LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
January 17.2020
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
The Bulletin's Link on the lccc Site
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Bible Quotations For today
Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and
learn what this means, I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” For I have come to call
not the righteous but sinners.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 09/09-13/:”As Jesus was
walking along, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth; and he said
to him, ‘Follow me.’ And he got up and followed him. And as he sat at dinner in
the house, many tax-collectors and sinners came and were sitting with him and
his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, ‘Why
does your teacher eat with tax-collectors and sinners?’But when he heard this,
he said, ‘Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are
sick. Go and learn what this means, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” For I have
come to call not the righteous but sinners.”
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese
Related News & Editorials published on January 16-17/2020
No solutions in Lebanon without Dismantling Hezbollah and eradicating its
Iranian cancerous occupation/Elias Bejjani/16 January/2020
The Occupier Hezbollah Stands Behind All Acts Of Violence, chaos &
Corruption/Elias Bejjani/January 15/2020
A Revolution That Does Not Call For The Liberation Of Lebanon Is A mere Tool for
the Occupier that is Hezbollah/Elias Bejjani/January 15/2020
Lebanon on the brink of forming government, top Berri aid says/Georgi Azar/Annahar/
January 16/2020
Govt. Formation Efforts Suffer New Setback after Optimism
Aoun receives head and members Constitutional Council, MP Dergham
Rahi meets Press Syndicate: Constitution the weakest party in Lebanon
Choucair: They want to blame telecom sector's 20-year problems on me
Othman Apologizes to Media, Says ISF Facing 'Great Violence, Infiltrators'
Hassan Says Force against Journalists ‘Unjustified,’ Vows Accountability
Reports: Govt. May be Formed Friday after 'Decisive' Berri-Diab Meeting
Hariri Lashes Out at Sayyed in War of Tweets
'Let Them Try': Hariri Warns against Firing Othman
Lebanon detains 100 after protests turn violent
Beirut shaken by ‘barbaric’ protests crackdown
Lebanon anti-bank protests rock Beirut for second night
Protesters clash with Lebanese security in Beirut for second night in a row
Lebanese Protesters Decry Security Forces' Use of Violence
Lebanese Protesters Stage Peaceful Demos
British Ambassador Visits Tripoli, Meets Beneficiaries and Mayor
UN official blames politicians for ‘dangerous chaos’ in Lebanon
Lebanese economist Ghazi Wazni to be named finance minister in new govt
Lebanon close to forming new govt: Caretaker finance minister
Jumblat Warns 'Destruction of Banks' Would Destroy Lebanon
Court charges Nancy Ajram’s husband with intruder’s murder
Lebanon police forced to apologise after brutalising activists in most violent
night since protests began/Gaia Caramazza/The New Arab/January 16/2020
Lebanese unlikely to welcome Diab’s government/Randa Takieddine/Arab
News/January 16/2020
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on
January 16-17/2020
Iran’s nuclear enrichment at higher level than before 2015 deal: Rouhani
US sentences two Iranian agents to prison for spying
US Treasury will allow 90-day wind-down period for fresh Iran sanctions
Rouhani says Iran wants dialogue, working to ‘prevent war’
Grieving nations demand Iran compensate relatives of plane attack victims
EU diplomacy chief urges Iran’s Zarif to ‘preserve’ nuclear deal
Iran says ‘high school bully’ Trump forcing Europeans on nuclear deal
France to deploy aircraft carrier to support Middle East operations
US military resumes counter-ISIS operations in Iraq
Iraq denies resuming joint operations with US-led coalition
‘The time is now’ for US-Iraq talks on strategic partnership: US official
Erdogan says Turkey starting troop deployment to Libya
UN says around 350,000 people have fled Idlib since Dec. 1
Intense fighting in Syria’s Idlib kills 39: Monitor
More than 500 dead in Syria’s al-Hol in 2019: Medics
First Gaza rockets against Israel since Soleimani killing
Far-right Israeli parties join forces ahead of March election
Egypt, Ethiopia, Sudan to finalize agreement on Blue Nile dam later this month
Japanese resident confirmed to have new virus from China, UAE remains unaffected
Trump Impeachment Trial Begins at U.S. Senate
Titles For The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources published on January 16-17/2020
Iran has retaliation options beyond Hormuz in hitting Gulf oil supplies/Cyril
Widdershoven/Al Arabiya/January 16/2020
Specter of war in the Middle East rises as America retreats/Bernard Haykel/Al
Arabiya/January 16/2020
Iranian regime under pressure from three sides/Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Arab
News/January 16/2020
Uncertainty remains despite US-China trade agreement/Cornelia Meyer/Arab
News/January 16/2020
Iran's mullahs taking advantage of unexpected sacrificial lamb/Claude Salhani/The
Arab Weekly/January 16/2020
Details Of The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese
Related News & Editorial published on January 16-17/2020
No solutions in Lebanon without Dismantling
Hezbollah and eradicating its Iranian cancerous occupation
Elias Bejjani/16 January/2020
To the revolutionaries, high rank clergymen, and to all those who are patriotic,
sovereign and honourable in occupied Lebanon, the Land Of the Cedars: for
heavens sake address and name loudly the occupier which is the terrorist and
criminal Iranian Hezbollah, and stop your cowardice and Dhimmitude approaches.
Witness for the truth and lead, or resign and let those who are courageous and
capable to take the lead.
The Occupier Hezbollah Stands Behind All
Acts Of Violence, chaos & Corruption
Elias Bejjani/January 15/2020
المحتل حزب الله هو وراء كل اعمال العنف والفساد والفوضى
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/82321/elias-bejjani-the-occupier-hezbollah-stands-behind-all-acts-of-violence-chaos-corruption-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%85%d8%ad%d8%aa%d9%84-%d8%ad%d8%b2%d8%a8-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%84%d9%87-%d9%87%d9%88-%d9%88%d8%b1/
There is no shed of doubt that all acts of violence from all sorts, no matter
big or small, that are taking place in Lebanon and criminally inflicted on the
oppressed and impoverished Lebanese people are planned and executed by
Hezbollah’s armed mercenaries, proxies and thugs.
The terrorist Iranian armed proxy, The so called Hezbollah, is directly or
covertly fully accountable for all the hardships and all the miseries that the
Lebanese people are encountering, including the current economic and banking
sector devastating ongoing crisis.
The saddening reality that every Lebanese MUST grasp and act accordingly is that
Lebanon is an Iranian occupied country by all means and in accordance to all
legal and UN criteria.
According there will be no solutions in any domain, or at any level, before the
full and immediate implementation of the three UN resolutions that address
Lebanon:
The Armistice agreement, the 1559 and 1701 Resolutions.
Meanwhile, sadly, the majority of the Lebanese politicians from all religious
denominational backgrounds and affiliations are mere puppets and do not serve
Lebanon’s or the Lebanese interests and welfare, but serve evilly and
narcissistically those of Hezbollah’s Iranian schemes.
It remains very obvious that all Lebanon’s officials including the president,
house Speaker, Prime Minister, as well as all narcissistic owners of the so
called falsely political parties have sold themselves and their dignity to the
Hezbollah occupier with much more less than thirty pieces of silver.
A Revolution That Does Not Call For The Liberation Of Lebanon Is A mere Tool for
the Occupier that is Hezbollah
Elias Bejjani/January 15/2020
A revolution that flaunts, hails and
turns a blind eye on the Mullahs' Iranian Hezbollah occupation, terrorism,
crimes, trafficking, regional wars, and at the same time advocates for its big
lie of resistance is definitely a revolution of hypocrisy. Such a revolution
carries it own failure and only serves the occupier's Iranian devastating
agenda.
Lebanon on the brink of
forming government, top Berri aid says
Georgi Azar/Annahar/ January 16/2020
BEIRUT: Lebanon is on the brink of forming a new Cabinet after more than four
months of political turmoil, caretaker Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil said
Thursday. “We are on the brink of forming a government made up of experts,”
Hassan Khalil said after he attended a meeting with Speaker Nabih Berri and
Prime Minister-designate Hassan Diab. Khalil confirmed that the government
will include 18 "experts", yet stopped short of including the word independent,
a core demand of protestors. Diab, nominated almost a month ago, vowed that he
would form a government of independent experts but has faced pushback from the
Amal Movement, Hezbollah and the Free Patriotic Movement. Since Monday, Lebanon
has been rocked by a fresh wave of protests that turned violent as security
forces have used a heightened level of force. In response, protesters Thursday
decried security forces’ use of violence during rallies over the past two days,
including attacks on journalists and the detention of over 100 people. Dozens of
people, including journalists, rallied outside the Interior Ministry denouncing
what they said was the systematic use of force against members of the media.
Many raised photos of journalists getting beaten by riot police. Others gathered
outside the American University of Beirut and a police station where dozens have
been detained since Tuesday.
Berri, Diab Agree on Govt. of
Specialists in 'Very Positive Meeting'
Naharnet/January 16/2020
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister-designate Hassan Diab held
talks Thursday in Ain el-Tineh and agreed on the formation of a “government of
specialists,” Berri’s political aide said. “The meeting was very positive and it
was a continuation of constant communication,” caretaker Finance Minister Ali
Hassan Khalil told reporters after the meeting. “It created an atmosphere that
led to an agreement on the formation of a government of specialists that would
represent the broadest segments of society,” Khalil added. “We made major
progress today and we are on the verge of the formation of the new government,
which will be an 18-minister government of specialists as PM-designate Diab has
suggested,” the minister went on to say. Noting that Diab has followed “unified
standards” in the distribution of seats, Khalil said it is important to “move to
the formation phase as soon as possible.”
Govt. Formation Efforts Suffer New Setback after Optimism
Naharnet/January 16/2020
Efforts to form a new government suffered a new setback Thursday evening, after
optimism surged in the wake of a meeting between Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime
Minister-designate Hassan Diab. “It seems that the government formation process
has been put on hold and Marada Movement sources have said that it turned out
that there are eight ministers who are loyal to (Free Patriotic Movement chief
Jebran) Bassil,” MTV reported. “Marada sources said that joining the government
is not a stroll, adding that they prefer to enter it with dignity,” the TV
network added. The sources also said that Marada will not “obstruct the
government’s work” but “will not take part if this government is Bassil’s
government.” “It turned out that there are veiled faces who are loyal to Bassil,”
they decried. MTV added that another obstacle is related to MP Talal Arslan’s
demand to get the industry portfolio for his party. In this regard, President
Michel Aoun “suggested raising the number of ministers to 20 to allow appointing
a second Druze minister, but PM-designate Hassan Diab is insisting on keeping
the number at 18,” MTV said. It said that the Marada is also demanding two seats
instead of only one, adding that Hizbullah is expected to intervene to resolve
these obstacles.'
Aoun receives head and members
Constitutional Council, MP Dergham
NNA/January 16/2020
The President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun, met, this morning at the
Presidential Palace, the Head of the Constitutional Council, Judge Tannus
Mashlab, accompanied by members of the Council. The delegation extended
congratulations to the President, on the occasion of the holidays. The
conversation tackled the work of the Council and the general situation in the
country. President Aoun also met MP, Asaad Dergham and deliberated with him
current developments, in addition to the needs of the Akkar region, and the
difficulties encountered by the people of Akkar, in the current situation.
President Aoun met the Lebanese Ambassador to Jordan, Tracy Chamoun, and
discussed with her the relations between Lebanon and Jordan.--Presidency Press
Office
Rahi meets Press Syndicate: Constitution the weakest party in Lebanon
NNA/January 16/2020
Maronite Patriarch, Cardinal Mar Bechara Boutros Rahi, on Thursday regretted
that amid all the hubbub currently spiraling the nation, the weakest party was
the Lebanese constitution. Rahi was speaking before a visiting delegation
representing the press syndicate, along with its president, Aouni Kaaki. In the
wake of the meeting, Kaaki relayed Rahi's appeal to the political class to set
aside personal interests "because the country is on the brink of collapse." He
also indicated that Rahi believed that it was totally up to the designated Prime
Minister and the President of the Republic to form a government. "Fact is,
political parties have been participating in the formation of the government,
which is not constitutionally correct," he added as quoting Rahi. According to
Kaaki, Rahi also warned politicians from taking the demands of citizens lightly,
requesting of the Prime Minister to carry out his task and not give up. As for
the resignation of the President of the Republic, Kaaki reiterated Rahi's firm
stance against it and asserted that a Christian summit will be held soon if the
formation of a government is not announced in the near future.
Choucair: They want to blame telecom sector's 20-year
problems on me
NNA/January 16/2020
Caretaker Minister of Telecommunications, Mohammad Choucair, addressed a press
conference this Thursday at the Ministry’s headquarters in Beirut DT, saying "on
February 15, I submitted the specifications book to the Cabinet which, in turn,
instructed me to renew the contracts of the two cellular companies," noting "the
government gave ministers a month-long period to study [the specifications], and
they differed in politics over one article touching on the dispute over
accepting or rejecting the participation of a non-Lebanese company in the
tender."
"When the contract deadline expired, I had to renew it, but I will not shoulder
this responsibility, in light of the public's reaction. They want to blame the
problems of the telecommunications sector for over 20 years on me. I, however,
will only act as stipulated by the law," the Minister stressed. Commenting on
the recruitment accusations, Choucair said "employment requires a cabinet
decision; so how can I recruit 2100 employees? I am the only minister who has
been assigned this ministry and yet made no recruitments into the Alfa and Touch
companies.”
Othman Apologizes to Media,
Says ISF Facing 'Great Violence, Infiltrators'
Naharnet/January 16/2020
Internal Security Forces chief Maj. Gen. Imad Othman apologized to journalists
and media outlets on Thursday following a new night of violent demos that
involved assaults on journalists at the hands of ISF members. “I sincerely
apologize to the media and to the journalists who were covering the events
yesterday outside the Helou barracks,” Othman said at a rare press conference.
“A probe has been launched into the attacks on journalists,” he added. “The ISF
members are not robots and they err as every human,” Othman explained. He
lamented that policemen are “facing great violence and infiltrators who have
criminal records.”“Going to a military barracks and attacking it is something
totally unacceptable and the law considers it a crime,” Othman added, referring
to the fierce clashes outside the Helou barracks in the Beirut areas of Mar
Elias and Corniche al-Mazraa. “When a policeman is hit by a rock, this is
considered attempted murder, and this is not a simple thing at all,” Othman
warned. He added: “Do you want security forces to withdraw from their role in
preserving security? Is the revolution a place for violence, rioting, chaos and
attempted murder?”Earlier on Thursday, protesters decried the ISF’s use of
violence during rallies over the past two days, including the attacks on
journalists and the detention of over 100 people. Dozens of people, including
journalists, rallied outside the Interior Ministry denouncing what they said was
the systematic use of force against members of the media. Many raised photos of
journalists getting beaten by riot police. Protests turned violent Tuesday in
Beirut’s Hamra area when demonstrators pelted security forces with stones and
water bottles and smashed windows of commercial banks they accuse of corruption
and denying them their deposits. Security forces responded by firing tear gas
heavily, beating up several protesters and arresting dozens of people. A fresh
round of similar violence erupted overnight Wednesday outside an ISF barracks in
Beirut and a number of nearby banks were vandalized.
Hassan Says Force against
Journalists ‘Unjustified,’ Vows Accountability
Caretaker Interior Minister Raya el-Hassan on Thursday said nothing justifies
the use of violence against journalists, noting that military force inflicted on
press members a day earlier was “unintentional.”Hassan, who emerged from the
Interior Ministry to give a statement to a rally of journalists who attended a
sit-in outside the ministry, said: “We strongly denounce violence against the
press, but believe the security forces are very tired” after more than 90 days
on the ground to maintain security. In scuffles between security forces and
protesters Wednesday evening, several members of the press were injured. “It is
totally unacceptable and I take responsibility for the use of force because I am
the head of the pyramid. But, you should stand in their shoes and tell me what
happens,” she said. “I assure you that no orders were given to behave violently,
not from me nor from the army command. What happened was unintentional,” she
said vowing accountability.Journalists attended a sit-in outside the ministry
protesting against the security forces’ use of force while covering protests
near one of their barracks a day earlier.
Reports: Govt. May be Formed
Friday after 'Decisive' Berri-Diab Meeting
Naharnet/January 16/2020
The new government is expected to be formed on Friday should the positive
atmosphere continue, media reports said. Prime Minister-designate Hassan Diab
has asked for 24 hours to resolve “minor issues that are still pending,” Voice
of Lebanon radio (93.3) quoted unnamed sources as saying.
MTV meanwhile reported that “all obstacles have been resolved,” saying the
government is expected to be formed “today, tomorrow or over the weekend at the
latest.”“The meeting between (Speaker Nabih) Berri and Diab lasted two hours and
it was decisive,” the TV network added. It also noted that Hizbullah and the
AMAL Movement have yet to submit the names of their ministers. Berri’s political
aide Ali Hassan Khalil meanwhile announced that the Speaker has agreed with Diab
on the formation of an 18-minister “government of specialists.”
Hariri Lashes Out at Sayyed in
War of Tweets
Naharnet/January 16/2020
Caretaker Prime Minister Saad Hariri on Thursday blasted MP Jamil al-Sayyed
after the lawmaker accused him of protecting Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh
for private financial interests. “To Jamil al-Sayyed, the genius in economy,
assassination, lying, fraud and deceit, the best thing for you is to shut up
after you stole, looted and imported explosives with your friend (Michel Samaha).
Don’t utter a single word,” Hariri tweeted. Earlier, Sayyed charged that Salameh
had given BankMed -- a Lebanese bank in which Hariri had shares -- “$400 million
from the people’s money in order to rescue it from bankruptcy.”Sayyed also
accused Salameh of “covering up for Bank Audi to give a loan worth $350 million
to (the businessman) Alaa al-Khawaja” to allegedly allow him to buy Hariri’s
shares in BankMed. “It is normal for you to protect him and protect other
corrupts, but the people are not stupid and the day of accountability is
coming,” Sayyed added.
'Let Them Try': Hariri Warns against Firing Othman
Naharnet/January 16/2020
Caretaker Prime Minister Saad Hariri on Thursday warned the upcoming government
against sacking Internal Security Forces chief Maj. Gen. Imad Othman. “Let them
try, I’m not Hassan” Diab, a defiant Hariri said, when told that there is an
“inclination” to fire Othman. Hariri was speaking after a financial meeting at
the Center House with caretaker Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil and Central
Bank Governor Riad Salameh. “The main problem is that the state has failed to
carry out the necessary reforms… Some want to fight political Harirism and this
is what has brought the country into this situation,” Hariri said. He added:
“I’m not siding with a person against another and I want to be honest with the
Lebanese. Yes, the central bank and banks are to blame for part of the problem
but they are not the entire problem.” “There will be a new government and it
must know what to do to rescue the financial situation,” the caretaker PM went
on to say. He also noted that the new government will “deal with the issue of
Eurobonds,” adding that his talks with Khalil and Salameh focused on “the
financial situation and banks.”
Lebanon detains 100 after
protests turn violent
AFP, Beirut/Thursday, 16 January 2020
Lebanon’s security forces were holding at least 100 anti-government protesters
Thursday, lawyers told AFP, after two nights of demonstrations that turned
violent in Beirut. An unprecedented nationwide movement of protests demanding an
end to endemic corruption and the wholesale removal of Lebanon’s political elite
broke out nearly three months ago. With little change in sight, protesters also
angered by a financial crisis they blame on Lebanon’s oligarchs resumed their
rallies with renewed determination Tuesday after a holiday lull.Protesters
vandalized several banks on the central Hamra street on Tuesday evening and
hurled rocks at anti-riot police, who responded with volleys of tear gas
canisters. Gathered in front of the Central Bank again on Wednesday, the
protesters then moved to a police station where some of their comrades had been
detained the previous night, leading to clashes that left dozens lightly
wounded. According to documents put together by a committee of lawyers defending
the protesters and seen by AFP, a total of 101 protesters are currently being
detained over the violence. “The total number of people arrested now tops 100,
it’s madness,” said Nizar Saghieh, who heads the Legal Agenda non-government
organisation. A fresh demonstration is planned on Thursday to demand the release
of those held. Prime Minister Saad Hariri resigned under pressure from the
street less than two weeks into the wave of protests but a new government has
still not been formed. After a long search for a suitable candidate, former
education minister and university professor Hassan Diab was nominated and tasked
with picking a new cabinet. Protesters have demanded a government of technocrats
excluding the household names that have symbolized Lebanon’s sectarian-based
politics for generations. Government formation talks have proved tough however
and despite pressure from Lebanon’s foreign partners and donors, Diab has yet to
announce his government.
Beirut shaken by ‘barbaric’
protests crackdown
Arab News/January 16/2020
BEIRUT: An upsurge of violence in Lebanon’s protests against the ruling elite,
with police meting out beatings and protesters hurling stones, has alarmed
rights groups and whipped up public fury. After a brief lull in largely peaceful
protests since October, people filled the streets again this week, angry at a
political class that has steered Lebanon into its worst economic crisis since a
1975-1990 civil war. On Tuesday and Wednesday, police wielding batons and firing
tear gas wounded and arrested dozens as protesters lit fires and smashed bank
facades and ATMs, Reuters journalists saw.
“These past two nights, they (police) were really barbaric,” said Cynthia
Sleiman, a charity worker and protester who ended up in hospital after Wednesday
night’s violence in Beirut. “I had just arrived and was looking for my friends
when the policeman grabbed me, hitting me on the head and neck. I fell to the
ground and blood was streaming out,” she said. Lebanon’s Internal Security
Forces (ISF) said they were pursuing rioters and 100 policemen were injured this
week. “The force member is suffering daily in the street,” ISF chief Imad Othman
said on Thursday. “He is not a robot, he is a human.”
A security source said at least 80 protesters were injured in two days and 72
others arrested. Many of those in detention would be released on Thursday, the
source said. Since the protests led Prime Minister Saad Al-Hariri to resign in
October, politicians have failed to agree a new cabinet or rescue plan for the
heavily-indebted economy. The Lebanese pound has lost nearly half its value,
dollar shortages have driven up prices and confidence in banks has collapsed.
Azza Al-Masri, a media researcher also injured on Wednesday, said she saw a
woman faint after police beat her up. “The viciousness was unlike anything I’ve
seen,” she said. Activists believe police violence may indicate Lebanon’s
establishment has lost patience with protesters and is also stung by public
wrath against banks, which have curbed access to savings and blocked most
transfers abroad. Human Rights Watch’s Beirut director Lama Fakih told Reuters
the group was concerned at excessive force by security forces amid rising
frustrations on both sides. She said there was no “strong message” from
government that police would be held responsible. A Lebanese media group said 15
journalists were attacked on Wednesday. One of them was a Reuters video
journalist, who was treated in hospital for head injuries and released. On
Thursday, lawyers, journalists and activists gathered at the interior ministry
and the justice palace in Beirut to complain about police violence. Interior
Minister Raya Al-Hassan told reporters she had not ordered a clampdown and
denounced attacks on media, while also urging understanding for police.
Lebanon anti-bank protests
rock Beirut for second night
AFP/Thursday, 16 January 2020
BEIRUT – Protesters in crisis-hit Lebanon clashed with security forces in Beirut
Wednesday, a day after demonstrators outraged by restrictions on dollar
withdrawals attacked bank branches with metal rods, fire extinguishers and
rocks.
Hundreds gathered again outside the central bank on Wednesday evening, moving to
a police station where more than 50 people were still detained following clashes
between demonstrators and security forces the previous night. They chanted
slogans and demanded the release of their comrades before security forces fired
teargas to disperse them. Four months into a protest movement against Lebanon’s
political class, demonstrators have turned their anger at the banks, most of
which have imposed informal capital controls to stave off a liquidity crunch.
That has trapped the savings of ordinary depositors in Lebanon’s worst economic
crisis since the 1975-1990 civil war.
Protester Yumna Mroue, 22, said the central bank’s financial policies had been
harming small savers for years.
“We’re in free-fall now. What happened last night comes from people’s real pain
and anger,” she said.
After a long day of protests and clashes, security forces released 10 people out
of more than 50 who were detained Tuesday night, according to local media and
activists. The Red Cross said a total of 47 people were injured Wednesday night,
37 of whom were taken to nearby hospitals. The ten others were treated on the
spot. A lawyer in the place told local media that 17 protesters were also
arrested during Wednesday clashes, the latest since Lebanon’s anti-government
protests demanding sweeping reform began on October 17. On Wednesday morning in
Hamra, most bank branches were left with smashed windows, destroyed ATMs and
graffiti-daubed walls after violent protest the previous night. Banks opened
despite the wreckage, as cleaners scrubbed paint off walls and workers replaced
smashed windows. “There is a lot of anger,” Alia, a passerby, told AFP in front
a damaged branch. “You have to go to the bank twice to withdraw just $200.”
On Wednesday evening, hundreds of demonstrators gathered in front of the central
bank, whose governor Riad Salameh they partly blame for the country’s financial
crisis. Security forces meanwhile imposed tight movement restrictions in Hamra,
closing the main road to the central bank. The state-run National News Agency
reported that some teargas canisters had fallen inside the Russian embassy, near
the police station housing the detainees. Activists said several people
including at least one video journalist had been injured in the clashes. Since
September, banks have limited the number of dollars customers can withdraw or
transfer abroad, in a country where the greenback and the Lebanese pound are
used interchangeably. Although no formal policy is in place, most lenders have
limited withdrawals to about $1,000 a month, while others have imposed tighter
curbs. Prompted by a grinding liquidity crisis, the controls are increasingly
forcing depositors to deal in the pound. But the local currency has plunged by
over a third against the dollar on the parallel market, hitting almost 2,500
against the US dollar over the past week. The official rate was pegged at 1,507
Lebanese pounds to the greenback in 1997. Demonstrators accuse banks of holding
their deposits hostage while allowing politicians, senior civil servants and
bank owners to transfer funds abroad.
The central bank has announced it is investigating capital flight, saying it
wants to standardise and regulate the ad hoc banking restrictions. Compounding
the situation, debt-burdened Lebanon has been without a government since Saad
Hariri resigned as prime minister on October 29 under pressure from the
anti-government protests. Its under-fire politicians have yet to agree on a new
cabinet despite the designation last month of Hassan Diab, a professor and
former education minister, to replace Hariri. Diab has pledged to form a
government of independent experts — a key demand of protesters — but said last
week that some parties were hindering his attempts. Authorities on Wednesday
condemned the night-time attacks and called for perpetrators to be prosecuted.
Hariri called the rampage “unacceptable,” while parliament speaker Nabih Berri
questioned whether the aim was to “destroy the country.” But in a strongly
worded statement, United Nations envoy to Lebanon, Jan Kubis, blamed politicians
for the turmoil, accusing them of inaction while watching the economy
“collapse”. “Politicians, don’t blame the people, blame yourselves for this
dangerous chaos,” he said.
Protesters clash with Lebanese security in Beirut for
second night in a row
Al Arabiya English/Thursday, 16 January 2020
Protesters began to gather Wednesday night in front of the Lebanese central bank
near Beirut’s Hamra street and clashed with anti-riot police for a second
consecutive night. The clashes in Beirut’s Hamra area on Tuesday saw some of the
worst violence since anti-government protests began in October. Security forces
fired tear gas outside the central bank to disperse protesters who pelted them
with stones and fireworks. The banking association condemned the attacks as the
work of a “mercenary mob” and not the “real revolutionaries of Lebanon” seeking
reform. At least 37 people on both sides were injured as security forces fired
tear gas to disperse the demonstrators the previous day, a Red Cross
spokesperson told AFP. (With AFP)
Lebanese Protesters Decry
Security Forces' Use of Violence
Associated Press/Naharnet/January 16/2020
Lebanese protesters Thursday decried security forces' use of violence during
rallies over the past two days, including attacks on journalists and the
detention of over 100 people. Dozens of people, including journalists, rallied
outside the Interior Ministry denouncing what they said was the systematic use
of force against members of the media. Many raised photos of journalists getting
beaten by riot police. Others gathered outside the American University of Beirut
and a police station where dozens have been detained since Tuesday. After a
period of calm, protests have returned to Lebanon as politicians fail to form a
new government and an unprecedented economic crisis deepens. "It has been over
90 days since the beginning of the protests and to this day the authorities have
completely failed to address the demands of the protests," said Lynn Maalouf,
Amnesty International's Middle East director. "In the past two days, we have
seen an escalation on both sides."Protests turned violent Tuesday when
demonstrators pelted security forces with stones and water bottles and smashed
windows of commercial banks they accuse of corruption and denying them their
deposits. Meanwhile, security forces have used "excessive" tear gas in densely
populated districts and detained over 100 people, including five minors
according to lawyers, in an unprecedented wave of arrests, Maalouf said. They
have beaten and verbally abused some protesters and attacked journalists, trying
to prevent them from filming, she said. A Reuters video journalist was injured
by security forces and treated in a hospital. Late Wednesday and Thursday,
authorities began releasing detainees. Hussein Baydoun, a photographer, said he
was briefly detained and asked to erase his pictures by security forces who came
after him as he filmed clashes outside a police station Wednesday night.
"The officer and three soldiers came at me and (the officer) said bring him to
me. They held me and they wrestled the camera from me," Baydoun said. Bachir Abu
Zeid was one of over 50 protesters detained late Wednesday outside the police
station. He was pulled inside as he tried to help others who fell to the ground.
He said he was kept in a small cell with 30 people overnight and was only
allowed to call his family nearly six hours after he was taken in. "We are
expecting this. it is becoming more violent from them and us. They are not
listening to people," Abu Zeid said after his release. "This repression will
only make us stronger and give us momentum." Caretaker Interior Minister Raya El
Hassan said attacks on the press were "rejected" and promised an investigation.
She said security forces are "tired" and "scared for themselves" after 90 days
of protests. That doesn't justify the attacks, she said, but she appealed to
journalists to put themselves in the shoes of the security forces, adding that
100 security personnel have been injured.
Lebanese Protesters Stage
Peaceful Demos
Associated Press/Naharnet/January 16/2020
Hundreds of anti-government protesters gathered outside the central bank in
Hamra on Thursday evening and then marched in a procession through Beirut to the
parliament building in the city’s center, where they called for an independent
and immediate government. The protesters then joined others who had blocked the
Ring flyover, one of the main highways in Beirut. Women protesters had earlier
staged a sit-in outside the house of caretaker Interior Minister Raya al-Hassan
in downtown Beirut, calling on her to “stop the policy of excessive and
systematic violence by the security forces” against protesters.There were no
reports of violence in Thursday’s demos, in contrast to the rallies that were
held on Tuesday and Wednesday, which involved fierce confrontations between
protesters and security forces.
British Ambassador Visits
Tripoli, Meets Beneficiaries and Mayor
Naharnet/January 16/2020
During his latest visit to Lebanon’s second largest city Tripoli – his first
regional visit in 2020 -- British Ambassador to Lebanon Chris Rampling
reiterated “the UK’s ongoing support to the people of Tripoli,” the British
embassy said on Thursday.
Rampling announced a further $1.7 million supporting the city’s economy reaching
the most vulnerable under the Lebanese Host Communities Support Program (LHSP)
in partnership with the Ministry of Social Affairs and UNDP Lebanon. A
Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the British Council Director
David Knox and Tripoli’s Mayor Dr. Riad Yamak, renewing “the UK’s commitment to
supporting the most vulnerable communities.” “Over the past year the UK’s
investment in Tripoli has reached over $5 million, in support of delivering
better public services, economic opportunities, security and promoting social
stability to the most vulnerable refugees,” the embassy said in a statement.
Rampling met with Mayor Yamak and discussed the latest developments in the
country, sharing the UK’s “concern at the serious economic and social situation
that is affecting people’s lives.” He also visited the Lebanese Armed Forces’ 12
Brigade training facility along with the youth group of Tripoli’s Bab el Dehab
as part of MARCH NGO’s initiative to strengthen civil and military cooperation
for peacebuilding in Tripoli. Listening to a group of Tripolitan business
leaders at Tripoli’s Special Economic Zone, Ambassador Rampling heard about the
challenges facing Lebanon’s economy in general and Tripoli in particular and
called for the urgent formation of a government to take forward necessary
reforms. Rampling also visited Fadi Sabbouh whose business has been supported by
the Lebanon Enterprise and Employment Program (LEEP) funded by the UK. Sabbouh
has been able to expand his business and create 4 new, sustainable jobs. The
program is providing up to $20 million between 2017-2020 to support SMEs across
Lebanon grow their businesses and create sustained jobs. At the end of his
visit, Ambassador Rampling said: “I am pleased to be back in Tripoli, on my
first official visit outside Beirut in 2020. As promised, the UK continues to
deliver with actions and not just words. I am here today to renew the UK’s
continued commitment to Tripoli and its people, and, over the past year, the
UK’s investment has reached over $5 million to Tripoli alone.”“Lebanon is
passing through an important time in its history. We see the Lebanese people
across Lebanon voicing their demands for reform, transparency and better
governance. Lebanon needs a government more than ever to carry out reforms and
protect Lebanon’s stability,” Rampling added.
UN official blames politicians for ‘dangerous chaos’ in
Lebanon
Reuters/Wednesday, 15 January 2020
Lebanese politicians are to blame for the country’s economic collapse, a senior
UN official said on Wednesday, rebuking a ruling elite that has failed to draw
up a rescue plan for a country hit by more violent protests. With banks tightly
limiting access to cash, lenders were targeted overnight by demonstrators in
Beirut’s Hamra district. Bank facades and ATMs were smashed and dozens of people
wounded in confrontations with police. On Wednesday afternoon, angry protesters
lit fires on a main thoroughfare in central Beirut, briefly closing it. Heavily
indebted Lebanon has struggled since the government was toppled by the
resignation of Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri in October as a result of protests
against corruption and bad governance that are root causes of the economic
problems. Political rivalries have obstructed a deal on a new cabinet as the
crisis hits ordinary people: the Lebanese pound has lost around half of its
value while anger at banking controls has led to rows and violence in branches.
“Another day of confusion around the formation of a government, amidst the
increasingly angry protests and free-falling economy,” Jan Kubis, UN special
coordinator for Lebanon, wrote on Twitter. “Politicians, don’t blame the people,
blame yourselves for this dangerous chaos.”Kubis appeared to credit central bank
governor Riad Salameh, saying he had sought “extraordinary powers to at least
somehow manage the economy while those responsible watch it collapsing.” Salameh
asked for extra powers last week, saying he wanted to standardize banking
controls. The finance ministry has asked him to specify what those extra powers
were. Looking to assure anxious depositors, parliament speaker Nabih Berri said
work was underway to safeguard people’s money, especially small depositors and
those of expatriates, without specifying further.
Lebanese economist Ghazi Wazni to be named finance minister
in new govt
Reuters, Beirut/Thursday, 16 January 2020
Lebanese economist Ghazi Wazni is set to be named finance minister in a new
government that is expected to be formed soon, senior political sources said on
Thursday. Wazni has served previously as a financial adviser to parliament’s
finance and budget committee. He will take on the role as the country deals with
a deep financial crisis that has shaken confidence in its banking system and
ability to repay one of the highest debt burdens in the world. Earlier on
Thursday, caretaker Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil said that Lebanon is on
the brink of forming a new government. The new cabinet would comprise 18
specialist ministers, Khalil added.
Lebanon close to forming new govt: Caretaker finance
minister
Reuters/Thursday, 16 January 2020
Lebanon is on the brink of forming a new government, the country's caretaker
finance minister Ali Hassan Khalil said on Thursday. The new cabinet would
comprise 18 specialist ministers, Khalil added. Lebanon has been without a
government since Saad al-Hariri resigned as prime minister on Oct. 29 in the
face of sweeping protests.
Jumblat Warns 'Destruction of
Banks' Would Destroy Lebanon
Naharnet/January 16/2020
Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat on Thursday warned that the
“destruction of banks” would destroy Lebanon. “Today, Lebanon is between the
hammer of U.S. sanctions and the Iranian anvil,” Jumblat tweeted. “Blows are
coming from every side, but the destruction of banks would deal an existential
blow to the Lebanese entity,” the PSP leader cautioned. Defending the central
bank, Jumblat said Banque du Liban “implemented the instructions of the
political authority and financed a state ravaged by corruption.”“No one objected
until people started demanding reform, which has been and is still being
rejected by the presidential tenure,” the PSP leader charged. Anti-corruption
protests turned violent Tuesday and Wednesday when demonstrators clashed with
security forces and smashed windows of commercial banks they accuse of
corruption and denying them their deposits. The protest movement that has been
rocking Lebanon since October 17 has increasingly targeted banks in recent weeks
amid a severe liquidity crisis.
Court charges Nancy Ajram’s
husband with intruder’s murder
Arab News/January 16/2020
Celebrity dentist, Fadi Al-Hashem, is accused of shooting dead the masked
intruder, who broke into their home in the early hours of Jan.5 But the judge
said that if it could be proven that Al-Hashem acted in self-defense, then the
charge of murder could be dropped
DUBAI: Lebanese public prosecutor, Judge Ghada Aoun, has charged Fadi Al-Hashem,
the husband of the singer Nancy Ajram, with the murder of the intruder who broke
into their Beirut property on Jan. 5, according to National News Agency.
Celebrity dentist, Al-Hashem, is accused of shooting dead the masked intruder,
who broke into their home in the early hours of the morning. The dentist said
the assailant was threatening his family - including his three daughters. But
the judge said that if it could be proven that Al-Hashem acted in self-defense,
then the charge of murder could be dropped. According to National News Agency.
Al-Hashem’s lawyer said: “And Al-Hashem’s act of legitimate defense is described
in accordance with what is stipulated in the Lebanese Penal Code.” A warrant was
initially issued for the arrest of Al-Hashem on Jan. 5, but he was later
released after investigations, as the case was treated as “self-defense.”
Initial CCTV footage from the celebrity couple’s home appeared to show what was
believed to be an intruder carrying a gun in the villa. Al-Hashem then appeared
and chased the deceased, firing his gun as the intruder ran towards their
daughter’s bedroom. MTV Lebanon has since reported that the Syrian intruder,
Mohammed Hassan Al-Moussa, 30, was shot 16 times. “Before anything, Fadi
is a father and a husband. He has responsibilities. He is a human being... It
was a normal reaction to the threat he experienced,” Ajram said in conversation
with LBCI Lebanon News on Jan. 7. She revealed that the couple's children, aged
10, eight and one, were asleep during the ordeal. “The children were in their
rooms sleeping. They did not see what happened, but they woke up and heard
everything,” she shared. During the interview, Ajram also opened up about how
she hid in the bathroom when she realized there was an intruder in her home.
“I heard Fadi telling him ‘whatever you want.’ When I heard this sentence, I
knew the intruder was a robber and I ran to the bathroom with my phone. “I
called my father first because I was scared… I was shaking and I was in a state
that I can’t describe to anyone. I called my father and told him ‘dad there is a
thief in the house… do something now, Fadi and I and the children are home.” The
singer also denied claims that the assailant was known to the family, stating
“We do not know the intruder and he does not work with us.”
Lebanon police forced to
apologise after brutalising activists in most violent night since protests began
Gaia Caramazza/The New Arab/January 16/2020
Lebanon's head of the Internal Security Forces publicly apologised for the
rampant violence carried out by security forces in one of the most heightened
clashes with protesters since the public unrest overtook the country almost
three months ago. Protesters clashed with security forces in Beirut Wednesday
evening, chanting slogans and demanding the release of some 50 detained
demonstrators, before police charged at them and fired teargas to disperse
crowds, causing dozens of injuries. “I apologize to the media, journalists,
reports and photographers who were covering what happened yesterday in front of
the Helou barracks," said Maj. Gen Imad Othman, head of the ISF, in a televised
address on Thursday afternoon. "The ISF are doing their job in a serious and
honest way. They do not want to attack anyone."However, claims of police
violence and harassment flooded social media channels, with many sharing photos
and videos of protesters, journalists, and activists being recklessly dragged
through the streets of Beirut. “Around 2,000 to 3,000 people were chanting
outside the police station but it was peaceful and then 250 riot police decided
to attack people out of nowhere and they started firing tear gas and rubber
bullets," Hasan Shaaban, a photojournalist for the Lebanese anglophone outlet
The Daily Star, told The New Arab.He was covering the protest when the security
forces began to arrest peaceful demonstrators. "They made something out of
nothing. We weren't doing anything wrong so I wonder what their responses would
have been had we actually done something," he added.
Security forces stormed the demonstrators in front of the police station, with
protesters began by throwing rocks at security forces. "People started burning
stuff and throwing stones and they started arresting people and started
grabbing, dragging and beating them," he said. "You couldn't see anything. Riot
police started throwing at least 200-300 tear gas grenades. Some grenades were
even reaching balconies of residential homes. The whole area was suffocating."
Hasan said that he saw bruises and wounds on the faces of those who were
released from police custody after Wednesday’s clashes. "Just behind me a
17-year-old boy was dragged by the police by his feet. He was losing his shirt
and they were stepping on his face, his head, and his body. I thought to myself
'You are already arresting him, what else do you want?'" Photos of activist
Rafif Souny were shared by social media users and media in Lebanon, describing
how the young woman suffered a head injury as a result of the police on
Wednesday evening. Local outlets reported that she was in hospital on Thursday
afternoon waiting for doctors to rule whether her alleged memory and eyesight
loss might be permanent. A Reuters photographer, as well as a dozen local and
international journalists covering the demonstration, were also caught in the
clashes and suffered similar injuries.
"It was so surprising that, as journalists, the police was cracking down on us
as badly as protesters and rioters who were breaking windows and attacking
banks," said Luna Safwan, a freelance journalist based in Beirut.
"Photojournalists have been doing an amazing job at documenting the protests
because they are showing how government forces are treating their people - so
police are scared of the cameras," Safwan told The New Arab. "There are security
forces who come to ask you not to film or to take your camera down," added
Safwan. Over a hundred journalists gathered in front of the ministry of the
interior in Beirut on Thursday, creating a roadblock to protest their treatment
by security forces the night before. The journalists called for minister of
interior, Raya Haffar El-Hassan, to address them on what they saw as an illegal
use of force.
Safwan said it was vital for journalists to stage this assembly.
"Today, we sent an important message, because we need the government to know
that no one can mess with journalists."The minister apologised on behalf of the
officers blamed for the violence, and added that their behaviour had been due to
accrued fatigue. Many of the journalists were left dissatisfied by what they
described as a lacklustre apology. "A decision seemed to have been made by the
security forces to just take down and hit everyone you face along the way,"
Safwan added. "It was a part of a strategy to intimidate protesters so they
won't take to the streets anymore. So far, this has not happened. It seems the
violence is pushing people to mobilise more for the total reformation of the
government and system."Lebanon's three months of uprisings have been repeatedly
called for an overhaul of the system. Many are saying that the new government
will be announced imminently, and there are doubts this will quell the
public.This unrest follows the assembly angry protests who attacked the facades
of bank branches with metal rods, fire extinguishers and rocks.
Lebanese unlikely to welcome Diab’s government
Randa Takieddine/Arab News/January 16/2020
A few days after the killing of Qassem Soleimani in Iraq, Hezbollah exhibited,
all along the road to Beirut’s Rafik Hariri International Airport, posters
bearing the portrait of the leading member of Iran’s Quds Force, who was
responsible for killings, massacres and troubles in Syria, Iraq and Lebanon.
This was a shocking scene to a Lebanese patriot.
Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, said Iran’s missile attacks on Iraqi
military bases that host US troops was just “a slap” and promised they were only
the beginning of the actions that would be taken in response to the US‘ killing
of Soleimani. Nasrallah, Iran’s man in Lebanon, made an aggressive speech, in
which he presented the goals of his party and his Iranian sponsor: Attacks on
American targets in the Middle East with the aim of removing US military forces
from the region.
At the same time, Hezbollah MPs and ministers in the caretaker Lebanese
government made it publicly known that the party wanted the quick formation of a
new government at any cost. However, despite their support of the designated
prime minister, Hassan Diab, they failed to obtain a quick understanding between
their allies, namely the caretaker Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil, who wanted
seven ministerial positions for his followers, and Nabih Berri, the Shiite
Speaker of Parliament, who disagreed with Bassil.
Meanwhile, the demonstrations have resumed in Lebanon, with protesters objecting
to Diab and all the political class, who they describe as “corrupt and
responsible for the disastrous economic and financial situation that is wrecking
the lives of the people, young and old, in the country.” Violence erupted near
the Central Bank on Tuesday. Some accused Hezbollah and its ally the Amal
Movement of having infiltrated the peaceful demonstrators, breaking windows and
causing injuries. Hezbollah and Amal deny this.
Caretaker Prime Minister Saad Hariri was back after a 10-day absence and he
urged the quick formation of the Diab government so the country can call for
help from the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. Hariri was
Hezbollah and Amal’s first choice to be redesignated prime minister because,
according to many observers, they wanted him to be responsible for the collapse
of the country, rather than bearing it themselves.
The Lebanese population is suffering from banking restrictions, with people
restricted to withdrawing only a very small amount of dollars per week. They
also have to cash their salaries in Lebanese pounds, the rate of which is not
the same as at the exchange agents. However, after a meeting between Central
Bank Governor Riad Salame and the exchange agents, the unofficial rate of the
Lebanese pound dropped from 2,300 to the dollar to 1,900.
The country’s financial situation remains very dangerous in the absence of a new
government. When a government is formed, it will have to show the international
community within its first 60 days that it is carrying out the reforms needed to
get help.
Diab will supposedly form a government on Friday. It is being presented as a
government of technocrats linked to main supporting political parties like
Hezbollah and its Christian allies Michel Aoun, Bassil and Suleiman Frangieh.
Berri was not initially happy with the nomination of Diab who, according to many
well-informed observers, is the choice of his Shiite rival Jamil Al-Sayyed, a
pro-Syrian Hezbollah deputy who was security chief at the time of former Prime
Minister Rafik Hariri’s assassination. However, he finally received him for
lunch on Thursday to discuss the final government formula.
The top UN official in Lebanon, Jan Kubis, on Wednesday criticized the political
class’ management of the country’s deepening economic crisis, saying that the
people handling it are irresponsible and are overseeing Lebanon’s collapse. His
criticism was shared by the major Western and Arab diplomats in the country.
Their opinion is crucial in terms of the international assistance to Lebanon.
But the political class is busy with its own interests.
The long time it is taking Diab to form a government proves that Hezbollah,
which is described as the most powerful force in Lebanon, is weakened. The
strategy of the pro-Iranian party to prevail as the controlling force in the
country is failing. The confrontation with peaceful demonstrators — people
asking for basic rights such as electricity, water and health care — is proving
to be problematic for a party that is used to solving problems with the threat
of a strongly armed militia.
When a government is formed, it will have to show the international community
that it is carrying out the reforms needed to get help.
Even though the designated prime minister may at last be about to form his
government of 18 technocrats linked to the parties who chose them, this will
probably not satisfy the demonstrators, since Diab is seen as a member of the
political class they despise. They may give his new government a chance, but a
majority of protesters wanted somebody like international judge and former
ambassador to the UN Nawaf Salam to be prime minister. He is well respected for
his independence and honesty, but Hezbollah does not want a PM with such a
profile, accusing him of being an American agent. Such a self-made, highly
educated judge who is well respected in the world is surely needed to convince
the international community to help Lebanon avoid economic collapse.
Will the new government convince the people and the international community of
its independence? Will it be able to maintain a distant attitude in case of a
more acute crisis between Iran and the US? What if Hezbollah pushes the
government of Lebanon to take a stand with Iran? All these questions are crucial
to Lebanon gaining the international help it needs. And will the expected new
foreign minister, Nassif Hitti, the well-respected former Arab League envoy who
is a smooth and intellectual university professor, be able to resist Hezbollah’s
pressure on Lebanese diplomacy? It will be his mission impossible.
*Randa Takieddine is a Paris-based Lebanese journalist who headed Al-Hayat’s
bureau in France for 30 years. She has covered France’s relations with the
Middle East through the terms of four presidents.
The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News
published on January 16-17/2020
Iran’s nuclear enrichment at higher level than
before 2015 deal: Rouhani
Reuters, Dubai/Thursday, 16 January 2020
Iran is now enriching more uranium than Tehran did before it agreed to a nuclear
deal with world powers in 2015, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on
Thursday in a televised speech. “We are enriching more uranium before the deal
was reached ... Pressure has increased on Iran but we continue to progress,”
Rouhani said. Iran has gradually scaled back its commitments under the nuclear
deal in retaliation to Washington’s withdrawal from the pact in 2018 and its
reimposition of sanctions that have crippled the country’s economy.
US sentences two Iranian agents to prison for spying
Joanne Serrieh, Al Arabiya EnglishThursday, 16 January 2020
Two Iranian agents were sentenced to prison in the US Wednesday on charges of
spying on American citizens and US nationals, the US Department of Justice
announced. Ahmadreza Mohammadi-Doostdar, 39, a dual US-Iranian citizen and Majid
Ghorbani, 60, an Iranian citizen living in the US, aided the Iranian government
in targeting Americans in the US who oppose the Iranian regime, according to the
DOJ statement. The two gathered information that could be used to intimidate or
harm targets or their families, USAssistant Attorney General for National
Security John C. Demers said. “This case illustrates Iran’s targeting of
Americans in the United States in order to silence those who oppose the Iranian
regime or otherwise further its goals,” he added. The DOJ explained the
activities Doostdar and Ghorbani participated in that led to the charges and
sentencing. Doostdar admitted under oath, as part of his plea, he was
specifically given Ghorbani’s name and workplace prior to coming to the US with
instructions on activities the Iranian government wanted Ghorbani to carry out,
according to the DOJ. Doostdar then traveled to the US and met Ghorbani at his
workplace for the first time to brief him where the latter accepted to work with
the Iranian government in the US. Ghorbani collected information including
photos and handwritten notes with names of people who attended a rally in New
York City in September 2017, organized by the People’s Mujahedin Organization of
Iran (PMOI), a group critical of the Iranian regime. “The rally consisted of
constitutionally-protected activity, including US citizens denouncing the
Iranian regime,” the DOJ said. In December 2017, Doostdar took the collected
information to Iran. Ghorbani attended another PMOI rally in May 2018, held in
Washington, DC, where he once again collected photos and information on
attendees to report back to the Iranian government. FBI National Security Branch
official Jay Tabb called these activities “intimidating.”“The FBI will not
tolerate surveillance being conducted here in the US at the behest of foreign
nations like Iran,” he said. Doostdar was sentenced to 38 months in prison,
while Ghorbani was sentenced 30 months. In 2019, Doostdar pleaded guilty to
charges of acting as an unregistered agent of the government of Iran, while
Ghorbani pleaded guilty to violating US sanctions laws with respect to Iran.
US Treasury will allow 90-day wind-down period for fresh
Iran sanctions
Reuters, Washington/Thursday, 16 January 2020
The US Treasury Department said on Thursday it would allow for a 90-day period
to wind down transactions in certain sectors of Iran’s economy hit with fresh US
sanctions last week.
The period, which expires April 9, will allow transactions to be wound down in
the construction, mining, manufacturing or textiles sectors of Iran’s economy
that could fall under the sanctions, though new business would still be
sanctionable, according to the Treasury Department’s website. The United States
imposed more sanctions on Iran on Friday in retaliation for its missile attack
on US forces in Iraq last week and vowed to tighten the economic screws if
Tehran continued “terrorist” acts or pursued a nuclear bomb.
The targets of the sanctions included Iran’s manufacturing, mining and textile
sectors as well as senior Iranian officials who Washington said were involved in
the January 8 attack on Iraqi military bases housing US troops. In a related
development, two Iranian agents were sentenced to prison in the US on Wednesday
on charges of spying on American citizens and US nationals, the US Department of
Justice announced. Ahmadreza Mohammadi-Doostdar, 39, a dual US-Iranian citizen
and Majid Ghorbani, 60, an Iranian citizen living in the US, aided the Iranian
government in targeting Americans in the US who oppose the Iranian regime,
according to the DOJ statement.
Rouhani says Iran wants dialogue, working to ‘prevent war’
AFP, Tehran/Thursday, 16 January 2020
Iran’s president said Thursday dialogue with the world was “possible” despite
high tensions with the United States, and stressed that Tehran was working daily
“to prevent military confrontation or war.” Iran attacked the US military in
Iraq on January 8 with missiles to retaliate against Washington’s targeted
killing of a key Iranian general five days earlier in Baghdad, at a time when
both are also locked in a bitter dispute over Iran’s nuclear program. “The
government is working daily to prevent military confrontation or war,” President
Hassan Rouhani said in a televised speech, adding that “for me this is a daily
concern.”The latest surge in tension has prompted calls for de-escalation from
an international community that fears a wider conflagration in the Middle East,
where the US has multiple allies and bases and Iran has proxies, especially in
Iraq and Lebanon. On Wednesday, Rouhani had said Iran’s missile launches against
Iraqi bases used by the US armed forces had provided “compensation” for the
death of General Qasem Soleimani, the architect of Iran’s Middle East military
strategy. In his speech on Thursday, Rouhani said that the Iranian retaliation
-- which caused significant material damage but no casualties according to the
US military -- had strengthened Iranian deterrence against the “threats” of
President Donald Trump. Rouhani, a moderate on his country’s political spectrum,
also defended the policy of openness to the world that he has pursued since his
first election in 2013, and which has come under fire from Iran’s
ultra-conservatives. He also defended the 2015 international agreement designed
to limit Iran’s nuclear program which has been in tatters since Trump
unilaterally pulled out of it in 2018. Rouhani said that with the nuclear deal
“we have proven in practice that it is possible for us to interact with the
world.”“Of course, it’s difficult,” he acknowledged. “They tell us: there are
people you should not trust,” he said, referring to the rhetoric of Iranian
ultra-conservatives about Europe and the United States. “It’s true” the Iranian
president said, adding that “if there were trustworthy people ... it would be
simple and easy” while also referring to Trump as “an unpredictable man”.
Grieving nations demand Iran compensate relatives of plane
attack victims
Agencies/Thursday, 16 January 2020
Five countries whose citizens died when Iran shot down an airliner last week
said on Thursday that Tehran should pay compensation to families of the victims.
The foreign ministers of Canada, Ukraine, Sweden, Afghanistan and Britain said
Iran should hold a “thorough, independent and transparent international
investigation open to grieving nations,” in a statement issued after a meeting
of officials in London. The countries said they welcomed Iran’s engagement to
date. All 176 people aboard the Ukraine International Airlines plane died when
it was hit by missiles last week shortly after taking off from Tehran’s Imam
Khomeini International Airport. Some 57 of the victims were Canadian citizens
and 138 were flying to Canada. The dead also included 11 Ukrainians, 17 people
from Sweden, four Afghans and four British citizens, as well as Iranians.
EU diplomacy chief urges Iran’s Zarif to ‘preserve’ nuclear
deal
AFP, Brussels/Thursday, 16 January 2020
The European Union’s top diplomat met Iran’s foreign minister in India on
Thursday to press Tehran to “preserve” the increasingly fragile nuclear deal,
according to a statement released in Brussels. In his talks with Mohammad Javad
Zarif in New Delhi, Josep Borrell warned that the deal was “more important than
ever” given rising tensions in the Middle East, the statement said. The two had
“a frank dialogue” in which Borrell “underlined the continued interest of the
European Union to preserve the agreement”. The accord between Iran and world
powers was struck in 2015 to ensure that Tehran could not develop nuclear
weapons. But the deal has been weakened, first by a US withdrawal in 2018 and
the return of sanctions on Iran, and by a series of retreats by Tehran from its
obligations under the agreement. Heightened military tensions between the United
States and Iran, spurred by America’s killing of a top Iranian general in Iraq
and a retaliatory Iranian missile salvo on bases used by US soldiers, has put
the deal under greater pressure. This week, European powers France, Germany and
Britain said they were triggering a dispute mechanism over Iran’s pullbacks.
While that could theoretically eventually lead to a return of UN and EU
sanctions on Iran, European officials have made clear that the decision was made
in a bid to bring Tehran back into compliance and save the accord. The EU sees
itself as an “honest broker” in the accord’s implementation, but takes its lead
on Iran’s degree of compliance from the UN nuclear watchdog, the IAEA, which
continues to monitor Iranian atomic activities on the ground. Iran has reacted
angrily to the European countries’ decision. Zarif accused them of having “sold
out” what remains of the nuclear deal to avoid new US tariffs on European
exports. His comment referred to a report by the Washington Post newspaper
saying President Donald Trump’s government had renewed a threat to slap a 25
percent tariff on European car exports if the three EU governments held back.
The EU’s position is further complicated by Britain’s exit from the European
bloc, expected in two weeks. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has voiced
support for the tottering Iran nuclear accord to be replaced by a “Trump deal” –
something France and Germany do not see as possible given Tehran’s steadfast
refusal to negotiate with the US.
Iran says ‘high school bully’ Trump forcing Europeans on nuclear deal
Reuters, Dubai/Thursday, 16 January 2020
Three European states had succumbed to US threats of new tariffs on their goods
when they triggered a dispute mechanism in a nuclear pact, a step that could
lead to the reimposition of United Nations sanctions, Iranian Foreign Minister
Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Thursday.
“Appeasement confirmed. E3 sold out remnants of #JCPOA to avoid new Trump
tariffs. It won’t work my friends. You only whet his appetite. Remember your
high school bully?” Zarif wrote on Twitter. The pact, or JCPOA, was agreed in
2015 between Tehran and world powers. US President Donald Trump withdrew from
the deal in 2018 and imposed stringent US sanctions on Iran, telling Tehran he
wanted a new broader deal on nuclear and other issues. The Washington Post
reported on Wednesday that the Trump administration had threatened to impose a
25 percent tariff on European automobile imports if Britain, France and Germany
did not formally accuse Iran of breaking the 2015 nuclear deal.
France to deploy aircraft carrier to support Middle East
operations
Reuters, Paris/Thursday, 16 January 2020
France will deploy the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier and its battle group
from January to April to support French military operations in Middle East,
Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday. “The aircraft carrier will support Chammal
operations (in the Middle East) from January to April 2020 before deploying to
the Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea,” Macron said at a New Year speech to the
French military. The deployment comes amid growing tensions between Iran and the
United States and French concerns that the fight against ISIS militants may be
weakened within that context.
US military resumes counter-ISIS operations in Iraq
The Associated Press/Thursday, 16 January 2020
The US military is resuming operations against ISIS militants in Iraq and is
working to soon restart training Iraqi forces, US officials said Wednesday,
despite deep divisions over the American drone strike that killed a senior
Iranian commander in Baghdad and the resulting missile attacks by Iran on Iraqi
bases. One official said some joint operations between the US and Iraqi forces
have already begun, but there are not yet as many as before. The official said
details are still being worked out to restore the training of Iraqi forces, but
that could happen relatively soon. Relations with Iraq were fractured after the
US launched a drone strike near Baghdad’s international airport on Jan. 3 that
killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani. The Parliament later voted to expel US
forces from the country and Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi asked Washington to
work out a road map for a troop withdrawal. The US flatly rejected that request
and has not moved to pull the more than 5,000 troops out. Officials spoke on
condition of anonymity to discuss decisions not yet made public. One official
said military leaders have discussed the resumption of operations with the
Iraqis, but it’s not clear who was involved in those talks or whether Iraqi
government leaders are publicly endorsing the move. Iraqi leaders were angry
about the American drone strike and the retaliatory attacks by Iran. Iranian
missiles struck Al-Asad Air Base last week and hit near another base, but
warnings sounded and no one was killed or injured. Iraq officials, however,
called the US strike that killed Soleimani an unacceptable breach of Iraqi
sovereignty. That strike also killed Abu Mahdi al-Mohandes, the deputy commander
of Iran-backed militias known as the Popular Mobilization Forces. And thousands
of anti-government protesters turned out in Baghdad and southern Iraq, with many
calling for both the US and Iran to leave their country. US officials, including
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, dismissed the calls for American troops to
leave, saying the forces are critical to the fight against ISIS.
Iraq denies resuming joint operations with US-led coalition
AFP, Baghdad/Thursday, 16 January 2020
An Iraqi government spokesman denied reports on Thursday that joint operations
had resumed between local forces and the US-led coalition fighting ISIS sleeper
cells. The coalition, active in Iraq since 2014, said on January 5 that it was
pausing anti-ISIS operations and training missions due to security concerns
after a series of rocket attacks on bases where US and other international
troops are located. The New York Times, citing two American military officials,
reported Thursday that the US - which makes up the bulk of the coalition - had
resumed the operations. But the Iraqi prime minister’s spokesman on military
affairs told AFP the coalition did not have permission from Baghdad to carry out
any joint missions. “The joint operations have not resumed and we have not given
our authorization,” said Abdulkarim Khalaf. He said the Iraqi government had
ordered the coalition to halt its joint operations following two US air strikes
including one that killed a top Iranian commander. The first, in late December,
killed 25 Iraqi paramilitary fighters in the country’s west, in retaliation for
the killing of an American contractor in a rocket attack. The second was a US
precision drone strike outside Baghdad airport on January 3, which killed top
Iranian general Qassem Soleimani and leading Iraqi military official Abu Mahdi
al-Muhandis. “The agreement was that the coalition was here to fight ISIS and
help the Iraqis fight ISIS, so we considered these strikes to be unilateral
actions,” said Khalaf. In response, he said, “joint operations, which include
the use of Iraqi airspace, were banned.”The Pentagon told AFP it had no
information to provide concerning a resumption. The US-led coalition’s spokesman
in Baghdad also declined to comment. But a top US defense official told
reporters last week that the operational pause was a coalition decision - and
resuming them would be, too. “It is absolutely our call,” the official said,
saying the security situation was still too tense. “As soon as it’s permissive,
we’ll turn it back on.” The official also said the coalition had continued
flying surveillance drones over Iraq despite Baghdad’s complaints.
“I need that to see the environment. So I’ll continue to fly that as long as I
need it to protect,” the official said. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said
Monday that Iraqi leaders have told him privately they support the US troop
presence, despite public appeals for them to leave. “They won’t say so publicly.
But privately they all welcome the fact that America is still there executing
its counter-terror campaign,” Pompeo said at a forum at Stanford University.
Iraqi lawmakers this month also urged the government expel all foreign forces
deployed in the country, which include around 5,200 US troops.
‘The time is now’ for US-Iraq talks on strategic
partnership: US official
Tommy Hilton, Al Arabiya English/Thursday, 16 January 2020
The US and Iraq should reengage in talks over their strategic partnership, said
Joey Hood, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Near
Eastern Affairs at the US State Department. “The time is now for the United
States and Iraq to sit down and talk about recommitting to the strategic
partnership, on the diplomatic level, the financial level, the economic level,
and the security level as well,” said Hood, in an interview with Al Arabiya’s
Washington Bureau Chief Nadia Bilbassy. US-Iraqi ties are under strain following
the Iraqi Parliament’s request for US troops to leave the country in the
aftermath of the US airstrike which killed Iran commander Qassem Soleimani near
Baghdad. The US currently has an estimated 5,000-6,000 troops stationed in the
country. “It’s not time to be talking about withdrawal,” said Hood. He added
that he hoped Iraqi political parties would come together to nominate a suitable
prime minister. Caretaker Prime Minister Adil Abdul Mahdi resigned in late
November during nationwide protests. “We hope that the Iraqi political parties
will come together very quickly to nominate and approve a strong prime minister
who has full control over his cabinet, full control over the security forces,
and can help us make a strong, sovereign, stable, and prosperous Iraqi
government, and country of Iraq,” he said. Hood previously served as Deputy
Chief of Mission in Iraq and in Kuwait, as well as Consul General and Principal
Officer in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.
Erdogan says Turkey starting troop deployment to Libya
Reuters, Ankara/Thursday, 16 January 2020
Turkey is beginning to send troops into Libya in support of the UN-recognized
government in Tripoli, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday, days before a
summit in Berlin which will address the Libyan conflict. Speaking in Ankara,
Erdogan added that Turkey will continue to use all diplomatic and military means
to ensure stability to its south, including in Libya. Erdogan is due to meet
leaders of Germany, Russia, Britain and Italy on Sunday to discuss the conflict.
He also said Turkey would start granting licenses for exploration and drilling
in the eastern Mediterranean in 2020, in accord with a maritime agreement with
Libya. He said Turkey’s Oruc Reis ship would begin seismic activities in the
region.
UN says around 350,000 people have fled Idlib since Dec. 1
Reuters, Amman/Thursday, 16 January 2020
Around 350,000 Syrians, mostly women and children, have been displaced by a
renewed Russian-backed offensive in the opposition-held Idlib province since
early December, and have sought shelter in border areas near Turkey, the United
Nations said on Thursday.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in its
latest situation report that the humanitarian situation continued to deteriorate
as a result of the “escalating” hostilities. Russian jets and Syrian artillery
have pounded towns and villages in recent weeks in a renewed assault backed by
pro-Iranian militias that aimed at clearing the opposition. “This latest wave of
displacement compounds an already dire humanitarian situation on the ground in
Idlib,” David Swanson, Amman-based UN regional spokesman for Syria, told
Reuters. Russian and Syrian jets resumed bombing of civilian areas in the
opposition enclave two days after a ceasefire agreed between Turkey and Russia
formally took effect on Sunday. UN officials said earlier this month the
humanitarian crisis had worsened with thousands of civilians on the run in Idlib
province on top of close to 400,000 people who fled earlier bouts of fighting to
the safety of camps near the Turkish border. The latest offensive has brought
the Russian-steered military campaign closer to heavily populated parts of Idlib
province, where nearly 3 million people are trapped, according to the United
Nations.
Intense fighting in Syria’s Idlib kills 39: Monitor
AFP, Beirut/Thursday, 16 January 2020
Intense fighting between pro-government forces and extremist-led fighters in
Syria’s Idlib province killed at least 39 fighters overnight, a war monitor said
Thursday. The violence, which saw air strikes, shelling and ground combat,
further buried a ceasefire announced by Russia on Sunday in Idlib, the last
major opposition bastion in the country. Government and allied forces took two
villages in their advance towards the key town of Maaret al-Numan, the Syrian
Observatory for Human Rights said. According to the Britain-based war monitor,
the fighting flared late on Wednesday in areas south of Maaret al-Numan, the key
target of the Syrian government’s latest military offensive. At least 22
anti-government fighters were killed, most of them members of Hayat Tahrir
al-Sham, a group that includes fighters from the former al-Qaeda affiliate in
Syria. Seventeen government troops and allied militia were also killed in the
fighting, said Rami Abdel Rahman, the head of the Observatory. He added that
government forces were now just seven kilometers (less than five miles) from
Maaret al-Numan, a town that was one of the bastions of the uprising against
President Bashar al-Assad’s rule. Nearly nine years into the conflict, protests
against the government are still held in some of the province’s towns. In the
city of Idlib itself, 18 civilians were killed in air strikes on Wednesday,
shattering the truce brokered by Moscow and opposition backer Ankara. The
fighting has prompted hundreds of thousands of civilians to flee their homes in
recent weeks, exposing them to a harsh winter.
More than 500 dead in Syria’s al-Hol in 2019: Medics
AFP, Al-Hol/Thursday, 16 January 2020
At least 517 people, mostly children, died in 2019 in an overstretched Syrian
camp housing displaced people and relatives of ISIS fighters, the Kurdish Red
Crescent told AFP Thursday. The Kurdish-run Al-Hol camp in northeastern Syria is
home to around 68,000 people who are reliant on humanitarian assistance,
especially during harsh winter month. A Kurdish Red Crescent spokesperson said
371 children are among the 517 people who died in the squalid tent city in 2019.
Malnutrition, poor healthcare for newborns, and hypothermia during harsh winter
months are among the main causes of death among children, Dalal Ismail told AFP
at the camp. “The situation is tragic and the burden is huge,” she said, adding
that foreigners were among the children who have died. Syrians and Iraqis form
the bulk of the camp’s residents. Al-Hol is also home to thousands of
foreigners, mainly relatives of ISIS fighters who are kept in a guarded section
of the camp under the watch of security forces. Kurdish authorities say they are
holding 12,000 foreigners, including 4,000 women and 8,000 children, in three
displacement camps in northeastern Syria. The majority are being held in al-Hol.
Jaber Mustafa, an official in the camp, said that assistance delivered by aid
groups is “not enough” to address the “great suffering” of residents. Medicine
and food baskets are among the most pressing needs, he told AFP. The Kurdish
administration in northeastern Syria this week warned that humanitarian
conditions in al-Hol could deteriorate further after the UN Security Council on
Friday voted to restrict cross-border aid. The Yaroubiya crossing on the Iraqi
border was a key entry point for UN-funded medical aid reaching northeastern
Syria, including al-Hol. The UN had used it to deliver some medical supplies
that the Syrian government had not permitted via Damascus. Yaroubiya’s closure
will disrupt “60 to 70 percent of medical assistance to Al-Hol”, Abdel Kader
Mouwahad, director of humanitarian affairs in the autonomous Kurdish
administration, told AFP. This leaves Syria’s Kurds with the unofficial Zamalka
crossing with Iraq’s autonomous Kurdish region, which is not used for UN aid.
First Gaza rockets against Israel since Soleimani killing
AFP/Thursday, 16 January 2020
The Israeli military said four rockets were fired Wednesday from
Hamas-controlled Gaza, the first since Israel’s ally the US killed top Iranian
general Qassem Soleimani.
“Four rockets were just fired from Gaza at Israel. Two rockets were intercepted
mid-air by the Iron Dome aerial defence system,” the military tweeted. It did
not say where the other two rockets landed.
The Israeli military responded in the evening by targeting Hamas installations,
it said. Israeli fighter jets “struck a number of Hamas terror targets in the
northern Gaza Strip” including a weapons manufacturing site and a military
compound, the military said in a statement.
Witnesses in Gaza told AFP that a Hamas base had been hit near the sea, without
causing casualties. The fire from the Palestinian territory was the first since
the January 3 assassination in a Baghdad drone strike of Soleimani, a key figure
in Iran which supports Hamas.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week warned Israel would strike a
“resounding blow” if attacked by Iran. Hamas condemned the killing of Soleimani
but stopped short of calling for revenge attacks.
Far-right Israeli parties join forces ahead of March election
AFP, Jerusalem/Thursday, 16 January 2020
Three far-right Israeli political parties joined forces late Wednesday, seeking
to strengthen their hand in a coming election after a left-leaning alliance was
announced earlier in the week. Israel is gearing up for its third election in
less than a year after neither Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu nor his
centrist challenger Benny Gantz were able to form a majority government
following two polls last year. Whoever is tasked with forming a government will
need to win the support of small parties, which can wield major clout in
coalition negotiations. Under Israel’s system of proportional representation,
parties may form joint electoral lists to boost their chances of being selected
as coalition partners. On Tuesday, Defense Minister Naftali Bennett’s New Right
party struck a deal with the National Union faction of Transport Minister
Bezalel Smotrich. On Wednesday night, just before the deadline for filing
electoral lists, they were joined by the national religious Jewish Home party,
led by Education Minister Rafi Peretz.The trio will run under the name Yamina
(“Rightward” in Hebrew). Left out in the cold was Jewish Power - the
extreme-right party which many view as racist - despite Netanyahu’s reported
push for them to be included in Bennett’s alliance. “I will not include on my
electoral list someone who has in his living room at home a picture of a man who
murdered 29 innocent people,” Bennett wrote on Facebook Wednesday. Video shot in
Jewish Power leader Itamar Ben-Gvir’s home in the flashpoint West Bank city of
Hebron shows a photograph of Israeli settler Baruch Goldstein, who killed 29
Muslim worshippers with an assault rifle in 1994 before being beaten to death by
survivors. Ben Gvir, who lives in a Jewish settler enclave in the mainly
Palestinian city, has been quoted as saying that the picture is there out of
respect for Goldstein as a doctor he says saved Jewish lives. Israeli media
reported that Ben-Gvir had offered to take down the picture if Bennett allowed
him into his alliance. Data released by Israel’s National Elections Committee on
Thursday showed Jewish Power registered to run alone, with an optimistic 17
candidates on its list. In the September election, Jewish Power failed to reach
the threshold of 3.25 percent of the vote reqired to enter parliament. The other
three far-right parties presented a joint list and won seven seats. On Monday,
the left-wing Labor-Gesher and Meretz parties announced they were joining forces
for the next election.
Israel’s four Arab-led parties registered as running together, as they did in
September, as the Joint List. A total of 30 lists were submitted, the National
Elections Committee said.
Egypt, Ethiopia, Sudan to finalize agreement on Blue Nile
dam later this month
Reuters/Thursday, 16 January 2020
Ministers from Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan have agreed to reconvene in Washington
later this month to finalize an agreement on a giant hydropower dam on the Blue
Nile that sparked a diplomatic crisis between Cairo and Addis Ababa. The
ministers met in Washington this week and agreed to fill the $4 billion Grand
Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) in stages during the wet season, taking into
account the impact on downstream reservoirs, the US Treasury Department, which
hosted the meeting, said in a statement.
Japanese resident confirmed to have new virus from China, UAE remains unaffected
Ayush Narayanan, Al Arabiya/EnglishThursday, 16 January 2020
A man treated for pneumonia after returning from China has tested positive for
the new coronavirus identified as a possible cause of an outbreak in the Chinese
city of Wuhan, according to an AP report. The man developed a fever and coughs
on January 3 while in Wuhan, returned to Japan on January 6, and was
hospitalized four days later due to persistent coughs and fever, with his X-ray
image showing signs of pneumonia, Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare
said. Tests conducted Tuesday found the same coronavirus as had been detected in
other patients in the Wuhan outbreak, the ministry said. The US-based Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have confirmed 40 human infections in
China and one exported case in Thailand, Wednesday. An official from the UAE
Ministry of Health confirmed to Al Arabiya English that there has been no
reports of an outbreak of the new Chinese-origin coronavirus in the UAE. The GCC
saw 1.6 million Chinese travelers in 2018, expected to rise to 2.9 million in
2022, per Emirates News Agency (WAM) reports. The UAE had relaxed visa
processing in 2016 to enable hassle-free travel for Chinese nationals to the UAE.
The countries share a mutual visa-exemption arrangement. A spokesperson at the
Immigration department of the UAE also confirmed that Chinese passport holders
can freely travel to the UAE during this time. The AP report goes on to mention
that China has sought to play down speculation that it could be a reappearance
of the SARS epidemic, which killed hundreds in 2002 and 2003. Coronaviruses are
a large family of viruses, some of which cause the common cold. Others found in
bats, camels and other animals have evolved to cause more severe illnesses.
Common symptoms include a runny nose, headache, cough and fever. Shortness of
breath, chills and body aches are associated with more dangerous kinds of
coronaviruses, according to the CDC. (With the Associated Press)
Trump Impeachment Trial Begins at U.S. Senate
Associated Press/Naharnet/January 16/2020
The U.S. Congress opened the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump on
Thursday, with House Democrats reading the formal charges from the well of the
U.S. Senate ahead of the swearing in of all 100 senators as jurors for only the
third impeachment trial in U.S. history.
"Hear ye, hear ye, hear ye!" said the Senate's sergeant at arms, calling the
proceedings to order. Seven lawmakers prosecuting the charges, led by Rep. Adam
Schiff of the Intelligence Committee and Rep. Jerrold Nadler of the Judiciary
Committee, made the solemn walk across the Capitol for a second day. It's the
start of ceremonial protocol that shifts the proceedings out of Speaker Nancy
Pelosi's Democratic-run House to the Republican-majority Senate. Schiff,
standing in the well of the Senate usually reserved for senators, began reading
the resolution, "Impeaching Donald John Trump, president of the united states
for high crimes and misdemeanors."Later in the afternoon, Chief Justice John
Roberts was to administer the jurors' oath to senators who swear to deliver
"impartial justice."
The events, unfolding during an election year as Trump seeks another term, will
be a test not only of his presidency but also of the nation's three branches of
power and its system of checks and balances. Several senators are running for
the Democratic party's nomination to challenge Trump in November.
The president calls the impeachment a "hoax," even as new information emerges
about his actions toward Ukraine that led to the charges against him. Pelosi
said new allegations from an indicted associate of Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani,
Lev Parnas, only reinforces the need for the Senate to consider further
testimony about the president's actions toward Ukraine. Pelosi noted that
typically a special prosecutor would investigate but she doubted that would
happen.
"This is an example of all of the president's henchmen," Pelosi said, "and I
hope that the senators do not become part of the president's henchmen."Trump
faces a charge that he abused his presidential power by pressuring Ukraine to
investigate Democratic rival Joe Biden, using military aid to the country as
leverage. Trump was also charged with obstructing Congress' ensuing probe.Ahead
of the proceedings the Government Accountability office said Thursday that the
White House violated federal law in withholding the security assistance to
Ukraine, which shares a border with hostile Russia.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell opened the chamber Thursday decrying
Pelosi's decision to hand out "souvenir pens" after she signed the resolution to
transmit the charges to the Senate.
"This final display neatly distilled the House's entire partisan process into
one perfect visual," McConnell said. "'It was a transparently partisan process
from beginning to end."Democratic Senate leader Chuck Schumer renewed his
party's request that the trial include new witnesses and documents not available
for the House impeachment proceedings.
"What is the president hiding? What is he afraid of?'' Schumer said.
"The gravity of these charges is self-evident," he said. "The House of
Representatives have accused the president of trying to shake down a foreign
leader for personal gain."The president has suggested recently that he would be
open to a quick vote to simply dismiss the charges, but sufficient Republican
support is lacking for that. Still, an eventual vote to acquit Trump is
considered highly likely. On Wednesday, in a dramatic procession across the U.S.
Capitol, House Democrats carried the charges to the Senate. "Today we will make
history,'' Pelosi said as she signed the documents, using multiple pens to hand
out and mark the moment. "This president will be held accountable."Moments later
the prosecutors walked solemnly through the stately hall, filing into the Senate
back row as the clerk of the House announced the arrival: "The House has passed
House Resolution 798, a resolution appointing and authorizing managers of the
impeachment trial of Donald John Trump, president of United States."
Opening arguments are to begin next Tuesday after the Martin Luther King Jr.
holiday. Earlier Wednesday, the House voted 228-193, almost entirely along party
lines, ending a weeks-long delay to deliver the charges with a tally reflecting
the nation's split.
The top Republican in the House, Kevin McCarthy of California, said Americans
will look back on this "sad saga" that tried to remove the president from office
with the "weakest case."
The president's team expects acquittal with a Senate trial lasting no more than
two weeks, according to senior administration officials. That would be far
shorter than the trial of President Bill Clinton, in 1999, or the first one, of
President Andrew Johnson, in 1868. Both were acquitted.
The seven-member prosecution team is led by the chairmen of the House
impeachment proceedings, Reps. Adam Schiff of the Intelligence Committee and
Jerrold Nadler of the Judiciary Committee, two of Pelosi's top lieutenants. On
Wednesday, Schiff released new records from Lev Parnas, an associate of Trump
lawyer Rudy Giuliani, about the Ukraine strategy, including an exchange with
another man about surveilling later-fired U.S. Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch.
Schiff said the new evidence should bring more pressure on McConnell, who is
reluctant to allow witnesses to testify and prefers swift acquittal. The White
House has instructed officials not to comply with House subpoenas for testimony
and documents. "The challenge is to get a fair trial," Schiff said in an
interview with The Associated Press. "It shouldn't be a challenge — if the
senators are really going to live up to their oath to be impartial, they'll want
a fair trial. That's obviously not where Mitch McConnell is coming from." The
managers are a diverse group with legal, law enforcement and military
experience, including Hakeem Jeffries of New York, Sylvia Garcia of Texas, Val
Demings of Florida, Jason Crow of Colorado and Zoe Lofgren of California.
Two are freshman lawmakers — Crow a former Army Ranger who served in Iraq and
Afghanistan, Garcia a former judge in Houston. Demings is the former police
chief of Orlando and Jeffries is a lawyer and member of party leadership.
Lofgren has the rare credential of having worked on the congressional staff
investigation of President Richard Nixon's impeachment — he resigned before the
full House voted on the charges — and then being an elected lawmaker during
Clinton's.
Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine is leading an effort among some
Republicans, including Mitt Romney of Utah, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Lamar
Alexander of Tennessee, to consider Senate witnesses. She told reporters she was
satisfied the rules will allow votes on that.Romney said he wants to hear from
John Bolton, the former national security adviser at the White House, who others
have said raised alarms about the alternative foreign policy toward Ukraine
being run by Giuliani. Any four senators could force an outcome. Republicans
control the chamber, 53-47, but it takes just 51 votes during the trial to
approve rules or call witnesses. It also would take only 51 senators to vote to
dismiss the charges against Trump.
The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources published on January 16-17/2020
Iran has retaliation options beyond
Hormuz in hitting Gulf oil supplies
Cyril Widdershoven/Al Arabiya/January 16/2020
Iran is likely to intensify its attacks on Arab neighbors in the wake of the
assassination of Qassem Soleimani, but a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, the
world’s most critical chokepoint for world oil supplies, is unlikely to be a
target.
A blockade of the Strait would be counterproductive because it would also shut
Iran off from international trade, but Tehran has a multitude of targets
available in the region’s critical national infrastructure.
The regime in Tehran is well aware that any direct attack on US or Western
military forces in the region would likely end in a devastating military answer,
bringing the Iranian regime to its knees. So more likely over the coming weeks
is a proxy response, via Hezbollah, Hamas, or the pro-Iranian Shia militias in
Iraq, against oil and gas production and downstream operations of Western and
Arab national oil companies. This can be done by proxies at low costs, as these
targets are easily accessible and high profile.
Without the direct involvement of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Tehran
can put immense pressure on its Arab neighbors while at the same time hitting
Western and Asian economies through rising energy prices.
The Iranian strategy could also aim to split the Europeans and the Americans by
upping the economic risks for supporters of the US in the conflict.
Even if no direct war is expected, energy and water sectors in the Arab
countries could become targets. As shown by Iran’s drone attack on Saudi oil
facilities in September, these operations are very vulnerable, using drones or
possibly cyber-attacks. By striking at critical infrastructure, Iran and proxies
will be able to destabilize not only the economies and society of the GCC
region, but deal a blow to global economies too.
Tehran has already threatened to start a cyberwar against the US and its allies,
and over the weekend we saw what could be the first such attack, on Bahrain
Petroleum Company. State oil companies of Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi could also
be targeted, but Qatar would probably be spared due to its close relationship to
Tehran.
More worrying could be a cyber-attack or even missile attack on energy-water
projects, as this is a lifeline for Gulf countries. A full-scale attack on Saudi
Arabia or Abu Dhabi, or a military confrontation in Iraq would be met by a large
military reaction by US President Trump, with possible support of his NATO
partners. But a proxy or asymmetric strategy by Iran would be hard to counter by
Western or Arab states.Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and his cohorts will
need to react soon. A long delay would be considered a sign of weakness. A Third
World War is at present not an option: Iran is too weak while the Western-Arab
alliance lacks boots on the ground. But the asymmetrical conflict is expected to
escalate, especially if Iran heads towards nuclear weapons capabilities.
Specter of war in the Middle East rises as America retreats
Bernard Haykel/Al Arabiya/January 16/2020
The United States is exhausted by the so-called “endless wars” in the Middle
East, which it has waged since 9/11 and on which it has spent the equivalent of
15 percent of its GDP, or over $3 trillion. Beginning with the Obama
administration in 2009, Washington has tried to extract itself from this region,
perceiving the cost as too great and ultimately distracting from the need to
focus on China as the most significant strategic challenge to American power.
Additionally, the shale oil boom in the US has given American policy makers the
sense that the US will soon become energy self-sufficient and thus the Middle
East is strategically less important than it once was. This effort to withdraw,
which continues under President Donald Trump, has unsettled the Middle East,
leading to intense conflict between its principal states as well as the direct
intervention of outside powers like Russia since 2015.
At the moment, there are multiple rivalries, pitting Turkey and Iran against
Saudi Arabia; and Israel versus Iran. These enmities are being fought either
through direct military confrontation as in Syria and Saudi Arabia, or through
proxies as in Libya, Lebanon, Syria and Yemen. Smaller states like the UAE and
Bahrain have sided with Saudi Arabia whereas others like Qatar are on Turkey’s
side. Remaining neutral in these multiple and sometimes overlapping feuds is not
easy.
To make matters worse, state institutions throughout the region have more or
less collapsed as in Libya, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen, not to mention in
Afghanistan and potentially Sudan. Internal causes, such as bad governance,
political repression, endemic corruption and the lack of economic opportunity
are responsible for this breakdown and have resulted in political conflict and
social strife. These divisions in turn offer competing regional state
opportunities to intervene on one side or another.
Let’s take the example of Libya to illustrate this. Here, the UN-recognized
government in Tripoli is backed and armed by Turkey and Qatar, whereas the
faction that opposes it, under the leadership of Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar,
is supplied and supported by Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, France and Russia.
This open, and often violent, competition should be understood as a result of
America’s repeated signaling to local players that it is abandoning the region
and that it is no longer willing to intervene politically or, if necessary,
militarily to keep order. To fully appreciate this reversal in America’s posture
one has to understand the history of US policy in the Middle East.
After World War II, US policy towards the Middle East consisted of depending on
local allies to maintain the balance of power and regional order or what has
been termed the policy of “offshore balancing.” In practical terms, this meant
America did not deploy troops in the Middle East and instead relied on countries
like Israel and, until 1979, on Iran also to act as the local policeman, with
the ultimate aim of preventing the Soviet Union from dominating this region.
With Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait in 1990, and given the collapse of the Soviet
Union, the US directly entered the region militarily to expel Iraq since this
conquest represented a direct challenge to the regional order. America then
continued to maintain a permanent force with which to police the region; this
force remains in place until today and consists of around 68,000 troops, at
least one aircraft carrier battle group, and large air and naval bases in Qatar
and Bahrain, respectively.
After 9/11, American hubris and the desire for revenge and domination led to an
expansion of its regional role. Washington sought to remake the Middle East in
its own image by invading Iraq and smashing the regime of Saddam Hussein.
President George W. Bush and his neo-conservative advisors believed they could
democratize and bring order to the region by force. This effort failed miserably
and with devastating consequences for the peoples of the Middle East.
Iraq turned into a quagmire with many thousands killed and displaced and an
armed insurgency that ultimately produced ISIS. It is against this backdrop that
President Barack Obama wanted to withdraw and to revert to the policy of
outsourcing to local states the maintenance of order on America’s behalf. Obama
pinned his hopes on four actors who could fulfill this balancing role: Saudi
Arabia, Iran, Turkey and Egypt.
Setting the clock back, however, has proved impossible. Iran, despite signing a
nuclear agreement with the US and through which Obama hoped to reset and
normalize the relationship with Tehran, has continued to expand its influence by
funding and arming non-state actors in Iraq, Syria and Yemen, while reinforcing
its hold on Lebanon through the Hezbollah militia. Tehran has also developed an
arsenal of missiles and drones that appear to have tipped the regional balance
of military force in its favor.
The September 14th, 2019 attack on Saudi Arabia’s oil facilities made this point
quite clear. Saudi Arabia, under the new and forceful leadership of Saudi
Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, now realizes it can no longer rely for
its security on America and it is desperately trying to build up its military
capacity to block Iran’s expanding power. This effort is on full display in
Yemen where the Saudis and its Arab allies have waged a five-year campaign to
defeat Iran’s local ally, the Houthi militia.
Turkey meanwhile has become increasingly authoritarian under President Recep
Tayyip Erdogan’s leadership, has moved away from the Western NATO alliance and
has become the principal patron of the Muslim Brotherhood, a group that seeks to
seize power in the Sunni countries of the region. Ankara fantasizes that it can
regain the dominance the Ottoman Empire once enjoyed in the Arab world and has
deployed troops to Syria and Qatar and has built military bases in the Red Sea
region. It is also arming factions in Libya and will soon be deploying troops
there as well.
Egypt is a shadow of its former self, is mired in economic crisis and has
receded on the regional scene. And since 2015, Russia is back in the Middle East
with bases and an air force that is active in Syria’s civil war and with
mercenaries in Libya. Moscow is flaunting its principal manufactured product:
military weapons for which it has found willing customers, as with the sale of
the S-300 and S-400 missile systems to Iran and Turkey and other hardware.
President Trump, like Obama, wants America to withdraw, but instead of finding a
balance between all the region’s actors as his predecessor did, he prefers to
empower and rely exclusively on Israel and Saudi Arabia, America’s traditional
strategic allies. He is also using US economic power, and in particular
sanctions, to contain Iran. In Trump’s mind, Israel and Saudi Arabia can be the
dominant powers that will maintain order in the region.
Both Israel and Riyadh share a common enmity towards Iran and Turkey, but
neither has the capacity nor the will to accomplish the role of regional
policeman. Each country appears unable to stop Iran’s advance despite repeated
strikes by Israel against Iranian forces in Syria and even in Iraq. And Saudi
Arabia’s vulnerability to Iranian attack was revealed when a fleet of drones and
cruise missiles targeted its most valuable asset—the oil facilities—in
September. In fact, both Jerusalem and Riyadh want Washington to remain the
dominant hegemon in the region, not to retreat but rather to contain Iran, and
by military force if necessary.
Riyadh and Jerusalem were initially very disappointed that Trump --despite all
his bravado and rhetoric—did not retaliate against Tehran for its attacks during
the summer of 2019. Iran provoked Washington repeatedly when it shot down a US
drone, attacked oil tankers in international waters and on 14 September targeted
Saudi energy facilities, disrupting half of the Kingdom’s production. Trump’s
reticence appeared tied to the next US presidential election: a war with Iran
might lead to his loss, and he is obsessed with winning again. In fact,
America’s restraint may have been a factor in attempts by the UAE and Saudi
Arabia to reach out to Iran to reduce tensions, and Saudi negotiations with the
Houthis in Yemen to bring an end to the war.
However, the situation has dramatically changed in the last few weeks with
Trump’s killing of Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad on January 3. This may signal
that Trump is changing his mind about his policy in the Middle East. Soleimani
was the second most powerful man in Iran, the head of Iran’s “Jerusalem Force”
of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and, most importantly, the architect of
Iran’s policy of using proxy non-state actors to expand Iran’s regional
influence. Soleimani funded, trained, recruited and armed various Shia
militias—in effect international brigades of Shia volunteers that could be
deployed militarily in a zone ranging from Afghanistan to Yemen, and who could
also strike through terrorist acts anywhere in the world.
It is not clear what is behind Trump’s change in policy. Some argue that this
killing was an attempt to deflect from the impeachment proceedings that are
under way in the US Congress. Others see it as a willingness to engage Iran
militarily because this might in fact help Trump win the elections. It is
impossible to predict whether Trump is willing to engage in a war of attrition
with Iran or how he assesses the risks of an open conflict. What is clear is
that the Iranians, as well as the other countries of the Middle East, misjudged
Trump’s willingness to use force. This is likely to give them all pause, and to
make them more careful by not provoking the American military machine. Iran’s
leadership, just like that of other states in the Middle East, is ultimately
more interested in survival than in spreading its ideology and influence.
Regardless of the present flare-up with Iran, the trajectory of American policy
in the Middle East seems nonetheless clear. It is inevitable that the US will
eventually retreat from the region and this will cause competition and tensions
to rise among its main actors. This also means that the potential for war
between the region’s protagonists will remain high. The US will continue to play
a role but its leaders, both Democrat and Republican, have reached the
conclusion that there are limits to America’s influence despite enjoying
overwhelming military superiority. The US has not been able to produce durable
and stable political outcomes in the Middle East, and it will therefore be up to
the regional states of the Middle East to discover their own equilibrium of
power. Until that happens, the Middle East will unfortunately continue to be a
source of major instability in the world.
*Illustration by Steven Castelluccia
*Bernard Haykel is professor of Near Eastern Studies and director of The
Institute for the Transregional Study of the Contemporary Middle East, North
Africa and Central Asia, at Princeton University.
Iranian regime under pressure from three sides
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Arab News/January 16/2020
The Islamic Republic is, for the first time since its establishment,
simultaneously encountering what I would call three concentric circles of
pressure. These forces are influencing and reinforcing each other, maximizing
the level of pressure that the regime is under. If these three forces of
pressure persist, the theocratic establishment will find it extremely difficult
to survive.
The first circle of pressure the regime is facing is domestic. The Iranian
people’s dissatisfaction with their rulers has reached an unprecedented level.
The discontent toward the regime is both political and economic. Many Iranians
are extremely frustrated with the lies and widespread corruption at the top, and
how the nation’s wealth is being squandered to satisfy the ruling mullahs’
revolutionary and geopolitical ambitions. There exists no rule of law to hold
the gilded circle of the regime’s leaders accountable.
Even if the regime succeeds in brutally suppressing every wave of
demonstrations, the deep frustration and anger shared by many in the country
will not disappear, but will continue to simmer under the surface.
Every event can become a trigger for new rounds of widespread protests, which
will endanger the hold on power of the ruling politicians. But the Iranian
authorities do not appear to grasp the seriousness of these problems, as they
continue to prioritize supporting, financing, arming and training
terrorist-designated groups in the region — militias that advance the ruling
mullahs’ objectives — rather than listen to their people.
Another major issue that that the Iranian government is facing is that people
are not demanding limited reforms anymore. Instead, they are calling for regime
change. After almost four decades of living under a theocracy, with the ruling
mullahs controlling them, with rampant corruption and with the regime’s
persistent dissemination of propaganda, the people’s anger has reached boiling
point.
Protesters are frequently risking their lives as, in almost every demonstration,
one can hear people chanting, “Death to Khamenei” and other such slogans — a
serious crime according to the clergy and punishable, under Iranian law, with
death. Similarly, demonstrators have been tearingdown banners bearing the images
of Iranian leaders, including Supreme Leaders Ruhollah Khomeini and Ali Khamenei.
The second circle of pressure that the ruling mullahs are facing is regional.
The regime’s popularity is likely now at its lowest ebb in the Middle East.
People in Lebanon and Iraq recently expressedtheir opposition to Iran’s
influence, interference and support for militia groups in their countries.
Meanwhile, six Gulf countries joined hands last October to impose sanctions on
banks, individuals and dozens of corporations linked to Tehran’s support for
militant groups, including Hezbollah.
Iran’s eventual admission of its culpability for the shooting down of a
Ukrainian passenger plane last week brought into even sharper focus the tragic
consequences of its trigger-happy preference for missile warfare. Even for a
region as drama-filled as the Middle East, 2020 has already seen more action
than could reasonably be expected across an entire calendar year — all of it
centering on Iran. The regime has shown the world what many of us have long
known it to be: An instigator of instability with a reckless disregard for human
life. However, these recent developments should be viewed by Iran’s rulers as an
opportunity to renounce their previously malign ways.
The third circle of pressure is global. Not only is the US continuing to level
significant economic and political sanctions on the regime, but additional
countries are now leaning toward Washington’s course of action and imposing
pressure on the Iranian leaders.
To be specific, Iran’s latest actions — such as detaining the UK ambassador to
Tehran and shooting down the Ukrainian jet — have begun to change the EU’s
political calculations and appeasement policies toward the regime. France,
Germany and the UK this week upped the pressure on Iran over its uranium
enrichment and centrifuge development by triggeringthe dispute resolution
mechanism in the 2015 nuclear deal.
Recent developments should be viewed by Iran’s rulers as an opportunity to
renounce their previously malign ways.
Meanwhile, due to the US policy of “maximum pressure” and the Trump
administration’s determination to reduce Iran’s oil exports to zero, Tehran is
running out of funds. The regime is finding it extremely difficult to finance
its proxies and militias across the region and pursue its military adventurism.
For the first time since its establishment, the Iranian regime is facing these
three concentric circles of pressure — domestic, regional and international —
and, if they continue, it will likely be brought to its knees.
*Dr. Majid Rafizadeh is an Iranian-American political scientist. He is a leading
expert on Iran and US foreign policy, a businessman and president of the
International American Council. He serves on the boards of the Harvard
International Review, the Harvard International Relations Council and the
US-Middle East Chamber for Commerce and Business. Twitter: @Dr_Rafizadeh
Uncertainty remains despite US-China trade agreement
Cornelia Meyer/Arab News/January 16/2020
The US and China on Wednesday announced phase one of their trade deal with much
fanfare. US President Donald Trump hailed the agreement as “a momentous step”
and vowed that it would right “the wrongs of the past” and deliver “a future of
economic justice and security for American workers, farmers and families.” Did
the agreement really achieve that? Most likely not.
The 18-month trade war between the US and China has left the relationship
between the world’s two largest economies, as well as the global trading system,
worse off. The average tariff of the two countries is now at 20 percent,
compared to 3 percent for the US and 8 percent for China a year-and-a-half ago.
The US formerly held the No. 1 position in the league table of agricultural
products imported by China. It now ranks fifth.
But the ripple effect of the trade tiff went way beyond the two countries.
Exporting economies like Japan, Germany and South Korea were hardest hit.
Slowing trade was followed by a slowing global economy. International Monetary
Fund chief Kristalina Georgieva has warned of the generational impact that the
trade distortions have had on supply chains.
This being said, Trump had a point when he criticized China for its forced
technology transfer (read theft of intellectual property), not opening up its
financial markets, and its heavy subsidies to Chinese companies, which enabled
them to become leaders in goods such as solar panels and may well give them
undue advantage in new technologies and artificial intelligence (the controversy
over Huawei springs to mind).
The deal signifies progress, for sure. The US will not impose tariffs on
hitherto untaxed goods worth $170 billion and will halve the tariffs on $120
billion-worth of goods to 7.5 percent. The 25 percent tariff on the remaining
$250 billion-worth of items the US imports from China will remain. In return,
China will lessen its practice of forced technology transfer, increase access to
its financial markets and, most importantly, import $200 billion-worth of US
goods in the manufacturing, energy services and farming sectors. This is a big
win for the US president, who needs the support of Midwestern farmers and
blue-collar workers in America’s Rust Belt. They are his core constituency and
have suffered disproportionately from the trade conflict.
The imports will be achieved in two steps: The first batch this year and the
remainder in 2021. This provides leverage to the US side. If China does not
comply, it can reinstate lowered tariffs or impose them on the untaxed $170
billion-worth of imports.
So far so good, but the deal does not address the core issue of state subsidies.
The measures pertaining to forced technology transfer and the opening up of
financial markets may also prove insufficient.
However, there is no doubt that this phase one deal is an important step in the
right direction. Markets in North America rallied on the news. However, the
trade war has cost the American industrial and farming sectors dearly. While the
$200 billion-worth of exports to China will go some way to appeasing many of
Trump’s core constituents, they do not rectify all of the structural imbalances
the conflict has created. This is also true for other nations affected by the
trade war, which will not see any of the benefits of this bilateral agreement.
It is problematic to reduce trade issues to bilateral rounds of negotiations and
the ensuing tit-for-tat measures.
Another issue close to Trump’s heart is currency manipulation. He accused China
of this when the dollar hit the seven-yuan mark last August. The yuan has
appreciated continuously since then. The renminbi is not free-floating like the
UK pound or the US dollar, which means that the government can exert influence.
It will be interesting to see how the renminbi-dollar exchange rate evolves over
the coming months now that the pressure of achieving phase one of the trade deal
has waned.
Trade is a key driver of the global economy, which is why it is problematic to
reduce trade issues to bilateral rounds of negotiations and the ensuing
tit-for-tat measures. We can take heart that the US, Japan and EU are taking
steps to toughen up the rules on state subsidies in the World Trade Organization
(WTO). The WTO is the right framework to address comprehensive imbalances.
Multilateral problems require multilateral solutions. The Trump administration
has done much to undermine the WTO, not least by refusing to confirm new judges
on its court of arbitration. This undermines one of the most important functions
of the organization — that of being a neutral arbiter. Hopefully this
three-pronged initiative will bring the US closer to the WTO again.
The US-China trade deal is a step in the right direction. However, it is part of
a solution to a crisis the US inflicted on itself, as well as on the global
economy. In that sense, it is a pity that the structural issues it was justified
in raising were not addressed in more depth. We shall see how quickly the two
countries move on to phase two of the deal. In the meantime, a good deal of
uncertainty remains.
*Cornelia Meyer is a business consultant, macroeconomist and energy expert.
Twitter: @MeyerResources
Iran's mullahs taking advantage of unexpected sacrificial
lamb
Claude Salhani/The Arab Weekly/January 16/2020
US President Donald Trump may sound victorious when talking about the killing of
the Iranian Major-General Qassem Soleimani by a US drone. Trump may have looked
victorious when he announced the slaying of Soleimani, the head of al-Quds Force
of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, whom Trump accused of being
responsible for the death of thousands of people, including hundreds of
Americans. Trump no doubt believes he is following the right path by ordering
the assassination of a lethal enemy. As much as we would like to believe the
Trump administration was correct in targeting Soleimani, it seems Iran is
playing chess while the United States is playing checkers.
The winner in this round of political/military sparring could be, not Trump or
the United States, but the regime of the ayatollahs in Iran. The death of
Soleimani, as perceived in Iran, comes at an opportune time for the revolution
that was running out of steam. Seen as a villain in the rest of the world,
Soleimani was regarded as nothing short of a national hero in Iran. There is no
doubt of the role the charismatic 62-year-old general was someone who promoted
terrorism when it suited the interests of Iran in pursuing its foreign policy
through the use of proxies.
There is also no doubt of the role Soleimani played in meddling in the internal
affairs of Iraq, Lebanon, Yemen and the Palestinian territories.
That he was an evil person responsible for the death of hundreds of people,
again there is no doubt. Also, that Iran has lost an important player in its
struggle to remain in power and to mark its position on the global political
landscape is also certain.
However, the Iranian revolution will continue through this bump in the road; one
the mullahs hope will be a long road. This is where their chessboard can easily
be turned upside down. Why and how are the mullahs pursuing their quest to
outsmart the Americans in this round? A look at the crowds that oozed onto the
streets of Tehran to accompany the body of assassinated general to his final
resting place were chanting a refrain as old as the revolution: “Marg bar Amrika”
(“Death to America”). This was the rallying cry from the very early days of the
Islamic Revolution. It must have been sweet music to the mullahs.
So the mullahs have bought some time by offering the revolution this unexpected
sacrificial lamb.
Of course, Iran’s ruling mullahs, as it is the case with all authoritarian
states, have an interest in diverting the attention of the population to the
notion of outside threats. Blaming the United States for all their troubles is a
time-honoured tradition for the rulers of Tehran.
Their approach can be short-lived because people quickly discover that the
reasons that had previously sent them into the streets have been unresolved. The
show of solidarity for the slain hero will quickly be forgotten. Sooner or
later, the people will remind their government of their demands for better
living conditions. Blaming the US bogeyman will probably work for a while and
will serve to ease some of the pressure from an unhappy street but the mullahs
are living on borrowed time because the unaddressed fundamental demands put
forward by the protesters will come back to haunt them.
All that is obvious in the manner the Iranians responded to the killing of their
beloved general: Threaten the United States with fire and brimstone but respond
in a very calculated manner by launching their missiles on a practically
deserted section of al Asad Airbase in Iraq where there were no Americans,
therefore avoiding escalating the situation. In the eyes of his own people,
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei remained defiant in the face of
the United States and retaliated -- by shelling an Iraqi airbase -- where there
were no casualties.
In Washington, Trump comes across as a president who is not afraid of going to
war (though he should be). He wastes no time in ordering an additional 3,500
troops to the Middle East, thus flexing US military muscle. That will help with
the 2020 presidential election, now just around the corner, and it will help the
Iranians push their anti-US rhetoric.