LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN

LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
April 05/15

Halleluiah! Jesus has risen! Indeed He has risen.

Bible Quotation For Today/Great Sunday of the Resurrection
Mark 16/01-08: "When the sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. They had been saying to one another, �Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?�When they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled back. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man, dressed in a white robe, sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. But he said to them, �Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you.�"

Bible Quotation For Today/If Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation has been in vain and your faith has been in vain
First Letter to the Corinthians 15/12-26: "If Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation has been in vain and your faith has been in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified of God that he raised Christ whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised. If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have died in Christ have perished. If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have died.For since death came through a human being, the resurrection of the dead has also come through a human being; for as all die in Adam, so all will be made alive in Christ. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father, after he has destroyed every ruler and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death."

Question: "What is Easter Sunday?"
GotQuestions.org Home
Answer: There is a lot of confusion regarding what Easter Sunday is all about. For some, Easter Sunday is about the Easter Bunny, colorfully decorated Easter eggs, and Easter egg hunts. Most people understand that Easter Sunday has something to do with the resurrection of Jesus, but are confused as to how the resurrection is related to the Easter eggs and the Easter bunny. Biblically speaking, there is absolutely no connection between the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the common modern traditions related to Easter Sunday. As a background, please read our article on the origins of Easter. Essentially, what occurred is that in order to make Christianity more attractive to non-Christians, the ancient Roman Catholic Church mixed the celebration of Jesus' resurrection with celebrations that involved spring fertility rituals. These spring fertility rituals are the source of the egg and bunny traditions. The Bible makes it clear that Jesus was resurrected on the first day of the week, Sunday (Matthew 28:1; Mark 16:2,9; Luke 24:1; John 20:1,19). Jesus' resurrection is most worthy of being celebrated (see 1 Corinthians 15). While it is appropriate for Jesus' resurrection to be celebrated on a Sunday, the day on which Jesus' resurrection is celebrated should not be referred to as Easter. Easter has nothing to do with Jesus' resurrection on a Sunday.
As a result, many Christians feel strongly that the day on which we celebrate Jesus' resurrection should not be referred to as "Easter Sunday." Rather, something like "Resurrection Sunday" would be far more appropriate and biblical. For the Christian, it is unthinkable that we would allow the silliness of Easter eggs and the Easter bunny to be the focus of the day instead of Jesus' resurrection. By all means, celebrate Christ's resurrection on Easter Sunday. Christ's resurrection is something that should be celebrated every day, not just once a year. At the same time, if we choose to celebrate Easter Sunday, we should not allow the fun and games to distract our attention from what the day should truly be all about�the fact that Jesus was resurrected from the dead, and that His resurrection demonstrates that we can indeed be promised an eternal home in Heaven by receiving Jesus as our Savior. To learn more about how Jesus' death and resurrection provided for our salvation, please read the following article: What does it mean to accept Jesus as your personal Savior?
Read more: http://www.gotquestions.org/Easter-Sunday.html#ixzz3WN2ODfLG

Question: "What is Holy Saturday?"
GotQuestions.org Home/Answer: Holy Saturday is the name given to the day between Good Friday and Easter Sunday. Some Christians recognize Holy Saturday, the seventh day of Holy Week, as the day on which Jesus �rested� from His work of providing salvation. As Jesus died, He called out, �It is finished!� There was no further price to pay; sin had been atoned for. After His crucifixion, Jesus was laid in a nearby tomb, and His body remained there the entirety of Holy Saturday (Matthew 27:59-60; Mark 15:46; Luke 23:53-54; John 19:39-42). Churches that celebrate Holy Saturday traditionally do so by observing a day of somber reflection as they contemplate the world of darkness that would exist without the hope of Christ�s resurrection. Indeed, without the resurrection of Christ, we would be in dire straits. If Christ had never been raised, �your faith is futile; you are still in your sins� (1 Corinthians 15:17). The disciples had scattered when Jesus was arrested (Mark 14:50), and they spent the first Holy Saturday hiding for fear of also being arrested (John 20:19). The day between Christ�s crucifixion and His resurrection would have been a time of grief and shock as the stunned disciples tried to understand the murder of Jesus, the betrayal of Judas, and the dashing of their hopes. The only biblical reference to what happened on Holy Saturday is found in Matthew 27:62-66. After sundown on Friday�the day of Preparation�the chief priests and Pharisees visited Pontius Pilate. This visit was on the Sabbath, since the Jews reckoned a day as starting at sundown. They asked Pilate for a guard for Jesus� tomb. They remembered Jesus saying that He would rise again in three days (John 2:19-21) and wanted to do everything they could to prevent that. As we know, the Roman guards were inadequate to prevent the resurrection, and the women who returned to the tomb Sunday morning found it empty. The Lord had risen. Read more: http://www.gotquestions.org/Holy-Saturday.html#ixzz3WL4BIZwg

Latest analysis, editorials from miscellaneous sources published on April 04-05/15
The US has sold Israel out with Iran deal/Alex Fishman/Ynetnews/April 04/15
Arabs Blast "Obama's Deal" With Iran/Khaled Abu Toameh/Gatestone Institute/April 04/15
Israel needs a reality check on Iran/Nahum Barnea/Ynetnews/April 04/15
Special Editorial: Kill the Deal/WILLIAM KRISTOL/Weekly Standard/April 04/15
The Lausanne Iran nuclear �deal�: An exercise in spin and counter-spin/DEBKAfile/April 04/15
Iran�s nuclear deal will change the region, but/Abdulrahman al-Rashed/Al Arabiya/April 04/15
President Obama�s perilous road to Iran/Hisham Melhem/Al Arabiya/April 04/15

Miscellaneous Reports And News published on April 04-05/15
Framework for peace
Obama: Iran nuclear agreement is a 'good deal'
Iran president promises nation will abide by nuclear deal
Iranian media split on merit of nuclear deal
White House 'confident' on finalizing details for Iran nuclear deal
Netanyahu: Iran must commit to recognizing Israel's right to exist in final deal
Former Yemen president Saleh has fled the country: foreign minister
Saudis airdrop arms to Aden defenders, Houthis pull back
Coalition Bombards Yemen Rebels, Drops More Arms
Syria Bans Domestic Activist from Attending Moscow Talks
U.S. Condemns Civilian Attacks in latest Syria Violence
Sisi: Securing Yemen's key strait an Egypt priority
Saudi special forces 'involved in Yemen ops'
ISIS destroys Iraq's ancient city of Hatra
Obama hosts traditional Passover Seder
Russia submits draft U.N. resolution calling for Yemen ceasefire
Al-Azhar condemns Kenya Massacre
Hamas holds Gaza march for besieged Yarmouk refugees

Jihad Watch Latest News
Iran�s Persian statement on �deal� contradicts Obama�s claims
Husband of NY jihad plotter �shocked,� but had black flag of jihad at Muslim Day Parade
Pakistan: Police on high alert guarding churches against Easter jihad attacks
Australian jihadi was worried his Infidel family would burn in hell
UK: Six Muslims arrested for �Syria-related terrorism offences�
French media broadcast location of Jews hiding from jihad murderer
93% of Muslim women in Malaysia have suffered genital mutilation
Islamic State: Jail for skinny jeans, music, smoking
Kenya�s President: Jihad mass murderers who killed 148 at university were �deeply embedded� in Muslim community
Kenya: Muslims screaming �Allahu akbar� only shot those who couldn�t recite Qur�an

Resurrection: Life, Faith And Death
Elias Bejjani
March 05/15
Don�t be amazed. You seek Jesus, the Nazarene, who has been crucified. He has risen. He is not here (Mark 16/05)
Do not be afraid, �Don�t be amazed", with these reassuring and soothing words The Angel spoke to Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome. They had came to the tomb on Sunday morning to mummify and anoint Jesus' Body as the Jewish tradition required. They thought death had defeated Jesus and ended His life as it does to every human being. On their way, they were sadly thinking and wondering who will roll for them the stone away from the tomb's entrance so they can get in and perform the mummifying and anointing process. While halfway from the tomb, they saw that the enormous stone had been rolled away. When they entered the tomb they found that Jesus' body was not there. They found only the shrouds that His body was wrapped with on His burial after the crucifixion.
Saint Mark's (16/01-13) Gospel describes thoroughly what has happened with these three loyal and faithful women: "When the Sabbath was, past Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought spices, that they might come and anoint him. 16:2 Very early on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen. They were saying among themselves, �Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?� for it was very big. Looking up, they saw that the stone was rolled back. Entering into the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were amazed. He said to them, �Don�t be amazed. You seek Jesus, the Nazarene, who has been crucified. He has risen. He is not here. Behold, the place where they laid him! But go, tell his disciples and Peter, �He goes before you into Galilee. There you will see him, as he said to you.�� They went out, and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had come on them. They said nothing to anyone; for they were afraid. Now when he had risen early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons. She went and told those who had been with him, as they mourned and wept. When they heard that he was alive, and had been seen by her, they disbelieved. After these things he was revealed in another form to two of them, as they walked, on their way into the country. They went away and told it to the rest. They didn�t believe them, either."
Lord Jesus who died on the cross, had risen from the dead on the third day just as He has said while proclaiming His message. He triumphed over death, defeated the forces of darkness, overcame pain, abolished anguish and brought despair to an end. He rose from the tomb to be constantly with those faithful to Him throughout their lives, and to never abandon them. He shall empower forever those who believe in His message and observe His commandments with the spirit of truth, knowledge, wisdom and solidarity with His Father, Almighty God.
Christ is the Way, Christ is the Truth, and Christ is the actual eternal life that we long for. We strongly believe with full conviction that Christ dwells in His Holy Church, and exists in its Mysteries (Sacraments). He is always present in the Holy Eucharist that we receive during every mass. Christ at all times is ready, willing and delighted to help us in our burdens when we call on Him and ask for His mercy. �Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest. 11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart; and you will find rest for your souls. 11:30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.� (Matthew11:28)
The miracle of resurrection is the cornerstone of our Christian faith. This pivotal liturgical fact was strongly stressed by Saint Paul in his First Letter to the Corinthians, (15/12-26): " Now if Christ is preached, that he has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, neither has Christ been raised. If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain, and your faith also is in vain. Yes, we are found false witnesses of God, because we testified about God that he raised up Christ, whom he didn�t raise up, if it is so that the dead are not raised. For if the dead aren�t raised, neither has Christ been raised. If Christ has not been raised, your faith is vain; you are still in your sins. Then they also who are fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If we have only hoped in Christ in this life, we are of all men most pitiable. But now Christ has been raised from the dead. He became the first fruits of those who are asleep. For since death came by man, the resurrection of the dead also came by man. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then those who are Christ�s, at his coming. Then the end comes, when he will deliver up the Kingdom to God, even the Father; when he will have abolished all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy that will be abolished is death".
Through Crucifixion and resurrection, Christ has overcome death, broke its thorn, and granted us His eternal forgiveness from the original sin. With His death and resurrection, death in its traditional earthly human concept has been abolished forever and Sin since then has become the actual death that leads the sinners to Gahanna into the unquenchable fire.
When our bodies die, we sleep in the hope of resurrection. On Jesus' return on the Day of Judgment, the dead will be the first to rise and escort Him. "Behold, I tell you a mystery. We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed", (Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians 15 / 51-52).
Easter Sunday is a holy feast of love, humility, forgiveness, brotherhood, tolerance and repentance. Religiously we are not to participate in any of these feast prayers or make any offerings or receive the Holy Communion unless we replace hatred with love, grudges with forgiveness, rejection of others with tolerance, arrogance with humility, greed with contentment, deception with transparency, and evil with righteousness.
If we do not learn how to tame our selfishness, anger, hatred and forgive others for whatever evil deeds they commit against us and reconcile with them, than we do not qualify to be called Jesus' followers. Our prayers will not be heard or responded to, if we do not practice the grace of forgiveness as did He who was crucified for our salvation.
�If therefore you are offering your gift at the altar, and there remember that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift". (Matthew 5/23-24).
Meanwhile our true faith in Jesus and in His Sacrifices won't be complete unless we adopt in our thinking, deeds and language the pure components of sacrifice, honesty, truth, self respect, meekness and decency. "Let no corrupt speech proceed out of your mouth, but such as is good for building up as the need may be, that it may give grace to those who hear. Don�t grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, outcry, and slander, be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other, just as God also in Christ forgave you. (Ephesians 4/29-32)
For our prayers to be looked upon and heard by Almighty God, we are required to reconcile with ourselves and with all others on whom we have inflicted pain and injustice, and treated with an evil manner. To please the Lord we are required to genuinely, heartily and overtly perform all required acts of repentance for all our mischievous conducts and wrongdoings. Mark 11/24-26: "Therefore I tell you, all things whatever you pray and ask for, believe that you have received them, and you shall have them. Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone; so that your Father, who is in heaven, may also forgive you your transgressions. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your transgressions"
Almighty God has endowed us with His love talent, (minas) and expects us to faithfully invest it in helping others who are in need. He expect us to observe all the teaching of His Bible so that He will reward us on the Day of Judgment and put us on His Right Side.
On this Holy Day of Resurrection, we must be aware that Jesus' Holy blood was shed on the Cross for our sake. Remembrance of His death and resurrection is a Godly consignment that we are entrusted with. It�s up to us either to honour this trust or betray it. In regards to what is committed to us, Saint Paul conveyed to his disciple Timothy the following advice (6/20-21): "Timothy, guard that which is committed to you, turning away from the empty chatter and oppositions of the knowledge which is falsely so called; which some professing have erred concerning the faith".
Halleluiah! Jesus has risen! Indeed He has risen.
**Elias Bejjani
Canadian-Lebanese Human Rights activist, journalist and political commentator
Email phoenicia@hotmail.com
Web sites http://www.eliasbejjaninews.com & http://www.10452lccc.com & http://www.clhrf.com
Tweets on https://twitter.com/phoeniciaelias
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Iranian Hitler
Elias Bejjani/A Nuclear Hitler is in the making in Iran. Thanks to Mr. Obama's obsession in history and for his delusion of reserving a place for himself in its bins. The question is where Mr. Obama's achievements will be put, in the dustbin or in the great leaders' one?

Iranian-USA Nuclear BAD BAD Deal
Elias Bejjani
April 04/15
The Iran nuclear deal with the USA and European countries, Russia and China is an extremely terrible one for the United States, Arab countries, Israel and the world. It does nothing but makes Iranian dictators and Mullahs richer, stronger and more aggressive.
There is no doubt that the deal�s out come will be devastating catastrophes, more wars and more Iranian expansionism and terrorism schemes. Not one sane observer and middle east political expert can possibly believe that Iranian leaders will honor their promises and give up all their nuclear ambitions no matter what .
North Korea is a bad example in this domain, and the Iranian Mullahs will replicate the same Korean scenarios, threats, maneuvers, while at the same time continue as usual their on going laborious vicious efforts to own atomic bombs.
This very bad deal with Iran will spark an arm race in the whole Middle East because each and every country in that region feels threatened in its stability, resources, and existence.
What is scary in this dangerous deal that the Iranian dictators will get more than120 billion Dollars once the sanctions are cancelled. This money definitely will make them more aggressive, more arrogant, more bold and more fanatic and adamant to continue exporting their schemes and to invade and destabilize more countries in the Middle East.
By now the Iranian Mullahs totally occupy and control, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and most of Yemen. With this deal and with the money that they will get they will be able to invade more and more countries.
The irony that entangles this disastrous deal lies in the fact that Mr. Obama is working hard on his obsession to be remembered in history via this deal with Iran. Sadly he will remembered for sure, but as one of the worst USA presidents.
Many observers and politicians in the Middle East strongly believe that this new deal has laid the basis for breeding new Hitlers in Iran armed with nuclear capabilities.

Elias Bejjani
Canadian-Lebanese Human Rights activist, journalist and political commentator
Email phoenicia@hotmail.com
Web sites http://www.eliasbejjaninews.com & http://www.10452lccc.com & http://www.clhrf.com
Tweets on https://twitter.com/phoeniciaelias
Face Book LCCC group http://www.facebook.com/group.php?

Hezbollah praises US-Iran nuclear deal as 'victory'
By JPOST.COM STAFF \ 04/04/2015 /The Lebanese Shi'ite movement Hezbollah praised the framework agreement reached on Thursday between the Western powers and Iran as "a victory."A Hezbollah lawmaker in the Lebanese parliament, Nawar Sahli, told the English-language newspaper Daily Star that that the deal gives Iran "global recognition as a member of the nuclear club.� "We hope the agreement will have positive repercussions on security and stability in the region, even though Iran had said the nuclear issue was separate from regional conflicts,� Sahli said. Lebanese factions opposed to Hezbollah and critical of Iranian meddling in the country's internal affairs expressed apprehension over the agreement, fearing that it would give the Shi'ite regional power greater carte blanche to exert its influence in the Land of the Cedars. Interior Minister Nouhad Machnouk, a representative of the predominantly Sunni and pro-Western Future Movement, told The Daily Star that lifting sanctions against Iran would leave it flush with more cash to use in furthering its goals in Lebanon.
"So far, we don�t have details of the framework agreement. But we hope it will help stability in the region and curb Iran�s emperor tendencies to dominate the region,� Future MP Ammar Houri told The Daily Star. The Lebanese political system has experienced a 10-month paralysis with the election of a new president held up. The Future Movement has accused Iran of directing its proxy, Hezbollah, and other Lebanese factions of preventing the election of a president.

Hezbollah backs Al-Akhbar amid Saudi envoy spat
The Daily Star/Apr. 04, 2015/BEIRUT: Hezbollah Saturday condemned the Saudi ambassador to Lebanon over his "blatant and direct threat" made against Al-Akhbar newspaper one day earlier. In a statement issued by Hezbollah's media office, party spokesperson Mohammad Afif accused Ambassador Ali Awad Asiri of endangering the lives of the newspaper staff after the envoy said Al-Akhbar belonged to the "Iran-Hezbollah-Syria axis." Asiri accused the paper of spreading lies and rumors about Saudi Arabia, and indicated Riyadh might sue it. "[Asiri's remarks] represent a blatant and direct threat to the newspaper and the life and safety of its employees, a direct assault on the dignity and freedom of the press in Lebanon, as well as a gross interference ... in Lebanese internal affairs," Afif said. The only sin Al-Akhbar has committed, Afif went on, was to "expose ... Saudi aggression against brotherly Yemen and reveal scenes from Saudi policy that continually create discord and unrest in the Arab and Islamic world."Al-Akhbar has been one of the most prominent voices against the Saudi-led military intervention in Yemen launched last week. The paper has also denounced Asiri over his comments in a statement Friday, saying it reserved the right to sue him.

Al-Rahi during Easter Message: There are No Constitutional Justifications for Presidential Polls Boycott
Naharnet/Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi reiterated on Saturday his condemnation of the ongoing vacuum in the presidency, urging political powers to hold the polls and end their boycott of the electoral sessions. He said during his Easter message: �There are no constitutional justifications for the boycott of the elections.� He noted that the presidential vacuum has created a �political death� in Lebanon. It has crippled the government and the parliament, explained al-Rahi. �It is as if all sides are unfortunately waiting for the order by foreign powers to stage the polls,� he lamented. �We call on the political blocs to stage the presidential elections. We have repeatedly made such demands, but they have fallen on deaf ears,� added the patriarch. Lebanon was plunged in a vacuum in the presidency after the term of Michel Suleiman ended in May 2014 without the election of a successor. Ongoing disputes between the rival March 8 and 14 camps over a compromise candidate have thwarted the elections. The Change and Reform and Loyalty to the Resistance blocs have been boycotting the sessions, the last of which was on Thursday. The next electoral session is scheduled for April 22.

Report: Lebanon to Receive USD 700 Million at Most from Kuwait Donors Conference
Naharnet /Lebanon will reportedly receive 700 million dollars at most from the recent donors conference held in Kuwait aimed at helping Syrian refugees, said An Nahar daily on Saturday. The exact number of funds has not been revealed yet, but it will receive only a third of what it actually needs, it added. The donors at the one-day conference held in Kuwait on Tuesday pledged 3.8 billion dollars to the refugees. Lebanon had meanwhile demanded that it needs 2.2 billion to support the burden of the displaced. These funds would have been spent over a two-year period, explained ministerial sources to An Nahar. United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon had estimated that eight billion dollars would be needed to address the humanitarian refugee crisis, but only 3.8 billion were pledged. Lebanon will receive the bulk of that figure compared to countries neighboring Syria given its weak capabilities and resources and the large number of refugees it is hosting, added the sources. The funds will be dedicated to 70 projects by the U.N. Relief and Works Agency, while the rest will be spent on refugees and Lebanese who were negatively affected by them. There are more than 1.5 million Syrian refugees in Lebanon. Well over half of them are living in insecure dwellings � up from a third last year. The country has struggled to cope with their burden since the eruption of the Syrian conflict in March 2011.

ISIL Places Conditions for Seifeddine's Release
Naharnet /The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant has announced its conditions for the release of Hussein Seifeddine, who was kidnapped from the northeastern border town of Arsal earlier this week, reported As Safir newspaper on Saturday. Arsal municipal chief Ali al-Hujeiri told the daily that the ISIL informed him that it does not want to hold negotiations over him, �but it wants 150,000 dollars and three trucks loaded with food and relief aid in return for his release.� He added however that the residents of Arsal are not willing to pay any ransom, saying that their dignity will not be compromised any longer. As Safir said that ISIL had sent for one of the town's officials to mediate Seifeddine's release. He reportedly returned with a positive outlook and that the jihadist group will set him free in the upcoming hours.
The residents have meanwhile given the kidnappers a few hours to release him, while others sought to ease the tensions and avoid a confrontation between the locals and the gunmen. In a related development, As Safir said that residents from the nearby Syrian town of Qara seized local Usama Wardeh, one of Seifeddine's captors. He informed the residents that Seifeddine's kidnapping �is out of his hands and his fate is in the hands of ISIL.�Observers noted that there is a competition between the al-Nusra Front and ISIL groups aimed at gaining the favor of the Arsal residents. The recent handover of the corpse of slain policeman Ali al-Bazzal is part of these attempts and it is not linked to the negotiations over the release of the Arsal captives, explained As Safir. A number of servicemen were abducted in August by the IS and Nusra Front in the wake of clashes with the army. Four of them were executed, a few were released, while the rest remain held. On Thursday, the corpse of Bazzal was returned to his loved ones, several months since his murder. Seifeddine was kidnapped on Monday from a shop owned by members of the Ezzeddine family. Several Syrian youths were abducted in retaliation to his abduction, but they have since been freed.

Union of Arab Tribes Chief Receives Pledge to Release Stranded Lebanese Drivers at Syria-Jordan Border
Naharnet /Head of the union of Arab tribes Sheikh Jassem al-Askar revealed that he is carrying out a series of contacts with a number of tribe leaders, who wield influence in Syria, to ensure the release of the Lebanese truck drivers who have been stranded since Wednesday on the Syrian-Jordanian border, reported al-Akhbar newspaper on Saturday. He told the daily that he �received a pledge to release the drivers.� �The group holding the captives demanded the license plate numbers of the stranded vehicles after it vowed to release them,� he added. He told the daily however that he will not fulfill their demand without coordinating with the concerned Lebanese security agencies. Omar al-Ali, head of the Lebanese refrigerated truck union, meanwhile said that the fate of the drivers is unknown, predicting that they may be in the hands of Syrian opposition groups, reported An Nahar daily on Saturday. He said that the drivers hail from the towns of Saadnayel and Bar Elias, while others are from the northern city of Tripoli. Efforts to release them were launched as soon as news of their alleged abduction broke out, amid claims that they were being held by the extremist al-Nusra Front group. The group is reportedly demanding 50,000 dollars for the release of each captive, added the daily. The Free Syrian Army later showed footage of the drivers, saying that they were freed from regime forces that were using them as human shields, reported Voice of Lebanon radio (100.5). At least 30 Lebanese truck drivers are stranded on the Syrian-Jordanian border after rebels seized the Syrian side, prompting Amman to close a frontier crossing, Ali said Friday. Between 30 and 35 Lebanese drivers and their trucks and refrigerated vehicles have been trapped in the free zone on the Jordanian-Syrian border since Wednesday. Ali said the drivers were trying to cross from Syria into Jordan, but were stranded after Amman closed the Nasib crossing. The drivers entered the crossing on Wednesday, as a group of rebels, backed by al-Nusra Front, seized control of it after clashes with government forces. A Lebanese government source said contacts were underway with Amman to "facilitate the entry of the drivers."The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitor, said around 300 cars and trucks were stuck at the crossing, and reported looting of the border passage by rebels and local residents. Agence France Presse

Coalition Bombards Yemen Rebels, Drops More Arms
Naharnet/A Saudi-led coalition pounded rebels in southern Yemen Saturday and dropped more arms to loyalist fighters as the U.N. Security Council was to discuss calls for "humanitarian pauses" in the air war. Yemen's main southern city, a last foothold of supporters of absent President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi, has been shaken by more than a week of fierce clashes between Shiite rebels and loyalist militia. Coalition warplanes and ships bombarded Shiite Huthi rebel positions in Aden on the 10th night of Operation Decisive Storm.
A military source said at least 13 rebel fighters were killed. For a second night, the coalition airdropped weapons and ammunition to supporters of Hadi, who fled to Saudi Arabia late last month as the Iran-backed Huthis approached his refuge. Pro-Hadi fighters were seen unpacking rifles from wooden crates dropped by parachute. "We thank the kingdom of Saudi Arabia and all the Gulf countries, as well as our brothers in Arab countries, for dropping supplies," said Ahmad Qassem al-Shaawi, a local militia chief. "God willing, we will be victorious and bravely carry on fighting as heroes, and fight off any attack."Aided by the strikes and arms drops, the pro-Hadi fighters have managed to drive the rebels back from some parts of central Aden including Hadi's palace. At least 185 dead and 1,282 wounded from the clashes have been counted in hospitals in Aden since March 26, the city's health department director Al-Kheder Lassouar said.
Three-quarters were civilians, he added.
The toll does not include casualties among the Huthi Shiite rebels and their allies, who do not take their casualties to public hospitals, or victims of air raids, he said. The coalition says it has no plans for now to deploy ground forces in Yemen. However, the kingdom's army and naval special forces have carried out specific operations, a Saudi adviser said, without revealing if they had actually set foot on the ground. Army special forces supplied weapons and communications equipment to pro-Hadi fighters in Aden, the adviser told AFP.
He said special forces were also involved in operations against Huthi units on Myun Island in the Bab al-Mandab Strait, through which much of the world's maritime trade passes.
- Drug stocks exhausted -
Medics called on international organisations and Arab states participating in the coalition to provide emergency medical assistance to hospitals in Aden. "Medicine stocks are exhausted and hospitals can no longer cope with the increasing number of victims," Lassouar said.
Yemen, an impoverished state on the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula, is the scene of the latest proxy struggle playing out between Middle East powers, after Syria and Iraq. Iran, which backs the Huthis, has accused Sunni-ruled Saudi Arabia of sowing instability in the region. But it has rejected as "utter lies" accusations that it armed the rebels, who have allied with army units loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh. The United Nations said on Thursday that 519 people had been killed and nearly 1,700 injured in two weeks of fighting around the country. The UN Security Council was to meet later on Saturday to discuss a Russian proposal for humanitarian pauses in the air war, diplomats in New York said. The Red Cross said hospitals in Aden were overwhelmed by the casualties and fighting was making it nearly impossible for aid workers to move around.
Two brothers working for the Yemen Red Crescent Society were shot dead on Friday in the southern city while evacuating the wounded, it said. "In Yemen, we are seeing Red Crescent volunteers being deliberately killed as they strive to save others. This is the third senseless death in a single week. This is a very worrying trend and a tragic loss," said Robert Mardini of the International Committee of the Red Cross. The turmoil has allowed al-Qaida to expand its foothold in the southeast of the deeply tribal country, which had been a key U.S. ally in the war on the extremist network. On Friday, al-Qaida fighters captured the regional army headquarters in Mukalla, capital of the southeastern province of Hadramawt. They now control nearly all of the city, where they stormed a jail and freed 300 inmates on Thursday.
In the southern town of Daleh, the Huthi rebels broke into a jail and freed more than 500 prisoners, according to a military source, who voiced fears of "widespread anarchy" engulfing the country. Agence France Presse

Mixed reports on number of Lebanese truckers still being held after border abduction
The Daily Star/Apr. 04, 2015/BEIRUT: Contradicting statements have thrown the fate of Lebanese truck drivers held by jihadis on the Syrian-Jordanian border into confusion Saturday, with the number of drivers still being held in dispute. The truckers� union chief Naim Sawaya said that all of the Lebanese truck drivers bar one had been released after being abducted by jihadis at the Nasib border crossing. �They are still holding only one, and they are bargaining on his truck�s load,� Naim Sawaya told The Daily Star by phone. �They want either a ransom, or the apples stocked in the truck.�Islamist gunmen, believed to be from the Nusra Front, kidnapped around 10 truck drivers at the crossing, though the exact number remains to be confirmed. However, Ahmad Alam, the mayor of Seer al-Dinnieh and owner of eight of the trucks that were prevented from crossing the border, told The Daily Star Saturday that three of his drivers were still �out of reach.�He said he could not confirm the number of those freed. The drivers were prevented from crossing into Jordan Tuesday night, after the Jordanian authorities closed their side of the border crossing, known as the Jaber border crossing. Syrian rebels took control of the Syrian side of the major southern crossing Wednesday night. The gunmen then proceeded to loot vehicles stranded on the Syrian side of the border. Earlier Saturday, media outlets posted a video allegedly showing a member of the Free Syrian Army with the Lebanese truckers, who said that they were �free from the abduction of [Syrian] regime forces.�He went on to claim that the Syrian army had been using the drivers as �human shields,� and that they were �liberated� by a FSA First Unit operation. Three of the men said to be the drivers revealed in the video that they were from the villages of Taanayel and Bar Elias in eastern Lebanon.

Sisi: Securing Yemen's key strait an Egypt priority
Agence France Presse/Apr. 04, 2015/CAIRO: Egypt's president said Saturday that securing the Bab al-Mandab access to the Red Sea off Yemen's coast is a top priority, nine days after Cairo joined a Saudi-led offensive against Yemeni rebels. "Securing navigation in the Red Sea and protecting Bab al-Mandab Strait is a top priority for Egypt's national security," Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said in a statement. The Red Sea is at the southern end of the Suez Canal, through which much of the world's maritime trade passes. Later, in a speech broadcast on state television, Sisi said securing the key waterway was also a matter of "Arab national security". A Saudi-led coalition of more than 10 countries, including Egypt, launched an offensive against Yemen's Houthi rebels on March 26 after the Shiite militia advanced to the southern province of Aden. Egypt is taking part in the campaign with its air force and navy, and has pledged to commit ground troops if needed. Yemen's main southern city of Aden, a last foothold of supporters of self-exiled President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi, has been shaken by more than a week of fierce clashes between Shiite rebels and loyalist militia. The strait, only 32 kilometres (20 miles) wide, separates southwestern Yemen from the small African country of Djibouti. Control of it by a hostile power could severely threaten maritime traffic passing between the Mediterranean Sea and the Indian Ocean.

The US has sold Israel out with Iran deal
Alex Fishman/Ynetnews/Published: 04.04.15/Israel Opinion /The Lausanne agreement is evidence of just how hard - and successfully - the Iranians fought to preserve the essential components for creating nuclear weapons. Just guard me from my friends; from my enemies, I'll guard myself. We are forced to learn this age-old lesson each time anew. The document agreed upon and signed in Lausanne on Thursday by the best of our friends from around the world makes no mention of nuclear development for peaceful purposes. Nothing in the clauses outlined in the declaration of principles indicates that Iran's nuclear program for military purposes will be converted into a program designed to further civilian-scientific objectives.
On the contrary; the document is evidence of just how hard, and successfully too, the Iranians fought to preserve the essential components for creating nuclear weapons. And this is an indication of the strategic importance Iran attributes to its military nuclear program, and the price it is willing to pay to protect it.
The bottom line: Iran has agreed to restrict its number of uranium-enrichment facilities � or, in other words, not to build new ones. The existing facilities will continue to operate at a slower pace, under supervision: 5,100 centrifuges will be in operation in Natanz, and an additional 1,000 will turn at a facility in Fordow that will be classified as a research institute (Yeah, right!). The stockpiling of enriched material will also be restricted. But nowhere in the agreement is there anything about ballistic missiles, nuclear warheads or military R&D.
In return, the sanctions on Iran will be lifted gradually. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will be responsible for dictating the pace of the lifting of the sanctions. The Iranians haven't manufactured a bomb until now; so they'll hold back a little longer, for as long as it is worth their while. The second conclusion coming from the agreement achieved in Lausanne is supposed to offer some comfort. If the Iranian nuclear program does indeed remain under tight supervision throughout the term of the agreement, it's safe to assume that Iran will not be able to turn its nuclear capabilities into a nuclear weapon overnight.
All this is under the assumption that the Iranians play fairly and don't cheat; and that if they do decide to break the rules, we will have at least a one-year warning before they can produce a bomb. Anyone who believes that we can sleep soundly at night with this conclusion in mind must the simple of the Four Sons mentioned in the Passover Haggadah.
So Iran has agreed to reduce its stockpile of 3.67-percent low-enriched uranium to just 300 kilograms; has agreed to allow inspectors access to the supply chain that supports Iran�s nuclear program, from the mining of the uranium and through to the completion of the enrichment process; and has agreed to dilute its surplus quantities of uranium � a lot of declarations that could give the impression that the Iranians really were squeezed.
But these declarations have to be backed up by particulars, which don't exist now and probably never will. There's a clause, for example, that restricts the use of new centrifuges over the next 10 years, but it says nothing about restricting the development and production of new and improved centrifuges that can be put into motion the moment the time comes.
Still unclear too is the nature of the IAEA's mechanism for that tight supervision that US President Barack Obama defined as "unprecedented," or if the UN Security Council can automatically reinstate the sanctions if Iran violates the agreement. One thing is clear: Once Iran returns to the family of nations, it will be very difficult to again enlist the world to impose sanctions on Tehran.
There is nothing surprising in the Lausanne agreement. The talks over the last few days were for show only. The Americans knew, just as Israel did, that the Iranians had been willing to sign the current version of the agreement, and an even-worse one from their perspective, already two months ago. And yes, the agreement restricts Iran's nuclear capabilities for a certain period of time. But it is a vague document that lacks numerous essential details, just like the Iranians wanted � a document they can hold up in triumph to their people.
The Iranian representatives conducted the negotiations like true professionals and ran rings around the American secretary of state. In his speech on Thursday, Obama gave Kerry a grade of "Excellent" for his persistence and patience. But anyone who was there knows he deserves a grade of "Unsatisfactory" in negotiation management. And this holds true not only with respect to Iran, but also vis-�-vis the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Our friends in Washington have sold us out, along with their other allies in the Middle East, for a pittance

White House 'confident' on finalizing details for Iran nuclear deal
Ynetnews/Latest Update: 04.04.15/Israel News
White House says US would not back Iran deal that threatens Israel, but understands Netanyahu's reservations; Egypt hopes Iran nuclear accord will lead to stability in Middle East.
Reuters
The White House on Friday pressed its case for a deal to curb Iran's nuclear program, expressing confidence in hammering out final details as President Barack Obama reached out to leaders in Congress, where US lawmakers remain cautious.
Obama called the four top leaders in the House of Representatives and the Senate to discuss the framework agreement announced on Thursday by negotiators in Switzerland, a spokesman said. The agreement lays the groundwork for a final deal to be laid out by a June 30 deadline.
"We feel good," White House spokesman Eric Schultz said. "There's a lot of work to be done, but we are confident we can get those details in place."
The president also placed calls to the leaders of Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates.
"He highlighted that nothing is agreed until everything is agreed," the White House said in a statement. "He also reiterated the United States' enduring commitment to work with partners to address Iran's destabilizing activities in the region."
The White House also sought to soothe concerns in Israel about the deal. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Friday said it demanded that any final agreement with Iran acknowledge the state's right to exist.
Asked about that demand, Schultz said he had not seen the specific request but was aware of Israel's ongoing concerns.
"We understand his position," Schultz told reporters aboard Air Force One. "The president would never sign onto a deal that he felt was a threat to the state of Israel."
Meanwhile, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, in a televised speech, on Friday hailed the framework as "a first step towards productive interactions with the world."
Schultz, asked about Rouhani's comments, said he understood Tehran's need to sell the deal to Iranians but that the United States sees the deal as one focused on Iran's nuclear program.
"The concerns we have with Iran outside of the nuclear program remain just as vibrant ... yesterday as they are today."
As part of his domestic sales pitch, Obama spoke to Republican House Speaker John Boehner, House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, Republican Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell and Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid, Schultz said.
First step
Egypt sees the framework nuclear accord that Iran reached with world powers this week as a first step towards a final deal that will hopefully help bring stability to the Middle East, the state news agency reported on Friday, quoting the foreign ministry.
Egypt, the most populous Arab state, is a close ally of Saudi Arabia, Iran's main regional rival.
Egypt's state news agency quoted foreign ministry spokesman Badr Abdelatty as saying Cairo hopes a final deal will be reached that could contribute to stability in the Middle East and prevent an arms race.Egypt and other Arab states recently agreed to form a joint military force designed to confront regional security threats as Iran's influence grows in the Middle East.

Iran president promises nation will abide by nuclear deal
Associated Press/ Ynetnews/Published: 04.03.15, 19:24 / Israel News
Hassan Rouhani vows that Iranians 'do not seek to deceive' the international community and calls on world powers to fulfill their part of the deal.
Iran's President Hassan Rouhani on Friday pledged that his nation will abide by its commitments in the nuclear agreement reached the previous day in Switzerland.
Rouhani also called on world powers to fulfill their part of the deal, a reference to further lifting of sanctions imposed on Tehran over the controversial nuclear program.
"Everything we promised in the nuclear talks ... we will remain loyal (to) and stand by our promises," Rouhani said in a speech to the nation about the framework agreement. Iranians "do not seek to deceive" the international community, he added.
After a week of grueling negotiations, Iran and the six world powers announced a series of understandings on Thursday on how to curb Iran's nuclear program. They face a June 30 deadline for a final deal that is meant to cut significantly into Iran's bomb-capable technology while giving Tehran quick access to assets and markets blocked by international sanctions.
The deal was met with criticism by Iranian hard-liners but was overwhelmingly backed by the establishment.
Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, who negotiated the agreement in Lausanne, Switzerland, received a hero's welcome upon his arrival back to Tehran on Friday.
Crowds of cheering supporters surrounded Zarif's vehicle and chanted slogans supporting him and Rouhani. One of the chants also offered sarcastic "condolences" to both Israel and to the hard-line Kayhan newspaper, which has opposed the negotiations from the start.
Zarif tried to reassure Iranians that the country's nuclear program will continue but said any negotiation requires give and take. "It is not supposed to be one party receiving all the concessions and the other party surrendering," he said.
Zarif also expressed his gratitude for the support of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and said Thursday's understandings will be a "base for drafting the final agreement," in July.
If implemented, the deal will substantially pare back some Iranian nuclear assets for a decade and restrict others for an additional five years. It would be the first significant success for the United States and its partners in more than a decade of diplomatic efforts focusing on capping Tehran's nuclear advance. Like Zarif, Rouhani also sought to reassure Iranians that the country will continue to enrich uranium -- something it has always insisted was for peaceful purposes only but which the U.S. and its allies suspected was a cover for pursuing nuclear arms. "Our enrichment and entire nuclear technology is only for the development of Iran," Rouhani said. "It will not be against regional countries or against the world." A new chapter of "cooperation with the world" will begin when the final deal goes into effect after July, Rouhani added. "Some think we have no option except to fight the world or to surrender. But there is a third way, too. We have to have cooperation with the world," said Rouhani. Iranian hard-liners claimed the agreement was a bargain for the West and a disaster for Iran. "We gave up a race-ready horse and we got in return a broken bridle," Hossein Shariatmadari, a Khamenei adviser and Kayhan's chief editor, told the semi-official Fars news agency. Another conservative analyst, Mahdi Mohammad, referred to the Fordo underground uranium enrichment facility and told the news outlet that under the deal, "a disaster happened in Fordo."As part of the Lausanne understandings, Iran agreed to stop enrichment at Fordo and change the facility to a nuclear research center. Another member of the negotiating team -- Ali Akbar Salehi, the head of Iran's atomic agency -- said, "I see the future very bright and shining."Ahmad Tavakkoli, a prominent conservative lawmaker, wrote a letter to Rouhani on Thursday, saying the agreement needs ratification by the country's conservative-dominated parliament. But supporters of the negotiations have claimed that the nuclear talks have been conducted under the direct supervision of Khamenei, and therefore don't require parliamentary approval. Khamenei, who has final say on all state matters, has not made any public comment on the deal.

Netanyahu: Iran must commit to recognizing Israel's right to exist in final deal
Itamar Eichner/Ynetnews
Latest Update 04.03.15/Israel News
Security cabinet united in opposition to Iran deal as Netanyahu tells Obama nuclear deal 'would threaten survival of Israel, bolster Iran's nuclear program and pave way path to bomb.'Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday said that any final agreement between Iran and world powers must insist that Iran commit to recognising Israel's right to exist. The leader spoke after meeting with his security cabinet, which he said was "united in opposition to the proposed deal" between the parties announced on Thursday.
"Israel demands that any final agreement with Iran will include a clear and unambiguous Iranian commitment of Israel's right to exist," Netanyahu said in a statement. Netanyahu, who earlier spoke by phone with US President Barack Obama, voiced Israel's strong opposition to the framework agreement reached between Iran and world powers, which Netanyahu said poses a grave danger to Israel, the region and the world. "A deal based on this framework would threaten the survival of Israel," Netanyahu said, slamming Iran for its regional activities.
In response to the deal, Netanyahu will hold talks with the Security Cabinet, which includs ministers, as well as senior officials from Israel's security services, an aide told AFP Friday morning. "The prime minister will hold security consultations," the aide said, without providing details. According to Netanyahu, "This deal would legitimize Iran's nuclear program, bolsters Iran's economy, and increase Iran's aggression. Such a deal would not block Iran's path to the bomb. It would pave it� (and) increase the risks of nuclear proliferation in the region and the risks of a horrific war," Netanyahu said in a statement regarding his phone call with Obama. "The alternative is standing firm and increasing the pressure on Iran until a better deal is achieved," he said.
Netanyahu believes Iran is trying to develop a nuclear bomb - a concern that has been shared by much of the world. He considers a nuclear-armed Iran a threat to Israel's very existence, given Iranian leaders' calls for the destruction of the Jewish state, Iran's support for hostile militant groups across the region and its development of long-range ballistic missiles.
Speaking at the White House, President Barack Obama called it a "good deal" that would address concerns about Iran's nuclear ambitions. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif called it a "win-win outcome."The framework deal includes a system of limits and inspections on Iranian nuclear facilities, but falls short of Israeli demands to dismantle the program. Netanyahu believes Iran cannot be trusted, and that leaving certain facilities intact would allow the Iranians to reach the capability of building a bomb.
Netanyahu has warned of Iran's nuclear intentions for years, and has said that preventing Iran from developing a bomb is the mission of his lifetime. As details of the framework were being finalised, Netanyahu demanded in a post on Twitter that any deal achieved with Iran "must significantly roll back Iran's nuclear capabilities."Netanyahu attached a diagram to his tweet showing Tehran's involvement in Middle East conflicts in Yemen, Iraq, Lebanon and Egypt and reiterated Israel's demands that Iran "stop its terrorism and aggression."
In Washington, Obama, who has had a rocky relationship with Netanyahu over Iran and other matters, tried to soothe Israeli concerns. At a news conference, he called the deal "the best option" for preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon.
In his phone call with Netanyahu, Obama said the framework would bring a deal "that cuts off all of Iran's pathways to a bomb," according to the White House. It said the deal "in no way diminishes" US concerns about "Iran's sponsorship of terrorism and threats toward Israel" or America's commitment to Israel's security.
Earlier, Obama said had spoken with the Saudi king, and announced that he was inviting the leaders of six Gulf nations, including Saudi Arabia, to Washington this spring. Netanyahu has said moderate Arab states see "eye to eye" with him on Iran.
While Netanyahu has threatened in the past to attack Iranian nuclear facilities, that option seems to be a long shot at this stage.
His best bet for foiling the deal could lie with the Congress, where Israel enjoys bipartisan support. Lawmakers have been threatening to try to delay the agreement or even push for new sanctions against Iran.
Yuval Steinitz, an Israeli Cabinet minister who monitors the Iranian nuclear program, said Israel would continue to push to cancel or at least improve the deal as it is finalized ahead of a June 30 deadline.
Capping exhausting and contentious talks, Iran and world powers sealed a breakthrough agreement Thursday outlining limits on Iran's nuclear program to keep it from being able to produce atomic weapons. The Islamic Republic was promised an end to years of crippling economic sanctions, but only if negotiators transform the plan into a comprehensive pact.
They will try to do that in the next three months.
Yoel Guzansky, a former Iran analyst in the Israeli prime minister's office and a research fellow at the INSS think tank in Tel Aviv, said Thursday's announcement was a game changer.
The deal starts a process "where Iran will stop being a pariah state," he said. "Israel will need to see how to inspect Iran on its own, and not rely on the international community."
In recent weeks, Netanyahu has stepped up his rhetoric. Last month, Netanyahu harshly criticized the emerging agreement in a speech to the US Congress, enraging the White House because the visit was arranged behind its back with Republican lawmakers.
But the speech, and furious Israeli lobbying to other participants in the Iran talks, appeared to have made little difference.
Britain, Germany, France and Italy - all key European allies and all directly or indirectly involved in the negotiations in Switzerland - welcomed the deal.
"We are closer than ever to an agreement that makes it impossible for Iran to possess nuclear weapons," German Chancellor Angela Merkel said. "That is a great credit to all negotiating partners."
French President Francois Hollande saluted the work of the foreign ministers, but cautioned that sanctions remained on the horizon if the final agreement set for June 30 were not respected.
Russia, another participant in the talks, said the deal could have a "positive influence" on the region. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the framework "paves the way" for a historic agreement that could "contribute to peace and stability in the region."
Reuters and the Associated Press contributed to this report

Israel needs a reality check on Iran
Nahum Barnea/Ynetnews/Published: 04.03.15/ Israel Opinion
Analysis: While the agreement brokered Thursday definitely has its problems, a military strike was never a viable option and in fact Israel's efforts in this area failed miserably.
Israel can't be happy with the framework agreement reached on Thursday night with Iran; no one in the world expects it to be happy. The agreement provides international legitimacy to Iran's status as a nuclear threshold state � and that's bad for Israel, bad for the Sunni states in the region, and bad for regional stability.
The agreement heralds the rehabilitation of the Iranian economy and the bolstering of the regime of the ayatollahs. The regime can continue to support terrorist organizations unhindered, to attack neighboring countries and preach the destruction of Israel.
The agreement has additional drawbacks that worry Israel: It's an invitation to a nuclear arms race, with Saudi Arabia, Turkey and maybe Egypt too seeking to become threshold states like Iran. Even if the Americans persuade these countries to wait, they will have to compensate them with the sale and supply of advanced weapons systems. The White House has already agreed to do so. This will give rise to justified Israeli concerns about losing its qualitative edge over its neighbors; and Israel will be forced to join the race.
"When you hear the inevitable critics of the deal sound off, ask them a simple question: Do you really think that this verifiable deal, if fully implemented backed by the world's powers, is a worse option than the risk of another war in the Middle East?" US President Barack Obama said in a speech from the White House Rose Garden on Thursday.
As Obama sees things, the alternatives � air strikes on the Iranian nuclear facilities and the start of a new war in the Middle East, or simply keeping the sanctions in place and thus allowing Iran to get the bomb � would lead to a far more dangerous reality. The agreement, Obama has stressed, doesn't rest on promises but on proof of implementation. Iran will be supervised and inspected like no other country ever before.
The address from the Rose Garden was as solid as a rock. It's safe to assume that Obama managed to convince most of his American listeners. I'm assuming, too, that most Israelis took a more wary view: In most instances, the Obama administration's moves in the region have ended in failure. They have demonstrated naivet�, weakness, a lack of understanding of the reality in the region, and constant fear of a military commitment.
Israelis are finding it hard to believe that Iran really will forgo its nuclear program. Israel, under similar circumstances, wouldn't; it would simply get smarter. Why would Iran behave any differently from us? It's hard to believe, too, that if Iran fails to abide by the agreement, the West will be in any hurry to re-impose sanctions on Tehran. Sanctions are easier to lift than to reinstate.
But it's time to stop fantasizing and to get back in touch with reality: Israel doesn't have a military option when it comes to destroying the Iranian nuclear program. And even if such an option existed in the past, it has expired. The United States won't bomb Iran; both US political parties are opposed to military action against Iran. The Republicans in Congress can attack Obama � that sounds good; but they have no desire to be held responsible for a new war. Under these circumstances, the details of the agreement that were published on Thursday are pleasantly surprising.
If US Secretary of State John Kerry is right, the agreement pushes the Iranian nuclear program back somewhat � so instead of two to three months until the first bomb, we're talking about a year or so. Iran is entering into a probation period that will last between 10 and 25 years. Parts of its nuclear program will be destroyed, others will be suspended. It's a whole lot better than the prophets of doom envisaged.
Benjamin Netanyahu placed the fight against the Iranian nuclear program at the top of his government's agenda. This fight, he said, is "the real life." Iran is Hitler's Germany; and an agreement with Iran is tantamount to the Munich Agreement. He hoped that Iran would cave and give up on the project, or collapse under the sanctions, or be brought to its knees by a US military operation.
None of that happened. And truth be told: Israel failed dismally. The more Netanyahu and Obama quarreled over the Iranian issue, the less influence Israel had on the talks and their outcome. The Americans didn't share any of the details with Israel. They also told their negotiation partners to beware of Israeli spying efforts. Netanyahu's Congress appearance may have stirred up voters in America and impressed voters in Israel, but Obama and Kerry refused to even blink.
The dilemma that Netanyahu is currently facing is no easy one. He could encourage the leaders of the Republican majority in Congress to thwart the agreement. Congress can, so it appears, insist on keeping the sanctions in place. Such a move would be unusual in US political tradition and involve various risks, but it is possible. It is doubtful whether such a move would achieve its objective.
As Obama sees things, the alternatives � air strikes on the Iranian nuclear facilities and the start of a new war in the Middle East, or simply keeping the sanctions in place and thus allowing Iran to get the bomb � would lead to a far more dangerous reality. The agreement, Obama has stressed, doesn't rest on promises but on proof of implementation. Iran will be supervised and inspected like no other country ever before.
The address from the Rose Garden was as solid as a rock. It's safe to assume that Obama managed to convince most of his American listeners. I'm assuming, too, that most Israelis took a more wary view: In most instances, the Obama administration's moves in the region have ended in failure. They have demonstrated naivet�, weakness, a lack of understanding of the reality in the region, and constant fear of a military commitment.
Israelis are finding it hard to believe that Iran really will forgo its nuclear program. Israel, under similar circumstances, wouldn't; it would simply get smarter. Why would Iran behave any differently from us? It's hard to believe, too, that if Iran fails to abide by the agreement, the West will be in any hurry to re-impose sanctions on Tehran. Sanctions are easier to lift than to reinstate.
But it's time to stop fantasizing and to get back in touch with reality: Israel doesn't have a military option when it comes to destroying the Iranian nuclear program. And even if such an option existed in the past, it has expired. The United States won't bomb Iran; both US political parties are opposed to military action against Iran. The Republicans in Congress can attack Obama � that sounds good; but they have no desire to be held responsible for a new war. Under these circumstances, the details of the agreement that were published on Thursday are pleasantly surprising.
If US Secretary of State John Kerry is right, the agreement pushes the Iranian nuclear program back somewhat � so instead of two to three months until the first bomb, we're talking about a year or so. Iran is entering into a probation period that will last between 10 and 25 years. Parts of its nuclear program will be destroyed, others will be suspended. It's a whole lot better than the prophets of doom envisaged.
Benjamin Netanyahu placed the fight against the Iranian nuclear program at the top of his government's agenda. This fight, he said, is "the real life." Iran is Hitler's Germany; and an agreement with Iran is tantamount to the Munich Agreement. He hoped that Iran would cave and give up on the project, or collapse under the sanctions, or be brought to its knees by a US military operation.
None of that happened. And truth be told: Israel failed dismally. The more Netanyahu and Obama quarreled over the Iranian issue, the less influence Israel had on the talks and their outcome. The Americans didn't share any of the details with Israel. They also told their negotiation partners to beware of Israeli spying efforts. Netanyahu's Congress appearance may have stirred up voters in America and impressed voters in Israel, but Obama and Kerry refused to even blink.
The dilemma that Netanyahu is currently facing is no easy one. He could encourage the leaders of the Republican majority in Congress to thwart the agreement. Congress can, so it appears, insist on keeping the sanctions in place. Such a move would be unusual in US political tradition and involve various risks, but it is possible. It is doubtful whether such a move would achieve its objective.

Arabs Blast "Obama's Deal" With Iran
by Khaled Abu Toameh/Gatestone Institute
April 4, 2015
http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/5493/arabs-blast-obama-deal-with-iran
"This is a dangerous agreement...[It ]provides Iran with what it needs most to pursue its wars and expansionism against the Arabs: funds." -- Salah al-Mukhtar, Ammon News"
"Iran has tried to intervene in Iraq, Lebanon and Syria and it is seeing that it's not paying any price...There is also a feeling in Tehran that the U.S. is avoiding a military confrontation with the Iranians."-- Hassan al-Barari, Al-Sharq
The deal means that the international community has accepted Iran as a nuclear power." -- Hani ala-Jamal, al-Wafd
Many Arabs have expressed deep concern over the nuclear deal that was reached last week between Iran and the world powers, including the US.
Arab leaders and heads of state were polite enough not to voice public criticism of the agreement when President Barack Obama phoned them to inform them about it. But this has not stopped Arab politicians, political analysts and columnists reflecting government thinking in the Arab world from lashing out at what they describe as "Obama's bad and dangerous deal with Iran."
The Arabs, especially those living in the Gulf, see the framework agreement as a sign of US "weakness" and a green light to Iran for Iran to pursue its "expansionist" scheme in the Arab world.
"Some Arab countries are opposed to the nuclear deal because it poses a threat to their interests," said the Egyptian daily Al-Wafd in an article entitled, "Politicians: (President Barack) Obama's deal with Iran threatens Arab world."http://www.alwafd.org/838527
The newspaper quoted Hani al-Jamal, an Egyptian political and regional researcher, as saying that the deal means that the international community has accepted Iran as a nuclear power. He predicted that the framework agreement would put Iran and some Arab countries such as Saudi Arabia and Egypt on a course of collision.
Al-Jamal advised the Arab countries to form a "Sunni NATO" that would guarantee Pakistan's status as a nuclear power Arab ally in face of the "Iranian and Israeli threat."
Jihad Odeh, an Egyptian professor of political science, said that Obama's "achievements are designed to dismantle the Arab world. Obama wants to make historic achievements before the end of his term in office by destroying Al-Qaeda, seeking rapprochement with Cuba and reaching a nuclear agreement with Iran."
http://www.alwafd.org/838527
Although Saudi Arabia, which is currently waging war on Iranian-backed Houthi militiamen in Yemen, "welcomed" the nuclear agreement, it has privately expressed concern over the deal.
http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/saudi-arabia/public-saudi-welcome-for-iran-nuclear-deal-but-unease-remains-1.1485119
Similarly, several Gulf countries that initially welcomed the agreement are beginning to voce concern over its repercussions on the region. For the past several months, the Arabs have been warning against Iran's ongoing effort to take control over their countries.
"The US surely does not want to see a more powerful Iranian hegemony in the region, but at the same time, it does not appear to mind some kind of Iranian influence in the region," said Nasser Ahmed Bin Gaith, a United Arab Emirates researcher. "Iran has been seeking to reclaim its previous role as the region's police."
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/04/saudi-arabia-israel-oppose-iran-nuclear-deal-150401061906177.html
Bin Gaith said that it was clear that a Western recognition of Iranian regional influence would come at the expense of the Gulf countries.
"The Gulf states should build strategic partnerships with the regional powers of Pakistan and Turkey, who share the Gulf nations' fears of Iranian ambitions in the region," he added.
Echoing widespread fear among Arabs of Iran's territorial ambitions in the Middle East, political analyst Hassan al-Barari wrote in Qatar's daily Al-Sharq against the policy of appeasement toward Tehran.
"Iran has tried to intervene in Iraq, Lebanon and Syria and it is seeing that it's not paying any price; on the contrary, there are attempts by the big powers to reach understandings with Iran," al-Barari pointed out. There is also a feeling in Tehran that the US is avoiding a military confrontation with the Iranians and their proxies. The Gulf countries have learned from the lessons of the past in various areas. The policy of appeasement has only led to wars. Any kind of appeasement with Iran will only lead it to ask for more and probably meddle in the internal affairs of the Arab countries and increase its arrogance."
http://www.al-sharq.com/news/details/324014#.VR7KLjuUevV
Even Jordanians have joined the chorus of Arabs expressing fear over Iran's growing threat to the Arab world, especially in wake of the nuclear deal with the US and the big powers.
Salah al-Mukhtar, a Jordanian columnist, wrote an article entitled, "Oh Arabs wake up, your enemy is Iran," in which he accused the US of facilitating Tehran's wars against the Arab countries.
http://www.ammonnews.net/article.aspx?articleno=225764
Describing Iran as "Eastern Israel," al-Mukhtar said that the most dangerous aspect of the framework agreement is that allows Iran to continue with its "destructive wars" against the Arabs. "This is a dangerous agreement, particularly for Saudi Arabia and the opposition forces in Iraq and Syria," the Jordanian columnist cautioned. This agreement provides Iran with what it needs most to pursue its wars and expansionism against the Arabs: funds. Lifting the sanctions is America's way of backing the dangerous and direct wars against Arabs; the lifting of the sanctions also provides the Iranians with the funds needed to push with their Persian advancement. The US wants to drain Saudi Arabia and the Arab Gulf countries in preparation for dividing them."
Lebanon's English language The Daily Star newspaper also voiced skepticism over the nuclear deal. "For all the talk of this deal contributing to making the world safer, if Obama is truly concerned with his legacy, especially in the Middle East, he must now work with Iran to encourage it to become a regular member of the international community once again, and not a country which sponsors conflict, whether directly or via proxies, across the region," the paper editorialized. "Otherwise, this deal could just leave Iran emboldened in its expansionist designs."
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/Opinion/Editorial/2015/Apr-03/293201-a-deal-or-legacy.ashx
In addition to the Arabs, Iranian opposition figures have also come out against the nuclear deal.
Maryam Rajavi, an Iranian politician and President of the National Council of Resistance, commented that the a "statement of generalities, without spiritual leader Khamenie's signature and official approval, does not block Tehran's path to a nuclear bomb nor prevent its intrinsic deception.
"Continuing talks with religious fascism in Iran - as part of a policy of appeasement - will not secure the region and world from the threat of nuclear proliferation," Rajavi warned. "Complying with UN Security Council resolutions is the only way to block the mullahs from obtaining nuclear weapons. Leniency and unwarranted concessions by the P5+1 to the least trustworthy regime in the world today only grants it more time and further aggravates the dangers it poses to the Iranian people, to the region and to the wider world."
http://irannewsupdate.com/news/nuclear/2047-iran-maryam-rajavi-fearful-mullahs-reluctantly-take-one-more-step-backward-toward-drinking-the-chalice-of-nuclear-poison.html
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Special Editorial: Kill the Deal
By WILLIAM KRISTOL/Weekly Standard
April 04, 2015
http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/special-editorial-kill-deal_908909.html?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed
Commentators have exposed how bad the Iran deal is in various ways; the point, however, is to kill it.
Why? Because the deal can't be fixed. Even if sanctions relief were somewhat more gradual, even if the number of centrifuges were somewhat lower, even if the inspections regime were somewhat more robust�the basic facts would remain: Iran gets to keep its nuclear infrastructure, including the most sensitive parts of it. The sanctions come off. And the inspectors can be kicked out. So Iran, a state-sponsor of terror, an enemy of the United States, an aggressive jihadist power, a regime dedicated to the destruction of Israel, will become a threshold nuclear weapons state.
It's certainly fair to criticize the particulars of the deal, which is honestly less of a "deal" than a series of cascading concessions to Iran. Some of the particulars are so indefensible that they may become the best vehicle for stopping or killing the deal. In fact, Congress might advance several pieces of legislation or amendments along these lines, in addition to the cumbersome Corker-Menendez bill. For example: no sanctions relief if Fordow, which Obama himself said was utterly unnecessary for a peaceful nuclear program, stays open. No sanctions relief if there aren't any-time, any-place inspections. No sanctions relief if the centrifuges don't stop spinning, or if enriched uranium isn't shipped out of the country. No sanctions relief without recognition of Israel's right to exist. One could�and Congress should�multiply examples of the arrows that can be launched to try to bring down this vulnerable deal.
But it's important not to lose sight of the whole, even as one goes after its most vulnerable parts. The whole of the deal is a set of concessions to an aggressive regime with a history of cheating that will now be enabled to stand one unverifiable cheat away from nuclear weapons. In making these concessions, the U.S, and its partners are ignoring that regime's past and present actions, strengthening that regime, and sending the message that there is no price to be paid for a regime's lying and cheating and terror and aggression.
We opponents of the deal disdain to conceal our views and aims. We urge Congress to stop this bad deal. We urge Congress to kill it. We believe sanctions, sabotage, and the threat of military force can better constrain the Iranian regime's nuclear weapons program than this bad deal. But we will also say openly that, if it comes to it, airstrikes to set back the Iranian nuclear weapons program are preferable to this deal that lets it go forward.
Britain has a parliamentary system of government, and so Neville Chamberlain's parliamentary majority ensured the Munich agreement would go forward. The U.S. Constitution, on the other hand, provides for a separation of powers. As Hamilton explains in Federalist #75:
"However proper or safe it may be in governments where the executive magistrate is an hereditary monarch, to commit to him the entire power of making treaties, it would be utterly unsafe and improper to intrust that power to an elective magistrate of four years' duration. ... The history of human conduct does not warrant that exalted opinion of human virtue which would make it wise in a nation to commit interests of so delicate and momentous a kind, as those which contain its intercourse with the rest of the world, to the sole disposal of a magistrate created and circumstanced as would be a President of the United States."
It is now up to the members of Congress to do their duty, on this delicate and momentous occasion. It is up to members of Congress to refuse to accede to this set of concessions made by our current executive magistrate, concessions that would put one of the world's most dangerous regimes further along the road to acquiring the world's most dangerous weapons.
casion. It is up to members of Congress to refuse to accede to this set of concessions made by our current executive magistrate, concessions that would put one of the world's most dangerous regimes further along the road to acquiring the world's most dangerous weapons.

The Lausanne Iran nuclear �deal�: An exercise in spin and counter-spin
DEBKAfile Exclusive Analysis April 4, 2015
Hours after Washington published a �fact sheet� in Lausanne Thursday, April 2 - which enumerated �the parameters of the agreed framework� hammered out by the US world powers and Iran - Tehran countered with its own version the next day, after the lead Iranian negotiator Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif, dismissed the American accounting as �spin.�
The Iranian version departs substantially from President Barack Obama�s assurance of �a deal that meets our core objections,� and statement,: �There is no way Iran can get around it to build a bomb or produce plutonium at its Arak plan�verification mechanisms built into the agreed framework will ensure that if Iran cheats, the world will know it.�
Tehran�s version had two objects: 1) To refute Obama�s presentation of the outcome of the Lausanne talks, and 2) To show the Iranian people how successful its negotiating team had been in defending its national interest.
debkafile reports that the battle of versions, fought just hours after both sides claimed victory in the diplomatic contest played out at Lausanne, makes it obvious that the gaps between the world powers and Iran are far wider than admitedt. They could not even find a common definition of what if anything was achieved in the talks: �a framework deal� in US terms; or �a package of solutions leading up to a future Comprehensive Plan of Joint Action� � in Iranian parlance.
The gaps on such key issues as enrichment, sanctions, research and development, means of verifying compliance (described by Obama as intrusive�) could no longer be papered over after Tehran issued its version. It was a short document and here are its main points:
Iran�s version of the Lausanne deal
�Iran�s nuclear program including enrichment will continue.
�None of Iran�s nuclear facilities or related activities will be stopped or shut down or suspended and activities will continue at Natanz, Fordow, Isfahan and Arak.
�There is no confirmation of Obama�s claim that the Arak plant will not be allowed to produce plutonium. The Iranians say: The Arak heavy water research reactor will remain - enhanced and updated with re-modifications as a joint international project. In addition to decreasing the amount of plutonium production, the efficiency of the Arak reactor will be increased significantly.
�After the implementation of the Comprehensive Plan of Joint Action, all the UN Security Council resolutions will be revoked, and all the multilateral economic and financial sanctions of the EU and the unilateral ones of the US (which are detailed) immediately removed.
After the preparatory phase and the start of Iran�s nuclear-related implementation work, all the sanctions will be automatically annulled on a single specified day. Furthermore, all P5-1 members are committed to restrain from imposing new nuclear-related sanctions.
There is no word in the entire Iranian document on inspections of any kind, which counters the �verification mechanisms built into the agreed framework� referred to by President Obama.
Instead, the Iranian version says that violations �by any one party� will have �predetermined mechanisms of response.�
Sanctions were ruled out by the previous point.
The devil is in the equivocations
According to the US version, Iran�s preparatory work must include the de-tuning of Fordow and Arak, reducing the Natanz centrifuges down to 6,000, with 5,000 working, uranium stocks reduced from 10,000 kilos to 300 and the Additional Protocol activated.
Iran�s version:
�Fordow will be converted into an advanced nuclear and physics center and keep more than 1,000 centrifuges � in line with the US perception except for the word �more.� But then Iran adds �and all relating infrastructure, out of which two centrifuge cascades will be in operation.
�The Iranian version also agrees up to a point with the US assertion that 5,000 machines will continue enriching 3.67 percent grade uranium at Natanz. But this too is qualified: Additional machines will not be disabled but held ready to replace any that are damaged � contrary to the US version which places them under IAEA supervision or dismantled.
�Iran will continue its research and development of advanced centrifuges and the initiation and completion phases of the process for IR-4, IR-5, IR-6 and IR-8 centrifuges during the 10-year period of the Comprehensive Plan of Action.
It is claimed by Washington that the new deal binds Iran to stop developing or holding advanced centrifuges (that would speed up uranium enrichment many times over.)
�Iran will implement the Additional Protocol on a voluntary and temporary basis for the sake of transparency and confidence-building.
�The Islamic Republic of Iran declares formally that the package contained in the solutions necessary to attaining the Comprehensive Plan of Joint Action agreed with the P5+1 countries, China, Russia, France, the United States, England and Germany, �does not have legal binding� and will only provide a �conceptual guide for calibrating and assessing the Comprehensive Plan. On these grounds the drafting of this plan will begin in the near future.�
�The Iranian document ends by saying: "It is far too early to tell if the compromises will survive the next final negotiating round, or review by Washington and Tehran. The timing of sanctions relief remains unresolved, for example, and already the two sides are describing it in different terms."

Video shows ISIS destroying ancient city in Iraq
The Associated Press, Baghdad
Saturday, 4 April 2015
ISIS of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) militants at Iraq�s ancient city of Hatra destroyed the archaeological site by smashing sledgehammers into its walls and shooting Kalashnikov assault rifles at priceless statues, a new militant video purportedly from the group shows.
Militants attacked Hatra, a UNESCO World Heritage site, last month, officials and local residents said, though the extent of the damage remains unclear as it is in territory still controlled by the ISIS group.
The video, released overnight Friday, shows a militant on a ladder using a sledgehammer to bang repeatedly on the back of one of the carved faces until it crashes to the ground and breaks into pieces. The video also shows a militant firing a Kalashnikov rifle at another, while men chop away the bases of some of the larger wall sculptures.
The video corresponded with Associated Press reporting on the attack and was posted to a militant website frequently used by the group.
One of the militants, who speaks Arabic with a distinct Gulf accent on the video, declares they destroyed the site because it is �worshipped instead of God.� The ISIS group, which holds a third of Iraq and neighboring Syria in its self-declared caliphate, has been destroying ancient relics they say promote idolatry that violates their fundamentalist interpretation of Islamic law. Authorities also believe they�ve sold others on the black market to fund their atrocities.
Local government officials told the AP last month the militant group had looted and destroyed several ancient sites, including the 3,000 year-old Nimrud, another UNESCO World Heritage site. United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon called the Nimrud attack �a war crime.�Another video released in February showed militants smashing artifacts in the Mosul Museum and in January, the group burned hundreds of books from the Mosul library and Mosul University, including many rare manuscripts. The majority of the artifacts destroyed in the Mosul Museum attack were from Hatra. Hatra, located 110 kilometers southwest of the ISIS-held city of Mosul, was a large fortified city during the Parthian Empire and capital of the first Arab kingdom. The site is said to have withstood invasions by the Romans in A.D. 116 and A.D. 198 thanks to its high, thick walls reinforced by towers. The ancient trading center spanned 6 kilometers (4 miles) in circumference and was supported by more than 160 towers. At its heart are a series of temples with a grand temple at the center - a structure supported by columns that once rose to 100 feet. The video�s release comes after the Iraqi government this week claimed victory against the ISIS group in Saddam Hussein�s hometown Tikrit. Tikrit is 130 kilometers north of Baghdad on the main highway to Mosul, Iraq�s second-largest city. Seizing Tikrit was key to an eventual campaign to retake Mosul - and the historic sites near it.

Iran�s nuclear deal will change the region, but�
Abdulrahman al-Rashed/Al Arabiya
Saturday, 4 April 2015
The nuclear deal is now a reality and one that should be dealt with as a fait accompli. Even before getting into the details of the nuclear deal between Iran and the United States, we should be aware that significant historical change is looming on the horizon. The question remains: which direction will it take Iran and take the Arab world to? Understanding and analyzing this deal will take me time and a few articles, because it tackles multiple angles and they are difficult to summarize. This includes the deal�s consequences on Iran itself and countries in the region, such as Bahrain, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria and Yemen, and its stability with regional powers like Saudi Arabia and Egypt. This deal might also ignite a larger armament race, most probably nuclear. We should measure its impact on the Arab relations with the West and whether it will further fuel the current sectarian conflicts. We know we are facing dramatic change; the door behind which Iran was imprisoned by the world, is about to open. However, we cannot be certain which direction the free Iran will now take, especially that we had complained about this when Iran was still controlled.
Two outcomes
Indeed, it�s wrong to build policies on assumptions and analyze them as proven facts. The agreement may be a victory for the Iranian regime over its rivals inside and outside Iran, but it might turn out to be a submissive deal. If halting Iran's nuclear project, for the moment, results in just the lifting of nuclear-related sanctions and setting Iran free to become a major regional power, we will be then embarking on a more serious crisis and an era stained with more blood. The door behind which Iran was imprisoned by the world, is about to open
Nevertheless, if halting Iran's nuclear project results in the freezing of Iran's militarized nuclear activities, controlled by the lifting of Western sanctions, and an end to political antagonism against Iran, then we would be witnessing positive progress. It would mean that Iran has finally surrendered and will become, like any other country in the region such as Egypt and Saudi Arabia, a peaceful state that defends its borders.
The difference between the two outcomes is huge. The majority of observers I have talked to tend to expect the first scenario, which means that Iran has accepted to abandon its military nuclear project in exchange for the lifting of restrictions on its armament and conventional military activity: this is the part that worries the Arab countries. As for Israel, it is afraid of the nuclear side. It believes that this deal would stop Iran from building a nuclear bomb, but it does not stop it from remaining �qualified� to be armed on the nuclear front in the future. This deal allows Iran to keep its nuclear production chain. It will still have the knowledge and tools but it will be under supervision so as not to produce a nuclear weapon. Israel wants to prevent Iran and not just censor its actions.
The regime�s appetite
Iran�s nuclear submission to the West would unleash its confined desires. In order to understand that idea, I will compare the Obama administration�s policy toward the Syrian regime's crimes. It was against gas and chemical weapons use, but did not pay the same attention to around a quarter of a million people killed by explosive barrels, guns and tanks. Now, Iran is outside its prison and will be able to buy advanced weapons, build advanced oil capacities, trade in dollars, and at a later stage, it may be partly or fully allied to the West, similar to its cooperation with the West in Iraq and Afghanistan.
This dramatic change could open up the appetite of the Iranian regime, which does not need a nuclear bomb to control large key areas. The regime suffers from a �major regional country� complex and might have plans for further adventures.
This deal might enhance its influence on the external level but won�t necessarily serve the regime inside Iran. Ayatollah�s regime has weakened with time, where the religious flame has satiated and security � represented by the Revolutionary Guards � has been improved at the expense of the clerics. The deal requires the openness of the regime, however Iran is not ready for it yet and could face what happened to the Soviet Union after the deals to reduce its nuclear arsenal and be cooperative with the West: it rapidly collapsed. The other possibility is that the deal serves a regime that has been weakened by 30 years of isolation and is now politically drained; the deal would then give the Iranian regime the kiss of life. But most probably the agreement will slowly change Iran, similarly to what happened in China, where the communist structure governed the country without communism.

President Obama�s perilous road to Iran
Hisham Melhem/Al Arabiya
Saturday, 4 April 2015
President Obama�s long and treacherous journey to a rehabilitated Iran began simultaneously with his improbable march to the White House. During a July 2007 debate among Democratic presidential candidates one participant asked if they would be willing to meet with the leaders of pariah states such as Iran, Syria, and North Korea among others. Candidate Obama was emphatic saying �I would�, then indignantly protested that �it is a disgrace that we have not spoken to them� and vowing that he would send �a signal that we are going to talk to Iran and Syria�. The signal was sent loud and clear on his first Inaugural Address on January 29 2009.� To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history, but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.� President Obama intoned.
The pursuer and the pursued
A week later, I had my proverbial �17 minutes of fame� when President Obama gave me, as the Bureau Chief of Al Arabiya News Channel in Washington his first formal sit down interview as president. I asked him how far he would be willing to go to prevent a nuclear Iran. The president�s answer was true to form. �I said during the campaign that it is very important for us to make sure that we are using all the tools of U.S. power, including diplomacy, in our relationship with Iran.� After acknowledging the Islamic theocracy�s threatening rhetoric against Israel, Iran�s sponsoring of terrorism and its quest of nuclear power, he added, �but, I do think that it is important for us to be willing to talk to Iran, to express very clearly where our differences are, but where there are potential avenues for progress. And we will, over the next several months, be laying out our general framework and approach. And as I said during my inauguration speech, if countries like Iran are willing to unclench their fist, they will find an extended hand from us.�
After six long years of travel on the road to Iran, president Obama finally laid his eyes on his Iranian prize
There were other gestures and signals to the hardened leaders of Iran from the politically correct American president in the form of Nowruz, (Persian New Year) greetings to the people of Iran and the �leaders of the Islamic Republic of Iran�, and an acknowledgement of America�s role �in the overthrow of a democratically elected Iranian government�, circa 1953 during his Cairo speech on June 4, 2009.
Return to sender
The relentless pursuer continued on his perilous Persian trek in search of an interlocutor. Not even Obama�s shockingly tepid response to the brutal suppression of the peaceful Green Revolution in June 2009 following what was seen by many as rigged presidential elections, would soften the sullen and cold supreme leader or drawing him out of his solitude. The solicitations, resumed later in the form of four letters Obama sent to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei between 2009 and November 2014. According to the Wall Street Journal, President Obama used the November letter to make the case for the common struggle against the Islamic State ISIS, and the need for a nuclear accord. According to press reports the Supreme leader answered two of President Obama�s letters but other letters were not answered. We don�t know if Khamenei treated those letters from Obama the way Elvis Presley�s lover treated his letters, by writing upon them; Return to sender, address unknown. No such person, no such zone.�
After six long years of travel on the road to Iran, president Obama finally laid his eyes on his Iranian prize. It was not as dramatic as Saint Paul�s vision when he was on the road to Damascus, but the �Parameters for a Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action regarding the Islamic Republic of Iran�s nuclear program�(JCPOA) arrived at on April 2nd can be considered as proof that the American sojourner has almost arrived.
The �Parameters� of our times?
By now, the parameters of the �Parameters� of Lausanne, are well known, sort of. There are enough items in the preliminary accord to allow the United States and Iran to claim that each party had achieved its basic objectives. The U.S. can rightly claim that Iran has agreed to considerably reduce its enrichment capabilities, that it will mothball about 14000 centrifuges of its estimated 20,000 centrifuges, and the little it will be allowed to enrich will not accede the level of 3.67 percent (not enough to develop a nuclear weapon) for the next 15 years and that most of its stockpile of enriched uranium will be neutralized. Also, Iran has agreed to dismantle the core of its plutonium reactor at Arak thereby eliminating another pathway towards nuclear weapons. More importantly, according to President Obama, Iran agreed to be subjected to a very intrusive inspection regime, where � International inspectors will have unprecedented access not only to Iranian nuclear facilities, but to the entire supply chain that supports Iran�s nuclear program, from uranium mills that provide the raw materials to the centrifuge production and storage facilities that support the program�. For the U.S. and its allies prolonging Iran�s �breakout time� (the time required to manufacture a nuclear weapon in a hurry) from 3 months now to about a year, if the accord is signed by the end of June, has been one of the most important objectives.
Iran, can rightly claim that it succeeded in resisting America�s initial insistence on the dismantlement of some of its reactors such as Fordow, an underground facility hardened against bunker buster bombs. Iran, still retain the ability to continue low level enrichment activities at its Natanz facility, another hardened and reinforced-concrete structure that was once used for covert enrichment program. Other than dismantling the core of the plutonium plant at Arak, Iran will keep all of its physical nuclear infrastructure, and following the expiration of most of the items in the accord ten years from now, Iran can resume most of its nuclear program unhindered. But most of what Iran wants from the accord is immediate sanction relief. All the U.S. and International sanctions related to the nuclear program will be gradually lifted, after the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) certifies that Iran has kept its end of the bargain. Iran has been bleeding financially because of three factors: a very effective sanction regime imposed by the U.S. and its allies, and brilliantly designed by the U.S. Treasury Department which deprived Iran from conducting business using the international banking system, the precipitous decline in oil prices, and finally the burden of financing Iran�s proxy wars in Syria in particular, but also financing its military activities in Iraq, and supporting groups like the Lebanese Hezbollah, considered Iran�s most lethal regional �Janissaries�.
Military option, but no military solution
It is too early to say with certainty that the �Parameters� will be signed, sealed and delivered by the end of June, given that the devils who live in the details will be expected to bedevil the negotiators, and that the �hardliners� in Tehran and Washington, not to mention America�s allies and friends in the Middle East; Arabs, Israelis and Turks who already feel rejected and dejected, could conceivably work in concert to scuttle the accord.
Those who call for the use of military force to eliminate Iran�s nuclear infrastructure, should realize that there may be a military option, but there is no military solution to Iran�s nuclear ambitions. At best a military attack could retard Iran�s programs by few years, but such course will not eliminate Iran�s human know how. And the program will be rebuilt. If a politically primitive, isolated country like North Korea and a non-oil rich country like Pakistan can develop nuclear power and weapons, surely a country like Iran can do the same.
In a perfect world, Iran would rightly be considered a major power in the Middle East, given its geographic size, demography, a strong sense of identity and permanence, and its old and rich cultural history, which puts it in a unique category with Egypt as ancient lands with great pre-Islamic and Islamic histories. And while one should expect a country like Iran, whether its ruler wears a crown or a turban or a three piece suit to throw its weight around, one should not tolerate such a power when it exhibits such unbridled hegemony and runs roughshod over the entire region.
But it is conceivable, even in an imperfect world and a fragmented region, to check Iran�s nuclear and regional ambitions by tightening the sanction regime, and by a comprehensive strategy where the U.S. will work with its regional allies to check Iran�s proxies in Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon where Iran�s influence has reached unprecedented levels, and in Yemen where its influence has increased recently following the tactical advances of its Houthi friends.
The day after
But, if we assume that the deal is consummated by the end of June, what will be the regional reverberations of the deed on July first? On the day after the world powers have recognized Iran�s �right� to enrich uranium and maintain its considerable nuclear infrastructure, and after putting the hitherto isolated country on the road to rehabilitation and welcoming it back into the global economy, while tolerating its regional depredations, including its outrageous complicity in the Syrian regime�s war crimes, the Middle East will look more inhospitable and bleaker than ever. On the day after, those states living in the shadow of a nuclear Iran will start searching for a nuclear shield. In such a broken region nothing could be more lethal or more nihilistic.
The nuclear accord with Iran comes at the worst time imaginable. The Middle East region has descended to depths of depravity not seen in more than a century. Civil and regional wars are intertwined in a web of sectarian demonization and violence on a scale never experienced since the formation of the state system following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. The prospects of ending or even containing these wars any time soon are non-existent. There is a kernel of truth in the claim by the allies of the United States, that the nuclear accord with Iran reflects inter alia the relative decline of America�s stature and influence in the region. Signing a deal with Iran that would practically ratify its stature as a legitimate nuclear power that would be free a decade from now to pursue its nuclear ambitions unencumbered, and at a time where Iran is the most influential player in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and probably Yemen, is tantamount to ordaining Iran as the region�s hegemon.
The United States not only failed to extract concessions from Iran to curb its regional ambitions during the nuclear negotiations, it in fact unwittingly enabled Iran in Syria and Iraq. It is true as Ayatollah Khamenei said recently that Iran �will not negotiate with America over regional matters. The goals of the Americans on regional matters are exactly the opposite of our goals�, but why couldn�t the Obama Administration do what U.S. administrations did during the Cold War, when they negotiated nuclear treaties and agreements with the Soviet Union while simultaneously maintaining pressure on Moscow to stop violating human rights in general and defending the dissidents and helping them politically, morally and materially. More importantly, engaging Moscow did not stop U.S. attempts at rolling back Soviet and Communist advances in regional conflicts from the Korean War to the Afghan War.
The elusive search of leadership and strategy
Already, Iran�s friends and apologists in Syria, Iraq and Lebanon are interpreting the preliminary accord as a victory for Iran and a vindication of its policies. Washington�s Arab friends feel abandoned, while Iran�s coalition feels empowered, even triumphalist judging by press reports and the loud noise of Iran�s Arab satraps. That, in part explains the decision by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) led by Saudi Arabia to form a regional military coalition to try to change the military balance in Yemen and check the advances by the Houthis, Iran�s new allies. The preliminary attempts at forming a joint Arab military force should be seen in this light.
The U.S. anticipating a deal with Iran, decided to placate the GCC by declaring its support for the air campaign against the Houthis and by providing limited support for the effort. Also, President Obama�s decision to resume arms supplies to Egypt should be seen in this context. The planned summit between President Obama and the leaders of the GCC states to be held in the next few weeks at Camp David is designed to assure disillusioned friendly leaders that the U.S. remains solidly behind them, a tall order indeed. One would hope that the summit will give the Arabs the chance to speak with one voice, also a tall order.
President Obama�s decision not to push very hard for a residual American force in Iraq, after the withdrawal of most American troops, and his refusal to own the Iraq policy, and subcontracting it to his feckless vice president has worsened the original sin committed by his predecessor George Bush. And by refusing to be pro-active to force Bashar Assad to step down, or even sincere in translating his words of support to the Syrian opposition, or delivering on his threats to the Assad regime, President Obama has been a silent contributor to the worst humanitarian tragedy in this young century.
We may be engaging in wishful thinking when we keep urging and searching for American leadership and a comprehensive strategy to prevent the total collapse of the Middle East region and to restore America�s stature and safeguard its influence and shore up its interests and the interests of its friends. But there are certain things only the U.S. can � or should- do.
William Burns, the former deputy secretary of state, who played a leading role in the secret and open talks with the Iranians that led to the accord, wrote on Thursday �we should urgently pursue new forms of security assurances and cooperation. Taking a firm stance against threatening Iranian actions in the region, from Syria to Yemen, not only shores up anxious longtime friends. It also is the best way to produce Iranian restraint, much as a firm stance on sanctions helped persuade Iran to reassess its nuclear strategy�. This is a sound advice from one of the best American diplomats in his generation, but somehow I don�t anticipate that it will penetrate the insular world President Obama lives in, or can convince him that his Iranian interlocutors are complicit in sectarian slaughter in Iraq and crimes against humanity in Syria.