Foreign Digest, Middle East: Lebanon, Libya, Syria, Iran and Turkey

Lebanon: There have been Israeli attacks on Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed Shi’ite terrorists, in Lebanon, in addition to occasional attacks on Hezbollah and Iranian positions in Syria. A member of Hezbollah was convicted and sentenced to prison for the murder of a former Prime Minister in 2005. Libya: Russian mercenaries missed a deadline given by the Libyan government to withdraw amidst a decade of civil war. A new Libyan transitional government of national unity was formed, under the auspices of the United Nations, which then turned over power to a provisional government in March to lead Libya to elections in December. Libya has suffered a decade of civil war. The Libyan people overthrow longtime tyrant Muamar Qaddafi, but were divided among Islamists and non-Islamists, with also some tribal divisions. Syria: The United States has imposed more sanctions on the tyrannical Syrian regime of Bashar Assad for opposing a political solution to the bloody civil war in Syria that has killed hundreds of thousands and caused millions to flee over nearly a decade. Germany convicted an agent of Assad residing on its soil of crimes against humanity. The United Kingdom has indicted they Syrian tyrant and his wife, a Briton, for war crimes. The war has lasted 10 years, killed well over half a million people and made refugees of millions. Syria is an ally of fellow state sponsor of terrorism Iran. Various non-Islamists and Islamists oppose the regime, while Russia and Iran support it with troops. Meanwhile, Israel continues to strike targets of Iranian-backed terrorists in Syria. The United States struck Iranian-backed jihadists in Syria in retaliation for rocket attacks on Americans in Iraq. There was another rigged presidential election in May in which the Assad regime continued its half-century hold on power, despite being from a small minority Muslim sect, as meaningful opposition is not permitted in Syria. Iran: There was another presidential election in Iran in June that was not free and fair, as the Islamic Republic continued its 42-years of Islamist tyranny. The regime does not permit any but Islamist candidates. Turkey: There continued to be more arrests allegedly for the failed military coup in 2016, including in Northern Cyprus, a breakaway state inhabited by Turkish Cypriots that is only recognized by Turkey.