English LCCC Newsbulletin For
Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For April 10/2022
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
The Bulletin's Link on the lccc Site
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/aaaanewsfor2021/english.april10.22.htm
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Bible Quotations For today
Jesus' Triumphal Entry To Jerusalem/Palm
Sunday
John 12/12-19/The next day a great multitude that
had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took
branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, and cried out: “Hosanna!
‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’The King of Israel!”Then
Jesus, when He had found a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written: “Fear not,
daughter of Zion; Behold, your King is coming, Sitting on a donkey’s colt.”His
disciples did not understand these things at first; but when Jesus was
glorified, then they remembered that these things were written about Him and
that they had done these things to Him. Therefore the people, who were with Him
when He called Lazarus out of his tomb and raised him from the dead, bore
witness. For this reason the people also met Him, because they heard that He had
done this sign. The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, “You see that you
are accomplishing nothing. Look, the world has gone after Him!”
Titles For The
Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on
April 09-10/2022
Jesus’s Victorious Entry into
Jerusalem – Palm Sunday/Elias Bejjani
As Lebanon’s pains increase, cancer patients struggle to find morphine
Bassil after announcing party's electoral lists: They thought they killed us!
Nasrallah hosts Bassil, Frangieh over Ramadan Iftar banquet
Israel bombs central Syria from Lebanon's airspace
Lebanon hopes to gather $15 billion from IMF, other institutions
As tensions ease, Saudi, Kuwaiti, Yemeni envoys return to Lebanon
Lebanon on 'right track' as $3bn IMF deal struck, Prime Minister says
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on
April 09-10/2022
Rights Organizations Accuse Iran of Harassing Witnesses of 2019 Protests
Court
US Forces Conduct Drills in Bases Attacked by Iran
Palestinian Killed in Battle with Israeli Forces
UK's PM, in Kyiv, offers armored vehicles, anti-ship missiles
Zelensky Calls for 'Firm Global Response' to Train Station Bombing
Russia’s Actions Appear to Be War Crimes, EU’s von der Leyen Says
Ramaphosa, Biden Talk after South Africa Abstains from UN Russia Vote
British Defense Ministry Says Russia Targeting Civilians
Iran Seizes Boat for Allegedly Smuggling Fuel
Pro-Khamenei Scholar: Nuclear Deal Won’t Stop Attacks against US Forces
Iran’s Nuclear Chief Urges IAEA to Fulfill Its Legal Obligations
Men Accused of Impersonating Federal Agents Investigated for Possible Ties with
IRGC
Syria’s Air Defenses Confront ‘Israeli Aggression’, State Media Report
Pakistan Vote on Ousting PM Khan Delayed, Uncertainty Continues
Canada/Minister Joly to visit Indonesia and Vietnam to reinforce bilateral
relations and expand partnerships in Indo-Pacific
Titles For The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources published on April 09-10/2022
Syria’s $1.5bn seizure of protesters’ property ‘akin to scare
tactic’/Ruth Michaelson/The Guardian/April 09/2022
Biden Administration, EU and Iran's Mullahs: Historical Mistake Repeating
Itself/Majid Rafizadeh/Gatestone Institute/April 09/2022
The US Opens a Risky New Front in Cyberdefense/Tim Culpan//Bloomberg/April,
09/2022
Zelensky offers insight into family history, igniting debate over Ukrainian
Holocaust memory/Philissa Cramer/JTA|April 09/2022
The New Yemeni Rule/Abdulrahman al-Rashed/Al Arabia/April 09/2022
The Latest English LCCC Lebanese &
Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on April 09-10/2022
Jesus’s Victorious Entry into Jerusalem –
Palm Sunday
Elias Bejjani
(Psalm118/26): “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of Yahweh! We have
blessed You out of the house of Yahweh”.
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/107794/elias-bejjani-jesus-victorious-entry-into-jerusalem-palm-sunday-2/
On the seventh Lantern Sunday, known as the “Palm Sunday”, our
Maronite Catholic Church celebrates the Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem.
The joyful and faithful people of this Holy City and their children welcomed
Jesus with innocent spontaneity and declared Him a King. Through His glorious
and modest entry the essence of His Godly royalty that we share with Him in
baptism and anointing of Chrism was revealed. Jesus’ Triumphant Entry into
Jerusalem, the “Palm Sunday”, marks the Seventh Lantern Sunday, the last one
before Easter Day, (The Resurrection).
During the past six Lantern weeks, we the believers are ought to have renewed
and rekindled our faith and reverence through genuine fasting, contemplation,
penance, prayers, repentance and acts of charity. By now we are expected to have
fully understood the core of love, freedom, and justice that enables us to enter
into a renewed world of worship that encompasses the family, the congregation,
the community and the nation.
Jesus entered Jerusalem for the last time to participate in the Jewish Passover
Holiday. He was fully aware that the day of His suffering and death was
approaching and unlike all times, He did not stop the people from declaring Him
a king and accepted to enter the city while they were happily chanting :
“Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, the King of
Israel!”.(John 12/13). Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus,
“Teacher, rebuke your disciples!” “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet,
the stones will cry out.” (Luke 19/39-40). Jesus entered Jerusalem to willingly
sacrifice Himself, die on the cross, redeem us and absolve our original sin.
On the Palm Sunday we take our children and grandchildren to celebrate the mass
and the special procession while happily they are carrying candles decorated
with lilies and roses. Men and women hold palm fronds with olive branches, and
actively participate in the Palm Procession with modesty, love and joy crying
out loudly: “Hosanna to the Son of David!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name
of the Lord!” “Hosanna in the highest!” (Matthew 21/09).
On the Palm Sunday through the procession, prayers, and mass we renew our
confidence and trust in Jesus. We beg Him for peace and commit ourselves to
always tame all kinds of evil hostilities, forgive others and act as peace and
love advocates and defend man’s dignity and his basic human rights. “Ephesians
2:14”: “For Christ Himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles
into one people when, in His own body on the cross, He broke down the wall of
hostility that separated us”
The Triumphal Entry of Jesus’ story into Jerusalem appears in all four Gospel
accounts (Matthew 21:1-17; Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:29-40; John 12:12-19). The four
accounts shows clearly that the Triumphal Entry was a significant event, not
only to the people of Jesus’ day, but to Christians throughout history.
The Triumphal Entry as it appeared in Saint John’s Gospel, (12/12-19), as
follows : “On the next day a great multitude had come to the feast. When they
heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, they took the branches of the palm
trees, and went out to meet him, and cried out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who
comes in the name of the Lord, the King of Israel!” Jesus, having found a young
donkey, sat on it. As it is written, “Don’t be afraid, daughter of Zion. Behold,
your King comes, sitting on a donkey’s colt. ”His disciples didn’t understand
these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that
these things were written about Him, and that they had done these things to Him.
The multitude therefore that was with Him when He called Lazarus out of the
tomb, and raised him from the dead, was testifying about it. For this cause also
the multitude went and met Him, because they heard that He had done this sign.
The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, “See how you accomplish nothing.
Behold, the world has gone after him.” Now there were certain Greeks among those
that went up to worship at the feast. These, therefore, came to Philip, who was
from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying, “Sir, we want to see Jesus.”
Philip came and told Andrew, and in turn, Andrew came with Philip, and they told
Jesus.”
The multitude welcomed Jesus, His disciples and followers while chanting:
“Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, the King of
Israel!”.(John 12/13). His entry was so humble, meek simple and spontaneous. He
did not ride in a chariot pulled by horses as earthly kings and conquerors do,
He did not have armed guards, nor officials escorting him. He did not come to
Jerusalem to fight, rule, judge or settle scores with any one, but to offer
Himself a sacrifice for our salvation.
Before entering Jerusalem, He stopped in the city of Bethany, where Lazarus
(whom he raised from the tomb) with his two sisters Mary and Martha lived. In
Hebrew Bethany means “The House of the Poor”. His stop in Bethany before
reaching Jerusalem was a sign of both His acceptance of poverty and His
readiness to offer Himself as a sacrifice. He is the One who accepted poverty
for our own benefit and came to live in poverty with the poor and escort them to
heaven, the Kingdom of His Father.
After His short Stop in Bethany, Jesus entered Jerusalem to fulfill all the
prophecies, purposes and the work of the Lord since the dawn of history. All the
scripture accounts were fulfilled and completed with his suffering, torture,
crucifixion, death and resurrection. On the Cross, He cried with a loud voice:
“It is finished.” He bowed his head, and gave up his spirit.(John19/30)
The multitude welcomed Jesus when He entered Jerusalem so one of the Old
Testament prophecies would be fulfilled. (Zechariah 9:9-10): “Rejoice greatly,
Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your King comes to you, righteous
and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. I
will take away the chariots from Ephraim and the warhorses from Jerusalem, and
the battle bow will be broken. He will proclaim peace to the nations. His rule
will extend from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth”.
The crowd welcomed Jesus for different reasons and numerous expectations. There
were those who came to listen to His message and believed in Him, while others
sought a miraculous cure for their ailments and they got what they came for, but
many others envisaged in Him a mortal King that could liberate their country,
Israel, and free them from the yoke of the Roman occupation. Those were
disappointed when Jesus told them: “My Kingdom is not an earthly kingdom” (John
18/36)
Christ came to Jerusalem to die on its soil and fulfill the scriptures. It was
His choice where to die in Jerusalem as He has said previously: “should not be a
prophet perish outside of Jerusalem” (Luke 13/33): “Nevertheless, I must go on
my way today and tomorrow and the day following, for it cannot be that a prophet
should perish away from Jerusalem”.
He has also warned Jerusalem because in it all the prophets were killed: (Luke
13:34-35): “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones
those sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, just as
a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not have it! “behold,
your house is left to you desolate; and I say to you, you will not see Me until
the time comes when you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord”.
Explanation of the Palm Sunday Procession Symbols
The crowd chanted, “Hosanna to the Son of David” “Blessed is he who comes in the
name of the Lord!” “Hosanna in the highest!” (Matthew 21/09), because Jesus was
is a descendant of David. Hosanna in the highest is originated in the Psalm
118/25: “Please, LORD, please save us. Please, LORD, please give us success”. It
is a call for help and salvation as also meant by the Psalm 26/11: “But I lead a
blameless life; redeem me and be merciful to me”. Hosanna also means: God
enlightened us and will never abandon us, Jesus’ is a salvation for the world”
Spreading cloth and trees’ branches in front of Jesus to walk on them was an Old
Testament tradition that refers to love, obedience, submission, triumph and
loyalty. (2 Kings 09/13): “They hurried and took their cloaks and spread them
under him on the bare steps. Then they blew the trumpet and shouted, “Jehu is
king!”. In the old days Spreading garments before a dignitary was a symbol of
submission.
Zion is a hill in Jerusalem, and the “Daughter of Zion” is Jerusalem. The term
is synonymous with “paradise” and the sky in its religious dimensions.
Carrying palm and olive branches and waving with them expresses joy, peace,
longing for eternity and triumph. Palm branches are a sign of victory and
praise, while Olive branches are a token of joy, peace and durability. The Lord
was coming to Jerusalem to conquer death by death and secure eternity for the
faithful. It is worth mentioning that the olive tree is a symbol for peace and
its oil a means of holiness immortality with which Kings, Saints, children and
the sick were anointed.
The name “King of Israel,” symbolizes the kingship of the Jews who were waiting
for Jehovah to liberate them from the Roman occupation.
O, Lord Jesus, strengthen our faith to feel closer to You and to Your mercy when
in trouble;
O, Lord Jesus, empower us with the grace of patience and meekness to endure
persecution, humiliation and rejection and always be Your followers.
O, Lord Let Your eternal peace and gracious love prevail all over the world.
A joyous Palm Sunday to all
NB: The Above Piece was first published in 2014, republished with minor changes
As Lebanon’s pains increase, cancer patients
struggle to find morphine
Najia Houssari/April 09/2022
Although medicines for incurable and cancerous diseases are still subsidized by
the state, most drugs are running out amid the economic collapse
BEIRUT: Lebanese hospitals and cancer patients are running out of morphine and
its derivatives.
An appeal made by Elsy Aoun through the Al-Nahar newspaper went viral on Friday.
The young woman said that her brother, a cancer patient who cannot find the
medication he needs anywhere, is running out of the only drug that can relieve
some of his pain. “We only have morphine left for 10 days. What are we supposed
to do after that?”
According to a March 2021 report by the World Health Organization, Lebanon
recorded 28,764 cases of cancer during the last five years, including 11,600
cases in 2020 alone.
Although medicines for incurable and cancerous diseases are still subsidized by
the state, most drugs are running out amid the economic collapse that the
country has been experiencing over the past couple of years.
The Ministry of Health said on Friday that it had given its approval to
subsidize morphine before importing it two months ago, but the next approval to
be issued by the central bank was delayed.
“We have contacted the importing company and agreed to start the process without
waiting for the central bank’s approval,” the ministry said, adding that
morphine should be available in the market within a week.
There are 445 registered cancer drugs in Lebanon. The cost of treating cancer
patients “is about $200 million annually, and it may reach $400 million,”
according to former Health Minister Jamil Jabak.
Dr. Ahmed Ibrahim, president of the Lebanese Society of Hematology and Blood
Transfusion, said: “Every year, between 2,500 and 3,000 new cases of blood
cancers are registered, in addition to thousands of patients under treatment and
periodic monitoring.
“The various treatments are expensive, but they lead to a cure rate ranging from
60 to 80 percent, which is similar to global results. With the scarcity of
necessary treatments, we find ourselves facing the possibility of not being able
to treat patients, which may, unfortunately, lead to the death of many.”
A pharmacist in a Beirut hospital, who preferred anonymity, told Arab News: “Not
all medicines are available in the hospital pharmacy, and morphine is a daily
need in the hospital to relieve the pain of patients with stage four cancer. We
need around 150 to 200 needles of morphine per month, and the demand may
increase or decrease according to the patients’ conditions. Not all alternatives
to this drug are as effective.”
She added: “Patients and their families are having a hard time searching for
medicine. Some can be found on the black market, but only the wealthy few can
afford them. The patients who are treated at the expense of the Ministry of
Health face a real tragedy, especially since you can only get access to
medication if you know someone inside nowadays.
“Morphine is classified as a high-risk drug, and every needle given to the
patient must be signed by the doctor and two nurses, specifying the volume of
the substance that was given and each drop wasted.
“Only one company imports morphine, unlike other drugs. Having one importing
company makes it easier to negotiate securing this drug.”
The ministry said it is making all efforts to expedite the process of importing
morphine and has asked those concerned to make this issue a top priority.
Doctor and former MP Ismail Sukkarieh, who has been fighting corruption in the
health sector through the National Health Authority, which he chairs, said chaos
has prevailed in the sector
“It is true that cancer medicines are still subsidized, but this is rather
theoretical now. Medicines are not available, and the key to the solution is
with the central bank. It is ridiculous that the bank still subsidizes a type of
coffee but cannot provide enough money to subsidize the medicines that people
need to recover. Is coffee more important than human life?” Sukkarieh said.
He added: “In addition to the central bank, greedy medicine suppliers are the
problem, as these people hide medicines in their warehouses to make illegal
profits. No one is confronting them — neither the ministry nor parliament’s
health committee.”
Sukkarieh said that doctors see tragic situations
every day. “As soon as I enter the hospital, patients or their families stop me
to ask for medicine. Even my fellow doctors who treat cancer patients have
become helpless in the face of people’s tragedies. What is actually happening is
accelerating the death of patients due to irregular treatment. Who has the right
to shorten people’s lives like this?”
Bassil after announcing party's electoral lists:
They thought they killed us!
NNA/Saturday, 9 April, 2022
The Free Patriotic Movement announced its electoral lists during a huge festival
held at the Forum de Beirut at 10:30 this morning.
The ceremony began with an opening speech by journalist Ghassan Saoud, followed
by a presentation of the electoral program, which consists of four main axes:
developing the system and aspiration for a civil state, strengthening national
sovereignty, protecting Lebanon, promoting respect for human rights and gender
equality, protecting groups at risk or marginalization, and developing an
economic, social and financial plan. After announcing the names of the
candidates distributed over 13 electoral districts, the head of the Free
Patriotic Movement delivered a speech, saying: "We had faith at the beginning of
this era but aware of its difficulties, and today we want to apologize because
we were unable to build a state and we apologize because the Lebanese are
deprived of electricity, even if we are not the reason."Bassil added: "They
thought that they had killed us, and that the elections would bury us, and they
strangled us with sanctions, money, media and alliances. During the war they hit
our society with gunpowder, and during peace they hit it with political money;
we ask the people to prove through the elections that our party is a need and a
necessity for Lebanon.”
"We want to hold accountable those we have forgiven on the grounds that we are
one team that supports the president, but elected the president to defeat him,
bring him down and ridicule him. They did not accept the presidency of Michel
Aoun, but rather, they planned to thwart him, because his decision was on his
own. They wanted to thwart the experience of a strong president based on popular
support and return to electing a weak president,” Bassil continued.
Nasrallah hosts Bassil, Frangieh over Ramadan Iftar banquet
NNA/Saturday, 9 April, 2022
Hezbollah Secretary General, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, hosted Marada Movement
leader, Sleiman Frangieh, and Free Patriotic Movement Leader, MP Gebran Bassil,
over a Ramadan Iftar banquet, in the presence of a number of senior
officials.The meeting was an appropriate opportunity to discuss bilateral
relations and the political situation in Lebanon and the region.
Israel bombs central Syria from Lebanon's airspace
Naharnet/Saturday, 9 April, 2022
Israeli warplanes on Saturday carried out an air raid on targets in central
Syria from Lebanon’s airspace, Syrian state media said. Syria’s air defenses
managed to shoot down some of the fired missiles, Syrian news agency SANA
reported.
Lebanese media meanwhile reported that the Israeli jets overflew the city of
Jbeil at a very low altitude during the strike.
Lebanon hopes to gather $15 billion from IMF, other
institutions
Reuters/Arab News/April 09/2022
Lebanon’s central bank chief Riad Salameh told Sky News Arabia on Friday that
Lebanon hopes, by reaching agreements with the International Monetary Fund, to
gather $15 billion in grants and loans from the Fund and other international
institutions.
On Thursday, the IMF said it had reached a draft funding agreement with Lebanon,
but that Beirut needed to enact a batch of economic reforms first before its
board decides whether to approve the deal. Salameh also said he hoped prior
conditions set by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in their staff-level
agreement with Lebanon would be met in order to secure IMF board approval of a
programme. “We hope that the prior conditions set by the IMF are met in order to
have a programme approval by the board of the IMF,” Salameh also said,
describing the agreement as “a positive event for Lebanon”.
“The agreement with the IMF will contribute to the unification of the exchange
rate,” Salameh said. The central bank had “cooperated and facilitated the
mission”, he said. The set of reforms, which the IMF wants Lebanon to enact
before approving a funding deal for the country, will largely be left for a new
parliament to study, said an adviser to the prime minister on Friday, suggesting
little may be done before a May 15 national election. Nicolas Nahhas, a senior
lawmaker and adviser to Prime Minister Najib Mikati, noted there were only a few
weeks left before the election and MPs were busy campaigning.
“This wasn’t meant to be done in a few weeks and nobody serious would say it
should be done in that time frame,” he said. Thursday’s staff-level agreement
covers a 46-month extended fund facility, under which Lebanon has requested
access to the equivalent of around $3 billion, the IMF said in a statement. But
it is dependent on Beirut enacting reforms that include steps its ruling
politicians have failed to deliver since the crisis erupted, such as addressing
how to allocate losses from a government-estimated $70 billion hole in the
financial system. While Lebanese leaders hailed the preliminary agreement and
said they were ready to make it a success, some analysts doubted whether
politicians could deliver after more than two years of inaction. Legislative
elections are scheduled for May 15, after which a new government will need to be
formed, a process that typically takes many months in Lebanon, potentially
another complication to implementing the agreement.
As tensions ease, Saudi, Kuwaiti, Yemeni envoys return
to Lebanon
Reuters/April 09/2022
Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Yemen on Thursday announced the return of their
ambassadors to Lebanon in a sign of improving ties which hit rock bottom last
year when the kingdom and other Arab Gulf states withdrew their envoys. Saudi
Arabia and fellow wealthy Gulf states were once major donors for Lebanon.
However, relations have been strained for years by the growing influence of the
Iran-backed Hezbollah movement. The Saudi Foreign Ministry said its ambassador
returned in response to calls by “moderate” Lebanese political forces and after
remarks by Prime Minister Najib Mikati regarding “ending all political, military
and security activities” that affect Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states. The
Saudi statement on state news agency SPA stressed the importance of Lebanon
“returning to its Arab depth.”Kuwait’s foreign ministry issued a similar
statement. Mikati’s office said Kuwait’s envoy would return before the end of
the week. Mikati, in a Twitter post welcoming the move, said Lebanon was “proud
of its Arab affiliation and upholds the best relations with Gulf states”,
describing them as pillars of support. The Gulf rift has added to the
difficulties facing Lebanon as it struggles with a financial crisis that the
World Bank has described as one of the sharpest depressions ever recorded. The
International Monetary Fund (IMF) said on Thursday it had reached a draft
funding agreement with Lebanon, but that Beirut needed to enact a batch of
economic reforms first before its board decided whether to approve the deal.
Later on Thursday, Yemen’s foreign ministry announced the return of its envoy to
Lebanon. “The move is in response to Beirut’s pledge to halt activities and
practices offensive to Arab countries,” the Yemeni ministry said in a statement
carried by the country’s state news agency.
Souring ties had hit new lows last October after a former Lebanese government
minister criticised the Saudi-led military coalition fighting in Yemen, a
conflict widely seen as a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran. Hezbollah
supports Tehran in its regional struggle for influence with US-allied Gulf Arab
states, which say the group has aided Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement.
Hezbollah has a militia more powerful than Lebanon’s army and has backed
pro-Iran allies in the region, including in Syria. The group and its allies also
exercise major sway over Lebanese state policy.
Lebanon on 'right track' as $3bn IMF deal struck, Prime
Minister says
Massoud A Derhally/Aarti Nagraj/The National/April 09/2022
The International Monetary Fund has reached an agreement to offer about $3
billion to Lebanon as part of a four-year deal based on a comprehensive economic
reform programme, the IMF announced on Thursday.
“It's the first step towards really going out of this crisis and we are on the
right track,” prime minister Najib Mikati told The National, when asked if the
accord marked the beginning of the end of the country's economic crisis.
“We have all the necessary reform laws that they are asking for, we are going to
present them soon and hopefully the parliament will look at them and God willing
everything will work out,” Mr Mikati said.
The Extended Fund Arrangement (EFF) aims to “rebuild the economy, restore
financial sustainability, strengthen governance and transparency, remove
impediments to job-creating growth, and increase social and reconstruction
spending”, the IMF said.
“This will need to be complemented by the restructuring of external public debt
that will result in sufficient creditor participation to restore debt
sustainability and close financing gaps,” the statement said.
The country's public debt increased to $100bn, or about 212 per cent of GDP, in
2021. That ranks Lebanon as the country with the fourth highest debt-to-GDP
ratio in the world, surpassed only by Japan, Sudan and Greece, according to the
World Bank.
Lebanon had applied for a $10bn IMF bailout package in May 2020. However, talks
with the lender stalled due to bickering among the various political factions in
the country and a lack of consensus on the size of the debt and losses on the
balance sheet of the central bank.
The agreement struck on Thursday is subject to IMF management and executive
board approval, after the implementation “of all prior actions and confirmation
of international partners’ financial support”, the fund said.
Lebanon's central bank not bankrupt, governor says
Lebanon's inflation hits 215% in February as economic meltdown worsens
Lebanon's business conditions hit by inflation and political crisis in March
Lebanon is going through its worst economic crisis since the country's
independence in 1943. The country's economy contracted about 58 per cent between
2019 and 2021, with gross domestic product plummeting to $21.8bn in 2021 from
about $52bn in 2019, according to the World Bank. That is the largest
contraction on a list of 193 countries.
Lebanon's economy collapsed after it defaulted on about $31bn of Eurobonds in
March 2020, with its currency sinking more than 90 per cent against the dollar
on the black market and inflation rising to triple digits.
The crisis has been compounded by the Covid-19 pandemic and the August 2020 port
of Beirut explosion, while the war in Ukraine is exacerbating pressures on the
current account and inflation and further straining food and fuel supplies, the
IMF said.
Inflation soared to an annual 215 per cent in February, marking the 20th
consecutive triple-digit increase of the Central Administration of Statistics'
Consumer Price Index since July 2020. The index increased 4.31 per cent from
January 2022.
“Lebanon is facing an unprecedented crisis, which has led to a dramatic economic
contraction and a large increase in poverty, unemployment, and emigration,” the
Washington-based fund said.
“This crisis is a manifestation of deep and persistent vulnerabilities generated
by many years of unsustainable macroeconomic policies fuelling large twin
deficits (fiscal and external), support for an overvalued exchange rate and an
oversized financial sector, combined with severe accountability and transparency
problems and lack of structural reforms.”
The economic reform plan includes improving public finances and reducing public
debt through revenue-generating and administrative reform measures to ensure a
more equal and transparent distribution of the tax burden.
Lebanon's 2022 budget, part of that plan, aims to achieve a primary deficit of 4
per cent of GDP, supported by a change in imports valuation for custom and tax
purposes to be done at a unified exchange rate.
Confidence in the country's banking system and lenders who traditionally had
been the backbone of the economy and helped various governments fund fiscal and
current account deficits eroded as a liquidity crunch, shortage of dollars and
informal capital control measures set in once the economic crisis unfolded.
The fund said the “health and viability of the financial sector will need to be
restored for the country to be able to lift the existing uncertainty and provide
conditions for strong economic growth".
“Total recapitalisation needs in the banking system are very large, and losses
will need to be recognised upfront and allocated, while protecting small
depositors. An appropriate strategy has been designed, but its implementation
requires a number of legislative changes to support it.”
Lebanon had escaped the 2008 global credit crisis relatively unscathed due to a
high interest rate regime, which lured more than $1bn a month in capital flows
that financed the government deficits. But the outbreak of war in neighbouring
Syria in 2011, years of fiscal mismanagement, and the collapse of oil prices
slowed the flow of funds to Lebanese lenders which led to negative deposit
growth.
The fund called for reforms to Lebanon's tax policy to strengthen its revenue
intake.
“The authorities recognise the urgent need to initiate a multipronged reform
programme to tackle these challenges, bring back confidence and put the economy
back on a sustainable growth path, with stronger private sector activity and job
creation,” the IMF said.
Prior to receiving the IMF board’s consideration, Lebanon's authorities have
agreed to certain measures including cabinet approval of a bank restructuring
strategy; an emergency bank resolution legislation to implement the strategy;
initiating an externally assisted bank-by-bank evaluation for the country's 14
largest banks; a reformed bank secrecy law to fight corruption; a medium-term
fiscal and debt restructuring strategy; and parliament approval of the 2022
budget.
"The staff-level agreement is just the first step in the process of reaching a
final deal with the IMF," said Nassib Ghobril, chief economist at Byblos Bank.
"It is important that Lebanese authorities abide concretely by their stated
commitment to reforms, otherwise the agreement with the IMF will not go
through."
The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous
Reports And News published on
April 09-10/2022
Rights Organizations Accuse Iran of Harassing Witnesses of
2019 Protests Court
London - Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 9 April, 2022
A total of 15 rights organizations issued a joint statement calling on the
international community to urge the Iranian authorities to immediately cease
their reprisals against the Iran Atrocities (Aban) Tribunal’s witnesses and
their families. An international-popular court in London started last November
hearing testimonies of more than 300 former detainees in addition to their
families as well as current and former medical cadres and officials.
“Since mid-November 2021, Iranian authorities, including Ministry of
Intelligence agents, have subjected at least six Tribunal witnesses and/or their
families to a litany of abuses, including arbitrary arrest and detention.
As such, these violations constitute a form of torture, or other cruel,
inhuman, or degrading treatment.”“The Iranian authorities have subjected Amin
Ansarifar, whose son Farzad Ansarifar was killed by security forces on 16
November 2019 during the protests in Behbahan, Khuzestan province, and his
family, to harassment since he testified at the hearings in November 2021,”
added the statement. “The authorities have ordered
relatives in Iran to cut ties with Tribunal witnesses based abroad and publicly
denounce their testimonies or face consequences including detention and other
harm to them and their family members, including children,” read the statement.
“We further reiterate our call on the UN Human Rights Council to
establish an investigative and accountability mechanism on Iran to collect,
analyze and preserve evidence of crimes under international law committed in
Iran to facilitate fair criminal proceedings in the future.”
The statement concluded, “To date, no public official has been
investigated, let alone held accountable, for ordering, committing or
acquiescing to the grave human rights violations and crimes under international
law committed during and in the aftermath of the protests.”
Protests erupted in Iran on 15 November 2019 over a sudden overnight increase in
the price of fuel. Amnesty International has released details of the deaths of
304 men, during last November’s crackdown.
US Forces Conduct Drills in Bases Attacked by Iran
Ankara - Saeed Abdulrazek/Saturday, 9 April, 2022
The US-led international coalition forces conducted military maneuvers and
training in the vicinity of Al-Omar oil field in northeastern Syria, after their
base came under missile attacks in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor.
The US Army Central Command (Centcom) announced that four US soldiers
were slightly wounded in the missile attack targeting, at dawn on Thursday, a
base used by the anti-ISIS coalition in the Deir Ezzor region.
The rockets struck two support buildings at the Green Village base in
Deir Ezzor province run by allied Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, where
the US and coalition partners maintain a mission against the remnants of ISIS.
“At this time, four US service members are being evaluated for minor
injuries and possible traumatic brain injuries,” the Central Command said in a
statement. Meanwhile, armored vehicles and dozens of US soldiers and coalition
forces participated in the maneuvers, with the presence of SDF fighters. Heavy
weapons and missiles were used during the drills, and training strikes were
carried out on fake targets with mortars and anti-tank launchers.
In a related development, the international coalition forces reinforced
their military bases in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor. Two shipments of
weapons arrived at the Al-Omar oil field and the Conoco gas plant, which
included logistical and military equipment. Last
month, the coalition forces received five shipments of weapons and military
vehicles in their bases in the north-east of the country. The reinforcements
coincided with mounted tension between the US army and the IRGC-backed militias.
Separately, unidentified gunmen targeted an SDF checkpoint in the town of
Dhiban, east of Deir Ezzor, which resulted in violent clashes between the two
sides. Eyewitnesses and local websites said that the gunmen raised Syrian
government flags on electric poles. For its part,
Turkey continued its attacks on positions controlled by the SDF in northeastern
Syria in the countryside of Aleppo. A new wave of
clashes erupted among pro-Turkey armed factions in the two areas known as Peace
Spring in northeastern Syria, and Olive Branch in Afrin, located in the Aleppo
Governorate. Fighting with machine guns took place between the Turkish-backed
King Shah and Hamza divisions in the village of Tal Halaf in the Ras al-Ain
countryside, as a result of disputes over migrant smuggling to Turkey. No
information was received about human losses.
Palestinian Killed in Battle with Israeli Forces
Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 9 April, 2022
Israeli troops on Saturday raided the West Bank hometown of a Palestinian who
carried out a deadly shooting in Tel Aviv, sparking a gunbattle that left at
least one Palestinian militant dead, according to Palestinian officials.
The Israeli military said its troops were carrying out what it said was a
counter-terrorism operation in the city of Jenin and the adjacent Jenin refugee
camp. That's the area in the northern West Bank where the gunman in Thursday's
attack had lived. It said the troops came under fire and returned fire at the
assailants. There were no Israeli casualties and the forces seized an automatic
rifle used by one of the militants, the military said.
It gave no further details, but the Israeli news site Ynet said troops had
surrounded the attacker's home to arrest some of his relatives.
The Palestinian news agency Wafa shared a video on Twitter in which
gunshots could be heard. The Palestinian Health Ministry said at least one
Palestinian was killed and 10 wounded. The "Islamic Jihad" group identified the
dead man as one of its fighters. Jenin is considered a
stronghold of Palestinian fighters. Israeli forces often come under fire when
operating in the area. Even the Palestinian Authority, which administers parts
of the occupied West Bank and coordinates with Israel on security matters,
appears to have little control. In Thursday's
shooting, a Palestinian gunman opened fire in central Tel Aviv, killing three
people. The attacker, identified as Raad Hazem, 28, of Jenin, was later killed
by Israeli forces. It was the fourth deadly attack in Israel by Palestinians in
three weeks and came at a time of heightened tensions around the start of the
Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Two of those attacks were carried out by men from
Jenin. Protests and clashes in Jerusalem during Ramadan last year helped spark
an 11-day war between Israel and the Hamas movement.
UK's PM, in Kyiv, offers armored vehicles, anti-ship
missiles
Agence France Presse/Saturday, 9 April, 2022
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, on a visit to Kyiv, Saturday vowed UK
armoured vehicles and anti-ship missiles for Ukraine as he acclaimed its
military for "the greatest feat of arms of the 21st century."
"It is because of President (Volodymyr) Zelensky's resolute leadership and the
invincible heroism and courage of the Ukrainian people that (Vladimir) Putin's
monstrous aims are being thwarted," he said after meeting Zelensky, according to
a Downing Street statement.
Zelensky Calls for 'Firm Global Response' to Train
Station Bombing
Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 9 April, 2022
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called for a "firm global response"
Friday after a missile strike killed 52 people at a train station in eastern
Ukraine where civilians had gathered to flee a feared Russian offensive.
"This is another Russian war crime for which everyone involved will be
held accountable," Zelensky said in a video message, referring to Friday's
missile strike, whose victims included five children.
"World powers have already condemned Russia's attack on Kramatorsk. We expect a
firm global response to this war crime," he continued.
World leaders condemned the attack in the Donetsk capital, with US President Joe
Biden accusing Russia of being behind a "horrific atrocity" that the French
condemned as a "crime against humanity," reported AFP.
At least 52 people including five children were killed, the regional government
said, while Zelensky reported 300 wounded, saying the strike showed "evil with
no limits". Zelensky said the bombing had been reported in Russia before the
missiles had even landed and called for more weaponry to counter Moscow's
aggression. "I am sure that the victory of Ukraine is
just a matter of time, and I will do everything to reduce this time," he added.
AFP journalists saw the bodies of at least 30 people under plastic sheets next
to the station. Body parts, packed bags and stuffed animals were flung across
the floor. On the station forecourt, the remains of a missile were still
visible. It was tagged with white paint with the words
"for our children" in Russian, an expression frequently used by pro-Russian
separatists in reference to their losses since the start of the first Donbas war
in 2014. "I was in the station. I heard, like, a
double explosion. I rushed to the wall for protection," said Natalia, searching
for her passport among the abandoned belongings. Another woman in a state of
shock told AFP: "I saw people covered in blood entering the station and bodies
everywhere on the ground." Russia denied being behind
the missile strike, which came with European Commission President Ursula von der
Leyen and EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell in Kyiv for talks with Zelensky
and to visit the scene of civilian killings in the town of Bucha.
Russia faces "decay" because of ever tougher sanctions and Ukraine had a
"European future", Von der Leyen said at a news conference with Zelensky.Six
weeks into President Vladimir Putin's invasion, Moscow has shifted its focus to
eastern and southern Ukraine after stiff resistance ended plans to swiftly
capture the capital Kyiv.
'All this horror' -
Russian troops appear set on creating a long-sought land link between occupied
Crimea and the Moscow-backed separatist statelets of Donetsk and Lugansk in the
Donbas region, where civilians have been urged to flee heavy shelling that has
laid waste to towns and complicated evacuation efforts. "There is no secret --
the battle for Donbas will be decisive. What we have already experienced -- all
this horror -- it can multiply," warned Lugansk regional governor Sergiy Gaiday.
In the city of Lozova west of Kramatorsk, more than 15,000 people have
fled, Oleg Sinegubov, head of the Kharkiv regional military administration, said
on Telegram. "There are still about 50 thousand
[people]. A large number of people will leave. Departures are organized both by
rail and own vehicles," he said, adding that fighting was taking place nearby.
In the south, the Black Sea port city of Odessa girded for rocket
attacks, imposing a weekend curfew. Residents and
Ukrainian officials returning after a Russian withdrawal from an area near Kyiv,
meanwhile, were taking stock of the scale of the devastation.
Bucha, where authorities say hundreds were killed -- some with their
hands bound -- has become a byword for the brutality allegedly inflicted under
Russian occupation. But Zelensky warned worse was
being uncovered. "They have started sorting through
the ruins in Borodianka," northwest of Kyiv, he said in his nightly address. "It
is much more horrific there. There are even more victims of Russian
occupiers."Conflict in the area has wrought massive destruction and bodies are
only now being retrieved, with 27 recovered from two destroyed buildings,
according to Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova. Fresh allegations also
emerged from Obukhovychi, northwest of Kyiv, where villagers told AFP they were
used as human shields.
- 'Help us now' -
Moscow has denied targeting civilians, but growing evidence of atrocities has
galvanized Ukraine's allies in the EU, which has approved an embargo on Russian
coal and the closure of its ports to Russian vessels.
The bloc has frozen 30 billion euros ($32.6 billion) in assets from blacklisted
Russian and Belarusian individuals and companies, it said Friday.
It also blacklisted Putin's two adult daughters and more than 200 others
as part of its latest sanctions package, according to an official list published
late Friday. The United States and Britain had already sanctioned the Russian
leader's daughters. En route to Kyiv, Borrell told journalists the EU would
supply 7.5 million euros to train Ukrainian prosecutors to investigate war
crimes, which Russia is accused of committing. At the
United Nations General Assembly, 93 nations voted Thursday to suspend Russia
from the body's human rights council, prompting accusations from Moscow that the
move was "illegal and politically motivated.""Russia's lies are no match for the
undeniable evidence of what is happening in Ukraine," Biden said, calling the
invasion "an outrage to our common humanity". Ukraine has welcomed new pressure
on Moscow, but it continues to push for harsher sanctions and more heavy
weaponry. "Either you help us now -- and I'm speaking
about days, not weeks -- or your help will come too late and many people will
die, many civilians will lose their homes, many villages will be destroyed,"
foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba said after meeting NATO foreign ministers in
Brussels. Britain said Friday it was sending Ukraine more "high-grade military
equipment" including Starstreak anti-aircraft missiles and 800 anti-tank
missiles, while Slovakia said it had given Ukraine an S-300 air defense system.
Russia’s Actions Appear to Be War Crimes, EU’s von der
Leyen Says
Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 9 April, 2022
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Saturday that Russian
forces appeared to have committed war crimes by targeting civilians in Ukraine,
but she said lawyers must investigate the alleged incidents.
Leaving Ukraine after a visit, she said she had seen with her own eyes on Friday
the destruction in the town of Bucha near Kyiv. A forensics team began exhuming
a mass grave on Friday containing the bodies of civilians who local officials
say were killed while Russians occupied the town.
"My instinct says: If this is not a war crime, what is a war crime, but I am a
medical doctor by training and lawyers have to investigate carefully," von der
Leyen told reporters on board a train leaving Ukraine on Saturday.
"I saw the photos, (Ukrainian prime minister) Denys Shmyhal showed me:
Killing people as they are walking by. We could also see with our own eyes, that
the destruction in the city is targeted into the civilian lives. Residential
buildings are no military target", she said, referring to Bucha.
Moscow has rejected allegations by Ukraine and Western nations of war
crimes and has denied targeting civilians in what the Kremlin calls a "special
military operation" to demilitarize and "denazify" its neighbor.
The Kremlin said on Tuesday that allegations that Russian forces had
executed civilians in Bucha were a "monstrous forgery" aimed at denigrating the
Russian army. On Friday, the same day that von der Leyen and Josep Borrell, the
EU's chief diplomat, visited Kyiv and its outskirts, Ukraine and its allies
blamed Russia for a missile attack that killed at least 52 people at Kramatorsk
train station in eastern Ukraine. The Russian defense
ministry was quoted by RIA news agency as saying the missiles said to have
struck Kramatorsk station were used only by Ukraine's military and that Russia's
armed forces had no targets assigned in Kramatorsk on Friday. Von der Leyen said
the EU is working with Ukraine in a joint investigation team to gather evidence
of possible war crimes for use in future court cases. "It is extremely important
that it is well documented, to prevent defeats in court because the evidence is
not good enough," von der Leyen said. The International Criminal Court's chief
prosecutor, Karim Khan, said last month he had opened an investigation into
possible war crimes in Ukraine.
Ramaphosa, Biden Talk after South Africa Abstains from
UN Russia Vote
Asharq Al-Awsat/ Saturday, 9 April, 2022
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa held telephone talks Friday with US
President Joe Biden, a day after the continental powerhouse abstained from
voting on a resolution suspending Russia from a UN rights body over its
aggression in Ukraine. Ramaphosa, whose government has been criticized for
refusing to condemn Moscow's bloody invasion, had a day earlier blasted the UN
Security Council as "outdated" and in dire need of an overhaul, AFP reported.
Hours later, South Africa was among the 58 countries that abstained from voting
on the UN General Assembly resolution that suspended Russia from the UN Human
Rights Council as punishment for the invasion of Ukraine.
It was the third time South Africa abstained from voting on resolutions
adopted over the war. Ramaphosa tweeted Friday that he had "a productive"
telephone call with Biden. "We shared views on the conflict in Ukraine and
agreed on the need for a ceasefire and dialogue between Ukraine and Russia,"
Ramaphosa wrote. The White House said in a readout of the call that Biden
"emphasized the strength of the bilateral partnership, as well as global
challenges brought on by Russia's further invasion of Ukraine".
The American leader stressed "the need for a clear, unified international
response to Russian aggression in Ukraine", the statement said.
Local media suggested it was Biden who initiated the call to Ramaphosa.
The high-profile rebuke of Russia at the UN marked only the second ever
suspension of a country from the global body's human rights council -- Libya was
the first, in 2011. On Thursday, Ramaphosa sharply
criticized the UN Security Council for enabling powerful nations to use their
clout to make decisions that were at times catastrophic. "The current formation
of the UN Security Council is outdated and unrepresentative," he said. "It
disadvantages countries with developing economies."South Africa has maintained a
non-aligned stance on the conflict in Ukraine, touting negotiation as the best
option to end the conflict despite international outrage and condemnation.
British Defense Ministry Says Russia Targeting Civilians
Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 9 April, 2022
Britain's defense ministry said on Saturday that Russian forces were targeting
civilians, a day after a missile attack on a train station crowded with women,
children and the elderly killed at least 52 people, according to Ukrainian
officials. Russia was focusing its offensive, which included cruise missiles
launched by its naval forces, on the eastern Donbas region, the British ministry
said in a daily briefing. It said it expected air
attacks would increase in the south and east as Russia seeks to establish a land
bridge between Crimea, which Moscow annexed in 2014, and the Donbas but
Ukrainian forces were thwarting the advance. Ukrainian
officials said shelling had increased in the region in recent days as more
Russian forces arrived. "The occupiers continue to
prepare for the offensive in the east of our country in order to establish full
control over the territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions," the General Staff
of Ukraine’s armed forces said. President Volodymyr
Zelenskiy called the strike on the train station in Kramatorsk, in the eastern
region of Donetsk, a deliberate attack on civilians. The city's mayor estimated
4,000 people were gathered there at the time. Regional
governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said the station was hit by a Tochka-U short-range
ballistic missile containing cluster munitions, which explode in mid-air,
spraying bomblets over a wider area. Reuters was
unable to verify what happened in Kramatorsk. Cluster
munitions are banned under a 2008 convention. Russia has not signed it but has
previously denied using such armaments in Ukraine. The
United States, the European Union and Britain condemned the incident which took
place on the same day European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen visited
Kyiv to show solidarity and accelerate Ukraine's membership process.
"We expect a firm global response to this war crime," Zelenskiy said in a video
posted late on Friday.
"Any delay in providing ... weapons to Ukraine, any refusals, can only mean the
politicians in question want to help the Russian leadership more than us," he
said, calling for an energy embargo and all Russian banks to be cut off from the
global system. Russia's more than six-week long
incursion has seen more than 4 million people flee abroad, killed or injured
thousands, left a quarter of the population homeless and turned cities into
rubble as it drags on for longer than Russia expected.
In Washington, a senior defense official said the United States was "not buying
the denial by the Russians that they weren't responsible", and believed Russian
forces had fired a short-range ballistic missile in the train station attack.
The Russian defense ministry was quoted by RIA news agency as saying the
missiles said to have struck the station were used only by Ukraine's military
and that Russia's armed forces had no targets assigned in Kramatorsk on Friday.
Russia has denied targeting civilians since President Vladimir Putin ordered the
invasion on Feb. 24 in what he called a "special military operation" to
demilitarize and "denazify" Russia's southern neighbor.
Ukraine and its Western supporters call that a pretext for an unprovoked
invasion. The Kremlin said on Friday the "special operation" could end in the
"foreseeable future" with its aims being achieved through work by the Russian
military and peace negotiators. NATO Secretary General
Jens Stoltenberg has warned the war could last months or even years. The White
House said it would support attempts to investigate the attack in Kramatorsk,
which Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson said showed "the depths to which
Putin's vaunted army has sunk".
Forensic investigation
Following a partial Russian pullback near Kyiv, a forensics team on Friday began
exhuming a mass grave in the town of Bucha. Authorities say hundreds of dead
civilians have been found there. Russia has called allegations that its forces
executed civilians in Bucha a "monstrous forgery" aimed at denigrating its army
and justifying more sanctions. Visiting the town on Friday, von der Leyen said
it had witnessed the "unthinkable". She later handed
Zelenskiy a questionnaire forming a starting point for the EU to decide on
membership, telling him: "It will not as usual be a matter of years to form this
opinion but I think a matter of weeks."Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer is due
to visit on Saturday for talks with Zelenskiy. The bloc also overcame some
divisions to adopt new sanctions, including bans on the import of coal, wood,
chemicals and other products alongside the freezing of EU assets belonging to
Putin's daughters and more oligarchs. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said
the possibility of an oil ban would be discussed on Monday but called oil
sanctions "a big elephant in the room" for a continent heavily reliant on
Russian energy. Ten humanitarian corridors to evacuate
people from besieged regions have been agreed for Saturday, Ukraine's Deputy
Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said. The planned corridors include one for
people evacuating by private transport from the devastated southeastern city of
Mariupol.
Iran Seizes Boat for Allegedly Smuggling Fuel
Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 9 April, 2022
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have seized a foreign boat allegedly smuggling fuel
in the Gulf and arrested its 11 crew members, a senior justice official said.
“Naval forces have seized a foreign vessel carrying smuggled fuel in Gulf
waters,” said Mojtaba Ghahramani, justice chief for Iran’s southern Hormozgan
province. “Over 220,000 liters of smuggled fuel were seized and 11 foreign crew
members were detained for investigation,” he added. Ghahramani did not specify
the date the boat was seized, nor the origin of the vessel or nationality of the
crew. The Guards also captured an “Iranian boat carrying 20,000 liters of
smuggled diesel, intended to supply the foreign ship” and arrested three crew
members, Ghahramani said, adding the seizure was made in Iranian territorial
waters.
Pro-Khamenei Scholar: Nuclear Deal Won’t Stop Attacks against US Forces
London - Tehran - Asharq Al-Awsat/ Saturday, 9
April, 2022
Tehran’s Friday prayer interim imam, Kazem Seddiqi, ruled out any link between
the Iranian nuclear talks and the halt of attacks against US forces in the
region. The attacks against US forces will “continue” until the end of their
“illegal” presence in the region, Iranian websites quoted Seddiqi as saying.
“Before the nuclear agreement, an expensive drone was hunted down and
(US) bases were hit in Syria and Ain al-Assad… It has nothing to do with the
nuclear agreement,” he stated. “As long as this illegal presence continues, the
attacks will persist,” he added. Seddiqi called on Iranian officials to abide by
the directives of the supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, on the need to obtain
appropriate guarantees in any nuclear deal. “Nuclear energy is one of our basic
needs… we should not be deceived again,” he underlined.
In June 2019, Iran shot down a US Global Hawk drone in international
airspace east of the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran said at the time that the plane,
worth more than $110 million, had violated its airspace.
In January 2020, the Iranian IRGC fired at least 15 missiles at two
military bases accommodating US forces in Iraq. Fifty US military personnel were
diagnosed with concussions and traumatic brain injuries as a result of the
attack. Seddiqi’s statements come amid a heated debate in the United States over
removing the IRGC from the terrorist list, after a request made by Iran at a
crucial moment of the nuclear negotiations in Vienna.
In recent comments, Chief of Staff of the US Army Gen. Mark Milley voiced
opposition to removing Al-Quds Force, the foreign arm of the IRGC, from the US
terrorist list. AFP noted that Milley, by referring specifically to the Al-Quds
Force and not to the IRGC as a whole, might be giving an indication of a
possible compromise.
Iran’s Nuclear Chief Urges IAEA to Fulfill Its Legal
Obligations
NNA/Saturday, 9 April, 2022
Head of Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Mohammad Eslami called on the
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to be committed to implementing its
legal tasks and stop succumbing to excessive demands, pressures, and malign
operations from Iran’s enemies. Speaking in the National Nuclear Technology Day
celebration attended by Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi on Saturday, Eslami said
that the AEOI has managed to prepare the Comprehensive Strategic Document of
Iran’s Nuclear Industry for the next two decades with the collaboration of a
group of Iranian experts.
He also said that documents for human resources development, radiation
application development with the intention of covering all domestic products,
and nuclear power development, including a program for establishing 1,000
megawatts of nuclear power in the aforementioned timeframe, have been prepared.
Iran’s nuclear chief also noted that the organization has planned to direct
interactions with the IAEA towards a professional approach and to prepare the
Country Program Framework (CPF) to submit it to the IAEA in order to prevent
future allegations and psychological operations by the enemies on Iran’s nuclear
activities. With the clarification policy adopted by Iran, Eslami underlined,
Tehran expected the IAEA to be committed to implementation of its legal tasks
and strop succumbing to excessive demands, pressure and malign operations from
Iran’s enemies, the Israeli regime in particular. He announced that the AEOI has
had 77 achievements in various nuclear-related fields and that President Raisi
was going to unveil nine of the most important ones which are as follows:
The Comprehensive Strategic Document for Nuclear Industry
The first sample of silicide fuel disks to replace Tehran Research fuel
Designing and manufacturing detoxification system for pistachios using cold
plasma
Designing and manufacturing cold plasma system for cancer treatments
Three brilliant achievements on radiopharmaceuticals in cancer treatment
Developing sustainable zirconia powder production technology
Designing and manufacturing laser source for micromachining used in building
tiny parts with high accuracy ----IRNA
Men Accused of Impersonating Federal Agents Investigated
for Possible Ties with IRGC
Washington - Heba El Koudsy/Saturday, 9 April, 2022
The US Department of Justice issued a ruling to maintain the imprisonment of two
persons arrested in Washington, for impersonating federal security officials
over several years, as well as recruiting people to gain access to the security
service that protects President Joe Biden and his wife.
The authorities launched an investigation into possible links with Iranian
intelligence services, particularly Al-Quds Force, the foreign arm of the
Revolutionary Guards.
The US authorities announced the arrest of Iranian-born Arian Taherzadeh, 40,
and Pakistani-born Haider Ali 35, on Wednesday evening in their residence in the
luxurious Crossing Building, in the Eastern Market neighborhood near the US
Capitol building in Washington.
Justice Department Assistant Attorney Joshua S. Rothstein told the court on
Friday that the two men, who hold US passports with visas to Iran and Pakistan,
have impersonated Department of Homeland Security officials, including members
of federal law enforcement agencies, since February 2020. Rothstein said that
during 2019 and 2020, the two men recruited professional security personnel in
an apartment building in Washington, and traveled several times to Pakistan,
Turkey, Iran and Qatar.In addition, Rothstein said that Ali “made claims to witnesses that he had
connections to the ISI, which is the Pakistani intelligence service.”Investigators found in the residence a number of pistols, stockpiles of weapons,
flak jackets, radios, a small drone, training manuals and surveillance
equipment. They were also charged with providing bribery and favors to members
of the United States Secret Service, including an agent working with the
bodyguards of First Lady Jill Biden, and another officer in the White House
Uniformed Division. Judge Michael Harvey ordered that the two men not be
released on bail, due to fears that they might escape the United States. The
Pakistani embassy in Washington did not comment on the allegations of the
suspects’ links with Pakistani intelligence. CBS News reported that
investigators are looking into the possibility that the accused have links to
Iranian intelligence, including the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, or its foreign
arm, Al-Quds Force.
Syria’s Air Defenses Confront ‘Israeli Aggression’,
State Media Report
Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 9 April, 2022
Syrian air defenses confronted an "Israeli air aggression" on Saturday in the
country's central region, Syrian state media reported. "At 6:45 pm today, the
Israeli enemy launched an air aggression from the north of Lebanon, targeting
some points in the central region," state media said citing a military source.
Israel's military declined to comment on the reported air strikes in Syria.
Pakistan Vote on Ousting PM Khan Delayed, Uncertainty
Continues
Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 9 April, 2022
Pakistan's parliament abruptly adjourned before a planned vote on ousting Prime
Minister Imran Khan and had not reconvened as scheduled on Saturday as political
uncertainty continued to grip the nuclear-armed country.
Members of Khan's party had suggested on Friday they would try to delay
the vote as much as possible. The cricket star turned politician has vowed to
"struggle" against any move to replace him, the latest twist in a crisis that
has threatened political and economic stability in the South Asian nation of 220
million people, Reuters said. Khan's allies had blocked a similar no-confidence
vote last Sunday, but the country's Supreme Court ruled that move
unconstitutional, ordering parliament to reconvene.
Speaker Asad Qaiser, a Khan ally, said the session would resume at 12:30 p.m.
(0730 GMT), but an hour after that there were no signs of parliament
reconvening. Before the adjournment, opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif, expected
to become prime minister if Khan is ousted, addressed the assembly, urging
Qaiser to ensure the vote was carried out as a matter of priority. The speaker
said he would implement the court order "in true letter and spirit". Khan, 69,
surged to power in 2018 with the military's support but recently lost his
parliamentary majority when allies quit his coalition government. Opposition
parties say he has failed to revive an economy battered by COVID-19 or fulfill
promises to make Pakistan a corruption-free, prosperous nation respected on the
world stage. The opposition and some analysts say Khan
has fallen out with the military, a charge he and the military deny. The army
has ruled the state for half its 75-year post-colonial history, and no prime
minister has completed their full five-year term.
KHAN VOWS NO 'IMPORTED GOVERNMENT'
It was not clear how long Khan's allies might seek to delay the vote. Lawyer
Salahuddin Ahmed, who had argued in court for the vote to go ahead, said he
believed it must occur before midnight. Khan, who
enjoyed widespread popular support when he took office, said late on Friday he
was disappointed with the court ruling but accepted it. He had called an
election after dissolving parliament. But he said he
would not recognize any opposition government that replaced him. "I will not
accept an imported government," he told the nation in a late-night address,
suggesting the move to oust him was part of a foreign conspiracy and calling for
peaceful protests on Sunday. "I'm ready for a struggle."Khan opposed the US-led
intervention in Afghanistan and has developed relations with Russia since
becoming prime minister. He has accused the United States of supporting a plot
to oust him, without offering evidence of his claim, which Washington has
dismissed. As the turmoil continued, Pakistan's rupee
hit all-time lows on Thursday and foreign exchange reserves tumbled. The central
bank raised its benchmark interest rate by 2.5 percentage points, the biggest
hike since 1996. If Khan loses the no-confidence vote,
the opposition will put forward a candidate for prime minister. Sharif, the
younger brother of three-time former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, said after the
court ruling that the opposition had nominated him to take over should Khan be
ousted.
Canada/Minister Joly to visit
Indonesia and Vietnam to reinforce bilateral relations and expand partnerships
in Indo-Pacific
April 9, 2022 – Brussels, Belgium - Global Affairs
Canada
The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today announced that
she will be travelling to Indonesia and Vietnam from April 9 to 14. While
visiting these two strategic partners, she will expand partnerships and
reiterate Canada’s commitment to engagement with nations throughout the region
as part of the forthcoming Canadian Indo-Pacific Strategy.
Beyond our Pacific coastline and geographic proximity, Canada and the
Indo-pacific region have shared histories, cultures and significant
people-to-people ties. Today and in the coming years, the prosperity, security
and well-being of Canadians will be increasingly linked to economic, social and
political developments of the Indo-Pacific region. Canada is committed to
deepening our diplomatic, security trade and economic engagement in the region
to ensure we are seizing opportunities for Canadians and advancing shared
priorities.
She will also engage in discussions on pressing global challenges, including the
need for a diplomatic solution on the unjustifiable invasion of Ukraine and the
efforts of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to address the
ongoing crisis in Myanmar. Throughout her trip, Minister Joly will stress
Canada’s commitment to pursuing engagement in the Indo-Pacific region.
In Jakarta, Indonesia, Minister Joly will meet with government officials,
including Retno Marsudi, Minister for Foreign Affairs, to highlight Canada’s
70th anniversary of bilateral relations with Indonesia, a strategic global
partner. She will also meet with stakeholders on policy and regional security in
the Indo-Pacific and with feminist leaders supporting gender equality and
women’s empowerment in Indonesia. In meetings with ASEAN officials, she will
reaffirm Canada’s commitment to the association, particularly to its central
role in bringing peace, security and prosperity in Southeast Asia.
In Hanoi, Vietnam, Minister Joly will meet with Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính,
Bùi Thanh Sơn, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Nguyễn Hồng Diên, Minister of
Industry and Trade to underscore Canada and Vietnam’s long-standing bilateral
ties in the lead-up to the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2023. She
will also visit the province of Thái Nguyên to meet with ethnic minority women
and learn more about how Canada’s development assistance is helping to
strengthen women-led businesses in the context of climate change and the
COVID-19 pandemic.
Quote
“Canada has been a strong, reliable and effective partner of Indonesia, Vietnam
and ASEAN, and our celebration of several decades of cooperation is an excellent
opportunity to reflect on our experiences and achievements. I look forward to
visiting Indonesia and Vietnam to gain a better understanding of the region, to
expand partnerships and to contribute successfully to a more secure, resilient,
inclusive and sustainable Indo-Pacific for the benefit of all people.”
- Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs
Quick facts
In 2022, Canada and Indonesia are celebrating the 70th anniversary of diplomatic
relations.
Indonesia is the 4th most populous country in the world, the most populous
Muslim country, the third largest democracy and the largest economy in Southeast
Asia.
In 2022, Canada is also celebrating 45 years of cooperation with the Association
of Southeast Asian Nations. Canada is one of 11 ASEAN Dialogue Partners and has
a diplomatic presence in all 10 Member States as well as a dedicated Ambassador
to ASEAN. As a bloc, ASEAN is Canada’s 6th largest trading partner.
In 2023, Canada and Vietnam will celebrate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic
relations.
Vietnam is Canada’s largest trading partner in the ASEAN region. Bilateral trade
continues to grow despite the economic downturn due to the pandemic
The Latest LCCC English
analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published
on April 09-10/2022
Syria’s $1.5bn seizure of protesters’ property ‘akin to scare tactic’
Ruth Michaelson/The Guardian/April 09/2022
Human rights group accuses Assad regime of profiting from detainees forced to
sign away their rights, some while blindfolded
More than $1.5bn (£1.2bn) worth of personal property including cars, olive
groves, shops, houses, electronics and jewellery has been seized by the Syrian
government from citizens accused of joining anti-government protests, according
to a rights group.
The Association of Detainees and the Missing in Sednaya Prison (ADMSP) estimates
that almost 40% of those detained after the Syrian uprising of 2011 were subject
to property seizures.
It alleges the Syrian regime has attempted to circumvent international sanctions
through this revenue, while ensuring that former detainees in exile have nothing
to return to as the country struggles to rebuild.
“The regime did this, they took everything so that we don’t go back,” said
Hassan Al Haj, remembering his family’s land in a village near Aleppo. “We used
to have lands with olive and pistachio trees. I’d built a house there but never
moved in. The government seized it before I was able to.”
Al Haj and other former detainees interviewed by the Guardian said they were
forced to sign convictions against them while blindfolded, after being tried on
terrorism charges for taking part in protests. This meant neither they nor their
families were aware they were forced to sign away both their civil rights and
anything they owned.
“My family initially didn’t know there was a ruling to seize our property,” he
said. “What they knew is I was sentenced to 15 years in prison.”
“After my release, when we asked those in our village, we learned that people
associated with the intelligence services are using our land, to plant trees and
sell the wood. They tell people in the village that this land, these properties
belong to terrorists so that no one dares approach or ask any questions.”
ADMSP describes how the dictatorial regime of Bashar al-Assad honed legal
methods to confiscate property from detainees as part of a brutal crackdown on
protests following the Syrian uprising of 2011.
Those accused of joining demonstrations or carrying out anti-government activity
were convicted under an anti-terrorism law that permits the state to permanently
strip them of all civil rights and opt to seize any property or belongings.
“It’s akin to a revenge or scare tactic that the regime is using,” said Diab
Serrih of ADMSP, who pointed out that the seizures have reshaped Syria, as most
of the property claimed by the state is in areas previously associated with
dissent, such as Daraya in the south, and Homs and Aleppo in the north.
Syria trail - explosion
‘It’s a kind of revenge’: Damascus suburb demolished as Assad builds a ‘new
Syria’
Tarek Ibrahim, whose name has been changed for his safety, described how the
government seized 15,000 sq metres of his family’s land near Damascus. “I had
many beautiful memories of that place,” he said. The state also seized
properties and a computer equipment shop previously operated by his family.
Ibrahim was arrested along with two of his brothers in 2012 for being
anti-government media workers in Aleppo. His family later learned that both his
brothers were executed in Sednaya military prison, outside Damascus.
It was only after Ibrahim’s release from prison in 2020 that he learned he had
been stripped of all civil rights, including the right to own property or
possessions. The rulings against all three brothers meant the entire family’s
property had been confiscated, including their parents’ land.
“All of our family properties are now held by the state. We can’t do anything
with them – if we try to sell them or rent them, the government will seize them
and arrest anyone involved,” he said.
Ibrahim said he decided to leave Syria after being detained and then ejected
from a government building for attempting to obtain a passport for his young
daughter. State bureaucrats saw that his paperwork bore a stamp showing he had
been stripped of all civil rights. They warned him: “If you come back, we will
have you arrested.”
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Biden Administration, EU and Iran's Mullahs: Historical
Mistake Repeating Itself
Majid Rafizadeh/Gatestone Institute/April 9, 2022
The Biden administration and the EU do not need to go too far back to see the
outcome of those appeasement policies and the nuclear deal with Iran. Its
theocratic regime became more determined than ever, as an oblation, an offering
to God, to annihilate Israel.
Right after the nuclear deal, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who
enjoys the final say in Iran's domestic and foreign policy, published a 416-page
book, titled "Palestine," with a cover featuring a map of the Middle East with
no Israel in it.
In the book, Khamenei details his plan of destroying Israel and characterized
himself as "the flag bearer of Jihad to liberate Jerusalem."
The more the Islamic Republic became empowered due to the appeasement it
received, the more it boasted that it could destroy Israel "in less than eight
minutes."
The Biden administration and the EU do not need to go too far back to see the
outcome of those appeasement policies and the nuclear deal with Iran. Its
theocratic regime became more determined than ever, as an oblation, an offering
to God, to annihilate Israel. Right after the nuclear deal, Iran's Supreme
Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (pictured at right), who enjoys the final say in
Iran's domestic and foreign policy, published a 416-page book, titled
"Palestine," with a cover featuring a map of the Middle East with no Israel in
it. (Image source: Khamenei.ir via Wikimedia Commons)
"Those who fail to learn from history are condemned to repeat it," Winston
Churchill said. This is exactly what is happening as the Biden administration
and the European Union continue relentlessly to appease the ruling mullahs of
Iran and attempting to revive the 2015 nuclear deal.
The Biden administration and the European Union appear to believe that rewarding
the Iranian regime will make it act as a constructive and modern nation-state.
This idea first surfaced and was acted upon during the administration of then US
President Barack Obama, who, on concluding the Joint Comprehensive Plan of
Action (JCPOA) nuclear deal with Iran in 2015, pointed out that he was
"confident" it would "meet the national security needs of the United States and
our allies".
As a result, members of the UN Security Council lifted rounds of crippling
sanctions that it had taken decades to impose on the Islamic Republic. Obama
revoked four previous executive orders against Iran — and removed unilateral US
sanctions, freeing up Iran's assets estimated to be worth between $50 billion to
$150 billion. The US Department of Treasury removed nearly 400 Iranian citizens
from a blocked list, freed up their assets and permitted them to do business
with the US.
The Obama-Biden administration also gave Iran the ability to re-enter the global
financial system and export and import vast commodities that previously had been
banned. The rest of the Western world followed as well. The EU removed all
nuclear-related economic and financial sanctions against Iran, enabling
Europeans to do increased business with it.
The Biden administration and the EU do not need to go too far back to see the
outcome of those appeasement policies and the nuclear deal with Iran. Its
theocratic regime became more determined than ever, as an oblation, an offering
to God, to annihilate Israel. Right after the nuclear deal, Iran's Supreme
Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who enjoys the final say in Iran's domestic and
foreign policy, published a 416-page book, titled "Palestine," with a cover
featuring a map of the Middle East with no Israel in it.
Khamenei details in the book his plan of destroying Israel and characterizes
himself as "the flag bearer of Jihad to liberate Jerusalem."
Hossein Salami, commander in chief of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps
(IRGC), followed up, stating:
"Today, the grounds for the annihilation and collapse of the Zionist regime are
[present] more than ever.... Hezbollah has 100,000 missiles that are ready to
hit Israel to liberate the occupied Palestinian territories".
The more the Islamic Republic became empowered due to the appeasement it
received, the more it boasted that it could destroy Israel "in less than eight
minutes."
Thanks to the nuclear deal and its appeasement policies, the Iranian regime
gained legitimacy, directed the billions of dollars to Iran's military and the
IRGC, as well as to Iran's militias and terror groups. Iran, through its
proxies, deepened its foothold in Iraq, Syria, Yemen and Venezuela, and
strengthened its hold on Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Tehran also detained and imprisoned more Americans.
The nations of the European Union, which also normalized relationships with the
Iranian regime, faced severe repercussions. When it comes to terrorism, member
states of the EU have been among the main targets of Iran's terrorist plots. The
Iranian regime was implicated in a series of assassinations, the seizing of
hostages and other hostile acts across Europe, some successful, others not, but
all traced back to Tehran. European officials were also able to foil a terrorist
attack targeting a large "Free Iran" convention in Paris in June 2018, and
attended by high-level speakers, including former US House of Representatives
Speaker Newt Gingrich and former Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird. Two years
later, in Belgium, one of Iran's active diplomats, the Iranian Assadollah
Assadi, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for trying to plant a bomb in Paris
in 2018.
The Biden administration and the EU must not repeat the Obama administration's
historical mistake. Appeasing and befriending the predatory rogue regime of Iran
will not make the EU or the US immune from the Iranian regime's malign,
destructive policies. It will only embolden the ruling extremist mullahs more
forcefully to pursue their anti-American, anti-semitic, anti-Western policies,
and to continue suppressing their own population with an iron fist.
*Dr. Majid Rafizadeh is a business strategist and advisor, Harvard-educated
scholar, political scientist, board member of Harvard International Review, and
president of the International American Council on the Middle East. He has
authored several books on Islam and US foreign policy. He can be reached at
Dr.Rafizadeh@Post.Harvard.Edu
© 2022 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.
The US Opens a Risky New Front in Cyberdefense
Tim Culpan//Bloomberg/April, 09/2022
A US operation to secretly remove malware from networks at home and overseas
highlights the new front Washington is opening in its approach to global
cyberdefense. It’s a much-needed strategy, but one that ought to be handle
delicately if the US is to maintain the cooperation necessary to keep pulling
off such sneaky maneuvers. The US and its allies found malicious code developed
and planted by Russia’s military intelligence agency, the GRU, in thousands of
devices worldwide, Attorney General Merrick Garland revealed Wednesday. The US
and other nations have been on the alert for the possibility that Russia would
conduct cyberattacks on businesses or critical infrastructure to retaliate
against sanctions over the war in Ukraine.
But the mission disclosed this week went further than identifying where malware
had turned up. According to the New York Times, secret court orders allowed the
US to remove the malicious software from Russian control by taking steps that
included entering corporate networks without the companies’ knowledge.
It’s a big shift from the time when Western governments mainly portrayed
themselves as victims of hacking, incapable or unwilling to counter cyberthreats
by intruding into foreign systems. The new proactive approach, including
publicizing what authorities are doing to try to preempt attacks, reflects the
realities of modern cyberwarfare.
What’s remarkable about this operation is the decision to surreptitiously enter
companies’ computer networks. It’s one thing to have the police show up to your
house when you aren’t at home to investigate and detain an intruder. It’s
another thing entirely to cart away the intruder and never tell you about it.
While US allies might not mind, corporations both foreign and domestic could be
forgiven for being alarmed at the prospect of US authorities secretly rummaging
around in their computers hunting for malware, even if it’s for a good cause.
The US is able to get away with such maneuvers because its cybercapabilities are
so robust, and its relationship with partners so close, that it has built up
trust and respect. The strongest of these links is the Five Eyes alliance —
Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK and the US — in which intelligence is
collated and shared.
Given the admission that it worked with allies, it’s unlikely that the US
intruded into overseas networks without those partners being aware. Still,
foreign governments might have been unable to stop them, even if they wanted to.
One reason is the importance of speed and secrecy in such operations. Once
malware is found and a decision made to remove it, a team will want to work
quickly and meticulously so as not to alert the adversary or spark them into
activating the software’s nasty payload.
“No government would offer carte blanche, in-advance approval, but I could
imagine the conversation would be such that they communicate and act if they
spot malware in a partners’ network,” said Greg Austin, senior fellow in cyber,
space and future conflict at the International Institute for Strategic Studies
in Singapore. That kind of collaborative approach is important not only to carry
out the operation, but to keep partners amenable to further cooperation.
Governments don’t like allowing outsiders, including friends, to encroach on
their territorial sovereignty even in cyberspace.
Washington’s eavesdropping programs have come under scrutiny in the past, with
its ECHELON signal interception system — whose existence was first revealed by a
National Security Agency whistleblower in 1972 — being investigated by the
European Parliament 20 years ago. Although European governments were powerless
to halt such overarching surveillance, suspicion grew and detractors — including
Russia and China — were given further ammunition to call out the US as an
untrustworthy hypocrite.
With the US once again demonstrating its extraordinary ability and willingness
to exercise power beyond its own borders, there is greater risk that it will go
too far and alienate the like-minded nations it relies on to combat incursions
from malevolent actors. Russia’s war on Ukraine has become another opportunity
for the US to show its incredible cyberstrength. But with such power comes great
responsibility, and even its friends will be watching.
Only One Thing Will Help Ukraine Now. Weapons.
Therese Raphael/Bloomberg/Saturday, 9 April, 2022
The first stage of the war in Ukraine didn’t go according to Vladimir Putin’s
plan, but it is the next four weeks that could determine how the map of Europe
is changed as a result of his invasion. The incremental sanctions tightening
we’ve seen in recent days will make little difference to that battle. It will
also require a major increase in the supply of weapons and changes to the kinds
of weapons supplied by Ukraine’s allies in Britain, the US and other countries.
Military analysts and officials in the US and other NATO countries are
warning that the next week to 10 days will see a major intensification of
Russian military operations, with resupplied Russian forces deployed in the
Donbas region in an attempt to defeat Ukrainian holdouts in Mariupol, freeing
Russian forces there for a pincer movement from both north and south.
However poorly Russia’s forces have performed on the battlefield so far, it now
has a more realistic set of objectives. Instead of an invasion from three
fronts, Russia will now have a single axis to focus on, and one where its supply
lines are less vulnerable to Ukrainian attack. Russia has also taken the measure
of the Ukrainian military, which it badly underestimated.
Before the war, Ukraine’s Joint Forces Operations (JFO) in the east,
numbering over 40,000, featured the best equipped and trained of Ukraine’s
forces. Those troops remain determined, but the past five weeks of hard fighting
have taken a toll. They are also harder to supply and don’t have the same
benefit of air defenses as those around Kyiv. Putin
may have in mind May 9 — already known as Victory Day in Russia, when the
country celebrates the defeat of Nazi Germany — as a deadline of sorts for
reclaiming the east of Ukraine, which Putin considers a step toward restoring
Russia’s lost empire and sphere of control. If Russian forces succeed in taking
ground, they will then seek to seal off that part of Ukraine.
But Russia lacks the forces to go beyond Ukraine’s JFO area, notes Jack Watling,
an expert in land warfare and senior research fellow at the Royal United
Services Institute. Putin has committed most of Russia’s available combat forces
to the original operation and has limited reserves. The units not already in
Ukraine are either support troops, fresh conscripts or units that have
responsibilities elsewhere, which the Kremlin will be loath to shift.
If Russian forces lose momentum and are blunted by anti-tank weapons and
artillery, Watling reckons they would be exhausted in about four weeks. Then
Putin will have a bigger decision to make: whether to move to a war footing, no
longer referring to the conflict as a “special military operation” but expanding
it and mobilizing the country.
The withdrawal of forces around Kyiv and dropping of Russian objections to
Ukraine joining the EU eventually suggest some recalibrating from Russia is
already happening. “Zelenskiy is now in a very much stronger position than
anyone in the West thought he would be,” notes Sir Malcolm Rifkind, a former UK
defense and foreign secretary, who sees some cause for optimism. “NATO has never
been as strong as it is now. Germany has totally transformed its defense policy
from the one it pursued for the last 40 years. Russia is about to lose one of
its two main energy destinations and its most important source of revenue, even
if it will take some time. The Nordstream project has collapsed. The Russians
have lost control over their foreign currency reserves.”
And yet, winning the opening round isn’t the same as prevailing to the end. A
dismembered Ukraine would change Europe’s security landscape significantly. And
while some may urge Ukraine to reach a settlement as soon as possible, any
ceasefire or deal that leaves Ukraine vulnerable to renewed attack will make a
real rebuilding effort — which requires attracting investment — impossible.
The new phase of fighting that is coming demands a new kind of western support,
argues Chatham House’s Keir Giles, author of two books on Russian foreign policy
in recent years. “The weapons Ukraine needs in order to keep fighting are not
totally defensive weapons, in order to help Ukraine not lose, but also tools to
help Ukraine carry the fight to the enemy and must include long-range firepower
to strike deep into Russian-controlled areas,” he says. The US, he says, has
been in crisis management mode rather than focused on Ukraine’s needs at a
critical stage of the fight.
There is plenty that Britain and other NATO countries can do. Ukraine’s shopping
list includes anti-tank guided weapons (ATGWs), portable air-defense systems,
ammunition, drones, radar, surface-to-air missile systems and so-called
loitering munitions, which wait passively around the target for the right
moment. Soviet-era T-72 tanks being sent by the Czech republic are helpful
because the Czech Republic can also produce spare parts and Ukrainians know how
to use and maintain them. It’s less obvious that a mix of other armed vehicles,
on different platforms, would be useful and getting supply to the east will be
harder. Ukraine will need supplies for reservists and
recruits who are being sent to the front as beleaguered forces there are rotated
out. NATO countries need to facilitate the transition of some of Ukraine’s
defenses, including air defenses, to platforms that can be better supported (at
a time when those countries are worried about their own supply). There is also a
pressing need for humanitarian support and economic aid to keep the economy from
collapse. Sanctioning oligarchs and seizing yachts was performative compared to
what’s needed now to impact the future security landscape of Europe. Putin’s
invasion was no random black swan moment, as devastating but entirely
unpredictable events are called, note geo-strategists Florence Gaub and Andrew
Monaghan. Rather, they say, it’s a “grey rhino” — impactful but highly probable
and entirely predicted. Formulating a response requires a thorough consideration
of strategic objectives and potential pitfalls, not simply crisis management.
This next phase of war will pose a test not just for Ukraine’s forces, but of
the democratic world’s unity, sense of purpose and ability to think clearly
about the future.
Zelensky offers insight into family history, igniting
debate over Ukrainian Holocaust memory
Philissa Cramer/JTA|April 09/2022
Ukrainian president says great grandparents were killed by Nazis in a blaze that
consumed their entire village; Zelensky's account comes after Israeli
legislators accused him of conjuring Holocaust to garner support for war-torn
Ukraine
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky‘s great-grandparents died when the Nazis
burned their village, he said in an interview on CNN Monday.
Zoos in North America Now Placing Birds Indoors
Speaking through a translator with Fareed Zakaria, Zelensky said, as he has many
times before, that his grandfather and his grandfather’s brothers all entered
the Soviet Red Army, and only his grandfather survived.
He also offered details about what happened to his grandfather’s parents that
have not previously been reported in English.
“His father and his mother were killed in a terrible fire. The Nazis set ablaze
the entire village where they lived and where my grandfather was born,” he said.
Zelensky did not name the village. But massacres by fire were part of the Nazi
army’s playbook in Ukrainian territory and elsewhere. In one well known case,
the village of Koryukovka was burned in 1943 after its residents were shot in
retaliation for partisan activity based there; the Jews of Koryukovka had
largely been deported and murdered already. Zelensky also did not mention the
Holocaust or the fact that his grandparents were Jewish, even as Zakaria asked
him to comment on Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “denazification” agenda as
“somebody who is of Jewish descent.” Instead, he talked about “the war.”“When
Russians are telling about neo-Nazis and they turn to me,” he said, “I just
reply that I have lost my entire family in the war because all of them were
exterminated during World War II.”
Jews from the former Soviet Union said Zelensky’s way of speaking about his
family history was not surprising. “Soviet policy after the war was one
narrative: the Soviet people suffered greatly. The government would not
acknowledge that the Nazis targeted the Jews specifically for extermination.
They punished Soviet Jews who did not toe the party line,” Alex Zeldin, who was
born in the Soviet Union and goes by Jewish Wonk online, wrote in a Twitter
thread that has been shared thousands of times.
“As a result of Soviet persecution and limiting the distribution of information
about the Holocaust, later generations of Soviet Jews came to understand their
family history as part of the war, even if it didn’t sound like other
experiences (e.g., why did Jews have to hide?),” he added.
Zelensky’s interview with Zakaria — in which he relayed that he has “distant
relatives” in the United States, Poland and Israel — came a day after he
addressed Israeli lawmakers, some of whom were rankled by Zelensky’s
characterization of Ukrainians as having saved Jews during the Holocaust. While
2,673 Ukrainians have been recognized by Yad Vashem, Israel’s Holocaust memorial
and museum, for their efforts to save Jews, Ukraine was also the site of notable
collaboration between locals and their Nazi occupiers in the effort to murder
Jews.
Zelensky’s speech reflected his strategy of devising pleas for support that are
tailored to each of the countries he addresses.
Both Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Foreign Minister Yair Lapid indicated
that while they did not agree with Zelensky’s characterization of Holocaust
history, they also were prepared to cut him slack because of the desperate
situation his country faces.
The New Yemeni Rule
Abdulrahman al-Rashed/Al Arabia/April 09/2022
Hadi's presidency was supposed to be transitional, lasting for a year and a
half, but it lasted ten years, as a result of the Houthis seizing power. During
the Riyadh Conference for Yemeni Dialogue, President Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi
announced, at dawn yesterday, a presidential council with a new president.
The step marks an important development; first, because it is not a formality,
nor is it one of the verbal outcomes of the dialogue. The president has handed
over, practically, all his powers, and the government now includes most of the
Yemeni parties.
Perhaps it is the spirit of the recent developments, the battles in which
fighters from different Yemeni parties participated, and achieved victories that
surprised al-Houthi, who thought he was about to deal the final blow and seize
vital areas. The change also reflects acclimatizing to the conditions within the
camp.
It is true that Yemen has been under the control of the Houthi coup militia
since 2015, but we can also say that the Yemenis, despite everything, continue
to oppose the Houthis and take up arms against them. And if the legitimate
government lacks capabilities, and is distant, on its own territory, we must not
forget that the Houthi group, in spite of the violence and abuse it practices
against the population, is incapable of creating a Yemeni state.
It is a force without legitimacy, and a besieged territory by land, sea and air,
that still requires United Nations permission for every incoming ship and plane.
Certainly, the goal of the Yemenis is not merely to prevent the establishment of
the “Houthi Yemeni state,” but to get rid of the Iranian proxy and restore the
state. The seven bloody years have taught us that only Yemenis will liberate
Yemen, and they, together, are capable of defeating the Iranian-backed militia.
The new step remedies the wounds of Yemenis in the opposition, and achieves
necessary consensus. The eight-member presidential leadership council, along
with its 50 fifty advisors, reflect the Yemeni spectrum that has always been
present and not represented.
This consensus between the Yemenis in Riyadh, and the major concessions made by
President Hadi, give a clear message in the face of regional changes, even in
the event that an Iranian agreement was reached with the West that Yemen will
only be for all Yemenis and not for the Iranian camp.
This broad conference, impressively engineered, was witnessed and attended by
envoys from the UN, the United States, Britain, France and other concerned
powers. It is important to remember that it took place after a long journey last
year in pursuit of a peaceful solution.
The Houthis were offered an opportunity for a long truce, and they rejected it,
and an invitation was extended to them to participate in the negotiations in
Saudi Arabia, and they rejected it. Riyadh proposed a peaceful solution
recognizing the Houthis and their role as a Yemeni component participating in
government, but they refused and demanded full control of the government.
When they were again approached to lift their blockade on sea and airports in
return for parallel peaceful gestures, they responded by firing missiles at
Saudi Arabia. Even at this conference, an invitation was sent to them and they
declined. The peaceful attempts proved to the world that the war was not the
choice of the Yemeni legitimacy and the coalition, except because the Iranian
proxy rejects all other options.
As for the war front, the torrent of drones, Iranian cross-border ballistic
missiles, the battles of Marib and Taiz, the threat to international shipping,
and the detention of Western hostages, have all failed in imposing concessions
on the Yemenis, the Saudis, and the coalition. The Yemenis did not surrender,
nor did they despair, nor did any of them raise the white flag or withdraw. The
Saudi-led coalition did not abandon them, despite Western pressures, Iranian
threats, and obstruction of the military supplies.
Yes, al-Houthi has been in Sanaa for seven years, but he is isolated from the
world. Today, he watches from afar the representatives of the overwhelming
majority of the Yemeni people, united and in agreement, and he is unable to stop
the war on him, or lift the siege on him, and he is also unable to advance
politically by an iota, because the decision is not in the hands of its leader,
Abd al-Malik or his comrades, but rather in Tehran, which considers Yemen among
its regional bargains.
The development that was born in the Riyadh dialogue between Yemenis and its
outcomes, and the new formulation of Yemen’s collective presidency, means the
opposition’s rejection of the “Houthi reality” and the resumption of the task of
liberating Yemen. The war in Yemen remains a case of sad and painful from the
repercussions of the 2011 chaos that led to collapses and wars in Syria, Libya
and Yemen, all of which are not over yet. The recent broad Yemeni consensus
gives new hope that it will lead to an outcome that restores peace to the
country.