LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS
BULLETIN
January 28/17
Compiled
& Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
The
Bulletin's Link on the lccc Site
http://www.eliasbejjaninews.com/newsbulletins17/english.january28.17.htm
News Bulletin
Achieves Since 2006
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Bible Quotations For Today
If you
abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will
be done for you.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to
Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are
pleasing to God.
Letter to the Hebrews 13/07-17/:"Remember your leaders, those who spoke
the word of God to you; consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate
their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and for ever. Do not
be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings; for it is well for the heart
to be strengthened by grace, not by regulations about food, which have not
benefited those who observe them. We have an altar from which those who
officiate in the tent have no right to eat. For the bodies of those animals
whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest as a sacrifice for
sin are burned outside the camp. Therefore Jesus also suffered outside the city
gate in order to sanctify the people by his own blood. Let us then go to him
outside the camp and bear the abuse he endured. For here we have no lasting
city, but we are looking for the city that is to come. Through him, then, let
us continually offer a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips
that confess his name. Do not neglect to do good and
to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God. Obey your
leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls and will
give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with sighing for that would
be harmful to you."
Question: "What does it mean to have the fear of
God?"
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/2017/01/27/what-does-it-mean-to-have-the-fear-of-god/
GotQuestions.org?
Answer: For the unbeliever, the fear of God is the fear of the judgment of God
and eternal death, which is eternal separation from God (Luke 12:5; Hebrews
10:31). For the believer, the fear of God is something much different. The
believer's fear is reverence of God. Hebrews 12:28-29 is a good description of
this: “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let
us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our
’God is a consuming fire.’” This reverence and awe is exactly what the fear of
God means for Christians. This is the motivating factor for us to surrender to
the Creator of the Universe.
Proverbs 1:7 declares, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge.”
Until we understand who God is and develop a reverential fear of Him, we cannot
have true wisdom. True wisdom comes only from understanding who God is and that
He is holy, just, and righteous. Deuteronomy 10:12, 20-21 records, “And now, O
Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God,
to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your
heart and with all your soul. Fear the LORD your God and serve him. Hold fast
to him and take your oaths in his name. He is your praise; he is your God, who
performed for you those great and awesome wonders you saw with your own eyes.”
The fear of God is the basis for our walking in His ways, serving Him, and,
yes, loving Him.
Some redefine the fear of God for believers to “respecting” Him. While respect
is definitely included in the concept of fearing God, there is more to it than
that. A biblical fear of God, for the believer, includes understanding how much
God hates sin and fearing His judgment on sin—even in the life of a believer.
Hebrews 12:5-11 describes God’s discipline of the believer. While it is done in
love (Hebrews 12:6), it is still a fearful thing. As children, the fear of
discipline from our parents no doubt prevented some evil actions. The same
should be true in our relationship with God. We should fear His discipline, and
therefore seek to live our lives in such a way that pleases Him.
Believers are not to be scared of God. We have no reason to be scared of Him.
We have His promise that nothing can separate us from His love (Romans 8:38-39).
We have His promise that He will never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5).
Fearing God means having such a reverence for Him that it has a great impact on
the way we live our lives. The fear of God is respecting Him, obeying Him,
submitting to His discipline, and worshipping Him in awe.
Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis
& editorials from miscellaneous sources published on January 27-28/17
Dr. Walid Phares:
“Iran’s nuclear deal needs to be revised/US New Policy Is to Support Arab
Allies Against Iran Regime's Threats/January 27/17
Ministers In Lebanon were stunned by Aoun’s tough
stand on vote law/ Hasan Lakkis/The
Daily Star//January 27/17
On Hamra Street, airport seagulls and wolf in the
city/ Fahad Suleiman Shoqiran/Al
Arabiya/January 27/17
Astana talks: Counting Iran’s gains and losses/ Dr. Majid
Rafizadeh/Al Arabiya/January
27/17
The Yemeni army inside Houthi territories/Abdulrahman al-Rashed/Al Arabiya/January 27/17
Of Trump and political dystopia at Davos 2017/Trisha
de Borchgrave/Al Arabiya/January
27/17
Getting ready for the impossible: A head transplant/Khales
Jalabi/Al Arabiya/January
27/17
Hamas and Israel: Can they do a deal/Al Jazeera
News/January 27/17/
6 Years After The Revolution, Egyptians Still Face Abuse And Repression/Jesselyn Cook World News Reporter, The Huffington
Post/January 27/17
Trump signs "new vetting measures" to guard against terror/KEN THOMAS
and JULIE PACE,Associated Press /January 27/17
There’s a key difference between the U.S. and Mexican statements about the
border wall/Hunter Walker/Yahoo News/January 27/17
Immigration Priorities: Translators, and Victims of Genocide/Shoshana Bryen/Gatestone
Institute/January 27/17
Germany Downplayed Threat of Jihadists Posing as Migrants/Soeren
Kern/Gatestone Institute/January 27/17
Titles For Latest Lebanese Related News
published on January 27-28/17
Dr. Walid Phares:
“Iran’s nuclear deal needs to be revised/US New Policy Is to Support Arab
Allies Against Iran Regime's Threats
Ministers In Lebanon were stunned by Aoun’s tough
stand on vote law
Aoun Firm, Says Inaugural Speech Won't be
Transgressed
Aoun Pushes for Approval of New 'Just' Electoral Law
Hizbullah MP Says Parties Serious to Agree on
Election Law
Report: Jumblat Observes Four-Party Election Talks in
Silence, Awaits Outcome
Progress Reported after Shiite Duo, FPM, Mustaqbal
Hold 2nd Electoral Law Meeting
Mashnouq to UK, German Envoys: Ministry Obliged to
Respect Vote Deadlines
Bassil, Khalil and Abbas Ibrahim Discuss 'Boosting Ties between FPM, AMAL'
Mustaqbal Sources Criticize Aoun's
Threats over Vacuum
Massage Vest' Sparks Panic in Tripoli
Bomb Explodes outside Shop in Kfar Rumman
Hasbani, Bonne tackle bilateral relations
On Hamra Street, airport seagulls and wolf in the
city
Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin For Miscellaneous
Reports And News published on January 27-28/17
Clashes across the Tigris as battle for west Mosul looms
UN-hosted Feb 8 Geneva talks on Syria postponed
Extremists, rebels in heavy clashes in northwest Syria
Date for Next Syria Talks Thrown into Question
The Exclusive Interview About the Results of Astana Summit
The Iran Regime Should Not Play Any Role in Syria
Syrian presidency confirms Assad in 'excellent' health
Trump says Syrian Christian refugees will be given priority
Trump’s Mideast immigration ban excludes GCC, Egypt
Mexico, U.S. agree not to talk publicly about wall payment
Britain's May says Queen Elizabeth invited Trump for state visit
Trump wants good relationship with Russia, May says sanctions should stay
Trump Meets UK's May, Hails 'Most Special Relationship' with Britain
Pentagon chief Mattis assures European counterparts
over NATO
Is US ‘terror tag’ likely for Muslim Brotherhood?
20 years in prison for the US on charges of conspiring with Daesh
French Foreign Minister to visit Tehran next week
New U.S. UN envoy warns allies have our back or we'll respond accordingly
Two Ukrainian soldiers killed in fresh clashes
Canada: Statement by Minister Freeland on International Holocaust Remembrance
Day
Iran: Inhumane Pressure on Prisoners and Their Families
Knights of Malta insist on sovereignty amid papal takeover
Links From Jihad Watch Site for on January 27-28/17
Trump
signs executive order for “extreme vetting” to “keep radical Islamic terrorists
out of the USA”
Trump
says Syrian Christian refugees will be given priority
Texas
officials warn of Islamic State threat to U.S.-Mexican border
Hugh
Fitzgerald: “I’m a Muslim — Ask Me Anything”
Muslim
writer Haroon Moghul says
calling someone “kafir” is announcing a death
sentence, calls Trump “kafir”
UK:
Muslim taxi driver refuses to carry a guide dog because it is against Islam
Trump:
“The FBI has over 1,000 investigations going on…these are people that we let
in…we can’t take chances”
UK’s
Theresa May, speaking in Philadelphia, lauds “the peaceful religion of Islam”
and “internationalism”
NY
Muslim who plotted Islamic State machete attack screams out in court: “There’s
going to be more of us”
Washington
Post claims declaring Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist group will put academics
who study it at risk of arrest
Madeleine
Albright “ready to register as Muslim” over Trump’s immigration policies
UK:
Sharia court hands down sentence approving of honor killing
Muslim
writer claims Trump’s immigration policies are “racism and Islamophobia
at its most basic level”
AFDI
Women’s March Video Reveals Leftists’ Ignorance and Indifference Regarding Sharia Oppression of Women
Make
“The Establishment” Obsolete
Germany:
Muslim migrant killed “infidel” landlady, scrawled Qur’an verses on wall
Links From Christian Today
Site for on January 27-28/17
Church
Of England Refuses To Budge On Gay Marriage
Pakistan
TV Host Banned For 'Hate Speech' Accusations Of Blasphemy
First
Baptist Dallas Responds To IS Threat: 'If We Surrender To Fear ISIS Wins'
Opposites
Attract': Theresa May Calls On Trump To Renew Special Relationship
CofE Stands Firm On Gay Marriage: Here Is How
Christians On All Sides Reacted
Let's
Work Together For Russian Traditional Values, Patriarch Kirill
Urges
Queen's
Former Chaplain Warns 'Dying' Church Of England Is Capitulating To Liberal
Culture
India
And UAE Say Countries Must Do More To Tackle Religious Terrorism
Franklin
Graham Defends Trump's Ban On Refugees: 'It's Not A Bible Issue'
Christians
In Australia Fight For Retention Of Controversial 'Gay Panic' Defence In
Violence And Murder Cases
The
Church Of England And Gays: A Brave Attempt To Walk The Biblical Line
Atheists
Aren't As Rational As They Think – But We Should Join The Conversation, Not
Shout
We
Have Sadly Failed': Lessons From Auschwitz For Holocaust Memorial Day
Latest Lebanese Related News
published on January 27-28/17
Dr. Walid Phares: “Iran’s
nuclear deal needs to be revised/US New Policy Is to Support Arab Allies
Against Iran Regime's Threats
ترامب والمناطق
الآمنة في
سوريا ...
تفاصيل
الحكاية الكاملة
Thursday, 26 January 2017/http://eliasbejjaninews.com/2017/01/27/dr-walid-phares-irans-nuclear-deal-needs-to-be-revisedus-new-policy-is-to-support-arab-allies-against-iran-regimes-threat-%D8%AA%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%85%D8%A8-%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%84/
NCRI - In response to the question ‘could the Trump’s White House commitment to
deal with the Iranian regime’s missile threat be regarded as the beginning of a
new confrontation with the Iranian regime?”, Dr. Walid
Phares said in his interview with Sky News that “
it’s still too soon to talk about a confrontation, but Donald Trump has said
that if this situation continues and is in conflict with the national security
of the United States or its allies in the region, United States will deal with that.”“Iranian regime’s forces, whether the Revolutionary
Guards or the intelligence agents, are present in
Ministers In Lebanon were stunned by Aoun’s tough stand on vote law
Hasan Lakkis/The Daily
Star//January 27/17/
Prime Minister Saad Hariri and some ministers were
surprised by President Michel Aoun’s stance at this
week’s Cabinet session in which he declared that he would prefer a vacuum in
Parliament over the extension of the legislative body’s term, ministerial
sources said Friday. Hariri and some ministers were also astonished by Aoun’s rejection of the formation of a 10-member commission
to oversee the upcoming parliamentary elections before an agreement was reached
on a new vote law to replace the disputed 1960 system, the sources said.They added that the ball was now in the court of
political parties that had declared they would not accept a new extension of
Parliament’s mandate, but they did nothing to translate their position into
action.
Political sources told The Daily Star that a meeting was held between Aoun and Hariri at the end of the Cabinet session Wednesday
during which the prime minister asked the president about the motives and
consequences of his unexpected stance.
Aoun told Hariri that everyone must shoulder
their responsibilities, adding that a four-man committee representing the Free
Patriotic Movement, the Future Movement, the Amal
Movement and Hezbollah, which met at Baabda Palace
after the Cabinet session to explore a new electoral law acceptable to all the
parties, should be given a chance, the sources said.
The committee, made up of FPM leader and Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil; Finance Minister
Ali Hasan Khalil from the Amal Movement; Nader Hariri, chief of Hariri’s staff; and
Hezbollah MP Ali Fayyad, held another meeting at the Finance Ministry Friday.
Ministerial sources that participated in the Baabda
meeting stressed that any electoral law that might be reached must take Druze
leader MP Walid Jumblatt’s
concerns into account.
The sources said that Khalil, Bassil and Nader Hariri would make strenuous efforts to
find a voting formula that satisfies the Druze sect.
The ministerial sources said that a decree to call for elections is a
normal decree that does not bind the president with a one-month deadline to
sign it, or else it becomes effective.
But the decree to form the commission to supervise the elections is a
ministerial decree that requires a one-month deadline as stipulated by the
Constitution and becomes effective if it is not signed by the president, the
sources said.
They added that Aoun would refuse as he did
during the Cabinet session to put the decree concerning the formation of the
election supervisory committee on the agenda before an agreement was reached on
a new voting system.
Parliamentary sources said that Aoun’s declared
stance that he would prefer a vacuum over the extension of Parliament’s term is
a pre-emptive position designed to counter plans by some politicians who are
dragging their feet over an agreement on a new electoral law in order to force
the president to conduct the elections, scheduled for May, under the 1960 majoritarian system.
The sources said that Aoun’s stance might be in
response to a declaration by Jumblatt’s parliamentary
Democratic Gathering bloc that no electoral law can be approved to which Jumblatt does not agree.
Jumblatt, according to his recent declared
position, upholds his support for the 1960 law.
Although there are so far no serious indications about an agreement on
any of the proposed draft electoral laws, rival factions are expected to make
concessions during upcoming meetings over a new voting system to avert a major
crisis in
But Speaker Nabih Berri,
who has welcomed Aoun’s stance, Thursday ruled out
this possibility, saying a parliamentary vacuum will never happen.
The same ministerial sources warned that the failure to agree on a new
electoral law would lead to a political flare-up which none of the political
parties would be able to tolerate.
As these parties had agreed to solve the presidential vacuum problem with
the election of Aoun as president on Oct. 31, they
are duty-bound to find a solution to the electoral law dilemma, the sources
said.
The sources denied that Aoun’s remarks during
the Cabinet session on the president’s exclusive right to negotiate with
foreign countries were linked to the issue of the country’s offshore oil and gas
reserves. They said that the oil issue can be discussed between the Energy
Ministry and companies that wish to participate in the oil exploration tenders.
It appeared later that Aoun’s comments were
linked to a $100 million loan agreement between
Aoun Firm, Says Inaugural Speech Won't be Transgressed
Naharnet/January 27/17/President Michel Aoun emphasized that warning to use his constitutional
powers to obstruct the parliamentary elections if they were to be staged on
basis of the controversial 1960 law is serious, and assured that he will not go
against his oath of office, al-Akhbar daily reported
on Friday. In an interview with the daily, Aoun said
he was decisive when he told the ministers during a cabinet session last week
“what I stated in my inaugural speech, are words under oath that can not be
undone.” The President asked: “How could the parliament continue for eight
years and not be able to approve a new law for the parliamentary elections? “I
was clear to say and I reiterate that there is no need for maneuvering
over the deadline issue or any other issue. We all know that these technical
matters, including the potential for technical postponement, are matters
addressed in the text of the new law,” Aoun continued
saying. He voiced calls on all parties to make good management of time “in
order to formulate a new law that corrects popular representation for all Lebanese.”“I am with an absolute proportional
representation system. Everybody knows that this law will make my party lose
parliamentary seats in favor of other blocs. However,
the just and proper representation compel for serious sacrifices from those who
regard a better future for their country,” stressed the President. Referring to
the election law proposals suggested by political parties, he added: “Despite
that, they proposed a hybrid law that mixes proportional representation system
and the winner-takes-all system. We told everyone that we are ready to discuss
what paves way for the approval of a new law instead of wasting time.”Aoun concluded: “There is no justification whatsoever
for not drafting a new law as soon possible. If some believe that wasting time
would push the need to staging the elections based on the 1960 law, then they
do not know me. My words are clear and decisive. From my position as president
I am entrusted to protect the constitution.”
Aoun Pushes for Approval of New 'Just' Electoral Law
Naharnet/January 27/17/President Michel Aoun stressed on Friday the need to approve a new electoral
law that ensures just representation for all parties before the parliamentary
polls deadline, the National News Agency reported. Aoun
assured that his stance was not against any sect or political faction, NNA
added. “The aim of my position is to respect the National Pact, the Constitution
and to strengthen national unity,” Aoun said,
speaking in front of guests at the Presidential Palace in Baabda.
He called on all parties to do their best in order to formulate a new law that
would ensure proper representation for all Lebanese. “If there is an electoral
law format that ensures justice more than proportional representation does, let
it be placed for discussion,” concluded Aoun.
Hizbullah MP Says Parties Serious to Agree on Election Law
Naharnet/January 27/17/Hizbullah MP Ali Fayyad stressed
that political forces in
Report: Jumblat
Observes Four-Party Election Talks in Silence, Awaits Outcome
Naharnet/January 27/17/After the recent
four-party meeting at the Baabda Palace which
deliberated the controversial issue of an election law, Progressive Socialist
Party leader MP Walid Jumblat
is watching with caution what outcome will these meetings bring, al-Joumhouria daily reported Friday. “Jumblat
is carefully watching the path of the election law. He still insists on his
position which rejects any law that hints at an abolition, exclusion or
marginalization of the Druze community,” sources close to Jumblat
told the daily.
The Druze leader is silently watching what the four-party meetings
between Hizbullah, al-Mustaqbal,
Free Patriotic Movement and AMAL Movement will yield, so that he would take a
stance. On Wednesday, a meeting between the said parties was held at the
presidential palace in Baabda where talks focused on
the stalled electoral law for the upcoming parliamentary elections. The meeting
was attended by Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil of
the AMAL Movement, Free Patriotic Movement chief and Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil, Hizbullah MP Ali Fayyad and Prime Minister Saad Hariri's aide Nader Hariri.The
interlocutors assured afterwards, that they discussed a number of formats and
it has become certain that there won't be a law that eliminates any of the parties.They also assured that the four parties have not
formed “an alliance or a front.”Political parties are
bickering over amending the current election law which divides seats among the
different religious sects. Jumblat's PSP has backed
down from its previous support for a hybrid law that mixes the proportional
representation and winner-takes-all systems. The PSP, which is now in favor of the winner-takes-all system, has recently warned
that any law containing proportional representation would “marginalize” the
minority Druze community. Hizbullah has repeatedly
called for an electoral law fully based on proportional representation but
other political parties, especially Mustaqbal and the
Progressive Socialist Party, have rejected the proposal, arguing that Hizbullah's weapons would prevent serious competition in
the Iran-backed party's strongholds. Mustaqbal, the
Lebanese Forces and the PSP had proposed a hybrid electoral law that mixes the
proportional representation and the winner-takes-all systems but the PSP
eventually withdrew its support for the proposal.
Speaker Nabih Berri
has also proposed a hybrid law. The country has not voted for a parliament
since 2009, with the legislature instead twice extending its own mandate. The
2009 polls were held under an amended version of the 1960 electoral law and the
next elections are scheduled for May 2017.
Judge Saqr
Charges Coffee Shop Would-Be Suicide Bomber
Naharnet/January 27/17/Military Prosecutor Judge
Saqr Saqr charged on Friday
the Costa cafe would-be suicide bomber, Omar al-Assi,
and referred him to First Military Investigative Judge Riad
Abu Ghaida, the state-run National News Agency
reported. Saqr charged al-Assi
and all those proven by investigations to be involved with the Islamic State
extremist group and Ahmed al-Asir group, in the
attempt of carrying out a suicide attack in
Progress Reported after Shiite Duo, FPM, Mustaqbal Hold 2nd Electoral Law Meeting
Naharnet/January 27/17/Hizbullah, AMAL Movement, the
Free Patriotic Movement and al-Mustaqbal Movement on
Friday held their second meeting over the electoral law after which progress
was reported. The meeting was held at the Finance Ministry in the presence of
Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil of AMAL, FPM chief
Jebran Bassil, Hizbullah MP Ali Fayyad and Prime Minister Saad Hariri's aide Nader Hariri. “Differences are narrowing
and there is an inclination to agree on a hybrid electoral law format that
combines the proportional representation and winner-takes-all systems,” sources
told LBCI television. “Today we discussed the tiniest details that could lead
to an agreement and the differences have narrowed,” other sources told MTV. The
four parties had held their first meeting on Wednesday at the
Mashnouq to UK, German Envoys: Ministry Obliged to Respect
Vote Deadlines
Naharnet/January 27/17/Interior Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq stressed
Friday that he does not fear a parliamentary “vacuum, seeing as the president
is the protector of the constitution and the regulator of the work of state institutions.”In meetings with British Ambassador to
Lebanon Hugo Shorter and German Ambassador to Lebanon Martin Huth, Mashnouq also hoped the
current political efforts will lead to a new electoral law, emphasizing that
“the Interior Ministry is obliged to implement the (electoral) law that is in
effect with all its deadlines.”The two ambassadors
for their part underlined the importance of holding the parliamentary elections
on time to ensure respect for democracy and the work of state institutions,
state-run National News Agency reported. Shorter also warned against any vacuum
in state institutions, cautioning that democracy without an elected parliament
is not real democracy, NNA added. President Michel Aoun
had warned earlier this week that he favors “vacuum”
over a new extension of the parliament's term or a return to the 1960 electoral
law. The political parties have intensified their efforts in recent days in a
bid to agree on a new electoral law before the expiry of the deadlines.
They are discussing several formats of a so-called “hybrid” electoral law
that combines the proportional representation and winner-takes-all systems. One
of the main obstacles is the Progressive Socialist Party's rejection of
proportional representation. The party has warned that any law containing
proportional representation would “marginalize” the minority Druze community. Hizbullah has repeatedly called for an electoral law fully
based on proportional representation but other political parties, especially
al-Mustaqbal Movement and the PSP,
have rejected the proposal, arguing that Hizbullah's
weapons would prevent serious competition in the Iran-backed party's
strongholds. 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.
Bassil, Khalil and Abbas Ibrahim Discuss 'Boosting Ties between FPM, AMAL'
Naharnet/January 27/17/Free Patriotic Movement
chief Jebran Bassil,
Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil of AMAL Movement
and General Security head Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim met
Friday over a lunch banquet at the Finance Ministry, a media report said. “The
meeting was part of efforts aimed at boosting ties between the FPM and AMAL,”
MTV said. President Michel Aoun, the founder of the
FPM, and Speaker Nabih Berri,
the leader of AMAL, have had lukewarm ties throughout
their political history. After the two parties reached an agreement over the
issue of offshore oil and gas exploration last year, relations were strained
again after Berri declined to endorse Aoun's presidential nomination. Some officials of Berri's AMAL Movement had also accused Aoun
and Prime Minister Saad Hariri of seeking a
“bilateral” agreement that would marginalize Shiites in power, allegations that
Aoun and the FPM eventually denied.
Lebanon
Mustaqbal Sources Criticize Aoun's
Threats over Vacuum
Naharnet/January 27/17/A warning voiced by President
Michel Aoun on his willingness to obstruct the
parliamentary elections and keep the legislative body vacant, were criticized
by al-Mustaqbal ministers who described the stance as
“unacceptable,” al-Akhbar daily reported on Friday.
Prominent Mustaqbal ministerial sources told the
daily: “Threats launched by President of the Republic about vacuum are
unacceptable. “Aoun's rhetoric will engage the
country in a constitutional debate over the jurisdictions of the President. In
addition to that, the President is behaving with everyone as if he is the sole
decision maker and as if the reins are in his hands alone,” they said. The
sources that spoke on condition of anonymity pointed out: “Aoun's
speech that vacuum in the legislative body is better than keeping the 1960 law
or extending the parliaments term have annoyed PM Saad
Hariri who believes that vacuum at an state institution is unacceptable.”During
a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Aoun said he favors vacuum over an extension of the parliament's term.
“If I'm to choose between the extension of parliament's term or vacuum, my
stance is clear in this regard -- I will choose vacuum,” he was quoted as
saying. Political parties are bickering over amending the current election law
which divides seats among the different religious sects.Hizbullah
has repeatedly called for an electoral law based on proportional representation
but other political parties, especially al-Mustaqbal
Movement, have rejected the proposal and argued that the party's controversial
arsenal of arms would prevent serious competition in regions where the
Iran-backed party is influential. Mustaqbal, the
Lebanese Forces and the Progressive Socialist Party have meanwhile proposed a
hybrid electoral law that mixes the proportional representation and the
winner-takes-all systems. Speaker Nabih Berri has also proposed a hybrid law. The country has not
voted for a parliament since 2009, with the legislature instead twice extending
its own mandate. The 2009 polls were held under an amended version of the 1960
electoral law and the next elections are scheduled for May 2017.
Massage Vest' Sparks Panic in Tripoli
Naharnet/January 27/17/A suspicious vest left near
the wall of the al-Beddawi state-run school in
Tripoli sparked panic Friday in the northern city. The object turned out to be
a “massage vest” after it was examined by police intelligence agents, media
reports said. The discovery had prompted the Internal Security Forces to cordon
off the area and prevent the entry of vehicles and pedestrians. An
investigation has been launched into the matter.
Bomb Explodes outside Shop in Kfar Rumman
Naharnet/January 27/17/An
explosive device went off Friday outside a shop that sells coffee and pastries
in al-Maydaneh plain in the southern town of
The town had recently witnessed tensions over the selling of liquor.
Hasbani, Bonne tackle bilateral relations
Fri 27 Jan 201/NNA - Vice Prime Minister, Health Minister Ghassan Hasbani, received on
Friday French Ambassador to Lebanon, Emmanuel Bonne, with talks touching on
bilateral relations.
On
Fahad Suleiman Shoqiran/Al
Arabiya/January 27/17
When you arrive at
Once the sun rises, the street becomes packed. It used to be a patch of
agricultural land five centuries ago. People did not know that their street
will one day become an arena of diversity. The resin of the Sebestena
trees, which they planted there, did not prevent birds from standing on the
branches and chirping. When the sun sets, the neon lights shine through the
darkness of wakeful nights. Its sidewalks hide the secrets of lovers as they
head to poetry readings or to cinemas.
A coffee shop may be playing Fairuz as she
sings “hide all my secrets.” The trees saturated with the night’s dew are witnesses
to the many authors, Buland al-Haidari,
Mohammad Maghut, Badr al-Sayyab, Adonis and Abdullah al-Qasemi,
who walked the streets of the city. It’s a vibrant street that’s full of life
at day and night. The history of
Afif Dayab wrote
about Hamra’s old, or perhaps extinct, coffee shops
and reminded of the Horse Shoe Cafe which opened in 1959. It was the first
sidewalk cafe in the street and it was the most important gathering place for
Lebanese and Arab intellectuals who had different views, beliefs and dreams.
Then there were L’Express Cafe,
Lebanese spirit
Terrorists tried to repeat
Security forces are well-aware of this possibility. When launching the
“new era,” Lebanese President Michel Aoun expressed
his increasing concerns of the asylum situation as, unlike other countries, the
number of refugees which Lebanon hosts is around half of its population.
Challenges galore
Declaring war on
In his book “History of Beirut,” Samir Kassir writes: “The world of magazines widely intersected
with the world of cinema which ever since the 1920’s became one of the major
windows from which
British author Eric Ambler clearly describes that when he says:
“Everything hints of the atmosphere which paved way for great legends. The
images you see with the eyes of the soul seem more real than any stillness
around you.”
*This article was first published in Asharq al-Awsat on January 27, 2017.
Latest LCCC Bulletin For
Miscellaneous Reports And News published on January 27-28/17
Clashes across the Tigris
as battle for west Mosul looms
Reuters, Mosul Friday, 27 January 2017/An Iraqi soldier stared patiently
through a high-powered scope until he spotted a bulldozer across the Tigris
River. He alerted his elite unit, which fired a missile with a boom so loud it
blew a metal door behind the soldiers off its hinges. The target, which was
being used to dig earth berms to fortify
The group is expected to put up fierce resistance when the next phase of the
offensive kicks off, possibly within days. If the militants lose
UN-hosted Feb 8 Geneva talks on Syria
postponed
AFP, Beirut Friday, 27 January 2017/UN-hosted negotiations on the Syrian
conflict planned for February 8 in Geneva have been postponed until the end of
that month, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov
said Friday. “The date of February 8 has been put back until the end of next
month,” Lavrov told a meeting with minor Syrian
opposition representatives in
Opposition turns down invitation
It was earlier reported that
‘Blocking help to neediest’
The UN humanitarian chief accused the Syrian government on Thursday of blocking
aid to hundreds of thousands of the country’s neediest people despite a
nationwide cease-fire. Undersecretary-General Stephen O’Brien told the Security
Council that a two-step approval process that the government agreed to for
humanitarian convoys to cross conflict lines to get to besieged and hard to
reach areas “has become, in practice, a 10-step process.” Despite the Dec. 30
cease-fire and a humanitarian task force whose sole purpose is to ensure
access, he said, “we continue to be blocked at every turn, by lack of approvals
at central and local levels, disagreements on access routes, and violation of
agreed procedures at checkpoints by parties to the conflict.”O’Brien
said the result is that only one convoy delivered aid to 6,000 people in
December, when the UN asked for approval to help 930,250 people – and he
criticized the removal of over 23,000 medical items from the trucks that did
get through. So far in January, he said, the situation isn’t much better with
just a single convoy reaching 40,000 people. O’Brien said the Syrian government
did respond to the UN’s monthly convoy plans within
the agreed seven working days. “But subsequent administrative delays on the
part of the government, including in the approval of facilitation letters,
approval by local governors and security committees, as well as broader
restrictions by all parties continue to hamper our efforts,” he said. (With
inputs from the Associated Press)
Extremists, rebels in heavy clashes in
northwest Syria
Reuters, Beirut Friday, 27 January 2017/Extremists from al Qaeda’s former Syria
branch and rebels who have recently joined forces against them fought in heavy
clashes in the northwest of the country on Friday, a rebel official and a
monitoring group said. Fighting between Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, formerly the al
Qaeda-affiliated Nusra Front, and more
moderate, foreign-backed factions erupted this week in areas west of
“A short while ago there was tank bombardment of the base of the headquarters
of our brothers in the Jaish al-Islam (faction) in Babsiqa,” a rebel source in one of the groups involved in
the fighting told Reuters. “Activists are reporting casualties in a camp for
women nearby from the tank and mortar bombardment.”The
clashes appeared to take place in two areas of Idlib
- one west of
Date for Next Syria Talks Thrown into
Question
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/January
27/17/The timing of the next Syria talks in Geneva was thrown into doubt on
Friday after the U.N. said it could not confirm a Russian announcement that
they had been postponed. Meeting in
On Thursday,
More than 310,000 people have been killed in the Syrian conflict since 2011.
The Exclusive Interview About the
Results of Astana Summit
NCRI/ Friday, 27 January 2017 /The member of the
political delegation of the Syrian National Coalition in Astana Summit Naser al-Hariri called on the international community to
strongly defy against the criminal interference of the Iranian regime in
The Iran Regime Should Not Play Any Role
in Syria
NCRI/ Friday, 27 January 2017 /In response to the question ‘what were the
positive and negative aspects of Astana’s two-day
talks?’, Dr. Hadi Al-Bahra
told Al Arabiya TV that “the positive aspect of the
talks, was the international community’s willingness and desire to find a
solution to stop the killing and bloodshed in Syria. And its negative aspect
was that the negotiations should have been conducted between the parties
involved in Syrian conflict and their sponsoring countries.”“As
with the ceasefire, the opposition is still committed to the agreement signed
in
Syrian presidency confirms Assad in 'excellent' health
Fri 27 Jan 2017/NNA - The Syrian presidency flatly denied on Friday "all rumors and news speaking of the President's health, adding
that Bashar al-Assad is "in "excellent
health and assuming his tasks in a completely normal way." "The
Syrian people have become lie-proof," the presidency maintained, stressing
that the source of rumors is well-known sides and
newspapers.
Trump says Syrian Christian refugees will
be given priority
Fri 27 Jan 2017/NNA - President Donald Trump said on Friday that Syrian
Christians will be given priority when it comes to applying for refugee status
in the
Trump’s Mideast immigration ban excludes
GCC, Egypt
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English Friday, 27 January
2017/US President Donald Trump’s proposed ban on immigrants from Muslim-majority
nations has caused controversy worldwide. The ban would suspend all entry of
immigrants from Muslim countries to the
In May last year Trump called for a temporary ban on Muslims entering the US
back in December, in response to a shooting spree by two radicalized Muslims in
California that killed 14 people.
Mexico, U.S. agree not to talk publicly
about wall payment
Fri 27 Jan 2017/NNA /Reuters/Mexico's President Enrique Pena Nieto and his U.S.
counterpart Donald Trump on Friday agreed not to talk publicly for now about
payment of the wall the American wants to build on the United States' southern
border and that he says Mexico should finance. In a statement,
Britain's May says Queen Elizabeth invited
Trump for state visit
Fri 27 Jan 2017/NNA/Reuters/Britain's Queen Elizabeth has invited U.S.
President Donald Trump for a state visit later this year and he has accepted,
British Prime Minister Theresa May said on Friday. May was speaking at a news
conference in
Trump wants good relationship with Russia,
May says sanctions should stay
Reuters, Washington Friday, 27 January 2017/US President Donald Trump said on
Friday he wanted to have good relations with Russia and declined to say whether
he was ready to lift sanctions on Moscow, which visiting British Prime Minister
Theresa May said must stay in place. Speaking at a news conference after his
first meeting with a foreign leader at the White House since becoming
president, Trump said he hoped to have a “fantastic relationship” with Russian
President Vladimir Putin, but he said it was possible that would not occur. Any
move by the White House to lift sanctions against
Those concerns would be compounded at home, where many
in the US Congress are vehemently opposed to Putin's actions in
May told the news conference she believed sanctions against Russia should stay
in place until Moscow fulfilled its obligations under the Minsk agreement.She also made a point of emphasizing that during
their talks, Trump had given strong backing to NATO, an alliance that the
president has previously called obsolete.Putin and
Trump are likely to discuss the sanctions when the two leaders speak by
telephone on Saturday, a senior White House aide said.
Trump has 'friendly' call with Mexican leader but demands change.Trump
said he had a friendly phone call with Mexico's president on Friday but
asserted he will renegotiate trade deals and other aspects of the countries'
ties because Mexico has “beat us to a pulp” in the past.
Trump Meets UK's May, Hails 'Most Special Relationship' with Britain
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/January
27/17/President Donald Trump hailed a "most special relationship"
with Britain and threw his support behind Brexit
Friday, as he hosted British Prime Minister Theresa May for his debut on the
diplomatic stage. At a tense moment in trans-Atlantic relations, Trump tried to
recast the "deep bond" as a meeting of ideological minds: two
countries embracing populist policies and taking an uncompromising view of the
national interest. Trump pointed to
May brushed aside deep-seated differences on issues from torture to
Post-Brexit trade
Trump's break with decades of
'I think we're going to get along'
The reserved daughter of a vicar had promised to be
"frank" in her dealings with the unpredictable billionaire. The pair
laughed off questions about their personal compatibility. Trump joked that he
was "not as brash as you might think" and, turning to May, said:
"I think we're going to get along very well."Throughout
the long
Pentagon chief Mattis
assures European counterparts over NATO
Fri 27 Jan 2017/NNA -Agencies/ US Defense Secretary
James Mattis has assured European counterparts about
Washington's commitment to NATO, officials said Friday, as President Donald
Trump plans to speak to the leaders of France, Germany and Russia.
Mattis spoke by phone to the defense
ministers of
Mattis also stressed NATO's importance to his French
counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian, with whom he
discussed "the long-time allies' security cooperation, which is stronger
than ever as both countries engage side-by-side in the fight against
terrorism," he added.
As the European Union's leading members, both countries have been rattled by
Trump's denigration of NATO, which he has called "obsolete," and his
praise of Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom they accuse of seeking to
undermine Western unity.
Trump, who has often praised Putin, is expected to speak to him, German
Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande
on Saturday, the White House said. Trump took office last week with US
relations with
Trump -- who has raised the prospect of easing sanctions imposed against
Is US ‘terror tag’ likely for Muslim
Brotherhood?
Reuters,
Mixed record
Trump’s nominee for Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson,
described the Brotherhood an “an agent of radical Islam”, during his Senate
confirmation hearing.
20 years in prison for the US on charges of conspiring with Daesh
Fri 27 Jan 2017/NNA - US judge Thursday sentenced 20 - year - old man from New
York after admitting conspiracy to provide material support to organize Daesh. The US Department of Justice that " the Chief
Justice Frank Guirassy in federal court sentenced
Emmanuel Watchman , 26, of Rochester after pleading guilty as charged in the
August 11 / August."The judge put the Watchman
under surveillance after his release for 50 years as ordered. The ministry
added that the accused confessed Ptamrh with Abu Issa , a
member of the American Bdaash in
French Foreign Minister to visit Tehran
next week
Fri 27 Jan 2017/NNA - French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault
will arrive in Tehran with a delegation next week, Iranian Ambassador to France
Ali Ahani has announced. Ayrault
will preside over the commission along with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif. The P5+1 group of
countries, comprising the United States, Russia, China, France and the United
Kingdom plus Germany, signed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action with Iran
in July 2015, ensuring the peaceful nature of Tehran’s nuclear program in
exchange for sanctions relief. Ahani said on Thursday
that
New U.S. UN envoy warns allies have our back or we'll respond accordingly
Fri 27 Jan 2017/Reuters/NNA - - New U.S. ambassador to the United Nations,
Nikki Haley, pledged on Friday to overhaul the world body and warned U.S.
allies that if they do not have Washington's back then she is "taking
names" and will respond. Haley made brief remarks to the press as she
arrived at U.N. headquarters in
Two Ukrainian soldiers killed in fresh
clashes
Fri 27 Jan 2017/NNA - Two Ukrainian soldiers were Friday reported killed in an
upsurge of fighting in the country's rebel east, as international monitors said
"little has changed" to halt violence despite a supposed truce.
Ukrainian military spokesman Oleksandr Motuzyanyk said the two servicemen were killed over the
past day as Russian-backed insurgents stepped up attacks along the volatile
frontline. The deaths are the first Ukrainian losses for almost two weeks and
come despite the warring sides announcing an "indefinite" ceasefire
in December that has failed to stop the violence entirely.
Canada: Statement by Minister Freeland
on International Holocaust Remembrance Day
January 27, 2017 - Ottawa, Ontario - Global Affairs Canada
The Honourable Chrystia Freeland, Minister of Foreign
Affairs, today issued the following statement:
“One of the darkest chapters in human history unfolded at the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration and extermination camp, liberated 72
years ago today.
“The systematic murder of 6 million Jews during the Holocaust, or Shoah, and of millions of others, all killed by the brutal
Nazi regime, is a story of tragedy, loss and unimaginable suffering. Today, we
honour their memory and pay tribute to the brave survivors. From Auschwitz-Birkenau and other Nazi camps emerged inspirational stories
of strength and courage, including many told by Jewish-Canadian survivors,
which remain a powerful reminder of the resilience of the human spirit.
“Last year I visited Auschwitz-Birkenau with the
prime minister. It was an experience that forever changed me and will remain
with me throughout my life.
“The lessons learned from the Holocaust must guide our efforts to fight antisemitism and prevent mass atrocities globally.
“It is important for
“
“It is our solemn duty to honour all victims and ensure that justice is served.
May the distance of time never dull our memory of the unspeakable evil
committed during the Holocaust.”
NCRI/ Friday, 27 January 2017 /Following the
escape of 6 prisoners from Zabol Prison Southeastern Iran, the Prosecutor of Zabol
issued an order to arrest their families. The father, mother, and sister of one
of the prisoners called Siahook were arrested,
tortured and interrogated in order to reveal the whereabouts of their son who
was accused of committing a crime at the age of 16. According to the sources,
this prisoner has never accepted the allegations despite severe tortures. On
the same issue, the prison guards have also chained one of the prisoners called
Hashem Sanjouri to one of
the columns of this custodial under the charge of helping Siahook
to escape. This measure is one of the most common brutal tortures which are
being implemented in Zabol Prison.
As a few prisoners escaped from Zabol Prison
last week, all wards of this prison have been closed and the prisoners are
prohibited from taking walks.
Knights of Malta insist on sovereignty
amid papal takeover
By Nicole Winfield | AP January 27/17/ROME — The Knights of Malta
is still insisting on its sovereignty in its showdown with the Vatican, even
after Pope Francis effectively took control of the ancient religious order and
announced a papal delegate would govern it through a “process of renewal.”The Knights’ current grand master, Fra’ Matthew Festing, was at work
Friday at the order’s swanky Rome palazzo near the Spanish Steps, pending a
meeting of his governing council to either accept or reject his resignation.
The Saturday meeting is no rubber-stamp formality: It’s
evidence of the order’s sovereign status under international law, which is
recognized by the more than 100 countries that have diplomatic relations with
the Knights of Malta and essentially consider it a state.
Festing, a 67-year-old British aristocrat, met
Tuesday with Francis and said he would resign after he lost an internal power
struggle that started with a scandal over condoms. Festing
sacked the Knights’ foreign minister, Albrecht von Boeselager,
over the condom scandal. But the
“Every decision concerning this must be taken by our sovereign council,” he
said.
Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis
& editorials from miscellaneous sources published on January 27-28/17
Astana talks: Counting
Iran’s gains and losses
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Al
Arabiya/January 27/17
Media and officials in
First of all, the Astana talks were a critical platform for Iranian
leaders to showcase their power, increasing influence and predominant role in
Secondly, Iranian leaders achieved their main objective of giving
legitimacy to Bashar al-Assad and
Ali Akbar Velayati, a senior adviser to Supreme
Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and head of the
Expediency Council’s
“The Astana meeting showed that all sides, including Turkey and those
groups, which follow this country and even countries not present there (in
Astana), have acknowledged the Syrian government’s legitimacy either directly
or indirectly,” Velayati pointed out.
Even if
Third,
Supporting Assad
The meeting ended with a final joint statement, which is
mainly a collection of words rather than a plan of action. The Syrian
government,
The joint statement is aimed at increasing Assad’s and
The Iran Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its proxies have been
militarily involved in the Syrian civil war. Since the nuclear agreement,
The final joint statement stated that it would “observe and ensure full
compliance with the ceasefire, prevent any provocation and determine all
modalities”. But, the proposed ceasefire would mainly preserve
A political game
Even if
Finally,
The Yemeni army inside Houthi territories
Abdulrahman al-Rashed/Al Arabiya/January 27/17
Supported by the Saudi- coalition forces, the Yemeni army surprised everyone by
entering and expanding in Saada, the land and
province that are considered under the Houthi
control. This is a very important development.
However, the many developments related to the military situation on the
ground in
The militias faced difficulties in penetrating through the naval
blockade, after the intensified activity of the naval forces that is stopping
ships and boats smuggling weapons. These simultaneous victories are very
important on the political level as they encourage major powers that are still
reluctant about supporting the legitimate powers.
On the political level, we are witnessing quick actions; UN envoy
returned to propose a long-term truce and negotiations for a peaceful solution.
The Houthi militias and former President Ali Saleh forces, wanted to maneuver and hence did not accept yet the international
peace initiative. Recent military gains have led to significant breakthroughs
in the war in
All the president’s powers
Houthis insist on transferring all of the
president’s powers to his deputy, and not just a part of them. This will weaken
and disrupt the initiative, which will make them lose the opportunity to
participate in the government. Their intransigent attitude is probably tutored
by
The losses suffered by the militias affected their internal relations,
where most of their troops located now in the capital Sanaa,
have now different opinions regarding the management of their government,
including their slogan that Houthis borrowed from the
Iranian militias: “Death to
Saleh’s militias had another opinion and chose
a different slogan that is as distrustful as the Houthis’:
“One
Of Trump and political dystopia at Davos 2017
Trisha de Borchgrave/Al Arabiya/January
27/17
It was a week of metaphors and symbolism for the snowy retreat that
annually caters to the communication skills and networking needs of the world’s
influencers, including prime ministers, business leaders, policy analysts and
philosophers. In the five intense days that hermetically seal this elite,
energies connect and collide as four thousand A-types vie for first place in
airplane boarding, coat checks, security lines, shuttle bus rides and access to
the rock stars of the event, from the IMF’s Christine Lagarde
to Shakira, the Bank of England’s Governor Mark
Carney and favored couple George and Amal Clooney.
At a sensitive time for exponents of critical thinking and with a large
segment of Davos participants unfamiliar with having
to make their own bed every morning, there was, nevertheless, a significant
number of attendees who often sleep on makeshift mattresses in refugee camps
and under mosquito nets as workers of NGO’s,
researchers, scientists and journalists. Pushing for salves to remedy the ills
and injustices of the everyday, they are powered not by apps that help them
cure their addiction to technology but by three quarters of a world that is
desperate for what the west takes for granted materially and politically.
Looming over this year’s theme; “Responsive and Responsible Leadership”, was
the impending inauguration of the 45th
The post-truth phenomenon
Our cravings for the reward mechanisms of social media, the search for
solidarity of collective moral outrage, and preference for subjective
fact-gathering that suits our preconceptions are helping to define our personal
beliefs, and in some cases re-placing the sense of belonging to a broader
community. That night, at an evening session analyzing the role of mainstream
media, a Fox News reporter had never heard of the term “post-truth”.
Political dystopia enveloped most sessions with the uncertainty of an
unstable president who is more likely to unleash black swans of chaos, in the
name of making
It was evident that the fissures along the sacred valley of the last 70
years of western-led stability, opened up by the seismic populist movements of
Donald Trump and Britain’s referendum vote to leave the European Union, are
causing deep disquiet
In mid flow, defending the shared values of the international order, he
was plunged into gloom when the lighting system of an otherwise technically
perfect conference hall suddenly failed. He resumed speaking from the shadows
of a stage that looked like an abandoned theatre, and provided Davos 2017 with the subtitle; “Filling America’s void”.
It was evident that the fissures along the sacred valley of the last 70
years of western-led stability, opened up by the seismic populist movements of
Donald Trump and
Central and Eastern European leaders appealed for European unity,
leadership and solidarity in the face of Russian aggression. Middle Eastern and
North African leaders talked constructively of business opportunities that now
need to lift their prospects from a dried-up river-bed. And emerging from the
penumbra in a clear, unblinking light was
Enemies of globalization
Outlining the real enemies of globalization – hunger, poverty,
superstition and prejudice – and the consequences of tragic regional conflict –
refugees, terrorism, and cybercrime – he compared the act of protectionist
retrenchment to locking oneself in a darkened room that might well keep out the
rain and wind, but also the light and air of progress.
Poetic proverbs about sweet dates growing on thistles and thorns, and
analogies of having to swim in whirlpools and choppy waves lest we drown in
fear, drove home his message with the punch of 1.3 billion people.
In contrast British Prime Minister Theresa May’s speech left some
questioning her hard-to-read character and her quick in-out intervention at Davos, as if still unsure of her tenure, or position, now
that digging for trade deals is forcing her too to pitch GB as a global brand. Davos came to a close on the day of Trump’s inauguration,
sobered by the vitriol of the new president’s bombastic assertions of
superiority. It had been a difficult week to focus with the usual excitement on
scientific breakthroughs; the hologram that can unlock the mysteries of the
universe, the composite of an aluminum car light enough to be carried to work,
“electroceutical” treatments that jam brains from
developing Alzheimer’s, or indeed economic innovation that experiments with the
notion of a basic global income.
And yet, while Trump spoke those thirty-five words of assuming command as
the earth’s most powerful political leader, no one in the hallowed halls of the
World Economic Forum paid attention. Heads were bowed in conversation, writing
up reports, checking emails and sipping coffee. The world goes on, despite
indications to the contrary.
Getting ready for the impossible: A head
transplant
Khales Jalabi/Al Arabiya/January 27/17
The idea of organ transplant is an old dream
that was achieved in 1954 when the first kidney transplant was successfully
performed between two siblings. When South African surgeon Christiaan
Barnard transplanted the first heart for his patient Louis Washkansky
in 1967, the world was shocked and couldn’t believe what happened. They said
the heart is the center of one’s understanding and the patient’s feelings must
have changed.
The recipient’s character did not change although he did not live longer
than 18 days after the surgery. Some accused the surgeon of lying just like
they’re currently accusing Italian neurosurgeon Sergio Canavero
who plans to transplant the head of a terminally ill man called Valery Spiridonov on the body of a man who is classified brain
dead.
However, we’re talking about the head here. How will they cut it at the
C5 cervical vertebrae and block the blood flow when it cannot bear that for
more than five minutes? The second problem is not in connecting veins,
arteries, joints, bones, muscles and tendons. All these must be connected with
one another again but this is not the problem.
The problem is in cutting the spinal cord which is like a cable
comprising millions of sensitive neurological ropes which control man’s muscles
and joints. How will they solve this problem when all information that we have
states that it is not possible to mend nerve endings and connect them with one
another as they resemble spaghetti?
In theory, each nerve fiber must be accurately
joined with its corresponding nerve fiber; sensory fibers must be joined with sensory fibers;
motor fibers must be joined with motor fibers and so on. Will it afterwards be possible to treat a
cancer patient by transplanting his head on the body of a boy who became brain
dead after a car crash? Will it be possible to resort to this method to treat
terminally ill people like the famous physicist Stephen Hawking?
Japanese breakthrough
According to theory and medical knowhow, this is impossible. However,
they are planning to do so through cooperating with a Japanese doctor called
C-Yoon Kim who developed a chemical called polyethylene glycol and which was
tried on mice and dogs after cutting their cords and then reconnecting them
like one does with electrical copper wires which are as thin as hair locks.
They injected this material that connects the cords together - just like one
does with electrical copper wires - and they worked shortly after and were
restored. Efforts are underway to plan this operation. The team will consist of
80 people and will include surgeons, nurses and anesthetists.
The operation will last 36 hours and there will be two teams, one team will cut
the neck of Spiridonov at the C5 cervical vertebrae
and another team will cut the head of the donor who is brain dead.
Afterwards, they will work on anastomosis
between arteries and veins, sew muscles, put bones in place and connect
tendons. Meanwhile, Spiridonov’s body will be cooled
until it is 10 degrees Centigrade and finally and quickly the cord will be cut
using a sharp blade.
The cord here will not mend on its own quickly. The cords of the donor
and the recipient will be reconnected using polyethylene glycol, and the
operation will end a day and a half later. The 51-year-old Sergio Canavero is ambitious and aspires to achieve much more than
this as he says he will resist death and he hopes he will succeed at that. Will
it afterwards be possible to treat a cancer patient by transplanting his head
on the body of a boy who became brain dead after a car crash? Will it be
possible to resort to this method to treat terminally ill people like the
famous physicist Stephen Hawking?
Many of these ideas are mad, as many doctors say. But weren’t doctors and
scientists accused of madness before? We must wait until the end of 2017 to see
the surprise.
**This article is also available in Arabic.
Hamas and
Al Jazeera News/January 27/17/
Hamas spokesman Osama Hamdan on the new unity
government and Trump, and Guy Verhofstadt discusses
the EU and Brexit. In this week's UpFront,
Mehdi Hasan speaks to Hamas
senior leader and spokesman Osama Hamdan, who
discusses the new Palestinian unity government and how Hamas will "very
soon" be releasing a new charter. In the Reality Check, we examine the
rising tide of populism and the elitist conservatives who have hijacked it. And
in a discussion on the European Union, we are joined by former Belgian Prime
Minister Guy Verhofstadt, who is now the lead EU
parliament negotiator on Brexit. In mid-January,
rival Palestinian groups Hamas and Fatah announced the creation of a new unity
government. But can the two groups, who have reconciled before only to fall out
again, make it work this time? "In politics, no one can say that 'I'm sure
100 percent', but you have to try," says Hamdan,
who is also a spokesman for Hamas. "Now we came to this crash point and we
both understand we need as Palestinians a national unity government."
Hamdan says that
"He knows that
Across the
Can the EU survive the populist wave?
With the eurozone still an economic mess, the rise of
anti-EU parties and the
So, with populist leaders expressing disdain for the EU, Brexit
and an assertive
Guy Verhofstadt, a member of the European Parliament
and its chief negotiator for Brexit, in addition to
being the former prime minister of
"We are squeezed, for the moment, between an American president - a
populist - saying, 'Oh, I believe in the further disintegration of the European
Union'," says Verhofstadt, "and on the
other hand, an autocrat - Putin - who wants to destroy the European
Union."
Faced with these threats, the EU must "get its act together" and
become a "real union", or else disappear, he says. "People need
a vision, a project, that shows them how we can escape
the challenges that they are facing: Migration flows, economic fallout, and so
on," says Verhofstadt. "You have to
recognise weaknesses of the current European Union before you can launch a new
vision for the future." "I believe we can get our act together, and
then we can build up a European Union that can be an example of a supernational organisation worldwide."
MEP and lead Brexit negotiator for the EP, Guy Verhofstadt, discusses the future of the European Union.
6 Years After The Revolution, Egyptians Still Face Abuse And Repression
Jesselyn Cook World News Reporter, The Huffington
Post/January 27/17
This week marks six years since the start of the Egyptian revolution, when 18
days of demonstrations by millions of protesters nationwide ousted autocratic
President Hosni Mubarak from power and ended nearly three decades of his
tyrannical leadership.
But the anniversary of this historic uprising bears little cause for
celebration in
Egyptians’ post-revolutionary hopes for greater freedom were quickly doused as
governance transitioned in 2012 from the military to Mohammed Morsi ―
Morsi was found guilty of crimes that included
ordering the torture and unlawful detention of protesters who opposed his
regime. Human rights group Amnesty International called the verdict the result
of a “sham trial,” and sharply criticized the Egyptian criminal justice system.
Morsi was later sentenced to death, but the sentence
was overturned in Nov. 2015 and he faces retrial.
Since rising to power in 2014, el-Sisi has expanded
an alarming nationwide crackdown on dissent and purported terrorism-related
threats in Egypt, which recently resulted in retired Egyptian soccer icon
Mohamed Aboutrika being added to the country’s
rapidly growing ‘terror list’ over alleged ties to the Muslim Brotherhood. El-Sisi has widened government surveillance abilities and
authorities’ powers as part of his sweeping counterterrorism movement. Public
criticism of his regime remains effectively banned.
Rights groups have documented hundreds of death sentences and unfair trials,
extrajudicial killings of protesters, enforced disappearances and abductions of
journalists and activists, torture of political prisoners, evictions and
building destruction by state officials under el-Sisi’s
leadership.A security official explained one of his
agency’s methods of suppressing dissent to Reuters in January 2016.
“We have taken several measures to ensure activists don’t have breathing space
and are unable to gather, and several cafes and other meeting places have been
closed, while some have been arrested in order to scare the rest,” he said.
Amnesty International has called the unfolding situation an “unprecedented
human rights crisis” in
“Enforced disappearance has become a key instrument of state policy in
In April 2016, el-Sisi, whose failed promise of economic
revival was already causing domestic tensions, announced that
El-Sisi’s internationally condemned fight against
terror was recently fortified by apparent support from newly sworn-in U.S.
President Donald Trump.
While former President Barack Obama strongly denounced post-revolutionary
violence and oppression against Egyptian civilians ― which has included
tens of thousands of detentions and arrests ― the ongoing issue appears,
so far, to be less of a concern for Trump. In a phone call with el-Sisi on Jan. 23, he praised and vowed to back
Cairo has received an annual $1.3 billion in American aid for its armed forces,
but relations between the two countries were deeply strained by Egyptian
military violence against the Muslim Brotherhood and its supporters in August
2013, prompting Obama to cancel joint military exercises.
“We deplore violence against civilians,” said Obama, triggering angry backlash
from
Six years after a revolution that sought greater freedom and liberty for the
Egyptian people following decades of repression, the country is back in the
hands of an autocratic regime, facing a deteriorating human rights crisis.
Luther says responsibility now falls on the international community to
intervene. “All states, particularly EU member states and the
Trump signs "new vetting
measures" to guard against terror
KEN THOMAS and JULIE PACE,Associated Press /January
27/17
WASHINGTON (AP) — Pushing full-speed into international controversies,
President Donald Trump on Friday ordered "new vetting measures" to
keep "radical Islamic terrorists" out of the United States and
alternated tough talk with kind words in his diplomatic standoff with Mexico.
Trump traveled to the Pentagon where he joined Defense
Secretary James Mattis for the signing of an
executive action to bring sweeping changes to the nation's refugee policies and
put in motion his plans to build up the nation's military.
"I'm establishing new vetting measures to keep radical Islamic terrorists
out of the
Joined earlier in the day at the White House by British Prime Minister Theresa
May, Trump reaffirmed the
Trump held firm on another controversy — trade and illegal immigration from
There’s a key difference between the
Hunter Walker/Yahoo News/January 27/17
The White House released what it billed as a “Joint Statement on U.S.-Mexico
Relations” after President Trump and Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto had a telephone call on Friday morning. However,
the version of the statement distributed by the Mexican government contained
one big difference. “The presidents also agreed for now not to speak publicly
on this controversial topic,” the Mexican government statement said, in
Spanish. That line was missing from the American version, which was otherwise
identical.
The statements followed a spat between the two countries that started
Wednesday, when Trump signed an executive order calling for “the immediate
construction of a physical wall on the southern border.” The wall was one of
his signature campaign promises. Trump has repeatedly said that he will get
Peña Nieto then signaled
that he was rethinking a scheduled meeting with Trump next Tuesday. Trump
responded by saying that it might be better to scrap the meeting, and then the
Mexican president did exactly that. Both statements about Friday morning’s call
said that the presidents spoke “for an hour” and that the conversation was
mutually arranged by both of their teams. The two statements also said that the
leaders discussed Trump’s promise to have
Yahoo News has asked both the White House and the Mexican government why the
two statements were different. As of this writing, we have not received
responses from either
Both the White House statement and the Mexican one described the conversation
as “a productive and constructive call regarding the bilateral relationship
between the two countries.” The two statements said that Trump and Peña Nieto discussed “the current trade deficit the United
States has with Mexico, the importance of the friendship between the two nations,
and the need for the two nations to work together to stop drug cartels, drug
trafficking and illegal guns and arms sales.” “Both presidents have instructed
their teams to continue the dialogue to strengthen this important strategic and
economic relationship in a constructive way,” the statements concluded. The
executive order described the planned wall as a “contiguous, physical wall or
other similarly secure, contiguous, and impassable physical barrier.” Trump
held a brief news conference alongside British Prime Minister Theresa May on
Friday to discuss her visit to the White House. Trump took four questions and
then departed, which is customary for joint appearances with presidents and a
foreign leader. As he left, Yahoo News asked if he could describe how the wall
would look. Trump did not respond.
Immigration Priorities: Translators,
and Victims of Genocide
Shoshana Bryen/Gatestone
Institute/January 27/17
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/9848/immigration-translators-genocide
Prioritize two groups from the Middle East: those who have worked for the U.S.
military as translators (and their families); and Middle East Christians who,
according to then-Secretary of State Kerry, were being subjected to genocide in
Syria and Iraq.
In 2008, Congress authorized 20,000 special visas for Iraqis who served the
Of the 10,801 refugees accepted in fiscal 2016 from
Making a concerted effort to bring those two desperately threatened groups to
the
If you want security clearances in the
When discussing visas for people coming to the U.S. from countries with
terrorism issues, it is useful to know what it means to "vet" and why
there is no possibility of vetting (or "extreme vetting," whatever
that means) refugees and potential immigrants who have no links to their former
lives. Vetting -- whether for security clearances or visas -- is all about your
life to this point.
President Trump's executive order halting immigration from seven countries for
30 days -- for a start -- is a reasonable response to the increasing
understanding that people from certain countries can pose more of a security
risk than people from other countries, even when all the countries are
Muslim-majority. The seven are
A "Muslim ban" would be racist, wrong, and a violation of deeply held
American principles; but the claim by the Council on American-Islamic Relations
(CAIR) that visa restrictions are tantamount to slavery and denying women the
right to vote is slanderous, exaggerated, inaccurate and anti-American.
Restrictions -- and post-fact checks -- on people who enter the
In 1979, the U.S. Embassy in
"invalidate all visas issued to Iranian citizens for future entry into the
In 2015, the assistant secretary of state for the Bureau of Consular Affairs
told a House hearing that the
If "vetting" is not possible and American security requirements are
real, is there a way to bring together our historic sympathy for refugees and
historic welcome of immigrants with our reasonable concerns?
Yes.
Prioritize two groups from the Middle East: those who have worked for the
In 2008, Congress authorized 20,000 special visas for Iraqis who served the
"State Department numbers show that an Iraqi applying for a special visa
could expect to wait for 292 business days before hearing back -- and hearing
back may just be another delay or a denial. In
Secretary Kerry described his understanding that Christian women were sold as
sex slaves, and both women and men were massacred in areas of
When a few persecuted Iraqi Christians crossed the border into the
Making a concerted effort to bring those two desperately threatened groups to
the
**Shoshana Bryen is Senior
Director of the Jewish Policy Center.
© 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.
Germany Downplayed Threat of Jihadists
Posing as Migrants
Soeren Kern/Gatestone
Institute/January 27/17
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/9837/germany-migrants-jihadists
More than 400 migrants who entered Germany as asylum seekers in 2015 and 2016 are
being investigated for links to Islamic terrorism, according to the Federal
Criminal Police.
The German experience with jihadists posing as migrants serves as a case study
on errors for other countries to avoid. German authorities allowed hundreds of
thousands of migrants, many lacking documentation, to enter
German authorities knew in early 2015 that Walid Salihi, an 18-year-old Syrian who applied for asylum in
Anis Amri, the Tunisian jihadist who attacked the
Christmas market in
"We have probably forgotten to take into account what political opponents
such as the Islamic State are capable of doing and how they think." —
Rudolf van Hüllen, political scientist.
German political leaders and national security officials knew that Islamic
State jihadists were entering
German officials knew as early as March 2015 — some six months before
Chancellor Angela Merkel opened German borders to more than a million migrants
from the Muslim world — that jihadists were posing as refugees, according to
the Munich Report (Report München), an investigative
journalism program broadcast by ARD public television on January 17.
More than 400 migrants who entered
The revelations come amid criticism of U.S. President Donald J. Trump's plans
to suspend immigration from select countries until mechanisms are in place to
properly vet migrants entering the
Based on leaked documents and interviews with informants, the Munich Report
revealed that German authorities knew in early 2015 that Walid
Salihi, an 18-year-old Syrian who applied for asylum
in
It later emerged that between 2011 and 2015, Salihi
had used seven aliases to apply for asylum not only in
In February 2014, for example, Salihi was arrested
for sexually assaulting women at a discotheque in
On January 7, 2016, Salihi stormed a police station
in the 18th district of Paris while shouting "Allahu
Akbar." He was carrying a butcher knife, an Islamic State flag and was
wearing what appeared to be an explosive belt. Police opened fire and shot him
dead.
A former roommate described Salihi: "He was very
aggressive, especially when it came to religion. To him, all unbelievers were
worthless and had to die."
Salihi was not an isolated case. According to the
Munich Report, in early 2015 American intelligence agencies warned German
authorities that Islamic State jihadists posing as migrants were making their
way through southern Europe with the aim of reaching
The warnings, however, were ignored, and in the summer of 2015, German
authorities allowed hundreds of thousands of migrants, many lacking
documentation, to enter
At the time, leading German security experts insisted that the Islamic State
would not send jihadists to
Münch also said: "If you look at the risks you
face by coming to
Gerhard Schindler, President of the Federal Intelligence Service (Bundesnachrichtendienst) said: "It is unlikely that
terrorists will use the dangerous boat route across the Mediterranean to get to
German political scientist Peter Neumann, who is Director of the International
Centre for the Study of Radicalisation and Political Violence at King's College
in
"There is not a single shred of evidence, proven evidence, that an Islamic
State sympathizer has been smuggled to
Neumann also said:
"In recent weeks there have been a series of Islamic State videos in which
it was quite clearly stated that supporters of the Islamic State should remain
in the Islamic State and that they should not try to emigrate, and that this
active infiltration strategy, about which is sometimes reported, is non-existent."
Less than a month later, on November 13, 2015, Islamic State jihadists, the
majority of whom entered Europe by posing as migrants,
carried out the coordinated
On July 19, 2016, a 17-year-old Afghan asylum seeker seriously injured five
people on a train in
In 2016, the true scale of the German problem of jihadists posing as migrants
began to come into focus:
February 4. German police arrested four members of a cell allegedly planning
jihadist attacks in
February 5. Hans-Georg Maassen, the head of
February 8. German police arrested an alleged Islamic State commander, living
at a refugee shelter in Sankt Johann. The 32-year-old jihadist, posing as a
Syrian asylum seeker, entered
February 29. German authorities admitted they lost track of some 130,000
migrants who entered the country in 2015. The revelation raised concerns that
unaccounted migrants could include jihadists who entered the country posing as
refugees.
June 2. German police arrested three suspected Islamic State members from
June 3. The head of the German police union, Rainer Wendt, said that budget
cuts in the public sector made it impossible to vet all of the migrants coming
into
July 19. A 17-year-old Afghan asylum seeker brandishing an axe and shouting
"Allahu Akbar" seriously injured five
people on a train in Würzburg. The assailant was shot
dead by police after he charged at them with the axe. The teenager had been
placed with a foster family just two weeks before the attack as a reward for
being "well integrated."
July 24. Mohammed Daleel, a 27-year-old migrant from
July 25. The Federal Criminal Police revealed that more than 400 migrants who
entered
September 13. German police arrested three Syrian jihadists in
Schleswig-Holstein and
September 17. Bavarian Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann accused the Federal
Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) of failing to root out potentially
tens of thousands of fake passports. Many migrants who entered
October 10. The BAMF knowingly allowed more than 2,000 asylum seekers with fake
passports to enter
October 27. Public prosecutors charged Shaas Al-M, a
19-year-old Syrian jihadist who arrived in
December 19. At least 12 people were killed and dozens injured after a truck
rammed into a Christmas market in
On January 5, 2017, it emerged that Amri used at
least 14 different identities, which he used to obtain social welfare benefits
under different names in different municipalities.
German political scientist Rudolf van Hüllen
concluded:
"We have probably forgotten to take into account what political opponents
such as the Islamic State are capable of doing and how they think. We have not
tried to understand their mentality, and therefore we have overlooked the fact
that for the Islamic State it was an obvious option to use the safe refugee
routes. This is a quite logical matter."
**Soeren Kern is a Senior Fellow at the New
York-based Gatestone Institute. He is also Senior
Fellow for European Politics at the Madrid-based Grupo
de Estudios Estratégicos /
Strategic Studies Group. Follow him on Facebook and
on Twitter.
© 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.