LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN

Bible Quotation for today/Paul's Visions and Revelations
2 Corinthians 12/01-10/: " I have to boast, even though it doesn't do any good. But I will now talk about visions and revelations given me by the Lord. I know a certain Christian man who fourteen years ago was snatched up to the highest heaven (I do not know whether this actually happened or whether he had a vision—only God knows). I repeat, I know that this man was snatched to Paradise (again, I do not know whether this actually happened or whether it was a vision—only God knows), and there he heard things which cannot be put into words, things that human lips may not speak. So I will boast about this man—but I will not boast about myself, except the things that show how weak I am. If I wanted to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be telling the truth. But I will not boast, because I do not want any of you to have a higher opinion of me than you have as a result of what you have seen me do and heard me say. But to keep me from being puffed up with pride because of the many wonderful things I saw, I was given a painful physical ailment, which acts as Satan's messenger to beat me and keep me from being proud. Three times I prayed to the Lord about this and asked him to take it away. But his answer was: “My grace is all you need, for my power is greatest when you are weak.” I am most happy, then, to be proud of my weaknesses, in order to feel the protection of Christ's power over me. I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and difficulties for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Dempsey warns: Intervention in Syria will cost billions
In letter to Senate, US Joint Chief of Staff chief offers list of different military options open before US, but expresses trepidation at all, citing high costs, possible retaliation against Americans
Orly Azoulay Published: 07.24.13/ynetnews/WASHINGTON – In a letter to the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Carl Levin, the chairman of the US' Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Martin E. Dempsey revealed Tuesday the list of potential courses of action the US can take to tip the balance in favor of the rebels fighting to overthrow Syrian President Bashar Assad.
In the letter, which detailed the costs and logistical ins and outs of each option, Dempsey also expressed his reservation regarding the advisability of taking military action in Syria, which he claims would require “hundreds of aircraft, ships, submarines and other enablers,” and would cost “in the billions.”The letter indicated two courses of action open before the US in Syria: A direct attack or an indirect effort to train opposition forces. The latter, he claims, would involve sending hundreds if not thousands of forces and would cost the US around half a billion dollars. On the other hand, direct course of action would be efficient only if a large force of "enablers" as well as air and sea craft were deployed, a Dempsey he estimates would cost "in the billions." In response to Republican's demands that the US enforce no-fly zones over certain areas in Syria in a bid to prevent President Assad's forces from bombing densely populated rebel-controlled areas, Dempsey claimed the move would cost the US around a billion dollars a month. This is also the price of forming a US-protected refugee area, which will be manned and guarded by hundreds of US forces. Despite his reservation, Dempsey said that “All of these options would likely further the narrow military objective of helping the opposition and placing more pressure on the regime.” He nonetheless warned that “Once we take action, we should be prepared for what comes next. Deeper involvement is hard to avoid.” Any such military intervention or use force “is no less than an act of war,” General Dempsey warned, adding that the US “could inadvertently empower extremists or unleash the very chemical weapons we seek to control" – control that would also cost the US roughly a billion dollar a month.
**Orly Azoulay is a Washington based Yedioth Ahronoth reporter

Nasrallah: No Cabinet without Hizbullah, EU Made Itself Responsible for Any Israeli Attack on Lebanon
Naharnet/The European Union's decision to blacklist Hizbullah's armed wing means it would share responsibility for any Israeli attack against Lebanon or the party, Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said on Wednesday.
"These (European) states have made themselves fully responsible for any Israeli attack on Lebanon or Lebanon's resistance (Hizbullah) or any target of the resistance," Nasrallah said in a televised speech during an iftar banquet organized by the Women's Committee of the Islamic Resistance Support Association.
The statement is Nasrallah's first since an EU decision on Monday to blacklist Hizbullah's military wing as a terror group.
"These states need to know... that they are giving legal cover to Israel for any attack on Lebanon, because Israel can now claim to be fighting terrorism and to be bombing terrorist targets," he said.
The decision to blacklist Hizbullah's armed wing "gives Israel a service for free," Nasrallah added.
"This decision does not affect our willingness. Its objective is to make us bow, to force us to step back and to be afraid.
"But I tell you (Europeans): all you will get is failure and disappointment," said Nasrallah.
“The resistance gained people's confidence and credibility in the Arab and Islamic worlds through its sacrifices and steadfastness and through its achievements and victories, after managing to change the equations of the conflict, regaining the land, captives, dignity and sovereignty, and creating an advanced position for Lebanon in the region,” Nasrallah boasted.
He vowed that “this resistance will remain a stiff thorn in the eye of the Zionists and in the eye of anyone seeking to harm Lebanon.”
Nasrallah clarified that “the resistance was and is still a subject of Lebanese, Arab, regional and international interest, whether positive or negative interest. A positive interest from those who believe in the resistance, pin their hopes on it and consider it to be a source of pride, and negative interest from those who antagonize it and consider it a source of threat for their occupation and hegemony.”
“Because the resistance has all this presence and influence, it has always been targeted with the aim of eliminating and crushing it, and it is being targeted through all the security, political, military and cultural means,” he said.
Commenting on Israeli remarks, Nasrallah said “the Israelis clearly said that the decision was issued because of their 'diplomatic efforts' and the truth is that (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu had insulted the Europeans.”
“All the proceedings prove that Israel and the U.S. exerted enormous pressure on the EU member states to take this decision and the thing does not need an analysis,” said Nasrallah.
“This decision is Israeli in form and content and it serves the interest of Israel,” he stressed.
Nasrallah noted that the discussions and proceedings of the European Union “indicate that Europe has surrendered to the American and Israeli will and that the 28 nations were not convinced of what they did, and the proof is that they had failed to reach a result whenever the issue was raised, as there is no evidence or proof or else the issue would not have taken years of indecisiveness.”
“Some EU member states considered the step to be illegal but they yielded to intimidation,” Nasrallah pointed out. “I did not feel for one moment that the European decision was sovereign as it was rather imposed on the Europeans,” he said.
“This stance is not consistent with their values or interests and it is clear that some party wanted to implicate the EU member states in a conflict that serves its interest, not those of the union,” Hizbullah's leader went on to say.
He wondered about the interest of the EU in “antagonizing a resistance movement that enjoys broad support in Lebanon and the Arab world.”
“Why haven't you designated Israel as a terrorist state although you acknowledge the Israel is occupying Arab land?” Nasrallah asked Europe.
“When a country contains resistance fighters who confronted and fought the occupation and suffered a lot of pains and wounds, and after thousands of them were put in prisons before they managed to give the land back to its people ... it is an insult when you tell them that they are terrorists,” he added.
“I tell everyone that this insult will not affect our morale,” Nasrallah said.
Addressing supporters he added: “To be insulted for defending your land and people, this is something of the consequences of this path.”
He stressed that “those who believe that the resistance which confronted the strongest army in the region for 33 days will be subjugated by this decision are either delusional or ignorant.”
Nasrallah called on EU member states to “correct their mistake because it will not lead to any result.”
Turning to the domestic Lebanese issues, Nasrallah said: “I tell the other camp in Lebanon that they won't be able to exploit the decision in their Lebanese political calculations or to isolate the party and form a cabinet without it.”
“A new cabinet must be formed in order to protect Lebanon from the storms,” Nasrallah added.
On Monday, the EU placed Hizbullah's military wing on its list of “terrorist organizations.”
In a statement, Hizbullah described the decision as a “hostile and unjust” step, saying it was “written by American hands and with Zionist ink.”
To get the required agreement of all 28 EU member states, European foreign ministers had to overcome reservations of some members that the move would further destabilize Lebanon, where Hizbullah plays a key role in politics.
Accordingly, EU political and economic ties with Lebanon will be fully maintained in a delicate balancing act.
Hizbullah's military wing was blamed for a deadly attack on Israeli tourists in Bulgaria last year.
In March, a self-confessed Hizbullah operative was also convicted in Cyprus of plotting a similar attack.
Lebanon had asked the EU not to blacklist Hizbullah on the grounds it was an "essential component of Lebanese society."
Support for the EU sanctions against Hizbullah grew in recent weeks after the party openly declared it was sending fighters to back the Syrian regime.

Report: Suleiman in Tehran Next Month for Rowhani Inauguration
Naharnet /President Michel Suleiman will participate in the inauguration ceremony of Iran's President-elect Hassan Rowhani next month, As Safir newspaper reported on Wednesday. The daily said Suleiman will travel to Tehran on August 3 at the head of a small delegation that includes Deputy Premier Samir Moqbel and Caretaker Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour. They are expected to return to Beirut the next day, As Safir said.
According to the newspaper, Suleiman will hold talks with Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several heads of delegations participating in the inauguration ceremony. Suleiman received a message last Thursday from Rowhani in response to his congratulatory message on the Iranian president's June election. After the Tehran trip, sources did not rule out a possible visit by the president to Saudi Arabia for talks with top officials.
Suleiman is currently in the United States on a several-day private visit. Reports have said that he is undergoing treatment in his left eye in Boston.

U.N. Chief Appoints Daryl A. Mundis as STL Registrar
Naharnet /The Secretary General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-Moon, has appointed Daryl A. Mundis to the post of Registrar of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, announced the Tribunal in a statement on Wednesday.
Mundis accepts the position as Registrar with more than 15 years of experience in international criminal law. He served in the Chambers and Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and in the Office of the Prosecutor of the STL since August 2009. He is well acquainted with the overall functioning of international tribunals, having worked closely with the Registry in those roles. He was appointed Deputy Registrar at the STL on January 14 and as the Acting Registrar on April 18. “I am honored that the Secretary general has trusted me with this important responsibility at this particularly significant juncture in the history of the STL. I very much look forward to continuing to work closely with my colleagues in Leidschendam, Beirut and New York in moving forward with our work to fulfill the Tribunal’s mandate,” Mundis said.
In accordance with the STL’s Statute, the Registry, under the direction of the Registrar, is responsible for the necessary administration and functioning of the STL. The Registry provides support to the other organs of the Tribunal to ensure that they are in a position to carry out their mandates.
The Registrar’s responsibilities include judicial support, such as court management, language services and victims and witnesses, as well as administration. Mundis is also responsible for fund-raising, outreach and public affairs. “With the court based in Leidschendam, outreach and public affairs activities are of vital importance to the STL’s work. These activities allow for greater transparency by enabling people in Lebanon and worldwide to follow the Tribunal’s proceedings,” emphasized Mundis. The STL President, Sir David Baragwanath, congratulated Mundis and expressed his satisfaction with the appointment.
“On behalf of all at the Special Tribunal for Lebanon I congratulate Mundis on his selection by the Secretary general from an exceptionally strong international field. As Acting Registrar he showed determination to carry out the mandate entrusted to us by the Security Council. Familiar with the demands on the Registry, which is tasked with supporting all other STL functions, he is both decisive and a team player who will work to ensure that in helping deliver justice to Lebanon we guarantee a fair trial to the accused. "His confirmation as Registrar to join the Prosecutor and Head of Defense as well as the Beirut team completes an outstandingly able group to lead the Tribunal into the next important phase.” The Special Tribunal for Lebanon was created by the United Nations Security Council, at the request of the government of Lebanon in 2007 and started its work on March 1, 2009.

Israel's Netanyahu Urges Greater Pressure on Iran
Naharnet/Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday urged greater pressure on Iran over its nuclear program as he met Japan's Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida in Jerusalem.
"I think we need to increase the pressure on Iran. Only by doing this will there be real changes in the attitude of that country," Netanyahu's office was quoted him as saying at the meeting.
"Israel and Japan both face states that are developing dangerous nuclear weapons programs," he said in reference also to North Korea. "We know perfectly well the threat that irrational and extremist regimes, who wish to gain nuclear arms and ballistic missiles, pose to the security of our states and countries the world over."Netanyahu on Sunday renewed his threat to take unilateral military action to halt Iran's atomic drive, disparagingly referring to new Iran president Hassan Rowhani as "a wolf in sheep's clothing" who would "smile and build a bomb". "We're closer than the United States. We're more vulnerable. And therefore, we'll have to address this question of how to stop Iran, perhaps before the United States does," Netanyahu told U.S. television station CBS. "They're edging up to the red line. They haven't crossed it yet," the Israeli premier said, referring to the point at which Iran would be able to make its first nuclear weapon. "They're getting closer and closer to the bomb. And they have to be told in no uncertain terms that that will not be allowed to happen." Rowhani brushed off the threats of military action, saying such warnings only made him "laugh," it was reported on Wednesday. Israel is the Middle East's sole but undeclared nuclear power. Iran for years has been at loggerheads with world powers over its nuclear drive, which Western nations and Israel believe is aimed at developing an atomic weapons capability. Tehran insists the program is entirely peaceful. Source/Agence France Presse.

Syrian National Council Says Unearthed Hizbullah 'Mass Graves' in Syria
Naharnet/..The opposition Syrian National Council on Tuesday claimed that it has documented the presence of a number of mass graves containing the bodies of hundreds of Hizbullah fighters who were killed in Syria.
“We have discovered a number of mass graves in which Hizbullah used to bury its members after every battle on Syrian territory, instead of repatriating the bodies to Lebanon,” SNC spokesman Mouayyed Ghizlan told CNN. “For Hizbullah, these cemeteries have two objectives: the first is avoiding the traumatization of the dead's families and thus avoiding a strong outcry from the Lebanese public opinion, and the second is hiding the real number of casualties and preventing the Syrian fighters and rebels from knowing the real figures,” Ghizlan added. Hizbullah has dispatched fighters to battle alongside the Syrian regime against rebels seeking the overthrow of President Bashar Assad. The party had justified its intervention in Syria by saying it was backing popular committees defending Lebanese-inhabited border towns in Syria from attacks by rebels and extremists. It had also admitted that its fighters were guarding Shiite holy shrines in Damascus province. But in a speech in May, Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said his party will stay involved in the Syrian conflict, after having helped government forces recapture the key town of Qusayr from rebels. "Where we need to be, we will be ... To defeat this very, very dangerous conspiracy (against Syria) we will bear any sacrifices and all the consequences," said Nasrallah. "The alternative (to the Assad regime) is chaos and the rule of these groups," he said, referring to extremist Islamist rebel groups he said were part of an "American-Israeli-takfiri plot."
The conflict, pitting a Sunni-dominated rebel movement against Assad, has raised sectarian tensions in Lebanon and Lebanese Sunni fighters have also been killed while fighting alongside Syrian rebels.

Miqati: Govt. Rejects EU Decision on Hizbullah, Will Seek to Reverse It
Naharnet /Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Miqati on Tuesday declared that the Lebanese government rejects the European Union's decision to put Hizbullah's so-called military wing on its list of “terrorist organizations.”
“It has become evident to everyone that the situation is not fine and that overcoming the stalemate will require concessions from everyone,” Miqati said during an iftar banquet organized by the Social Welfare Institutions at the BIEL exhibition center in Beirut. “We call on everyone to sacrifice their narrow political interests for the sake of the country's interest,” Miqati added. He warned that “it has become easier for Lebanon's enemies to act in an unhealthy environment and they are working night and day to undermine the country's stability and prevent its progress and prosperity.”
The premier said he was hoping the EU would refrain from designating Hizbullah's “so-called military wing” as a “terrorist organization” due to the possible “negative impact on Lebanon and the Lebanese components.”“We will follow up on the issue through the diplomatic means that preserve the best ties between Lebanon and Europe and the international community, and here I will reiterate what I have always been saying: Lebanon has no enemy but Israel and Lebanon with all its components is keen on its Arab and international relations,” Miqati added. “The Lebanese government rejects this decision and will seek to reverse it through its nonstop contacts with all EU member states,” he went on to say. On Monday, the EU placed Hizbullah's military wing on its list of “terrorist organizations.”Hizbullah described the decision as a “hostile and unjust” step, saying it was “written by American hands and with Zionist ink.”"Hizbullah firmly rejects the EU decision... and sees it as a hostile and unjust decision that has no justification and is not based on any proof," the party said in a statement. To get the required agreement of all 28 EU member states, European foreign ministers had to overcome reservations of some members that the move would further destabilize Lebanon, where Hizbullah plays a key role in politics. Accordingly, EU political and economic ties with Lebanon will be fully maintained in a delicate balancing act. Hizbullah's military wing was blamed for a deadly attack on Israeli tourists in Bulgaria last year. In March, a self-confessed Hizbullah operative was also convicted in Cyprus of plotting a similar attack. Lebanon had asked the EU not to blacklist Hizbullah on the grounds it was an "essential component of Lebanese society."Support for the EU sanctions against Hizbullah grew in recent weeks after the party openly declared it was sending fighters to back the Syrian regime.

Mansour Fears Hizbullah Blacklist to be Interpreted Differently by Each EU Country
Naharnet /Caretaker Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour expressed concern on Wednesday that each European country might deal with the EU's decision over blacklisting Hizbullah as it sees fit and from it's own political view.
“This will have a negative impact on the visas and the transportation of people and financial transactions,” Mansour said in comments published in As Safir newspaper. European Union foreign ministers on Monday put the military wing of the Hizbullah on its list of terrorist organizations despite Lebanon warning against such a move. Analysts voiced doubts about the effectiveness of the measure, questioning if Hizbullah really can be broken down into separate parts for punishment or reward. Mansour wondered what are the standards that the EU countries adopted to differentiate between Hizbullah's military wing and political party. Mansour expected that the decision will last for a long time “as long as the EU's policies are subordinate to the Israeli lobby... The decision came from Israel and not from Europe.” “Netanyahu's statements came as a disgrace to the EU,” Mansour added.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu swiftly praised on Monday the EU's decision, saying the party has imposed a "terrorist" rule on large parts of Lebanon. Hizbullah "has imposed terrorist rule on wide sections of Lebanon, has converted them into an Iranian protectorate and is stockpiling tens of thousands of rockets there." "These have been placed in the heart of civilian populations and are designed to be fired at population centers in Israel," he said.

UNIFIL Denies Taking Precautionary Measures after EU's Blacklisting of Hizbullah
Naharnet/The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon denied on Wednesday media reports that the international force had taken precautionary measures in light of the European Union decision to blacklist Hizbullah as a terrorist organization, said the National News Agency. UNIFIL Spokeswoman Antoinette Midday told NNA that the force is carrying out its field duties in its usual manner and in “close coordination” with the Lebanese army.
She stressed that UNIFIL is performing its duties in accordance with U.N. Security Council resolution 1701, noting the “unprecedented” calm that has prevailed along the Blue Line over the past seven years.
Midday credited the calm to the strong ties between the residents of the South and their understanding and support of UNIFIL's role alongside the Lebanese army. She stressed that nothing will deter the international force from carrying out its duties.On Monday, 28 EU foreign ministers unanimously voted to blacklist Hizbullah's military wing. To get the required agreement of all 28 EU member states, ministers had to overcome reservations in some members that the move would further destabilize Lebanon, where Hizbullah plays a key role in politics. Accordingly, EU political and economic ties with Lebanon will be fully maintained in a delicate balancing act. NNA reported on Tuesday that UNIFIL had bolstered security measures at its various stations in the South in light of the decision and fears of retaliatory attacks over it.

Iran's Rowhani Praises Hizbullah's 'Jihad' against Israel
Naharnet /Incoming Iranian President Hasan Rowhani praised on Wednesday Hizbullah cadres' “jihad” against Israel. "Rowhani sent a cable to Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah in which he praised the efforts of the party's cadres in their resistance against Israel,” the Iranian Mehr News Agency reported. Rowhani expressed that Hizbullah and its chief “are the hope of the Lebanese and Palestinian people for victory against Israel,” the same source added. His letter to Nasrallah comes after the Hizbullah chief congratulated in a cable the new Iranian head of state on winning the presidential elections. European Union foreign ministers on Monday decided to put the military wing of the Hizbullah on its list of terrorist organizations despite Lebanon warning against such a move. However, EU representatives assured that they plan on continuing dialogue with different factions in Lebanon, including the blacklisted party. The Head of the EU delegation, Angelina Eichhorst, said on Tuesday that the decision to blacklist Hizbullah's military wing would not affect the cooperation with the new Lebanese government even if the party had representatives in it.

Hizbullah International Relations Official Meets Belgian Ambassador
Naharnet/Hizbullah international relations official Ammar Moussawi held talks on Wednesday with Belgian Ambassador to Lebanon Colette Taquet in the first meeting of its kind between party and European officials after the European Union blacklisted Hizbullah as a terrorist organization. Hizbullah said in a statement that the talks addressed the Syrian crisis and its impact on neighboring countries, especially Lebanon.
The two sides agreed that the conflict in Syria can only be resolved through dialogue between the different sides involved. Discussions also turned to the Syrian refugees in Lebanon and their burden on the country.
Moussawi and Taquet stressed the need to exert greater efforts in order to tackle this issue. The meeting did not address the EU's decision against Hizbullah. On Monday, 28 EU foreign ministers unanimously voted to blacklist Hizbullah's military wing. To get the required agreement of all 28 EU member states, ministers had to overcome reservations in some members that the move would further destabilize Lebanon, where Hizbullah plays a key role in politics. Accordingly, EU political and economic ties with Lebanon will be fully maintained in a delicate balancing act.

March 14 Urges Hizbullah to Return to Lebanese Fold, Disarm
Naharnet /The March 14 General Secretariat stated on Wednesday that the European Union's decision to blacklist Hizbullah as a terrorist organization is a result of the party's actions over the past few years. It urged in a statement after its weekly meeting “the party to abandon its arrogant policy and return to the Lebanese fold in order to strike a historic settlement that calls for handing over its weapons to the Lebanese army.”It demanded that it withdraw its fighters from Syria “in return for the exerting efforts to form a government capable of continuing the construction of a state in Lebanon.”“By achieving these goals, Hizbullah would have fulfilled the conditions that ensure the rise of the Lebanese state as stipulated in the Taef Accord and constitution,” added the March 14 General Secretariat. “We are standing before a critical phase that can save Lebanon and we therefore call on Hizbullah to take advantage of this opportunity for the sake of the Lebanese people,” it stressed. On Monday, 28 EU foreign ministers unanimously voted to blacklist Hizbullah's military wing. To get the required agreement of all 28 EU member states, ministers had to overcome reservations in some members that the move would further destabilize Lebanon, where Hizbullah plays a key role in politics.
Accordingly, EU political and economic ties with Lebanon will be fully maintained in a delicate balancing act.

Al-Mustaqbal Ready to Attend Dialogue after Cabinet Formation
Naharnet/Al-Mustaqbal bloc leader Fouad Saniora has informed President Michel Suleiman about the movement's readiness to participate in an unconditional national dialogue only after the formation of the new government. A high-ranking source told As Safir newspaper published Wendesday that an al-Mustaqbal delegation headed by Saniora returned from talks with the movement's leader ex-PM Saad Hairri in Jeddah with three conclusions.
The officials who met there conditioned the formation of a cabinet that does not include political figures and agreed to the resumption of dialogue that Suleiman had called for but without preconditions, saying they would attend the all-party talks only after Premier-designate Tammam Salam comes up with his line-up and receives the parliament's vote of confidence.The third issue that was the focus of discussions in Jeddah was facilitating a solution to the vacuum that will be caused by Army chief Gen. Jean Qahwaji's retirement in two months. Qahwaji turns 60 in September, the age of retirement for army commanders. Parliament has so far failed to convene over the veto of several blocs among them al-Mustaqbal to deliberate on 45 draft-laws, including the extension of Qahwaji's mandate. Saniora briefed Suleiman on Tuesday on the results of al-Mustaqbal delegation's meeting in Jeddah, sources said. According to al-Joumhouria newspaper, another delegation traveled to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday afternoon to follow up the latest decisions reached with Hariri. As Safir said Saniora informed Suleiman that he would receive Hariri's blessing to any formula that the president backs on the extension of Qahwaji's term. It revealed that agreement has been reached among top parties to keep Qahwaji in his post through a legal formula that Caretaker Defense Minister Fayez Ghosn has come up with. Ghosn has informed Suleiman about it but they are waiting for a parliamentary session set for July 29 that has the extension on its agenda. If the parliament fails to convene again over lack of quorum caused by the boycott of several blocs, then they would sign the bill to keep Qahwaji in his post for another year, As Safir said.

Cabinet Imposes Controls on Syrians to Reduce Friction
Naharnet/The government imposed new entry controls on Syrians on Tuesday in a bid to reduce friction between the host population and the 600,000 who have already crossed. Ministers said they had no intention of closing the border to refugees fleeing the devastating 28-month conflict in their homeland. But they said that in future they would recognize as refugees only those fleeing parts of Syria that have been wracked by violence.
"There is an influx that is not motivated by humanitarian needs," caretaker Economy Minister Nicolas Nahas told Agence France Presse. "The security forces are therefore going to start checking whether those arriving at the border come from a war-ravaged area before regarding them as refugees. Those who do not will be granted entry as ordinary visitors." Caretaker Social Affairs Minister Wael Abou Faour said that from next week special teams would start shutting down the unlicensed Syrian-run businesses that have mushroomed, particularly in the eastern Bekaa valley region near the border. "A security service team recorded 377 illegal businesses in just six villages in the Bekaa," he said. "Any refugee fleeing the killings, hunger and destruction is welcome but they must respect the laws of Lebanon.” "They have the right to work to feed themselves on building sites or other sectors but not in trade or in businesses that require a permit."Many Syrian refugees are forced to sleep rough on the streets because they can not afford to rent somewhere to live. But the presence of 600,000 alongside a population of just four million has sparked mounting friction. A recent opinion poll found that 54 percent of respondents believed Lebanon should close its doors to the refugees. A full 82 percent said that the refugees were stealing jobs from Lebanese.Source/Agence France Presse.

Samaha's Attorney Asks for his Release for 'Lack of Bloodshed'
Naharnet /The defense lawyer of former Information Minister Michel Samaha, who has been charged with plotting attacks and transporting explosives, called on Wednesday for his release, saying his crime was only based on plots. In remarks to LBCI TV outside the military court in Beirut, Sakher Hashem said: “Samaha is accused of a crime in which there was no bloodshed.” “We urge his release,” he said, adding he would appeal it or make a new request if the court rejected his demand. Samaha's trial was last month postponed to December 3 because of the absence of his alleged co-conspirator Gen. Ali Mamlouk, a Syrian security chief. Samaha had been expected to face the first session of his trial before the military court, but the judge overseeing the process, Brig.-Gen. Khalil Ibrahim, announced a delay so that Mamlouk can report to the court.
Samaha was arrested in August 2012, but Mamlouk -- one of Syria's most senior security officials -- is believed to be in Syria. The two face charges of "transporting explosives from Syria to Lebanon in an attempt to assassinate Lebanese political and religious leaders.”If convicted, they face the death penalty. A Syrian colonel known only by his first name as Adnan has also plotted the attacks with them. Investigators have said that explosives were found in Samaha's car. According to the indictment, they were delivered by Adnan to Samaha in Syria with the approval of Mamlouk. The Lebanese judiciary issued an arrest warrant for Mamlouk and Adnan and sent Syria a formal notification of the warrant and charges in February, but received no response. In the event of a non-response, Lebanese law allows for the trial against Samaha to proceed with Mamlouk being tried in absentia, but the court has not so far suggested it would take that approach.

Cabinet Imposes Controls on Syrians to Reduce Friction
Naharnet /The government imposed new entry controls on Syrians on Tuesday in a bid to reduce friction between the host population and the 600,000 who have already crossed. Ministers said they had no intention of closing the border to refugees fleeing the devastating 28-month conflict in their homeland. But they said that in future they would recognize as refugees only those fleeing parts of Syria that have been wracked by violence.
"There is an influx that is not motivated by humanitarian needs," caretaker Economy Minister Nicolas Nahas told Agence France Presse. "The security forces are therefore going to start checking whether those arriving at the border come from a war-ravaged area before regarding them as refugees. Those who do not will be granted entry as ordinary visitors." Caretaker Social Affairs Minister Wael Abou Faour said that from next week special teams would start shutting down the unlicensed Syrian-run businesses that have mushroomed, particularly in the eastern Bekaa valley region near the border. "A security service team recorded 377 illegal businesses in just six villages in the Bekaa," he said. "Any refugee fleeing the killings, hunger and destruction is welcome but they must respect the laws of Lebanon.” "They have the right to work to feed themselves on building sites or other sectors but not in trade or in businesses that require a permit."Many Syrian refugees are forced to sleep rough on the streets because they can not afford to rent somewhere to live. But the presence of 600,000 alongside a population of just four million has sparked mounting friction. A recent opinion poll found that 54 percent of respondents believed Lebanon should close its doors to the refugees. A full 82 percent said that the refugees were stealing jobs from Lebanese.Source/Agence France Presse.

Jammo's Wife Handed to Lebanon over Suspicion of Involvement in his Murder
Naharnet/Lebanese authorities were handed the wife of a pro-government Syrian journalist killed in southern Lebanon last week after she attended her husband's funeral in Syria, al-Akhbar newspaper reported on Wednesday.
The daily said that Syrian authorities handed Siham Younis to officers from the General Security Department at al-Arida border crossing in the North on Tuesday night after several suspects admitted that she planned for the murder of her husband Mohammed Darrar Jammo. LBCI television later reported however that Jammo's wife was not handed over to Lebanon by Syria, revealing she was arrested as she was crossing the al-Arida border crossing. Jammo was buried in Latakia on Syria's Mediterranean coast last Friday. The 44-year-old journalist and political commentator was one of Syrian President Bashar Assad's and Hizbullah's most vociferous defenders. In frequent appearances on television talk shows, he would staunchly support the Syrian regime's strong-armed response to the uprising and in at least one case shouted down opposition figures, calling them "traitors."
He was killed when his wife's relatives burst into the first floor of his apartment in the town of Sarafand and opened fire on him.
Initial reports that the murder was politically motivated were ruled out when security forces detained the relatives.
The army confirmed in a communique that military intelligence identified the killers and captured the weapons used in the killing.
But Younis has denied any connection to the murder. "What's going on?... He's been my husband for 20 years," Younis told al-Jadeed TV last week.

U.N. Chemical Weapons Inspectors Arrive in Damascus
Naharnet /Two senior U.N. inspectors tasked with examining claims that chemical weapons have been deployed in Syria's civil war arrived in Damascus on Wednesday, an Agence France Presse photographer reported. Swedish scientist Ake Sellstrom and Angela Kane, the U.N. high representative for disarmament, arrived at a hotel in the Syrian capital. The pair are to hold talks with senior government officials during their two-day visit, Damascus-based U.N. media and communications analyst Khaled Al Masri told AFP. Top of the agenda will be access to areas of the country where chemical weapons are alleged to have been used so that they can pursue their investigations. Syria's regime and rebels fighting to topple it have accused each other of using chemical weapons in the drawn-out conflict which has seen more than 100,000 people killed.
On June 11, the United Nations accepted an invitation by the Syrian government for a visit by the two officials for talks on chemical weapons. U.N. spokesman Martin Nesirsky gave a limited brief for the visit at the time.
The two officials accepted the invitation "with a view to completing the consultations on the modalities of cooperation required for the proper, safe and efficient conduct of the U.N. mission to investigate allegations of the use of chemical weapons in Syria," he said. The United States has accused forces loyal to President Bashar Assad of making limited use of its chemical weapons stockpiles during the conflict, a finding backed by several other Western governments. Longstanding Assad ally Russia has accused the rebels of using chemical weapons. Damascus has insisted any investigation should focus on the use of chemical weapons in Khan al-Assal in the northern province of Aleppo in March, which it blamed on the rebels. The town was captured by the rebels from the army on Monday, in what diplomats at the United Nations said was a blow to the mission's hopes of gaining access.
The United States has previously said that the use of chemical weapons in Syria's conflict would constitute a "red line" that would warrant greater involvement.Source/Agence France Presse.

Egypt Army Chief Urges Street Demos to Fight 'Terror'
Naharnet /Egypt's army chief called Wednesday for public rallies this week to give him a mandate to fight "terrorism and violence," as Mohammed Morsi's supporters continue to protest against his ouster. "Next Friday, all honorable Egyptians must take to the street to give me a mandate and command to end terrorism and violence," General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said in a speech broadcast live on state television. The army chief, who led a coup against Morsi on July 3 after mass demonstrations demanding his ouster, said he had warned the Islamist president that he must either resign or hold a referendum. Presidential aides "told me if there is any problem, there will be lots of violence because of armed groups, to scare me," Sisi said. His speech, at a graduation ceremony for cadets, came hours after a bomb at a police station killed a conscript, according to the interior ministry. Almost 200 people have been killed in clashes since the days leading up to Morsi's overthrow, with militants in Sinai also carrying out daily attacks on security forces.Source/Agence France Presse.

Indonesia Searches for Missing Australia-Bound Boatpeople
Naharnet /Rescuers searched the seas off Indonesia's Java island Wednesday for possibly dozens of asylum-seekers missing after their Australia-bound boat sank, leaving at least three dead, with 157 saved, an official said.
Local rescue officials estimated there could have been "up to 200" passengers on the boat which was bound for Australia, while a survivor said some 250 had boarded the vessel. "The 157 rescued have been taken to an immigration center, where they have been given food and water," head of the rescue operation Rochmali, who only goes by one name, told Agence France Presse.
"We have to do proper checks, but they say they're from Iraq, Iran and Sri Lanka," he said, adding that one child was among the three dead.
Police said that the three dead were two children and one woman.
Indonesia's rescue agency was alerted to the incident by Australian authorities on Tuesday evening, Rochmali said.
The boat sank in heavy seas off the fishing town of Cidaun in western Java, from where rescuers set out in their own boats and in vessels lent by the police and fishermen.
An AFP reporter who spoke to survivors said a group of 38, including women and children, had swum for between two and three hours in high seas to reach the shore on Tuesday night. Their boat was headed for Australia's Christmas Island, which is closer to Java than mainland Australia, when it began taking on water, 42-year-old Sri Lankan survivor Obijet Roy told AFP. Speaking in broken English, he described how terrified passengers jumped into the sea.
"Water from bottom of the ship is going up and then the passenger panic. Then they down to the sea," said Roy, who added he was heading to Christmas Island with three friends.
Some of the asylum-seekers were wearing life vests, while others were clinging to pieces of wood when the boat went down, he said.
According to Roy, 250 asylum-seekers, mostly Sri Lankans, had traveled to Cianjur from a shelter in Bogor city on six buses to take the treacherous boat journey.
Villager Harun, 49, said he had seen the distressed asylum-seekers coming ashore in Cidaun. "It was a shocking sight to see clusters of migrants at the beach. More and more came swimming to the shore," he told AFP. Australia's Daily Telegraph newspaper quoted a man named Soheil saying he was the only survivor of a group of 61 Iranians he was traveling with. "We have problem with motor after two hour. For three hours, we try to come back (to shore). "The sea very hard, the sea no good. The ship break," he said.
Soheil said the captain -- who he claimed was a Sri Lankan man using a Malaysian crew -- abandoned them.
"The captain go to small boat," he told the Telegraph. "He no help me, he no help children, he no help baby."Australia has struggled to stem an influx of asylum-seekers arriving by boat, with record numbers landing in 2012 and more than 15,000 so far in 2013. Hundreds have drowned making the journey -- as recently as last week a boat sank, killing four people -- with the latest disaster coming just days after Canberra announced a hardline new plan to send all unauthorized arrivals to Papua New Guinea.
Asylum-seekers arriving in Australian waters will now be sent to the Manus Island processing centre on PNG and elsewhere in the Pacific nation for assessment, with no cap on the number that can be transferred.
Even if found to be "genuine refugees" they will have no chance of being settled in Australia, instead having to remain in PNG, be sent back home or to third countries.
In a bid to smash the lucrative people-smuggling networks, Australia on Sunday also announced it would pay rewards of up to Aus$200,000 (U.S.$180,000) for information leading to their conviction.
Source/Agence France Presse.

IDF faces oncoming Al Qaeda tide on three Israeli borders: Golan, Lebanon, Sinai

DEBKAfile Special Report July 24, 2013/That the Netanyahu government took a wrong turn in its policy of non-intervention in the Syrian conflict was manifested by the warning coming from the IDF’s military intelligence (AMAN) chief Maj. Gen. Aviv Kochavi Tuesday night, July 23, when he said that Syria had become a global battleground for al Qaeda.
Addressing a passing-out ceremony at the IDF’s Officers’ School, Kochavi warned that the thousands of al Qaeda pouring into Syria from around the world are fighting to create an Islamic state there, just as they are in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Yemen. This peril, he said, is closing in on Israel, Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula.
At the UN Security Council in New York, his words were echoed by Robert Serry, UN Coordinator of the Middle East peace process, who said Syria “is increasingly turning into a big global battleground.”
It is important to note that Gen. Kochavi issued his warning shortly after returning home from meetings in
Washington with senior US military and intelligence officers. He flew to the US on July 17, on the day that hostilities flared between the Israeli and Syrian armies in the southern Golan on a scale which was never released to the public.
That clash marked the bankruptcy of the government and army command’s efforts to stop the tide of violence from reaching Israel’s northern borders by means of a tactic of virtual non-involvement, aside from limited aid to certain Syrian rebel groups, medical care for some of their wounded and certain unreported small-scale operations.
Threats from five separate sources now threaten to swamp those efforts entirely. They are posed by the Syrian army; Hizballah; global jiahdists; armed Syrian rebel militias funded by Saudi Arabia; and Al Qaeda groups bolstered for the first time by the arrival in recent weeks Pakistani Taliban groups of fighters.
Islamist forces are thrusting forward strongly in eastern, northern and western Syria. They murder any non-Islamist rebel chiefs, especial Free Syrian Army commanders, standing in their way and are moving on towards Lebanon and Jordan as well.
What strikes most concern in Jerusalem, are the first signs of a tie-in between al Qaeda in Syria and al Qaeda in Sinai. The intelligence chief’ went to Washington with a report that coordinated terrorist operations against Israel were shaping up for the first time from Syria, Sinai and possibly Lebanon too.
It was suddenly borne in on Israel that its two strikes against Syria’s chemical weapons and the transfer of advanced hardware to Hizballah were wide of the mark. The greatest danger has turned out to be Al Qaeda’s spreading potency. Anyway, chemical warfare has since spread across the Syrian battlefield and Hizballah forces fighting in Syria simply take direct delivery of advanced weapons from the Syrian army, without even trying to transfer them to Lebanon.
The IDF has failed to come to grips with Al Qaeda on the Syrian front no less than the Egyptian army, for different reasons, has succeeded in curbing the jihadist marauders in Sinai.
As the mainstream Syrian rebel movement crumbles, al Qaeda is bolstered by an influx of fighters, weapons and funds from across the Muslim world, including the Persian Gulf. Over the past year, the IDF has had to reconfigure its deployment against Syria – first to contend with the potential of chemical weapons, then Iranian military involvement, followed by Hizballah’s advance towards the Israeli border and now al Qaeda’s inroads.
Gen. Kochavi was not led to expect a sympathetic hearing in Washington for Israel’s concerns.
The Obama administration is up to its neck in its efforts to speed the US military drawdown in Afghanistan and break off contact with the Taliban, whose Pakistani branch has meanwhile turned up in Syria.
The Israeli intelligence chief found Gen. Martin Dempsey, Chairman of the US Chiefs of Staff, fully engaged in phrasing an open letter to senators to rebuff their criticism of President Barack Obama’s decision to stay out of the Syrian conflict:
In his letter, he outlined the five options for involvement with price tags:
1. Training, advising and assisting the opposition;
2. Conducting limited strikes;
3. Establishing a no-fly zone;
4. Creating buffer zones inside Syria;
5. Controlling Damascus’s chemical arms.
Gen Dempsey estimated that the first option would cost about $500m a year, while each of the other four actions would require roughly $1bn a month, i.e., $12bn a year.
The US army chief did not elaborate on the long-term cost to the US treasury of non-involvement in operations to keep al Qaeda at bay as it fights to get a stranglehold on Syria, like in Yemen and North African Sahara.
Israel’s Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon and its chief of staff Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz are struggling with imperatives to cut down on military outlay at the very moment when they need extra funding too keep the Al Qaeda menace away from Israel’s door. Gen. Dempsey has helped them by calculating costs. But that’s as far as it goes. For the fight, Israel is on its own.

The Turkish Republic or the Ottoman Empire?
By: Abdullah Al-Otaibi /Asharq Alawsat
The statements coming from Turkey about the state of affairs in Egypt after June 30 seem shocking, especially those issued by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his foreign minister, Ahmet Davutoğlu. The statements seem hostile and provocative to the new political leadership in Egypt, as well as to the majority of the Egyptian people who explicitly and strongly expressed their rejection of the Brotherhood’s rule after the Brotherhood spent only one year in power.
Why should Turkey adopt such an attitude? We must remember here that this stance is identical to the vision of the Muslim Brotherhood and conflicts with the stances of some Arab and Western states. Those Arab and Western states handled the new situation smoothly and are backing the roadmap, which the army declared and began to implement after it clearly announced it does not want to continue to perform a political role. The army also announced its disinterest in dominating political life, as promoted by the Muslim Brotherhood and Turkey.
The Turkish officials’ strong words came out oddly, for they expressed “disappointment” and mentioned the phrase “coup d’état,” refusing to deal with the new Egyptian government and trying their best to prompt Western and Arab states to change the new situation. The Turks are persisting with such a policy, even though the situation indicates that this policy is doomed to failure even before it starts. To understand why Turkey would take such a position, we must point out that the relation between political Islam groups and the army in that country is highly complex—and it is one of apparent antagonism. The Turkish army has long thwarted the ambitions of these groups, who sought to change Turkey’s modern, secular identity. As a result, these groups had to refine their discourse and accept secularism and civility, thus obtaining US and European support until they eventually rose to power. These groups dread that, should what happened in Egypt become acceptable regionally and internationally, the political ambitions of the Turkish army could be revived.
The Erdoğan government is facing numerous threats and problematical issues, and is trying to achieve historic cooperation in its relations with the Kurds. Yet, at the same time, it is concerned about the possible development of the sectarian war that the Iranian axis is waging against the Sunni majority in Syria. It worries that this conflict could reach the Alawites and the Sunnis within Turkey. This coincides with continual protests led by popular movements and opposition political parties, which have proven to be strong and widespread and about which the government feels deeply concerned about. Yet the government is still marking time with regards to the issue of joining the European Union. It is odd that in most of these challenges, the Turkish government resorts to conspiracy theories rather than realistic and practical solutions.
Everything that has been said is worthy of attention, discussion and analysis. Yet, in my assessment, what is more important is the appearance of the ideological link between different versions of political Islamist groups. What happened in Egypt on June 30 has thwarted an ideological dream of building an alliance of Islamist groups after they rose to power on two coasts of the Mediterranean, in Ankara and in Cairo. This proves that all the speeches delivered by Turkey’s Islamist leaders about secularism and about their advice to the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt must be questionable to ascertain their authenticity. Does the Turkish Justice and Development Party really strongly believe in secularism and civility, or was it forced to accept them in view of internal balances and international strategic relations on the economic and political levels?
Turkey has the right to perform an active and effective regional role, yet it must realize that such a role should not be at the expense of strong and effective regional countries such as Saudi Arabia, which the Telegraph newspaper described as a “great regional power” and a “powerful Middle East player.” The head Turkish diplomat, Ahmet Davutoğlu is the author of the book Strategic Depth. He must have been aware that Egypt’s “strategic depth” lies in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States, not Turkey, and that such a Turkish stance must have an impact on Turkey’s growing economic relations with Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states, as well as on the major contracts Turkey signed with them recently.
Turkish diplomacy should not have intervened in Egypt’s internal affairs, and it should deal with the new political leadership more wisely and contemplatively. It should closely examine the internal situation in Egypt. The Muslim Brotherhood was an abject failure in leading the state, because they were distracted from their leadership responsibilities by their ambitions to dominate the state. The Brothers were preoccupied with suppressing rivals and driving out political dissidents, rather than caring for development. The Brotherhood did not lose only all major state institutions, such as the army, Al-Azhar, the judiciary, the church, security forces and youth and public forces, but they also lost some of its radical adherents, such as the Salafist Al-Nour Party, which expressed attitudes and visions and adopted policies that contradict those of the Brotherhood—and even targeted them with overt criticism.
Turkey, in view of its politically unjustifiable bias, may break off its relations with Egypt, as well as with numerous Arab states. This attitude reflects a desire to turn back the clock, but instead there must be a careful and cautious reading of the requirements of reality and the nature of the status quo.
The purpose of this article is not to eliminate or marginalize the Turkish role in the region. Turkey is an important state, and it is possible that a powerful alliance with it is built to handle heated and major issues in the region, such as the Syrian crisis and the Iranian danger. Such an alliance must be built on basis of common views and exchanged interests in all levels. Yet the most important objective is that its role as a Turkish state is acceptable and understandable and that its role as a neo-Ottoman Empire is rejected and unrealistic.
The Muslim Brotherhood’s political and media machine, under its variant guises—whether as media outlets, as religious symbols adhering to political Islam in general in Egypt or in the Gulf States, or as websites—are attempting to compare what happened in Egypt to the hardline Algerian example or to the less hardline Turkish one. Such a comparison is impractical, as the differences in history and geography and the disparate realistic data necessitate a new type of thinking. We must think outside the ideological boxes and in a manner closer to political realism.
Recently, Hussein Galilik, deputy chief of the Turkish Justice and Development Party, posted the following comment on his Twitter account: “Damn the coup in Egypt. I’m hopeful that the masses that brought Mursi to power would defend their votes, which are their democratic dignity.” Apart from the sharp tone of these words, they reflect the sharp ideological, not realistic, stance of the Turkish government.

The Roots of Erdoğan’s Anger
By: Ali Ibrahim/Asharq Alawsat
Discussing Egyptian–Turkish ties years ago, a diplomat jokingly said that the difference between the two countries lies in their Islamic history. While Egypt was ruled by the Mamluks, Turkey is of Ottoman heritage. Both countries had similar history, with only one difference: Following the defeat of Tuman Bay, the last Mamluk leader, at the hands of Sultan Selim I in 1516, Egypt was transformed from an independent state to an Ottoman province. Later on, however, Muhammad Ali Pasha would rebel and declare Egypt and independent province for him—and his dynasty, which ended with King Farouq—to rule. Similarly, Atatürk shunted aside the Ottomans, transforming Turkey into a modern republic.
Both countries share much heritage. However, the difference in their social structures and the modern historical experiences has not caused a conflict of interests between the two countries. It is no secret that the Egyptian elite—and even the public—admire the Turkish record and Erdoğan’s efforts to involve Islamism in the democratic process, as well as his economic success. In fact, the country’s economy is among the world’s major developing economies, ranking 17th in the world, with Turkey being a member of the G20, the association of major economies.
It was natural for Turkey under Erdoğan to show interest in its neighbors, particularly on the economic level, without compromising its efforts to secure a place in the EU. Besides this, Turkey adopted the “zero problems with neighbors” philosophy formulated by Ahmet Davutoğlu, Turkey’s foreign minister, resulting in a firm relationship with the regime of Bashar Al-Assad before the surge of the “Arab Spring” in addition to the series of deals which revived investment and commerce in the region.
Sometimes, movement in the Middle East is like walking on quicksand. Problems escalated in one go, annulling the “zero problems with neighbors” philosophy, with Turkey becoming a major player in the Syrian conflict and, previously, in Libya. At the request of the regional players, Turkey entered the conflict as a strong regional player, a move seen as necessary to achieve positive equilibrium.
In Egypt, the situation was different given that the January 25 revolution was mostly, despite the violence that sometimes erupted, an internal affair. This is not to mention the fact that Egyptians are well known for their sensitivity over outside interference in their internal affairs. However, with the arrival of the Muslim Brotherhood to power, the relations between the two countries altered due to the Islamist background of the ruling parties in both countries. This opened the door for unfounded speculations over a new alliance being forged in the Middle East based on religious principles.
Many based their interpretations of Erdoğan’s outrage following June 30 in Egypt, which saw the military acting in favor of the millions who took to the streets demanding the removal of the former president Mohamed Mursi on these speculations. Many Arab and Western analysts have claimed that Turkey is the biggest loser in the whole affair, especially after it planned to forge a new regional alliance. They have also claimed that Erdoğan was like a new Ottoman sultan, building alliances in the region, and that what happened in Egypt thwarted his ambitions.
In fact, such claims are, in part, imaginary. Neither Turkey in the 21st century nor the entire region can become a new Ottoman empire. Moreover, Egypt does not accept subordination—not to mention the public’s extreme sensitivity over any foreign actor interfering with the country’s internal affairs.
The Turkish reaction to Mursi’s overthrow can be seen in the unjustifiably extreme outrage of Erdoğan himself and his autocratic methods in tackling some issues. That includes his stubborn stance on the development project in Gezi Park, which should have been left for the city’s municipal directorate to tackle rather than the prime minister. Erdoğan’s unjustifiably extreme reaction can be interpreted based on his understanding of politics, which he shares with Mursi, namely if one comes to power through the ballot box, one can do whatever they want until their term comes to an end. This is what led to Mursi’s overthrow. Mursi failed to reach a national consensus over issues that should be agreed upon. The Brotherhood still use this understanding of politics as a pretext, rejecting what happened despite the millions that filled the streets. It was difficult for the military to ignore public desire for change, particularly at such a transitional period, with people still learning how to practice politics. People may find that they made the wrong choice or have been deceived. Accordingly, they worried about the government’s failed performance and attempts to alter the identity of the state and its institutions.
We should hope that Erdoğan’s outrage is only temporary. The Egyptian–Turkish ties should be larger than individuals. Moreover, what is needed is a clearer understanding of the proportion and identity of both sides, as well as the geographical and political realities governing the interests and the foreign policy of each country.