English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese
Related, Global News & Editorials
For
May 17/2020
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
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Bible Quotations For today
While they were talking about this, Jesus himself stood among
them and said to them, Peace be with you
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 24/36-45: “While they were
talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, ‘Peace be
with you.’They were startled and terrified, and thought that they were seeing a
ghost. He said to them, ‘Why are you frightened, and why do doubts arise in your
hearts? Look at my hands and my feet; see that it is I myself. Touch me and see;
for a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.’And when he
had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. While in their joy they
were disbelieving and still wondering, he said to them, ‘Have you anything here
to eat?’ They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate in their
presence. Then he said to them, ‘These are my words that I spoke to you while I
was still with you that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the
prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled.’
Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures.”
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese &
Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on May 16-17/2020
Lebanon records 11 new COVID-19 cases
Coronavirus: Lebanon cases spike as returning expats flout quarantine
requirements
Lebanon ready to float currency once aid is secured: Minister
Lebanon army says arrests 16 over ‘illegal’ currency ring
Lebanon: Calls for Lifting ‘Political Cover’ in Smuggling Crisis
Lebanese Authorities to Crack down on Violators of Maritime Property
Lebanon Announces Flights Out for Foreign Workers
Nine MEA Flights Repatriating Expats to Land in Beirut Saturday
Abu Sleiman questions logic behind government’s decision to negotiate directly,
hold consensual contracts in energy dossier
Bou Assi: To accord the army and its commander the political cover to control
the borders
Choucair: To allow businesses to open their doors on the eve of Eid El Fitr
Khreiss calls for taking measures against those manipulating the dollar exchange
rate
Hezbollah in response to what was published in Al-Liwaa: It does not concern us
at all!
Derian visits the tomb of Martyr Mufti Hassan Khaled in Ouza’i
Hariri: Martyr Sheikh Khaled was victorious for Lebanon and coexistence
Interior Minister commemorating Martyr Mufti Khaled: A man of national, uniting
stances
Al-Sayed: Central Bank collects around 20 to 30 million US dollars monthly from
the Lebanese market
Swarms of Insects Invade Lebanese Regions
Foreign workers seek evacuation from Lebanon/Najia Houssari/Arab News/May
16/2020
Despite mounting isolation, Nasrallah still on the warpath/The Arab Weekly/May
16/2020
Israel's Druze can no longer be bought with a pat on the back/Shakib Ali|/Ynetnews/May
16/May/2020
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on
May 16-17/2020
Iranian news agency warns of repercussions if US disrupts fuel shipment to
Venezuela
Iran's Stock Index Drops, Falls Below 1 Million Mark
Iran Sentences French Academic to 5 Years in Prison
Syria's Daraa Turns to Russia to Halt Regime Offensive
Syria: Local Currency Devaluation Exacerbates Sufferings In Damascus
Representative of Iraq's Top Religious Authority Denies Offering Position of PMF
Head to Amiri
Egypt's Army: 13 Terrorists Killed in Sinai Operation
Jordan Warns Israel of 'Massive Conflict' over Annexation, EU Steps up Diplomacy
Algerian Opposition Divided Over Draft Constitution
Intermittent Clashes in Libyan Capital, UN Slams Threat to People's Lives
Tunisia Says Terrorist Groups are Isolated in Mountains on Algeria Border
UN Reiterates Support for Riyadh Agreement on Yemen
Russia Records Highest Coronavirus Death Toll Yet
Italy to Reopen Borders for Tourists in Early June
Beaches and Football as Europe Relaxes Virus Restrictions
Titles For The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources published on May 16-17/2020
Italy Learns a Hard Lesson on Face Masks/Ferdinando Giugliano/Bloomberg/May,
16/2020
"Victimhood Culture" UK: Rape Victims Need Not Apply/Judith Bergman/Gatestone
Institute/May 16/2020
Why US-Iran relations could shift gears in the coming days/Raghida Dergham/The
National/May 16/ 2020
The EU: Not fatally broken, but it needs fixing soon/Hafed Al-Ghwell/Arab
News/May 16, 2020
The US and China: In a relationship, but it’s complicated/Cornelia Meyer/Arab
News/May 16, 2020
Trump must do better in the battle for hearts and minds/Andrew Hammond/Arab
News/May 16, 2020
Daesh: They haven’t gone away, you know/Peter Welby/Arab News/May 16, 2020
The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News &
Editorials published on May 16-17/2020
Lebanon records 11 new COVID-19 cases
Annahar Staff /May 16/2020
BEIRUT: According to the daily report issued by the Ministry of Public Health,
Lebanon recorded 11 new coronavirus cases Saturday. So far, 902 cases were
officially recorded with no new deaths, rendering the total number of deaths at
26.
The Ministry of Public Health’s report further stated that around 28%, which is
the highest percentage of the total infected individuals, are patients whose
ages range between 20 and 29. Meanwhile, patients who exceeded the age of 80
constitute around 5% of the total recorded cases. There are no cases recorded
for people whose ages range between 10 and 19. Also, 55% of the patients are
males and 45% of them are females, and El Metn remains the most infected region
with a number of patients totaling 156. The Ministry of Public Health also noted
that around 62% of the infected individuals are in mild or moderate conditions,
while around 7.3% remain in severe or critical conditions. The rest are
asymptomatic.
Coronavirus: Lebanon cases spike as returning expats flout
quarantine requirements
Abby Sewell, Al Arabiya English/Saturday 16 May 2020
Some of the newly detected coronavirus cases in Lebanon are of individuals who
entered the country on the repatriation flights, and some returning expats have
flouted the requirement to quarantine, raising fears that the returns could
threaten progress made in controlling the virus.
Beirut’s airport remains closed to commercial flights until at least June 8 amid
the coronavirus outbreak. But several repatriation flights have continued to
arrive, bringing Lebanese expats home from locations around the world. Lebanon
was in the process of gradually lifting its lockdown procedures before a spike
in cases prompted a new four-day lockdown beginning Wednesday night. Coronavirus
numbers have remained relatively low in the country – with a total of 902 cases
and 26 deaths reported as of Saturday. On May 6, the Ministry of Public Health
reported that 25 expats returning on a flight from Nigeria had tested positive
for the virus, but smaller numbers of positive cases have surfaced among
returning expats nearly every day. On Saturday, the health ministry reported 11
new positive tests, of which six were among expats. For all the latest headlines
follow our Google News channel online or via the app. And in a notice issued
earlier this week, Mount Lebanon Governor Judge Mohammad al-Makkawi announced
that five recently returned expats – who had come from Warsaw, Frankfurt,
Bucharest, Tehran, and Cameroon respectively – were wanted for arrest after they
had allegedly given false contact information to authorities in an attempt to
elude follow-up monitoring meant to ensure that they were quarantined at home.
The government’s handling of the expat returns has drawn criticism, particularly
after the new lockdown, with some asserting that mishandling of the
repatriations was threatening to undo the progress made on controlling the
spread of the virus. Former MP Ismail Sukkariyeh, a gastroenterologist, on
Saturday issued a statement questioning the government’s handling of the
repatriations, and particularly the failure to ensure that the returnees adhere
to quarantine measures. “Why did the government not put its hand on vacant
institutions, such as hotels and public buildings, to quarantine the arrivals in
them?” Sukkariyeh asked. “Why aren’t government hospitals placed at the disposal
of conducting the quarantine, and not only performing a laboratory test that is
mistaken 30 percent of the time?”
About 11,300 Lebanese are expected to return on repatriation flights during the
current phase, which began May 11 and ends May 24. Many of the returnees are
university students who got stuck abroad when the Beirut airport closed on March
18.
For expats returning from countries where COVID-19 testing is available,
authorities have been requiring expats to show a negative test result taken
within three days before their departure before they can board a repatriation
flight. Those with positive test results are not allowed to board.
However, those returning from countries that do not have reliable testing
capacity are tested upon arrival. All returning expats are ordered to
quarantine, but unlike in some other countries that have quarantined returning
travelers in hotels, Lebanon has ordered the expats to self-quarantine at home.
A spokesman for the health ministry did not respond to requests for comment. In
a statement Friday, the minister urged returnees to take seriously “the
necessity of compulsory home quarantine and not to socialize even with their
families or neighborhoods, as this poses a challenge to preserving the progress
made in the face of the epidemic.”Firass Abiad, head of Rafik Hariri University
Hospital, the government hospital that has been at the forefront of the
coronavirus response in Lebanon, told Al Arabiya English that halting
repatriation flights altogether “is not really an option for a lot of
humanitarian social reasons, and at the end of the day, these are people coming
back to their country, so you cannot just lock them out indefinitely.”
However, Abiad said he believes additional precautions could be taken.
Returning travelers who test positive, even if they are asymptomatic, “need to
come into the hospital until we have a very clear assessment, which is both a
medical assessment and a social assessment to make sure they can go back, that
it’s safe for them and for the society at large to be at a quarantine in their
homes,” he said. While other countries have been allowing asymptomatic patients
to quarantine at home, Abiad said, “We have to take advantage that we do not
have a lot of cases in Lebanon, and this allows us to exert more control. We
don’t have to take shortcuts like some countries because they have so many
positive cases they’re overwhelmed.”Abiad noted that some of the recent case
clusters that had driven the new four-day lockdown did not appear to be related
to returning expats, including a cluster of cases among soldiers at a military
court. He added that citizens also need to take responsibility for preventing
spread of the virus. “There are two sides to this conversation,” he said. “There
is the conversation of the measures that the government is taking, but then
there is the other side, which is the behavior and conduct of the population. I
think that the more we conduct ourselves in a responsible manner, the easier it
will become for the government to ease its measures.”
Lebanon ready to float currency once aid is secured:
Minister
AFP, Beirut/May 16/2020
Lebanon, whose currency has been pegged to the dollar for 23 years, is ready to
float the pound only after it secures billions in aid, Finance Minister Ghazi
Wazni said Friday. Speaking to AFP after talks started Wednesday with the
International Monetary Fund on a plan to rescue Lebanon’s free falling economy,
he also said a restructuring of the banking sector would entail halving the
number of banks in the country. A hard currency crunch in recent months has
strained the official fixed rate of 1,507 to the dollar, with the pound losing
more than half of its value to fetch well over 4,000 on the black market. “The
IMF always asks for the freeing of the pound’s exchange rate,” Wazni said. But
“we need to change the stabilization policy to one of a flexible exchange rate
in a first stage and for the forseeable future,” he said, referring to an
initial managed flotation. “When we receive financial support from abroad, we
will transition to floatation” according to the market, he said. “The Lebanese
government has asked for a transitional period to pass through a flexible
exchange rate before we reach floatation,” he added.
Wazni said the first phase would involve “a gradual increase of the exchange
rate to the dollar,” in coordination with the central bank. He said this was
necessary because the government feared “huge deterioration of the pound
exchange rate” otherwise. Lebanon, which was hit last autumn by unprecedented
protests, asked the IMF for financial assistance on May 1 after laying out a
much-awaited financial rescue plan. That plan aims to drum up billions of
dollars in aid, reduce the deficit, restructure a colossal debt, and reorganise
an oversized banking sector. Wazni said the restructuring would be done “step by
step.” “Lebanon counts 49 commercial banks and it is normal for that number to
decrease to around half of that in the next stage,” he said. Lebanon is in the
grips of a severe liquidity crunch, with depositors unable to make transfers
abroad or withdraw dollars. The Mediterranean nation is one of the most indebted
countries worldwide with a debt equivalent to 170 percent of its gross domestic
product. It defaulted on a repayment for the first time ever in March.
Lebanon army says arrests 16 over ‘illegal’ currency ring
AFP/May 16, 2020
The army said it had arrested 16 people who were carrying out “money transfers
and illegal currency exchange transactions, using licensed companies and offices
as a front.”
During the arrests, the army seized “significant sums” but also computers and
laptops used in these operations
The network sent dollars with motorists across the border to Syria, specifically
to the northwestern province of Idlib
BEIRUT: Sixteen people in Lebanon, mostly Syrians, have been arrested for money
transfers and “illegal” currency exchange operations, the army said Saturday,
amid a government crackdown on exchange rate manipulation.
The army said it had arrested 13 Syrians and three Lebanese, who were carrying
out “money transfers and illegal currency exchange transactions, using licensed
companies and offices as a front,” in a statement. The suspects used an
“unlicensed online platform belonging to one of the financial companies,” to
carry out the financial transactions, the statement said. The Lebanese pound has
been pegged to the dollar at 1,507 since 1997 but the country’s worst economic
crisis in decades has seen its value plunge to beyond 4,000 on the black market.
The government has sought to stem the fall by launching a nationwide crackdown
on money changers it alleges are exchanging the pound for dollars at a rate
weaker than the 3,200 per dollar permitted by the central bank. During the
arrests, the army seized “significant sums” but also computers and laptops used
in these operations, the statement added, specifying that the arrests took place
in twelve regions across Lebanon. The network sent dollars with motorists across
the border to Syria, specifically to the northwestern province of Idlib, a
security official said, referring to a region controlled by Al-Qaeda-linked
extremists and allied rebels. After land borders closed because of the
coronavirus pandemic, the network started using an “illegal online platform”
controlled by a Lebanese money changer, the official added.
Security forces this week arrested that suspect, and found “hundreds of
thousands of dollars” stashed in his Beirut home, he said. Investigations later
led to a Syrian residing in Lebanon who was also arrested for involvement in the
plot along with several of his Lebanese and Syrian affiliates, according to the
official.
Lebanon has long been a conduit for foreign currency entering war-torn Syria, a
country heavily sanctioned by the US and Europe. The value of the Syrian
currency has also fallen markedly.
Lebanon is in the thick of its worst economic crisis since its 1975-1990 civil
war, compounded by the coronavirus epidemic. A liquidity crunch has seen banks
in Lebanon halt dollar transfers and withdrawals.
Dozens of money exchange offices have been raided by security forces in recent
weeks after their personnel allegedly purchased dollars at black market rates.
The head of the money changers’ union, Mahmoud Mrad and the central bank’s
director of monetary operations, Mazen Hamdan, are among the many arrested for
alleged exchange rate manipulation. Commenting on charges against Hamdan, the
central bank denied any “manipulation in currency exchange markets.”
Lebanon: Calls for Lifting ‘Political Cover’ in Smuggling Crisis
Beirut/Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 16 May, 2020
The problem of fuel and flour smuggling from Lebanon to Syria requires bold
political decisions, a Lebanese cabinet minister who participated in the meeting
of the Higher Defense Council this week, has said. The minister, who refused to
be identified, told Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper in remarks published Saturday that
fighting smuggling to and from Syria is not only a security problem. “It’s up to
the Lebanese army to control the border but the government’s attempts to stop
smuggling would not succeed without coordination with Syria,” said the minister.
The cabinet on Thursday ordered the seizure of all goods illegally entering or
leaving Lebanon. Its decision came after a meeting for the Higher Defense
Council was chaired by President Michel Aoun to discuss the closure of illegal
crossings on the border with Syria. The security and economic control of the
crossings will not take place if more than new legal crossings - having a
presence for the General Security Agency and Customs agents - are not
established, said the minister. But this should come along with a similar move
by the Syrian regime on the other side of the Lebanese border.
According to the minister, Damascus has been pressing Beirut politically and
economically for the normalization of relations between them. The border between
the two countries has been closed in a bid to stop the spread of the novel
coronavirus. But the mountainous region is difficult to control and Syria's war
has seen a surge in smuggling activity. Asharq Al-Awsat learned from ministerial
and parliamentary sources that Lebanese army units have so far established a
presence at more than 200 sites along the border with Syria. It has also been
carrying out patrols and erecting mobile checkpoints, the sources said.
Lebanese Authorities to Crack down on Violators of Maritime
Property
Beirut – Paula Astih/Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 16 May, 2020
Lebanon launched last week an operation to tackle violations of maritime
properties, which are expected to bring millions of dollars to the state’s
treasury. Security forces began summoning violators, while all illegal
properties would be shut within a week after the end of the four-day total
lockdown imposed over the coronavirus outbreak. The move came upon an order by
State Prosecutor Ghassan Oueidat to stop all maritime properties, whose owners
did not pay taxes arising from the settlement of their status, and all those who
failed to meet the legal conditions for the settlement. Invested public maritime
areas from the north to the south are estimated at around 5 million square
meters, including more than 2.5 million unlicensed square meters. The General
Directorate of Transport estimates that if licensed and unlicensed entities pay
the required taxes and fees, the annual revenues would reach LBP28 billion
(about $18 million based on the official exchange rate). The file of property
violations began during the 1975-90 civil war. The period witnessed the largest
systematic misappropriation that affected the maritime property in particular.
As a result of this chaos, the shore area receded with the end of the war from
about 220 km to no more than 40 km. In the 1990s, the Directorate of
Geographical Affairs at the Ministry of Works prepared the Marine Violations
Project, which listed the names of violators, the types of violations and their
uses. The list showed that those involved in the file included citizens,
politicians, diplomats, ministries, mosques, churches and political parties.
Lebanon Announces Flights Out for Foreign Workers
Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 16 May, 2020
Some foreign workers wishing to be repatriated from Lebanon will be able to do
so from next week, the General Security agency said Friday, after many saw their
salaries slashed in recent months. With no more dollar withdrawals from banks
and an exorbitant exchange rate on the black market, many workers toiling to
send remittances home were already struggling before the coronavirus lockdown
started in mid-March. General Security said it had started "organizing return
trips to evacuate foreign workers wishing to return voluntarily to their country
of origin in coordination with relevant departments and embassies." "From May
20, evacuations will start for Egyptians and Ethiopians via Rafik Hariri
International Airport," starting with those who had already signed up for
repatriation, it said. "Coordination is ongoing with those concerned to ensure
additional flights for other nationalities," the agency added. The airport has
been closed since March 19 as part of lockdown measures, but Lebanon has
organized flights in to repatriate its own nationals. The security apparatus,
which deals with immigration, called on employers and workers wishing to return
home and who had not yet signed up to head to their embassy or consulate to do
so. An estimated quarter of a million domestic workers live in Lebanon, the
large majority Ethiopian. Thousands more foreign men work petrol pumps, clean
the streets or labor in private businesses and restaurants. Due to the liquidity
crisis, many are now paid in much devaluated Lebanese pounds and have seen their
salaries drastically reduced as result. Stay-at-home orders and the closure of
non-essential businesses over the COVID-19 pandemic has left some without work.
In December, a few months into the economic downturn, the Philippines embassy
offered a free ticket to those wishing to fly home. More than 1,000 Filipinos
flocked to the diplomatic mission to sign up. Most were female domestic workers,
some with children in tow.
Nine MEA Flights Repatriating Expats to Land in Beirut
Saturday
Naharnet/May 16/2020
Nine more flights repatriating Lebanese expats are expected to arrive in Beirut
amid the outbreak of the COVID-19 coronavirus. Based on a government-plan to fly
expats wishing to return home, the first MEA flight Saturday arrives at 1:00
p.m. coming from Cairo. The following flights will arrive from Riyadh, Jeddah,
Dammam, Paris, London, Brussels, Abu Dhabi and Dubai. The flights are part of
the third phase of the government's repatriation plan. Lebanon recorded 891
coronavirus cases and 26 deaths since the first case was detected on February
21. Lebanon on Tuesday ordered a four-day-long lockdown to stem the spread of
the coronavirus after recording an uptick in infections in recent days amid
eased restrictions. The new virus cases include repatriated Lebanese nationals
who have returned to the country en masse in recent weeks.
Abu Sleiman questions logic behind government’s decision to
negotiate directly, hold consensual contracts in energy dossier
NNA/May 16/2020
"Is it reasonable, after what Lebanon has gone through and following the October
17 Revolution, that the government would decide on holding direct negotiations
between the Minister of Energy and the manufacturing companies and arrange for
mutual consent contracts to build production plants, instead of conducting
transparent tenders?” questioned former Labor Minister, Attorney Kamil Abu
Sleiman, via his Twitter account on Saturday. He added: “The excuse of time is
not convincing, because the Water & Energy Ministry has all the necessary
studies and consultants to conduct tenders in a speedy manner. These tenders can
be limited to international manufacturers, such as GE & Siemens, and
others…Implementing the current electricity plan, as stipulated by the cabinet’s
decision, does not match the economic logic and the views of the relevant
international organizations in wake of the crisis. The government must amend the
plan!"
Bou Assi: To accord the army and its commander the
political cover to control the borders
NNA/May 16/2020
Member of the "Strong Republic" Parliamentary Bloc, MP Pierre Bou Assi, called
Saturday for giving the army and its chief, General Joseph Aoun, the political
cover to control the Lebanese borders, expressing confidence in their capability
to accomplish this task within 24 hours or a few days.
"The problem is now known, and Hezbollah's Secretary-General reiterates it every
time. He calls for dialogue with Bashar al-Assad, although these matters do not
need negotiations,” Bou Assi asserted. “Hezbollah must reassure the Lebanese and
take responsibility for its actions, as it is one of the major problems in the
country, along with other social, political and economic problems. Hezbollah's
control of the borders is unacceptable, because this is the country's mission.
Its illegal weapons are also rejected, since the weapons must be exclusively in
the hands of the state,” the MP underlined. Speaking in an interview with “Voice
of Lebanon” Radio Station earlier today, the MP affirmed that “the role of a
political party is to monitor the work of the government, highlight the points
of imbalance, and hold it accountable in politics.” However, he stressed herein
that the actual side to carry out such accountability is the judiciary.“For this
reason we handed over coherent and clear files to the judiciary, because
reaching an outcome requires coordination between the legislative and judicial
branches, which must remain separate, but cooperative, so the judiciary can play
its role and allow the course of matters to get till the end,” Bou Assi
corroborated.Touching on the fuel file, he called for "awaiting the results of
the investigations, to realize whether opening the dossier has a political
background or not."As for the Corona pandemic, Bou Assi said that the Minister
of Health has done a good job in handling the crisis, while praising two main
sides who contributed to preventing the virus outbreak, namely the medical teams
and the Lebanese citizens who showed awareness, assumed responsibility and
committed to home quarantine.Over the government’s economic plan, Bou Assi
considered that it includes good points but lacks harmony.
Choucair: To allow businesses to open their doors on the
eve of Eid El Fitr
NNA/May 16/2020
Head of the Economic Associations, former Minister Mohamed Choukair, called
Saturday on the concerned authorities to take the appropriate decision to permit
commercial establishments to open their doors as of Monday, to allow them to
benefit from the Fitr season which falls at the end of the upcoming
week.Choucair pointed to the many obstacles facing the economic sectors,
especially the commercial sector since October 17, 2019, followed by the
complete closure in wake of the Corona epidemic outbreak, and the serious
economic repercussions witnessed in the country, stressing on the dire need of
these institutions for a dose of oxygen to keep them away from total
suffocation. He indicated that, through his interactions with trade associations
in various regions, especially the Beirut Traders Association, they all affirmed
their total and strict commitment to the requirements of preventive measures to
maintain public safety.
Khreiss calls for taking measures against those
manipulating the dollar exchange rate
NNA/May 16/2020
Member of the "Development and Liberation" Parliamentary Bloc, MP Ali Khreiss,
stressed that "the government should take the necessary and legal measures
against those who are manipulating the dollar exchange rate, regardless of their
region, sect or affiliation, because this matter constitutes a real crisis for
citizens and increases their suffering.”The MP’s words came in a statement
issued by his press office in Tyre on Saturday. Khreiss pointed to “the
importance of the preventive measures taken by the Ministry of Public Health to
limit the spread of the Corona virus,” calling on citizens to “commit to
implementing government decisions, since adhering to home quarantine eases the
health crisis.”He also expressed his concern towards the social and humanitarian
conditions prevailing in the country, saying: "We are still in the eye of the
storm, from the ambitions of the usurping Zionist entity to the economic
situation, far-reaching the Corona crisis…All this requires dialogue in service
of the nation’s interests.”
Hezbollah in response to what was published in Al-Liwaa: It
does not concern us at all!
NNA/May 16/2020
Hezbollah's Media Relations Department denied, in an issued statement on
Saturday, any connection with the recent article published in Al-Liwaa Newspaper
on Friday, May 15, 2020. The article had quoted sources close to Hezbollah as
stating that the Party has eliminated “Bassil and Franjieh” from the
presidential race early. Hezbollah categorically denied such news, affirming
that it is not concerned with what was published in the aforementioned Newspaper
and that it does not have any close or well-informed sources or any similar
media formats.The Party, thus, reiterated its call to media outlets to maintain
utmost accuracy when publishing news, and to avoid using such “formulas” in
their issued comments, articles and reports.
Derian visits the tomb of Martyr Mufti Hassan Khaled in Ouza’i
NNA/May 16/2020
Grand Mufti of the Lebanese Republic, Sheikh Abdel-Latif Derian, visited
Saturday the tomb of Martyr Mufti Sheikh Hassan Khaled in the area of Ouzai, on
the occasion of the anniversary of his martyrdom, in the presence of Head of the
Mufti Hassan Khaled Institutions, Saadedine Khaled, the family of the deceased
and a number of religious scholars and figures. Prayers were raised in memory of
the late Martyr Mufti Khaled, asking the Lord Almighty to rest his soul in
peace.
Hariri: Martyr Sheikh Khaled was victorious for Lebanon and coexistence
NNA/May 16/2020
Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri commemorated Saturday Martyr Mufti Hassan
Khaled, saying via Twitter: “Martyr Sheikh Hassan Khaled reaped victory for
Lebanon and its Arabism, and for coexistence amongst its sons. We remember him
on this day with all the Lebanese, who knew him as a national and spiritual
stature, and who refused to submit to the Syrian regime and confronted
injustice, domination and tools of repression in the most difficult stages.”
Interior Minister commemorating Martyr Mufti Khaled: A man
of national, uniting stances
NNA/May 16/2020
Interior and Municipalities Minister, Mohamed Fahmy, marked Saturday the
martyrdom commemoration of the late Mufti Hassan Khaled, saying via Twitter: “On
the anniversary of the martyrdom of the Grand Mufti Sheikh Hassan Khaled, the
man of national and uniting positions, we remember his determination to save and
protect Lebanon and all Lebanese, and to keep Dar al-Fatwa as a place of unison
for all Lebanese with their different sects and affiliations. The great do not
leave, but are immortalized in the memory of the homeland…May God rest the soul
of Martyr Mufti Hassan Khaled in peace.”
Al-Sayed: Central Bank collects around 20 to 30 million US
dollars monthly from the Lebanese market
NNA/May 16/2020
MP Jamil Al-Sayed tweeted Saturday on the US dollar issue, saying: “The dollar!
Yesterday, it was issued by Riad Salameh that the Central Bank of Lebanon bought
from the market $11 milliShon only, and this is a lie! The Central Bank seizes
monthly from the market around $20 to $30 million, being transfers from
expatriates to their relatives in Lebanon that are obligatorily paid to them in
Lebanese lira…For this reason, we are losing the dollar and its exchange rate
has gone up…!”
Swarms of Insects Invade Lebanese Regions
Naharnet/May 16/2020
Swarms of different kinds of insects swept into several regions around Lebanon
Friday, throwing panic among the people already frustrated by a lockdown imposed
by the spread of coronavirus. nThe massive swarm of bugs hit the country amid a
sudden increase in temperature hitting 30 degrees Celsius.
On social media, Lebanese posted pictures of tiny insects invading their homes.
Some showed piles of bugs being swept with a broom. “Even when we shut our
windows, these insects found some way inside,” one tweet said. “The last we need
is a bug invasion,” another reaction complained. In some regions including in
Beirut, Hermel and Bekaa and Mount Lebanon "clouds" of beetles and cockroaches
were seen buzzing under the glow of the streetlights. Earlier on Friday morning,
beetles and cockroaches invaded a number of Lebanese villages and camps for
displaced Syrians in eastern Lebanon.
Lebanon is grappling with a crippling economic and monetary crisis that
aggravated after the spread of coronavirus.Experts said the wave of bugs is a
natural phenomenon, and was triggered by a sudden increase in temperature
following rainfall.
Foreign workers seek evacuation from Lebanon
Najia Houssari/Arab News/May 16/2020
Many Lebanese people have ditched their foreign domestic help to avoid the cost
of repatriating them to their home countries
There are more than 150,000 foreigners working legally in Lebanon, and 80,000
working illegally
BEIRUT: Foreign workers in Lebanon are seeking repatriation because the
country’s dire economic situation has left employers unable to pay them. Many
Lebanese people have ditched their foreign domestic help to avoid the cost of
repatriating them to their home countries, or returned them to the employment
agencies they were recruited from. Domestic workers have also run away after
employers stopped paying their salaries, seeking refuge in the embassies of
their home countries in their bid to be evacuated. There are more than 150,000
foreigners working legally in Lebanon, and 80,000 working illegally. “We
received videotapes of the detention of some 26 Filipino female workers,
including a pregnant woman, in a building adjacent to their country’s embassy in
the Hadath area in the southern suburb of Beirut more than 35 days ago,” Bassam
Kantar, a member of Lebanon’s National Human Rights Commission, which includes
the Committee for the Prevention of Torture (LNHRC-CPT), told Arab News. “They
were kept in a room in poor conditions. We visited the embassy and talked to the
officials. There are more than 100 other workers inside the consulate awaiting
repatriation.”
Kantar said that the LNHRC-CPT had been contacted by other foreigners requesting
repatriation, especially those who were working illegally. “The LNHRC-CPT
contacted Lebanese General Security and it decided to exempt the employees from
paying the residency allowance and fines. But it is unable to return them to
their countries because it is the responsibility of their embassies.”
He said that there was cooperation between the International Organization for
Migration and Lebanese General Security to transfer such workers through planes
belonging to airlines of other countries that were carrying workers of other
nationalities.
Some airlines refused to send empty planes to Lebanon due to huge losses, he
said, but explained the biggest problem related to workers from countries with
which Lebanon had no diplomatic relations. Bangladeshi janitors at RAMCO are
still waiting for the company’s promise to pay their salaries in dollars, not in
Lebanese pounds, based on the official dollar exchange rate of LBP1,515.Dozens
of these workers protested at the company’s premises last week, and Kantar
described the firm’s behavior as “modern-day slavery.”
The General Directorate of General Security announced on Saturday that it had
started organizing trips to evacuate foreign workers willing to return
voluntarily to their countries in coordination with the relevant departments and
embassies.
The directorate said that, starting May 20, the repatriation of Egyptian and
Ethiopian nationals would begin through Rafic Hariri International Airport in
Beirut, and that coordination was also taking place with those concerned to
secure additional flights for other nationalities.
Separately, more than 1,000 Syrian workers and their families who tried to leave
Lebanon because they could no longer afford to live there have been stuck at
border points after Damascus refused to allow them in. They have been forced to
sleep in the open, without food or drink.
“These people live in the open, and they are starving,” a security source at the
Al-Masnaa border crossing told Arab News. “Lebanon cannot do anything for them
except offer humanitarian assistance, while the Syrian regime does not want to
open the borders for them yet. They are chasing freight cars that cross the
borders between the two countries to request a loaf of bread or a drop of
drinking water.”
Despite mounting isolation, Nasrallah still on the warpath
The Arab Weekly/May 16/2020
الإسبوع العربي: على الرغم من العزلة المتزايدة ، لا يزال نصرالله على مسار الحرب
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/86262/the-arab-weekly-despite-mounting-isolation-nasrallah-still-on-the-warpath-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%a5%d8%b3%d8%a8%d9%88%d8%b9-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%b9%d8%b1%d8%a8%d9%8a-%d8%b9%d9%84%d9%89-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%b1%d8%ba/
BEIRUT--Faced with mounting challenges at home and abroad, Lebanon’s pro-Iran
Hezbollah is defending its involvement in Syria’s war and is calling for closer
relations between Beirut and Damascus.
Hezbollah’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah said May 13 that Israel has been attacking
“everything linked to missile-manufacturing” in Syria but Iranian and Hezbollah
forces in that country were not being swayed by Israel’s actions there.
Israel has conducted many raids inside Syria since the start of Syria’s war in
2011, saying any presence of Hezbollah and Iran, which have played a vital role
in supporting the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, was a
strategic threat.
“Syria’s allies started to evacuate bases and positions two years ago, without
any connection to Israeli attacks,” Nasrallah said, in rare comments on Israeli
attacks in the war-torn country.
“Hezbollah forces and Iranian strategic advisers will remain in Syria in
accordance with Syria’s interests, and Israeli attacks won’t change this,” he
added.
Earlier in May, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres warned of the dangers of
Hezbollah’s involvement in neighbouring Syria, saying the Lebanese government
and army should ensure the disarmament of the paramilitary group.
“I continue to urge the government and the armed forces of Lebanon to take all
measures necessary to prohibit Hezbollah and other armed groups from acquiring
weapons and building paramilitary capacity outside the authority of the State,”
Guterres wrote in a UN report.
“The continued involvement of Hezbollah in the conflict in the Syrian Arab
Republic… carries the risk of entangling Lebanon in regional conflicts and
undermining the stability of Lebanon and the region,” Guterres said.
In his report, dated April 30, Guterres said, Hezbollah’s self-acknowledged
maintenance of arms and “the alleged increase by Hezbollah of its arsenal pose a
serious challenge to the State’s ability to exercise full sovereignty and
authority over its territory.” Hezbollah’s “renewed admission that it possesses
missiles is also of great concern”, Guterres said.
Recent statements by Nasrallah seem to justify Guterres’ concern and highlight,
once again, the scope of the movement’s involvement in the Syrian conflict, with
the aim of serving the Iranian agenda in the region.
Israeli Defence Minister Naftali Bennett said in April that the Israeli military
was working to drive Tehran out of Syria.
In recent months, Israel has significantly increased the scope of its attacks in
Syria, many of which were aimed at Revolutionary Guards and Hezbollah locations.
Earlier in May, Israeli defence officials even claimed that Iran had begun
withdrawing its forces from Syria.
Nasrallah, however, denied that any Iranian troops were currently operating in
Syria or that Israeli air attacks have pushed either Hezbollah or Iran to
retreat from the country, calling Israel’s claims that they have done so
“imaginary victories.”
The United States Special Representative for Syria Engagement and the Special
Envoy for the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS James Jeffrey said May 12 US
sanctions on Iran have forced it to reduce its military presence in Syria.
“We have seen the Iranians pulling in some of their outlying activities and such
in Syria because of, frankly, financial problems…in terms of the huge success of
the Trump administration’s sanctions policies against Iran. It’s having a real
effect in Syria,” he said.
The Lebanese government, which took office in January with Hezbollah’s backing,
is not only dealing with mass protests against the political elite but also a
debt-ridden economy made worse by the country’s coronavirus outbreak.
Hezbollah is also facing unprecedented challenges of its own amid pressure from
the international community and Western countries aimed at isolating the
militant group. Last month, Germany designated the entirety of Iran-backed
movement, including its political arm, a terrorist organisation.
The Hezbollah chief spoke on the four-year anniversary of the death of a top
Hezbollah commander in Syria, who was killed in an explosion near Damascus
International Airport.
The group has blamed Sunni fighters for killing Mustafa Badreddine, who was on a
US sanctions blacklist and wanted by Israel.
He had been on trial in absentia before a special tribunal in The Hague accused
him of masterminding the 2005 bombing that killed Lebanon’s former Prime
Minister Rafik Hariri.
In his speech, Hassan Nasrallah also stressed the need to repair Syrian-Lebanese
relations, considering it to be the main solution for Lebanon’s economic crisis.
He described restoring ties with Damascus a key step to solving Lebanon’s
problem including its economic woes. He also attacked those who are still wary
of building an open relationship with Syria accusing them of living under “the
illusion” of an impending fall of the Damascus regime.
Nasrallah admitted to the existence of smuggling routes between the two
countries, which critics accuse Hezbollah of using to its military and economic
advantage. The pro-Iran Shia party is however under immense pressure to end the
chaos on the Syrian-Lebanese border and block the illegal routes across the
border.
“No one can deny that there is cross-border smuggling between Lebanon and Syria,
and I’m not talking about the fighters or arms of the resistance”, said
Nasrallah
But he claimed closer cooperation between the Lebanese and Syrian governments is
key to putting an end to the problem. “Cooperation between the two countries,
governments and armies is necessary to halt the smuggling,” he said.
Nasrallah’s speech coincided with a meeting of the Supreme Defense Council
supervised by President Michel Aoun, which highlighted the necessity of putting
an end to smuggling operations and blocking illegal roads”.
Lebanese political experts say that this move would be line with the measures
that need to be implemented to unlock international aid.
Lebanon is required by the international community, especially its positional
donors, to present a set of economic, political, and security reforms that
include disarming Hezbollah and blocking illegal trafficking operations that
harm the country’s economy.
Lebanese political analysts explained Nasrallah’s calls for better relations
with Syria as stemming from his wariness about being isolated at home and over
the emergence of a joint Russian-Western drive to block the Tehran-Beirut land
corridor which connects Tehran to cities in Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon.
Israel's Druze can no longer be bought with a pat on the
back
Shakib Ali|/Ynetnews/May 16/May/2020
https://www.ynetnews.com/article/S18nJwK58
Opinion: The protests last week by community leaders were the first step of a
new era in which the government of Israel will have to relate seriously to the
sector - with budgets and social help and not mere ego stroking
The Druze community in Israel goes largely unnoticed until one of its sons dies
in defense of the nation. Only then do the media, the public, IDF officers and
government ministers embrace the bereaved families and share in their grief.
Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter
The Druze families in turn will bow their heads, even though the funerals and
ceremonies contradict their teachings that the body has no value after a person
has died, since the soul has transmigrated and is already reincarnated in a
newborn baby.
The community is one of the smallest minorities in Israel - comprising just 1.6%
of the general population and 7.6% of Arab society.
Until just two years ago, after the Nation-State Law was passed, with its
provision that the country is the state of the Jews, no one talked of the
discriminatory action taken by the Israeli government against the Druze.
Tens of thousands marched in the streets in protest, demanding equal rights and
treatment entitled to them by the life bond between themselves and the Jews of
Israel.
Yet some of those responsible for the current situation are the so-called
leaders of the community, or at least those who pretend to lead it.
They remained frozen in place and never took advantage of the democratic tools
at their disposal to achieve those equal rights and privileges.
Instead of publicly fighting for what their people deserved, they shamelessly
decided not to bite the hand that feeds them.
And in turn, the leaders of the country learned over the years that the
so-called Druze leadership simply wants a pat on the back, prestige and to be
honored.
For those community leaders, a visit by a minister to their home is as important
as the budgets of a school, or a new soccer pitch or better roads.
These personal connections fattened the pockets of Druze businessmen, who made
use of them to also promote their relatives and friends. But they completely
disregard the real needs of the community.
From the perspective of Israel's decision-makers, this desire for recognition
and lip service has saved the nation millions of shekels.
Troublingly, this is still the nature of the relationship between the community
leaders and lawmakers, the latter wrongly believing that this is also what the
community wants.
And if some do complain about the lack of equality, the country quickly promotes
Druze members of the military, dedicates a roundabout to a fallen soldier or
invite them to participate in the annual Independence Day torch-lighting
ceremony.
The state could have answered the cries of the Druze by transferring adequate
funding for their villages, thereby bridging social gaps 72 years in the making,
but instead continue to choose the ego stroking of its so-called leaders.
But last week, the Druze community had finally had enough, and its leaders came
out in protest over the lack of financial consideration.
They are frustrated that they cannot provide their residents with basic
amenities like schools, roads, parking lots, community centers and public parks,
while the government gives them none of the funding they were promised in an
attempt to slightly rectify these issues.
Allocation of budgets is usually conditioned on the Druze community's ability to
collect at least 80 percent of municipal taxes, without taking into
consideration the fact that these are disadvantaged, low socio-economic
communities, not to mention the lack of industrial zones that can provide a
proper source of income for businesses.
Demonstrations of respect must be replaced by plans for to improve schools,
cronyism must be replaced by development budgets and the torch-lighting
ceremonies must be replaced by road construction.
Last week's protest was a shot across the bows, hinting at these battles to
come.
No more will the Druze community leaders sit on the sidelines.
The Latest English LCCC
Miscellaneous Reports And News published on
May 16-17/2020
Iranian news agency warns of repercussions
if US disrupts fuel shipment to Venezuela
Reuters, Dubai/Saturday 16 May 2020
An Iranian news agency close to the elite Revolutionary Guards said on Saturday
there would be repercussions if the United States acted “just like pirates”
against an Iranian fuel shipment to Venezuela. A senior official in President
Donald Trump's administration told Reuters on Thursday the United States was
considering measures it could take in response to Iran's shipment of fuel to
crisis-stricken Venezuela. The oil sectors of Iran and Venezuela, members of
OPEC, are both under US sanctions. The Trump administration official declined to
specify the measures being weighed but said options would be presented to Trump.
“If the United States, just like pirates, intends to create insecurity on
international waterways, it would be taking a dangerous risk and that will
certainly not go without repercussion,” Iran's Nour news agency said. At least
one tanker carrying fuel loaded at an Iranian port has set sail for Venezuela,
according to vessel tracking data from Refinitiv Eikon on Wednesday, which could
help ease an acute scarcity of gasoline in the South American country.
“Venezuela and Iran are both independent states that have had and will continue
to have trade relations with each other,” Iranian government spokesman Ali
Rabiei was quoted as saying by the YJC news website, linked to Iran's state
broadcaster. “We sell goods and buy goods in return. This trade has nothing to
do with anyone else,” Rabiei said, adding that he had no information about the
Venezuela-bound vessel. The Iran-flagged medium tanker Clavel passed the Suez
Canal on Wednesday after loading fuel at the end of March at Iran's Bandar Abbas
port, according to the data. “News received from informed sources indicate that
the U.S. Navy has sent four warships and a Boeing P-8 Poseidon from the VP-26
squadron to the Caribbean region,” Nour said. Venezuela is in desperate need of
gasoline and other refined fuel products to keep the country functioning amid an
economic collapse under socialist President Nicolas Maduro. Venezuela produces
crude oil but its infrastructure has been crippled during the economic crisis. A
Venezuelan official said last month that Venezuela had received refining
materials via plane from Iran to help it start a unit at the 310,000
barrel-per-day Cardon refinery, which is necessary to produce gasoline.
Iran's Stock Index Drops, Falls Below 1 Million Mark
Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 16 May, 2020
Iran's main stock index dropped below one million points Saturday, a week after
topping that mark, state affiliated media reported. The Tehran Stock Exchange's
benchmark TEDPIX index lost 30,000 points in early trading on Saturday, falling
to 989,000 points.
The stock exchange rose above the 1 million mark for the first time last
Saturday amid warnings that the market was overheating, Reuters reported.
Analysts said the booming stock market was at odds with Iran's economic
fundamentals. The economic situation in Tehran keeps on deteriorating under the
weight of sanctions and the coronavirus outbreak, raising the risk of a stock
market bubble.
Iran Sentences French Academic to 5 Years in Prison
Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 16 May, 2020
Iran sentenced a French-Iranian academic to five years in prison on national
security charges on Saturday, her lawyer told Agence France Presse. Fariba
Adelkhah was "sentenced to five years for gathering and conspiring against
national security, and one year for propaganda against the Islamic republic,"
Said Dehghan said. He said his client would only be expected to serve the
longer, five-year jail term and added that she intended to appeal. Adelkhah is a
research director at Sciences Po university in Paris and is an expert on Iran.
She was arrested in June 2019 along with fellow French academic Roland Marchal.
Iranian authorities released Marchal in March, after a prisoner swap between
Paris and Tehran. The country has arrested dozens of dual nationals in recent
years on alleged espionage charges. Iranian authorities have not provided any
solid evidence to back up their claims.
Syria's Daraa Turns to Russia to Halt Regime Offensive
Daraa - Riad al-Zein/Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 16 May, 2020
Tensions have been high in Syria's southern Daraa region, known as the "cradle
of the revolution", as the regime prepared to storm the region in wake of an
uptick in attacks that have targeted its forces in recent months. Local
committees and Russia are racing against time to prevent the regime, which has
brought in military reinforcements in the shape of its Fourth Brigade, from
attacking the area. Attacks are common in Daraa province, which was retaken by
regime forces from the opposition in 2018, usually targeting loyalists and
civilians working for the state. Residents of Daraa say disaffection has been
growing as the regime's secret police once more tighten their control and a
campaign of arrests has sowed widespread fear. People took to the streets of
various towns Thursday to protest against a potential offensive. Residents of
Daraa, Tafas, Tal Shehab and others held rallies to protest against Damascus'
escalating rhetoric against them. They also called for the withdrawal of Iranian
militias from southern Syria. Protests on Friday sought to exert pressure on
Russia to dissuade the regime from going through with its offensive in line with
settlement agreements on southern Syria reached between it and Damascus.
A member of the local central committee told Asharq Al-Awsat that the
negotiations panel representing Daraa city and its western and eastern
countrysides met on Wednesday to tackle the regime buildup. They stressed their
support for all committees and factions that were part of the settlement
agreement. A Russian delegation invited to the meeting failed to show up and no
reason was given for its absence. Earlier this month, unknown gunmen killed nine
Syrian policemen in Daraa's village of Muzayreeb near the border with Jordan.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war
monitor, reported that a group of unknown gunmen kidnapped the policemen before
shooting them dead. The regime blamed the attack on "terrorists", a label it
gives to opposition and extremist groups.
Syria: Local Currency Devaluation Exacerbates Sufferings In
Damascus
Damascus - Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 16 May, 2020
The rise in the exchange rate of the US dollar against the Syrian pound has
exacerbated the suffering of the people of Damascus. Recent tension erupted
between Rami Makhlouf, who for decades had the country’s most prominent economic
pillars, and the government who asked the businessman to pay about $180 million.
As a result, the lira lost about 35 percent of its value, as the exchange rate
fell against the dollar from 1200 to 1600 after it was 46 liras back in 2011.
The Syrian regime has ordered a series of measures against Makhlouf’s companies,
including the Association, and his shares in the state-owned Syrian Telecom
Company (Syriatel), the country’s biggest mobile phone company. The government’s
Telecommunications and Postal Regulatory Authority informed two of Makhlouf’s
companies, “Syriatel” and “MTN” mobile phone to pay about 234 billion Syrian
pounds to the state treasury as a penalty. Official media quoted a Syrian
economic researcher as saying that the amendment of the contracts with the two
mobile companies has caused the loss of more than 338 billion pounds (482
million dollars) to the treasury. Economists told Asharq Al-Awsat that the
crisis between the government and Makhlouf had been silent for a year, but that
the new conflict emerged in light of “the government’s urgent need for the
dollar,” which was reflected in a terrible rise in food prices in the capital.
The World Food Program estimated that food prices rose by 107% in one year. In
parallel, the Ministry of Oil stopped, on Sunday, supplying vehicles with
subsidized gasoline, in a new austerity measure that reflects the exacerbation
of the economic and financial crisis. The decision sparked criticism on social
media and on the street, while government officials blamed the fuel crisis on
economic sanctions imposed by several Arab and Western countries, which
prevented the arrival of oil tankers. The US sanctions against Tehran have
aggravated the fuel crisis in Syria, which depends on a credit line that links
it to Iran to secure its fuel. Meanwhile, the government and the central bank
have demonstrated a great inability to find solutions to the economic crisis and
to control the exchange rate. Instead, they stood idle at the fastest
deterioration of the value of the lira without taking any proper action. “Our
government does not have the needed dollars and is barely managing to bring in
wheat, sugar and rice,” An economic expert told Asharq Al-Awsat. “Unless the
government demonstrates great flexibility in the international conflict taking
place over the Syrian file, the economic situation in the country is heading
towards a further deterioration,” he added.
Representative of Iraq's Top Religious Authority Denies
Offering Position of PMF Head to Amiri
Baghdad - Fadhel al-Nashmi/Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 16 May, 2020
Representative of Iraq’s Supreme Religious Authority Sheikh Abdul Mahdi al-Karbalai
denied that he had offered leader of the Fatah alliance, Hadi al-Amiri, the
position of head of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF). Karbalai also denied
that he had requested a meeting with Amiri, saying the Supreme Religious
Authority does not ask for a meeting with any official. Amiri himself had asked
for a meeting, he clarified in a statement in wake of his talks with the
official. Moreover, the statement stressed that the representative did not ask
Amiri to head the PMF because it does not fall within his legal jurisdiction.
The meeting, it added, focused on the Religious Authority's vision on the need
to implement the PMF's law and activating its structure in its entirety, while
clarifying the foundations, such as religious fatwas, on which the group was
initially formed.
Karbalai’s office stressed the need to "evaluate" some of the PMF's "incorrect
paths". The PMF must also take its decision in consultation with the forces of
the holy shrines. The PMF remains without a leader since its deputy head, Abu
Mahdi al-Muhandis, was killed in the same US drone strike that killed Iranian
Quds Force commader Qassem Soleimani near Baghdad International Airport in
January. Karbalai was responding to an earlier statement by Fatah MP Hamid al-Moussawi,
who discussed Amiri’s visit. Moussawi told a local channel that the meeting came
at Karbalai's request. He announced that the representative offered Amiri the
position of PMF leader, but he refused. Amiri said that if the Authority wanted
to dissolve the PMF, it will be done, according to Moussawi. In April, the PMF’s
brigades of holy shrines broke away from the Forces’ command. They now fall
under the “command and management” of prime minister in his capacity as
commander-in-chief of the armed forces. Observers viewed this as the strongest
sign of various loyalties within the PMF, with some loyal to Iraq's highest
Religious Authority, Ali al-Sistani, and others aligned with Iranian Supreme
Leader Ali Khamenei. Previous reports suggested that one of the PMF’s top
officials, Abdel Aziz al-Mohammadi, dubbed Abu Fadak, will be named as leader.
Some claimed that this prompted the holy shrines brigades to split from the PMF.
A few days ago, reports said that new Prime Minister, Mustafa al-Kadhimi, wants
to assign the PMF leadership to top officers of the Iraqi army, but he has yet
to take any decision over the issue.
Egypt's Army: 13 Terrorists Killed in Sinai Operation
Cairo - Walid Abdulrahman/Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 16 May, 2020
Egypt's Army Spokesman Tamer Rifai revealed on Friday that 13 terrorists were
killed in north Sinai as part of a security operation. He said it came in
continuation of the efforts of the armed forces to combat terrorism. Rifai noted
that seven militants were killed during the raid and six were later killed after
they tried to flee but were tracked to their hideout using cameras. The raid,
carried out by the armed forces, took place after intelligence reports suggested
that the terrorists were hiding out at a plantation in northern Sinai. "The
armed forces seized a four-wheel drive vehicle, a motorbike, 10 explosive
devices, four explosive belts, several rifles and ammunition as well as various
mobile phones and walkie-talkies during the operation," he confirmed. Security
forces have been battling a long-running extremist insurgency in the Sinai
Peninsula since February 2018 to clear the area from ISIS elements.
Jordan Warns Israel of 'Massive Conflict' over Annexation,
EU Steps up Diplomacy
Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 16 May, 2020
Jordan's King Abdullah II warned Israel of a “massive conflict” if it proceeds
with plans to annex large parts of the occupied West Bank, as European Union
foreign ministers agreed on Friday to step up diplomatic efforts to try to head
off such a move.
Israel has vowed to annex Jewish settlements and the Jordan Valley, which could
spell the end of the long-stalled peace process by making it virtually
impossible to establish a viable Palestinian state. Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu has moved a step closer by reaching an agreement to form a government
after more than a year of political deadlock. President Donald Trump's Middle
East plan, which overwhelmingly favors Israel and was rejected by the
Palestinians, gave a green light to annexation, but most of the rest of the
international community is strongly opposed.
“Leaders who advocate a one-state solution do not understand what that would
mean,” King Abdullah said in an interview with the German magazine Der Spiegel
published Friday. “What would happen if the Palestinian National Authority
collapsed? There would be more chaos and extremism in the region. If Israel
really annexed the West Bank in July, it would lead to a massive conflict with
the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,” he said. Jordan is one of only two Arab states
to have signed a peace treaty with Israel. Abdullah declined to say whether
annexation would threaten that agreement.
“I don’t want to make threats and create an atmosphere of loggerheads, but we
are considering all options. We agree with many countries in Europe and the
international community that the law of strength should not apply in the Middle
East," he said.
At a video-conference, EU foreign ministers reaffirmed their support for a
two-state solution and opposition to any annexation. The ministers, whose
countries are deeply divided in their approach to Israel, agreed to ramp up
diplomatic efforts in coming days with Israel, the Palestinians, the United
States and Arab countries.“We reaffirm our position in support of a negotiated,
two-state solution. For this to be possible, unilateral action from either side
should be avoided and, for sure, international law should be upheld,” EU foreign
policy chief Josep Borrell said after chairing the meeting.
“We must work to discourage any possible initiative toward annexation," Borrell
told reporters in Brussels. “International law has to be upheld. Here, and
there, and everywhere.”He made no mention of the use of sanctions, saying only
that the EU will use "all our diplomatic capacities in order to prevent any kind
of unilateral action.”The ministers had planned to welcome the formation of a
new Israeli government and offer the bloc's cooperation, but Netanyahu and his
rival-turned-partner, Benny Gantz, have postponed the swearing-in of their
controversial new cabinet as the Israeli leader tries to quell infighting within
his Likud party. The ceremony, originally scheduled for Thursday, is now planned
for Sunday to give Netanyahu more time to hand out coveted cabinet appointments
to members of his party. Their coalition agreement allows him to present an
annexation proposal as soon as July 1.
The EU has long been committed to a two-state solution based on the 1967 lines,
with the possibility of mutually agreed land-swaps. Israel seized east
Jerusalem, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip in the 1967 war. The Palestinians
want all three to form their future state.
The bloc has already rejected Trump’s Middle East plan, which would allow Israel
to annex about a third of the West Bank, leaving the Palestinians with heavily
conditioned statehood in scattered territorial enclaves surrounded by Israel.
“In our opinion, an annexation is not compatible with international law,” German
Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said Friday. “From our point of view, changes to
borders must, if at all, be the result of negotiations and happen in agreement
between both sides.”
Jordan has been lobbying the EU to take “practical steps” to make sure
annexation doesn’t happen. In a statement, Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman al-Safadi
“stressed the need for the international community and the European Union in
particular to take practical steps that reflect the rejection of any Israeli
decision to annex.”
Algerian Opposition Divided Over Draft Constitution
Algiers - Boualem Goumrassa/Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 16 May, 2020
A draft constitution presented by the Algerian presidency earlier this month
caused a sharp division within the opposition blocs, including Islamists,
secularists, and liberals. The presidency had vowed to consider all observations
and notes presented by various parties before adopting the final version of the
constitution, which will be presented to parliament for approval, and then for a
popular referendum. The head of Jil Jadid party, Soufiane Gilali, indicated that
the draft includes several positive components such as promoting freedom of the
press by preventing any form of censorship.
Gilali was a known opponent of former President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, but since
President Abdelmadjid Tebboune came to power, he showed support for the reforms
he launched. However, Gilali was strongly criticized for not objecting to the
imprisonment of activists of the popular movement. Meanwhile, Rally for Culture
and Democracy rejected the new constitution and condemned the attempts of
“settling scores” between the conflicting parties. The secular party rejected
the provisions that restrict freedoms, especially measures taken against those
protesting abusive practices, about the procedures authorities made before
announcing the constitutional changes. Before announcing the new amendments,
authorities tightened penalties in the criminal law against those whose social
media posts are deemed offensive against political and social figures. Leader of
Society for Peace Islamist Movement, Nasser Hamadouche, said that the
constitution is falsifying the recent history founded by most of the Algerian
people during the popular movement. He warned that the amendments reduce
people's ambitions and demands to "mere profound social transformations, as if
the popular movement was just a protest against social, factional, or
professional demands."Hamadouche strongly criticized the president for retaining
significant powers in the draft, the same issue that was refused under President
Bouteflika's tenure. He referred to Tebboune’s electoral campaign when he
promised to cede many of his powers to the parliament and the government.
However, Elbinaa Islamist party welcomed the amendments saying it considers them
as part of the major reforms the country is undergoing. The party asserted it
had some preliminary remarks on the draft, especially on the articles relating
to national security as well as the beliefs and values of the people. The party
noted that Algerians are looking for a constitution that reflects the spirit of
the popular movement which aims for a true and stable democracy. Last week,
presidential spokesman Mohammed Al-Saeed confirmed that the draft includes
proposals for amendments that can be changed or rejected.
Intermittent Clashes in Libyan Capital, UN Slams Threat to
People's Lives
Cairo - Khaled Mahmoud/Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 16 May, 2020
Clashes between the Libyan National Army (LNA), commanded by Khalifa Haftar, and
forces loyal to the Government of National Accord (GNA), headed by Fayez al-Sarraj,
eased on Friday after two days of intense fighting at the majority of the
frontlines around the capital, Tripoli. Intermittent clashes was reported on
Friday as the NATO said it is prepared to help the GNA in the area of "defense
and security institution building", in response to a request by Sarraj to assist
it to "strengthen its security institutions."
"Any NATO assistance to Libya would take account of political and security
conditions, and would be provided in full complementarity and in close
coordination with other international efforts, including those of the UN and the
EU," said Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg during a telephone call with
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a main backer of the GNA. The GNA on
Friday showed footage of an attack against a grad rocket launcher it claimed the
LNA had used in an attack on Tripoli hospital and the capital's Tariq al-Soor
neighborhood. In a brief statement, the LNA said its artillery struck an
ammunition depot in Ain Zara, south of Tripoli. The United Nations Support
Mission in Libya said UN humanitarian agencies in Libya condemned all attacks
that endangered the lives of civilians and prevented them from accessing
life-saving services. Acting UNSMIL special representative Stephanie Williams
briefed on Thursday the International Follow-up Committee on Libya, convened
under Italy's co-chairmanship. In a brief statement, it called on its members to
"uphold the Berlin commitments to ensure an immediate cessation of hostilities,
a resumption of the political process and alleviate the suffering of the
civilian population."It revealed that since the beginning of the year, 17 health
facilities have been attacked in Libya. Spokesman for the UN Secretary-General,
Stephane Dujarric, renewed on Thursday the organization's call for a ceasefire
in Libya so that efforts can be focused on the fight against the novel
coronavirus.
Tunisia Says Terrorist Groups are Isolated in Mountains on
Algeria Border
Tunis - Mongi Saidani/Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 16 May, 2020
Terrorist groups on Tunisia’s border with Algeria are now isolated and incapable
of carrying out any attacks to destabilize the country, announced Interior
Minister Hichem Mechichi. Speaking during a visit to the western central
Kasserine province, the minister asserted that Tunisia’s victory over terrorism
will start from Kasserine and this will pave the way for major development
projects in the region. He pointed out that the ministry's counter-terrorism
strategy has shifted its defensive approach to tracking down terrorists in their
hideouts. Mechichi stressed that security forces are on full alert against any
potential threats against the country, indicating that they are capable of
confronting any terrorist attack. “The readiness shown by our security forces
and the measures taken by the Interior Ministry are much more important than
their [terrorists] own threats,” he was quoted by the official state agency
(TAP).
Military units operating in the Kasserine highlands had announced that they had
foiled a number of terrorist operations targeting military and security forces.
The Defense Ministry showed pictures of a number of tools found with terrorists
who were planning to manufacture explosives and bombs.
The Ministry also confirmed that the army detected suspicious movements in the
region, and after a searhch, they found a cache of gas flasks, electric wires,
ammonia and other accessories need for the manufacture mines and explosive
devices.
Preliminary investigations revealed that a terrorist group affiliated with “Uqba
ibn Nafi battalion”, which pledged allegiance to al-Qaeda in the Islamic
Maghreb, was planning to target security and military patrols. The terrorist
group was also monitoring the security and military patrols and their movement
as part of its plan to execute a number of simultaneous terrorist operations.
Dozens of soldiers were killed in a number of terrorist attacks in Kasserine
between 2014 and 2015 during the holy month of Ramadan what is now referred to
as the Hanchir Ettala attack.
UN Reiterates Support for Riyadh Agreement on Yemen
New York - Ali Barada/Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 16 May, 2020
The United Nations Security Council agreed to support special envoy Martin
Griffiths in his mission to achieve peace between the legitimate government and
Iran-backed Houthi militias. Meeting on Thursday, it also underscored the need
for the Southern Transitional Council to return to the Riyadh Agreement.
The council described the humanitarian situation in Yemen as terrible due to the
spread of the novel coronavirus, saying it support Griffiths' efforts to revive
the negotiations between the government and Houthis. It reiterated support for
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ call for a ceasefire in the country and
expressed concern at fighting between the government and the Houthis and the
slow pace of negotiations toward a ceasefire.
Members also called on the government and STC separatists “to deescalate
military tensions” and engage in the Riyadh Agreement. They also called on the
separatists “to reverse any actions challenging the legitimacy, sovereignty,
unity or territorial integrity of Yemen.”Griffiths urged Yemen’s warring sides
to quickly resolve their differences over humanitarian and economic measures
needed to move peace efforts forward and help the country counter the virus.
Yemen has so far reported 106 cases of the virus, including 15 deaths. The
government and WHO have criticized the Houthis for their lack of transparency,
as just two cases, including one death, have been recorded in territory under
their control.
US Ambassador to the UN, Kelly Craft, said that Washington "stands with the
Yemeni people, who have suffered every imaginable hardship, and who are simply
trying to survive in the midst of conflict, food insecurity, devastating floods,
and now the spread of COVID-19."
"In light of these hardships, we welcome the Saudi-led Arab coalition’s
extension of its unilateral ceasefire in support of the UN peace process and
efforts to fight COVID-19," she added. "The US strongly urges the Houthis to
join the Government of Yemen in halting offensive operations in support of this
ceasefire. This is so that all parties may focus their efforts on countering
COVID-19 and working towards a lasting political resolution of the conflict,"
she continued.
"The Houthis must re-commit to de-escalation followed by resumption of talks
directed toward a political solution. We urge the parties to the conflict to
continue to review and provide meaningful feedback on the Special Envoy’s draft
proposals, which represent the spirit of consensus required to move toward a
lasting political settlement," Craft stated. On the developments in southern
Yemen, she expressed her concern over the STC's announcement of its so-called
"self-administration." " Such actions from the STC will only distract from
UN-led efforts to secure a nation-wide ceasefire and a political solution," she
remarked. "We are also concerned by reports of increasing STC interference in
Central Bank of Yemen operations. All parties must continue to respect the
government institutions underpinning Yemen’s political and economic stability.
We call on the STC and the Republic of Yemen Government to re-engage in the
political process provided under the Riyadh Agreement," she demanded. Moreover,
she expressed concern about the "limitations on humanitarian access in Houthi
controlled areas. The Houthis’ deliberate interference with assistance
operations – interference that is in flagrant defiance of humanitarian
principles – continues to limit the ability of the UN and other humanitarian
organizations to provide for the needs of the most vulnerable Yemenis.""We
acknowledge some steps taken by the Houthis in certain areas. These include the
decision to lift the two percent levy on aid projects, sign NGO agreements, and
approve key independent needs assessments. But further progress is critical,
especially on biometric registration and ensuring humanitarian staff can
implement and monitor their programs," Craft said. "As we have said on previous
occasions, the US again calls on the Houthis to allow UN inspection and
maintenance of the Safer oil tanker. UN officials must have immediate access to
the Safer in order to prevent an environmental catastrophe, which would have
far-reaching effects in Yemen and around the Red Sea," she continued."We are
grateful to Martin Griffiths for continuing to raise this issue in Sanaa. The
Houthis must stop blocking a solution to this problem, and permit required
assessments and repairs," she remarked.
Russia Records Highest Coronavirus Death Toll Yet
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/May 16/2020
Russia on Saturday recorded its highest daily death toll yet from the
coronavirus while new cases fell to the lowest level in two weeks. Russia is in
second place in the world to the United States with 272,043 cases, with 9,200
new cases announced Saturday, the lowest number since May 2. But the number of
deaths announced Saturday for the last 24 hours was the highest yet in Russia,
at 119. Critics have cast doubt on Russia's low mortality rate, accusing
authorities of under-reporting deaths in order to play down the scale of the
crisis. The total number of officially confirmed deaths is now 2,537, lower than
a number of other countries with fewer cases. Russian health officials say one
of the reasons the count is lower is that only deaths directly caused by the
virus are being included. Authorities also say that since the virus came later
to Russia, the country had more time to prepare hospital beds and launch
wide-scale testing to slow its spread.
Italy to Reopen Borders for Tourists in Early June
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/May 16/2020
Italy will reopen to tourists from early June and scrap a 14-day mandatory
quarantine period, the government said on Saturday, as it quickened the exit
from the coronavirus lockdown. Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte enforced an
economically crippling shutdown in early March to counter a pandemic that has so
far killed more than 31,500 people in Italy. The shutdown halted all
holidaymaking in a country heavily dependent on the tourism industry. Although
Italy never formally closed its borders and has allowed people to cross back and
forth for work or health reasons, it banned movement for tourism and imposed a
two-week isolation period for new arrivals. Beginning on June 3, all visitors
will be allowed in with no obligation to self-isolate. Italians will also be
able to move between regions, though local authorities can limit travel if
infections spike. Movements to and from abroad can be limited by regional decree
"in relation to specific states and territories, in accordance with the
principles of adequacy and proportionality to the epidemiological risk", the
government said. The latest decree is also a boon to Italy's agricultural
sector, which relies on roughly 350,000 seasonal workers from abroad. Farming
lobby group Coldiretti said farms were already preparing to organise some
150,000 workers from places including Romania, Poland and Bulgaria. The peak of
Italy's contagion passed at the end of March but with experts warning a second
wave cannot be ruled out, Conte had been reluctant to lift the lockdown quickly.
His approach frustrated many of Italy's regions, with some already allowing
businesses to reopen before the restrictions were lifted. Restaurants, bars and
hairdressers are being allowed to reopen on Monday, two weeks earlier than
initially planned. Shops will also open and Italians will finally be able to see
friends, as long as they live within their same region. Church services will
begin again but the faithful will have to follow social distancing rules and
holy water fonts will be empty. Mosques will also reopen.Gatherings of large
groups are still banned.
Beaches and Football as Europe Relaxes Virus Restrictions
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/May 16/2020
Beaches in France and Italy were open Saturday for the first weekend since the
easing of coronavirus lockdowns while football fans awaited the return of major
league action with Germany's Bundesliga set to kick off. As some countries start
to reopen despite fears of a second wave of the pandemic, President Donald Trump
voiced hope that a vaccine would be available by late 2020. "We are looking to
get it by the end of the year if we can, maybe before," Trump told reporters at
the White House Friday as he discussed America's "Operation Warp Speed" effort
in the global race for a vaccine. The timeline -- deemed unrealistic by many
experts -- is more aggressive than the one-year scenario put forward by European
scientists. The hunt for a vaccine for a disease that the World Health
Organization (WHO) says may never disappear has also threatened to become a
source of tension between the globe's haves and have-nots, with trials underway
in various countries. Many governments are not waiting, with borders and beaches
reopening around Europe after two traumatic months in which life ground to a
halt. Germany, which this month began its slow emergence from confinement, was
ready to kick off its top-flight football league Saturday, although in front of
empty stadiums and under draconian health measures. "The whole world will be
looking at Germany, to see how we get it done," said Bayern Munich boss Hansi
Flick. "If we manage to ensure that the season continues, it will send a signal
to all leagues."Russia pushed ahead with plans to ease restrictions despite
reporting more than 10,000 new cases, with its football league set to return
next month and thousands of people being tested for antibodies to show whether
they have had the virus or not.
Beaches reopening
Slovenia on Friday became the first European country to open its borders,
despite new infections still being reported. In northeast Europe, Latvia,
Lithuania and Estonia were creating their own "Baltic bubble" allowing free
movement among the three countries. France called for self-restraint as the
country prepared for its first weekend since easing its lockdown, warning that
police would break up any large gatherings. Several nations have eased
restrictions to stem the economic damage from lockdowns, as much of the world
learns to live as best it can under the shadow of the disease that has killed
more than 306,000 people globally and infected 4.5 million. With the European
summer fast approaching, the key tourism industry is trying to salvage something
from the wreckage. Parasols and sunloungers are starting to appear on coastlines
in Italy, one of the countries hardest hit by the pandemic. "It moves me to see
these sunshades," said Simone Battistoni, whose family has been running the
Bagno Milano beach concession in Cesenatico on Italy's east coast since 1927.
Austria took an important symbolic step Friday by reopening its restaurants and
traditional Viennese cafes. "We missed it and we're going to come back as much
as possible," said Fanny and Sophie, 19-year-old students waiting for breakfast
at a cafe in the Austrian capital. Ireland will begin to lift its lockdown in
coming days while introducing a 14-day quarantine period for new arrivals. On
the other side of the world, Sydney's bars and restaurants opened their doors to
customers Friday as a weeks-long lockdown eased. "The desire to sit in a place
that is not your house with your mates and have a drink is truly overwhelming,"
said Chrissy Flanagan, owner of The Sausage Factory, a bistro in Australia's
biggest city.
US economic woes
The pressure to ease lockdowns has mounted as the catastrophic economic effects
of the virus have become clearer. In the United States, the world's
worst-affected country with more than 87,000 deaths and 1.4 million cases,
industrial production plunged 11.2 percent in April, the largest drop in a
century. Department store JCPenney, a retail institution which has not turned a
profit since 2011, on Friday became the latest US business to file for
bankruptcy. "May will not be a month of celebration. Nor will June. Nor July.
Nor probably the rest of this year," warned Neil Saunders, managing director of
GlobalData Retail. With 36.5 million Americans -- more than 10 percent of the
population -- now out of work, Trump has been keen to ease lockdown measures as
he seeks re-election in November. Some areas are resisting. Lockdown measures in
New York City have been extended until May 28. In the US House of
Representatives, Democrats late Friday narrowly pushed through a $3 trillion
rescue package to help American families and businesses stay afloat. But its
fate appears uncertain as Republicans have vowed to block it in the Senate which
they control. Europe's top economy Germany meanwhile tipped into recession,
suffering its steepest quarterly contraction since the global financial crisis
in 2009.
'Nightmare scenario'
The pandemic has also caused political ructions. Brazil lost its second health
minister in a month when Nelson Teich resigned Friday over what an official said
was "incompatibility" with right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro's approach to
fighting the country's spiralling COVID-19 crisis. Meanwhile the virus continues
its global march. The WHO said Africa could have 231 million people infected and
up to 190,000 could die. There was also concern over the "nightmare scenario" of
the discovery of infections in the world's biggest refugee camp, in Bangladesh,
where upwards of a million Rohingya Muslims from neighbouring Myanmar live in
squalor.
The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources
published on May 16-17/2020
Italy Learns a Hard Lesson on Face Masks
Ferdinando Giugliano/Bloomberg/May, 16/2020
It takes economics students a couple of classes to understand why price caps are
generally a bad idea. The Italian government has nonetheless chosen to set one
for face masks — and it’s learning the lesson the hard way.
The problem with picking a price that’s artificially low is that it will cause
shortages. Consumers will want to buy too many of the items, while suppliers
will produce too few because of the lack of incentive. That is what’s happening
in Italy after the government said surgical masks should cost 50 euro cents (54
cents), excluding VAT. Pharmacists say they are struggling to replenish their
stocks, as foreign producers prefer to sell their goods elsewhere. Domestically,
a number of Italian businesses that had reconverted their production lines to
make masks now say the price is just too low to meet their costs. The government
says it will compensate those pharmacists who’ve paid more for their masks than
the sale price, but that won’t solve the scarcity problem.
Rome’s intentions are good. Scientists believe that face masks can help contain
the spread of Covid-19, especially in places where social distancing is hard,
such as on public transport. The Italian government is recommending their use,
and some local authorities have made them compulsory in many settings. Letting
citizens purchase face masks at a reasonable price isn’t just about being fair
to the poorest citizens; it will also make the mask policy more effective, since
it will boost compliance and help reduce the risk of contagion. Or at least
that’s the theory.
As the Italian government has discovered, setting a maximum price must be part
of a broader strategy. This is one of those occasions where the state can play a
direct role. Above all, it needs to make sure there is sufficient supply from
local and foreign producers. The government can then purchase these goods at
their market value, and distribute them at whatever price it wishes. If it has
to pay more than the price at which the masks are sold to the public, then so be
it. This would also allow it to prioritize any parts of the population that it
deems a priority, such as doctors, nurses or other essential workers.
Italy isn’t the only country to fix the price for face masks. South Korea and
Taiwan have done it too. However, the first step for both of those governments
was to increase local production or, at least, to heavily centralize
distribution. Today, Taiwan can produce 17 million masks a day for a population
of 24 million. On March 5, the South Korean government announced it would
purchase 80 percent of its national production. Italy is taking steps in this
direction, but the price-cap fiasco risks delaying its efforts. Malta has
followed Italy and set a price at 0.95 euros, although pharmacists there
initially complained that this level was too low. Italy’s face-mask struggles
have broader economic implications in a time of pandemic. Many companies around
the world are seeking state support as they struggle in a depressed economy, and
politicians may be tempted to use their newfound powers to force artificially
low prices. Before they do that, they’d better read the first couple of chapters
of a basic economics textbook.
"Victimhood Culture" UK: Rape Victims Need Not Apply
Judith Bergman/Gatestone Institute/May 16/2020
"Almost 19,000 children have been sexually groomed in England in the past year,
according to official figures that have prompted warnings of an 'epidemic'.
Campaigners say the true figure is far higher...." — The Independent, December
2019.
"The government's repeated failure to acknowledge the role of racism and
religious bigotry in grooming gang crime has led to inadequate investigation,
protection and prosecution," one survivor, who wanted to remain anonymous, told
The Independent in December 2019.
In the era of "victimhood culture", in which so many groups vie for the top spot
of "most victimized", being an actual victim of sexual abuse apparently has
little currency among the social justice elites. Where, for example, are the
feminists in all this? Where is the "me too" movement?
As the government is too squeamish publicly to debate the findings of the
review, it is bound to be even more terrified of being seen as specifically
targeting ethnic rape gangs to stop their crimes -- yet that is what victims
such as Ella are asking them to do. Not to mention that basic democratic
principles of the public's right to information are being completely
disregarded.
In July 2018, Britain's then Home Secretary Sajid Javid ordered a review into
the characteristics of child sexual grooming gangs. "The scandal of child
grooming gangs is one of the most shocking state failures that I can remember,"
he said. Now the UK government is too squeamish publicly to debate the findings
of the review.
In July 2018, Britain's then Home Secretary Sajid Javid ordered a review into
the characteristics of child sexual grooming gangs. "The scandal of child
grooming gangs is one of the most shocking state failures that I can remember,"
he said.
"I will not let cultural or political sensitivities get in the way of
understanding the problem and doing something about it. It is a statement of
fact... that most of the men in recent high profile gang convictions have had
Pakistani heritage... I've instructed my officials to look into this
unflinchingly."
The review was long overdue, to say the least. In 2015, Prime Minister David
Cameron told the BBC that the rape and sexual abuse of underage girls had been
"on an industrial scale": "Young girls... being abused over and over again on an
industrial scale, being raped, being passed from one bunch of perpetrators to
another bunch of perpetrators". According to The Independent:
"The Rotherham child sexual exploitation scandal saw gangs undertake the
organised sexual abuse of children from the late 1980s until the 2010s and the
failure of local authorities to act. Rotherham Council finally commissioned an
independent inquiry led by Professor Alexis Jay, which found in August 2014 that
some 1,400 children, most of them white girls, were abused by predominantly
British-Pakistani men".
Girls as young as 11 were raped by "large numbers of male perpetrators".
As the charity Parents Against Child Sexual Exploitation (Pace) told the BBC in
2014, the sexual abuse and rape of under-age girls and young women had been
taking place for decades in nearly "every town" across the UK. In 2017, to
mention one example, 17 older men and one woman were convicted of grooming,
raping and sexually abusing under-age girls and young women from 2011-2014 in
Newcastle. Those prosecuted, according to The Independent, "were from the
Bangladeshi, Pakistani, Indian, Iraqi, Iranian and Turkish communities and
mainly British-born..."
The review that Javid ordered was completed late last year and one would
therefore expect a public debate about the issue as Javid, even before he
ordered the review, insisted that there needed to be an "honest, open debate"
about child abuse, "including racial motivation".
Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government, however, has nevertheless refused to
publish the review, which it says will "only be used for internal
policy-making".
"One of the main purposes of the exemption is to protect the 'safe space'
necessary for ministers and officials to consider policy options in private
without risk of premature disclosure," officials told The Independent in
response to a freedom of information (FOI) request.
"Disclosure would risk pre-empting decisions still to be made by ministers. In
addition, the information could be misleading if made public and used out of
context.... We recognise that this topic in general and any insight and learning
are matters of strong public interest, although it does not necessarily follow
that it is in the public interest to disclose any specific information relating
to it." [Emphasis added.]
The refusal to make the report public came even as The Independent reported in
December 2019 that:
"Almost 19,000 children have been sexually groomed in England in the past year,
according to official figures that have prompted warnings of an 'epidemic'.
Campaigners say the true figure is far higher and accused the government of
failing to tackle child sexual exploitation, despite promises made after
high-profile cases in Rotherham and Rochdale. More than 18,700 suspected victims
of child sexual exploitation were identified by local authorities in 2018-19, up
from 3,300 five years before".
In 2018, police recorded crime showed that in the past five years there had been
"a staggering twelve-fold (1,086%) increase in sexual grooming".
It is hardly believable that authorities are seriously proposing that publishing
specific information pertaining to a crucial societal issue -- the heinous
sexual exploitation of children and the need to protect them from gangs of male
sexual predators -- is not in the public interest. This is the kind of semantic
acrobatics that are apparently needed to obfuscate the fact that the UK
government is terrified of having the "open debate" Sajid Javid insisted was
necessary only a few years ago.
Instead, the government has said that it will soon publish a national strategy
that will set out a "whole system response to all forms of child sexual abuse"
[Emphasis added.]
A parliamentary petition demanding that the government release the review in
full currently has more than 120,000 signatures, which means that parliament has
to consider the petition for a debate. A debate -- and a different strategy --
is very much needed. Survivors have tried to explain that grooming gangs operate
differently than pedophiles in general. Ella Hill, a survivor of the Rotherham
grooming gang, wrote in March 2018:
"Grooming gangs are not like paedophile rings; instead, they operate almost
exactly like terrorist networks, with all the same strategies...
"As a teenager, I was taken to various houses and flats above takeaways in the
north of England, to be beaten, tortured and raped over 100 times. I was called
a 'white slag' and 'white c***' as they beat me.
"They made it clear that because I was a non-Muslim, and not a virgin, and
because I didn't dress 'modestly', that they believed I deserved to be
'punished'. They said I had to 'obey' or be beaten.
"Fear of being killed, and threats to my parents' lives, made it impossible for
me to escape for about a year. The police didn't help me...
"Like terrorists, [groomers] firmly believe that the crimes they carry out are
justified by their religious beliefs."
"The government's repeated failure to acknowledge the role of racism and
religious bigotry in grooming gang crime has led to inadequate investigation,
protection and prosecution," one survivor, who wanted to remain anonymous, told
The Independent in December 2019.
In the era of "victimhood culture", in which so many groups vie for the top spot
of "most victimized", being an actual victim of sexual abuse apparently has
little currency among the social justice elites. Where, for example, are the
feminists in all this? Where is the "me too" movement?
As the government is too squeamish publicly to debate the findings of the
review, it is bound to be even more terrified of being seen as specifically
targeting ethnic rape gangs to stop their crimes -- yet that is what victims
such as Ella are asking them to do. Not to mention that basic democratic
principles of the public's right to information are being completely
disregarded. Ultimately, these kinds of politically correct theatrics can only
lead to one thing: Bad policies. A refusal to talk openly and honestly about
issues usually does. A generation of exploited children will pay the price, but
that, apparently, is not something that bothers the authorities all that much.
*Judith Bergman, a columnist, lawyer and political analyst, is a Distinguished
Senior Fellow at 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.
Why US-Iran relations could shift gears in the coming days
Raghida Dergham/The National/May 16/ 2020
Those optimistic about a rapprochement need to calm down ahead of crucial
meetings in both Washington and Tehran this week
Key developments across the Middle East in recent days have helped to renew a
sense of optimism among some about a turnaround in US-Iran relations. But this
could yet amount to wishful thinking on their part, as both Washington and
Tehran prepare to host meetings over the coming week to decide how to more
effectively deal with their adversary.
Decision-makers in Washington will discuss various options to contain the
Iranian regime, including perhaps the launch of pre-emptive military strikes.
Meanwhile, commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps – Tehran's
influential paramilitary volunteer militia – will focus on their existing
strategies in Lebanon and Iraq, where the regime wields considerable influence
and is determined to keep within its orbit at any cost and by any means.
In short, far from rapprochement, the coming days and weeks could well witness a
further escalation in tensions between the two regional powers.
To be sure there are justifiable reasons for optimism, with Iraq emerging as the
primary source of it: Mustafa Al Kadhimi was chosen by a parliamentary majority
to become prime minister; he received the metaphorical thumbs-up from regional
powers, as well as the Americans, Europeans and Russians.
In a phone call with Mr Al Kadhimi, US President Donald Trump said Iraq was
important to regional and international stability, adding that America would
continue to provide economic aid. In turn, Mr Kadhimi said Baghdad was keen to
have the best possible relations with Washington.
Yet, none of this need necessarily translate to a radical shift in Iran’s policy
of control in Iraq – or vis-a-vis American presence in the country – because the
regime would simply not give up its influence in Iraq to the US. What's more, I
have been told by those in the know that Tehran views Mr Al Kadhimi's government
to be a transitional one – a “temporary solution”.
Iraq is therefore no less vulnerable to destabilisation. It remains fragile so
long as the US-Iran conflict is not settled.
Mina Al-Oraibi: What lies ahead for the Prime Minister of Iraq?
Lebanon is a different matter. In the Iranian regime's calculus, that country is
essentially a liquid asset so long as Hezbollah dominates its politics and
society. Tehran is therefore not as willing to back down there, and is ready to
carry out whatever measures possible to guarantee its continued hold.
Of course, this does not mean that Lebanon is more important to the regime than
Iraq is. Lebanon is just less complicated for Iran, even though it shares a
border with Israel – one of the regime's biggest adversaries. There is a known
margin of agreements, red lines, security zones and buffer strips manned by the
United Nations Interim Force on the border. There is also now a buffer zone in
the Golan Heights guaranteed by Russia, created with the implicit consent of the
Assad regime, in neighbouring Syria.
Washington's position regarding Beirut's fate is not entirely clear. In fact,
the only bit of clarity we have is that Washington views its situation
exclusively through the prism of fighting Hezbollah.
Hezbollah was recently deemed a terrorist entity by Germany, which according to
the US is an effective approach to dealing with its growing influence in the
region. Washington continues to crack down on its global operations and
networks, even as it applies pressure on European countries to refrain from
providing economic aid to Beirut as long as its government fails to adopt
radical reforms – including the ending of Hezbollah’s domination over the
airport, ports and border crossings with Syria.
Michael Young: Lebanon's two primary pillars are quivering
A demonstrator is seen next to a burning fire in front of a bank during a
protest against growing economic hardship in Sidon, Lebanon. Reuters
The complacency of Lebanon’s leaders, political parties, and its financial and
banking institutions, vis-a-vis corruption and nepotism even as Beirut appeals
to the world for aid has prompted Alistair Burt, a former UK minister, to call
for the Lebanese to reform their system.
“Sort out the corruption and get your economy sorted and stop running to other
people," he said at a summit organised by the Beirut Institute last week. "The
solutions have got to be in the hands of those who are governing in Lebanon.
Ultimately the issue of Hezbollah can't be ducked and that's got to be tackled.”
In this context, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’s report to the Security
Council on the implementation of Resolution 1559 – which supports free and fair
presidential elections in Lebanon and calls upon remaining foreign forces to
withdraw from the country – has interesting implications. Mr Guterres said: “I
continue to urge the government and the armed forces of Lebanon to take all
measures necessary to prohibit Hezbollah and other armed groups from acquiring
weapons and building paramilitary capacity outside the authority of the state.”
Circling back to US-Iran relations, the whispers about pragmatism are seemingly
coming out of some corridors in Washington, because of the desire to avert a
confrontation, and from Tehran, as part of a process of reconfiguration ahead of
the US presidential election but also as a result of the domestic difficulties
in Iran.
Some have also noted that silence on the part of Tehran and Hezbollah about
Israel's brazen determination to annex West Bank and the Jordan Valley could be
a sign of their willingness to allow the so-called Deal of the Century
concerning the fate of Palestine to pass. But the question is: what are they
looking for in return? This is a deeper and more important question that may be
at the heart of the choice between escalation and de-escalation in US-Iranian
relations.
Reports suggesting that the US move to withdraw patriot missiles from Saudi
Arabia could signal a new assessment that it does not consider Iran to be a
major threat are inaccurate. They have also been dismissed by US Secretary of
State Mike Pompeo.
Be that as it may, the meeting in Tehran will shed further light on the fate of
Lebanon. Meanwhile, the one in Washington will give us an idea about whether the
mood there is for confrontation, or for a pragmatic truce.
*Raghida Dergham is the founder and executive chairwoman of the Beirut Institute
The EU: Not fatally broken, but it needs fixing soon
Hafed Al-Ghwell/Arab News/May 16, 2020
Even in the middle of a global pandemic, the EU appears to be charging full
ahead into deeper, murkier waters. The UK has left, casting dark clouds on
notions of the bloc’s resilience and unity, and inspiring right-wing euroskeptic
movements in other countries seeking the EU’s disintegration in favor of some
form of insular nationalism. Of concern are the power grabs by ruling parties in
Poland and Hungary, the latest iteration in a contentious relationship with
Brussels on matters of judicial reform, climate change, refugees — and now,
democracy and fairness. Elsewhere, Malta, Bulgaria, Greece and Croatia are under
the spotlight for stalled reforms on existing laws to boost press freedom and
prevent retaliation against journalists for exercising such rights.
As if that were not sufficient, the German Federal Constitutional Court
delivered a stunning blow right at the heart of the EU, opening yet another
assault on the bloc’s uniting principles of mutual trust, fairness and uniform
application of the law. The court ruled against the European Central Bank’s 2015
bond purchasing scheme, judging that while the program itself was not improper,
the ECB had failed to assess its impact on retirement schemes, pensions,
government debt, real estate and state aid for economically unviable companies.
As a result, German public institutions such as the Bundesbank are barred from
participating in asset purchases within 90 days until the ECB furnishes an
assessment acceptable to the court.
The ruling raises a host of issues, not just for Brussels but for Chancellor
Angela Merkel’s government — given that the EU treaty specifically forbids the
ECB from seeking or taking instructions from member state governments or any
other body. Should the Merkel government ignore the ruling and force the
Bundesbank to cooperate with the ECB in order to shore up or enforce the EU
treaty’s directives, it would widen existing rifts within Germany, entrenching
euroskepticism by swelling the ranks of right-wing nationalist parties such as
AfD.
Alternatively, obeying the court ruling risks an avalanche of similar challenges
from courts in other member states, especially those under pressure from what
they believe is an overbearing and overreaching Brussels. The Polish government,
for example, was quick to praise the court’s decision in retaliation for the ECJ
ruling against changes to the Polish judiciary that would have further eroded
its independence, contravening EU laws.
In response, the EU has threatened to escalate the matter to the European Court
of Justice, which already ruled in 2018 that asset purchases were legal — a
ruling that the court in Berlin dismissed as “incomprehensible.” Merkel’s
government, on the other hand, has opted for the less confrontational approach
of complying with the court's demands. However, there is a good chance that the
details of the proportionality assessments demanded by the court will lead to
further headaches for the EU since the ECB has had to pump billions of euros
into the bank reserves of 19 member states since 2014, in an effort to boost
small-business lending. Thus, if the ECB’s asset purchase programs are found to
have negatively impacted the areas outlined in the constitutional court’s
ruling, it would hamper any planned coronavirus stimulus package for the bloc,
which could see unsustainable debt levels and shrinking economies long after the
pandemic.Unfortunately, the coronavirus pandemic has revealed a number of flaws
in the EU. Domestic woes are eating away at European solidarity while heads of
states have found an effective scapegoat — pointing the finger at Brussels for
their own shortcomings.
The ruling by the constitutional court and its wide-ranging implications for the
EU’s precepts are not the first crisis the eurozone has faced since its infancy
as a coal and steel community in the immediate aftermath of the Second World
War. With each challenge, be it nationalism, economic headwinds, geopolitics and
even war, somehow the eurozone has hobbled along, resulting in the largest
single market and beacon of liberalism and responsible capitalism we see today.
Unfortunately, the coronavirus pandemic has revealed a number of flaws in the
union. Domestic woes are eating away at European solidarity while heads of
states have found an effective scapegoat — pointing the finger at Brussels for
their own shortcomings.
The EU itself has failed to rise to the occasion on a number of issues from the
poorly coordinated response to the pandemic to impotent Article 7 procedures —
designed to strip member states of voting rights for disobeying the EU’s
foundational principles — aimed at Poland and Hungary for their ruling parties’
assaults on press, judiciaries, academic institutions and central banks. Despite
the descent into authoritarianism, the two countries will remain part of the
eurozone since member states cannot be officially expelled.
Doomsters are eager to point at the souring relations with Warsaw and Budapest,
the bitter aftertaste of Brexit and an intractable north-south divide as
telltale signs of a eurozone on the brink of disintegration. However, the
reality is far from that. The spat between Brussels and Berlin is solvable in
the interim but it would be unwise to ignore its ramifications, especially when
Poland and Hungary are so keen on testing the limits and patience of other
member states.
It necessitates a more radical approach beyond the patchwork of amendments and
compromises. If the EU is to survive and thrive, it needs to shake off Brexit
and adapt to the reality that the different member states want different things
out of the eurozone; a uniform approach may look good on paper, but political
systems with such consistently dismal outcomes during times of crisis inspire
little faith in their continued existence.
The EU needs a new treaty that empowers its institutions, broadens their
mandates and strengthens their enforcement powers. It must go hand-in-hand with
the EU parliament assuming complete control of legislative and budgetary powers
with an eye on shoring up members states’ capabilities in defense, security,
crisis management and — exceedingly important — currency.
The euro is still not as resilient to crises as it should be given the large
disparities between wealthier and poorer members. Without deeper financial
integration, poorer member states are far more susceptible to downturns — which
they may attempt to mitigate by cutting lending, but that only hampers any
meaningful recovery efforts, with potential spillover effects to other members.
Furthermore, failure to reform the EU treaty risks burdening the ECJ and
undermining the rule of law while economic collapse would severely cripple the
euro, placing the bloc firmly on the path of disintegration. Hopefully, once the
worst of the pandemic is over, the EU can get to the business of addressing a
critical flaw in its structure that crafts idealistic political objectives but
fails to muster the requisite capacity and willingness to act toward achieving
them.
There is no excuse for holding off on talks for treaty reform despite rising
levels of mutual distrust. It is a necessary, albeit painful, exercise to ensure
the eurozone’s longevity, and the sooner it is done the better. After all, the
bickering between Beijing and Washington has left a sizeable void for the EU to
step in as a level-headed alternative to a global community wary of a return to
a Cold War east-west duopoly. Hafed Al-Ghwell is a non-resident senior fellow
with the Foreign Policy Institute at the John Hopkins University School of
Advanced International Studies. He is also senior adviser at the international
economic consultancy Maxwell Stamp and at the geopolitical risk advisory firm
Oxford Analytica, a member of the Strategic Advisory Solutions International
Group in Washington DC and a former adviser to the board of the World Bank
Group. Twitter: @HafedAlGhwell
The US and China: In a relationship, but it’s complicated
Cornelia Meyer/Arab News/May 16, 2020
Crises tend to bring out either the best or the worst in both people and
countries. In the already fraught relationship between China and the US, the
COVID-19 pandemic is definitely bringing out the worst.
Ties between the world’s two biggest economies, particularly in relation to
trade, have been on a downward trajectory since Donald Trump took up residence
in the White House. The president has demanded that China honor fair trading
practices, respect intellectual property rights and open up its investment
market — all areas in which Beijing has been less than straightforward. With the
pandemic, the rhetoric has become even more belligerent. Trump accuses China of
covering up the original outbreak and concealing information that could have
curbed its spread, and he is not alone in that. However, he has infuriated
Beijing by encouraging speculation, based on no apparent evidence, that the
virus originated in a Wuhan laboratory.
Neverthless, despite this toxic atmosphere, there were green shoots. The Trump
administration has been working on a new trade agreement with China for the
better part of two years. Phase 1 of the agreement appeared to be coming to
fruition, and both Chinese Vice Premier Liu He and US Treasury Secretary Steven
Mnuchin have spoken of encouraging progress in the most recent “virtual”
negotiations.
Last week it all unravelled, in rather spectacular fashion. Trump declared that
not only did he have no wish to talk to Chinese President Xi Jinping, he was
also considering cutting off relations with China altogether. These were harsh
words, and warrant a closer look at the US-China relationship.
The Biden and Trump presidential election campaigns are competing to condemn
China, reflecting and reinforcing the public mood in the US, where the latest
polls suggest that two thirds of the population view China critically.
And it is not just about trade. The US has banned the Chinese technology company
Huawei from supplying equipment for its communications networks, and vice versa,
and encouraged its allies to do the same. Prevented from using software such as
Google’s Android mobile operating system in their phones, Huawei will simply
build their own, making China’s position even stronger in the long run.
Crises tend to bring out either the best or the worst in both people and
countries. In the already fraught relationship between China and the US, the
COVID-19 pandemic is definitely bringing out the worst.
Then there is the defense angle, which is particularly important to America’s
allies in Asia. China continues to assert its position in the South China Sea
with increasing aggression. Beijing’s confidence may be partly explained by a
report on Saturday in The Times of London, revealing that according to Pentagon
“war games” the US would lose any naval confrontation with China, and would
struggle to defend independent Taiwan from invasion. Since Xi wants Taiwan to be
part of greater China by 2050, they must be worried in Taipei.
So this is a new cold war, many say — but by no means all. The security analyst,
author and former diplomat Anja Manuel argues that we are dealing not with a new
cold war, but with a bipolar world. The Soviet Union was economically inward
looking, trading with few outside the Warsaw Pact and some other allies. China
is economically one of the most outward looking countries, a trading nation with
ambitious programs such as the Belt and Road Initiative and institutions such as
the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.
Manuel views US policy toward China as too negative, and sees little merit in
limiting Chinese companies’ access to the US market or denying students entry to
US universities. She suggests a more positive outlook in which the US works with
its allies on research and development in strategic sectors, even banning China
from purchasing strategic proprietary technology where appropriate. COVID-19 is
a global problem, and the world would benefit from a global response in which
the two leading economies cooperated on that specific issue, as they did with
Ebola and SARS. As for the overall economic and security relationship between
the US and China, measured and well thought through policies and actions are
important to maintaining economic stability and peace in the long run.
The US and China may be the poles in our new bipolar world, but they are not
alone, and what they do affects the rest of us because of their sheer size and
power. Power brings with its responsibility. Let us hope the two dominant
players remember that.
Cornelia Meyer is a business consultant, macro-economist and energy expert.
Twitter: @MeyerResources
Trump must do better in the battle for hearts and minds
Andrew Hammond/Arab News/May 16, 2020
US President Donald Trump has threatened to “cut off the whole relationship”
with China, fueling concerns of a new Cold War, but that historical analogy is
far from perfect to describe the growing tensions between the two superpowers.
One key difference between the US and the Soviet Union and today’s relationship
between Washington and Beijing is the extent of people-to-people interaction.
Students from China are the largest single national group in the US, and their
numbers have quadrupled in four years. Tourism is healthy, with more than 2
million visits a year in each direction, and labor migration from China to the
US is near a historic high.
Another difference is trade. In the late 1980s the US was importing about $200
million worth of goods from the Soviet Union, while US imports from China in
2018 were more than $500 billion.
Nevertheless, some elements of US-China competition are reminiscent of the Cold
War, such as military competition, and the South China Sea is only one of a
string of security issues. There is also the hardening of ideological
competition. China is well aware that one of the key reasons the US won the Cold
War was the strategy of international containment and cultural vigor, with
successive administrations skilfully deploying soft power to encourage other
countries into a system of alliances, such as NATO. Beijing and Washington are
now in a similar battle for hearts and minds.
The most recent data, a Pew Research survey of 33 nations in 2019, suggests that
people in 21 countries, mainly in Europe and Asia-Pacific, have a more favorable
view of the US than of China. There are particularly stark gaps in Japan, where
people are 54 percentage points more likely to have a positive view of
Washington than of Beijing (68-14), while people in South Korea, the Philippines
and India are also at least 37 points more likely to do so. There are also large
pro-US differentials in Poland, Hungary, Lithuania and the Czech Republic.
China is well aware that one of the key reasons the US won the Cold War was the
strategy of international containment and cultural vigor, with successive
administrations skilfully deploying soft power to encourage other countries into
a system of alliances, such as NATO. Beijing and Washington are now in a similar
battle for hearts and minds.
Countries with more positive views of Beijing than of Washington include Russia
(71-29), Mexico, Tunisia, Lebanon, Turkey and Nigeria.
Washington is therefore in pole position in the soft power battle, but Beijing
is punching back hard. A goodexample is Asia-Pacific, where Trump last year
unveiled a revamped Indo-Pacific strategy in the face of China’s growing
strength. Critics assert that it will have less overall impact than the Obama
team’s Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), which Trump abruptly abandoned on the
first day of his presidency. In comparison,China’s monumental ambition is
illustrated by the $1 trillion Belt and Road scheme, its alternative vision to
TPP of a Free Trade Area of Asia Pacific, and the Regional Comprehensive
Economic Partnership. From a historical perspective, current US strategy appears
under ambitious. Since 1945, both Republican and Democratic administrations
helped create and nurture key global and regional institutions such as the UN,
the IMF and World Bank, which Trump holds in disdain. Later, the administrations
of George H.W. Bush and especially Bill Clinton encouraged the creation of a
range of new bodies, including Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC). The
Obama team’s TPP was thus only the latest example of a global
institution-building project to embed US influence.
It is in this context that Trump's plan for Asia-Pacific must be judged, and his
administration needs to convince US allies that he is wholly committed —
politically, economically and security-wise — to the region. This may be made
more difficult by the fact that his ratings are considerably lower than those of
his predecessor in significant Asia-Pacific countries such as Australia, Japan,
South Korea, Indonesia and the Philippines.
There have also been significant declines in regional views of US global
pre-eminence; compared with five years ago, fewer people in the Philippines,
Indonesia and India believe the US is the world’s leading economic power.
Washington currently has an advantage in the battle for hearts and minds across
the region, and indeed much of the world, but its lead is not unassailable. The
Trump team would do well to relearn the lessons of the past, such as how
Washington deployed soft power so skilfully during the Cold War to press its
case against the Soviet Union.
*Andrew Hammond is an Associate at LSE IDEAS at the London School of Economic
Daesh: They haven’t gone away, you know
Peter Welby/Arab News/May 16, 2020
Amid the pandemic news, some analysts have been keen to highlight a “resurgence”
of Daesh activity in Iraq and Syria. Some of the reporting on this has been
overblown; a return to the territorial “caliphate” of 2014-19 is highly
unlikely. But the group’s activities have been following a familiar pattern.
Much of the discussion about this supposed resurgence has 2014 as its starting
point, when columns of black-clad fighters swept into Mosul, and the
international community feared for Baghdad. But we should instead be looking
back much farther. From 2007 the group was harried and its leaders were being
killed, but it was still able to launch attacks. In 2007, ISI (one of Daesh’s
predecessor groups) killed at least 219 people. By the beginning of 2008, the
group had lost 75 per cent of its fighters killed or wounded, yet it managed to
kill 225 people that year, 803 in 2009, and 434 in 2010.
The international community has a short memory, particularly when it comes to
Daesh. The “surge” in Iraq in 2007 was meant to end the insurgency, but it
failed; the insurgency was suppressed, but not destroyed.
When taking a course of antibiotics, you are required to finish the course, even
if you are feeling better — because bacteria learn and evolve, and any that
survive the original course can be much harder to defeat. But in the battle
against ISI and the other insurgent groups in 2007, we didn’t finish the course
of treatment. When they bounced back, they were stronger, and they took nearly
five years to be defeated in their new territories after 2014. But again,
although the coalition to defeat Daesh is still active, it is doing less than it
was, and the coronavirus pandemic has diminished counter-Daesh activity.
In October, after the death of its leader Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi, I wrote that
Daesh was far from defeated so long as the idea that it represented continued to
drive its members. It is apparent from continued attacks around the world in the
group’s name that its appeal remains high. The loss of its territory has not
diminished its power; instead, it has simply added to the jihadi narrative of a
global plot against Muslims. And in any case, the group still more or less
controls territory through affiliates in other, less noticed, parts of the
world.
So attention on the “resurgence” of Daesh is to be welcomed, provided it does
not fade as it becomes apparent that defeating the group comprehensively is a
long slog, not a glorious short campaign. And the recent increase in attacks is
a useful reminder that it is still at large.
The jihadi ideology that Daesh and others like them lean on is not “protected
speech,” or the intellectual product of free thought. It undermines the very
basis of the global order, and so must be stamped on.
In the meantime, simply training troops and supporting local authorities in
Syria and Iraq is not going to address the true issue. This requires something
more comprehensive — a total rejection of jihadi groups’ freedom to operate,
anywhere. The international community has never been willing, despite much talk
of the scale of the jihadi threat, to put up the resources required to bring
stability. If the leading nations of the world had intervened to stabilise Syria
in 2011, the opportunities that the civil war has provided as a training ground
for terror would not have arisen.
Intervention is costly. If resources are insufficient, it fuels chaos, as we saw
in Iraq. But we also see the cost of no intervention. One day, someone will do
the sums to see how much the Syrian civil war cost the region and the world;
those numbers will be high, in refugees, in terror, in regional disruption, and
in the direct cost of combating Daesh and other groups. But if the international
community were serious about global stability, and about defeating jihadi
terrorism, then the necessary resources could be found.
As I have said before, though, it is the idea of Daesh that is persuasive to
some. It is an idea that has drawn a diverse mixture of supporters from IT
consultants in Mumbai to doctors in the UK. Too much of the world, particularly
in the West, is squeamish about the idea of resourcing robust challenges to
extremist ideologies. It smacks of censorship, or even suppression of religious
freedom. We need to get over that squeamishness.
The jihadi ideology that Daesh and others like them lean on is not “protected
speech,” or the intellectual product of free thought. It undermines the very
basis of the global order, and so must be stamped on. Governments and religious
leaders, at local, national and international levels, must be prepared to work
together to defeat it. And where religious communities are skeptical of working
with governments, their leaders need to challenge that skepticism.
But this need for encouragement and goodwill works both ways. Two decades after
Al-Qaeda massacred its way into the global consciousness, there are those within
governments in the West who are still hesitant about working effectively with
Muslim communities and countries to defeat extremists. This is wrong on many
levels, and loses sight of the fact that it is Muslims who suffer most from
Daesh's violence, as we saw in Afghanistan last week. If the ideology Daesh
espouses is finally to be defeated, it will be defeated by all of our
communities working hand in hand.
*Peter Welby is a consultant on religion and global affairs, specializing in the
Arab world. Previously he was the managing editor of a think tank on religious
extremism, the Centre on Religion & Geopolitics, and worked in public affairs in
the Arabian Gulf. He is based in London, and has lived in Egypt and Yemen.
Twitter: @pdcwelby.