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'This gets to the fabric of the nation': Inside the dark conspiracy that made its way from the fringe to the White House

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donald TRUMP

The modern history of the "deep state" in American politics — real or imagined — starts with real leaks of classified information and ends as a conspiracy theory on popular yet dubious websites. And how it got there raises serious questions about whether the intelligence community is trying to subvert a new president or whether it's a convenient scapegoat for an administration that's had its share of early foibles.

A deep state is a network of influential members of a government’s agencies or military who operate against a democratically elected government. It might work to undermine an elected president’s authority or legitimacy and has been common in countries such as Egypt and Turkey. The concern in the US started shortly after Donald Trump took office. In early February, The New York Times and The Washington Post published a series of explosive reports about the intelligence community’s investigations into the Trump campaign’s communications with Russian officials during the 2016 election.

The reports, citing anonymous officials, revealed that then national-security adviser Michael Flynn had discussed US sanctions on Russia with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak before Trump took office, despite Flynn’s claims that he and Kislyak had not discussed anything sensitive during their phone calls. The next day, The Times broke a story on what it said were "repeated contacts" that Trump associates had with Russian officials during the campaign. CNN published another report that night in which sources said communication between Trump associates and Russian officials during the campaign was “constant.” Flynn resigned a short time later.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions later had to recuse himself from any Department of Justice investigations into the Trump campaign’s ties to Russia after additional leaks revealed that he had also had contact with Russian officials during the campaign.

An American deep state?

The steady drip of classified leaks about President Trump’s young administration has led some to speculate about the beginnings of an American deep state. The term is derived from the Turkish "derin devlet," which refers to an intricate network made up of government officials, often including those from the military and intelligence communities, whose primary goal is to subvert a democratically elected leader's agenda and ultimately remove that leader from power.

Lebanon Speaker says electoral law proposal is valid until May 15

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by Joseph A. Kechichian, Senior Writer gulf news - Beirut: Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament and Amal Party leader Nabih Berri has called on political elites to approve his electoral law proposal, according to a report published in daily Al Akhbar on Saturday. The pro-Hezbollah newspaper clarified that the proposal “will not be valid after May 15” when the next parliament session is scheduled to begin. The proposal By Berri calls for “electing” a senate under a sectarian voting system, and a parliament under an electoral law fully based on proportional representation, a plank rejected by the leading groups. The proposed Senate, which was envisaged by the 1989 Taif Accords that ended the 15-years long Lebanese Civil War, would include 64 members, divided equally between Muslims and Christians and would allocate its presidency to the Druze community. Foreign Minister Jibran Bassil, who is also the head of the Free Patriotic Movement, insisted that the Senate ought to be led by a Christian. Druze leaders, led by Walid Junblatt, vowed that Taif Accords meant to allocate the Senate chairmanship to their community.

Berri’s formula anticipated such a disagreement and recommended that the Senate chairmanship be allocated to the Greek Orthodox community, with the Druze being given either the deputy speaker or the deputy premier post. It is unclear whether these options are acceptable to those most affected and their partners, with the Speaker declaring that his “offer ends in a few days”. He added: “By then I will no more accept what I do now. I have relinquished some powers of the parliament, which I have acquired for many years, in order to reach solutions, but it seems some people do not want a solution”. Proposals to revisit the anticipated creation of a Senate at this time further complicated the search for a new electoral law with the goal to replace the existing 1960 model. The Minister of Finance Ali Hassan Khalil, a top political aide to Berri, said that the only acceptable proposal after May 15 will be full-fledged proportional representation, which is rejected by most constituents.

Lebanon's PM launches cheaper mobile plan for students

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Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri talks during a conference in Beirut, Lebanon January 19, 2017. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir

by Daily Star Lebanon - BEIRUT: Prime Minister Saad Hariri Friday launched a promotional offer for mobile users who are university students in Lebanon. Hariri said in speech during a ceremony at the Grand Serail that the Lebanese state stands by its youth. “This is a vital and practical matter. Students who conduct research are in dire need to connect,” he said. Both mobile telecoms operators, Alfa and touch, announced a discounted offer for university students offering discounted rates for mobile data bundles, including text messages and data. “Having a faster internet connection is a top priority in this country,” Hariri said, thanking the mobile network operators and promising to achieve more. “It is our duty ... to work for your benefit, because at the end we are here for you,” Hariri said. The ceremony was also attended by Telecommunications Minister Jamal Jarrah. © Copyright The Daily Star 2017.

Frangieh blasts rivals, says Aoun's term didn't achieve purpose

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The Daily Star

BEIRUT: Marada Movement leader Sleiman Frangieh has said that the political crisis in Lebanon is a presidential election battle and not an electoral law debate, adding that the new presidential term didn't achieve its purpose. "This is a presidential battle and not one to restore the rights of Christians," Frangieh, the former presidential candidate, said in a talk show aired on LBCI Thursday evening. Frangieh warned of failing to agree on a vote law and dragging the country into vacuum, adding that "no sustainable changes have occurred" after the election of President Michel Aoun as the country's 13th president after an almost two and a half year vacuum. He called for agreement among rival parties to avert a "catastrophe." Politicians are still scrambling to agree on a new vote law. "We have fought a fierce battle for over 10 years to elect a strong president, but when the strong president arrived we didn't see any changes. The country didn't advance in the past six months," Frangieh said.

Frangieh, who ran against Aoun in the presidential race, said that "Aoun was a symbol of change and reform but what we are seeing doesn't meet our aspirations." FThe Marada chief said that the best solution to the electoral law deadlock is to agree on a vote law and conduct the elections within three months. He expressed his vehement support for a proportional system "because we believe in partnership." Frangieh told his interviewer that rivals are afraid to adopt the Orthodox vote law. The Orthodox Gathering Law, as it is called, was proposed in 2012 by former Deputy Speaker Elie Ferzli, and was supported mainly by the FPM. It essentially calls for each sect to elect its own MPs within the country as a single district. Critics, however, said it would aggravate sectarian divisions in the country.The Marada leader also blasted Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil sectarian-based qualification vote proposal. "Bassil doesn't want to take the stairs one step at a time ... He is working on isolating or ending any competition." He said that Bassil had proposed the same vote law since 2005 but with different forms. "They want to fix a vote law that suits them."

Al-Rahi Meets Pope, Hands Him Invitation to Visit Lebanon

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by Naharnet

Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi held talks Friday in the Vatican with Pope Francis I and handed him an official invitation to visit Lebanon, the National News Agency reported. “The invitation is signed by Lebanon's Catholic patriarchs and it follows another official invitation that was handed to the pope by President Michel Aoun during his latest visit to the Vatican,” NNA said. Al-Rahi also handed to the pope a detailed report about the situations in the Middle East and Lebanon, the agency added. The patriarch also thanked the pontiff for his visit to Egypt last weekend, stressing “the importance of this critical period in the life of the region.” The pope for his part expressed his “solidarity with the Arab peoples amid the events that are lashing a lot of their countries,” adding that he is “praying daily and expressing solidarity with the aggrieved and refugees who are living under the threat of terrorism and war.”

Lebanon: Members of Diaspora Encouraged to Return Home

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Lebanese President Michel Aoun delivers a speech during a rally celebrating his election on November 6, 2016, at the presidential palace in Baabda. (AFP)

by Daily Star:By Joseph Haboush

President Michel Aoun and Prime Minister Saad Hariri signed a decree Thursday in front of an audience of over 1,000 members of the Lebanese diaspora with the aim of encouraging them to reclaim their Lebanese citizenship. The decree was signed as part of the fourth annual Lebanese Diaspora Energy Conference, hosted by the Foreign Ministry. At the Cabinet meeting following the event, Aoun, Hariri and Interior Minister Nouhad Machnouk officially granted Nazih Mikhael Khazzaka Lebanese citizenship, the first diaspora member to gain a passport under Law 441, passed in 2015. Speaking at the event held at the Beirut International Exhibition and Leisure Center, Aoun told conference attendees, “You belong to a small nation on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea whose geographical footprint doesn’t even allow for its name to be written completely across a map.” Aoun rhetorically asked, “What is greater than returning to the motherland to which you belong?” The President went on to say it is the duty of the diaspora to help rebuild Lebanon. “Just as it is your duty to be loyal to the nations that took you in and granted you a better life, and which you helped build ... it is also your duty to be loyal to your motherland that calls on you to also help build it,” Aoun said.

Also at the conference, Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil renewed calls for a number of parliamentary seats to be allocated for the diaspora. “It is your right to have MPs that represent you and that is why we are fighting to have six seats in our Parliament [for you], one for each continent. ... Stay Lebanese,” Bassil said. Some members of the Lebanese diaspora were visiting the country for the first time to attend the conference. A group of around 10 Argentines of Lebanese origin sat together, with one woman telling The Daily Star this was her first time in the country. “After attending the LDE conference in Sao Paulo [last year], I decided to come to this year’s conference in Beirut,” she said.

Among the keynote speakers were former Dominican Republic presidential candidate Luis Abinader. The current front-runner for the island nation’s 2020 presidential elections told the audience that between 80,000 and 100,000 Dominicans are descendants of Lebanese immigrants “who have successfully integrated into the Dominican society.” Former United States congressman Nick Rahall spoke of his pride at being Lebanese, saying, “Khalil Gibran was so correct when he penned the words, ‘He who denies his heritage, has no heritage.’ My heritage is Lebanon.” Rahall described the Lebanese diaspora as “the beating heart that pumps the blood of life to the entire world.” He also made reassurances of America’s commitment to Lebanon, saying, “We continue to believe strongly in a sovereign, free and independent Lebanon.”

Son of slain Lebanese President Rene Moawad, Michel, told The Daily Star the Foreign Ministry’s work was commendable and that the conference was a good contribution to the development of the country. “We have many problems in Lebanon, but we are not the only country in the world with problems. ... In order to solve these problems, we must start with communication between Lebanese inside and outside of the country.” But he remained upbeat, highlighting the numbers the conference drew. “Who would have thought, five years ago, that this event would be this successful?”

Aoun Calls on Lebanese Expats to Return Home

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Lebanese Diaspora Energy (LED)

english.aawsat.com

Beirut – Lebanese President Michel Aoun called on expatriates to return to their country and contribute to its reconstruction. Aoun’s comments came during the 4th edition of the “Lebanese Diaspora Energy” (LED) Conference, which kicked off on Thursday at the Beirut International Exhibition and Leisure Center (BIEL). The conference saw Aoun Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri signing the first decree that allows Lebanese diaspora to reclaim their citizenship from their country of residence. “Lebanese diaspora…you might be absent from Lebanon physically, but not from its heart,” the Lebanese president said, adding: “Although you have a duty to fulfill to the nations that embraced you, you also have a duty of loyalty to your motherland.” “Lebanon’s history with immigration is long and painful,” the president said. “People think that the path of emigration is filled with roses and jasmine flowers, but only those who have left know how difficult it is,” he added. The Lebanese foreign ministry launched the Lebanese Diaspora Energy in 2014 within its endeavor to encourage Lebanon’s expat population to stay connected with their homeland. The three-day conference, which will run until May 6, is gathering Lebanese expats and businessmen from around the world. The conference is aimed to encourage expat registration for citizenship and voting, and to invest in the country. On its official website, the LED has detailed its four main goals, which include “celebrating the Diaspora’s success stories throughout their journey in different countries; promoting the Lebanese heritage by spreading Lebanese culture, traditions and vision throughout the world; establishing connections between the diaspora and the residents, thus providing a chance to share experiences and enhance relations; and exploring new possibilities and opportunities, where together, Lebanese residents and expatriates can restore the image of Lebanon and the world’s trust in the economy of the country.”