Okaz

ARAB satellite channels, especially the Lebanese ones, hosted a large number of astrologers and soothsayers who usually appear around this time every year to sell their illusions. Aside from targeting simple people, these clairvoyants flatter politicians with sweet predictions while they strike fear in the hearts of celebrities with premonitions of imminent disaster.

They throw baits to the famous personalities who get in touch with them to obtain further information about their bright or dark future. This way, these people can easily extort money from the famous and powerful.

I must admit that these fortune tellers are extremely smart and they have good talent in analyzing data and drawing conclusions. This makes their predictions come true oftentimes. Simple people who believe in the supernatural ability of the prognosticators will have no doubt on the veracity of their forecasts for the future.

I would have named some of these people who turned into icons with millions of followers and views on their YouTube channels, but I am afraid that I might be sued.

In 2015, I published in this newspaper, an article predicting Donald Trump would become the US president, when at that time, many were predicting he would never win the nomination of his party, let alone getting elected to the presidency.

Earlier polls predicted that he would exit early from the primary and would not contest the elections. I was right and Trump won his party's nomination and later elected to become the US president.

I was seriously thinking to stop writing and start foretelling for a living. Life is short and the road to wealth is long and hard.

We are welcoming a new year, which could be full of expected and unexpected events. So I decided to write this article on my 2019 predictions, the same manner those astrologists do. I will list them here to see for yourself whether they will come true or not.

My first prophecy: Syria will return to its seat in the League of Arab States and it will reopen its embassies that have remained closed for nearly six years in a number of countries.

My second prophecy: An Arab leader will die and the army will appoint him a successor.

Third: Demonstrations similar to the yellow vest demonstrations in France will erupt in Italy and Germany.

Fourth: The Israeli army will strike Hezbollah locations inside Lebanon. They could also invade the southern Lebanon and the Golan Heights.

Fifth: The Iranian economy will collapse and demonstrators will swarm Iranian streets and cities in large numbers. These demonstrations will confuse the Iranian regime or force it to step down.

Sixth: An agreement will be signed, ending the political division in Yemen.

Seventh: Political and economic crisis facing the Justice and Development Party in Turkey will create anger and rouse the Turkish people.

Eight: Dark clouds over the White House and President Trump or one of his aides will become the target of an assassination attempt.

Ninth: The Qatari regime will suffocate after a new scandal exposing its connection with terrorism.

Tenth: The ISIS will return to front-page cover news and will claim terrorist attacks in Europe.