English LCCC Newsbulletin For
Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For January 21/2022
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
The Bulletin's Link on the
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Bible Quotations For today
The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; therefore ask the Lord of
the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest
Matthew 09/36-38: “When he saw the crowds, he had
compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without
a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the
labourers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers
into his harvest”
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials
published on January 20-21/2022
Aoun to diplomatic corps: I am determined to achieve reforms
President Aoun meets delegation of Foreign Affairs Committee in French
Parliament
Mikati launches national strategy for public procurement reform, stresses
importance of cooperation to endorse
Berri calls joint House committees to convene on Wednesday
Aoun reiterates support for reforms as Hariri returns to Beirut
Miqati Says No One Can Impose Session's Agenda on Cabinet
Lebanese Judges to Visit Paris over Salameh Probe
Bassil: Port Probe Selective but Not Politicized, LF Can't End FPM
Hariri Arrives in Lebanon to Mull over Participation in Parliamentary Elections
OGERO Secures Diesel for 5 Months, Ministry Mulls Tariff Raise
Protesters Back Jailed Hostage-Taking Depositor as ABL Rejects 'Violence'
Lebanon's Poorest Scavenge through Trash to Survive
Lebanese Pound Extends Rally
Lebanon's Healthcare on Brink of Collapse, Says Minister
Harsh Winter Hits Syria, Lebanon and Jordan, Taking Toll on Refugees
The illusion of breaking news in Lebanon/Khaled Abou Zahr/Arab News/January 20,
2022
Elections are One Thing, Weapons and Absolute Truths are Another/Hazem Saghieh/Asharq
Al-Awsat/January 20/2022
Are Hezbollah’s Lebanese Allies Turning Against It?/Adnan Nasser/The National
Interest/January 20/2022
U.S. Treasury Designates Additional Targets in Hezbollah Financial Network/Tony
Badran/Policy Brief/January 20/2022
Titles For The Latest English LCCC
Miscellaneous Reports And News published on
January 20-21/2022
Biden Sees 'Some Progress' in Iran Nuclear Talks
U.S. Says Iran Deal Still Possible after 'Modest Progress'
‘Decisive’ Moment Nears on Iran Nuclear Talks, Says Blinken
Iran Nuclear Talks Need Change of Approach, French Source
Naval Drills between China, Russia and Iran Start Friday
Putin, Raisi Summit Maintains Social Distance, Marks a 'Turning Point' in
Relations
China Reports 1st Official Iranian Oil Imports Since Dec 2020
Israel Hopes U.N. Will Unanimously Condemn Holocaust Denial
Palestinian Minister: Biden Moving Too Slow on Pushing Peace
Israeli Security Delegation Meets Military Leaders in Sudan
Sudan Council Agrees with US Officials on Amending Democracy Transition Document
Sudanese Security Forces Shoot Dead Anti-coup Protester
Turkey’s Central Bank Ends String of Interest Rate Cuts
Arab League: Date of Algiers Arab Summit Missing Starting Date
Biden Says Administration Mulling Re-designating Houthis a Terrorist Group
Congress Calls on US Administration to Keep Fighting to Free Tice from Syrian
Captivity
Russia Accuses West of Plotting 'Provocations' in Ukraine
Canada/Minister Joly meets with the Secretary General of La Francophonie
Canada/Minister Joly meets with French counterpart
Titles For The Latest The Latest LCCC
English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on
January 20-21/2022
Why Palestinian Leaders Ignore Arab Atrocities/Khaled Abu Toameh/Gatestone
Institute./January 20/2022
Jesus Christ as Palestinian Terrorist/Raymond Ibrahim/Jauary 20, 2022
On Second Anniversary Of IRGC Qods Force Commander Soleimani's Killing, His
Successor Qa'ani Declares: 'If There Are Smart People In America, They Should
Confront Soleimani's Murderers Themselves – It Will Cost Them Less Than If The
Children Of The Resistance Front Wreak Vengeance [On The U.S.]... We Are
Shi'ites And Know How To Avenge'/A. Savyon/MEMRI/January 20/2022
Europe's Weak Response to Russia/Judith Bergman/Gatestone Institute/January 20,
2022
Biden’s focus will soon fall firmly on foreign policy/Andrew Hammond/Arab
News/January 20, 2022
on January 20-21/2022
Aoun to diplomatic corps: I am determined to achieve
reforms
NNA/Thursday, 20 January, 2022
President Michel Aoun stressed, before the diplomatic corps whom he received at
Baabda Palace on Thursday, that he is determined to keep striving for the
achievement of reforms for the rest of his presidential term.
"I am determined, in collaboration with the House of Representatives and the
Government, and for the rest of my presidential term, to keep striving - despite
all impediments - for the achievement of the reforms to which I have committed
myself, and which have always been called for by your countries" said Aoun.
Following is the President's full statement as distributed by his press office:
"Your Excellency the Apostolic Nuncio Monsignor Joseph Spiteri, Dean of the
Diplomatic Corps,
Your Excellencies,
It gives me great pleasure to welcome you at the Presidential Palace at the
beginning of the new year, on this traditional occasion which was prevented last
year by the coronavirus pandemic.
As I thank you for your heartfelt greetings conveyed on your behalf to Lebanon
and its people and to me personally, by His Excellency the Apostolic Nuncio, I
reciprocate them to you, as I extend to your States and peoples my best wishes
of wellbeing, progress, peace and prosperity.
Allow me, Monsignor, to express my particular acknowledgement and gratitude to
His Holiness Pope Francis who holds Lebanon in his prayers and who has dedicated
to the country and people of the Cedars a day of special meditation and prayer,
on the 1st of July, with the participation of the heads of the Levantine
Christian communities; as he renewed yesterday before the diplomatic Corps
accredited to the Holy See his love for this country and its people, and his
true wishes of recovery, calling on the international community to help, in
order for Lebanon to remain an example of coexistence among its citizens, no
matter to which confession they belong.
Yes, Excellencies… Lebanon is currently weighed down by dire economic,
financial, social and humanitarian burdens whose foundations were laid by a
certain political system and a financial and economic approach, and which were
made more acute by the coronavirus pandemic crisis and other fatalities. This
very Lebanon always looks up to its brothers and friends in the world to extend
to it a helping hand to overcome the harsh circumstances that its people are
struggling against, and to remain - as we have always wanted it - an oasis of
peace and security and a space for dialogue, especially that it only dedicates
to your States and peoples with no exception, all the good, affection, and
honest desire to have with them relations of constructive cooperation, mutual
respect and positive interaction. By nature, Lebanon is neither a passage nor a
base for any activity that may undermine your countries' sovereignty, security
and stability, or interfere in their internal affairs, in particular the
brotherly Arab countries which have always stood by our side, especially in the
difficult circumstances that Lebanon has gone and is still going through.
Your Excellencies,
Driven by this keenness, which we have repeatedly expressed on various
occasions, Lebanon hopes that the stances of some States will be similar to its
own, whereas its arena is not used as a field to settle their differences or
their regional conflicts, and whereas they do not support some of its factions
or groups to the detriment of others, but rather deal with all the Lebanese with
no discrimination or segregation. This is how they would help preserve the
specificity which characterizes the citizens of this nation, and which has been
and shall remain the secret of their unity and solidarity, and the basis of
Lebanon's stability, knowing that, if this stability is ever shaken, its
repercussions shall not be confined to the internal scene but will rather have
an external fallout as well.
Dear ambassadors,
Your countries have rushed to offer commendable assistance and support for
Lebanon and its people in the ordeals that have struck it, especially after the
devastating blast of the Beirut Port. Indeed, many conferences were held for
this purpose, at the initiative of French President Emmanuel Macron, in
coordination with the United Nations. During these conferences, your countries
have responded favorably to the calls for assistance and support, showing an
unprecedented keenness to rescue Lebanon and the Lebanese. A generous influx of
aid from various kinds has been and still is channeled to Lebanon, enabling us
to face the painful consequences of the disaster that hit our capital.
Nevertheless, I wish to draw your kind attention to the fact that some parties
have gone past the obligation of coordinating with the comprehensive Lebanese
State institutions, dealing directly with associations and groups; some of these
groups have grown like fungi after the port blast, seeking to exploit of this
material and humanitarian support for political goals, under dubious mottos,
especially that Lebanon is on the verge of parliamentary elections. This is why
I asked to be cautious about these groups, and to limit support and assistance
to State institutions, humanitarian and international bodies and organizations
which have proven their impartiality, neutrality and commitment to international
pacts that govern human rights, and which neither practice discrimination or
favoritism, nor instrumentalize the present economic crisis for political or
private considerations and interests.
Against this backdrop, I salute the exceptional efforts exerted by the United
Nations' organizations, as well as the Arab and international humanitarian
bodies which have worked and are still working to provide assistance, based on
their noble principles that rely on justice, equality and non-interference in
internal affairs and domestic policies.
Your Excellencies,
I am determined, in collaboration with the House of Representatives and the
Government, and for the rest of my presidential term, to keep striving - despite
all impediments - for the achievement of the reforms to which I have committed
myself, and which have always been called for by your countries, notably: the
adoption of a fiscal and economic recovery plan which will be approved by the
Government of Lebanon in the coming few weeks at the Council of Ministers which
will meet again after a period of forced blockage that had absolutely no
justification, in preparation for the discussion of the plan with the
International Monetary Fund to mark the beginning of the recovery journey.
Concomitantly the forensic audit will be performed on the accounts of Lebanon's
Central Bank, administrations, institutions and other boards, in view of
identifying the causes of the financial decline that has struck Lebanon, and
holding accountable the perpetrators and the negligent who - with their
three-decade long corruption, squandering and wrong economic and monetary
policies - enabled an infamous establishment to control the country's resources,
dispose of them to serve their own interests, and practice a monopolization
policy while enjoying an internal and an external protection.
Excellencies,
In parallel with the endeavors aimed at accomplishing the desired reforms,
Lebanon envisages a constitutional and democratic milestone next spring, namely
the parliamentary elections which shall be held in due time, enable the Lebanese
to express their national and political choices in total freedom, democracy and
transparency. I am full of hope that the Lebanese will demonstrate a high level
of responsibility in bringing to Parliament those who will strive to fulfill
their hopes and aspirations for a brighter future and to lay the foundations of
a monopoly-free political system that does not give way to a vicious circle of
unsolvable crises. This is why I have called to embrace extensive administrative
and financial decentralization. A few days ago, I have called for a table of
dialogue to discuss it along with the defense strategy and the economic recovery
plan, but some political leaders did not respond favorably; yet, it did not keep
me from holding on to my call for dialogue because of my unwavering conviction
that this is the path to salvation.
Excellencies,
Lebanon is a peace-loving country; it has never been an aggressor but rather the
victim of aggressions: indeed, these aggressions take the shape of continued
past and present Israeli aggressions in the South by land, sea and air, along
with permanent violations of Lebanon's sovereignty and airspace to carry out air
raids against Syrian territories. Although it is Lebanon's right to defend its
territories and sovereignty by all available means, it has committed to the
implementation of international resolutions, notably UNSC Resolution 1701, and
it cooperates through its Army with the UNIFIL to preserve security and
stability in the South, while Israel continues to disregard the provisions of
this Resolution. Nevertheless, commitment to Resolution 1701 does not
necessarily mean abstaining from demanding Lebanon's right to practice its
sovereignty over its land and water and to exploit its oil and gas resources.
Today, I reiterate before you Lebanon's continued desire to negotiate about the
demarcation of the Southern maritime borders in a manner that preserves its
rights within its Exclusive Economic Zone, pursuant to the relevant
international laws and treaties.
I am aware that stability in the South will only be promoted through stability
in the region, which in turn can only be achieved through a just, comprehensive
and lasting peace whose foundations were laid by the Arab Peace Initiative
adopted by the Beirut Summit in 2002, namely with the establishment of an
independent Palestinian State whose capital is Al-Quds, whereas the Palestinians
can return to their land, and the settlement scheme which is rejected by all the
Lebanese will fall for good.
In parallel, Lebanon hopes that security and stability will be restored in the
Arab countries which have witnessed wars entailed by terrorist attacks that have
taken place on their territories, at the top of which our closest neighbor
Syria, whereas the displaced can return from Lebanon to their lands and
properties. Lebanon regards with suspicion some international positions that
prevent this return till the moment, despite the end of fighting in vast areas
of Syria, which raises questions about the reasons for this obstruction.
Excellencies,
In this gathering, the last during my presidential term, I wanted to be
forthcoming with you about many issues of great concern to the Lebanese. Time
won't be enough to go into details, but I do promise you that today's bleeding
Lebanon is capable of healing its wounds and recovering, because the will of the
Lebanese - residents and diaspora alike - is solid, and their attachment to
their country is irreplaceable, but they look up to you to stand by them and
support them, thus preserving a country which is unique by its composition,
remarkable by its people's capabilities, keen on modernity and development, a
country which only wishes well to all brotherly and friendly States, and is
confident that its wishes are reciprocated by you. Do not let it down, help it
because Lebanon, with its plural society, is an example of life to be followed.
Once more, I extend my best wishes of well-being, peace and prosperity to you
personally and to your friendly and brotherly countries and peoples."
For his part, Apostolic Nuncio and Dean of the Diplomatic Corps Mgr. Joseph
Spiteri delivered the following speech:
"Your Excellency the President of the Republic.
Thank you for kindly receiving us today, at the beginning of 2022. It is an
honour for all of us, Ambassadors and Representatives of International
Organisations, to wish Your Excellency and all the People of Lebanon abundant
blessings for the New Year.
Last year, unfortunately, we could not participate in this traditional and
significant ceremony. Our last meeting was at the beginning of the Jubilee Year,
2020, which we had hoped and prayed would be a year of renewal for Lebanon.
On that occasion, in fact, we had expressed the following best wishes. "Today,
we want to encourage all Lebanese to remain steadfast in their commitment to
freedom, fundamental rights, democracy and solidarity so that they will continue
to inspire hope in the possibility of harmonious coexistence and progress not
only in the Land of the Cedars but also in neighbouring countries."
Many Lebanese believed that the Centenary Year of Great Lebanon could be a
unique opportunity for necessary reforms that would benefit all citizens. Many
saw in the mass demonstrations taking place since October 2019, animated
particularly by young Lebanese, a unique opportunity to put pressure on
political leaders and financial authorities to bring about political, economic
and social renewal for the whole of Lebanon. Unfortunately, that has not been
the case.
The severe trials of the last two years have been catastrophic. Who has not felt
the desolation caused by the Covid-19 pandemic as it swept across the globe?
Lebanon is still struggling with the dire consequences of this pandemic! Who can
forget the tragic Port of Beirut explosion, the result of criminal negligence?
Who can fail to recall all the innocent victims of the blast, the immense
devastation it caused and the social problems it generated? How is it possible
to forget the other innocent victims of the economic collapse? Can we just brush
aside the moral and psychological suffering of those pushed below the poverty
line because of financial mismanagement, lack of accountability and even
corruption of many persons in authority? These hardships, however, with all
their pain, have not extinguished the spirit of freedom of the Lebanese nor
their solidarity!
No! We can see it every day. People struggle to make ends meet, but they also
care about those less fortunate. Such solidarity has also been possible through
the help of the Lebanese diaspora and the constant and generous assistance of
the Nations and the International Organizations represented here before you.
Your Excellency, many of my esteemed Colleagues have been in Lebanon for several
years and have grown to love the Lebanese and their traditions, although they
are sometimes difficult to understand. Even the Diplomats who have arrived more
recently are quickly attracted to the Land of the Cedars. I take this
opportunity to salute the Heads of Mission who concluded their duties in Beirut
during the last two years and to greet all new arrivals. Our Diplomatic
community shares the everyday life and problems of our Lebanese brothers and
sisters. We cannot forget that many Diplomatic Missions were directly hit by the
Port explosion of 4th August 2020, and suffered immense damages, with some even
losing members of their staff, such as the wife of the former Dutch Ambassador
and the Councillor of the Embassy of Germany. Allow me, Mr. President, to ask
everyone to hold a moment of silence to recall all the victims, Lebanese and
expatriates, of the Port tragedy. (Moment of silence) Thank you.
We all know that the International Community has been asking the Lebanese
authorities to implement several reforms. We have witnessed, during these last
two years, a succession of governments, with Prime Ministers nominated, acting
as caretakers and resigning. We are also very concerned about the paralysis in
the Cabinet meetings of the present government. We sincerely congratulate His
Excellency Mr. Najib Mikati for accepting such a challenging mission and wish
him a successful resumption of the indispensable Cabinet activity. May all
Ministers and political leaders put the needs of the citizens as their foremost
concern and do their utmost to reach shared decisions, so that all the
inhabitants of Lebanon may regain their dignity. No solutions can be achieved
without sincere and respectful dialogue, as you recently recalled, Mr.
President. Only constant dialogue on all levels, not ideological impositions,
can help clarify the real needs of the different components of Lebanese society
and allow the correct decisions to be taken and implemented.
The International Community is also insisting on the need to hold free, fair and
transparent elections. No political party should be afraid to present its
program and its candidates to the citizens, who are called to express their
sovereign verdict. In fact, it is the duty and the right of the citizens to
freely express their views by casting their votes, thus choosing those who will
serve in Parliament. It could be certainly beneficial if the political parties
participating in the next elections sign an agreement of mutual respect, not to
resort to smear campaigns, but to protect the dignity of every candidate, party
and denomination. We presume that every candidate has the good of Lebanon at
heart and therefore should be respected.
Excellency, last Saturday I was in Tripoli to attend the opening of a Centre to
help young people overcome drug dependency problems. It is aptly named "Fursa" (ÝÑÕÉ
- opportunity), a joint social initiative by the Muslim Al Manhaj al Khayri and
the Christian organization Oum en Nour, which has also worked with the Sayyed
Muhammad Hussein Fadlallah Foundation. It is a clear example of cooperation at
the service of all the citizens, so typical of Lebanon. It represents the
profound roots of the Lebanese, who know how to stand shoulder to shoulder in
times of need, to offer mutual support.
The Land of the Cedars presents abundant similar examples in the fields of
education and health care, as in social and artistic initiatives. The thousands
of young people, together with the not so young, who rallied around the Lebanese
flag during the mass protests of the last two years did not represent
denominations or political parties but were animated by their love for Lebanon.
What a contrast with all those who are trying to foment the resurgence of
inter-communitarian rivalries that threaten fraternity.
Mr. President, ten years ago, during his visit to Lebanon, Pope Benedict XVI
pronounced these words here in the Presidential Palace: "The wealth of any
country is found primarily in its inhabitants. The country's future depends on
them, individually and collectively, as does its capacity to work for peace."
(15th September 2012).
We are aware that the Lebanese Constitution is founded on the rights of its
citizens and not on the demands of the different denominations. The respect of
these rights favours fraternity, which is fundamental to the ethos of the
Lebanese exercise of authority, at whatever level. Authority, in fact, is not so
much the possibility to wield power over others but rather the ability to
understand the needs of every human person, to facilitate respectful dialogue
leading to shared decisions that favour the development of the citizens and of
the nation. Authority respects the rule of law, but also promotes freedom,
because only free persons are able to work together for peace and for
sustainable human development, where nobody is left behind.
Your Excellency, while presenting you and your family the best wishes for the
New Year on behalf of all the Heads of State of the Nations we have the honour
to represent before You, we renew our steadfast solidarity with Lebanon and its
People. May all those in authority overcome sectarian interests, promote a
culture of transparency and accountability and work together to save Lebanon.
Our dream is to see all the Lebanese regain the fullness of their dignity. We
hope this will not be just another opportunity but will become reality, thanks
to the traditional resilience, creativity, free spirit and sense of solidarity
of all the Lebanese.
God bless Lebanon! May God bless all of us. Thank you."
President Aoun meets delegation of Foreign Affairs
Committee in French Parliament
NNA/Thursday, 20 January, 2022
President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun, stressed that he looks forward
to the Parliamentary elections next spring, as a real opportunity for the
Lebanese to express their options for change in order to develop the Lebanese
system. The President also considered that administrative decentralization and
the expanded mechanism constitute a basic entry point for modernizing and
developing the Lebanese system and preserving the unity of Lebanon’s land,
people and institutions.
Positions of President Aoun came while meeting the Chairman of the Foreign
Affairs Committee of the French National Assembly, Jean Louis Bourlanges, and
members of the committee, in the presence of the French Ambassador to Lebanon,
Anne Grillo.
President Aoun indicated that many events have accumulated and brought Lebanon
to the difficult conditions it is currently experiencing, including external
factors such as the war in Syria, the closure of border crossings, and the
spread of the Corona pandemic, not to mention the corruption that has killed the
administration and institutions, and wrong financial and economic policies that
have plunged the country into a suffocating crisis.
Moreover, President Aoun informed the French delegation that he is determined,
during the remainder of his term, to initiate the necessary reforms and complete
the forensic audit process, noting that the government will begin next week to
study the draft budget, and then the financial and economic recovery plan, in
conjunction with the start of negotiations with the IMF. In response to a
question about Lebanon's relations with Arab countries, President Aoun affirmed
that Lebanon has always been and still is keen on the best relations with Arab
and foreign countries, and will work to restore normal relations with the Gulf
states. The President also indicated that negotiations to demarcate the southern
maritime borders will resume with the return of the US mediator, Amos Hochstein,
to the region.
In addition, President Aoun commended the positions that support Lebanon
politically, economically and humanitarianly, taken by French President Emmanuel
Macron, and conveyed the head of the delegation and its members his greetings to
President Macron and to the President of the French National Assembly. At the
beginning of the meeting, Mr. Bourlanges confirmed that Lebanon is always
present in the hearts and minds of the French, and they express sincere desires
to help it overcome the economic, political and social difficulties it is going
through, conveying the greetings of the French President and his solidarity with
Lebanon and its people. Bourlanges pointed out that the delegation's visit
to Beirut aims to emphasize the special relationship between Lebanon and France,
and to note the role played by the President of the Republic to enable Lebanon
to find the right path towards advancement and achieve balance, as well as to
see the reality of the Lebanese situation, and to know how France and the French
National Assembly can help to achieve what the Lebanese wish for, and from where
the start of the necessary process of salvation begins, in order to preserve
what distinguishes Lebanon, especially the unity between its sects.
Moreover, Mr. Bourlanges stressed that the reforms that the Lebanese government
intends to adopt constitute an important step on the road to achieving recovery,
and reiterated that he came with the delegation to help, and because Lebanon is
in delicate circumstances, and France should be by its side for help. The French
delegation included members of the various parties and parliamentary blocs
represented in the National Assembly, namely the deputies: Christian Hutin
(Socialist), Bruno Joncour (Democratic Movement), Amelia Lakrafi and Valerie
Thomas (Republic on the Move). ----Presidency Press Office
Mikati launches national strategy for public procurement
reform, stresses importance of cooperation to endorse
NNA/Thursday, 20 January, 2022
Prime Minister Najib Mikati on Thursday stressed that the resumption of the
government meetings to study and endorse the state budget is crucial for the
regularity of the state work. "We highlight the importance of everybody’s
cooperation so that the budget should be a key step on the road to the sought
reforms," said Mikati while sponsoring the launching of the national strategy
for the reform of the public procurement system, at the Grand Serail. "We shall
not forget that other due dates are ahead of us, mainly the parliamentary
elections, and we will be working to provide the necessary frames to oversee and
manage them with efficacy and transparency," he added. "The launching of the
national strategy for public procurement reform comes in line with our
government's aspiration for reforms as indicated in its policy statement,"
Mikati said. "The reform of the public procurement system in Lebanon is an
integral part of the key financial reform package," he continued. "This strategy
constitutes a launching point for the necessary reform measures, in coordination
with all the concerned sides at the national level, as well as the international
partners and donors whom I call to help us bring this strategy into effect," he
went on to say. "Joining efforts at the national level can indeed bring Lebanon
to safety in terms of restoring confidence in the institutions' work, providing
a suitable environment for business and investment attraction, and enhancing
transparency by deeds not words, in order to place Lebanon again on the map of
economic growth, development, and prosperity," he concluded.
Berri calls joint House committees to convene on Wednesday
NNA/Thursday, 20 January, 2022
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri has called the House committees of Finance and
Budget, Administration and Justice, and Economy and Trade to meet in a joint
session at 10:30 am on Wednesday, January 26, to study several law proposals,
including a bill on the recovery of money transferred from Lebanon following
October 17, 2019.
Aoun reiterates support for reforms as Hariri returns to
Beirut
Najia Houssari/Arab News
BEIRUT: Lebanese President Michel Aoun on Thursday reiterated his determination
to work in cooperation with parliament and the government as the country
prepares to begin its negotiations with the International Monetary Fund.
Speaking during the traditional annual meeting with members of the diplomatic
corps, the president also confirmed that the parliamentary elections would take
place on time.Aoun expressed his support for the criminal audit of the central
bank and other departments, institutions and councils. He also highlighted his
keenness to achieve reforms and approve a financial and economic recovery plan
in the coming weeks in preparation for the discussions with the IMF.
His remarks came as former Prime Minister Saad Hariri returned to Beirut from
the UAE after a long absence. It was reported Hariri plans to reorganize the
Future Movement party and resolve the issue of its participation in the upcoming
elections. Hariri also visited Prime Minister Najib Mikati, Grand Mufti Sheikh
Abdul Latif Derian, and the tomb of his late father, former Prime Minister Rafik
Hariri, in Beirut. Meanwhile, former Prime Minister Tammam Salam announced his
unwillingness to run again for the parliamentary seat. He said he wanted to
“make way for a serious change, by making way for new blood, young and clean
thought, aspiring for pure national goals, respecting the demands of the
rebellious people and seeking change.”Free Patriotic Movement leader, MP Gebran
Bassil, confirmed that his party “will run in the upcoming parliamentary
elections in all regions.”
He also commented on his electoral alliance with Hezbollah in an interview with
the Anadolu Agency. “The feud is obvious and major with the party when it comes
to internal matters, and if these issues are resolved, the question of electoral
alliances will be determined on their basis,” Bassil said.
But he showed for the first time his backing for Hezbollah’s position on the
role of the judicial investigator in the 2020 Beirut port explosion case.
Judge Tarek Bitar’s work was “discretionary,” he said, and rejected claims that
the matter had been “politicized.”Hezbollah has led the campaign to remove Bitar,
accusing him of bias after he pursued some of its political allies.
Hezbollah and Amal said this month they would end a boycott of Cabinet sessions,
opening the way for ministers to meet after a three-month break. In preparation
for a Cabinet session on Monday, Finance Minister Youssef Khalil is expected to
hand over the 2022 draft budget to the prime minister on Friday.Meanwhile, the
judiciary has begun an investigation after a Lebanese man was arrested for
staging an armed robbery at a bank in his hometown of Jeb Jenin in the western
Bekaa on Thursday. Abdullah Al-Saii is reported to have held employees at
gunpoint and thrown gasoline at them while threatening to burn the bank down
unless he was given access to his savings that had been frozen. A security
source told Arab News that Al-Saii “emptied (cash) drawers at the Bank of Beirut
and the Arab Countries branch and forced employees to open the main safe.”He
managed to withdraw $50,000 and was on his way home to give it to his wife when
he surrendered to the security services. He gave himself up in the belief he
would later be released as “he had regained his right and was not stealing.”
The Lebanese judiciary issued an arrest warrant for Al-Saii’s wife, who said she
would go on hunger strike until her husband was released.
The security source said: “If Al-Saii is not held accountable for his actions,
others will do what he did, and then chaos and the law of the jungle will
prevail.”
The incident has led to a division between those who sympathize with Al-Saii and
activists who demand accountability for the banking policies that led to the
collapse of the Lebanese pound. Some people expressed support for Al-Saii on
social media, saying that “what was taken by force can only be recovered by
force.”Others described his actions as “heroic.”One person wrote that “the state
has turned its citizens into criminals and terrorists with its plan to seize
depositors’ money.” But the judiciary, banking and security authorities
condemned Al-Saii’s act.
The Executive Council of the Federation of Banks’ Employees Syndicates asked:
“Are we in a state of law or on a farm run by the powerful, authoritarians and
outlaws?”The incident would have led to a massacre if the BBAC management had
not responded to the depositor’s request, it added.
Authorities imposed restrictions on bank transactions in 2019 and set a ceiling
on withdrawals and transfers to accounts abroad.
Over the past two years, angry depositors have carried out dozens of protests in
front of the central bank and private lenders in a bid to recover their money.
The protests have led to ATMs and banks being vandalized — a closed branch in
Beirut was burnt down — and staff being threatened. But Al-Saii is the first to
make such a direct threat. About $3.8 billion was withdrawn from banks between
October and November 2019 following the protest movement that swept the country.
By the end of that year, banks had frozen all withdrawals.
Miqati Says No One Can Impose Session's Agenda on Cabinet
Naharnet/Thursday, 20 January, 2022
Prime Minister Najib Miqati compared the new storm "Hiba" -- arabic word for
donation -- to the situation in the country, relying now on donations. "We can
no longer take loans because we haven't payed our debts for two years," Miqati
told Nidaa al-Watan newspaper, in remarks published Thursday."We are now relying
on the assistance of the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, the
European Union and the United Nations." Cabinet is expected to convene next week
to discuss its 2022 state budget, a prerequisite for launching talks with the
IMF. “We are going to discuss a real budget, for the first time. A budget that
doesn't rely on debts," Miqati said. "We must tighten our belt.” Cabinet had
failed to convene for three month, as Amal and Hizbullah boycotted its sessions,
demanding the removal of Beirut port blast investigator Judge Tarek Bitar. The
Shiite Duo announced that their return to Cabinet meetings is exclusively aimed
at discussing the 2022 state budget, the economic recovery plan and other
pressing economic and social issues. "No one can set the government's agenda,"
Miqati told Nidaa al-Watan, affirming that he doesn't accept that anyone
infringe on his constitutional powers.
"I have waited for more than three months without calling for a session, out of
respect for a Lebanese component that was refusing to attend," Miqati said.
“Anyone who refuses to discuss topics other than the budget can abstain from
voting," he added. Meetings with an IMF delegation will start on Monday, Miqati
said, adding that "the Central Bank is helping with the recovery plan and the
IMF's plan." "We need the BDL's cooperation," he said. He added that "we need a
sound banking sector to recover from the crisis." "I am not defending banks nor
the Central Bank Governor. I am defending the banking sector," he said. Miqati
promised there won't be new taxes in the 2022 state budget, but rather
facilities. "Any increase will be smooth and gradual because we feel with the
citizen.”He also said that the government will discuss in its upcoming session
increasing transportation allowances and disbursing social grants, in addition
to giving a lump sum transportation allowance to the security and military
forces. The budget will take into account the conditions of the security forces
and state employees as well, he added.
Lebanese Judges to Visit Paris over Salameh Probe
Agence France Presse/Thursday, 20 January, 2022
A Lebanese judicial delegation will meet French authorities in Paris next week
to discuss investigations into Lebanon's Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh, a
judicial source said on Thursday. Salameh is among the top Lebanese officials
widely blamed for the country's unprecedented financial crisis that the World
Bank says is of a scale usually associated with wars. He is the target of a
series of judicial investigations in Lebanon, Switzerland and France on
suspicion of fraud, money laundering and illicit enrichment, among other
allegations. Salameh has repeatedly denied the accusations. Next week, Jean
Tannous, the Lebanese prosecutor leading a local probe into Salameh, and Raja
Hamoush, another Lebanese judge, will meet with French authorities, the judicial
source told AFP. The visit "will focus on cooperation and exchange of
information between the two sides regarding suspicions around Salameh and some
of his close associates with regards to... money laundering, illicit
enrichment," among other crimes, the judicial source added, without specifying
the exact date of the meeting. France had opened a probe into Salameh's personal
wealth in May 2021 following a similar move by Switzerland. On July 2, France's
Financial Prosecutor's Office (PNF) handed over its findings for judicial
inquiry into allegations of aggravated money laundering. Lebanon opened a local
probe into Salameh's wealth last year, after the Swiss attorney general
requested assistance in an investigation into more than $300 million which
Salameh allegedly embezzled out of the central bank with the help of his
brother, Raja. As part of Lebanon's investigation, authorities are trying to
secure bank statements of Raja Salameh but they have been rebuffed under the
pretext of banking secrecy laws. Last week, a Lebanese judge issued a travel ban
against Salameh over a lawsuit filed by activists accusing him of financial
misconduct.
Bassil: Port Probe Selective but Not Politicized, LF Can't
End FPM
Naharnet/Thursday, 20 January, 2022
Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil has lamented the presence of
“procrastination” in the Beirut port blast probe, stressing the importance of
the issuance of an indictment by Judge Tarek Bitar. “The investigation is marred
by exceptional selectivity but it is not politicized. However, today there is
lethal procrastination and we want the judiciary to shoulder its
responsibilities,” Bassil added, in an interview with Turkey’s Anadolu news
agency. Asked about the relation with the Lebanese Forces, Bassil said the LF
refuses dialogue with the FPM “because it considers that it has a chance to
achieve the historic dream of breaking or ending the FPM.” “This is a delusional
bet that will not lead to a result,” the FPM chief stressed. As for the relation
with Hizbullah, Bassil admitted that the 2006 memorandum of understanding with
the Iran-backed party has “failed to build a state,” calling for containing the
party’s arms within state institutions. Noting that the MoU needs to be improved
in terms of “reform and state building,” Bassil said Hizbullah’s return to
Cabinet sessions is “part of responding to improvement (calls), but it is
insufficient.” As for alliances in the upcoming parliamentary elections, the FPM
chief pointed out that “the dispute is clear and significant with Hizbullah
regarding the domestic issues.”“Should it be resolved, the issue of electoral
alliances will be decided accordingly,” he added. Stating that Hizbullah and
Amal Movement’s return to Cabinet was “inevitable,” Bassil emphasized that their
boycott had been neither justified nor convincing. “The return is not sufficient
and must be completed by a host of steps that can lead to stability in the
country and to addressing the people’s problems,” he added. “The agreement (with
Hizbullah) helped us confront Israel, prevent the Daesh organization from
occupying Lebanon, and preventing domestic strife. These are essential things,
but that is not enough to build a state,” Bassil went on to say. “The goal must
not be to remove Hizbullah’s arms but rather to find a way to use them for the
benefit of the country,” he added. Separately, Bassil said he has no plans at
the moment regarding the presidential election.
Hariri Arrives in Lebanon to Mull over Participation in
Parliamentary Elections
Naharnet/Thursday, 20 January, 2022
Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri returned Thursday to Lebanon and met with
Prime Minister Najib Miqati at the Grand Serail. They discussed the latest
political developments and the general situation, Hariri's Media Office said.
Hariri also met with Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Latif Daryan and discussed with
him the latest developments. Al-Jadeed TV reported Wednesday that Hariri would
arrive in Beirut to decide whether to participate in the upcoming parliamentary
elections. It is "most likely" that Hariri will not personally run in the
upcoming parliamentary elections, according to al-Mustaqbal MP Hadi Hbeish.
"This information has become almost certain, while the issue of running in
elections in the regions will be the subject of serious discussions with him,"
Hbeish added.
OGERO Secures Diesel for 5 Months, Ministry Mulls Tariff
Raise
Naharnet/Thursday, 20 January, 2022
OGERO has secured an amount of diesel sufficient until next June,
Telecommunications Minister Johnny Korm has announced. Internet services were
disrupted in half of Beirut on Sunday because of diesel shortages. Head of
state-run telecom provider OGERO Imad Kreidiyeh threatened to resign over the
authority’s “lack of capabilities.” “The situation is unbearable,” Kreidieh
said, blaming bureaucracy for the delays. The internet is an essential service
that the country is failing to secure. Another essential service, the mobile
recharge cards, had also recently entered the black market, as a raise in the
price of the prepaid cards is being expected, although cards are available. No
decision has been taken, regarding the new tariffs, Korm said. He explained that
the pricing decision requires a great effort "because we have to take into
account those with limited income." The Telecommunications Ministry's budget has
not yet been finalized, according to Korm who expects to present it early next
week, as intensive meetings are being held. A Cabinet session dedicated to
discussing the 2022 state budget is expected to take place next week, after a
long deadlock.
Protesters Back Jailed Hostage-Taking Depositor as ABL
Rejects 'Violence'
Naharnet/Thursday, 20 January, 2022
Protesters and activists on Wednesday staged a sit-in outside the Justice Palace
in Beirut in solidarity with a jailed man who took hostages Tuesday at a Bekaa
bank and forced employees to give him $50,000 in cash from his own account.
The man, Abdallah al-Sahi, had turned himself in to security forces after
obtaining the money. Bekaa prosecutor Judge Munif Barakat later issued a
decision ordering the confiscation of the $50,000. Al-Sahi announced a hunger
strike on Wednesday according to media reports. As al-Sahi’s move won praise on
social media, the head of the depositors association, Hassan Mughniyyeh, accused
the judiciary of collusion with the banks. “We won’t allow that Abdallah al-Sahi
be persecuted,” Mughniyeh added, revealing that he had called the man’s sister
and agreed with her that the sum of money “would not be handed over no matter
what happens.”The Association of Banks in Lebanon meanwhile condemned “the
repeated attacks that have recently targeted a number of branches, endangering
employees’ lives.” In a statement, the Association condemned “all forms of
violence,” warning that “attempted murder or even threatening to burn employees
alive are acts that cannot be justified nor accepted under any circumstances.”
“The recovery of deposits has one path: a comprehensive recovery plan that would
revive the country through which the state would preserve depositors’ money,”
ABL added.
Lebanon's Poorest Scavenge through Trash to Survive
Associated Press/Thursday, 20 January, 2022
In the dark streets of a Beirut now often without electricity, sometimes the
only light that shines is from headlamps worn by scavengers, searching through
garbage for scrap to sell. Even trash has become a commodity fought over in
Lebanon, mired in one of the world's worst financial crises in modern history.
With the ranks of scavengers growing among the desperately poor, some tag trash
cans with graffiti to mark their territory and beat those who encroach on it.
Meanwhile, even better-off families sell their own recyclables because it can
get them U.S. dollars rather than the country's collapsing currency.
That's left the poor even poorer and fearful for their futures. "There's a lot
of poor people like me," said Hoda, a 57-year-old Lebanese mother who has been
reduced to scavenging. "But people don't know it. They know what they see, but
not what's hidden."
The fight for garbage shows the rapid descent of life in Beirut, once known for
its entrepreneurial spirit, free-wheeling banking sector and vibrant nightlife.
Instead of civil war causing the chaos, the disaster over the past two years was
caused by the corruption and mismanagement of the calcified elite that has ruled
Lebanon since the end of its 1975-90 conflict.
More than half the population has been plunged into poverty. The Lebanese pound
has nose-dived. Banks have drastically limited withdrawals and transfers.
Hyperinflation has made daily goods either unaffordable or unavailable, forcing
those coming back from abroad to fill their suitcases with everything from baby
food to heart medication. Trash had been a problem even before the crisis, with
major protests in past years against neglect by authorities who sometimes
allowed garbage to pile up in the streets. Now, teenagers carrying giant plastic
bags roam the streets looking through dumpsters for scraps they can sell. The
trade once used to be the realm of Syrians who fled their own country's grinding
civil war. "Nowadays, we go to the dump where we sell what we collect, only to
find Lebanese people getting out of their cars to sell their recyclables," said
one Syrian, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.
"Restaurant employees and building janitors also started to sort trash in order
to sell it before throwing the rest out."
Hoda, who gave just her first name for fear of trouble with authorities, turned
to scavenging to support her six daughters, ranging from ages nine to 22, and
two grandchildren. She used to sell vegetables on a cart, but police confiscated
her wares six different times. She sold tissue boxes, but the currency collapse
left her unable to afford them. Then her son Mohammed asked her to join him in
scavenging for garbage. Hoda goes to her spot in Beirut's relatively upscale
Hamra neighborhood daily and works sometimes until 2 a.m. gathering plastics,
cans and anything else she thinks she can sell or use. Once a week, Mohammed
takes everything they collect to sell to dealers who specialize in the trade.
One kilogram (2.2 pounds) of plastic bags goes for 20 U.S. cents, other plastics
for 30 cents, while each kilo of aluminum gets $1. While that doesn't sound like
much, the collapse of the Lebanese pound means $1 goes much farther. That access
to dollars makes scavenging even more dangerous now. Mohammed said he was beaten
up once for crossing into another's scavenger's territory and collecting from a
marked dumpster. "When dollars started to rise, people couldn't afford to eat
and they started scavenging, and each started to have their own bin," Mohammed
said. "If one is standing by a bin and another scavenger comes, a fight will
break out."
"One of the reasons I asked my mother to join me doing this work is hoping that
they wouldn't beat me up when they find my mother with me," he said. Thugs
roaming the streets on motorcycles sometimes target scavengers at the end of day
to steal the recyclables they collected. "They are ready to kill a person for a
plastic bag," Mohammed said. Recyclables aren't the only items Hoda picks up. In
her dark room with no windows and no electricity, Hoda keeps scavenged goods
that pile up on the floor. A bucket of white paint to maybe use for her room. A
light bulb she hopes to use if she ever gets power.
On a recent day, Hoda's 16-year-old daughter was struggling with her 2-month-old
baby's diarrhea and asked for baby diapers, milk, and bottle nipples. Hoda's
eyes sunk in sadness and she shook her head.
"My only dream is to have a house for my family and me, where I live like a
mother, where I live like a human being." Hoda said, her face wet with tears. "I
always laugh and joke around with people, but the inside of my heart is black. I
don't let them sense that I am upset. I keep it to myself, keep it inside my
heart."Her most treasured item is a tent she received from protesters during
Lebanon's 2019 protests. She hopes she'll be able to use it in future protests
against the country's rulers. "The politicians who rule us deserve to be burned,
they are the reason why we are here," Hoda said. "They eat with spoons of gold
while we search for a piece of bread to eat from the floor."
Lebanese Pound Extends Rally
Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 20 January, 2022
The Lebanese pound extended a rally against the dollar on Wednesday,
strengthening to about 24,000 from 34,000 last week thanks to central bank
intervention which economists said was unsustainable unless the government
enacts long-delayed reforms. The gains still leave the pound more than 90%
weaker than its level in 2019 before Lebanon descended into a financial crisis
that has plunged a majority of people into poverty. The central bank announced
last week that banks could buy dollars from it without any ceiling at the price
determined by the central bank's Sayrafa platform, which has consistently priced
the pound at rates stronger than on the parallel market. The Sayrafa rate was
23,300 on Tuesday, Reuters reported. The financial system collapsed in 2019
under the weight of Lebanon's massive public debt and the unsustainable way it
was financed by borrowing from commercial banks. "It's a political decision
really ... but it is not sustainable," said Mike Azar, an expert on the crisis
and former lecturer in international economics at John Hopkins School of
Advanced International Studies. "It comes at very big cost, burning up the
reserves you have, which are of course borrowed from depositors," he said. A
parliamentary election is due in May. The government which took office in
September says it aims to reach an agreement with the International Monetary
Fund to unlock donor support. But it has yet to enact reforms sought by donors
to address the causes of the collapse, such as tackling state waste and
corruption. "If you continue with this (intervention) without any measures on
the structural and fiscal reform front, we are going to end up depleting the
reserves," Byblos Bank chief economist Nassib Ghobril said. "It has to be
accompanied by structural measures and progress with the IMF."
Lebanon's Healthcare on Brink of Collapse, Says Minister
Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 20 January, 2022
Lebanon's healthcare system is crumbling amid an economic crisis that has led to
an exodus of thousands of doctors and nurses, forced private hospitals to close
some departments and put further strains on the already stretched state sector.
"If this crisis goes on for long without solutions we will of course come
closer to a great collapse," Health Minister Firass Abiad told Reuters this
week. Lebanon's economy has been in freefall since
2019 and its currency has lost more than 90% of its value, driving much of the
nation into poverty and pushing healthcare professionals and others to head
abroad for work. Private hospitals in Lebanon, once a regional hub for medical
treatment, accounted for 80% of hospitals and health services before the crisis,
but now fewer people could afford them and they were turning to the state, said
Joseph Helou, the ministry's director of medical care. The ministry covered
medical bills for about 50% of the population before the crisis but now about
70% of Lebanese were demanding help, straining the ministry's shrinking budget,
he said, adding: "We are racking up massive debts at hospitals." The ministry's
budget in dollar terms was worth $300 million before the crisis and was now
worth the equivalent of $20 million, Helou said, after the currency crash.
Mohammed Qassem, 37, rushed his wife - five months pregnant with their fifth
child - to Beirut's Rafik Hariri University Hospital, a public institution,
after unexplained bleeding. But he said she was not admitted until a relative
brought cash. "If I don't have money, what do I do? I let my wife die?" he said,
speaking outside the hospital this week. Patients often have to pay up front,
even if the ministry covers their bills. Vivianne
Mohamed had to rely on a charity to pay for her husband's surgery. "Before we
used to go to private hospitals, but now the situation has deteriorated so
much," she said, speaking after a long wait for treatment.
About 40% of medical staff, roughly 2,000 nurses and 1,000 doctors, had
already left Lebanon during the crisis, Helou said, with most heading to Europe
and the Gulf. Many were specialists, forcing some private hospitals to shut
departments, such as those for cancer, heart and bone diseases and pediatrics.
"They can't find doctors to run them," he said. The minister said the country
needed an International Monetary Fund agreement and reforms to unlock donor
support. But the cabinet, appointed in September, has not met for three months
amid a political dispute, delaying preparations for IMF talks. An election in
May threatens further delays. m"There is no doubt Lebanon is a sick country now
but the main question is whether it's a terminal disease or a disease that can
be cured," the minister said. "To recover, as we tell patients, there is a
treatment plan they must adhere to."
Harsh Winter Hits Syria, Lebanon and Jordan, Taking Toll on
Refugees
Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 20 January, 2022
Harsh winter weather with heavy snowfall and freezing temperatures hit Syria,
Lebanon and Jordan on Wednesday, worsening the plight of thousands of Syrian
refugees displaced in the region. Temperatures are expected to hit an all-time
40-year low, reaching minus 14 degrees Celsius and even lower, according to aid
organizations, including the United Nations agency for children, UNICEF. "The
situation for Syrian refugees in the region remains extremely precarious as the
region goes through some of the coldest days recorded in many years and amid a
heavy storm," UNICEF Regional Chief of Communications Juliette Touma told dpa.
Aid groups said strong winds reaching up to 80 kilometers per hour, coupled with
heavy hail and snow in mountainous areas, were expected to endanger millions of
refugees living in already dire circumstances. In
northern and north-western Syria, tents in refugee camps were blanketed with
snow and roads were blocked by snow, activists in the war-torn country said.
The Syria Relief Organization, a non-governmental group, said in the last
24 hours some 47 refugee camps in north-western Syria had been damaged by the
storm. "Some 69 tents were totally destroyed," the organization said.
Meanwhile, in eastern Lebanon where thousands of Syrian refugees are
living in informal camps, some tents were blown away by gusty winds and some
refugees were stranded in the open air. "We managed to
distribute jackets, gloves, and snow shoes to children from the ages of 2-14
years to protect them from the expected freezing weather," said Maria Assi of
the Lebanese aid organization Beyond in the Bekaa valley.
After more than 10 years of a devastating war in Syria, 6.7 million
people have been displaced inside the country - believed to be the world's
highest number. About the same number of refugees are
estimated to live in neighboring countries including Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey.
The illusion of breaking news in Lebanon
Khaled Abou Zahr/Arab News/January 20, 2022
Lebanon is bombarded with news on a daily basis. And, with the recent changes in
how we consume information, this flow resembles a whirlwind in the middle of a
desert. Each news item seems to be of the utmost importance. All Lebanese
screens and apps are news-driven. The consumption of news is continuous and
dominates daily life. From forwarded unknown audios to sarcastic analysis on
TikTok or clips from a talk show — all of these items are shared as though they
signal yet another cataclysmic change.
However, when the dust settles, this news is nothing but a single drop of water
in the Mediterranean Sea. There is an inverse correlation between the volume of
news and the real change that is taking place in the country. Even in horrific
terror attacks, the fundamentals stay the same simply because the criminals go
unpunished or even come out stronger. I often repeat that I am amazed by the
number and length of talk shows that repeat the same analysis on local TV
channels. This has been going on for decades. It resembles a Turkish drama
series where the hero is left in the exact same situation at the end of every
episode. Yet housewives still cannot get enough of this repeated plot. Likewise,
the Lebanese, wherever they live, have become addicted to the flow of news. In
the TV series, the hero miraculously gets out of his impossible situation at the
very beginning of the next episode. But the cliffhanger in Lebanon’s political
life seems to be written by the enemies of the country rather than anyone else.
And the Lebanese audience is left hoping and wishing for better.
The news cycle has become a distraction from the fundamentals of the country,
which is that Lebanon is under the total control of Hezbollah. The Iranian proxy
has taken over everything. I, like everyone else, try to make sense of it. But
there is no use in trying to analyze this continuous news flow. One only needs
to try and think: What does Iran want from Hezbollah and what can Hezbollah do
to achieve it? This gives us the entire plot of the drama Lebanon is going
through. The most revealing segments of Lebanese political events might even be
the cooking demonstrations or old shows that run on pro-Hezbollah channels at a
time of a major live event. They tell the true story: There is no need for live
news. This is a rerun. News has hence become a daily illusion and a search for a
thread of hope. Hope that this WhatsApp is the beginning of real change: A
change that will bring Lebanon back to today’s world; back on track to compete
economically on the regional scene and achieve a full recovery and renewed
prosperity.
There is an inverse correlation between the volume of news and the real change
that is taking place in the country. This is why, as soon as people see or hear
the newsflashes they desire, they dare hope for change. However, such news is
only an illusion. There is no change possible for Hezbollah. This proxy only
extracts from Lebanon and gives nothing back — not even the so-called deterrence
it claims it offers against outside aggression. This is also how Hezbollah
defines the upcoming parliamentary elections. It simply does not care about them
because whoever wins will be forced to comply with its orders. No matter the
results, Hezbollah will humiliate and make the task of any new prime minister
impossible. It will decide when to open and when to close the institutions. And
all it cares about is successfully doing its bit within the Iranian plan.
The same technique of news bombardment is applied to every international
mediation. Hezbollah and its political gang always throw so many details in the
face of foreign mediators that they become lost in this whirlwind. How to
balance ethnicity, religion, inclusiveness and minorities? While they revive the
orientalist conscience of the Western powers, they leave international mediators
thinking there is nothing they can do except enjoy the good company and tasty
food. In fact, the ugly truth stares them straight in the eyes as soon as they
arrive at the airport: There is no future for Lebanon with Hezbollah.
I suspect everyone knows it, yet everyone pretends it is not true and, hence,
the news cycle becomes the perfect distraction to forget this harsh reality.
However, there is a single fact that says everything is not lost: Hezbollah is
an artificial power. Just as it uses the asymmetry in news delivery to confuse
the Lebanese people, it benefits from an asymmetry in the region that will
eventually end. The unfolding of this end will indeed be newsworthy, but no one
can predict when it will happen.
• Khaled Abou Zahr is chief executive of Eurabia, a media and tech company, and
editor of Al-Watan Al-Arabi.
Elections are One Thing, Weapons and Absolute Truths are
Another
Hazem Saghieh/Asharq Al-Awsat/January 20/2022
A question that often preoccupied political thought: ought non-democrats be
allowed to take part in the democratic process?
A more glaring question faces countries like Iraq and Lebanon today: Ought armed
organizations that can impose their will by force be allowed to take part in the
democratic process?
To start with, let us say that the term “ought” means little here, as the
presence of weapons determines what “ought to be” and what “ought not to be.”
Those who care about the democratic process and comply with its rules can do
nothing about it.
Elections were held in Iraq last October, and the results, as we all know, went
against the armed factions loyal to Iran. Unrest spread alongside armed parades
held in protest of the election results that the losing factions claimed had
been rigged. Later, the Independent High Electoral Commission announced the
results after looking into the challenges presented against it, which changed
very little. Thus, the losing factions shifted their
strategy, targeting some of the victorious parliamentary blocs, i.e., “Taqadom,”
“Azm,” and the “Kurdistan Democratic Party”: a hand grenade was thrown at the
latter’s headquarters, and two Kurdish-owned banks in Baghdad were bombed. Other
bombs have targeted the headquarters of “Taqadom” and “Azm” in the capital, and
an explosive device hit the home and office of “Taqadom” MP Abdul Karim Abtan.
That is what has happened so far. What follows could be worse.
The Lebanese might (?) hold their elections in May. They have had their own
experiences that remind them of these developments in Iraq: The assassinations
targeting MPs from the March 14 alliance, which were aimed at reducing their
parliamentary majority after the assassination of Rafic Hariri in 2005.
Giving our “brothers in nationality” in Lebanon and Iraq the benefit of the
doubt would not prevent us from saying that they have little respect for the
democracy they are taking part in and the parliaments in which they are
represented.
Their point of view, here, is simple: when we lose the elections, we do not
behave in accordance with the results; rather, we challenge them with all of our
strength, undermining their legitimacy. When we win, on the other hand, we
render our electoral mandate absolute; nothing can undercut it.
Of course, Lebanese “Hezbollah” and the “Popular Mobilization Units” in Iraq
were not the ones to start this school, though they became among its most
distinguished graduates. As is well known, the Iranian regime, which is the
immediate inspiration for both, has a bizarre system for deceiving democracy.
The Vali-e Faqih (Guardian Islamic Jurist) who is not elected, is the most
powerful figure within the regime: He is the commander of the army and security
forces, and he appoints the head of the judiciary, half of the members of the
Guardian Council (aka Constitution Council), mosque preachers, and heads of the
media outlets and networks; also, his charity institutions, which have a
multi-billion-dollar budget, make up a significant chunk of the Iranian economy.
Nonetheless, the President of the Republic and the Parliamentary Speaker are
both elected. As for how they are elected, that is another story: in 2009, the
election winners, Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi, who were part and
parcel of this same regime- despite being slightly particular- were arrested. In
2020, no more than 7,000 “reformist” and “moderate” candidates were allowed to
run. The conservatives thus inevitably recorded impressive victories.
But it may be worth mentioning that it was European totalitarianism, with
its leaders and intellectuals, according to their various belief-systems, who
laid the groundwork for belittling democracy and parliament: Hitler, who,
applying his principle of “destroying democracy with the weapon of democracy,”
came to power in 1933 through elections, considered democracy a “stupid and
filthy path to Bolshevism.”
In turn, the Italian fascist leader Mussolini found that “the people do not know
what they want. They do not know what is best for them (...) Democracy is
beautiful in theory; in practice, it is a fallacy.” Meanwhile, the struggle
between fascism and democracy “does not allow for compromises, it is either us
or them.”In 1924, the Italian Fascist Party and its allies won a majority in
elections brimming with intimidation tactics and violations. However, these
elections that brought him to power were the last to be held until 1946 when
Italy was liberated. The means Mussolini preferred was that of a putsch, which
the fascists had carried out in 1922, calling it the “March on Rome.” One year
later, Hitler’s coup attempt in Munich, unlike its Italian predecessor, was
fated to fail. Hitler ended up in prison after that adventure.
Before them came the Russian Bolshevik leader Lenin, who was infatuated with the
“dictatorship of the proletariat” and concluded that “Democracy is a state which
recognizes the subordination of the minority to the majority, i.e., an
organization for the systematic use of force by one class against another.” One
of his first acts after his seizing of power was to dissolve the Constituent
Assembly, the establishment of which he had been enthusiastic about. Even today,
Leninists continue to slander the German intellectual and politician Edward
Bernstein for saying that parliaments and elections could produce change.
Elections, As far as totalitarians are concerned, could be a useful opportunity
to mobilize supporters, incite opponents, access the broader platforms they
offer, and achieve an array of other objectives- elections are just not a means
for change.
It is a civic, political process, while their mindset is military and they see
violence as their means for reaching power. And while elections allow us to
reveal what is right in the relative sense of rightness, they already know what
is right, regardless of the people’s opinion. Also, while democracy, by
definition, recognizes the other and those who are different as partners in a
game, they are determined to seize power and make an enemy of the other. In
addition, democracy assumes that politics springs from it, and they consider
that actual politics - rather, war- lies elsewhere.
In Lebanon and Iraq, elections were held and others may be held with similarly
belligerent forces taking part. They claim to be democratic but despise nothing
like they despise democracy. Pretending to believe them might be understandable.
The important thing is not to believe them.
Are Hezbollah’s Lebanese Allies Turning Against It?
Adnan Nasser/The National Interest/January 20/2022
If the unthinkable happens and Hezbollah’s alliance with the Free Patriotic
Movement fractures, it carries the risk of a breakdown in social cohesion among
the Lebanese.
Nothing is permanent in politics. This is particularly true in Lebanon,
especially following new fractures in the Hezbollah-Free Patriotic Movement
(FPM) alliance. In the closing days of 2021, President Michel Aoun, for the
first time, openly condemned Hezbollah for its role in obstructing cabinet
meetings in protest of Judge Tarik Bitar’s ongoing investigation in the Beirut
port blast. These new developing realities are putting the alliance at risk of
disintegrating.
Hezbollah led a nearly three-month cabinet meeting boycott, which only ended
recently, creating consternation in the minds of many Lebanese who viewed the
alliance as unbreakable. This conclusion was well-founded considering Aoun, a
former army general, attained the presidency only through Hezbollah’s unyielding
support. As a result, it was difficult to contemplate whether he would attack
them, even if only rhetorically.
With that said, Hezbollah owes its survival as a national resistance movement to
FPM’s defense of the group in front of its large Christian base. Otherwise,
conventional wisdom suggests this populace would see Hezbollah as Iran’s
regional proxy. However, Lebanon’s political conditions have changed since the
2006 Mar Mikhael agreement that cemented a political alliance between the two
parties.
Aoun’s criticism included a passive rebuttal of Hezbollah’s armed wing and its
role in countries across the region, arguing “the state alone puts in place the
defense strategy and attends to its implementation.” Aoun’s assertion of state
legitimacy over Hezbollah’s independent foreign policy comes at a time when
Lebanon has been alienated by its traditional allies like Saudi Arabia. Riyadh
is fighting a war against Iranian backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, which it claims
is supported by Hezbollah.
Riyadh denounced Hezbollah’s involvement in Yemen and cut its diplomatic ties
with Beirut after a video of George Kordahi, the former information minister and
Hezbollah ally, sympathizing with the Houthis circulated online. This video
worsened Lebanon’s economic woes while dropping additional weight on ordinary
Lebanese citizens. Such a situation is not politically preferable for Aoun, who
in early 2021 said he wants the “best” relations with Saudi Arabia and other
Gulf countries who showed solidarity with the kingdom.
Thus, considering the divergence of rhetoric and interests in this regard, it is
fair to question the resilience of the FPM-Hezbollah relationship. The FPM’s
current president, Gibran Bassil, believes the relationship will not last. He
highlighted several grievances with Hezbollah, but his greatest frustration is
the group’s decision to side with the Amal Movement, a Shia faction led by
Speaker Nabil Berri, over his party in the Lebanese Parliament.
“We reached an understanding with Hezbollah [in 2006] not with Amal,” Bassil
said in an hour-long speech. “When we discover that the one making decisions in
(this alliance) is Amal, it is our right to reconsider.”
Ultimately, Bassil is attempting to promote himself as a reformer with harsh
rhetoric that acknowledges how the memorandum with Hezbollah has failed to live
up to its promises of a better Lebanon. Further, this truth is carefully timed
before the parliamentary elections that will occur in May 2022. Still, it may be
counterintuitive to reveal dissent among friends before an election that can
decide the fate of your party’s political future.
However, Bassil expressed a willingness to lose seats in the election if
Hezbollah refused to meet his demands for an evolution in their alliance.
“Naturally, we are stronger electorally if allied with Hezbollah. But between
winning the elections and gaining ourselves, we choose ourselves, our
credibility and our dignity.”
Yet while that sounds admirable in headlines, it is difficult to imagine how the
groups will not reach a solution that puts the current crisis in the past. The
inescapable truth is that both still need each other to achieve their political
ambitions. Many in Lebanon see Bassil as a man who aspires for the presidency
after his father-in-law, Michel Aoun. Further, if Hezbollah loses the largest
Christian political party in Lebanon, it will no longer have the cross-sectarian
alliance that has legitimized its independent weapons arsenal. Additionally,
some citizens support transferring Hezbollah arms to the Lebanese army.
Nevertheless, if permanent change manifests between Hezbollah and the FPM, it
will be the public revelation of where they do not align politically. Still, if
the unthinkable happens and the pact ends, it carries the risk of a breakdown in
social cohesion among the Lebanese. At that point, coexistence between different
faiths cannot depend on politician dealmaking. Instead, it will require the
Lebanese people’s wisdom to live in peace with one another.
**Adnan Nasser is an independent Middle East analyst. He has a BA in
International Relations from Florida International University. Follow him on
Instagram @revolutionarylebanon or contact him at Anass018@fiu.edu.
More Perspectives (@morepersps) assisted in editing the article.
https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/are-hezbollah%E2%80%99s-lebanese-allies-turning-against-it-199701
U.S. Treasury Designates Additional Targets in Hezbollah
Financial Network
Tony Badran/Policy Brief/January 20/2022
The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC)
imposed sanctions on Tuesday on three Hezbollah members and financial
facilitators along with their Lebanon-based travel company. These designations
are an extension of sanctions OFAC issued last September against an illicit
financial network run by senior Hezbollah official Hasib Hadwan (a.k.a. Hajj
Zayn).
The three Hezbollah members whom OFAC targeted in its latest sanctions package
are Adel Diab, identified as a Hezbollah member and businessman; Ali Mohamad
Daoun, an upper-mid-level Hezbollah official; and Jihad Salem Alame, also
identified as a Hezbollah member.
Next to Hadwan, whom Treasury identified in September as a senior official in
Hezbollah’s General Secretariat, Daoun is the most senior Hezbollah official
named in this network so far. Daoun is in charge of Hezbollah’s second district
in southern Lebanon, a position he has held for over a decade. He routinely
appears at party functions, at funerals of fighters killed in Syria (including
family members from his hometown of ‘Adshit), and alongside senior members of
the group’s high command.
Diab, meanwhile, is the founder and co-owner of several companies registered in
Lebanon, including one with a branch in Erbil, in Iraq’s Kurdish region,
according to Lebanon’s official business registry. OFAC designated only one of
those companies, Dar al-Salam for Tourism and Travel, which Diab, Daoun, and
Alame co-founded and co-own.
Tuesday’s targets are connected to the Hadwan network through Ali al-Sha’ir,
whom Treasury designated along with Hadwan himself last September. Treasury’s
announcement on Tuesday noted that Diab “has jointly owned assets with Ali Al
Sha’ir, an assistant to Hizballah fundraiser Hasib Muhammad Hadwan, a member of
Hizballah’s General Secretariat, who works with Hizballah Secretary General
Hasan Nasrallah.”
Treasury’s latest designations add to the list of businesses owned by Hezbollah
members and/or senior Hezbollah officials. On the one hand, the designations
underscore the pervasiveness of Hezbollah in all facets of Lebanese society and
in all sectors of the Lebanese business world.
While OFAC’s latest designations are not necessarily trivial, it remains to be
seen how impactful they will be and exactly how significant this particular
network is for Hezbollah’s financial operations. It is also uncertain whether
Treasury will continue to sanction other components within the network.
Under the Trump administration, the Treasury Department went after major
Hezbollah financiers and multiple networks spanning the globe. In 2018, for
example, Treasury issued over 30 Hezbollah-related designations, the most in a
single year. Within the networks uncovered by those designations, there remain a
number of big names and targets, especially in Africa, that Treasury has
apparently chosen not to pursue.
In this context, Tuesday’s designations, and their precursors in September, come
across almost as isolated measures, lacking a coherent rationale and unconnected
to any strategic campaign to inflict damage on Hezbollah’s financial operations
and overall infrastructure.
*Tony Badran is a research fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD),
where he also contributes to FDD’s Center on Economic and Financial Power (CEFP),
Iran Program, and Israel Program. For more analysis from Tony, CEFP, and the
Iran and Israel programs, please subscribe HERE. Follow Tony on Twitter @AcrossTheBay.
Follow FDD on Twitter @FDD and @FDD_CEFP and @FDD_Iran. FDD is a Washington,
DC-based, nonpartisan research institute focusing on national security and
foreign policy.
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Biden Sees 'Some Progress' in Iran Nuclear Talks
Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 20 January, 2022
US President Joe Biden said on Wednesday there is progress being made in the
Iran nuclear talks and now is not the time to give up on a diplomatic solution.
"It's not time to give up, there is some progress being made," Biden said,
adding the group of countries negotiating alongside the United States with Iran
are "on the same page."International talks to save the Iran nuclear deal were
held in Vienna on Tuesday. Negotiations to salvage the nuclear deal resumed on
November 29 after they were suspended in June as Iran elected a new
ultraconservative president.
U.S. Says Iran Deal Still Possible after 'Modest
Progress'
Agence France Presse/Thursday, 20 January, 2022
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Thursday that he believed reviving
the Iran nuclear deal was still possible after "modest progress" in talks. "My
own assessment, talking to all of our colleagues, is that returning to mutual
compliance, it remains possible," Blinken told reporters in Berlin after talks
with European counterparts. "We've seen, I would say, some modest progress in
the last couple of weeks in the talks" in Vienna, he added.
‘Decisive’ Moment Nears on Iran Nuclear Talks, Says Blinken
Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 20 January, 2022
The United States and its European allies said on Thursday that it was now just
a matter of weeks to salvage the 2015 nuclear deal. Indirect talks between Iran
and the United States on reviving the nuclear deal resumed almost two months
ago. Western diplomats have previously indicated they were hoping to have a
breakthrough over the next few weeks, but sharp differences remain with the
toughest issues still unresolved. Iran has rejected any deadline imposed by
Western powers. Diplomats and analysts say the longer Iran remains outside the
deal, the more nuclear expertise it will gain, shortening the time it might need
to race to build a bomb if it chose to, thereby undermining the accord's
original purpose. "We are indeed at a decisive moment," US Secretary of State
Antony Blinken told a news conference after meeting French, German and British
ministers in Berlin. "There is real urgency and it's really now a matter of
weeks, where we determine whether or not we can return to mutual compliance with
the agreement." The eighth round of talks, the first under Iran's new hard-line
President Ebrahim Raisi, resumed on Dec. 27 after adding some new Iranian
demands to a working text. Western states have repeatedly said that time was
running out without setting a deadline for the end of talks. Germany's Foreign
Minister Annalena Baerbock again said the window of opportunity was closing.
"The negotiations have now entered a decisive phase. We need to make
very, very urgent progress here, otherwise we will not be able to reach an
agreement together that will bring sufficient added value to the central issue
of non-proliferation," she said.
Iran Nuclear Talks Need Change of Approach, French
Source
Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 20 January, 2022
Progress in talks aimed at reviving the 2015 Iran nuclear accord has not
included subjects at the heart of the negotiation, a French diplomatic source
said on Thursday, adding that there needed a change of approach ahead of a
decisive February. Indirect talks between Iran and the United States on
salvaging the nuclear deal resumed almost two months ago. Western diplomats have
previously indicated they were hoping to have a breakthrough over the next few
weeks, but sharp differences remain with the toughest issues still unresolved.
Iran has rejected any deadline imposed by Western powers. "There is partial,
timid and slow progress on the subjects which are not the subjects at the heart
of the negotiation which we know are the most important," Reuters quoted the
source as telling reporters on condition of anonymity after ministers from
Britain, France, Germany and the United States met in Berlin. "We will not be
able to do it (return to the deal) if Iran continues on this trajectory at
nuclear level and if the negotiation proceeds in the same way." The eighth round
of talks, the first under Iran's new hard-line President Ebrahim Raisi, resumed
after adding some new Iranian demands to a working text. Iran refuses to
directly meet US officials, meaning that other parties -- Britain, China,
France, Germany and Russia -- must shuttle between the two sides. The source
would not set a deadline, but said the current trend was untenable. "It seems
necessary to us to change approach. I think that the month of February will be
absolutely decisive. We are not going to continue like this in Vienna on the
current trajectories in March, April, May etc."
Naval Drills between China, Russia and Iran Start
Friday
Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 20 January, 2022
China, Russia and Iran will hold joint naval drills on Friday, a public
relations official from Iran's armed forces told semi-official ISNA news agency
on Thursday. The "2022 Marine Security Belt" exercise will take place in the
north of the Indian Ocean and is the third joint naval drill between the three
countries, Mostafa Tajoldin added. Since coming to office last June, Iran's
hardline President Ebrahim Raisi has pursued a "look east" policy to deepen ties
with China and Russia. Tehran joined the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in
September, a central Asian security body led by Beijing and Moscow.
Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian visited China last week and Iran's
president was meeting his Russian counterpart in Moscow on Thursday.
China, Russia and Iran started joint naval drills in 2019, and will
continue them in the future, Tajoldin said. "The purpose of this drill is to
strengthen security and its foundations in the region, and to expand
multilateral cooperation between the three countries to jointly support world
peace, maritime security and create a maritime community with a common future,"
the Iranian official told ISNA, according to Reuters. Both navies from Iran's
armed forces and Revolutionary Guards will take part in the drills, which
include various tactical exercises such as rescuing a burning vessel, releasing
a hijacked vessel, and shooting at air targets at night.
Putin, Raisi Summit Maintains Social Distance, Marks
a 'Turning Point' in Relations
Moscow - Raed Jabr/Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 20
January, 2022
Russian President Vladimir Putin received at the Kremlin Iran's President
Ebrahim Raisi to discuss bilateral relations, regional developments, and their
strategic cooperation. Ahead of the visit, Russian and Iranian media outlets
described the visit as a turning point to boost strategic cooperation.
However, despite the media hype, the reception at the Kremlin was not up to
expectations, where the protocol office arranged the meeting at a long table,
unlike previous ceremonies during which Putin usually receives heads of state.
Some observers attributed the decision to maintain COVID-19 precautions, and
Putin's spokesman later told the media that the seating arrangement was due to
"measures of sanitary necessity." Still, the meeting was not followed by a joint
press conference, as is customary when receiving presidents, which Kremlin
sources said was to respect Putin's desire to maintain distance and not
participate in open events. Nevertheless, the two presidents were keen to
highlight their coordination in various fields, especially Syria. In his opening
speech, the Russian President said that Tehran and Moscow cooperate in the
international arena. "We can say that our efforts largely helped the Syrian
government overcome the threats linked with international terrorism. Now both
you and we are concerned about the situation that is taking shape in
Afghanistan." Putin expressed a desire to discuss these issues with Raisi and
hear his position on these problems. He thanked his
Iranian counterpart for finding the time to come to Russia in these difficult
pandemic times, noting that both leaders have been in constant contact since
your inauguration, "but of course, videoconferences and telephone conversations
cannot replace personal meetings." Iran and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU)
are developing relations temporarily, under a temporary agreement, said Putin,
adding: "We are doing much to create a long-term foundation for cooperation and
a free trade area between Iran and our union." Putin asked Raisi to convey his
best regards to the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Raisi will address the State
Duma on Thursday, which is rarely included on the agenda of visiting presidents,
reflecting the importance of this trip. He also stressed the importance of the
cooperation between Iran and Russia in Syria, describing it as a "very good
experience." "We were fighting terrorism in the region, in the Syrian Arab
Republic through a concerted effort. We can use this positive experience in many
other areas." The Iranian delegation delivered a document on bilateral strategic
cooperation, which may determine "our future relations for the next 20 years,"
according to Raisi.
"We believe this document will certainly determine the long-term prospects for
strategic cooperation between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Russian
Federation." Contrary to the previous analysis, Russian sources said that Moscow
and Tehran would not sign the document during the current visit.
Observers believe that Moscow may be waiting for the outcome of the nuclear
negotiations before taking a similar step. Raisi asserted that Iran "will never
stop progress and national development because of sanctions or threats."
The President asserted that his country is trying to lift these sanctions,
noting that officials are working on different mechanisms, and the ultimate goal
is to remove restrictions with their help. Raisi expressed Iran's aspiration to
develop its relations with Russia in the economy, politics, culture, science,
technology, the defense and military areas, security, and aviation and space.
"We can develop a new level of cooperation in all these areas." He also noted
that both sides are working to increase the level of their cooperation in trade
and the economy and to raise investment manifold.
Raisi thanked Putin for supporting Iran in becoming a full member of the
Shanghai Cooperation Organization. "I would like to say that in the current,
exceptional conditions when unilateral actions by the West, including the US,
are being confronted, we can create synergy in our cooperation." Raisi focused
on the "long-term strategic path" in relations with Moscow, reflecting the
priority of this issue to his team. Tehran also wants to reassure Moscow that
reaching a possible agreement on the nuclear deal does not mean Iran will turn
its back on its Russian allies. Meanwhile, Moscow announced its readiness to
develop cooperation in various fields, namely the military. Ahead of the visit,
Western media discussed the prospects of Russian-Iranian military-technical
cooperation. They reported that the two parties might conclude a $10 billion
contract to purchase Russian military equipment. Military observers believe that
it is important for Tehran to purchase modern Russian fighters, but the issue
lies in Iran's desire to pay for them through a barter system or obtain a soft
Russian loan, according to experts, which they believe is possible.
China Reports 1st Official Iranian Oil Imports Since
Dec 2020
Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 20 January, 2022
China reported the first imports of Iranian crude oil in a year despite ongoing
sanctions by the United States government, according to data released by customs
on Thursday. China brought in 260,312 tons of Iranian crude oil in December,
according to data from the General Administration of Chinese Customs, which last
recorded Iranian oil inflows in December 2020 at 520,000 tons. It was not
immediately clear which company brought in the latest cargo, which is equal to
the amount of oil that would fit onto one very large crude carrier (VLCC)
tanker, and which terminal it was discharged into.
Unofficially, China's imports of Iranian oil had held above 500,000 barrels per
day on average between August and October, as buyers judged that getting crude
at cheap prices outweighed the risks of busting US sanctions, Reuters reported
in November. Imports from Iran have accounted for about 6% of China's crude oil
imports, according to shipping data and trader estimates.
Israel Hopes U.N. Will Unanimously Condemn Holocaust
Denial
Associated Press/Thursday, 20 January, 2022
Israel is hoping the U.N. General Assembly will unanimously adopt a resolution
rejecting and condemning any denial of the Holocaust and urging all nations and
social media companies "to take active measures to combat antisemitism and
Holocaust denial or distortion."
The 193-member world body is scheduled to vote Thursday on the resolution, which
is strongly supported by Germany. Holding the vote on Jan. 20 has special
significance: It is the 80th anniversary of the Wannsee Conference at a villa on
the shores of Berlin's Wannsee Lake in 1942 during World War II where Nazi
leaders coordinated plans for the so-called "Final Solution of the Jewish
Question."The result was the establishment of Nazi death camps and the murder of
nearly six million Jews, comprising one-third of the Jewish people. In addition,
millions of people from other nationalities, minorities and targeted groups were
killed, according to the draft resolution. "We hope it is going to be adopted in
a consensus," Israel's U.N. Ambassador Gilad Erdan told several reporters on
Wednesday. "If we want this body, the U.N., to succeed in preventing genocide we
must remember what happened in the past and this is the goal of tomorrow's
decision." He said that with many Holocaust survivors passing away and the use
of the internet now very prevalent "this dangerous phenomena of distorting and
even denying the Holocaust became very common."
The draft resolution commends countries that have preserved Nazi death camps and
other sites from the Holocaust and urges the 193 U.N. member states "to develop
educational programs that will inculcate future generations with the lessons of
the Holocaust in order to help to prevent future acts of genocide."
It requests the U.N. and its agencies to continue developing and implementing
programs aimed at countering Holocaust denial and distortions and to mobilize
civil society and others to provide truthful facts about the Holocaust.
Currently, the U.N. has an outreach program on the Holocaust and the U.N.
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO, has a program on
Holocaust education and combatting anti-Semitism.The General Assembly designated
Jan. 27 — the day the Auschwitz concentration camp was liberated by the Soviet
army — as the annual International Day of Commemoration in memory of victims of
the Holocaust in 2005. The draft resolution underlines that remembrance "is a
key component to the prevention of further acts of genocide."The draft says
Holocaust denial "refers to discourse and propaganda that deny the historical
reality and the extent of the extermination of the Jews by the Nazis and their
accomplices during World War II" and "any attempt to claim that the Holocaust
did not take place" or call into doubt that gas chambers, mass shooting,
starvation, and intentional genocide were used against the Jewish people. It
says distorting or denying the Holocaust also refers to "intentional efforts to
excuse or minimize" the role of Nazi collaborators and allies, "gross
minimization" of the number of victims, "attempts to blame the Jews for causing
their own genocide," statements casting the Holocaust as a positive event, and
attempt to "blur the responsibility" for establishing concentration and death
camps "by putting blame on other nations or ethnic groups."
Palestinian Minister: Biden Moving Too Slow on Pushing
Peace
Associated Press/Thursday, 20 January, 2022
Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad Malki criticized U.S. President Joe Biden on
Thursday for moving too slowly to reverse all of the Trump administration's
adverse policies against the Palestinians and not using Washington's special
relationship to pressure Israel to abandon "its rejection of a two-state
solution and peace negotiations."Malki told the U.N. Security Council there were
hopes that the end of Donald Trump's administration and Israeli prime minister
Benjamin Netanyahu's government "would be enough to pave the way for renewed
momentum for peace." But while the Biden administration reversed several
""unlawful and ill-advised" Trump policies, he said it has been slow to act,
especially on the U.S. commitment to reopen the U.S. consulate in east Jerusalem
which would restore Washington's main diplomatic mission for the Palestinians in
the contested city. After Biden took office a year ago, the Palestinians thought
the United States "could try to move the Israeli position toward us," Malki told
reporters later. "But we have seen that the Israeli position has been able to
move the American position a little bit towards them -- and this is really what
troubles us very much."
The U.S. "has yet to ensure the current Israeli government renounces its
colonial policies and abandons its rejection of the two-state solution and peace
negotiations," Malki said. "This is an unacceptable stance that should neither
be tolerated nor excused and must be reversed." Biden won initial but cautious
plaudits from Mideast analysts when he rejected the Trump administration's
unabashedly pro-Israel stance and tentatively embraced the Palestinians by
restoring aid and diplomatic contacts. Yet the Biden administration has also
retained key elements of Trump's policies, including several that broke with
long-standing U.S. positions on Jerusalem and the legitimacy of Israeli
settlements that the Palestinians and the United Nations say are illegal.
Malki said he had "a very open, frank discussion" earlier Wednesday with U.S.
Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, including on U.S.-Palestinian relations, the
peace process, Palestinian expectations from the U.S. and "what they are trying
to do in the near future in order to see things moving forward in the right
direction."He said the Palestinians are engaging with the U.S. administration
about possible ways to eliminate restrictions imposed by Congress on reopening
the Palestinian diplomatic mission in Washington. Tor Wennesland, the U.N.
Mideast envoy, told the council that six Palestinian men were killed by Israeli
security forces, another died in unclear circumstances, and 249 Palestinians
were injured, including 46 children., in the West Bank in he past month. He said
15 Israelis were injured in attacks by Palestinians. Israel's U.N. Ambassador
Gilad Erdan accused Malki of making "regurgitated accusations and baseless
claims," and of ignoring the more than 200 "terror attacks" carried out by
Palestinians against Israel in the last month. These included 143 rock throwing
attacks, Erdan said as he held up a large rock, as well as 20 attacks using
grenades and Molotov cocktails.
Malki called on the Security Council to take urgent action to resolve the
decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict and save the two-state solution,
pointing to Israel's accelerated settlement construction, demolition of
Palestinian homes, confiscation of Palestinian land "and even annexing
Palestinian land."
"Absent this sense of urgency, prepare yourself then to attend the funeral of
this solution, with all the consequences of such a death for the lives of
millions of people, Palestinians and others," Malki warned. "The Palestinian
people will survive, but the two-state solution may not," he said. "What happens
then? Will you convert to advocates of the one-state solution of freedom and
equal rights for all between the river and the sea? These would be the only
options available then."Malki urged support for an international peace
conference and echoed Russia's call for a ministerial meeting of the Quartet of
Mideast mediators -- the United States, United Nations, European Union and
Russia -- "as soon as possible to mobilize efforts to get out from the current
impasse."
He said the U.N., EU and Russia have agreed to a ministerial meeting but "we're
still waiting for the approval of the American side." He said the three other
Quartet members should convince the U.S. about the importance of a ministerial
meeting to move the Middle East peace process forward.
Thomas-Greenfield, the U.S. ambassador, made no mention of the meeting with
Malki or the Quartet in her briefing to the council, but she reaffirmed the
Biden administration's "strong support for a two-state solution" and said "this
year offers an opportunity to recommit to reaching a political solution to the
conflict."The U.S. envoy, who visited Israel and the West Bank in November,
reiterated that Israel and the Palestinians "are locked in a spiral of
distrust."
"Israelis don't believe they have a partner for peace, while Palestinians are
trapped in despair born of the complete absence of a political horizon," she
said. To make progress, Thomas-Greenfield said both sides must refrain from
unilateral steps that increase tensions and undercut efforts toward a two-state
solution. That means Israel should refrain from annexing territory, settlement
activity, demolitions and evictions "like what we saw in Sheikh Jarrah," the
Jerusalem neighborhood where Israel on Wednesday evicted Palestinian residents
from a disputed property and demolished it, and Palestinians should stop
inciting violence and compensating individuals imprisoned "for acts of
terrorism," Thomas-Greenfield said. Israel's Erdan accused the Security Council
of "hypocrisy" and said when the world and the council, in particular, applies
its "moral compass correctly, then we may well find the path to peace."
Israeli Security Delegation Meets Military Leaders
in Sudan
Khartoum - Ahmed Younis/Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday,
20 January, 2022
A high-ranking official Israeli security delegation arrived in Khartoum
Wednesday to meet with Sudanese military and security leaders.
The visit is part of a series of meetings between Khartoum and Tel Aviv
since the top general, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, met with former Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Entebbe, Uganda, in February 2020.
Sudan signed the Abrahamic Accords on January 6, 2021, and normalized
relations with Israel. Sources in Khartoum reported that the delegation is
expected to hold meetings with Burhan, his deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, and
the chief of General Intelligence, Ahmed Ibrahim Mufaddal.
Sudanese and Israeli authorities did not reveal the nature of those
discussions, but a source told Asharq Al-Awsat that they were limited to the
security aspects and recent developments in the country. The Israeli public
broadcaster, Kan, reported that a high-level delegation arrived from Tel Aviv
for a visit that lasts hours, during which talks will be held with Sudanese
military leaders. Kan indicated that the Israeli delegation took off from Ben
Gurion Airport in the morning and made a "diplomatic stopover" in Sharm
el-Sheikh in Egypt before leaving for Sudan. The Israeli Prime Minister's office
did not confirm or deny the news. The broadcaster gave brief information about
the visit without specifying the names or ranks of the participants. The last
visit of an Israeli delegation to Sudan was in November, chaired by the head of
the Israeli intelligence service, Mossad, according to Kan. Khartoum did not
disclose the purpose of the secret visit. Sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that a
senior official in the Rapid Support Forces received the visiting delegation at
Khartoum airport. The delegation’s visit came in light of the complex political
and economic situations in Sudan. In recent weeks, Sudan has been in turmoil
amid daily anti-coup protests and clashes with the security forces. On Monday,
the security forces killed seven people and wounded hundreds of others. As a
result, the Forces for Freedom and Change called for two days of civil
disobedience on Tuesday.
Sudan Council Agrees with US Officials on Amending
Democracy Transition Document
Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 20 January, 2022
Sudan's Sovereign Council has agreed with a US delegation on amending the
constitutional document governing Sudan's transition to democracy to bring it
into line with new developments in the country, it said in a statement on
Thursday. The Sovereign Council, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, also
agreed on forming a national independent technocratic government and starting a
comprehensive national dialogue to end the current political crisis.
A statement posted by the US embassy in Khartoum on Thursday said that
Washington will not resume economic assistance to Sudan that was paused after a
coup unless there is an end to violence and a civilian-led government is
restored. The statement on a visit to Sudan by Assistant Secretary of State
Molly Phee and Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa David Satterfield said the
United States would consider measures to hold accountable those responsible for
failure to move forward on a political process. Meanwhile, dozens of Sudanese
judges and prosecutors have condemned the killing of more than 70 protesters
since a military takeover in October and have called for investigations, in rare
public statements released on Thursday. Frequent protests since the Oct. 25
takeover have been met with live gunfire and tear gas. At least 72 civilians
have died and more than 2,000 have been injured, according to medics aligned
with the protest movement. Military leaders have said the right to peaceful
protest is protected and have commissioned investigations into the bloodshed.
Sudanese police say they have faced aggression from protesters.
A statement from 55 judges to the head of the judiciary said military
leaders had "violated agreements and covenants since the October 25 coup, as
they have carried out the most heinous violations against defenseless
protesters".
They called for an end to the violence and a criminal investigation.
Separately, more than 100 prosecutors announced they would stop work from
Thursday in support of their call for security forces to cease violations and
lift a state of emergency. They stated their opposition to a recent emergency
order that offered immunity and wider powers to security forces.
They also noted that prosecutors had been unable to carry out their legal
duty to accompany police to protests and determine the acceptable use of force.
A further group of 48 other prosecutors called for an investigation of
alleged violations against protesters, and for prosecutors to be able to monitor
protests.
Sudanese Security Forces Shoot Dead Anti-coup Protester
Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 20 January, 2022
Sudanese security forces shot dead an anti-coup protester on Wednesday as
American diplomats visited Khartoum seeking to help end a crisis which has
claimed dozens of lives and derailed the country's democratic transition.
For two days shops have shuttered and protesters have blockaded streets
in a civil disobedience campaign to protest the killing of seven people during a
demonstration on Monday, one of the bloodiest days since the October 25 military
coup. The latest killing took place in Khartoum's twin city of Omdurman where
protesters opposed to the coup had set up barricades.
Pro-democracy medics from the Doctors' Committee said the protester was shot in
the torso "by live bullets of the (security) forces".
Witnesses also reported the use of tear gas by security forces in Omdurman and
eastern Khartoum. The death brings to 72 the number of people killed in a
security crackdown against protesters who have taken to the streets -- sometimes
in the tens of thousands -- calling for a return to the country's democratic
transition and opposing the latest military putsch. Protesters have been shot by
live rounds and hundreds have been wounded, according to the Doctors' Committee.
The Forces for Freedom and Change, the leading civilian pro-democracy group,
called for more protests on Thursday in Khartoum "in tribute to the martyrs",
and nationwide on Friday, AFP reported. Before the
latest fatality, US Assistant Secretary of State Molly Phee and special envoy
for the Horn of Africa, David Satterfield, held meetings with the bereaved
families of people killed during the protests, the US embassy said.
They also met with members of the Sudanese Professionals Association
(SPA), an umbrella of unions which were instrumental in protests which ousted
president Omar al-Bashir in April 2019, as well as the mainstream faction of the
Forces for Freedom and Change. Its spokesman Wagdy Saleh said they pleaded for
"an end to the systematic violence towards civilians" and a "credible political
process". The diplomats are scheduled to meet with others including military
leaders and political figures.
"Their message will be clear: the United States is committed to freedom, peace,
and justice for the Sudanese people," the US State Department said ahead of the
visit. The diplomats held earlier talks in Saudi Arabia with the "Friends of
Sudan" -- a group of Western and Arab countries favoring transition to civilian
rule. In a statement, the group backed a United Nations initiative announced
last week to hold intra-Sudanese consultations to break the political impasse.
"We urge all to engage in good faith and reestablish public trust in the
inevitable transition to democracy," the group said.
"Ideally this political process will be time-bound and culminate in the
formation of a civilian-led government which will prepare for democratic
elections." While the US diplomats visited, coup
leader General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan announced that vice-ministers -- some of
whom served before the coup and some appointed after -- would now become
ministers. A statement from his office called it a
"cabinet in charge of current affairs". But it has no
prime minister, since the civilian premier Abdalla Hamdok resigned in early
January after trying to cooperate with the military. As part of the civil
disobedience campaign, judicial workers including prosecutors and judges said
they would not work for a state committing "crimes against humanity".
University professors, corporations and doctors also joined the movement,
according to separate statements. Sudan's authorities have repeatedly denied
using live ammunition against demonstrators, and insist scores of security
personnel have been wounded during protests. A police general was stabbed to
death last week.
Turkey’s Central Bank Ends String of Interest Rate Cuts
Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 20 January, 2022
Turkey´s central bank kept a key interest rate unchanged on Thursday, halting a
string of rate cuts that triggered a currency crisis and sent consumer prices
skyrocketing. The bank´s Monetary Policy Committee said it decided to keep its
policy rate "constant" at 14%, putting on hold a rate-cutting policy that has
reduced borrowing costs by 5 percentage points since September despite soaring
inflation. By contrast, many other central banks have increased rates to control
surging prices, The Associated Press reported. Turkish President Recep Tayyip
Erdogan insists on lowering borrowing costs to boost growth. He has long argued
that high interest rates cause inflation, even though economists say raising
them is the way to tame soaring prices. Erdogan has turned to unconventional
measures to halt the depreciation of the Turkish lira instead of raising
interest rates. The measures include a program that encourages people to keep
their savings in lira through guarantees to compensate losses from the decline
of the Turkish currency. Economists warn the system could put an extra burden on
the treasury. The lira, which lost around 45% of its value against the dollar
last year, strengthened slightly against the U.S. currency following Thursday´s
interest rate decision. Inflation in Turkey surged 36% last month - reaching a
19-year high and leaving many in the country of nearly 84 million struggling to
buy food and other basic goods.
Arab League: Date of Algiers Arab Summit Missing
Starting Date
Cairo - Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 20 January, 2022
Arab League Assistant Secretary-General Ambassador Hossam Zaki said the date of
the Arab summit scheduled to be held in Algeria hasn’t been determined yet. “The
date of the summit will be specified based on consultations between the host
country and the rest of the member states,” Zaki told a press conference, noting
that it will be held following the holy month of Ramadan.
He affirmed Algeria’s preparedness to host this major event, adding that
it is sharing all its arrangements with the Arab League.
Zaki also touched on attempts to achieve Arab reconciliation and
reunification, noting that it depends on the success of the preliminary
consultations and dialogues. Officials from the Algerian Foreign Ministry
discussed on Wednesday with an Arab League delegation, headed by Zaki, the
logistical and organizational preparations for the upcoming Arab summit,
expected to be held in March. “In preparation for hosting the upcoming Arab
summit in Algeria, a coordination meeting was held at the headquarters of the
foreign ministry, co-chaired by Ambassador Nor-Eddine Aouam, the Special Envoy
in charge of the Palestinian cause, the Middle East and Libya, and Zaki, who was
accompanied by high-ranking delegation from the AL General Secretariat,” read a
foreign ministry statement. The visiting delegation’s agenda includes holding
coordination meetings with the subcommittees emanating from the National
Committee charged with preparing and organizing for the next Arab Summit, in
addition to visits to several establishments and facilities that will host the
work of the Arab League Council at the summit level and its preceding
preparatory meetings. The delegation arrived in
Algiers on Monday to meet with representatives of the National Committee charged
with preparing for the summit.
Biden Says Administration Mulling Re-designating Houthis a Terrorist Group
Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 20 January, 2022
US President Joe Biden said on Wednesday his administration is considering
re-designating Yemen's Houthi militias as an international terrorist
organization following attacks on the United Arab Emirates. His comment at a
news conference came shortly after the Emirati Embassy said on Twitter that UAE
Ambassador Yousef Al Otaiba urged the Biden administration to restore the
designation in response to Monday's strikes on Abu Dhabi airport and a fuel
depot. Asked if he supported returning the Iran-aligned Houthis to the US list
of foreign terrorist organizations, from which they were removed nearly a year
ago, Biden replied, "The answer is, it's under consideration." But he conceded
that "it's going to be very difficult" to end the conflict pitting the Houthis
against Yemen's internationally recognized government. The UAE welcomed Biden’s
comment, the Emirati Embassy said on Twitter. The “case is clear – launching
ballistic and cruise missiles against civilian targets, sustaining aggression,
diverting aid to Yemeni people,” it said. Three people were killed in Monday's
drone and missile attack claimed by the Houthis.
Congress Calls on US Administration to Keep Fighting
to Free Tice from Syrian Captivity
Washington - Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 20 January, 2022
The US Congress is exerting more pressure on the US Administration to continue
pushing for the release of Austin Tice, a US journalist who is held hostage in
Syria. US Senators Patrick Leahy, Robert Menendez, Jim Risch, and John Cornyn
sent a letter to President Joe Biden urging his administration to continue
pushing for the safe release of Tice who has been held captive in Syria for
nearly a decade. “The safe return of all American hostages around the world in
Venezuela, Iran, China, Russia, and beyond also deserve our unfettered
attention,” they said in their joint statement. “We encourage continued
diplomacy on their cases and strongly support your efforts to bring them home to
their families as soon as possible. We also encourage you to work with our
allies to consider ways to further disincentivize the hostage taking of American
citizens,” the letter read. “Austin represents the best our nation has to offer,
and we are committed to working with you to return him to his loving family. As
an American and a veteran, Austin deserves the full and active support of our
government to bring him home safely,” the letter noted.
“We are writing to express our appreciation to you and your
Administration’s commitment to bring Mr. Austin Tice back home. This past
December, your National Security Advisor, Mr. Jake Sullivan, met at some length
with Mrs. Debra Tice, mother of Mr. Austin Tice. It is encouraging to know of
your Administration’s commitment to securing Mr. Tice’s safe return."
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has repeatedly vowed to release
Austin and other hostages estimated at 50-100 American hostages around the
world. “I am personally committed to bringing home all
Americans held hostage or wrongfully detained abroad. We believe that it is
within Bashar al-Assad’s power to free Austin,” Blinken said in a previous
statement. “As the Arab world slowly reintegrates
Assad after a decade-long civil war, Debra Tice believes now is the best
opportunity in years to secure her son's release,” according to Axios website.
Two Trump administration officials secretly flew to Damascus in September
2020, to meet Syrian officials, in an attempt to release Tice.
The Syrians — without providing proof Austin Tice was still alive —
demanded three conditions for his release, the AP reported earlier this year.
The Syrians demanded lifting sanctions imposed on the regime, withdrawing US
troops from Syria and restoring diplomatic ties.
Russia Accuses West of Plotting 'Provocations' in
Ukraine
Associated Press./January 20/2022
Russia accused the West on Thursday of plotting "provocations" in Ukraine and
disguising its alleged intentions by fomenting concerns about Moscow planning
aggressive military action in the neighboring country. Russian Foreign Ministry
spokeswoman Maria Zakharova alleged that Ukrainian and Western claims of an
imminent Russian attack on Ukraine were a "cover for staging large-scale
provocations of their own, including those of military character.""They may have
extremely tragic consequences for the regional and global security," Zakharova
said. She pointed to the delivery of weapons to Ukraine by British military
transport planes in recent days, claiming that Ukraine perceives Western
military assistance as a "carte blanche for a military operation in
Donbas."Donbas, located in eastern Ukraine, is under control of Russia-backed
separatists who have fought Ukrainian forces for nearly eight years, a conflict
that has killed more than 14,000 people. Ukraine said earlier this week that it
has taken the delivery of anti-tank missiles from the U.K. It has rejected
Moscow's claims that it plans an offensive to reclaim control of separatist-held
areas in the country's eastern industrial heartland.
Ukraine's government, the U.S. and its NATO allies have expressed intensifying
concerns in recent weeks over a Russian troop buildup near Ukraine. The
concentration of an estimated 100,000 Russian troops near Ukraine has fueled
Western fears that Moscow is poised to attack its neighbor. U.S. President Joe
Biden said Wednesday he thinks Russia will invade Ukraine and warned President
Vladimir Putin that his country would pay a "dear price" in lives lost and a
possible cutoff from the global banking system if it does. Moscow has repeatedly
denied having plans to launch an offensive. But it has sought a set of security
guarantees from the West that would exclude NATO's expansion to Ukraine and
other ex-Soviet nations and the deployment of alliance weapons there. Kremlin
spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the U.S. threat to cut off Russia from the global
banking system could encourage hawkish forces in Ukraine to use force to reclaim
control of the rebel east. "It may implant false hopes in the hotheads of some
representatives of the Ukrainian leadership who may decide to quietly restart a
civil war in their country," Peskov said in a conference call with reporters.
Washington and its allies firmly rejected Moscow's demands in security talks
last week but kept the door open to possible further talks on arms control and
confidence-building measures to reduce the potential for hostilities. Amid the
tensions, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Ukraine Wednesday to
reassure it of Western support. He traveled to Berlin on Thursday to meet with
his British, French and German counterparts to discuss Ukraine and other
security matters. Blinken is set to deliver a speech on the Ukraine crisis later
Thursday in the German capital before flying on to Geneva, where he will meet
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Friday.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is scheduled to arrive Thursday in
Poland, which has long supported Ukraine's efforts to integrate more closely
into the West. Deputy Foreign Minister Marcin Przydacz said in a Thursday
morning radio interview that Poland is offering its political and diplomatic
support to Ukraine, but he would not say whether military aid would be extended
amid the Russian troop buildup. The head of the European Union's executive arm,
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen reiterated Thursday that the
EU "will respond with massive economic and financial sanctions" if Russia
invades Ukraine. She said the EU is by far Russia's biggest trading partner, as
well as the biggest investor in the country. "We hope an attack won't happen,
but if it does, we are prepared," von der Leyen said during an online speech to
the Davos business forum. "Our difficulties are not with Russia or with its
people. Our difficulties are with the dangerous policies of the Kremlin."The
White House said Friday that U.S. intelligence officials had concluded that
Russia had already deployed operatives to rebel-controlled eastern Ukraine to
carry out acts of sabotage there and blame them on Ukraine in a "false-flag
operation" to create a pretext for possible invasion, the claim Russia has
rejected as "total disinformation."In a move that further beefs up forces near
Ukraine, Russia has sent an unspecified number of troops from the country's far
east to its ally Belarus, which shares a border with Ukraine, for major war
games that run through Feb. 20. Ukrainian officials have said that Moscow could
use Belarusian territory to launch a potential multi-pronged invasion.
Canada/Minister Joly meets with the
Secretary General of La Francophonie
January 19, 2022 - Paris, France - Global Affairs Canada
The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today met with Louise
Mushikiwabo, Secretary General of La Francophonie during her visit to Paris,
France. During their meeting, Minister Joly reaffirmed Canada's deep commitment
to La Francophonie and support for the transformation efforts of the
International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF) in order to improve its
governance, sound management and transparency. She reiterated the importance
that Canada attaches to the French language as well as to the promotion of
democracy, the promotion of human rights, and the advancement of gender equality
in French-speaking communities. Minister Joly thanked the Secretary General for
her scheduled participation in a meeting of international partners on the
situation in Haiti, a meeting that Minister Joly will chair on January 21.
The Minister welcomed the new Francophonie digital strategy, which will help
improve the economic development of Francophone populations, strengthen common
values and promote the French language. To this end, the Minister reiterated
Canada's support for the TV5MONDEplus digital platform, a true showcase for the
diversity of French-language content online.
Canada/Minister Joly meets with French counterpart
January 20, 2022 - Paris, France - Global Affairs Canada
The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, met yesterday with
Jean-Yves Le Drian, France’s Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs.
Among the subjects addressed during their meeting, the ministers shared their
points of view on the buildup of Russian troops in and around Ukraine. Minister
Joly emphasized the importance of maintaining unwavering support for Ukraine to
deter any future Russian aggression. Ministers Joly and Le Drian underscored the
importance of continued dialogue aimed at finding a peaceful resolution to the
conflict. They also shared views on the situations in Lebanon, the Sahel and the
Indo-Pacific region.
The ministers also discussed the foreign ministers’ meeting on Haiti, which will
be hosted by Minister Joly on January 21, 2022. Minister Joly was pleased to
hear that Minister Le Drian will attend the meeting, and they agreed on the
importance of international collaboration to address the challenges faced by
Haiti and Haitians particularly with respect to security issues.
Finally, ministers Joly and Le Drian welcomed the signing of the Canada-France
In-Flight Security Officer Treaty. The ministers agreed on the importance of
safer skies and highlighted the treaty as a symbol of the strong security
relationship between the two countries.
The Latest The Latest LCCC English
analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published
on January 20-21/2022
Why Palestinian Leaders Ignore Arab Atrocities
Khaled Abu Toameh/Gatestone Institute./January 20/2022
For now, it seems that the Palestinian leadership is ignoring not only the
"tragedies" of its people in Syria, but even the complaints about the failure of
the Palestinian officials to raise the issue with the Syrian government.
The Palestinian leadership apparently does not want to assume any responsibility
for its people in the Arab world because that would mean spending money on them
and providing them with various services. Palestinian leaders would, it seems,
rather keep the money for themselves than assist their own people.
The Palestinian leaders appear more concerned about the return of the Assad
regime to the Arab League than the return of tens of thousands of displaced
Palestinians to their homes in Syria. These leaders know that it is far easier
-- and far safer -- to condemn Israel than to demand that Assad cease committing
atrocities against the Palestinians. Spewing hatred against Israel has no price
tag attached. Criticizing an Arab dictator, by contrast, can prove costly in the
extreme.
The Palestinian leadership is ignoring not only the "tragedies" of its people in
Syria, but even the complaints about the failure of the Palestinian officials to
raise the issue with the Syrian government. The London-based Action Group for
Palestinians of Syria estimated the number of Palestinians who have died of
torture in Syrian prisons at 620. Hundreds more Palestinians died due lack of
proper medical treatment during the Syrian army's siege of the Yarmouk refugee
camp, the group said. Pictured: Yarmouk refugee camp, near Damascus, on May 22,
2018, days after Syrian government forces regained control over the camp.
Palestinian leaders never miss an opportunity to condemn Israel and accuse it of
committing "crimes" against the Palestinians. This is in the context of the
ongoing virulent Palestinian campaign of incitement against Israel.
The Palestinian leaders, however, remain oblivious to the suffering of their
people in some Arab countries, especially Syria, where more than 4,100
Palestinians have been killed during the fighting between the Syrian army and
the opposition or died as a result of torture, starvation and medical negligence
over the past decade. These leaders are also most likely afraid that their Arab
brothers would punish them if they speak out against the atrocities committed
against Palestinians in the Arab countries.
Human rights organizations have described the Syrian practices and measures
against the Palestinians as a "catastrophe" and "massacres." They pointed out
that since the eruption of the civil war in Syria in 2011, tens of thousands of
Palestinians have been arrested or displaced.
The "crimes" against the Palestinians in Syria do not, unfortunately, seem to be
at the top of the Palestinian Authority's (PA) priority list. Worse, the PA
leadership is currently trying to curry favor with Syrian President Bashar
Assad, whose security forces are accused of killing, wounding, arresting and
displacing tens of thousands of Palestinians.
The PA leadership's attempt to restore its ties with the Assad regime has drawn
sharp, widespread and harsh criticism from many Palestinians and Syrians. They
say they cannot grasp the logic of reconciling with an Arab leader who has so
much Palestinian blood on his hands.
Earlier this month, a delegation representing the ruling Fatah faction headed by
PA President Mahmoud Abbas visited Damascus, where its members met with Syrian
Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad. The delegation, headed by Fatah
Secretary-General Jibril Rajoub, handed the minister a letter from Abbas to
Syrian President Bashar Assad.
The letter "affirmed the depth of the historic relations between the two sides
and [Abbas's] desire to strengthen relations between the State of Palestine and
the Arab Republic of Syria."
Rajoub later announced that Abbas was planning to visit Damascus soon to meet
with Assad. Rajoub was also quoted as saying that a decision to suspend Syria's
membership in the Arab League was "shameful." The decision was taken in 2011 by
the Arab League in response to Syria's failure to end its bloody and violent
crackdown on anti-Assad protesters.
Rajoub's support for the reinstatement of Syria's membership in the Arab League
and the PA leadership's efforts to normalize its ties with the Assad regime drew
sharp criticism from many Palestinians and Syrians.
Commenting on Rajoub's statements, Syrian cartoonist Ammar Agha Al-Kala wrote:
"The shame is that 14 million [Syrians and Palestinians] have been displaced.
The shame is that 1.5 million people have been killed."
Palestinian-Syrian writer and journalist Suad Qatanani remarked:
Mahmoud Abbas will visit the one (Assad) who starved and killed Palestinians in
Yarmouk refugee camp (near Damascus). Will he ask Assad why he destroyed the
Palestinian camps and displaced their people? Will he ask Assad about those who
were killed in Syrian detention? Will he ask Assad about the fate of the
Palestinians who disappeared in Syrian prisons?"
According to the London-based Action Group For Palestinians of Syria (AGPS), a
human rights watchdog that monitors the situation of Palestinian refugees in
war-torn Syria, 1,458 Palestinians from Yarmouk have been killed since 2011.
This includes 496 who died due to shelling of the camp, 208 who died from
starvation or medical neglect due to the siege by the Syrian army and 215
tortured to death in Syrian prisons. According to a recent report by AGPS:
"Yarmouk camp is considered one of the most affected areas in Syria as a result
of the siege imposed by the Syrian army and its loyal forces since 2013, while
water and electricity were completely cut off for the population in 2014, and
the entry of food, medical and other items was also prohibited."
"War crimes and crimes against humanity have been carried out against
Palestinian and Syrian civilians in Yarmouk, which is under brutal siege by
Syrian government forces," Amnesty International revealed in 2014. Residents
told the human rights group that they had not eaten fruit or vegetables for many
months, while others said they had resorted to eating cats and dogs.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA)
pointed out that before the civil war in Syria, Yarmouk camp was home to nearly
160,000 Palestinians. Today, the number of residents living in the camp is
estimated at 3,000. In 2018, it was estimated that 60% of the camp had been
destroyed by the Syrian army and pro-Assad militias.
During their visit to Syria, the Palestinian delegation members attended a rally
in Yarmouk camp to mark the 57th anniversary of the launch of Fatah's first
terrorist attack against Israel.
Commenting on the visit, Palestinian-Syrian lawyer and writer Ayman Abo Hashem
wrote:
"The visit of the Fatah delegation to Damascus and the [Fatah] rally held on the
ruins of Yarmouk camp are a stab in the back of all the Palestinian and Syrian
victims whose homes were destroyed and who were killed, arrested, and displaced
by the Assad regime's criminal regime. Palestine refuses to be associated with
leaders who turn a blind eye to its tragedies and care only about their
interests."
The Fatah delegation that visited Damascus has faced severe criticism and
widespread condemnation from Palestinians and Syrians for ignoring the "tragedy"
of the Palestinians in Syria and not including it in the discussions with Syrian
government officials, AGPS reported on January 8, adding:
"A number of Palestinian activists expressed outrage at Fatah's and the
Palestinian Authority's neglect and marginalization of the tragedy of the
Palestinians in Syria and their lack of sense of responsibility towards it...
The activists said that the Palestinian leadership works for its own interests,
forgetting the pain of their people and displaying indifference to their
suffering."
Samer, a Palestinian from Yarmouk, told AGPS:
"This complete disregard [for the plight of the Palestinians in Syria] was
accepted with great resentment by the Palestinians, who no longer have
confidence in the leadership that undervalues them and wants to achieve its own
political gains at the expense of its people."
Noting that 620 Palestinians have died of torture in Syrian prisons and
detention centers since 2011, AGPS pointed out that the Palestinians of Syria
urged the Palestinian embassy in Damascus dozens of times to intervene to
release Palestinians held by the Syrian regime and halt the siege of Yarmouk
camp and the repeated attacks on Palestinian camps, especially air raids and
barrel bombardments. Their appeals went unheeded.
Palestinian activist Abu Mustafa al-Qaoud said that the Palestinian leadership
has never used its relations with the Syrian regime to serve the interests of
the Palestinians in Syria. "The Palestinian Authority has failed to secure the
release of one Palestinian [from Syrian detention] or the return of one
displaced family to its home," al-Qaoud complained.
For now, it seems that the Palestinian leadership is ignoring not only the
"tragedies" of its people in Syria, but even the complaints about the failure of
the Palestinian officials to raise the issue with the Syrian government.
The Palestinian leadership apparently does not want to assume any responsibility
for its people in the Arab world because that would mean spending money on them
and providing them with various services. Palestinian leaders would, it seems,
rather keep the money for themselves than assist their own people.
The Palestinian leaders appear more concerned about the return of the Assad
regime to the Arab League than the return of tens of thousands of displaced
Palestinians to their homes in Syria. These leaders know that it is far easier
-- and far safer -- to condemn Israel than to demand that Assad cease committing
atrocities against the Palestinians. Spewing hatred against Israel has no price
tag attached. Criticizing an Arab dictator, by contrast, can prove costly in the
extreme.
*Khaled Abu Toameh is an award-winning journalist based in Jerusalem.
© 2022 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do
not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No
part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied
or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.
Jesus Christ as Palestinian Terrorist
Raymond Ibrahim/Jauary 20, 2022
Not only has Islam transformed Jesus Christ into a Muslim, and a “Palestinian”
one at that; Palestinians are apparently trying to transform him into a “heroic
martyr”—a term often translated by those on the receiving end of such heroism as
a “terrorist.”
As a January 14, 2022 article by PMW explains:
The PA uses many euphemisms and terms to refer to terrorists, and they are
applying two of them to Jesus. The first is Fida’i, literally “self-sacrificing
fighter.” For example, terrorist Ashraf Na’alwa, who brought a rifle to work,
tied up a young mother of a 15-month-old, and then murdered her and another
coworker, was called by Fatah: “The heroic Fida’i.” Fatah official Rawhi Fattouh
applied this status to Jesus: “Jesus the first Palestinian Fida’i.”
The second term is Shahid – Islamic “Martyr” – the word the PA uses for every
terrorist killed during his/her attack, including suicide bombers. Senior Fatah
leader Tawfiq Tirawi applied both terms to Jesus: “The first Fida’i and the
first Martyr, the messiah Jesus.”
It must, of course, be remembered that for Palestinians and Muslims in general,
those who sacrifice their lives for the cause of Allah—and Allah is very much
interested in things like land and territorial disputes—are the apple of that
deity’s eye, deserving of the highest paradisiacal rewards. As the Muslim
prophet, Muhammad, explained in an oft cited and canonical hadith, “the
martyr”—the shahid— “is special to Allah”:
He is forgiven from the first drop of blood [he sheds]. He sees his throne in
paradise. . . . Fixed atop his head will be a crown of honor, a ruby that is
greater than the world and all it contains. And he will copulate with
seventy-two Houris [celestial sexual women—“big-bosomed” and “wide-eyed” says
the Koran (56:22, 78:33)—created by Allah for the express purpose of sexually
gratifying his favorites in perpetuity ].
In this context, Jesus Christ, whom Muslims have appropriated and transformed
into “Isa the prophet,” is a great martyr—not because he was crucified for the
sins of mankind (Islam teaches someone else was crucified in Christ’s place at
the last minute), but because he gives his life to fight infidels and uphold
sharia. To understand the true nature of Islam’s Jesus, consider what some of
the most canonical hadiths say about him (translations of the following are from
Muslim Sources of the Crusader Period by James E. Lindsay and Suleiman Mourad)
In one, Jesus approvingly quotes Muhammad saying that whoever makes him,
Muhammad, Christ’s equal—and thereby contradicts the oldest Christian Creed (1
Cor. 15: 3-7)—will go to heaven: “Whoever testifies that there is no god but
God, alone with no partner, and that Muhammad is His servant and messenger, and
that Jesus is His servant and messenger … Allah will admit him to paradise for
saying that.”
In another hadith, a woman says to Jesus, “Blessed is the womb that bore you and
the breast that suckled you.” To this, a shocked Jesus replies: “No, but blessed
is he who reads the Qur’an and follows what is in it!”
But it is only when he returns in Islam’s version of the “end times” that the
Muslim Jesus truly shines. According to Islamic teaching, he will return to
“break the crosses, slaughter the pigs, end the jizya tax on non-Muslims, making
warfare against the People of the Book (e.g. Jews, Christians, Zoroastrians,
etc.) and others licit.” In the midst of the final showdown between the forces
of Allah and the forces of Antichrist (al-Dajjal), Jesus will first appear
“praying behind” an Islamic leader. Then, “after Jesus finishes his prayer, he
will take his lance, go toward the Antichrist and kill him. Then Jesus will die
and the Muslims will wash him and bury him.”
In such a manner is he a “martyr”—no different, for many Muslims, than his
supposed Palestinian kinsmen who blow themselves up in the service of Islam.
Here, then, is yet another stark reminder that Islam’s appropriation and
subsequent mutilation of biblical figures is not a source of “commonalities” and
“bridges” between Islam on the one hand and Judaism and Christianity on the
other, as the “ecumenists” insist. Rather, it is Islam’s way of manipulating the
figures of Judaism and Christianity for its own agenda and precisely against
Jews and Christians.
مقالة من موقع ممري للصحافي أي. سيفون
تورد تهديدات قائد الحرس الثوري الإيراني للأميركيين ونية بلاده الإنتقام لمقتل
سليماني
On Second Anniversary Of IRGC Qods Force Commander
Soleimani's Killing, His Successor Qa'ani Declares: 'If There Are Smart People
In America, They Should Confront Soleimani's Murderers Themselves – It Will Cost
Them Less Than If The Children Of The Resistance Front Wreak Vengeance [On The
U.S.]... We Are Shi'ites And Know How To Avenge'
A. Savyon/MEMRI/January 20/2022
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/105745/105745/
Introduction
In early January 2022, the Iranian regime marked the second anniversary of the
killing of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Qods Force commander
Qassem Soleimani with dozens of ceremonies and speeches across the country. At
memorial ceremonies, regime officials glorified Soleimani and his activity to
implement the regime's vision of exporting Iran's Islamic Revolution and to
expand the political and military influence of the Iranian revolutionary regime
in countries across the region.
In their speeches, the regime officials reiterated promises of harsh revenge to
be exacted against former president Donald Trump and members of his
administration, who ordered Soleimani's killing. However, the painful blow
inflicted on the Iranian regime by the killing has left it in a quandary: the
fear of a massive American response if American troops are killed as a result of
Iranian payback. Since Trump at the time explicitly warned that the U.S. would
strike 52 targets in Iran, the Iranian regime settled for a token reaction of
firing missiles at the U.S.'s Ain Al-Assad airbase in Iraq on January 8, 2019,
and this only after announcing its intentions to the Americans in advance via
the Iraqi government. Following the advanced warning, the U.S. military took
measures to prevent loss of life, so that the missile strike killed no one. (For
more on this, see MEMRI Daily Brief No. 337, The Iran-U.S. Crisis, Part III:
Iran's January 2020 Strikes On U.S. Ayn Al-Asad Airbase – The Roars Of A Fearful
Paper Tiger, November 10, 2021.)
In his early January 2022 eulogy for Soleimani, Esmail Qa'ani, Soleimani's
successor as Qods Force commander, explained away the Iranian regime's inability
to take vengeance against Trump by saying that the regime had its "own style" in
all things concerning vengeance. He also shifted the responsibility for
retribution against Trump to the shoulders of Americans on their own soil,
saying that an American handling of this would be better for them than if Iran
activated the resistance front on American soil, which would be far worse.
In the meantime, it appears that the Iranian officials' promise for vengeance
against Trump is coming true only in animated films in which Iranians,
especially Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, show great bravery. On January
12, Khamenei posted on his website an animated film depicting an Iranian
unmanned ground vehicle entering a golf course at Trump's Mar-A-Lago estate in
Florida and using a laser to guide a missile strike against a golfing Donald
Trump. Prior to the strike, an Iranian soldier is seen in a control room reading
written orders from Khamenei to kill Trump. The animation ends with the text
"Revenge is definite."
To view this clip on MEMRI TV, click here or below.
https://www.memri.org/tv/iranian-animation-depicts-targeted-killing-trump-mar-a-lago
The inability to take vengeance on the U.S. and the fear of its response has
prompted regime spokesmen to claim that Iran's revenge would take the form of
the U.S.'s expulsion from Iraq, where Soleimani was killed, or that it was by
virtue of the Iranian resistance that the U.S. was expelled humiliated from
Afghanistan.[1]
Because of the harsh blow inflicted on Iran due to the killing of Soleimani, who
was implementing the regime's vision of Islamic Iran's regional expansion,
regime officials are trying to instill in the consciousness of the public the
claim that as a martyr, his influence has become even greater than his
achievements as a commander when he was alive. The figure of Soleimani serves
the Iranian regime now as a symbol and ideological tool for inculcating the
values of the Islamic Revolution in the younger generation, in the form of
martyrdom and becoming a martyr and carrying out jihad. This, inter alia, is in
order to justify the massive economic and human resources that the regime has
chosen to invest in the enterprise of regional expansion, in light of the
criticism of this on the home front.
Nevertheless, a statue of Soleimani was torched in the city of Shahrekord in
southern Iran mere hours after its dedication, in protest against the regime.[2]
This report will focus on a number of speeches by prominent officials marking
the second anniversary of the killing of IRGC Qods Force commander Qassem
Soleimani.
Quds Force Commander Qa'ani: "The Motto 'Liberate Jerusalem'... [Is A Goal] For
Now – And Our Final Aim... Is To Arrive At The Global Rule Of The Mahdi"
In his speech at the main memorial ceremony on January 4, 2022, Quds Force
commander Esmail Qa'ani said: "The path of our martyrs is the path of honor and
pride, and the distinguished martyr [Soleimani] raised their banner. We, the
Shi'ites, are proud that all our leaders became martyrs. To follow in their
footsteps, we must examine how the martyrs overcame and relinquished
materialistic [interests]. We must live like the martyrs did, in order to follow
their path.
"The motto 'Reach Karbala [in Iraq]' or the motto 'Liberate Jerusalem' are goals
for right now – and our final aim, at this stage, is to arrive at the global
rule of the Mahdi [the Shi'ite Messiah]."
Addressing the Americans who ordered the killing of Soleimani, Qa'ani said: "You
are too small to know what is concealed in the rich culture of Islam and the
Shi'a. You do not understand the meaning of martyrdom. You do not understand
defense, jihad, and becoming a martyr. Do you think the path of the martyrs is
ended by making them martyrs? Do you understand the mistake you have made? You
have committed the greatest of crimes according to international law. Despite
that, the martyr Soleimani is stronger [in death] than General Soleimani [was in
life], and he now follows the path of truth in the world, advancing every day.
"Honoring General Soleimani means honoring all the martyrs of the resistance
front. The enemy thought that this crime [of the killing], this most base of
deeds, will end the path of the martyr Soleimani. The crime committed by Trump
and his accomplices, both known and in hiding, is clear to us. No one [ever]
humiliated the criminal [Secretary of State] Pompeo like the martyr Soleimani.
Pompeo thought that his humiliation would end with General Soleimani's death.
Did you think that you would strike [Soleimani] and that would be it? The
criminal former president Trump, and everyone who [participated] openly and
secretly in the murder of Soleimani, are now under the magnifying glass of the
freedom-seeking people of the world. Islamic society and beyond – the Muslims,
that is, the freedom-seekers of the world – will take vengeance on you that you
will not forget for the rest of your lives.
"The U.S. retreat from the region was one of [our] goals, and it [the U.S.] was
of course expelled [in more ways] than [by merely] leaving [the region]. The
people of Iraq and of the region will not tolerate Americas. We will take
vengeance against you – we have our own style, of course. Our style [of
vengeance] is not that of criminals, but we have our own style. The path of
resistance continues, and the sword of resistance removes the enemies from the
path."[3]
Qa'ani: "We Will Wreak Vengeance On Soleimani's Assassins Using Our Own Tactics,
And Our Style And Pace Differ From The Enemy's Methods"; "Wherever Necessary, We
Will Provide The Ground For Vengeance Against The Americans From Within Their
Homes, And With [The Cooperation] Of Those Around Them, Without Our Presence"
Two days later, on January 6, 2022, Qa'ani spoke at an international resistance
front conference titled "The Martyrs' Monument for the Protectors Of Holy Places
[In Syria]." In his statements, he warned the U.S. that Soleimani's blood would
be avenged, and that Iran would provide the ground for harsh retribution from
within American homes. The following are the main points of his speech:
"The resistance front advances day by day, and this is a message to its enemies,
Israel and America, who have escalated the crime. We have turned the schemes of
the enemies into opportunities, thanks to the Islamic culture – both in the era
of the Imam [Ayatollah Ruhollah] Khomeini [the founder of the Islamic regime in
Iran] and in the era of Leader Khamenei. The resistance front advances day by
day. Once, our enemies wanted to take up residence in our homes, but today our
children fight them outside [Iran's] borders.
"America entered the region in order to harm the Islamic regime – otherwise, why
would they have invested so much in Afghanistan? The Americans invested so much
in Iraq – what were they seeking? They sought only to strike at the mind of this
divine nation [Iran], which produces resistance and exports it to other
countries...
"America is desperate to recall its forces from Afghanistan today, and, in the
case of Iraq, it lies [by saying] that it has cut back its troops to 2,500 and
that they are [only] advisors... These [American] ships are worn out, and the
situation today is such that the front [that the Americans are] facing has
weapons [capable of] attacking American ships wherever it sees them in the
countries of the resistance...
Qods Force commander Qa'ani. (Source: ISNA, Iran, January 6, 2022)
"We will wreak vengeance on Soleimani's assassins using our own tactics, and our
style and pace differ from the enemy's methods. There is no need for us to be
directly present everywhere. Wherever necessary, we will provide the ground for
vengeance against the Americans from within their homes, and with [the
cooperation] of those around them, without our presence. If there are smart
people in America, they should confront Soleimani's murderers themselves – it
will cost them less than if the children of the resistance front wreak vengeance
[on the U.S.]. Indeed, this vengeance has already begun.[4]
"We are Shi'ites and we know how to wreak vengeance. The enemies will be
completely uprooted from the region. If [the Americans] are smart, they must
leave Iraq, or else the resistance front will make their exit from Iraq more
humiliating than their exit from Afghanistan."
To the Americans, Qa'ani said: "You have insulted an awakening conscience, and
will surely be attacked. The martyrs have taught us that we must never reach an
impasse on the path of resistance. These martyrs and their families, whenever
they come to us, ask for vengeance against the criminals who insulted the
resistance front, and this vengeance will surely be realized."[5]
Ali Akbar Nategh Nouri, Expediency Council Member And Advisor To Khamenei:
"[Iran's] Insistence On Protecting Syria And Ensuring Its Security Was The
Smartest Of Moves By The Leader [Khamenei] Toward Protecting Our Country's
Territorial Integrity"
At a January 4, 2022 commemoration, Ali Akbar Nategh Nouri, Expediency Council
member and an advisor to Khamenei, said: "With his martyrdom, this exalted
martyr [Soleimani] played a special role in disseminating the Shi'ite school of
thought and in protecting the ideals of Imam [Khomeini], the [Islamic]
Revolution, and the Leader [Khamenei]. In this way, he showed how man can attain
spiritual growth and spiritual perfection.
"God calls man the Crown of Creation because with his autonomy, there is no
limit to man's growth. The objective example of such a man in our times was the
martyred Hajj Qassem Soleimani, who attained that stature."
Ali Akbar Nategh Nouri, Expediency Council member and advisor to Khamenei
(Source: ISNA, Iran, January 4, 2022)
Criticizing Iranian circles opposed to the presence of Iranian forces in Syria,
Nategh Nouri said: "These people do not understand the plans of the French,
British, and Americans in attacking Syria! Syria does not have such [large] oil
resources, nor any significant wealth. Yet it is important because of its status
relative to Iran and Lebanon. [Iran's] insistence on protecting Syria and
ensuring its security was the smartest of moves by the Leader [Khamenei] toward
protecting our country's territorial integrity. It was an example of foresight
and intelligent planning – otherwise, we would now be fighting ISIS inside our
borders.
"The Leader shrewdly sensed that they [the U.S. and its allies] had created ISIS
in order to oppress the resistance axis and to disrupt the [land] bridge among
the resistance factions. ISIS's evil was pushed back thanks to the shrewdness of
the Leader, and, thanks to his resourcefulness and intelligence, the resistance
fighters, led by the martyr Soleimani, succeeded, with their timely arrival in
the field and their bravery, in foiling the schemes of the Americans and the
French.
"How was Syria different from other countries, [prompting] the French and the
Americans to exert so much pressure to bring down [President] Assad? It was
because they wanted to sever the bridge between Iran and Lebanese Hizbullah and
[Iran and] the resistance factions in Palestine, because once Syria and our line
of communication is severed, and Hizbullah in Lebanon is under siege, then it
becomes very easy to crush Palestine.
"In accordance with our faith, our doctrine, and our constitution, we must
defend all oppressed Muslims. Defending Palestine, Lebanon, and Syria
constitutes a defense of the territorial integrity and authority of Iran, and
Soleimani stood bravely and defended the lands of Islam."[6]
Rahim Safavi, Senior Khamenei Advisor: "The Minimum Vengeance For Soleimani's
Blood Is America's And The Global Arrogance's Withdrawal From The Region"
In his speech at a January 8, 2022 memorial conference held by the security
industries organization, Rahim Safavi, senior advisor to Khamenei, stated that
the blood of martyrs like Soleimani would bring about serial defeats for America
and that the minimal blood vengeance for his killing would be an American
withdrawal from the region. The following are the main points of his statements:
"The minimum vengeance for Soleimani's blood is America's and the global
arrogance's withdrawal from the region. We are witness to America's humiliating
flight from Afghanistan, and all these are signs of the decline of America and
the actualization of the great goals of Islam.
"Although the blood of the martyr Soleimani and the defenders of the holy places
[in Syria] is being spilled by the worst of God's enemies, the blood of these
martyrs will bring about serial defeats of America and of the Hebrew, Arab, and
reactionary governments in the region..."[7]
Rahim Safavi, senior advisor to Khamenei. (Source: ISNA, Iran, January 8, 2022)
Iranian Army Commander Elrahim Moussavi: "The Martyr Soleimani Has Become A
Global Hammer That Daily Strikes The Brain Of The Criminal America"
Iranian Army commander Elrahim Moussavi said on January 11, 2022: "During his
blessed life, Soleimani was the claw [on the throat] of the Islamic Revolution
that stopped the breath of the regime of America and of the Zionist regime.
Trump and his partners, who were stupider than him, assassinated him in their
fantasy in order to free themselves, but the martyr Soleimani became a global
hammer that daily strikes the brain of the criminal America.[8] The martyrs have
gone on the path of God and have persisted in the goal of God; they did not give
up because of any obstacle or problem; they attained great successes during
their lives and paved the way for the measures taken by the [Iranian and Muslim]
nations with their blood."[9]
Iranian Army commander Abd Elrahim Moussavi. (Source: ISNA, Iran, January 11,
2022)
Qods Force Deputy Commander Mohammad Reza Falahzadeh: "America Fled Afghanistan
Because Of Hajj Qassem's Efforts"
IRGC Qods Force Deputy Commander Mohammad Reza Falahzadeh said in a January 4,
2022 video conference marking the anniversary of Soleimani's killing that it was
Soleimani's "cultural and social services, and to the Shi'ite and Sunni unity in
the Sistan and Balochan [province], that caused the enemy to not succeed in
making the country's eastern region insecure."
He added: "If today America is forced to flee Afghanistan and the region despite
the price [it has invested in it], this is because of the efforts and initiative
of Hajj Qassem..."[10]
Deputy Qods Force commander Mohammad Reza Falahzadeh. (Source: ISNA, Iran,
January 4, 2022)
Ahmad Reza Pour Khakan, Armed Forces Judiciary Organization Head: "Had The Enemy
Known That Because Of The Martyrdom Of Gen. Soleimani The Islamic Nation Would
Unite Against The Arrogance [i.e. the West, led by the U.S.], It Would Never
Have Made Such A Huge Mistake"
Ahmad Reza Pour Khakan, head of the Iranian Armed Forces judiciary organization,
said at the same January 4 video conference: "Had the enemy known that because
of the martyrdom of Gen. Soleimani, the Islamic nation would unite against the
arrogance [i.e. the West led by the U.S.], it would never have made such a huge
mistake [and killed him]. Perhaps the danger for them [posed by] Hajj Qassem's
very existence was much reduced by his martyrdom."[11]
Tehran Mayor Ali Reza Zakani: "America's Path Will Fail, And The Flag Of 'Allah
Akbar' And 'There Is No God But Allah' Will Fly Over The Palaces Of The World'
Tehran Mayor Ali Reza Zakani said at a memorial ceremony on January 4, 2022:
"When religion was called the opiate of the masses, [Iran's] Islamic Revolution
entered the arena. East and West could not withstand such an explosion of the
light of the revolution, and tried as hard as they could to extinguish it. But
the school of thought of Hajj Qassem did not allow the enemy to reach its goal.
The school of Hajj Qassem is of a man who worships God and loves the people and
sacrifices himself for this people. The school of Hajj Qassem is the school of
obeying [the orders of] the Leader [Khamenei] and of service to the people.
"The enemy sought to carry out crimes in the name of Islam in the region, but
the school of Hajj Qassem did not allow this. The pure Islamic stream in the
region was created with the efforts of Hajj Qassem and with Shi'ite and Sunni
unity, and the enemy was defeated by the stream of truth.
"The martyrs shine like the sun forever. The result of [the spilling of] the
blood of the martyr Soleimani and of the other martyrs was that the nations in
the region united to expel the Great Satan [the U.S.] from the region. The blood
of Hajj Qassem and his companions eases the path by means of which human society
will thrive. We must stand alongside the flag held by the martyrs so that their
path will continue. The path of America will fail, and the flag of 'Allah Akbar'
and 'There Is No God But Allah' will fly over the palaces of the world."[12]
Tehran Mayor Ali Reza Zakani. (Source: ISNA, Iran, January 4, 2022)
* A. Savyon is director of the MEMRI Iran Media Project.
[1] See also MEMRI Special Dispatch No. 9580, Iranian Supreme Leader Advisor Ali
Akbar Velayati: 'The Countries Of The Resistance Front Constitute A Group That
Is Unprecedented In The History Of The Region And The World'; 'Iran Is That
Group's Main Axis'; Afghanistan Is Part Of The Resistance Axis, October 6, 2021.
[2] Irna.ir/news, January 6, 2022.
[3] Irna.ir/news, January 4, 2022.
[4] Iranian sources claimed that Soleimani's killing was avenged with Iran's
killing of U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. James C. Willis and Israeli brigade commander
Sharon Asman in a drone attack on a Mossad base in Iraqi Kurdistan in September
2021. However, both died under other circumstances: Willis was found dead in
June 2021 at Al-Udeid base in Qatar, and Asman died of cardiac arrest during a
training operation at a base in central Israel in early July 2021. See
Farsnews.ir/en/news/14000631000175/Resisance-Frn-Takes-Revenge-frm-US-Israeli-Army-fr-Assassinain-f,
September 22, 2021; Kob.com/albuquerque-news/airman-from-albuquerque-dies-at-military-base-in-qatar/6155235,
June 28, 2021; Jpost.com/israel-news/article-6938472, January 18, 2022.
[5] Isna.ir, January G, 2022.
[6] Isna.ir, January 4, 2022.
[7] Isna.ir, January 8, 2022.
[8] Hinting at the missile attack on Ain Al-Assad base in Iraq and the traumatic
brain injuries suffered by some troops there.
[9] Isna.ir, January 11, 2022.
[10] Isna.ir, January 4, 2022.
[11] Isna.ir, January 4, 2022.
[12] Isna.ir, January 4, 2022.
https://www.memri.org/reports/second-anniversary-irgc-qods-force-commander-soleimanis-killing-his-successor-qaani-declares
Europe's Weak Response to Russia
Judith Bergman/Gatestone Institute/January 20, 2022
What is at stake... therefore, is much more than Ukraine itself or Russia's
geopolitical ambitions; it is ultimately about the lessons that China and Iran
will take away on what to expect in the future from the US and its NATO allies
over Taiwan, the South China Sea, or in the Middle East.
In December, Germany blocked the delivery of anti-drone jamming guns, although
Ukraine had already paid for them. The reason reportedly given was, "Such
weapons could potentially provoke further military escalation on the demarcation
line (between Russian and Ukrainian forces) and lead to larger clashes." Such
arguments have reportedly been used by Germany for years with regard to weapons
sales to Ukraine, which also sought, in vain, to convince former Chancellor
Angela Merkel to change Germany's policy on the issue.
German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock recently said that the government's
restrictive arms export policy is "rooted in our history" and that "diplomacy is
the only way."
Germany's "history," however, did not stop its arms exports from reaching record
levels in 2021 with exports worth 9.35 billion euros ($10.65 billion) last year,
an increase of 61% compared to 2020.
The degree to which the largest EU states have any resolve left to take
responsibility for their own security environment in the face of one of the most
dangerous security crises on European soil so far this century is one thing that
this crisis continues to reveal. Thus far, Europe appears, once again, to be
failing spectacularly.
Tensions continue to mount in Europe over Russia's continued build-up of troops
on the border with Ukraine. What is at stake is much more than Ukraine itself or
Russia's geopolitical ambitions; it is ultimately about the lessons that China
and Iran will take away on what to expect in the future from the US and its NATO
allies over Taiwan, the South China Sea, or in the Middle East. Pictured: A
Ukrainian soldier observes Russia-backed separatists through a periscope at a
position near Donetsk, on April 22, 2021.
Tensions continue to mount in Europe over Russia's continued build-up of troops
on the border with Ukraine. Russia, according to the latest assessment of the
Ukrainian Defense Ministry, now has more than 127,000 troops in the region. That
is in addition to the estimated 35,000 Russia-backed separatists in Ukraine's
eastern region of Donbass. Additionally, Russian troops have begun to arrive in
Belarus for joint military drills and war games, named Allied Resolve, intended
to rehearse "repelling external aggression" according to Russian Deputy Defense
Minister Alexander Fomin.
Parallel to the buildup of troops on the Ukraine border, Russia has extended
far-reaching ultimatums to NATO, demanding that the transatlantic security
organization halt its eastward expansion, thereby preventing Ukraine and other
former republics of the Soviet Union from joining NATO, ever. Russia has also
demanded that NATO curtail its military deployments on NATO's eastern flank,
meaning a rolling back of NATO's engagement in Central and Eastern Europe and
the Baltic states.
Above all, Russia's attempt to transform the existing security settlement in
Europe to one that extends its own sphere of influence across already settled
NATO countries and beyond is the ultimate test of the willpower and ability of
the US and Europe. It is a test that matters not only for the countries directly
involved -- Ukraine, Poland, the Baltics and beyond -- but also for China and
Iran, who are closely watching events to gauge the strength of US global power
and the resolve and cohesiveness of the NATO alliance.
What is at stake, therefore, is much more than Ukraine itself or Russia's
geopolitical ambitions; it is ultimately about the lessons that China and Iran
will take away on what to expect in the future from the US and its NATO allies
over Taiwan, the South China Sea, or in the Middle East.
The European Union's predominant and perhaps only strength regarding Russia lies
in its combined economic impact and influence. Nevertheless, the EU is as
divided as ever, seemingly incapable of taking any kind of decisive action.
The US has repeatedly put pressure on the EU to prepare a package of sanctions
against Russia, especially on its banks and energy companies, that can be
implemented if or when Russia will attack Ukraine, but the EU has not finalized
such a package and there appears to be much disagreement on which sanctions even
to apply. German government sources, for instance, have reportedly said that
excluding Russia from the SWIFT (Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial
Telecommunications) payments system — a global network used by almost all
financial institutions to wire sums of money to each other is "off the table".
According to the German newspaper Handelsblatt, talks are now focused on
sanctions against major Russian banks, but "Germany is insisting on exceptions
so that the payment of gas and oil imports from Russia remains possible."
As the Telegraph writes, Germany is reportedly pressing for an exception to any
sanctions to enable it to continue paying for Russian gas and oil imports in the
middle of winter.
Germany, the wealthiest and most powerful economy in the EU, holds a large part
of the blame for the situation, mainly because of its cooperation with Russia on
the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which will transport Russian gas to Western Europe
via Germany. Nord Stream 2, which is owned by Gazprom, Russia's state-owned
energy company, has been completed but is apparently waiting for the final
German regulatory approvals. It will transfer up to 55 billion cubic meters of
Russian gas to Europe each year. Europe now is substantially dependent on
Russian gas: around 43% of Europe's total gas imports come from Russia.
If the pipeline project were used as leverage in the Ukraine crisis, Russia
would lose tens of billions of dollars. "I think the pipeline represents a major
item of leverage for us, if we handle it smartly," said Wolfgang Ischinger,
former German ambassador to the US and chairman of the Munich Security
Conference. "If we have to shut down this pipeline project, Russia will
definitely lose, you know, tens of billions of dollars or euros going forward.
That cannot be in the interest of Russia at all."
Germany, however, is dragging its feet on using Nord Stream 2 as leverage
against Russia to resolve the tension, because Nord Stream 2 secures access to
Russian gas at a time, when Germany lacks energy security. "Next year, Germany
will switch off its last nuclear reactor and it plans to ban coal-fired
electricity production by 2038. Though the share of renewable energy in
Germany's electricity mix is growing, it is still less than 50 percent of the
total," Politico wrote in July. "That means the country has a big electricity
hole to fill... With the nuclear phase-out nearly complete and coal increasingly
unattractive due to a surge in carbon pricing, electricity costs for industry in
Germany (already among the most expensive in the world) are at their highest in
a decade."
"We should not drag (Nord Stream 2) into this conflict," German Defense Minister
Christine Lambrecht said. "We need to solve this conflict, and we need to solve
it in talks - that's the opportunity that we have at the moment, and we should
use it rather than draw a link to projects that have no connection to this
conflict."
"We need a secure supply of gas security, despite all of the clear political
differences with Russia," stated Siegfried Russwurm, president of the Federation
of German Industries.
Moreover, while the US, the UK, Lithuania and France have pledged to export
defensive weapons to Ukraine, including Javelin anti-tank missiles, Stinger
missiles, small arms, and boats, Germany continues to block weapon sales to
Ukraine in NATO's Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA). In December, Germany
blocked the delivery of anti-drone jamming guns, although Ukraine had already
paid for them. The reason reportedly given was, "Such weapons could potentially
provoke further military escalation on the demarcation line (between Russian and
Ukrainian forces) and lead to larger clashes." Such arguments have reportedly
been used by Germany for years with regard to weapons sales to Ukraine, which
also sought, in vain, to convince former Chancellor Angela Merkel to change
Germany's policy on the issue.
German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock recently said that the government's
restrictive arms export policy is "rooted in our history" and that "diplomacy is
the only way."
Germany's "history," however, did not stop its arms exports from reaching record
levels in 2021 with exports worth 9.35 billion euros ($10.65 billion) last year,
an increase of 61% compared to 2020.
The degree to which the largest EU states have any resolve left to take
responsibility for their own security environment in the face of one of the most
dangerous security crises on European soil so far this century is one thing that
this crisis continues to reveal. Thus far, Europe appears, once again, to be
failing spectacularly.
*Judith Bergman, a columnist, lawyer and political analyst, is a Distinguished
Senior Fellow at Gatestone Institute.
Biden’s focus will soon fall firmly on foreign policy
Andrew Hammond/Arab News/January 20, 2022
One of soccer’s biggest cliches is that it is a “game of two halves.” This
sporting platitude also provides a good characterization of the first year of
Joe Biden’s presidency.
Biden had a significantly stronger-than-expected first half of the year, fueled
in part by wide-ranging relief that Donald Trump had finally left office after
the Capitol Hill riot debacle. However, this early belle epoque was followed by
the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan, which punctured the aura of competence
and stability that Biden had cultivated on the 2020 campaign trail and in his
first few months in office.
While many in the US were lukewarm, or opposed to, the country’s continued
commitment to Afghanistan, key mistakes were made in the botched withdrawal that
have led to searching questions being asked about US military power. While
claims made at the time about the end of the “American era” of leadership were
off the mark, US soft power and moral credibility have taken a hit with allies
from Asia-Pacific to the Americas. This is troublesome for Biden as he seeks to
rebuild the country’s global reputation after the travails of the Trump era.
In the period since the summer, Biden’s various challenges have sometimes
obscured the fact that he had such significant political momentum from January
to June, with a laser-like focus on domestic policy. This included progress with
a huge $1.9 trillion stimulus bill, plus early successes combating the pandemic,
which drew favorable comparisons with the dynamic early presidencies of Franklin
Roosevelt and Lyndon Johnson.
At the time, Biden made the correct call that he needed his overwhelming
priority to be domestic policy in 2021 and 2022, as the window of opportunity to
secure his agenda at home may only last until November this year. This is
because the likelihood is growing that he could face hostile Republican
majorities from 2023 in both the Senate and the House of Representatives, should
the Democrats lose a significant number of seats in the upcoming midterm
elections.
In the House, there have been only three midterm elections since 1900 — those in
1934, 1998 and 2002 — in which the incumbent president’s party didn’t lose
seats. In the postwar era, there has been an average net loss of 26 House seats,
and losses were particularly striking for the last two Democratic presidents:
Bill Clinton in 1994 and Barack Obama in 2010.
While Biden was always likely to face tough 2022 elections, this scenario has
been made even harder by the puncturing of his presidency since last summer and
the US withdrawal from Afghanistan. Prior to August, the date of the final US
troop withdrawal, Biden’s approval rating had exceeded his disapproval, but
since then the situation has been reversed.
Today, Biden’s disapproval rating is often at least 10 percentage points higher
than his approval rate, driven by a heady political and economic cocktail of
rising inflation and reemerging concern over the pandemic. One poll for CBS News
and YouGov last Sunday, for instance, highlighted that nearly two-thirds of
Americans believe the US is “doing badly” on managing the pandemic, with only 36
percent of respondents believing the government’s efforts are “going well.”
While Biden’s presidency is therefore in trouble, he cannot be counted out for
reelection if he chooses to run again, especially if the economy grows
significantly in 2022, 2023 and 2024 and inflation falls back. That possibility
is exemplified by the presidencies of Clinton and Obama, which were rejuvenated
in the second half of their first terms.
The US president has a deep interest in foreign affairs and wants this to be a
key part of his legacy.
Looking ahead, Biden is likely to focus more on foreign policy. To be sure, he
does have other domestic ambitions, including his “Build Back Better” bill.
However, his goal of bringing greater reconciliation to the US body politic
after the polarization of Trump’s presidency may be too big a stretch.
Biden is therefore set to increasingly turn to foreign policy — and this could
happen sooner rather than later depending on what happens in Ukraine. Not only
does Biden have a packed international agenda, he also has a deep interest in
foreign affairs and wants this to be a key part of his legacy.
The president is far from alone among US presidents in wanting foreign
initiatives to be a critical part of his legacy. For instance, Richard Nixon
scored a string of international successes in his second two years of office,
including his landmark trip to China in February 1972.
Taken together, this is why Biden is increasingly likely to turn to the world
stage as his presidency advances. Not only is the steam likely to be lost from
his domestic agenda, but there are also significant potential foreign prizes on
the horizon that could yet be part of a successful reelection bid.
*Andrew Hammond is an Associate at LSE IDEAS at the London School of Economics.