LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
March 24/2020
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani

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Bible Quotations For today
When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified, saying, ‘It is a ghost!’ And they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them and said, ‘Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 14/22-33: “Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but by this time the boat, battered by the waves, was far from the land, for the wind was against them. And early in the morning he came walking towards them on the lake. But when the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified, saying, ‘It is a ghost!’ And they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them and said, ‘Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.’ Peter answered him, ‘Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.’ He said, ‘Come.’ So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came towards Jesus. But when he noticed the strong wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’ Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, ‘You of little faith, why did you doubt?’ When they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshipped him, saying, ‘Truly you are the Son of God.’”

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on March 23-24/2020
Tinenti announces first Coronavirus case among UNIFIL ranks
Al-Maounat Hospital: Five nursing staff members recover from coronavirus
RHUH coronavirus report: 59 confirmed cases, 5 recoveries
Lebanese Health Ministry: Eight New Coronavirus Cases Registered
Hasan: Crucial Week ahead, Coronavirus Patients Weren't Brought from Iran
5 More Coronavirus Patients Recover at Rafik Hariri Hospital
Lebanon’s security forces deploy to enforce coronavirus lockdown
Crisis-Hit Lebanon to Stop Paying Outstanding Eurobonds
BDL Asks Banks to Offer Emergency Loans for Salaries, Businesses
Finance Ministry: Lebanon Suspends Payment of all Eurobonds in Foreign Currency
Coronavirus: Lebanese Judge Questions Detainees via WhatsApp
Diab meets Dean of Lebanon’s Order of Nurses
Parliament Shuts over Coronavirus Outbreak
Army, Security Forces Pursue Lockdown Compliance
FPM Backs 'Health Emergency', Warns against Rushed Amnesty
Chidiac Says She Tested Positive for Coronavirus
Hitti, Borrell discuss Lebanon's anti-coronavirus measures
Abdel Samad: To make coronavirus awareness video in sign language
Foucher addressing French in Lebanon: To respect Lebanese government's anti-coronavirus measures
Shbib chairs sub-security council meeting in Beirut
Lebanon to stop paying all dollar eurobonds, finance ministry says/Massoud A Derhally/The National/March 23/2020
Lebanese Journalist Khayrallah Khayrallah: Lebanon Needs An End To The Iranian Patronage Over It, Not Nasrallah’s Advice On Fighting The Coronavirus/MEMRI/March 23, 2020
AUBMC opens new pandemic evaluation clinic and center/TK Maloy/Annahar/March 24/2020
Sea and air shipping to Lebanon uninterrupted by virus chaos/Najia Houssari/Arab News/March 23/2020
The Iranian Regime and the Hostage Taking Politics/Charles Elias Chartouni/Face book/March 24/2020

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published  on March 23-24/2020
WHO: COVID-19 Pandemic Accelerating but Trajectory Can be Changed
IMF Warns Coronavirus Recession Could be Worse than 2009
UK Orders Lockdown to Tackle Virus, Bans Gatherings
Pompeo Accuses Iran’s Khamenei of Lying over Virus
Rouhani Says US Should Lift Sanctions If It Wants to Help Iran
Mother-in-law of Iran Supreme Leader Khamenei’s youngest son dies of coronavirus
Cleric in Iran gives patients perfume ‘from Prophet’ as ‘Islamic’ coronavirus cure
Iraq's Zurfi Says Was Not Designated Through Deal With Salih
Turkey Detains 5 Kurdish Mayors as Crackdown Continues
Sisi Appeals to Egyptians as 2nd Military Official Dies
Palestinian Killed by Israeli Fire in West Bank
Shtayyeh Calls On Israel to Release Sick, Children, Female Detainees
Haftar Mocks Ankara by Offering to Hand Over Debris of Turkish Armored Vehicle
Houthi Court Upholds Execution Order of Bahais Leader

Titles For The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published  on March 23-24/2020
Russia hoping to outdo Saudis over time in coronavirus-hit oil market/Author Maxim Suchkov/Al Monitor/ March 23/2020
Ankara’s economic measures bring little relief against virus crisis/Mustafa Sonmez/Al Monitor/March 23, 2020
Syrians Await New Form of Death in Coronavirus/Khaled Khalifa/Asharq Al-Awsat/March 23/2020
The Post-Earthquake Village/Ghassan Charbel/Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper/March 23/2020
On the Infatuation with China as Panic/Hazem Saghieh/Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper/March 23/2020
The Coronavirus Will Usher in a New Era of Entertainment/Tyler Cowen/Bloomberg/March 23/2020
Palestinians: Fighting against Coronavirus, for Freedom of Speech/Khaled Abu Toameh/Gatestone Institute./March 22, 2020
Lessons from History: The Reagan Legacy/Peter Huessy/Gatestone Institute./March 22, 2020
Coronavirus: China's Propaganda Campaign in Europe/Soeren Kern/Gatestone Institute./March 22, 2020
Iran regime’s perfect chance to change its behavior/Dr. Mohammed Al-Sulami/Arab News/March 23, 2020
Forget US shale, Russia will be the main victim of the OPEC+ spat/Cyril Widdershoven/Al Arabiya/March 23/2020

The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published  on March 23-24/2020
Tinenti announces first Coronavirus case among UNIFIL ranks
NNA/March 23/2020
UNIFIL spokesperson, Andrea Tinenti, on Monday announced in a press release the first Coronavirus case contracted by a UNFIL soldier in south Lebanon. Accordingly, the soldier has been placed in quarantine in UNIFIL’s hospital in Naquora after taking all the necessary measures to prevent the spread of the virus. The infected member returned to Lebanon from leave back on March 15, 2020. Four other soldiers who had been in contact with the patient have been placed in quarantine; three tests came out negative, and the fourth has not yet been finalized.
Meanwhile, the four soldiers will remain in quarantine in accordance with the measures adopted by UNIFIL.

Al-Maounat Hospital: Five nursing staff members recover from coronavirus
NNA /March 23/2020
The management of "Notre Dame de Secours (Al-Maounat) Hospital" - Jbeil on Monday announced in a statement that five of its nursing staff have recovered from the coronovirus after their laboratory exams came out negative in both times. The recovered nurses left the ward for patients with corona virus in the hospital, after spending more than 15 days in it.

RHUH coronavirus report: 59 confirmed cases, 5 recoveries
NNA/March 23/2020
In its daily report on the latest updates concerning coronavirus, the Rafik Hariri University Hospital (RHUH) indicated Monday that the number of laboratory-confirmed cases quarantined in the facility had reached 59, and that 5 recoveries had been recorded.

Lebanese Health Ministry: Eight New Coronavirus Cases Registered
Naharnet/March 23/2020
The Health Ministry announced in its daily tally on the number of people infected with the novel coronavirus that the eight new cases have been detected with the virus raising the total to 256. The report added that 11 other tests would be repeated at the government’s Rafik Hariri University Hospital because they were run in laboratories not recognized by the Ministry of Health. The Ministry reiterated its call to abide by the precautions against coronavirus, and one of the most fundamental means of protection — social distancing. The report reminded that legal measures will be taken against those failing to comply.

Hasan: Crucial Week ahead, Coronavirus Patients Weren't Brought from Iran
Naharnet/March 23/2020
Health Minister Hamad Hasan on Monday denied reports claiming that people infected with coronavirus were flown in to Lebanon from Iran, adding that the next ten days of lockdown are very critical to decide on the next measures against the virus spread.
“Precautionary measures against coronavirus are very important but there no need to panic,” Hasan said in remarks to al-Jadeed TV as the country witnesses a two week lockdown. On claims that fifty patients infected with coronavirus were flown into Lebanon from Iran for treatment over the weekend, he said: “There is no truth to these reports.”A video recording circulated on social media showing a convoy of ambulances on the airport road. It said the vehicles were allegedly transporting coronavirus patients from the airport coming from Iran to be treated in Lebanese hospitals. Hasan noted that 11% of the cases in Lebanon are from an unknown origin. “We are in stage three of coronavirus, we still have a week of lockdown after which we will decide on the next measures that must be taken.” The Minister assured that the ministry covers the hospitalization expenses for patients infected with coronavirus and who have no social security coverage. Last Sunday, the government ordered all people to stay at home and all non-essential businesses to close. The airport has been shut since Wednesday. The army was on Sunday staging patrols across Lebanon and using helicopters over many areas to ask citizens to stay home and respect a lockdown declared by the government over coronavirus. Lebanon confirmed 18 more coronavirus infections Sunday, raising the overall tally to 248, according to the Health Ministry.

5 More Coronavirus Patients Recover at Rafik Hariri Hospital
Naharnet/March 23/2020
Five more coronavirus patients have recovered after being treated at the state-run Rafik Hariri University Hospital in Beirut, the hospital said on Monday. In a statement, RHUH said the five patients have tested negative twice and got rid of all of the disease symptoms.
Another two patients were discharged to home isolation after being clinically healed, the statement said. Fifty-nine patients remain quarantined at RHUH, including nine transferred from other hospitals, the statement added. “All of them are in a stable condition except for three who are critical,” the statement said. A Health Ministry statement issued around noon Monday had said that the country’s cases surged to 256 after eight more infections were confirmed over a period of 24 hours. The Ministry also announced that its tally does not include 11 cases reported by laboratories that are not accredited by it, noting that the tests require re-confirmation at the Rafik Hariri hospital. ِAccording to a report issued Monday by the Disaster Risk Management Unit of the premiership, there are eight confirmed coronavirus recoveries in Lebanon.

Lebanon’s security forces deploy to enforce coronavirus lockdown
Emily Lewis, Al Arabiya English/Monday 23 March 2020
Lebanon’s military and security forces deployed across the country Sunday after the government announced a clampdown on those not complying with orders aimed at slowing the spread of the novel coronavirus. Army helicopters toured the skies, calling on residents through loudspeakers not to venture out “in the interests of your own safety,” while soldiers set up roadblocks and carried out foot patrols on the streets.The Internal Security Forces said its members had begun taking “stricter measures” to ensure the public was following government orders to stay in their homes except in cases of “extreme necessity.”
Those who fail to do so could be met with a fine and imprisonment of up to 3 years.
Moving beyond containment
The ramping up of military and security presence to curb the COVID-19 coronavirus came in response to failure to heed official orders to stay inside, Interior Minister Mohamad Fahmi said. There were 248 confirmed cases of the COVID-19 coronavirus as of Sunday afternoon, according to the Health Ministry. Four people have died from the virus. “The number of people infected with the virus has increased dramatically, and we have moved beyond the stage of containment,” Fahmi said in a televised speech, in which he detailed the measures first announced by Prime Minister Hassan Diab a day earlier.
“Any violation that poses a threat to public safety will be suppressed,” Fahmi added. All of the country’s security agencies will coordinate together with municipal authorities to ensure compliance with the rules.
Lockdown measures hit everyday life
People will be able to buy essential goods such as food and medicine, but will be prevented from gathering in groups or spending time outside without a good reason, the minister said. Since the government’s announcement of a state of health emergency on March 15, normally bustling high streets and traffic-clogged highways have been emptied as people stay at home. Numerous supermarkets have placed bottles of hand sanitizer at their entrances, and others have put up signs refusing entry to anyone not wearing gloves and a mask. However, compliance with social distancing advice has not been universal.
Videos circulated on social media over the last week showed police ushering runners off Beirut’s seafront walkway, clearing a group of young boys packed into an online gaming center in the capital’s southern suburbs and breaking up a wedding party in east Lebanon’s Baalbek.
On Sunday morning, despite calls from the prime minister to self-curfew, 138 people were stopped by the ISF for flouting orders to stay at home.
“At the moment, it is up to each individual policeman to decide who is in violation, and we have to ensure that the law is not used to arrest just any citizen walking alone in the street,” he said. Calls for the government to declare a nationwide state of emergency, which would grant more power to the country’s military, have increased in recent days, including from senior political figures. This is not yet on the cards, according to the health minister, but said the government would take such action “if there is a failure to comply.” A state of emergency can be declared only in response to major military or security crises or national disasters, Saghieh explained. “At the moment we haven’t had such problems, so I don’t think there’s any use in declaring it,” he said. “But if this epidemic develops into a security problem … a state of emergency could be possible.” Lebanon has been gradually tightening measures to combat the coronavirus since the first case was confirmed on February 21, including school closures, shutting down restaurants and cafes and closing the airport, sea ports and land borders. In addition to the additional security measures put in place Sunday, Lebanon’s General Security sterilized more than 72 Syrian refugee camps across the country and state-run TV channel TeleLiban Sunday broadcast the first in a series of “educational seminars” in an attempt to prevent children missing out on teaching.

Crisis-Hit Lebanon to Stop Paying Outstanding Eurobonds
Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 23 March, 2020
Lebanon will discontinue payments on all its foreign currency Eurobonds, the finance ministry said on Monday, as it seeks to devise a way out of the country's crippling crisis. "The government has decided to discontinue payments on all of its outstanding $US-denominated Eurobonds," said an English-language statement posted on the ministry's website. The government "intends to engage in good faith negotiations as soon as possible" and the ministry will hold an investor presentation on March 27, it said. The heavily indebted state suspended a $1.2 billion Eurobond repayment this month, declaring it could not repay debt with foreign currency reserves falling to "dangerous" levels. It called for debt restructuring talks with creditors. Finance Minister Ghazi Wazni told Reuters earlier this month that initial contacts with creditors had started via the government's financial adviser, US investment bank Lazard, as Lebanon waited to see whether bondholders would cooperate or sue. He also said the crisis plan would be ready in weeks and meet IMF advice. Economy Minister Raoul Nehme told Reuters last week that the impact of the coronavirus may make harder to get help from foreign states and that Lebanon should consider IMF aid as one option.

BDL Asks Banks to Offer Emergency Loans for Salaries, Businesses
Naharnet/March 23/2020
Banque du Liban on Monday called on Lebanon’s banks and financial institutions to grant extraordinary Lebanese lira or US dollar loans to clients already benefitting from loans granted in the past, in light of the new economic strains inflicted by the coronavirus crisis. The central bank said the new loans can cover previous loan installments for the months of March, April and May; the salaries of the firms’ employees; or other productive and operational needs for the aforementioned period.
BDL said the loans should be granted for no commissions or interest.
“These loans would be paid back over a five-year period through monthly or quarterly installments,” the central bank added, noting that salaries would be paid directly to employees by banks or financial institutions according to payrolls provided by employers. BDL in return would grant banks and financial institutions no-interest loans in US dollar and for a period of five years in order to cover the loans granted to their clients in Lebanese lira or US dollar.

Finance Ministry: Lebanon Suspends Payment of all Eurobonds in Foreign Currency
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/March 23/2020
The Finance Ministry announced on Monday that Lebanon is going to "suspend" payments on all its Eurobond in foreign currency after defaulting on its $1.2 billion March 9 debt to safeguard dwindling foreign currency reserves. The Ministry said in an English-language statement released today:
"On March 7, 2020, Lebanon announced its decision to suspend the payment of $1.2 billion worth of bonds due on March 9, 2020 at a rate of 6.375% in order to protect its foreign currency reserves. In furtherance of this goal, and given the increasing difficulty to access foreign currencies, the government has decided to discontinue payments on all of its outstanding US$-denominated Eurobonds.
The government is going to take all measures it deems necessary to manage Lebanon’s limited foreign exchange reserves wisely and cautiously.
The government remains firmly committed to its three-pronged initiative on economic reform and is in the process of developing a sustainable macroeconomic plan to correct the status of the Lebanese economy.
The government intends to hold good faith talks with its creditors as soon as is practicable. To this end, the Ministry of Finance plans to make an Investor Presentation to investors on March 27, 2020.
Instructions have been given to Lebanon's financial advisors, Lazard Frères, to initiate appropriate arrangements under the current circumstances to facilitate these talks. Information to creditors will be published regularly on the website of the Lebanese Ministry of Finance." The government must now reach a decision on whether to ask for a bailout from the International Monetary Fund, which has so far only provided Lebanon with technical assistance to deal with its financial crisis.
Banking experts have argued in favor of an IMF rescue plan, saying it would provide the kind of assurances creditors are looking for in restructuring negotiations. But some officials are concerned that such assistance would involve an austerity package, which may provide new fuel to a street protest movement that has shaken Lebanon since October.
Lebanon's powerful Hizbullah, which has been the main opponent of an IMF bailout, said this month it could accept help from the world body under "reasonable conditions." One of the most indebted countries in the world, the small Mediterranean country had never defaulted before this month. But with foreign reserves plummeting amid a slowdown in foreign currency injections, officials have said they have no other choice but to restructure the country's debt. Earlier this month, Finance Minister Ghazi Wazni said the country's foreign reserves stood at a little more than $20 billion.

Coronavirus: Lebanese Judge Questions Detainees via WhatsApp
Naharnet/March 23/2020
A Lebanese judge on Monday interrogated a number of detainees via the WhatsApp messaging application due to the country’s lockdown over the coronavirus crisis. “At the instruction of State Prosecutor Ghassan Oueidat, Examining Magistrate of the North Jocelyn Matta ordered the release of four detainees after questioning them via WhatsApp, in an initiative coordinated with Tripoli Bar Association chief Mohammed al-Murad,” the National News Agency said. The agency added that the hearing session took place through WhatsApp’s video call service and that the detainees were being held at the Wadi Khaled police station. They were later released on a bail worth LBP 100,000 each following the approval of North Prosecutor Ghassan Bassil.

Diab meets Dean of Lebanon’s Order of Nurses
NNA /March 23/2020
Prime Minister Dr. Hassan Diab on Monday met with Dr Myrna Abi Abdallah Doumit, President of the Order of Nurses in Lebanon, over the working conditions and challenges nurses are facing, notably during this exceptional phase Lebanon and the world are going through.
Doumit put all capabilities of the Order at the service of the Prime Minister, and Diab, for his part, promised to take decisive measures to protect the rights of the nurses and encourage them to keep up their work, as they represent the cornerstone of the health sector in Lebanon. --Grand Serail Press Office

Parliament Shuts over Coronavirus Outbreak
Naharnet/March 23/2020
Various Parliamentary meetings will be postponed for “general health concerns” over coronavirus, the General Secretariat of the Lebanese Parliament announced on Monday. It said all meetings of the parliamentary committees held usually at the parliament premises will be postponed for the “safety of lawmakers.” The parliament offices of lawmakers will be closed and all the meetings of parliamentary committees will be postponed. The decision was taken based on the directions of Speaker Nabih Berri. The weekly Wednesday meetings held at Ain el-Tineh residence of the Speaker will also be postponed.

Army, Security Forces Pursue Lockdown Compliance
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/March 23/2020
The Lebanese army and security forces continue to ensure that people stay at home to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus that has killed four people nationwide. Staging patrols and blocking roads around Lebanon’s various regions, police made sure that Lebanese comply with a two week lockdown to stop the spread of the virus that has infected 248 individuals so far.Those disobeying were pursued. Prime Minister Hassan Diab has warned of a further spike to epidemic levels if people continued to flout social distancing rules.
He called on all Lebanese to observe a curfew, "as the state cannot face this creeping epidemic on its own". The COVID-19 pandemic is the latest crisis to hit the country, already reeling from a financial meltdown and months of widespread public discontent. Officials fear the local health system would struggle to cope if cases dramatically increase. Over the weekend, police patrolled several areas of the capital Beirut, using loudspeakers to call bystanders to go home.
On the seafront, they pursued and flagged down joggers, pleading with them to head back indoors. An estimated 900 million people are now confined to their homes in 35 countries around the world -- two thirds by government lockdown orders, according to an AFP tally.

FPM Backs 'Health Emergency', Warns against Rushed Amnesty
Naharnet/March 23/2020
The Free Patriotic Movement announced Monday that it supports the government in its decision to declare a “health emergency” rather than a “security or military state of emergency,” as it warned against issuing an “arbitrary general amnesty law” under the pressure of the coronavirus crisis. Urging citizens to “abide by the rules of the health emergency state,” the FPM called on the government to be “strict in implementing it.”“The government is the authority responsible for taking decisions and it has decided that the health situation requires imposing a state of health emergency and not a security or military one and we support this decision,” the FPM’s political commission said in a statement issued after an “electronic” meeting chaired by FPM chief MP Jebran Bassil. “The situation might develop and it might take another decision it sees appropriate to protect citizens,” the statement added, noting that “the declaration of a state of emergency has legal and procedural requirements that obligate the State to secure people’s livelihood, issue permissions to leave houses and find ways to penalize violators.”Commenting on calls for issuing a general amnesty for prisoners as a precaution against the spread of coronavirus in jails, the FPM’s political commission stressed that it is “totally unacceptable to commit legal sins under the excuse of protection against coronavirus by issuing an arbitrary general amnesty.” “The responsibility for protecting prisoners falls on the shoulders of the authorities in charge, who should prevent their mixing with outsiders and must secure prompt medical examinations for them on a continuous basis in order to protect them” the commission added. “Ending the suffering of the detainees lies in speeding up their trials in a fair manner and according to the applicable laws, not in pardoning them over the committed crimes. This is possible through interrogating them electronically via audiovisual technologies in order to avoid any personal contact with them. As for those who have finished their sentences or are about to finish them, quick legal solutions can be found to take them out of jails as soon as possible,” the FPM went on to say.

Chidiac Says She Tested Positive for Coronavirus
Naharnet/March 23/2020
Former minister and prominent journalist May Chidiac announced Monday that she has tested positive for the novel coronavirus. “After my return from the French capital Paris last week, I developed some symptoms similar to those of coronavirus, which required immediate home isolation,” she said in a statement. “On Saturday, I underwent medical examinations at the Hotel Dieu hospital to identify the reason behind the symptoms, and after the results of the tests came out a while ago, I was asked to head to hospital for treatment after my infection with the virus was confirmed,” Chidiac added. She also noted that her condition “is not critical,” adding that she will soon join the ranks of those who recovered from the disease. Chidiac survived an assassination attempt in September 2005 but she lost her left leg and left arm in the attack. She served as state minister for administrative development in Saad Hariri’s government between 2019 and 2020.Lebanon has so far confirmed 256 coronavirus cases among them eight recoveries and four deaths.

Hitti, Borrell discuss Lebanon's anti-coronavirus measures
NNA/March 23/2020
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants, Nassif Hitti, received a phone call Monday from EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell. The pair reportedly discussed the measures taken in Lebanon to prevent the spread of coronavirus and the assistance the EU could provide in that respect.

Abdel Samad: To make coronavirus awareness video in sign language
NNA /March 23/2020
Minister of Information, Manal Abdel Samad, requested in a tweet on Monday, the production of a video where sign language would be used to raise awareness about the novel coronavirus, in support for people with special needs. "Within the framework of our continuous endeavor to disseminate correct information, and in support for the people with special needs, we ask citizens capable of making a short awareness video in sign language about the dangers of coronavirus and the necessity to stay home, to post it on Twitter," Abdel Samad tweeted.
She said the selected video will be posted on Information Ministry's website.

Foucher addressing French in Lebanon: To respect Lebanese government's anti-coronavirus measures
NNA/March 23/2020
Ambassador of France, Bruno Foucher, on Monday asked the French nationals in Lebanon to respect the firm measures adopted by the Lebanese government in prevention against the spread of coronavirus.
"We are now living an exceptional period where we are all asked to make efforts. The Lebanese government, on Sunday, March 5, took firm measures which we consider responsible and adequate to combat the spread of coronavirus," said Foucher. "I know these measures are difficult, but I am asking you to respect them as they are today the sole deterrent to the quick spread of coronavirus," he stressed. He lastly called upon everybody to stay home.

Shbib chairs sub-security council meeting in Beirut
NNA/March 23/2020
Beirut Governor Judge Ziad Shbib, chaired this Monday the meeting of the sub-security council in Beirut Governorate, to follow up on the applied procedures and adopted precautionary measures, based on the directives of the Minister of Interior and Municipalities, Brigadier General Mohamed Fahmy, and based on the decision of the Council of Ministers regarding public mobilization to confront the Corona pandemic. The meeting was attended by Beirut Police Chief, Brigadier General Mohamed Ayoubi, Head of the Beirut Intelligence Branch, Brigadier Tony Fares, Head of the Beirut Public Security Department, Colonel imad Dimachkieh, Director of State Security Beirut Office, Colonel Bassam Abi Farah, and Assistant Commander of the Beirut Guard Corps, Lt. Col. Haitham Fayad. The meeting affirmed the restriction of the movement of citizens except when absolutely necessary.

Lebanon to stop paying all dollar eurobonds, finance ministry says
Massoud A Derhally/The National/March 23/2020
The government will hold an investor presentation on March 27
Lebanon will stop paying all dollar-denominated eurobonds as it seeks to come up with an exit plan from its worst economic crisis in three decades and tries to restore stability and preserve its foreign exchange reserves, the finance ministry said on Monday.
"In order to protect the reserve from foreign currencies ... and in view of the increasing pressure to access foreign currencies, the government decided to stop paying all eurobonds in US dollars," the finance ministry said in an emailed statement on Monday.
The decision comes after the government said on March 7 it would suspend the payment of $1.2 billion (Dh4.4bn) of eurobonds due on March 9. Today's decision impacts 29 eurobonds, according to the finance ministry. Rating agencies downgraded Lebanon in the run up to its decision earlier this month to virtually default. The decision was "expected" given the government's default on March 9, said Nassib Ghobril, chief economist at Lebanon's Byblos Bank. "It just made it official and the markets were expecting this."
The government "intends to hold talks in good faith with its creditors as soon as possible," the ministry said.
Lebanon has another $700 million due in April and $600m in June. In total it has about $31bn in bond maturities. The bulk of the debt is held by Lebanese financial institutions (banks 33.4 per cent and the central bank 43 per cent).
"The government will take all measures it deems necessary to manage Lebanon's limited foreign currency reserves wisely and with caution," the ministry said. The government remains "firmly committed to a three-pronged initiative for economic reform and is in the process of developing a sustainable macroeconomic plan to correct the status of the Lebanese economy." The government's economic reform agenda aims to restore sustainability to public finances by restructuring public debt and adopting a series of financial measures. It aims to put in place an environment conducive to growth as long-delayed structural reforms take place and an improvement in governance and combating of corruption, key demands of protesters and international donors, are met.
The government's plan also aims to restructure and restore stability to the country's financial system and banks. Some analysts have called for banks in the country to consolidate. The finance ministry will hold an investor presentation on March 27 and Lazard Frères, Lebanon's financial adviser, is overseeing the arrangements. Lebanon has one of the highest debt-to-gross domestic product ratios (166 per cent) in the world, according to the Institute of International Finance (IIF). Its public debt increased 7.6 per cent to $91.64bn year-on-year as of the end of December 2019.
Lebanon traditionally relied on its economy growing at a faster pace than the growth of its debt, while the country attracted foreign investment and deposits from a large Lebanese diaspora through high interest rates, which helped the government fund its fiscal and current account deficits.
Civil war breaking out in neighbouring Syria in 2011, internal political problems followed by the collapse of oil, led to investment and deposit flows plunging and the economy stalling.

Lebanese Journalist Khayrallah Khayrallah: Lebanon Needs An End To The Iranian Patronage Over It, Not Nasrallah’s Advice On Fighting The Coronavirus
MEMRI/March 23, 2020
Lebanon, like other world countries, is currently battling the coronavirus epidemic and taking measures to limit the spread of the disease. In the recent weeks, some Lebanese, especially in the anti-Hizbullah March 14 camp, have accused this organization of causing the outbreak of the virus in Lebanon by objecting for several weeks to the halt of flights from Iran and to the closing of the border with Syria.
In a speech he delivered on Friday 13, 2020, Hizbullah secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah rejected the criticism, calling not to politicize the epidemic or use it as an opportunity for political score-settling. He also dispensed advice and instructions to the citizens on how to avoid contracting the virus, while calling on the banks in Lebanon to behave responsibly and on the government to give priority to battling the epidemic.[1]
In response to this speech, Lebanese journalist Khayrallah Khayrallah, known for opposing Hizbullah, published a scathing column in the London-based daily Al-Arab, in which he accused Nasrallah of considering himself the "Supreme Leader" of Lebanon (as Khamenei is the Supreme Leader on Iran). He added that Nasrallah's empty slogans of resistance will not help Lebanon fight the coronavirus, and that Hizbullah is nothing more than a battalion in Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps. Lebanon, he wrote, needs to free itself from the Iranian patronage, which has impeded the efforts to stop the spread of the virus from Iran to Lebanon. He noted, however, that despite the dire circumstances, Lebanon is still resisting Hizbullah, and "some people in it say no to Nasrallah and to everything he represents."
The following are translated excerpts from Khayrallah's article:[2]
"If the goal is for life in Lebanon to go back [to normal], then [receiving] tips, advice and instructions from Hizbullah secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah on handling the coronavirus is certainly not the way to achieve this. These tips, advice and instructions show that Nasrallah regards himself as the Supreme Leader of the Lebanese republic and the sole source of authority in the country, and does not have the basic humility to admit that Hizbullah, and those behind it in Tehran, bear the greatest responsibility for the bankrupt state Lebanon has reached in many areas.
"What Lebanon needs these days is not someone to tell it how to deal with the coronavirus epidemic. There are experts in the world who know very well how to halt the epidemic until a vaccine can be found… What Lebanon needs before anything else is to be free of the Iranian patronage that the Hizbullah militia has imposed on it, [a militia] that facilitated the arrival of the coronavirus in Lebanon through the neglected border with Syria and, at the same time, through the Beirut airport.
"The speech of Hizbullah’s secretary-general, which was largely devoted to the coronavirus, was delivered on the eve of March 14 [the anniversary of the mass demonstrations of May 14, 2005, following the assassination of Lebanese prime minister Rafiq Al-Hariri, which led to the lifting of the Syrian patronage from Lebanon]…
"Many events befell Lebanon between March 14, 2005 and March 14, 2020, the day on which Hassan Nasrallah delivered his speech on the coronavirus, in the guise of a benevolent father who cares for the health and wellbeing of the Lebanese. This would not have been possible were it not for the defeat of the March 14 [camp], which champions the ideas of [Lebanon's] freedom, sovereignty and independence. Along the way, many prominent Lebanese figures [from this camp] paid the cost of this defeat… [Even] before the assassination of Rafiq Al-Hariri and his companions, chief of them [MP] Bassel Fleihan,[3] there was an attempt on the life of MP and former minister Marwan Hamada [in October 2004]… To cover up the bombing of Al-Hariri’s motorcade, many other crimes had to be committed: the assassinations of Samir Qasir,[4] George Hawi,[5] Gebran Tweini,[6] MPs Walid Eido[7] and Antoine Ghanem,[8] Capt. Wissam Eid[9] and Brig.-Gen. Wissam Al-Hassan.[10] Pierre Amine Gemayel[11] was also assassinated along with everything he represented as a Christian national figure, and so was Muhammad Chatah…[12]
"[As far as Hizbullah is concerned, every possible] blow was and still is a legitimate means to facilitate its takeover of Lebanon, from the war of summer 2006, which it instigated, thus bringing destruction upon Lebanon, to its intervention in Syria, which was motivated by purely sectarian considerations [i.e., in service of Iran and the Shi’ites]. Iran found nobody better than Hizbullah to dispatch to Syria in order to prevent the ouster of Bashar Al-Assad and his minority regime in Damascus. Since 2012 Hizbullah has been a direct partner in the war against the Syrian people, while the world watched from the sidelines.
"There is no choice but to admit that the March 14 [camp] has been defeated. [This defeat] was consolidated in May 2008, when [Hizbullah gunmen] raided Beirut and the Mount [Lebanon region]… The fact that Hizbullah, which has been accused of assassinating Rafiq Al-Hariri, can force the Lebanese to [appoint] the president it wants, proves that it has defeated Lebanon. That is what happened in October 2016 [when Michel 'Aoun was appointed president]. Moreover, today it also selects the Sunni prime minister. It is no secret that the current government, headed by Hassan Diab, is a Hizbullah government and nothing more. [13]
"We are now witnessing the continuation of the 2006 war. [This war] ended with a resounding victory for Hizbullah headed by Hassan Nasrallah, which is nothing more than a battalion of Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps, over Lebanon and the Lebanese… The only certainty is that, in light of the economic crisis it is facing, Lebanon is like a patient in intensive care. Despite this, Lebanon still resists [Hizbullah], and some people in it say no to Nasrallah and to everything he represents. In practice, the culture of death has overcome the culture of life in Lebanon. Congratulations to the victor, who refuses to understand that the language of resistance and rejectionism, and its empty slogans, are no help in dealing with the coronavirus…"
[1] Alahednews.com.lb, March 13, 2020.
[2] Al-Arab (London), March 16, 2020.
[3] Fleihan, an MP and former economy minister, died in the bombing that killed Rafiq Al-Hariri.
[4] An anti-Syrian journalist and columnist for the Al-Nahar daily who was killed on June 2, 2005 by a bomb planted in his car.
[5] A former secretary-general of the Lebanese Communist Party, who was likewise killed in June 2005 by a bomb placed in his car.
[6] An MP and CEO of the Al-Nahar daily who frequently wrote against the Syrian presence in Lebanon. He was assassinated in December 2005.
[7] An MP from the Al-Mustaqbal faction, assassinated in June 2007.
[8] An MP from the Phalanges Party, assassinated in September 2007.
[9] An investigator in Lebanon’s Internal Security Forces who exposed the involvement of Hizbullah officials in the Al-Hariri assassination and was himself assassinated in 2008.
[10] Head of the Internal Security Forces’ Information Branch and a former chief bodyguard of Rafiq Al-Hariri. Assassinated in October 2012, apparently after exposing the smuggling of explosive charges from Syria into Lebanon, in which senior officials of the Syrian regime and its allies in Lebanon were involved.
[11] Lebanon's industry minister and son of former president Amine Gemayel. He was a senior member of the March 14 camp and was assassinated on November 21, 2006.
[12] A former economy minister and Lebanese ambassador to the U.S., also from the March 14 camp, assassinated in December 2013.
[13] See MEMRI Special Dispatch No. 8617 - In Lebanon, Criticism Of New Government: A Puppet Government Controlled By Hizbullah That Won't Extricate Country From Its Crisis – March 10, 2020.

AUBMC opens new pandemic evaluation clinic and center
TK Maloy/Annahar/March 24/2020
BEIRUT: The American University of Beirut (AUB) announced Saturday the establishment of the Pandemic Evaluation Clinic and Center (PECC) "that has been completed in just under 10 days thanks to the committed efforts of the dedicated AUB Medical Center staff working in tight formation," the school said in a statement. The opening of a new pandemic center comes amid a national mobilization that includes hospitals to confront the challenge of treating a potential increase in patients. Currently, Lebanon reports 248 cases, with the number of cases growing by 102 within 48 hours.
“The PECC is housed in Building 56 between Maamari and Clemenceau streets, and with its own entrance, the first floor is an outpatient facility for screening, assessment, and early identification of respiratory illness, including COVID-19, AUB President Dr. Fadlo R. Khuri said. “There are 11 newly designed individual negative pressure rooms for intensive care management and 10 intermediate care beds on the second floor. A regular unit of 21 individual rooms on the fourth floor has been assigned for stable patients, while additional support areas have been created throughout the building”.
The AUB President added: “To prepare Building 56 as the focal point for AUB’s clinical response to the novel coronavirus pandemic, existing functions and units had to be relocated and the AUBMC plant engineering department retrofitted the space to comply with international COVID-19 requirements. “
“None of this would have been possible without the immense, round-the-clock efforts of numerous units, departments, and disciplines at AUBMC, under the direction of a multidisciplinary coronavirus task force created at the Medical Center in February,” Khuri said.
The AUB head thanked thanking the remarkable and diverse team that came together to achieve this vital feat of planning and execution to serve our patients in the face of an unprecedented public health emergency, the school said in a statement.
“Through it, our university and medical center are poised to play an important role in serving the people of Lebanon and the region”.AUB is one of five private and eight public hospitals currently treating pandemic patients, with the government enforcing tighter lockdown restrictions as of the weekend.

Sea and air shipping to Lebanon uninterrupted by virus chaos
Najia Houssari/Arab News/March 23/2020
BEIRUT: Lebanon remains open to naval and air shipping despite interruptions from the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Meanwhile, health and security authorities are struggling to prevent the virus from spinning out of control.
On Monday, there was a slight increase in the number of new cases, with the Ministry of Health announcing that the total number of infections was 256 cases.
Lebanese Minister of Health Dr. Hamad Hassan said: “80 of 160 beds are vacant in Rafik Hariri University Hospital, designated to receive cases of infection by the coronavirus.” Lebanese lawmaker Michel Moawad announced on Monday that the number of infections has increased in the northern district of Zgharta and that “a total lockdown will be imposed on the region.” Lebanese people are still confining themselves to their homes under the monitoring of the army and security forces, which were put in charge of reporting any violation of the lockdown.
Monday saw the first recorded case among UN Interim Force In Lebanon (UNIFIL) forces, with one of its soldiers contracting the virus. He was confined at the UNIFIL hospital in Naqoura. Andrea Tenenti, UNIFIL spokesperson, said that all precautions were taken to prevent the spread of the virus, adding that the soldier was on leave and returned on March 15, and that he was immediately quarantined.
Four other soldiers who were in direct contact with the infected soldier were put in confinement. Tests were done on all four, with three testing negative. UNIFIL is still waiting for the result of the fourth soldier. A meeting was held on Monday in the Port of Beirut to decide measures to prevent the spread of the virus. The port management declared its commitment to providing masks and other protection materials for visitors. Hassan Koraytem, managing director of the Port of Beirut, said: “The port building, offices and entrances controlled by the army, general security, customs and state security will all be sterilized.”
He added that “a circular will be issued to all shipping and goods clearing companies not to deploy personnel who are more vulnerable to the disease than others, especially people above 60 with chronic diseases.” Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport is still receiving cargo airplanes from other countries, including Qatar. Measures were taken in order to ensure that no worker would contract the virus while on duty. The airport was closed to air traffic last Wednesday until March 29 as part of measures taken by the government. They included the closure of all land and sea crossings.
Those exempt from the restrictions include: Military airplanes, air ambulances, cargo planes, aircraft transporting accredited diplomatic missions in Lebanon, UNIFIL forces and employees of companies associated with oil exploration operations.
The landing of a Qatari cargo plane at Beirut airport on the night of March 20 — after the closure of the airport — has caused outrage on social media, as the Qatari flight was coming from Tehran, which has been heavily afflicted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The airport is still receiving cargo planes from Qatari, Ethiopian, DHL, Italian LUX and Global Atlas airlines, which operates two or three annual flights between New York and Beirut. “These air cargo planes ship various goods to Lebanon, including cars, medicine, medical supplies and mail,” Kris Kashouh, editor of a Lebanon plane spotters website, told Arab News. Regarding the Qatari plane from Tehran, Kashouh said: “This plane does not come directly from Doha, and it always has many stops before reaching Beirut, including Tehran and Abidjan. It carries livestock and other types of goods.”
Qatar Airways declared in a statement that “the flight, using an Airbus A330-200F type, is limited to air freight and does not transport passengers.”

The Iranian Regime and the Hostage Taking Politics
Charles Elias Chartouni/Face book/March 24/2020
How bewildering to observe an unswerving pattern of hostage taking over the forty one years lifetime of the Islamic regime in Teheran, and this unabated dynamic doesn’t seem to relent. What’s perplexing is the inability of this regime to normalize and deal with the rest of the world beyond the psychotic sequestrations of its convoluted worldview, and the interests of its competing power centers. It has not been able to relate to the rest of the world on the basis of a realistic assessment of the commonalities which tie it to the tangled web of financial, economic, social and environmental issues of a globalized world, and the need to address them from a working diplomatic perspective. In contradistinction with a dynamic and liberal Iranian diaspora, this regime was never able to overcome the growing intellectual chasms that puts him on an endemic collision course with it, and prevents it from catalyzing its synergies to recast the bridges with the outside world. Undoubtedly, the Islamist ideological panopticon is what accounts for this deliberate estrangement, elicited by the demonizing representation of the Western World ( غرب زادكي ) perceived as a source of mental pollution and nemesis. This manichean view of otherness is the direct emanation of Islamism, the vested interests of the Shiite clerisocracy, and its manufactured web of alliances weaved across the merchants of the bazaar and the praetorian guards of the regime.
The power elites have been cumulating over the years a heavy backlog of failed governance in every respect, widespread corruption, and highly destructive power projections throughout the larger Middle East, sustained hostilities with the Western World, and consolidated marginality at the rims of the international system. The release of the French Sociologist Roland Marchal and the perpetuated arbitrary detention of the French-Iranian Anthropologist, Fariba Adelkhah, both arrested under the trumped charges of espionage, testify to the intractability of this psychotic mindset walling behind a thicket of official lies, systemic repression, paranoid representation of the world, dysfunctional governance, and conflict prone external policy course. The more dysfunctional turns the internal governance, the heavier gets the internal repression ( the disastrous management of the Coronavirus pandemic, the tragic fallouts of the recurrent earthquakes and floods, the rampant environmental disarray, the glaring urban immiseration with its widening shantytowns / 11.000.000 in Teheran / ravaging social pathologies / 4000.000 drug addicts, growing prostitution, child delinquency, ...../, unbridled corruption and deepening social inequalities.... ) and the more this regime engages its reckless conflictual dynamics in an indiscriminate manner.
The failed governance added to the strategic and geopolitical hazards of a psychotic foreign policy, have created the functional substitute to internal reforms, gradual internal liberalization, international normalization and ideological de-radicalization. Hopefully, the highly respected Fariba Adelkhah is going to be liberated before succumbing to her deteriorated health condition, and still the international commmunity is left with the nagging question, until when this religious panopticon is going to maintain its strangling hold over a nation of hostages hijacked by an evil ideology and its wardens? The tragedies of hostage taking have revealed beyond their imprints on the life of their victims, the helplessness of an Iranian society suffocating under the stifling brunt of a brutal regime, shorn of legitimacy and with no other means to survive but sheer violence and institutional lies.

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published  on March 23-24/2020
WHO: COVID-19 Pandemic Accelerating but Trajectory Can be Changed
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/March 23/2020
The new coronavirus pandemic is clearly "accelerating", the World Health Organization warned Monday, but said it was still possible to "change the trajectory" of the outbreak. "The pandemic is accelerating," WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told journalists in a virtual news briefing, saying "it took 67 days from the first reported case to reach the first 100,000 cases, 11 days for the second 100,000 cases and just four days for the third 100,000 cases." But he said that "we are not helpless bystanders. We can change the trajectory of this pandemic."

IMF Warns Coronavirus Recession Could be Worse than 2009
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/March 23/2020
The world economy is facing "severe" economic damage from the coronavirus pandemic that could be even more costly than in 2009 and will require an unprecedented response, IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva said Monday. In comments to finance ministers from the Group of 20 nations, Georgieva called on advanced economies to provide more support to low income countries, and the IMF stands "ready to deploy all our $1 trillion lending capacity." As much of the world faces mass shutdowns, Georgieva warned the outlook for global growth in 2020 "is negative -- a recession at least as bad as during the global financial crisis or worse."

UK Orders Lockdown to Tackle Virus, Bans Gatherings
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/March 23/2020
Britain on Monday ordered a three-week lockdown to tackle the spread of coronavirus, shutting "non-essential" shops and services, and banning gatherings of more than two people. "Stay at home," Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in a televised address to the nation, as he unveiled unprecedented peacetime measures after the death toll climbed to 335.

Pompeo Accuses Iran’s Khamenei of Lying over Virus
Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 23 March, 2020
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday accused Iran’s Ali Khamenei of lying about the coronavirus pandemic as the supreme leader rejected US assistance for his hard-hit country. In a televised address Sunday, Khamenei described the United States as "charlatans" and charged that Washington could bring in a drug to keep the virus alive. Pompeo in a statement also used loaded language, accusing "Iran's chief terror airline" Mahan Air of bringing in what he called the "Wuhan virus" through its continued flights to China. "The regime continues to lie to the Iranian people and the world about the number of cases and deaths, which are unfortunately far higher than the regime admits," Pompeo said. He said that the United States remained open to offering aid and was "working tirelessly" to develop a vaccine. "Khamenei rejected this offer because he works tirelessly to concoct conspiracy theories and prioritizes ideology over the Iranian people," Pompeo said. He also signaled that the United States was unreceptive to Iran’s first-ever request for a loan from the IMF, where Washington effectively holds a veto, accusing the regime of funding "terror abroad" with its resources. President Donald Trump's administration has maintained its policy of "maximum pressure" and sanctions as Iran is hit hard by the virus, with an official death toll of more than 1,800. Trump has sought to stop all of Iran's oil sales and the two countries have increasingly fought a proxy war in Iraq.

Rouhani Says US Should Lift Sanctions If It Wants to Help Iran
Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 23 March, 2020
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Monday that the United States should lift sanctions if it wants to help Iran in containing the coronavirus outbreak, adding that Iran had no intention of accepting Washington's offer of humanitarian assistance. "American leaders are lying ... If they want to help Iran, all they need to do is to lift sanctions .... Then we can deal with the coronavirus outbreak," Rouhani said in a televised speech. Iran's death toll from coronavirus has increased to 1,812, with 127 new deaths in the past 24 hours, a health ministry spokesman told state TV on Monday, adding that the country's total number of infected people has reached 23,049. Kianush Jahanpur said that in the past 24 hours, some 1,411 Iranians had been infected with the virus across the country. Washington has offered humanitarian assistance to its longtime foe. But the country's top authority Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Sunday rejected the offer. Tensions between the two countries have been running high since 2018, when US President Donald Trump exited Tehran’s 2015 nuclear deal with six world powers and reimposed sanctions that have crippled the Iranian economy. Iranian authorities have blamed US sanctions for hampering its efforts to curb the outbreak and Rouhani has urged Americans to call on their government to lift sanctions as Iran fights the coronavirus. But the United States has sent Iran a blunt message: the spread of the virus will not save it from US sanctions that are choking off its oil revenues and isolating its economy. “Our policy of maximum pressure on the regime continues,” Brian Hook, the US Special Representative for Iranian Affairs, said earlier this week. “US sanctions are not preventing aid from getting to Iran.”

Mother-in-law of Iran Supreme Leader Khamenei’s youngest son dies of coronavirus
Yaghoub Fazeli, Al Arabiya English/March 23/2020
The mother-in-law of one of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s sons has died of coronavirus, state media reported on Monday. Ezat Khamooshi died of coronavirus in a hospital in Tehran on Sunday, the official IRNA news agency reported on Monday.
Khamooshi was the mother-in-law of cleric Meysam Khamenei, one of the sons of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. As of Monday, 1,812 in Iran have died from coronavirus, and there are 23,049 confirmed cases. At least 16 Iranian regime figures have died due to the novel coronavirus since the beginning of the outbreak in the Islamic Republic. Earlier this month, Khamenei said that the coronavirus outbreak in Iran was “not that big of a deal” and urged Iranian citizens to pray against the virus. “This calamity is not that big of a deal, and that there have been bigger ones in the past,” Khamenei was quoted as saying by the semi-official Mehr news agency on March 3. One of Khamenei's top adviser was also confirmed to have been infected with the coronavirus, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported on Thursday. Newly uncovered documents revealed that the Iranian regime covered up news of the coronavirus outbreak for at least three days in order to achieve a bigger turnout at last month’s Iranian parliamentary elections. At the time, Khamenei accused Western powers of trying to dissuade voters from turning out at the local elections, even as coronavirus was sweeping across the country. “Their media did not miss the tiniest opportunity for dissuading Iranian voters and resorting to the excuse of disease and the virus,” Khamenei said at the time.

Cleric in Iran gives patients perfume ‘from Prophet’ as ‘Islamic’ coronavirus cure
Yaghoub Fazeli, Al Arabiya English/Saturday 21 March 2020
A video of an Iranian cleric giving coronavirus patients at a hospital a perfume to smell as a cure for the virus has gone viral on social media. The cleric is a believer of what is known as “Islamic medicine” in Iran, according to Iranian social media users.
Visit our dedicated coronavirus site here for all the latest updates. “Islamic medicine” relies on the sayings of the Shia Imams to treat patients and often dismisses modern medicine. The cleric was seen rubbing the perfume above two patients’ upper lip and telling them to smell it. “Smell that, it is from the prophet,” the cleric told one patient lying in bed. “Smell that … you will get better … you should sneeze,” he told another patient lying in bed. Some social media users pointed out the cleric is in close proximity to coronavirus patients without any kind of protective gear, putting himself and anybody else he eventually comes into contact with at risk of contracting the virus. Three Iranian medical doctors were sentenced to flogging last month on charges of “insulting” Abbas Tabrizian, a cleric who is considered the “father of Islamic medicine” by his followers in Iran.
As of Saturday, 1,556 in Iran have died from coronavirus, and there are 20,610 confirmed cases.

Iraq's Zurfi Says Was Not Designated Through Deal With Salih
Baghdad- Hamza Mustafa/Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 23 March, 2020
Iraq’s designated Prime Minister Adnan al-Zurfi rebutted accusations saying that he assumed his post through a deal with President Barham Salih, stressing that his aim is not to break any party’s will. His comments were made in response to accusations against him and Salih regarding the mechanism assigned to him to form the government without a Shiite consensus. During a meeting with a group of Iraqi journalists at his residence on Sunday, Zurfi explained that being one of the candidates for the position allowed him to be designated. He pointed out that he only assumed his post when the constitutional deadline to choose a PM for the country was not met. The President adhered to the constitutional deadline, asked the political blocs concerned to resolve the matter a day before the end of this deadline and submitted an urgent request to the Federal Court, Zurfi told reporters. Asked whether his designation was a US option, Zurfi affirmed that he was chosen by an Iraqi decision only. The PM-designate said being forced to leave Iraq to any other country, including the United States, due to war and oppression by the former regime is not an offense. He noted that holding US citizenship doesn’t mean he was chosen by the US, rejecting such an “unacceptable alibi”. “I am mainly concerned about building balanced relations with all regional countries, as well as establishing balanced state relations with regional and international powers on the basis of shared interests while prioritizing our national interests.” Regarding his options in light of many crises, one of which is the relationship with his Shiite partners, Zurfi said he launched Sunday official consultations to form the new government. The Iraqi official stressed that he is working on forming a government in which all parties participate, pointing out that it is a crisis government due to the nature of the challenges it faces. He further noted that its mission will be only for one year, during which preparations will take place for holding early elections in the country.

Turkey Detains 5 Kurdish Mayors as Crackdown Continues
Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 23 March, 2020
Turkish authorities detained mayors of five municipalities in Kurdish-majority areas on Monday as part of a widening government crackdown against the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), the party's co-leader said. Mithat Sancar told reporters security forces had besieged municipality buildings in the southeastern province of Batman, as well as those in the Egil, Silvan, Lice and Ergani districts of Diyarbakir province on Monday morning. He said five co-mayors in four municipalities were detained. He did not give details about the mayor of Lice but said another co-mayor who had previously been dismissed was also being held, reported Reuters. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his government accuse the HDP of having links to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militant group, leading to prosecutions of thousands of its members and some leaders. The HDP denies such links. The HDP appoints one male and one female as mayor to promote gender-equality, calling them co-mayors, although only one is recognized by the central government. Sancar said the measures on Monday morning were similar to those taken when Ankara appointed trustees in other municipalities, adding that the party had not received official notification from the central government. "We reject with hatred this vile attempt that does not shy away from showing enmity against Kurds even in these difficult days when the whole world is battling an epidemic," he said. The Interior Ministry did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Ankara has appointed trustees to 31 municipalities won by the HDP in March 2019 local elections, an HDP source said, adding that 21 co-mayors had been formally arrested so far, in addition to the six detained on Monday. The former co-leaders of the HDP have both been jailed since 2016 on terrorism charges, with several other prominent members accused of supporting terrorism over what the government says are links to the PKK.

Sisi Appeals to Egyptians as 2nd Military Official Dies
Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 23 March, 2020
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi appealed on Monday to his people to help stem the spread of the coronavirus by staying at home and practicing social distancing. He warned that that numbers of infections could be in thousands within days, if people did not take the virus seriously. His warning came as a senior Egyptian military official died on Monday from coronavirus, state media said, a day after announcing the death of another senior official in the army. Major General Shafie Abdel Halim Dawoud "died while fighting the coronavirus", state television said, without giving any details. State media announced on Sunday that Major General Khaled Shaltout had died for the same reason. “Help us, Egyptians!” Sisi appealed to his people on Monday. “We want more commitment and discipline for the next two weeks in order to stem the spread of the coronavirus in Egypt.” He urged Egypt’s more than 100 million people to take the spread of virus “very seriously.” He said his government has taken “simple measures” including the closure of schools and universities, a nightly curfew on shops, restaurants and other businesses in efforts to minimize interaction between people. He also thanked doctors and health workers as “heroes” who are fighting “a battle like a “war.”Egypt’s health ministry added 33 more confirmed cases of the coronavirus and four new deaths, bringing the total number to 327 and 14 deaths. It said over 50 were discharged from the quarantine after their recovery.

Palestinian Killed by Israeli Fire in West Bank
Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 23 March, 2020
A Palestinian was shot dead by Israeli army fire in the occupied West Bank late Sunday, the Palestinian health ministry announced.
The man was shot near Nilin west of Ramallah in the West Bank, the ministry said. The Israeli army said he had been throwing stones at Israeli cars driving on a nearby road. "Troops fired towards the suspects after they hurled a rock and were preparing to hurl additional rocks," an Israeli military statement said. "According to currently available information, one of the suspects was killed by the fire and another was injured and escaped," it added. Local residents identified the man as Sufian al-Khawaja. Official Palestinian news agency Wafa said the Israeli army had prevented an ambulance from taking him to a hospital.
A picture released by the Israeli military showed a car with its windshield smashed by a large rock. It did not say whether the driver was injured. The Palestinian government announced earlier Sunday it had imposed a two-week ban on non-essential movement in the West Bank in a bid to curb an outbreak of the novel coronavirus.

Shtayyeh Calls On Israel to Release Sick, Children, Female Detainees
Ramallah- Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 23 March, 2020
Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh called on Israel to immediately release sick, children, and female detainees imprisoned by the occupation state, holding it responsible for protecting the prisoners in light of the outbreak of the coronavirus. A number of Palestinians have warned about the coronavirus spread inside prisons after unconfirmed information indicated that some detainees may have been infected. They also doubted health care provided for the prisoners was prepared for such pandemic. The Head of the Palestinian Prisoners' Society (PPS), Qadura Fares, said he was concerned by the measures and precautions taken by the Israeli occupation with prisoners in Megiddo prison suspected of having contracted coronavirus. Last week, PPS said that four Palestinian prisoners in Megiddo Sections 5, 6 and 10 were confirmed to have contracted the virus through one Israeli investigator. It indicated that the infections started with one inmate who recently came into contact with the officer during interrogation. Israeli Prison Authority denied that any detainees were infected with the virus, saying it has isolated a number of them for coming in contact with the officer who was tested positive. But Fares told Voice of Palestine radio that the prison administration has concealed the results of the tests. Fares warned that the behavior and measures inside Megiddo prison would have been less alarming, had there just been suspected cases. He feared Israeli occupation will test drugs on the prisons, pointing out that this happened in the past. For its part, the committee representing detainees within the Israeli occupation prisons said that it would deal with the four isolated prisoners in Megiddo prison as though they are infected with Coronavirus unless the prison administration demonstrated the opposite by allowing them to communicate with their families at least. The committee stressed that it does not believe the prison administration’s account, adding that only the prisoners can confirm or deny whether they have been infected. Until now, occupation prison authority does not allow the prisoners to communicate with their families, according to the committee, adding that it highly doubts the administration’s statement that there are zero cases.

Haftar Mocks Ankara by Offering to Hand Over Debris of Turkish Armored Vehicle
Cairo - Khaled Mahmoud/Monday, 23 March, 2020
The Libyan National Army (LNA), led by Khalifa Haftar, mocked on Sunday Turkey by officially and publicly offering to hand it over debris of an armored vehicle with corpses of Turkish troops, who were manning it. LNA forces responded to an attack by Turkish forces in the capital, Tripoli, and destroyed an ACV-15 Turkish armored vehicle. “We offered the enemies the armored vehicle and corpses, but they refused to receive them, claiming those inside the Turkish vehicle are not Libyans,” LNA spokesman Ahmed al-Mismari said. The attack represented the latest violation of the humanitarian truce, which was welcomed by the United Nations and its mission to Libya (UNSMIL), to enable the country to respond to the new coronavirus outbreak. Clashes raged in a number of suburbs in Tripoli on Sunday. Residents and correspondents said they could hear the sounds of artillery and explosions in several parts of the capital, especially in Ain Zara and Salah al-Din. The Tripoli Protection Force, comprised of various armed brigades loyal to Fayez al-Sarraj’s Government of National Accord (GNA), announced in a brief statement that its artillery shelled “enemy” positions in Ain Zara where the LNA was advancing. Media office of the GNA’s Volcano of Rage operation, meanwhile, announced the death of a father and the injury of two of his sons in shelling it blamed on the LNA on their house in al-Kahili area in Ain Zara. A GNA spokesman also claimed that two children were wounded by LNA shelling on their home in Bab Bin Ghashir area in Tripoli. The developments prompted Sarraj to questioned Haftar's commitment to the ceasefire. In a statement on Saturday, he said daily attacks on residential neighborhoods and civilian facilities in Tripoli are ongoing by the “aggressive militias, which caused many casualties, including children and women.”

Houthi Court Upholds Execution Order of Bahais Leader
Sanaa- Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 23 March, 2020
A Houthi-run appeal court upheld on Sunday a verdict to execute the leader of the Bahai religious minority in the latest move reflecting the Iran-backed group’s exploitation of the judiciary in areas under its control. The verdict supports the confiscation of the properties of Hamed bin Haydarah and the closure and confiscation of the Bahai community's offices in the country. The Houthi appellate denied Haydrah the right to attend the session in person or through a lawyer. Since they took over Sanaa by force on September 21, 2014, Houthi militias have used their courts in Sanaa to issue hundreds of death sentences against their political, military, and sectarian opponents. Yemeni human rights activists and international organizations accuse the Houthi group of sectarian targeting of opponents in Yemen. “Sectarian incitement is practiced against religious and ideological minorities in Yemen, and they are restricted from gathering and practicing rituals, which makes them vulnerable to prosecution, torture, and even killing, which poses a serious threat to religious civil minorities,” Yemeni activist Khaled Abdulkarim told Asharq Al-Awsat about Houthi practices in the country. The Bahais are a small religious community in Yemen. In their areas of control, Houthis have erased all forms of dissent and prosecuted compatriots with different religious including the Bahais. Houthis have also imposed sectarian changes in areas they control, where many religious rituals of other sects were slashed and replaced. Bahais, according to activists, have been officially hunted down by Houthis since August 2016 with dozens being rounded up by the group. The homes of Bahais were targeted by continuous raids, and Houthis confiscated their property, terrorized their children, arrested them, and threatened them with death, forcing many of them to flee.
Also, Yemeni activists believe that there is a lot of evidence pointing to an Iranian role behind the persecution of Bahais in Yemen.

The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published  on March 23-24/2020'
Russia hoping to outdo Saudis over time in coronavirus-hit oil market
Author Maxim Suchkov/Al Monitor/ March 23/2020
MOSCOW — As the oil market experiences turbulent times, Moscow projects an image of a “calm power.” The breakup of the Russian-Saudi oil deal over production cuts known as OPEC-plus has helped cause oil prices to plummet to new lows and created associated geopolitical risks.
Following the end of the OPEC-plus agreement, Saudi Arabia dropped prices and said it will boost production.
On March 20, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed speculation that Russia and Saudi Arabia are in an oil price war. “There are no price wars between Russia and Saudi Arabia. There is a very unfavorable pricing environment for many countries,” Peskov said. He took issue with those who said this is a catastrophe for Russia, “since as our president and our government reiterated that we have a solid safety margin for several years, which will support fulfilling all social commitments, development plans, and so on.”
The remarks of President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman came as a virtual response to President Donald Trump’s statement that he would intervene in the standoff between Saudi Arabia and Russia “at the appropriate time.” The price drop is also hurting US oil companies; the United States, Russia and Saudi Arabia are the world's top oil producers.
“It’s very devastating to Russia because when you look at it, their whole economy is based on that and we have the lowest oil prices in decades, so it’s very devastating to Russia. I would say it is very bad for Saudi Arabia but they’re in a fight, they’re in a fight on price, they’re in a fight on output. At the appropriate time I’ll get involved,” Trump said.
Peskov responded, “Russia and Saudi Arabia have good relations, a partnership. We do not think that anyone should intervene in these relations."
Russia’s divorce with the OPEC-plus deal came rather abruptly but wasn’t entirely unexpected for people in the industry. Al-Monitor’s Nikolay Kozhanov concluded in April 2018 that Russia might not be ready for a long-term commitment to the deal.
Kozhanov, writing about the recent developments, said, “Moscow definitely took the Saudi factor out of the equation when making a decision on further Russian participation in OPEC-plus.”
Indeed, the drivers for Russia’s deal with OPEC — and disincentives for staying in the deal — had more to do with other factors.
There were at least two “schools of thought” vis-a-vis OPEC-plus in Moscow.
One — the Kremlin — appreciated the idea that the deal would help Russia make more money based on the pricing. Eventually, the deal resulted in economic benefits for Russia, which saw its National Wealth Fund double its reserves from $65 billion (4.04 trillion Russian rubles) to $124.4 billion (7.7 trillion rubles) in 2019. Russia’s National Wealth Fund is a part of federal budget assets, primarily supporting the country’s pension system.
The downside was that Russia would virtually have to give up a share of its market presence to competitors. Since the end of 2016, oil production in the United States has grown by 45%, or by 4 million barrels per day, This increase represents 35% of all oil production in Russia. This is where the second “school of thought” kicked in.
Propagated by Igor Sechin, the head of the Russian oil giant Rosneft, it saw the deal with OPEC as a "strategic threat" that played into the hands of the US shale oil industry. Observing the highly volatile situation in the market, the Kremlin, however, kept postponing its departure in hopes for better timing.
This time had apparently come with the COVID-19 pandemic. The fall in global oil demand in the first quarter of 2020, much of it apparently due to the coronavirus, was the biggest in the history. Much of the impact of the virus, however, may impact the global economy with a two-month lag. Oil buyers in China have canceled their March and April oil order placements, so it remains to be seen how the market will perform in the second quarter. The 2020 global oil demand is expected to fall below 100 million barrels per day.
In a recent interview with Reuters, Russia’s Deputy Energy Minister Pavel Sorokin said there were two scenarios discussed in the OPEC-plus meeting prior to the breakup of the deal. One, promoted by Moscow, suggested the extension of the deal for one more quarter to see the actual impact of the coronavirus pandemic on oil markets. The expectation in Moscow was for oil to fall $5-8 per barrel but that there would be enough time to assess production risks.
“It was an 'optimal option' that wouldn’t have collapsed the market but give time for the making of more prudent policies,” Sorokin said.
The other proposal, advocated by the Saudis, was to cut production by 1.5 million barrels per day first for one quarter, with the possibility of further extension. Russia would have had to cut about 300,000 barrels per day (bpd) — double what it had to cut under the current commitments.
“Beside that we deemed [the Saudi] proposal excessive, for us it’s harder to carry out technologically. We have a more complicated production structure than our Arab partners, we have more drilling sites, less maneuver to cut the production.” He said that 600,000 barrels per day “is too extreme and these levels of production are harder to resume. Some of it might have never come back which means we’d lose jobs, see lower investments.”
The statements by the Russian officials suggest that at some point both “schools of thought” merged into one decision to leave the deal. Moscow was assured that staying in the agreement would no longer be beneficial for the oil market and the Russian economy and Rosneft’s reasoning that the OPEC-plus limits gave US producers more leverage also sounded more convincing. Therefore, Moscow felt it had both market and political incentives to leave the deal.
The Russian logic was that by strengthening its own position in the market and with no limits imposed by the OPEC-plus obligations, Russia would double its oil revenues once the oil price goes back up to a high level. Sorokin said that the ministry “modeled all types of scenarios possible to devise this strategy” and that so far it has been “accurate.”
Sorokin told Reuters that Russia officials forecast the price to fall to $30 per barrel within the first days and “forecast the return of prices to the range of $40-$45 in the second half of the year and to $45-$50 next year, providing there’re no force majeure circumstances.”
Critics of the Russian move argue that the price of $45 per barrel is only possible should Moscow resume negotiations with the OPEC on new production policies.
While Russia would not mind establishing a new status quo, Saudis looks determined to continue the confrontation. The head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, Kirill Dmitriev, confirmed that Moscow and Riyadh are not holding talks on joint actions on the oil market in the collapsing prices environment.
Some in Moscow see the Saudi reaction as a bluff aimed at forcing Russia back to the negotiating table. While Riyadh had more ways to manipulate the market and bigger production capacities than Moscow, it may not be ready for a long-term oil price war itself. Saudi Arabia’s economy is more dependent on oil than Russia's; the Russian budget can still be in surplus with the price of oil over $42 per barrel, whereas the Saudis need at least $80; Russia also has bigger reserves to draw on — though a bigger population to feed.
All of this may not necessarily matter given that the Russian strategy — although seemingly well-reasoned and better calculated — is based on uncertainty that the coronavirus introduces to the world economy. At the end of the day, Russia could take a leading position over oil market regulation, eliminate or weaken some key competitors and create a better environment for the establishment of stable prices. Or it could find itself punching above its weight — yet again — and bring the United States into the fight and suffer more devastating consequences from new sanctions. Until either outcome materializes, Russia will have to suffer the losses with the rest of producers and hope that the higher-risk uncertainty-based approach will turn into dividends. Not that Moscow hasn’t encountered this bifurcation in the Middle East before.

Ankara’s economic measures bring little relief against virus crisis
Mustafa Sonmez/Al Monitor/March 23, 2020
ARTICLE SUMMARY
The embattled Turkish lira has continued to nosedive and Turkey’s risk premium has climbed to new highs despite a package of government measures to stem the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
REUTERS/Umit BektasA man looks out from a dormitory where he is placed under quarantine in response to the spreading of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) after returning from abroad, in Istanbul, Turkey March 18, 2020.
Governments across the world have sprung into desperate action to curb the massive economic impact of the coronavirus crisis, but the efficiency of the measures remains largely uncertain in the face of a pandemic that is upending economic, political and social conventions.
Social distancing — the primary precaution to minimize fatalities — has abruptly hit consumer demand for a wide range of goods and services worldwide, which, in turn, is forcing halts in production. With all types of corporate assets sagging, governments are resorting to cliche monetary and fiscal remedies from other times of global crisis. The impact of these measures remains uncertain.
In Turkey, where the economy was already ailing since a severe currency shock in 2018, the central bank and the government have announced similar monetary and fiscal steps, but, in a sign of mistrust in the measures, the Turkish lira has continued to nosedive and the country’s risk premium has shot up.
As of March 22, Turkey had reported 30 deaths from the coronavirus and more than 1,200 COVID-19 cases.
The pandemic has forced consumers worldwide to limit their spending to urgent needs such as food and cleaning products. The sudden halt in business has sent stock markets into a meltdown, with companies in the dark on how long the turmoil will last and how they will cope with loan repayments, taxes and payrolls.
In a matter of two months, financial assets have suffered massive losses, barring those with very volatile and complex trends such as sovereign bonds, interest yields and gold. The US dollar has gained value as a safe-haven asset, with the dollar index rising nearly 5% against other major currencies. The currencies of emerging countries, including Turkey, have lost up to nearly 12% of their value against the greenback in the past two months. The Turkish lira has tumbled more than 8% against the dollar-euro basket.
In terms of the MSCI index, the stock markets of both the developed and developing worlds have lost an average of 31% in two months, with Turkish stocks falling 35%.
The drop in oil prices has been even worse, with the price of Brent crude plunging nearly 62% in two months.
Faced with such mammoth downtrends, the US Federal Reserve and other central banks have moved to loosen monetary policies in a bid to keep companies afloat. Governments have followed up with fiscal policy measures such as tax breaks, cash injections and even the option of voluntary nationalizations. Even German Chancellor Angela Merkel, famous for her fiscal discipline, has pledged stimulus measures at the expense of a budget deficit. Many countries are willing to offer citizens direct support such as cash handouts and vouchers — known as “helicopter money” — in a bid to salvage demand.
Turkey, too, was quick to enact similar measures, which are largely recipes used in the 2008-2009 global crisis. In an earlier-than-scheduled meeting March 17, the central bank lowered its benchmark rate by 100 basis points to 9.75%, the latest in a series of cuts aimed at leaving one recession behind and fending off the threat of another. The bank announced also measures intended to shield indebted companies and exporters from the pressure of banks and keep the real sector afloat.
The following day, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan unveiled a package of fiscal policy measures, which he valued at 100 billion liras (roughly $15 billion). Dubbed as the Economic Stability Shield, the package involves measures to relieve primarily companies, including a six-month deferral of various taxes and social security premiums, a three-month deferral of loan repayments to public banks and other assistance for those indebted to private lenders. Yet such measures appear unlikely to provide any meaningful relief at a time when many businesses are already bracing for layoffs and closing shop.
The president also pledged financial support to airlines and businesses in various branches of the tourism industry via Eximbank and public lenders. In a bid to stimulate loan channels, the limit of the credit guarantee fund will be doubled to 50 billion liras, he said.
Some measures in the package were truly perplexing and few could figure how they would help. The 18% value added tax in the aviation industry, for instance, was lowered to 1% for the next three months. The purpose of the cut remains elusive at a time when travel demand has plummeted and people are urged to stay home. The same goes for measures that encourage home purchases.
Erdogan’s package came under fire for prioritizing companies and banks, while offering little to the working class and the poor, who are bound to suffer joblessness and income losses in the pandemic crisis. The biggest gesture to workers was no more than a relaxation of so-called partial work payments from the Unemployment Insurance Fund to employees of companies forced to a halt. The poor were promised partial increases in existing social benefits, while citizens aged over 65 had to content themselves with free masks and germ-killing traditional cologne, a pledge that was met with sardonic smiles.
The measures announced by various governments are shrouded in uncertainty regarding how long they could last and how efficient they could be as few are able to predict how much the damage of the pandemic will grow. The crisis is “crushing” global economic growth, according to Fitch Ratings, which halved its forecast for 2020 to 1.3% this week from 2.5% in December.
Given the unprecedented nature of the crisis, the measures might well fail to deliver as much as expected. A failure to revive demand might lead to an avalanche of bankruptcies and even force nationalizations in strategic sectors.
Turkey is not immune to such a scenario, either. Many businesses in the services sector are already closing, and factories, small and big, are sending off workers on paid leaves. Absent a solution, the paid leaves will inevitably devolve into layoffs and send unemployment — already at nearly 14% — to more formidable levels.
Another inevitable conclusion is that the measures of Erdogan’s government have failed to inspire confidence among economic actors. The continued slump of the lira and the spike of Turkey’s risk premium to record highs in the vicinity of 600 basis points after the announcement of the measures speak for themselves.
Found in:ECONOMY AND TRADE, BANKING AND FINANCE, TURKISH ECONOMY, CORONAVIRUS
Mustafa Sonmez is a Turkish economist and writer. He has worked as an economic commentator and editor for more than 30 years and authored some 30 books on the Turkish economy, media and the Kurdish question.

Syrians Await New Form of Death in Coronavirus
Khaled Khalifa/Asharq Al-Awsat/March 23/2020
I was a child of nine years when I rushed home to tell my mother about the cholera outbreak and that the Hummayat Hospital in Ain al-Tall near our house was overflowing with corpses that the municipality would later burn. It was as if I was telling her that al-Ahly football club – before they changed their name to al-Ittihad - had won against the al-Arabi, which later would change its name to al-Houriya.
She grabbed me and asked me about how I learned about the cholera. I answered her mockingly: “You could go to the Hummayat Hospital and see for yourself. Cholera is wandering around the halls of the old hospital.”
The annual cholera pandemic had begun. The Hummayat Hospital was close to our school, Al-Mansour. The school stood between the al-Midan middle class Armenian district and the Hellok al-Tahtani and Hellok al-Fawqani, the renowned residential neighborhood and heart of the Syrian left in the late 1906s and early 1990s. Its residents were a mix of farmers and displaced from Aleppo, Armenians, Turkmen, who became shoemakers, and Kurds. The area was located near Ain al-Tall, which boasted the majority of cotton gins that harbored leftists and Palestinian resistance factions, most notably the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.
My mother, like all mothers, didn’t know how to protect us from the cholera that was sauntering in the streets. She resorted to dumping us in hot baths and rubbing us with soap until the cholera was cleansed from our skin. I still recall the panic in her eyes when I boldly told her how I, along with my friends, scaled the hospital wall and saw for ourselves how cholera was infecting patients and killing them before the municipal workers would come along and burn them.
- 2 -
Cholera was an annual visitor that claimed tens of thousands of lives, laying waste like an unstoppable silent killer. I no longer remember when this phantom stopped roaming the streets. I believe it may have been the late 1970s. Its horrors are still etched in our memories and come back again with any new pandemic. In recent days, however, I believe that the new pandemic will definitely lead us to the end of the world. I never dared to imagine that the entire world could shutter its doors and that rivers could rage as nature would have it or that birds would build their nests wherever they wanted.
I mused that various extinct species of animals would reemerge. My imagination ran wild with images of the white giraffe walking down London’s Oxford Street. Of course, the last two remaining white giraffes were killed just days ago by a professional hunter somewhere in Africa. I imagine that those extinct species would return to life and later share our streets, homes and bars. I like the idea of sipping cognac with a small elephant at bar as he sheds tears like us lovers and losers do.
What if these animals refuse to coexist with us and instead choose to avenge what we have done to Mother Earth? What if they choose to expel us permanently and begin the production of a new line of humans, who are more merciful towards the plant and each other?
Even though I was never an environmentalist, I feel drawn towards them now in order to fend off the fear for my life, which I believe is truly being threatened, especially since the mighty coronavirus has yet to make up its mind if it would prey on those who are no longer young and not quiet elderly.
- 3 -
Throughout the eleven years of writing my latest novel, “Lam Yasil Aleyhom Ahad” (No One Reached Them), I read the majority of books on Aleppo’s history. I found out that Aleppo never enjoyed a pandemic-free decade. The most dangerous of these diseases was the plague that claimed lives near and far and which only compounded the daily misery of the city residents. The plague struck in 1822 after that year’s earthquake. The pandemic crippled the city for years and it took 50 years for it to erase its devastation. Any reading of the history of Aleppo is a reading of a history of pandemics. In his 1771-1805 memoirs of the city, merchant Youssef Gerges al-Khoury wrote of the plague that struck his city in 1787. He detailed the horrors and listed the names of the victims.
I could not choose a better image of the impact of the pandemics than when Hanna and his friend Zakaria arrive to an empty city. This is an image that has stayed with me since my youth when my mother locked us up in the house as the cholera wreaked havoc in the city. We used to peep at the world from behind closed doors. We watched as the cholera sauntered down the streets where it claimed its victims while the smell of burned bodies clung to the air and as mosques called for salvation in burning tearful entreaties.
- 4 -
I believe that humans today and everywhere are hostage to major companies. We welcomed them into our daily lives or they were imposed on us without asking for permission. No one asked us if we wanted to stop at the “fax age” or move on to the “internet age”. We can count every human achievement around us without pausing to ask “at what cost?” The arrival of the pandemic is linked to regret at the time when regret is futile. It is delusional to claim that life a hundred years ago was better. This is not true. Life was always an exercise in ongoing hardship.
Modern life is about eating away at oneself. We are veering away from happiness by moving closer to a modern life that is based on owning things. This too is an illusion. Life has never ceased being a temporary test that cannot be judged without the facts the politicians and scientists are concealing from the public. Scientific groups have reached the highest level of advancement. I am certain that they are capable of reproducing life or stopping death. However, at this terrible moment, they appear helpless before this virus that has shut down the world. This is the truth, not fiction. The same policy of hiding secrets still stands. We won’t find the answer to “where did the virus come from?” Similarly, we have yet to find the answers to: “Where did ISIS come from? And why? Who will compensate the tens of thousands of victims?”
With every pandemic, people become corpse we should steer clear of. The images of funerals around the world simply inform us that death may actually be hard work. The world is now sharing Syria this hardship even though the angles may be different.
- 5 -
Right now, the Syrians are again waiting arbitrary death, this time in a new form. I am one of them. As a people, we have experienced all forms of death. Tens of thousands of Syria’s finest youths have died under torture. Entire cities have been razed to the ground under shelling. Over half a million Syrians have been killed and millions have been displaced by the war that is not over yet.
Today, the new coronavirus is sauntering around and all of us in Syria are helplessly awaiting it without knowing whether we can fight it. Deep inside, we know that the people are dispensable to the regime, which can live on with only a quarter of the population or three fourths of the people dead. No one will ask why there aren’t enough ventilators at Syria’s hospitals and why the medical system is almost non-existent. No one addressed with the question wants to assume responsibility because deep inside every Syrian is growing a strange realization that those who survived the war will be a survivor no matter what. Those who drowned in the sea, will not be deterred by a stream. Who knows, the stream could turn into terrible flood that would sweep us all towards the abyss and incinerator that will turn us all into ash.
*Khaled Khalifa is a Syrian novelist.

The Post-Earthquake Village
Ghassan Charbel/Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper/March 23/2020
You wake up to find despair waiting for you. The open-ended series of deaths surpasses your tolerance level. In the morning news, you can smell the scent of funerals prepared overnight by the Kitchen of Death in Italy, Spain, Iran and elsewhere.
The numbers the phone transmits are not final. Most probably, someone died while you were checking figures of those who died in the past hours. Don’t trust a number and consider it final. Bodies are continuously joining the processions.
The feeling when you are writing about death in the midst of an open massacre, and without being able to bet on any savior of any kind, will overwhelm you with a profound sense of defeat.
You search for solace when you see the will to live expressing itself. Italians go out onto the balconies at night, playing melodies and songs as though deliberately defying the monster, who is knocking more doors and hunting those hiding fearfully behind the walls. This deep desire to challenge the serial killer haunts you, but also reminds you that, for the first time, the “global village” citizens are exposed and left to their fate. It is painful to feel that one will not be able to take shelter if the black visitor decides that the time to hunt has come. There is no point in calling anyone. Redundant phrases of encouragement will certainly not change destinies.
The “global village” was promising despite its differences and conflicts. It was overwhelmed with questions. Did we slip into the Chinese era, or are we headed towards it? What kind of America will rise if the Asian tiger pounces on everything else? Will beautiful Europe retire under the burden of age and wrinkles and the whiff of museums and memories? What about Russia, whose current master dreams of surpassing Stalin in the length of stay in the palace of seals and sentences? What about the terrible Middle East that was coughing up blood even before the pandemics broke out?
Despite the foregoing, the village looked forward to the coming days, armed with giant leaps in scientific and technological progress, and with the receding injustice in different parts of the world. Life in the “global village” was not a honeymoon. Its conflicts are real, its competitions fierce and its arsenals await opportunities to express their might and hatred. A furious race for mines, resources and markets, and a violent exchange of blows that is not deterred by graceful smiles and diplomatic agreements.
Despite the challenges, and sometimes the horrors, there was a feeling that the world was advancing and that technology was providing people with a weapon that they lacked while shaping the future of their children.
There was also anxiety. Experiences taught the people of the village that developed neighborhoods could not forever resign from the fate of the miserable communities. Selfishness of some islands is no longer sustainable. Your neighbor’s stability is a condition for your continued strength. Miserable communities are those with high rates of poverty, myths and delusions and where the past weighs heavily on their schools, books and lifestyle.
This is without forgetting failed governments, whose crimes are almost equivalent to the killings perpetrated by murderous governments. In spite of all of this, the world seemed confident in its ability to confront problems, from poverty to global warming and others.
Tough tests have also impacted the world in recent decades. The fall of the Berlin Wall and collapse of the Soviet Empire, without a single shot being fired. The eruption of identity crises, the escalation of terrorism and increase in migrations, in addition to many countries’ inability to catch up with progress as a result of their attachment and addiction to outdated ideas.
One does not exaggerate in saying that the world has succeeded, albeit in varying proportions, in confronting the security and economic crises that have hindered its march. But it is certain that it is currently facing the toughest test.
What the world is experiencing today is definitely more dangerous than what it witnessed in past decades. The coronavirus is even more dangerous than the attacks of September 11, the emergence of ISIS, the breakup of Yugoslavia and African collapses. It is also more dangerous than the global financial crises, including those of 2008 and 2009.
We definitely don’t want to undermine the storms that have gripped the world in the past decades. They were costly and left their marks on the international scene and countries’ economies, security and stability. Today, however, we are confronted with a different event, with its gravity, costs and repercussions. We are not dealing with a violent storm. We are in the midst of an unprecedented earthquake. We can say that the coronavirus earthquake has exposed the fragility of the “global village” and shaken its foundations.
The village could not shape a united response to the earthquake. The only superpower has failed to lead the ranks for unified international action. China has engaged in the battle that started on its soil and has managed through harsh measures, enabled by the strict security and technologically-advanced single-party system, to achieve results that may later boost its image and status. Countries of the Old Continent have not succeeded in organizing a unified response. European sentiments quickly broke out, and borders, fears and selfishness prevailed. Neither did the West respond by suggesting the introduction of a global force that can lead the world, nor was Russia able to take advantage of the earthquake for its own interests as it had done with previous crises. Countries have retreated to their borders and mounting burdens have weakened their institutions and budgets.
We are in the midst of an unprecedented earthquake that has put the world on mandatory terror leave. The earthquake hit stocks and oil prices, shook the foundations of the financial empires, and closed markets, restaurants and streets throughout the “global village”. It is a comprehensive catastrophe that will inevitably impact internal and external relations. Historic precedents reveal that this type of calamity alters political and economic systems, crushes sacred ideas and theories and imposes radical changes in lifestyle.
A terrible earthquake has struck the “global village.” It is too early to tell what direction it will take. Perhaps we will witness more calls for isolation and populism and a desire to curb globalization and cut its arteries. What is certain is that the crisis will produce millions of unemployed people, cracked economies and terrified governments. It is clear that a page has been turned and a new chapter will begin. A more difficult and obscure one. The task at hand will be nothing less than the reconstruction of the “global village” that has been struck down by the coronavirus earthquake.

On the Infatuation with China as Panic
Hazem Saghieh/Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper/March 23/2020
It may be premature to excessively speculate about a post-Covid 19 world. With that, some of our behaviors and positions might affect the shape of this future, whether it is near or distant. Among these positions is an emerging, sometimes unreserved, admiration for China.
Here, there is a need to start with two clarifying comments.
First, amongst the worst consequences generated by the recent ongoing disaster is the explosion of racism against the Chinese (their food, which they have been eating for thousands of years, the term “Chinese virus”…), which China responded to with ridiculous and conspiratorial claims that the American army is responsible. Second, the ideas and treatments presented by China are irrefutably a part of what is needed by the world and part of its contributions. For the tremendous capabilities of a country like China mean that it necessarily holds very important ideas and treatments (and preventive tools) that may be needed by any country. However, this admiration for the Chinese method, which is based on control, interdiction, and domination, is nonetheless striking. Even some neo-liberals, not just regular liberals, who emphasize the primacy of freedom and choice, took part in this carnival of admiration. Their eyes seemed focused on two things: the decrease in the number of cases and the “economic success” that they expect China will have after Covid-19. Freedom and choice, as far they are concerned, are at the bottom of their list of priorities.
The astonishment would have been lessened a little if these admirers had tied this to the exceptional present circumstances. If, for example, they said: under exceptional circumstances, exceptional measures are acceptable. But to deal with the exception as a rule, as a model worth replicating, that is something different.
It is understandable that those who have totalitarian sympathies are infatuated with China; they like governance through orders and living under a state of exception that becomes the norm, especially since the other side of the coin of this position is a critique of Western democracy, which “is concerned only with profits” and “is not concerned with people”. However, when this stance is issued from non-totalitarian milieus, it is an expression of panic: we want the solution now. It suddenly emerged in China so bring it from China. Positions and opinions are thus based on what was presented in the most recent news broadcast or the most recent statistic on the topic.
Panic is contagious by definition, especially when fear triggers our herd instincts. The more afraid and unable to control the source of fears, the greater the influence these herd instincts have on us.
However forgetfulness is also inherent to panic, including what we know well: is it the right time to remember that China has been ruled by a single party for 70 years or to remember Tiananmen Square, the Uyghur Muslims’ conditions there, the people of Tibet, or the plight of Hong Kong? None of the admirers of the Chinese model recall these bitter experiences or translate them into numbers of people killed or died.
Indeed, many rulers are investing in this state of panic. One of them, Benjamin Netanyahu (an economic neo-liberal), wants the fight against Covid-19 to follow the same lines as the fight against terrorism, including spying on the cell phones of those who catch the virus.
What is also forgotten under the weight of panic is that technocratic and instrumental solutions are not reassuring even when they "succeed”. The bearing that they will have on our freedom and ability to decide how we lead our lives in the future will be huge.
Moreover, those who are afflicted by panic stick to their model for salvation. They cannot afford the luxury of comparing their methods with methods that are less coercive but necessarily being any less successful, like the ones used in South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan or Hong Kong. The idea of generalizing testing and employing solid medical team whose work is integrated with and is complementary to the state and wider society’s other actions seems like a luxury and is expelled by the urgency of panic. This all certainly assumes a caretaking role for the state and the possibility of using a bearable degree of coercion.
One who seeks salvation does not question the savior. The fact that China’s rulers had known about the issue and concealed it for weeks, thereby facilitating its spread, is irrelevant now. Only those who deal with the matter without panic, or with less panic, add “if you believe them” when they speak about China’s rulers.
Putting more effort on demanding a wider globalization that is fairer in its distribution of gains and prosperity and more universal in governance and legislation would probably be nobler than demanding strict nationalist regimes that "work for our interest" behind our backs or above our heads.
Such a discourse resembles more those who call themselves democrats and liberals, even though they are currently afflicted with an infatuation with China. However, this requires that we put the panic aside first.

The Coronavirus Will Usher in a New Era of Entertainment
Tyler Cowen/Bloomberg/March 23/2020
First the NBA postponed its season, with no immediate resumption in sight, and then March Madness was canceled. Broadway has been shuttered, along with other public entertainments across the country, Disneyland included.
These are prudent if belated steps. Nonetheless a question arises: If every empire needs bread and circuses, where will Americans turn for the latter? Which public spectacles will keep us all distracted?
One obvious response is the internet. For younger generations especially, there is plenty of spectacle to be found there. The gaming sector, for instance, is now larger in economic terms than movie and music sales combined. And whether it is World of Warcraft or Fortnite, many of these games and platforms are indeed spectacular.
That said, most of the population still does not participate in gaming. And however much people may love their Facebook pages, they do not regard the internet as a major source of vivid spectacle.
Given enforced captivity and its frustrations, many of us will start by rewatching some of our favorite movies or putting on our favorite music. That too may get tired after a few days, as we humans seem to crave the very newest and latest culture, rather than the time-honored classics.
It is my personal hope that people will start reading aloud to each other, much as the Victorians might have enjoyed Robert Browning’s “The Ring and the Book” in a family circle. Audiobooks can provide a more individualistic version of this experience, but still they don’t seem enough to pick up the slack.
It is instructive to look back to the days of World War II. The US government played a critical role in encouraging Hollywood to make cheery movies, and it helped by not trying to force every actor into the armed services. Major league baseball, the national pastime of the era, continued to hold a regular season and a World Series, again to distract people from wartime worries. Many top players, such as Ted Williams, were away fighting, but there were adequate replacements. The government knew that wartime drama could not be the only drama on tap.
With Covid-19, the goal is to keep people at home, at least if they are not essential workers. But if staying at home is too boring, cabin fever will take over and people will run out to social gatherings when they ought to be staying put. So solving the entertainment problem is one very real piece of the puzzle for minimizing the effects of the coronavirus and keeping Americans not just in good spirits but healthy.
The very worst scenario is that the coronavirus itself — how it is playing out, how officials and celebrities and neighbors are reacting — becomes our main entertainment. It could become an ongoing horror show that drives us crazy and makes people even more cynical about politics.
To avoid such a mix of frustration and terror, I have a modest proposal: We should restructure a few of our traditional entertainments to be safe from the coronavirus. They could captivate the nation and serve the functions of escapism, but also tie the nation together with bonds of compassion and positive feeling. And if, as David Brooks suggests, pandemics make us selfish and brutal, public entertainment might help boost our mood.
Imagine repurposing some public parks into nighttime drive-in movie theaters (tickets would be available only online, of course). Going out would be a new way to partake in mass socializing, and life-affirming movies could be shown, with a few tragedies for those of us who will seek out the sterner stuff.
Or how about proceeding with some version of the NBA Finals? Take a subset of the best qualifying teams, test every player for coronavirus, isolate them in a remote area with a college gymnasium, and have them proceed with a shortened version of the real thing in front of only a TV crew. With so many other public events closed down, television viewership would probably reach an all-time high, and the sense of drama would be incredible. It would be one NBA Finals we would never forget, and the quality of play would respond to the very high psychological stakes.
I expect professionals in the entertainment business could come up with better ideas yet.
Yes, it is essential to prioritize the medical, economic, political and international problems of this pandemic. But in that rush, we should remember the wisdom of the US government during World War II and be sure that entertainment is part of the solution.

Palestinians: Fighting against Coronavirus, for Freedom of Speech
Khaled Abu Toameh/Gatestone Institute./March 22, 2020
Hamas is claiming that it is worried about the safety of the Palestinians held in Israeli prisons, often for multiple murders, while its own prisons in the Gaza Strip are full of Palestinians whose only crime is that they dared to criticize the Hamas leadership or its policies.
Did Hamas forget that just last month another Palestinian, Ahmed al-Sa'afeen, 39, died shortly after he was detained for his alleged affiliation with Fatah?
Instead of directing millions of dollars to building hospitals or improving healthcare, Hamas has for the past few years invested approximately $150 million in rebuilding its tunnel infrastructure, and has diverted dual-use construction materials such as concrete, steel, and wood, which could have gone to rebuilding Gaza's civilian infrastructure.
According to Palestinian sources, 50 Palestinians are being held in Palestinian Authority prisons in the West Bank because of their affiliation with Hamas and other opposition groups.
Both the PA and Hamas, even during the difficult time of a pandemic, as they have made abundantly clear, do not hesitate to pursue their repressive measures against anyone who dares to speak out against financial and administrative corruption, or expresses views that annoy any Palestinian leaders.
Both the Palestinian Authority (PA) and Hamas, even during the difficult time of a pandemic, do not hesitate to pursue their repressive measures against anyone who dares to speak out against financial and administrative corruption, or expresses views that annoy any Palestinian leaders. Pictured: A PA policeman mans a checkpoint at the entrance to Hebron ahead of a "mandatory quarantine," on March 22.
Hamas, the Palestinian Islamist movement that has controlled the Gaza Strip since 2007, says it has taken drastic steps to prevent the spread of the coronavirus among the two million Palestinians living under its rule.
On March 22, the Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health announced the first confirmed cases of coronavirus in the Gaza Strip: two Palestinians who returned from a visit to Pakistan. The ministry said the two patients were placed in quarantine in a field hospital near Gaza's border with Egypt.
The ministry also announced the suspension of Friday prayers in all mosques throughout the Gaza Strip and the closure of wedding halls, restaurants and coffee shops.
The Gaza Strip's Hamas rulers, however, still seem to have time to continue their repressive measures against Palestinians, despite increased fears that more cases of coronavirus might be detected there.
On March 13, Hamas security forces arrested Palestinian writer Abdullah Abu Sharekh for Facebook posts in which he criticized Hamas's handling of a fire that broke out in the Nuseirat refugee camp in the Gaza Strip. In the fire, which was caused by an explosion of natural gas tanks in the camp's central market, 22 Palestinians were killed and more than 80 injured.
In one of the posts, Abu Sharekh wrote, addressing the leaders of Hamas:
"The victims of the fire in Nuseirat do not want Hamas to pay for their dead. The people want only one thing from Hamas: to quit and leave the Gaza Strip as any failed leader in a democratic country that values human life would do. Since 2007, Palestinian intellectuals in the Gaza Strip have felt that their lives are not as valuable as those of the rats or cockroaches in the sewer systems."
On March 18, Hamas ordered Abu Sharekh remanded into custody for an additional 15 days on charges of "spreading rumors and harming the social fabric" of Palestinian society. A spokesman for the Hamas security forces said that Abu Sharekh was arrested for "publishing rumors and lies on social media that cause harm to public interests and create confusion among the people."
This was not the first time that Abu Sharekh, who is known for his opposition to Hamas, has been arrested for expressing his views about the policies and actions of Hamas.
The latest arrest, however, which came as Palestinians in the Gaza Strip were taking precautionary measures to stem the spread of the coronavirus, triggered a wave of protests by several Palestinian political activists and factions, as well as human rights organizations.
Palestinian writer Akram Atallah launched an online campaign to demand the release of Abu Sharekh and other Palestinians detained by Hamas for expressing their views.
Hamas's rivals in the Palestinian ruling faction, Fatah, condemned the arrest of Abu Sharekh and said some of its members in the Gaza Strip have also been detained by Hamas in the past few days. Fatah noted that the Hamas security crackdown came "during critical and complicated circumstances in which the coronavirus is posing a threat to all human beings."
Instead of heeding the calls to release the writer and refrain from human rights violations, Hamas, on March 21, arrested the Palestinian cartoonist Ismail el-Bozom for protesting the arrest of Abu Sharekh.
El-Bozom was arrested hours after he had posted a comment on Facebook in which he wondered whether the Qatari envoy to the Gaza Strip, Mohammed al-Emadi, would intervene to secure the release of Abu Sharekh.
The Qatari envoy, who heads the Qatari Committee for the Reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, has been delivering millions of dollars in cash to the Gaza Strip over the past year as part of an effort to improve the living conditions of Palestinians living there.
In el-Bozom's Facebook post, which landed him in prison, he wrote about the arrest of Abu Sharekh: "If the Palestinian factions and human rights organizations are not able to secure the release of Abu Sharekh, who is? Perhaps al-Emadi has more influence than all of them."
The crackdown on writers and political opponents in the Gaza Strip came as Hamas's military wing, Izaddin al-Qassam, issued a warning to Israel to release Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli prisons. "The life and safety of the Palestinian prisoners is a red line and we hold the Zionist occupation fully responsible for their well-being," said Abu Obeida, a spokesman for Izaddin al-Qassam.
Hamas is claiming that it is worried about the safety of the Palestinians held in Israeli prisons, often for multiple murders, while its own prisons in the Gaza Strip are full of Palestinians whose only crime is that they dared to criticize the Hamas leadership or its policies.
Did Hamas forget that just last month another Palestinian, Ahmed al-Sa'afeen, 39, died shortly after he was detained for his alleged affiliation with Fatah?
Since its violent takeover of the Gaza Strip thirteen years ago, Hamas has done nothing to improve the living conditions of its people. Instead of directing millions of dollars to building hospitals or improving healthcare, Hamas has for the past few years invested approximately $150 million in rebuilding its tunnel infrastructure, and has diverted dual-use construction materials such as concrete, steel, and wood, which could have gone to rebuilding Gaza's civilian infrastructure.
The Palestinian Authority (PA), on Israel's east, is also continuing to arrest its political opponents in the West Bank (of the Jordan River) despite the growing number of confirmed coronavirus cases there.
Hours after PA President Mahmoud Abbas announced a 30-day state of emergency to prevent the spread of the virus, his security forces arrested Hussam Khader, a senior Fatah official and outspoken critic of the Palestinian leadership.
The PA security forces have also continued their crackdown on university students and political activists. The most recent detainees are Mohammed Atta, a student at Al-Quds University, and As'ad Qabajah, who are known for their affiliation with Hamas. According to Palestinian sources, 50 Palestinians are being held in PA prisons in the West Bank because of their affiliation with Hamas and other opposition groups.
The PA has, in addition, joined Hamas in demanding that Israel release Palestinians held in Israeli prisons. As for prisoners held in Palestinian prisons, the PA, like Hamas, seems to have no worries about their safety.
Both the PA and Hamas, even during the difficult time of a pandemic, as they have made abundantly clear, do not hesitate to pursue their repressive measures against anyone who dares to speak out against financial and administrative corruption, or expresses views that annoy any Palestinian leaders.
*Khaled Abu Toameh, an award-winning journalist based in Jerusalem, is a Shillman Journalism Fellow at Gatestone Institute.

Lessons from History: The Reagan Legacy
Peter Huessy/Gatestone Institute./March 22, 2020
Even if Reagan believed the Soviets would never fire a long-range missile at the US -- which he certainly did not believe -- what about the long-range missile threats against the United States from China? Certainly, given such threats, the United States had the right to build strategic missile defenses, making any deal to forgo missile defenses with the Soviets an absurd proposition.
Even worse, what was described as "arms control" in the SALT 1 and 2 treaties was just an agreement between the Soviets and the United States largely to build-up US nuclear arsenals as it was already planning to do even without the arms treaties.
Reagan left an open window of consensus to 1) modernize the US nuclear deterrent, 2) seek future arms control that includes limiting all nuclear weapons, including China's, and 3) deploy more robust missile defenses especially in the near term and refuse to negotiate away America's current and future missile defense capability.
If these three "Reagan" factors can be preserved, the US may indeed remain safe from nuclear conflict. As these policies keep the US safe, hopefully its leaders will realize how well Reagan's policy of "peace through strength" worked.
If the United States faced limited strikes -- a few dozen nuclear-armed missiles -- America's missile defenses would have a much greater chance of deterring or blunting such threats, as opposed to the complaint that missile defense would just start an "arms race". Pictured: The guided-missile destroyer USS Fitzgerald launches a Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) as a part of a joint ballistic missile defense exercise, on October 25, 2012. (U.S. Navy photo/Released)
President Ronald Reagan envisioned a future with a highly survivable and modernized nuclear arsenal, markedly lower warhead numbers reduced through verifiable arms control, and the eventual deployment of robust missile defenses. The goal? To vitiate a nuclear-armed adversary's ability to disarm the USA through a massive nuclear strike and to defeat any small or limited attacks from rogue states or terror groups.
All three, particularly missile defenses, are vitally important even now, some three decades after the end of the Cold War -- especially given Russia's President Vladimir Putin's threat to use a limited number of nuclear-armed missiles against the United States and its allies and to do so early in a crisis or conflict. This has been described by General John Hyten, now Deputy Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, as an "escalate to win" strategy, requiring both a robust US and allied nuclear deterrent as well as effective missile defenses, similar to the strategy of the late President Ronald Reagan.
The Reagan Build-Up
The first and most important, part of the Reagan policy was to build upgraded land-based missiles. These included the Peacekeeper ICBM, a new B1 and B2 bomber force, plus an and upgraded B-52 bomber with advanced cruise missiles, 18 new Ohio-class submarines and complimentary C-4 and D-5 submarine-based missiles. All these old and deteriorating forces are now still the backbone of US strategic nuclear forces, primarily because it has been some 38 years since the Reagan modernization effort was approved by the US Congress and no new nuclear forces have yet come into the force.
Reagan apparently hoped to use the leverage of both the current nuclear modernization and future missile defense as leverage to secure 1) reduced nuclear forces in the USSR; an elimination of key Soviet missile threats to the US mainland, and an elimination of all Soviet SS-20 medium range missiles from Europe and Asia.
Against most common assumptions, Reagan achieved all elements of these plans, most detailed in NSDD's or National Security Defense Directives completed by his National Security Council staff. The odds of accomplishing these goals at that time were daunting.
The Soviet Challenge
First, the US faced massive Soviet deployments of new nuclear weapons. Second, world-wide Soviet aggression that had "flipped" more than a dozen nations, from Nicaragua to Afghanistan, to the Soviet camp in the 1970-80 decade, and third, growing terrorism especially in Europe, which threatened the unity of NATO, the key bulwark against the USSR.
The Soviets' internal deliberations, later revealed, reflected the belief that the world's "correlation of forces" had, in Moscow's view, significantly moved in the direction of the Soviets. In addition, the Soviets used the anti-war movement in both Europe and the United States to push a nuclear freeze of US nuclear forces, which at the time were either obsolete or rusting to obsolescence, contrary to Soviet forces, which had finished being modernized.
Reagan succeeded. He secured: 1) the elimination of thousands of Soviet INF nuclear-armed missiles in Europe and Asia; 2) the beginning of a massive 80% reduction in deployed Soviet (now Russian) strategic nuclear forces; 3) the completion of a US force-wide nuclear modernization plan; and 4) preservation of the US missile defense research and development programs, long sought, by the Soviets and then Russians, to be terminated.
This Reagan plan achieved two historically unprecedented objectives: first, a massive reduction in Russia's deployed strategic nuclear arsenal, from an estimated nearly 12,000 Soviet strategic deployed warheads in 1983, to "officially" a force today of under 1,500 strategic nuclear warheads; and second, beating back the "nuclear freeze" and establishing that modernization -- even of a reduced US nuclear force -- was totally compatible with arms control.
Reagan's Missile Defense Achievements
While Reagan's third objective, building a robust missile defense of the continental United States (CONUS) as an integral part of America's defense strategy, has not been fully achieved, the US has built significant regional missile defenses, including upwards of 2,000 US and allied missile interceptors, in addition to the 44 Alaska- and California-based interceptors to protect CONUS.
This Reagan plan includes complimentary missile defense deployments from US allies, including Israel, Romania, Poland, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, and Denmark, many of which are now solidly in the missile defense business. Although most of these defenses are to shoot down what most American experts describe as medium and shorter-range ballistic missile threats that generally cannot reach US territory, for most of our allies, the missile threats are aimed at their homelands and thus deemed "strategic."
When President Reagan announced in March 1983 that the Strategic Defense Initiative would begin a major research effort to build missile defenses, the USA and Russia were party to the 1972 ABM Treaty, which prohibited such defenses (except for a minor deployment around each nation's capital.) The US was therefore limited to research and development only, and unable to build serious missile defenses until 2003, when then President George W. Bush ended US compliance with the ABM Treaty.
At the time President Reagan announced Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), the nuclear and missile threat to the US was growing. By 1981, the Soviet Union was in the process of deploying upwards of 12,000 long-range nuclear warheads on highly modern missiles, bombers and submarines, most aimed at the United States, compared to a level around 2,000 when the SALT 1 treaty was had been signed by the Soviet Union and United States in 1972.
The only other adversary nation with ballistic missiles capable of reaching the United States at the time was China. However, the US intelligence community consensus in 1983 was that China had not much more than 20-60 nuclear warheads available to be deployed, with only a fraction of those on long-range ICBMs capable of hitting the United States.
Even a limited or small missile threat to the US, however, animated Reagan in his various summits with Gorbachev. As Reagan repeatedly reminded the Soviet General Secretary, banning missile defenses between the US and Russia -- which Gorbachev repeatedly insisted that the US do -- was all well and good.
Even if Reagan believed the Soviets would never fire a long-range missile at the US -- which he certainly did not believe -- what about the long-range missile threats against the United States from China? Certainly, given such threats, the United States had the right to build strategic missile defenses, making any deal to forgo missile defenses with the Soviets an absurd proposition.
Strikes against CONUS might also involve short-range missiles, especially if deployed near the US periphery by allies of Russia and China. While Iran, for instance, has ballistic missiles reportedly with a range of no more than 2,000 km, they could reach the United States if deployed in, say, in countries such as Venezuela, with which Iran has reportedly sought to work jointly on military matters, including deploying ballistic missiles. Submarines, too, could approach US shores and launch short range missiles against CONUS as well.
Are Missile Defenses Compatible with Arms Control?
Critics of missile defense, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, continue to claim that if the US builds missile defenses, the Russians will simply build more offensive weapons to overcome those defenses. In reality, however, once President Bush pulled out of the ABM Treaty and built even a limited missile defense of CONUS, the US and Russia signed two new nuclear treaties -- the Moscow Treaty in 2003 and the New START Treaty in 2010 -- that reduced deployed nuclear weapons on each side from 6,000 to 1,550, a 75% cut. So, US missile defenses do not block nuclear arms cuts.
Future Nuclear Challenges
Even though US diplomacy and arms control have dramatically reduced first the Soviet, and now the Russian, nuclear arsenal, it is nevertheless likely that the US will face limited, smaller nuclear strikes, not just from rogue actors such as North Korea or Iran, but from Russia.
Why? Putin has adopted a new strategy of using only extremely limited nuclear strikes in a crisis: he seems to understand full well that a massive nuclear strike against the United States would trigger an equally massive retaliatory strike by the United States, and that it would result in unacceptable amounts of the incineration, or the "Armageddon option" -- senseless and achieving nothing and therefore the least plausible outcome of a crisis.
If the United States faced limited strikes, however -- a few dozen nuclear-armed missiles -- America's missile defenses would have a much greater chance of deterring or blunting such threats. That kind of US capability would markedly increase (not decrease) deterrence. Missile defense would actually help deterrence as opposed to the complaint that missile defense would just start an "arms race".
The Value of the Reagan Legacy
When President Reagan came into office, the US nuclear deterrent was nearing obsolescence. There was no consensus on how to modernize the US deterrent, the "nuclear freeze" was gaining favor, "détente and peaceful co-existence" were the watchwords of America's Soviet policy, and missile defense was deemed forbidden. Even worse, what was described as "arms control" in the SALT 1 and 2 treaties was just an agreement between the Soviets and the United States largely to build-up US nuclear arsenals as it was already planning to do even without the arms treaties.
What then is the lesson to be learned?
The strategic legacy we have inherited from Reagan is all the more remarkable given the strategic chaos the country was in when Reagan first came into office. He reversed the weakness he inherited, and despite the passage of three decades, his policies have endured.
Reagan left an open window of consensus to 1) modernize the US nuclear deterrent, 2) seek future arms control that includes limiting all nuclear weapons, including China's, and 3) deploy more robust missile defenses especially in the near term and refuse to negotiate away America's current and future missile defense capability.
If these three "Reagan" factors can be preserved, the US may indeed remain safe from nuclear conflict. As these policies keep the US safe, hopefully its leaders will realize how well Reagan's policy of "peace through strength" worked.
*Dr. Peter Huessy is President of GeoStrategic Analysis, a defense consulting firm he founded in 1981. He also is a guest lecturer on nuclear deterrent studies at the US Naval Academy. He was also for 22 years, the senior defense consultant at the National Defense University Foundation.
© 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.

Coronavirus: China's Propaganda Campaign in Europe
Soeren Kern/Gatestone Institute./March 22, 2020
What remains unclear is if European publics, which are bearing the brunt of the suffering caused by the epidemic, will be as easily willing to overlook the malfeasance of Chinese officials.
"This is a propaganda operation that hides various truths. The first and most important is that the culprit for this pandemic is the Chinese regime. It does not take any conspiracy theory to point it out." — Emilio Campmany, Libertad Digital, March 3, 2020.
"China wants to take advantage of this calamity to wrest global leadership from the United States. It will be the communist country that makes us the most energetic medicines to fight the virus. It will discover the vaccine before anyone else and distribute it worldwide in record time. It will buy our assets and invest in our countries to rescue our economies. Ultimately, it will claim to be our savior." — Emilio Campmany, Libertad Digital, March 3, 2020.
On March 12, China sent to Italy a team of nine Chinese medical staff along with some 30 tons of equipment on a flight organized by the Chinese Red Cross. Pictured: Francesco Vaglia, medical director for infectious diseases of Spallanzani Hospital (right) speaks next to members of a delegation of Chinese doctors in Rome on March 14, 2020.
The Chinese government has been fast-tracking shipments of medical aid to Europe, which has become the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic that first emerged in the Chinese city of Wuhan. The largesse appears to be part of a public relations effort by Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Communist Party to deflect criticism over their responsibility for the deadly outbreak.
Beijing's campaign as a global benefactor may deliver results in Europe, where pandering political leaders have long been notoriously fearful of antagonizing the European Union's second-largest trading partner. What remains unclear is if European publics, which are bearing the brunt of the suffering caused by the epidemic, will be as easily willing to overlook the malfeasance of Chinese officials.
In what can only be described as a geopolitical humiliation, Ursula Von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, the administrative arm of the European Union, which touts itself as the "largest economy in the world," heaped praise on Communist China for donating an inconsequential amount of medical equipment to the bloc. On March 18, she tweeted:
"Spoke with Chinese PM Li Keqiang who announced that China will provide 2 mil surgical masks, 200,000 N95 masks & 50,000 testing kits. In January, the European Union helped China by donating 50 tons of equipment. Today, we're grateful for China's support. We need each other's support in times of need."The European Union has been incapable of providing meaningful assistance to Italy, the bloc's third-largest member, which has been especially hard hit by the virus. After Germany, the EU's most powerful member, banned the export of medical protection gear to avoid its own supply shortages of masks, gloves and suits, China stepped in. On March 12, China sent to Italy a team of nine Chinese medical staff along with some 30 tons of equipment on a flight organized by the Chinese Red Cross. The head of the Italian Red Cross, Francesco Rocca, said that the shipment "revealed the power of international solidarity." He added: "In this moment of great stress, of great difficulty, we are relieved to have this arrival of supplies. It is true that it will help only temporarily, but it is still important. We have a desperate need for these masks right now. We need respirators that the Red Cross will donate to the government. This is for sure a really important donation for our country."
In recent days, China has also sent aid to:
Greece, March 21. An Air China plane carrying 8 tons of medical equipment — including 550,000 surgical masks and other items such as protective equipment, glasses, gloves and shoe covers — arrived at Athens International Airport. The Chinese Ambassador to Greece, Zhang Qiyue, referred to words by Aristotle: "What is a friend? A single soul living in two bodies." He said that "difficult times reveal true friends" and that China and Greece are "working closely together in the fight against the coronavirus." This, he said, "confirms once again the excellent relations and friendship between the two peoples."
Serbia, March 21. China flew six doctors, ventilators and medical masks to Serbia to help Belgrade halt spreading of the coronavirus infection. "A big thank you to President Xi Jinping, the Chinese Communist Party and the Chinese people," said Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic. China's ambassador to Belgrade, Chen Bo, said the aid was a sign of the "iron friendship" between the two countries. The Chinese news agency Xinhua reported: "President Xi attaches great importance to the development of China-Serbia relations, and believes that through the joint battle against the epidemic, the two countries' time-tested traditional friendship will gain more hearty support from their people, and their comprehensive strategic partnership will grow deeper and rise to a higher level.
Spain, March 21. The founder and president of the Chinese technology company Huawei, Ren Zhengfei, donated one million face masks. They were expected to arrive at Zaragoza Airport in northeastern Spain on March 23. The masks will be stored at a warehouse belonging to the Spanish apparel retailer Zara. From there, Zara will put its logistics network at the service of the Spanish government. This shipment could be the first of several, as dozens of Chinese suppliers that have worked with Zara for years are reportedly showing a willingness to send material. The United States has warned Spain about the security risk inherent in opening its fifth-generation communications networks to Chinese mobile technology providers, including Huawei.
Czech Republic, March 21. A Ukrainian cargo plane reportedly carrying 100 tons of medical supplies from China arrived at the airport in Pardubice, a city situated 100 kilometers east of Prague. On March 20, a Chinese plane carrying one million masks arrived in the Czech Republic, which reportedly ordered another 5 million respirators from China along with 30 million masks and 250,000 sets of protective clothing.
France, March 18. China sent to France, the second-most powerful country of the European Union, a batch of medical supplies, including protective masks, surgical masks, protective suits and medical gloves. The Chinese Embassy in France tweeted: "United we will win!" The following day, China sent a second batch of supplies. The Chinese Embassy tweeted: "The Chinese people are next to the French people. Solidarity and cooperation will allow us to overcome this pandemic."
The Netherlands, March 18. China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines and Xiamen Airlines, codeshare partners with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, donated 20,000 masks and 50,000 gloves. The shipment arrived at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol on a Xiamen Airlines flight. "These are extremely difficult times for our country and our company, so we are very happy with this help for KLM and for the Netherlands," KLM CEO Pieter Elbers said. "Less than two months ago, KLM made a donation to China and now we are being helped so wonderfully and generously."
Poland, March 18. The Chinese government pledged to send Poland tens of thousands of protective items and 10,000 coronavirus test kits. On March 13, the Chinese Embassy in Warsaw sponsored a videoconference during which experts from China and Central Europe shared their knowledge on tackling the coronavirus. Police Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz thanked China for its support and stressed the need for continued cooperation with Beijing, including sharing experience in combating the pandemic.
Belgium, March 18. A Chinese cargo plane carrying 1.5 million masks landed at Liege Airport. The masks, which will be distributed to Belgium, France and Slovenia, were donated by Jack Ma, the founder of Alibaba, a Chinese ecommerce giant known as the "Amazon of China."
Czech Republic, March 18. A plane carrying 150,000 test kits for coronavirus landed in Prague. The Ministry of Health paid about CZK 14 million ($550,000) for 100,000 testing kits, while another 50,000 kits were paid for by the Ministry of the Interior. Transport was provided by the Ministry of Defense.
Spain, March 17. A Chinese plane carrying 500,000 masks arrived at Zaragoza Airport. "The sun always rises after the rain," Chinese President Xi Jinping told Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. He said that the friendship between China and Spain will be stronger and bilateral ties will have a brighter future after the joint fight against the virus. Xi said that after the pandemic, both countries should intensify exchanges and cooperation in a wide range of fields.
Belgium, March 16. Another shipment of medical supplies donated by the Jack Ma Foundation and Alibaba Foundation for epidemic prevention in Europe arrived at Liege Airport.
Fortune magazine explained the motivation behind China's propaganda push:
"For China, the outreach to Europe is part of an effort to claw back an international leadership role after early cover-ups helped the virus spread well beyond its borders. President Xi Jinping's government has sought to silence critics, including reporters and online commentators, and also spread conspiracy theories about where the virus originated.
"Geopolitically, China's move to brand itself as Europe's savior aims to improve its standing on a global stage as both spar with the Trump administration. China and the U.S. have continued a wider fight for global influence — Beijing kicked out more than a dozen American journalists this week — while also seeking to deflect blame for their handling of the disease."
In an interview with the UK-based newspaper Guardian, Natasha Kassam, a former Australian diplomat, said:
"Now we see Chinese officials and state media claiming that China bought the world time to prepare for this pandemic. We know the propaganda machine within China is able to rewrite history but now we are seeing that replicated overseas. China's victory over Covid-19 has already been written and authorities are trying very hard for that message to be received overseas."
In an essay for the Spanish publication Libertad Digital, commentator Emilio Campmany astutely explained:
"The huge Chinese propaganda apparatus has been launched. In Italy they feel, with good reason, abandoned by the European Union and are grateful for the help that the Asian country is giving them. This has been suitably amplified by the Italian media.
"This is a propaganda operation that hides various truths. The first and most important is that the culprit for this pandemic is the Chinese regime. It does not take any conspiracy theory to point it out. It was widely recognized that Chinese live animal markets are a very serious epidemic hazard. The very severe communist regime of the people's republic, which controls everything for the welfare of the citizens, has been unable to shut them down. When the first cases emerged, it took forever for the highly efficient Communist Party to react and instead devoted its myriad resources just to hiding the truth. When it could no longer hide what was happening, it intervened brutally, and only in this way has it managed to stop the epidemic, not without first giving rise, due to its negligence, to the virus spreading throughout the world.
"The second is that communist bestiality is not necessary to effectively combat the virus. Infinitely better results can be achieved with capitalist intelligence, as has been shown by South Korea, which, having been much more capable than China, is not dedicated to paying for items in the West. For days now, this country has shown how valuable it can be to carry out massive tests. That is the best way for now, and the incredible thing is how long it took the Italians and the Spanish to realize this. However, this delay is not a consequence of not being blessed with two communist regimes, but rather of being governed by incompetents who, above all in our case, are that, socialists and communists.
"China wants to take advantage of this calamity to wrest global leadership from the United States. It will be the communist country that makes us the most energetic medicines to fight the virus. It will discover the vaccine before anyone else and distribute it worldwide in record time. It will buy our assets and invest in our countries to rescue our economies. Ultimately, it will claim to be our savior."
*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.

Iran regime’s perfect chance to change its behavior
Dr. Mohammed Al-Sulami/Arab News/March 23, 2020
Since the US withdrew from the nuclear deal and the White House implemented its maximum pressure strategy, Iran has experienced rapidly worsening socioeconomic conditions, as well as multiple other crises. The outbreak of the coronavirus adds another dimension to the situation facing Iran and has led to the country deteriorating rapidly over the last few weeks, aggravating the misery of the Iranian people.
From a humanitarian perspective, some Gulf states have offered aid to Iran. But the virus has spread while Tehran is still dealing with unprecedented crises. Facing popular discontent due to the deteriorating socioeconomic conditions late last year, the government launched an intense crackdown, leading to mass arrests and deaths. And the coronavirus has cast a dark cloud over the country while the government is still struggling to deal with tightening US sanctions and the dent to its regional plans in the aftermath of the death of Qassem Soleimani.
One of the primary problems facing the government is that it is now in uncharted territory. It is skilled in politicizing crises to divert public attention and maintain its rapidly eroding legitimacy, but the coronavirus has left the government in deep trouble as it has struggled to provide an adequate response. The regime’s efforts to exploit the coronavirus crisis with its customary claims, conspiracy theories and propaganda have fallen flat. Indeed, the coronavirus crisis has exposed the unprecedented depth of the regime’s problems.
This being the case, if the regime looks at the vast dimensions of its crisis or crises, it will find no better opportunity than the present to reconsider its policies and behavior at home and overseas if it wishes to pull back from the brink of disaster.
It is illogical for the world to help Iran in overcoming the coronavirus crisis, which poses a severe threat to the country, while Tehran insists on continuing its hostile behavior and malign plans. It is also irrational that countries close their borders to contain the coronavirus while Iran’s regime continues to send its soldiers and proxies across the region to fight and spread sectarian hate and chaos under the guise of “exporting the revolution.”
The coronavirus crisis has exposed the unprecedented depth of the regime’s problems
It should be emphasized that the whole world, including Iran’s Gulf neighbors, wish to help the country. For this reason, Kuwait and the UAE, consistent with the principles of cooperation and neighborliness that these countries are committed to upholding, offered aid to help Iran in overcoming the coronavirus crisis.
Iran’s regime should help itself too. This period provides a golden opportunity for the leadership to rethink and remember that any policy or plan that does not have popular support is ultimately doomed to failure. Similarly, any scheme to export hostility to the outside world is also destined for failure. The experience of the past 40 years proves that the Iranian regime has tightened the noose around the country’s neck and placed its own people under the guillotine of blockade and isolation — regressive steps that leave it lagging behind the rest of the world.
The killing of Soleimani had provided Iran with an excellent opportunity to reconsider its antagonistic behavior in the region. Likewise, the coronavirus crisis also offers Iran an opportunity to extend a hand of friendship to all its neighbors, and to demonstrate that it has the goodwill and ability to cooperate with others. The Iranian people would support the government in pursuing a more positive and cooperative policy with neighboring countries, and such a policy could revive the government’s legitimacy in the eyes of the public.
The regime’s usual policy of resorting to manipulation and deception is no longer logical or acceptable under the current circumstances. Many regional countries have collapsed due to Iranian interference, leaving them unable to combat a threat like the coronavirus. There is no doubt that the international community expects Iran to change its behavior, and the global spread of the coronavirus provides an apt opportunity for it to end its isolation and forge relationships to counter this threat to humanity.
Contrary to the Iranian media’s propaganda, nobody in the world wants to topple the regime or objects to Iran’s position as a normal state in the region. Iran’s leaders should view the world without wearing their narrow ideological spectacles that have created a mindset that is not aligned with reality. The current policies pursued by Iran’s leaders have failed to integrate the country into the region. The Gulf states are keen to ensure that the Iranian people are able to overcome the current coronavirus crisis. For this reason, they have extended their hand to the Iranian regime despite all its excesses, aggressive practices and antagonistic policies.
In return, Iran is expected to show goodwill and to understand that the solution to its crisis lies in re-establishing positive relations with neighboring states on the basis of cooperation, neighborliness, mutual respect and ceasing hostility. Any such change in behavior would serve the vital interests of the entire region and would be critical for Iran in particular, especially given the extensive crises it faces at home and overseas, with the coronavirus now threatening to further erode the legitimacy of the regime, leading to its possible collapse if it is not managed well.
• Dr. Mohammed Al-Sulami is Head of the International Institute for Iranian Studies (Rasanah). Twitter: @mohalsulami

Forget US shale, Russia will be the main victim of the OPEC+ spat
Cyril Widdershoven/Al Arabiya/March 23/2020
Analysis of the ongoing Saudi-Russian price and market share battle is predominantly looking at Saudi Arabia, indicating that the current stand-off will be very negative for the Kingdom. Assessments about Russia are much more positive, as many believe the Russian economy can endure the price onslaught due to higher financial reserves, built up recent years.
This analysis is however flawed. While there are certainly no victors in this price war, Russia will undoubtedly be hit harder than Saudi Arabia if one considers the financial reserves of Moscow, and the equivalent in the Saudi Arabia government, the Public Investment Fund and assets abroad. Saudi oil production doesn’t cost as much as Russia, and when capital and operating costs are put together, Russia’s cost base is totally of another order. Without any problem Saudi Arabia could even target lower prices, if only looks at operating cost alone.
For Moscow the facts show a much bleaker future than is widely understood. Russian oil and gas should be taken into the constellation, looking not only at the direct-indirect costs of production, which is much higher than Saudi Arabia, but also the options to increase production to much higher levels. Technically and operationally Russian oil is already at almost full production levels, while oil and gas transportation to markets is still a major issue.
To keep Russian oil and gas running, more investments are needed. To increase production dramatically, the influx of cash and technology is high, and at present unavailable. In stark contrast to Riyadh, Moscow is not able to access oilfield services and finances at the same level as Saudi Arabia. The existing and new sanctions on Russia are constraining operations in the upstream and midstream already. Russian President Putin’s cohorts don’t have the same level of access to financial markets as the likes of Aramco. Russia’s oil, gas and financial sectors are blocked by sanctions or lacking interest of investors. Saudi Arabia still can enter the financial markets at a premium.
Vladimir Putin’s bluff has been called by Saudi Arabia, a situation not expected by Putin it seems. Recent changes in the guard at the top of the oil sector in the Kingdom have changed the strategy to some extent, and introduced a pro-active young guard. The Russian chess game in the Middle East and OPEC+ has been confronted by a so-called Tawila move by Riyadh, followed by Abu Dhabi, which announced huge production hikes soon after Aramco did. A potential stalemate is in place, where in contrast to Russia’s expectations, OPEC producers are going full throttle. Lower price settings are hurting Russia more than was calculated, already resulting in angry faces at Gazprom, Rosneft and others.
Putin also seems only to have looked at US shale, not to the answer of Saudi Arabia and the UAE in delivering full production. Moscow doesn’t seem to have foreseen that the output hikes from the Gulf would not only hit US shale oil, but target Russia’s backyard at the same time. Riyadh’s offer of heavily-discounted Saudi crudes to Europeans is hitting Russia’s core consuming market.
While the Kingdom is able to ramp up production and exports, Russia is looking at a moderate increase. Moscow also seems to have woken up to the fact that hitting oil prices in general is not a good idea for a natural gas exporter to Europe and other regions while gas contracts are partly oil-price linked.
The Tawila play is a double whammy for Russia. Hitting Putin by lowering the oil price, increasing production and taking market share is already a threat. But to indirectly include natural gas, Russia’s Achilles, seems to be a master stroke that Sun Tzu and Clausewitz would be jealous of.