LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
December 17/2013
Bible Quotation for today/Love for Enemies
Luke 06: 27-36: “But I tell you who hear me: Love
your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray
for those who mistreat you. If anyone hits you on one cheek, let him hit
the other one too; if someone takes your coat, let him have your shirt as well.
Give to everyone who asks you for something, and when someone takes what is
yours, do not ask for it back. Do for others just what you want them to do
for you. “If you love only the people who love you, why should you receive a
blessing? Even sinners love those who love them! And if you do good only
to those who do good to you, why should you receive a blessing? Even sinners do
that! And if you lend only to those from whom you hope to get it back, why
should you receive a blessing? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the
same amount! No! Love your enemies and do good to them; lend and expect
nothing back. You will then have a great reward, and you will be children of the
Most High God. For he is good to the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful just
as your Father is merciful."
Latest analysis, editorials, studies, reports, letters & Releases from miscellaneous sources For December 17/13
DEBKAfile/Israel accepts Lebanese explanation for killing of IDF soldier as one-time incident/December 17/13
Assad and the jihadists are all extremists/ Fayez Sara/Asharq Alawsat/December 17/13
The GCC must adapt to the times/By: Abdullah Al-Otaibi/Asharq Alawsat/December 17/13
Grasping at straws/The
Daily Star/December 17/13
Latest News
Reports From Miscellaneous Sources For December 17/13
Lebanese Related News
Israel opts for restraint in face of Lebanese provocation
UNIFIL: Lebanese soldier acted alone in border shooting
Israeli soldier killed by Lebanese shooter. IDF on high alert calls up reinforcements
Ya'alon: Israel holds Lebanon and its army responsible for killing of IDF soldier
Emergency border meeting after Israeli soldier killed
Soldier, 4 Gunmen Dead as Attacks Involving Suicide Bomber Target Army Checkpoints in Sidon
Israel Says Soldier Killed on Lebanon Border, Fires Retaliatory Shots at General Security Post
Lebanese Soldier Reports for Duty after Deadly Border Shooting
Army Identifies Sidon Attackers, Says 2 Suspects on the Run
Lebanon army says Sidon attacks act of suicide
Charbel Denies Vehicle Gets Through Awwali Checkpoint for Christmas Bombing
Minister Ghazi Aridi Resigns from Cabinet after Being Questioned on Corruption
Linked to Floods
Miqati: Lebanon Needs over Billion Dollars in Aid to Syrian Refugees
Berri Calls for Formation of International Committee to Probe Israeli Espionage Stations
U.N. Says One in Five Lebanon Residents Syria Refugees
FPM Says Hizbullah has No Official Stance over Aoun's Candidacy to Presidency
STL Defense to Adopt Allegations to Highlight 'Flaws' in Probe
Turkish Ambassador Confirms Contacts with Hizbullah
Berri Denies Dispute with Suleiman over Presidential Elections
Jumblat Holds Onto 9-9-6 Formula, Won't Give Cover to De Facto Cabinet
Lebanon judge issues summons for Eid
US Congressional delegation in Beirut
Miscellaneous Reports And News
IDF officer killed in cross-border shooting laid to rest
EU Pledges Readiness to Lift Iran Sanctions Swiftly
Zarif: It is only natural for US lawmakers to be skeptical of Iran nuclear deal
EU to ease sanctions as soon as Iran curbs nuclear work
Iran FM conveys 'discontent' to Kerry over blacklist
White House adviser consulted Israeli officials
28 Children Among 76 Killed by Syria 'Barrel Bombs'
U.S. officials "might" meet Syria's Islamist fighters
U.N. Says Syrian Refugees to Nearly Double by End 2014
EU promises 'unprecedented' aid for Mideast peace
Half of Syria's population has no food security: WFP
Bahrain Ready for Gulf Union, Says King Hamad
Activists Urge Gulf Monarchies to Reform
Morsi Supporters to Boycott Egypt Constitution Vote
Militants Attack City Council as Iraq Unrest Kills 42
South Sudan Says Coup Defeated after Heavy Fighting
Israel opts for restraint in face of Lebanese provocation
http://www.jpost.com/Defense/Israel-opts-for-restraint-in-face-of-Lebanese-provocation-335217
By YAAKOV LAPPIN/12/17/2013/J.Post/All indications are that the gunman who shot
and killed an IDF soldier on the Lebanon border Sunday night, without any
provocation or cause, was a Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) member who acted alone.
Urgent questions remain unanswered: Why did the LAF soldier pull the trigger? If
he was indeed a rogue attacker, how will the LAF deal with him? And why did the
IDF allow St.-Sgt. Maj. Shlomi Cohen, 31, to travel alone near the border in an
unarmored vehicle at night? As the IDF investigates, the incident will serve as
a reminder that the Lebanese border, usually calm and stable since the ceasefire
that ended the 2006 Second Lebanon War, can still produce sudden outbursts of
deadly violence at any time. In today’s increasingly volatile region, such
incidents have the potential to spark a wider escalation, one that could see
Hezbollah and the IDF begin to trade blows. In fact, senior IDF commanders are
seeing large-scale preparations by Hezbollah for its next clash with Israel.
The IDF too is readying itself. Counteracting the explosive risks are
stabilizing factors. First among them is Israeli deterrence, which remains in
place, based on the enemy’s understanding of the devastating firepower the IDF
can employ. To bolster this deterrence, IDF units on the northern border have
been given enough flexibility to respond immediately and forcefully to attacks
against them. Additionally, the IDF’s methodical decision-making process, based
on a careful assessment of the situation, helps prevent knee-jerk reactions.
That Hezbollah remains neckdeep in sectarian Shi’ite-Sunni fighting in Syria and
faces growing numbers of attacks on its home court of Lebanon suggest it stands
little to gain from opening up a second front against Israel. Therefore, its
involvement in Sunday’s incident appears unlikely. For these reasons, the IDF
chose to respond with restraint. (The shots fired by IDF soldiers soon after the
initial shooting were in response to suspicious border activity and did not
constitute retaliation.) The restraint is a reflection of the fact that it is
not in either side’s interest to escalate. This is especially true for the LAF,
which, militarily speaking, is weak and would stand to lose a great deal in any
clash with Israel. Another stabilizing factor lies in the regular meetings by
IDF officials with the LAF, as well as with representatives of the UN Interim
Force In Lebanon (UNIFIL) to discuss border security. The talks are aimed at
trying to prevent unnecessary developments. The security dialogue will now
enable the IDF to demand firm answers from the Lebanese military and, no less
importantly, to deliver a clear warning that any repeat will jeopardize the
border’s stability in the future.
Israel accepts Lebanese explanation for killing of IDF soldier as “one-time” incident
DEBKAfile Special Report December 16, 2013/Israeli and Lebanese liaison officers
met with UNIFIL Monday, Dec. 16, to clarify the circumstances in which a
Lebanese soldier Sunday shot dead Navy Master Sgt. Shlomi Cohen, 31, from Afula,
while he was driving past the northern Israeli town of Rosh Hanikra. At
the end of the meeting, the Israel Defense Forces officers appeared ready to
accept the Lebanese explanation that a member of its armed forces acted on his
own initiative and “did not consult his station before carrying out the attack,”
claiming it was a one-time incident. The soldier, they said, had been taken to
the Defense Ministry offices in Beirut for interrogation. DEBKAfile: The
Lebanese account of the incident did not clear up the questions surrounding the
attack, although Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon insisted earlier Monday that
Israel would demand explanations of how it happened, whether it was a “rogue”
attack and how the soldier was being disciplined. The minister wanted to hear
what the Lebanese army was doing to prevent this sort of incident recurring. Our
military sources stress that Israel’s willingness to be fobbed off with lame
Lebanese explanations is bound to have a negative effect on its posture of
deterrence, broadcasting weakness in the face of its avowed enemies Iran,
Hizballah, and Syria – especially since this was the second shooting attack from
Lebanon in three days. Thursday, Dec. 12, cross-border gunfire at Israeli
soldiers by another Lebanese soldier who apparently “forgot to consult” his
superiors, was allowed to go without response, with the IDF spokesman speaking
vaguely of “errant fire from Lebanese huntsmen” - although a fierce rainstorm
was raging at the time.
Our sources report that the US, the UN and France, turned the heat on Jerusalem
during the day to prevent the military encounter across the Israeli-Lebanese
border from escalating into a major clash.
Israel for its part was mum about the details of the event. The IDF avoided
disclosing why and who was responsible for the late Master Sgt Shlomi Cohen
being ordered to turn around on his way home to Afula and take on an undisclosed
mission along the Lebanese border, without being properly equipped.
The first DEBKAfile report on the attack appeared Sunday..
The IDF confirmed Sunday night, Dec. 15 that an Israeli soldier, The soldier,
Navy Master Sgt. Shlomi Cohen, 31, from Afula, was killed in the Rosh Hanikra
region opposite Ras Naqoura when a Lebanese soldier fired on his vehicle. The
military spokesman earlier reported the Lebanese soldier had fired 6-10 rounds,
after which Lebanese soldiers poured into the area. The spokesman said Israel
takes a grave view of the incident and has summoned reinforcements to the border
region. “We are ready for any step and reserve the right to retaliate at the
right place and time,” he said.
The Lebanese army announced that “contact was lost with a Lebanese soldier,”
believed to be the sniper,without explaining whether the soldier was thought to
have been captured by Israel or fled. Also claimed was that an IDF patrol had
crossed into Lebanon and was fired on by Lebanese troops, after which Israel air
force planes flew over southern Lebanon.
In another incident in the Sidon area further north, two Lebanese military
positions or checkpoints were attacked. A Lebanese soldier and four attackers
were killed. In one attack, a suicide bomber blew himself up. Both took place in
the al-Awwali district of northern Sidon, at the same time as the flare-up on
the Israeli border further south. Heavy Lebanese military movements were sighted
after the attacks. The Jund Al-Sham and other Al Qaeda-linked organizations in
the Palestinian refugee camp of Ain Hilwa outside Sidon went on a high state of
preparedness.
The IDF is investigating to find out if the Lebanese soldier who attacked the
Israeli patrol was connected with the Sidon assailants. DEBKAfile’s military and
counterterrorism sources say that if the two events turn out to be connected, it
would constitute a coordinated attack by the same terrorist group on the IDF
across the Israeli border and the Lebanese army in southern Lebanon. Before
midnight Sunday, the UNIFIL spokesman reported a serious incident in the Ras al-Naqoura
and Serra sectors and called for restraint by Israeli and Lebanese commanders.
He gave no details of the incident.
UNIFIL: Lebanese soldier acted alone in border shooting
December 16, 2013/The Daily Star
BEIRUT: UNIFIL said Monday the Lebanese soldier who shot and killed an Israeli
soldier acted alone in the fatal border incident, after an extraordinary
tripartite meeting between senior military officials from both sides to ease
tensions. “All the circumstances of this incident are not clear at this time,
but preliminary findings indicate that it was an individual action by a soldier
in contravention of the existing operational rules and procedures,” Maj. Gen.
Paolo Serra, head of the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon, said. “At this stage it
is imperative that UNIFIL’s investigation in cooperation with the parties, and
in particular with the LAF [Lebanese Army], is concluded as soon as possible,”
he added, according to UNIFIL statement. His remarks came after Serra convened
an emergency meeting with senior Lebanese and Israeli military officers at the
U.N. headquarters in Ras Naqoura. U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon Derek
Plumbly also attended and addressed the meeting on behalf of the UN
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. A Lebanese soldier opened fire on an Israeli
patrol on the Lebanese-Israeli border Sunday night, killing an Israeli soldier,
a security source told The Daily Star. According to UNIFIL statement, the
tripartite meeting was aimed at establishing the circumstances surrounding the
incident on Lebanon’s southern border “in order to fully restore the cessation
of hostilities and to discuss measures to prevent such incidents from
reoccurring.” Serra who described the shooting as grave said he stressed at the
meeting that the event “must remain an isolated incident.” “We discussed
concrete steps to strengthen the existing security arrangements along the Blue
Line,” he added. The UNIFIL commander also said he was encouraged by the
discussion at the meeting and the way the two parties approached the issue and
that the two affirmed their full commitment to the cessation of hostilities.
“In this context, the parties emphasized their interest in preserving calm and
stability along the Blue Line and pledged to work with UNIFIL to strengthen
security arrangements to this end,” he said. “I have been engaged with my
counterparts on both sides throughout the developments following the incident
and I was encouraged by the full cooperation I received from them in restoring
calm in the area,” he added. “Liaison and coordination have proven again to be
vital in such dangerous situations and an essential mechanism to de-conflict the
situation following any incident.”Earlier Monday, Plumbly met with caretaker
Prime Minister Najib Mikati at the Grand Serail.
Ban condemned the shooting close to the Blue Line and stated that UNIFIL along
with both armies were cooperating to determine the circumstances of the
incident.
In a statement, Ban also reminded the Lebanese Army of its responsibilities
under Security Council Resolution 1701 and strongly urged both sides to exercise
restraint.
Meanwhile, Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon held the Lebanese government
and the Lebanese Army responsible for the death of the Israeli soldier.
“We will demand that the Lebanese army first of all provide an explanation of
exactly what happened there, and whether this is really a rogue soldier, what
they did with him, and what the Lebanese army plans to do to prevent incidents
of this type," Yaalon said. The Israeli Army identified the soldier as Shlomi
Cohen. 31. Israeli army spokeswoman Lt. Libby Weiss said Israeli forces
identified "suspicious movement" along the border just after midnight, and shot
two members of Lebanon’s Army. She said the shooting occurred near the place
where Cohen was killed. Weiss had no details about the condition of the Lebanese
soldiers. The Lebanese Army said eight Israeli warplanes entered Lebanon's
airspace at 9:30 a.m. and conducted aerial maneuvers above various Lebanese
areas. The planes left above Naqoura at 11:30 a.m. The aerial activity coincided
with Israeli patrols along the border. U.N. peacekeepers and Lebanese soldiers
also patrolled the Blue Line Monday while UNIFIL helicopters conducted routine
overflights over the demarcation line.
Soldier, 4 Gunmen Dead as Attacks Involving Suicide
Bomber Target Army Checkpoints in Sidon
Naharnet Newsdesk 15 December 2013/Near-simultaneous attacks on
two army checkpoints in Sidon – one of them involving a suicide bomber – left a
soldier and four gunmen dead on Sunday evening.
In the first attack, an unidentified attacker hurled a hand grenade at an army
checkpoint on Sidon's northern entrance in the al-Awwali area, prompting troops
to retaliate, which left a gunman dead and a soldier wounded. According to LBCI
television, the army scoured the groves that lie near the al-Awwali checkpoint
and closed the road for a while. Soon after the army intensified its patrols in
the area, another attack targeted one of its checkpoints in the Sidon suburb of
Majdelyoun. State-run National News Agency said three gunmen attacked the
checkpoint at the Majdelyoun-Bqosta intersection, noting that one of them blew
himself up while the other two were killed by troops. “At 9:15 p.m., an armed
man crossed the Lebanese Army’s checkpoint in al-Awwali, north of Sidon, and
hurled a hand grenade at it,” an army statement said late Sunday. “The incident
left two soldiers wounded and troops fired back at the aforementioned person,
which resulted in his death,” the statement added. “And at around 10:00 p.m., an
Envoy-type SUV carrying three gunmen arrived at the army checkpoint in Sidon’s
Majdelyoun and one of them left the vehicle and blew himself up with a hand
grenade, which resulted in his death and led to the martyrdom of a soldier and
the wounding of another,” said the statement, adding that “the checkpoint’s
members opened fire at the other two gunmen and killed them.” The army noted
that a military expert inspected the car for explosives and that a probe was
launched into the incident under the supervision of the relevant judicial
authorities. At dawn, the army issued a statement identifying the slain soldier
as Sergeant Samer Youssef Rizk. Meanwhile, al-Jadeed television said “the car
that targeted the army in Sidon is registered in the name of Mohammed al-Zarif,
a member of the group of Moein Abu Dahr, the suicide bomber who blew himself up
at the Iranian embassy” in Beirut. MTV said the four gunmen killed by the army
are “a Lebanese from the al-Zarif family, two Palestinians from the al-Sayyed
and al-Mir families while the fourth is still unidentified.” LBCI said the
unidentified attacker was one of fugitive cleric Ahmed al-Asir’s supporters.
“After a bomb technician examined the bodies in Majdelyoun, it turned out that
one of them was wearing a suicide vest,” Future TV said earlier on Sunday. Later
on Sunday, the TV network said “the army has reopened the road in the al-Awwali
area and is staging armored patrols” across Sidon.
Army Identifies Sidon Attackers, Says
2 Suspects on the Run
Naharnet Newsdesk 16 December 2013/The army identified on Monday the assailants
of one of the attacks on the military in the southern city of Sidon, saying
however that two suspects have escaped. A communique said that three suspects
were passing on foot through a checkpoint at al-Awwali bridge at Sidon's
entrance at 9:00 pm Sunday when a soldier asked for their identification papers.
One of the suspects, who remains unidentified, threatened him with a grenade,
which blew up when the soldier opened fire on him, it said. The suspect was
killed and two soldiers at the checkpoint were injured, the army statement said.
Soldiers found in his pocket another grenade, which was defused by the military
expert. The other two suspects were able to escape, the communique said, adding
investigation is underway to find out their ties with another attack that took
place in Sidon 45 minutes later. The assault in the Majdelyoun area at 9:45 pm
came after the army erected a checkpoint there following the first attack. The
army communique said that Bahaeddine Mohammed al-Sayyed, a Palestinian, got off
an Envoy four-wheeler and blew himself up after embracing Sergeant Samer Rizk.
Al-Sayyed and Rizk were killed and a soldier was injured. Two other suspects,
who were in the Envoy, also died when members of the checkpoint opened fire on
them. The communique identified them as Lebanese Mohammed Jamil al-Zarif and
Ibrahim Ibrahim al-Mir. Soldiers found in their vehicle a suicide belt, three
hand grenades and 23 detonators, the communique added. State Commissioner to the
Military Court Judge Saqr Saqr tasked on Monday the military police, the army
intelligence and forensic experts with carrying out the investigation into the
assaults.
Top Officials Defend Army as 'Shield'
of Lebanon's Sovereignty after Sidon Attacks
Naharnet Newsdesk 16 December 2013/Lebanese leaders condemned on
Monday the attacks on the army in the southern city of Sidon, defending the
military as the shield of security and sovereignty and calling for unity with
it.
President Michel Suleiman condemned the attacks as “terrorist crimes,” saying
they came “at a time the Lebanese are looking to the army in all regions as the
guarantor of security, stability and civil peace.”
A presidential statement said Suleiman was in contact with officials “to take
all measures to fight terrorism.” He also urged the Lebanese to be united. An
army communique said three suspects were passing on foot through a checkpoint at
al-Awwali bridge at Sidon's entrance at 9:00 pm Sunday when a soldier asked for
their identification papers. One of the suspects threatened him with a grenade,
which blew up when the soldier opened fire on him, it said. The suspect was
killed and two soldiers at the checkpoint were injured. The other two suspects
escaped.
Forty five minutes later, a Palestinian blew himself up near an army checkpoint
in the Majdelyoun area, killing himself and a sergeant, and wounding a soldier.
Two other Lebanese suspects, who were in the Envoy four-wheeler carrying them,
also died when members of the checkpoint opened fire on them.
“We condemn these two terrorist attacks … that targeted the military
institution, which defends Lebanon and the Lebanese, and constitutes the shield
of sovereignty and independence,” Caretaker Premier Najib Miqati said in a
statement. He appealed for support to the army and the rest of the security
forces, saying “no one should be allowed to tamper with security and target the
role of the military institution.” Prime Minister-designate Tammam Salam also
issued a condemnation statement, calling for a “swift” probe to find the
collaborators of the dead suspects and punish them. “The army was and will
always be the defensive structure of Lebanon and the Lebanese, and the guarantor
of their security and stability,” he said in a statement.
“Any attack on its members under any circumstance is a bald assault on the
Lebanese people and the entire nation,” he said. Salam urged the Lebanese, in
general, and Sidon residents, in particular, to “support the army and facilitate
its mission” to stop those plotting to harm the institution and cause a gap
between it and the people.
Al-Mustaqbal movement leader Saad Hariri said the attacks
were at the top of the list of “chaos.”
The former premier called for unity with the army, saying it was “the duty of
every citizen who believes in the state and the role of the military institution
to be in solidarity with it.”“Sidon will not allow under any circumstance to be
dragged again to a confrontation with the Lebanese army,” he said.He was
referring to bloody clashes between supporters of Salafist cleric Sheikh Ahmed
al-Asir and the military in the coastal city last June.
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea also condemned the “blatant” attack against
troops, considering that Sunday's events reassert that weapons must be
exclusively in the hands of the state.
"The state must be the only party allowed to use arms on Lebanese territories,”
Geagea said in a released statement. He added that the state must also
"coercively" prevent putting security and social conditions at risk, “to avoid
an aggravation of the Lebanese people's misery.” "The possession and the
use of arms trigger people to get armed and soldiers and the Lebanese are paying
the price.”
Meanwhile, Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi considered that “attacks against
the military institution are attacks against the entire Lebanese entity.”
Israeli soldier killed by Lebanese shooter. IDF on high alert calls up reinforcements
DEBKAfile Special Report December 16, 2013/The IDF
confirmed Sunday night, Dec. 15 that an Israeli soldier, The soldier, Navy
Master Sgt. Shlomi Cohen, 31, from Afula, was killed in the Rosh Hanikra region
opposite Ras Naqoura when a Lebanese soldier fired on his vehicle. The military
spokesman earlier reported the Lebanese soldier had fired 6-10 rounds, after
which Lebanese soldiers poured into the area. The spokesman said Israel takes a
grave view of the incident and has summoned reinforcements to the border region.
“We are ready for any step and reserve the right to retaliate at the right place
and time,” he said.
The Lebanese army announced that “contact was lost with a Lebanese soldier,”
believed to be the sniper,without explaining whether the soldier was thought to
have been captured by Israel or fled. Also claimed was that an IDF patrol had
crossed into Lebanon and was fired on by Lebanese troops, after which Israel air
force planes flew over southern Lebanon. In another incident in the Sidon area
further north, two Lebanese military positions or checkpoints were attacked. A
Lebanese soldier and four attackers were killed. In one attack, a suicide bomber
blew himself up. Both took place in the al-Awwali district of northern Sidon, at
the same time as the flare-up on the Israeli border further south. Heavy
Lebanese military movements were sighted after the attacks. The Jund Al-Sham and
other Al Qaeda-linked organizations in the Palestinian refugee camp of Ain Hilwa
outside Sidon went on a high state of preparedness. The IDF is investigating to
find out if the Lebanese soldier who attacked the Israeli patrol was connected
with the Sidon assailants. debkafile’s military and counterterrorism sources say
that if the two events turn out to be connected, it would constitute a
coordinated attack by the same terrorist group on the IDF across the Israeli
border and the Lebanese army in southern Lebanon. Before midnight Sunday, the
UNIFIL spokesman reported a serious incident in the Ras al-Naqoura and Serra
sectors and called for restraint by Israeli and Lebanese commanders. He gave no
details of the incident.
Israel Says Soldier Killed on Lebanon
Border, Fires Retaliatory Shots at General Security Post
Naharnet Newsdesk 15 December 2013/A Lebanese soldier opened fire
Sunday at an Israeli vehicle in the Naqoura border area, killing an Israeli
soldier, in an incident whose circumstances are still unclear.
And at around 1:00 a.m. Monday, LBCI television said the Israeli army retaliated
by opening fire at the Lebanese General Security post at the Ras al-Naqoura
border crossing. The Israeli army "officially confirms that an IDF soldier was
shot while driving along the Israeli-Lebanese border, near Rosh Hanikra," the
Israeli army said in a statement early Monday. "The soldier was treated at the
scene and was then evacuated to a hospital. He later died of his wounds," it
added. "Initial inquiry confirmed that the sniper is a member of the Lebanese
Armed Forces," it said. The incident has not been confirmed by the Lebanese
army. The Israeli military statement said that Israel had protested to the
United Nations peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon. "The IDF has protested
this outrageous breach of Israel's sovereignty with UNIFIL and has heightened
its state of preparedness along the border," it said. "We will not tolerate
aggression against the state of Israel and maintain the right to exercise
self-defense," it added. The Israeli military earlier said that a Lebanese
soldier had opened fire on an Israeli civilian vehicle near the Mediterranean
border crossing at Rosh Hanikra. Lebanon's National News Agency said “a Lebanese
army force opened fire at an Israeli unit on the border, near the Naqoura
crossing.”
Lebanese TV networks, including al-Manar, and Arab televisions, including
Al-Jazeera and Al-Arabiya, said an Israeli soldier was killed in the shooting.
Al-Manar said an Israeli force tried to infiltrate Lebanese
territory in Naqoura, sparking a clash with the Lebanese army. The TV network
said a single soldier opened fire and that “contact with him was lost.” A
military source told MTV that “there are no clashes between the Lebanese army
and Israeli army and the situation is under control."Quoting its correspondent
in Jerusalem, MTV said "a Lebanese soldier opened fire at a civilian car that
was on the Israeli side of the border, killing an Israeli navy officer who was
in it." Later on Sunday, NNA said the Lebanese and Israeli armies were both on
alert on the border and that an Israeli surveillance drone was flying at low
altitude over Ras al-Naqoura. The Israeli newspaper the Jerusalem Post said that
according to a preliminary Israeli army assessment, the shots were fired by "a
soldier form the Lebanese Armed Forces who apparently was acting alone." "Six to
seven shots were fired at a vehicle, which was located on a road adjacent to the
electronic border fence with Lebanon," the newspaper said.
"We are sending messages to the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL)
regarding the severity of this incident. There is no indication that an
infiltration into our territory occurred," it quoted an Israeli army source as
saying. "The IDF is prepared in the North," he warned. According to the
newspaper, the shooting occurred at around 9:00 p.m. and "immediately
afterwards, Lebanese soldiers were seen gathering on their side of the border."
"The IDF has launched an investigation into the cross-border shooting," it said.
Yedioth Ahronoth said the army was probing the border incident “which may have
been criminally motivated” and that “Air Force planes are searching the area for
infiltrators.” UNIFIL spokesperson Andrea Tinenti said that his force was
informed about a "serious" border incident and was trying to establish the
facts. "The situation is ongoing and the UNIFIL force commander is in contact
with counterparts, urging restraint," he told Agence France Presse. On Thursday,
the Israeli army said that shots were fired across the frontier by what it
called Lebanese "hunters". No casualties were reported. In August, four Israeli
soldiers on patrol were wounded in a blast 400 meters inside Lebanese territory,
the Lebanese army and a U.N. peacekeeper in the border region said.
Lebanese Soldier Reports for Duty after Deadly Border
Shooting
Naharnet Newsdesk 16 December 2013/A Lebanese soldier, who went
missing after a shooting on an Israeli army unit on Sunday night, has returned
to his post, the state-run National News Agency reported. NNA and Voice of
Lebanon radio (93.3) said that the soldier reported to duty in Naqoura on Monday
morning after hiding in a bush throughout the night. The Israeli army said in a
statement on Sunday that an Israeli soldier was killed by a “Lebanese army
sniper” near the Naqoura border post. It identified the dead soldier as Shlomi
Cohen, 31, from the northern Israeli city of Afula. The Lebanese army has not
yet issued a communique to confirm whether the soldier had opened fire on the
Israeli unit. Lt. Col. Peter Lerner, an Israeli army spokesman, said Israel had
protested "this outrageous breach of Israel's sovereignty" with U.N.
peacekeeping forces and heightened its state of preparedness. "We will not
tolerate aggression against the state of Israel, and maintain the right to
exercise self-defense against perpetrators of attacks against Israel and its
civilians," he said. U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said in statement that
both sides were "cooperating with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon to
ascertain the facts.” He “reminded the Lebanese Armed Forces of their
responsibilities under Security Council resolution 1701 and strongly urged both
sides to exercise restraint.”Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon said Israel
would be meeting with UNIFIL to request an explanation from the Lebanese army
about whether the soldier acted on his own, without orders, and what the
Lebanese army would do to prevent such incidents in the future.
Interior Minister Marwan Charbel Denies Vehicle Gets
Through Awwali Checkpoint for Christmas Bombing
Naharnet Newsdesk 16 December 2013/Caretaker Interior Minister
Marwan Charbel denied a report on Monday that a suspicious car was able to cross
the Lebanese army's checkpoint in the southern city of Sidon following a clash.
In remarks to Voice of Lebanon (100.5), Charbel said: “No suspicious vehicle
crossed al-Awwali” bridge. “These are just information and the
investigation hasn't yet produced any result,” he said.
His denial came after al-Liwaa daily reported that the driver of a vehicle to be
used in bomb attacks was able to cross the military checkpoint at al-Awwali
bridge at the northern entrance of Sidon.
The newspaper quoted sources as saying that the clash between the members of the
checkpoint and a gunman on Sunday night helped the driver pass by them to use
the car in an attack during Christmas.
The army said in a communique that an attacker hurled a hand grenade at the
checkpoint, prompting troops to retaliate, which left the gunman dead and two
soldiers wounded. An Nahar newspaper said the armed man was riding a
four-wheeler. Neither the army nor An Nahar confirmed whether there were other
suspects in other vehicles. MTV said the army was on Monday carrying out a raids
to arrest several suspects involved in the Awwali attack. In a near simultaneous
attack, an Envoy-type SUV carrying three gunmen arrived at the army checkpoint
in Sidon’s Majdelyoun area and one of them left the vehicle and blew himself up
with a hand grenade, the army said. The suspect and a soldier were killed, and
another wounded, the communique said. The checkpoint’s members opened fire at
the other two gunmen and killed them, the army added.
An Nahar said that the Envoy was registered in the name of Salafist cleric
Sheikh Ahmed al-Asir, who has gone into hiding since the June clashes between
his supporters and the army in Sidon.
STL Defense to Adopt Allegations to Highlight 'Flaws' in
Probe
Naharnet Newsdesk 16 December 2013/The Defense Office of the
Special Tribunal for Lebanon is set to include allegations by Bo Astrom to
highlight the “flaws in the international investigation.” An Nahar newspaper
reported on Monday that the Astom's claims will be a rich material for the
defense office, which will focus on the flaws of the investigation and to thwart
off the theories adopted by Prosecutor Norman Farrell. Suspect Mustafa
Badreddine's lead counsel Antoine Korkmaz told An Nahar newspaper published on
Monday that the “defense office will highlight the matter without any
reservations when the trials kick off.” Astrom, a veteran Swedish police
investigator who worked under former chief U.N. investigator Detlev Mehlis in
the case of the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, told
al-Jadeed television last week that Brigadier General Wissam al-Hasan was absent
from Hariri's convoy on the day of the assassination. Hasan, chief of the
Intelligence Bureau of the Internal Security Forces, who was assassinated in
2012, had never before been absent from escorting ex-PM Hariri, the report said.
Astrom considered the behavior as “suspicious.” The investigator said that
“Hasan informed investigators that he wasn't with the convoy because he had to
take a University exam, who wasn't convinced by the alibi. Astrom added that
Hasan informed his replacement to take the new route. However, Mehlis later on
refuted the report, saying that Astrom's allegations were not true and Hasan
wasn't a suspect. In 2011, it indicted four Hizbullah members,Mustafa Amin
Badreddine, Salim Jamil Ayyash, Hussein Hassan Oneissi, and Assad Hassan Sabra,
were indicted in the attack. A fifth Hizbullah suspect, Hassan Habib Merhi, was
indicted in 2013. The STL was set up to tackle the 2005 assassination of former
Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. The trial kicks off at The Hague on January 16,
2014. It will commence at 9:30 CET with opening statements by the Prosecutor,
the Legal Representatives of the Victims participating in the proceedings, as
well as opening statements, if any, for the Defense. The STL Trial Chamber also
announced that there will be a Pre-Trial Conference starting at 10:30a.m. CET on
January 9, 2014.
Transportation and Public Works Minister Ghazi Aridi
Resigns from Cabinet after Being Questioned on Corruption Linked to Floods
Naharnet Newsdesk 16 December 2013/Caretaker Transportation and
Public Works Minister Ghazi Aridi announced on Monday his resignation from
government in light of recent corruption allegations. He said during a press
conference that he will “cease his caretaker role from cabinet and take a break
from politics.”Earlier on Monday, Financial Prosecutor Judge Ali Ibrahim
questioned Aridi over allegations of corruption after a spat with caretaker
Finance Minister Mohammed Safadi. The state-run National News Agency said Aridi
briefed Ibrahim on the details of a press conference he made earlier this month
to accuse Safadi of withholding funds from his ministry for road maintenance in
an effort to pressure him into approving a construction violation by the finance
minister. But Safadi has denied the allegations in remarks to several local TV
stations. He accused Aridi of launching a political campaign against him. The
finance ministry said in a statement on Thursday that it was coordinating with
the financial prosecutor. Ibrahim has asked Safadi “to provide him with
information pertaining to the finance ministry and nothing else,” it said in a
statement. It was not clear when the prosecutor would question Safadi. Aridi's
accusations came after rainwater caused floods in Beirut streets, leaving
thousands of motorists stranded for hours.
Safadi shrugged off the accusations that the finance ministry was responsible
for the failure to perform maintenance on sewage networks. Later commenting on
the affair during his press conference, Aridi said: “The finance ministry has
nothing to do with the flooding in Beirut.” “I did not make baseless accusations
linked to this case,” he added. He also revealed that conflicting reports had
been made by the concerned authorities and companies over whether the rain
drains had been cleaned ahead of the advent of winter. Moreover, he said that he
was subject to “a lot of forms of pressure” over the corruption file, including
suggestions to dismiss the issue.
“The truth in this affair should not be lost and the people's interests should
be preserved,” stressed Aridi.
Berri Calls for Formation of International Committee to
Probe Israeli Espionage Stations
Naharnet Newsdesk 16 December 2013/Speaker Nabih Berri urged on Monday the
International Telecommunication Union to form a committee to investigate the
newly established Israeli spying stations along its border with Lebanon. “The
newly Israeli aggression is a campaign to spy on the Lebanese, the embassies and
international organizations in the country,” Berri said during a meeting with
caretaker Telecom Minister Nicolas Sehnaoui and the secretary general of the
International Telecommunication Union Hamadoun Touré. For his part Touré
acknowledged “Lebanon's rights,” vowing to follow up the matter and take the
necessary decisions in this regard.
Berri also reiterated before Touré that Israel has never paid Lebanon
compensations, which were decided by the International Telecommunication Union.
Touré said that “the matter is linked to the constant Israeli struggle with the
international legitimacy.” In November a large-scale meeting was held at the
parliament to brief foreign diplomats and Lebanese politicians on the recently
established Israeli spying stations. Israel recently installed spying stations
along its border with Lebanon, starting from al-Naqoura passing by Khayyam all
the way to Sheba, in addition to Mount Hermon (Jabal al-Sheikh). Syria's Mount
Hermon, near the border with Lebanon, is occupied by Israel. The espionage
station includes advanced equipment that enable Israel to monitor Hasbaya,
Arqoub, Rashaya, the Bekaa and several areas in eastern Lebanon mountain range.
The biggest espionage station is allegedly erected in al-Abbad and Jan al-Alam
areas, which are located near the U.N. demarcated Blue line. Israel's recent
installation of espionage stations along its border with Lebanon angered several
politicians as the parliamentary telecommunications committee vowed in a meeting
earlier this month to confront the matter. Several media reports said that
Lebanon is expected to file a complaint to the United Nations Security Council
over the issue.
Miqati: Lebanon Needs over Billion Dollars in Aid to Syrian Refugees
Naharnet Newsdesk 16 December 2013/Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Miqati
reiterated on Monday Lebanon's plea to the international community to continue
supporting the country in harboring Syrian refugees, while demanding that it is
in need of more aid that exceeds a billion dollars. He said that Lebanon needs
around 1.850 billion dollars. He made the announcement during the launch of the
sixth report on the Lebanese government's plan to tackle the repercussions of
the Syrian crisis at the Grand Serail. The additional funds would be dedicated
to Syrian refugees in Lebanon, Palestinian refugees who fled their camps in
Syria to Lebanon, the Lebanese residing in Syria who fled the country to
Lebanon, and the Lebanese areas that are harboring all of these refugees,
explained Miqati. The funds would be aimed at providing the refugees with
sufficient social protection.
They would also be used to meet their most pressing humanitarian needs, he
added. These funds would help offer stability at these communities and build
bridges between the displaced and the Lebanese areas that have taken them in, he
remarked. “The Syrian crisis and remains a global issue, but its repercussions
have affected Lebanon,” he said. “The Lebanese government and people have
presented aid to the Syrian refugees beyond their means and they are still
offering this aid, making Lebanon an example of a state that has fulfilled its
humanitarian role towards the displaced,” he stressed. “We hope that you will
continue on backing this example,” he said addressing the audience that included
U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon Derek Plumbly, European Union Ambassador to
Lebanon Angelina Eichhorst, Deputy Special Representative for Lebanon and U.N.
Resident Coordinator Robert Watkins, and a number of Arab and foreign
ambassadors. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees said Monday that
one of five people living in Lebanon are refugees who have fled the conflict in
neighboring Syria,
The UNHCR says there are more than 842,000 Syrian refugees in Lebanon but the
actual figure could be even higher, Lebanese authorities believe.An additional
52,000 Palestinians who were living in Syria have also taken refuge
in Lebanon, the U.N.'s refugee agency said. The UNHCR figures do not include
hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees who have been living in Lebanon
for decades, most of them in insalubrious camps across the country. Lebanese
authorities have refused to set up official camps for refugees from Syria. Many
live in hundreds of unofficial tent settlements across the country, mainly on
Lebanon's northern and eastern peripheries
U.N. Says One in Five Lebanon
Residents Syria Refugees
Naharnet Newsdesk 16 December 2013/One of five people living in
Lebanon are refugees who have fled the conflict in neighboring Syria, the United
Nations High Commissioner for Refugees said Monday.
The UNHCR says there are more than 842,000 Syrian refugees in Lebanon but the
actual figure could be even higher, Lebanese authorities believe. An additional
52,000 Palestinians who were living in Syria have also taken refuge in Lebanon,
the U.N.'s refugee agency said. The UNHCR figures do not include hundreds of
thousands of Palestinian refugees who have been living in Lebanon for decades,
most of them in insalubrious camps across the country. One in five residents of
Lebanon is a refugee coming from Syria, the UNHCR said, adding: "They live in
1,588 locations." Lebanese authorities have refused to set up official camps for
refugees from Syria. Many live in hundreds of unofficial tent settlements across
the country, mainly on Lebanon's northern and eastern peripheries. Better-off
refugees rent apartments in towns and cities, but face exorbitant rents.
The UNHCR said "30 percent live in substandard shelters" and 72 percent are "in
need of continued humanitarian assistance." The refugee crisis is also impacting
Lebanon's population by stretching the country's resources, the agency said,
putting the number of Lebanese affected by the influx at 1.2 million. Of the
Syrian refugees, 280,000 are children of school age, only 130,000 children of
whom have been provided with education services, the UNHCR said. Lebanon is
hosting the highest number of refugees from Syria, while more than a million
others have fled to Jordan and Turkey. On Monday, the UNHCR said the number of
Syrian refugees in the Middle East will nearly double over the next year to
exceed four million, putting an enormous strain on neighboring countries. The
refugee crisis has brought serious economic and political challenges to Lebanon,
where there are regular clashes linked to the war in Syria. Lebanon is sharply
divided over the war in Syria, whose regime dominated the small Mediterranean
country militarily and politically for 30 years until 2005.
Source/Agence France
FPM Says Hizbullah has No Official
Stance over Aoun's Candidacy to Presidency
Naharnet Newsdesk 16 December 2013/Change and Reform bloc MP
Alain Aoun denied on Monday that Hizbullah officially named Free Patriotic
Movement leader MP Michel Aoun to run for presidential post.
He said in comments to Voice of Lebanon radio (100.5) that “the party has no
official stance over the nomination of FPM leader for the presidency.” Earlier
on Monday, al-Akhbar newspaper quoted a prominent source in Hizbullah that the
“party and its ally AMAL movement are convinced that there is no other candidate
but Aoun.”The source pointed out that “vacuum at the presidency post is a
serious option,” describing those who believe that the matter is a maneuver as
“delusional.” “Vacuum at the presidency post is a better option than extending
the term of Suleiman or electing a weak Christian,” the source added. For his
part, FPM caretaker Culture Minister Gaby Layyoun told Voice of Lebanon radio
(93.3) that the party rejects any attempts to extend the term of Suleiman.
“Vacuum (at the post) is a better option,” the minister said. Suleiman's
six-year term ends in May 2014 but there are fears that differences between the
rival March 8 and 14 alliances would lead to a further clash among the MPs and
prevent them from heading to parliament to elect a new president. The
constitutional period to elect a new head of state begins on March 25, two
months prior to the expiration of Suleiman’s mandate. Last week, Aoun said in an
interview with MTV channel that he's “not a candidate for the presidency unless
the MPs want that.”
Turkish Ambassador Confirms Contacts with Hizbullah
Naharnet Newsdesk 16 December 2013/Turkish ambassador to Lebanon Inan Ozeldiz
revealed on Monday that his country has steady contacts with Hizbullah, saying
that the fate of the two kidnapped Orthodox bishops, who were seized in northern
Syria in April. “We don't agree with Hizbullah regarding the situation in Syria
but it's a Lebanese party and we take it's point of view into consideration,”
the ambassador said in comments published in As Safir newspaper. He noted that
Turkey discusses with Hizbullah the situation in Lebanon and the region and the
different points of view regarding Syria doesn't mean that there is a gap
between the two.
“We have points in common regarding several issues,” the Turkish diplomat told
the newspaper. Hizbullah has sent its fighters to Syria to assist troops loyal
to President Bashar Assad against the rebels seeking to topple him.
Once a close ally of Syria, Turkey has cut off ties with the regime in Damascus
since Assad's deadly crackdown on popular dissent began in March 2011 and has
become one of the most fervent supporters of the Syrian rebellion. Asked about
the case of the two abducted bishops Youhanna Ibrahim and Boulos Yazigi who were
kidnapped on April 23 in the northern Syrian province of Aleppo while they were
on a humanitarian work, the Turkish ambassador said that his country has “no
presence in Syria since 2012.” “Turkey has no means to find any of those who
were abducted in Syria,” the daily quoted the ambassador as saying.”
Ozeldiz said that “no one knows the whereabouts of the two bishops... Any
information we have is neither accurate nor confirmed... No one knows their
fate.” He expressed hope that the two bishops are well and would be freed
swiftly. The ambassador said that if his country had any capabilities to free
the two bishops it would do it without any delay.
Jumblat Holds Onto 9-9-6 Formula, Won't Give Cover to De
Facto Cabinet
Naharnet Newsdesk 16 December 2013/Progressive Socialist Party
leader Walid Jumblat reiterated that he was holding onto the formation of an
all-embracing cabinet in which each of the rival camps would get nine ministers
and centrists six. “I am holding onto my stance in forming a consensual
government based on the 9-9-6 formula,” Jumblat, a centrist, told As Safir daily
published on Monday.
“I don't want to go into more details now,” he said. Jumblat's comments came
after he held talks with President Michel Suleiman at Baabda Palace on Saturday.
He described the talks as “good,” saying discussions focused on several issues,
mainly the cabinet deadlock. As Safir said that the PSP chief, who is also the
head of the National Struggle Front bloc, told Suleiman that the nation's
interest lies in forming the all-embracing cabinet in coordination with
Hizbullah and Speaker Nabih Berri.The daily quoted him as saying that the
lawmakers of his bloc would not give their vote of confidence to any fait
accompli cabinet whether it was made up of neutral personalities or not. “I will
not give political cover to it,” Jumblat reportedly said.Recent reports have
said that Suleiman and Premier-designate Tammam Salam were seeking to form a de
facto government. Salam was appointed in April but he has accused the March 8
and 14 alliances of blocking the formation of his cabinet over the conditions
that they have set.
Berri Denies Dispute with Suleiman over Presidential
Elections
Naharnet Newsdesk 16 December 2013/Speaker Nabih Berri ruled out
on Monday reports saying that there is a dispute between him and President
Michel Suleiman, describing the relations as “normal.” “History repeats itself
as the situation we're witnessing today is similar to the one we lived in 2007
with some simple differences,” Berri told local newspapers. He denied receiving
any letter from Suleiman demanding the extension of his tenure. Suleiman’s
tenure ends in May 2014, but the constitutional period to elect a new head of
state begins on March 25, two months prior to the expiration of Suleiman’s
mandate. “I haven't received any letter from the president in this regard and no
one has discussed with me the matter,” Berri said. In September, Suleiman said
that he would challenge the extension of his mandate if the parliament took such
a move amid soaring political tensions and the failure to form a new government.
The speaker pointed out that discussing the Presidential elections should be
after March 25. Berri expressed surprise over reports saying that he is engaged
in a campaign against the president, saying: “The ties are normal with the
president, there are no disputes between us. I have contacted him before he
headed to Paris to check on his health.” Suleiman traveled to France on Sunday
in order to receive to follow up on medical treatment on his left eyelid. The
president is scheduled to return to Lebanon on Tuesday. Asked about reports
saying that head of al-Mustaqbal movement Saad Hariri will return to Lebanon
soon, Berri lauded the move, saying that “there is no problem if everyone was
present in the country.” The Saudi daily al-Riyadh reported on Sunday that
ex-Prime Minister Saad Hariri may make an appearance at the trial to issue a
testimony in the assassination of his father, former PM Rafik Hariri, on
February 14, 2005. The trial kicks off at The Hague on January 16, 2014.
Zarif: It is only natural for US lawmakers to be skeptical
of Iran nuclear deal
By JPOST.COM STAFF 12/16/2013/Iranian Foreign Minister
Mohamed Javad Zarif said that he believes it is "only natural" for US lawmakers
to be skeptical of the agreement between Iran and world powers on Tehran's
nuclear program. Speaking in an interview with The Washington Post's David
Ignatius published Monday, Zarif said that he understands that there are
multiple views within the US and the other P5+1 powers (Russia, the United
Kingdom, France, China and Germany,) some of which are opposed to the nuclear
deal. Iran will continue nuclear talks with West despite tightened US sanctions,
Zarif says Obama adviser lobbied Israeli officials to back Iran nuclear deal" We
have various views in Iran. Some of them have been very frankly and vehemently
expressed by the opponents of the agreement, to the extent that some have asked
for my removal. I believe that’s only natural in a democratic society where you
have different forces, different political views and different branches of
government operating to check and balance the exertion of political power,"
Zarif said.
Zarif added, however, that "if statements are made that run counter to the very
aim of the negotiations, coming from within the administration, then that
becomes extremely counterproductive. So we needed to bring that to the attention
of our negotiating partners in very strong terms. And we believe we did."
"That does not mean that negotiations are dead. That means negotiations have hit
a snag: As Mark Twain rightly pointed out, the news of their demise is greatly
exaggerated," he added. Late last week, the US Departments of State and Treasury
designated 19 additional companies as contributing to the progress of Iran’s
nuclear program, in violation of existing sanctions passed by Congress or
enacted by President Barack Obama. The Iranian government initially responded to
the new designations by characterizing them as new sanctions, which would
violate the terms of the deal agreed upon in Geneva last month between Iran and
the P5+1— the US, United Kingdom, France, Russia, China and Germany. US
officials have said the blacklisting move showed that the Geneva deal would not
interfere with their policy of economic embargoes designed to curb entities
suspected of supporting Iran’s nuclear program. Zarif suggested that Iran would
not stop uranium enrichment completely or dismantle the Arak heavy-water
reactor, saying Tehran could not be expected to "roll back the clock 20
years...to simply get rid of a project that has been the subject of a great deal
of human and material investment."
However, he stated there where various ways to ensure Iran's nuclear program was
solely for peaceful purposes.
The GCC must adapt to the times
By: Abdullah Al-Otaibi/Asharq Alawsat
The idea that became the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) began in Kuwait. Sheikh
Jaber Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah debated establishing the council with Sheikh Zayed Bin
Sultan Al-Nahyan in Abu Dhabi in 1970s. However, it was not until early 1980s
that the GCC was created in Riyadh. At the time, sizable common interests and
cultural and social commonalities, as well as the sheer magnitude of the
challenges facing the six Arab Gulf states, motivated their leaders to establish
the GCC.
The GCC has shown a special ability to overcome many of the regional crises and
the serious challenges it has faced over more than three decades. Among these
challenges were three major wars: The Iraq-Iran War, the invasion of Kuwait by
Saddam Hussein and the war to liberate it, and the war that toppled Saddam in
2003. This is not to mention other challenges of no less importance.
Given the scale of the commonalities among the peoples of the Gulf, the
interests shared by its states, and the sense of the looming danger everyone
has, further integration to ensure greater effectiveness and influence must be a
top priority. Many are familiar with the sizable differences and the disparity
in views on different issues among the member states. This is normal. None of
the significant regional alliances created throughout history and across the
globe would have succeeded without diplomats’ ability to find the formulas,
mechanisms and visions needed to focus on things their members held in common.
Shared interests alone cannot make successful alliances. Alliances need both
shared interests and shared fears, which all GCC states have, except one. This
state, ever since the council was founded, has pursued a policy of keeping
itself relatively separate and disagreed with the rest of the member states
about several regional issues. Nevertheless, the GCC could deal with the
policies and stances of this state. Perhaps it would be a good thing to try to
understand the fears of this state as well as the reasons for it being
different. Moreover, the GCC should deal with it through careful diplomacy in a
bid to allay its fears and settle differences.
Apart from that country, all GCC members are unanimous in their distrust of the
policies of the Islamic Republic of Iran, which they think is hostile to them in
one way or another. They agree that Iran is targeting them either through its
direct occupation of some islands, as is the case with the UAE, stated ambitions
and blatant interventions in their domestic affairs, as is the case with
Bahrain, or by its intelligence and sabotage cells which engage in organized
violence and bombings, as is the case with rest of the member states.
Iran is threatening the region through its schemes of expansion and hegemony in
a number of Arab countries which are connected the Gulf states, such as Iraq,
Syria, Lebanon, Yemen and the Gaza Strip in Palestine.
The countries of the GCC are the de facto leaders of the Arab world today, given
that Iraq and Syria are no longer active players in the regional equation,
having submitted to Iran. This is not to mention Egypt’s preoccupation with its
domestic challenges. This remained true even after it removed the Muslim
Brotherhood from power. The GCC’s leadership of the Arab world requires that its
member states shoulder a heavy burden and grave responsibilities.
It is obvious that Saudi Arabia will carry the largest part of the burden and
responsibility, given its regional and international significance. Riyadh has
managed throughout its history to rise up to meet serious challenges.
It was a good thing for the GCC to consolidate relations with some Arab
countries, such as Jordan, Morocco and Yemen. This step, however, needs more
consolidation and expansion in order to build an effective regional alliance in
a turbulent region.
Jordan and Yemen represent an important strategic depth for the Gulf states.
Jordan has shown over the years that it is a reliable, trustworthy ally. Yemen
represents a true source of strategic depth for the Gulf states. The GCC
countries managed to provide Yemen with a plan to overcome the consequences of
what used to be called “Arab Spring.” However, such a plan requires more care
and attention. In fact, Yemen needs a plan similar to the Marshall Plan in order
to rescue it from chaos and instability. By doing so, Yemen will be able to
fight Iran’s interference and defeat Al-Qaeda, which still sees in Yemen as a
sanctuary.
The success of the political process in Yemen is extremely important. By
becoming a state that exercises full sovereignty over its territories and
prevents any foreign infiltration, Yemen will boost the safety and power of the
Gulf states in the region and world.
An example of the threat Al-Qaeda poses was illustrated by the footage broadcast
by Yemeni state TV last week. The footage shows Al-Qaeda members bombing the
entrance to the hospital adjoining the Defense Ministry and storming the
building. It also shows how they murdered doctors, nurses, patients and visitors
with extreme brutality using machine guns and grenades. By doing so, Al-Qaeda
aims to keep Yemen unstable. Violent Islamist groups are doing the same in
Syria. There, the most appalling crimes are committed and the Syrian people’s
cause is distorted.
What is more dangerous than Al-Qaeda are the Islamist currents in the Gulf which
justify terrorist crimes both directly and indirectly. In fact these currents
should be targeted by an transnational Gulf police agency. According to articles
19 and 20 of the final statement of the GCC summit in Kuwait: “Ratifying the
draft resolution for establishing the police force, the GCC Supreme Council
stressed that the new body will boost security and help expand anti-terror
co-operation and co-ordination among member states.”
In the meantime, the Gulf states are facing grave challenges no less serious
than the ones they faced when the GCC was established. In a world where the
international politics is highly unstable and unrest is rising across the
region, the GCC needs to find more ways to cooperate, whether by becoming a
fully integrated union or by developing more effective strategies that ensure
greater influence in the region and the world. In all cases, there is an urgent
need to lay new foundations for the GCC.
Grasping at straws
The Daily Star /The Obama administration’s “policy” on the Syrian crisis has
been receiving considerable scrutiny of late, and perhaps special funding should
be set aside to aid analysts in their efforts to actually discover whether any
kind of policy exists to begin with. Prominent figures in both France and Saudi
Arabia sounded warning bells over the weekend about the alarming drop in
fortunes of the mainstream military and civilian opposition, as the proposed
Geneva II peace conference draws closer. The recent decision by Washington and
London to stop non-lethal aid to the rebel Free Syrian Army, in the wake of the
seizure of its facilities by Islamist militias, is the latest body blow to the
ranks of the opposition. rding to some reports, the U.S. now finds itself
obliged to begin engaging in dialogue with the Islamist groups that are not
affiliated with Al-Qaeda to see if anything can be salvaged. While this can be
defended as a pragmatic policy, it also represents a resounding failure for the
White House and its allies, who spent a considerable amount of time and effort
trying to drum up support for the moderate segment of the opponents of Syrian
President Bashar Assad. Meanwhile, the Syrian regime appears to be quite
comfortable as it continues its policies of starvation and blockade against
civilian areas, with the U.S. unable or unwilling to put its foot down and
facilitate access to desperately needed aid and assistance. The regime has
persistently used the rhetoric of “fighting terror” in a bid to discredit anyone
who wants to see a new political order in Syria, and the lack of robust American
support for the mainstream FSA and other groups has finally given Assad the
prize he has been waiting for – this is despite the reports that the regime has
been covertly aiding the extremist jihadists and allowing them to become
influential on Syrian soil. The excuse that “things are too complicated” in
Syria might reassure people inside the Washington beltway, but an administration
that claims it has the resources to focus on Asia – which has a few billion
people, several nuclear states and a host of thorny issues – should at least
generate and adhere to a workable policy in Syria. The tactic of playing up the
threat posed by Al-Qaeda, allowing the regime to reap economic benefits while
denying aid to desperate neighborhoods, towns and villages, and squeezing the
mainstream military and civilian opposition at every turn truly represents a
coherent, logical plan of action for a country like Russia – the unfortunate
part, however, is that this policy is being pursued by the Obama administration.
The Assad regime’s media has been trumpeting its progress politically and
militarily in the run-up to Geneva in a bid to boost its negotiating power. It
now appears the White House believes – for some strange reason – that this
effort needs all of the help it can get.
Assad and the jihadists are all extremists
Fayez Sara/Asharq Alawsat
Only a few people in the world would not concede that the regime of Bashar
Al-Assad is an extremist one. In fact, those people give justifications not
devoid of lies and allegations in order to deny the reality of the regime’s
extremist policies and stances. Among these justifications are claims that Assad
is facing a foreign conspiracy, or gangs, or extremists and power-seekers, and
that he is seeking to preserve the country’s unity and independence. But the
developments over the past three years have proven the falsity and untruth of
these claims.
Indications of the regime’s extremism are too many to count. Perhaps the most
prominent of these indications is the nature of the regime. The Assad regime is
an authoritarian and extremist one that monopolizes power. It is based on a
system of governance represented by the individual ruler, who enjoys almost
absolute powers. Linked to the leader is a limited circle that includes family
members from brothers to paternal and maternal cousins. The political and
security framework of the system is represented by the ruling party and a
limited number of top military and security officials. Even if they are in
control of the organs of the regime, these officials do not make decisions;
rather, they are mere tools.
The regime’s connections with extremist governments and groups are another
indication of its extremist ideology. The most prominent of these governments
are the Russian regime, the mullah’s regime in Iran, and Nouri Al-Maliki’s in
Iraq. On the level of extremist groups, the Syrian government has strong ties
with Lebanese Hezbollah and the Abu Al-Fadl Abbas Brigade, among others. Assad
has been drumming up support of these extremist groups and governments in a bid
to maintain his presence and subjugate Syrians.
The regime’s extremism became clear when it carried out acts of violence against
the revolution of the Syrians who demanded freedom and dignity, refusing to hold
any dialogue or deal politically with the crisis. Assad’s military-security
machine has killed, wounded and arrested more than 2 million people and
displaced about 12 million, of which 5 million became refugees in other
countries. Assad’s government widely destroyed villages and cities either partly
or completely, including houses, private and public institutes and health and
education infrastructures. Not even mosques and churches were spared from
destruction.
The regime’s extremist practices formed the basis for a parallel extremism to
emerge in the Syrian society: jihadism. Not isolated from foreign support, this
nascent jihadism exploited the religious sentiments among the public who were
hurt, frustrated and desperate, turning them into a hotbed of extremist jihadism.
Immigrant Jihadists who came from Arab Muslim countries and other Muslim
communities could establish extremist factions, the most prominent of which is
the Al-Nusra Front, which was founded before the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria
(ISIS), and both groups have announced they belong to Al-Qaeda.
The extremist ideology of Al-Qaeda and its sister groups, such as ISIS and the
Al-Nusra Front, is too obvious to stress. Al-Qaeda wants to establish an Islamic
system that is extremely radical and adopts a black-and-white vision that views
people as either Muslims or infidels. Al-Qaeda seeks to establish an
authoritarian regime that communicates with the world around it only
selectively, depending on how much advances made in the fields of law, science
and technology match their reclusive worldview.
The threat extremist jihadism poses is not only limited to its theoretical
aspects, but it also includes its violent practices in the rebel-held areas.
Al-Qaeda-linked groups such as the Al-Nusra Front, ISIS and like-minded factions
emerged in these areas, giving free rein to their brutality by pursuing a policy
of coercion against Syrians, most of whom are victims of the regime.
Al-Qaeda-linked groups forced Syrians to alter their lifestyles so much so that
they tried to alter their beliefs and acts of worship. They also murdered,
kidnaped, arrested and displaced civilians, including opponents of the regime,
members of the Free Syrian Army, journalists, civil society activists and
intellectuals. Moreover, they destroyed and seized private and public property
and provoked a state of polarization, fueling national, religious, sectarian and
tribal divisions the regime had created. These jihadist groups made Syrians’
lives hell in the areas they control, which is added to the hell the Assad
regime created through oppression and violence.
Syrians are now caught between two fires: the extremist Assad regime and
extremist jihadists. While the Assad regime exploits pan-Arabist ideology while
neglecting all of its positive points, jihadists sought to disguise themselves
in Islam, which is known for its leniency, tolerance and moderation when it
comes to life. Both the regime and the jihadists are similar in terms of their
destruction of life. Both are extremist in terms of their ideas, tools and
practices, putting them on an equal level. Unified efforts are required to get
rid of them both.