LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
December 17/2019
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani

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Bible Quotations For today

‘Nothing beyond what is written so that none of you will be puffed up in favour of one against another. For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive?
And if you received it, why do you boast as if it were not a gift
First Letter to the Corinthians 04/01-13/:”Think of us in this way, as servants of Christ and stewards of God’s mysteries. Moreover, it is required of stewards that they should be found trustworthy. But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. I do not even judge myself. I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me. Therefore do not pronounce judgement before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive commendation from God. I have applied all this to Apollos and myself for your benefit, brothers and sisters, so that you may learn through us the meaning of the saying, ‘Nothing beyond what is written’, so that none of you will be puffed up in favour of one against another. For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you received it, why do you boast as if it were not a gift? Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! Quite apart from us you have become kings! Indeed, I wish that you had become kings, so that we might be kings with you! For I think that God has exhibited us apostles as last of all, as though sentenced to death, because we have become a spectacle to the world, to angels and to mortals. We are fools for the sake of Christ, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You are held in honour, but we in disrepute. To the present hour we are hungry and thirsty, we are poorly clothed and beaten and homeless, and we grow weary from the work of our own hands. When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; when slandered, we speak kindly. We have become like the rubbish of the world, the dregs of all things, to this very day.

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News published on December 16-17/2019
No Trust In Lebanon’s Caretaker PM, Mr. Saad Al Hariri
UN calls for investigation into use of force against protesters in Lebanon
Aoun postpones consultations to name PM as divisions deepen
Violent protests erupt on streets of Beirut
Lebanon: Two Months of Protest
Israel Says Hizbullah, Lebanon ‘Will Pay Dearly’ for Any Attack
Moody's Sees Lebanon 'Debt Restructuring' if No Help from IMF, World Bank
Kubis Regrets Postponement of Talks to Name PM
Hariri's Office: FPM Decision to Cede Votes to President a Grave Constitutional Violation
FPM Calls on Hariri to Pick 'Consensual' PM Candidate
Mustaqbal Lashes Out at FPM, LF for Withholding Votes from Hariri
Presidency Hits Back at Mustaqbal, Says Aoun Doesn't Need Constitutional 'Lessons'
Dozens of Protesters Rally near Hariri's Residence
Army: Troops Supported ISF in Central Beirut to Control Situation
IDF officer: Hezbollah still has tunnels on Lebanese side of the border
Thousands protest against crackdown in Lebanon
Berri meets UN's Kubis, Kanaan
Del Col chairs regular tripartite meeting, emphasizes importance of maintaining calm along Blue Line
AUB Issam Fares Institute welcomes nine Senior Policy Fellows

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on December 16-17/2019
Russian bombers now transit Iran’s airspace to Syria – rejoinder for US-Israeli air force cooperation
Pentagon chief urges Iraq to stop attacks on bases housing US forces
Iran President Rouhani to make first visit to Japan
Iran considering taking next step to reduce nuclear deal commitments: Mousavi
Researcher freed from Iran urges release of other prisoners
Surging Netanyahu rival launches party leadership challenge
Turkey must step up measures against money laundering, watchdog says
Turkish drone lands on Turkish Cyprus for energy exploration: official
UK backer of Syria White Helmets died from fall: Turkey coroner
French Prosecutor Seeks Jail, Huge Fine for Syrian Leader Assad's Uncle

Titles For The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on December 16-17/2019
No Trust In Lebanon’s Caretaker PM, Mr. Saad Al Hariri/Elias Bejjani/December 16/2019
Chaos ensues after video targetting Shiite sect goes viral/Georgi Azar/Annahar/December 17/2019
Lebanon delays nomination of new PM amid protests, divisions/Timour Azhari/Al Jazeera/December 16/2019
Lebanese police clashed with anti-government protesters in Beirut, firing/
Najia Houssari/Arab News/December 16/2019
More than protests, Lebanon today is witnessing a profound social revolution./Maha Yahya/Carnegie/December 16/2019
*Russian bombers now transit Iran’s airspace to Syria – rejoinder for US-Israeli air force cooperation/DEBKAfile/December 16/2019
Somali-Canadian Islamic Preacher Said Rageah: Non-Muslims Disapprove Of Polygyny Because They Want Muslim Women To Be Cheap Goods Like Non-Muslim Women; Muslim Women Who Do Not Want To Share Their Husband Are Not True Believers/MEMRI/December 16/2019
New Brand of American Islamists Wins Big in 2019 Elections/Benjamin Baird/American Spectator/December 16/2019
Has Israel stopped striking Syria to appease Putin before his visit?/Anna Ahronheim/Jerusalem Post/December 16/2019
Iran’s child soldiers and the world’s silent complicity/Dr. Mohammed Al-Sulami/Arab News/December 16/2019
The UN resolution that paved the road for West Bank annexation/Ramzy Baroud/Arab News/December 16/2019
Netanyahu clings to power as third Israeli election looms/Chris Doyle/Arab News/December 16/2019

The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News published on December 16-17/2019
No Trust In Lebanon’s Caretaker PM, Mr. Saad Al Hariri
Elias Bejjani/December 16/2019
لا ثقة برئيس الوزراء اللبناني المستقيل السيد سعد الحريري لتشكيل حكومة جديدة
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/81524/elias-bejjani-no-trust-in-lebanons-caretaker-pm-mr-saad-al-hariri-%d9%84%d8%a7-%d8%ab%d9%82%d8%a9-%d8%a8%d8%b1%d8%a6%d9%8a%d8%b3-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%88%d8%b2%d8%b1%d8%a7%d8%a1-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%84/
Lebanon’s PM, Caretaker Mr. Saad Al Hariri protects covertly and covertly the most corrupt officials and businessmen in what is known the Lebanese deep government that is leading the country into bankruptcy.
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 case (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, while the STL has accused a number of its security topnotch members to have committed the criminal 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 and especially as a PM.
He is not only one of all of the corrupt Lebanese politicians and officials, but in fact the first of them all.
In summary, No trust is ought to be granted by the Lebanese revolution to Mr. Hariri in a bid 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, political parties, contractors 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.

UN calls for investigation into use of force against protesters in Lebanon
Al Arabiya English/Monday, 16 December 2019
The force used against protesters in Beirut should be investigated, said United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jan Kubis on Monday. “The violence and clashes over the weekend once again showed that postponements of a political solution of the current crisis create a fertile ground for provocations and political manipulation,” said Kubis in a statement. Kubis also criticized the decision to postpone the parliamentary consultations on electing a new prime minister for the country. “Yet another postponement of the parliamentary consultations. Either a sign that following the events and statements of the last days politicians start to understand that they cannot neglect the voice of the people, or another attempt to buy time for business as usual But with the collapsing economy it is a risky hazard both for the politicians but even more so for Lebanon and its people,” added Kubis.
- Developing.

Aoun postpones consultations to name PM as divisions deepen
Georgi Azar/Annahar/December 16/2019
This comes after caretaker Prime Minister Saad Hariri requested further deliberations between the different stakeholders.
BEIRUT: President Michel Aoun has postponed the binding parliamentary consultations until December 19, according to a statement from his office.This comes after caretaker Prime Minister Saad Hariri requested further deliberations between the different stakeholders. Hariri was the frontrunner to secure the majority of votes until the Lebanese Forces rescinded their pledge to nominate him, bringing his threshold below the 65 votes mark. In the late hours of Sunday night, the LF issued a statement announcing their intentions of "not nominating any candidate in line with the people's demands of an independent government."On Sunday night, thousands of Lebanese protesters made their way back to downtown Beirut and gathered outside the parliament. What started off as a peaceful demonstration quickly morphed into chaos for the second night running after infiltrators, captured on video, instigated clashes with law enforcement. A video circulating on social media showed a man named Abbas Shami boasting with his companion about his indecorous intentions. "At 10 pm we start killing them, yeah?" he asked. Other videos showed members of Parliament's security apparatus, dressed as civilians, partaking in the vicious assault on demonstrators. One video showed a demonstrator, lying on the ground, as undercover officers, ISF and army members beat him to a pulp. Security forces quickly resorted to heavy use of tear gas, dispersing the crowd who retreated to near the Kataeb's party's headquarters in Saifi. Meanwhile, a group of hooded thugs, believed to have made their way from the Amal stronghold of Khanda' al Ghami', burnt tents and art installations in Martyr's Square with videos showing members of the security forces standing by. Demonstrators have accused security forces of colluding with Speaker Nabih Berri's supporters while showing leniency towards their scare tactics. The popular uprising has engulfed the small Mediterranean country for the better part of two months as financial unease galvanized the movement calling for a complete revamp of the country's ruling class. Lebanon has been without a fully functioning government since Prime Minister Saad Hariri on Oct. 29. In a statement issued Monday, Hariri laid the blame at the feet of the Free Patriotic Movement, who he accused of "constitutional violations for lending its votes to the President to do with as he pleases."A nomination without the backing of any of the major Christians parties, Hariri said, is contrary to his views of "national reconciliation."Last week, the leader of the Free Patriotic Movement and the president's son-in-law Gebran Bassil argued that his party would not take part in any government headed by Hariri, labeling it as bound to fail. The FPM has seemingly fallen out with Hariri, with the relationship strained after the latter's refusal to include any official who previously held office in his Cabinet, including Bassil. This then led to a disagreement between the Shiite duo and the FPM, who have thrown their weight behind Hariri given his clout in international circles.

Violent protests erupt on streets of Beirut
Sarah El Sirgany, Ben Wedeman and Tamara Qiblawi, CNN
Beirut, Lebanon (CNN)Dozens were injured in clashes between protesters and security forces in central Beirut on Saturday, one of the most violent nights since anti-government demonstrations started in October.
Security forces used teargas, water cannon and rubber bullets to push protesters, who pelted them with rocks and firecrackers, away from the main sit-in site and government buildings in the capital city.
The Lebanese Civil Defense and the Red Cross said they transferred 46 people to hospitals and treated the wounds of dozens others on site during hours of clashes.
Many of the protest chants were directed at caretaker Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri who is widely expected to be named head of the next government during parliamentary consultations on Monday. Other chants targeted caretaker Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil, a major ally of the militant and political group Hezbollah. Bassil announced on Thursday that his party would not participate in the next government. On Friday, Hezbollah's chief Hassan Nasrallah said the group would continue to push for a coalition government, putting them on a collision course with Hariri who insists on forming a Cabinet of technocrats.
Social media video showed dozens of protesters, who said they had come from the northern city of Tripoli, joining forces with demonstrators in central Beirut. As security forces cracked down on protesters, some could be seen dragging apparently unconscious protesters on the tarmac.
Some protesters broke a police cordon and attempted to enter the city's Parliament Square, shut off to the public since protests began on October 17, according to social media video. Local television showed security forces beating protesters with sticks.
Lebanon's ISF said 23 members of the security forces were sent to the hospital during Saturday's clashes, and several more were treated by paramedics on site. Calm returned to Beirut's central district on Sunday amid beefed up security presence. Protesters erected a new banner accusing Hariri of corruption and mismanagement, and holding him responsible for the country's ballooning debt. Protests in Lebanon have been demonstrating against corruption and government mismanagement perceived to be widespread in the country. Less than two weeks after protests began, Hariri stepped down, deepening the country's political crisis. The country is also buckling under an economic crisis that has sent prices soaring, and led to mass layoffs and salary cuts. Business across the country have closed their doors. Banks imposed informal capital controls last month, leading to a severe liquidity crunch.

Lebanon: Two Months of Protest
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/December 16/2019
Lebanon has been paralyzed by two months of protests demanding an overhaul of the entire political system.
Here is a recap:
WhatsApp tax' anger
On October 17, the government announces a tax on messaging apps such as WhatsApp. Coming amid a looming economic crisis, the announcement is seen by many as a step too far. Thousands take to the streets in Beirut and other cities, some chanting "the people demand the fall of the regime".
The government scraps the messaging app tax the same day, but the protests continue.
Demos grow
On October 18, thousands of demonstrators from across sects and political affiliations bring the capital to a standstill. They demand an overhaul of the entire political system, citing grievances from austerity measures and state corruption to poor infrastructure and rampant electricity cuts. The army reopens some highways blocked by protesters and disperses a huge crowd in Beirut with water cannon and tear gas. Dozens are arrested. The demonstrations swell over the following days, with major gatherings also in second city Tripoli and other centers.
Reforms announced
On October 21, Prime Minister Saad Hariri announces his government has approved a raft of economic reforms, including halving lawmakers' and ministers' salaries. But demonstrators dismiss the new measures as insufficient. On October 25, Hizbullah -- which with its allies holds a majority in parliament -- tells supporters not to take part in the protests. The next day, it mobilizes counter-rallies, sparking scuffles with anti-government demonstrators.
Government resigns
On the evening of October 29, Hariri submits his resignation and that of his government, prompting cheers and dancing in the streets. President Michel Aoun asks the government to stay on until a new cabinet is formed.
Protesters regroup over the next days, demanding a government of technocrats, independent of traditional political parties divided along sectarian lines. In a television address on November 3, Aoun announces plans to tackle corruption, reform the economy and form a civil government. But thousands of protesters stream back into Beirut's Martyrs' Square, chanting "Revolution!"
Counter-attacks
On November 24, supporters of Hizbullah and its AMAL allies attack anti-government protesters in Beirut in their most serious assault on protesters so far. Army reinforcements intervene. At least 10 people are injured. It prompts the U.N. Security Council to call for "intensive national dialogue."
Over three consecutive nights of violence, 16 people are detained and 51 troops are wounded, the army says on November 27.
Violence intensifies
Parliamentary consultations to nominate a new prime minister due for December 9 are postponed just hours after Sunni Muslim leaders back Hariri. On December 12 Hariri appeals for international funding for an emergency rescue package to resolve the crisis. Clashes that erupt late December 14 are most violent since the protests began. Security forces use tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse demonstrators, who demand an independent technocrat government and that Hariri is not returned to his post. Hizbullah and AMAL supporters also clash with riot police who fire tear gas to prevent them from breaching barricades near parliament. Dozens are hurt. The violence continues on December 15, thousands flooding central Beirut on the eve of planned consultations to select a new prime minister. Shortly before the talks are due to start, the presidency announces Aoun has postponed them until December 19 at Hariri's request.

Israel Says Hizbullah, Lebanon ‘Will Pay Dearly’ for Any Attack
Naharnet/December 16/2019
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a warning that Hizbullah and the State of Lebanon will pay dearly for any assault against Israel, Israeli media reports said on Monday. At his weekly cabinet meeting, Netanyahu said that “Iran had launched new threats of destroying Tel Aviv from inside Lebanon, which means Hizbullah is the proxy wing of Iran.”He added saying that both “Lebanon and Hizbullah will pay dearly if the party launches attack on Israel, because Lebanon allows attacks from its territory against Israel.”

Moody's Sees Lebanon 'Debt Restructuring' if No Help from IMF, World Bank
Associated Press/Naharnet/December 16/2019
Moody's Investors Service said Monday that without technical support from the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and international donors, it is increasingly likely that Lebanon could see "a scenario of extreme macroeconomic instability in which a debt restructuring occurs with an abrupt destabilization of the currency peg resulting in very large losses for private investors."Caretaker Prime Minister Saad Hariri has recently asked the IMF and the World Bank for help developing a reform plan to address the economic crisis. Lebanon’s currency has been pegged at 1,507 Lebanese pounds to the dollar since 1997, but in recent weeks it has reached more than 2,000 in the black market. Lebanon's debt stands at $87 billion or 150 percent of GDP.

Kubis Regrets Postponement of Talks to Name PM
Naharnet/December 16/2019
UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jan Kubis regretted the postponement of Lebanon's talks to pick a new prime minister in light of an aggravating political and economic crisis. On Twitter, Kubis said: “Yet another postponement of the parliamentary consultations. Either a sign that following the events and statements of the last days politicians start to understand that they cannot neglect the voice of the people, or another attempt to buy time for business as usual.”President Michel Aoun postponed the binding parliamentary consultations until December 19. It is not the first time the talks have been delayed. Parliamentary consultations had been scheduled for December 9 before being pushed back a week. Noting the consequences it has on a frail economy, Kubis added on the postponment: “But with the collapsing economy it is a risky hazard both for the politicians but even more so for Lebanon and its people.” Kubis emphasized that “the violence and clashes over the weekend once again showed that postponements of a political solution of the current crisis create a fertile ground for provocations and political manipulation.“Identification of instigators of violence investigation of the incidents as well as of use of excessive force by the security forces is necessary, also to prevent sliding down towards more aggressive and confrontational behavior of all,” he concluded.

Hariri's Office: FPM Decision to Cede Votes to President a Grave Constitutional Violation
Naharnet/December 16/2019
The Free Patriotic Movement’s decision to cede its votes to President Michel Aoun so that he uses them as he wishes in the binding parliamentary consultations to pick a PM-designate is a “grave constitutional violation,” caretaker PM Saad Hariri’s office said on Monday. “In the framework of the political contacts prior to the parliamentary consultations that were set for today, it turned out that the Free Patriotic Movement was planning to deposit its votes with the President of the Republic so that he uses them as he wishes,” Hariri’s office said in an English-language statement. “It is an occasion to warn against repeating the constitutional breach that martyr Prime Minister Rafik Hariri faced during President Emile Lahoud’s term, and to confirm that Prime Minister Hariri cannot cover such a grave constitutional violation, regardless of its use, in designating any prime minister,” the office added. Hariri was also informed “today at dawn of the Lebanese Forces’ decision to refrain from naming anyone or participating in the nomination of anyone in the parliamentary consultations that were scheduled for today,” the office explained. It added: “This would have led to a designation without the participation of any substantial Christian bloc, contrary to Prime Minister Hariri's constant attachment to the requirements of national reconciliation.”“Accordingly, Prime Minister Hariri discussed the matter with Speaker Nabih Berri, who agreed with him. They decided that both of them would call the President and ask him to postpone the consultations for a few days in order to avoid adding new constitutional and national problems to the major social, economic and financial crisis that our country is facing,” the office went on to say. It added that Hariri believes that the focus should be on “addressing the crisis to preserve the interests of the Lebanese, their living conditions and security.” Earlier in the day, President Aoun postponed the consultations to Thursday at Hariri’s request. Hariri had tendered his government’s resignation on October 29, bowing to pressure from unprecedented massive protests against corruption and the entire political class.

FPM Calls on Hariri to Pick 'Consensual' PM Candidate
Naharnet/December 16/2019
The Free Patriotic Movement on Monday called on caretaker Prime Minister Saad Hariri to pick a “consensual” candidate for the PM post. “The FPM positively calls for an end to the waste of time and for the endorsement of the Strong Lebanon bloc’s proposal on the formation of an active salvation government comprised of competent and upright figures in terms of both its premier and ministers, so that it immediately starts to confront the severe crisis,” the FPM said in a statement. “Accordingly, the FPM reiterates its suggestion that PM Hariri… quickly seek to pick a candidate enjoying consensus on their competence and credibility,” the movement added, stressing that the ministers should also not be suspected of any corruption. “Otherwise, the FPM will not be concerned with engaging in discussions on any government that is doomed to fail, because it will not be clear and guaranteed that it will seek to change the financial and economic policies, fight corruption or implement the structural reforms and sectoral plans,” the FPM went on to say. FPM chief Jebran Bassil had recently announced that the movement will not take part in any techno-political government led by Hariri.

Mustaqbal Lashes Out at FPM, LF for Withholding Votes from Hariri
Naharnet/December 16/2019
Al-Mustaqbal Movement on Monday slammed both the Free Patriotic Movement and the Lebanese Forces, the country’s biggest Christian parties, lashing out at their “intersection of interests” after they both decided not to vote for caretaker Prime Minister Saad Hariri in the binding parliamentary consultations to name a new premier. “The country stands at a critical crossroads that threatens to bring the direst consequences as a result of the race to score political points in one direction or another,” the Movement said in a statement. Blasting a perceived attempt at “besieging the PM post and breaching the constitutional norms in the designation of premiers,” al-Mustaqbal described the decision by the FPM and the LF to refrain from naming any candidate as “suspicious.” There is an “intersection of interests” between the two parties, the Movement noted, decrying that the FPM “has sought, throughout two months, to discredit the post-October 17 events before eventually announcing that it is an inseparable part of the protest movement and revolution.”“Others have found the moment appropriate to turn themselves into ‘Che Guevara’ so that they stay on the streets for their own objectives,” Mustaqbal added, apparently referring to the Lebanese Forces. “Al-Mustaqbal Movement is clearly not awaiting any nomination for PM Hariri from the FPM or the LF, and it does not accept that the premiership post be turned into a ball thrown around by some movements and parties,” the Movement said in its statement. “The premiership post is bigger than all these heresies and it will not be a hostage held by anyone no matter how influential they might be,” Mustaqbal went on to say. It said Hariri had resigned on October 29 in order to “open the door to a solution that meets the people’s demands.”“But it seems that some interests have coincided on impeding the formation of a government,” the Movement lamented. “If there is a chance to name a Sunni figure eligible to fill the post, so be it, but let no one believe that they can take the country to ruin, because the flames of destruction would burn everyone, topped by the parties and politicians who are hiding behind the revolution and considering themselves the heroes of this era,” Mustaqbal warned.

Presidency Hits Back at Mustaqbal, Says Aoun Doesn't Need Constitutional 'Lessons'
Naharnet/December 16/2019
The Presidency on Monday snapped back at al-Mustaqbal Movement and caretaker Premier Saad Hariri’s press office, stressing that President Michel Aoun does not need constitutional “lessons” from anyone. “Claims that the Free Patriotic Movement bloc intended to cede its votes to the President are mere fabrications and a prejudgment that preceded the binding parliamentary consultations that the president intended to conduct today,” the Presidency’s press office said in a statement. “Accordingly, using this as an excuse to ask the president to postpone consultations is a judgment of intentions that cannot be part of any sound political action and a blatant attempt at justifying this request and overlooking other reasons,” the statement added. “The president, who is entrusted with the constitution, does not need lessons from anyone in this regard,” the statement stressed, noting that Aoun had obliged MPs to name their candidates during previous consultations to name premiers.The statement also rejected accusations about a “constitutional violation,” urging Hariri and his al-Mustaqbal Movement to stop “the practices that contradict with the text and spirit of the Constitution.”

Dozens of Protesters Rally near Hariri's Residence
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/December 16/2019
Dozens of protesters rallied near caretaker Prime Minister Saad Hariri's residence in downtown Beirut on Monday evening, refusing his return as prime minister -- a scenario put forward in the past week. "We're protesting here until they form the government people want," said activist Claude Jabre, referring to demands for a cabinet entirely formed of independent experts. Nearby, 27-year-old Youssef said he utterly rejected Hariri as he represented the old political system protesters want to replace. "The parliamentary consultations should reflect what the people want, not what the parliament and the ruling authority want," said the bearded protester, a red and white checkered scarf around his neck. Cabinet formation can drag on for months in the multi-confessional country, with Hariri taking almost nine months to reach an agreement with all political sides for the last one. Consensus on the name of a new prime minister is frequently reached before parliamentary consultations begin. The names of various potential candidates to replace Hariri have been circulated in recent weeks, but bitterly divided political parties have failed to agree on a new premier. Earlier this month, the Sunni Muslim establishment threw its support behind Hariri returning.The powerful Shiite movement Hizbullah, a key political player with ministers in the outgoing government, has also supported the outgoing premier or someone nominated by him. But it has repeatedly dismissed the idea of an exclusively technocratic cabinet.

Army: Troops Supported ISF in Central Beirut to Control Situation
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/December 16/2019
The Lebanese Army issued a statement on Monday on the clashes with police near the parliament a day earlier on the eve of much-delayed consultations to form a new cabinet needed to fix a deepening economic crisis. “As a result of massive chaos witnessed in downtown Beirut last night accentuated by riots, encroachment on public and private property, and tossing firecrackers at the security forces, the army units deployed in the region and worked on supporting the Internal Security Forces to maintain stability and stop the attacks, and managed to restore the situation to normalcy,” said the Army statement.
Lebanese protesters clashed with police Sunday for the second consecutive night near parliament on the eve of delayed consultations to form a new cabinet. 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. 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. Witnesses said men in plainclothes were seen hitting protesters while anti-riot police fired rubber bullets at protesters throwing stones. Outgoing Interior Minister Raya el-Hassan demanded the identification of those responsible for the most violent episode since the anti-government protests began in October.

IDF officer: Hezbollah still has tunnels on Lebanese side of the border
Jerusalem Post/December 16/2019
Israel is ready to stop a potential Hezbollah invasion, including from tunnels that the IDF has not yet destroyed, an IDF commander for fighting Hezbollah's underground warfare in the north said. Israel is ready to stop a potential Hezbollah invasion, including from tunnels that the IDF has yet to destroy, the head of the IDF's Underground Warfare Department in the North revealed on Monday. “If there is any [Hezbollah] tunnel near the border, we will know about them,” said Lt. Col. Aviv Amir, an Engineering Corps officer who oversees IDF efforts to to detect and destroy tunnels, whether from Lebanon or the Gaza Strip.
In late 2018, the IDF destroyed six Hezbollah cross-border tunnels and proclaimed the tunnel threat from Hezbollah vanquished. In his presentation on Monday, Amir said that in 2018 the IDF also meant to demolish a Hezbollah tunnel near the Israeli town of Misgav Am. However, when the IDF counter-tunnel units found that the tunnel came up to Israel’s border, but did not cross it, the military decided to leave it alone. Hezbollah is believed to have additional tunnels similar to the one discovered last year near Misgav Am that end close to the Israeli border but do not cross it. Amir said that Israel has “no plan to get into the Lebanese side,” absent Hezbollah starting a new conflict. At the same time, he said that the IDF knows about tunnels it did not destroy which still exist on the Lebanese side and maintains constant readiness to address any potential Hezbollah invasion.

Thousands protest against crackdown in Lebanon
AP, Reuters, BeirutظMonday, 16 December 2019
Thousands of Lebanese protesters defiantly returned on Sunday to rally outside parliament in Beirut, hours after security forces chased them out, using tear gas and rubber bullets and injuring dozens.
The protests were largely peaceful, but some lobbed water bottles and firecrackers at security forces guarding parliament. After a couple of hours, security forces chased them away, using batons and tear gas to disperse the crowd.
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 October 29. The harsh use of force was largely carried out by security forces outside of the parliament building who reacted violently to an earlier attempt to hold a rally outside parliament.
Attackers in northern Lebanon also set fire to the offices of two major political parties, the state-run National News Agency said.
The large crowd that was gathered on Sunday largely dispersed by the evening but hundreds remained in the streets outside parliament. Many had come prepared with helmets and tear gas.
After clashes that included the firing of tear gas, security forces then used water cannons to empty the area around parliament. The remaining protesters used plant pots and bins to barricade themselves, drawing a front line in the street that just hours before was filled with protesters.
Demonstrators had chanted against the security crackdown and called for an independent new head of government unaffiliated with established political parties.
The crowd, many raising Lebanese flags, said: “We won’t leave, We won’t leave. Just arrest all the protesters!”
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 on 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 on 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 October 17.
The Lebanese Civil Defense said it had treated 46 people for injuries and taken 14 others to hospital.
The clashes rocked a commercial district of Beirut for hours late into the night, and army soldiers closed off some streets.
Lebanon’s Internal Security Forces said they fired tear gas after demonstrators pelted them with fireworks and stones. On Twitter, the ISF called on protesters to leave the streets.
“They attacked us in a barbaric way, as if we’re not protesting for their sake, their children,” said a protester, Omar Abyad, 25, a nurse who has been unemployed since he graduated two years ago.
“There’s no work, no wages, no money, nothing. I am in the streets and I have nothing to lose.”

Berri meets UN's Kubis, Kanaan
NNA /December 16/2019
House Speaker, Nabih Berri, on Monday received at his Ain El Tineh residence the UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Jan Kubis, who briefed him on the deliberations of the International Support Group for Lebanon's meeting held recently in Paris. Speaker Berri also received Head of the Finance and Budget House committee, MP Ibrahim Kanaan, in the presence of Caretaker Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil. Following the one-hour meeting, MP Kanaan said: "It is essential to meet the House Speaker after we have almost finished discussions in the Finance and Budget committee for the 2020 state budget draft."
MP Kanaan stressed the dire need for a political solution to the current situation, saying "politics is the key to solution" and pledging to seek feasible solutions to address the financial and economic situation, He said the current situation requires exceptional solutions.
The Lawmaker also indicated that they shall inform the Lebanese of all the financial realities out of keenness to maintain transparency. "We have decided, in agreement with the Speaker, to be transparent, whatever the outcome, and we will inform the Lebanese of all financial realities," Kanaan said, adding that "the economy cannot by itself lead to a financial and economic solution: we must face the situation with the cooperation of all."He said "We shall put forward realistic solutions, not solutions based on delusions." Kanaan also urged all sides to assume responsibility in taking the adequate decisions in order to place Lebanon on the right track for a resolution. On the other hand, Speaker Berri received a series of phone calls and cables condemning the insults and bellicose rhetoric against the status of the House Speaker. In this framework, Berri received phone calls from Mufti of Tripoli and the North Sheikh Malek Al Shaar, former Prime Minister Nejib Mikati, "Unity and Reform" Movement President and Coordinator of the "National and Islamic Gathering" Sheikh Maher Abdel Razzak. They also hailed Berri's national role, deeming him as "the safe valve for the nation" and a national figure working for the supreme interest of the whole nation.

Del Col chairs regular tripartite meeting, emphasizes importance of maintaining calm along Blue Line
NNA /December 16/2019
UNIFIL Head of Mission and Force Commander Major General Stefano Del Col today chaired a regular Tripartite military meeting at the UN position in Ras Al Naqoura.
A press release by UNIFIL said: "Issues relating to UNIFIL's mandate under UN Security Council resolution 1701 were discussed. The UNIFIL Head of Mission emphasised the importance of insulating the tripartite forum and the work carried out in the UNIFIL area of operations, from the wider political dynamics or regional developments. In his remarks Major-General Del Col emphasised the message from the UN Secretary-General's latest report on the implementation of resolution 1701, encouraging the parties to reach agreement on outstanding points of contention along the Blue Line, cautioning that unilateral action could potentially escalate tension and must be avoided, while calling on the parties to avail themselves of the UNIFIL liaison and coordination arrangements. "Our priority is to maintain calm along the Blue Line" General Del Col said "and to create the right conditions to facilitate potential agreement on some of the larger contentious issues." The UNIFIL Head commended the parties for their continued cooperation with UNIFIL in preserving the cessation of hostilities: "Both parties are clearly committed to engagement through the tripartite forum. As we look forward to the new year, let us do so through dialogue and positive engagement to find practical solutions. Only through dialogue can we hope to achieve a sustainable peace." UNIFIL Head of Mission was encouraged by the positive messages from both sides: "Neither side seeks conflict and I can assure you that UNIFIL will play its part to attain our primary objective of preserving the cessation of hostilities." And he added: "We can achieve this by ensuring our actions are geared towards reducing tension and minimising the potential for escalation along the Blue Line."
Tripartite meetings have been held regularly under the auspices of UNIFIL since the end of the 2006 war in south Lebanon as an essential conflict management and confidence building mechanism."

AUB Issam Fares Institute welcomes nine Senior Policy Fellows
NNA /December 16/2019
The AUB Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs (IFI) is delighted to welcome to the institute nine Senior Policy Fellows for the AY 2019-2020. Given their diverse backgrounds, and their extensive experience in public policy in Lebanon and the region, they will enrich the intellectual life of the institute and will make a valuable contribution to IFI’s mission. Through the fellowship program, IFI aims to grow a network of policy influencers to strengthen its engagement with policymaking and to translate knowledge to practical policy recommendations. As such, each Senior Policy Fellow forms a critical link to a variety of policy issues and research programs at the institute. The Senior Policy Fellows for the current academic year 2019-2020 are:
Lina Abou Habib, PhD
Expert in development policies and practices, and gender mainstreaming
Ziad El Sayegh
Expert in public policy and refugee issues
Heba Elgazzar, PhD
Program leader and senior economist at the World Bank
Khalil Gebara, PhD
Professor and expert in governance, political economy, local development, and public policy
Mahmoud Haidar
Expert in business strategy, innovation, and public policy
Maysa Jalbout, PhD
Visiting scholar and Special Advisor on the UN Sustainable Development Goals at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Sami Mahroum, PhD
Director of Research and Strategy at the Dubai Future Labs
Jamal Saghir
Economist and expert in infrastructure, energy, and international finance
Robert Watkins
Former UN Deputy Special Coordinator for Lebanon

No Trust In Lebanon’s Caretaker PM, Mr. Saad Al Hariri
Elias Bejjani/December 16/2019
لا ثقة برئيس الوزراء اللبناني المستقيل السيد سعد الحريري لتشكيل حكومة جديدة
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/81524/elias-bejjani-no-trust-in-lebanons-caretaker-pm-mr-saad-al-hariri-%d9%84%d8%a7-%d8%ab%d9%82%d8%a9-%d8%a8%d8%b1%d8%a6%d9%8a%d8%b3-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%88%d8%b2%d8%b1%d8%a7%d8%a1-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%84/
Lebanon’s PM, Caretaker Mr. Saad Al Hariri protects covertly and covertly the most corrupt officials and businessmen in what is known the Lebanese deep government that is leading the country into bankruptcy.
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 case (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, while the STL has accused a number of its security topnotch members to have committed the criminal 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 and especially as a PM.
He is not only one of all of the corrupt Lebanese politicians and officials, but in fact the first of them all.
In summary, No trust is ought to be granted by the Lebanese revolution to Mr. Hariri in a bid 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, political parties, contractors 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.

Chaos ensues after video targetting Shiite sect goes viral
Georgi Azar/Annahar/December 17/2019
BEIRUT: A group of men descended upon downtown Beirut after taking offense to a video circulating on social media that offended the Shiite sect.
The video targetted a number of Shiite religious figures and officials, including Speaker Nabih Berri and Hassan Nasrallah. It was reportedly recorded by a man hailing from Tripoli but now residing in Greece. His family was quick to condemn his actions, saying that "it does not reflect our views or beliefs."
The men were believed to be from al-Khandaq al-Ghamiq, who has had a number of run-ins with the law.  The angered men attempted to reach Martyr's Square and RIad el Solh but were held back by riot police. They threw rocks and fireworks at both soldiers and riot police alike before water cannons were used to disperse them. Hezbollah and Amal then called on the group of men to withdraw from the streets of Beirut to avoid further sectarian tensions. A local Imam from Khandaq al-Ghamiq called on the men to withdraw as well while a senior Sheikh from Dar el Fatwa, the highest Sunni authority in Lebanon, distanced the sect from the offensive video. “We tell our Shiite brothers that those who harm … do not represent the Sunni sect, have nothing to do with the sect and do not express the Sunni opinion,” Sheikh Hasan Merheb told local TV channel LBCI.

Lebanon delays nomination of new PM amid protests, divisions
Timour Azhari/Al Jazeera/December 16/2019
President postpones talks which were expected to result in Saad Hariri being named as next prime minister.
Beirut, Lebanon - The nomination of Lebanon's next prime minister has been postponed after major Christian parties said they would not support the candidacy of caretaker Prime Minister Saad Hariri, presenting a new impasse after weeks of political wrangling.
Hariri resigned on October 29 amid widespread protests against Lebanon's ruling elite, but had seemed set to return on Monday after all other candidates failed to secure enough support from the country's Sunni Muslim establishment.
Under Lebanon's complex political system, where power is shared among religious groups, the prime minister must always be a Sunni, the president a Maronite Christian and the speaker of Parliament a Shia Muslim. Meanwhile, according to the modern-day interpretation of a key article in the Constitution, there must be parity in the representation of Christians and Muslims in Parliament and government.
This premise of sectarian power-sharing now poses the greatest obstacle to Hariri's candidacy, as without the support of the major Christian parties in government, the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) and the Lebanese Forces, the government’s constitutional legitimacy could be called into question.
A statement from Hariri's office said that the caretaker PM on Monday requested that Aoun postpone the binding parliamentary consultations during which a new prime minister is selected, "in order to avoid adding constitutional and national problems to the great social, economic and financial crisis facing our country".
Aoun rescheduled the talks for Thursday.
Riding the wave
Since he resigned, Hariri has said he would return to government only in a cabinet made up of technocrats and experts - a key demand of protesters, most of whom have rejected Hariri's potential return as prime minister.
Thousands protested in Beirut on Sunday night to reject Hariri's expected nomination.
Hezbollah and its allies, the Amal Movement, along with the FPM, have rejected Hariri’s conditions and instead called for a government of both politicians and technocrats. Last week, the FPM announced it would not participate in any government headed by Hariri.
Early on Monday, the Lebanese Forces - which is nominally allied with Hariri - announced it would not name anyone during the planned consultations, dealing him another blow.
Bassel Salloukh, an associate professor of political science at the Lebanese American University, said that these developments effectively ended Hariri's attempt to strengthen his hand on the back of the uprising.
"It seems he tried to free-ride the revolution, but his bluff has been called," Salloukh told Al Jazeera.
Hariri had made concessions to the FPM in 2016 in a deal that saw the party's founder Michel Aoun elected president and Hariri return as prime minister.
Salloukh said Hariri would now be forced to make concessions again: either back someone else for prime minister, or try to find a way out with either of the major Christian parties.
A senior Lebanese Forces official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Al Jazeera that the party would not reverse its decision to refrain from naming a prime minister, so that it can be "convinced" of the makeup of the next government before backing it in Parliament.
"We have to wait and see if the final outcome is appropriate or not, because there are so many deals being made and so many people excluded from these discussions," the source said.
"As long as the prime minister and government are accepted by the people, we will give it confidence," the source added, meaning Hariri would likely be excluded "unless he can convince the people he's the right choice".
'No more delays'
Meanwhile, the FPM is not giving up any ground either.
Pierre Raffoul, a political adviser to President Aoun, told local news channel Al Jadeed that Hariri's condition of a purely technocratic government was a non-starter, and that consultations would be held on Thursday, putting pressure on Hariri to find a way to break the deadlock.
"I want to tell the prime minister: if you are still coming from the standpoint of 'I will choose and I will decide' ... That won't work with us," Raffoul said. "[Consultations] won't be delayed any more, it will be on Thursday, either he [Hariri] is named or someone else than him, let everyone bear their responsibilities."
Salloukh said he believed the deadlock effectively returned negotiations "back to square one", but that the impasse could create the space for a new type of government to emerge.
"This kind of inability of the political elite to find agreement may pave the way for a truly independent professional government," he said.
There is also the possibility that Hariri could be named prime minister, but the process of actually forming a government could take a long time. The previous cabinet formation process took almost nine months.
Lebanon is in the midst of a deep economic and financial crisis. The country is the world’s third-most indebted nation as a ratio of gross domestic product and is spiralling into more debt.
At the same time, a dollar shortage has threatened to cause shortages of basic imports such as fuel, wheat and medicine, and has pressured a decades-old currency peg of 1,500 Lebanese pounds to the US dollar. Rates were higher on Monday, at 2,000 pounds.
Business as usual
The UN's representative in Lebanon Jan Kubis Monday said the postponement of parliamentary consultations was "either a sign that following the events and statements of the last days politicians start to understand that they cannot neglect the voice of the people, or another attempt to buy time for business as usual.""But with the collapsing economy, it is a risky hazard both for the politicians, but even more so for Lebanon and its people," he said. Salloukh said a protracted delay in forming a cabinet could be disastrous.
"[It is] not simply a case of these politicians shooting themselves in the foot. They are shooting the entire country in the head," he said.

Lebanese police clashed with anti-government protesters in Beirut, firing
Najia Houssari/Arab News/December 16/2019
BEIRUT: The UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jan Kubis accused Lebanese politicians of “trying to buy time” after crucial parliamentary talks to nominate a replacement prime minister faced a further delay.
Discussions due to take place on Monday were postponed an hour beforehand amid a widening rift between Lebanese President Michel Aoun and the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) on one side and caretaker PM Saad Hariri on the other.
It is the second time talks over the replacement leadership and composition of the new government have been delayed.
More than seven weeks after Hariri quit as prime minister, politicians are still unable to agree on a new administration despite the deepening financial crisis facing the country.
Kubis warned that “with a collapsing economy, buying time to form a government is a risky hazard for politicians, but even more so for Lebanon and its people.”
Plans for parliamentary talks on Monday fell into confusion following the Christian-based Lebanese Forces’ refusal to nominate a new prime minister. The party said that it will only approve “a government of independent experts trusted by the people.”
Aoun postponed the discussions until Thursday after Hariri asked for “more consultation on the government’s formation.”
Moustafa Allouch, a member of the Future Movement’s political bureau, told Arab News that Hariri is refusing to lead a government without the backing of the Christian vote.
“Hariri doesn’t want to face accusations of lacking a national consensus,” Allouch said.
However, Hariri’s office said that the caretaker PM was seeking “to avoid adding national and constitutional problems to the social, economic and financial crisis in Lebanon.”
Pierre Raffoul, Aoun’s political adviser, launched an unprecedented attack on Hariri, saying the caretaker PM “wants to eliminate everyone.”
“We are not in a dictatorial country and such things do not work here,” he added.
Raffoul said that “if the parliamentary consultations had taken place, Hariri would not have been able to form the government.
“Today, we are standing at a crossroads; to stay or not stay. Our solidarity can save the country, but Hariri wants to work alone and he cannot acknowledge the presence of anyone else,” he said.
The FPM also called on Hariri to “act swiftly to designate a person to lead the government ... and save the country from its current crisis.”
With no end in sight to the political impasse, street protesters in Beirut have faced intensified violent attacks from armed “infiltrators,” according to Rayya Al-Hassan, caretaker interior minister.
Activist Ziad Abdel Samad told Arab News that “infiltrators among the protesters are trying to attack the movement, but as long as there is no political solution, we are staying in the streets.”
Tents in Martyrs’ Square in the capital were set alight during clashes late on Sunday night.
Former PM Fouad Siniora was forced to flee a music concert at the American University of Beirut on Sunday night after students chanting “revolution, revolution!” demanded that he leave.
Siniora tweeted on Monday: “History will prove that I have always worked for the interest of my country. Today, I stand resilient alongside the Lebanese, just like I did in the times of peace, war and revolution.”

More than protests, Lebanon today is witnessing a profound social revolution.
مها يحيى/في لبنان اليوم أكثر من اجتجاجات، في لبنان ثورة اجتماعية عميقة
Maha Yahya/Carnegie/December 16/2019
Lebanon’s protests, which began on October 17, have focused on the need to change the country’s power-sharing system and reverse the rapid deterioration in the quality of daily life. But something more profound is taking place. We are witnessing a social transformation, a revolution in the norms underpinning Lebanese society.
Demands by protestors to bring down the regime are an indictment of the catastrophic political and economic mismanagement of the country by its political class. Most of the wartime militia leaders came to power after the end of the civil war in 1990, moving into state institutions. A key component of the Taif agreement that helped facilitate a postwar settlement was the dismantling of Lebanon’s sectarian power-sharing system. However, this was never implemented. An amnesty law passed in August 1991 forgave perpetrators of wartime crimes, and was based on the logic of no victor, no vanquished.
What ensued was a profound abuse of the political system, which effectively divided the national pie between sectarian leaders. The net result was catastrophic. Today, the budget deficit is around 152 percent of GDP and net foreign reserves have declined dramatically. According to a 2016 World Bank report, patronage politics have cost Lebanon an estimated 9 percent of gross domestic product annually. This is in part due to the fact that the state rarely punishes corruption when it is associated with sectarian political elites. While public servants and their political sponsors directly pocket around 25 percent of public-sector funds, perhaps up to half of the population today is below the poverty line. Inequality is rampant with the richest 1 percent of Lebanese receiving 25 percent of national income. The healthcare system is broken with 52 percent of the population lacking proper health insurance. Around 50,000 children were out of school in 2016. And while the national electricity utility costs the country 11 percent of its budget deficit, the Lebanese pay twice the regional average for electricity. Pervasive inequalities in access to fundamental services such as health and education are evident across the country irrespective of region or geography.
In this broader context, protesting against political sectarianism does not mean that people have dropped their sectarian identity. Rather it signals that the Lebanese have decided to privilege a broader national identity and their rights as citizens. This has come with a realization that sectarian communities have not protected or preserved the dignity of their members or guaranteed their rights. Rather it has allowed a narrow group of leaders to prevail, usurp communal representation, propagate a siege mentality among followers, and generate equal opportunity abuse among all communities.
What has emerged since the protests began is a revolt against the system and a complete collapse of trust in all institutions—state institutions, political parties, the banking sector, and professional associations. This revolt has been accompanied by an expanding sense of national solidarity and recognition that the “us versus them” formulation is no longer about sect, ethnicity, class, or gender. It is about a corrupt political class versus the rest of the country.
Along with this national awakening, the moment is also about upending social norms. What is taking place is partly an uprising against a patriarchal system that maintains unequal relationships among citizens, especially its women. Women have been at the forefront of demonstrations, mobilizing, forming lines of defense between protestors and the security services, organizing events, and leading efforts to decrease sectarian tensions between neighborhoods. They have also demanded equal rights in a country where the relationship between citizens and the state is defined by the personal-status laws of sectarian communities. For women this means they are subjected to one of eighteen different systems of communal law with regard to marriage, divorce, inheritance, and child custody.
Similarly they have also protested against other discriminatory laws to which they have been subjected. To maintain a demographic balance in Lebanon’s sectarian system, women are denied the right to pass on Lebanese citizenship to their children if they were born from a non-Lebanese father. Women have angrily denounced this flagrant denial of equal status under the law.
The protest movement is also about generations. The large number of high school and university students participating shows that they are fighting for their future. Unemployment is high, the prospects of pursuing satisfying and enriching careers is low, and on top of that the young cannot vote until they are 21 years old. This generation is a post-ideological generation that believes in the rights and responsibilities of citizenship, and many young people blame their parents for ceding them a Lebanon that is broken and from where they must emigrate so as to improve their prospects. They want to be defined by ideas, not their identities. The country is laden with a debt that will affect the young for decades, it lacks basic infrastructure, and its environment has been poisoned through the pursuit of mercenary practices, provoking protests in the past.
This movement is also about the systematic exclusion of the country’s impoverished populations, whether they live in Lebanon’s geographic peripheries or on the edges of major towns and cities. Populations are protesting their continued marginalization from political and economic life in a country that has historically centralized such activities in Beirut.
In Tripoli, which has been dubbed the “bride of the revolution” because of the high participation rate in demonstrations, 51 percent of residents live in extreme poverty on less than $4 a day for a household of five, compared to the national average of about $15 a day. Unemployment levels in some of the city’s neighborhoods have reached 55 percent. In Nabatiyeh, in southern Lebanon, 25 percent of the population lives below the poverty line and unemployment stands at 13 percent. In ‘Akkar, 13 percent of children work. Given the economic crisis and the tens of thousands of people losing their jobs as a result of businesses closing, more and more protestors from such areas and across Lebanon will take to the streets.
The protests are also about opposing the privileging of connections and sect over merit. Professionals and expatriates are playing a key role in this process, supporting or organizing protests, debates, and discussions. They have been disenfranchised for decades by a system that fails to award jobs and contracts on the basis of ability. In contrast, many Lebanese are very successful abroad even as they have been unable to make a difference at home.
The movement is about a rediscovery of the public realm as well, a reassertion of notions of the public good and reclaiming the rights of citizens to their towns and cities, where entire neighborhoods have been cordoned off for security purposes or under the pretext of urban rezoning. Public squares, abandoned theaters, pre-civil war architectural icons, and private parking lots in the once historic center of Beirut have been opened up. These have been transformed into spaces of discussion on topics that were once limited to academia or civil society activists. Lawyers, student organizations, labor unions, university professors, some political parties, and civil society organizations have been organizing these discussions daily across the different spaces of protest. They are tackling topics as varied as electoral laws, the role of media, economic options for Lebanon, the public good and shared commons, how to deal with trauma after the civil war, and what a new Lebanon might possibly look like.
For the first time in the country’s history, this new sense of empowerment pushed representatives of around 500 private-sector companies to stage a demonstration with their employees recently. They declared that they would refuse to pay taxes and, instead, divert the sums to their employees, in that way avoiding having to lay them off. This took place outside the purview of traditional chambers of commerce, trade associations, and other representative institutions related to the private sector. Similarly many of these individuals have now turned to creating alternative and independent associations capable of representing their interests.
How this new sense of social solidarity and the upending of norms will stand the test of time is unclear. But a fundamental societal shift is taking place in Lebanon that will have repercussions down the road. Women will play an even more visible role in public affairs, as will youths who are the country’s future. Lebanon’s downtrodden will determine the nature of the country’s political leaders, who will be publicly held accountable. Lebanon’s politicians have to accept that as far as they are concerned it is no longer business as usual. In order to survive, they need to account for new social realities.
Solidarity is what has enabled the Lebanese to gain ground in their protests and score important victories. But more importantly, it is necessary to protect the nascent sense of national awakening as the Lebanese navigate the turbulent months ahead, that will be characterized by considerable economic and political uncertainty. The political leadership may increasingly try to inflame sectarian tensions because it has little left to offer. The instinct to turn back to those sectarian leaders may increase should those leaders miraculously manage to provide some forms of economic relief. But appealing to those who brought the country to its knees will not bring a better life. For that, the Lebanese can only rely on their fellow citizens.

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on December 16-17/2019
Russian bombers now transit Iran’s airspace to Syria – rejoinder for US-Israeli air force cooperation
DEBKAfile/December 16/2019
Long-range, heavy Russian bombers are flying from their home bases via Iranian airspace for combat operations in Syria, thereby cutting short flying time. Ali Shamkhani, secretary of Iran‘s Supreme National Security Council, said on Sunday, Dec. 15, that Iranian and Russian coordination “is comprehensive, embracing different aspects.” He also told the Mehr news agency that, although a number of Russian bombers had recently transited Iran’s airspace, they “had not conducted refueling operations.”Shamkhani was responding to recent reports that Russian Tupolev-22M “Backfire” long-range bombers had flown through Iran’s skies and used a military base during recent missions in Syria. He appeared to rule out Russian bombers again being permitted to land at an Iranian air base. Three years ago, Moscow was granted the use of the Noje Airbase in the northern Hamadan province for operations in Syria. Nevertheless, his reference to “comprehensive” coordination with Russia on “different aspects” has aroused concern in Washington and Jerusalem. They assume, say DEBKAfile’s military sources, that Moscow almost certainly granted Tehran a comparable quid pro quo for its operations in Syria. For instance, certain Russian air facilities in Syria, hitherto out of bounds to Iranian flights, may now be made available. In November, Iran’s Defense Minister Hossein Dehqan asserted hat Tehran could again allow Russia to use this airbase “for the aerial campaign against terrorists again if such a need arises.” He confirmed, “If the situation and conditions [in Syria] demand to provide this support, we will do this job.” Our military sources interpret this new step in Iranian-Russian cooperation as stemming from the advancing partnership between the US and Israel in targeting Iran’s expanding foothold in Syria. At least three combined air strikes have taken place this month, although none of the parties concerned, including Tehran, has disclosed that they took place.

Pentagon chief urges Iraq to stop attacks on bases housing US forces
Reuters, Baghdad/Monday, 16 December 2019
US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper on Monday urged Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul Mahdi to take steps to prevent bases housing US troops from being shelled, a statement from the premier’s office said. Esper’s call came after a senior US military official warned last week that attacks by Iranian-backed groups on bases hosting US forces in Iraq were pushing all sides closer to an uncontrollable escalation. Rocket strikes targeting Iraqi bases where members of the US-led coalition are also stationed have increased in past weeks with no claim of responsibility from any party. However, the US military official said intelligence and forensic analyses of the rockets and launchers pointed to Iranian-backed Shiite Muslim militia groups. Esper “expressed his concerns over the shelling of some installations and the necessity to take procedures to stop it,” a statement from Abdul Mahdi’s office quoted the Pentagon chief as saying during a phone call. Abdul Mahdi warned Esper that unilateral action could have negative consequences that will be difficult to control and might jeopardize Iraq’s sovereignty. Abdul Mahdi resigned last month under pressure from mass anti-government protests. He is carrying out his duties in a caretaker capacity. Tension between the United States and Iran has risen as a result of US sanctions that are hitting Tehran hard. The two sides have also traded blame over attacks on oil installations, militia arms depots and bases hosting US forces.

Iran President Rouhani to make first visit to Japan
AFP, Tehran/Tuesday, 17 December 2019
President Hassan Rouhani will visit Japan later this week in the first trip to the country by an Iranian head of state for two decades, official news agency IRNA reported Monday. Rouhani will go to Tokyo on Friday, IRNA said, citing Iran’s vice foreign minister Abbas Araghchi.
Araghchi said the one-day visit will be “very intense” and that it comes as Iran faces maximum pressure from the US, IRNA reported. Earlier, Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi told a press conference in Tehran that the “trip (to Japan) is being finalized.”Iranian government spokesman Ali Rabiei said discussions would focus on “expanding economic relations” between the two countries. “Mr Rouhani’s trip to Japan has nothing to do with issues such as negotiations with America,” Rabiei said. “However, our Japanese friends usually convey messages or initiatives, which we welcome... and seriously examine,” he added, stressing the bilateral focus of the visit. Rouhani will be the first Iranian president to visit Japan since 2000. He is expected to meet Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who travelled to Tehran in June to try to ease tension between the United States and Iran in the Gulf. “After Mr Abe’s trip to Iran it was natural for the president of the Islamic Republic of Iran to have a trip to Japan,” Mousavi said. Talks between the two leaders would focus on “issues and developments in our region, the East Asia region,” and the landmark 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers, Mousavi added.

Iran considering taking next step to reduce nuclear deal commitments: Mousavi
Yaghoub Fazeli, Special to Al Arabiya /EnglishMonday, 16 December
Iran is considering taking the next step in reducing its nuclear deal commitments, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Abbas Mousavi said on Monday, the semi-official ISNA news agency reported. “Let's see what the situation is going to be like in the next few days, and then we will reveal information on the next step,” Mousavi said. Iranian MP Alaeddin Boroujerdi said Thursday that Iran will stick by its plan to reduce its nuclear deal commitments “despite all the threats.” Speaker of Parliament Ali Larijani had said on December 1 that Iran will seriously reconsider some of its commitments to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) if Europe resorts to using the “trigger mechanism” against Iran. Some European countries have warned Tehran about triggering a mechanism within the Iran nuclear deal that could lead to UN sanctions due to Tehran’s repeated breach of parts of the 2015 accord with world powers. Britain, France and Germany have sought to salvage the pact, under which Iran agreed to curtail its uranium enrichment program in return for relief from sanctions which have been crippling its economy since the US withdrew last year.

Researcher freed from Iran urges release of other prisoners
The Associated Press, Washington/Monday, 16 December 2019
A Princeton University scholar who was freed from Iran this month after three years in captivity said Monday that his release “is a victory of humanity and diplomacy across nations and political differences.”
Xiyue Wang and his wife, Hua Qu, said in a statement to The Associated Press that the family is doing well and overjoyed by the support they have received. They say their joy is tempered by the fact that other prisoners remain in Iran. Wang was released on December 7 as part of a prisoner exchange that saw America release a detained Iranian scientist. It was a rare diplomatic breakthrough between Tehran and Washington after months of tensions.“We urge world leaders to come together and find the compassion and common ground to free all political prisoners as soon as possible,” the couple said in the statement. “Where there is a will, there is a way.”

Surging Netanyahu rival launches party leadership challenge
The Associated Press, Or Yehuda/Monday, 16 December 2019
Upstart Israeli politician Gideon Saar officially launched his bid to unseat Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as head of the ruling Likud party. Netanyahu is Israel’s longest-serving leader, but he’s been weakened by a corruption indictment that may force him out of office, as well as back-to-back failures to form a government this year. Saar’s leadership bid marks the first serious internal challenge to Netanyahu in his decade-plus in power. Though Saar is still a decided underdog to the embattled prime minister, he seems to be gaining traction ahead of the Dec. 26 vote among the party faithful.
A former aide and senior Cabinet minister under Netanyahu, Saar has long been considered a rising star in Likud and a potential future heir. But while others are patiently waiting for Netanyahu to step down on his own, Saar has been the only one who has dared to take him head on.
Netanyahu faces charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust in three corruption cases in which he is accused of trading legislative or regulatory favors in exchange for lavish gifts or favorable media coverage. He denies wrongdoing and has waged an angry campaign against the media and law enforcement officials he said are bent on ousting him from office. Outwardly, Likud members have strongly supported their leader and joined in denouncing the alleged “coup” of the liberal elites against him. But Saar’s burgeoning insurrection has begun to reveal some cracks.
Around 500 party activists attended the launch of the former education minister’s campaign to unseat Netanyahu, which has been buoyed by support from a half-dozen Likud lawmakers. That includes the powerful chairman of the party’s executive body. Saar, in a jab at Netanyahu’s inability to form a government, took the podium flanked by banners with his slogan: “Only Saar Can!”While Netanyahu’s various opponents across the political spectrum have called on him to resign because of his legal woes, Saar has kept saying the party needs a new leader because Netanyahu has been unable to form a stable coalition government. He has said the prime minister is unlikely to be able to again, if given another chance. On December 9, Abe said he was weighing inviting Rouhani for a state visit. Noting Japan’s alliance with the United States and Tokyo’s “favorable relations” with Tehran, Abe said he would make efforts “as much as possible to help ease tensions” in the Middle East.Japan was formerly a major buyer of Iranian crude but stopped purchases to comply with US sanctions imposed after the United States unilaterally quit the nuclear deal in May 2018. Before heading to Tokyo, Rouhani is due to stay in Kuala Lumpur to take part in a summit of Muslim heads of state.

Turkey must step up measures against money laundering, watchdog says
Reuters, Istanbul/Monday, 16 December 2019
Turkish authorities must address shortcomings in tackling money laundering and terrorism financing or face being added to a “grey list” of countries with inadequate financial controls, according to a global money laundering watchdog. In a report issued on Monday, the Paris-based Financial Action Task Force (FATF) highlighted gaps in Turkey’s efforts to prevent financing of terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Out of 11 areas evaluated, Turkey was deemed to require major or fundamental improvements in nine. The report’s findings mean Ankara will be put under observation for a year, and could be added to the grey list if it does not make improvements. The watchdog said Turkey should make “fundamental improvements in measures for freezing assets linked to terrorism, terrorist organizations and financiers.”Turkey had a low rate of conviction for terrorism financing, the report said, pointing to data it said was provided by authorities showing more than 6,000 people were prosecuted in 2017 but only 115 convicted. Ankara should also improve efforts to prevent “the raising, moving and using of funds for weapons of mass destruction”, the report said, adding that Turkey was slow in following up UN Security Council resolutions relating to Iran and North Korea.Turkey says it abides by all international laws and United Nations resolutions. The report also called on Turkey to strengthen its use of financial intelligence in money laundering cases and develop a national strategy for investigating and prosecuting different types of money laundering.

Turkish drone lands on Turkish Cyprus for energy exploration: official
Reuters, Ankara/Monday, 16 December 2019
A Turkish drone meant to seek hydrocarbons in the eastern Mediterranean landed at an airport on the disputed island of Cyprus on Monday, a Turkish official said, a move that could further stoke tensions between Turkey and Greece. The breakaway Turkish Cypriot cabinet on Friday designated the Gecitkale airport on the island as a base for the drones, Demiroren news agency said. It said unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), both armed and unarmed, would begin operations Monday. Cyprus, an EU member, was divided in a Turkish invasion in 1974 triggered by a brief Greek-inspired coup. It has argued with Turkey for years over the ownership of fossil fuels in the eastern Mediterranean, thought to be rich in natural gas. On Monday, the head of Turkey’s Defence Industry Directorate Ismail Demir said the first unarmed Turkish drone took off from an airport in Turkey’s western province of Mugla and landed at Gecitkale airport at 0700 GMT. Turkey began seeking oil and gas off the coast of Cyprus earlier this year, sending two drill ships and an exploration vessel with UAVs escorting them. In response the European Union has called the activities illegal and readied sanctions against Turkey. Ankara says that some areas in which Greek Cypriot ships operate are either on its continental shelf or in areas where the Turkish Cypriot state has rights over any finds. Last month, Turkey and Libya’s internationally recognized government signed an agreement on maritime boundaries in the sea. Athens has accused Turkey of violating international law with the deal, but Ankara denies the claims and says the accord aims to defend its rights in the region.

UK backer of Syria White Helmets died from fall: Turkey coroner
AFP, Ankara/Monday, 16 December 2019
Turkish coroners say the British ex-soldier who helped found the Syrian White Helmets rescue group died from a fall, state media reported on Monday. James Le Mesurier was an ex-British Army officer who set up Mayday Rescue which helped train the White Helmets, a volunteer group responding to bombings by Syrian government forces. He was found dead on November 11 outside the Istanbul apartment building where he lived. The autopsy report said he died due to “general body trauma linked to a fall from height,” state broadcaster TRT Haber said. No DNA belonging to another person was found. The four-page report from the Forensic Medicine Institute said Le Mesurier suffered internal bleeding and broken bones, the private DHA news agency added. Turkish police are believed to be treating the death as suicide. Local media has claimed he sought help for mental health issues and his wife, Emma Hedvig Christina Winberg, reportedly told police he had had suicidal thoughts two weeks before his death.

French Prosecutor Seeks Jail, Huge Fine for Syrian Leader Assad's Uncle
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/December 16/2019
France's national finance prosecutor called Monday for a four-year prison sentence and a 10 million euro fine for Rifaat al-Assad, uncle of the Syrian president, accused of money laundering related to his vast property empire in France. The prosecutor also called for the confiscation of all his real estate -- already seized -- valued at 90 million euros ($99.5 million). The trial of the younger brother of the late Syrian president Hafez al-Assad -- the current president's father -- concerns crimes allegedly committed between 1984 and 2016, including aggravated tax fraud and misappropriation of Syrian funds. Rifaat Assad, who divides his time between France and Britain, denies the charges. The 82-year-old, dubbed the "Butcher of Hama" for allegedly commanding troops who put down an uprising in central Syria in 1982, has been under investigation in France since 2014. Formerly Syria's vice president, Assad left his home country in 1984 after mounting a failed coup against his brother Hafez, who led Syria from 1971 to 2000. After he arrived in Europe, Rifaat al-Assad's lavish lifestyle, four wives and 16 children soon raised eyebrows. His reported French fortune includes two Paris townhouses, one measuring 3,000 square meters (32,000 square feet), as well as a stud farm, a chateau and 7,300 square meters of office space in Lyon. He and his family also built up a huge portfolio of 507 properties in Spain, valued at around 695 million euros, Spanish legal documents show. All his properties in that country were seized by the authorities in 2017. Assad has maintained that his lifestyle was made possible by gifts from the Saudi royal family amounting to more than a million dollars per month. But while Assad's lawyers claimed to document gifts of almost $25 million between 1984 and 2010, French investigators registered transfers from Saudi Arabia totaling only $10 million. Assad's trial opened on December 9, and his defense will present its case on Tuesday. This is only the second trial of a foreign dignitary in France on charges related to "ill-gotten gains". In the first, Equatorial Guinea vice president Teodorin Obiang received a three-year suspended jail term in October 2017 after being convicted of using public money to fund a jet-set lifestyle in Paris.

The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on December 16-17/2019
Somali-Canadian Islamic Preacher Said Rageah: Non-Muslims Disapprove Of Polygyny Because They Want Muslim Women To Be Cheap Goods Like Non-Muslim Women; Muslim Women Who Do Not Want To Share Their Husband Are Not True Believers
MEMRI/December 16/2019
On November 16, 2019, a Friday sermon titled "Benefits of Polygyny" by Somali-Canadian Islamic Preacher Said Rageah was uploaded to the Kenya-based ILM TV YouTube channel. Sheikh Rageah said that women who do not want to allow their husband to have another wife are not true believers because Islam expects Muslims to make sacrifices for the sake of Allah, that it is the nature of men to pursue multiple sexual partners and therefore to have multiple wives, and that people who are against Islam disapprove of polygyny because they want Muslim women to be "cheap goods" like non-Muslim women. He said that polygyny benefits women because there are more women in the world than men and because it helps distribute the responsibilities of fulfilling the rights of husbands and caring for children among multiple wives. In addition, Sheikh Rageah said that mothers who do not allow their daughters to marry a man who has other wives are preventing the marriage for selfish reasons because they don't want their husbands to marry another wife, as well. Furthermore, he said that if one Muslim woman commits fornication because of weak faith or because no man has proposed to her, then the entire Muslim nation shares in her sin. At multiple points throughout the sermon, Sheikh Rageah said that the men in the audience need not be concerned about what their wives might think about the content of the sermon. He also joked: "If you are [asking] how come [I] only [have] one wife... [Polygyny] is illegal in Canada, but the moment I cross the border, I am at Allah's service."
To view the clip of Somali-Canadian Islamic Preacher Said Rageah on MEMRI TV, click here or below.
https://www.memri.org/tv/somali-canadian-sheikh-said-rageah-polygyny-kenya-non-muslim-women-cheap-goods-benefits-them
"We Have More Women Than Men, So As Soon As Polygyny Comes In, We Are Benefiting Women" Because "The Responsibility Of A Wife Will Be Lightened"
Said Rageah: "Praise be to Allah, you are smiling because you know the title of the sermon, which is polygyny – having more than one wife. Of course, for those of you who are afraid of their wives, they are not here – so we don't have to worry about them, mashallah.
"The few of you who did not know the title of this sermon, are looking around, making sure their wives are not looking or peeking from the windows. Don't be afraid, no one is going to report other than the live stream that you see from the cameras.
"In our time, we have more women than men. Whether we accept that or not, we have more girls. As fathers we have more girls than boys. So as soon as polygyny comes in, we are benefiting women, we are benefiting that portion of the society. We are not taking their rights. Not only that, the responsibility of a wife will be lightened, because the same husband, coming home every night, demands [things] he wants to be taken care of, he wants this right, he wants that... when you have [multiple wives], there are more chances for [each wife] to relax, to look after herself, to take care of herself, to make sure that this is a time for herself..."
"What Kind Of A Sister Would Claim She Is A Believer, Yet Would Not Allow Her Husband To Take Care Of Another Wife?"
"Not only that, what kind of a sister would claim she is a believer, yet would not allow her husband to take care of another wife... Because the Prophet Muhammad said: 'None of you will be a true believer until you love for your Muslim brother and sister what you love for yourself.' You can't be a true believer if you want to have a husband, if you want to have children, if you want to have someone to take care of you, if you want to have someone to love you, but you don't want the same right for your sisters. What kind of a believer are you?
"Islam is not about jilbab and niqab, and abaya – Islam is about actions!
"If you want to be [among] the people of righteousness and piety, then you have got to give up, for the sake of Allah, what you love. And I know women, they love their husbands.
"Men... Allah did not create [them] like women. A wife, when she gets married, she settles down, because she is like earth. But a man is a hunter. You married the most beautiful wife, she is right here, but as soon as she says: 'I do,' you will say: 'Who is next?'"
"Polygyny Is A Benefit For The Children... Because The Children Will Have Another Mother Who Will Take Care Of Them, But Now... If The Mother Is Sick And The Father Is At Work The Children Will Suffer"
"Polygyny is a benefit for the children. This is where we, as men, do what is right. When we do it right, not when we do it wrong... Because the children will have another mother who will take care of them. But now, because of lack of polygyny, if the mother is sick and the father is at work the children will suffer.
"You may think: 'Oh, I have a maid. I have someone who can take care of my child or cook for my child.' But we don't have that luxury everywhere. We don't have that luxury in Canada. We don't have that luxury in America. We don't have that. And not everybody can afford that. But when you have a second wife, and a third wife... By the way, even saying: 'second' and 'third' is classifying women, and that is wrong. You should say you want to have another wife, and another wife, and another wife, because there is no first or second or third – they are all first wives. They are all number one."
"People Who Are Against Islam And Muslims Don't Want [Polygyny] Because They Want Our Daughters To Be As Cheap As Theirs"
"People who are against Islam and Muslims don't want [polygyny] because they want our daughters to be as cheap as theirs. They want to have our daughters for one-night stands and to move on.
"When you see our daughters dancing for these guys who don't care about their religion because they are from a different religion, and who just want to have fun for the night... That's what they want... One of my brothers, said: 'Allah be praised, I remember when a [non-Muslim] Kenyan would not dare to look at a Somali sister, or a Muslim sister... [He] would not dare to look at them, let alone take them for the night.' Now they have become cheap goods, anybody can grab them. Because in here, they change everything in them... They said: 'You can't be a second wife, but you can be my girl. You can't be halal for somebody, but you can be haram for me.'
"Mothers and fathers who do not allow their daughters to be another wife, or the wife of someone who has more wives, are responsible [for this].
"And if you are saying: 'How come you, Sheikh Said, only has one wife?' I am a Canadian... It is illegal in Canada, but the moment I cross the border, I am at the service of Allah..."

New Brand of American Islamists Wins Big in 2019 Elections
Benjamin Baird/American Spectator/December 16/2019
The article below is a slightly expanded version of the one published at The American Spectator.
America's leading Islamist groups may have just lost an elected cheerleader with the arrest of Pennsylvania state Representative Movita Johnson-Harrell, but plenty more were elected on November 5th to take her place.
Johnson-Harrell, a fixture at Islamist fundraisers, was indicted on December 4 for stealing more than $500,000 from the poor and mentally ill, spending it on lavish vacations, fur coats, and even her own political campaign. But fortunately for radical organizations such as the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), 26 Muslim candidates recently answered its call to fill local school board, city council, and state assembly seats across the country. However, as with the disgraced Johnson-Harrell, a significant number of these freshman public officials have problematic ties to extremists.
PA State Rep. Movita Johnson-Harrell embezzled Medicaid payments and Social Security checks from residents of facilities run by her nonprofit, forcing them to live in what state inspectors called "completely unlivable conditions."
Take Abrar Omeish, who was elected to the Fairfax County school board in Virginia: her father, Esam Omeish, was the former president of the Muslim American Society, which U.S. prosecutors have concluded is the "overt arm" of the Muslim Brotherhood in America. Esam was forced to resign from a state immigration board in 2007 after video surfaced of him praising Palestinians who chose "the jihad way" to liberation.
In 2011, Esam admitted that he was a former Muslim Brotherhood leader, and in 2016 he penned a tribute to Brotherhood members on social media, calling them the most noble, humane, and gentle of Muslims.
Abrar appears to have adopted her father's Islamist zeal. While studying at Yale, the 24-year-old was a member the Muslim Students Association (MSA), which was founded by Muslim Brotherhood expatriates in 1963 with the goal of "spreading Islam as students in North America."
Abrar was part of MSA-led efforts to silence Muslim reformer Ayaan Hirsi Ali by attacking her "scholarly credentials." She later appeared in a podcast with the International Institute for Islamic Thought (IIIT), an Islamist think tank which seeks to "institute the Islamic Revolution in the United States."
Abrar's victory elicited congratulations from Islamist leaders of Muslim Brotherhood factions in Tunisia, Egypt, and Syria.
Ibraheem Samirah was one of two Muslim Democrats whose election helped to flip the Virginia House of Delegates. During his college years, he was a member of Students for Justice in Palestine, the leading proponent of the anti-Semitic Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions campaign in America.
His father, Sabri Ibrahim Samirah, is a prominent Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood leader who was barred entry to the U.S. for 10 years, likely because of his chairmanship of the Islamic Association of Palestine (IAP), a now-defunct Muslim Brotherhood front group which served as the propaganda wing of Hamas in the U.S.
Omar Tarazi won a seat on the Hilliard, Ohio city council after being appointed to that position in March. He is the son of "Mouhamed Nabik Tarazi, an imam who attended the radical Omar Ibnelkhttab Mosque in Columbus, where three congregants have been convicted since 2003 on terrorism charges. The elder Tarazi even officiated the wedding of Iyman Faris, an Al Qaeda terrorist sentenced to 20 years for plotting to blow up the Brooklyn Bridge.
Tarazi was a speaker at the Noor Islamic Center Mosque in Hilliard, where numerous extremist clerics have been invited to preach, and the previous CEO was listed in a private directory as a U.S. leader for the Muslim Brotherhood. As a lawyer, Tarazi represented the parents of Rifqa Bary, a 16-year-old girl who ran away to Florida because her father allegedly threatened to kill her for apostasy.
Abrar, Ibraheem and Omar represent a new breed of politically savvy Islamists.
But Abrar, Ibraheem and Omar are not their fathers. They represent a new breed of Islamists— politically savvy, second generation activists who simultaneously espouse or quietly advance the contradictory core principles of social liberalism and theocracy.
Have Islamists joined with progressives to advance social justice, or for political expediency? In its 2019 report, The Rise of American Muslim Changemakers, CAIR laments that this alliance "requires working on issues that may—on the surface level—appear to be at odds with traditional community norms and values."
Rep. Samirah, Virginia's recently re-elected House delegate, left no doubts about the integrity of the blue-green alliance in a 2018 speech before American Muslims for Palestine, an anti-Semitic hate group sympathetic to Hamas: "[Muhammad] had to form treaties with his enemies" Samirah said. "He had to form alliances with people who weren't necessarily believers of his message, who would later on become people who would be his enemies."
CAIR officials unfamiliar with Lincoln's Gettysburg Address produced this graphic boasting of Muslim candidates elected in 2019 (34 is well under two score).
Yet, for many politically ambitious Muslims, the allure of identity politics is far too seductive to ignore. Following the election, dozens of mainstream news articles glowingly reported that Somali immigrant Safiya Khalid won the Lewiston, Maine city council seat "despite hateful social media attacks" and "racist trolls." But Khalid's Democratic opponent reportedly endured threats and intimidation that go beyond cyber-bullying. Khalid's supporters allegedly surrounded his home, pounding and kicking his doors and windows as they urged him to drop out of the race for daring to run against a Somali contender.
Other recent electees, such as East Orange County City Councilman Mustafa Al-Mutazzim Brent, have weaponized identity politics and take a militant tone. The New Jersey councilman believes that "White America has been at war with black America since 1619," and that President Trump should be "executed" rather than impeached.
Although Johnson-Harrell won't be around to stump for her Islamist patrons, a growing coalition of like-minded Muslim lawmakers stand ready to advance the same agenda. For now, they seem to be content to work in partnership with the Left and within America's democratic institutions to effect change. But as their influence grows, let us not be surprised to see them jettison their progressive ideals and revert to regressive, fundamentalist principles.
*Benjamin Baird is coordinator for the Middle East Forum's Islamism in Politics project.

Has Israel stopped striking Syria to appease Putin before his visit?
Anna Ahronheim/Jerusalem Post/December 16/2019
Israel has been carrying out a war-between-wars campaign since 2013, striking thousands of Iranian and Hezbollah targets.
It’s been almost one month since Israel was accused of carrying out airstrikes against Iranian targets in war-torn Syria, and it’s one month before Russian President Vladimir Putin will touch down in the Jewish state.
Israel has been carrying out a war-between-wars campaign since 2013, striking thousands of Iranian and Hezbollah targets in an attempt to prevent Tehran and its proxies from obtaining advanced weapons to use against the Jewish state and from entrenching themselves in Syria. According to foreign reports, IAF jets have also carried out strikes in neighboring Iraq. Is it possible that Israel paused its campaign ahead of Putin’s visit? Is Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu worried that the deconfliction mechanism has run out of luck similar to what happened with the Russian Ilyushin Il-20 that was shot down over Syria during an Israeli airstrike on Iranian targets? That incident marked one of the lowest points of the relationship between the two countries. But no jet has been shot down since, and no Russian lives have been lost during Israeli strikes.
So what’s happening?
The relationship between the two regional powers has been tense since the last airstrike claimed by Israel on November 20. During that airstrike, Israeli jets targeted over 20 Iranian and Syrian sites, including warehouses and command centers, in response to four rockets being fired towards Israel’s Golan Heights the previous morning. But following the strike, Russia’s Foreign Ministry made a rare announcement chastising the intensity of Israeli airstrikes in Syria, which they claimed have “sharply” increased, and add tension and raise the potential for conflict in the war-torn country.
Moscow accused Israel of violating the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria and of other states in the region, and stated that “such developments are of the most serious concern and are rejected by Moscow.
“Israeli actions add tension and increase the conflict potential of the situation around Syria, and are contrary to efforts to normalize the situation and achieve stability in Syria including a political settlement in this country,” read the statement released at the time.
Two weeks later in early December, Netanyahu held a phone-call with the Russian strongman where the two leaders discussed Syria. Two days later, according to foreign reports, Russian Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets were scrambled from Khmeimim airbase in Latakia to stop Israeli jets from striking the T-4 military base in the Syrian province of Homs, a site which has been targeted multiple times by the Jewish state. While the IDF does not comment on foreign reports, Israel’s deconfliction mechanism should have alerted the Russians to Israeli activity. Did Israel not inform the Russians? Were they heading to an area which may have put Russians lives or interests at risk?
According to a former senior IAF officer, it’s all about Russian interests.
“Russians don’t care about anyone. Today we are talking about interests, and the main Russian interest is to be a relevant superpower and competitor against the Americans,” he said. “Wherever the US withdraws troops and budget from the region, we will find Russia trying to control and manage between states and groups. “We could be in the middle of the Second Cold War with Russia,” the former senior officer said. That Second Cold War, which is playing out not only in the Middle East but across Eastern Europe and Asia, will need Israel to walk a very thin tightrope if it wants to remain the top dog in the region.
If not, the freedom of operation by Israeli jets may now be at risk on its most volatile fronts.

Iran’s child soldiers and the world’s silent complicity
Dr. Mohammed Al-Sulami/Arab News/December 16/2019
After the victory of the so-called Islamic revolution in Iran in 1979, the theocratic regime that seized power — usurping the rights of the Iranian people — adopted several sectarian strategies that reflected its extremist ideology.
The regime focused on brainwashing and adopted Orwellian indoctrination tactics to serve its new policies. These moved from theory to practice during the early post-revolutionary phase via educational curricula in schools and colleges, as well as revolutionary admonition assemblies, during which the Iranian people were castigated by regime clerics for any perceived deviation from the regime’s harsh ideological worldview. This totalitarian regime developed swiftly and the clerics soon felt the need to go beyond Iran to test the effectiveness of their policies regionally. The Iran-Iraq War provided an appropriate opportunity for this, and it also allowed the region to observe the reality of the new Iranian ideology and the regime’s policies.
One of the most prominent examples of how the regime used indoctrination during the Iran-Iraq War was its use of children as human shields or cannon fodder, with countless young boys from the ranks of the poor sent to the frontline to fight. Many were, infamously, used to run across minefields placed along the Iran-Iraq border so that Iranian troops would be able to cross safely after them. This was seen by the regime as a cost-effective way to minimize military casualties and damage to military equipment, while the children of the poor were viewed as expendable “collateral damage.” Before leaving for the battlefront, these children were each presented with a cheap key on a ribbon to hang around their necks, and were told it was the “key to paradise” that would allow them to enter heaven as glorious martyrs.
Despite the passing of decades, it is despicable that, even now, the regime in Tehran feels unashamed to admit perpetrating such horrific crimes against innocent children. It regularly and proudly airs footage on state TV and publishes photographs in its official newspapers showing child soldiers, who are lavished with praise for their “heroic” acts and “martyrdom” during the eight-year war with Iraq.
Apparently inspired by this criminal abuse of children, Hezbollah has followed in the Iranian regime’s footsteps, indoctrinating children with extremist ideology and training them from a young age to take up arms and fight in battles that serve the Iranian regime and its expansionist project across the Middle East. Anyone who has watched Hezbollah’s media propaganda will have observed children being indoctrinated and exploited.
This indoctrination has not been confined to Iran and Lebanon, but has also spilled over into other areas as the Iranian regime spreads its extremist ideology. This includes Yemen, where the Iranian-backed Houthis routinely use children — some of them shorter than the guns they carry — to fight in battles in Yemen itself and on the Saudi-Yemeni border. A UN report issued in 2015 suggested that more than 1,500 Yemeni children had been forcibly conscripted, while activists in the country assert that the real number is far higher.
With Iran’s regime we are dealing with an ideological project of infinite cruelty and depravity
As elsewhere, the horrific but undeniable reality of the Houthis’ use of child soldiers is well documented by video and TV footage and regular reports from the country. In a recent BBC Arabic documentary, a reporter approaches a massive military vehicle guarded by a child no older than 14 years of age (and possibly far younger), sitting in the back beside a mounted machine gun that dwarfs him. When the reporter asks the child why he is there, the boy replies: “I don’t know; they asked me to do so.” The reporter attempts to prompt the boy, asking him: “Are you here to defend your homeland?” The child hesitates, clearly not understanding the question, before mumbling, “Yes.” Children are also used to clean barracks and guard checkpoints, with the Houthis even attempting to defame the Arab coalition with the lie that it is responsible for these crimes.
Dozens of Houthi child soldiers have been captured by the forces of the legitimate Yemeni government during battles in Yemen or in fighting along the Saudi-Yemeni border. As in all cases of the use of child soldiers, this exploitation of children is purely the doing of those cruel enough to use them in such a cynical way. As all these cases underline, with Iran’s regime we are dealing with an ideological project of infinite cruelty and depravity, which has no difficulty in sending children to die so long as this serves its objectives. All these factors show that the regime’s fate is a foregone conclusion. Anyone who can support such conscription and exploitation of children, whether through threats, rewards or punishments and usually a mixture of all three, does not fear punishment in this life or the next, and is wholly indifferent to all the international covenants and treaties that condemn such horrendous acts. Despite these facts, however, international bodies and human rights groups concerned with protecting children remain shamefully silent and passive on Iran’s criminal behavior.
The Iranian regime’s exploitation of children in Yemen and elsewhere needs to be exposed and this requires concerted action to bring such heinous practices to light. While international bodies remain silently complicit about this evil — contradicting their slogans about caring for and protecting children — it is essential to expose Iranian behavior before global public opinion in the admittedly slender hope that this might move the world’s conscience to reject complicity in such Iranian criminality and to bring those responsible to trial.
• Dr. Mohammed Al-Sulami is Head of the International Institute for Iranian Studies (Rasanah). Twitter: @mohalsulami

The UN resolution that paved the road for West Bank annexation
Ramzy Baroud/Arab News/December 16/2019
Three years ago, the UN Security Council passed resolution 2334. With 14 members votingin favor and one — the US — abstaining, the resolution was the equivalent of a political earthquake. It was the first time in many years that Israel was roundly condemned by the international body for its illegal settlement policies in the Occupied Territories. Unlike with previous attempts at holding Israel accountable, this time the Americans did nothing to protect its closest ally.
What has happened since then, however, is testimony to the failure of the UN to implement meaningful mechanisms that would force violators of international law, like Israel, to respect international consensus. In some ways, approving resolution 2334 — although it is externally supportive of Palestinian rights — turned out to be one of the most costly decisions ever made by the international institution.
Just a month after its adoption on Dec. 23, 2016, Israel thumbed its nose at the whole world by announcingplans to construct thousands of new homes in illegal Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his then-Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman rationalized the provocative move as a “response to the housing needs” within the settlements. Nothing could have been further from the truth, as the subsequent three years have demonstrated.
It has become clear that the settlement expansion was part of a much larger strategy aimed at killing any chance of establishing a contiguous and viable Palestinian state, and parting ways with the so-called “land for peace formula,” which was itself molded through years of American mediation and “peace process.”
The Israeli strategy was a complete success. Thanks to the blank check issued by the Trump administration to Israel’s right-wing government coalition, Israeli politicians are now openly plotting what was once nearly unthinkable: The unilateral annexationof major Jewish settlement blocks in the West Bank, along with large swaths of the Jordan Valley.
Throughout the last three years, Washington has turned a blind eye to Israel’s sinister designs. Worse, it has fully embraced and validated the Israeli political discourse, while taking every necessary measure to provide cover for Tel Aviv’s actions. The declarationby US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo last month that Jewish settlements are “not per se inconsistent with international law” is just one of many positions adopted by Washington that pave the road for Israel’s insolence and violation of international laws.
Retrospectively, President Barack Obama had the chance to do more than merely abstain from voting against this UN resolution — which lacked any enforcement mechanism anyway — by using America’s generous financial aid to Israel as a bargaining chip. That way, he could potentially have forced Netanyahu to freeze settlement expansion altogether. Alas, Obama did the exact opposite: He bankrolled the Israeli military and financed every Israeli war on Gaza. His belated move at the UN set the stage for the Trump administration to unleash a cruel war on Palestinians, and on international law too.
In fact, it seems that the two-year term of former US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley was dedicated largely to rectifying the supposed “betrayal” of Israel by the Obama administration. In the name of defending Israel against perceived global “anti-Semitism,” the US severed its ties with several UN organizations, eventually isolating Washington itself from the rest of the world.
With the UN being designated as the common enemy by both Washington and Tel Aviv, international law was rendered irrelevant. Gradually, the US government fortified its protective shield around Israel, thus rendering resolution 2334 and many others meaningless. In other words, the US managed to turn international consensus regarding the illegality of the Israeli occupation of Palestine into an opportunity for Tel Aviv to disown any commitment not only to the UN, but also to the so-called two-state solution and the “peace process.”
While Israel has accelerated its settlement projects unhindered, the US ensures that the Palestinian leadership is denied the opportunity to fight back, even symbolically, through the various international institutions and any available political and legal platform. This was engineered through systematic economic warfare, which saw the cuttingof all aid to the Palestinian Authority in 2018, followed a week later by an endto all funds to the UN agency responsible for the welfare of Palestinian refugees, UNRWA.
The US-Israeli war on Palestinians was staged on two fronts. One front focused on the seizure of more Palestinian land and the building of new and the expansion of existing settlements as a precursor to the imminent step of annexing most of the West Bank. The other front witnessed the relentless US administration pressure on Palestinians through political and financial means.
Nikki Haley was dedicated largely to rectifying the supposed ‘betrayal’ of Israel by the Obama administration.
Three years after resolution 2334, a new status quo is upon us. Gone are the days of traditional American “peace-making” and its adjoining elaborate discourse centered on a two-state and other make-believe solutions. Now, Israel is single-handedly formulating its own “vision” for a future that is designed to meet the expectations of its unhinged and ever-growing right-wing constituency. As for the US, its role has been relegated to that of a cheerleader, unfazed by such seemingly trivial matters as international law, human rights, justice, peace or even regional stability.
Shortly after being appointedas Israel’s new defense minister on Nov. 9, Naftali Bennett tookthe dangerous and consequential decision of building a new Jewish settlement in the occupied Palestinian city of Al-Khalil (Hebron). Naturally, Jewish settlers rejoiced, as they will finally see the destruction of the old Hebron market, which is older than Israel itself, and the potential for further settlement expansion and more annexation in the city. At the same time, Palestinians are cringing, for a move against Hebron is the final proof that Israel is now operating in Palestine without the slightest fear of political or legal repercussions. Not only did UN resolution 2334 fail to hold Israel accountable, it — in some way — facilitated further Israeli expansion in the West Bank, paving the road for the annexation that will surely follow.
*Ramzy Baroud is a journalist, author and editor of Palestine Chronicle. His latest book is “The Last Earth: A Palestinian Story” (Pluto Press, London). Baroud has a Ph.D. in Palestine studies from the University of Exeter. Twitter: @RamzyBaroudew

Netanyahu clings to power as third Israeli election looms
Chris Doyle/Arab News/December 16/2019
All is not well in the Israeli body politic. On March 2, 2020, the Israeli electorate of 6.5 million will once again have the opportunity to break an impasse that has already endured two elections and months of failed coalition negotiations. The logjam has become a national embarrassment, exacerbated by having a prime minister — the longest-serving in Israeli history — indicted on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust.
Who would bet against a fourth election in 2020? In September’s vote, the two leading parties, Blue and White and Likud, got 33 and 32 seats respectively. The magic number in Israeli politics is 61, as this secures a majority in the Knesset. It all centers on how strong the competing blocs are — whether some combination of far-right parties can get a majority or whether it will be a right-of-center bloc that materializes. Neither Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu nor his opponent Benny Gantz, the leader of Blue and White, could agree on a national unity government. Avigdor Lieberman, the leader of Yisrael Beiteinu, was the man who could put one of them in power, yet he was a kingmaker who refused to choose a king.
At least this time voters will only have to suffer 82 days of election campaigning, having had 215 days in the two previous rounds in April and September. By March 2, one imagines that 300 days of electioneering should be more than enough to comprehend the programs of each party and each bloc — in theory at least. One danger is that electoral fatigue could lead to a dangerously low voter turnout in March.
Something clearly has to shift. That obstacle in most Israeli minds has to be Netanyahu. He refuses to depart into the sunset, not least because it comes with the possibility of court cases and a prison sentence. He holds the nation hostage until he procures an acceptable form of immunity deal. The Israeli attorney general has already compelled him to forgo three of his ministerial positions by Jan. 1, but he retains his prime ministerial role.
Yet, one has to wonder, how dire does this have to get for Likud to ditch its leader and why has it not happened already? Netanyahu is a proven election winner, of course. There is no more astute operator in Israeli politics, and he will deploy all his cunning and thick skin to brazen his way through the next three months. If Likud sticks with him, then the agenda for March 2 will be all about “Bibi,” much as the November elections in the US will be all about Donald Trump.
At least Likud has a chance to chart a different course and change the man at the helm. A Likud leadership ballot is expected to be held on Dec. 26, with Gideon Sa’ar likely to be Netanyahu’s main challenger.
Palestinians are bracing themselves for the next orchestra of dog whistles and anti-Arab comments
What will this mean for Palestinians? Does it even matter to them? The elections are not going to produce an Israeli coalition prepared to make a viable deal and agree to an independent Palestinian state. Both contenders for prime minister vie with each other about their determination to annex the settlements or Area C of the West Bank. Sa’ar was swift to condemn Netanyahu’s lack of action in the West Bank to fulfill his promises, not least over the failure to demolish the totemic Bedouin community at Khan Al-Ahmar east of Jerusalem. “I support the views that the prime minister expressed here during past election campaigns. It is possible to carry out these views better,” he said last week.
It is hardly much cheer to Palestinians that the Israeli government probably will not be able to push forward with the annexation of Palestinian lands during this electoral period. The discourse of racism and bigotry in Israel toward Palestinians is still the dominant theme.
There was also an opportunity lost, not least on Gaza. Israeli security supremos were hoping to take advantage of Hamas’ willingness to agree to a long-term cease-fire over Gaza as a chance to move away from regular confrontation. The fear is no political leader, including Netanyahu, would be prepared to appear weak by granting concessions on easing the Gaza blockade while in the midst of the political bun fight of his life.
For Palestinian citizens of Israel, the challenge will be to maintain unity and fight as one bloc to ensure as powerful a position as possible. In the meantime, they will brace themselves for the next orchestra of dog whistles and anti-Arab comments, which bodes ill for future Jewish-Arab relations.
But, just as Britain has suffered from government paralysis as a result of Brexit and the US administration is hampered by impeachment inquiries, Israel is suffering from this gridlock. Key appointments such as chief of police are not being made. There is no budget agreed for 2020. The country can little afford for this to continue beyond March. It is tempting to believe that the Israeli electorate, even Likud, will determine that the political retirement of Netanyahu cannot be delayed any longer. This election is now up for grabs and Gantz has a prime chance to profit from it. Yet Netanyahu is the great political survivor and, even on the ropes, he is going nowhere. He will fight to the last second.
• Chris Doyle is director of the London-based Council for Arab-British Understanding. Twitter: @Doylech