Excerpts: China invests 45B in Pakistan, 90,000 fled Iraq's Anbar province.
Saudi oil.mall under threat. U.S., Britain military trainers to help
Ukraine. French arms,from Saudi, to Lebanon for defense. Saudis re Al Qaeda
in Yemen. Iraqi officer, Daesh mastermind April 20, 2015

+++SOURCE: Saudi Gazette 20 April ’15:”Chinese leader in Pakistan to unveil
$45 B in investments”,Associated Press
SUBJECT:China invests $45B in Pakistan
QUOTE:”China is a leading arms supplier to Pakistan and has saught its help
in combating anti-Chinese Islamic sepratists reportedly hiding in the
country’s lawless areas”
FUL L TEXT:ISLAMABAD — Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Pakistan on
Monday for a two-day visit in which he is expected to announce $45 billion
worth of investment projects in energy and infrastructure development.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and the country's top civilian and military
leadership received the visiting president at an air force base near the
capital, Islamabad. The president was given a military honor guard and a
fighter jet fly-by.

Xi will announce $45 billion worth of projects in the energy and
infrastructure sectors, Pakistan's minister for planning and development,
Ahsan Iqbal, said, calling it "proof of our great bond with China." He said
around $37 billion of that would be invested in energy. He also clarified
that the total amount was $45 billion. Pakistani officials had previously
put the total at $46 billion.

Iqbal said work on $28 billion worth of projects can begin immediately, with
work on the remainder starting in the next three to five years. He called
the agreements a "milestone in our history."

Sharif said the visit will open a new chapter in bilateral relations. "We
will work hand in hand with you to remove any obstacle in your way to ensure
timely completion of the planned projects," he said in a meeting with the
heads of three Chinese companies.

China and Pakistan have long maintained close political and military
relations, based partly on mutual antipathy toward neighbor India. However,
stronger China-India ties have challenged that perception and Xi's visit
seems intended to reassure Pakistan that relations remain robust.

Xi postponed a visit to Islamabad last year due to anti-government protests
and went ahead with a visit to India. China is also eager to boost trade and
investment with New Delhi, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is
expected to visit Beijing in the coming weeks.

China is a leading arms supplier to Pakistan and has sought its help in
combating anti-Chinese Islamic separatists reportedly hiding in the
country's lawless tribal areas. China is also eager to enlist Pakistan's
help in stabilizing Afghanistan as US and international troops wind down
their presence there.

Xi will be traveling with a large business delegation and is expected to
oversee the signing of investment agreements in the energy and
transportation industries, part of Beijing's plan for a China-Pakistan
"economic corridor."

"This is very important for our economic stability and development," said
political science professor Raul Bakhsh Rais. — AP



+++SOURCE: Saudi Gazette 20 April ’15:” UN:90,000 have fled Daesh advance in
Anbar”, Associated Press
SUBJECT: 90,000 fled Daesh[IS]advance Iraq’s Anbar province

FULL TEXT:BAGHDAD — More than 90,000 people have fled the Daesh (the
so-called IS) advance in Iraq’s western Anbar province, which has set off
fierce fighting in and around the provincial capital Ramadi, a United
Nations humanitarian agency said Sunday[19 April].

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said in a statement
that civilians are fleeing Ramadi as well as three nearby villages captured
by the Daesh group a few days ago. It said humanitarian agencies have moved
quickly to provide assistance, including food, water and shelter.

“Our top priority is delivering life-saving assistance to people who are
fleeing — food, water and shelter are highest on the list of priorities,”
said Lise Grande, the UN humanitarian coordinator for Iraq.

Grande expressed concern over the safety of the displaced people, who are
mainly heading to Baghdad and the IS-held city of Fallujah.

“Seeing people carrying what little they can and rushing for safety is
heart-breaking,” she added.

Iraqi officials in Anbar have described Ramadi as a ghost town, with empty
streets and closed shops.

Iraqi troops backed by US-led airstrikes managed to dislodge the Daesh group
from the northern city of Tikrit earlier this month.

But the troops have struggled against the militants in Anbar, which saw some
of the heaviest fighting of the eight-year US military intervention that
ended in 2011. — AP

+++SOURCE: Saudi Gazette 20 April ’15:”Saudi Arabia on alert over possible
oil or mall attack”,Al Arabiya

SUBJECT: Saudi oil, mall under threat

QUOTE:”Saudi Arabia has been a target of jihadist militant groups for
years. — AFP”

FULL TEXT:Saudi Arabia has put security forces on alert for a possible
militant attack on a shopping mall or energy installation, Interior Ministry
spokesman Mansour Turki said on Monday[20 April].

"There was information about a possible act targeting a mall or Aramco
installations. We passed this information to the security forces to be on
alert," he told Reuters.

Turki said he had no further information about the threat. Saudi Arabia, the
world's biggest oil exporter and key strategic ally of the United States,
has been a target of militant groups for years, including Al Qaeda and Daesh
(so called IS).

Riyadh has been carrying out air strikes against Iran-allied Houthi rebels
in neighboring Yemen since March 26 in a conflict in which nine members of
its security forces have been killed by cross-border fire.

This month Saudi police announced they had detained a Saudi citizen
suspected of shooting dead two police officers and injuring two others in
two separate attacks in Riyadh.

"Saudi Arabia is targeted by terrorism. Usually in such situations
(conflicts), there are attempts by terrorist groups to take advantage and
carry out attacks," said Turki.

On Saturday[18 April], guards at the gates of a central Riyadh shopping mall
stopped single men from entering and searched the bags of female shoppers,
Reuters reporters said.

In 2006, four Al Qaeda militants breached the gates of Saudi Aramco's Abqaiq
plant but did not manage to cause significant damage before being killed in
a shootout with security guards, Saudi authorities said.

However, a US diplomatic cable from the same year released by WikiLeaks
quoted the then-US ambassador as saying he understood that "the attack on
Abqaiq had been much closer to succeeding than generally acknowledged".

At the time, Abqaiq processed 70 percent of Saudi crude.

Subsequent US cables documented American assistance to the Saudis in
strengthening the security of energy infrastructure, including the
establishment of a dedicated, 40,000-strong Facilities Protection Force. —
Al Arabiya


+++SOURCE:Naharnet (Lebanon)2 April ’15:”U.S. Starts Training UkraineForces
to Fight Pro-Russian Militants”, Agence France Presse
SUBJECT: U.S, Britain military trainers to help Ukraine
QUOTE:”The U.S. is one of Ukraine’s biggest backers”
FULL TEXT:U.S. paratroopers launched a training mission Monday[20 April]for
Ukrainian government forces who will fight pro-Russian separatists in the
east, angering Moscow as the deadly conflict rumbles on.

President Petro Poroshenko welcomed troops from the U.S. 173rd Airborne
Brigade for Operation Fearless Guardian in a rain-soaked ceremony at a
military base in Yavoriv, western Ukraine.

"We are the eyewitnesses and direct participants in forming the new
Ukrainian military, which like the phoenix is returning after a long time,"
Poroshenko told the assembled troops.

Officials said some 300 U.S. troops will train 900 members of Ukraine's
National Guard, which is deployed in the east where heavy arms fire
continues despite a February ceasefire.

U.S. Army Major Michael Weisman told AFP the U.S. mission would provide
training in individual and medical skills and defense maneuvers, with the
kind of weapons already in use by the Ukrainian forces such as AK-47 assault
rifles.

As the U.S. troops arrived in Ukraine last week, Russia warned the move
could "destabilize" the ex-Soviet country, where the conflict has killed
more than 6,000 people in the past year.

The United States is one of Ukraine's biggest backers in a conflict that has
dragged relations between Russia and the West to their lowest point since
the Cold War.

Poroshenko called the exercises the first of their kind and "one of the
biggest and most important demonstrations of solidarity" between his
pro-Western government and its U.S. allies.

"The circumstances under which these exercises are being held are also
unique," he added, referring to the conflict in the east.

Washington has sent $75 million (70 million euros) worth of non-lethal
military aid to Kiev, but has so far held off from supplying weapons.

"We are not providing weapons," Weisman told AFP. "What we are merely doing
is getting them better with theirs."

Kiev and the West have cited growing evidence that Russia is arming
separatists who control parts of eastern Ukraine and sending troops to fight
alongside them, but Russia has repeatedly denied this.

Moscow accuses the United States of backing the uprising that preceded the
ousting of former pro-Russia president Viktor Yanukovych in February last
year. Moscow subsequently annexed the Crimean peninsula.

U.S. troops have trained with Ukrainian forces in the past, but it is the
first time Washington has trained members of Ukraine's recently re-formed
National Guard.

The U.S. troops "are going to teach us all they know, from individual
preparation to more difficult things such as shooting, communication between
units and planning operations," said Oleksandr Poroniuk, a spokesman for the
Ukrainian army.

Ukraine had asked the United States to send the training mission according
to an article published by the US army on April 11.

"This training will help them defend their borders and their sovereignty,"
it quoted brigade planning officer Captain Ashish Patel as saying.

A ground convoy drove from the U.S. brigade's base in northern Italy to the
Ukrainian military zone in Yavoriv near the Polish border, with vehicles and
equipment.

Both countries stressed the equipment was for use by the U.S. brigade in the
training and is not to be issued to Ukrainian forces.

Ukrainian army spokesman Andriy Lysenko said last week the training will
include "how to give first aid, react to shelling and find out the positions
of militants".

Britain has also deployed personnel to Ukraine to train government forces,
in a mission that could reportedly involve up to 75 trainers at a time.
Canada announced last week it would also send 200 trainers in the summer.

+++SOURCE: Naharnet (Lebanon) 20 April ’15:”France Delivers Arms to Bolster
Lebanon’s Defensive Capabilities”
·
SUBJECT: French arms from Saudi,to Lebanon for defense

FULL TEXT:Lebanon received on [Monday 20 April] the first shipment of $3
billion worth of French arms under a Saudi-financed deal to boost the
country's defensive capabilities to combat terror threats, along its
northeastern border in particular….

“The second batch of weapons will arrive in Lebanon next month,” (French
Defense Minister)Le Drian told reporters.

He revealed that around 60 French officers will also arrive in Lebanon to
oversee the training of Lebanese troops and the implementation of the aid
program.The diplomat said that France will oversee the implementation of the
Saudi deal over a timeframe of 10 years.“We aim at modernizing and
restructuring the security forces to enable it to enter a new era of leading
military operations,” he noted.

Le Drian praised the Lebanese army's efforts to prevent terrorists from
infiltrating the country, saying: “The army plays a significant role in
Lebanon, in particular in its war against terrorism.”Lebanon is undergoing
pressure by the Islamic State group and (al-Qaida-affiliate) al-Nusra Front,
which constitutes a real challenge.”

For his part, Moqbel praised the efforts exerted by Lebanon's allies to
bolster the capabilities of its army, in particular the United States.

Both officials hailed the endeavors exerted by former President Michel
Suleiman to press forward the implementation of the deal, which was first
announced during his tenure in 2013.

Asked about an Iranian pledge to offer aid to the Lebanese army, Moqbel said
that the matter is in the hands of the cabinet, which is waiting for the
U.N. Security Council to lift sanctions off Tehran. [IMRA: Iran effort to
engage Lebanon?]

“The Lebanese army is ready to accept any unconditional grant by any
country,” the minister said.

"A victory for Lebanon against terrorism is a victory for all countries,
near and far, who are threatened by terrorism," Moqbel added.

Asiri said the kingdom's financing came as "Lebanon faces more challenges
than ever."

"The kingdom's gift will support the Lebanese army and legitimacy in
Lebanon," he said.

"It is support for a legitimate army that ensures stability at a time when
Lebanon faces security challenges."

Lebanon's allies are seeking to bolster the country's defenses against the
Islamic State group and other jihadists pressing along its Syrian border.

France is expected to deliver 250 combat and transport vehicles, seven
Cougar helicopters, three small Corvette warships and a range of
surveillance and communications equipment over four years as part of the $3
billion (2.8 billion-euro) modernization program.

It is being entirely funded by Saudi Arabia, which is keen to see Lebanon's
army defend its borders against jihadist groups, particularly the IS group
and al-Nusra Front.

The contract also promises seven years of training for the 70,000-strong
Lebanese army and 10 years of equipment maintenance.

Since the conflict in neighboring Syria broke out in 2011, Lebanon has faced
mounting spill-over threats, first from the millions of refugees pouring
across the border and increasingly from jihadists.

In August, the kingdom also offered another $1 billion in funds to allow the
army to purchase supplies immediately.

Qahwaji later said that the French weapons are needed by the army during
this stage and a necessity given the challenges it is facing.

Le Drian later met with Speaker Nabih Berri in Ain el-Tineh.


+++SOURCE:Jordan Times 20 April ’15:”Saudis will have to hit Al Qaeda in
Yemen---Analysts”, Agence France Presse
SUBJECT: Saudis re Al Qaeda in Yemen

QUOTE: ”Analyst: But any attempt to re-establish stability in Yemen will
necessitate confronting Al Qaeda”

FULL TEXT: DUBAI — With its campaign against Yemeni rebels at full throttle,
Saudi Arabia has spared Al Qaeda which has capitalised on the chaos, but
experts say Riyadh will have to hit them eventually.

Faced with the Shiite rebels' march on Aden, President Abed Rabbo Mansour
Hadi's southern refuge, Riyadh assembled a Sunni-Arab coalition that
launched a campaign of air strikes on March 26.Since then, coalition
warplanes have pounded Houthi positions and those of its allies across the
country, as Sunni tribesmen joined the fight against the rebels.

"The growing confessional nature of the conflict definitely gives the
extremists on both sides a bigger margin for manoeuvre, so fighting Al Qaeda
might not seem like the most urgent priority," said Elie Al Hindy, political
science professor at Notre Dame University in Lebanon.is might explain why
Riyadh did not react when Al Qaeda on April 2 seized Mukalla, the capital of
Hadramawt province.

Experts have spoken of an adverse effect of the military intervention,
evoking a "circumstantial alliance" between Riyadh and Al Qaeda, which
considers Shiites to be heretics.

Saudi Arabia has been in war with Al Qaeda for more than a decade, hitting
what it calls the "deviant group" with an iron fist.

"A de facto alliance can be ruled out," Hindy said.

Taking advantage of Hadramawt being generally spared the air raids, Al Qaeda
in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) seized Mukalla airport and a military base
full of heavy weaponry.

"While the coalition is busy with its job [striking Houthis], AQAP is
benefiting from the situation by seizing positions," said Mathieu Guidere,
Islamic studies professor at the University of Toulouse in France.

He argues that if the coalition succeeds in defeating the Houthis, "the next
step will be kle AQAP which also threatens the legitimate authority in
Yemen".

However, opening a second front now would complicate Riyadh's task, so key
ally Washington is doing its share by pressing its campaign of drone attacks
against the terrorists.

AQAP acknowledged this week that its ideologue Ibrahim Al Rubaish was killed
in a drone attack near Mukalla.And late on Saturday[19 April], three other
militants died in the same manner in the southern province of Shabwa.

Since last year, Yemen’s government has been caught between the Houthi
rebels in the north and Al Qaeda in the southeast.

But as the rebels allied with troops loyal to former president Ali Abdullah
Saleh advanced on the south after seizing Sanaa, government forces collapsed
and the president fled to Saudi Arabia.

According to Jean-Pierre Filiu of the Paris School of International Affairs,
Riyadh is “hitting the wrong mark in taking Tehran and the Houthis as its
main adversaries, rather than former president Saleh who is the main person
responsible for Yemen’s descent into chaos”.

“The anti-Shiite mobilisation, rather than being anti-Saleh, plays into the
jihadist hands,” he said.

Riyadh also needs to take into account the involvement of heavily armed
tribes which are also fighting the Houthis.

Tribesmen seized the country’s only gas terminal at Balhaf last Tuesday[14
April], and tribal fighters three days later captured Masila oilfield in
Hadramawt.

One tribal chief, Ahmed Bamaes, told AFP the tribesmen wanted to “protect”
the facility to ensure it does not fall into the hands of Al Qaeda or the
Houthis.

This takeover is a “another demonstration of the state collapsing and... a
re-appropriation of resources confiscated by the regime of Saleh” during his
three decades in power, said Filiu.

Military sources say current and former members of Al Qaeda are also
fighting alongside Sunni tribesmen.

For Riyadh, not all jihadists are necessarily members of Al Qaeda, in that
they belong to tribes that could be natural allies.

But any attempt to re-establish stability in Yemen will necessitate
confronting Al Qaeda.

“Fighting Al Qaeda may not seem like the most urgent priority, but the
eventual reinstatement of legitimate government is the right way to
eradicate extremist factions,” Hindy said.

“But this will take time.”




+++SOURCE: Jordan Times 20 April’15:”Iraqi officer under Sadam masterminded
rise of Daesh—Spiegel”, by Reuters
[IMRA: Operative conclusion: with such top people - either co-opt or
kill?]
SUBJECT: Iraqi officer,Daesh mastermind

QUOTE:”the secret to Daesh’s success lies in its combination of
opposites –the fanatical belief of one group and the calculations by
another, led by Bakr”

FULL TEXT:BERLIN — A former intelligence officer for the late Iraqi leader
Saddam Hussein was the mastermind behind Daesh’s takeover of northern Syria,
according to a report by Der Spiegel that is based on documents uncovered by
the German magazine.

Spiegel, in a lengthy story published at the weekend and entitled "Secret
Files Reveal the Structure of Daesh", says it gained access to 31 pages of
handwritten charts, lists and schedules which amount to a blueprint for the
establishment of a caliphate in Syria.

The documents were the work of a man identified by the magazine as Samir Abd
Muhammad Al Khlifawi, a former colonel in the intelligence service of Saddam
Hussein's air defence force, who went by the pseudonym Haji Bakr.

Spiegel says the files suggest that the takeover of northern Syria was part
of a meticulous plan overseen by Haji Bakr using techniques — including
surveillance, espionage, murder and kidnapping — honed in the security
apparatus of Saddam Hussein.

The Iraqi national was reportedly killed in a firefight with Syrian rebels
in January 2014, but not before he had helped secure swathes of Syria, which
in turn strengthened Daesh’s position in neighbouring Iraq.

"What Bakr put on paper, page by page, with carefully outlined boxes for
individual responsibilities, was nothing less than a blueprint for a
takeover," the story by Spiegel reporter Christoph Reuter says.

"It was not a manifesto of faith, but a technically precise plan for an
'Islamic Intelligence State' — a caliphate run by an organisation that
resembled East Germany's notorious Stasi domestic intelligence agency."

The story describes Bakr as being "bitter and unemployed" after US
authorities in Iraq disbanded the army by decree in 2003. Between 2006 to
2008 he was reportedly in US detention facilities, including Abu Ghraib
prison.

In 2010 however, it was Bakr and a small group of former Iraqi intelligence
officers who made Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi the official leader of Daesh, which
calls itself the “Islamic State”, with the goal of giving the group a
"religious face", the story says.

Two years later, the magazine says, Bakr travelled to northern Syria to
oversee his takeover plan, choosing to launch it with a collection of
foreign fighters that included novice militants from Saudi Arabia, Tunisia
and Europe alongside battle-tested Chechens and Uzbeks.

Iraqi journalist Hisham Al Hashimi, whose cousin served with Bakr, describes
the former officer as a nationalist rather than an Islamist. The story
argues that the secret to Daesh's success lies in its combination of
opposites — the fanatical beliefs of one group and the strategic
calculations of another, led by Bakr.

Spiegel said it had obtained the papers after lengthy negotiations with
rebels in the Syrian city of Aleppo, who had seized them when Daesh was
forced to abandon its headquarters there in early 2014.

==============
Sue Lerner - Associate., IMRA