publishedmedium:as-safir

Will the last newspaper editor to leave Beirut please turn out the lights - Middle East News - Haaretz
▻http://www.haaretz.com/middle-east-news/.premium-1.762702

The Lebanese newspaper As-Safir printed its final edition last Saturday. In a short video posted on YouTube, founder and editor-in-chief Talal Salman can be seen taking his scarf and turning off the lights in his office. Darkness falls as he leaves the building of the newspaper he founded in 1974.
As-Safir, published in Beirut, used to be one of the most important Arabic-language papers in Lebanon. It took a pro-Syrian stance (and, as a result, was suspected of being funded by the Assad regime) but in its early days, the daily opposed Syrian involvement in the long Lebanese civil war. When the first Lebanon war with Israel broke out in 1982, and when the confrontations between Israel and Hezbollah began, the newspaper stood behind the militant Shi’ite organization – even though Salman’s ideology was, and remained, pan-Arab and left-wing. Salman saw As-Safir as a Lebanese national paper, obliged to support the resistance to foreign occupation, especially that of Israel.
Salman blames the paper’s closure on financial reasons and its shrinking circulation figures. Even the newspaper’s website didn’t help to turns things around. As-Safir is a family newspaper: the CEO is one of Salman’s sons, his daughter is the managing editor, while another daughter runs the archive. Unlike other dailies in Lebanon, which enjoy the support of political parties or aid from foreign Arab governments, As-Safir had no stable financial base, especially after the Syrian regime – which probably did provide some funding in the past – ran into its own financial difficulties.
As-Safir is not the only Lebanese newspaper that has failed to go up against online competition. An-Nahar, which was founded in 1933 and was once the most prominent, best-selling paper in Lebanon, is also facing an uncertain future. It recently announced that nearly 100 staffers were to be laid off, and it has had problems paying salaries for over a year.

Egyptian fighter jets arrive in Syria : report
▻https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/egyptian-fighter-jets-arrive-syria-report

DAMASCUS, SYRIA (2:20 P.M.) - Egyptian fighter jets landed for the first time at the Hama Military Airport this week, the Lebanon-based As-Safir newspaper reported on Wednesday morning.

As-Safir claims that these Egyptian fighter jets will participate in the ongoing military operations against the Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham (ISIS), while also providing logistical support to the Syrian Arab Air Force (SAAYF).

Redistribution des cartes au Moyen-Orient.

À propos de Walid Phares, « membre de l’équipe de politique étrangère de Trump », et son passé (passif) au sein des Forces libanaises

Février 2007 : Walid Phares and the Lebanese Forces
▻http://angryarab.blogspot.fr/2007/02/walid-phares-and-lebanese-forces.html

I am aware that Phares now likes to deny his past role with the Lebanese Forces (the right-wing, sectarian Christian militia that—among other war crimes—perpetrated the Sabra and Shatila massacres). Somebody yesterday posted a comment challenging my statement about Phares and his association with the Lebanese Forces. These are only two of many newspaper clips that I have in which his affiliation is clearly noted. In the top one, (As-Safir, 12/6/1987), it said that "Member of the Command Council of the Lebanese Forces, [and] head of the Lebanese Immigration Apparatus in the Lebanese Forces, Walid Phares, lectured on “the Role of Free Christianity in Lebanon and the Middle East.” In the lecture, he also “criticized the mechanism of the development of Lebanse Christian resistance over 12 years.” In the second one above, (As-Safir, 27/8/1991), Phares was identified as the “vice-chair” of the Extraordinary Emergency Committee for the Lebanese Front (the political leadership committee of the Lebanese Forces) (the chairperson was Etienne Saqr (who founded the Guardians of the Cedar, which during the civil war raised the slogan “Kill a Palestinian and you Shall enter heaven,” and he now resides in Israel). And it has to be said that his rise in the Lebanese Forces took place at a time when it was aligned with the regime of... Saddam Husayn.

Octobre 2014 : Walid Phares : his true story and role in the Lebanese Forces militia
▻http://angryarab.blogspot.fr/2014/10/walid-phares-his-true-story-and-role-in.html

American right-wing Lebanese, Walid Phares, was a Middle East adviser to Mitt Romney. At that time, some media pointed out to his past role in the leadership of the Lebanese militia, Lebanese Forces. He has been maintaining that the person with that name in the Lebanese Forces is not his, and that the name are similar. Of course, I have said repeatedly that this claim of his is a flat-out lie. I was looking into my archives yesterday, and stumbled upon this Zionist publication from 1992, in which he tells his life story. By the way, not the notion that he was kidnapped by the Lebanese Phalanges militia because he called openly for an alliance with Israel is another flat-out lie because the Phalanges were also aligned with Israel. But I guess that in speaking to the Zionist publication he felt the need to appear as a brave Zionist in Lebanon.

Walid Pharès : « Trump va s’asseoir avec Poutine, mais il ne se laissera pas faire »
▻http://www.lefigaro.fr/elections-americaines/2016/11/07/01040-20161107ARTFIG00348-trump-va-s-asseoir-avec-poutine-mais-il-ne-se-lai

La première fois que le professeur Walid Pharès a rencontré Donald Trump, c’était au quartier général du milliardaire sur la 5e Avenue, au sommet de sa fameuse tour. « Il m’avait vu sur Fox News », raconte ce politologue d’origine libanaise, chrétien maronite et spécialiste du Moyen-Orient. « Je le vois assis à son bureau. Je lance des idées et il me bombarde de questions. Il va droit au but, dans un style très business, très concret. » Pharès découvre un homme passionné par les cartes et la géopolitique. « Cela lui vient sans doute de sa carrière de magnat de l’immobilier, dit-il. Il est sensible à la géographie du terrain comme élément du rapport de force. »

Signalé par Sean Lee sur Twitter :
▻https://twitter.com/humanprovince/status/796322025967063040

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Cw0aoW5WIAARLLm.jpg

I give you Trump’s Middle East advisor.

Selon Sputnik, citant as-Safir, le Hezbollah se préparerait activement à un nouveau conflit avec Israël
▻http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20160529/1040428723/hezbollah-israel-conflict-escalation.html

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — According to Lebanese daily As-Safir, Hezbollah was placing its rocket arsenal along the northern border with Israel and tracking the movements of the Israeli army.
Adnan Badreddine, brother of top Hezbollah commander Mustafa Badreddine, grieves at his brother’s picture in a southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon
The newspaper reported that the group was building several “sophisticated” tunnels on the border with Israel following the example of the Palestinian Islamic movement Hamas, which had reportedly built several tunnels between the Gaza Strip and Israel.

Le dernier article d’Elijah Magnier dans al-Raï note également les préparatifs du Hezbollah dont la direction semble penser, dans le contexte de la nomination de Liebermann à la Défense, qu’une agression israélienne dans un avenir proche est très probable : multiplication des exercices côté israélien, perception israélienne d’un Hezbollah affaibli par son implication en Syrie (malgré l’expérience acquise), tensions exploitables au Liban, soutien tacite des pays du Golfe à une attaque israélienne ... :
L’original en arabe ici : ▻http://www.alraimedia.com/ar/article/special-reports/2016/05/27/682645/nr/lebanon
Traduction en anglais là : ▻https://elijahjm.wordpress.com/2016/05/31/the-drums-of-war-are-beating-hezbollah-versus-israel

Every time a political solution seems imminent in Syria, and the warring factions adhere to the ceasefire imposed by Russia and the US, the drums of war are heard along Lebanon’s southern border.

Along these borders, preparations for the war are on-going. Hezbollah believes that it is directed against them “given that the region has been set against Hezbollah, having been branded as a terrorist organization by the GCC countries and the majority of western countries”.

Sources on the ground say “ Hezbollah is preparing for the next war with Israel that the latter may impose along the Israeli-Lebanese borders. The present Israeli government is packed with warmongers and its Secretary of Defence Lieberman will rely on the Israeli army to raise the levels of tension and not just along the borders. But he may well provoke a response from Hezbollah that will send the situation over the edge”.

Sources add, “Israel is carefully assessing Hezbollah’s increasing development and experience gained from its participation in the Syrian war. Israeli leaders maybe asking themselves: up to what point shall they allow Hezbollah to expand? Israeli society is one where, confronting the dangers along its borders, war is a primary focus. Right now, this puts Hezbollah in the spotlight”.

According to sources on the ground “Israel believes that Hezbollah is exhausted from the long war in Syria, where a number of its high profile leaders were killed, and where their forces were drained. Moreover, Israel believes its own forces can take adequate and efficient measures (when the war starts) to intercept Hezbollah’s missiles through its Iron Dome and other intercept advanced systems. Israeli soldiers run constant war drills simulating different war scenarios. The objects of these drills are multiple: boosting morale, enhancing military and technological capabilities and prepare the population for a forthcoming war. In addition, regional countries like Saudi Arabia encourage and support strikes against Hezbollah (considered a terrorist organisation by many Gulf countries). Hezbollah’s effective participation in the war in Syria and Iraq is propagandised as a sectarian campaign and its militants are accused of “committing genocide against the Sunnis”. Moreover, Hezbollah is also portrayed as a hegemonic force in Lebanon, confiscating the political and military decisions of the country. This is why Israel is enthusiastic about a war, especially as Prime Minister Netanyahu – accused of cowardice – has not yet waged a war against Hezbollah”.

Article très intéressant d’Elijah Magnier sur les divergences actuelles entre Damas, Téhéran et le Hezbollah d’un côté et la Russie de l’autre quant à la cessation des hostilités :
Russia equivocates in Syria, Iran is confused and al-Qaeda takes the initiative
▻https://elijahjm.wordpress.com/2016/05/11/russia-equivocates-in-syria-iran-is-confused-and-al-qaeda-takes-
Morceaux choisis :

The Damascus and Moscow alliance faced with the cooperation of the Middle Eastern regional countries and the United States in Syria is failing at the moment. Al-Qaeda in al-Sham (Jabhat al-Nusra) although excluded from the Cease-fire, grabbed the initiative on the ground and counter attacked south of Aleppo with many allies: Ahrar al-Sham, Jund al-Aqsa, Jaish al-Sunnah and the Turkestan forces (all not excluded from the Cease-fire) fighting within the ranks of Jaish al-Fateh, the “army of conquest,” which includes more jihadist organizations and others more moderate.[...]
Now that over 97 cities and towns are engaged in the cessation of hostilities (COH), the Russian President Vladimir Putin needs a strong case to return to the Syrian arena in full force. Today, Moscow has placed itself alongside flexible American diplomacy, which in Syria changes according to developments and is unwilling to re-initiate a military campaign that could be considered aggressive to various countries in the Middle East. Such a flexible Russian attitude has angered Tehran and Damascus and their proxy allies, forcing them to alter plans of deployment.[...]
Decision makers in Syria say “Moscow gave the time for rebels to regroup and reorganise their offensives. There is no point in fighting and dying in areas we don’t need to hold on to. Before the Russian intervention, we were defending the main cities and no force could have managed to break in. Now we are on several fronts without serious coordination between all forces. It is time to change tactics and reduce military deployment”.[...]
“Countries in the region are prepared to wait seven more months for a new U.S. President who would interact with Assad more aggressively than President Barack Obama. These countries will continue supporting the rebels in the next 7 months, sending money and weapons so they are prepared for another confrontation. The allies of Damascus consider Russia has repeated what the late President of Egypt Anwar al-Sadat did in 1973 when he stopped the war suddenly and gave Israel the opportunity to regroup its forces, returning to regain the initiative and overcome the Egyptian third army, all of which resulted in the Camp David agreement”.[...]
It is therefore expected that Hezbollah, a strong and effective ally of Damascus, will modify its deployment plans on the battlefield to mitigate the human losses as long as there is an unclear horizon and that Russian politics in Syria are unclear, say the sources. Six months ago, Damascus and its allies decided to retreat to the main cities and abandon distant and rural areas, difficult to supply logistically and considered less strategic. Today, Hezbollah refuses to engage in all on-going battles when military plans are drawn up but not implemented, even with limited officers. If Russia is willing to hit only ISIS in the East of Syria and refrain from hitting al-Nusra and other jihadists spread in vast area around Aleppo, Hezbollah is not willing to lose more men to keep a status quo. There will be no withdrawal from Syria but redeployment and reduce participation in many forthcoming battles, according to sources on the ground.
A fuzzy future is overwhelming Syria. It seems that the appeasing Russian policy of appeasement with regard to Jahbat al-Nusra, Ahrar al-Sham and other jihadists will negatively affect the Syrian army provided that there are no other changes in the Syrian dynamic. The war in Syria is not expected to end soon.

Article original en arabe dans le journal koweïtien al-Raï ici : ▻http://www.alraimedia.com/ar/article/special-reports/2016/05/10/678502/nr/syria

A serious question that must be asked: Is Turkey facilitating ISIS members travel to Libya, where they then attack Tunisia?
▻https://mideastwire.wordpress.com/2016/03/10/a-serious-question-that-must-be-asked-is-turkey-facilitating-

Translated today by our Mideastwire.com below. If we believe that extremist Tunisians and others are “returning” or moving to Libya as a staging ground for attacks in this region and in Tunisia specifically, then the likely ways they are coming back from the Syria-Iraq theatre is via Turkey and their air routes or via ships from Turkey, or possibly rebel controlled Syrian shores (where Turkey also a plays a huge role).

This represents a major maritime security issue for the EU, the US and regional states, especially Tunisia. And it should, if there is tacit acceptance or even coordination with Turkey-Isis et al., raise a major problem for NATO and others.

This report on ISIS’s “famed” Al-Batar battalion should raise major red flags for all of those concerned with Tunisia’s security in this next stage – and of course Libya’s security.

Ask yourself: How are all these hundreds, possibly thousands, of fighters (many of them “returning Tunisians” it seems) flowing into Libya? They aren’t flying out of Jordan, crossing Israel and Egypt… or passing through Iraq into Saudi Arabia (well it is unlikely). Iran isn’t helping and Lebanon is very unlikely to be a main route.

On March 9, the independent, leftist As-Safir daily newspaper carried the following report: [...]

#Turquie #Syrie #ISIS

Syria’s Southern Front shows signs of disintegration - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East
▻http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/security/2015/10/syria-southern-front-break-up-army.html
A media activist told As-Safir, “After the MOC suspended its work and halted supplies, several leaders and militants withdrew from the battlefield and returned to their civil lives. They felt frustrated, and gave up their weapons.”

He asserted that “most of these leaders are seeking asylum in Europe to escape the deteriorating security situation, and they are afraid of being targets of upcoming assassinations.” He added that “the leader of Usud al-Sunna Battalion, who is called Abu Amr Zaghloul, has reached Germany asking for asylum.”

According to @saleelalmajd, a Twitter account that is widely followed, a number of factions from the Southern Front secretly pledged allegiance to Ahrar al-Sham, but will be announced later on. For their part, the Hawks of Houran Brigade and the Majd al-Islam Brigade announced that they joined Jaish al-Islam headed by Zahran Alloush.

It is no longer a secret that the financial conditions of the factions are dire, as a result of cutting support or pledging allegiance to this leader or that. This is not to mention the foreign influences on these allegiances, especially since some of the factions pledged allegiance after the pilgrimage called upon by Saudi intelligence.

Read more: ▻http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/security/2015/10/syria-southern-front-break-up-army.html#ixzz3oThKWy7i

Abdullah Suleiman Ali: Syria’s Southern Front shows signs of disintegration
▻http://assafir.com/Article/50/449782/RssFeed

The military operation in the northern suburb of Quneitra, code-named “Give Good Tidings to the Patient," is the last indication that the Southern Front is still alive and has not breathed its last yet.

All indications and information coming from the Syrian south’s capital show that this front has entered a dark era since the MOC [Military Operations Center in Jordan] washed its hands clean of it and decided to stop supporting it. As a result of the tensions between the armed factions — which suddenly found themselves out of work — the polarization attempts of some extremist factions and reconciliation attempts with the Syrian army, we can say that the Southern Front is witnessing the first signs of disintegration and division. It is likely that radical changes will affect the structure of its factions and the nature of its alliances soon.

This new situation has had a negative effect on security and livelihoods in Daraa governorate, after the MOC stopped its work. Disputes prevailed in the relations between factions and local parties supporting them. This was obvious in the increasing assassinations that claimed the lives of a significant number of military, judicial and Sharia leaders, mainly the Dawn of Freedom Brigades’ leader Yasser al-Khalaf, House of Justice deputy leader Sheikh Bashar Kamel al-Naimi and the assassination attempt of Ansar al-Islam deputy leader Abu Bilal al-Joulani.

The conduct of some factions raised questions about their motives and reasoning. For instance, why did Al-Mothana Islamic Movement — one of the largest factions in the south — refrain from participating in the recent military operations? This caught the attention of some activists and made them wonder about the movement’s inclinations and the possibility that it might have secretly pledged allegiance to the Islamic State. Al-Mothana Islamic Movement had declared in a past statement that the allegiance pledges that IS receives in the areas under its control are Sharia-compliant ones.

A media activist told As-Safir, “After the MOC suspended its work and halted supplies, several leaders and militants withdrew from the battlefield and returned to their civil lives. They felt frustrated, and gave up their weapons.”

He asserted that “most of these leaders are seeking asylum in Europe to escape the deteriorating security situation, and they are afraid of being targets of upcoming assassinations.” He added that “the leader of Usud al-Sunna Battalion, who is called Abu Amr Zaghloul, has reached Germany asking for asylum.”

According to @saleelalmajd, a Twitter account that is widely followed, a number of factions from the Southern Front secretly pledged allegiance to Ahrar al-Sham, but will be announced later on. For their part, the Hawks of Houran Brigade and the Majd al-Islam Brigade announced that they joined Jaish al-Islam headed by Zahran Alloush.

The peculiar case of Syria’s al-Qadam neighborhood - Abdullah Suleiman Ali
▻http://assafir.com/Article/50/441831/RssFeed

A media activist in the Yarmouk refugee camp, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told As-Safir that he has been noticing over the past few months the increasing number of fighters joining IS, especially after the group increased the wages of the men joining its camp. Each fighter is being paid now about 80,000 Syrian pounds [$424], which is prompting many young people to fight in its ranks even if not convinced of its ideology.

Internal divisions lead to ’hemorrhaging’ of Jabhat al-Nusra leaders
▻http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/security/2015/07/syria-jabhat-al-nusra-dismissal-leaders-secrets.html

The dismissal of leaders within Jabhat al-Nusra continues. The latest chapter of this saga is the decision to dismiss one of its first seven founders, Abu Mohammed Saleh al-Hamwi. According to leaks supported by earlier data, the decision also included Iraqi national Abu Maria al-Qahtani, one of Jabhat al-Nusra’s most prominent media officials. Moreover, a few months ago, news published by As-Safir about the defection of Jabhat al-Nusra general military commander Abu Samir al-Urdoni and his joining the Islamic State (IS) was confirmed.

(En ce moment, il y a une nouvelle #théorie_du_complot qui explique que si tous ces braves rebelles « modérés » rejoignent ISIS, c’est à cause de l’accord sur le nucléaire iranien. Cet article permet de constater que, hé ben non.)

Palestinian leadership faces foggy future - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East
▻http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2015/07/palestine-israel-peace-talks-fail-future-leadership.html#

Succession discussions were the main feature of an article written by analyst Hani Masri, who heads the Masarat think tank in Ramallah. In his column in As-Safir on July 7 — republished in numerous Palestinian publications — Masri makes a strong argument that Fatah, and even the PLO, can no longer speak as representatives of the majority of Palestinians. And without a named vice president, Masri notes that the situation can either be calmly resolved through existing legal organizations or possibly burst into chaos that can envelop the entire Palestinian community. In conclusion, Masri calls for an internal Palestinian discussion to agree on some basic mechanisms that can avoid further chaos in Palestine.

That the presidential succession has returned as a strong issue is a sign of uncertainty about the future among Palestinians. Without a clear executable agreement that includes parliamentary and presidential elections with Hamas and some kind of understanding within the ruling Fatah movement, the writing on the wall is very worrisome. The recent success of nonviolent activities by Palestinians abroad, such as the boycott, divestment and sanctions activities, might lead some to argue that the time is right to give up on the limited powers of presidency under occupation and return to the days where the real power is in the hands of the PLO leadership outside the occupied territories.

Read more: ▻http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2015/07/palestine-israel-peace-talks-fail-future-leadership.html#ixzz3fVGWVNul

As-Safir’s exentive report on Hezbolah military positions in South Lebanon a signal of the coming challenge to 1701 regime
▻https://mideastwire.wordpress.com/2015/06/28/as-safirs-exentive-report-on-hezbolah-military-positions-in-s

Below is a partial translation from the leftist Lebanese daily As-Safir. This particular report May 22 was hit on repeatedly by the Israeli media and the government in its renewed campaign these last few weeks to pave the way for the “Dahiye Doctrine” at some point in the future, if another Hezbollah-Israel war comes to pass.

The argument over the positioning of Hezbollah military assets in and around civilian areas is not actually the main, interesting issue that needs to be looked at with this piece. In fact, using just this piece one would assume that the bulk of Hezbollah’s assets are NOT positioned in civilian populated areas but in the many wilderness areas and mountainous areas. Undoubtedly, some Hezbollah fighters/village guard units and stores and perhaps firing positions are in fact located in civilian populated areas – surely – but this becomes a tough argument for the Israelis to win in front of various publics when the bombing starts since many journalists have pointed out that Israeli military facilities are ALSO sited in and around… civilian populated areas. The IDF HQ is but one example usually cited in this back and forth argument where the moral high-ground is difficult for any of the parties to reach.

[...]

“The enemy discovered the effectiveness of the tunnels during the July [2006] war, but the method has developed since. The kind of concrete has changed. The method of ventilation and packing of weapons and food has changed. Electricity is available 24 hours a day through underground generators.” It continues to say that “the air in the tunnel is no different than outdoors. Humidity suction devices to protect the steel from rusting are there. So are the ventilation devices and emergency exits on the left and right side.” It adds that the rockets are packaged with anti-humidity substances and vacuumed in nylon material. “The concerned did not forget to leave razor blades next to the packaged rockets to allow the fighter to quickly open them during a moment of war,”

Report: Russia offers to host Fatah, Hamas reconciliation meeting
▻http://maannews.com/Content.aspx?id=765834&can_id=c04bd6c1866a7591ea05420e1dd77aec&source=emai

http://www.maannews.com/Photos/335607C.jpg

BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Russia has offered to host a reconciliation meeting between Hamas and Fatah in Moscow, Lebanese newspaper as-Safir reported Monday.

The offer was reportedly made by the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov, who is also the Russian President’s Special Representative for the Middle East.

According to as-Safir, Hamas had accepted the invitation while Fatah movement had not yet given an answer.

The report added that Russia is also waiting for an official request from President Mahmoud Abbas to host another meeting between other Palestinian factions.

#fatah #hamas #russie #palestine

Khatib in As-Safir: Lebanese are worried and the window is now open for changing regimes
▻https://mideastwire.wordpress.com/2015/05/04/khatib-in-as-safir-lebanese-are-worried-and-the-window-is-now

Mounir al-Khatib has this interesting paragraph, translated by our Mideastwire.com today in full in the Daily Briefing:

▻http://assafir.com/Article/20/416047

“…To say that the extremists and Israel are closely collaborating is fiction; but not to admit that their interests intersect is stupid. The war on Syria has reached extreme levels of violence. The Iranian-American agreement is undoubtedly paving the way for a new regional security system, which could impose a state of long term instability during which the power balances or the countries’ borders will not be changing. The window is now open for changing regimes…

“It’s only natural for the Lebanese people to worry. The Levant means the land extending from the Sea to the borders of the Gulf. What started in Mosul and Reqqa, could extend to Saida, Tyr, and Jounieh. This is not about the presence of a nurturing environment. The events in Syria and Iraq confirm that from Senjar to Maaloula. There have been coups and betrayals within the army but they were not enough. The collapse was made possible through the solid blocs of well-trained terrorists who are capable of terrorizing the loose, unprotected extremities all the way to the rest of the cities.

“Lebanon will not be protected from all this, even if it self-distances to the end of time. No one expects the Lebanese front to succeed, or to resist ISIL and An-Nusra on its own. All the Lebanese, including the Muslims and the Christians, will not be able to halt An-Nusra’s march if Syria was to fall… The enemy is at the door. This is an existential enemy, one who wouldn’t accept any settlements… The Lebanese are afraid. The battle is still in and against Syria. The only thing we can do is pray for the bad guys to die since we have not and will not be thinking about self-defense and since we are still trying to define what terrorism is and who brought it to Lebanon.”

Abdullah Suleiman Ali: Idlib in the eye of the storm :: English | جريدة السفير
▻http://assafir.com/Article/50/410869

In a partial confirmation to what As-Safir had published about the intention of some pro-al-Qaeda factions to regroup and unite in a single entity, Jaish al-Fath announced yesterday, just hours after the fall of Idlib city, that “Jaish al-Fath is not just an operations room to lead the battle but an integrated army having its own leadership and members [...] [Jaish al-Fath] will continue its conquests soon.” It should be noted that Jaish al-Fath was formed about 10 days ago in preparation for the Idlib battle. Jaish al-Fath included Jabhat al-Nusra, Ahrar al-Sham, Jund al-Aqsa, Jaish al-Sunna and Failaq al-Sham. It was said that Jaish al-Fath was a joint operations room to lead the battle. Afterward came an announcement that it was an “army, not just an operations room,” confirming that Idlib fell into the hands of al-Qaeda and its factions, and that the Free Syrian Army (FSA) factions have no presence there. To impose its presence, Jabhat al-Nusra is operating under the leadership of pro-al-Qaeda factions, suggesting that the Raqqa scenario is now most likely.

TRANSLATED: As-Safir daily details US-Lebanese roles in massive July 2012 bombing of Assad inner circle
▻https://mideastwire.wordpress.com/2015/03/17/translated-as-safir-daily-details-us-lebanese-roles-in-massiv
▻http://mobile.assafir.com/article.aspx?articleid=407650

An interesting – Ronen Bergman-esque – report on the July 2012 bombing of Assad’s inner circle of security men… a bombing which had all the indications that some party was attempting to orchestrate a tipping point to finally collapse the regime. It is an interesting side of the story for all those folks who argue that the Obama administration should have assassinated or covertly killed its way to regime change in Syria. This report says essentially that the US did in fact lead just such an effort. But even after wiping out so many of Assad’s major security figures, still the army and regime…. stayed… until this day.

Lebanese groups affiliated with IS - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East
▻http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/security/2015/03/lebanon-syria-barren-lands-islamic-state-militants.html

STL to summon Hezbollah lawmaker: report
▻http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Lebanon-News/2014/Dec-27/282361-stl-to-summon-hezbollah-lawmaker-report.ashx

The prosecutor at the Special Tribunal for Lebanon intends to summon a Hezbollah lawmaker over a call between his phone and that of a suspect, As-Safir reported Saturday, adding that a sixth suspect could be indicted in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

The prosecutor is seeking to summon the unnamed MP from the Loyalty to the Resistance bloc “as a suspect or to hear his testimony given that there was a call between his cellphone and a number used by one of the suspects who comprised the network on the crime scene and outside,” the local daily said.

Free City Radio: interview with artist Jana Traboulsi
▻http://freecityradio.org/post/99299817805/interview-artist-jana-traboulsi

▻https://soundcloud.com/freecityradio/interview-artist-jana-traboulsi

Listen to an interview with artist Jana Traboulsi speaking from Beirut, Lebanon, about recent illustrations published on As-Safir, an important newspaper in Beirut. Jana speaks about recent works that aim to communicate the injustice of the recent Israeli bombardment in Gaza.

Also in this interview Jana speaks about drawings done to communicate a hunger strike undertaken in Beirut by Dr. Ali Berro at Riad al-Solh Square to protest government corruption and social injustice.

Le site de Jana:
►http://ayloul.blogspot.fr

#Nasrallah: #ISIS would be in #Beirut if not for #Hezbollah intervention
▻http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/nasrallah-isis-would-be-beirut-if-not-hezbollah-intervention

Jihadist forces marching towards Baghdad would today be in Beirut had Hezbollah not intervened in the war in #syria, party chief Hassan Nasrallah was quoted as saying by As-Safir newspaper Tuesday. “If [Hezbollah] hadn’t intervened in Syria the right way and at the right time, ISIS would be in Beirut now,” Nasrallah reportedly said in a speech to the Mahdi Scouts on Sunday. read more

#Iraq #Lebanon

#As-Safir: #Maronite head’s visit to #jerusalem a “historic sin”
▻http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/safir-maronite-heads-visit-jerusalem-historic-sin

A visit to Israeli-occupied Jerusalem by the patriarch of the Lebanon-based Maronite church to greet Pope Francis would be a “historic sin,” a leading secular newspaper said Saturday. Patriarch #Beshara_al-Rai, whose church is the largest Christian denomination in Lebanon, told AFP on Friday he would travel to the Holy Land to welcome the pontiff during his brief May 24-26 visit. In doing so, he would be the first patriarch to do so since the 1948 Nakba. In response, the leading Arab nationalist daily As-Safir ran a critical piece headlined “Historic sin: Rai goes to Israel.” read more

#Top_News

#Israel arrests Palestinian journalist after visiting #Lebanon
▻http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/israel-arrests-palestinian-journalist-after-visiting-lebanon

A Palestinian citizen of Israel has been arrested after making a visit to Lebanon, his mother said Thursday, on suspicion he could have joined a “hostile organisation.” Majd Kayyal, 23, from the northern coastal city of Haifa, crossed into Jordan on March 23 and traveled on to Lebanon for a conference organized by #As-Safir newspaper, Israel’s secret police force Shin Bet said. The arrest was first announced on Saturday by Adalah, an organization that defends rights of Palestinian citizens of Israel, where Kayyal also works. read more

#Freedom_of_the_Press #Palestine #Top_News

Bahrain says deports U.S. teacher for writing articles on radical websites | Reuters
▻http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/08/11/us-bahrain-usa-deportation-idUSBRE97A02620130811

The teacher wrote articles for online publications including As-Safir newspaper, which is linked to Lebanon’s Iran-backed Shi’ite group Hezbollah, and the outlawed Bahrain Center for Human Rights newsletter, the state news agency said on Saturday.

Entretien de l’ambassadeur saoudien à Beyrouth avec le Safir:

The Saudi flexibility coincided with the appointment of Tammam Salam to head the cabinet. This appointment appeared to represent the ’key’ that re-opened the closed doors between Al-Riyadh and the former majority forces and that froze the ’tourism veto’ against Lebanon by reactivating the Saudi and Gulf flights to Beirut. This raises several questions concerning the dimensions of this transformation and its future extent.

“Al-Asiri told As-Safir that the Kingdom is not in a state of estrangement with any Lebanese part ’and I have been in touch with all the domestic political forces ever since I was appointed in Beirut…’ Concerning his recent meeting with Minister Gibran Bassil, Al-Asiri indicated that the atmosphere was a positive one and ’General Michel Aoun is welcome and so is any other Lebanese figure regardless of its political affiliation.’ He added with a smile: ’Our relationship with General Aoun was severed for a while perhaps because when our brothers at the Free Patriotic Movement are angry with some domestic sides, their anger reflects on us. Now however, we are back to communicating with them.’

“What about the relationship with Hezbollah. Al-Asiri said that he is in constant communication with Hezbollah through different means. He added that the differences over some political ideas with the party is not a problem and is rather a healthy and natural thing… And on whether he expects to hold a meeting soon with a delegation from Hezbollah, Al-Asiri said: ’Our doors and hearts are open. The Party is welcome…’ And on where they stand with regards to the Resistance weapons, Al-Asiri only said: This is a Lebanese domestic issue.

Lebanon: Divided and Dependent | As‘ad AbuKhalil | Al Akhbar English
►http://english.al-akhbar.com/blogs/angry-corner/lebanon-divided-and-dependent

It is fair to say that both sides are now waiting for the picture in Syria to get clearer. March 14 – which for the first few weeks of the Syrian uprising decided to ignore and not cover it (only As-Safir and al-Akhbar really extensively covered the uprising at first) – initially cautioned against any intervention in internal Syrian affairs. But Saudi orders soon followed and the movement quickly engaged in blatant agitation: it was ironic that the movement known for racist mobilization against Syrians, which resulted in the murder of hundreds of Syrian workers and attacks on hundreds of others, suddenly started to champion Syrian people and their cause.

On the other side, March 8, which cheered the Tunisian and Egyptian uprisings, suddenly found fault with the Arab uprisings and suspected an American plot behind them as soon as they reached Syria. The Hariri camp acts as if the regime is about to fall any second now. March 8 seems more nervous and Hezbollah media either ignore the protests and the bloody record of the regime, or rehash the Syrian regime’s propaganda. Lebanese factions are now arguing over electricity plans and budget issues while they keep their eyes on the neighbor next door.

Lebanon’s fate has always been shaped by outsiders, largely due to the Lebanese sectarian system which instituted sponsors for each sect. And then the Zionist usurping entity saw fit to interfere and bomb at will in any place in the region. Lebanon has never been less independent.