English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For October 14/2020
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news

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Bible Quotations For today
The Fruitless Fig Tree Parable
Luke 13/06-09: “Then Jesus told this parable: ‘A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and found none. So he said to the gardener, “See here! For three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and still I find none. Cut it down! Why should it be wasting the soil?” He replied, “Sir, let it alone for one more year, until I dig round it and put manure on it. If it bears fruit next year, well and

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on October 13-14/2021
Vive la résistance/Jean-Marie Kassab/Octobre 14/2021
Cabinet Session Postponed for More Consultations on Bitar's Fate
Hizbullah Accuses U.S. of Meddling in Beirut Port Probe
Report: Hizbullah, Allies Threaten to Quit Govt. if Bitar Not Recused
Geagea Urges Peaceful General Strike if 'Other Camp Imposes Will by Force'
Lebanon political crisis brews over fate of blast judge
Tensions over Beirut blast pose serious test for Lebanon’s new government
Abu Faour: Saliba Might Expose Correspondences with President about Nitrate Danger
Khalil Says Bitar 'Met Foreign Delegation', Threatens Major 'Escalation'
Lebanese Pound Back in Freefall after Brief Recovery
Two missing after Lebanese training plane crashes into the Med/Najia Houssari/October 14, 2021
Plane Carrying 2 People Crashes into Sea Off Halat
EU Urges No Political Interference in Beirut Port Probe
Lebanese diaspora vote will not be enough to force change on a corrupt establishment/Makram Rabah/Al Arabiya/October 13/2021
Under pressure/Ronnie Chatah/Now Lebanon/October 13/2021
Lebanese Singer Elissa Takes A Jab At Hizbullah: People Blindly Follow Political Parties Who Give Them Fuel, Food Stamps; I Don't Want To Stop Wearing Low-Cut Dresses Just Because Some Political Party Rules Us; Freedom Of Speech Is Sacred/MEMRI/October 13/ 2021
Lebanese Journalist: Hizbullah Continues To Turn Lebanon Into A 'Narco State,' Now Using West Africa As A Transit Hub For Its Illegal Drug Trade/MEMRI/October 13/ 2021
Lebanese Journalist: The Vacuum Left By The U.S. Withdrawal From The Region Strengthens Non-Democratic Players, Undermines Hope Of Establishing Democracy In Middle East/MEMRI/October 13/2021

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on October 13-14/2021
US, Israel say they are exploring a ‘Plan B’ for Iran
Why Iran could still come out on top in Iraq’s parliamentary elections
US warns of ‘other options’ if diplomacy fails on Iran nuclear program
Israel's New PM to Meet with Putin in Sochi, Russia
Israel, UAE top diplomats join three-way talks in Washington
UAE, Syria agree on plans to enhance economic cooperation
Turkey detains eight people, thwarting attempt to kidnap former Iranian soldier
Putin says battle-hardened militants from Iraq and Syria entering Afghanistan
US demands end to Houthi militia siege in Marib
Ransomed and Beaten: Migrants Face Abuse in Libyan Detention

Titles For The Latest The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on October 13-14/2021
Why Palestinians Prefer To Work In Israel/Khaled Abu Toameh/Gatestone Institute/October 13/2021
Refugees becoming a tool to settle geopolitical scores/Mohamed Chebaro/Arab News/October 13, 2021
France’s relationship with former Maghrebi colonies hits rock bottom/Peter Allen/Arab News/October 13, 2021

The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on October 13-14/2021
Vive la résistance
Jean-Marie Kassab/Octobre 14/2021
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/103348/%d8%ac%d8%a7%d9%86-%d9%85%d8%a7%d8%b1%d9%8a-%d9%83%d8%b3%d9%91%d8%a7%d8%a8-%d8%aa%d8%ad%d9%8a%d8%a7-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%85%d9%82%d8%a7%d9%88%d9%85%d8%a9-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%aa%d8%ad%d9%82%d9%8a%d9%82/
Il ne s'agit pas de Bitar, il s'agit d'une nation , d'un avenir, d'une lutte contre l'occupation, de liberté et de justice.
Il ne s'agit pas de Bitar, il s'agit de ce que Bitar a su et découvert.
Je sens que l'enquête est quasi terminée : ils se sont auto-accusés.
Demain et les jours qui viennent ils vont plaider coupables en envah
issant les rues. Leurs visages haineux rempliront les écrans. Les masques sont tombés.
Un affrontement avec les souverainistes et les parents des victimes du 4 Aout pourrait avoir lieu. Le clash est possible. Les esprits sont chauffés.
Reflechissez vos gestes Libanais et Libanaises de bonne foi. Soyez fermes et ne cédez pas. Tenez bon. Soyez courageux et non téméraires. Soutenez vous les uns les autres.
Le parcours sera long et compliqué. Profitez des leçons apprises. Du sang pourrait couler. Rien de plus dangereux qu'une bête traquée. Tenez en compte sans pour autant vous laisser faire. Fermes quand il le faut , repliez vous le cas échéant.
Ainsi est faite la résistance , de malice et de courage. De détermination et de souplesse.
Vive la résistance
Jean-Marie Kassab

Cabinet Session Postponed for More Consultations on Bitar's Fate
Naharnet/October 13/2021
A Cabinet session scheduled for Wednesday was postponed following consultations and an agreement between President Michel Aoun and Prime Minister Najib Miqati, the Presidency said, as efforts continued to resolve a political standoff over the work of Beirut port blast investigator Judge Tarek Bitar. LBCI television said the session was postponed in order to reach “an agreement on a legal formula regarding the investigative judge.”Al-Jadeed TV said the session was postponed after “the failure to reach an exit for the Cabinet rift between the Shiite duo, Marada and the President,” noting that “contacts were kept ongoing in order to reach an understanding.” Sources close to Aoun and Miqati meanwhile told al-Jadeed that “a solution paper is being devised.” The TV network added that Miqati is “working on resolving the dispute between the Shiite duo and the President.”“The Justice Minister has worked on a formula that takes into consideration all the reservations over the judicial investigation through the judicial authority and not through the executive authority,” al-Jadeed said. The TV network also noted that Aoun had left Tuesday’s session angry, saying that “no party can threaten to resort to street action.” That session was adjourned by Aoun to Wednesday after the eruption of a heated debate.

Hizbullah Accuses U.S. of Meddling in Beirut Port Probe
Associated Press/October 13/2021
Hizbullah accused the U.S. on Wednesday of interfering in Lebanon's investigation into last year's massive explosion at the Beirut port, with the aim of implicating the militant group and its allies. Hizbullah lawmaker Hassan Fadallah's response to criticism from a State Department spokesperson comes amid a developing crisis engulfing the domestic probe. The investigation was temporarily suspended Tuesday amid legal challenges from defendants against lead investigator Judge Tarek Bitar. The U.S. official's comments are a "new violation of Lebanon's sovereignty" that expose "the extent of interference aimed at controlling and steering the investigation," Fadallah said. Hizbullah's comments are the first to directly accuse Washington of interfering and dictating how the port probe should go. They signal an escalation of a campaign against the 46-year-old judge that rights groups say is aimed at discrediting the investigation. Bitar is the second judge to lead the probe into what caused thousands of tons of ammonium nitrate stored in the Port of Beirut for years to explode. He has come under heavy criticism from politicians in Lebanon for what they say is a politicized and biased line of investigation. The leader of Hizbullah, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, asked that Bitar be replaced.
State Department spokesperson Ned Price late Tuesday criticized Nasrallah's comments and said Washington supports Lebanon's judicial independence. "Judges must be free from threats and intimidation, including (Hizbullah's)," Price said. "We've long been clear that Hizbullah's terrorism and illicit activities threaten Lebanon's security, stability and sovereignty." Price accused Hizbullah of being "more concerned with its own interests and those of its patron, Iran, than in the best interests of the Lebanese people." Fadallah accused Washington of imposing "dictates that aim to obstruct justice and cover up the truth" against segments of the population that the U.S. considers as enemies. Bitar has issued two arrest warrants against former government officials, a rare move against Lebanon's entrenched political elites, where impunity has prevailed for decades. The former officials remain at large. Hizbullah and other political groups have accused Bitar of going after some senior former government officials, most of them allied with Hizbullah, and not others. None of Hizbullah's officials have so far been charged in the 14-month-old investigation. Hizbullah's call to remove Bitar has caused a crisis within Lebanon's newly formed government. Allies of Hizbullah in the Cabinet have asked for urgent government action against the judge — a call perceived by most as interference in judicial affairs. A government minister threatened that street protests or walkouts by Cabinet members could take place if there was no action to replace Bitar. A Cabinet meeting was expected later Wednesday. Lebanon was without a fully functioning government for over a year amid political haggling over its composition. The new government just took office last month as Lebanon sinks deeper into an unparalleled economic and energy crisis.

Report: Hizbullah, Allies Threaten to Quit Govt. if Bitar Not Recused
Naharnet/October 13/2021
Beirut port blast investigator Judge Tarek Bitar must be replaced or else Hizbullah, the Amal Movement and the Marada Movement will “suspend their participation in the government,” Hizbullah and Amal sources have reportedly warned. “Judge Bitar was appointed through a decree and he can also be recused through a decree, although the ideal solution is to resolve the matter in the Higher Judicial Council,” the sources told al-Jadeed TV on Wednesday. The sources also alleged that Bitar is “inclined to accuse Hizbullah of the port bombing crime,” stressing that “the party cannot bear the consequences of a crime that it did not commit.”

Geagea Urges Peaceful General Strike if 'Other Camp Imposes Will by Force'
Naharnet/October 13/2021
Lebanese Forces party chief Samir Geagea asked Wednesday the government, President Michel Aoun and Prime Minister Najib Miqati not to "bow to Hizbullah's intimidation" concerning the dismissal of lead investigator into the port blast case, Judge Tarek Bitar. “If they stop the investigations, they must resign immediately,” he said. Geagea called for a general and peaceful strike if "the other camp tries to impose its will by force." He added sarcastically that the “inverted logic” that has been prevailing in Lebanon for years, coupled with “imposition, threats, force and red and yellow lines,” aims to falsify and reverse facts, to violate sovereignty and to silence “free voices.”Geagea stressed that "the successive submissions to intimidation throughout the years” have brought the Lebanese people to where they are today. “Any additional blackmail related to the port crime is a great moral blow to the judicial institution and a direct or indirect participation in the crime.”“A partner in crime is as responsible as the direct criminal,” he said.

Lebanon political crisis brews over fate of blast judge
AFP/October 13, 2021
BEIRUT: Lebanon’s month-old government called off a cabinet session Wednesday as a political crisis brewed within its ranks over whether to remove a judge investigating the massive August 2020 Beirut port blast. The debate comes at a time when Lebanese are desperately waiting for the government, formed in September after protracted horse-trading, to tackle Lebanon’s dire economic crisis.Judge Tarek Bitar was forced to suspend his probe on Tuesday after former ministers he had summoned on suspicion of negligence filed lawsuits against him. He is now emerging as the target of a political campaign led by the Shiite movements Hezbollah and Amal. Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah accused him this week of political bias. Senior Amal lawmaker and former minister Ali Hasan Khalil threatened a “political escalation” if the course of the investigation “was not rectified,” after Bitar on Tuesday issued an arrest warrant against him for failing to show up for questioning. A cabinet session Tuesday ended with a row as ministers affiliated with Hezbollah and Amal pressed the government to support their demand to replace Bitar, according to a senior official who asked to remain anonymous because he is not authorized to speak to the media. A follow-up session scheduled for Wednesday was postponed, signalling no agreement has been reached between factions in the cabinet, with some ministers arguing the government should not intervene in judicial matters. Supporters of Hezbollah and Amal called for an anti-Bitar rally on Thursday near the Justice Palace in Beirut, the site where relatives of blast victims usually stage protests denouncing political interference. Since taking up the case, Bitar has summoned an array of former premiers and ministers as well as top military and security officials for questioning on suspicion of criminal negligence. He also called in two other ex-ministers for questioning this week before he was forced to pause his probe for the second time in less than a month. The country’s political leaders, including a group of former premiers, have criticized him for trying to investigate officials who can only be tried by a special court. Rights groups Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have repeatedly accused officials of interfering with the course of the investigation in order to dodge accountability. Blast victims’ relatives, who are avid supporters of Bitar, fear he will meet the same fate as his predecessor, Fadi Sawan, who was also forced to suspend investigations then removed in February. The August 4, 2020 explosion at Beirut’s port killed more than 200 people, wounded thousands more and destroyed swathes of the capital.

Tensions over Beirut blast pose serious test for Lebanon’s new government
The Arab Weekly/October 13/2021
Tensions over the probe test Mikati’s government as it struggles to dig the country out of economic collapse.
BEIRUT--Lebanon’s month-old government called off a cabinet session Wednesday as a political crisis brewed within its ranks over whether to remove a judge investigating the massive August 2020 Beirut port blast. The growing tensions over the judicial probe threatens to push Lebanon into yet another political crisis, testing Prime Minister Najib Mikati’s government as it struggles to dig the country out of economic collapse.More than a year since the explosion ripped through Beirut, killing more than 200 people, Judge Tarek Bitar’s efforts to hold senior officials to account for suspected negligence are facing mounting political pushback, much of it driven by the heavily-armed, Iran-backed Shia group Hezbollah. Ministers aligned with the politicians Bitar has sought to question had been expected to press their demand for his removal at a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, after the subject disrupted a stormy session on Tuesday. Eventually, Wednesday’s session was postponed until “a framework” could be agreed to tackle the issue, an official source said.
Hezbollah’s intimidation tactics
A distraction from tackling one of the world’s worst economic depressions, the row risks undermining Mikati, who took office last month after more than a year of squabbling over cabinet seats. It has also underlined the major influence exercised by Hezbollah, which has led calls for Bitar to be replaced, accusing him of conducting a politicised probe. Bitar has not sought to question any Hezbollah members. The most senior politician whom Bitar wants to question, former finance minister Ali Hassan Khalil, said all options were open for political escalation when asked during an interview on Tuesday whether some ministers could quit. Khalil is the right-hand man of Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, the most senior Shia in the state and a close Hezbollah ally. Khalil told al-Mayadeen TV the path of the probe threatened to push Lebanon “towards civil strife”. Bitar issued an arrest warrant for Khalil on Tuesday when he failed to show up for questioning. Hezbollah and its Shia ally Amal have pulled their ministers out of government at times of political conflict, a move that would torpedo the Sunni-led cabinet by stripping it of Shia representation. Together with the Christian Marada movement led by Hezbollah ally Suleiman Frangieh, the Shia parties called on supporters to protest against Bitar outside the justice palace on Thursday.Samir Geagea, a Christian opponent of Hezbollah, rejected what he described as any submission to “intimidation” by the group, calling on Lebanese to be ready for peaceful strike action if the “other side” tried to impose its will by force.
Energy sapping
Mikati has said Lebanon could not bear the loss of a second judge after the first was removed in February when his impartiality was questioned. Mikati’s priority is reviving IMF talks. But he does not have long, with elections due next spring. Heiko Wimmen of Crisis Group said the row would “sap energy and it also makes (Mikati) look weak”. “It puts a huge question mark, or adds one, to the doubts that already everyone has concerning the viability of this government.”Hezbollah was “showing its brute influence and force and that definitely reflects badly on Mikati government”, added Mohanad Hage Ali of the Carnegie Middle East Center. The government does not have the authority to remove Bitar but could revoke a previous decision that transferred the probe to the judicial council, said Nizar Saghieh, head of the Legal Agenda, a research and advocacy organisation. This would be a major assault on “the separation of powers”. Potential foreign aid donors have called for a transparent investigation into the blast, caused by a huge quantity of unsafely stored ammonium nitrate. The US State Department on Tuesday accused Hezbollah of threatening Lebanon’s judiciary. Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadllalah said those remarks violated Lebanese sovereignty and showed “the level of intervention to control the Beirut port blast investigation‌.”All the senior figures Bitar has sought to question deny wrongdoing, including former Prime Minister Hassan Diab. The secretariat of parliament said the judiciary had exceeded its powers with any steps against presidents, ministers or MPs. Cases against such officials should go through a special process, Bitar’s critics say.

Abu Faour: Saliba Might Expose Correspondences with President about Nitrate Danger
Naharnet/October 13/2021
Member of the Democratic Gathering, MP Wael Abu Faour said Wednesday in a statement that “the Higher Defense Council refused to grant permission to prosecute Director of State Security Major General (Tony) Saliba, because the latter might expose all the correspondences with the presidential palace.”“As expected,” he said, adding that “the reason why the permission to prosecute Saliba wasn’t granted is clear.”Abu Faour claimed that Saliba may expose “all deliberations and correspondences with the Presidential Palace and its senior military advisors, up to the President.” He went on to say that Saliba had explained the real dangers of the port’s ammonium nitrate to everyone in the palace, “and of course, no action was taken.”Abu Faour stressed that “justice should be complete and uncompromised.”“The investigation and accountability must include everyone,” he said.

Khalil Says Bitar 'Met Foreign Delegation', Threatens Major 'Escalation'
Naharnet/October 13/2021
Ex-minister and incumbent MP Ali Hassan Khalil considered the arrest warrant issued against him by the judicial investigator Tarek Bitar “illegal.”“It is not based on any legal justification,” he said Tuesday, in a televised interview. He claimed that “the warrant was prepared in advance and was leaked to the media before it was issued by the judicial investigator.” Khalil accused Bitar of “politicization” and said that the judge is “influenced by public opinion and populism.”“Based on his media statements and side interviews, Bitar does not meet the qualities that a judge in charge of such a case should have,” khalil said. He added that “after issuing the arrest warrant, Bitar met with a foreign delegation that has nothing to do with the Lebanese judiciary,” and that “the same thing happened when an arrest warrant was issued against ex-minister Youssef Fenianos.”“Things cannot continue in this way,” Khalil said “otherwise, it will threaten the stability in the country and induce further escalation.”A Cabinet session was suspended Tuesday and adjourned to Wednesday, after a heated debate over a demand by the ministers of Hizbullah, Amal Movement and Marada Movement for a stance on Bitar. “The matter is in the hands of the Cabinet,” he said. “I hope for understanding from the ministers, because the aim is taking all measures to correct the judicial path.”He stressed that "all possibilities are open for a political escalation, and maybe an escalation of another kind.”“The coming days will reveal many moves to correct the judicial path, save the investigation and secure a right atmosphere for reaching the truth," he said. "There is a major attempt for civil strife in the behavior of Bitar,” he added. “It might be a part of a regional and local plan related to changing balances."“We want to spare the country from reaching this impasse,” Khalil went on to say, adding that he “pities Bitar for what he put himself into.”

Lebanese Pound Back in Freefall after Brief Recovery
Agence France Presse/October 13/2021
The Lebanese pound sold for more than 20,000 to the dollar on Wednesday, losing almost all the value it regained following the announcement of a new government last month. The pound, officially pegged at 1,500 to the greenback since 1997, has lost more than 90 percent of its black market value since the start of an unprecedented economic crisis in 2019. The plummeting pound sold for a record low of more than 23,000 to the dollar on the black market in July. The formation of a new government on September 10, ending a year-long political deadlock, then brought the value of the currency back up to 15,000 to the greenback -- its highest value in months. But the boost to market sentiment quickly faded and the pound started to retreat again in the following weeks. On Wednesday, it sold for 20,500 to the greenback, down from 17,000 to the dollar at the start of the month, money changers told AFP. Wednesday's exchange rate puts the pound at its lowest value since August -- the last time it topped the symbolic 20,000 mark. The continuing drop in the value of the currency has dashed hopes that the new government of Prime Minister Najib Miqati can stem an economic crisis branded by the World Bank as one of the worst since the mid-19th century. Nearly 80 percent of the population lives below the poverty line.

Two missing after Lebanese training plane crashes into the Med
Najia Houssari/October 14, 2021
The Cessna 172 disappeared from air navigation radars less than 20 minutes after it took off from Beirut
BEIRUT: A civilian training plane that belonged to the Lebanese Aviation Club crashed into the Mediterranean Sea on Wednesday morning and the two people on board are missing, the Lebanese Army announced. The crash site is off the coast of Halat near Byblos where search operations continue for the pilot, Ali Hajj Ahmed, and a student pilot, Pascale Abdel Ahad. The Cessna 172 plane took off from Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport at 10:06 a.m. local time on Wednesday, according to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation in Lebanon. Less than 20 minutes later, the plane disappeared from air navigation radars over the sea in the Halat area. “The captain of the plane did not contact the control tower and did not give a distress signal, which is strange,” Kris Kashouh, of the Lebanese Plane Spotters, told Arab News. The Lebanese Navy, Air Force, and Civil Defense have joined the search operations. “The search concentrated on a wide area at a distance of one kilometer away from Halat beach and at depths ranging between 30 and 35 meters,” a Lebanese Civil Defense source said. “Divers from the civil defense took turns in the search operations in very delicate conditions, due to the tides and winds in the area.”
Unconfirmed reports indicated that Abdel Ahad had contacted the control tower because the pilot of the plane suffered a health condition.
But Lebanese Aviation Club board member Michel Abboud dismissed that claim. “The planes are usually in continuous contact with the control tower and there were no defects reported by those who were on board the plane,” he said. The Lebanese Aviation Club, which was created in 1923, is one of three aviation learning centers in Lebanon that train private pilots and provide licenses. The Cessna 172 plane that crashed is what is typically used for training flights and cannot hold more than three people, including the pilot. A similar accident occurred on July 8, when a Cessna 172 with three people on board crashed in the Ghosta region, 36 kilometers north of Beirut, after having deviated from the approved flight plan. That plane was owned by Open Sky and the flight was for tourism. The pilot and two passengers on board were killed. “In the Ghosta accident, the captain also did not contact the control tower which adds to the peculiarity of the situation,” Kashouh said. “The results of that investigation have not been released.” Lebanese Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi traveled by boat to the crash site where he was briefed on the rescue operations of the Lebanese Army and Civil Defense teams. “Rescue boats split the crash area into squares so that the divers could scan the whole area,” Mawlawi said. “There is a large number of volunteers with their equipment who are helping in the rescue mission.” Mawlawi also urged the Lebanese Ministry of Public Works to take additional measures in inspecting all aviation training planes.
“As part of ensuring public safety, so that these accidents do not get repeated,” he said.

Plane Carrying 2 People Crashes into Sea Off Halat
Naharnet/October 13/2021
A Cessna-172 training plane belonging to the Aeroclub of Lebanon crashed into the sea off the Lebanese town of Halat on Wednesday with two people on board. Al-Jadeed TV identified the two young people who were on board as Pascal Abdel Ahad and Ali al-Hajj Ahmed, adding that army and Civil Defense crews have launched a search operation. Prime Minister Najib Miqati meanwhile called the Army Command and demanded that a helicopter be sent to aid the search operation. He also called for mobilizing the naval forces. Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi for his part instructed the Civil Defense to intensify search and rescue operations at the site while asking the Internal Security Forces to also take part in the operation.

EU Urges No Political Interference in Beirut Port Probe
Naharnet/October 13/2021
The lead spokesperson for the external affairs of the EU, Peter Stano, said Tuesday that the Beirut port blast investigation has to be “completed as soon as possible,” and that it should be impartial, credible and transparent. “The European Union recalls that the investigation into the Beirut Port blast should be completed as soon as possible, and that it should be impartial, credible, transparent as well as independent,” Stano said in a video message. “The investigation should be allowed to proceed without any interference in legal proceedings and those responsible for this tragedy should be held accountable,” he added. Stano also said that it is up to the Lebanese authorities to “enable the investigation to continue with all the necessary human and financial resources, so it can finally shed light on what happened in August last year and provide credible answers to the pressing questions from the Lebanese people about why it happened and how it happened.”

Lebanese diaspora vote will not be enough to force change on a corrupt establishment
Makram Rabah/Al Arabiya/October 13/2021
The Lebanese diaspora has always been the pride and joy of this enterprising nation of around six million residents, with over 14 million members of its diaspora scattered around the world, most of which are well integrated and have achieved success. For many in the diaspora, casting an absentee ballot in the upcoming elections slated for Spring 2022 is their only chance to voice disapproval of the ruling establishment which has destroyed their homeland. However, millions of Lebanese across the world might find their chance to drive through change through voting diluted by the efforts of the Lebanese political establishment to gerrymander districts in a way to restrict the diaspora’s vote to only six seats rather than the 128 which they are entitled to. In 2018, the Lebanese diaspora voted for the first time for the 128 seats each in their registered districts in Lebanon, with over 1.8 million votes cast. However, this time around, the diaspora is likely to be much more enthusiastic in casting a vote, and will not canvas for the traditional political establishment which robbed them out of their lifesavings after convincing those abroad to deposit their savings into the Lebanese banking system, funding the banks and the Lebanese government before mismanagement brought the country, and those deposits, to inevitable economic ruin.
The third wave of Lebanese immigration currently underway, triggered by the political and economic crisis, is much more dire than the first wave of the early 19th century or the second wave of the 1975-1990 civil war, as many of Lebanon’s professional class – both in the healthcare and educational sectors – have found themselves displaced from their homes and their jobs after the collapse of the country’s currency and civilian infrastructure. Having been forced to immigrate, these new members of the diaspora will join others who want to do everything it takes to affect change by voting out the ruling establishment and ushering in a new breed of policymakers, or so they hope. The ruling establishment, on the other hand, has other plans in mind, as they wish to implement article 122 of the electoral law which restricts the diaspora vote to just six seats that will be added to the existing 128, with each representing one of the world’s six continents, rather than allowing them to vote for their home district. Imposing article 122 not only clearly demonstrates the fear the ruling establishment fosters for these enraged members of the diaspora, but also underscores their ongoing commitment to ignoring the provisions of the Lebanese constitution – Article 27 clearly states that “a member of the Chamber [of deputies] shall represent the whole nation. No restriction or condition may be imposed upon his mandate by his electors.”
While it is true that many of the members of the diaspora do not pay local taxes, their lifesavings and retirement funds are stuck in Lebanese banks, a situation caused and prolonged by the corrupt establishment, and thus they deserve the full right to practice their constitutional right to vote.
The Lebanese model has always been based on the myth or the illusion that educated men and woman go abroad and their remittances are enough to keep the Lebanese economy, or what turned out to be a glorified Ponzi scheme, functioning. Yet, this Lebanese model which welcomes the diaspora’s funds does not really welcome their voices or votes.
Regardless of how the situation regarding diaspora voting goes, the optimism that surrounds the forces of change in Lebanon towards the upcoming elections is both alarming and naïve. Elections are indeed tools of change, but within the current Lebanese setup any elections conducted by the ruling elite, who are allies of Iran’s proxy group Hezbollah, will only bring back the current line up with minimal changes. The international community’s call for Lebanese to face off with the ruling elite is both unrealistic and insincere. Western powers who continue to endorse elections should, at the same time, follow through on sanctions against these so-called politicians and prevent them from claiming legitimacy through the ballots. The efforts of various opposition groups backed by the Lebanese diaspora to challenge the ruling establishment in the upcoming elections is indeed a commendable and noble endeavor, but these efforts are unlikely to secure victory, and fail to ensure that their opponents, who are coincidently running the election process, do not rig the ballots as they have time and again. As it stands, elections are unlikely to change much, not simply because the final results are already determined by ruling establishment, but rather because the Lebanese, including the diaspora, have not yet reached political puberty, and have yet to realize that democracy is not a simple matter of casting a vote every four years, but rather a sustained effort to stand up to tyrants who usurp power in the name of an imagined tribe or community. This notwithstanding, the road to change is a long and arduous one. The liberation of Lebanon from Iran’s malign occupation and their corrupt local allies cannot be achieved remotely nor through proxies, but will require the Lebanese to continue to denounce corruption and call for change.

Under pressure
Ronnie Chatah/Now Lebanon/October 13/2021
Ronnie Chatah discusses Lebanon’s various pressure fronts, from the newly established government, to the opposition and beyond, and sheds light on why the international community’s focus on ‘stability’ isn’t as appealing as it sounds. "I have my limits, and I consider advocates of political violence less political and more criminal. But my sentiments are with October 17, and I have no appetite for the status quo that defined our collapse." Photo: AFP. Belated is far too kind. Overdue is equally generous. There is no adequate way to describe the consequences of decades-long ineptitude, corrupt governance and prolonged paralysis. But in late 2021, those currently holding and others aspiring to reach positions of power equally feel the burden of the population at their doorstep.
And that includes the proxy.
The regime
I am fortunate (if that is the right word) to have access to new faces within the current lineup. Some of them through mutual acquaintance, others including a chance encounter that turned into several hours of exchange, as well as a former guest on the podcast. There are reform-minded ministers in our recently formed government, and that is a fact. What is equally true is that they are not politicians, or politically minded. On the contrary, they deliberately sidestep the foundational flaws of trying to repair a broken state while a sub-state sponsored army dictates the terms of reform – rather, they limit their tasks to avoid our security paradigm, and I think they are desperately trying to do their jobs against the odds. I would extend this description (albeit with glaring caveats) to the usual suspects. This is not to praise them in any way for their tears on television screens, nor to sympathise with their inability to dine at restaurants, nor their endless work hours and sleepless nights – it is, in fact, good to see their tired eyes glare, or catch themselves on Instagram posts that monitor their every move. I am only highlighting that they feel wrath they have not felt before. Assuming other countries’ demands for concerted pressure wins over, European-backed sanctions could be used to ensure, for example, that Tarek Bitar’s investigation carries through despite its current suspension and irrespective of further caretaker governments. On the one hand, from the majority of citizens who no longer buy into their familiar sectarian and ill-conceived conspiratorial excuses for not doing anything (if they fail today, whether entirely fair or not, the blame is on them). On the other, US-backed sanctions that tarnished the reputation of select politicians once considered immune to scrutiny, compounded by a sluggish and consensus-driven framework for European Union sanctions emanating from Brussels. This may be a threat, only – certain member states (i.e. France) seem to be content with government formation alone. Assuming other countries’ demands for concerted pressure wins over, European-backed sanctions could be used to ensure, for example, that Tarek Bitar’s investigation carries through despite its current suspension and irrespective of further caretaker governments. Or for that matter, leveraging against the elections’ potential postponement should the regime pursue that option. Regardless, this newer cabinet and older parliament is under everyone’s radar, and that is a positive and unusual development in Lebanese politics.
The opposition
A member (and friend) of an established political party recently whispered in my ear that I am among the few that garners respect from the ‘revolutionary crowd’ and can comfortably converse with the ruling class. Talk about pressure…I disagreed on three points – my voice is not nearly loud enough to earn that authority; my podcast and this platform have obvious limitations in language and audience; and most importantly, while I reach out to all in the opposition and disagree on key issues with sincerity, I do not speak to everyone in the regime. I have my limits, and I consider advocates of political violence less political and more criminal. But my sentiments are with October 17, and I have no appetite for the status quo that defined our collapse. Many opposition figures that have grown to prominence are previous guests on the podcast. Their goals and aspirations continue to resonate, and I truly admire their principles and passion. The pressure on their pursuits, however, is insurmountable.
They are up against well-established political parties, some dating back to pre-independence years, with diaspora offices that span the globe. There are obvious obstacles and challenges that no new party can tackle on their own, and the required political maturity is confined to a narrow window of time. Tempering Hezbollah’s footprint in Lebanon without reinstituting the foundation that was once Lebanon’s wobbly yet sovereign control over its destiny means one thing – a return of Syrian influence.
Those that are coalition-minded and more willing to communicate with former regime parties sharing their aspirations are likely to see gains in next year’s elections. As for the revolutionary left still unwilling to extend their hand, their numbers may not shine. The reactionary right, however, despite an inherent inability to make new friends within October 17’s burgeoning groups, seem destined to pick up seats from Baabda’s movement’s dramatically decreased flare. If a larger opposition is formed following next year’s elections, all these parties, collectively – despite their known disagreements – will be forced to work together. And the immeasurable challenges they all face, from a regional security threat that cannot be solved domestically, must be tempered to allow for long-lasting reform.
The region
All signs are pointing in one direction: stability.
That word sounds positive in light of instability and war, sending signals of reassurance and comfort when measured against perpetual crisis and familiar pain. But in my own estimation, that word is the death knell to political reform. I say this, resoundingly, because tempering Hezbollah’s footprint in Lebanon without reinstituting the foundation that was once Lebanon’s wobbly yet sovereign control over its destiny means one thing – a return of Syrian influence. This does not mean the Assad regime’s intelligence and army units crossing the border and reoccupying Lebanon as they did from 1976-2005. That is too remote and unlikely to consider.  Instead, it would manifest as a Russian-backed Syrian regime with oversight over Lebanon’s security concerns and foreign policy positions. And that trickles down to what the limits of functional governance look like, reminiscent of reform-minded individuals that emerged in the 1990s and early 2000s and were forced to scale back their mission.  Even if the port blast investigation is stalled with another replacement judge, and eventually ends without any official answers, Bitar’s sincere and thus far unyielding attempts have already made it clear which group demands impunity for its security. Add to that Assad’s former friends in Lebanon are repositioning themselves for power, speaking positively of the Syrian regime’s secularist persuasion (whatever that means), ignoring the catastrophe it brought to Syria and Lebanon, and openly supporting Assad’s desire to reintegrate into the region.
Where is the pressure here? I am not privy to any behind-the-scenes diplomacy between Saudi Arabia and Iran (I am not sure if Rob Malley, himself, knows their full extent), what the French…no, more precisely, what Macron is really thinking when he opts to communicate with Raisi over our domestic affairs, or how far the Biden administration is willing to accept Syrian dominion, despite the green light given when Assad’s father cemented his occupation of Lebanon in 1989. What I do know is that there is pressure on all actors to ensure Lebanon stabilizes. From the more recent and first official visit in decades of our current prime minister to Amman, stemming from a complicated, but so far sticking, World Bank sponsored deal including Egyptian gas and Jordanian power supply circumventing Syrian sanctions. To this summer’s diplomatic regional tour that included the US and French ambassadors’ visits to regional capitals. Even Iran is sending fuel via Syria to Hezbollah – a different ‘lifeline’ that circumvents the state, but one Hezbollah needs to alleviate the shared pain felt by all Lebanese that inherently includes their own base.
The proxy & the probe
Hezbollah also finds itself under the radar. And with good reason.
Against immense public outrage and in full view, the proxy repeatedly condemns the port blast investigation, from judges Fadi Sawan to Tarek Bitar, and recently sent threatening messages pushing for Bitar’s resignation. That the investigation has been suspended once more exposes the group to further scrutiny and accusation, a situation they clearly prefer to avoid. But the pressure is on them to end probes into their allies’ and nominal opponents’ knowledge of the ammonium nitrate storage dump, and they are on the offensive, including tomorrow’s scheduled protests at the Justice Palace against so-called ‘politicization’ of Bitar’s mission. Even if the port blast investigation is stalled with another replacement judge, and eventually ends without any official answers, Bitar’s sincere and thus far unyielding attempts have already made it clear which group demands impunity for its security. He gave us the answers that we who turn to common sense and logic over wishful thinking and conspiracy already knew. And he did his job within a system designed to ensure Hezbollah’s security apparatus survives as Lebanon dies. And as the standoff intensifies, he will go down in history as an honest and brave judge who shed light on the reasons all of us, for the same reason, are under pressure.
*Ronnie Chatah hosts The Beirut Banyan podcast, a series of storytelling episodes and long-form conversations that reflect on all that is modern Lebanese history. He also leads the WalkBeirut tour, a four-hour narration of Beirut’s rich and troubled past. He is on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter @thebeirutbanyan.
The opinions expressed are those of the author only and do not necessarily reflect the views of NOW.

Lebanese Singer Elissa Takes A Jab At Hizbullah: People Blindly Follow Political Parties Who Give Them Fuel, Food Stamps; I Don't Want To Stop Wearing Low-Cut Dresses Just Because Some Political Party Rules Us; Freedom Of Speech Is Sacred
MEMRI/October 13/ 2021
Source: MTV (Lebanon)
In an October 9, 2021 broadcast on MTV (Lebanon), Lebanese singer Elissa said that the Lebanon she loves is a free country and that she does not want the country to change just because people rely on a certain political party – referring to Hizbullah – for fuel and food stamps. Elissa said that she does not want to change how she speaks or dresses, but that she fears that Lebanon is changing. She called on people to stop following political parties "like sheep," and added that she chooses to stay in Lebanon despite having the means to leave because she feels that her country needs her. Elissa made her remarks during the annual May Chidiac Foundation ceremony, which honors media personalities. For more information about Elissa, see MEMRI TV Clip No. 8477.
Elissa: "I see that when Lebanon people leave Lebanon... I don’t have a TikTok account, but I see them there. They kiss the ground at the airport when they leave Lebanon. It does not upset me when a guy or a girl, or even a man and a woman who have a family, take them away so that they can live under better circumstances.
"But what I am opposed to is people going to the airport [to leave Lebanon] as if they are leaving Hell behind. If people see this as Hell on Earth, how can us citizens have hope about the future?"
Host: "People are tired. They have reached the point where they are hungry."
Elissa: "Of course. I know."
Host: "People who are watching you might say: 'Elissa is well off, and does not feel the need to leave, but she blames us for wanting to leave our country.' What would you tell them?"
Elissa: "I do not blame the people who go away or leave. I’m like everybody else. The electricity at my place cuts off three times a day. Like everybody else, I stand in line for fuel. I can leave. I have the ability to live abroad. But I feel that my country needs me right now. That’s why I don’t want to leave. But if only they had a little bit of love for this country. I meet a lot of people who were born abroad, and they love Lebanon more than the people who live here. Stop following people and political parties like sheep, so that you can build this country. Of course they will be hungry when they rely on a political party to provide them fuel and food stamps in order to win their vote in the elections. I am definitely against this.
"We were born in a country where freedom of speech is sacred. I don’t want Lebanon’s identity to change. I don’t want to stop wearing dresses with a low neckline just because a certain political party [i.e., Hizbullah] rules us. I want to live in the same country I was raised in. When they raised me, my parents taught me that I have opinions, that I have the freedom to wear what I want, the freedom to make my own choices in everything. This is the country that I want to live in. I am sorry that I got so emotional, but this is the country I want to live in."

Lebanese Journalist: Hizbullah Continues To Turn Lebanon Into A 'Narco State,' Now Using West Africa As A Transit Hub For Its Illegal Drug Trade
MEMRI/October 13/ 2021
In an October 9, 2021 article in the English-language Saudi daily Arab News, Lebanese media figure Baria Alamuddin writes that Hizbullah continues its globe-spanning drug trafficking activities, now using West African countries as major transit states for its drug shipments. She notes that Hizbullah and Syria, both sponsored by Iran, continue to bolster their status as the world's major source of the amphetamine-based drug Captagon. However, since Saudi Arabia banned the import of Lebanese produce earlier this year, Hizbullah has had to divert its Captagon shipments through transit countries to obscure the country of origin. West Africa has become a preferred option, especially counties with large Lebanese communities, such as Cote d’Ivoire, where Lebanese control a large part of the economy, as well as Togo and Congo.
Baria Alamuddin (Source: Creativewomen.co)
Alamuddin notes further that Hezbollah's illegal operations in West Africa -- including money laundering, weapons proliferation, drug trafficking and other organized crime -- are estimated to net the organization at least $1 billion a year. Warning that Hezbollah's illegal activities may come to dominate Lebanon’s entire economy, transforming it into a narco state, she calls on the international community to fight Hizbullah's globalized network for criminality and terrorism.
The following is her article:
"Following The Collapse Of The Lebanese And Syrian Economies, Assad Family Mafiosi And Hezbollah Set About Remodeling Their Nations As Narco States"
"When Saudi Arabia banned the import of Lebanese produce in April because these shipments were being abused to smuggle narcotics into the Kingdom, Hezbollah found itself with a problem.
"Following the collapse of the Lebanese and Syrian economies, Assad family mafiosi and Hezbollah set about remodeling their nations as narco states — world production centers for the amphetamine-based drug Captagon, a favorite among partygoers and terrorist groups. Syria’s Captagon trade is estimated to be worth over a billion dollars a year.
"Captagon production had become established in areas such as Homs and Aleppo, but given Syria’s extreme dysfunction, many major factories have been reconsolidating themselves along the Lebanon-Syria border, particularly in Hezbollah strongholds such as Qusair and the Bekaa Valley. Lebanon’s former Justice Minister and security chief, Ashraf Rifi, describes a “partnership between Hezbollah and the Syrian side in terms of manufacturing and smuggling” Captagon. This is in addition to Syria and Lebanon becoming favored routes for heroin, crystal meth and hashish.
"Since the GCC shipping ban, Hezbollah has resorted to diverting these illegal shipments via transit states to obscure the country of origin, once again exploiting its connections with the worldwide Lebanese diaspora. West Africa has become a preferred option, with 450,000 Captagon pills turning up at a port in Lagos, discovered as a result of Saudi-Nigerian cooperation. GCC authorities have also discovered millions of Captagon pills in West African shipments of cocoa, with Syria almost certainly the original point of production.
"This isn’t the first time Hezbollah has embroiled West Africa’s Lebanese communities in the narcotics trade. During the 2000s, Hezbollah and Iran found themselves with a different problem: Thanks to President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad’s outreach to Latin American states, Hezbollah began reaping billions of dollars from cocaine, but it had no means of repatriating these funds to Beirut and Tehran. It hit on an ingenious idea: Investing the money in tens of thousands of second-hand American cars that were then shipped to Benin, where hundreds of Lebanese expats set themselves up in the West African car market. The proceeds from these sales were then repatriated to Lebanon.
"Cote d’Ivoire has an 80,000-strong Lebanese diaspora who dominate about 50 percent of the economy, while Hezbollah-affiliated mafia elements play major roles in the narcotics trade. Cote d’Ivoire is a major transit point for money laundering, with numerous instances of youths being stopped trying to carry suitcases containing millions of dollars back to Lebanon. Other West African states such as Guinea, Togo, the Congo, Guinea-Bissau and Sierra Leone, have played pivotal roles in Hezbollah operations, involving money laundering, weapons proliferation, drugs and organized crime.
"One 2021 calculation suggests that this activity nets the group about $1 billion a year, probably in the same ballpark as the stipends Hezbollah receives from Iran. With the annual worldwide narcotics trade worth about $500 billion, this could be a gross underestimate. As Lebanon’s economy continues its remorseless slide, the day may come soon when this Hezbollah black economy comes to dominate Lebanon’s markets, with the risk that country permanently descends into being a narco state."
"Hezbollah’s continued involvement in the Latin American cocaine trade is perhaps the closest Tehran will get to achieving its slogan of 'Death to America.'"
"Iran and Hezbollah are meanwhile involved in millions of dollars’ worth of weapons shipments, to Yemen, Africa, Iraq, and a host of other war-wracked states. Thus we have a perfect storm, with the narcotics trade being used to fund terrorism and paramilitarism. Yet still I encounter a remarkable lack of curiosity about these issues among diplomats and journalists.
"This comes at a time when Tehran is saber rattling on its northern frontiers in the Caucasus region. Following a succession of assassinations of nuclear scientists and “mysterious” explosions at sensitive Iranian sites, today Tehran sees Mossad agents under every rock. The ayatollahs have become intensely paranoid about Azerbaijan and Israel’s close defense relationship, and have recently begun engaging in provocative military exercises on their shared border. They have long feared that Baku could arouse separatist sentiments among the vast Azeri population in northern Iran.
"The consequences of Hezbollah provoking a ban on exports of Lebanese agricultural produce to major regional markets are massive, and will ruin the lives of farmers who, like most citizens, have been devastated by economic disintegration and the collapse in the currency’s value. Just as in Afghanistan, impoverished farmers turned to growing heroin, which bankrolled the Taliban’s return to power; it is as if Hezbollah is doing everything in its power to transform Lebanon into an economy based on the wares of death. The high-profile visit to Beirut by Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian is a reminder of how Lebanon’s embroilment in Tehran’s economic orbit means embracing pariah statehood.
"In a dying nation where so many have lost the will to live, “Hizb Al-Shaitan” has made deadly narcotics more affordable than baby milk. Lebanon’s Mediterranean location makes this historical trading nation the perfect outlet for deluging European markets with narcotics, while Hezbollah’s continued involvement in the Latin American cocaine trade is perhaps the closest Tehran will get to achieving its slogan of “Death to America.”
"The world shouldn’t wait for Lebanon’s compromised and dysfunctional justice system to solve this problem. Legal cases against a smattering of Lebanese drug-dealers are risible — people jailed for laundering a few hundred capsules! It would seem that the major players are trying to eliminate the small-scale competition. "By tackling this threat head on, the world not only prevents millions of lives being irreversibly ruined, but it can also prevent the funneling of billions of dollars of drug revenues into terrorism and paramilitarism. So why this international failure to address the fact that the Hezbollah-Tehran nexus has become by far the world’s most globalized network for criminality and terrorism?"

Lebanese Journalist: The Vacuum Left By The U.S. Withdrawal From The Region Strengthens Non-Democratic Players, Undermines Hope Of Establishing Democracy In Middle East
MEMRI/October 13/2021
In his September 27, 2021column in the London-based daily Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, Lebanese journalist and pollical analyst Sam Mansa voiced concern for the fate of democracy in the Middle East, which he said was in decline after the failure of the Arab Spring uprisings and in the wake of the U.S. decision to diminish its involvement in the region. He directed pointed criticism the U.S., saying that it lacks a vision for establishing and cementing freedoms and democracy in the world. Its political and military withdrawal, he said, leaves a vacuum in the region, which is being filled by non-democratic players like Russia, Iran, Turkey and China; these players, in turn, are cultivating inexperienced local forces that choose tyranny as their form of government. He concluded by saying that the region's only hope is that the younger generation, influenced by globalization and social media, will be attracted by democracy and act to strengthen it.
Sam Mansa (Source: Syriahr.com)
The following are translated excerpts from his column:[1]
"What Still Remains Of Parliamentary Democracy [In The Arab World] Is Now In Decline"
"An anti-democratic wave appears to be sweeping the Arab republics, especially the countries of the Mashreq [i.e., the Arab countries of the eastern Mediterranean Basin, as opposed to North Africa]. I am not talking about the many obstacles that hinder democratic change across the Arab world, but about the fate of democracy in the [Arab] regimes and republics that chose it as their banner and have touted [the democratic character] of their rule...
"First, [let me say that] democracy has no doubt lost much of its luster in the Western democracies, and its flaws have become apparent. But despite this, let me stress that there is no alternative to democracy, and we must commend the stability of its institutions, and the determination of citizens [in democratic countries] to fight all plots to circumvent it, to constantly purge it of radicalism, whether from the left or from the right, and to amend its flaws by underscoring [their] commitment to it. We must also admit that democracy cannot be taken for granted: it does not arise automatically, but takes time to become established, both in documents and in the hearts of the people.
"What concerns us here is the growing indications that what still remains of parliamentary democracy [in the Arab world] is now in decline, as is happening in Lebanon, or in other countries that showed promise of establishing [democracy] after the Arab Spring, such as Syria, Palestine, Iraq, Tunisia, Sudan, Yemen and others. In practice, Syria only extended the tyrannical rule of the Assad family [by granting Assad] a fourth term in office in a mock-election – and this in a burning country whose revolution has cost over half a million lives and [produced] nine million refugees and displaced persons. Palestine has canceled its elections, or shall we say postponed them, so that the PA continues to be almost absent from the domestic and foreign political [arenas] – and this at a crucial time for the future of the Palestinian people and their cause. To this let us add the movements of political Islam, which do not display any affection for democracy anywhere, and the elections in Iraq, slated for October 10 [2021], which may be postponed or cancelled, or may be rigged. Those who follow and understand the ins and outs of Iraqi policy know that the future of [Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa] Al-Kadhimi is in danger, in light of the power [gained by] the Iran-backed [Shi'ite] militias and the role they play.
As for Sudan, which is in an interim stage, [with a regime] comprising both civilian and military elements – it has recently experienced an attempted coup, reflecting the conflict between these two camps. And Tunisia is contending with a political and constitutional crisis, as part of which the parliament's powers have been suspended and the parliament members and speaker have lost their immunity and all their privileges."
In Lebanon, Democratic Institutions Are Controlled By The Most Raucously Anti-Democratic Forces
"[But] the most conspicuous and frustrating example of the atrophy of democracy is [provided by] Lebanon, a country that has long prided itself on being a notable exception in the Arab homeland: [a country] that has embraced liberal democracy and the separation of powers. Lebanon is now in decline, and people believe that its democracy has become a [mere] cover for corruption and the corrupt, and for the undermining of [the state's] sovereignty, government and law. Lebanon has now become similar to [other] Arab republics that maintain the semblance of democracy while consistently emptying it of content, and depleting their institutions of civil values and [democratic] liberties, turning them into mere shells… It seems that the elements controlling [Lebanon's] democratic regime are the elements that are most raucous and clear in their hostility to democracy.
"In this context, we should note Morocco as an exception, for the results of its elections indicate that its democracy has recovered. We will not include Israel in this list, although it managed… [following its last] election, to form a government of consent that overthrew the foolish politics of Binyamin Netanyahu, who had been in power for over a decade.
"All this is happening amid two important developments in the region:
"1. Disappointment over the waning Arab Spring and the catastrophes that came in its wake, without going into the reasons that caused them.
"2. The political and military withdrawal of the U.S. from the region, and the attempts of non-democratic regional and international players to fill the vacuum it left. The most prominent players in this context are Russia, Iran and the non-state actors allied with it, and Turkey, as well as China, [whose presence in the region] is not military, so far. All these countries disregard the democratic principles of coalition and opposition, the separation of the powers, the establishment of constitutional and legal institutions, accountability and responsibility, and respect for collective and individual freedoms.
"The World's Mightiest Country Lacks The Vision Needed To [Promote] Freedoms And Democracy"
"Amid these changes… we heard the speech of U.S. President Joe Biden at the UN General Assembly, calling to 'focus on the global challenge of the regimes that oppose democracy' and 'opening a new era of relentless diplomacy', and stressing that the U.S. is 'a reliable ally of its partners.'[2] His speech made no mention of the force that must attend diplomacy, to make it effective and useful! [He said all this] before the ink had even dried on the agreement [between the U.S.] and the Taliban, and while the U.S. continues to chase after Iran in an attempt to appease it and bring it back to the nuclear agreement. All this proves once again that the world's mightiest country lacks the vision needed to [promote] freedoms and democracy.
"Leaving a region like the Middle East to contend with its fate while it is falling into the hands of regimes [that only] spout hollow slogans of democracy, and when some of the states and their elites are compelled to turn to other forces to fill the vacuum left by the Americans, is a move that arouses great concern for the future of the region and its peoples, and for the future of the young generation. [I] do not mean that these countries cannot manage their affairs without foreign patronship. The problem is that the local elites and forces cultivated by the non-democratic powers, which are taking over the government and the centers of decision-making, lack knowledge and experience, and as a result are incapable of running the country except through tyranny and usurpation. This can prolong the dark crises that prevail in the Mashreq, as we are seeing in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Palestine, Yemen and elsewhere.
"Will the young generation, inevitably influenced by [our] modern times, by globalism and by social media, be any different?? Will it be attracted to the values of democracy and be able to reverse the trend of renouncing them?? This, perhaps, is the only source of hope and optimism left in our region."
[1] Al-Sharq Al-Awsat (London), September 27, 2021.
[2] It should be noted that some of the quotes attributed to Biden here do not match the original text of the speech. See Whitehouse.gov, September 21, 2021.

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on October 13-14/2021
US, Israel say they are exploring a ‘Plan B’ for Iran
Agencies/October 13, 2021
WASHINGTON: The United States and Israel said Wednesday they are exploring a “Plan B” for dealing with Iran if the Islamic Republic does not return in good faith to negotiations to salvage the languishing landmark 2015 nuclear deal.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid said discussions between their two countries have begun on “other options” should Iran reject an offer to come back into compliance with the agreement if the US rejoins it. They did not elaborate on what those options might be, but there are a wide range of non-diplomatic options that could be considered, ranging from stepped up sanctions to covert or military actions.The remarks were a rare acknowledgment by the US that it is looking at what to do in the event diplomacy with Iran fails. Israel has never been a party to the nuclear deal, which former President Donald Trump withdrew from in 2018, and its former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been a vocal opponent of the agreement negotiated by the Obama administration.
Blinken and Lapid made the remarks at a joint news conference at the State Department with the foreign minister of the United Arab Emirates at which all three agreed to try to expand on the so-called “Abraham Accords,” the Trump-era agreements that normalized relations between Israel and the UAE and other Arab states. Their comments came as Iran has hinted it’s ready to return to indirect negotiations with the US in Vienna but has not committed to a date. Iran has also continued to blow through limits on it nuclear activities that had been constrained by the deal.
Blinken reiterated that the window for Iran to return to the agreement is closing but again declined to give a date at which it would be too late. “Time is running short,” he said. “We are prepared to turn to other options if Iran doesn’t change course, and these consultations with our allies and partners are part of it.” “We will look at every option to to deal with the challenge posed by Iran,” Blinken said. “And we continue to believe that diplomacy is the most effective way to do that. But, it takes two to engage in diplomacy, and we have not seen from Iran a willingness to do that at this point.”
Lapid was more blunt, raising anew Israel’s warnings that it will act, with military force if necessary, to stop Iran from developing a nuclear weapon.
“There are moments when nations must use force to protect the world from evil,” he said. “If a terror regime is going to acquire a nuclear weapon we must act. We must make clear that the civilized world won’t allow it. If the Iranians don’t believe the world is serious about stopping them, they will race to the bomb. Israel reserves the right to act at any given moment in any way. That is not only our right, it is also our responsibility.”
Blinken renewed US opposition to normalization with Syrian President Bashar Assad, who has seen growing acceptance from Arab nations that have concluded he won the brutal civil war.
“What we have not done and what we do not intend to do is to express any support for efforts to normalize relations or rehabilitate Mr.Assad or lifted a single sanction on Syria or changed our position to oppose the reconstruction of Syria, until there is irreversible progress toward a political solution, which we believe is necessary and vital,” Blinken said.
He also said the Biden administration intends to press ahead with its plan to reopen the US consulate in Jerusalem as part of efforts to deepen ties with Palestinians.Blinken reiterated his pledge to move toward re-establishing the consulate, which had traditionally been a base for diplomatic outreach to the Palestinians before it was closed by President Joe Biden’s predecessor, Donald Trump, in 2018. Meanwhile, UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah Bin Zayed said that he would visit Israel soon, adding that his country was impressed with the growing bilateral relationship. Bin Zayed also said that there could be no talk of peace in the Middle East if Israel and the Palestinians were not “on talking terms.”
He stressed that a more successful UAE-Israeli relationship would encourage both Israelis and Palestinians to see “that this path works, that this path is worth not only investing in but also taking the risk.”
Last year, Israel and the UAE agreed to normalize relations in a major shift in Middle East politics from the Palestinian issue to the fight against Iran. On the conflict in Yemen, the UAE wants a resolution “but what’s dragging us in the situation is the lack of will and commitment on the Houthis’ side,” Bin Zayed said, referring to the Iran-aligned movement that ousted the internationally recognized government from the capital Sanaa in 2014 and now holds most of northern Yemen and main urban centers. “We are all working very hard among friends to ensure Yemenis have a better life. But at the same time, we have to keep in mind that we don’t end up with a situation where we have another Hezbollah threatening the border of Saudi Arabia,” he said, referring to the powerful Shiite group aligned to Iran in Lebanon. (With AP, AFP and Reuters)

Why Iran could still come out on top in Iraq’s parliamentary elections
The Arab Weekly/October 13/2021
Iran is emerging as the winner in Iraq electoral contest despite the defeats of loyal allies.
The exchange of accusations between the factions and militias about fraud in Iraq’s Sunday elections cannot hide the fact that Iran is emerging as the winner in the electoral contest despite the defeats of loyal allies.
Analysts point to two main reasons for tempering early conclusions about Iranian setbacks in Iraq. The first is that Tehran’s allies have in fact obtained enough seats to control parliament. The second is that the electoral results are likely to enable pro-Iran factions to eventually enter into alliances that will provide them with opportunities to lay their hands on the new government. Intensive contacts are ongoing in Baghdad to build a new alliance between traditionally pro-Iran groups as they jockey for position in the new government, which is expected to be controlled by the Sadrist movement with the support of Tehran.
Iraqi political analysts agree that the exchange of accusations between political groups loyal to Iran after their failure to enter parliament does not change the fact that the path is now open for Iran to easily build parliamentary and governmental alliances so as to maintain its strategic clout in Iraq. The analysts add that the receding support for some political groups is due their past poor performance, their failure to build consistent alliances and their promoting the personal interests of their leaders over the interests of other allies. Unhappy with the results, some of the Shia forces loyal to Iran have denounced what they called “fraud” and “manipulation” of the election results. The Al-Fatah Alliance, which includes the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) militias besides other pro-Iran factions, saw a significant decline of its representation in the new parliament, having been the second force in the outgoing chamber.
The movement remains, however, a key player in the Iraqi political scene. Its sway is buttressed by the fact it will continue to wield disproportionate influence with the armed militia force under its control. Analysts point out that the political game in Iraq is not confined to the corridors of parliament, as armed militias play an influential role in building or disbanding alliances.Preliminary results published by the High Electoral Commission showed that the Sadrist movement, led by Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, came to the fore with more than 70 seats in the 329-seat Parliament.
The coordination body of Shia forces, which includes in particular the Al-Fatah Alliance and the coalition of former Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi, said in a statement, “We announce that we intend to challenge the announced results and our rejection of them and we will take all available measures to prevent voter manipulation.”Hadi al-Amiri, head of the Al-Fatah Alliance, said, “We do not accept these fabricated results, at any cost and we will defend the votes of our candidates and the electorate with full force.”If the new results are confirmed, the Sadrist movement will have achieved remarkable progress over 2018 when its Sairoon Alliance garnered 54 seats. The results will give the movement priority in appointing the prime minister and holding a number of key portfolios, especially the ministries of interior, finance and oil. Despite its election proclamations of nationalism, independence and aversion to corruption, the Sadrist movement enjoys the support of Iran, which seeks to renew its means of control of the Iraqi political scene. In parallel, the defeated traditional faces allied to Iran are working to build a new alliance that brings together former Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, Hadi al-Amiri and Qais al-Khazali (head of Asaib Ahl al-Haq), in a frantic race to win Iran’s trust and support during the distribution of portfolios in the new government. Experts believe that the fragmentation of the new parliamentary landscape will lead to the absence of a clear majority which will compel blocs to form alliances in order to agree on a new prime minister.
The Rule of Law coalition headed by Maliki was able to achieve a breakthrough by garnering 37 seats in parliament, according to a coalition official. The Taqaddom party, led by Parliament Speaker Muhammad al-Halbousi, said that it had won “more than 40 seats.” Imtidad, a new political movement linked to the protest movement, gained ten seats, in particular from the southern governorates. In response to a question about the accusations of fraud made by pro-Iranian groups, the head of the European Union mission monitoring the electoral process, Viola von Cramon-Taubadel, said that “from our point of view, the process was well organised” and there is “no reason” for accusations of fraud. The elections, the fifth since the fall of Saddam Hussein’s regime in 2003 after the US invasion, witnessed an unprecedented boycott rate. The official turnout was put at 41 percent, which is not surprising in a country where the majority of the public rejects the failed political system. Despite the enormous oil wealth enjoyed by Iraq, one-third of the population lives in poverty, while corruption is rampant at all levels of the state.

US warns of ‘other options’ if diplomacy fails on Iran nuclear program
AFP/13 October ,2021
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned Wednesday that Washington had “other options” if diplomacy failed on Iran’s nuclear program, as his visiting Israeli counterpart said they reserved the right to use force. Blinken told reporters that he had hoped for the success of talks with Iran, but “the runway that we have left to do that is getting shorter and shorter.”Referencing Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid’s threat to use force, Blinken said without elaborating: “We are prepared to turn to other options if Iran doesn’t change course.” UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed who was also present at the meeting said the region did not want another Hezbollah in Yemen threatening Saudi Arabia’s borders, and “we do not want to repeat the experience of southern Lebanon in Yemen.”

Israel's New PM to Meet with Putin in Sochi, Russia
Associated Press
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett will for the first time as premier meet Russian President Vladimir Putin later this month, with Iran at the top of the agenda. Bennett will travel Oct. 22 to meet Putin in the seaside resort city of Sochi, Russia, to discuss political, security and economic issues, including the Iran nuclear program. Israel and Russia have long kept the diplomatic door open. The two countries operate a military hotline to coordinate air force operations over Syria to avoid clashes. Israel often attacks Iranian-linked targets in Syria, while Russia has provided support to the Syrian government. Russia also is one of the international parties that negotiated a 2015 nuclear deal with Iran. The deal fell apart after then-President Donald Trump withdrew in 2018. But the new U.S. administration is now trying to revive the deal with other international powers — a step that Israel opposes.
Bennett's predecessor, Benjamin Netanyahu, met many times with Putin.

Israel, UAE top diplomats join three-way talks in Washington
The Arab Weekly/October 13/2021
Concerns about Iran are expected to be high on the agenda after Biden’s overtures to Tehran bore little immediate fruit. The top diplomats from Israel and the United Arab Emirates are set to hold three-way talks in Washington Wednesday as President Joe Biden’s administration embraces and looks to expand a normalisation drive. Concerns about Iran, the spectre of which helped bring together Israel and Gulf states when they established relations last year as part of the Abraham Accords, are expected to be high on the agenda after Biden’s early diplomatic overtures to Tehran bore little immediate fruit.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will meet separately and together with Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid and his Emirati counterpart Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, following a similar virtual event last month.
Former president Donald Trump considered the so-called Abraham Accords to be a crowning achievement for his administration as the United Arab Emirates, followed shortly afterward by Bahrain and Morocco, became the first Arab states to normalise relations with Israel in decades.
Despite their myriad policy differences, the Biden team has given credit to the Trump administration over the Abraham Accords, dismissing criticism that normalisation ignores the plight of the Palestinians. Trump’s approach was also seen as transactional as he agreed to sell state-of-the-art fighter-jets to the UAE and recognise Morocco’s controversial claim over Western Sahara, moves that Biden has not changed.
Expanding cooperation
A senior State Department official said that the Abraham Accords can “help to achieve a more peaceful and prosperous Middle East.”“It’s not a substitute to a two-state solution. We hope that normalisation can be leveraged to advance progress on the Israeli-Palestinian track,” the official told reporters on condition of anonymity. He said the three nations will announce working groups to expand cooperation on energy and water, a scarce resource in the Middle East, as well as religious coexistence. Both Israel and the United Arab Emirates have boasted of dividends since signing their accord in the presence of Trump at the White House in September 2020. Israel has made progress in its long-term goal of ending its isolation in its near neighbourhood, while the United Arab Emirates has voiced hope at $1 trillion in new economic activity over the next decade through trade. The US official said the Biden administration was “actively working to expand” normalisation but declined to give specifics. Sudan, under heavy arm-twisting from Trump, said last year it would seek relations with Israel but has balked amid heavy pressure on the country’s fragile new civilian-backed government.
Quiet disagreement on Iran
Trump is not the only leader to exit since the Abraham Accords were signed. Israel’s veteran former right-wing Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, lost power despite the signature international win. Lapid, a centrist who crafted a coalition to unseat the divisive Netanyahu, and Prime Minister Naftali Bennett have kept many of the former government’s international priorities, including a pressure drive on Iran, whose nuclear programme has been hindered by a slew of sabotage attacks widely blamed on Israel. Calling for peaceful solutions, Biden has sought to rejoin a 2015 nuclear accord with Iran that was bitterly opposed by Israel and trashed by Trump, leading Tehran to revive contested nuclear work that it had wound down. Indirect US-Iran talks made no breakthrough before the election of a new hardline government in Tehran, which has yet to return to the negotiations in Vienna. In a meeting Tuesday with Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, Lapid called for “the need for an alternative plan to the nuclear agreement,” according to the Israeli embassy. But the new government has been mindful to keep disagreements more civil after Israel faced a heavy backlash from Biden’s Democratic Party when Netanyahu openly campaigned against former president Barack Obama’s diplomacy. “It does seem like there is this mutual recognition, between the US and our partners in the region, foremost among them Israel, that we are much better off tackling this problem together and keeping our disagreements behind closed doors,” said Michael Singh, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

UAE, Syria agree on plans to enhance economic cooperation
The Arab Weekly/October 13/2021
UAE moves mark a shift from the early years of the conflict when Syria was suspended from the Arab League.
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.

Turkey detains eight people, thwarting attempt to kidnap former Iranian soldier
The Associated Press, Ankara, Turkey/13 October ,2021
Turkish authorities have detained eight people, including two alleged Iranian agents, who attempted to abduct a former Iranian soldier back to Iran, Turkey’s state-run agency reported on Wednesday. The Anadolu Agency said the eight were caught in the eastern province of Van, which borders Iran, in a joint operation by Turkey’s police and intelligence agency on Sept. 24. A Turkish government official confirmed the arrests on Wednesday but did not elaborate. Anadolu said the Iranian agents were sent to Turkey with the purpose of creating a “network” that would kidnap and smuggle the soldier back to Iran. The group reportedly offered money to the soldier’s wife to help them kidnap him and threatened to harm family members in Iran if she refused. One of the alleged agents, identified by his initials S.S., was caught as he tried to enter the soldier’s home, Anadolu reported. The six other members of the alleged ring are Turkish citizens, according to the agency. Anadolu identified the soldier by his initials M.A. but did not provide further details. Last year, Turkish officials arrested 11 people suspected of helping Iranian agents smuggle an Iranian dissident back to Iran.

Putin says battle-hardened militants from Iraq and Syria entering Afghanistan
AFP/13 October ,2021
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday that battle-hardened militants from Iraq and Syria are “actively” entering Afghanistan. “The situation in Afghanistan is not easy,” Putin said during a video conference with security service chiefs of ex-Soviet states. “Militants from Iraq, Syria with experience in military operations are actively being drawn there,” he said. “It is possible that terrorists may try to destabilize the situation in neighboring states,” he added, warning that they could even try “direct expansion.”Putin has repeatedly warned about members of extremist groups exploiting political turmoil in Afghanistan to cross into neighboring ex-Soviet countries as refugees. While Moscow has been cautiously optimistic about the new Taliban leadership in Kabul, the Kremlin is concerned about instability spilling over into Central Asia where it houses military bases. In the wake of the Taliban takeover, Russia held military drills with ex-Soviet Tajikistan -- where it operates a military base -- and in Uzbekistan. Both countries share a border with Afghanistan. Tajikistan’s national security chief, Saimumin Yatimov, for his part told the video conference that he had registered an “intensification” of attempts to “smuggle drugs, weapons, ammunition” from Afghanistan into his country. Afghanistan has long been the world’s largest producer of opium and heroin, with profits from the illicit trade helping fund the Taliban.Earlier Wednesday, French President Emmanuel Macron hosted Tajikistan’s leader Emomali Rakhmon in Paris, vowing to help the Central Asian state maintain stability. While the Taliban has said it does not pose a threat to Central Asian countries, the ex-Soviet republics in the region have previously been targeted by attacks attributed to allies of Afghan militants. Last week the Kremlin’s envoy to Afghanistan, Zamir Kabulov, said Russia will invite the Taliban to Moscow for international talks on Afghanistan scheduled for October 20.

US demands end to Houthi militia siege in Marib
Arab News/October 13, 2021
RIYADH: The US on Wednesday demanded an end to the Houthi siege of Abedia to allow beleaguered civilians access to humanitarian aid. The Iran-backed militia has surrounded the district in the battleground Yemeni province of Marib for more than three weeks, denying 35,000 people access to food, drinking water, medicines and other essentials. Civilians in Abedia were suffering from what “looks to be encirclement,” a senior US official said at a briefing in Riyadh. “This is another example of one side pushing for a military solution and putting great pressure on the Yemeni people,” he said. “We call for this situation to be de-escalated and for humanitarian assistance to be able to flow into Abedia. “We regard the current Houthi offensive in Marib as contrary to the principle of de-escalation. We believe outsiders cannot impose any solution in Yemen. I want to build on UN efforts and those of neighboring countries to create the best climate for Yemenis to negotiate their own future.”The Houthis were an obstacle to peace, the official said. “How can a well-armed militia continue to operate inside Yemen and still contribute to a peace effort?” he said. “We believe, 100 percent, there is no military solution to this conflict.”He said the US was not interested in merely a ceasefire, but in a longterm solution. “A ceasefire is one step we want to see happen in order to turn the corner away from conflict and move toward peace and security.” He said all issues “can best be resolved when we get to a negotiating phase. Our efforts are really focused on bringing the sides together for dialogue.”He said the US administration put a high priority on resolving the Yemen conflict. “We know that we can’t do that by ourselves. We have to do that in partnership with the Kingdom,” he said. “And we have to do that in partnership with the government of Yemen and their other regional partners.”

Ransomed and Beaten: Migrants Face Abuse in Libyan Detention
Associated Press/October 13/2021
Osman Touré was crying from the pain of repeated beatings and torture as he dialed his brother's cellphone number. "I'm in prison in Libya," Touré said in that August 2017 call. "They will kill me if you don't pay 2,500 dinars in 24 hours." Within days, Touré's family transferred the roughly $550 demanded to secure his freedom from a government detention center in Libya. But Touré was not let go — instead, he was sold to a trafficker and kept enslaved for four more years.Touré is among tens of thousands of migrants who have endured torture, sexual violence and extortion at the hands of guards in detention centers in Libya, a major hub for migrants fleeing poverty and wars in Africa and the Middle East, hoping for a better life in Europe. The 25-year-old Guinean, along with two dozen other migrants, spoke to The Associated Press aboard the Geo Barents, a rescue vessel operated by the medical aid group Doctors without Borders in the Mediterranean off Libya. Most had been held in trafficking warehouses and government detention centers in western Libya over the past four years.
They were among 60 migrants who fled Libya on Sept. 19 in two unseaworthy boats and were rescued a day later by the Geo Barents.
The European Union has sent 455 million euros to Libya since 2015, largely channeled through U.N. agencies and aimed at beefing up Libya's coast guard, reinforcing its southern border and improving conditions for migrants. However, huge sums have been diverted to networks of militiamen and traffickers who exploit migrants, according to a 2019 AP investigation. Coast guard members are also complicit, turning migrants over to detention centers under deals with militias or demanding payoffs to let others go. Last week, U.N.-commissioned investigators said in a 32-page report that "policies meant to push migrants back to Libya to keep them away from European shores ultimately lead to abuses," including possible crimes against humanity. The migrants, mostly from sub-Saharan Africa, told the AP that detention center guards beat and tortured them, then extorted money from their relatives. Their bodies showed traces of old and recent injuries, and signs of bullet and knife wounds on their backs, legs, arms and faces.On paper, the detention centers are run by the Directorate for Combating Illegal Migration, overseen by the Interior Ministry and Libya's interim authorities, who took power earlier this year under U.N. auspices to carry out national elections by the end of the year. But on the ground, notorious militias remain in control, according to migrants and the U.N. investigators.
Spokespeople for Libya's government, the Interior Ministry, the directorate and the coast guard did not answer phone calls or respond to messages seeking comment. Touré began his migration attempt in March 2015. Traffickers held him captive for months twice, in Niger and Algeria, before he crossed into Libya in April 2017, he said. Four months later, Touré embarked from Libya, only to be intercepted by the coast guard and returned to Tripoli. At the port, he was taken to the al-Nasr Martyrs detention center in Zawiya. That's when the torture started. He described how guards would hang migrants upside down and whip their bare feet. His second week in prison, six guards approached him. One slapped him hard on his face. The rest kicked and beat him. Then he was handed a cellphone and ordered to call his family. Touré was taken from his cell three days after the phone call. He thought he would walk free. Instead, the guards sold him to a trafficker in Zawiya. He spent the next four years enslaved, working in the trafficker's warehouse. Finally his luck changed in September when the trafficker's wife persuaded her husband to set him free, he said. Within days he was on a small inflatable boat with 55 others attempting the Mediterranean crossing. Overladen, the boat did not make it far. Those onboard were rescued by the Geo Barents 48 nautical miles off Libya's coast. They were taken to Sicily, where Italian authorities permitted the rescue ship to dock on Sept. 27 and let the migrants apply for asylum. They could still be returned to their home countries if their requests are denied.
Touré and other migrants said there was racism behind their abuse in Libya. The U.N. report found the same — that Black sub-Saharan Africans were likely to be subjected to harsher treatment than others. "Libya isn't a safe place for Black Africans," Touré said.For some, particularly Arab migrants, the ordeal ended without detention, as long as they paid. Waleed, a Tunisian, told the AP he bribed guards four times at the Tripoli port and walked free. Mohammed, a Moroccan, also said he was released at port in 2020 by handing over 3,000 dinars ($660). Both men gave only their first names out of fear for the safety of family members still inside Libya. The Libyan coast guard has intercepted some 87,000 migrants in the Mediterranean since 2016, including about 26,300 so far this year, according to U.N. figures. But only about 10,000 are in detention centers, according to the U.N. migration agency, raising concerns that many are in the hands of criminal groups and traffickers, and others are dead. The U.N. report did not name suspects, saying more investigation is needed to determine who was culpable. But migrants and others inside Libya say the issue is clear cut: It's the militias and warlords who have become powerful government figures in many areas. The coastal town of Zawiya, where the al-Nasr Martyrs detention center is located, is controlled by the Nasr Martyrs militia, which have "the final word on all the town's security and military matters," said a former senior official at the Directorate for Combating Illegal Migration, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals. "It is a well-connected mafia with influence in each corner of the government," the official said.

The Latest The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on October 13-14/2021
Why Palestinians Prefer To Work In Israel
Khaled Abu Toameh/Gatestone Institute/October 13/2021
The fact that a large number of Palestinians are desperate to work in Israel is a sign of the failure of Hamas and the Palestinian Authority to improve the living conditions of their people despite the massive sums of money they receive from various sources, including the United States, European Union and United Nations.
Instead of holding Hamas responsible for what he called the "tragedy" in the Gaza Strip, al-Amsi and other Palestinians choose to blame Israel.
This view is in keeping with the longstanding habit of the Palestinian leadership to evade their responsibility for thievery and non-governance by blaming Israel for everything.
Many Palestinians and Arabs, however, are no longer buying this nonsense and know exactly who is trying to help and who has not done a thing to end their suffering.
"Thousands of Palestinians, including those with [academic] degrees, are fighting for a job in Israel. I guarantee you that if Israel announced that it wants workers from Algeria, they would cross the Sahara [Desert] on foot to work in Israel to escape the hell they are living in at home." — Hoda Jannat, Syrian journalist and political analyst, Twitter, October 7, 2021.
As has now become embarrassingly clear for all to see, Israel has become the only hope for the hungry workers in the Gaza Strip -- who have been abandoned not only by their leaders, but by the rest of their Arab brothers as well.
The fact that a large number of Palestinians are desperate to work in Israel is a sign of the failure of Hamas and the Palestinian Authority to improve the living conditions of their people despite the massive sums of money they receive from various sources, including the United States, European Union and United Nations. Pictured: Palestinian men in the northern Gaza Strip gather to apply for permits to work in Israel, on October 6, 2021.
Palestinians in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip are excited. Israeli authorities have decided to allow thousands of them to work in Israel. The news about the Israeli decision spread like wildfire, prompting tens of thousands of Palestinians to converge on the offices of the chambers of commerce throughout the Gaza Strip in the hope of obtaining a permit to work in Israel.
The scenes of Palestinian scrambling to receive permits to work in Israel have angered and embarrassed many Palestinians and Arabs, many of whom believe that Palestinian leaders are not doing enough to end the suffering of the Palestinians.
The fact that a large number of Palestinians are desperate to work in Israel is a sign of the failure of Hamas and the Palestinian Authority to improve the living conditions of their people despite the massive sums of money they receive from various sources, including the United, European Union and United Nations.
Instead of providing job opportunities to the young people and university graduates, Hamas, an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood organization, has been preoccupied with amassing and manufacturing weapons and digging tunnels that would be used to attack Israel.
Instead of building schools and hospitals and industrial zones, Hamas has been investing millions of dollars in arming and training its military group, Izaddin al-Qassam. Hamas prefers to spend money on any Palestinian who is prepared to join the jihad (holy war) on Israel than on an unemployed university graduate in the Gaza Strip.
Hamas has no problem allowing Palestinians to work in the "Zionist entity" as long as its leaders are enjoying a luxurious life in Qatar.
The only problem Hamas and its supporters have is when photos and videos of the desperate job-seekers appear on various social media platforms. Hamas and its supporters are so embarrassed that they are now beginning to float around conspiracy theories regarding those behind the documentation of the Palestinians who rushed to apply for permits to work in Israel.
The head of the General Federation of Palestinian Trade Unions, Sami al-Amsi, said that "there are certain parties that are not innocent" behind the lines of thousands of workers in front of the chambers of commerce in the Gaza Strip. He is apparently trying to create the impression that anti-Palestinian parties sent the thousands of workers to apply for jobs in order to embarrass the Palestinians.
The dire economic situation in the Gaza Strip -- 65% unemployment and 80% poverty -- was the main reason, al-Amsi said, for the Palestinians' "thirst" to work in Israel.
Instead of holding Hamas responsible for the unemployment and poverty, al-Amsi and other Palestinians choose to blame Israel.
This view is in keeping with the longstanding habit of the Palestinian leadership to evade their responsibility for thievery and non-governance by blaming Israel for everything.
Many Palestinians and Arabs, however, are no longer buying this nonsense and know exactly who is trying to help and who has not done a thing to end their suffering. A Saudi activist, Ibn al-Arab, commented on Twitter:
"The Muslim Brotherhood folks [Hamas] in the Gaza Strip were always cursing Saudi Arabia, even though the kingdom donated a billion dollars for the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip. Today, they want to become workers for the occupation. The [Palestinians] are a people without dignity. I deeply regret supporting the Palestinians in the past."
Palestinian writer Lina Ibrahim wrote that the scenes of the Palestinians applying for permits to work in Israel "expose the shame" Hamas has brought to the Gaza Strip. In addition to the high rate of unemployment and human rights violations, she said, "young people are unable to get married because of Hamas's violation of their basic right to work in the Gaza Strip."
Syrian journalist and political analyst Hoda Jannat posted a photo of the Palestinians at one of the registration offices along with the following comment:
"This is the Gaza Chamber of Commerce. Thousands of Palestinians, including those with [academic] degrees, are fighting for a job in Israel. I guarantee you that if Israel announced that it wants workers from Algeria, they would cross the Sahara [Desert] on foot to work in Israel to escape the hell they are living in at home."
Another Saudi activist, Al-Hamoodi4, remarked:
"The Gaza Strip needs to be liberated from the Hamas gang. The truth is being revealed to the world. Workers from the Gaza Strip express their joy at the issuance of work permits in Israel. The rate of unemployment has reached 50%, most of them young people. One of them said that after he heard the news [that Israel was accepting workers], he couldn't sleep all night."
Yaseen Izeddeen, a Palestinian activist from the Gaza Strip, however, wrote that the scenes of thousands of Palestinians applying for jobs in Israel were "unacceptable."
"How will we liberate our land while when we go to sweep the streets of the settlers, wash their underwear and build their settlements? I was expecting Hamas to ask the [Palestinian] workers in the West Bank to stop working in Israel, and not allow permits for the people in the Gaza Strip!"
Interviews with some of the poor job-seekers revealed the sad reality of living under Hamas.
"For the past 15 years, we have not worked, no income," said one worker.
"In the Gaza Strip, there is no work, no life, I have children who are taller than me and I cannot get them married," remarked another worker.
An official in the Chamber of Commerce in Gaza City, who preferred not to be named, said that on the first day of registration more than 10,000 people applied for permits to work in Israel. He expected the number to double in the coming days. Thousands of others have applied in other registration centers in different parts of the Gaza Strip.
The Palestinian Authority, headed by Mahmoud Abbas, also bears responsibility for what many describe as the economic and humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip. Four years ago, Abbas imposed a series of sanctions on the Gaza Strip in the hope that the Palestinians there would revolt against Hamas. He cut off the salaries of thousands of civil servants and halted financial aid to many impoverished families. He also contributed to the increase in the rate of unemployment by firing many civil servants.
Repeated appeals by Hamas and other Palestinians to lift the sanctions have been ignored by Abbas and others in the international community. As far as many international parties are concerned, why hold Abbas and the Palestinian Authority responsible for their crimes when you can conveniently pass the blame onto Israel?
The desperate Palestinians who are now lining up to work in Israel are the victims of failed Palestinian leaders. They are the victims of the corruption and incompetence of the Palestinian Authority and Hamas.
These Palestinians are also the victims of the ongoing conflict between the two rival parties, a conflict that has left the Palestinians with two separate mini-states in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Palestinian leaders who are inciting violence against Israel on a daily basis have no problem begging Israel to allow Palestinians to work in Israel.
One final question: Where is the responsibility of the Arab countries towards their Palestinian brothers? Why isn't Egypt, for example, opening up its shared border with the Gaza Strip to allow Palestinians to come and work in Egypt? Why don't the Arab governments allow the Palestinians, who are knocking on Israel's door for help, to go and work in Arab countries?
There is, sadly, only one answer: The Arabs want the Palestinians to remain Israel's problem. If Palestinian leaders could not care less about their own people, why would any Arab ruler step up?
As has now become clear for all to see, Israel has become the only hope for the hungry workers in the Gaza Strip -- who have been abandoned not only by their leaders, but by the rest of their Arab brothers as well.
*Khaled Abu Toameh is an award-winning journalist based in Jerusalem.
© 2021 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.

Refugees becoming a tool to settle geopolitical scores
Mohamed Chebaro/Arab News/October 13, 2021
It seems that the issue of migration will remain a constant in the UK government’s post-Brexit bluster, as well as being an EU-wide headache.
Every day, more migrants seem to be reaching British shores, despite the increased interception efforts and measures to turn back boats on both sides of the English Channel. Some 1,115 undocumented migrants landed in Britain over just two days last week. The rising numbers of Channel crossings by migrants in small boats is contributing to growing tensions between the UK and France following the former’s departure from the EU. On Saturday, British authorities said their forces had recovered 491 people in 17 operations, after they recovered 624 migrants in 23 such operations the previous day. The French managed to turn back 414 people over the same two days.
After promising to take back control of the country’s borders following Brexit, Britain's ruling Conservative Party has proposed legislation to overhaul asylum rules. But it does not seem that stricter jail terms for people smugglers and, controversially, for migrants that arrive in the country illegally has succeeded in stopping the flow this year, with about 17,000 having crossed the Channel so far in 2021 — double the number that arrived last year.
The latest less-than-cordial exchanges between Paris and London regarding the many issues that have surfaced in the post-Brexit era, such as migrants, fishing rights, threats to cut the power supply to the island of Jersey, and the tripartite AUKUS alliance, have not helped matters, to the point that the French recently called for a UK-EU treaty to manage migration.
The France-UK problems are not unique in the world today, as migration is increasingly being used as a political pressure tool. For example, 2015 saw what became known as the European refugee crisis, when hundreds of thousands of mostly Syrian refugees crossed into the EU from Turkey. This continued until Brussels agreed to pay the Turks to curb the flow. Meanwhile, the Libyan conflict that started in 2011 has opened Southern Mediterranean waters to thousands of economic and non-economic migrants fleeing Africa, crossing to Italy in small boats en route to Northern Europe and the UK.
The newest such route is from Belarus, with record numbers of Middle Eastern migrants and refugees being allowed to cross its borders with Poland and Lithuania en route to other European countries. This is apparently part of a strategic response by Minsk to the EU sanctions imposed on the country as a result of its poor human rights record and its violent clampdown on protests and political activists after last year’s controversial election, which kept President Alexander Lukashenko in power.
So it is not strange to hear calls for new treaties to govern the inflow of refugees, or for nations to call for funds to help with the cost of beefing up their police presence to prevent migrant crossings. Some countries have introduced initiatives to train and arm coast guard units to stem such flows, while others have built border walls. Some states have turned a blind eye to the matter as a means of exerting pressure on neighboring countries or their political enemies.
Clearly, the issue of migration is becoming an increasingly burdensome matter that is testing the champions of tolerance and inclusiveness in the Western world, while also proving to be a useful tool if weaponized to serve states or non-state entities. People's movement from the Global South to the Global North has never stopped and has, over the years, taken various shapes, from those fleeing curbs on freedoms to those fleeing military conflicts or civil strife and those dreaming of a better life somewhere else.
Net migration figures toward Western countries have always been on the increase and have helped those countries make up for having aging populations. What has changed recently, however, is the weaponization of the issue.
Many nations in the Western world have used migration and refugees as a ticket in their electioneering narratives. Migrant arrivals, asylum seeker numbers and economic refugees have been winning elections for some and making others lose power, yet the problem remains and, if anything, is becoming even more complex.Some states have turned a blind eye to the matter as a means of exerting pressure on neighboring countries or their political enemies.
UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi last week slammed countries for what he termed as the externalization and politicization of migration issues, from North America to Australia and through Europe. He said this was a betrayal of UN conventions and an abdication of states’ responsibility to help those dispossessed and in need of shelter. He also singled out Hungary, which has vowed to “protect its borders” and asked the EU to stop the flow of arrivals — a call for action that contradicts EU values and spirit of solidarity.
Grandi, though, failed to expand and tell us how refugee issues have increasingly been weaponized by non-Western states too, and how states in the EU should, for example, respond to a belligerent Belarus and its efforts to openly funnel refugees from Syria and Iraq and maybe soon Afghanistan to Western Europe in an attempt to coerce, blackmail and respond to what it believes is an unfairly applied sanctions regime.
Refugees, asylum seekers and economic migrants are tools in the power games of nations in our divided world. The erosion of diplomacy and multilateral mechanisms of state control have left a vacuum that could take our world in a direction that all would regret.
*Mohamed Chebaro is a British-Lebanese journalist with more than 25 years’ experience covering war, terrorism, defense, current affairs and diplomacy. He is also a media consultant and trainer.
Disclaimer: Views expressed by writers in this section are their own and do not necessarily reflect Arab News' point-of-view
Some states have turned a blind eye to the matter as a means of exerting pressure on neighboring countries or their political enemies.
UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi last week slammed countries for what he termed as the externalization and politicization of migration issues, from North America to Australia and through Europe. He said this was a betrayal of UN conventions and an abdication of states’ responsibility to help those dispossessed and in need of shelter. He also singled out Hungary, which has vowed to “protect its borders” and asked the EU to stop the flow of arrivals — a call for action that contradicts EU values and spirit of solidarity.
Grandi, though, failed to expand and tell us how refugee issues have increasingly been weaponized by non-Western states too, and how states in the EU should, for example, respond to a belligerent Belarus and its efforts to openly funnel refugees from Syria and Iraq and maybe soon Afghanistan to Western Europe in an attempt to coerce, blackmail and respond to what it believes is an unfairly applied sanctions regime. Refugees, asylum seekers and economic migrants are tools in the power games of nations in our divided world. The erosion of diplomacy and multilateral mechanisms of state control have left a vacuum that could take our world in a direction that all would regret.
*Mohamed Chebaro is a British-Lebanese journalist with more than 25 years’ experience covering war, terrorism, defense, current affairs and diplomacy. He is also a media consultant and trainer.

France’s relationship with former Maghrebi colonies hits rock bottom
Peter Allen/Arab News/October 13, 2021
Strip many reactionary immigration policies down to their most basic level and they can be summarized by the words: “Send them back.” You hear them being chanted at populist rallies across the world, as baying crowds call for those who do not conform to their xenophobic citizenship standards to be kicked out of the country.Variations are certainly popular in France at the moment, where nationalistic sentiment is as high as ever. Whether supporters of far-right movements such as the National Rally or simply racists with no political affiliation, rabble-rousers continually call for those who can trace their heritage to foreign shores to return there.What was particularly chilling this month, however, was listening to government spokesman Gabriel Attal admit that visas were being denied to Algerians, Moroccans and Tunisians because not enough of their compatriots were being deported. The claim from Attal — once viewed as a restrained centrist — was that too many people were already in France illegally, so even those with legitimate reasons to travel should be denied entry.
“It is a drastic decision, an unprecedented decision, but it is a decision made necessary by the fact that these countries do not agree to take back nationals that we do not want and cannot keep in France,” said Attal, who is one of President Emmanuel Macron’s closest lieutenants.
Such a policy would cause great concern under any circumstances, but the fact that it applies to France’s former colonies in North Africa is particularly alarming. The Maghreb is an area of the world associated not just with Islam and the Arab world, but with years of ruthless exploitation by the West.
Algerians, in particular, suffered incalculable damage at the hands of French imperialists, who used weapons — including napalm and poison gas — to exterminate huge swathes of the population. Many others were tortured or otherwise defiled, as their land was stolen so as to be turned into profitable estates for European settlers, who were as renowned for their brutality as their greed.
Under such circumstances, it is unsurprising that Algeria — which finally won its independence from France following a savage eight-year war that ended in 1962 — reacted with fury to the latest provocation by its former colonizer.
In remarks made privately, Macron also rubbished the current “political-military system” in Algeria. He claimed that the country’s turbulent history had been “totally rewritten” and based “on a discourse of hatred toward France.” He even suggested that Algeria was not a proper nation state before the French arrived.It all adds up to Macron expressing a classic postcolonial attitude — one that evokes nostalgia for the old days, when Gallic administrators were in charge, and not officials drawn from the indigenous population.
In turn, Algeria called its ambassador back from Paris, while a government spokesman in Algiers raised France’s “countless colonial crimes in Algeria that correspond to genocide and (crimes) against humanity.”
The spokesman said Macron’s comments amounted to “inadmissible interference” in Algerian affairs and were an “intolerable affront” to those who died fighting colonialism. Algeria has also banned French military planes from its airspace, which France uses to reach the Sahel region of Africa, where it is battling extremist militias.
France does not compile statistics based on ethnic origin, but there is a massive Algerian, Moroccan and Tunisian diaspora in the country, and members still complain about prejudice and discrimination in all aspects of their lives. Cutting the number of visas available to those who include their family, friends and business contacts from the Maghreb will cause untold difficulties.Macron appears to move further to the right every day as he approaches the April 2022 election.Agenda-led bigots are using the visa cuts to spread collective guilt around law-abiding Maghrebi communities by saying they have too many links to radicalized criminals and other misfits to be truly French. Macron certainly appears to move further to the right every day as he approaches the April 2022 election, when he hopes to win a second five-year term, and expulsion orders go down well with certain constituencies.
There is no doubt that he wants to win over National Rally supporters who currently vote for its presidential candidate, Marine Le Pen, who was runner-up in 2017. This is an obvious motive for the visa cuts by Macron and indeed for the poisonous claims he has been making about Algeria.
Macron has been trying to calm matters down, saying “appeasement” is important and “life is about talking about disagreements and sharing them.” Few would disagree but, despite pledges to the contrary, he has still not apologized for many of the colonial crimes committed by France in the Maghreb. Such negligence undoubtedly makes disagreements over any issues appear a whole lot worse.
*Peter Allen is a British journalist based in Paris. Twitter: @peterallenparis