LCCC
ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
November 30/2019
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
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Bible Quotations For today
Woe to you who are full
now, for you will be hungry. ‘Woe to you who are laughing now, for you will
mourn and weep
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke
06/20-26/:”Jesus looked up at his disciples and said: ‘Blessed are you who are
poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. ‘Blessed are you who are hungry now, for
you will be filled. ‘Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. ‘Blessed
are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame
you on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice on that day and leap for joy, for
surely your reward is great in heaven; for that is what their ancestors did to
the prophets. ‘But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your
consolation. ‘Woe to you who are full now, for you will be hungry. ‘Woe to you
who are laughing now, for you will mourn and weep. ‘Woe to you when all speak
well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets.”
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese &
Lebanese Related News published on November 29-30/2019
Protests at VAT, BDL as Uprising Enters Day 44
Lebanon central bank to take needed steps amid crisis: Banking official
Aoun Chairs Baabda Financial Meeting Boycotted by Hariri
Report: Hizbullah Asks Aoun to 'Postpone' Consultations
Reports: Khatib's Chances Still High, Aoun, Shiite Duo Still Open to Hariri's
Return
Khatib Chances Reportedly Surge as He Says Hariri Talks Not Negative
Kubis Discusses 'Urgently Needed' Measures with Salameh
Ministry of Defense: Military units receive orders from army command only
El Hassan, Kubis tackle current situation
Citizens Block Roads with Vehicles in Protest at Fuel Crisis
Groups Split over ‘Welcoming, Repatriating’ Refugees
Press Conference Sheds Light on Fake Cancer Medications
Protesters gather in Lebanon’s Zahle, Beirut amid PM speculation
Titles For The Latest English LCCC
Miscellaneous Reports And News published on November 29-30/2019
A proposed long-term
Iraq PM announces resignation after call from top Shiite cleric, Friday's death
toll rises
US says Iraqi leaders must address grievances after PM quits
British police shoot suspect in London Bridge terrorist incident, government
sources say two dead
Several Injured after Stabbing near London Bridge
Toll rises to 15 protesters dead in south Iraq clashes: Medics
Iraq top cleric al-Sistani condemns attacks on peaceful protesters, rejects
govt
Iraqi prime minister says he will resign: Statement
Iraq protests continue after judiciary opens investigation into deaths
Three killed in Iraq’s Nasiriyah, sending protest toll over 400: Sources
At least 50 ‘rioters’ arrested in Iran for alleged links to protests
Syria constitutional talks end without consensus on agenda: UN envoy
Russia tries to block new Syria chemical weapons probe
Omar al-Bashir’s NCP condemns Sudan ‘illegal govt’ move to dissolve party
Sudan approves law to ‘dismantle’ former regime of Omar al-Bashir
Titles For The Latest LCCC English analysis &
editorials from miscellaneous sources published on November 29-30/2019
Untouchable No More: Hezbollah’s Fading Reputation/Rebecca Collard/Foreign
Policy/November 29/2019
Lebanese teachers bring the revolution to class/Nessryn Khalaf/Annahar/November
29/2019
Hosting 'Green Friday' during Lebanon's uprising/Chiri
Choukeir/Annahar/November 29/2019
No clear solutions stem from emergency meeting as fears of fuel shortage
mount/Georgi Azar/Annahar/November 29/2019
Hezbollah threatens the peaceful and non-sectarian protests in Lebanon/Robert
Fisk/Independent/November 29/2019
*A proposed long-term Gaza truce brings Hamas back to Judea & Samaria. The
IDF would go for it/DebkaFile/November 29/2019
Analysis/Where Netanyahu Sees an Iranian Threat, His New Defense Chief Sees an
Opportunity/Amos Harel/Haaretz/November 29/2019
France: "We Want to Regain Control of Our Migration Policy"/Soeren
Kern/Gatestone Institute/November 29/2019
Tehran's leaders will be tempted to attack Gulf states again to divert
attention from their domestic woes/Con Coughlin/The National/November 29/2019
The U.S. Must Blunt Russia’s Adventurism in Libya/Ben Fishman/Bloomberg/The
Washington Institute/November 29/2019
Arabic song travels from Detroit to Dhahran/Tala Jarjour/Arab News/November
29/2019
Objections to Aramco listing ring hollow/Abdulrahman Al-Rashed/Arab
News/November 29/2019
The Latest English LCCC Lebanese &
Lebanese Related News published on November 29-30/2019
Protests at VAT, BDL as
Uprising Enters Day 44
Naharnet/November 29/2019
For the 43rd day in a row, protesters demanding an overhaul of the political
class continue to pressure politicians into responding to their demands for a
new government and termination of corruption. A group of protesters gathered
early on Friday, for the second day, near the Finance Ministry’s VAT building
in Adlieh. They blocked the entrance to the building preventing access for
employees. “Our revolution is peaceful and targets the corrupt. We consented to
requests asking us not to block the streets, our moves target major state
institutions and banking and financial institutions,” one protester said in
remarks to LBCI reporter. “Lebanese pay government taxes but don't get services
or any balanced growth in return. Tax evasion in
Lebanon central bank to take needed steps amid crisis:
Banking official
Reuters, Beirut/Friday, 29 November 2019
Sfeir also noted on Friday that
Aoun Chairs Baabda Financial Meeting
Boycotted by Hariri
Naharnet/November 29/2019
President Michel Aoun on Friday presided over a financial meeting in Baabda
aimed at discussing the deteriorating economic and financial situations in the
country. The meeting was being attended by caretaker ministers Ali Hassan
Khalil, Salim Jreissati, Mansour Bteish and Adel Afiouni, Central Bank Governor
Riad Salameh, the head of the committee overseeing banks Samir Hammoud,
Association of Banks chief Salim Sfeir, caretaker PM Saad Hariri’s financial advisor
Nadim al-Munla and Presidency Director General Antoine Choucair. Media reports
said Hariri had been invited to the meeting but opted to boycott it. “Hariri
boycotted the financial meeting and was represented by his adviser Nadim
al-Munla and Minister Adel Afiouni, because he considers that the solutions to
the financial, economic and social crises begin by setting a date for the
binding parliamentary consultations and forming a government whose mission
would be to run the country’s affairs and resolve crises,” al-Jadeed TV said.
The meeting comes as
Report: Hizbullah Asks Aoun to 'Postpone'
Consultations
Naharnet/November 29/2019
Hizbullah has reportedly asked President Michel Aoun to delay the binding
parliamentary consultations, allegedly relying that PM Saad Hariri -who
withdrew his candidacy- agrees to lead a new government, the Saudi Asharq
al-Awsat newspaper reported on Friday. Unnamed political sources told the daily
that Hizbullah had contacted Aoun for that purpose. They said that Hizbullah,
the Free Patriotic Movement (founded by Aoun) and other parties still believe
that Hariri might agree to lead a new government. Stalled political
consultations to nominate a new prime minister enter a new crisis. Hizbullah
insists to nominate Hariri who insists on heading a government of technocrats,
while his opponents, including Hizbullah, want a Cabinet made up of both
experts and politicians. Politicians have failed to agree on the shape and form
of a new government. Aoun has not set a date for binding consultations with
heads of parliamentary blocs to name a new premier.
Reports: Khatib's Chances Still High, Aoun, Shiite Duo Still Open to Hariri's
Return
Naharnet/November 29/2019
The chances of Samir Khatib to lead the new government are still high and
President Michel Aoun, Hizbullah and the AMAL Movement are not opposed to the
re-designation of caretaker Prime Minister Saad Hariri, media reports said on
Friday. “Samir Khatib is still an option and his chances could be higher than
those of other candidates in light of the pressing situations,” informed
sources told LBCI television, noting that Hariri has not suggested another
candidate. A political source informed on the negotiations meanwhile told the
TV network that “communication channels are open with Samir Khatib and his
chances are calmly rising.”The source added that General Security chief Maj.
Gen. Abbas Ibrahim is playing a role in the negotiations. Information obtained by MTV meanwhile
said that Aoun “does not mind a new government led by Hariri” but “does not
want to wait indefinitely.”MTV also reported that Hizbullah and AMAL are still
open to Hariri’s return to the PM post and that they will not endorse any candidate
not enjoying Hariri’s consent.
Khatib Chances Reportedly Surge as He Says
Hariri Talks Not Negative
Naharnet/November 29/2019
The chances of the engineer Samir Khatib to lead the new government have surged
and the picture will become clearer over the coming few hours, which might
witness a complete agreement over the shape of the government and its premier,
LBCI television reported Thursday. Khatib himself meanwhile issued a statement
about his meeting on Wednesday with caretaker Prime Minister Saad Hariri. “Some
media outlets have circulated reports suggesting that the meeting that was held
yesterday was negative… Engineer Khatib stresses that he sensed from PM Hariri
complete support and responsiveness,” his office said.
Kubis Discusses 'Urgently Needed' Measures
with Salameh
Associated PressظNaharnet/November
29/2019
U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jan Kubis said he met Friday with Central
Bank Governor Riad Salameh and discussed with him measures “urgently needed to stop
the further deepening” of the economic crisis and to increase the ability of
the banking sector to cope with the pressures.
“Formation of a credible and competent government that can regain the trust of
the people and of the international partners of #
Ministry of Defense: Military units receive orders
from army command only
NNA/November 29/2019
The press office of the Ministry of Defense explained, in a statement on
Friday, that all military units only act upon the orders they receive from the
Lebanese army command. "All units and forces of the Lebanese army brigades
receive orders from the army command only, particularly from the army commander
through the operations room," the statement read. As to the Defense Minister, the statement indicated that
"his role is to ensure that the army command is acting in compliance with
the Cabinet decisions."
El Hassan, Kubis tackle current situation
NNA/November 29/2019
Caretaker Interior and Municipalities Minister, Rayya El Hassan, on Friday
received in her office at the Ministry the United Nations Special Coordinator
for
Citizens Block Roads with Vehicles in Protest at Fuel
Crisis
Naharnet/November 29/2019
People got caught in their vehicles that ran out of gas on Friday after gas
station owners announced an open-ended strike a day earlier. Citizens in the northern city of
Groups Split over ‘Welcoming,
Repatriating’ Refugees
Naharnet/November 29/2019
Two demonstrations were held near the Delegation of the European Union to
Lebanon in Beirut’s Zqaq al-Blat, one demanding the repatriation of Syrian
refugees and another welcoming them on Lebanese soil. The first group raised slogans demanding that refugees residing
in
Press Conference Sheds Light on Fake
Cancer Medications
Naharnet/November 29/2019
Demonstrators gathered outside
Protesters gather in
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English/Friday, 29 November 2019
Protesters have gathered outside the Central Bank in the Lebanese city of
Untouchable No More: Hezbollah’s Fading Reputation
Rebecca Collard/Foreign Policy/November 29/2019
As Hezbollah sides with Lebanon's political elite, protesters in Beirut are
increasingly willing to criticize it.
Other protesters told the chanters to stop, but as widespread economic
discontent and anger engulf
“Hezbollah is being seen as part and parcel [of] the main hurdle to change in
The demonstrations have been mostly peaceful and unilaterally against the whole
ruling class—all sects, all political parties. And until recently Nasrallah,
who doesn’t have an official government position, was seen as above the endemic
corruption that has helped push the country toward a collapse, particularly
among Hezbollah’s Shiite support base. Hezbollah’s expulsion of Israeli troops
from Lebanese territory in 2000 earned the group the moniker “the resistance”
among Lebanese of all sects and political affiliations. Even after the 2006
war, which left swaths of
And as Hezbollah sent thousands of fighters across the border to fight in
This week, facing down two thick rows of Lebanese army and riot police on
pavement littered with rocks and sticks, some demonstrators complained that
Hezbollah’s agenda is not really about building up
“Here is
When Nasrallah insisted the Lebanese government should not step down, amid the
early demonstrations in October, to many protesters it felt like he was part of
the problem.
“It was a ‘reality bites’ moment,” Carnegie’s Hage Ali said. “For Lebanese
Shiites who joined the protest movement, it was a shock—why is Hezbollah
standing on guard for the status quo that is extremely corrupt and taking the
country to a financial and economic crisis?”
Nasrallah attempted to discredit the protesters, implying they were funded by
foreign embassies. The protesters laughed it off, and several journalists
resigned from Al-Akhbar, a publication usually supportive of Hezbollah’s
position.
“They are just trying to keep the system,” said a protester named Baha Yahya,
as he waited on a side road for a barrage of tear gas, fired by the army, to
clear. “And all we want is to remove the system. That’s what this is all
about.”
In the past Hezbollah has managed to avoid most direct criticism of its ties to
Last week, as thousands of people took to the streets of Iran after a hike in
the price of fuel there, protesters in downtown Beirut sought some common cause
with them, chanting: “From Tehran to Beirut, one revolution that won’t die.”
And Hezbollah supporters are fighting back. Hoisting the flags of Hezbollah and
Amal, counterprotesters this week shouted sectarian slogans like “Shiite,
Shiite, Shiite” and affirmed allegiance to Nasrallah and Nabih Berri, the head
of the Amal Movement and speaker of the Lebanese Parliament.
The anti-government protesters responded with chants of “the people are
one”—and then broke into the national anthem.
It’s not exactly clear how the confrontation started on Sunday night, but what
is clear is that it has raised fears of a violent escalation to
This same bit of road was the front line for much of
Some of the Hezbollah and Amal supporters managed to break through the line,
charging the protesters and sending them running down side streets, past
buildings still pockmarked from civil war fighting.
“They can reach us if they want,” Yahya said of the Hezbollah and Amal supporters
as he waited on a side road. “But they don’t want that. They just want to scare
us.”
The mostly male protesters returned with tree branches and sticks. Both sides
tried to lob rocks across the no man’s land created by rows of security forces.
Hezbollah blamed a car accident early Monday morning on the protesters’
roadblocks. A video of the incident shows a car hitting an obstacle in the
middle of seemingly empty road. There is not a protester in sight. Some saw it
as an attempt to portray the protests as a security threat. Hundreds of people
turned out for a vigil on Monday evening hoisting Hezbollah and Amal flags and
chanting party and sectarian slogans. Thousands of other supporters came out in
more overt political rallies. Some sped around scooters honking and again
shouting “Shiite, Shiite, Shiite” as they passed anti-government protesters.
“The more Hezbollah attacks them using these sectarian tactics, the more
Hezbollah is exposed, and the more Hezbollah will lose,” said Hage Ali, adding
that part of the strategy of the counter-revolution is turning it into a
sectarian conflict.
If Nasrallah or other Hezbollah or Amal leaders thought a gentle show of force
would scare protesters off the street and restore calm, it may have been
dangerous miscalculation.
On Monday night, things escalated further with gunfire and clashes, this time
with supporters of the Future Movement of the Sunni caretaker Prime Minister
Saad Hariri. In the southern city of
Many of the anti-government protesters call the party-supporting
counterprotesters “brainwashed”—referring not just to Hezbollah and Amal
supporters but also to those who have come out in less confrontational shows of
support for the country’s president, Michel Aoun, and other parties in recent
weeks.
Another protester, Yahya’s friend Nader Issrawi, said he believes that in the
end, they all want the same thing.
“What they want is like what we want,” Issrawi said. “We are living a life that
is such a shit. We all just want to live in freedom, to eat and build our
future.”
But it seems they see different paths to that goal. Issrawi and Yahya were home
when the clashes started late Sunday night. “I called him and said, ‘Baha,
let’s get to the [street]. Our revolution is in danger,’” Issrawi recalled.
Like many here, Yahya is becoming fearful about where the unrest is heading but
says he agrees with Issrawi and that it’s a matter of changing the minds of
those standing on the other side of the road. “One day,” Yahya said, “everyone
will be convinced.”
*Rebecca Collard is a broadcast journalist and writer covering the
Lebanese teachers bring the revolution to class
Nessryn Khalaf/Annahar/November 29/2019
Students believe that the process of learning is enhanced when they can apply
theories to realistic scenarios like protest sites.
BEIRUT: Students and teachers were among the first groups to join the Lebanese
protests when the revolution erupted and the uproar of dissent became
thunderous, and now that classes have resumed, many educators are incorporating
the events of the demonstrations into their academic syllabi to express their
support.The purpose of this academic shift is to help students gain a deeper
understanding of Lebanon’s current political ambiance while supporting their
desire to keep attending the demonstrations.
“I always allow my students to voice their opinions as I guide them to do so
constructively. I want them to not necessarily accept what others say, but
definitely respect it,” expressed Nabilah Haraty, assistant professor of oral
communication and English at the
She also added that each of her sessions starts with 10-15 minutes of
discussion so that her students can share their feelings and points of view in
a judgment-free environment.
Shireen Kasamani, one of Haraty’s students, told Annahar: “I admire my
professor because she’s been very supportive of students who are protesting.
She even asked what we desire to see as an outcome of this revolution and has
allowed us to base our speeches on the events observed on the Lebanese
streets.”
Rana Younis, another student, highlighted how her ethics professor stopped
using the book and instead asked his students to present a research paper
describing how different ethical approaches would be used to evaluate the
revolution.
Students believe that the process of learning is enhanced when they can apply
theories to realistic scenarios like protest sites. This initiative has allowed
them to turn the protests into their libraries where knowledge and activism
meet.
A literature professor at the American University of Beirut also decided to
alter the course syllabus to include some classic political novels like George
Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four and Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World.
“I want my students to understand that literature is not about reading boring
books; it’s rather a manifestation of events observed in their daily lives, and
what could be better than dystopian novels to make them comprehend their
country’s political turmoil?” the professor said.
Zeinab Ibrahim, an AUB student, said that “the changes made by some professors
have enabled the students to keep protesting without worrying about dense course
material and accumulating assignments.”
She then explained to Annahar that by being able to link a course’s content to
the events of the revolution, she has become more engrossed in the lessons and
more inquisitive as both a student and an activist.
*Laura-Joy Boulos, a psychology professor at USJ, mentioned that she has
engaged in several classroom discussions with her students to examine the
protests and their psychological effects on individuals, for it’s essential to
understand how intense emotions like fear, uncertainty, and hope can impact the
human psyche and brain.
Hosting 'Green Friday' during Lebanon's uprising
Chiri Choukeir/Annahar/November 29/2019
The purpose of the Green Friday initiative is to save clothes and gadgets from
ending up in the garbage where they are not disposed properly.
The trees of the
This idea of exchanging clothes and/or gadgets was first initiated by Fridays
For Future, a global movement that began after 15 year old Greta Thunberg
protested in front of the Swedish parliament for three weeks against the lack
of action on climate change. Activists Andrés Succar Rahmi and Marianne Eid
decided to join the movement and bring it to
"We're mainly a youth movement that are organizing protests around the
world in order to demand a safe future given that climate change might very
easily change the way we live," Rahmi told Annahar. "We are trying to
raise awareness and push our politicians to change policies to tackle the
climate crisis."
During the first few minutes of the sale and while the activists were still
opening the bags to display clothes, protesters in Riyad el-Solh quickly joined
them in setting up the space and choosing their favorite sweaters, jumpers, and
over-alls to take home.
Eid explained that the purpose of the exchange is to save clothes and gadgets
from ending up in the garbage where they are not disposed properly. The
exchange also aids those who cannot afford to buy their own.
"People have been going to stores buying clothes without realizing the
negative impact of that on the environment. People need to realize that they
can buy second hand clothes in good conditions," Eid said.
The activists also had multiple university and school books on display to fight
against the increasing prices of standardized education books.
"I feel like there's a huge problem in
Other than the Green Friday, the group of activists had previously protested at
the Bisri Dam in order to stop the deforestation of the land. They have also
organized diverse strikes to bring attention and awareness to climate change.
No clear solutions stem from emergency
meeting as fears of fuel shortage mount
Georgi Azar/Annahar/November 29/2019
Lebanon's rapidly deteriorating financial state has raised concerns over its
ability to fend off a meltdown while a political deadlock continues to hinder
the formation of a much-needed government.
Salim Sfeir, chairman of the Association of Banks in Lebanon (ABL) that
represents the country's banks, read a statement after a top-level meeting at
the presidential palace as
"The central bank governor was assigned to take the necessary, temporary
measures, in coordination with the banking association, to issue
circulars," Sfeir said after the meeting with President Michel Aoun,
Salameh, and government officials.
"This is to preserve stability, confidence in the banking and monetary
sector, as well as its safety, and depositors' rights."
Both officials refused to elaborate on these comments.
The meeting was also attended by a number of caretaker ministers with the
notable absence of Caretaker Prime Minister Saad Hariri, who was reparented by
his economic adviser, Nadim Munla.
Hariri resigned on October 29 and President Michel Aoun has yet to call for
binding parliamentary consultations to appoint a new premier.
In the midst of an increased shortage of dollar liquidity, gas stations
continued their strike Friday which caused massive disruptions to motorists
across
The strike also caused a rise in black market rates, with some gas stations
almost doubling their asking price. A number of motorists reported paying up to
LL17,000 for 10 liters.
The Syndicate of Gas Stations owners called on Lebanese officials to urgently
find a solution during the emergency meeting, yet no comments on the matter
were presented.
Meanwhile, the Lebanese pound continued its downward spiral as the majority of
exchange shops also went on strike. On Thursday, the Lebanese pound was trading
against the dollar at around LL2,300.
Hezbollah threatens the peaceful and
non-sectarian protests in Lebanon
Robert Fisk/Independent/November 29/2019
It was perfectly clear to all of us that the Hezbollah, heroes of the Lebanese
resistance until they began sacrificing themselves on the battlefields of
Syria, were attempting to sabotage the entire protest movement
Those tens of thousands of largely young protesters demanding a non-sectarian
Lebanon were joyful, filled with happiness, determined that this time they
would change the wretched confessional nature of their state forever. Then the
Hezbollah turned up, a truckload of them, dressed in black and shouting through
loudspeakers and holding up posters of their all-Shia militia heroes. Squads of
Lebanese interior ministry police appeared in the side streets.
It was perfectly clear to all of us that the Hezbollah, heroes of the Lebanese
resistance until they began sacrificing themselves on the battlefields of
And two of the men jumped down from the truck – big, tough figures towering
over the younger protesters – dodging the police line and moved into the
demonstrators, shouting and demanding they end their curses about sectarianism.
“The Sayed [Nasrallah] is the only one who is not corrupt!” one of them
screamed. These men did not come to talk to the protesters or discuss their
objections or even argue. They preached at them, raising their voices and
bellowing their words. For a moment I wondered if I was perhaps in the holy
city of
Then the cops, all riot shields and batons, formed two ranks between the
Hezbollah and their adversaries.
“I have come from Nabatieh and I have been here eight days and nothing has
happened,” the Shiite – no friend of the Hezbollah even though Nabatieh is in
the militia’s effective area of control – shouted back.
So is this to be the new pattern of
The signs of government decay are everywhere. When the elderly president Michel
Aoun gave a short pre-recorded speech on television on Thursday, it was noticed
at once that he had been unable even to complete a short series of sentences in
one take. The leather-bound books behind him – none of which, I suspect, he has
ever read – suddenly changed their position on the shelves between his
sentences.
Then a Lebanese journalist, claiming to know all about the broadcast, said that
Aoun had fallen asleep between his sentences.
Aoun and prime minister Hariri had earlier told the country’s interior
minister, Raya al-Hassan, that she must order the interior police to use water
cannons to clear the streets of Beirut and the country’s main highways.
“I will not give this order,” she replied. “This matter is political. It is not
a security matter.” Hassan, needless to say, is perhaps the only popular
government minister in this country. Nor are the cops or the army unsympathetic
to the protesters. Two soldiers were caught on camera weeping with emotion.
Then came the video of minister Akram Shayeb leaving his downtown office to
find protesters outside the door. His bodyguards raised their rifles – some of them
apparently fired shots in the air – and one pointed his gun at a young woman.
“Don’t you threaten us,” she cried, ran forward and kicked the gunman in the
testicles. The image of her now famous kick is spray-painted on the walls of
central
In Martyrs’ Square, the tens of thousands of demonstrators had no time for talk
of government “reform”. Nor was there a word about a proposed tax on WhatsApp.
The men and women here were highly educated, many with their children, and in
many cases professionals: doctors, lawyers, university staff. If this protest
fails – and what they want, of course, is constitutional change – they will in
many cases leave their country forever, impoverishing
But they were not all rich. I saw poorly dressed farming men and women, in
plastic shoes, no socks and dirty clothes. When the sky poured, an old man with
a crumpled face and a clutch of plastic umbrellas over his arm ran to me and
offered to sell me a brolly for 5,000 Lebanese pounds – about £2.50. When I
gave him the money he put it to his lips and kissed the banknotes over and over
again, the poor man’s way of expressing his thanks for good fortune.
The crowds here were deeply impressed by a Shiite cleric whose sermon in
I saw several Lebanese soldiers ostentatiously shouldering their weapons with
the barrels down and the butts up, a traditional symbol of military personnel
when they wish to show they do not intend to use violence. But then again, I
saw this in
If this is window dressing, the idea is clearly intended to let the mass
protests simmer down. I’m not at all sure, however, that this would any longer
work. The bolder street demonstrations become, the greater their demands. And
the cry for an entirely new constitution that will utterly abandon the
sectarian system of government in
Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events
You can see why all the Arab dictators and kings fear this. If
Well, we shall see.
In the meantime, we will also find out what Hezbollah has in store.
There is a palpable fear on the streets of
Who would have thought that the winners of the 2006 war with
The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous
Reports And News published on November 29-30/2019
A proposed long-term
DebkaFile/November 29/2019
Israel, the Palestinian Authority and Hamas are amidst negotiations for a
multifaceted deal via Turkey, Qatar and the US for ending rocket fire from Gaza
and affirming a Palestinian power-sharing agreement. This corridor to a
long-term
Hope was boosted when Hamas on Nov. 29 cancelled another of its Friday clashes,
the third in a row, between bomb-throwing Palestinians and Israeli troops on
the
But they have turned silent in the last few days now that this policy is seen
starting to bear fruit. Not only has Hamas slowed its terrorist operations
against
The spirit of change awakening in the two rival Palestinian factions, Hamas and
Fatah, may not be altogethery good news for
Erdogan and his host devised a formula for overcoming the long feud between the
Fatah leader Abbas and Hamas’ Ismail Haniyeh. They proposed that the rival
factions agree in advance on the results of the election. Abu Mazen’s Fatah
would win a majority, Hamas a minority. The presidency would be retained by the
former. This carve-up would have two consequences:
The PA and its ruling Fatah would be given a role in the Gaza Strip’s civic
rule, including full responsibility for expenditure, while Hamas would maintain
its military arm and control of domestic security.
Hamas’ political and religious organs would be allowed by the PA to
re-establish operations in the PA-controlled areas of the West Bank.
The Qatari sheikh and Turkish president offered to personally vouch for this
accord for the two participants.
Another visitor to Doha this week was Abu Mazen. The Qataris handed him a
personal letter of five pages addressed to him by Ismail Haniyeh. DEBKAfile’s
sources report that the PA chairman, on the pretext of needing time to study
its content, held back his reply to the Turkish-Qatari power-sharing proposal
put before him.
Hamas is meanwhile making preparations for Palestinian elections. All its
spokesmen have been ordered to desist from public statements. Yahya Sinwar, who
is addicted to fiery rhetoric, was advised by Turkish president to stop hailing
Iran as the great champion of the Palestinian cause. In another directive,
Hamas ordered a halt on rocket fire against Israel, successfully applying it to
the Islamic Jihad. The pause in the weekly border riots was another by-product
of progress towards an agreed truce with Israel.
Erdogan and Al-Thani must still overcome formidable obstacles before an
Abbas-Haniyeh accord is concluded and the way is clear for a long-term Gaza
truce with Israel. But another hopeful sign that Hamas is finally beginning to
attend to the needs of the Gaza population occurred this week when work began
on a big new American hospital at the Erez border terminal between Gaza and
Israel. This hospital would reduce the Gazans’ total dependence on Israel and
Egypt for medical treatment.
The source of its funding is unknown, likely buried somewhere in the relations
between Qatar and Washington and possibly figuring in President Donald Trump’s
Middle East peace plan when it eventually sees the light of day. UN Middle East
peace envoy Nikolay Mladenov is also making noteworthy progress on the track he
is running between Egypt, Hamas and Israel.
This buzz around the Gaza may be positive news for Israel, by and large, but
the price for its outcome may be high. If the Fatah-Hamas accord brokered by
Qatar and Turkey goes through, Hamas’ political and religious institutions will
be making a comeback on the West Bank. Israel will have to find a strong
guarantor as insurance that Hamas will not exploit its comeback for a return to
terrorist violence against Israel – this time within easy reach of its central
conurbation and international airport.
However, with its politics in chaos, and an interim government with a life
expectancy only up until another election just months away, Israel is in no
state for making fateful decisions. The IDF’s Deputy Chief of Staff Brig. Gen,
Eyal Zamir, former head of the Southern Command, is trying to step into the
breach. He is going around with the enthusiastic message that the potential Fatah-Hamas
deal, if concluded, would herald new relations of cooperation instead of
confrontation between Hamas and Israel. He points out that already, Hamas is
showing good will be holding the Islamic Jihad back from resuming its rocket
barrage against Israel. Still, the
obstacles to overcome before this happens are pretty formidable: For instance,
Abu Mazen must forego his stipulation for the Palestinian elections to include
East Jerusalem or not take place anywhere else. And Israel will not sanction
any accords before Hamas hands over the missing IDF soldiers’ bodies and
civilians held hostage against the mass release of convicted terrorists.
Iraq PM announces resignation after call from top
Shiite cleric, Friday's death toll rises
Arab News/November 29/2019
BAGHDAD: Iraq's embattled premier announced Friday he would resign in keeping
with the wishes of the country's top cleric, as renewed violence added to a
soaring death toll in two months of anti-government protests.
Adel Abdel Mahdi's written statement was greeted with cheers and blaring music
across Baghdad's iconic Tahrir Square, where demonstrators have massed since
early October against a ruling class deemed corrupt and in hock to foreign
powers.
"I will submit to the esteemed parliament a formal letter requesting my
resignation from the premiership," Abdel Mahdi wrote, just hours after
Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani used his weekly sermon to urge parliament to
replace the cabinet. Abdel Mahdi would be the first prime minister to step down
since Iraq became a parliamentary system following the US-led ouster of Saddam
Hussein in 2003. "It's our first victory, and we're hoping for many
more," shouted one demonstrator in Tahrir, as patriotic tunes blasted from
the motorised rickshaws used to ferry casualties from the square.
Nearby, protesters occupying a gutted 18-storey building that has become a
symbol of the uprising could be seen dancing and pumping their fists in the
air. But despite their joy, many said the premier's resignation did not go far
enough.
"We won't leave the square until every last one of those corrupt people
resigns," said another demonstrator in a black shirt.
"Weed them all out. Every single one."
The grassroots movement is the largest Iraq has seen in decades, but also the
deadliest, with more than 400 people dead and 15,000 wounded in Baghdad and the
Shiite-majority south, according to an AFP tally.
The toll continued to rise on Friday, with 15 protesters shot dead in the
flashpoint city of Nasiriyah and another killed in the Shiite shrine city of
Najaf.
The UN's top official in Iraq, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, said the deaths
"cannot be tolerated". The previous day had been one of the bloodiest
yet, with 44 demonstrators killed and nearly 1,000 wounded in Baghdad and
across the south. That came after protesters stormed the Iranian consulate in
Najaf late Wednesday, accusing the neighbouring country of propping up Iraq's
government. Tehran demanded Iraq take decisive action against the protesters,
saying it was "disgusted" by developments.
In response, Abdel Mahdi ordered military chiefs to deploy in several provinces
to "impose security and restore order" -- but the result was the
opposite. Men in civilian clothes opened fire at demonstrators, tribal fighters
deployed in the streets and military commanders.
As the death toll surged, governors and police chiefs resigned and Abdel Mahdi
sacked a senior military commander. On Friday, demonstrators encircled a
Nasiriyah police station and torched five police cars.
And in Najaf, where 16 people died the previous day, new clashes erupted
between protesters and armed men dressed in civilian clothes. As in Baghdad,
demonstrators in the south did not appear satisfied with Abdel Mahdi's
resignation. "Our problem isn't the prime minister -- we want all the
parties to go!" one man told AFP in Diwaniyah. Since October 1, Baghdad
and the south have been rocked by the most widespread street unrest in decades,
demanding an overhaul of the ruling elite and reforms to root out corruption,
end unemployment and improve infrastructure. The demonstrations initially shook
Abdel Mahdi, who came to power last October after a strained alliance between
the two largest parliamentary blocs, Saeroon and Fatah.
The protests divided them, with Fatah backing the premier while Saeroon leader
and firebrand cleric Moqtada Sadr called for him to resign. But they closed
ranks around the cabinet following a deal brokered by top Iranian commander
Qasem Soleimani.
The tide turned again this week, culminating with Sistani's dramatic
intervention. For weeks, the 89-year-old cleric had called for restraint and
urged parties to get "serious" about reform. But he ramped up his
demands on Friday.
"The parliament, from which this current government is drawn, is asked to
reconsider its choice in this regard," he said in his weekly sermon.
Within minutes, Saeroon as well as MP and former premier Haider al-Abadi had
called for a vote of no-confidence.
The Fatah bloc called for "the necessary changes in the interests of
Iraq".
Parliament is set to meet on Sunday and if it drops its support for the
government, the cabinet would remain in place as caretakers until the president
names a new premier. Iraq's constitution, drafted in 2005, does not include a
provision for the resignation of the premier, so his intention to submit a
letter to parliament would trigger a no-confidence vote. The country is OPEC's second-largest crude producer but one in
five Iraqis lives in poverty and youth unemployment stands at 25 percent,
according to the World Bank.
US says Iraqi leaders must address grievances after PM
quits
AFP/Friday, 29 November 2019
The United States called Friday on Iraqi leaders to address the “legitimate”
grievances of protesters including corruption after the embattled prime
minister announced his resignation. “We share the protesters’ legitimate
concerns,” a State Department spokeswoman said, echoing a US line through the
two months of protests. “We continue to urge the government of Iraq to advance
the reforms demanded by the people, including those that address unemployment,
corruption, and electoral reform,” she said. The spokeswoman did not comment directly on Prime Minister Adil
Abdel Mahdi’s decision to quit, saying that the State Department deferred to
the Iraqi government for further comment.
Abdel Mahdi had been seen as a nimble enough player to please both Iran
and the United States, arch-adversaries that both have longstanding connections
inside Iraq. He weathered two months of protests that had killed more than 400
people but gave up Friday when he lost the support of the Shia Muslim-majority
nation’s top cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani. The United States has repeatedly called for Iraqi leaders to
listen to protesters but has been relatively restrained about intervening in a
state that it completely recrafted after the 2003 invasion. Much of the US
focus has been on demanding that Iraqis distance themselves from neighboring
Iran. US Secretary of State Mike
Pompeo has also threatened to impose sanctions on Iraqi officials found to have
stolen wealth. A State Department official said as the crisis escalated that
Abdel Mahdi was the best prime minister that the United States could expect.
Vice President Mike Pence did not see him on a quick visit to Iraq last
weekend, with a US official saying security concerns prevented him from going
to Baghdad.
British police shoot suspect in London
Bridge terrorist incident, government sources say two dead
Arab News/November 29/2019
LONDON: British police shot a man on London Bridge in the heart of Britain’s
capital on Friday after a stabbing that left two people dead and several people
wounded, according to government sources.
Scotland Yard on Friday said armed officers on London Bridge had shot dead a
man wearing a "hoax explosive device" after several people were
stabbed in the city. "I'm now in a position to confirm that it has been
declared a terrorist incident," Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu, of the
Metropolitan Police, said in a statement. Scores of police, some armed with
submachine guns, rushed to the scene, ushering bemused office workers and
tourists out of an area packed with office buildings, banks, restaurants and
bars. Workers in office blocks in the area were told to stay inside.
The police force said officers were called just before 2 p.m. “to a stabbing at
premises near to London Bridge,” which links the city’s business district with
the south bank of the River Thames.They said a man was detained and “a number
of people have been injured.”We are in the early stages of dealing with an
incident at London Bridge. Please follow @metpoliceuk for updates. If you are
near the scene, please follow the directions of any officer on the ground. Witnesses reported seeing what appeared
to be fighting on the bridge and hearing several gunshots. Sky News reported
that the man shot was the apparent attacker. One video posted on social media
showed two men struggling on the bridge before police pulled a man in civilian
clothes off a black-clad man on the ground. Shots then rang out.
Other images showed police, guns drawn, pointing at a figure on the ground in
the distance. Amanda Hunter said she was on a bus crossing the bridge when she
heard shots.
"(The bus) all of a sudden stopped and there was commotion and I looked
out the window and I just saw these three police officers going over to a man,”
she told the BBC. "It seemed like there was something in his hand, I'm not
100% sure, but then one of the police officers shot him.”
BBC reporter John McManus was in the area and said he saw figures grappling on
the bridge. He said: “I thought it was initially a fight,” but then shots rang
out. "I’m being kept updated
on the incident at London Bridge and want to thank the police and all emergency
services for their immediate response." — Prime Minister Boris JCars and
buses on the busy bride were at a standstill, with a white truck stopped
diagonally across the lanes. Video footage showed police pointing guns at the
truck before moving to check its container.
British Transport Police said London Bridge station, one of the city’s busiest
rail hubs, was closed and trains were not stopping there. City of London
Police, the force responsible for the business district, urged people to stay
away from the area. The incident revived memories of the June 2017 London Bridge
attack, when three Islamic State-inspired attackers ran down people on the
bridge, killing two, before stabbing several people to death in nearby Borough
Market. That incident took place days before a general election. Britons are
due to go to the polls again on Dec. 12.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s office said he was receiving updates on the
incident and was returning to his 10 Downing St. office from the campaign
trail. In March 2017, an attacker
fatally struck four people with a car on nearby Westminster Bridge then fatally
stabbed a police officer before security forces shot and killed him in a
courtyard outside Parliament.
Several Injured after Stabbing near London Bridge
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/November 29/2019
The Metropolitan Police on Friday said several people were injured and a man
was held after a stabbing near London Bridge in the center of the British
capital.The force said it was called to a stabbing at a premises near the
bridge at 1:58 pm (1358 GMT). "A man has been detained... We believe a
number of people have been injured," it added.
Toll rises to 15 protesters dead in south
Iraq clashes: Medics
AFP, Nasiriyah/Friday, 29 November 2019
The death toll in Iraq’s flashpoint southern city of Nasiriyah rose to 15
protesters on Friday, medics said, as security forces fired on rallies in a new
spree of violence. Dozens more were wounded in Nasiriyah, just hours after
Prime Minister Adil Abdel Mahdi pledged to resign in the wake of protests
demanding a government overhaul. Nearly 420 protesters have died since the
rallies erupted on October 1.Abdul Mahdi’s decision came in response to a call
for a change of leadership on Friday by Iraq’s top Shia Muslim cleric Grand
Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, the statement said.
Iraq top cleric al-Sistani condemns attacks on peaceful protesters, rejects
govt
Reuters, Al Arabiya English/Friday, 29 November 2019
Iraq’s top Shiite cleric on Friday condemned the use of lethal force against
protesters and urged demonstrators to reject acts of violence and vandalism,
warning against another spiral of violence as demonstrations continued across
the country. “Attacks against peaceful protesters are forbidden,” a
representative of Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani said, addressing worshippers at
Friday prayer in Karbala. Protesters “must not allow peaceful demonstrations to
be turned into attacks on property or people ... and peaceful demonstrators
should coordinate to eject vandals,” he said. Urges parliament to reject
government
Al-Sistani also urged parliament on Friday to drop its support for the current
cabinet. “The parliament, from which this current government is drawn, is asked
to reconsider its choice in this regard and act according to Iraq’s interest
... [to] preserve the blood of its children,” Sistani said in a weekly sermon
delivered by his representative in the holy city of Karbala. Al-Sistani has
previously called on politicians to hurry up in reforming electoral laws and
said the changes would be the only way to resolve weeks of deadly unrest.His
comments came as the death toll from weeks of anti-government unrest rose on
Friday to at least 408 people killed, mostly unarmed protesters, a Reuters
count based on police and medical sources showed.
Iraqi prime minister says he will resign:
Statement
Reuters, Baghdad/Friday, 29 November 2019
Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul Mahdi said on Friday he would present his
resignation to parliament so lawmakers could choose a new government, according
to a statement from his office. Abdul
Mahdi’s decision came in response to a call for a change of leadership on
Friday by Iraq’s top Shia Muslim cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, the
statement said. “In response to this call, and in order to facilitate it as
quickly as possible, I will present to parliament a demand (to accept) my
resignation from the leadership of the current government,” said the statement,
signed by Abdul Mahdi. The statement did not specify when he would tender his
resignation. Parliament is due to
convene on Sunday. Al-Sistani urged the parliament to drop its support for the
current cabinet. “The parliament, from which this current government is drawn,
is asked to reconsider its choice in this regard and act according to Iraq’s
interest ... [to] preserve the blood of its children,” al-Sistani said in a weekly
sermon delivered by his representative in the holy city of Karbala. This
development comes amid report that Iraqi Security forces shot dead at least
three protesters in the southern city of Nasiriyah, bringing the death toll
from weeks of violence nationwide to more than 400 people, mostly young,
unarmed demonstrators, a Reuters count based on police and medical sources
showed.
Iraq protests continue after judiciary
opens investigation into deaths
Tommy Hilton, Al Arabiya English/Friday, 29 November 2019
Protests continued in Iraq on Friday after the judiciary opened an
investigation into protests in the restive southern province of Dhi Qar, where
tens of protesters have been killed over two days of violence. Thousands of demonstrators were
reported flocking to Baghdad's Tahrir Square, with protests continuing in the
southern city of Nasiriyah on Friday afternoon. The Supreme Judicial Council of
Iraq announced the formation of a body to investigate the killing of protesters
in Nasiriyah, the capital of Dhi Qar province, over the last two days. After
the announcement, tribes in Nasiriyah demanded the trial of Jamil al-Shammari
for his alleged role in the killing of protesters in the area, reported an Al
Arabiya source. Renewed clashes also reportedly broke out in front of the
police command for Dhi Qar province. At least 27 protesters were killed and 152
injured in yesterday’s clashes between demonstrators and security forces in
Nasiriyah, as southern Iraq and the capital Baghdad descend into violence. Protesters had burned the Iranian
consulate in Najaf on Wednesday night. Iraqi security forces shot dead Iraqi at
least 32 protesters at the site, Al Arabiya sources confirmed the following
day. Iraq announced it is setting up military-led ‘crisis cells’ aimed at
quelling mass unrest according to a military statement.
Al-Sistani backs protesters
Iraq's top Shiite cleric Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani condemned attacks on peaceful
protesters, as demonstrations continued in Baghdad and Nasiriyah. The country must not descend into
strife, warned al-Sistani, adding that protesters should cooperate to expel
saboteurs in their ranks and prevent them from exploiting demonstrations.
Death toll reaches 400: Reuters
A reuters count, based on police and medical sources, put the death toll from
the protests at at least 408 as of Friday afternoon. According to the count, at
least 46 of those killed since October 1 were in Nasiriyah.
Activist assassinated
The activist Haidar al-Lami was assassinated by gunmen in Maysan province, according
to reports from Iraqi media. Twitter users said that Haidar led a convoy that
supported the protests by providing food and services to the demonstrators.
Three killed in Iraq’s Nasiriyah, sending
protest toll over 400: Sources
Reuters, Al Arabiya English/Friday, 29 November 2019
Iraqi Security forces shot dead at least three protesters in the southern city
of Nasiriyah, bringing the death toll from weeks of violence to more than 400
people, mostly young, unarmed demonstrators, a Reuters count based on police
and medical sources showed. Several people died of wounds sustained in clashes
on Thursday with security forces in the southern city of Nasiriyah, hospital
sources said, bringing the number of people killed there to at least 46 and the
total nationwide to more than 400 since October 1. Protests continued in Iraq
on Friday after the judiciary opened an investigation into protests in the
restive southern province of Dhi Qar, of which Nasiriyah is the capital. Iraq’s
top Shiite cleric on Friday condemned the use of lethal force against
protesters and urged demonstrators to reject acts of violence and vandalism,
warning against another spiral of violence as demonstrations continued across
the country. “Attacks against peaceful protesters are forbidden,” a
representative of Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani said, addressing worshippers at
Friday prayer in Karbala.
At least 50 ‘rioters’ arrested in Iran for
alleged links to protests
Yaghoub Fazeli, Al Arabiya English/Friday, 29 November 2019
At least 50 people were arrested in three major Iranian cities on Thursday for
alleged links to the recent anti-government protests in the country, state
media reported citing local authorities.Western Tehran’s police chief Mohsen
Khancharli said that 30 of the “main” individuals behind the recent “riots and
unrest in Western Tehran” have been arrested. The arrestees “engaged in
sabotage” and “attacked security forces,” claimed Khancharli, adding that they
have “confessed to their crimes.”Another seven were arrested in the central
province of Isfahan, the province’s police chief said. The arrestees in Isfahan were some of the “leaders” of the
“recent riots” and were arrested in a “complex” police operation, said Mehdi
Masoum Beigi. Beigi added that the arrestees have “confessed.”Another 11 were
arrested in the capital of the province of Fars, the province’s police chief
said. “Nine of the main co-operators with opposing and foreign networks, and
two of the main individuals involved in the unrest and the destruction of
public property were arrested in Shiraz,” said Raham Bakhsh Habibi. Like the
police chiefs of western Tehran and Isfahan, Habibi also said that the
arrestees “confessed” to their crimes. At the same time, it is unclear whether
the arrestees have basic rights such as access to an attorney. Iran has claimed victory of the
protests, which it blames on foreign powers. The government arrested eight
people “linked to the CIA,” state news agency IRNA reported late Wednesday. The
death toll from the protests is still uncertain, but opposition groups have put
it in the hundreds, as Iranian security forces cracked down on demonstrators in
cities across the country. The protests were initially sparked by a rise in
fuel prices, prompting the government to shutdown the internet across vast
swaths of the country.
Syria constitutional talks end without
consensus on agenda: UN envoy
Reuters, Geneva/Friday, 29 November 2019
A second week-long round of Syrian talks has ended without a meeting of the
group of 45 delegates meant to be negotiating on the constitution, United
Nations Special Envoy Geir Pedersen said on Friday. The Syrian government and
opposition co-chairs were unable to agree on agenda for the constitutional
talks, he told reporters. “We have been trying to reach consensus but as I said
we are not there yet.”The talks are meant to be a step forward in what the UN
says will be a long road to political rapprochement, followed by elections. But experts question whether President
Bashar al-Assad will be willing to cede much in any negotiations after his
Russian- and Iranian-back forces recaptured large areas of the country in
offensives against opposition fighters and militants since 2015.
Russia tries to block new Syria chemical weapons probe
AFP, The Hague/Thursday, 28 November 2019
Russia urged member states of the global chemical weapons watchdog to vote on
Thursday against funding a new team that will identify the culprits behind
toxic attacks in Syria. Moscow and its allies are trying to block next year’s
budget for the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons --
potentially leaving the entire agency unable to operate -- if it includes money
for the new Identification and Investigations Team (IIT). The United States hit back by accusing
Russia of a “cover-up” of the use of chemical weapons by its ally Damascus, at
a tense annual meeting of the OPCW’s 193 member countries in The Hague. “If the financing for the IIT comes out
of voluntary contributions (the annual budget paid for by member states) then
this will mean one thing only,” Russian ambassador Alexander Shulgin told the
meeting. “It will mean that the
backers (of the IIT) are going to hire so-called investigators looking at
chemical crimes, they will be hired to draw up conclusions which suit the ends
of the sponsors,” Shulgin said. “This
is disquieting. Confirmation can be found in what’s happening surrounding
Douma.”Russia and the West have already clashed repeatedly over allegations by
two whistleblowers that the OPCW altered the conclusions of a probe that found
chlorine was used in an attack in the Syrian town of Douma in April
2018.Western powers launched airstrikes against Syria in response. OPCW states then approved a
western-backed motion in 2018 to give the organization new powers to pin blame
on culprits. Previously it could only confirm whether a chemical assault had
occurred. “The Syrian cover-up is
never going to work because the international community has the courage of its
convictions. Unfortunately Russia has played a central role in this cover-up,”
said US ambassador to the OPCW Kenneth Ward. “Russia and Syria may sit with us
here but they stand apart from us in a fundamental way. They continue to
embrace chemical weapons.”France meanwhile defended the “independent and impartial”
Douma investigation. “We regret that some delegations have given more
importance to partial leaks than to a report which was generated in a rigorous
manner,” said France’s deputy permanent representative to the OPCW, Tiphaine
Jouffroy. WikiLeaks at the weekend
released an email from an investigator accusing the OPCW of altering the
original findings of probe to make evidence of a chemical attack seem more
conclusive. Another whistleblower’s report complained about the Douma probe
earlier this year. The OPCW won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2013 and says it has
eliminated 97 percent of the world’s chemical weapons.
Omar al-Bashir’s NCP condemns Sudan ‘illegal govt’ move to dissolve party
Al Arabiya English, Reuters/Friday, 29 November 2019
The former leader of Sudan Omar al-Bashir's National Congress Party (NCP)
condemned on Friday the move by the new Sudanese government to dissolve it. The law was passed on Thursday during a
joint meeting of Sudan’s sovereign council and cabinet that lasted several
hours. The Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA), which spearheaded the
protests against Bashir, welcomed the law, saying it included the dissolution
of the former ruling party and the confiscation of its funds and property. “It
is an important step on the path to building a democratic civilian state,” the
group said in a statement.
Sudan approves law to ‘dismantle’ former
regime of Omar al-Bashir
Reuters/Friday, 29 November 2019
Sudanese transitional authorities approved a law late on Thursday to
“dismantle” the regime of former president Omar al-Bashir, responding to a key
demand of protest movement that helped overthrow him in April, state TV
reported. The Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA), which spearheaded the
protests against Bashir, welcomed the law, saying it included the dissolution
of the former ruling party and the confiscation of its funds and property. “It is an important step on the path to
building a democratic civilian state,” the group said in a statement.
Implementation of the law will be a crucial test of how far transitional
authorities are willing or able to go to overturn nearly three decades of rule
by Bashir, who took power in a 1989 coup. The law was passed during a joint
meeting of Sudan’s sovereign council and cabinet that lasted several hours. The
meeting saw disputes over an article that bans people who took leading posts in
the former regime from practicing politics, sources with knowledge of the
proceedings told Reuters. Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok said on Twitter that the
law was not an act of revenge, but was rather aimed at preserving the “dignity
of the Sudanese people.”“We passed this law in a joint meeting to establish
justice and respect the dignity of the people, and safeguard their gains, and
so that the people’s looted wealth can be recovered,” he added. Hamdok’s
government was formed in September after a power-sharing deal between
anti-Bashir groups and the Transitional Military Council that ruled the country
immediately after Bashir’s overthrow.
The Latest LCCC English analysis &
editorials from miscellaneous sources published on November 29-30/2019
Analysis/Where Netanyahu
Sees an Iranian Threat, His New Defense Chief Sees an Opportunity
عاموس هاريل/هآرتس: نيتنياهو يرى أن هنالك تهديداً إيرانياً فيما وزير دفاعه يرى في الأمر فرصة
Amos Harel/Haaretz/November 29/2019
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/80972/%d8%b9%d8%a7%d9%85%d9%88%d8%b3-%d9%87%d8%a7%d8%b1%d9%8a%d9%84-%d9%87%d8%a2%d8%b1%d8%aa%d8%b3-%d9%86%d9%8a%d8%aa%d9%86%d9%8a%d8%a7%d9%87%d9%88-%d9%8a%d8%b1%d9%89-%d8%a3%d9%86-%d9%87%d9%86%d8%a7%d9%84/?preview_id=80972&preview_nonce=2e77d49017&preview=true&_thumbnail_id=67769
However, setbacks in Iran’s expansionist military project in Syria won’t change
Tehran’s long-term agenda
On Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Naftali
Bennett took a tour of the northern part of the country. Accompanied by Israel
Defense Forces Deputy Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Eyal Zamir and Northern Command
chief Maj. Gen. Amir Baram, they visited troops from the Galilee Division,
responsible for security along the Lebanon border, and the Bahsan Division, in
charge of the border with Syria.
Security issues are apparently serving the prime minister’s own purposes, more
than they are giving him sleepless nights. Constantly raising the public’s
awareness of military dangers heightens Netanyahu’s image as the country’s
great defender, and ostensibly justifies his remaining in power, despite the
indictments. The visit took place a few days after four Fajr-5 rockets were
fired at Mount Hermon from Syria by Iranian-controlled Shi’ite militias from
the southern outskirts of Damascus. The rockets were intercepted by the Iron
Dome system, and Israel responded with an extensive attack on Iranian and
Syrian military sites in southern Syria. During their tour, Netanyahu and
Bennett reiterated the usual threats against Iran, Syria, Hezbollah and
Israel’s other enemies. The impression created was that Israel is determined to
use all means at its disposal to combat the Iranian danger looming on its
borders.
The trip north was, of course, entirely political. Just a few days earlier,
Attorney General Avichai Mendelblit had announced his decision to file
corruption charges against Netanyahu in three cases; two days later, thousands
of supporters of the prime minister gathered at a solidarity rally for him in
Tel Aviv.
These days, Netanyahu is simultaneously waging a battle of vilification against
the attorney general and state prosecutors, deploying to defend himself ahead
of the possible lifting of his immunity by the Knesset, and also stonewalling,
in the hope of thwarting last-minute efforts by his rivals (in Kahol Lavan as
well as in Likud) to form a new government without another election.
The tour of army installations on Wednesday by Kahol Lavan leader MK Benny
Gantz and others from his party paled in comparison to Netanyahu’s. Moreover,
Gantz, unlike Netanyahu and Bennett, isn’t entitled to have his picture taken
with IDF officers at his side.
A sensitive ear would have noted a difference in tone between the remarks made
by the prime minister and those of the defense minister, when they were up
north. The former pursued his alarmist line: The Iranians are lurking at the
Syrian border, and they are building missile bases in Iraq and in Yemen in
order to threaten Israel from those regions. Bennett sounded different, almost
gung-ho, and addressed the Iranians directly: “There’s nothing for you in
Syria, there’s no reason for you to try and consolidate yourselves there.
Whatever you try to do, you will encounter a strong and determined IDF that
will strike at you.”
Where Netanyahu talks about a threat, his defense minister perceives an
opportunity. The Iranians, he believes, made a mistake in deciding to move
their campaign close to the border with Israel. Establishing themselves
militarily in southern Syria requires a long and vulnerable logistical chain,
stretching all the way from Tehran to Damascus. Deployment of militias on the
Golan Heights front allows Israel intelligence and air superiority, close to
home. Iran will have a very hard time closing that gap, no matter what
quantities of materiel and troops it may try to deploy along the border.
Moreover, the riots in Iraq, Lebanon and, recently in Iran as well, require the
authorities to focus their attention and energies to dealing with domestic
troubles. Hezbollah has no desire whatsoever to be dragged into a war with
Israel at this time, as Iran’s proxy. That situation, according to Bennett,
leaves General Qasem Soleimani, commander of the Quds Force in the
Revolutionary Guards, with a limited power of response – mostly from Syria and
western Iraq. Those are dangers that Israel can handle, if necessary by
delivering more potent blows.
Managing the risks
Where Bennett portrays Iran as an octopus, extending its tentacles across the
Middle East, Israeli intelligence thinks of it as a hedgehog. The local arena
is of most concern to Tehran’s leadership, which is in a permanent state of
“battle readiness” and sees conspirators in every corner. On Wednesday,
following what appears to have been the successful brutal suppression of
demonstrations in Iran against the spike in fuel prices – estimates in the West
are that more than 300 protesters were killed and about 4,000 wounded – Supreme
Leader Ali Khamenei declared that the Iranian people had “quelled a broad and
dangerous conspiracy that was led by foreign agents.”
Moreover, Iran remains under huge economic pressure due to the American
sanctions. Its military actions, notably the attacks on petroleum sites in the
Persian Gulf, are intended primarily to create counter-pressure against the
West and to force the United States to relent.
And the domestic crisis has not gone away. On the 40th anniversary of the
Islamic Revolution, Iran’s revolutionary fervor has faded, and what remains is
mainly the suppression. Some experts say that the current situation recalls the
period leading up to the dissolution of the Soviet Union, even if the Tehran’s
regime’s expiry date is far from clear.
Was Iran’s military expansion as far as Syria really a mistake? Tehran,
according to Jerusalem’s reading, has a different conception of time.
Individual failures, in firing rockets or being bombed by Israel, do not
necessarily alter the long-term view. The major concern in Israel is
Soleimani’s risk-management policy; in the meantime, he’s getting a free hand
from the leader. Is he liable to gamble irresponsibly and expand the friction
into an all-out military confrontation with Israel? That’s a danger that lurks
more vividly in Lebanon than in Syria. Israel has stated that the establishment
of facilities in Lebanon for manufacture of precision weapons will not be
tolerated under any circumstances. The Iranians, for their part, have not
desisted from their efforts to promote such a project, together with Hezbollah.
Broken promises
In the summer of 2018, the regime of Bashar Assad completed the recapture of
southern Syria. The Russian forces in the country succeeded in dismantling most
of the strongholds of resistance to the Syrian ruler. When the Russians
threatened carpet bombing, a method of warfare they had previously demonstrated
in Aleppo, the majority of leaders in the insurgent villages signed surrender
agreements. In return for not intervening in events in the Syrian Golan, Israel
was promised that the front would remain quiet.
A Russian-American-Jordanian agreement, and verbal assurances as well from
Moscow, stipulated that Iran and its satellites would not be allowed to draw
closer than 70 or 80 kilometers (43-49 miles) from the border (there are
different accounts about the distance). Netanyahu supporters presented the
understandings as a tremendous strategic achievement, one that would not have
come to pass were it not for the prime minister’s close friendship with Russian
President Vladimir Putin.
None of the Russians’ promises were kept: Iran and its proxies are present on
almost every square meter of ground between Damascus and the Israeli border. In
the Israeli punitive attacks on November 20, a large number of targets – most
of them Iranian, a few Syrian – were hit in the area between Damascus and the
border. On bases near Damascus, within the strip that was supposed to be empty
of Iranians, the Revolutionary Guards and the Shi’ite militias have deployed a
range of weapons systems, some of which, such as the Fajr rockets, can hit
Israel. (More advanced systems have for the most part been limited to the area
north and east of Damascus, for fear of Israeli strikes.) And deployed all
along the Golan Heights front, and in the rear as well, are observation posts,
Syrian units with Iranian advisers, weapons experts from Hezbollah, and local
terrorist and guerrilla networks that Hezbollah is setting up.
The potential of the Syrian border becoming active, as a secondary front in the
event of war erupting between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, already exists.
And since February 2018 – the first instance in which Iran tried to attack
Israel from Syria (with a drone. carrying explosives) – there have been six
incidents in which rockets, drones and multirotors have been launched by the
Iranians or by militias operating at their directive.
What is the chance that Israel will be able to persuade them to recalculate
their course of action, as Bennett believes? The final decisions will probably
be made in Tehran. The Syrian regime is not happy about the idea of absorbing
collateral damage from Israel, as in the recent attack, because of the
Iranians. Russia, too, has no interest in seeing Iranian military consolidation
in Syria thrive. However, at present, neither Damascus nor Moscow appears
overly willing to confront Tehran on this issue.
France: "We Want to Regain Control of Our
Migration Policy"
Soeren Kern/Gatestone Institute/November 29/2019
"The number of asylum applications in France increased by more than 20% in
2018 while it is declining everywhere else in Europe. Why is it declining
elsewhere and increasing in
Critics noted that Philippe's measures will not resolve the underlying problem
— that the French government refuses adequately to secure the country's borders
to prevent illegal migrants from entering
"The government has decided nothing. There will always be 255,000 legal
aliens per year, plus 100,000 asylum seekers, plus all the illegal immigrants
that no one has even considered counting, plus thousands of unaccompanied
minors." — Marine Le Pen, leader of the National Rally party.
Meanwhile, illegal immigration to and through
French police recently cleared more than 2,000 migrants from makeshift
encampments in northern
French police recently cleared more than 2,000 migrants from makeshift
encampments in northern
The migration crackdown appears to be aimed at blunting the rising popularity
of the anti-mass-migration party National Rally and its leader Marine Le Pen.
She has dismissed the government's actions as a "political swindle"
that will increase, not decrease, immigration.
On November 28, police began removing hundreds of migrants from a camp at Porte
d'Aubervilliers in the 19th arrondissement in northeastern
On November 7, 500 police officers cleared more than 1,600 migrants from two
makeshift camps near Porte de la Chapelle in the 18th arrondissement in
northern
A total of 1,606 migrants, from Africa, Asia and the Middle East, were put on
buses and taken to temporary accommodations in other parts of
Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said that the migrants will be housed at
public facilities while their asylum requests are being processed. He added
that those whose asylum requests are denied would have to leave
Police said that they would maintain a presence in the areas to ensure that the
migrants do not return. "I will no longer tolerate these installations by
the roadside here or anywhere else on public spaces in
The Deputy Mayor of Paris, Emmanuel Grégoire, said that in addition to the camp
in Porte de la Chapelle, there were another 1,600 migrants in a camp at nearby
Porte d'Aubervilliers and more camps at Porte de la Villete and in
Seine-Saint-Denis, all in northern
Observers said that the crackdown in
The clearing operation in
Philippe, who serves under President Emmanuel Macron, said that the government
would clear all the migrant camps in France before the end of the year,
restrict access to medical care for migrants who are not authorized to be in
France, and establish quotas for migrants with professional skills to offset
labor shortages. He also said that the government would create 16,000 more
housing spaces for migrants, along with three more detention centers for those
not authorized to be in
"It's about sovereignty," Philippe said. "We want to regain
control of our immigration policy. Taking back control means ensuring that when
we say yes, it really means yes, and when we say no, it really means no."
Philippe insisted that the measures were the mark of a "
Critics noted that Philippe's measures will not resolve the underlying problem
— that the French government refuses adequately to secure the country's borders
to prevent illegal migrants from entering
Immigration has become a major political issue ahead of French municipal
elections to be held in March 2020, and presidential elections set for 2022.
Polls show that Macron's La République En
In September, Macron hinted at a tougher line on immigration, arguing the
government must stop voters from drifting to populist parties. "
Macron's comments caused a backlash from left-leaning members of his own party
who penned two open letters warning against "fueling hatred against all
Muslim citizens." LREM lawmaker Jean-François Cesarini accused Macron of
"co-opting the talking points" of Le Pen's National Rally.
On October 7, during a parliamentary debate on immigration, Philippe tried to
present a united front. He told lawmakers at the National Assembly that the
government does not seek to crack down on immigration "as a whole,"
but rather to simplify some processes and improve the situations of those who
are legally in
Le Pen described the government's announced crackdown on illegal immigration as
a "political swindle" and a "smokescreen" that will lead to
even more immigration. Speaking on Europe 1 Radio, she noted:
"The government has decided nothing. There will always be 255,000 legal
aliens per year, plus 100,000 asylum seekers, plus all the illegal immigrants
that no one has even considered counting, plus thousands of unaccompanied
minors."
Le Pen also questioned the government's plan to establish quotas for foreign
workers: "With six million unemployed, is the urgency not to find
employment for the French?"
MP Nicolas Dupont-Aignan of the eurosceptic party Debout la
Independent MP Emmanuelle Ménard dismissed the government's plan as
"symbolic" and a denounced the "absolute record" of new
asylum applications since Macron took office in May 2017.
"The number of asylum applications in
Asylum seekers in 2018 were mostly from
In 2018, 6.5 million immigrants were living in
An estimated 320,000 people were living in
Meanwhile, illegal immigration to and through
On October 19, thirteen migrants, including one child, were found in the back
of a cattle truck at the
A total of 237 vessels were intercepted in the English Channel during the first
nine months of 2019, according to Pas-de-Calais prefecture, the regional
government in
*Soeren Kern is a Senior Fellow at the New York-based Gatestone Institute.
Follow Soeren Kern on Twitter and Facebook
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not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No
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or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.
Tehran's leaders will be tempted to attack
Gulf states again to divert attention from their domestic woes
Con Coughlin/The National/November 29/2019
Following the Saudi Aramco assault, regime loyalists think the best way to
respond to internal political pressures is to engage in action further afield
As fresh evidence emerges of Iranian involvement in September’s devastating
attack on Saudi Arabia’s Aramco oil infrastructure, there is a growing
consensus among military commanders that Tehran could be planning further
attacks.
The recent upsurge in Iranian acts of aggression in the Gulf was one of the
dominant themes at the recent Manama Dialogue security conference organised by
the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies. Gulf leaders in
particular were keen to stress the need not to give in to
The robust position being adopted by Gulf leaders to defend their interests has
led to
The International Maritime Security Construct (IMSC), as it is known, was set
up in
Efforts to provide enhanced security in the Gulf come at a time when the top US
general in the region is warning that the threat from Iran continues to rise,
and that there is a strong possibility Tehran will seek to engage in further
hostile acts against its Gulf neighbours and their allies.
“I think the strike on Saudi Aramco in September is pretty indicative of a nation
that is behaving irresponsibly,” said General Kenneth McKenzie, the commander
of US Central Command during an interview at the Manama Dialogue. “My judgment
is that it is very possible they will attack again.”
Since May, the Pentagon has dispatched 14,000 additional troops, an aircraft
carrier battle group, and tens of thousands of pounds of military equipment to
the
But with the Iranian regime under intense domestic political pressure because
of the disastrous state of the country’s economy, its leaders will be tempted
to engage in further acts of aggression as a means of diverting attention away
from their travails.
Efforts to provide enhanced security in the Gulf come at a time when the top US
general in the region is warning that the threat from Iran continues to rise
Certainly one of the more striking features of the detailed report compiled by
Reuters news agency into the Aramco attack – one of the most comprehensive
accounts of Iran’s involvement published to date – is the claim that the
assault was personally commissioned by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme
leader, as a means of responding to the US sanctions.
Despite Tehran’s initial insistence that the Iranian economy would not be
adversely affected by US President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw from the
nuclear deal last year and impose a fresh round of sanctions, the reality has
been very different as the regime has seen a disastrous run on the rial, with
inflation currently running at around 40 per cent, causing sharp price rises in
basic staples such as meat and vegetables.
Public discontent with the government’s stewardship of the economy has been
running high for nearly a year, culminating in the latest nationwide protests
over the recent hike in fuel prices. The protests and subsequent crackdown are
thought to have led to more than 200 deaths and about 7,000 arrests.
Regime loyalists believe the best way of responding to internal pressure is to
engage in action further afield, thought to be a key factor in
Planning for the attack is said to have originated at a meeting that took place
in May in a heavily fortified compound in
The mood of the meeting was summed up by one commander, who declared: “It is
time to take out our swords and teach them a lesson.”
Initially IRGC commanders raised the possibility of attacking high-value
targets in the region such as American military bases. But this notion was
eventually discounted over concerns that such an attack would provoke a
devastating response from the
Iranian officials, who have dismissed the findings of the report, continue to
deny their country’s involvement, even though both the Saudis and US believe
But
The big risk for
*Con Coughlin is the Telegraph’s defence and foreign affairs editor
The U.S. Must Blunt Russia’s Adventurism
in Libya
Ben Fishman/Bloomberg/The Washington Institute/November 29/2019
The deployment of Kremlin-linked mercenaries will make a costly civil war even
more difficult to end.
Until recently, very little had changed in
After seven months of equivocating about
The stakes are higher this time, with
In addition to aid from
The idea of permitting Russian interference in Libya contradicts the Trump
administration’s National Security Strategy, the National Defense Strategy, and
the National Security Council’s Africa Strategy, which all focus on great power
rivalry and countering Russian (and Chinese) influence.
The Nov. 14 statement issued by the State Department condemned the “LNA’s
offensive” and Russian interference. Yet skepticism remains about the
administration’s seriousness and willingness to act. Since the statement was
released, Haftar’s forces have perpetrated a mass-casualty attack on a civilian
target in
To allay doubts of a renewed commitment to
Second, the
Finally, the
Exposing and isolating
*Ben Fishman is a senior fellow at The Washington Institute and former director
for
Arabic song travels from
Tala Jarjour/Arab News/November 29/2019
A group of musicians and singers traveled recently from the
The small orchestra is an Arab music ensemble, founded and conducted by Michael
Ibrahim, a graduate in music from the universities of Eastern Michigan and
Wayne State. Since the then-student ensemble’s first concert in 2009, the
number of amateur and professional musicians engaged with it has increased.
Current members, who reside in different parts of the US, meet in Michigan for
rehearsals prior to each performance, Ibrahim informs me. Their mission? “To
preserve and integrate Arab culture by creating memorable musical experiences,”
according to the ensemble’s Facebook page.
As a registered nonprofit organization in the state of Michigan, the ensemble
emphasizes education in its mission. Its location, in one of the Midwestern
states to have been badly hit by the decline in the automobile industry, is
home to a sizeable Arab immigrant community, especially from Iraq and Syria,
which regularly hosts refugee families. That this location puts the ensemble
and its mission in a place of particular need and relevance would not have
escaped its founding conductor Ibrahim, a 35-year-old son of Syrian migrants,
whose artistic mission appears to be enhanced by a social entrepreneurial
spirit. Through a number of configurations, the ensemble’s musical outreach
started in the Detroit public school system and has now reached Saudi Arabia.
Arab music is traditionally performed by “takht,” a small ensemble that usually
includes qanun, oud, nai, a percussion instrument (typically riqq), and
(frequently) one violin. For a number of reasons, the size and variety of
instruments increased dramatically in 20th century stage performances (to
include electric keyboards, for instance). Still, academically inclined
institutions in the Arab world have adhered more closely to takht formations,
even with large ensembles. State-sponsored, national institutions, such as the
opera houses of Cairo and Damascus, relied on size in establishing the National
Arab Music Ensemble and the Syrian National Orchestra for Arabic Music,
respectively. It is not clear why the 24-member Michigan ensemble chose a
comparable name, other than perhaps to emphasize a focus on what many would
consider high art in Arab music.
That emphasis was abundantly clear to the Dhahran audience. Conversations
between the ensemble’s and the center’s artistic directors began in March and a
program was designed, in collaboration with Al-Quntar and Farouq, to bring to
the fore women in Arab music. While Kulthum’s songs were played in shorter
renditions than in the diva’s original recordings, the audience experience was,
in many ways, as close as it gets to what mid-20th-century nostalgia would
reconstruct.
While in some ways the Dhahran concerts were not extraordinary events, they
were, in fact, striking and beautiful occurrences.
At the start of the first concert, Ibrahim addressed the audience, alerting
them to a change in the order of pieces in the program. This practice is familiar
to concertgoers in the world of orchestral performance. However, deviating from
current European-style orchestral concert decorum, Ibrahim made a double take.
Turning again to face the audience, he invited its members to participate by
clapping. Alluding to the participatory nature of listening in Arab music, and
to the fact that performers draw necessary feedback from seeing and hearing
audience reactions, this orchestral conductor’s invitation elicited loud
cheers. Throughout the concert, audience members sang along and clapped,
shouted appreciation, and interjected compliments for the singers.
While in some ways the Dhahran concerts were not extraordinary events (an
emerging group of Arab and non-Arab musicians giving its first overseas
concerts), they were, in fact, striking and beautiful occurrences. From the
misfortunes of economic depression and political disadvantage, American music
enthusiasts traveled to one of the world’s wealthiest countries to showcase
Arab culture. At face value, the gaps between the disparate pieces of this
picture could not be wider. Yet, in Dhahran, music defied stereotypical
perception. As evidenced by audience energy and reactions, music renders gaps
irrelevant, as it consoles and connects.
According to Ithra developer Aramco, the aim of the center is to transport the
Kingdom from the era of oil discovery to an era of knowledge discovery. The
distinguished building, designed to mimic a constellation of five rocks in the
desert, symbolizes linking past, present and future, and facilitates connecting
heritage with achieving dreams. If “inspiring minds” is the expressed purpose
of Ithra (which means enrichment), then harnessing music, along with the social
and cultural powers it carries and revives, is indeed a potent strategy.
*Tala Jarjour is author of “Sense and Sadness: Syriac Chant in Aleppo” (OUP,
2018). She is currently Visiting Research Fellow at King’s College London and
Associate Fellow of Pierson College at Yale.
Objections to Aramco listing ring hollow
Abdulrahman Al-Rashed/Arab News/November 29/2019
At the start of 2016, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman came up with a new
idea; he told The Economist magazine that he was considering listing shares in
Saudi Aramco — the state-owned company that is the world’s biggest oil producer
and almost certainly the world’s most valuable company — as part of a new plan
called Saudi Vision 2030.
At the time, few took his words seriously, regarding it as marketing propaganda
for the rising new political star. Nearly four years on, Saudi Aramco’s pending
initial public offering (IPO) is the biggest in history, far surpassing the
previous record set by Chinese company Alibaba.
In the Middle East, the idea initially raised concerns. Selling stakes in a
state-owned oil company makes no sense — to many it is as if you were selling
one of your own children. The region witnessed a long history of struggle for
nationalization — the Saudi government itself did not fully own Aramco until
1981 after US companies were forced to sell their shares. In this part of the
world, people believe that it is the state alone that should own the sea, sky
and oil. Some have warned that the deal could open a window through which
foreign colonialism could infiltrate, citing the nationalization of the Suez
Canal and the Saudi government's conflict with international oil companies in
the past.
In the West, there were other concerns, including the fact that Saudi Aramco is
a state-owned company and could therefore lose out, economically. In addition,
at the time, many Western commentators believed that what the Saudi crown
prince said was probably media propaganda because they were unable to conceive
of a “third-world” government thinking outside the box. Only in the West do oil
companies have a private commercial sector.
The Kingdom has come a long way in a short time since announcing Saudi Aramco’s
IPO: Saudi Arabia jumped 30 spots globally in the administrative reform of the
government, according to a World Bank report; it has introduced many innovations
in the role of government, the private sector, and women; it has opened the
country up to tourists and foreign investors; and much more.
Abdulrahman Al-Rashed
As the listing arrangements of the shares of the world's largest company moved
forward, they faced a flood of uncertainty and criticism. Some critics had
concerns about confidentiality, lack of information, bureaucracy, control of
financial and pricing decisions, and political interference. In the last two
decisive years, the government has ensured Aramco is fully prepared for the
future IPO in terms of transparency and effectiveness, steps that have improved
the performance and reputation of the company.
It opened Aramco — which was described as the most secretive company in the
world — up, tasking international accounting firms with internal audits and
other companies with the review of operations and assessment of proven oil
reserves. The results confirmed that Aramco is a company that is managed to
international standards of administrative efficiency. The cost for the company
of producing one barrel of oil is only about $2.8, the cheapest on the market.
What about geopolitical risks? In September, Iran attacked Aramco facilities —
an incident even worse than the 1991 Kuwait oil fire ignited by Iraqi forces.
However, within a week, Aramco regained its market share, and within six weeks
it had repaired the damaged facilities. It proved it was capable of addressing
the most serious challenges.
In the beginning, many of the doubts and reservations surrounding Saudi
Aramco’s potential listing were logical. But in the few weeks preceding the
subscription, a campaign was launched against the IPO, linking it to human
rights and environmental issues. But no one raised these issues when Exxon,
Mobil, Shell or other oil companies announced they were listing their shares on
the stock market, even though some of them produce oil in countries with a
history of human rights issues and even though many of those companies have a
less-than-ideal track record on environmental issues.
Many Saudis consider the criticism against Aramco’s IPO as politicized. At
first, critics said the IPO was delayed, then when it was announced, they said
that it had been hastily prepared because of the government's need for
financial funding. There is no doubt that one of the objectives of the listing
is to finance future government projects, but not to finance its services or
budget. The controversy over Aramco's valuation is also normal in the market.
The government naturally aspires to secure the best price. Whether the shares
are fully subscribed or not, oil will remain a key commodity for the world
until an alternative emerges or until it runs out, which is still a relatively
remote prospect.
Saudi Arabia does not have to sell a single Aramco share, but the idea itself
reflects a different approach to state administration. That is something that
any visitor who knows Saudi Arabia will verify — the country is changing in all
aspects of life.
The Kingdom has come a long way in a short time since announcing Saudi Aramco’s
IPO: Saudi Arabia jumped 30 spots globally in the administrative reform of the
government, according to a World Bank report; it has introduced many
innovations in the role of government, the private sector, and women; it has
opened the country up to tourists and foreign investors; and much more.
*Abdulrahman Al-Rashed is a veteran columnist. He is the former general manager
of Al Arabiya news channel, and former editor-in-chief of Asharq Al-Awsat.
Twitter: @aalrashed