Two Chairmen of the 9/11 Commission Rebut Allegations Linking Saudi to the Attacks

Two chairmen of the official commission which was in charge of the investigation into the September 11 attacks have refuted accusations that the commission did not investigate Saudi Arabia’s alleged involvement in the attacks thoroughly enough. After more than 10 years since the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States released its public report, there is a movement in Washington which is putting pressure on the administration to reveal what is known as the “28 pages” which were withheld from the 838-page report on the orders of President George W. Bush for security reasons.

The two commissioners on the 9/11 Commission Report, Thomas Keen and Lee Hamilton, issued a statement on Friday and said in it that investigators have finished working on the main leads in those pages and were unable to find evidence for the alleged involvement of Saudi Arabia in the attacks.

Colonel Derek Harvey, a former intelligence officer in the American army, told Asharq Al-Awsat that “There is a hostile view towards Saudi Arabia in the United States which is pushing Congress to pass the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA) due to the perception that Saudi Arabia has not done enough … in addition to some misinformation that some people have exploited to portray the idea that Saudi Arabia is not taking action to annihilate the militants.”

On his part, a former official in the Bush junior administration told Asharq Alawsat that the 9/11 Commission Report that was prepared around 11 years ago does not condemn Saudi Arabia and added that he had personally looked at the report and could confirm that no evidence to suggest the involvement of Saudi Arabia or any of its officials in the events of September 11 was found. In addition to this, there was no evidence of supervising the financing of individuals or Al-Qaeda founders.

Two Chairmen of the 9/11 Commission Rebut Allegations Linking Saudi to the Attacks

Iranian and Hezbollah Militias Fight against the Kurds of Iraq

Kirkuk- Yesterday evening fierce clashes fired up once again across Tuz Khormato, the central city located in the Saladin Province, Iraq. The multi-ethnic city, comprising both Kurds and Turkmen, is overwhelmed with militias. The rounds of fire exchanged last evening were between the Shi’ite Turkmen Popular Mobilization Forces and armed Kurdish Peshmerga Forces.

Kurdish sources told Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper that Iranian soldiers and militants belonging to the Lebanon-based Hezbollah had been a part of the recent battles, fighting alongside the Mobilization Forces.

During the first hours of battle, over 25 combatants belonging to the Turkmens’ side were reported dead.

On its behalf, the Turkmen party accused groups of militants coming from beyond borders of instigating dispute among the people of Tuz Khormato. In an announcement, Turkmens called out the voice of reason found in everyone to rule, so that civilians would not have to pay the price of an armed conflict.

At the same day, an agreement was hurled among conflicting factions to halt all clashes, which were sparked after a bomb set off at a Kurdish official’s home killing and wounding over 13 belonging to both sides in addition to a Peshmerga brigadier.

As for the political state-of-affairs, the Sadrist movement leader Muqtada al-Sadr put off the million-people protest he had called for formerly. Despite all the

threats of how spine-shuddering the demonstration would be this Monday and Tuesday, the Sadrist Leader still called it off.

As for the Iraqi Parliament, the governmental institute is still comprehensively crippled as lawmakers stick to their strike and refuse to acknowledge the legitimacy of the Parliamentary Spokesman Salim al-Jabouri.

However, al-Jabouri has been persistently convening with political players, in hopes of holding a complete –including all side- parliamentary session on Tuesday.

The humanitarian crisis was relatively relieved, as Saudi aid trucks arrived to the Anbar governorate en route from the Iraqi Kurdistan. Citizens of Ramadi, the governorate’s capital, and its vicinity residents expressed considerable relief compared to what they have been experiencing.

Council Spokesman of Anbar, Eid Ammash, in a statement to Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper revealed that there are Gulf groups and companies which had expressed their desire to contribute to the reconstruction of the near-leveled governorate after it has finally been freed from ISIS. The companies had given practical proposals to the process which is in ratio to the percentage of damage impact on each area.

Ammash added that public services, such as water and power circulation are almost none existing, and that the suffering of people returning home has worsened, which could only send a cry out for a hurried launch of reconstruction.

Iranian and Hezbollah Militias Fight against the Kurds of Iraq

Few Roads to Refuge Left as Aleppo Fighting Intensifies

After a short-lived ceasefire gradually collapsed, bombs have started falling heavily on Aleppo, leaving people there with no choice but to think again about whether it is time to get out of a city at the epicenter of the Syrian war.

The brief normalcy brought by a truce has vanished, emptying, again, the parks and streets of the war-torn country. Residents count the explosions and the dead across the frontlines of a city divided between the government and rebels.

Hope does not loom on the horizon, especially with the government talking about a new attack against the areas of Aleppo under anti-government forces control. Such a campaign would likely aim to close up the last route into rebel-held areas. Air strikes on rebel-held areas have resumed.

Determined to keep their last supply route open and thwart the government’s attempts, rebels have stepped up their bombardment of government-held areas of the city, and of a predominantly Kurdish district controlled by a militia with which they are also at war.

On both sides of the city, the collapse of peace talks in Geneva has been accompanied by talk of new troop mobilizations on the ground. Words are spreading of new deployments by government forces and their Shi’ite militia allies on the one hand, and by rebels including jihadist Nusra Front on the other.

“People are most terrified of the air strikes,” said Abdul Moneim Juneid, a community worker in an orphanage in rebel-held Aleppo. “People had felt tangibly the benefits of the truce” and yearned for security, he said.

But leaving to Turkey, where hundreds of thousands have escaped since the break of the conflict in 2011, is no longer an option. The border is closed to most. “What’s on many people’s minds is the border crossing with Turkey,” he said.

“If Turkey had opened the borders, you would have seen the population of Aleppo go down by half.”

All the main combatants in the multi-sided Syrian war are battling in the Aleppo area: rebels have been waging separate campaigns with the government, the Syrian Kurdish YPG, and ISIS near the Turkish border.

Aid agencies have expressed concern about the fate of tens of thousands of Syrians currently trapped at the border with Turkey, already hosting some 2.5 million Syrian refugees.

GETTING OUT

Situated in proximity to the Aleppo Turkish border, Syria’s biggest city Aleppo was home to more than 2 million people and an engine of the economy.

Today after the conflict, some 300,000 are estimated to live in rebel-held areas that have sustained heavy casualties and massive destruction because of government bombardment that has already pushed many to flee.

Assad’s government, which is supported by the Russian air force and allied militia from Iran and Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement, has managed to cut the rebels’ most direct supply route into Aleppo in February.

The defeat of the opposition in Aleppo would be a severe setback to the uprising, and also a blow to Turkey which has backed the Syrian rebel groups fighting near its frontier.

The government-held side of the city is still home to more than 1 million people. The level of casualties and destruction there has been far lower than in the opposition-held areas.

But growing rebel fire power has inflicted a heavier toll than at the start of the war.

After the truce, “life had started to return to the city … people were out until late at night”, said Soheib Masri a 29-year-old journalist, speaking by phone from the government side. Now, people were moving away from frontline areas again into safer parts of the city, and in some cases leaving altogether.

“There is a new movement of Aleppo residents towards the other provinces, towards the coast,” he said. “I am thinking of getting my family out because there is great fear. The shelling today isn’t like before … they’ve got rockets that go further.”

The route out of government-held Aleppo is also vulnerable. The main Damascus-Aleppo highway runs through rebel held territory, leaving the government dependent on a twisty desert road that is vulnerable to ISIS attack.

ISIS, however, cut that road in an attack last February. The group remains perched some 10 km (6 miles) away, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitoring group.

“WE CANNOT MOVE”

Seizing all Aleppo from opponents has been a government priority since the Russian air force intervened in support of Assad last September, tipping the balance in his favor.

The “cessation of hostilities” deal engineered by the United States and Russia in February began to work loose in the Aleppo area this month with each side accusing the other of attacking first.

This week the Russian military had repositioned artillery near Aleppo, adding to speculation of another assault on the city, according to U.S. officials.

The opposition’s only way left in and out of the city is the so-called Castello road, which provides access to Aleppo’s rebel-held western approaches but passes within firing range of Sheikh Maqsoud, an Aleppo district held by the Kurdish YPG militia.

Rivalry between the YPG and rebels has spilled into all-out war in the Aleppo area since late last year. Rebels say their attack resulted from YPG attempts to cut the road.

Mohamad Sheikho, a Sheikh Maqsoud resident and member of a leading Kurdish political party, also complained of rebel bombardment. “We cannot move, I tell you. It is besieged,” he said by phone.

“The humanitarian situation is extremely bad.”

The Observatory, which tracks all sides of the conflict, said that while some goods could be smuggled into Sheikh Maqsoud from adjoining government-held districts, it was considered besieged.

Rebels say the YPG wants to take the Castello road in collaboration with Damascus.

“Twenty brigades of the FSA agreed to teach the PKK a lesson,” said Zakaria Malahifji of an Aleppo-based rebel group, referring to the Sheikh Maqsoud attack.

The rebels often call the YPG the PKK, a reference to its links to the Turkish Kurdistan Workers’ Party, which is considered a terrorist group by Turkey, the United States and the European Union. The YPG denies rebel claims that it coordinates its attacks with Damascus.

Some in Aleppo say they will not leave, regardless of how bad it gets.

“We have been living in this state of war for three years. The people have gotten used to it,” said Ammar al-Absi, a member of a rebel-run local council.

Nuha Ftaima, a 52-year-old school teacher living on the government side, says she will never leave.

Both her husband and brother have been killed in the war, one shot by a sniper and the other killed by a shell.

Few Roads to Refuge Left as Aleppo Fighting Intensifies

Syrian Opposition: No Negotiations before Delivery of Humanitarian Demands

Beirut- The Syrian Opposition currently awaits in anticipation the outcome of both the deliberations conducted by the U.N. special envoy to Syria Staffan de Mistura and the results of the foreign ministers of the Group of Friends of the Syrian People meeting. However, the opposition kept its announcement on its decision to withhold its contribution to the upcoming peace talks’ sessions, which are to start as of the first weekend of May.

Unless humanitarian proceedings begin taking place, such as breaking besiegement, delivering relief, freeing prisoners held in regime confinement and sustaining the cessation of hostilities, the opposition will keep out from participating at the negotiations.

High Negotiation Committee (HNC) Spokesperson Salem al-Meslet said that “principal issues should be put first, which are a true pointer for returning to the negotiations. If no progress is registered concerning the prisoners case, besieged areas, truce and regime crimes, the negotiations then will be obstructed.”

Deputy President of the opposition’s delegation and HNC member George Sabra told Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper that Moscow is pushing forward with its agenda, planning to unite the Syrian Opposition’s representation into a single delegation comprising 15 members, most of which evidently belong to the President Bashar Al-Assad regime. Russian attempts have not ceased ever since the beginning of the negotiations.

They look forward to take advantage of the current suspension of the peace talks, as to present a new opposition’s delegation which is fabricated to their content, Sabra added.

The HNC blames U.S.-Gulf deliberations for creating a space for a new role for the U.S. in front of Russia, and requests that Washington moves for plan B, previously mentioned by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry.

Plan B presents full support to the people of Syria and the revolution, by providing effective weapons for self-defense.

Ceasefire no longer efficiently exists, the Syrian Opposition pointed out.

Sabra clarified, saying “the Russians carry on with their attempts to forge the will of the Syrian people and purposefully hamper the negotiations through dividing the delegations which they wish to participate at the negotiations.”

Syrian Opposition: No Negotiations before Delivery of Humanitarian Demands

Obama and Repairing the State-of-Affairs

This could be the last visit for President Barack Obama -as the U.S. President- meeting with the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz along with Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) leaders. The summit signified the second chapter of the first Camp David meeting, which took place a year ago, when the U.S. President met with GCC leaders, prior to the signing of the nuclear deal with Iran.

The state-of-affairs shared by Saudi Arabia and Washington has not improved significantly, when addressing matters on Iran’s involvement in Syria, Iraq and Yemen which ultimately caused unprecedented regional volatility.

Within the year separating the Camp David summit and the Riyadh recent summit, the White House managed signing the nuclear deal with Iran and failed to provide a similar assurance to the other party; which is a measure to balance the dangerous step taken, from the Gulf’s perspective.

At the same time, Iran alongside its allies has not rested efforts to dominate over the region; especially as it exploited currently unstable countries and threatening GCC nations’ peace and security.

The current regional warfare – waged directly and indirectly- has left no room for the accord with Iranian plan put by GCC members and Washington. The nuclear deal has allowed the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to sum up the ego and cross borders, fighting at unparalleled wars on the outside.

What was expected after last year’s U.S.-GCC Camp David’s summit was that the U.S. would eventually balance out the lifting of sanctions with a strict policy against Iran’s violations and plans of expansion threatening its neighbors. However, such a balance has not been realized.

Iran has won over relief from sanctions, delivery of its financial stocks, the striking of deals and has been brought into the negotiations concerning regional crises, in addition to the military operations it is running across three different frontiers.

Iran has also not been as much as threatened for its violations against U.N. Security Council’s decision prohibiting the arming of insurgents in Yemen; given that all of U.S., British, French and Australian naval facilities have apprehended Iranian cargo on its way to Yemen.

Gulf countries have committed to the agreement on the international accord at Camp David last year, as to demonstrate before the U.S. that they do not stand against the West’s reconciliation with Iran.

However Gulf countries are against Iran’s policy on spreading chaos and endorsing insurgencies across the region. Iran’s approach has not changed since it was laid down by its former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khomeini, after clergymen took over rule of Iran in 1979. The current Iranian government largely employs the same method.

The aforementioned, evidently put a spoke in the wheel of Gulf Saudi –U.S. affairs.

Washington cannot open up doors to Iran allowing it to threaten regional countries and interests while asking the afflicted countries to settle silently.

Moreover, Obama’s term in presidency lasts till the end of 2015, which is not a short period measured in Middle Eastern state-of-affairs minutes, bearing in mind the accelerating dangerous events covering the region from Syria to Libya. A few months can hold grave significance.

During the months left, if Obama truly wishes to end his term both in sustaining his project with Iran and reserving the long-held special relationship with the Gulf countries, and Arabs in general; he must seek out a proper balance which neutralizes the defects caused by the nuclear deal’s aftermath.

Countries cannot help but sense that Iran is spreading its span of dominance over Syria, Iraq and Lebanon all in one step, and cannot stand still and watch Iran take over its northern bordering neighbors and spur anarchy against them in Yemen.

How could Obama strike a balance? Following through with his declarations, support removing the head of the Syrian regime and back the U.N. resolutions which the U.S. has already agreed on concerning empowering legitimacy in Yemen could be a place to start.

Would Obama actually do that after leaving Riyadh? There isn’t much hope to that, the president has not said a word and neither does his policy suggest such proceedings. It appears that Obama is betting on the sides to the conflict consuming each other and finally settling to some solution.

He no longer is enthusiastic on undertaking action, perhaps it is because he no longer sees strong reasons to the alliance with the GCC, and no longer believes that some countries are closer to the U.S. than others.

Leading from behind seems to be Obama’s favorite adopted policy, which he has employed since his rise to power seven years ago. Reality proves that his approach failed, noting that regional forces proved their capacity to endure for a longer period of time than expected.

Obama’s take on things also proved mistaken after observing the spreading chaos. Anarchy coming from al-Qaeda, ISIS and several other terrorist organizations threatens the whole world today. Pressuring Iran and confronting it would be enough to put an end to the crises in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon and Yemen; or perhaps would at least inhibit the largest of fights induced.

Obama and Repairing the State-of-Affairs

Two Killed in Kurd-Shi'ite Clashes in Northern Iraq

Iraqi security sources reported clashes erupting between Kurdish and Shi’ite Turkmen paramilitary forces late on Saturday in northern Iraq, killing at least two fighters and cutting a strategic road between Baghdad and the oil city of Kirkuk.

Lately, the city of Tuz Khurmatu, about 175 km (110 miles) north of the capital, has been witnessing a near monthly violence between the armed groups, uncomfortable allies against ISIS since pushing the jihadist militants out of towns and villages in the area in 2014.

The latest aggresion broke out on Saturday just before midnight after a small explosion near the local headquarters of two rival political parties sparked clash between the communities in neighborhoods across the district, according to security sources.

The violence continued on Sunday morning as fighters launched mortars into densely populated areas and fired rocket-propelled grenades and heavy machine guns at the opposing positions.

Sources said that the fighting killed at least one fighter from each side and injured two civilians, including a child. The death toll was expected to rise since snipers were preventing people from transporting casualties to hospital.

The tensions risk further fragmenting Iraq, a major OPEC oil exporter, as it struggles to contain the ISIS terrorist organization, the biggest security threat since a U.S.-led invasion toppled autocrat Saddam Hussein in 2003.

Efforts to drive back the ultra-hardline jihadists have been complicated by sectarian and ethnic rivalries, including a contest for territory which the Shi’ite-led government in Baghdad claims, but the Kurds want as part of their autonomous region in the north of the country.

High-level delegations from both sides arrived in Tuz Khurmatu on Sunday to try to work out the latest dispute as military reinforcements were said to be gathering outside the district.

Two Killed in Kurd-Shi'ite Clashes in Northern Iraq

Pakistan Seeks IRS-Inspired Fear Factor As Tax Amnesty Flops

Pakistan is preparing to get tough on those who evade tax and who have so far shunned an amnesty program set to finally expire on April 30 after four deadline extensions. In regard of the program, only less than 0.3 percent of Pakistan’s 3 million goods traders have participated in it, well below the 17 percent forecast by the government when it began in January. It has generated only 750 million rupees ($7.2 million) in back taxes, said Haroon Akhtar Khan, special assistant on revenue to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

Khan said that they must change taxpayers’ mindsets, establish a fear factor like the IRS has in the U.S.. While he was referring to the Internal Revenue Service. “Otherwise I don’t think we will be able to increase numbers exponentially” he added.

Sharif has struggled to meet revenue targets under the terms of an International Monetary Fund loan he took in 2013 to strengthen Pakistan’s finances. The push to get more cash from small business owners risks sparking a backlash among his supporters, intensifying pressure on Sharif as lawmakers call for an investigation into whether his family used offshore companies to evade taxes.

Of those who pay taxes in Pakistan, the rate does not reach 1 % of the population, and previous amnesty programs dating back to 1958 have failed to significantly widen the base. The trading community contributes about 19 percent of GDP but less than 1 percent of taxes, according to Pakistan’s Finance Ministry.

As for traders with working capital of as much as 50 million rupees are entitled for the current amnesty program, under which they would pay a levy of 1% on the amount disclosed and be exempt from audits. However those who don’t sign up are liable to pay taxes of as much as 1 percent on turnover.

Pakistan’s Federal Board of Revenue has finished profiling all potential tax payers by collecting data on their spending, traveling and investments patterns, Said Khan who stated that the government will decide on next steps before the end of the month, though he refused to say what penalties are under consideration.

Sharif has made some progress in raising funds with measures including a withholding tax on transactions of more than 50,000 rupees by traders who don’t file tax returns, as well as higher levies on cigarettes and other consumer goods. Pakistan’s tax-to-GDP ratio — among the world’s lowest — will climb to 12 percent in the year through June from about 10 percent in 2012, Khan said.

Even so, Sharif is likely to fall short of the 3.1 trillion in revenue he targeted to shrink the budget deficit to 4.3 percent of gross domestic product from 5.37 percent. Some steps have also faced resistance: the withholding tax was halved from a proposed 0.6 percent after nationwide strikes, while critics say his latest levies are spurring a shadow economy.

“They have done stuff that is encouraging, stuff that nobody has done before, but they need to do a lot more,” said Azam Faruque, chief executive officer at Cherat Cement Co. “We need to bring people into the tax net and it’s absurd what people get away with.”

The government needs to improve its tax collection systems and shouldn’t target any particular community, said Ashraf Bhatti, president of the traders’ body All Pakistan Anjuman-e-Tajaran. “You have got to enforce this system across the board, collect taxes from everybody,” he said. “If you don’t then I don’t think it’s going to be successful.”

Sharif’s government this month announced the formation of an independent commission that will investigate whether his family did anything illegal in setting up offshore companies. Sharif said his children have interests in at least two companies based in the British Virgin Islands that were disclosed as part of the “Panama Papers” leaks this month, but has denied any wrongdoing.

Khan, an economist at IGI Finex Securities Ltd. in Karachi said that Panama leaks is another nail in the coffin and will deter people even more to join the tax system. Adding; “People will think now that if government officials aren’t paying taxes, then why should we?”

Pakistan Seeks IRS-Inspired Fear Factor As Tax Amnesty Flops