English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For October 15/2020
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news

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http://eliasbejjaninews.com/aaaanewsfor2021/english.october15.21.htm

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Bible Quotations For today
There will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who need no repentance
Luke/01/01-07: “All the tax-collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him.And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, ‘This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.’So he told them this parable: ‘Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it? When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders and rejoices. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbours, saying to them, “Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.” Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who need no repentance.”

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on October 14-15/2021
Beirut shooting: Day of mourning declared for six killed in protest clashes
Iran-backed Hezbollah accused the Christian Lebanese Forces party of firing at demonstrators
Six killed, 32 injured in firefight in the heart of Beirut/Hezbollah protests investigation into Beirut Port explosion, leading to violence.
6 Dead, 30 Hurt in Armed Clashes in Tayyouneh during Anti-Bitar Protest
Health Ministry: Six dead, 32 wounded in Tayouneh events
President Aoun: It is not acceptable for weapons to return as language of communication between Lebanese
President Aoun receives Army Commander
President Aoun meets UN High Commissioner for Refugees
Mikati receives Nuland
Army: Nine arrested in Tayouneh
Berri receives condolence cables from President Aoun, Jumblatt
Wronecka expresses deep concern over outbreak of violence in parts of Beirut
France deeply concerned over recent violence in Beirut: Foreign Ministry
British Ambassador tweets: Violent confrontation not in Lebanon’s interests
Geagea condemns Tayouneh events
Lebanese Forces rejects accusations by Hezbollah, Amal
Hezbollah, Amal Movement in joint statement: Groups from Lebanese Forces behind armed attack on protesters in Tayouneh
U.S. Urges 'De-Escalation of Tensions' in Lebanon
France 'Deeply Concerned' by Lebanon Unrest, Urges 'De-Escalation'
Hizbullah, Amal Slam 'Lebanese Forces Snipers', LF Accuses Them of 'Invasion'
Aoun, Miqati Follow up on Tayyouneh Clashes as Central Security Council Convenes
Tayyouneh Violence: Year of Chaos since Huge Explosion
Tarek Bitar, Lebanon's Judge with a Grudge
US boosts support to Lebanese army as Beirut violence overshadows diplomat's visit/Joyce Karam/The National/October 14/2021
U.N. Special Coordinator Voices 'Deep Concern' over Tayyouneh Unrest
Beirut clash: Hezbollah a victim of its own ‘resistance’ success - analysis/Seth J. Frantzman/Jerusalem Post/October 14/2021
Hezbollah claims Lebanese Forces party behind sniper attacks on protesters
Lebanon gov't on brink of collapse - what is Hezbollah's role? - analysis/Tzvi Joffre/Jerusalem Post/October 13/2021
Former Lebanese MP Mustapha Allouch: Hizbullah Was Founded Upon Destruction, Lacks Ideas About The Economy, The Future; The People Whom We Confront Are Superior In Science, Production, Arts, Other Fields/MEMRI/October 13/2021
Is Finlandization the way to save Lebanon?/Khaled Abou Zahr/Arab News/October 14/2021

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on October 14-15/2021
Biden to have audience with Pope Francis during trip to Rome
US committed to the defense of Saudi Arabia: Blinken
Israel Says Palestinian Car-Ramming Wounds Paramilitary
U.S. Does Not Support Normalization of Relations with Syria
Syria Reports Israel Airstrikes on Central Province of Homs
Palestinians: 250 Prisoners Held by Israel on Hunger Strike
Tunisia’s President Saied revokes predecessor’s passport

Titles For The Latest The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on October 14-15/2021
Germany: Cologne Mosques to Begin Outdoor Broadcasting of Muslim Call to Prayer/Soeren Kern/Gatestone Institute/October 14/ 2021
Why the real threat to Iranian regime lies within/Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Arab News/October 14/2021
Iraqi elections were competitive and ‘surprisingly’ well-managed, observers say/Sarah Glubb/Arab News/October 15/202

The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on October 14-15/2021
Beirut shooting: Day of mourning declared for six killed in protest clashes
Iran-backed Hezbollah accused the Christian Lebanese Forces party of firing at demonstrators
Aya Iskandarani, Gareth Browne/The National/October 14/2021
Lebanon will observe a day of mourning on Friday for the lives of six people who died during clashes in Beirut on Thursday, Prime Minister Najib Mikati said. Unknown assailants killed six people and injured at least 32 others, Lebanon’s Health Ministry said, when shootings began before a Hezbollah-led protest near the Justice Palace to demand the removal of the judge investigating last year's port blast. A woman who was struck by a stray bullet in her home in south-east Beirut was among the victims. The clashes involved snipers, pistols, Kalashnikovs, hand grenades and rocket-propelled grenades.
By evening, calm had largely fallen.
Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah and its ally, the Amal movement, accused the Christian Lebanese Forces (LF) party of carrying out the attacks on their supporters. The violence signals growing unrest in Lebanon after powerful politicians spent the past year fighting judges investigating the Beirut blast probe amid a severe economic meltdown. The LF denounced the accusation and demanded a thorough investigation into the incident, the state-run National News Agency reported. The protesters "were subjected to an armed assault by groups from the Lebanese Forces party" stationed on nearby rooftops, Hezbollah and Amal said. Snipers were used to deliberately kill, they said. Lebanese Forces' leader Samir Geagea denounced the incident and blamed it on the proliferation of weapons in the country. “The main reason behind these events is the uncontrolled and widespread weapons that threaten citizens at all times and places,” he said. "I call on the president, the prime minister and the interior and defence ministries to launch thorough and accurate investigations to identify who's responsible for what happened today in the capital."The Lebanese army was out in numbers in Tayouneh, Badaro, Cheyah and Ain al Remaneh districts in an attempt to restore calm and order to the streets. However, the clashes continued for hours until they stopped in the early evening.
Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi confirmed that snipers were active at the site of the clashes.
"The first shots fired at the protesters were by snipers since they were aimed at the heads," he said. "This is a very dangerous sign. All the martyrs may be from one side and this might lead to possible reactions. I see it as an attack on the nation."Prime Minister Mikati declared a day of mourning on Friday for the lives lost. "Lebanon is going through a difficult phase," Mr Mikati said in an interview. "We are like a patient in front of the emergency room. "We have a lot of stages after that to complete recovery." President Michel Aoun said the violence was a "painful and unacceptable scene, regardless of the causes and culprits," and said the events raised chilling memories of the deadly civil war from 1975-1990. The conflict killed an estimated 150,000 and left thousands more missing. The militias involved then still play a major role in Lebanese public life today.
“It is not acceptable for weapons to return as a means of communication between Lebanese parties, because we have all agreed to turn over this dark page in our. In the past week, Hezbollah and its allies have intensified a campaign for the removal of Judge Tarek Bitar from the investigation into the Beirut blast after he issued a warrant for the arrest of Ali Hassan Khalil, a former Amal finance minister, who failed to appear after a summons this week. Men mostly dressed in black burned images of Mr Bitar in the streets, while a pick-up truck blasted chants calling the judge an “American traitor” after he summoned several politicians who are aligned with the group for interrogation. “Sure they may be corrupt, but I am sure they have nothing to do with the Beirut blast,” Ihab Hamie, 32, told The National as he waved a banner condemning Mr Bitar. People ran for cover and students in nearby schools hid under their chairs as shots and ambulance sirens could be heard in a live broadcast by Lebanon's Al Jadeed TV. A resident of the Ain el Remmene district, close to the area where the clashes happened, said he and his family were “very scared”.After two hours of hearing the exchange of gunfire, Marc, 37, decided to leave his apartment with his parents and his sister. He said most people had also left the area. “We decided to leave because my sister had a panic attack,” he told The National. "We were very scared."
A court earlier on Thursday ruled that Mr Bitar could resume his investigation into the August explosion that killed more than 200 people. The Tayouneh area is located on the border between Christian and Shiite districts of Beirut, and was a front line in the civil war. It is on the way from the predominantly Shiite southern suburbs of Beirut to the Justice Palace, where the protest was due to take place. Hezbollah has accused Mr Bitar of conducting a politicised probe focused only on certain people.
*'The National' reporter caught in crossfire in Beirut

Six killed, 32 injured in firefight in the heart of Beirut/Hezbollah protests investigation into Beirut Port explosion, leading to violence.
Tzvi Joffre/Jerusalem Post/October 14/2021
At least six people were killed and 32 wounded in Beirut on Thursday as shots were fired during a protest by Hezbollah supporters against Tarek Bitar, the judge investigating the Beirut Port blast, as tensions surrounding the case continue to rise.
As of Thursday evening, the Lebanese Army had succeeded in returning calm to the streets and the security situation had improved.
The shooting reportedly began in the Tayouneh area where it meets Ain El Remmaneh and Chiyah, a site famous for sectarian clashes during the 1975 civil war in Lebanon, as it marked the border between east and west Beirut.
Hezbollah and the Lebanese Army reported on Thursday that the shooting targeted the protesters. However, shortly after the shooting began, Hezbollah and Amal supporters could be seen firing toward buildings in the areas with automatic weapons and RPGs, raising questions whether the supporters who had claimed to be peaceful had come to the protest armed.
Eyewitnesses told MTV Lebanon news on Thursday evening that a number of young men came to Ain El Remmaneh through a small side street and began chanting Shi’ite slogans. They then started speaking with young men from the area and a fistfight broke out, leading up to one of the young men from the area bringing a Kalashnikov rifle and shooting toward the Shi’ite men, who rushed to bring weapons from their vehicles. The clash expanded throughout the neighborhood leading to the intensive clashes that lasted hours.
The eyewitnesses questioned why, if the protest was meant to be peaceful, the protesters had hundreds of weapons on hand, including RPGs. The eyewitnesses also claimed that the Hezbollah supporters deliberately entered the Ain El Remmaneh area to cause a provocation, comparing the incident to the May 7 violence that nearly sparked a civil war in 2008.
The Lebanese Army announced on Thursday evening that a firefight broke out in the area as protesters headed to the Palais de Justice, leading to casualties. The army immediately reinforced its deployment in the area and conducted searches for the shooters, arresting nine people from both sides, including one Syrian citizen. Investigations have begun with the detainees supervised by the judiciary.
“The army command made contacts with the concerned parties on both sides to contain the situation and prevent a slide toward sedition, and the command reiterated its zero tolerance with any armed forces, while army units continue to deploy in the area to prevent renewed clashes,” the Lebanese Army announced.
Video from the clashes showed gunmen hiding behind cars and garbage cans while firing at buildings and unseen targets. Unarmed civilians could be seen in the area of the clashes.
Many residents who live in the area where the clashes broke out fled due to concerns of escalating tensions and damage. Much material damage was caused in the fighting on Thursday.
Prime Minister Najib Mikati has called for calm and urged the Lebanese people not to be drawn into sedition.
Lebanese Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi stressed that the fact that people were shot in the head by snipers is inadmissible, adding that all government agencies are doing their part to arrest the perpetrators and bring them to justice. Mawlawi stated as well that the organizers of the protest had confirmed to the ministry that it would be peaceful and called the shooting a “crime.”
Hezbollah and its ally, the Amal movement, accused the Christian Lebanese Forces movement, headed by Samir Gaegea, a strong opponent of Hezbollah, of sniping protesters from the rooftops on Thursday, with the intent to kill, saying the attackers intended to drag Lebanon into “sedition.”
The two Shi’ite movements called on their supporters for calm, and on the army and security forces to restore the peace. Hezbollah and Amal called for the arrest and punishment of the perpetrators and those who instigated the violence, adding that their names are already known.
The Lebanese Forces denied the claims by Hezbollah, saying the shooting was because of incitement caused by Hezbollah’s leaders against Bitar, and that the claims were an attempt to divert attention from Hezbollah’s invasion into the area.
The movement pointed out that Hezbollah operatives were clearly seen in many videos entering safe neighborhoods with automatic weapons, and stated that the shooting was an attempt to use violence and intimidation to overthrow the investigation into the port explosion.
Despite the calls by Hezbollah for calm, video shared on social media showed multiple convoys of Hezbollah operatives reportedly heading to Beirut with heavy weapons, raising concerns that the violence could escalate.
Later on Thursday afternoon, Gaegea condemned the shooting, saying: “The main reason for these events is the uncontrolled and widespread weapons that threaten citizens at all times and places.”
The Lebanese Forces leader called on the Lebanese government to conduct a “full and thorough investigations” to determine who was responsible for the shooting. “Civil peace is the only wealth left for us in Lebanon... but this requires all of us to cooperate to reach it,” said Gaegea.
Christian officials made multiple statements on Thursday stressing that the “free people of Lebanon” would not allow Hezbollah to force Bitar out of his position, although many of the officials have clarified that they would not use violence to do so.
Michel Moawad, a resigned Christian MP and son of assassinated Lebanese president René Moawad, told MTV Lebanon on Thursday afternoon that Hezbollah’s behavior was “extremely impudent and provocative” and warned the movement not to “even dare to think that it can frighten us with its rifles and RPGs.”
“We want to continue the battle in the street to confront those who want to destroy Lebanon’s sovereignty and entity, and destroy the judiciary, its independence and civil peace,” Moawad added.
According to the Hezbollah-affiliated Al-Manar news, the protest that had been planned for the morning was meant to “reject the politicization of the investigations into the crime of the Beirut Port explosion, and to denounce the decisions of Judge Tarek Bitar and the American intervention.”
President Michel Aoun stressed that the shooting was “a painful and unacceptable scene, regardless of the reasons and causes.” Aoun expressed his condolences to the families of the victims.
“It is not acceptable for the weapon to return as a language of communication between the Lebanese parties, because we all agreed to turn this dark page of our history,” said Aoun, stressing that the state must be the only valid authority dealing with problems and disputes.
The president stressed that the Council of Ministers must convene quickly in order to find a solution. Aoun added: “Contacts were made with the concerned parties to address what happened, and most importantly to prevent it from happening again, knowing that we will not allow it to happen under any circumstances.”
The Council of Ministers had been set to meet on Wednesday in order to discuss the demands by Hezbollah to remove Bitar from the port blast investigation, but the meeting was postponed indefinitely, reportedly due to an inability to reach an agreement about what to do with the judge.
Aoun confirmed that security forces will protect security, stability and civil peace and warned that the government would “not allow anyone to take the country hostage to their own interests or accounts.”
The president said security forces and the judicial system would follow up on the clashes and that he would ensure the investigation reaches the truth of what happened.
“I assure the Lebanese that the clock will not turn back,” said Aoun. “We are going toward a solution, not toward a crisis. I, in cooperation with the prime minister and the speaker of parliament, will not tolerate and will not surrender to any fait accompli whose goal could be sedition, which all Lebanese reject.”
The incident comes amid heightened concerns of sectarian violence as Hezbollah and its allies obstruct Bitar’s investigation, alleging that the judge is biased and working for political purposes.
Lebanese newspapers on Thursday morning largely featured headlines warning of the collapse of the government and violence in the streets.
A Lebanese court on Thursday dismissed the latest legal complaint brought against the lead investigator of the Beirut Port blast probe, allowing him to resume work, a judicial source and court documents showed.
Lebanese MP Ali Hassan Khalil, an ally of Hezbollah, had filed the complaint after Bitar issued an arrest warrant against him in order to question him regarding the blast.
Khalil told Al-Mayadeen TV on Tuesday that Bitar’s investigation “is unlawful and surpasses many of the protocols that must be followed.” The MP additionally claimed that the judge had met with a foreign delegation minutes after issuing the arrest warrant for Khalil – implying influence by foreign powers.
Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah attacked Bitar on Monday, saying the judge is using the case for political goals and that he does not want to reach the truth about the explosion. Nasrallah also questioned why Bitar questioned only certain ministers and not others.
The MP warned there would be a “political escalation, and perhaps [an escalation] of another kind,” adding, “all possibilities are open,” including taking to the streets.
Khalil claimed the investigation may be part of a regional and internal plan to try to “change balances,” and that he had information indicating the investigation has a goal for a certain political group “at the behest of external parties.” On Wednesday, Hassan Fadlallah, a Hezbollah-affiliated MP, outright accused the US of interfering in the investigation.
Sources from Hezbollah and the Marada Movement told the Lebanese Al-Jadeed TV news that Bitar was preparing to accuse Hezbollah directly of responsibility for the explosion. The sources added that if Bitar is not removed, they will leave the government.
Gaegea called on the “free people of Lebanon” to prepare for a peaceful general strike if Bitar’s opponents attempt to impose their will by force. While Gaegea stressed his statement was not a threat, he added he would never accept a “certain reality” being imposed by force.
The families of the blast victims have warned against replacing or intimidating Bitar, “no matter how high the threat level,” telling officials to “keep [their] hands off the judiciary.”
Former MP Mustapha Allouch warned on Wednesday, in an interview with Voice of Lebanon, that an international investigation is needed, and that the current situation is repeating that of the assassination of former prime minister Rafik Hariri, as Hezbollah feels the threads of the investigation pointing at it.
Reuters contributed to this report.

6 Dead, 30 Hurt in Armed Clashes in Tayyouneh during Anti-Bitar Protest
Agence France Presse/October 14/2021
Heavy fighting claimed at least six lives and left dozens wounded in and around the Tayyouneh area on Thursday as an escalation of tensions around last year's massive portside explosion turned parts of Beirut's southern edge into a war-zone. The army deployed tanks and troops to quell street battles that sparked memories of the 1975-1990 civil war for a city already traumatized by last year's blast disaster and Lebanon's worst-ever economic crisis. Bullets smashed into houses, while panicked civilians cowered indoors as the sound of gunfire and grenade blasts mixed with the wail of ambulance sirens for more than three hours. The bloody unrest broke out during a demonstration by Hizbullah and Amal Movement. Online videos showed armed supporters of the two groups roaming the area. Another video showed a large number of Hizbullah and Amal supporters entering into a street in the Ain el-Rummaneh area, shouting slogans, hurling stones at a small group of young men and smashing cars. A witness from Ain el-Rummaneh said the group responded with stones before the armed clashes began. The protesters were rallying against Judge Tarek Bitar, tasked with investigating the massive explosion of poorly stored ammonium nitrate at Beirut's port that killed more than 210 people and destroyed swathes of the capital on August 4 last year. The judge had in recent days been in the sights of Hizbullah and Amal after he subpoenaed top officials in his probe. AFP correspondents said Thursday's violence started with sniper fire from residential buildings targeting the Hizbullah and Amal supporters, who returned fire with AK-47 assault rifles and rocket-propelled grenades. President Michel Aoun called for calm in a televised speech late Thursday. "Weapons cannot return as a means of communication between Lebanese parties, because we all agreed to turn this dark page of our history," he said in reference to the civil war. He said political leaders were "heading towards a solution" out of the crisis.
Arrests on both sides -
The army said it had responded to an exchange of gunfire in the Tayyouneh- Badaro area as protesters headed to the Palace of Justice.
It "raided a number of places looking for the shooters, and detained nine" people in total, including individuals from both sides. One was of Syrian nationality, it said. The military did not specify who started the firefight.
Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi said the "exchange started with sniper fire, with the first casualty shot in the head." He said at least six people were killed, all by gunfire, without specifying who fired the shots.
Among those killed was a 24-year-old who was hit in the head by a stray bullet inside her home, a doctor at Beirut's Sahel hospital told AFP.
Amal said three of its members had died while taking part in a "peaceful protest."The health ministry said 32 people were wounded.
Heavy fire rang out as ambulances rushed the wounded through the deserted streets, a few blocks from the Palace of Justice. Hizbullah and Amal blamed the Lebanese Forces, a Christian party that is staunchly opposed to Hizbullah, charging in a joint statement that the opposing side had "fired sniper shots with the aim to kill."The Lebanese Forces denied involvement.
- 'Horrific' -
Political analyst Karim Bitar voiced concern about more trouble ahead.
"Hizbullah taking to the streets and throwing all its weight in this battle... could lead to big clashes and to the destabilization of the entire country," he warned. In the chaos, a limp body lying on a main street was carried away by rescuers as gunfire rained down around them.
Pictures shared on social media showed school children ducking under school desks. Maha Yahya, director of the Carnegie Middle East Center, called the violence "a horrific reminder of unhealed wounds" from the civil war. The man at the center of the tensions, Tarek Bitar, is seen as a last hope for justice by many Lebanese but has been condemned as biased and corrupt by political leaders. He has sparked deep divisions within the government between those who want to keep him and those who want him dismissed. The protesters Thursday torched portraits of Tarek Bitar but also of U.S. ambassador Dorothy Shea, charging that the judge is colluding with Washington, on the day senior American diplomat Victoria Nuland was visiting Lebanon. Washington called for "de-escalation", and said "the future of Lebanon's democracy depends on the ability of its citizens to address the difficult issues... with confidence in the rule of law."U.N. envoy to Lebanon Joanna Wronecka meanwhile urged "all sides to support judicial independence in the interest of the people." The Court of Cassation on Thursday turned down a lawsuit filed by two ex-ministers demanding the judge's replacement, a court official told AFP on condition of anonymity. But the investigator's fate is all but clear as Hizbullah and Amal press ahead with a campaign aimed at removing him.

Health Ministry: Six dead, 32 wounded in Tayouneh events
NNA/October 14/2021
The death toll in the security events that erupted in Tayouneh has climbed to six while the number of wounded individuals is at 32, the Ministry of Public Health announced Thursday.

President Aoun: It is not acceptable for weapons to return as language of communication between Lebanese
NNA/October 14/2021
President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun, on Thursday delivered a speech assuring the Lebanese that "the clock will not turn back, and we are going towards a solution and not towards a crisis," stressing that "in cooperation with the Prime Minister and the Speaker of Parliament, we will not tolerate and will not surrender to any attempt that could be aimed at sedition, rejected by all Lebanese. President Aoun's words came during the speech he addressed to the Lebanese this evening, through the various media, following the security events that took place in the Tayouneh area from before noon until early afternoon.
And while the President of the Republic considered that "what we witnessed today is painful and unacceptable, regardless of the causes and causes," he affirmed, "It is not acceptable for arms to return as a language of communication between the Lebanese parties, because we all agreed to turn this dark page from our history," noting that The rule of law and institutions that everyone has agreed to, and which guarantees freedoms, especially freedom of expression, “must be the only one, through its institutions, the only valid reference for dealing with any problem, dispute or objection.”
It is the only valid and sole reference for dealing with any problem, dispute or objection.—Presidency Press Office

President Aoun receives Army Commander
NNA/October 14/2021
President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun, met Army Commander, General Joseph Aoun, this afternoon at the Presidential Palace. The Army Commander briefed the President on the details of the security events that took place today in Tayouneh, and the measures taken by the Army to cease fire and restore security and stability to the region. General Aoun also briefed President Aoun on the ongoing investigations to reveal the reasons for what happened and the parties behind it. ----Presidency Press Office

President Aoun meets UN High Commissioner for Refugees
NNA/October 14/2021
President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun, received United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Mr. Filippo Grandi, today at Baabda Palace. President Aoun called on Grandi to work to secure the conditions for the return of the displaced Syrians to their country and to help Lebanon in this direction, especially since the Lebanese government has prepared a plan for this purpose. The President also considered that it is important to start encouraging the achievement of this return, especially with the presence of safe Syrian areas.
In addition, the President considered that more than 10 years after the beginning of the Syrian crisis, the international community must look in a different way at the effects of the Syrian war on neighboring countries, especially Lebanon, and its negative repercussions. President Aoun also pointed out that “Lebanon has suffered many negative repercussions as a result of the displacement of Syrians to its lands, which has affected its economy and financial situation”.
“These repercussions accumulated to several unprecedented crises which Lebanon had faced, make it impossible to continue bearing the enormous burden of Syrian displacement” President Aoun added.
Finally, the President called on international organizations to provide aid to the displaced upon their return to Syria, “Because this would encourage the achievement of this return”. For his part, Mr. Grandi praised Lebanon’s sacrifices to take care of the affairs of the displaced Syrians, and pointed to the work being done by the UNHCR to help solve this difficult problem, promising to redouble the work even more to provide confidence for the safe return of the displaced. Grandi also stated the projects prepared by the UNHCR, and noted that his next visit to Syria will be devoted to discuss how to help the return of the displaced after providing them with necessary guarantees. Finally, Grandi confirmed that the UNHCR is also in coordination with the World Bank to finance aid programs for countries hosting displaced people, including Lebanon. ---Presidency Press Office

Mikati receives Nuland
NNA - Prime Minister Najib Mikati welcomed, at the Grand Serail on Thursday, US Deputy Secretary of State Victoria Nuland, accompanied by Ambassador Dorothy Shea and a delegation. Talks reportedly touched on the current general situation in Lebanon and the broader region, in addition to the Lebanese-U.S. relations.

Army: Nine arrested in Tayouneh
NNA/October 14/2021
The Lebanese army announced, in a statement on Thursday, that nine individuals including a Syrian national were arrested over the trade of fire that took place in Tayouneh today.
"On 14/10/2021, as protesters were en route to Adliyeh area to observe a sit-in, a clash broke out and fire was exchanged in the region of Tayouneh-Badaro, killing and wounding many citizens," the statement read. "The army raided several locations in search for shooters and arrested nine individuals from both sides, including a Syrian," it added.

Berri receives condolence cables from President Aoun, Jumblatt
NNA/October 14/2021
House Speaker Nabih Berri on Thursday received cables from President Michel Aoun, Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblatt, and other political and spiritual leaders, who offered condolences on the martyrs who fell in Tayouneh today.

Wronecka expresses deep concern over outbreak of violence in parts of Beirut
NNA/October 14/2021
The UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon Ms. Joanna Wronecka expressed her deep concern over the outbreaks of violence that took place in parts of Beirut today and resulted in several deaths and injuries. Condemning the use of armed violence outside of state authority, she underscored the need for restraint, for maintaining calm and stability and ensuring the protection of civilians. Noting the dangerous increase in polarization in the context of the Beirut port explosion investigation, the Special Coordinator underscored the utmost responsibility of Lebanon’s leaders to place the interests of the country first at this critical juncture. "Lifting Lebanon out of its current crisis and moving forward on reforms requires the efficient functioning of the state’s legislative, executive and judicial institutions" she said. "Now is the time for all sides to support judicial independence in the interest of the people," she added. The Special Coordinator reiterated the UN’s unwavering support for Lebanon and its people.

France deeply concerned over recent violence in Beirut: Foreign Ministry
NNA/October 14/2021
France is deeply concerned over the recent hindering of the smooth running of the investigation into the Beirut port blast that took place on August 4, 2020, and the violence that has occurred in this context, spokesperson of the French Foreign Ministry said in a statement distributed by the French Embassy in Beirut. "France calls on all parties for de-escalation," the Ministry added.

British Ambassador tweets: Violent confrontation not in Lebanon’s interests
NNA/October 14/2021
British Ambassador to Lebanon, Ian Collard, tweeted on today’s incidents, saying: “Alarming events in Beirut today. Troubling to see impact on children and families. Violent confrontation not in Lebanon’s interests. Call for restraint from all sides."

Geagea condemns Tayouneh events
NNA/October 14/2021
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea condemned, in a tweet on Thursday, the events the erupted in the Beirut are of Tayouneh, and called for preserving civil peace. "Civil peace is the only remaining wealth," he tweeted, calling for cooperation to protect it."I condemn the events that took place in Beirut," he wrote. "The main cause of these developments lies in the presence of uncontrolled and rampant weapons that threaten the citizens at any time and in any place," he said.

Lebanese Forces rejects accusations by Hezbollah, Amal
NNA/October 14/2021
The Lebanese Forces on Thursday rejected accusations made by Hezbollah and Amal Movement that held the party responsible for the security events that broke out in Tayouneh today and the intentional killing of civilians. In a statement, the LF said the root to today's events was Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasarllah's incitement against Beirut port blast investigator, judge Tarek Bitar. "Accusing the Lebanese Forces is refused, and it aims to deviate attention from Hezbollah's invasion of this region," the statement read.

Hezbollah, Amal Movement in joint statement: Groups from Lebanese Forces behind armed attack on protesters in Tayouneh
NNA/October 14/2021
Hezbollah and Amal Movement accused groups affiliated to the Lebanese Forces party of standing behind the armed attack on protesters who were heading to the Justice Palace in Tayouneh on Thursday.
"Within the frame of civilized and peaceful expression of a clear political position from the course of the investigation into the port crime, we organized today a symbolic demonstration outside the Justice Palace in Beirut, where participants were subject to an armed attack by groups from the Lebanese Forces party that deployed in neighboring streets and on rooftops, and engaged in direct sniping activity and intentional killing," Hezbollah and Amal said in a joint statement. Both parties urged the military and security forces to shoulder their responsibility, restore order, and arrest the culprits.

U.S. Urges 'De-Escalation of Tensions' in Lebanon
Agence France Presse/October 14/2021
The United States on Thursday urged an easing of tensions in Lebanon after deadly violence in a Beirut suburb sparked fears of a return to sectarian strife. "We join Lebanese authorities in their call for calm, their calls for a de-escalation of tensions," State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters. At least six people were killed and 32 others wounded after gunfire erupted during a demonstration by Hizbullah and Amal Movement, who were rallying against a judge investigating a massive blast last year at the Beirut port. The United States declined comment on who was responsible but reiterated its criticism of Hizbullah, an Iranian-backed group which Washington considers a "terrorist" group. "The future of Lebanon's democracy depends on the ability of its citizens to address the difficult issues with confidence in the rule of law," Price said. "Judges must be free from violence. They must be free of threats. They must be free of intimidation, including that of Hizbullah," he said. Hizbullah and Amal blamed the Lebanese Forces party and accused it of deploying "snipers" on rooftops.

France 'Deeply Concerned' by Lebanon Unrest, Urges 'De-Escalation'
Agence France Presse/October 14/2021
France on Thursday expressed concern over the deadly unrest that erupted in Lebanon over the investigation into last year's Beirut port blast and urged all parties to calm the situation. "France is deeply concerned over the recent hindering of the smooth running of the investigation... and the violence that has occurred in this context. France calls on all parties to bring about a de-escalation," the foreign ministry said in a statement. According to the authorities, at least six people were killed in clashes on Thursday and 32 were injured, all of them by gunfire. The clashes erupted after a demonstration organized by Hizbullah and Amal Movement against the lead investigator into the blast turned violent. Judge Tarek Bitar has in recent days been in the sights of Hizbullah and Amal, particularly for insisting on subpoenaing top officials in his probe. The French statement said that the "Lebanese judiciary must be able to work independently and impartially within the framework of this investigation, without hindrance, and with the full support of the Lebanese authorities.""The Lebanese people are waiting for full light to be shed on the port explosion. They have a right to the truth." The explosion on August 4, 2020, killed more than 200 people and destroyed large swathes of the capital.

Hizbullah, Amal Slam 'Lebanese Forces Snipers', LF Accuses Them of 'Invasion'
Naharnet/October 14/2021
Hizbullah and Amal on Thursday openly accused the Lebanese Forces of launching an “armed attack” on their supporters in the Tayyouneh area, which had during the day witnessed hours-long armed clashes reminiscent of the beginning of the 1975-1990 civil war.
In a joint statement, the two parties said “groups from the Lebanese Forces party deployed in the adjacent neighborhoods and on rooftops from where they practiced direct sniping operations aimed at intentional killing, leaving this number of martyrs and wounded.”
At least six people were killed and 32 others injured in the violence. Condemning what they called “a criminal and premeditated act targeted at stability and civil peace,” Hizbullah and Amal called on the army and security forces to “shoulder their responsibilities in returning things to normal and arresting those behind the killing operations who are known by their names, as well as the instigators who oversaw this deliberate operation from black rooms.” “They must be put on trial and must receive the harshest penalties,” the two groups said. They also pledged to the families of their slain supporters that they would “follow up on their cause until justice is fulfilled.” The LF meanwhile denied the accusations, calling on authorities to “specify the responsibilities in a clear and frank manner.” “We strongly condemn the regrettable incidents that happened today on the ground, which are a practical result of the polarization that (Hizbullah chief) Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah started four months ago by inciting, in all his speeches, against the investigative judge,” the LF added. “All media outlets and the videos circulated on social media confirm the armed appearances with RPGs and machineguns and the entry into civilian neighborhoods,” the party went on to say, in an accusation against the supporters of Hizbullah and Amal. It added that the allegations against the LF are aimed at “deviating attention from Hizbullah’s invasion of this area and, in previous instances, of other areas.”“What happened today is known to everyone, which is confronting justice through the same coup-like approach, and the use of arms, intimidation, violence and force to derail justice in the case of the Beirut port explosion,” the LF added. In another statement, it called on the army to issue a detailed statement to “clarify the circumstances of what happened, from the very first moment, so that some, especially Hizbullah, do not continue to exploit these tragic incidents to launch accusations in every direction in order to exit the dilemma they has put themselves in.”

Aoun, Miqati Follow up on Tayyouneh Clashes as Central Security Council Convenes
Naharnet/October 14/2021
President Michel Aoun has made calls to follow up on the developments of the Tayyouneh clashes “in order to address the situation and take the necessary action to restore calm to the region,” the Presidency said Thursday. Aoun called Prime Minister Najib Miqati, ministers of defense and interior Maurice Slim and Bassam Mawlawi, and Army Commander General Joseph Aoun. Prime Minister Najib Miqati also called Joseph Aoun, Slim and Mawlawi and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri to follow up on the situation. He called on everyone to calm down and “not be dragged into civil strife for any reason.” Miqati also requested an emergency meeting of the Central Internal Security Council to discuss the situation. The Security Council later convened at 1:00 pm, headed by the minister of interior.

Tayyouneh Violence: Year of Chaos since Huge Explosion
Agence France Presse/October 14/2021
With gun battles breaking out in Tayyouneh Thursday during a protest against Judge Tarek Bitar, AFP looks at how the apocalyptic blast that devastated the port of Beirut last year has rocked the country.
- Devastation -
On August 4, 2020, one of the world's biggest ever non-nuclear explosions destroys much of Beirut's port and wrecks swathes of the capital.
The blast was caused by a fire in a warehouse which had held a vast stockpile of the industrial chemical ammonium nitrate for six years.
The huge explosion leaves more than 200 people dead and 6,500 injured and the city in a state of shock. The tragedy strikes as Lebanon is mired in what the IMF later calls one of the world's worst economic crisis in 150 years. A plummeting currency, massive layoffs and drastic banking restrictions impoverish large parts of the population.
- 'Deep changes' needed -
International aid begins to arrive and on August 6 French President Emmanuel Macron walks through the devastated Gemmayzeh neighborhood. His visit is praised by many Lebanese angry at their own leaders, whom they accuse of corruption and incompetence. Macron calls for "deep changes" but the next day President Michel Aoun rejects any international probe into the disaster.
- Public anger -
On August 8, thousands demonstrate, angry at their leaders over the explosion. Clashes with security forces erupt. The next day, the international community pledges around $300 million in aid but demands it be directly distributed to the population and that a transparent probe into the blast is carried out.
- People 'betrayed' -
On August 10, prime minister Hassan Diab resigns amid further demonstrations. At the end of the month, diplomat Mustafa Adib is named as Lebanon's new premier. But on September 26, after weeks of political deadlock, Adib bows out. Macron says he is "ashamed" of Lebanese leaders who he claims have "betrayed" their people.
- Hariri back -
On October 22, three-time prime minister Saad Hariri is nominated again, promising a government of experts to stop the economic collapse.
Diab continues as caretaker PM. On December 2, at a second aid conference, Macron urges Lebanese politicians to form a government.
- Diab charged -
Just over a week later the lead investigator into the explosion charges Diab and three ex-ministers with negligence. But the probe is soon suspended, and a court removes the investigator in February. In June, rights groups including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch call for a U.N. investigation into the blast.
- 'Immunity' -
In early July, the new judge investigating the blast says he has summoned Diab and taken steps towards indicting former ministers and security officials. Parliament says it needs more evidence before it waives immunity for three former ministers who are also lawmakers, a position that the lead investigator rejects. On July 15, Hariri steps down, unable to form a government. Billionaire Najib Miqati, Lebanon's richest man -- already twice premier -- manages to form a new government on September 10 after a 13-month vacuum.
- Deadly protest -
But the new government has been shaken by demands from the powerful Shiite group Hizbullah for the judge investigating the blast, Tarek Bitar, to be removed. He was forced to suspend his probe on Tuesday after the former ministers he had summoned on suspicion of negligence filed lawsuits against him. One of them, ex-minister Ali Hassan Khalil of the Amal Movement, threatened "political escalation." Amal and Hizbullah called Thursday's rally which ended in violence, with their supporters marching on the Palace of Justice to demand the judge's sacking.

Tarek Bitar, Lebanon's Judge with a Grudge
Agence France Presse/October 14/2021
Tarek Bitar, the young and discreet judge investigating last year's devastating Beirut port explosion, is arguably the most exposed man in the country. By daring to take on some of Lebanon's untouchable political barons, he has landed himself at the center of a battle of wills that is bringing the country to the brink once again. To some of those seeking truth and justice after the deadly port blast, the 47-year-old is a white knight fighting a desperate and lonely battle against a corrupt and criminal elite. For part of the establishment and its supporters, Bitar is politically biased and the biggest threat to the status quo since a wave of protests against the ruling class in 2019. For the relatives of the 215 people who were killed when a huge consignment of haphazardly stored fertilizer exploded on August 4 last year, Bitar is the only hope. "He is conscientious and bold at the same time. These are essential qualities for a judge," says Yousef Lahoud, one of the lawyers representing the victims' families. His determination will be tested more than ever after a demonstration for his removal Thursday by supporters of Amal and Hizbullah degenerated into deadly violence and scenes reminiscent of the 1975-1990 civil war. The man handling the biggest case since former prime minister Rafik Hariri's 2005 assassination is a little known figure who never talks to the press or even appears in public. The virulent hate campaign launched against him in recent days only has a couple of pictures of him available for social media trolls to share on social media or party muscle to torch in street protests.
- 'Incorruptible' -
Bitar has rocked the boat by summoning top politicians from a range of political parties for questioning, and even going as far as issuing an arrest warrant when one failed to show up. Former finance minister and senior lawmaker from the Amal Movement, Ali Hassan Khalil, lashed out after the arrest warrant against him, threatening a "political escalation" if the course of the investigation "was not rectified."The group's ally, Hizbullah, is also a prominent critic calling for his dismissal.
Hizbullah has accused Bitar of political bias and Washington of "interference" in the investigation. The two groups' supporters, at an anti-Bitar protest that escalated into deadly clashes Thursday, burned images of U.S. ambassador Dorothy Shea, alongside Bitar's. But the judge's supporters say he is independent and has managed to position himself outside a political system of patronage under which parties bank on sectarian allegiance to get their way. "He has no known political affiliation," said a person close to him who agreed to speak on the condition of anonymity. "That's why politicians have a problem with Bitar -- they have no means to pressure him."The politicians he is pursuing accuse him of being outspoken about the fact that the time has come to change the political class. Throughout his career, the judge from the north of Lebanon has managed to forge himself a reputation as an "upright and incorruptible" member of the judiciary, even to his detractors.
- No receptions, no favors -
Confident, some say to the point of arrogance, he keeps to himself.
"When he was named to lead the investigation, people struggled to find a picture of him," the person close to the judge said.
A stern character who is dedicated to his mission, he is rarely seen smiling.
He declines invitations to dinner, receptions and all other social occasions for fear of being perceived as being swayed one way or the other.
"He doesn't even accept phone calls from people who want to ask him for a favor," they said. Even some of his colleagues eye this "strange phenomenon" of a judge with suspicion, and claim a more experienced one should have been appointed for such a sensitive probe. "People are disturbed by his audacity. He's something no one has seen before at the Palace of Justice," the same source said. He lives in a modest apartment in the north of Beirut with his wife, a pharmacist, and their two children, who are now guarded by soldiers. After graduating with a degree in law from the Lebanese University, he started his career in north Lebanon, where he established himself as an independent magistrate, before going on to head the Beirut Criminal Court. Among the cases he oversaw there was the controversial case of Ella Tannous, a little girl who had to have all her limbs amputated due to medical malpractice. Last year, he condemned two private Beirut hospitals and two doctors to pay a huge fine to her family, a decision that outraged medical staff and triggered a strike.

US boosts support to Lebanese army as Beirut violence overshadows diplomat's visit
Joyce Karam/The National/October 14/2021
US Undersecretary of State Victoria Nuland decried the 'terrorists and thieves' hijacking the lives of the Lebanese people
A top US State Department official announced on Thursday an additional $67 million in aid for the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) during a visit to Beirut that was overshadowed by deadly clashes in the capital. Undersecretary of State Victoria Nuland, the number-three official at the State Department, led a delegation on a one-day visit to meet Lebanese President Michel Aoun, Prime Minister Najib Mikati and Speaker of the House Nabih Berri. “I'm pleased to announce an additional $67 million in new US support for the Lebanese army, bringing our total of support this year to $187 million," Ms Nuland told a press conference at the end of her visit. The head of the LAF Joseph Aoun is scheduled to visit Washington at the end of the month, The National has learned. The State Department said Ms Nuland also met with representatives of the Lebanese civil society. Ms Nuland's visit came as armed clashes broke out in Beirut during a Hezbollah-led protest against the investigation into last year's massive port explosion. She re-emphasised the importance of US security support for Lebanon. “We join the Lebanese authorities in their call for calm and de-escalation of tensions," she said.
"The health and future of Lebanon's democracy depends on the ability of its citizens to address the difficult issues ahead for their country, peacefully and through dialogue and with confidence in the rule of law."
She also highlighted US support for an independent judiciary in Lebanon and the investigation into the port explosion led by prosecutor Tarek Bitar. Hezbollah has attacked Mr Bitar for requesting subpoenas of figures loyal to the militant group.
“A clean, impartial independent judiciary is the guarantor of all the rights... the Lebanese people deserve no less, and the victims and families of those lost in the port blast deserve no less,” Ms Nuland said. Without mentioning Hezbollah by name, she said “terrorists and thieves" have for too long deprived people.
"After years of suffering all Lebanese deserve better,” she said. The US designated Hezbollah as a foreign terrorist organisation in 1997.
Asked about recent Iranian fuel shipments to Hezbollah in response to fuel shortages, she called it a “publicity stunt," with Iran offering "a bunch of trucks full of dirty stuff that is not sustainable for the Lebanese people."Her Beirut meetings discussed a US-backed plan to help ship fuel and gas from Egypt and Jordan to Lebanon via Syria, International Monetary Fund talks, and the maritime dispute with Israel. “We also urge prudence and accountability in the use of Lebanon's more than a billion dollars in IMF Special Drawing Rights. This money belongs to the Lebanese people and must be used for their benefit,” Ms Nuland said. She underscored the importance of Lebanon holding free and fair elections next year. Randa Slim, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, saw Beirut's security situation as an alarming sign for Washington.
“Ms Nuland witnessed today a bad scenario that Lebanon could descend into, but it also confirmed the need for the US to continue with their policy of supporting the LAF,” Ms Slim told The National. But beyond military support, humanitarian assistance for Lebanese and Syrian refugees, and mediating the maritime negotiations between Lebanon and Israel, Ms Slim saw it as unlikely the Biden administration would get more involved in Beirut. “They will continue outsourcing the Lebanese file to the French and regional countries that retain interest and influence in Lebanon,” she said.

U.N. Special Coordinator Voices 'Deep Concern' over Tayyouneh Unrest
Naharnet /October 14/2021
U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon Joanna Wronecka expressed "deep concern" Thursday over the outbreaks of violence that took place in and around Tayyouneh and resulted in several deaths and injuries. Condemning the "use of armed violence outside of state authority," she underscored the need for restraint and for maintaining calm and stability and ensuring the protection of civilians. Noting the "dangerous" increase in polarization in the context of the Beirut port explosion investigation, the Special Coordinator underscored "the utmost responsibility of Lebanon’s leaders to place the interests of the country first at this critical juncture."“Lifting Lebanon out of its current crisis and moving forward on reforms requires the efficient functioning of the state’s legislative, executive and judicial institutions,” she said. “Now is the time for all sides to support judicial independence in the interest of the people,” she added. The Special Coordinator also reiterated the U.N.'s "unwavering support for Lebanon and its people."

Beirut clash: Hezbollah a victim of its own ‘resistance’ success - analysis
Seth J. Frantzman/Jerusalem Post/October 14/2021
What was once a “resistance” movement popular among parts of the Shi’ite population has come to dominate Lebanon.
Gunfire targeted Hezbollah members in Beirut on Thursday, during their protest designed to prevent an investigation into last year’s Beirut Port disaster. Hezbollah’s goal was to cement its control of Lebanon, where it already has secured allies in the presidency, and to create a parallel communications network and infiltrate other state structures. Hezbollah’s goal – 16 years after it murdered former prime minister Rafik Hariri in its first bid for control of the country – was to flex its muscles and get judge Tarek Bitar removed.
It appears that the gunman had other plans for today. Hezbollah is now a victim of its own success. What was once a “resistance” movement that was popular among a segment of the historically marginalized Shi’ite population has come to dominate Lebanon.
This is not because Hezbollah is so large – it has only a few seats in parliament. Instead, Hezbollah has an incredible mafia-like success because it maintains its own paramilitary state, its own phone network, its own financial system, it imports fuel, and has sent fighters abroad to wage war and conduct Lebanon’s foreign policy. Hezbollah is so powerful and global that it is stronger than the state. As such, it occupies Lebanon, using classic Iranian tactics for building up parallel institutions, bankrupting the state and turning it into a branch of the Hezbollah militia terrorist movement.
But Hezbollah is also a victim of this “success,” because if you are too powerful, then you become the target of “resistance.”It is no longer in Hezbollah’s interest to have destabilization and chaos in Lebanon, because now it is part of the – if not the – state structure. While Hezbollah wants to make the state a parasite and bankrupt it, it also does not want the kind of factionalism that dominated Lebanon during the civil war period, from 1975 to 1989. Now that it is close to power, Hezbollah wants to have a monopoly on that power, which means it does not want other militias operating in the country.
The gunmen who shot at Hezbollah and its Shi’ite allies among the Amal movement seem to be resisting Hezbollah’s machinations. This is not the first time these kinds of clashes have occurred. In 2008, Hezbollah defeated opponents in armed street battles and clashes so that Hezbollah could maintain its parallel communications network.
Each time a state structure has tried to challenge Hezbollah’s power and impunity, the organization takes advantage of the crisis. This time the judge had issued warrants for officials linked to Amal. Hezbollah could not allow that. Hezbollah had previously made sure that no warrants were issued for its members in the wake of the murder of Hariri. It assassinated writers, commentators, politicians, experts and officials.
Hezbollah members appeared to have brought arms to the protest as well, perhaps prepared in advance for this eventuality. Lebanon also has an army that has been deployed. By late afternoon, reports said five or six people had been killed.
This incident appears similar to another incident in August, when Hezbollah mourners also came under fire, and several Hezbollah members were killed. Those clashes were apparently between Hezbollah and a local Sunni tribe. Here again, Hezbollah was a victim of its own power because instead of it being the lawless group, it was now being targeted by an armed group. Although the army was deployed in Beirut in the wake of the clashes, reports from the ground showed random shooting and even RPGs being fired at buildings. Both Hezbollah and Amal members were armed. This shows how Lebanon is a powder keg, and that many small arms are held by people in the country. Many Hezbollah gunmen appeared to be mobilized in Beirut, according to videos. Members of parliament called for the army to be deployed to stop the “militia” violence. But it still remained unclear who started the violence. In the end, although it shows that Hezbollah has enemies who are willing to take potshots at it, the group’s overall drive for power in Lebanon is almost complete. It has bankrupted the country. It killed a former prime minister. It has a parallel communications network. It has a huge arsenal of missiles, drones and other weapons. It has killed critics such as Lokman Slim. It likely killed author Samir Kassir, as well as Pierre Amine Gemayel, George Hawi, and Wissam Eid, the investigator of the 2005 killing of Hariri. Now Hezbollah seeks to remove a judge investigating last year’s Beirut explosion.
The violence on October 14 will be another small turning point in Lebanon’s descent into complete control by Hezbollah.

Hezbollah claims Lebanese Forces party behind sniper attacks on protesters
Reuters, AFP/14 October ,2021
Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah group claims that protesters from its group and the Amal movement had been attacked by gunmen from the Lebanese Forces. Hezbollah said snipers had shot from the tops of buildings intending to kill people. Gunfire echoed in the capital for several hours and ambulances, sirens wailing, rushed to pick up casualties. Snipers shot from buildings. Bullets penetrated apartment windows in the area. Four projectiles fell near a private French school, Freres of Furn el Chebbak, causing panic, a security official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the press. The students huddled in the central corridors with the windows open to avoid major impact, in scenes reminiscent of the 1975-90 civil war. Smoke covered the neighborhood where intense gunfire was relentless. A car caught fire, while a blaze was reported in a lower floor where residents were stuck and called for help. Haneen Chemaly, a resident of Furn el-Chebbak and mother of a 6-month old girl, said she first moved to the corridor before running to the shelter because the sound of gunfire was terrifying from her 10th-floor apartment.
“I did it for my child,” she said. “I don’t know what is happening. I can just hear the sound of gunfire.”The violence unfolded while US Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland was in town, meeting with Lebanese officials. Her schedule was slightly thrown off by the action on the streets. The demands for Bitar’s removal and calls for protest upset many who considered it blatant intervention in the work of the judiciary.
The right wing Christian Lebanese Forces mobilized supporters Wednesday evening after Hezbollah and Amal called for the protest at the Justice Palace, located in a Christian area. Videos circulating on social media showed supporters of the Christian Lebanese Forces marching in the streets, carrying large crosses. A journalist with The Associated Press saw a man open fire with a pistol during Thursday’s protest, as well as gunmen shooting in the direction of protesters from the balcony of a building. Several men fell immediately from the gunfire and bled on the street. The army deployed heavily and sent patrols to the area to search for the gunmen, following the exchanges of gunfire between the Muslim and Christian sides of the capital. A staffer at the emergency room at al-Sahel hospital said they received three bodies and 15 people who were injured. One of the dead, a woman, had received a bullet to her head. Two of the 15 injured were in critical condition. In a statement, Prime Minister Najib Mikati appealed for calm and urged people “not to be dragged into civil strife.” The probe centers on hundreds of tons of ammonium nitrates that had been improperly stored at a port warehouse that detonated on August 4, 2020, killing at least 215 people, injuring thousands and destroying parts of nearby neighborhoods. It was one of the largest non-nuclear explosions in history and has further devastated the country already roiled by political divisions and unprecedented economic and financial meltdown.
Bitar is the second judge to lead the complicated investigation - his predecessor was removed following legal challenges. Now Bitar has come up against formidable opposition from the powerful Hezbollah group and its allies who accuse him of singling out politicians for questioning, most of them allied with Hezbollah. None of Hezbollah’s officials have so far been charged in the 14-month-old investigation. Sporadic shooting continued even after army troops deployed to the area Thursday. Residents and civilians in the area were ducking to avoid the shooting. Someone screamed: “Some martyrs on the ground!” People pulled one man who was apparently shot and down, away from the line of fire. Others pulled another body away. In some videos circulating online, some men were chatting: “Shia Shia” on the streets, as residents were running from the gunfire.
The tensions over the port blast add to Lebanon’s enormous multiple troubles, including an unprecedented economic and financial meltdown, an energy crisis leading to extended electricity blackouts, hyperinflation and soaring poverty. Chemaly said said there was no electricity for her to follow on TV what was going on. So she knew nothing of the situation on the ground and opted for safety. After spending some time in the shelter, she moved to the first floor to stay with her neighbors away from the fire.
“I know there was so much mobilization from the night before, all predicting that a war would erupt,” Chemaly, who heads a local NGOs that provides social services. Civil war erupting “is the last card they have to use. They have (driven) us into bankruptcy, devastation and now they are scaring us with the specter of civil war.”The armed clash could derail the country’s month-old government of Prime Minister Najib Mikati even before it begins tackling Lebanon’s economic meltdown. A Cabinet meeting was canceled Wednesday after Hezbollah demanded urgent government action against the judge. One Hezbollah-allied minister said he and other Cabinet members would stage a walkout if Bitar isn’t removed.

Lebanon gov't on brink of collapse - what is Hezbollah's role? - analysis
Tzvi Joffre/Jerusalem Post/October 13/2021
In order to understand why Hezbollah may be hesitant for an investigation into the Beirut port blast to progress, it's important to understand the background of the explosion itself.
Tensions have spiked in Lebanon as Justice Tarek Bitar, who is leading the investigation into the 2020 Beirut Port blast, issues charges and warrants against a number of high-ranking officials, including Hezbollah allies.
What is driving the tensions and what is Hezbollah’s role in the matter?
Bitar is the second judge to run the judicial investigation into the explosion, in which more than 200 people were killed and thousands wounded after a large amount of ammonium nitrate improperly stored at the port caught fire and detonated in one of the largest nonnuclear explosions in human history.
The first judge, Fadi Sawan, was removed from the case on charges of “legitimate suspicion” over his neutrality, due to the fact his home was damaged in the blast. Sawan was removed after a request from two of the officials he charged, MP Ali Hassan Khalil and MP Ghazi Zaiter, both Hezbollah allies.
Bitar followed in Sawan’s footsteps and issued charges against a number of officials, including Khalil, Zaiter, former public works minister Youssef Fenianos, and former prime minister Hassan Diab, among others. Most have refused to show up for questioning.
The case has already been suspended three times under Bitar due to allegations of bias filed by the charged officials, with the latest suspension coming on Tuesday.
IN ORDER to understand why Hezbollah may be hesitant for an investigation to progress, it’s important to understand the background of the explosion itself.
The ammonium nitrate in question was carried by the Rhosus, whose declared destination was Mozambique. Investigative journalist Feras Hatoum found the ship was owned by a shell company linked to Syrian-Russian businessmen sanctioned by the US for acting on behalf of the Syrian government. At least until shortly before it arrived in Beirut, the ship was owned by an individual linked to a bank accused of dealing with Hezbollah and the Syrian government.
When the ship arrived, it was deemed at risk of sinking, and the chemicals were removed and stored at the port in an unsafe way.
Human Rights Watch found that multiple Lebanese officials were, at minimum, criminally negligent in their handling of the weapons-grade ammonium nitrate. The report found some officials foresaw the deadly risks and accepted them. Officials also repeatedly failed to accurately disclose the dangers posed by the chemicals.
The HRW report listed officials who were aware of the dangers, including President Michel Aoun, Diab and Khalil. The report additionally mentioned that at least four people who had knowledge about the chemicals or the explosion have died in suspicious circumstances.
An FBI probe found the amount of ammonium nitrate that exploded at the port was only a fifth of the amount that arrived on the Rhosus, raising questions of where the rest had gone.
The links of the possible owners of the Rhosus to Hezbollah and the fact the chemicals were weapons grade and had largely been siphoned away from the port by the time of the explosion, among other factors, caused HRW and many others in Lebanon and around the world to question whether the chemicals were actually meant for Mozambique, or had been meant to arrive in Lebanon all along.
Hezbollah also has a strong hold over Lebanon’s ports, with many relevant officials coming from either Hezbollah or its allies. Even if the movement did not purposefully import the ammonium nitrate, it or its allies may still be found responsible for the explosion due to negligence.
THESE DETAILS may be behind the decision to charge the Hezbollah-affiliated officials, although at least one Hezbollah opponent has been charged as well.
Hezbollah has expressed outrage at the charges and is demanding Bitar be removed. Recently, rhetoric against Bitar has escalated, with Hezbollah members and allies threatening to leave the government and even use force to get Bitar off the case.
Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah attacked Bitar on Monday, saying the judge is using the case for political goals and does not want to reach the truth about the explosion. Nasrallah also questioned why Bitar questioned only certain ministers and not others.
Hezbollah security official Wafiq Safa reportedly threatened Bitar in September, saying the movement would remove Bitar by force if the judge displeases them.
“We have had enough of you. We will go to the end of the legal path, and if that does not work, we will remove you by force,” said Safa to Bitar, according to Edmond Sassine, a journalist with Lebanon’s LBCI news.
Safa was sanctioned by the US Treasury in 2019 for exploiting Lebanon’s ports and borders to smuggle illegal drugs and weapons into Beirut and facilitate travel on behalf of Hezbollah.
Khalil told the Hezbollah-affiliated Al-Mayadeen TV on Tuesday that Bitar’s investigation “is unlawful and surpasses many of the protocols that must be followed.” The MP additionally claimed that the judge had met with a foreign delegation minutes after issuing the arrest warrant for Khalil, implying influence by foreign powers.
The MP warned there would be a “political escalation, and perhaps [an escalation] of another kind,” adding that “all possibilities are open,” including taking to the streets.
Khalil claimed the investigation may be part of a regional and internal plan to try to “change balances,” and that he had information that indicates that the investigation has a goal for a certain political group “at the behest of external parties.” On Wednesday, Hassan Fadlallah, a Hezbollah-affiliated MP, outright accused the US of interfering in the investigation.
A government meeting set for Wednesday was postponed, reportedly due to an inability to reach an agreement about what to do with Bitar.
The secretary-general of the Lebanese Parliament announced on Wednesday that all the measures taken by Bitar against presidents, ministers and deputies were considered an infringement of powers.
Sources from Hezbollah and the Marada movement told the Lebanese Al-Jadeed TV news that Bitar was preparing to accuse Hezbollah directly of responsibility for the explosion. The sources added that if Bitar is not removed, they will leave the government.
HEZBOLLAH’S FIGHT against Bitar may impact its relationship with Aoun as well, with Al-Jadeed reporting Aoun stormed out of a meeting on Tuesday, expressing anger at Hezbollah’s threats of force. Aoun reportedly has insisted on a separation of powers and refused to interfere in the judiciary.
The head of Lebanon’s Kataeb Party, Sami Gemayel, on Wednesday asked the government of Lebanon not to “bow to Hezbollah’s intimidation.”
Samir Gaegea, a Christian opponent of Hezbollah, called on the “free people of Lebanon” to prepare for a peaceful general strike if Bitar’s opponents attempt to impose their will by force. While Gaegea stressed his statement was not a threat, he added he would never accept a “certain reality” being imposed by force. The families of the blast victims warned against replacing or intimidating Bitar, “no matter how high the threat level,” telling officials to “keep [their] hands off the judiciary.”
Former MP Mustapha Allouch warned on Wednesday, in an interview with Voice of Lebanon, that an international investigation is needed, and that the current situation is repeating the situation of the assassination of former prime minister Rafik Hariri, as Hezbollah feels the threads of the investigation pointing at it.
All of these factors are leading to concerns that Lebanon’s newly formed government may already be on the brink of collapse, which would leave the country leaderless yet again as it deals with an ongoing economic crisis.
Concerns are rising that the tensions could explode into violence, especially if Hezbollah continues to obstruct the investigation or tries to use force to remove Bitar.
Lebanon is set to hold elections in the spring, although there are concerns they could be delayed. The elections will pose yet another test for the country in crisis, as it will face the opportunity to elect new leaders.
Lebanon will also be faced with the challenge of keeping the elections safe and unaffected by corruption amid an increasingly charged environment that will likely only get more tense as elections near.

Former Lebanese MP Mustapha Allouch: Hizbullah Was Founded Upon Destruction, Lacks Ideas About The Economy, The Future; The People Whom We Confront Are Superior In Science, Production, Arts, Other Fields
MEMRI/October 13/2021
Source: The Internet - "Sawt Beirut International (Lebanon)"
Former Lebanese MP Mustapha Allouch said in an October 11, 2021 interview on Sawt Beirut International (Lebanon) that Hizbullah and other such political parties or organizations were founded on destruction, and that while Hizbullah lacks any ideas about progress, the economy, or the future, "the people whom we confront outdo us in science, in production, in art, in music, in theater... They outdo us in all those things and more." He said: "The work of one musician like [American violinist] Yehudi Menuhin is far superior to [Hizbullah’s] welcome celebrations [for the Iranian fuel shipment]." For more information about Mustapha Allouch, see MEMRI TV clips Nos.8957, 7455, 6189, and 3200. Mustapha Allouch: "Political parties or organizations like Hizbullah are founded on destruction. Show me one idea they have about progressing the economy, or the future. I see children in their schools, on Mother’s Day, out on a show about destroying an Israeli tank. The main idea is that..."
Interviewer: "This is resistance, Dr. Allouch."
Allouch: "True, but let me tell you again that this type of resistance differs from the way I see resistance. When I see that the people whom we confront outdo us in science, in production, in art, in music... in theater... They outdo us in all those things and more. They are much more important to the world. The work of one musician like Yehudi Menuhin is far superior to the entire welcome celebrations [for the Iranian fuel shipment]."

Is Finlandization the way to save Lebanon?
Khaled Abou Zahr/Arab News/October 14/2021
Can Finland’s relations with Russia serve as an example for Lebanon in the face of an Iranian takeover? One might need a little history refresher to answer this. Finland was under Swedish rule until the end of the 18th century. When Sweden lost its position as a great power of the time and was defeated in the Finnish War of 1808-09, Russia conquered Finland and it became an autonomous grand duchy. Ironically, it was at that time that the seeds of the idea of an independent state were planted among its population.
Finland ultimately took advantage of Russia’s revolution and the First World War to declare its independence in 1917. And, following a short civil war, it became a republic in 1919. Conciliatory measures allowed for its fast development as a nation.
As the Second World War started, a pact between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union relegated Finland to the latter’s influence. Soviet forces attacked Finland in 1939 and took over the southeastern part of the country. The Western world was weak and hence silently watched this aggression, so Finland was left to deal with it alone. This is partly why, when Nazi Germany invaded the USSR in 1941, Finland joined the attack. It took the deaths of more than 90,000 Finns and 300,000 Soviets, as well as Finland losing 10 percent of its territory, to reach the terms of the Paris Peace Treaty of 1947 that finalized the country’s new borders.
This brief history lesson does not end here. However, it already shows that, when we in the Middle East look at the stability in Europe with envy, it was in fact not so long ago that the old continent was living with similar, if not greater, levels of conflict and instability as we see in our region today. This primarily means that there is a path to stability and prosperity.
The history of Finland and the Soviet Union becomes more relevant to Lebanon (and also Iraq) during the Cold War era. Then, the division of Europe between the US and USSR clearly put Finland under Moscow’s influence without any regards to the wishes of the local population. So how was Helsinki able to keep its independence despite this global geopolitical arrangement?
Many commentators of the time claimed that Finland was able to remain sovereign and independent because the Kremlin allowed it, as it saw this as a net advantage that demonstrated to the world the USSR’s openness and impartiality. It was, in short, a needed ideological tool in its fight against the US. There is certainly truth to this view. However, Finland also played a part in convincing Moscow that this was the case. And Soviet Russia had understood that a new military adventure in Finland would be costly.
This effort at appeasement is known as the Paasikivi-Kekkonen doctrine. It is named after President Juho Paasikivi and his successor Urho Kekkonen. It was a pragmatic view, stating that to maintain the country’s independence, sovereignty and democracy, but also maintain a free economy, it needed to stay neutral; but it was an active neutrality rather than a passive one. This came at the cost of local censorship and geopolitical ambiguity, as well as other measures to keep the Soviets happy.
These men painstakingly built a trusting relationship with Moscow, while deepening economic ties with the Western bloc and striving to remain neutral in the tough environment of Cold War Europe. Following the fall of the USSR in 1991, Finland maintained this balance while joining the EU. Yet, until this day and despite collaborations, Finland has not joined NATO or any other alliances that could be perceived as an escalation by Moscow.
It is quite strange to use this example when looking at relations between Lebanon and Iran, when there are no borders between these two countries. Unlike Finland for Russia, Lebanon is not part of any military planning routes to Iranian territory. But, as Lebanon is left alone under the growing control of Iran through Hezbollah, could the Lebanese politicians who do not emanate from the Hezbollah bloc be able to create this balance with Iran?
I stay opposed to all types of Iranian influence in the region, except for positive cultural ones — and food; who can resist a good fesenjoon? But I cannot call for all-out opposition while I benefit from what today seems like the privilege of living outside Lebanon, meaning I do not suffer the same pain as those that have stayed. I do not wish to be a hypocrite like the so-called Western-based resistance thinkers that call for boycotts and military action from the terraces of Parisian coffee houses or from the safety of the streets of London or Washington. A new breed of Lebanese political leader is needed on the ground to find a long-term solution and lead the country toward neutrality. This is especially true as we can already notice a new set of global and regional arrangements.
It is a difficult realization, but for Lebanon to pursue this strategy it would need to convey a new message to Iran, and also the rest of the world. But how can Iran and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps accept today’s Lebanon becoming neutral? Hezbollah is entrenched within the Iranian military and security apparatus and represents an important part of Iran’s foreign actions. It seems like an impossible mission.
It was not so long ago that Europe was living with similar, if not greater, levels of conflict and instability as we see in our region today.
Lebanon seems more likely to live the fate of Czechoslovakia than Finland. In early 1968, Soviet Union-led Warsaw Pact troops began to crack down on reformists in Prague, before invading the country in August of that year. To reach their true independence, the citizens of what are today Czechia and Slovakia had to wait for the fall of the Soviet Union and the obliteration of all its local proxies.
Regardless of the tremendous changes in the Middle East, Lebanon’s political forces need to become neutral and ensure the country is not a ground for aggression toward any other state. And, while communicating this message, there is a need to obstruct Hezbollah’s actions continuously and tactically, without reaching an explosion point. The less it serves Iran, the closer to independence and sovereignty Lebanon gets. It is also part of the Finlandization process.
*Khaled Abou Zahr is CEO of Eurabia, a media and tech company. He is also the editor of Al-Watan Al-Arabi.

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on October 14-15/2021
Biden to have audience with Pope Francis during trip to Rome
CNN/October 14/2021
President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden will meet with Pope Francis during their trip to Rome later this month for the G20 conference, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement. "The President and Dr. Biden will also visit Vatican City and have an audience with His Holiness Pope Francis on October 29. They will discuss working together on efforts grounded in respect for fundamental human dignity, including ending the COVID-19 pandemic, tackling the climate crisis, and caring for the poor," Psaki said in a statement.

US committed to the defense of Saudi Arabia: Blinken
Arab News/October 15/2021
RIYADH: The US sees Saudi Arabia as a vital partner and America is committed to the defense of the Kingdom, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said. “We have a strong partnership between the United States and Saudi Arabia. We are committed to the defense of the Kingdom,” he said, welcoming Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan to Washington for talks on Thursday. “This partnership with Saudi Arabia is an important one, a vital one, and in terms of dealing with some of the most significant challenges we face, one that we are very appreciative of,” Blinken said, next to his Saudi counterpart at a press briefing. Prince Faisal also praised the strong partnership between the two allies. “Our relationship has delivered immense value for both of our countries, but not just for us, also for the region and for the world,” said Prince Faisal. After their meeting, Blinken reiterated US condemnation of Houthi attacks on the Kingdom and American’s commitment to help Saudi Arabia defend its territory and people, said Ned Price, State Department spokesperson. The Saudi Foreign ministry said the diplomats highlighted the importance of promoting joint efforts to stop the continuous attacks carried out by the Houthi militia against civilian and economic facilities, terminate the threat it poses to international navigation and prevent it using the suffering of the Yemeni people for blackmail and as a bargaining chip. Discussions also included “the common goal of reaching a durable solution to end the conflict in Yemen,” said Price. Prince Faisal called the meeting fruitful, saying there had been discussions on “ways to strengthen our strategic partnership and cooperation on multiple fronts.”The two parties also touched on Iran’s nuclear program and relevant international negotiations, said the Saudi ministry statement. Prince Faisal and Secretary Blinken also stressed the importance of supporting all that ensures security and stability in Afghanistan. Ahead of the meeting, the pair said issues such as regional security, climate change and energy would be on the agenda.“We have a lot of work that we’re doing together on a variety of very significant issues, from climate to energy to Yemen to Iran,” said Blinken. Saudi Arabia’s top diplomat added: “We’re going to talk about regional security and how we can work together on that, but also, as you mentioned, climate change, energy, recovery from COVID-19.”

Israel Says Palestinian Car-Ramming Wounds Paramilitary
Associated Press/October 14/2021
A Palestinian driver struck and moderately wounded a member of Israel's paramilitary Border Police at a major checkpoint north of Jerusalem overnight, the police said Thursday. They said officers fired on the vehicle, causing it to crash into a wall, and arrested the suspect, a 22-year-old from the town of Qalqilya in the occupied West Bank. The police said it was a car-ramming attack. The Border Police had been removing unauthorized structures near the Qalandia checkpoint, on the main road between the West Bank city of Ramallah, where the Palestinian Authority is headquartered, and Jerusalem.
Palestinians have carried out dozens of stabbing, shooting and vehicular attacks in recent years, but Palestinians and rights groups say some of the alleged car-rammings were accidents and accuse Israel of using excessive force. In a separate incident, a Jewish settler attacked an Israeli military officer and a soldier with pepper spray near a settlement outpost in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday, the latest in a series of recent attacks by settlers on Israeli security forces and Palestinians. The military said the two soldiers received medical treatment at the scene, without elaborating. It declined to say whether anyone was arrested in the attack, referring questions to police, who did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Hard-line settlers have clashed with Israeli troops and vandalized Palestinian property in recent days in what are known as "price-tag" attacks in response to perceived efforts by Israeli authorities to restrict settlement expansion. Late last month, dozens of stone-throwing Jewish settlers attacked a small Palestinian village in the West Bank, damaging homes and vehicles and wounding a four-year-old boy. Video footage showed Israeli soldiers standing among the settlers, apparently doing nothing to stop them.
Most of the nearly 500,000 Israeli settlers in the West Bank live in authorized settlements that resemble small towns and suburbs, but more radical settlers have set up dozens of outposts that are illegal even under Israeli law. The Palestinians and most of the international community view all settlements as illegal and an obstacle to a two-state solution to the conflict. Lt. Gen. Aviv Kohavi, the military chief of staff, condemned the recent settler attacks, saying "criminal behavior against IDF soldiers on the part of civilians is intolerable and requires quick enforcement to the full extent of the law."
The more than 2.5 million Palestinians in the occupied West Bank live under Israeli military rule, with the Palestinian Authority having limited autonomy in cities and towns. The settlers have Israeli citizenship and are subject to Israel's civilian justice system.

U.S. Does Not Support Normalization of Relations with Syria
Associated Press/October 14/2021
The United States does not support efforts to normalize relations with the government of President Bashar Assad or lift sanctions imposed on Damascus until there is progress in the political process in the war-torn country, the U.S. secretary of state said Wednesday.
Antony Blinken's comments come as some Arab countries recently began improving relations with Syria. Assad and King Abdullah II of Jordan spoke over the phone last week for the first time since Syria's conflict began in March 2011. Syria's defense minister last month visited Jordan and met with Jordanian military officials. Syria was also invited to take part in the Dubai's Expo 2020, the first world's fair in the Middle East. Crisis-hit Lebanon is working on getting electricity from Jordan through Syria and a 10-year old deal to transport Egyptian natural gas through Jordan and Syria to Lebanon was also revived in September. Blinken spoke during a joint news conference in Washington with the foreign ministers of Israel and the United Arab Emirates. Arab and Western countries blamed Assad for the deadly crackdown on the uprising that erupted in 2011, and supported the opposition in early days of the conflict. Syria's civil war has killed more than 350,000 people and displaced millions. The tide of the war changed in late 2015, when Russia threw its military weight behind Assad. Still, Syria is struggling with sanctions imposed by the United States and many Western nations.
"What we've not done and we do not intend to do is to express any support for efforts to normalize relations or rehabilitate Mr. Assad or lift a single sanction on Syria or change our positions to oppose the reconstruction of Syria," Blinken said in Washington when asked whether the U.S. endorses that some Arab countries are resuming normal ties with Assad's government. He said this policy will not change "until there is irreversible progress toward a political solution, which we believe is necessary and vital."

Syria Reports Israel Airstrikes on Central Province of Homs
Associated Press/October 14/2021
Syrian air defenses responded Wednesday to an Israeli airstrike targeting areas close to the historic Syrian town of Palmyra in the central province of Homs, state television reported. The reported quoted an unidentified military official as saying the strike occurred shortly before midnight and targeted a telecommunications tower and some posts around it, only causing material damage. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, said the strikes hit an airbase known as T4, adding that Iran-backed militiamen based in it were targeted. The strikes came five days after Syrian state media reported that Israeli strikes in Homs province wounded six soldiers. Over the past years, Israel is believed to have been behind many strikes inside government-controlled parts of Syria. Israel has staged hundreds of strikes against Iran-linked military targets in Syria over the years but rarely acknowledges or discusses such operations. Israel views Iranian entrenchment on its northern frontier as a red line, and it has repeatedly struck Iran-linked facilities and weapons convoys destined for Lebanon's militant Hezbollah group.

Palestinians: 250 Prisoners Held by Israel on Hunger Strike
Associated Press/October 14/2021
At least 250 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel have begun a hunger strike to protest their relocation to isolated cells, officials said.
The hunger strike, led by the militant Islamic Jihad group, comes amid heightened tensions in Israeli detention facilities following the escape of six prisoners from a high-security prison last month. All six were recaptured within a couple of weeks, but the escape embarrassed Israeli authorities and was hailed as a stroke of defiance by Palestinians.Israel is currently holding more than 4,600 Palestinians in connection with the Mideast conflict. The prisoners range from senior militants convicted of deadly attacks against Israelis to political activists who took part in demonstrations and teenagers detained for throwing stones at Israeli soldiers. The prisoners organize themselves by political faction and have secured concessions over the years through hunger strikes and other collective action. The Palestinian Prisoners Club, which represents former and current prisoners, said the latest strike is to protest the separation of Islamic Jihad prisoners into designated cells, isolating them from most other members of the group. Qadura Fares, the head of the organization, said at least 250 Islamic Jihad prisoners in multiple facilities would take part in the strike, and that 100 of them would begin refusing water after one week.
He called for protests in support of the prisoners and said other Palestinian factions — including President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah movement — would also participate in the hunger strike. Israel's prison service said it was unaware of any mass hunger strike. It said it has not isolated the Islamic Jihad prisoners, but instead has mixed them with the general population. It said the group was not happy with the move and acknowledged there has been "tension." Five of the six escapees were Islamic Jihad members, and the militant group was the driving force behind rioting that broke out in some prisons as Israel tightened security and relocated prisoners to prevent other breakouts. Islamic Jihad has carried out scores of deadly attacks over the years and Israel and other countries consider it a terrorist organization. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have passed through a military justice system designed for what Israel portrays as a temporary occupation, now into its sixth decade. Nearly every Palestinian family has a relative who has spent time in an Israeli prison, and the Palestinians consider all prisoners to be heroes of their national cause. Israel says it only locks up those who threaten its security and that Palestinians are given due process in its military courts. The Palestinians and many rights groups say the trials are inherently unfair. Most Palestinian prisoners are from the occupied West Bank, which Israel captured in the 1967 war and which the Palestinians want to form the main part of their future state. Israeli settlers in the West Bank have full citizenship and are subject to civilian courts.

Tunisia’s President Saied revokes predecessor’s passport
Arab News/October 14/2021
TUNIS: Tunisia’s President Kais Saied said Thursday he had decided to withdraw the diplomatic passport of his predecessor Moncef Marzouki. Tunisian media suggested that Saied was irked by Marzouki’s demands that France end its support for the Tunisian government. The decision on the passport was made public in a communique. “Some have gone abroad to undermine the interests of Tunisia,” Saied said, referring to Marzouki who was president from 2011 to 2014. Days ago, Marzouki participated in a demonstration while in Paris, during which he had urged French decision-makers “not to endorse a totalitarian system.”In July, Saied sacked Tunisia’s prime minister, suspended parliament and assumed executive authority, saying it was because of a national emergency. His critics called it a coup.Last month, Saied issued presidential decrees bolstering the already near-total powers he had granted himself.

The Latest The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on October 14-15/2021
Germany: Cologne Mosques to Begin Outdoor Broadcasting of Muslim Call to Prayer
Soeren Kern/Gatestone Institute/October 14/ 2021
The city of Cologne, once a stronghold of Christendom in Germany, has authorized mosques in the city to begin sounding Muslim calls to prayer over outdoor loudspeakers. The move, ostensibly aimed at promoting multicultural diversity and inclusion, represents a significant step toward the cultural normalization of Islam in Germany. It is taking German multiculturalism into uncharted territory.
Critics say that comparing Islamic prayer calls to church bells is a false equivalence because the muezzin proclaims religious slogans such as "there is no god but Allah" and "Allahu Akbar" ("Allah is the Greatest").
"The Muslim call to prayer is not like the ringing of church bells, which are a reminder of a scheduled worship service. Instead, it is a creed and a statement of political Islam, which has unfortunately been abused in many ways in recent years. The call 'Allahu Akbar' is not only a call to prayer, but it has also become the battle cry of jihad by Islamist terrorists." — Necla Kelek, Turkish-born German Islam expert.
"It's not about 'religious freedom' or 'diversity,' as Mayor Reker claims. The mosque operators want visibility. They celebrate the muezzin as a show of power over their neighborhoods." —Ahmad Mansour, Israeli-Arab and German Islam expert.
"The Muslim call to prayer, the muezzin call, is now permitted in Cologne. Cologne's Lord Mayor Henriette Reker calls this a 'symbol of diversity.' For me it is the opposite — a sign of discrimination.... In 2015, I had to flee from Bangladeshi Islamists because I publicly criticized Islamism. When I hear 'Allahu Akbar' from loudspeakers in Germany, I think of a lot, just not diversity.... The muezzin call reminds me of the killing of my six blogger friends by Islamists and the brutal repression of minorities.... This call from the speakers of conservative mosques is above all a show of power. The fact that the city of Cologne now allows the muezzin call with reference to tolerance is a sign of false tolerance for me." — Shammi Haque, a Bangladeshi-born journalist in exile in Germany.
The city of Cologne, once a stronghold of Christendom in Germany, has authorized mosques in the city to begin sounding Muslim calls to prayer over outdoor loudspeakers. Pictured: The Cologne Central Mosque.
Acceding to demands from Islamic organizations sponsored by the Turkish government, the city of Cologne, once a stronghold of Christendom in Germany, has authorized mosques in the city to begin sounding Muslim calls to prayer over outdoor loudspeakers. The move, ostensibly aimed at promoting multicultural diversity and inclusion, represents a significant step toward the cultural normalization of Islam in Germany. It is taking German multiculturalism into uncharted territory.
Observers believe that Cologne — famous for its cathedral, the largest Gothic church in northern Europe — is establishing a national precedent, and that many of the more than 3,000 mosques in Germany will soon also begin publicly calling Muslims to prayer. They say that German towns and cities will evoke the sounds and images of the Islamic Middle East.
Effective immediately, all mosques and Islamic centers in Cologne may apply for a permit to call the Muslim faithful to prayer for five minutes every Friday between noon and 3pm. The sonorous prayer calls (known as adhan in Arabic) can be heard from great distances when amplified through outdoor loudspeakers atop minarets, the tower-like structures on mosques.
The prayer calls are part of a so-called model project (Modellprojekt) that will last for two years, after which a decision will be made on whether to make the Muslim calls to prayer a permanent feature of life in Cologne.
A press release issued by the City of Cologne on October 7 stated:
"While in Christian churches the bells are rung to call the believers to worship together, in Muslim mosques it is the call of the muezzin [the person who calls Muslims to prayer] that serve this purpose. Friday prayer is of central importance in Islam. For many years, Islam, like many other religions, has been an integral part of German society, so the question of allowing calls to prayer at mosques has been and is repeatedly discussed nationwide.
"After initial talks between the city and local mosque communities and a legal review, a model project is now starting in Cologne, initially limited to two years: Upon request and subject to conditions, the mosque communities who wish to do so can call their believers to midday Friday prayers.
"In practice, every mosque community that wants to participate in the project must submit an application to the city administration. The formal approval to practice the call for the midday Friday prayer at the respective mosque is then determined by a contract under public law. The contract concluded in this way contains individual requirements that must be met by the applicant mosque community. The call to prayer on Fridays can only be made between 12 p.m. and 3 p.m. (the noon Friday prayer varies depending on the calendar) and for a maximum of five minutes. The volume of the call is also set with a different maximum decibel limit depending on the location of the mosque.
"It should also be noted that the surrounding neighborhood must be informed by the mosque community in advance by means of a flyer about the call to prayer. In addition, a contact person for the neighborhood must be named for each municipality who can answer questions or receive complaints.
"The project will be closely monitored by the city administration. At the end of the two-year project period, the city and the mosque communities involved will jointly evaluate their experiences in order to decide on this basis whether the new regulation can be extended."
Cologne Mayor Henriette Reker, a political independent who in 2015 was stabbed in the neck and nearly killed by a German man opposed to her multiculturalism, said:
"I am pleased that with this model project we are taking into account the legitimate religious interests of the many Muslims in our cosmopolitan city, thus setting a sign of mutual acceptance of religion and making a commitment to the constitutionally protected freedom of religion, but also to accept the interests of Muslims who live here.
"Muslims, many of them born here, are an integral part of Cologne's urban society. Anyone who doubts this is questioning Cologne's identity and our peaceful coexistence. When we hear the call of the muezzin in addition to the church bells in our city, it shows that diversity is valued and lived in Cologne.
In a tweet, Reker added:
"Much discussion because of the model project muezzin prayer call. Cologne is the city of (religious) freedom and diversity. Those who arrive at the central train station are greeted by the cathedral and accompanied by church bells. Many Cologne residents are Muslims. To allow the muezzin call is for me a sign of respect."
Critics say that comparing Islamic prayer calls to church bells is a false equivalence because the muezzin proclaims absolutist religious slogans such as "there is no god but Allah" and "Allahu Akbar" ("Allah is the Greatest"). The standard adhan can be translated as:
"Allah is most great. I testify that there is no god but Allah. I testify that Muhammad is the prophet of Allah. Come to prayer. Come to salvation. Allah is most great. There is no god but Allah."
The Turkish-born German Islam expert Necla Kelek, in an essay for the Berlin-based magazine Cicero, wrote that the adhan reflects the ideology of Islamism:
"At the request of Islamic associations such as the mosque operator Ditib, which is managed by the Turkish government, the Islamist Milli Görüs or the Central Council of Muslims representing the Muslim Brotherhood, the Cologne city administration has agreed that from now on the 35 mosques in Cologne may broadcast every Friday by loudspeaker the following call to prayer: 'Allahu Akbar. I testify that there is no god but Allah. I testify that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah. Come to prayer! Come to salvation! Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar."
"The Muslim call to prayer is not like the ringing of church bells, which are a reminder of a scheduled worship service. Instead, it is a creed and a statement of political Islam, which has unfortunately been abused in many ways in recent years. The call 'Allahu Akbar' is not only a call to prayer, but it has also become the battle cry of jihad by Islamist terrorists. The Taliban have just conquered Afghanistan with shouts of 'Allahu Akbar.'
"When someone shouts 'Allahu Akbar' on the street, in a train station or in front of a football stadium, people flinch, feel threatened and fear a bomb or knife terror attack. The call to prayer seems to have been discredited by extremist Muslims themselves and also to have become a symbolic call for terror."
Kelek also wrote that by allowing the prayer calls, Cologne's mayor, a woman, was encouraging the discrimination of Muslim women in Germany:
"Above all, who do the muezzin call to prayer? The men. The Muslim community is a society divided into men and women. Women are not called to prayer. If they really want to, they can pray in separate adjoining rooms on the balcony so that the men cannot see them and are not disturbed by them....
"Mayor Reker talks about diversity, prescribes gender asterisks and watches as an archaic worldview is lived in the mosques, the 'men's houses.' It conjures up a diversity that in reality is neither lived nor desired, especially in mosques. Unfortunately, this means that she does not perceive the fears and wishes of her urban population for freedom....
"It is with regret that I note that German politicians are practicing symbolic politics in matters of Islam. Again and again they submit to the political demands of the Islamic associations in the hope of pacifying them in order to win them over as democratic partners. It has never been more important to focus on content-related discussions so that reforms that are urgently needed for our peaceful coexistence also succeed. It is time to strengthen the secular forces in the Islamic community."
Bundestag Member Michael Kuffer, an expert on homeland security, told the Bild newspaper that comparing church bells to the Islamic call to prayer is erroneous:
"On the one hand the adhan is a call to prayer, but on the other hand it is also a battle cry. Unfortunately, it has been misused and turned it into a slogan of violent Islamism.
"You must make a distinction between the practice of religion on the one hand and, on the other hand, the cultural dimension, for example, church bells. I think that we are fooling ourselves.
"It is a complete leveling of things that are simply not comparable! This is a completely wrong understanding of liberality, of integration and also of respect for others."
Alexander Yohannes, Deputy Chairman of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) in Cologne, tweeted:
"It is highly problematic to portray the muezzin call as a sign of respect and diversity. It is not about ringing church bells in a neutral way, but rather about an exclusive religious denomination that is loudly represented to the outside world. Misunderstood tolerance!"
Turkish-born Alawite Birgül Akpinar, a member of the CDU in Baden-Württemberg, wrote:
"The call of the muezzin not only calls to the Islamic compulsory prayer, but also proclaims the claim to power of the Islamic belief five times a day. More religion in the public space does not mean diversity, but more potential for conflict!"
Turkish-born German lawyer and Muslim feminist Seyran Ateş tweeted:
"Church bells can be rung by women. In the mosques in question, however, the voice of a woman will never be heard. Only religious patriarchy gets a vote. And that is deafening loud in too many communities. Just as the headscarf cannot simply be equated with the cross necklace, one cannot call for the muezzin just because churches are allowed to ring their bells. Those who do this are helping conservative Muslims to implement their misogynist agenda.
Bundestag Member Malte Kaufmann tweeted:
"From now on every Friday in Cologne: 'There is no other god but Allah!' But Islamization supposedly does not occur at all in Germany... We have been warning against it for years! The muezzin call is a claim to power. Step by step, the Christian West is being given away."
Ahmad Mansour, an Israeli-Arab and German Islam expert, accused the mayor of Cologne of ignoring the real problem. "It's not about 'religious freedom' or 'diversity,' as Mayor Reker claims," he told Bild. ​​"The mosque operators want visibility. They celebrate the muezzin as a show of power over their neighborhoods."
Shammi Haque, a Bangladeshi-born journalist in exile in Germany wrote:
"The Muslim call to prayer, the muezzin call, is now permitted in Cologne. Cologne's Lord Mayor Henriette Reker calls this a 'symbol of diversity.' For me it is the opposite — a sign of discrimination. The muezzin call reminds me of torture, agitation and blood. He scares me.
"In 2015, I had to flee from Bangladeshi Islamists because I publicly criticized Islamism. When I hear 'Allahu Akbar' from loudspeakers in Germany, I think of a lot, just not diversity.
"The muezzin call reminds me of the killing of my six blogger friends by Islamists and the brutal repression of minorities. The muezzin call says: 'Allah is great, there is no other god but Allah.' For me, this reputation stands for the fact that diversity is NOT tolerated, that people of different faiths are NOT respected. This call from the speakers of conservative mosques is above all a show of power.
"The fact that the city of Cologne now allows the muezzin call with reference to tolerance is a sign of false tolerance for me."
The Central Council of Ex-Muslims in Germany (Zentralrat der Ex-Muslime Deutschland), in an open letter to Mayor Reker, concurred:
"We — men and women from Islamic countries — escaped to Germany and found shelter from religious persecution here. More than a few of us have experienced, in our countries of origin, public executions while the Islamic call for prayer sounded. On behalf of our relatives and friends who have been imprisoned, tortured and executed, we ask you to listen to the other side of Islamic reality. Every prayer call brings all these terrible memories to me and also to many others from Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria and Saudi Arabia. Even though we live safely here, the call of prayer creates within us a strong mental pressure and retraumatization. We therefore strongly protest against your decision!"
Beyond Cologne
Cologne's muezzin project involves (to date) the largest number of mosques in a single German municipality, but individual mosques, including some in Dortmund, Düren, Hamm, Siegen and Oldenburg, among others, have been sounding Muslim prayer calls for years.
In Wipperfürth, an industrial town situated 40 kilometers (25 miles) north-east of Cologne, the Fatih Camii Mosque — run by the Turkish-Islamic Union for Islamic Affairs (DITIB), a branch of the Turkish government that controls over 900 mosques in Germany — has been publicly sounding calls to prayer since 2013. Mayor Michael von Rekowski said he wanted to show the world that Wipperfürth "takes pride in being an intercultural and interreligious community."
The Turkish-run Central Mosque in the northern German town of Rendsburg, situated 100 kilometers (60 miles) north of Hamburg, has been calling Muslims to prayer since 2010, when Social Democratic Mayor Andreas Breitner authorized the muezzin to broadcast prayer calls through three loudspeakers mounted on the top of two 26-meter (85-foot) minarets attached to each side of the mosque.
The German newspaper Die Zeit reported that Rendsburg was engaged in a "holy war" after a local citizen's group gathered nearly a thousand signatures from residents opposed to the prayer calls. The group, which goes by the name "No Public Prayer Calls" [Kein öffentlicher Gebetsruf], argued that the existence of the mosque was more than sufficient to guarantee Muslims their constitutional right to the freedom of religion, and that the subsequent demands for a muezzin publicly to call the faithful to prayer was excessive. The group also argued that the Koran makes no mention of the need for muezzin, making the Muslim position superfluous. The mosque eventually relented and limited the calls to prayer to Fridays only.
Similar conflicts have been raging in other German localities, including in the Westphalian town of Hereford, where, according to Die Welt, the call of the muezzin has become a "psychological burden." In the western German town of Oer-Erkenschwick, where a mosque was banned by a local court from broadcasting prayer calls, that ban was recently overturned by a higher court. The mosque's muezzin may resume his prayer calls.
In the city of Neumünster, the Turkish-run Fatih Mosque has been publicly calling Muslims to prayer three times a day for more than 15 years. According to the local imam, Celebi Kilicikesen, a Turk who speaks little German, "sometimes child pranksters turn the loudspeaker volume all the way up and then the neighbors complain. Otherwise there have been no problems."
In Bavaria, Florian Hahn, Vice Secretary General of the Christian Social Union (CSU), concluded:
"In Bavaria we do not want such model tests. They are not part of our Western tradition. Also, calls to prayer are not needed to practice the Islamic religion."
Hahn's appeal may be too little too late. During the Coronavirus pandemic lockdowns, Bavarian authorities authorized more than a dozen mosques in Munich and other parts of Bavaria to broadcast public calls to prayer. It seems unlikely that the mosques will give up the rights already conferred.
The debate about Islam in Germany is only beginning. The Muslim population of Germany has surpassed six million to become approximately 7.2% of the overall population of 83 million, according to calculations by Gatestone Institute.
A recent Pew Research Center study on the growth of the Muslim population in Europe estimated that by 2050, Germany's Muslim population could reach 17.5 million, or 20% of the overall population if mass migration from Africa, Asia and the Middle East continues apace.
*Soeren Kern is a Senior Fellow at the New York-based Gatestone Institute.
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Why the real threat to Iranian regime lies within
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Arab News/October 14/2021
The biggest threat to the survival of the Iranian regime comes not from the US or Israel, but from within. One of the key reasons for this is that the overwhelming majority of people in Iran are facing an economic and social crisis. Life in the country has become unbearable, economically and politically, and this could trigger a nationwide uprising at any time.
Inflation is at its highest level since the establishment of the regime. While the official rate is reported to be about 40 percent — higher than countries such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Angola and Libya — the actual figure is estimated to be closer to 70 percent. According to the World Economic Forum, Iran’s inflation rate places it fifth in the world rankings after Venezuela, Zimbabwe, South Sudan and Argentina.
To put this in perspective, Iran’s inflation rate is about 35 times higher than the average in the Gulf Arab states. Many of the Gulf states, such as Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar and Oman, are among the countries with the lowest inflation rates in the world.
Skyrocketing inflation is drastically affecting Iranians’ purchasing power, leading to protests across the country. Mohsen, a retiree from Tehran, complained: “I used to be able to live with my pension of 3 million toman a month (about $100). But this now barely covers costs for a week. The price of bread, beans, rice, meat and medication have doubled this year alone. I am 75 and am forced to look for other jobs, but cannot find any work.”
Mohsen owns his house, which he inherited from his parents, but those who have to pay rent are in a much worse situation. The average monthly rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Tehran is about $600, while monthly living costs for a family of four are estimated to be $1,600. Even Ali Aslani, an Islamic Labor Council board member, has acknowledged the problem, telling the Kar-va-Kargar newspaper that “a worker’s salary of 4 million tomans covers only 10 days of the month, and after that workers barely make ends meet.”
The problem is that the Iranian government has failed to raise wages or pensions to keep pace with the skyrocketing inflation, even though Article 41 of the regime’s labor law clearly states that wages must increase in line with inflation: “The Supreme Labor Council is obliged every year to determine a minimum wage for various parts of the country and for various industries based on the following criteria: Workers’ minimum wage, taking into account the percentage of inflation which is announced by the central bank.”
In recent weeks, Iran has seen renewed protests from various sectors of society, including workers, teachers and retirees. Chants heard across the country have included, “Astronomical salaries for government officials, misery for the public,” “We are fed up with this injustice,” “Our salaries are paid in rial, but we pay our expenses in dollars,” “We will not back down until we get our rights,” “Enough with the tyranny, our tables are empty,” and “The retirees fund has been hijacked by thieves.”
The regime is worried that a widespread uprising could threaten the survival of the country. In his most recent speech on Oct. 4, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei warned that the enemy is within and that the country’s security forces, including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, must be ready to meet that threat.
The problem is that the Iranian government has failed to raise wages or pensions to keep pace with the skyrocketing inflation.
While US sanctions have had an impact on Iran’s currency and damaged its economy, people’s financial problems result mainly from the government’s inefficient fiscal and monetary policies; the leadership’s reluctance to redistribute wealth; economic mismanagement; the hemorrhaging of the nation’s wealth through spending on terror and militia groups; corruption among officials; the lack of a robust private market; and a state-controlled economy that has pushed more people into poverty.
The state’s monopolization of the economy applies to almost every sector. When it comes to Iran’s economic system, the supreme leader and the IRGC enjoy a considerable amount of control and shares in almost all industries, including financial institutions and banks, transportation, automobile manufacturing, mining, commerce, and the oil and gas sectors.
Indeed, the real threat against the theocratic establishment of Iran comes from within, not from abroad.
*Dr. Majid Rafizadeh is a Harvard-educated Iranian-American political scientist. Twitter: @Dr_Rafizadeh

Iraqi elections were competitive and ‘surprisingly’ well-managed, observers say
Sarah Glubb/Arab News/October 15/202
LONDON: Despite some lack of clarity, low voter turnout, the exclusion of several groups and the overarching security, the Iraqi elections this week were “surprisingly” well run and managed and were genuinely competitive, according to experts.
“It was a special experience being the first chief observer of the European Union Election Observation Mission to Iraq,” said Viola Von Cramon-Taubadel, a member of the European Parliament.
“Coming from a, let’s say, very civil society in Germany and even more-robust political environments in a post-Soviet world, something like this I have never experienced or seen before.”
She was speaking on Thursday during a panel discussion, organized by UK think tank Chatham House, about the Iraqi elections last Sunday and what they mean for the government. Only about 9 million of 22 million eligible voters cast a vote, a turnout of just over 40 percent.
Cramon-Taubadel said observers’ preliminary statement was fairly critical and that the low voter turnout was in part due to structural problems, including a lack of access and services for people with special needs, including those with vision and hearing impairments and in wheelchairs. The high level of security at polling stations also hindered access and several sections of the population were excluded, such as internally displaced persons, she added, and there were technical issues with voter cards that did not work and biometric systems that failed to recognize fingerprints.
However she compared this with election experiences in Berlin, where significant problems have also been encountered. And in terms of the fundamentals, Iraq fared relatively well, she added.
“In terms of administration, in terms of having everything, people knew what they were doing and the technology worked, mainly — I cannot say this for Berlin, honestly,” said Cramon-Taubadel.
Many democratic countries are experiencing increasingly low levels of voter turnout, even the US, she added, but rather than comparing Iraq’s elections with those in the West she suggested that a more relevant comparison was with the previous elections in Iraq, in 2018.
“The level of security, the level of professionalism...in general, if you look through the process how it went in 2018 and now, I would say this was a huge upgrade,” said Cramon-Taubadel. “And I have only heard that people were surprised by how many independent candidates in the end have made it, and they kind of regretted their decision to boycott (the election) because they didn’t believe, they didn’t trust the institution and there was no confidence in the IT system.”
Authorities ran election simulations before and after the vote and have precautionary measures in place to prevent fraud or tampering, she explained, and eradicated a number of loopholes in the past month.
Cramon-Taubadel said she saw highly-sophisticated precautionary measures in place at a warehouse in Basra where ballots were being stored, to protect it and avoid a repeat of incidents such as a warehouse fire in Baghdad during the 2018 election in which votes were destroyed. Staff at polling stations were well trained and committed, she added, but they were sad and frustrated because they had hoped for higher turnouts that would have given then more to do, especially in urban areas.
Regarding accusations of fraud and ballot-rigging, Cramon-Taubadel said the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq has access to the raw election data and has not found any evidence of this. Expressing her trust in Iraq’s Independent High Electoral Commission, she said any indications of fraudulent activity should be submitted to it so that their and EU observers can implement the proper legal mechanisms and investigate.
She said the main thing now is for the government to listen to the people and include the views of protest movements in the political process, focus on rebuilding the nation’s infrastructure, particularly the “awful” schools, and try to capitalize on oil and other resources while it can because the Iraqi people “deserve better.”
Harith Hasan, a non-resident senior fellow at the Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center, said the low turnout had favored some parties and hurt others.
Muqtada Al-Sadr’s bloc was the biggest winner, taking more than 70 seats, followed by Mohammed Al-Halbousi’s Progress Party, Masoud Barzani’s Kurdistan Democratic Party, and Nouri Al-Maliki’s State of Law, all of whom won more than 30 seats. The most notable loser was the Fatah bloc, pro-Iranian Shiite parties with links to armed groups, affiliated with the Popular Mobilization Forces (Hashd Al-Shaabi).
Hasan said Iran is the country with the biggest stake in the outcome of Iraq’s election, because of the influence it exerts over its neighbor.
“The Iranians have three interests in Iraq,” he explained. “The first is, of course, the ending of the US military presence and making sure there are no threats coming from Iraq.
“The second is maintaining the Hashd Al-Shaabi, and the third is keeping the Iraqi markets open for Iranian products.”
Tehran would prefer an Iraqi government dominated by its allies, which they believe would secure their interests much better than a government dominated by Al-Sadr, Hasan said, but much will depend on who is responsible for Iraqi policy in President Ebrahim Raisi’s government.
Hanaa Edwar, the founder and general secretary of the Iraqi Al-Amal Association, a non-political, non-sectarian organization of volunteers that works to improve the lives of all Iraqis, said that if there is an effort to “really build an opposition for the first time inside the parliament,” that would be a positive first step.
“And if they really can confront cutting MPs’ privileges, materially and funding and so on, I think this is also something we can take into consideration as a positive step,” she added.
She said this will depend on how established national parties and MPs cooperate with new parties, as well as civil society, intellectuals and “the movement in the street,” which have a large role to play “in the development of this new era in the country.”