A Bundle Of English Reports, News and Editorials For March 02-03/2020 Addressing the On Going Mass Demonstrations & Sit In-ins In Iranian Occupied Lebanon in its 138th Day

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A Bundle Of English Reports, News and Editorials For March 02-03/2020 Addressing the On Going Mass Demonstrations & Sit In-ins In Iranian Occupied Lebanon in its 138th Day
Compiled By: Elias Bejjani
March 03/2020

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on March 02-03/2020
Number of coronavirus cases in Lebanon rises to 13
Health Ministry: Three new Coronavirus cases
Lebanon Bars Entry of Syrian Bus over Coronavirus as Iranian Plane Arrives
Hassan: Coronavirus Not Pandemic in Lebanon
Lebanon’s Advisers Hold Talks with Bondholders
Diab Says Eurobond Decision by Weekend, Salameh Reassures on Gold
Diab’s Press Office rebuffs ‘false news and defamation’, affirms rule of law will prevail
Diab tackles developments with Grand Serail interlocutors
Honorary Consular Corps visits Diab, expresses faith in his cabinet
Lebanon PM: State is “weak” but “decisive” decisions coming
Diab Says State ‘Weak,’ But ‘Decisive’ Decisions Will Be Taken
Hearing Begins for Bank Officials on Capital Flight
Financial Prosecutor Grills Lebanese Bankers over Capital Flight
Israel Installs ‘Device’ at al-Abbad Border Post
Rai: Lebanese Govt Needs to Take Bold Political Decision, Implement Reforms
Lebanese Political Movement to Lift Iranian Tutelage Over Lebanon
Hezbollah Hinders Roadmap on Lebanon’s Economy Recovery
Minister of Social Affairs tackles refugee affairs with Syrian officials
Bus at al-Qaa border crossing not allowed to enter Lebanon over suspected coronavirus case
Defense Minister, Army Chief visit Military Academy
UfM launches new regional mechanism to monitor gender equality in the Mediterranean
Japanese Deputy Justice Minister in Lebanon over Ghosn Case
Japanese Official in Lebanon, Seeks Return of Fugitive Ghosn
Nissan Case over Ghosn’s Beirut Home to End This Month
Hezbollah Has a New Strategy to Survive Lebanon’s Financial/risisHanin Ghaddar/The Washington Institute/March 02/2020

The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on March 02-03/2020
Lebanon’s Iranian Cancerous Occupation and The Required Solutions
سرطان الإحتلال الإيراني للبنان والحلول الدولية المطلوبة
Elias Bejjani/March 03/2020

Lebanon’s current problem is the cancerous Hezbollah’s Iranian Occupation that is systematic, and since 1982 has been covertly and overtly devouring Lebanon and everything that is Lebanese in all domains and on all levels.
The Solution is through the UN declaring Lebanon a rogue-failed country and the strict implementation of the three UN Resolutions addressing Lebanon’s
ongoing dilemma of occupation:
The Armistice agreement
The 1559 UN Resolution
The 1701UN Resolution.
All other approaches, no matter what, will only serve the occupying Mullah’s vicious scheme of destroying Lebanon and strengthening its ironic, terrorist grip on the Lebanese.
All Pro-Lebanon’s Freedom demonstrations in any country in the Diaspora that are carried on by the Lebanese MUST call for this only International solution.
Meanwhile, yes, Lebanon and the Lebanese are facing very serious crises, hardships and problems in all life sectors; e.g., poverty, unemployment, corruption, drug trafficking, money laundering, politicization of the judiciary, electricity shortage, a scandalous disarray in trash collection, lack of health benefits, education, and numerous social services … and the list goes on and on.
BUT, non of these hardships in any way or at any time will be solved as long as the terrorist Iranian Hezbollah remains occupying the country and terrorizing its people. At the same time, the majority of Lebanese officials, politicians and political parties are actually the enemies of both Lebanon and its citizens.
In this context, President Michael Aoun, His son-in-law, the FM, Jobran Bassil, Amin Gymael and his son Sami, PM, Saad Hariri, Druze leader Walid Jumblat, House Speaker Nabih Berri, Lebanese Forces Party leader Samir Geagea, Slieman Frangea and many other politicians, as well as numerous topnotch clergymen from all denominations are all cut from the same garment of oligarchic, narcissism, trojanism, greed, and feudalism in their mentality and education.
They all, with no sense of patriotism, have succumbed to the Hezbollah’s Iranian savage occupation.
They all and each from his status and based on his capacity and influence, have traded Lebanon’s independence, freedom, decision making process and sovereignty with mere personal power and financial gains.
In reality, they have sold their country to the occupier, Hezbollah, and with no shame have accepted the status of Dhimmitudes, puppets, tools, trumpets, cymbals and mouthpieces for the terrorist occupier. They betrayed, and still betraying, the country and their own people.
In this realm, the Lebanese demonstrators who are loudly shouting the Slogan, “All of them” are 100% right and are righteously witnessing for the truth because all of the above political and official prominent figures are practically mere merchants with numbed consciences.
All Of Them definitely means all of them.
It is worth mentioning that the Lebanese constitution is ideal for the nature of the multi-cultural and multi-religious denominational composition of the mosaic of diversified Lebanese society.
The governing disasters that have been targeting and hitting Lebanon since the early seventies has nothing to do with the great and ideal covenantal (unwritten pact) constitution, but with the foreign occupations and the oligarchic Lebanese corrupted officials and politicians.
My fellow patriotic and God fearing Lebanese from all religious denominations and all walks of life in both Lebanon and the Diaspora, stand tall and steadfast like our cedars. Do not lose faith or give up on hope, and never ever forget that our beloved, country, Lebanon is holy.
Yes, Lebanon is holy and has been blessed by Almighty God since he created man and woman and put them on earth.
Pray for our oppressed and occupied country and that Almighty God shall always guard, protect and defend it through His saints and angels.

Number of coronavirus cases in Lebanon rises to 13
Perla Kantarjian/Annahar/March 02/2020
The new cases are people who were in contact with the previously reported cases, and are currently placed under quarantine at the RHUH and have a stable health condition.
BEIRUT: On Monday, the Lebanese Ministry of Health announced three new confirmed coronavirus cases in Lebanon, increasing the number of COVID-19 patients at the Rafic Hariri University Hospital to a total of 13. The Ministry of Health said that the new cases are people who were in contact with the previously reported cases, are currently placed under quarantine at the RHUH and have a stable health condition.Additionally, the Minister of Public Health Hamad Hassan, maintained on Monday that the coronavirus is not a “pandemic” in Lebanon, adding also that work to restrict flights from countries dealing with the outbreak had commenced, allowing only the return of Lebanese citizens and foreigners holding valid residency in the Lebanese grounds. The Ministry of Health urges all people arriving from countries with coronavirus outbreak to completely adhere to home quarantine and in the case of any symptoms showing, to call the following number: +961 76 592699.

Health Ministry: Three new Coronavirus cases
NNA/March 02/2020
The Ministry of Public Health announced, in a statement on Monday, that three new laboratory-confirmed cases infected with the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) have been registered, who were previously in contact with an infected person and were present in domestic isolation, thus, raising the total number of infected cases to thirteen. In the context of combating the epidemic, the Health Ministry called on all expatriates coming from countries experiencing a local spread of the virus, “to strictly adhere to domestic isolation measures, and when any symptoms appear, to immediately contact the number 76/592699.

Lebanon Bars Entry of Syrian Bus over Coronavirus as Iranian Plane Arrives
Naharnet/March 02/2020
Lebanon on Monday barred a Syrian bus from entering the country after suspecting that a girl on it is infected with the COVID-19 coronavirus, as an Iranian plane carrying 178 passengers landed at Beirut’s Rafik Hariri International Airport. “After the medical team at the al-Qaa border crossing suspected that an infected girl was on the bus which was carrying 30 passengers, the decision was taken to return the bus to Syria,” the National News Agency said. “Afterwards, al-Qaa Municipality disinfected the border crossing and will carry out a similar campaign at public places, schools, churches, buses and refugee camps, while checkpoints for disinfecting entering cars will be set up on the town’s entrances, especially as to vendors and the distributors of foodstuffs and essential goods,” NNA added. Later in the day, an Iranian plane coming from the city of Mashhad landed at Beirut’s airport. “A Health Ministry medical team took the necessary public health and preventative measures regarding the passengers. Forms were also filled in and no disease symptoms were recorded among them,” NNA said.

Hassan: Coronavirus Not Pandemic in Lebanon
Naharnet/March 02/2020
Health Minister Hamad Hassan on Monday said the novel coronavirus is “not a pandemic” in Lebanon assuring that cancellation of a flight that was scheduled to land in Beirut was a “proof that the cabinet decision to suspend flights from infected countries came into effect.” “The decision to halt flights from infected countries came into effect. The cancellation of a trip scheduled today from Tehran to Beirut is proof,” said Hassan in remarks to VDL (100.5). Flight IR 661 from Tehran was scheduled to arrive at Beirut’s Rafik Hariri International Airport at nine in the morning. It was set to transport Lebanese students and visitors returning to Lebanon. The Minister emphasized the need to abide by the Ministry’s guidance instructions to prevent the spread of the virus. Noting that family awareness regarding self-quarantine in case of doubt, is the highest preventive level. Hassan said that Lebanon has recorded ten cases of coronavirus so far in individuals travelling into Lebanon, “linked to abroad” he said. “None of the cases was transmitted internally.” The majority of those infected in Lebanon had visited Iran in recent weeks. Hassan said it was “reassuring “ to know that the “virus is not a pandemic.”He said he had begun work to reduce flights from Iran and Italy by allowing only Lebanese citizens to return to their homeland and to foreigners holding valid legal residency.

Lebanon’s Advisers Hold Talks with Bondholders
Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 2 March, 2020
Lebanon’s financial and legal advisers are in talks with holders of its dollar-denominated debt on a restructuring but have not reached a deal, a source close to the government said on Monday. “They are working day and night” to reach an agreement on an orderly restructuring, the source told Reuters, saying that Lebanon’s decision on a March 9 maturity Eurobond must be announced by Saturday. Lebanon also has Eurobonds maturing in April and June. The country is widely expected to restructure the sovereign bonds after a long-brewing economic crisis, which came to a head last year as capital inflows slowed and protests erupted against Lebanon’s ruling elite over corruption and bad governance. Beirut last week appointed investment bank Lazard and law firm Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton as its financial and legal advisers on the widely expected debt restructuring. Banks are imposing tight restrictions on access to deposits and transfers abroad, while the Lebanese pound has weakened by nearly 40 percent from its officially pegged rate. Emerging markets investment manager Ashmore Group has attracted attention in Lebanon for accumulating more than 25 percent of the $2.5 billion of sovereign debt maturing in 2020, including $1.2 billion maturing on March 9, according to sources citing Bloomberg News data up to the end of 2019.

Diab Says Eurobond Decision by Weekend, Salameh Reassures on Gold
Naharnet/March 02/2020
Prime Minister Hassan Diab announced Monday that Lebanon’s final decision on whether or not to pay a $1.2 billion Eurobond debt that matures on March 9 will be taken Friday or Saturday. “The decision will preserve the rights of small and medium depositors as well as Lebanon’s interest,” Diab added after a high-level financial meeting at the Grand Serail. Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh meanwhile stressed that “using the gold reserve is out of the question.” “I have no say in the Eurobond issue and the decision is to be taken by the government,” he added. In addition to Diab and Salameh, the Grand Serail meeting was attended by the ministers of finance, industry, economy and public works and the head of the banks association. Lebanon is currently facing its worst economic crisis since its 1975-1990 civil war. The value of the Lebanese pound has plummeted on the black market, prices have risen, and many businesses have been forced to slash salaries, dismiss staff or close. Lebanon is one of the most indebted countries in the world, with a public debt equivalent to 150 percent of its GDP. The country is now under pressure to pay a $1.2 billion Eurobond maturity on March 9.
Economists warn payment on time would eat away at plummeting foreign currency reserves, while bankers say a default would damage Lebanon’s reputation with lenders. Bank of America Merill Lynch in a November report estimated that around 50 percent of Eurobonds were held by local banks, while the central bank had around 11 percent. Foreign investors owned the remainder, or around 39 percent, it said. But these figures may have changed, with local media reporting that local banks have recently sold a chunk of their Eurobonds to foreign lenders.

Diab’s Press Office rebuffs ‘false news and defamation’, affirms rule of law will prevail
NNA/March 02/2020
The following is a statement issued on Monday by Prime Minister Hassan Diab’s Press Office: “Once again, the same orchestra is spreading false news and hiding the truth for defamation and incitement purposes. Unfortunately, some are being affected, willingly or out of ignorance, and are therefore expressing themselves out of bad faith and conspiracy, or by unfoundedly repeating what they hear without checking the facts. Prime Minister Hassan Diab spoke openly and frankly about how people perceive the State. However, he also stressed that he will, together with the Cabinet, hold the ball of fire, and highlighted his determination to resolve all chronic issues in order to move on to the concept of State. The said orchestra seems to be bothered by the concept of State and wants to destroy what is left of the State’s pillars to protect itself. But the rule of law will certainly prevail and citizens will stop paying the price.”—Grand Serail Press Office

Diab tackles developments with Grand Serail interlocutors
NNA/March 02/2020
Prime Minister Hassan Diab on Monday met at the Grand Serail with Minister of Displaced, Ghada Shreim, with a delegation from the Central Fund of the Displaced. The meeting was followed by a press conference held by Shreim. The Minister announced her plan to proceed with the payments for the enlisted and affected persons, stating that this is the first step within the framework she has established, aiming at shutting the Ministry and the Fund on the long term. She pledged that her team will work objectively, away from any political influence, and stated that both Ministry and Fund websites detail the required documents and timelines for the affected persons. Prime Minister Hassan Diab also met today with the Minister of Labor, Lamia Yammine. Discussions featured high on the status of the NSSF, and on the upcoming projects of the Ministry. PM Diab later met with the National Audiovisual Council delegation, headed by Abdul Hadi Mahfouz, in presence of the Minister of Information, Manal Abdel Samad. Diab relayed to his visitors the importance of the decision that will be taken by the end of this week, while sparing the rights of the small and medium depositors and protecting Lebanon’s interests. Talks also touched on the situation of the media outlets and agencies in Lebanon.—Grand Serail Press Office

Honorary Consular Corps visits Diab, expresses faith in his cabinet

NNA/March 02/2020
Prime Minister Hassan Diab on Monday met with a delegation of the Honorary Consular Corps in Lebanon, headed by Dean Joseph Habis. During his speech, Habis said that the Honorary Consular Corps has faith in Diab’s Cabinet. “We come here today with hopes, and agree with the Lebanese people that the time for change has come, and turning back is no longer an option.”Habis highlighted the need to fight corruption, stating that is has become a “comprehensive national goal”. For his part, PM Diab said that the government is now holding a “ball of fire”, noting that the upcoming days will witness an important decision, a turning point which will shape Lebanon’s future.
PM Diab’s full speech:
“Welcome to all of you in the Government’s Headquarters, the beacon of a state that we have always wished to see serving the Lebanese people, planning for the future of their country, managing the state and people’s affairs according to avenues that keep pace with the social and cultural developments. Unfortunately, the state of today is so crumbling and vulnerable, not to say helpless, and the country is going through very tough times. The Lebanese people are anxious for their present and future. Fear is spreading across financial and economic sectors, reaching the social life and the living conditions, in addition to imminent health concerns. To put it frankly, the state, in view of its current situation, is no more capable of protecting the Lebanese people and ensuring a decent life for them. To be transparent, I would say that this state has lost Lebanese people’s confidence. From a realistic perspective, the relations between the State and the people have deteriorated so dramatically that they hit bottom. Today we are facing huge dilemmas whereas the mechanisms of the State are still staggering under archaic sectarian constraints, rampant corruption, the weight of various sectarian interests, the prevailing imbalance in the administration and the lack of vision within the institutions. This government took office while already aware of the burden it will have to carry and of the complexity of its mission. However, we are determined to dismantle all those complexities and to bring Lebanon to the level of a state, while tackling endemic problems.
This government has made the choice to hold the ball of fire between its hands and will endeavor to defuse it so as not to burn what little is left. We have no choice but to take the path of the Calvary, whatever the sufferings, because other options are much more dangerous.
In the coming days, the government will adopt a crucial decision that is very sensitive and critical. It is still under scrutiny, as it represents a major milestone in shaping the future of Lebanon.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is true that you represent many countries in Lebanon, but first and foremost you are Lebanese, and this assures us of the fact that you will participate in this work of salvation, each one from his/ her own position, be it consular, economic or personal. We are all responsible for building a better future for the next generations. I call upon you to roll up your sleeves and get to work. Indeed, Lebanon will need every single effort and contribution during the coming period. It will need every bit of effort exerted. History will in fact mention all those who have worked to eradicate corruption while building bridges of trust and restoring hope to the Lebanese people through their participation in this work of salvation. This is a field of honor… and we welcome all those who would enter it with the determination to do their utmost.”—Grand Serail Press Office

Lebanon PM: State is “weak” but “decisive” decisions coming
The Arab Weekly/Monday 02/03/2020
A hefty Eurobond repayment comes due on March 9, with few analysts believing that Beirut will be able to pay
LONDON – Prime Minister Hassan Diab warned that Lebanon is passing through a very difficult phase, attempting to reassure Lebanese that his government would take “decisive” action to overcome the various crises the country is facing on different fronts.
“The State is weak and the country is passing through a very difficult stage. The Lebanese fear for their present and for their future. Their fear grows over their financial, economic, social and living situation in addition to health concerns (over coronavirus),” Diab was quoted as saying on Monday during a meeting with the diplomatic corp. Lebanon is facing its worst economic crisis in decades with a major debt restructuring expected soon – Lebanon’s current international debts stand at 160% of GDP. A hefty Eurobond repayment comes due on March 9, with few analysts believing that Beirut will be able to pay without major debt restructuring. The economic crisis comes at a difficult time for Lebanon domestically, with ongoing protests against corruption and rising fears over the spread of the coronavirus. As of Monday, Lebanon had a total of ten coronavirus cases, mostly from people travelling from neighbouring Iran – one of the current hotspots of the crisis. Lebanese authorities took the decision to close all educational institutions and nurseries until March 9 and have impose travel restrictions on countries affected by the coronavirus – notably China, Iran, Italy and South Korea. Despite this, many observers have criticized Diab’s government for its apparent inability to get on top of the crises facing the country. Unlike previous government, Prime Minister Diab’s cabinet – formed on January 22 – is not a so-called “national unity” cabinet, bringing together diverse political parties across the Lebanese spectrum. Critics have described Diab’s cabinet as a “one-colour” government under the control of the Iran-backed Amal and Hezbollah parties, and the Aounist Free Patriotic Movement, excluding western-backed parties like the Future Movement. “The State is no longer able to protect the Lebanese… We are facing immense difficulties, and the State’s mechanisms are constrained with sectarianism and the government’s burden is really heavy and complicated,” Diab said. “[But] we are determined to unravel the difficulties and move to the notion of a genuine State and address the crises,” he added.

Diab Says State ‘Weak,’ But ‘Decisive’ Decisions Will Be Taken
Naharnet/March 02/2020
Prime Minister Hassan Diab said on Monday that Lebanon is passing through a very difficult phase and that the government is going to take “decisive” decisions to overcome the crisis. “The State is weak and the country is passing through a very difficult stage. The Lebanese fear for their present and for their future. Their fear grows over their financial, economic, social and living situation in addition to health concerns (over coronavirus),” said Diab during a meeting with the diplomatic corps. “The State is no longer able to protect the Lebanese,” he added. “We are facing immense difficulties, and the State’s mechanisms are constrained with sectarianism and the government’s burden is really heavy and complicated,” he added. But he stressed “we are determined to unravel the difficulties and move to the notion of a genuine State and address the crises.”

Hearing Begins for Bank Officials on Capital Flight
Naharnet/March 02/2020
Financial Prosecutor Judge Ali Ibrahim began a hearing on “suspicious” amounts of money transferred abroad after the October 17 uprising, the National News Agency reported on Monday. NNA said the Judge will begin hearing arguments from several bank owners and chairmen related to funds transferred to swiss banks, and the sale of Eurobonds by local banks to foreign investors including Ashmore Group Plc. In consecutive hearing sessions, judge Ibrahim and seven other judges of the financial public prosecution will hear the arguments of head of the Association of Banks in Lebanon Salim Sfeir, and arguments of the chairman of fourteen of Lebanon’s banks, said the agency.

Financial Prosecutor Grills Lebanese Bankers over Capital Flight
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/March 02/2020
Financial Prosecutor Ali Ibrahim on Monday grilled bankers over more than 2 billion dollars in capital flight in past months despite strict banking restrictions in the crisis-hit country, judicial sources said. Banks have since September imposed increasingly tight limits on dollar withdrawals and transfers abroad as part of measures to tackle a severe liquidity crisis. But bankers stand accused of having sent millions of dollars abroad despite those limitations since mass anti-government protests erupted on October 17. Lebanese banking association head Salim Sfeir, as well as representatives from 14 banks, appeared before Financial Prosecutor Ibrahim, the sources said. They testified “over the transfer abroad of 2.3 billion dollars during the two months since the start of the popular uprising,” they said. They were questioned over “the causes of the transfers abroad of the money of bank owners, which reduced liquidity in the internal financial markets”. They were also asked why other depositors were unable to make transfers abroad for trade or to pay tuition fees. Bankers were asked to justify “the inability of depositors to withdraw from their U.S. dollar accounts… while that restriction did not apply to the powerful.” Lebanon is currently facing its worst economic crisis since its 1975-1990 civil war. The value of the Lebanese pound has plummeted on the black market, prices have risen, and many businesses have been forced to slash salaries, dismiss staff or close. Lebanon is one of the most indebted countries in the world, with a public debt equivalent to 150 percent of its GDP. The country is now under pressure to pay a $1.2 billion Eurobond maturity on March 9. Economists warn payment on time would eat away at plummeting foreign currency reserves, while bankers say a default would damage Lebanon’s reputation with lenders. Bank of America Merill Lynch in a November report estimated that around 50 percent of Eurobonds were held by local banks, while the central bank had around 11 percent. Foreign investors owned the remainder, or around 39 percent, it said. But these figures may have changed, with local media reporting that local banks have recently sold a chunk of their Eurobonds to foreign lenders. The judicial sources said those summoned on Monday were also asked about those sales, but they did not provide further details on their answers. Representatives of other banks are to be called in later this week.

Israel Installs ‘Device’ at al-Abbad Border Post
Naharnet/March 02/2020
The Israeli army installed a “device” reportedly a surveillance camera at the al-Abbad border post opposite the Southern Lebanese village of Hawla, the National News Agency reported on Monday. The device was directed towards the Lebanese territories, said NNA. A surveillance airplane hovered over the area while Israeli troops installed the device, added the agency.

Rai: Lebanese Govt Needs to Take Bold Political Decision, Implement Reforms
Beirut – Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 2 March, 2020
Lebanese Maronite Patriarch Bechara Rai affirmed that the country’s current situation requires a bold political decision to make necessary reforms. During Sunday’s mass, Rai said that all eyes are on the government to rescue Lebanon from the crises. Everyone is anticipating that it initiates the required reforms in all sectors, especially that several solutions already exist and only need action. The Lebanese people are expecting administrative recruitment based on qualifications and not on quotas, he stressed. While Rai hailed the exploration of gas and oil in the country, he urged the government to hasten the establishment of stations to generate electrical energy and put an end to temporary solutions. The government should also look into the people’s issue with the banks, as they have become beggars at their doors and at food stores that have raised goods’ prices mercilessly. Rai highlighted the spread of the new coronavirus jeopardizing citizens’ safety and which requires more serious procedures. He concluded wishing the Lebanese people protection from illness and destitution and the government salvation from the economic and financial crisis.

Lebanese Political Movement to Lift Iranian Tutelage Over Lebanon

Beirut- Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 2 March, 2020
A number of Lebanese politicians and activists launched on Sunday a national initiative to free the country of Iran’s tutelage and save it from the current economic, political, and financial crisis. During the launch of the initiative, Former MP Fares Souaid called on Lebanon to respect the Taef Agreement and the Constitution as a reference to rescue the country from any foreign tutelage and to save civil peace. “Lebanon is a final homeland for all its sons and it has an Arab identity and affiliation,” he said. Souaid said that the prolonged disability of the political forces to solve the current crisis in Lebanon calls for a change in the ruling class, starting with early parliamentary elections based on a new electoral law that respects the Taef and the Constitution. “The prolonged crisis is mainly due to the Iranian and Syrian tutelage, imposed on Lebanon since 1990. This tutelage has paralyzed the creation of a state and it isolated Lebanon from the Arab and international world,” the deputy said. Soueid said that the International Support Group, during its meeting last December, called on the new government of Prime Minister Hassan Diab to swiftly and resolutely take a timely, tangible, credible, and comprehensive set of measures and reforms to stop and reverse the deepening crises, to address the needs and demands of the Lebanese people by respecting the Taef Accord and the Baabda Declaration and its commitments made at the Brussels, Paris, and Rome conferences. Souaid, who is also the coordinator of the March 14 General Secretariat, accuses Hezbollah of serving Iranian directions. Last October, he told Asharq Al-Awsat that Tehran wants to draw the attention of the US and the world by creating tensions and destabilizing the Arab world.

Hezbollah Hinders Roadmap on Lebanon’s Economy Recovery

Beirut – Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 2 March, 2020
Hezbollah hindered on Sunday a roadmap to resolve Lebanon’s economic crisis after the party’s deputy Hassan Fadlallah expressed his rejection to fall under the “tutelage of the International Monetary Fund.”
The MP said that new measures should be announced in the coming two weeks, concerning the accounts of depositors in Lebanese banks. “There is a maturity (for Eurobonds) linked to the debt. We informed the concerned parties that the priority should be given to the money of depositors. This money should not be used in a wrong manner,” he said during a Hezbollah ceremony in southern Lebanon. The Hezbollah deputy denied that there’s no hope in resolving Lebanon’s economic and monetary crisis. He blamed some parties for allegedly wanting to hand over the country to international forces. “We have welcomed the consultations with the Fund but we reject to put Lebanon under its tutelage,” Fadlallah said. He explained that Lebanon cannot implement the recommendations of the IMF, which include reducing in half the size of the public sector, or in other words, fire half of the employees, in addition to the privatization of state institutions and raising taxes, a step that affects the poor. “There are practical local solutions and proposals that we have made to solve the crisis, including asking banks to bear parts of the burden,” he said, adding that the Association of Banks rejected the proposal because it wants to protect the profits it has made in the past years. “We hope that the Lebanese government implements a rescue reform plan to solve the current economic crisis and that the judiciary acts effectively to recover funds that have been transferred abroad,” he said. In December, the Lebanese judiciary launched an investigation following reports that Lebanese politicians had transferred billions of dollars abroad in 2019, despite tight restrictions on withdrawals.

Minister of Social Affairs tackles refugee affairs with Syrian officials
NNA/March 02/2020
Minister of Social Affairs and Tourism, Professor Ramzi Moucharafieh, on Monday met during a visit to Syria Ministers of Local Administration and Environment, Eng. Hussein Makhlouf, Social Affairs and Labor, Rima Al-Qadri, and Tourism, Engineer Mohammad Rami Martini. Moucharafieh reviewed during his meeting with Makhlouf, who is in charge of the refugee dossier, and Minister Qadri, who is tasked to follow up on its social aspect, the means to set up a social safety net that contributes to a safe and secure return of Syrian refugees through cooperation between Lebanon and Syria, and in coordination with the concerned international organizations — in implementation of the ministerial statement’s refugee plan. The meeting also stressed the need to activate coordination for the benefit of the both countries. Meanwhile, Makhlouf and Al-Qadri confirmed the Syrian state’s keenness on exerting all the possible efforts to secure a safe return of Syrian refugees to their homeland. Moucharafieh also broached with Martini the status of the tourism sector and the possibility of activating it in a way that reflects positively on the two countries.

Bus at al-Qaa border crossing not allowed to enter Lebanon over suspected coronavirus case
NNA/March 02/2020
The medical team at Al Qaa border crossing has not allowed a bus carrying 30 passengers to enter Lebanon, coming from Syria, after suspecting a coronavirus case on board, NNA reporter said on Monday.
At once, Al-Qaa Municipality carried out a sterilization campaign in said crossing point, planning to carry out a similar campaign in public places, schools, churches, transport buses and displaced camps in said town.

Defense Minister, Army Chief visit Military Academy

NNA/March 02/2020
Vice Prime Minister, National Defense Minister Zeina Akar Adra, and Army Commander, General Joseph Aoun, on Monday visited the Military Academy, where they met with first-year student officers in the presence of Academy Commander. After touring the different departments and the dormitory section of the newly-enrolled students, especially females, Minister Akar addressed officers-to-be: “Your enrollment is extremely important because you ensure the continuity of the soldier’s mission and you preserve Lebanon with all its components.” The Minister also called on student officers to stay away from politics and it polarizations, devoting absolute loyalty to the nation. In turn, Maj. Gen. Aoun considered that the criterion of success in the Military Academy is competence, competition and enrollment exams’ qualification.

UfM launches new regional mechanism to monitor gender equality in the Mediterranean
NNA/March 02/2020
The Union for the Mediterranean embraces the celebration of the International Women’s Day with the implementation of projects and initiatives in the framework of its regional agenda for women’s empowerment.In a year that marks the 25th Anniversary of the Barcelona Process, which laid the foundations for the creation of the UfM, its Member States are determined to monitor and assess the progress made in advancing gender equality in the region and update their related strategies to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In line with the 2017 UfM Ministerial Declaration on strengthening the role of women in society, and following a 3-year regional process involving governments and gender experts, the UfM will adopt this month a regional intergovernmental follow-up mechanism on gender balance. This entails concrete indicators that will allow to monitor the progress made on women’s rights and to work collectively to accelerate women’s full participation in the region. UfM Deputy Secretary General on Civil and Social affairs, Marisa Farrugia, stressed: “This follow-up mechanism offers an effective means to monitor and benchmark progress. It is designed to create regional awareness on the challenges that gender gaps pose as well as the opportunities that emerge when action is taken to reduce them. Building inclusive societies, based on equality, in all of its dimensions, is a key component for economic growth and social well-being.”Following the recent signature of a cooperation agreement with the Norwegian Government, this year will also see the further implementation of regional projects aiming at fostering women’s economic participation, in particular developing their skills and facilitating their access to the labour market and to entrepreneurship. The UfM-labelled projects that will benefit from the Norwegian funding under the new agreement are: – CEED Grow – Growing and Scaling Small and Medium Enterprises”. The project is addressed to women entrepreneurs and middle-level managers and seeks to enhance their leadership, management and entrepreneurial skills. It is benefiting 300 small and medium-sized companies, in Albania, Tunisia and Morocco.
– Skills for Success – Employability Skills for Women”. The project is providing more than 450 unemployed and economically disadvantaged, secondary-level educated women with the necessary skills, knowledge and tools to enter the labour market in Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon.
– Mediterranean New Chance – MedNC”. The project implements innovative and sustainable solutions to address the challenge of socio-professional integration of young people and, particularly, of those who are not in Education, Employment, or Training (NEETs) in Algeria, Egypt, France, Morocco, Tunisia and Spain. Knowledge exchanges are benefiting more than 29,000 unemployed young people, with 60% women. Despite the progress made globally and at regional level, we need at least 99.5 years more to achieve gender equality (economic participation, education, health and political empowerment) according to the findings of the Global Gender Gap Report 2020. In the UfM region, gender parity in Western Europe is estimated at 76.7% (54 years to achieve gender parity) and in MENA region at 61.2% (140 years) indicating there is still a long way to go.–UfM

Japanese Deputy Justice Minister in Lebanon over Ghosn Case
Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 2 March, 2020
Japan’s deputy justice minister met top officials in Lebanon Monday over the case of former Nissan´s fugitive ex-boss Carlos Ghosn, who fled to his home country late last year while on bail in Japan and awaiting trial.
State Minister of Justice Hiroyuki Yoshiie met President Michel Aoun, Justice Minister Marie-Claude Najm and Foreign Minister Nassif Hitti. Aoun told Yoshiie that Lebanon had sent a correspondence to Japan over the Ghosn case but had not received any official response, the presidency said on its Twitter feed. Yo  shiie did not speak to reporters after the meetings and is scheduled to hold a news conference later in the day. Ghosn made his first public appearance in Lebanon in early January, saying he fled a “nightmare” that would not end and vowed to defend his name wherever he can get a fair trial. He was arrested in late 2018 and is facing charges of under-reporting income and breach of trust. He says he is innocent. He led Nissan for nearly 20 years. On Friday, Japan’s Justice Minister Masako Mori said she was dispatching Yoshiie to Beirut to explain the Japanese criminal justice system and improve cooperation. She said Tokyo hoped Lebanon would gain “a proper understanding of the Japanese criminal justice system.”
Japan and Lebanon do not have an extradition treaty and it’s unlikely Beirut would agree to send Ghosn back to Japan to face trial. Mori acknowledged that there were “various environments” and laws that underpin each country’s stance. Nissan, maker of the Leaf electric car and Z sports car, said in a statement regarding the justice official’s trip that it hoped Ghosn would return to Japan to stand trial, “so that all the facts can be properly established under Japan’s judicial system.” Having spent months in detention and struggled to gain his release on bail under stringent conditions, Ghosn said he fled in the belief he could not get a fair trial in Japan. Japan has requested Ghosn’s return through Interpol and issued an arrest warrant after his escape. Lebanese prosecutors issued a travel ban for Ghosn in January and asked him to hand in his French passport following an Interpol-issued notice against him. Nissan’s sales have plunged recently, and it sank into losses for the last fiscal quarter. The brand is widely considered to have been tarnished by the controversy around Ghosn. Last month, Nissan filed a civil damage lawsuit against its fugitive ex-chief, seeking 10 billion yen ($90 million) in damages. The claim added the costs of what Nissan called Ghosn’s “corrupt practices,” such as rent for overseas property, use of corporate jets and payments for the internal investigation into wrongdoing.

Japanese Official in Lebanon, Seeks Return of Fugitive Ghosn
Associated Press/Naharnet/March 02/2020
President Michel Aoun on Monday suggested to visiting Japanese deputy justice minister that Nissan’s fugitive ex-boss Carlos Ghosn won’t be extradited back to Japan and remains in the hands of Lebanon’s judiciary, according to a presidential statement. Ghosn was smuggled out of Japan and into his ancestral homeland of Lebanon late last year despite supposedly rigorous surveillance. He jumped $14 million bail to evade charges of financial misconduct that could carry a jail sentence of up to 15 years. Ghosn, who led Nissan for nearly 20 years, says he is innocent and that he fled Japan in the belief he could not get a fair trial there. Hiroyuki Yoshiie, Japan’s deputy justice minister, met Monday with President Aoun and the ministers of justice and foreign affairs. Ghosn was arrested in Japan in late 2018 and is facing charges of under-reporting income and breach of trust. A statement released by Aoun’s office said the president told Yoshiie that Lebanon repeatedly sent letters to Japan regarding Ghosn’s case while he was under arrest without getting any official response. The president stressed the two country’s had no extradition treaty, and added that Ghosn entered Lebanon legally through its international airport using his French passport and a Lebanese identity card. Lebanese prosecutors issued a travel ban for Ghosn in January and asked him to hand in his French passport, following an Interpol-issued notice against him. Ghosn made his first public appearance in Lebanon in early January saying he fled a “nightmare” and vowed to defend his name wherever he can get a fair trial. On Friday, Japan’s Justice Minister Masako Mori said she was dispatching Yoshiie to Beirut to explain the Japanese criminal justice system and improve cooperation.Nissan, maker of the Leaf electric car and Z sports car, said in a statement regarding the justice  official’s trip that it hoped Ghosn would return to Japan to stand trial, “so that all the facts can be properly established under Japan’s judicial system.” Nissan’s sales have plunged recently, and the brand is widely considered to have been tarnished by the controversy around Ghosn.

Nissan Case over Ghosn’s Beirut Home to End This Month

Agence France Presse/Naharnet/March 02/2020
Nissan’s lawsuit in Lebanon against former CEO Carlos Ghosn over his use of a Beirut home will wrap up at the end of March, the carmaker’s lawyer told AFP on Monday. The Japanese auto giant filed a case 15 months ago against Ghosn on the grounds he was illegally using a large residence paid for by Nissan in central Beirut. Nissan lawyer Sakher al-Hashem said the car manufacturer wants Ghosn, who has been living it since he jumped bail in Japan and took refuge in Lebanon, to vacate the house. A hearing was held on Monday and the next, which Hashem said would be the last before a ruling, was scheduled for March 30 by a Beirut court. A judge last month rejected Ghosn’s request to have security guards stationed outside his residence by Nissan removed. Ghosn considers he is the rightful owner of the distinctive house with pink walls and pale blue shutters, located on an upmarket street of the capital.
The former head of the Nissan-Renault-Mitsubishi alliance fled Japan, where he faces several years in jail on charges of financial misconduct, late last year. He reached Lebanon in mysterious circumstances and has rarely been seen in public since launching a spirited defense at a well-choreographed January 8 press conference.

Hezbollah Has a New Strategy to Survive Lebanon’s Financial Crisis
حنين غدار: حزب الله عنده استراتجية جديدة للخروج من أزمة لبنان المالية
Hanin Ghaddar/The Washington Institute/March 02/2020
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Unless Washington and its allies respond to the protestors’ legitimate demands for reform, the group will survive through measures such as expanding its smuggling activity, promoting its financial institutions, and selectively scapegoating corrupt politicians.
When IMF officials visited Lebanon late last month amid its accelerating economic freefall, many wondered whether these developments might alter the behavior of Hezbollah, the designated terrorist group that has a deep financial stake in the country’s public and private sectors. During a previous funding crisis—the increase in U.S. sanctions against the group’s chief underwriter, Iran—the “Party of God” and its foreign sponsors formulated a new strategy to evade these measures and create alternative sources of funding. Such sources allowed Hezbollah to make further inroads into government agencies following the 2018 parliamentary elections. For example, the group’s leaders insisted on controlling the Health Ministry, which commands Lebanon’s fourth-largest budget at $338 million per year; they also gained more access to the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, the Agriculture Ministry, and the Ministry of Energy and Water, whose assistance was used to fund their affiliated projects and businesses.
That worked until Lebanon’s own economy began its current nosedive. Unemployment has hit a record high of 40 percent, and the lira has slumped by about 60 percent on the parallel market, hiking inflation. Officially pegged to the dollar, the currency has plummeted 40 percent on the black market as local banks ration dollars necessary for imports of food, medicine, and other essential goods. Meanwhile, Lebanon has one of the highest debt-to-GDP ratios in the world (over 150 percent) and may not be able to pay $1.2 billion in Eurobonds this month. As with the Iran sanctions, however, Hezbollah has a strategy to survive this domestic pressure, at least in the near term.
IMF TALKS JUST A DISTRACTION
To buy more time for establishing and cultivating alternative funding sources, Hezbollah gave its blessing for the newly formed government it controls to receive a small delegation from the IMF last month. Hezbollah officials made very clear that this was nonbinding technical assistance and would never materialize into a full IMF program for Lebanon. “We do not accept submitting to the International Monetary Fund to manage the crisis,” said deputy leader Naim Qassem during a February 25 press conference, disparaging the organization as an imperialist tool.
The group’s resistance to deeper IMF involvement is rooted in the fact that a full assistance program would allow the Fund to access major state institutions and impose serious reforms, thereby shaking Hezbollah’s clientelist system and exposing its financial operations to the international community. For example, one proposed reform would close all illegal points of entry between Lebanon and Syria while exerting more control over the country’s air and sea ports—an outcome that would seriously impede the group’s smuggling of goods and weapons. Another top IMF issue is the electricity sector, which the group would prefer to leave unreformed because it benefits from the alternative energy sector (e.g., Hezbollah entities set up large generator networks that can provide power to whole neighborhoods, then charge residents a premium for a service that is supposed to be provided by the state).
At the same time, Hezbollah likely welcomes initial, noncommittal IMF discussions as a distraction from its real goals: implementing a strategy to maintain power in Lebanon during and after its economic collapse, repairing its tarnished image within the Shia community, and, most important, securing sources of funding that can withstand the crash. Its methods of achieving these goals are numerous.
PROMOTING AND SMUGGLING IRANIAN PRODUCTS
Hezbollah has been taking advantage of the economic crisis to promote Iranian products in Lebanon, which are brought in tax free and are therefore very cheap. After the group launched its campaign to boycott American products last month, many of its social media outlets started promoting Iranian goods as replacements. It is no secret that Tehran has been flooding the Lebanese market with various products for years and will likely continue accelerating these efforts amid ongoing pressure. Between 2017 and 2019, for example, Iranian steel imports to Lebanon reportedly jumped from $13,000 to $1.4 million. Medications are another major Iranian import that Hezbollah promotes. On February 26, the U.S. Treasury Department highlighted this link by slapping terrorist designations on several Lebanese pharmaceutical companies affiliated with Hezbollah’s Martyrs Foundation.
To sidestep such pressure and maintain the flow of Iranian goods, Hezbollah recently increased its smuggling operations—not only along the Lebanon-Syria border, but also to the rest of the region. Most of the merchants and customers involved in this unregulated, often illegal trade are close to Hezbollah’s business and support networks, potentially allowing the group to emerge from the economic crash less damaged than the rest of Lebanon’s businesses.
ELEVATING AL-QARD AL-HASSAN
When Lebanese banks began limiting the withdrawal of U.S. dollars in late October, many depositors decided to take out as many dollars as they could in cash. An estimated $5 billion has been withdrawn in the past four months alone.
Hezbollah is trying to benefit from this unofficial public cash reserve in two ways. First, it is intensifying its rhetoric against the banking system in order to divert public ire from the group’s own role in rampant corruption. Second, it is encouraging people to use Hezbollah financial institutions to exchange and deposit their money—especially al-Qard al-Hassan, a U.S.-designated foundation that has recently become the group’s main money exchanger and the default bank replacement for its Shia constituency. As the economy deteriorates further, more citizens may feel compelled to resort to such institutions, which will likely have U.S. dollars available at cheaper rates than the black markets.
LEGALIZING MARIJUANA
Hezbollah recently abandoned its history of nuanced objection to marijuana legalization, raising questions about its motives. On February 26, parliament was finally permitted to approve a long-delayed bill legalizing the crop’s cultivation for medical and industrial purposes.
Many locals believe that this step could benefit Lebanon economically, since the UN ranks the country as the world’s fourth-largest producer of marijuana. Yet others worry that Hezbollah will be the prime beneficiary given its control over the state institutions that will determine how this sector is managed and utilized.
GETTING RID OF BERRI
When Lebanese Shia protestors took to the streets in the cities of Nabatiyah, Tyre, and Baalbek, Hezbollah seemingly concluded that its constituency was getting out of control. Although these demonstrations were against corruption in general, they indirectly targeted Hezbollah as the main protector of corrupt politicians. In the eyes of local Shia, the most prominent of these politicians is Nabih Berri, the speaker of parliament and head of Hezbollah rival-cum-political partner the Amal Movement.
To resolve this issue and reconstruct its image among the Shia, Hezbollah is planning to throw Berri under the bus. Doing so would allow the group to kill two birds with one stone: proving to the Shia community that it will no longer protect corruption, and taking over Berri’s share within state institutions and Shia business networks. Replacing Berri as speaker has already been in the works for a while, with two candidates leading the pack: Jamil Assayed, the former head of General Security and a close ally to Syria’s Assad regime, and Abbas Ibrahim, the current head of General Security.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Hezbollah’s new strategy can help it survive, but not for too long. When the group stated its objection to an IMF program for Lebanon, it did not offer an alternative to save the state from eventual bankruptcy. Without at least the shell of a state, Hezbollah’s plan cannot be sustained. The group’s officials are aware of this time limit and, much like their patrons in Iran, appear to hope that the U.S. presidential election in November brings in a new administration willing to ease the maximum pressure policy.
To counter Hezbollah’s plan and help the Lebanese people survive this crisis, the United States and its allies should expand the sanctions against corrupt individuals. The group relies on allies from all sects and on the countrywide system of corruption that protects its interests in the seaport, airport, and illegal smuggling routes. The U.S. Global Magnitsky Act is a good tool for tackling this issue and responding to the demands of demonstrators.
Moreover, while bailing out the current government would only make the problem worse, providing humanitarian aid could help counter Hezbollah’s attempts to promote Iranian medications and other essential goods. This effort should be conducted via international organizations already working in Lebanon, not through government organizations or local municipalities that could benefit Hezbollah and the corrupt system.
Finally, Washington should keep pushing the Lebanese Armed Forces to protect protestors and punish all units and officers who commit violations against them. Hezbollah’s strategy can only work if the current system and political elite remain intact—that is, only a Hezbollah-controlled parliament can ensure that the group’s preferred candidates for speaker, president, and security posts are appointed and its alternative funding sources are preserved. Protestors keep demanding early elections and a truly representative electoral law that could change the legislature’s makeup drastically. Washington and its allies should catch that momentum while it is still alive, and interrupt Hezbollah’s survival plan in the process.
*Hanin Ghaddar is the Friedmann Visiting Fellow in The Washington Institute’s Geduld Program on Arab Politics.