LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
September 29/2019
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
The Bulletin's Link on the lccc Site
http://data.eliasbejjaninews.com/eliasnews19/english.september29.19.htm
News Bulletin Achieves Since 2006
Click Here to enter the LCCC Arabic/English news bulletins Achieves since 2006
Bible Quotations For today
To what should I compare the kingdom of God? It is
like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all
of it was leavened
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 13/18-21/:”He said
therefore, ‘What is the kingdom of God like? And to what should I compare it? It
is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in the garden; it grew and
became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches.’ And again
he said, ‘To what should I compare the kingdom of God? It is like yeast that a
woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was
leavened.’
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese
Related News published on September 28-29/2019
Zakka to Asharq Al-Awsat: Iran Freed Me as Part of Deal with US
Panicked… The Lebanese Hide a Billion Dollars Inside Their Homesl
ISF: Parcel in Qatari plane a 'mock boobytrap' placed in Prague for training
purposes and was forgotten
Tribute to Chirac: Thirty Heads of State and Government announced by Putin
Aoun Discusses Fuel, Wheat and Medicine ‘Crisis’
Berri Says Lebanon Needs 'Drastic' Measures to Counter Crisis
Kouyoumjian: Govt. Doesn’t Seek Crackdown on Syrian Refugees
Mufti Abdullah meets with Del Cole: We are not after wars, but wish to lively
honorably in our homeland
Jabak represents Aoun at the launching of the national awareness campaign on
cardiac arrest outside hospitals
Jumblatt presents outgoing Egyptian Ambassador with the 'Kamal Jumblatt Medal' /
Al-Najari to Jumblatt: We are proud of your Arab and Lebanese role
Boustani: Lebanon is about to drill first exploration well in Block 4
In Lebanon, return of 'collaborators' with Israel reopens old wounds
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports
And News published on September 28-29/2019
Yemeni Houthis claim hundreds of Saudi troops killed, captured in Najran raid
Syria demands withdrawal of US, Turkish forces, warns of countermeasures
Iran Slams US for Barring Zarif From New York Hospital Visit
Baghdad Condemns Iranian Envoy’s Threats to Americans in Iraq
Iraq's PM OKs Opening Border-Crossing With Syria
Iraq: Disputes Topple Prominent Leader in the Fight Against ISIS
Saudi Arabia Throws Open its Doors to Visitors
Sisi Reassures Egyptians as Calls for Protests Fail
Human Rights Council Unanimously Approves Arab Decision to Support Yemeni
National Mechanisms
Guterres Welcomes 'New Sudan' as Hamdok Sees Path to Lifting Sanctions Soon
Titles For The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources published on September 28-29/2019
Zakka to Asharq Al-Awsat: Iran Freed Me as
Part of Deal with US/Heba El Koudsy/Asharq Al-Awsat/September 28/2019
Panicked… The Lebanese Hide a Billion Dollars Inside Their Homes/Thaer Abbas/Asharq
Al-Awsat/September 28/2019
In Lebanon, return of 'collaborators' with Israel reopens old wounds/Ynetnews/AFP/September
28/2019
Yemeni Houthis claim hundreds of Saudi troops killed, captured in Najran raid/DEBKAfile/September 28/2019
Italy: Salvini Out, Migrants In/Soeren Kern/Gatestone Institute/September
28/2019
Our Family Members Are Being Held Hostage in Iran/Babak Namazi and Richard
Ratcliffe/The New York Times/September 28/2019
What does not kill you makes you stronger/Basil M.K. Al-Ghalayini/Arab
News/September 29/2019
Beware the power of words/Cornelia Meyer/Arab News/September 29/2019
Don’t make the poor pay for global warming/Hafed Al-Ghwell/Arab News/September
29/2019
The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News
published
on September 28-29/2019
Zakka to Asharq Al-Awsat: Iran Freed Me as Part of Deal with US
New York - Heba El Koudsy/Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 28 September,
2019
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/78896/%d9%86%d8%b2%d8%a7%d8%b1-%d8%b2%d9%83%d8%a7-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%84%d8%a8%d9%86%d8%a7%d9%86%d9%8a-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%85%d9%81%d8%b1%d8%ac-%d8%b9%d9%86%d9%87-%d9%85%d9%86-%d8%b3%d8%ac%d9%88%d9%86-%d8%a5%d9%8a/
Nizar Zakka, a Lebanese man with US permanent residency, has said that his
travel to Lebanon immediately after his release from prison in Iran was a
calculated move made by Tehran to show that it wasn’t giving concessions to
Washington. Zakka told Asharq Al-Awsat in New York that his June 11 release was
part of a deal with the US, saying that Lebanon and Hezbollah were just a cover
up. When Zakka was freed, officials in Tehran said his release was partly due to
Iran’s close ties with Lebanon’s Hezbollah. While Beirut had said that Lebanese
President Michel Aoun had reached out to Iran.
In his remarks to the newspaper, Zakka expected a possible prisoner exchange
between Washington and Tehran. He said Princeton University doctoral student
Xiyue Wang, a US citizen who was detained by Iranian authorities in August 2016,
could be released after the Trump administration recently deported Negar
Ghodskani, an Iranian woman who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud and
commit offenses against the United States and was sentenced by a federal court
to time served.
She was indicted in 2015 in Minnesota and arrested in Australia in 2017.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo declined on Thursday to discuss the possibility
of a prisoner exchange between Washington and Tehran after the US deported the
Iranian woman. In New York, Zakka attended an anti-Iran conference and a meeting
that brought together newly-appointed White House national security adviser
Robert O’Brien, the US State Department's special representative for Iran Brian
Hook, and other officials who discussed ways to carry out a prisoner swap
between Washington and Tehran, and put more pressure on Iran. Zakka, an
information technology professional, was held for about three years and nine
months after being seized without warning in September 2015 on his way out of
Iran, where he said had been officially invited to attend a conference. “My
release came following negotiations carried out by the Americans,” said Zakka.
“Iran freed me after coming under US pressure and then credited (Hezbollah
leader) Hassan Nasrallah because I am Lebanese.” Zakka hailed the US maximum
pressure on the Iranian regime, which he said knows well how to circumvent
sanctions.
Panicked… The Lebanese Hide a Billion Dollars Inside Their Homes
Beirut- Thaer Abbas/Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 28 September, 2019
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/78909/%d8%ab%d8%a7%d8%a6%d8%b1-%d8%b9%d8%a8%d8%a7%d8%b3-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%b0%d8%b9%d8%b1-%d9%88%d8%b1%d8%a7%d8%a1-%d8%aa%d9%83%d8%af%d9%8a%d8%b3-%d9%85%d9%84%d9%8a%d8%a7%d8%b1-%d8%af%d9%88%d9%84%d8%a7/
One concern is currently preoccupying the Lebanese. It is not politics or
security, but the economic situation. It is threatening their daily living
because their national currency is menaced. While Banque du Liban (BDL)
maintains the local currency stability at LBP 1510 per USD, this figure is
considered by some economists to be “illogical”. A parallel market has emerged,
where the dollar value has reached in some exchange offices about LBP 1650.
Practically, a Lebanese banking source told Asharq Al-Awsat that there was no
real pressure on the Lebanese pound in the market, adding that the Central Bank
was not interfering greatly to maintain the stability of the national
currency.However, the source admits that there is a “scarcity” of cash in the
Lebanese market that has led banks to adopt some necessary measures. This
situation has raised panic among the people, who began, months ago, to store the
currency in their homes. Economic Expert Prof. Jassem Ajaka estimated those
amounts at around $2.5 billion.
Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh has reiterated on several occasions that
there was no “dollar crisis.” He noted that banks were meeting customers’ demand
for US dollars, with the possibility of withdrawing from ATMs in most banks.
“The dollar is available in Lebanon, and what we see on social media, and
sometimes the media, is exaggerated and has its objectives,” Salameh told a news
conference. He noted that any procedures for ATMs are due to the policy of each
bank separately, adding that any transaction that the customer cannot make
through ATMs can be done through the bank’s outlets.
Salameh asserted that BDL had reserves that exceed $38.5 billion and that there
was no need for exceptional measures. The cash crisis is partly due to the
US-led economic war against Hezbollah’s funding. The party deals mainly with
cash to circumvent US financial constraints.
A Lebanese minister told Asharq Al-Awsat that there were two main sources of
currency withdrawals from the Lebanese banking sector, namely Syria and
Hezbollah. Restrictions on the Syrian financial system are being vented through
the Lebanese banking system, and Hezbollah has instructed some of its close
associates to it to withdraw their money from banks in anticipation of US
sanctions. Sources with knowledge of the matter said that the US Assistant
Secretary of Treasury for Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Marshall
Billingslea has warned some Lebanese banks against deliberately selling the
dollar to the Syrian traders, who are on the sanctions list for using it in one
way or another for import. He also denied that the US sanctions were the cause
of this crisis.On the other hand, Economic Researcher Dr. Mounir Rashed, linked
the current crisis to the accumulation of several factors, including the
recession that hit the Lebanese economy since the start of the Syrian war, the
closure of transport routes, the decrease of tourism because of the security
situation, in addition to the local financial situation that recorded a large
deficit due to the decline of state revenues and the rise of expenditures.
Also, according to Rashed, rising deficits and public debt have led to a decline
in Lebanon’s sovereign rating, which in turn encouraged more capital to flee
abroad, coupled with US sanctions and pressure on the Lebanese banking sector.
Economic Expert Dr. Pierre El-Khoury admits that there is “fear and terror today
in the markets about the possibility of the collapse of the exchange rate of the
Lebanese pound against the major international currencies, especially the
dollar.”This panic is attributed to the confusing behavior of banks with
customers, the vague statements by the BDL and the proliferation of rumors on
social media.
But apart from the panic, Khoury adds that the crisis has deep roots, as the
balance of payments deficit and the depletion of Lebanon’s hard currency
reserves can no longer be controlled. “The exposure of the Lebanese economic
model to the regional crisis, which does not appear to have a positive horizon,
and the US sanctions on some Lebanese parties, will deepen the liquidity crisis
further,” concluded Khoury. Meanwhile, information available to Asharq Al-Awsat
confirmed that the financial working group, headed by Prime Minister Saad Hariri
and including Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil and Riad Salameh, has already
begun to develop ideas and financial mechanisms, specifically aimed at
fortifying the BDL’s foreign reserves, and re-correcting the balance of
payments, which suffered a record deficit of nearly $6 billion in the first half
of this year.
The working group is counting on the adoption of the draft budget law for 2020,
as well as the results of Hariri’s foreign meetings, especially in Paris, as
France is the sponsor and coordinator of the CEDRE Conference. The Finance
minister has acknowledged that Lebanon was in a “difficult economic and
financial situation, but we are not a collapsed country.”“At the financial
level, we still have the capacity to meet the needs. Yes, there is no large
amounts of foreign currency liquidity in the hands of people in the market, but
the dollar exchange rate is still maintaining its ratio and position in banks,”
he added.
ISF: Parcel in Qatari plane a 'mock boobytrap' placed in
Prague for training purposes and was forgotten
NNA -Sat 28 Sep 2019
In an issued communiqué by the Internal Security Forces' General Directorate
this afternoon, it indicated that "certain media outlets reported that the
security forces at Rafic Hariri International Airport found a 'booby trapped
parcel' aboard an aircraft coming from the Qatari capital, Doha, which contained
200 grams of C4 high explosives."In this context, the ISF General Directorate
clarified the following: "At 3 am on Friday, 27/9/2019, the administrative and
judicial control unit at Rafic Hariri International Airport received from the
airport security apparatus a suspicious object similar to an explosive device
attached to a cell phone, after it was found in one of the containers coming
from the Czech Republic on board the Qatari plane. After being examined by
explosives' experts, it turned out to be a device in the form of a mock bomb.
Following an investigation conducted by the aforementioned security unit, and
based on electronic correspondence with the Freight Security Administration in
Prague, the suspected parcel was found to be a device for examining the work of
scanners at Prague Airport - and was placed by their concerned security agents
as a training exercise to test the alertness of their security members, as per
the normal practice in airports around the world. However, the device was
forgotten." The communiqué also indicated that "an investigation has been
launched by the security services in the Czech Republic to find out why this
suspicious device was left behind in the container coming to Beirut.
Tribute to Chirac: Thirty Heads of State and Government announced by Putin
NNA - Sat 28 Sep 2019
Vladimir Putin will represent Russia, Viktor Orban Hungary and Sergio Mattarella
Italy, for the tribute to Jacques Chirac to be held on Monday. Thirty foreign
heads of state and government, including Vladimir Putin, have already announced
their visit Monday to pay tribute to the late Jacques Chirac, said the Elysee on
Saturday. In addition to the Russian President, Italian President Sergio
Mattarella and Congolese President Denis Sassou Nguesso, Lebanese Prime Minister
Saad Hariri and Hungarian Viktor Orban are expected to participate in the solemn
service scheduled for Monday at 12 noon at Saint-Sulpice Church in memory of the
former head of state who died Thursday. On Friday, German President Frank-Walter
Steinmeier, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and Belgian Prime
Minister Charles Michel announced their attendance. --- Europe 1
Aoun Discusses Fuel, Wheat and Medicine ‘Crisis’
Naharnet/September 28/2019
President Michel Aoun on Saturday made several contacts with monetary
policymakers to follow on the latest developments aggravating in Lebanon over
the dollar “shortage” crisis. LBCI station said “contacts from Baabda
Presidential Palace included talks with Minister of Economy Ali Hassan Khalil
and Central Bank (BDL) governor Riad Salameh.”Discussions focused on securing
requisite US dollars needed to pay for the import of wheat, medicine and fuel,
added LBCI. BDL issued a statement earlier this week announcing that it would
regulate the funding of wheat, fuel and medicine in dollars starting Tuesday.
Lebanese media this week reported that banks and money exchange houses were
rationing their dollar sales over a feared shortage in reserves, which triggered
a crisis of “dollar availability.” Lebanese officials, including President
Michel Aoun and Central Bank governor Riad Salameh, have tried to play down the
risk of an economic collapse.When asked about a feared shortage in dollar
reserves, Aoun on Friday said: "Lebanon is not in danger.""I will not let
Lebanon collapse," he told reporters.
Berri Says Lebanon Needs 'Drastic' Measures to Counter Crisis
Naharnet/September 28/2019
Speaker Nabih Berri said the situation in Lebanon is “critical” requiring
"drastic" solutions, but he pinned hope on the regional developments which he
said could “positively” affect the situation in the country, al-Joumhouria daily
reported on Saturday. “No doubt the situation is critical in Lebanon and
requires quick solutions,” he told the daily in an interview. However he pointed
out saying that several measures have been taken and “intensive meetings were
held to address the crisis, decisions were made at Baabda economic meeting and
hopefully the Cabinet will finish discussing the 2020 draft budget.”
On the impact of the regional developments on the circumstances in Lebanon,
Berri said the country could benefit from a restoration of dialogue between
Saudi Arabia and Iran. “We must take into consideration the accelerating
regional developments mainly the one in Yemen after the Saudi agreement on a
ceasefire in several regions. Shall it develop positively any further, it could
restore channels of dialogue between Saudi Arabia and Iran. If this development
goes in this direction, it would have a positive impact on the whole region and
on Lebanon in particular,” said Berri.
Kouyoumjian: Govt. Doesn’t Seek Crackdown on Syrian
Refugees
Naharnet/September 28/2019
Social Affairs Minister Richard Kouyoumjian on Saturday said there is not
following a “systematic policy to tighten measures against displaced Syrians,
but we are working on a plan to ensure their repatriation,” the National News
Agency reported. He said that all political counterparts agreed on the return of
Syrian refugees to their homeland, but the return is linked to several
reassuring policies that the Syrian government should do. His remarks came at a
meeting with a delegation of refugees rights defenders. The Minister said the
"Syrian government must undertake measures ensuring that refugees are not
blackmailed, ensuring their freedom and security, and facilitating their access
to land ownership documents and birth registration.”Kouyoumjian noted: “The
Ministry of Social Affairs coordinates with UNHCR and various ministries, as
well as agencies and organizations concerned with the refugee file, in addition
to implementing support and cooperation programs with the Lebanese civil society
active in this field. “Lebanon is the first country in the world in terms of the
number of refugees compared to the number of its citizens,” he added. "We cannot
ignore the concern of the Lebanese, especially since one third of the residents
of Lebanon are Palestinian and Syrian refugees, especially that Lebanon is
suffering from the fragility of infrastructure in Lebanon, poor services and the
deteriorating economic situation, in addition to the sensitivity of the Lebanese
composition," he went on. "There is no policy to renounce the rights of refugees
or try to ignore any violations, violence or discrimination against them," he
concluded.
Mufti Abdullah meets with Del Cole: We are not after wars,
but wish to lively honorably in our homeland
NNA - Sat 28 Sep 2019
Mufti of Tyre and Jabal Amel, Sheikh Hassan Abdullah, received on Saturday
UNIFIL Commander-in-Chief, General Stefano del Cole, at Dar al-Ifta al-Jaafari
in Tyre, with discussions touching on the recent events along the Lebanese
southern border, in particular, and in Lebanon in general.
"We exerted great efforts and worked to calm the situation...The security
condition that day was unusual, but right now the situation is stable and all
parties are showing understanding," said Del Cole. In turn, Mufti Abdullah
expressed his understanding of the "position and role of UNIFIL forces in the
south, especially during recent times."He affirmed House Speaker Nabih Berri's
stance in "stressing Lebanon's right to self-defense and the protection of its
sovereignty and territory, especially when Israel violates UN Resolution #1701,
which defines the functions of UNIFIL in Lebanon and obliges everyone to respect
its content.""A just peace that restores rights to their owners is the peace we
desire, not a peace in return for prosperity," Mufti Abdullah said. "We are not
after wars, but we wish to be cherished in our homeland."The Mufti concluded by
valuing Del Cole's visit and praising his "humanitarian efforts for a just
peace."
Jabak represents Aoun at the launching of the national
awareness campaign on cardiac arrest outside hospitals
NNA -Sat 28 Sep 2019
President Michel Aoun, represented by Public Health Minister Jamil Jabak,
patronized Saturday the launching of the national awareness campaign on cardiac
arrest outside the hospital, at the invitation of the Survival Series Partners
of the Lebanese Doctors' Syndicate in Beirut, administered by Cardiology Program
Head at the American University of Beirut, Dr. Hussein Ismail. ent was also
Parliamentary Health Committee Head, Assem Araji, MPs Inaya Ezzedine and Dima
Jamali, Beirut Doctors Syndicate Dean, Dr. Sharaf Abu Sharaf, Cardiologists
Association Head, Dr. Malek Mohammed, Emergency Physicians Association Head, Dr.
Mazen al-Sayyed, representatives of the Johan, Heart of Remy Rbeiz and Champs
Fund Associations, alongside a number of artists and media representatives who
participated in the awareness videos of this campaign.
In his opening speech, Jabak relayed the greetings of the President of the
Republic and his wishes for the campaign members to succeed in their efforts to
secure prevention means and care for the citizen and rapid intervention to save
citizens' lives while being outside the hospital.
"The President's patronage of this event reflects the extent of concern he
accords to ensuring citizens' right to good health, quality and effectiveness,
especially in cases of sudden cardiac arrest that can affect every human being
at all ages and young people in particular," Jabak said. He stressed his
Ministry's relentless efforts in providing all cooperation with every
association or institution concerned with human health. Pointing to the budget
of the Public Health Ministry, Jabak said: "It does not exceed 2 or 2.5 percent
of the general budget, whereas in the world it constitutes 7 to 10 percent of
the state's budget. This leads to a lot of pressure to cover the health services
needed by approximately one million and 800 thousand people who resort to Health
Ministry."Moreover, he indicated that this year, the Ministry of Health has set
precedence in managing to settle for the amount allocated to it by the
government for medicine purposes. "We expect the Ministry to be able to cover
the needs of the people in this domain," assured Jabak.
Jumblatt presents outgoing Egyptian Ambassador with the 'Kamal
Jumblatt Medal' / Al-Najari to Jumblatt: We are proud of your Arab and Lebanese
role
NNA - Sat 28 Sep 2019
Progressive Socialist Party Chief, Walid Jumblatt, and his wife Noura, honored
Saturday the outgoing Egyptian Ambassador to Lebanon, Nazih Al-Najari, by
presenting him with the "Medal of Martyr Kamal Jumblatt" as a token of
appreciation and gratefulness marking the end of his term of office in Beirut.
Jumblatt praised the Egyptian Ambassador's role in standing by Lebanon, wishing
him all success in his new diplomatic mission. For his part, Ambassador Al-Najari
thanked Jumblatt for his honorable gesture, saying: "We have historically
cherished Martyr Kamal Jumblatt, and today we cherish Leader Walid Jumblatt, and
the history of the Druze Unitarian Sect and Lebanon."He commended Jumblatt's
significant contributions, saying "We are proud of your national and Arab role,
and how glad we were, alongside President Sisi, by finally welcoming Your
Excellency in Cairo...Thank you, Walid Beik, and thank you for this pleasurable
gathering with dear, valued friends amidst an atmosphere of joy for being
together and regret for parting Lebanon and its people..."Al-Najari added that
"this time it is harder to leave after becoming more connected to Lebanon and to
your Excellency, and this country certainly will not be far from its lovers in
Egypt.""Hoping to always see Leader Walid Beik in Cairo and the people of Egypt
in Lebanon, we thank you for this wonderful reception and warm hospitality and
we will stay in touch, God willing," he concluded. It is to note that honoring
reception, followed by a luncheon banquet, was attended by the Ambassadors of
France Bruno Fourcher, Britain Chris Rambling, United Arab Emirates Hamad Saeed
Al Shamsi, Kuwait Abdul Aal Al Qinai, Morocco Mohammed Crane and Australia
Rebekah Grindlay, while Saudi Ambassador Walid Bukhari was absent due to health
reasons. Also present at the event were: Industry Minister Wael Abou Faour, MPs
Henry Helou, Bilal Abdallah and Hadi Abu al-Hassan, PSP Vice Head for Foreign
Affairs Dureid Yaghi and PSP Commissioner for External Affairs Zaher Raad.
Boustani: Lebanon is about to drill first exploration well in Block 4
NNA -Sat 28 Sep 2019
"Lebanon is about to drill its first exploration well in Block 4, off the coast
of Beirut," Water and Energy Minister Nada Boustany said on Saturday. "After the
completion of the first shipment of drilling equipment at the port of Beirut,
Lebanon is about to explore its first oil and gas well in Block 4," Boustani
said via her Twitter account.
In Lebanon, return of 'collaborators' with Israel reopens
old wounds
Ynetnews/AFP/September 28/2019
Amer al-Fakhoury, who had been a senior warden at the infamous Khiyam prison,
has gone home, and now the debate over the return of thousands who collaborated
with Israel's 22-year occupation has flared up once again
"Collaborators not welcome" reads a roadside placard in southern Lebanon, where
debate has flared once again over the return of thousands who collaborated with
Israel's 22-year occupation.
The warning stood next to the road leading to Qlayaa, a village nestled among
lush, green fields and flowing olive groves.
It was once a bastion of the South Lebanon Army, a Christian-led militia allied
to Israel and opposed to the now-dominant Shiite Hezbollah movement.
When the Israeli army withdrew from southern Lebanon in 2000, thousands of SLA
members and their families chose to cross the border too and settle in Israel or
elsewhere. In Qlayaa, those residents who remain don't like to talk to
journalists, and many homes are abandoned.
"There's more than 100 of them that are shuttered up," says one man, refusing to
give his name. "Entire families left and we haven't heard from them since."
When they die, "only a few bodies get repatriated to be buried in the village,"
he says. For some, including Hezbollah supporters, SLA members are traitors.
Others, mostly from Christian parties, say they are exiles who should be allowed
to return.
Ever a hot-button issue, the argument erupted again this month when a notorious
former SLA member unexpectedly entered Lebanon.
Amer al-Fakhoury, who had been a senior warden at the infamous Khiyam prison,
went into exile more than two decades ago and was sentenced in absentia for
collaborating with Israel.
He was detained shortly after his arrival.
A committee comprised of relatives of exiled SLA members estimates that between
2,400 and 2,700 Lebanese still live in Israel, around 1,200 of them Christians
from Qlayaa. Others moved on from Israel and resettled in third countries
including Sweden, Germany and Canada.
Most of them had left Lebanon as the Israeli army retreated, for fear of
reprisals from the groups they once fought -- particularly Hezbollah.
Years have passed but cross-border tensions still run high between Hezbollah and
Israel, such as a cross-border exchange of fire early this month that sparked
fears of a broader conflagration.
Those who sided with the occupation are not widely welcomed in the south.
Some residents claim they have severed all ties with their exiled relatives
because they "don't want trouble" and fear being accused of spying.
"Every Lebanese has the right to return to their homeland," argued Amin Said, a
local official from Qlayaa who has relatives in Israel.
"Let those who have blood on their hands face trial, whatever their
affiliations."
But Said admitted that his case is rarely heard.
"The issue of the exiles is a forgotten one," he says. "We have no leverage
here, nor do we represent any kind of electoral opportunity."
In 2011, parliament passed a bill enabling the return of Lebanese citizens
residing in Israel, but its implementation mechanisms are still under scrutiny
at the justice ministry.
Less than five kilometers from Qlayaa lies Khiyam, a mostly Shiite village where
Israel and its SLA proxy used to run the prison whose name became a by-word for
abuse and torture.
The prison now lies in ruins and Fakhoury is in detention.
Survivors and relatives of former detainees accuse him of torture against
Lebanese and Palestinian inmates.
The SLA was formed in 1976 as a splinter from the Lebanese army, whose ranks
were divided a year after the start of the civil war. Initially it was called
the Free Lebanon Army.
The conflict shifted dramatically when Israel invaded the south in 1978 and the
militia started taking its orders from the Israeli army.
The wounds that created, especially in the south, are still fresh.
Fakhoury's return to Lebanon immediately prompted protests, including one in the
yard of the old Khiyam prison where demonstrators denounced "the return of the
collaborators".
"They're not exiles, they're traitors," snapped Sekna Bazzi during the small
protest, which was held on September 15, four days after Fakhoury's arrest.
A woman now in her fifties, she was detained in the Israeli-run prison for four
years for "collaborating with the resistance" -- a reference to Hezbollah -- and
eventually released in 1991.
"All those who call for their return are also traitors," Bazzi told AFP, wearing
a head scarf and a long black garment.
"They have no right to return. We don't want them here, and we don't want their
children."
The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News
published on September 28-29/2019
Yemeni Houthis claim hundreds of Saudi troops killed, captured in Najran raid
DEBKAfile/September 28/2019
There was no immediate Saudi response to the Yemeni Houthis’ claim on Saturday,
Sept. 26 that “three Saudi brigades had fallen, dozens of soldiers and officers
were killed or injured and thousands captured, including Saudi army officers” in
a raid of the Saudi Najran border region. The spokesman of the Iran-backed group
said that hundreds of armored vehicles had also been captured in the 72-hour
operation which was supported by Houthi drone, missile and air defense units.
According to the spokesman, the operation entitled Victory from Allah ended in a
Saudi surrender on Saturday. If the Yemeni rebels’ claims are confirmed, this
was the most calamitous defeat suffered by the Saudi army since it intervened in
Yemen’s four-year civil war at the head of a coalition against the Houthi
insurgency. DEBKAfile’s military sources add: For Riyadh, the Houthi raid was
clearly the continuation of Iran’s Sept. 14 missile-cum-drone strike on its oil
infrastructure. In some respects, it holds an even greater threat to the
kingdom’s national security, since it raises questions about Saudi Arabia’s
capacity to suffer two major strategic blows from Iran in the space of a
fortnight. Saudi rulers feel incapacitated by the Trump administration’s refusal
to tackle Iran militarily. In last week’s talks in Jeddah, US Secretary of State
Mike Pompeo tried to persuade King Salman and Crown Prince Muhammad (MbS), to
join the US in a crash negotiating process with the Houthi leaders for ending
the Yemen war. The prince turned him down and was so incensed that he ordered
Saudi air operations to be resumed over Yemen. The Houthis pushed back with
their surprise thrust into the southern Saudi province of Najran.
Syria demands withdrawal of US, Turkish forces, warns of
countermeasures
Arab News/September 28, 2019
UNITED NATIONS: Syria’s Foreign Minister Walid Al-Moualem on Saturday demanded
an immediate withdrawal of all US and Turkish troops from his country and warned
that Syrian government forces had the right to take countermeasures if they
refused. The United States has around 1,000 troops in Syria tackling Daesh
militants. Turkey has also launched military incursions into northern Syria,
targeting Daesh and Kurdish YPG fighters. “Any foreign forces operating in our
territories without our authorization are occupying forces and must withdraw
immediately,” Al-Moualem said during an address to the annual gathering of world
leaders at the United Nations in New York. “If they refuse, we have the right to
take any and all countermeasures authorized under international law,” he said.
US President Donald Trump last year ordered the complete withdrawal of US troops
from Syria — only to later be convinced to leave some forces behind to ensure
that Daesh militants cannot stage a comeback. The US intervention in Syria began
with air strikes in September 2014 under Trump’s predecessor Barack Obama. While
Syria did not approve a US presence there, the Obama administration justified
the military action under Article 51 of the UN Charter, which covers the
individual or collective right of states to self-defense against armed attack.
“The United States and Turkey maintain an illegal military presence in northern
Syria,” Al-Moualem said, describing US and Turkish efforts to create a “safe
zone” inside Syria as a violation of the UN Charter. Turkey plans to build homes
to settle 1 million Syrian refugees in the zone. The United States and Turkey
have started joint land and air patrols along part of Syria’s border with
Turkey, but Ankara remains angry with Washington’s support for the YPG, which
has been a key US ally in fighting Islamic State in Syria. A crackdown by Syrian
President Bashar Assad on pro-democracy protesters in 2011 led to civil war, and
Daesh militants used the chaos to seize territory in Syria and Iraq. Assad’s
forces have been backed by Russian air power and have been waging an offensive
in the Idlib region in the country’s northwest, the last major chunk of
territory still in rebel hands after more than eight years of war. Western
states have accused Russian and Syrian forces of targeting civilians in
northwest Syria, a charge they deny. They say they are targeting militants. “We
are determined to continue our war against terrorism in all its forms until
rooting out the last remaining terrorist,” Al-Moualem said.
Iran Slams US for Barring Zarif From New York Hospital
Visit
London- Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 28 September, 2019
Iran has criticized the US for its "inhumane" decision to bar its foreign
minister — who is attending the UN summit meetings — from visiting a
hospitalized Iranian diplomat in New York. The official IRNA news agency
Saturday quoted Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi as saying the US has
taken humanitarian issues "hostage" for political causes. American authorities
forbade Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif from visiting a New York
hospital to see Iran's UN ambassador Majid Takht Ravanchi, who is under cancer
treatment. The US State Department said it would allow the hospital travel
request only if Iran released one of several US citizens it is currently
"wrongfully detained."“Iran has wrongfully detained several US citizens for
years, to the pain of their families and friends they cannot freely visit,” the
State Department spokesperson said. “We have relayed to the Iranian mission that
the travel request will be granted if Iran releases a US citizen.”The United
States and Iran are at odds over a host of issues, including the US withdrawal
from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, US accusations - denied by Tehran - that Iran
attacked two Saudi oil facilities on Sept. 14, and Iran’s detention of US
citizens on what the United States regards as spurious grounds. Brian Hook, the
State Department’s special representative for Iran, on Monday said that if Iran
wanted to show good faith, it should release the US citizens it has detained,
including Xiyue Wang, a US citizen and Princeton University graduate student who
was detained in Iran in 2016. In July, the US restricted Zarif's movement to
just six blocks in New York.
Baghdad Condemns Iranian Envoy’s Threats to Americans in
Iraq
Baghdad - Fadhel al-Nashmi/Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 28 September, 2019
Several Iraqi state institutions condemned on Friday threats made by Iranian
Ambassador to Baghdad Erj Masjedi that his country will bomb US targets in Iraq
if Washington attacks Iran. In response to the diplomat’s threats, the Iraqi
Defense Ministry stressed its rejection to turn the country into a battleground.
Defense Ministry Spokesman Major General Tahsin al-Khafaji said: "Iraq will not
be a launchpad for aggression against Iran, nor will it allow US interests on
its territory to be threatened.”In a press statement Friday, the Iranian
ambassador said his country would bomb US forces in Iraq or any other place if
they were targeted by the United States, stressing the need to remove US troops
from Iraq and all countries in the region. "We will respond to anyone if they
attack us. The options for defending ourselves are open in every way. The
Americans are interfering in the affairs of the region and in the affairs of
Iraq and the Americans should expect a response if they cause any problem to
Iran," he said. The Iraqi Parliament's Foreign Relations Committee denounced
Masjedi’s comments. “I am not surprised that Iran has a hidden intention to use
Iraqi territories for its own interests," Committee member MP Dhafer al-Ani told
Asharq Al-Awsat. "However, I am surprised by the Iranian impertinence that makes
its ambassador deliver such comments,” he said.
Iraq's PM OKs Opening Border-Crossing With Syria
Baghdad- Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 28 September, 2019
Iraq’s Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi has approved the reopening on Monday of
the Qaim border-crossing with Syria, state news agency INA said, the latest sign
of normalization between Baghdad and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s
government. The crossing will be reopened for travelers and trade, INA reported
on Friday, citing Iraq’s border agency chief. The western Anbar province town of
Qaim, 300 km (185 miles) west of Baghdad, was recaptured from ISIS in November
2017 and was the group’s last bastion in Iraq to fall. It borders the Syrian
town of Albu Kamal, which was also an ISIS stronghold. The towns lie on a
strategic supply route and the crossing between them had only been open for
government or military traffic. The ISIS group in 2014 seized vast swathes of
land in both Iraq and Syria, declaring a caliphate across both countries. Iraq
declared victory over the group in 2017 and it lost its last territory in Syria
earlier this year. Iraq’s government recently called for the reinstatement of
Syria’s membership of the Arab League, which was suspended in 2011 over its
crackdown on protesters at the start of the civil war.
Iraq: Disputes Topple Prominent Leader in the Fight Against
ISIS
Baghdad- Hamza Mustafa/Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 28 September, 2019
The decision of Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi to move Lieutenant General
Abdulwahab al-Saadi, commander of the Iraqi CTS (Counter-Terrorism Service), to
the Ministry of Defense has sparked various reactions. While some saw it as a
normal procedure that falls under a military context, other politicians and
experts said that it came in the wake of deep disputes inside the CTS – led by
General Talib Shaghati al-Kinani. A security source announced Friday that Abdul
Mahdi referred Saadi to the ministry of defense. Saadi is a prominent leader who
participated in the latest liberation operation in some provinces, also he was
in charge of several important posts in the Iraqi Special Operations Forces and
the CTS. He had a major role in the operations against ISIS since the Battle of
Ramadi – Anbar province in 2014 until liberating Mosul in 2017. He is seen as
the most popular leader who fought against ISIS in Iraq. Further, his name
surfaced as a prime minister candidate last year. In a press statement on
Friday, Saadi described this decision as an embarrassment for him as an officer
and a fighter. Yet, he said he had no clue why it had been taken. Saadi inquired
about the motive behind this decision through a phone call with the Iraqi PM –
who in his turn praised his skills. He continued that he rejected an offer by
Iraqi Parliament Speaker Mohammed al-Halbusi to lead the ministry of defense
because the battles against ISIS were ongoing. Regarding leaks on disputes with
Shaghati, he stated that it was Shaghati who asked the PM to distance him
without knowing the reasons. In a statement to Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper, former
head of parliament's security and defense committee Hakim al-Zamili described
the PM’s decision as a regular matter that falls under military contexts. Zamili
said that officers were regularly transferred inside the military institution,
and that was necessary to ensure reforms in the security system. However,
security expert Dr. Hisham al-Hashemi told the newspaper that the fight against
ISIS was still ongoing and therefore holding onto the figures of victory in the
meantime would lift the enemy's spirits.
Saudi Arabia Throws Open its Doors to Visitors
Riyadh - Mohamed al-Humaidi/Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 28 September, 2019
In an unprecedented move and on the occasion of World Tourism Day, Saudi Arabia
has officially opened its doors to tourists, launching the electronic tourist
visa. This step falls in line with the Saudi Vision 2030. Tourism chief Ahmed
al-Khateeb affirmed, in a speech during a ceremony held by the Saudi Commission
for Tourism and National Heritage at Diriyah Friday evening, that “the Kingdom
opens its doors to the world at this historic moment.”“We are a people who
welcome visitors and offer hospitality to guests,” he said. He added that
foreign investors have so far agreed to invest SAR115 billion (USD30 billion) in
the tourism sector, an indication of confidence in the Saudi market and its
promising opportunities. Since launching Saudi Vision 2030, the Kingdom has been
marketing itself as a global tourist destination, and has inaugurated giant
tourism projects and introduced regulations to lure investments in tourism. In
that regard, the Saudi cabinet has also approved the general strategy for the
development of national tourism. Khateeb considered that world heritage sites
are only part of the rich culture and tourism areas in the Kingdom, noting that
there are 10,000 historic sites across the country. Citizens of all countries
can now ask for the tourist visa. But the nationals of 49 countries would be
able to receive it electronically or upon arriving at the kingdom. He stressed
that tourism is not restricted to visitors but extends to investors in the
sector. Kickstarting tourism is one of the centerpieces of Crown Prince Mohammed
bin Salman’s Vision 2030 reform program to prepare the biggest Arab economy for
a post-oil era. The tourism chief stated that the target of the latest decision
is to receive 100 million visitors annually by 2030, compared to the current 41
million. The government expects that by 2030, the Kingdom would rank among the
top five destinations for tourists with revenues of up to 10 percent instead of
three percent of the national income. The countries were classified into group A
and B. Tourists coming from Group A countries may get the visa through the
e-platform or via applying at the Saudi passports offices upon arrival. Tourists
coming from Group B countries may apply via Saudi agencies. The applicant should
not be below 18 years old, or else he should be accompanied by his parent. The
passport must also be valid for a minimum of six months. The visa fees are
SAR440 (USD177) distributed as follows: SAR300 for issuing the visa, SAR140 for
medical insurance, and other fees for VAT and the transaction. The target of 100
million tourists annually would increase the annual capacity of Saudi airports
to 150 million. Khateeb has said abayas will not be mandatory but modest dress
is. He also indicated that alcohol remains banned.
Sisi Reassures Egyptians as Calls for Protests Fail
Cairo - Mohamed Nabil Helmy/Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 28 September, 2019
Calls for protests against the Egyptian authorities were not heeded on Friday as
thousands staged a large gathering in the capital, Cairo, in a show of support
to President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. Images broadcast on state TV showed the crowd
chanting pro-Sisi songs and waving Egyptian flags and the president’s posters.
On Friday, Sisi said he would ask for a mandate, “just like the one in 2013, and
that as a message to the whole world, millions will take to the streets." In his
first comments after arriving home from New York, Sisi insisted that there was
no cause for alarm. "There are no reasons for concern. Egypt is a strong country
thanks to Egyptians," he told reporters. Last week, limited protests erupted in
Egypt in response to Egyptian businessman Mohamed Aly's videos making wrong
accusations against Sisi and the military. In a fresh video posted on Friday,
Aly called on Egyptians to participate in street demonstrations. Against Aly’s
calls, the president’s backers launched a campaign to support him on social
media, using hashtags #longliveSisi and #theywantchaos. In Cairo's Nasr City,
thousands of people turned out in support of Sisi. In a statement released on
Thursday night, General Prosecutor Hamada al-Sawi said the prosecution had
questioned "no more than 1,000 people" in relation to small-scale protests that
broke out against Sisi. He noted that the defendants had been interrogated in
the presence of a lawyer.
Human Rights Council Unanimously Approves Arab Decision to
Support Yemeni National Mechanisms
Geneva- Mohammed al-Aiyedh/Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 28 September, 2019
The United Nations Human Rights Council adopted Friday the Arab draft resolution
in support of the Yemeni national mechanisms in the field of human rights,
following a unanimous vote on the resolution. “I thank the Arab Group for its
cooperation in preparing the text of the draft resolution we are discussing
today (Friday) and presented by Ambassador of Iraq on behalf of the Arab Group,”
Yemeni Human Rights Minister Mohammed Askar said in his speech at the Human
Rights Council. The complex circumstances Yemen is currently facing require the
Human Rights Council and the international community to provide support to
enable the government to fulfill its human rights obligations, Askar noted. He
pointed to the Yemeni government’s readiness to cooperate with the Office of the
High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Human Rights Council to promote and
protect human rights in Yemen. Askar also said the government is interested in
investigating all violations and abuses in the field of human rights and
international humanitarian law and bringing the perpetrators to justice. The
National Commission of Inquiry has been established for this purpose, he said,
adding that it is carrying out its work successfully.
The Yemeni minister affirmed his government's positive approach to the draft
resolution entitled “Technical Assistance and Capacity Building for Yemen in the
Field of Human Rights,” contained in document A - HRC - 42 - L12 under article
10. He renewed Yemen’s gratitude to the Arab Group and to all delegations for
their cooperation and for their continued support to Yemen. “We hope this draft
resolution receives full support from the Human Rights Council.”Regarding their
upcoming actions after passing the Arab resolution, Askar told Asharq Al-Awsat
that they will continue their movements in the Human Rights Council to support
the Yemeni cause in light of the Houthi and Iranian crimes in the war-torn
country. He said the government has met with the President of the Human Rights
Council, hoping to receive further response from the international community.
Guterres Welcomes 'New Sudan' as Hamdok Sees Path to Lifting Sanctions Soon
Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 28 September, 2019
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told a high-level event in New York
celebrating "a new Sudan" that it was "the happiest moment" of the many dozens
of meetings he has attended during this week's annual gathering of world
leaders.
Guterres said he has "a special emotional relationship with the people of
Sudan," a country he lived in and visited often in his previous job as the UN's
refugee chief. He called the formation of the first civilian-led government
since the military ousted former President Omar al-Bashir in April "a pivotal
moment of change and hope."The UN chief said the transition "marks the start of
Sudan's long road' to economic recovery, peace and better lives for all
Sudanese. Guterres urged the international community to do everything possible
to make Sudan's democratic experience a success, including immediately removing
the country from the US list of state sponsors of terrorism. That appeal was
echoed by Moussa Faki Mahamat, chair of the African Union Commission, and
Sudan's new prime minister, Abdalla Hamdok, who called the de-listing "the most
important" challenge because it is key to economic development, investment and
"opening the country." Hamdok said he had held useful talks with US officials
while at the United Nations this week, and expressed hope Khartoum could reach
an agreement to be removed from Washington's state-sponsored terrorism list
"very soon." "Coming to the General Assembly provided us with a huge opportunity
to meet many leaders in the American administration," Hamdok told reporters
after the high-level event to drum up support for his country. "We had a very
useful discussion on the issue of state-sponsored terrorism. We hope as we move
forward we will be able to conclude very soon an agreement that would allow
Sudan to be delisted."A senior US official said in August that Washington would
test the commitment of Sudan's new transitional government to human rights,
freedom of speech and humanitarian access before it agrees to remove the country
from the list.
The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources published
on September 28-28/2019
Italy: Salvini Out, Migrants In
Soeren Kern/Gatestone Institute/September 28/2019
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/14933/italy-salvini-immigration
During just the past several weeks, the number of migrant arrivals to Italy has
increased incrementally.... Many of the new arrivals are reaching Italy by using
new people-smuggling routes that originate in Turkey.
The interior ministers from France, Germany, Italy and Malta met on September 23
in the Maltese capital, Valletta, where they agreed to a tentative proposal for
shipwrecked migrants to be "voluntarily redistributed" throughout the European
Union.... Similar proposals have failed in the past and there is no reason to
believe this one will be different, largely because the concept of European
solidarity is a myth. So far only six EU states have agreed to migrant
redistribution: France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Malta and Spain.
NGOs such as Open Arms claim to be playing an invaluable humanitarian role in
saving the lives of refugees and asylum seekers fleeing war and oppression in
their home countries. Statistics show something else entirely.
Salvini has condemned the new government as one "produced by Paris and Berlin,
born out of a fear of giving up power, without dignity and without ideals, with
the wrong people in the wrong place."
Italy's new government, which has pledged to reverse former Interior Minister
Matteo Salvini's hardline approach to migration policy, appears to have
triggered a new wave of mass migration from northern Africa. Pictured: Matteo
Salvini. (Image source: European Parliament/Flickr)
Italy's new government, which has pledged to reverse former Interior Minister
Matteo Salvini's hardline approach to migration policy, appears to have
triggered a new wave of mass migration from northern Africa.
More than 1,400 migrants reached Italian shores since the new government took
office on September 5, according to data compiled by the International
Organization for Migration (IOM).
During just the past several weeks, the number of migrant arrivals to Italy has
increased incrementally: 59 migrants arrived on September 6; 67 arrived on
September 9; 121 arrived on September 14; 259 arrived on September 15; 275
arrived on September 18; and 475 arrived between September 19 and September 25,
according to the IOM. Overall, the number of migrant arrivals in September 2019
is up by more than 100% over the number of arrivals in September 2018.
Many of the new arrivals are reaching Italy by using new people-smuggling routes
that originate in Turkey. In recent weeks, at least five migrant boats have
landed in Calabria, in the far south of Italy. On September 21, for instance, 58
migrants, all Pakistani males, reached the Calabrian port of Crotone.
People-smuggling mafias are also using new routes in the Southern Mediterranean
to move people to Italy from sub-Saharan Africa. In recent weeks, criminal
groups have used small boats to transport migrants from Libya to Tunisia, from
where the crossing to Lampedusa, Italy's southern-most island, is shorter and
less risky. On September 20, for example, 92 migrants from sub-Saharan Africa —
Gambia, Ivory Coast, Mali and Senegal — reached Lampedusa.
At the same time, Italy's new government also appears to be taking a more
lenient approach to the migrant rescue ships operated by European charities,
which have been accused of coordinating with people-smuggling mafias to pick up
migrants off the coast of Libya and transport them to Italian ports.
On September 14, the Italian government authorized the Norwegian-flagged Ocean
Viking, operated by the French charities SOS Méditerranée and Médecins Sans
Frontières (MSF), to dock at Lampedusa, where 82 migrants picked up off the
coast of Libya were allowed to disembark.
On September 24, the Italian government allowed the Ocean Viking, this time
carrying 182 migrants, to dock at the Sicilian port of Messina.
Whereas Salvini had banned migrant rescue ships from docking at Italian ports,
the new government's more lenient approach appears also to be encouraging
European non-governmental organizations (NGOs). On September 23, the Spanish NGO
Open Arms announced that it would resume migrant rescues on board a vessel
called Astral.
In August, Open Arms and its rescue ship of the same name were involved in a
three-week stand-off with the Italian government, which refused to allow the
vessel to dock in Italian ports. After more than a dozen migrants jumped
overboard and tried to swim to shore, Sicilian prosecutor Luigi Patronaggio on
August 20 ordered the Open Arms, anchored one kilometer off Lampedusa, to dock
in Sicily so that its passengers could disembark. Subsequent video footage
showed that Open Arms staged the jumps to manipulate public opinion. Italian
authorities later impounded the ship.
The Spanish government vowed to take a harder line against the Open Arms NGO. On
August 21, Spain's acting Deputy Prime Minister Carmen Calvo told Cadena SER
radio that the Open Arms did not have a permit to transport migrants and could
be fined €900,000 ($1,000,000) for violating a ban on sailing to the seas off
Libya. That threat does not appear to have deterred the Open Arms NGO. It now
says it will rescue migrants in the Aegean Sea between Greece and Turkey.
NGOs such as Open Arms claim to be playing an invaluable humanitarian role in
saving the lives of refugees and asylum seekers fleeing war and oppression in
their home countries. Statistics show something else entirely.
Of those who arrived in Italy by sea during the first six months of 2019, 600
(21%) were from Tunisia; 400 (14%) were from Pakistan; 300 (10%) were from
Algeria; 300 (10%) were from Iraq; 200 (7%) were from Ivory Coast; 200 (7%) were
from Bangladesh; 100 (3.5%) were from Sudan; 100 (3.5%) were from Iran; 100
(3.5%) were from Morocco; and 50 (1.7%) were from Egypt, according to the UNHCR.
The data indicates that most of the migrants arriving in Italy are economic
migrants, not refugees fleeing warzones.
In some instances, migrants arriving in Italy are hardcore criminals posing as
refugees. On September 26, the Italian newspaper Il Giornale reported that a
German migrant rescue ship called Sea Watch 3, which in June rammed an Italian
border-control vessel that was trying to stop it from reaching shore, allowed
three human traffickers who were posing as refugees to disembark in Lampedusa.
A Guinean, Mohammed Condè, and two Egyptians, Hameda Ahmed and Mahmoud Ashuia,
recently were arrested in Messina. They are accused of operating a migrant
detention camp in Libya where they allegedly tortured, raped, kidnapped and even
murdered migrants from sub-Saharan Africa who were trying to make their way to
Europe. Il Giornale reported that the new Italian government had tried to
conceal information about the arrests from the general public before the story
was leaked to the media.
Meanwhile, the interior ministers of France, Germany, Italy and Malta met on
September 23 in the Maltese capital, Valletta, where they agreed to a tentative
proposal for shipwrecked migrants to be "voluntarily redistributed" throughout
the European Union.
The four-point plan, which will be presented to the interior ministers of all 28
EU member states at a summit in Brussels on October 17-18, is designed to boost
Italy's new government by showing "European solidarity."
Similar proposals have failed in the past and there is no reason to believe this
one will be different, largely because the concept of European solidarity is a
myth. So far only six EU states have agreed to migrant redistribution: France,
Germany, Greece, Italy, Malta and Spain.
Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has insisted that the issue of immigration
"must no longer fuel anti-European propaganda." He has also said that the
government's softer line on illegal immigration is based on "the formula of a
new humanism." He appointed Luciana Lamorgese, a career bureaucrat who has
moderate views on immigration, as Italy's new interior minister. Italian
journalist Annalisa Camilli explained the changes:
"Basically, Italy is saying to Europe, we're breaking with the past policy. It's
a big message that Italy has chosen to come back in line with Germany, France
and Spain instead of aligning with [anti-migrant] countries such as Hungary and
Poland under the former far-right interior minister Matteo Salvini."
Salvini has condemned the new government as one "produced by Paris and Berlin,
born out of a fear of giving up power, without dignity and without ideals, with
the wrong people in the wrong place."
Salvini has also accused Conte of re-opening the floodgates of mass migration:
"Conte has reopened Italian ports, the migrant landings are increasing for the
first time in two years," he said in an interview with Sky Tg24 television. He
also tweeted: "The new government reopens the ports, Italy is once again the
REFUGEE CAMP of Europe. Abusive ministers who hate the Italians."
Since Salvini announced his hardline immigration policies in June 2018, the
number of migrant arrivals to Italy — as well as the number of dead and missing
— significantly decreased. The number of arrivals by sea fell from 119,369 in
2017 to 23,370 in 2018, a drop of 80%, according to the United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees. During that same period, the number of dead and
missing fell from 2,873 to 1,311, a decline of more than 50%.
A similar trend has continued in 2019: 2,800 migrants arrived in Italy by sea
between January and June of 2019, compared to 16,600 during the same six-month
period in 2018 and 83,800 in 2017, according to the UNHCR.
This downward trend clearly reversed immediately after the new government took
office in September, as the IOM data show.
The return of mass migration to Italy is likely to push Italian voters to the
arms of Salvini, who is now the most trusted politician in Italy, according to a
new poll published by the newspaper Il Giornale on September 19. The poll also
revealed that Salvini's League party is now the most popular political party in
Italy, and that if elections were held today, Salvini would win by a wide
margin.
"The new government will not be able to escape the judgment of Italian voters
for too long," Salvini tweeted. "We are ready. Time is a gentleman. In the end
it is we who will win."
*Soeren Kern is a Senior Fellow at the New York-based Gatestone Institute.
© 2019 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do
not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No
part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied
or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.
Our Family Members Are Being Held Hostage in Iran
Babak Namazi and Richard Ratcliffe/The New York Times/September 28/2019
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/78920/%d8%a8%d8%a7%d8%a8%d9%83-%d9%86%d9%85%d8%a7%d8%b2%d9%8a-%d9%88%d8%b1%d9%8a%d8%aa%d8%b4%d8%a7%d8%b1%d8%af-%d8%b1%d8%a7%d8%aa%d9%83%d9%84%d9%8a%d9%81%d8%a3%d9%81%d8%b1%d8%a7%d8%af-%d8%b9%d8%a7%d8%a6/
President Hassan Rouhani of Iran was in New York to attend the United Nations
General Assembly. Before his departure from Iran, he complained about the
“unjust and oppressive actions” that have been carried out against Iran and
described his visit to the General Assembly as “an opportunity to state and
explain the views of nations, especially the great nation of Iran.”
Global attention has been fixated on salvaging the nuclear deal and reducing
conflict between the United States and Iran, but the world has ignored the harsh
truth that Iran is brazenly using hostage-taking as a key element of its foreign
policy.
In the last few years alone, Tehran has wrongly imprisoned citizens of the
United States, Britain, Canada, Australia, Austria, France, Sweden, the
Netherlands and Lebanon. Antonio Guterres, the secretary-general of the United
Nations, and the assembled world leaders at the General Assembly must convey a
clear message to President Rouhani: Civilized nations do not systematically take
and torture hostages for leverage in their diplomatic relations, and such
behavior will not be tolerated.
We are not politicians. For us, it is a desperate matter of life or death. Our
loved ones have been languishing in Iranian prisons for nearly four years. Each
day is a devastating reminder of their absence in our lives.
Siamak and Baquer Namazi are American-Iranians who have been detained in Iran
since October 2015 and February 2016. They were convicted on manufactured
charges of “collaboration with a hostile foreign government,” a reference to the
United States, and sentenced to 10 years in prison. Siamak is currently held in
the notorious Evin Prison in Tehran, while Baquer, a retired UNICEF official,
had been detained there for two years but is now out on a temporary and highly
restrictive medical furlough.
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe is British-Iranian and was arrested in April 2016
while visiting family. In September, she was convicted on undisclosed security
charges and sentenced to five years in prison. A second fabricated case was also
opened against her, effectively blocking her eligibility for parole. Amnesty
International has designated her as a prisoner of conscience. Nazanin is also
being held at Evin Prison.
Iran is not content to just illegally imprison our family members, but rather
seems determined to break their spirits and put their lives at risk. Nazanin was
forcibly brought to a psychiatric ward, kept in solitary confinement and chained
to a bed. The prison has also restricted her contact with and access to family,
including her 5-year-old daughter. Her prison psychiatrist found Nazanin is not
fit to be in prison.
Siamak has been beaten, tasered and tortured. Baquer, who is 83 years old, was
held for extended periods in solitary confinement and suffers from numerous
life-threatening health problems, including heart conditions, epilepsy and
severe blockages in the major arteries to his brain. While he has now been
allowed a medical furlough, Iran still refuses to let him travel abroad for
necessary medical treatment, and his condition is rapidly deteriorating.
Such circumstances are hardly unique to our families. The United Nations Working
Group on Arbitrary Detention has recognized that “there is an emerging pattern
involving the arbitrary deprivation of liberty of dual nationals in Iran” and
declared the detentions of Siamak, Baquer and Nazanin to be illegal, demanding
their release. The UN special rapporteur on Iran has similarly pointed toward
the plight of detained dual and foreign nationals in the country and named
Siamak, Baquer and Nazanin. Human Rights Watch declared in 2018 that Iran has
“escalated its targeting of Iranian dual citizens and foreign nationals.” Yet
Iran has relentlessly continued to hold and take hostages.
Iran has found hostage taking to be an effective tactic. The Iranian government
has repeatedly leveraged hostages to negotiate prisoner swaps, obtain weapons
and secure large payments or other financial concessions.
Nazanin has been informed that she is being held to pressure Britain to resolve
a long-outstanding debt dispute worth hundreds of millions of dollars. In Siamak
and Baquer’s case, Iranian media with state ties disclosed that Iran was seeking
“many billions of dollars” for their release. Such tactics flout international
law and run contrary to even the most basic standards of human decency.
Among the key purposes of the United Nations, according to its charter, is to
unite the countries of the world to maintain international peace and security
and to promote and protect human rights. We are joining affected families around
the world to call for the release of Nazanin, Siamak, Baquer and all of Iran’s
hostages in one voice. We implore world leaders to do the same.
What does not kill you makes you stronger
Basil M.K. Al-Ghalayini/Arab News/September 29/2019
With the recent terrorist attacks on its key facilities, Saudi Aramco has proven
itself as the most successful oil company in the world, not only in terms of
financial performance but also in dealing with crises. The world watched with
admiration as Aramco resumed normal operations quickly and efficiently.
Aramco’s top brass has been sending clear messages to the international
financial and media communities that its initial public offering (IPO) is on
schedule. More global banks were added recently to play key roles in the
blockbuster IPO, including Barclays, BNP Paribas, Deutsche, UBS, Credit Agricole,
GIB and Societe Generale. Investment banks’ research teams have already started
their meetings with Aramco management. They will have a few weeks to prepare
their pre-IPO reports on the company, compared to the standard two months
normally given for the biggest global listings.
Aramco is speeding up preparations for the IPO with the aim of listing on the
Saudi bourse Tadawul before the year-end. For its bankers, the stakes could not
be higher: They have spent years wooing the oil giant to be part of the deal,
which could make Aramco the world’s biggest listed company if it hits its target
market capitalization of $2 trillion. For the international listing, major
bourses in the US, the UK, Japan and Singapore have been competing fiercely.
Since the $12 billion international bond offering earlier this year, with full
disclosure and transparency to international financial markets, analysts have a
head start as they can lean on work done for this offering. The prospectus for
that offering lays out Aramco’s financial statements and details on its
business, so any information it releases now will build on its previous handy
and available disclosures.
Despite the attacks on its facilities, Aramco’s leadership is committed to
continuing its legacy. Aramco is, and will continue to be, the most successful
oil company in the world and in history. There is no turning back — what does
not kill you makes you stronger.
*Basil M.K. Al-Ghalayini is the Chairman and CEO of BMG Financial Group.
Beware the power of words
Cornelia Meyer/Arab News/September 29/2019
Events in the UK illustrate how divisive language can be. Brexit has split the
UK’s main political parties, indeed the whole country, down the middle. The
fault line between remainers and leavers divides communities, even families. The
wounds are deep — and language has the power to either rub salt in them, or help
the healing process. As British politics has become more divisive, so has
language. Never was this more obvious than last week, when Parliament was
recalled from a prorogation that the Supreme Court ruled had never taken place.
Tempers flared, and language erupted for everyone to see, or rather hear. The
Attorney General described Parliament as a disgrace, and castigated MPs for
refusing to grant the government’s wish for a general election. Opposition
parties will do that only after they have ensured that Prime Minister Boris
Johnson complies with the law and asks the EU for an extension to the current
Oct. 31 Brexit deadline, ruling out leaving without a withdrawal agreement.
Raw emotion was on display when MPs criticized Johnson’s use of terms such as
“surrender” and “betrayal” to describe the law requiring him to ask for an
extension. They pointed out that the Labour MP Jo Cox, who had argued for
Britain to remain in the EU, had been murdered during the referendum campaign in
2016 by a right-wing extremist who shouted “Britain first” as he shot and
stabbed her. Now they, too, were receiving death threats, the MPs said. Johnson
dismissed the link as “humbug,” and uproar ensued.
The UK is not alone in the new harshness of its political discourse. In the US,
too, politics is polarized by presidential tweets and opposition rebuttals.
Extremist websites on the left and right incite hatred and violence. Right-wing
white supremacists and radical groups on the left prey on the weak, the young
and the vulnerable. Radicalization is the name of the game, and language — hate
speech — is the instrument.
Right-wing white supremacists and radical groups on the left prey on the weak,
the young and the vulnerable. Radicalization is the name of the game, and
language — hate speech — is the instrument. Politicians and others in positions
of influence, whether world leaders or their political opponents, must be made
aware of the example they set with the language they use — and the obvious
rabble-rousers are not always the most pernicious. In his essay on politics and
the English language, George Orwell argued that much political language was
“designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an
appearance of solidity to pure wind.” Such language was deliberately vague and
meaningless because it was meant to hide the truth rather than express it, he
said. So we should always ask what speakers or writers mean by what they say,
and we must not allow them to hide behind anodyne phrases. Perhaps even more
importantly nowadays, we must not allow politicians and others to use language
to incite hatred. Once something is said or written, it cannot be unsaid or
unwritten. Language creates the atmosphere in which political discourse happens,
and can inflame a situation or calm it down.
In other words, language matters — so let’s all be careful how we use it.
*Cornelia Meyer is a business consultant, macro-economist and energy expert.
Twitter: @MeyerResources
Don’t make the poor pay for global warming
Hafed Al-Ghwell/Arab News/September 29/2019
The visible effects of climate change occupy an increasing share of the
international consciousness. This year alone, fires ravaged parts of the Amazon
rainforest and across the Arctic Circle, from Siberia to Canada’s Northwest
Territories. Glaciers are melting at alarming rates and hurricanes are worsening
in intensity. This has fueled global youth-led environmental protests calling
for action, but even after an emotional plea by teenage climate activist Greta
Thunberg at the UN Climate Summit last week, the planet’s biggest polluters made
no new commitments to limit global warming.
Particularly troubling was the speech by Brazil’s far-right, populist President
Jair Bolsonaro, defiantly defending Brazil’s environmental priorities, which
affect 60 percent of the Amazon rainforest. The Amazon basin is a critical
carbon sink that mitigates climate change; its vegetation can absorb about a
quarter of the carbon dioxide released from burning fossil fuels.
Unfortunately, lax domestic policies and the Bolsonaro government’s
determination to economically exploit the rainforest via ranching, forestry,
mining and building dams along the Amazon river led to widespread cutting and
burning. One report found that forest fires in Brazil increased by over 80
percent in under a year. The Brazilian government’s actions (or inaction)
sparked international outrage. Bolsonaro has few friends, especially after the
G7 Summit in France last month where he rejected a $22 million aid package to
fight the fires.Several countries withdrew aid or threatened to review trading
agreements, and some corporations even halted purchases of Brazilian goods. The
threat of isolation, aided by a little economic strong-arming, quickly tempered
Bolsonaro’s testy rhetoric — leading to a freeze on land-clearing fires and
military deployments in the Amazon.
On the surface, Brazil’s insistence that the Amazon is a national sovereignty
issue is a ludicrous argument. The rainforest is home to a diverse array of
plant and animal species, which form a complex ecosystem critical to the
planet’s biodiversity and sustainability goals. The Amazon also generates much
of the rainfall across parts of South America far beyond Brazil’s borders.
Rising global temperatures and widespread deforestation are already causing
water scarcity in other parts of the world. Any further disruption of this cycle
could transform the rainforest into a dry landscape.
Uninterrupted rainfall is also crucial to South America’s food security because
much of the continent’s agricultural industries benefit directly or indirectly
from the basin’s precipitation or runoff. It also affects power generation,
since 65 percent of the continent’s electricity comes from hydropower, heavily
dependent on uninterrupted rainfall guaranteed by environmentally conscious
management of the basin. Without that, there would inevitably be friction with
neighboring countries that “share” the rainforest, triggered by water scarcity,
worsening haze over population centers, and a surge in “climate refugees,” since
the livelihoods of about a million indigenous people depend on the rainforest in
its current state.
For the rest of the world, a vanishing Amazon basin would be tantamount to
ecocide. The swift, heavy-handed response by the EU initially curbed Bolsonaro’s
enthusiasm, and sent a strong reminder of the stakes around climate change.
However, Bolsonaro’s concerns should not be dismissed as outlandish declarations
by a populist leader with waning domestic support. Sovereignty issues aside,
marching ahead on policies engineered in New York and Brussels will hamper the
level of international cooperation necessary to achieve climate-friendly
outcomes; it reeks of encroachment and overreach.
Also, policy ideals that favor preserving forests and other carbon sinks tend to
cripple local communities that depend on unrestricted access to natural
resources to generate jobs, incomes and food.
Climate action must not prioritize only the demands of larger nations’ ideals;
it must also address the economic disparity and wealth inequality that are
largely responsible for the reluctance of poorer nations to cooperate on climate
change goals.
What the world needs is a system that not only achieves reduced emissions, but
disincentivizes the small-scale mining, farming, logging and fishing activities
that are often to blame for ecosystem destruction.
One solution is expanding the $86 billion global carbon-pricing system.
Countries, especially those in rainforest basins, could receive credits equal to
how much CO2is absorbed by their forests. In Brazil’s case, 60 percent of the
Amazon lies within its borders and the entire rainforest absorbs a quarter of
the world’s emissions, which were 33.1 billion tons last year.
If all the rainforest in Brazil were pristine, it would have credits of about
4.97 billion tons of CO2. At current prices of roughly $10 a ton, that would be
nearly $50 a year paid by the largest emitters, themselves required to achieve
and maintain zero net emissions.
In this way, low-income countries would have additional funding to invest in
job, food and income-generating initiatives aimed at disincentivizing
destruction of forests within their borders.
Such a system would help poverty reduction efforts in countries across South
America and sub-Saharan Africa, which have expansive forests. Wealthier nations,
on the other hand, could re-package carbon trading revenues into aid for island
economies and communities, which are already witnessing the effects of climate
change, such as rising ocean levels.
Radical plans such as these are among only a few ways to co-opt reluctant
countries drowned by rhetoric and chastisement but given little aid or support
to meet the developed world’s seemingly lofty zero net emissions targets. It
acknowledges the unfairness of wealthier nations imposing climate change ideals
on impoverished, food-insecure communities struggling with high unemployment and
not helped by corruption, mismanagement, waste, nepotism and weak governments.
It also puts the issue of sovereignty to rest.
Climate action must not prioritize only the demands of larger nations’ ideals;
it must also address the economic disparity and wealth inequality that are
largely responsible for the reluctance of poorer nations to cooperate on climate
change goals.
*Hafed Al-Ghwell is a non-resident senior fellow with the Foreign Policy
Institute at the John Hopkins University School of Advanced International
Studies. He is also senior adviser at the international economic consultancy
Maxwell Stamp and at the geopolitical risk advisory firm Oxford Analytica, a
member of the Strategic Advisory Solutions International Group in Washington DC
and a former adviser to the board of the World Bank Group. Twitter: @HafedAlGhwell