LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
September 16/2019
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
The Bulletin's Link on the lccc Site
http://data.eliasbejjaninews.com/eliasnews19/english.september16.19.htm
News Bulletin Achieves Since 2006
Click Here to enter the LCCC Arabic/English news bulletins Achieves since 2006
Bible Quotations For today
So then you are no
longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also
members of the household of God
Letter to the Ephesians
02/17-22/:”Jesus came and proclaimed peace to you who were far off and peace to
those who were near; for through him both of us have access in one Spirit to the
Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens
with the saints and also members of the household of God, built upon the
foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the
cornerstone. In him the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy
temple in the Lord; in whom you also are built together spiritually into a
dwelling-place for God.”
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese
Related News published on September 15-16/2019
Hariri Expresses Lebanon Solidarity with KSA after Attack on Aramco
Richard Hails 'Partnership' with Lebanon as USS Ramage Visits Country
Hezbollah's New Missile Capable Of Destrying All Military Battlships,
French Pressure Pushes Lebanon to Combat Tax Evasion
France, Lebanon Condemn Attacks on Saudi Oil Facilities
Hariri, Jumblatt convene in Clemenceau
Berri meets with family of released Lebanese emigrant Hassan Jaber in Ain al-Teeneh
Rahi wraps-up his pastoral visit to Lehfed, Mayfouq and Jaj: Let us remain
steadfast in our faith, values and loyalty to the nation in the face of crises
Parliamentary, judicial and medical delegation visits Switzerland at the
invitation of DCAF
Sit-in at Khiyam Detention Camp to protest Fakhouri's return to Lebanon
Derian: Let our conference be a struggle to rally around the strong, capable
national state
Jumblatt: The dream of independence, sovereignty and prosperity fades, unless a
miracle occurs...!
Jarrah commends COLIF initiative in organizing a dinner banquet with proceeds
devoted to supporting Lebanon's Civil Defense, says "Lebanon's emigrants remain
its real wealth and salvation"
Shooting at a security patrol in Muqneh, no injuries reported
Boustani: Talk of possible sanctions affecting Christians a mere psychological
pressure
Okais criticizes summoning of journalists for a political opinion disturbing to
authorities
Kataeb MP Nadim Gemayel Called on State and Officials to Assume their
Responsibilities Before It's Too Late
Kataeb Leader Affirmed that Bachir Gemayel's Party Is Loyal, Steadfast to His
Approach
Kataeb MP Nadim Gemayel Commemorates Father on 37th Assassination Anniversary
Kataeb Officials Pay Tribute to Martyr President Bachir Gemayel
Hankache Asserts that Bachir's Cause Will Not Die
The Fishermen of Ras Beirut: Reviving the fishing culture in Beirut and honoring
its fishermen
Hezbollah, Israeli brinkmanship continues in the face of ratcheting tensions
Hariri is telling the world: Hezbollah is your problem, not ours
Bourj Hammoud, the little Armenia in the heart of Beirut/Samar Kadi/The Arab
Weekly/September 15/2019
Que veux-tu que je te dise, Bach ?
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports
And News published on September 15-16/2019
White House does not rule out Trump-Rouhani meeting after Saudi attacks
Pompeo Condemns Iran following Drone Attacks on Saudi
Iran Refutes U.S. Accusations over Saudi Attacks
Trump tells Saudi Crown Prince US ready to help protect Kingdom’s security
US failed at ‘max pressure’: Iranian foreign minister
Saudi FM condemns Netanyahu pledge to annex West Bank’s Jordan Valley
UAE waiting for results of Saudi Arabia’s drone attack investigation: Official
Drone entered Kuwaiti airspace early Saturday morning: Report
Israel approves new settlement two days before polls
Saudi Bourse Slumps after Oil Facility Attacks
Turkey says delivery of second S-400 battery complete
Tunisia Heads to Polls for Keenly Fought Presidential Contest
Titles For The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources published on September 15-16/2019
Hezbollah's New Missile Capable Of Destrying All Military Battlships/Jerusalem
Post/September 15/2019
The Fishermen of Ras Beirut: Reviving the fishing culture in Beirut and honoring
its fishermen/Annahar/Manal Makkieh and Sandra Abdelbaki/September 15/2019
Hezbollah, Israeli brinkmanship continues in the face of ratcheting
tensions/Simon Speakman Cordall/The Arab Weekly/September 15/2019
Hariri is telling the world: Hezbollah is your problem, not ours/Mohamad Kawas/The
Arab Weekly/September 15/2019
Bourj Hammoud, the little Armenia in the heart of Beirut/Samar Kadi/The Arab
Weekly/September 15/2019
Que veux-tu que je te dise, Bach/Ronald Barakat/September 15/2019
To Win Re-Election, Bibi Netanyahu Is Waging ‘Wars’ at Home and Abroad/Neri
Zilber/Daily Beast/September 15/2019
Tunisians to Elect a New President/Sarah Feuer/The Washington
Institute/September 15/2019
The Americans will see attack on Saudi oil as an attack on them/Mark Stone/SkyNews/September
15/2019
Can Banks Survive Negative Rates/Satyajit Das/Bloomberg/September, 15/2019
The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News
published
on September 15-16/2019
Hariri Expresses Lebanon Solidarity with KSA after Attack on Aramco
Naharnet/September 15/2019
Prime Minister Saad Hariri on Sunday condemned the drone attacks
that targeted Saudi oil giant Aramco, stressing Lebanon’s solidarity with the
kingdom. In a statement, Hariri said the development is a “dangerous escalation
that threatens to expand the zone of conflicts in the region.”“This aggression
puts great responsibilities on the shoulders of the international community in
terms of deterring all the tools of aggression and terrorism that are invading
the Arab countries and subjecting regional stability to further entanglement in
roving conflicts,” the premier added. “We in Lebanon stress our solidarity with
the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and consider the aggression against it a chapter of
a wave that is targeting the Arab Gulf and regional and international security,”
Hariri went on to say, urging all Arabs to “show solidarity in order to foil the
threats that are surrounding our countries.”The drone strikes Saturday on
Aramco's processing plants in Abqaiq and Khurais knocked 5.7 million barrels per
day off production, close to six percent of global crude supplies. The
disruption represents half the output of the kingdom, which is the world's
biggest oil supplier. Yemen's Iran-aligned Huthi rebels have claimed
responsibility for the attack but U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo blamed
Tehran, saying there was no evidence it was launched from Yemen. "Iran has now
launched an unprecedented attack on the world's energy supply," Pompeo said.
Richard Hails 'Partnership' with Lebanon as USS Ramage Visits Country
Naharnet/September 15/2019
The United States Navy’s USS Ramage (DDG-61), an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer,
entered the port of Lebanon for a one-day goodwill visit on Friday on the
sidelines of its participation in “ongoing efforts to ensure freedom of
navigation and free-flow commerce in the eastern Mediterranean,” the U.S.
embassy said.The USS Ramage is named for Vice Admiral Lawson P. Ramage, a
notable submarine commander and Medal of Honor recipient from World War II.
During the visit to Lebanon, U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Elizabeth Richard and
U.S. Navy Vice Admiral James Malloy hosted an on-board reception for U.S. and
Lebanese officials. The Ambassador and the Vice Admiral highlighted “the ongoing
commitment of the United States to be a strong and enduring partner for the
Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF), with the goals of enhancing military-to-military
cooperation and promoting security and stability in the region,” the embassy
said in a statement. Specifically, Ambassador Richard explained that, “this
remarkable U.S. ship, docked in this remarkable Lebanese city speaks volumes
about the partnership between the U.S. and Lebanese militaries.”“That’s the
important word: partnership. In speaking about our relationship with the
Lebanese Armed Forces, people often focus on the specific military equipment
that we’ve provided to the LAF – aircraft, artillery, Bradley fighting vehicles,
Humvees, ammunition, etc. However, our military relationship is much broader
than just equipment, and this ship visit is a wonderful opportunity to reflect
on how far our partnership has come,” Richard added. “Thousands of LAF officers
have trained with us in the United States, and they are also hosting our U.S
military trainers on Lebanese bases, working side by side at all ranks. We have
conducted joint exercises and shared best practices and innovations. And, yes,
the U.S. military is a partner that can bring a ship like this to the port of
Beirut, even in the midst of all the maritime challenges and tensions happening
in the world right now,” the ambassador went on to say. She added: “Many of our
efforts and joint activities have been focused on land, where the LAF has made
important gains in securing its borders and defeating terrorist threats. But our
partnership also extends to the sea. The LAF has developed plans to improve its
naval capabilities, and the U.S. is strongly supporting those efforts.”Richard
also stressed that Washington remains “committed to helping the Lebanese people
during a period of very difficult economic challenges.” “We are helping
strengthen the Lebanese institutions that will defend the country’s sovereignty.
And we are helping to anchor Lebanon to the community of democracies, which will
safeguard the regional stability and security on which Lebanon’s economic future
depends – including -- and perhaps especially -- at sea,” she said. The
ambassador noted that as the Eastern Mediterranean’s gas resources are developed
by countries in the region, and “hopefully soon by Lebanon itself,” maritime
security will only become more important.
Hezbollah's New Missile Capable Of Destrying All Military
Battlships,
Jerusalem Post/September 15/2019
"Our new missile is capable of destroying all military battleships, killing all
who are on board," wrote a Hezbollah activist on Twitter.
A twitter account affiliated with Hezbollah posted a photo of the terror
organization's new missile on Sunday afternoon, which he says is capable of
destroying all military battleships. "Our new missile is capable of destroying
all military battleships, killing all who are on board," wrote the Hezbollah
activist, who often posts photos of South Lebanon Army (SLA) members and their
families who have moved to Israel, announcing that they are being called to
trial. In August, Hezbollah released footage and pictures of the anti-ship
missile that struck the INS Hanit during the 2006 Second Lebanon War, an
incident that killed four Israeli soldiers in one of the most significant
attacks against the IDF in the war. In a documentary called #Army_To_Be_Drowned
aired on Hezbollah’s al-Manar TV channel marking the war the group aired
reconnaissance footage of the ship from the Lebanese coastline, preparations for
the launch of the missile, the operations room which directed the strike as well
as nighttime footage which showed the impact of the Chinese-made C-802 anti-ship
cruise missile. According to al-Manar, Hezbollah’s navy commander “Hajj Jalal”
said the rocket was launched from the Beirut suburb of Ouzai after “the Zionist
enemy esaclated its attacks on various Lebanese areas.”Adding that the group’s
leadership delayed the operation for several hours, Jalal said that the group
“could have struck Israel‘s warship SAAR-5 in the 2006 war before it entered
Lebanon’s international waters,” he said.
*Yasser Okbi contributed to this report.
French Pressure Pushes Lebanon to Combat Tax Evasion
Beirut - Mahasen Morsel/Asharq Al-Awsat/Sunday, 15 September, 2019
During a recent visit, the French envoy in charge of following up the decisions
of the CEDRE Conference urged Lebanon to put an end to tax and customs evasion,
as a necessary measure to stop state budget squandering. Ambassador Pierre Dukan
also called for other reform measures, most notably the implementation of the
2019 budget, the adoption of the 2020 budget within the constitutional
deadlines, the reduction of spending and the implementation of the electricity
plan. Dukan drew up a roadmap for the Lebanese state, starting with the
assertion that extracting gas and oil was not a “magic remedy” that will change
the situation for the better, which prompted the government to prove its
willingness to apply the reforms pledged during the CEDRE Conference, beginning
with the tax and customs evasion file. Customs evasion is a major sign of
corruption that eats away at the state's revenues and takes many forms,
including legalized smuggling, through the reduced or falsified bill of consumer
goods entering Lebanon in large quantities through the port or airport. In
remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, former minister Fadi Abboud noted that the state
loses more than $500 million a year in tax evasion.
As for customs evasion through illegal crossings, it amounts to $5 billion,
depriving Lebanon of revenues exceeding one billion dollars, divided between
customs duties and VAT. According to the World Bank, more than 40 percent of
sales and purchase operations are made without VAT. Lebanon’s GDP is estimated
at $60 billion, and the tax rate on profits is at least 10 percent among
individuals, institutions and companies.
France, Lebanon Condemn Attacks on Saudi Oil Facilities
Asharq Al-Awsat/Sunday, 15 September, 2019
France condemns attacks on Saudi oil facilities that have disrupted global
production, the country’s foreign ministry said on Sunday. “France firmly
condemns yesterday’s attacks on the Abqaiq and Khurais oil installations,” the
ministry said in a statement that also expressed “complete solidarity” with
Saudi Arabia. “These actions can only worsen regional tensions and risk of
conflict,” the French statement added. “It is imperative that they
stop.”Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri slammed on Sunday the attacks, deeming
them a “dangerous escalation that threatens to widen the arena of conflicts in
the region.”
He said the attacks demand that the international community assume major
responsibilities to put an end to “aggression and terrorism that are sweeping
through the Arab world and jeopardizing regional stability.” US Secretary of
State Mike Pompeo on Saturday accused Iran of launching attacks on Saudi oil
plants, ruling out the involvement of the Tehran-aligned Houthi militias in
Yemen. The Houthis claimed credit for the attacks, but Pompeo firmly placed
blame on Iran. “Tehran is behind nearly 100 attacks on Saudi Arabia while
Rouhani and Zarif pretend to engage in diplomacy,” Pompeo said, referring to
Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani and Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif. “Amid
all the calls for de-escalation, Iran has now launched an unprecedented attack
on the world’s energy supply,” he added.
Hariri, Jumblatt convene in Clemenceau
NNA - Sun 15 Sep 2019
Prime Minister Saad Hariri visited this evening Progressive Socialist Party
Chief Walid Jumblatt at his Clemenceau residence. Attending the meeting was also
Industry Minister Wael Abu Faour and former Minister Ghattas Khoury.
Berri meets with family of released Lebanese emigrant
Hassan Jaber in Ain al-Teeneh
NNA - Sun 15 Sep 2019 at 19
House Speaker Nabih Berri received at Ain al-Teeneh Palace this evening the
brothers and family members of Lebanese emigrant, Hassan Jaber, who was detained
at Addis Ababa Airport during his return to Lebanon, who came to thank Berri for
his support in this case. Attending the meeting was also the Continental Council
Head at the Lebanese World Cultural League Abbas Fawaz, and Head of the Lebanese
Community in Gabon Imad Jaber. On emerging, Jaber said: "We came to thank His
Excellency, House Speaker Berri for his efforts in following-up on the case of
my brother, Hassan, with all its details from the very beginning, alongside the
Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs."He added: "We must also thank the Gabonese
government, which played a role in the return of Haj Hassan Jaber to Gabon, and
who will be in Lebanon in the next two days."
Jaber concluded by revealing that "the visit was also an occasion to listen to a
briefing by Speaker Berri on the nature of the problems faced by Lebanese
emigrants abroad, especially relating to the airlines issue," noting that the
Speaker promised to follow-up on this matter and ensure all possible support to
Lebanese emigrants in this respect.
Rahi wraps-up his pastoral visit to Lehfed, Mayfouq and Jaj:
Let us remain steadfast in our faith, values and loyalty to the nation in the
face of crises
NNA - Sun 15 Sep 2019
Maronite Patriarch, Cardinal Bechara Boutros al-Rahi, called Sunday on the
Lebanese to remain steadfast in their faith, values and loyalty to the homeland
and the need to safeguard and preserve it in the face of crises. Concluding his
two-day pastoral visit to the district of Jbeil which included the villages of
Lehfed, Mayfouq and Jaj, the Patriarch presided over a Mass service at 'Mar Abda
Church" in Jaj this evening. In his religious sermon, Rahi urged politicians to
work to lift the burdens off the shoulders of citizens in wake of their growing
economic, social and livelihood disress. "We appeal to the political community
to implement the plan for the economic advancement of all Lebanese sectors, to
undertake the necessary reforms in the country's various structures and
departments, and to work hard, courageously and impartially to put an end to
corruption and to control smuggling," the Patriarch underlined. "It remains up
to all of us to maintain our unity within our religious, cultural and partisan
pluralism," he added. "The value of Lebanon lies in its pluralism and national
unity, in its civil rather than religious citizenship, and in living together,
Christians and Muslims, in cooperation, solidarity and equality," affirmed al-Rahi.
Parliamentary, judicial and medical delegation visits
Switzerland at the invitation of DCAF
NNA - Sun 15 Sep 2019
At the invitation of DCAF, a Lebanese delegation comprising senior political,
judicial and medical figures arrived in Switzerland where they visited the House
of Parliament and had the chance to meet with the Attorney General in Canton.
The delegation included Head the Administration and Justice Parliamentary
Committee, MP George Adwan; Head of Parliamentary Health Committee, MP Issam
Araji; Judges Sobouh Sleiman, John Azzi, Ziad Mekna and Rana Akoum; Head of
Judicial Police, Head of Scientific Laboratories, Head of Research and Accidents
Laboratory, Roumieh Prison Officer, Physician in charge of forensic medicine, MD
in charge of prisoners' health and DCAF's designated official responsible for
"Security and Justice Governance" in Lebanon Rabih Qais. The delegation had the
opportunity to visit the Palace of Justice and meet with the judges of the
criminal courts in Geneva. The encounter was a chance to learn that out of 23
judges, 3 were of Lebanese origins, including Judge Philip Haddad from the town
of Deir al-Qamar. The delegation also attended a criminal trial session, visited
central scientific laboratories and one of the largest prisons in Geneva. Its
members met as well with the President of DCAF.A banquet was held in honor of
the visiting delegation by the Permanent Representative of the Lebanese Mission
to the United Nations and international organizations, Ambassador Salim Baddoura,
and Lebanon's Ambassador to Switzerland, Rola Noureddine. The overall tour was
an occasion for the delegation to acquire useful legal and scientific
information and expertise to develop laws, forensic work and gathering of
evidence, particularly those relating to the verification and combating of
torture.
Sit-in at Khiyam Detention Camp to protest Fakhouri's
return to Lebanon
NNA - Sun 15 Sep 2019
The National Committee of Prisoners and Released Detainees organized a sit-in in
the courtyard of Al-Khiyam detention camp on Sunday to denounce the return of
Amer Elias al-Fakhouri to Lebanon, demanding his trial for crimes he committed
against detainees during the time of occupation by the Israeli enemy in the
South. Participating in the sit-in was a group of freed prisoners and several
deputies, political figures and human rights activists. Delivered words centered
on rejecting the return of agents to the country, regardless of their
affiliation, without punishment.
Derian: Let our conference be a struggle to rally around the strong, capable
national state
NNA -Sun 15 Sep 2019
Grand Mufti of the Republic, Sheikh Abdul Latif Derian, affirmed Sunday that
"the state is the one that reflects to the world the good management of public
affairs, and the state is the guardian of religion, so that it maintains its
unanimous and stable customs and doctrines."
"It is also the state that regulates our relations with the world and the
international community: nations, organizations and world order," added Derian,
speaking at the opening ceremony of the 30th General Conference of the Supreme
Council for Islamic Affairs, which kicked off its works in the Egyptian capital,
Cairo, today. "Let our conference be a struggle to unite around a strong and
capable national state, which safeguards society, achieves stability and
prosperity, and in cooperation with scholars and religion, promotes a culture of
tolerance, moderation and human brotherhood," stressed Derian.
"Our religious tasks require that we support security, safety and stability,
improve people's lives, and ensure equality and justice," he asserted, noting
that "security and adequacy resulting from coalition and unison are essential
for social survival and political achievement."
Jumblatt: The dream of independence, sovereignty and
prosperity fades, unless a miracle occurs...!
NNA - Sun 15 Sep 2019
Progressive Socialist Party Chief, Walid Jumblatt, tweeted on Sunday, saying:
"Next year is the Centennial of Greater Lebanon...Yet, the challenges of its
existence are growing day by day because the political and economic balances in
the surroundings and on the internal scene cause the dream of independence,
sovereignty and prosperity to diminish and fade away, only if a miracle were to
occur....! But I am not one of those who believe in prediction or the
interpretation of dreams, so I look sadly on parting dreams...."
Jarrah commends COLIF initiative in organizing a dinner banquet with proceeds
devoted to supporting Lebanon's Civil Defense, says "Lebanon's emigrants remain
its real wealth and salvation"
NNA -Sun 15 Sep 2019
Information Minister Jamal al-Jarrah considered that Lebanon's true wealth,
rescue and salvation remain embodied in its emigrants, who are its real source
of prosperity and fortune and symbolize its hope for a better future. "We are
all betting on our emigrants, whether in France or Europe or in all the
countries of the world, through whom we can help Lebanon," said Jarrah.
"Lebanon's real wealth, rescue and salvation, and the hope of restoring its
previous status, remains forever in its emigrants who are capable of reflecting
the notion of Lebanon as a homeland of coexistence, love and peace," he
confirmed.
The Minister's words came in his address at the dinner banquet organized by the
Council of Lebanese in France (COLIF), held in the historical hall of the
municipality building within the framework of the "Week of Lebanon" activities
taking place in the French capital.Jarrah praised the many valuable
contributions that France has provided to Lebanon, affirming that "France is
proactive in this matter from Paris I to Paris II to Paris III to the Cedar
Conference, which allocates huge sums of money for aiding Lebanon and its
infrastructure, and for supporting its economy and annual budget."He recalled
herein the quote by His Holiness, Pope John Paul II in saying that "Lebanon is
not only a country, but a message," stressing that "we must all carry this
message in the best way to the whole world, through which we can, alongside the
country's cultural, civilized, and religious diversity, help Lebanon and its
people.""Our gathering today is an opportunity to meet the distinguished and
creative Lebanese activists who always bear the name of Lebanon in their hearts
and minds, and place it in the most important positions and shoulder its
responsibility," said Jarrah, hoping that they would one day return to their
homeland and partake in its renaissance. The Information Minister concluded by a
word of gratitude to the organizers of the event, especially that its revenues
are intended for supporting the Civil Defense in Lebanon. "This is a great idea
because the emigrants in France always think of Lebanon and of people who
sacrifice their lives to save others, for the Civil Defense works to defend and
protect all Lebanese and the entire Lebanon," Jarrah corroborated.
Shooting at a security patrol in Muqneh, no injuries reported
NNA - Sun 15 Sep 2019
An Internal Security Forces (ISF) patrol unit was subjected to open fire by
unknown gunmen while it was inspecting a plateless black four-wheel "CRV"
vehicle parked by the road in the town of Muqneh, reported NNA correspondent in
Baalbek this afternoon. There were no casualties as a result of the shooting,
while the vehicle in question was found to be stolen and was confiscated by the
ISF patrol unit for further investigation.
Boustani: Talk of possible sanctions affecting Christians a mere psychological
pressure
NNA - Sun 15 Sep 2019
MP Farid Boustani assured via his Twitter account on Sunday that "the talk about
sanctions possibly impacting Christians is nothing but a form of psychological
pressure and intimidation." He added: "The Strong Lebanon Bloc is committed to
its national cause, based on building a state of law and institutions and social
justice, and will never deviate from its path."
Okais criticizes summoning of journalists for a political
opinion disturbing to authorities
NNA -Sun 15 Sep 2019
"Strong Republic" Parliamentary Bloc Member, MP George Okais, tweeted Sunday
saying: "In 2007, the United Nations decided to mark September 15 as the
International Day of Democracy, and to monitor nations' respect for the concepts
of democracy...On this occasion, Lebanon was spotted marking this day by
summoning journalists for a political opinion that seemed upsetting to the
authorities....Happy Democracy Day!"
Kataeb MP Nadim Gemayel Called on State and Officials to
Assume their Responsibilities Before It's Too Late
Kataeb.org/ Saturday 14th September 2019,
Kataeb MP Nadim Gemayel on Saturday marked the 37th assassination anniversary of
President-Elect Bachir Gemayel, expressing disdain as the national sovereign
line is dispersed. During the ceremony held in Ashrafieh, the lawmaker
reiterated his call for a unity among factions, sects and citizens to be able to
confront illegal arms and the attempt to occupy Lebanon and take over the state.
“All of Lebanon and the Lebanese will not succumb to Hezbollah”“In 1975, we
united our fronts to liberate Lebanon from the Palestinian invasion and again in
2005 to expel the Syrian occupation; if we do not join forces once more, no one
will take us seriously while the cause is delicate and important,” he warned.
“The plan needs more courage and vision than in the past because the looming
danger nowadays facing all the Lebanese is the mother of all risks and
problems,” he notified. Gemayel indicated that the problem with Hezbollah is
that it is derailing out of Lebanon's sovereignty, pledging its loyalty to Iran
and its goals are not for the sake of Lebanon. “Unfortunately, as in 1975, all
the state components and institutions are accomplice to Hezbollah and must be
freed from the irresolute state,” he urged. He called on the state and officials
to assume their responsibilities, before the dreaded outcome occurs. “Bachir’s
message instructed us to stay united and gathered,” he stated, adding “it
implored a consolidation of efforts and forces to face the opponent and enemy
trying to obtrude on us.”“The Kataeb party will carry on its political battle to
follow Bachir’s line so that Lebanon lives,” he stressed.
Kataeb Leader Affirmed that Bachir Gemayel's Party Is
Loyal, Steadfast to His Approach
Kataeb.org/ Saturday 14th September 2019,
Kataeb leader Samy Gemayel on Saturday saluted President-Elect Bachir Gemayel on
his 37th assassination anniversary and his martyred comrades, pledging his
commitment to the cause which he advocated. “If we departed from the cause, no
one will carry it on after us, if the cause persisted any official can take it
up,” Gemayel said in a speech during the ceremony held in Ashrafieh. “We follow
in your footsteps everyday in our lives and not just on September 14. You have
taught us to say the truth no matter what,” Gemayel stated in his address to the
late President. “Lebanon is in dire need for the truth to be told, and what
better than today to utter it?”“Everything Bachir warned about and the mistakes
done in the past are being committed today,” he indicated. “The government’s
absence and the collective surrender to illegal arms which have destroyed our
country and people, are being enacted today as well,” he affirmed. “They are
opening the door for illegal arms to spread out on all territories and for
others to hijack our decision-making power, fate and future again,” he slammed.
The Kataeb leader criticized that the ruling authority has relinquished the
country's sovereignty and surrendered to Hezbollah, allowing external powers to
seize peace and war decision-making mechanism without taking heed. He lambasted
that the ruling authority's silence over such suppressive actions makes it an
accomplice, indolent and submissive, ensuring that the Kataeb party remains
loyal, steadfast and defiant to Bachir’s approach.
“Politicians bankrupted the country and changed the face of Lebanon with their
fabricated deals which we are paying the price for,” he criticized.
"They commit atrocious acts and then hide behind Bachir’s picture at a time of
settlements, deals and defeat,” he chastised. “My comrade president, at each
crossroad your party’s politburo heals and wonders what you would have done had
you and martyr Pierre Amine Gemayel and the founder Pierre Gemayel and all of
our martyrs been here?”“Would Bachir have handed over the state’s
decision-making power and elected someone who does not believe in Lebanon’s
sovereignty and would he have yielded to the partitioning approach and abandoned
the cause for the sake of a “pasteboard” seat?”
“I refer to it as a “cardboard” seat because the decision does not lie in their
hands given that the de facto ruler is elsewhere taking orders from another
place,” he declared. “We hear you from beyond the grave as you articulate that
one can never be defiant yet an accomplice, in support of surrender and
partitioning at the same time,” he said, adding that “we must keep a lookout to
defend our constants.”“Your party did not wane in the face of the authority. It
shut the door of the state when met with transgressions on the country’s
interest” “Your party is steadfast and defiant, rejecting victory at the
country’s expense. It refused to triumph except with the people,” he declared,
vowing to follow the path of Bachir’s principles. “My comrade president, the
project to build a free, sovereign, independent, civilized, democratic,
developed, plural, transparent, competent, humane country is recalled in your
speech,” he pointed out. “You believed that Lebanon cannot be constructed
without granting rights to the human being regardless of his sectarian and
territorial affiliations. You believed in the Lebanese human who revives his
country. Today, we continue defending this person”
“Your party is steadfast, a force of change whose goal is to establish the time
of change you’ve aspired to” “We are honest with the people and share their pain
and sacrifice, thus we walk with our heads held high and we are ready to hold
the people’s hands, under the condition that they go back to your approach and
cause” “Those in power are bidding on people’s reluctance to hold them
accountable but I reassure you that your people have given politicians a chance
but were deceived with false slogans,” he affirmed that the people won’t be
fooled again. “Your party is strong and deeply-rooted in your mentality. It is
only concerned with Lebanon’s interest and we will not compromise the martyrs’
constants,” he asserted.
Kataeb MP Nadim Gemayel Commemorates Father on 37th
Assassination Anniversary
Kataeb.org/ Saturday 14th September 2019
On the day of the 37th assassination anniversary of President-Elect Bachir
Gemayel, Kataeb MP Nadim Gemayel reflected on his father’s dream which the
country seems to be drifting further away from. “The country is out of control;
it is tied to regional axes which we have nothing to do with. In addition,
illegal arms are confiscating the state’s decision-making,” Gemayel told Voice
of Lebanon radio station. “During Bachir’s reign, the country preserved a
face-saving compromise and certain formalities which are missing nowadays,” he
hailed.
“We did not perceive any official reaction to Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah’s
statement linking Lebanon to Iran,” he blasted. “The Lebanese people gave
justice to Bachir but the government won’t because it realized that if it wishes
to compare itself to him, it will fall flat,” he appraised.
Kataeb Officials Pay Tribute to Martyr President Bachir
Gemayel
Kataeb.org/ Saturday 14th September 2019
Kataeb chief Samy Gemayel on Saturday paid tribute to President-Elect Bachir
Gemayel on his 37th assassination anniversary, expressing unwavering commitment
to fulfill his dream of an independent Lebanon. “Lebanon witnessed 21 days of
change during Bachir’s reign. Today, we pledged to restore this time and to
achieve a free, sovereign, just, and civilized state where all the Lebanese are
equal in rights and duties, in a country that corresponds with our youths’
dreams and ambitions,” Gemayel said in a tweet. In his turn, Kataeb MP Elias
Hankache affirmed that “Bachir Gemayel and his comrades martyred to build a
strong republic,” promising that it will be attained.
Hankache Asserts that Bachir's Cause Will Not Die
Kataeb.org/ Saturday 14th September 2019
Kataeb MP Elias Hankache on Saturday confirmed continuity of President-elect
Bachir Gemayel’s constants and dream on the latter’s 37th assassination
anniversary. “Bachir Gemayel proved to us that in 21 days we can realize what we
dream of,” Hankache told Voice of Lebanon radio station ahead of the ceremony
held in Ashrafieh. He deplored the country’s downfall, stressing that as long as
there are youths who believe in Bachir’s cause, the cause will not die. “Bachir
epitomized an important cause, otherwise the people wouldn’t have had zeal to
hold this ceremony and renew their promise to him,” he mentioned. “We’ve
overcome more difficult stages than we are now in,” he assured.
The Fishermen of Ras Beirut: Reviving the fishing culture
in Beirut and honoring its fishermen
Annahar/Manal Makkieh and Sandra Abdelbaki/September 15/2019
BEIRUT: For the past 50 years, the fishermen of Beirut have been striving to win
the battle against the uncountable challenges hitting the sea of Lebanon. In
this light and for the first time, Marwan Naamani, an avid photographer, hosts
an exhibition titled: "The Fishermen of Ras Beirut", as part of the Beirut Image
Festival this year. Under the Patronage of the President of the Council of
Ministers-his Excellency Saad Hariri, in collaboration with the Municipality of
Beirut, and with the support of the AUB Neighborhood Initiative and the Image
Festival Association, Jamal Itani, the Mayor of Beirut, launched the exhibition
on September 7 along the Corniche of Ain el Mreisseh. Running till October 4,
the exhibition aims at honoring the fishermen of Beirut and reviving this kind
of culture in the city. The exhibition entails pictures of fishermen from Ain el
Mreisseh, Jall el Bahr, Manara and Dalieh. In these pictures, Naamani embraces
the uniqueness of fishing in Lebanon practiced by Lebanese fishermen for 50
years and highlights the challenges they face. “I like to take pictures of
anything that is beautiful and that means to me,” Naamani told Annahar. “That’s
why I take pictures of the fishermen in Beirut.”
Naamani believes that the culture of fishing in Beirut and in Lebanon is
neglected by the government. “I believe that the fishermen don’t have their
rights,” Naamani said. “Yet, this is not the only problem. Fishing is not
practiced right in Lebanon. There are laws for fishing, but no one follows them,
and the government couldn’t care less.”
Although the chaotic urban sprawl and real estate development have caused damage
to the coast of Beirut, the Corniche remains one of the last breathing spaces in
Beirut and many fishermen are still fighting to keep their trade alive. “I
started fishing since I was only nine years old,” Ali Al Bayati, a Lebanese
fisherman at Ain el Mreisseh, told Annahar. “When I go fishing, I feel like I’m
taking a break from life for a while.”Today, however, several challenges
discourage the Lebanese fishermen from practicing their hobby. Not only did
these challenges lead to the decrease in the number of fishermen, but also to
the gradual eradication of Beirut’s cultural heritage. These challenges are
reported by many fishermen who have considered the shore as refuge for so long.
“Lebanese fishermen, for example, don’t receive professional training like in
other countries such as Egypt, Turkey, and Cyprus,” Al Bayati said. “They should
receive a certificate that allows them to fish safely on the shore. Otherwise,
people might be injured by their fishing rods.”
In addition to the government’s carelessness, water pollution is one of the main
causes that lead to the deterioration of fishing. “Water pollution is one of the
problems that constrain many types of migrant fish to stay out of the Lebanese
sea zone,” Chami Al Masri, another fisherman who fishes in Beirut every summer,
said. The four ports of Beirut are the only destinations for the Lebanese
fishermen to settle in and release their stress. The peaceful sea, the lights,
the people, and the streets enrich the fishermen’s sense of patriotism and
belonging to Lebanon.“Our mission is to unite the fishermen,” Ramzi Haidar, a
representative of the Union of Arab Photographers, said. “Let’s connect
culturally with other countries in the MENA region and make our heritage alive
again.”
Hezbollah, Israeli brinkmanship continues in the face of
ratcheting tensions
Simon Speakman Cordall/The Arab Weekly/September 15/2019
TUNIS - The conflict between Hezbollah and Lebanon’s neighbour Israel has
escalated, with the exchange of fire over what might be a situation creeping
towards open warfare. However, analysts cautioned against reading too much into
recent exchanges between Israeli forces and Hezbollah in a contest that often
relies more on perceived threat than tangible action. Almost since the beginning
of Hezbollah’s deployment in support of Syrian President Bashar Assad, Syria has
served as a conduit for weapons channelled from Iran to Hezbollah. That is not
lost on Israel, with numerous unclaimed strikes on Hezbollah-controlled arms
factories in Syria, all of which have been attributed to Israel. However,
tensions appear to have escalated. Hezbollah fighters claimed to have shot down
an Israeli drone on September 9 over Ramyeh in southern Lebanon. A week earlier,
Hezbollah and Israeli forces exchanged fire in an apparent response to an
Israeli drone entering Lebanese airspace to drop incendiary material on a border
forest. There has been an accompanying war of words. Beyond the expected
denunciations by Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri of alleged Israeli
incursions into Lebanese airspace have been proclamations by Hezbollah
General-Secretary Hassan Nasrallah, who threatened strikes against Israeli
drones over Lebanese territory.
Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, emboldened by what he is said to
regard as the unflinching support of US President Donald Trump, has been accused
of capitalising on Israel’s tensions with Hezbollah as he seeks re-election and
possible prosecution on corruption charges.
Despite the political vitriol, direct conflict between Hezbollah and the
Israelis has been practically nonexistent since the war of 2006, which saw both
sides take heavy casualties. Since then, Hezbollah has grown into one of the
most potent non-state militias in the world, well-equipped by Iran and with its
fighters experienced by their deployment into Syria.
Israel’s wariness is likely justified, Jack Kennedy, senior analyst for MENA at
IHS Markit, said. “Hezbollah has between around 120,000 and 150,000 rockets,” he
said. “However, it’s not just the number of arms Hezbollah has, it’s their
quality. “The Hezbollah arsenal is not highly accurate but it’s the
consideration that Iran is trying to introduce that capability that is partly
driving Israeli willingness to carry out strikes.”“Of course, Israel has missile
defence systems but probably not enough to withstand that level of attack and,
politically, it’s not clear if they could absorb the level of casualties an
attack by Hezbollah might cause,” he said. That attack was by no means certain,
he said. Given Hezbollah’s reliance on Iran, it is unlikely to be goaded into
war without Tehran’s sanction. “Hezbollah is very much the tip of Iran’s spear,”
Kennedy said. “[It is] unlikely to deploy that casually. Not least when Iran is
countering threats on a much wider, global, scale.”It was a view echoed by
Chatham House’s Yossi Mekelberg, who said: “However, just because it’s a war
that no one wants doesn’t mean there’s no chance of them going to war. Lebanon
exists in a near state of chaos, there’s no central state, which means there’s
little to restrain Hezbollah. “At some point, at any time, a Hezbollah fighter
could shoot the wrong person at the wrong time and then [Israeli Military
Intelligence Director Herzi] Halevi’s threat of making Lebanon ‘a country of
refugees’ becomes very real.”
For a US administration that has consistently backtracked or contradicted itself
on foreign policy issues, Mekelberg said, expecting consistency is hazardous.
“You really don’t know what they’re going to do,” he said. “Right now, Trump is
making noises about meeting (Iranian President Hassan) Rohani. Say he does that
ahead of the 2020 US elections and position himself as the great peacemaker.
What’s Netanyahu going to do then, assuming he wins re-election himself?”
Hariri is telling the world: Hezbollah is your problem, not
ours
Mohamad Kawas/The Arab Weekly/September 15/2019
It is remarkable that Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri addressed the
international community to declare that the problem of Hezbollah’s weapons is a
regional and international issue, not a Lebanese one.
His announcement may indirectly coincide with Lebanese President Michel Aoun’s
discovery that local and international conditions have changed and no longer
call for an internal dialogue to find a defence strategy to protect Lebanon.
It is also noteworthy that Hezbollah did not comment on Hariri’s remarks to US
cable news channel CNBC about what was understood to be his government’s
disavowing the Hezbollah’s weapons and behaviour.
Hezbollah also remained quiet about Hariri’s submitting the issue to a level of
treatment that goes beyond the capabilities of the Lebanese state and places the
problem within the scope of the US conflict with Iran. Hezbollah’s weapons have
been deemed legitimate in a statement by the Council of Ministers.
Hariri was telling international capitals interested in Lebanon’s affairs, its
stability, its role in the region, its economy and energy reserves at the bottom
of its continental waters that Hezbollah does not rule the country but controls
the decision of war and peace in it.
He was delivering to whom it may concern the message that, as head of the
government of an independent, sovereign country, he was confirming that
Hezbollah’s address was not in Lebanon, that the party’s decisions come from
outside the country and that it cannot be dealt with from within Lebanon.
What can be understood of Hariri’s comments only weeks after his return from a
controversial trip to the United States is that he is gradually seeking an
internationalisation of the Hezbollah issue, not in the sense that might provoke
the anger of the Lebanese domestic scene but in the strategic sense of what is
being cooked up for the region. We can only understand from Hariri’s logic that
he is calling on the international community to relieve Lebanon, with all of its
political currents, sects and institutions, from the task of confronting a
phenomenon that has arisen for reasons beyond Lebanon’s control and having to do
with the policies adopted by the international community in dealing with Iran
and its regime for four decades.
However, what Hariri was saying is fundamentally different from Aoun’s
discourse. Some of the opinions expressed by Hariri’s inner political circle and
even by his wider circles that are hesitantly reaching out to yesterday’s allies
are in play here.
These circles say Hezbollah’s weapons have confiscated the prestige of the state
and the unity of its decision on fundamental issues of sovereignty. The weapons
glorify the culture of the mini-state, threaten the country’s internal cohesion
and shake its internal stability. They contribute to the chaos and total
disregard for the country’s institutions, its standing in the world and its
foreign relations.
By considering the issue of Hezbollah’s weapons as an external one, Hariri is
saying he does not believe in the necessity of them for Lebanon’s defence,
contrary to what Aoun has been reiterating.
Aoun says the party’s weapons are Lebanese in their agenda of defending the
country and that they are a structural part of its defence system that should
not be rejected but protected by the state and the government.
While Hariri speaks of the “problem” that the decision of war and peace is in
the hands of Hezbollah, Aoun does not see it that way and does not believe there
is a need for internal dialogue to develop a defensive strategy that would end
the phenomenon of Hezbollah’s weapons being outside the state system.
“Hezbollah is a regional problem,” said Hariri. Accordingly, he is demanding the
controversy over the role of Hezbollah raised by Washington and its allies
should not be linked to what this world can do to rid Lebanon of its economic
burdens.
While there is much talk about tying up the release of the loans and grants
garnered by the CEDRE Conference and the generosity of donor countries to
certain conditions requiring the Lebanese state to rein in Hezbollah and seize
its weapons, Hariri throws the hot potato into the lap of the world and donor
countries using the simple logic that “it is your problem, not ours.”
In the US effort, led by David Schenker, the US assistant secretary of state for
Near Eastern Affairs, there are indications that the United States’ new working
rules will be dealing with Lebanon and Hezbollah as separate cases.
Washington is activating its mediation to end the land and sea borders dispute
between Lebanon and Israel. Washington sends its envoy to the region, bearing in
mind that the success of his mission requires dispelling the possibility of a
new Israeli war against Hezbollah in Lebanon. No serious strategy can be adopted
to close the border file, open energy exploration in Lebanese waters and
activate the energy project in the Eastern Mediterranean region without
seriously addressing the case of Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Israel continues to bring up the file of Hezbollah’s rocket factories and is
militarily threatening the famous Tehran-Beirut corridor. The gas exploration
operations eagerly anticipated by Washington, France, Italy, Russia and
Mediterranean countries are ready to begin and release one of the world’s
largest new riches.Arrangements are being made for the Syrian issue as well and
the recent Turkish threats of releasing waves of refugee migration towards
Europe seem to have reawakened the world’s attention to the region. In fact,
files keep piling up in such a way that places Hezbollah and its role within
them under closer scrutiny. By what is being leaked of Hariri’s declarations,
the matter requires the involvement of the international community. However,
Lebanon must decide whether it wants the world to deal with it as an independent
state or whether it wants the world to accept the status quo and bless
Hezbollah’s tutelage over the country just like it once blessed the tutelage of
the Damascus regime.
Bourj Hammoud, the little Armenia in the heart of Beirut
Samar Kadi/The Arab Weekly/September 15/2019
BEIRUT - Walking through the modest alleyways of Bourj Hammoud takes visitors to
a small replica of Armenia in the heart of Beirut. The language, the names of
streets and the smells of spices and street food that emanate from bakeries and
restaurants are all reminiscent of their country of origin, which Armenians were
forced to leave fleeing genocide by the Ottomans.
“Armenians arrived in Lebanon in 1917. They walked from Turkey to Syria and
Lebanon and settled in refugee camps in the outskirts of Beirut. The area has
since developed into a neighbourhood Bourj Hammoud and has become an Armenian
hub in the city,” explained Yerevant Shallagian, founder of the “Bourj Hammoud —
Walking Tour with Street Food.”
Shallagian was born and raised in Bourj Hammoud. His love for his neighbourhood
and his passion for the Armenian culture inspired him to work on this project to
promote his culture and background.
“Since I work in Living Lebanon (a platform on travel and tourism in Lebanon), I
have a lot of foreign friends coming here who wanted to know about Bourj Hammoud.
I was taking them around and offering them Armenian dishes and one German friend
told me I should do that as an official tour. So I said why not?” Shallagian
said. “I never studied to be a tour guide. I am a local guy who likes to share
what he loves about his city. I did as much as I can to share knowledge that I
know and care about.”
Roaming the streets of Bourj Hammoud and interacting with residents offer
visitors an insight into Armenian culture and traditions that Lebanon’s Armenian
community of some 50,000 have maintained and preserved for more than a century.
The tour begins at the main Rue d’Armenie (Armenia Street), which is lined with
jewellry and gold shops. Armenians are famous for their craftsmanship and have
established a reputation as Lebanon’s jewellers.
“When they arrived here, our ancestors learned new skills and made a living by
working in gold. They also worked with leather, making shoes and bags and the
women did embroidery, anything to bring food to the table,” Shallagian said.
The tour includes churches and workshops famous for producing shoes, bags and
ready-to-wear clothes.
“We can make any bag design,” boasted Coco as he put the finishing touches on a
silver, beaded clutch at his small workshop along a narrow pedestrian alley. “We
also design and produce bags for a local brand ‘la Rose de Sym,’ all handmade.”
St Vartan’s Armenian Cathedral is the biggest of some ten churches in Bourj
Hammoud. It was named after an Armenian leader who fought against the Persians
in the fifth century. “Thanks to him we remained Christians; otherwise we would
have been forced to convert to Islam. The architecture of the church, which was
renovated in 2006, is very similar to churches in Armenia,” Shallagian said.
Some of the narrow streets where flags of the Armenian revolutionary party,
Tashnak, hang next to Armenian and Lebanese flags, have been renovated with
donations from wealthy Armenians and foreign governments.
A memorial to the Armenian genocide, a small replica of a memorial stone in
Yerevan, Armenia, stands in the heart of Bourj Hammoud. Each April, Armenians
commemorate the genocide by marching from Bourj Hammoud to the Armenian
patriarchate in Antelias, north of Beirut. “The 2-hour march is meant to mark
how our ancestors walked from Turkey to Lebanon fleeing the genocide,”
Shallagian explained.
Food tasting is also featured in authentic bakeries and restaurants, such as the
Tahinov Hatz, a sweet pastry offered for breakfast; lahmajoon, the Armenian meat
pie; and the famous Armenian sausage sujuk.
With a population of 15,000 Armenians, Bourj Hammoud is viewed as a little
Armenia in the heart of the Lebanese capital. While first-generation Armenians
could hardly speak any Arabic, young Armenians learn Arabic at school in
addition to Armenian, French and English.
Gary Walsh, an Australian participant, commented on the tour: “I did not know
what to expect but I really came away with lots of appreciation and knowledge of
what it means to be Armenian in Lebanon.”
“I do feel it is something I would not have found for myself. It gave me a real
taste of Armenian culture,” he said.
“Bourj Hammoud — Walking Tour with Street Food” takes place every Tuesday. It
began in June and Shallagian said he hopes it will gain popularity soon.
He said that, in addition to introducing Armenian culture, “the tour aims to
change the perspective of Bourj Hammoud, which is regarded as a low-income
suburb, while it is actually a place where Armenians have built a civilisation.”
Que veux-tu que je te dise, Bach ?
Ronald Barakat/September 15/2019
Cher Bachir,
Cette année, je n’avais ni le cœur à la fête du 23 août, ni à la « défaite » du
14 septembre. Notre défaite à nous, à long terme. Pas la tienne. Toi, tu avais
posé les jalons avant de partir. Tu as mis les bouchées doubles pendant les 22
jours de « règne », comme si tu pressentais quelque chose. Tu as tracé le chemin,
rédigé la feuille de route, mis le train national sur les rails (après un long
déraillement) et le doigt sur toutes les plaies, prescrit les remèdes politiques,
sociaux et économiques, brisé la langue de bois pour lui substituer une langue
de foi, de feu et de vérité, ouvert le chantier national, établi le plan des
travaux, dressé la longue liste des réformes, abordé les sujets qui font de nous
des « objets », à savoir le confessionnalisme, le clientélisme, le suivisme,
l’antipatriotisme, et fourni les moyens d’y remédier, dénoncé la « mazraa » et
insisté sur l’urgence de l’éradiquer, construit le cadre des 10452 km2… bref tu
as presque tout fait avant de faire. On n’avait qu’à appliquer à la lettre tes
recommandations et tes discours ! Tu as livré toute la marchandise avant terme !
Bien entendu, il fallait un exécutant et « exécuteur » de ta trempe pour faire
du rêve une réalité, mais avec un peu de sagacité et de bonne volonté, un
tantinet de clairvoyance, un minimum de sentiment national, un petit effort
collectif égal à ton effort individuel, on aurait pu faire avancer les choses.
Au moins réduire drastiquement l’espace de cette « mazraa », si ce n’est
l’éliminer… mais pas la laisser s’étendre sur toute la longueur, la largeur, la
hauteur et la profondeur de la carte et répandre partout sa puanteur ! La
puanteur des ordures politiciennes mêlée à celle des déchets amoncelés ici et là
sur des décharges d’infortune, en bordure de la mer, mais qui valent une
fortune.
Pardonne-moi, mais j’ai honte, à la fin, de célébrer le 23 août et de commémorer
le 14 septembre pour la trente-septième fois équivalant à trente-sept fausses
promesses ! Je ne peux plus te mentir ! Je ne peux plus te regarder dans les
yeux ! Je ne peux plus renouveler mon échec pour la énième fois. Je ne peux plus
me contenter de dénonciations et de harangues stériles. Tu me dis que je n’y
suis pour rien, que j’ai fait ce que j’ai pu, mais quand même, je me sens
responsable. Moi et les miens, et les tiens. On aurait pu mieux faire. On aurait
pu rester unis au lieu de nous quereller, et parfois nous entretuer ! Pour le
leadership, pour le pouvoir, pour l’argent. Ce qui a permis à nos voisins de
palier, puis tous ceux du corridor de prendre possession de notre demeure, avec
la complicité des membres de notre maisonnée ! Ceux-ci ont changé de nom de
famille nationale. Pas plus tard qu’hier, il y en a un, en turban, qui s’est dit
de la famille Khamenei ! Avant lui c’était la famille Assad. Après… je ne sais
pas s’il y aura un après. Tout ce que je sais, c’est que j’ai honte de me
présenter à toi cette année, de déposer cette gerbe qui va se faner plus vite
que les précédentes. Qu’avons-nous fait de ton héritage ? Qu’est devenu ton
esprit ? L’esprit d’un peuple ? Qu’est devenu le peuple ? Il s’est déchiré en
peuplades communautaires, sectaires, tribales. Il s’est transformé en meutes de
races confessionnelles distinctes, dressées pour la chasse à courre sous la
sonnerie du cor des « zaïms » respectifs et non respectables.
Qu’est devenu l’État ? Sous la coupe d’un mini-État dont l’armée extranationale
mène des opérations selon des règles d’engagement établies par son « mini-gouvernement
» qui se dit relever de Dieu, qui suit les directives d’un « dieu » extérieur,
qui fait la pluie et le beau temps, et ce au mépris de l’armée nationale, de son
état-major et du gouvernement.
Qu’est devenue cette présidence de république ? Soi-disant forte ? Cette
présidence ou « résidence » symbolique, pathétique, amorphe, depuis ta
présidence exemplaire, prometteuse ?
Qu’est devenue la république ? Celle que tu voulais laïque, démocratique,
moderne, aux valeurs humanistes, garante des libertés et des droits de la
personne Que sont devenus les pouvoirs publics ? À l’ombre des intérêts privés
et face à tant d’impuissance et d’incurie ? Qu’est devenue la justice ? Elle n’a
même pas, à ce jour, pu exécuter son propre arrêt contre tes assassins qui
longent la frontière en toute impunité en narguant les autorités libanaises. Où
est le mandat d’amener ? Où est la notice d’Interpol ? Trente-sept ans plus tard,
toi et tes compagnons n’êtes toujours pas vengés !
Que veux-tu que je te dise, Bach? Que je t’énumère tous ceux qui, après toi,
sont tombés pour un Liban souverain sans que justice ne leur soit rendue ? Y
compris un autre président de la république ? Un mufti ? Un premier ministre ?
Des ministres ? Des députés ? Des journalistes ? Des conseillers ? Des juristes
? Des intellectuels ? Des citoyens au mauvais endroit, au mauvais moment ?
Qu’est devenu ton Liban ? Celui des 10452 km2 ? Quadrillé en carrés de sécurité,
en zones de non-droit, en territoires autonomes régis par le religieux ? D’un
côté une organisation islamiste qui interdit l’alcool et de l’autre un
archevêché qui interdit des spectacles.
Qu’est devenu le pays du cèdre, éventré de carrières, déboisé, bétonné, asséché,
obscurci, inondé, pollué, enfumé, assourdi, empesté, infesté ?
Que veux-tu que je te dise à ton 37ème anniversaire ? Que je serai meilleur au
prochain rendez-vous ? Qu’à ton 38ème anniversaire ton Liban se portera mieux ?
Que ton legs aura été récupéré ? Que les Libanais seront devenus plus libanais
que chrétiens, musulmans ou druzes ? Plus libanais que FL, Futur, PSP, CPL, Amal
et Hezbollah ? Plus libanais que syriens, iraniens et saoudiens ? Que justice
aura été faite aux martyrs ? Qu’ils pourront reposer en paix ? Et voir se
réaliser les prémices du rêve pour lequel ils se sont sacrifiés ? Pourvu que je
puisse te le dire, non au prochain rendez-vous certes, mais à l’un de ces
lointains rendez-vous. J’espère pouvoir te le dire de vive voix, lorsque mon
tour viendra de te rejoindre. J’espère !
Entretemps, laisse-moi me cacher, me terrer loin de ton pénétrant, lancinant
regard. Laisse-moi voir comment faire pour le soutenir la prochaine fois,
comment faire pour te rendre fier de moi ! Pour être digne de toi ! De ton
message, de ton sacrifice. Laisse-moi voir comment te mériter, comment pouvoir
te dire autre chose que des louanges à ta personne. Tu n’as jamais aimé être
louangé, ni voir en nous des louangeurs. Laisse-moi voir comment te rendre
compte de ce que j’ai fait, et non pas t’annoncer ce que je compte faire, et te
faire de fausses promesses. Laisse-moi voir comment me tenir devant toi avec des
promesses tenues ! Te faire entendre du nouveau. De bonnes nouvelles. Une bonne,
au moins, pour une fois. De quoi me soulager et te réjouir !R.B.
The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News
published on September 15-16/2019
White House does not rule out Trump-Rouhani
meeting after Saudi attacks
Reuters, Washington/Sunday, 15 September 2019
The White House on Sunday did not rule out a potential meeting between President
Donald Trump and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, even after Washington accused
Iran of being behind drone attacks on Saudi oil facilities. White House adviser
Kellyanne Conway said the attacks on Saturday “did not help” prospects for a
meeting between the two leaders during the United Nations General Assembly this
month but she left open the possibility it could happen. “I’ll allow the
president (Trump) to announce a meeting or a non-meeting,” Conway told the “Fox
News Sunday” program. The Trump administration’s sanctions and “maximum
pressure” campaign on Iran over its nuclear and ballistic missile program will
continue whether or not the two leaders meet, she added. However, Conway said,
“You’re not helping your case much,” by attacking Saudi Arabia, civilian areas
and critical infrastructure that affects global energy markets. Iran has denied
allegations made by US Secretary of State Pompeo that it was behind the attacks
on plants in the heartland of Saudi Arabia’s oil industry, including the world’s
biggest petroleum processing facility. Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi group claimed
responsibility for the attacks, which have disrupted Saudi oil output. Pompeo
said Iran was behind nearly 100 attacks on Saudi Arabia while leaders in Tehran
“pretend to engage in diplomacy.”
Saudi Arabia and Shiite-led Iran back opposing factions across the Middle East,
from Yemen and Syria to Lebanon and Iraq. Saudi Arabia is leading a military
coalition to back Yemen’s internationally recognized government against the
Houthis. Washington, a staunch ally of Riyadh, has adopted a tough anti-Iran
“maximum pressure” policy to force Tehran to negotiate a broader deal that
further curbs its nuclear program, restricts Tehran’s ballistic missile work and
ends its support for regional proxy forces. Conway said the US Energy Department
is prepared to tap into the Strategic Petroleum Reserve after the attacks on
Saudi oil facilities if needed to stabilize the global energy supply. “We have
energy under our feet and off our shores, and this president is leading the way
to responsibly develop it so that when Iran attacks Saudi Arabia over 100 times,
we are prepared to take action to protect our own interests,” she said.
Pompeo Condemns Iran following Drone Attacks on Saudi
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/September 15/2019
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has condemned Iran following drone attacks
on oil facilities in Saudi Arabia, which had been blamed on Yemeni rebels. The
top U.S. diplomat did not specifically name Tehran as the perpetrator of the
attacks that led to fires at two key Saudi Aramco facilities, but said, "Iran
has now launched an unprecedented attack on the world's energy supply.""There is
no evidence the attacks came from Yemen," Pompeo said on Twitter. "We call on
all nations to publicly and unequivocally condemn Iran's attacks. The United
States will work with our partners and allies to ensure that energy markets
remain well supplied and Iran is held accountable for its aggression."
Iran Refutes U.S. Accusations over Saudi Attacks
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/September 15/2019
Iran on Sunday dismissed as "meaningless" U.S. accusations it was behind drone
attacks on Saudi oil installations, suggesting Washington was seeking a pretext
to retaliate against the Islamic republic. "Such fruitless and blind accusations
and remarks are incomprehensible and meaningless," foreign ministry spokesman
Abbas Mousavi was quoted as saying in a statement. US Secretary of State Mike
Pompeo condemned Iran after Saturday's attacks, which knocked out half of the
kingdom's oil production. Yemen's Iran-aligned Shiite Huthi rebels claimed
responsibility, but Pompeo said "there is no evidence the attacks came from
Yemen". Mousavi said the allegations over the pre-dawn strikes on the Abqaiq and
Khurais in Eastern Province were meant to justify actions against Iran. "Such
remarks... are more like plotting by intelligence and secret organizations to
damage the reputation of a country and create a framework for future actions,"
he said. Arch-foes Tehran and Washington have been at loggerheads since May last
year, when President Donald Trump pulled the U.S. out of a 2015 deal that
promised Iran relief from sanctions in return for curbs on its nuclear program.
Since the withdrawal, the United States has slapped crippling sanctions on Iran
as part of a campaign of "maximum pressure". "The Americans have taken the
policy of 'maximum pressure' which has apparently turned into 'maximum lying'
due to their failures," said Mousavi.
Trump tells Saudi Crown Prince US ready to help protect
Kingdom’s security
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English//Sunday, 15 September 2019
Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman received a phone call from US
President Donald Trump following the drone attacks on oil production facilities
in the Kingdom. During the phone call on Saturday, Trump also affirmed
Washington’s readiness to cooperate with the Kingdom to supports its security
and stability, according to a statement on the Saudi Press Agency. The US
President stressed the negative impact of the terrorist attacks that targeted
two Aramco facilities on the American and global economy. “For his part, the
Crown Prince stressed that the Kingdom has the will and ability to confront and
deal with this terrorist aggression,” the statement on SPA added. Saudi Arabia’s
Ministry of Interior said on Saturday that drone attacks caused fires at two
Saudi Aramco facilities, adding that the blazes are under control. One of the
facilities is located in Abqaiq, near Dammam in the Kingdom's Eastern Province.
The other facility is located in the Hijrat Khurais oilfield.
US failed at ‘max pressure’: Iranian foreign minister
Reuters, Dubai/Sunday, 15 September 2019
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said in a tweet on Sunday that the
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo “failed at max pressure” and is turning to
“max deceit.”“Having failed at “max pressure”, @SecPompeo’s turning to “max
deceit”.. US & its clients are stuck in Yemen because of illusion that weapon
superiority will lead to military victory. Blaming Iran won’t end disaster,”
Zarif said on Twitter. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Saturday blamed Iran
for the drone attacks which hit two of Saudi Arabia’s Aramco oil installations
and were claimed by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi militia, saying that “Iran has
now launched an unprecedented attack on the world’s energy supply.”Iran
dismissed as “pointless” US claims that Tehran was behind the drone attacks, the
Iranian foreign ministry spokesman said earlier on Sunday.
Saudi FM condemns Netanyahu pledge to annex West Bank’s
Jordan Valley
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English/Sunday, 15 September 2019
Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Ibrahim Assaf said on Sunday that the new Israeli
measures are invalid and everything resulting from them is rejected by the
Kingdom, after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced he is convening his
final pre-election Cabinet meeting in a part of the West Bank he's vowed to
annex if re-elected. Al-Assaf also condemned the “dangerous escalation” by
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, calling for the international
community to hold Israel accountable for its violations against the Palestinian
people. The comments were part of an emergency Organization of Islamic
Cooperation taking place in Jeddah and called for by Saudi Arabia. For his part,
Foreign Affairs Minister of the Palestinian National Authority Riyad al-Maliki
said that the Palestinian Authority’s leadership appreciates Saudi Arabia’s
quick reaction in condemning the Israeli stance. Al-Maliki added that
Netanyahu’s pledge to annex the West Bank’s Jordan Valley goes against
international agreements and resolutions, stating that it is a continuation of
Israel’s attempts to “forge the geography and history of Palestine.”“The Israeli
violations against the Palestinian people are happening with an American
approval,” al-Maliki said.
UAE waiting for results of Saudi Arabia’s drone attack
investigation: Official
Reuters, Abu Dhabi/Sunday, 15 September 2019
The United Arab Emirates is waiting for the conclusions from Saudi Arabia’s
investigation into Saturday’s drone attacks, foreign ministry official Hend Mana
al-Otaiba said on Sunday. Al-Otaiba said in a media briefing, which previewed
the UAE's priorities in the upcoming United Nations General Assembly (UNGA),
that the country's focus is on “protecting and building the foundations of
prosperity: stability, security, healthy institutions, rule of law, diverse
economies and peaceful coexistence.”Al-Otaiba also said the UAE continues to
support the United Nations and its special envoy’s diplomatic efforts in Yemen.
She added that the UAE will meet its full aid commitment to Yemen for this year.
The UAE delegation to the UNGA will include al-Otaiba, Minister of State for
Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash and Minister of State for International
Cooperation Reem Al Hashimy. Al-Otaiba said one of the UAE delegation’s key
objectives during the UNGA would be to strengthen multilateral cooperation and
the role of international organizations such as the UN.
Drone entered Kuwaiti airspace early Saturday morning:
Report
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English/Sunday, 15 September 2019T
A drone violated Kuwait's airspace early on Saturday, Kuwaiti newspaper al-Rai
reported, and hovered at nearly 250 meters above group close to the Dar Salwa
presidential palace. “The drone was large at about three meters in length and
the size of a small car,” al-Rai quoted a source as saying. The newspaper said
and the drone hovered over Dar Salwa presidential palace for a period, ignited
its headlights for one minute and then entered Kuwait City airspace.The incident
appears to have taken place at the same time drone attacks caused fires at two
Saudi Aramco facilities before dawn on Saturday.
Israel approves new settlement two days before polls
AFP, Jerusalem/Sunday, 15 September 2019
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government approved a new settlement
in the occupied West Bank on Sunday, his office said, just two days ahead of
closely fought general elections. Netanyahu's cabinet agreed to turn the wildcat
settlement of Mevoot Yericho in the Jordan Valley into an official settlement,
the premier's office said. All settlements are viewed as illegal under
international law, but Israel distinguishes between those it has approved and
those it has not. Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Ibrahim Assaf said on Sunday
that the new Israeli measures are invalid and everything resulting from them is
rejected by the Kingdom.
Saudi Bourse Slumps after Oil Facility Attacks
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/September 15/2019
Saudi shares slumped at the start of trading Sunday, the first session after
drone attacks on two major oil facilities knocked out more than half the OPEC
kingpin's production. The Tadawul All-Shares Index, which tracks the Arab
world's largest capital market, sank three percent, shedding some 200 points in
the first few minutes before regaining some of the losses. Just under one hour
into the session, TASI was down 1.50 percent at 7,715 points. The key energy
sector plunged 4.7 percent, while the telecom and banking sectors each slid
three percent. The market was also affected by an announcement from the Saudi
Basic Industries Co. (SABIC), one of the world's largest petrochemicals
producers, that the industry faced a shortage of raw materials. It did not name
the reason but said the issue arose on Saturday -- the day of the drone attack.
Other bourses in the Gulf also dropped. Dubai Financial Market was down 1.1
percent, Abu Dhabi and Qatar markets declined 0.4 percent each, while Kuwait
shares sank 0.8 percent and Bahrain's bourse slid 0.9 percent.
Oman's shares were flat.
Explosives-laden drones struck the processing plants at Abqaiq and Khurais in
the Eastern Province early on Saturday morning, knocking out some 5.7 million
barrels per day of crude oil production and around two billion cubic feet of
natural gas output. The Abqaiq plant handles some seven million bpd of crude oil
and billions of cubic feet of natural gas. State-owned energy giant Aramco in
March acquired 70 percent of SABIC, the largest capitalized firm on the Saudi
market, for $69.1 billion.
Turkey says delivery of second S-400 battery complete
Reuters, Ankara/Sunday, 15 September 2019
Turkey’s defense ministry said on Sunday the delivery of a second battery of
Russian S-400 missile defense systems has been completed, adding that the
systems would become active in April 2020. Ankara and Washington have been at
loggerheads over Turkey’s purchase of the S-400 systems, which the US says are
not compatible with NATO defenses and poses a threat to Lockheed Martin’s F-35
‘stealth’ fighter jets. The initial parts of the system were delivered to Ankara
in July despite warnings about possible US sanctions over the purchase. The US
has also expelled Turkey from the F-35 program, but Ankara has so far dismissed
the warnings. In a statement, the defense ministry said the delivery of the
second S-400 battery to Ankara was completed. Efforts to mount the systems and
train personnel who will use them were continuing, it said, adding that it
planned to activate the S-400s in April 2020. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut
Cavusglu told an interview with CNN Turk on Saturday that the S-400s would be
activated despite repeated US warnings. “They (US officials) told us ‘don’t
activate them and we can sort this out’, but we told them that we didn’t buy
these systems as a prop,” Cavusoglu said, adding that Turkey would be open to
buying US Raytheon Co Patriot systems as well. In an interview on Friday,
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told Reuters he will discuss buying US
Patriot missiles with US President Donald Trump this month, saying his personal
bond with the US leader could overcome the crisis caused by the S-400s. On
Monday, US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said the Trump administration was
considering imposing sanctions related to Turkey’s purchase of the S-400
systems, but no decisions have been made.The dispute over the S-400 systems is
one of several issues straining ties between the US and Turkey that include the
ongoing conflict in Syria, among others.
Tunisia Heads to Polls for Keenly Fought Presidential Contest
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/September 15/2019
Rarely has the outcome of an election been so uncertain in Tunisia, the cradle
and partial success story of the Arab Spring, as some seven million voters head
to the polls Sunday to choose from a crowded field. Key players include media
mogul Nabil Karoui -- behind bars due to an ongoing money laundering probe --
Abdelfattah Mourou, who heads a first-time bid on behalf of his Islamist
inspired Ennahdha party, and Prime Minister Youssef Chahed. The premier's
popularity has been tarnished by a sluggish economy and a high cost of living,
and he has found himself having to vehemently deny accusations that Karoui's
detention since late August is politically inspired. Some 13,000 polling booths
opened across Tunisia at 9 A.M. local time (0700 GMT) Sunday, with two dozen
candidates vying for a five-year mandate. The election follows an intense
campaign beset by personality clashes, albeit one with few clear political
differences, brought forward by the death in July of 92-year-old president Beji
Caid Essebsi. He had been elected in the wake of the 2011 revolt that overthrew
former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. Publication of opinion polls has
officially been banned since July, but one thing appears certain: many voters
remain undecided, due to difficulties in reading a shifting political landscape.
"I am undecided between two candidates -- I will decide in the polling booth,"
smiled one citizen, Sofiene, who added "honest candidates don't have much chance
of winning". Some hopefuls have tried to burnish anti-establishment credentials
in a bid to distance themselves from a political elite discredited by personal
quarrels. One key newcomer is Kais Saied, a 61-year-old law professor and expert
on constitutional affairs, who has avoided attaching his bid to a political
party. Instead, he has gone door-to-door to drum up support for his conservative
platform.
Last minute withdrawals
Another independent candidate is Defense Minister Abdelkarim Zbidi, a technocrat
who is running for the first time. However, he has the backing of Essebsi's
Nidaa Tounes party. The crowded field has been narrowed slightly by the
last-minute withdrawal of two candidates in favor of Zbidi: former political
adviser Mohsen Marzouk and businessman Slim Riahi. But Karoui's detention, just
10 days ahead of the start of campaigning, has been the top story of the
election. Studies suggest his arrest boosted his popularity. A controversial
businessman, Karoui built his appeal by using his Nessma television channel to
launch charity campaigns, handing out food aid to some of the country's poorest.
But his detractors portray him as a would-be Silvio Berlusconi, the former
Italian premier who they allege partly owns his channel.On Friday, an appeal to
have the Tunisian mogul released from prison ahead of the election was rejected,
his party and lawyers said, two days after he began what his defense team said
was a hunger strike. The polarization between the different camps risks a
derailment of the electoral process, according to Michael Ayari, an analyst for
the International Crisis Group.
'Divisive' candidates
Isabelle Werenfels, a researcher at the German Institute for International and
Security Affairs, has called the vote a democratic "test" because "it may
require accepting the victory of a polarizing candidate," such as Karoui.
Distrust of the political elite has been deepened by an unemployment rate of 15
percent and a rise in the cost of living of close to a third since 2016.
Jihadist attacks have exacted a heavy toll on the key tourism sector. Overseas
voting stations for Tunisia's sizable expatriate population have been open since
Friday. Some stations will remain open until 6:00 P.M., while others will close
two hours earlier, for security reasons. Some 70,000 security agents will be
deployed on Sunday, including 50,000 focused solely on polling stations,
according to the interior ministry. Exit polls are expected overnight Sunday
into Monday, but preliminary results are not expected from the electoral
commission until Tuesday. The date of the second and final round has not been
announced, but it must happen by October 23 at the latest and may even take
place on the same day as legislative polls -- October 6. Those polls are
supposed to be more significant, as Tunisia is an emerging parliamentary
democracy. But several candidates have called for presidential powers to be
beefed up, despite years of dictatorship under Ben Ali.
The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources published
on September 15-16/2019
To Win Re-Election, Bibi Netanyahu Is Waging
‘Wars’ at Home and Abroad
Neri Zilber/Daily Beast/September 15/2019
Publicizing IDF operations, threatening to annex the West Bank, and making
alarmist statements about polling stations and the press may help him eke out a
victory, but at what cost to Israel’s security and standing?
Benjamin Netanyahu is firing in all directions these days. Facing a tight
re-election bid next Tuesday, the long-serving Israeli prime minister has just
in the last two weeks launched air strikes against multiple neighboring Middle
Eastern countries, pushed back against a potential U.S.-Iran detente, attacked
the local media and his own Arab citizens, and called into question the
legitimacy of the entire electoral process. In a bid for every last right-wing
vote, on Tuesday Netanyahu again promised to annex wide swaths of the West Bank
if he were re-elected—a move that if implemented could spell the end of any
two-state solution with the Palestinians and, with it, the end of Israel as both
a democratic and Jewish state.
The impression is either of a master strategist in complete control, pulling
multiple political, military and diplomatic strings both here and abroad; or,
alternatively, a hysterical politician in the twilight of his reign doing
everything within his ample powers to maintain a grip on power. There is, of
course, the likelihood that it’s both.
The military dimension to Netanyahu’s recent offensive is arguably the most
consequential precisely because it’s so out of character. Despite his hardline
international reputation, Netanyahu is extremely cautious when it comes to the
use of force. Yet, in the span of 24 hours late last month, Israeli aircraft
reportedly struck Iranian-affiliated targets in Syria, Lebanon and Iraq.
In recent years Israel has admitted openly to launching hundreds of strikes
inside Syria to forestall what officials here call Iran’s “military
entrenchment” in its war-torn neighbor: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps
personnel, Shiite militia fighters, and advanced weaponry like precision guided
missiles. Such Israeli military action—officially termed the “campaign between
wars,” since it’s intended to shear Iranian power ahead of any wider
conflict—has now extended into Lebanon and Iraq.
How do we know this? Because Netanyahu confirmed it.
“I’m doing everything to protect the security of our country from all
directions—from the north against Lebanon and [the pro-Iranian militia]
Hezbollah, in Syria against Iran and Hezbollah, and unfortunately also in Iraq
against Iran,” Netanyahu said on August 30 during a Facebook live chat with
supporters, days after the reported strikes in those three countries.
A “senior Israeli defense source,” likely Netanyahu himself (who currently also
doubles as defense minister), repeated similar claims a few days later to local
military reporters. Indeed, the Israeli military has been extremely expansive in
recent weeks detailing Iran’s efforts to arm Hezbollah with precision guided
missiles on Lebanese soil. A drone attack in Beirut, in the heart of Hezbollah’s
Dahiyeh stronghold, reportedly targeted high-value equipment meant to upgrade
the Lebanese militia’s arsenal. Here, too, the military briefed reporters on the
exact details of what allegedly was hit.
This was all a sharp break from Israel’s usual policy of “purposeful ambiguity,”
wherein it declines to take responsibility when something mysteriously blows up
across the border—thus sparing its enemies blushes so as to avoid pushing them
towards a response. (A limited response ultimately did come on September 1 in
the form of a cross-border Hezbollah attack on an Israeli army jeep.)
To be clear: not even Netanyahu’s harshest domestic critics allege that, mere
weeks before an election, he’s purposefully pushing the country into war. As The
Daily Beast reported in February, there is widespread consensus that Iranian
proxies armed with upgraded precision guided missiles are a severe threat to the
country’s security, now deemed second only to Iran’s possible pursuit of a
nuclear weapon. Most Netanyahu critics even accept the official position that
the timing for these strikes was due to Iran’s escalating efforts in this area
(primarily recent inroads in Iraq and Lebanon).
What they do take issue with, however, is Netanyahu’s non-stop public rhetoric
after the fact—verging on a Middle Eastern “end zone dance” in the face of Iran
and Hezbollah—that could lead to deadlier follow-up attacks and a wider
conflagration. Israel until recently used to speak softly and carry a big stick,
which it deployed to great effect against Iran and its regional proxies.
Netanyahu is now publicly trading insults with Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah
and IRGC Gen. Qassem Soleimani, who have vowed to respond in kind.
Netanyahu’s chief rival, Benny Gantz, head of the Blue and White party, has
strongly supported the government’s regional policy against Iran. Yet even he
called into question the increasing “talk and breaking of the [prior]
ambiguity,” saying Netanyahu is trying to “score political points” off of the
national security debate.
Ron Ben-Yishai, the dean of Israel’s military correspondents going back five
decades, told The Daily Beast that even a prime minister-cum-defense minister
doesn’t plan operations, the motivating force for which is usually the military
and Mossad, Israel’s foreign intelligence agency. Netanyahu, Ben-Yishai said,
“wouldn’t launch an operation because of an election, and the army chief of
staff isn’t a servant of any prime minister...but the talk [surrounding it] is
without doubt political.”
The danger of all this talk, Ben-Yishai added, is that it’s like “poking [Iran
in] the eye. Especially in the Middle East, the issue of honor could lead to a
response.”
Nevertheless, after years burnishing his reputation as Israel’s “Mr. Security,”
an election campaign dominated by military crises could help Netanyahu with his
base and the many undecided voters. But part of the audience for all this
mounting “blather,” as some have termed it, may in fact be farther afield.
The same weekend that Israel was bombing across the Levant, President Donald
Trump was at the G-7 summit in France, where he indicated a willingness to meet
with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani to resolve the impasse over Iran’s nuclear
program. A short while after Trump made positive comments about Iran, Netanyahu
issued a video where he reminded the world (including, presumably, the U.S.
president) of where he stood on the issue.
“Iran is working on a broad front to carry out murderous terrorist attacks
against the State of Israel,” Netanyahu said. “Israel will continue to defend
its security however that may be necessary. I call on the international
community to act immediately so that Iran halts these attacks.”
As Axios reported, Netanyahu was unable to reach Trump by telephone during the
G-7 summit. In the following days the Israeli prime minister had calls with
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Vice President Mike Pence—but tellingly not
with Trump.
A snap visit to London last week, primarily to meet with U.S. Secretary of
Defense Mark Esper, likely failed to console the Israeli leader. “Iran,” Esper
said, “was inching toward that place where we could have talks.” Senior British
officials with whom Netanyahu met were also inclined to support a French-led
diplomatic process. Israeli defense officials reportedly are convinced that a
Trump-Rouhani summit is now a “done deal.”
Trump on Tuesday reiterated his openness to meeting with the Iranian leader,
despite Netanyahu just hours earlier revealing what he claimed was a secret
Iranian nuclear weapons facility (another cynical use, many Israeli analysts
observed, of sensitive intelligence for political gain.) Earlier on Tuesday,
Trump fired his ultra-hawkish national security advisor, John Bolton, saying he
“disagreed strongly with many of his suggestions.”
A lot is riding on whether Netanyahu can maintain U.S. support for his hard line
against Iran and its proxies—not least his own political future. Israelis will
again go to the polls on September 17 after Netanyahu failed to form a
government in the wake of the original April ballot. According to the polls,
Netanyahu is once more in a very tight race for re-election. He has in recent
weeks seemingly stopped at nothing to ensure that his now 10-year reign
(thirteen overall dating back to the 1990s) continues.
Massive banners of Netanyahu and Trump shaking hands adorn tall office buildings
and billboards across the country, underlining the premier’s close relationship
with the U.S. president and his overall image as a global statesman (including
taking credit for the American withdrawal from the Obama-era nuclear deal). Both
points would be severely undercut if there were, in fact, a U.S.-Iran
rapprochement.
Just as he’s attacked Iran across the region, Netanyahu with equal vigor has
gone after his perceived domestic enemies. He has called for a boycott of the
country’s most popular television station—Channel 12—because it has deigned to
publish extensive leaks from inside the myriad investigations of Netanyahu’s
alleged corruption. “A terror attack against democracy,” the prime minister
termed it. The channel’s legal correspondent, Guy Peleg, now travels with
bodyguards.
More perniciously, in a Trumpian twist, Netanyahu in the last week has railed
constantly against voter fraud among Israel’s Arab minority, alleging that
irregularities in this demographic cost him and his right-wing allies victory in
April. “The problem of fraud and theft of the elections is real. We will not
allow the coming elections to be stolen,” Netanyahu said, priming his supporters
to reject the outcome of next week’s poll if it doesn’t go their way.
No matter that the Central Elections Committee, police, attorney general, and
other neutral observers say no such fraud actually took place and reject
Netanyahu’s demand that cameras be placed in polling stations. Israeli President
Reuven Rivlin called the allegations “unsubstantiated and even irresponsible
political attacks” intended to “undermine public trust in these [electoral]
bodies.”
It seems that Netanyahu is willing to attack the very foundations of Israeli
democracy, and again incite against the country’s Arab minority in order to
galvanize his nationalist base. It’s a well-worn tactic Netanyahu has deployed
in the past—the so-called Gevalt campaign, Yiddish for “alarm.”
“Gevalt is always real and Netanyahu is a panicker to begin with, which is
probably what makes him so effective [as a politician],” Tal Shalev, Walla News’
chief political correspondent, told The Daily Beast. “He’s never calm.” Yet
Shalev, a keen Netanyahu-watcher who traveled with him to London, said that
despite the public hysteria purposefully sown, the prime minister seemed calm,
confident and in a good mood in recent days.
There’s a contrast between what he’s broadcasting to those around him and what
he’s saying publicly, she added. “But he’s acting a bit more ruthless than usual
now, and breaking all the rules, due to the situation he’s in. It’s a battle for
the rest of his life.”
Without his right-wing bloc of parties winning an outright majority of 61 seats
in the Knesset, Netanyahu could be finished politically—and then there are his
looming corruption indictments, with a pre-trial hearing set for early next
month. A former ally on the right, Avigdor Lieberman, has turned against him,
forcing the repeat election in the first place and now demanding a national
unity government with Blue and White—which the latter refuse to countenance so
long as the legally compromised Netanyahu still heads the Likud party. The
political machinations after September 17 could be even more extreme than the
election campaign itself.
Yet there’s another possibility, perhaps even more likely, that against all the
odds, and all these enemies—some real, most manufactured—Netanyahu actually wins
outright. The polls aren’t looking favorable, but it’s important to recall that
in the April ballot, a small right-wing faction was only 1400 votes short (out
of 4 million cast) of entering parliament and thereby giving Netanyahu his
majority. Last time, too, the right wing essentially threw away six to eight
seats via parties that didn’t pass the electoral threshold, a scenario now
mitigated by a recent Netanyahu pact with a far-right faction that pulled out of
the election.
A source in Blue and White told The Daily Beast that the current polls, both
public and internal, were very consistent—a Netanyahu victory isn’t a done deal.
“This is going to be close, and will come down to the last few days,” he vowed.
With the margins so fine, Netanyahu is pushing Israel to the very edge.
*Neri Zilber, a journalist based in Tel Aviv, is an adjunct fellow with The
Washington Institute and a senior fellow at BICOM. This article was originally
published on the Daily Beast website.
Tunisians to Elect a New President
Sarah Feuer/The Washington Institute/September 15/2019
With no clear front-runner emerging and public disillusionment mounting, the
struggling Arab democracy is transitioning from a period of consensus to
uncertainty.
On September 15, Tunisians will vote in the country’s second presidential
election since 2011, when a local uprising overthrew longtime autocrat Zine al-Abidine
Ben Ali and sparked a wave of revolts across the region. Eight years on, Tunisia
is the only “Arab Spring” state to remain on the path of full democracy, a
distinction that continues to elicit praise from outside observers. Inside
Tunisia, however, the past five years have been marked by disillusionment with
unmet economic expectations and widespread frustration with the government’s
perceived inability to address them. Both sentiments are coloring the current
election cycle, sidelining the contentious Islamist/secularist debates that
infused the 2014 elections.
NUTS AND BOLTS
Originally scheduled for November, the current round of voting was moved up
following the July 25 death of President Beji Caid Essebsi, so that his
successor could take office within the constitutionally mandated ninety-day
period. Under normal circumstances, Essebsi would have completed his five-year
term, and voters would have chosen a new parliament before proceeding to the
presidential election. Now, however, they will be choosing their head of
state—who also serves as commander-in-chief and sets defense, foreign, and
national security policy—before the parliamentary elections scheduled for
October 6. If no candidate receives a majority of votes on September 15, a
runoff will be held between the top two candidates.
Among Tunisia’s population of 11.8 million, a remarkable 85 percent of eligible
citizens are registered to vote. (By comparison, only 75 percent of eligible
Americans are registered.) In the 2014 elections, turnout was around 63 percent
for both round one and the ensuing runoff between Essebsi and human rights
activist Moncef Marzouki. Yet the 2018 local elections garnered a much lower
rate of 35 percent, prompting concerns about declining interest and faith in the
electoral process. Still, the registration period for the current cycle saw 1.5
million citizens sign up, and polling by the International Republican Institute
earlier this year suggested turnout will exceed 50 percent. Whatever the case,
voting will once again be monitored by domestic and international observers, so
it should proceed freely and fairly.
NOTEWORTHY CONTENDERS
An eye-popping twenty-six presidential candidates will appear on the ballot,
including two women. Remarkably, an openly gay man was in the initial mix
despite the fact that homosexuality remains a crime in Tunisia, but his
candidacy was ultimately rejected for reasons that remain unclear. Three
televised debates have been held, a first for Tunisia and a novelty in the Arab
world. No obvious front-runner has emerged, but four candidates appear to be
leading:
Youssef Chahed. A forty-three-year-old agronomist who has served as prime
minister since 2016, Chahed was forced out of Essebsi’s secularist party Nidaa
Tounes (Call of Tunisia) last year. The move was prompted by his intense
disagreements with the president over their division of power, and his
objections to how Essebsi’s son, Hafedh, was maneuvering to control the party.
Chahed recently formed a new party, Tahya Tounes (Long Live Tunisia), whose
campaign has emphasized the needs of young people. Yet he may face difficulty
convincing the wider populace that he should occupy Carthage Palace. While his
anti-corruption policies were widely praised, the austerity measures he oversaw
after the IMF loaned Tunisia $2.8 billion in 2016 did not endear him to the
masses, who have been contending with entrenched income disparities, an
inflation rate twice as high as pre-2011 levels, and unemployment hovering at 15
percent nationally and 35 percent among youths.
Abdelfattah Mourou. A lawyer by training, Mourou cofounded the Ennahda
(Renaissance) Party, Tunisia’s main Islamist movement, and now serves as its
vice president. He was elected to parliament in 2014 and thereafter became
deputy speaker. The seventy-one-year-old’s candidacy marks a significant
development for Ennahda, which previously shied away from fielding presidential
contenders for fear of provoking the kind of backlash that decimated its
original parent group, the Muslim Brotherhood, in Egypt and other countries. By
contrast, Ennahda has preferred to govern in coalition with secular parties like
Nidaa Tounes and downplay its Islamist orientation, thereby solidifying its
dominance in parliament. In 2016, the party even declared it would be curtailing
its religious activities and devoting itself entirely to politics, replacing the
label “political Islam” with “Muslim democracy.”
When Ennahda announced this summer that it would field a presidential candidate
and put leader Rached Ghannouchi in the running for parliament, it seemed
confident that the strategy of restraint had sufficiently cemented the party’s
place in Tunisia’s political landscape. Although that calculation may still be a
gamble, Mourou’s past willingness to criticize the party and his reportedly
positive relationships with legislators across the political spectrum make him a
relatively safe choice.
Nabil Karoui. The founder of Nessma TV, one of Tunisia’s leading stations,
Karoui is currently sitting in jail on charges of money laundering and tax
evasion. The fifty-six-year-old has become a well-known figure in recent years
thanks to his frequent media appearances and philanthropic work. A former member
of Essebsi’s faction, he founded the party Qalb Tounes (Heart of Tunisia) and
has campaigned around broadly populist themes, advocating on behalf of the poor
and decrying the lack of government services. He was polling above 20 percent
when he was arrested in late August, prompting accusations that his rivals were
looking to eliminate him from the field (the allegations against him first
surfaced in 2017 following an investigation by prominent local anti-corruption
NGO “I Watch”). Tunisian law allows individuals accused of criminal activity to
run for office as long as they are not convicted, so while Karoui was unable to
attend the debates, his name remains on the ballot.
Abdelkarim Zbidi. A doctor by training, the sixty-four-year-old Zbidi is widely
viewed as a technocrat seemingly untainted by his longtime affiliation with the
Ben Ali regime. He served until recently as defense minister, then resigned to
run for president, maintaining his longtime status as an independent while
highlighting his experience in the security realm. Tunisia has seen considerable
improvements in its counterterrorism capabilities since a string of
high-casualty attacks in 2015 and an attempted Islamic State insurgency a year
later. Yet this summer’s spate of suicide bombings was a reminder that the
country remains fragile, so Zbidi’s association with the extremely popular armed
forces may serve him well.
BEYOND THE VOTE
The tenor of Tunisia’s election season suggests that its democracy may be
transitioning from a period of relative consensus to something far less certain.
Essebsi’s passing evoked eulogies of the grand bargain he reportedly struck with
Ghannouchi in 2013, an arrangement rightly credited with saving the country from
the social unrest and political turmoil plaguing its regional peers. Yet the
limitations of this secular/Islamist consensus were evident long before
Essebsi’s death, breeding political paralysis and undermining deeper economic
reforms.
Indeed, the election has underscored the price of Tunisia’s post-2013 political
stability: namely, growing discontent among an electorate keen to see democracy
deliver not only individual freedoms, but basic economic dividends as well.
Whoever wins the vote may feel liberated from the years of stagnant elite
consensus, but the new president will also face an increasingly restless public,
profound fiscal challenges, and a tenuous security situation.
This predicament highlights the necessity of continued American assistance,
especially in the economic and counterterrorism realms. The country still needs
help with insulating itself from Libya’s civil war to the east, Algeria’s
political implosion to the west, and the prospect that thousands of Tunisian
foreign fighters who joined the Islamic State may be returning home. The
government has managed these local threats admirably while avoiding thorny
entanglements further afield, such as Iran’s hegemonic ambitions and the
Saudi-Qatar rift. Washington has a keen interest in ensuring that Tunisia
remains not only a democratic success story, but also a strategic ally in an
unpredictable neighborhood.
*Sarah Feuer is an associate fellow with The Washington Institute.
The Americans will see attack on Saudi oil as an attack on them
Mark Stone/SkyNews/September 15/2019
The Americans have always blamed Iran for sustaining the Yemen conflict and in a
delicate region, this attack is very dangerous.
One of the two oil facilities struck in the early hours of Saturday morning was
recently described by one industry expert as the the Achilles Heel of the Saudi
oil industry. Its size and production capacity makes it a critical part of the
global oil supply industry.
It's not yet clear how much damage was caused to the two plants or for how long
production will be impacted, but the Saudi oil minister confirmed overnight a
temporary loss of 5.7 million barrels per day of production because of the
attacks. For context, Saudi Arabia pumped 9.8 million barrels per day in August.
The Abqaiq plant was the target of a failed al Qaeda attack in 2006. Since then
it has been heavily fortified but is still vulnerable from the air, especially
from drones which can bypass air defence systems.
In terms of the impact on the global market and oil supply: well, short term
there may be a problem which will become clear when the markets open on Monday
morning. But longer term the gap will probably be bridged by increasing
production elsewhere and by releasing reserves into the market.The much bigger
concern now is the geopolitical fallout and the consequence for regional
security.
The US government is in no doubt that the Saudi drone attacks were the work of
Iran.
The operation was claimed by the Yemeni Houthi rebel group but they are known to
get weapons and technology from their main backer, Iran, who are suspected by
other nations to use relatively low-tech 'attack drones' as weapons.
With cheap new technologies, small attack or 'kamikaze' drones are proving to be
disproportionately effective when successful.
Two weeks ago, Israel carried out what they said was a preemptive strike on
fighters they said were linked to Iran's elite Quds Force who were preparing to
launch a drone from Syria (where Iran now has a strong foothold) to attack
Israel.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Tehran had launched an "unprecedented
attack on the world's oil supply", adding that there was "no evidence that the
drones were launched from Yemen".
It's true that, geographically, the two oil refineries are closer to Iran and
Iraq (where Iran has a foothold) than to Yemen.
The Americans have always blamed Iran for stoking the flames of the Yemen
conflict. But the drone attack represents, in US government eyes, an attack on
global energy supply which they'll interpret as an attack on them.
"We call on all nations to publicly and unequivocally condemn Iran's attacks,"
Mr Pompeo tweeted. "The United States will work with our partners and allies to
ensure that energy markets remain well supplied and Iran is held accountable for
its aggression."
In such a chaotic and delicate region, an attack of this type is very dangerous.
Donald Trump has been hoping to meet Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in his
latest attempt at rapprochement (after limited success with North Korea's Kim
Jong Un and no success with Afghanistan's Taliban).
Last week he fired his national security adviser John Bolton who was calling for
a much harder line on Iran.
While Mr Bolton sits out of office no doubt saying "I told you so", President
Trump must now be pondering the merits of the proposed meeting with the Iranian
president.
His own secretary of state seems clear: "Tehran is behind nearly 100 attacks on
Saudi Arabia while Rouhani and Zarif pretend to engage in diplomacy..."
Can Banks Survive Negative Rates?
Satyajit Das/Bloomberg/September, 15/2019
The declining economic outlook and increasing political pressure are pushing
central banks into more aggressive unconventional monetary policies.
Simultaneously, fears are growing that such steps, especially negative interest
rates, actually threaten the stability of the financial system. They risk
setting off dangerous feedback loops in credit markets and the real economy,
where the second and third-order effects are difficult to anticipate or control.
As the experience of banks in Japan and Europe has illustrated, the process
follows a predictable pattern.
Low growth, low inflation, output gaps, unemployment and underemployment --
combined with financial instability, especially volatile asset prices -- first
prompt central banks to lower rates below the zero bound. The objective is to
stimulate borrowing to finance consumption and investment, thus setting off a
self-sustaining growth cycle.
Typically, however, negative rates aren’t fully reflected in actual borrowing
and lending rates. Regulations require banks to maintain customer deposit bases.
The fear of losing customers dissuades those banks from cutting deposit rates
too far. In Europe, to date, only large corporations have faced negative rates,
which means they’re charged to maintain deposits.
As interest rate margins contract and profits are squeezed, banks raise fees or
turn to other revenue measures to boost earnings. This keeps actual borrowing
costs relatively high, undercutting the whole point of a negative rate policy.
As the economy continues to sputter, desperate policymakers slash rates more and
more deeply. Government bond yields grow increasingly negative and the yield
curve flattens. Banks, which hold substantial amounts of government debt, see
their profits decline even further.
Weak earnings, in turn, impact banks’ share prices and raise doubts about future
dividends, buybacks or capital returns. Weaker institutions run into funding
difficulties. Virtually all face higher borrowing costs.
This perversely reduces the amount of credit available, which again dampens
consumption and investment. Given that bank payouts make up a significant source
of investor income, fears of shrinking dividends add to the gloom. Instead of
stimulating the economy, negative rates increase uncertainty about the future.
Households, worried about saving for retirement and other goals, spend less.
Slowing growth increases the number of non-performing loans. This further erodes
bank profits and reduces lending. It also increases borrowing costs for banks,
which results in higher credit margins for borrowers.
Negative rates distort incentives. Facing declining profits, banks grow
reluctant to foreclose on distressed borrowers. They extend lifelines to zombie
companies, which can service their debt when interest rates are so low even if
they have no prospects of repaying the principal. This is an inefficient use of
capital which reduces potential growth and sets the stage for long-term economic
under-performance.
Struggling banks also naturally have less demand for government bonds, which
restricts the ability of countries to finance their activities. In extreme
cases, where banks need help to stay afloat, already heavily indebted
governments must borrow to recapitalize them or guarantee deposits. Increased
debt levels and rising debt-service commitments lock the state into a low or
negative interest rate environment.
The ill effects of these trends will initially vary depending on how profitable
a country’s banks are, as well as their interest margins and the quality of
their loan portfolios. European and Japanese banks facing low profit margins and
a growing pile of non-performing loans are especially vulnerable.
And, ultimately, the problems will spread. US banks have begun to lower earnings
guidance, blaming lower rates.
There are two primary transmission channels for negative rates between
countries. As witnessed in Europe and Japan, banks faced with negative rates
export capital aggressively, driving down returns elsewhere. Also, higher
relative rates cause currencies to appreciate, forcing nations to match interest
rate cuts in a race to maintain competitiveness.
There are few alternatives. Germany is examining whether to prevent banks from
charging most retail clients for deposits. Other alternatives include creating
special safe assets or savings accounts that guarantee positive rates. Both
measures would undermine negative-rate policies.
Another option is for central banks to lend, either directly or through banks
such as the European Central Bank’s existing targeted longer-term refinancing
operations, at concessional rates. However, there may be limited demand for
loans. The efficacy of these programs is, at best, modest.
The unpalatable reality is that the world still hasn’t learned the true lesson
of 2008: An economic model that’s dependent on consumption and investment fueled
by excessive borrowing is unsustainable. Lower rates, which are ineffective and
weaken the financial system and ultimately the real economy, are merely a
mechanism to maintain excessive debt levels for a little longer.
An old farmer reputedly advised a lost traveler, “If you want to go there, I
wouldn’t start from here.” Policymakers missed the opportunity to make
fundamental changes at the onset of the crisis. No wonder they now find
themselves adrift.