Bible Quotation for today/The Tongue
James 03/01-12: " My friends, not many of you should become teachers. As you know, we teachers will be judged with greater strictness than others.  All of us often make mistakes. But if a person never makes a mistake in what he says, he is perfect and is also able to control his whole being.  We put a bit into the mouth of a horse to make it obey us, and we are able to make it go where we want. Or think of a ship: big as it is and driven by such strong winds, it can be steered by a very small rudder, and it goes wherever the pilot wants it to go.  So it is with the tongue: small as it is, it can boast about great things. Just think how large a forest can be set on fire by a tiny flame!  And the tongue is like a fire. It is a world of wrong, occupying its place in our bodies and spreading evil through our whole being. It sets on fire the entire course of our existence with the fire that comes to it from hell itself.  We humans are able to tame and have tamed all other creatures—wild animals and birds, reptiles and fish.  But no one has ever been able to tame the tongue. It is evil and uncontrollable, full of deadly poison.  We use it to give thanks to our Lord and Father and also to curse other people, who are created in the likeness of God.  Words of thanksgiving and cursing pour out from the same mouth. My friends, this should not happen!  No spring of water pours out sweet water and bitter water from the same opening.  A fig tree, my friends, cannot bear olives; a grapevine cannot bear figs, nor can a salty spring produce sweet water.
 

Reports: Syrian air base destroyed in missile attack from sea
By YASSER OKBI/10/31/2013/J.Post
Unclear who is behind the attack on base located in stronghold of Assad's Alawites, but Syrian, Lebanese media accuse Israel; Channel 2 reports attack's target were S-125 surface-to-air missiles.A Syrian air defense base near the port city of Latakia was completely destroyed on Thursday morning in a missile attack from the sea, Arab media reported. According to reports emanating from the rebels seeking to oust Syrian President Bashar Assad, a large explosion occurred near the army base in Latakia on Wednesday night. Witness posted on Twitter that the explosion happened near coastal city Jableh, 30 kilometers south of Latakia, a stronghold of Assad's Alawites. It is unclear who is behind the explosion or its purpose. There were no reports of casualties. Members of the Syrian and Lebanese media have charged that Israel is behind the attack. Israel's defense establishment has not responded to the report. Channel 2 News reported that the attack's target was a S-125 surface-to-air missiles battery. Satellite images of the area obtained by Channel 2 show the Russian-made Neva missiles, as well as a SA-3 missile battery, that also includes a command center with a radar to track the missiles' targets and broadcasting anthenas to track the missiles as they are launched. The missiles have a range of 35km. and a 70k. warhead.
Lebanese media also reported that six Israel Air Force planes flew over Ayta ash Shab, Bint Jbeil and Marjayoun in southern Lebanon overnight. Such reports are common in the Lebanese media. Last week, Kuwait newspaper Al-Jarida reported that IAF warplanes destroyed a shipment of missiles that were to be delivered to Hezbollah near the Lebanese-Syrian frontier. The paper’s story, which quotes a senior Israeli official, has not been confirmed by any other news source. It was also unclear whether the attack took place on Lebanese or Syrian soil. Israel has reportedly launched at least three attacks against convoys that were said to be delivering arms to the south Lebanon-based Shi’ite organization. JPost.com staff contributed to this report.

Braced for imminent nuclear accord with Iran, US pulls away from military option, IDF stays on the ready
DEBKAfile Exclusive Report October 31, 2013/Israel’s high command, working on the assumption that an American-Iranian nuclear accord is near its final stage, plans to keep in place advanced preparations for a unilateral military strike on Iran’s nuclear program into 2014 – hence the IDF’s request for a supplemental NIS3.5bn (app. $1bn) defense budget this week. DEBKAfile’s military sources report exclusively that the main body of the accord is essentially complete. All the same, President Barack Obama plans to announce before Christmas that only partial agreement has been achieved and negotiations will continue.
He will be cagey in public – partly because not all parts of the accord have been finalized, although the pace of US-Iranian negotiations have been accelerated, and partly to avoid coming clean on the full scope of the deal with Tehran. The US-Iranian talks are being held at three levels:
1. American and Iranian diplomats and nuclear experts are discussing the technical aspects of the accord in Vienna. Some of these meetings - but not all - take place at International Atomic Energy Agency headquarters in the city.
The talks in Vienna between IAEA chief Yukiya Amano and Iranian deputy foreign minister Abbas Araqchi on Oct. 29-30 in Vienna were held to review items already approved between the American and Iranian delegations. It remained for the two officials to consider how to integrate those understandings in the future IAEA inspections routine.
Araqchi reported he had brought new proposals to the talks, saying they were productive. Amano said more cautiously: “I am very hopeful that we can come out with a good result.”
2. Secretary of State John Kerry and Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Wendy Sherman, who is the senior US negotiator, are handling the second level of direct negotiations opposite Foreign Minister Mohammed Zarif and his deputy Abbas Araqchi.
Because of his direct involvement, Kerry sounded unusually impatient Monday October 28, when he said, “Some have suggested that somehow there’s something wrong with giving diplomacy a chance. We will not succumb to those fear tactics and forces that suggest otherwise.”
He did not name Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, but clearly lashed out against what he regards as the prime minister’s “fear tactics.” Neither did he admit how much progress had been made in the direct US line with Tehran.
3. The third level deals with sanctions. It is run by officials of the US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, which oversees the sanctions regime, and senior staff from President Hassan Rouhani’s bureau.
They are working to determine which sanctions will be lifted and at which stage of the negotiations.
This process aims at lifting decision-making on sanctions out of the hands of Congress and transferring it to this secret negotiating mechanism. By this means, President Obama hopes not only to thwart Congressional calls for tighter sanctions against Iran, but also to forestall Netanyahu’s efforts to this end.
On Tuesday October 29, a group of Jewish leaders was invited to the White House to meet with members of the National Security Council for an update on the Iran negotiations and a bid to defuse tensions with them and Israel. But none of the above information about the accelerated progress of a US-Iranian accord was released to them.

Analysis: Can Israel legally justify a preemptive air strike on weapons transfers?
By YONAH JEREMY BOB/10/25/2013/J.Post
While the IDF has a history of preemptive strikes, recent reports are of a strike on defensive missiles en route to Hezbollah, not WMDs.OC Northern Command Maj. Gen. Noam Tibon on Thursday told The Jerusalem Post Diplomatic Conference that in light of Syrian attempts to smuggle weapons to Hezbollah, the IDF “must do what we can do to prevent it.”
Asked on the sidelines if the situation he described could justify foreign news reports of IDF attacks on convoys that were making such weapons transfers, he said he could not speak on that issue, although he told The Jerusalem Post that the number of rockets in Hezbollah’s possession could press Israel into new levels of aggressiveness. There are other circumstances where such vague statements could be interpreted in multiple ways to refer potentially to economic sanctions or general diplomatic efforts. But Israel has no effective levers to influence or stop those weapons transfers other than military action by the air force, and the IDF has a history of preemptive strikes in foreign territories when it was believed necessary.
In that light, even without any official confirmation (or denial) that the IDF is undertaking any preemptive strikes, it is worth asking what would be the legal basis for doing so. This is particularly true since Tibon was describing the transfer not of weapons of mass destruction or even offensive weapons, but surface-to-air missiles (SAMs) designed to repel encroachment by foreign aircraft. The strikes do not fit into a conventional international-law analysis or even in the same category as some of Israel’s prior preemptive strikes.
Conventionally, the largest camps on use of military force say that it is warranted – only after an armed attack (camp one) or preempting an imminent attack.
The scenario Tibon described, which he said the IDF “must prevent,” did not describe either an armed attack or an imminent attacked, but rather a SAMs transfer which at some distant point in the future could be used.
The IDF has preemptively struck in the past against targets that could only be used in the distant future, but in connection with weapons of mass destruction, it is quite different than hitting weapons used primarily for defensive purposes. How could Israel justify such an attack? Clearly, the military strategic view is that allowing Hezbollah to receive advanced SAMs could blunt Israel’s air superiority advantage in defending itself. But can such strategy fit into any international law paradigm? Under the current framework, such a view would probably find few defenders outside of Israel when it comes to international law. On the other hand, in the several alleged IDF attacks reported by foreign sources, there were no reports of significant casualties nor any significant cries from human rights groups.
As long as there are few civilian casualties and Israel’s alleged attacks remain covert and unconfirmed, Israel is likely to succeed in avoiding heavy criticism.
But if Israel had to defend the alleged attacks in the future, its attempt would likely refer to other developments which Tibon had noted in his talk.
Tibon pointed to intelligence reports that Hezbollah “has acquired 100,000 additional rockets” since the 2006 Lebanon War, “more rockets per inch than any other place on earth.”
He said that Hezbollah weapons are systematically hidden in people’s homes, and that fighters who join Hezbollah are even given houses with the understanding that one floor in a multi-story building would be used to hide weapons.The idea is that Hezbollah could unleash a massive strike across Israel such as had never been seen before, without needing a single troop to set foot inside Israeli territory and without Israel necessarily finding a way – if it had any warning at all – to stop most of the rockets in the “imminent” period, before they were used. And with the advanced SAMs deterring an aerial assault, the IDF might be limited in mustering a quick and effective counterstrike. Even if Israel went one step earlier in the process and tried to strike the SAMs and rockets before they were used, by striking them where they were hidden, Hezbollah’s taking the idea of human shields to a whole new level by systematically hiding the weapons in houses in civilian areas would lead to unavoidable and significant civilian casualties.
In that light, if Israel wants any chance at blocking or striking the SAMs (maintaining its ability to counterstrike against rockets) and rockets, and at limiting civilian casualties, it would have to be done at the earlier point, when they are first being transferred to Hezbollah. It is unlikely that this case would satisfy all of Israel’s critics, but if it plans to try to continue stopping Syrian- Hezbollah weapons transfers, it may eventually need to make the case publicly.

Salam Discusses Government Formation Efforts with Hariri in France
Naharnet/Prime Minister-designate Tammam Salam held talks in Paris on Thursday with former Premier Saad Hariri, reported Voice of Lebanon radio (100.5). It said that the discussions focused on the efforts to form a new government. Hariri also threw a luncheon banquet in Salam's honor. The PM-designate then traveled from the French capital to Geneva. Since his appointment in April, Salam has been facing conditions and counter-conditions set by the rival March 8 and March 14 alliances over the formation of a new cabinet. An Nahar daily on Monday reported that head of al-Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc ex-PM Fouad Saniora arrived in Paris on Sunday for talks with Hariri.

34 Corpses of Victims of Indonesia Ferry Sinking Return to Lebanon
Naharnet /The corpses of the victims of the ferry sinking off the coast of Indonesia were returned to Lebanon on Thursday. The corpses of 34 asylum-seekers arrived at noon at Rafik Hariri International Airport where their loved ones were waiting for them. Several officials, including caretaker Interior Minister Marwan Charbel and caretaker Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour, were among the crowd at the airport. Charbel hoped that "this will be the last tragedy the Lebanese people will confront." He also thanked the Lebanese people for their "civilized" reception of the corpses of the victims. He added that investigations are ongoing with the people linked to the ferry sinking, stressing that they will be brought to justice. The corpses will then be transferred to the northern city of Tripoli and later the northern region of Akkar where most of the victims hail from.
DNA tests that were being performed on the corpses delayed their return to Lebanon. The corpses suffered decomposition because they were at sea. Twenty-eight Lebanese asylum-seekers drowned in a boat sinking off Indonesia in late September as they sought to sail to Australia. The Lebanese Foreign Ministry said there were 68 Lebanese, including children, on board the ill-fated vessel and that 18 survived the ordeal while at least 29 were still missing. Most of them hail from Akkar where thousands of Syrians have sought refuge from the 30-month conflict that has rocked their country. The asylum-seekers were reportedly the victims of people smugglers who prey on them and Syrian refugees seeking to better their lives.

Tension, Sniper Fire in Tripoli after Gunmen Shoot Four Jabal Mohsen Residents
Naharnet/Sporadic sniper gunshots returned to Tripoli on Wednesday evening and tensions surged after gunmen shot and wounded four Jabal Mohsen residents in the city despite an army security plan that had managed to end seven days of clashes on Monday. “Mohammed Abdul Razzaq Abdullah, Nasser Mahfouz and Bilal Ali Mohsen were shot and wounded in the legs at the al-Mallouleh roundabout as they were returning from their workplaces,” state-run National News Agency said. LBCI television said the three were on their way back from Beirut. “They were rushed to hospital for treatment and the relevant authorities have launched a probe into the incident,” NNA added. A fourth Jabal Mohsen resident was shot and wounded in al-Zahriyeh area later on Wednesday, Voice of Lebanon radio (100.5) reported, identifying the man as Ali Hamad.
“The army closed al-Shamal road that leads to Jabal Mohsen after some residents tried to attack some passing cars in retaliation to the attack on the three young men and tensions are high in the area,” the radio station reported.
For its part, Voice of Lebanon radio (93.3) said “sporadic sniper gunfire has returned to Tripoli's Syria Street,” which separates the rival neighborhoods of Bab al-Tabbaneh and Jabal Mohsen. It later said that a hand grenade exploded on Syria Street. And according to VDL (100.5), the army intensified its patrols after sniper gunshots targeted Syria Street and al-Hamwi Street.
On Sunday, the army deployed in Jabal Mohsen as part of a security plan to put an end to seven days of deadly clashes in the northern city. Three soldiers were wounded on Monday as army troops deployed in Bab al-Tabbaneh. At least 14 people were killed and more than 80 wounded in a week of clashes between the two rival neighborhoods. The fighting broke out on October 21 as celebratory gunfire erupted in Jabal Mohsen over Syrian President Bashar Assad’s appearance on al-Mayadeen television for an interview. The neighborhoods of Bab al-Tabbaneh and Jabal Mohsen have been for years witnessing deadly gunbattles, but skirmishes began to flare with increasing intensity after the Syrian uprising began in March 2011.

Report: Brahimi Top Negotiator in Bishops Case
Naharnet /U.N.-Arab League envoy Lakhdar Brahimi is negotiating the release of the two Orthodox bishops seized in northern Syria in April, al-Joumhouria newspaper reported on Thursday. The daily reported that Mokhtar Lamani, Brahimi's representative in Damascus, contacted the kidnappers of the two bishops, a radical Chechen group led by Mohammed Akroff. The negotiations are going under the auspices of Turkish intelligence chief Hakan Fidan. According to al-Joumhouria, the kidnappers gave Lamani tangible evidence that the two bishops are safe. Bishops Youhanna Ibrahim and Boulos Yazigi were kidnapped on April 23 in the northern Syrian province of Aleppo while they were on a humanitarian work. “Brahimi confirmed to (General Security Chief Maj. Gen. Abbas) Ibrahim that the two bishops are well,” an informed source told the newspaper. The report said that the proof is a 6-minute audio recording with Akroff. Brahimi informed Syrian President Bashar Assad as well of the proof. Concerning the location of the two bishops, the source pointed out that they are still held in Syria in a dangerous and unsafe area. The report continued that Qatar offered financial and logistic help to secure the release of the two bishops. The kidnappers have set several conditions to release the two bishops, including the release of Turkish officers detained by the Syrian regime. The matter remains a point of contention between Syria and Turkey as Damascus demands to make the release public while Ankara demands that it remains secret.

All Syria Chemical Weapons Placed under Seal
Naharnet/International inspectors have placed Syria's entire declared stock of over 1,000 tonnes of chemical weapons and agents under tamper-proof seal, the world's chemical watchdog said Thursday. "All stocks of chemical weapons and agents have been placed under seals that are impossible to break," Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) spokesman Christian Chartier told Agence France Presse, adding that the seals were "tamper proof". "These are 1,000 tonnes of chemical agents (which can be used to make weapons) and 290 tonnes of chemical weapons," Chartier said. OPCW and U.N. inspectors have until mid-2014 to destroy Syria's entire chemical arsenal and production facilities under the terms of a U.S.-Russian deal to head off military strikes on President Bashar Assad's regime. "The weapons and agents remain at their respective sites, we're not yet at the stage of moving them," Chartier said. Syria is cooperating with the disarmament operation and has already said it had approximately 1,290 tonnes of chemical weapons and agents as well as 1,230 unfilled chemical munitions, meaning shells, rockets or mortars.SourceAgence France Presse

Geagea: Hezbollah’s Syria campaign not a victory
October 31, 2013 /The Daily Star/BEIRUT: Lebanese Force leader Samir Geagea Thursday slammed Hezbollah, saying its secretary-general had made a miscalculation in backing the regime of President Bashar Assad militarily.“I have tried over and again to look for this victory [that Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah bragged about] but I could not find it. Did Nasrallah achieve victory in Syria? His mere intervention there is a defeat particularly that his dear friend Bashar Assad will not remain in power no matter what,” Geagea said, according to an LF statement. His comments came during speech Thursday addressed to Notre Dame University students, Zouk Mosbeh, during their visit to Maarab. Nasrallah Monday urged his rivals in the March 14 coalition not to wager on developments in Syria, saying Assad’s regime had achieved important victories in the run up to the Geneva II conference. In May, Nasrallah announced that his party was involved militarily in Syria on the side of Assad against rebels seeking the Syrian leader’s ouster. The March 14 alliance, to which Geagea is a leading member, insists that Hezbollah withdraw its fighter as a precondition for the formation of the next government. Geagea, a staunch critic of Nasrallah, also told the students Thursday that Hezbollah’s three-way formula of the “Army, people and resistance” was waning and being replaced by the “Army, people and institutions” principle. “So don’t let anyone bring you down, the future is ours,” he added. Meanwhile, Lebanese Forces MP Antoine Zahra said during an interview with Voice of Lebanon radio station that March 14 alliance’s suggestion of a non-partisan government does not imply the exclusion of any party. “Rather it implies that the [March 14] alliance will not contribute to the formation of an inoperative government in advance,” he said. Zahra also rejected Nasrallah’s Cabinet formation conditions, which he said implied modifying the country’s Taif Accord to allow a political party the right to set conditions. “March 14 will not give in to Hezbollah’s conditions, modifying the Taif Accord, and applying a new principle of predominance,” he said. He added that Hezbollah was violating the Doha Accord by using force to secure political privileges.The Doha Accord is an agreement signed in 2008 by March 14 and March 8 politicians in Doha, Qatar, that ended an 18-month political crisis in Lebanon. Nasrallah Monday urged the March 14 to accept a 9-9-6 Cabinet lineup that would give the rival political coalitions in the country veto power. Centrists would get the smallest share of Cabinet seats, according to the formula, which is also backed by Progressive Socialist Party chief MP Walid Jumblatt. Nasrallah also urged the current resigned government meet to discuss pending oil decrees and the situation in the northern city of Tripoli. Zahra said Thursday that oil exploration should not be used as a pretext to convene the caretaker Cabinet and “give privileges in a hasty manner.”Earlier this year, Lebanon officially launched its first oil and gas licensing round with 46 international energy companies prequalifying to bid for offshore exploration contracts.However, the Cabinet must convene to pass two decrees demarcating 10 maritime oil exploration blocks and establishing a revenue-sharing model before oil and gas contracts can be awarded.

Captagon pills seized at Beirut airport, Syrian arrested
October 31, 2013/The Daily Star/BEIRUT: Authorities at Rafik Hariri International Airport foiled Thursday an attempt to smuggle 5 kilograms of Captagon tablets to an Arab country, the Internal Security Forces said.
A Syrian man, identified by his initials A.A., was caught carrying the narcotics at the airport, the police statement said. The 32-year-old, who confessed to the crime, said he had planned to smuggle the pills to an Arab country.
He was referred to the Anti-Drug Division for further investigation

Glaring deficiencies
October 31, 2013/The Daily Star/Tens of thousands of Lebanese in the northern region of Akkar have been beset by high levels of political tension in the wake of the crisis in next-door Syria; residents of this part of the country have been struggling to cope with the inflow of refugees which has only exacerbated difficult socioeconomic conditions that have prevailed for years. But Akkar residents were actually rejoicing this week with the sudden appearance of a huge wave of new visitors – thousands of amperes of electricity, courtesy of the Lebanese state, finally settled down in Akkar.
Residents slaughtered sheep to mark the occasion, as they finally saw employees of Electricite du Liban throw the switch to connect the region to the national grid, a move that affects some 300 remote villages – remoteness being relative, as they are just over 150 kilometers from the capital. When the celebratory atmosphere wears off, however, the residents of the region will have to put up with the same problems faced by most other Lebanese, namely paying bills for an electricity service that sees regular rationing, and trying to predict how regular and fair the power cuts will be. It is the kind of occasion that generates a range of reactions. For anyone who might rejoice at the fact that a pressing need has been met at long last, there are the questions of why it took so long in the first place – and the even more depressing fact that the region has yet to see the same progress in the area of water supplies. Some Lebanese can remember the old days, when they used to press their heads against the walls of their homes to hear the gurgling sound of government water supplies flowing through the pipes, signaling that it was their turn to finally receive the blessed substance. The sound of the water finally arriving was as joyous as a symphony orchestra reaching a triumphant crescendo in a packed concert hall. Perhaps officials believed it would have been too much of a shock for Akkar residents to receive both electricity and water in one go. The arrival of basic utilities and infrastructure to Akkar is a story that casts much of the activity of politicians and officials in a new light. Some of them are fond of talking about problems instead of actually solving them or pressuring other authorities to do so. Some are fond of coming up with the most elaborate theories and notions about geopolitical developments, while they fail to notice the glaring local problems that their own country suffers from. Some, in their private moments, might talk about the backwardness of the Syrian regime or Syrian society, while failing to notice that across the Nahr al-Kabir in Akkar, people in Syrian villages and towns have benefited from government electricity supplies for several decades.
Another series of questions involves the future in places like Akkar and elsewhere. Are there other glaring examples of poor infrastructure and an absence of vital utilities such as electricity and water? Is anyone doing anything about it? Has there been a prioritization of needs and the drawing up of a detailed plan of implementation? Or will Lebanese just have to keep their eyes and ears open, and wonder where the next “blessing” will materialize?

Syria War Stirs Decades-Old Tensions in Tripoli
Naharnet/In the impoverished Bab al-Tabbaneh and Jabal Mohsen neighborhoods of Lebanon's second city Tripoli, the war in neighboring Syria has aggravated decades-old sectarian and political tensions. Regional and local powers have taken advantage of the situation, arming poor fighters in the neighborhoods to fight a proxy war over Syria. Jabal Mohsen, where most of the population belongs to President Bashar Assad's Alawite sect, has long backed the Damascus regime. Majority-Sunni Bab el-Tabbaneh, however, supports the rebels who have been fighting to overthrow Assad for the past 31 months. But sectarian fighting in the two districts started long before: since 2008, there have been 18 rounds of fighting, killing more than 200 and wounding 3,000 others. The most recent clashes between the two, fought across the aptly-named Syria Street that divides them, started on October 21, killing 14 people. After each round of violence, Lebanese troops deploy to the area, bringing a temporary calm to the streets of the city of 500,000 people, of whom 80 percent are Sunni and just 11 percent Alawite.
"We are suffering the consequences of the Syrian conflict," said Nabil Rahim, a Sunni cleric in the city who has long worked to soothe tensions between the two communities.
But Rahim sees three main factors fueling violence in the city: the conflict in Syria, political tensions in Lebanon, and the country's own bitter sectarian problems that caused a civil war from 1975-1990. "In Jabal Mohsen, we know that Hizbullah, Iran and the Syrian regime are providing weapons and funds," he says. "It is more complicated in Bab al-Tabbaneh," he adds. "Those doing the shooting are residents, Islamists and supporters of the March 14 coalition.”"But many are fighting just for the money," he added. Syria militarily and politically dominated its tiny neighbor for more than 30 years after Assad's father Hafez Assad intervened in Lebanon's civil war in 1976.
Its involvement, which waned when Assad withdrew his troops in 2005, polarized Lebanese politics. Today, the March 8 coalition supports Damascus' influence in Lebanon, and March 14 vociferously opposes it. The violence raging in Tripoli now is in part the legacy of this intervention. The war-scarred neighborhoods saw their first clashes in 1976, when Alawites and supporters of Hafez Assad fought against the Palestinian Liberation Organization then headquartered in Lebanon. In the 1980s, the front changed to pit pro-Assad fighters against the Islamist Tawhid movement, which was strong in Bab al-Tabbaneh.
Hundreds killed in massacre
Then in 1986, when Syrian troops entered Bab al-Tabbaneh, they and their Lebanese backers killed hundreds of people in a massacre remembered to this day. Under the iron fist of the Syrian regime, there was a semblance of peace forced by control. At that time, commerce and even mixed marriages between residents of Bab al-Tabbaneh and Jabal Mohsen flourished. The assassination of former prime minister Rafik Hariri in 2005 changed all that. Political tensions soared once again, and were further exacerbated by the outbreak of the Syrian conflict in March 2011. Lebanon's most prominent Sunni politicians have denied ties to armed groups in the city, and have called for help to clear Tripoli of weapons. Former prime minister Saad Hariri has condemned the fighting as "a dirty war" waged by Assad against Tripoli through his "local tools", in reference to Jabal Mohsen's Alawites and pro-Assad movements. Sunni leaders have also demanded the dissolution of the Jabal Mohsen-based Arab Democratic Party that represents Tripoli's Alawites, after two horrific car bomb explosions near two mosques in August killed 45 people. ties have since issued arrest warrants for seven Alawites from Jabal Mohsen over the explosions.
The ADP, meanwhile, whose headquarters are in Jabal Mohsen, blames the violence on Sunni leaders. Local journalist Ghassan Rifi says the fighting between the two neighborhoods reflects regional strains over the Syrian conflict. "The latest flare-up is the result of Syrian-Saudi tensions," Rifi told Agence France Presse, referring to Sunni-majority Saudi Arabia, a key backer of the anti-Assad revolt.
Rahim also says that some people in Tripoli's flashpoints are fighting for financial reasons. "It's true that some fight to defend themselves, but others are driven by sectarianism and money". One angry shopkeeper in the city was sure that the weapons and the money fueling the cycle of violence was coming from outside. "The gunmen in Bab al-Tabbaneh don't have the money to buy bread, how could they afford weapons?", he asked, accusing politicians of financing the fighters. This week, as troops once again returned to the streets of Bab al-Tabbaneh and Jabal Mohsen, residents were skeptical that troops would bring lasting peace. For Rahim, there can be no solution for Tripoli "until the Syrian crisis ends, there is national reconciliation, and all funding for weapons comes to a halt". Source/Agence France Presse

Ali Eid Reportedly Summoned for Interrogation in Tripoli Blasts Case
by Naharnet /Arab Democratic Party leader ex-MP Ali Eid was summoned Wednesday by the Internal Security Forces Intelligence Bureau for interrogation in the case of the deadly twin bombings that targeted two mosques in Tripoli in August, according to media reports. “The interrogation will tackle the incident of plotting and facilitating the escape of Ahmed Merhi, one of the main suspects in the case of the Tripoli blasts,” LBCI television said. It noted that the investigation is taking place under the supervision of State Commissioner to the Military Court Judge Saqr Saqr. Meanwhile, al-Mayadeen television said the Arab Democratic Party "denied receiving any request from the Intelligence Bureau for the interrogation of its leader in the case of the Tripoli blasts." According to MTV, Eid's personal driver Ahmed Mohammed Ali was arrested on October 26 by Lebanese army intelligence agents on charges of smuggling Merhi into Syria at the request of the pro-Damascus former lawmaker. “During the interrogation of Ahmed, it turned out that the Alawite leader had provided a hideout for Merhi in the Akkar border town of Heker al-Daheri before he was smuggled into Syria,” MTV said. Ahmed was later handed over to Judge Saqr, who in his turn referred him to the ISF Intelligence Bureau for further interrogation. According to information obtained by MTV, interrogators are trying to determine whether Ahmed Mohammed Ali had also assisted other three suspects to flee Lebanon and are probing his potential involvement in Tripoli’s twin attacks. Ahmed Merhi is reportedly the driver of the second explosive-laden vehicle that blew up near al-Taqwa mosque. On October 14, seven people involved in the August bombings were charged, including three in custody. The charges include the formation of an armed gang for the purpose of carrying out terrorist activities and the bombing of al-Taqwa and al-Salam mosques on August 23.
Forty-five people were killed and over 800 wounded in the twin bombings. The ADP has denied any involvement in the attacks and stressed that the suspects are not members of the party while slamming media leaks attributed to the ISF Intelligence Bureau.

Eid: Red Lines were Crossed when my Father was Summoned for Interrogation over Tripoli Blasts
Naharnet /Arab Democratic Party official Rifaat Eid condemned the Internal Security Forces Intelligence Bureau's summoning of his father, Ali, over his alleged links to the twin blasts that rocked the northern city of Tripoli in August, reported As Safir newspaper on Thursday. He told the daily: “The ISF Intelligence Bureau crossed red lines when it summoned my father and he will definitely not comply with the request.” He declared that the accusations against his father are not based on any facts and they are part of a Saudi Arabian agenda to settle scores with Syria. Moreover, he voiced his fear that the summoning will negatively affect the situation in Tripoli, stressing that the Arab Democratic Party was exerting “strenuous efforts to calm the angry residents of Jabal Mohsen,” which is a stronghold of the party in Tripoli. As Safir said that former MP and head of the Arab Democratic Party Ali Eid was summoned over testimonies his driver Ahmed Mohammed Ali had made during the investigation over the Tripoli blasts. The driver was detained by the ISF Intelligence Bureau on charges of smuggling to Syria Ahmed Merhi, one of the suspects in the bombings against al-Taqwa and al-Salam mosques in Tripoli on August 23. Meanwhile, al-Joumhouria newspaper reported on Thursday that Ali Eid had refused to comply with the summoning request. Judicial sources told the daily that suspicions are surrounding Rifaat Eid over his links to the Tripoli attacks because he is the main official in the Arab Democratic Party.
They also voiced their fears that he may be smuggled to Syria “in order to hide the truth and any leads linked to the twin bombings.” MTV reported on Wednesday that Ali Eid's personal driver Ahmed Mohammed Ali was arrested on October 26 by Lebanese army intelligence agents on charges of smuggling Merhi into Syria at the request of the pro-Damascus former lawmaker. “During the interrogation of Ahmed, it turned out that the Alawite leader had provided a hideout for Merhi in the Akkar border town of Heker al-Daheri before he was smuggled into Syria,” MTV said. Ali was eventually handed over to the ISF Intelligence Bureau for further interrogation.
Merhi is reportedly the driver of the second explosive-laden vehicle that blew up near al-Taqwa mosque. On October 14, seven people involved in the August bombings were charged, including three in custody. Forty-five people were killed and over 800 wounded in the twin bombings. The Arab Democratic Party has denied any involvement in the attacks and stressed that the suspects are not members of the party while slamming media leaks attributed to the ISF Intelligence Bureau.

Two Arrested after Bomb Goes Off near Army Intelligence Station in Bekaa
Naharnet/A bomb exploded on Thursday morning near an army intelligence station in the central Bekaa region of Jalala. The National News Agency reported that the bomb was discovered on the side of the ride, adding that it was placed behind the Moussawi institute in the area. The blast went off as a specialized member of the Internal Security Forces was dismantling. No one was injured in the incident. The army later announced in a statement the arrest of two suspects linked to the explosion. It added that the blast was caused by a 300-gram explosive, which was remotely detonated. The explosive was placed on an off road of the Shtaura highway and exploded at around 8:300 a.m. said LBCI television. Only material damage was reported and television footage showed that a number of cars had been damaged in the blast. Source/Agence France Presse

UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon Plumbly from Tripoli: Long-Term Security, Economic, Social Solutions Needed in City
Naharnet/United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon Derek Plumbly welcomed the temporary halt of violence in the northern city of Tripoli, but said that long-term measures are needed in order to thwart its recurrence. He said from Tripoli: “What is needed are long-term security, but also economic and social solutions.”He made his remarks after holding separate talks with caretaker Youth and Sports Minister Faisal Karami and Tripoli and the North Mufti Sheikh Malek al-Shaar. “We welcome the measures taken by the Lebanese army and the security forces, in parallel with concerted political efforts, to halt the violence and to restore relative calm to the city,” Plumbly added. “The people of Tripoli deserve a dignified, secure and stable life as all Lebanese people do. The present situation should not be allowed to continue,” he said. “I also encourage all sides to respect and cooperate with state institutions, particularly the security authorities who have a significant burden as they work to keep Lebanon safe from the impact of the crisis in neighboring Syria,” he continued.
The international community and the United Nations recognize these efforts and are committed to continue supporting them and enhancing their capabilities, he stressed.
“I would also like to take this opportunity to praise Tripoli and the people of Tripoli for the hospitality and generosity they have shown to thousands of people displaced from neighboring Syria despite the difficult conditions in their city,” Plumbly added The United Nations is working closely with the Lebanese authorities and other NGOs to ensure that the needs of the refugees are met until they can return to their country, he concluded. The U.N. official is scheduled to meet with a number of political officials in Tripoli later on Thursday. At least 14 people were killed and more than 80 wounded during last week's clashes between Tripoli's rival neighborhoods of Bab al-Tabbaneh and Jabal Mohsen. On Sunday, the army deployed in Jabal Mohsen as part of a security plan to put an end to seven days of deadly clashes in the northern city. Three soldiers were wounded on Monday as army troops deployed in Bab al-Tabbaneh. The fighting broke out on October 21 as celebratory gunfire erupted in Jabal Mohsen over Syrian President Bashar Assad’s appearance on al-Mayadeen television for an interview.
The neighborhoods of Bab al-Tabbaneh and Jabal Mohsen have been for years witnessing deadly gunbattles, but skirmishes began to flare with increasing intensity after the Syrian uprising began in March 2011.

Gambia Pardons Expelled Lebanese Businessman Hussein Tajudeen; is Free to Return
Naharnet /Gambian President Yahya Jammeh has pardoned Lebanese businessman Hussein Tajudeen, four months after he was expelled from the west African nation for questionable economic activities. An official statement issued by the president's office said the multimillionaire was free to return to Gambia as of October 25. "The general public is hereby informed that President Yahya Jammeh has pardoned Mr Hussein Tajudeen (Tajco) who had earlier been declared persona non grata," said the statement. "Mr Tajudeen is therefore free to return to the Gambia as from the 25th October 2013." Tajudeen, who was close to the president, was in June accused of involvement in the sale of foodstuffs past their sell-by date. The owner of Gambia's largest supermarket chain Kairaba and main importer of rice and flour through one of his companies, Tajco, had lived in the country for 15 years but was asked to leave within 72 hours. In the wake of his expulsion the import of frozen chicken legs was banned, but the two decisions were never officially linked.
Source/Agence France Presse

Hizbullah Fears Possible Attacks on Ashura as it Maintains Contacts with Jumblat
Naharnet/Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah expressed his concern that the party may be the target of terrorist attacks on the occasion of Ashura in mid November, reported al-Joumhouria newspaper on Thursday.
The party is carrying out all measures in order to thwart such assaults, Nasrallah told a number of party and religious figures on Wednesday He also stressed that the party is cooperating with the security forces to prevent any attack on the religious occasion of Ashura. Meanwhile, Hizbullah sources revealed to the daily that contacts are ongoing between the party and Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat over a number of issues.
The contacts are being held between caretaker Ministers Wael Abou Faour and Ghazi al-Aridi and MP Akram Shehayeb, representing Jumblat, and caretaker Ministers Hussein al-Hajj Hassan and Mohammed Fneish, MP Hassan Fadlallah, and Hizbullah Liaison and Coordination Officer Wafiq Safa, representing the party. The contacts between Jumblat and Nasrallah are therefore ongoing through these two channels, said al-Joumhouria. At least 22 people were killed and 325 wounded in a car bombing in Hizbullah's stronghold of Dahieh in Beirut's southern suburbs on August 15. In September, Nasrallah blamed Sunni takfiris linked to the Syrian opposition to the August 15 attack. "It is a takfiri group working within the framework of the Syrian opposition and located on Syrian soil," he added, saying both Lebanese and Syrian nationals were involved in the attack.On July 9, a booby-trapped car exploded at a parking lot in Bir al-Abed, leaving 53 people wounded and causing extensive material damage. In May, two rockets slammed into the Beirut southern suburb of Shiyyah, wounding four people.

Sheikh Ahmed Supporter Arrested Trying to Cross Checkpoint Disguised as Woman
Naharnet/Ahmed Qiblawi, one of Sheikh Ahmed al-Asir's fugitive supporters, was arrested Wednesday as he tried to cross Sidon's al-Awali checkpoint while disguised as a niqab-wearing woman. “An Internal Security Forces patrol chased Ahmed Qiblawi, one of Ahmed al-Asir's loyalists, while he was disguised as a woman and managed to capture him at al-Awali checkpoint at the northern entrance of the city of Sidon,” state-run National News Agency said. “Army intelligence agents then took him to the Mohammed Zgheib Barracks in Sidon,” NNA added. According to several media reports, Qiblawi was sporting an Islamic full-face veil, or niqab. The whereabouts of Asir, his close aide Fadel Shaker and many of their group remain unknown after the army stormed the Islamist cleric's headquarters on June 24. Eighteen soldiers were killed and 20 others were wounded in fierce clashes sparked by an attack by Asir loyalists on an army checkpoint in the Sidon suburb of Abra. Twenty of Asir's gunmen were also killed in the fighting. The fighting was among the worst in Lebanon since the outbreak of the conflict in neighboring Syria in 2011.

Israel Rejects U.S. Solution on Dispute with Lebanon over Offshore Gas
Naharnet /Israel rejected a proposal by the U.S. to resolve the dispute with Lebanon over the two countries Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), media reports said on Thursday.
raeli business newspaper the Globes, sources in the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs rejected to comment on the matter “due to its sensitivity.” Lebanon and Israel are bickering over a maritime zone that consists of about 854 square kilometers and suspected energy reserves there could generate billions of dollars. The Globes reported the dispute will delay Lebanon's exploration of Block 9, an area that is north of Israel's Alon license, which is likely to contain gas reserves similar in scale to Israel's Tamar gas field. Lebanese officials recently expressed fear that Israel's discovery of a new offshore gas field near Lebanese territorial waters means the Jewish state could siphon some of Lebanon's crude oil. Lebanon has been slow to exploit its maritime resources compared with other eastern Mediterranean countries. Israel, Cyprus and Turkey are all much more advanced in drilling for oil and gas. In March 2010, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated a mean of 1.7 billion barrels of recoverable oil and a mean of 34.5 trillion cubic meters of recoverable gas in the Levant Basin in the eastern Mediterranean, which includes the territorial waters of Lebanon, Israel, Syria and Cyprus. The U.S. had offered to mediate between the sides in an attempt to reach a solution. Beirut argues that a maritime map it submitted to the U.N. is in line with an armistice accord drawn up in 1949, an agreement which is not contested by Israel.
 

Opinion: A New Pax Iranica
By: Eyad Abu Shakra/Asharq Alawsat
What Hassan Nasrallah said in his last speech, in which he boasted of his ‘victory’ in Syria and sent his directives to Lebanon’s president and prime minister designate, was expected, particularly in the aftermath of the US–Russian–Iranian deal. Actually, I remember well what former president Nicolas Sarkozy of France said—before he was elected president in 2007—in response to a question about Iran’s support for terrorism. Sakozy answered: “Terrorism is what [Algeria’s] Islamic Salvation Front (FIS) does.” Some—myself among them—were surprised at the discrimination between one terrorism and another on the basis of religious identity. This is especially true since 58 French soldiers had been killed in the bombing at the headquarters of the French troops in Beirut on October 23, 1983, the same day that the US Marines base in the city was targeted, killing 241 US soldiers. At the time, both Paris and Washington held Tehran and its Lebanese associates responsible for the two operations.
Moreover, during the Lebanese Civil War (1975–1990) several foreigners, including the envoy of the Archbishop of Canterbury, were kidnapped and taken hostage. The envoy, Terry Waite—held from 1987 to 1991—along with the other hostages was held by groups affiliated with Tehran, and released in a deal in which Iran was not uninvolved. In addition to that, the US State Department consistently declared Iran a ‘rogue state’ and a supporter of terrorism. Back then, terrorism was terrorism regardless of who was behind it. Today the Mashreq is at critical crossroads, more so following the so-called Arab Spring—the expression used to describe the popular uprisings against authoritarian regimes which, though nominally republican, were nothing but mafia families and police states. In the light of the fall of Arab nationalism and left-wing politics and the emergence of political Islamism as the only power enjoying a minimum degree of organization, it was natural for Islamist parties and organizations of to be the most powerful alternative to these regimes. Indeed, this is what happened in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Yemen and then Syria. Iran openly welcomed the transformations that took place in Tunisia, Libya and Egypt. It was comfortable with the transformation in Yemen, where it strongly supported the Houthi insurgency in the north. Only when the winds of change reached Syria did Tehran change its political calculations, and thus the lies that long fooled Arabs were exposed.
To begin with, we must remember that the “Likudnik lobby” in Washington was at the forefront of the voices that called for the invasion of Iraq following the 9/11 attacks, and its members helped plan and carry it out. Supported by London, Washington insisted on invading Iraq in spite of reservations from Arab countries, which feared Iran would fill the vacuum that the toppling of Saddam Hussein would leave. However, the Likudnik lobby did not care at all about the Arabs’ reservations, and rather went ahead with the invasion that ended exactly as the pessimists had expected. Iraq has become a sectarian battlefield, and the Kurdish north became a semi-independent country. In fact, the Iraqi government has become a lackey to Tehran, strategically linking Iran to Syria and Lebanon, reaching the Mediterranean as well as the borders of Israel.
Surprisingly, at the time Israel did not seem worried by Iran’s influence reaching its northern borders. Equally remarkably, once Baghdad fell at the hands of the US invading forces, Iraqi Shi’ite leaders who were exiled in Iran returned to US-occupied Iraq, although the power that invaded and occupied it was deemed by Tehran as the “Great Satan.”At that time in Lebanon, the “Death to America” slogan was reverberating in Hezbollah’s celebrations and rallies. Any Lebanese who dared question the reasons behind Hezbollah keeping its weapons, after all of Lebanon’s other armed organizations abandoned theirs, would be accused of treason and of being anti-resistance.
In Syria, however, the Assad regime, which since 1973 has ensured the truce-line in the Occupied Golan Heights was kept the calmest of all, was heading the front of steadfastness and hosting leaders of radical Sunni Palestinian groups in Damascus. It was outbidding most Arab leaders, whom it dubbed “cowards,” and “liberating” Palestine every day in TV dramas. That was in the past. Today we are in a different era, an era of the “Pax Iranica” with an Israeli–US–Russian blessing. Iran has abandoned the “Great Satan” slogan and removed the anti-American banners, and in doing so it has been openly flirting with the Obama Administration. The nuclear program with which Iran deceived the world for 18 years has become something that Washington can live with.
The previously “steadfast” Damascus seems now reassured of its safety in light of Obama’s stance following Tehran’s and Moscow’s deals with Washington. This is, of course, after Syria’s representative to the United Nations, Bashar Jaafari, claimed his country was “fighting terrorism on behalf of the whole world.” The Syrian regime also declared to the Christian West that it was the “defender of minorities in the region from radicals, Jihadists and Takfirists.”As for Hassan Nasrallah—who shifted his resistance away from Palestine to fight Takfirists in Syria, as he put it—it is quite natural that he feels happy. He is proud of Hassan Rouhani’s achievement, and that Obama and his Secretary of State, John Kerry, have become convinced that there are indeed two kinds of terrorism, one accepted by the US and Israel and one not. Thus Hassan Nasrallah seemed optimistic in his speech on Tuesday, boasting of “victory” against will of the Syrian people. The slogans of “resistance,” “hostility to Israel” and “Death to America” may be a thing of the past for now. The will of a people will not die, however, no matter how many disgraceful deals are struck.

Meeting Maliki: A Chance to Reset U.S. Policy on Iraq
Michael Knights/Washington Institute
There is no muting Iraq, so the best way to get the troubled country on the path to stability is through high-level engagement on electoral transparency, sectarian reconciliation, arms transfers to Syria, oil revenue sharing, and other key issues.When President Obama meets with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki on November 1, he will have a rare chance to transmit strong messages to both the Iraqi leader and his people. Many Iraqis will be listening closely for a sign that the U.S. government is still a force for moderation in their country and a counterbalance to perceived meddling by Shiite Iran, Sunni Gulf states, and Turkey. If no strong U.S. voice is heard, the message will be clear: that other, less impartial states and transnational militant groups stand to become the principal external influences on Iraq, as is gradually becoming the case already.
FOSTERING STABILITY
On Friday and beyond, some U.S.-Iraqi discussions will no doubt continue to focus on low-profile intelligence and counterterrorism cooperation. This is vital because Iraq seems to be the one place in the region where a member of a major al-Qaeda affiliate group can walk the streets or empty desert tracts secure in the knowledge that he will not be killed by a U.S. drone strike.
But even if President Obama offers greater U.S. assistance to Iraq's overstretched special forces and intelligence services, he should emphasize to Maliki that Baghdad cannot kill its way out of the current security crisis. Nor can the Shiite-led government's security forces wall off the problem by ghettoizing the Sunnis, as is slowly occurring. Only gradual, population-focused counterinsurgency efforts -- something the United States is uniquely qualified to reteach the Iraqi military -- can turn the security situation around, and only then if backed by a real sectarian reconciliation effort shaped by Iraqis and strongly aided by the international community.
For example, one of the most salient local al-Qaeda threats is the resurgent Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), an affiliate group whose jihadist activities in Syria continue to have spillover effects in Iraq. While the United States has every interest in stemming this radical Sunni group, any such efforts must be accompanied by other U.S. measures, since Turkey and the Sunni Gulf states would view isolated action against ISIS as another U.S. step "toward" Bashar al-Assad, Iran, and the "Shiite side" of the region's sectarian struggle. President Obama should therefore link security assistance to demonstrable Iraqi government outreach to the Sunnis (e.g., reversing the aforementioned ghettoization). The administration should also take a more active role in supporting nonradical Syrian rebels and blocking Iran's regional ambitions, all while making it clear that the United States will not get caught up in any Sunni-Shiite struggle. In return, Maliki must do more to stem Iranian weapons transfers to Syria, which are currently conducted through Iraqi territory with little interference. Aside from their negative regional implications, such transfers violate UN Security Council resolutions.
On the political front, Iraq's 2014 national elections will represent either a big step on the road back from meltdown or an aggravating factor that hastens the country's deterioration. Here too, Washington has another rare opportunity to exert positive influence in Iraq, but only if President Obama clearly signals that America stands behind the democratic process rather than any particular outcome. Absent this explicit message, many Iraqis will view Friday's White House visit as a pre-election endorsement of Maliki, exactly as the Iraqi leader intends it to appear. Now is the time to begin emphasizing -- consistently and publicly -- that the next elections be free, fair, and punctual. President Obama has little to lose in stating that the United States looks forward to working with the Iraqi government after the elections, whoever leads it and however it is composed.
The president could further emphasize U.S. evenhandedness and Iraqi unity by mentioning the importance of holding the delayed Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) provincial elections, which have been suspended because major parties fear they will not like the results. Showing that Washington devotes high-level attention to such details could help ameliorate negative developments in Iraq. Last December, for example, U.S. intervention convinced Baghdad not to arrest leading Sunni politician Rafi al-Issawi, a move that could have deepened the longstanding security crisis. This modest exercise of American influence should not be forgotten.
THE IRAQ-KRG-TURKEY TRIANGLE
Oil production is probably the clearest direct U.S. interest in Iraq, for both economic and strategic reasons. Despite miles of red tape and chronically overstretched project management capacity, the Iraqi government is slowly increasing its oil exports, a vital factor in offsetting the global impact of the nuclear sanctions that have helped bring Iran to the negotiating table. Washington should continue expanding its support (technical and otherwise) to this sector.
The United States has long taken the position that all Iraqi oil must be sold by the State Oil Marketing Organization of Iraq, with receipts trickling down via the federal treasury. This has thrown Washington into conflict with the KRG, which interprets the constitution differently. The Kurds believe that independent marketing and monetization of KRG-produced oil should be acceptable to Baghdad and Washington as long as the northern region ends up receiving funds roughly equivalent to those it would have gained from customary federal revenue-sharing practices. Turkey has indicated de facto support for the KRG's view, and the region's required export infrastructure is almost complete, making it highly likely that Iraqi Kurdistan will move forward with independent, high-volume foreign oil sales next year with or without Washington's distant blessing.
Accordingly, President Obama should urge Maliki to implement the agreement he reached with KRG president Masoud Barzani in April (particularly with regard to compensating oil companies for production costs using the federal budget) in order to allow the Kurds to renew exports with Baghdad's approval. The president should also point out that Washington is not inimically opposed to KRG exports unless it is clear that the Kurds are rejecting a reasonable Iraqi government approach.
Meanwhile, U.S. officials should focus on assisting with the auditing of federal-KRG oil production and revenue-related claims, since Washington is seen as more objective in these areas. The administration should also improve working relations with the KRG, making clear to Maliki that despite the U.S. desire for Kurdish coordination with Baghdad, the north will produce and export oil (and, eventually, natural gas) one way or another.
As for Ankara, although some level of KRG-Turkish hydrocarbons cooperation is inevitable at this point, U.S. officials can still guide both parties back toward partnership with the Iraqi government. Washington should be able to help Baghdad find a face-saving compromise and lay some groundwork for a major deal on revenue-sharing and oil contract authorizations midway through the 2014-2018 government. The president's meeting with Maliki is an opportunity to formally revise the outdated U.S. position on this issue: after all, Maliki himself has largely backed away from threatening the KRG over exports. Washington should not be the last man standing in this game of musical chairs, opposing something to which Baghdad has largely acquiesced in practical terms. And Washington cannot afford to lose any more influence or goodwill in the KRG, where both stand at an all-time low.
REBOOTING THE U.S. APPROACH
Iraq currently holds a unique and unfortunate status in U.S. regional policymaking. Any other country with the same strategic resources and challenges would receive significantly more direct assistance, most obviously in terms of counterterrorism support. But the stigma of the former military occupation has prevented Washington from viewing Iraq with fresh eyes, based on its strategic merits. Even as the administration's focus shifts to Asia, countries like China and India are shifting their focus to Iraq, recognizing its importance and investing heavily there. In short, there is no muting Iraq. The only way to get this troubled country off of America's television screen is to expand U.S. engagement in the near term, particularly during next year's pivotal elections -- the first national polls since the U.S. military withdrawal and a milestone against which to judge Washington's commitment to a democratic and prosperous Iraq.
*Michael Knights is a Boston-based Lafer Fellow with The Washington Institute.

U.S. Drone Strike Kills Three in NW Pakistan
Naharnet/A U.S. drone strike targeting a militant compound Thursday killed three insurgents in a northwest Pakistan tribal region near the Afghan border, officials said.
The attack took place near Miranshah, the main town in the troubled North Waziristan tribal district.
"A U.S. drone fired two missiles on a militant compound, hitting a part of the house and also a vehicle parked there, killing three militants," a senior security official told Agence France Presse on condition of anonymity.
He said that fire engulfed the vehicle soon after the attack, while local people were trying to recover the dead bodies and injured trapped beneath the rubble of the compound.
Another official in the city of Peshawar confirmed the attack, saying the identities of the militants were immediately unclear.
The incident comes a week after Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif urged U.S. President Barack Obama to stop drone strikes during a meeting in Washington.
The Pakistani defence ministry Wednesday said 317 U.S. drone strikes in the country's tribal areas had killed 67 civilians and 2,160 militants in Pakistan since 2008.
U.S. drone attacks are deeply unpopular in Pakistan, but Washington sees them as a vital tool in the fight against militants in the lawless tribal areas along the border with Afghanistan.
The Pakistani government has repeatedly protested against drone strikes as a violation of its sovereignty. But privately officials have been reported as saying the attacks can be useful in removing militants from the country.
Source/Agence France Presse