English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For March 13/2020
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani

#elias_bejjani_news
 

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Bible Quotations For today

‘Is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the sabbath, to save life or to kill?’
Mark 03/01-12./”Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there who had a withered hand. They watched him to see whether he would cure him on the sabbath, so that they might accuse him. And he said to the man who had the withered hand, ‘Come forward.’ Then he said to them, ‘Is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the sabbath, to save life or to kill?’ But they were silent. He looked around at them with anger; he was grieved at their hardness of heart and said to the man, ‘Stretch out your hand.’ He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. The Pharisees went out and immediately conspired with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him. Jesus departed with his disciples to the lake, and a great multitude from Galilee followed him; hearing all that he was doing, they came to him in great numbers from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, beyond the Jordan, and the region around Tyre and Sidon. He told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd, so that they would not crush him; for he had cured many, so that all who had diseases pressed upon him to touch him. Whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and shouted, ‘You are the Son of God!’ But he sternly ordered them not to make him known.”

Question: "What does it mean that the Bible is inspired?"
GotQuestions.org/March 12/2021
Answer: When people speak of the Bible as inspired, they are referring to the fact that God divinely influenced the human authors of the Scriptures in such a way that what they wrote was the very Word of God. In the context of the Scriptures, the word “inspiration” simply means “God-breathed.” Inspiration means the Bible truly is the Word of God and makes the Bible unique among all other books.
While there are different views as to the extent to which the Bible is inspired, there can be no doubt that the Bible itself claims that every word in every part of the Bible comes from God (1 Corinthians 2:12-13; 2 Timothy 3:16-17). This view of the Scriptures is often referred to as “verbal plenary inspiration.” That means the inspiration extends to the very words themselves (verbal)—not just concepts or ideas—and that the inspiration extends to all parts of Scripture and all subject matters of Scripture (plenary). Some people believe only parts of the Bible are inspired or only the thoughts or concepts that deal with religion are inspired, but these views of inspiration fall short of the Bible’s claims about itself. Full verbal plenary inspiration is an essential characteristic of the Word of God.
The extent of inspiration can be clearly seen in 2 Timothy 3:16, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” This verse tells us that God inspired all Scripture and that it is profitable to us. It is not just the parts of the Bible that deal with religious doctrines that are inspired, but each and every word from Genesis to Revelation. Because it is inspired by God, the Scriptures are therefore authoritative when it comes to establishing doctrine, and sufficient for teaching man how be in a right relationship with God. The Bible claims not only to be inspired by God, but also to have the supernatural ability to change us and make us “complete.” What more can we need?
Another verse that deals with the inspiration of the Scriptures is 2 Peter 1:21. This verse helps us to understand that even though God used men with their distinctive personalities and writing styles, God divinely inspired the very words they wrote. Jesus Himself confirmed the verbal plenary inspiration of the Scriptures when He said, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law...” (Matthew 5:17-18). In these verses, Jesus is reinforcing the accuracy of the Scriptures down to the smallest detail and the slightest punctuation mark, because it is the very Word of God.
Because the Scriptures are the inspired Word of God, we can conclude that they are also inerrant and authoritative. A correct view of God will lead us to a correct view of His Word. Because God is all-powerful, all-knowing, and completely perfect, His Word will by its very nature have the same characteristics. The same verses that establish the inspiration of the Scriptures also establish that it is both inerrant and authoritative. Without a doubt the Bible is what it claims to be—the undeniable, authoritative, Word of God to humanity.

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on March 12-13/2021

Elias Bejjani/Visit My LCCC Web site/All That you need to know on Lebanese unfolding news and events in Arabic and English/http://eliasbejjaninews.com/
OPH: 2930 new coronavirus cases, 48 deaths
No More COVID Jabs in Parliament, Says Lebanon's Deputy Speaker after Scandal
STL Submits ‘Milestone’ Twelfth Annual Report to UN
Lebanon Faces Darkness as Electricity Funds Dry Up
Parliament Approves World Bank Loan as Protesters Hold Sit-ins
France and U.S. Warn Lebanon is Running Out of Time Before Total 'Collapse'
Rahi meets Al-Azhar gathering delegation headed by Siniora
Longden after meeting Rahi: Positive change will not be easy. Lebanon’s international friends stand ready, as always, to help.
2021 Lebanon Crisis Response Plan appeals for $2.75 billion to respond to the impact of the Syrian crisis in Lebanon
Japan supports landmine clearance activities in Southern Lebanon, extends
Army chief meets Egyptian ambassador, former MP Rahme, family of late MP Obeid
Hariri Receives U.S. Ambassador
Strong Lebanon allow MPs freedom of choice as to attending plenary session: Stopping collapse not responsibility of Presidency and Premiership alone
Khalil Says Berri Very Worried over Parties 'Laxity' in Forming Govt.
Minister Holds ‘Positive’ Talks in Syria on Refugees’ Return
For Syrians in Lebanon, a Decade of Displacement with No End in Sight
Fahmi Sounds Alarm on Crisis: Security Forces Unable to Perform 90% of Tasks
Lebanon could plunge in ‘total darkness’ with no money for fuel
Lebanon approves $246 million safety net, but seeks oversight cuts to ease impact
Thousands march in central Beirut as Lebanon political deadlock persists
Hezbollah’s dirty street tactics will backfire again while Lebanese suffer/Makram Rabah/Al Arabiya/March 12/2021
Lebanese actors hold play in theater razed by Beirut blast to help heal divided city

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on March 12-13/2021

Iran ship Shahre Kord damaged in attack in Mediterranean, state company
Saudi, US ground forces set to launch joint military exercise
‘No evidence’ of higher blood clots risk from vaccine: AstraZeneca
Biden discussed China challenges with leaders of Quad countries: White
Turkey Says it Has Restarted Diplomatic Contacts with Egypt
Houthis Reject US Ceasefire Plan in Yemen
Turkey's Erdogan Targets Inflation, State Finances in Economic Reform Plan
Thousands Protest in Algiers after Election Date Announced
Joint statement of Canada and the Kingdom of the Netherlands regarding their cooperation in holding Syria to account
Interview — Ex-Netanyahu adviser: We have to stop Iran’s race to the bomb
WHO Approves Johnson & Johnson's Covid Vaccine
 

Titles For The Latest The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on March 12-13/2021

The Game that Left Iran in Historic Impasse/Amir Taheri/Asharq Al-Awsat/March 12/2021
Politics, the Art of Courage/Dr. Amal Moussa/Asharq Al-Awsat/March 12/2021
Palestinians: Why Terrorists Support Mass Murderers/Khaled Abu Toameh/Gatestone Institute/March 12/2021
Getting the Israel-Jordan Relationship Back on Track/David Schenker, Ghaith al-Omari/The Washington Institute/March 12, 2021
How Should Joe Biden Respond to Russia’s Middle East Strategy?/Anna Borshchevskaya/The Washington Institute/March 12, 2021

The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on March 12-13/2021

Elias Bejjani/Visit My LCCC Web site/All That you need to know on Lebanese unfolding news and events in Arabic and English/http://eliasbejjaninews.com/
 

OPH: 2930 new coronavirus cases, 48 deaths
NNA/Friday, 12 March, 2021
2930 new coronavirus cases and 48 more deaths have been recorded in Lebanon in the past 24 hours, as announced by the Ministry of Public Health on Friday.
 

No More COVID Jabs in Parliament, Says Lebanon's Deputy Speaker after Scandal
Asharq Al-Awsat/Friday, 12 March, 2021
Lawmakers will get their COVID-19 vaccinations in hospital like everyone else from now on, the deputy speaker of Lebanon's parliament said on Friday following a scandal over MPs receiving early jabs in the legislature.
About a dozen parliamentarians were vaccinated last month despite not being in a top priority group - sparking outrage in a country reeling from the impact of the pandemic and a financial meltdown. Deputy Speaker Elie Ferzli, who was among the vaccinated lawmakers, said they would not be getting their second doses in parliament. "We will do it in accordance with the important directive concerning the hospitals," Ferzli, who is in his early 70s, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. The World Bank, which is partially funding Lebanon's inoculation program, initially threatened to suspend financing over the incident. Lebanon began its vaccination program on Feb. 14 and has since given the first dose to about 100,000 of its more than six million people. Despite official assurances that everyone is entitled to vaccination, rights groups fear many migrant workers and some of more than a million Syrian and Palestinian refugees in the country may be left out.

STL Submits ‘Milestone’ Twelfth Annual Report to UN
Naharnet/12 March ,2021
The Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) submitted its twelfth annual report to the United Nations Secretary-General and the Government of Lebanon, the STL said in a press release. The annual report highlights the activities of the Tribunal from 1 March 2020 to 28 February 2021, and its objectives for the coming year, said Thursday’s press release. Milestones include the delivery of the Trial Judgment in the Ayyash et al. Case on 18 August, followed by the Sentencing Judgment on 11 December 2020. In the report´s forward, the STL President Judge Ivana Hrdličková highlights “The [delivery of the] judgments stand as a signal of what is possible for those who have demanded an end to impunity, and as a beacon of hope to victims of terrorist crimes that the truth will be accounted for.”Other key developments include the advancement of the Ayyash case STL-18-10 through much of the pre-trial phase, with the trial now tentatively scheduled to begin on 16 June 2021; and the extension of the STL’s mandate for a period of two years from 1 March 2021. The STL also reviewed and restructured its operations for the upcoming phases of its work. As a result, the Tribunal has a more effective structure, a smaller but still adaptable workforce, and a dramatically reduced 2021 budget, poised to complete the remaining trials and appeals expeditiously and progressively draw down the STL’s activities.

Lebanon Faces Darkness as Electricity Funds Dry Up
Agence France Presse/12 March ,2021
Lebanon's caretaker energy minister Thursday warned the country would plunge into "total darkness" at the end of the month if no money was secured to buy fuel for power stations. Power cuts have been common in Lebanon ever since the end of the 1975-1990 civil war, forcing Lebanese to pay a second power bill to private generators for three to 12 hours each day during the outages. Now the country is facing its worst economic crisis in decades, and fast running out of hard currency to back imports. Caretaker energy minister Raymond Ghajar warned the state electricity company, Electricite du Liban, was strapped for cash. "Lebanon could head towards total darkness at the end of the month if Electricite du Liban is not provided with financial aid to buy fuel," he said, the official National News Agency reported. Ghajar, who was speaking after meeting Lebanese President Michel Aoun, warned of repercussions on all sectors if the power went out. "Imagine your life without electricity, internet, phones, hospitals or vaccines... It's surreal to live in the 21st century without electricity," he said. Ghajar has called for emergency funding for the state power company to continue providing power, until a larger loan is approved by parliament.
Until now the electricity company had been functioning on the remains of a loan allocated under the 2020 budget, but the 2021 budget has not yet been passed as the country struggles with twin economic and political crises. Lebanon has been importing fuel on a shipment by shipment basis since the start of the year, after a contract with a subsidiary of Algerian state company Sonatrach ran out and was not renewed. Users on social media lashed out at Ghajar's comments."What is surreal is that we have these officials in charge," one wrote, echoing widespread sentiment that the country's political elite is incompetent or corrupt and responsible for the country's many crises. The international community has long demanded a complete overhaul of the electricity sector, which has cost the government more than $40 billion since the end of the war. Lebanon's government resigned after a massive blast in Beirut last summer that killed more than 200 people, but a deeply divided political class has failed to agree on a cabinet to replace it.

Parliament Approves World Bank Loan as Protesters Hold Sit-ins
Associated Press/12 March ,2021
Parliament on Friday approved a $246 million World Bank loan agreement aimed at supporting families impacted by Lebanon's near two-year-long crippling economic crisis that has been aggravated by the Covid-19 pandemic. As the session got underway at the UNESCO Palace in Beirut, parliament's temporary venue, large crowds of protesters spread in different areas of Beirut and outside the UNESCO Palace, raising different demands. “We were late to hold a session to approve the loan in order to take the necessary clarifications from the government and monitor the implementation” of the loan plan, said Berri at the beginning of the session. The head of the finance parliamentary committee, MP brahim Kanaan, meanwhile stressed that parliament should "tighten supervision over the implementation of the loan agreement related to addressing the (economic) repercussions of coronavirus," noting that "the problem always lies in the implementation of laws, not in approving them." According to a World Bank statement in January, the significant portion of the loan -- nearly $200 million -- will go toward providing cash assistance to around 786,000 individuals through a pre-paid electronic card.
The loan also includes school fees for some 87,000 children between the ages of 13 and 18. It will also help Lebanon develop a social registry to determine who would need assistance in the future. Since Lebanon's economic and financial crisis began in late 2019, there have been different exchange rates for the dollar in the highly-indebted country, including the official rate with about 1,500 pounds to the dollar, the black market rate, and a cash withdrawal rate from U.S. dollar accounts in local banks, with at 3,900 pounds for $1. Using the rate of 6,240 pounds to the dollar in helping poor families means they are being short-changed, getting about 62% of what they would be getting on the black market rate. Lawyer and anti-corruption activist Nizar Saghieh slammed it as another tax on the poor. "It is being imposed not on the richest but the poorest," he wrote. Parliament also passed another law, granting $5.5 million from a different World Bank loan to small and medium businesses. The parliament meeting comes following a week-long wave of road-blocking protests that engulfed most of the country. Protesters outside UNESCO Palace carried slogans criticizing political inaction in the face of deepening poverty, and a dollar shortage crisis. Later on Friday, hundreds of people marched through Beirut demanding a transitional government that would work on getting Lebanon out of its crisis. Lebanon's government resigned in August following a massive blast at Beirut's port that killed 211 people, wounded more than 6,000 and damaged entire neighborhoods in the capital. Disagreements between President Michel Aoun and Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri have so far delayed the formation of a Cabinet. Hariri was chosen for the post in October.

France and U.S. Warn Lebanon is Running Out of Time Before Total 'Collapse'
Agence France Presse/12 March ,2021
France and the United States hit out at Lebanon's warring politicians on Thursday, with Paris saying they were failing to help the country as it slid towards "total collapse". "It's tempting to say it is a case of non-assistance to a country in danger by Lebanese politicians," French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told a news conference. "Everyone knows what needs to be done."  France has taken a leading role in trying to break the political deadlock in its former protectorate, with President Emmanuel Macron visiting the country twice last year. Lebanon's deeply divided political class has failed to agree on a new cabinet since a massive explosion in Beirut port last August that killed more than 200 people and led to the government's resignation. Le Drian said "nothing has happened" since Macron's visits when he pushed a plan for the political parties to form a non-sectarian government of experts which would be tasked with carrying out economic reforms and tackling corruption. "I do believe that it is still not too late, but we're running out of time before total collapse," the French minister added. The US supported Le Drian's statement, saying that Lebanon's leaders have shown "inaction in the face of multiple ongoing crises". "The Lebanese people -- we believe they deserve a government that will urgently implement the necessary reforms to rescue the country's deteriorating economy," State Department spokesman Ned Price said in Washington. "Lebanon's political leaders need to put aside their partisan brinksmanship, they need to change course, they need to work for the common good and common interest of the Lebanese people," he said. Lebanon is mired in protests and an economic crisis, which has brought surging unemployment and spiralling prices while the currency has plunged to lows to the dollar on the black market. French officials have repeatedly voiced their exasperation at what they see as Lebanese politicians failing to put the interests of the country before their own.

Rahi meets Al-Azhar gathering delegation headed by Siniora
NNA/12 March ,2021
Maronite Patriarch, Cardinal Mar Bechara Boutros Al-Rahi, on Friday welcomed at his Patriarchal residence in Bkerki with a delegation representing Al-Azhar gathering headed by Former Prime Minister, Fouad Siniora.

Longden after meeting Rahi: Positive change will not be easy. Lebanon’s international friends stand ready, as always, to help.
NNA/12 March ,2021
The Chargé d’Affaires of the British Embassy in Beirut Dr. Martin Longden met with his Beatitude Patriarch Rai this evening. After the meeting he said: ‘I am grateful to Patriarch Rai for receiving me this evening. This is my first meeting with His Beatitude since my arrival here in January. We held candid discussions on the distressing situation in Lebanon and shared our deep concern for the suffering of the Lebanese people. I thanked the Patriarch for his efforts to give leadership and comfort in these difficult times.  I also emphasised the UK’s steadfast support to Lebanon, as it passes through one of the toughest periods of its history, and our commitment to Lebanon’s neutrality and disassociation. However bleak the current situation, I see in Lebanon extraordinary potential: a country that can be prosperous, stable and secure; a country that can be sovereign, strong and independent; and a country that can have a government accountable, transparent and deserving of the trust of all the Lebanese people. Unfortunately this is not today’s reality. And I am left wondering how much further must Lebanon fall before its leadership take responsibility? How much more pain must the people - across the entire country - endure, before politicking stops and practical action to make things better starts? And at what point do those with influence stop risking economic and humanitarian catastrophe, and show instead the resolution and patriotism necessary to form a reforming government capable of halting Lebanon’s desperate descent? Positive change will not be easy – nothing of true value ever is. Lebanon’s international friends stand ready, as always, to help. And there is a path to a better future. But we cannot want this future more than you. Change must be lead from within the country, and I hope that all those with Lebanon’s interests at heart can work together on this formidable task. But it must happen soon. For time, like the long-suffering patience of the Lebanese people, is rapidly running out.-- UK Embassy in Lebanon

2021 Lebanon Crisis Response Plan appeals for $2.75 billion to respond to the impact of the Syrian crisis in Lebanon
NNA/12 March ,2021
Lebanon’s Minister for Social Affairs and Tourism, Professor Ramzi Moucharafieh, and the UN Deputy Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Ms. Najat Rochdi, launched today the 2021 update of the Lebanon Crisis Response Plan 2017-2021. As the world marks ten years since the start of the crisis in Syria, the Government of Lebanon and its national and international partners are appealing for US$ 2.75 billion to provide critical humanitarian assistance to the people affected by the Syria crisis, as well as invest in Lebanon’s public infrastructure, services and local economy. The LCRP brings together more than 112 partner organizations to assist more than 2.8 million crisis-affected people living in Lebanon. It aims to provide protection and immediate relief assistance to 1.9 million Syrian refugees, vulnerable Lebanese and Palestine refugees; deliver basic services to 2.5 million people; and seek to mitigate the impacts of the Syria crisis on Lebanon’s infrastructure, economy and public institutions.
Since 2011, US$8.807 billion has been received in support of the Lebanon Crisis Response Plan. The assistance made possible by donor contributions and implemented by humanitarian, Government and development partners, has generated a real difference in the lives of hundreds of thousands of families. In 2020, and thanks to projects falling under the Lebanon Crisis Response Plan, 350,000 people were able to access to safe water. 929,000 people received food assistance. 967,000 subsidized primary healthcare consultations were provided. More than 400,000 children – both Syrian and Lebanese – were enrolled in school and, 100,000 individuals were able to access legal aid and life-saving sexual and gender-based violence services.
The concerted response by the Government, the international partners and Lebanese civil society prevented a sharp decline in socio-economic vulnerability levels for displaced Syrians between 2015 and 2019. At the same time, support under the LCRP to Lebanon’s public institutions seeking to improve all populations’ access to basic services has continuously increased from $171.5m in 2015 to more than $245.4m in 2019.
However, needs in the country have dramatically increased, exacerbated by the multiple crises that Lebanon has experienced, from an economic decline to the COVID-19 pandemic to the devastating Beirut port explosions. Ten years into the protracted Syria crisis, refugees’ assistance and protection needs are steadily increasing along with those of all communities in Lebanon. Currently 91% of Syrian families are living below the poverty line on less than USD 3.84 a day. An estimated 55% of Lebanese also live below the poverty line throughout the country. As families’ vulnerability worsens, tensions between and within communities are rising due to competition over resources and services as people strive to meet their basic needs. “Addressing the overwhelming and urgent needs of the people is at the heart of the work of the United Nations in Lebanon, including those who were directly affected by the Syrian crisis. We are here to respond to a multi-faceted crisis of devastating proportions,” said Rochdi. “With the generous support of donors, the UN with its humanitarian partners mobilized their efforts to provide life-saving assistance and respond to the horrendous Beirut Port explosions. But there is still a long way to support the refugees, the host communities, the migrants and also the Lebanese reeling under the socio-economic crisis who deserve our full solidarity and commitment.” she added. For his part, Moucharafieh emphasized: “it is vital that we continue to build on the LCRP achievements in partnership with UN agencies and NGOs, which has been made possible thanks to the very generous support of donors. The situation in Lebanon remains extremely worrying, with vulnerabilities among the displaced Syrians and the Lebanese host communities snowballing. We urgently need donors to scale up their support to bridge the growing gaps in the response in light of the compounded crises. It is essential that we can consciously and visibly increase support to refugees and host communities alike to tackle aid bias and in order to avoid exacerbating tensions over jobs and public services and promote conflict sensitivity”. The LCRP 2017-2021 is the key tool of the response to the impact of the Syria crisis in Lebanon. As well as providing protection and assistance to those directly affected by the crisis – including Syrian displaced, Palestinian refugees, and Lebanese – the LCRP plays a central role in supporting Lebanon’s public services for the benefit of all.—UNIC

Japan supports landmine clearance activities in Southern Lebanon, extends
NNA/12 March ,2021
The Embassy of Japan in Lebanon said on Friday that Japan will extend 630,145 US dollars in grant to Mines Advisory Group for the procurement of mine clearance devices to facilitate its operation for the villages of Houla, Meiss El Jabal, Blida, Markaba, Arab Ellouaizeh and Amra, Marjeyoun District, Nabatieh Governorate. On March 12, 2021, Ambassador OKUBO Takeshi signed a grant agreement with Mr. Sylvain Lefort, Country Director of Mines Advisory Group in Lebanon. Mines Advisory Group, in partnership of more than seven years with Japan, has cleared landmines and unexploded remnants across Lebanon and protected thousands of people from the threats of explosives. Appreciating the organization’s achievement to that effect, Japan has decided to further support their operation in Lebanon through upgrading special equipment and covering expenditures. With this grant assistance, Mines Advisory Group will be able to help 15,500citizens, including Syrian refugees, secure safe access to farm land. At the signing ceremony, Mr. Sylvain Lefort expressed deep gratitude to the people and the government of Japan for the continuous support considering it has had enormous impact in improving human security across the country. On the other hand, Ambassador Okubo commended the organization for its strenuous effort in reducing the risk and threat of the explosives the local people have faced for a long time and emphasized that Japan would continue to support the people of Lebanon during these difficult times.—Embassy of Japan in Lebanon

Army chief meets Egyptian ambassador, former MP Rahme, family of late MP Obeid
NNA/12 March ,2021
Army Commander, General Joseph Aoun, on Friday received at his Yarzeh office, the Egyptian Ambassador to Lebanon, Dr. Yasser Alwi, accompanied by the Military Attaché, Brigadier General Salah Junaidi. Discussions reportedly touched on cooperation relations between the armies of both countries. Maj. Gen. Aoun also received the family of late MP Jean Obeid, who thanked him for condoling the family in their grief. The army commander also met with former MP Emile Rahme, with whom he discussed the general situation.

Hariri Receives U.S. Ambassador
Naharnet/12 March ,2021
Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri received at the Center House on Friday the American Ambassador to Lebanon, Dorothy Shea, Hariri’s press office said in a statement. The meeting was held in the presence of former Minister Ghattas Khoury, and discussions focused on the latest developments in Lebanon, added the statement.Lebanese politicians have so far been unable to form a much-needed government to steer the country out of a crippling economic crisis.

Strong Lebanon allow MPs freedom of choice as to attending plenary session: Stopping collapse not responsibility of Presidency and Premiership alone
NNA/12 March ,2021
The Strong Lebanon parliamentary bloc issued this Friday a statement in which it said: "After a review of the deteriorating conditions in the country and the state of legislative work accompanying it, and sensing the need for more efforts in order to stop this collapsing path, the bloc (…) urges the House of Representatives to fully shoulder its responsibilities in this unprecedented crisis in the history of Lebanon." "The bloc had submitted a large number of draft laws, some of which were approved and many remained without approval, unjustifiably. The latter, if approved, can bring about the required change; on top of these laws are the capital control law, the law of recovering stolen funds, the law of recovering funds transferred abroad, the law on disclosing the accounts and property of those in public service, and the law on the special court for financial crimes," the statement read.
"What is important for the bloc is to pass these laws, to protect the rights of the people, regain their confidence, and restore hope in building the state," it said. "As for the reform laws related to fighting corruption and recovering money, the bloc announces the start of a new phase of political and legislative struggle for approval. It pledges to spare no effort to take any of the possible routes leading to that end, including boycotting a session [or sessions] of Parliament. In this context, the bloc left the freedom of choice for its deputies to either attend the plenary session today or boycott it."
"Stopping the collapse and allowing the advancement of the country is not only the responsibility of the presidency of the republic and the presidency of the council of ministers, but rather that of the parliament, which is asked during this period to become a beehive that produces the required laws," it said.

Khalil Says Berri Very Worried over Parties 'Laxity' in Forming Govt.
Naharnet/12 March ,2021
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri is “at the heart of the constant discussions” aimed at forming a new government, his aide MP Ali Hassan Khalil said Friday. “He is very worried over the political forces’ laxity in forming the government,” Khalil added, following a parliamentary session.
“Unfortunately, we are witnessing paralysis in the inability to form a government and nothing indicates that there will be a government soon,” Khalil lamented. Turning to parliament’s work, the MP said his bloc was among the first to push for the approval of reformist laws by the parliamentary committees. As for his draft law that is aimed at granting cash advances to the armed forces, Khalil said: “It is only a proposal and it unacceptable to say that this is a bribe, because servicemen are risking their lives.”Commenting on the stance of the blocs that have decided to boycott some sessions, Khalil said: “Everyone has the right to attend or boycott, but no one has the right to come up with rules for legislative work according to their mood.”

Minister Holds ‘Positive’ Talks in Syria on Refugees’ Return
Naharnet/12 March ,2021
Caretaker Social Affairs and Tourism Minister Ramzi Musharrafieh affirmed on Friday that his recent meeting with Syrian officials in Damascus on the refugee file were “positive and encouraging.” He said the “discussions with Syrian officials during his recent visit to Damascus were more than positive and very encouraging,” and that “all the ministers he met with, expressed their full readiness to work with Lebanon to activate the file of the return of displaced persons.”He said he received guarantees that a “dignified and safe return will be achieved for the displaced.” The Minister said he stressed with the Syrian side the need for approaching this file in terms of its human dimension, considering that the safe and dignified return of the displaced to their country is the only sustainable solution. “We will assist them in all available means and through coordination with the Syrian state, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the international community in general,” he added. Lebanon, a small Mediterranean country with a population of about 5 million, hosts the highest concentration of refugees per capita, estimated at around 1 million. Most of them live in informal makeshift tent settlements spread out across Lebanon's Bekaa, not far from the Syrian border.

For Syrians in Lebanon, a Decade of Displacement with No End in Sight
Associated Press/12 March ,2021
Mohammed Zakaria has lived in a plastic tent in eastern Lebanon's Bekaa Valley for almost as long as war has raged in his native Syria.
He and his family fled bombings in 2012, thinking it would be a short, temporary stay. His hometown of Homs was under siege, and subject to a ferocious Syrian military campaign. He didn't even bring his ID with him.
Almost 10 years later, the family still hasn't gone back. The 53-year-old Zakaria is among millions of Syrians unlikely to return in the foreseeable future, even as they face deteriorating living conditions abroad. On top of his displacement, Zakaria now struggles to survive Lebanon's financial meltdown and social implosion. "We came on the assumption that we would come in and out," said Zakaria, sitting outside his tent on a cold day recently as his children walked around in worn-out slippers. Syria has been mired in civil war since 2011, when Syrians revolted against President Bashar Assad amid a wave of Arab Spring uprisings. The protests in Syria, which began in March that year, quickly turned into insurgency — and eventually a full-blown civil war — in response to a brutal military crackdown by Assad's security apparatus.
Nearly half a million people have been killed, and about 12,000 children have died or were injured in the conflict in the past decade, according to the U.N. children's agency, UNICEF. The conflict also resulted in the largest displacement crisis since World War II.
The Norwegian Refugee Council this week said that since the war began in 2011, an estimated 2.4 million people were displaced every year in and outside Syria. Hundreds of thousands of Syrians face continued displacement with each year that the conflict continues and economic conditions deteriorate.
The war has left Syria divided and in ruins. Nearly a million children have been born in exile. Of the country's pre-war population of 23 million, nearly 5.6 million are refugees living in neighboring countries and Europe. Some 6.5 million are displaced within Syria, most of them for longer than five years. Lebanon, a small Mediterranean country with a population of about 5 million, hosts the highest concentration of refugees per capita, estimated at around 1 million. Most of them live in informal makeshift tent settlements spread out across Lebanon's Bekaa, not far from the Syrian border.
A former porter for a Homs construction company, Zakaria has struggled to provide for his family, even as it continues to grow in Lebanon. He has two wives and eight children, including two who were born in Lebanon. One of his children was only a year old when the family escaped Syria.
In Lebanon, jobs are hard to come by asan economic and financial crisis roils the country. Financial assistance is scarce and irregular. A currency crash sent inflation and prices soaring. Zakaria now tries to make ends meet by selling gas bottles used for heaters to other refugees in his settlement.
He makes 1,000 Lebanese pounds (about 10 cents) from each gas canister he sells. But this winter, his neighbors in the settlement, which houses around 200 Syrian refugee families, could hardly afford to buy enough gas to heat their tents. Through the unprecedented economic crisis, Lebanon's currency has so far lost over 80% of its value."Life is expensive here," he said. "It is so expensive even for medicine or doctors." When his wife needed urgent eye surgery, Zakariya arranged for her to be smuggled briefly back into Syria to do the surgery there. The surgery was going to cost 22 million Lebanese pounds — about $2,200 at the current market rate. They managed to get it done in Syria for 85,000 Lebanese pounds ($850). Zakaria said he feels great sadness for his younger three children who have no memories of Syria and their home in Homs. They have also not been to school, and don't know how to read and write. According to UNICEF, nearly 750,000 Syrian children in neighboring countries, including Lebanon, are out of school. "All of our memories are gone now," said Zakaria, watching his children run around, playing hopscotch. Two dirty street cats serve as their playmates.
"Now we have a generation — 10-year-olds are a new generation," he said. "I have young kids and ... they don't even know our neighbors" back home. Many Syrians are unable to return because their homes were destroyed in the fighting, or because they fear military conscription or retribution from government forces. Zakaria clings to the hope that he would one day go back to his home. "God willing we will die in our country," he said. "Everyone should die in their own country."

Fahmi Sounds Alarm on Crisis: Security Forces Unable to Perform 90% of Tasks
Naharnet/12 March ,2021
Caretaker Interior Minister Mohammed Fahmi sounded the alarm about the impact of Lebanon’s crippling economic crisis on the performance and response of security forces. In remarks to media outlets, Fahmi said: “The security forces are being depleted every day and we have reached rock bottom. We are unable to carry out 90% of our tasks to protect the homeland and citizens." He stated that most of the vehicles are idle and out of order because of the inability to fix them due to the dollar exchange rate, adding that “the value of the security forces' salaries has declined significantly.” Fahmi said the security situation is at risk in light of a deteriorating financial situation of the security establishment. “My words are a wake-up call ... We are at the bottom due to the difficult financial situation that the Internal Security Forces organization suffers from, especially that the military’s salary has reached the limits of one hundred dollars,” Fahmi said. The Minister emphasized that the only way for Lebanon out of the crisis is through the speedy formation of a government, “the state’s institutions are drained,” he said. On Wednesday, the Lebanese army removed iron and dirt barriers that protesters placed on a number of roads in the capital Beirut and its suburbs, and areas in the north, south of the country and the Bekaa region, and reopened roads for traffic. For a whole week, protesters burned tires and garbage containers to block roads across the country, amid a wave of anger over the collapse of the national currency, the poor economic situation and the political stalemate prevailing. Lebanon is facing the worst financial crisis since the end of the civil war in 1990, after the local currency witnessed a significant decline in its value, due to a group of factors, on top of which was the outbreak of the Corona pandemic and the explosion of Beirut port last year.
 

Lebanon could plunge in ‘total darkness’ with no money for fuel
BEIRUT/Agencies/12 March ,2021

Lebanon’s caretaker energy minister Thursday warned the country would plunge into “total darkness” at the end of the month if no money was secured to buy fuel for power stations. Power cuts have been common in Lebanon ever since the end of the 1975-1990 civil war, forcing Lebanese to pay a second power bill to private generators for three to 12 hours each day during the outages. Now the country is facing its worst economic crisis in decades, and fast running out of hard currency to back imports. Caretaker energy minister Raymond Ghajar warned the state electricity company, Electricite du Liban, was strapped for cash. “Lebanon could head towards total darkness at the end of the month if Electricité du Liban is not provided with financial aid to buy fuel,” he said, the official National News Agency reported. Ghajar, who was speaking after meeting Lebanese President Michel Aoun, warned of repercussions on all sectors if the power went out. “Imagine your life without electricity, internet, phones, hospitals or vaccines… It’s surreal to live in the 21st century without electricity,” he said. Ghajar has called for emergency funding for the state power company to continue providing power, until a larger loan is approved by parliament. Until now the electricity company had been functioning on the remains of a loan allocated under the 2020 budget, but the 2021 budget has not yet been passed as the country struggles with twin economic and political crises. Lebanon has been importing fuel on a shipment by shipment basis since the start of the year, after a contract with a subsidiary of Algerian state company Sonatrach ran out and was not renewed. Users on social media lashed out at Ghajar’s comments. “What is surreal is that we have these officials in charge,” one wrote, echoing widespread sentiment that the country’s political elite is incompetent or corrupt and responsible for the country’s many crises. The international community has long demanded a complete overhaul of the electricity sector, which has cost the government more than $40 billion since the end of the war. Lebanon’s government resigned after a massive blast in Beirut last summer that killed more than 200 people, but a deeply divided political class has failed to agree on a cabinet to replace it.

Lebanon approves $246 million safety net, but seeks oversight cuts to ease impact
Timour Azhari, Thomson Reuters Foundation/12 March ,2021
Nearly 150,000 of Lebanon’s poorest families could soon start receiving monthly cash handouts after lawmakers gave approval on Friday to a $246-million World Bank loan to ease the impact of the country’s financial meltdown. But in a nation where many people blame the crisis on corruption and mismanagement, some analysts questioned MPs’ decision to cut at least $5 million from allocations for oversight and so-called capacity building to prepare for future shocks. The World Bank, which agreed the loan in January, could not immediately be reached to comment.
The financing aims to cut extreme poverty by half through household aid payments of up to 800,000 Lebanese pounds, equivalent to less than $100 per month, as well as boost social services and fund the education costs of 87,000 students. Parliamentarians who backed the changes to the loan’s spending structure said more poor families would be able to benefit as a result. Ibrahim Kanaan, chair of parliament’s finance and budget committee, said the alterations would reduce running costs and make the program “much better than it was before”.Kanaan told the Thomson Reuters Foundation he had lobbied to slash spending on capacity-building because “in the past this never did its job. Large portions where mis-spent ... there is a big margin for corruption.” Other changes voted by parliament included cutting funding for an independent third-party monitor by half and reducing the timespan of an external financial audit to one year from three. Instead of hiring companies to verify the eligibility of families for the handouts and oversee the payments, parliament voted to hand that task to the social affairs ministry and volunteers. Some financial analysts questioned the oversight cuts. “What does Lebanon gain by slashing the budget for oversight and governance by a few million dollars while putting at risk the effective management of the $246 million program?” said Mike Azar, a senior financial adviser based in Beirut. He said such costs were often high for governments with weak institutions, but “the solution is to fix the institutions, governance and transparency, not slash the oversight costs which may end up costing the country much more in the long run.” Few people in Lebanon trust government, and - citing the risk of corruption - rights groups and donors have said aid should be disbursed directly to people reeling from the economic crisis, COVID-19 and a massive August 2020 blast in Beirut. The World Bank, which is partly financing the country’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout, threatened last month to suspend its support after some lawmakers got their vaccinations early.
They received the jabs during a February session discussing the loan endorsed on Friday.

Thousands march in central Beirut as Lebanon political deadlock persists
Reuters/12 March ,2021
Thousands marched in central Beirut on Friday demanding a new independent government to lift Lebanon out of its deepening crisis as frustration over the country’s financial meltdown grew. Lebanon’s economic crisis is posing the biggest threat to its stability since the 1975-1990 civil war.
Erupting in late 2019, it has since wiped out jobs, locked people out of their bank deposits, slashed 85% of the value of its currency and raised the risk of widespread hunger. “In light of the terrible failure of those in power socially and politically we are going to the streets to ask for a new independent government and an alternative to the current system,” a statement by one group of protesters said. Lebanon’s problems were compounded after a port explosion in August devastated whole tracts of Beirut, killing 200 people and prompting the government to resign, leaving the country rudderless as it sinks deeper into financial collapse. Prime Minister Hassan Diab’s cabinet has stayed on in a caretaker capacity until a new cabinet is formed. But prime minister-designate Saad al-Hariri, nominated in October, is at loggerheads with President Michel Aoun and has been unable to form a new government to carry out much needed reforms to unlock international aid. The protest comes after two days of relative calm since nationwide roadblocks persisted for more than a week as groups of demonstrators, angry at the currency’s tumble to a new low, burnt tires to block streets. Several caretaker ministers have made alarming public remarks in the past week about the state of Lebanon’s security and finances. Interior minister Mohammed Fahmy said security had all but broken down with “all possibilities open”, while energy minister Raymond Ghajar warned that cash for power generation was running out fast and Lebanon could be in total darkness by end of month.

Hezbollah’s dirty street tactics will backfire again while Lebanese suffer
Makram Rabah/Al Arabiya/March 12/2021
مكرم رباح: تكتيكات حزب الله القذرة سترتد نتائج عكسية بينما يعاني اللبنانيون
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/96895/makram-rabah-hezbollahs-dirty-street-tactics-will-backfire-again-while-lebanese-suffer/
Lebanon has once again erupted into street violence as images and videos of its people fighting over powdered milk and other food items which are now rare commodities in a country which has seen its dollars exchange soar to an all-time high of 10,000 and rising.
As expected, the rise of the dollar exchange led to the return of the popular protest, although with less numbers, but with a more aggressive undertone followed by nationwide roadblocking – paralyzing the entire country.
Although these violent manifestations were not restricted to any specific area, the primer which set the tone for the unrest was orchestrated by Hezbollah and its Shia ally the Amal Movement who wanted to redirected blame from the abysmal economic situation which is almost entirely of their own making.
While both Hezbollah and Amal have denied these allegations, it is clear that many of the protests which broke out in areas dominated by them had clear instructions, with the aim of redirecting blame and wished to put more pressure on Prime Minister designee Saad Hariri as well as Hezbollah’s main Maronite ally President Michel Aoun to form the next cabinet. While the Shia pro-Hezbollah youth who were chanting slogans against Aoun and calling for a siege of the Baabda presidential palace simply petered out, they were able to motivate other regions across Lebanon to protest.
This is the same tactic Hezbollah used at the beginning of the October 17, 2019 revolution – it backfired then and is doomed to fail again.
Trying to use the street and take the moral high ground does not work when Hezbollah itself is hugely responsible for Lebanon’s corruption and economic collapse – whether it be by using Lebanon as a base for Iran’s regional expansionist ambitions, or by protecting the Lebanese political elite and their fathomless appetite for corruption.
Above all, it is no coincidence that the upsurge of protest came at the heels of the Maronite Patriarch Bechara Boutros al-Rahi’s call for Lebanon’s neutrality and for the reinstatement of the state’s full sovereignty – a direct condemnation of Hezbollah’s illegal arms and their infringement on Lebanon’s sovereignty – and going as far as to declare that the Lebanese state is under occupation. Rather than engaging al-Rai, Hezbollah and its allies opted to avoid reality by augmenting already volatile economic conditions and put calls for political action on the back burner.
Furthermore, Hezbollah has become more dangerous as the group has been forced into a corner – it can no longer blame Saad Hariri, or the Arab Gulf states for Lebanon’s catastrophic economic collapse. Doing the former is impossible as Hariri has been out of office for too long, while the latter would concede that Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and other rich Arab states were indeed behind Lebanon’s prosperity and stability, and that essentially it was Iran and its violent Lebanese proxy which turned the country into a failed state.
This reality also reveals that Hezbollah’s continued coup and street fighting tactics have no long-term benefits. No amount of bullying nor coercion can remedy the country’s ever increasing debt problems.
The best-case scenario for Hezbollah and Lebanon’s corrupt political elite is for them to succeed in forming a government under Hariri, one which the militia group and Gebran Bassil, President Aoun’s son-in-law, would manipulate.. Even then, the best they can hope for is to acquire the $10 billion in bailout money from the International Monetary Fund – something which at this bleak stage seems highly unlikely.
Lebanon needs at least $30 billion to have a fighting chance to recover from this cancerous political and economic ailment, yet neither the international community nor the Gulf states are in any hurry to bankroll another Ponzi scheme run by the Lebanese banks that funnels money into the pockets of Hezbollah and Lebanon’s greedy politicians. The Lebanese are left with nothing other than resorting to road blocking and violent protest to voice their anger. But in doing so, protestors must realize that any action that isn’t focused against the corrupt establishment will be manipulated by Hezbollah, a group which has already proven that it will stop at nothing to cling to power – even if it means standing in the ruins of a once beautiful nation.

Lebanese actors hold play in theater razed by Beirut blast to help heal divided city
Rawaa Talass, Al Arabiya English/March 12/2021
An ensemble of stage actors from Lebanon have come together to express solidarity with Beirut’s theater community after it was rocked, along with the rest of the city, in the deadly explosion on August 4. The explosion at the port last year caused significant damage to the city, with over 200 people confirmed dead. Survivors from the explosion continue to endure a psychological toll, while protests continue against a government-led investigation into the cause of the blast. Last November, the stage group held an online and charitable theater play called “Whispers” (or ‘Hamasat’ in Arabic), telling the narrative of actors rehearsing for a play on the day of the explosion. In the play, the actors finished rehearsing at 6:00 pm, making their way to the Mar Mikhael neighborhood, where they hear the sound of a fire erupting at the port. A suspenseful blackout occurs and the audience quietly knows what happens next. The idea started with the Lebanese actor and producer Agatha Ezzedine, who, although is based in London, was devastated and felt the need to do something when Beirut was torn apart in a matter of seconds. The city’s artistic landscape endured a massive blow that day, with museums, galleries, and theater venues in close proximity to the port gutted. “All the theaters got destroyed in some shape or form. It’s so sad because originally they never get help as it is from the government,” she said. While some might view the arts as non-essential, Ezzedine, as a cultural worker, nevertheless emphasizes its importance in the long run. “When you’re in a crisis of that scale, naturally the first things you want to maintain are keeping a roof above people’s head, keeping the hospitals and small businesses going. The first thing that gets cut out is culture because it’s not a necessity for life. But it was important to still think that we need to maintain our culture because I believe culture is a big part of a country’s identity,” she states. As director of the fundraising NGO ‘Impact Lebanon’, Ezzedine decided to also contact theater producer Josyane Boulos and theater director, Professor Lina Abiad shortly after the explosion. In a time when the country is on its knees due to the coronavirus pandemic, an unprecedented financial crisis, and a negligent government, the trio’s aim was to raise funds to restore the impacted venues and support fellow theater professionals.
Among those damaged, most are located in the areas of Achrafieh, Mar Mikhael, and Gemmayze, including the well-known Black Box Beirut, Al Madina Theatre, Theatre Gemmayze, Melkonian Theater and Theatre Monnot, which opened in 1997. The presence of these intimate and underground spaces affirms Beirut’s long held status of a vibrant theater life in the region. “Lebanon had such a strong theater because from all the Arab countries, this is one of the [few] countries that had freedom of speech, where all the Arabs would come to Beirut to write, paint, speak and publish. It’s still there. I really admire the audience in Beirut – they’re open-minded and ready to be challenged,” Abiad said, who teaches performing arts at Lebanese American University.
Making it a transnational project, Ezzedine consulted with six British playwrights such as Angela Harvey and John Jesper, to donate different monologs (later translated into Arabic), free of rights and charge to the cast.
“Since I heard about the Beirut explosion, I really wanted to do something to help and especially help my fellow theater artists,” contributing actor and writer Geraldine Brennan wrote in a post on Instagram.
Filmed in one of the destroyed venues, Whispers is composed of a cast of twelve reputable performers of the Lebanese scene: Badih Abou Chakra, Bernadette Houdeib, Sany Abdul Baki, Nada Abou Farhat, including Nadine Labaki and Georges Khabbaz.
This group stands as a rare collaboration of actors in the country, none of them received payment, and were committed to the producers’ vision of granting 100 percent of the funds to those affected by the blast. On a simple set, they delve into a multitude of topical themes, such as feminism, relationships, mental health, loneliness caused by COVID-19, and other socio-political issues. Abiad admits that directing Whispers was an emotionally difficult endeavor, as the pain hasn’t subsided from all that has been lost on August 4. “It’s as if you’re learning how to speak and think again,” she explained. “That’s why we called it ‘Whispers’ – we are just whispering these texts and we are learning again how to be creative, to write, to laugh.”In a single pre-recorded online showing the Whispers team raised over 70 million Lebanese pounds, which was then distributed to the destroyed venues. Screened on YouTube, it attracted more than 3,500 viewers from all around the world. According to the theater’s organizers, the first screening deemed successful, which is why a second one will be launched by late March/early April 2021. They hope to gain more viewers by including English and French subtitles, and eventually support young local production professionals. Whispers started as a project to bring artists together, and raise funds for repair, but organizers later realized that the project could also bring people together in camaraderie and heal. “We thought we were saving the theater, but it ended up that the theater saved us,” Abiad said.

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on March 12-13/2021

Iran ship Shahre Kord damaged in attack in Mediterranean, state company
Reuters/12 March ,2021
An Iranian container ship was damaged in a “terrorist” attack in the Mediterranean on Wednesday, a spokesman for state-run shipping company IRISL told semi-official Nournews on Friday. The ship, Shahre Kord, was slightly damaged by an explosive object which caused a small fire, but no one on board was hurt, the spokesman, Ali Ghiasian, said. “Such terrorist acts amount to naval piracy, and are contrary to international law on commercial shipping security, and legal action will be taken to identify the perpetrators through relevant international institutions,” Ghiasi said. The vessel was headed to Europe when the attack occurred and will leave for its destination after repairs, he added. The incident comes two weeks after an Israeli-owned ship the MV HELIOS RAY was hit by an explosion in the Gulf of Oman. The cause was not immediately clear, although a US defense official said the blast left holes in both sides of the vessel’s hull. Israel accused Iran of being behind the explosion, a charge Tehran denied. On Friday, Israeli officials did not provide comment when asked if Israel was involved in the Shahre Kord incident reported by Iran.

Saudi, US ground forces set to launch joint military exercise
Tala Michel Issa, Al Arabiya English/12 March ,2021
The Royal Saudi Land Forces completed all preparations for the launch of a joint exercise with the US ground forces, the country’s Ministry of Defense said in a statement on Thursday. The military exercise – Falcon Claws 3 – is set to begin next week in the northwestern region of Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabian and US ground forces previously carried out Falcon Claws 2 in December 2020. The exercise “comes as an extension of the joint exercises between the two friendly countries with the aim of strengthening the harmony of joint military work and cooperation between them,” the defense ministry said. The ministry added that the initiative is aimed at facilitating the exchange of ideas and expertise and building up the Kingdom’s combat readiness to face any regional challenges that may arise. The exercise comes at a time of heightened tensions in the region, with Iran-backed militias increasing their attacks on Saudi Arabia.

‘No evidence’ of higher blood clots risk from vaccine: AstraZeneca
AFP/12 March ,2021
UK-based drugs company AstraZeneca insisted on Friday its coronavirus vaccine was safe, after some countries suspended its use in response to concerns about a potential link to blood clots. “An analysis of our safety data of more than 10 million records has shown no evidence of an increased risk of pulmonary embolism or deep vein thrombosis in any defined age group, gender, batch or in any particular country” from the jab, a company spokesperson said. “In fact, the observed number of these types of events are significantly lower in those vaccinated than would be expected among the general population.” Denmark, Iceland, Norway and Bulgaria have temporarily suspended AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine shots after reports of cases of blood clots forming, including one in Denmark. The World Health Organization said Friday there was no reason to stop using AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine after several European countries suspended the roll-out over blood clot fears. “Yes, we should continue using the AstraZeneca vaccine,” WHO spokeswoman Margaret Harris told reporters, adding: “There is no indication to not use it.”

Biden discussed China challenges with leaders of Quad countries: White
Reuters/12 March ,2021
US President Joe Biden discussed challenges posed by China with leaders from India, Japan and Australia in a meeting on Friday, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said. Sullivan told reporters at a briefing that the virtual meeting between the Quad countries, a group central to Biden's efforts to counter China's growing military and economic power in the Indo-Pacific, did not focus on China, but touched on freedom of navigation in the East and South China Seas. The leaders of the United States, Australia, Japan and India pledged to work closely on COVID-19 vaccine distribution, climate issues and security after a meeting on Friday that is seen as part of an effort to counter China’s growing influence. “We strive for a region that is free, open, inclusive, healthy, anchored by democratic values, and unconstrained by coercion,” the so-called “Quad” countries said in a joint statement. The group will form a vaccine partnership aimed at accelerating the end of the coronavirus pandemic by expanding vaccine manufacturing and help Indo-Pacific countries with vaccination, according to a fact sheet from the group. The United States will finance increased capacity to support Indian drugmaker Biological E Ltd’s effort to produce at least 1 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines by the end of 2022, it said. Japan is in discussions to provide concessional yen loans to India to expand manufacturing for COVID-19 vaccines for export. The Quad countries also formed a working group to tackle climate issues, including to strengthen implementation of the Paris climate accord, as well as a working group for critical and emerging technology, the statement said.

Turkey Says it Has Restarted Diplomatic Contacts with Egypt
Asharq Al-Awsat/Friday, 12 March, 2021
Turkey has resumed diplomatic contacts with Egypt and wants to further cooperation, Turkish leaders said on Friday. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the contacts were “not at the highest level, but right below the highest level. We hope that we can continue this process with Egypt much more strongly.”Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu was quoted as saying by state-owned Anadolu news agency: “We have contacts with Egypt both on the intelligence level and the foreign ministry level ... Contacts at the diplomatic level have started.”An Egyptian security official received a phone call from a Turkish intelligence official on Thursday, setting out Turkey’s desire for a meeting in Cairo to discuss economic, political and diplomatic cooperation, Egyptian intelligence sources said according to Reuters. The Egyptian official welcomed the call and promised to respond as soon as possible, the Egyptian sources said. The call followed unofficial contacts between Egyptian and Turkish security officials in which communications between the two sides were discussed. The issue of maritime borders, a source of tension between Turkey and other east Mediterranean countries, was not raised, according to the sources. Rebuilding trust will be hard. Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said last week the Arab League expressed its “categorical rejection” of Turkish military interventions in Syria, Iraq and Libya.

Houthis Reject US Ceasefire Plan in Yemen
Asharq Al-Awsat/Friday, 12 March, 2021
A “sound plan” for a nationwide ceasefire in Yemen has been before Houthi leadership for “a number of days,” but it appears the group is prioritizing a military offensive to take Marib, the US special envoy on Yemen, Tim Lenderking, said on Friday. “I will return immediately when the Houthis are prepared to talk,” Lenderking told the Atlantic Council think tank after a 17-day visit to the region to revive efforts to end the six-year conflict. “If we cannot make progress now, the country will spiral into greater conflict and instability,” he warned. The Iran-backed Houthis rejected the proposal on Friday, saying the “it has nothing in it.”“We now have a sound plan for a nationwide ceasefire with elements that would immediately address Yemen’s dire humanitarian situation directly,” Lenderking said. “That plan has been before the Houthi leadership for a number of days.”He provided no further details, and said the plan has Saudi support. The Houthis, however, have pressed a drive on the gas-rich region of Marib despite international calls for them to stop. The United Nations has warned that millions of civilians are at risk. “Tragically, and somewhat confusingly for me, it appears that the Houthis are prioritizing a military campaign to take Marib ... over suspending the war and moving relief to the Yemeni people,” Lenderking said. He announced that the United States would restore humanitarian aid funding for northern Yemen, and said Washington would work with the governments of Yemen and Saudi Arabia to find a way to deliver fuel to Yemenis who need it most. The United Nations describes Yemen as the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.

Turkey's Erdogan Targets Inflation, State Finances in Economic Reform Plan
Asharq Al-Awsat/Friday, 12 March, 2021
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he would focus efforts to reform Turkey’s economy on bringing down double-digit inflation and tightening state finances, under a keenly awaited package he unveiled on Friday. Erdogan, whose has led a major emerging economy prone to booms and busts for 18 years and repeatedly declared his opposition to high interest rates, announced plans to set up price, financial stability and economic coordination committees to steer the changes through. “An agenda point of priority is the battle with inflation. The goal is single-digit inflation,” he said, adding that an “early warning system” was being developed for food prices. With inflation pushing above 15% and the lira having lost half of its value since 2018, markets had been eagerly anticipating details of the program, and the currency trimmed earlier losses as Erdogan spoke. A survey on Friday showed inflation forecasts continuing to rise, reinforcing predictions of tighter monetary policy. A Reuters poll forecast the central bank will raise its policy rate by 100 basis points to 18% at its next meeting on March 18. Erdogan, who made no reference to interest rates in his speech, also said his government would increase Turkey’s potential growth through productivity, driven by investment, employment and exports. “We will ... aim for a national and domestic economy where imports are lowered, and with added-value exports,” he said. Erdogan also announced the formation of a bond guarantee fund to support company bond auctions and said state-backed loans will be offered to small business hiring additional employees. In a package he said was drafted in consultation with the private sector and non-government organizations, Erdogan said tax policies will be simplified, taking into account issues raised by international investors. The lira stood at 7.5800 against the dollar at 1450 GMT, 1.5% weaker on the day but slightly firmer than the 7.5940 level before Erdogan spoke.

Thousands Protest in Algiers after Election Date Announced
Asharq Al-Awsat/Friday, 12 March, 2021
Thousands demonstrated in Algiers on Friday, rejecting early legislative elections announced the day before, as weekly rallies by the resurgent Hirak pro-democracy movement gain momentum. Protesters defied a coronavirus-related ban on gatherings to rally from different parts of the capital, converging on the central post office, the Hirak movement's emblematic rallying point, AFP correspondents said. Demonstrators shouted slogans including "No elections with mafia gangs" and "a civil not a military state", a key Hirak slogan. President Abdelmadjid Tebboune on Thursday issued a decree setting June 12 for early legislative elections, after dissolving parliament last month. "To safeguard itself, the system says: legislative (elections)," one poster read Friday. The Hirak movement broke out in February 2019 in outrage at then-president Abdelaziz Bouteflika's bid for a fifth term in office. The ailing strongman was forced to step down weeks later, but the movement continued with demonstrations, demanding a sweeping overhaul of a ruling system in place since Algeria's independence from France in 1962. Since its second anniversary on February 22, the Hirak has restarted weekly Friday protests, suspended for almost a year due to the pandemic. "The same system is still in place. We will not vote on June 12," M'Hamed, a 50-year-old shopkeeper who only gave his first name, told AFP from the protest. People also took to the streets in other parts of the country, including northwestern Oran, central Tizi Ouzou and eastern Annaba.
The CNLD prisoners' rights group said protesters had been arrested in Tizi Ouzou, without providing further details. Once a premier under Bouteflika and elected in a widely boycotted presidential poll in December 2019, Tebboune has reached out to the protest movement while also seeking to neutralize it. In a gesture of appeasement, last month he announced pardons for dozens of jailed pro-democracy activists, including several prominent figures. Tebboune has pledged that the June elections will be free of corruption and will "open the doors of parliament to young people". A constitutional referendum in November saw record-low participation.The latter will develop a statement of principles on technology development and use and encourage cooperation on telecommunications deployment and diversification of equipment suppliers.

Joint statement of Canada and the Kingdom of the Netherlands regarding their cooperation in holding Syria to account
March 12, 2021 - Ottawa, Ontario - Global Affairs Canada
The Honourable Marc Garneau, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada, and Stef Blok, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, today issued the following statement:
“10 years after the protests in Syria and their subsequent violent repression, gross human rights violations persist to this day. Syrians have been tortured, murdered, forcibly disappeared, and subjected to chemical weapon attacks. The Syrian regime has cruelly and systematically repressed and committed crimes against its own population, causing unimaginable suffering. Over the past decade, it is estimated that over 200,000 Syrian civilians have died in the conflict and another 100,000 people are missing. More than six million Syrians, who almost lost everything, are displaced and 5.5 million have fled all over the globe.
“In the face of these grave international law violations, Canada and the Kingdom of the Netherlands will take further steps together to hold Syria to account, including for human rights violations and torture in particular. We will hold the Assad regime accountable for its violations of the UN Convention against Torture and demand justice for the victims of the regime’s horrific crimes.
“On 18 September 2020, the Netherlands invoked Syria’s responsibility for human rights violations, specifically holding Syria responsible for torture under the UN Convention against Torture. On 3 March 2021, Canada took the same step.
“We reminded Syria of its international obligations to cease the violations and reiterated our calls to end the impunity and uphold justice.
“We are committed to making a genuine attempt to resolve our dispute with Syria through negotiations. However, should this not result in a timely resolution of the dispute, we will explore the possibility of joint legal action under the Convention against Torture.
“We reaffirm our call to refer the situation in Syria to the International Criminal Court, and commend efforts towards justice at the international level. We remain committed to upholding the rules-based international order and call on all States and the international community to support accountability efforts for Syria, including joining our efforts.”

Interview — Ex-Netanyahu adviser: We have to stop Iran’s race to the bomb

Jacob Nagel/The Jerusalem Post/March 12/2021
Lahav Harkov with former acting national security adviser Jacob Nagel
Any new agreement between world powers and Iran must stop Tehran from developing all the components of a nuclear bomb and address new information uncovered since the original Iran deal of 2015, former acting national security adviser Jacob Nagel, a senior fellow at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, said in this week’s Jerusalem Post Zoom cast.
Rather than returning to the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, as the Biden administration aims to do, Nagel said, there should be “a very good agreement.”
“What is a very good agreement?… Everyone in the P5+1” – the world powers party to the JCPOA – “says they don’t want Iran to be nuclear, so we have to cut off [Iran’s] race to the bomb,” Nagel said.
Nagel explained that the components of a nuclear weapon are its fissile materials, weapons system and means of delivery.
“The old agreement didn’t address delivery means at all…. There is nothing there about the weapons systems – [Israel] pushed one [wimpy] page that [the US] never used. About the fissile systems, they gave [Iran] the de facto legitimacy for more than 5,000 centrifuges and to continue their research and development – it was more than the Iranians dreamed of,” Nagel said.
A new agreement must address all of those issues, he added.
In addition, Nagel pointed to the 2018 operation in which the Mossad smuggled Iran’s nuclear archive to Israel.
“Some say, no, it’s [information] from before 2003, forget about it,” Nagel said, “but the archive shows [Iran] didn’t desert the idea to have a nuclear weapon. It’s written in their handwriting that they want to design and test five warheads, each one 10 kilotons. That’s five Hiroshimas.”
Iran still has all of the knowledge contained in those archives, and now they’re producing uranium metal, which has no civilian use, Nagel explained.
The former acting national security adviser warned against “confidence-building measures” such as those the Obama administration used in 2015 – relaxing sanctions in exchange for Iran taking steps toward an agreement.
“It’s as if I found a burglar in my home with all my property and I tell him, you know what, leave half of it behind and I will let you go. No! First of all, give back all you took. ‘Less for less,’ or intermediate agreements are very bad,” Nagel said.
He also strongly opposed the US returning to the 2015 agreement as is – which would include lifting sanctions – and holding follow-up talks to make it stricter.
“The biggest mistake would be [for the US] to go to the original agreement, because that’s what they have, and then go to the Iranians to [negotiate] the next step,” Nagel said. “No way. After they go back to the old agreement, there is no incentive for the Iranians to go back to the table.”
If that happens, “there won’t be any new agreement until 2030, when this agreement expires, and Iran… will have all the means to build a bomb.”
Jacob Nagel is a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and a visiting professor at the Technion Aerospace faculty. He previously served as acting national security adviser to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and as head of the National Security Council. FDD is a Washington, DC-based, nonpartisan research institute focusing on national security and foreign policy.

WHO Approves Johnson & Johnson's Covid Vaccine
Agence France Presse/March 12/2021
The World Health Organization on Friday approved Johnson & Johnson's Covid-19 vaccine, paving the way for an additional 500 million doses to enter the Covax global vaccine-sharing scheme. "Every new, safe and effective tool against Covid-19 is another step closer to controlling the pandemic," WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a statement. The news comes after the single-dose jab won approval from the European Union on Thursday. It has also received the green light from regulators in the United States, Canada and South Africa. The World Health Organization said the J&J jab had been granted an "emergency use listing" which assesses the suitability of new health products during public health emergencies, and is quicker than the regular licensing system. The organization has already granted emergency use listing to the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccines being manufactured in India and South Korea, as well as the jabs made by Pfizer/BioNTech. A decision is expected at the earliest in March on China's Sinopharm and Sinovac jabs, along with the Moderna vaccine.
'Narrow vaccine inequalities' -
WHO authorization paves the way for the jabs to be used as part of the Covax initiative aimed at ensuring equitable access to vaccines in poorer countries. Some 500 million doses of the J&J jabs have been promised to the facility and the WHO hopes it can be rolled out through the scheme from July, if not earlier. "As new vaccines become available, we must ensure they become part of the global solution, and not another reason some countries and people are left further behind," Tedros told a briefing. "We hope this new vaccine will help to narrow vaccine inequalities, and not deepen them," he said. Clinical trials have found that the J&J shot was 67 percent effective at preventing people from getting Covid-19. But that result considered all forms of Covid-19. The jab proved 85.4 percent effective at preventing severe disease. "The sample data from large clinical trials shared by the company also shows that the vaccine is effective in older populations," WHO said. The J&J shot however appears less protective than Pfizer and Moderna's regimes, which both have an efficacy of around 95 percent against all forms of Covid-19 from the classic coronavirus strain. But while those vaccines need to be stored at very low temperatures, the J&J jabs are stored at minus 20 degrees Celsius, but can be kept for three months at refrigerated temperatures. And since it is a single-dose jab, WHO said it expected it to facilitate vaccination logistics in all countries, WHO said. J&J welcomed the WHO authorization and said its jabs would be made available on a not-for-profit basis. "Today's milestone represents significant progress toward ensuring global access to our single-shot vaccine," said chairman and chief executive Alex Gorsky. "We are moving forward with urgency and purpose to meet our commitments to the global community as we do all we can to help end the pandemic."
No vaccine deaths -
WHO said Friday that its vaccine expert group would meet next week to formulate recommendations on use of the vaccine. The authorization of the J&J vaccine is welcome news after the WHO had to jump to the defense of the AstraZeneca jab, which for now makes up almost all the doses being distributed by Covax. WHO insisted Friday that there was no reason to stop using that vaccine after several countries suspended the rollout over blood clot fears. The UN health agency said it was examining the safety data, but stressed that no causal link had been established between the vaccine and clotting. "More than 335 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines have been administered globally so far, and no deaths have been found to have been caused by Covid-19 vaccines," Tedros said.

The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on March 12-13/2021

The Game that Left Iran in Historic Impasse
Amir Taheri/Asharq Al-Awsat/March 12/2021
“Not worth a bucketful of spit!” This is how US President Truman described the vice-presidency when he himself filled that slot under President Roosevelt. Today, some commentators believe that he colorful description could be applied to the position of the President in Iran. This is why many, even among the critics of the regime, insist that showing any interest in this year’s presidential election, slated for next June, is not only a waste of time but an active participation in a massive political deception.
How relevant are such analyses?
To be sure, the system put in place by the late Ayatollah Ruhallah Khomeini and his group could be anything but republican. In fact, what we have in Iran today is a form of “Imamate” of the kind existed in North Yemen under the Hamidi imams. During the 1978-79 revolts against Iran’s constitutional monarchy, neither Khomeini nor any of his closest associates spoke of a republican system.
Their slogan was “Islamic Rule” (Hokumat Eslami in Persian). Beyond that slogan they described their ideal system as one based on Walayat al-Faqih (Custodianship of the Theologian), later versions of which was presented by the Taliban in Afghanistan, the ISIS caliphate in Mosul and Raqqa and Boko Haram in West Africa. However, because Iran under the Shah had developed a fairly large and partially westernized middle class, the pill that the mullahs offered had to be sugar-coated with such words as “republic”, “president” and constitution. But as soon as the mullahs had gained control of the real levers of power, the sugar-coating was peeled off. The first elected President of the Islamic Republic was summarily dismissed with a nine-word edict by Khomeini and his campaign slogan “Social and Economic Justice” turned into a sour joke. The second “president,” Muhammad-Ali Rajai, was murdered a few weeks after he surfed to electoral victory with the slogan: All life in the Way of Allah! The third “president,” Ali Khamenei, then a mere Hojat al-Islam, tried to appear relevant but was quickly shown his place by Khomeini and spent his eight-year stint sulking on the sidelines or traveling to North Korea and Black Africa. The fourth “president”, Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, a businessman who transformed himself into a Hojat al-Islam for the occasion, understood the situation better than others and, using the slogan “Work and Development” spent his eight-year tenure to expand his business empire, always careful not to ruffle the feathers of the Faqih. Nevertheless, he too experienced untold humiliation including being denied a seat in the Islamic Majlis, the ersatz parliament. Some members of Rafsanjani’s entourage even claim that he was murdered by being drowned in his swimming pool.
The fifth “president” was another self-styled Hojat al-Islam, a travel agency manager who reinvented himself as a cleric to fit into the pattern set by Khomeini. However, his slogan “A Better Future” didn’t even work for himself as, since bowing out of the presidency, he has been denied permission to leave the country and at least until recently, as a non-person with his pictures and even his name banned in state-owned media.
The sixth “president,” Mahmud Ahmadinejad, cast himself as a populist heart-throb with the slogan: “Oil Money on People’s Tables” and presided over the squandering of nearly $1 trillion in oil revenues which produced the largest number of billionaires in Iranian history.
However, when he got too big for his boots, he too was whistled back into his niche. The seventh and current “president” is another last-minute Hojat al-Islam. In 1978-79 Hassan Fereidun Sorkheh was registered in a textile design course in an obscure British college. Sensing which direction the wind was blowing he decided to transform himself into a cleric by changing his name to Rouhani (spiritual in Persian), growing a substantial beard and wearing a mullah’s costume.
The newly-minted Hojat al-Islam Rouhani swept into the presidency with the slogan “Expedience and Hope.” At first, things seemed to be going well for Rouhani. Backed by the so called “New York Boys”, a group of US-educated bureaucrats and technocrats close to the US Democratic Party, he enjoyed the blessing of President Barack Obama who regarded the Islamic Republic in Iran as a “people-based” government. The Hojat al-Islam also enjoyed support from several former British Cabinet ministers while getting a nod of appreciation from veteran Israeli leader Shimon Peres. Things turned sour for the Hojat al-Islam when Donald Trump entered the White House, determined to undo what Obama had done, good or bad. The scenario under which the “New York Boys” would gain enough strength from US support to marginalize the “Supreme Guide” and turn the presidency into the real center of power in Tehran went all awry. As a result, Rouhani’s presidency ends like the scene of a car crash.
With official inflation rate at over 50 percent, unemployment hovering over 25 percent and over 40 percent of Iranians pushed under the official poverty line, talk of “hope” seems indecent to say the least. The scenario dreamed by Obama was to see Rouhani and his “New York Boys” achieving enough economic and diplomatic success to retain the presidency even after his two-terms have ended. Today the pro-US faction, also backed by Britain, still hopes to revive the scenario by fielding a candidate in June. But that would require a much bigger effort by President Joe Biden to inject massive cash into Iran’s morbid economy, grant major diplomatic concessions to “New York Boys” and contribute to creating a feel-good atmosphere.
Even then, the scenario may not work.
Khamenei sees no reason why he should not seize the opportunity to deprive the presidency of the last vestiges of its relevance. He could propel one of his minions in the Revolutionary Guard, his main support base, into the presidential slot and pave the way for one of his sons to emerge as the next “Supreme Guide”. For almost 150 years, Iranian politics was dominated by Anglophiles and Russophiles in a faction-ridden system that ended with the 1906 Constitutional Revolution and the 1925 change of ruling dynasty. Today, we are back to the bad old times with Russophile and Americanophile factions competing for power within an increasingly narrow circle. The “New York Boys” look to Joe Biden for last minute rescue. The Russophiles have sent their “epoch-making” secret letter to Vladimir Putin. The June election may mark the victory of the Russophiles which, paradoxically, may bring the Khomeinist regime’s erratic behavior under some control with nods and wins from Moscow. Next June, the worst outcome would be a prolongation of the tragi-comedy puppet-show that has led Iran into an historic impasse.

Politics, the Art of Courage
Dr. Amal Moussa/Asharq Al-Awsat/March 12/2021
It is said that capital is fearful and that one who possesses money possesses fear as well. For this reason, we see that businessmen are marked by their caution and that they do not invest a cent unless they are certain returns will be exponential and all the guarantees are in place. This is how those with capital are generally perceived, and we believe that this perception is contestable and that exceptions render it relative, as some men and women in business who were adventurous and daring became more successful than those who would not make moves unless the results had been carefully calculated and studied beforehand.
In the world of money and business, it is vital to conduct thorough examinations of any project, including political conditions, which have become among the primary issues drawing or hindering investment.
Do the rules of the world of business and money apply to the world of politics as well? Is fear a positive factor for political behavior? If fear is an indication of businessmen’s sobriety and evidence of their prudence, does being fearful point to the same qualities in politicians?
We believe that the world of politics is one of bravery par excellence. Politicians make decisions on vital issues swiftly and deal with the present in a manner that demands they take the appropriate decision without delay. For this reason, politicians should be distinguished for their nimbleness, wisdom, intelligence, boldness, charisma, and, especially, courage. Politicians could be in need of experience whether they are young or old, but intelligence demands that they seek help from those experienced in matters of state, have held high-level administrative positions within them, and have witnessed major events that granted them precious experience and expertise. In other words, political experience and expertise can be compensated for by making good choices regard the team that will run the state and the advisory staff. However, courage is a quality that the politician must possess, and it cannot be compensated for or acquired from the market.
If we were to look over the experience of the world’s towering politicians who had been in power between the Second World War and today, for example, we would find that it is the brave and charismatic among them who engraved their names in our memories. This allows us to deduce that good and successful politicians, those who leave their mark on history, are brave politicians.
Of course, we have not overlooked the fact that difficulties and hurdles are what make bravery a necessity. Moreover, it would be a grave mistake for those who lack the courage needed to make decisions and take responsibility for their mistakes to become entangled in politics and move up to its upper echelons where decisions are made.
According to this view, which links politics and bravery and distinguishes between bravery and impulsivity, it seems to us that politicians in the Arab world need bravery more than those in European countries need it, for example. We are facing domestic and external challenges simultaneously; we are still undergoing the process of transitioning to modernity and waging battles for social change that are sometimes bloody and harsh.
Also, during this political juncture, during which populism is popular, politicians are brave when they amend this populism and sometimes confront it when there is no other option, so that the populous itself does not find itself in dark and daunting scenarios with time.
Courage helps politicians become genuine patriots, listen to the voice of reason, and take decisions that benefit the people even if their benefits are not immediately apparent. When the solution is to reduce state spending on bankrupt institutions, politicians should take decisions that deal with reality bravely, open the door to studied privatization, and grant bankrupt institutions the chance to be invigorated by private capital.
Furthermore, when the state is burdened with debt and salaries of its employees, freezing recruitment becomes the best solution because downplaying recruitment’s effects and disruptive investments are a form of slow state suicide.
In today’s Arab and Islamic countries, harsh decisions affecting our daily lives are becoming unavoidable. Here, bravery’s importance for stopping the hemorrhage and bringing rationality becomes evident.
Of course, making necessary decisions, regardless of how strongly they are opposed, is not the only sign of courage. Indeed, brave politicians are those who are ready to make shockwaves if need be; however, at the same time, they also offer alternatives because the role of politicians is finding solutions and addressing crises and problems.
What we’re noticing, in our countries, is that the majority of the ruling elites’ policies are characterized by realism when it comes to crises that lie outside their border, which indicates that political realism is more entrenched in foreign policy-making than it is in domestic political practice. This leads us to infer that Arab politicians are accounting for immediate popular reactions and postponing confrontation with the public until further notice. The fact is that honest political practice lies in making brave decisions and addressing the repercussions of harsh decisions on those negatively affected; this is political responsibility.

Palestinians: Why Terrorists Support Mass Murderers
Khaled Abu Toameh/Gatestone Institute/March 12/2021
For Hamas and Islamic Jihad, what matters is the money and weapons coming from Iran. They see Soleimani as a hero because of his role in providing the Gaza-based terror groups with cash and weapons in order to continue their jihad (holy war) against Israel and Jews.
Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah and all of Iran's militias throughout the Middle East have a single goal in common: the annihilation of Israel.
"Instead of providing a fish or teaching how to catch a fish, we taught our allies and friends how to make a hook," Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps Aerospace Force Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh said, adding that Hamas and Hezbollah are now in possession of advanced missile technologies.
Soleimani, the man responsible for the killing of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians and Arabs, is being commemorated as a hero and martyr by these terrorist groups because he was supplying them with cash and weapons. His death has not stopped Iran from continuing its support for Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah and other terrorist groups.
This is why the next US administration must maintain pressure on the mullahs in Iran. An easing of the sanctions will embolden the terrorist groups and facilitate their mission of pursuing their jihad against Israel. Iran's proxies want to see Israel obliterated -- and if that means aligning themselves with mass murderers such as Soleimani, so be it.
While many Palestinians hold Iran's slain military commander Qassem Soleimani responsible for committing massacres against Palestinians and Arabs, especially in war-torn Syria, Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad continue to heap praise on him for supporting their anti-Israel terrorism. Pictured: A billboard in Gaza City honoring the memory of Soleimani, with a caption quoting Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, describing Soleimani as a "martyr of Jerusalem," photographed on December 29, 2020.
While many Palestinians hold Iran's slain military commander Qassem Soleimani responsible for committing massacres against Palestinians and Arabs, especially in war-torn Syria, the Palestinian Islamist groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad are continuing to heap praise on him for supporting their anti-Israel terrorist activities.
Soleimani, former commander of Iran's Quds Force, was killed in a US drone attack in Iraq on January 3, 2020. Many Palestinians and Arabs have denounced Soleimani as the "murderer of hundreds of thousands of women and children" in Syria, Yemen and Iraq.
The Iran-backed Hamas and Islamic Jihad have marked the anniversary of his death by hanging large billboards with Soleimani's picture in some areas of the Gaza Strip. The two terror groups say they miss Soleimani, whom they describe as the "martyr of Jerusalem."
The billboards have provoked many Palestinians, including those living in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, who consider Soleimani a terrorist and mass murderer.
Majdi al-Mughrabi, a Palestinian man from the Gaza Strip who reportedly tore down a poster of Soleimani, was arrested by Hamas's Internal Security Force. Commenting on the hanging of the Soleimani posters in the Gaza Strip, a prominent Palestinian political analyst, Dr. Ibrahim Hamami, wrote: "There is no justification for hanging the picture of Soleimani in Gaza and glorifying him. He is a criminal who killed innocent people."
Abdel Rahman al-Rashed, a columnist with the Saudi newspaper Asharq al-Awsat, expressed outrage with Hamas for glorifying Soleimani:
"We know that Hamas has only a few remaining followers in the Arab world because of its affiliation with Iran, Syria and Hezbollah. The hands of Soleimani are stained with the blood of tens of thousands of Syrians and Iraqis."Saudi blogger Munther al-Sheikh Mubarak pointed out that while the Palestinians have long been burning pictures and flags of Arab heads of state and countries, they are now punishing those who tear down the pictures of a murderer. "For years, they have been burning our flags and pictures of our leaders, and Hamas didn't do anything about it," Mubarak remarked.
"Today, after the picture of Soleimani was ripped, the Muslim Brotherhood group (Hamas) has arrested the man who tore down the poster of the murderer. They see the likes of Soleimani, [Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan] Nasrallah, [former Iranian President Mahmoud] Ahmadinejad and [Turkish President Recep Tayyip] Erdogan as heroes."
Kassab al-Otaibi, a former Saudi opposition figure, also commented on the arrest of the Palestinian who tore down the picture of Soleimani by posting a video of the Hamas raid on the man's home in the town of Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip. The arrest, he wrote, is similar to the actions of "Iranian gangs and militias in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Yemen, where women and children are terrorized."
Ahmad Rahhal, a Syrian opposition figure, said:
"I am not surprised by the Hamas gang raising the image of Qassem Soleimani on the streets of Gaza because we are used to Hamas's flaws. Rather, I am surprised that our people in Gaza accept the image of a criminal who killed hundreds of thousands of children and women in Syria, Yemen, Iraq and the Palestinian refugee camp Yarmouk [in Syria]. It's even more surprising to see that they call this murderer a 'martyr of Jerusalem.'"
Evidently, Hamas and Islamic Jihad do not care about the hundreds of thousands of women and children who were killed as a result of Iran's military intervention in Syria, Iraq and Yemen. The two groups do not care about the thousands of Palestinians killed, injured and displaced at the Yarmouk refugee camp as a result of Iran's support for the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad.
For Hamas and Islamic Jihad, what matters is the money and weapons coming from Iran. They see Soleimani as a hero because of his role in providing the Gaza-based terror groups with cash and weapons in order to continue their jihad (holy war) against Israel and Jews.
Recently, Hamas leader Mahmoud Zahar revealed that Soleimani had handed him, during their first meeting in 2006, suitcases full of $22 million in cash. It is worth noting that during the anti-government protests in Iran from 2009 to November 2019, Iranians chanted slogans expressing opposition to the funding of Hamas and Hezbollah at a time when Iran is facing an economic crisis.
A report by the US Department of State noted that Iran continued its terrorist-related activity in 2019, including support for Hezbollah, Palestinian terrorist groups in Gaza, and various terrorist groups in Syria, Iraq, and throughout the Middle East:
"Iran used the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force (IRGC-QF) to provide support to terrorist organizations, provide cover for associated covert operations, and create instability in the region. Iran has acknowledged the involvement of the IRGC-QF in the Iraq and Syria conflicts, and the IRGC-QF is Iran's primary mechanism for cultivating and supporting terrorists abroad."
The mullahs of Iran, however, do not appear overly worried about the warnings made by the US about Tehran's continued support for terrorist groups.
In a recent interview with Iranian media, Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps Aerospace Force Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh reaffirmed Iran's support for "whoever is fighting against the Zionist regime" and said that Gaza and Lebanon are "at the forefront of the battle and all of their missile capabilities have been supported by the Islamic Republic."
"Instead of providing a fish or teaching how to catch a fish, we taught our allies and friends how to make a hook," Hajizadeh said, adding that Hamas and Hezbollah are now in possession of advanced missile technologies.
Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah and all of Iran's militias throughout the Middle East have a single goal in common: the annihilation of Israel.
Soleimani, the man responsible for the killing of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians and Arabs, is being commemorated as a hero and martyr by these terrorist groups because he supplied them with cash and weapons. His death has not stopped Iran from continuing its support for Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah and other terrorist groups.
During a seminar in the Gaza Strip on the first anniversary of the assassination of Soleimani, representatives of Hamas and Islamic Jihad said that his death was a "big loss for Palestine and its resistance." They further expressed hope that the departure of Soleimani from the scene would not affect Iran's continued support for their efforts to eliminate Israel and kill Jews. This is why the next US administration must maintain pressure on the mullahs in Iran. An easing of the sanctions will embolden the terrorist groups and facilitate their mission of pursuing their jihad against Israel. Iran's proxies want to see Israel obliterated -- and if that means aligning themselves with mass murderers such as Soleimani, so be it.
*Khaled Abu Toameh is an award-winning journalist based in Jerusalem.
© 2021 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.

Getting the Israel-Jordan Relationship Back on Track
David Schenker, Ghaith al-Omari/The Washington Institute/March 12, 2021
The deterioration seen in recent years has diplomatic, political, economic, and even personal roots, and their collective effect has been to hold back everyone’s interests, including Washington’s.
On March 10, Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah of Jordan canceled a trip to pray at al-Aqsa Mosque in celebration of al-Isra wal-Miraj, a Muslim holiday commemorating the Prophet Muhammad’s fabled midnight journey from Mecca to Jerusalem in 621 AD. Israeli reports claim the visit was scratched due to a disagreement surrounding the number of palace security guards permitted to cross the border. According to Jordanian officials, however, Israel had asked for unacceptable limits on Palestinian worshippers at the site during the visit. Either way, the misunderstanding further complicates the Israel-Jordan relationship, which has been steadily deteriorating despite a few positive signs.
The two countries have been at peace since signing the Wadi Araba treaty in 1994, and the intervening decades have seen a broad range of mutually beneficial cooperation—cross-border business ties that employ thousands of Jordanians, expanded Israeli natural gas sales to the kingdom, close collaboration on allocating scarce water resources, and more. They have also forged especially productive (if not intimate) strategic ties in terms of military-to-military relations and intelligence sharing.
In recent years, however, the once-warm relationship between the two governments has chilled significantly. The still-unresolved 2014 killing of a Jordanian judge at an Israeli border post at Allenby Bridge has long been an irritant. It was exacerbated in 2017 when an Israeli security guard killed two Jordanians—including an innocent landlord—while responding to a terrorist attack at the Israeli embassy in Amman. The embassy was vacated as a result, and the palace bristled at Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s handling of the incident’s aftermath, from leaking a phone call with the guard to welcoming him at the premier’s residence as a hero. Amman responded by releasing the guard’s name and personal information, a substantial breach of diplomatic protocol.
Beyond these aggravations—which were partly smoothed over in January 2018 when Israel agreed to pay $5 million in compensation and reopen the embassy—Jordan remains frustrated that Jerusalem reneged on its 2013 commitment to participate in the Red Sea-Dead Sea Conveyance Project (aka “the Red-Dead”). This venture, which would provide desalinated potable water to both the West Bank and the kingdom’s Aqaba region, was originally envisioned as a regional cooperation project. Yet Israel eventually balked, deeming the plan “uneconomic.” This reversal has dampened Amman’s enthusiasm—perhaps fatally—for other potentially profitable undertakings with Israel, including Jordan Gateway, a cross-border industrial, commercial, logistical, and medical hub situated between Irbid and Nazareth.
Israel’s construction of Ramon Airport near Eilat generated bilateral controversy as well. Opened in 2019, the airport is less than six miles from Jordan’s King Hussein International Airport and less than half a mile from the border. In 2015, Amman filed a complaint with the UN’s International Civil Aviation Organization claiming that this proximity could interrupt air corridors. The kingdom’s concerns were not meaningfully addressed, however, and the matter remains not only an irritant, but a regrettable missed opportunity for commercial cooperation.
A more serious friction point emerged last year, when Israel floated and then scrapped plans to annex West Bank lands. Moreover, these isolated problems have occurred against a backdrop of perennial recriminations on various issues, including Jordan’s special role on the Temple Mount.
Israeli officials express frustration with the relationship as well. Chief among their complaints is Jordan’s perceived reticence toward more overt cooperation since signing the 1994 treaty, and its hesitance to publicly articulate any of the kingdom’s dividends of peace with Israel. They also argue that Jordan likes to complain about such things as economic access to the West Bank but rarely makes practical suggestions on how to improve the situation, and that its diplomacy on Palestinian issues in multilateral forums is prone to unhelpful hyperbole.
Some of this deterioration can be traced to personal and historical factors. In 1997, when King Abdullah was still a prince serving as head of the country’s special forces, Netanyahu ordered a botched hit against Hamas leader Khaled Mashal on Jordanian territory. A lot of time has passed since then, but the perceived affront against Amman’s sovereignty surely rankled the soldier and future king. Whatever the case, he never appeared to develop a good personal relationship with Netanyahu, and the prime minister reportedly has not spoken with him directly in three years. On March 11, Israeli defense minister Benny Gantz attributed this dynamic to “the failure of the Netanyahu government.”
Whoever is to blame, the deterioration is cause for concern in Washington. As beneficial as Israel’s Abraham Accords with Gulf states may be, the entire region will be less secure and stable if the fundamental peace pillars erected before them—the treaties with Egypt and Jordan—are allowed to founder. Jordan serves as Israel’s strategic depth to the east, and its cooperation with Jerusalem is a key factor in any “by, with, and through” U.S. defense strategy in the Middle East.
To ensure that this crucial relationship is sufficiently robust, Washington should take the following steps toward helping its longtime friends move past an unhelpful dynamic:
Urge both governments to reestablish empowered channels for quickly and quietly resolving any new disputes.
Mediate the resolution of outstanding bilateral irritants wherever possible.
Explore ways to guarantee that Jordan benefits directly from the new dynamics and opportunities created by the Abraham Accords.
*David Schenker recently rejoined The Washington Institute as a senior fellow after serving as assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs in the Trump administration. Ghaith al-Omari is a senior fellow in the Institute's Irwin Levy Family Program on the U.S.-Israel Strategic Relationship.

How Should Joe Biden Respond to Russia’s Middle East Strategy?
Anna Borshchevskaya/The Washington Institute/March 12, 2021
Washington has prioritized counterterrorism for years and is only now shifting to great-power competition, but Moscow has never lost sight of geopolitics, and its actions in the region should be seen through that lens.
The challenge of Russia in the Middle East may appear a narrow one. And given the strong domestic push to end “forever wars” and withdraw American troops from the Middle East, it would be unrealistic to expect it as a top priority. “More than at any other time in my career—maybe in my lifetime—distinctions between domestic and foreign policy have simply fallen away,” said Tony Blinken in his first major speech as State secretary last week.
In this context, the Biden administration should look at the big picture when it comes to Russia in the Middle East—at Moscow’s overall aims and how they fit with its activities in Europe and the Middle East, as well as Russia’s relationship with China, a country which presents the “biggest geopolitical test of the 21st century” for the U.S. according to Blinken.
The Middle East has always been part of Russia’s vulnerable southern underbelly, a region the Russian state sought to secure as it pushed to play a key role in European politics and gain great power recognition. The Middle East matters to the Kremlin not only for its own sake but because control there also creates more opportunities for Russia to undermine the West on other fronts. Greater influence in the Middle East will bring the Kremlin closer to its top priority—weakening the U.S.-led liberal global order; for Russia to win, the U.S. has to lose.
Syria is a key piece of this bigger puzzle primarily due to its strategic location. The pursuit of warm water ports, including on the Eastern Mediterranean, has been a consistent priority for Russian rulers since at least Peter the Great. In this sense, Vladimir Putin is no different, and his intervention in Syria allowed him to succeed where his czarist and Soviet predecessors failed—establish a permanent military presence from which it can project power in multiple directions. Syria remains the key arena of the Kremlin’s interests. Nothing says it more clearly perhaps than the recent unveiling of a monument to the patron saint of the Russian army, Prince Alexander Nevsky, at the Russian Kheimim airbase in Syria. The order of Alexander Nevsky represents the defense of the Fatherland.
A Russia left unobstructed in the Middle East will continue its already deep convergence with Iran (and its proxies) and will ultimately have the final word on Syria’s future, which will lead to a rise of a Russia-Iran-Assad nexus. The Biden administration should look at the region through this broader vision, which would only help with the current narrow goal of preventing an ISIS resurgence from threatening American interests—as neither Assad nor Putin had shown genuine desire or ability for fighting ISIS with any consistency. This broader vision will also better help understand why Moscow will add a layer of complications rather than cooperation on a key Biden priority in the region—a return to the Iran deal.
Russia’s convergence with Iran could, in time, gain Moscow more access in warm water ports of the Persian Gulf, one of the world’s most strategic waterways—and another, more elusive dream of Peter the Great, whose vision of Russian expansion spanned as far the Indian Ocean. Russian access in the Persian Gulf would greatly diminish American influence. Certainly, Iranians pride themselves on their independence, and the Iranian constitution prohibits granting permanent basing rights to other countries. But the Iranian government is more pro-Kremlin than its people. In August 2016, Russian bombers used the Shahid Nojeh air base near the Iranian city of Hamadan, reportedly to bomb Islamic State targets in Syria—an act that raised domestic outrage in Iran, but one that ultimately angered Tehran not because Moscow had used the base but because it publicized this act. In late 2019, during the first joint Russia-Iran-Chinese naval drills, reportedly, a Russian warship arrived at Chabahar port in southern Iran. And more recent reports suggest Tehran offered Moscow the use of three bases—Chabahar, Bender-Abbas, and Bender-Busher. While much remains unclear about this reported offer, certainly it raises concerns.
How Biden Can Push Back
Biden need not send a large military contingent into Syria, but it could do more to support the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Eastern Syria with a light military footprint and more diplomatic efforts. This low-cost investment would help block Russian efforts in Syria. In addition, the Biden team could also continue to pressure Arab allies from recognizing Assad, as did his predecessor.
Sanctions are important and have caused pain, but on their own they have not compelled Putin (nor Assad) to fundamentally change their behavior. A credible threat of use of force against Iranian and Russian proxies should remain on the table. Neither Trump’s limited strikes against Assad after his regime used chemical weapons nor the U.S. clash with Russian PMCs has led to full-blown war with Russia.
Beyond Syria, the U.S. should remain engaged in the region as part of the broader strategic great power competition rather than a distraction from it. The U.S. has a narrative problem in the Middle East, while Russia presents a clear and unapologetic vision to the region as the West wavers. Russia also exerts soft power in the Middle East perhaps more effectively than in the post-Soviet space. The U.S. could do more to counter Moscow by simply being more present. These efforts do not need to be front and center or carry a heavy price tag, but they will pay off in the long run.
A Russia ascended in the Middle East will not be interested in helping confront China—to the contrary, it may only help it. The Russia-China convergence began approximately thirty years ago. It is far more than a short-term tactical shift. As Russian analyst Vladimir Frolov has written, “Russia’s ruling elite see rapprochement with Europe as a greater threat to their ability to retain power than an unspoken and unequal alliance with China.” The two have tended to work more in conjunction in the Middle East—and together with Iran. Moscow is far more concerned about China’s encroachment on its eastern borders than its expansion into the Pacific Ocean that worries the U.S. If Russia’s southern and eastern borders are generally stable, it only creates more room to move into Europe, where Russia remains a revanchist power.
While the U.S. has prioritized counter-terrorism in the last twenty years and is only now shifting to great power competition, Moscow never lost sight of geopolitics, which it sees as perpetual. Russia, Iran, and China will all shape the Middle East according to their values and interests, which stand in contrast to those of the West and will hurt the U.S. in other regions. Addressing the challenge of Russia in the Middle East need not be front and center of U.S. foreign policy, but as part of this broader geostrategic vision.
*Anna Borshchevskaya is a senior fellow at The Washington Institute and author of the upcoming book Putin’s War in Syria: Russian Foreign Policy and the Price of America’s Absence. This article was originally published on the 19FortyFive website.