English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For September 02/2020
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani

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Bible Quotations For today
His master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly; for the children of this age are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than are the children of light.”
Luke 16/01-08: “The Lord Jesus said to the disciples: ‘There was a rich man who had a manager, and charges were brought to him that this man was squandering his property. So he summoned him and said to him, “What is this that I hear about you? Give me an account of your management, because you cannot be my manager any longer.” Then the manager said to himself, “What will I do, now that my master is taking the position away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. I have decided what to do so that, when I am dismissed as manager, people may welcome me into their homes.”So, summoning his master’s debtors one by one, he asked the first, “How much do you owe my master?” He answered, “A hundred jugs of olive oil.” He said to him, “Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it fifty.”Then he asked another, “And how much do you owe?” He replied, “A hundred containers of wheat.” He said to him, “Take your bill and make it eighty.”And his master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly; for the children of this age are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than are the children of light.”
 

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on September 01-02/2020

Aoun Tells Macron He's Committed to Seeking 'Civil State'
Macron Says Lebanon Govt. within 2 Weeks, Hizbullah Arms 'Not a Taboo'
Macron to Return to Lebanon in December
Macron Says Ready to Host Lebanon Aid Conference in October
French President Macron says the next six weeks are crucial for the future of Lebanon
Macron Says Hizbullah Elected Party, Denies Picking Adib
Macron Warns Lebanese Politicians of 'Last Chance'
Macron Tours Blast Site in Beirut Port
Macron, Hariri Discuss Political Developments in Evening Meeting
Macron Marks Centennial in Lebanon Presses Reform Drive
Report: French Presidency Says Lebanon in ‘Very Difficult Situation’
Macron Meets Heads of Parliamentary Blocs at Pine Residence
French president seeking Lebanese government without Hezbollah
In Beirut, Macron reiterates commitment to reform, meets Fairouz
French figures call on Macron to back EU efforts to ban Hezbollah
Lebanese Protesters Slam French 'Cooperation' with Political Leaders
Canada commemorates Lebanon’s centennial
Lebanon’s Maronite Patriarch confronts Hezbollah/Seth Frantzman
Fierce Clashes between Protesters, Security Forces near Parliament
'All 25 Suspects' in Beirut Blast Probe in Custody
'Cause of All Ills': Lebanon's Complex Power-Sharing System
Army Contains Renewed Tensions in Khalde
Salameh Reiterates Central Bank ‘Won’t Use Obligatory Reserves’
Lies and Terrorism: From Beirut to Washington/Elie Aoun/September 01/2020
Canadian Islamic Scholar Kamil Ahmad: Beirut Port Blast Is Divine Retribution Against Lebanon For Spreading 'Vice And Evil' To The Arab Countries, Ignoring Syria's Plight/MEMRI/August 07/2020
Lebanon: When Running Away from Solutions Becomes an Official Policy/Eyad Abu Shakra/Asharq Al Awsat/September 0/2020
Lebanon needs idealism, not pragmatism/Khaled Abou Zahr/Arab News/September 01/2020
Four key lessons from Lebanon’s first 100 years of existence/Joseph Bahout/Arab News/September 01/2020
Macron’s Lebanese ‘faux pas/Faisal J. Abbas/Arab News/September 02/2020

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on September 01-02/2020

11 dead in alleged Israeli airstrikes in Syria - report
Several pro-Iran militiamen reported killed in Israeli strikes on Syria
Macron to visit Iraq this week, in support for ‘sovereignty’
The Emiratis’ message: Peace between the people
UAE’s Gargash meets in Abu Dhabi with Israel’s head of the National Security Council
Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman meets with Jared Kushner
Pompeo says US will lift arms embargo on Cyprus, Turkey furious
Head of Israel’s National Security Council visits UAE’s Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
Israel, UAE sign first cooperation agreement
UAE-Israel deal has guarantee that annexation not happening, UAE official say

Titles For The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on September 01-02/2020

UAE: We Are Not Traitors; Palestinian Leaders Are Corrupt/Khaled Abu Toameh/Gatestone Institute/September 01/2020
Raymond Ibrahim on the Bottom-Up Oppression of Egypt’s Christians”/Raymond Ibrahim/September 01/2020
Confronting Iran Before the November Election/Jacob Nagel and Mark Dubowitz/FDD/September 01/2020

The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on September 01-02/2020
Aoun Tells Macron He's Committed to Seeking 'Civil State'
Naharnet/September 01/2020
President Michel Aoun on Tuesday announced that he is committed to seeking the establishment of a “civil state” in Lebanon.
“I hope our pains will become a motivation pushing us to turn into a civil state, in which competency would be the standard and the law would be the guarantee for equal rights,” said Aoun in a speech at a Baabda lunch banquet thrown in the honor of visiting French President Emmanuel Macron. “To achieve this goal, I have committed myself to calling for a national dialogue so that we reach a formula that would be acceptable to everyone,” the president added. Referring to Lebanon’s centenary, which the country was marking on Tuesday, Aoun said “September 1, 2020 should be a starting point for a new Lebanon, where the citizen would be the king and not the leaders of sects,” urging the establishment of “a modern state that meets the aspirations of the people and the ambitions of our youths who are the future of the country.” Macron for his part stressed that his country will stand by Lebanon in its current crisis and that it is willing to “offer any assistance to help achieve the needed rise as part of a clear plan based on carrying out reforms in the key sectors.”He also expressed relief over “President Aoun’s remarks on the importance of the rise of a civil state in Lebanon.”

Macron Says Lebanon Govt. within 2 Weeks, Hizbullah Arms 'Not a Taboo'
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/September 01/2020
French President Emmanuel Macron said Lebanon's embattled leaders had pledged Tuesday to form a crisis cabinet within two weeks to push forward with key reforms, as he visited the disaster-hit country. Macron was in Beirut for a second time since an August 4 explosion there which killed more than 180 people, laid waste to entire city districts and fueled popular rage against the country's political elite.
- Hizbullah has 'popular base' -
Speaking at a press conference following talks with the heads of Lebanon's parliamentary blocs, Macron said Hizbullah "is probably in parliament because of intimidation but also because other forces have failed to run the country well."
"But it has a popular base and that is the reality," he added. Nonetheless, "with Hizbullah there is a discussion that needs to be initiated," with regards to disarmament, Macron added. "This is exactly the discussion we had an hour ago (and) it should not be a taboo," he said.

Macron to Return to Lebanon in December
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/September 01/2020
French president Emmanuel Macron will return to Lebanon in December for his third visit to the crisis-hit country since a devastating August explosion in Beirut, the French presidency told French news agency AFP on Tuesday.
Macron, who landed in the Lebanese capital on Monday for a two-day trip, has taken center stage in an international push for long-overdue reforms.This was his second visit since the August 4 explosion at Beirut's port killed 190 people, wounded at least 6,500 and laid to waste swathes of the capital.
On Tuesday, Macron said he was ready to organize an international aid conference for Lebanon in October which, if it happens, would be the second such effort to be led by Paris since the August 4 blast.
Speaking to French news outlet Brut, Macron said he would "follow up" on progress made by Lebanese leaders towards enacting reform "in October and then in December.""I will personally commit myself to it," he added, vowing to block aid money donors have pledged to Lebanon if changes are not made.
Beyond a planned aid conference in October, "I will also come back in December," he said, which his office later confirmed to AFP. The Beirut explosion compounded Lebanon's worst economic crisis since the 1975-1990 civil war, with a U.N. agency warning on Sunday that more than half of the population risks a food crisis by the end of the year. The blast caused up to $4.6 billion worth of damage and a blow to economic activity of up to $3.5 billion, according to a World Bank assessment. On August 9, international donors pledged 252.7 million euros (around $300 million) in emergency aid during a video conference jointly organized by France and the United Nations. But donors vowed that aid would bypass political leaders, whose corruption and ineptitude is widely blamed for Lebanon's economic crisis as well as the port blast. Macron has said it was not his place to "approve" Monday's designation of Mustafa Adib as prime minister. But the little-known 48-year-old diplomat "has to be given all the tools to succeed... so he can implement reforms" long demanded by the international community, Macron said on Tuesday.

Macron Says Ready to Host Lebanon Aid Conference in October
Naharnet/September 01/2020
Visiting French President Emanuel Macron said Tuesday he is ready to host a second aid conference for blast-hit Lebanon next month. "I am ready for us to organise, maybe around mid or late October, another international support conference with the United Nations," he said after meeting UN representatives and local aid groups in Beirut. Macron's visit is his second since the colossal August 4 blast in Beirut port killed more than 180 people, wounded at least 6,500, and ravaged swathes of the capital. The explosion compounded Lebanon's worst economic crisis since the 1975-1990 civil war, with a UN agency warning on Sunday that more than half of the population risk a food crisis by the end of the year.  On August 9, the international community pledged 252.7 million euros (around $300 million) in emergency aid at a video conference jointly organised by France and the United Nations. The international community promised to stand by Lebanon but demanded that its aid be distributed directly to the needy instead of through the government. "We have to focus in the next six weeks on the emergency," Macron said on Tuesday of the port blast which caused up to $4.6 billion worth of damage and a blow to economic activity of up to $3.5 billion, according to a World Bank assessment. He said work going forward would be "under very firm coordination with the United Nations, so we can again ask for support from all the different states".Protesters who have taken to the streets since October last year regard Lebanon's entire political  class as inept and corrupt. They blame it for the explosion, which was caused by a stockpile of ammonium nitrate fertiliser that had languished in the port for years. Antoine Zoghbi, president of the Lebanese Red Cross, told Macron on Tuesday that international assistance to Lebanon needed to be improved.  "We see planes arriving but we do not know where the aid is going," Zoghbi said. "Eighty per cent of the medication arriving in Lebanon is not suited" to needs on the ground.

French President Macron says the next six weeks are crucial for the future of Lebanon
Reuters, Beirut/Tuesday 01 September 2020
The coming six weeks are crucial for the future of Lebanon, French President Emmanuel Macron told reporters in Beirut during an official visit to the country reeling from last month's deadly port blast and rising sectarian tensions.
Macron said he was ready to host an international conference on how to help Lebanon in mid-October. Lebanese politicians, some former warlords who have overseen decades of industrial-scale state corruption, face a daunting task with an economy in crisis, a swathe of Beirut in tatters after the August 4 port blast and sectarian tensions rising. French President Emmanuel Macron also said the “truth of the numbers” in the Lebanese banking system needed to be known so that judicial action could be taken, saying the country was suffering a banking and central banking crisis.
“There is today a Lebanese central banking crisis, a Lebanese banking system in crisis. A lot of funds were likely taken out,” Macron said in comments while on the visit. “Today everything is blocked and Lebanon can no longer finance itself, so there needs to be an audit ... there is likely money that has been diverted. So we need to know the truth of the numbers and then that judicial actions are taken,” he said.
Macron visits Lebanon
Macron's visit is his second since the colossal August 4 blast in Beirut port killed more than 180 people, wounded at least 6,500, and ravaged swathes of the capital. The explosion compounded Lebanon's worst economic crisis since the 1975-1990 civil war, with a UN agency warning on Sunday that more than half of the population risk a food crisis by the end of the year. On August 9, the international community pledged 252.7 million euros (around $300 million) in emergency aid at a video conference jointly organised by France and the United Nations. The international community promised to stand by Lebanon but demanded that its aid be distributed directly to the needy instead of through the government. "We have to focus in the next six weeks on the emergency," Macron said on Tuesday of the port blast which caused up to $4.6 billion worth of damage and a blow to economic activity of up to $3.5 billion, according to a World Bank assessment. He said work going forward would be "under very firm coordination with the United Nations, so we can again ask for support from all the different states."
Protesters call out corrupt political elite
Protesters who have taken to the streets since October last year regard Lebanon's entire political class as inept and corrupt. They blame it for the explosion, which was caused by a stockpile of ammonium nitrate fertiliser that had languished in the port for years. Antoine Zoghbi, president of the Lebanese Red Cross, told Macron on Tuesday that international assistance to Lebanon needed to be improved. "We see planes arriving but we do not know where the aid is going," Zoghbi said. "Eighty per cent of the medication arriving in Lebanon is not suited" to needs on the ground.

Macron Says Hizbullah Elected Party, Denies Picking Adib
Naharnet/September 01/2020
French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday described Hizbullah as a representative of “a part of the Lebanese people,” as he denied being behind the nomination of Mustafa Adib for the PM post. “I don’t know the man, who was designated following binding parliamentary consultations… and we hope he enjoys the needed competency,” Macron told reporters at the blast-hit Beirut port. In remarks to U.S. media outlet Politico, Macron had also rejected accusations that he personally chose Adib and made a deal with Iran.
"I don’t know him, I didn’t choose him, and it’s not my job to interfere or approve," he said. Speaking at the port, the French leader said Hizbullah “represents a part of the Lebanese people and is an elected party.”
“Today there is a partnership between it and several other parties, and if we don’t want Lebanon to descend into a model in which terror would prevail at the expense of other matters, we have to educate Hizbullah and other parties about their responsibilities,” Macron added.
Asked about his soft approach towards Hizbullah in the Politico interview, Macron argued: "If we fight force with force, that’s called escalation," and that only leads to war, which he said is the last thing Lebanon needs.
"Don't ask France to come wage war against a Lebanese political force... It would be absurd and crazy.""The difficulty of those who defend a pluralist path is not to fall into the trap of the escalation of powers; it’s the trap I don’t want to fall into and I won’t fall into, including in the Eastern Mediterranean," Macron said, referring to Turkey’s rising tensions with Greece over maritime territory. He also described his efforts in Lebanon as a “risky bet.”
"It’s a risky bet I’m making, I am aware of it … I am putting the only thing I have on the table: my political capital," he told Politico. Macron added that he plans to engage with the new prime minister-designate and all Lebanese political parties in parliament -- including those he doesn’t agree with.
He also said he wants credible commitments from political party leaders that they’ll make reforms, including a concrete timetable for implementing changes and holding a parliamentary election within “six to 12 months.”
Separately, Macron said the nomination of Nawaf Salam for the PM post would not have worked. Hizbullah had reportedly vetoed the choice. "If I imposed Mr. Nawaf Salam ... we kill his candidacy because we put him in a system in which the parliament will block everything,” Macron said.
But Macron also accused Lebanon’s anti-government protest movement of not rising to the occasion. "A name works if the street knows how to produce a leader who leads the revolution, and breaks the system. It didn’t work, at least not today, maybe tomorrow or after tomorrow it will."

Macron Warns Lebanese Politicians of 'Last Chance'
Associated Press/Naharnet/September 01/2020
French President Emmanuel Macron issued a stern warning to Lebanon's political class Tuesday, urging them to commit to serious reforms within a few months or risk punitive action, including sanctions, if they fail to deliver.
Macron is on a two-day visit to Lebanon, marking the country's centenary and holding talks with officials on ways to help extract it from an unprecedented economic crisis and the aftermath of last month's massive blast that ripped through the capital Beirut.
"I'm here ... to get results and bring about reforms," he said Tuesday. The visit was Macron's second since the devastating Aug. 4 explosion -- the most destructive single incident in Lebanon's history -- that killed at least 190 people and injured more than 6,000. This time Macron's visit, packed with events and political talks aimed at charting a way out of the crisis, also comes as Lebanon marks its 100th anniversary.
Speaking to Politico en route from Paris to Lebanon on Monday evening, Macron said he wants credible commitments from political party leaders on reforms, including a concrete timetable for change and parliamentary elections within "six to 12 months."
The next three months will be "fundamental" for real change to happen, and if it doesn't, Macron said he would take a different tack, imposing punitive measures ranging from withholding a vital international financial bailout to imposing sanctions against the ruling class.
"It's the last chance for this system," he said.
In the evening he held meetings with political leaders after clashes erupted in central Beirut between security forces and protesters rejecting the new prime minister. One held a poster aloft urging Macron: "Do not cooperate with the corrupt and criminal." On Tuesday morning, the French president went to a forest in northeast Lebanon where he planted a cedar tree to mark 100 years since the State of Greater Lebanon -- the precursor of the modern state of Lebanon -- was established. Lebanon was a former French protectorate until it gained independence in 1943.
French warplanes flew in formation, spraying smoke with the colors of the Lebanese flag over the Jaj forest in the Byblos region. The warplanes also overflew Baabda and blast-hit Beirut.
Some on social media criticized the aerial maneuver, saying it could trigger traumatic memories among people who experienced the port blast and the 1975-1990 civil war. During the planting ceremony, Macron hugged Tamara Tayah, an 11-year-old victim of Beirut's port blast, whose mother, Hala Tayah was killed in the explosion.
From the forest, Macron went to the Port of Beirut where nearly 3,000 tons of ammonium nitrates stored there for six years exploded Aug. 4, killing 190 people, injuring more than 6,000 and damaging entire neighborhoods.
Macron also visited the state-run Rafik Hariri University Hospital in Beirut and spoke to victims of the Aug. 4 blast. He was applauded inside the hospital when he arrived and a young woman offered him a bouquet of flowers.
Wives and mothers of prisoners protested outside and tried to get Macron's attention about COVID-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus, in prisons.
Macron repeatedly spoke of the need for change. Asked about the new prime minister-designate appointed Monday, he said it was a sovereign Lebanese matter but added he has to be given all the means to succeed.
Macron arrived late Monday, a few hours after Lebanon's Ambassador to Germany Mustafa Adib was appointed to form a new government after winning the backing of major political parties and leaders in Lebanon.
But the 48-year-old diplomat, little known to the public before he emerged abruptly as a consensus candidate, faces a mammoth task and has been rejected by activists and a public demanding that long-ruling politicians stand down.
A large protest was planned later Tuesday in Beirut's landmark Martyrs' Square against the ruling class. "Time for accountability," read one banner put up by demonstrators.
France and the international community have said they will not provide financial assistance to Lebanon unless it implements reforms to fight widespread corruption and mismanagement that have brought the tiny nation to the brink of bankruptcy. Adib, a dual Lebanese-French citizen, promised to carry out the mission as he prepared to form a new Cabinet, saying he will work on reaching a bailout deal with the International Monetary Fund.
The IMF welcomed Adib's nomination, hoping a new government will be formed shortly "with a mandate to implement the policies and reforms that Lebanon needs to address the current crisis and restore sustainable growth."
In a step aimed at showing Lebanon is moving ahead with reforms, outgoing Finance Minister Ghazi Wazni on Tuesday signed three contracts related to a forensic audit of Lebanon's central bank accounts to determine how massive amounts of money were spent in this nation plagued by corruption.
After landing Monday night, Macron went straight to meet the country's top diva, Fairuz, at her home near Beirut. He later met with former Prime Minister Saad Hariri. Macron came to Lebanon two days after the blast, getting a hero's welcome in one of the damaged neighborhoods amid absence by local leaders.
During last month's visit, Macron warned Lebanon's political class that he wouldn't give "blank checks to a system that no longer has the trust of its people." He called on them to create a "new political order."
Lebanon has one of the highest debt ratios in the world standing at 170% of GDP and defaulted on paying back its debt for the first time in March. Seventeen rounds of talks between the IMF and the former government, which resigned six days after the blast, did not lead to a breakthrough.

Macron Tours Blast Site in Beirut Port
Naharnet/September 01/2020
French President Emmanuel Macron visited the blast site in Beirut port on Tuesday and held meetings with representatives of the United Nations and civil society organizations tasked to help rebuild the port after the colossal August 4 explosion. He also met with NGOs and private institutions who are helping in the rebuilding process. The French president oversaw the distribution of aid from the French helicopter carrier Tonnerre which arrived in Beirut on August 14. Macron will later meet with camp ventoux teams, who helped clean and remove rubble from Beirut port. The French President arrived in Lebanon late Monday on his second visit in three weeks to crisis-hit Lebanon. Macron has set an ambitious goal for his second trip to the country since the explosion ravaged Beirut: to press for change without being seen as a meddler.
Macron will also meet with some 400 French soldiers working with the Lebanese army to clear thousands of tonnes of debris from the port, vital for a country whose food is 85 percent imported.

Macron, Hariri Discuss Political Developments in Evening Meeting
Naharnet/September 01/2020
Visiting French President Emmanuel Macron held late talks on Monday with ex-PM Saad Hariri at his Pine Residence in Beirut, Hariri’s media office reported. Discussions between the two men focused on the latest political developments in Lebanon, and the bilateral relations between the two countries.
“Excellent discussions with the President and friend Emmanuel Macron at the residence des Pins,” wrote Hariri in a tweet captioning a picture of Macron and himself. Macron arrived in Beirut Monday for his second visit since a deadly explosion on August 4 shook the nation and fueled a drive for political change.
Macron, who first flew to Beirut only two days after the blast, arrived at 9 pm (1800 GMT) for a two-day visit that will include a ceremony marking the centenary of Greater Lebanon. Speaking to reporters, Macron called for the swift formation of a government to lead crisis-hit Lebanon, following the designation of a new prime minister. He said a new line-up should be agreed "as soon as possible" to rescue the country, which is reeling from the deadly August 4 port explosion, an economic collapse and the coronavirus pandemic.

Macron Marks Centennial in Lebanon Presses Reform Drive
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/September 01/2020
French President Emmanuel Macron pressed his "risky" drive for political change in Lebanon Tuesday, as the former French mandate marked its centenary while teetering on the brink of the abyss. Macron has set an ambitious goal for his second visit since a deadly August 4 explosion ravaged Beirut: to press for change without being seen as a meddler. He kicked off his trip on Monday, not by visiting political leaders, but by spending more than an hour with singing legend Fairuz, who at 85 is a rare unifying figure in Lebanon.
Macron ticked off more symbols to mark 100 years Tuesday since French mandate authorities proclaimed the creation of Greater Lebanon. In the Jaj forest northeast of Beirut, he planted a cedar tree -- Lebanon's national symbol -- to express "confidence in the future of the country," his office said in a statement. The French air force flew overhead leaving a trail of red, white and green smoke -- the colours of the country's flag. Macron then returned for a second visit to Beirut port, ground zero of the colossal blast that killed more than 180 people, wounded at least 6,500 others and laid waste to entire districts of the capital. He oversaw the distribution of aid from the the French helicopter carrier Tonnerre which arrived in Beirut on August 14. Macron also met with some 400 French soldiers working with the Lebanese army to clear thousands of tonnes of debris from the port, vital for a country whose food is 85 percent imported.
'Demanding without interfering'
Macron will then begin the most sensitive and anticipated leg of his visit: difficult discussions with under-fire political leaders widely blamed for the explosion, which was caused by a stockpile of ammonium nitrate fertiliser that had languished in the port for years. Upon his arrival on Monday, Macron said his position towards Lebanon's political establishment "is unchanged: demanding without interfering". For this position to be deemed credible by disenchanted Lebanese as well as by the rest of the international community, Macron must obtain swift results. This is why on Monday evening he called for a so-called "mission government" to spearhead reforms just hours after Lebanese President Michel Aoun designated Mustapha Adib as the country's new prime minister. The French president said it was not his place to "approve" of the designation of Adib -- a little known 48-year-old diplomat who since 2013 had served as Lebanon's ambassador to Germany. But if Lebanon hopes to unlock desperately needed international assistance, political leaders must enact "real reforms" long demanded by donors, Macron said. "If we do not do this, the Lebanese economy will collapse" and "the only victim will be the Lebanese people (...) who cannot go into exile", he warned on Friday.
- 'Risky' -
Adib was named on Monday by political leaders widely seen as inept and corrupt by demonstrators who have taken to the streets in mass protests since October 17 against the entire political class. The protest camp has already rejected the choice of Adib as premier, charging that he is too close to established political circles. "No cabinet by or with the murderers" said posters brandished by demonstrators who waited for Macron outside Fairouz's home.  Late on Monday, Macron also met with former prime minister Saad Hariri at the Ottoman-era residence of the French ambassador, from whose porch 100 years ago Greater Lebanon was proclaimed. After a lunch with Aoun in the presidential palace on Tuesday, he will meet with representatives of the country's top nine political blocs in the second such talks since the blast. Representatives of the powerful Hezbollah movement, designated by the US as a terrorist group, will be among those meeting Macron.  The French president has justified his openness to "talk with everyone", including Hezbollah, by saying the Iran-backed group is "a political force that is represented in parliament". With the protest camp warning against giving another lease of life to a hereditary ruling class that will only pay lip service to reform, Macron admitted in an interview that his brokering drive was a gamble."It's a risky bet I'm making, I am aware of it... I am putting the only thing I have on the table: my political capital," he told Politico.
Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said on Sunday his movement was "open" to a proposal made by Macron on his previous visit for a new political pact for the country. Aoun and parliament speaker Nabih Berri have followed suit by backing calls for the formation of a "civil" state.

Report: French Presidency Says Lebanon in ‘Very Difficult Situation’
Naharnet/September 01/2020
France reportedly considers the situation in crisis-hit Lebanon as “very difficult” and that French President Emmanuel Macron’s efforts will not stop at making officials in Lebanon designate a new PM, but will also make sure that a “productive” government capable of reforms is formed,” Nidaa al-Watan newspaper reported on Tuesday. “The Lebanese situation is extremely difficult. The French president will not be satisfied with appointing a prime minister, but he is waiting for the formation of an effective government that will implement reforms,” the newspaper quoted sources close to the French presidency as saying. They said the French president is “aware” of what is taking place in Lebanon in terms of political consultations. “His requirements are forming an effective and impartial government capable of implementing reforms that enable Lebanon to obtain strong support,” they noted.“Macron is not going to Beirut to make Lebanese parties reach an agreement, but to obtain a clear and effective commitment within the framework of the new paper he presented during his previous visit. He is keen that vowed commitments take into account the demands of the Lebanese people,” added the sources.

Macron Meets Heads of Parliamentary Blocs at Pine Residence
Naharnet/September 01/2020
French President Emmanuel Macron gathered Tuesday evening with representatives of the country's top nine political blocs in the second such talks since the blast disaster. Representatives of Hizbullah, designated by the U.S. and European countries as a “terrorist” group, were among those meeting Macron.
The French president said this was necessary as Hizbullah is part of the Lebanese political system and excluding it "would be a mistake."Following the all-party meeting, Macron held separate, closed-door talks with each of the political leaders present at the Pine Residence in Beirut.
LBCI television said Macron held a 45-minute meeting with Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil. The Macron-Bassil talks involved “a comprehensive discussion of the situation in Lebanon and of the French-Lebanese cooperation,” the TV network said.
Macron’s talks at the Pine Residence followed a meeting with President Michel Aoun and Speaker Nabih Berri in Baabda and a lunch banquet attended by Berri, caretaker PM Hassan Diab, PM-designate Mustafa Adib, ex-PM Najib Miqati, Deputy Speaker Elie Ferzli, caretaker ministers Charbel Wehbe and Hamad Hassan, and the heads of parliamentary blocs Jebran Bassil, Mohammed Raad, Hagop Pakradounian, Taymour Jumblat and Bahia Hariri. It was also attended by the members of the accompanying French delegation, the members of the Lebanese parliament’s Lebanese-French Friendship Committee, the deans of the consular and diplomatic corps, the papal ambassador to Lebanon, the ambassadors of EU countries, the chiefs of security agencies, senior state employees and a number of Lebanese and French businessmen and economists.

French president seeking Lebanese government without Hezbollah
The Arab Weekly/September 01/2020
Emmanuel Macron is said to insist that the new Lebanese government does not include any representatives of the political parties. Sources speculate about prior coordination of his moves with Iran.
BEIRUT – Lebanese political sources revealed to The Arab Weekly that the Lebanese Prime Minister-designate, Mustapha Adib, is heading towards forming a government that does not include politicians, which implies that Hezbollah may find itself outside a government formation in Lebanon for the first time since 2005.They also said that such a government would also anger the President of the Republic, Michel Aoun and his son-in-law, Gebran Bassil, who insist that the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and of Energy remain under their direct or indirect control.
The sources would not speculate on President Aoun’s reaction in the event the Prime Minister-designate submitted for his approval a list of cabinet members where he was not represented.
They also indicated that President Emmanuel Macron, who is in Beirut since Monday evening, insists that the new Lebanese government not include any representatives of the political parties.
In this regard, the sources mentioned that Macron, who had asked former Prime Minister Saad Hariri not to oppose the appointment of Mustapha Adib, had also threatened Lebanese politicians that if they want to guarantee a future for them and for Lebanon, they would have to accept France’s demands.
The sources noted that hours before Macron’s arrival in Beirut, the French paper Le Figaro published an article on the Lebanese situation revealing that Macron hinted at sanctions against Michel Aoun, Gebran Bassil, two of Aoun’s three daughters and personalities close to him such as Salim Jreissati, in addition to other Lebanese politicians such as Nabih Berri and Saad Hariri.
The article also mentioned that Simon Abou Ramia, a MP from Aoun’s group, had wind of the news before the publication of the article and contacted its author, journalist George Malbrunot, to check the veracity of the published information.
In this respect, the same Lebanese sources wondered if it were sufficient for France to hint at the sanctions French sources said were “ready” to be imposed on Michel Aoun and Gebran Bassil to have them let go of the ministries of foreign affairs and energy.
Sources indicated that Macron would not have taken the step of imposing Mustapha Adib without first consulting with Iran, so that it forces Hezbollah to accept to stay outside the new government and take up the task of “convincing” Michel Aoun that he has no interest in clinging to the ministries of foreign affairs and energy.Mustapha Adib, former Lebanese ambassador to Germany, was tasked by President Aoun to form a new government just hours before Macron’s arrival in Beirut yesterday evening.
Senior Lebanese officials revealed that Macron pressured Lebanese political leaders to agree on a candidate for the premiership within the forty-eight hours that preceded their agreement on Adib.
For his part, Adib, who won the support of the main political parties, said, “All Lebanese are very concerned about the present and the future. God willing, we will succeed in this task to select a homogeneous Lebanese team of competent and specialised people, and we will all proceed, in cooperation with the honourable Parliament, to carry out basic reforms and quickly, which would put the country on the right path of recovery and stop the dangerous financial, economic and social bleeding.”
“The opportunity ahead of our country is narrow and the task I accepted is based on the fact that all political forces realise this and understand the need to form a government in a record time and start implementing reforms as soon as the agreement with the International Monetary Fund is concluded,” he added.
Forming new cabinets in Lebanon often takes a long time due to lengthy political haggling over portfolios.
Immediately following his appointment, Adib visited the areas severely affected by the disaster of the port explosion, where he was met with verbal protests.
During his tour, a Lebanese woman shouted at Adib: “We don’t want you;you do not represent the people; you are from the authority.” Another man shouted: “Those who elected you to form the government are criminals (meaning the representatives).”
Macron is scheduled to meet with Lebanese politicians in Beirut on Tuesday. Over the weekend, he made a series of phone calls to Lebanese leaders to secure consensus on Adib.
“The pressure was the result of his contacts with everyone,” said a senior Lebanese politician. “It resulted from his coming to Lebanon, and from everyone’s unwillingness to displease him.”
“Macron has followed the process step by step,” added another prominent politician.
A source in the French presidency stated that Macron’s demands were “clear: an important, clean, and effective government capable of implementing the necessary reforms in Lebanon and thus able to obtain strong international support.”
Adib’s name has emerged for the post of prime minister after he was nominated by former prime ministers, including Saad Hariri, who leads the largest Sunni political party. The prime minister should be of the Sunni community, according to the country’s sectarian power-sharing system.
With the support of Hariri and Druze leader Walid Jumblatt, Adib has more support than Hassan Diab had. The latter resigned, with his government, on August 10, six days after the huge blast at Beirut port.

In Beirut, Macron reiterates commitment to reform, meets Fairouz
The Arab Weekly/September 01/2020
“I made a commitment to her (Fairouz), as I make a commitment to you here tonight, to do everything so that reforms are implemented and that Lebanon receives better,” said the French president.
BEIRUT - French President Emmanuel Macron began his trip to Beirut on Monday by visiting Fairouz, one of the Arab world's most famous singers whose haunting voice has been Lebanon's soundtrack from its glamorous heyday through its conflicts and latest trauma.
Anger at Lebanon's political elite over an economic meltdown and this month's devastating port blast was evident as Macron arrived at the home of the 85-year old artist, feted as a national treasure and symbol of peace, transcending factional and sectarian divides in Lebanon and beyond.
Protesters gathered outside with placards reading "No cabinet by, or with, the murderers" and "Don't be on the wrong side of history!" Some chanted "Adib No," referring to new premier Mustapha Adib who was named by Lebanese leaders on Monday under French pressure.
Upon leaving, Macron stopped to speak with the crowd.
"I made a commitment to her (Fairouz), as I make a commitment to you here tonight, to do everything so that reforms are implemented and that Lebanon receives better. I promise you. I won't leave you," he could be heard saying in TV broadcasts.
The meeting with Fairouz is a personal gesture from Macron, whose deep engagement with Lebanon has been denounced by his critics as a neocolonialist foray into a former French protectorate. Macron’s defenders, however, including Beirut residents enraged at their own leaders, have praised him for visiting gutted neighborhoods in the wake of the August 4 explosion that tore through their capital.
Second visit in a month
Macron is visiting Beirut for the second time in less than a month to press for a new government made up of experts untainted by corruption and capable of rooting out graft, waste and negligence as well as rebuilding after the August 4 explosion that wrecked swathes of Beirut, killing 190 people.
Macron described his meeting with Fairouz as "very beautiful, very strong." "I told her everything that she represented to me, of a Lebanon that we love and that many are expectant of, a nostalgia that many have."
Asked about his favourite Fairouz song, he named "To Beirut," which local channels have played while showing images of the blast and its aftermath.
The enigmatic singer rarely speaks publicly but her lyrics fill the airwaves from Rabat to Baghdad.
Her songs were listened to across the religious and factional divide, whether Christian, Muslim or Druze, even as they spilled each others' blood on the streets.
Speaking upon his arrival at Beirut airport, Macron said a new line-up should be agreed upon "as soon as possible" to rescue the country, which is reeling from the deadly August 4 port explosion and the effects of an economic collapse.
Macron landed at the airport just hours after under-fire leaders on Monday designated a new prime minister, diplomat Mustapha Adib, to tackle the country's deep political and economic crisis.
Immediately after his nomination, Adib, 48, gave a televised speech acknowledging the "need to form a government in record time and to begin implementing reforms immediately."
He vowed to resume talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for assistance as Lebanon faces its worst economic crisis since the 1975-1990 civil war and has been left traumatised by the August 4 explosion.

French figures call on Macron to back EU efforts to ban Hezbollah
The Arab Weekly/September 01/2020
“Without a firm condemnation of Hezbollah, France’s action, in trying to lend support to an old friend in the region, would be futile,” concluded the signatories.
PARIS--A group of prominent French figures has called on French President Emmanuel Macron to declare the Iran-backed Lebanese party Hezbollah a terrorist organisation and not to block European Union efforts to blacklist the militant group. Their call came in a petition published by the French daily Le Figaro on the eve of Macron’s visit to Lebanon.
The signatories of the petition included former Prime Minister Manuel Valls, former Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy, former Environment Minister and party leader Corinne Lepage and philosopher and novelist Pascal Bruckner.
The French figures highlighted the militant party’s nefarious role in Lebanon, which they said rendered any reforms in the country virtually impossible.
“During the last twenty years, Hezbollah as a terrorist organisation, has avowedly created a state within the state and established itself as a substitute for the Lebanese army,” they said, calling on the international community to “recognise the major problem that is constituted by Hezbollah’s in the country’s reconstruction.”The signatories also highlighted the militant party’s destablising influence in the region and the world. “Hezbollah increasingly and without any scruples exerts its power of nuisance in Lebanon at the same time that it weighs on regional, European, and intentional security,” they said.
They described the Shia party as “an actor with regional ambitions whose power and resources emanate from the outside, especially from Iran.”
The French figures, who endorsed European efforts to impose an EU ban on Hezbollah, asked the French president to not block “the designation of Hezbollah as a terrorist organisation by the European Union. ”
“This is not a form of interference .. but is part of our global struggle against terrorism”They note that several countries, including the United States, Arab Gulf countries, Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Lithuania have already designated Hezbollah as a terrorist organisation.
“Without a firm condemnation of Hezbollah, France’s action, in trying to lend support to an old friend in the region, would be futile,” concluded the signatories.

Lebanese Protesters Slam French 'Cooperation' with Political Leaders
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/September 01/2020
Protesters in Beirut Tuesday called for a "new Lebanon" without its reviled leaders, urging visiting French President Emmanuel Macron not to cooperate with them. Clashes erupted in the evening between angry demonstrators and security forces, who responded with tear gas, while earlier in the afternoon, people demonstrating in the capital called for urgent change. Several held up black versions of the Lebanese flag in mourning for the victims of the massive explosion at Beirut's port on August 4 that killed 190, injured thousands and ravaged large parts of the city.
A protest movement that erupted in October last year has been revived since the blast, Lebanon's worst peace-time disaster that has sparked rage against official neglect and a political class accused of squandering away the country.
Demonstrators asked why Macron was meeting those very same leaders in his push for political change as the country marked 100 years since the former French mandate authorities proclaimed the creation of Greater Lebanon.
"He should come and listen to us, help us to realize our aspirations, not sit with the corrupt and criminals who killed their own people," said Rima, a 46-year-old protester. In the capital's Martyrs Square, not far from the port, demonstrators one by one took to a stage to make their demands: a secular state, civil marriage, a productive economy. Waving Lebanese flags and denouncing "corrupt" politicians, others nearby demanded the birth of a new secular state and the end of what they view as a broken political power-sharing system.
"The first century has been nothing but wars, foreign occupation, poverty, corruption, emigration, sectarian divisions, and now this explosion that killed and wounded thousands," said 21-year-old port worker Omar.
"We urgently need to revamp this system," he said, referring to a political arrangement that seeks to share power between Lebanon's myriad religious communities but instead often leads to endless deadlock.
- '(French) teargas' -
A loudspeaker blared patriotic songs as images of the French proclamation of Greater Lebanon on September 1, 1920, as well as of the port blast last month, played on a screen. Zalfa, 70, said: "We want this second century to be one of secularism."Clashes erupted in the evening, sparking condemnation from activists and rights defenders over the authorities' use of force. "While Macron is meeting Lebanon officials, protesters are saying the entire ruling class has lost legitimacy," wrote Human Rights Watch researcher Aya Majzoub on Twitter. "They have been met with large quantities of (French) teargas, beatings, and arrests. In one incident, more than 10 police beat/kicked a protester on the ground," she said. An AFP reporter saw a large group of security forces with batons move in on protesters. One demonstrator was helped away afterwards with blood splashed across her gas mask. The Red Cross said one wounded person had to be transported to hospital. Lebanon's previous government stepped down after the port blast last month. A new prime minister, little-known diplomat Mustafa Adib, was tasked Monday to form a new cabinet, just hours before Macron's visit.
The August 4 explosion came after months of Lebanon's worst economic crisis in decades -- which has seen poverty soar to more than half the population -- and a coronavirus outbreak.

Canada commemorates Lebanon’s centennial
September 1, 2020 - Ottawa, Ontario - Global Affairs Canada
The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today issued the following statement:
“As a close friend of the Lebanese people, Canada commemorates 100 years since the founding of modern Lebanon. While this is a significant occasion worth celebrating, it also marks a turning point for the country.
“During my recent visit to Beirut, I witnessed the truly inspiring resolve from those affected by the explosion to not only rebuild, but to also see a brighter future for themselves and their children.
“Now more than ever, the current crisis underscores the need for meaningful change. It is time to listen to the Lebanese people and meet their demands for institutional reform so they can have a government that is based on equality, inclusivity and prosperity for all.
“Canada is proudly supporting Lebanon’s recovery, including through financial assistance to humanitarian partners from our government and from Canadians. We reiterate that international assistance must be accompanied by reforms and impunity must end. We continue to stand with the Lebanese people.”
 

Lebanon’s Maronite Patriarch confronts Hezbollah
Seth Frantzman/Jerusalem Post/September 01/2020
Al-Rai is potentially putting himself in the cross-hairs of conflict.
Lebanon’s Maronite Patriarch Bechara Boutros Al-Rai is at the center of controversy in Lebanon after reiterating his call for the state to crack down on unauthorized weapons in the country, an apparent critique of the Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah.
Since a massive explosion destroyed the Port of Beirut and killed more than 150 in the beginning of August, the Christian leader has been more outspoken. He wants elections, and he has critiqued the “political class” that is entrenched in power. Lebanon is facing a major “danger,” he said over the weekend.
This comes as the country chooses a new prime minister and government and as French President Emmanuel Macron is again scheduled to visit.
Rai has called for the state to confine all weapons under its control and that of the army, Abu Dhabi-based Al Ain News online reported. This comes after armed clashes with Hezbollah supporters last week, as well as concerns that the terrorist group is storing 150,000 rockets and munitions throughout the country. In response, pro-Hezbollah voices have slammed the Maronite leader, claiming he is supporting “peace” and is linked to Israel. This is an attempt to link him to the UAE-Israel deal and make it appear as if he supports “normalization.”
In fact, the stance of those around Rai is that Lebanon should not be part of regional conflicts; it is Hezbollah that has hijacked Lebanon and forced it to be part of the “resistance” against Israel.
Unsurprisingly, the increased tension and lack of government leadership has put religious leaders at the forefront. The Maronites are the traditional Christian leaders of Lebanon. But they also found themselves at the forefront during the civil war in the 1970s and ’80s, and many of their leaders have been assassinated. In addition, the president of Lebanon is always a Christian, and the current president, Michel Aoun, is also pro-Hezbollah.
This potentially puts the patriarch in the crosshairs of conflict. Fifteen years ago, Hezbollah members plotted and carried out the murder of former Lebanese prime minister Rafic Hariri. A UN investigation accused four Hezbollah members and found one guilty last month.
Rai’s criticism of illegal weapons caches in recent weeks is controversial and could put him on a collision course with Hezbollah. He has been treading carefully in the wording of his sermons and speeches in this respect.
But Lebanon is often a powder keg. In addition, many regional countries want to inflame tensions in the small country sandwiched between Syria and Israel.

Fierce Clashes between Protesters, Security Forces near Parliament
Naharnet/September 01/2020
Fierce clashes erupted Tuesday evening between security forces and anti-government protesters near parliament’s building in central Beirut.
The confrontations followed a peaceful larger rally at the nearby Martyrs Square where speeches were delivered by representatives of the protest movement against a ruling class seen as being responsible for the economic collapse and port explosion. "Time for accountability," read one banner put up by demonstrators. More radical protesters later headed to a street near parliament and started hurling stones over a security barrier. A social media video meanwhile showed protesters preventing an Internal Security Forces car from passing among them, with some hurling stones, kicking at it and hitting it with sticks.
Security forces then started firing tear gas after protesters managed to smash open a metallic gate. Activists meanwhile published photos showing protesters injured by birdshot. Later in the evening, security forces advanced towards protesters under a heavy cloud of tear gas, pushing them away from the streets around parliament. The Lebanese Red Cross meanwhile announced that five of its teams were tending to the wounded in the protest zone. A blaze meanwhile erupted in an empty restaurant in the building of Annahar newspaper, which was badly damaged by the August 4 Beirut port explosion. The fire was later extinguished as protesters set trash bins in the area ablaze. The protest comes a day after little-known diplomat Mustafa Adib was designated to form a new government. The protest movement has slammed Adib as a product of the same political class they have been rallying against since October last year. The demo also comes on the second day of an official visit to the country by French President Emmanuel Macron.

'All 25 Suspects' in Beirut Blast Probe in Custody
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/September 01/2020
All 25 suspects identified by a probe into the devastating August 4 Beirut explosion are now in the custody of Lebanese authorities, a judicial source told AFP on Tuesday. Authorities had already detained 21 suspects over the portside blast, which killed more than 180 people, wounded at least 6,500 others and wreaked devastation across the capital. On Tuesday, Judicial Investigator Judge Fadi Sawan issued arrest warrants against the final four suspects after interrogating them, the judicial source said. They include the head of military intelligence at the port, a major with the State Security agency, and two members of the General Security agency, he added. Al-Jadeed TV identified the four as Brig. Gen. Antoine Salloum, Major Daoud Fayyad, Major Joseph al-Naddaf and Major Charbel Fawwaz. The two security agencies, along with the army and Lebanon's customs authority, are the main bodies responsible for overseeing security at the port. Hundreds of tons of ammonium nitrate, a highly explosive fertilizer, had been stored in a warehouse for at least six years, it emerged after the explosion.
That sparked widespread outrage over alleged official negligence that many said was to blame for the blast. The exact circumstances leading up to the explosion remain unclear. Security sources have suggested welding work could have started a fire that triggered the blast, but some observers have rejected this as a theory pushed by the authorities. Lebanon has rejected calls for an international investigation into the country's worst ever peace-time disaster, but the Lebanese probe is being aided by foreign experts, including from the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation. France, which counted several of its citizens among the dead, has launched its own inquiry.

'Cause of All Ills': Lebanon's Complex Power-Sharing System
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/September 01/2020
Under pressure from its citizens and Western powers, the leaders of multi-confessional Lebanon have vowed to abandon a power-sharing system that is widely seen to plague political life. The so-called confessional system divides power between Christian and Muslim communities in the Mediterranean country that is formally a parliamentary republic. Under a decades-old arrangement, Lebanon's president must always be a Maronite Christian, the prime minister a Sunni Muslim and the speaker of parliament a Shiite. To its many critics, the system has paralyzed the state and fueled graft and inertia by cementing the power of sectarian former warlords and party barons who hail from a handful of powerful families. The system was once praised as a pillar of coexistence. But after multiple political and economic crises, under-fire politicians have now joined activists in labeling it "the cause of all ills".
The massive explosion at Beirut's port on August 4 that killed at least 190 people, wounded thousands and devastated much of the capital has renewed calls for radical systemic change. But entrenched vested interests make it unlikely that Lebanon will quickly say farewell to a system that has been the foundation of all political life for many turbulent decades.
Patchwork of religions -
Lebanon recognizes 18 official religious sects, and its 128 parliamentary seats are divided equally between Muslims and Christians, an arrangement unique in the region. The aim is for political representation to reflect the demographic balance, even though there has been no official census since 1932 -- largely because the relative size of communities has changed considerably, to the detriment of some. According to the latest unofficial estimates, Christians now account for about one third of Lebanon's estimated population of 4.6 million, while Muslims make up most of the rest. The power-sharing agreement between Christians and Muslims was first consecrated in the 1943 "National Pact" -- an unwritten agreement reached after Lebanon gained independence from French mandate authorities.
It granted greater representation to Christians, before simmering tensions exploded in Lebanon's civil war from 1975 to 1990. Warring parties agreed to end hostilities after the Saudi-brokered Taef agreement established parity in parliament between Christians and Muslims, who had demanded greater representation. The deal also shifted some powers of the Christian president to the prime minister and parliament.
According to the agreement, Lebanon's confessional system was only meant to be provisional and temporary. But in practice it has enshrined the control of former warlords who have swapped their military fatigues for suits and now share between them senior public sector positions on the basis of religious affiliation. It also laid the foundation for a consensus-based system that requires agreement between the so-called troika of the president, prime minister and speaker over any major issue. As a result, political differences regularly cause prolonged crises, with no mechanism in place to settle disputes.
- Street pressure -
Lebanese have criticized their power-sharing systems for almost as long as they have existed -- but the cascading crises of recent months have amplified calls to scrap it. An unprecedented cross-sectarian protest movement hit the streets from last October to demand a complete overhaul of a political system widely seen as broken. The Beirut explosion of a huge pile of ammonium nitrate further fueled the anger, because it was widely blamed on decades of negligence and corruption by the ruling elite. French President Emanuel Macron, on a visit to disaster-hit Beirut, told Lebanese leaders they now faced the responsibility of forging "a revamped pact with the Lebanese people."Just before Macron returned on Monday for another visit, Lebanese leaders also adopted the call. The head of the powerful Shiite group Hizbullah, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, said his movement was "open" to the idea of a new political pact. President Michel Aoun and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri followed suit, backing calls for the formation of a "civil" state. Despite such pledges, however, suspicion has been rife as ever that Lebanon's political heavyweights were only paying lip service to reform ahead of Macron's visit.

Army Contains Renewed Tensions in Khalde
Naharnet/September 01/2020
The army intervened after gunshots were fired in Khalde Tuesday following the return to the area of a man involved in the recent sectarian clashes there. “Gunshots were fired in the Khalde area at the southern entrance of Dawhet Aramoun,” the National News Agency said.
“Lebanese Army troops present outside the Chebli Center and the Rammal Supermarket immediately intervened to pacify the situation, subjecting cars heading to the area to thorough inspection,” NNA added.
Two people had been killed and three others wounded in clashes last week between supporters of Hizbullah and members of Khalde’s Arab tribes. The violence erupted over the hanging of banners related to the Shiite religious occasion of Ashoura.

Salameh Reiterates Central Bank ‘Won’t Use Obligatory Reserves’
Associated Press/Naharnet/September 01/2020
Governor of Central Bank of Lebanon Riad Salameh reiterated in remarks to Sky News Arabia on Tuesday, that the bank can not use all its obligatory foreign reserves to subsidize medicine, oil and wheat once it reaches the minimum threshold. “Our reserves amount to 19.5 billion dollars. We will try to keep subsidizing medicine, oil, flour and food as much as we can, but the Central Bank is not prepared to use all its obligatory reserves,” Salameh told Sky News Arabia in televised remarks. Late in August, Salameh made the same warning that the bank cannot continue using its foreign currency reserves to finance trade, signaling he may soon be unable to sustain subsidies on basic goods.
He voiced hopes the upcoming government would “work hard to solve Lebanon’s multiple crises, and be able to enforce reforms quickly to meet our efforts on the monetary level.” Lebanon picked a new PM on Monday after the resignation of PM Hassan Diab over the devastating Beirut port explosion.
On funds transferred abroad from Lebanese banks after the October 17 anti-government uprising, the governor stressed: “At least 30 percent of funds transferred from Lebanese banks must be returned,” noting that contacts with the French central bank, Bank of France, were made to send experts to audit the Lebanese central bank. Salameh, who has held the post since 1993, has come under scathing criticism by many who hold him — along with the country's ruling class —responsible for Lebanon's severe financial crisis and collapse of the national currency which started late last year. The currency has lost about 70% of its value on the black market since the beginning of the year, with the rapid devaluation fueling inflation and plunging tens of thousands of people into unemployment and poverty.
Salameh has deflected blame and said he did what he had to do to maintain Lebanon's monetary stability in the face of various crises over the past years. He blames politicians for reneging on repeated promises of reform.
The government has resigned in the wake of the Aug. 4 catastrophic explosion at Beirut port that killed and wounded thousands of people and caused widespread damage to the facility and parts of the capital estimated to be between $10-$15 billion.

Lies and Terrorism: From Beirut to Washington
Elie Aoun/September 01/2020
ايلي عون: كذب وإرهاب من بيروت إلى واشنطن
The truth shall make us free. That is why, the truth is often the first casualty in order to keep the public in bondage.
We are told that a group of FBI agents are in Lebanon, supposedly to investigate the cause of the terrorist act that took place on August 4, 2020. However, before the FBI investigates the Beirut Port explosion or attack, were they honest in their investigation of 9/11? The federal agency which lacks the courage to speak the truth regarding the United States will also lack the courage to speak the truth regarding Lebanon.
On September 11, 2001, CNN’s reporter was saying that a passenger airplane hit the Pentagon. While watching the CNN footage, my first question was: where is the plane? Based on what the CNN cameraman was showing us, there was no passenger plane on the ground of the Pentagon and no bodies of passengers – but few injured individuals who were working in the Pentagon.
I knew a lady who knew someone at the Pentagon. I requested from her to ask him about the whereabouts of the passenger plane. He told her: “Due to the strong impact, the plane and the passengers disappeared.”
Political criminality does not exist only in Lebanon. It is everywhere, and it is the role of that criminal enterprise to protect its network – in more than one country. After all, it was President Kennedy who warned us: “We are opposed AROUND THE WORLD by a monolithic and ruthless conspiracy.” The effective weapon against that conspiracy is the truth.
Government “officials” can say whatever lies they choose, and millions of people will believe them. However, with regard to 9/11, the truth is and remains: there was no wreckage of a passenger plane on the ground of the Pentagon that day. Therefore, whatever happened, it was not the result of a passenger plane hitting the Pentagon. There was wreckage of a small unmanned aerial vehicle, and a video showing Defense Minister Rumsfeld carrying a portion of it himself, after the impact took place.
We were also told that another plane, supposedly intended to hit the White House, was shot down or fell over Philadelphia. The news footage of the indicated location in Philadelphia did not show the wreckage of any plane. All that we saw is a hole in the ground.
With regard to the Twin Towers in New York, we were told that they fell as a result of the jet fuel “heat” melting the steel of the towers. Firstly, the steel of high-rise buildings does not melt by the fire of burning fuel – which does not cause high enough temperature to melt the steel. Secondly, did the heat also melt the concrete? Thirdly, the engineers take into consideration the possibility of a plane hitting a high rise building. They build them in a way to withstand a plane’s impact. Fourthly, a 110 story-building does not fall in ten seconds on its base because of a temporary fire. Furthermore, a third building, called building 7, also fell within 5 seconds – and the official lie is “due to fire.”
The only reason the twin towers and Building 7 fell is because of controlled demolition – the demolition of the building by means of explosives. That, of course, was not the work of Bin Laden, but elements within the United States.
https://www.youtube.com/c/ae911truthvideos/videos
https://www.ae911truth.org/
One lesson we have learned is that no major terrorist event takes place in any country (whether the U.S. or Lebanon) without the involvement of certain elements from that country’s intelligence services and certain high level members in the government.
Although there are many patriotic individuals, it is a fact that the upper hierarchy of the U.S. military establishment, intelligence network, CIA, FBI, Congressional members, media personnel, etc. have acquiesced to a lie and lack the courage to speak the truth. Some have simply walked away from the public scene rather than challenge the false “official” story. Why?
What is this criminal enterprise that controls the United States, and for what purpose it acts in this manner? Even those who claim to be against U.S. foreign policy (such as Russia, Iran, and China) make no public effort to expose the truth behind the 9/11 event.
As we recall Kennedy’s words that “we are opposed AROUND THE WORLD,” we recognize that most major governments are not on the side of truth. As a result, none of the major countries will be honest regarding what happened at the Beirut Port.
Regardless of what the FBI finally says (if they say anything) about the Beirut Port, their politics and agenda necessitates that the real truth be suppressed and that the “criminal enterprise” be protected.
What is relevant for us is to know the truth. Logic says that a high rise building does not fall in 10 seconds because of a fire at the upper part of the building, that a passenger airline jet did not crash at a location where the wreckage of that jet does not exist, and ammonium nitrate does not explode by itself without certain individuals INTENTIONALLY combining with it the elements necessary to transform it into a devastating bomb (and possibly trigger the explosions with missiles).
The following video is an example of how a controlled demolition is done. The World Trade Centre buildings on 9/11 fell in a similar manner and at a similar speed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYjF9WPyZfg

Canadian Islamic Scholar Kamil Ahmad: Beirut Port Blast Is Divine Retribution Against Lebanon For Spreading 'Vice And Evil' To The Arab Countries, Ignoring Syria's Plight
MEMRI/August 07/2020
In an August 7, 2020 Friday sermon at the Abu Huraira Islamic Center in Toronto, Canada, Canadian Islamic scholar Kamil Ahmad said that the recent explosion at the Beirut port, which took the lives of more than 150 people and left thousands injured, was divine retribution for the "vice and evil" that Lebanon spreads to other Arab countries via "movies and films and all kinds of other evils." He said that the blast has come as a wake-up call to the Islamic nation for its betrayal of its fellow Muslims, and he gave the example of the events in Syria. Ahmad elaborated that the Lebanese people are getting a taste of what their Syrian neighbors have been suffering for years. He ended his sermon by asking Allah to destroy His enemies. The sermon was posted to the Abu Huraira Center's YouTube channel.
Kamil Ahmad: "Such disasters [as the Beirut port blast] happen as a result of our own wrongdoing, as a result of our own transgressions, as a result of our own sins, and as a result of the corruption of society. It is no secret that a place like Lebanon is a place that has spread a lot of vices and evil to the Arab world, from movies and films and all kinds of other evils. Much of [the evil] that exists in the Arab world – its source is this country.
"Such an event is a wake-up call for those who have been affected by it directly, as well as the ummah at large for their betrayal of Muslims around the world. Across the border – only a few kilometers away, what the Syrians have been going through, how thousands and millions have been left without homes, how they have been made to cross the border – this is all a wake-up call, and that is why Allah punishes those who are near before those who are far away. And so what they tasted today in Lebanon, is something that their brothers and sisters across the border have been tasting for years on end.
"Allah, grant glory to Islam and the Muslims, humiliate polytheism and the polytheists, and destroy Your enemies, the enemies of Islam."
https://www.memri.org/tv/canadian-islamic-scholar-kamil-ahmad-beirut-blast-divine-retribution-lebanon-spreading-vice-evil-ignoring-syria

Lebanon: When Running Away from Solutions Becomes an Official Policy
Eyad Abu Shakra/Asharq Al Awsat/September 0/2020
Lebanon has recently returned to a general lockdown, that may be extended, after registering a record number of Covid-19 cases throughout the country.
This development comes with frightening problems, that began with the currency and economic collapse, made worse by the intractable political crisis, and hit the bottom on August 4 with the massive explosions of Beirut port which killed around 200, injured around 6,000, and ruined or damaged half of the Lebanese capital’s buildings.
By all accounts, and in every institutional state, a catastrophic situation like this requires holding people in charge to account. Indeed, it needs an inspired, wise, and brave leadership that is willing to take responsibility; or at least admits its mistakes and leave.
However, if we follow the series of tragedies that hit Lebanon since last autumn, we notice that all approaches never sought to find solutions. Instead, they were all acts of revenge from political opponents and attempts to hold them responsible for all shortcomings. There was no attempt to carry out change, but rather, exploit and redirect popular demands, and espouse a strategy of spite, revenge, and distortion.
When worried and aggrieved masses took to streets and squares on October 17, they spontaneously vented their anger against the whole political class. That day, they did not care about the details. The pain was so acute that they regarded all that class guilty, regardless of the degree of individual responsibility, or whether all the accused were influential players or they were film extras or false witnesses.
The instinct of the aggrieved and pained Lebanese people told them that the whole cast had to go; judging from the naive slogan "Killon Ya’ni Killon" (all means all). But since Lebanon is Lebanon, where sectarian considerations come before nationhood, and the weakest player is the fragile "compromise" cabinet, it was natural that only this cabinet should fall.
It had to fall, not because it was the only culprit, but because it was a facade of a strange political authority, whereby custom coexists with interests, and fake "entente" lies underneath the sway of illegitimate arms. Furthermore, that cabinet had agreed, from the very beginning to be a non-ruling entity functioning under a populist presidency that proclaims before its supporters to be a “strong rule”, and a "militia state" that is much stronger than the real state.
Thus, it was natural that the cabinet should resign, and indeed, it did under the pressure of the street and the people’s demands. It was a landmark, as well as an opportunity to contain what could be contained of a rapidly deteriorating situation against a background of sectarian polarization and exploitation. However, the real rulers of Lebanon, instead of admitting the need to handle positively a grave situation, chose to escape forward. They did not stop at marginalizing their opponents, but also tried to divert the popular anger toward them, and accuse them of being exclusively responsible for all the failures since the end of the Lebanese War in 1990.
On January 21st a new cabinet was formed with Hassan Diab as Prime Minister. Diab’s choice was nothing short of a slap in the face of Sunni public opinion, which, like many Lebanese expected "Killon ya’ni Killon" to literally apply to all; not just the Sunni "weak link" in the government’s chain.
On the other hand, the new cabinet was formed just when the Covid-19 was spreading from China to Iran, Italy, Spain, and elsewhere. In fact, it was somehow expected, in light of Tehran’s secrecy about the virus, that the pandemic would accelerate in the countries with close political, commercial, and religious links with Iran, as well as with China.
For a while, it appeared that Lebanon had succeeded in avoiding the worst, despite the fact that air travel between Tehran and Beirut continued for several weeks; bearing in mind that Lebanon’s Public Health Minister is a Hezbollah appointee.
At the same time, political tension was rising, whether due to Washington’s escalation against Iran, strengthening political joint actions between Washington and Tel Aviv, or bombing targets allegedly linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) inside and outside Syria, with Tehran staying totally silent. Then, last but by no means least, was the countdown for the Rafic Hariri’s assassination verdict, expected from the International Special Tribunal for Lebanon.
In the past few weeks, the financial and economic collapse has been accelerating. The political crisis also was reaching a dead end, prompting French President Emmanuel Macron to visit Beirut, meet with Lebanon’s political leaders, and candidly inform them that short of radical and genuine political reform they should expect no international aid. Then, just before the Hariri verdict, came the devastating Beirut explosions. These explosions have been the straw that broke the camel’s back.
In addition to the large number of casualties, no less than five major hospitals – including three teaching hospitals – were badly damaged, decreasing the number of available A&E beds and medical services and staff in the thick of the Covid-19 mayhem. The explosions have also caused unprecedented damage to commercial establishments already teetering on the brink of bankruptcy. Finally, the explosions have left unanswered many questions about the nature and causes of what happened; and whether they were the outcome of a hushed-up military operation or a mistake connected with the absent government and non-existent accountability which led to overlooking the storage of huge amounts of lethal and explosive materials in a civilian port adjacent to residential neighborhoods.
All questions are well justified, be they about what happened, or about when does the role of the "official" disabled government ends and that of the de facto "effective" government begins.
Unfortunately, until now, despite the fact that port’s disaster has pre-maturely brought down the failed Diab cabinet, there are still no signs that the intentions or the approaches have changed.
The sole aim of Lebanon’s real rulers is to protect their interests at the expense of a nation that means nothing to them anymore.

Lebanon needs idealism, not pragmatism
Khaled Abou Zahr/Arab News/September 01/2020
Lebanon has long been described as the Switzerland of the Middle East; however, it actually has more in common with France. Lebanon, like France, is more than a country — it is an idea and a history, an idea of ​​exceptionalism and a love story, but it is also a story of war that unfortunately ends badly. Above all, it will never be a neutral country. This Greater Lebanon, whose centenary is commemorated on Tuesday and which was so criticized, nevertheless gave a lot and enlightened the Middle East and the Arab world with its diversity and openness. A whole generation of prominent figures from the Arab world will tell you that they traveled for the first time to Lebanon and there learned for the first time about political ideologies, among many other firsts.
That was Lebanon — a first for the Arab world after hundreds of years under Ottoman rule; a first bustling lesson in living together and accepting diversity and the exchange of opinions and ideas. Unfortunately, it is now turning into a final lesson as it plunges into darkness. There is no need to tell this story (many know it and would tell it much better than I) or to look back on the civil war, whose echoes strongly resound today. The stabbing of this small country that is bigger than its borders never ceased. The Syrian occupation, with its extraction of freedom and wealth, was followed by the current occupation by Hezbollah. This is an armed militia that holds hostage a country of innovators, creators, entrepreneurs, scoffers, cynics, and chauvinists, but builders and good people.
Today, French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit is very symbolic, not only by its date but also given the state of the country. He seems to have a deep will to help Lebanon. But what does he really hope to accomplish in the land of the cedars? Does he really think he can save it? The reality is that Lebanon cannot be saved by any pragmatic policy, which seems to be a description of Macron’s foreign policy. Lebanon can only be saved by an idealistic policy that nears wishful thinking.
To help Lebanon before saving it, we must begin by re-establishing its sovereignty. It does not require a new government to provide temporary stability. Even if all its ministers did not belong to the old parties, once the government is formed, how would it lead the country into reforms when a parallel state exists; when all the sensitive decisions go against the interests of the state that is Hezbollah?
The Lebanon that the Lebanese dream of — a Lebanon that is open to all religions and ideas and where trade flourishes — cannot exist as long as Hezbollah and its allies hold power. For the country to start a new page of prosperity, this militia must be disarmed. Indeed, Lebanon needs to be saved, but first it must be rescued from this armed group that holds it hostage and pursues policies of assassination and violence. We will not be able to build a new Lebanon until the use of force is the monopoly of the state. Today, violence and even barbarism is the monopoly of an armed group supervised by the Iranians. I am afraid Macron will end up choosing pragmatism over the ideal.
The Lebanon that the Lebanese dream of cannot exist as long as Hezbollah and its allies hold power
As the date of the US presidential elections approaches and the Europeans seek to renew their relations with the Iranian regime, with the aim of resuming the trade exchanges of the years the nuclear agreement was in force, the risks are great for France to accompany Lebanon on its profound change. There are fears that Lebanese exceptionalism will disappear forever.
Despite the declarations of some analysts, Hezbollah is not a Lebanese party: It is an armed group made up of Lebanese people obeying Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s orders. It is time for it to give up its arsenal, let its community be free, and allow the state’s sovereignty to be reborn. France is free to conduct relations with Iran as well as with Arab countries, but to accept and politically legitimize Tehran’s armed militias in Lebanon for the purpose of negotiations means dooming that country to the sound of a Fairuz song. It may be my Parisian cynicism or my Lebanese mistrust, but I have a feeling that history will remember that Lebanon was born on Sept 1, 1920, with High Commissioner Henri Gouraud and that it died on Sept. 1, 2020, with President Macron.
We live in a time when pragmatism is used as a justification for all policies, but this pragmatism is another way of describing the abandonment of our values ​​and our principles and, above all, not facing up to the threats to our freedom. The Lebanese make sacrifices for this freedom every day, but regional pragmatism and interests plunge it into violence with each new cycle. Today it is Iran via its tool Hezbollah but, who knows, maybe tomorrow it will be Turkey.
The French president’s visit cannot be for the mere formation of a government. This is not worthy of the role of France nor of the aspirations of the Lebanese. Macron’s intervention must be decisive because Lebanon does not need a French proposal for a government of national unity or anything similar. It is such palliative solutions that have led us to this situation. Lebanon needs an electric shock. The Lebanese are waiting for the truth and for action that ensures a military group cannot control their country. Is the French president able to initiate this change? Does France have the means to support it when it is already struggling against Turkey?
The path toward a renewal of diversity for Lebanon therefore begins with the disarmament of Hezbollah. This is not a resistance group but a military tool in the hands of the Iranians. Let us stop being accommodating to the nefarious forces in this region. Let us stop accepting diktats from rogue states, whether Iranian or Turkish. The submission to this kind of intimidation is incomprehensible. While everyone in the Middle East fears a new Sykes-Picot, we should worry more about an ersatz of the Munich Agreement or Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact.
The Lebanon that all Lebanese dream of cannot be built if the country is being held hostage. Reforms cannot begin when a group is above the state and its citizens. The principles of freedom are then flouted, as is its sovereignty, and it is this freedom that is the strength of the Lebanese. The action of a French president who has decided to commit to Lebanon must support the country’s true independence and nothing else. The Lebanese are ready.
*Khaled Abou Zahr is the CEO of Eurabia, a media and tech company. He is also the editor of Al-Watan Al-Arabi.

Four key lessons from Lebanon’s first 100 years of existence
Joseph Bahout/Arab News/September 01/2020
It was in the relative hope that things would continue in a positive direction that the centenary year of the State of Greater Lebanon began. Plans for commemoration kept multiplying and, despite worrying signs, the Lebanese were hoping that their country would step into its second century of existence the same way it had entered the first: Against all odds and despite the storms. But harsh reality decided otherwise.
Like a visitor to the bedside of a person in agony, French President Emmanuel Macron has traveled to Lebanon, a country for which France had, 100 years ago, harbored many hopes. On the occasion of a visit that is laden with symbolism and political risks, Macron brings for the Lebanese, in addition to salve for the open wound of the Beirut blast, reasons to reflect on the century gone by so that they learn some of its lessons.
Many countries sometimes develop from great tumult and painful convulsions. The lesson that the Lebanese must learn is that certain evils may arise from good, so much so that a nation-state can “disappear” (to quote French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian) as a result of the tumult that we are experiencing at the moment, both in the region and the world.
Incidentally, the fateful date of Sept. 1, 1920, also capped a long sequence of incredibly turbulent, violent and tragic events for large parts of the post-war world, specifically for the Ottoman Empire, European empires and the Levant, as the French and British chancelleries called it at the time.
The 1918-20 period had been one of intense diplomatic activity, if one takes into account the Paris Peace Conference, the Treaty of Versailles, the League of Nations and other agreements that gave birth to a slew of new countries. At the center of this whirligig was the articulation of a vision and the expression of a Lebanese will by an assortment of “Libanists” led by Patriarch Elias Pierre Hoyek.
Macron brings for the Lebanese reasons to reflect on the century gone by so that they learn some of its lessons.
The Libanists knew how to unpack the geo-economic interests of the great powers (the Franco-British duo, but also the industrial and cultural-religious lobbies of Lyon and Marseille), and how to position themselves in relation to these interests, in order to give birth to a country whose existence was by no means a given. The second lesson for the Lebanese is: If certain conditions are needed for the birth of a country, then a will and a purpose are also necessary to achieve that goal. These are the qualities the Lebanese must acquire today in order to extend their country’s 100-year-long existence and project it into the future.
The entity born in 1920 came to the world tired and bled dry. It had been drained by the massive famine of 1916-17; hurt by the great emigration to Latin America, Africa and Egypt; set back by the rejection of Greater Lebanon by a part of the population affiliated to Mount Lebanon; and threatened by the Arab refusal symbolized by the 1920 Battle of Maysalun as well as Syrian irredentism, which never really ceased.
However, it was relatively quickly that the founding fathers came up with a message, which was the only means to overcome these congenital weaknesses. It was at once a message, a function and a vision for Lebanon: As a space for dialogue and coexistence of cultures and beliefs, a bridge between East and West, and a commercial and liberal republic, all founded in a combination of historical narratives and legends that had hitherto often diverged.
Which brings us to the third lesson. What can allow the Lebanese people to overcome old wounds and determine their destiny are assimilation and integration of the past as harmoniously as possible into a narrative with a nationwide appeal, to associate with it, and to include as many people as possible in it.
As a corollary lesson, the founding narratives alone are not sufficient to make a national community viable. Such narratives must be coupled with a real function, that is, a geopolitical and economic raison d’etre. This is what is at present sorely lacking in Lebanon and its people, and this is what they need, at all costs, to reinvent. Greater Lebanon, at least between 1920 and the 1970s, was a resounding success story, although ill winds too often threatened it to the point of shaking its foundations. The decades-long passage was possible largely because of the relative political genius of its elites: Pragmatic by interest, tending to compromise by “trade,” sometimes too much even. But all in all, they were keen to preserve this common space of prosperity and openness within a region that had already lost these attributes.
The fourth lesson pertains to what is required today of Lebanon’s elites — not only the existing ones, the very ones who have tried and failed, but also the new ones, who must necessarily take the reins from their elders. It is up to them to emerge on their own, to prove their credibility, and to provide for the next 100 years the momentum for carrying on the project of a Lebanon in constant construction and perpetual change.
*Joseph Bahout is director of the Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs at the American University of Beirut, where he is also an associate professor of political science. He has long been a researcher at the Carnegie Endowment in Washington DC, a professor at Sciences-Po Paris, and a consultant to the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Twitter: @jobahout

Macron’s Lebanese ‘faux pas’
Faisal J. Abbas/Arab News/September 02/2020
Mainly due to a track record of moderate and consistent positions, and a deeply rooted conviction that all differences can be debated and force used only as a last resort, French foreign policy has always been largely respected across the Arab world — and Emmanuel Macron is no exception to that.
Nevertheless, while the French president must be praised for his genuine concern and rapid decision to come to Lebanon’s aid in its darkest hour, I fear some of the advice he has been given may be demonstrating the accuracy of a common definition of insanity: Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. I refer of course to Macron’s remarks during his visit to Lebanon in relation to the Iran-backed Hezbollah group.
Hezbollah “represents a part of the Lebanese people and is an elected party,” Macron told the US news site Politico. (Surely a Frenchman, of all people, should need no reminder that Adolf Hitler’s Nazis were “a part of the German people” and an elected political party.)
On Hezbollah, Macron said: “Today there is a partnership between it and several other parties, and if we don’t want Lebanon to descend into a model in which terror would prevail at the expense of other matters, we have to educate Hezbollah and other parties about their responsibilities.”
Really, Mr. President? How on earth do you propose to educate a party that you yourself concede has an armed, terrorist wing as well as a political one?
That would be the equivalent of asking a schoolteacher to discipline a misbehaving student who came to class with a loaded gun. Such illogical statements and positions, including French support of the Iran nuclear deal, lead one to wonder whether Macron’s own Middle East advisers are the ones who need to be educated on the region’s history and realities.
As the Lebanese politician Nadim Gemayel put it on Twitter: Would you accept, Mr President, that a French party takes up arms and interferes militarily in a European country, or declares war on countries that are allies of France?
No one tried harder than the late Rafik Hariri to engage and absorb Hezbollah. His “reward” was to be assassinated by a man determined by the Special Tribunal for Lebanon to be a leading figure in the “terrorist wing” of Hezbollah — the same people who took Beirut by force in 2008 when their “political wing” failed to do so democratically.
“Don’t ask France to come wage war against a Lebanese political force ... it would be absurd and crazy,” Macron said. And of course, he is right; no one expects France — or anyone else — to put boots on the ground, or wage a war it cannot win without further devastating a country already on the brink of collapse. Rather, what ordinary Lebanese want, what they have been demanding since last October, is an overhaul of the whole political system. This means “out with the old,” including Nabih Berri, parliamentary Speaker since 1992; President Michel Aoun, a former war lord who allied himself with Hezbollah to obtain his position and in doing so has severely damaged the unity of Lebanese Christians, threatening those few who have not already fled the country; and above all, Hezbollah themselves.
There can be no doubt that Macron has made great efforts and has the best of intentions, but his remarks have left many Lebanese, and believers in French diplomacy, with a bitter taste in the mouth.
There can be no doubt that Macron has made great efforts and has the best of intentions, but his remarks have left many Lebanese, and believers in French diplomacy, with a bitter taste in the mouth.
At his concluding press conference, he described himself as a pragmatist. Fair enough; if replacing the entire current political class is unrealistic, the very least he could have done was to publicly demand that Hezbollah lay down their weapons and dissolve their terrorist wing. But to expect the Lebanese to believe a pledge given to Macron by any politician while Hezbollah still has the upper (and armed) hand is naive.
Macron should have also refused to enter the Presidential Palace in Baabda unless President Michel Aoun backtracks on his undemocratic decision to ban local channel MTV as a result of its critical coverage of his handling of the country’s crisis.
As for the guarantees Macron gave, he seems to think that withholding the donations pladged to Lebanon at the Paris conference in 2018 would be enough of a deterrent. Of course, the problem with this is that it would be a punishment of the Lebanese people, as opposed to their corrupt politicians.
Macron did speak of possible sanctions of political leaders if they don’t fall into line, but, it was too little, too late. If I were advising the French president, I would have made this particular statement the main talking point if he is to concede that there is no other way to deal with the current leaders.
The French president would have had a completely different reception if he had shown that he meant business, possibly by demonstrating what could be done in terms of sanctions and asset freezes. This would have boosted confidence among the average Lebanese, who have had enough of seeing the rich and powerful escape punishment over and over again. Critics of a resolute and determined approach will argue that it is not the way to persuade political leaders to come to the table. The powerful counter-argument is that, so far, President Macron’s approach has been well-equipped with carrots ... but woefully short of a stick.
• Faisal J. Abbas is the editor in chief of Arab News

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on September 01-02/2020

11 dead in alleged Israeli airstrikes in Syria - report
Jerusalem Post/September 01/2020
While Syrian officials are accusing Israel of being behind the attack, the IDF has yet to comment or confirm. Eleven people were killed in alleged Israeli airstrikes near Damascus on Monday night, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR). Syrian air defenses intercepted missiles over the southern region of the country on Monday near Damascus, state television cited a Syrian military source as saying. The source accused Israel of being behind the attacks. The strikes reportedly killed seven Iranian-backed militants of non-Syrian nationalities and three Syrian soldiers, according to SOHR. A civilian woman was killed by shrapnel in the strikes as well. The state news agency SANA, cited a military source as saying that only two people were killed, and seven were injured. The agency said a civilian woman had been killed and her husband injured in the blast. It was not immediately clear if she was among the two deaths initially reported by the military source, which had said that seven soldiers were wounded. While Syrian officials accuse Israel of being behind the attack, the IDF has not confirmed this. IDF Spokesperson Hidai Zilberman told KAN Reshet Bet radio on Tuesday that “the IDF is working to secure strategic objectives with a series of operations, especially in the northern sector.” Israel has repeatedly attacked Iranian targets in Syria and those of allied militias, including Lebanon’s Hezbollah. Earlier in August, the IDF carried out airstrikes against targets belonging to the Syrian military in southern Syria, in the southwestern region of Damascus as well as in Quneitra in response to an attempted terrorist attack that was thwarted along the Syrian border the night before.“The IDF sees the Syrian regime as responsible for all operations carried out in its territory and will continue to act with determination against all attacks on the sovereignty of the State of Israel,” the IDF said following the incident at the time. During the thwarted attack, the army said that during an investigation of the scene, some 25 meters from the perimeter fence inside Israeli territory, weapons and a bag containing a number of explosive devices were found.
“Special forces that were carrying out an ambush near an IDF post in the southern Golan Heights spotted a cell with a number of terrorists planting explosive devices along the border. An IDF force and an aircraft opened fire together on the four-member cell and hit them,” the IDF said in a statement.
Israel has destroyed one-third of Syrian air defenses in the past two years, and close to a thousand surface-to-air missiles have been launched towards Israel Air Force jets during missions for its “war-between-wars” campaign targeting Iranian infrastructure in the war-torn country.
Israel has been carrying out its war-between-wars campaign against Iran since 2013, striking thousands of targets in Syria, and according to foreign reports in neighboring Iraq, in order to prevent the smuggling of advanced weaponry to Hezbollah in Lebanon and the entrenchment of its forces in Syria where they could easily act against Israel. The strikes over the past year have been targeting Iranian infrastructure and its presence on the ground, in order to prevent Iran from embedding itself in Syria and compromising Israel’s freedom of operation.
**Tzvi Joffre, Anna Ahronheim and Reuters contributed to this report.

Several pro-Iran militiamen reported killed in Israeli strikes on Syria
The Arab Weekly/September 01/2020
Among those killed, said SOHR, were three regime members, including an officer of the Air-Defense Forces, and seven other non-Syrian militiamen of Iranian-backed militias and Hezbollah.
BEIRUT--Several pro-Iran militiamen were killed and injured in presumed Israeli strikes on Syria, said a Syrian war watchdog. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said Tuesday that ten members of regime forces and pro-Iranian militias were killed in “Israeli rocket attacks on positions of regime forces and, Iranian-backed militias and Hezbollah in Al-Keswah area, the perimeter of Damascus international airport, Air Defense Battalion in Al-Hayjana south of the capital, Damascus, and other positions in Daraa.”Among those killed, it said, were three regime members, including an officer of the Air-Defense Forces, and seven other non-Syrian militiamen of Iranian-backed militias and Hezbollah. The observatory identified the targets of Israeli strikes as regime forces’ positions in rural Damascus and Daraa. “One of the strikes hit the perimeter of Damascus international airport and al-Kiswa area, south of Damascus,” it said. It pointed out that Israeli missiles shelled the perimeter of Izraa, the battalions of Namir and Qarfa and Tal Mahaja in north-eastern countryside of Daraa, “where Lebanese Hezbollah forces are present.” But a Syrian military source said that an Israeli missile attack on Syria killed two people, injured seven others and caused damage on Monday, Syrian state media reported. The state news agency SANA said that Syrian air defences had intercepted most of the Israeli missiles launched from the direction of the Golan Heights toward military sites south of Damascus.
An Israeli military spokesman contacted earlier by Reuters had declined to comment on the initial report by Syrian state media of an Israeli air strike. Earlier this month, Israeli aircraft attacked targets in Syria in what it described as retaliation for an attempted bombing of a fence along the Golan armistice line between the two countries by what Israel described as an enemy squad. Israel has repeatedly attacked Iranian targets in Syria and those of allied militias, including Lebanon’s Hezbollah.Israel sees Iran’s presence in Syria, in support of Syrian President Bashar Assad’s government in the country’s civil war, as a strategic threat.

Macron to visit Iraq this week, in support for ‘sovereignty’
The Arab Weekly/September 01/2020
“He will meet the Iraqi prime minister and president and is hoping to hold talks with a range of political actors,” an Iraqi government source said.

BAGHDAD - French President Emmanuel Macron will make his first official trip to Iraq on Wednesday, government sources in Baghdad said, to signal solidarity with the crisis-hit country.The one-day visit following his trip to Lebanon will make Macron the most senior foreign official to travel to Iraq since Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi ascended to power in May.“He will meet the Iraqi prime minister and president and is hoping to hold talks with a range of political actors,” an Iraqi government source said. Two other Iraqi officials confirmed the visit. Macron’s office has yet to publicly confirm the trip. The focus, the Iraqi sources said, would be on “sovereignty” — insisting Baghdad carve out an independent path away from the tug-of-war between its two main allies, Washington and Tehran. The message will echo that of France’s top diplomat Jean-Yves Le Drian during a trip to Iraq in July, when he insisted Baghdad “should dissociate itself from regional tensions.” On August 27, French Defence Minister Florence Parly held talks in Baghdad and Erbil, the capital of Iraq’s Kurdish region. Unlike most foreign officials visiting Iraq, Macron will not stop over in Erbil, and is instead hoping Kurdish leaders will come to Baghdad to meet him. Iraq has been rocked by a series of crises this year, starting with a US drone strike in January that killed top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani and Iraqi commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis. Iran retaliated with strikes against US troops in western Iraq, and Tehran-backed groups are suspected of launching volleys of rockets on American diplomatic, military and commercial interests in recent months. Macron, who has stood up to Turkey’s bellicose policies in the Mediterranean, is likely to discuss Ankara’s incursions in Iraqi Kurdistan, analysts say. As OPEC’s second biggest crude producer, Iraq was hit hard by the collapse in oil prices and the coronavirus pandemic forced the country’s fragile economy to sink even further.

The Emiratis’ message: Peace between the people
Jerusalem Post/September 01/2020
REPORTER'S NOTEBOOK: A country without a free press is not accustomed to Israeli journalists’ chutzpah and demands for radical transparency at all times.
The Israeli media delegation to the United Arab Emirates had a packed schedule for its less than 24 hours in Abu Dhabi – but not with the kinds of events one may expect from covering a government delegation for normalization talks.
Our hosts designed our visit to send a very specific message to the Israeli public about the kind of peace it wants with Israel. While we in Israel have been very fixated on F-35 jets and working together against Iran, the Emiratis wanted to relay a message of tolerance and of a connection between peoples.
That was already implied when the UAE and US did not want a Defense Ministry delegation to take part in the trip, but we got the message more overtly in our quick jaunt to the Emirati capital.
When we arrived from the airport to our hotel, where much of the government delegation was staying as well, we were given about an hour and a half to get refreshed before the tour bus was set to take us to the Louvre Abu Dhabi. But the government officials started working right away – which meant we journalists felt it was time for us to start working, too.
We quickly learned that in the Emirates, discretion is the name of the game. A country without a free press is not accustomed to Israeli journalists’ chutzpah and demands for radical transparency at all times. And, in fact, our minder from the American Embassy told us repeatedly to “be nice.”
Still, when some of us persisted in our demands, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s spokeswoman Shir Cohen, who was in the UAE though her boss was not, finagled us into a few rooms to see the government working groups’ roundtables.
We only got to see a few rooms, with about a minute in each room, and we weren’t allowed to take photos or quote anyone – a recurring theme on this trip. In each room, there was a different topic of discussion, such as health, aviation, space or foreign policy, with a small group of Israeli officials sitting across from their UAE counterparts. Some of the discussions seemed to be very basic, getting-to-know-you type talk. Others, like health, where there was cooperation even before normalization was announced, seemed to be more in depth.
To our dismay, the briefing we were promised by National Security Adviser Meir Ben-Shabbat was postponed indefinitely, because the meetings went longer than expected. Then, we were whisked away to the Louvre.
The Louvre Abu Dhabi, established in 2017, licenses the name of the original Louvre in Paris, and borrows from the collections of a dozen French museums, including Musee D’Orsay, Centre Pompidou and, as we would soon discover, the Jewish Museum.
Our tour guide said the idea behind the design of the Louvre Abu Dhabi’s exhibit was universalism: that people around the world have much in common. The museum is arranged chronologically, not regionally, displaying art from around the world in a given time period in a way that shows the similarities in styles and themes.
Of course, pre-modern art tends to have strong religious themes, and those were present in the museum. Along with Islamic art, there were Buddhas and sculptures of Jesus and Mary – and Jewish articles, as well. The headstone of a Jewish man from France was displayed near headstones having text in Arabic. Pentateuch books from France and Yemen were displayed next to Muslim and Christian texts.
We were also shown a model of the planned “Abrahamic Family House,” a complex with a mosque, a church and a synagogue, planned to open in 2022.
Asked about how this diverse religious art – and any displays of the human form – are received in a conservative Muslim society, two tour guides gave the same answer: This museum was designed to educate toward and display tolerance, and that it was not a controversial move.
Their answers were so similar that it seemed to me that it was something they were told to say – and yet, the museum and its goal speak for themselves.
THEN CAME dinner at a hall in the Louvre, where two or three reporters were put at each table with local journalists and officials. There were opening remarks, and then we got to speak to people at our table.
The guests were obviously carefully selected, but it was still interesting to get an unscripted perspective. We were once again urged to be sensitive to the local emphasis on discretion. but in broad strokes, It seemed that these Emiratis were as enthusiastic about the new ties as we were.
One official said we should not compare peace with the UAE to that with Jordan or Egypt, because this is going to be peace with the people who truly want to get to know us, and see a benefit to their younger generation in having ties with us. He framed normalization as part of the battle against not only violent extremism, but ideological extremism.
Asked by an Israeli reporter whether stopping annexation in the West Bank to help the Palestinians was the real impetus behind the agreement, one official said it may have impacted the timing, but with years of steps towards normalization, it surely was not the reason. The UAE needs to do things in its own interest and not listen to others’ diktats, she said. We all agreed that this could give other countries the courage to take the plunge, as well, and debated whether Bahrain or Oman would be next.
On the non-political side, two of my interlocutors told me they have Israeli friends from studies abroad and are excited to be able to visit them. They told me about friends who study Hebrew. One asked about hiking, and I told her all about the Israel Trail and water hikes in the North; she told me about camping in the UAE’s countryside.
The impression we were given was that “warm peace” wasn’t just a slogan Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was throwing around in a press conference.
TO OUR dismay, the briefing we were promised by National Security Adviser Meir Ben-Shabbat was postponed indefinitely, because the meetings went longer than expected. Then, we were whisked away to the Louvre.
The Louvre Abu Dhabi, established in 2017, licenses the name of the original Louvre in Paris, and borrows from the collections of a dozen French museums, including Musee D’Orsay, Centre Pompidou and, as we would soon discover, the Jewish Museum.
Our tour guide said the idea behind the design of the Louvre Abu Dhabi’s exhibit was universalism: that people around the world have much in common. The museum is arranged chronologically, not regionally, displaying art from around the world in a given time period in a way that shows the similarities in styles and themes.
Of course, pre-modern art tends to have strong religious themes, and those were present in the museum. Along with Islamic art, there were Buddhas and sculptures of Jesus and Mary – and Jewish articles, as well. The headstone of a Jewish man from France was displayed near headstones having text in Arabic. Pentateuch books from France and Yemen were displayed next to Muslim and Christian texts.
We were also shown a model of the planned “Abrahamic Family House,” a complex with a mosque, a church and a synagogue, planned to open in 2022.
Asked about how this diverse religious art – and any displays of the human form – are received in a conservative Muslim society, two tour guides gave the same answer: This museum was designed to educate toward and display tolerance, and that it was not a controversial move.
Their answers were so similar that it seemed to me that it was something they were told to say – and yet, the museum and its goal speak for themselves.
THEN CAME dinner at a hall in the Louvre, where two or three reporters were put at each table with local journalists and officials. There were opening remarks, and then we got to speak to people at our table.
The guests were obviously carefully selected, but it was still interesting to get an unscripted perspective. We were once again urged to be sensitive to the local emphasis on discretion. But in broad strokes, it seemed that these Emiratis were as enthusiastic about the new ties as we were.
One official said we should not compare peace with the UAE to that with Jordan or Egypt, because this is going to be peace with the people who truly want to get to know us, and see a benefit to their younger generation in having ties with us. He framed normalization as part of the battle against not only violent extremism, but ideological extremism.
Asked by an Israeli reporter whether stopping annexation in the West Bank to help the Palestinians was the real impetus behind the agreement, one official said it may have impacted the timing, but with years of steps toward normalization, it surely was not the reason. The UAE needs to do things in its own interest and not listen to others’ diktats, she said. We all agreed that this could give other countries the courage to take the plunge, as well, and debated whether Bahrain or Oman would be next.
On the non-political side, two of my interlocutors told me they have Israeli friends from studies abroad and are excited to be able to visit them. They told me about friends who study Hebrew. One asked about hiking, and I told her all about the Israel Trail and water hikes in the North; she told me about camping in the UAE’s countryside.
The impression we were given was that “warm peace” wasn’t just a slogan Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was throwing around in a press conference.
The next morning, as we handed our suitcases over to El Al security, heads of the local Jewish community showed up with Torah scrolls for morning prayers. It was a Tuesday, so a Torah wasn’t necessary, but they wanted to show us the inscription in Arabic on its covering, which honored prominent Dubai businessman Muhammad Ali Al-Abbas, “who inspired his friends and his country and his generation through his vision and personality.”
When I said something about getting an impression of tolerance from the previous night’s event, Ross Kriel, president of the Jewish Council of the Emirates, reassured me that “it’s not just an impression.”
THAT MORNING, we weren’t told the schedule for the day, but we were told that the reporters for American media outlets based in Israel were going to be separated from the Israelis. We quickly rooted out that CNN, NPR, AP and the others were going to an American Air Force base, and that White House Special Adviser Jared Kushner would be there with them, while we were going to the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque.
The mosque was breathtaking, with mother-of-pearl flowers on the ornate floors and columns, massive chandeliers and colorful Persian carpets. The female journalists brought scarves to cover our hair, but we were given robes to wear to cover our arms and legs. Admittedly, it didn’t feel great to wear more layers in the sweltering heat, but it’s understandable to have to show respect at a religious site – just as I would in Israel – especially since we could wear what we wanted everywhere else.
But when I found out the plan for the morning meant I would be doing the less “newsy” thing, it sparked mixed feelings. We were in Abu Dhabi to work, not to tour, so it was frustrating. But it was also exciting that in less than 24 hours in town, we would get to see such a famous and beautiful site.
It was at that point that it clicked for me what the government of the UAE, which organized these tours, wanted to show Israelis via its media. Between leaving defense delegation meetings for another time, the Louvre’s interfaith emphasis, a dinner with friendly locals and a visit to the Grand Mosque – a religious site and one of the top tourist sites in town – it was very clear.
They wanted to try to make peace between people. They wanted to show us a positive view of what they are all about: their hospitality to foreigners and tolerance of other religions.
Of course, we all know that the UAE is not a democracy and that tolerance is at the will of Crown Prince Mohamed bin Zayed.
SOON AFTER visiting the mosque, we got an honest answer from a tour guide at Qasr Al Hosn, an 18th-century fortress turned history museum. Asked what she thinks about ties with Israel, she said, “I trust our leaders to make the right choice.” Asked what people on the street think of the deal, she said, “We follow our leaders blindly.” And then a higher-up shushed her, saying she’s not a spokesperson.
The visit to Qasr Al Hosn was a pleasant surprise, since its director Salama Al Shamsi had sat next to me at dinner the night before. It was interesting to see artifacts from when Abu Dhabi was a fishing village with an economy relying on pearling. The museum, open since 2018, was very modern and beautifully designed, like much else in the UAE.
Qasr Al Hosn also gave some historical context to the local diplomatic culture, highlighting an emphasis on diplomacy.
Sheikh Zayed the First, Abu Dhabi’s leader in the late 19th century, “knew there was more to the success and security of the community than strength of arms,” one sign read. Under his leadership, “Abu Dhabi thrived, becoming the most powerful, prosperous and respected of the coastal states.”
And that seems to be the way the UAE operates and thrives to this day.

UAE’s Gargash meets in Abu Dhabi with Israel’s head of the National Security Council
Ismaeel Naar, Al Arabiya EnglishTuesday 01 September 2020
The UAE’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash has met with Israeli Adviser and Head of the Israeli National Security Council Meir Ben-Shabbat on Tuesday to discuss opportunities for bilateral cooperation. During the talks that took place in both also discussed enhancing opportunities for peace and stability in the region. “His Excellency stressed that the UAE-Israeli Peace Treaty represents a positive step in advancing peace opportunities in the region and will establish solid bilateral relations in several areas: economic, scientific, technological, developmental and cultural and tourism,” a statement on the Emirates News Agency (WAM) read. Israel and the United Arab Emirates agreed on Tuesday to set up a joint committee on financial services cooperation with the aim of promoting investment between the two countries, an Israeli statement said. American and Israeli officials landed in Abu Dhabi on Monday, becoming the first passengers in history to fly directly from Israel to the United Arab Emirates. The flight was the latest development in the normalization of relations between the two countries following the bilateral historic agreement announced August 13.

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman meets with Jared Kushner
Ismaeel Naar, Al Arabiya/English/Wednesday 02 September 2020
Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met with US Senior Adviser Jared Kushner on Tuesday and discussed for the need to resume negotiations between the Palestinian and Israeli sides toward achieving peace.
“[The two] discussed the partnership between the two friendly countries and the importance of strengthening it in all fields, especially in order to achieve security and stability in the region,” a statement from the Saudi Press Agency read.
“They also discussed the prospects for the peace process in the region, and the need to resume negotiations between the Palestinian and Israeli sides to achieve a just and lasting peace,” the statement added. Kushner was in Bahrain earlier in the day where he met with Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa. The White House official also visited the United Arab Emirates on Monday as part of a historic direct flight between Tel Aviv and Abu Dhabi.

Pompeo says US will lift arms embargo on Cyprus, Turkey furious
Reuters/Tuesday 01 September 2020
The United States will lift a 33-year arms embargo on Cyprus and deepen its security cooperation with Nicosia, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Tuesday, prompting an angry response from Turkey. The island was divided in 1974 following a Turkish invasion triggered by a Greek-inspired coup. Turkey recognizes the breakaway Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, which is not recognized by other countries. Several peacemaking efforts have collapsed. Washington placed restrictions on the transfer of arms to Cyprus in 1987 to encourage reunification efforts and avoid an arms race on the island.
“Cyprus is a key partner in the Eastern Mediterranean,” he said on Twitter. “We will waive restrictions on the sale of non-lethal defense articles and services to the Republic of Cyprus for the coming fiscal year.” The decision comes amid escalating tensions in the eastern Mediterranean between NATO allies Turkey and Greece over claims to potential hydrocarbon resources in the eastern Mediterranean based on conflicting views on the extent of their continental shelves. Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades said on Twitter after a phone call with Pompeo that he welcomed the move. Turkey’s foreign ministry said the decision “disregards the equality and balance” on the island and that Ankara expects its NATO ally to “review” it. “Otherwise, Turkey, as a guarantor country, will take the necessary reciprocal steps in line with its legal and historical responsibility to guarantee the security of the Turkish Cypriot people,” it said in a statement. Ankara and Athens both say they are ready to solve the dispute through dialogue, while insisting on upholding their own rights. They each held military exercises in the region, highlighting the potential for the dispute to escalate.

Head of Israel’s National Security Council visits UAE’s Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
Ismaeel Naar, Al Arabiya English/Tuesday 01 September 2020
The Israeli Adviser and head of the National Security Council, Meir Ben-Shabbat and his accompanying delegation, visited the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday as part of his official visit to the UAE.
Dr. Yousif al-Obaidli, Director-General of Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre, accompanied the delegation during a tour of the mosque’s halls and exterior corridors. “They were briefed by one of the Center’s cultural tour specialists’ on the mosque’s noble message that calls for coexistence, tolerance, and openness to other cultures, inspired by the nation’s late founder. Besides, the leading role it plays in highlighting the true essence of the Islamic culture and promoting cross-cultural communication worldwide,” according to a news report by the Emirates News Agency (WAM). Ben-Shabbat later met separately with UAE’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash to discuss opportunities for bilateral cooperation.

Israel, UAE sign first cooperation agreement
Jerusalem Post/Reuters/September 01/2020
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the agreement, saying it will "help us promote mutual investments and broad cooperation." Israel and the United Arab Emirates signed their first-ever agreement, in the areas of banking and finance, on Tuesday.
The UAE central bank, the Israeli Finance Ministry and Israeli financial regulators reached an agreement by which they will form a joint committee on finance and investments and will continue to discuss promoting financial services cooperation. The countries will remove obstacles to investments between them and promote joint investments in the capital market. They will also discuss cooperation in banking services and payment regulation, and how to meet international standards for investments.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the agreement, saying it will “help us promote mutual investments and broad cooperation.”“We will soon announce additional agreements in aviation, tourism, trade and more,” he added. Separately, the state-run Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) and Invest in Israel – part of the Economy Ministry – said in a joint statement that they agreed to set out a plan to establish formal cooperation. “The organizations will explore mutually beneficial areas of collaboration to unlock investment and partnership opportunities for companies in Israel and Abu Dhabi with a strong focus on innovation and technology,” they said. An initial virtual meeting was held between Ziva Eger, Invest in Israel’s chief executive, and Monira Hisham al-Kuttab, who leads ADIO’s international promotional activity. Further meetings are scheduled throughout September.
“Israel’s ecosystem has a lot to offer to the UAE’s economy in terms of innovation, specifically in the life sciences, cleantech, agtech and energy sectors,” Eger said in the statement. ADIO director-general Tariq Bin Hendi said that the office’s investor-care team would “facilitate connections throughout Abu Dhabi’s ecosystem” and explore opportunities over the coming months.

UAE-Israel deal has guarantee that annexation not happening, UAE official say
Jerusalem Post/September 01/2020
Stopping sovereignty moves was “prerequisite” for normalization, the official said, and confirms that F-35 sale was not part of the deal. Israel and the United States have promised the United Arab Emirates that Jerusalem will not annex parts of the West Bank as a guarantee for normalizing relations between the countries, UAE Foreign Ministry Director of Policy Planning Jamal al-Musharakh said on Tuesday. Asked if annexation would threaten the ties between the countries, Musharakh said “it does not” and that “bilateral relations are well underway in various fields.”
However, he added, that “one of the prerequisites of the commencing of bilateral relations was the halting of annexation.”
Al-Musharakh said he has “assurances from key leaders in the US and Israel” that such a move will not happen. He used a word in Arabic that means "to stop or delay" to describe the agreement on the matter of sovereignty. American statements on the matter used the word “to suspend.”
The UAE “remains with the Arab consensus and resolutions pertaining to” the Palestinians, he said. “We have not backed out even an inch from our position.”
The director spoke with journalists at the United Arab Emirates' Presidential Airport as the first official Israeli delegation visit to the country, led by National Security Adviser Meir Ben-Shabbat, came to a close. A day earlier, the first-ever direct flight from an Israeli airline, El Al, landed in that airport.
Al-Musharakh argued that normalization with Israel benefits the entire region, including the Palestinians. “There is room for innovation and education, and a future for youth not to grow up in an area of conflict,” he said. “There are too many conflicts in the region – and it is high time to look forward to sustainable ways forward and hope for the future.”
The Emirati official confirmed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s account that the sale of F-35 stealth jets was not related to ties with Israel. “It was not by any means the driver of this,” al-Musharakh said, opposing a journalist’s characterization of the matter as an “irritant” in the normalization process.
The purchase of the F-35s is “a legitimate, longstanding request we have. We see them as legitimate.”In response to Iranian leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s remarks that normalization with Israel is a “betrayal” and “the Emiratis will be disgraced forever,” al-Musharakh said “the path to peace and prosperity is not in hate speech.”“That kind of message runs counter to a forward-looking view for the region,” he added. As for the normalization talks, Al-Musharakh said things are moving “at a healthy pace,” but it is hard to determine at this point when embassies will open or when a signing ceremony in the US takes place.
When there is a UAE embassy in Israel, it will be in Tel Aviv, he said. The discussions, which took place in Abu Dhabi on Monday and Tuesday, have been “promising,” and “prove that the path towards peace and prosperity is through partnership and cooperation,” al-Musharakh added.
“There is a large demographic of youth in the region that needs hope, a way forward,” he said. Al-Musharakh expressed hope that Israeli-Emirati cooperation, such as on fighting COVID-19, will benefit the entire world, not just the two countries.
The Yesha Council responded to the announcement with a statement saying, "This statement contradicts everything that Prime Minister Netanyahu was elected for. Applying sovereignty is an Israeli matter that stems from historical justice, heritage and truth. The prime minister must not use sovereignty as a currency traded for peace agreements. If Prime Minister Netanyahu misses the opportunity for sovereignty, it will be his legacy. "We will not stop working for the application of Israeli sovereignty in Judea, Samaria and the Jordan Valley as the ultimate vision of the Yesha Council," the statement concluded.

The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on September 01-02/2020
UAE: We Are Not Traitors; Palestinian Leaders Are Corrupt
Khaled Abu Toameh/Gatestone Institute/September 01/2020
The message Emiratis are sending: "We did not betray anyone. We have a wise leader who has decided to do what is good for his country, the Palestinians and all Arabs and Muslims. You Palestinians need to get rid of your corrupt leaders."
"It is time for this region to enjoy peace, stability and development," Al Kaabi remarked. "Over the past decades, conflicts and tension have ravaged the region and many opportunities have been lost in order to find the right path that leads people to a prosperous life, and makes hope possible." — Hamad Al Kaabi, editor of the Abu Dhabi-based Al-Ittihad newspaper, August 14, 2020.
"I was against Israel, but today I'm not. Time has shown us who the real friend is and who is the enemy." — Emirati social media user, Twitter, August 17, 2020.
The reactions of the Emiratis to the Palestinian campaign of incitement against the UAE is another sign of the growing disillusionment of many Gulf citizens with the Palestinian leaders and the Palestinian issue. The reactions also show that for the first time in many years, Arabs have the courage openly to say that they prefer peace with Israel over continuing to support the Palestinians, who cannot get their act together and have chosen to align themselves with Iran, the Muslim Brotherhood and the enemies of peace and stability.
The reactions of the Emiratis to the Palestinian campaign of incitement against the United Arab Emirates is another sign of the growing disillusionment of many Gulf citizens with the Palestinian leaders and the Palestinian issue. Pictured: An Emirati official stands near an El Al passenger jet, which carried a US-Israeli delegation to the UAE, upon its arrival at the Abu Dhabi airport in the first-ever commercial flight from Israel to the UAE, on August 31, 2020
As Palestinian leaders continue to condemn the United Arab Emirates for its agreement to normalize relations with Israel, Emiratis have responded by dismissing charges that the UAE betrayed the Arabs and Muslims, as well as Al-Aqsa Mosque, Jerusalem and the Palestinian issue.
The main message the Emiratis and other Gulf citizens are sending to the Palestinians and the rest of the Arabs and Muslims is something to the effect of: "We did not betray anyone. We have a wise leader who has decided to do what is good for his country, the Palestinians and all Arabs and Muslims. You Palestinians need to get rid of your corrupt leaders."
The Emiratis are also defending their leader's decision to sign the normalization agreement with Israel by reminding everyone that the UAE is not the first Arab country to sign a peace treaty with Israel. The Emiratis say they cannot understand why they are being harshly criticized by many Arabs and Muslims who have done almost nothing to assist the Palestinians.
"The UAE is not the first Arab country to conclude a peace agreement with Israel, and it will definitely not be the last," wrote Emirati journalist Sami Al-Reyami.
"Many [Arabs] opened their doors to Israel and cooperated with it without achieving any real benefit for the Palestinian cause. It is very strange for the UAE to be subjected to criticism from governments and the media of countries that preceded it by decades in establishing and relations with Israel."
Al-Reyami explained that when the Emiratis decided to establish relations with Israel, it did not do it out of the blue:
"Instead, the UAE did it after it received several requests from Arab, Islamic and other countries asking it to intervene to solve the problem and dilemma of Israel's determination to annex lands in the West Bank. The Arabs, the European Union members and many countries were unable to stop the [Israeli] plan until the UAE intervened and did what the world did not do, and was able to make a difference and stop plans to annex Arab lands. So why are these short-sighted people now annoyed?"
Al-Reyami believes that the real problem the Palestinians and other critics have is not with the agreement itself. "Instead, the problem is in their hearts that are full of hatred for every step taken by the Emirates," he said.
"This is not at all strange to them, and this will not stop the UAE from its progress and development, and its strategies and policies that take into account its interests and the interests of its people in the first place. The UAE is a sovereign state, and it has leaders who know exactly what they want and how to achieve what they want at the time they want. Since its establishment, the UAE has placed the interest of the Palestinian people at the top of its priorities. The Palestinians' leaders may now ignore all the Emirati support, but the truth is clear and we do not need to prove it."
Dr. Moza Alabbar, an Emirati writer, pointed out that the so-called Arab Spring in some Arab countries had "affected the progress of the Palestinian cause and caused it to regress." Alabbar was referring to the series of anti-government protests, uprisings, and armed rebellions that spread across much of the Arab world in 2010.
Noting that the Palestinians have paid a heavy price because of the "foolish" policies of their leaders, especially the decision to support Saddam Hussein's invasion of Kuwait in 1990, Alabbar wrote that the PLO, which claims to be the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinians, has lost its credibility.
Meanwhile, she said, "the foreign policy of the UAE towards the Palestinian issue remains fixed and clear."
"The late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan [the ruler of Abu Dhabi for more than 30 years and the founding father and principal driving force behind the formation of the UAE] gave a lot for the sake of the Palestinians and their just cause, including political, material and moral support. The UAE continues steadfastly in its support for the Palestinian cause, because its goal is to support the Palestinian people as a whole and not a specific party. The UAE focuses in its support for the Palestinian people on important developmental sectors, which are directly related to the lives of Palestinians, in order to improve their livelihood and advance their future. For years, the UAE has provided billions to support the Palestinian cause and improve the living conditions of the Palestinians. The Emiratis continue to help the Palestinians. The UAE signed agreements with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) to support education programs in the Gaza Strip."
Alabbar said that the UAE is "a state of peace and peaceful coexistence and has proven over the past five decades that it served the Palestinian cause more than the so-called advocates of [Palestinian] resistance, who for years did not serve the cause, except for slogans that do not serve the Palestinian cause."
Her message to "the haters of peace and tolerance: have you deliberately forgotten the Hamas movement, which is supported and embraced by Iran, and whose goal is to divide the Palestinians?"
Emirati journalist and poet Ali Obaid Al Hameli wrote that the UAE has always been supportive of the Palestinian people and their rights:
"The UAE remained faithful to its sincere position on the Palestinian issue, despite the change of Palestinian leaders. Some of the Palestinian leaders deny the UAE's firm positions. The Palestinian cause has retreated because of the divisions and conflicts among the Palestinians. The Palestinian cause is lost and its blood is dispersed between the tribes, factions, militias, parties, groups, and the countries trading in the [Palestinian] cause."
Hamad Al Kaabi, editor of the Abu Dhabi-based Al-Ittihad newspaper, defended the Israel-UAE deal and reminded Arabs and Muslims that Egypt, Jordan and the Palestinians had also signed peace agreements with Israel.
"It is time for this region to enjoy peace, stability and development," Al Kaabi remarked.
"Over the past decades, conflicts and tension have ravaged the region and many opportunities have been lost in order to find the right path that leads people to a prosperous life, and makes hope possible."
The UAE, he added, has always adhered to peace and will remain supportive of the rights of the Palestinian people. "Emirati diplomacy is part of all the efforts that the region has witnessed to establish a just and honorable peace, and it has invested all its capabilities in this direction," Al Kaabi said.
"In 1979, Egypt signed a peace treaty with Israel, and regained Egyptian and Arab rights. The Palestinian and Jordanian brothers concluded two agreements in 1993 and 1994, and Arab and Islamic countries established partial or full relations with Israel. The UAE has made the two-state solution the basis of its path towards peace with Israel. The UAE believes that peace gains cannot be compared to losses in conflict. In today's world there is no alternative to scientific cooperation between countries to combat epidemics, climate change risks, and other disasters facing humanity. Peace in the Emirati vision stems from wisdom, moderation and rationality; it guarantees the rights of peoples and achieves their interests."
The Emirati newspaper Al-Bayan also noted that the UAE has adopted positions in support of the Palestinian cause at all political and diplomatic levels as part of its commitment to a just and comprehensive peace:
"The UAE considers peace a fundamental pillar of stability and sustainable development and hopes to adopt new approaches in international relations to achieve justice, fairness, coexistence and tolerance, in which all enjoy prosperity and security... The UAE is working to spread the culture of security, peace and service to humanity and build of communication with various civilizations, nations and peoples."
Yaqoub Al Rayssi, an Emirati security expert, said in a video he posted on Twitter that he saw no reason why the Arabs should make sacrifices for the Palestinian issue while the Palestinians are divided and fighting each other. "Why should we defend the Palestinian issue at the expense of our security, ideology and policies?" Al Rayssi asked. "We don't care if the Palestinians are calling us traitors. [UAE Crown Prince] Mohammed Ben Zayed is doing what is good for his country, and we don't care about the insults from the Palestinians."
Reflecting widespread discontent with the Palestinians for condemning the Israel-UAE peace deal, several Emirati social media activists said that Palestinian leaders have brought to their people nothing but misery and corruption.
"[Former PLO leader] Yasser Arafat led the Palestinian struggle against Israel for many years," commented one activist. "The result was that his wife and daughter inherited eight billion dollars." In other posts on Twitter, the Emirati social media user wrote: "I was against Israel, but today I'm not. Time has shown us who the real friend is and who is the enemy," and "The real treason is when you trade with the Palestinian people and not when you normalize relations with Israel."
Commenting on the burning of UAE flags and pictures of Ben Zayed in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, Emirati security analyst Abudullah Al Mazroui wrote:
"If a group of citizens in the UAE or Saudi Arabia went out and burned the Palestinian flag or the photo of [Palestinian Authority President] Mahmoud Abbas, would our governments remain silent? The citizens would be immediately brought to trial and receive heavy penalties. Why are our flags and images of our symbols being burned in front of the eyes of the Palestinian government, while it remains silent?"
The reactions of the Emiratis to the Palestinian campaign of incitement against the UAE is another sign of the growing disillusionment of many Gulf citizens with the Palestinian leaders and the Palestinian issue. The reactions also show that for the first time in many years, Arabs have the courage openly to say that they prefer peace with Israel over continuing to support the Palestinians, who cannot get their act together and have chosen to align themselves with Iran, the Muslim Brotherhood and the enemies of peace and stability.
Khaled Abu Toameh, an award-winning journalist based in Jerusalem, is a Shillman Journalism Fellow at Gatestone Institute.
© 2020 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.

Raymond Ibrahim on the Bottom-Up Oppression of Egypt’s Christians”
Raymond Ibrahim/September 01/2020
“Raymond Ibrahim on the Bottom-Up Oppression of Egypt’s Christians,” a summary of my recent Middle East Forum webinar by Gary C. Gambill, general editor at the Forum, was published on August 27, 2020. It follows:
Raymond Ibrahim, a Judith Friedman Rosen fellow at the Middle East Forum and a Shillman fellow at the David Horowitz Freedom Center, spoke to participants in a June 22 Middle East Forum webinar (video) about the plight of the Copts, Egypt’s Christians.
The word “Copt” comes from the same Greek root, Aigyptos, as the word “Egypt.” After the Arab conquest of Egypt (639-646), inhabitants of the majority Christian land became known as qibt (anglicized as “Copts”), then the term narrowed to refer only to those who maintained their adherence to the Christian faith. Over the following 14 centuries, Copts dwindled to roughly 10% of the population.
The community of Christians who refused to convert to Islam were accorded the status of a dhimma, which under Islamic law allowed “people of the book” – namely, Jews and Christians – to practice their faith in return for paying a special tribute, known as jizya, and accepting a “very inferior” position in society, explained Ibrahim. “There’s a long list of what you can and can’t do. You can’t rebuild churches, you can’t build new churches. …There was no social mobility, really. You’re not going to get the good administrative jobs. You’re not going to be part of the military.”
On top of that, “you also have sporadic bouts of … outright persecution … churches being burned, Copts and others being massacred,” said Ibrahim, but violence wasn’t main driver leading most Copts to convert to Islam. “That demographic shift is largely due just to this institutionalized form of discrimination,” or dhimmitude. “It wasn’t because Copts were being slaughtered.” This same system was “entrenched in … virtually all nation that got conquered by [Muslims] and had ‘people of the book’ in them.” In other Christian majority regions, such as North Africa, Syria, and Asia minor, “Christianity has almost disappeared.”Academic apologists for Islam, noted Ibrahim, have often portrayed dhimmitude as a form of benevolent protection, and exemption from the military as a form of privilege. But Christians and Jews “were exempt from the military because they were infidels, and no fighting Muslim engaged in holy war wanted a Jew or Christian next to him because they weren’t trustworthy and it was bad for morale,” he explained. “The dhimmi system … wasn’t active persecution, but it really hampered and limited, and degraded the non-Muslim, to the point that so many of them … [were] willing to convert to the so-called winning team.”In addition, Copts were barred from speaking their native Coptic language, which is “linguistically rooted” in the language of Pharaonic Egypt and written in an adaptation of the Greek alphabet, and instead forced to use Arabic. Coptic thus became “a liturgical language only.”
During Egypt’s colonial era, which began in the nineteenth century, religious “fanaticism began to wane” and secular nationalism became “the new thing,” said Ibrahim, which was “good of course for people like Copts and any other non-Muslim living in a Muslim majority nation … much better than they were in the pre-modern era.”
In Egypt today, “we’ve come back full circle and we’re starting to see the sort of pre-modern mentality resuming again.” With the growth of Islamism among the population, successive Egyptian regimes have hesitated to provide equal protection under the law to Copts.
“The most obvious form of discrimination that the Christians, the Copts, are facing in Egypt has to do with their churches,” said Ibrahim:
Every other week or sometimes every week … a Muslim mob rolls up after Friday prayers against a church because it was adding a bathroom, or it was building a Sunday school. Or because there was a rumor that someone was going to build a church, or because they found out Copts who have no church we’re meeting in the house, having a church service. They rise up, create havoc, violence, sometimes deaths are a result, and the authorities always respond by shutting down the church, or just canceling whatever plans the Christians had. So this is very, very common.
The authorities “turn a blind eye” to other outrages. Ibrahim recounted the recent case of a church-going Coptic woman, married with three teenage daughters, who abruptly disappeared:
[She] reappears a few weeks later after her family makes a big scene and gets a lot of media, and she appears dressed in black and you can see there’s people around her giving her cues. She seems very scared saying, “I’m now a Muslim praise be Allah. I don’t want you, my family, to bother with me. Don’t contact me. I’m not interested. I’m happy to serve Allah and that’s it.”
The authorities did nothing about this. “If it was the opposite, if a Muslim woman disappeared … even if it was voluntary, and she had converted to Christianity and ran off with a Christian man, it would be the end of the world in Egypt,” said Ibrahim. “It would be the biggest scandal. They would both be thrown in jail.”There’s little Copts can do to fight the discrimination they face. In October 2011, thousands of Copts peacefully protested about the demolition of a church outside the Maspero building in Cairo (where the Egyptian Radio and Television Union is headquartered). “The government responded by unleashing tanks, armored vehicles that literally ran over them. … At least two dozen were killed,” recalled Ibrahim. The Obama administration responded by calling for restraint on all sides, as if the Copts were equally responsible.
Egypt’s current president, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, has won a lot of praise and support from Copts for his public criticism of Islamic radicalism. But little has changed on the ground. “What’s happening in Egypt is not a top-down thing. It’s a bottom-up thing. It’s a cultural thing. These ideas, these anti-Christian, anti-Coptic, anti-church ideas, anti-Israel, they don’t come from the leadership.” Ibrahim suggests that popular hostility to Christians will be a problem until religious authorities “change, or moderate, or do something with the core text[s]” of Islam, in particular “the hadith, the words and the sayings that are attributed to Muhammad.”

Confronting Iran Before the November Election
Jacob Nagel and Mark Dubowitz/FDD/September 01/2020
The next two months before the November election are critical to the fight against the Islamic Republic of Iran and its nuclear and regional ambitions. The Trump administration must continue its maximum pressure campaign, while building safeguards to prevent a return to the fatally flawed nuclear agreements of the past.For starters, the administration should swiftly blacklist the Islamic Republic’s entire financial sector, thereby expelling the remaining 13 Iranian banks from the SWIFT financial messaging system. A single bank should remain on the system to process humanitarian trade. This will cut off Tehran’s financial oxygen, continue to fuel protests and labor strikes against the regime, and build leverage for future negotiations.
The administration should also complete its “sanctions wall of political and market deterrence” by filling the gaps in the U.S. sanctions regime. This should include more sanctions targeting the regime’s support for terrorism, its ballistic missile program and its human rights abuses and corruption. Republicans should also make clear, through the passage of a congressional resolution, that the lifting of sanctions by a Biden administration would be temporary and that such a move does not change the market’s views of Tehran’s illicit conduct. International companies should expect to lose their investments in Iran if Republicans retake power in four years and reinstate all sanctions.
The sanctions wall also needs an international component. On August 20, the administration correctly invoked America’s right to trigger a unilateral snapback of Security Council sanctions. The snapback will prevent the expiration of both the UN’s conventional arms embargo on Iran this October and the missile embargo in 2023, as well as reinstate the prohibition against the production of nuclear fissile material on Iranian soil. Other Council members are working to counter Washington but, assuming the snapback proceeds, a Biden administration should pocket the resulting leverage. Either President Biden or President Trump can negotiate an improved Security Council resolution that extends the arms and missile embargos and eliminates Iran’s uranium enrichment and plutonium reprocessing capabilities as part of a better nuclear deal.
Biden’s advisers are now studying how to return to the 2015 nuclear, deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)—or even to the interim 2013 deal, the Joint Plan of Action (JPOA). They are also studying the possibility of a new and more comprehensive agreement. These proposals wrongly contemplate upfront sanctions relief to entice Iran back to the table. That was a bad idea in 2013 and 2015. It would be equally wrongheaded in 2021.
To avoid repeating such mistakes, it is important to understand how they were made in the first instance.
In 2012, American officials arrived in Israel for a secret visit. The officials said that the U.S. needed to provide the Islamic Republic with an off-ramp from the nuclear standoff then underway. They wanted to offer sanctions relief in exchange for minor nuclear concessions. They called these inducements “confidence-building measures,” a concept which became essential to the Obama administration’s overall approach to Iran negotiations and seems, once again, to be part of the prospective Biden plan. If Tehran rejected them, they said, the U.S. and its partners would double down on sanctions. Israel warned against this slippery slope, predicting the negotiations would take on a life of their own and that negotiators would come to prefer any deal to no deal at all.
Israeli officials argued for full Iranian compliance with all UN Security Council resolutions, including total suspension of nuclear enrichment and reprocessing, as well as full disclosure of all past nuclear and weaponization activities. Only then, the Israelis said, should the Islamic Republic be rewarded with sanctions relief. The American officials insisted that a final deal would achieve full compliance with all UN resolutions, including zero uranium enrichment, zero plutonium reprocessing, zero heavy water stockpiles, the resolution of all the possible military dimensions of Iran’s nuclear program and a complete cessation of Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
We know how that turned out. The Iranians out-negotiated their American counterparts, who were set on securing a deal before Barack Obama’s second term expired. The 2013 JPOA granted Iran billions of dollars for simply sitting at the table, along with an upfront and unprecedented recognition of Iranian enrichment rights that multiple UN Security Council resolutions had denied, and sunset provisions on key nuclear restrictions.
The 2015 JCPOA went further. It granted the regime massive sanctions relief. It provided patient pathways, as restrictions sunset over eight to 15 years to industrial-size enrichment capabilities and near-zero nuclear breakout time. The deal gave Iran the immediate right to work on R&D for advanced centrifuges, which are easier to hide. It also gave the Islamic Republic more latitude to develop ballistic missiles, as well as access to heavy weaponry, as the UN conventional arms and missiles embargoes lapsed in five to eight years. Tehran also would receive full diplomatic, economic and nuclear normalization without achieving any of the goals that the American officials had promised to Israel.
How to prevent these mistakes from recurring?
First, the U.S. should reinforce the efforts of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), especially after last week’s trip to Tehran by IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi. The IAEA should continue its demand for full Iranian compliance with existing agreements, including the one agreed to last week that gave the agency visitation rights at two sites where the Iranians allegedly concealed illicit nuclear activities in violation of their Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement obligations. Grossi should insist that Tehran fulfill its commitments without limitation on future inspection rights, including inspections based on the agency’s use of the Iran nuclear archive materials. Spirited out of Iran by the Israeli Mossad, the archive includes new details about Tehran’s past weaponization activities beyond what the IAEA and Western intelligence services knew at the time of the 2015 nuclear deal.
Unfortunately, Tehran seems to have won this round with Washington. The time required to arrange the visit of weapons inspectors, collect soil samples at the sites, analyze them and issue a report will not happen before the U.S. election. The IAEA also should condemn the Islamic Republic for its openly declared JCPOA violations. The JCPOA cannot remain a valid agreement if the regime is violating it.
While the IAEA pursues its mandate, the intelligence services of the U.S., Israel and other Western powers should continue clandestine efforts to stop Iran’s illegal nuclear program and terrorist activities. The sabotage operation in July against Iran’s advanced centrifuge program at Natanz reportedly set back this critical component of the nuclear program by one to two years. The U.S., Israel and others possibly involved should continue to hit Iranian nuclear facilities, missile and military infrastructure, as well as Iranian and proxy forces in the region. The Obama administration made the mistake of tying the hands of U.S. and foreign intelligence services. That’s leverage Washington must use against Tehran.
If completed, the UN snapback should reset the baseline for future negotiations with Iran to avoid the mistakes of the JCPOA. Longer sunset periods and slightly better inspections are insufficient. A new agreement should permanently cut off all Iranian pathways to nuclear weapons by starting with the premise that the regime may not produce fissile material on its soil—and, like over 30 other countries, could buy nuclear fuel on the open market for civilian energy production. Iran must also come clean on all of its nuclear and weaponization activities, materials and equipment, and curtail missile development that threatens America and its regional allies. That was the international baseline before the 2013, and that’s where we need to return.
It is too much to ask for the Trump administration and Biden team to coordinate Iran policy. Such is American politics today. But they can march divided and strike united, while learning from the mistakes of the past, to forge a more effective Iran policy. That’s good for Americans, as well as Middle Eastern allies who find themselves in Iranian missile range and fear a potential Iranian atomic bomb.
*Brig.-Gen. (res.) Jacob Nagel is a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) and a visiting professor at the Technion Aerospace Engineering Faculty. He previously served as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s acting national security advisor and head of the National Security Council.
*Mark Dubowitz is FDD’s chief executive officer. Iran sanctioned him and FDD in 2019. Follow Mark on Twitter @mdubowitz.