English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For March 24/2020
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani

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Bible Quotations For today

God did not call us to impurity but in holiness. Therefore whoever rejects this rejects not human authority but God, who also gives his Holy Spirit to you
First Letter to the Thessalonians 04,01-09/:”Finally, brothers and sisters, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus that, as you learned from us how you ought to live and to please God (as, in fact, you are doing), you should do so more and more. For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from fornication; that each one of you knows how to control your own body in holiness and honour, not with lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God; that no one wrongs or exploits a brother or sister in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, just as we have already told you beforehand and solemnly warned you. For God did not call us to impurity but in holiness. Therefore whoever rejects this rejects not human authority but God, who also gives his Holy Spirit to you. Now concerning love of the brothers and sisters, you do not need to have anyone write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another;”
 

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on March 23-24/2021

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/
Health Ministry: 3,851 new Corona cases, 42 deaths
Arab League Urges Lebanon Leaders to 'End Political Deadlock'
Rahi to Guterres: Lebanese Awaiting a Leading UN Role
Aoun to Ambassador Grillo: We adhere to the French initiative as a rescue project for Lebanon
Aoun Discusses Govt. Developments with Saudi Ambassador
Saudi Arabia calls on Lebanon officials to accelerate formation of a new government
President briefed by the UN Deputy Special Coordinator on UN Security Council’s deliberations on progress of Resolution 1701
U.N.'s Rochdi Meets Aoun, Urges Rapid Govt. Formation
Schenker: Aoun, Bassil Want Veto Power to Ensure Bassil’s Accession to the Presidency
Report: Berri Worried about Failed Govt Talks
Former PMs discuss political developments
Wazni Prepares Decree to Transfer Funds for By-Elections
Amnesty Accuses Lebanon of 'Torture' of Detained Syrians
Lebanon crisis escalates after failure to agree government
Former PMs from Center House: The ball is in Aoun’s court
Lebanon’s endless crises: is a federal system the solution?/Michael Young/The National/March 23/2021
Michel Aoun and Saad Hariri Have Failed to Agree Over a New Government in Lebanon/Michael Young/Carnegie MEC/March 23/2021

The Destruction of a Centennial Lebanese Professional Legacy …A Deliberate Crime in the Making/Charles Elias Chartouni/March 24/2021

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on March 23-24/2021

Israel Voters Take Fourth Shot at Deciding Netanyahu's Fate
U.S. Condemns Assad, Russia Attacks in Syria that Killed Civilians
UN, US condemn Russian airstrikes on NW Syria
Rivals seeking to gain as Biden mulls approach to Syrian war
Kurds warn of enduring ISIS threat in Syria
We Don't Want War' with Sudan, Ethiopian PM Abiy
Rejecting US peace plan, Afghan president Ghani to offer polls in six months
Full text of Saudi Arabia’s new peace initiative to end Yemen war
Tunisia Engineers Reach for Stars with Satellite Launch

Titles For The Latest The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on March 23-24/2021

Iran Plans Submarine Expansion in Persian Gulf, Raising Risk of U.S. Clash/David Brennon/Newsweek/March 23/2021
China's Pattern of Anti-U.S. Hostility/Lawrence A. Franklin/Gatestone Institute./March 23/2021
A Saudi initiative to stop Yemen war puts the onus for peace on Houthis/Saleh Baidhani/The Arab Weekly/March 23/2021
Can Erdogan solve his problems by auctioning off the Brotherhood?/Khairallah Khairallah/The Arab Weekly/March 23/2021
De l’Accord du Caire à l’Accord de Mar Mikael à Mussolini ! A la renaissance avec Nelson Mandela/Par Abdel Hamid El Ahdab, Avocat/March 23/2021

The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on March 23-24/2021

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/
 

Health Ministry: 3,851 new Corona cases, 42 deaths
NNA/March 23/2021
The Ministry of Public Health announced, on Tuesday, the registration of 3,851 new Corona infections, thus raising the cumulative number of confirmed cases to-date to 444,865.
It also indicated that 42 deaths were recorded during the past 24 hours.

Arab League Urges Lebanon Leaders to 'End Political Deadlock'
Naharnet/March 23/2021
The League of Arab States called on all political parties in Lebanon to “quickly” end the political deadlock that exacerbated the suffering of the Lebanese people," Sky News reported on Tuesday. Arab League Assistant Secretary-General Hossam Zaki said that “Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit feels great concern due to the political debates (in Lebanon) that show the country’s slide towards a severe crisis situation, clearly visible to all.”Zaki said that the Arab League “reiterates readiness to do whatever it is asked of to mend the rift in order to reach an equation that paves way for the PM-designate (Saad Hariri) to form a government without obstructing the French initiative that was endorsed by the Arab League during its meeting on March 3.”He added that a government in Lebanon should be “capable of working with a skill of specialists to save Lebanon from its current crisis by implementing necessary reforms that meet the aspirations and demands of the Lebanese people.”

Rahi to Guterres: Lebanese Awaiting a Leading UN Role
Naharnet/March 23/2021
Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rahi told UN Chief, Antonio Guterres, that the Lebanese are waiting for the UN to play a leading role, amid Lebanon’s economic and political impasse, the National News Agency reported on Tuesday. NNA said Rahi held telephone talks with Gutteres on Monday night and explained his calls for the neutralization of Lebanon and for an international conference to discuss Lebanon’s affairs. For his part, the UN Secretary General expressed keen concern about the Lebanese situation, highlighting the necessity to form a government and keep Lebanon away from conflicts.
 

Aoun to Ambassador Grillo: We adhere to the French initiative as a rescue project for Lebanon
NNA/March 23/2021
The Presidential Palace witnessed two diplomatic meetings, this afternoon, which tackled recent developments on the local scene, in addition to the governmental crisis.
French Ambassador:
President Michel Aoun met the French Ambassador to Lebanon, Mrs. Anne Grillo, and First Counselor at the Embassy, Mr. Jean-Francois Guillaume, in the presence of former Minister, Salim Jreisatti.
The Lebanese-French relations and recent developments were tackled in the meeting, in addition to the governmental crisis, where President Aoun explained to Ambassador Griot the problems which accompany the stages of forming the government. The President also stressed his adherence to the French initiative as a rescue project for Lebanon, and asserted work to reach the formation of a new government which confronts current challenges at various levels.
Saudi Ambassador:
The President then received the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Lebanon, Walid Bukhari, and deliberated with him current developments and the governmental situation, in addition to Lebanese-Saudi relations and means of developing these relations in all fields.
Statement of Ambassador Bukhari:
“After the generous invitation of His Excellency, the President of the Lebanese Republic, General Michel Aoun, I had the honor to visit Baabda Palace, today, to review and discuss the most prominent current developments.
I assured His Excellency that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has always declared its stand and solidarity with the brotherly Lebanese people, who are steadfast in facing all crises. The Saudi vision for Lebanon is based on the Kingdom’s foreign policy foundations, which affirms respect for the sovereignty of states and not interfering in internal affairs.
Lebanese sovereignty is a historic achievement which was achieved through the struggles of the Lebanese people, and we respect this sovereignty. I also emphasized that the Saudi stance asserts the Kingdom’s commitment to the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Lebanon, and in particular the need to expedite the formation of a government which is capable of achieving security, stability and prosperity which the Lebanese people aspire to.
We also call on all political parties in Lebanon to prioritize the supreme national interest, because of the urgent need to initiate the implementation of fundamental reforms which restore international confidence, in Lebanon. In addition, we always stress the importance of the contents of Security Council Resolutions 1701, 1680 and 1559 in addition to the relevant Arab and international resolutions in order to preserve Lebanese stability and respect its sovereignty and unity.
We also stress that the Taif Accord is the guarantee of national unity and civil peace in Lebanon. I also briefed His Excellency on the Saudi peace initiative in Yemen, and he welcomed the initiative and wished it success. The President also hoped that peace prevails, internationally and in the Arab world”.-- Presidency Press office

Aoun Discusses Govt. Developments with Saudi Ambassador
Naharnet/March 23/2021
President Michel Aoun met Tuesday in Baabda with Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon Walid Bukhari. The Presidency tweeted that Aoun and Bukhari discussed “the general situations and the latest governmental developments.”A Washington-based Saudi diplomat had earlier told MTV that Bukhari's visit to the Baabda Palace was aimed at “helping alleviate the impact of the economic collapse.”

Saudi Arabia calls on Lebanon officials to accelerate formation of a new government
Joseph Haboush, Al Arabiya English/23 March ,2021
Lebanon’s ruling elite need to set aside personal interests and form a new government as soon as possible, Saudi Arabia’s envoy to Beirut said Tuesday. “I stressed the need to put the higher national interest first to launch drastic reforms that can restore the international community’s confidence in Lebanon,” Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador Waleed Bukhari told reporters after meeting President Michel Aoun. Ties between Beirut and Riyadh have soured in recent years as Iran-backed Hezbollah increased its influence across state institutions and expanded its participation in regional conflicts, including in Syria, Yemen and Iraq. But Bukhari assured the Lebanese people that Saudi Arabia always stood by Lebanon in full solidarity. “The Saudi vision for Lebanon is based on the pillars of the Kingdom’s foreign policy, which affirms respect for a country’s sovereignty and not interfering in its domestic affairs,” the Saudi diplomat added. An earlier statement from Aoun’s office said he and Bukhari met to discuss the latest developments surrounding the formation of a new government in Lebanon. Aoun and Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri have been at odds over the shape and type of government to be formed. Aoun is demanding a blocking third, or veto power, for him and his Free Patriotic Movement party, while Hariri has said he would only head a government made up of independent experts. The international community has pledged billions of dollars in soft loans and grants, but it has stipulated that an independent government implement badly needed reforms to root out decades of corruption and mismanagement. So far, Aoun and Hezbollah have refused to budge.

President briefed by the UN Deputy Special Coordinator on UN Security Council’s deliberations on progress of Resolution 1701
NNA/March 23/2021
President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun, met Deputy Special Coordinator of the United Nations in Lebanon, Mrs. Najat Rushdie, today at Baabda Palace. Mrs. Rushdie briefed the President on the deliberations which took place during the UN Security Council’s briefing on the progress of Security Council Resolution 1701. The meeting also tackled the continuation of Israeli violations of Lebanese sovereignty, which was condemned by the Security Council. The need to form a new Government to face current developments, and identify recovery priorities in the country, was also addressed in the meeting.
The President assured Mrs. Rushdie that “Lebanon is keen to strengthen cooperation between the Lebanese Army and UNIFIL forces, to stabilize the south region. In addition, President Aoun pointed to the damage caused by the leakage of oil materials from the shores of occupies Palestine, to the Lebanese shores in terms of damage to the environmental and water wealth which appeared, after the field and aerial survey which was conducted on the Lebanese coast waters. Mrs. Rushdie was accompanied by Mr. Alexandre Kosti. On the Lebanese side, former Minister, Salim Jreisatti, Director General of the Presidency, Dr. Antoine Choucair, and Advisers, Antoine Constantine and Osama Khachab, attended the meeting. -- Presidency Press Office

U.N.'s Rochdi Meets Aoun, Urges Rapid Govt. Formation
Naharnet/March 23/2021
Najat Rochdi, U.N. Deputy Special Coordinator and Officer in Charge of the Office of the U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon (UNSCOL), on Tuesday called on Lebanon's political leaders to focus most urgently on the formation of an "empowered government, as a critical step to address the country's multiple and serious crises and implement required reforms," her office said. "This step must be taken and can no longer be delayed," Rochdi added, in a statement released by her office following talks with President Michel Aoun in Baabda. With the socio-economic crisis deepening, the financial situation plummeting and the Lebanese people entering poverty and food insecurity, ochdi called on Lebanese leaders to "set aside their differences, step up to their responsibilities, end the paralysis, listen to the now desperate calls of the Lebanese, and finally offer solutions to the people of Lebanon."Rochdi also reiterated that the U.N. "remains committed to supporting the People of Lebanon, the Country’s stability, political independence, and sovereignty."

Schenker: Aoun, Bassil Want Veto Power to Ensure Bassil’s Accession to the Presidency
Naharnet/March 23/2021

http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/97235/%d9%81%d9%8a%d8%af%d9%8a%d9%88-%d9%85%d9%86-%d9%82%d9%86%d8%a7%d8%a9-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%b9%d8%b1%d8%a8%d9%8a%d8%a9-%d9%84%d9%85%d8%af%d8%a7%d8%ae%d9%84%d8%a9-%d9%84%d8%af%d9%8a%d9%81%d9%8a%d8%af-%d8%b4/
Former US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs David Schenker emphasized that much remains to be done regarding Lebanon, and said, "Lebanon is full of people who not only cooperate with Hizbullah, but are very corrupt."In an interview with al-Hurra television channel, Schenker said the problem in Lebanon is that corruption affects every “part of governance in Lebanon, to the extent that it is impossible to form a government now.”He added saying that Free Patriotic Movement chief, MP Jebran Bassil and his father-in-law President Michel Aoun “hold on to a blocking-one-third in the new government due to Jebran Bassil's personal aspirations to ensure that he will be the next president of Lebanon.”

Report: Berri Worried about Failed Govt Talks
Naharnet/March 23/2021
Talks on a government line-up failed between President Michel Aoun and PM-designate which made Speaker Nabih Berri “worried” as the country sinks deeper into economic crisis, al-Joumhouria daily reported on Tuesday. The daily said the atmospheres in Ain el-Tineh reflected “unease” after the two leaders failed on Monday to break months of deadlock and agree on a much-needed government to start its rescue mission and steer the country out the crisis. Berri emphasized the need to form a government “as quickly as possible because Lebanon is in a race with time,” according to the daily. He believes that every minute wasted instead of placing the country on the track to salvation only pushes the country deeper into the abyss. Despite public outrage and international pressure to form a government so as to enact reforms needed to unlock aid pledges, wrangling over cabinet posts persists in Lebanon seven months after the outgoing government resigned in the wake of a devastating explosion in Beirut, widely blamed on official negligence. The failure on Monday to agree a cabinet line-up crushed hopes for a breakthrough, with public barbs exchanged between Aoun and Hariri raising fears of a total impasse. No new meeting has been announced.

Former PMs discuss political developments
NNA/March 23/2021
Former Prime Ministers Fouad Siniora, Najib Mikati, Saad Hariri and Tamam Salam held a meeting this evening at the "Center House", during which the latest political developments and the general situation in the country were discussed.

Wazni Prepares Decree to Transfer Funds for By-Elections
Naharnet/March 23/2021
Caretaker Minister of Finance Ghazi Wazni prepared a draft decree for the transfer of funds with the aim of organizing legislative by-elections to fill ten vacant parliamentary seats, the National News Agency reported on Tuesday. Wazni sent the draft decree to the Presidency of the Council of Ministers related to the transfer funds from the budget reserve of the year 2021 to the interior ministry to prepare the elections. Ten parliamentary seats have been vacant in Lebanon’s parliament since mid-2020 due to the death of two lawmakers, and the resignation of eight others following the colossal August 4 Beirut port blast.
The elections will reportedly take place by the end of March.

Amnesty Accuses Lebanon of 'Torture' of Detained Syrians
Agence France Presse/March 23/2021
Amnesty International on Tuesday accused Lebanese authorities of "cruel and abusive" treatment of more than 20 Syrians it said had been tortured in prison or during interrogation. In a report called "I wish I would die", the rights group documents the cases of 26 Syrians, including four minors and two women, imprisoned between 2014 and 2021 on suspicion of terrorism-related charges. Sentences varied from a few months to several years, with at least six men still detained, Amnesty said.  "In all but one of the 26 cases documented by Amnesty International, refugees reported being tortured, either during interrogation or detention," it said in the report. The abuse was mostly at a military intelligence centre in east Lebanon's Ablah district, the General Security bureau in Beirut or at the defence ministry, it added. Amnesty blamed in particular Lebanon's military intelligence bureau. "Detainees said they faced some of the same torture techniques routinely used in Syrian prisons," Amnesty said. Authorities used "metal sticks, electric cables, and plastic pipes" to carry out beatings, Amnesty said, citing refugees. "Detainees also described being hung upside down or forced into stress positions for prolonged periods of time," it added. Four men said they were beaten unconscious and two had teeth broken. The arrests, starting in 2014, came as violence across the border in Syria spilled over into Lebanon. That year, the Islamic State (IS) group and Al-Qaeda's then-Syria affiliate, Al-Nusra Front, kidnapped several Lebanese soldiers and police in a raid on the border town of Arsal. The army and the powerful Shiite Hizbullah movement reacted with an operation targeting jihadist hideouts on the outskirts of the town. Amnesty acknowledged that "members of armed groups" must be held to account, but warned against flagrant violations committed against those arbitrarily detained. In at least 14 of the 26 cases, Amnesty found that terrorism-related accusations against Syrian refugees were made on discriminatory grounds, including political affiliations. "In nine cases, simply expressing political opposition to the Syrian government was considered evidence to justify convictions on 'terrorism' charges," it said. At least 14 detainees said they had confessed to crimes they did not commit after being tortured or threatened, Amnesty added. "Lebanese authorities’ flagrant violation of Syrian refugees’ right to due process has made a mockery of justice," said Amnesty researcher Marie Forestier. "At every stage, from arrest through to interrogation, detention and prosecution in unfair trials, Lebanese authorities have utterly disregarded international human rights law.”Lebanon says it hosts 1.5 million Syrians -- nearly a million of whom are registered as refugees with the United Nations. Nine out of ten Syrians in Lebanon live in extreme poverty, the UN says. Lebanese authorities have systematically pressured Syrians to return even though rights groups warn that Syria is not yet safe.

Lebanon crisis escalates after failure to agree government
Maha El Dahan, Laila Bassam/BEIRUT (Reuters) /March 23/2021
- Lebanon’s financial crisis intensified on Monday after Prime Minister-designate Saad al-Hariri publicly repudiated President Michel Aoun, saying the latter wanted to dictate cabinet membership and grant veto powers on policy to his political allies.
After the latest of more than a dozen meetings with the president to form a new cabinet, Hariri called Aoun’s demands “unacceptable”. Hariri’s televised announcement dashed hopes for an end to five months of political deadlock between the two and a reversal of the country’s financial meltdown.
“This is a catastrophe for the country, we were holding on by a thread but now we’re heading towards a total crash,” one official source told Reuters, asking to remain anonymous due to the sensitivity of the issue.
Lebanon has been without a government since shortly after the Aug. 4 chemical explosion that destroyed the port of Beirut and devastated downtown areas of the capital, killing hundreds of people, injuring thousands and making 300,000 homeless.
The giant blast accelerated the downward spiral of an economy trapped in debt, banking, financial and fiscal crises, while foreign donors refuse to bail out Lebanon until it forms a government of capable technocrats committed to reform. Aoun sent a list suggesting different scenarios for a cabinet of either 18,20 or 22 ministers, with names to be filled in, Hariri said. “This is unacceptable because it is not the job of the prime minister-designate to fill forms from someone else or of the president to form a government.” In a statement read by the presidency spokesperson, Aoun said he was “surprised” by Hariri’s comments and that his proposal to Hariri had not included a blocking minority. The lack of agreement came after a hint of a breakthrough on Thursday when the two last met and Hariri had said he saw an opportunity to be seized. “The current deadlock and dim outlook will certainly have a toll on the exchange rate, making it more difficult for the average worker to get by without food aid,” said Mohanad Hage Ali of the Carnegie Middle East Center. The Lebanese pound dropped to over 13,000 to the dollar on the informal market after news of the outcome of the meeting, having traded earlier in the day at around 11,000.
Lebanon’s economic crisis, which is posing the biggest threat to its stability since the 1975-1990 civil war, has seen the Lebanese pound sink by almost 90%, plunging many into poverty.
As businesses shut down, joblessness and hunger are rising. Lebanon’s banks, having lent 70% of their assets to an insolvent state and central bank, have locked most depositors out of their savings.
Hassain Diab’s cabinet, which resigned after the Beirut port blast, remains in a caretaker capacity until a successor is formed but fractious politicians have been unable to agree a government since Hariri’s nomination in October. There is no budget and there will soon be no hard currency to pay for imports of subsidised wheat, medicine and fuel. Under a sectarian power-sharing system, Lebanon’s president must be a Maronite Christian and the prime minister a Sunni Muslim. Aoun is an ally of Hezbollah, listed as a terrorist group by the United States.

Former PMs from Center House: The ball is in Aoun’s court
NNA/March 23/2021
Former Prime Ministers (Prime minister-designate) Saad Hariri, Fouad Siniora, Najib Mikati, and Tamam Salam held a meeting this evening at the Center House, during which they discussed the latest political developments and the situation in the country.
At the end of the meeting, they issued the following statement:
First: The Former Prime Ministers, including the Prime Minister-designate, expressed their regret and surprise at the actions and stances that violate the constitution and deviate from the usual framework, good manners, norms and principles followed in communications between presidents and in the formation of governments in Lebanon. Including the trespassing by His Excellency the President of the provisions of the constitution, as if the intention is to embarrass the Prime Minister-designate to push him (to leave).
Second: The constitution has provisions that, when respected by the officials, the latter cannot lose their way.
Accordingly, the former Prime Ministers express their respect for the constitution and their respect for the country. They reaffirm their adherence to the constitution and to the Taif National Accord. Consequently, any attempt to take the issue to a sectarian level and reproduce the sectarian conflict is rejected in advance. They will not be dragged into it, and no one will respond to it, with the evidence of the gathering of multiple sects around the initiative of Patriarch Al-Rai.
Third: The Former Prime Ministers praise the responsible and moderate patriotic position of Prime Minister Saad Hariri, who refrained his anger, was patient, acted with a high level of responsibility, adhered to what the constitution stipulates, and reaffirmed the commitment and full respect for the constitutional and institutional texts and principles, and his keenness in this critical and delicate stage to take the necessary salvation steps at various levels.
On this basis, Prime Minister Hariri's adherence to the draft government lineup that he presented is not out of obstinacy, but rather as a response to what the Lebanese and Lebanon's friends in the world want.
Fourth: The Former Prime Ministers call on Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri to persist in his firm national and constitutional stance, based on what the Lebanese strive to achieve, especially the need for an able and just Lebanese state that restores its full authority and free decision, and affirms adherence to the requirements of civil peace, the parliamentary democratic system, the values of coexistence and the preservation of public freedoms. They also reaffirm their attachment to the necessity of immediately taking rescue steps to address the imbalance occurring internally and externally, in order for a rescue government with a specific mission to be formed, composed of competent, independent and non-partisan ministers who can work as a homogeneous team away from engaging in the politics of axes and conflicts. It would gain the confidence of the Lebanese and of the Arab and international communities, and would succeed in stopping the collapse before it is too late, away from the threats and attempts to intimidate, from partisan or sectarian tutelage, or calls to tamper with the constitution.
Question: Where is the ball now, and are you waiting for an initiative to urge the formation of the government that you are calling for?
Siniora: The issue is in the hands of His Excellency the President now, and the ball is in his court and this matter is up to him.
Question: How do you view the current diplomatic activity?
Siniora: I think that, in the world, there is more concern about the interest of Lebanon than the Lebanese officials’ concern to rescue Lebanon from these predicaments.
Question: Is the option to resign from Parliament currently on the table?
Siniora: I think that this issue is not on the table.
Question: How did you read the visit of the Saudi and French ambassadors to Baabda palace upon the invitation of President Aoun at this particular time?
Siniora: These visits come in the framework of urging Lebanese officials to initiate the rescue of the Lebanese people.-- Hariri Press Office
 

Lebanon’s endless crises: is a federal system the solution?
Michael Young/The National/March 23/2021
مايكل يانك: هل الفيدرالية هي الحل للأزمات اللبنانية التي لا تنتهي
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/97228/michael-young-lebanons-endless-crises-is-a-federal-system-the-solution%d9%85%d8%a7%d9%8a%d9%83%d9%84-%d9%8a%d8%a7%d9%86%d9%83-%d9%87%d9%84-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%81%d9%8a%d8%af%d8%b1%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%8a/

As Lebanon continues to disintegrate, its political system is unequivocally broken. What had been an interesting consociational model until its civil war in 1975, was replaced at the war’s end in 1990 with a pluralistic system of national pie-sharing that included the wartime leaders and a new class of businessmen.
That system began to collapse in late 2019, as Lebanon’s debt and declining capital inflows brought the country to its knees financially. From a political perspective, this killed the cash cow the political cartel in power had relentlessly plundered. Yet these leaders have refused to surrender any power, while an armed militia, Hezbollah, whose loyalty is to Iran, has continued to impose its preferences, preventing the country from exiting its dire situation.
Lebanon’s war ended in 1990, a year after parliament’s approval of the Taif Agreement, a political reform plan negotiated in Taif, Saudi Arabia, in September-October 1989. The constitution was amended, transforming a presidential system into one in which the main executive body became the council of ministers. While the changes redistributed power among the religious communities, what Taif also created was a perfect structure for a carving up of the state among sectarian leaders, many of whom had previously led militias.
Whereas sectarian power-sharing had been a feature of the pre-war state, the war and Syrian hegemony after 1990 thoroughly undermined national institutions. The sectarian leaders and their Syrian patrons were able to hijack the state after the war ended and turn ministries and state bodies into profitable fiefdoms. Consequently, Lebanon’s financial system in the 1990s was geared towards financing what had become the facade of a state, one ruled by politicians for whom all issues were resolved through manufactured crises that hastened mutually-profitable resolutions. Lebanon’s reconstruction generated massive corruption and theft, which became an inherent part of the political order.
Since the Syrian withdrawal in 2005, after the killing of Rafik Hariri, the post-Taif constitution has been transformed into an instrument of blockage. By effectively imposing a system of sectarian unanimity for all major decisions, the document has prevented progress when there is no consensus among the ruling cartel. The political system has staggered from one impasse to the next, as the politicians and parties have held the state hostage in order to force through their political priorities.
The impaired nature of political decision-making has heightened a feeling that a united Lebanon is no longer worth preserving. That is why the country’s sectarian reflexes are pushing many to think of mechanisms of separation that would allow Lebanon to function better, albeit within the hollowed out shell of a single state.
A major factor encouraging such thinking is the presence of Hezbollah. Because the party is too strong to be brought to heel by the state and is closely integrated with one of Lebanon’s major religious communities, there are those who believe the best option is to move towards a soft divorce. In that way, many areas of Lebanon might be able to isolate themselves from Hezbollah’s efforts to use the central government to impose its will, or wage war with Israel on Iran’s behalf.
Partition cannot work in so small an entity as Lebanon, while federalism has problems of its own, not least how to reach arrangements over religiously mixed districts. But Taif did offer a partial path out by laying the groundwork for a process of administrative decentralisation.
According to Taif, this would involve broadening the authority of the heads of the muhafazaat, or governorates, and qadas, or small administrative districts. Councils would be put in place for each qada, offering some freedom, and Taif mentions redrawing Lebanon’s administrative map to boost local development.
The Taif proposals can be expanded if the aim is to accentuate decentralisation. While governors and heads of qadas in Lebanon are appointed by the central government, filling these positions through local elections instead could be a way of limiting the potential impact of political obstruction at the centre.
The purpose would be to allow each governorate and qada to function in a relatively autonomous way from the rest of the country. In the mind of supporters, this would mean that sectarian demographics at the national level would matter less, because minorities, particularly the Christians and Druze, would manage their own affairs in their respective areas. More important, this could potentially represent an initial step towards federalism.
Doubtless, there are problems with this idea. For one, Hezbollah could oppose giving up on a Lebanese state that protects its weapons, and it would be more vulnerable to attack in a country where it is mainly limited to Shia majority areas. But a decentralised system would also relieve it of having to constantly control a country whose myriad sects increasingly reject the party’s agenda.
Such a system would also reinforce sectarian leaders and parties in areas where they dominate, to the detriment of those opposing them. In other words, the sectarian stranglehold of the political cartel could be transferred to the local level. Yet an upside is that Lebanon also tends to retain strong pluralistic impulses locally, where personal and family ties tend to dominate.
But as the masonry keeps falling, now seems to be the time to think about reimagining Lebanon, whether this involves decentralisation or some other system that gives the Lebanese more of a role in deciding their fate. The post-war system morphed into a criminal enterprise run by leaders who robbed the population. Lebanon’s social contract is dead and has to be replaced.
*Michael Young is a senior editor at the Carnegie Middle East Centre in Beirut and a Lebanon columnist for The National

Michel Aoun and Saad Hariri Have Failed to Agree Over a New Government in Lebanon
Michael Young/Carnegie MEC/March 23/2021
What Happened?
Lebanese President Michel Aoun and prime minister-designate Saad Hariri have again failed to reach an accord on a new government. Each side blames the other, strongly suggesting that their relationship has reached a point of no return, making the formation of a new government improbable in the foreseeable future.Under the post-1990 constitution, the president and the prime minister-designate must sign the decree forming the cabinet. On March 22, Hariri presented Aoun with a draft list of ministers for a government of politically-backed specialists that could implement economic reforms. However, shortly thereafter Hariri emerged from the meeting saying the president was still demanding veto power over the government—meaning a third of ministers plus one—which would allow him and his son in law Gebran Bassil to control the cabinet’s agenda. Hariri also said Aoun had sent him a framework structure for the cabinet, so that the prime minister-designate could fill out the names of ministers and their political patrons. He angrily added it was not his role to fill out documents sent to him, and left.
Coming after five months of disagreement over a government, the breakdown this week occurs as Lebanon is collapsing financially, heightening the threats to the country’s security and stability.
Why Is It Important?
Lebanon has been mired in a serious financial and economic crisis since late 2019, with the Lebanese pound having lost almost 90 percent of its value. The country’s political leaders and parties have done nothing to address this dire situation. Not only do they fear that a genuine reform process would undermine their political power, but the cartel of sectarian leaders ruling the country has lost all cohesiveness since it can no longer agree over how to collectively divide the spoils of the now-bankrupt Lebanese state.
The caretaker government of Hassan Diab, which resigned after the horrific explosion in Beirut Port last August, has limited prerogatives, so its ability to govern effectively is doubtful. That is unless the always practical political class can find a way of providing it with enhanced executive power to do more than merely run current affairs. However, that would require a political consensus, which is lacking today.
What this means is that at the worst moment in Lebanon’s postwar history, the country could face a multifaceted collapse—of its financial system, its economy, and its security situation—with no effort being made to prevent this. Given that over 55 percent of the population “is now trapped in poverty and struggling for bare necessities,” according to the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, the domestic and regional repercussions could be exceptionally severe.
What Are the Implications for the Future?
Expectations for a new government should remain low. Aoun and Hariri entered the government-formation process with irreconcilable aims, even as the main power broker in Lebanon, Hezbollah, appears not to want a government today. While the party has called repeatedly for one, nothing shows that it ever pushed for such an outcome. Indeed, last week Hezbollah’s secretary general, Hassan Nasrallah, took a position opposed to Hariri’s vision for the government. This ensured that Aoun would toughen his stance in his talks with Hariri, undermining an accord.
This is not the first time that Hezbollah acts in a way that contradicts its declared position, and to many observers in Beirut the party is delaying a government while awaiting negotiations between the United States and Iran over Tehran’s nuclear program. In effect, Lebanon is a hostage, ensuring that Washington accepts Tehran’s and Hezbollah’s domination there in any broader regional agreement.
Yet Hezbollah does not seem to be the only culprit. Hariri’s method of negotiating with Aoun, or rather not negotiating, underscored that the prime minister-designate is unwilling to lead a government that does not meet his conditions. Hariri has rejected giving Aoun and Bassil a blocking third, while also refusing to give them the interior and justice ministries. Yet he agreed to give the finance portfolio to Hezbollah and the Amal Movement, suggesting double standards.
It is understandable that Hariri did not want to concede a blocking third, however it is unclear why he refused to discuss other tradeoffs. The cabinet lineup he presented on March 22 was the same one presented on December 9, showing no willingness to compromise. Hariri’s intransigence may have been due to the Saudis’ opposition to his heading a cabinet, as they do not want him to cover for Hezbollah. Therefore, unless he can form one that embraces the exacting terms of his regional patron, Hariri prefers no government at all, knowing Riyadh would block Arab economic aid to Lebanon.
Worse, Hariri cannot afford to step down now as prime minister-designate, because this would only confirm his miscalculation in trying to form a government. That could prove fatal for his ties with Riyadh, which are already strained, and it could push the Saudis and the United Arab Emirates to favor Hariri’s older brother Bahaa. Yet this creates a dilemma for Hariri. If he does nothing in the coming weeks, the pressure will build on him to try to form a government again, or to step down and allow someone else to do so.
When he first announced that he would be a candidate for the post of prime minister in October 2020, Hariri implied that if he could come to an understanding with Hezbollah and Amal, he could push through a program aimed at implementing a French-backed economic reform plan for Lebanon. The implied message was that if there was Sunni-Shi‘a cooperation, other sectarian leaders would have to follow the flow. But it was up to Hezbollah to choose whether it would take his side or that of Aoun and Bassil, Hariri had declared.
Last week Nasrallah replied: Hezbollah would not be forced into choosing. In the process he guaranteed an open-ended disagreement over a new government. Lebanon needs change urgently, but the outcome is certain to be more stalemate, with possibly dramatic consequences for the country and perhaps the region.

The Destruction of a Centennial Lebanese Professional Legacy …A Deliberate Crime in the Making
Charles Elias Chartouni/March 24/2021
شارل الياس شرتوني: تدمير تراث مهني لبناني عمره مئة سنة … جريمة متعمدة في طور التكوين
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/97240/charles-elias-chartouni-the-destruction-of-a-centennial-lebanese-professional-legacy-a-deliberate-crime-in-the-making-%d8%b4%d8%a7%d8%b1%d9%84-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%8a%d8%a7%d8%b3-%d8%b4%d8%b1%d8%aa/
Click Here To Watch The Video That Is The Subject Of This Piece
https://www.facebook.com/charles.chartouni/videos/3751933621570871/
Shiite fascists and oligarchic mafias are deliberately destroying a hundred year legacy of institution building (schools, hospitals, universities, social services and advocacy, urban settings and mainly the humanitarian, intellectual and professional skills).
This observation is captured in a nutshell in this quick report, which highlights the drama of the ongoing brain drain depleting the country of its highly trained professionals.
Leaving by droves, the country is going to be confronted very soon with serious professional shortages and high-end expertise in every sector.
The case of Nour Jalbout, a young MD at the American University Hospital, highlights the tragic circumstances and the brutal degradation of the medical sector and its manifold consequences on life conditions in our country (1000 health care professionals have left the country in a year time).
Aside, from the sociological observation, the mere watching of this video yields the state of moral devastation that is taking over when we realize what we are loosing: the best and the brightest of this brilliant young generation.
Their moral stature, empathy, dedication and humanitarian commitments are of no match, I am in awe when I watch them at work, with their multiple talents, high education, well honed professional expertise, managerial know how, relational abilities and moral elevation.
While watching this video, make sure to grasp the magnitude of our losses, when Nour and her ilk leave the country and its future is left to the monsters who destroyed it, on a daily basis, throughout the last three decades.
When I look at Nour and see her crying her desperation while leaving a country to whom she dedicated her 24/7 of her time, energy, love and dedication, I understand the depth of the abyss and the looming hazards awaiting us.
The criminals and predators who have reigned over this country for the last three decades, were not only catering to their predatory instincts, absence of ethical and intellectual credentials, cultivating their depravation and lack of moral sense, they were deliberately destroying what generations and centuries have built: the Human in Lebanon.
 

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on March 23-24/2021

Israel Voters Take Fourth Shot at Deciding Netanyahu's Fate
Agence France Presse/March 23/2021
Israelis were voting Tuesday in their fourth election in less than two years, with the nation still divided over whether Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu deserves to remain in power. Netanyahu is Israel's longest-serving premier and its most popular politician, but his inability in recent years to unite a stable governing majority behind him has mired the country in unprecedented political gridlock. He is facing an electorate of some 6.5 million registered voters, after leading a successful coronavirus vaccination effort that has already fully inoculated half of Israel's roughly nine million people, a pace envied by much of the world.
But while his right-wing Likud will likely win the most seats, 71-year-old Netanyahu will need coalition partners to secure a majority in the 120-seat Knesset. That means Israel is looking at three possible outcomes: another coalition under Netanyahu, an ideologically divided government united only by its opposition to him, or a looming fifth election. "I don't have much hope. I think there will be a fifth election," said Amit Fischer, a 35-year-old PhD student voting for Netanyahu's strongest challenger, the centrist former television anchor Yair Lapid. "There are too many small parties, too much ego, they won't agree on anything," he told AFP.
- Corruption trial, extremists -
Netanyahu is currently on trial over corruption charges -- allegations he denies, but which have helped fuel a protest movement with weekly rallies outside his Jerusalem residence. The prime minister has said he will not seek to block the trial and is looking forward to being exonerated, but critics suspect that if he earns a majority, he may seek parliamentary action to delay or end the process. To form a government, Netanyahu will have to come to terms with small factions that control a handful of seats, possibly including a new extremist, far-right alliance called Religious Zionism.
If Religious Zionism crosses the 3.25 percent support threshold, as polls predict, it will send to parliament Itamar Ben-Gvir, who has voiced admiration for the mass-murderer of 29 Palestinian worshippers in Hebron in 1994, Baruch Goldstein. Even top Likud member and energy minister Yuval Steinitz said it would be improper to sit with Ben-Gvir, who has vowed to secure a prominent role in government before agreeing to join Netanyahu.
- Anti-Netanyahu bloc divided -
Israel's electorate has migrated rightward since the turn of the century, following the failed Oslo Peace Process and the ensuing Palestinian uprising, or intifada. Polling suggests right-wing parties could win up to 80 seats, meaning that "whoever becomes prime minister, the country is likely to espouse a right-wing direction", said Dahlia Scheindlin, a political analyst and pollster. For Lapid that means any path to power will require an alliance with Netanyahu's rivals on the right. That list includes former senior Likud member Gideon Saar, leader of the New Hope party that could win up to 10 seats, and who has ruled out joining a Netanyahu-led government. Lapid would also likely have to align with a staunch ideological rival, religious nationalist Naftali Bennett. The multi-millionaire former tech entrepreneur and one-time Netanyahu protege has fallen out with the prime minister and hammered him during the campaign, while not ruling out a reunion. Bennett's Yamina party is, therefore, seen as a likely kingmaker. Lapid has said he will not insist on being prime minister in an anti-Netanyahu coalition, if that helps unseat the premier.
Fifth vote?
Tuesday's election was forced after Netanyahu triggered the collapse of a unity government he had formed with former military chief Benny Gantz, his main challenger in three previous inconclusive elections. Gantz, punished by supporters for sitting with Netanyahu, said he joined a Netanyahu-led coalition to give Israel desperately needed stability as the pandemic was gathering pace last year. But their agreement called for Netanyahu to hand power to Gantz after 18 months, something observers of the prime minister correctly predicted he would never do. If Netanyahu can't get to 61 seats in this vote and his opponents cannot find common ground, a fifth election in three years is possible. And, said political analyst Gideon Rahat, it's a prospect that may suit Netanyahu, whose primary objective is to stay in power, as caretaker premier awaiting yet another election if necessary.
Netanyahu "can easily go to a fifth, sixth or seventh election", Rahat said.

U.S. Condemns Assad, Russia Attacks in Syria that Killed Civilians
Agence France Presse/March 23/2021
The United States on Monday condemned fresh attacks by the Assad regime and Russians in Syria that left a number of civilians dead, including in a hospital in Aleppo province. The State Department blamed regime artillery shelling on Sunday for the death of six patients, including a child, at the Al-Atareb Surgical Hospital in western Aleppo. The attack left more than a dozen medical staff wounded, it said. The same day, Russian jets struck in Idlib near the Bab al-Hawa border crossing with Turkey, reportedly killing a civilian, the State Department said. It said that neither should be targets of attacks, noting that the regime had access to the precise coordinates of the hospital to avoid hitting it, under the United Nation's deconfliction program. The Russian attack, the department said, threatens humanitarian aid. "Bab al-Hawa remains the only UN-authorized humanitarian border crossing in Syria and remains the most efficient and effective way to provide life-saving humanitarian assistance to approximately 2.4 million Syrians every month," it said. "Civilians, including civilian medical personnel and facilities, must never be the target of military action," it added. "This violence must stop -- we reiterate our call for a nationwide ceasefire."

UN, US condemn Russian airstrikes on NW Syria
The Arab Weekly/March 23/2021
DAMASCUS--Airstrikes in northwest Syria near the Turkish border that killed a person and set afire trucks used to distribute aid targeted areas, prompted US and UN condemnation. The strikes on several locations a day earlier angered Turkey, prompting it to place its troops on high alert. Turkey’s Defense Ministry said it asked Russia to secure an immediate halt to the attacks. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres strongly condemned the recent wave of attacks in northwest Syria, which have killed and injured dozens of civilians, UN deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said.
The UN chief reiterated his call for a nationwide cease-fire, citing the aerial attacks near the border as well as artillery strikes on a hospital in western Aleppo Governorate on March 21, reports of shelling of a residential neighborhood in Aleppo city causing civilian casualties, and airstrikes close to densely populated areas with camps for displaced people, Haq said. Mark Cutts, UN deputy regional humanitarian coordinator for the Syria crisis, called the attacks “extremely worrying” because they endangered the lives of the area’s most vulnerable population.
The US condemned the attacks and called for a nationwide cease-fire. In a statement Monday, it said the strikes near the Bab al-Hawa border crossing with Turkey had put access to much needed assistance at risk.
The area along the border with Turkey in rebel-held northwestern Syria had been considered one of the safest spots in the conflict-stricken region, and had attracted aid groups who located their offices and warehouses there. The rebel-held enclave divided between Idlib and Aleppo provinces is home to more than 2.7 million displaced people, mostly living in camps and temporary shelters, many having escaped repeated rounds of military offensives and fighting. “Many of the camps are in that area, about a million people in camps around that area. They are highly vulnerable when airstrikes and shelling happen,” Cutts said. “It is also the area where many of the humanitarian organisations have offices and warehouses. They put their warehouses and offices there thinking that was the safest part of Idlib. So when that starts coming under attack that is extremely worrying.”Turkey and Russia support rival parties in Syria’s 10-year conflict. The countries reached a cease-fire deal last March that stopped a Russian-backed government offensive on Idlib, in the last major rebel stronghold in war-torn Syria.
Opposition activists claimed that Russian warplanes carried out the attacks near the Bab al-Hawa border crossing with Turkey late Sunday, hours after government artillery shells hit a major hospital in Atareb, another rebel-controlled town. Six patients, including a 10-year-old child, were killed. Medical staff were wounded, forcing the facility to shut its doors. The Bab al-Hawa border crossing is the main point from which international aid is brought to rebel-held parts of northwest Syria. The crossing “remains the only UN-authorized humanitarian border crossing in Syria and remains the most efficient and effective way to provide life-saving humanitarian assistance” every month to residents of the area, US State Department spokesman Ned Price said.
Cutts called the attack on the hospital “really horrific,” adding that the same facility came under attack years before, forcing it to go underground to continue to operate. Idlib-based journalist Salwa Abdul-Rahman said one of the strikes hit an area near the town of Sarmada, setting afire trucks used by aid workers to distribute assistance. “The targeted locations were civilian with no military presence,” she said. One person was killed in the strikes, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, and the opposition’s Syrian Civil Defence, also known as White Helmets.
The civil defence said the strikes also targeted a cement factory. An AP video from the area showed about a dozen trucks on fire as civil defence members sprayed them with water. Turkey’s Defence Ministry blamed Syrian government forces for the attack, saying it left several people wounded. Cutts said the year-old cease-fire has held in some parts but not everywhere, saying that shelling in some areas has happened every day.

Rivals seeking to gain as Biden mulls approach to Syrian war
Ellen Knickmeyer/AP/March 23/2021
In this March 15, 2021, photo, thousands of anti-Syrian government protesters shout slogans and wave revolutionary flags, to mark 10 years since the start of a popular uprising against President Bashar Assad's rule, that later turned into an insurgency and civil war, in Idlib, the last major opposition-held area of the country, in northwest Syria. The Biden administration is mulling over America’s role in Syria’s ongoing conflict as the U.S. tries to break away from Middle East wars. But Vladimir Putin’s top diplomat already has been busy on the ground, trying to win support for a Syria approach that could establish Russia as a broker of security and power in the region. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
The Biden administration is mulling over America’s role in Syria’s ongoing conflict as the U.S. tries to break away from Middle East wars, but Vladimir Putin’s top diplomat already has been busy on the ground, trying to win support for a Syria approach that could establish Russia as a broker of security and power in the region.The new U.S. administration has yet to say how it plans to handle Syria, which is now fragmented among a half-dozen militaries — including U.S. troops — owing to a war that has killed and has displaced millions. The conflict includes al-Qaida affiliates, Islamic State forces and other jihadist groups eager to use Syria as a base.
Russia and Iran have intervened to prevent the collapse of Syrian President Bashar Assad, who has wielded chemical attacks, barrel bombs and starvation to crush what had started out as a peaceful uprising. The conflict just entered its 11th year.
Dealing with Syria’s war will test the Biden administration’s determination to focus on Asia and not the Middle East. If the United States diminishes its presence, Russia and other hostile U.S. rivals are poised to step in and boost their regional stature and resources.
Hence Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s Middle East tour this month.
Lavrov stood by as the foreign minister of a Gulf state generally friendly to Washington, the United Arab Emirates, delivered a message in line with Moscow’s position: U.S. sanctions on Syria’s Russia-supported regime were blocking international efforts to rebuild Syria. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan said it is time to welcome Syria back into the fold of Arab nations. In other words, Russia’s message is “the Syria war is over, Assad has won, Assad will be in power as long as he is breathing oxygen,” said Frederic Hof, who served as a U.S. Syria adviser and envoy in the Obama administration.
Hof said there was an unstated part of the message: Russia plans to be on hand as “Syria is built from the ashes,” benefiting from any international reconstruction resources coming in, and positioning itself as the broker to manage the security threats that Syria poses to the region.
Hof and James F. Jeffrey, a career diplomat under Republican and Democratic administrations who served as President Donald Trump’s Syria envoy, argue for the United States to remain a significant presence in the country, citing Russia’s ambitions.
“If this is the security future of the Middle East, we’re all in trouble,” Jeffrey warns. “That’s what Putin and Lavrov are pushing.”
The Biden administration is reviewing whether it should consider Syria as one of America’s most important national security problems.
It’s shown no sign yet of doing so. Notably, where President Joe Biden has spelled out some other Middle East problems as priorities — including Yemen’s war and Iran’s nuclear program, for which Biden appointed envoys — he and his officials have said and done little publicly on Syria.
In Congress, Syria is at the heart of a congressional debate over whether to reduce or end the authorities given to presidents to conduct military strikes in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks.
It was the Syrian war that sparked that debate, when President Barack Obama first considered military strikes there, said Rep. Joaquin Castro, a Texas Democrat and member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. “Congress has sidelined itself in some of the most important decisions that a country can take.”
One of Biden’s few public mentions of Syria since taking office came last week, when he listed it among international problems that the U.N. Security Council should do more on.
Marking the 10th anniversary of the start of the Syrian conflict last week, Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a statement with European counterparts emphasized the need for humanitarian aid for Syrian civilians and accountability for the Assad regime.
U.S. troops are helping protect an opposition enclave in northeast Syria, in an area that includes oil and natural gas. During Biden’s campaign last year, Blinken framed the military role as a “point of leverage” in negotiations over the international handling of Syria, rather than an ongoing force.
Spokespeople with the National Security Council and State Department declined to answer specific questions on Biden’s Syria policy, including whether the administration sees the Syria conflict as a major national security threat or plans to appoint an envoy.
Biden follows Obama and Trump in seeking to minimize the United States’ military role in the Middle East and shift the focus of U.S. foreign policy to Asia, where China has been increasingly aggressive.
But the Middle East’s conflicts and the United States’ own strategic schemes have a way of pulling Americans back. Biden last month became the sixth consecutive U.S. president to bomb a Middle East target, hitting an Iranian-allied militia in Syria that had attacked American and allied personnel in neighboring Iraq. Some current and former U.S. diplomats for the Middle East have argued Syria is not a top security threat for the United States.
Robert S. Ford, an Obama administration ambassador to Syria with years of diplomatic experience in the region, concluded in a Foreign Affairs article last year that Washington should move toward pulling its troops out of northeast Syria, arrange for Russia and others to deal with jihadist fighters, and put the United States’ money toward helping the war’s refugees. But Hof and Jeffrey, two others who dealt with Syria for past administrations, argue against withdrawal. “If I were an ISIS leader now trying desperately to organize an insurgency to come back” in Syria, “I would pray that that advice be taken,” Hof said. For the Islamic State group, “if you can have as your enemies the (Syrian) regime, the Iranians and the Russians, it doesn’t get any better than that.”A test of Biden administration intentions is looming, as Russia seeks to use its U.N. Security Council position to shut down a humanitarian aid route into part of Syria not under control of the Russia-supported Syrian government, notes Mona Yacoubian, senior Syria adviser for the U.S. Institute for Peace think tank. Maintaining or bolstering the U.S. footprint in Syria will be important, Yacoubian said — not just as leverage in political negotiations, but also to shape the rules of the game for Russia’s presence in the Middle East. And other immediate goals for the international community remain: making life “more manageable and less miserable for Syrians,” she said.
All contents © copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Kurds warn of enduring ISIS threat in Syria
The Arab Weekly/March 23/2021
AL-OMAR, Syria--Islamic State (ISIS) extremists remain as dangerous today as when they were ousted from their last Syrian bastion exactly two years ago, Kurdish forces warned Tuesday as they marked the anniversary. The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces said counter-terrorism efforts today were “more difficult than face-to-face fighting with ISIS jihadists and are considered more dangerous,” in a statement to mark their victory in March 2019. “The fall of the last patch of ISIS territory in northeast Syria does not mean complete defeat,” the SDF added. On Tuesday, Kurdish authorities, local tribal leaders and members of the US-led coalition who pushed ISIS from their Syrian stronghold, marked the anniversary with a military parade in the US-protected Al-Omar oil field, in the eastern province of Deir Ezzor. The final ISIS defeat in the eastern riverside hamlet of Baghouz marked the end of a cross-border “caliphate” declared in 2014 across swaths of Iraq and Syria. But two years on, ISIS has shown that it does not need a stronghold to pose a potent threat, with the jihadists carrying out regular attacks and ambushes, including setting off roadside bombs and machine-gunning vehicles. They are also feared to be recruiting fresh fighters, not least among the tens of thousands of suspected ISIS relatives detained in overcrowded displacement camps. “We are currently at the most difficult stage of our counter-terrorism efforts,” the SDF added.
Safe haven
ISIS retains some 10,000 active fighters in both Syria and Iraq, although the majority is reported to be in Iraq, the United Nations said in a recent report. Syria’s vast desert near the Iraqi border has emerged as a key “safe haven” for ISIS operatives and a springboard for attacks, the UN said. The ISIS group is “building and retaining a cellular structure which allows it to carry out terrorist attacks,” General Kenneth McKenzie, head of the US Central Command that oversees troops deployed in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria, said last month. At Al-Omar, SDF banners were raised to mark the anniversary, alongside posters carrying pictures of fighters killed during the years-long battle against jihadists. Fighters in fatigues marched past in a show of strength. “In the spirit of the liberation of Baghouz… we will liberate all our lands,” one poster read, referring to the village where ISIS made its last stand. Kurdish fighters joined ranks with Arab forces to form the US-backed SDF alliance in 2015. They would go on to oust ISIS from key areas, including the jihadists’ de facto capital Raqqa in 2017. In October 2019, a US strike on Syria killed ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and several other prominent figures.
But Baghdadi’s successor, Mohammed Said Abd al-Rahman al-Mawla, has been able to direct and inspire new attacks.
Powder keg
The tens of thousands of jihadists in Kurdish jails and suspected ISIS relatives held in displacement camps have emerged as an extremist powder keg. Syria’s Kurds hold nearly 43,000 foreigners with links to the jihadist group in jails and informal displacement camps, Human Rights Watch said Tuesday. They include 27,500 children, at least 300 of whom are in squalid prisons, while the rest are kept in rehabilitation centres or locked camps, HRW said. Repeated calls for Western countries to repatriate their nationals have largely fallen on deaf ears, with just a handful of children and a few women being taken home. “Men, women, and children from around the world are entering a third year of unlawful detention in life-threatening conditions…while their governments look the other way,” HRW’s Letta Tayler said. The SDF reiterated calls Tuesday for countries to boost repatriation efforts and establish international tribunals to prosecute those in detention accused of being jihadists. Most suspected ISIS relatives are being kept in the Al Hol camp, the largest of the settlements controlled by Kurdish authorities. Al-Hol holds almost 62,000 people, mostly women and children, including Syrians, Iraqis and thousands from Europe and Asia accused of family ties with ISIS fighters. Some detainees see the camp as the last vestige of the cross-border “caliphate”. “The danger of the ISIS group lives on in the thousands of prisoners held in jails as well as… their relatives detained in camps,” the SDF added. In a report published last month, the UN said it had documented instances of “radicalisation, fundraising, training and incitement of external operations” at Al-Hol. It also warned of the fate of around 7,000 children living in a special annex designated for foreign ISIS relatives. They are “being groomed as future ISIL operatives” the UN said, using a different acronym for the ISIS group.
 

We Don't Want War' with Sudan, Ethiopian PM Abiy
Agence France Presse/March 23/2021
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said Tuesday his country did not want war with Sudan, as tensions over a contested region along their border spark fears of broader conflict. "Ethiopia also has many problems, and we are not ready to go to battle. We don't need war. It is better to settle it in a peaceful manner," Abiy told parliament in remarks translated into English for a live TV broadcast. He stressed later that Ethiopia "did not want war" with their neighbour over this decades-old territorial dispute, describing Sudan as a "brotherly country" whose people loved Ethiopia. The border quarrel is over Al-Fashaqa, an agricultural area sandwiched between two rivers, where Ethiopia's northern Amhara and Tigray regions meet Sudan's eastern Gedaref state. The fertile farmland is claimed by both countries and has been a flashpoint for conflict, most recently as fighting in Ethiopia's Tigray region sent some 60,000 refugees fleeing into Sudan. As violence in Ethiopia came closer, Khartoum sent troops into the Al-Fashaqa region, "to recapture the stolen lands and take up positions on the international lines," Sudan's state media reported. In December, Khartoum dispatched reinforcements to Al-Fashaqa after "Ethiopian forces and militias" allegedly ambushed Sudanese troops, killing at least four soldiers. A string of deadly clashes followed, with both sides trading accusations of violence and territorial violations. Sudan has in recent weeks claimed to have regained control of large swathes of the region, insisting it had always fallen within its boundaries. Meanwhile, Addis Ababa accused Khartoum of having "invaded land that is part of Ethiopia's territory", warning it would resort to a military response if needed. The tit-for-tat exchanges stoked fears of a wider conflict erupting between the regional rivals. It comes amid tension over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, a mega-dam on the Blue Nile, which downriver Khartoum and Cairo view as a threat to their water supply.

Rejecting US peace plan, Afghan president Ghani to offer polls in six months
Reuters, Kabul/23 March ,2021
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani will propose a new presidential election within six months, under a peace plan he will put forward as a counter-offer to a US proposal that he rejects, two senior government officials told Reuters. Ghani will unveil his proposal at an international gathering in Turkey next month, signaling his refusal to accept Washington’s plan for his elected government to be replaced by an interim administration, the officials said. Washington, which agreed last year to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan by May 1 after nearly two decades, is pressing for a peace deal to end war between the government and the Taliban. Talks between the Afghan sides in Qatar have stalled. US Special Envoy Zalmay Khalilzad has been circulating a proposal which would replace the Kabul government with an interim administration. But Ghani has voiced vehement opposition to any solution that requires his government to step aside for unelected successors. “The counterproposal which we are going to present at the Istanbul meeting would be to call for early presidential elections if the Taliban agree on a ceasefire,” one senior government official said on condition of anonymity. Another Afghan government official said: “The president would never agree to step aside and any future government should be formed through democratic process, not a political deal.” A third senior official also said Ghani’s proposal would include possible early elections, although he did not specify the exact time frame for the vote. The third official said Ghani had already shared his road map with Khalilzad.
US seeking support
With just weeks left before a deadline it agreed with Taliban last year to end the longest war in US history, Washington is seeking regional backing for its approach to push the Kabul government and insurgents to share power. But diplomats and foreign officials have said it will be difficult to move forward with the US plans without Ghani’s support. During a visit to the region, which included stops in Doha and Islamabad, Khalilzad pushed for a conference to be hosted by Turkey with involvement from the United Nations next month. The Afghan officials said that as part of Ghani’s counter-proposal, his government would ask the UN to closely observe the new election to ensure it is accepted by all sides.
A presidential palace spokesman declined to comment.
Peace negotiations between the Afghan government and insurgent Taliban in Qatar’s capital Doha have made little progress, while violence has increased. The Taliban -- fighting the foreign-backed government since being ousted from power by Afghan opponents and US air strikes in late 2001 -- have so far rejected a ceasefire and said they would not directly join an interim government. Ghani was sworn in as president for a second five-year term in March last year after a disputed presidential election. The new US administration led by President Joe Biden is reviewing its plans before May 1, the deadline agreed last year under the Donald Trump administration for the last 2,500 US troops to leave Afghanistan. Biden told broadcaster ABC last week that it would be “tough” to meet the deadline. The Taliban say there will be consequences if the United States does not meet the deadline to pull out.
 

Full text of Saudi Arabia’s new peace initiative to end Yemen war
Omar Elkatouri, Al Arabiya English/March 23 ,2021
Saudi Arabia has proposed a new peace initiative to end the ongoing conflict in Yemen between the internationally-recognized government and the Iran-backed Houthis, the Kingdom’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan said on Monday. The new initiative includes a nationwide ceasefire that will be implemented under the supervision of the United Nations, the reopening of Sanaa International Airport, and the allowing of fuel and food imports through the Hodeidah port. “We will work with the international community, with our partners and with the government of Yemen to push toward this initiative being implemented. We will do all we can to put the necessary pressure on the Houthis to accept and to come to the negotiating table and to lay down arms, because we believe that a stop to the fighting and a focus on a political solution is the only way forward,” Prince Faisal said. Below is the full text of the initiative as announced by Prince Faisal bin Farhan:
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia announced an initiative to end the Yemeni crisis and reach a comprehensive political resolution.
The initiative comes in continuation of the Kingdom’s concern for the security and stability of Yemen and the region, and its serious and practical steps to support peace in Yemen and put an end to the crisis.
The initiative aims to end the human suffering of the brotherly Yemeni people, and affirms the Kingdom’s support for efforts to reach a comprehensive political resolution between the Yemeni parties in line with discussions in Biel, Geneva, Kuwait and Stockholm.
The initiative includes the following proposals: A comprehensive ceasefire across the country under the supervision of the United Nations. Depositing taxes and custom revenues for ships carrying oil derivatives to the port of Hodeidah in the joint account of the Central Bank of Yemen in Hodeidah, in accordance with the Stockholm Agreement on Hodeidah. The reopening of Sanaa International Airport to a number of direct regional and international destinations. The start of consultations between the Yemeni parties to reach a political resolution to the Yemeni crisis under the auspices of the United Nations based on the references of UN Security Council Resolution 2216, the Gulf initiative and its implementation mechanism, and the outcomes of the Yemeni national dialogue.This initiative comes within the framework of the continuous support for the efforts of the United Nations Special Envoy to Yemen, Mr. Martin Griffiths, the US envoy to Yemen, Mr. Timothy Lenderking, along with the positive role of the Sultanate of Oman, and the push to reach a political resolution to the crisis under the auspices of the United Nations.
The Kingdom calls on the Yemeni government and the Houthis to accept the initiative, which gives the Houthis the opportunity to stop the bloodshed in Yemen, address the humanitarian and economic conditions that the brotherly Yemeni people are suffering from, and gives them the opportunity to become partners in achieving peace.
The initiative gives the Houthis an opportunity to uphold the interests of the brotherly Yemeni people first, and the Yemeni people's right to their sovereignty and the independence of their homeland over the Iranian regime’s expansionary ambitions in Yemen and the region. The Kingdom calls on the Houthis to declare their acceptance of the initiative, which is to be implemented under the supervision and monitoring of the United Nations. The Kingdom also affirms its full right to defend its land, citizens and residents from the systematic attacks carried out by the Iranian-backed Houthi militia against civilian areas and vital installations that not only target the Kingdom's national interests, but also target the core of the global economy and its supplies, as well as global energy security. The Kingdom also affirms its total rejection of Iranian interference in the region and Yemen. The Iranian regime’s support for the Houthi militias through smuggling, developing , supplying missiles and weapons, provision of military experts, and violation of relevant Security Council resolutions, remains the main reason for the prolonging of the Yemeni crisis.
The Kingdom and Coalition countries affirm their continued support for the Yemeni people and their legitimate government. The Kingdom also affirms that it will remain committed to its humanitarian role in alleviating the suffering of the brotherly Yemeni people, by supporting all efforts for peace, security and stability in Yemen and moving towards a new stage for the development and improvement of the Yemeni people's livelihood.

Tunisia Engineers Reach for Stars with Satellite Launch
Naharnet/March 23/2021
Tunisia celebrated the launch Monday of its first domestically made satellite, hoping it would inspire young engineers to reach for the stars at home rather than join those emigrating overseas. Challenge-1, built by a team from telecommunications giant TelNet, blasted off along with 37 other satellites aboard a Russian Soyuz rocket from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Monday. That made Tunisia the sixth African country to manufacture its own satellite and see it reach space. "It's a source of pride to have taken part in this project," said Khalil Chiha, 27, who trained at Tunisia's National Engineering School in the central city of Sfax. "Working in the aeronautical or aerospace sector is a dream." Tunisia had been struck by an economic crisis and skyrocketing unemployment even before the coronavirus pandemic, and recent months have seen growing anti-government protests. Several thousand engineers leave each year to seek work abroad. Many of the Challenge-1 engineers were educated in Tunisia and are aged between 25 and 30 years old. Officials hope the success will show young people there is a future for them in the North African nation. The Challenge-1 is set to collect data including temperature, pollution and humidity readings over areas without internet coverage, as part of efforts to gather such information from areas beyond terrestrial phone networks. "We are very emotional, after three years of intense work," said engineer Haifa Triki, 28, who followed the flight live from Tunis.
"We made a lot of sacrifices, but it was worth it".
'Dream come true'
President Kais Saied, joined engineers and journalists to watch the launch live on screen at TelNet headquarters in Tunis. "Our real wealth is the youth who can face obstacles," Saied said, stressing that Tunisia lacks not resources but "national will" amid its dire social and political crises. "We are proud of our youth," he said. The Challenge-1 team was supported by expatriate Tunisian engineers, one of whom took part in NASA's Mars Perseverance mission. "It really is a dream come true," TelNet project manager Anis Youssef told AFP, ahead of the launch. While the aerospace industry is in full development in the Arab world, and 11 countries have launched satellites across Africa, making a homemade satellite is a harder task. "The club of those who manufacture them is quite closed," said Tunisian aerospace engineer Ahmed El Fadhel, based in Belgium and president of Tunisian Space Association, a collective of scientists, experts and students interested in space technology. TelNet intends to launch within three years, in partnership with other African countries, a network of over 20 satellites. "This paves the way for the opening of an innovative service for the region in a rapidly expanding field," said TelNet CEO Mohamed Frikha.
Beyond technological progress, it marks the "opening of local job prospects for Tunisian engineers," he added. "Job opportunities exist in Tunisia. The problem is to make young engineers want to stay."

The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on March 23-24/2021

Iran Plans Submarine Expansion in Persian Gulf, Raising Risk of U.S. Clash
David Brennon/Newsweek/March 23/2021
Iran is planning to expand its submarine fleet amid continued maritime tensions with the U.S., Israel and other powers as President Joe Biden pushes for a diplomatic thaw between Washington, D.C. and Tehran despite regional violence.
Rear-Admiral Amir Rastegari, the head of the Defense Ministry's marine industries organization arm, told the state-run IRNA on Monday that the navy is planning to provide "light and semi-heavy domestically-developed submarines" to the elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
The IRGC maritime area of responsibility is the Persian Gulf stretching to the Strait of Hormuz, Rastegari said. Iran's navy oversees the eastern portion of the Strait of Hormuz into the Indian Ocean.
Rastegari said construction of the new submarines would begin this year, though did not offer any details on their capabilities nor a specific date by which they would be operational. IRNA reported they would be ready "within the next few years."
Rastegari told the news agency that the reliance of Iran's armed forces on foreign marine technology has decreased from 70 percent to 20 percent. Iran was under a tight arms embargo until last year, and remains under a range of American sanctions. These measures have stifled its economy and choked imports and exports.
Between them, Iran's navy and the IRGC have a force of around 34 submarines, according to the Nuclear Threat Initiative nonprofit. Of these, 27 are mini-submarines, with the remaining seven diesel-electric attack submarines.
Though still technologically limited compared with its American rivals, Iran has invested in modernizing and expanding its submarine fleet, which can now fire ballistic and cruise missiles.
In 2018, just before former President Donald Trump withdrew from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action nuclear deal, Iranian officials informed the United Nations it was planning to "construct naval nuclear propulsion in the future."
Iran has traditionally relied on submarine imports from Russia, China and North Korea. Its most advanced are the three Tareq-class diesel-electric submarines—Cold War-era Kilo-class submarines imported from Russia. USNI News reported in January that all three vessels were out of the water at once for unknown reasons. Iran already makes its own submarines, for example the semi-heavy, diesel-electric Besat-class submarine, of which one has so far been produced. Iran has also built its own smaller vessels, such as the Fateh-class diesel-electric coastal submarines, Nahang-class mini-submarines and Ghadir-class mini-submarines. Any naval expansion in the Persian Gulf risks more encounters with American vessels, which routinely operate in the waterway. The Gulf carries great strategic importance, with some 25 percent of the world's crude oil traveling through the 30 mile-wide Hormuz Strait.
The waterway would be a key battlefield in any future U.S.-Iran conflict, with Tehran likely to use asymmetric warfare tactics to try and bog down the vastly superior U.S. Navy. Fast-attack boats, mines, anti-ship missiles, cyber attacks, suicide operations and submarine strikes would all be options for the Iranian side. The tensions of recent years have seen multiple attacks on commercial shipping in the Gulf. Iranian and Israeli forces have been accused of recent covert attacks on shipping, while American and Iranian personnel have come into confrontation several times.
In 2016, for example, Iranian forces briefly detained two U.S. fast assault craft and 10 sailors near the Gulf's Farsi Island. Both Iran and the U.S. seek to project naval power in the Gulf. The U.S. sends submarines and aircraft carriers to transit the waterway to assert American power and the rights of international shipping. In late 2020, for example, the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier and USS Georgia guided-missile submarine were sent to the Gulf amid rising tensions between Tehran and Trump's outgoing administration.

Denmark Cracks Down on "Parallel Societies"
Soeren Kern/Gatestone Institute./March 23, 2021
"As a society, for too many years we have not made the necessary demands of newcomers. We have had far too low expectations for the refugees and immigrants who came to Denmark. We have not made sufficiently tangible demands on jobs and self-sufficiency. Therefore, too many immigrants have ended up in prolonged inactivity." — Danish government report, "Showdown with Parallel Societies."
The number of residential areas on the government's most recent "ghetto list," published in December 2020, has declined by half in three years, from 29 in 2018 to 15 in 2020. The number of "hardened ghettos" has declined from 15 in 2018 to 13 in 2020. Interior and Housing Minister Kaare Dybvad Bek attributed the decline mainly to more people finding employment or pursuing an education.
"As a society, we must step more into character and stick to our Danish values. We must not accept that democracy is replaced with hatred in parallel societies. Radicalization must not be protected. It must be revealed." — Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen.
The Danish government has announced a package of new proposals aimed at fighting "religious and cultural parallel societies" in Denmark. A cornerstone of the plan includes capping the percentage of "non-Western" immigrants and their descendants dwelling in any given residential neighborhood. Pictured: The official opening session of the Danish Parliament in Copenhagen, on October 6, 2020. (Photo by Mads Claus Rasmussen/Ritzau Scanpix/AFP via Getty Images)
The Danish government has announced a package of new proposals aimed at fighting "religious and cultural parallel societies" in Denmark. A cornerstone of the plan includes capping the percentage of "non-Western" immigrants and their descendants dwelling in any given residential neighborhood. The aim is to preserve social cohesion in the country by encouraging integration and discouraging ethnic and social self-segregation.
The announcement comes just days after Denmark approved a new law banning the foreign funding of mosques in the country. The government has also recently declared its intention significantly to limit the number of people seeking asylum in Denmark.
Denmark, which already has some of the most restrictive immigration policies in Europe, is now at the vanguard of European efforts to preserve local traditions and values in the face of mass migration, runaway multiculturalism and the encroachment of political Islam.
The new proposals, announced by Interior and Housing Minister Kaare Dybvad Bek on March 17, are contained in a 15-page report, "Mixed Residential Areas: The Next Step in the Fight Against Parallel Societies."
A main element of the plan calls for relocating residents of non-Western origin to ensure that, within the next ten years, they do not comprise more than 30% of the total population of any neighborhood or housing area in Denmark.
The plan also calls for phasing out the term "ghetto areas," which has been criticized as being derogatory, and replacing it with the more politically correct "prevention areas" (forebyggelsesområder) and "transformation areas" (omdannelsesområder).
The term "ghetto," which refers to areas with high concentrations of immigrants, unemployment and crime, first came into official use in Denmark in 2010 with the release of a government report, "Reinserting Ghettos into Society: A Showdown with Parallel Societies in Denmark."
A "ghetto area" currently refers to a residential area with at least 1,000 inhabitants, where the proportion of non-Western immigrants and their descendants is higher than 50%, and where at least two of the following four criteria are met:
The proportion of residents aged 18-64 who are not in work or in education exceeds 40%.
The proportion of residents who have been convicted of violating the Penal Code, the Firearms Act or the Narcotic Drugs Act is at least three times the national average.
The proportion of residents aged 30-59 who have only a primary school education exceeds 60% of all residents in the same age group.
The average gross income for taxpayers aged 15-64 in the area (excluding education seekers) is less than 55% of the average gross income for all residents in the area.
In 2018, the Danish Parliament, with support from all of the country's main political parties, adopted the "parallel society package" (Parallelsamfundspakken), also known as the "ghetto plan" (Ghettoplan). The 22-point plan states that there will be no "ghetto areas" in Denmark by 2030. Details are included in a government report, "One Denmark Without Parallel Societies."
At the time, the government, explained the need for a comprehensive strategy to combat parallel societies:
"The government wants a cohesive Denmark. A Denmark that is based on democratic values ​​such as freedom and the rule of law, equality and freedom. Tolerance and equality. A Denmark where everyone participates actively. Over the past 40 years, Denmark's ethnic composition has changed markedly.
"In 1980, we were 5.1 million people in Denmark. Today we are close to 5.8 million. The growth of the population comes from outside. Both immigrants and descendants of immigrants. The majority of the new Danes have a non-Western background.
"In 1980, there were about 50,000 people with non-Western backgrounds in Denmark. Today there are almost half a million. This corresponds to an increase from approximately one percent of the population to approximately 8.5 percent....
"What has gone wrong? At least three things.
"First, the individual immigrant has the responsibility to learn Danish, to get a job and become part of the local community and to be integrated into his new homeland. Far too few have seized the opportunities that Denmark offers, despite the fact that Denmark is a society with security, freedom, free education and good job opportunities.
"Second, as a society, for too many years we have not made the necessary demands of newcomers. We have had far too low expectations for the refugees and immigrants who came to Denmark. We have not made sufficiently tangible demands on jobs and self-sufficiency. Therefore, too many immigrants have ended up in prolonged inactivity.
"Third, for decades too many refugees and family-reunified people have not been integrated into Danish society. They have been allowed to clump together in ghetto areas without contact with the surrounding community, even after many years in Denmark, because we have not made clear demands on them to become part of the Danish community....
"It's about to be the last call. In parts of Western Europe, massive challenges have arisen with ghettos and very ingrained parallel societies. Denmark is not there yet. And that is why we must make a massive effort now, so that we can stop the development before the problems become impossible to solve.
"There is only one way. The ghettos must be completely eradicated. Parallel societies must be broken down. And we must make sure that new ones do not arise. Once and for all, the very big task of integration must be tackled whenever immigrants and their descendants have not embraced Danish values ​​and isolate themselves in parallel societies."
The 2018 agreement stipulates that if a residential area ends up on the so-called ghetto list, local councils must choose between four measures: 1) demolish public housing; 2) build new housing for private rental; 3) convert public housing to elderly or youth housing; or 4) sell public housing to private buyers or investors for private rental.
The plan seeks to reduce the share of public housing to no more than 40% in the most vulnerable areas by 2030. The overall goal is to transform the ghetto areas into normal residential areas.
Interior and Housing Minister Kaare Dybvad Bek says that the plan is working. The number of residential areas on the government's most recent "ghetto list," published in December 2020, has declined by half in three years, from 29 in 2018 to 15 in 2020. The number of "hardened ghettos," which refers to any area that has been included on the ghetto list for four years in a row, has declined from 15 in 2018 to 13 in 2020.
Bek attributed the decline mainly to more people finding employment or pursuing an education:
"It is fantastically positive that it is progressing in so many areas, and we are already seeing the effect of the parallel society package. There is a historically large decrease in the number of vulnerable areas on all lists, especially because far more residents have come to find work or pursue education.
"The large drop in the number of vulnerable areas is especially a pat on the back to the housing organizations and municipalities that in recent years have worked hard to ensure mixed housing areas, so that all children have the same opportunities, no matter where they grow up."
Bek's newly named "prevention areas" are to be designated on the basis of the same criteria as the existing "ghetto areas," but with lower limits. A "prevention area" refers to a residential area with at least 1,000 inhabitants, where the proportion of non-Western immigrants and their descendants is higher than 30%, and where at least two of the following four criteria are met:
The proportion of residents aged 18-64 who are not in work or in education exceeds 30%.
The proportion of residents who have been convicted of violating the Penal Code, the Firearms Act or the Narcotic Drugs Act is at least two times the national average.
The proportion of residents aged 30-59 who have only a primary school education exceeds 60% of all residents in the same age group.
The average gross income for taxpayers aged 15-64 in the area (excluding education seekers) is less than 65% of the average gross income for all residents in the area.
A total of 58 residential areas in Denmark will be categorized as "prevention areas" in the government's new proposal, which will affect approximately 100,000 people of non-Western origin. Bek explained:
"For far too many years, we have closed our eyes to the development that was underway, and only acted when the integration problems became too great. Now we want to make sure that we do not once again stick our heads in the sand while new parallel societies emerge. We will do this by preventing more vulnerable housing areas and by creating more mixed housing areas throughout Denmark.
"Today, municipalities and housing organizations do not always intervene in time if large public housing areas enter into a negative spiral. Therefore, we will now provide access to most of the tools that apply to vulnerable residential areas. For us, it is about helping the residents and creating equal opportunities for all children, regardless of where they grow up in Denmark.
"The 'ghetto' term is misleading. I do not use it myself, and I think it overshadows the important work that needs to be done in the residential areas. This whole effort is about fighting parallel societies and creating a positive development in the residential areas, so that they are made attractive to a broad section of the population."
Denmark's governing center-left Social Democratic Party has pursued strong anti-immigration policies, partly in an effort to blunt the appeal of populist parties on the right.
Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, who has been in office since June 2019, recently announced that her government intends significantly to limit the number of people seeking asylum in Denmark. The aim, she said, is to preserve "social cohesion" in the country.
Denmark, which has a population of 5.8 million, received approximately 40,000 asylum applications during the past five years, according to data compiled by Statista. Most of the applications received by Denmark, a predominately Christian country, were from migrants from Muslim countries in Africa, Asia and the Middle East.
In recent years, Denmark has also permitted significant non-asylum immigration, especially from non-Western countries. Denmark is now home to sizeable immigrant communities from Syria (35,536); Turkey (33,111); Iraq (21,840); Iran (17,195); Pakistan (14,471); Afghanistan (13,864); Lebanon (12,990) and Somalia (11,282), according to Statista.
Muslims currently comprise approximately 5.5% of the Danish population, according to the Pew Research Center, which forecasts that this figure will double or possibly triple by 2050, depending on the migration scenario.
On January 22, during a parliamentary hearing on Danish immigration policy, Frederiksen said that she was determined to reduce the number of asylum approvals:
"Our goal is zero asylum seekers. We cannot promise zero asylum seekers, but we can establish the vision for a new asylum system, and then do what we can to implement it. We must be careful that not too many people come to our country, otherwise our social cohesion cannot exist. It is already being challenged."
In her 2021 New Year's address, Frederiksen said that in the year ahead, her government would continue to insist that immigrants integrate into Danish society:
"As a society, we must step more into character and stick to our Danish values. We must not accept that democracy is replaced with hatred in parallel societies. Radicalization must not be protected. It must be revealed.
"The government will rethink its integration efforts so that it is based to a greater extent on clear requirements and clear expectations with a focus on law and duty.
"Basically, it must be the case that once you have been granted residence in Denmark, you must of course support yourself. If this is not possible for a period of time, the government will propose that you — in return for your social welfare benefit — be obliged to contribute the equivalent of a normal working week of 37 hours. These are some of the tasks ahead of us in the new year."
*Soeren Kern is a Senior Fellow at the New York-based Gatestone Institute.
© 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.

China's Pattern of Anti-U.S. Hostility
Lawrence A. Franklin/Gatestone Institute./March 23/2021
China's pattern of hostile acts against U.S. interests seems indicative of a deep-seated antipathy for American values, including its democratic form of government, rule of law, and respect for human rights.
The most blatant example of China's hostility toward the United States is the dangerous, irresponsible and aggressive actions of Chinese naval and air assets in and above the South and East China Seas.
This pattern of offensive activities by China is not just an indicator of ill-intent against the Free World, but a sign of self-confidence by China's Communist Party and military leadership that the balance of power is irrevocably shifting in China's favor.
One particularly aggressive and obvious indicator of Chinese hostile military intent occurred in the East African country of Djibouti, where both the U.S. and China have military facilities. Two U.S. Air Force pilots flying a C-130 transport sustained injuries from a laser originating in the Chinese People's Liberation Army Support Base at the Port of Doraleh. Pictured: Soldiers of the Chinese PLA at the opening ceremony of China's military base in Djibouti, on August 1, 2017. (Photo by STR/AFP via Getty Images)
China's pattern of hostile acts against U.S. interests seems indicative of a deep-seated antipathy for American values, including its democratic form of government, rule of law, and respect for human rights. While the U.S. and China could, theoretically, cooperate on areas of common interest, the enduring norm seems to have been, at least on China's part, one of fierce confrontation, similar to the Cold War with the Soviet Union.
China has been waging an asymmetric war against the U.S. for years. One frequent weapon against used by China against U.S. interests is the cyber attack. The People's Liberation Army (PLA) possesses a sophisticated and predatory cyber infrastructure consisting of several distinct sections of the General Staff.[1] One attack orchestrated by China on the U.S. involved hacking into terminals which contained digital personnel records of millions U.S. federal employees. China's hacking operations, however, are usually not disruptive, as opposed to Russian, Iranian and North Korean attacks. The clear objective of Chinese cyber assaults has been the theft of intellectual property and trade secrets. Mike Rogers former Director of the U.S. National Security Agency, has delineated China's thieving attacks to have been collection missions covering most of the key sectors of the U.S. economy.
Several PLA officers as early as 2014 boasted in a military doctrine periodical that China will win the "Cyber Network War" against the U.S.[2] The scope of China's cyber offensive against America is massive, frequent, and comprehensive, covering the entire spectrum of critical technologies. China acknowledges the existence of a PLA cyber warfare unit, entitled "The Science of Military Strategy." One source suggests that this unit may employ as many as 100,000 personnel.
China, as early as 2006, carried out laser attacks against U.S. imaging satellites during passes over China. The Chinese military has lasered U.S. naval personnel on ships in Chinese-claimed waters in the South China Sea. These aggressions by China also have occurred when U.S. assets were operating near the Japanese-owned but Chinese-claimed Senkaku Islands (called "Diaoyu Islands" by China).
One particularly aggressive and obvious indicator of Chinese hostile military intent occurred in the East African country of Djibouti, where both the U.S. and China have military facilities. After a U.S. C-130 transport took off from Camp Lemonier in early June 2018, both American pilots sustained injuries from a laser originating in the Chinese People's Liberation Army Support Base at the Port of Doraleh. The Chinese attack prompted the Federal Aviation Administration to issue an official "Notice to Airmen" warning all pilots in the region. These assaults are occurring despite the fact that China is a signatory of the 1995 Protocol on Blinding Laser Weapons. One 2013 PLA publication laid out China's plans to deploy space-based laser weapons systems.[3] China claims that it has developed four different military and portable lasers,. One of the hand-held models is designed to be employed against, presumably, U.S. drones.[4]
The most blatant example of China's hostility toward the United States is the dangerous, irresponsible and aggressive actions of Chinese naval and air assets in and above the South and East China Seas. There has been a pattern of such incidents dating back to at least 2001, when a Chinese fighter jet and a U.S. surveillance aircraft collided over the East China Sea, killing one of the Chinese pilots. One incident occurred in August 2014, when a Chinese fighter jet intercepted an U.S. P8 surveillance aircraft off southeastern China's coast. The Chinese jet performed a complete rollover of the U.S. aircraft, coming within 20 feet of the P8. Another close encounter occurred in May 2017, when two Chinese SU-30 fighter jets approached dangerously near an U.S. WC-130 surveillance aircraft.
China began an effort to intimidate America's Southeast Asian allies as early as 2010. One by one, regional states such as Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines were subject to similar Chinese bullying tactics. China has established a pattern of bilateral confrontation with each of these states in an attempt to isolate and thus get them to cave in to Beijing's pressure. China's ultimate objective, by employing these bullying tactics, is to diminish U.S. influence in Mainland and Archipelago Southeast Asia, forcing the American air and naval assets out of the Western Pacific. So far China has had only made limited progress toward this goal.
When China's Foreign Ministry recently challenged Indonesia's claim that the sea near the island of Nantua is within Indonesia's traditional fishing waters, anti-China sentiment in Indonesia rose to a fever pitch. Indonesia, in response to the Chinese warning, now has named a portion of the southwestern region of the South China Sea the "North Nantua Sea."
Neither does Vietnam, which disputes China's claim to the Paracel Island chain in the South China Sea, appear to be intimidated by Beijing. Hanoi boldly seized the diplomatic initiative by calling upon the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states to agree to a resolution declaring illegal any future Chinese construction of artificial islands, establishment of naval blockades and deployment of offensive weapons systems in the South China Sea.
Vietnam's resistance to Chinese military pressure is in marked contrast to how the Philippines is responding to China's power play in East Asian waters. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, fearing conflict with China, has notified the United States that Manila is considering canceling its agreement with the U.S. that permits visits by American military ships and aircraft to the archipelago country's ports and airfields. This development follows China's virtual occupation of Philippine's isle of Thitu and its nearby Subi Reef last April, when approximately 200 Chinese fishing boats flooded the area.
The most ominous display of raw Chinese military power took place during a military exercise near Taiwan in mid-February. China's Eastern Military Command dispatched ships as well as bombers and fighter aircraft through the Miyako Strait near the Japanese Ryukyu Islands, which is the egress route to the Western Pacific Ocean. Upon their return to China, the bombers circled around Taiwan. This was a clear message from Beijing to Washington and Taipei that China, which considers Taiwan to be part of China, will use military force to prevent the island from formally declaring its independence.
If there was one act that most clearly characterizes China's ill-intent towards the U.S., it was an event which took place high above the earth on the morning of January 11, 2007. It was a "Sputnik" moment that sent shock waves throughout the Pentagon's five rings and ten corridors. China successfully deployed an anti-satellite weapon, its SC-19 missile, destroying a defunct Chinese weather satellite 22,000 miles above the earth. This Chinese test was clearly a signal to the U.S. that China had the capability to knock out American surveillance and early warning satellites. China's ambitious space effort includes few cooperative programs with other nations and appears to be primarily military in nature. The Trump administration, recognizing this Chinese challenge to U.S primacy in space, established a new branch of the armed forces, the U.S. Space Force.
This pattern of offensive activities by China is not just an indicator of ill-intent against the Free World, but a sign of self-confidence by China's Communist Party and military leadership that the balance of power is irrevocably shifting in China's favor. This aggressive posture may suggest that China believes its own myths, such as that the 21st century will see China emerge as the premier world power, as foretold in Liu Ming Fu's The China Dream. [5] Other similar writings by Chinese nationalist military and civilian theorists suggest that with the applications of "lessons learned" from China's ancient history would prove effective against the U.S. One such historical record is the nine-volume set Strategic Lessons from China's Ancient Past, which covers China's "Warring States Period," (c.480-400 BC). These works are not merely doctrinal documents that sustain Beijing's ambition to overcome the Free World's military advantage; they form the blueprint of a new world order led by China.
*Dr. Lawrence A. Franklin was the Iran Desk Officer for Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld. He also served on active duty with the U.S. Army and as a Colonel in the Air Force Reserve.
[1] Deceiving The Sky: Inside Communist China's Drive for Global Supremacy" by Bill Gertz. Encounter Books: New York, 2019. P.65.
[2] Ibid P.65.
[3] Ibid PP.60-61.
[4] Ibid P.185.
[5] "The China Dream by Liu Ming FU. CN Times Books: New York, 2015. P.15.
© 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.

A Saudi initiative to stop Yemen war puts the onus for peace on Houthis
Saleh Baidhani/The Arab Weekly/March 23/2021
ADEN--Saudi Arabia announced a unilateral initiative to resolve the Yemen crisis, at a press conference held by Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan on Monday.
The Iran-backed Houthis were quick to reject the move in statements made by their spokesman, Muhammad Abdul Salam.
The new Saudi step could have a chance if it leads major world powers and the United Nations to pressure the Houthis into making real concessions for the sake of peace, experts say.
The initiative was spelt out by Prince Faisal in the presence of the official spokesman for the Saudi-led Arab Coalition, Turki Al-Maliki and the Saudi ambassador to Yemen, Muhammad Al Jaber.
The foreign minister insisted that the proposals will not come into effect before the Houthis’ go along with them. The Iran-backed militias need to accept a comprehensive ceasefire under the supervision of the United Nations, and to deposit tax and custom receipts for ships and oil derivatives entering the port of Hodeidah in the joint account at the Central Bank of Yemen in line with the Stockholm Agreement about Hodeidah. The proferred Saudi deal also includes the re-opening of Sana’a International Airport to a number of regional and international direct flights.
According to the Saudi document, agreement on these measures will be followed by the start of talks with the Yemeni rebels under the auspices of the United Nations seeking a political solution based on UN Security Council Resolution 2216, the Gulf initiative and the outcomes of the comprehensive Yemeni national dialogue.
The Saudi move came after consultations with the Biden administration and the United Nations, in the wake of the Houthis’ rejection of the US own initiative which was delivered to the Houthi negotiating team in Muscat by America’s Yemen ambassador Timothy Lenderking
Saudi diplomatic sources described the US proposals as identical to the plan put forward by the UN envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths
The sources told The Arab Weekly, “The Saudi initiative, which is in line with the American and UN plans, is an extension of international efforts to press for an end to the war in Yemen”
They pointed out that the Saudi position included “new initiatives regarding the main points of disagreement related to the port of Hodeidah, Sana’a airport and the ceasefire, which are the points that the Houthis have been raising to block UN and US initiatives. The Saudi positions are more flexible than past stances, hence putting the Houthis in a tight corner as they deprive them of the excuses they used to reject previous initiatives”.
However, the Saudis reserved the right to protect their territory, indicating the likely continuation of the war if the Houthis reject the new deal.
The Saudi move came one day after the Arab coalition launched an air strike on an assembly line for drones in Sana’a, demonstrating that after six years of war the coalition is still able to deal painful military blows to the Houthis. The Yemeni ministry of foreign affairs welcomed, Monday the Saudi initiative which, it pointed out, is in conformity the position of the Yemeni government in calling for a peaceful settlement that would alleviate the human suffering of the Yemeni people
The Yemeni foreign ministry put out a statement regretting that, “The Houthi militias met all previous initiatives with intransigence and procrastination and worked to prolong and deepen the humanitarian crisis ”
In an early indication of the Houthis’ rejection of the Saudi initiative, Houthi spokesman Muhammad Abdul Salam said in a tweet,“ Any positions or initiatives that do take notice of the fact that Yemen has been subjected to aggression and a blockade for six years and does not separate the humanitarian side from any bargaining and fails to lift the military or political blockade, is not serious nor new.”
The Arab Weekly had previously reported that the Houthis had begun, during the past few days, to lay down a list of new demands, after receiving positive responses to their initial demands. Yemeni political sources expect the rebels to start sending conflicting signals to avoid giving a definitive answer to the Saudi offer. The spokesman for the Houthi militias hinted Monday at the introduction of new conditions, as he tweeted, “At the threshold of the seventh year, we remind the countries of aggression that they must end their aggression in a comprehensive manner and lift the siege completely, and the need to separate what is a humanitarian right such as the re-opening of Sana’a airport and the port of Hodeidah in a way that is not subject to political and military blackmail”
Analysts believe that in the near future there is likely to be increased international pressures on the Houthis, after the Saudi and Yemeni governments announced their approval of the UN initiative supported by Washington and the European Union countries
The Saudi initiative to stop the war coincided with the arrival of the UN Coordinator for Humanitarian Affairs in Yemen, David Gressley, in Marib, which for months has been subjected to violent Houthi attacks aimed at taking control of the city.
The United States welcomed Monday the commitment of Saudi Arabia and the internationally recognised government of Yemen to the new ceasefire plan. All parties to the Yemen conflict should “commit seriously” to an immediate ceasefire and engage in negotiations under the auspices of the United Nations, deputy State Department spokeswoman Jalina Porter told a news briefing.

Can Erdogan solve his problems by auctioning off the Brotherhood?
Khairallah Khairallah/The Arab Weekly/March 23/2021
It is not clear if Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will succeed in the pursuit of his policy which is based on auctioning off the Muslim Brotherhood members who had sought refuge in his country and under his wings. This scepticism stems from the doubts about whether the Brotherhood is a commodity suitable for sale and barter. Such a policy could only achieve purely tactical results in the service of a Turkish president who faces many crises, each of which has its own character.
But the bigger problem faced by this man remains his untrustworthiness. Erdogan has never held on to a specific policy but rather let his outsized dreams get hold of him at a certain times, the same way that his Muslim Brotherhood roots with all their backwardness and illusions control him today. If Turkey wants to improve its relations with its Arab neighbours, especially with Egypt, and with its more immediate neighbours such as Greece and Cyprus, along with the Europeans in general and the United States in particular, then Erdogan has no choice but to follow a different approach. He must first give up his illusion. In addition, he must realise that Turkey is not a superpower and that the Ottoman Empire ended more than a century ago and that there is no way to bring it back to life.
It is difficult to guess whether the Turkish president will, before anything else, take a step towards actually shedding a mindset that is not commensurate with Turkey’s position and capabilities.
It will make it easier for him if he is able to conduct a comprehensive review of the events of the past few years in which he has involved Turkey in situations it did not need. Erdogan launched attacks in directions he should not have attacked and levelled accusations left and right, when he should have waited as was the case in the wake of the attempted coup against him in mid-July 2016.
It would have been better for him to think about the real reasons that led to the coup instead of letting loose his unbridled imagination … This is if the coup was not prepared by some of his supporters and he subsequently used it to tighten. his grip on members of the security, military and professional institutions as well as of the judiciary, that had remained outside his control.
Erdogan was able to gain short-lived successes, especially in Syria, where for ten years he pursued a wavering policy. He could have built a model of a civilised Islam that would have made any Turk proud and proved that Islam is a religion of love and tolerance, with ability to adapt to world progress.
However, the Turkish president, having carried out a domestic coup through which he transformed the Turkish regime into a presidential system tailored to his wishes, preferred to tie himself to radical Islamist movements of all kind and fully commit himself to the Muslim Brotherhood and its global offshoots, starting with “Al Qaeda” and ending with “ ISIS ”.
Erdogan played all strings and believed that he could go about realising the dream of the return of the Ottoman Empire. He rekindled all the hang-ups born of Turkey’s historical predicament as it was forced to sign restrictive treaties after the end of the First World War, after it ended up on the losing side. In 2010, he was faced with the siege of Gaza, a siege that suited both Hamas and Israel. He dispatched a ship to Gaza with the aim of breaking the blockade of the local population, after Hamas had turned the strip into an open-air prison for two million Palestinians. The result were fatalities among the crew of the Turkish ship, which was soon compelled to withdraw so dispelling any illusion that Turkey could challenge Israel.
Dozens of events can be used to illustrate the mistakes that the Turkish president has made in his attempts to play a role greater than his size and the size of his country.
But the main mistake remains a domestic error as Erdogan’s influence declined in the three major cities, Istanbul, the capital Ankara and Izmir.
It is true that he can win any general election because of the countryside and the its simple inhabitants whom he can always delude through the use of religion. It is also true that the Turkish economy has suffered a lot as a result of Erdogan’s policies, as he defied Europe with flimsy arguments, harassed peaceful countries such as Greece and insisted on the division of Cyprus and continued Turkish occupation of a part of the island.
He also insisted on going to Libya in order to turn Turkey into a major player in the Mediterranean basin. He disregarded European interests. In the end, he did what Iran, with whom he was covertly and overtly allied, had done before. He has in fact often helped Iran bypass US sanctions.
What is now forcing Erdogan to change is not only the economic situation of Turkey, but also the need to deal with a new American administration whose president, Joe Biden, does not like him. Furthermore, there is a good number of officials in the new administration with sympathies for the Kurds, who happen to be one of the Turkish president’s major concerns.
Erdogan has opened up to a receptive Egypt after he implemented part of what was requested of him in the field of the local media . There are reports that he sought to gain credence with Saudi Arabia by offering to send drones to Yemen in order to draw a line in the sand for the Houthis. Turkey may thus have played a role in thwarting the attack of the Houthis and their “Ansar Allah” group on Marib.
One can only welcome the latest steps taken by Erdogan. But only time will tell if the Turkish president, who has tried in the past few months to restore relations with Israel, will succeed in his overtures or if he is just conducting a PR campaign.
Yes, only time will tell whether Erdogan has changed and whether he can be trusted. There is no doubt that Turkey is a very important country in the region, but it still needs its neighbours. It also needs to establish a normal relationship not just with the Arabs, but also with the whole world. Much will depend on whether the new US administration is ready to believe it is dealing with a new Erdogan … or if, after all, the man cannot get rid of the impulses that have controlled his past due to his Muslim Brotherhood roots.
All these deeply-rooted and Brotherhood-connected impulses have led him to transform Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia into a mosque, once again to satisfy a populist craving that has no place in the twenty-first century among civilised countries.

De l’Accord du Caire à l’Accord de Mar Mikael à Mussolini ! A la renaissance avec Nelson Mandela
Par Abdel Hamid El Ahdab, Avocat/March 23/2021
Il vaut mieux partir cinq ans trop tôt qu’une minute trop retard.
Charles de Gaulle
Durant les dizaines d’années de leur exil en France, Raymond Eddé refusa catégoriquement de rencontrer Michel Aoun. A chaque fois que nous lui demandons d’accepter la rencontre de Michel Aoun, il nous répondait en disant : « Vous ne savez pas ce qui se passe dans les coulisses ! Cet homme est lunatique et malheur au Liban s’il arrive à la présidence de la République ! » Raymond Eddé était perspicace et savait des secrets que nous ne savions pas ! Il n’est jamais tombé dans le piège de Michel Aoun, contrairement à Saad Hariri avec qui Fouad Siniora était en désaccord sur le compromis que Hariri avait dressé, car il a fait pencher la balance des votes lors des élections présidentielles en faveur de Michel Aoun. Ce fut suite à la paralysie du pays pour une durée de trois ans par Hezbollah et Nabih Berri en raison de l’hérésie portant sur l’interprétation constitutionnelle du quorum requis pour l’élection du président de la république. C’était la première fois que Siniora se trouva en désaccord avec Hariri ! « En votant pour Michel Aoun, l’État sera sous le contrôle de Hezbollah » ne cessa de répéter Siniora, mais Hariri ne voulut pas entendre. Il s’obstina dans son idée même si la plupart des « hariristes » furent convaincu du point de vue de Siniora et finirent par ne pas voter pour Michel Aoun. D’ailleurs, Siniora a réussi, par sa sagesse, à éviter toute division au sein du parti « Haririste ». Les jours passèrent !!! Et chaque jour qui passe confirme la perspicacité de Raymond Eddé et de Fouad Siniora d’une part et la naïveté de Saad Hariri quant au piège que lui a tendu Gibran Bassil d’autre part. L’opposition entre Fouad Chéhab et Michel Aoun met dos à dos un homme qui lutte contre l’effondrement d’une civilisation et un individu qui se moque que la civilisation disparaisse pourvu qu’il puisse vivre dans ses ruines à la façon d’un satrape. Le premier donne sa vie pour sauver le Liban ; le second donne le Liban pour sauver sa vie. L’un veut un Liban fort, grand et puissant, à même d’inspirer le monde arabe ; l’autre le veut faible, petit et impuissant, dirigé par le monde arabe et l’Iran. Le chef de l’État ne se sert pas de l’État mais il le sert, car il est lui-même un instrument au service de la volonté populaire. Le fin mot de la République est donc la consultation électorale qui permet de savoir ce que veut le peuple. Dans cette configuration, l’objectif du chef de l’Etat n’est pas de tout faire pour être élu ou réélu, mais de proposer un contrat social qu’il est le seul à pouvoir rompre.
C’est la raison pour laquelle l’État et ses institutions commencèrent à se désintégrer après l’élection de Michel Aoun :
1- Le contrôle précédant et suivant les adjudications et les contrats administratifs fut aboli (des pouvoirs furent abolis, et le Conseil de la fonction publique, la Cour des comptes, l’Inspection centrale, le Comité de contrôle des adjudications, etc. opèrent mais inefficacement). Saad Hariri recule et Gibran Bassil avance. Les marchés sont dorénavant conclus de gré à gré sans aucun contrôle, la fraude est devenue la règle et le gaspillage des fonds s’aggrave.
2- Le contrôle précédant sur les désignations dans les fonctions publiques fut aboli. Ainsi, chaque ministre « Aouniste » désigne des milliers de ses partisans qui ne sont ni qualifiés et qui n’ont absolument aucune fonction à remplir dans son ministère alors qu’ils sont payés ! Ces nouveaux fonctionnaires n’aillent même plus au travail.
3- Il existe maintenant deux pouvoirs judiciaires : un pouvoir judiciaire « politique » désigné par la classe gouvernante et un pouvoir judiciaire « judiciaire » dépourvu de tout pouvoir subdivisé entre Souhail Abboud et Ghada Aoun.
Le nombre des magistrats qui ont démissionné a augmenté, encore plus celui de ceux qui ont demandé d’être mis en disponibilité. L’amère vérité c’est qu’il ne reste que la forme extérieure du pouvoir judiciaire. Le pouvoir judicaire, jadis connu pour son professionnalisme, est devenu le pouvoir judiciaire de Mihdawi en Iraq.
4- Les ministres « Aounistes » se sont emparés du Ministère de l’énergie sous le leadership de Gibran Bassil. Les dettes se sont accumulées en raison du fuel frelaté, des équipements en panne et des adjudications non soumises à quelconque contrôle, avec des intérêts qui s’élèvent à 65 milliards de dollars – et je réitère milliards de dollars – sans qu’il y ait pour autant une alimentation en courant électrique. Nous serons très prochainement plongés dans l’obscurité totale, une réalité que le ministre « Aouniste » ne trouve pas étrange, déclarant que nos ancêtres n’avaient pas d’électricité !! Il serait mieux pour Gibran Bassil et ses ministres aounistes qui se sont succédés depuis 15 ans comme ministres de l’énergie de ne pas dire que ceci renforcera er préservera les droits des chrétiens et permettra au président de restituer les pouvoirs qui lui étaient accordés avant l’Accord de Taif !!! Pourquoi alors toutes ces manières ? C’est vraiment le règne fort !!! Et Saad Hariri ne cesse de s’affaiblir devant ce règne fort lors des sessions du Conseil des Ministres.
5- Du secteur de l’énergie nous passons à celui des télécommunications et au loyer des immeubles dont la valeur excède celle des immeubles en leur totalité alors que le Ministre et le président de la Chambre de commerce, un des adhérents les plus proches de Saad Hariri, réside la plupart du temps à Beit El Wasat pour assurer les services !
6- Faut-il énumérer encore plus ? L’ingénierie financière orchestrée par le Gouverneur de la Banque Centrale afin que tous les projets passent inaperçus alors que selon la publicité publiée dans les journaux, il est « élu le premier et meilleur gouverneur d’une banque centrale au monde » ! L’intérêt a atteint 15% sur les dépôts, attirant ainsi les fonds des émigrés et des résidents.
Les Mille et Une nuits…
Saad Hariri s’est réveillé trouvant les caisses de l’État toutes vides, l’économie en chute libre et Hezbollah mettant la main sur l’État et ses institutions !
Fouad Chéhab avait une fois dit à Béchara El-Khoury que l’armée est faite pour protéger les frontières non pour se retourner contre ses citoyens et réprimer les manifestants. Joseph Aoun l’avait aussi dit d’une façon indirecte mais le plus important c’est que son message soit compris !!
Ainsi commença, pour la première fois de son histoire, le siège du Liban par tous les États, arabes et occidentaux. L’État est devenu un État iranien en raison du contrôle total de Hezbollah, un parti qui, par sa formation, suit « Wilayat Al-Faqih » ! À noter que « Wilayat Al-Faqih » est une théorie émanant d’un mouvement d’hommes religieux chiites qui furent exclus par l’Uléma iraquien, qui n’a jamais cédé à l’Iran, Ayatollah Al-Sistani ! Le Liban a choisi le règne des milices, et non celui de l’armée libanaise, et Hezbollah est devenu le parti qui le gouverne. Les fonds, les ordres et les armes commencèrent à affluer de l’Iran transformant le Liban en un marécage iranien ! Jadis, l’Iran était un pays de civilisation et de culture avant le Chah mais hélas, il est devenu après le Chah le pays des hommes religieux fanatiques et arriérés où « Wilayat Al-Faqih » reflète l’époque préislamique chiite ! L’Iran sous le règne de Mohammad Mousaddak et Al-Kachani était une démocratie riche où le patriotisme régnait. Mais les mafias américaines à ce temps-là ont exploité le Chah d’Iran pour perpétrer un coup d’État militaire renversant Mohammad Mousaddak et Al-Kachani. Le Chah s’est transformé en un outil défendant les intérêts américains et tyrannisant son peuple. Les partisans de « Wilayat Al-Faqih » prirent le pouvoir afin de bâtir un empire qui possède des armes nucléaires mais qui appauvrit le peuple iranien !! C’est à partir de ce moment que le conflit entre les États occidentaux et l’Iran nucléaire commença. Israël fut l’instigateur de ce conflit car la présence d’armes nucléaires menace son existence même. Mais voilà qu’avec une mentalité américaine stupide, un compromis fut atteint de 1+5= arrêt du développement des armes nucléaires, levée de l’embargo et des sanctions sur l’Iran ! Au lieu de dépenser les fonds libérés sur le peuple iranien appauvri, l’Iran les investit dans le développement de l’énergie nucléaire et ce jusqu’à l’arrivée de « Trump le chiite » qui mit fin à ce compromis et rétabli les sanctions contre l’Iran ! Ce dernier enrichi l’uranium et essaie d’accroître son influence dans la région pour raviver l’empire perse !
Ce fut un pêle-mêle général avec un conflit de forces et d’intérêts. Mais « Wilayat Al-Faqih » n’abandonnera pas son programme nucléaire, l’outil de son influence dans la région, et Israël ne déviera pas de son plan car les armes nucléaires iraniens constituent un danger sérieux pour son existence et pour toute la région !!! D’où la normalisation des relations entre Israël et la grande majorité des pays arabes qui font face aux dangers des armes nucléaires et de « Wilayat Al-Faqih ».
Les Mullahs pénétrèrent en Iraq et en Syrie par la dictature de « Wilayat Al-Faqih » et étendirent leur influence et leur contrôle jusqu’à ce que les peuples prirent conscience de ceci. Le patriotisme du peuple irakien prévalut sur son chiisme du « Wilayat Al-Faqih » et la Russie a reconsidéré ses alliances avec l’Iran ce qui se reflètera sur la Syrie !
Lors de la Guerre Froide, le monde était divisé entre l’Occident qui met la liberté avant la justice et les gauchistes internationaux qui mettent la justice avant la liberté. Quant au tiers monde, plus particulièrement de nos jours, il ne se soucie ni de la liberté ni de la justice, comme c’est le cas en Iran.
Toutes les secousses affectant « Wilayat Al-Faqih » ne changeront rien car Israël bénéficie de l’appui des États-Unis et ne sous-estimera pas le danger provenant des armes nucléaires iraniennes et menaçant son existence. Ces concepts sont étroitement liés. L’Iran de nos jours n’est pas celui de Mohammad Mousaddak et Al-Kachani pour qu’il prospère et fasse régner la liberté, il est malheureusement « Wilayat Al-Faqih » !
La guerre frappe à ses portes sans doute !
La carte de la région change… l’Arabie Saoudite, sous le règne du Prince Royal, commence à sortir du retard dont elle souffre au niveau religieux mais, d’autre part, conserve sa dictature, un fait reflété par l’assassinat de Jamal Khashoggi. Ces deux extrêmes ne peuvent pas coexister. C’est ou bien l’enfer ou bien le paradis, mais impossible d’avoir les deux en même temps.
Qu’en est-il du Liban ?
Le Liban est tombé dans le gouffre ! Les barrages routiers ne servent à rien, même si la famine et le chaos sont à nos portes. La solution réside dans le changement. Au lieu de couper les rues, oh révolutionnaires, attaquez les maisons des politiciens qui ont volé vos fonds et récupérez-les. C’est dans leurs coffres que vous trouverez ces fonds pillés et c’est dans leurs maisons que « Wilayat Al-Faqih » a niché vous gouvernant caché derrière Michel Aoun et Gibran Bassil… Renversez « Wilayat Al-Faqih » pour que le Liban regagne sa beauté d’autrefois ; la majorité des chiites sont avec vous, le patriotisme avant le confessionnalisme, le patriotisme avant « Wilayat Al-Faqih ». L’Iraq a déjà passé par là et il est un modèle à suivre. Le peuple irakien a été plus fort que les milices de « Wilayat Al-Faqih » ; preuve en est la révolte du patriotisme irakien contre le confessionnalisme de « Wilayat Al-Faqih » ces derniers mois.
Le Liban n’est pas une serpillière comme Michel Aoun l’a rendu. Le Liban est le pays de la culture, de la liberté et de la civilisation. Ceci a été clairement reflété lors de la visite que le Président de la République française, M. Emmanuel Macron, a rendu à Fairuz après l’explosion du 4 août 2020. M. Macron a visité maints États mais n’a jamais consacré du temps pour rendre visite à une chanteuse. Le Liban est le pays de Fairuz et Fairuz est le Liban.
Aujourd’hui aussi, nous avons un Mussolini, le même Mussolini qui écrasa son peuple. Mais le patriotisme italien était vainqueur et Mussolini fut pendu la tête en bas ! Après Mussolini, le monde fut le témoin d’un homme qui a fait régner la paix dans l’Afrique du Sud après avoir longuement lutter contre le système politique institutionnel de ségrégation raciale (Apartheid), ce fut Nelson Mandela ! Et le Patriarche Al-Rai est le Nelson Mandela du Liban ! C’est avec lui que le Liban reprendra sa liberté et sa souveraineté et c’est lui qui lèvera l’embargo imposé sur le Liban lui permettant ainsi de retrouver sa gloire passée.
Le règne « fort » peut emprisonner les libanais mais il ne pourra jamais emprisonner leurs rêves. L’avenir n’est pas une fatalité ou une chose jugée ; il dépend de l’effort déployé par l’être humain, de manière individuelle ou collective. En d’autres termes, il dépend de sa perception et de son comportement. Aucun progrès n’est certain et aucun retard n’est imposé. Cela n’échappe pas au contrôle de l’être humain et ne le limite pas d’une manière restrictive.