Bundle Of English Reports, News and Editorials For December 15-15/2019 Addressing the On Going Mass Demonstrations & Sit In-ins In Iranian Occupied Lebanon in its 60th Day
Compiled By: Elias Bejjani
December 16/2019
Tites For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News published on December 15-16/2019
No Trust In Saad Al Hariri/Elias Bejjani
Lebanese protesters clash with police in Beirut for second night
Thousands return to parliament after crackdown in Beirut
Dozens injured as police clash with protesters in Lebanon
Netanyahu: Hezbollah will pay a price if it attacks Israel
Hariri Most Likely to Be Renamed Lebanese PM
Assailants Burn Lebanese Ruling Parties’ Offices after Night of Clashes
Hariri Still Insisting on Technocrat Government
Alloush Hints Hariri Won’t Refuse to be Re-Designated as PM
FPM, Mustaqbal Offices in Akkar Vandalized
Al-Hassan Orders Probe in Clashes, Warns Protesters of ‘Infiltrators’
Intense Clashes between Riot Police, Protesters in Central Beirut
Lebanese burn ruling parties’ offices after night of clashes
The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News published on December 15-16/2019
No Trust In Lebanon’s Caretaker PM, Mr. Saad Al Hariri
Elias Bejjani/December 16/2019
Saad Al Hariri protects covertly and covertly the most corrupt officials and businessmen in what is known the Lebanese deep government.
At the same time he has no sovereign or patriotic back bone, to the extent that he has even compromised on his father’s assassination (Raffic Al Hariri), and put the ongoing trial by the Special Tribunal For Lebanon (STL) on a marginal scale of his priorities.
In this realm he forged a political alliance with his father’s assassins, The Hezbollah Terrorist Militia, whose the STL accused a number of its security topnotch members to have committed the terrorist assassination in year 2005.
Mr. Hariri, in his PM, capacity has been totally serving Hezbollah’s occupation of Lebanon status quo as well as the Iranian-Mullahs’ expansionism schemes in exchange for staying as an MP.
Practically, Mr. Hariri is the first politician who should not be trusted any more in any official position.
He is not only one of all of the corrupt Lebanese politicians, but the first of them all.
In summary, No trust is ought to be granted to Mr. Hariri to head the new Lebanese Government.
Hariri is not a talented or a professional politician and based on his record since 20015 he will never be one. Meanwhile, he surrounds himself by advisers who in general serve their our businesses and lead him into un-patriotic and non-sovereign deals with the Lebanese warlords and oligarchies.
His record as PM shows that he moves disastrously from one failure to another. He is not the right PM, for dealing with serious and devastating current Lebanese crisis.
Lebanese protesters clash with police in Beirut for second night
AFP/December 15/2019
BEIRUT: Lebanese protesters clashed with police Sunday for the second consecutive night near parliament on the eve of much-delayed consultations to form a new cabinet needed to fix a deepening economic crisis. The renewed clashes in Beirut came as Interior Minister Raya El-Hassan ordered security forces to open a “rapid and transparent” enquiry after dozens were wounded on Saturday night. Undaunted by the violence, thousands of demonstrators flooded central Beirut Sunday ahead of the parliamentary consultations due to begin on Monday to appoint a new premier after weeks of largely peaceful street protests forced the previous cabinet to quit. The unprecedented rallies have swept Lebanon since October 17, demanding the overhaul of a political system deemed inept and corrupt and the formation of an independent government of technocrats.
Clashes again erupted near parliament, with demonstrators throwing water bottles and firecrackers at the security forces who responded with tear gas and water canon, an AFP photographer said.
There was no immediate reports of casualties.
But the clashes threatened a repeat of scenes on Saturday evening that had seen dozens of people hurt when security forces used tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse demonstrators who tried to breach metal barricades near the legislature. The Lebanese civil defense said they took 36 injured to hospital and treated 54 people at the scene on Saturday night. The Lebanese Red Cross said it ferried 15 people to hospitals, while 37 others were given first aid on site.The Red Cross said the injured included protesters and security forces, with some affected by tear gas and others struck by stones.
Lebanese security forces said about 20 from their ranks were hospitalized.
An AFP photographer saw men in plainclothes hitting protesters on Saturday, while anti-riot police fired rubber bullets at protesters throwing stones. Hassan demanded the identification of those responsible for the most violent episode since the anti-government protests began in October.
She warned against “infiltrators” seeking to use protests to provoke “confrontations.”Amnesty International’s Diala Haidar decried the “excessive use of force” in response to “overwhelmingly peaceful protest.”
“The intention was clearly to prevent protesters gathering,” she said, adding that masked men in civilian clothes joined security forces in “violently attacking protesters.”The clashes lasted until the early hours of Sunday, with demonstrators chanting slogans against outgoing prime minister Saad Hariri, who stepped down on Oct: 29, and parliament’s veteran speaker Nabib Berri.
The names of various potential candidates to replace Hariri have been circulated in recent weeks but powerful political parties in the multi-confessional country have failed to agree on a new premier. Last Sunday the Sunni Muslim establishment threw its support behind Hariri returning, further angering protesters.
Parliamentary consultations are due to begin Monday at 10:30 am (0830 GMT). The UN insisted on the importance of the talks, with its Lebanon coordinator Jan Kubis urging politicians to “act responsibly.”“Tomorrow is the moment of truth. Either politicians will show at this critical moment of deep complex crisis they understand the needs of #Lebanon and its people and help steer a peaceful way forward, or that they remain captive of their traditional habits and attitudes,” Kubis tweeted. Sunday’s demonstration in Beirut began peacefully with protesters waving Lebanese flags and chanting “Hariri will not return.”
“Change needs time and patience and we will not stop until we achieve our goals and remove this regime completely,” said 23-year-old protester Carla. “We don’t want Hariri because he is a partner in (official) corruption,” she added. “I am opposed to Hariri returning as head of the government and I don’t understand why they can’t find anyone else,” said Nour, a pharmacist. “There are many competent people… who are independent,” she added. The head of the Internal Security Forces, Brig. Imad Othman, spoke to protesters in Beirut Sunday, urging them to remain peaceful and let security forces carry out their duties unhindered. The process of forming a government will take place as Lebanon’s debt-burdened economy has been sliding toward collapse. The country is facing a dollar liquidity crisis, with banks limiting the withdrawal and transfer of the greenback, which has been selling for more than 2,000 Lebanese pounds on the parallel market for the first time since it was officially pegged at 1,507 in 1997. The international community has urged a new cabinet to be formed swiftly to implement key economic reforms and unlock international aid. French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian on Sunday urged Lebanese leaders to push to resolve the crisis paralysing the country, warning of a “dramatic situation.”
Thousands return to parliament after crackdown in Beirut
Associated Press/December 15/2019
Attackers in northern Lebanon also set fire to the offices of two major political parties, the state-run National News Agency said.
BEIRUT: Thousands of Lebanese protesters defiantly returned Sunday to rally outside parliament in Beirut, hours after security forces chased them out, using tear gas and rubber bullets and injuring dozens. Saturday night into Sunday saw one of the most violent crackdowns on protesters since nationwide anti-government demonstrations began two months ago, leading to the resignation of Prime Minister Saad Hariri on Oct. 29. Attackers in northern Lebanon also set fire to the offices of two major political parties, the state-run National News Agency said.
The protesters who showed up in Beirut on Sunday chanted against the security crackdown and called for an independent new head of government unaffiliated with established political parties.
Others raised posters saying the tear gas won’t keep them away. “We are crying already,” said one, in a jab at the deep economic crisis Lebanese are facing. The streets leading to parliament were filled with men, women and even children. Some huddled in smaller groups while others were lifted on shoulders chanting in megaphones. The overnight confrontations in Beirut left more than 130 people injured, according to the Red Cross and the Lebanese Civil Defense. The Red Cross said none of the injured were in serious condition and most of them were treated on the spot.
The violence and Sunday’s rally came just hours before the president was due to meet with representatives of parliamentary blocs to name a new prime minister. After weeks of bickering and despite calls from the protesters for a technocratic government, politicians seem set on bringing Hariri back to the post. The demonstrators were clear they wouldn’t accept his return. “Saad, Saad, Saad, don’t dream of it anymore.”
“I came back today to pressure the parliament to make the right choice tomorrow and choose a prime minister from outside the political parties. If they don’t choose someone acceptable, we will be back to the streets again and again,” said Chakib Abillamah, a protester and businessman who was demonstrating Saturday when violence broke out.
Caline Mouawad, a lawyer, said she watched as security forces violently broke up the protests and decided to join in solidarity. “What happened last night provoked me. I came down even it means getting beaten tonight.” Interior Minister Raya al-Hassan on Sunday ordered an investigation into the clashes, which she said injured both protesters and security forces. She said she watched the confrontations “with concern, sadness and shock.”Al-Hassan blamed “infiltrators” for instigating violence and called on the demonstrators to be wary of those who want to exploit their protests for political reasons. She didn’t elaborate.
The head of the Internal Security Forces, Maj. Gen. Imad Osman, turned up at the protest rally Sunday. He told reporters on the scene that the right to protest was guaranteed by the law. “But calm down, no need for violence,” he said, appealing to protesters. In the northern Akkar district, attackers broke the windows and set fire to the local office of Hariri’s political party in the town of Kharibet al-Jundi. Photos circulated on social media of shattered glass and the aftermath of the fire, which torched the building. In a separate attack in Akkar district, assailants stormed the local office of the largest party in parliament, affiliated with President Michel Aoun and headed by Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil. The party said the contents of the office in the town of Jedidat al-Juma had also been smashed and burned. The mayhem came just hours after the capital was rocked by violence. Lebanese security forces fired rubber bullets, tear gas and used water cannons throughout the night to disperse anti-government protesters from the city center — the epicenter of the protest movement in Beirut — and around parliament. The protests had largely been peacefully since they began on Oct. 17.
Dozens injured as police clash with protesters in Lebanon
Al Jazeera/December 16/2019
Security forces use rubber bullets, tear gas and water cannon to disperse anti-government demonstrators in Beirut.
Dozens of people were injured in Lebanon’s capital as security forces fired rubber bullets, tear gas and water cannon to disperse anti-government protesters from the city centre. Sunday morning’s violence around the epicentre of the protest site in Beirut was some of the worst since the demonstrations began two months ago. Clashes brought the central area to a standstill for more than eight hours as security forces fired a stream of tear gas canisters at hundreds of protesters, who set fires in rubbish bins on the main streets, in part to mitigate the effects of the gas.
The Red Cross and the Lebanese Civil Defence said at least 46 people were injured and transported to hospitals. More protests are expected later on Sunday. The protesters chanted slogans against security forces and government officials and pelted police with stones in scenes not seen in the capital since the demonstrations began on October 17.
At one point, the scuffles reached the headquarters of one of the main Lebanese political parties, the Kataeb, where many protesters were taking cover. Samy Gemayel, the head of the Kataeb, appeared on local TV stations as he tried to separate the protesters from advancing security forces. Lebanon is facing one of its worst economic crises in decades, and the protesters accuse the ruling political class in place for 30 years of mismanagement and corruption. The violence comes just two days before the president holds talks with different parliamentary blocs to name a new prime minister. The government headed by former Prime Minister Saad Hariri resigned on October 29, two weeks after the nationwide protests began. Political groups have been unable to agree on a new candidate while protesters have called for a government unaffiliated with established political parties.
The protesters also chanted: “The people want to bring down the regime.” They accused government forces of excessive force.
Attacking demonstrators
The trouble started on Saturday when dozens of men, some wearing masks, threw stones and firecrackers at security forces on one edge of the protest camp in central Beirut. They were supporters of the Shia Hezbollah and Amal groups, angered by some of the criticism of their leaders by anti-government protesters. It was the second time this week the groups tried to attack the protest camp. The National News Agency said one member of security forces was injured. Local leaders, including a mosque preacher, appealed for calm. Hours later, hundreds of anti-government protesters, including women, gathered outside Parliament, hundreds of metres away from the protest camp. Chaos ensued with reports of an attack on the anti-government rally, leading to a confrontation with security forces who tried to disperse the protesters.
Lebanon Beirut
Dozens of protesters were injured in the latest clashes [Hussein Malla/AP]
For the first time since the protests erupted in Beirut, anti-riot police fired rubber-coated bullets as they chased the demonstrators away from the area.It was not clear what caused the crackdown. The parliament speaker is the head of the Shia Amal group. The clashes spread to streets surrounding the protest camp, engulfing the area in thick, white smoke and the odour of tear gas. Security forces chased protesters around central Beirut, some firing rubber bullets and several volleys of tear gas from armoured vehicles. Dozens of protesters had travelled to Beirut from the northern city of Tripoli to take part in the rally outside the parliament building. The National News Agency reported some shop windows in the commercial part of central Beirut were smashed by vandals. One officer was injured in the eye when a protester hit him with a stone, according to an Associated Press reporter.
Early on Sunday, nearly a dozen riot police stood over two protesters and beat them with batons. The two were later taken away to be treated by medics. Tension has been building in the protest camp. Some accused activists who organise discussions in the camp under the name “the Hub” of hosting critics of Hezbollah and calling for normalisation of ties with Israel. The tent was attacked earlier in the week with firecrackers, burning it down. On Saturday, a rally to support the Hub was cancelled shortly before the attempted attack on the protest camp.
Netanyahu: Hezbollah will pay a price if it attacks Israel
Gov’t still working hard on national security, despite third election, PM says.
Jerusalem Post/December 15/2019
Hezbollah had better not dare attack Israel or it will pay, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned at the opening of Sunday’s cabinet meeting. “If Hezbollah dares to attack Israel, the organization and the country of Lebanon, which allows attacks against us from its territory, will pay a heavy price,” he said.
The prime minister referred to a recent statement by Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Maj.-Gen. Murteza Qurbani that Iran will “destroy Tel Aviv from Lebanon.”“He exposed a simple truth,” Netanyahu said. “Hezbollah is simply the executive arm of Iran from Lebanon, against Israel.” The prime minister added that holding a third election in less than a year will not distract the government from handling national security matters. “Unfortunately, we are entering a third election campaign, an unnecessary election that was forced on the country,” he said. “But as you see, the government is continuing to work vigorously in all important areas, first and foremost in matters of security.” Netanyahu said he cannot give details of what happens in security cabinet meetings, “but you see the results. The cabinet and security cabinet’s activities will continue as needed until the day of the election, and I hope after it, as well.”
Netanyahu also congratulated UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson for winning Thursday’s general election in the UK. “This is also a clear victory in the fight against antisemitism,” Netanyahu said. UK Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has been accused of nearly a dozen of instances of antisemitic statements and actions, and has allowed Jew-hatred to fester in his party with few consequences in recent years. Labour suffered its greatest loss since 1935 in Thursday’s election. “I expect to continue working with Boris Johnson in the coming years to continue strengthening the excellent relations between Israel and Great Britain,” Netanyahu added. “They can be seen in our great trade numbers, in tourism and many other areas. They can also be seen in the area of security, in the fight against terrorism in a way that we hadn’t seen in previous years.”
Hariri Most Likely to Be Renamed Lebanese PM
Beirut – Caroline Akoum/Asharq Al-Awsat/Sunday, 15 December, 2019
Saad Hariri is expected to be named Lebanon’s new prime minister, a position he had resigned from in October following unprecedented mass anti-government protests. He is likely to garner the backing of the majority of parliamentary blocs that are set to meet Monday for binding consultations with President Michel Aoun. Sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Lebanese Forces appears to be leaning towards naming Hariri as premier. The Shiite Hezbollah and Amal parties will also name Hariri given the lack of an alternative candidate, added the sources. Presidential sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that the consultations will not be postponed as they were last week when another candidate, Samir al-Khatib withdrew his nomination a day earlier. Aoun, meanwhile, is still adamant about forming a government of technocrats and political figures. The protesters have been vocal in their demand for the formation of a government comprised solely of technocrats. The sources said the president is keen on a government of technocrats and politicians because it will grant the cabinet political cover for its decisions. The normal and expected disputes over shares in cabinet will ensue should officials agree on such a government, they predicted. Barring any surprises, Hariri is expected to receive the votes of over 70 lawmakers during Monday’s consultations. He will enjoy the backing of the Progressive Socialist Party with nine MPs, Hezbollah with 13, Amal with 17, al-Azem party of former PM Najib Mikati with four, Lebanese Forces with 15, and Hariri’s Mustaqbal bloc with 18. Former PM Tammam Salam is set to name Hariri, revealed his sources. The Marada Movement and independent lawmakers have yet to name a candidate. The Kataeb party had previously declared that it will name former ambassador Nawwaf Salam.
Assailants Burn Lebanese Ruling Parties’ Offices after Night of Clashes
Asharq Al-Awsat/Sunday, 15 December, 2019
Attackers in northern Lebanon set fire to the offices of two major political parties on Sunday, the state-run National News Agency said. The assaults came just hours after the capital Beirut was rocked by the most violent government crackdown on protesters since nationwide demonstrations began two months ago. Lebanese security forces fired rubber bullets, tear gas and used water cannons throughout the night to disperse anti-government protesters from the city center — the epicenter of the protest movement in Beirut — and around parliament. The overnight confrontations in Beirut left more than 130 people injured, according to the Red Cross and the Lebanese Civil Defense. The confrontations were preceded by clashes between counter-protesters – namely supporters of the Shiite Hezbollah and Amal parties – with riot police in Beirut.In the northern Akkar district on Sunday, attackers broke the windows and torched the local office for resigned Prime Minister Saad Hariri’s Mustaqbal movement in the town of Kharibet al-Jindi. In a separate attack in Akkar district, assailants stormed the local office of the Free Patriotic Movement, founded by President Michel Aoun and headed by his son-in-law, Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil. The FPM, which boasts the greatest number of MPs in parliament, said the contents of the office in Jedidat al-Juma town had also been smashed and burned. Lebanon is facing one of its worst economic crises in decades, and the protesters accuse the ruling political class in place for three decades of mismanagement and corruption. While protesters have rallied against the entire political class, Bassil is arguably the most reviled leader among the protesters. The violence comes a day before the president is due to hold talks with different parliamentary blocs to name a new prime minister on Monday. Interior Minister Raya al-Hassan on Sunday ordered an investigation into the clashes which she said injured both protesters and security forces. She said she watched the confrontations “with concern, sadness and shock.”Al-Hassan blamed “infiltrators” for instigating the friction and called on the demonstrators to be wary of those who want to exploit their protests for political reasons. She didn’t elaborate. Nationwide protests began on October 17, and the government headed by Hariri resigned two weeks later. Political parties have since been bickering over the shape and form of the new Cabinet. Protesters want a technocratic government, not affiliated with established political parties. After weeks of back and forth, Hariri has emerged as the likely candidate for the job.
Hariri Still Insisting on Technocrat Government
Naharnet/December 15/2019
Caretaker Prime Minister Saad Hariri’s will not change his stance on the need to form a government of experts that would be able to confront the economic and social challenges, sources close to him said.
“Should he be designated to form the new government, PM Hariri will seek to form an integrated team comprising figures who have expertise,” LBCI TV quoted the Center House sources as saying. “Al-Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc will emphasize on this approach in the parliamentary consultations scheduled for tomorrow,” the sources added.
Alloush Hints Hariri Won’t Refuse to be Re-Designated as PM
Naharnet/December 15/2019
Senior al-Mustaqbal Movement official ex-MP Mustafa Alloush has hinted that caretaker Prime Minister Saad Hariri will not reject his re-nomination for the PM post in Monday’s binding parliamentary consultations. “Hariri does not want to dodge his responsibilities in these critical moments,” Alloush said in a TV interview. “Al-Mustaqbal bloc will vote for Hariri but we don’t know how the parliamentary consultations will go tomorrow,” he added.
FPM, Mustaqbal Offices in Akkar Vandalized
Naharnet/December 15/2019
Unknown individuals overnight vandalized two offices belonging to the Free Patriotic Movement and al-Mustaqbal Movement in the northern district of Akkar, the National News Agency said. NNA said the FPM’s office in the Akkar town of al-Joumeh was attacked around 3:00 am. “The unknown assailants smashed the outer glass door and torched the office before fleeing to an unknown destination,” the agency said. Mustaqbal’s office in the Akkar town of Khreibet al-Jendi was meanwhile vandalized in the same manner. NNA said security forces inspected the two offices and launched a probe to identify the culprits. Al-Mustaqbal Movement meanwhile issued a statement strongly condemning the attack on its office in Khreibet al-Jendi, saying the concurrence of the incident with the attack on the FPM office raises suspicion that “unknown sides are trying to exploit contradictions and stir strife among the sons of the same region.”The assaults came just hours after the capital Beirut was rocked by the most violent government crackdown on protesters since nationwide demonstrations began two months ago.
Al-Hassan Orders Probe in Clashes, Warns Protesters of ‘Infiltrators’
Associated Press/Naharnet/December 15/2019
Caretaker Interior Minister Raya al-Hassan on Sunday said she has ordered a probe into the fierce overnight clashes between protesters and riot police in central Beirut.
“I was concerned, saddened and astounded as I followed up throughout the night yesterday on the confrontations in the vicinity of parliament and on Beirut’s streets, which led to clashes between security forces and citizens and injuries on both sides,” al-Hassan said in a statement.
“Due to the infiltration of some elements and the multiple missions of security forces, and to pinpoint responsibilities and preserve protesters’ rights, I have asked the command of the Internal Security Forces to conduct a speedy and transparent probe to identify the culprits and the responsibilities in order to take further measures,” al-Hassan added.
“I also call on protesters to be cautious of the presence of certain sides that are trying to exploit their rightful demos, or to confront them, with the aim of sparking a clash between them and security forces who are trying to protect them and their right to assembly,” the minister went on to say, warning that such sides might have “political motives.”Riot police fired rubber bullets, tear gas and used water cannons to disperse anti-government protesters from central Beirut in clashes that lasted for hours into early Sunday. The violence around the epicenter of the protest in Beirut was some of the worst since the demonstrations began two months ago. Dozens of protesters were injured, including some beaten repeatedly with batons by security forces. The clashes brought the downtown area to a standstill for over eight hours as security forces fired a stream of tear gas canisters at the hundreds of protesters, who set fires in trash cans on the main streets, in part to mitigate the effects of tear gas.
The protesters chanted slogans against security forces and government officials, and pelted police with stones in scenes not seen in the capital since the demonstrations began on Oct. 17. At one point, the scuffles reached the headquarters of the Kataeb Party in Saifi, where many protesters were taking cover. Kataeb chief Sami Gemayel appeared on local TV stations as he tried to separate the protesters from advancing security forces. Lebanon is facing one of its worst economic crises in decades, and the protesters accuse the ruling political class in place for three decades of mismanagement and corruption. The violence comes just two days before the president is due to hold talks with different parliamentary blocs to name a new prime minister. The government headed by former Prime Minister Saad Hariri resigned Oct. 29, two weeks after the nationwide protests began. Political groups have been unable to agree on a new candidate while protesters have been calling for a government unaffiliated with established political parties. Local TV station LBCI showed dozens chanting against Hariri, who is emerging as the favorite candidate despite all the political bickering. The protesters also shouted “The people want to bring down the regime” and accused government forces of excessive force.
More protests are expected later Sunday. For the first time since the protests erupted in Beirut, anti-riot police fired rubber bullets as they chased the demonstrators away from the area overnight. The clashes spread to streets surrounding the protest camp, engulfing the area in thick white smoke and the odor of tear gas. Security forces chased protesters around central Beirut, some firing rubber bullets and several volleys of tear gas from armored vehicles. Dozens of protesters had traveled to Beirut from the northern city of Tripoli to take part in the rally outside the parliament building. The National News Agency reported that some shop windows in the commercial part of central Beirut were smashed by vandals. One officer was injured in the eye when a protester hit him with a stone, according to an Associated Press reporter. Early Sunday, nearly a dozen riot police stood over two protesters and beat them with batons, according to an AP reporter on the scene. The two were later taken away to be treated by medics.
Intense Clashes between Riot Police, Protesters in Central Beirut
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/December 15/2019
Riot police clashed with anti-government protesters in Beirut late Saturday, firing tear gas heavily to prevent them from breaching barricades near parliament, ahead of talks next week to appoint a new premier.
Lebanon has been swept by unprecedented nationwide protests since October 17, demanding the complete overhaul of a political class deemed inept and corrupt. The government stepped down on October 29, but bitterly divided political parties have subsequently failed to agree on a new premier, although talks are now planned for Monday.Saturday’s clashes erupted at the entrance to the street leading to parliament, which was blocked by security forces. Images broadcast by local TVs showed the anti-government protesters trying to break through metal police barricades, and officers firing tear gas and beating them violently. The demonstrators overturned heavy flower pots and shouted slogans hostile to the security forces and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, the footage showed. Clashes followed in Martyrs Square — the epicentee of protests since October — and on a bridge in the city center.
Security forces fired rubber bullets, while protesters threw stones.
Protesters were injured by batons while others passed out due to the intensity of tear gas fumes, and members of the security forces were also wounded. Media reports said around 100 people were injurer in the clashes. The Lebanese Red Cross told AFP people had been treated for breathing difficulties and fainting, along with injuries caused by stones, noting that security personnel and civilians were among those treated. Lebanese civil defense also said it took 10 people to hospital, but did not specify whether the affected were civilians or members of the security forces.
Counter-protests
Security services had already used force to disperse anti-government protesters earlier this week. The process of forming a government will take place as Lebanon faces an economic crisis. The protesters have demanded a government made up solely of experts not affiliated to the country’s traditional political parties, but analysts have warned this could be a tall order. Earlier in the day, police in Beirut clashed with young people opposed to the anti-government protest movement. The afternoon clashes erupted when young counter-protesters from Khandaq al-Ghamiq, an area of the capital dominated by Hizbullah and the AMAL Movement, tried to raid a key anti-government protest camp in Martyrs’ Square.
Anti-riot police intervened, firing teargas to disperse them.
The Lebanese protests have been largely peaceful but clashes have become more frequent in recent weeks, with supporters of Hizbullah and AMAL attacking protest camps in several cities amid counter-demonstrations. Both AMAL and Hizbullah are partners in Lebanon’s cross-sectarian government. Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on Friday warned that the formation of a new government could take time. Nasrallah said he would support a coalition government with “the widest possible representation” that did not exclude any of the major parties, adding that it could even be headed by outgoing premier Saad Hariri. The names of various potential candidates have been circulated in recent weeks, but the Sunni Muslim establishment on Sunday threw their support behind Hariri returning. The international community has urged a swift appointment of a cabinet to implement key economic reforms and unlock international aid. Nasrallah on Friday also urged his supporters — and those of AMAL — to stay calm, saying that the “anger” of some of his movement’s members had gone “out of control.”
Lebanese burn ruling parties’ offices after night of clashes
The Associated Press, Beirut/Sunday, 15 December 2019
Attackers in northern Lebanon set fire to the offices of two major political parties on Sunday, the state-run National News Agency said. The assaults came just hours after the capital Beirut was rocked by the most violent government crackdown on protesters since nationwide demonstrations began two months ago. Lebanese security forces fired rubber bullets, tear gas and used water cannons throughout the night to disperse anti-government protesters from the city center — the epicenter of the protest movement in Beirut — and around parliament. The overnight confrontations in Beirut left more than 130 people injured, according to the Red Cross and the Lebanese Civil Defense. In the northern Akkar district on Sunday, attackers broke the windows and torched the local office for resigned Prime Minister Saad Hariri’s political party in the town of Kharibet al-Jindi. In a separate attack in Akkar district, assailants stormed the local office of the largest party in parliament, affiliated with President Michel Aoun and headed by Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil. Their party said the contents of the office in Jedidat al-Juma town had also been smashed and burned. Lebanon is facing one of its worst economic crises in decades, and the protesters accuse the ruling political class in place for three decades of mismanagement and corruption. The violence comes a day before the president is due to hold talks with different parliamentary blocs to name a new prime minister on Monday. Interior Minister Raya al-Hassan on Sunday ordered an investigation into the clashes which she said injured both protesters and security forces. She said she watched the confrontations “with concern, sadness and shock.”Al-Hassan blamed “infiltrators” for instigating the friction and called on the demonstrators to be wary of those who want to exploit their protests for political reasons. She didn’t elaborate. Nationwide protests began on Oct. 17, and the government headed by Hariri resigned two weeks later. Political parties have since been bickering over the shape and form of the new Cabinet. Protesters want a technocratic government, not affiliated with established political parties. After weeks of back and forth, Hariri has emerged as the likely candidate for the job.
Titles For The Latest Lebanese LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on December 15-16/2019
No Trust In Saad Al Hariri/Elias Bejjani/December 15/2019
The French connection couldn’t save Lebanon/Makram Rabah/The Arab Weekly/December 15/2019
Political impasse, foreign pressure give new political lease on life for Hariri/Samar Kadi/The Arab Weekly/December 15/2019
The coming real estate boom/Dan Azzi/Annahar/December 15/2019
A proposal to restructure Lebanon’s debt/Michel Fayad/Annahar/December 15/2019
The Latest Lebanese LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on December 15-16/2019
No Trust In Lebanon’s Caretaker PM, Mr. Saad Al Hariri
Elias Bejjani/December 16/2019
Saad Al Hariri protects covertly and covertly the most corrupt officials and businessmen in what is known the Lebanese deep government.
At the same time he has no sovereign or patriotic back bone, to the extent that he has even compromised on his father’s assassination (Raffic Al Hariri), and put the ongoing trial by the Special Tribunal For Lebanon (STL) on a marginal scale of his priorities.
In this realm he forged a political alliance with his father’s assassins, The Hezbollah Terrorist Militia, whose the STL accused a number of its security topnotch members to have committed the terrorist assassination in year 2005.
Mr. Hariri, in his PM, capacity has been totally serving Hezbollah’s occupation of Lebanon status quo as well as the Iranian-Mullahs’ expansionism schemes in exchange for staying as an MP.
Practically, Mr. Hariri is the first politician who should not be trusted any more in any official position.
He is not only one of all of the corrupt Lebanese politicians, but the first of them all.
In summary, No trust is ought to be granted to Mr. Hariri to head the new Lebanese Government.
Hariri is not a talented or a professional politician and based on his record since 20015 he will never be one. Meanwhile, he surrounds himself by advisers who in general serve their our businesses and lead him into un-patriotic and non-sovereign deals with the Lebanese warlords and oligarchies.
His record as PM shows that he moves disastrously from one failure to another. He is not the right PM, for dealing with serious and devastating current Lebanese crisis.
The French connection couldn’t save Lebanon
Makram Rabah/The Arab Weekly/December 15/2019
Lebanon’s lack of seriousness, its irresponsible attitude and its refusal to heed the warnings of the international community were penalised in Paris.
When the French Mandate founded “Grand Liban” — the State of Greater Lebanon — almost a century ago, it was never assumed that the small merchant republic would someday reach rock bottom.
Decades of unheeded political corruption, coupled with Beirut’s inability to maintain solid connections with its regional Arab allies, left Lebanon desperate for a lifeline from the international community, primarily France.
The International Support Group for Lebanon (ISG), led by France and the United Nations, met December 11 in Paris to discuss options to help Lebanon in its predicament.
Observers said the ISG was a first step towards Lebanon’s economic salvation because France would lead an international effort to inject much-needed funds into the Lebanese economy, which collapsing towards a total meltdown.
Time and again, French President Emmanuel Macron has shown remarkable resolve in supporting the government of Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri, including sponsoring the CEDRE donor conference in April 2018, which earmarked $11 billion to overhaul Lebanon’s decaying infrastructure and jump-start its ailing economy.
However, the CEDRE funds were part of a wide reform package that the Lebanese state had publicly subscribed to, which included administrative, fiscal and budgetary reform, none of which were implemented by Hariri’s cabinet, leaving the $11 billion in limbo.
Despite visits by French envoy Pierre Duquesne and his repeated urging to Lebanese officials of the importance of the reforms, the recommendations were ignored and the Hariri government failed to address key challenges, primarily reform of the electricity sector and the proper passing of the annual budget.
Lebanon’s lack of seriousness, its irresponsible attitude and its refusal to heed the warnings of the international community were penalised in Paris when the ISG convened without any serious Lebanese presence. Beirut was represented by token senior diplomats and a few Hariri advisers.
French patronage and largesse seemed to have run their course and the ISG meeting came as a cold shower to the Lebanese officials, reminding them that, practically, they lack popular legitimacy to receive financial or political bailout and that they need to listen to their own people who are demanding reform.
The ISG final statement was more or less a page from the “Lebanese revolution’s” book of demands as it “urges the Lebanese authorities to take decisive action to restore the stability and sustainability of the funding model of the financial sector, to tackle corruption and tax evasion (including adoption of an anti-corruption national strategy, the anti-corruption agency law and judicial reform and other measures to instil transparency and accountability), to reform state-owned enterprises and implement the electricity reform plan including governance-enhancing mechanism (through an independent regulatory body) and to markedly improve economic governance and the business environment, through the passing of and effectively implementing procurement laws.”
This rude awakening is different from previous warnings to the Lebanese government because there is no longer an economic safety net for the tightrope act the ruling establishment has been dangerously conducting over the years. In perhaps a reminder of the Lebanese predicament and the terrible fate that awaits the country, the ISG underscored “its commitment to Lebanon’s access to basic goods and trade facilities, as currently provided for by trade facilitation programmes, to preserve the livelihood of the population and economic resilience.”
In layman’s terms, a government that cannot ensure basic goods and food to its people is not a government that can lead reform nor does it have the trust of the international community, which will refuse to keep bankrolling a Ponzi scheme and an unlimited appetite for corruption.
It is pertinent to remember that the CEDRE conference was preceded by the Rome meeting, which demanded that the Lebanese government reclaim its sovereignty and properly address the challenge that Hezbollah poses on the country’s political and economic well-being.
The failure of the ruling establishment, as well as Lebanese at large, to jump-start this political and economic reform process is the reason the country is beyond the point of no return.
To supporters of the Iranian axis and their local Lebanese allies and cronies, Macron and the Europeans’ stance to oppose the US sanctions is their only remaining lifeline. However, just like the Iranian axis is waiting for US President Donald Trump to possibly lose office, Macron will, sooner or later, step down and what Lebanon and its Iranian allies will be left with is an international community that is beyond convinced that Lebanon’s fate is well-deserved.
Political impasse, foreign pressure give new political lease on life for Hariri
Samar Kadi/The Arab Weekly/December 15/2019
Hariri could accept that Hezbollah nominates “non-provocative politicians.”
BEIRUT – While political parties in Lebanon stress the urgency of forming a government capable of gaining foreign assistance to curb Lebanon’s economic downfall, power struggles and political wrangling prevented the nomination of a prime minister to replace Saad Hariri, who resigned more than a month ago.
The latest front-runner, Samir Khatib, withdrew his name following an objection by political and spiritual leaders of the Sunni community, to which the post is allocated. The country’s top Sunni religious leader called Hariri the preferred candidate, increasing his chances to return as head of government.
Under Lebanon’s sectarian-based political system, the prime minister is a Sunni Muslim, the president a Christian Maronite and the speaker of parliament a Shia Muslim.
Parties have been haggling over the nature of the government for weeks. While Hariri called for an independent government of technocrats, his opponents — the powerful Shia Hezbollah and its allies, Shia Amal movement and Lebanese President Michel Aoun’s Christian Free Patriotic Movement (FPM), headed by his son-in-law and Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil — insisted on a semi-technical and semi-political administration.
Bassil announced that the FPM, which has the largest number of seats in parliament, will not take part in a cabinet led by Hariri. “Its fate (would be) definitely failure. This is not avoiding responsibility… We will form a constructive opposition,” he said.
Bassil’s comments could pave the way for a cabinet formed by Hariri, ending a deadlock that has gripped the country since Hariri’s resignation October 29.
Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah called for a “largely representative” government in which all parties would assume the responsibility of pulling Lebanon out of its socio-economic crisis and fulfil protesters’ demands.
“A reformist government necessitates the participation of all political powers and no party should be excised. It also does not necessarily mean a government of technocrats,” Nasrallah said, in allusion to the FPM.
He said he hopes that mandatory consultations between Aoun and parliamentary blocs, set for December 16, would result in nominating a prime minister. The consultations were postponed once before over disagreements on who to nominate.
“Until this very moment, Saad Hariri’s return is almost 99% sure,” said Rached Fayed, a politburo member of Hariri’s Future Movement party. “He has already talked to the World Bank and [International Monetary Fund] IMF chiefs to help find a solution to the present crisis. This signals that he would be willing to assume that responsibility. It also means that he may be willing to reach a compromise with the parties (Hezbollah and Amal) who want to be represented by politicians.”
“He (Hariri) might accept, for instance, to have Hezbollah nominate non-provocative politicians who are at the same time technocrats such as the (outgoing) minister of health,” Fayed said.
Political analyst Nabil Bou Monsef said he was sceptical about FPM’s decision to boycott a Hariri-led government. “I personally believe things will get more complicated. Bassil’s exit could mean a clash with the president. I have the impression that we are heading to a more complicated power struggle and settling political accounts.”
“If Hariri is nominated by Hezbollah and Amal MPs in the consultations with the president, it will show a flagrant divergence from their ally, the FPM,” Bou Monsef said.
“Even if Hariri is nominated tomorrow, the formation of the government will take much time,” he said. “I guess Hariri would make concessions to assure Amal and Hezbollah that he is not implementing an American agenda to clip their wings… The equation would be they support him to lead the government and he will accept to have them represented by a number of politicians.”
The international community is increasing pressure on Lebanon to form a credible, reform-minded government, a condition for receiving urgent aid.
“The only possible criteria (for aid) are the effectiveness of the government in implementing the reforms awaited by the population. This is the only way that the participants around this table and beyond can mobilise to give Lebanon the support it needs,” French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said after a meeting of the International Support Group for Lebanon in Paris on December 11.
Lebanon has been rocked by unprecedented popular protests over official mismanagement and corruption since October 17.
The coming real estate boom
Dan Azzi/Annahar/December 15/2019
The other major development will be banks offering their clients some of their repossessed or distressed properties in return for giving up their claim on their deposits.
The title of this article must surprise a lot of people who were more used to me predicting the collapse of the real estate bubble, such as in my AUB Lecture last year in which I called real estate “The Second Biggest Scam in the History of Lebanon.” People, then, were wondering what the biggest scam was, which I avoided answering. But now they know. Finally, right when they became convinced of my thesis about real estate, here I come making a U-turn.
But today, things have changed drastically. It’s pretty clear (or will be, soon enough) that the majority of deposits in banks are simply computer entries with nothing behind them, and that there’s, at best, one “real” dollar for every three “Lebanese dollars” (which I’ve been calling Monopoly money or “Lollar”). A Lollar (© 2019, All Rights Reserved) is the unit of currency in any bank account in Lebanon denominated in US dollars. The value of accounts in Lollars was generated through fake interest, with no legitimate investment on the other side that generates real cashflow backing them. Anyone who withdrew money from a bank in the good old days (a few short months ago) was effectively withdrawing someone else’s principal, just like a typical Ponzi Scheme. I’ve posited in previous articles that the only solution to this problem is to execute a surgical procedure equalizing real dollars and Lollars. This is what I’ve referred to as a haircut, which can have many different forms, but they’re all equivalent. In my next article, I will go through these different forms.
People who have come to this realization (as opposed to the ones still in denial), are trying to escape before the haircut axe drops. Some lucky ones have applied Wasta to get out. Those less lucky are selling their Monopoly money accounts for up to a 30% discount for cash or money outside the country, betting that a 30% loss now is better than a 50% (or more) loss later. This means that, effectively, a (real) US dollar now buys 1.42 Lollars, a phenomenon that was described in this article from last summer.
Others are using the few legal loopholes remaining (before they’re closed) to try to minimize their losses.
But why would a guy sell a tangible asset for Monopoly money? This would only happen if the owner were in debt (or with other liabilities), because Monopoly money can be used to pay off a Monopoly loan. A (rational) person with no debt would never sell real estate except for physical cash or funds paid outside the country. Of course, a person who believes in fairy tales, such as the selection of a new government, can somehow save the day, and that the current measures are temporary, might also accept Monopoly money.
So let’s now analyze the new supply-demand distribution in this new paradigm.
The demand for real estate comes from anyone with an account in a Lebanese bank, which totals close to $180 billion. The supply is anyone who’s in debt and owns real estate. According to an IMF report from a couple of years ago, lending to the private sector totals almost $60 billion, over one third of which is directly tied to real estate (mortgages, Iskan, and developer loans). However, according to this same report, more than 90% is collateralized by real estate (meaning a person who took a loan for a business, or his own purposes, with a lien on one of his properties). In other words, the potential supply of real estate is slightly more than $50 billion. That means that demand outstrips supply by a three to one ratio. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why you’ll see a major spike in real estate prices. However, this spike will be for sales priced in Lollars or Monopoly money. If you pay cash (Benjamin Franklins), or in an account outside Lebanon, prices will continue to drop, per my original prediction, to the extent that cash (or real dollar) prices will be less than 50% of Lollar prices.
The other major development will be banks offering their clients some of their repossessed or distressed properties in return for giving up their claim on their deposits. Be careful with this, because it might be a double-whammy; first they hijacked your money, then they’re trying to solve the problem they created for you, by pawning off their junk, overpriced portfolios that they generated with the same lack of proper credit due diligence as the Ponzi Scheme that got us where we are. Thus, you’re better off carefully shopping around for your own deal.
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A proposal to restructure Lebanon’s debt
Michel Fayad/Annahar/December 15/2019
The exposure of Lebanese banks to public debt and treasury bonds is equivalent to 69% of their total assets while up to US$11.8bn in Eurobonds is estimated to be held by international market participants.
The peg between the weak local Lebanese Pound and the globally strong US Dollar is an anomaly since the US is neither the main supplier nor the main client of Lebanon. In recent months, the Lebanese Pound has weakened against the US Dollar on the black market, while the official exchange rate remains unchanged amid an increasing shortage of dollars, thus creating arbitrage opportunities.
To address the situation, the Lebanese Pound should be pegged against a basket of currencies including the US Dollar and Euro because the European Union is the main supplier and the main client of Lebanon. At a later stage, a floating exchange rate should be adopted.
The fixed rate adopted by the Central Bank of Lebanon was maintained by offering high-interest rates—paid by accumulating more debt that has been repaid by a poorer population to Lebanese banks and by banks to their depositors and to international markets.
This largest government-sponsored Ponzi scheme in history worked until the war in Syria broke out in 2011, leading to an economic slowdown in Lebanon. Since then, the Lebanese economy hasn’t expanded amid a widening twin trade and budget deficits.
Unlike Bernie Madoff’s Ponzi scheme, which used a “split-strike option strategy” based on lies that affected a few hundred rich investors, Lebanon’s version of the scheme is having an impact on all of its population.
Nasser Saidi, a former BDL vice-governor (from 1993 to 2003) and former industry, economy and trade minister (1998-2000), described BDL’s financial engineering as a “Ponzi scheme” that relies on fresh borrowing to pay back the existing debt.
Nassim Nicholas Taleb, the author of The Black Swan, shared that view. In response, the legal department of the Central Bank of Lebanon said its operations were in conformity with the law as set out in the 1963 Code of Money and Credit.
Alain Bifani, the Director-General of Lebanon’s Ministry of Finance, was quoted in a Wikileaks document which dates back to 2007 as saying that Central Bank Governor Riad “Salameh has been hiding the deficit in BDL’s books by settling high-interest MOF debt and reissuing lower interest debt in the BDL’s portfolio.”
Thus, a change of the BDL’s policy is required since Lebanon can no longer survive under the current rentier economic model that favors the real estate and financial services sectors at the expense of productive sectors. Lebanon must also abolish exclusive agencies and monopolies and adopt a real capitalist economy (économie libérale) that should be regulated to reduce poverty.
But first, the country’s debt must be restructured.
The total 2019 debt of Lebanon is estimated at US$88.4bn (154.5% of GDP), with domestic-currency debt at US$55.1bn (96.3% of GDP) and foreign-currency debt at US$33.3bn (58.1% of GDP).
The exposure of Lebanese banks to public debt and treasury bonds is equivalent to 69% of their total assets while up to US$11.8bn in Eurobonds is estimated to be held by international market participants.
According to Refinitiv data, around two-thirds of Lebanon’s foreign debt is estimated to be held by local banks, while the remainder is held by international market participants, such as Amundi, Invesco, JPMorgan, AllianceBernstein and Fidelity.
Lebanon government debt as of 2Q 2019 (Eurobond data adjusted to reflect latest figures). Source: BdL, BofA Merrill Lynch Global Research. Levels include accrued interests. All data as of June 2019, although BofA Merrill Lynch Global Research has adjusted Eurobonds data to reflect the most recent figures. % of GDP based on 2019F GDP. Other debt reflects special T-bills in foreign currency (expropriation and contractor bonds). Public sector deposits are mostly LL-denominated.
Lebanon government debt as of 2Q 2019 (Eurobond data adjusted to reflect latest figures). Source: BdL, BofA Merrill Lynch Global Research. Levels include accrued interests. All data are from June 2019, although BofA Merrill Lynch Global Research has adjusted Eurobonds data to reflect the most recent figures. % of GDP based on 2019F GDP. Other debt reflects special T-bills in foreign currency (expropriation and contractor bonds). Public sector deposits are mostly LL-denominated.
In 1967, the Lebanese Parliament passed the “Intra Law,” which set down new rules and procedures in the event of bank failures in order to prevent outright bankruptcy and liquidation. Indeed, in 1966, Intra Bank was forced to suspend payments in the wake of a run on the bank that depleted its cash reserves. Intra had only a few large depositors, limited cash reserves and long-term investments in property. This law allowed the restructuring of Intra rather than its pure liquidation: the deposit obligations were replaced with shares in a new financial institution, Intra Investment Company.
A similar law could be drafted in order to restructure the debt of Lebanon. The debt held by banks must be swapped with shares of a newly established sovereign fund that comprises:
– Middle East Airlines (MEA);
– Touch and Alfa (the two mobile operators);
– Casino du Liban;
– 20% of the future oil & gas revenues of the two blocs awarded for exploration to Total, ENI, and Novatek;
– Electricity & Water management.
75% of deposits above $1 million would be converted to equity in these banks.
The new sovereign fund and all Alpha Banks could then be listed on international stock markets including New York, London, Frankfurt, Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Singapore stock exchanges (even if they have to start by secondary markets)
*Michel Fayad is a civil society activist and financial analyst with experience in policy making, global strategy, and business development. He graduated from HEC Paris School of Management, the London School of Economics & Political Science and NYU Stern School of Business.
