Bible Quotation for today/Paul's Concern for the Galatians
Galatians 04/08-20: "In the past you did not know God, and so you were slaves of beings who are not gods. But now that you know God—or, I should say, now that God knows you—how is it that you want to turn back to those weak and pitiful ruling spirits? Why do you want to become their slaves all over again? You pay special attention to certain days, months, seasons, and years. I am worried about you! Can it be that all my work for you has been for nothing? I beg you, my friends, be like me. After all, I am like you. You have not done me any wrong. You remember why I preached the gospel to you the first time; it was because I was sick. But even though my physical condition was a great trial to you, you did not despise or reject me. Instead, you received me as you would an angel from heaven; you received me as you would Christ Jesus. You were so happy! What has happened? I myself can say that you would have taken out your own eyes, if you could, and given them to me. Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth? Those other people show a deep interest in you, but their intentions are not good. All they want is to separate you from me, so that you will have the same interest in them as they have in you. Now, it is good to have such a deep interest if the purpose is good—this is true always, and not merely when I am with you. My dear children! Once again, just like a mother in childbirth, I feel the same kind of pain for you until Christ's nature is formed in you. How I wish I were with you now, so that I could take a different attitude toward you. I am so worried about you!

Latest analysis, editorials, studies, reports, letters & Releases from miscellaneous sources published on August 05/14

Don’t disturb Rowhani, he’s been busy growing flowers/By: Camelia Entekhabi-Fard /Al Arabiya/August 05/14

Lebanese Related News published on August 05/14

Govt. Declares Full Mobilization: No Leniency with Terrorists, Only Solution is Their Pullout from Arsal
Thousands displaced from Arsal

Arsal Fighting Enters Third Day as Army Death Toll Reaches 14

World Condemns Attacks on Army in Arsal, Backs Security Institutions

Bassil Urges International Support for Army, Says Region Fell in Hands of ISIL and Israel

14 soldiers killed as Army advances to crush militants
Lebanon's PM: No political settlement with militants in Arsal
Hezbollah vows to support Army against militants
Lebanon’s fate hinges on Arsal: Politicians
Lebanese anchor dons fatigues in support of army
Army regains control of a strategic hill in Lebanon
Hariri backs Army to liberate Arsal

Magida al-Roumi to visit Zaatari camp

SCC Cancels Wednesday's General Strike over Arsal Clashes, to Continue Boycotting Exam Correction

Jumblat: Criticizing Army at this Time Will Expose Lebanon to More Dangers

Asiri Bids Farewell, Regrets Latest 'Developments' in Lebanon

Salam Considers Situation in Arsal 'Dangerous', Says Ceasefire Requires Several Conditions

Hariri Says Army is a 'Red Line,' Rejects 'Destructive Takfiri' Plans

Kataeb Ministers to Suggest Deployment of UNIFIL along Border with Syria

Mashnouq Expresses Unwavering Support to Army, Says Gunmen Must be Kicked Out

Derbas Rules Out Foreign Meddling in Arsal Clashes

Berri: Fate of the Country at Stake

Miscellaneous Reports And News published on August 05/14

London investigates reports of Briton killed in Gaza
Russia tells Israel to agree to cease-fire

Palestinians, Israelis trade hostilities after truce

Hamas: Israel trying to scuttle Cairo talks
Hamas: Israel trying to scuttle Cairo talks

Egypt begins truce talks with Palestinian factions

One Israeli killed as excavator rams Jerusalem bus
Egyptian army says 11 militants killed in Sinai
Egypt’s Rafah crossing predicament: A policy dilemma
Iran’s elite Guards fighting in Iraq to push back ISIS
Seven members of Syrian family 'executed by jihadists'
France: Gaza war may require 'imposed' solution
Man accidentally shoots himself while posing for gun selfie
Libya inaugurates newly elected parliament

Kurdish troops declare ISIS counter-offensive

Iraq PM orders air strikes to support Kurds
 

Arsal Fighting Enters Third Day as Army Death Toll Reaches 14
Naharnet/Fierce fighting raged for the third day in the mountains around the northeastern border town of Arsal on Monday as the army announced 14 soldiers have been killed in the battles. It said that 14 troops were killed and 86 wounded, while 22 are missing. Search operations are underway to find them, added the army in a statement on Monday afternoon.
“The army has been fighting armed terrorists and takfiris on a number of fronts in Arsal,” it continued.
It has completed bolstering its positions on the frontlines and connecting them with the other positions for reinforcements when needed. “Army units are chasing the armed groups that are still targeting soldiers and unarmed civilians in the town,” added the statement. Earlier, the armed seized complete control of the technical school in Arsal after it came under attack by the terrorist groups.
The army had announced that its units had used heavy weapons to target the positions of the gunmen.
“Meanwhile, the terrorist groups have been attacking the residents of Arsal and are preventing them from leaving the town,” continued the statement.
“On Sunday, the gunmen killed a number of citizens who refused to comply with their orders,” concluded the communique. Soldiers fired mortar shells into the mountains and the sound of heavy machine gun fire could also be heard in the area of Arsal, an Agence France Presse correspondent on the outskirts of the town had reported earlier. Thick smoke rose from Arsal, reportedly after a petrol station in the town was set ablaze. Cracks of heavy gunfire and the thud of shells could be heard from a distance as tanks pounded rebel positions in and around Arsal. A dozen Lebanese army flatbed trucks were seen carrying tanks toward the outskirts of Arsal on Monday. In the early hours of Monday morning, several hundred people fled the town during a lull in the fighting. They packed into pick-up trucks and cars to drive out of the region, where militants began fighting the Lebanese army on Saturday afternoon. However, the army prevented Syrians from leaving Arsal.
Among those fleeing was Aziza Rayed, in her 60s, who said her family was going to the nearby border town of Qaa. "We are leaving to take these children to a safer place," she said, her children and grandchildren in the back of a pickup truck. The National News Agency reported on Monday however that the gunmen were preventing residents from fleeing the town, noting that they were being used as human shields. Media reports said that fire swept through an encampment for Syrian refugees in the area. The army had reportedly repelled an attack by around 600 gunmen on an army checkpoint near Arsal's technical school.Military sources also told MTV that the army regained control of al-Khazzan area and al-Hosn.
The clashes began after the arrest of a Syrian man accused of belonging to al-Qaida's Syrian branch Al-Nusra Front. Following his arrest, gunmen surrounded army posts before opening fire, sparking the clashes. An unspecified number of policeman were also reported missing in the unrest, with army chief General Jean Qahwaji saying Sunday that the troops might have been taken hostage.
Sheikh Mustafa al-Hujairi, a resident of Arsal, told MTV that the 16 ISF members and 19 soldiers “are safe and being held inside Lebanon, not Syria.”
He accused Hizbullah of targeting Lebanese and Syrian civilians in Arsal, demanding that the officials intervene immediately to tackle the situation. “I do not belong to the al-Nusra Front, but I acted as a mediator with the group to protect the residents of Arsal,” he explained after reports emerged over his affiliations. “I do not know when the security forces will be released,” he added. Three civilians have also been killed in the unrest, according to security sources, two of them during the storming of a police post by the gunmen on Saturday and a third killed by sniper fire on Sunday in Arsal. The violence is the worst in the area since the outbreak of the Syrian conflict in 2011. Arsal is majority Sunni Muslim and broadly sympathetic to the Sunni-dominated uprising next door against Syria's Bashar Assad. The town is hosting tens of thousands of refugees, and Qahwaji said Sunday that some of the gunmen had emerged from the informal refugee camps in the area. More than one million Syrian refugees have fled to Lebanon, creating strains on local resources and tensions with the Lebanese population in some areas. Agence France Presse/Associated

Govt. Declares Full Mobilization: No Leniency with Terrorists, Only Solution is Their Pullout from Arsal
Naharnet/The government on Monday announced the mobilization of all its political and security agencies in defense of Arsal in the face of the “flagrant aggression,” noting that the only way out of the current confrontation lies in the withdrawal of the “terrorists” from the border town. “Lebanon is facing a flagrant aggression against its sovereignty and security at the hands of obscurantist terrorist groups, which have dared to attack the army's dignity to execute a suspicious plot aimed at paralyzing the state and sowing chaos in Arsal and its surroundings,” Prime Minister Tammam Salam announced after an emergency cabinet meeting. “The cabinet has decided to mobilize all Lebanese state institutions and security agencies to defend our country and confront any attempt to attack it,” Salam added at a press conference, during which he was flanked by several ministers in a show of solidarity with the army that is fighting deadly battles against extremist groups in Arsal.
The premier said the responsibility rests equally on the shoulders of “our armed forces and security agencies which have confronted the terrorists in defense of the land.”“The army, which is offering one martyr after another, enjoys the full support of the government with all its political components, and it stresses that it stands shoulder-to-shoulder behind it as it carries out its sacred mission,” added Salam.
He underlined that the government will spare no effort to support the army as it defends Lebanon, noting that it has asked French authorities to “expedite the delivery of arms as part of the deal with Saudi Arabia.” “There will be no leniency with the terrorists, no settlements with those who have violated Lebanese territory, and no political solutions with the takfiris,” Salam vowed.
He warned that the terrorists want to export their “sick practices” to Lebanon, underlining that “the only solution is their withdrawal from Arsal and its surroundings and the return of the state with all its agencies to this dear region.”“We stress to all friends that our country will overcome the crisis the same as it defeated the previous ones. We send a special salutation to the good sons of Arsal and we assure them that their sufferings will not protract and that their state will not abandon them or leave them to be a prey to chaos,” added Salam.
“We bow in respect to Lebanon's military and civilian martyrs,” Salam said on behalf of the government, pledging that “the attack on national dignity will not go unpunished" and reassuring that "the cabinet is on alert."Fourteen soldiers have been killed and 86 others wounded since the eruption of the battle on Saturday while 22 troops have gone missing, according to an army statement. At least three civilians have also been killed by the gunmen. The clashes began after the arrest of a Syrian man accused of being a top leader of al-Qaida's Syrian branch al-Nusra Front. Following his arrest, gunmen surrounded army posts before opening fire, sparking the clashes. Around 21 policemen were also taken hostage by the armed groups on Saturday.

Bassil Urges International Support for Army, Says Region Fell in Hands of ISIL and Israel
Naharnet/Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil called on Monday on the international community to support Lebanon and offer aid to the Lebanese army to confront terrorism, considering the region to be stuck between Islamist groups and Israel. “Terrorism is moving from an area to another but it will surely be buried on Lebanese territories,” Bassil said during a meeting for the Palestine Committee of the Non-Aligned Movement held in Tehran. He pointed out that the developments in the Gaza Strip, the Iraqi city of Mosul and the northeastern border town of Arsal are the same.
“The region has fallen between ISIL (the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant) and Israel,” Bassil told conferees.“They have the same principles,” he added.
Bassil vowed that Lebanon will break the connection between them. “Killing in the name of religion is never justified and as Lebanese we settled our choices since the creation of our country,” he told officials gathered in Iran, noting that “there is no room for any unilateral decision in the world.” The FM accused Syrian refugees without naming them of aiding gunmen in the town of Arsal.
“Instead of thanking the residents of Arsal, who welcomed them, they are assisting” armed men. Arsal is home to 40,000 residents and increased to 120,000 after Syrians fled the war raging in their country. The Sunni-majority area is sympathetic to the uprising against Bashar Assad, whose regime has regularly launched air raids in the area that it says target opposition fighters holed up in the mountainous region around Arsal. The violence, which raged in Arsal on Saturday between gunmen and the Lebanese army, is the worst to hit the area since the beginning of the war in neighboring Syria in 2011.
“Syrian refugees in Arsal agreed with foreign terrorist groups on occupying the town,” Bassil added. The Lebanese official called on conferees to take into consideration Lebanon's fight against Israel, saying: “Palestinians will bury the Israeli terrorism like the resistance and the army in 2006 buried it.” Israel launched a military operation in Gaza on July 8 in response to weeks of heavy rocket fire and has since carried out more than 4,600 airstrikes across the crowded seaside territory. It sent in ground forces on July 17 in what it said was a mission to destroy the tunnels used by Hamas to carry out attacks inside Israel. The Gaza war, now in its fourth week, has left more than 1,800 Palestinians and more than 60 Israelis dead.

Jumblat: Criticizing Army at this Time Will Expose Lebanon to More Dangers
Naharnet /Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat noted on Monday that “national responsibility” obligates all political camps to stand united behind the military institution in light of the army's battles with armed groups in the eastern town of Arsal. He said in his weekly editorial in the PSP-affiliated al-Anbaa website: “Some irresponsible sides criticized the army and will expose it and Lebanon to more dangers.”“These sides should instead be seeking to create conditions that will unite the Lebanese during this tense time,” he remarked. On this note, he commended the recent position of Mustaqbal Movement leader MP Saad Hariri “who expressed his absolute support to the army, especially during this critical phase.” Jumblat highlighted the need for all central political powers, which were foes in the past, to preserve the Lebanese entity, rise to the occasion, and meet the challenges of this current stage. “They should steer clear of petty differences that will create superficial disputes that are pointless given the major developments in the region,” added the MP. “National responsibility obligates all political powers to stand united behind the army and its sacrifices aimed at maintaining Lebanon's sovereignty,” he stressed. At least 10 Lebanese troops have been killed and 25 others wounded while 13 troops have gone missing since the clashes with armed groups erupted in and around Arsal on Saturday. Dozens of gunmen have been killed or arrested in the fighting. The battle started after the army arrested al-Nusra Front top official Imad Ahmed Jomaa. On Sunday, army chief General Jean Qahwaji had however announced that the clashes were “premeditated” by the armed groups. Tripoli MP Mohammed Kabbara of the Mustaqbal bloc described the incidents in Arsal as a “Syrian-Iranian conspiracy,” demanding a quick probe to “determine whether there is a legitimate cause for Jomaa's arrest.”

World Condemns Attacks on Army in Arsal, Backs Security Institutions
Naharnet/The United Nations and the European Union condemned on Monday attacks carried out by Islamist fighters on the Lebanese army in the northeastern border town of Arsal.
Acting U.N. Special Coordinator Ross Mountain and EU Ambassador Angelina Eichhorst “strongly condemned” the attacks on army positions and the violence in and around the town of Arsal, said separate statements issued by their press offices. They extended their condolences to the families of the soldiers killed and to the civilian victims of the violence. “The United Nations is committed to the stability and security of Lebanon and the Acting Special Coordinator reiterates the United Nations strong support for the Lebanese Armed Forces and the security forces of Lebanon in their efforts to achieve this goal,” said the U.N. statement. “We are following the developments in Arsal closely and remain in contact with the Lebanese authorities and our partners, including the humanitarian assistants who help the innocent inhabitants and all those refugees who fled the violence in Syria,” Eichhorst stressed. “The European Union stands by all people living in Lebanon and strongly supports the security institutions in these difficult times," she said. A three-day fighting in Arsal, an overwhelmingly Sunni town surrounded by Shiite villages, has left scores of troops killed and injured. Many soldiers are missing.
The clashes erupted Saturday after Syria-based militants made a cross-border raid and overran army positions in the area following the arrest of an Islamist suspect.

Hariri Says Army is a 'Red Line,' Rejects 'Destructive Takfiri' Plans
Naharnet/Al-Mustaqbal movement leader Saad Hariri has expressed full support for the Lebanese army and security forces, saying he stood by them to regain control of the northeastern border town of Arsal. “Neither the state nor us would stand idle to the destructive plots of Takfiri groups,” Hariri told pan-Arab daily al-Hayat in remarks published on Monday. The former prime minister said the terrorists “have no choice but to withdraw from the town,” which has been witnessing severe gunbattles between the Lebanese army and Syria-based terrorists. Arsal is home to 40,000 residents and 120,000 Syrian refugees. The attack began Saturday as the rebels made a cross-border raid into Arsal, some 90 kilometers from Beirut, after the army detained Syrian Imad Ahmed Jomaa, who identified himself as a member of the terrorist al-Nusra Front. The Front is one of the most powerful groups fighting to overthrow the rule of Syrian President Bashar Assad. “Al-Mustaqbal movement considers the Lebanese army and the rest of the security forces a red line,” Hariri told the newspaper. “The attack on them is prohibited.” “We hold onto our stance from the takfiri groups,” he added. Hariri said he stood by the army and security forces “to regain control of the town of Arsal which has remained steadfast … because its residents have no option but the state.”Hariri is expected to issue a detailed statement on the Arsal fighting soon, al-Mustaqbal sources said.

Mashnouq Expresses Unwavering Support to Army, Says Gunmen Must be Kicked Out
Naharnet/Interior Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq voiced on Monday the complete support for the Lebanese army to rescue the northeastern border town of Arsal and its residents. “Our choice is not arguable and any other stances are merely rejected and out of place and time,” Mashnouq said in comments published in As Safir newspaper. The minister, who is loyal to al-Mustaqbal movement, stressed the importance of reaching political unity over the army's plan to free “the occupied Arsal.”“The Syrian gunmen must be thrown out of the area,” Mashnouq told the newspaper. He revealed that Higher Defense Council chief General Mohammed Kheir was tasked with carrying out the necessary contacts to reach a truce in the area. The violence is the worst to hit Arsal since the beginning of the war in neighboring Syria in 2011.The attack began Saturday as Syrian rebels made a cross-border raid into Arsal, some 90 kilometers (55 miles) from the capital, Beirut. The clashes continued into Sunday around the municipal building and an army checkpoint. The raid came hours after the army said troops detained Syrian Imad Ahmed Jomaa, who identified himself as a member of the Nusra Front.
The Nusra Front is one of the most powerful groups fighting to overthrow the rule of Syrian President Bashar Assad.Arsal, which currently hosts tens of thousands of Syrian refugees, has frequently been the scene of conflict with Lebanese security forces. The Sunni-majority area is sympathetic to the uprising against Bashar Assad, whose regime has regularly launched air raids in the area that it says target opposition fighters holed up in the mountainous region around Arsal.

Kataeb Ministers to Suggest Deployment of UNIFIL along Border with Syria
Naharnet/Kataeb party ministers will propose during an extraordinary cabinet session on Monday a request to extend the mission of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon to include the country's eastern border. “Lebanon should seek the U.N. approval to include Lebanon's eastern border with Syrian in Security Council resolution 1701,” An Nahar newspaper reported. Labor Minister Sejaan Qazzi, who is loyal to Kataeb party, expressed surprise over “the involvement of Syrian refugees in battles in Arsal against the Lebanese army.”He called on the U.N. Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) to reconsider its policies regarding the displaced Syrians as long as they are armed. The March 14 alliance continuously called on the state to allow the UNIFIL to deploy along the the Lebanese-Syrian border in accordance with resolution 1701. Later, Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea expressed complete support to the Lebanese army. He rejected any bargain with armed men, calling on the state to expand resolution 1701 to include all Lebanese territories. Resolution 1701, which ended the Hizbullah-Israel war in 2006, expanded the mandate of U.N. troops in the South, which was originally formed in 1978 after the outbreak of Lebanon's 1975-1990 civil war.

Derbas Rules Out Foreign Meddling in Arsal Clashes
Naharnet/Social Affairs Minister Rashid Derbas denied on Monday that regional countries were involved in talks to restore calm in the northeastern border town of Arsal. “No foreign country intervened to restore calm in the area, but concerned lawmakers and residents are carrying out their tasks in this regard,” Derbas told al-Liwaa newspaper. He expressed firm support to the Lebanese army in its battle against gunmen. “It is either ISIL (the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant) or chaos... And chaos is a better option,” Derbas pointed out. He noted that the cabinet will “without any doubt confirm the importance of providing the necessary political cover to the Lebanese army.” The violence is the worst to hit Arsal since the beginning of the war in neighboring Syria in 2011. The attack began Saturday as Syrian rebels made a cross-border raid into Arsal, some 90 kilometers (55 miles) from the capital, Beirut. The clashes continued into Sunday around the municipal building and an army checkpoint. The raid came hours after the army said troops detained Syrian Imad Ahmed Jomaa, who identified himself as a member of the Nusra Front. The Nusra Front is one of the most powerful groups fighting to overthrow the rule of Syrian President Bashar Assad. Arsal, which currently hosts tens of thousands of Syrian refugees, has frequently been the scene of conflict with Lebanese security forces. The Sunni-majority area is sympathetic to the uprising against Bashar Assad, whose regime has regularly launched air raids in the area that it says target opposition fighters holed up in the mountainous region around Arsal.

Salam Considers Situation in Arsal 'Dangerous', Says Ceasefire Requires Several Conditions
Naharnet/Prime Minister Tammam Salam described on Monday the situation in the northeastern border town of Arsal as “difficult,” expressing hope that ceasefire attempts would be successful.“Our conditions are clear, gunmen must withdraw to the outskirts (of Arsal) and then outside Lebanese territories and all security members taken hostage must be released,” Salam told al-Mustaqbal newspaper.
Commenting on reports concerning alleged negotiations to reach a ceasefire in the area, Salam said: “We don't mind such endeavors if we reach a permanent end to the clashes and the withdrawal of gunmen.”“Such endeavors require thorough follow up to become mature.” The premier voiced hope that politicians would reach a comprehensive and united stance to safeguard the army, which has been battling since Saturday Islamist gunmen. “We support the army and the residents of Arsal, who were taken as hostages by armed men.” The violence is the worst to hit Arsal since the beginning of the war in neighboring Syria in 2011. Media reports said on Sunday evening that a humanitarian truce was reached between the army and gunmen following efforts by the Muslim Scholars Committee. However, the reports said that the Army Command made several demands in order to agree on ceasefire, including the handing over of all missing troops.” Salam told al-Mustaqbal that Arsal doesn't harbor gunmen, saying: “Syrian encampments in the area facilitate matters for armed men.” He warned of the risks posed by such a matter, stressing the importance of controlling these sites.
Arsal is home to 40,000 residents and 120,000 Syrian refugees. The Sunni-majority area is sympathetic to the uprising against Bashar Assad, whose regime has regularly launched air raids in the area that it says target opposition fighters holed up in the mountainous region around Arsal.

Asiri Bids Farewell, Regrets Latest 'Developments' in Lebanon
Naharnet/Outgoing Saudi Ambassador Ali Awadh Asiri on Monday expressed regret at the political and security situation in Lebanon, hoping for national unity to preserve stability. Asiri said that he expressed regret to Speaker Nabih Berri “on the developments in Lebanon and hoped that they would reflect on Lebanese unity.” The diplomat, who met with Berri in Ain el-Tineh, said unity was needed “to preserve Lebanon's stability, safety and sovereignty.”Earlier, Asiri met with Prime Minister Tammam Salam to bid him farewell at the end of his mission in Beirut. Asiri leaves the country as Lebanese troops are locked in gunbattles with Islamist rebels in the northeastern border town of Arsal. The clashes are the most serious spillover of violence from Syria's civil war into Lebanon. The three-day fighting in Arsal, an overwhelmingly Sunni town surrounded by Shiite villages, has left scores of troops dead and injured. They erupted on Saturday after the militants made a cross-border raid and overran army positions in the area following the arrest of a wanted militant.

SCC Cancels Wednesday's General Strike over Arsal Clashes, to Continue Boycotting Exam Correction
Naharnet /The Syndicate Coordination Committee on Monday announced canceling a general strike that was scheduled to take place on Wednesday at all public institution, citing the security situation in the country as a cause. "Considering the security situation, the SCC announces postponing the general strike at public institutions and ministries of Wednesday, August 6, and the rally at the Ministry of Education,” a SCC spokesperson said at a press conference. The Committee hailed the army, its soldiers and officers and offered condolences over the death of many army personnel in the ongoing battles against jihadists in the eastern border town of Arsal. "We call for solidarity with the army and for denouncing all factional differences,” he urged. The army has been battling a group of Syrian jihadists in the Bekaa region of Arsal since Saturday. Fourteen soldiers have been killed and 86 others wounded since the eruption of the clashes, while 22 troops have gone missing, according to an army statement. At least three civilians have also been killed by the gunmen. The clashes began after the arrest of a Syrian man accused of being a top leader of al-Qaida's Syrian branch al-Nusra Front. Following his arrest, gunmen surrounded army posts before opening fire, sparking the clashes. Nevertheless, the SCC vowed to continue boycotting the correction of official exams, slamming also Education Minister Elias Bou Saab's proposal to issue certificates allowing graduating school students to enroll in universities. "The Education Minister's attempt to grant students who passed school exams temporary certificates that would allow them to register at universities is a non-academic procedure,” the SCC spokesperson said. “He is held responsible for all negative consequences that might result from such a step,” the SCC added.
Accordingly, it assured that the “only solution for correcting exams” lies in the adoption of the contentious new wage scale. Bou Saab pledged last week not to oblige teachers to correct exams, stressing also that no correction would take place without SCC consent.

Berri: Fate of the Country at Stake
Naharnet/fate of the nation was at stake,” saying the Lebanese army should be equipped with an effective arsenal to confront terrorists. In remarks to several newspapers that hit the newstands on Monday, Berri said: “The country ... does not tolerate blurred choices.” He expressed confidence in the army and called for full support despite his concern over the clashes between soldiers and terrorists in the northeastern town of Arsal. Berri said he was worried that terrorist networks would take advantage of the gunbattles in Arsal and stir trouble in other areas. The early signs of his warning emerged in the northern city of Tripoli on Saturday night when cashes erupted between the army and masked gunmen. The state-run National News Agency said that a fierce fighting broke out when gunmen opened fire at army positions on Syria Street, the Starco, Brad al-Bisar, al-Ghoraba, Talaat al-Omari, and al-Qobbeh areas. “We exerted strong efforts to achieve stability in Tripoli but unfortunately some MPs who are eager to preserve their parliamentary seats made statements that harm Lebanon and instigate strife,” Berri told the newspapers. The lawmakers, whom he did not name, “harmed the military institution rather than supporting it at this sensitive stage,” he said. The speaker reiterated that around 5,000 new soldiers should be recruited and the army should be better equipped. “It is not enough to provide it with invaluable assistance,” he said. Berri described the Arsal clashes as “a battle in defense of the nation” and expressed satisfaction with statements made by several residents in support of the army.

Lebanese anchor dons fatigues in support of army
Staff writer, Al Arabiya News/Sunday, 3 August 2014
A news anchor for Lebanese TV channel al-Jadeed on Sunday wore military fatigues instead of her usual clothing in support of the Lebanese army, as the country’s security forces battle against militants.
Samar Abou Khalil, a presenter for the privately-owned pan-Arab broadcaster, wore the clothing while reading the news from the channel’s headquarters in Beirut. Lebanon’s army has been fighting Islamist militias within its borders since Saturday. Most of the clashes have centered around the border town of Arsal, where clashes have left 10 soldiers dead and 13 missing.

Kurdish troops declare ISIS counter-offensive
By Staff Writer | Al Arabiya News /Monday, 4 August 2014
Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki ordered Monday air support for Kurdish Peshmerga troops who are planning a counter-offensive against Islamic State of Iraq and Syria fighters in northern Iraq after being routed in battles on Sunday, the Associated Press reported. A Kurdish official was quoted by AP saying the Kurds had been overstretched in the region but were now calling in a large number of fighters to hit back against the Sunni extremist group.

Thousands displaced by ISIS insurgency
Tens of thousands of Iraq’s Yazidi minority have fled their homes after militants from the extremist Islamic State of Iraq and Syria captured their towns, a spokesman for the community said.
Almost 40,000 Yazidis have left their homes in the towns of Sinjar and Zumar north of Iraq to seek refuge in the neighboring semi-autonomus Kurdish region, Jawhar Ali Begg, the spokesman, said.
He says the militants gave the Yazidis an ultimatum to convert to Islam on Sunday, pay a tax or flee their homes or they will be killed.  Begg also told The Associated Press that "thousands of Yezidi people have been killed" in the onslaught by the Islamic State group. The Islamic State has seized a large area straddling the Iraqi-Syrian border and declared their own, self-styled caliphate.
Earlier on Sunday, ISIS fighters took over Iraq's biggest dam unopposed by Kurdish fighters, witnesses said, according to Reuters news agency. Control of the dam could give ISIS, which has threatened to march on Baghdad, the ability to flood major cities. ISIS fighters, who had already been running large swathes of neighboring Syria, launched a blistering offensive on June 9 that saw the capture of Mosul, Iraq’s second-largest city, and move into much of the country’s Sunni heartland. Earlier in July, Christians fled Mosul en-masse after the al-Qaeda-inspired extremist group issued an ultimatum similar to the one issued for the Yezidi community in northern Iraq.

Don’t disturb Rowhani, he’s been busy growing flowers!’
Monday, 4 August 2014
Camelia Entekhabi-Fard /Al Arabiya
There is a famous slang proverb used by some grandmothers in Iran when they want to mock parents who give too much attention to their spoilt child, it goes: “Don’t talk, don’t make noise, don’t disturb little Ahmad, he’s been busy growing a cucumber!”The proverb mocks one who is busy doing nothing, implying an idle pastime since cucumbers are easy to grow. I used this proverb to describe the atmosphere among journalists and political activists in Iran, who these days seem to be upset with Rowhani’s silence against the new wave of persecution of journalists. Cyber space and those Persian TV channels operating from outside Iran are filled with complaints and reports all addressing the president and asking why he can’t confront the hardliners.
“Rowhani’s priority, in my view, was to fix the paralyzed economy by solving the nuclear file” A new wave of arrests in which four U.S.-based Iranian journalists were arrested in Iran (one of them was released) increased the journalists’ anger. To me, it was very clear from the time Rowhani became president that his government’s priority was beyond the local fight in the country, beyond the matter of females dress codes or the judiciary’s confrontation with the journalists. His priority, in my view, was to fix the paralyzed economy by solving the nuclear file and to improve Iran’s relations with the powerful Western powers.
Has he failed his task?
Reviewing Rowhani’s performance after holding office for a year shows some improvements. Forcing the president to takes side about the recent arrest of the local and international journalists seems to be exactly what the headliners are looking for to launch a serious attack on Rowhani and his nuclear negotiations team about the nuclear talks.
Perhaps for President Rowhani and his government, what is most important are the long term economic benefits that a successful deal will bring about, not just for a small group of corrupt officials but for many Iranians. Losing the support of the intellectuals and the journalists is not what Rowhani wishes for but in comparison with what the government may gain for the whole nation, perhaps he prefers to close his eyes to all these human rights violations. A greater economic benefit which will continue to be felt in the country during the nuclear talks extension, as long as Iran remains at the negotiating table and is flexible and sincere in its engagement with the P5+1 ( five permanent members of the U.N. security council plus Germany), is what Rowhani and his team are looking for.
A final nuclear deal
A final nuclear deal would stimulate Iran’s economy by allowing it to reintegrate into the global oil market and access over $100 billion in foreign currency reserves, as well as by providing new impetus for building trade partnerships and engaging in scientific exchanges. Iran has come a long way and made a lot of progress in the negotiations and all of these facts make us understand the president’s silence towards the unprecedented pressure on journalists in Iran. Simply put, Rowhani don’t want to jeopardize the nuclear talks by any international or even internalelements, it may have a negative impact on the negotiations. The Iranian politicians skillfully handle these challenges and are confident in their ability to make history and solve one of the biggest international crises the Islamic Republic has faced since the hostage crisis in the 1980s. Iranian people know that they do not benefit from Iran’s prolonged political and economic isolation and probably would be the most negatively impacted by the failure to reach a deal no matter how sensitive they are on internal matters such as human rights violation. More than social freedom, it seems that affordable, peaceful lives are important for most Iranians, regardless of their education levels and their place in society. For the first time in the Islamic Republic of Iran’s history, a government has come to power which understands the urgent needs of its people to serve them first and leave its own ideological damaging beliefs aside, I believe. In this case, I could slightly change the old slang Persian proverb and put it like this: “Yes! Don’t move! Don’t make noise! Rowhani is cultivating flowers!