The latest rights report issued in Libya accused Qatar of sponsoring terrorism. The report, which was prepared by the “Libya Justice First Foundation”, said that it uses all its resources, including reports and information on Libyan entities and individuals on the list of Arab States, to be used by relevant counter-terrorism bodies, like reported by aawsat.com.

The foundation called on the whole world to cooperate with the Arab quartet, which has issued two lists during the past two months on the terrorist individuals and entities related to Qatar; including seven Libyan individuals and seven Libyan organizations.

The Arab quartet, including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the UAE and Bahrain, released early June a long list of 59 individuals and 12 Qatari-affiliated entities described as “terrorist supporters.”

The list included five Libyans, Ali al-Sallabi, Abd Al-Hakim Belhaj, Mahdi al-Harati, Ismail al-Sallabi and Sadiq al-Ghariyani in addition to Benghazi Defense Brigades terrorist organization.

The four Arab countries released late July another terror list in which they added nine entities and nine individuals.

The second list included Ibrahim Bukhazem and Ahmed al-Hasnawi in addition to six Libyan entities, which are Al-Saraya Media Center, Boshra News Agency, Rafallah Sahati Brigade, Nabaa TV, Tanasuh Foundation for Dawa, Culture and Media and Benghazi Revolutionaries Shura Council.

For his part, Head of the Justice First Foundation Hassan Tatanaki told Asharq Al-Awsat that the war against terrorism is “not only military and security but also legal, intelligence, economic and intellectual wars.”

In regards to the Nabaa TV, the report said that the channel has appeared four years ago “in a way that is almost identical to the Qatari Al Jazeera channel, especially in its editorial policy.”

The report added that “the observers of the channel will easily discover that it promotes the ideology of the Libyan militant groups and extremist ideas”.

The Lebanese Army needs to liberate Martbia, Siraj Hiqab Al-Shir and Al-Shahut in the barrens of Ras Baalbek and Al-Qaa to declare victory over Daesh, a Lebanese military source told Arab News.

The Lebanese military command said in a statement that there is “no cease-fire with the terrorist group until their full defeat.”

The source said, the fifth day of Operation Barrens’ Dawn, the army was “clearing the liberated areas from mines… and made them secure after strengthening the military belt around them.”

The army had succeeded in previous days in restricting the militants to a small geographic area of about 20 sq. km. They only had the Martbia crossing to withdraw toward Syria.

The Lebanese Army command mourned Staff Sgt. Walid Mahmoud Freij, who died of injuries he received on the first day of the operation while removing a land mine.

Meanwhile, military operations continued on the Syrian side on Wednesday. Hezbollah said its fighters and the Syrian Army destroyed a Daesh command center in Jib Khawlah, south of the Sin Fikha crossing in western Qalamun.

Hezbollah media reported that they entered Mira crossing, which links the barrens of Qara and Ras Baalbek via Sin Fikha, and that the total area captured amounted to 30 sq. km.

Al-Hariri visit

Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Al-Hariri visited the barracks of the army’s second land border regiment in Ras Baalbek.

Along with the commander of the army, Gen. Joseph Aoun, and senior officers, Al-Hariri inspected the military operation room and was updated on developments. The prime minister and Aoun also inspected army positions on the frontlines.

In a press conference at the barracks, Al-Hariri expressed the “firm support of the whole government of the heroic army, which is conducting a difficult task.”

He said: “Those terrorists who claim to be Muslims have nothing to do with Islam or any other religion. Their only religion is murder and explosions, and God willing, we’ll get rid of them and victory is near.”
Al-Hariri told soldiers: “You’re the ones who decide the timing of this victory, because you know when the operation should finish.”

Concerning the participation of Hezbollah in the military operation, Al-Hariri said: “The Lebanese Army is responsible for the Lebanese borders and their protection. There are battles on the other side (of the border), and when we protect our borders we won’t let anyone enter Lebanese territories.”

When asked whether the army was “incapable” of liberating the barrens of Arsal from Jabhat Fateh Al-Sham (JFS), so “Hezbollah did the job,” he replied: “The army wasn’t incapable. We had a political decision and different calculations as a government and army. We put everything on the table, and we had the priority of protecting the displaced and the Lebanese. The army… achieved great success at that. Its artillery played an essential role in the battle.”

Al-Hariri said all Lebanese political parties “won’t allow any political differences to affect the stability of Lebanon, its economy and security.”

Moroccan authorities have arrested two people with links to the alleged perpetrators of the terrorist attack in the Spanish city of Barcelona as police in Morocco and Spain continued to coordinate in the probe into the assault that shook the country last week.

The two men have been detained in the cities of Nador and Oujda in northeastern Morocco, amid reports that police are searching for a third man in Casablanca.

The man detained in the city of Nador is a 28-year-old with ties to one of the members of
the cell of young Moroccans behind the Barcelona attack.

He was a resident of Ripoll, the small town in northeastern Spain where many members of the cell were living.

The second detainee, 34, lived for 12 years in Barcelona with links to ISIS and of plotting to attack the Spanish embassy in Rabat.

Islamist militants in Libya beheaded at least 11 people, mainly soldiers, in an attack in the early hours of Wednesday (23 August). The attack targeted a checkpoint in the Al-Jufra region controlled by Libyan military strongman Khalifa Haftar.

“At least nine soldiers were beheaded… in addition to two civilians” at the checkpoint about 500km south of Tripoli, Colonel Ahmad Al-Mesmari was quoted as saying by AFP news agency.

Although no group has claimed responsibility so far, local officials suspect the Islamic State (Isis) is behind the attack. The jihadist group that is on the verge of being driven out of their strongholds in Iraq and Syria is believed to be still active in Libya.

Haftar’s self-proclaimed Libyan National Army took control of Al-Jufra in June and seized key locations including a military base in the area. In May, his forces had seized the Tamenhant base near the southern city of Sebha after driving out a militia run by the United Nations-backed Government of National Accord (GNA).

Haftar refuses to the accept the GNA administration and rather backs a rival group. Meanwhile, Haftar’s forces also face attacks from Islamist extremist groups like Isis operating in the country.

The in-fighting in Libya between groups trying to establish their government at the national level has reportedly helped militant groups to spread their foothold in the country.

The conflict in Libya began in 2011 after the killing of long-time dictator Muammar Qaddafi in a Nato-backed revolution.

Composed of civilians, policemen and soldiers, an armed group works against the departure of migrants’ boats from the Libyan coast. It would have contributed to the fall of the number of illegal immigrants in Italy.

An armed group calling itself “Brigade 48” prevents migrants’ ships from reaching the European Mediterranean coast from Tripoli, Libya, according to local sources in Sabratha, quoted by Reuters.

Composed of several hundred civilians but also policemen and members of the Libyan army, this group has been conducting a very strong campaign against the departure of migrants.

The armed group, which works both on land and on the beach, would particularly prevent migrant ships from leaving for Italy. The action of this armed group would have contributed to the 50% reduction in July of the flow of clandestine migrants from North Africa to Italy.

The migration situation off Libya is of particular concern.

As the UN Security Council prepares to discuss renewing mandate of peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon , Israel and the US launch fresh initiative to grant UNIFIL greater powers and responsibilities to monitor Hezbollah

Israel and the US are gearing up to launch a new initiative aimed at expanding the powers and responsibilities assigned to the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in its monitoring of Hezbollah, as the UN Security Council prepares to discuss this week the renewal of its mandate, like reported by ynetnews.com.

Ahead of the discussions, Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, derided what he described as UNIFIL’s inaction as Hezbollah continues growing in strength. “Hezbollah is only increasing its power, while UNIFIL sticks its head in the sand,” the ambassador said.

Danon decried the force’s apparent lackadaisical attitude toward carrying out its intended mission, as Hezbollah terrorists continue to conceal military stockpiles inside civilian populations and dig in inside residential buildings and homes.

“Hezbollah has been breaching UN Security Council resolutions on a regular basis and using civilian homes as military bases,” Danon said. “The UN can no longer stand by and let this happen. It’s time for UNIFIL to fulfill its intended task of bringing stability to the region.”

Israel and the US, wholly dissatisfied with the nature of UNIFIL’s actions which have not sufficed in preventing repeated violations by Hezbollah of Security Council resolutions, are working behind the scenes to change its mandate which would go into effect at the end of the month, in a way intended to transform the way it operates against Hezbollah.

In light of these events, Ambassador Danon communicated a list of Israeli demands to Security Council member states, delineating practical changes that needed to be taken in UNIFIL’s operational functioning.

These demands include permitting entry into villages in areas controlled by Hezbollah, a measure UNIFIL has avoided thus far, a significant increase in military patrols and active checks on the ground, as opposed to merely reporting to the Lebanese army, and real-time reports to the Security Council on violations of decision 1701 (the Israeli-Hezbollah ceasefire at the end of the 2006 conflict).

Firmly throwing its weights behind the move, the United States declared during these behind-the-scenes talks it won’t tolerate the Security Council “serving as a rubber stamp for UNIFIL’s futile reports.”

Concurrently, Israel sent chief army officers to the UN building in New York this week to brief Security Council delegates on the severity of the threat Hezbollah poses and the transformation of the organization into a state-like power.

UN Secretary-General to visit Israel

UN Secretary-General António Guterres will visit Israel next week accompanied by Danon. The Secretary-General will touch down in Israel Sunday, August 27, for a three-day visit. On Monday Guterres will visit Yad Vashem, meet the President of Israel Reuven Rivlin and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Later that day Guterres will be attending a special event on Israeli innovation in the Israel Museum.

On Tuesday the Secretary-General will visit the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah and meet with representatives of the Palestinian leadership. On Wednesday he’ll fly over Israel for an overhead view, tour the Gaza border communities and the Gaza Strip itself, before later speaking at The Museum of the Jewish People at Beit Hatfutsot in Tel Aviv.

Ambassador Danon welcomed the Secretary-General’s visit, saying, “Especially in light of the attempts to harm Israel on the UN stage, we expect the Secretary-General to present the true face of Israel, its impressive accomplishments and contributions to the world and the complex reality and challenges it faces in the tumultuous Middle East.”

The Lebanese army announced on Tuesday that its forces have captured most of the 120 square kms held by ISIS on the eastern borders of the country, only four days after launching their battle against the terrorist militants, like reported by aawsat.com.

“We have captured around another 20 square km, so we have about another 20 to go,” General Ali Qanso said Tuesday during a press conference held at the Defense Ministry.

On Tuesday, the army announced it was launching the third stage of their “Fajr al-Jurud” operation against ISIS, after focusing their efforts Monday on removing mines and booby traps from the roads, so that armored vehicles may advance.

One soldier was killed on Tuesday and four others were injured while dismantling explosives left behind by the extremists.

Qanso said that four Lebanese soldiers were killed since the army launched its operation against ISIS on Saturday.

He stated that all the terrorists’ posts have been demolished and other militants have fled the area.

“Nine posts have been destroyed, and weapons, munitions and explosives have been seized,” he added.

“Our units are getting ready to carry on the operation, while taking into consideration international humanitarian law,” Qanso stressed.

Meanwhile, the Syrian army and “Hezbollah” continued advancing from the Syrian side of Qalamoun, announcing the capture of two strategic hills and seizing a quantity of weapons.

Retired Army General Mohammed Rammal told Asahrq Al-Awsat that the third phase of the military operation against ISIS was decisive.

“When the range of the battle lessens, the effect of the heavy weapons becomes limited, and therefore it would be essential to rely on artillery shelling to paralyze the militants’ power of resistance,” he explained.

For his part, Riyad Qahwaji, CEO of the Dubai-based Institute for Near East and Gulf Military Analysis (INEGMA), told Asharq Al-Awsat that ISIS militants would continue fighting till death after it became difficult for them to retreat.

He predicted that the operation against ISIS launched from the Lebanese side would be complete before the end of this week.

Morocco has long considered itself a haven of stability in a volatile region and a key ally in the fight against Islamic extremism, but in recent months, it has found itself shaken by carnage in Europe blamed on Moroccans who moved abroad, like reported by ap.org.

Young men from the North African nation have been involved in deadly attacks in Paris and Brussels, and – just last week – emerged as suspects in violence in Spain and Finland. The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility.

In the days after attacks on Barcelona’s famed Las Ramblas and a seaside resort killed 15 people, shocked and horrified relatives and friends of the suspects gathered with the Muslim community in their Spanish town of Ripoll to denounce terrorism.

Their families in Morocco issued similar statements and also said that anything the young men learned about extremism had taken place away from home.

The 12-member cell accused of carrying out the attacks in Spain was made up of brothers and childhood friends from Ripoll – young men described as integrated, well-liked and responsible members of their tight-knit community.

“Pilot, teacher, doctor …. How could this have disappeared? What happened to you?” their school counselor, Raquel Rull, wrote in a despairing column published Tuesday in La Vanguardia newspaper. “What are we doing to make these things happen! You were so young, so full of life you had a lifetime ahead … and a thousand dreams to fulfill.”

Spanish police Monday shot and killed Younes Abouyaaqoub, a 22-year-old Moroccan who was thought to be the driver in the van attack on Las Ramblas that was responsible for 13 of the deaths. He also was identified as a suspect in the slaying of the owner of a hijacked car.

His grandfather, Aqbouch Abouyaaqoub, told the Spanish newspaper El Pais that Younes left Morocco as a young boy.

“But one thing is certain: My grandson did not finish his studies here. He studied in Spain,” he said.

Prominent Moroccan Islam expert Bilal Talidi cited multiple causes for radicalization among Moroccans after moving to Europe: “the tug-of-war between two identities and two educational cultures, social marginalization, a precarious economic situation and a criminal record.”

Since the rise of the Islamic State group, experts say its recruitment has been less focused on religious motivation. Instead, the group has successfully sought out relatively secular young men with a foot in both cultures. An estimated 1,600 Moroccans have joined in recent years.

Politicians and experts decry the government’s failure to grasp the scope of young Moroccans’ problems at home and in immigrant communities abroad, and are searching for ways to infuse their countrymen everywhere with this message of religious moderation.

Moroccans have not been the only ones staging attacks in Europe; violence has been carried out by emigres from Tunisia, Algeria, Pakistan and Libya, as well as those from European backgrounds. Moroccans also have been victims: Dozens have died in attacks in Casablanca and Marrakech.

Spain has been the main destination for Moroccans for decades. The two countries nearly touch across the Strait of Gibraltar, and Spain has two enclaves in North Africa separated from Morocco by a multiple barbed wire fences intended to prevent illegal crossings.

Moroccan security officials have made fighting extremism a priority, and the government says that since 2002, they have dismantled 167 terrorist cells and thwarted 341 attacks.

King Mohammed VI routinely criticizes jihadism and the discourse of radical Islam.

“In the face of the proliferation of closed-minded ideas in the name of religion, everyone – Muslims, Christians, Jews – should form a common front to counter fanaticism, hate and isolationism in all its forms,” he said in a speech last year. He urged Moroccans abroad to “remain attached to the values of their religion and their secular traditions in the face of this phenomenon that is foreign to them.”

Since the 1970s, Morocco has worked to supervise religious teaching of its communities abroad through multiple government agencies, according to Abdelkrim Benatiq, the minister for Moroccans abroad.

Asked by The Associated Press about those efforts, Benatiq referred questions to the Islamic Affairs Ministry, which did not respond to requests for comment.

The government has earmarked $24.5 million for these efforts this year alone, in addition to imam training programs by the Mohammed VI Institute.

But Talidi cautioned that “religious frameworks cannot provide much help for youth with criminal records, who don’t go to places of worship or religious teaching.”

He added that “Morocco places people who are not supported by the community abroad to religious posts, which creates a climate of tension and divisions, instead of working in a spirit of partnership with people who are more representative” of the local population. At the center of the cell was an itinerant imam who, his family told El Mundo newspaper, had not lived in Morocco in 15 years.

Youssef Gharbi, president of the commission for foreign affairs, Islamic affairs and Moroccans abroad in the lower house of parliament, said one of the main challenges is how to pass along Morocco’s cultural heritage and identity based on tolerance to a younger generation of emigres.

“Their views of their identity and of Islam are deformed, and based on a radical interpretation of religion,” Gharbi said.

He wants parliament to make this issue a priority.

“A large number of youth of the third and fourth generation of Moroccans abroad don’t know our country,” Gharbi added. “Their desire to reconnect with religion is sometimes made in a violent way.”

He proposes cultural programs for Moroccans born abroad that encompass more than just religion, with coordinated efforts among government agencies, nongovernment actors and community groups.

Rull, the school counselor who knew all of the attackers, implied in her column that the answer must go deeper and reach across the Mediterranean. The day after Abouyaaqoub was shot to death, she had more questions than answers.

“How could this be, Younes? My fingers tremble. I have never seen anyone as responsible as you,” she wrote.