LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
March 01/2020
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
The Bulletin's Link on the lccc Site
http://data.eliasbejjaninews.com/eliasnews19/english.march01.20.htm
News Bulletin Achieves Since 2006
Click Here to enter the LCCC Arabic/English news bulletins Achieves since 2006
Bible Quotations For today
The Healing Of The Leper Sunday
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 01/35-45/In the
morning, while it was still very dark, Jesus got up and went out to a deserted
place, and there he prayed. And Simon and his companions hunted for him. When
they found him, they said to him, ‘Everyone is searching for you.’ He answered,
‘Let us go on to the neighbouring towns, so that I may proclaim the message
there also; for that is what I came out to do.’ And he went throughout Galilee,
proclaiming the message in their synagogues and casting out demons. A leper came
to him begging him, and kneeling he said to him, ‘If you choose, you can make me
clean.’ Moved with pity, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, and said
to him, ‘I do choose. Be made clean!’ Immediately the leprosy left him, and he
was made clean. After sternly warning him he sent him away at once, saying to
him, ‘See that you say nothing to anyone; but go, show yourself to the priest,
and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.’ But
he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the word, so that
Jesus could no longer go into a town openly, but stayed out in the country; and
people came to him from every quarter.
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese
Related News & Editorials published on February 29-March 01/2020
Hezbollah Members Among those Killed in Syria’s Saraqeb
Nine Hezbollah members killed, 30 wounded in Turkish strike in Syria: Source
Seven confirmed coronavirus cases in Lebanon
Lebanon Closes Educational Institutions as Precaution against Coronavirus
Hassan Orders Closure of Daycares over Virus Threat
Deryan Hails Saudi Decision Barring Entry to Holy Cities
SA Advises Nationals against Travel to Lebanon over Coronavirus Threat
Naharnet/February 29/2020
One Soldier Killed in an Ambush in Hermel
Lebanese Cabinet Pledges Not to Become Part of ‘Policy of Axis’
Protesters throw stones, fire crackers at the security forces near Parliament
entrance
Lebanese Army reminds of 'peaceful demonstration'
Attacks on journalists, photographers at Beirut Municipality Street
"It would be preferable if journalists are spared the attacks," says Abdel Samad
Reform almost impossible,' says Jumblatt
Lebanon: Experts Call for Selling Part of Gold Reserves to Restructure
Economy/Paula Astih/Asharq Al-Awsat/February 29/2020
Lebanon to Take Decision on Eurobonds Next Week
Chinese student in Lebanon complains about being subjected to abuse after
coronavirus spread
As coronavirus cases traced to Iran travel, Lebanese call for air link
suspension/Samar Kadi/The Arab Weekly/February 29/2020
Is this the end of Lebanon’s thawra or just the beginning?/Gareth Smyth/The Arab
Weekly/February 29/2020
Welcome, Coronavirus… Remember us!/Rajeh Khoury/Asharq Al Awsat/February 29/2020
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on
February 29-March 01/2020
Virus spreading worldwide as more countries report first cases
Iran MP Aghapour Alishahi says she has coronavirus infection
Pro-Iranian regime activist Hamed Jalali Kashani dies from coronavirus: Report
Jailed British-Iranian Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe fears she has coronavirus
Iran confirms 205 new coronavirus cases: State TV
Turkey's Erdogan Says Europe Borders Open as Refugees Gather
Russia, Turkey set to discuss Syria conflict at talks in Moscow: Kremlin
Turkey’s Erdogan vows to keep doors open for refugees heading to Europe
Clashes between migrants, Greek police erupt on Turkish border
Russia, Turkey want ‘reduction in tensions’ in Syria: Russian FM
Iraq parliament delays confidence vote on new government for a second time
Turkey says it destroyed ‘chemical warfare facility’ in Syria
Egypt says will use ‘all means’ to defend Nile interests
Titles For The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources published on February 29-March 01/2020
What’s Happening in Idlib?/Yezid Sayigh/Carnegie
MEC/February 29, 2020
German Court Rejects Attempt to Enshrine Sharia Law/Soeren Kern/Gatestone
Institute/February 29, 2020
US Democrats callously using Iran for politicking, not policy/Hussain Abdul-Hussain/Al
Arabiya/February 29/2020
Erdogan isolated in the carnage of Idlib/Cornelia Meyer/Arab News/March 01/2020
Why greed is no longer good/Andrew Hammond/Arab News/March 01/2020
The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News &
Editorials published on February 29-March 01/2020
Hezbollah Members Among those Killed in Syria’s Saraqeb
Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 29 February, 2020
Turkish ground and air strikes on Syrian regime forces and their allies in
northwest Syria's Idlib have killed 48 pro-Damascus soldiers, including
Hezbollah members, in the past 24 hours, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights
reported on Saturday. Among those killed in the strategic eastern Idlib city of
Saraqeb are 12 members of Lebanon’s Hezbollah and two of its commanders, the
Observatory said. But a commander in the regional alliance backing the head of
the Syrian regime, Bashar al-Assad, said that the Turkish strikes on northwest
Syria late on Friday killed nine Hezbollah members and wounded 30 others. He
said on Saturday that the strikes targeted Hezbollah headquarters near Saraqeb,
using smart missiles and drones. According to the monitor, Syrian regime and
Russian warplanes continued airstrikes on Saturday on Saraqeb, a focal point of
intensified fighting in recent days between Turkish-backed fighters and
Damascus. The opposition fighters retook the city from government forces
Thursday, cutting off a key highway just days after the regime reopened it for
the first time since 2012.»
Nine Hezbollah members killed, 30 wounded in Turkish strike
in Syria: Source
Reuters, Beirut Saturday, 29 February 2020
Turkish strikes on northwest Syria late on Friday killed nine members of
Iran-backed Hezbollah and wounded 30 others, a commander of a group backing
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said. The commander said on Saturday that the
Turkish strikes targeted Hezbollah headquarters near the city of Saraqib in
Idlib, a flashpoint of fighting in recent days, using smart missiles and drones.
Seven confirmed coronavirus cases in Lebanon
Perla Kantarjian/Annahar/February 29/2020
The Ministry of Health urged all people arriving from countries with coronavirus
outbreak to completely adhere to home quarantine and in the case of any symptoms
showing, to call the following number: +961 76 592699.
BEIRUT: Three new confirmed Coronavirus cases in Lebanon have emerged,
increasing the number of COVID-19 patients at the Rafic Hariri University
Hospital to a total of seven. The Ministry of Health confirmed the number on
Saturday and said that the new cases are people who were in contact with the
previously reported cases. According to recent RHUH statements, the three new
cases were admitted to the quarantine section for treatment, the first being the
wife of the coronavirus patient of Iranian nationality, and the other two being
the son and friend of the coronavirus patient of Syrian nationality.
Additionally, the hospital disclosed that the very first two cases infected with
the coronavirus have a stable health condition and are in the isolation unit
receiving the necessary treatment. However, the patient of Iranian nationality,
an elderly who suffers from chronic diseases, has an unstable condition and is
currently receiving the required treatment. In its daily report, the RHUH also
announced that it had received 33 cases in the emergency unit during the past 24
hours, all of whom were subjected to the necessary medical tests, and of whom 16
had to be admitted to the quarantine section, while the rest were to be placed
under home quarantine, based on the assessment of the supervising doctor. The
Hospital report on the latest updates regarding coronavirus also revealed that
the 17 cases that were previously held in quarantine were released today and
were advised to remain under home quarantine after receiving all the necessary
instructions and means of protection in accordance with the World Health
Organization directions, and after they were tested twice for the coronavirus
and the result was negative in both times. According to the report, there are
currently 33 cases present in the RHUH quarantine section whose laboratory test
results came out negative. The Ministry of Health urged all people arriving from
countries with coronavirus outbreak to completely adhere to home quarantine and
in the case of any symptoms showing, to call the following number: +961 76
592699.
Also, Qatar reported Saturday its first coronavirus case, marking it the latest
Middle Eastern country to be dealing with the outbreak.
Lebanon Closes Educational Institutions as Precaution
against Coronavirus
Naharnet/February 29/2020
Education Minister Tarek al-Majzoub on Friday ordered the closure of all
educational institutions in the country for a week as a precaution against the
spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus. The minister said the decision was taken
"out of keenness on the health of students and their families, after
consultations this evening with Health Minister Dr. Hamad Hasan and as a
precautionary measure." Majzoub said the decision applies to all private and
public kindergartens, schools, secondary schools, vocational institutes and
universities, adding that the closure begins Saturday, Feb. 29 and ends on the
evening of Sunday, March 8. "The health developments would then be assessed to
take the appropriate decision. Through awareness and cooperation we can overcome
all crises," Mjazoub added. Lebanon had earlier on Friday confirmed its fourth
coronavirus case, identifying the person infected as a Syrian woman. The woman
along with two Lebanese women and an elderly Iranian man are being quarantined
at the Rafik Hariri state-run hospital. The first three patients had arrived on
two planes from Iran earlier this month.
Hassan Orders Closure of Daycares over Virus Threat
Naharnet/February 29/2020
Health Minister Hamad Hassan on Saturday ordered the closure of daycare centers
in Lebanon starting February 29 and ending March 8 as a precaution against the
spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus, the National News Agency reported. Hassan’s
move came one day after Education Minister Tarek al-Majzoub ordered the closure
of all educational facilities and institutions for the same reason. Lebanon had
earlier on Friday confirmed its fourth coronavirus case, identifying the person
infected as a Syrian woman. The woman along with two Lebanese women and an
elderly Iranian man are being quarantined at the Rafik Hariri state-run
hospital. The first three patients had arrived on two planes from Iran earlier
this month.
Deryan Hails Saudi Decision Barring Entry to Holy Cities
Naharnet/February 29/2020
Grand Mufti of the Republic Sheikh Abdul Latif Daryan hailed Saudi Arabia’s
decision banning entry to Islam's holiest cities amid fears over the new
coronavirus, the National News Agency said on Saturday. Daryan said he supports
the “precautionary measures” taken by Saudi Arabia “within the Sharia law which
is keen on the safety of pilgrims coming from around the globe” that temporarily
banned entry to its territories against coronavirus threat. On Friday, Saudi
Arabia barred citizens from the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council from
entering two of Islam's holiest cities, Mecca and Medina, amid fears over the
virus. The kingdom also suspended visas for the year-round "umrah" pilgrimage.
Saudi Arabia has so far reported no coronavirus cases but there are mounting
concerns over a spike in infections across the Middle East, including
neighbouring Kuwait, Bahrain and the UAE.
SA Advises Nationals against Travel to Lebanon over Coronavirus Threat
Naharnet/February 29/2020
Saudi Arabia on Saturday called on Saudi nationals to postpone unnecessary
travel to Lebanon amid concerns over coronavirus. The Saudi Embassy also called
on its nationals in Lebanon to stay away from crowded places, take the necessary
precautions, and reach out to the embassy whenever they need help. Lebanon had
confirmed its fourth coronavirus case on Friday. The country took precautionary
measures closing down all its educational institutions and daycare centers for
one week until March 8.
One Soldier Killed in an Ambush in Hermel
Naharnet/February 29/2020
One member of the Lebanese Army was killed and a second was injured on Saturday
in an ambush in the al-Shawagir area in Hermel, the National News Agency
reported on Saturday. A statement released by the Army’s Orientation Directorate
said the two soldiers were heading via their vehicle to visit someone in Hermel,
when their car was ambushed by gunmen. One of the soldiers was killed and a
second was injured, added NNA. The perpetrators headed to an unknown
destination. Army units deployed in the area and began investigations to track
them down, said the agency.
Lebanese Cabinet Pledges Not to Become Part of ‘Policy of
Axis’
Beirut - Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 29 February, 2020
The Lebanese cabinet announced on Friday that it refuses to become a part of the
“policy of axis”, pledging to keep the country away from foreign conflicts. “We
will not become part of the policy of axis because Lebanon has decided to
dissociate itself from them. However, we will always stand by our brotherly Arab
states the same way they always support Lebanon,” the government said. The
cabinet also underscored its “independence”, saying it will not become embroiled
in political disputes. “We say it loud, our work is not political. We do not
want to become part of any political dispute with any party, but we seek to work
as one team without eliminating the right of any minister to express his opinion
or to object to any decision at the cabinet table,” it said. The cabinet
convened on Friday for a session chaired by President Michel Aoun at the Baabda
presidential palace. It announced it would resume discussing urgent grade one
appointments approved in 2010 after some amendments are introduced by a
committee that is expected to be formed for completing this task.Commenting on
the appointments, Information Minister Manal Abdel Samad said it was necessary
to adopt a clear and transparent mechanism, independently of all parties.
“Efficiency should be the only criterion," she told reporters after the meeting.
Asked whether Prime Minister Hassan Diab is planning on embarking on a tour of
Arab countries, she replied: “Currently, we are focusing on solving the
financial crisis. But, of course, when resolving this issue, the government will
seek to cooperate with Arab states to help Lebanon. We know that the Arabs have
never abandoned us and will never abandon us.” Separately, head of the Lebanese
Forces party, Samir Geagea called on the government Friday to implement a
comprehensive reform plan "because the people and the international and Arab
communities must regain the minimum level of confidence in the state."
Protesters throw stones, fire crackers at the security
forces near Parliament entrance
NNA/February 29/2020
A clash occurred between demonstrators at the entrance to the Parliament Council
in Central Beirut this evening, as some protesters continued to throw fire
crackers and stones at the security forces whilst others called on them via
loudspeakers to stop these actions and keep their movement peaceful, NNA
correspondent reported. However, these calls went futile, as protesters
intensified their stone-throwing, breaking marble pieces from the walls of the
streets and shops within the vicinity.
Lebanese Army reminds of 'peaceful demonstration'
NNA/February 29/2020
The Lebanese Army Command reiterated, in a tweet this evening, the need to
maintain "the peacefulness of demonstrations and expression of opinion,"
stressing that "the infringement on public and private property does not fall
within the framework of freedom of expression."
It also highlighted the need to respect the directives given by the units in
charge of preserving security and safety.
Attacks on journalists, photographers at Beirut Municipality Street
NNANNA/February 29/2020
Clashes continued among protesters at the entrance to the Parliament House along
Beirut Municipality Street this evening, amid attacks on a number of
photographers and journalists, forcing them not to report the on-ground events,
NNA correspondent reported from downtown Beirut.
"It would be preferable if journalists are spared the
attacks," says Abdel Samad
NNA/February 29/2020
Minister of Information, Dr. Manal Abdel Samad Najd, condemned in an issued
statement this evening, the attack on journalists and photographers in downtown
Beirut today, saying: "They have no fault except that they are carrying out
their duty in the service of the word and the profession.""It would be
preferable if media correspondents are spared any abuse or aggression...They are
messengers, so let us respect them," urged Abdel Samad.
Reform almost impossible,' says Jumblatt
NNA/February 29/2020
Progressive Socialist Party Chief, Walid Jumblatt, tweeted Saturday on the
prevailing situation, saying: "Some insist on analyzing and theorizing my stance
towards the current mandate...My answer is that it has become secondary and of
no value, since reform is almost impossible!"
Jumblatt added that the most important thing at this stage is "to harness all
capabilities to protect citizens from the rapid spread of the Coronavirus, and
that the Ministry of Health be given the necessary and quickest support needed."
Lebanon: Experts Call for Selling Part of Gold Reserves to
Restructure Economy
Paula Astih/Asharq Al-Awsat/February 29/2020
With the deterioration of economic conditions to unprecedented levels, Lebanese
officials are looking into the possibility to rescheduling the public debt and
to set up plans with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to revitalize the
economy. Attention is also turning to the country’s gold reserves, which have so
far been regarded as a red line and the sole guarantee for the stability of the
local currency against the US dollar. A few years ago, talks about selling gold
reserves to pay part of the public debt constituted a taboo. Today, economic and
financial experts are proposing it to stop a financial collapse.
The president of Information International - a Beirut-based research and
statistics company – said: “It is time to think about using gold to restructure
the economy, protect people and preserve our sovereignty, provided that we do
not waste it to pay the debt or to finance squandering; it should be part of a
comprehensive plan.”
“Why don’t we start with gold in New York?”, referring to some part of Lebanon’s
gold reserves in the United States. Ghassan Ayyash, former deputy governor of
the central bank pointed out that for a long time, gold reserves were seen as a
guarantee of the Lebanese pound and its stability.
“This was true when the size of gold was proportional to the size of the
monetary mass and the existing GDP, and when the global monetary system was
based on gold coverage of currencies,” he told Asharq Al-Awsat. He continued:
“As the size of the monetary mass has swelled and the coverage in gold has
become insufficient, there is no doubt that the gold reserve is no longer a
guarantee for the currency peg.” Ayyash noted that selling a portion of it,
after a large part of the reserves in foreign currencies was wasted, “might
partly help rebuild the cash reserve of the central bank, which was used to
finance the trade balance and the demand for foreign currencies.” “If we sell a
portion of gold for about $7 billion within a comprehensive reform program, this
may be part of the solution, even if we still need banks,” he remarked.
Ironically, Lebanon, which tops the list of indebted countries in the world in
proportion to its GDP after Japan, is among the first twenty states worldwide
that possess the largest reserves of gold, about 286.6 tons of gold valued at
$16 billion. Lebanon began collecting gold a few years after the independence in
1943 until 1971. With the outbreak of the civil war in 1975, Lebanon transferred
to the US State of Kentucky part of its gold reserves to protect it, as many
other countries did.
Lebanon to Take Decision on Eurobonds Next Week
Asharq Al-Awsat/February 29/2020
Lebanon will take a decision on its Eurobonds — including one maturing on March
9 — in the coming week, information minister Manal Abdel Samad Najd said on
Friday. Heavily indebted Lebanon must decide whether to repay a $1.2 billion
Eurobond due on March 9 amid a deep financial crisis and dollar crunch that has
led to strict capital controls and raised concerns about a default among
investors. “In terms of the Eurobond maturities, we are continuing to study the
options available in front of us and we have not yet taken any decision on
this,” said Najd. “The coming week will be critical in terms of the decision
before the March maturity date.”A government source said on Thursday that
Lebanon would seek a seven-day grace period ahead of the March 9 maturity, a
move financial sources said made it more likely the government would look to
restructure the March bond. Beirut this week appointed US investment bank Lazard
and law firm Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP as its financial and legal
advisers on the widely expected debt restructuring. Najd said Prime Minister
Hassan Diab would look to make his first trip to an Arab state during the second
half of March, without specifying what country.
Lebanon has so far failed to win financial support from Western and Gulf Arab
states who have made any help conditional on Beirut enacting economic reforms.
Chinese student in Lebanon complains about being subjected
to abuse after coronavirus spread
Arab News/March 01/2020
DUBAI: A Chinese student, who is currently residing in Lebanon, said he is
subjected to negative comments in streets due to the spread of coronavirus,
which started in his home country. “I understand your fear of the virus, but I
can’t bear the name-calling,” the students said in the video. Amir Wang moved to
Lebanon around six months ago, and was very happy to live and study there. He
lives in a town called Shhim, south-east of Beirut in the Chouf region. However,
the spread of COVID19 changed his feelings about living in the Levantine
country. In a video posted on social media, Wang explained that some people get
scared of him and avoid him, while others actually call him ‘corona’ as a slur
to offend him. He pleaded by saying such negative behavior will not benefit
anyone, but shows that those who do it lack conscience, manners and humanity.
“China is our mother, and she is sick… would it be okay for me to call you or
your mother names if she were sick?” Wang added.
As coronavirus cases traced to Iran travel, Lebanese call
for air link suspension
Samar Kadi/The Arab Weekly/February 29/2020
An art exhibition just closed at the Sursock Museum in Beirut. It o
BEIRUT- Lebanon confirmed three cases of the coronavirus and linked all,
including an Iranian man, to Iran, prompting the Lebanese government to suspend
travel from countries reporting infections of the disease.
People demonstrated outside the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health, calling for
an immediate suspension of air traffic with Iran and other infected areas, a
move the government initially resisted and that supporters of the Iran-backed
Hezbollah slammed as politically motivated.
“As if what Iran is sending to Lebanon and the Lebanese is not enough, so it
sent us coronavirus,” said an editorial on the local MTV station, a harsh critic
of Iran and Hezbollah, in an apparent reference to weapons Tehran sends to the
group. “Thank you, Iran for allowing a jet carrying people infected with
coronavirus to enter our airspace. Is this the way countries cooperate and is
this the help that you promised Lebanon?” the editorial asked.
It alluded to a recent visit to Lebanon by Iranian parliament Speaker Ali
Larijani, who said Tehran was ready to help Lebanon address its worst economic
crisis in decades.
The first two coronavirus cases involved women returning from a week-long
pilgrimage to Qom. The third case was on a February 24 flight from Iran. They
were all quarantined at a special ward at Rafik Hariri University Hospital in
Beirut.
The government’s decision to “ban air, land and sea travel for individuals
coming from China, South Korea, Iran, Italy and other places,” exempted Lebanese
nationals and foreigners residing in Lebanon. A statement by the Ministry of
Public Works and Transport said Lebanon could ban travel from other countries
infected with the virus when seen necessary.
Dr Abdel Rahman Bizri, a specialist in infectious diseases and among physicians
advising the Ministry of Public Health on measures to face the infection, said
the group suggested procedures that the government implemented partially. “The
government has not accepted some of the measures we have proposed, such as
isolating all travellers from infected places even if they did not show symptoms
of the disease, suspending all flights linking Lebanon to the infected areas
immediately and having stricter control on the application of self-isolation at
home,” Bizri said.
While travellers showing symptoms at Beirut Rafik Hariri International Airport
or land crossings with Syria were being quarantined for two weeks, others are
given medical instructions and asked to isolate themselves at their homes.
Relying on self-isolation is not the best and most effective solution, Bizri
said. “It requires a very close follow-up and monitoring of potential cases by
the Ministry of Health, a key role by the municipalities, the civil society as
well as the security forces to help implement the measure and also big awareness
and responsibility by the concerned persons,” Bizri said, adding, “the latest
case (the Iranian man), for instance, has not abided by the rule of
self-isolation. This is a problem because you have to be disciplined and not all
people are.”
“If you want to prevent the spread of the virus in an effective way, you have to
isolate all the people coming from infected areas. If you want to have them stay
at home, you have to convince them and enforce their self-isolation. This
necessitates a serious and strong approach by the government,” Bizri said.
Planes from infected areas are directed away from the terminal and passengers
proceed through a specific passage, where they are checked by a Health Ministry
team. The government also tightened control at the main land crossing from Syria
used by many Shia pilgrims who travel to holy sites in Qom on cheaper flights
from Damascus. While supporters of groups opposed to Hezbollah blame Iran for
the introduction of the virus into Lebanon, non-partisans said Iran should be
singled out the same way as other infected parts of the world.
“The virus did not come specifically from Iran, which was infected like Italy
and other countries,” said Randa Imad, a mother of three. “However, I believe
the Iranians did not reveal the cases they have for some time, until it was not
possible to keep them secret anymore.”
“I blame Iran for not disclosing the infection earlier. This could have averted
travelling there by many Lebanese,” Imad added.
Compared with other countries in the region, the virus occurrence in Lebanon is
considered acceptable or mild, Bizri said.
“We need to have daily evaluation of the effectiveness of the precautionary
measures and change them if need be, because the consequences of people’s return
from infected areas will continue to appear,” he said.
The virus has infected more than 80,000 globally, killing at least 2,700.
Is this the end of Lebanon’s thawra or just the beginning?
Gareth Smyth/The Arab Weekly/February 29/2020
An art exhibition just closed at the Sursock Museum in Beirut. It opened October
17, the same day the thawra (“revolution”) began as protests erupted on
Lebanon’s streets.
“At the Still Point of the Turning World, There is the Dance,” listed among the
world’s top 15 exhibitions in 2019 by New York magazine Hyperallergic, focused
on painters and poets in 1960s and 1970s Lebanon but it resonated among Lebanese
too young to remember those times.
Co-curator Carla Chammas agreed that the show sparked nostalgia but that its
echoes are louder. “[In the period covered] intellectuals, thinkers, politicians
and artists cohabited and exchanged ideas with a spirit of camaraderie,
curiosity and creativity,” she said. “The thawra has brought people together in
a similar way.”Might the exhibition’s closure coincide with the end of thawra?
Activities around tents in Beirut and street protests have tailed off and many
observers have switched focus to the financial crisis as the government of
Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab hosts advisers from the International
Monetary Fund and frets over whether to repay a $1.2 billion Eurobond due March
9.
Protesters, who precipitated Saad Hariri’s resignation as prime minister in
October, are equally dissatisfied with Diab, who dismissed their demands for
early elections. Those cynical about the thawra point out that parliamentary and
municipal polls are not due until 2022 and that this is unlikely to change,
given that the Diab government has a majority in parliament with support from
the two Shia parties, Amal and Hezbollah, and from the Free Patriotic Movement,
the Christian party founded by Lebanese President Michel Aoun.
Chibli Mallat, Lebanese law professor and author of the 2005 book “Philosophy of
Nonviolence,” said the naysayers miss the point.
“When the garbage crisis took place three summers ago, 4 million Lebanese became
experts in rubbish disposal,” he said. “Now, everybody is becoming an expert in
banking and on the constitution. The citizen is so directly affected that he or
she feels the need to understand the roots of the crisis.”
Mallat pointed to a plethora of lectures, meetings and discussions taking place
across the country. Originally impromptu, slowly more organised through social
media, these are becoming more settled. Subjects are as diverse as banking, the
constitution, gender violence and sectarianism.
Some working in art and culture are organising under the umbrella of a larger
group called Professional Women and Men.
“At this stage, we’re discussing and trying to agree on a mission statement,”
said a 50-something participant. “We’re communicating, networking, things are
evolving but there are already two active subgroups, one working on a reform
plan for existing syndicates and the other on media productions to express the
group’s views.”
Similar sentiments come from a 30-year-old Lebanese in Europe who joined
protests with friends on a recent visit to Lebanon.
“I see a big change in people,” he said. “They no longer endure arbitrary
authority, whether in politics or banking, as something they can do nothing
about. The fact the current government appears fearless doesn’t mean that fear
has not changed sides: that’s just the way these rulers operate.”
Thawra has been imaginative in propaganda of the deed. In December, chants of
“Out! Out! Out!” drove former Prime Minister Fouad Siniora from a Christmas
concert at the American University of Beirut. Public shaming includes disturbing
politicians as they dine at up-market restaurants.
Protesters have highlighted the illegal usurpation of 180km of publicly owned
seafront by well-connected developers. In November, picnickers congregated at
Zaitunay Bay, a private development in Beirut aimed at wealthy tourists.
Women have been prominent throughout, as have once-obscure demands such as
judicial independence. Protesters, even in January’s “week of rage,” have
overwhelmingly opted for non-violence. Even a spate of attacks on ATMs in
January quickly died out, not just because of extra bank security but due to
public revulsion. Mallat argued thawra is taking up not just the themes of
regional protests in 2011-12 but of the Nahda (“Awakening”) of the late 19th
century, which arguably began in Beirut when in 1863 Boutros Boustany opened Al-Madrasa
Al-Wataniyya (the National School) to foster citizenship regardless of sect. “We
didn’t have the phrase dawla madiniya (“civil government”) during the Nahda,”
said Mallat. “It emerged in Egypt in 2011. We don’t want to use the word
‘secular’ because it’s not ours. A ‘civil state’ doesn’t mean anything in
classical political theory but the revolution is inventive.”
Mallat argued that Lebanon is part of a wider awakening. “Across the region,
there is a process of enlightenment, a search for something different,” he said.
“The vibrancy is stunning. Look at Saudi Arabia and the debate between Islamic
feminists and the literalists of the Hanbali tradition. If you’re on an Iraqi
Whatsapp, you can have 30 or 40 messages before you wake up in the morning.”
*Gareth Smyth has covered Middle Eastern affairs for 20 years and was chief
correspondent for The Financial Times in Iran.
Welcome, Coronavirus… Remember us!
Rajeh Khoury/Asharq Al Awsat/February 29/2020
In the past weeks, the coronavirus has been taking the world by storm. The news
coming from Wuhan and the photos of victims and nurses wearing protective suits
looking like aliens, and victims being taken to isolation was all over the
media.
The Lebanese Minister of Health in the “technocrat government”, Dr. Mohammad
Hassan, however, went to the airport in Beirut and conducted a televised tour
and show. He did not hesitate in saying that there was no reason for panic, for
everything is being monitored and is under control, and anyway, Lebanon has the
cure for the virus.
This was confusing and astounding, “Lebanon has a vaccine?” How and when, while
we read that Chinese, American and European scientists are working day and night
to find a treatment for this virus that has started to look like a pandemic
threatening the entire world? Perhaps Hassan took the matter very lightly that
day, before the global state of panic, and thought that we are just facing a
known case of influenza that has vaccines even in African caves.
Quickly, however, the matter started to look horrifying after a Lebanese woman
posted a short video on Facebook talking about how she reached the airport in
Beirut from China wearing a mask and entering the airport without being tested
or examined. She was casually welcomed and went home to isolate herself for two
weeks in her room and publish the video that caused a huge commotion that
culminated in the Ministry of Health sending her an ambulance and transferring
her to Rafik Hariri University Hospital in Beirut and putting her in quarantine
under observation.
Once again the Minister of Health became active and published a long series of
reassuring statements, and went with a group of his ministry’s physicians to the
airport to announce that there was no reason to panic, as all the necessary
measures were being taken and Lebanon is free of any cases of coronavirus.
However, this did not end people’s confusion, precaution and suspicions,
especially after virus-related developments dominated the media.
Panic was slowly drawing nearer, and suddenly ten days ago, an Iranian flight
landed with 164 passengers with some of them having visited holy sites in Qom,
and it was discovered that a woman on board had the virus. She was then
transferred to Rafik Hariri Hospital for treatment. Hours later the story of
utter negligence and lack of minimal responsibility from officials in the
Lebanese government spread, against a backdrop of questions that Minister Hassan
was unable to convincingly answer: First: If this woman was infected, how did
the Iranian authorities allow her to board a 164-passenger flight? The Minister
answered: Perhaps the authorities in Tehran were unaware that she was infected
and allowed her to travel. Second: Great, if the woman started to suffer from
the malaise on the flight why was the airport in Beirut not informed? The
answer: Perhaps the captain was unaware. Third: After she was discovered to have
a fever at the airport, how did you casually allow the rest of the passengers to
go home? The answer was very strange and was from the passengers this time: The
ongoing precautions were great as per the testimony of passengers who came from
China and Iran who spread their testimonies on social media saying that they
were asked: Do you have a fever? The answer was: No sir. Then they were allowed
to leave.
The 164 passengers then went home and of course hugged their families and
neighbors, and this great state did not try to summon them in fear that some of
them may have the virus has a 14-day incubation period. The story does not stop
there. In the past ten days, planes from Iran continue to land in Beirut and the
authorities continue to hold onto their “Welcome” policy. One of the arriving
passengers posted a video on Facebook, saying: “I’ve just arrived at the
airport, awaiting my luggage, and nobody has tested me or asked me a single
question… astonishing.”
Yes very astonishing, especially that the authorities were swamped in
discussions about the necessity of stopping flights from countries with
infections such as China and Iran among others, and masks were disappearing from
the market while their prices suddenly jumped from LL2,500 to LL15,000. It then
turned out that merchants exported 4 tons of masks and that some of them are
hiding the rest, awaiting another hike in prices.
Before finally announcing the suspension of religious trips, flights were still
arriving from Iran while a floor at Rafik Hariri Hospital was dedicated to
infected patients. Then it was announced that the entire hospital was dedicated
to these cases. On Wednesday, a second case from the same flight with the first
case was announced. It was confirmed by a laboratory test and was from Iran.
Flights from Tehran were not suspended, and this increased fears especially
after news of rising number cases from Iran spread.
This pushed all countries neighboring Iran to stop flying there, including
Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iraq which closed their aerial and land borders with
Iran. On Thursday, it was announced that 106 people were infected in Iran in 24
hours and that the number of people who have died reached 26 after the reformist
Member of Parliament Mahmoud Sadiqi who was infected, wrote, “I do not have much
hope to persist in this world”.
The Head of the National Security Committee in parliament, Muhtaba Di Nur,
announced that he was also infected alongside the Deputy Minister of Health,
Iraj Harichi. In the last two weeks, 200 people entered Lebanon from China
without any precautions, and four times as many from Tehran. This poses a great
danger as at least some of them may harbor the virus that has an incubation
period of 14 days. Specialist doctors in Beirut say that the Lebanese people’s
fears are justified and that the government was late in taking precautions and
controlling movement of flights from countries with outbreaks.
The Minister of Health, however, continues to work based on “There is no need
for panic”, after announcing that flights from countries with outbreaks are
being controlled and that only urgently needed trips were being allowed after
religious trips were suspended. What are these urgent needs though, while
Bahrain announced on Thursday that all trips from and to Lebanon and Iraq were
suspended until further notice? Despite there being many people who entered
Lebanon from China, Iran, Italy and South Korea, and which raises panic levels
among the Lebanese, the government was unable to say anything other than
municipalities can monitor the cases that have returned for signs of infection.
Consequently, many Lebanese are now very fearfully and cynically saying:
Welcome, coronavirus, remember us!
The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News
published on February 29-March 01/2020
Virus spreading worldwide as more countries report first cases
Arab News/March 01/2020
DUBAI, GENEVA: The rapid spread of coronavirus raised fears of a pandemic on
Friday, with five countries reporting their first cases, the World Health
Organization (WHO)warning it could spread worldwide and Switzerland canceling
the giant Geneva car show.
“The outbreak is getting bigger,” WHO spokesman Christian Lindmeier told a news
briefing in Geneva.
“The scenario of the coronavirus reaching multiple countries, if not all
countries around the world, is something we have been looking at and warning
against since quite a while.”
The outbreak of the new virus in Iran has been dramatic — the head of Iran’s
task force to stop the illness, known as COVID-19, was seen coughing, sweating
and wheezing across televised interviews before acknowledging he was infected.
Then days later, a visibly pale official sat only meters away from President
Hassan Rouhani and other top leaders before she too reportedly came down with
the virus.
Iran’s success — or failure — in combating in the virus will have an impact far
beyond the country’s 80 million people as the majority of cases in the Mideast
now link back to Iran.
“All organizations are trying their best to combat this virus,” Health Ministry
spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour said.
On Friday, Jahanpour again reported a huge spike in cases, saying there were now
388 confirmed coronavirus cases in Iran and 34 deaths. In brief remarks from
Tehran, he cautioned the number of cases would likely further spike as Iran now
has 15 laboratories testing samples.
In Tehran and other cities, authorities canceled Friday prayer services to limit
crowds. In the capital, Radio Tehran that typically carries the prayer played
only traditional Iranian music. Universities are to remain closed another week.
Questions still remain over Iran’s count. Experts, including at the WHO, worry
the Islamic republic may be underreporting the number of cases in the country.
Germany
There are almost 60 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Germany, a spokeswoman for
the Health Ministry said on Friday, adding that number included people who were
now healthy again.
Asked how many confirmed cases of coronavirus in Germany there were, she said:
“At the moment in Germany we have almost 60 but it’s a very dynamic situation,
as we keep saying.”
Lebanon
Lebanon announced on Friday it would bar entry to nonresident foreigners from
the four countries most affected by the coronavirus outbreak, a day after
announcing its third case.
The Middle Eastern country will deny entry to people arriving from China, South
Korea, Iran and Italy, the state news agency reported, without saying when the
measure would come into effect.
All airlines operating flights to Beirut have been notified of the ban, which
does not affect Lebanese citizens or foreigners holding a residency permit, the
agency added.
Lebanon’s Health Ministry on Thursday confirmed another coronavirus case. All
three individuals infected — two Lebanese and an Iranian — arrived recently from
Iran, the worst-hit country in the region. Despite government efforts to
reassure the Lebanese, videos have circulated on social media denouncing what
users say are insufficient screenings for the virus at Beirut’s international
airport.
Nigeria
Nigerian authorities on Friday reported the first confirmed case of the new
coronavirus in sub-Saharan Africa as the outbreak spread to a region with some
of the world’s weakest health systems.
The health commissioner for Lagos, Africa’s largest city with more than 20
million people, said an Italian citizen who entered Nigeria on Tuesday from
Milan on a business trip fell ill the next day. Commissioner Akin Abayomi said
the man was clinically stable with no serious symptoms.
Abayomi said officials were working to identify all of the man’s contacts since
he arrived in Nigeria. Lagos state early this month advised people arriving from
virus-affected areas to observe 14 days of self-quarantine while monitoring for
any symptoms. Nigerian health officials have been strengthening measures to
ensure that any outbreak in Lagos is contained quickly, Abayomi said in a
statement.
He urged Lagos residents to take measures such as keeping their distance from
people who are coughing and washing their hands regularly.
Cases of the virus were confirmed in Egypt and Algeria in north Africa in recent
days. Until then, some global health experts had expressed surprise that no
cases had been reported in Africa.
It was concerns about the virus spreading to countries with weaker health
systems that led the World Health Organization to declare the outbreak a global
health emergency.
Nigeria is one of 13 African countries that WHO classified as high priority in
this outbreak because of direct links to China or a high number of visitors from
there.
On Thursday, word spread that one of Iran’s many vice presidents, Masoumeh
Ebtekar, had contracted the virus. Ebtekar, 59, is better known as “Sister
Mary,” the English-speaking spokeswoman for the students who seized the US
Embassy in Tehran in 1979 and sparked the 444-day hostage crisis.
Ebtekar on Wednesday attended a Cabinet meeting chaired by Rouhani, 71. Other
top officials, most in their late 50s and 60s, sat within several meters (feet)
from her as well. Jahanpour, the Health Ministry spokesman, said the average age
of those killed by the virus and the illness it brings is over 60.
State media has not said what measures those attending the meeting with Ebtekar
were now taking. However, the concern about the virus’ spread among Iran’s elite
has reached into Austria, where Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg tested
negative for it after a recent trip to Tehran.
Worries persist over Shiite shrines remaining open in the country. Saudi Arabia
on Thursday took the unprecedented decision to close off the holiest sites in
Islam to foreign pilgrims over the coronavirus, disrupting travel for thousands
of Muslims already headed to the kingdom and potentially affecting plans later
this year for millions more ahead of the fasting month of Ramadan and the annual
Hajj pilgrimage.
Some Iranian clerics also have offered advice with no basis in science, like
Sheikh Abbas Tabrizian in Qom who told followers to give themselves a
suppository of essential oils to ward off the virus.
Elsewhere, a major cycling race in the United Arab Emirates was canceled early
Friday after two Italians tested positive for the new virus, setting off a
quarantine that also ensnared four-time Tour de France winner Chris Froome of
Britain. That pushed the overall number of confirmed cases to 21 in the UAE, a
federation of seven sheikhdoms on the Arabian Peninsula.
In Cairo, authorities allowed a plane carrying 114 Chinese tourists into Egypt
despite EgyptAir halting flights to China amid the outbreak. The tourists showed
no symptoms of the virus and will be monitored during their weeklong vacation,
said officials who spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized
to speak to journalists.
Lebanon has flights and barred citizens of China, Iran, Italy and South Korea
from visiting the country, though Lebanese citizens and residents will be
allowed back in. Qatar separately flew home its citizens from Iran and put them
in a 14-day quarantine.
The Iran government’s slow response and the unrelenting pressure Iranians face,
especially as the country’s rial currency this week hit its lowest value in a
year against the US dollar, has seen many Iranians turn to dark humor. Jokes
spread fast across social media, including one saying a government that
previously cracked down on demonstrators now will lock up the virus.
Then come the videos. Iraj Harirchi, who led Iran’s coronavirus task force,
sweated at the podium during a news conference and then later coughed all over
the set of a state TV interview program, its female host looking down and away.
“I came from a cold place,” Harirchi said, attempting to joke before bringing
the crook of his arm to his face. “I made a mistake. I should cover my mouth
like this.”
Soon afterward, Harirchi acknowledged testing positive for the virus.
Iran MP Aghapour Alishahi says she has coronavirus
infection
Yaghoub Fazeli, Al Arabiya English/Saturday, 29 February 2020
Masoumeh Aghapour Alishahi is the latest Iranian member of parliament to
announce that she has been infected with coronavirus. Iran’s death toll from the
outbreak has reached 43, a health official told state TV on Saturday, adding
that the number of infected people across the country has reached 593. “I am
certain that I was infected with the virus inside the parliament,” Aghapour
Alishahi said in a video on Saturday. Earlier on Saturday, the spokesman of the
Iranian parliament’s presiding board Asadollah Abbasi said that five members of
parliament have tested positive out of 100 who were tested.
Abbasi did not name the MPs. MPs Mahmoud Sadeghi and Mojtaba Zolnour had
previously announced that they have been infected with coronavirus. Some Iranian
media outlets reported on Saturday that lawmaker Mohammad Ali Ramazani, elected
in Iran’s February 21 polls, died from coronavirus. However, the official IRNA
news agency later reported that Ramazani died of the flu and lung injuries he
sustained during the eight-year-long war with Iraq (1980-1988).
Ramazani had reportedly tested positive for coronavirus a few days ago.
Pro-Iranian regime activist Hamed Jalali Kashani dies from
coronavirus: Report
Yaghoub Fazeli, Al Arabiya English Saturday, 29 February 2020
A pro-Iranian regime activist who had previously said reports of the coronavirus
outbreak in Iran were a ploy to lower voter turnout in the country’s general
election, has died from the disease on Friday, according to a semi-official news
agency report. Iran’s death toll from the outbreak has reached 43, a health
official told state TV on Saturday, adding that the number of infected people
across the country has reached 593. Hamed Jalali Kashani, a pro-regime activist
and an advocate for child marriage, died from coronavirus last night, the
semi-official YJC news agency reported on Saturday. Jalali Kashani had
previously attacked a member of parliament for criticizing the government’s lack
of transparency about the coronavirus outbreak in the country. “You think you
can lower voter turnout through these dirty tricks?” Jalali Kashani had tweeted
on February 21 in response to the MP. In another tweet on the same day, he
tweeted that he has influenza. “I wish it was coronavirus or something at least
so I could show off,” Jalali Kashani said in the same tweet.
Jailed British-Iranian Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe fears she has coronavirus
AFP Saturday, 29 February 2020
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a British-Iranian woman jailed in Tehran, believes
she has contracted the new coronavirus as Iran struggles to contain a surge in
new cases, her husband said on Saturday. The 41-year-old detainee complained
that prison authorities are refusing to test her for the COVID-19 virus, despite
suffering from a worsening “strange cold,” according to spouse Richard Ratcliffe.
“I am not good. I feel very bad in fact,” Zaghari-Ratcliffe told her husband in
a phone call Saturday from the prison, he revealed in a statement. “For a long
time this has not felt like a normal cold,” she added, noting her symptoms
included a sore throat, fever and difficulty breathing. “I know I need to get
medicine to get better. This does not go magically.”Ratcliffe urged British
Prime Minister Boris Johnson to ensure that his wife is tested immediately, and
that British-Iranians “held hostage in Evin Prison are diplomatically
protected.”
His appeal comes as Iran on Saturday reported a surge in new coronavirus cases,
with the number of deaths jumping to 43. But Tehran dismissed as “rumors” a BBC
Persian report, citing unnamed sources in the Islamic republic’s health system,
that at least 210 people have so far died from the outbreak inside the country.
Ratcliffe warned in his statement that reports suggest COVID-19 has infected
Evin Prison. His wife was arrested at Tehran airport in April 2016 after
visiting relatives in Iran with their young daughter. She worked for the Thomson
Reuters Foundation – the media organization’s philanthropic arm – at the time.
Iranian authorities convicted her of sedition – a charge Zaghari-Ratcliffe has
always contested – and she is serving a five-year jail term.
Iran confirms 205 new coronavirus cases: State TV
Agencies Saturday, 29 February 2020
Iran confirmed on Saturday 205 new cases of coronavirus in the last 24 hours,
according to Iranian state TV. Iran’s death toll from the outbreak has reached
43, a health official told state TV, adding that the number of infected people
across the country has reached 593.
“Unfortunately nine people died of the virus in the last 24 hours. The death
toll is 43 now. The new confirmed infected cases since yesterday is 205 that
makes the total number of confirmed infected people 593,” Kianush Jahanpur told
state TV. The Islamic Republic is preparing for the possibility of “tens of
thousands” coming to test for the virus, underscoring the concern over the
outbreak there, he said. Several countries, including Bahrain and Kuwait,
suspended travel to the country in an effort to contain the outbreak. Iran,
which has the highest death toll outside China, has ordered the shutting of
schools until Tuesday and the government has extended the closure of
universities and a ban on concerts and sports events for a week. Several
high-ranking officials, including a vice minister, deputy health minister and
five lawmakers, have tested positivefor the coronavirus as the rapid spread of
the outbreak forced the government to call on people to stay at home. Iranian
media reported on Saturday that one lawmaker, elected in Iran’s Feb. 21 polls,
had died of the coronavirus. Iran’s government spokesman will hold his weekly
news conference online due to the outbreak, the semi-official Mehr news agency
reported.
Turkey's Erdogan Says Europe Borders Open as Refugees
Gather
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/February 29/2020
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Saturday that his country's borders
with Europe were open, as thousands of refugees gathered at the frontier with
Greece. Migrants played a cat-and-mouse game with Greek border patrols
throughout the night and into Saturday, with some cutting holes in the fence
only to be turned back by tear gas and stun grenades. Greek authorities also
fired tear gas to repulse attempts by the crowd to push through the border. The
move by Turkey to open its border, first announced Thursday, was seen in Greece
as a deliberate attempt to pressure European countries. It comes as tensions
ratcheted up between Turkey and Syria. More than 55 Turkish troops have been
killed since Turkey began sending further reinforcements into areas of northwest
Syria under the control of rebels, which are backed by Turkey. "We will not
close the gates to refugees," Erdogan said in a speech in Istanbul. "The
European Union has to keep its promises." If Erdogan really has opened the
border, it would be a dramatic departure from Turkey's current policy. Under a
2016 deal, Turkey agreed to stem the tide of refugees to Europe in return for
financial aid. It has since protested that the EU has failed to honor the
agreement. Erdogan was speaking for the first time since 33 Turkish soldiers
were killed in air strikes in northwest Syria on Thursday, the largest single
loss of life for Turkish forces since their country became involved in Syria in
2016.
The Turkish troop deaths led officials to declare Turkey would not impede
refugees seeking to enter Europe. Turkey currently hosts more than 3.5 million
Syrian refugees, and many fleeing war and poverty in Asia, Africa and the Middle
East use it as a staging post and transit point to reach Europe, usually through
neighboring Greece. On Saturday, small groups managed to get across into Greece
clandestinely. The vast majority were from Afghanistan, and most were men,
although there were also some families with young children. They took shelter
during the night in abandoned buildings or small chapels in the Greek
countryside before starting to walk towards northern Greek.
Erdogan has frequently threatened to "open the gates" and allow refugees and
migrants to head to Europe unless more international support was provided,
particularly at times of tension with European countries.
Thursday's deaths — the highest number in a single day since Turkey first
intervened in Syria in 2016 — were the most serious escalation between Turkish
and Russian-backed Syrian forces. The development has raised the prospect of an
all-out war with millions of Syrian civilians trapped in the middle. Syrian
government forces have been on a weekslong offensive into Idlib province, the
country's last rebel stronghold, which borders Turkey. Thousands of Turkish
soldiers are deployed inside rebel-controlled areas of Idlib province, which is
dominated by al-Qaida-linked militants.
The Idlib offensive has pushed nearly 950,000 displaced civilians toward the
Syrian-Turkish border amid cold winter weather. "We learnt the border was open
and we headed there. But we saw it was closed, and we found a hole in the fence
and went through it," said Ali Nikad, a 17-year-old Iranian who made it into
Greece overnight with a group of friends.
Nikad said he had spent two months in Turkey but couldn't make ends meet, and
was hoping to find his uncle who was already in Greece.
Many of those who made it across the land border were seen being arrested and
driven away in white vans. A police officer told The Associated Press there was
pressure along the 200-kilometer (125-mile) land border from migrants trying to
force their way through overnight, and groups were being constantly repulsed.
The officer spoke on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to speak on
the record. Others were making their way to Greek islands in dinghies from the
nearby Turkish coast.
Greece and Bulgaria increased security at their borders with Turkey. In Athens,
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis convened an emergency meeting of top
cabinet, military and coast guard officials Saturday morning on the issue. In
Syria, Turkey's Defense Ministry said one of its soldiers was killed and two
were injured by Syrian government shelling, the latest fatality after the deadly
airstrike that killed 33 earlier this week. The announcement late Friday also
said Turkish forces hit Syrian government targets and a number of Syrian troops
were "neutralized."
It remained unclear whether Syrian or Russian jets carried out the airstrike,
but Russia denied its aircraft were responsible.
Erdogan had given the Syrian government until the end of the month to pull back
from areas captured in Idlib, threatening large-scale military action if they
didn't. But any large scale Turkish military action risks more loss of life
among Turkish soldiers. He had kept unusually silent since the 33 deaths. NATO
envoys held emergency talks Friday at the request of Turkey, a NATO member.
While urging deescalation in Idlib, NATO offered no further assistance. Erdogan
and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke by telephone Friday and discussed
implementing agreements in Idlib, the Kremlin said. Fahrettin Altun, Erdogan's
director of communications, said they had agreed to meet "as soon as
possible."Erdogan also spoke with other world leaders, including President
Donald Trump and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio
Guterres called for an immediate cease-fire in Idlib. He warned that "without
urgent action, the risk of even greater escalation grows by the hour, and as
always, civilians are paying the gravest price."
Russia, Turkey set to discuss Syria conflict at talks in
Moscow: Kremlin
Reuters, Moscow Sunday, 1 March 2020
Russia and Turkey will discuss all aspects of the Syrian conflict at talks in
Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin told French President Emmanuel Macron
during a phone call, the Kremlin said on Saturday.
Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan agreed on Friday to arrange a
meeting to address tensions in Syria’s Idlib province, after the killing of 33
Turkish soldiers in a strike by Syrian government forces, who are backed by
Russian air power.
A Kremlin statement on Putin’s conversation with Macron did not specify when the
Russian leader would meet Erdogan but officials on both sides have said they are
due to meet on March 5 or 6. Putin also discussed Idlib by phone with Iranian
President Hassan Rouhani, the Kremlin said in a separate statement. “A consensus
was expressed on the need to fully implement the agreements reached ...
regarding, above all, the fight against terrorists, while respecting Syria’s
sovereignty and territorial integrity,” the statement said.
Turkey’s Erdogan vows to keep doors open for refugees
heading to Europe
AFP, Istanbul Saturday, 29 February 2020
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Saturday that his country’s borders
with Europe were open, as thousands of refugees gathered at the frontier with
Greece. Migrants played a cat-and-mouse game with Greek border patrols
throughout the night and into Saturday, with some cutting holes in the fence
only to be turned back by tear gas and stun grenades. Greek authorities also
fired tear gas to repulse attempts by the crowd to push through the border. The
move by Turkey to open its border was seen in Greece as a deliberate attempt to
pressure European countries, as tensions ratcheted up between Turkey and Syria.
More than 55 Turkish troops have been killed since Turkey began sending more
troops into rebel held areas of northwest Syria, which are backed by Turkey. “We
will not close the gates to refugees,” Erdogan said in a speech in Istanbul.
“The European Union has to keep its promises.”Under a 2016 deal, Turkey agreed
to stem the tide of refugees to Europe in return for financial aid. It has since
protested that the EU has failed to honor the agreement. Erdogan was speaking
for the first time after 33 Turkish soldiers were killed in air strikes in
northwest Syria on Thursday, the largest single loss of life for Turkish forces
since their country became involved in Syria in 2016. The deaths led officials
to declare Turkey would not impede refugees seeking to enter Europe. On
Saturday, small groups managed to get across into Greece clandestinely. The vast
majority were from Afghanistan, and most were men, although there were also some
families with young children. They took shelter during the night in abandoned
buildings or small chapels in the Greek countryside before starting to walk
towards northern Greek. Erdogan has frequently threatened to “open the gates”
and allow refugees and migrants to head to Europe unless more international
support was provided, particularly at times of tension with European countries.
Turkey currently hosts more than 3.5 million Syrian refugees, and many fleeing
war and poverty in Asia, Africa and the Middle East use it as a staging post and
transit point to reach Europe, usually through neighboring Greece.
Clashes between migrants, Greek police erupt on Turkish
border
AFP Saturday, 29 February 2020
Thousands of migrants stuck on the Turkey-Greece border clashed with Greek
police on Saturday, according to an AFP photographer at the scene. Greek police
fired tear gas at migrants who have amassed at a border crossing in the western
Turkish province of Edirne, some of whom responded by hurling stones at the
officers. The clashes come as Greece bolsters its border after Ankara said it
would no longer prevent refugees from crossing into Europe following the death
of 33 Turkish troops in northern Syria.
Russia, Turkey want ‘reduction in tensions’ in Syria: Russian FM
AFP, Moscow Saturday, 29 February 2020
Moscow and Ankara expressed hope for a “reduction in tensions” in Syria during
high-level talks between both sides, Russia’s foreign ministry said Saturday.
“On both sides, the focus has been on reducing tensions on the ground while
continuing to fight terrorists recognized by the United Nations Security
Council,” Moscow’s foreign ministry said in a statement. Tensions surged after
33 Turkish soldiers died in an air strike in Syria on Thursday. Turkey reprised
and killed 20 Syrian soldiers later on Friday with drone and artillery strikes
hitting Syrian army positions in southern and eastern parts of the province
which were recaptured by the government in a nearly three-month-old offensive
against the enclave, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. At least 16
regime fighters died in those strikes, while another four were killed by
artillery fire on positions in neighboring Aleppo province, the Observatory
added.
Iraq parliament delays confidence vote on new government
for a second time
AFP Saturday, 29 February 2020
Iraq’s bitterly divided parliament postponed a vote of confidence in prime
minister-designate Mohammad Allawi’s government for a second time Saturday, as
political wrangling continued ahead of a looming deadline.
Parliament speaker Mohammed Halbusi said that the crunch vote, which had already
been delayed last week for lack of a quorum, would now be held on Sunday.
Midnight (2100 GMT) Sunday is the deadline for lawmakers to end a protracted
political vacuum and agree on a new government or see President Barham Saleh
designate a premier unilaterally. Failure to go ahead with the vote could also
trigger a call for mass protests from populist cleric Moqtada Sadr, whose
supporters form the largest bloc in parliament and who has demanded that
lawmakers approve Allawi’s government. Iraq’s current parliament is the most
divided in its recent history and Allawi is struggling to secure support from
the country’s Sunni Arab and Kurdish minorities. Kurds and Sunnis are also
opposed to a non-binding vote passed by parties representing the Shia majority
for the immediate departure of the 5,200 US troops stationed in Iraq. Iraq has
been without a government since Allawi’s predecessor Adil Abdel Mahdi quit under
pressure from the street two months ago.
Turkey says it destroyed ‘chemical warfare facility’ in
Syria
AFP, Istanbul Saturday, 29 February 2020
A Turkish official said Saturday that Turkey destroyed a chemical warfare
facility after dozens of its soldiers were killed by Syrian regime fire in the
last-rebel enclave of Idlib province. The Turkish army destroyed overnight “a
chemical warfare facility, located some 13 kilometers south of Aleppo, along
with a large number of other regime targets,” the senior official told reporters
on condition of anonymity. However, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights,
which relies on sources inside the war-torn country, said that Turkey instead
hit a military airport in eastern Aleppo, where the monitoring group says there
are no chemical weapons. Thirty-three Turkish soldiers were killed in an air
strike by Russian-backed Syrian regime forces in the Idlib region on Thursday,
the biggest Turkish military loss on the battlefield in recent years. The latest
incident has raised further tensions between Ankara and Moscow, whose
relationship has been tested by violations of a 2018 deal to prevent a regime
offensive on Idlib. As part of the agreement, Ankara set up 12 observation posts
in the province but Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s forces -- backed by
Russian air power -- have pressed on with a relentless campaign to take back the
region. On Friday, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke by phone with his
Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, in a bid to scale down the tensions.
Erdogan may travel next week to Moscow for talks, according to the Kremlin.
Depite being on opposite ends, Turkey, which backs several rebel groups in
Syria, and key regime ally Russia are trying to find a political solution to the
Syria conflict.
Egypt says will use ‘all means’ to defend Nile interests
The Associated Press, Cairo Saturday, 29 February 2020
Egypt on Saturday said it would use “all available means” to defend “the
interests” of its people after Ethiopia skipped the latest round of US-brokered
talks on a disputed Nile dam project with Egypt and Sudan. A final deal on the
massive Great Ethiopian Renaissance Dam was expected in the two-day, US-brokered
talks in Washington, which were concluded Friday. Egypt signed the deal,
Ethiopia skipped the talks and Sudan, which attended, did not sign the
US-crafted deal. Egypt said Saturday in a statement by its Foreign Ministry it
“regrets Ethiopia’s unjustifiable absence ... at this critical stage in the
negotiations.”It described the deal as “fair and balanced.”Ethiopia has said it
skipped the talks “because the country’s delegation hasn’t concluded its
consultation with relevant stakeholders.” The $4 billion Grand Ethiopian
Renaissance Dam under construction near Ethiopia’s border with Sudan on the Blue
Nile, which flows into the Nile river. The dispute over what will be Africa’s
largest hydroelectric dam pits Ethiopia’s desire to pull millions out of poverty
against Egypt’s concerns over a critical water supply. Egypt “will continue to
give the matter the maximum attention it deserves, as part of bearing their
national responsibilities in defending the interests of the Egyptian people as
well as their fate and future, by all available means,” Egypt’s Foreign Ministry
said without elaborating.
The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources published on February 29-March
01/2020
What’s Happening in Idlib?
Yezid Sayigh/Carnegie MEC/February 29, 2020
The dramatic escalation in the governorate may hide a high-risk Russian
negotiation tactic.
With the situation in Syria’s Idlib Governorate escalating in recent days,
leading to the killing of 33 Turkish soldiers on February 27, Turkish President
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan faces extremely difficult choices and has no options that
do not involve major risks.
However, what must also be addressed are the strategic objectives of Russia.
Does Moscow support an unlimited offensive by the Assad regime or is it actually
using the situation on the ground to gain leverage against Turkey? And if so,
what does it want from Turkey? In short, the escalation is dramatic but probably
remains a high-risk negotiation tactic, out of which a new Russian-Turkish
understanding over Idlib will come.
Looking purely at the military situation, deescalating is probably Erdoğan’s
best option. But if he does so without securing a ceasefire in Idlib, the result
could be a large influx of Syrian refugees from Idlib trying to get into Turkey.
Maybe the only alternative to this influx would be to arrange for them to reach
areas Turkey controlled though its Afrin and Euphrates Shield operations. This
would of course increase the burden on Turkey, which provides most social and
infrastructural services in those areas, but it would be better than having more
Syrian refugees enter Turkey, where this is already causing domestic opposition
and reducing support for Erdoğan’s Justice and Development Party.
The opposite option is to demonstrate Turkish resolve. In other words Ankara
must show the will and determination to respond to every attack on its forces in
Idlib in kind, in the hope of dissuading the Assad regime from further attacks.
Already it has reportedly sent thousands of more troops to Idlib and provided
its allied Syrian armed opposition groups with man-portable surface-to-air
missiles, which have shot down two regime helicopters. Turkey was no doubt also
involved in the successful recapture by opposition forces of the strategic town
of Saraqib on February 27. But even if this demonstration of resolve works, it
might only serve to protect Turkish forces. It may be insufficient to deter the
regime from continuing its offensive in Idlib and western Aleppo.
However, present trends indicate the regime is deliberately targeting Turkish
troops, probably because it feels or knows that it has Russian protection. In
fact, Russia is certainly behind this high-stakes gambit. Therefore, Turkish
military responses are unlikely to be effective for as long as they remain
limited. It is significant that so far Russia has not been directly involved in
attacks on Turkish forces. However, a Turkish resort to stronger military
responses increases the risk of at least a political, if not also a military,
confrontation with Russia, which has means of retaliation. This includes
enabling attacks on the Turkish-held enclave in northeast Syria, or providing
the Kurdistan Workers Party with man-portable surface-to-air missiles, as it
previously did when Turkey supplied similar weapons to the Syrian opposition in
May 2016.
Also, in order to escalate more strongly, Turkey would have to introduce more
ground forces into Idlib. This increases the risk of incurring casualties and
prompting more direct Russian counteractions. Or else it can send the Turkish
Air Force into Syrian airspace over Idlib, which cannot happen without Russian
permission, which will not be given.
Where does this leave things? On the one hand, an all-out war is very unlikely.
The potential costs and also the damage to strategic relations between Turkey
and Russia would be too great for Erdoğan to take such a risk. Supportive
statements from the NATO secretary-general, U.S. President Donald Trump, and
other Western leaders are not sufficient for Turkey to abandon the investment it
has made in developing relations with Russia.
On the other hand, Russia also has an interest in not losing all the gains it
has made in its relations with Turkey, nor in pushing Turkey back toward its
NATO allies. This may offer Erdoğan some room for maneuver. It would involve
keeping up Turkish military responses and inflicting a cost on President Bashar
al-Assad’s forces (so long as Russian forces do not step in directly to block
Turkish attacks), so as to convince Russia that Turkey will not back down,
thereby compelling Moscow to rein in the Syrian regime.
All this hinges, mainly, on what Russia seeks in Idlib. Its airpower played a
major role in supporting offensive action by regime forces in 2018, leading to
the Sochi deescalation agreement. Indeed, most of the real military pressure on
Turkey at that time came from the Russian Air Force, backed by regime artillery,
with limited movement by regime ground forces. But there were later occasions
when Russia did not provide active air support for regime attacks in the
governorate, suggesting that it did not seek leverage against Turkey in pursuit
of certain strategic or political goals at those times.
What is different this time is the scale of the regime’s ground offensive,
backed by its air force, in which Russia has provided powerful political and
strategic backing, but has not played the lead military role. Russia may also be
seeking agreement relating to other parts of Syria, especially Hasakeh and Deir
Ezzor. Indeed, the severity of the military escalation in Idlib—the sustained
attacks on Turkish observer forces in Idlib and the boldness of regime advances
encircling one Turkish observation post after another are unprecedented—may
reveal a broader strategic purpose: Russia is sponsoring talks between the Assad
regime and the Kurds, and may be trying to soften up Turkish resistance to
whatever deal may be hammered out in Damascus. This would be a precursor to
ending Turkey’s military presence and relinquishing its Syrian opposition allies
and civilian safe zones in Syria.
That may still be some time away, but the current conflagration in Idlib
suggests that wider strategic goals are at stake.
German Court Rejects Attempt to Enshrine Sharia Law
Soeren Kern/Gatestone Institute/February 29, 2020
"From a constitutional-law perspective, the legislature's decision to establish
a duty of neutral conduct with respect to ideological and religious matters for
legal trainees must therefore be respected...." — Germany's Federal
Constitutional Court.
"The proper functioning of the justice system requires that society not only
place trust in individual judges, but also in the justice system in general." —
Germany's Federal Constitutional Court.
"With this groundbreaking decision, the court sent an important signal in favor
of the ideological neutrality of state institutions. Especially in today's
society, in which people from many countries around the world live with
different cultural biographies and also with different religions, the state
order must place more value than ever on its ideological neutrality. This is
only possible if the state parties to judicial proceedings are not allowed to
show religious insignia." — Hesse's Minister of Justice Eva Kühne-Hörmann.
Germany's Federal Constitutional Court noted this week that "The proper
functioning of the justice system requires that society not only place trust in
individual judges, but also in the justice system in general."
Germany's Federal Constitutional Court has ruled that the constitutionally
guaranteed religious freedoms of Muslims can be curtailed if public displays of
religiosity — in this case wearing Islamic headscarves in German courtrooms —
endanger the ideological and religious neutrality of the state.
The court's landmark ruling effectively smashes a backdoor effort to enshrine
Sharia law into the German legal system.
The case involves a 38-year-old German-Moroccan law student who was born in
Frankfurt and customarily wears a headscarf in public. In January 2017, she
began legal training in the German state of Hesse, where the law bans any
expression of religion in its courtrooms for judges, lawyers and legal trainees.
According to the law, legal trainees (Rechtsreferendar) are allowed to wear a
headscarf — except when they are performing certain official tasks in which they
serve as representatives of the judiciary or the state. This means, for
instance, that trainee lawyers are not allowed to wear a headscarf when
presiding over a hearing, taking evidence or representing the public prosecution
office.
The complainant filed a lawsuit claiming that the headscarf ban interfered with
her right to freedom of religion. She argued that she was being forced to choose
between performing the intended tasks or fulfilling a religious clothing
requirement that she considers imperative.
The Higher Regional Court (Oberlandesgericht) ruled that, according to the law
in Hesse, legal trainees have a duty to conduct themselves neutrally with
respect to religion and that, when wearing a headscarf, the complainant was
therefore barred from performing any tasks in the course of which she might be
perceived as being a representative of the justice system or the state.
The complainant filed an appeal, which was rejected by the Hesse Higher
Administrative Court (Verwaltungsgerichtshof). She then filed an appeal with the
Federal Constitutional Court, which affirmed the lower court rulings. In a
statement published on February 27, 2020, the high court explained:
"The principle of the state's religious and ideological neutrality can be
considered a constitutional interest that may justify an interference with
freedom of religion in this case. The state's duty to be neutral necessarily
also entails a duty for public officials to be neutral since the state can only
act through individuals. However, when public officials exercise their
fundamental rights as private individuals in the performance of their duties,
this cannot be attributed to the state in every case. Yet it can potentially be
attributed to the state in cases where the state has specific influence on the
visible character of an official act — as is the case in the justice system.
"Freedom of religion can be subject to a further constitutional limitation
inherent in the Basic Law (Grundgesetz): the proper functioning of the justice
system in general, which is one of the essential elements underpinning the rule
of law and is firmly rooted in the values enshrined in the Basic Law, given that
every court decision ultimately serves to safeguard fundamental rights.
"The proper functioning of the justice system requires that society not only
place trust in individual judges, but also in the justice system in general. It
is true that it will not be possible to achieve absolute trust among the entire
population. However, it falls to the state to improve levels of trust. In the
present case, the negative freedom of religion afforded parties to legal
proceedings is also an argument in favor of the ban on wearing a headscarf.
"In the justice system, the state exercises public authority vis-à-vis the
individual in the classic hierarchical sense, which gives rise to more serious
impairments than public authority exercised in interdenominational state
schools, which are meant to reflect society's pluralism in religious matters....
"From a constitutional-law perspective, the legislature's decision to establish
a duty of neutral conduct with respect to ideological and religious matters for
legal trainees must therefore be respected....
"In support of the complainant's position, it must be taken into consideration
that to her, the headscarf is not only a sign of affiliation with a certain
religious group that could be taken off at any time — like, for example, the
cross worn on a necklace. Rather, wearing the headscarf to her means fulfilling
a requirement that she considers imperative. As there is no similarly widespread
equivalent requirement in the Christian faith, a general ban on manifestations
of religious belief has a stronger impact on the complainant than on other
religious public officials....
"In support of the constitutionality of the ban, it must be taken into
consideration that it is limited to a few individual tasks. The ban applies
where legal trainees perform judicial tasks, represent the public prosecution
office in trial hearings and take on quasi-judicial roles. In doing so, legal
trainees — like civil servants — must represent the values that the Basic Law
lays down for the justice system."
Hesse's Minister of Justice Eva Kühne-Hörmann (CDU) described the ruling as
"groundbreaking" (wegweisend):
"With this groundbreaking decision, the court sent an important signal in favor
of the ideological neutrality of state institutions. Especially in today's
society, in which people from many countries around the world live with
different cultural biographies and also with different religions, the state
order must place more value than ever on its ideological neutrality. This is
only possible if the state parties to judicial proceedings are not allowed to
show religious insignia."
Islamic head coverings have been a recurring issue in Germany, where the Muslim
population has surpassed six million to become approximately 7.2% of the overall
population of 83 million, according to calculations by Gatestone Institute.
On February 3, 2020, the Hamburg Higher Administrative Court (Oberverwaltungsgericht)
ruled that a 16-year-old German-Egyptian student was allowed to wear a niqab, a
garment that covers the face, at a vocational school in Hammerbrook.
Hamburg education officials had ordered the girl not wear the veil at school. In
a statement, the court explained that according to the Hamburg School Act as it
is currently written:
"Education officials cannot require the student to refrain from covering her
face while at school. The student can claim the right to an unconditionally
protected freedom of religion. Interferences with this fundamental right require
a sufficiently defined legal basis."
Hamburg politicians from across the political spectrum have vowed to change the
law to ensure that full-face veils are banned in classrooms. Hamburg's Senator
for Education Ties Rabe, who belongs to the center-left Social Democrats, said:
"In school, it is a matter of course that the teachers and the pupils have an
open, free face. This is the only way that school and teaching can function.
That is why we are going to change the school law quickly so that this is
guaranteed in the future too."
Hamburg Deputy Mayor Katharina Fegebank from the Greens party also called for
the law to be changed:
"The burqa and the niqab are, for me, symbols of oppression. Successful school
lessons need good communication at eye level. For this, it is important to see
the face of the other. This is not possible with a full veil. That is why we
reject them."
The opposition parties in Hamburg's parliament, the Christian Democrats (CDU),
the Free Democrats (FDP) and the conservative AfD, also support banning niqabs
and burqas from classrooms.
The student's lawyer, Alexander Heyers, said that while his client "does not see
herself as the Greta Thunberg of Islam," a ban would be tantamount to a
declaration of war. He has threatened to take the case to the Federal
Constitutional Court: "Political questions that have a deep impact on
fundamental rights should be clarified before the Federal Constitutional Court."
In the southwestern state of Baden-Württemberg, which is governed by a coalition
of Greens and Christian Democrats, Culture Minister Susanne Eisenmann (CDU) also
announced a ban on veils through adjustments to school legislation:
"Religious freedom has its limits — specifically at our schools, when teachers
can literally no longer look at each other's faces. We do not tolerate full
veiling at our schools."
Other headscarf-related bans in Germany include:
January 29, 2020. The University of Kiel (Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu
Kiel, CAU) banned students from wearing face-covering veils while in class:
"The Presidium of the CAU has to ensure that the minimum requirements for
communication in research, teaching and administration necessary for the
fulfillment of university tasks are ensured. Open communication, which is based
not only on the spoken word, but also on facial expressions and gestures, is one
of these minimum requirements. Since a face veil hinders this open
communication, it must not be worn in courses, exams and discussions relating to
study, teaching and advice in the broadest sense."
December 2019. Officials in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) abandoned plans to ban
girls under the age of 14 from wearing headscarves or hijabs in NRW schools.
Secretary of State for Integration Serap Güler said that after lengthy legal
review, she determined that such a ban had no chance of being upheld by the
Federal Constitutional Court.
September 2018. The Federal Council of the State of Lower Saxony approved an
amendment that prohibits persons involved in court hearing — in particular
parties, witnesses and legal representatives — from covering their faces in
whole or in part ban on face coverings in courts. Justice Minister Barbara
Havliza explained:
"Checking statements for their truthfulness is often of crucial importance in
court proceedings. The judges must be able to look those involved in the face
because the facial expressions sometimes say more than words. In addition, a
face covering can make it difficult or impossible to identify people."
August 2018. The justice ministers of Bavaria and North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW)
presented a draft amendment to the Court Constitution Act (Gerichtsverfassungsgesetz)
that would ban face-covering veils in all German courts. NRW Justice Minister
Peter Biesenbach (CDU) said:
"Without facial expressions and gestures, a statement is hardly worth anything.
If a witness's sweat is on his forehead or his facial features slip away, judges
must be able to take this into account when evaluating a statement."
October 2017. The Federal Highway Code (Straßenverkehrsordnung) banned motorists
wearing face coverings while driving.
June 2017. The Bundestag banned civil servants and military personnel from
covering their faces in public.
*Soeren Kern is a Senior Fellow at the New York-based Gatestone Institute.
© 2020 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do
not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No
part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied
or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.
US Democrats callously using Iran for politicking, not
policy
Hussain Abdul-Hussain/Al Arabiya/February 29/2020
The Iranian lobby in Washington has completely hijacked the Democratic Party,
making its officials give statements on Iran that are irrelevant to unfolding
events. Whatever the situation with Iran, the Democrats now have
one-size-fits-all solution: Restore the 2015 nuclear deal, known as the Joint
Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
If anything, the JCPOA shows that it never brought the Iranian nuclear program
to its end, but rather put it on hold. Whenever Iran pleases, it can reactivate
its program, as Tehran has openly demonstrated. The deal effectively froze
Iran’s nukes, but only until the expiration of sunset clauses, which would lift
several restrictions on advanced nuclear activity.
The Iranian lobby in Washington has managed to make the nuclear issue so central
that it started using it to deflect attention away from all other issues, first
and foremost Iran’s “destabilizing activity in the region,” a phrase that former
US President Barack Obama coined, but seems to have been long forgotten in
Democratic quarters.
In Democratic presidential debates, frontrunner US Senator Bernie Sanders has
repeatedly express his distaste of world tyrants, from Russia to Nicaragua.
Sanders, however, has never mentioned Iran alongside the regimes he detests.
When it comes to Iran, Bernie has only one answer: Restore the nuclear deal.
In the New Hampshire debate, all Democratic presidential candidates responded
that they would not have killed Iran Revolutionary Guards Corps General Qassem
Soleimani in Baghdad, except for the only candidate who had fought in wars, Pete
Buttigieg. Buttigieg said that he would not rule out killing Soleimani without
having access to the classified intelligence that US President Donald Trump had
access to.
In the meantime, pro-mullah lobbyists in Washington have managed to paint
whatever negative statements against the Iranian regime as American
warmongering, further narrowing the debate. The only way forward with Iran is
restoration of the deal, and anything else drags America into a quagmire worse
than Iraq’s, the lobbyists claim.
With Iranian lobbyists breathing down their necks, Democrats and the mainstream
media close to them, have yet to regret their past prophecies that were never
fulfilled. After Trump ordered the drone strike that killed Soleimani, Democrats
insisted war with Iran was inevitable. War never happened, and the Democrats
never apologized for their erroneous prediction.
Major US media outlets close to Democrats also insisted that Baghdad had asked
Washington to withdraw its forces fighting ISIS in Iraq and Syria. No such thing
ever happened. In the absence of the Sunni and Kurdish blocs, Iraqi Shia
lawmakers could barely obtain a quorum, and then only voted on a resolution -
not a legislation - recommending that Baghdad requests the withdrawal of US
troops. A few days later, Iraq’s president, speaker and prime minister issued a
joint statement in which they proclaimed Iraqi neutrality. A week later, Iraqi
President Barham Saleh met with President Donald Trump and never brought up the
troop withdrawal issue.
Democratic politicking went as far as meeting with Iranian officials. On the
sidelines of the annual Munich Defense Conference that he was attending,
Democratic Senator Chris Murphy agreed to sit with Iranian Foreign Minister
Mohammad Javad Zarif. The meeting was arranged by Iranian US lobby, and was
exploited by Iranian media, which tried to depict Trump’s hawkish position on
Iran as unrepresentative of America.
The meeting backfired, however, and Murphy was forced to disclose — in an
article — all that he and Zarif had discussed, probably in a bid to show that
he, and the Democrats, were not conspiring with Iran against America. The
readout showed Democratic amateurism in foreign affairs, and suggested that that
Tehran was using them as useful idiots.
According to his article, Murphy wanted to make sure that Iran’s reaction to
Soleimani’s killing was concluded with its missile attack on a US base in Iraq,
and wanted to relay to his Iranian interlocutor that America will respond
forcefully against any Iranian targeting of US troops. Murphy also said that he
took the meeting because communication minimizes the risk of confrontation.
However, any beginner in the field of foreign affairs knew that, after
Soleimani’s death and Iran’s theatrical response, Iranian attacks across the
region subsided and the regime also stopped harassing tankers in the Gulf. Even
pro-Iranian Iraqi militias have cut their attacks on US targets in Iraq to a
minimum and Iran is unlikely to repeat its direct attack on Saudi Arabian oil
facilities. By killing Soleimani, Trump restored the long shattered deterrence
with Iran, only Murphy and the Democrats — consumed by their partisan politics —
have been unable to read the new situation.
It is understandable that, like the National Rifle Association (NRA) and other
networks, the Iranian lobby does buy members of Congress, especially in
districts where some Iranian-Americans confuse their love of Iran with their
support of the regime. Yet it is regrettable that on an issue of such national
importance, the Democrats are clearly and callously using Iran as part of
politicking, not policy.
Erdogan isolated in the carnage of Idlib
Cornelia Meyer/Arab News/March 01/2020
As always in the Middle East, the geopolitics of Syria are complicated, and in
the northwestern Idlib province they are tragic too. Again as always, it is
innocent civilians who pay the price; having struggled for nine years to keep
one step ahead of the Assad regime’s barrel bombs, they now flee Russian air
strikes.
Mostly they are fleeing toward the border with Turkey, which is where President
Recep Tayyip Erdogan comes in. Having profoundly irritated his NATO allies and
hitched his wagon to Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin, Erdogan now finds himself
without friends at a time when he needs them most. The Turkish president took a
calculated risk when he decided to buy the Russian S-400 air defense system, a
decision that backfired when the US threw Turkey out of the F-35 fighter jet
program. The collateral damage was greater than that, because many NATO allies
had already had enough of what they consider to be Erdogan’s erratic behavior.
Meanwhile the Turkish president deepened his reliance on Moscow by signing the
Sochi agreement with Russia and Iran in 2018, establishing a de-escalation zone
in Idlib to avert a full-scale Assad regime offensive and an inevitable
bloodbath. To enforce the zone, Turkey set up 12 military “observation posts” in
Idlib.Alas for Erdogan, he was alone in taking the de-escalation zone seriously.
Assad and Putin both appear determined to clear the last vestige of Syrian
opposition from Idlib, no matter how many innocent people die in the process.
Their forces, on the ground and in the air, are powering north, either ignoring
Turkey’s observation posts, or simply destroying them; the Turkish death toll in
Idlib is now 55.
Erdogan has responded with a series of threats. First he said Turkey would
launch an offensive in Idlib unless Assad regime troops withdrew by Feb. 29.
Then he softened that, and said he would launch an offensive unless Assad regime
troops withdrew from around Turkey’s observation posts by Feb. 29.
In light of the immense suffering of the civilian population in Syria since
2011, we have to ask ourselves why the international community failed to act
decisively.
Of course, no sane person wants a conflict between a NATO member and Russia, so
the diplomatic lines between Ankara, Moscow and Brussels have been red hot,
while Erdogan and Putin spoke by phone on Friday. Berlin said Chancellor Angela
Merkel, French President Emmanuel Macron and Erdogan would be ready to meet
Putin, and they await a response. Meanwhile Erdogan has chosen to play the
refugee card, threatening to tear up the agreement he signed with the EU in
2016. Under that deal, every refugee who arrived in the Greek islands from
Turkey would be returned to Turkey, and EU member states would take one Syrian
refugee from Turkey for every Syrian returned from the islands. Turkey was also
promised 6 million euros in aid, and visa-free access for Turks to the Schengen
area.
This weekend Erdogan threatened to end the refugee deal, because “the Europeans
need to keep their promises.” Tens of thousands of migrants massed on the
Turkish borders with Europe, and thousands stuck on the Turkish-Greek border at
Pazarkule were in skirmishes with Greek police.
It is difficult to see how the situation can be de-escalated, but in the long
run it will have to be. Yes, Turkey is already host to nearly 4 million Syrian
refugees and cannot accommodate any more, but in Idlib there are close to a
million people on the run with nowhere to go.
At the same time, what happens in Idlib will do nothing to help the
reconstruction of Syria, a country reduced to rubble. The international
community sees what has been happening in Syria, and particularly in Idlib, as a
violation of international law and human rights. The result will almost
certainly be prolonged and crippling sanctions — which will be bad for the Assad
regime, but much worse for the civilian population.
In light of the immense suffering of the civilian population in Syria since
2011, we have to ask ourselves why the international community failed to act
decisively. Power politics and geopolitics are one thing, but humanitarian
concerns should account for much more. They should form the common ground for
the family of nations. Alas, conflict after conflict proves that they take
second place. Will we never learn?
*Cornelia Meyer is a business consultant, macro-economist and energy expert.
Twitter: @MeyerResources
Why greed is no longer good
Andrew Hammond/Arab News/March 01/2020
The Bank of England’s chief economist last week proposed a “refresh” of the
capitalist model. The suggestion by Andy Haldane underlines lingering disquiet,
more than a decade after the financial crash, at wage stagnation and rising
inequality that are having profound implications not just for politics, but also
for wider society and the economy.
Haldane, who favours changes to the UK’s 2006 Companies Act to shift corporate
governance rules away from a sole focus on shareholders, is far from being the
only leading public figure to push for reform of contemporary capitalism.
Business Roundtable, a US association of chief executives, released a statement
last year on the purpose of corporations signed by 181 of their members who
committed to a new standard for corporate responsibility and long-term value
creation by leading their companies for the benefit of all stakeholders, not
just shareholders. The document argues that companies share a fundamental
commitment to what Haldane calls “the plurality of stakeholders,” including
employees, local communities, suppliers, and customers.
On communities, for instance, the Business Roundtable commits to respecting
local people and protecting the environment by embracing sustainable practices.
There is a pledge to invest in employees through fair compensation and more
benefits; support for training and education that help develop new skills for a
rapidly changing world; and fostering diversity and inclusion, dignity, and
respect.
While the document seeks to shift the paradigm popularised by leading
conservative economist Milton Friedman — that the business of business is
business — it also gives a paramount position for shareholders, arguing that
generating long-term value for shareholders is key since they provide the
capital to invest, grow and innovate.
The Business Roundtable announcement was greeted with much acclaim in the
corporate community. Darren Walker, president of the Ford Foundation, said it
was “tremendous news because it is more critical than ever that businesses in
the 21st century are focused on generating long-term value for all stakeholders
and addressing the challenges we face, which will result in shared prosperity
and sustainability for both business and society.” Tricia Griffith, head of
Progressive Corporation, said chief executives “work to generate profits and
return value to shareholders, but the best-run companies do more. They put the
customer first and invest in their employees and communities. In the end, it’s
the most promising way to build long-term value.”
Bank of England’s chief economist Andy Haldane's suggestion underlines lingering
disquiet, more than a decade after the financial crash, at wage stagnation and
rising inequality that are having profound implications not just for politics,
but also for wider society and the economy.
It remains to be seen what resonance this will have with the wider populace,
given significant levels of distrust in business, not least among the young.
Concern about what Haldane calls the “moral compass of capitalism” is reflected
in numerous opinion polls, and in protests such as the “Occupy” movement, which
first came to prominence in Wall Street.
And it is this sentiment that is fueling the growth of political populism across
the world. Some academic research, for instance, has indicated that 2 billion
people are now governed by populist leaders, including the world’s two largest
democracies — Narendra Modi in India and Donald Trump in the US.
For business, one of the key problems of this post-crisis landscape is that
stakeholder belief in what many companiesare saying and doing has been
undermined as distrust has grown. This poses significant new hurdles for
companieslooking to grow and enhance reputations in a world where there is
already longstanding and growing backlash on issues such as executive pay,
international trade and globalization.
Haldane’s intervention, and the release of the Business Roundtable document,
build from the apparent paradox that while there is growing distrust of
business, many people nonetheless expect the private sector to play a greater
role in society. This includes helping tackle the range of problems facing the
world, including climate change.
Many companies have long had sustainability, social responsibility, or
philanthropic programs to address such issues. However, the challenge — and
potential opportunity — is greater now, giving rise to what Harvard academic
Michael Porter has highlighted as a new way for companies to secure competitive
advantage by creating “shared value” for society as well as shareholders.
Perhaps the key idea behind this shared value concept is that corporate
competitiveness and the health of society at large are mutually dependent and
reinforcing, so capitalizing on the connections between societal and economic
progress can drive growth.
The interventions from Haldane and the Business Roundtable underline the flux in
contemporary capitalism. The implications are key not just for politics but
business too, reflecting not just the loss of faith in big institutions and many
elites, but also that many people now expect the private sector to play a
greater role in tackling the century’s grand challenges.
*Andrew Hammond is an Associate at LSE IDEAS at the London School of Economics