English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For October 12/2020
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news

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Bible Quotations For today
Christ set us free; so stand firm and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery
Letter to the Galatians 05/01-06/:”Brothers and sisters: For freedom Christ set us free; so stand firm and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery. It is I, Paul, who am telling you that if you have yourselves circumcised, Christ will be of no benefit to you. Once again I declare to every man who has himself circumcised that he is bound to observe the entire law. You are separated from Christ, you who are trying to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace. For through the Spirit, by faith, we await the hope of righteousness. For in Christ Jesus, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.”

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on October 11-12/2021
Thanksgiving Day: Obligations Prayers & Wishes/Elias Bejjani/October 11/2020
Court of Cassation Rejects Khalil, Zoaiter's Request for Bitar's Removal
U.S. Under Secretary of State to Visit Lebanon Coming from Russia
Jordan King Vows to Support Lebanon in Meeting with Miqati
Huge Fire Extinguished at al-Zahrani Oil Facility
Berri tackles developments with interlocutors, follows up on Zahrani fire
Berri Says Govt. Should Conclude IMF Talks, Solve Power Crisis by December
Nasrallah Lashes Out at Bitar, Says Probe 'Can't Continue This Way'
Hizbullah MP Says Has 'Complete Story' about Ammonium Nitrate Ship
Lebanon total blackout brings disgrace on Hezbollah PR stunt
Interior Minister visits Archbishop Audi
Geagea: Hizbullah Trying to Deviate Attention from Real Cause of Crisis
More than just a business/Dana Hourany/Now Lebanon/October 11/2021
Don Quixote Kassab/Jean-Marie Kassab/Octobre 11/2021

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on October 11-12/2021
Guterres denounces Taliban’s failure to honor commitments to women’s rights
Taliban to meet European Union officials on Tuesday
Blinken to meet top diplomats from Israel, UAE
Iraq Says It Has Arrested Top Leader in Islamic State Group
Saied appoints new cabinet dominated by fresh faces, more women
Nobel Prize in economics awarded to David Card, Joshua Angrist and Guido Imbens
A strong America is the key to continuation of Abraham Accords'
Abraham Accords have 'changed the face of the world'
UAE, Syria agree on plans to enhance economic cooperation
Pompeo receives Peace through Strength award.
Qatar Releases Afghan Soldier Who Killed 3 Australians
Libyan Rivals Ink Initial Deal on Pullout of Mercenaries
Merkel: Israel Can't 'Lose Sight' of Deal with Palestinians
Algerian President Demands 'Total Respect' from France
3 Egyptian health ministry employees arrested over dumped COVID-19 vaccines

Titles For The Latest The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on October 11-12/2021
Why Russia is treading on tricky terrain in the Middle East/Raghida Dergham/The National/October 11/2021
Why Israeli gas and Syrian sanctions relief may turn on Lebanon’s lights/Matthew Zais/MENA/October 11/2021
Arabs ease Assad’s isolation as US looks elsewhere/The Arab Weekly/October 11/2021

The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on October 11-12/2021
Thanksgiving Day: Obligations Prayers & Wishes
الياس بجاني/عيد الشكر في كندا: واجبات وصلاة وتمنيات
Elias Bejjani/October 11/2020
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/67920/elias-bejjani-thanks-giving-day-obligations-prayers-wishes-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%8a%d8%a7%d8%b3-%d8%a8%d8%ac%d8%a7%d9%86%d9%8a-%d8%b9%d9%8a%d8%af-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%b4%d9%83%d8%b1-%d9%81%d9%8a-%d9%83%d9%86/
Let us never forget that we have a holy obligation to always no matter what to happily keep on thanking Almighty God For His generosity, love and Graces.
This Year, Our beloved Canada celebrates on the 11th of October The Thanksgiving Day.
A blessed day by all means that is welcomed and cherished with joy, gratefulness, Hope and faith.
All principles and values of humility and gratitude necessitates that each and every one of us with faith, and hope thank Almighty God for all that we have no matter what.
To appreciate what we have it is a must to look wisely around and observe the millions and millions of people all over the world who are totally deprived from almost every thing that is basic and needed for a safe and descent life.
While celebrating the “Thanksgiving Day” Let us be grateful and thank Almighty God genuinely and with full reverence.
On this very special day we have to focus on praying and combine both faith and acts together.
We need to train ourselves to witness for the truth and to be humble and generous in giving what we can to all those who are in need.
We must recognise and understand with no shed of doubt that the only weapons that a peaceful believer can use to fight hardships of all sorts are faith, honesty, self trust, righteousness and praying.
Let us all Lebanese Canadians pray and ask Almighty God for what ever we are in need for ourselves, for others and for our beloved both countries, Canada and Lebanon.
Almighty God definitely will hear and respond in case we are genuine in our prayers and praying with confidence, faith and trust, but His responses shall be mostly beyond our understanding or grasping.
Let us Pray for on going peace and prosperity in the hospitable and great Canada that gave us a home when we needed it.
Let us pray for peace in our beloved original country, Lebanon and for freedom of its persecuted and impoverished people.
Let us pray that all Families will get together on this day to support each other and mend all differences among their members.
Let us pray that all parents will be appreciated today by their family members, honoured and showed all due respect.
Let us pray for the souls of Lebanon’s martyrs that fell while defending Lebanon’s dignity and independence.
Let us pray that Jesus Christ shall grant, our mother country, Lebanon, the Land Of the Holy Cedars with faithful clergymen and brave political leaders who fear him and count for His Day Of Judgment.
Let us pray for peace and tranquility in our beloved Canada, and for all countries and people over the world, especially in the troubled and chaotic Middle East
Happy Thanksgiving Day.

Court of Cassation Rejects Khalil, Zoaiter's Request for Bitar's Removal
Naharnet/October 11/2021
The Civilian Court of Cassation on Monday dismissed a petition filed by ex-minister Ali Hassan Khalil and Ghazi Zoaiter for the removal of Judge Tarek Bitar, the lead investigative judge into the Beirut port blast. The Court argued that it is not the right authority to look into the request seeing as Bitar is not one of its judges and that his jurisdiction does not make him affiliated with the public prosecution. Lebanon's Court of Appeals had last Monday rejected similar lawsuits filed by Khalil, Zoaiter and ex-interior minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq, in a decision that allowed Bitar to resume his work.
The subsequent lawsuits are part of a growing campaign by Lebanon's political class against the investigation into the devastating port explosion of Aug. 4, 2020. The blast heavily destroyed parts of Beirut, killed over 200 people and wounded over 6,000. In their lawsuits, the three former ministers accused the judge of bias. Families of the Beirut blast victims have welcomed the resumption of the probe, urging the judge to continue his investigation and appealing to the political class to let him do his job. The ruling political class, accused by rights groups and the public of knowing about the explosive material stored at the port and doing little to protect against it, has closed ranks against Bitar and his predecessor. Both have wanted to interrogate senior political and security officials accused of negligence that led to the blast. Bitar took over the job in February after judge Fadi Sawwan was also removed from his post following similar legal challenges by senior officials. Various political leaders have accused Bitar of politicizing the investigation, violating the constitution by ignoring immunity granted to lawmakers and government officials, and by going after some officials and not others. The suspension of the probe, and the repeated attempts to obstruct it, had angered families of the victims killed in the explosion who called Bitar's probe the last hope they have in Lebanon's judiciary. They say the investigation has been marred by repeated political interference and failure to bring officials to justice.

U.S. Under Secretary of State to Visit Lebanon Coming from Russia
Naharnet/October 11/2021 
U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland will arrive in Beirut within 48 hours as part of a tour involving Britain, Russia and Lebanon, media reports said. “She will hold talks with Lebanese officials in Beirut on Thursday and will be accompanied by Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Ethan Goldrich,” al-Liwaa newspaper reported. It quoted prominent diplomatic sources as saying that Nuland’s visit to Lebanon is “important during these circumstances, especially that it comes directly after her visit to Moscow.”

Jordan King Vows to Support Lebanon in Meeting with Miqati
Associated Press/October 11/2021 
Jordan's King Abdullah II received Prime Minister Najib Miqati in Amman Sunday, saying his country will stand by the small nation and its people during its worst-ever economic crisis. The visit to Jordan by Miqati is his first to an Arab country since he formed his Cabinet last month. It comes after the premier's trips to France and Britain, as Miqati seeks their help. Lebanon's economic crisis, unfolding since 2019, has been described by the World Bank as one of the worst in the world in 150 years. More than 70% of Lebanon's population lives in poverty and the national currency is in a freefall, driving inflation and unemployment to unprecedented levels.On Wednesday, Jordan agreed to supply Lebanon with electricity through Syria and work is underway for a timetable. Egypt has also agreed to supply Lebanon with natural gas to its power plants through Jordan and Syria. Lebanon suffers electricity cuts for up to 22 hours a day and on Saturday the country's two main power plants were forced to shut down after running out of fuel. That left Lebanon with no government-produced power. On Sunday, the Lebanese Army gave emergency supplies of fuel to the two plants and they resumed work, according to Energy Minister Walid Fayyad. Jordan's Royal Court quoted the king as telling Miqati that "Jordan will always stand by the side of Lebanon and its brotherly people." It gave no further details but said the two officials discussed regional affairs as well. Jordan's Prime Minister Bisher Khasawneh visited Lebanon late last month, and said there are efforts to provide Lebanon with some electricity from Jordan.

Huge Fire Extinguished at al-Zahrani Oil Facility
Associated Press/Agence France Presse/October 11/2021 
Firefighters extinguished a huge blaze that broke out in a gasoline tank at one of Lebanon's main oil facilities in the country's south Monday after it sent orange flames and a thick black column of smoke into the sky. Energy Minister Walid Fayyad said the fire broke out when workers were transferring gasoline from one storage tank to another in the coastal town of Zahrani. He said nearly 250,000 liters of gasoline were burnt during the blaze, which lasted more than three hours. No one was reported hurt. The fire came as Lebanon struggles through a serious power crisis that has resulted in electricity cuts lasting up to 22 hours a day. "The situation now is almost under full control," Fayyad told reporters at the facility. He said earlier that the gasoline was for the Lebanese Army. Ziad al-Zein, head of facilities at Zahrani, said the fire broke out as the tank was being emptied. "We noticed an inclination in the reservoir's roof yesterday and took immediate measures... this morning to transfer its contents," he said, adding that "it would have been a disaster if the fire had spread to nearby tanks."Army troops had closed the highway linking Beirut with southern Lebanon that passes through Zahrani. The road was reopened after the fire was extinguished. The Zahrani Oil Installation is about 50 kilometers south of Beirut. It is close to one of Lebanon's main power stations, which stopped functioning two days ago due to a fuel shortage. Earlier in the day, the head of the civil defense, Raymound Khattar, told the local MTV station that they believe there were 300,000 liters of gasoline in the tank. Khattar added that work focused on extinguishing the fire and cooling down a nearby tank, to keep it from igniting. In August 2020, a blaze at Beirut's port triggered a massive explosion that killed at least 215 people, wounded thousands and destroyed the facility and nearby neighborhoods. The blast at Beirut's port, one of the largest non-nuclear explosions ever reported, was caused by hundreds of tons of ammonium nitrate, a highly explosive material used in fertilizers that had been improperly stored for years. Earlier this year, a German company found dangerous nuclear material stored at the facility in Zahrani. Eight small containers that weigh less that 2 kilograms containing depleted uranium salts were removed shortly afterward. The material had been stored at the facility since the 1950s, when it was run by the Mediterranean Refinery Company, or Medreco. Medreco was an American company whose main shareholders were Mobil and Caltex and it was active in Lebanon for four decades until the late 1980s.

Berri tackles developments with interlocutors, follows up on Zahrani fire
NNA/October 11/2021
Speaker of the House, Nabih Berri, on Monday welcomed at the second presidential headquarters in Ain El-Tineh, Minister of Justice, Henry Khoury, who paid him a protocol visit. Speaker Berri also broached the general situation and the latest political developments with former Prime Minister, Fouad Siniora. Later during the day, Berri had an audience with former Minister of Information, Dr. Manal Abdel Samad. Separately, Speaker Berri discussed the country’s political, economic, and living conditions with Mr. Tawfiq Sultan. On the other hand, Berri received a cable from the Sultan of Oman, Haitham bin Tariq, in which he thanked him for his condolences on the victims of Cyclone Shaheen, which had hit several regions of the Sultanate of Oman. On a different level, Berri followed up with competent authorities on the fire that broke out on Monday morning in one of the Zahrani oil installations’ fuel tanks. Berri commended the courage of the Lebanese Civil Defense, fire brigades, the army, the Lebanese security forces, and the scout associations in putting out the fire. “It is time to implement the law; the one that does justice to those soldiers who risk their lives putting out fires across the homeland,” Berri said.

Berri Says Govt. Should Conclude IMF Talks, Solve Power Crisis by December
Naharnet/October 11/2021
Parliamant Speaker Nabih Berri has revealed that he has urged Prime Minister Najib Miqati to finalize talks with the International Monetary Fund and to tackle the power crisis. “Miqati’s chance should not exceed a month and a half,” Berri said, in an interview, considering that “Parliament will be quasi-idle by the start of December, due to the holidays and to the nearness of the elections.”“Parliament members will be busy with their electoral campaigns,” Berri added. He went on to say that “the government should finalize the talks with the International Monetary Fund by December or at least it should take practical steps in that direction.”“The government should also solve the electricity problem by the time, otherwise it will have failed,” Berri said. He criticized “wasting time on appointments and formations, which is not a basic need now,” considering power cuts to be the main problem.Berri affirmed that the elections will certainly take place and that there will be no extension to Parliament’s term.

Nasrallah Lashes Out at Bitar, Says Probe 'Can't Continue This Way'
Naharnet/October 11/2021
Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on Monday launched his fiercest attack to date on Beirut port blast investigator Judge Tarek Bitar, calling for replacing him with a “transparent and honest judge.”“The port blast judge is acting like an ultimate ruler in this file,” Nasrallah lamented in a televised address.
Noting that Bitar is “continuing with the mistakes of the former judge,” Hizbullah’s leader told the victims’ families that they “will not reach the truth with this judge,” blasting him as “selective” and “politicized.”“The investigative judge should identify those who brought the nitrates ship to Beirut port,” he said. “Why haven't you heard the testimonies of President (Michel) Aoun ex-president (Michel) Suleiman?” Nasrallah added, addressing Bitar. “Has Judge Bitar asked the former premiers whether they are responsible or not? He instead rushed to ex-PM Hassan Diab. Why did you ask the former ministers and not the current ones?” Nasrallah went on to say. He also noted that “the responsibility of judges is bigger than that of presidents, ministers and MPs, because they're the ones who gave approvals for the nitrates ship.”“The judiciary wants to protect itself, but Judge Bitar wants to bring a respectable premier like Hassan Diab to prison! Is this a state of law? Is this a state of judiciary?” Nasrallah decried. He added that Bitar should have told the families of the victims “how the ship came, under whose name and under whose approval.”“There is a big disaster that the country will go to if the judge continues in this manner,” Nasrallah warned. Addressing the Higher Judicial Council, Hizbullah’s leader cautioned that “what’s happening in the port blast file has nothing to do with justice or law.”“It must resolve the issue, and if it doesn’t, Cabinet must resolve this issue,” he said. “What's happening in the Beirut port probe is a very, very, very, very big mistake and we won't accept for the issue to continue in this manner in the coming days,” Nasrallah added.

Hizbullah MP Says Has 'Complete Story' about Ammonium Nitrate Ship
Naharnet/October 11/2021
Member of the Loyalty to the Resistance bloc, Hizbullah MP Hassan Ezzeddine, has said that “there is a complete story about the ammonium nitrate ship that entered the port of Beirut.”“The story could be published at any moment in the media so that all people will get to know what happened,” Ezzeddine said. He went on to say that “there are reports by international and local security agencies about the port blast, starting from the moment the ship, loaded with nitrates, entered the territorial waters until it unloaded its cargo.”He also questioned the role of UNIFIL, “who are present at the sea round-the-clock,” asking them to say how the ship entered Lebanon and how they searched it. “Where did it stop the moment of its entry? Where did it unload its cargo? For whom? Where did it come from? And to where was it heading,” Ezzeddine asked. “We are keen on truth, justice and fairness,” he said, but added that his party does not accept “any attempt of politicization.”He also pointed out that the U.S. is “still considering the investigation into the port blast one of the tools it is planning to keep open in order to use it in the (Lebanese parliamentary) elections against its opponents.”

Lebanon total blackout brings disgrace on Hezbollah PR stunt
The Arab Weekly/October 11/2021
Hezbollah deliveries of Iranian fuel were nothing but a public relations stunt to promote Iran’s role in Lebanon.
BEIRUT--The total blackout that Lebanon witnessed on Saturday revealed that Hezbollah’s deliveries of Iranian fuel in crisis-hit country were nothing but a public relations stunt to promote and justify Iran’s role in Lebanon and prepare the ground for the visit of Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian to Beirut. Lebanon was plunged into a total blackout Saturday after two main power stations went offline because they ran out of fuel, the state electricity corporation said. The Mediterranean country is battling one of the planet’s worst economic crises since the 1850s and has in recent months struggled to import enough fuel oil for its power plants. State electricity in most places was barely available for an hour a day amid rolling power cuts, while the fuel needed to power private back-up generators was also in short supply. Restoring electricity is one of the many tough tasks facing Lebanon’s new government, formed last month after 13 months of political wrangling. Several measures have been launched in a desperate bid to keep the lights on. Lebanon has reached an agreement towards bringing Jordanian electricity and Egyptian gas into the country via war-torn Syria, while Shia movement Hezbollah has separately started hydrocarbon deliveries from Iran. The state is also bringing in some oil fuel for power stations in exchange for medical services under a swap deal with Iraq. In mid-September, trucks with Iranian fuel began arriving in Lebanon, amid a fierce criticism of the move, with opponents arguing the deliveries will only lead to the increase of Tehran’s meddling and exposure of the country to international sanctions. Maronite Patriarch Mar Beshara Boutros al-Rai warned on Sunday that “Iranian aid” received by Lebanon was a move by Tehran to maintain “hegemony in the country.”In his sermon, the patriarch said Lebanon “must preserve the country’s independence, sovereignty and its natural relationship, so any aid as a cover will not serve to dominate Lebanon and undermine its identity and its peaceful role.”The Lebanese army agreed on Saturday to provide 6,000 kilolitres of gas oil distributed equally between the two power stations, the state electricity company said in a statement reported by National News Agency. This quantity will secure power in Lebanon for three days, the statement added. The energy ministry, meanwhile, said it had received central bank approval for $100 million in credit to issue fuel import tenders for electricity generation, adding that the country’s grid had resumed supplying the same amount of electricity as before the complete outage. During his visit to Beirut, the Iranian foreign minister said his country aims to continue sending fuel products to Lebanon and hopes a bilateral agreement can be struck for that purpose. He also said that the Islamic Republic is ready to build two power plants in Lebanon, one in Beirut and the other in the south of the country. Many Lebanese normally rely on private generators that run on diesel, although that is in short supply.

Interior Minister visits Archbishop Audi
NNAt/October 11/2021 
Minister of Interior and Municipalities, Bassam Mawlawi, visited Monday Beirut Greek Orthodox Archbishop, Elias Audi.
Speaking to reporters following the meeting, Mawlawi said that talks with his host touched on the projects the Ministry of Interior is working on to enforce the laws and protect stability and social security.

Geagea: Hizbullah Trying to Deviate Attention from Real Cause of Crisis
Naharnet/October 11/2021
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea on Monday charged that Hizbullah’s efforts are focused on “deviating attention from the real cause of the crisis” in the country. Speaking at a meeting with a student delegation, Geagea blamed the country’s compounded crisis on the rule of Hizbullah and the Free Patriotic Movement over the past 10 years. “Hizbullah and the FPM do not see that the problem is in the ruling authorities and (President Michel) Aoun is still delivering speeches about the utopian state and fighting corruption, as if he has nothing to do with all that is happening, and as if he has not been president for the past five years and one of the ruling pillars for the past 10 years,” the LF leader added. Hizbullah, meanwhile, is “making lectures about proper behavior and aiding the people, attributing the crisis to an American siege on Lebanon, because its supporters are used to this rhetoric,” Geagea went on to say.

More than just a business
Dana Hourany/Now Lebanon/October 11/2021
Lebanese creative entrepreneurs turn to online shops to make ends meet as jobs become scarce and salaries too low to cover monthly expenses.
Marwa Othman, a 25-year-old data analyst at an NGO in Beirut, realized that her wages no longer covered monthly expenses. When she started her job in 2019, she was earning 1,000,000 Lebanese pounds (roughly $650), which was enough to get by. But when the exchange rate hit 19,000 pounds to the dollar, her wages barely covered transportation expenses. “I can barely afford a Mankouche for breakfast and it’s crazy to think about my lifestyle before and after the crisis,” she said. “You can’t get a job in the country you’re in, nor can you leave, you feel stuck. But life doesn’t stop here, we have to keep going,” she added. Her sister Mira, 19, was also in need of motivation after she was affected by the August 4, 2020 Beirut port explosion.
The sisters first thought of an ice cream shop, but electricity cuts made it impossible during the summer. Hand-made embroidery seemed less problematic. They set up Canvart embroidery, an Instagram-based shop. Mira, a graphic design student, creates the templates, and Marwa handles the business aspects, the orders, and the supplies. “You have to be persistent, you have to make a plan, you can’t just standstill. I don’t want to think that my skills went to waste, I want to develop my potential and even though the country broke us, we can choose to do something about it,” Marwa explained.
The Othman sisters were not the only ones to get creative as their monthly wages seemed to shrink by the day. Entrepreneurship or owning a small online shop might not have been on everyone’s list prior to 2019, but since the economic crisis reduced most salaries to 90 percent of their original worth, many residents had to come up with a second source of income. Online businesses started to appear during the first COVID-19 lockdowns, and the main products were handmade crafts, Othman said. Knowing the ropes of operating a social media shop also mattered in the business surviving. “I’m aware that we need at least a year before we can start making a profit but this shop is like my own baby and I’m nurturing it as such,” Othman said.
From crisis to profit
Mirna Shayben, a 25-year-old architecture graduate, also decided to start a crafts business after she quit her architecture job. After a few crochet sessions with her neighbor and some youtube tutorials, she developed the skill of amigurumi, the process of making 3D toys using crochet art. Shayben started her online business, Kindknits, in 2019. But when the dollar rate started to increase and everything became expensive, her anxiety took over and the business had to be closed down for a year before she was able to return to it. “I stopped having sales like before so I closed down the shop and a year later a friend messaged me asking if I was still doing it because she needed a toy as imported dolls were becoming harder to find,” Shayben told NOW. The young entrepreneur took advantage of the free time she gained during the lockdown to re-launch as new opportunities opened up, imports were scarce and replacements were needed. With their endearing features, Shayben’s dolls quickly gained traction in the niche of “emotional shoppers”. “People liked the idea of buying a customized doll for their loved ones and their kids, it felt very sentimental and made the receiver feel special. My customers can choose whichever shape they’d like, which is something the Lebanese market was lacking at the time. If you want a dinosaur then I can make you a dinosaur,” she explained.
When expats returned to the country this summer, Shayben’s business grew tenfold, as not only did they have the dollars to spend but they also actively sought to support small businesses. “I’ve been booked for three months now so there’s definitely something I’m doing right,” Shayben said.
It seemed that the lockdown, coupled with the collapse of the economy, drove interest in both producing and purchasing traditional craft and local, handmade products. “What social media helped enhance was the number of people that found their desired items right in front of them. Business owners could now target more people and find more clients,” social media expert Ibrahim Younes told NOW.
Sahjinane Hassoune, owner of a small pantry food shop in the south of Lebanon, resorted to Instagram as a way to make more income during the pandemic. Photo: Courtesy of Sahjinane Hassoune. “Feels like home” Mouneh, or Lebanese pantry foods, consist usually of pickled vegetables such as cabbage, stuffed eggplant, or cauliflower, and different kinds of dairy products, herbs, and legumes. Shops selling such homemade items were present predominantly in villages. But during the lockdowns, these small businesses were hit severely. E-commerce became a necessity as curfews were imposed on supermarkets, and many people turned to online shopping. People were unable to travel around the country to buy farm products. Thus, some producers decided to switch to social media platforms and delivery. Everything was one click away, so the possibility of making a profit was high during lockdowns. This is what 53-year-old Sahjinane Hassoune, owner of Mounet El Beit, did. Her niece Sally Bero operates the Instagram account while her aunt runs the shop and prepares the food.
“I opened the shop in the village of Rihane in south Lebanon in 2011 but I had to start an Instagram account for the shop two years ago when COVID hit,” Hassoune told NOW. “Instagram really helped me gain more recognition and introduced my shop to many new clients that would have otherwise not have known about me,” she explained.
Youness explained that the waves of COVID introduced e-commerce to all age groups, even to the older generations, who were wary about it before.
“Expats from Brazil for example are usually of older age groups, which is why these products mean a lot to them as nostalgia plays an important part in their shopping strategy,” Younes explained. Similar to Shayben, expats were a key group in Hassoune’s clientele, as they tended to purchase local products while visiting Lebanon, eager to take things that reminded them of home back with them.
With the help of social media
Shayben understood the importance of marketing, and put extra effort into her Instagram account where she would post videos and photos, and engage her audience. This allowed the young business owner to price high using the dollar as she gathered a loyal base made mostly of expats.
“At first I was hesitant to price high and not use the local currency but I do the job of a whole team. I do crochet, photography, marketing, content creating and I self-deliver. I also see that there’s a demand so I know that my target audience are the ones who can afford to pay,” Shayben explained.
Shayben was also taking and delivering international orders, something that the Othman sisters were aiming to do as well. “You can’t expect the government to come and save you, you have to do that yourself,” Othman said.
*Dana Hourany is a multimedia journalist with @NOW_leb. She is on Instagram @danahourany.

Don Quixote Kassab
Jean-Marie Kassab/Octobre 11/2021
En parcourant les réseaux sociaux, je me suis rendu compte de mon erreur : le Liban va très bien. Ce ne sont que des photos de diners plantureux dans des restaurants huppés et sûrement aux factures inabordables, des balades en plein air aux confins du pays quand le bidon d'essence coûte si cher, des hommes arborants des cigares phalliques, des montres dernier cri sur des avant-bras bronzés.
La liste pourrait s'allonger eternellement sans l'intrusion de quelques illuminés de plus en plus rares qui interrompent le défilé somptueux de robes de toutes les couleurs et de sourires hollywoodiens par leurs atermoiements contre l'état des choses ou leur quête de justice vis-à-vis des victimes du 4 Août.
A dire vrai je me suis senti comme Don Quichotte qui se battait contre les moulins à vents de son imagination.
Comme si j'avais inventé avec mon imagination débordante d'écrivain le Hezbollah et L'Iran qui nous occupent. Comme si les conneries de Aoun et ses acolytes étaient le fruit de mon imagination et calquées sur scénario de film sur l'occupation Nazie de la France, moins les beréts et la Swastika des SS.
Comme si les soirées dans le noir n'étaient que des soirées romantiques à la bougie.
Comme si le crash financier n'était qu' un point de vue débattu par des economistes , les uns le considérant un problème passager , et les autres un pas en arrière pour mieux rebondir et conquérir Wall Street.
La fureur de vivre est un phénomène connu dans les pays tourmentés , sauf qu'elle explose habituellement après la victoire, pour compenser les jours perdus. Au Liban elle explose avant , durant et après. Cela aurait pu être une qualité , un pouvoir, or ce n'est qu'une tare, un défaut , car les Libanais semblent avoir troqué leur valeurs nationales et souveraines contre un bien-être momentané et si minuscule. Comme la cigale de la fable.
Si les autres ont gagné c'est parce que cette génération n'a rien compris. Le Liban n'est pas à genoux , il est simplement drogué et ne sent plus le mal sournois qui le ronge. Les tchadors vont bientôt couvrir vos robes mesdames et vos cravates remises aux tiroirs messieurs.
Que valeront 128 parlementaires souverains dans un pays occupé?
Vive le Martini tant que ça dure et à bas la résistance.
Don Quichotte Kassab

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on October 11-12/2021
Guterres denounces Taliban’s failure to honor commitments to women’s rights
NNA/October 11/2021
Today, Monday, United Nations SecretIG-General Antonio Guterres denounced the Taliban’s failure to honor its commitments to the rights of Afghan women, and called on the world to pump liquidity into the country to avoid its economic collapse. In an interview with the media, he said he was “particularly disturbed to see that the Taliban did not fulfill the promises they made to Afghan women and girls.”“I urge the Taliban to fulfill their promises to women and girls and to fulfill their obligations under internationalhuman rights and humanitarian law,” he added.

Taliban to meet European Union officials on Tuesday
NNA/October 11/2021
Islamist militant group Taliban will meet officials of the European Union (EU) on Tuesday (October 12), AFP reported citing the group's acting foreign minister.

Blinken to meet top diplomats from Israel, UAE
The Arab Weekly/October 11/2021
WASHINGTON--US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will meet next week top diplomats from Israel and the United Arab Emirates, the State Department said Saturday, to discuss “progress made” in the year since they agreed on normalisation. “Secretary of State Antony J Blinken will meet with Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid and the UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan on October 13 in separate bilateral meetings and then in a trilateral setting,” the State Department said in a statement. “They will discuss progress made since the signing of the Abraham Accords last year, future opportunities for collaboration and bilateral issues including regional security and stability.”Blinken had had virtual meetings in mid-September with Lapid and senior Emirati Foreign Policy Adviser Anwar Gargash, as well as top diplomats from Bahrain and Morocco. The meetings represented the full embrace by President Joe Biden of the so-called Abraham Accords, which his predecessor Donald Trump considered a key foreign policy legacy. “This administration will continue to build on the successful efforts of the last administration to keep normalisation marching forward,” Blinken said at the time. He added that normalisation has benefitted the people of the region and helps to address broader challenges including terrorism and climate change. Lapid, representing a new administration after the accord forged by a right-wing government, said he would pay a first visit to Bahrain later in October. He had already visited the other two Arab states. “This Abraham Accords club is open for new members,” Lapid said. The UAE, last year, became the first Arab state to normalise relations with Israel since Egypt and Jordan decades earlier, with Bahrain and Morocco following suit soon afterward.The UAE agreed to normalisation after Israel’s then-prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu backed away from the prospect, blessed by Trump, of annexing vast swathes of the West Bank.

Iraq Says It Has Arrested Top Leader in Islamic State Group
Associated Press/October 11/2021
Iraq said on Monday it has detained a top leader of the Islamic State group and a longtime al-Qaida operative in a cross-border operation. Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi tweeted the news, identifying the man as Sami Jassem, who oversees the Islamic State group's financial operations and served as the deputy leader of IS under the late Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. He described it as "one of the most difficult" cross border intelligence operations ever conducted by Iraqi forces. Iraqi intelligence officials told The Associated Press that Jassem was detained in an identified foreign country and transported to Iraq few days ago. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak of the operation on the record. Jassem worked with al-Qaida in Iraq leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, before he was killed by the Americans in Iraq in 2016. He assumed various security positions in Iraq, and moved to Syria in 2015, after the Islamic State group, an al-Qaida offshoot, declared its caliphate in 2014 and became the deputy of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the extremist group's leader. Al-Baghdadi was killed in a U.S.-led raid in northwestern Syria in 2019.

Saied appoints new cabinet dominated by fresh faces, more women
The Arab Weekly/October 11/2021
Female cabinet members will hold the portfolios of justice, finance, industry, trade, equipment and housing, environment and women affairs.
TUNIS--Tunisia named a new government on Monday, 11 weeks after President Kais Saied invoked article 80 of the constitution to assume emergency powers based on which he fired the prime minister and suspended parliament. Most members of the new cabinet are new faces. The formation includes, however, a number of holdovers especially Minister of Interior Taoufik Charfeddine, a close political ally of the president, who had been fired last year by former Premier Hichem Mechichi. Foreign Minister Othman Jerandi has also kept his portfolio. The cabinet, which is headed by Najla Bouden, Tunisia’s first woman prime minister, includes 24 ministers and one junior minister. Among the cabinet members, ten are women including the premier. Female cabinet members will hold the portfolios of justice, finance, industry, trade, equipment and housing, environment and women affairs.
Saied insisted, however, that “women are not a cosmetic veneer on the face of institutions.” Speaking at the cabinet member’s swearing-in ceremony, the president also said that one of his main challenges will be to “save the state from the claws of those who threaten it at home and abroad.”
He pledged to fight corruption and to “open all files without exception.”The Tunisian president added that he will maintain “exceptional measures” allowing him to rule by decree as long as the country faces an “imminent danger.”He also announced a “real national dialogue” with a clear timeline, that will be unlike previous dialogue sessions held in recent years. Although he stressed that the country “can accommodate all Tunisians,” he slammed those, he said, who have attempted in recent weeks to undermine relations with foreign nations, especially France and cast doubt about the country’s ability to host the Francophonie summit scheduled for next month. “I am confident we will move from frustration to hope,” Saied said at the ceremony. The appointment of a government has long been demanded by both domestic political players and foreign partners. The absence of a cabinet has also delayed efforts to seek a financial rescue package from the International Monetary Fund. Tunisia faces a rapidly looming crisis in public finances and the IMF has previously indicated it will negotiate only on the basis of government proposals for credible reforms. Bouden’s appointment prompted the biggest single-day gains for Tunisian bonds after Saied’s intervention, which had prompted a significant sell-off and added to the cost of insuring its debt. Bouden’s government will answer directly to the president and not to the parliament as her predecessors did since 2011. The 63-year premier said in a speech on Monday that “the fight against corruption will be the most important aim” of the new government.

Nobel Prize in economics awarded to David Card, Joshua Angrist and Guido Imbens
CNN/October 11/2021
David Card, Joshua Angrist and Guido Imbens have been awarded the 2021 Nobel Prize in economic sciences for contributions to labor economics and analysis of causal relationships, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced on Monday. American economists American economists Paul Milgrom and Robert Wilson were awarded last year's economics prize for their work on auction theory.

A strong America is the key to continuation of Abraham Accords'
Yoni Kempinski /Arutz Sheva/October 11/2021
Special interview with former Ambassador David Friedman at inauguration of the Friedman Center in Jerusalem. Former US Ambassador to Israel David M. Friedman believes that the key to continuing the breakthroughs of the Abraham Accords is to unite under the common principal of a strong Israel, a strong America and strong regional allies. Speaking to Arutz Sheva at the inauguration of the Friedman Center in Jerusalem, Friedman said: “We have all these people together with common values and common principles” of ensuring the strong relationship between Israel and the United States stays strong.
Friedman is hopeful for the future and for the role his new foundation will play in advancing peace between Israel and countries in the region. Remarking that “it’s wonderful to see some of my dearest friends, Mike Pompeo, Steven Mnuchin and Jared and Ivanka Kushner,” the former Trump-era ambassador said that he is hopeful the Biden White House will continue to move forward with the Abraham Accords. However, for the Accords to succeed you need a strong United States. “The key is that the United States is strong. That’s why our foundation talks about peace through strength. A strong America, a strong Israel standing with strong allies in the region will make the region a better place,” Friedman said. The ultimate goal for Friedman? “It’s not going to happen tomorrow or the next day… We end the Arab-Israeli Conflict for the next 100 years. I think it’s doable.”However, he noted that the Palestinian Arabs need to find leaders willing to make peace. “They have to find leaders who are willing to negotiate in good faith, who are willing to adopt internal laws of human rights, respect people, respect the Jewish people, respect Israel as a Jewish state. When those leaders emerge there will be opportunity. But we’re not there yet.”

Abraham Accords have 'changed the face of the world'
Yoni Kempinski /Arutz Sheva/October 11/2021
Arutz Sheva speaks with Attorney Mark Zell about the future of the Abraham Accords.
Speaking from the inauguration of former Israeli Ambassador David M. Friedman's new Friedman Center in Jerusalem, Attorney Mark Zell called the Abraham Accords one of the "many amazing achievements of the Trump administration.""I'm so delighted David has put this together in order to continue the momentum he created," Zell said in an interview with Arutz Sheva. He praised the center for the future impact it will have in furthering the Abraham Accords. "The essential thing about this center is the idea of the Abraham Accords. These agreements have changed the face of the Middle East. Frankly, they changed the face of the world," Zell said. "And if we continue to build on the institution of the Abraham Accords, we can achieve exciting things in our region for the benefit of all people, Arabs, Jews and others. While the Accords began during the Trump administration, Zell is not looking back to the past with nostalgia. "The future is here now. This is the future. This is not some kind of token from the past. This is about the time to come," he said. However, there is a fear in the air that while the Biden administration has stated its intention to continue with the Accords, it might instead make a u-turn. Zell pointed to the closed PA Jerusalem consulate that the Biden administration has been planning to get reopened. One of the "great achievements of the Trump administration" was moving the US embassy to Jerusalem and closing the Jerusalem consulate. "That it now is being overturned [with] the BIden administration pushing the Israeli government to make a u-turn on this," Zell said. "Our response is 'Hell no. That's not the way to go.' We can't let America reverse on that." Zell, the chairman of Republicans Overseas Israel, is also looking forward to the GOP taking back Congress in 2022, and if the Republicans win the White house in 2024, sees a role for former Ambassador Friedman. "David Friedman has a role to play in the future. And I'd be the first one to endorse that," Zell said.

UAE, Syria agree on plans to enhance economic cooperation
The Arab Weekly/October 11/2021
The United Arab Emirates’ Economy Ministry said on Sunday that the Gulf state and Syria had agreed on future plans to enhance economic cooperation and explore new sectors. The ministry wrote on Twitter that the value of non-oil trade between the two countries in the first half of 2021 was one billion dirhams ($272 million). In late 2018, the UAE re-opened its mission to Damascus in a bid to counter the influence of non-Arab actors like Iran, which along with Russia backs Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Turkey, which backs rebel forces.Last week, the UAE’s economy minister met his Syrian counterpart on the sidelines of the Dubai Expo 2020, where they looked at ways to expand their relationship, according to the state-run WAM news agency. Earlier this year, the UAE said sweeping US sanctions imposed on the war-torn country made it more challenging for Syria to return to the Arab League. Under Washington’s Ceasar Act passed last year, the United States has attempted to prevent any reconstruction efforts or trade deals from being made without first enacting human rights and political reforms. The sanctions target Syria’s president, his close circle of associates, family, senior security officials and troops, as well as the central bank and any institutions believed to have played a role in the violence during the war. While Assad may have won the military campaign against his opponents with the help of backers Russia and Iran, he faces a bigger challenge of governing while more than 80 percent of his people live in poverty.

Pompeo receives Peace through Strength award.
Arutz Sheva Staff /October 11/2021
Friedman Center for Peace through Strength inaugurated in Jerusalem.
The inaugural event of the Friedman Center for Peace through Strength took place at a gala dinner held on October 11, 2021, at the Museum of Tolerance Jerusalem. The dinner featured the world premiere of The Abraham Accords, a five-part documentary providing important insights into these historic agreements, co-produced by Ambassador Friedman and the TBN Network. The entire documentary will begin airing on the TBN Network in the late Fall. The launch event for the Friedman Center was co-sponsored and co-chaired by Larry A. Mizel and Sylvan Adams, two business leaders whose philanthropic efforts align with the Friedman Center’s mission of promoting peace, ending Israel’s international isolation and strengthening the relationships forged by the Abraham Accords. Mr. Mizel is the chairman of the Simon Wiesenthal Center and a founder of The Museum of Tolerance Jerusalem. Mr. Adams is well known for bringing large scale sports and cultural events to Israel to build bridges between Israel and other nations. The dinner was attended by business and thought leaders and government officials from the United States, Israel and the Arab world. Former Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo attended. The President of FIFA, Gianni Infantino also attended the event at the invitation of former Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and making his first trip to Israel as President of FIFA.
“The road to peace goes through Jerusalem," said Ambassador Friedman. “The key to the Abraham Accords was the trust between a small group of people. The Friedman center is committed to expanding that trust beyond a small group of people.”“With trust there are no limits. And with trust, we can and will change the world," he said, “With strength, the strength to stand with our allies and our principles. These are the ingredients for achieving peace.”
Ambassador Friedman presented former US Secretary of State Pompeo the Peace through Strength award, saying, “no secretary of state has projected America’s values to the world than Mike Pompeo”
Pompeo, after receiving the award, stated that “the Roman Emperor Hadrian spoke about peace through strength, President George W Bush spoke about peace through strength, Ronald Reagan spoke about peace through strength.”“The central thesis of our administration was to make sure that America was strong in every dimension," he said. "Peace is difficult to maintain if one is unwilling to acknowledge the truth," Pompeo added. "One needs to be unambiguous about who the good guys are – we know the problems that the Islamic republic of Iran was driving in the region.”“Clarity matters – peace follows from strength, truth and clarity. To deliver peace through strength requires not just military might and truth and clarity – but all the strength that sovereign nations are willing to muster,” Pompeo added.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino said: "Football (soccer) is the most important of the less important things in life. Especially now where we hopefully come out of a pandemic, we need to speak about positive things and enjoy and have fun."
"Football is much more than a sport. It is a passion, it is joy, it is tears too. It is enthusiasm and commitment. It means chance and opportunity, the chance to have a different life for so many, or to believe in something. This is why it has such a important role in our society.
"Football has the power to bring people together. Football unites countries, when their national team plays. In the Israel national team you have Jewish and Muslim players playing together - whatever belief you have - football brings people together, and brings children together," Infantino said. "It teaches resilience - when you lose, you get back up and you can only do this when you rely on your teammate."Philanthropist Sylvan Adams who sponsored the event, stated: "I remind everyone that a couple of years before the signing of the Abraham Accords, which I attended—thank you again David and Aryeh for including me—Israel hosted the Giro d’Italia bike race, an event seen by a billion television viewers around the world. Teams from Bahrain and the UAE—our Abraham Accord partners as it turned out—raced here on Israeli soil, a first.""Later, our Israeli Judoka (I also support our Israeli Judo team) won in Abu Dhabi. For the first time the Israeli flag was raised and Hatikva played in an Arab country. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house in our Israeli delegation," Adams said. "Finally, my Israel Start-up Nation bike team raced in the Tour of the UAE just six months before the signing of the Abraham Accords, where we raced with the name Israel emblazoned on our jerseys. Arab kids stood in line to collect our riders’ autographs and a souvenir water bottle with the name Israel on it. I said at the time—rather prophetically as it turned out—that we were building people to people bridges and creating friendships with our Emirati neighbours. When one day our leaders could find common ground for a political peace agreement, we would have set the conditions on the ground for a warm peace, which is exactly what has transpired. Little did I realize it would happen so soon.
"I think that all of these sporting events were confidence builders, showing the Arab leaders that their people didn’t actually object to relations with Israel. "A final brief warm story post Abraham Accords. With the tragic and catastrophic US pullout of Afghanistan, I was approached to help extract the members of the Afghan Women’s National Cycling team. Working with an amazing Israeli NGO called IsraAID and its brilliant and devoted CEO Yotam Polizer, we have managed so far to extract 165 souls from that sad country. And, hearing that Israelis were involved in this rescue mission, who were the first to volunteer to act as a transit country so we could bring out these Afghans to safety and freedom? Our peace neighbors, the Emiratis," Adams concluded.

Qatar Releases Afghan Soldier Who Killed 3 Australians
Associated Press/October 11/2021
An Afghan army deserter who murdered three Australian soldiers had been released from custody in Qatar and his whereabouts were not known, officials said on Monday. The soldier known as Hekmatullah fled after shooting dead the Australian soldiers and wounding two others on a base in 2012 and was sentenced to death in 2013. "The government's position has always been that Hekmatullah should serve a just and proportionate sentence, appropriate to his crimes, and not be granted early release or pardon," an Australian government statement said. Defense Force Chief Gen. Angus Campbell told a Senate committee the families of the soldiers were notified of Hetmarullah's release. Hugh Jeffrey, a Defense Department international policy expert, told the committee Australia discovered Hekmatullah had been released "from Qatar through highly sensitive intelligence." Jeffrey did not know the circumstances of the release. The Qatari government did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Hekmatullah had been transferred from Afghanistan to Qatar in September last year in a deal brokered by the United States ahead of peace talks between Afghanistan and the Taliban. The energy-rich Arabian nation has been the site of negotiations between the U.S. and the Taliban and has hosted an office for the group that now controls Afghanistan.

Libyan Rivals Ink Initial Deal on Pullout of Mercenaries
Associated Press/October 11/2021
Libya's rival sides reached an initial agreement on the withdrawal of foreign fighters and mercenaries from the North African nation, the United Nations said. It is a key step toward unifying the violence-wracked country. The dispute over mercenaries and foreign fighters has long been an obstacle, particularly ahead of Libya's landmark general elections due in December. Libya has been engulfed in chaos since a NATO-backed uprising toppled longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi in 2011. The oil-rich country was for years split between rival governments, one based in the capital of Tripoli and the other in the eastern part of the country. Each side is backed by different foreign powers and militia groups. The U.N. mission mediating between the rivals said a 10-member joint military commission, with five representatives from each side, signed a "gradual and balanced" withdrawal deal Friday, at the end of three days of talks facilitated by the U.N. in Geneva. The plan would be "the cornerstone for the gradual, balanced, and sequenced process of withdrawal" of the mercenaries and foreign forces, the mission said. Jan Kubis, the U.N. special envoy for Libya, welcomed the move as "another breakthrough achievement."Libya's split came into the forefront in 2019, when self-styled military commander Khalifa Haftar, allied with the east-based administration, launched an offensive to take Tripoli from armed militias loosely allied with the U.N.-supported but weak government in the country's capital. Haftar was backed by Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Russia and France. But, his 14-month campaign and march on Tripoli ultimately failed in June 2020, after Turkey sent troops to help the U.N.-supported administration, which also had the backing of Qatar and Italy. After the fighting largely stalemated, subsequent U.N.-sponsored peace talks brought about a cease-fire last October and installed an interim government that is expected to lead the country into the December elections. The cease-fire deal also included the departure of foreign forces and mercenaries within three months — something that was never implemented.
Friday's deal "creates a positive momentum that should be built upon to move forward towards a stable and democratic stage, including through the holding of free, credible and transparent national elections on 24 December, with results accepted by all," Kubis said.
The sides said they would now go back discuss this with their base and concerned international parties "to support the implementation of this plan and the respect of Libya's sovereignty." The deal also called for the deployment of U.N. observers to monitor the cease-fire before the implementation of the withdrawal plan. In December, then U.N. acting envoy for Libya Stephanie Williams estimated that there have been at least 20,000 foreign fighters and mercenaries in Libya over the past few years, including Russians, Syrians, Sudanese, and Chadians. Though the agreement on mercenaries is seen as a step forward, earlier this month, Libyan lawmakers in the east dealt a setback to the peace process by voting to reschedule the parliamentary elections for January, a month later. It wasn't immediately clear how the lawmakers' move would translate into a postponement of the vote.

Merkel: Israel Can't 'Lose Sight' of Deal with Palestinians
Associated Press/October 11/2021
German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday implored Israel not to "lose sight" of the need to establish a Palestinian state, as she wrapped up a two-day farewell visit. Merkel's support for a two-state solution has been one of the key disagreements with Israel's leadership during her 16 years in office, which were characterized by unwavering support for Israel. Speaking at an Israeli think tank, Merkel welcomed the historic diplomatic agreements reached last year between Israel and four Arab countries -- led by the United Arab Emirates. But she said the deals, known as the Abraham Accords, did not erase the need for Israel to reach a peace agreement with the Palestinians. "We must not lose sight of the right of the Palestinians to have a chance to live," she said. "Therefore one should under no circumstances, even as it becomes more and more difficult because of the settlements, lose sight of the issue of a two-state solution," Merkel told a panel at the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv. Backers of the Abraham Accords, which were brokered by the Trump Administration, have praised them as breaking the long-standing belief that Israel could not forge ties with the Arab world before reaching an agreement with the Palestinians. Israel's new prime minister, Naftali Bennett, a hard-liner who opposes a Palestinian state on Israeli-occupied lands, has ruled out peace talks with the Palestinians. Instead, he has advocated what he says is a more pragmatic approach of improving living conditions for the Palestinians as a way of lowering tensions. His government, a patchwork of dovish, nationalist and Arab parties that took office in June, so far has not announced any major changes in policy. Merkel welcomed Bennett's intentions but said such an approach would not be enough. "I think that such a long-running issue (the conflict with the Palestinians) will not disappear from the agenda, even if there are improved relations with neighboring Arab states," she said. Throughout Merkel's visit, she was welcomed as a "true friend" of Israel. Her agenda included meetings with Israeli leaders and a stop at Israel's national Holocaust memorial, Yad Vashem.
She repeatedly professed Germany's commitment to Israel's security and said she was confident that her country's next government — to be determined in lengthy coalition talks following an inconclusive election last month — would take a similar stance.
A key issue on the agenda was Iran's nuclear program. Germany was one of the world powers that negotiated the 2015 international nuclear deal with Iran. The deal fell apart after then-President Donald Trump, with Israel's support, withdrew in 2018. The Biden administration has been trying to revive that deal over Israeli objections.
Israel considers Iran its greatest enemy, citing the country's military presence in neighboring Syria and its support for hostile militant groups across the region. It accuses Iran of trying to develop nuclear weapons — a charge Iran denies — and believes that international deal did not contain sufficient safeguards. In the meantime, Iran has marched forward with its nuclear activities, such as increased uranium enrichment - a step that can move it closer to building a bomb. Merkel said that disagreements among the world powers that negotiated the original deal have weakened their position and allowed Iran to buy time and expand its military activities across the region. "Iran knows this, and therefore we face a very serious situation," she said. She acknowledged that she does not have a solution, but called on key players, including Russia and China, to take a stronger public stance against Iran. "The more countries make it clear that they don't accept the ambitions and aggression of Iran, the better for the region," she said. Israel was formed in the wake of the Holocaust in 1948 and the two countries only established diplomatic ties in 1965. But over the decades, those ties have warmed and Germany is one of Israel's closest and most important international allies and trade partners. Merkel was scheduled to visit in August, but the trip was postponed after the crisis in Afghanistan in which the Taliban seized power. She then delayed the visit until after last month's German election. She now remains in office in a caretaker capacity until a new government is formed, a process that could take weeks or even months.

Algerian President Demands 'Total Respect' from France
Agence France Presse/October 11/2021
Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has demanded France's "total respect," following a row over visas and critical comments from Paris about the North African country. Last weekend, Algeria recalled its ambassador from Paris and banned French military planes from its airspace, which France regularly uses to reach its forces battling jihadists in the Sahel region to the south. The moves came after a bitter row over visas, followed by media reports that French President Emmanuel Macron had told descendants of Algeria's 1954-1962 war of independence that Algeria was ruled by a "political-military system" that had "totally re-written" its history. The office of Algeria's president responded by saying the comments, which have not been denied, were an "interference" in the country's internal affairs. On Sunday, Tebboune spoke publicly for the first time about the row, telling local media outlets the return of the Algerian ambassador to France was "conditional on total respect for the Algerian state." "We forget that it (Algeria) was once a French colony... History should not be falsified," he added. "We can't act like nothing happened." Macron's remarks last week to French daily Le Monde were widely picked up by Algerian media, which slammed them as "vitriolic."The French president reportedly criticized what he called the "official history" which Algeria had written for itself, saying it was "not based on truths."He was quoted as pondering: "Was there an Algerian nation before French colonization? That's the question."
And he also described Tebboune as being "trapped in a system which is very tough."Relations between the two countries have often been strained but never have they hit the lows of recent days.
- Visa row -
At the end of September, France said it would sharply reduce the number of visas it grants to citizens of Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia, accusing the former French colonies of not doing enough to allow illegal immigrants to return. When a French court denies a person's visa request, authorities must still secure a special travel pass from his or her home country to forcibly expel them. French media had previously reported that courts had rejected 7,731 Algerian visa requests in the first six months of this year, but travel passes had not been granted. On Sunday, Tebboune accused the French government of "a big lie" around those numbers, insisting France had only notified them of 94 cases. The Le Monde article quoted Macron as saying the visa move would have no impact on students or business figures and was aimed at "annoying people in leadership". But Tebboune suggested that the decision had more to do with internal French politics. "I'm not going to hold forth in a newspaper about populism and the election campaign," Tebboune said. "But there were never 7,000 (illegal Algerian immigrants). That's completely false."Immigration is shaping up to be a key issue in next year's French presidential election, when Macron is widely expected to again face off against the far-right leader Marine Le Pen.
- 'Never-ending memory war' -
Macron has gone further than previous French presidents in seeking to face up to France's colonial history. He has described the colonization of Algeria as a "crime against humanity", and asked for forgiveness from the families of Algerians who fought alongside the French. And last year, Macron tasked French historian Benjamin Stora to assess how France has dealt with its colonial legacy in Algeria. In his report, Stora said France and Algiers were locked in a "never-ending memory war" and competing claims of victimization. Algiers rejected report, saying it was "not objective" and failed to prove an "official recognition by France of war crimes and crimes against humanity, perpetrated during the 130 years of the occupation of Algeria."

 3 Egyptian health ministry employees arrested over dumped COVID-19 vaccines
NNA/October 11/2021
Three Egyptian health ministry employees have been arrested after hundreds of thousands of dollars-worth of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccines were found dumped in a water drain. The Egyptian Public Prosecution ordered the detention a pharmacist, storekeeper, and driver following the discovery of the discarded drugs by a canal in Minya, Upper Egypt, south of the capital Cairo. Authorities were alerted on Thursday by residents in Ibshaq village who found large quantities of bags containing COVID-19 vaccines still wrapped in their packages and officials launched an investigation when Egyptian Minister of Health Hala Zayed reported that a health department employee in Minya’s Bani Mazar Center had uncovered packages which it later turned out had been intended for use by the governorate’s health directorate. Further inquiries revealed that 18,400 packages, worth 5.24 million Egyptian pounds ($333,000), had gone missing from store inventories. Investigators reported that 13,400 doses of the dumped vaccine were no longer suitable for use. The three arrested employees have reportedly denied charges of embezzlement and loss of public money, claiming the vaccines had been stolen from them, but the Egyptian Public Prosecution said the Ministry of Health had not received any notification of the theft. All three have been held for questioning for a further 15 days to allow time for investigators to examine mobile phone conversations and vehicle tracking data from the car allegedly used to transport the vaccines to the dumping site.—AN

The Latest The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on October 10-11/2021
Why Russia is treading on tricky terrain in the Middle East
Raghida Dergham/The National/October 11/2021
Moscow is having to manage its relations with both Israel and Iran, which could prove consequential for the region.
ussia seems to be walking a diplomatic tightrope, as it attempts to reconcile its relations with two countries that are adversarial towards each other: Israel and Iran.
Moscow and Tehran are reportedly drawing a roadmap to conclude their “strategic co-operation” agreement. In reality, the existing relationship already goes beyond co-operation and is closer to being a strategic alliance – particularly in Syria, where Russia is allied to the Assad regime and needs support from Iran and Tehran’s Lebanese proxy, Hezbollah, to maintain its interests there.
Syria remains a strategic priority for the Kremlin, which is intent upon declaring the decade-long civil war there over next year. It is focused on “liberating” territories separately controlled by Turkish-sponsored and the US-backed rebels. Moscow also wants the Biden administration to recognise the Assad regime’s legitimacy. For, the regime’s survival is key for Russia to maintain its forces in Syrian bases – even if that means accepting the strong relations between the regime and Tehran as a reality.
This is where Israel, Syria's neighbour to its south-west, comes in.
Until recently, there seemed a “balance of silence” in Syria, with Moscow, Tehran and Damascus seemingly ignoring some of Israel’s military activities inside the country, in return for Israel looking the other way when it comes to Iranian and Hezbollah operations there. Meanwhile, Iran and Hezbollah have maintained silence over Russia’s consent to the Israeli occupation of the Golan Heights.
Increasingly closer ties between Russia and Israel seem to have disrupted this silence, with the Iranian leadership far from impressed with this development. Tehran, after all, has always claimed to lead the so-called resistance against Israeli advances, including by mobilising loyalist armies led by Hezbollah, across the Arab world.
During his visit to Moscow, Iranian Finance Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian warned that the region would not tolerate any more escalation and provocation, purportedly from Israel. He said Tehran would not accept any geopolitical shifts or “Zionist” presence across it. He was citing the Southern Caucasus, where tensions are increasing between Iran and Azerbaijan, a country whose government has Turkish and Israeli backing.
Mr Amirabdollahian is said to have made clear Tehran’s opposition to Moscow’s commitment vis-a-vis Israeli security. This, in turn, seems to have stirred anxiety in Israel – thereby putting Russian diplomacy in a bind. While Moscow will appear to allay Iranian concerns by taking a step back in its overtures towards Israel, ties remain sound between Russia and Israel. This will almost certainly mean continued Russian commitment towards preventing Iran and Hezbollah from activating their resistance front out of the Golan Heights. The escalation of tensions between Iran and Israel could, nonetheless, undermine Russian efforts to develop the existing de-escalation arrangements between the countries.
In any case, the Iranian regime will have viewed Mr Amirabdollahian's Moscow visit as a win for Tehran.
Russia, meanwhile, is also a key player in the American-led bid to revive the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and the global powers. Shortly before Mr Amirabdollahian's visit to Moscow, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken had spoken to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. During their conversation, Mr Blinken had reiterated the Biden administration’s desire to resume the Vienna talks – but only as long as Tehran were to set no preconditions. America’s top diplomat had also warned that the situation now is different from the Obama era – when the deal had been signed. In other words, there would be a need to impose new boundaries on Iran’s nuclear programme.
This development is likely to hinder future negotiations, as would Iran’s demand that western banks unlock $10 billion worth of funds as a precondition for resuming the talks.
Russia has proposed a joint US-Russia-Iran framework to resolve such outstanding issues. However, tensions have recently escalated between Nato and Russia, as have a diplomatic crisis between Washington and Moscow.
Pressure is mounting on US President Joe Biden, who appears increasingly weak as he comes under European pressure to submit to Iranian demands. This climate is thwarting attempts to resume the Vienna talks. The finalisation of a deal with Iran – which Russia and the Europeans seem to want on Iran’s terms and on which the Biden administration faces both domestic and Israeli objections – could, therefore, either be provisional or prove fateful.
The tug-of-war in Syria has become enmeshed with the nuclear talks, with Moscow seeking to appease Tehran. But Iran’s flexing of muscles with both the US and Russia could slow down the train of regional accords. Only the regime knows whether it is really serious about pushing back against a power of Russia’s heft, or is simply making noise to get a better deal – both regarding its nuclear programme and its regional ambitions.
Perhaps, despite their overconfident demeanour in public, Iran’s leaders, too, are walking a diplomatic tightrope.

Why Israeli gas and Syrian sanctions relief may turn on Lebanon’s lights
Matthew Zais/MENA/October 11/2021
Perhaps Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah will soon turn his lights on thanks to Israel’s natural gas, which is produced by an American oil and gas company. How could this be? With an endorsement from the United States and financing from the World Bank, leaders from Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan are looking to provide Lebanon with Egyptian natural gas and Jordanian electricity.
However, any natural gas from Egypt is mixed with Israeli gas before it reaches Jordan, making it impossible to separate the molecules, while much of Jordan’s electricity is also generated from Israeli gas. What a bitter pill this must be for Hezbollah and its leader to swallow. It is unclear whether US officials, or Nasrallah himself, recognize or are looking to disguise the role Israel’s natural gas may play in rescuing Lebanon from its largely self-imposed economic collapse.
To make this energy deal a reality, the US may grant a waiver for the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act of 2019, which places heavy sanctions on the Bashar al-Assad regime, because any gas and electricity from Egypt and Jordan—and Israel—will have to traverse Syria. The Joe Biden administration may create a loophole that these energy transfers are not “significant” and, rather than provide a waiver, choose to ignore the sanctions. Beyond the Caesar Act, the Biden administration will also have to ignore its new rules that prohibit supporting multinational banks, including the World Bank, from financing fossil fuel projects.
The question then becomes why the US would provide Assad with gas transfers to support Lebanon’s newly formed government backed by Hezbollah—a designated terrorist group by the US and European Union? Before the US and World Bank throw a lifeline to either Assad or Lebanon, they should demand concessions that reduce Iranian and Russian influence in the region. Concessions should include decreased Iranian presence in Syria, a rollback of Hezbollah influence and economic reforms in Lebanon, and the allowance of in-kind gas subsidies rather than cash transfers to Assad. Ideally, the US avoids another regional mistake where the US again forfeits more regional influence and reputation rather than demanding concessions that align with US interests.
Lebanon’s energy crisis
Lebanon’s acute energy crisis is a glaring symptom of its collapse and the growing influence of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’(IRGC) offspring, Hezbollah, within its political and military institutions. Nasrallah has become increasingly eager to deflect the blame from Hezbollah for Lebanon’s economic demise and, in August, promised to obtain Iranian fuel that would rescue Lebanon’s imploding energy grid. As Hezbollah was unable to receive these shipments, Nasrallah blamed the US and, by extension, Israel. But, in mid-September, Iranian fuel supplies arrived via Syria, which further proved Hezbollah’s strength and the failure of the Lebanese state.
Connecting Lebanon with Egyptian and Jordanian energy isn’t a new concept. However, the Donald Trump administration discounted the notion because it would materially benefit the Assad regime in Syria and prop up Lebanon’s Hezbollah-backed government without reforms. In fact, Lebanon was poised to invest in an offshore natural gas terminal, known as a Floating Storage and Regasification Unit (FSRU), through a consortium between Qatar Petroleum, Italian energy company ENI, and an American subsidiary. However, the tendering process was taken hostage by Lebanon’s political parties and, instead of one FSRU, as former Prime Minister Saad Hariri noted, Lebanon adopted three FSRUs: “one for the Shia, one for the Sunnis, and one for the Christians.”
However, no matter how one unravels this arrangement, Israeli gas is at the center of this proposed solution.
In August, US Ambassador to Lebanon Dorothy Shea expressed US support for the deal, without mentioning how it supports US national security interests. Yet, the outline for US rationale has slowly emerged. Jordan’s King Abdullah reportedly raised the issue with President Biden during their meeting on July 19 with the argument that, with Russian support, engagement with Syria to connect Jordanian and Egyptian energy supplies will somehow diminish Iran’s influence with Assad and in the region. On September 9, the energy ministers from Egypt, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon met to finalize this roadmap, which would begin with Egyptian gas and then be followed by Jordanian electricity.
Much of Syria’s pipeline that connects with Lebanon requires significant repairs and runs through the rebel-controlled southern area of Daraa province. On September 8, in a deal negotiated by Russia and likely with US support, Syrian forces moved into Daraa to reclaim government control—another puzzling step where the US has effectuated Assad’s reclamation of his dictatorial and genocidal control over the country. And it remains unclear what concessions the US obtained, other than another expectation for a change in Assad and Iran’s behavior.
In essence, the US has rationalized that Lebanon lies on the road to normalization with Syria and, somehow, Beirut and Damascus will become less aligned with Tehran through energy subsidies. It’s a concept as difficult to conceive as it is to write. Ambassador Jeffrey pleaded on September 9 that America’s waning reputation and inability to exact concessions from US adversaries, which was severely damaged by the US’s failed negotiations with the Taliban, may implore the Biden administration to do something to support Jordan’s plan. However, the US, up until now, has not communicated what conditions it would demand for its support for this policy approach and what measures would be demanded and taken to ensure this outcome.
Demanding concessions
While it is clear that King Abdullah looks to solve Jordan’s Syrian refugee burden, doing so shouldn’t come at the expense of overlooking Assad’s actions that created the crisis or US sanctions aimed at holding the Syrian dictator accountable. Therefore, the US should demand concessions from Assad before waiving sanctions on his regime. This should include clear and verifiable reduction in Iranian and IRGC presence in Syria and begin with them halting ground and air shipments of munitions through Iraq and Syria that ultimately supply Hezbollah and Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The US should also prevent any cash remuneration for the Assad regime. Any fees paid to Syria for gas shipments to Lebanon should only be made in-kind, with natural gas supplies so Assad cannot materially profit from the arrangement at the further cost of Syrians.
For Lebanese concessions, surely US conditions for economic reform should mirror and support those also pushed by the International Monetary Fund. Lebanon’s new Prime Minister, Najib Makati, has pledged reform like his predecessors. However, his cabinet is packed with hand-picked members from the ruling parties responsible for Lebanon’s corruption and dysfunction. It would seem prudent and necessary for the US to require some form of untangling of Hezbollah’s grip on Lebanon’s political and economic institutions in exchange for US support.
Hezbollah’s growing influence with the Lebanese Armed Forces created an annual debate within the Trump administration and Department of Defense on whether additional US security could be justified. The status quo of the Pentagon’s security assistance, with the hope of a different outcome, routinely won the bureaucratic debate, despite the evidence that Hezbollah and, thus, Iran’s influence only increased.
In the wake of the Taliban’s takeover in Kabul, one should hope such justifications for support in Lebanon become more challenging in the future. It will also be fascinating to see how Israel calculates its role in this arrangement, to include its own natural gas sourced molecules and electrons, which are bound for Nasrallah’s bedroom. But together, the US and Israel, with the support of significant Congressional scrutiny, should determine whether another lifeline to Lebanon and Assad further erodes US influence in the Middle East.
*Matthew Zais is a nonresident senior fellow with the Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative and the vice president of government affairs for Hillwood and HKN Energy Ltd. Most recently he served as the principal deputy assistant secretary of international affairs at the US Department of Energy. Follow him on Twitter: @matthewzais.

Arabs ease Assad’s isolation as US looks elsewhere
The Arab Weekly/October 11/2021
BEIRUT--While Bashar al-Assad is still shunned by the West who blame him for a decade of brutal war in Syria, a shift is under way in the Middle East where Arab allies of the United States are bringing him in from the cold by reviving economic and diplomatic ties.
The extension of Assad’s two-decade-old presidency in an election in May did little to break his pariah status among Western states, but fellow Arab leaders are coming to terms with the fact that he retains a solid grip on power. The chaotic US withdrawal from Afghanistan has firmed up a belief among Arab leaders that they need to chart their own course. Anticipating a more hands-off approach from Washington, now preoccupied by the challenge of China, Arab leaders are driven by their own priorities, notably how to rehabilitate economies hammered by years of conflict and COVID-19.Political considerations also loom large in Arab capitals such as Cairo, Amman and Abu Dhabi. These include their ties with Assad’s most powerful backer, Russia, which has been pressing for Syria’s reintegration and how to counter the influence carved out in Syria by Iran and Turkey.
Turkey and its support for Sunni Islamists across the region, including a swathe of northern Syria that remains outside Assad’s grasp, is of particular concern to Arab rulers who can make common cause with Damascus against Islamist groups.
But while the signs of Arab rapprochement with Damascus are growing, King Abdullah of Jordan spoke to Assad for the first time in a decade this month, US policy will remain a complicating factor.
Washington says there has been no change in its policy towards Syria, which demands a political transition as set out in a Security Council resolution. US sanctions targeting Damascus, tightened under President Donald Trump, still pose a serious obstacle to commerce.
But in Washington, analysts say Syria has hardly been a foreign policy priority for President Joe Biden’s administration. They note his focus on countering China and that his administration has yet to apply sanctions under the so-called Caesar Act, which came into force last year with the intent of adding to the pressure on Assad.
After being warned against dealing with Damascus by the Trump administration, Arab states are pressing the issue again. “US allies in the Arab world have been encouraging Washington to lift the siege on Damascus and allow for its reintegration into the Arab fold,” said David Lesch, a Syria expert at Trinity University in Texas. “It appears the Biden administration, to some degree, is listening.”It marks a shift from the early years of the conflict when Syria was expelled from the Arab League and states including Saudi Arabia, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates backed some of the rebels that fought Assad.
“Tremendous buzz”
The decade-long conflict, which spiralled out of a popular uprising against Assad during the “Arab Spring”, has killed hundreds of thousands of people, uprooted half the population and forced millions into adjacent states and Europe as refugees. Anti-Assad rebels still have a foothold in the north, with support from Turkey, while the east and northeast is controlled by Kurdish-led forces backed by the United States. But while the conflict is unresolved, Assad is back in control of most of Syria thanks largely to Russia and Iran, which were always more committed to his survival than Washington was to his removal, even when chemical weapons were fired on rebel areas. Jordan, Syria’s neighbour to the south, has been leading the pack on the Arab policy shift with an ailing economy and a rocky patch in relations with its wealthy Gulf neighbour Saudi Arabia.
The border between Syria and Jordan was fully reopened for trade last month and Amman has been a driving force behind a deal to pipe Egyptian natural gas to Lebanon via Syria, with an apparent US nod of approval.
“When Jordan breaks these barriers and establishes ties and it’s at this pace, there will be countries that will follow suit,”‌ Samih al-Maaytah, a former Jordanian minister and political analyst, told Al Mamlaka, a state-owned broadcaster.
The crossing was once plied by hundreds of trucks a day moving goods between Europe, Turkey and the Gulf. Reviving trade will be a shot in the arm for Jordan and Syria, whose economy is in deep crisis. It should also help Lebanon, now suffering one of the sharpest economic depressions in modern history. “I’m absolutely sure the Jordanians feel that the US will not sanction them,” Jim Jeffrey, former US Special Envoy for Syria under Trump, told Reuters. “There’s a tremendous buzz among media, among friends in the region, that the US is no longer aggressively sanctioning Assad under the Caesar Act or other things.”The mood was reflected at last month’s UN General Assembly, where Egyptian and Syrian foreign ministers met for the first time in a decade, and at the Expo 2020 Dubai exhibition, where the Syrian and Emirati economy ministers discussed the revival of a bilateral business council.
Saudi stance evolving
The UAE had invited Syria to Expo 2020 despite attempts to “demonise the regime”, said Syria’s ambassador to the UAE, Ghassan Abbas, speaking to Reuters at the Syria pavilion where the theme was “We Will Rise Together”.
“Is there a new approach in dealing with Syria? Yes.”Aaron Stein, Director of Research at Foreign Policy Research Institute, said the Biden administration “isn’t interested in expending diplomatic capital to prevent regional governments from doing what they think is best vis-à-vis the regime”.US policy in Syria is now focused on fighting Islamic State militants and humanitarian aid, he said. A US State Department spokesperson said: “What we have not done and will not do is express any support for efforts to normalise or rehabilitate the brutal dictator Bashar al-Assad, lift a single sanction on Syria or change our position to oppose the reconstruction of Syria until there is irreversible progress towards a political solution.”While many US allies in the region pursue fresh ties with Damascus, regional heavyweight Saudi Arabia still appears hesitant.
“The big effort is to get Saudi Arabia and Syria into some kind of reconciliation and I think Saudi is coming around, they are just waiting for the US,” said Joshua Landis, Syria specialist at the University of Oklahoma.