians are eager to connect to the MEK and obtain the Resistance’s news and
information.”
“This is in line with repeated warnings in recent months by the regime’s
senior officials about the growing popularity and activities of the MEK among
the Iranian youths, particularly in universities,” Gobadi
added.
The Iranian regime is also fearful of social protests, strikes, and
rallies. The people can actually be connected to each other through these
instant messaging networks such as Telegram and they can stage rally and
protest in front of the Parliament of Iran and Evin
Prison.
Following the uprising of 2009, the Iranian regime immediately
established a committee to determine the extensive criminal content tabs.
However, the government officials, including the Secretary of the committee, Abdolsamad Khoram Abadi in an interview on January 2nd 2017 had to admit the
defeat.
Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis
& editorials from miscellaneous sources published on January 14-15/17
Astana talks — Turning
point or just another truce?
Dr. Hamdan Al-Shehri/Arab
News/Saturday 14 January 2017
For six years,
At the beginning most of us thought it was a dangerous moment, certainly
for the Syrian opposition. Losing
What about the Syrian opposition? Are they going to accept anything less
after their huge sacrifices? Many questions will be asked. Observing the Syrian
scene suggests that the agreement will be in vain, especially when we remember
the daily cease-fire violations by the regime and the Iranian militias. On top
of that, Hezbollah prevented Russian officers from entering Wadi
Barada to assess the work needed and to continue
negotiations. Is this militia and
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states will not accept an Iranian
presence in
• Dr. Hamdan Al-Shehri
is a political analyst and international relations scholar
Palestinian leader: Peace could suffer if US embassy moves
NICOLE WINFIELD | AP | Published — Saturday 14 January 2017/VATICAN CITY: Palestinian
President Mahmoud Abbas
warned Saturday that peace could suffer if the incoming Trump administration
goes ahead with plans to move the US embassy to Israel from Tel Aviv to
Jerusalem. Abbas made the comments as he inaugurated
the Palestinian embassy to the Holy See following an audience with Pope
Francis. Speaking through an Italian translator, Abbas
said he had only heard of the proposal by US President-elect Donald Trump to
move the embassy to
During the meeting, Abbas presented Francis
with gifts recalling Christianity’s birthplace in the Holy Land, including a
stone from the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in
After the papal meeting, Abbas formally
inaugurated the new Palestinian embassy across the street from one of the main
gates of
The embassy, located in the same building as the embassies of
Obama’s perfidious parting gift to Iran
Khalaf Ahmad Al-Habtoor/Arab
News/Saturday 14 January 2017
http://www.arabnews.com/node/1038631/columnsBarack
Obama’s emotional farewell speech before a crowd of thousands was another fine
example of the type of inspirational oratory that saw him elected eight years
ago as US president. Punctuated by standing ovations and deafening applause,
there was hardly a dry eye in the house, including his own.
However, unlike my appreciative response to his masterful 2009 speech in
Obama’s congenial façade hid a dagger. He was instrumental in damaging my
world, our Arab world, perhaps beyond repair for generations to come. For that
I will never forgive him. He has left the Palestinians in dire straits, without
a shred of hope. Homes in East Jerusalem are being demolished as I write, while
his successor plans to move the US Embassy to
He contributed to the ruination of
Worst of all was his invitation to an undeserving rogue state, one that
constitutes the region’s greatest threat, to rejoin the community of nations.
For all their hate speech against the ‘Great Satan’ the ayatollahs, enriched by
hundreds of billions, must be mourning the loss of their greatest benefactor
and his wingman Secretary of State John Kerry.
According to Jennifer Ruben writing in The Washington Post, Kerry’s
efforts opened up “the
That was not the only great day for
Speaking to The Washington Post, political blogger and
Providing an unstable state entity openly hostile to its neighbors and engaged in furthering its dominance over Arab
countries certainly is not in the interest of
That said, Trump has admitted unraveling the
deal is no simple task because the other state signatories involved — China,
Russia, the UK, France and Germany — have no appetite to follow suit. They have
their eyes on lucrative trade deals. Dollar signs have obliterated their
so-called cherished values when it comes to
We definitely are. Those of us who live on
Obama’s provision of 116 metric tons of uranium makes the situation even
more worrying, particularly at a time when Congress is gearing up to slap
In that case,
How many times do we have to be burned before we get the message that
• Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor
is a prominent UAE businessman and public figure. He is renowned for his views
on international political affairs; his philanthropic activity; his efforts to
promote peace; and he has long acted as an unofficial ambassador for his
country abroad.
The UN and Obama's Act of Aggression
Maria Polizoidou/Gatestone Institute/January 14/17
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/9759/un-obama-aggression
UNSC Res. 2334 is an act of political aggression against foundation of the
Judeo-Christian civilization and should be treated as such. The Jewish nation
has every right to consider this attack as an act of war against it.
President Obama sometimes seems to have an indifference to historical truth
that often borders on antagonism. Obama has again tried to re-write history by
claiming that
The notion that ancient non-Muslim nations are occupiers in their own lands, is repeated in the UN Resolution 2334.
Historically, Muslim forces began invading
President Obama apparently did not learn about the Trojan War in school; he
apparently never read Homer to know that the inhabitants of the Bosporus and
much of Asia Minor were Greeks -- just as he apparently never read the Bible, or the Greek and Roman historic records of the Jewish
people and their capital,
The
If US President Barack Obama were uneducated, if his staff consisted of
people who had never been taught history at school, if the government consisted
of savages who have just emerged from the Amazon jungle, we could somehow
"justify" their ignorance about the history of the Mediterranean and
the Middle Eastern people.
But that is not what is going on. This ambush against
This resolution did not randomly emerge from a historical moment, or as
the result of political choices based on reasonable criteria to provide peace
and stability in the region. It does not help either the Arabs living in the
disputed territories -- Judea,
President Obama and his government at the beginning of their service
eight years ago turned against the history of the Greek nation with the same
political aggression. Obama had a chance to do that when he went to the Turkish
Parliament, on April 6, 2009.
Sadly, he did not acknowledge the genocide of the Greeks by the Turkish
army under Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. Between 1913 and
1923, millions of Greeks who had lived in
Instead, Obama gave political cover to what the Turks did by saying at
the Turkish Parliament on April 6, 2009: "You freed yourself from foreign
control, and you founded a republic that commands the respect of the
The "foreign control" to which President Obama refers is the Paris
Peace Conference of 1919, where the
President Obama, in evident his enthusiasm to flatter the ego of
President Obama sometimes seems to have an indifference to historical
truth that often borders on antagonism.[2]
The Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs immediately responded by saying
that "history cannot be rewritten".
Now, this is what President Obama has tried to do again: to re-write
history by claiming that
The notion that ancient nations which are not Muslim are occupiers in
their own lands, is repeated in the UN Resolution
2334.
Obama was complimenting
Democracy in Turkey now -what is left of it, that is - consists of all
the military and the judiciary purged of anyone who believed in government by
the people. Just since August,
"There is no more critical journalism, 90 percent of the free press
is destroyed directly or indirectly," according to Erol
Onderoglu, the Turkish representative for Reporters Without Borders. "Investigative journalism is
considered treason. Journalism has been stolen by the government."
Is that kind of clampdown what Europeans would eventually like to see
happen here, too?
Historically, Muslim forces began invading
They invaded not only all of Turkey - obliterating the great Christian
empire of Byzantium - but then went on to conquer all of North Africa, Greece,
Southern Spain, parts of Portugal, and eastern Europe, including Hungary,
Serbia and the Balkans.
Emperor Constantine the First had moved the capital of the Roman Empire
from
The Greeks wanted during the World War I to re-establish the
At present the Greek community in
For President Obama, the Turkish "victory" seems to have been a
sensational win against the Western-Christian world, even though it was this
world that had made him President of the
President Obama apparently "forgot" the American's testimonies who helped the Greeks to escape from Kemal's
Turkish massacres. He "forgot" the 1.5 million Greek refugees who
were expelled from their homes in
But even if the Greek army went to
President Obama apparently did not learn about the Trojan War in school;
he apparently never read Homer to know that the inhabitants of the Bosporus and
much of Asia Minor were Greeks - just as he apparently never read the Bible, or the Greek and Roman historic records of the Jewish
people and their capital,
The Obama administration, to cover the president's shameful ambush
against the Jewish state, sought through Obama's Deputy National Security
Advisor, Ben Rhodes, to shift the responsibility for the UN resolution onto the
Israeli government of Benjamin Netanyahu. Where does the
U.S. President Barack Obama addresses the UN General Assembly's
seventy-first session, September 20, 2016. (Image source: United Nations)
The
*Maria Polizoidou, a reporter, broadcast
journalist, and consultant on international and foreign affairs, is based in
[1] President Obama also said in the same speech: "At the end of
[2] Such as claiming for weeks that a video had caused the attacks on the
US Embassy in
© 2017 Gatestone Institute. All rights
reserved. The articles printed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the
Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced,
copied or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone
Institute.
Dubious leaks, true problems
Maria Dubovikova/Al Arabiya/January
14/17
How to prevent any possibility of warming ties between
Allan Lichtman, who wrote the “13 Keys to the White
House”, highlighting the system of faultlessly predicting the popular-vote
result for the
It is clear that
The notorious report entitled “Assessing Russian Activities and Intentions in
Recent US Elections”, that is “a declassified version of a highly classified
assessment”, as it was stated in the document, left the public perplexed. A
supposed Russian expert, no matter their political affiliation, denied
themselves the opportunity to belittle the allegations made in the text, while
claiming to cite evidence, prepared by the
How big is RT?
Do the authors of the report really suggest that RT has outperformed the
whole
The report shared by BuzzFeed and previously
leaked on anonymous popular fo-rum 4chan, and finally
presented as a leak by the reliable intelligence source, was another reason for
astonishment. Questions were immediately raised by the source and the quality
of the “leaked” paper, as it does not withstand any analysis and criticism.
Then for any person who knows the functions of the people mentioned in the
document and their roles, most of what has been said as “facts” are extremely
absurd.
For example Peskov, spokesman to Putin, who was
- according to the leaked document - collecting compromising materials against
President Elect Trump. It is hard to explain to the
people not familiar with the subject how extremely insane these claims are
looking. But they really are. Such mistakes are awkward, they were purported to
be serious intelligence documents. It was no surprise that on Wednesday the
It is clear that
Furthermore, the ongoing hysteria over the notorious “
The
There is no better fighting tactics than waiting for the moment when your
rival defeats itself. And if
In Paris, grappling with Palestine
Fawaz Turki/Al Arabiya/January 14/17
It will not, of course, be an event comparable in range to the Paris Peace
Conference in January 1919, whose end result was the emergence of a new world
order, and at whose venue in Versailles then American president Woodrow Wilson
promoted his Fourteen Points, that included self-determination for the
“subjugated peoples.”
Rather, the one we have in mind, The Paris Peace Conference on the Middle East,
to be held this Sunday in the City of Lights - bringing together more than 70
representatives of different countries and international organizations - will
address itself to the issue of what to do about an implacable military
occupation in Palestine that will mark its 50th anniversary next June, an
occupation during which Palestinians have found themselves sinking deeper and
deeper into despair, as they watched their ancestral land colonized, their national
dignity assaulted and their right to freedom curtailed.
So expect no binding resolutions that will compel
Palestinians are by now weary of peace conferences, which are cold comfort to a
long-suffering people who had supped their fill of them, all the way from the
1969 Roger’s Peace Plan to the 1982 Reagan Peace Plan, and from the 1973 Geneva
Conference to the 1991 Madrid Peace Conference, all of which turned out to be a
lot of hot air
Truth be told, Palestinians are by now weary of peace conferences, which are
cold comfort to a long-suffering people who had supped their fill of them, all
the way from the 1969 Roger’s Peace Plan to the 1982 Reagan Peace Plan, and
from the 1973 Geneva Conference to the 1991 Madrid Peace Conference, all of
which turned out to be a lot of hot air.
What can we expect from
And the Paris Peace Conference may end up being the same, not because the
conferees will lack the commitment needed to address the issues, crossing the t’s and dotting the i’s as to who
is the injured party in this dispute, but because there is now a new kid on the
block, bombastic, vainglorious and strident, who will lead a country that calls
itself “leader of the free world” over the next four years, a man who has said
upfront that while he’s in office, what Israel wants, Israel will get.
And that is why Benjamin Netanyahu appeared comfortable recently saying that
President Obama’s opposition to Israel’s colonies on Palestinian land is “a
relic of the past, a last gasp of the past, before the future sets in,” clearly
a reference to Inauguration Day on January 20.
Kushner, incidentally, who is a New Yorker, is close friends with Danny
Damon, Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, a man who, after Israeli
forces raided the Marmara, one of six civilian ships of the Gaza Freedom
Flotilla, and killed nine Turkish activists on board in May 2010, famously
wrote Turkey’s Prime Minster saying: “We are sorry that due to the IDF’s overcautious behavior, only
nine terrorists were killed.”
And he is also friends with Dani Dayan, at one
time
After all, why should he care? It will all be, he’s convinced, “a relic
of the past” after the unhinged Donald Trump - who told reporters at his press conference
last Wednesday that he is leader of “a movement like the world has never seen
before” - occupies the White House several days from now.
The UAE: Why do moderates love it, but
extremists hate it?
Mamdouh AlMuhaini/Al Arabiya/January 14/17
There is a common saying, though a bit exaggerated and
inaccurate, that states: A plane that takes you from an Arab country to
All of the above are the characteristics of a modern state, where the citizens
respect the following unwritten rule: I will literally abide by everything that
makes me a good citizen and resident. I will maintain order, abide by the law
and live in peace, without problems. Law will even support and protect those
whom, we sometimes believe, are marginalized and without any support. Once, a
taxi driver complained that a customer hit him after a disagreement about 7 AED
but he later proudly told me: "But he [the customer] paid 7,000 AED in
court for hitting me, in addition to spending a few days in prison.”
The UAE also offers a civilized image of tolerance, human diversity and
individual freedoms. It’s not just about the bright lights all around you, but
one can feel the peace and appeasement. You can see an array of different
races, colors and religions, all living in harmony. There is a school near my
apartment, where you can find students of more than 83 nationalities, coming
from different parts of the world. You can see Scandinavian, Nepalese, Egyptian
and Asian faces roaming the markets and the streets. In other Arab countries,
they would ask you irritating labelling questions: Where are you from? What are
your family’s roots and religious identity? They make you gradually feel smaller, you go from feeling like a free human being to a
mere sample in a social and sectarian museum. In the UAE, people have gotten
used to, as in developed countries, minding their own business without asking
personal questions. People have the right to escape themselves and enjoy the
blissful feeling of individual freedom that does not offend others. They are
also entitled to merge and melt in the new world and the present moment,
disregarding the restraints of the past. The UAE offers a civilized image of
tolerance, human diversity and individual freedoms
Extremist hate
Despite all the success, peace of mind, respect towards the citizens and
residents in the Emirates, extremists and instigators are waging a constant
verbal war against the UAE. This is not surprising for those who are used to
using indecent language, but in my opinion, there are five main reasons that
would lead them to do so. It is important to mention and be aware of these
reasons. First, the political realist and wise approach that
supports moderation, but is widely hated by extremists who advocate chaos and revolution.
The second is that the UAE has turned into a model for prosperity, which is
against their political project that seeks to remind people of the futile
experiments of repressive regimes, from Saddam to Qaddafi. The third is that
the UAE relies on development and opening up on the economic level. As for the
extremists’ economic model, it is based on totalitarian ideologies and
emotional speeches. The fourth reason is tolerance, coexistence and the love of
life and the arts, which are in severe contrast with their doctrine that is
based on all kind of hatred and reminding people of death. The fifth is that
the UAE has prevented the spread of hatred and intolerance from getting into
its public speech, by preventing these advocates and theoreticians from
broadcasting them inside UAE territories, in the media in and schools. This is
a wise step because the past and present have taught us that this infiltration
will lead to the disruption of development and peace. These are the reasons
that push extremists to hate the Emirates, and at the same time, the reasons
why moderate people love it. There is also another reason that pushes those who
live in the UAE to love it, which is the generosity and respect that links them
to modern world, without having to travel thousands of miles.