English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For November 07/2020
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani

The Bulletin's Link on the lccc Site
http://data.eliasbejjaninews.com/eliasnews19/english.november07.20.htm

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Bible Quotations For today
If the world hates you, be aware that it hated me before it hated you. If you belonged to the world, the world would love you as its own.

Because you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world therefore the world hates you
John 15/18-21: “‘If the world hates you, be aware that it hated me before it hated you. If you belonged to the world, the world would love you as its own. Because you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, “Servants are not greater than their master.” If they persecuted me, they will persecute you; if they kept my word, they will keep yours also. But they will do all these things to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me.”

Question: "How can I learn to trust in God?"
GotQuestions.org/November 06/2020
Answer: We cannot trust someone we don’t know, and that is the secret of learning to trust God. When someone says, “Trust me,” we have one of two reactions. Either we can say, “Yes, I’ll trust you,” or we can say, “Why should I?” In God’s case, trusting Him naturally follows when we understand why we should. The main reason we should trust God is that He is worthy of our trust. Unlike men, He never lies and never fails to fulfill His promises. “God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?” (Numbers 23:19; Psalm 89:34). Unlike men, He has the power to bring to pass what He plans and purposes to do. Isaiah 14:24 tells us, “The LORD Almighty has sworn, ‘Surely, as I have planned, so it will be, and as I have purposed, so it will stand.’” Furthermore, His plans are perfect, holy, and righteous, and He works all things together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His holy purpose (Romans 8:28). If we endeavor to know God through His Word, we will see that He is worthy of our trust, and our trust in Him will grow daily. To know Him is to trust Him.
We can learn to trust God as we see how He has proven Himself to be trustworthy in our lives and the lives of others. In 1 Kings 8:56 we read, “Praise be to the LORD, who has given rest to his people Israel just as he promised. Not one word has failed of all the good promises he gave through his servant Moses.” The record of God’s promises is there in His Word for all to see, as is the record of their fulfillment. Historical documents verify those events and speak of God’s faithfulness to His people. Every Christian can give personal testimony to God’s trustworthiness as we see His work in our lives, fulfilling His promises to save our souls and use us for His purposes (Ephesians 2:8-10) and comfort us with the peace that passes all understanding as we run the race He has planned out for us (Philippians 4:6-7; Hebrews 12:1). The more we experience His grace, faithfulness, and goodness, the more we trust Him (Psalm 100:5; Isaiah 25:1). A third reason to trust God is that we really have no sensible alternative. Should we trust in ourselves or in others who are sinful, unpredictable, unreliable, have limited wisdom, and who frequently make bad choices and decisions swayed by emotion? Or do we trust in the all-wise, all-knowing, all-powerful, gracious, merciful, loving God who has good intentions for us? The choice should be obvious, but we fail to trust God because we don’t know Him. As already stated, we cannot hope to trust in someone who is essentially a stranger to us, but that is easily remedied. God has not made Himself difficult to find or know. All we need to know about God, He has graciously made available to us in the Bible, His holy Word to His people. To know God is to trust Him.

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on November 06-07/2020

MoPH: 2142 coronavirus cases, 17 deaths
U.S. imposes sanctions on Lebanese president's son-in-law
US sanctions Hezbollah ally Gebran Bassil, accuses him of corruption
Bassil Defiant after Being Hit with U.S. Sanctions
USA Department Of The Treasury PRESS RELEASE On Gibran Bassils's Sanctions
USA Department Of The Treasury PRESS RELEASE
Hizbullah Slams U.S. Sanctions on Bassil as 'Interference in Lebanon Affairs'
Lebanon: Dispute on Names of Ministers Complicates Government Formation Process
Syrian Refugee Self-Immolates in Lebanon
Hariri Holds New Meeting with Aoun over Govt.
Aoun stresses the necessity of the government’s commitment to conducting a forensic financial audit of the Bank of Lebanon’s accounts.
Hassan Meets Aoun, Says General Lockdown a Possibility
Jumblat Says Assad 'Imported' Ammonium Nitrate that Devastated Beirut
Geagea Says Hariri Using Same Old Approach in Formation Process
Building Partially Collapses in Beirut's Ashrafieh
PSP Criticizes Assad’s Remarks on Lebanese Banks
Treasure in your cars … so beware of this mafia!/Nawal Nasr/Nidaa Al Watan/November 06/2020

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on November 06-07/2020

Muslim Brotherhood, Iran hopeful for a new Obama era
US Election: Joe Biden on cusp of winning White House bid, Trump issues warning
US Election: Republicans ask Supreme Court to intervene in Pennsylvania, for Trump
Trump Fraud Claims Meet with Limited Republican Criticism
Despite Trump-Erdogan ties, Turkey says it will work with whoever wins US election
Cuba and Iran forge an alliance against US sanctions
UN body calls on Iran to speed up investigation into downed passenger plane
Cairo Rejects Any Demographic Change in Syria
Ankara Sets Up Military Base in Northern Raqqa, US Bolsters Troops in Deir Ezzor
Egypt Sentences 59 Brotherhood Suspects Over 2013 Protest
Rabat, London Review Military Cooperation
Erbil Rages over PKK Attacks in Duhok

Titles For The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on November 06-07/2020

Muslims: Al-Aqsa Mosque Does Not Belong to Palestinians/Khaled Abu Toameh/Gatestone Institute/November 06/2020
Turkey: The Return of Demons/Amir Taheri/Asharq Ak Awsat/November 06/2020
Trump Is Gone but 'Trumpism' Is Here to Stay/Elias Harfoush/Asharq Ak Awsat/November 06/2020
Mass Testing Could Be a Covid Game Changer/Therese Raphael/Bloomberg/November 06/2020
How Vote-Counting Became a Job for the States/Cass R. Sunsteinl/Bloomberg/November 06/2020
Erdogan’s Comrades and Getting Rid of the ‘Shame’/Hanna Saleh/i/Asharq Ak Awsat/November 06/2020

The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on November 06-07/2020

MoPH: 2142 coronavirus cases, 17 deaths
NNA/Friday, 6 November, 2020
The Ministry of Public Health announced on Friday 2142 new Coronavirus infections, thus raising the cumulative number of confirmed cases to 91328.
It also reported 17 deaths during the past 24 hours.
 

U.S. imposes sanctions on Lebanese president's son-in-law
Reuters/Humeyra Pamuk, Matt Spetalnick/Friday, 6 November, 2020
The United States imposed sanctions on Friday on Gebran Bassil, the leader of Lebanon’s biggest Christian political bloc and son-in-law of President Michel Aoun, accusing him of corruption and ties to Hezbollah. Bassil heads the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM), founded by Aoun, and has served as minister of telecoms, of energy and water and of foreign affairs. Bassil, who has been the target of protests that erupted last year against a political class accused of pillaging the state, said in a Twitter post that sanctions did not scare him and that he had not been “tempted” by promises. The sanctions could complicate efforts by Prime Minister-designate Saad al-Hariri, who is trying to navigate Lebanon’s sectarian politics to assemble a cabinet to tackle a financial meltdown, Lebanon’s worst crisis since its 1975-1990 civil war. A source familiar with the process said the move was likely to harden the FPM’s stance in negotiations on a new government needed to enact reforms demanded by foreign donors to tackle endemic corruption, waste and mismanagement to unlock aid. In recent months, the United States has also placed sanctions on several officials linked to Hezbollah, the armed Iran-backed Shi’ite movement that has become Lebanon’s most powerful political force, and which Washington considers a terrorist group. The FPM has a political alliance with Hezbollah and Bassil has defended the group as vital to the defence of Lebanon

. Hezbollah: U.S. sanctions on Lebanon's Bassil are blatant interference
The Treasury Department said Bassil was at the “forefront of corruption in Lebanon” where successive governments have failed to reduce mounting sovereign debt or address failing infrastructure and the loss-making power sector that cost state coffers billions of dollars while power cuts persisted.
“Through his corrupt activities, Bassil has also undermined good governance and contributed to the prevailing system of corruption and political patronage that plagues Lebanon, which has aided and abetted Hizballah’s (Hezbollah) destabilizing activities,” U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement.
A senior U.S. official said Bassil’s support for Hezbollah was “every bit of the motivation” for targeting him for sanctions. Bassil was sanctioned under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, which targets human rights abuses and corruption around the world. It calls for a freeze on any U.S. assets and prohibits Americans from doing business with him. The State Department also imposed a ban on Bassil’s travel to the United States. A senior U.S. official said the sanctions announcement was “not intended to impact a government formation process” in Lebanon. The official also denied any connection between the announcement and this week’s U.S. elections, saying such sanctions packages take months to prepare.
Reporting by Humeyra Pamuk and Matt Spetalnick ; Additional reporting by Ghaida Ghantous and Samia Nakhoul; Editing by William Maclean, Peter Graff and Alison Williams

US sanctions Hezbollah ally Gebran Bassil, accuses him of corruption
The Arab Weekly/November 06/2020
It is our fate in this Orient to carry our cross every day … in order to survive,” Bassil tweeted.
BEIRUT--The US Treasury on Friday slapped sanctions on Gebran Bassil, Lebanon’s ex-foreign minister and a leading Christian political ally of the militant Hezbollah group, according to the Treasury’s website. The US Treasury accused Bassil of being behind corruption involving billions of dollars that has left the country’s economy in shambles. “The systemic corruption in Lebanon’s political system exemplified by Bassil has helped to erode the foundation of an effective government that serves the Lebanese people,” said Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin in a statement. “This designation further demonstrates that the United States supports the Lebanese people in their continued calls for reform and accountability.” Bassil is a current lawmaker who leads the biggest bloc in Lebanon’s parliament and a son-in-law of President Michel Aoun. The website gave no further details, but the sanctions are part of the Trump administration’s maximum pressure campaign against Iran and its allies in the region. The United States has been sanctioning Hezbollah officials for years, and recently began targeting politicians close to the group. In September, the US Treasury imposed sanctions on two former Lebanese cabinet ministers allied with the militant group in a strong message to Hezbollah and its allies who control majority seats in parliament.
Friday’s announcement is a major expansion of the scope of sanctions targeting Hezbollah’s political partners in Lebanon. Immediately after the announcement, Bassil tweeted that the sanctions do not frighten him. “I have gotten used to injustice and learned from our history: It is our fate in this Orient to carry our cross every day … in order to survive,” he tweeted. The announcement came as the world anxiously awaited the result of US elections and Donald Trump’s pathway to reelection appeared to shrink. It also comes as former Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri is struggling to form a new government in Lebanon, which has been hit by the worst economic and financial crisis in its modern history. Gebran Bassil, President Michel Aoun’s son-in-law and head of the Free Patriotic Movement, is perceived as betting on alliance with Iran in order to reach the presidency.
Last August, he called on the Lebanese to heed his bet on Iran. He explained his stance by stressing that the United States was preparing to conclude a deal with the Islamic Republic. Bassil said both Trump and his Democratic rival, Joe Biden, would seek rapprochement with Iran and may even strike a deal with it after the US presidential election in November. At the same time, he stressed he was ready to “bear the price” of standing on the side of Hezbollah in the face of the international blockade against it. “This year, a partial solution in the region between America and Iran is coming. The pressure we are suffering on our economy and our stability is the result of this struggle, as each party seeks to improve his position before sitting at the negotiating table and agreeing to a solution. The positions of the US Democratic candidate, Joe Biden, and his running mate Kamala Harris, are clear on this in their political plank,” Bassil said.
He added that Biden and Harris said they “would return to the previous nuclear deal with Iran. And the Republican candidate, Trump, hopes to improve the terms of this agreement in his favour before the elections, but Iran is refusing and waiting, hoping to see a change of presidents in the US.”

Bassil Defiant after Being Hit with U.S. Sanctions
Agence France PresseNovember 6, 2020
The U.S. administration on Friday announced sanctions on Free Patriotic Movement chief MP Jebran Bassil, who is the son-in-law of President Michel Aoun. MTV said the sanctions were imposed under the Global Magnitsky Act, which targets those who are engaged in human rights abuses and corruption. Bassil swiftly hit back in a tweet.
"Sanctions have not scared me and promises have not tempted me; I do not turn against any Lebanese and I don’t rescue myself to let Lebanon perish," Bassil said. "I'm used to injustice and I have learned from our history that in this Levant, it is our destiny to carry our cross every day so that we remain," Bassil added. In a statement, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo described Bassil as a “corrupt Lebanese political leader.”Bassil has served in multiple high-level posts in the Lebanese government, including as Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants, Minister of Energy and Water, and Minister of Telecommunications. “Throughout his government career, Bassil has become notorious for corruption and has been linked to the purchase of influence within Lebanese political circles,” Pompeo said. “While Minister of Energy, Bassil was involved in approving several projects that would have steered Lebanese government funds to individuals close to him through a group of front companies,” he added. He noted that Friday’s actions “build on the recent counterterrorism designations under Executive Order 13224 of former Lebanese officials, Youssef Fenianos and Ali Hassan Khalil, who put personal interests and those of Iran-backed Hizbullah ahead of the welfare of the Lebanese people.”Pompeo added: “Through his corrupt activities, Bassil has also undermined good governance and contributed to the prevailing system of corruption and political patronage that plagues Lebanon, which has aided and abetted Hizbullah’s destabilizing activities.”“Lebanese political leaders should be aware that the time has long passed for them to put aside their own narrow self-interests and instead work for the people of Lebanon,” Pompeo urged.
Pompeo added that he has also designated Bassil under Section 7031(c) of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2020 due to “his involvement in significant corruption.” The move bars Bassil’s entry into the United States.
The Treasury’s action meanwhile blocks all of Bassil’s property and interests in the U.S. and prohibits transactions with him. “The systemic corruption in Lebanon’s political system exemplified by Bassil has helped to erode the foundation of an effective government that serves the Lebanese people,” said Secretary of Treasury Steven T. Mnuchin. “This designation further demonstrates that the United States supports the Lebanese people in their continued calls for reform and accountability,” he added. A senior U.S. government official meanwhile said that "Bassil has repeatedly used his influence to stall government formation efforts, most recently in the current process, which has further delayed any chance of Lebanon pursuing meaningful economic reform." "With today's action, we encourage Lebanon to form a government that excludes politicians known to have engaged in corruption and to pursue meaningful economic reform," the official added. However, the official insisted that the action Friday had "nothing to do" with the U.S. election or attempts to form a government in Lebanon. Another U.S. official also noted that Bassil's party is "closely aligned" with Hizbullah. Bassil was a main target of a nation-wide protest movement that started in October 2019 demanding the removal of politicians deemed inept and corrupt. Activists believe he is behind many shady state dealings, especially during his time at the head of the energy ministry between 2009 and 2014. Bassil, however, has repeatedly denied the accusations against him, insisting that his party is at the forefront of efforts to root out corruption from Lebanon.

USA Department Of The Treasury PRESS RELEASE On Gibran Bassils's Sanctions
USA Treasury Targets Corruption in Lebanon
November 6, 2020
Washington – Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned Gibran Bassil (Bassil), the President of the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) political party and Member of Parliament (MP), pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13818, for his role in corruption in Lebanon. E.O. 13818, which builds upon and implements the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, targets corruption and serious human rights abuse around the world.
“The systemic corruption in Lebanon’s political system exemplified by Bassil has helped to erode the foundation of an effective government that serves the Lebanese people,” said Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin. “This designation further demonstrates that the United States supports the Lebanese people in their continued calls for reform and accountability.”
CORRUPTION IN LEBANON BENEFITS ELITES WHILE LEBANESE SUFFER
Lebanon has long suffered from corruption and economic mismanagement by power brokers who advance their own interests at the expense of the Lebanese people they are supposed to represent. Since October 2019, protests with participation from a broad representation of Lebanese citizens have called for political, social, and economic reform in Lebanon. Successive governments in Lebanon have failed to stem rising inflation, reduce the country’s mounting debt, improve failing infrastructure, or ensure that reliable electricity and other services reached Lebanese households. Socioeconomic conditions for ordinary Lebanese continue to deteriorate while political leaders are insulated from the crisis and are failing to implement needed reforms.
Lebanon continues to experience an unprecedented garbage crisis caused by mismanagement and corruption that is continually pouring toxic waste into the Mediterranean Sea, polluting the water and ultimately endangering the health of its citizens. The country is also experiencing an energy crisis that leaves people without electricity for hours or even days at a time, and government officials offer constant claims that they are fixing the problem, only to spend billions of dollars resulting in no improvement for Lebanese citizens. Political dysfunction like this tragically contributed to the catastrophic explosion at the port of Beirut on August 4, which many saw as a further example of the negligence and corruption that victimizes Lebanese citizens while enriching the political elite.
GIBRAN BASSIL AT THE FOREFRONT OF CORRUPTION IN LEBANON
Bassil has held several high-level posts in the Lebanese government, including serving as the Minister of Telecommunications, the Minister of Energy and Water, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants, and Bassil has been marked by significant allegations of corruption. In 2017, Bassil strengthened his political base by appointing friends to positions and purchasing other forms of influence within Lebanese political circles. In 2014, while Minister of Energy, Bassil was involved in approving several projects that would have steered Lebanese government funds to individuals close to him through a group of front companies.
Bassil was designated for being a current or former government official, or a person acting for or on behalf of such an official, who is responsible for or complicit in, or who has directly or indirectly engaged in corruption, including the misappropriation of state assets, the expropriation of private assets for personal gain, corruption related to government contracts or the extraction of natural resources, or bribery.
SANCTIONS IMPLICATIONS
As a result of today’s action, all property and interests in property of the individual above, and of any entities that are owned, directly or indirectly, 50 percent or more by him, individually, or with other blocked persons, that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons, are blocked and must be reported to OFAC. Unless authorized by a general or specific license issued by OFAC or otherwise exempt, OFAC’s regulations generally prohibit all transactions by U.S. persons or within (or transiting) the United States that involve any property or interests in property of designated or otherwise blocked persons. The prohibitions include the making of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services by, to, or for the benefit of any blocked person or the receipt of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services from any such person.
GLOBAL MAGNITSKY
Building upon the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, the President signed E.O. 13818 on December 20, 2017, in which the President found that the prevalence of human rights abuse and corruption that have their source, in whole or in substantial part, outside the United States, had reached such scope and gravity that it threatens the stability of international political and economic systems. Human rights abuse and corruption undermine the values that form an essential foundation of stable, secure, and functioning societies; have devastating impacts on individuals; weaken democratic institutions; degrade the rule of law; perpetuate violent conflicts; facilitate the activities of dangerous persons; and undermine economic markets. The United States seeks to impose tangible and significant consequences on those who commit serious human rights abuse or engage in corruption, as well as to protect the financial system of the United States from abuse by these same persons.
 

USA Department Of The Treasury PRESS RELEASE
The following individual has been added to OFAC's SDN List:
BASSIL, Gibran (a.k.a. BASSIL, Gebran; a.k.a. BASSIL, Gebran Gerji (Arabic: جبران جرجي باسیل); a.k.a. BASSIL, Gebran Jerji; a.k.a. BASSIL, Jibran), Embassies Street, Baabda, Mount Lebanon Governorate, Lebanon; Bank Street, Beirut, Beirut Governorate, Lebanon; Mar Mikhael Street, Beirut, Beirut Governorate, Lebanon; DOB 21 Jun 1970; POB Batroun, Northern Governorate, Lebanon; nationality Lebanon; Gender Male; Passport LD0000004 (Lebanon) expires 23 Aug 2022 (individual) [GLOMAG].

Hizbullah Slams U.S. Sanctions on Bassil as 'Interference in Lebanon Affairs'
Naharnet/Friday, 6 November, 2020
Hizbullah on Friday condemned the U.S. sanctions on Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil as “a purely political decision and a blatant and insolent interference in Lebanon’s domestic affairs.”“The United States, which is the sponsor of terrorism and extremism in the world, is the last side that has the right to talk about combating corruption,” the party said in a statement.“America is using its domestic laws, including the laws of combating terrorism and corruption, to extend its hegemony and influence over the world,” Hizbullah added.

Lebanon: Dispute on Names of Ministers Complicates Government Formation Process
Beirut - Asharq Al-Awsat/Friday, 6 November, 2020
Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri on Thursday stopped short of presenting to President Michel Aoun a draft cabinet lineup after several obstacles hindered Lebanon’s government formation process. March 8 alliance sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that Hariri’s efforts have now moved from the distribution of portfolios among Lebanon’s sects to the names of ministers, specifically those of energy and interior ministries. “Currently, there are discussions concerning the names of the two ministers who will head the two ministries,” the sources said. The Interior Ministry holds significant importance, particularly that the next government will be tasked to supervise the parliamentary elections of 2022. As for the Energy Ministry, it is responsible for gas and oil explorations and the appointment of an independent Electricity Regulatory Authority, upon the international community’s call to regulate and reform the power sector.
Sources close to Hariri told Asahrq Al-Awsat there is no specific date yet for the visit of the PM-designate to the Baabda Presidential Palace. Previous meetings between Hariri and Aoun have touched on the principle of rotating portfolios between the different sects, excluding the Finance Ministry, which will be kept by the Amal Movement and Hezbollah. The Shiite duo have rejected that the Finance Minister post goes to a non-Shiite. Their sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that both parties insist on not interfering in the lineup, adding that Speaker Nabih Berri is pushing for the quick formation of a government amid the deteriorating economic, health and financial situation in the country. Head of the Progressive Socialist Party Walid Jumblatt criticized on Thursday the differences over quotas and names in a sarcastic language, writing in a tweet, “The Ministry of Specialists is becoming increasingly visible every day.”

Syrian Refugee Self-Immolates in Lebanon
Beirut - Asharq Al-Awsat/Friday, 6 November, 2020
A Syrian refugee in Lebanon set himself ablaze outside the Beirut headquarters of the UN's refugee agency on Thursday, a spokesman for the organization said. "In a tragic incident this morning, a Syrian refugee registered with UNHCR tried to self-immolate by setting himself on fire near the organization's Reception center in Beirut," UNHCR said in an emailed statement. The 58-year-old male "victim was rescued by UNHCR security personnel and later taken to a hospital by the Lebanese civil defense for due medical attention," it said. UNHCR did not say why the man set himself ablaze, but a spokesman for Lebanon's Internal Security Forces told AFP that it was because he could not afford medical treatment for his sick daughter. The ISF spokesman said the man, who was being treated at the nearby Rafic Hariri hospital, was in a stable condition. Lebanon says it hosts 1.5 million Syrians, nearly one million of whom are officially registered as refugees with the United Nations. The refugees' already-dire conditions have deteriorated over the past year as Lebanon grapples with its worst economic crisis since its own civil war, which ended in 1990. A rapid devaluation of the Lebanese pound has sent prices soaring while banking controls on deposits have restricted access to savings. Tens of thousands of people had already lost their jobs before a coronavirus outbreak in February dealt a final blow to many ailing businesses. An August 4 explosion at Beirut's port that killed more than 200 people, including more than 40 Syrians, further compounded Lebanon's economic woes. Looking for a way out, many Syrians have attempted deadly clandestine journeys across the Mediterranean in recent months. The Lebanese government, meanwhile, has continued to call for their repatriation, despite warnings from aid groups and international agencies that it is not safe to return.

Hariri Holds New Meeting with Aoun over Govt.
Naharnet/Friday, 6 November, 2020
President Michel Aoun met Friday afternoon with PM-designate Saad Hariri and continued with him the discussions over the new government, the Presidency said. The consultations were held “in a positive atmosphere,” the Presidency added. They discussed "the various points related to the cabinet line-up," the Presidency said, noting that "talks will continue over the coming days."

Aoun stresses the necessity of the government’s commitment to conducting a forensic financial audit of the Bank of Lebanon’s accounts.
AlKhaleej Today/November 06/2020
Beirut: The Lebanese President confirmed General Michel Aoun Thursday, the need for the government to commit to conducting a forensic financial audit of the Bank of Lebanon’s accounts.
Aoun said during his presidency of a meeting before noon Thursday at Baabda Palace, in the presence of Minister of Finance Ghazi Wazni and head of the forensic audit team from Alvarez and Marsal, James Daniel, that it is an important step in the field of necessary reforms to address the financial and economic conditions in the country. During the meeting, “the circumstances that accompanied the implementation of the decision in the audit process,” which prevented the company from “Alvarez and Misal” from being able to conduct criminal and financial audits in the accounts Consumption of Lebanon.
During the meeting, it was decided to “extend the time required to deliver the necessary documents to Alvarez and Marsal” for an additional three months, provided that during the specified period some documents that have not yet been delivered will be delivered.
Minister Wazni confirmed, in an interview with the media after the end of the meeting, that “according to the signed contract, the deadline for the delivery of documents to“ Alvarez and Misal ”was supposed to expire on Tuesday in order for the company to carry out its audit mission.
“As long as the company considers that the documents that have been collected are insufficient and does not allow it to carry out the task entrusted to it, this meeting was with President Aoun, which led to an extension of the deadline to three months, during which the Lebanese government tries to provide the documents, which leads to allowing the company to carry out the tasks it has Stipulated in the contract with regard to criminal audit. Minister Wazni announced that the Banque du Liban “has set up a team of governance to facilitate matters and secure documents for the company, and the atmosphere was positive.”
It is noteworthy that the Council of Ministers had approved, on July 21, the use of the “Alvarez and Marsal” company to carry out the task of the criminal investigation at the Banque du Liban. However, the Banque du Liban only handed over the company 42 percent of the documents and information it requested, in order to initiate the criminal audit at the bank, due to the banking secrecy law adopted in Lebanon. These were the details of the news Aoun stresses the necessity of the government’s commitment to conducting a... for this day. We hope that we have succeeded by giving you the full details and information. To follow all our news, you can subscribe to the alerts system or to one of our different systems to provide you with all that is new. It is also worth noting that the original news has been published and is available at saudi24news and the editorial team at AlKhaleej Today has confirmed it and it has been modified, and it may have been completely transferred or quoted from it and you can read and follow this news from its main source.

Hassan Meets Aoun, Says General Lockdown a Possibility
Naharnet/November 06/2020
Caretaker Health Minister Hamad Hassan on Friday met with President Michel Aoun in Baabda and discussed with him the latest developments related to the coronavirus crisis in the country. “A general lockdown decision would be bold and it requires a serious approach from all parties. We discussed with the president the proposals that can be made in this regard to prevent a situation that is more disastrous than the one we are currently witnessing,” Hassan said after the talks. “We agreed with the president that the rural towns are not the source of infections, but rather the major cities… That’s why in the coming period we have to carry out an evaluation with the security authorities and competent ministries to take the appropriate decision on how to fight the pandemic,” the minister added. He noted that authorities should mull the success chances of any genera lockdown before imposing it in order not to “undermine the prestige of the state and the security agencies.” Asked whether that means that the country will not be shut down next week as media reports have suggested, Hassan said: “We are in constant contact with the president and the premier and this issue is being discussed and has its legal conditions.”“We hope the situation on the ground will become different so that we can back down from the general lockdown recommendation,” the minister added, noting that a general lockdown might eventually become a “necessary evil” should the situation continue to deteriorate.
 

Jumblat Says Assad 'Imported' Ammonium Nitrate that Devastated Beirut
Naharnet/November 06/2020
The 2,755 tons of ammonium nitrate that exploded on August 4 at Beirut port and devastated swathes of the capital had been “imported” by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime, Progressive Socialist Party chief Walid Jumblat charged on Friday. In a tweet, Jumblat said Assad had imported the ammonium nitrates to “use them in barrel bombs against his people.” Jumblat’s tweet was mainly aimed at responding to recent remarks by Assad, who has blamed Syria’s current economic and financial crisis on Lebanon’s banks. “After he looted, destroyed and displaced most of Syria, after he benefited from all types of subsidized goods smuggling from Lebanon, and after he destroyed Beirut port with the nitrates that he imported to use in barrel bombs against his people, it seems that he intends to destroy the Lebanese banking system,” the PSP leader said.
“Is the theory of forensic auditing part of this course?” Jumblat wondered. In addition to the massive material and economic damage it caused, the port explosion killed around 200 people and wounded over 6,500 others. It has been blamed on the negligence of Lebanese officials, who had left the dangerous shipment to languish at the port unsecured for around seven years.

Geagea Says Hariri Using Same Old Approach in Formation Process
Naharnet/November 06/2020
Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea urged PM-designate Saad Hariri to push on with his efforts to form a “mission government," but said the PM-designate is unlikely to succeed because the same failed "previous approaches are adopted in the current formation process."
Geagea urged Hariri to insist on forming a non-partisan, mission government. But he voiced regret “because the upcoming government will definitely be formed based on shares.”The LF chief said Hariri was mistaken to vow specific ministerial portfolios to specific sects because it would draw the same demand for others, and thus fail the formation process. “When the formation process begins by promising the Finance Ministry to Amal and Hizbullah, it means this promise will also draw to other parties and portfolios,” said Geagea. He said the country has reached a dire state where political parties have no right to claim ministerial portfolios. “Lebanon is where it stands today because of their adherence to portfolios. The same approach used to form the previous governments is (sadly) being used in the formation of Hariri’s cabinet today,” he added.

Building Partially Collapses in Beirut's Ashrafieh
Naharnet/November 06/2020
A deserted, blast-damaged building in Beirut neighborhood of Ashrafieh partially collapsed on Friday, two days after the total collapse of a building in the Medawar area, the National News Agency said. The collapse did not cause any casualties according to the agency. Reports said part of Ashrafieh’s Hanna Metri building, affected by the port explosion, collapsed blocking the road. Traffic was diverted to a nearby street. Buildings in Ashrafieh and other areas of Beirut were affected by the massive August 4 explosion at the capital’s port. Dozens of historic buildings were damaged and are at risk of collapse.
On Wednesday, a deserted two-story building collapsed Medawar area due to heavy rains.

PSP Criticizes Assad’s Remarks on Lebanese Banks
Agence France Presse/November 06/2020
The Progressive Socialist Party of ex-MP Walid Jumblat criticized Syrian President Bashar Assad on Friday, saying his remarks blaming the economic crisis in Syria on Lebanese Banks only confirm a “clear scheme to knock Lebanon’s banking sector.”Assad's “statement yesterday that Lebanese banks are to blame for the economic crisis in Syria requires a decisive response to this rudeness and perseverance attempting to overwhelm Lebanon with the sinking Syrian regime,” the PSP statement said. It added stating that one of the causes that aggravated the Lebanese economic crisis and drained its public finances, “is owed to corruption channels engineered by the Syrian Ba'ath regime in Lebanon that continued to deplete Lebanon even after the withdrawal of Syrian troops.” “Syrian depositors resorted to Lebanese banks in order to benefit from their contributions,” noted the PSP. Adding “this would not have happened had it not been for the fact that their deposits were subject to extortion and theft if they remained in Syrian banks." “Assad’s remarks came to prove a clear plan to knock the Lebanese banking sector which had always been a safe and stable haven for brethren Arabs,” the statement went on. On Thursday, Assad said much of his country's current economic distress is a direct result of the banking crisis in neighboring Lebanon, where many Syrian businessmen have traditionally kept their money. He said that between $20 billion and $42 billion held by Syrians are estimated to be tied up in Lebanese banks.
Lebanon is experiencing a serious banking crisis, which has led to the introduction of informal capital controls to combat capital flight and prop a flailing local currency. Depositors are unable to make foreign transfers and there is a limit on how much they can withdraw.
Lebanese banks had offered a lifeline to the Syrian economy, which under the Assad family rule faced decades of Western sanctions that often targeted individual businessmen and cut off Syrian banks. Syria's economy is in shambles and the nine-year civil war has killed more than 400,000 and displaced half the country's population. The local Syrian currency crashed in recent months making it more difficult for many Syrians to buy food. More than 80% of the Syrian population live in poverty, according to U.N. The spread of coronavirus in the war-torn country has further restricted economic activities and increased unemployment.

Treasure in your cars … so beware of this mafia!
Nawal Nasr/Nidaa Al Watan/November 06/2020
Translated by: AlKhaleej Today
When the resigned MP, Nadim Gemayel, talked less than three months ago about the theft of “catalezors” from modern cars and sending them to Iran, many laughed, and others did not believe, and there were those who attacked him using various synonyms. And what he said passed unnoticed. This happened while talking about the question: Who is the dawn of Beirut? Questioners asked: Did Sheikh Nadim make a mistake in what he said? What is the benefit of stealing a “Catalyst” that 99,999 percent of vehicle owners in Lebanon are indifferent to?
On the first day of the week, while the attorney, Sarah Madi, parked her car in the parking lot opposite the Palace of Justice in Baabda, what happened was reported by Gemayel, after she gave her vehicle to “Valet Parking” and told them in response to their question that it would return in two hours. The lawyer finished her case in less than an hour and returned and did not find her car, and the workers at the parking lot told her that her wheel was on the ground and they went to fix it, only to find out later that they had stolen the “catalezor”. So did he achieve what Nadim Gemayel said?
Lawyer Sarah found her yesterday in the garage with her sister. She also lost the “catales” in her car. The two attorney sisters fell together in a thief trap. But, how will Sarah pursue the matter? “I’ve been standing in the same car park for four years. I did not know before that there was this piece in the car. However, after I did not find my car and started shouting at the parking lot workers, my lawyer came and asked me after her arrival to check the” catalez “. He did this. He told me, “There is new welding.” Then the two workers had to admit to their actions, and they are Lebanese, and we knew that the amount they were paid was $ 590, not $ 400. “All three of them are now under arrest. And looking if there is collusion between them and a larger network. ”What about her advice today as a citizen who was stolen under the sun’s eyes and as a lawyer? She replies,“ It matters that no one trusts anyone because the world is hungry and is ready to sell her meat in order to get fresh dollars. ”
“Treasure” in the car
The owner of a used car company in Beirut informs about the importance of this piece. The car trade in Lebanon has been fixed for some time. ” What do they do with it? He answered, “God knows best, but the matter has become attractive to me and to those who oppose.”
George A. He and his father went to have a mechanical inspection, and they told them, in the interest of the inspection, that the cars were not “Catalisors”. So where did they go? George tells this explaining the research he conducted about the importance of this piece, saying, “It is a piece in the car whose role is to get rid of toxic gases resulting from fuel combustion and emissions of gases hazardous to public health. The existence of this piece is important for health, and in the world they change it every two years. Here, it has no significance since pollution is “hyperbolic.” Mechanics, blacksmiths and painters are stealing it because they are certain that vehicle owners rarely pay attention to it and say, “The world does not know its importance and so that it can be stolen while washing the car easily.” In the inspection, they told him that three-quarters of the cars here are now This year in particular, without it, and yesterday, two days ago, he went to a garage and offered to buy this piece for five hundred dollars, but he smiled at his owner and said to him: They took it … Are we facing a new mafia of its kind?
Elie Alkatalisor, this is what the owner of one of the garages in Beirut is nicknamed, proposing to vehicle owners to buy this piece in old cars, telling them that there is no benefit from it. Is it increasing the number? If it is of no use then why are they stolen from our cars? He answers, “The fact that this piece contains more metals than gold, including palladium, platinum and rhodium, and the three of them are very much in demand for their high price and the fact that exporting them abroad gives thieves fresh dollars. How much does Eli buy one catalyst? Its price, and he says, “There is a catalizor for 50 dollars and another for a thousand dollars.”
So, there are those who buy and sell and there are those who steal this piece of our cars, without us noticing it was lost until late. So is the reason just to get fresh dollars? Resigned MP Nadim Gemayel is outside the country and he said what he said. Let’s check more of what he said. Is it true that the metal materials contained in this piece are required in matters beyond their price? Is it true that the sanctions imposed on Syria and Iran have made the theft of these materials a necessity now more than ever? A brigadier general in the Lebanese army turns the question to an expert in explosives, and the answer is: “It is true that it has been said that some of these materials contained in the catalyst are used in healing materials and in the manufacture of jewelry, but there are those who also benefit from them in converting them into an explosive. Rhodium, for example, is used for this purpose, but Because of its high price, few think about that, because the price of one gram of this coin is more than 421 US dollars. Modern cars can contain two grams of this substance. And thieves know its importance completely. Do our cars share the preparation of explosives? Is there anyone who is working to seize this valuable piece and send it outside the borders? MP Jamil said this. Lots of people whisper about this. As for what has been proven, according to the explosives expert, that some components of this piece can actually be used in the manufacture of explosives. However, someone pointed out that if this were true, the car would have exploded during “chapman” car exhaust welding? The question is valid, but the answer to it is that one of the properties of the materials contained in the catalyst is their ability to interact with very high temperatures exceeding 500 degrees Celsius. “Rhodium and platinum catalysts are used in the production of nitric oxide, raw materials for fertilizers, explosives, and nitric acid,” notes one expert. They are natural materials, and their mixture requires a brain that is understood in chemistry, and its seizure requires “long hands” that extend even under the eye of the sun on a piece we own and do not know its value. However, since today, let us take the words from the resigning deputy more seriously. Let us watch the “catalase” in our cars, just as we would care for an extravagant piece of jewelry.
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The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on November 06-07/2020

Muslim Brotherhood, Iran hopeful for a new Obama era
The Arab Weekly/November 06/2020
Their confidence in the benefits of a Biden victory seems exaggerated, according to analysts.
WASHINGTON – Muslim Brotherhood activists and media outlets have seemed very enthusiastic about the Democratic candidate Joe Biden's progress in US election results.
Analysts attributed this enthusiasm to their wish for an encore of their experience in the era of former President Barack Obama, during which they played a remarkable role riding the wave of the “Arab spring” uprisings. These analysts, however, note that Biden is not Obama, and that the American project of relying on the Brotherhood has gone with Obama, probably forever.
The Muslim Brotherhood media were not alone in celebrating Biden’s advantage so far. The Iranian media as well, and the pro-Tehran media in the Middle East seemed enthused by the results of the democratic candidate, not only to spite his rival Donald Trump, who has tightened the American siege of Iran and prevented it from exporting its oil, but also in the hope of bringing back the lenient treatment it enjoyed during the Obama era.
Pro-Muslim Brotherhood activists and media professionals in Egypt, Tunisia, Yemen and the Gulf states did not hide their prayers for a Biden victory.
They kept up with his results in each state, moment by moment, and mocked Trump's statements and his speech about fraud and resorting to the courts. It was as if Biden was the Muslim Brotherhood’s candidate and not the candidate of the American Democrats.
Lists of the expected victory spoils for the Muslim Brotherhood started appearing on Brotherhood and pro-Brotherhood media. They are hoping for US pressure to be exerted on Cairo to release Brotherhood leaders convicted in court cases related to terrorism and conspiracy against Egypt's security, as well as for pressure on the Arab quartet countries to lift their boycott of Qatar and restore relations with it.
From the outset, the Muslim Brothers did not hide their bias towards Biden. They presented him as a supporter of Islam and Muslims, highlighting the fact that he cites the Prophet’s hadiths, and as a fierce opponent of Islamophobia. American Islamic associations, such as the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) and the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), which are associated with the Muslim Brotherhood or are seen as close to it, promoted Biden’s candidacy among Americans and participated in his election campaign at state and national levels.
The Muslim Brothers are eying the benefits that could accrue to their American Islamist brothers through their “partnership” with Biden in case of the latter’s victory, such as obtainingf advisory roles, sealing their influence within the Muslim community, and lifting the authorities’ constant monitoring of their propaganda and financial activities. They are also betting on making gains for the mother organisation and its branches outside the United States.
The Brotherhood’s first objective, in case of a Biden victory, will be to enrol his administration to put pressure on Egypt and especially on President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, whom they’ve never stopped maligning. They will also seek to have the restrictions on Hamas lifted and to facilitate the militant organisation's access to donations and funds collected by the Brotherhood and its various affiliates for the benefit of the Islamist Palestinian organisation that the US had classified as a terrorist organisation.
Observers, however, say that it will be difficult for the Muslim Brothers and their supporters, especially Qatar, to regain the same advantages they enjoyed during the Obama period due to major changes in the region.
President Sisi, for example, has become an active actor in making arrangements in many issues related to the region, such as the Libyan or Palestinian or Sudanese files, or even in the new peace path between Israel and the Arab Gulf region.
Joe Biden has yet to outline, in case he’s elected, his strategy in the Middle East. But this strategy, analysts say, will not go against US interests and is unlikely to run against the stream of changes in the region. He will not do the opposite just to please the Muslim Brotherhood, Qatar or any other actor in the region. In addition, Biden's priorities will be to focus on the situation within the US and make arrangements in light of the emerging balances in the US House of Representatives and the Senate. He will strive to reassure the American public about the seriousness of the social reforms he intends to introduce.
Ellen Laipson, former US senior official and current director of security studies at George Mason University, believes that Biden will work to restore confidence within the US before sailing the waters of the Middle East.
In an article published by the opinion website Syndication Bureau, she pointed out that the Middle East is not the most urgent place for work on repairing US alliances, compared to Europe and Asia, noting that “Biden will be able to re-establish positive personal relationships with key Middle East leaders – with the likely exception of Saudi Arabia.”
Iran will also constitute a “tricky test” for a Biden administration, according to Laipson. “Simply restoring US adherence to the 2015 nuclear agreement will not suffice; Biden’s non-proliferation experts might take the lead in proposing amendments to the accord and working with allies to salvage it, while Iran’s regional behaviour would be the responsibility of regional officials in the State and Defence Departments,” she explained. Obama had worked during two presidential terms on the international rehabilitation of Iran and allowed it to enjoy the benefits of a favourable nuclear agreement that lifted the sanctions against it and gave it access to its frozen funds so that it would invest them in regional interventions threatening the security of the Gulf and the Middle East. Obama is accused of facilitating Iran's entry into Syria and of giving free hand to its allied militias in Syria, Iraq and Yemen.
Diplomats and political analysts believe that Iran’s confidence in the benefits of a Biden victory is exaggerated, noting that the US president does not take actions alone, and that he will implement policies that do not contradict the interests of the United States, especially in light of changes taking place in the region with the emergence of a new Saudi Arabia looking to build more balanced bi-lateral relations with Washington, as well as the start in the region of a momentum of peace agreements with Israel, which may expand to include more Gulf countries in the foreseeable future.
They say that the peace path has become a pressure card and a manoeuvring tool in the hands of the Gulf countries, in addition to obvious reforms undertaken in the field of human rights, rights of foreign labourers and women, and in internal democracy, especially in the area of freedom of belief such as allowing members of different religious communities living in the Gulf to build places of worship. All of these areas were cards used by the West to pressure the Gulf countries into accepting policies that were not compatible with their national interests.

US Election: Joe Biden on cusp of winning White House bid, Trump issues warning
Joseph Haboush, Al Arabiya English/Thursday 05 November 2020
Democratic nominee Joe Biden inched closer to winning his presidential bid on Friday after surpassing Republican nominee and incumbent President Donald Trump in key battleground states. Biden took the lead over Trump in Pennsylvania with a 0.1 percent advantage, around 5,000 votes. The former VP also overtook Trump in votes in the southern state of Georgia, but the president warned Biden against “wrongfully” claiming victory. But Georgia will recount votes from the election where Biden has eked out a razor-thin lead over Trump. “With a margin that small, there will be a recount in Georgia,” Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger told reporters in Atlanta. Pennsylvania and Georgia have 20 and 16 Electoral College votes, respectively. Biden, according to an Associated Press tally, sits on 264 Electoral College votes compared to Trump’s 214. To win, 270 votes are needed. However, Trump warned Biden against declaring himself a winner. “Joe Biden should not wrongfully claim the office of the President. I could make that claim also. Legal proceedings are just now beginning!” Trump tweeted. The Trump campaign released a statement earlier saying the election “is not over.”“The false projection of Joe Biden as the winner is based on results in four states that are far from final,” Trump Campaign General Counsel, Matt Morgan, said. Morgan alleged Biden was relying on the two states, in addition to Nevada and Arizona, “for his phony claim on the White House, but once the election is final, President Trump will be re-elected.”

US Election: Republicans ask Supreme Court to intervene in Pennsylvania, for Trump
AFP/Friday 06 November 2020
The Pennsylvania Republican Party asked the US Supreme Court Friday to halt the counting of late-arriving ballots in the state, as Democrat Joe Biden took a lead in the tally and was poised to defeat President Donald Trump. If Biden wins Pennsylvania he wins the presidency.
The last-ditch appeal for an emergency injunction asked the court to freeze the handling of thousands of mailed ballots -- most believed favoring Biden -- that arrived after election day on Tuesday, which Republicans say should be disqualified. The petition asks the court to order Pennsylvania election officials to sequester all the ballots received after Tuesday and take no action on them. The petition indicated that the Republican Party could ask the court to revisit a pre-election challenge to the Pennsylvania government’s decision to accept late-arriving ballots. “Given the results of the November 3, 2020 general election, the vote in Pennsylvania may well determine the next president of the United States,” they said. “It is unclear whether all 67 county boards of elections are segregating late-arriving ballots.”Republicans have been fighting for months a state decision to accept mailed-in ballots that are postmarked by November 3 and arrive within three days of election day -- that is, if they arrive by Friday. The state supreme court ruled the decision legal and it was then appealed in the federal system up to the Supreme Court. On October 19 the US high court, which had a vacant seat at the time, declined to take the case, splitting 4-4, conservatives vs. liberals But it also indicated it could take up the case after the vote, and now it has nine members after the Trump-nominated conservative Amy Coney Barrett joined in late October. The Republican request did not provide any evidence that the ballots are not being segregated already, but said that without a Supreme Court intervention, the Pennsylvania secretary of state could change the guidance given the 67 county boards. If the court does issue a stay and accepts the case, it has the potential of ruling invalid the late-arriving ballots, which the state is segregating from others at the moment. But it might not make a difference -- the number of late ballots might be significantly fewer than Biden’s lead over Trump in the state.

Trump Fraud Claims Meet with Limited Republican Criticism
Agence France Presse/Saturday 07 November 2020
Donald Trump's unfounded accusations of fraud in the U.S. presidential election have been condemned by some of his fellow Republicans, but top party figures have maintained their support. With results showing Democratic challenger Joe Biden edging closer to victory, Trump made a series of allegations without evidence on Thursday night in a speech that was widely condemned. Senator Mitt Romney, the former Republican presidential candidate who has been strongly critical of Trump, was among those speaking out.
"He is wrong to say that the election was rigged, corrupt and stolen," Romney said in a statement, while noting that Trump nevertheless had the right to pursue legal remedies if he had evidence of fraud. "Doing so damages the cause of freedom here and around the world, weakens the institutions that lie at the foundation of the republic, and recklessly inflames destructive and dangerous passions." But his stance was not shared by party leaders. On Friday morning, one of the country's most powerful Republicans, Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell, released a vague statement that did not condemn the president's bid to sow doubt over the counting process. "Here's how this must work in our great country: Every legal vote should be counted," he tweeted. "Any illegally submitted ballots must not. All sides must get to observe the process. And the courts are here to apply the laws & resolve disputes."The top Republican in the House of Representatives, Kevin McCarthy, said on Twitter it was "far from over. Republicans will not back down from this battle." Other Republicans who have also been strong supporters of Trump offered unqualified backing, including Senator Lindsey Graham, who said he was donating $500,000 to the president's legal defense fund. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas repeated some of the Trump team's allegations on the Fox News show hosted by Sean Hannity -- among the president's favorites. "I am angry and I think the American people are angry," Cruz said.
'Very disturbing'
But there were other voices of condemnation from Republicans. Senator Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania, whose state is a key battleground in the election and which has been the target of repeated Trump allegations, did so firmly. "The president's speech last night was very disturbing to me because he made very, very serious allegations without any evidence to support it," Toomey told CBS while also criticizing aspects of the vote count in Philadelphia. US Representative Will Hurd of Texas, a former CIA undercover officer, issued strong criticism, saying on Twitter that the unfounded allegations were "dangerous." "It undermines the very foundation this nation was built upon," he wrote. Illinois congressman Adam Kinzinger, who has regularly criticized Trump's language, wrote on Twitter: "STOP spreading debunked misinformation... This is getting insane." Republican strategist Karl Rove, who helped George W. Bush to victory in the 2000 race eventually decided by the US Supreme Court, said fraud involving hundreds of thousands of ballots would require a James Bond-like conspiracy. John Bolton, Trump's former national security advisor turned critic, said "we Republicans are facing a character test."
"All candidates are entitled to pursue appropriate election-law remedies if they have evidence supporting their claims," he wrote on Twitter.
"They should certainly not lie."
- 'Scoundrels' -
Many Republicans kept their distance, no doubt concerned with angering the man who will remain president until at least January 20 and who, regardless of the outcome, will maintain a strong following nationwide. Unlike Trump, Republicans senators were also in good position to maintain their control over the body based on Tuesday's results. A few stars of the party strayed ever so cautiously, including Senator Marco Rubio, who ran against and harshly criticized Trump during the 2016 Republican primaries before becoming a solid supporter. He did not condemn Trump's speech directly, choosing instead to point out a series of democratic principles. As he has done frequently, he also tweeted a biblical passage without further comment. "Scoundrels, villains, are they who deal in crooked talk. Proverbs 6:12," he wrote.
 

Despite Trump-Erdogan ties, Turkey says it will work with whoever wins US election
Reuters/Saturday 07 November 2020
Turkey is ready to work with whoever wins the U.S. election, two top Turkish officials said on Friday, despite a friendship with President Donald Trump that has helped the two countries through turbulent times. “Regardless of which candidate takes office in the U.S., we will pursue a sincere approach to improve our relations,” Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said. The decades-old partnership between the NATO allies has gone through unprecedented tumult in the past five years over disagreements on Syria policy, Ankara’s closer ties with Moscow, its ambitions in the eastern Mediterranean, U.S. charges against a state-owned Turkish bank and an erosion of rights in Turkey. Cavusoglu said Turkey had worked with Democrat and Republican administrations alike and overcome difficulties with both. He spoke as Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden took a narrow lead over President Donald Trump in the battleground state of Georgia, putting the White House within Biden’s reach as undecided states continued to count votes. Washington has threatened sanctions on Turkey for purchasing Russian missile defence systems but Trump’s administration has avoided imposing sanctions.
“Of course, individuals have an impact, positive and negative. The sincere friendship between our president and Mr. Trump continued through the most difficult times,” Cavusoglu said. Analysts say Turkey’s bilateral ties could suffer if Biden becomes U.S. president. The lira, which is already trading at a record low against the dollar, could come under more pressure. However Erdogan’s top aide, Vice President Fuat Oktay, said Ankara was not afraid of sanctions. “No country, including America, has the chance to implement a foreign policy, programme or policy in the region in spite of Turkey or by excluding Turkey,” Oktay told broadcaster A Haber.“Turkey is no longer a country which shrinks from, or is scared of, sanctions. Sanctions would increase further our resolve and our determination,” he said.

Cuba and Iran forge an alliance against US sanctions
AFP/Friday 06 November 2020
Cuba and Iran's foreign ministers met in Havana on Friday to reinforce their mutual support in the face of crippling US sanctions. Cuba's official newspaper Granma said Bruno Rodriguez and Iran's Mohammad Javad Zarif would mark "the mutual solidarity between both nations, faced with the toughening of sanctions by the current US administration on countries that don't bend to its will." US President Donald Trump's administration pulled out of the Iran nuclear agreement and has announced more than 130 measures to reinforce the embargo Cuba has faced since 1962. "Cuba will support the peaceful use of nuclear energy and technology to contribute to socio-economic development, and will condemn the decision of the United States government to unilaterally withdraw from... the Nuclear Agreement with Iran," added Granma. It said the US decision "violates the rules of coexistence between states, and could provoke serious consequences for stability and security in the Middle East." Zarif's visit to Cuba comes two days after he arrived in Venezuela, another regional ally subject to US sanctions. Granma said Zarif and Rodriguez "will talk about possible commercial links and cooperation" with Cuba's Deputy Prime Minister Ricardo Cabrisas. The US embassy in Havana responded to Zarif's visit with a Tweet from Washington's top diplomat in Latin America, Michael Kozak. "Iran's Zarif and the Castro regime have a lot in common: human rights abuses, authoritarianism, stealing Venezuela's wealth, and the propagation of their malign influence throughout the world. Their relationships underscore their lack of legitimacy," said Kozak. Granma said Zarif would end his visit to the region by attending the inauguration of Bolivia's president-elect Luis Arce on Sunday.

UN body calls on Iran to speed up investigation into downed passenger plane
AFP/Friday 06 November 2020
The UN aviation agency’s governing body Friday called on Iran to speed up its investigation into a Kiev-bound passenger plane mistakenly shot down in January and issue a final report. Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 crashed shortly after taking off from the Iranian capital’s main airport on January 8. The Islamic republic admitted days later that its forces accidentally shot down the plane, killing all 176 people on board, after firing two missiles amid heightened US-Iran tensions. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Council, backed by all 36 member states, issued a statement calling on Iran to “expedite the accident investigation.” “We have had several exchanges with the Iranian CAA (Civil Aviation Authority) in which we urged its authorities to expedite the accident investigation in accordance with ICAO Annex 13 provisions,” ICAO Council President Salvatore Sciacchitano said.
Annex 13 outlines that final accident reports should be issued within 12 months of a crash. Both Sciacchitano and Canadian Transport Minister Marc Garneau noted the “grief and expectations” of the families of Flight PS752 crash victims. Canada, which lost 55 nationals and 30 permanent residents in the crash, has demanded answers from Iran after Tehran’s “limited” initial report failed to explain why it fired missiles at the plane. Iran’s civil aviation authority has said the misalignment of an air defense unit’s radar system was the key “human error” that led to the plane’s downing. Iran last month vowed to reveal “detailed” information on the probe by the end of October.
 

Cairo Rejects Any Demographic Change in Syria
Cairo - Asharq Al-Awsat/Friday, 6 November, 2020
Egypt voiced on Thursday its rejection to any “forced demographic change” in Syria, stressing the need for a political solution along with a "decisive" move against terrorist organizations there. Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, in a meeting with UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen in Cairo, expressed his appreciation for his efforts to seek a political solution to the crisis in Syria. “The political solution shall go hand in hand with a decisive and effective response to armed terrorist organizations, especially in light of transferring the extremist fighters from Syria to other conflict zones in the region,” said Ahmed Hafez, a spokesman for the Egyptian Foreign Ministry, quoting Shoukry. The FM reiterated Egypt's stance that supports "a political settlement to the crisis based on UN Security Council Resolution 2254, in a manner that preserves the unity of Syria and the independence of its political decision.” The UN envoy expressed his appreciation for the balanced Egyptian role in Syria. Earlier on Thursday, Pedersen held discussions with Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul-Gheit at the organization's headquarters in Cairo, where they also stressed the importance of reaching a peaceful settlement in Syria.
 

Ankara Sets Up Military Base in Northern Raqqa, US Bolsters Troops in Deir Ezzor
Hasakah, Beirut – Kamal Sheikho, Asharq Al-Awsat/Friday, 6 November/2020
The Turkish and Russian forces on Thursday conducted a joint military patrol in Syria's Hasakah province while reports claimed that Ankara was establishing a military base in northern Raqqa. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) cited sources as reporting that four Turkish vehicles and four Russian ones "set off from Sherik crossing on Turkey border in the west of Al-Darbasiyyah and toured the villages of Dalek, Malak, Zahr Al-Arab and Kasra in Zarkan countryside." Escorted by two Russian helicopters, the patrol later "headed to the south-western countryside of Al-Darbasiyyah and took Al-Hasakah-Al-Darbasiyyah highway to the city’s southern part and Al-Ghanamiyyah area in the west, then it returned to Sherik." SOHR has said Turkish forces were setting up a new military base near the M4 road west of Ain Issa area in northern Raqqa province.
According to Observatory sources, Turkish forces are now stationed at five military bases near the M4 road: Kaffifa, Ain Rummana, Tina and Al-Rab’ea on the road between Ain Issa and Istirahat saqr, and the last one in western Ain Issa town. On October 21, the war-monitor reported that Turkish-backed factions were bringing in military reinforcement to Tel Abyad and Ain Issa countryside. Meanwhile, the US Army is building a new military base in the town of Baghouz (located in Abu Kamal District, Deir Ezzor), which was the last ISIS stronghold before it was defeated in March. A high-ranked officer said that the first step in establishing the base was equipping a helipad to secure logistical supplies for the base. The US Army deployed the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to a number of points around the under-construction base to protect it, he added.
This brings the total of US Army military sites to nine, four of them are in Deir Ezzor while five are in the Hasakah countryside. A prominent officer from SDF deemed these reinforcements as a direct message to Russia to abide by the de-escalation rules agreed upon between the two parties. It is also a message to the countries in the region that are active players in the Syrian war, such as Iran, to abstain from provocative actions in the northeast of Syria.

Egypt Sentences 59 Brotherhood Suspects Over 2013 Protest
Cairo - Asharq Al-Awsat/Friday, 6 November, 2020 - 07:00
An Egyptian court sentenced 59 suspected members of the Muslim Brotherhood to 15 years in prison on Thursday over the 2013 Rabaa al-Adawiya protest judicial source said. Seven other defendants were handed five-year sentences following the latest mass trial in the government's crackdown on the former ruling party, now blacklisted as a terror group. The court acquitted 29 of the accused. The charges related to a nearly six-week-long sit-in in the capital's Rabaa al-Adaweya Square was triggered by the overthrow of Mohamed Morsi. The charges in the Rabaa trial included organising or participating in the sit-in, blocking roads and the murder of security personnel ordered to disperse the protest.

Rabat, London Review Military Cooperation
Rabat- Asharq Al-Awsat/Friday, 6 November, 2020
Morocco and the UK on Thursday reviewed North African regional security situation, particularly in the Mediterranean area and the Sahel-Sahara region. The two countries also went over military cooperation, especially in the defense industry field. This came at separate meetings visiting British Minister of Armed Forces, James Heappey, held with Minister Delegate for National Defense Administration Abdeltif Loudyi, the Inspector General of the Royal Armed Forces (FAR), Lieutenant General Abdelfettah Louarak, and the Commander of the Royal Gendarmerie, Lieutenant General Mohamed Haramou. Following royal instructions issued by Mohammed VI, Loudyi received Heappey who is on a two-day working visit to the Kingdom, said a press release from the General Staff of the FAR. Heappey was accompanied by a delegation including Lt Gen. Sir John Lorimer, British Defense Senior Advisor to the Middle East and North Africa, and Simon Martin, British Ambassador to Rabat. During their talks, Heappey and Loudyi reviewed historic ties shared by London and Rabat. They also exchanged views on the regional security situation, particularly in the Mediterranean area and the Sahel-Saharan strip. Loudyi highlighted the continuous commitment and multidimensional strategy carried out by Morocco to fight the scourge of terrorism and emphasized the Kingdom’s humane management of the migration crisis. The two officials reiterated the two countries’ shared desire to further deepen bilateral “defense” cooperation, particularly in the defense industry, which could be integrated into a mutually beneficial perspective through sustainable partnerships for investment and industrial development. They also expressed ambition to initiate a dynamic cooperation in the area of cyber-security and cyber-defense. As for the meetings joining Heappey with Lt Gen Louarak and Lt Gen Haramou cooperation between the FAR and the British Armed Forces was hailed as strong and dynamic. They also reviewed the various aspects of military cooperation, including training of officers, sharing of experience and expertise, holding of joint drills, and exchange of visits between the two armies. Both sides voiced their shared desire to develop their cooperation relations and raise it to the same spirit of friendship and shared trust. Activities conducted in the frame of military cooperation between the two Kingdoms are scheduled annually according to a calendar established by a joint commission, which convenes alternately in Rabat and London.

Erbil Rages over PKK Attacks in Duhok
Erbil - Asharq Al-Awsat/Friday, 6 November, 2020
The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) on Thursday condemned the multiple attacks staged by forces of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in Duhok province, saying they crossed a “red line” and warranted retaliation. Seeking to de-escalate the situation, the PKK called on the KRG to seek dialogue to contain flaring tensions and prevent inner fighting. In the last few days, PKK guerillas launched three separate attacks that hit Peshmerga forces and oil and gas police stationed in Dohuk’s Chamanke district. A Peshmerga fighter was killed and eight others were injured. The KRG, in a statement, said the assaults constitute a dangerous and unjustifiable precedent that target the life and security of the Kurdistan region and its people. “Any attack of this kind is an attack on all our people and our legitimate institutions,” the KRG statement read, adding that “the attack of the PKK organization today crossed all red lines.”
“Peshmerga forces are responsible for protecting KRG territory and people, and any attack against them is an attack against the people,” the statement added. The statement went on to stress that the KRG will work to prevent any deterioration in the security situation in the region.
On Monday, Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) President Masoud Barzani warned against the fallout of the conflict raging between the PKK and Turkey near borders. Although Barzani prohibited Kurds fighting against each other, he called for preventing the PKK from imposing its will on the region.
The Kurdish leader also urged the PKK to abandon its hold of border areas. “Fighting is not in anyone's interest and what happened in Chamanke aimed to prevent Peshmerga forces from advancing closer to our camps,” Hiwa Zagros, the spokesperson for the Relations Committee of Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK), the armed wing of the PKK, told the press. In a written statement Thursday, Baghdad strongly condemned the PKK attacks. "The Iraqi government affirmed its strong rejection of the attack that took place inside Iraqi territory and considered it an assault on the country's sovereignty," according to a statement by the Office of Prime Minister Mustafa Kadhimi. The Baghdad government vowed to take measures “to put an end to the attacks that are a violation of the security and sovereignty of the country.”

The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on November 06-07/2020

Muslims: Al-Aqsa Mosque Does Not Belong to Palestinians
Khaled Abu Toameh/Gatestone Institute/November 06/2020
These Gulf Muslims are also demanding an end to the Palestinian "monopoly" over the Islamic holy site in Jerusalem."
"We will visit the Al-Aqsa Mosque because it does not belong to you, it belongs to all Muslims." — Laila Al-Awadhi, Emirati political activist.
"How wrong we were when we thought that Israel was preventing Muslims from visiting the Al-Aqsa Mosque." — Ali Al-Aslami, Emirati social media user, Twitter, October 19, 2020.
The furious response of these Muslims to the Palestinian assault on the Emirati delegation is yet another sign of the deepening crisis between the Palestinians and the Arab world, particularly the Gulf states.... Yet, once again, the Palestinians have opted for hating Israel and any Arab who seeks peace with it over improving their basic living conditions.
As far as the Palestinians are concerned, a Muslim who believes in Israel's right to exist is not entitled to enter the Temple Mount or pray at the Al-Aqsa Mosque. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas's ruling Fatah faction is spearheading a campaign to prevent Muslims from the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain from visiting the Temple Mount.
In the past few years, the Palestinians have regularly condemned Jews for visiting the Temple Mount/Haram Al-Sharif (Noble Sanctuary) in Jerusalem. The Palestinians depict the visits by Jews as "incursions" and claim that the visitors "defile" the Al-Aqsa Mosque when they enter the compound.
The Jewish visitors, however, do not set foot inside the mosque; they only tour the outdoor compound under the protection of the Israeli police. It is also worth mentioning that Palestinians often hurl insults at the Jewish visitors and try to physically assault them.
The Temple Mount is the holiest site in Judaism and the place toward which Jews turn during prayer. Among Sunni Muslims, the Temple Mount is considered the third holiest site in Islam.
The Palestinians are now saying that they are opposed not only to Jews visiting the holy site, but also to Muslims who believe in peace with Israel.
As far as the Palestinians are concerned, a Muslim who believes in Israel's right to exist is not entitled to enter the Temple Mount or pray at the Al-Aqsa Mosque. Why? In the world of the Palestinians, a Muslim or Arab who makes peace with Israel is a "traitor" who does not deserve to enter the compound. Although the site is sacred to all Muslims, the Palestinians have somehow convinced themselves that the Al-Aqsa Mosque is their private property and that they have the right to prevent other Muslims from praying there.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas's ruling Fatah faction is currently spearheading a campaign to prevent Muslims from the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain -- the two gulf states that recently signed peace agreements with Israel -- from visiting the Temple Mount.
The PA mufti in Jerusalem, Sheikh Mohammed Hussein, was the first to ban Muslims who believe in normalization with Israel from visiting the site. Hussein announced that Muslims who want to pray at the Al-Aqsa Mosque are welcome as long as they do not come through Israel.
He added that praying at the mosque is not permitted for Muslims who establish relations with Israel. In addition, he said, Palestinians are prohibited from receiving or dealing with any Muslim who believes in normalization with Israel.
Another senior Palestinian Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ekremah Sabri, said that the visits of Muslims who believe in peace with Israel to the holy site "are not less dangerous than the [Jewish] settlers' storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque."
Sabri pointed out that recent visits by UAE Muslims to the Temple Mount and Jerusalem "are a clear result of the crime of normalization" with Israel. He added: "It is shameful for those delegations to come under Israeli protection."
Monir al-Jaghoub, a senior Fatah official, warned that Palestinians would throw an "old shoe in the faces" of Muslims who enter Jerusalem under Israeli protection.
This is one of the few issues that Fatah seems to agree on with its rivals in the Palestinian Islamist movement, Hamas.
"This condemned visit is a disregard for the feelings of the peoples of our Arab and Islamic nation, and an encouragement for the Zionist occupation to make more and more continuous incursions into the Al-Aqsa Mosque," Abdel-Latif Al-Qanou, a spokesman for Hamas, told Anadolu Agency. "The entry of a Gulf delegation to the Al-Aqsa Mosque under Israeli protection is a stab in the back of our Palestinian people."
Those threats are the reason why Palestinians insulted and expelled an Emirati delegation that visited the Al-Aqsa Mosque on October 19. Were it not for the presence of Israeli policemen and security guards, the visit would have ended in an ugly manner with violence or bloodshed.
The threats and abuse by the Palestinians have drawn sharp criticism from several Muslims, especially those living in the Gulf states. These Muslims, offended and humiliated by the Palestinians' rhetoric and provocations, have retorted by condemning the Palestinian "thugs" who harass and insult Muslim worshippers during their visit to the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
These Gulf Muslims are also demanding an end to the Palestinian "monopoly" over the Islamic holy site in Jerusalem. They are saying in effect: "The Al-Aqsa Mosque belongs to all Muslims, and not only the Palestinians." Others have gone as far as calling for "liberating" the Al-Aqsa Mosque from the hands of Palestinian "thugs."
Saudi journalist and author Abdel Rahman Al-Lahim:
"It is very important for the Emiratis and Bahrainis to discuss with Israel ways of liberating the Al-Aqsa Mosque from Palestinian thugs in order to protect visitors from Palestinian thuggery."
Al-Lahim wrote defiantly on Twitter:
"I will continue, with the help of God, to expose Palestinian thugs and confront them to protect the Al-Aqsa Mosque from these bastards. We will remind the world of their (the Palestinians') terrorist crimes in Jordan and Lebanon."
Commenting on the humiliation of the members of the UAE delegation during their visit to Jerusalem, Saudi writer and media personality Abdullah Al-Bander accused the Palestinians of ingratitude toward Arab countries that supported the Palestinians. The Palestinians, he noted, "insulted and cursed Muslims inside a mosque. The UAE is one of the largest countries, after Saudi Arabia, that supported the Palestinian people in providing aid to the United Nations Relief and Work Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA)."
Saudi political analyst Sattam Al-Harthi denounced the Palestinians' abusive response to the visit of the Emirati delegation. He "expected," he said, "the Palestinians to greet their Arab brothers with flowers and open their homes to them."
Emirati political activist Laila Al-Awadhi asked: "Are these the Palestinian ethics of hospitality? Is it one of the fundamentals of religion to insult the mosque? Are these the morals of the Arabs?" Addressing the Palestinians, she added: "We will visit the Al-Aqsa Mosque because it does not belong to you, it belongs to all Muslims."
Emirati writer Yaqoub Al-Rayss accused Hamas "mercenaries" of being behind the assault on the Muslims who visited the mosque in Jerusalem. "Here you see that the story is not about religion and ethics much as it is a malevolent Muslim Brotherhood ideology," he remarked. (Hamas is an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood.)
Ali Al-Aslami, an Emirati social media user, replied to Al-Rayss: "How wrong we were when we thought that Israel was preventing Muslims from visiting the Al-Aqsa Mosque."
Ahmed Nasir, in an article published in the weekly UAE newspaper Al-Ain, accused Qatar, Turkey and the Palestinians of hypocrisy and "trafficking" in the Palestinian issue. Nasir pointed out that the visit of the Emirati delegation to the Al-Aqsa Mosque "came as one of the fruits of the peace treaty signed by the UAE and Israel on September 15, and as an Emirati message to the Palestinians and that the treaty supports their issue."
Qatar and Turkey, Nasir added, "tried to disrupt the visit, distort its objectives and attack it as part of a despicable scheme to thwart and distort the UAE's peace efforts." He pointed out that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and a Qatari minister visited the mosque in the past but were not insulted by the Palestinians.
"The traffickers in the Palestinian issue are inciting against the UAE only because it has begun to search for practical solutions that contribute to the spread of security and stability, and the restoration of legitimate Palestinian rights," Nasir argued.
The furious response of these Muslims to the Palestinian assault on the Emirati delegation is yet another sign of the deepening crisis between the Palestinians and the Arab world, particularly the Gulf states. It is obvious that the arrival of tourists to Jerusalem boosts the economy at a time when the city is facing economic hardship due to coronavirus restrictions. Yet, once again, the Palestinians have opted for hating Israel and any Arab who seeks peace with it over improving their basic living conditions.
There is an additional aspect to the angry reaction of these Muslim and Arab writers: some Muslims feel safer visiting a mosque under Israeli protection than without it. Israeli policemen have protected Muslims who were visiting a mosque from being attacked by other Muslims -- for supposedly promoting normalization with Israel. No wonder, then, that Gulf Muslims are now demanding an end to the exclusive control Palestinians that wield over the third-holiest site in Islam.
*Khaled Abu Toameh, an award-winning journalist based in Jerusalem, is a Shillman Journalism 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.
 

Turkey: The Return of Demons
Amir Taheri/Asharq Ak Awsat/November 06/2020
“Our past was in Asia but our future is in Europe!” This was how Mesut Yilmaz portrayed his vision for Turkey in a panel debate in Davos in the 1990s. At the time Yilmaz, who died last week at the age of 73, was one of the rising stars of Turkish politics and a generation that seemed destined to complete a revolution that had started in the 1880s in the Ottoman Empire. That revolution had aimed at transforming the moribund empire into a modern Western-style state capable of reversing more than a century of decline that had earned the caliphate the sobriquet of “Sick man of Europe.”
By the start of the 20th century, however, it had become clear that building a modern European-style state, based on the Westphalian principles, required the existence of a nation also in the European sense of the term; an impossible task as long as the Ottoman state remained a multi-national empire whose legitimacy was based on religion which, by definition, excludes the very concept of a nation-state.
The First World War and the disintegration of the Ottoman Empire provided the space in which the military and intellectual elite, led by Mustafa Kemal Pasha (Ataturk) could invent a nation to fit the modern Western-style state they wished to forge. With help from French linguists, new Turkey adopted a new alphabet based on the Latin, purged its language of as many Persian and Arabic words as possible and seized control of religious institutions in the name of secularism.
By the 1980s Turkey had all trappings of a Western-style nation-state. It was also a valued ally in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and a candidate for full membership of the European Economic Community (later the European Union). As a minister and then prime minister on three occasions Yilmaz played a crucial role in negotiations with the Europeans, often with a mixture of naiveté and pessimism.
Yilmaz and his generation of Turkish politicians ignored two facts.
First, while post-caliphate Tukey had acquired the trappings of a Western-style nation-state, it was saddled with a pre-modern largely rural economic system based on state control and rentier abuse. Thanks to wide-ranging reforms started by Turgot Ozal and continued by Recep Tayyib Erdogan, albeit erratically, Turkey managed to put its economy on a path to modernisation, often by adopting criteria set by the European Union.
The second fact that Yilmaz and his generation ignored was their failure to develop a modern political culture without which a modern state structure and economy could be used, and abused, in the service of pre-modern and undemocratic narratives and projects. This is what has happened under Erdogan in the latest phase of his saga. In that phase Erdogan has transformed Turkey from a candidate for EU membership and an aspirant to a front-seat position in the Western world into a challenger, not to say troublemaker, with an increasingly virulent anti-West discourse.
This reversal of course has led to the return of some old demons.
The first of these demons is an authoritarianism of the kind practised by Sultan Salim, the most controversial of Ottoman caliphs. Increasingly, Erdogan is trying to rule Turkey by fiat, often ignoring even a minimum of formal deference to his Cabinet, the parliament or even his own political party. At times ministers are surprised to learn about new decisions through the media rather than through official decision-making channels. In some key domains, notably foreign policy, Erdogan has established a pattern of personal politics closer to Third World style despotism than modern democratic politics.
The second demon returning to haunt Turkish politics is the quest for legitimacy based on religious pretensions. Thus, Erdogan is now masquerading as a “ghazi” (holy warrior) and designating anyone who dares challenge his policies as “an enemy of the only true faith.”
Some commentators, including this one (mea culpa maxima culpa), have described Erdogan’s project as neo-Ottoman. However, it is now clear that what he offers is fake-Ottomanism rather than the old Ottoman in a new bottle. The Ottoman Empire was a multi-national, multi-faith space that often accepted, if not encouraging, a good measure of diversity even in cultural and personal and legal domains whereas Erdogan pursues the mirage of conformity under his rule.
The third demon is that of empire-building.
Though empire-builders of the first order, the Ottomans were always careful not to bite more than they could chew. Erdogan, however, is leading Turkey into empire-building adventures which it does not want and cannot afford. Turkey is now deeply involved in Cyprus, Libya, the Balkans and, more recently, Transcaucasia where it risks direct conflict with Russia and Iran. It has provoked a potentially dangerous stand-off with Greece and France in the Aegean Sea and launched a war of words with the European Union as a whole. Ostensibly, Turkey’s beef is about old maritime demarcation lines that deny it the right to tap underwater oil and gas resources. What Erdogan does not realize is that the potential market for those resources is the very European Union he is now casting as enemy. In any case the disputed resources cannot be tapped without massive investment from the West not to mention the technology needed.
In Black Africa, Turkey is trying to gain a footstep with a mixture of bribery and religious propaganda. Erdogan’s empire-building project has also led him into deeper involvement with the remnants of the Muslim Brotherhood, and through them, with Jihadist adders that could one day decide to sting Turkey itself. Copying the Khmeinists who have created their foreign legions in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Yemen, Erdogan is recruiting mercenaries among the Turcoman in Iraq and local jihadists in the Syrian province of Idlib.
Finally, the demon of corruption is also back with a grand entry into Turkish politics and business. To be sure, corruption existed in both the Ottoman Empire and the Kemalist republic that replaced it in Asia Minor. But in both cases some limits were kept in the name of religious probity or national interest. Now, however, corruption is going beyond all bounds, going beyond the old limit set by a United Nations study in the 1970s after which it becomes a way of life rather than a mere aberration.
Yilmaz and many in his generation of Turkish politicians proved to be false preachers of a gospel of Westernisation. Indirectly helped by Eurocentric politicians like Jacques Chirac, who still saw “the Turk” as a menace for Christendom, they missed the opportunity of final reconciliation with a continent of which Turkey has been an integral part for millennia.
By promoting a strategic break with Europe, Erdogan is leading Turkey into the unknown, with demons whispering in his ears.

Trump Is Gone but 'Trumpism' Is Here to Stay
Elias Harfoush/Asharq Ak Awsat/November 06/2020
Donald Trump’s term wasn’t expected to end in typical fashion, like all other presidential terms end. Trump wasn’t a typical president, neither in his political behavior nor in the way he had governed as president. He dealt with this position as though it were his personal property, granted to him by the American people to rectify the “imbalances” in the manner in which the political class had been running the country from their “Washington swamp.” This “imbalance,” as he used to call it, went back two centuries, as he said in his inaugural speech four years ago.
For this reason, it was difficult for Trump to accept that the American people had made the “mistake” of removing from the White House. In the past, he has said, earnestly, that it would be impossible for him to lose unless the election is rigged. And here he is now, fulfilling his promise and taking the electoral battle to the courtrooms in the hopes of retrieving some of the votes he had lost in the ballot box.
Many American and Western pundits, as well as others from around the world, made the mistake of underestimating the extent of Trump’s influence on American political life and downplaying the breadth of his popularity. This mistake was made by pollsters, who failed to assess this popularity accurately. But the Democratic Party’s top-brass made this mistake as well. They reckoned that the Trump phenomenon was fleeting a wind that had passed through American life four years ago, and they were betting on the American people ending that phenomenon in this election by voting against him in massive numbers. Thus, the Democrats thought they had done enough with their campaigns against Trump, which were focused on his incompetent management of the epidemic and the ensuing economic downturn, as well as the accusations that the US President pandered to white racists and the campaigns launched against him by African Americans, all while he was being attacked by the majority of American media networks and the press. They expected a sweeping victory, a so-called “blue wave” to sweep through states across the countries.
The election results came to demonstrate that things weren’t so simple. True, the turnout, around 70 percent of the electorate, was exceptionally high, and Joe Biden did receive that highest ever number of votes in a presidential election, 71 million, 3 million more votes than Trump received. But it is also true Trump garnered votes from groups that hadn’t supported him four years ago and that many states were closely contested. Biden won razor-thin majorities in most of them. The African American vote, which the Democratic candidate had been betting on because of the accusations that Trump is prejudiced against them, were not all in his favor. The same is true for Americans of Spanish or Latino origin, whom Trump had been accused of marginalizing because of the wall on the border with Mexico. On top of that, Trump garnered support from the Midwest’s working class and its farmers, traditionally the Democratic Party’s base. Finally, he also got votes from white voters who were drawn to his slogan, “protecting law and order,” which he raised in the face of the protests that erupted in several American cities.
The results indicate that the war on the coronavirus pandemic and George Floyd’s murder are not these constituents’ central concerns. Instead, they are concerned with the economy, improving their living conditions, and avoiding an economic collapse similar to the one that hit in 2008.
Slogans that appeal to the public on security, the economy, and living conditions struck a chord with many Americans and prevented the Democrats from making the massive gains that they had been dreaming about. It secured the support of a broad class of Americans who rallied around Trump in greater numbers than they had four years ago in some states. It is no longer tenable to accuse Russia of playing a role in his victory, just as it is no longer possible to consider Trump’s emergence to have been a fleeting phenomenon. Media outlets now unreluctantly use the term “Turmpism” to describe a movement that can be compared to “Obamanism,” a unique and historical phenomenon in US politics.
Rallying behind Trump has led to the emergence of a deep schism in American society, which is split approximately in half between his supporters and those of Joe Biden, who announced that he expects to win the election. This split will be the result and the real “legacy” of Trump’s term, which Biden has to carry on his shoulders at seventy-seven years of age. This split also reflects on congress, where the Democrats failed to regain control of the Senate and lost seats in the House. This will constrain Biden’s hand and prevent him from passing the legislation that could nullify some of Trump’s decrees.
Of course, Biden promised to be the president of all Americans, that there would be no “Blue America” and “Red America,” but the United States of America. But promises are one thing, and fulfilling them is another. The bruises that will stay on the US’s face after the legal battles to determine the elections’ results are resolved will not be easily overcome. Nor will it be easy for the Republican Party to get rid of the legacy left by “Trumpsim,” even if they wanted to. It is an extraordinary page in American history written by Donal Trump.

Mass Testing Could Be a Covid Game Changer
Therese Raphael/Bloomberg/November 06/2020
Until a vaccine arrives, the world has to find a way to live with Covid-19 and without lockdowns. One approach gaining currency is testing entire populations with new tests that deliver near-instant results. Slovakia just used such rapid diagnostic tests on 3.6 million people — two-thirds of its population — in two days. Now Boris Johnson is piloting a similar program in Liverpool. Starting Friday, the northern English city is offering all residents and workers what is referred to as a “rapid antigen test,” to screen as much of the population for the virus as possible. Individuals can perform their own nasal swab and the result comes in as little as 15-30 minutes. Some 2,000 military personnel are being brought in to help out. If the experiment goes well, the government could distribute millions of the tests to other parts of the country before Christmas.
The stakes for Johnson are enormous. Britain just posted its highest death rate from the virus since May and Liverpool has the country’s highest rate of infection. Many in Johnson’s own Conservative Party are furious about the month-long national lockdown starting Thursday. Rapid testing, the prime minister told Parliament this week, “could be a massive and possibly decisive use to us in this country in defeating the virus.”
The claim isn’t entirely hype. Done properly, mass testing has the potential to bring infection rates down and give people the ability to gather more freely again. But it’s no silver bullet. Rapid diagnostic tests have to be folded into a much stronger program of regular testing, contact tracing and isolation. At the moment, the UK’s test and trace system is failing.
There is also a danger that the government will undermine the program by overselling it. Although the rapid antigen tests being used are cheaper and faster than the gold-standard polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests, their drawback is accuracy. They rely on the same technology — what’s called a lateral flow immunoassay — that’s used in a basic pregnancy test. But these detect a protein on the surface of the virus, which is trickier than detecting viral RNA and can produce false results. Indeed, the US Food and Drug Administration warned just this week that antigen testing in nursing homes was throwing up false positives (largely, it seems, through failing to follow instructions).
While the test being used in Liverpool — produced by the Chinese company Innova Medical Group, Inc. — is reported to identify those who do not have the disease 99.9% of the time, its ability to identify people with Covid is lower. The company reports a 96% accuracy on this front, but that still leaves a lot of people who are falsely told they are negative. This means a lot of people circulating in the community who have the disease but have been given a Covid-free sticker.
One complaint (including from the Royal Statistical Society) is that the government hasn’t made its evidence base for the testing plans clear. Never one to undersell an initiative, Johnson’s plans seem to be asking more of the test than it was designed for. Innova’s Directions for Use pamphlet says the test is designated for people who have symptoms and who are in the first five days of those symptoms. However, Johnson has encouraged everyone to get tested, whether or not they are symptomatic.
“The whole point of mass screening is to pick up people who are asymptomatic or presymptomatic. And we have no data at all on how well this test picks up those people,” says Jon Deeks, a professor of biostatistics at the University of Birmingham Institute of Applied Health Research.
Innova also warns that false negatives are more likely in areas where the prevalence of Covid is high, which is certainly the case in Liverpool. “If you are using these tests to see whether your rugby team is safe to play with each other and you are missing cases, then you suddenly end up with a rugby team that is sick,” says Deeks.
Some scientists argue that if testing is widespread enough and repeated regularly, lower accuracy is not a problem. The argument is partly that repeat tests will catch some missed infections — it’s a volume game. According to a model published recently by the National Bureau of Economic Research, rapid tests could save tens of thousands of lives in the US and boost GDP even at lower levels of accuracy and even where compliance with isolating is low. But such models rely on assumptions that need testing in community settings.
One thing is clear: Using a standard PCR test to confirm (at least some of) the antigen test results would establish a more accurate picture of who has the disease, especially among asymptomatic people. That would also aid research and modelers, and help the government adjust the testing program accordingly. Unfortunately, there are no plans to employ such an approach in Britain. If enough people get tested, there’s reason to hope that antigen tests can make a difference in areas like Liverpool and eventually in larger-scale use. But their value as a potential game changer for Johnson will be limited if they are not tied to major improvements to contact tracing and isolating during the course of this lockdown. A more comprehensive strategy is the only way to bring back some normalcy.

How Vote-Counting Became a Job for the States
Cass R. Sunsteinl/Bloomberg/November 06/2020
The current confusion and anxiety surrounding presidential vote-counting, with different states using different rules and procedures, make it natural to wonder: Wouldn’t it have been better to let the federal government oversee the process?
The framers of the US Constitution didn’t think so, for reasons of principle. Some of the foundations of their thinking can be found in the Federalist Papers, written mostly by Alexander Hamilton and James Madison (with a few by John Jay), among the greatest works in all of political science and the most important contemporaneous explanation of the framers’ thinking.
Federalist No. 51, written by Madison, may be the best of the 86 essays, and it speaks, with great specificity, to the situation following this week’s national election. The least famous passage in that essay, and the most relevant today, is about one thing: federalism. It tells us a lot about how to think about vote-counting — and about the role of the president and Congress in that process.
The essay is mostly a celebration of the system of checks and balances. As Madison put it, “Dependence on the people is, no doubt, the primary control on the government; but experience has taught mankind the necessity of auxiliary precautions.” The system of separated powers — Congress, the president, the judiciary — provides some of those precautions. But that was not nearly enough. Madison drew attention to “considerations particularly applicable to the federal system of America.” Ours is a “compound republic,” he wrote, in the sense that “the power surrendered by the people is first divided between two distinct governments.” There is the national government, and then there are the states, and this division creates essential security for “the rights of the people.” In important cases, “the different governments will control each other.”
These are abstract ideas, but they bear directly on presidential elections, and they help explain the constitutional provisions that govern them.
Under Article II, the states are plainly in charge. A central goal was to ensure the integrity of the election process, which would be badly endangered if a sitting president, or his allies in Congress, could engage in self-dealing. The 12th Amendment, ratified in 1804, says more about the process, but similarly ensures that the fundamental questions will be settled by state officials and state law. Madison had this to say in The Federalist No. 10: “No man is allowed to be a judge in his own cause, because his interest would certainly bias his judgment, and, not improbably, corrupt his integrity.” Under the Constitution, the president has no power at all over the electoral process. The role of Congress is narrowly circumscribed.
It is true that the Constitution leaves many open questions. To answer them, much of the governing law is now provided by the Electoral Count Act of 1887, which maintains continuity with the idea of a “compound republic,” and whose principal goal was again to reduce the role of national authorities.
As one member of Congress said during the legislative debates, “The political conscience is a flexible and elastic rule of action that readily yields to the slightest pressure of party exigencies.” He added that when “the great office of President is at stake ... it would be expecting too much of human nature, under the tyranny of party, to omit any opportunity to accomplish its ends, more especially under that loose code of morals which teaches that all is fair in politics, as in war or in love.”
This is not the place to describe the technicalities of that 19th century election law, which may or may not prove to be relevant to the 2020 presidential contest. The larger point is that under the act, state law is what governs, whether it is Nevada’s, Arizona’s, Pennsylvania’s or Georgia’s. Congress has the authority to intervene only under narrowly defined circumstances (as, for example, when a state’s electors vote for someone who is too young to be eligible for the presidency).
The president’s own power is weaker still. He has none at all. (Pause over that, if you would.) The reason is again clear: He cannot be allowed to pick his successor — and if his own job is at stake, he cannot be trusted at all.
People don’t march under banners these days that cry out, “Compound republic!” But for national elections, the allocation of authority to state officials is a crucial safeguard against bias, self-dealing and corruption. We’re seeing that now. It’s hardly perfect, but it is creating, in real time, some security for “the rights of the people.”

Erdogan’s Comrades and Getting Rid of the ‘Shame’
Hanna Saleh/i/Asharq Ak Awsat/November 06/2020
What is going on in Turkey?
Is the truth finally coming out? Have the years and years of propaganda about prosperity and growth under the Justice and Development Party’s rule finally been exposed? More importantly, has President Erdogan run out of ways to cover up the internal financial, social, and economic collapse that Turkey is undergoing? Is waging direct military wars in two continents and recruiting mercenaries, with bribes or extremist recipes perfected by the Muslim Brotherhood, all he can do to cover up this collapse? Rounding up thousands of Syrian refugees and sending them off to serve Ankara’s expansionist tendencies, which have become synonymous with Erdogan’s dreams of tampering with borders and plundering countries’ resources?
Erdogan has sent mercenaries and extremists to Azerbaijan to fight Armenians in Karabakh, transferred mercenaries and armed forces to Libya and mobilized the Grey Wolves in France, establishing an unfamiliar state of affairs: a parallel society that mimics that of France, to meddle with the affairs of other countries. He has also continued his war with Kurds in Northeast Syria and Iraq’s Qandil Mountains. In parallel, the eastern Mediterranean situation will continue to escalate as Turkey strives to seize a share of the oil and gas, even if this puts the region on the brink of a military confrontation with Greece. This approach, which seeks to focus on foreign affairs in order to divert attention from internal conflicts, has failed to cover up Turkey’s imminent collapse, ensuing from the Turkish lira’s devaluation, increased inflation, and the rising unemployment, as over 15 million Turks find themselves without a job!
In a shocking report, a Turkish cultural organization indicated that 100 well-known musicians, who are supposedly from a distinct social group, had attempted suicide between March and the end of summer. The reason behind this increase in suicide attempts is a sense of powerlessness streaming from a feeling that they hit a brick wall, left without work and with no opportunities in sight. And the more one observes developments in Turkey, the more one discovers that independent data and polls suggest despondency and fear of the future is widespread among Turks. This has led to an increase in suicide rates, sometimes escalating to take the form of mass suicide.
Official figures demonstrate that between the beginning of 2018 and the end of 2019, 566 people committed suicide, and attempts were in the thousands. The repeated collective suicides reflect feelings of total paralysis and endless despair. These suicides appear to prove that the official policies totally disregard people’s concerns and pain. A few months ago, a sign hanging on the door of a residential apartment shocked the residents of Istanbul’s Fatih; it read: “Warning, the apartment is littered with cyanide. Tell the police. Do not enter the apartment.” The police arrive and found four siblings’ corpses; two men and two women, between 48 and 60 years of age! Toward the end of October, residents in Bakirkoy, Istanbul, complained about a chemical smell emanating from an apartment. The police stormed it and found three bodies, a 38-year-old jeweller, his wife and their six-year-old child. The lethal poison was cyanide. Days earlier, the bodies of a family of four who had committed suicide using cyanide were found; among them was a five-year-old. Next to the bodies was a letter from the father: “I ask for forgiveness, but there’s nothing I can do”!
At the same time, the scene of women in their twilight years gathering around garbage bins in search of leftover food in the garbage has become familiar in Turkish cities.
The monetary and economic policies pursued by Berat Albayrak (Erdogan’s son-in-law), which prioritize the narrow interests of the president’s family and those of some of the influential people close to him, have recently led to a dramatic increase in poverty. More than 20 million Turks now live in poverty, while a similar number is tittering on the edge. Another 4 million Turks live on modest state support.
Meanwhile, the Turkish Central Bank, which owes around 170 billion dollars while its reserves have declined to 40 billion dollars, is under pressure from the sharp collapse of the Turkish currency’s exchange rate with the US dollar... and investors’ increased anxiety about their investments.
The collapse didn’t start over the last two years; rather, it started early on in Erdogan’s presidential term, after he amended the constitution and came to have extensive powers, among them are promoting and appointing university deans and judges... A new Turkey emerged, turning the page on the zero problems era and entering an era of open conflict with its surroundings, near and far. The former invigorated investment, collaborative projects and employment, and Turkey became a major destination for European and Gulf tourism, and we’re talking about millions of tourists who spend heavily...
All of that was brought to an end by the advent of a populism fixated on promoting neo-Ottomanism, a return to “Greater Turkey”, and the establishment of an “Ottoman Crescent” that is compatible with the Persian crescent and doesn’t collide with it. The plan implies ripping countries apart, violating their sovereignty, and recklessly interfering with Arab states’ affairs.
Among its other actions, Turkey has deprived Iraq and Syria of their water rights, and it has blackmailed European countries, repeatedly using the Syrian refugee card. It extends to the states that were formed out of the Soviet Union’s collapse. This approach has led his former and ally and current rival, Ali Babacan, to declare that Erdogan has brought shame to Turkey because of his foreign interventions. Babacan says the meddling has isolated the country from its neighbors in the region, aside from isolating it internationally, pledging that Turkey will free itself of this shame.
After 17 years in power in Turkey, the Justice and Development Party has become akin to the Baath parties in Syria and Iraq. That is, a kinship network of relatives, subordinates and reliable sycophants. The result is that funds are made available to buy S-400, but not wheat. Turkey’s priority has become to bring down the authoritarian reign that has brought hunger, blood and shame. And the latest local elections demonstrate that the potential for change is greater now than it has ever been.