Excerpts: Iran's corruption and civil rights overlooked. To exit ISIS, Assad
must go. Jordan's King, U.N.s Ban re Israel October 23, 2015

+++SOURCE: Al Arabiya News 23 Oct.’15:”Iran’s corruption and human rights
overlooked”, by Dr. Majid Rafizadeh
SUBJECT:Iran’s corruption and human rights overlooked

FULL TEXT:While Iran’s nuclear deal continues to hold the spotlight, two
other critical issues demand much more attention than they are receiving.
Despite President Hassan Rowhani’s pledges to the contrary, corruption and
human rights continue to pose a huge challenge.

According to Transparency International, Iran ranks 136 out of 175
countries. The scale of corruption has not changed significantly when
comparing Rowhani’s presidency with that of his predecessor Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad.

A considerable part of the economy and financial systems are owned and
controlled by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the office of
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Since they enjoy the final say in
decision-making, Rowhani and his cabinet do not have the power to tackle
corruption.

Corruption in Iran is ingrained in the political and financial institutions
that are the country’s backbone.

However, often figures across the political spectrum, including members of
the president’s office, engage in corruption for their political and
financial benefit. Corruption in Iran is ingrained in the political and
financial institutions that are the country’s backbone.

Embezzlement and money-laundering within the banking system are prime
examples of corruption. In addition, corruption takes place by granting
loans, financial benefits and fellowships to relatives of senior officials
or those who show their loyalty.

Facade
From time to time, the judiciary might bring a political or business figure
to court on charges of corruption. Most recently, billionaire Babak Zanjani
has been put on trial, accused of embezzling $2.7 billion from the
government-owned petroleum company.

The rare occasions when cases are brought to court are not part of a
concerted effort to fight corruption. Instead, they appear to be a facade
put on to alleviate people’s frustration over the economic difficulties they
face, which are exacerbated by corruption.

Normally such cases are closed, or the sentences are kept secret after
months of trial with no legal explanation. These cases can also be due to
political disagreement between factions of the system and the defendant,
thereby used as a tool to warn or punish.

If the government really wanted to fight corruption, the first step would be
to properly enforce article 142 of the constitution, which states: “The
assets of the Leader, the President, the deputies to the President, and
ministers, as well as those of their spouses and offspring, are to be
examined before and after their term of office by the head of the judicial
power, in order to ensure they have not increased in a fashion contrary to
law.”

The government claims to be working to improve Iran’s human rights records,
but many have observed that Rowhani’s promises have not even begun to be
fulfilled.

Human rights
The government claims to be working to improve Iran’s human rights records,
but many have observed that Rowhani’s promises have not even begun to be
fulfilled.

His office appears to have chosen not to challenge the three major
institutions that set the boundaries for human rights, civil liberties and
social justice: the IRGC, Iran’s intelligence (Etela’at) and the judiciary.

The judiciary recently executed a juvenile convicted for the death of her
husband. According to a recent release by the U.N. special rapporteur on
human rights in Iran, Ahmed Shaheed: “These executions are disturbing
examples of surging execution rates and questionable fair trial standards.”
Iran “must comply with its international law obligations and put an end to
the execution of juvenile offenders once and for all.”

____________
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh is an Iranian-American scholar, author and U.S. foreign
policy specialist. Rafizadeh is the president of the International American
Council. He serves on the board of Harvard International Review at Harvard
University and Harvard International Relations Council. He is a member of
the Gulf 2000 Project at Columbia University, School of International and
Public Affairs. Previously he served as ambassador to the National
Iranian-American Council based in Washington DC. He can be contacted at:
Dr.Rafizadeh@post.harvard.edu, or on Twitter: @MajidRafizadeh

Last Update: Friday, 23 October 2015 KSA 12:45 - GMT 09:45

Disclaimer: Views expressed by writers in the opinion section are their own
and do not reflect Al Arabiya News's point-of-view.


++SOURCE: Al Arabiya News 23 Oct.’15: “Saudi FM says to get rid of ISIS,
Assad must go”, by Staff Writer
SUBJECT: To exit ISIS, Assad must go

QUOTE:Saudi's foreign minister said Syrian President Bashar al-Assad must go
to rid Syria of Islamist rebels.

Saudi's foreign minister said on Thursday[22 Oct.] that embattled Syrian
President Bashar al-Assad clinging in power is working as a “magnet” by
allowing foreign militants to recruit more fighters, and he must go to rid
Syria of ISIS.

Adel Jubeir reiterated Riyadh’s stance after President Assad met with
Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Wednesday[21 Oct] in his first
foreign visit since 2011.

After the visit, Putin also spoke with Saudi King Salman to discuss Syria.

Jubeir said Riyadh believes in Syrian “unity” and to keep its government
institutions intact.

He also urged for a “peaceful” solution as soon as possible, and urged for
the implementation of Geneva I peace communique.

The Geneva talks - last held in January last year - marked the first time
Syria’s warring sides had sat down together since the war began in 2011.
They revolved around the so-called Geneva I communique, drawn up by an
international conference in 2012 in the Swiss city.

While the communique does not mention Assad’s role in Syria, Assad’s
government grudgingly accepted the principles of the communique as it
endorses political transition.

Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Thursday[22 Oct]
Iran, Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates should be part of
talks to solve the crisis in Syria, Russian news agencies reported.

Lavrov also said Russia does not see the point in providing external support
for Syria without Iran’s participation.

But Jubeir said Iran is part of the problem and should not be part of the
solution in Syria.


+++SOURCE: Jordan Times 23 Oct.’15:”King warns against change in Jerusalem
status quo”, by JT

SUBJECT: Jordan’s King,U.N’s Ban re Israel

QUOTE:”Jordanian role in defending Jerusalem in line with the Kingdom’s
religious and historic duty and the Hashemite custodianship of the city’s
Islamic and Christian holy sites”

FULL TEXT:AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Thursday[22 Oct] highlighted
the Jordanian role in defending Jerusalem in line with the Kingdom’s
religious and historic duty and the Hashemite custodianship of the city's
Islamic and Christian holy sites.

At a meeting with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, His Majesty warned
against any attempts to change the status quo at Al Aqsa Mosque and Al Haram
Al Sharif, according to a Royal Court statement.

The King noted that reaching a comprehensive and just peace according to the
two-state solution is the only exit from regional crises, a goal that
requires all parties to exert their utmost efforts in support of achieving
the envisioned solution.

For his part, the secretary general briefed the King on the outcome of his
tour of Palestine and Israel, stressing the important Jordanian role and the
Hashemite custodianship of Jerusalem's holy sites, the statement added.

According to a UN statement, the UN chief “briefed the King about his
meetings with Israeli and Palestinian leaders in which he appealed to them
to put an end to the continuing violence in Jerusalem, the West Bank and
Israel”.

“The secretary general noted the responsibility of Arab leaders to encourage
calm and to ensure that this crisis does not get out of control. He
reiterated the importance of reducing tensions at the holy places in
Jerusalem and called for upholding the status quo in line with previous
understandings between Israel and Jordan, and with respect to Jordan’s
special role.”

The UN official referred to the international community’s responsibility for
reaching a comprehensive and just solution to the Palestinian issue.

Both sides also stressed that the lack of a vision for solving the
Palestinian-Israeli conflict increases tension, and is likely to inflame a
religious war in the region and lead to worsening of a situation whose
repercussions would affect all, according to the statement.

Royal Court Chief Fayez Tarawneh and King’s Office Director Jafar Hassan
also attended the meeting.
============
Sue Lerner - Associate, IMRA