English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For September 23/2020
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani

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Bible Quotations For today
Whoever is not against us is for us. For truly I tell you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ will by no means lose the reward.
Mark 09/38-50: “John said to Jesus, ‘Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.’But Jesus said, ‘Do not stop him; for no one who does a deed of power in my name will be able soon afterwards to speak evil of me. Whoever is not against us is for us. For truly I tell you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ will by no means lose the reward. ‘If any of you put a stumbling-block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were hung around your neck and you were thrown into the sea. If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life maimed than to have two hands and to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life lame than to have two feet and to be thrown into hell And if your eye causes you to stumble, tear it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and to be thrown into hell, where their worm never dies, and the fire is never quenched. ‘For everyone will be salted with fire.”Salt is good; but if salt has lost its saltiness, how can you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.’”
 

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on September 22-23/2020

Powerful Blast Hits Hizbullah Arms Depot in Southern Town of Ain Qana
Explosion in Lebanon at Hezbollah arms depot: Report
Explosion hits Hezbollah weapons store in southern Lebanon
Aoun Urges World Leaders to Secure Refugees' Return
Hariri: I've Decided to Help Adib Name an Independent Shiite Finance Minister
Lebanon: Shiite Duo Insists to Retain Finance Ministry, Seeks Role In Executive Decisions
Report: ‘Never in a Hundred Years’ Would Shiite Duo Relinquish Finance Portfolio
Ex-PMs Say Hariri's Move Personal, Warn against Unconstitutional Norm
Shiite Duo Voices Mixed Reaction to Hariri's Initiative
Lebanese Speaker’s Office: Negotiations with Israel are Not Direct
Fire Breaks Out at Tripoli Port
Lebanon: Call For Full COVID-19 Lockdown Met With Rejection
Lebanon’s Parliament Meets Wednesday to Discuss General Amnesty Law
Jumblat: Aoun Has No Right to Say We're Going to Hell
After Beirut Port Blast, Future Lawsuits Pile up against the State
Aoun tells the Lebanese, if no agreement, they are ‘going to hell’
French initiative is Lebanon’s last chance/Osama Al-Sharif/Arab News/September 22/2020
In Lebanon, blasted Beirut windows turned into traditional glassware/Robert McKelvey/Al Arabiyas/September 22/2020
 

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on September 22-23/2020

UN General Assembly: Trump says Abraham Accords brought optimism to Middle East
Major fire breaks out at a factory near Iran’s capital, no casualties: Reports
US can impose neither negotiations nor war on Iran, Rouhani says in UN address
Russia says US sanctions on Iran will not affect Moscow-Tehran cooperation
US and UAE eye F-35 agreement before December 2: Reuters
France's Macron says US maximum pressure on Iran not working
US calls on Houthis to halt attacks on Saudi Arabia
Iran’s Zarif says Tehran is ready for a full prisoner exchange with US
Rouhani Says Next U.S. Leader Must Cede to Iran Demands
Turkey, Greece agree to resume talks to resolve disputes
Turkey sentences female politician to prison for calling Erdogan ‘enemy of women’
Palestine quits chairing Arab League sessions for next 6 months
Over 70 Afghan government troops killed in Taliban attacks
Clashes between govt forces, ISIS in Syria’s Raqa leave 28 dead, says a war monitor
Woman Suspected of Sending Ricin-Filled Envelope to White House to Appear in Court
Pakistan Says Afghan Cross-Border Fire Kills Soldier
Jailed Kurdish Politician Handed Another Year for Insulting Turkey's Erdogan

Titles For The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on September 22-23/2020

Dealing with the fear of missing out during pandemic/Sara Al-Mulla/Arab News/September 22/2020
A remarkable year for KSA in face of COVID-19/Ole E. Moesby/Arab News/September 22/2020
Foreign cooperation vital to Libyan national reconciliation/Talmiz Ahmad/Arab News/September 22/2020
Blasphemy: Islam’s Achilles Heel/Raymond Ibrahim/September 22/2020

The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on September 22-23/2020

Powerful Blast Hits Hizbullah Arms Depot in Southern Town of Ain Qana
Associated Press/Agence France Presse/Naharnet/September 22/2
A strong explosion shook a Hizbullah stronghold in southern Lebanon on Tuesday, but the cause was not immediately clear. As TV networks said the blast ripped through a "house belonging to Hizbullah," pro-Hizbullah journalist Salem Zahran said it occurred at a depot for storing "shells from the war era," adding that it caused no casualties. The blast, near a gas station, occurred in the outskirts of the southern village of Ain Qana, above the port city of Sidon, sending grey smoke billowing over the village. The Lebanese Army said an army force arrived at the explosion site immediately after the incident and has since launched an investigation. A Hizbullah official said there were no casualties from the explosion and that no Hizbullah members were targeted. Another local Hizbullah official in Ain Qana, Ali Nazar, said the explosion destroyed a house where old mines and shells leftover from "past Israeli aggression" were being collected by a de-mining agency for disposal. A source close to Hizbullah had earlier told Agence France Presse that the blast resulted from an "accident." A military source said preliminary information showed the blast happened at a "Hizbullah center containing munitions."
Members of the group imposed a security cordon, barring journalists from reaching the area. The National News Agency said the blast had coincided with intensive fly-overs by Israeli fighter jets and drones.
Israel violates Lebanese airspace on an almost daily basis, and its aircraft have flown particularly low over many areas in the past few days. The commander of the U.N. peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon, Maj. Gen. Stefano Del Col, told NNA Monday that the force has in recent days recorded a large number of air violations by the Israeli military. He said the continuous overhead flights constitute a violation of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701 and Lebanese sovereignty. Footage broadcast by al-Jadeed station showed damage to buildings and debris scattered across a large area. The shaky footage also showed what appeared to be a minibus on fire. Other footage showed a wrecked SUV parked outside a damaged house. There was no immediate comment from the Lebanese government. Hizbullah's al-Manar TV channel returned to normal programming after reporting the explosion. The Israeli military declined to comment on the blast. The mysterious blast added to collective anxiety in a country still reeling from last month's massive explosion in Beirut and struggling with an unprecedented economic crisis. "Thank God that there were no human losses, but there was a lot of panic, everyone was frightened," said a villager who identified himself by his last name, Honeina. The explosion comes seven weeks after the massive explosion at Beirut port, the result of nearly 3,000 tons of improperly stored ammonium nitrate detonating. The explosion killed nearly 200 people, injured 6,500 and damaged tens of thousands of buildings in the capital, Beirut. It is still not clear what caused the initial fire that ignited the chemicals, and so far no one has been held accountable.

Explosion in Lebanon at Hezbollah arms depot: Report
Agencies/Tuesday 22 September 2020
An arms cache belonging to Iranian proxy group Hezbollah blew up in Lebanon on Tuesday because of a technical error, a security source said, according to Reuters. An explosion shook a Lebanese Hezbollah stronghold in southern Lebanon, sending thick gray smoke billowing over the village. The blast occurred in the southern village of Ain Qana, above the port city of Sidon. There were no immediate reports of casualties. An official with Lebanese Hezbollah confirmed there was an explosion but declined to give further details. Another local Hezbollah official could not confirm or deny any casualties from the explosion and said the nature of the blast was not yet clear. Both spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to give official statements. Members of the group imposed a security cordon, barring journalists from reaching the area. Footage broadcast by the local Al Jadeed station showed damage to buildings. The mysterious explosion comes seven weeks after the massive explosion at Beirut port, the result of nearly 3,000 tons of improperly stored ammonium nitrate detonating. The explosion killed nearly 200 people, injured 6,500 and damaged tens of thousands of buildings in the capital, Beirut.It is still not clear what caused the initial fire that ignited the chemicals, and so far no one has been held accountable.

Explosion hits Hezbollah weapons store in southern Lebanon
Arab News/Agencis/September 22/2020
CAIRO: A huge explosion hit a Hezbollah arms store in southern Lebanon on Tuesday, injuring several people. The blast took place in the village of Ain Qana and comes after a massive explosion last month devastated large areas of the capital Beirut. Lebanon's official news agency, NNA, said the explosion coincided with intense Israeli overflights “that did not leave the skies” over the area since Tuesday morning. A security source told Reuters that the explosion was caused by a “technical error.”Videos showed large plumes of smoke rising into the air over the village, which is within a Hezbollah stronghold. The Iran-backed militant group has large stores of weapons and missiles across southern Lebanon. Hezbollah considered by several countries in the west to be a terrorist organization, has fought several wars with Israel. Members of the group imposed a security cordon around the area. The mysterious explosion comes seven weeks after the massive explosion at Beirut port, caused by the detonation of nearly 3,000 tons of improperly stored ammonium nitrate. The explosion killed nearly 200 people, injured 6,500 and damaged tens of thousands of buildings in the capital, Beirut. It is still not clear what caused the initial fire that ignited the chemicals, and so far no one has been held accountable. (with Reuters and AP)

Aoun Urges World Leaders to Secure Refugees' Return
Naharnet/September 22/2020
President Michel Aoun called on world leaders on Tuesday to secure the safe return of Syrian refugees in light of Lebanon’s crippling crises. “We call on the world to help us secure the safe return of displaced Syrians because Lebanon is groaning from the brunt of unprecedented crises rendering it incapable to further host the largest number of refugees per capita,” said Aoun at the UN 75th anniversary. He praised the support and assistance provided by the UN organization and friendly countries after Beirut's port explosion. Aoun, affirmed “Lebanon's attachment to the noble principles of the United Nations and its charter," calling for the "introduction of necessary reforms in the way this international institution works to double the effort to help countries in need for a better future.” The President said difficulties will not deter Lebanon from pursuing its positive role at the international level, and its constructive interaction with the United Nations within the international community.

Hariri: I've Decided to Help Adib Name an Independent Shiite Finance Minister
Naharnet/September 22/2020
Ex-PM Saad Hariri on Tuesday proposed an initiative aimed at finding a solution to the deadlock over the finance ministerial portfolio.“I have decided to help PM-designate (Mustafa) Adib find an exit through naming an independent finance minister from the Shiite sect who would be chosen by him, similarly to the rest of ministers, on the basis of competency, integrity and non-partisanship,” Hariri said in a written statement. “This decision does not, in any way, signify an acknowledgment of the monopolization of the finance portfolio by the Shiite sect or by any other sect,” the ex-PM added. “Once again I take a decision to ingest the poison, and it is a decision that I take alone, independently from the stance of former premiers, with my prior knowledge that this decision might be described by some as political suicide,” Hariri clarified. Noting that his decision is “for the sake of the Lebanese,” the ex-PM said he is confident that there is no other alternative, describing the move as “an attempt to rescue the last chance for halting the terrible collapse and preventing the descent of Lebanon into the unknown.”Hariri also pointed out that the allocation of the finance portfolio to the Shiite sect is “a novelty that exists neither in the Constitution nor in the Taef Accord.”“With this step, the responsibility now falls on the shoulders of those obstructing the formation of the government. If they respond and facilitate (the process) we will win Lebanon and the Lebanese will win, and if they continue their obstruction, they will bear the responsibility for wasting Lebanon’s chance to halt the collapse and rescue the Lebanese,” the ex-PM added.

Lebanon: Shiite Duo Insists to Retain Finance Ministry, Seeks Role In Executive Decisions
Beirut - Youssef Diab/Asharq Al-Awsat/Tuesday, 22 September, 2020
The Lebanese shiite duo’s insistence on retaining hold of the Finance Ministry seems to be threatening to thwart Prime Minister-designate Mustapha Adib’s mission to form a government of specialists and the adoption of rotation in the distribution of ministerial seats among the different sects.
The Shiite node could also topple the initiative of French President Emmanuel Macron and dissipate the last opportunity to save Lebanon from its current economic and financial crisis.The Shiite duo, represented by Amal Movement and Hezbollah, is insisting to obtain the Finance portfolio to preserve its right to have the “third signature” on the financial decrees, along with the signatures of the Maronite President and the Sunni Prime Minister. In remarks to Asharq al-Awsat, member of Amal Movement’s Liberation and Development bloc, MP Ayoub Hmayed, stressed that preserving the Ministry of Finance to the Shiite sect “falls within its right to participate in the executive decision in the country.” “Are the positions of the Maronite President, the Shiite Speaker and the Sunni Prime Minister enshrined in the constitution? Are the positions of Central Bank governor, army commander, and head of the Supreme Judicial Council, which are customarily assigned to the Maronite community stipulated in the constitution?” he asked. “We demand equality between the Lebanese components, and for others to be convinced that we, the Shiites, have been rooted in this country for hundreds of years.”Since the Taif Agreement was concluded in 1989, 18 governments have been formed in Lebanon, in which the finance portfolio has been entrusted to ministers from all sects: Eight ministers from the Sunni community, six Shiites, and four Christians.
According to the opponents of the Shiite duo, the latter’s insistence on obtaining the Finance ministry was to secure its “veto” on all executive decisions that do not meet its interests. “This duo’s battle has two dimensions: Tactical and strategic,” political researcher Luqman Salim told Asharq Al-Awsat.
“In the tactical dimension, naming the Minister of Finance from Hezbollah and Amal Movement is tantamount to issuing a French declaration of innocence that would refute charges of corruption and financing terrorism,” he explained.
As for the strategic dimension, Salim - a Shiite opposed to the policies of Hezbollah and Amal - said: “This duo is not ready to make concessions to the French, and prefers to offer them to the Americans later.”

Report: ‘Never in a Hundred Years’ Would Shiite Duo Relinquish Finance Portfolio
Naharnet/September 22/20
The Shiite duo, AMAL Movement and Hizbullah, have shown no leniency in relinquishing demands to retain the finance ministerial portfolio and to name their ministers in the upcoming government, al-Joumhouria daily reported on Tuesday. “Not in a hundred years will they take the finance ministry from us. Just as we won’t accept them to annul us and let them name our ministers,” sources of AMAL and Hizbullah told the daily on condition of anonymity. In a clear hit at the Shiite duo’s ally, President Michel Aoun's Free Patriotic Movement, the sources added: “Some have been indolent in this matter for personal reasons maybe, but we will not back down or relinquish these two demands no matter what.”PM-designate Mustafa Adib's efforts to form a government have been effectively blocked by the two main Shiite groups in Lebanon's usual power-sharing arrangement. Observers have said their insistence to keep the finance ministry under their control is linked to recent US sanctions against a former minister from AMAL, as well as Hizbullah-linked businesses. Adib is under pressure to form a fresh cabinet as soon as possible, so it can launch reforms required to unlock billions of dollars in foreign aid.

Ex-PMs Say Hariri's Move Personal, Warn against Unconstitutional Norm
Naharnet/September 22/20
Former premiers Najib Miqati, Fouad Saniora and Tammam Salam on Tuesday distanced themselves from an initiative put forward by ex-PM Saad Hariri to resolve the row over the finance ministerial portfolio, describing the move as a “personal initiative.”“The Lebanese constitution is very clear: no ministerial portfolio can be an exclusive right to ministers belonging to a certain sect, and also the constitution does not forbid any Lebanese, regardless of their sect, to be in charge of any ministerial portfolio in Lebanon,” the ex-PM said in a statement. “Following the fabricated uproar over the finance ministerial portfolio, we consider ourselves not concerned with this initiative,” they added. Miqati, Saniora and Salam also called for “preserving the constitution and immunizing it against any violation which some might consider as a step towards establishing a practice or a norm that contradicts with the text of the constitution.”

Shiite Duo Voices Mixed Reaction to Hariri's Initiative
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/September 22/2020
Ex-PM Saad Hariri’s initiative on the finance portfolio might be a “positive” step in terms of “giving the Shiite duo what it wants,” but the issue has not yet reached a positive conclusion, Shiite duo sources said on Tuesday. “Hariri’s initiative is a step forward and we hope there will be communication with the President, who is a partner in the formation process,” the sources told al-Jadeed TV. Amal Movement sources meanwhile told the TV network that Hariri’s remarks on accepting the exclusion of the finance portfolio from rotation among sects “for one time only” are “not what the Shiite duo wants.”
Informed sources meanwhile criticized Hariri in remarks to Hizbullah’s al-Manar TV. “How can Hariri allow himself to voice conditions regarding the naming of the Shiite minister?” the sources said. The ex-PM had earlier on Tuesday announced that he has decided to “help PM-designate (Mustafa) Adib find an exit through naming an independent finance minister from the Shiite sect who would be chosen by him, similarly to the rest of ministers, on the basis of competency, integrity and non-partisanship.”“With this step, the responsibility now falls on the shoulders of those obstructing the formation of the government. If they respond and facilitate (the process) we will win Lebanon and the Lebanese will win, and if they continue their obstruction, they will bear the responsibility for wasting Lebanon’s chance to halt the collapse,” the ex-PM warned.

Lebanese Speaker’s Office: Negotiations with Israel are Not Direct
Beirut - Asharq Al-Awsat/Tuesday, 22 September, 2020
Speaker Nabih Berri’s press office clarified on Monday that Lebanese negotiations with Israel over maritime borders were taking place through an American mediation and the United Nations. The negotiations are not direct, it said in response to a report by Asharq Al-Awsat on Monday that said Israel expects to hold direct negotiations with Lebanon over offshore gas resources. The speaker’s office added that US Assistant Secretary of State for Middle East Affairs David Schenker’s efforts to demarcate the land and maritime borders were in response to a Lebanese request for Washington to play the role of mediator to resolve this crisis. Asharq Al-Awsat had on Monday reported Israeli and political sources as telling Israel’s Walla website that Schenker has been shuttling between Lebanon and Israel for several months as part of efforts led by US President Donald Trump’s administration to push the two sides to direct negotiations on gas reserves in the Mediterranean.

Fire Breaks Out at Tripoli Port
Naharnet/September 22/2020
A fire broke out on Tuesday at the northern port of Tripoli that stepped in after the mega explosion at the country’s major port in Beirut in August, raising eyebrows about frequent similar incidents in the country. Media reports said the fire broke out in a ship maintenance workshop outside the campus of the Port of Tripoli. The port director Ahmed Tamer told LBCI that a gallon of paint caused the fire. It was immediately brought under control, he said. The incident came after a huge fire broke out earlier this month at Beirut’s port, the scene of a mega blast that ravaged swathes of Beirut killing thousands in August. Imports were redirected to Tripoli port for a week after the explosion.

Lebanon: Call For Full COVID-19 Lockdown Met With Rejection
Beirut - Asharq Al-Awsat/Tuesday, 22 September, 2020
Lebanon registered an unprecedented increase in Covid-19 infections, as the daily number of cases exceeded 1,000 for the first time since the outbreak of the virus in February. The situation prompted the minister of Health in the caretaker government, Hamad Hassan, to call for a complete lockdown for two weeks to alleviate pressure on the health sector. However, the minister’s proposal was not favored by the National Committee for Covid-19 (NCC), which said that several measures could be applied before full closure. Those include closing towns that register a high number of Covid-19 cases and imposing fines on those who do not comply with the sanitary measures. Speaking during a news conference, Hassan stressed that a complete lockdown “seems necessary to maintain the process of virus tracking and traceability and to allow public and private hospitals to accommodate cases in light of the high death rate recorded in the past two weeks.”While he emphasized the need for private hospitals to open “special departments for Covid-19, regardless of the profit and loss criteria,” Hassan pointed out that government hospitals in the north, Beirut and the south were facing the biggest challenge given the large number of infections recorded in these areas. Regarding the decision to open schools at the end of September, Hassan said the decision went to the Minister of Education, pointing to “health recommendations related to postponing the start of the academic year.”
In this context, Minister of Education in the caretaker government, Tarek Al-Majzoub, said that if the spread of the virus required distance learning, Lebanon would follow this approach. “If the health situation improves, we will proceed with the blended learning,” he added.

Lebanon’s Parliament Meets Wednesday to Discuss General Amnesty Law
Beirut - Asharq Al-Awsat/Tuesday, 22 September, 2020
Lebanon’s parliament bureau will meet on Wednesday to discuss a general amnesty law in light of a spike in COVID-19 cases in the country’s jails. The announcement was made after Speaker Nabih Berri received at his Ain al-Tineh residence a delegation of the Democratic Gathering, including MPs Hadi Abul Hosn, Bilal Abdullah and Faisal al-Sayegh. “Discussions focused on holding a legislative session to discuss and approve a general amnesty law in light of the crisis in the country due to the impact of the coronavirus and the spread of the disease in Roumieh prison and other jails,” Abul Hosn said after the meeting. The head of the doctors' union, Sharaf Abu Sharaf, warned that there are more than 200 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Roumieh prison, the country’s largest and most overcrowded facility. He called on authorities to speed up trials to ease overcrowding, in a country where suspects can languish in jail for months without a hearing. Last week, families of prisoners held a sit-in in front of the Justice Palace in Beirut, amid tight security measures, demanding general amnesty for their loved ones and expressing fear of the increasing number of infections. Roumieh prison houses more than 4,000 prisoners, around three times its intended capacity, and has long been infamous for its poor conditions.

Jumblat: Aoun Has No Right to Say We're Going to Hell
Naharnet/September 22/2020
Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat on Monday voiced criticism in all directions in connection with the ongoing deadlock in the cabinet formation process. “President Michel Aoun has no right to say that we’re going to hell. I support a settlement and when the storm lashes we must bow,” Jumblat said in an interview with Lebanon’s MTV. Revealing that he had called ex-PM Saad Hariri from Paris during his visit last week, Jumblat said the talks with the former premier were not positive. He also disclosed that Speaker Nabih Berri has told him that he is facing pressures to “keep the finance ministerial portfolio with the Shiite sect.” “Neither America nor Iran wants a government” in Lebanon and “the U.S. sanctions have not weakened Hizbullah but rather Lebanon,” the PSP leader added. Warning that the French initiative for Lebanon is the “last chance,” Jumblat said Prime Minister-designate Mustafa Adib must “communicate with the parties,” while noting that “it seems that someone is telling him not to talk to anyone.”“I tell Iran and its representatives that they are blocking the last chance to save the country,” the PSP leader, referring to Tehran and Hizbullah. As for the sectarian bickering related to the row over the finance portfolio, Jumblat addressed the Higher Islamic Shiite Council and Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi by saying that “it is not the appropriate time to call for changing the Taef Accord.”Earlier in the day, Aoun had warned that the crisis-hit country could be going to "hell" if a new government was not formed, suggesting it would require a "miracle" for that to happen at this point. The stark warning comes as the country struggles to contain a spiraling economic and financial crisis that threatens to nose-dive further in the coming weeks, as well as concerns of unrest in the fragile country also witnessing a surge in coronavirus cases and deaths.

After Beirut Port Blast, Future Lawsuits Pile up against the State
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/September 22/2020
Elie Hasrouty, who lost his father to the August 4 Beirut port blast, is one of at least 1,228 grieving Lebanese preparing to file a lawsuit against the state. The young computer engineer said going to court won't bring his father back, but it could go some way towards preventing similar disasters from happening again.
"We are pursuing legal action (for) us, the people who remain in this country and who want to live in it with dignity," he told AFP. Hasrouty's father, Ghassan, was among the more than 190 people killed in the mega-blast, caused -- the authorities say -- by a large stockpile of ammonium nitrate blowing up. The explosion, one of the largest non-nuclear blasts in history, also wounded at least 6,500 people, and ravaged swathes of Beirut. Ghassan worked for most of his life in a control room in the shadow of the port's giant silos, right next to the epicentre of the explosion.
He was buried so deep under rubble, wheat and corn that the foreign rescue teams who rushed to the scene never stood a chance of pulling him out alive. His body was found two weeks after the blast. His son said the point of legal action was not "retaliation" against the authorities, whose negligence and corruption are widely blamed for the blast, but rather to address the underlying conditions that led to the disaster. "We need to determine who is responsible as well as all behaviour that led to this situation, so that the issue is addressed and proper measures are taken to deter similar conduct in the future," he said. "What's the use of... prosecuting those who will be found guilty if (official) conduct does not change?" he asked.
- 'Only want justice' -
The Hasrouty family is one of at least 1,228 families who have turned to the Beirut Bar Association to file complaints they hope will become lawsuits against the state, as Lebanese law does not allow for class action procedures. The Beirut Bar Association is offering its services pro bono as part of an accountability drive it launched after the blast, assigning a lawyer to each of the cases it is currently handling. "We can't stand by idly in the face of a tragic crime of this kind," Melhem Khalaf, the head of the association, told AFP. "We are not seeking revenge in any way. We only want justice." With an army of 400 volunteer lawyers and 200 legal aides, the Beirut Bar Association has set up seven makeshift centres in blast-hit districts in the aftermath of the explosion, Khalaf said. They have been backed by more than 450 real-estate appraisers who helped assess the cost of damages suffered by the claimants. Staring at a computer at the association's Beirut headquarters, lawyer Ali Jaber gave a break-down of the cases. So far, more than 82 percent of all cases brought to the Beirut Bar Association involve people whose complaint focuses on material losses as a result of the blast, according to Jaber. Those who sustained injuries as well as material losses make up around seven percent of future claimants, while those whose complaint centred solely on injuries accounted for three and a half percent, he said. A little over one percent have lost a relative to the blast. Jaber said claimants would seek first to establish responsibility through a verdict before any second lawsuit for compensation from the cash-strapped state, as Lebanon grapples with its worst economic crisis since the 1975-1990 civil war.
Doubts over local probe
A long history of high-level impunity in Lebanon has pushed many of the country's citizens at home and abroad to call for an international probe into the blast -- a demand now backed by Western powers and rights groups. But Lebanese authorities have rejected such a proposal, favouring instead a local investigation that has so far yielded the arrest of some 25 people. They include the head of the Beirut port and its customs director, but not a single official in government or parliament. The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and French experts have been assisting Lebanese authorities in a probe that has yet to establish a cause for the blast almost seven weeks later. Amnesty International this month said an "international fact-finding mechanism" is the only way to "guarantee victims' rights to truth, justice and remedy". But the government has instead referred the investigation to "the Judicial Council, a court... whose proceedings inherently lack independence and impartiality", Amnesty said. With political forces routinely exercising influence over judges to bypass accountability, a frustrated Khalaf called on the ruling elite to "leave the judiciary alone"."A crime of this scale cannot be caught up in political disputes," he added. "Knowing the truth and achieving justice would comfort people and let them live in peace."

Aoun tells the Lebanese, if no agreement, they are ‘going to hell’
The Arab Weekly/September 22/2020
The Lebanese President blames Mustapha Adib and the Shia duo for the failure to form the government.
BEIRUT – Lebanese President Michel Aoun assured the Lebanese that they’ll be “going to Hell” if no agreement is reached soon enough on solutions to form a new government. Aoun was speaking at a press conference on Monday, during which he put the blame on Prime Minister-designate Mustapha Adib for seeking to form a government without consulting the parliamentary blocs.
Next to Adib, the president criticised the Shia duo — Hezbollah and Amal Movement — for their stubbornness and insistence on naming a Shia finance minister and pointed out that this went against the constitution. Instead, Aoun suggested that the sovereign ministries, including the finance ministry, should not be the private preserve of this large sect or that small sect, and that there should be a rotation system for these ministries. Observers say that the recent US sanctions on two former ministers, one of whom is the political aide to Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and the other the former Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil, followed by further sanctions on two companies that Washington said were owned by Hezbollah, increased the intransigence of the Shia duo. On Sunday, Maronite Patriarch Bechara Boutros Al-Rai criticised the Shia duo’s demand. “By what right does a sect demand a certain ministry as if it belongs to it, and delays the formation of the government until it gets what it wants?” he asked.
During his press conference, it was very noticeable that Aoun was extremely confused when reading a written statement. He paused several times to make out certain words and attempt to pronounce them correctly.
“We have proposed logical and median solutions to form the government, but they were rejected by the two parties (the Shia duo and the prime minister-designate); so going back to the constitutional texts and respecting them remains the solution in which there is neither a victor nor a loser,” said Aoun.
The president admitted several times the difficulties to government formation at a time when the prime minister-designate was very clear in a press statement he released before the president’s press conference.
“Lebanon does not have the luxury of wasting more time in view of the unprecedented financial, monetary, economic, social and health crises it is going through,” Adib said.
“The suffering of the Lebanese that reverberates across the nation and is reflected in the deadly sea crossings (referring to the waves of illegal migration to Europe across the Mediterranean), requires the cooperation of all parties in order to facilitate the formation of a government with a single purpose and with a specific programme, which the parties had previously pledged to support, and made up of specialists capable of stopping (the country’s) collapse and of working to yank the country out of its crises, and restore the citizen’s confidence in his country and its institutions,” Adib’s statement continued.
Adib stressed that he would spare no effort to “achieve this goal in cooperation with the President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun,” and wished that everyone “start, immediately and without delay, participating in ensuring the success of the French initiative, which opens the way for Lebanon’s rescue and for stopping its rapid deterioration.”
He concluded by warning that “any additional delay exacerbates and deepens the crisis, and pushes people towards more poverty, and the state towards more impotence, and I do not think that anyone could bear the weight of the guilt of causing more pain to the Lebanese people who have suffered so much and still are.”Mustafa Adib’s statement clearly reflected his adherence to the French initiative that calls for the formation of a “government with a single mission,” meaning a government of specialists, removed from partisan meddling and control, and vested with a specific mission.
Since his appointment at the end of last August and on the same day as Macron’s latest visit to Beirut, Mustafa Adib has met four times with Aoun without being able to present to him a new cabinet.
Moreover, and since the horrific blast August 4 at the port of Beirut, France has exerted tremendous pressure on the political forces in Lebanon to form a government devoted to undertaking urgent reforms in exchange for international financial support to pull the country out of its economic crisis and re-launch its negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). At the end of his September 1 visit to Beirut, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that Lebanese political forces had pledged to form a “government with a specific mission” composed of “independent members” and enjoying the support of all political parties within a period of two weeks.The political tradition in Lebanon has always been for any new government to receive approval of all the major components of the Lebanese political scene in a system based on sectarian quotas, which has made the task of forming a new cabinet difficult and time consuming, taking several weeks or even months. Lebanon’s economy is collapsing after decades of government waste, graft and soaring debt. With the country running out of dollars, Lebanon's Central Bank helped support imports of fuel, wheat and medicine.
When asked about the situation, Aoun said: “We ask those in charge of money management, how did we reach this situation?”

French initiative is Lebanon’s last chance
Osama Al-Sharif/Arab News/September 22/2020
Lebanese Prime Minister-designate Mustapha Adib’s bid to form a non-partisan government of experts is about to falter. The deadline imposed by France’s Emanuel Macron has already passed and the French initiative — which is the only one on the table — to save Lebanon from imploding may expire too. If that happens, then all options, mostly dire, will become hauntingly real.
Lebanon cannot afford the luxury of denouncing Macron’s overtures and threats to Lebanon’s ruling elite as “colonial nostalgia.” Yes, Greater Lebanon, created by France 100 years ago, has always had a special rapport with Paris. Most Lebanese politicians have interests in France; including as a second home for some, especially during the civil war and in the wake of various crises. But this dependency is the product of a system of power sharing: The so-called consociationalism, which has sacrificed the greater good of the country for the narrow interests of sects and their leaders.
The result is decades of corruption, self-serving policies and a deepening of a quota system that has led the country to where it is today. Last month’s horrific explosion at Beirut Port, which killed more than 190 people and destroyed large swaths of the capital, while leaving tens of thousands homeless, represented the epitome of the collapse of the Lebanese state.
Lebanon needs reforms — deep, structural ones that would change the current trajectory. Time is running out and, as has been the case for Lebanon for decades, it now finds itself hostage to sectarian squabbling and foreign meddling. Adib’s government should represent a fresh start for a country that some are already dubbing a failed state.
Adib’s mission has been disrupted by the Hezbollah-Amal Movement’s insistence that their nominee holds the finance portfolio. That would defeat the purpose and weaken Adib’s efforts to have a free hand in carrying out long-awaited reforms. It would set a precedent that the allocation of portfolios is carried out on a sectarian basis. Their stance has been altered by a US decision last week to impose sanctions on a leading party member who is close to Hassan Nasrallah and a senior aide to Speaker Nabih Berri. Hezbollah’s alliance with President Michel Aoun and the Free Patriotic Movement is now in jeopardy.
Behind-the-scenes negotiations may lead to a compromise, but that is hardly what is needed for Lebanon to break the vicious cycle it finds itself in today. What Lebanon needs, if it wants to avoid civil war and even partition, is a new political deal that would end sectarian power sharing and present a civil and secular system that shuns ethno-confessional arrangements.
But there is a big snag in the way: Hezbollah’s ties to Iran and its regional agenda. The Shiite militia is so entrenched in the deep state that it can never disarm and engage as a political party. This is the conundrum for Lebanon today and, despite all of the white noise coming from the party about embracing reforms and salvaging the state, the reality is that its priorities are at odds with that of the rest of the Lebanese.
Macron, who has visited Beirut twice since the port explosion and was embraced by weary Lebanese as a hero, is said to have solicited the help of Iran in resolving the crisis. But Tehran’s immediate interest in Lebanon is to save its proxy Hezbollah from what both see as a US conspiracy to weaken and defeat the party. Washington is content to see public anger rising against Hezbollah and Iran in its bid to further isolate Tehran.
At a time when as many as 75 percent of Lebanese are living in poverty — the figure has spiked as a result of the coronavirus disease pandemic — and the size of public debt as a percentage of gross domestic product is almost 175 percent, while essential foods and medicines are scarce, the need for a new government of experts that would allow foreign nations to step in and help the country is more urgent than ever.
Adib’s government should represent a fresh start for a country that some are already dubbing a failed state.
But the prospects of that happening are limited. Lebanon’s former warlords continue to believe that power-sharing deals can still be reached and that the old system may yet survive. This is bad news for the Lebanese people, who end up paying the price. Meanwhile, the economy is in freefall and billions of dollars have been smuggled out of the country. One wonders what chances Adib has, even if he manages to form a small government of experts in the coming hours.
A bleak view suggests that Adib may withdraw, leaving the country at an impasse. France may give up on the ruling class, just as the US has, and leave it to the Lebanese to figure a way out of their misery. The situation is volatile and people are angry, and one unfortunate incident may ignite a situation that would certainly push the country to the brink.
*Osama Al-Sharif is a journalist and political commentator based in Amman. Twitter: @plato010

In Lebanon, blasted Beirut windows turned into traditional glassware
Robert McKelvey, Al Arabiya English/Tuesday 22 September 2020
In the aftermath of the Beirut port explosion, armies of volunteers and activists have been working around the clock to clear the wreckage from their devastated neighborhoods, including an estimated 5,000 tons of window glass destroyed by the force of the massive blasts. One initiative has sought to make sure all this glass doesn’t end up in Lebanon’s already overflowing landfills in the country with notoriously poor waste management infrastructure that just five years ago suffered a garbage crisis. The Green Glass Recycling Initiative Lebanon (GGRIL) has been working together with glass factories in the northern city of Tripoli and with the Khalifeh Brothers’ factory in Sarafand south of Beirut, to create new ranges of traditional Lebanese glassware, turning these remnants of shock and horror into something beautiful and nostalgic. GGRIL has provided artisanal glassblowers with cleaned glass recovered from damaged and the craftsmen have remolded the shards into handcrafted water jugs, carafes and cups to commemorate the blast, as well as bottles for local businesses, using traditional methods that go back millennia.
Ziad Abi Chaker, the CEO of Cedar Environmental LLC – one of the founding institutions of GGRIL – said the project was a collective effort.
“I’m working with some of the NGOs on the ground that mobilized after the blast and I had arranged to meet with the glass factories in Tripoli as well, to see what kind of shattered glass they can work with,” Abi Chaker told Al Arabiya English.
So far, around 80 tons of shattered glass has been recycled. Unfortunately, much of the material is simply too contaminated to be used.
“The glass that fell on the streets got mixed with debris and stones and sand, and it has become too difficult to clean, so we are using all the glass that fell inside,” said Abi Chaker.
Traditional glassblowing is something of a dying art in Lebanon. The Khalifeh family, long time partners of Abi Chaker, claim to be among the last traditional glassblowers in the country, and one of few keeping the craft alive in the region.
“This is a Phoenician tradition,” said Abi Chaker. “They perfected the glassblowing technique, and it was done in this land thousands of years ago. [The Khalifehs] can trace their glassblowing ancestry to 250 years.”
The area now known as Lebanon first appeared in recorded history around 4,000 BC as a group of coastal cities inhabited by a Semitic people whom the ancient Greeks called “Phoenicians” because of the purple (phoinikies) dyes they sold.
During the 2006 war with Israel, Lebanon’s only green glass manufacturing and recycling plant was completely destroyed by bombing, and was never been rebuilt. Since then, over 70 million glass bottles a year have been sent to landfills or uncontrolled dumps, an issue that GGRIL was originally founded to address back in 2012. “It had two objectives,” explained Abi Chaker. “One part was to divert the green glass from the landfills, but the second, equal part was to create more work opportunities for the last glassblowers of the country.
“Now, we widened the scope to take all the shattered glass of the windows. It is a kind of glass that would go into their ovens and they would be able to work with it, no problems.”Waste management is an ongoing problem
Waste management has been a serious issue in Lebanon for decades now, most famously peaking in 2015 when waste company Sukleen suspended collection following the closure of the controversial Naameh landfill, resulting in piles of rubbish filling the streets and sparking massive demonstrations and the “You Stink” movement. The Naameh landfill was originally set to receive 2 million tons of waste before it was scheduled to close in 2004, but the date was repeatedly postponed by successive governments. By the time it was finally closed, the site had taken over 15 million tons of waste. “We have a waste crisis on our hands. It’s an endemic problem due to corruption, political cronyism – you name it,” said Abi Chaker. “It’s basically linked to all of the other major issues that Lebanon suffers from – like power [and] telecommunications – where politicians want to monopolize the sector.”
While efforts like those of Cedar Environmental and GGRIL provide much-needed alternatives to keep the ongoing crisis at bay, more needs to be done. While 85 percent of Lebanon’s waste goes to landfills, researchers from the American University of Beirut have found that only around 12 percent of that waste cannot be composted or recycled and needs to be landfilled. “We are in a political deadlock now,” said Abi Chaker. “We’ll see what happens after the blast, and what political changes will be ushered onto the scene.”
 

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on September 22-23/2020

UN General Assembly: Trump says Abraham Accords brought optimism to Middle East
ABC//September 22/2020
UNITED NATIONS: Donald Trump told world leaders Tuesday he “has never been more optimistic” about the future of the Middle East. In his address to the UN General Assembly, the US president trumpeted his foreign policy achievements, particularly in the the regions. He said the Abraham Accords signed between Israel, the UAE and Bahrain last week were groundbreaking and came thanks to a new approach by his administration. “We reached a landmark breakthrough with two peace deals in the Middle East, after decades of no progress,” Trump said in his address delivered by video.
“Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain all signed a historic peace agreement in the White House, with many other Middle Eastern countries to come. They are coming fast, and they know it’s great for them and it’s great for the world.” Trump, who faces an election on Nov. 3, said during his presidency the US withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal and imposed crippling sanctions on “the world’s leading state sponsor of terror.” He said the US had “obliterated” Daesh and killed its leader Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi. He said under his watch the American forces had also taken out Iranian general Qassem Soleimani, who he described as “the world’s top terrorist.”Trump also took aim at China, blaming the superpower for unleashing the coronavirus pandemic on the world. Speaking a shortly after Trump, China’s President Xi Jinping warned the world not to “politicize” the fight against coronavirus.
His speech came during the UN’s first virtual meeting of world leaders. Among the speaking on Tuesday were Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Vladimir Putin, and French president Emmanuel Macron. Erdogan used his speech to signal Turkey's position on the eastern Mediterranean, where his country had been accused of provacoatively caarying out energy exploration in disputed waters.
From the Middle East, Iranian president Hassan Rouhani will take the virtual floor as his country comes under huge pressure from the US over the crumbling nuclear deal.
Jordan's King Abdullah II and the Emir of Qatar will also deliver their addresses. After Monday's introductory session marking the UN's 75th anniversary, the “general debate” is the meeting's central event — speeches from each of its 193 member nations. They traditionally serve as a platform for countries to tout accomplishments, seek support, stoke rivalries and express views on global priorities.*With AP

Major fire breaks out at a factory near Iran’s capital, no casualties: Reports
Reuters/Tuesday 22 September 2020
A fire broke out at an Iranian factory near Tehran on Tuesday, Iran’s state TV reported, the latest in a string of fires and explosions, some of which have hit sensitive sites. “There are no casualties ... firefighters have been dispatched to the factory in the Islamshahr county. Efforts to control and extinguish the widespread fire continue,” a fire department official told state TV, adding that the cause of the fire was under investigation. There have been several other incidents at facilities in the past months, including a fire at the underground Natanz nuclear facility in July which caused significant damage, but Iranian officials said operations were not affected.

US can impose neither negotiations nor war on Iran, Rouhani says in UN address
Reuters/Tuesday 22 September 2020
Iran’s president told the UN General Assembly on Tuesday that the United States could impose “neither negotiations nor war” on the Islamic Republic amid heightened tension between the longtime foes over Tehran’s 2015 nuclear deal with major powers. “Iran is not a bargaining chip in US elections and domestic policy ... Any US administration after the upcoming (US) elections will have no choice but to surrender to the resilience of the Iranian nation,” Hassan Rouhani told the annual .N gathering in a video message. The US-Iranian confrontation has intensified since 2018 when President Donald Trump withdrew the United States from Iran’s nuclear deal with world powers and unilaterally re-imposed sanctions that have hobbled the Islamic Republic’s economy. Trump wants a broader agreement with Tehran’s clerical rulers that would further restrict Iran’s nuclear program, halt its ballistic missile development work and end its support for proxy forces around the Middle East. Iran has refused to hold talks with the United States unless Washington lifts sanctions on Tehran and returns to the original agreement. In retaliation for US pressure, Tehran has scaled back compliance with nuclear capacity limits set by the deal.
In his UN address earlier on Tuesday, Trump said: “We withdrew from the terrible Iran nuclear deal and imposed crippling sanctions on the world’s leading state sponsor of terror”. Iran denies supporting terrorism.
The Trump administration on Monday slapped new sanctions on Iran to support the US assertion that all United Nations sanctions against Tehran that were lifted under the 2015 agreement are now reinstated.
That move was rejected by key European allies as well as US adversaries such as Russia and China who are all parties to the nuclear accord. “This is a victory not just for Iran, but for the global community - during the transitional international order in the post-Western world - that an aspirant to hegemony is humiliated in such self-created isolation,” Rouhani said, referring to the Trump administration. In his address to the General Assembly, French President Emmanuel Macron said the Trump’s administration’s “maximum pressure” campaign against Iran had so far failed. Macron dismissed US efforts to restore UN sanctions against Tehran

Russia says US sanctions on Iran will not affect Moscow-Tehran cooperation

Reuters/Tuesday 22 September 2020
Russia said on Tuesday new US sanctions against Iran would have no political or practical consequences for Moscow’s cooperation with Tehran, the Interfax news agency reported, citing Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov. The United States on Monday slapped new sanctions on Iran’s defense ministry and others involved in its nuclear and weapons program to support the US assertion that all UN sanctions against Tehran are now restored, a stance which key European allies as well as Russia and China reject. Ryabkov also said that Russia had not given the United States any new deadlines in negotiations over the New START treaty, their last major nuclear arms pact, but said time was running out.

US and UAE eye F-35 agreement before December 2: Reuters
Reuters/Tuesday 22 September 2020
The United States and the United Arab Emirates hope to have an initial agreement on the sale of F-35 stealth fighter jets to the Gulf state in place by December, as the Trump administration studies how to structure a deal without running afoul of Israel. Sources close to the negotiations said the goal is to have a letter of agreement in place in time for UAE National Day celebrated on Dec. 2. Any deal must satisfy decades of agreement with Israel that states any US weapons sold to the region must not impair Israel’s “qualitative military edge,” guaranteeing US weapons furnished to Israel are “superior in capability” to those sold to its neighbors. With that in mind Washington is studying ways to make the Lockheed Martin Corp F-35 more visible to Israeli radar systems, two sources said. Reuters could not determine if this would be done by changing the jet or providing Israel with better radar, among other possibilities. Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz was due to meet his US counterpart Mark Esper in Washington on Tuesday. The UAE embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The White House declined to comment. A Pentagon spokeswoman told Reuters, “as a matter of policy, the United States does not confirm or comment on proposed defense sales or transfers until they are formally notified to Congress.”Once a letter of agreement is signed, a fine may be levied against any party that terminates the deal. Several political and regulatory hurdles must be cleared before the sale may be completed and Capitol Hill aides cautioned a deal may not be possible this year.Ellen Lord, the Pentagon’s chief weapons buyer, told reporters in August that in general, the United States aims to complete a letter of agreement for new F-35 sales in about six months.
Because of the qualitative military edge restriction, the Lockheed Martin-made F-35 has been denied to Arab states, while Israel has about 24 jets.
The United Arab Emirates, one of Washington’s closest Middle East allies, has long expressed interest in acquiring the stealthy jets and was promised a chance to buy them in a side deal made when they agreed to normalize relations with Israel. Sources familiar with the negotiations said a working idea was for Israeli air defenses to be able to detect the UAE F-35s with technology that effectively defeats the stealth capabilities of the jets.F-35 fighter jets sold to the United Arab Emirates could also be built in a way that ensures the same planes owned by Israel outperform any others sold in the region, defense experts say. Washington already demands that any F-35 sold to foreign governments cannot match the performance of US jets, said both a congressional staffer and a source familiar with past sales. The F-35’s technical sophistication is tied to its mission systems and processing power and “it’s the computing power that allows you to sell a higher tech jet to Israel than to the UAE,” said Doug Birkey, executive director of the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies in Washington. “When foreign pilots are in training in the US they type a code into a user interface as they board the jet, the code will pull a different jet for each pilot based on legal permissions,” Birkey said. Either way, actual delivery of new jets is years away. Poland, the most recent F-35 customer, purchased 32 of the jets in January, but will not receive its first delivery until 2024.

France's Macron says US maximum pressure on Iran not working
Reuters/Tuesday 22 September 2020
The United States' maximum pressure campaign on Iran has so far failed, France's president said on Tuesday, and he dismissed US efforts to restore UN sanctions against Tehran because Washington had left the 2015 nuclear deal.
"The maximum pressure strategy, which has been under way for several years, has not at this stage made it possible to end Iran's destabilizing activities or to ensure that it will not be able to acquire nuclear weapons," Emmanuel Macron said in a speech to the United Nations General Assembly. "This is why France, along with its German and British partners, will maintain its demand for the full implementation of the 2015 Vienna Agreement and will not accept the violations committed by Iran."

US calls on Houthis to halt attacks on Saudi Arabia
Agencies/September 22/2020
RIYADH: The US on Tuesday called on Houthi militants in Yemen to stop launching attacks on Saudi Arabia.  The State Department said it was “deeply concerned” by the Iran-backed group’s aggression, including attacks on Marib city.
The statement comes after the militants have increased drone and missile attacks on Saudi Arabia in recent weeks and as the UN continues to push for a political settlement to the conflict. “The United States remains deeply concerned by the Houthis’ aggression, supported by Iranian weapons shipments in violation of UN arms embargoes,” State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said. “We call on the Houthis to immediately cease their cross-border attacks against Saudi Arabia and halt their attacks on the city of Marib, where nearly a million Yemenis have sought refuge since the beginning of the war.” The strongly-worded warning also called on the Houthis to stop the “disgraceful treatment of journalists, opposition activists, and Yemeni Jews.” And it contained the latest warning over a stricken oil tanker off Yemen’s coast which experts increasingly fear could explode and spark an environmental disaster.
“We call on the Houthis to cease their environmental brinkmanship and allow UN access to the Safer tanker before there is an oil spill or explosion that would bring further environmental and humanitarian calamity to Yemen, the Red Sea, and the region,” Ortagus said. The department called on nations that had made aid pledges to Yemen to follow through and send the money across.

Iran’s Zarif says Tehran is ready for a full prisoner exchange with US
Reuters/Monday 21 September 2020
Iran is ready for a full prisoner exchange with the United States, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said in a virtual address to the Council on Foreign Relations in New York on Monday, amid heightened tension between the longtime foes. Washington has long demanded that Iran release US citizens including Iranian-American father and son Baquer and Siamak Namazi, who it says are political prisoners. Tehran denies it holds people for political reasons and has accused many of the foreigners in its jails of espionage. It says Iranians detained in the US, mostly for breaking sanctions, are being unjustly held. “There are Iranians in US prisons who are there only because they refuse to betray their country (Iran). We are prepared to exchange all of them and all those who have been kept in jail,” Zarif said. “I repeat, we can exchange all prisoners. Period.” The two sides have done two prisoner exchanges despite a deterioration in relations in 2018 when US President Donald Trump exited Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal with major powers and re-imposed sanctions on Tehran that have crippled its economy.Washington piled more pressure on Iran at the weekend when it said it had triggered a snapback of UN sanctions and slapped new sanctions on Iranian officials on Monday.

Rouhani Says Next U.S. Leader Must Cede to Iran Demands
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/September 22/2020
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani vowed Tuesday that the next U.S. leader must accept Tehran's demands, ruling out compromise as Donald Trump vies for reelection. "We are not a bargaining chip in U.S. elections and domestic policy," Rouhani said in a virtual address to the U.N. General Assembly.
"Any U.S. administration after the upcoming elections will have no choice but to surrender to the resilience of the Iranian nation." Tensions have soared between Iran and the United States under Trump, who pulled out of a nuclear accord negotiated by his predecessor Barack Obama and slapped sweeping sanctions on the country. Joe Biden, Trump's rival in November 3 elections, staunchly backed the 2015 nuclear deal. Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Monday also ruled out any renegotiation of the 2015 accord, which he had brokered over exhaustive talks with his then counterpart John Kerry. "The United States can impose neither negotiations nor war on us. Life is hard under sanctions. However, harder is life without independence," Rouhani said. "And for the world: Today is the time to say 'no' to bullying and arrogance. "The era of dominance and hegemony is long over. Our nations and children deserve a better and safer world based on the rule of law."
- France rejects Trump effort -
Trump ramped up efforts Monday by saying he was imposing "U.N." sanctions over Iranian violations of an arms embargo -- defying virtually the entire Security Council which says he has no such authority. The Trump administration argues that the United States remains a "participant" in the 2015 deal as it was listed as such in a resolution that blessed Obama's diplomatic efforts -- meaning Washington can still "snap back" sanctions for violations. French President Emmanuel Macron, who last year tried unsuccessfully to introduce Trump and Rouhani, was unambiguous in his opposition to Trump's assertion. "We will not compromise on the activation of a mechanism that the United States is not in a position to activate on its own after leaving the agreement," Macron said in his recorded speech. "This would undermine the unity of the Security Council and the integrity of its decisions, and it would run the risk of further aggravating tensions in the region," he warned. Trump made clear in his own address that the United States was out of the nuclear deal. "We withdrew from the terrible Iran Nuclear Deal and imposed crippling sanctions on the world's leading state sponsor of terror," Trump said. U.N. inspectors say Iran was in compliance with the restrictions on its nuclear program under the accord, but the Trump administration says its priority is to counter Iran throughout the region and boost its rivals Israel and Saudi Arabia. France and other European powers say they support extending the arms embargo on Iran, which is set to expire next month, but that the priority is to preserve a peaceful solution on the nuclear issue.
 

Turkey, Greece agree to resume talks to resolve disputes
AP/September 22, 2020
ANKARA, Turkey: Turkey and Greece are ready to resume talks in a bid to overcome a dispute over maritime boundaries and rights to exploit oil and gas resources, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s office said Tuesday. The statement followed his video conference meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and European Council President Charles Michel. During the meeting, Erdogan called for a regional conference that would gather all sides involved in the dispute — including Turkish Cypriots — and said the “momentum” for dialogue should be protected,” according to the statement.
The two neighboring NATO members have been locked in a tense standoff over energy exploitation rights in an area between Turkey’s southern coast, several Greek islands and the war-divided island of Cyprus. Turkey sent a research vessel into the disputed waters this summer.
Following mediation efforts by Germany and others, Turkey pulled back the research vessel to port and both countries eased their naval presence and halted military exercises, paving the way for a dialogue. It was not clear when and how the talks would begin. Erdogan told Merkel and Michel that “steps to be taken by Greece” would determine the course of the talks. Greek-Turkish talks to resolve disputes were last held in 2016. The Turkish leader also said he hoped that the next European Union summit would breathe new life into Turkish-EU ties, including allowing Turkish citizens visa-free travel rights to Europe and sealing a new agreement on migration. EU members Greece and Cyprus had been pushing for EU sanctions against Turkey at the Sept. 24-25 summit meeting to due Turkey’s search for energy inside Cyprus’ economic zone. But the summit has been postponed for a week because Michel has gone into quarantine after a close collaborator was diagnosed with COVID-19.

Turkey sentences female politician to prison for calling Erdogan ‘enemy of women’
Emily Judd, Al Arabiya English/Tuesday 22 September 2020
A female politician in Turkey has been sentenced to 11 months in prison for calling Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan an enemy of women, according to media reports. Sebahat Tuncel was sentenced Saturday for saying Erdogan was a “complete misogynist” – a remark she mad four years ago.
Tuncel’s attorney argued that the politician’s statement that “the president was an enemy of women and Kurds,” made during a 2016 speech, is “within the freedom of expression,” according to Turkish news outlet Duvar English. The court disagreed.
Tuncel is just one of thousands of Turkish citizens who have received prison time for insulting the Turkish president.
Incarceration for insult
Turkey’s penal code criminalizes insulting the president, with an offender typically facing a prison term of up to four years. The sentence can be increased if the insult is expressed in the public sphere, like in the case of Tuncel. Over 3,800 people in Turkey received prison sentences in 2019 for insulting Erdogan, Turkish media reported last week. As arrests have continued to increase over the past four years, human rights organizations have called on Turkey to end prosecutions for acts of “insulting the president,” and accused the government of using the law to silence dissenting voices.
Erdogan and women’s rights
Tuncel, a Turkish politician of Kurdish origin, has been described in Turkish media as a women’s rights activist. Her characterization of the Turkish president as a “misogynist” followed two controversial speeches made by Erdogan in 2014 and 2016. Erdogan said publicly women are not equal to men in 2014, and two years later said that women who reject motherhood are “deficient” and “incomplete.” The president has also urged Turkish women to have at least three children and has proposed limiting access to the morning-after pill and Caesarian sections.
This summer Erdogan’s ruling Justice and Development Party, known as the AKP, came under fire for debating whether Turkey should pull out of a European domestic violence treaty known as the Istanbul Convention, which aims at stopping violence against women.
Dissidents or terrorists?
While Tuncel previously served as a member in Turkish parliament, she was sentenced to 15 years in prison in 2019 on charges of belonging to a terrorist organization. Turkey’s anti-terrorism legislation has been widely utilized by the judicial system to crackdown on dissidents following the 2016 failed coup against Erdogan’s government. Human rights organizations have warned that the legislation is vague and is wrongly used to silence political opponents. “Criminal investigations and prosecutions under anti-terrorism laws…continued to be used, in the absence of evidence of any criminal wrongdoing, to silence real or perceived dissent,” according to Amnesty International.

Palestine quits chairing Arab League sessions for next 6 months
Reuters/RamallahTuesday 22 September 2020
Palestine has quit its current chairmanship of Arab League meetings, the Palestinian foreign minister said on Tuesday, condemning as dishonorable any Arab agreement to establish formal relations with Israel. Palestinians see the accords that the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain signed with Israel in Washington a week ago as a betrayal of their cause and a blow to their quest for an independent state. Earlier this month, the Palestinians failed to persuade the Arab League to condemn member nations breaking ranks and normalizing ties with Israel. Palestine was supposed to chair Arab League meetings for the next six months, but Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki told a news conference in the West Bank city of Ramallah that it no longer wanted the position. “Palestine has decided to concede its right to chair the League’s council (of foreign ministers) at its current session. There is no honor in seeing Arabs rush towards normalization during its presidency,” Maliki said. After initial remarks, Maliki read from a letter he said he sent to Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit informing him of the Palestinian move and criticizing the UAE and Bahrain. The UAE’s deal with Israel “created a deep crisis in the Arab League” and the accord was followed “by a similar collapse by the Kingdom of Bahrain,” Maliki said, quoting from the letter.

Over 70 Afghan government troops killed in Taliban attacks
Arab News/Agencies/September 22/2020
KABUL: More than 70 government security forces have been killed across Afghanistan in Taliban attacks during the past two days alone, officials said Tuesday, even as negotiators from both sides engage in direct peace talks to end decades of war. “The Taliban have increased their raids since the start of the talks and, as the defense minister said recently, the reason for it is to seek concessions at the negotiation table which is impossible to gain through violence and killing,” Fawad Aman, Defense Ministry spokesman, told Arab News. He said that government troops, who were on “active defense status” because of the ongoing talks in Qatar, were forced to respond and managed to foil Taliban attacks and inflict heavy losses. The Taliban had the intention of capturing towns and districts from the government, like it had done in the past, while the talks were going on in Qatar, but they had not succeeded and faced a tough response from security forces, Aman added. Tariq Aryan, a spokesman for the Interior Ministry, said that while the Taliban had carried out attacks in 24 out of 34 provinces since the start of the talks last week, seven provinces had come under renewed assault in the past 48 hours.
Southern Uruzgan has been the site of the worst strikes, which began on Sunday night and continued until early Tuesday morning, he said.
“At least 24 government forces were killed after the Taliban stormed their posts on Sunday night,” Uruzgan’s deputy governor, Sayed Mohammad Sadat, was reported as saying by local media.  Overnight, at least 14 more government troops were killed in a separate Taliban attack in Gizab district, the governor’s spokesman Zergai Ebadi said on Tuesday. In Kandahar which, like Uruzgan serves as the Taliban’s birthplace, 11 soldiers lost their lives in two separate attacks on Sunday night, while 20 troops were killed in two different raids in Maidan Wardak province, which lies on a strategic highway to the west of Kabul. Several dozen soldiers were killed in other parts of the country, such as Takhar and Baghlan in the north and Tagab in Kabul’s northeast, but officials at the defense and interior ministries did not provide an exact figure when contacted by Arab News. The Taliban blamed the government for the escalation of attacks, accusing it of building new posts in regions close to Taliban-controlled areas, and dispatching additional troops in nine provinces.
“We have been on defense mode, and the reason why they have suffered is because they were trying to establish new positions in ours, making them vulnerable to our attacks,” Zabihullah Mujahid, the group’s spokesman told Arab News by phone, adding that the government was carrying out air raids “in retaliation” for its casualties that “only killed civilians.”“Talks are going on in Qatar but, in the battlefield, we are not allowing them to make any progress,” he said. The significance of the timing is not lost on officials.  Zalmay Khalilzad, US special envoy for Afghanistan, tweeted on Monday: “Over the last few days, there has been a clear rise in violence in Afghanistan. This escalation is regrettable as Afghans, including many civilians, are losing their lives.” He called on all sides to reduce violence.
Sediq Seddiqi, President Ashraf Ghani’s chief spokesman, said that while talks were underway in Qatar the “continuation of violence will further disappoint the people.”“We have lost a large number of our troops (in recent days), and people ask why there is violence when we talk about peace,” he told Arab News. “Both people and the government believe that the Taliban do not have any justification for the continuation of violence.”Seddiqi said that the continuation of Taliban attacks may damage the consensus created at home and in the region on the peace process, with the US eyeing a complete withdrawal of its troops from the country by next spring. One presidential palace source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that if the Taliban insisted on the continuation of violence then there was a probability that “the peace process will collapse.”
Experts, however, viewed the recent attacks as part of “political pressure tactics.”
“The warring sides in Afghanistan, like in other past peace processes in other parts of the world, want to build pressure on each other on the battlefield to have the upper hand in the political bargaining,” Attiqullah Amarkhail, a retired general, told Arab News. But he said that, in Afghanistan’s case, the government suffered the most. “It’s because it deals with maximum pressure and faces rising public anger because of the casualties and from other sides, there are people in government who want to prolong the war because it is through that they have thrived, earned wealth and power.”Amarkhail, without naming any leader, said that some in top government positions were also “fanning ethnic and sectarian tension” while the serious process of talks in Qatar had yet to begin, fearing it could “lead to mistrust and possibly derail the peace process.” Amanullah Hotaki, a former provincial council member in Uruzgan, said: “If the talks fail, then they (the Taliban) have to be in the upper position for implementing their Plan B which is to get power by force.”

Clashes between govt forces, ISIS in Syria’s Raqa leave 28 dead, says a war monitor
AFP/Wednesday 23 September 2020
Clashes in Syria between pro-regime forces and ISIS terrorist group fighters, along with airstrikes, have killed at least 28 fighters in the northern province of Raqa, a war monitor said Tuesday. “ISIS has since Monday carried out several attacks on Syrian army and allied positions and checkpoints in the Badia (desert) of Raqa, killing 13 members of regime forces,” the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Britain-based monitoring group, told AFP the regime has retaliated with waves of airstrikes, killing 15 extremists either in the strikes or fighting on the ground. Since its defeat in Syria in March 2019, ISIS has carried out regular deadly attacks on the army and Kurdish forces. In August, the extremists claimed an attack near the city of Deir Ezzor that killed a general and two other soldiers of the Russian army forces allied to the Damascus government.

Woman Suspected of Sending Ricin-Filled Envelope to White House to Appear in Court
Asharq Al-Awsat/Tuesday, 22 September, 2020 t
A woman arrested by US authorities on suspicion of sending a ricin-filled envelope to the White House and to five other addresses in Texas will appear before a federal court in Buffalo, New York, later on Tuesday.US authorities arrested a woman on the Canada-US border on Sunday, at the so-called Peace Bridge that runs between Fort Erie, Ontario, and Buffalo.She is due to make her initial appearance at US District Judge H. Kenneth Schroeder Jr. at 4 p.m. EDT (2000 GMT). She has yet not been officially identified. The envelope was intercepted at a government mail center before it arrived at the White House, Canadian police said on Saturday. Canadian police on Monday searched an apartment in a Montreal suburb linked to the woman. She has joint Canadian and French citizenship, two sources said. The woman is suspected of sending a total of six letters, with the other five addressed to law enforcement and detention facilities in South Texas, according to a US law enforcement source. So far no links to political or terrorist groups have been found, but the investigation is ongoing, the source said. The police department in Mission, Texas, received a suspicious letter within the last week, Art Flores, a spokesman for the department, said on Monday. The department did not open the envelope and turned it over to the FBI, he said. Flores also said the Mission police had arrested the woman now believed to be held in Buffalo in early 2019. Ricin is found naturally in castor beans but it takes a deliberate act to convert it into a biological weapon. Ricin can cause death within 36 to 72 hours from exposure to an amount as small as a pinhead. No known antidote exists.

Pakistan Says Afghan Cross-Border Fire Kills Soldier
Asharq Al-Awsat/Tuesday, 22 September, 2020
Pakistan’s military on Tuesday said a soldier was killed in the country’s northwest by fire from across the Afghan border, a sign of increasing violence in an area that until recent years served as a base for Pakistani and foreign militants. The attack late Monday hit a border security post in Bajur district, a former tribal region of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The military statement said the shooting came from the Afghan side of the frontier and provided no further details. The brief statement said Pakistan "has been consistently raising the issue for border management on other side to avoid use of Afghanistan soil against Pakistan.”The two sides often accuse each other of turning a blind eye to militants operating along the porous frontier, which stretches 2,400 kilometers (1,500 miles) across rugged mountainous terrain, The Associated Press reported. In July, Pakistan said militants killed a soldier in a cross-border attack on a security post in Bajur district. That same month, a United Nations report said more than 6,000 Pakistani insurgents were hiding in Afghanistan, most belonging to the Pakistani Taliban. Pakistan's border areas served as a base for the Pakistani Taliban and other militants until a few years ago, when the army said it cleared the region of insurgents, but occasional attacks have continued. Such attacks have raised fears that the Pakistani Taliban are regrouping. Last week, the insurgents released a statement asking residents to vacate the former tribal regions of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, as the group plans to launch more attacks on security forces.

Jailed Kurdish Politician Handed Another Year for Insulting Turkey's Erdogan
Asharq Al-Awsat/Tuesday, 22 September, 2020
A former Kurdish parliamentarian jailed in Turkey on terrorism charges has been handed an additional prison term for insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, two of her lawyers said. Sebahat Tuncel was sentenced last week to 11 months and 20 days for calling Erdogan an enemy of Kurds and women in a speech in 2016, comments one of her lawyers defended as legitimate criticism of a political opponent. Tuncel had served in Turkey’s parliament for the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP). Her lawyer said her words had been taken out of context. “The defendant said that the president was an enemy of women and Kurds,” said attorney Sivan Cemil Ozen. Her statements were “criticism of a political rival, which is within the boundaries of freedom of expression,” she said. In a July hearing, Tuncel denied the charge, saying she should be able to criticize a political opponent. The charges against her were an attempt to “prevent freedom and thought, expression and organization, especially the freedom of politics,” she said. Last year, Tuncel was jailed for 15 years for spreading terrorist propaganda and belonging to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which is banned in Turkey and branded a terrorist organization by the United States and European Union. She had denied the charges. Charges of insulting the president carry a maximum four-year prison sentence. Such cases rose by 30% in 2019, with 26,115 people investigated, some 5,000 facing court hearings and 2,462 jailed, according to data from the justice ministry.

The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on September 22-23/2020

Dealing with the fear of missing out during pandemic
Sara Al-Mulla/Arab News/September 22/2020
It is perhaps befitting to pick up Henry David Thoreau’s book “Walden” and read it during this pandemic. First published in 1854, it is a riveting memoir of Thoreau’s two-year sojourn in a woodland cabin. What makes this book so fascinating is that, in extricating himself from society and embracing solitude, Thoreau ponders existential questions on what constitutes a good life.
He uses this time to engage in reading, housework, hiking, growing his own food, and observing the beauty of nature and rejoicing in its sounds. His writings are so lyrical and picturesque that readers could easily be transported to this idyll that he fashioned with his own self-determination. Indeed, it is the type of solitude that has a restorative and ruminating quality. His enduring words capture the importance of clarity and discernment when designing our lives: “It is something to be able to paint a particular picture, or to carve a statue, and so to make a few objects beautiful; but it is far more glorious to carve and paint the very atmosphere and medium through which we look. To affect the quality of the day, that is the highest of arts.”
In precarious circumstances, the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has enforced solitude of a different nature. As such, we have been left bereft and feeling a sense of loss at a bygone life. Though lockdowns have somewhat eased in many countries, we are still living amid confusion and fear, leading many of us to remain cocooned in our homes, forgoing many outdoor activities, social engagements and travel abroad. But we are also spending more time online and many have resorted to heavier usage of social media as a way to connect with others and live vicariously through their accounts. Post after post, picture after picture, each more tantalizing than the other, soon lures us into a whirlpool of intense feelings that we are missing out on the fun.
The “fear of missing out,” or FOMO, is aptly named and crystallizes a form of social anxiety and fear because you believe others are enjoying grand, fun experiences while you are missing out on life. Much research has asserted the negative effects of heavy social media use and its impact on increasing people’s FOMO. Some of the symptoms experienced include increased stress, anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, reduced relationship satisfaction, lower sleep quality, and even suicide.
Social media platforms aggravate this by fetching updates from people on a 24-hour reel of photos that display close friends and family or even just random people savoring vacations, activities, picture-perfect meals, and soothing nature retreats. During the pandemic, many posts have revolved around staycations in luxurious resorts, redecorating homes, baking banana bread, hiking in woodlands, throwing parties with friends, or simply lounging. In contrast, millions have had to suffer because of social inequality and have seen their incomes and jobs disappear, while losing access to much-needed green spaces, social services and cultural experiences. In such precarious circumstances, addiction to social media can skyrocket anxiety levels and diminish happiness.
It is becoming clear, then, that, in order to combat FOMO, we must instead embrace the joy of missing out, or JOMO. An important first step is to understand that FOMO is fueled by unhappiness and dissatisfaction with our own lives. Therefore, the best remedy is to cultivate a sense of gratitude for every beautiful thing we take for granted. Dr. Robert Emmons, professor of psychology at the University of California, has conducted research on how gratitude affects individuals. His study concluded that there are a number of benefits for those who regularly practice gratitude, such as stronger immune systems, less bodily aches and pains, better quality sleep, higher levels of positive emotions, more joy and pleasure, more optimism and happiness, and fewer feelings of loneliness. Gratitude also reduces toxic emotions, such as envy, resentment and regret — the very sensations felt when experiencing FOMO.
In such precarious circumstances, addiction to social media can skyrocket anxiety levels and diminish happiness.
This takes me to my next point on the importance of savoring the present. By refocusing our attention on our current blessings, we open up new doors to opportunities that maximize what we already have or can easily access. Research by Dr. Fred Bryant, a psychology professor at Loyola University Chicago, reveals the importance of “savoring” or engaging mindfully with our feelings during pleasurable activities in order to extend happiness levels beyond the moment. This can be done by being fully present in the moment and actively looking for positive qualities and memories. With many people working remotely, this is an excellent opportunity to invest time in relationships with loved ones, which is proven to bring higher levels of happiness to our lives than glamorized experiences.
While we have been limited in terms of experiencing much-loved activities, such as traveling, research by Cornell University and the University of California demonstrates that we can still derive pleasure from engaging in experiences. In the age of COVID-19, many experiences have moved online, such as live workouts, online cooking classes with celebrity chefs, virtual tours of renowned museums and art galleries, Netflix parties with friends, and YouTube videos of walking tours of famous cities. Additionally, the anticipation of imminent experiences, such as planning for a future holiday, has also been demonstrated to increase happiness.By learning to be more discerning with our thoughts and choices, we can prioritize experiences that truly add value and meaning to our lives, instead of losing our authentic selves to a social media frenzy.
*Sara Al-Mulla is an Emirati civil servant with an interest in human development policy and children’s literature.

A remarkable year for KSA in face of COVID-19
Ole E. Moesby/Arab News/September 22/2020
This year has been a remarkable one for Denmark and Saudi Arabia. On Feb. 1, they marked the 45th anniversary of diplomatic relations. It has been 45 years of interesting developments and continuously strong bilateral relations — politically and commercially.
Denmark and Saudi Arabia have ambitions in the field of renewable energy, which is a major priority for Denmark and has a prominent position in Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030. By that year, Denmark aims to cover 100 percent of the national energy demand by renewable energy, and Saudi Arabia aims to cover 50 percent. One of the latest initiatives by Saudi Arabia towards realizing its ambitions in renewable energy was to sign a deal with the Danish company Vestas to deliver wind turbines for a 400 MW wind farm in Dumat Al-Jandal. The wind energy farm will become Saudi Arabia’s first utility-scale wind-power source. I am excited to follow this development, and will be looking forward to witnessing the Danish wind turbines spin in northern Saudi Arabia in 2021.
COVID-19
COVID-19 has had a significant impact on all of us this year. When we first entered the new decade, we were not expecting that 2020 would become deeply affected by a global pandemic, economic recession and social strains. The crisis has forced global leaders to initiate strong countermeasures to combat the pandemic and mitigate the effects of a long and devastating economic recession.
The authorities in Denmark and Saudi Arabia reacted rapidly to the pandemic with drastic measures such as full lockdowns and social distancing, and the swift reactions delivered results. Danish and Saudi societies have reopened and resumed a somewhat normal situation for a couple of months now, while cautiously monitoring developments until we have an efficient vaccine.
“Saudi Arabia’s G20 presidency has created significant international attention.”
Due to travel restrictions, people around the world have enjoyed domestic tourism to a new extent this year. An unexpected aspect of the COVID-19 situation was that I enjoyed a staycation in Saudi Arabia this year. I had the pleasure of a hiking trip to the beautiful Asir region in the south. I enjoyed beautiful nature, outdoor cooking and sleeping, as well as remarkable conversations around the bonfire. Saudi Arabia offers various climates, nature and wildlife, and it has extraordinary potential for tourism.
I have enjoyed my three years in Saudi Arabia. I have vivid memories of the King Abdullah Camel Festival and Formula-E. These experiences offered insights into a beautiful and extraordinary culture, as well as a peek into the modern Saudi Arabia with a focus on diversification and sustainable solutions. I am grateful to have witnessed the first part of the implementation of Vision 2030.
G20 and women’s empowerment
Saudi Arabia’s G20 presidency has created significant international attention. Under difficult global circumstances, Saudi Arabia has taken extraordinary measures to facilitate G20 discussions about how to tackle the pandemic and its global economic consequences.
The G20 presidency has also addressed other relevant topics, such as the empowerment of women. Saudi Arabia has launched new initiatives to move towards a goal of 30 percent labor-market participation among Saudi women. It is remarkable to see the increasing number of women in leading and managerial positions, as well as female entrepreneurs.
Denmark has decades of experience with high participation of women in the labor market. It has benefited Denmark in terms of economic growth, productivity and improved innovation.
I look forward to follow the preparations for the G20 Summit in November 2020, and wish the leaders good luck in achieving results on many important global issues such as COVID-19, green economic recovery and the empowerment of women.
In conclusion, allow me to share my best wishes for a joyful and happy Saudi National Day on Sept. 23. With yet another engaging year behind us, I am looking forward to the coming year and the new opportunities it will bring for Denmark and Saudi Arabia.
*Ole E. Moesby is the ambassador of Denmark to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman and Yemen.

Foreign cooperation vital to Libyan national reconciliation
Talmiz Ahmad/Arab News/September 22/2020
A combination of military stalemate and nationwide outbursts of popular anger have compelled Libya’s feuding leaders and their foreign patrons to consider fresh initiatives to address the country’s political and economic malaise.
Following the June ending of the campaign to take Tripoli by Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar’s forces, there has been a lull in the fighting in Libya, which has provided opportunities for dialogue between political rivals.
In early September, there were two conferences. The first was at Montreux, Switzerland. It was sponsored by the UN Support Mission in Libya and brought together leaders of all the prominent political groups in the country. They agreed to have a new presidential council, made up of a president and two deputy presidents, with a separate prime minister, and to hold elections in October next year. The other conference was in Morocco, where five delegates each from the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA) and the Tobruk-based House of Representatives (HOR) agreed to unify national institutions by finalizing norms relating to the appointments of the heads of the central bank, the National Oil Corporation and the armed forces.
Hardly had the Morocco conference ended when hundreds of demonstrators went on the rampage in Benghazi. Angry with their living conditions — including shortages of water and electricity — and demanding political change, they set fire to the headquarters of the eastern government. There were further demonstrations at Al-Bayda and Al-Marj, a major base for Haftar.
Days later, the government in Tobruk, headed by Prime Minister Abdullah Al-Thani, submitted its resignation to HOR Speaker Aguila Saleh. In the west, there were popular protests against corruption and poor services in Tripoli, Misrata and Al-Zawiya last month. The demonstrators were attacked by pro-government militias, thus exposing fault lines within the government. GNA Prime Minister Fayez Al-Sarraj “suspended” his Interior Minister Fathi Bashagha on the grounds that he had been supportive of the protesters. The minister had condemned the “gang of thugs” who had attacked the demonstrators and vowed he would “protect unarmed civilians.” Bashagha, with a solid base in Misrata and backed by Turkey, was reinstated a week later. Al-Sarraj last week announced that, by the end of October, he would hand over power to a new executive authority. He admitted that Libya was experiencing “severe polarization,” but noted that the initiatives to unify the country’s major institutions and prepare for presidential and parliamentary elections had brought the country to a “new preparatory phase.”
Reflecting this positive atmosphere of reconciliation, Haftar announced that his forces would lift the eight-month blockade of oil facilities in response to the “deterioration of living conditions.”
However, despite the apparent bonhomie, the next steps in the political reconciliation process will not be easy. The main foreign players — Turkey, Russia and the US — intend to re-examine their positions and alignments to safeguard their interests.
In Libya, Turkey’s military efforts are now blocked by the Egyptian commitment to enter the conflict if the GNA forces cross the Sirte-Jufra line. In the Mediterranean, Ankara is facing opposition from the coalition of Greece, Israel and Egypt. Now, with Al-Sarraj’s departure likely to come next month, it has to consider that the new government might be less enthusiastic about the controversial deal that set out Libya and Turkey’s exclusive economic zones in the Mediterranean.
For Russia, the failure of Haftar’s forces to take Tripoli, despite being robustly backed by Russian military equipment and fighters from private military contractor the Wagner Group, has compelled it to review its commitment to the field marshal and support the reconciliation process to protect its economic and strategic interests. Further, Russia faces a challenge from a new player in Libya — the US. The Americans had previously left the defense of Western interests in the region to their European partners. But Washington has become interested in Libya in response to Russia’s plan to set up bases on the Mediterranean coast, which it sees as threatening the security of its partners in Southern Europe.

Blasphemy: Islam’s Achilles Heel
Raymond Ibrahim/September 22/2020
All around the Islamic world, and even in the West, “blasphemers”—those who would talk against Islam—are under attack; some are murdered, many imprisoned.
Validating this assertion is almost futile, as blasphemy-related stories surface with extreme regularity. The recent murder of an American citizen being tried for blasphemy in a Pakistani courtroom is just the most “spectacular.” Incidences of Muslims beating or imprisoning (two with death sentences) those who say or do something critical of Islam—to say nothing of just rioting in general—have in recent days and weeks been reported from Austria, Bangladesh, Egypt, France, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nigeria, Norway, Tunisia, and the UK.
What explains this phenomenon? Why don’t the followers of other religions respond similarly to those who “blaspheme”? The answer is that few modern religions are as fragile as Islam. Built atop a flimsy and easily collapsed pack of cards, silencing any criticism against it has always been and remains pivotal to its survival.
Muhammad himself knew this well; hence why his Koran (33:57) declares that “Those who abuse Allah and His Messenger, Allah has cursed them in this world and the Hereafter and prepared for them a humiliating punishment.” More practically, “the penalty for those who wage war against Allah and His Messenger and strive upon earth [to cause] mischief is none but that they be killed or crucified or that their hands and feet be cut off from opposite sides or that they be exiled from the land” (Koran 5:33).
Islam’s ulema (leading scholars and sheikhs) have long held that “wage war” most definitely includes verbal war. In fact, verbal attacks on Islam are often perceived as worse than physical attacks. As the highly revered Ibn Taymiyya—the “Sheikh of Islam”—put it,
Muharaba [waging war] is of two types: physical and verbal. Waging war verbally against Islam may be worse than waging war physically—hence the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to kill those who waged war against Islam verbally, while letting off some of those who waged war against Islam physically. This ruling is to be applied more strictly after the death of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). Mischief may be caused by physical action or by words, but the damage caused by words is many times greater than that caused by physical action; and the goodness achieved by words in reforming may be many times greater than that achieved by physical action. It is proven that waging war against Allah and His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) verbally is worse and the efforts on earth to undermine religion by verbal means is more effective.
This is not merely a medieval interpretation, limited to the “radical” Taymiyya; there is consensus among all four schools of Islamic law that speaking against and therefore blaspheming Muhammad deserves the death penalty. After quoting the aforementioned Koran 5:33, Dr. Zakir Naik asserted in Islamic Voice in 2006, “In Islam, a person who has committed blasphemy can either be killed or crucified, or his opposite hands and feet can be cut off, or he can be exiled from that land.”
These brutal penalties are based on the fact that, as Taymiyya pointed out, Muhammad himself ordered the execution of many people simply for criticizing, questioning, or mocking him. Among those killed were women, such as Asma bint Marwan.
According to the prophet’s earliest biographer, after Muhammad heard some of her poetry, which portrayed him as a murdering bandit, he called for her assassination, exclaiming: “Will no one rid me of this woman?” Umayr, a zealous Muslim, decided to execute the Prophet’s wishes. That very night he crept into Asma’s home while she lay sleeping surrounded by her young children; one was at her breast. The Umayr removed the suckling babe and then plunged his sword into the poet. The next morning at mosque, Muhammad, who was aware of the assassination, said, “You have helped Allah and his Apostle.” Apparently feeling some remorse, Umayr responded, “She had five sons; should I feel guilty?” “No,” the prophet answered. “Killing her was as meaningless as two goats butting heads.”
The prophet knew, as many of his modern followers instinctively sense, that, once the door to criticism is left open, Islam—which more than any other religion has been so thoroughly debunked by many fields of knowledge, not just theology or common sense—falls apart.
*Raymond Ibrahim, author of Sword and Scimitar, The Al Qaeda Reader, and Crucified Again, is a Shillman Fellow at the David Horowitz Freedom Center, a Distinguished Senior Fellow at the Gatestone Institute, and a Judith Rosen Friedman Fellow at the Middle East Forum.