Syrian decision causes controversy among Lebanese Druze- The National

Druze leaders are divided over what appeared to be a Syrian attempt to bypass their officially recognised leadership in Lebanon.

Lebanon’s Druze leaders clashed on Twitter at the weekend over what appeared to be Syrian interference against their authority.

But later those officials abruptly deleted the messages and urged supporters to remain calm.

Last week, unconfirmed reports said that Syria blocked access to any Lebanese Druze leader who tried to enter the country without an ID card signed by Sheikh Nasreddine Al Gharib, who is close to pro-Syrian Druze politicians.

The religious leader of those in Lebanon is Sheikh Naim Hassan, head of the Druze Spiritual Council, who is supported by Lebanon’s main Druze leader and relentless critic of Damascus, Walid Jumblatt.

https://www.thenational.ae/world/mena/syrian-decision-causes-controversy-among-lebanese-druze-1.833101

Two Syrians remanded for smuggling radioactive element- Hurriyet Daily News

A Turkish court remanded two suspects in custody for smuggling radioactive element in the central Niğde province, security sources said on March 28.

Smuggling and organized crime police arrested two Syrian nationals in the act when they attempted to sell some 14 grams (0.50 oz) of radioactive element, considered to be californium, for $5 million.

A local court ordered the suspects to be put behind bars.

The contraband radioactive element was sent to Turkey's Atomic Energy Authority for examination.

Californium is a radioactive chemical element first synthesized at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory of California University in 1950. It is considered to be highly hazardous and is used in nuclear reactors as well as oil wells.

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/two-syrians-remanded-for-smuggling-radioactive-element-142261

Jamali welcomes Rifi's decision not to run in Tripoli by-election- Daily Star

BEIRUT: Future Movement candidate in the upcoming Tripoli by-election Dima Jamali has welcomed Ashraf Rifi's decision to support her candidacy rather than run against her.

Jamali described Rifi’s recent meeting with Prime Minister and Future Movement leader Saad Hariri as “a meeting that gives hopes to [Tripoli],” speaking on an episode of Mustaqbal Web’s “The Elevator” aired Saturday.

During Rifi’s meeting with Hariri Tuesday, the former justice minister and head of the Internal Security Forces announced that he would not be running in the by-election, instead choosing to back Jamali.

Rifi was once a Sunni ally of Hariri’s, but later fell out of grace with the prime minister, mounting two separate electoral challenges against the Future bloc, in 2016 and 2018. Despite an upset win in the 2016 Tripoli municipal elections, Rifi failed to win any parliamentary seats in 2018, when Jamali was elected to one of the Sunni seats in the city.

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Lebanon-News/2019/Mar-17/479011-jamali-welcomes-rifis-decision-not-to-run-in-tripoli-by-election.ashx

Report: Hariri, Bassil Ties 'Tense' over Electricity, Appointments- Naharnet

The conflict within the Lebanese government surfaced again and questions are being raised about the ability of its components to maintain minimum cohesion in dealing with thorny issues, and about the steadfastness of the presidential compromise between the Free Patriotic Movement (of President Michel Aoun) and its allies, and al-Mustaqbal Movement (of PM Saad Hariri), the pan-Arab al-Hayat daily reported Saturday.

The two sides exchanged violent campaigns recently. Leader of the Free Patriotic Movement and Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil accused the Brussels conference on the Syrian refugees - which Hariri led a delegation to- of financing the survival of the displaced in their host countries.

In a speech commemorating the March 14 anniversary, Bassil hinted at “toppling” the government when addressing controversial issues, said the daily.

“It is either the refugees’ return or the government, or the expulsion of corruption from the cabinet table or no government, either zero electricity deficit or zero government or no government,” Bassil said.

http://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/257748

Rusya Lübnan’da nüfuzunu arttırıyor- Şarkul Avsat

Rusya’nın Lübnan sahasındaki son hamleleri, Beyrut’taki nüfuzunu arttırdığını ve Suriye krizine katılımının ardından ortaya çıkan politik bir etkiyle sınırlı olan önceki rolünün büyüdüğünü gözler önüne serdi.

Rus rolünün gelişmesine, Moskova’nın bölgesel sahneye katılımına ve ticaret anlaşmalarının imzalanmasına öncülük eden Rus şirketi Rosneft’in, kuzeyde petrol depolamak yönünde kazandığı ihaleye rağmen, bu rolün Beyrut’taki ABD rolüne bir alternatif olarak tanıtılması yanlış olarak görülüyor.

Şarku’l Avsat’a açıklamalarda bulunan siyasi kaynaklar, Lübnan’daki silahlanma sisteminin Batı merkezli olduğunu, Rusya’nın iki ülke arasında askeri işbirliğini geliştirmeye istekli olmasıyla birlikte bu konuda büyük bir siyasi karar gerektiren herhangi bir değişikliğin Lübnan’da mevcut olmadığını belirtti.

Lübnan, Suriye krizine doğrudan dahil olmasından bu yana Rusya için ilgi odağı oldu ve  Moskova için büyük öneme sahip bir ekonomik, politik ve güvenlik alanı haline geldi.

Kaynaklara göre, Moskova, Lübnan’daki herhangi bir gerginliğin Suriye’yi etkileyeceğini düşünüyor ve bu nedenle aralarındaki çatışmayı önlemek için Lübnan ve İsrail’le birlikte çalışıyor.

https://aawsat.com/turkish/home/article/1635596/%E2%80%8Brusya-l%C3%BCbnan%E2%80%99da-n%C3%BCfuzunu-artt%C4%B1r%C4%B1yor

Bassil: Brussels Meeting Wants Refugees to Stay, Sectarianism Won't Save Corrupts- Naharnet

Free Patriotic Movement chief MP Jebran Bassil on Thursday charged that the Brussels international conference was held to fund the naturalization of Syrian refugees in the countries they had fled to, as he stressed that “sectarianism will not save anyone” in the anti-corruption battle.

“The state and its reform are more important than any settlement, understanding or alliance, and even more important than the presidential tenure and the presidency, seeing as the state is more important than its president and he is in its service and not vice versa,” Bassil said at an FPM ceremony marking the 30th anniversary of the 1989 Liberation War.

“In the name of the settlement we will not remain silent over anyone, and in the name of the understanding and alliance will not be lenient with anyone, because we want the presidential tenure and the state to succeed,” Bassil added.

http://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/257682

İsrail istihbarat şirketinin uydu görüntüleri üzerinden iddiası: İran Suriye'de yeni bir füze fabrikası inşa etti- Sputnik News

Suriye'ye düzenlediği saldırıları İran'ın füze tesisleri ve füzelerin Hizbullah'a sevkiyle gerekçelendiren İsrail'den yeni bir iddia geldi. İsrailli istihbarat şirketi ImageSat International'ın (ISI) çektiği uydu görüntülerinde Suriye'de yeni inşa edilen bir füze fabrikasının görüldüğü ileri sürüldü.

ISI'nın uydu görüntüleri üzerinden Suriye'deki füze üretiminde İran'ın parmağına dalalet olarak yorumlanan inşaatın, Lübnan sınırına sadece 8 km mesafede olduğu kaydedildi.

Uydu görüntülerine göre etrafı çitle çevrili tesiste üç hangar ve yeni inşa edilmiş bir su kulesi var. Girişte otobüsler, minibüsler duruyor, işçiler girip çıkıyor. ISI'ye göre tüm bunlar askeri tesis şablonlarına uyuyor.

Fabrikanın inşa edildiği Safita, Akdeniz sahilinde Tartus'un doğusunda, Lübnan sınırına 8 km mesafede, Rusya'nın karadan havaya füzelerinin konuşlanma alanının yakınında yer alıyor.

https://tr.sputniknews.com/ortadogu/201903141038207987-israil-istihbarat-sirketi-uydu-goruntuleri-iran-in-suriye-de-yeni-fuze-fabrikasi/

Mysterious pro-gov’t group allegedly attacks US military convoy in Raqqa- Al-Masdar News

BEIRUT, LEBANON (2:00 P.M.) – A mysterious pro-government group calling themselves the “Popular Resistance of Raqqa” announced on Wednesday that they carried out an attack on a U.S.-SDF military convoy inside of Raqqa city.

According to the group’s statement, they detonated an IED as a U.S.-SDF military convoy was passing through Al-Haramiyah Street around 9 P.M. (local time) last night.

https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/mysterious-pro-govt-group-allegedly-attacks-us-military-convoy-in-raqqa-video/

Shootout erupts in Ain al-Hilweh after son of notorious Islamist wounded- Daily Star

SIDON, Lebanon: Three were wounded Thursday at shootout in the Ain al-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp, which erupted after the son of a notorious Islamist was shot by a rival faction.

Youssef Bilal al-Arqoub was critically wounded when he was shot by Khaled Alaaeddine, also known as al-Khomeini, in the camp’s Safsaf neighborhood.

A Palestinian source told The Daily Star that Arqoub’s family responded by firing snipers in the neighborhood, leading to a shootout that left three wounded.

The incident happened just minutes after the new United Nations special coordinator for Lebanon Jan Kubis concluded his first visit to Ain-al-Hilweh, the largest Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon.

Arqoub, believed to be affiliated with fundamentalist Islamist groups, is the son of Bilal Arqoub, a militant with ties to Al-Qaeda.

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Lebanon-News/2019/Mar-14/478817-son-of-notorious-islamist-shot-in-ain-al-hilweh.ashx

Hariri requests $2.6B for Syrian refugee returns- Daily Star

BEIRUT: Prime Minister Saad Hariri Thursday requested over $2.5 billion in funding from the international community to support long-term projects to facilitate the return of Syrian refugees to their home country.

“We must secure the appropriate funding for Lebanon's response plan to the crisis. For this reason we request $2.6 billion worth of funds because it will ensure stability for long-term projects,” Hariri said in a speech at Thursday’s opening session of the third Brussels Conference on Supporting the Future of Syria and the Region.

“The only solution to the refugee crisis lies in their safe return to their homeland in accordance with international laws and treaties,” Hariri said during a speech.

By the end of the conference, the United Nations had secured $7 billion in aid from donor countries in order to respond to the ongoing Syrian crisis, though the figure fell short of what the U.N. said it needed.

During his speech, the Lebanese premier expressed his gratitude for the support Lebanon had already received from members of the international community. He noted that his country has been committed to the requirements of the previous Brussels conference, which would not have been possible without international support.

At the same time, he called on them to pressure Syrian President Bashar Assad to allow refugees to return to their homeland.

"I hope there will be no fourth or fifth Brussels [Conference]," Hariri told reporters at the conference. He added that "the Syrian regime must be pressured by friends and allies to return the refugees to their [home] country."

http://www.dailystar.com.lb//News/Lebanon-News/2019/Mar-14/478803-hariri-arrives-in-brussels-for-conference-on-refugees-future-of-syria.ashx

Israel Says Uncovers Hizbullah Unit Led by Notorious Commander- Naharnet

Israel's army said Wednesday it has uncovered a unit created by Hizbullah across the ceasefire line in the Syrian Golan Heights and led by a commander previously jailed over an attack on US forces.

With President Bashar al-Assad regaining control of southern Syria with the help of Russia and Hizbullah backer Iran, Israel is concerned a front against it could be established there.

Hizbullah, based in neighbouring Lebanon, has also been supporting Assad in Syria's civil war.

The Shiite group is among Israel's main enemies and the two fought a war in 2006.

Israel said the new unit had been established without Assad's knowledge, and some Israeli media reported that part of the aim in publicising it was in hopes Syria and Russia would move to stop it.

http://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/257609

Gharib: Coordination with Syria Key to Repatriate Refugees- Naharnet

State Minister for Refugee Affairs Saleh al-Gharib, whose statement about refugees was slammed by the PM, was quoted as saying that coordination with the Syrian government was the “only way to secure the return of the displaced,” al-Joumhouria daily reported on Wednesday.

“My main mission is to secure a safe return for the refugees to Syria that can only be attained through cooperation with the Syrian government. This is the only key, let them find another if they can,” Gharib was quoted as saying.

"I am not interested in getting money for my ministry, as those seeking to settle the displaced do, and I am not the Red Cross or the High Relief Commission to dwell on the day-to-day affairs of the displaced. My main aim is to secure their return to their homeland under the best possible conditions,” Gharib was quoted.

According to the daily, Gharib is in the process of finalizing a paper to address the issue of displaced persons, which he will submit to the Council of Ministers after its completion.

http://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/257602

US human rights report drops reference to Golan Heights being 'occupied'- The National

The Trump administration has dropped any reference to the Golan Heights as being “occupied” by Israel in its latest Global Human Rights Report.

The State Department said the area was "Israeli-controlled", in a yearly report that outlines the human rights situation around the world.

For the second year, the report also does not use the word "occupied" in the sections relating the West Bank and Gaza.

The State Department said it did not consider this phrasing to represent a policy change, saying the report focuses on human rights rather than legal issues.

The US ambassador to the Bureau of Human Rights, Michael Kozak, said “occupied” was not a human rights term.

Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza Strip and Golan Heights in the 1967 Middle East war.

https://www.thenational.ae/world/mena/us-human-rights-report-drops-reference-to-golan-heights-being-occupied-1.836673

Pompeo's Beirut visit to take place next week: source- Daily Star

BEIRUT: U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s visit to Lebanon will likely take place next week, contrary to reports that said his visit would be this week, a Lebanese political source said Tuesday.

It had been reported earlier this week that Pompeo would be in Beirut either March 14 or March 15 as part of a regional tour that would also take him to Israel and Kuwait.

The source speculated that Beirut would be the last stop on Pompeo's tour.

Although the source could not confirm the exact dates of the U.S. official’s visit, Al-Liwaa newspaper reported that it will take place March 22-23.

http://www.dailystar.com.lb//News/Lebanon-News/2019/Mar-12/478612-pompeos-beirut-visit-pushed-to-next-week-source.ashx

Turkey, Russia Start Patrolling Idlib De-Escalation Zone – Defence Minister- Sputnik News

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Turkish and Russian servicemen began on Friday patrolling the Idlib de-escalation zone in northwest Syria, Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar said.

Akar said any Turkish contacts with the Syrian government were "out of the question." He added Ankara, which supports Syrian opposition, had been in talks with Russia and occasionally Iran on the matter of the Syrian peace.

Last September, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, agreed to set up a demilitarized zone in Idlib along the contact line between armed opposition groups and Syrian government forces, while the Russian and Turkish defence ministers signed a memorandum on stabilising the situation in the Idlib de-escalation zone.

https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201903081073063741-turkey-russia-syria/

Hollande: Lebanon a model for the region- Daily Star

BEIRUT: Former French President Francois Hollande Thursday wrapped up a two-day visit to Lebanon after meeting with top Lebanese officials to discuss matters relating to Lebanese sovereignty, the Syrian war and CEDRE reforms.

Thursday morning, Hollande met President Michel Aoun at Baabda Palace to discuss Lebanon’s domestic situation and the pledged grants and soft loans made by the international community at the CEDRE conference, held in Paris last April to boost Lebanon’s infrastructure and economy.

The pair discussed Lebanon’s preparations to implement the conference’s recommendations that include reforms necessary to strengthen the Lebanese economy, according to a statement from Aoun’s office.

“Europe and France, in particular, are aware that Lebanon is a fragile country, and political support must be provided for it to avoid the negative impacts of the region,” Hollande told An-Nahar newspaper in an interview published Thursday.

Later in the day, Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Joumblatt held a ceremony in honor of Hollande at his Mukhtara residence.

Hollande gave a speech, stating that Lebanon “represents a model to the world in a region plagued by wars. You have successfully established peace, security and unity.”

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Lebanon-News/2019/Mar-08/478313-hollande-lebanon-a-model-for-the-region.ashx

Army thwarts terrorist infiltration attempt in Hama countryside- SANA

Hama/Idleb, SANA – Syrian Arab Army units thwarted an attempt by terrorist groups to infiltrate and attack military positions and safe areas in Hama’s northern countryside.

SANA’s reporter in Hama said that army units carried targeted on Friday evening with concentrated fire terrorist groups belonging to the “Turkistani Party” terror organization that had attempted to sneak from the direction of al-Sermaniye and Duwair al-Akrad in al-Ghab plain area in Hama countryside.

The reporter said this resulted in destroying terrorists’ hideouts and equipment, leaving many of them dead or injured.

Later, SANA’s reporter said that in response to terrorists’ attacks, army units targeted with artillery and rocket fire gatherings of Jabhat al-Nusra terrorists, killing and injuring a number of them.

Other army units destroyed hideouts for Jabhat al-Nusra terrorists, eliminating a number of them in al-Deir al-Sharqi, Khan al-Subul, and Maar Shamarin in Idleb’s southern countryside.

https://sana.sy/en/?p=160556

Weapons left behind by terrorists found at outskirts of Yelda, Damascus Countryside- SANA

Damascus, SANA – The army uncovered a cache of weapons and ammo left behind by terrorists at the outskirts of Yelda town in Damascus Countryside, containing American and Israeli weapons.

A field commander told SANA on Friday that while working with the authorities to comb the areas liberated by the Syrian Arab Army from terrorism, a cache of weapons was uncovered un a house at the outskirts of Yelda that had been used by terrorists as a warehouse before their defeat.

The commander said the confiscated weapons included an anti-air missile, an RBR rocket, a flamethrower, Israeli-made LAW rockets, RPG rounds, mortar launchers, US-made TOW rockets, and offensive and defensive grenades, some of them Israeli or American.

https://sana.sy/en/?p=160543

Bassil reinforces Lebanese sovereignty ahead of pipeline project- Daily Star

BEIRUT: Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil warned other Mediterranean countries against encroaching on Lebanon’s maritime borders and resources as they prepare to begin a gas pipeline project.

The 2,000-kilometer pipeline project that will link Israel, Cyprus, Greece and Italy and carry natural gas is planned to link the Mediterranean gas resources to Europe. The $7 billion pipeline would start about 170 kilometers off Cyprus' southern coast and reach Otranto, Italy, via Crete and the Greek mainland.

It will have the capacity to carry up to 20 billion cubic meters of gas yearly.

According to a statement released Thursday by Lebanon’s Foreign Ministry, Bassil sent a letter to United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, European Union Foreign Policy Chief Federica Mogherini and the Italian, Cyprus and Greek foreign ministers.

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Lebanon-News/2019/Mar-07/478237-bassil-reinforces-lebanese-sovereignty-ahead-of-pipeline-project.ashx

Aoun to Meet Putin Later in March, Refugee Return Tops Talks- Naharnet

Lebanon and Moscow pursue the preparations for President Michel Aoun’s visit to Moscow on March 25 at the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Saudi Asharq al-Awsat newspaper reported on Wednesday.

Russian Ambassador to Lebanon, Alexander Zasypkin has met on Monday with Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil and on Tuesday with President Michel Aoun to discuss the agenda of the visit, said the daily.

“Zasypkin was keen to record what Aoun wants to discuss with Putin, which is divided into two parts: First, activate the work of the Lebanese-Russian Joint Committee to address the issue of displaced Syrians in terms of their safe return to Syria,” unnamed sources following on the preparations told the daily.

http://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/257279

Hariri Vows Electricity Plan in 3 Months as Parliament Allows Govt. to Borrow- Naharnet

Prime Minister Saad Hariri on Wednesday promised that his government will devise an electricity plan within three months, as Parliament approved a law authorizing the government to borrow funds in foreign currencies.

LBCI television said Hariri demanded slashing a loan requested for power generation to “LBP 794 billion over three months” pending the finalization of the electricity plan.

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri meanwhile stressed the need to “appoint members for the electricity board of directors and a regulatory commission” and to “hold a session to grill the government every month.”

Parliament also approved a draft law authorizing Government to borrow in foreign currencies after appeals from Hariri and Tripoli MP and ex-PM Najib Miqati.

http://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/257309

Liwa al-Ahrar: Local Defence Forces Unit- Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi's Blog

Continuing in the series on units of the Local Defence Forces (LDF), the next LDF unit for consideration is Liwa al-Ahrar ("Brigade of the Free").

Liwa al-Ahrar was formed around two years ago and is directly affiliated with Hezbollah. Thus, matters like salaries and training of fighters are overseen by 'hujjaj' (senior personnel) from Hezbollah. Liwa al-Ahrar can offer taswiyat al-wad' ('sorting out of affairs/regularizing status') for a potential recruit, but the recruit's situation and motives for joining are considered first. For Liwa al-Ahrar, the most important motive for joining the group is to wage jihad.

http://www.aymennjawad.org/2019/03/liwa-al-ahrar-local-defence-forces-unit

Assad’s Reconstruction- Syria Untold

How the process of rebuilding Syria will be used to reimpose the regime’s power domestically and regionally.

The topic of post-war reconstruction has increased in prominence within the debate on the Syrian conflict over the past year. Reports evaluating plans and costs to rebuild the country have been published by several international organizations. Estimates of the costs are shocking: between $200 and $400 billion are needed to return to the country to its pre-war levels of economic and social development. The debate has focused on the policies and the measures to be implemented in order to collect this huge amount of money and to channel it into credible and sustainable reconstruction projects. 

https://syriauntold.com/2019/03/05/assads-reconstruction/

Abdullah: Border Control an Urgent Economic Necessity for Lebanon, Syria- Naharnet

MP Bilal Abdullah on Tuesday stressed the need to tighten security along Lebanon’s porous border with Syria in light of commercial smuggling of commodities after reports that low-grade Iranian iron has been smuggled into the Lebanese market.

“Controlling the Lebanese-Syrian border is no longer a political issue, it has become an urgent economic necessity for both countries because the smuggling mafia is active in both directions incurring heavy losses on both treasuries,” said Abdullah in a tweet on Tuesday.

“It is time for a calm and lasting management of this dilemma without tension or slogans. The entire authority is responsible,” he added.

Abdullah’s remarks came after reports that huge amounts of “low-grade” Iranian iron has been smuggled into Lebanon through Syria and sold at low prices.

http://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/257221

Al-Gharib: Sacred Duty to Achieve Consensus over Refugee File- Naharnet

State Minister for Refugee Affairs Saleh al-Gharib announced Monday that it is his “most sacred duty” to achieve “national consensus” over the thorny issue of Syrian refugees.

“We commit ourselves before the Lebanese to present a comprehensive paper to address the refugee issue,” Gharib said at a press conference for the ministers of the Strong Lebanon bloc.

“We will not announce it through the media because we believe that serious initiatives never start through the media,” the minister added.

http://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/257203

PSP Slams Syrian Measure on Druze Clerics after War of Words- Naharnet

The Progressive Socialist Party has condemned a new Syrian measure obliging Druze clerics who want to enter Syria to obtain cards from Sheikh Nassereddine al-Gharib, who is recognized as a community spiritual leader by MP Talal Arslan and ex-minister Wiam Wahhab but not by PSP chief Walid Jumblat.

“This decision would lead to clear discrimination between Druze and would put obstacles in the way of those who are politically opposed to al-Gharib, especially that there are historical kin relationships and marriages between the Druze of Lebanon and Syria,” PSP sources told Asharq al-Awsat newspaper in remarks published Sunday.

This is “a Syrian interference in Lebanese affairs,” the sources added, reminding that “al-Gharib does not enjoy legitimacy in the eyes of Lebanese authorities as well as abroad,” the sources said.

“The spiritual leader elected with the unanimity of Druze MPs is Naim Hassan,” the sources went on to say.

Senior sources in the Druze religious leadership meanwhile told al-Hayat newspaper that the Syrian move is “an interference in the affairs of the community.”

Jumblat, Arslan and Wahhab had engaged in a war of words on Saturday over the development before deleting their tweets and urging supporters to remain calm.

http://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/257159

Druze leaders back down after Twitter spat- Naharnet

BEIRUT: Tensions between the leaders of Lebanon’s two main Druze political parties had abated by Sunday, after a Twitter spat broke out over a decree the Syrian government issued to regulate the travel of Lebanese Druze sheikhs to the country.

According to multiple Lebanese Druze politicians, the Syrian government Saturday announced that Lebanese Druze sheikhs will be allowed to enter the country only if they possess an ID card signed by Lebanese Druze Sheikh Nasreddine al-Gharib. An ally of Syrian President Bashar Assad’s regime, Gharib is considered the spiritual leader of Lebanon’s Druze community by Lebanese Democratic Party leader MP Talal Arslan.

However, spiritual Druze affairs in Lebanon are officially led by Sheikh Naim Hasan, the head of the Druze Spiritual Council and an ally of Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Joumblatt, Arslan’s rival.

A copy of the ID card’s template, with Gharib’s signature in the corner, circulated on Lebanese media sites.

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Lebanon-News/2019/Mar-03/477895-druze-leaders-back-down-after-twitter-spat.ashx

Concrete security barriers removed in Beirut, Aley- Daily Star

BEIRUT: Concrete blocks were removed from outside the Future Movement’s Beirut headquarters and from outside MP Talal Arslan’s residence in Aley Sunday, after Lebanon’s new interior minister started an initiative to clear security barriers across the country.

Future’s decision to remove the blocks from outside its headquarters in Beirut’s Qantari was made in line with Interior Minister Raya El Hassan's initiative, according to the Future-affiliated news site Mustaqbal Web. Hassan represents the Future Movement in the new Cabinet.

Later in the day, Al-Jadeed TV channel reported that the blocks being removed from outside Arslan’s home in the Aley village of Khaldeh had been placed there in 2011 because of “security concerns,” which have since been allayed.

Arslan tweeted Sunday that the barriers, which cost approximately $350 each, were no longer necessary.

A day ago, General Security announced that it also removed cement blocks surrounding the agency's building in Beirut’s Adlieh, following instructions from General Security head Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim, the state-run National News Agency reported at the time.

http://www.dailystar.com.lb//News/Lebanon-News/2019/Mar-03/477880-future-removes-concrete-blocks-from-beirut-headquarters.ashx

Syria's Kurds Set Free nearly 300 IS-Linked Syrians- Naharnet

Nearly 300 Syrians suspected of belonging to the Islamic State jihadist group have been freed because they have "no blood on their hands," Kurdish authorities who were holding them said.

Their release was announced late Saturday by the semi-autonomous Kurdish administration of northern Syria, which said in a statement that 283 Syrians had been set free.

Tribal chiefs and other local officials had lobbied for their release.

The statement said they were men who "have no Syrian blood on their hands", suggesting that they did not take part in any fighting.

"They had lost their way... violated the traditions of the Syrian society and the law, and some of them had been deceived... but they remain our Syrian children," it said.

Releasing them is a gesture of "cooperation, fraternity and clemency," said the statement posted on the website of the US-backed, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

http://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/257156

Qaeda-Linked Syria Group Kills 21 Regime Forces- Naharnet

A Syrian jihadist group linked to al-Qaida killed 21 regime and allied forces Sunday near Idlib province, in one of the deadliest breaches of a six-month-old truce deal, a monitor said.

"At dawn, 21 fighters from the regime forces or allied militia were killed in an attack by Ansar al-Tawhid jihadists," the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

"Five jihadists were also killed," Rami Abdel Rahman, the director of the Britain-based monitoring group, said.

Ansar al-Tawhid has ties to the larger Hurras al-Deen group, which is also active in the area. Both are considered semi-officials franchises of al-Qaida in Syria.

The area of Idlib and small parts of the adjacent provinces of Hama and Aleppo are mostly controlled by the rival Hayat Tahrir al-Sham organization.

HTS is led by fighters who formerly belonged to al-Qaida's ex-affiliate in Syria.

http://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/257155

Lebanese Forces Says Hizbullah 'Not Serious' About Fighting Corruption- Naharnet

The Lebanese Forces on Saturday said that Hizbullah was not serious about its calls for fighting corruption and that it took the wrong road by targeting a specific political party and a specific phase.

“The fight against corruption should be a daily task, it should not be linked to a specific file that a particular political force must confront. This would rather be targeting a political team under a political title,” LF sources told the daily.

They were referring to the indirect corruption accusations fired by Hizbullah against Mustaqbal Movement ex-PM Fouad Saniora during his premiership between 2005 and 2009.

During the last cabinet meeting, “had Hizbullah been serious about corruption, it should have rejected, like we and the Free Patriotic Movement did, to grant the “six degrees,” (an adjustment for teachers’ wages amounting to 40 percent increase),” said the sources.

http://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/257144

U.S. Preparing New Batch of Hizbullah Sanctions- Naharnet

U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration is planning to “strike new sanctions on Hizbullah,” and to feature the party’s “growing powers” in the Lebanese government, the Saudi Asharq al-Awsat newspaper reported on Saturday.

A U.S. official told the daily: “Trump’s administration is preparing new sanctions against Hizbullah,” and will discuss its concerns “from its growing control on the government and Lebanese officials,” he said.

However he assured that there would be no measures targeting the Lebanese army.

Matthew Levitt, director of the Stein Program on Counterterrorism and Intelligence at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said in remarks to the daily: “The measure taken by Switzerland is completely separate from the British decision.”

He was referring to Switzerland’s decision in February to halt arms exports to Lebanon due to “inability to account for a Swiss shipment of weapons to Lebanon.”

http://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/257149

Hay’at Tahrir Al-Sham Executes Several ISIS Members Following Deadly Attack In Idlib City (Photos)- South Front

Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) executed ten ISIS members on March 2 in response to the recent suicide bombing in the northern city of Idlib. The execution was reportedly carried out in front of the Fusion restaurant, where the attack took place.

https://southfront.org/hayat-tahrir-al-sham-executes-several-isis-members-following-deadly-attack-in-idlib-city-photos/

Syrian War Report – March 1, 2019: U.S. Forces Steal Tons Of Gold Captured By ISIS In Syria, Iraq- South Front

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4eaGTfWVMCo&feature=youtu.be

Geagea Says LBCI Ruling against Lebanese who Confronted 'Armed Palestinians'- Naharnet

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea on Friday criticized anew the ruling that was issued Thursday by Judge Fatima Jouni over the ownership of LBCI television.

“The ruling in the LBCI case was not a ruling in the LBCI case but rather a ruling against every honorable Lebanese citizen who confronted the armed Palestinian groups that were trying to establish an alternative entity in Lebanon,” Geagea tweeted, referring to Lebanon's civil war and the Palestinian role in it.

In her ruling, Judge Jouni said the TV network had been initially funded by a “disbanded militia” and consequently by “revenues and bank loans granted to a company whose stakes are largely owned by Pierre Daher.”

“It has not been proved that Dr. Geagea and the LF had contributed any of their money in the establishment of that firm, seeing as they are not the owners of the money of disbanded militias,” Jouni said, noting that Geagea and the LF also did not play a role in obtaining the license that the TV network was granted after civil war.

http://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/257119