English LCCC Newsbulletin For
Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For September 24/2020
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
The Bulletin's Link on the
lccc Site
http://data.eliasbejjaninews.com/eliasnews21/english.september24.21.htm
News
Bulletin Achieves Since 2006
Click Here to enter the LCCC Arabic/English news bulletins Achieves since 2006
Bible Quotations For today
‘Truly I tell you,
there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or
children or fields, for my sake and for the sake of the good news, who will not
receive a hundredfold now in this age houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and
children, and fields, with persecutions and in the age to come eternal life.
Saint Mark 10/28-31/:”Peter began to say to Jesus, ‘Look,
we have left everything and followed you.’Jesus said, ‘Truly I tell you, there
is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or
children or fields, for my sake and for the sake of the good news, who will not
receive a hundredfold now in this age houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and
children, and fields, with persecutions and in the age to come eternal life.
Titles For The Latest English LCCC
Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on
September 23-24/2021
Health Ministry: 602 new Corona cases, 7 deaths
Lebanon, Israel maritime border row reignites
Aoun to deliver Lebanon’s speech at UN General Assembly tomorrow, receives
Interior Minister and chairs meeting for Lebanese delegation negotiating
maritime borders
Aoun Meets Lebanese Sea Border Negotiations Team
Report: Elections in March, Expats Won't Vote or Have Seats
Miqati Travels to Paris to Meet with Macron
Report: Sakr Regularly Sold Ammonium Nitrate to Several Quarries
'People Have Lost Hope': Lebanon's Only Suicide Hotline Inundated
Berri discusses general situation with Czech ambassador, sends condolences cable
to Algerian President over passing of Bensalah
Statement by UN Deputy Special Coordinator for Lebanon on provision of fuel to
maintain critical health and WASH services
UN’s Wronecka says swift investigation into Beirut port explosion benchmark for
independent judiciary
Bou Habib meets US ambassador
Mawlawi meets British Ambassador, cables Saudi counterpart marking KSA National
Day
Army Chief bound for Turkey
Public Works Minister: Swift solutions to transport sector underway
Finance minister meets UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon, French delegation
Remarks by WHO Representative in Lebanon at WHO’s press briefing on Lebanon and
Afghanistan
Souvent il suffit d'un homme/Jean-Marie Kassab/September 23/2021
Often it only takes one man./Jean-Marie Kassab/September 23/2021
Lebanon at risk of complete blackout by September-end: State power firm/Najia
Houssari/Arab News/September 23/2021
Titles For The Latest English LCCC
Miscellaneous Reports And News published on
September 23-24/2021
Democrats remove military aid to Israel from US funding bill
Taliban Face Uphill Battle in Efforts to Speak at U.N. Meeting
Saudi King Expresses Hope for the Direct Talks with Iran
Saudi king tells Iran to end militias’ support for talks to continue
Tunisia's parliament speaker urges 'peaceful struggle' against president's moves
Tunisian president strengthens ‘transitional’ powers as step towards changing
system
Cold war escalates between Dbeibah government and Tobruk parliament
Russia records another 21,438 coronavirus cases, highest daily number since
August 15
Morocco’s Akhannouch announces ‘cohesive’ government coalition
Hamas says no municipal elections unless general election is called
Hamas loses support base in Sudan as assets dismantled
Titles For The Latest The Latest LCCC
English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on
September 23-24/2021
Unfriending Pakistan ...A reconsideration of the relationship is long
overdue/Clifford D. May/The Washington Times/September 23/2021
Iran Joining the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation/Bradley Bowman/Ryan Brobst/Zane
Zovak/FDD-Policy Brief//September 23/2021
The Squalid "Squad" Is Trying to Destroy Bipartisan Support for Israel/Alan M.
Dershowitz/September 23/2021
We May Have Left Afghanistan, Mr. President, But We Are Still at War/Pete
Hoekstra/Gatestone Institute/September 23/2021
How U.S. Failure in Afghanistan Validates the Koran’s Jihadist Teachings/Raymond
Ibrahim/September 23/2021
World must act urgently to deny Iran a nuclear weapon/Dr. Majid Rafizadeh /Arab
News/September 23/2021
AUKUS deal could strengthen Iran’s nuclear ambitions/Dnyanesh Kamat/The Arab
Weekly/September 23/2021
The Latest English LCCC Lebanese &
Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on September 23-24/2021
Health Ministry: 602 new Corona cases, 7 deaths
NNA/September 23/202
In its daily report on the COVID-19 developments, the Ministry of Public Health
announced on Thursday the registration of 602 new Coronavirus infections, which
raised the cumulative number of confirmed cases to-date to 620,552. The report
added that 7 deaths were recorded during the past 24 hours.
Lebanon, Israel maritime border row reignites
AFP/The Arab Weekly/September 23/2021
BEIRUT--The dispute over the maritime border demarcation between Lebanon and
Israel returned to the fore after the Israelis signed contracts with the US
company Halliburton to explore for gas in areas which Beirut said are still a
matter of dispute. Lebanon and Israel are at odds over the delineation of their
territorial waters in the Mediterranean and negotiations between the old foes
could lead to Lebanon being able to unlock valuable gas reserves amid its
worst-ever financial crisis. “We will not back down on this issue or give up on
Lebanese rights,” Prime Minister Najib Mikati said.
On Tuesday, Lebanese President Michel Aoun discussed with Mikati and Minister of
Foreign Affairs Abdalah Bouhabib developments stemming from Israel commissioning
the US company to provide evaluation services for exploration of gas and oil
fields in the disputed area. The meeting was devoted to discussing the
significance of the Israeli move and the measures that Lebanon will take in
conjunction with the protest it has made to the United Nations.
Amal Mudallali, Lebanon’s representative to the UN, had submitted a letter to
both UN Secretary-General Antonio asking the UN Security Council to “ensure that
the drilling evaluation works are not located in a disputed area between Lebanon
and Israel, in order to avoid any attack on Lebanon’s rights and
sovereignty.”The letter also called on the UN to “prevent any future drilling in
the disputed areas and to avoid steps that may pose a threat to international
peace and security.”Israel had awarded Halliburton a contract to carry out
evaluations towards oil and gas exploration in the disputed areas with Lebanon.
This will involve drilling between three and five wells.
The head of the Progressive Socialist Party, Walid Jumblatt, said in a Tweet
that Israel’s decision to award Halliburton a contract to drill oil wells in the
disputed area “means burying the last inch of Lebanon’s sovereignty over its
wealth and capabilities.”Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri announced at the
beginning of last October a framework agreement on the maritime border in
southern Lebanon under the auspices of the United Nations and with a US
mediation to help overcome the demarcation row with Israel. Berri said, “the
Israeli entity’s undertaking commissions and concluding offshore exploration
contracts for Halliburton or other companies in the disputed area at sea
represents a violation, or even a blow to the framework agreement sponsored by
the United States of America and the United Nations. The first round of indirect
negotiations was launched on October 14. The disputed area covered about 860
square kilometres. The second round of negotiations was held on the October 28,
followed by a third round on October 29 and a fourth round on November 11. A
team of military and civilian technicians conducted studies that showed that
Lebanon’s rights extended beyond the 860 square kilometres to about 2,290
kilometres. The fifth round was held last May, during which the Lebanese
negotiating team insisted on the country’s right to its maritime borders in
accordance with the law of the sea.
Lebanon and Israel are at odds over the demarcation of territorial waters in the
Mediterranean and negotiations could open the door for Lebanon to huge gas
reserves amid the worst financial crisis in its history. Israel began a gas
exploration campaign in the eastern Mediterranean about twelve years ago, after
discovering two considerable gas fields. Other fields have been discovered in
Egypt and Cyprus and companies are now drilling in Lebanese waters as well. This
led to years of mutual tensions, as officials from both countries pledged to
protect their resources and warned against any breaches. The issue of the
demarcation of the maritime borders is one of the reasons for the continued
state of war between Lebanon and Israel, especially in areas four and nine,
which Beirut says are within its exclusive territorial waters. One of the areas
where Lebanon is drilling is Block No. 9, which is adjacent to an Israeli marine
area and includes disputed areas. The row also concerns two Lebanese regions
that have not yet been licensed. Lebanon insists on controlling the entire area
of Block 9, while Israel asserts that any legal demarcation of the maritime
borders between the two countries will allow it to share the gas resources in
that block.
The two countries have competing claims over three potential gas fields in the
Mediterranean, believed to contain a significant volume of gas. The United
States is trying to bring them together to find common ground on development
contracts.
Aoun to deliver Lebanon’s speech at UN General Assembly tomorrow, receives
Interior Minister and chairs meeting for Lebanese delegation negotiating
maritime borders
NNA/September 23/202
President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun, delivers Lebanon speech at the
United Nations General Assembly, tomorrow at 4:00pm. The conference will convene
at New York, in which the President will address Lebanon’s stance on local and
regional developments, in addition to Lebanese constants. President Aoun will
address the speech via video technology, from his office at the Presidential
Palace.
Interior Minister:
The President met Interior Minister, Judge Bassam Mawlawi, today at the
Presidential Palace, and tackled with him the security situation in light of
recent reports. The Interior Ministry’s preparations for parliamentary
elections, were also discussed in the meeting.
Statement:
After the meeting, the Interior Minister made the following statement:
“I was honored to meet His Excellency, the President, today. I thanked the
President for his trust and I briefed him about the security situation,
especially what happened on Saturday in what was revealed about nitrates, how
the truck was discovered, how to analyze the taken samples and the progress of
judicial investigations, in accordance with the law and regulations.
We also deliberated the ongoing preparations to complete elections on time, in a
stable security environment, starting with the preparation of decrees to the
formation of the election supervisory body, to other logistical preparations,
leading to good and sound elections.
We will brief his Excellency, as well as the media, about all news related to
the security situation, our ministry, or the elections”.
Questions & Answers:
Question: Are there any amendments to the proposed date for holding the
elections, amid talks about holding the elections next March?
Answer: “If elections will be held in March, a legal amendment must be issued
because this is related to deadlines. I have no objections to conducting
elections in March in accordance with the law. The parliament’s mandate ends on
May 21, and we have committed, in the ministerial policy statement, to hold
elections before this date. Lists of delisting and voter lists are frozen
according to the law on March 30. The deadline for their publication and
correction occurs between February 10 and March 10. In the event that laws
remain as they are, it may not be possible to hold elections before March 30,
but in the event of legislative intervention to amend some articles and
deadlines, this is a matter related to the parliament, as the Interior Ministry
implements the law and doesn’t issue laws”.
Question: What about the share of expatriates in the voting for expatriate
representatives?
Answer: “There is a committee, according to the law, formed by the ministries of
Interior and Foreign Affairs to discuss this issue. If what is meant is about
the additional six MPs, then we are proceeding with the issue according to what
the law stipulates in terms of implementing this matter in the upcoming
elections. Any other legislative intervention is up to the parliament”.
Question: Will you adopt the magnetic card?
Answer: “If there is an intention to launch this card, and if the government
proceeds with it, we welcome that. This will speed up the counting process, and
we are currently conducting an assessment of the cost of the elections to be
presented to concerned parties to find out how to secure them. I had started my
preparations before the government gained confidence, and soon I will have a
clear plan to secure the matter from logistical points of view and present it to
His Excellency the President, and the cabinet”.
Question: Most gas stations are closed. Why is there no security coordination to
open these stations to the public?
Answer: “Yesterday, I spoke to the Energy Minister, who had sent me a request to
security forces to support the ministry to inspect stations and stockpiles.
Today we will deal with this matter”.
Maritime Border Negotiation Team:
The President chaired a meeting for thedelegation of indirect negotiations to
demarcate southern maritime borders.
The delegation included head of the delegation, Brigadier General Pilot Bassam
Yassin, members: Colonel, Mazen Basbous, and Engineer Wissam Shbat.
The delegation presented a report containing the stages of the negotiations from
its inception to date, and an integrated strategy for the next stage in a way
which guarantees Lebanon’s supreme interest in preserving its rights to its
wealth in the exclusive economic zone.
Former Minister Nehme:
President Aoun met former Economy and Trade Minister, Raoul Nehme.
Nehme thanked the President for the support during his ministerial work, and
wished success for the new government, hoping that it would succeed in facing
internal and external difficulties.
Congratulations to the Saudi King:The President sent a congratulation cable to
the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, on
the occasion of the unification of KSA.
Text: “On this occasion, I cannot but recall the ties of brotherhood which unite
us, since the time of the late founder King Abdul Aziz Al Saud, for whom Lebanon
maintains a prominent position, and who laid the foundations of convergence on
the values of goodness and originality which your brotherly Kingdom continues to
follow towards our homeland and people. As I benefit from this occasion to
congratulate your Majesty, I pray for your continued health and wellness in
leading your brotherly kingdom on the paths of progress and determination, and
for God Almighty to preserve it, granting its children contentment, and crowning
your efforts in consolidating the bonds of Arab solidarity. A solidarity which
we need today to face various challenges which afflict our region, and the
world. May God Almighty preserve your days with his blessings, and keeping all
the hardships away from your brotherly country”. -- Presidency Press Office
Aoun Meets Lebanese Sea Border Negotiations Team
Naharnet/September 23/2021
President Michel Aoun on Thursday met with the Lebanese delegation that recently
held indirect sea border negotiations with Israel. The National News Agency said
the meeting was dedicated to “evaluating the course of the negotiations and the
next steps after Israel signed evaluation contracts for gas and oil excavation
in the disputed area, especially that this step contradicts with the
negotiations course.” Also during the meeting, the President handed the
delegation a report containing “the phases of the negotiations since their
inception and a complete strategy for the coming period in a manner that
guarantees Lebanon’s higher interest in preserving its right to its resources in
the Exclusive Economic Zone,” NNA added.
Report: Elections in March, Expats Won't Vote or
Have Seats
Naharnet/September 23/2021
The rules according to which the parliamentary elections will be held in spring
have been specified, “credible sources” told al-Joumhouria newspaper. “The
parliamentary committee tasked with studying the file has agreed on a host of
essential points,” the sources said in remarks published Thursday.
According to the sources, the elections will be held according to the current
law, which divides Lebanon into 15 electoral districts, while applying
proportional representation in some electorates and allowing one preferential
vote. The date of the elections will meanwhile be brought forward from May 8 to
March 27 so that does not fall in the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. “Expat
voting will not take place for logistic and financial reasons and the article
stipulating the creation of six parliamentary seats for expats will be
scrapped,” the sources said. As for the magnetic card stipulated by the current
electoral law, it has been decided to refer its issue to the government,
although most MPs believe that it will be impossible to produce the cards before
the elections, the sources added. A legislative session will meanwhile be held
in the coming weeks to introduce amendments to the current law, especially as to
scrapping expat voting and expat seats and the issue of magnetic cards and
mega-centers. The Free Patriotic Movement is meanwhile opposed to calling off
expat voting, while the parliamentary committee has failed to agree on axing the
current electoral law and introducing a new one based on proportional
representation with entire Lebanon turned into a single district, the daily
said.
Miqati Travels to Paris to Meet with Macron
Naharnet/September 23/2021
Prime Minister Najib Miqati traveled Thursday to Paris for talks with French
President Emmanuel Macron. Political sources expected positive outcomes from
Miqati's visit to France, as “it could pave the way for more visits to Europe
and to Arab countries.”The Paris meeting could be the “French gate” to
international support to Lebanon, the sources said. They revealed to the PSP's
al-Anbaa newspaper that Miqati will talk with Macron about unblocking $11
billion that were pledged to Lebanon at CEDRE conference in Paris in 2018.
Miqati and Macron will also talk about the aid fund that was recently raised in
the international conferences in support of Lebanon and how the European
countries can contribute. The talks will also tackle the required reforms that
the government intends to achieve and reviving negotiations with the
International Monetary Fund.
Report: Sakr Regularly Sold Ammonium Nitrate to Several Quarries
Naharnet/September 23/2021
The owner of the Bekaa ammonium nitrate truck, Saadallah al-Solh, admitted,
after being arrested on Tuesday by the army in Faraya, that he had bought the
nitrates from Maroun al-Sakr, the brother of fugitive pro-Lebanese Forces
businessman Ibrahim al-Sakr, media reports said on Thursday.
“This was not the first purchase,” al-Akhbar newspaper quoted Solh as telling
interrogators. Solh added that Sakr has been selling nitrates to quarries and
stone crushing plants. He added that Sakr was smuggling the nitrates to Lebanon
“inside containers shipping agricultural fertilizers.”
Two hypotheses had been previously proposed concerning the source of the
nitrates -- either they were smuggled from Syria or they were stolen from the
port of Beirut, al-Akhbar newspaper said. The newspaper added that chemical
experts have analyzed the nitrates and concluded that the purity and density of
the seized nitrates were completely different from those in the exploded
Warehouse 12 at the Port of Beirut. The experts also mentioned that the nitrates
seized in Baalbek are “recent compared to the nitrates that were at the port.”
'People Have Lost Hope': Lebanon's Only Suicide Hotline Inundated
Agence France Presse/September 23/2021
The phones at Lebanon's only suicide hotline hardly ever stop ringing as people
grow more and more desperate in the face of a financial downturn that has
spurred a mental health crisis. In one call, a father says he is thinking of
taking his own life because he is unable to feed his children, and in another, a
man recently made homeless says he has lost all hope. There are dozens of such
calls every day, and around 1,100 a month, in a nation that has seen an exodus
of healthcare specialists and shortages of drugs to treat anxiety, depression
and psychosis. The number of people phoning in has more than doubled since last
year, and is expected to continue to grow in the coming months as hopes dim for
a battered population pushed to the brink by a seemingly endless succession of
woes. One morning this month, "we woke up at 5:30 am to a call from a
31-year-old who is homeless" and feeling suicidal on Beirut's east-west flyover,
said Mia Atoui, the co-founder and vice president of Embrace, the NGO that runs
the hotline. Before that, the organization got a call from a dad living in
Lebanon's Bekaa Valley who was feeling suicidal because he had four kids he
could no longer afford to feed, she added.
"We are receiving similar calls every day... the crisis has worsened
enormously." Atoui said higher demand had prompted the organization to extend
hotline operations to 21 hours a day, up from 17, with the aim of reaching 24
hours in the coming months. A free therapy clinic run by the organization is
fully booked until October, with more than 100 people on the waiting list. The
number of children phoning in has also risen, with people under the age of 18
accounting for 15 percent of callers in July, up from less than 10 percent in
previous months."A lot of people have lost hope," Atoui said.
Epidemic of loneliness
Since the start of the country's financial crisis in 2019, the triggers for
emotional distress have kept piling up, with the coronavirus pandemic and a
monster blast at the Beirut port last year stretching a nation's psyche to its
limit. The past four months have seen Lebanon land on even tougher times, with
dwindling foreign currency reserves sparking shortages of key imports including
fuel, medicine and bread amid around-the-clock power cuts. With hospitals going
out of service and schools at risk of closing down, Lebanese have fled the
country en masse, leading to an epidemic of loneliness on top of the misery that
now plagues daily life. Fadi Maalouf, the head of the psychiatry department at
the prestigious American University of Beirut Medical Centre, said he has seen
an upsurge in the load of patients coming in for treatment. "We are definitely
seeing more anxiety and depression, but also more advanced conditions," he said.
The situation, Maalouf said, had been worsened by a dual dilemma. The bulk of
mental health specialists have left, leaving patients struggling to find expert
help, while shortages of antidepressants, mood stabilizers, and anti-anxiety
medication have interrupted treatment for many.
"We saw patients who cut down on their treatment so that the supply they have
would last longer, and they came to us in our outpatient clinic with a worsening
of their condition," Maalouf said. "We even saw patients who decided to stop
their treatment and they become more severely depressed, even suicidal, and they
ended up in our emergency room," he added."These are all patients who were
previously stable." 'Psychological first-aid' With demand on the rise, clinical
psychologist Nanar Iknadiossian is struggling to keep up. The 29-year-old works
for 13 hours a day in back-to-back sessions and still receives new referrals she
is unable to take on. The pace at which the crisis is worsening requires "very
quick solution-focused approaches" to therapy, she told AFP. "It's like
psychological first aid... we are just doing damage control." But with Lebanon's
economic crisis causing poverty rates to climb to cover nearly 80 percent of the
population, many cannot afford food, let alone expert help. "Last month, we
received a call from a widowed mother who has three kids she can't afford to
feed," said Magalie Eid, a 23-year-old volunteer operator at Embrace.
"She was lost."Boushra, a 26-year-old volunteer operator who asked to be
identified by only her first name over privacy concerns, said her job now feels
like "mission impossible"."We are supposed to give hope in a country where hope
does not exist."
Berri discusses general situation with Czech ambassador,
sends condolences cable to Algerian President over passing of Bensalah
NNA/September 23/202
House Speaker, Nabih Berri, on Thursday welcomed at the Second Presidency in Ain
El-Tineh, the Czech Ambassador to Lebanon, Jiri Dolezel, with whom he discussed
the current general situation and the bilateral relations between the two
countries. Speaker Berri also met with the Board Chairman and General Manager of
the Lebanese Tobacco and Tunbac Monopoly Department (Regie), Nassif Seklaoui, on
top of a delegation, who briefed the Speaker on the efforts and projects
undertaken by the “Regie” amid the current circumstances. Berri also received
the Grand Mufti Al-Jaafari, Sheikh Ahmed Qabalan, and Dr. Ali Qabalan, with
talks touching on the current general situation. On the other hand, Berri cabled
the President of the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, Abdelmadjid
Tebboune, expressing his deepest condolences on the passing of former Algerian
President Abdelkader Bensalah. Berri also sent a similar condolences cable to
the Speaker of the Algerian National People’s Assembly, Ibrahim Bougali.
Statement by UN Deputy Special Coordinator for Lebanon on provision of fuel to
maintain critical health and WASH services
UNIC /September 23/202
Dr Najat Rochdi, Deputy Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Resident and
Humanitarian Coordinator, is announcing the start of the delivery of fuel to
critical healthcare and water institutions across Lebanon to ensure continuous
provision of services to the most vulnerable populations affected by the energy
and fuel crisis. The severe electricity and fuel shortages which have been
affecting Lebanon over the past weeks, are impeding the provision of essential
services, including health care and water, and has resulted in tremendous
additional hardship across all populations. The fuel shortage has also posed
additional operational challenges to the humanitarian community assistingthe
country’s most vulnerable populations. “In order to mitigate additional
suffering and preventing loss of lives, I have asked the World Food Programme (WFP)
in Lebanon, as the global humanitarian lead on logistics, to develop an
emergency fuel-supply plan to maintain critical health, water and sanitation
services for the most vulnerable populations and prevent the discontinuation of
lifesaving activities implemented by humanitarian actors,” said Ms Najat Rochdi,
United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator for Lebanon.
This three-month plan, developed in collaboration with UNICEF, WHO and the NGOs
working on health and WASH issues, will provide fuel to all public hospitals,
primary health care centersand dispensaries servicing the most vulnerable
communities in the different regions in Lebanon and relied upon by an estimated
2.1 million annually. It will also provide fuel to four water establishments to
secure continuous water supply to about 2.3 million people across the country.
“The implementation of this emergency fuel supply plan will not impact existing
national fuel reserves, nor will the program interrupt future national fuel
deliveries” clarified Dr Rodchi. “All fuel will be purchased at a non-subsidized
rate and add to the existing national fuel stocks” she stressed. This is an
exceptional emergency support for a maximum duration of three months. The
responsibility to ensure uninterrupted provision of basic services remains with
the Government of Lebanon. “I call on the government to save no effort to
implement, at the earliest possible, sustainable solutions to the on-going
energy crisis and to protect the rights of families in Lebanon to access
essential services” Dr Rodchi said. This exceptional intervention is part of the
broader UN coordinated Emergency Response Plan launched in early August with a
financial ask of US$383 million, to provide critical life-saving humanitarian
assistance to most vulnerable Lebanese and migrants affected by the ongoing
crises. It complements and supports humanitarian assistance provided through
UNRWA programs as well as the Lebanon Crisis Response Plan for Syrian refugees
and their host communities. --UNIC
UN’s Wronecka says swift investigation into Beirut
port explosion benchmark for independent judiciary
NNA/September 23/202
UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Ms. Joanna Wronecka, on Thursday posted a
series of tweets: “Elections are an opportunity that should not be missed to
improve women’s representation in Parliament and in public life.”“I thank
Minister of Justice Henri Khoury for a fruitful discussion today on the role of
the judiciary and the challenges it faces. The swift investigation into the
Beirut port explosion will be benchmark for independent and effective judiciary
in Lebanon.”“I met with Defense Minister Maurice Sleem. We discussed the
importance of safeguarding Lebanon 's security and stability during this
critical period, the UN’s commitment to supporting the Lebanese Army, and its
vital importance to Resolution1701.”“With Finance Minister Youssef Khalil we
discussed today the financial and economic crisis and its painful impact on the
Lebanese people. Lebanon now needs quick steps to stabilize the situation,
institute reforms with a strong social safety net to pave the way for recovery.”
Bou Habib meets US ambassador
NNA/September 23/202
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants, Dr. Abdallah Bou Habib, on Thursday
received US Ambassador to Lebanon, Dorothy Shea, with discussions reportedly
focusing on the bilateral relations, the maritime border demarcation, support
for the Lebanese army, as well as negotiations with the International Monetary
Fund.
Mawlawi meets British Ambassador, cables Saudi counterpart marking KSA National
Day
NNA/September 23/202
Minister of Interior and Municipalities, Judge Bassam Mawlawi, on Thursday
welcomed British Ambassador to Lebanon, Ian Collard, with whom he discussed
bilateral relations between the two countries. Mawalwi also welcomed MP Sami
Fatfat and discussed with him the general situation on the domestic scene.
National Traffic Safety Council’s Secretary, Dr. Ramzi Salameh, also visited
Mawlawi and tackled with him traffic safety in Lebanon. On another level,
Mawlawi cabled his Saudi counterpart, Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Nayef bin
Abdulaziz, and KSA Ambassador to Lebanon, Walid bin Abdullah Bukhari,
congratulating both on Saudi National Day.
Army Chief bound for Turkey
NNA/September 23/202
The Lebanese Army announced on Thursday via Twitter that LAF Commander, General
Joseph Aoun, has left to the state of Turkey, at the invitation of his
counterpart, Chief of Staff of the Turkish Armed Forces, General Yasar Guler, in
order to bolster means of cooperation between the armies of the two countries.
Public Works Minister: Swift solutions to transport
sector underway
NNA/September 23/202
Minister of Public Works and Transportation, Ali Hamieh, took to Twitter on
Thursday to announce that work is underway to devise "swift" and "situational"
solutions to the public transport. "We will be working on compiling a bundle of
unimplemented projects requiring credit lines within a unified public transport
strategy. We will also work on drawing up swift and situational solutions to
this sector, such as providing buses by asking some friendly states for
donations," Minister Hamieh tweeted.
Finance minister meets UN Special Coordinator for
Lebanon, French delegation
NNA/September 23/202
Minister of Finance, Dr. Youssef Khalil, on Thursday received the United Nations
Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Joanna Wronecka, with whom he discussed
financial and economic affairs. On emerging, Wronecka described the meeting
ambiance as very fruitful. "I would like to express, as usual, the United
Nations’ support for Lebanon and affirm at the same time the importance of
implementing the financial reforms that we consider very important, as well as
the resumption of negotiations with the International Monetary Fund,” Wronecka
said. “I hope that the very ambitious reform plan will be implemented because
what is important for us is to see progress and easing the painful hardships on
the people, especially with regard to the electricity and fuel sector,” she
added. On the other hand, Minister Khalil met with a delegation from the French
Embassy, chaired by the Director of the Regional Economic Department at the
Embassy, François De Ricolfis, who congratulated him on the formation of the new
government.
Remarks by WHO Representative in Lebanon at
WHO’s press briefing on Lebanon and Afghanistan
UNIC/September 23/202
The current complex crisis has heavily impacted the health system in Lebanon,
decreasing availability, affordability, accessibility and quality of health care
in general, and threatening the sustainability and resilience of the health
system.
Due to the severe financial and fuel crisis, most hospitals are currently
operating at 50% capacity; only lifesaving hospital interventions are being
prioritized. Primary health care centres are rationing fuel consumption by
reducing opening hours, and more than 600 private pharmacies are temporarily
closed.
It is estimated that around 15–17% out of 20 000 registered nurses have left the
country over the past 12 months, while more than 1000 have been laid off. Around
40% of medical doctors (mainly specialists) have permanently emigrated or are
working on a part-time basis outside of the country. It is estimated that the
Ministry of Public Health will need to cover health care for at least 70% of the
population (compared to 48% prior to the current crisis) as unemployment and
poverty are rising. The Government's fiscal and financial situation has resulted
in unpaid bills to both private and public health sectors, threatening the
sustainability of health services, and increasing health financial hardship on
vulnerable populations. WHO will continue to support the Ministry of Public
Health and people of Lebanon by:
1. Filling acute gaps in medications: more than 550 000 patients are receiving
acute and chronic treatment.
2. Maintaining access to essential health care through its support to 12 public
hospitals with equipment, supplies, recruitment of more than 620 nursing staff,
training and reimbursement of intensive care for uninsured vulnerable
individuals, contributing towards the doubling of public sector hospitalization
capacity.
3. Bridge humanitarian support towards sustainable development, including
integration of primary health packages of care.
4. Adopt innovative approaches during the COVID-19 response where selected major
public hospitals have been twinned with private academic hospitals aiming at
improving and standardizing COVID-19 and critical care practices.
WHO remains committed to continuing our immediate, lifesaving work in Lebanon,
while also planning for longer term strategies for health. We count on the
support of all stakeholders, so that together, we can take Lebanon from its
current crisis to a future in which all Lebanese can enjoy health as a basic
human right.
Souvent il suffit d'un homme
Jean-Marie Kassab/September 23/2021
Des fois il suffit d'une seule personne, un homme ou une femme qui ait assez de
courage pour poursuivre une mission jusqu 'au bout malgré les difficultés
rencontrées ou les dangers qui menacent.
Tenez voir le juge Bitar. Il ne bénéficie d'aucun appui. Il n'a pas de parti
politique pour le soutenir ni de milice pour le protéger dans un pays où l'être
humain ne coute plus un sous. Dans un pays occupé par l'Iran, une nation qui
venère la violence. Bitar a certes l'appui celeste des 214 âmes qui le
soutiennent et particulièrement celui du petit ange denommé Alexandra Najjar ,
appui imposant et lourd de sens , mais insuffisant face aux brutes qui
gouvernent le Liban.
Le pouvoir essentiel de Bitar est sa conscience, or la conscience est la plus
importante qualité pour un juge.
Souvent il suffit d'un homme...
Often it only takes one man...
Jean-Marie Kassab/September 23/2021
Sometimes it only takes one person, a man or a woman who has enough courage to
pursue a mission to the end despite the difficulties encountered or the dangers
that threaten.
See Judge Bitar. He doesn't get any support. He has no political party to
support him or militia to protect him in a country where human beings no longer
cost a dime. In a country occupied by Iran, a nation that worships violence.
Bitar certainly has the celestial support of the 214 souls who support him and
especially that of the little angel named Alexandra Najjar, an imposing and
meaningful support, but insufficient face to the bullies who govern Lebanon.
The essential power of Bitar is his conscience, and consciousness is the most
important quality for a judge.Often it only takes one man...
Lebanon at risk of complete blackout by September-end:
State power firm
Najia Houssari/Arab News/September 23/2021
BEIRUT: Lebanon’s state electricity company EDL said on Thursday it risked a
total blackout across the country by September-end as its fuel oil reserves
dwindle. Lebanon, in the throes of one of the worst economic meltdowns of modern
history, has been plagued by worsening fuel shortages for the past few months
with most Lebanese relying on private generators for power. The company can
generate less than 500 megawatts from fuel oil it secured through a deal with
Iraq, it said in a statement. It said its reserves of both Grade A and Grade B
fuel oil had reached a critical point and had run out already for some plants
that have now stopped production.“The network already experienced total
blackouts across the country seven times and if this continues there is a high
risk of reaching total and complete blackout by end September,” the statement
said. Iraq signed an agreement in July allowing the cash-strapped Lebanese
government to pay for 1 million tons of heavy fuel oil a year in goods and
services.
FASTFACT
Lebanon, in the throes of one of the worst economic meltdowns of modern history,
has been plagued by worsening fuel shortages for the past few months with most
Lebanese relying on private generators for power. The heavy fuel oil is not
suitable for use in Lebanon, but it is exchanged in tenders for a suitable
grade. EDL held Lebanon’s central bank responsible for not securing dollars in
exchange for “the surplus of local currency accumulated in the company’s account
to generate power.” Elsewhere, Hezbollah has continued to provide fuel for
municipalities and hospitals hoping to procure Iranian diesel through the
Al-Amana company, which is under US sanctions. The administration of a hospital
in northern Lebanon denied having received fuel through Al-Amana. Meanwhile,
Prime Minister Najib Mikati headed to Paris on Thursday, his first official
visit after the formation of the government, and is expected to meet French
President Emmanuel Macron on Friday. France exerted intense pressure on Lebanese
politicians to form a government in line with the initiative launched by Macron
in the aftermath of the Beirut blast, which rocked the country last August. On
the eve of Mikati’s visit to the French capital, the International Support Group
for Lebanon welcomed the formation of the new government and the parliament’s
vote of confidence in the administration and its program.
The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News
published on September 23-24/2021
Democrats remove military aid to Israel from
US funding bill
The Arab Weekly/September 23/2021
WASHINGTON--Democratic lawmakers on Tuesday removed $1 billion in military
funding for Israel from legislation to fund the US government after objections
from liberals in the House of Representatives, but party leaders pledged to
bring the matter up again later this week. Some House Democrats objected to a
provision in a stopgap spending bill to provide the additional funding so Israel
can replenish its “Iron Dome” missile-defence system. The US company Raytheon
Technologies Corp produces many Iron Dome components. The House is debating
legislation to fund the federal government through December 3 and raise the
nation’s borrowing limit. The dispute forced the House Rules Committee to
adjourn briefly before leaders of the Appropriations Committee pledged that
funding for the Israeli system would be included in a defence spending bill
later this year. That could set the stage for another dispute over military aid
for Israel. On Tuesday evening, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said he would
bring a bill to the House floor later this week that would fully fund the
missile-defence system and he expected it to pass. “We ought to do it … it is
absolutely essential,” Hoyer said. Democratic Representative Jamaal Bowman, one
of the Democrats who had concerns about the provision, said earlier that House
members had not been given enough time to consider the matter. “The problem is
leadership (will) just throw something on our table, give us about five minutes
to decide what we’re going to do and then tries to move forward with it,” Bowman
told reporters. The United States has already provided more than $1.6 billion
for Israel to develop and build the Iron Dome system, according to a US
Congressional Research Service report last year. The funding reflects
perennially strong support for aid to Israel among both Democrats and
Republicans. Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid said in a statement that the
removal of the funding was “a technical postponement” and he had been assured by
US Democratic leaders that funds for Iron Dome would be transferred soon. Some
liberal Democrats objected to US-Israel policy this year, citing the many
Palestinian casualties after Israel struck back following Hamas rocket attacks
in May.Israel said most of the 4,350 rockets fired from Gaza during the conflict
were blown out of the sky by Iron Dome interceptors.
Taliban Face Uphill Battle in Efforts to Speak at U.N.
Meeting
Associated Press/September 23/2021
The new rulers of Afghanistan have an uphill battle in their efforts to be
recognized in time to address other world leaders at the United Nations this
year. The Taliban are challenging the credentials of the ambassador from
Afghanistan's former government and asking to speak at the General Assembly's
high-level meeting of world leaders this week, according to a letter sent to the
United Nations. The decision now rests with a U.N. committee that generally
meets in November and will issue a ruling "in due course," the General
Assembly's spokeswoman said Wednesday. U.N. officials are confronting this
dilemma just over a month after the Taliban, ejected from Afghanistan by the
United States and its allies after 9/11, swept back into power by taking over
territory with surprising speed as U.S. forces prepared to withdraw from the
country at the end of August. The Western-backed government collapsed on Aug.
15. In cases of disputes over seats at the United Nations, the General
Assembly's nine-member credentials committee must meet to make a decision.
Letters from Afghanistan's currently recognized U.N. ambassador, Ghulam Isaczai,
who represents the former government, and from Taliban Foreign Minister Ameer
Khan Muttaqi, are before the committee, assembly spokeswoman Monica Grayley
said. "Only the committee can decide when to meet," Grayley said. The
committee's members are the United States, Russia, China, Bahama, Bhutan, Chile,
Namibia, Sierra Leone and Sweden. Afghanistan is listed as the final speaker of
the ministerial meeting on Monday, Sept. 27, and if there no decision by then,
Isaczai, Afghanistan's currently recognized U.N. ambassador, will give the
address. When the Taliban last ruled from 1996 to 2001, the U.N. refused to
recognize their government and instead gave Afghanistan's seat to the previous,
warlord-dominated government of President Burhanuddin Rabbani, who was killed by
a suicide bomber in 2011. It was Rabbani's government that brought Osama bin
Laden, the mastermind of 9/11, to Afghanistan from Sudan in 1996. The Taliban
have said they want international recognition and financial help to rebuild the
war-battered country. But the makeup of the new Taliban government poses a
dilemma for the United Nations. Several of the interim ministers -- including
Muttaqi -- are on the U.N.'s so-called blacklist of international terrorists and
funders of terrorism. Credentials committee members could also use Taliban
recognition as leverage to press for a more inclusive government that guarantees
human rights, especially for girls who were barred from going to school during
their previous rule, and women who weren't able to work. The Taliban said they
were nominating a new U.N. permanent representative, Mohammad Suhail Shaheen,
the U.N. spokesman said. He has been a spokesman for the Taliban during peace
negotiations in Qatar.
Saudi King Expresses Hope for the Direct Talks with
Iran
Associated Press/September 23/2021
Saudi Arabia's monarch expressed hope Wednesday that the kingdom's direct talks
with Iran will lead to confidence building as the two bitter regional rivals
take small steps toward dialogue following several years of heightened tensions.
King Salman made the remarks in a pre-recorded speech delivered to leaders
gathered for the U.N. General Assembly. He said Iran is a neighbor of Saudi
Arabia, and that the kingdom hopes talks between the two nations can lead to
tangible results that pave the way to achieving the aspirations of the region's
people. He cautioned, though, that relations must be based on respect of
national sovereignty and the cessation of support for sectarian militias.
Relations between Sunni-ruled Saudi Arabia and Shiite-ruled Iran hit a low when
the Trump administration was exerting maximum pressure on Iran. During those
years, Iran was accused of being behind multiple attacks on energy targets in
the Persian Gulf— including a stunning strike on an Aramco refinery in 2019— and
of supporting Houthi fighters in Yemen, where the kingdom has been at war for
more than six years. In April, news emerged that the rivals had held a first
round of talks in Iraq after President Joe Biden's election. Former President
Donald Trump had pulled the U.S. out of a nuclear deal in 2018; Biden said the
U.S. wants to return to the pact, though talks have stalled. The two regional
foes met again in New York on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly,
according to Iran's semi-official Mehr news agency. The site reported Wednesday
that a meeting of foreign ministers and officials from Iran, Saudi Arabia,
Turkey, Qatar, Egypt, Kuwait, Jordan and France took place. The EU foreign
policy chief was also in attendance. The meeting was chaired by Iraq's foreign
minister. Iran's foreign minister, Hossein Amirabollahian, was quoted by Mehr as
saying the priority of Iran's new government "is to strengthen and develop
relations with its neighbors and the region." He also met with Finnish, German,
Austrian, Swiss and Croatian foreign ministers on Tuesday in New York, according
to Mehr. Newly sworn-in Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has remained in Iran
amid the ongoing pandemic. He was severely critical of American policies in his
speech delivered remotely to the U.N. gathering Tuesday, speaking shortly after
Biden's in-person remarks. King Salman reiterated Saudi concerns about Iran's
nuclear program, which Tehran insists is for peaceful energy purposes. He also
used his speech to stress Saudi Arabia's longstanding public position on
Palestinian statehood, saying that a lasting peace must guarantee an independent
Palestinian state with east Jerusalem as its capital.
He acknowledged "economic difficulties," but said despite such challenges the
kingdom remains a major donor of humanitarian aid and global efforts to combat
COVID-19 as a Group of 20 nation. The coronavirus pandemic sent oil prices
crashing last year, eating away at the kingdom's key source of revenue. Saudi
Arabia has led major oil producers in a pact to curb production to help support
oil prices.
Saudi king tells Iran to end militias’ support for talks
to continue
AP/The Arab Weekly/September 23/2021
Saudi Arabia views negotiations with Iran as essential for a solution in Yemen.
RIYADH--Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud expressed hope
Wednesday that the kingdom’s direct talks with Iran will lead to
confidence-building and tangible results that pave the way to achieving the
aspirations of the region’s people. The king, however, cautioned that relations
must be based on respect of national sovereignty and the cessation of support
for sectarian militias, in apparent reference to the Iran-backed Houthis in
Yemen. Iran and Saudi Arabia, two bitter regional rivals, have been taking small
steps toward dialogue following several years of heightened tensions. King
Salman, who described Iran as a neighbour of Saudi Arabia, made Wednesday’s
remarks in a pre-recorded speech delivered to leaders gathered for the UN
General Assembly. Riyadh views negotiations with Tehran as essential for a
solution in Yemen, a vision based on the conviction that the Houthis have so far
been intransigent to serve a broader strategy that Iran is pursuing to score
wins on different fronts, whether in its disputes with Saudi Arabia, differences
with other countries in the region or in nuclear negotiations. In this respect,
observers consider that the Kingdom has become increasingly convinced that
dialogue with Iran is the best way to resolve current crises, including the
Yemeni conflict.
Turning to the fighting in Yemen, the Saudi king said on Wednesday that the
Houthi militias keep rejecting the initiatives offered through the United
Nations to peacefully resolve the conflict. “The peace initiative in Yemen,
tabled by the Kingdom last March, sought to end the bloodshed and conflict. It
ought to put an end to the suffering of the brotherly Yemeni people,” the king
said. “Unfortunately, the terrorist Houthi militias reject peaceful solutions.
They have placed their bets on a military option to take over more territory in
Yemen,” he added. Some months ago, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin
Farhan bin Abdullah unveiled proposals to end the war in Yemen, including a
ceasefire across the country, under the supervision of the United Nations.
This plan garnered wide Arab and international support as well as being welcomed
by the United Nations. However, it was met with Houthi intransigence. Relations
between Sunni-ruled Saudi Arabia and Shia-ruled Iran hit a low when the Trump
administration was exerting maximum pressure on Iran. During those years, Iran
was accused of being behind multiple attacks on energy targets in the Arabian
Gulf, including a stunning strike on an Aramco refinery in 2019 and of
supporting Houthi militias in Yemen, where the kingdom has been at war for more
than six years.
In April, news emerged that the rivals had held a first round of talks in Iraq
after President Joe Biden’s election. Former President Donald Trump had pulled
the US out of a nuclear deal in 2018; Biden said the US wants to return to the
pact, though talks have since stalled.
The two regional foes met again in New York on the sidelines of the UN General
Assembly, according to Iran’s semi-official Mehr news agency.
The site reported Wednesday that a meeting of foreign ministers and officials
from Iran, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Qatar, Egypt, Kuwait, Jordan and France took
place. The EU foreign policy chief was also in attendance. The meeting was
chaired by Iraq’s foreign minister.
Iran’s foreign minister, Hossein Amirabollahian, was quoted by Mehr as saying
the priority of Iran’s new government “is to strengthen and develop relations
with its neighbours and the region.” He also met Finnish, German, Austrian,
Swiss and Croatian foreign ministers on Tuesday in New York, according to Mehr.
Newly sworn-in Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has remained in Iran amid the
ongoing pandemic. He was severely critical of American policies in his speech
delivered remotely to the UN gathering Tuesday, speaking shortly after Biden’s
in-person remarks. King Salman reiterated Saudi concerns over Iran’s nuclear
programme, which Tehran insists is for peaceful energy purposes. He also used
his speech to stress Saudi Arabia’s longstanding public position on Palestinian
statehood, saying that a lasting peace must guarantee an independent Palestinian
state with east Jerusalem as its capital.
He acknowledged “economic difficulties,” but said despite such challenges the
kingdom remains a major donor of humanitarian aid and global efforts to combat
COVID-19 as a Group of 20 nations. The coronavirus pandemic sent oil prices
crashing last year, eating away at the kingdom’s key source of revenue. Saudi
Arabia has led major oil producers in a pact to curb production to help support
oil prices.
Tunisia's parliament speaker urges 'peaceful struggle'
against president's moves
AFP/September 23/2021
The speaker of Tunisia's parliament Rached Ghannouchi called Thursday for
"peaceful struggle" against a return to "absolute one-man rule", a day after
President Kais Saied took steps towards rule by decree. "There is no longer any
alternative to struggle, naturally a peaceful struggle," the head of the
Islamist-inspired Ennahdha party said in an interview with AFP. Saied on
Wednesday announced decrees that strengthen the powers of his office at the
expense of the government and parliament. Ghannouchi called the moves "a step
back towards absolute one-man rule" a decade after Tunisia's 2011 revolution.
"We call on the people to take part in peaceful actions to resist dictatorship
and return Tunisia to the path of democracy," he said. The provisions come
almost two months after the president sacked the Ennahdha-supported government
of Hichem Mechichi and suspended parliament, presenting himself as the ultimate
interpreter of the constitution.
Tunisian president strengthens ‘transitional’ powers as
step towards changing system
AP/The Arab Weekly/September 23/2021
Saied’s decree eliminates the speaker of parliament’s presidential succession in
the case of a vacancy.
TUNIS--Tunisian President Kais Saied took exceptional measures on Wednesday that
strengthen his executive and legislative powers as he will rule by decree in the
absence of parliament and a prime minister.
The provisions, laid out in a series of legal texts published in the country’s
official gazette, come almost two months after his decision to invoke Article 80
of the Constitution to assume emergency powers because, as he asserted on July
25, the state faced an “imminent threat” due to political, constitutional,
economic and health crises. Under the previous system most of the executive
power was in the hands of the government. The measures announced by Saied
clearly tip the balance in favour of the presidency. Before Saied’s move, a
constitutional impasse between the president and parliament over prerogatives
had led to government paralysis. “Legislative texts will be promulgated in the
form of decrees signed by the President of the Republic,” one of the new
provisions stipulates. Another text reads that “the President shall exercise
executive power with the help of a Council of Ministers chaired by a Head of
Government”.
Saied has not yet named a prime minister despite promises to appoint one soon.
In recent weeks, he has come under growing pressure from key Tunisian political
players and Western donors to name a premier and explain how he intends to move
past the crisis. He has reshuffled several portfolios in the cabinet without
picking a new prime minister. “The President of the Republic presides over the
Council of Ministers and may mandate the Head of Government to replace him/her,”
says another. This replacement applies to short-term or long-term vacancies and
effectively establishes a new line of succession. In the case of a vacancy, the
prime minister and after him the minister of justice, will assume the office of
president. Before this decision, the successor to the president in the case of a
vacancy was parliament’s speaker.
Current speaker of parliament, Rached Ghannouchi, is the head of the Islamist
party Ennhada, which was politically sidelined after Saied’s July 25 move
suspending all parliamentary activities and lifting the legal immunity of
members of parliament. Wednesday’s decisions also ended all salaries or
privileges for MPs, effectively closing down parliament indefinitely. The leader
of Ennahda party, the biggest in the deeply-fragmented parliament and a leading
member of successive governing coalitions, immediately rejected Saied’s
announcements on Wednesday. The new decree stated that Tunisia’s president will
continue to adhere to certain articles of the constitution but not those that
conflict with the new legislative and executive provisions. The decision
prompted immediate pushback from political rivals. Some jurists said the new
decree effectively abolishes most of the articles of the 2014 constitution. The
presidency said Saied would form a committee to amend the political system, but
without offering details about the make-up of the body or its functioning. It
also comes as Tunisia negotiates with the International Monetary Fund for its
fourth bailout loan in ten years, likely to be made conditional on biting
austerity measures that would inflict further pain on ordinary Tunisians.
But the decree pointed that the reforms should aim to “establish a truly
democratic system where the people is the genuine holder of sovereignty and the
source of powers which it exercises via elected MPs or through referendums.”
“The system should be founded on the separation of powers, effective balance
between them and the consecration of the rule of law and guarantees individual
and collective rights and freedoms,” it added. Saied, a political outsider, came
to power in 2019 on a wave of public outrage against the political class widely
seen as corrupt and opportunistic. An austere legal academic, the 63-year-old
president has shown little inclination towards negotiation or dialogue with
political parties or trade unions. But his moves enjoy the support of more than
70% of the population according to a recent poll, which showed also that more
than 90% would vote for him if he ran again for president again.
Questions about the transition
While many Tunisians have welcomed his moves to strip MPs of their immunity,
some worry his powers could easily go too far, without any checks and balances
in the system. Tunisia had won praise abroad for its democratic transition but
many citizens at home felt their quality of life has seriously deteriorated in
the face of grinding economic, social and political crises, exacerbated by the
ill-management of the coronavirus pandemic. Unemployment and poverty rates
increased while economic growth rates dropped steadily compared to the situation
before 2011 when street protests toppled the regime of the late President Zine
El Abidine Ben Ali. The uncertainty is weighing on an economy already in tatters
following a decade of political unrest and stalemate. This has been exacerbated
by the coronavirus pandemic which has brought the health system to the edge of
collapse and dealt a severe blow to the vital tourism sector.
Cold war escalates between Dbeibah government and Tobruk
parliament
The Arab Weekly/September 23/2021
With the two parties in the showdown considering each other irrelevant to the
political process, it will be very difficult to reach consensus on the legal
bases for elections.
TRIPOLI--Libyan Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah pledged to bring down the
Libyan House of Representatives, hours after the lower house of parliament
announced that it had withdrawn its confidence in the government, and will, from
now-on, consider the Dbeibah-led cabinet a caretaker government.
The move escalated the political showdown between the two internationally-recognised
institutions and seemed to perpetuate the divide that has prevailed for several
years between the east and west of the country.
Dbeibah said he would “continue his efforts to save the country,” refusing to
recognise the Tobruk-based parliament’s vote of no confidence in his government.
Addressing demonstrators, he said that parliament “will fall and will not be in
this way representative of Libyans, and we will reach the elections and promise
you that they will be free and fair.”Dbeibah described the speaker and members
of the House of Representatives who voted to withdraw confidence in the
Tripoli-based government as “obstructionists, who only want war and
destruction.”
Dbeibah called on citizens from all over the country to demonstrate on Friday,
in a move that indicates that the “cold war”, or the war of political statements
and demonstrations between the two parties, will only worsen.
Parliament had backed the vote of no confidence in the Dbeibah government by a
majority of 89 votes out of 113 who attended the Tuesday session, and called on
the government to continue its work in a caretaker capacity until next
elections. The vote took place after the prime minister and some ministers
refused to appear before parliament and answer questions about the government
budget and preparations for presidential and parliamentary elections.
The dispute revolves around the laws that are supposed to govern the elections.
While the House of Representatives wants the next president to be elected
through direct popular suffrage, pro-Turkish groups and Tripoli militias want
the president to be elected by parliament, in a similar fashion to the vote that
took place during the Political Dialogue Forum in Tunisia, last June. At the
time, there were accusations levelled at Dbeibah that he tried to strike deals
to buy delegates’ votes, which forced the United Nations to complete the
dialogue sessions in Geneva.
While parliament approved the law on presidential elections, the “High Council
of State” headed by pro-Islamist Khaled al-Mishri, though only a consultative
body, has adopted an alternative electoral law. The situation may lead to the
cancellation of the election date and end the UN mandate to the government, in a
repeat of the conflict over legitimacy that pitted former premier Fayez al-Sarraj
against the House of Representatives for five years.
The parliament’s move to withdraw confidence from the government did not receive
the support of the United Nations Mission in Libya, which said, “The unity
government will remain the legitimate administration until it is replaced
through a regular process after the elections.”
It added that the House of Representatives must finalise the parliamentary
elections law next week, “and refrain from any action that would undermine the
electoral process and the country’s unity, security and stability.”
But the House of Representatives said since it had passed a confidence vote in
the government last March, it has also the right to withdraw it now.
With the two parties in the showdown considering each other irrelevant to the
political process, it will be very difficult to reach consensus on the legal
bases and mechanisms for holding elections without external pressures.
Analysts say one of the main reasons for this new showdown is that Cairo’s
efforts to settle differences did not achieve their desired results. Which puts
the United Nations mission in front of the responsibility to ensure the needed
consensus, or seek Cairo’s role, again.
On September 14, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi received Parliament
Speaker Aguila Saleh and the commander of the Libyan National Army, Field
Marshal Khalifa Haftar, in the presence of the head of the Egyptian General
Intelligence Service, Abbas Kamel, to discuss the help that can be provided to
hold the Libyan general elections on their scheduled date of December 24.
Dbeibah, who arrived in Cairo two days later, abstained from making any
definitive pledges regarding the elections and focused in his discussions with
President Sisi on the prospects for economic partnership between Egypt and
Libya. Analysts saw this focus by Dbeibah as an attempt to buy Cairo’s tacit
approval for his government’s stay in power or the postponement of the elections
if consensus is not reached between the rival sides.
Russia records another 21,438 coronavirus cases, highest
daily number since August 15
TASS/September 23/2021
Russia recorded 21,438 coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, the highest daily
number since August 15. The total number of cases has reached 7,354,995, the
anti-coronavirus crisis center said on Thursday. Russia's coronavirus growth
rate was 0.29%. In particular, 1,698 cases were reported in St. Petersburg in
the past day, 936 in the Moscow region, 542 in the Samara region, 513 in the
Sverdlovsk region and 502 in the Nizhny Novgorod region. There are currently
594,770 active coronavirus cases in Russia.
Morocco’s Akhannouch announces ‘cohesive’ government
coalition
The Arab Weekly/September 23/2021
RABAT--Moroccan Prime Minister-designate and Secretary-General of the National
Rally of Independents Aziz Akhannouch announced Wednesday that he will govern
with a majority coalition that includes the Istiqlal Party, the Authenticity and
Modernity Party and the National Rally of Independents.
The announcement came during a joint press conference in Rabat held by
Akhannouch as well as Abdellatif Ouahbi, secretary-general of Authenticity and
Modernity and Nizar Baraka, secretary-general of Al-Istiqlal. Akhannouch
stressed the three parties’ keenness to form a “cohesive and effective”
government to begin its work, saying, “these political formations have succeeded
in convincing the voters. They are parties that share many historical bonds
extending to the present and the future. Our electoral programmes also have a
lot in common,” he pointed out.
Analysts say the parties share a commitment to a strong and harmonious
government with a comprehensive vision and a desire for reform along the lines
proposed by the king. But they have to take into account the difficult economic
situation in Morocco following the pandemic.
The Istiqlal Party leader Nizar Baraka said the government majority is called
upon to formulate a reform programme that combines the political planks of the
three parties and tables in the aspirations of Moroccans.
“The coalition enjoys a comfortable and fairly consistent majority, according to
the results of the elections, especially since the coalition proposals by the
prime minister-designate Akhannouch were limited to the parties that topped the
ballot,” said political scientist Charifa Lemouir.
Talking to The Arab Weekly, Lemouir indicated that “most of the responsibility
is pinned on the names of the people that will be selected” to take part in the
cabinet, which is “expected by voters to carry out their already announced
electoral programmes.”At the end of his consultations with political parties,
Akhannouch said that “the negotiations took place in an atmosphere of
responsibility, according to a democratic methodology and within respect for the
nation’s basics”. He added that “the names that will be proposed to the Moroccan
monarch will be those of persons of competence, credibility and
honesty.”Analysts believe limiting cabinet formation to three parties is likely
to give the government coalition a level of harmony that was lacking in previous
governments, at least those that were led by the Justice and Development (JDP)
party for two successive terms. Mouir asserted that “Moroccans pin their hopes
on the three parties on various levels, especially those related to economic and
social dimensions and issues pertaining to freedoms.”Akhannouch’s government
will have to meet many economic, social and political challenges, including
those of economic recovery after the pandemic, job creation and the reform of
the health and education sectors. The tripartite government coalition is based
on a strong government majority of 271 parliamentary seats out of a total of
395. The coalition is led by the National Rally of Independents with 102 seats
with the Authenticity and Modernity party’s 88 seats and Al-Istiqlal party with
81 seats. The remaining 124 seats will constitute the parliamentary opposition.
Hamas says no municipal elections unless general
election is called
The Arab Weekly/September 23/2021
GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories--Hamas, the Islamist group that runs Gaza,
said Wednesday it would not participate in municipal Palestinians elections set
by the Palestinian Authority for December unless a general election is also
called.
Hamas is a long-standing rival of the PA, based in the occupied West Bank and
had supported the decision to hold Palestinian legislative and presidential
elections in May and July. But president Mahmoud Abbas in April indefinitely
postponed those votes, which would have been the first Palestinian elections in
15 years. Abbas cited Israel’s refusal to guarantee voting in Israeli-annexed
east Jerusalem, which Palestinians claim as their future capital. But
Palestinian experts said Abbas balked out of fear that Hamas would sweep the
polls, in a repeat of 2006 results that the president’s Fatah movement did not
accept.
Hamas, which was furious by Abbas’s general election postponement, said
Wednesday that it “would not be part of … fragmented municipal elections”. “The
right solution is to hold comprehensive elections” for the Palestinian
presidency, Palestinian legislative council, the Palestine Liberation
Organization (PLO), municipal bodies and trade and student unions, Hamas
spokesman Hazem Qassem told reporters. Those votes could happen “simultaneously
or according to a nationally agreed timetable,” he said. “If that is plan, we
are ready to participate.” The municipal elections called by the PA would take
place in 387 localities throughout the West Bank and Gaza on December 11 and
thereafter in 90 other places at a later date that has yet to be set. Of the 477
voting sites, just 11 were in Gaza. A new Palestinian poll released Tuesday has
found that nearly 80% of Palestinians want President Mahmoud Abbas to resign.
The survey also found support for Abbas’ Hamas rivals remained high months after
the 11-day Gaza war in May. It showed that 45% of Palestinians believe Hamas
should lead and represent them, while only 19% said Abbas’ more secular Fatah
deserved that role. Hamas’s rejection of the process would make voting
impossible in Gaza, an Israeli-blockaded territory controlled by the Islamists
since 2007. Hamas is considered a terrorist organisation by the United States
and European Union but is seeking to bolster its legitimacy through election
wins and by joining the PLO, a group of Palestinians factions recognised by
Israel and the international community.
Hamas loses support base in Sudan as assets dismantled
Reuters/The Arab Weekly/September 23/2021
KHARTOUM--Sudanese authorities have taken control of lucrative assets that for
years provided backing for Hamas, shedding light on how the country served as a
haven for the Palestinian militant group under former ruler Omar al-Bashir. The
takeover of at least a dozen companies that officials say were linked to Hamas
has helped accelerate Sudan’s realignment with the West since Bashir’s overthrow
in 2019. Over the past year, Khartoum has won removal from the US state sponsors
of terrorism (SST) list and is on course for relief of more than $50 billion in
debt. Hamas has lost a foreign base where members and supporters could live,
raise money and channel Iranian weapons and funds to the Gaza Strip, Sudanese
and Palestinian analysts said. Seized assets detailed by Sudanese official
sources and a Western intelligence source show the reach of those networks.
According to officials from a task force set up to dismantle the Bashir regime,
they include real estate, company shares, a hotel in a prime Khartoum location,
an exchange bureau, a TV station and more than a million acres of farmland.
Sudan became a centre for money laundering and terrorism financing, said Wagdi
Salih, a leading member of the task force, named the Committee to Dismantle the
June 30, 1989 Regime and Retrieve Public Funds. The system was “a big cover, a
big umbrella, internally and externally”, he said. A Western intelligence source
said techniques were used in Sudan that are common to organised crime: companies
were headed by trustee shareholders, rents collected in cash and transfers made
through exchange bureaux. Bashir openly supported Hamas and was friendly with
its leaders. “They got preferential treatment in tenders, tax forgiveness and
they were allowed to transfer to Hamas and Gaza with no limits,” said a task
force member, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Islamist Hub
Sudan’s journey from pariah state to US ally has been gradual. In the decade
after Bashir took power in 1989 the country became a hub for radical Islamists,
sheltered Osama bin Laden for several years and was sanctioned by the United
States over links to Palestinian militants. Bashir later tried to distance
himself from radical Islamists, stepping up security cooperation with
Washington. In 2016 Sudan cut ties with Iran and the following year US trade
sanctions against Khartoum were dropped after Washington accepted that state
support for Hamas had ceased. But until Bashir’s fall, networks that had
supported Hamas remained in place. Hamas investments in Sudan began with
small-scale ventures such as fast food restaurants before venturing into real
estate and construction, according to an official on the task force. An example
was Hassan and Alabed, which started as a cement company and expanded into large
real estate developments. The task force says it was in a network with about ten
other large companies with interlinking share ownership connected to Bashir ally
Abdelbasit Hamza that moved large sums through foreign bank accounts. The
biggest was Alrowad Real Estate Development, established in 2007 and listed on
Khartoum’s stock exchange, with subsidiaries that the Western intelligence
source said laundered money and traded in currency to finance Hamas. Hamza was
jailed in April for ten years on corruption charges and sent to the Khartoum
prison where Bashir is being held. The task force said he had assets worth up to
$1.2 billion in his name. Hamza’s lawyer, who also represents Bashir, could not
be reached for comment. A second network, worth up to $20 million, revolved
around the broadcaster Tayba and an associated charity named Almishkat. It was
run by two Hamas members who obtained Sudanese citizenship and amassed
businesses and real estate, according to Maher Abouljokh, the caretaker brought
in to manage Tayba. The TV channel was funnelling money from the Gulf, laundered
millions of dollars and had clear links to Hamas, said Abouljokh. Contacted by
Reuters, Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri denied the group had investments in
Sudan, but acknowledged an impact from Sudan’s political shift: “Unfortunately,
there were several measures that weakened the presence of the movement (Hamas)
in the country (Sudan) and limited political ties with it,” he said.
Antithesis of Bashir
By last year, Sudan was desperate to escape the SST list, a prerequisite for
debt relief and support from international lenders. Under pressure from the
United States, it joined the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco in
agreeing to normalise ties with Israel, though it has moved slowly to implement
the deal. A former US diplomat who worked on Sudan under the Trump
administration said shutting down the Hamas network was a focus in negotiations
with Khartoum. “We were pushing on an open door,” he said. The United States
gave Sudan a list of companies to shut down, according to one Sudanese source
and the Western intelligence source. The State Department declined to comment.
Many Hamas-affiliated figures went to Turkey with some liquid assets but left
behind about 80% of their investments, the task force official said. Sudan’s
transitional leaders “consider themselves the exact antithesis of Bashir in
regional terms,” said Sudanese analyst Magdi El Gazouli. “They want to sell
themselves as a component of the new security order in the region.”“The coup
against al-Bashir caused real problems for Hamas and Iran,” said Palestinian
analyst Adnan Abu Amer. “Hamas and Iran had to look for alternatives,
alternatives that had not been in place because the coup against al-Bashir was a
sudden one.”
The Latest The Latest LCCC
English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on
September 23-24/2021
Unfriending Pakistan ...A reconsideration of the
relationship is long overdue
Clifford D. May/The Washington Times/September 23/2021
Who’s to blame for America’s humiliating surrender in Afghanistan, the
dishonorable abandonment of American citizens along with Afghans who sided with
us against the Taliban and al Qaeda, the disgraceful treatment of NATO allies,
and the lethal incompetence with which the retreat was carried out? The buck
stops on the desk behind which Joe Biden sits. But we would be remiss to ignore
the contributions of others to this historic fiasco. Prominent among them:
Pakistan’s leaders.
I take no pleasure in saying this. I first visited Pakistan 38 years ago. Most
of the people I encountered were gracious, hospitable, and tolerant. They were
open to talking about anything – in English!
Of course, four years prior to my visit, angry mobs had stormed the American
embassy in Islamabad, incensed over reports – entirely erroneous – that the U.S.
had been involved in the seizure of the Grand Mosque in Mecca. But after that
crisis passed, Muhamad Zia-ul-Haq – a four-star general who became the country’s
president after deposing Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto – was eager to
improve relations with the U.S.
I attended a small dinner he hosted. His eyes were as dark and predatory as a
shark’s. But he didn’t seem like a bad guy – as dictators go.
He was then providing a haven for a flood of refugees from Afghanistan where
Soviet forces were supporting a communist government at war with Muslim
guerrillas. Both Washington and Islamabad favored the guerrillas who, most
Americans believed, were throwing off a foreign occupation, not launching a new
global jihad against infidels and heretics.
Nevertheless, over the five years that followed, President Zia would establish
Sharia laws and courts, appoint Islamists to senior government posts, restrict
the rights of women and religious minorities, criminalize “blasphemy,” and add
whipping, stoning, and amputation to the list of punishments meted out to those
deemed miscreants.
My last visit to Pakistan was in 2009. During the less than two weeks I was
there, four terrorist attacks were carried out inside the country. One,
attributed to the Pakistani Taliban, targeted the equivalent of the Pentagon.
Armed with automatic weapons, grenades, and rocket launchers, the terrorists
fought for 22 hours. Hostages were taken, and a brigadier, a colonel, and three
commandos were reportedly killed.
The reaction of many Pakistanis struck me as shockingly blasé. And even some of
those who condemned attacks by the Pakistani Taliban against Pakistanis condoned
attacks by the Afghan Taliban against Americans.
Suspicion was already growing that al Qaeda’s central leadership, possibly
including Osama bin Laden, was hiding out in Pakistan. I had noted that in a
column and, on a television program, was scolded by the host for having done so.
Those suspicions were borne out, of course. And we now know for certain that
powerful elements within Pakistan’s military and intelligence establishment
helped create the Afghan Taliban in the early 1990s and continued to fund and
train its fighters even after the U.S. intervention in 2001. The Taliban’s close
alliance with al Qaeda apparently troubled them not at all.
Author Elliot Ackerman, who served as a Marine in Afghanistan, is hardly alone
in believing that had Pakistani leaders ended that support and shut the border
to the Taliban – whose leaders retreated to Pakistani bases every winter – the
organization would have “collapsed” rather than soldiering on until American
leaders grew tired and quit – the outcome the jihadis both expected and
predicted.
Pakistani leaders continue to support Islamic supremacists and jihadis of
various stripes. Former Pakistani Ambassador Husain Haqqani, now a scholar at
the Hudson Institute, has written: “While Pakistan’s establishment has
alternated between various Islamist factions, mainstreaming one while
suppressing another, it has never thought about mainstreaming secularists who
have been dubbed as traitors or unfaithful to the ideology of Pakistan.”
The “international community,” rhetorically committed to nuclear
non-proliferation, failed to prevent Pakistan from detonating a nuclear weapon
in 1998, the same year al Qaeda bombed two American embassies in Africa and bin
Laden issued his infamous fatwa: “The rule to kill Americans and their allies –
civilians and military – is a sacred duty for any Muslim.” Pakistani physicist
A. Q. Khan, father of Islamabad’s illicit nuclear arsenal, illicitly transferred
nuclear technology to Iran, Libya, and North Korea. Many Pakistanis regard him
as a hero.
Following President Biden’s “unconditional surrender to an amorphous armed
rabble” – as Indian journalist Shekhar Gupta aptly phrased it – Pakistani Prime
Minister Imran Khan declared “the shackles of slavery” broken. The head of
Pakistan’s powerful Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency, Lt. Gen. Faiz
Hameed, was welcomed by the Taliban in Kabul. Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah
Mahmoud Qureshi paid a call on Ebrahim Raisi, the new president of the Islamic
Republic of Iran.
Though designated a “major non-NATO ally,” Pakistan maintains a close alliance
with Beijing, and its military has links with the People’s Liberation Army.
Nevertheless, between 2002 and 2018, the U.S. government gave Pakistan more than
$33 billion in assistance.
The Trump administration cut aid to Pakistan, but a broader reconsideration of
this disappointing relationship is long overdue. I know it’s tricky: We don’t
want to push Islamabad closer to America’s sworn enemies. But if Pakistan’s
leaders have decided that their interests are best served as clients of China
(ignoring Beijing’s persecution of the Muslims of Xinjiang), allies of Tehran’s
imperialist jihadis, and supporters of the Taliban, al Qaeda, and other Islamist
terrorists, this marriage cannot be saved.
President Biden inherited a long list of mistakes, misjudgments, and unfinished
business from his predecessors. But, as noted, he currently occupies an office
that contains a desk from which bucks can be passed no further.
Clifford D. May is founder and president of the Foundation for Defense of
Democracies (FDD) and a columnist for the Washington Times. Follow him on
Twitter @CliffordDMay. FDD is a Washington, DC-based, non-partisan research
institute focusing on national security and foreign policy.
Iran Joining the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation
Bradley Bowman/Ryan Brobst/Zane Zovak/FDD-Policy Brief//September 23/2021
Members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) unanimously agreed on
Friday to elevate Iran to full membership. The Islamic Republic of Iran’s entry
into the SCO strengthens Tehran’s relationships with China and Russia and
demonstrates the need for more unity among Israel, the United States, and its
Arab partners about the challenges coming from China.
The SCO was formed in 2001 as an intergovernmental organization dedicated to
addressing political, economic, and security issues across Eurasia. China and
Russia dominate the SCO, whose member states also include India, Pakistan,
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Diverse security priorities
and tensions among members, exacerbated by the addition of India and Pakistan in
2017, mean that the SCO functions more like a diplomatic forum than a unified
security bloc.
Despite these limitations, Iran’s SCO membership underscores Tehran’s desire to
build a deep and comprehensive partnership with the People’s Republic of China.
Under Iran’s “Look to the East” foreign policy, Tehran sees China as its main
long-term partner. Earlier this year, Iran and China signed a 25-year strategic
partnership that will see China invest several hundred million dollars in
Iranian projects, including nuclear power, energy development, and
infrastructure. A leaked draft of the partnership agreement called for combined
Chinese-Iranian military exercises, weapons development, and intelligence
sharing. The final terms of the agreement remain secret.
The Islamic Republic has also been improving its relationship with the SCO’s
other key power, Russia. Tehran has agreed to hold joint military exercises with
Moscow and Beijing in late 2021 or early 2022, building on trilateral naval
exercises in the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Oman in late 2019.
Although it could take approximately two years to finalize the legal process of
Iranian accession to the SCO, Iran’s acceptance by the body’s members reinforces
the importance of enhanced cooperation between the United States and its allies
and partners in the Middle East.
In particular, the growing political, military, and economic ties between Tehran
and Beijing should ring multiple alarm bells in Washington, Jerusalem, and a
number of Arab capitals.
Some Americans have wittingly or unwittingly consoled themselves with the vague
notion that great power competition happens only in Europe and East Asia,
allowing the United States to ignore the Middle East. As Iran’s SCO membership
shows, China and Russia compete in the Middle East, too.
They have a better grasp of the region’s continuing importance.
That reality must inform Washington’s thinking when it comes to the U.S.
military posture in the region. It may just be a matter of time until Iran
builds or acquires (with Beijing’s or Moscow’s help) some of the same formidable
anti-access and area-denial weapons that China and Russia are already fielding.
The partnership could provide Tehran, for example, more advanced air defense,
missile, cyber, anti-satellite, and electronic warfare capabilities.
The growing military and economic integration between Beijing and Tehran also
forces Jerusalem, Riyadh, Abu Dhabi, and others to assume that technology shared
with China may find its way to Tehran. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates
should be more sympathetic to concerns regarding their own growing arms
purchases from Beijing. The increasingly close economic and military links
between China and Iran should also help solidify a growing consensus between
Washington and Jerusalem regarding the potency of the Chinese military-civil
fusion threat and the need to protect shared technology that may have military
applications.
While Iran’s accession to the SCO is distressing, if Washington, Jerusalem,
Riyadh, Abu Dhabi, and others draw the right lessons and increase their
cooperation, it may turn out to be a blessing in disguise.
Bradley Bowman is senior director of the Center on Military and Political Power
(CMPP) at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), where Ryan Brobst and
Zane Zovak are research analysts. They also contribute to FDD’s Iran Program and
China Program. For more analysis from the authors, CMPP, and the Iran and China
programs, please subscribe HERE. Follow Bradley on Twitter @Brad_L_Bowman.
Follow FDD on Twitter @FDD and @FDD_CMPP and @FDD_Iran. FDD is a Washington,
DC-based, nonpartisan research institute focusing on national security and
foreign policy.
The Squalid "Squad" Is Trying to Destroy Bipartisan
Support for Israel
Alan M. Dershowitz/September 23/2021
The fact that the Squad picked on the Iron Dome to make its stand against Israel
is significant. The Iron Dome is a system developed jointly by the United States
and Israel that is purely defensive. It does not kill, injure, or threaten
anyone. It only protects civilians against war crimes committed by terrorist
groups that direct lethal rockets against innocent civilians.
The fact that the Squad would try to deny Israel the right to defend its
civilians speaks volumes about the lack of morality and decency among Squad
members and their allies.
It follows from this effort that the Squad will oppose any and all aid to
Israel, including protecting its innocent civilians against Iran's nuclear
threat. The obvious goal of Squad members is to deny Israel the right to defend
itself against aggression. At least one of its members has denied that Israel
has the right to exist.
These bigoted actions directly violate the platform of the Democratic Party (as
well as that of the Republican Party). The Democratic Party must decide whether
it will become captive to its most extreme wing or whether it will marginalize
these radicals who are not only anti-Israel but, in many ways, anti-American.
They are intolerant of dissent and due process for those who disagree with them.
They are anti-police, anti-military, and anti-free market economy.
The time has come, indeed it is long past, for the Democratic leadership to
stand strong against the anti-American, anti-Israel and anti-decency squalid
Squad. The leadership can no longer stand idly by the bigotry of their members.
If they persist in tolerating the intolerable, they will lose the support of the
all-important mainstream voters.
The "Squad" is a small group of radical members of the U.S. House of
Representatives who run for Congress under the banner of the Democratic Party
but do not reflect its mainstream policies. The fact that the Squad would try to
deny Israel the right to defend its civilians speaks volumes about the lack of
morality and decency among Squad members and their allies. Pictured: Four
members of the Squad, from left to right, Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), Ayanna Pressley
(D-MA), Ilhan Omar (D-MN) and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) at the U.S.
Capitol on July 15, 2019. (Photo by Alex Wroblewski/Getty Images)
The "Squad" is a small group of radical members of the U.S. House of
Representatives who run for Congress under the banner of the Democratic Party
but do not reflect its mainstream policies. They represent niche districts that
are not typical of the Democratic base. They could not be elected in any
statewide race, because they lack widespread support. They were nominated
because of low turnout in primaries and were elected because their districts are
overwhelmingly Democrat. They are fringe Democrats who should not have influence
beyond their districts. But the House leadership of the Democratic Party has
exaggerated their significance and given them more power than they deserve.
One important issue that distinguishes them from mainstream Democrats is their
knee-jerk hatred of Israel and their willingness to deny America's most
important Middle East ally the means to defend its civilians against rocket
attacks from terrorist organizations such as Hamas and Hezbollah, as well as
from Iran's nuclear program. At least one member of the Squad is an overt
anti-Semite who has repeatedly made bigoted statements against American Jews.
Instead of being marginalized for these outrageous canards, she was rewarded by
the Democratic leadership by being given a plum assignment as a member the House
Foreign Affairs Committee.
Now the Squad has managed to extort the leadership into removing a
billion-dollar commitment to replenish Israel's Iron Dome defense system that
protects civilians from rocket attacks. The Squad, and its Democrat allies in
the House, threatened to vote against an appropriation bill unless the Iron Dome
allocation was removed. And they won — at least for now. The allocation was
removed over the objection of mainstream Democrats and Republicans, and the
Squad claimed victory.
Although the victory was largely pyrrhic — the Iron Dome funding is likely to be
restored in subsequent legislation — the success of the Squad's sordid maneuver
may be a sign of their growing influence in the Democratic Party.
The fact that the Squad picked on the Iron Dome to make its stand against Israel
is significant. The Iron Dome is a system developed jointly by the United States
and Israel that is purely defensive. It does not kill, injure, or threaten
anyone. It only protects civilians against war crimes committed by terrorist
groups that direct lethal rockets against innocent civilians. The fact that the
Squad would try to deny Israel the right to defend its civilians speaks volumes
about the lack of morality and decency among Squad members and their allies. It
follows from this effort that the Squad will oppose any and all aid to Israel,
including protecting its innocent civilians against Iran's nuclear threat. The
obvious goal of Squad members is to deny Israel the right to defend itself
against aggression. At least one of its members has denied that Israel has the
right to exist.
These bigoted actions directly violate the platform of the Democratic Party (as
well as that of the Republican Party). The Democratic Party must decide whether
it will become captive to its most extreme wing or whether it will marginalize
these radicals who are not only anti-Israel but, in many ways, anti-American.
They are intolerant of dissent and due process for those who disagree with them.
They are anti-police, anti-military, and anti-free market economy. Their vision
of America and the world is out of sync with most Democrats and independents. Up
until recently, they could be largely ignored by voters as a loud but
ineffective distraction. But now that they have managed to influence legislation
in so negative a manner, they must be taken seriously by voters and rejected.
Quite understandably, Republican leaders are trying to capitalize on the
Democrats' capitulation to these extremists. They are claiming that they
represent the future of the Democratic Party. If that were true, it would mark
the demise of the two-party system, since mainstream American voters — who
generally determine the outcome of contested general elections, as distinguished
from primaries — do not support radical extremism. The Democratic leadership
must make it clear that they reject the policies, attitudes and statements of
the squad. They cannot get in bed with them. The time has come, indeed it is
long past, for the Democratic leadership to stand strong against the
anti-American, anti-Israel and anti-decency squalid Squad. The leadership can no
longer stand idly by the bigotry of their members. If they persist in tolerating
the intolerable, they will lose the support of the all-important mainstream
voters. I know because I am one of them.
*Alan M. Dershowitz is the Felix Frankfurter Professor of Law, Emeritus at
Harvard Law School and served on the legal team representing President Donald
Trump for the first Senate impeachment trial. He is the author of numerous
books, including "Guilt by Accusation: The Challenge of Proving Innocence in the
Age of #MeToo" and "The Case Against the New Censorship: Protecting Free Speech
from Big Tech, Progressives and Universities." His podcast, "The Dershow," is
available on Spotify and YouTube. He is the Jack Roth Charitable Foundation
Fellow at 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.
We May Have Left Afghanistan, Mr. President, But We Are
Still at War
Pete Hoekstra/Gatestone Institute/September 23/2021
I never liked that term, "war on terror." Terrorism is a tactic; it is not the
enemy we fought every day. The term has done more to confuse us than enlighten
us.
[O]ne can see why the phrase "war on terror" became the widely accepted
nomenclature. It was neutral. Gone would be the difficult references connecting
the terrorist movement to Islam and Muslims. The need to define good Muslims
versus bad/extremist Muslims would be eliminated. We would just paper over the
difficult discussions that needed to take place but did not.
The terrorists, and their Islamist apologists in the West, actually used our
response to their benefit. They widely labeled those who tried to connect
al-Qaeda and other terrorist organizations to Islamic dogma as Islamophobes and
anti-Muslim.
It did not matter that the terrorists invoked Quranic passages as justification,
or that groups such as ISIS and others explicitly state that their ultimate
objective is a global Muslim state governed by religious law.
President Biden can say what he wants but that does not mean it is so. The other
side has a say in this. And as we saw as we were leaving Kabul, the jihadists
spoke clearly, they are still at war with us. If the crack team of foreign
advisers that the president is relying on, Secretary of State Antony Blinken,
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley, and Secretary of Defense
Lloyd Austin, advised him that the United States is no longer at war, the world
is in serious trouble.
On Tuesday, Joe Biden presented his first UN General Assembly speech as
president, and proclaimed: "I stand here today for the first time in 20 years
with the United States not at war." It was an odd boast, considering how the
United States left Afghanistan and what it means for the future.
On Tuesday, Joe Biden presented his first United Nations General Assembly speech
as president. I labored through almost 32 minutes of the speech when a most
profound announcement was proclaimed: "I stand here today for the first time in
20 years with the United States not at war."
It was an odd boast, considering how the United States left Afghanistan and what
it means for the future.
Our retreat from the Afghanistan battlefield left behind thousands of friends
and allies and billions of dollars' worth of equipment.
We were never at war with Afghanistan. Our enemy was – and continues to be –
individuals who take inspiration from a strict interpretation of Islam and
employ terrorist tactics to press their cause.
Politically, we left the country as we found it – led by the same Islamist
radicals who controlled the country 20 years ago. Despite what the Taliban might
say, U.S. intelligence estimates that al-Qaeda could be fully reconstituted in
Afghanistan in a year or two.
What happens after that? The president's UN speech did not look forward. If
anything, his inaccurate statement that we are no longer at war anywhere in the
world indicated his belief that the war on terrorism is over.
I never liked that term, "war on terror." Terrorism is a tactic; it is not the
enemy we fought every day. The term has done more to confuse us than enlighten
us. Nine days after the 9/11 attacks, President George W. Bush told Congress
that those who attacked us were:
"a collection of loosely affiliated terrorist organizations known as al-Qaeda."
It "is to terror what the Mafia is to crime."
"terrorists (who) practice a fringe form of Islamic extremism."
"a fringe movement that perverts the peaceful teachings of Islam."
"traitors to their own faith, trying, in effect, to hijack Islam itself."
Bush recognized that he had to put some context with the word terrorist so that
the world would better understand the threat we were facing as well as the
tactics that they would employ.
"Our war on terror begins with al-Qaeda," he said, "but it does not end there.
It will not end until every terrorist group of global reach has been found,
stopped and defeated."
We are still a long way from that goal, which means the threat to the homeland
endures.
Reflecting on Bush's speech, one can see why the phrase "war on terror" became
the widely accepted nomenclature. It was neutral. Gone would be the difficult
references connecting the terrorist movement to Islam and Muslims. The need to
define good Muslims versus bad/extremist Muslims would be eliminated. We would
just paper over the difficult discussions that needed to take place but did not.
The terrorists, and their Islamist apologists in the West, actually used our
response to their benefit. They widely labeled those who tried to connect
al-Qaeda and other terrorist organizations to Islamic dogma as Islamophobes and
anti-Muslim.
It did not matter that the terrorists invoked Quranic passages as justification,
or that groups such as ISIS and others explicitly state that their ultimate
objective is a global Muslim state governed by religious law.
For much of the last 20 years, the lack of clarity as to who the enemy was and
why they attacked us has eluded us. It has made it difficult to focus on what
needed to be done and what victory might look like.
So barely a month after the U.S.'s disgraceful disengagement in Afghanistan, the
president of the United States can declare that we are not at war. Words have
meaning. The president cannot just declare that the war on terror is over and
walk away. The enemy still exists. Those individuals described by President Bush
in 2001 are still out there. Today, they are reinvigorated by their perceived
success in Afghanistan. They are better equipped than any terrorist organization
in the world because of what was left behind in Afghanistan, and they continue
to be inspired by their view of the religion they are attempting to hijack,
Islam.
No, President Biden can say what he wants but that does not mean it is so. The
other side has a say in this. And as we saw as we were leaving Kabul, the
jihadists spoke clearly, they are still at war with us. If the crack team of
foreign advisers that the president is relying on, Secretary of State Antony
Blinken, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley, and Secretary of
Defense Lloyd Austin, advised him that the United States is no longer at war,
the world is in serious trouble.
The jihadists have not surrendered; they have not gone away. As a matter of
fact, the world is a much more dangerous place than what it was just a few short
months ago. The jihadists will be back. When they strike us again, let us hope
that our leaders provide the necessary clarity this time around to identify the
enemy and defeat them once and for all.
Ambassador Pete Hoekstra (retired), served 18 years in Congress and was Chairman
of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence from 2004-07. He is a
Senior Fellow with the Investigative Project on Terrorism.
© 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.
How U.S. Failure in Afghanistan Validates the Koran’s
Jihadist Teachings
Raymond Ibrahim/September 23/2021
While it should be a no-brainer that the Taliban’s victory in Afghanistan has
emboldened like-minded (read: “radical”) Muslims to no end, few in the West
appreciate how this episode—especially America’s disastrous retreat under
Biden—is being used to validate the Koran itself, and thus reignite Muslim zeal
and faith in Islam.
Since August 15, 2021, when the Taliban reconquered Afghanistan, anytime I
watched an Arabic language program or sheikh speak, they cited several Koran
verses as “proof” that it was only inevitable—only a matter of time—that the
U.S. would be humiliated and the Taliban exalted.
Consider, as one example, the words of popular sheikh, Wagdi Ghoneim. An
Egyptian scholar of Islam and member of the Muslim Brotherhood, he is notorious
for issuing violent fatwas against Israel and inciting hatred against other
“infidels” (including by threatening Egypt’s indigenous Christian minority, the
Copts with genocide). With such “credentials,” it should come as no surprise
that he once served as the imam of the Islamic Institute of Orange County,
California, and was a fundraiser for the Toledo, Ohio charity, KindHearts (a
Hamas front).
On August 15, 2021, this Ghoneim offered a “victory” speech that—at least as of
publication of this article—still appears on YouTube, titled (in translation),
“Allahu Akbar: The Taliban’s Victory Represents the Power of Jihad in Allah’s
Way.” He began his talk by quoting the Koran on the virtues of jihad, for
example:
O believers! Be mindful of Allah and seek what brings you closer to him and
perform jihad in his way, so you may be successful (5:35).
O believers! March forth [into battle] whether it is easy or difficult for you,
and perform jihad with your wealth and your lives in the cause of Allah. That is
best for you, if only you knew (9:41).
Having laid the doctrinal framework for jihad, Ghoneim moved on to its most
important aspect—perseverance: “The Taliban persevered in its jihad for 20
years,” he stressed. “This isn’t a problem—what’s 20 years in the context of
history? Who said [the outcome of] jihad is instantaneous? No! It requires
patience and time!”
In fact, patience and perseverance in the jihad was his grand point—not to
mention the grand takeaway lesson of Afghanistan for all Muslims. It is for
Allah to decree when the jihad succeeds; for every day Muslims, there duty is
simply and always to wage it. If they do so, Allah, according to his word, shall
eventually bless them with victory.
Supporting Koran verses Ghoneim cited include,
We will certainly test you until we learn who among you are the true mujahidin
[jihadists] who remain steadfast and how you conduct yourselves (47:31).
Do you think you will enter Paradise without Allah proving which of you truly
performed jihad for his cause and patiently endured? (3:142).
O believers! Patiently endure, persevere, stand on guard, and be mindful of
Allah, that you may be successful (3:200).
Interestingly, the phrase “stand on guard” in Koran 3:200 literally means
“perform ribat,” that is, man the frontier zone, whence the infidels should be
harried, including through guerilla tactics—precisely what the Taliban did.
Finally, Ghoneim moved onto Allah’s words concerning infidels, especially those
who try to prevent Muslims from performing jihad and enforcing sharia; he quoted
Koran 8:36: “Surely the infidels spend their wealth to prevent others from the
Way of Allah [sabil allah, i.e., jihad]. They will continue to spend to the
point of regret. Then they will be defeated and the infidels will be driven into
hell.”
As countless other Muslim clerics and leaders have done, are doing, and will do
for years to come, Ghoneim proceeded to expound how that particular Koran verse
foretold America’s defeat—that is, so long as there were always Muslims willing
to persevere in the jihad, namely the Taliban. At one point he descended into
wild gloating: “See how much they lost by way of dead and wounded—and trillions,
all lost!… So you see, trillions they have lost!”
Because Ghoneim made this video on August 15, when it was still unknown that
billions of dollars’ worth of U.S. weapons had fallen into the hands of the
Taliban, he did not mention it—though countless other clerics have since, citing
it as proof of how Allah blesses his jihadist servants, while humiliating their
infidel enemies.
At any rate, the take away lesson from Afghanistan for millions of Muslims the
world over is that perseverance in jihad and patience pays off—just as the Koran
says it will. Put differently, the roles of both the Taliban and the U.S. have
now confirmed for Muslims the truths of the Koran, specifically, that
perseverance in the jihad always leads to victory over and leaves infidels
broken—even if it takes years and decades.
“Therefore, thanks be to Allah,” concluded Ghoneim, “that they [Taliban] were
patient and steadfast, and Allah rewarded them with victory over the infidel
nations.” He closed by supplicating Allah to let the umma, the entire Muslim
world, learn from the Taliban—from “those heroes who raised all of our heads up
high and cast the infidels’ heads down in shame.”
As such, expect a renewed and unwavering commitment to the jihad—in all its
manifestations, violent and nonviolent—in the foreseeable future.
د. ماجد رفي زاده: يجب على العالم أن يتحرك بشكل عاجل لمنع
إيران من امتلاك سلاح نووي
World must act urgently to deny Iran a nuclear weapon
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh /Arab News/September 23/2021
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/102702/dr-majid-rafizadeh-world-must-act-urgently-to-deny-iran-a-nuclear-weapon-%d8%af-%d9%85%d8%a7%d8%ac%d8%af-%d8%b1%d9%81%d9%8a-%d8%b2%d8%a7%d8%af%d9%87-%d9%8a%d8%ac%d8%a8-%d8%b9%d9%84%d9%89-%d8%a7/
The latest developments indicate that the Iranian regime is heading toward
becoming a nuclear state, which will have significant repercussions for regional
and global peace and security.
The regime is pressing ahead with uranium enrichment and is infringing all the
terms of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action nuclear deal. The regime is
reportedly only one month away from having enough material to fuel a single
nuclear weapon, while Iranian leaders are showing no interest in returning to
the negotiating table to revive the nuclear pact. As the International Atomic
Energy Agency reported this month: “Since 23 February 2021, the agency’s
verification and monitoring activities have been seriously undermined as a
result of Iran’s decision to stop the implementation of its nuclear-related
commitments.”
The dangers of a nuclear-armed Iran must not be underestimated for several
reasons.
First of all, Iran is not a rational state; rather it is a revolutionary one.
Its theocratic establishment is anchored in prioritizing the pursuit of its
revolutionary ideals, which include exporting its system of governance to other
countries. This policy of exporting its revolution to other nations has been
consistent throughout the four-decade history of the regime. Since 1979, by
deploying its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and its elite branch the Quds
Force, the Iranian leaders have managed to expand Tehran’s influence throughout
the Middle East, including from Iraq to Yemen, through its proxy groups such as
the Houthis, Hezbollah and the Popular Mobilization Units, a conglomerate of
more than 40 militia groups in Iraq.
Imagine how much more empowered and emboldened the Iranian regime would become
in pursuing its revolutionary principles, interfering in the domestic affairs of
other nations and supporting its militia groups across the Middle East if it
possessed nuclear weapons.
Secondly, there exists the dangerous likelihood of nuclear weapons falling into
the hands of Iran’s proxy and militia groups, along with the threat that the
Iranian regime will share its nuclear technology with its proxies and state
allies such as the Syrian regime.
It is worth noting that the Iranian regime has already set up weapons factories
abroad and is manufacturing advanced ballistic missiles in foreign countries,
including in Syria. These include precision-guided missiles that can strike
specific targets. Iran’s foreign-based weapons factories give it an advantageous
military capability for waging wars or striking other nations.
The policy of exporting its revolution to other nations has been consistent
throughout the history of the Iranian regime.
Since the regime is already supplying advanced weapons to its proxies, what
would stop the regime from sharing its nuclear technology with them in order to
empower them and undermine other nations’ national security interests? For
example, the latest UN annual report revealed that the Houthis are receiving a
significant number of weapons from Iran. It stated: “An increasing body of
evidence suggests that individuals or entities in Iran supply significant
volumes of weapons and components to the Houthis.”
Iran’s weapons are already being deployed for offensive purposes by its proxies.
For example, Houthi forces launched a drone at a military airbase in the
southern Saudi city of Khamis Mushayt in April. The Yemeni militia also
reportedly launched more than 40 drones and missiles at Saudi Arabia in February
alone. Previously, the Houthis claimed responsibility for the 2019 attacks on
two Saudi Aramco plants at the heart of the Kingdom’s oil industry — the world’s
biggest oil processing facility at Abqaiq near Dammam and the country’s
second-largest oilfield at Khurais.
The third threat is linked to the fact the Iranian regime is the world’s top
state sponsor of terrorism. For example, one of its diplomats, Assadollah Assadi,
was sentenced to 20 years in prison in Belgium for his role in a failed 2018
terrorist bomb plot in Paris, in which a “Free Iran” rally was targeted. Iran
also dispatches troops and uses undercover agents — in academia, the foreign
service or by obtaining visas under the cover of academic research or tourism —
to gather intelligence for, help arm or otherwise assist militia groups. Several
countries, including Kuwait, have detained Iranians who were trying to
infiltrate their country. And Tehran also uses its foreign embassies, cultural
centers and diplomats to act as cells to organize and construct terror groups. A
2017 Supreme Court ruling in Kuwait revealed how Iran’s embassy there had played
a role in forming terror cells. Iran’s ambassador and diplomats were
subsequently expelled.
The international community must immediately act to prevent Tehran from
obtaining nuclear weapons, as the world cannot live in peace — and it will
undoubtedly become a much more dangerous place — with a nuclear-armed Iran.
• Dr. Majid Rafizadeh is a Harvard-educated Iranian-American political
scientist. Twitter: @Dr_Rafizadeh
AUKUS deal could strengthen Iran’s nuclear ambitions
Dnyanesh Kamat/The Arab Weekly/September 23/2021
Like the Afghan withdrawal before it, the AUKUS deal is part of the Biden
administration’s sharp and sudden foreign policy moves as the US attempts to
emerge on top at the end of what is likely to be a period of prolonged
geopolitical turbulence.
The AUKUS deal announced between Australia, Britain and the United States,
despite its purported focus on the Indo-Pacific, will also impact the Middle
East and South Asia. The deal, a consequence of the emerging bipolar competition
between the US and China, will see Iran capitalise on the arrangement to further
its nuclear goals. For if Australia can have more nuclear materials, so can
Iran, Tehran will likely argue. And from there, a new nuclear arms race is set
to get off and running.
The AUKUS deal, which envisages the provision of at least eight nuclear-powered
submarines to Australia through technology transfer by Britain and the US, uses
a rarely-utilised loophole in the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). This
allows non-nuclear-weapon states to divert fissile material away from
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspection if it is used for
“peaceful” purposes, such as in submarine propulsion. Most states that possess
nuclear weapons today developed the capability under the initial pretext of
peaceful purposes, such as electricity generation, research and, yes, nuclear
propulsion.
Indeed, Israel, which is widely believed to possess nuclear weapons, conducts
“research” at its nuclear reactor near the city of Dimona.
The typical amount of highly-enriched uranium required to make one nuclear
weapon is approximately 25 kilogrammes. The amount likely to be transferred to
Australia for its submarines will be anywhere between 100 and 200 times that
amount. That this will be outside IAEA surveillance is breathtaking.
Now, the AUKUS deal gives Tehran a useful propaganda tool to justify its
increased uranium enrichment. Iran’s ex-foreign minister, Javad Zarif, has
already criticized America and Britain for the exception made for Australia,
which like Iran is also a signatory of the NPT. Iranian members of parliament
have also begun to question the credibility of the IAEA, which monitors (when it
can) Tehran’s adherence to its NPT safeguard agreement and the Joint
Comprehensive Plan of Action, also known as the Iran nuclear deal. Under the
current hardline regime, Iran may simply walk out of the NPT, like North Korea
did in the early 2000s, and then, like Israel (also not a member of the NPT),
maintain strategic ambiguity on the question of whether it has nuclear weapons.
If the AUKUS deal catalyzes Iranian nuclear expansion, what will the Israeli
response be? Israel, while tentatively aligning itself with the Biden
administration’s plan of pursuing a multi-pronged strategy to prevent Tehran
from developing a nuclear weapon, has left open the option of military strikes
on Iranian nuclear facilities. Any Israeli attack on Iranian nuclear facilities
will be catastrophic for the region. For starters, some of Iran’s nuclear plants
are in its south, close to the waters of the Gulf. Radioactive fallout will
affect every state in proximity. In return, Iran’s proxy militias could likely
wreak havoc on Israel. This could overwhelm Israel’s Iron Dome missile-defense
system.
Iran’s proxies may even target Israel’s nuclear reactors in return. This summer,
a missile fired by Syrian forces against an Israeli airstrike landed 30km from
the nuclear reactor in Dimona. Tehran has also put America’s Gulf allies on
notice should it be the target of Israeli attacks. This will sink whatever is
left of the nuclear deal and wreck whatever little chance of a grand detente
that emerged at the recent Middle East summit held in Baghdad and attended by
almost all regional states. If it seemed that America’s withdrawal from the
Middle East to focus on its pivot to Asia would have brought a semblance of
peace to the region, it now appears that with the AUKUS deal the opposite could
be true.
In South Asia, Beijing could do an AUKUS-type deal of its own with Pakistan,
with which it already has extensive cooperation in nuclear matters. This will be
payback by Beijing to counter India, which Washington has, over the past few
years, tried assiduously to rope into an anti-China alliance. This could impact
the conventional balance of power between Pakistan and India and could force New
Delhi to alter its nuclear doctrine.
Last year, India’s defence minister, Rajnath Singh, hinted that India might
change its no-first-use of nuclear weapons policy. If this were to happen, it
could set off a renewed nuclear arms race in South Asia. It could even force
Beijing to alter its no-first-use policy, setting off a domino effect that will
impact the strategic calculations of all nuclear weapons states. India has for
long been trying to hedge between the US and China. It sent troops to Russia’s
recently held Zapad military exercises in Belarus and is a full member of the
China-led Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, along with Pakistan. Yet if Beijing
responds to AUKUS in kind by shoring up Pakistan’s military, this could force
Delhi’s hand to further strengthen its alliance with the US. Like the Afghan
withdrawal before it, the AUKUS deal is part of the Biden administration’s sharp
and sudden foreign policy moves as the US attempts to emerge on top at the end
of what is likely to be a period of prolonged geopolitical turbulence. Countries
of the Middle East and South Asia should brace themselves. Copyright:
Syndication Bureau