LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
February 15.2020
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
The Bulletin's Link on the lccc Site
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Bible Quotations For today
On some have compassion, making a distinction, and some save,
snatching them out of the fire with fear, hating even the clothing stained by
the flesh
The Letter from Jude 01/17-23/But you, beloved, remember the words which have
been spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. They said to you
that “In the last time there will be mockers, walking after their own ungodly
lusts.” These are they who cause divisions, and are sensual, not having the
Spirit. But you, beloved, keep building up yourselves on your most holy faith,
praying in the Holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the
mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life. On some have compassion, making
a distinction, and some save, snatching them out of the fire with fear, hating
even the clothing stained by the flesh."
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese
Related News & Editorials published on February 14-15/2020
Hariri to the 'shadow president': You wasted half of the President's mandate in
disruptions and cancellation wars, and registered the collapse of the country
under both your names
Hariri Says Bassil is 'Shadow President', Decries '2nd Assassination of Rafik
Harir
Nazik Hariri: To harbor Martyr PM Hariri's intellect, stick to his approach
Rahi prays in Rome for Lebanon, pays tribute to Martyr Premier Hariri
Jumblatt: No to the assassination of Taif, Arabism and Palestine, no to
subdivision!
Druze Sheikh Aql in memory of Martyr Hariri: Carried throughout his lifetime the
cause of Lebanon's resurrection
We Won't Surrender, Says Geagea on Hariri Anniversary
Clashes between Protesters, Mustaqbal Supporters in Central Beirut
Defiant, Lebanon's Hariri says deal with Aoun is 'history'/Timour Azhari/Al
Jazeera/February 14/2020
Rafik Hariri’s legacy celebrated amidst clashes in Beirut/Sunniva Rose/The
National/February 14/2020
15 years on, Lebanese remember Valentine’s Day massacre that killed Hariri/Sara
Al Shurafa/Gulf News/February 14/2020
A Suicidal Task for a Normal Government/Elias Harfoush/Asharq Al Awsat/February
14/2020
Shots Fired at Tents of Protesters in Jounieh/Naharnet/February 14/2020
Diab Prepares to Visit Arab and European Countries
STL Official Visits Beirut on Eve of Hariri's Murder Anniversary
Aoun, Diab Tell STL Lebanon to Pay Contribution despite Crisis
Kanaan: People's deposits in banks a 'red line'
The Great Escape: Carlos Ghosn working with ex-Disney president Michael Ovitz on
film deal
Lebanese Journalist Assaulted after Attending Seminar in Beirut
Enemy soldiers throw smoke bombs outside the fence separating Lebanon and
occupied Palestine
Breast Cancer Conference in its second day sheds light on types of treatments,
patient's health in light of prevailing economic conditions/Khalil Fleihan/Asharq
Al-Awsat/February 14/2020
Lebanon’s Prime Minister: Is he a Puppet?/Abdulrahman Al-Rashed/Asharq Al Awsat/February
14/2020
When the Lebanese Dared to Dream!/Hanna Saleh/Asharq Al Awsat/February 14/2020
It’s time for the Lebanese people to seize control of their destiny/Khaled Abou
Zahr/Arab News/February 14/2020
Aoun’s claims of international financial support under scrutiny/Simon Speakman
Cordall/The Arab Weekly/February 14/2020
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on
February 14-15/2020
Canada/Readout: Minister of Foreign Affairs meets with Iran’s foreign
minister
Israeli Missile Strike Targets Iranian Fighters in Syria
Iranians among Dead in Israeli Raid on Damascus
Pompeo calls for action after Iran’s arms for Houthis seized
Women Protesters Refuse for Iraq to Be Turned into a ‘Second Iran’
NATO to Resume Iraq Mission 'Soon'
Russian, Turkish FMs to Meet Sunday amid Syria Tensions
Muslim Brotherhood Cell Plotting Attacks Busted in Khartoum
PA to Warn Firms with Settlement Links before Taking them to Court
Gaza Balloon Attacks Re-Emerge as Threat to Israel
US Seizes Iranian Weapons Bound for Houthis
Syrian Chopper Downed in NW Syria, Killing Crew
Russia Sends Syrians to Fight in Libya as Clashes Reach Misrata
Senate Moves to Limit Trump on Striking Iran
German Police Raid Homes to Thwart Plot Against Asylum-seekers, Muslims
Government-Backed Iran Hackers Target Western Universities
Love in the Time of Coronavirus: A Quiet Valentine's Day in China
World Less Safe as U.S. Retreats, Warns German Leader
Saudi Arabia denies Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman meeting with Israel's
Benjamin Netanyahu despite reports
Titles For The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources published on February 14-15/2020
Ouyar Hassan Invited to the Polls…
Again/Amir Taheri/Asharq Al Awsat/February 14/2020
What's Powering the US Economy?/Noah Smith/Bloomberg/Asharq Al Awsat/February
14/2020
Question: "What is agape love?"/GotQuestions.org/February 14/2020
Death of AQAP Leader Shows the Group’s Fragmentation—and Durability/Elisabeth
Kendall/The Washington Institute/February 14/2020
US and Russia compete to be Ankara’s best friend/Sinem Cengiz/Arab News/February
14/2020
Saudi-American relationship cornerstone of global stability/Princess Reema bint
Bandar Al-Saud/Arab News/February 14/2020
The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News &
Editorials published on February 14-15/2020
Hariri to the 'shadow president': You wasted
half of the President's mandate in disruptions and cancellation wars, and
registered the collapse of the country under both your names!
NNA/February 14/2020
In a press release by former Prime Minister Saad Hariri's Press Office this
evening, it quoted the former PM as saying that, as Prime Minister, he in fact
had to deal with two "Presidents of the Republic" at the same time.
"I was always required to secure the relationship with the shadow president in
order to protect stability with the original president," said Hariri.
In his speech on the 15th commemoration of the assassination of Martyr Prime
Minister Rafic Hariri, during a ceremony in the Center House in the presence of
a large number of officials and Future Movement supporters, Hariri said,
addressing the shadow president: "You wasted half of the president’s mandate in
disruption and cancellation wars. You sabotaged the mandate and registered the
collapse of the country under your name and the name of the mandate."
To his supporters he said: "I am not going anywhere. I am staying in my country
and among my people and I will remain in the political work. The Future Movement
will remain! The free, patriotic, sovereign Lebanese who want a country that
befits them and their children will also remain and no one can scare them."
Hariri also reiterated his support for early elections.
In his detailed speech, Hariri said:
"I am sure that each and every one of you and the majority of the Lebanese
people are asking the following question in light of the financial and
socio-economic crisis that we are facing: Where is Rafic Hariri? Where is the
giant who can help us face this huge crisis?
Now you know how I have been feeling in the last 15 years, when every morning,
every hour and every moment, I ask myself: Where are you, Rafic Hariri?
The assassination of Martyr Prime Minister Rafic Hariri 15 years ago was a
historic turning point in the life of Lebanon, in which political, security and
regional equations changed.
Fifteen years later, Lebanon is facing a new historical turning point.
For this reason, I will say what is in my heart. With all the friends who
honored us with their presence and with the loyal people who accompanied me in
the most difficult circumstances, at a time when loyalty has become scarce, and
scarce currency has become a reason for the lack of loyalty.
First, let us salute the spirit of the Martyr Prime Minister Rafic Hariri and
the souls of his comrades and all the martyrs of the March 14 Revolution, which
remains the symbol of the end of guardianship and the security system.
The martyrs’ sacrifices opened the doors of the large prison and freed decisions
and leaderships from domination, detention and exile.
Fifteen difficult years. I faced, learned, made mistakes, won, was stabbed in
the back, persevered, met honest and truthful companions but also opportunists,
and discovered the horrors in the politicians and leaders' club.
But after every stab, after every wound, after every battle, and after every
attempted political assassination, I used to stand again, look around, see your
faces, hear your voices and feel your loyalty, and I would tell myself: Only
truth will prevail...
In the last two months, we heard and read that the Future Movement no longer
exists, that Saad Hariri traveled and will not return, that Saudi Arabia does
not want him, America does not want him and maybe China does not want him as
well! And the funniest thing is that they want to close the Center House...
Let them write and spread rumors and let us tell them the truth: the Future
Movement, the movement of our martyr, the movement of Arabism, moderation and
civil state, remains in your hearts ... despite the enviers!
The keys of the Center House are in the houses of Akkar, Tripoli, Minnieh,
Denniye, Koura, Zgharta and Batroun, and the houses of Beirut, Saida, Tyre,
Shebaa, Shouf, Iqlim, Metn, Keserwan, and all of the Bekaa...
So welcome to your house. The house to which you hold the keys cannot be shut
down!
Nowadays, there is a large movement against all politicians. Everyone means
everyone and no exceptions or extenuating circumstances. We, frankly, do not
want to ride the wave of popular anger and distinguish ourselves from the
political class, at a time when many political faces are acting like the stars
of the revolution on TVs.
But the problem is that Rafic Hariri is targeted again and some politicians are
still terrified of his charisma.
There is a political team that started to open files and talk about alternatives
to Harirism and the fall of the Harirists, and is still following the Martyr
Prime Minister from the nineties, to hold him accountable for the economic
deterioration and public debt.
Not just that, they are all over the social media, blaming him for the 'Deal of
the Century' and the joke of the resettlement. Yes I am saying: the joke of the
resettlement!
Stop saying that we want the resettlement and stop frightening the Lebanese with
all these lies. We are against any resettlement, and the constitution prohibits
the resettlement, and resettlement is out of the question. Period!
What is more dangerous is the talk about the start of the countdown to the end
of the Taif Agreement, and the return of Lebanon to pre-1989, to open the way
for a new formula. It is not by chance that some write that the Taif Agreement
reached its end...
In order for the agreement to end, Harirism must end, and for Harirism to end,
Saad Hariri must be eliminated.
They refuse to see how Lebanon was before Rafic Hariri and who destroyed Lebanon
during the civil war, and who saved it from the ruins of the war in four years.
The Lebanese know what Rafic Hariri did and how he brought Lebanon back on the
world map. The people know and see that nothing major was achieved after the
assassination of Rafic Hariri.
They did not leave any friend for Lebanon, and they did not make any agreement
with any country, nor did they open a hospital, university, road or airport, not
even a sanitary sewer. They are only good at digging graves and fabricating
files and accusations.
After the assassination, the largest series of obstruction of the state and
constitutional institutions in the history of Lebanon was organized. Seven years
were lost due to the obstruction after the assassination of Martyr Prime
Minister Rafic Hariri.
The closure of downtown Beirut, and 6 months of obstruction afterwards before
the election of President Michel Sleiman, two years and a half of obstruction
before the election of General Michel Aoun.
Assassinations, Israeli wars, intervention in the Syrian war and terrorism,
suspension of the work of parliament for more than a year and a half, and
delaying the formation of governments and disrupting cabinet sessions.
Seven years out of 14 were lost in stubbornness and obstinacy in the name of the
respect for the National Pact and the rights of the confessions. Above all, they
kept saying that it is the Harirism’s fault.
They were all in ministries, departments and public institutions for 30 years.
And many were there before. They participated in its councils, governments,
quotas and snags. They did everything you can imagine. And in the end, they only
held Rafic Hariri and his policies accountable for the public debt and the
economic collapse.
Rafic Hariri secured 24 hours of electricity, but who took us back to rationing
and generators? The Ministry of Energy, not even once in history, was headed by
the Future Movement. Who headed the Ministry of Energy after 1999, and who
headed it from 2005? Why did the cost of electricity reach fifty percent of the
public debt? All of this is not mentioned in history's forgery books.
Ok, I will take responsibility, I am ready to take responsibility. But
responsibility was shared by all, the Republic Presidency, the Government,
Parliament and dialogue sessions.
When I accepted the settlement in order to elect a president, and acted against
the general mood, I was seeing since 2014 how the Syrian scene was changing and
how the borders opened to the waves of displacement, and Lebanon was plunging in
security and sectarian problems, and bombings in the Bekaa, the suburb, and the
two mosques in Tripoli.
Some thought the settlement was a distribution of power between the President of
the Republic and the Prime Minister. But we saw it as a solution to protect the
country from civil strife, prevent the Syrian fire from spreading to Tripoli,
Beirut, Baalbek, Saida, Arsal, and others, and a possible way to stop the
presidential vacuum and blockage of institutions.
Before the settlement, I tried to open the road to an agreement over the name of
our friend Sleiman Frangie for the presidency, for the same goals, but what
should I do if his allies, Sleiman’s allies, prevented his election? The
settlement lasted 3 years, and today it is part of the past, and it is history.
I know many of you are happy that the settlement has ended, but let me tell you:
Do you see what is happening today? Severe shortage of liquidity, collapse of
the Lebanese Pound, depositors' problems, layoffs, high prices and poverty? All
of this was going to happen in 2016.
At that time, I assumed my responsibilities and said that in order to prevent
the collapse, our country needs two things: ensuring stability and improving the
economy.
After we made the settlement, meaning the political and security stability, we
still had to improve the economy. We organized the CEDRE conference and ensured
12 billion dollars for the economy, based on reforms that we agreed on and
promised to implement. If we had implemented the reforms, if we had implemented
what we agreed upon, we would not be here today, and the collapse would not have
occurred all over the country.
In fact if the Paris II reforms had been implemented 18 years ago, the country
would not have reached this stage.
But what can I do if there are people who don’t abide by their word? Some blame
me and tell me: You should have made him sign a paper. But did he respect his
signature on Ma’arab agreement?
I want to remind you that CEDRE was just before the elections and its
implementation was the duty of the post-election government.
Let me tell you how much this government worked. To form this government, we had
a six months delay because someone wanted to prevent the Lebanese Forces and the
Socialist Party from having ministers in it. But of course they were failed
attempts.
On this occasion, I salute Walid Jumblatt and confirm our steadfast alliance
with him, yesterday, today and tomorrow! I want to pay tribute to Minister May
Chidiac, who is not just the representative of the Lebanese Forces, but also a
"living martyr".
Then we had two months of delay, so they imposed ministers from the Consultative
Gathering. This means eight months of delay in the formation of the government.
After its formation, the government lived nine months, including a month of
procrastination in the budget and two months of hindering after the Kabreshmoun
incident.
The result is that after the CEDRE Conference, the government actually worked
for six months. A mentality of "elimination wars". One time they want to
eliminate the Socialist Party and Walid Jumblatt, and another time they want to
eliminate the Lebanese Forces, after the Ma’arab agreement, as if they never
signed it! Another time, they want to abolish the protest movement and now they
want to abolish Harirism and the Future Movement!
I tried to secure stability in the relationship between the Presidency and the
Premiership, first because stability deserves patience, and second because the
only result of the dispute between the presidencies is the paralysis of the
institutions.
President Aoun knows how much I respect him and how much I appreciate his
stances towards me, just as he appreciates my stances towards him. But
unfortunately, I reached a place where I have to say that I dealt with two
presidents. I was always required to secure the relationship with the shadow
president to protect stability with the original president.
In the first government after the settlement, he said: This is not the
government of the mandate because the government of the president comes after
the parliamentary elections.
In the second government, after the elections, he said: This is the government
of the mandate. But when things didn’t go as he wants, after eight months of
obstruction, he said: The government of the mandate will be the one without Saad
Hariri.
Ok. Here you are. Now you have the government of the mandate.
You wasted half of the president’s mandate in disruption and elimination wars.
You sabotaged the mandate and registered the collapse of the country under your
name and the name of the mandate...Bravo!
There is not one Lebanese on the face of the earth who didn’t see that the
country became in another place, and that October 17 is a crucial day and a
wake-up call for the mandate, the government and parliament. There is only one
person who does not want to see or let anyone at the Baabda Palace see.
The popular movement has become a partner in the political decision. The young
women and men are demanding an opportunity for real and peaceful change, through
early parliamentary elections. I announced, from Baabda, immediately after
October 17, that I support early elections. Now I reiterate: We support early
elections, and I call on everyone to think calmly and without any outbidding.
The Future Parliamentary Bloc will present a new electoral draft law just as
mentioned in the Taef Accord as soon as possible. If the elections bring new
faces, we welcome this, and we consider it a victory for the Future Movement.
The Lebanese people became experts in business and finance due to the amount of
suggestions, information and solution proposals they heard.
But today, the budget, the reform paper and the ministerial statement are
insufficient. And hardly the CEDRE program, if implemented, may open the way for
an economic and investment leap.
We, in Lebanon, are not on an economic island, isolated from the support of
friends, donor countries, and international financial institutions, and in the
absence of trust from the Arab brothers, particularly Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the
Emirates, Kuwait, and the rest of the Arab Gulf states.
If anyone sees otherwise, let him try all the economic theories. We do not want
to cheat the Lebanese nor do we want to have a populist race: How can we have
tourism without the Arabs and the Gulf citizens? How can we open markets for the
Lebanese products without the Arab markets and the Gulf in particular? Can
someone tell us how can we protect the interests of one fourth of the Lebanese
people benefitting from job opportunities in the Gulf, while we have daily
problems with these states?
The Iranian cash money solves the crisis of a party, but it does not solve the
crisis of a country.
The state cannot continue without clear policies and without serious
reconciliations with the Lebanese people, the Arab countries, the friendly
countries and the international institutions.
Finally, allow me to end with the internal house.
We are facing a new phase and the Future Movement is facing critical challenges
on the level of political choices and organization, but most importantly at the
level of the relationship with a wide audience all over Lebanon.
Quite frankly, I received comments from all the coordinators and regions, and
from partisans and supporters, demanding a change in the methods and tools of
work.
It is said: It is unacceptable that the Movement is working with minimum
possibilities, becoming a refuge for opportunists and those who want to become
ministers.
Some of the criticism is directed at me personally, and at the state of
disconnect between the leadership and the base. There are young men and women
who said it directly to me, and asked me to have a wider presence in the work of
the Movement. My decision is clear: My decision is change in the Movement.
Change and restructuring. The general convention of the Movement will convene in
the coming months and elect a new leadership that will be a true partner in the
political decision and the direct communication with the public.
It is not a secret, the financial crisis reflected on the activities of the
Movement, and we tightened the belt and had to stop media, health and service
institutions, where the sincerest young men and women worked for years. I would
like to tell everyone who has rights that I cannot forget the rights of the
people no matter how hard the times are.
As for the Movement, I am responsible and I am concerned with providing the
conditions of work. This is something I want to continue regardless of the cost.
I want to be clear on one thing: I disagreed with 80 percent of the politicians
about internal and regional matters, and I was in complete contradiction with
parties and presidencies about Iran's role in the region and its interference in
the affairs of Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, Yemen and the Gulf states.
My stance was firm on the subject of refusing to normalize relations with the
Syrian regime, refusing to insult Arab states and leaders and getting involved
in the wars of the region. But this does not mean to leave the country to the
unknown and take the Syrian war as a model to change the equations in Lebanon.
If my political destiny is linked to the decision to prevent sedition and the
recurrence of the civil war, then ok. Frankly, I would never choose civil war.
First, because I am the son of Rafic Hariri, and our work is construction and
not destruction, our history is to teach young men and women, not burn them.
Second, because the Future Movement will not work to serve the agendas of some
political forces.
The outbidders can talk and give speeches. They will talk but the cost is on us,
on Dar al-Fatwa, the sect and the people of the Future Movement. Here I want to
address the Sunnis in general and the people of the Future Movement about the
feeling of elimination, or the feeling that their representative was the only
one who paid the price and left the premiership.
First: I left on my own will. There can’t be democracy without democratic
officials, officials who hear the voice of the people. I heard the voice of the
people who demanded the resignation of the government and I submitted the
resignation. The people demanded a technocrat government from outside the
parties, but when I saw the kind of government that was being formed, I said: I
don’t want to be named Prime Minister and it is none of my business what others
do. I will not add to the words of the Maronite Archbishop of Beirut a few days
ago on Saint Maroun's Day.
Second: I am not going anywhere. I am staying in my country and among my people
and I will remain in the political work.
Third: The Future Movement will remain!
Fourth: The Sunnis are one of the foundations of this country and this society.
The Sunnis are here and are going nowhere!
Fifth: The free, patriotic, sovereign Lebanese who want a country that benefits
them and their children will remain and no one can scare them.
Finally, let me return to the first question:
If Rafic Hariri were with us and heard the cry of the people, what would he have
done? He would have toured the world to stop the collapse.
I promise you, regardless of my political position, that I will not spare any
way and will tour the world to defend Lebanon and the Lebanese.
All together, we will face the difficulties and get out of the collapse. We tell
all the people that after 15 years, not only Rafic Hariri remains, Rafic Hariri
is starting once again!
Long live Lebanon!"
Hariri Says Bassil is 'Shadow President', Decries '2nd Assassination of Rafik
Hariri'
Naharnet/February 14/2020
Al-Mustaqbal Movement leader ex-PM Saad Hariri on Friday launched a fierce
attack on Free Patriotic Movement chief MP Jebran Bassil and lamented that some
parties are seeking what he called a second assassination of Rafik Hariri.
“President (Michel) Aoun knows that I respect him, but unfortunately I dealt
with ‘two presidents’ and I had to deal with a ‘shadow president,’” Hariri said
at a rally marking the 15th anniversary of Rafik Hariri’s assassination,
apparently referring to Bassil. “The mentality of the wars of elimination wants
to eliminate the Progressive Socialist Party, the Lebanese Forces, the protest
movement, Harirism and al-Mustaqbal Movement,” Hariri decried, in a jab at Aoun,
Bassil and the FPM. “The political settlement has become something of the past
and I affirm my alliance with Walid Jumblat,” he added. Reminding of his initial
support for Marada Movement chief Suleiman Franjieh’s presidential bid ahead of
his endorsement of Aoun, Hariri said “Franjieh's allies” prevented his election
as president. “We saw the settlement as a way to protect the country from civil
strife,” Hariri added.
He noted that had the Paris II reforms been implemented 18 years ago, the
country “would not have reached this collapse.”“Rafik Hariri secured 24/7 power
feed but who returned us to power rationing?” Hariri said, apparently referring
to Bassil and the FPM. “They wasted seven out of 14 years in the name of the
National Pact,” he charged. “The longest scheme of obstruction was staged in the
wake of Rafik Hariri's assassination,” Hariri lamented. He added: “They did not
build anything in the country after Rafik Hariri's assassination.”Hariri also
suggested that some parties are “seeking to assassinate Rafik Hariri once again
by blaming him for the public debt and the economic collapse.”Underlining that
no one can eliminate al-Mustaqbal Movement from the political scene, Hariri said
the Movement will remain in the hearts of its supporters and will continue to
“irritate the haters.”
He also said that claims that Mustaqbal is seeking the naturalization of
refugees in the country are a “farce.”Commenting on recent remarks by Hizbullah
chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah about the economic crisis, Hariri said “Iran's
cash money can solve the crisis of a party but cannot solve the crisis of a
country.”“We support the organization of early elections and the country needs
calm,” he added. As for his future as a politician, he said: “I will not leave
the country to the unknown and I will not choose strife because I’m the son of
Rafik Hariri.”Addressing the Sunni community, Hariri stressed that it was his
own decision to leave the premier post. “I heard the voice of the people,
because the people demanded a technocrat cabinet,” he said. “I’m staying in my
country and home, among my people and in the political life. Al-Mustaqbal
Movement is a major movement, the Sunni community will remain here and will go
nowhere and the patriotic people will remain here and no one can intimidate
them,” Hariri added.
Nazik Hariri: To harbor Martyr PM Hariri's intellect, stick
to his approach
NNA/February 14/2020
The ceremony marking the 15th commemoration of Martyr PM Rafic Hariri began at
the Center House in downtown Beirut this afternoon with the Lebanese national
anthem, followed by a word from his widow, Nazik al-Hariri, in which she
affirmed that "this memorial is an occasion for dialogue, defending the homeland
and preserving the unity of its people, security and stability."Hariri recalled
her late husband's longtime friend, the late French President Jacques Chirac,
and asked, "Where are we today from the state of institutions, coexistence, and
the path of development and reconstruction?"
She added: "Prime Minister Hariri exerted all efforts to unite Lebanon, and he
never lost hope for the future of Lebanon." Hariri hoped that the Lebanese would
"foster the intellect of Martyr PM Rafic Hariri and adhere to his approach," and
that they would "stage their sit-ins through the language of dialogue and
coexistence, armed with devotion, tolerance and protection of national unity."
In a vow to her late lifetime partner, Hariri pledged to Martyr Hariri
"continuous commitment to all the values and notions that he defended."
Rahi prays in Rome for Lebanon, pays tribute to Martyr
Premier Hariri
NNA/February 14/2020
Maronite Patriarch, Cardinal Bechara Boutros al-Rahi, continued Friday to
participate in reciting the Rosary on the intention of Lebanon from Rome, saying
before beginning his religious sermon: "We pray today on the commemoration of
the martyrdom of Prime Minister Rafic Hariri, and we remember his family in our
prayer, his wife, Mrs. Nazik, and his children, Sheikh Saadeddine, Bahaa and all
the family members, and we truly ask the Lord Almighty to render all the blood
that fell on this homeland, to be the beginning of a new life, for the goodness
of Lebanon, and the unity of the Lebanese."
He added: "Our prayers today continue, devoted to Lebanon's ability to overcome
the crises it is facing, especially the financial, daily living, economic and
social crisis.""Today, we also remember in our prayers all the people in whose
hearts God has cultivated love, and as they celebrate Valentine's Day, we remind
them that true love and the source of love is the Lord Almighty, who sacrificed
his son so that no one would perish...and we seek from God to sow love in our
hearts, because if we do not experience love and devotion, there would be no end
to human conflicts and existing wars," al-Rahi concluded.
Jumblatt: No to the assassination of Taif, Arabism and
Palestine, no to subdivision!
NNA/February 14/2020
Progressive Socialist Party Chief, Walid Jumblatt, tweeted this evening in
homage to Martyr PM Rafic Hariri, saying: "Even if we are a few today with Saad
Hariri, yet we say 'no' to the assassination of the Taif that was drafted by
Martyr Rafic Hariri...'no' to obscured subdivision under the slogan of financial
decentralization...'no' to the assassination of Greater Lebanon by the forces of
guardianship...'no' to bankruptcy by those who reject reform...'no' to the
assassination of Arabism by internal enemies...and 'no' to the assassination of
Palestine through the deal of the century."
Druze Sheikh Aql in memory of Martyr Hariri: Carried
throughout his lifetime the cause of Lebanon's resurrection
NNA /February 14/2020
Unitarian Druze Community Sheikh Aql, Naim Hassan, paid tribute to Martyr PM
Rafik Hariri in an issued statement marking his assassination commemoration
today, saying: "Martyr PM Rafik Hariri carried in his life the cause of
Lebanon's resurrection, reconstruction, and revival...and his resounding
martyrdom restored the pulse of independence to the Lebanese, who today, and
paradoxically, are in urgent need of someone to get them out of the deepening
crisis the country is witnessing, which is almost touching the limits of
complete collapse."In this connection, Sheikh Hassan urged all leaders to work
to find the right solutions that serve the country's supreme national interests.
We Won't Surrender, Says Geagea on Hariri Anniversary
Naharnet/February 14/2020
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea announced Friday that the LF “will not
surrender to the objectives of the murderers” who assassinated ex-PM Rafik
Hariri. “February 14 (2005) was the beginning of the Cedar Revolution and a
painful yet resounding martyrdom for the sake of sovereign, free and independent
Lebanon,” said Geagea in a tweet marking the 15th anniversary of Hariri’s
assassination. “We will continue the path in a continued revolution for the sake
of Lebanon,” Geagea added. He also included in the tweet a picture of Hariri
carrying the LF’s logo and the slogan “We Won’t Surrender to the Objectives of
the Murderers”. A massive suicide bomb tore through Hariri's armored convoy on
the Beirut seafront on February 14, 2005, killing him and 22 other people. The
U.N.-backed Special Tribunal for Lebanon has tried four Hizbullah operatives in
absentia over the crime and the verdicts are expected to be issued later this
year.Hizbullah has denied involvement in the case, describing the tribunal as a
U.S.-Israeli scheme and vowing that the accused will never be found.
Clashes between Protesters, Mustaqbal Supporters in Central
Beirut
Naharnet/February 14/2020
Several clashes broke out Friday at Beirut’s Martyrs Square between
anti-government protesters and supporters of al-Mustaqbal Movement. Internal
Security Forces members and army troops intervened several times and separated
between the two groups. The Mustaqbal supporters were flocking to the Square to
visit the tomb of slain ex-PM Rafik Hariri on the 15th anniversary of his
assassination. The two sides charged against each other and hurled water bottles
and sticks. Mustaqbal bloc MP Sami Fatfat was present on the scene during the
first clash and sought to pacify the situation. “Friction is expected due to the
presence of two groups on the street and my presence was not the reason behind
the clash,” Fatfat told MTV. The clashes renewed later in the day prompting the
intervention of security forces. Mustaqbal supporters also attacked a reporter
and a cameraman of al-Jadeed TV who were present on the scene. The Mustaqbal
supporters accused protesters of hurling insults at them as the protesters said
the other side had provoked them first. A similar clash had erupted overnight in
the area.
Defiant, Lebanon's Hariri says deal with Aoun is 'history'
Timour Azhari/Al Jazeera/February 14/2020
Former prime minister says his party is 'here to stay' in first public speech
since resigning in October amid protests.
Beirut, Lebanon - Lebanon's former Prime Minister Saad Hariri has said he is
charting a new political path from within his party after a 2016 deal with
President Michel Aoun that brought him to power became "history".
"I'm here, I'm not going anywhere; I'm staying in my country, in my house among
my family and in political work," Hariri said on Friday, in his first public
speech since resigning on October 29 amid widespread protests against a ruling
elite blamed for corruption and steering the country into an acute financial
crisis.
Addressing a crowd of thousands of supporters outside his residence in the
capital, Beirut Lebanon's leading Sunni politician said he had received
criticism from within his party over the past months and acknowledged
"shortcomings" - but said "the decision now is to enact change".
"The Future Movement will remain," he said, referring to his party. His comments
came during a public event to mark the 15th anniversary of the assassination of
his father, former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. Rafik Hariri was killed along
with 21 others when a massive bomb exploded as his convoy passed through the
centre of Lebanon's capital, Beirut, on February 14, 2005. Prosecutors at The
Hague-based Special Tribunal for Lebanon investigating Hariri's assassination
have said that the Syrian government was at the heart of the plot, which was
carried out by members of the pro-Iran Hezbollah group. Damascus and Hezbollah
have denied involvement. A ruling in the case is expected this year.
In defence of 'Haririism'
Members of the leaderless protest movement, as well as Hariri's political
opponents, have pointed to the policies of Hariri's father - termed "political
Haririism" and dating back to 1992 - as the source of Lebanon's massive economic
woes today. The country is saddled by the third-largest debt burden in the world
as a percentage of its gross domestic product and is facing the worst financial
crisis in its history, which may soon push it to default on debt repayments.
Much of Friday's event was dedicated to responding to these claims. A video
aired at the beginning of the commemoration blamed Lebanon's dire situation on a
"series of obstructions" carried out by Lebanese parties allied with Syria over
the years. Hariri said that parties were continuing to blame "Haririism" today
in order to cover for their own failures in governance. He said the obstruction
his father had endured at the hands of Syria's allies continued under his own
deal with Aoun, ultimately leading to the uprising Lebanon was currently
witnessing. Hariri also lashed out at Gerban Bassil, Aoun's son-in-law and
leader of the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM), describing him as the "shadow
president" who sought to "eliminate" other parties and harmed Lebanon's
relations with Arab states along with Hezbollah. Lebanon's success depended on
good relations with Arab states, Hariri said, adding: "Iran's cash can solve the
problems of a party, not of a country." Going forward, Hariri said he would
continue to uphold ties with historical allies with whom relations have been
strained in recent years over his deal with Aoun.
Electric swipe
Drawing a comparison between his own dealings and his father's abilities to
garner international support for Lebanon through donor conferences, Hariri
pointed to the 2018 CEDRE conference, where the international community pledged
$11bn in soft loans to Lebanon, conditional on reforms.
But rather than support those reforms, Hariri said that the FPM and its allies
first obstructed the formation of a government after Lebanon's 2018 election,
then blocked the government's work after it was formed, leaving the conference
unrealised. He also took aim at the FPM over the country's decrepit electricity
sector, which runs a yearly deficit that has over the years contributed about
half of Lebanon's $87bn public debt.
'Here to stay'
Following his resignation, which saw him continuing in a caretaker capacity,
Hariri had sought to return as prime minister but was ultimately replaced by
Prime Minister Hassan Diab, whose cabinet recently gained Parliament's
confidence. "Despite this recent setback, he remains a key figure in Lebanon's
political scene," Maha Yahya, director of the Carnegie Middle East Center, told
Al Jazeera. Yahya said Hariri, through the large public event on Friday, was
saying he might have lost the battle but it is far from over, while also looking
to "reassert his political gravitas vis-a-vis both internal as well as external
actors".
Indeed, the heads of the parliamentary blocs of his two main allies, the
Progressive Socialist Party and the Lebanese Forces, attended the gathering in
central Beirut. The Saudi ambassador to Lebanon, Walid al-Bukhari, was also in
attendance. "In the last two months we heard and saw that, 'oh my, the Future
Movement is gone and Saad travelled and isn't coming back, and Saudi doesn't
want him and America doesn't want him'," Hariri said. "Let them hear the truth
that the Future Movement ... is here to stay." Earlier, as he was walking
through the crowd taking selfies with supporters and greeting officials before
his speech, Hariri was closely followed by Lebanon's Grand Mufti, Abdel-Latif
Derian, who then sat beside him.
The messaging was clear: Hariri remains the leader of Lebanon's Sunnis.
Rafik Hariri’s legacy celebrated amidst clashes in Beirut
Sunniva Rose/The National/February 14/2020
Fifteen years after his brutal assassination, Rafik Hariri remains a rallying
figure, but the Lebanese are divided over his heir, Saad
Lebanon’s former Prime Minister Saad Hariri commemorated the 15th anniversary of
his father’s brutal assassination with a feisty speech on Friday.
He attacked his political rivals and lauded Rafik Hariri’s controversial legacy
amidst clashes in downtown Beirut between his supporters and anti-government
protesters. After listing the achievements of his father, who became prime
minister in 1992 shortly after the end of the Lebanese civil war, Mr Hariri
spent most of his speech attacking his main political rivals, announcing that
the deal he struck with President Michel Aoun in 2016 had ended.
“I am staying,” he repeated several times as he refuted claims that his
political career had ended following his resignation on October 29.
It came nearly two weeks after the start of nation-wide anti-government
protests. The crowd cheered him on and booed when he mentioned both Gebran
Bassil, the leader of his party, the Free Patriotic Movement, and President Aoun.
"Iran's cash payments can help a [political] party, but not a country,” said Mr
Hariri, in a veiled criticism of Hezbollah’s leader Hassan Nasrallah, who has
assured his supporters in the past that they would keep receiving help from
Iran.
In contrast, Mr Hariri highlighted his close connections to Gulf and Western
countries that Lebanon is expected to turn to for help to ward off its worst
economic crisis in decades.
“It’s the first time that he has spoken like that and said everything that is in
his heart. Before he could not do so, because he was part of the government.
It’s good for us,” said Sami, who had come to listen to the commemoration speech
that Mr Hariri delivered for the first time from his house in central Beirut.
The reason for the change remains unclear.
Shortly before Mr Hariri’s mid-afternoon speech, dozens of his supporters who
had been bused in from outside Beirut gathered in Martyrs' Square carrying his
party’s blue flag and chanting “Saad Saad” and “Abou Bahaa” – a reference to
Rafik Hariri and his eldest son.
After attempting to break tents set up by demonstrators over the past months,
the supporters threw rocks and water bottles at protesters who had gathered to
honour his father’s memory, but rejected his son. Riot police intervened to
separate them and MPs who had gathered near Rafik Hariri’s grave made a rapid
exit. “Saad is better than all other politicians because he does not steal,”
said one of his supporters, who came from the eastern region of the Bekaa.
Like many others, he pointed to the fact that Mr Hariri’s business empire was
suffering as proof that he was an honest politician. “The revolution is against
him,” he said, referring to protesters.
“Everybody knows that my city traditionally supports the Hariri family,” said
Moustafa Dohabyeh, from Miniyeh, in North Lebanon.
“But since October 17, we changed and took to the streets altogether to ask for
our rights.” In stark contrast with Saad Hariri supporters, Mr Dohabyeh and his
friends only carried Lebanese flags.
Though the anti-government movement has dwindled since October 17, many Lebanese
still support its rejection of the political elite that they accuse of
corruption. In a rare criticism of Rafik Hariri, some protesters have traced
Lebanon's current economic crisis back to decisions he took in the 1990s,
including liberalising the economy and excessively supporting banks while
neglecting agriculture and industry.
By stepping down early, Saad Hariri has attempted to cast himself as the only
political leader who listened to protesters’ demands.
In his speech on Friday, he derided politicians who “became stars on TV” after
demonstrations started. But many Sunni Muslims also felt that his resignation
weakened their community, as neither President Aoun nor Parliament Speaker Nabih
Berri resigned along with him.
The country’s fragile sectarian balance rests on a division of power among
religious groups, with the premiership always going to a Sunni Muslim, while the
president is Maronite Christian and Parliament Speaker Shiite Muslim.
Mr Hariri’s obscure successor, Hassan Diab, does not enjoy the same popularity
among Lebanon’s Sunni Muslim community.
Among those present at the memorial ceremony on Rafik Hariri’s tomb on Martyrs’
Square were relatives of the 21 other people who were killed with him.
“His death was a loss for all of Lebanon,” Ihsan Fayed, told The National. She
is the widow of one of Rafik Hariri’s bodyguards, Talal Nasser, who is buried
alongside him. “As time passes, the situation in Lebanon only gets worse,” she
lamented. She was ambivalent about the protest movement and worried about the
vandalism against buildings in downtown Beirut these past weeks.
“Even if Rafik Hariri did not achieve his dream, we cannot break what he built,”
she said. After becoming Prime Minister, he founded a private development
company that rapidly rebuilt the city centre destroyed in the war, but critics
say that he did so without respecting the area’s initial spirit and now only
caters to the rich. Clémence Tarraf also defended the slain premier. “He is not
the only one responsible for the problems today. All parties share
responsibility,” she said. Her brother Ziad was also one of Rafik Hariri’s
bodyguards who died in the blast on February 14, 2005.
Set up four years after Rafik Hariri’s death to prosecute crimes related to the
bombing that killed him, the Special Tribunal for Lebanon has not yet issued a
ruling but has issued charges against five Hezbollah operatives.
Soldiers and riot police remained deployed in Martyr’s Square on Friday evening,
banning access to Saad Hariri’s supporters after they attempted to return when
his speech ended.
They said that they wanted to pray at Al Amine mosque, built on the same square
by Rafik Hariri and inaugurated after his death in 2008.
It is unclear whether Saad Hariri's aggressive tone on Friday will succeed in
bolstering support for him across the country.
“Rafik Hariri became an untouchable figure after his assassination,” said Karim
Bitar, an international relations analyst at the Paris-based Institute for
International and Strategic Affairs. “But Saad Hariri is an easier target
because he is still around and does not have the firing power that his father
used to have. It will be interesting to see if Hariri’s Future Movement will
survive this unprecedented wave of protests and whether he will be able to
defend his father’s political and economic legacy,” he said.
15 years on, Lebanese remember Valentine’s Day massacre
that killed Hariri
Sara Al Shurafa/Gulf News/February 14/2020
Today, February 14, marks the 15 year anniversary of the assassination of
Lebanon's former prime minister Rafik Hariri.
The man is still fondly remembered. This, in a region where assasinations have
become the norm, at least for the past few decades, with the war in Iraq
emboldening Iran to spread its influence.
In the last few weeks, two headlines emerged from the region that cannot be
ignored: The killing of the Iranian General Qassem Soleimani, alleged to have
had a role in Hariri's assasination, and the economic and political meltdown of
Lebanon, which Hariri spent much of his life trying to rebuild.
Today, his country is facing one of its worst moments. Fifteen years after his
death, the modern state he had started building is in shambles, almost isolated
from the international arena.
"He was bigger than Lebanon", is a sad refrain you will hear from so many of his
supporters and loved ones. He was "the father of the poor."
Hariri was killed in a massive truck bomb explosion in Beirut in 2005, which
also killed 25 other people.
Who was Hariri?
Hariri was seen as one of the people. He came from the masses. He was born into
an ordinary family, and grew up in the narrow old streets of Sidon.
He was neither a warlord nor a feudal lord who inherited a seat in the political
scene of his war-torn country.
Hariri earned his stripes. He worked long and hard away from his native land. He
made his fortune in Saudi Arabia, becoming the personal contractor of Prince
Fahd, who later became the King of Saudi Arabia.
He returned from Saudi Arabia in 1992 and eventually became prime minister. He
earned the support of Saudi Arabia as well as many international figures,
including his close friend, the late French president Jacques Chirac.
Rafik Hariri was born on November 1, 1944 to an ordinary family in the southern
city of Sidon.
Graduated from Beirut Arab University, where he studied business administration.
In 1965, Hariri left for Saudi Arabia, where he started his career as a teacher
and later found employment at a construction company.
Hariri's dedication made him successful, and he eventually became the personal
contractor of Prince Fahd, who became the king of Saudi Arabia.
In 1979, Hariri founded the Hariri Foundation, a non-profit organisation that
helped more than 30,000 students pursue a university education in Lebanon,
France, the UK, and North America.
Hariri started his career in politics in 1983, as a political adviser to Prince
Bandar Bin Sultan and then became a Saudi diplomat.
Hariri played a major role in the 1989 Taif Agreement, which marked the end of
the 15-year civil war in Lebanon.
Upon his election in 1992 as the first premier after the Civil War, many
Lebanese people who had lost their morale during the war pinned their hopes on
Hariri.
He was the force that drew the Lebanese Diaspora back home, bringing with them
their experience and resources needed to help rebuild the country.
As prime minister of Lebanon, he is widely credited with getting the country
back on its feet after the devastating r civil conflict. But was also critisised
for his economic policies.
With his vast experience in construction, Hariri led the rebuilding of the
country's infrastructure, airport, schools, sports stadiums. He reinvigorated
the services sector. Tourists started flocking back.
Hariri had his share of critics. He was chastised for his approach to the
economy. His ambitious "borrow-and-build" schemes left a massive public debt and
budget deficit, pushed up interest rates and slowed growth.
It is not important who will stay and who will go, what matters is the country
- From Rafik Hariri's famous sayings
He was accused of ignoring the poor, despite his long record of funding
charitable causes. He was Prime Minister from 1992 to 1998, and again from 2000
until his resignation in 2004 — a total of five terms.
When he left power in 1998, it was due partly to the fact that Hariri was
reluctant to play second fiddle to President Emile Lahoud, a former army chief,
and Syria's man in Lebanon.
Hariri was hounded by black propaganda and accusations of corruption, led by
Syria's voices in Lebanon. He faced relentless criticisms, fairly or unfairly,
for saddling the country with massive debt.
WHY SYRIA WANTED TO CONTROL LEBANON
In 1975, a conflict broke out originally between Maronite Christians and
Palestinians. It then turned into a massive civil war, with many players that
tore Lebanon apart.
The government back then asked neighbouring Syria to send in troops. And the
Syrians, who have always seen Lebanon as part of greater Syria, were happy to
oblige.
The troops stayed even after the war was over. Soon, Hafez Al Assad, the then
president of Syria, was installing his own puppet politicians in positions of
power.
Hariri’s wealth and popularity — not to mention his influence as the owner of a
growing portfolio of Lebanese and French newspapers and television and radio
stations — gave him a reputation far beyond Lebanon.
Vision
As the country's premier, Harriri had a clear vision: He wanted to make Beirut
the financial capital of the Middle East, as it had once been — and Lebanon, a
liberal, Western-oriented country.
His enemies sought to maintain the status quo, with Hezbollah emerging as
Lebanon's powerful paramilitary force.
Hariri returned in October 2000, with international support. He presided over a
revival in Lebanon's tourism industry, largely thanks to hundreds of thousands
of visiting Gulf Arabs.
But, during the crisis over the extension of President Lahoud's term in office,
Hariri had a falling out with key elements in the government.
But the struggle for political control emerged during a dispute over the fate of
Emile Lahoud, the president of Lebanon since 1998, who was then about to end his
final term in office.
The role of the president is largely ceremonial. But Lahoud, a Maronite
Christian, had long backed Syrian involvement in Lebanon. Syrian leader Bashar
Al Assad decided it was important to keep Lahoud in place, a move that would
require amending Lebanon’s Constitution.
Opposed
Hariri was firmly opposed to the amendment. Those who opposed him were convinced
Hariri and Walid Jumblatt, a Druse opposition leader, were acting behind the
scenes to help the UN Security Council pass Resolution 1559, calling upon
Hezbollah to disarm and Syria to withdraw from Lebanon.
On August 26, 2004, Hariri was summoned to the presidential palace in Damascus
to be delivered an ultimatum: Lahoud must remain in office, even if the United
States and France don’t like it.
Hariri objected, but was cut short. If Hariri or Jumblatt tried to stop Lahoud,
Bashar Al Assad, who was present at the meeting, allegedly said, Lebanon would
be "broken over their heads".
Then the threat was repeated: “I will break Lebanon over your head and over
Walid Jumblatt’s head,” he was told. “So you had better return to Beirut and
arrange the matter on that basis.”
Resignation
He never overtly came out against Syria in the dispute, but his resignation in
October 2004 was taken as a clear protest against the Syrian pressure to keep
Lahoud in office.
It was a move which some say cost Hariri his life.
The last government Hariri headed before his assassination in 2004; he resigned
to join the opposition.
On February 14, 2005, a year after he quit as Prime Minister and endured a heavy
internal pressure, even as he was calling for the Syrian withdrawl from Lebanon,
explosives were detonated as his motorcade drove past the St George Hotel in the
Lebanese capital, Beirut.
At the time of his assasination, Hariri was campaining for a new third term,
which he would have won easily.
His enemies were scared of that term, as Hariri had an international support
behind him, reassuring him that no one can harm him or his family amid all the
threats he was getting from the Syrian leader.
His death had profound implications for Lebanon. It paved the way for the
so-called "Cedar Revolution" and the withdrawal of Syrian troops from the
country after 29 years
Who killed Rafik Hariri?
The probe into his murder led to years of political turmoil. Five men — Hussain
Hassan Oneissi, Salim Jamil Ayyash, Assad Hassan Sabra, Hassan Habib Merhi and
Mustafa Amine Badreddine — were indicted on charges of murder and terrorism.
The five are all believed to be, or to have been, high-ranking members of
Hezbollah, the Lebanese political party and militia that has maintained an
alliance with the Syrian government since its creation in the early 1980s.
All five were tried in absentia.
Badreddine, one of the five defendants, was killed last year in Syria by an
explosion near Damascus airport. Though no one claimed responsibility, the
Israeli government had previously attempted to assassinate Badreddine.
Hassan Nasrallah, Secretary General of Hezbollah, promised that no member of his
party would be arrested, and Lebanese authorities have until now declined to
make any attempts to do so.
"No Lebanese government will be able to make any arrests whether in 30 days, 30
years or even 300 years," he said after the indictments were announced.
The UN’s investigation into the case began in 2007, and the tribunal itself was
established in 2009.
How Taif accords encouraged corruption in Lebanon
Can Lebanon rise above its dynasty politics?
Saad Hariri said a decade ago, years before the beginning of the war in Syria:
"There is a country and a regime that has been pounding at Lebanon with
assassinations and explosions after explosions and killings after killings,
which have been going on for over 30 years,” he told Time magazine in 2007.
"It is important to punish those who commit these crimes, for them to understand
they don't have a license to kill."
Hariri assassination, 15 years later
Lebanon today is in the midst of a deep financial and political crisis, and on
the verge of being categorised as 'a failed state' by the World Bank and the
IMF.
The new cabinet that won the vote of confidence on February 11, is a government
that is of one colour, represented by Hezbollah and its allies.
They face today a public debt that stands at $86 billion (Dh315.6 billion), or
more than 150 per cent of gross domestic product. This, while the government is
failing to provide basic services.
In the past 15 years, Lebanon has had little foreign investment or aid, lost the
support of the Gulf states and the West, with Hezbollah dominating governments.
Lebanon today has no electric power, water reserves are falling short, piles of
garbage are seen across the country, unemployment runs at 37 per cent among
youth, and teh country is suffering from a deteriorating infrastructure and
public services.
All what Hariri built and provided has been destroyed and diminished with
corruption and mismanagement.
Banks have been intermittently closed since mid-October and depositors across
the country are finding it impossible to gain access to dollar balances.
Lebanon today after 15 years is in need of a genuine structural and political
reform to be saved.
Today, Rafik Hariri’s time as prime minister is recalled as the golden age of
prosperity, each year after his assasination is proving to be worse than the
year that passed.
- With inputs from The New York Times
A Suicidal Task for a Normal Government
Elias Harfoush/Asharq Al Awsat/February 14/2020
Prime Minister Hassan Diab’s task seems just like trying to salvage a drowning
person from the bottom of the ocean. No doubt that he and the members of his
cabinet are aware of the difficulty of their responsibility.
Diab was explicit while discussing the situation Lebanon is going through, and
he affirmed the “danger of total collapse if it is not addressed with quick and
painful procedures”. He likened the crisis to “a rolling ball of fire”.
It is possible to describe the members of Diab’s government as suicidal. Who
dares to carry a responsibility of this magnitude and degree of complexity in a
stage that can be described as historical if not suicidal? Who would pursue a
seat in the cabinet that would not have been available to him under normal
circumstances?
If we wanted to assume good intentions and considered these men and women in the
cabinet suicidal who have bravely taken it upon themselves to create this
miracle of rescue and that they were the people the country was looking for to
achieve that, then the question remains whether the necessary tools to
accomplish this task are available. How could one salvage a country that is
divided like Lebanon today? It is not only divided among its politicians but
also state institutions, including this government and most people.
A period like this one needs a national unity government whose only concern is
to revive the economy and reform the financial situation. Where will such
national unity come from while political parties are so hostile to each other,
with each side waiting for the other to fail in order to invest their failure
and compete for leadership and popular power?
Where could it come from while the effects of this deep conflict among
politicians, that has reached the point of assassinations as February 14 reminds
us today, are still fresh in our minds, and the criminals still free and those
responsible for them are represented in both government and parliament? Where
could this national unity come from while the country suffers a tsunami of
unprecedented degrees of sectarianism even during the darkest days of the civil
war were nonexistent? It reached a point that one of the members of parliament
representing the people does not hesitate to assault a citizen for eating in an
area of a different sect?
The crisis that Lebanon is facing today is deep and complex. It is fair to say
that the solutions that Hassan Diab is proposing in his government’s statement
are pragmatic, specific and have exact timeframes that range from short-term to
long-term. However, for these solutions to work, they need to confront at least
three facts. First, the cabinet members lack the necessary political experience
considering that most of them are academics who lack the ability to impose
necessarily painful solutions because they don’t have a popular support for
their decisions.
On top of this, there is, of course, the accusation that the popular movement is
directing to Diab’s government that it belongs to traditional political forces,
which protesters are seeking to overthrow, and that it is trying to reproduce a
new polished version of the same old political elite. Based on this, there were
large protests during the day of the session meant to grant the parliament’s
vote of confidence to the government under the slogan “No Confidence”.
The second obstacle that the government is facing is the test of receiving
foreign aid. Without assistance from the likes of the World Bank and the
International Monetary Fund and several European governments, there is fear that
the rescue plan will just be ink on paper because it cannot be otherwise funded.
In a country where public debt has reached $100 billion while half of the
revenues are dedicated to paying only the interest on this debt, the conditions
for foreign aid will be tough and painful. Lebanon’s inability to pay its dues
in time means it is announcing bankruptcy and losing trust in its financial
situation and its banking sector.
In addition, the government has been politically categorized as to belonging to
only one group, which is dominant in power as a result of the alliance between
Hezbollah and the Free Patriotic Movement alongside Amal Movement. While the
Prime Minister insists that his government is not politicized despite the
political affiliations of its members, there is still a need to convince the
countries that give aid that this is true, while the West’s sanctions on Iran
escalate, and consequently on Hezbollah.
The third obstacle that will face any economic and financial reform process is
the absence of a national culture that puts public interest over individual
ones. This applies to both officials and citizens. This useless and bloated
public sector due to arbitrary employments, the predominant culture of bribery
that Lebanese have to go through without protest in order to compete
administrative transactions, the generalized corruption in all domains and the
mutual looting that extends into all aspects of daily life, tax evasion, and all
of these accumulated problems have taken the country to bankruptcy.
Therefore, it is not an exaggeration to say that the responsibility for reaching
this miserable point is shared. Consequently, carrying the burdens of rescue
should also be shared. Not only that but more importantly, the mentality that
pushes the Lebanese citizen to see any public fund as amenable for looting needs
to change. This mentality, as previously mentioned, is not limited to
politicians, but includes most employees in the public service sector who see
their job as nothing more than a source of personal benefit and quick looting of
funds. Hassan Diab and his government are facing a suicidal task but the cabinet
is the last possibility for rescue. The days of giving chances to a country that
does not know how to use them are over.
Shots Fired at Tents of Protesters in Jounieh
Naharnet/February 14/2020
Gunshots were fired Friday at protest movement tents in the city of Jounieh, the
National News Agency said. NNA said the shots were fired from a car at two tents
at the Fouad Chehab Sports Complex, causing no casualties.
Security forces later arrived on the scene and launched investigations to
identify the perpetrators, the agency added. Jounieh had witnessed a
confrontation between protesters and supporters of the Free Patriotic Movement
in recent days.
Diab Prepares to Visit Arab and European Countries
Naharnet/February 14/2020
The competent departments at the Grand Serail have launched contacts aimed at
preparing for a tour, or several tours, that Prime Minister Hassan Diab intends
to carry out to “enable Lebanon to overcome the difficult period it is going
through,” media reports said. “The tour is likely to include influential Gulf
Arab capitals as well as European capitals some of which belong to the
International Support Group for Lebanon,” informed sources told al-Joumhouria
newspaper in remarks published Friday. Diab has said his cabinet would draw up
an emergency rescue plan for the country by the end of the month. The crisis-hit
country has debt-to-GDP ratio of more than 150 percent, one of the highest in
the world. It is currently in the throes of a severe economic meltdown and a
biting liquidity crunch that has seen banks impose stringent controls on
withdrawals and transfers abroad. Credit rating agencies and economists have
warned of dwindling foreign currency reserves that have plummeted in recent
months, threatening import payments and a devaluation of the Lebanese pound.
The local currency has lost a third of its value on the black market.
STL Official Visits Beirut on Eve of Hariri's Murder
Anniversary
Naharnet/February 14/2020
The Registrar of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) Daryl Mundis met with
Prime Minister Hassan Diab on a working visit to Beirut this week, the STL said
on Friday. He also met with former Prime Minister Saad Hariri and former
minister Salim Jreissati -- adviser of President Michel Aoun, the STL said in a
statement. "This mission is part of regular visits the Registrar undertakes to
update the Lebanese officials on the work of the Tribunal," it said. The
Registrar is responsible for all aspects of the STL's administration including
the budget, fundraising, human resources and providing security. His
responsibilities also include court management, oversight of the Victims'
Participation Unit, witness protection and language services.A massive suicide
bomb tore through ex-PM Rafik Hariri's armored convoy on the Beirut seafront on
February 14, 2005, killing him and 22 other people.
The U.N.-backed Special Tribunal for Lebanon has tried four Hizbullah operatives
in absentia over the crime and the verdicts are expected to be issued later this
year. Hizbullah has denied involvement in the case, describing the tribunal as a
U.S.-Israeli scheme and vowing that the accused will never be found.
Aoun, Diab Tell STL Lebanon to Pay Contribution despite
Crisis
Naharnet/February 14/2020
The Registrar of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon Daryl Mundis has been told by
President Michel Aoun and Premier Hassan Diab that Lebanon is committed to U.N.
resolution 1757 which established the STL, media reports said.
Aoun and Diab also told Mundis that Lebanon will honor the payment of its annual
financial contribution to the court, which amounts to $50 million, despite the
severe economic-financial crisis it is going through, al-Joumhouria newspaper
has reported. The president is keen on abiding by the U.N. resolution “because
the Lebanese state refuses to be outside the international system at the
judicial and financial levels and because it wants to speed up the issuance of
the verdicts in the case of the assassination of ex-PM Rafik Hariri,” the daily
added. A massive suicide bomb tore through Hariri's armored convoy on the Beirut
seafront on February 14, 2005, killing him and 22 other people. The U.N.-backed
Special Tribunal for Lebanon has tried four Hizbullah operatives in absentia
over the crime and the verdicts are expected to be issued later this year.
Hizbullah has denied involvement in the case, describing the tribunal as a
U.S.-Israeli scheme and vowing that the accused will never be found.
Kanaan: People's deposits in banks a 'red line'
NNA/February 14/2020
"People's deposits in banks are a red line, and we are working to protect them
through the meetings that have taken place, and the decisions that are being
worked on," Head of the Finance and Budget House Committee, MP Ibrahim Kanaan,
said Thursday evening during a meeting at the Mar Elias Antelias Monastery
Theater in Antelias. He added: "Despite the difficult stage Lebanon is going
through, we will overcome the crisis through national solidarity and through a
plan to rid Lebanon of its outstanding problems," noting that chaos does not
lead to change, but rather leads to the imposition of solutions that do not
serve Lebanon's interest. Kanaan stressed that "Lebanon is targeted today, and
the current situation is not only caused by social, financial and economic
problems, but also because Lebanon refuses to resettle the Palestinians, and
refuses to integrate the displaced Syrians and strike the internal unity, for
instability leads to the dissolution of the state."He concluded that "the army
can fight terrorism and achieve stability when there is political coverage."
The Great Escape: Carlos Ghosn working with ex-Disney
president Michael Ovitz on film deal
The New Arab/February 14/2020
Former Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn wants to turn his life story, which may
include how he staged a Hollywood-style escape from Japan, into a film or TV
series, Bloomberg reported earlier this week.
Ghosn, who faces multiple charges of financial misconduct in Japan but fled to
Lebanon before he could face trial, has hired former Disney president and
founder of the Creative Artists Agency Michael Ovitz as his agent, the report
released on Monday said. The 65-year-old, who managed to slip past authorities
at the end of December reportedly by smuggling himself on board a plane inside
an audio equipment box, said Ovitz would help him evaluate proposals, according
to Bloomberg. A film deal could provide a financial boost to Ghosn, who
forfeited $14 million in bail money when he fled. His escape is estimated to
have cost him an additional $15 million.Ghosn, who has Lebanese nationality,
made headlines last year following his escape, which left officials in
Japan red-faced. Once hailed as a corporate saviour for rescuing Nissan from the
brink of bankruptcy, Ghosn was facing a trial over a series of alleged crimes,
including under-reporting his compensation to the tune of around $85 million.He
spent more than 100 days in detention in Japan after his sudden November 2018
arrest, but launched an audacious escape plan while out on bail in Tokyo and
managed to travel to Lebanon apparently undetected. Ghosn believes Nissan turned
on him because executives there were concerned he was moving the firm closer to
French partner Renault, part of a three-way alliance with Mitsubishi Motors.
Japan has since demanded that Ghosn returns to face trial.
Lebanese Journalist Assaulted after Attending Seminar in
Beirut
Beirut/Asharq Al-Awsat/Friday, 14 February, 2020
Lebanese journalist Mohammad Zbeeb was assaulted on Wednesday in Beirut’s Hamra
thoroughfare after attending a seminar on financial policies and banking
measures organized by The Secular Club at the American University of Beirut.
Three men attacked Zbeeb at a parking lot after he left the event on Wednesday.
Following the attack, the journalist was taken to the AUB Medical Center and was
released later that night. The identity of the attackers is still unknown and
their motives are not clear. Zbeeb had resigned from his position at Al-Akhbar
newspaper in November 2019, shortly after nationwide protests erupted against
the ruling elite, corruption and an economic slowdown.. Zbeeb said he resigned
over Al-Akhbar administration’s stance from the revolution. On Thursday, the
Alternative Journalists Union said the assault is “an attack on all journalists,
the revolution and a crime against freedoms.” Later, a number of activists
staged a sit-in outside the Interior Ministry in Beirut’s Sanayeh area, in
solidarity with Zbeeb. Following the attack, Zbeeb tweeted, “We’re not afraid
and we won’t hide.” The Journalists' Union in a statement described the attack
as a “cowardly act” and called on authorities and the judiciary to find the
perpetrators and bring them to justice. Since protests in Beirut became violent
last month, Lebanese journalists have been subject to increasing brutality. The
Committee to Protect Journalists said last month that police officers have
harassed, attacked, or detained journalists covering protests in Beirut. It
called on the Lebanese authorities to investigate the attacks and hold those
responsible to account.
Enemy soldiers throw smoke bombs outside the fence
separating Lebanon and occupied Palestine
NNA/Friday, 14 February, 2020
Marja'youn - Israeli enemy soldiers have just dropped a number of smoke bombs
outside the technical fence separating between the occupied Lebanese and
Palestinian lands, in the locality of Kroum al-Sharaqi outside the southern town
of Mays al-Jabal, which required the mobilization of the Lebanese army and
international peace-keeping forces in the aforementioned area, NNA correspondent
reported.
Breast Cancer Conference in its second day sheds light on
types of treatments, patient's health in light of prevailing economic conditions
NNA/Friday, 14 February, 2020
The "Beirut Breast Cancer Conference" continued the works of its eighth annual
session (BBCC-8) for the second day in a row at the Rotana Gefinor Hotel in
Beirut on Friday, chaired by President of the Lebanese Breast Cancer
Association, Professor Nagi Al-Saghir.
In his delivered word, Dr. Saghir suggested the creation of a "crisis cell"
during this difficult period in the country, calling on the Lebanese government
to "request the National Social Security Fund and various insurance companies to
secure guaranteed medical coverage for citizens who have become unemployed for a
period of six months while they search for work opportunities, in a bid to
relieve some of the pressure on the Ministry of Health."Participating lecturers,
in turn, focused on patients receiving chemotherapy, the work of nurses and
doctors and the best treatments, especially in light of the difficult economic
and daily living challenges facing the Lebanese. In this context, lecturers
stressed on the importance of physical exercises that enhance the patient's
physical and psychological health, in addition to awareness programs and gentle
care for the patient, taking into account the physical conditions that cancer
patients suffer from. Importance was also pinned on ensuring continued treatment
and support for patients who have been diagnosed with advanced disease stages.
Moreover, lecturers also tackled the moral and psychological help of breast
cancer patients through sports activities, and pointed to the fear of patients
when they learn about their breast cancer cases. They pointed to the need to
know the patients' positions and search for appropriate solutions for each case
separately. The delivered addresses also highlighted the prominent role played
by male and female nurses inside and outside the hospital, especially their
continued presence with the patient and the moral and physical assistance they
extend, especially during the treatment stage of breast cancer. Additionally,
participating lecturers pointed to the necessity of organizing "rounds of talks"
for the nurses themselves, because of their direct contact with cancer patients,
which causes a kind of psychological pressure on them, alongside the economic
and living pressures that they pass through. It is to note that the conference,
which will last till tomorrow, also features new research from Lebanon and
prizes for the best young researchers. It includes as well special sessions for
nurses specialized in cancer treatment, and pharmacists specializing in cancer
treatment drugs.
French Envoy in Beirut over CEDRE Decisions
Khalil Fleihan/Asharq Al-Awsat/February 14/2020
A French envoy is expected in Beirut early next week to be briefed on the plans
of the new government, which is badly in need of international aid pledged at
the CEDRE donors conference held in Paris in 2018. “Christophe Farno, director
of the Middle East and North Africa Department at the French Foreign Ministry,
is expected to arrive in Beirut soon,” a Lebanese diplomatic source in Paris
told Asharq Al-Awsat Thursday. Farno visited Beirut last November.
At the CEDRE conference held in Paris in April 2018, international donors
pledged to provide Lebanon with $11 billion in loans and grants on condition
that the country conducts serious reforms. The CEDRE decisions list 72 reform
projects. A Lebanese government official told Asharq Al-Awsat on Thursday that
Lebanon could soon receive a French green light on the implementation of some
projects, which Beirut had proposed to the conference’s Paris-based secretariat.
They include solutions to Lebanon’s electricity sector and a project on a
highway linking Jiyyeh and Choueifat. “France is expected to release funds (to
implement) these projects following a visit by Prime Minister Hassan Diab to
Paris, where he is expected to meet with President Emmanuel Macron and announce
the implementation of some of the projects announced at the CEDRE conference,”
the source said. Last month, Lebanon formed Diab's new cabinet with pledges to
work on necessary reforms to save the country from an economic and financial
collapse. On Wednesday, the French Foreign Ministry said the government must act
quickly to respond to the economic, social and political expectations that the
Lebanese people have been expressing for several months. The Lebanese official
source said that the French Ministry did not welcome the formation of the new
cabinet. However, he stated that the international community awaits the reforms
that the government is expected to introduce, mainly on economic transparency,
fighting corruption and its ability to withstand economic and financial shocks.
Lebanon’s Prime Minister: Is he a Puppet?
Abdulrahman Al-Rashed/Asharq Al Awsat/February 14/2020
A new prime minister has been granted confidence in Lebanon. He is unknown to
the majority of the Lebanese people and stands accused of being named by
Hezbollah.
Hassan Diab was congratulated on his new position only by a few states, one of
which was Iran. Most governments chose to ignore him while they wait to see what
he will do. The Lebanese people greeted the news with further demonstrations, in
protest against the new cabinet.
Whether Diab is a front for Hezbollah or not, the truth is that the entire
Lebanese state is being held hostage by Hezbollah and its affiliates. We do not
expect him to dispel the doubts, either among protesters or foreign governments.
He will be tested by the international community, where he must prove that he is
not a puppet controlled by Hassan Nasrallah and his allies. Mere reassurances
will not be enough to satisfy the West.
More than half of the new cabinet ministers hold dual US-Lebanese nationalities.
Still, what is more important than possessing an American passport is for Diab
to satisfy the requirements of the US, which include that he refrain from
dealing with institutions and individuals from Lebanon, Iran and other nations
that are on Washington’s list of sanctions targeting Iran. These requirements
are accepted by governments and authorities of much greater stature and power
than that of Diab’s, including China and European nations.
Despite being full of commitments, Diab’s inaugural speech did not reassure
protesters. All it proved was that the power brokers running things behind the
scenes do not intend to implement real reforms. One individual involved in
Lebanese affairs said that, at an international level, $9 billion is available
to assist Lebanon. To get it, all Diab needs to do is implement government
reforms that would free customs, airports and ports from Hezbollah’s control, in
addition to the dozens of ministries and public services that have become a
source of financing for militias rather than the government. Can he do that?
Probably not.
More so even than the demands of the US or protesters, the biggest challenge
that might await Diab is the likely bankruptcy of banking institutions. During
an interview, Riad Salameh, governor of the Lebanese central bank, said that the
nation’s financial solvency is sufficient and depositors’ accounts are safe. His
comments were greeted by further attacks on banks by angry protesters. Limiting
cash withdrawals was imposed some time ago and remains in place, reinforcing
rumors of bankruptcy that might lead to the collapse of Diab’s government before
the summer.
In light of the government’s impotence, if Hezbollah is the problem could it
also be the solution? Will it show some flexibility and make concessions that
restore sovereignty to the state? It controls much of the state’s resources,
either at gunpoint or through government nominations, and was behind withdrawal
of investors, whether being foreign governments, international organizations, or
Lebanese expatriates.
Hezbollah’s strategy regarding the crisis seems to be in sync with that of Iran.
Tehran is experiencing a similar crisis, including the wrath of its people, who
are suffering from the effects of corruption, including poverty. The strategy
chiefly consists of waiting until the end of this year to see how the US
presidential election plays out. All Diab can do in the meantime is try to keep
the political and economic situation under control. He might not succeed, yet
still he waits, hoping for a political breakthrough between Tehran and
Washington, or for US President Donald Trump to be defeated in the November
election and replaced by a Democrat whose agenda might include a truce with
Iran. Can Lebanon wait for another nine months? If it tries, the party might not
hesitate to use further force against demonstrators, which could lead to a
bigger revolution, especially if the banks file for bankruptcy.
When the Lebanese Dared to Dream!
Hanna Saleh/Asharq Al Awsat/February 14/2020
February 11 is a special day. On that day in 1990, Mandela was released from
prison to become the President of South Africa four years later. On that day in
2011, the January Revolution overthrew Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. On that
day in 2020, the hidden in Lebanon was revealed and the struggle and national
division were deepened, on the one hand between the majority of the population
which united nationally across regions and sects, and on the other hand, the
hidden was revealed and those in power protecting corruption and the corrupt
revealed that they were also united across sects.
All of the differences between the main political parties that have controlled
Lebanon for 30 years were nullified. That includes both those who formed the
government of masks, i.e. Hezbollah, Aounists, and Amal Movement on the one
hand, and those who had raised the slogan of opposition from within the
institutions, i.e. the Progressive Socialist Party (PSP), the Lebanese Forces
(LF) and the Future Movement (FM). The latest evidence of this was the moment
the Speaker of the House of Representatives commenced the parliamentary session
meant to give the government confidence, one of the most important parliamentary
sessions. It started without the legally required quorum and nobody objected to
the session going forward despite that. Later, these groups provided the
possibility for smuggling this fragile confidence through an illegitimate and
bankrupt parliament on the corpse of the constitution! This provided this
government, a mere front for real decision-making, the confidence of 49 % of
members of parliament who in turn had only received 24 % of the votes in the
elections.
For parliament to convene without quorum has set a precedent, and the truth is
that its implications have become immediately apparent, as some have smuggled
this confidence plan while others revealed their deception of their voters,
letting down their supporters, and challenging the popular will represented by
the legitimacy of the October 17 Revolution. The scenario for securing
unconstitutional confidence required that the Higher Defense Council convene.
They decided to block the capital’s roads with cement blocks and barbed wires,
close down the 11 entrances to parliament after turning Downtown Beirut into a
military barracks with lines of soldiers assembled across, and violently
oppressed the peaceful protesters to secure the passage of members of
parliament. 60 people were injured and transferred to hospitals whereas 350 were
treated on the ground.
The quorum was not secured and this was a violation of the constitution. The
commencement of the session was delayed by 40 minutes and the attendance
remained at 58 MPs, the majority of which had smuggled in overnight, while the
quorum required 65 MPs. The session commenced before 4 MPs from the Shiite Duo
arrived from the airport, and Speaker Berri announced that “President Hariri
communicated with me and confirmed that the FM’s MPs and the LF’s MPs were going
to attend”. Whereas in reality, 5 MPs from the PSP secured the quorum, with its
leader, former MP Walid Jumblatt justified that by saying that “We respect the
constitution and perhaps our attendance secured the quorum”. This led to
confusion where each side, the PSP, FM, and LF accused each other of securing
the quorum. The PSP MP Wael Abu Faour said, “It is not our responsibility to
count MPs” while Jumblatt went a long way revealing the implications saying that
some “have settled their score with us so that they remain innocent from the
blood of Siddiq,” adding that parties that “claim being an opposition to this
government left the PSP alone to be accused of securing the quorum”.
Yes, securing quorum is an accusation, and the truth is that these supposedly
“sovereign” groups wasted every chance they had to reconcile with their voters
because their priority is to participate in power-sharing and corruption. This
talk of opposition from within the institutions has become ridiculous. It
reveals that abstaining from the confidence vote is a deceptive act with an
agenda and stakes. Whoever provided the quorum is the father of this confidence,
and is a participant in the humiliation of all Lebanese, particularly those who
voted. It is impossible for them to be redeemed of what they have done, and they
have revealed the sterility of their opposition to the country becoming
isolated, the priority of this mutilated offspring of this political class born
out of no confidence by the people. Ultimately, these parties have revealed the
depth of their hostility towards building a just and transparent Lebanon with an
inclusive constitution on the ashes of a looting farm that they had split among
themselves. This power-sharing has become clear, sharing with the most
authoritarian parties proud about their intentions to repress the revolution,
and the bet that these parties led by Hezbollah will provide these parties
accused of this crime some positions and shares in the deals.
On 17 October, when the Lebanese dared to take to the streets as one force led
by the youth, they declared that they will not leave before this method of
violating peoples’ dignities is done away with, the method shared by those in
power and the bankers' cartel that has humiliated the Lebanese. They said they
will not leave before the republic and its values, the constitution, and justice
are restored by putting an end to the discretionary implementation of laws and
eliminating every part of this confessional system that has taken the place of
the constitution and law. They said yes we can achieve the dream of ending this
chaos and ending the regime of lords of sects, money, and contractors, and
establish a nation with the clean air that the revolution brought, this air that
will hold those in power accountable with justifiable accusations: impoverishing
the country and looting it, starving its people and undermining its sovereignty!
Over 120 days, they proved that they have the will, determination, and hope, and
the sectarian parties will not do away with their determination to make a
change.
What happened on 11 February is a bright stop in the course of the revolution.
It can be built on because it proved that the Lebanon of the people is home to
brave people who dared to fight for it and to defend its interests and the
rights of its people. These crowds that covered Downtown Beirut and confronted
the regime’s repression with their bare hands, sent a decisive message that the
October Revolution will represent the vast majority of the Lebanese against the
confessional system and that the beginning will be to impose a transition phase
led by an independent and trustworthy government that will pave the way for an
early election that will provide the chance to change the regime.
With the real aspect of rescue becoming clear, the struggle has entered a new
stage, because, with this murky government in denial of total collapse, there is
a need to blow the sirens of danger once again. They will exploit the severity
of the division to carry out all of the policies and violations deluded that
they are capable of crossing bridges against those who dare to say that the
shortest road to restoring dignities and rights is to entirely get rid of the
confessional system.
It’s time for the Lebanese people to seize control of their
destiny
Khaled Abou Zahr/Arab News/February 14/2020
As the conditions in Lebanon worsen and a solution seems impossible, some
international voices are once again trying to make a case for a differentiation
between Hezbollah as a political force and as an armed organization.
This is nothing but an imaginary differentiation invented a long time ago by the
Europeans to please the Iranians and enable them to deal with government
formations that included Hezbollah members. Hezbollah is a unified entity and
one cannot differentiate between its political and armed wings.
To serve Iran’s regional interests, Hezbollah has used the Lebanese state as a
shield to allow it to continue its military and terrorist operations, while in
the process consistently weakening the country’s institutions.
The Lebanese state has been unable to enforce any decision on the armed group,
and this “state above the state” status has also been a major reason for the
spread of corruption throughout the country. Indeed, the silence of political
forces about Hezbollah’s special status had to be compensated.
For decades, Hezbollah has taken sovereign decisions and forced the country to
pay for them, while the ability to govern and administer has been challenged and
destroyed. Moreover, international help requested by Lebanese governments always
came when needed to cover financial crises or to rebuild the country. It was a
good deal for the Iranian axis for many years. Hezbollah and its masters in
Tehran never thought that the international community, and especially the Gulf
countries, would stop yielding to their blackmail — but they finally have.
For years, Iran’s leaders could run their business, threaten regional order and
decide on foreign military campaigns, while others would keep paying. It has
been, in fact, a true hostage and racketeering scheme, using the Lebanese state.
It was accepted by successive Lebanese governments from all sides of the
political spectrum, including the March 14 movement.
Therefore, it is a surprise that some voices continue to try to make a case for
a differentiation between Hezbollah’s political and armed wings, and to suggest
that the Lebanese people accept Hezbollah’s status as an armed militia. This is
simply not true.
The reality is that until the protests started, the people feared Hezbollah and
the consequences of any confrontation. They no longer fear this regime for one
simple reason: This corrupt arrangement between Hezbollah and the local
political forces has left them with nothing. The state has been depleted and
destroyed, so the racketeering scheme no longer works.
Shiites, Sunnis, Maronites, Druze, Orthodox — none of them have anything left to
lose. They have lost their country, their life savings, their health and their
minds. All this while Hassan Nasrallah continues to point his finger at and
threaten the US, and reassures his followers and party members that even if the
country fails their salaries will be paid (in dollars) by Tehran.
Not even this provokes a reaction by the opposition. As the country
disintegrates — and in a surreal disconnection with reality — opposition
politicians are bickering about who ensured the quorum for the vote of
confidence on Hassan Diab’s government.
It is also interesting to read in the pro-Hezbollah media that European
embassies will give their support to the Diab government.
In short, Nasrallah is no longer just Hezbollah’s secretary-general — he is now
officially the supreme leader of a failed state.
It is nevertheless not too late to save Lebanon. Yet this cannot be done without
the support of the armed forces. It is time for the Lebanese Army to stand with
the people and answer their call. It is high time it responded to what
protesters have been crying and bleeding for: One country and one army.
After serious incidents of security posts being targeted by gunfire in a growing
challenge and show of disrespect to local authorities, the army cannot split; it
must remain united and prepare for a swift and courageous response.
This should start with a declaration of support for the protesters and a pledge
to protect them wherever they are, not selectively. A further step should be to
create a transitional committee to run the country while suspending the
constitution. This committee should be composed of true representatives of the
people and exclude all known political formations: Hezbollah, Future Movement,
Progressive Socialist Party, Amal Party, Free Patriotic Movement and so on.
“All means all” was the first demand of the uprising and this should be
respected. A new constitution needs to be written and approved by a referendum.
A new Lebanon cannot be built on sectarianism, it must be built on citizenship:
The same rights and duties for all, regardless of religion, gender, wealth or
social status. It cannot allow an armed militia to compete against or challenge
the state.
A new Lebanon cannot be built on sectarianism, it must be built on citizenship:
The same rights and duties for all, regardless of religion, gender, wealth or
social status. It cannot allow an armed militia to compete against or challenge
the state.
If we do not act swiftly and create this road map, chaos and division within the
military and sovereign security institutions will erupt as financial chaos hits
the country.
Moreover, we cannot wait for a regional deal with Iran, a resolution between the
Israelis and Palestinians, or any other global change. We need to act now to
make life better for all — and that means refugees as well.
It is time we understood that Lebanon no longer has the same status as a
platform for a free press and cultural exchanges that it did in the 1970s,
before the Civil War. Advancing technology and new regional hubs have rendered
it obsolete. The world is tired of saving us and will no longer bankroll a
racketeering and corruption scheme.
So this time we are alone and we have no choice but to disrupt ourselves and
create a new Lebanon.
*Khaled Abou Zahr is CEO of Eurabia, a media and tech company. He is also the
editor of Al-Watan Al-Arabi.
Aoun’s claims of international financial support under
scrutiny
Simon Speakman Cordall/The Arab Weekly/February 14/2020
Lebanon’s system of government, by which positions and ministries are divided
along party and sectarian lines, has proven a fertile breeding ground for graft.
TUNIS - Amid Lebanon’s economic crisis, President Michel Aoun reassured a
nervous public that several countries, especially France, were standing by to
aid the embattled country.
However, given the relatively fresh status of Lebanon’s government, only voted
in on February 11, as well as concerns about the independence of a government
seen as being too close to the country’s political class, analysts questioned
how willing the international community might be to help Lebanon’s beleaguered
economy. Tackling corruption is central to any discussion on Lebanon’s political
or economic future. Transparency International ranks Lebanon 137th out of the
180 countries surveyed.
Lebanon’s system of government, by which positions and ministries are divided
along party and sectarian lines, has proven fertile breeding ground for graft,
with parties providing services and positions in return for political support.
This system has undermined the credibility of Lebanon’s political class, with
each party’s exploitation of its clientelist base seen as contributors to the
crisis. The appointment of a new government had been intended to establish a
body capable of undertaking wholesale reforms. However, analysts already
question its proximity to the country’s existing parties and their leaders.
Looming over all negotiations is the prospect of the $1.2 billion Eurobond
repayment that falls due in March. “The multilayered root causes of corruption
in Lebanon are known to everyone,” Elie Abouaoun, director of the MENA programme
at the US Institute for Peace, said via e-mail, “They are not confined to civil
servants. As a matter of fact, corruption in the private sector is even more
endemic. “One means of salvation might be the $11 billion in pledges made at the
CEDRE conference in April 2018. However, with pledges contingent on Lebanon
undertaking serious reform, those funds seem distant.
“The French government seems so far convinced that the new Lebanese government
might be an acceptable interlocutor if it commits to a specific reform plan,”
Abouaoun said. “Personally, I think this is wishful thinking at best,” he added,
pointing to the ties that bound many of the new ministers to Lebanon’s political
class.
CEDRE failed to differ in substance from previous fundraising conferences. “None
of them resulted in a sustainable change because the three main bleeding sources
in Lebanon have been well established a while ago: deficit of the state-owned
Electricite du Liban, salaries of the public sector and the service of the
public debt. Short of addressing these three issues, all other plans are doomed
to fail. If anything at all, CEDRE will only increase the amount of the public
debt,” Abouaoun said.
The goodwill of the international community will be critical to tackling
Lebanon’s longstanding problems, with even a potential loan from the
International Monetary Fund (IMF) -- typically seen as the lender of last resort
-- apparently up for discussion among Lebanese lawmakers.
“I think the consensus among the international community is really one of let’s
wait and see,” said Mohanad Hage Ali, a fellow at the Carnegie Middle East
Centre. “There’s a great deal of caution among potential donors about committing
to a bailout without a serious commitment to reform.”
With the Eurobond due within weeks, lawmakers have little time for debate.
“At the moment there’s a lot of discussion about whether to default on the bond
repayment after seeking the IMF advice on this matter. Another ongoing debate is
about joining an IMF programme. This will require surrendering some degree of
sovereignty and I’m not sure that the Lebanese sectarian leaders agree on how
much control they’re willing to give up,” Hage Ali said.
Despite the deterioration of services and the stagnating salaries of the
positions offered in return for political support, maintaining the parties’
clientelist base remains central to the outlook of Lebanon’s political class,
Hage Ali explained.
“There’s a real effort to portray this government as independent of the
political class,” Hage Ali said. “However, in terms of reform, this will really
depend on the willingness of Lebanon’s political class. They need to be seen as
taking actions against corruption. This could start with ensuring the
independence of the judiciary, (regarded as being tied to the interests of their
political sponsors). Will they do that? I haven’t seen any major steps that
would suggest so,” Hage Ali concluded. Until the scale of the impending
catastrophe becomes unavoidable, however, there appears to be little indication
of Lebanon’s new government changing course. “Lebanon is unlikely to enact
significant measures to solve endemic corruption in the near future but this has
little to do with the ideological makeup of the government,” Thomas Abi-Hanna,
an analyst with risk consultancy Strafor, said, referring to the composition of
the government, which is dominated by Hezbollah, Amal and their allies. “The
issue of corruption is not isolated to one sect, ideology or political party in
Lebanon, given that politicians across the board engage in corrupt activity.
Even if there were political will, tackling these endemic issues could take
years,” Abi-Hanna said.
*Simon Speakman Cordall is a freelance writer.
The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News
published on February 14-15/2020
Canada/Readout: Minister of Foreign Affairs
meets with Iran’s foreign minister
February 14, 2020 - Ottawa, Ontario - Global Affairs Canada
The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today
met with Mohammad Javad Zarif, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iran.
Minister Champagne reiterated that Canada is seeking closure, accountability,
transparency and justice for the victims of this tragedy, including a thorough,
credible and transparent investigation.
The two also discussed the download and analysis of PS752’s black boxes.
Minister Champagne reiterated that the preferred option of the International
Coordination and Response Group is for Iran to make use of the facilities
offered by France, which possesses the technical capacity to perform this work.
Minister Champagne also stressed the importance of a fair and equitable
compensation settlement for the families of the victims, based on international
standards.
The two agreed to remain in close touch.
Contacts
Syrine Khoury
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs
Syrine.Khoury@international.gc.ca
Israeli Missile Strike Targets Iranian Fighters in Syria
Asharq Al-Awsat/Friday, 14 February, 2020
A missile attack launched from Israel on military targets near Damascus
overnight killed three Syrian and four Iranian fighters, the Syrian Observatory
for Human Rights said Friday. According to the Observatory, the strikes on the
Damascus airport area had killed at least three Syrian soldiers and four members
of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps. Earlier, regime media said that Syrian air
defenses intercepted missiles over the capital, without specifying the source of
the attack. "Our air defenses intercepted hostile targets over the skies of
Damascus," state agency SANA said. It said the "missiles were launched from over
the occupied Golan Heights". Several missiles were intercepted before they could
reach their targets, it added. A Syrian army source quoted by SANA said the
attack took place at 11:45 pm, when an AFP correspondent in Damascus heard loud
blasts.
Iranians among Dead in Israeli Raid on Damascus
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/February 14/2020
Israeli strikes on Damascus airport killed seven fighters, a war monitor said
Friday, the latest in a string of attacks targeting Iran's military presence in
Syria. Syrian state media said only that its air defenses intercepted missiles
over the capital overnight while Israel did not immediately comment on the
strikes.
Israel routinely fires missiles at what it says are Iranian targets in Syria,
where elite Iranian forces and allied militia play a key role. According to the
Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the strikes launched late Thursday hit
military targets in the area of the international airport. Rami Abdel Rahman,
the director of the Britain-based Observatory, said the dead were three Syrian
soldiers and four members of Iran's Revolutionary Guard. A Syrian army source
quoted by SANA said the attack took place at 11:45 pm (2145 GMT), when an AFP
correspondent in Damascus heard loud blasts. "Our air defenses intercepted
hostile targets over the skies of Damascus," SANA said. It said the "missiles
were launched from over the occupied Golan Heights". Several missiles were
intercepted before they could reach their targets, said the agency, which rarely
admits to casualties among army or Iranian ranks. The Observatory said the
targets in the airport area, which has been repeatedly hit in similar strikes,
included an arms depot.
Arms delivery?
The strikes on the airport compound came just after the arrival of a cargo
plane, according to Abdel Rahman, who could not specify where the aircraft had
flown in from. He said a vehicle had also been hit on the road towards central
Damascus in what seems to have been an attempt to stop a weapons delivery.
SANA released a video of what appeared to be Syrian air defenses firing over
Damascus. Israel's political leadership has spoken publicly of the bombing
campaign, although the army rarely comments on individual strikes. Israel argues
that Iran's presence across several parts of Syria, including near the Golan
Heights it occupies, is a threat and that it will continue its strikes. On
February 6, Israeli air strikes killed 23 Syrian and foreign fighters in Syria.
Among them were three Iranians as well as 12 Syrian and foreign members of
Tehran-backed militias. Iran has deployed its Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC)
in Syria to support President Bashar al-Assad, who clung on by a thread earlier
in the nine-year-old conflict. It also holds sway over a myriad militia groups
whose ranks include fighters from Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon and other
countries. The head of the IRGC's elite Quds Force, Qasem Soleimani, was killed
in a U.S. drone strike on Baghdad airport at the beginning of this year.
Soleimani was the mastermind of Iran's foreign operations but Iran's forces
remain heavily involved in military operations carried out in Syria.
Pompeo calls for action after Iran’s arms for Houthis
seized
The Arab News/February 14/2020
AL-MUKALLA: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has demanded action against the
Tehran regime after the US Navy seized an Iranian weapons shipment bound for
Houthi rebels in Yemen. A US Navy warship seized weapons believed to be of
Iranian “design and manufacture,” including 150 anti-tank guided missiles and
three Iranian surface-to-air missiles, the American military has said. The
military said the guided-missile cruiser Normandy boarded a dhow, a traditional
sailing vessel, in the Arabian Sea on Sunday.
“The weapons seized include 150 ‘Dehlavieh’ anti-tank guided missiles (ATGM),
which are Iranian-manufactured copies of Russian Kornet ATGMs,” the statement
said. “Other weapons components seized aboard the dhow were of Iranian design
and manufacture and included three Iranian surface-to-air missiles,” it said.
The military said that the weapons seized on Sunday were “identical” to those
seized by another US warship in November.
Pompeo wrote on Twitter: “The US Navy interdicted 358 Iranian-made missiles +
other weapons components on their way to the Houthis in Yemen. This is another
example of the world’s largest state sponsor of terror the Islamic Republic of
Iran continuing to defy the UN Security Council,” Pompeo wrote on Twitter. “The
world must reject Iran’s violence and act now to renew the expiring UN arms
embargo on Iran,” Pompeo said. The weapons are currently in US custody, and
partner nations have been invited to inspect the cache.
“Those weapons were determined to be of Iranian origin and assessed to be
destined for the Houthis in Yemen, which would be in violation of a UN Security
Council Resolution that prohibits the direct or indirect supply, sale, or
transfer of weapons to the Houthis,” CENTCOM said. Yemen’s government has
demanded the international community impose tougher sanctions on the Iranian
regime over the arms shipment. Yemen’s Minister of Information, Mummar Al-Aryani,
said that Iranian arms shipments to Houthi fighters have greatly contributed to
the destabilization of the country and the deaths of hundreds of Yemenis. “We
welcome the announcement by the US Central Command that the US navy seized an
Iranian arms ship on its way to Houthi militia,” Al-Aryani said via Twitter on
Thursday. The minister called on the international community to impose more
sanctions on Iran and pressure the country to stop shipping arms to the rebels.
Houthi militia have used Iranian arms to expand military operations and kill
civilians, he added. “We urge the international community and the UN Security
Council to impose deterrent sanctions on the Tehran regime and exert pressure to
(halt) arms and exports smuggling to Houthis,” he said.
Yemen’s latest accusations come shortly after the US announced that it had
seized a suspected Iranian weapons shipment in the Arabian Sea en route to
Houthi fighters in Yemen. Even before the current conflict started in late 2014,
consecutive Yemeni governments accused Iran of giving military, financial and
technical support to the rebels, helping them to seize control of the entire
country in early 2015. Iran stepped up its arms shipments to the Houthis after
2015 when the Saudi-led coalition intervened militarily in Yemen to restore the
power of President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi. Arms shipments have been intercepted
at sea or while crossing government-controlled areas on land.
Backed by massive military aid from the Saudi-led coalition, Yemeni government
forces have seized control of key seaports on the Arabian Sea and the Red Sea
that are thought to be entry points for arms smuggling.
The coalition has strengthened Yemeni coast guard forces and equipped them with
fast boats to combat smuggling of arms and drugs. Last week the coast guard
authority in Yemen’s eastern Mahra governorate took delivery of several armed
boats from the Saudi-led coalition. Mahra Gov. Rajeh Bakreet said the boats will
help the coast guard in the fight against smuggling. Separately, the Houthis
have dropped a threat to impose a tax on aid, in a significant step toward
resolving a crisis that has jeopardized the world’s biggest humanitarian
operation. UN leaders and aid groups held crunch talks in Brussels on Thursday
to consider scaling back or suspending the delivery of vital supplies to
millions of people at risk of starvation.
Houthi leaders killed
Iran-backed Houthi rebels have arranged several funeral processions for military
officers killed in fighting with government forces or in strikes by Saudi-led
coalition warplanes. Last week, the Houthi version of the official Saba news
agency said the rebel group was mourning the deaths of Col. Abdul Latef Saleh,
Col. Maeen Abdullah, Col. Abdul Badae Al-Houthi and several other commanders
killed in fighting. More than 100 Houthis fighters, including senior field
commanders, are believed have died since early last month when fighting
intensified following a Houthi drone and missile attack that killed more than
110 soldiers and civilians in Marib.
Women Protesters Refuse for Iraq to Be Turned into a
‘Second Iran’
Baghdad - Asharq Al-Awsat/Friday, 14 February, 2020
Hundreds of Iraqi women took to the streets of central Baghdad and southern
Iraq, alongside their male counterparts, on Thursday to defend the role of
females in the anti-government demonstrations, defying an order by populist
cleric Moqtada al-Sadr to separate the genders in the rallies.
Some women were veiled, others not, still more wrapped their faces in
black-and-white checkered scarves. Most carried roses, Iraqi flags or signs
defending their role in the regime change demonstrations. They marched through a
tunnel and spilled out into Tahrir Square, the epicenter of the youth-dominated
movement in a country where vast regions remain socially conservative. “Whoever
accuses women of being weak doesn't understand Iraq,” said protester Baan Jaafar,
35. “We will continue to defend our rights through demonstrations and
participate in the decision to build a new Iraq after the demonstrations.” "We
want to protect women's role in the protests as we're just like the men. There
are efforts to kick us out of Tahrir but we'll only come back stronger," said
Zainab Ahmad, a pharmacy student, according to AFP. "Some people were inciting
against us a few days ago, seeking to keep women at home or keep them quiet. But
we turned out today in large numbers to prove to those people that their efforts
will end in failure," she said. Ahmad appeared to be referring to Sadr, a
powerful figure who first backed the rallies when they erupted in October but
who has since sought to discredit them.
On Saturday, he had alleged drug and alcohol use among the protesters and said
it was immoral for men and women to mix there. Sadr, leader of parliament's
Sairoon bloc, issued an 18-point code of conduct Sunday for protesters in which
he cautioned against the mixing of men and women at sit-in areas. And a few
moments before Thursday's women's march began, Sadr once again took to Twitter
to slam the protests as being rife with "nudity, promiscuity, drunkenness,
immorality, debauchery... and non-believers". In a strange turn, he said Iraq
must not "turn into Chicago," which he said was full of "moral looseness"
including homosexuality, a claim that was immediately mocked online. Sadr, who
has a cult-like following of millions across Iraq, has faced unprecedented
public criticism in recent weeks for his dizzying tweets on the protests. The
contradictory orders have exacerbated tensions already present between
anti-government demonstrators and his followers.
'Freedom, revolution, feminism'
While the numbers in Tahrir have dwindled in recent weeks, many Iraqi youth say
the past four months of rallies have helped break down widespread conservative
social norms. On Thursday, men linked arms to form a protective ring around the
women as they marched for over an hour. "Revolution is my name, male silence is
the real shame!" they chanted, then adding "Freedom, revolution, feminism!" Some
of their chants were snide remarks at Sadr himself. "Where are the millions?"
some said, referring to the cleric's call for a million-strong march several
weeks ago that saw much smaller numbers hit the streets.
The rallies have slammed Iraqi authorities for being corrupt, incompetent and
beholden to neighboring Iran. "They want us to be a second Iran, but Iraqi women
weren't born to let men dictate to them what to do," protester Raya Assi told
AFP on Thursday. "They have to accept us the way we are." Other rallies took
place in Basra, a stronghold for traditional tribal influences that have long
limited women's role in the public sphere. "The revolution is female," read a
handwritten sign carried by an older woman in a black veil and a medical mask,
to protect her from tear gas. Over 500 have died since October under fire from
security forces using live bullets and tear gas to disperse crowds.
NATO to Resume Iraq Mission 'Soon'
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/February 14/2020
NATO will resume its training mission in Iraq in the coming days or weeks, the
alliance's top military commander said Friday, after activities were suspended
following a U.S. drone strike on Baghdad. U.S. General Tod Wolters said the
500-strong mission would restart its work after receiving assurances from the
Iraqi government. The mission was put on hold on January 4, and some NATO troops
moved out of Iraq, amid fears of reprisal attacks after the U.S. killing of top
Iranian general Qasem Soleimani in the strike on Baghdad. "As a result of the
letter of response from Iraq over the course of the last 36 hours, we will now
recommence the NATO Mission Iraq," Wolters told reporters at the Munich Security
Conference. Asked when this would happen, Wolters replied: "Soon. Days to
weeks." "We want to get to it as fast as we possibly can but force protection
for the troops is critical," he added. The news comes after NATO defense
ministers agreed to expand the Iraq mission by taking on troops and activities
currently run by the US-led multinational coalition against the Islamic State
group. Outraged by Soleimani's killing on its soil, the Iraqi parliament voted
to kick foreign troops out of the country, but after weeks of backroom diplomacy
they have now agreed to NATO staying on. The NATO mission -- led by a Canadian
and with a strict non-combat mandate -- is seen as more acceptable to the Iraqi
authorities than the U.S.-led coalition. "We will subsume some of those train
and advise activities that existed with Operation Inherent Resolve and bring
those over to NATO mission Iraq duties, those consultations about that activity
are ongoing," said Wolters, NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe. Exactly how
many troops will move and what activities they will do are matters still under
discussion, though Spain has already said it is willing to transfer personnel.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg briefed a meeting of the anti-IS
coalition at Munich on the plans for the Iraq mission. Further down the line,
NATO plans to look at what more it can do help fight terrorism and build
stability in the wider Middle East, responding to a call by US President Donald
Trump.
Russian, Turkish FMs to Meet Sunday amid Syria Tensions
Asharq Al-Awsat/Friday, 14 February, 2020
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will meet his Turkish counterpart Mevlut
Cavusoglu in Munich on Sunday on the sidelines of the Munich Security
Conference, the Interfax news agency reported on Friday, amid mounting tensions
over Syria. On Thursday evening, Russia's foreign ministry criticized statements
from Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar about Syria's Idlib, after Ankara said
it would use force against opposition groups violating a ceasefire in the
region. Turkey has allied with some opposition factions in Idlib against regime
leader Bashar Assad, and has boosted its troops, arms and equipment in the
region after 13 of its soldiers were killed by Damascus’ forces in just over a
week. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said his NATO-member military
would strike Russia-backed Syrian forces if another Turkish soldier was hurt,
and he blamed Moscow for targeting civilians. Russia, which supports Assad, in
turn accused Turkey of flouting agreements it made with Moscow and of
aggravating the situation in Idlib. The Kremlin said Ankara had failed to
neutralize fighters there, as per a 2018 agreement to establish a de-escalation
zone. The flare-up of fighting has given rise to some of the most serious
confrontations between Ankara and Damascus in the nine-year-old war that, since
early December in Idlib alone, has displaced hundreds of thousands. Aid workers
said families fleeing air strikes and advancing troops in Idlib were sleeping in
streets and olive groves, and burning toxic bundles of rubbish to stay warm in
the biting winter weather. Since last week, Ankara has deployed more than 1,000
troops to its military posts in Idlib. Turkey has repeatedly urged Russia to
stop the Syrian attacks in Idlib, warning that it will use military power to
push back the regime forces unless they withdraw by the end of the month.
Muslim Brotherhood Cell Plotting Attacks Busted in Khartoum
Khartoum - Mohammed Amin Yassin/Asharq Al-Awsat/Friday, 14 February, 2020
Sudanese authorities revealed on Thursday new details about the terrorist cell
that was arrested for plotting bombings in the capital, Khartoum. The general
prosecution said a suspected, who was detained on Tuesday, confessed to
belonging to a terrorist network that is affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood
in Egypt. He said the cell was sent to Sudan to carry out bombings in Khartoum.
He had confessed to receiving training on bomb-making and to smuggling other
members of the cell through forged Syrian passports. The cell had arrived in
Sudan six months ago. Authorities have charged the detainee with terrorism and
possessing weapons and ammunition and issued arrest warrants for the remaining
members of the cell. Authorities on Tuesday announced the busting of the cell,
which is comprised of Sudanese and foreign members. They also confiscated
bomb-making material in their possession. Separately, the justice ministry said
Thursday Sudan has agreed to compensate the families of sailors killed in an
al-Qaeda attack on the USS Cole warship 20 years ago, as part of government
efforts to remove the country from a list of state sponsors of terrorism. The
settlement had been signed on Feb. 7, reported Reuters. It did not mention the
amount paid in compensation, but a source with knowledge of the deal, speaking
on condition of anonymity, said that Sudan had agreed to settle the case for $30
million. Seventeen sailors were killed and dozens of others injured in the
attack on Oct. 12, 2000 when two men in a small boat detonated explosives
alongside the Navy guided missile destroyer as it was refueling in the southern
Yemeni port of Aden. Khartoum agreed to settle “only for the purpose of
fulfilling the condition set by the US administration to remove Sudan from its
list of state sponsors of terrorism”, the SUNA news agency said, citing the
justice ministry. Being designated as a state sponsor of terrorism makes Sudan
ineligible for desperately needed debt relief and financing from lenders such as
the International Monetary Fund and World Bank. Removal from the list
potentially opens the door for foreign investment. “The government of Sudan
would like to point out that the settlement agreement explicitly affirmed that
the government was not responsible for this incident or any terrorist act,” the
justice ministry said in its statement, cited by SUNA. The US sailors’ relatives
had sued Sudan under the 1976 Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act, which generally
bars suits against foreign countries except those designated by the United
States as a sponsor of terrorism, as Sudan has been since 1993. Sudan did not
defend against the claims in court. In 2014, a trial judge found that Sudan’s
aid to al-Qaeda “led to the murders” of the 17 Americans and awarded the
families about $35 million, including $14 million in punitive damages. Sudan
then tried to void the judgment, arguing the lawsuit was not properly served on
its foreign minister, violating notification requirements under US and
international law. The US Supreme Court turned down the bid by the families last
year.
PA to Warn Firms with Settlement Links before Taking them
to Court
Ramallah - Kifah Zboun/Asharq Al-Awsat/Friday, 14 February, 2020
The Palestinian Authority intends to send an official warning to companies
operating in Israeli settlements before any judicial action, the first measure
that the Palestinians would take after the United Nations published a list of
112 firms doing business with the settlements in the West Bank. On Wednesday,
the report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR)
unveiled the names of international companies and factories that work in Israeli
settlements in the West Bank. The list is dominated by Israeli companies, but
includes a number of global brands. The six US companies on the list are
Motorola Solutions, General Mills, Airbnb, TripAdvisor, Booking Holdings and
Expedia. The list includes four Dutch firms - Tahal Group International,
Booking.com, Altice Europe and Kardan - and three British firms, in addition to
two from France and Thailand. Saeb Erekat, Secretary-General of Palestine
Liberation Organization (PLO) Executive Committee, said the Palestinian
Authority (PA) will send letters to the countries of the companies having links
with the settlements, asking them to shut down their operations in the West
Bank. "Companies in the United States will be addressed directly to close down
their businesses because ties with the American administration have been
severed," Erekat told reporters in Ramallah. He added that the PA "will
prosecute the companies in international courts and request financial
compensation for using Palestinian resources and working in the settlements."
Palestinian Ambassador to the UN Dr. Ibrahim Khreisheh stated that the United
Nations began with a potential list of 307 companies, but narrowed it down to
112 after some firms pledged not to renew their contracts in the settlements.
Palestinian Minister of Justice Mohammad Shalaldeh said that his ministry - in
cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates – is setting a
plan on prosecuting the firms operating in the settlements as well as their
workers who come from different nationalities. In an interview with the Voice of
Palestine radio, Shalaldeh demanded the UN to swiftly promote an international
agreement that bans companies from backing the settlements.
Gaza Balloon Attacks Re-Emerge as Threat to Israel
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/February 14/2020
As the bunch of brightly-colored balloons floated into Gaza's evening sky, there
was a piercing crackle of gunfire. Moments earlier, the balloons had been
launched by a group of masked young Palestinian men huddled near the Al-Bureij
refugee camp. They attached explosives to the weapon before setting it adrift
towards Israel. Israeli troops along the border tried to down the device, but
the balloons floated on. Explosives tied to balloons and kites first emerged as
a weapon in Gaza, ruled by the Islamist group Hamas, during intense protests in
2018, when the devices drifted across the border daily, causing thousands of
fires in Israeli farms and communities. The Palestinians said at the time they
wanted to foster constant fear and misery among Israelis as punishment for the
Jewish state's crippling 13-year blockade of Gaza, which the United Nations has
identified as the main cause of grinding poverty in the strip. Israel blamed
Hamas for the balloon attacks, which eventually stopped after the two sides
reached secret agreements to slightly ease the blockade in exchange for calm.
But hostilities have surged again since U.S. President Donald Trump released his
controversial Middle East peace plan last month. The plan triggered outrage
among Palestinians, who saw it as a wishlist of Israeli objectives. As tensions
rose, Gazans again directed rocket-fire and mortars towards Israel, which
typically struck back with airstrikes targeting Hamas positions in the strip.
And along with traditional weapons, Gazans once again sent incendiary-laden
balloons across the border. "We are not afraid and we will return to (using
balloons) despite all the threats to target us," Abu Hamza, one of the young men
preparing the devices, told AFP.
'Creating casualties'
Like many things in Gaza, weaponizing balloons is the work of many political
factions. The young men at the Al-Bureij camp said five major groups were
involved in launching balloons, with ideological divisions among them. Hamas,
its ally Islamic Jihad and three other militant parties all have dedicated
balloon-launching units, with the smallest being around 180 members. But Israel
holds Hamas responsible for all hostile action emerging from Gaza. Tensions have
eased somewhat since Monday when a delegation from Egypt, a longtime mediator
between Hamas and Israel, visited Gaza to negotiate calm.
Yet even as the Egyptian delegation was in town, the men in the tent were
inflating balloons and preparing explosives. Group leader Abu Malek said the
incendiary part of the weapon is called the "Yassin," a 900 gram (two pound)
device named after Hamas's founder Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, who was assassinated by
Israel in 2004. He told AFP that Israeli kibbutzes (farming collectives) are a
regular target and that the devices can reach as away as Beersheba, roughly 50
kilometers (31 kilometers) from Gaza. "We're launching this missile to cause
casualties among soldiers and in homes," he said. Israel has at times tried to
target the balloon assembly teams with airstrikes or tanks, but that is
difficult due to the fast-moving nature of the groups and the potential costs
were Israeli forces to enter Gaza. In December, Israel unveiled a prototype of a
laser called the "Light Blade," which could prove effective against balloons,
but it is not clear when the technology will be ready to deploy.
'Rudimentary devices'
Hamas official Khalil al-Hayya told journalists that there was no official
decision to restart the balloon attacks following the fragile truce. Young
people decided "independently to return to launching balloons to pressure the
(Israeli) occupation to end its blockade," he said.
Abu Hamza of the Descendants of Salah al-Din militant group told AFP his faction
independently chose to resume attacks a month ago. Palestinian political analyst
Jamal Al-Fadi said the balloons "infuriate Israel because they are rudimentary
devices and not traditional combat means."
But he said he expected the balloons would once again be stopped if Egypt
brokered a durable calm. Meanwhile, they keep flying. On Thursday afternoon,
Israeli media reported that several bunches of balloons had floated into the
Israeli town of Sderot, landing near a school and sending panicked residents
fleeing to bomb shelters. Abu Hamza confirmed his group would take instructions
from the military and political leaders."If a decision to stop them comes, we
stop them," he said.
US Seizes Iranian Weapons Bound for Houthis
Washington - Asharq Al-Awsat/Friday, 14 February, 2020
A US Navy warship seized weapons believed to be of Iranian "design and
manufacture" aboard an Iranian traditional sailing vessel, the American military
said on Thursday. In a statement, the military said the guided-missile cruiser
Normandy boarded the dhow in the Arabian Sea on Sunday. "The weapons seized
include 150 'Dehlavieh' anti-tank guided missiles (ATGM), which are
Iranian-manufactured copies of Russian Kornet ATGMs," the statement said. "Other
weapons components seized aboard the dhow were of Iranian design and manufacture
and included three Iranian surface-to-air missiles," it said.
The military said that the weapons seized on Sunday were "identical" to those
seized by another US warship in November. Last year, the guided-missile
destroyer Forrest Sherman seized advanced missile parts - believed to be linked
to Iran and aimed for delivery to Yemen’s Houthis militias - from a boat it had
stopped in the Arabian Sea. In recent years, US warships have intercepted and
seized Iranian arms bound for the Houthis. Under a United Nations resolution,
Tehran is prohibited from supplying, selling or transferring weapons outside the
country. A separate UN resolution on Yemen bans the supply of weapons to Houthi
leaders.
Syrian Chopper Downed in NW Syria, Killing Crew
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/February 14/2020
A Syrian military helicopter was shot down over the last major rebel bastion in
northwest Syria on Friday, killing all crew on board, state media said, in the
second such incident this week. "At approximately 13:40 (1140 GMT), one of our
military helicopters was hit by a hostile missile in the western countryside of
Aleppo," SANA said. "This lead the helicopter to crash, killing all crew on
board."SANA said the aircraft was downed near the town of Urum al-Kubra where
Turkey-backed rebels operate, but it did not say who was behind the incident.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights blamed the attack on rebel-backer Turkey
but there was no immediate claim of responsibility. The Britain-based monitor
said two pilots were killed. Turkey's state-run Anadolu agency also reported the
incident, but did not say who was responsible or if there were any casualties.
Earlier on Tuesday, a Syrian military helicopter was downed over Idlib province,
killing at least three crew members. Turkish media blamed the attacks on rebels
but the Observatory said Turkish troops had fired rockets at the aircraft over
the village of Qaminas, southeast of Idlib city. Ankara acknowledged the
incident in a statement but did not claim responsibility. Syrian regime forces
have pressed with a blistering assault on the shrinking rebel pocket in Syria's
northwest since December. The violence there has triggered the largest wave of
displacement in the nine-year conflict, with 800,000 people fleeing since
December, according to the United Nations. Among the displaced, some 82,000
people are sleeping rough in sub-zero temperatures. The unprecedented exodus has
sparked alarm in neighboring Turkey, which fears an influx across its border.
Turkey tensions
Ankara, which has troops deployed in several locations in northern Syria,
continues to support rebel groups battling government troops or acting as
proxies against Kurdish forces. It has sent reinforcements to the northwest in
recent weeks to contain the latest push by Damascus, leading to a series of
tit-for-tat exchanges between their forces. The deadly clashes, the latest of
which saw government shelling kill five Turkish troops this week, are the most
serious since Ankara first sent forces to Syria in 2016. Turkish president Recep
Tayyip Erdogan in recent days has repeatedly threatened the Syrian government
with attacks if it does not slow its Idlib push, but Damascus has pressed on.
On Friday, pro-government forces pushed west of the key M5 motorway, which
connects Syria's four largest cities and is economically vital for the
government, the Observatory said. Syrian forces seized the last segment of the
highway that still escaped their control earlier this week and SANA said on
Friday that the areas flanking it had been swept and the road fully secured. To
consolidate a "security belt" around the road, it seized a key base on Friday
that it had lost to rebels in 2012, the Observatory added. Located 12 kilometers
(seven miles) west of Aleppo city, Base 46 was the site of a brutal
confrontation between government forces and rebels in the early phase of Syria's
civil war. The Observatory estimates that more than 150 Damascus loyalists lost
their lives during the rebel takeover of the base at the end of 2012. Its
recapture marks a symbolic win for the government, which has reduced the
rebel-held pocket to just over half of Idlib province, as well as slivers of
neighboring Aleppo and Latakia. With the base recaptured, government forces are
now within two kilometers of Urum al-Kubra and five kilometers from Atareb,
according to the monitor. The Idlib region, which includes parts of Aleppo, is
home to some three million people, nearly half of whom have already been
displaced from other parts of the country.It is dominated by jihadists of the
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham alliance and their rebel allies.
Russia Sends Syrians to Fight in Libya as Clashes Reach
Misrata
Cairo, Damascus, London – Khaled Mahmoud and Asharq Al-Awsat/Friday,
14 February, 2020
The Russian army has started to recruit youths from Syria’s Douma in eastern
Ghouta to send to Libya to fight alongside the Libyan National Army (LNA),
commanded by Khalifa Haftar, revealed Syrian opposition sources. The Russians
have requested that 50 Syrians be sent to the North African country. They will
receive a monthly salary of 800 dollars for three months of service. They will
also be exempt from mandatory military enlistment and immune from security
prosecution. Meanwhile, in Libya and only hours after the United Nations
Security Council issued a resolution calling for a ceasefire in Tripoli, clashes
renewed on various fronts between the LNA and forces loyal to the Government of
National Accord (GNA). Intense fighting was reported at the Ain Zara and Khallet
al-Forjan areas. Fighting was also reported in the coastal western city of
Misrata where the LNA carried out a series of air raids against terrorist groups
and mercenaries in the Wadi Zamzam and al-Qadihieh areas east of the city. In
Tripoli, Mitiga airport was reopened after a brief closure after missiles were
fired towards it. In Rajma on the outskirts of the eastern city of Benghazi,
Haftar received Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio. Talks focused on
securing marine borders, preventing the infiltration of terrorist and criminal
gangs and combating terrorism. Haftar praised Rome’s support for efforts to
resolve the Libyan crisis. Di Maio had earlier paid a visit to Tripoli where he
met with GNA chief Fayez al-Sarraj. Separately, the LNA announced that Haftar
had received an invitation from President Emmanuel Macron to visit France. The
LNA chief had received a French delegation on Wednesday. The military also
condemned accusations by the UN mission in Libya that the LNA had prevented UN
planes from landing in Libyan airports. It clarified that it had received UN
planes at all airports that are secured by the LNA throughout the country,
except Mitiga and Misrata that are beyond its control. An LNA statement said it
cannot guarantee the safety of planes landing in Mitiga and Misrata, adding that
the UN mission’s claims “do not convey the truth to the local and international
public and policy-makers at the UN.” LNA spokesman Ahmed al-Mismari said the UN
would have to use other airports and that the army could not guarantee the
safety of flights at Mitiga because Turkey was using it as a military base.
Libya enjoys 35 civilian airports and landing strips that the UN mission can use
in coordination with relevant authorities, he remarked. Just days ago, UN envoy
to Libya Ghassan was in Benghazi where he was welcomed.
Senate Moves to Limit Trump on Striking Iran
Washington - Asharq Al-Awsat/Friday, 14 February, 2020
The US Senate passed legislation on Thursday to limit President Donald Trump's
ability to wage war against Iran, weeks after the killing of Iran’s Quds Force
Commander Qassem Soleimani. Eight of Trump's fellow Republicans joined Democrats
to pass the war powers resolution authored by Democratic Senator Tim Kaine
55-45. While warning of dire consequences of an escalating conflict with Iran,
Kaine said his main point was to restore the authority of Congress to declare
war, as spelled out in the US Constitution. While Trump and other presidents
“must always have the ability to defend the United States from imminent attack,
the executive power to initiate war stops there," Kaine said in a speech on the
Senate floor. "An offensive war requires a congressional debate and vote.''The
resolution makes an exception if the United States is "defending itself from an
imminent act." Trump has argued on Twitter that a vote against Kaine's proposal
was important to national security and pointed to the Jan. 3 drone strike that
killed Soleimani in Iraq. Trump promised a veto. But Democratic Senate leader
Chuck Schumer said after the vote that the Senate “sent a clear shot across the
bow -- a bipartisan majority of senators don't want the president waging war
without congressional approval.”
German Police Raid Homes to Thwart Plot Against Asylum-seekers, Muslims
Asharq Al-Awsat/Friday, 14 February, 2020
German authorities on Friday searched sites linked to five people on suspicion
that they formed a "right-wing terrorist organization” and planned to carry out
attacks against politicians and minorities, including Muslims.
Federal prosecutors said the raids took place at 13 locations in six states. No
arrests were made. Prosecutors said the five suspects are alleged to have formed
an organization in September 2019 with the aim of overthrowing the state and
social order in Germany. They alleged that the suspects wanted to achieve their
goal “with as yet unspecified attacks against politicians, asylum-seekers and
Muslims to provoke a civil war-like situation.” Eight further people are being
investigated on suspicion of pledging to financially support the group, procure
weapons or participate in future attacks.
Government-Backed Iran Hackers Target Western Universities
Asharq Al-Awsat/Friday, 14 February, 2020
Government-backed Iranian hackers have targeted universities in Europe, the
United States and Australia in recent months, consultancy PricewaterhouseCoopers
has found, Dutch broadcaster NOS reported on Friday. It is unclear whether the
attempts to break into computer systems, including those of three Dutch
universities, were successful, said Reuters. The hackers were attempting to
steal academic literature and course material to use in Iranian schools, the NOS
said, citing PricewaterhouseCoopers' cyber security specialist Gerwin Naber.
Diplomatic relations between the Netherlands and Iran have been strained since
the Dutch accused Tehran of plotting two political killings in the country that
triggered new European Union sanctions against Tehran last year. Tehran has
denied involvement in the shooting of the Iranian dissidents in the Netherlands.
Love in the Time of Coronavirus: A Quiet Valentine's Day in
China
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/February 14/2020
It was supposed to be a whirlwind tour of China for Jiang Lanyi's boyfriend:
classical gardens in Suzhou, modern art in Shanghai, ice-skating in central
Beijing. Instead, the 24-year-old and her Ukrainian partner have spent more than
two weeks holed up in her parents' house in northeast Liaoning province to avoid
the new coronavirus. Couples around China settled for a quiet Valentine's Day
this year, with COVID-19 intruding as an unwelcome third-wheel in romantic
celebrations. The new disease has infected nearly 64,000 people and killed more
than 1,350 in China, triggering transport restrictions, restaurant shutdowns,
and the closure of major tourist sites. Businesses around the country from
florists to concert halls closed shop and axed events, leaving couples with no
choice but to spend the night in. For Jiang and her boyfriend, that meant a lot
of mahjong. "We play two to three hours every day," said Jiang, who met her
partner, a tech entrepreneur, while studying in London. "Having started learning
from zero, he's now very skilled," she added. In Beijing, Valentine's Day
specials aimed at couples -- from a "My Heart Will Go On" concert to a 1,688
yuan ($240) lobster dinner for two -- were cancelled. Valentine's Day this year
"won't be that different from daily life under quarantine," said Tyra Li, who
lives in Beijing with her boyfriend of nearly three years. Since Lunar New Year,
aside from a trip to see family, the couple has only left the house to buy
groceries –- they don't even order food delivery for fear of infection, she
said.
"There definitely won't be any flowers," the 33-year-old told AFP. "I don't dare
to receive them and he doesn't dare to buy them."
Business of love
The risk of infection, which has left most lovers house-bound, has battered
Valentine's Day sales for businesses hoping to cash in on love. Flower shop Xian
Hua Ge in Beijing told AFP that sales plunged by up to 70 percent from last year
–- partly because many have not returned to the city to work. Lu Ting, chief
China economist at Nomura, said in a Tuesday report that the "return rate" of
workers for China's four Tier-1 cities was only 19.4 percent as of February 9,
far below 66.7 percent a year ago. A worker at Romanti Fresh Flowers said sales
had dropped up to 50 percent in part because customers were fearful of virus
transmission via delivery staff, while another shop told AFP they had "no
stock". China's wedding industry has also taken a hit, with the Chinese
government urging couples to delay their nuptials earlier this month. Zhu He,
25, who downsized her wedding due to virus fears last month, said she and her
fiance had originally planned to pick up their marriage license on Valentine's
Day. That's been delayed due to the epidemic, said Zhu, who lives in southern
Guangzhou city. "We had planned to go together (with my parents)," she told AFP.
"Now, they won't come even though we all live in Guangzhou." "They both can't
drive and I don't really trust public transport," said Zhu, worried about the
risk of infection.
Together in spirit
The new coronavirus has also complicated romantic trysts, with many cities
across China closing off neighborhoods to outside visitors in a bid to contain
the outbreak. Miao Jing, a university student in northern Tianjin city, said her
girlfriend had to sneak into her hotel through the car park for a three-hour
rendezvous earlier this month. The trip was supposed to last three days,
explained the 23-year-old, who took a five-hour train to northern Zhangjiakou
city to see her partner. But on the second day, the district where Miao was
staying reported a confirmed case of the virus. "She was really worried," Miao
told AFP. "In the end, I only saw her on the first day."For Shaw Wan, 28, who
works on short documentaries in Beijing, the epidemic has separated her and her
boyfriend –- who is in Taiwan -– indefinitely. "I don't really want him to
return either -- what if he gets infected on the way back?" she told AFP. But
there is some silver lining to the COVID-19 outbreak. Li in Beijing said staying
cooped up at home had meant more time with her boyfriend -- in the past, their
busy schedules meant they only saw each other after 10pm on weekdays. And for
Miao and her girlfriend, who are in a long-distance relationship, volunteering
in epidemic relief work has brought them closer together. The two students help
residents and communities in Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak, with remote
tasks like calling to arrange car transport. "There is a feeling of working
together," she told AFP. "Even if we cannot be together physically, in some
sense we are."
World Less Safe as U.S. Retreats, Warns German Leader
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/February 14/2020
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Friday warned that President Donald
Trump's "America First" strategy had shaken up the international order and
fueled insecurity in an unstable world. "We are witnessing today an increasingly
destructive momentum in global politics," Steinmeier said in a speech to kick
off the Munich Security Conference, an annual gathering on global security
challenges. "Every year we are getting further and further away from our goal of
creating a more peaceful world through international cooperation." He singled
out the United States, Europe's "closest partner", for retreating from the
multilateral stage just as tensions are rising between major military powers. In
a nod to Trump's "Make America Great Again" and "America First" mantras,
Steinmeier said the current US administration was signalling that every country
should act solely in its own best interests -- a set-up that tends to benefit
only the mighty. "As if everyone is taken care of if everyone only thinks of
themselves. 'Great again', even when necessary at the expense of neighbors and
partners." Like other European countries, Germany has watched with growing alarm
as the decades-long reliance on America's protection and its commitment to the
NATO military alliance is called into doubt. Trump has been particularly
critical of NATO ally Germany, accusing Europe's top economy of not spending
enough of defense and freeloading on the U.S. Steinmeier, whose role is largely
ceremonial but serves as a moral compass for Germany, said Europe needed to take
more control of its own security, including through higher military spending.
"Only a Europe that is able and willing to credibly protect itself, will keep
the U.S. in NATO," he said. Steinmeier also said Russia's 2014 annexation of
Crimea from Ukraine had brought the use of military violence for political gain
back to the European continent, leading to geopolitical "insecurity" and a "loss
of trust."Turning to an increasingly assertive China, Steinmeier criticized
Beijing's stance in the South China Sea, where it is accused of bullying rival
claimants and building up military installations, and condemned its crackdown on
Uighur Muslims. "Its actions in the South China Sea are disturbing its neighbors
in the region. Its actions against minorities in its own country are disturbing
to all of us," he said. Among those attending this year's Munich Security
Conference, which runs until Sunday, are French President Emmanuel Macron, U.S.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his
Chinese counterpart Wang Yi.
Saudi Arabia denies Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman
meeting with Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu despite reports
The New Arab & agencies/February 14/2020
Saudi Arabia's foreign minister said Thursday Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman
had no plans to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, after reports
the Israeli premier was seeking talks. "There is no meeting planned between
Saudi Arabia and Israel", Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan told
Saudi-owned Al Arabiya English, responding to the recent reports in Israeli
media. "Saudi Arabia's policy has been very clear since the beginning of this
conflict. There are no relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel and the kingdom
stands firmly behind Palestine," the foreign minister said.
However Saudi Arabia is among Gulf states that have made recent moves suggesting
warmer ties with Israel. Read More: Iranian 'Traitors', Saudi 'Spies': Is
Denmark the latest frontier of Tehran and Riyadh’s Cold War? The Kingdom has
expressed support for Donald Trump’s controversial Middle East peace plan
despite the fact that Palestinian leaders are vehemently against it, as are
human rights organisations and many world leaders. Saudi Arabia's foreign
minister Adel al-Jubeir endorsed Trump's so-called Deal of the Century in a
press conference on Thursday, stating that the controversial deal had some
"positive elements". "There are positive elements in Trump's peace plan, which
can serve as a basis for negotiation," the top diplomat said during a visit to
Romania. He said the deal may not come into fruition easily because of
Palestinian opposition."We have an Arab peace initiative with Israel," he said,
referring to the 2002 initiative of creating peace with Israel in exchange of
the Palestinian right to return and a withdrawal of illegal Israeli settlements.
The Deal of the Century, however, disregards the initiative by annexing parts of
the occupied West Bank to Israel. "The Palestinians believe that the Trump plan
is not appropriate for them and we cannot negotiate on their behalf. We must
support their decision." The Deal of the Century is also problematic because it
does not recognise the Right of Return, the bedrock of the internationally
recognised two-state solution. In late January Saudi Arabia said it
“appreciates” President Donald Trump’s efforts on the plan, and when asked about
Netanyahu's meeting earlier this month with Sudanese leader General Abdel Fattah
al-Burhan, Prince Faisal said: "Sudan is a sovereign nation. They can assess
their own sovereign interests."
The
Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources published on February 14-15/2020
Ouyar Hassan Invited to the Polls… Again
Amir Taheri/Asharq Al Awsat/February 14/2020
Since the 19th century, caricature has been used to highlight in a humorous mode
the key features of famous persons or even a whole nation. In the latter case
some well-known examples include Uncle Sam with his top-hat and carefully
trimmed Van Dyke representing the United States. England is represented by John
Bull with his bowler hat, rosy cheeks and belly. The French are made fun of with
Gaston Dupont, wearing a beret, with a baguette under his arm and a Gauloise in
his mouth, who doesn’t know whether his name should end with a D or a T neither
of which are pronounced in any case. For its part Iran is represented by Ouyar
Hassan wearing a felt cap, long shirt and baggy trousers.
Ouyar Hassan, first appeared in satirical magazines in the 1900s when 80 percent
of Iranians lived in rural areas, is a peasant. He is constantly boasting about
his glorious past but is terrified of his uncertain future. As for his present,
his chief, not to say sole, concern is to survive on a day-to-day hand-to-mouth
basis. To survive, Ouyar Hassan depends on his instincts which dictate that he
should have no opinions on anything, not have any expectations from anybody and,
more importantly, not to antagonize the city where “those better than us” live
and rule the world.
Since his first appearance, Ouyar Hassan has lived through two revolutions, two
World Wars, two changes of ruling dynasty, and an eightfold increase in his
nation’s population. In the meantime, Iran has been transformed into a highly
urbanized country where people like Ouyar Hassan account for no more than 20
percent of the population.
What is remarkable, however, is that the main attributes of Ouyar Hassan, as
depicted in satirical magazines like Mullah Nasreddin, Baba Shamal, Towfiq and
Ashofteh continue to reflect some key attributes of the average Iranian,
assuming that any Iranian is modest enough to see himself as average. The
question now is whether the caricature, a century after its first appearance,
still represents a people who boast about past glories, are terrified of the
future and hate their rulers while trying not to ruffle any feathers in order to
survive, living and partly living?
One could find ample evidence that would dictate “yes” as an answer. After all,
for four decades, Ouyar Hassan has put up with an ochlocracy disguised as a
theocracy. Wearing an Anatolian smile, he has seen Iran become the only country
in the world, perhaps with the exception of Zimbabwe, poorer than it was 40
years ago. He has seen Iran top the list of infamy in the word for the number of
political prisoners and executions. He has witnessed the establishment of
widespread corruption not as an aberration but as a way of life. For four
decades, Ouyar Hassan has turned up at polling stations to cast his vote in fake
elections for an ersatz parliament and an actor playing President of the
Republic.
Once again, the kleptocrat ruling elite is now trying to organize a general
election to burnish its so-called “Islamic democracy”.
The “Supreme Guide” has called for “the largest ever turnout” of voters as a
means of wiping out the memory of the most recent national uprising against the
regime. Originally, the coming “elections” were supposed to be held as a tribute
to the “martyr” Gen. Qassem Soleimani, a close aide of “Supreme Guide” Ali
Khamenei. Bootlickers of both professional and amateur ilk had tried to re-cast
Soleimani as a nationalist soldier who sought to revive the ancient Persian
Empire by seizing control of Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and parts of Yemen.
However, the angelic masks fabricated for Soleimani have been torn apart one by
one. Leaks from within the regime have provided a glimpse of the corrupt empire
that Soleimani had built with the help of his Lebanese, Syrian, Iraqi and Yemeni
agents and associates. Worse still, Gen. Aziz-Jaafari, former Commander of the
Revolutionary Guards Corps, and thus theoretically Soleimani’s boss, has
publicly stated that the “Sufi chief” had been personally involved in the
massacre of protesters in the streets of Tehran.
I don’t wish to make predictions, something a journalist should leave to
futurologists. But my guess is that, far from inspiring Iranians to vote,
Soleimani’s exposure as a charlatan may discourage even Ouyar Hassan who has
always voted in order not to run into trouble.
Khamenei and his entourage had counted on another factor in shaping their hopes
of a high voter turnout. The voting comes close to Now-Ruz, the Iranian New Year
when Ouyar Hassan tries to be in festive mood even when his only cow has passed
away. At Now-Ruz, the government gives special cash bonuses to its 5.5million
employees who, in turn, embark on a shopping spree that injects some life into a
moribund economy, fostering a feel-good atmosphere for a couple of weeks.
This year, however, the bonuses are likely to be far less generous than ever.
The easy money provided by oil is drying up as oil exports have fallen to their
lowest in 50 years.
A third factor may dash the mullahs’ hopes of a high turnout. For the first time
since the mullahs seized power, almost all political groups associated with them
from the beginning, including various Communist outfits, the Mussadeqist circles
and remnants of the so-called “Nationalist-Religious” cabal, have publicly
called for a boycott of the polls. Even some of the so-called
“moderate-reformists”, better known for their sheer opportunism than their moral
courage, are calling for a boycott of the fake elections.
This time round, an estimated 60 million Iranians are eligible to vote. As
usual, the authorities could try to manipulate the results in a number of ways
such as refusing to register many would-be voters, pre-filling polling boxes and
inflating the number of ballots cast in the provinces. Nevertheless, a massive
boycott would be hard to camouflage. Such a massive refusal to play extras in a
sinister masquerade would show that Ouyar Hassan is no longer prepared to let
“those better than us” walk all over him.
What's Powering the US Economy?
Noah Smith/Bloomberg/Asharq Al Awsat/February 14/2020
The US economy’s steady growth — the longest stretch since World War II without
a recession — is something of a mystery. Last summer, the yield curve inverted,
which traditionally is the most reliable signal of an impending downturn. There
were all sorts of plausible reasons the economy could take a turn for the worse
-- a mountain of increasingly risky corporate debt, a slowdown in China,
President Donald Trump’s trade war, manufacturing weakness, increasing
uncertainty about government policy and so on.
Yet no recession has appeared. Gross domestic product growth has been remarkably
steady at a little more than 2% — probably the best, on average, that can be
hoped for given the aging population and the global productivity slowdown.
And the labor market is stronger than at any time except the late 1990s, with
workers at the bottom of the income scale getting real wage increases.
Why is the economy doing well despite all the headwinds? Trump supporters will
tend to credit the president’s late 2017 tax reform. But this is unlikely. If
the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act had made the economy more efficient, it would be have
led to a surge of business investment. But economics research finds little
impact, and real private investment actually decreased in the second through
fourth quarters of 2019.
It’s also possible, of course, that the tax cut has raised consumption by
driving up aggregate demand. Paul Krugman has put this forward as an
explanation. It’s also true that under Trump, deficits have risen to levels not
seen since 2012.
But this is unlikely to have provided the economy with a major boost. First, the
tax reform’s benefits flowed mostly to the wealthy. Wealthier people tend not to
change their consumption much in response to changes in income, because unlike
poor and middle-class people they have no pressing need to pay off their debts
or buy necessities. Fiscal stimulus also tends to have much less of an effect
when the economy is healthy than when it’s in recession. Thus, the tax cuts
probably provided little stimulus while raising the deficit.
So if it wasn’t the tax reform, what’s keeping the recovery rolling along?
Low interest rates haven’t yet sparked a consumer borrowing boom; the ratio of
household debt to gross domestic product remains at low levels and shows no
signs of rising.
Trump might assert that his trade war helped. But exports didn’t go up during
the past year. And if US consumers are shifting from imported goods to
domestically produced ones, the shift is very minor.
The recent weakness in business investment, especially in manufacturing, also
suggests that the US is not benefiting from a wave of reshoring by multinational
companies. Chinese labor costs have risen, and China has become a less
attractive investment destination because of the trade war and Chinese
government policies. But so far, companies are mostly just shifting their
overseas production to other low-cost countries like Vietnam rather than
bringing it back to the US.
The truth is, there’s no obvious driver of US growth. The most likely
explanation is that the economy is simply in a phase of boring normality.
Most people tend to think of the business cycle as a series of alternating booms
and busts. The US economic record seems to confirm this, with recessions coming
at least once a decade. But while this is certainly possible, most macroeconomic
models envision the economy as a production machine that just keeps chugging
until some sort of shock disturbs it from equilibrium.
Since the end of World War II, there have been three main types of shocks that
have thrown the US economy off kilter: financial bubbles and crashes, Federal
Reserve interest rate hikes or big increases in oil prices. None of these are
threatening now. The rise in risky leveraged lending doesn’t seem big enough to
cause another financial crisis. Vivid memories of the crash of 2008 are probably
preventing excessive speculation in stocks and housing, while the Dodd-Frank
financial reforms and the scars of that disaster probably are holding back
financial institutions from piling up excessive risks. Meanwhile, oil prices and
gasoline prices are at moderate levels, and the Fed in 2019 reversed some of the
interest rate increases of prior years. Much has been made of Trump’s trade war,
but so far the real impact has been minor even in sectors such as agriculture.
So US consumers simply have little reason to stop consuming. They’ve deleveraged
since the crash, their homes are appreciating modestly in value, their wages are
rising at a decent rate and their pensions are doing fine. Barring a new
financial crisis, a major Chinese collapse, a sharp reversal of course from the
Fed, or more dramatic meddling from Trump, the economy may simply keep sailing
along.
Question: "What is agape love?"
GotQuestions.org/February 14/2020
Answer: The Greek word agape is often translated “love” in the New Testament.
How is “agape love” different from other types of love? The essence of agape
love is goodwill, benevolence, and willful delight in the object of love. Unlike
our English word love, agape is not used in the New Testament to refer to
romantic or sexual love. Nor does it refer to close friendship or brotherly
love, for which the Greek word philia is used. Agape love involves faithfulness,
commitment, and an act of the will. It is distinguished from the other types of
love by its lofty moral nature and strong character. Agape love is beautifully
described in 1 Corinthians 13.
Outside of the New Testament, the word agape is used in a variety of contexts,
but in the New Testament it takes on a distinct meaning. Agape is used to
describe the love that is of and from God, whose very nature is love itself:
“God is love” (1 John 4:8). God does not merely love; He is love itself.
Everything God does flows from His love. Agape is also used to describe our love
for God (Luke 10:27), a servant’s faithful respect to his master (Matthew 6:24),
and a man’s attachment to things (John 3:19).
The type of love that characterizes God is not a sappy, sentimental feeling such
as we often hear portrayed. God loves because that is His nature and the
expression of His being. He loves the unlovable and the unlovely, not because we
deserve to be loved or because of any excellence we possess, but because it is
His nature to love and He must be true to His nature.
Agape love is always shown by what it does. God’s love is displayed most clearly
at the cross. “God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he
loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with
Christ—by grace you have been saved” (Ephesians 2:4–5, ESV). We did not deserve
such a sacrifice, “but God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we
were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). God’s agape love is
unmerited, gracious, and constantly seeking the benefit of the ones He loves.
The Bible says we are the undeserving recipients of His lavish agape love (1
John 3:1). God’s demonstration of agape love led to the sacrifice of the Son of
God for those He loves.
We are to love others with agape love, whether they are fellow believers (John
13:34) or bitter enemies (Matthew 5:44). Jesus gave the parable of the Good
Samaritan as an example of sacrifice for the sake of others, even for those who
may care nothing at all for us. Agape love as modeled by Christ is not based on
a feeling; rather, it is a determined act of the will, a joyful resolve to put
the welfare of others above our own.
Agape love does not come naturally to us. Because of our fallen nature, we are
incapable of producing such a love. If we are to love as God loves, that
love—that agape—can only come from its Source. This is the love that “has been
poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us”
when we became His children (Romans 5:5; cf. Galatians 5:22). “This is how we
know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay
down our lives for our brothers and sisters” (1 John 3:16). Because of God’s
love toward us, we are able to love one another.
*Recommended Resource: The Difficult Doctrine of the Love of God by D.A. Carson
Death of AQAP Leader Shows the Group’s Fragmentation—and
Durability
Elisabeth Kendall/The Washington Institute/February 14/2020
Although the Yemeni terrorist franchise has splintered and weakened in recent
years, its fragments may be adapting to new conflict conditions, raising the
risk of a comeback.
On February 6, President Trump confirmed that the leader of al-Qaeda in the
Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), Qassim al-Raimi, had been killed during a U.S.
counterterrorism operation in Yemen. No date or details were given, though
rumors of Raimi’s death in a U.S. drone strike began to circulate in online
jihadist forums in late January. While his death “brings us closer to
eliminating the threats these groups pose to our national security,” as the
president stated, the near-term effects may be limited—partly because AQAP is no
longer the strongest branch of the al-Qaeda franchise, and also because killing
any individual leader can only have so much of an impact.
RAIMI’S SIGNIFICANCE
Raimi ticked a lot of boxes for an al-Qaeda leader, enough to warrant a $10
million U.S. bounty. He burnished his jihadist credentials in Afghanistan in the
1990s, did jail time, became a hero after a daring prison break, helped oversee
the merger of the group’s Saudi and Yemeni branches, and proved himself a
skilled military planner. As AQAP’s senior military leader, he was linked to
several headline-grabbing operations inside Yemen, bombing foreign tour groups
and the U.S. embassy in the late 2000s alongside hundreds of operations against
domestic targets. Overseas, the group was directly or inspirationally linked to
numerous plots, including failed efforts to blow up a passenger jet and two
cargo planes.
AQAP’s ability to strike abroad has been severely curtailed since Raimi became
leader in 2015, but its efforts to inspire other attackers remain strong.
Earlier this month, Raimi was shown in a video claiming responsibility for the
December 6 shooting at a U.S. base in Pensacola. He urged Muslims in America to
launch attacks by whatever means possible, having previously assured them of an
elevated status in paradise in his 2017 video “Lone Mujahid.” This inspirational
threat remains real, especially since deceased AQAP leaders have a habit of
living on via recirculated and recycled video footage.
But one should not overplay Raimi’s status. The group fragmented and weakened
under his leadership, and he never quite managed to fill the shoes of his
predecessor, Nasir al-Wuhayshi, who was among half a dozen senior AQAP figures
lost to drone strikes in early 2015. Wuhayshi graduated from a religious
institute, but Raimi’s religious credentials were weak. Moreover, Raimi was born
in northern Yemen with family origins in Raymah governorate, so he lacked his
Abyan-born predecessor’s local touch with tribes in AQAP’s southern strongholds.
He was also low on humor and charm compared to Wuhayshi, resulting in media
output that was prolific but uncharismatic—as demonstrated by a marathon lecture
series in which he strung out mundane musings on a medieval Islamic war treatise
across forty episodes. In short, he was a military leader, not an ideologue.
His removal still carries practical and symbolic significance, of course. But
this significance is limited so long as there is someone to step into the shoes
of the latest “martyred” leader. The issue for AQAP is that it is running out of
high-caliber leaders and seasoned veterans of the 1990s Afghan jihad. A massive
counterterrorism campaign—including over 120 U.S. strikes in 2017 alone—put a
large dent in this talent pool and severely curtailed AQAP’s ability to train
the next generation of leaders.
As of this writing, the group has not announced Raimi’s successor or even
acknowledged his death. This is unusual, since it announced Wuhayshi’s death and
appointed his successor within three days. Concerned supporters have started
asking for clarification in online forums, pointing to an organization in
disarray.
Four senior figures have been mentioned as potential candidates to replace Raimi,
though they are hardly the only options: Saad al-Awlaki, Khalid Batarfi, Ibrahim
al-Qosi, or Ibrahim al-Banna. All four have multi-million-dollar bounties on
their heads, leaving them with minimal room to maneuver, let alone revive AQAP
to its heyday.
A WEAKENED ORGANIZATION
AQAP is at its weakest point in a decade, at least in terms of its identity as a
coherent group with a primarily religious ideology. Its dream of establishing an
Islamic state in Yemen lies in tatters. At its peak in 2015-16, it had taken
advantage of the country’s descent into war to recruit broadly, fill its
coffers, and establish a proto-state governed from the eastern port city of al-Mukalla.
Today, however, the AQAP core struggles to hold even a small patch of territory
among the rugged hilltops of northwest al-Bayda. For the past year-and-a-half,
it has been dragged into a distracting battle with the group calling itself
“ISIS" in al-Bayda, and breakaway fragments have fanned out to other parts of
the country.
Meanwhile, incessant drone strikes have convinced the group that it has been
infiltrated by informers, leading it to severely limit communications and
essentially paralyze itself. Since 2014, it has devoted ten videos to the
subject of outing internal spies. Some commentators in AQAP supporter forums
even suggested at times that Raimi himself might be an informer, since he was
one of the few senior figures to survive years’ worth of U.S. decapitation
strikes. Such suspicions and infighting have further fragmented the group.
Simultaneously, the number of operations formally claimed by AQAP has dropped
significantly since 2017, particularly over the past four months. This is partly
due to a concerted effort by law enforcement agencies to shut down its presence
on Telegram and other online services. The group has shifted to other platforms,
but its output there remains minimal.
Interestingly, AQAP has claimed significantly fewer attacks than those
attributed to it. This may stem in part from its internal communication
struggles. But it is also likely a consequence of other actors in the Yemen war
“false flagging” some operations to AQAP as cover for their own political
motives. Alternatively, AQAP may be ignoring operations by former affiliates it
now considers rogue; indeed, several claims made by self-identifying AQAP groups
have not been disseminated by its official wire.
Various coalition militias in the south also appear to be coopting AQAP
fragments. These militia forces can be roughly split into pro-government and
pro-southern secessionist camps. Although the evidence points in different
directions, AQAP’s general ideological aversion to secession is ripe for
exploitation (the group’s leaders reject manmade borders and depict
secessionists as godless socialists). AQAP operations against pro-secessionist
forces spiked last August, coinciding with the assertion of political authority
by the Southern Transitional Council. The pro-STC Security Belt forces in Abyan
have been one of AQAP’s main targets over the past two years, second only to
ISIS in al-Bayda. The Houthis have dropped into remote third place, despite AQAP
ideologues casting them as the infidel Shia foot soldiers of Iran.
This raises the question of whether AQAP or some of its fragments are
transitioning from holy warriors into guns-for-hire—and, if so, whether they are
doing so for ideological, political, or financial reasons. The answer remains
opaque even to eagle-eyed Yemen watchers, owing to the complex local tapestry of
overlapping interests, fluid loyalties, false-flag attacks, and media
distortion. In this context, it is becoming increasingly difficult to define
precisely what or who AQAP is. One thing is clear, however: circumstances often
change quickly in Yemen, so AQAP could regain its potency as a terrorist threat
in short order if the landscape shifts once again.
NOT A FATAL BLOW
An increasingly politicized incarnation of al-Qaeda in Yemen may be coming to
the fore. Whether by choice or necessity, some AQAP fighters may be evolving
from ideological jihadists into guns-for-hire. Even so, the ideological core of
AQAP remains. Killing Raimi struck a blow, but it was far from fatal. As Yemen
unravels and warring sides fragment, AQAP will find it easier to regroup and
prosper again.
Perversely, a peace deal may make the country even more vulnerable to AQAP for a
time, since it would inevitably leave some segments of the population feeling
sidelined and myriad fighters without paymasters. This could prove fertile
recruitment ground for AQAP leaders if they adapt their narrative of global
jihad to speak to local grievances. Accordingly, the UN, Britain, the United
States, and other stakeholders should take advantage of the group’s current
disarray and take steps to ensure that no Yemeni factions are left behind—in
part by addressing the underlying conditions that generate extremism, but also
by introducing transparent mechanisms for inclusive representation at peace
talks.
*Elisabeth Kendall is a senior research fellow in Arabic and Islamic studies at
Pembroke College, University of Oxford.
US and Russia compete to be Ankara’s best friend
Sinem Cengiz/Arab News/February 14/2020
For decades, the saying, “the Turk has no friend but the Turk,” has resonated
with the Turkish public, reflecting the general sentiment in the country. Its
continued relevance was confirmed by a poll in December, carried out by Kadir
Has University in Istanbul, that suggested a majority of Turkish citizens do not
believe countries such as Russia and the US are friends of Turkey.
This negative sentiment toward both countries has proved to be right, given
recent developments in Syria, and Ankara’s relations with Moscow and Washington
in general.
The situation in Syria’s north-western province of Idlib, and the deaths of 13
Turkish military personnel there as a result of attacks by the Syrian regime,
has occupied much of Ankara’s domestic and foreign policy agenda in the past
week — and it seems likely to remain the top issue for some time if the dust
does not start to settle soon.
On the one hand, military deployment on an unprecedented scale continues after
Turkey pushed the button to bolster its presence in the area. On the other,
diplomatic efforts to find a middle path, or at least defuse the tension,
continue between the Turks, Americans and Russians. As the levels of diplomatic
activity have increased in parallel with the levels of tensions in Idlib, the
Americans and Russians have started to point the finger at each other in an
attempt to show Ankara which of them is the better “friend.”
A message posted on Twitter by the Russian Embassy in Ankara late on Wednesday
contained the message “We leave you to judge” alongside two conflicting
screenshots that suggested the hypocrisy of the US stance of categorizing the
People’s Protection Units (YPG), the Syrian wing of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party
(PKK), as a terrorist group.
However, pro-government journalists criticized Russia, which does not categorize
the PKK as a terrorist group while the US, EU and many other countries do so, on
paper at least. Russia also drew heavy criticism from Turkish officials when the
YPG opened an office in Moscow in 2016.
Since the launch in early 2017 of the Astana peace process for Syria, Turkish
officials, including President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, have been very careful
about criticizing their partners in the peace process, namely Russia and Iran.
However, Erdogan’s statement after the attacks on Turkish troops was an
exception and a clear indication of Ankara’s red lines. In a strong speech, he
underlined the assistance that Moscow and Tehran have given to the regime forces
in their battle to recapture Idlib. “The Syrian regime, Russia and Iran-backed
militias continuously massacre civilians in Idlib,” he said.
The Turkish president’s comments raised eyebrows in Moscow, which in turn
accused Ankara of breaching a 2018 deal. Ankara and Moscow had agreed in Sochi
to halt acts of aggression and designate Idlib a de-escalation zone that would
be monitored by 12 Turkish observation points.
However, the Syrian regime has consistently violated the cease-fire, launching
frequent attacks inside the de-escalation zone that have killed at least 300
civilians since December and displaced 520,000 people. More than 1.5 million
Syrians have moved toward the Turkish border in the past year as a result of the
intense attacks.
As part of the diplomatic efforts, there has been a flurry of activity between
Ankara, Washington and Moscow in recent months. First, the US special envoy for
Syria, James Jeffrey, visited Ankara to discuss the situation in Idlib with
Turkish officials, pledging that his country will give as much support as
possible to Turkey. In addition, Turkish and US defense ministers gathered in
Brussels for a meeting with their NATO counterparts, during which they discussed
the situations in Syria and Iraq.
Meanwhile, Erdogan and Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin had a telephone
conversation during which they failed to reach an agreement on Idlib but did at
least agree to a meeting of foreign affairs, defense and intelligence officials.
This will take place in Moscow soon. It will be the third time Russian and
Turkish officials have met; Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu revealed that a
Russian delegation has visited Ankara twice for meetings about Idlib.
While the atmosphere remains pessimistic in the Turkish capital regarding these
meetings, no one wants a war between Turkey and Syria. As the situation in Idlib
escalates and enters a particularly dangerous phase — with Turkey on the one
side and Assad-Russia-Iran on the other — tensions could be defused and further
escalation prevented through a joint, solid stance boosted by diplomacy.
Turkey faces huge security, financial and refugee burdens as a result of the
prolonged war in Syria.
Erdogan described the attack on the Turkish army as a start of a new era in
Syria and vowed to take military action if regime forces do not withdraw from
the de-escalation zone by the end of February. The events that unfold in the
next two weeks will therefore be crucial.
Turkey’s unprecedented military deployment and Erdogan’s open message seem to
suggest that Ankara is taking the matter very seriously. The situation on the
ground shows that Turkish forces are the only obstacle impeding the advance of
Syrian regime forces. Ankara is sending the message that it will not abandon
Syria, because leaving the war-torn country would mean giving up a say in its
future.
Russia and Iran are not immediate neighbors of Syria, nor are the US and
European countries. Turkey is, and it faces huge security, financial and refugee
burdens as a result of the prolonged war.
While the US and Russia continue to try to show Ankara which of them is the more
reliable friend, Turkey has rolled up its sleeves, both diplomatically and
militarily, for a new phase in the Syrian conflict.
*Sinem Cengiz is a Turkish political analyst who specializes in Turkey’s
relations with the Middle East. Twitter: @SinemCngz
Saudi-American relationship cornerstone of global stability
Princess Reema bint Bandar Al-Saud/Arab News/February 14/2020
Seventy-five years ago, US President Franklin Delano Roosevelt met with Soviet
Premier Joseph Stalin and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill to begin
planning Europe’s recovery from World War II.
Following the Yalta Conference, President Roosevelt didn’t immediately begin his
weeks-long return to the US; instead, he scheduled one additional stop.
A meeting with Saudi Arabia’s King Abdul Aziz aboard the USS Quincy in the Great
Bitter Lake on the Suez Canal.
It would be the first and only meeting of these two historic influential
leaders.
King Abdul Aziz, modern Saudi Arabia’s founder and first king, was a battlefield
warrior, who as a young man expanded and unified the Kingdom.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt, victor of four US presidential elections and author
of the transformational New Deal, guided the US through two of the 20th
century’s principal crises — the Great Depression and World War II.
It was a turning point in world history. King Abdul Aziz and President Roosevelt
both understood that what was at stake was far more than just the immediate
recovery of post-war Europe and Germany.
These two leaders saw this as the time for new alliances and partnerships that
would expand existing bilateral relationships, forge new economic ties and
create new international institutions that would be essential for global peace
and security.
Both leaders recognized that establishing a sustained and lasting global
stability would require new international bonds — and that if the US and Saudi
Arabia were to help develop this new approach to global, collective security —
both leaders and both nations would need to look beyond their own provincial
interests.
As it would turn out, what was good for both nations, was also good for the
world.
The king and the president saw that a groundbreaking partnership between Saudi
Arabia and the US would both transform the region and diplomatically reshape the
world.
Saudi Arabia would become the US’ first ally in the Middle East.
Saudi Arabia chose the US as its first international ally — a move that would
truly recalibrate the balance of global power in the region — not just
immediately, but for decades to come.
The Saudi-US partnership became — and still remains — a cornerstone of global
security and stability.
But when King Abdul Aziz and President Roosevelt met, nothing about the meeting
between these two men was guaranteed.
The mere convening of the meeting itself was dangerous.
The war was not yet over.
Our friendship has become critical to preserving global peace and stability and
to fostering economic prosperity.
Princess Reema bint Bandar Al-Saud
No one even had any idea whether these two men, with seemingly little in common,
would actually get along — the essential first step in any relationship between
our two nations.
But they did...
They found common ground, mutual respect, and a shared commitment to bringing
our nations together in a relationship that would transcend the bumps and
difficulties of day-to-day political and diplomatic differences and challenges —
both nations always able to keep in mind the big picture, the deep bonds between
our nations, the vital importance of our alliance to regional and global
security.
Our friendship has become critical to preserving global peace and stability and
to fostering economic prosperity.
It is a partnership that would have our two nations work together, and fight
together, to overcome common enemies and confront terrorism and extremism.
A partnership that would enable our two nations to strengthen international
economic development and ensure the benefits of that development were widely and
fairly shared.
A partnership that would stabilize global energy markets, as Saudi Arabia and
the US cooperated to keep energy supplies safe and secure.
And it has been a strong relationship — one that has yielded extraordinary
benefits for both nations and continues to do so.
In the 75 years since that meeting, the Saudi-US alliance has:
• Partnered to defeat communism;
• Ensured stable global energy markets;
• Reversed Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait;
• Led a global campaign to eliminate Al-Qaeda and ISIS (Daesh);
• Coordinated counterterrorism efforts that have saved thousands of innocent
lives;
• And delivered unprecedented economic development to the Arab world.
This is the legacy of King Abdul Aziz and President Roosevelt and their meeting
75 years ago...
A relationship between our two nations that remains strong...
A relationship that continues to be a force for prosperity and peace...
A partnership that ensures stability and security...
And a friendship that promotes dialogue and understanding.
• Princess Reema bint Bandar Al-Saud is Saudi Arabia's Ambassador to the United
States