text: With SUNRISE, Partho Sen-Gupta reveals himself to be, not unlike Anurag Kashyap (UGLY, GANGS OF WASSEYPUR), one of India's most promising independent filmmakers. Staying off Bollywood's beaten path, he instead offers with SUNRISE a poignant and maddening noir-inflected thriller, set in Mumbai's child-trafficking industry. Deliberately provocative, structurally challenging and exquisitely stylized, in alternating Refn-esque garish colours and expressive chiaroscuro that would make Pedro Costa proud, SUNRISE unfolds like a lucid dream, or rather, the nightmare of one police officer, whose guilt materializes as horror. Powerful, bold and uncompromising, there is nothing even remotely sunny about SUNRISE, yet it shines bright, violently eclipsing the competition. -Ariel Esteban Cayer (2014, 85 min., video)


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Posts Tagged 'mock labs'
INE CCIE RSv5 Lab Cram Session is now available for viewing in our All Access Pass Library. This course includes over 35 hours of new content for CCIE Routing & Switching Version 5, including both technology review sessions as well as a step-by-step walkthrough of two new CCIE RSv5 Mock Lab Exams. These new Mock Labs are available here as part of INE's CCIE RSv5 Workbook.
This class is designed as a last minute review of technologies and strategy before taking the actual CCIE RSv5 Lab Exam. Each of the two Mock Labs covered in class are subdivided into three sections – just like the actual exam – Troubleshooting, Diagnostics, and Configuration.
Rack rentals are available for these mock labs here. Technical discussion of the labs is through our Online Community, IEOC.
Happy Labbing!
Hi Everyone,
Just to let you know about our progress in RS product development, here are the latest updates:
- Two new IEWB-RS VOL2 labs posted to all subscribed accounts. This makes it 15 out of 20 labs fully updates to match the new CCIE lab blueprint.
- More stuff added to Scott Morris incredible CCIE Audio Bootcamp! Of course, more updates coming soon from Scott, so stay tuned!
- INE's Advanced Troubleshooting Bootcamp CoD has been released – the only one of its kind in the market! Together with IEBW-RS VOL4 the products constitute an ultimate solution for preparing you for the troubleshooting section of the new CCIE lab exam.
- INE and GradedLabs released four out of seven Mock Labs fully updated for the new CCIE lab blueprint. So if you are taking Mocks Labs 1-4 now, rest assured they match the updated lab blueprint, and include three sections: Core Knowledge, Troubleshooting and Configuration!
Our further plans include finishing VOL2 by second week of November, and releasing more VOL4 labs by third week of November. The troubleshooting workbook should be completed early December, and the first labs for the Dynamips edition of VOL2 should be posted mid-November. That's it in short!
Thanks for choosing INE and good luck with your studies!
Tags: ccie, ccie product updates, ccie troubleshooting, gradelabs, mock labs

subset: commoncrawl


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May 08, 2015 7:00PM to May 09, 2015 5:30PM
in partnership with
Rails Girls Manila 2015 is a whole day seminar and workshop in partnership with Rails Girls Manila community, Philippine Ruby Users Group (PhRUG) and Microsoft Philippines that aims to build up development skills on Ruby on Rails development platform. This event is for ladies who are interested in learning how build for the web.
This event is made up of the following sub-events:
803 Ecotower, 9th ave corner 32nd street,
BGC, Taguig
May 08, 2015 7:00PM to May 08, 2015 9:00PM
8/F 6750 Ayala Office Tower, Ayala Ave, Makati City, Philippines
May 09, 2015 9:00AM to May 09, 2015 5:00PM
19:00 - 21:00 Installations and getting to know each other
|9:00 - 10:00
Note: Registration will be closed at 10AM.
|10:00 - 10:30
|Welcome Remarks and Intro to DevCon
|10:30 - 11:00
|11:00 - 11:30
|Introduction to programming
|11:30 - 13:00
|13:00 - 14:00
|14:00 - 17:00
While the DevCon team loves to conduct workshops that would help you learn new technologies as a community initiative, heads up! There will be no certificates provided for this camp.
Software Requirements
We will be helping you install the required software during the Installation Party.
If you cannot come to the Installation Party, please follow the instructions at Rails Girls Guide for installing Rails before going to the event.
1. Be updated for further event announcements:
Follow us on Twitter (@DevConPH) and Instagram (@DevConPH)
Like the DevCon Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/DevConPH
Join the DevCon Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/devconph
Register here: http://www.eventbrite.com/e/rails-girls-tickets-16734837349?aff=es2


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CLOUD - SIP Trunksvoice over a data connection
Speak to our Sales Team for FREE
0800 112 4000
100Kb of bandwidth is needed to carry one SIP call
Download our SIP Overview Presentation
Cloud-based SIP
Our SIP platform is dual-hosted, for resilience, in 2 Cloud platforms at Tier 3 data centres in Manchester and London
Can be integrated with Microsoft Skype for Business
What are SIP trunks?
What are SIP trunks and why are they becoming so popular? Is it just because they are cheaper?
Introduction to SIP trunks
SIP trunks are the modern alternative to ISDN30. Calls are initially carried over IP networks using your data connectivity and then connected to the PSTN when required. SIP offers much improved functionality compared to ISDN30 services, particularly in disaster recovery and the ability to move telephone numbers between sites.
What do you mean by improved functionality?
Why is SIP more flexible than ISDN30?
The features of SIP
- Use your data connection to carry your voice calls
- Move premises to another area and keep your phone numbers
- Use local phone numbers even if your office is elsewhere
- A fully resilient disaster recovery solution for your phones
- Flex channels with seasonality at short notice
- Create active and standby sites for disaster recovery
- Load share allows you to share calls between sites
- Centralise multi-site access and reduce costly channels
- Carrier class, core switching infrastructure
The benefits of SIP
- Our SIP trunks are certified for use with Microsoft Lync
- Flexible numbering eg work from London but use Glasgow numbers
- Supports multi-site working, thus allowing rationalisation of ISDN30 channels
- Optional free calls to UK landlines, and UK mobiles
- Full business continuity model without expensive Remote Call Forwarding charges
- Scalable on a per channel basis
- Can be used with existing customer premise telephone systems
- Offers full emergency services support
You sign the Order Form
You sign the Order Form and return it AdEPT Telecom plc. Our Order Form is a MASTER SERVICES AGREEMENT that refers to all of the relevant Terms and Conditions. The contract has co-terminus end dates for all products so that you don't have to remember lot's of contract end dates – it's EASY – there is just one date for everything.
How do AdEPT migrate the services?
If you spend over £400 per month you will be allocated a Premier Service manager who will be your single point of contact for every aspect of your service, including the initial migration. We've made it EASY – you only ever have one person to contact (and a named deputy and a special, shortened escalation chain). The migration from ISDN30 to SIP needs careful project management and the longest part of the process is porting the numbers into SIP so that they become non-geographic. We will handle all of that for you.


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|XP is just a number
What do you think about having a tool for PERL ?by firewall00 (Acolyte)
|on Nov 23, 2007 at 07:29 UTC ( #652510=perlquestion: print w/replies, xml )
|Need Help??
firewall00 has asked for the
wisdom of the Perl Monks concerning the following question:
HEllo all ,
what about you think about having a tool to help u to writing a perl scripts , itis a good deal huh .
tool meaning is some thing like a NetBeans for Java which make things easier making drag and drop and make the life easier .
if there is any tool available like that i will be glade to hear about , Folks who like writing a structured programming my be annoyed form that topic .
But is just a kind of suggestion to make things done faster and easier .
itis like why open source developer donot make the programs setup is linux by Next Next then Done ! instead of using rpm or any package manager "ps: iam a linux user and i like to use it as it now but iam talking about people who are new in linux world .
hope not to annoying any one hear and waiting for your replays
Best Regards
Back to Seekers of Perl Wisdom


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You can post a new question from the country page to which the question is relevant to, or at the bottom right hand of this page.
to post a new question or answer excisting ones
Please don't spam this forum with your new surf camp / charter / villa / surf school. Go to SurferDream.com and list your business there for free.
The GlobalSurfers forum has been the leading surf travel resource for over 18 years, so keep it friendly and relevant. Happy posting!
Posted inIndonesia
should I buy a board in Bali?« on: January 01 2005 07:01:00 »
I live in Japan and have been surfing for about 10 years but to date I have never owned a board. Currently I get around 2-3 opportunities a year to surf for a few days, at which point I rent a board. So now thinking, maybe it is time to make the investment....should I buy a board while on vacation in Bali? Boards are expensive here in Japan, so maybe the opportunity should not be overlooked... are boards generally inexpensive in Bali? I have not been there before so I really do not know what would be a reasonable price for the region. Thanks for any advice on this one...
RE: should I buy a board in Bali?« Reply #1 on: January 02 2005 20:01:00 »
boards in bali arent that cheap, more expensive to buy then in aus where i live. But not sure on prices in japan, but if u only surf 2-3 times a year i dont think u need to buy a brand new board anyways, just pick up a 2nd hand one....
RE: should I buy a board in Bali?« Reply #2 on: January 31 2005 03:01:00 »
hi mitch n moe, i'm an indo, yah..it's expensive to buy a board here. i'm getting interested in surfing, i want to learn it so much. unless practice, is it usefull for me to learn by reading, any suggestion on it? about the board, i want to have one, but it's impossible for me to buy the new one, where i have to get the 2nd one, do u have any idea, how about in aus? for how much i have to pay the 2nd one?
looking forward your reply, you can mail me : firstname.lastname@example.com; thx
RE: should I buy a board in Bali?« Reply #3 on: February 02 2005 02:02:00 »
2nd hand boards u can buy in AUS no problems, u could pick a good learners board 2nd hand from surfshops/trader for around $200-400 depending on wat ur looking for i suppose...
RE: should I buy a board in Bali?« Reply #4 on: March 11 2005 20:03:00 »
Hi. Were going to Bali in a couple of weeks. I want to get a surfboard while I'm over there. I was hoping u would be able to give me some prices and locations of surfboard shops or stalls in Bali. Either cheap new boards or second hand boards. Thanks.
RE: should I buy a board in Bali?« Reply #5 on: April 01 2005 13:04:00 »
Buying a 2nd hand board in Bali is really easy. Getting a really good deal for it is a little bit harder. Don't worry about finding surfshops, they're all over Kuta.. Just have a walk on Poppies 1 or 2 and you'll find plenty. You can expect to pay from 2 millions Rp to 3.5 million Rp for a board in good shape. They do fantastic repair job though, so check it carefully b4 buying it !
Good luck !
RE: should I buy a board in Bali?« Reply #6 on: April 29 2007 16:04:00 »
I can take care of you! I live in Japan and have a shaper in Ventura, CA (Todd Proctor) who makes custom boards for a very reasonable price specifically for people who live in Japan. Go to www.proctorsurf.com and check it out. Or you can email me at firstname.lastname@example.com
I can help you out easily too. A board should be made for you and your surfing ability...not a board that is made or shaped for someone else...it wont ride like you want it too.
Can i find any skimboard in bali?« Reply #7 on: March 05 2009 10:03:00 »
im going to bali next month and i am searching for a skimboard. anybody know how to get it in bali? I have try to check in the internet for the skimboard on sell in bali but no show. I really interested for the wave skimboard. i wanted to buy a surfboard also but i leave in Sarawak,Malaysia. In my country we dont have any wave for surfing. so i have to go only for skimboard. Anybody can help? If anybody got any ideas to find in Bali please do email me firstname.lastname@example.com.


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7 Nights Accommodation
3 Rounds of Golf
Return Airport Transfers
Golf Transfers
Breakfast Included Daily
Over looking the Dubai Marina and within minutes from the vibrant culture and shopping of 'The Walk' this well appointed hotel has easy access to the metro
as well as being in the heart of the new Dubai.
First class golf combined with 5* service awaits you at The Els Club. Designed by 4 times Major winner Ernie Els, this desert links stretches 7,538 yards offering four different sets of tees for all levels of golfers to enjoy. The holes all constitute characteristics from Els' favourite courses from around the world such as bunkers from Royal Melbourne, greens resembling Pinehurst's No.2 and wide rolling links fairways.
Jumeriah Golf Estates is framed by a wide variety of captivating flora carefully selected to reflect the overall theme and to enhance its natural setting. Rustic and so visually stunning as to captivate even those who do not golf. The Fire course demands a well-thought-out strategy. Going directly at the flag may not always be the best approach which gives Fire a strong sense of classic links-style play.
The Address Montgomerie Dubai's championship golf course was designed by Colin Montgomerie in association with Desmond Muirhead.The course provides the player with undulating "links land" style fairways with generous landing areas which challenge and intrigue all levels of player.
* Price based on best available rates between September & April. Special Summer rates available upon request


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Enjoy a relaxed evening of minor-league baseball, barbecue and beverages as we watch the mighty San Jose Giants - a farm team of the World Series Champion San Francisco Giants.
This is a great networking opportunity as we bring together business leaders to network for this opportunity to expand your contacts in the Silicon Valley.
Also, you won't miss any of the action of the game either--we have booked the private Martinelli's VIP deck for the game, the best way to experience the game and network at the same time, as we watch the SJ Giants from the private Field Level Party Deck.
The SJ Giants Turkey Mike's BBQ is some of the best in the Silicon Valley (not to mention the fan favorites, the Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich, or the Tri Tip Sandwich) and sells out nearly every night.
Your event registration includes your wristband for access to the PRIVATE VIP DECK, a catered barbecue meal of your choice, two adult beverages or sodas, souvenir program.
And, each guest will have the opportunity to win Lucky Prizes throughout the game with their very own Scorecard and Bingo card, as well as read up on the history of the team with one of the programs included.
Don't miss this 5th annual night of networking while watching the San Jose Giants!
Gates open at 5:30pm; private deck access begins at 6:30pm, with the first pitch at 7:00pm.


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Use Angular, TypeScript or JavaScript to build truly native mobile apps
Deliver superior customer experiences with an AI-driven platform for creating and deploying cognitive chatbots
Deliver Awesome UI with the most complete toolboxes for .NET, Web and Mobile development
Automate UI, load and performance testing for web, desktop and mobile
A complete cloud platform for an app or your entire digital business
Detect and predict anomalies by automating machine learning to achieve higher asset uptime and maximized yield
Automate decision processes with a no-code business rules engine
Optimize data integration with high-performance connectivity
Connect to any cloud or on-premises data source using a standard interface
Build engaging multi-channel web and digital experiences with intuitive web content management
Personalize and optimize the customer experience across digital touchpoints
Build, protect and deploy apps across any platform and mobile device
Rapidly develop, manage and deploy business apps, delivered as SaaS in the cloud
It takes a lot to get to the cloud, as I pointed out in my previous blog post. Educating yourself, as well as determining how the cloud will affect you, will help lead you to the next step – which is determining which cloud approach is right for you.
Cloud computing comes in three forms: public, private or even a hybrid approach. When determining which option is the best, companies need to take into account cost, flexibility, security, and scalability.
So what does each approach mean and which is right for you?
Public cloud
The public cloud describes cloud computing in the traditional sense. Resources are provided on a self-service basis over the Internet, via web applications or web services, from an off-site third-party Cloud service provider.
This approach is good for service providers looking to provide a service to a number of customers. Public clouds allow for a wider audience and reach, greater flexibility and elasticity, and it tends to be the most cost effective.
This approach may not the best approach for you if security is your number one concern or if data privacy is critical due to regulatory requirements. In this case you might need to evaluate other options.
Private cloud
The notion of a private cloud is usually described as offerings that emulate cloud computing within private networks. These products offer the ability to host applications or virtual machines inside a company's own set of hosts, rather than on a public host, such as Amazon EC2.
The private cloud approach is optimal approach for companies with a lot of sensitive data. The private cloud also works well for internal use, for example IT shops within organizations. Larger companies tend to lean towards private clouds, as they can leverage data center resources they already have – otherwise setting up a private cloud can be costly.
Using a private cloud can lead to some scalability issues during times of increased traffic, which is why some companies look to a hybrid approach.
Hybrid cloud
The term "hybrid cloud" has a few definitions, but the widely accepted explanation is: the use of physical hardware and virtualized cloud servers from multiple environments being deployed as a single common service. With the perception and reality is that infrastructure services are be provided from multiple sources, based on resource needs.
This is a great option for organizations that need additional capacity on-demand, especially during peak times. For instance, an e-commerce site may need to scale up their capacity during the holiday shopping season, but want to be able to scale back during slower months. The hybrid approach also allows for some sensitive data options.
Once you have decided on your approach, you'll want to find a management platform, to help you more easily deploy and manage business-critical applications on the cloud. Progress has partnered with Rightscale for this very reason, which our next post will discuss in more detail.
Colleen Smith is Vice President, Customer Advocacy at Progress. In this role, she is responsible for ensuring customer focus and accountability for improving the company's relationship with its customers and partners, as it relates to the use of Progress core products. Smith joined the company in 2005 with 20 years of enterprise software marketing, sales and product strategy experience, and has helped transform software companies into industry leaders, built strategic partnerships, designed acquisition strategies and moved companies through aggressive growth stages.
Copyright © 2018 Progress Software Corporation and/or its subsidiaries or affiliates.
All Rights Reserved.
Progress, Telerik, and certain product names used herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of Progress Software Corporation and/or one of its subsidiaries or affiliates in the U.S. and/or other countries. See Trademarks for appropriate markings.


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drug health effects
Serving the San Francisco Bay Area
From classes and tours to personal chef services; event catering to meal delivery, we offer it all!
The Studio of Good Living is San Francisco's premier custom meal delivery service. We create gorgeous, delicious and nutritious meals that prove that it can be easy to live gourmet.
We offer specialized meal plans for a variety of diets, including paleo, gluten-free, vegan and others. Our founder, Phoebe Schilla, has years of experience creating meals for all kinds, and we're sure you'll be pleased with the results.
Browse a sample menu here.
We offer a variety of catering options, from chef-attended buffets to traditional catering to cold and hot platters and more. Our options include French, Italian and Mexican cuisine, and we're always happy to create a custom meal for you and your guests.
Submit a request for event catering here.
Our founder and head chef, Phoebe Schilla, brings a lifetime of passion for the culinary arts to every single meal that she prepares. A graduate of Le Cordon Bleu, Phoebe has traveled throughout the country sharing her unique culinary skillset with diners from around the world.
Learn more about Chef Phoebe Schilla here.


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Hand Held brushes are usually made with staple set or hand laced construction. People often refer to Hand Held brushes as miniature brushes, toothbrush style brushes, welders, platers or scratch brushes, artist or paint brushes. All Hand Held brushes can be used for cleaning, scraping, deburring, finishing, removing static electricity, washing, spreading, dusting, solution retention applications, detailing, prep work, sliding, applying, varnishing, spot cleaning and painting, as well as other applications. They can be made with natural or synthetic brush fibers. Please give us a call if you have a need for a brush type that is not listed or shown here. We will work with you to make the custom hand held brush you need.
Hand Held brushes are brushes typically small in nature that one can hold in their hand to perform work. The brushes are usually made by stapling bristle into the handle (like a block brush), hand tying the filament, gluing the bristles into the brush head (an Applicator brush), or stamping closed the edge of the brush head where the bristles are inserted (an Acid, Artist, or Pencil brush). Hand held brushes can be also made by inserting bristles into wire that is twisted. These brushes are covered in the Twisted-In-Wire Brush Section indicated at the left.
There are various applications for Hand Held brushes, some of which are listed below. For a specific brush you may need, further scan this Web site, or call us at 1-800-933-0933 or 1-323-724-7777. We are more than willing to help you find the brush you need. If you know you need a custom hand held brush, complete the Hand Held Brush Custom Design Form. Gordon Brush will get back to you within 24 hours with a quotation.
General applications for any specialty or custom brush are: Applying, Pushing, Removing, Cleaning, Spreading, or acting as a Barrier. Specific Uses for Hand Held Brushes Include:
The size of a Hand Held brush or miniature brush reflects the measurement of the handle's length, width and height or diameter. The handle can be a small as 1/4" (6.4mm) in length, as small as 1/4" (6.4mm) in width, and the height must be at least 1/4" (6.4mm) for conventional stapling. For an Anchor Set brush (like your ordinary toothbrush), the height may be as small as 1/8" (3.2mm) and as long as you want. For round handles, the smallest handle diameter is 1/8" (3.2mm). The style of the handle can be square, rectangle, triangular, round, or any combination thereof. The trim length on any of these brushes can range from as short as 1/16" (1.6mm) to as long as 6" (152mm). These measurements hold true for any bristle material.
The fill material used in the brush can come from natural, synthetic, or metal sources. The use of the brush will determine the types of fill material and core material to be used. For example, natural bristle is used where static is a problem. Synthetic brush materials are often used for general purpose cleaning, and some are chemical resistant. Metal materials are used for heavy duty cleaning, and cleaning other metal surfaces.


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The Plantation Stars travel baseball program continues to make an impact on the field against competition throughout the state of Florida. The Stars, which have two teams in the 12-under division in the Florida Premier League, have qualified for tournaments to play nationally in Cooperstown, New York during June and July.
"It's a chance of a lifetime for the kids and it's going to be such an enjoyable experience," said Keith Harkins, head coach of the Stars 12-under majors team. "The team will stay together in dorms and will get to interact and meet the other teams from across the country."
The Stars 12-under majors team won the Florida Premier League Division Championship during the fall of 2013. The core group of players for the first time moved up to the competitive majors division during the spring season.
"It's unique to have the majority of the team still playing together and the continuity has helped and is great to see all of players contributing to our success," Harkins said.
The Plantation Stars 12-under major's team had eight returning players and three newcomers during the season and will turn their attention to Cooperstown. The roster consists of Joey Cicini, Ryan Drag, William Frank, Sean Harkins, Otis McDuffie, Luke Orlando, Brody Palhegyi, Ryan Samson, Nate Thomas, Jacob Wancier, and Alec Welch.
The 12-under Stars will have a chance to visit the Baseball Hall of Fame in June and participate in opening and closing ceremonies at the field.
Meanwhile, the Plantation Stars 12-Under Gold travel baseball team is playing in their first season in the Florida Premier Baseball League during the spring.


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Labour councillors have called for greater scrutiny and monitoring of street works offences committed by utility companies after learning that Conservative-run Barnet council has not prosecuted any companies for disruptive street works or damage to local roads since 2010, while Transport for London has initiated over 100 prosecutions in the same period.
In a member's item to last week's Environment Committee (29 Sep), Labour's Cllr Alon Or-bach highlighted that:
- the state of the Borough's roads and pavements is the second highest concern amongst Barnet residents according to the Council's latest Residents' Perception Survey, and
- repair of roads is one of the lowest rated Council services with only 27% of residents in the Survey rating it highly – 14% points lower than London (41%) and down 8% points from autumn 2015 (35%).
Labour councillors raised the issue of damage caused to Barnet's roads by companies at a previous Environment Committee meeting and have now got agreement that a report will be circulated to the Committee on:
- enforcement action Barnet Council has taken against utility companies for poorly managed street works including damage to roads and pavements,
- how much money has been recouped in fines, and
- whether there are any cases where prosecution was recommended but not actually taken forward.
Cllr Alon Or-bach said: "Residents have noticed the state of our roads and pavements deteriorate in Barnet. Labour believe the council needs to drastically improve its duty to maintain our streets. Taking action when utility companies fail to correctly undertake street work is one area we believe Barnet can up its game."
1. A copy of Cllr Or-bach's member's item on street works offences by utility companies: http://barnet.moderngov.co.uk/documents/s34784/Members%20Items.pdf
2. For details of TfL prosecuations of utlity companies see: https://tfl.gov.uk/info-for/media/press-releases/2016/july/british-telecom-prosecuted-for-second-time-in-three-weeks-for-dangerous-and-disruptive-work
3. For performance data on roads and pavements see: http://barnet.moderngov.co.uk/documents/s34246/Q1%20PCM%20report%20FINAL.pdf
4. For more from Barnet Labour on potholes and pavements see: http://www.barnetlabour.org.uk/labour_to_raise_concerns_about_dangerous_potholes_and_pavements
For more information contact Cllr Alon Or-bach: firstname.lastname@example.com
To contact the Barnet Labour Group: 020 8359 2568


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From the outside, the problem may not be visible at first. But people who live around the house say the trouble starts in the back yard and has spread down the street.
In the heart of Hunter's Valley, a neighborhood often considered a hidden treasure, now resides trash.
"We've had rats, we've had snakes come through," said Chris Schwilling.
She lives next door to a home on Forest Lodge Drive, foreclosed on years ago and left vacant and in limbo ever since.
"I don't want to go out there. I don't want to garden. I don't know what's out there, so I don't want to put my hands anywhere," Schwilling said.
The problem, neighbors say, starts in the backyard with a rat-infested swimming pool left uncovered for years.
"Because I've seen them in the pool, and they swim," neighbor Arvada Pankiw said.
Four days ago, the Health Department's environmental team required the homeowner, Garza Properties, to lay the black vinyl cover over the pool. But for neighbors, that is just not enough.
"The puddling that you'll notice is just going to create another water issue that's tempting for the animals, and I think it started to tear due to the wind yesterday," said Pankiw.
They want the problem property fixed or sold to a better buyer.
"They're trying to sell their house across the road. Neighbors are thinking of selling, we're thinking of selling, we can't with this in the middle of it," Schwilling said.
We did some digging and found Garza Properties out of Colorado Springs bought this house at a county auction in June for $40,000. Their phone number is disconnected. They show an office in Seabrook. That number goes to a tax office. But the homeowners association says they are up to date on all payments.
Take ABC13 with you!
Download our free apps for iPhone, iPad, Android and Blackberry devices


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Please note the new date: this hearing is now scheduled for Tuesday, March 31.
This City Council hearing is an important step in the public review process for the rail yards and, therefore, for the future of the High Line. It will be a critical opportunity to show the City, State and developer how much public support there is for preserving the High Line at these sites.
The Council has been an ardent supporter of the High Line from the very beginning of our advocacy efforts. By coming to this hearing, you'll galvanize that support and send a clear message to all decision makers in the development process.
City Council Hearing on Eastern Rail Yards Rezoning
NEW DATE AND TIME: Tuesday, March 31
City Hall, Council Committee Room
Subway: A, C, E, to Chambers; 1,2, to Park Place; 6, N, R to Bklyn Bridge/City Hall
Free T-shirts: We will provide bright red "Save the High Line at the Rail Yards" t-shirts, yours to keep. If you already have a red "Save the Spur" T-shirt from the December 1 rally, please wear it!
Please note, you will have to go through a security checkpoint before entering the plaza in front of City Hall. Tell the security staff that you are there for the City Council hearing.
We will meet outside the Council Committee Room at 9:15, to distribute t-shirts and signs. It's ok if you can't stay the entire time, or if you can't make it until later. Just join us inside to get your red T-shirt.
Please RSVP: firstname.lastname@example.com
Read more background: Rail Yards Update: Get Ready


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Farfetch Finds
Meet the five most innovative labels you need to know about
Words by Ashleigh Gribbon, Photography by Paul McLean, Styling by Naomi Miller
While we'll always have a place in our hearts for fashion's heavy hitters, right now we can't help but be enthralled by the visionary new labels promising to evolve into fashion's new guard. These are the 5 fledgling brands your wardrobe needs to get acquainted with...
Martina Spetlova
Take a background in chemistry, a fascination with texture, and a love for design and you've got the foundations on which Martina Spetlova's aesthetic is formed. Spetlova works closely with Ecco Leather – one of the world's most environmentally conscious tanneries – to create a unique bonding technique that complements her own leather weaving designs, individual to her eponymous brand.
Describe your brand in three words
'Sustainable, vibrant, texture.'
What does innovation mean to you and how do you incorporate it into your designs?
'I work with layering textiles, which plays a very important role in my work. [Each season] I continue my research and add new moods and ideas that support my new collection's development. I make a lot of references in my work to contemporary art and always try to explore how these structures and surfaces can be translated into leather. I'm lucky to be collaborating with great leather tanneries where I can put this curiosity and research into practice.'
What inspired your AW17 collection?
'It always starts as an experiment. I work out my textiles first to create volume and form. These ideas then have a very strong influence on the construction of the garments and are transformed into my collection pieces. I am very hands on in the way I design the pieces.'
What are the key pieces?
'The yellow calf-leather biker jacket, black bonded-leather skirt, black wide-leg culottes with neon piping and the navy, orange and soft-pink leather draped skirt.'
What are your styling tips?
'I'm always finding new artists that inspire my colours. I was recently excited about the work of Beverly Semmes and her porn magazine collages in particular. I've been using her images as an inspiration [for colour] and the bold attitude that I've interpreted into my SS18 collection.'
Top by Martina Spetlova from ODD, Skirt by Martina Spetlova from ODD, Shoes by Marni from Vitkac.
Romance Was Born
Arguably Australia's current buzziest brand, Romance Was Born is the brainchild of co-creators Anna Plunkett and Luke Sales, and the pair are carving themselves an unapologetically artful aesthetic, one with a uniquely whimsical narrative. Playful cuts come dripping in more-is-more décor for an ethereal winter wardrobe.
Describe your brand in three words
'Wonder, spirited, rainbow.'
What does innovation mean to you and how do you incorporate it into your designs?
'For us innovation is about storytelling. We have a real passion for textile development and are always looking for new ways to create interesting and beautiful fabrics. We love juxtaposing really feminine [pieces] with an irreverent feeling, something unexpected.'
What inspired your AW17 collection?
'The collection is in collaboration with Del Kathryn Barton, an Australian artist well-known for her otherworldly narrative. We were inspired by Barton's orb-like cosmos that fill the outer areas of her work and imagined what kind of a girl would live in these energy fields.'
What are the key pieces?
'Our favourites are the Continuum Pleated Skirt which is a reinvention of our Rainbow Pleated Skirt, the Purity Blouse and the Afterlife Pleated Pants.'
What are your styling tips?
'We love how Catherine Baba puts her looks together; layers and layers of jewellery, mixed up with crystals, vintage and tassels.'
T-shirt by Romance Was Born from Romance Was Born, Trousers by Romance Was Born from Romance Was Born Sneakers by Adidas by Raf Simons from Giulio, Ring (left hand) by Eshvi from Eshvi Ring (right hand) by Charlotte Chesnais from Uzerai.
What are the key pieces?
'The deconstructed laser-cut shearling coat, the softest mohair sweaters and acid tartan.'
What does innovation mean to you?
'Innovation is about new perspectives and creating new ways to communicate them through materials, cuts, volumes and new techniques.'
Coat by Lost & Found Ria Dunn from Lost & Found Snood by Lost & Found Ria Dunn from L'Eclaireur Sweater by Lost & Found Ria Dunn from Lost & Found Trousers by Lost & Found Ria Dunn from Lost & Found Shoes by Proenza Schouler from Voo.
De La Vali
De La Vali is the Ibizan brand mastering new-wave bohemia. Childhood friends Jana Sacha Haveman and Laura Castro founded the fledgling label last year with the heady, care-free spirit of the Mediterranean in mind. The result? A new and refreshing take on a ubiquitous trend, crafted in fabrics and materials sourced from niche markets and fairs around the world.
Describe your brand in three words
'Free-spirited, elegant, empowering.'
What does innovation mean to you and how do you incorporate it into your designs?
'Innovation to us means being unique, to have your own defining touch. We like timeless silhouettes but we focus on adding a fresh, modern flair in which you can recognise our brand identity.'
What inspired your AW17 collection?
'As this was our first collection that we took to market we decided to dig into our De La Vali archive and find key pieces that represent our brand. We chose fun fabric prints to represent the Vali flair, brought back a few key shapes from past seasons, and introduced some exciting new styles.'
Have you discovered anything new and exciting recently?
'The feather-print Apolonia dress is a De La Vali staple and an absolute must-have, very flattering to a woman's curves. Also, the Suki dress is the perfect spin on the LBD, it's easy to wear and always looks good.'
What are your styling tips?
'We recently discovered this incredible Somalian band called 'Dur-Dur Band' - they do this amazing soulful, upbeat funky music. We used their song 'Dooyo' for our recent fashion show in Ibiza.'
Dress by De La Vali from Browns Rollneck by Le Tricot Perugia from Paola Boots by Saint Laurent from Vitkac
Dress by De La Vali from Browns Rollneck by Le Tricot Perugia from Paola Boots by Saint Laurent from Vitkac.
What inspired your AW17 collection?
'Circles inspired our AW17 No.7 Collection – I explored circular shapes with 3/4 circles in cotton and silks draped on and around the body. Collection No. 7 rounds out edges, connects and unifies through geometry.'
Have you discovered anything new and exciting recently?
'"The Hidden Life of Trees" by Peter Wohlleben. We have so much to learn from nature, I'd encourage everyone to read this fascinating book.'
What are your styling tips?
'Invest in amazing garments that [can] become your "forever pieces", and remember; balanced, pared back layering = chic!'
Leather jacket by KITX from KITX Top by KITX from KITX Skirt by KITX from KITX Boots by KITX from KITX.


text: A rich, warming salad perfect for a light Boxing Day lunch. You can make the dressing up to 2 days in advance and keep chilled until needed. Preheat the oven to gas 6, 200°C, fan 180°C. In a jug, whisk the dressing ingredients; season well. Put the pears and veg in a roasting tin and pour over the dressing. Roast for 50 minutes, turning once. Remove from the oven and leave to cool a little. Toss with the leaves just before serving. See more Christmas recipes Try this fresh, sweet salad with a juicy Tesco Finest Frappato. This Sicilian wine is bursting with strawberry and wild berry flavours.


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Need to start downsizing my collection. Here's a few things I have for sale. PM for shipping costs.
Square Millennium Collection: (japanese import ps1 games with nifty collectibles!)
Legend of Mana $80
Parasite Eve $80
Front Mission 3 $30
Anime figures:
One Piece Megahouse line
Trafalgar Law Ver 2 $130
Nami and Nojiko (children) set $70
Sanji Strong World $70
Nami Strong world $60
Nami Ver 2 $60
Bartholomew Kuma $100
Sanji Strong World $70
Final Fantasy X-2 Herectic Yojimbo $50
Bleach DX Girls Figure Matsumoto $25


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The Lord Abbett Equity Fund, a ten-year-old insured mutual fund with $55 million in assets, was merged out of existence on May 31, according to a proxy filing May 25. Shareholders voted to merge the Lord Abbett Equity Fund into the Lord Abbett Large Cap Growth Fund, a similar fund, on May 26.
The Lord Abbett Equity Fund was the only fund managed by Lord Abbet & Co. that was insured, said Michael B. McLaughlin, partner and director of marketing with Lord Abbett & Co. which relocated its offices to Jersey City, N.J. in January. The insurance, underwritten by Financial Securities Assurance of New York, was added to guarantee shareholders that their share value would never fall below $10.
The fund was introduced in June 1990 with a 10-year insurance policy for the fund shares. To assure that coverage, investors were required to invest for the entire 10-year term and reinvest all dividends and capital gains paid along the way.
The Lord Abbett Equity Fund's net asset value on May 31 was $26.94, according to Morningstar, the fund tracker in Chicago.
With the expiration of the fund's insurance policy on May 31, Lord Abbett executives anticipated there would be little to attract new assets to the fund.
In March, the fund's board of directors recommended to investors that the fund be merged into the large-cap growth fund which was introduced in December.
The fund was introduced when investors were under-invested in the equity market, said McLaughlin. Investors were putting assets in what was then high-yield bank certificates of deposit and were holding bonds purchased in the 1980s.
"The fund was created to allow investors and their consultants to get exposure to the equity markets and remove the fear barrier," said McLaughlin.
The fund was promoted as a way to invest in the equity markets without losing money, said McLaughlin. As recently as February, the fund's annual report promoted the fund as having, "The growth potential of stocks with the security of insurance."
In 1990, Lord Abbett executives considered introducing a series of insured equity funds that would be marketed to individuals primarily invested in other than equities. But the firm retreated when the underwriter seemed unenthusiastic and concerns were raised over reserve requirements, said McLaughlin.
The insurance policy itself cost the fund 0.50 percent annually based on assets under management, according to SEC filings. In 1999, the fund's insurance premiums were $58,000.
The fund was also hampered by the fact that the fund's underwriter imposed limitations on how the fund's assets could be invested. The fund was required to invest 20 percent of its portfolio in U.S. Government securities as a condition of that insurance, according to SEC filings.
The market's current volatility and uncertainty was likely to lead to stricter requirements and that prospect was a determinant in Lord Abbett's decision not to preserve the fund as it was or to extend its insurance, said McLaughlin. Financial Security was likely to require an even greater portion of the equity fund, perhaps up to 35 percent, be invested in U.S. Government securities, according to the May 25 proxy.
The underwriter also might have required additional assets be invested in other short-term debt securities, "which could reduce the benefit from any upswing in the equity market..." the proxy said. This could prevent the fund from achieving its objective of providing equity returns, Lord Abbett said in the filing.
"We wish we had done more of a marketing effort when we rolled it [the Lord Abbett Equity Fund] out," said McLaughlin. The fund adviser has no plans to offer other insured funds. Lord Abbett is the adviser to more than 30 mutual fund portfolios and manages $35 billion in assets.


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Just Energy Green Saver 12M Fixed
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| Fixed price plan |
Contract length: 1 year | Payment: Fixed Direct Debit
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With a fixed price plan, your unit rate is guaranteed not to change for a designated period of time, usually 12 months. This gives you peace of mind and certainty over your annual energy bills.
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367kg CO2 per MWh.
National average is 393kg CO2 per MWh.
† Source: Commission for Regulation of Utilities
Cash or cheque with Fixed Direct Debit
Fixed Direct Debit is an optional free of charge way to pay for your energy bills. It allows you to spread your bills over a 12 month period so that you pay the same amount each month. Your payment is reviewed every six months to ensure that you have certainty over what you are paying. Direct debit customers frequently benefit from higher savings.
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Halloween III - Season Of The Witch
Release Date: 10 October 2011 | Certificate: Suitable for 15 years and over
£4.49 includes FREE UK Postage (other delivery options available)
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This second sequel to John Carpenter's seminal horror film deviates from the tried-and-tested slasher formula of its predecessors. In the small Californian town of Santa Mira, an evil toy manufacturer is planning to take over the minds of the populace by transmitting hypnotic TV adverts that are received by novelty Halloween masks. Local medical man Dan Challis realises something sinister is afoot, but can he discover the culprits before it's too late?
Release Date: 10 October 2011
Certificate: 15 - Suitable for Persons Aged 15 or Over
Catalogue No: SCBX2080


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Has your bathroom ever felt more like a water closet? If you have a small bathroom – and I mean really small, like squeezing around your door small, not like "where will I put this hot tub" small – it can be hard to find a place to put all your basic bathroom stuff while keeping the room looking nice. But even if remodeling isn't feasible (or wouldn't help – and I've been in bathrooms that small!), that doesn't mean you're doomed to a room full of piles of hair care products for all eternity. With the right accessories and one simple piece of advice, you'll have no problem stowing or camouflaging your unmentionables while keeping your bathroom in model shape. What is it? Simple: use your vertical space!
This is probably the biggest thing you can do to create more storage space in your bathroom: don't build out, build up! Especially in a bathroom that uses a pedestal or wall mount sink style to save floor space, the lack of a vanity really kills your available storage, and depending on your bathroom, you might not have space even to put drawers or other storage containers. The simplest solution is to put up some shelves, but the shallower they are, the better. Sagehill's Drawer Shelf can be mounted at any height (or with several one above the other) and can be used both as standard drawers, as well as having a usable shelf surface on top.
Layered glass shelves like Rhol's Vanity Shelf are especially good for a small bathroom, over or alongside your vanity or above your toilet. Not only are they elegant looking alone or in layers, but they tend to be very narrow (so you won't run into them!) and because you can see through them, they don't make the room more claustrophobic than it already is.
For a double whammy, make the lowermost one one like this Glass Shelf With Towel Rack, which will not only save you having to mount a towel bar, but also has a nice rim around the edge of the shelf to keep you from knocking over your trinkets when you dry your hands. If you do have to install a towel bar, or another one in another spot (one for hand towels, one for bath towels, say), make sure to make it a Double Bar – you only have to install it once, but can use it twice as much, in about the same amount of space. A Swivel Bar will take up even less space, but might be a little too modern for a country bathroom.
Of course, while an aggressive use shelves and towel bars will go a long way, there are a lot of smaller problems that can be solved by better utilizing your wall space. Having a small bathroom vanity or none at all presents the pressing problem of not being able to have at hand the things that you use every day – like your toothbrush! Rather than trying to cram all your stuff on the edge of your sink, try installing something like this Wall Mount Toothbrush Holder and it's brethren Soap Dish and His/Hers Tumbler Holder. Not only will these help clear up your already limited space while keeping your necessities close at hand, but they also add a simple touch of elegance in an extremely compact package.
One of the easiest and most straightforward ways to increase your storage space in a small bathroom, though, is to make the best use of that all-important real estate over your sink. A plain mirror, no matter what size, is simply wasted space; if you don't already have one, installing a medicine cabinet is a fairly minor renovation that turns the space taken up by your mirror into storage – without taking away the mirror. This huge Octagon Medicine Cabinet actually adds MORE mirror. It also makes a nice pair for the wall mounted toothbrush holder and its ilk, as the clipped corners add a little extra room for you to mount the other hardware.
If you're more concerned about your head room than your wall space, or if it won't interfere with the space you want for shelves, a wider medicine cabinet – especially one with a slide door rather than one that opens and closes, like this Slider Medicine Cabinet – can be a really great choice. Not only will it give you more (hidden!) shelf space, but you won't have to duck around it every time you need to get something out of it. As well, a wide cabinet like this gives you more mirror, which is another commodity that tends to be in short supply in small bathrooms.
If you don't want or have room for a full medicine cabinet, or if you'd like the added storage but don't want to have to cut a hole in your wall to recess a full sized cabinet, consider getting a mirror shelf. Like the storage drawers I mentioned earlier, this small mirror-fronted Shelf-Sized Medicine Cabinet can either be coupled with an existing mirror or, like this Sliding Medicine Cabinet Shelf, can be installed on its own to add both shelf space and private cabinet space, as well as a little more in the way of reflective surfaces, which can make a room look a little larger.
If you have a really small bathroom to start, chances are your sink is already either in a corner, facing one, or adjacent to one – and if that's the case, a Corner Mount Medicine Cabinet can not only give you all the benefits of a regular medicine cabinet, but it can do it while making the most out of probably the most inconvenient space in your whole bathroom. Better yet, if your sink ISN'T immediately taking up the space in the corner, you can add a small piece of furniture or several Corner Shelves to make the most of the space underneath it, too.
Just remember, when you're short on space, you have to milk whatever you can out of what you've got – and in a small bathroom, that means maximizing the utility of your wall space in any way you can – there's probably a whole lot more of it than floor space! What are some of the ways you work around your small bathroom? Anything I haven't listed here? What's the hardest thing you've had to find a place to store? Let me know in the comments!


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digitalmars.D - Aliasing, and more
- bearophile (19/20) Oct 15 2009 I have discussed this topic a little in the past, but I didn't receive a...
I have discussed this topic a little in the past, but I didn't receive a good answer. So I try again explaining the situation better for Walter too. I don't need a full specs for the D1/D2 languages, but now and then a little more language specification helps. In C there are several undefined/unspecified things, that sometime allow for better optimizations on very different CPUs. But D tries to be less bug-prone, so it has to define more its behaviour. This may lead to a bit less performance (and in certain cases a lot less performance). When possible it's very good for D to have a syntax that allows the programmer to choose between a more predictable behaviour and a more aggressive optimization for performance (like in the case of uninitialized variables set to void. Generally it's better for the safer behaviour to be the default one). As Wikipedia says: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pointer_alias << In C, any function pointer argument may alias any other function pointer argument. The compiler must assume that any accesses through these pointers can alias. This dramatically restricts the potential for optimization. In C++, pointer arguments are assumed not to alias if they point to fundamentally different types ("strict aliasing" rules). This allows more optimizations to be done than in C. In C99, the "restrict" keyword specifies that a pointer argument does not alias any other pointer argument. This saves a little the situation for the C language, allowing more optimizations.See also: http://www.lysator.liu.se/c/restrict.html http://stackoverflow.com/questions/98340/what-are-the-common-undefinedunspecified-behavior-for-c-that-you-run-into In GCC there is also the "may_alias": http://gcc.gnu.org/onlinedocs/gcc-4.3.3/gcc/Type-Attributes.html For performance you have to assume pointer not alias each other, this allows for better optimizations in several situations. But I use D to handle memory manually, for example using a pointer to point to different kinds of tagged structs, etc. (Sometimes for me the freedom to use memory in such low level way is the whole point of using D instead of Python/Java). Such operations are unsafe in C++ (well, in GCC you may use an union to stop the compiler to optimize things in the wrong way, or you can use the blunt tool of the "-fno-strict-aliasing" flag. So this is a very good situation where D can grow a standard and portable way (and syntax) to offer the programmer both performance and safety according to the different situations, something that you can do in C99 on GCC only in a nonportable way. D is in the position to improve this situation compared to C and C++. Even if the back-end of DMD isn't able to use such information, the backend of LDC is already able to use it, and future D compilers will have such information. So I think it has to be added. Bye, bearophile[I think the LLVM backend of LDC is able to use such information in a good way, if such information is available (currently it's not available, because I think D unfortunately doesn't offer such semantics yet).]
Oct 15 2009


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Welcome to our Church We pray that you find God's blessings in your life and God's grace on your heart. We invite you to search our pages and find out a little about us and God's call to us here in Lake Park.
Serving our Community since 1892
Our Mission: Empowered through the Holy Spirit, we seek to embrace all people with the loving arms of Jesus Christ; by providing worship, fellowship and encouragement.
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July 30, 2018


text:
Quick Reference
All terrestrial tides are caused by an imbalance between the centrifugal forces operating on the Earth and the changing gravitational fields of the Moon, Sun, and planets. The oceanic tide is thus a manifestation of the same phenomenon as that causing internal ('solid' Earth) tidal effects, particularly in the outer, liquid core of the Earth. The tides are seen at the surface mostly as resonance effects between the tidal components of similar harmonic frequencies as the Earth's free oscillation periodicities.
Subjects: Earth Sciences and Geography.
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Iran Review's Exclusive Interview with Rami Khouri
By: Kourosh Ziabari
The Islamic State of Syria and Iraq (ISIS) is referred to as the richest terrorist organization in the world. In 2015, it earned $2.4 billion through oil exports and illegal taxation and extortion from the desperate people living under its harrowing rule. Defeating the ISIS terrorists militarily appears to be a daunting task, and people hesitate to call the annihilation of ISIS an easily-reachable and plausible target, at least for the time being when the international community is divided on whom to support and whom to fight in Syria, and the influential actors pursue apparently conflicting interests.
The latest estimates by the U.S. intelligence community put the number of ISIS recruits at 25,000, indicating a serious decline from the preceding months. However, the global fervor for collaboration with Daesh has not subsided, and individuals from different countries still find it tempting to fly to Syria and Iraq and fight for a cause they believe would give them meaning and adventure.
A distinguished Arab-American journalist and author tells Iran Review that ISIS is the product of decades of economic stagnation, mismanagement, lack of educational opportunities and absence of democratic representation in the Arab world countries.
"ISIS came out of the Arab world; it was born in Iraq and Syria essentially... So, this is a predominantly Arab phenomenon reflecting problems across the Arab world and these problems are so diverse and so extensive and so difficult to solve now that I fear that we're going to continue to suffer this kind of situation for a long time to come, because you're talking about issues like, for instance, 25 million young people in the Arab countries who are not schooled, who should be in primary and secondary school," said Rami G. Khouri in an exclusive interview with Iran Review. "... So, those 25 million people are going to be easy-picking for any kind of radical group or criminal group or socially deviant group."
Mr. Khouri believes the rise of ISIS is a wake-up call about the growth of a set of alarming problems and deficiencies across the Arab world including environmental, historical, political and social issues: "Almost every dimension of life in many, many Arab countries has real problems and the result is what we see today: migration, illegal refugees, terrorism, Islamic State, etc., and some countries have been in active warfare for four, five years non-stop. So, there's a real problem in the Arab world and we see it everywhere."
Rami Khouri was born on October 22, 1948 in New York City to a Palestinian Christian family. He has lived in Jordan and Lebanon and was the first director of the Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs at the American University of Beirut. From 2003 to 2006, he was the executive editor of Lebanon's Daily Star newspaper. He is the recipient of a prestigious Nieman Journalism Fellowship from the Harvard University in the academic year 2001-200. Mr. Khouri has received his MSc degree in mass communications from the Syracuse University. He is currently a Senior Fellow at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs' Middle East Initiative and a member of the Brookings Institution Task Force on U.S. Relations with the Islamic World.
In this in-depth interview with Iran Review, Mr. Khouri shared his insights with us on the sixth year of war in Syria, the international community's failure to achieve a peaceful solution to the crisis and the dynamics of the growth of ISIS militancy. He also provided some thoughts on Iran's troubled relations with its Arab neighbors.
Q: The deadly crisis in Syria has entered its sixth year and after so much political capital has been exhausted and apparently fruitless diplomatic initiatives and even military options that have proved futile, the future is unpromising for the Syrian people. Why has this conflict endured for so long and the international community been surprisingly unable to find a decisive solution to bring it to a closure?
A: Well, I think the easy answer is that the international community has not found an answer because the international community is waging war in Syria. The striking thing about Syria is that there are so many people fighting militarily. It started with the people in Syria fighting against the regime and then it expanded to Islamists, Jihadists and others came in – the Kurds and others, and then you had the regional powers like Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Iran, Hezbollah and then you have the global powers including the U.S., Britain, Russia, etc. So, everybody who can possibly think of governments, non-governmental powers, militias, regional powers, local citizen groups, everybody is fighting in Syria and therefore it's virtually impossible to actually get a resolution of the conflict very easily because there are so many conflicting interests and there are huge powers, not just the U.S. and Russia but Iran, Turkey, Saudi Arabia – these are big regional powers with a lot of muscle, a lot of money, a lot of fighting capabilities that they're pouring into Syria and therefore it's going to probably go on for some time.
The efforts to find a negotiated solution which started in Geneva two or three years ago are not moving very well because there really isn't an opening now for a negotiated, peaceful resolution of the many different conflicts that are going on inside Syria. So, I think it's going to stay like this for some time, unfortunately, and we'll have to see possibly one side to actually defeat the other; possibly everybody will get exhausted and possibly we'll have the external powers, which is mainly a composition of the United States, Russia, Iran, Turkey and Saudi Arabia – those are the five critical ones, who may realize that this conflict is not helping anybody and is just destroying Syria and hurting the regional and global powers and they might together push for some kind of a resolution or at least a permanent ceasefire or something, but I've never heard anybody anywhere in the world give me a realistic scenario of how the fighting stops in Syria.
Q: Right! In one of your recent articles you compared the ongoing conflict in Syria to the fighting that erupted between 1915 and 1925 in the region when the foreign powers clashed over territory and resources in the mandatory Syria. What's the strategic importance of Syria? And what's at stake for the regional powers that makes them unable to strike a compromise over the future of Syria?
A: I think what's at stake are both some practical strategic issues and also a lot of political honor and prestige. At the practical level, you know, Syria is a critical partner for Hezbollah and Iran and what they call the "Resistance and Deterrence Front." That tri-partite grouping is very strong and has been for many years and all three partners are determined to maintain it, not to let it break down, because if Syria reaches a point with the Assad government is defeated or overthrown, that would seriously hurt the Hezbollah-Syria-Iran strategic relationship and they would try to avoid it at all costs. So, these are some very practical issues there. Another one is that the Russians and many others around the world just don't want to see the United States being the power that comes in and decides which leaders stay and which leaders go. So, that's a practical, political reality about how powers exercise their authority and their influence and their capabilities in the Middle East by getting rid of leaders or sustaining leaders.
So the Russians, Iran and Hezbollah and some others – but those are three main ones – are working very hard to not allow Assad to be removed just because the U.S. says he should be removed. And then, you know, you have some important things for the Russians also; Syria is a critical foothold for them in the region. They don't have a lot of close strategic relationships; they used to thirty years ago, but not so much now. Putin wants to increase Russia's strategic relationships and political, economic relationships with people all over the Middle East whether through nuclear energy, through armaments, through technological exchanges or whatever, and Syria is a critical foothold for the Russians in that sense. So, they've already been improving relations with Iran, they've been talking to Saudi Arabia, they've been doing things with Egypt. So, the regional capabilities that Russia can develop in its political relationships and maybe even its strategic relationships depend a lot on it being able to come out of the Syrian situation looking good and to maintain a strategic foothold there. So, I think those are some of the issues that matter to a lot of people. You have the issue of the Kurds, which is important for the Kurds and also important for the Turks who want to avoid the emergence of independent or autonomous Kurdish region while the Kurds desperately want to achieve that. And then you have finally the question of the ability of Arab societies and countries to actually maintain the sovereign control of their territory and their resources. If Syria collapses, who knows what would happen, if it would stay as a country or if it would fragment? We just have no idea of what will happen. My guess is it would probably stay as one country but will become very decentralized. But you would have so many external actors playing a role inside Syria in a post-Assad Syria that would essentially be a country that has no real sovereignty because external influences would probably drive a lot of what happens inside the country. And so, there are many different dimensions to the importance of Syria to many different people.
Q: Well, at the beginning, when violence erupted in Syria in 2011, there were so many powerful people across the world, in the United States, Britain, France and elsewhere, who were all demanding that Assad should be removed from power because he was deemed a dictator killing his own people. At the same time, there are people, observers, commentators and even political leaders who believe that Syria would be fractured and become a destabilized country without President Assad, because he has been a unifying element in this country with so many ethnic, religious groups and a special cultural diversity. What's your take on that?
A: Well, you have a lot of Syrians, a lot of people in the Arab region and Turkey and other places and a lot of people around the world who are saying that they want Assad to step down and want to have a transition to something in Syria that's more democratic or more inclusive. So, there are a lot of people including many Syrians who want to get rid of Assad because of the way that that family has run the country. The fact is that Syria has already disintegrated under Assad. So, the unity that was there before was pretty much enforced in an authoritarian system like you had in Iraq, like you have in Egypt today, like you have in many Arab countries where top-heavy autocratic governments basically maintain stability without any real citizen involvement in running the country. Now, people put up with that for decades in Syria because their lives were improving, there was a sense of hope for the future, education, medical care, employment; there was a lot of really good things happening in Syria in the 60s, 70s and 80s under this autocratic regime as happened in many Arab countries, but it got to the point five or seven years ago when people in Syria and other Arab countries just wouldn't put up with this kind of dictatorial regimes anymore. And also the problem was that the ruling elite became a crony capitalist elite where there was massive amounts of money shared among small groups of people around the ruling family and this is the same in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Yemen and everywhere where there were uprisings and you had the same situation. So, clearly many Syrians want to get rid of Assad, but he's there; he's not leaving. He's strong militarily; he has tremendous support from his external allies and whatever the world says about wanting to get rid of him, he's not leaving; he's there. So, how long he can stay, we don't know. It's possible that he can stay another ten years or it's possible that he'll make a deal or maybe he'll be killed. We don't know! There is no way to predict the future but I wouldn't see Assad or the Assad family as the stable alternative to the current chaos. The current chaos has happened under the rule of the Assad family with the rebellion that emerged, with the foreign armies that are fighting, with many external factors, the Jihadists and the Islamic State. So, it's not only the fault of Assad that Syria today is fragmented and violent and you have 8 or 10 million Syrians who are displaced and refugees. It's not only the fault of Assad; it's the fault of many people including Assad that we have reached this situation. So, I think ...
Q: Sorry to interrupt, but do you rule out that he has got his own popular base within the country and is loved by so many Syrians even now that turbulence has engulfed the nation?
A: Oh, no, he has a base! Yes. There was a strong base for this regime, for the government and the ruling Ba'ath party in the 70s and 80s. You had a lot of popular support because people's lives really improved and I lived through that. I was living in Jordan, in Lebanon. I visited Syria and I lived there briefly in the early 80s and there was definitely improvement in many aspects of people's lives back in the 80s and maybe into the 90s, but this improvement gave way to this crony capitalist concentration of wealth among small number of people with a very autocratic regime. And this happened all over the Arab world. Syria is not unique. So, yes, he has a base; there are probably several million Syrians and we see that today they're fighting to keep him in power. There are people who benefit from the regime; there are people who think that the Assad-type rule, the Ba'athist rule, is the best thing for the country. There's no doubt about that. The question is "are they a minority?" or "are they a majority?" We can't really tell. There's no mechanism like a poll or election that can honestly tell us whether he has the support of 30 percent, 60 percent or 80 percent of Syrians. We don't know! But clearly a lot of Syrians – I think probably a small majority – have been agitating to change the nature of the system. It's possible that he might step down and just stay in retirement like what Ali Abdullah Saleh did in Yemen. He doesn't have to be killed or sent to exile; you know, this is something to be negotiated. If there is a negotiation for him to leave power, there are many options that people can think of. He does have support, but I don't think it's a majority support now. What has happened in Syria under his rule has been so catastrophic that I think clearly a majority of Syrians desperately want the fighting to end and then try to get back to some kind of normal life.
Q: But at the moment, even the United States, which was an adamant opponent of Assad has dropped its precondition that he should step down and actually steer clear of politics so that a national transition can take place. I think they are not demanding this now.
A: That's right. As a transitional process, the Americans basically realized that he's not going to step down just because they told him to and he hasn't lost his legitimacy just because John Kerry says he's lost his legitimacy. So, the Americans are saying, well, he can be there as president if there is a unity government that is technocratic, that represents all Syrians as a democratic transitional process and then at the end of this transition, the Americans and others who opposed him would expect him to step down somehow, but none of this is agreed upon; they're just ideas that people have. The Geneva communiqué that frames that whole transitional process is very vague and the Americans, the Russians, the Syrian government and the Syrian opposition all interpret it in different ways. So, there just isn't any clarity about what his role is going to be and he might stay; it's possible. You know, you've had leaders in the world who changed radically when they realized that their country was falling apart. For example, Mikhail Gorbachev in the Soviet Union, F. W. de Klerk in South Africa, the leaders of Northern Ireland; these people made drastic changes in their countries when they realized that they had to change and therefore things evolve without the leaders necessarily having to leave office. And it's possible that something like that might happen in Syria. There is no evidence of it now but you can never rule out people changing their views in the future.
Q: It's been repeatedly asserted by the parties involved in the Syrian crisis that the future of this war-torn country should be decided by the Syrian people. What do you believe is the most practical and workable way of engaging all the Syrians including the refugees, internally displaced people and the citizens still living in the country in a process by which they can determine their fate democratically? Syria had a multi-candidate presidential election in 2014 and also the legislative polls were held just recently in April, but the U.S. and the European Union denounced the elections as rigged and unrepresentative, especially given that they took place amid the civil war. What do you think of these two elections and their outcome?
A: I don't think these are genuinely credible elections. These are elections that were held under very unusual circumstances where most of the people in the country couldn't vote and mostly people living in areas where the regime was in control could vote. So, I wouldn't pay attention to these elections. I think you need to have some kind of process whereby all the people of Syria living everywhere in the country and the refugees outside somehow, when they come back or even in exile, should be able to participate in a process that leads to the shaping of a new government system. Obviously you're going to have representatives of different groups of Syrians and you'll end up with some kind of constituent assembly. We've seen this in places like Yemen and we've seen it in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya to certain extent in the last five years where people tried from scratch to create a social contract or a constitution, and a political agreement on how to govern the country basically starting from zero after they got rid of the old regime.
Something like that will have to happen in Syria; you'll almost certainly need to have some kind of internationally supervised referendum or election or plebiscite or something. I don't know how it can be done logistically and also credibly in a way that you can say, "well, we have gauged the sentiments of the majority of the Syrians and this is what they say they want." The Syrians are very able people and they will be able to come up with a mechanism that is both realistic and credible and legitimate. The difficulty now of course is you still have groups like Islamic State and Jabhat al-Nusra (Al-Nusra Front) who are trying to carve out their own sovereign entities inside Syria. So, those have to be dealt with. I don't think it's realistic that you can have a transitional process in Syria while you have Islamic State and you have Al-Nusra and some of the other hardline Islamist militant groups carrying out their activities, trying to overthrow the government. So, I can't see a transitional process happening until the actual fighting stops and for the fighting to stop, you need to return Syria to a state of unified sovereignty where all the country is somehow under the control of those authorities who will include the Assad government and the opposition together, who together will try to reshape a new governance system. I don't think it can happen in the present circumstances.
Q: Great! I will get to ISIS later on, but at the moment I have a question for you on the role of Israel in the Syrian crisis. The Israeli government had reportedly maintained neutrality in the Syrian conflict and said that it is not taking sides, but at the same time, there are indications that some rebels and insurgents wounded in the fighting with the government forces have been transferred to Israeli hospitals for treatment. The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu admitted for the first time in December last year that his forces operate in Syria and there have been airstrikes against the bases of Syrian government by the Israeli military. Does Israel really prefer ISIS over the government of Bashar al-Assad? Don't they feel uncomfortable with the expansion and augmentation of ISIS?
A: You know, it's very bizarre to see the Israeli government apparently helping al-Nusra and some of these groups with medical supplies and medical aid, and being involved in bombings, because you think that people like al-Nusra and ISIS would be far more dangerous to Israel than the Syrian government. The Syrian government of Assad has been very clear about maintaining the ceasefire on the Golan Heights, even though the Golan Heights is occupied by Israel. There hasn't been any Syrian-Israeli fighting of any significance since the early 1970s on the head of disengagement agreement. What Syria has done is that it used Lebanon and some of the groups that it controls in Lebanon sometimes, including its ally Hezbollah [and also] Palestinian groups to engage with Israel and have little bouts of shooting here and there but nothing serious. So, the Syrian government has not been a threat to Israel at all in the last thirty years or forty years or so. So, I don't know why the Israelis would want to destabilize Assad. It doesn't make any sense to me at all. What the Israelis have done clearly is that they occasionally will take action in Syria because they argue that maybe the Syrian government is helping Hezbollah and Hezbollah is a threat to Israel, because Hezbollah and Israel have had several wars. So, that kind of action is more understandable from the Israeli perspective. I don't support it, of course; I'm against it. It's a crime for Israel to go and attack Syria but they do it all the time because they're criminal in so many of their activities in relation to the Arab world. But attacking arms' movements to Hezbollah, for instance, is something the Israelis can argue is protecting Israel but, helping the Islamists in Syria and hurting the Syrian government doesn't make sense to me at all. So, I just don't know what in the world the Israelis are up to in Syria and I don't think they know either.
Q: On the rise of ISIS, you argued in one of your articles that the economic, political and social grievances of the Arab citizens across the region throughout the recent decades have compelled many of them to turn to violence and terrorism. Do you believe that the Arab citizens have been the driving force for the growth of Daesh militancy? There are reports of hundreds of European nationals joining ISIS in the recent months. I personally believe that Arabs make up only a small portion of ISIS recruits. Don't you agree with that?
A: The truth is we don't know. Neither you know nor I know exactly what is the percentage of fighters or people who go live with ISIS. ISIS is made of the majority of Arabs with a minority of international people, but we just don't know. The interesting thing from the research I've done and other people have done is that there are so many different reasons why so many different people in many different countries like ISIS or support or join it. So, there isn't just one reason; it's not just lack of democracy or lack of economic opportunity or religious fervor or historical grievances. There isn't one reason or two reasons that explain why ISIS attracts so many people. It doesn't attract that many people. You're probably talking about 50 or 60,000 people who have gone there and joined the Islamic State. That's not a very big number. The Arab world has 380 million people and if you had Turkey and Iran, you're talking about over half a billion people in the Middle East of whom less than a hundred thousand may have actually gone and joined ISIS. So, we don't want to exaggerate the actual dimensions of the human capabilities of ISIS, but tens of thousands is a lot of people and if they go around blowing up things and attacking dams and power stations and chopping people's heads off, it gets pretty serious. So, the real important issue to me is why conditions in so many countries around the Arab world in particular have become so difficult for so many people that these people would look at ISIS as something that gives them new hope for life. I think there's a small minority of ISIS members who are genuinely devoted Muslims and who honestly feel that this is the Islamic society at its most pure form and it's a just society and the Caliphate is being recreated and this is their chance as Muslims to do God's work on earth. There's probably a small number of people who really, really believe that. I think it's a pretty small minority. I think the majority are motivated by fifty, sixty other reasons that I've identified in my research which are economic, social, political, historical, ideological and material; there are just many, many different reasons. So we should address those issues, those conditions in the Arab countries. Forget about the people who come from Belgium or Pakistan for the moment; they have their own issues.
I'm just looking at the Arab world. ISIS came out of the Arab world; it was born in Iraq and Syria essentially. It grew in Iraq and Syria. It set up the Caliphate in Iraq and Syria and its men mostly at the senior levels are Iraqis and Syrians. So, this is a predominantly Arab phenomenon reflecting problems across the Arab world and these problems are so diverse and so extensive and so difficult to solve now that I fear that we're going to continue to suffer this kind of situation for a long time to come, because you're talking about issues like, for instance, 25 million young people in the Arab countries who are not schooled, who should be in primary and secondary school. Twenty-five million who are not schooled! So, those 25 million people are going to be easy-picking for any kind of radical group or criminal group or socially deviant group. These poor kids are going to be desperate; they won't have any chance of getting a good job; they will be poor and vulnerable all their lives, and how do you solve that? Twenty-five million kids who are not schooled! By the way, the other hundred million or so who are schooled are getting a mediocre education because international testing centers have shown that about 45 percent of people in primary and secondary schools in Arab countries are not learning how to read and write and do basic arithmetic. In other words, almost half the people in Arab schools are not learning anything useful and 25 million are out of school and there're probably 10-12 million refugees now all around the Arab world let alone the Palestinian refugees from 1948.
So, you're dealing with a really dysfunctional Arab region with tens of millions of human beings who are in desperate situations and that's why they go and do things like joining ISIS because some of them think ISIS is going to make a better life for them, and others go and swim to Europe risking death and many of them die but, you know, the risk of dying for them is less frightening than the risk of, staying, living in their difficult situations across the Arab world. So, ISIS to me is really an important wake-up call about the problems and deficiencies and distortions all across the Arab world in so many fields. That's what makes it so difficult; economic issues, environmental issues, political issues, social issues, educational issues, technology, history, etc. It just goes across the world. Almost every dimension of life in many, many Arab countries has real problems and the result is what we see today: migration, illegal refugees, terrorism, Islamic State, etc., and some countries have been in active warfare for four, five years non-stop. So, there's a real problem in the Arab world and we see it everywhere. Syria is the worst example but it's just more blatant and more extreme example of conditions that you can find in less extreme form in so many other Arab countries.
Q: You said that the human resources ISIS boasts and its capabilities should not be exaggerated. So with these checks in mind and after all these tumultuous years and the military options that have been tested and diplomatic engagements by the U.S., NATO, the Arab states in the region, Russia and Iran, the actors involved have been dismally unable to find a solution to root out ISIS from the region. Is it really possible to defeat them once and for all and make sure that they are not going to expand their dangerous caliphate and decimate people of different religions and faiths because of how they worship or what they think?
A: Well, first of all, I would say I don't agree with you that a lot of people in the region and internationally have used all available means to try to defeat them; they haven't used all available means. They've essentially bombed them from the air and tried to cut their financial sources a bit and there's been some ground actions against them in Syria and Iraq and that's about it. There hasn't been an all-out campaign with ground forces, airpower and other means to destroy their base. I think they are easily defeated within some places like Ramadi and a couple of other cities in Iraq that have recently been liberated, that they can be defeated when you have airpower and ground forces working together. That hasn't happened very much. So, I think yes, they can easily be defeated if people put their military and political mind to it. The problem is you can defeat them, you can destroy Raqqa and you get them out of Mosul, but the problems in the region that gave birth to ISIS and to al-Qaeda are still there. So, all you're going to do is transform the way in which disconcerted, disfigured, discontented and desperate Arab men and women find outlets for their desperation and find new expressions for their fear. So, if ISIS is destroyed, I don't know what will follow it, but something will follow it because people will find a way to express their fear and their concern; and these are, you know, existential concerns about, "Can they feed their children? Can they live another six months? Can they get water for their family?" These are very basic fears that drive the lives of tens of millions of people across the Arab world. ISIS can be defeated, yes, militarily but the driving forces that keep ISIS alive are much more difficult to defeat and that requires political reform – serious political and economic reform all across the region, and there's no sign at all that any Arab country is willing to make that kind of serious economic, social and political reform. And that's troubling to me. It means that probably we're going to stay at this situation for a long time.
Q: There is a widely accepted assumption that George W. Bush's military expedition in Iraq in 2003 was what paved the way for ISIS to emerge, grow up and become as powerful as it is today by captivating the alienated Iraqis and radicalizing those who were frustrated with the occupation of their country. Do you agree with the supposition or do you think it pertains to some historical and religious background?
A: I generally agree with blaming Bush and Blair for the consequences of the invasion of Iraq, which was a really criminal act and I think the war in Iraq created the conditions that allowed groups like ISIS to start working in Iraq when Abu Musab al-Zarqawi came in 2004 and started the anti-Shiite incitement and violence which led to great sectarian fighting and eventually led to the creation of the Islamic State, but the roots of the Islamic State go much further back because it's part of al-Qaeda and other groups like that in the region. So, the Wahhabi, Salafi extremism has been building up in Arab countries and some other countries, I think, well before the Iraq War but the Iraq War was the moment that allowed these groups to form and create a base inside Iraq and from there to undertake their activities that have brought us to the point we are today.
Q: Then, based on your observations and your studies on the region, are you hopeful that the crisis emanating from Syria and Iraq and the atrocities of ISIS can be terminated through political, diplomatic, military and other means if the international community is committed and serious enough to deal with this stalemate?
A: The short answer is yes, I think it can be defeated in the long-term, but it's not the international community so much. It's more really the Arab government systems. The real, biggest problem that gave rise to the desperation and the conditions in the region that allowed ISIS and al-Qaeda and others like them to be born, the real center of gravity of that, has been the Arab government systems; autocratic, uneven, letting huge numbers of people become poor, no participation, no accountability, no human rights. So, that's the real problem! The real problem is that Arab governance with severe socio-economic disparities going back forty or fifty years. This really only started in the 1980s or so after the impact of huge oil price increases created massive distortions all across the region leading to corruption and crony capitalism and things like that. We didn't have these problems in the 1950s and 1960s; this is a modern, recent problem. So, it's the Arab governments and the Arab economic and political systems that need to radically change and the international community can play a role in that, of course. The role of the international community is that they have been, for the last fifty years, supporting these autocratic and dictatorial Arab governments, whether it's the Western countries or the Eastern Bloc under the Russians and the Soviet Union formerly. They all supported all of these countries during the Cold War. So, there is a role that the international community has played and therefore has some responsibility for the bad situation that we experienced in the last forty years or so. But the change to eliminate ISIS and to prevent new forms of organizations like it from coming into being, that emphasis really is on the Arab governments and the Arab societies, the Arab private sector, Arab civil society and the people within the Arab world who are the primary focus of the need to change.
Q: Tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia have escalated dramatically. Do you agree that the continuation of clashes between Tehran and Riyadh will further destabilize the global oil markets, hinder the Syria peace talks and complicate the status quo in the region? From your point of view, will this Tehran-Riyadh feud spill over to the rest of the world and result in violence?
A: Well, I think there is a problem today between Iran and Saudi Arabia. I think it's a political problem; I don't think it's a Shiite-Sunni clash as many people claim it is. There are problems between some Sunnis and some Shiites who are bombing each other's mosques and doing ethnic cleansing but that's a very, very recent phenomenon which only started after the Iraq War, as well, and that's another thing we have to blame on Tony Blair and George Bush for creating the conditions in Iraq that allowed this sectarian violence to become more common. So, you do have serious problems between Iran and Saudi Arabia; there are political problems; there are geo-strategic issues; there are ideological issues. They're not essentially religious issues in my view.
The problem, I think, is that the Iranians and the Saudis have had proxy confrontations in many Arab countries over the last ten, twelve years or so, and the Iranians have virtually done better than the Saudis. The Saudis are a little frightened, they're little worried; they're concerned about so many things changing in the region and they're fearful that their traditional status and power and role is going to change to their detriment and therefore they seem to be blaming Iran for so many of the problems of the region and it's not clear that those accusations are really justifiable. Clearly there are things that Iran is doing all around the region that Arab countries don't like such as relations with Hezbollah or supporting the regime in Syria. These are normal strategic ties that countries have with other countries or with other groups just like the Saudis have them, the Egyptians have them and this is normal statecraft. The problem I think is that the Saudis aren't very good at statecraft and they haven't really been able to play the game regionally as well as the Iranians or some of the other countries did. The Turks did it very well for a while; now the Turks are not in such good shape. So, I think the Saudi-Iranian rivalry is a political rivalry that can be resolved quite easily when mature and sensible people sit down and discuss these things in a diplomatic forum and realize that the majority of their people don't want this kind of confrontation to keep going because it only damages the region, it only damages other countries like Lebanon, Iraq, Syria or Palestine and maybe other places. And therefore, I think the likelihood is that at some point in the next year or two, sensible minds in Tehran and Riyadh with some serious external mediation will sit down and start talking about "what are their shared interests?", "what are their points of disagreement?", and "how can they solve the disagreements and minimize them and maximize their shared interests?" They have huge common interests in wanting to have stability in the oil market, increased revenues, development for everybody, a growing middle class, which leads to prosperity and stability. So, I don't think that the Saudi-Iranian situation is a long-term threat. I think it's a short-term problem and I think the new Saudi leadership has made it a little worse now but I think Iran will realize that it has to make some adjustments as well. The Iranian nuclear deal was a very powerful example of how the Iranian leadership and the American leadership and others can actually behave in a very mature way and I think that same approach that was used in the nuclear negotiations needs to be used in addressing Saudi-Iranian differences.
Key Words: Crisis, Syria, Military Options, Syrian People, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Iran, Hezbollah, U.S., Britain, Russia, Strategic Importance, Hezbollah, Resistance and Deterrence Front, Bashar Assad, Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Yemen, National Transition, Refugees, Israel, Violence, Terrorism, Arab Citizens, Daesh Militancy, European Nationals, NATO, Arab States,Tehran-Riyadh Feud, Khouri
*Photo Credit: kgou.org, The Business Insider