English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For April 12/2022
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news

The Bulletin's Link on the lccc Site
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/aaaanewsfor2021/english.april12.22.htm

News Bulletin Achieves Since 2006
Click Here to enter the LCCC Arabic/English news bulletins Achieves since 2006

Bible Quotations For today
Strive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 13/22-30:”Jesus went through one town and village after another, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem. Someone asked him, ‘Lord, will only a few be saved?’ He said to them, ‘Strive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able. When once the owner of the house has got up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, “Lord, open to us”, then in reply he will say to you, “I do not know where you come from.”Then you will begin to say, “We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets. ”But he will say, “I do not know where you come from; go away from me, all you evildoers! ”There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrown out. Then people will come from east and west, from north and south, and will eat in the kingdom of God. Indeed, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.’”

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on April 11-12/2022
Bukhari says KSA doesn't interfere in Lebanon, Miqati lauds Saudi-French support
Saudi ambassador meets Mufti Daryan at Dar al-Fatwa
Saudi ambassador meets de facto head of higher Shiite council
Report: Parliament to pass capital control, state budget before Eid al-Fitr
Abu Faour says PSP won't vote for Bassil or Geagea for president
Franjieh speaks of 'new page' as Nasrallah urges 'calm' with Bassil
Bassil: Meeting with Franjieh 'had to happen', alliance with Amal 'mere electoral'
Rai Welcomes Return of Arab Ambassadors, Calls for Voting in Favor of ‘Lebanon’s Identity’
Nasrallah slams Saniora and Geagea, says not seeking two-thirds majority
Lebanon’s grand mufti welcomes return of Saudi ambassador to Beirut
Mikati Considers Return of Gulf Ambassadors as Prelude to Restoring Full Ties
EU Election Mission to Begin Deploying Observers in Lebanon
Geagea tells Shiite voters LF not a beast, urges them to vote for 'humans' not 'arms'
Beirut exhibition in unusual setting puts spotlight on women’s issues
Journalist released after being held for 2nd time in Lebanon

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on April 11-12/2022
Israel Welcomes US Stance from IRGC
Bennett Says Israel ‘Moving from Defense to Offense’
Ukraine says Russian attack in the east 'will begin soon'
Ukraine war: Troops celebrate shooting down Russian drone with UK-made missile, saying 'thank you Britain'
Embracing Ukrainians at the US-Mexico border
Fighting Between Pro-Turkey Factions Escalates in Syria
Turkey Hints at Pressure to Allow NATO Warships Passage into the Black Sea
In France, It's Macron vs. Le Pen, again, for Presidency
Canada imposes additional sanctions on Russian defence sector
Sharif sworn in as Pakistan’s new PM after week of drama
Vatican mulling Jerusalem meeting between Pope Francis and Russian patriarch
Qatari Press Praises Tel Aviv Terror Attack In Which Three Israelis Were Killed – And The Terrorist Who Carried It Out

Titles For The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on April 11-12/2022
The Threat to the West Is Inside the House/Ivana Stradner and Dalibor Rohac/Foreign Policy/April 11/2022
Opinion: Biden won’t remove Iran’s Revolutionary Guard from terror list. He’s right/David Ignatius/The Washington Post/April 11/2022
Why does Biden keep giving Iran a free pass?/Washington Examiner/April 11/2022
On the Strength of the Russian War and its Weakness/Hazem Saghieh/Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 11 April, 2022
Polisario's decision to 'break' contacts with Madrid augurs further Algerian escalation/Mohamed Alaouii/Arab News/Monday 11/04/2022
Ordinary Iranians to suffer due to abolition of subsidized exchange rate/Dr. Mohammed Al-Sulami/Arab News/April 11, 2022
Extremists seek electoral victory in Paris and Beirut/Baria Alamuddini/Arab News/April 11, 2022

The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on April 11-12/2022”
Bukhari says KSA doesn't interfere in Lebanon, Miqati lauds Saudi-French support
Naharnet/Monday, 11 April, 2022
Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon Walid Bukhari on Monday hosted a Ramadan iftar banquet that was attended by a host of Lebanese leaders and incumbent and former officials, days after he returned to the country following a diplomatic crisis sparked by former information minister George Kordahi’s remarks on Yemen’s war. The banquet was attended by Prime Minister Najib Miqati, Agriculture Minister Abbas al-Hajj Hassan representing Speaker Nabih Berri, ex-presidents Michel Suleiman and Amin Gemayel, ex-PMs Fouad Saniora and Tammam Salam, Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea, Progressive Socialist Party chief Walid Jumblat, Kataeb Party leader Sami Gemayel, MP Bahia Hariri, U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon Joanna Wronecka and the ambassadors of the U.S., France and Britain. “The kingdom does not interfere in domestic affairs and the return came based on joint projects. We will talk about joint projects between France and Saudi Arabia to offer humanitarian support and support for stability in Lebanon,” Bukhari said at the banquet. “Saudi Arabia’s principles do not allow it to interfere in sovereign matters, we respect the parliamentary and presidential junctures and we call on everyone to run in them based on competency,” the ambassador added. He also noted that “ties had not been severed with Lebanon,” adding that the kingdom “took a diplomatic measure to express its stance on the insults against the kingdom and the Gulf Cooperation Council nations.”Miqati meanwhile met with Bukhari on the sidelines of the iftar banquet and said that he heard from him that the kingdom and its king and crown prince are “keen on supporting Lebanon and standing by it.”The ambassador “spoke of the French-Saudi partnership in supporting six sectors in Lebanon and said that his return in this holy month is aimed at showing further solidarity with the Lebanese people,” Miqati added. “We hope there will be a new chapter in the relations,” he said. Miqati also revealed that he intended to visit the kingdom during Ramadan, as MTV reported that his visit will be for the performance of the minor Umrah pilgrimage. Responding to a question, he added: “In my statement, I reaffirmed the constant principles… and that we’re committed that Lebanon won’t be a platform or a source for any annoyance against any GCC state.”

Saudi ambassador meets Mufti Daryan at Dar al-Fatwa
Agence France Presse/Monday, 11 April, 2022
Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon Walid al-Boukhari visited Monday Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Latif Daryan at Dar al-Fatwa. Daryan had announced the visit on Sunday, after having met with al-Boukhari at the Saudi Embassy in Baabda. He said they will discuss the Saudi-Lebanese ties, stressing the good relations between the two countries. Saudi Arabia had announced Thursday it was sending al-Boukhari to Lebanon for the first time since a row broke out five months ago over the Riyadh-led military intervention in Yemen. Fellow oil-rich Gulf state Kuwait, which sided with Riyadh in the row, also announced that its ambassador would return "in response to appeals of moderate national forces" in Lebanon. The two ambassadors returned Friday to Beirut.

Saudi ambassador meets de facto head of higher Shiite council
Naharnet/Monday, 11 April, 2022
Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon Walid Bukhari met Monday with Higher Islamic Shiite Council deputy chief Sheikh Ali al-Khatib, who became the de facto leader of the council following the death of its former head Sheikh Abdul Amir Qabalan.Bukhari also met on Monday with Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Latif Daryan and Druze spiritual leader Sheikh Sami Abi al-Muna. During the meeting, Khatib hoped Bukhari’s return to Beirut along with other Gulf ambassadors would represent “the start of a new course in the consolidation of brotherly ties between the two brotherly countries.”The National News Agency meanwhile said Bukhari offered Ramadan greetings to Khatib and discussed with him the general situations in Lebanon and the region. Bukhari and the Kuwaiti, Qatari and Yemeni ambassadors had returned to Beirut in recent days, following a crisis sparked by remarks voiced by former information minister George Kordahi prior to his appointment as minister.

Report: Parliament to pass capital control, state budget before Eid al-Fitr
Naharnet/Monday, 11 April, 2022
A plenary parliamentary session will be held between Easter and Eid al-Fitr to approve some urgent laws, such as the capital control law and the state budget law, a media report said on Monday. “This is aimed at sending a signal to the International Monetary Fund about the seriousness of the Lebanese state as to launching the reforms that have been agreed on with it as part of the tentative deal,” informed sources told al-Joumhouria newspaper. The sources added that “this session might be the last before the upcoming parliamentary elections,” stressing “the importance of passing the necessary capital control and state budget laws, seeing as it might not be possible to form a new government quickly after the elections.”

Abu Faour says PSP won't vote for Bassil or Geagea for president
Naharnet/Monday, 11 April, 2022
The Progressive Socialist Party will not vote for Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil nor for Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea in the upcoming presidential elections, MP Wael Abu Faour of the PSP has said. “Bassil will be the candidate of the March 8 forces for the presidency, not Marada Movement chief Suleiman Franjieh,” Abu Faour told LBCI television. “Of course we won’t vote for Jebran Bassil for president,” Abu Faour added. “Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea has not currently nominated himself and we will not vote for him for president. We also did not vote for him in the past when he nominated himself and we believe that the presidency needs a consensus figure,” the lawmaker went on to say.

Franjieh speaks of 'new page' as Nasrallah urges 'calm' with Bassil
Naharnet/Monday, 11 April, 2022
Marada Movement chief Suleiman Franjieh has noted that his meeting with Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil at an iftar banquet hosted by Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah “came within its natural course and regardless of any electoral alliance.”
“We wanted it to be public, because we endorse transparency and clarity with you. We talked about opening a new page and the possibility of holding coordinative meetings,” Franjieh told supporters. Responding to a question, the Marada chief said he would also have accepted to meet with Bassil had the invitation come from President Michel Aoun or Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi.“There is no alternative to dialogue and to unifying efforts in a stage that is critical and sensitive internationally, regionally and domestically,” Franjieh added.
Senior sources informed on the talks meanwhile told al-Liwaa newspaper, in remarks published Monday, that Nasrallah spoke of “the country’s circumstances and the uncomfortable situation of Hizbullah’s Christian allies, as well as what’s needed for the coming period.”“He tackled upcoming important, dangerous and critical junctures, first of which is running in the parliamentary elections in the Christian arena with full accord and calm competition, in order to face the subsequent junctures with a unified stance – from the election of a parliament speaker to the formation of a new government to the election of a President,” the sources added.“This requires facing these junctures with unified ranks, especially among Hizbullah’s Christian allies, and Franjieh and Bassil agreed with Nasrallah on his approach as each of them explained his viewpoint,” the sources said. “The discussions resulted in an agreement between the two allies on halting campaigns against each other and launching direct communication channels, whether over the phone or through periodic meetings. The leaderships of the parties will also engage in coordination,” the sources went on to say, adding that Bassil and Franjieh “thanked Nasrallah for organizing the reconciliation.”The sources also revealed that the parties of Bassil and Franjieh would “coordinate and cooperate where possible in certain electoral districts.”
“After the elections, each juncture would be tackled separately according to topics and circumstances,” the sources said.

Bassil: Meeting with Franjieh 'had to happen', alliance with Amal 'mere electoral'
Naharnet/Monday, 11 April, 2022
Free Patriotic Movement head Jebran Bassil has said he hasn't discussed the presidential elections with Marada Movement leader Suleiman Franjieh on a Friday meeting hosted by Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah. Bassil said Sunday night, in a TV interview, that he welcomed Nasrallah's invitation and that he has nothing against Franjieh personally. "The meeting with Franjieh had to happen; the conflict between us shouldn't have occurred in the first place," Bassil added. Bassil and Franjieh are both potential candidates for the upcoming presidential elections and are supporting rival electoral lists in the May 15 parliamentary polls. The ties between the two have been strained for years but both are key allies of Hizbullah. Franjieh said for his part that they have discussed "turning-the-page" and that there will likely be other meetings. On another note, Bassil said that no one in the meeting had asked him to vote for Speaker Nabih Berri. He added that the alliance with Amal in the upcoming Parliamentary elections is not "political," but rather a pure "electoral alliance" as both the FPM and Amal have common interests with Hizbullah. Bassil also slammed Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea, accusing him of "buying votes" for the upcoming parliamentary elections with "political money" and of causing President Michel Aoun's failure, in a plot he had planned. "His plan has succeeded, as the collapse has occurred during the term of President Aoun," Bassil said of Geagea.

Rai Welcomes Return of Arab Ambassadors, Calls for Voting in Favor of ‘Lebanon’s Identity’
Beirut - Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 11 April, 2022
Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rai welcomed the return of the ambassadors of Gulf States to Beirut, saying the move “makes Lebanon feel that it is an active member of the Arab League.”Rai pointed to three "positive" signs that emerged in Lebanon over the past week, noting the announcement of Pope Francis’ visit to Lebanon in June, the initial agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and the return of ambassadors of the Gulf States to Lebanon. “These positive steps come while important developments are taking place at the regional and international levels, which we hope the Lebanese state will benefit from within the national framework,” Rai said in comments during Palm Sunday’s sermon in Bkirki.The patriarch also noted that Pope Francis’ visit comes in the context of the Vatican’s endeavor to help Lebanon overcome its crisis, and maintain its presence within the system of democratic nations.
“The visit of Pope Francis is a blessing for the people, hope for the homeland, and a wake-up call for the officials. The Pope is keen that Lebanon enjoys good governance and a political community that puts the public interest above all considerations… He is aware of the failure to address boldly and seriously the people’s issues, and of the state’s reluctance to respond to international endeavors,” he underlined. Rai noted that the return of the Gulf ambassadors to Lebanon was aimed at consolidating bonds of friendship and cooperation. “This return makes Lebanon feel that it is an active member of the Arab family and the Arab League,” he stated. The patriarch stressed that the upcoming parliamentary elections are a national responsibility “in circumstances that require a new political community and a change in performance and choices.” He also voiced hope the elections would be an opportunity to revive Lebanon’s identity, by “returning to neutrality, achieving expanded decentralization, calling for an international reform conference, and promoting Arab belonging and global openness.”

Nasrallah slams Saniora and Geagea, says not seeking two-thirds majority
Naharnet/Monday, 11 April, 2022
Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah lashed out Monday at ex-PM Fouad Saniora and Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea without naming them, in connection with the heated electoral campaigns, as he noted that Hizbullah and its allies are not seeking to win a two-thirds majority in the new parliament.
“Winning two thirds of seats in the next parliament is not the objective of our politica camp… Winning two thirds of seats is not a realistic objective,” Nasrallah said in a televised speech on the latest developments. Accusing the U.S. embassy and electoral rivals of seeking to postpone the elections allegedly to improve their chances, Nasrallah also noted that the elections face the possible hurdle of “the strike of a large number of judges, teachers and diplomatic mission employees.”“This opens the door to filing challenges against the elections’ results, and we urge judges, teachers and diplomatic mission employees not to take the elections as a hostage for their legitimate demands,” Nasrallah added. Addressing supporters, Nasrallah however pointed out that “real elections and a democratic, popular battle will be held on May 15.”“Polls and estimations should not affect our efficacy and enthusiasm in all districts,” he added. “We are keen on the representation of all parties according to their true sizes and we do not want to eliminate anyone,” he stressed. “Since 2005, we have not been exclusionists. It was al-Mustaqbal Movement that refused the participation of the FPM in the government,” Nasrallah reminisced. In an apparent jab at Saniora, Nasrallah said “the exclusionists are those who betted in 2006 on the crushing of the resistance.” “They did not care about the absence of an entire sect,” Nasrallah added, referring to the resignation of the Shiite ministers from Saniora’s government. And hitting out at Geagea, Nasrallah said: “The exclusionists are those who always present themselves to foreign forces as being ready to stir civil war, and they don't have an electoral program, seeing as their entire concern is focused on eliminating the resistance and disarming it, whereas we are keen on partnership and cooperation with everyone.”“Those hitting out at the resistance's arms are only seeking to appease America, the West and some Arab regimes in order to win financial support,” Nasrallah added. And stressing that Hizbullah does not want to “rule or control the country,” Nasrallah said his party wants to be “present in the state” to “prevent anyone from using the state to target the resistance or stab it in its back,” noting that that had almost happened in 1993 and 2006.

Lebanon’s grand mufti welcomes return of Saudi ambassador to Beirut
Arab News/April 11, 2022
RIYADH: Lebanon’s Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Latif Deryan welcomed the return of Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Beirut on Monday.In a press statement, the mufti said that Lebanon does not envisage itself without the protection of the Kingdom. He added that his country has always supported the Kingdom’s return to Lebanon as per the constitution and the Taif Agreement, and that it was proud of its Arab identity. Deryan said the move highlighted the keenness of the Kingdom and Arab Gulf states on maintaining good relations with Lebanon in order to keep the country in the Arab world. “We are interested in relations between the Kingdom and Lebanon, and hope that Lebanese-Arab relations will remain at the highest level of rapprochement and fraternity. As long as things are going in the right direction, and as long as we maintain the right path, these relations will be good and there will be no future crises with Saudi Arabia,” the mufti said. He added that he had asked Lebanese President Michel Aoun to work on resuming solidarity between Lebanon and Arab states, calling on all Lebanese people to spare no effort to ensure that Lebanese-Arab ties are at their best for the benefit of all Lebanese citizens.

Mikati Considers Return of Gulf Ambassadors as Prelude to Restoring Full Ties
Beirut - Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 11 April, 2022 - 07:00
Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati considered the return of Gulf ambassadors to Beirut as a prelude to restoring full Gulf-Lebanese relations, his office said on Sunday. The PM’s statement came while he received a phone call from Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon Walid bin Abdullah Bukhari, who returned to Beirut last week. Bukhari congratulated Mikati on the advent of the blessed month of Ramadan and invited him to an Iftar he is organizing at the embassy, the office said. It added that the call was an occasion to confirm the depth of Lebanon’s Arab relations and Mikati’s appreciation of the return of Gulf ambassadors to Lebanon, explaining that the PM considers the move as a prelude to restoring these relations to a full recovery. Bukhari then praised the PM’s efforts to protect Lebanon at these difficult circumstances and restore Lebanese-Saudi relations. Meanwhile, Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Ahmed Nasser Al-Mohammed Al-Sabah said during a phone call with Mikati on Sunday that Gulf countries are looking forward to the stability, security, and recovery of Lebanon. The Foreign Minister stressed "ties that unite Kuwait and Lebanon in particular are very solid, and are becoming stronger.”
He affirmed that Kuwait will spare no effort to support Lebanon and help it rise again, and praised the PM’s efforts in consolidating Lebanese-Gulf relations. The PM thanked Kuwait, the Emir and the government, for their permanent support for Lebanon and for their efforts to restore Lebanese-Gulf ties. "These efforts are appreciated by all the Lebanese,” Mikati said.

EU Election Mission to Begin Deploying Observers in Lebanon
Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 11 April, 2022
A delegation from the European Union election observers on Monday wrapped up a six-day visit to Lebanon during which they discussed the deployment of observers ahead of the upcoming May 15 parliamentary elections in the crisis-hit country. The observer mission said it will start deploying 30 observers throughout Lebanon later this week, with their numbers reaching more than 150 from 27 EU member states, Switzerland and Norway on the day of the vote. During the visit, Gyorgy Holvenyi, head of the mission, discussed its work with top Lebanese officials, politicians and religious leaders.
The May 15 elections will be the first in Lebanon since the country's economic meltdown began in October 2019. A massive Aug. 4, 2020 explosion in Beirut's port that killed more than 200 people, injured over 6,000 and caused wide damage in the Lebanese capital, precipitated the country's crisis. A total of 103 lists with 1,044 candidates are vying for the 128-seat legislature. Parliamentary elections are held once every four years in Lebanon. Holvenyi, a Hungarian politician currently serving as a member of the European Parliament, highlighted that the EU Election Observation Mission is impartial and independent, adding that it does not judge the electoral outcome or validate the results. He said it will evaluate the electoral process and its compliance with regional and international commitments on political participation and democratic elections. "We are not here to interfere in the process. We are not investigators,” Holvenyi said.

Geagea tells Shiite voters LF not a beast, urges them to vote for 'humans' not 'arms'
Naharnet/Monday, 11 April, 2022
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea addressed Monday the Shiite voters, urging them not to vote for Hizbullah. "You have the right to not vote for the LF, but do not vote for those who have dragged you to the deepest level of hell only because you think that the LF is a beast that hates you," Geagea said.
Geagea went on to say that the Shiite voters are being daily blackmailed as they feel forced to vote for a party out of fear of another, the LF. He added that by trying to protect arms "made of steel," Shiite voters would expose humans of "flesh and blood" to all kinds of suffering and humiliation.
"By voting for Hizbullah, you are not voting for a pure resistance, but for (Free Patriotic Movement chief) Jebran Bassil who pretends to defend you but will attack and blackmail you at any given time," Geagea said, warning the Shiite voters of voting for "honey-coated" poison.

Beirut exhibition in unusual setting puts spotlight on women’s issues
Mimoza Al-Arawi/Arab News/Monday 11/04/2022
-A group exhibition showcasing women artworks continues at a Beirut’s Art Space gallery located in a large shopping complex in the Lebanese capital under the title of “Honna”. The exhibition, which opened on “International Women’s Day, last March will go on till June 8.
The event includes a large collection of artworks, ranging from paintings, photographs, sculptures and videos. It is sponsored by Lebanon’s Fe-Male non-government organisation. The exhibition includes some 60 Lebanese and international artists, mostly women, who present in different styles and various views on women. Among the participating artists, with varying artistic backgrounds, there are Flavia Qudsi, Fatima Mortada, Jean-Marc Nahas, Lara Zangoul, Mansour El-Habr, Rita Adeem, Diana Assaker, Aya Abu Hawash, Dzovig Arnelian, and Manar Ali Hassan.
The art display reflects a lot of effort and meticulous organisation that went into making the event possible.
It is undoubtedly important to hold the exhibition at a major commercial outlet amid the current economic crisis.
In fact, it is uncertain whether a purely artistic exhibition like this could have seen the light in this kind of huge commercial complex if the times were not as trying as the present. But it would have been important if the curators followed the “traditional” steps that always accompany any art exhibition, such as issuing press releases in which the artistic and intellectual contents of an exhibition are fully fleshed out and not simply listed as a collection of artworks related to women in general. Besides the artistic significance of the many works on display, the exhibition must be seen in the context of its being a social-feminist event, one that advocates women's causes. Addressing the socio-artistic context of the event, Hayat Mershad, head of the Fe-Male association, https://hayatmirshad.com/ said, “We were happy this year to contribute to this exhibition, which aims to shed light on women’s issues in different ways through art.
There are many men and women artists who participate and address through their works women’s issues in their own ways. We found it important to support art that puts the spotlight on women’s issues. At the same time, it is important to say on International Women’s Day that there are different ways of expressing that, such as art and culture.”.
She added, "At all times, women's issues are not considered a priority, unfortunately. Today, with the deterioration of the economic and social conditions, voices have risen calling for women's issues to be examined in light of the ongoing crises. But we always said that women's issues are issues of human rights. There is no specific time to raise such issues. The time is always right for that. Women’s issues are social, economic and political issues that intersect in all fields.”As for the significance of this exhibition, she added, “I consider this is not a day of celebration but a day to renew the struggle and raise the issues that we women have raised for years. We will continue until we reach the day when the suffering of women ends even when behind closed doors, whether it is marginalisation, violence and exclusion of women just because they are women.”The head of the board of directors of the commercial outlet, Diana Fadel, explained that visitors to this exhibition will discover “ceramic, bronze, paint, resin, oil colours, collage, photography, sculptures, video and other media. All of them show that women throughout the centuries have been preoccupied with giving life and raising generations and these responsibilities have given them the great power to transform pain into love, struggle into hope, and scars into memories.”Hope remains that this artistic space will turn into a permanent area devoted not only to lucrative activity but also to art. It would play a role no less important than that of any old art hall in promoting thought and raising the value of art and contributing to the development of societies, especially those under heavy pressure.

Journalist released after being held for 2nd time in Lebanon
Nada Homsi/Arab News/April 11/2022
LONDON: A Palestinian-American journalist was on Monday allowed to enter Lebanon after being held at Beirut airport and threatened with deportation. Lebanese authorities arrested Nada Homsi claiming there was an outstanding ban against her entering the country. The freelance journalist, who works for US-based news outlets, was returning from America when Lebanese General Security Directorate officers stopped her at the airport. She was eventually allowed into Lebanon after repeatedly refusing to be expelled. In a tweet following her release, Homsi said: “A few minutes ago I was released from the airport. I still don’t know why I was banned in the first place but thank you to everyone who supported and advocated for my release. I love this community of amazing people in Lebanon. Thank you.”During her incarceration, Homsi released a video on social media demanding an explanation from Lebanese authorities for her entry ban. Human rights groups such as Amnesty International, and Human Rights Watch, along with a number of activists and journalists, condemned her arrest and called for her immediate and unconditional release. In a tweet, journalist and co-founder of independent digital media platform Daraj, Diana Moukalled, said: “Lebanese authorities arrested Nada Homsi, again. She’s still detained without clear charges against her. Why is this escalating arbitrary approach by General Security taking place?” In a statement, the Alternative Press Syndicate in Lebanon said: “The Lebanese General Security arrested the American journalist of Palestinian and Syrian decent, Nada Homsi, upon her arrival in Beirut on her return from the US this morning. “The Alternative Press Syndicate calls on the Lebanese General Security to reverse the illegal deportation decision immediately, to allow her to enter Lebanese territory, and to respect her right to reside in Lebanon, as she is married to a Palestinian with a Lebanese mother.”It was the second time Homsi had been arbitrarily detained in Lebanon after the directorate led a raid on her home in November and imprisoned her for 26 days.

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on April 11-12/2022
Israel Welcomes US Stance from IRGC
Tel Aviv - Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 11 April, 2022
The Israeli government welcomed an alleged US decision to keep the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on its list of terrorist organizations. The government asserted that the move is significant and indicates that Washington is beginning to understand the position of regional countries that have suffered from terrorist attacks. The Hebrew newspaper, Yedioth Ahronoth, said that the new statements of US officials regarding the IRGC are very important, noting that the Israeli government welcomed the change in position. Israeli leaders had heard the US position in this regard for the first time at the Sharm el-Sheikh summit, which was attended by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken two weeks ago.Blinken was asked if the IRGC is a terrorist organization. He reportedly gave an answer that didn’t satisfy Tel Aviv. Israel referred to statements of the Joint Chiefs Staff Chairman, General Mark Milley, before the Senate, in  which he said that he clearly sees the IRGC al-Quds Force as a terrorist organization. US State Department spokeswoman Jalina Porter said at a press briefing that the President shares the chairman’s view that IRGC Quds Force is a terrorist group.
“But what I would say is out of the 107 Biden administration designations in relation to Iran, 86 have specifically targeted the IRGC-related persons as well as affiliates,” added Porter. Israel is pressuring the US administration to stop a plan to remove the IRGC from the list of terrorist organizations. On March 18, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Foreign Minister Yair Lapid issued a strongly worded joint statement urging the US not to remove the Guards from its list of terror organizations.“The Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps is a terrorist organization that has murdered thousands of people, including Americans. We refuse to believe that the United States would remove its designation as a terrorist organization,” read the statement.

Bennett Says Israel ‘Moving from Defense to Offense’
Tel Aviv - Nazir Magli/Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 11 April, 2022
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett tried to justify the widespread escalation in the West Bank and the massive arrest campaigns among political activists saying Israel was moving from defense to offense. Speaking at a weekly cabinet meeting, Bennett said, "We are moving from defense to offense, and attacking the sources of terrorism, anytime, anywhere, at night, during the day, in the morning, in the evening, and wherever they are." During the session, Bennett, the Defense Minister Benny Gantz, Public Security Minister Omer Barlev, and all security leaders left the meeting to conduct "security deliberations" about the army and intelligence activities in the West Bank, Jenin, and Nablus. "As I said, there will be no restrictions on the security forces, on the IDF, the Shin Bet, and the Israel Police. We will continue to pursue the terrorists everywhere," he said. Gantz revealed that he delivered a "strong message to the Palestinian Authority" to take action to protect Joseph's Tomb in Nablus and punish the violators. He said that Israel will work quickly to "ensure that the site is refurbished and quickly returned to its original condition."
Israeli forces continued their escalation for the third day in a row on Monday in the northern areas of the West Bank, injuring dozens and arresting 25 people suspected of assisting the perpetrators of the armed operations. Clashes erupted between the Palestinians and Israeli forces. "Dear citizens, we are in a difficult and challenging period. It could be that it will be prolonged. The second intifada took several years, but in the end, we won. The wave of lone-wolf terrorism in 2015-2016 continued for almost a year and cost us 50 victims, but in the end, we won. This time too, we will win,." said Bennett addressing Israelis. The PM stated that lone attacks without organizational infrastructure are a significant challenge for the security establishment, but it will meet them. "Our enemies will seek out every crack and exploit every opportunity to attack us." Political sources revealed that the Israeli government approved a proposal submitted by Bennett, Lapid, and Minister of Welfare and Social Affairs Meir Cohen to establish a team to formulate a policy on revoking the eligibility for "state pensions, support payments, and the other benefits from state bodies of the families of terrorists who are residents and citizens of Israel and who carried out security offenses and acts of terrorism." The team will formulate recommendations and present them to the cabinet on the relevant issues, including advice regarding necessary legislative changes. Bennett said: "We will settle accounts with terrorists and with the circles that surround them."Meanwhile, the Israeli army issued Sunday a demolition order for the home of a Palestinian Diaa Hamarsheh, who carried out the Bnei Brak operation about two weeks ago. Hamrasha is from Yabad village in the northern West Bank. The occupation army handed the family a demolition notice and a deadline to appeal the order.

Ukraine says Russian attack in the east 'will begin soon'
Agence France Presse/Monday, 11 April, 2022
Ukraine is expecting Russia to launch a major offensive in the east "soon", defense ministry spokesman Oleksandr Motuzyanyk told a briefing on Monday. "The enemy has almost finished preparation for assault on the east, the attack will begin soon," he said. "We don't know precisely when, but the preparation is almost over." After rebuffing a Russian offensive on Kyiv, Ukraine has for days said a renewed Moscow attack on its east and south is looming. "We are predicting that intense fighting will take place in these territories in the near future," Motuzyanyk said. "We cannot predict exactly when this will happen, these are sources from Western intelligence," he said. "The Ukrainian army is ready." The military official said he believed Moscow planned to create a "land corridor" to the Kherson region, north of Crimea, which it controls. He also said that a renewed Russian attack on Kyiv "depends on fighting" in the eastern regions.
Some analysts have said that Russian President Vladimir Putin is counting on a victory ahead of the annual May 9 parade in Moscow that commemorates that Soviet defeat of the Nazis. Over the last week Kyiv has urged residents of eastern regions to leave their homes before the anticipated Russian attack.
At least 57 people died as a result of the shelling of a train station in the eastern city of Kramatorsk last week, where many awaited evacuation. Ukraine said that Russian shelling in the eastern Kharkiv region killed at least 11 civilians over the weekend.

Ukraine Repulses Attacks in East as Russia Presses to Control Mariupol
Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 11 April, 2022
Ukrainian troops have repulsed several Russian assaults in the country's east, British intelligence said on Monday, while President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said thousands of Russian soldiers were massing for a new offensive.
Russian forces were also pushing to establish control over the southern port city of Mariupol, the lynchpin between Russian-held areas to the west and east. "There are tens of thousands of dead, but even despite this, the Russians are not stopping their offensive," Zelenskiy told South Korea's parliament by videolink. Reuters could not verify the accuracy of his estimate. The Russian invasion - the most serious conflict in Europe since the Balkans wars of the 1990s - has left a trail of death of destruction that has drawn condemnation from Western countries and triggered concern about Putin's broader ambitions. About a quarter of Ukraine's 44 million population have been forced from their homes, cities turned into rubble, and thousands of people have been killed or injured - many of them civilians. Austrian leader Karl Nehammer planned to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Monday and will call for an end to the conflict. It would be Putin's first face-to-face meeting with a European Union leader since Russia's invasion started on Feb. 24. Russian forces have abandoned their attempt to capture the capital Kyiv, for now at least, but are redoubling their efforts in Ukraine's east. Britain's defense ministry said Russian shelling continued in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. But Ukrainian forces had beaten back several assaults and destroyed Russian tanks, vehicles and artillery equipment, it said in its regular intelligence bulletin. Powerful explosions rocked cities in the south and east and air raid sirens blared out across Ukraine early on Monday.
'We will answer'
Zelenskiy kept up his campaign to generate international support and rally his countrymen, warning the coming week would be important. "Russian troops will move to even larger operations in the east of our state. They may use even more missiles against us, even more air bombs. But we are preparing for their actions. We will answer," he said in a late night video address. Addressing South Korea's parliament, he said Russia was concentrating tens of thousands of soldiers for the next offensive. He asked Seoul for any military aid it could provide. Since Russia invaded, Zelenskiy has appealed to Western powers to provide more defense help, and to punish Moscow with tougher sanctions including embargoes on its energy exports. Zelenskiy also said Mariupol has been destroyed. Reuters journalists on Sunday saw several Russian tanks heading down a highway in the direction of the city. The general staff of Ukraine's armed forces said it was likely the Russians would try to disrupt supply lines and strike at transport infrastructure. Russia's defense ministry said high-precision missiles had destroyed the headquarters of Ukraine's Dnipro battalion in the town of Zvonetsky. In a later statement, the ministry said Russian sea-launched missiles had on Sunday destroyed S-300 anti-aircraft missile systems which had been supplied to Ukraine by a European country. They systems were concealed in a hangar on the outskirts of Dnipro in central Ukraine, it said.
Reuters could not confirm the reports.
Burned alive
Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer said he would meet Putin on Monday in Moscow. "We are militarily neutral, but (have) a clear position on the Russian war of aggression against #Ukraine," Nehammer wrote on Twitter. "It must stop! It needs humanitarian corridors, ceasefire & full investigation of war crimes." Mounting civilian casualties have triggered widespread international condemnation and new sanctions. Ludmila Zabaluk, head of the Dmytriv Village Department, north of Kyiv, said dozens of civilian bodies were found in the area. "There were more than 50 dead people. They shot them from close distance. There's a car where a 17-year-old child was burned, only bones left. A woman had half her head blown off. A bit farther, a man lying near his car was burned alive," she said. Reuters could not confirm the reports. Moscow has rejected accusations of war crimes by Ukraine and Western countries. It has repeatedly denied targeting civilians in what it calls a "special operation" to demilitarize and "denazify" its southern neighbor. Ukraine and Western nations have dismissed this as a baseless pretext for war. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, speaking before a meeting of European ministers in Luxembourg on Monday, said Berlin saw "massive indications" of war crimes in Ukraine.
Economic cost
French bank Societe Generale became the latest company to retreat from Russia, agreeing to sell its stake in Rosbank and the Russian lender’s insurance subsidiaries to Interros Capital, a firm linked to billionaire Vladimir Potanin. The Russian invasion has triggered a barrage of financial sanctions from the United States, Europe and Britain, prompting Western companies to sell their Russian assets. SocGen had faced mounting pressure to cut ties with Russia and end its more than 15-year investment in Rosbank. Several EU ministers said on Monday the bloc's executive was drafting proposals for an oil embargo on Russia, although there was still no agreement to ban Russian crude. The World Bank on Sunday forecast the war would cause Ukraine's economic output to collapse by 45% this year, with half of its businesses shuttered, grain exports mostly cut off by Russia's naval blockade and destruction rendering economic activity impossible in many areas. The bank forecast Russia's GDP would contract by 11.2% this year due to the Western sanctions.

Ukraine war: Troops celebrate shooting down Russian drone with UK-made missile, saying 'thank you Britain'
Yahoo News/April 11, 2022
Ukrainian troops cheered and celebrated after reportedly shooting down a Russian drone with a British-made missile, new video shows. In footage shared online, a Ukrainian soldier is seen firing a laser-guided missile into the sky. After it seemingly hits the target - although this is not shown in the video - loud cheers are heard, with the soldier seen flipping his fingers at the drone. In a message, shared alongside the clip, the soldier said: "This is the greeting of Ukrainian paratroopers [to] Boris Johnson. Thank you, Britain. We use the support of allies effectively."
Ukraine news live: EU warns of major attack 'in next day' He ended by encouraging the West to "give more" equipment to the battle-scarred country - a plea that has been echoed by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy throughout the war. The video has been shared by an account linked to the Ukrainian military. A Janes military analysist identified the launcher to Sky News as a Martlet LMM (Lightweight Multirole Missile) Tube, which are British made. The UK has sent several packages of military support to Ukraine, with the most recent £100m announced just days ago as Prime Minister Boris Johnson visited Kyiv. UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace told Sky News over the weekend the Ukrainian military would get Mastiff heavily armoured patrol vehicles, which weigh 23 tonnes and carry eight troops and two crew.
It is the first time the UK has sent armoured vehicles to Ukraine. It is understood they will be stripped of sensitive equipment and could help mount offensive operations close to Russian lines.
The Mastiff was designed to withstand Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) during the Afghan war. Starstreak anti-aircraft missiles, 800 anti-tank missiles, helmets and night vision goggles will be included in the latest consignment from the UK, in addition to 200,000 items already distributed.
In March, the UK sent 6,000 defensive missiles to Ukraine to "step up" support. It comes as Mr Zelenskyy warned thousands of people may have been killed in the port city of Mariupol. "Mariupol has been destroyed, there are tens of thousands of dead," he told the South Korean parliament.
But despite such enormous losses the Russians are "not stopping their offensive", he added. A top European Union official has said Russian troops - which have now withdrawn from the north of Ukraine - are amassing to attack the eastern region of Donbas. Follow the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker. Josep Borrell said: "I'm afraid the Russian troops are massing on the east to launch an attack on the Donbas. The Ukrainians are very much aware of that. "So, I'm afraid in the next day the war will increase on the Donbas."President Zelenskyy said the coming week will be "tense", with Russia "even more afraid to lose… afraid that the truth will have to be admitted".Our goal is to create a safe and engaging place for users to connect over interests

Embracing Ukrainians at the US-Mexico border
Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 11 April, 2022
Oleksii Yeromin stands at the gate on the US-Mexico border and calls to Ukrainian migrants crossing into America after fleeing the war in their home country, then wraps them in a hug on the other side. "Come here, come, you see this line? Here there's the last checkpoint to go through and you will be in the United States," he said in English. Wearing a hat and carrying a blue and yellow Ukrainian flag, the 43-year-old is the first face that many Ukrainians see as they cross into the United States, AFP said. He has even marked that final step for them, tracing the letters "USA" on the ground in red tape.
"Ukraine welcomed me, now Ukraine needed me here,"says Yeromin, who is originally from Uzbekistan and emigrated several years ago to Ukraine, where he married and had two daughters. Five years ago he decided to go to Chicago to seek a better future. This week he was reunited with his wife and daughters at the US-Mexico border. They, too, had fled the war. Family is everything, he said. "Any money, any house, anything's doesn't matter. It's zero." He is red-eyed -- likely from the exhaustion of not having slept more than four hours a night for days now. Even after welcoming his family, the painter by trade decided to stay at the gate. "This is minimum. They travel long, they need a hug," he said. His eldest daughter, Katarina, 13, does not speak English, but she helps out at the care center that has been set up as part of a massive volunteer operation. "I’m very happy because I met my dad and also for helping here," says Katarina with the help of Gisele, her new friend and interpreter. Soon, she is handing a phone battery to a young man and offering lollipops to a little girl. "I’m very excited. I’m privileged, lucky. I needed to give back," adds the teenager with a shy smile. "You made it, you're here. Come here, come here," says Yeromin a few meters away, while giving out more hugs.

Fighting Between Pro-Turkey Factions Escalates in Syria
Idlib - Firas Karam/Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 11 April, 2022
Fighting between pro-Turkey factions in Syria's Aleppo countryside has escalated with assassinations and bombings being reported in regions under Ankara's control in the north. Syrian sources said on Sunday that several people were wounded in a car bombing at the entrance of the al-Bab city in Aleppo's eastern countryside, amid a "war between opposition factions."State news agency SANA reported other sources as saying that an explosive planted in a car went off at the entrance of the city. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported on the same bombing, saying it took place at a checkpoint of a pro-Turkey faction. It confirmed injuries but did not provide further details. Al-Bab in northeastern Aleppo has been held by pro-Ankara factions since 2016. Turkey had seized the area from the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), which Ankara views as a terrorist group. The Observatory also reported that unknown gunmen attempted to assassinate a leading member of the Jaysh al-Sharqiya unit of the pro-Turkey National Army. He came under fire on the Afrin-al-Tranda road in northwestern Aleppo.

Turkey Hints at Pressure to Allow NATO Warships Passage into the Black Sea
Ankara - Saeed Abdelrazek/Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 11 April, 2022
Turkey on Sunday accused Ukraine, without naming it, of trying to exert pressure on Ankara to make it abandon the Montreux Convention and allow NATO warships to enter the Black Sea. Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said he doesn’t rule out that drifting mines appeared in the Black Sea with an intent to exert pressure on Ankara to make it allow the passage of NATO warships via the Bosphorus . "We suspect that mines appeared there intentionally. Probably, they were released as part of a plan aiming at exerting pressure on us to let NATO’s mine sweepers into the Black Sea via the straits," the Minister said.
But he added that Ankara is committed to the rules of the Montreux Convention and will not allow warships to enter the Black Sea, nor will it let the Black Sea be dragged into the war between Russia and Ukraine. Akar said the Turkish side is probing the issue, noting that media reports say there are some 400 such mines. "We don’t know who placed them. We know that they were made in Russia but we are probing into which country placed them," he said. Turkey already held meetings with Bulgarian and Romanian authorities to discuss the matter. Observers said Akar’s statement about the country that placed the mines is an indirect hint at Ukraine, which seeks NATO support to face Russia’s aggression. Last month, Russia said the mines placed by the Ukrainian side at the approaches to the Black Sea ports might be drifting toward the Bosphorus after breaking off from cables near Ukrainian ports.
The claim was dismissed by Kyiv as disinformation and an attempt to close off parts of the sea. Three drifting mines were spotted and destroyed off Turkey’s coast in late March and early April. Last week, Akar held a video conference with his counterparts in Bulgaria, Georgia, Poland, Romania and Ukraine to discuss the war in Ukraine, mines floating in the sea and regional security. “Aside from the mines, the importance of cooperation in the Black Sea for peace, calm and stability was emphasized,” Akar said after the meeting, In February, Ankara announced it will implement the international convention that allows Turkey to shut down the straits at the entrance of the Black Sea to the warships of “belligerent countries.” The 1936 Montreux Convention gives Turkey the right to bar warships from using the Dardanelles and the Bosphorus during wartime. Last week, Spokesman for the UN Secretary-General, Stephane Dujarric, told the Turkish Anatolia news agency, that the UN monitors with great concern any kind of mines in international waters, especially with regard to their impact on international transport and on food exports.

In France, It's Macron vs. Le Pen, again, for Presidency
Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 11 April, 2022
Incumbent Emmanuel Macron will face far-right nationalist Marine Le Pen in a winner-takes-all runoff for the French presidency, after they both advanced Sunday in the first round of voting in the country’s election to set up another head-to-head clash of their sharply opposing visions for France.
But while Macron won their last contest in 2017 by a landslide to become France's youngest-ever president, the same outcome this time is far from guaranteed. Macron, now 44, emerged ahead from Sunday's first round, but the runoff is essentially a new election and the next two weeks of campaigning to the April 24 second-round vote promise to be bruising and confrontational against his 53-year-old political nemesis, The Associated Press said. Savvier and more polished as she makes her third attempt to become France's first woman president, Le Pen was handsomely rewarded Sunday at the ballot box for her years-long effort to rebrand herself as more pragmatic and less extreme. Macron has accused Le Pen of pushing an extremist manifesto of racist, ruinous policies. Le Pen wants to roll back some rights for Muslims, banning them from wearing headscarves in public, and to drastically reduce immigration from outside Europe. On Sunday, she racked up her best-ever first-round tally of votes. With most votes counted, Macron had just over 27% and Le Pen had just under 24%. Hard-left leader Jean-Luc Melenchon was third, missing out on the two-candidate runoff, with close to 22%. Macron also improved on his first-round showing in 2017, despite his presidency being rocked by an almost unrelenting series of both domestic and international crises. They include Russia's war in Ukraine that overshadowed the election and diverted his focus from the campaign. With polling suggesting that the runoff against Le Pen could be close, Macron immediately started throwing his energies into the battle. Addressing supporters Sunday night who chanted “five more years,” Macron warned that “nothing is done” and said the runoff campaign will be “decisive for our country and for Europe.”Claiming that Le Pen would align France with “populists and xenophobes,” he said: “That's not us.”“I want to reach out to all those who want to work for France," he said. He vowed to “implement the project of progress, of French and European openness and independence we have advocated for.”The election outcome will have wide international influence as Europe struggles to contain the havoc wreaked by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
Macron has strongly backed European Union sanctions on Russia while Le Pen has worried about their impact on French living standards. Macron also is a firm supporter of NATO and of close collaboration among the European Union’s 27 members. Macron for months had looked like a shoo-in to become France’s first president in 20 years to win a second term. But National Rally leader Le Pen, in a late surge, tapped into the foremost issue on many French voters’ minds: soaring costs for food, gas and heating due to rising inflation and the repercussions of Western sanctions on Russia.
To win in round two, both Macron and Le Pen now need to reach out to voters who backed the 10 presidential candidates defeated Sunday. For some of the losers' disappointed supporters, the runoff vote promises to be agonizing. Melenchon voter Jennings Tangly, a 21-year-old student of English at Paris' Sorbonne University, said the second-round match-up was an awful prospect for her, a choice “between the plague and cholera.”She described Macron's presidency as “abject,” but said she would vote for him in round two simply to keep Le Pen from the presidential Elysee Palace.
“It would be a survival vote rather than a vote with my heart,” she said. Le Pen's supporters celebrated with champagne and chanted “We’re going to win!” She sought to reach out to left-wing supporters for round two by promising fixes for “a France torn apart.”She said the second round presents voters with “a fundamental choice between two opposing visions of the future: Either the division, injustice and disorder imposed by Emmanuel Macron to the benefit of the few, or the uniting of French people around social justice and protection.”
Some of her defeated rivals were so alarmed by the possibility of Le Pen beating Macron that they urged their supporters Sunday to shift their second-round votes to the incumbent. Melenchon, addressing supporters who sometimes shed tears, repeatedly said: “We must not give one vote to Mrs. Le Pen.”Describing herself as “profoundly worried,” defeated conservative candidate Valerie Pecresse warned of “the chaos that would ensue” if Le Pen was elected, saying the far-right leader has never been so close to power. Pecresse said she would vote for Macron in the runoff.
To beat Le Pen, Macron will aim to pick apart her attempted rebranding as a less dangerous political force, a makeover that has even highlighted her love of cats. Her softer image has won over some voters but made others even more suspicious. Yves Maillot, a retired engineer, said he voted for Macron only to counterbalance Le Pen. He said he fears that her long-standing hostility to the EU could see her try to take France out of the bloc, even though she has dropped that from her manifesto.“I don't think she's changed at all,” he said. “It's the same thing, but with cats."

Canada imposes additional sanctions on Russian defence sector
April 11, 2022 - Ottawa, Ontario - Global Affairs Canada
The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today announced that Canada is imposing new sanctions under the Special Economic Measures (Russia) Regulations in response to the Russian regime’s illegal and unjustifiable invasion of Ukraine.
These new measures impose restrictions on 33 entities in the Russian defence sector. These entities have provided indirect or direct support to the Russian military and are therefore complicit in the pain and suffering stemming from Vladimir Putin’s senseless war in Ukraine.
As the world reacts to the horrific events in Bucha and across Ukraine, these measures serve as a reminder that Canada will be a leader in holding Vladimir Putin and his enablers accountable for their egregious, illegal and unjustifiable actions. Canada will use every tool at its disposal to ensure that violations of international law in Ukraine are fully investigated.
Canada continues to monitor the situation, coordinate actions with its international partners and explore options for new measures to respond to the Russian regime’s unjustifiable acts.
Quote
“Canada has always and will always stand by Ukraine. Today’s measures are the latest example of our unwavering support for Ukraine and its people. We will continue to support the brave men and women fighting for their freedom, and we demand that those responsible for atrocities be held accountable.”
- Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs
Quick facts
Since Russia’s illegal occupation and attempted annexation of Crimea in 2014, Canada has imposed sanctions on more than 1,100 individuals and entities. Many of those sanctions have been undertaken in coordination with Canada’s allies and partners. Canada’s latest sanctions will impose asset freezes and prohibitions on listed entities.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24, Canada has imposed sanctions on more than 700 individuals and entities from Russia, Ukraine and Belarus.
Canada has referred the situation in Ukraine to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in concert with other ICC member states as a result of numerous allegations of the commission of serious international crimes in Ukraine by Russian forces, including war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Sharif sworn in as Pakistan’s new PM after week of drama
AP/April 11, 2022
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s parliament on Monday elected opposition lawmaker Shahbaz Sharif as the new prime minister, following a week of political turmoil that led to the weekend ouster of Premier Imran Khan. Sharif took the oath of office inside the stately, white marble palace known as the Presidency in a brief ceremony. But his elevation won’t guarantee a peaceful path forward or solve the country’s many economic problems, including high inflation and a soaring energy crisis. Sharif, the brother of disgraced former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, won with 174 votes after more than 100 lawmakers from Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, or Pakistan Justice Party, resigned and walked out of the National Assembly in protest. Those 174 votes — two more than the required simple majority — are enough to pass laws in the 342-seat assembly. If Khan’s followers take to the streets, as he has vowed, it could create more pressure on lawmakers and deepen the crisis. Khan, a former cricket star whose conservative ideology and dogged independence characterized his three years and eight months in office, was ousted early Sunday. He lost a no-confidence vote after being deserted by his party allies and a key coalition partner.
In a show of strength and a precursor to the political uncertainty ahead, Khan rallied hundreds of thousands of supporters Sunday night to protest his ouster, describing the new leadership as an “imposed government,” charging they colluded with the US to oust him. His backers marched in cities across Pakistan, waving large party flags and shouted slogans promising to return him to power. The crowds were dominated by youths who make up the backbone of Khan’s supporters.
The political drama began April 3 when Khan sidestepped an initial no-confidence vote demanded by the opposition by dissolving parliament and calling early elections. The opposition, which accuses Khan of economic mismanagement, appealed to the Supreme Court. After four days of deliberations, the court said Khan’s move was illegal and the no-confidence vote went ahead, leading to his ouster. Khan has demanded early elections — the balloting is not due before August 2023. He has tapped into anti-American sentiment in Pakistan, accusing Washington of conspiring with his opponents to topple him. That conspiracy theory resonates with his youthful base, which often sees the US war on terrorism after 9/11 as unfairly targeting Pakistan.
Khan claims Washington opposes him because of his independent foreign policy favoring China and Russia. He was criticized for a visit he made on Feb. 24 to Moscow, where he met with President Vladimir Putin as Russian tanks rolled into Ukraine.
The US State Department has denied any involvement in Pakistan’s internal politics. The opposition coalition consists of parties that cross the political divide, from the left to the radically religious. The two largest parties are the Pakistan Muslim League, headed by Sharif, and the Pakistan People’s Party, co-chaired by the son and husband of Benazir Bhutto, the former prime minister who was killed in 2007. A few wealthy and powerful families have dominated Pakistan’s politics for decades, with power most often alternating between the Sharif and the Bhutto camps. Both political houses have been accused of and at times convicted of widespread corruption. They have dismissed the allegations as being politically motivated.
Nawaz Sharif was unseated by the Supreme Court in 2015 after being convicted of financial irregularities revealed in the so-called Panama Papers — a collection of leaked secret financial documents showing how some of the world’s richest hide their money and involving a global law firm based in Panama. He was disqualified from holding office by the Supreme Court.
Asif Ali Zardari, Bhutto’s husband who served as president of Pakistan after the 2008 election, has spent more than seven years in prison, convicted on corruption charges.
Khan came to power in 2018, promising to break the pattern of family rule in Pakistan, but his opponents said he was elected with help from the powerful military, which has ruled the country for half of its 75-year history.
Nawaz Sharif was also ousted in 1999, in a military coup, and Benazir Bhutto’s government was ousted several times after the military sided with her opposition. In Pakistani politics, where loyalties are often fluid, Bhutto’s fiercest opposition often came from Sharif’s party.
Shahbaz Sharif has served three times as chief minister of Pakistan’s largest, most influential Punjab province, home to 60 percent of the country’s 220 million people. His son, Hamza, was elected last week as the new chief minister by the Punjab provincial parliament, ousting Khan’s nominee. Khan’s party is challenging that election, and the younger Sharif has yet to be sworn in..

Vatican mulling Jerusalem meeting between Pope Francis and Russian patriarch
Reuters,Itamar Eichner|/Ynetnews/April 1102022
Israeli officials confirm talks of potential visit that might bring together the two religious leaders who harbor opposing views on the Russian invasion of Ukraine The Vatican is considering the possibility of extending Pope Francis' trip to Lebanon in June so he can fly to Jerusalem to meet Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill, who has backed Russia's war in Ukraine, two sources said on Monday. Kirill, 75, has given his full-throated blessing for Russia's invasion of Ukraine, a position that has splintered the worldwide Orthodox Church and unleashed an internal rebellion that theologians and academics say is unprecedented. The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the plan was for the 85-year-old pope, who is due in Lebanon on June 12-13, to fly to Amman, Jordan on the morning of June 14. From there, he would board a helicopter to Jerusalem on the same day for the meeting with Kirill and then return to Rome, the sources said. One source said the trip appeared to be almost certain, while the other said it was one possibility. Additionally, Israeli officials in Jerusalem confirmed the allegations, affirming "there is indeed talks of a potential visit of the Pope in Israel in June." Jerusalem was chosen as the location to host the meeting due to its religious significance. The visit is referred to as a "private visit", and it seems the pope intends to meet several political leaders in Israel, among them President Isaac Herzog. Returning from his trip to Malta last week, Francis said he hoped to meet Kirill somewhere in the Middle East this year but did not say where. Kirill called on Russians on Sunday to rally around the authorities as Moscow pursues what it calls a "special military operation" in Ukraine.The patriarch has previously made statements defending Moscow's actions in Ukraine and views the war as a bulwark against a liberal Western culture that he considers decadent."Let the Lord help us unite during this difficult time for our Fatherland, including around the authorities," the Interfax news agency quoted Kirill as saying at a sermon in Moscow. Russia sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine on Feb. 24 to degrade its southern neighbor's military capabilities and root out people it called dangerous nationalists. Francis has already rejected that terminology, calling it a war. Since the war began, Francis has only mentioned Russia explicitly in prayers, such as during a special global event for peace on March 25. But he has made clear his opposition to Russia's actions, using the words invasion, aggression and atrocities. On Sunday, the pope called for an Easter truce in Ukraine, and in an apparent reference to Russia, questioned the value of planting a victory flag "on a heap of rubble".Pope Francis' first visit to Israel was in May 2014, marking the fourth pope to visit Israel. He met with Israeli leaders, as well as Jordanian and Palestinian officials. Father scaling to summit of Mount Stromboli, north of Sicily, slips down volcano's cauldron, suffering fractures to his ribs and right shoulder; son rescued unharmed

Qatari Press Praises Tel Aviv Terror Attack In Which Three Israelis Were Killed – And The Terrorist Who Carried It Out
MEMRI/April 11, 2022
Qatar | Special Dispatch No. 9891
The Qatari press coverage of the April 7, 2022 Tel Aviv terrorist attack, in which three Israeli citizens were killed, was overwhelmingly positive, with writers praising it. The Palestinian perpetrator, Ra'ad Hazem, was called a martyr and his death a martyrdom operation (istishhad). The Qatari Al-Quds Al-Arabi daily, which is published in London, called the shooting a "quality attack that will go down in the history of the Palestinian resistance and its quality operations."[1]
Qatari establishment dailies published articles in praise of the attack and its perpetrator. In his column in the Al-Watan daily, Palestinian journalist Samir Al-Barghouti praised Hazem – whom he referred to as "Palestinian heroes" – for joining the ranks of terrorists and added that it was worth sacrificing one's life to defend the Muslim holy places.
In an article in the Al-Sharq daily, Qatari journalist Aisha Al-Obaidan justified the recent wave of terror attacks in Israel, and castigated the Arab country that condemned them.[2] She contended that they were not terrorist attacks but martyrdom operations for the sake of Palestine.[3]
Other Qatari journalists and reporters for the Qatari-Al Jazeera media network extolled the attack and attacker on social media, as they did previously for other terror attacks in Israel, in Beersheba, Hadera, and Bnei Brak.[4]
Scene of the terrorist attack in Tel Aviv with perpetrator Ra'ad Hazem (Source: Alquds.com, April 8, 2022)
The following report will present praise for the Tel Aviv attack in the Qatari press and social media:
Columnist In Qatari Daily Eulogizes Tel Aviv Attacker: "May You Be Blessed"; "You Have Gone Down In History" With The Other Heroes Of Palestine
In his column in the Qatari daily Al-Watan, Palestinian journalist Samir Al-Barghouti eulogized terrorist Ra'ad Hazem. Congratulating him on joining the roster of Palestinian heroes, including leading Hamas operative such as Yahya 'Ayyash, one of the founders of Hamas's military wing Izz Al-Din Al-Qassam brigades who instituted the method of suicide bombings, he added that resistance in defense of the holy places requires harnessing every resource and even sacrificing one's life. Al-Barghouti wrote:
"You have gone down in history with your [lightning] flash, your thunder [ra'ad in Arabic, i.e. his name], and your determination [hazem, his surname]. You went out from Jaffa [where you were killed] as a martyr, to write your name in blood alongside the names of the Palestinian heroes [who have died] since the start of the resistance. May you be blessed [in Paradise] with the friendship of [Hamas spiritual leader Sheikh Ahmad] Yassin, [Hamas cofounder 'Abd Al-'Aziz] Al-Rantisi, and [Yasser] Arafat. May you be blessed with the companionship of [senior PFLP official] Ghassan Kanafani, [Fatah cofounder and Arafat's deputy and spokesman] Kamal Nasser, [senior PLO and Fatah officials involved in the 1972 Munich Olympics massacre of Israeli athletes] Kamal Al-'Adwan and [Muhammad] Yousuf Al-Najjar. Enjoy the friendship of... [Fatah coleader and founder of the Black September organization] Abu Iyyad and of Abu Jihad [Khalil Al-Wazir, Fatah cofounder and head of the PLO military wing] and your beloved Yahya 'Ayyash...
"Your name rocked the [Zionist] entity from Tel Aviv to the ends of the world – the hypocritical [world] that welcomes the Zionists' acts of murder against your [Palestinian] people [but] condemns the wounding of a Zionist goat.
"Yes, this is resistance. We advocated it in the Jordan Valley and in the Golan. It was [also] advocated in South Lebanon, and the people of Gaza and Jenin shouldered the responsibility for it and paid with their lives – for resistance is the beginning, the middle, and the end.
"Ra'ad did not belong to any organization, but he fiercely loved Palestine and felt that a life of freedom, moral resilience, and self-respect [requires] striving for justice and honesty and opposing oppression and arbitrary [force]. Resistance means defending and safeguarding one's rights and making sacrifices to defend them. Conversely, giving up rights and accepting their theft without opposition is a flaw that kills honor, and a disease that paves the road to treason. This is because resistance coordinates between the truth and its owners, because rights and those who own them never expire and are never cancelled by imposing facts on the ground... A right that is backed by a resistance fighter is never lost...
"I believe that resistance aimed at safeguarding vital foundations and the holy places [requires] harnessing all the forces and maximizing all the capabilities, without sparing money or effort. Moreover, we should sacrifice our lives for it. This is in accordance with human justice, not to mention the Islamic way and the tenets of the faith... Resistance to aggression has great significance, and richly rewards [those who engage in it].
"That is what the engineer Ra'ad Hazem believed when he brought forth the viper from its hole. It is time to bombard that viper – and then the world may have respite from its evil."[5]
Qatari Journalist: The Recent Attacks In Israel Are Martyrdom Operations – Not Terrorism
In an April 10 article in the Al-Sharq daily, Qatari journalist Aisha Al-Obaidan justified the recent wave of terror attacks in Israel, calling them martyrdom (istishhad) operations for the sake of Palestine, and also came out against the Arab regimes that condemned them. She wrote:
"How can we attain victory[?]! How can we, the Islamic nation, regain our honor[?]! How can we cry out our motto 'Jerusalem is ours[?]!' Can we not see what is happening and hear what is being said[?]!
"In Jerusalem, there are killings, arrests, and destruction, and flowing blood covering the earth; there are widows and orphans, and the Zionists are polluting the sacred soil of Jerusalem... [Yet] our Arab countries are welcoming [the Zionists] and letting them play sports and participate in national events... They welcome the Zionists whose hands are stained with the blood of innocents, and [Arab and Israeli officials] conduct reciprocal visits... Some even see these martyrdom operations as criminal acts of terror, and our Arab regimes hasten to publicly condemn them in the media... [although these are actually] martyrdom operations that are [being carried out] at an accelerated pace, that have rocked the Zionist entity while highlighting the fragility of its security and military apparatuses and sparking terror in its heart.
"All religions and sects consider the killing of innocents a crime. Human morality rejects the killing of innocent souls... But the issue of Al-Aqsa is still an issue for the Arabs and Muslims, and is an integral part of their faith, history, and culture... and responsibility for it rests with the Islamic and Arab nation...
"The Palestinian operations in Jerusalem will continue to be martyrdom operations [not terror attacks], despite the best efforts of the Arab regimes that are loyal to the Zionists... Force of arms will remain our weapon for confronting the occupying enemy. Allah the Almighty said: 'And prepare against them whatever you are able of strength' [Quran 8:60].
"How strange [that we are in] an era when the enemy is a friend and the friend is an enemy. Since childhood, we have declaimed 'Long live free and proud Palestine.' Since childhood, we have been accustomed to giving what little we have for the sake of Palestine... In our Islamic studies curriculum, [we learn] that the Jews are the enemies of the Muslims... that force must only be answered with force and the sword, and that he [who dies] defending his land, what is holy to him, and his money is a martyr.
"How different is today's attitude to the Palestinian murabit [fighter on the front] – some Arab regimes now see him as a terrorist... How can we demand an end to the martyrdom operations of the resistance[?]!! How can we call them acts of terror[?]!! How can we do this when these operations are aimed at defending the homeland, the soil, and a religious cause, and constitute opposition to the occupation[?]...[6]
Qatari Journalists And Presenters On Al-Jazeera TV: A Single Fidai Struck Terror Into An Entire Country
Qatari journalists and Qatari Al-Jazeera TV presenters have lauded both attack and perpetrator on social media. In a tweet, Qatari journalist Ebtesam Aal Sa'ad, who writes a column for the Qatari Al-Sharq daily, dubbed the attack "Ramadan blessings," and quoted a verse from the Quran which implies that terrorists who carry out attacks are none other than messengers of Allah. She wrote:
"Tel Aviv is illuminated by Ramadan blessings. '[You did not kill them, rather Allah killed them] and it was not you who fired when you shot, rather it was Allah Who fired' [Quran 8:17[7]]."[8]
Al-Jazeera presenter Tamer Al-Mishal tweeted a photo of Hazem, writing: "The martyr of the homeland, from the Jenin refugee camp – Ra'ad Hazem – is as his name asserts [resolute thunder]." In a subsequent tweet, he stated: "In Tel Aviv, a resistance fighter defeats the [Zionist] entity. The entity will not continue to exist, even if this takes time."[9]
On April 7, during the manhunt for the terrorist, Qatari journalist Jaber Al-Harmi tweeted: "As of right now, none of the Zionist security apparatuses have managed to apprehend the perpetrator of the operation... in Tel Aviv, nor to determine his location or identify the type of weapon he used. The theory of Zionist security control is crumbling under the blows of the operations of the resistance fighters – the real owners of the land."[10]
Al-Jazeera presenter Ahmed Mansour tweeted a video clip on April 8 showing the scene of the attack during the search for the terrorist, and wrote: "Following the fidai operation, hundreds of Israeli soldiers are hunting down the fidai who carried it out. Because of the widespread panic in Israel, authorities are asking 3.5 million settlers in Tel Aviv to remain in their homes. An entire country is mobilizing against one fidai and millions of terrified people are imprisoned in their homes. A single resistance fighter has struck terror into an entire occupying country."
Mansour also tweeted photos of Hazem, writing: "Ra'ad Hazem, the perpetrator of the attack in Tel Aviv, who was a Palestinian computer expert and a son of the Jenin refugee camp, was martyred after humiliating the Israelis. They spent a black night in horror imprisoned in their homes, as an entire army of thousands of Israeli soldiers pursued him for nine hours. He moved around freely until he reached Jaffa, where he confronted an Israeli force and was martyred. May Allah have mercy on him."[11]
[1] Al-Quds Al-Arabi (London), April 9, 2022.
[2] The UAE, Bahrain, and Turkey condemned the terrorist attack in Tel Aviv and expressed condolences to the families of the victims and the government of Israel, Al-Ittihad (UAE), April 9, 2022; Raialyoum,com, April 8, 2022; and Twitter.com/TelAvivBE, April 8, 2022.
[3] Editorials in Qatari newspapers attempted to justify the recent terror attacks, including the attack in Tel Aviv, and linked them with the frustration and despair they claim the Palestinians are experiencing because of Israel's measures to stop terror attacks and the absence of a political prospect for a solution to the Palestinian problem. Al-Sharq (Qatar), April 9, 2022; Al-Watan (Qatar), April 9, 2022.
[4] See MEMRI Special Dispatch No.9866, Opinion Shapers In Qatar Praise Israel Terror Attacks And Their Perpetrators, March 31, 2022.
[5] Al-Watan (Qatar), April 9, 2022.
[6] Al-Sharq (Qatar), April 10, 2022.
[7] This verse follows two verses in which Allah commands the Muslims to fight the unbelievers and not to retreat, and warns them that whoever retreats will suffer "Allah's wrath" and "be banished to hell."
[8] Twitter.com/Ebtesam777/status/1512180453368897542.
[9] Twitter.com/TamerMisshal/status/1512344277996777476/photo/1.
[10] Twitter.com/jaberalharmi, April 7, 2022.
[11] Twitter.com/amansouraja/status/1512346719404625920.

The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on April 11-12/2022
The Threat to the West Is Inside the House
Ivana Stradner and Dalibor Rohac/Foreign Policy/April 11/2022
The United States and Europe need to toughen up on the spoilers in their own ranks.
Russia’s Vladimir Putin may not occupy Ukraine anytime soon, but he is keeping two other European countries firmly in his fold. The results of recent, less than completely free and fair elections in Serbia and in Hungary are victories for the Kremlin. Unsurprisingly, Putin was among the first to congratulate Aleksandar Vucic and Viktor Orban on their reelections. Both of them, after all, had been doing his bidding for years.
Both Washington and Brussels have exercised “strategic patience” in dealing with Hungary and Serbia, hoping for piecemeal change for the better. Yet when both Budapest and Belgrade are openly siding with Russia against the broader trans-Atlantic community at a time of war, the all-carrots approach is no longer tenable. Lest NATO and the European Union be made into paper tigers by Putin’s closest European allies, the two organizations must show their teeth.
Unless the costs inflicted on entrenched leaders such as Vucic and Orban exceed their perceived gains from undermining the blocs they are a part of or wish to join, there is no reason for them to stop misbehaving. There are sharp limits to the Western dialogue-fixes-all approach. Pursuing it further with Belgrade and Budapest, in face of all the evidence, and expecting a different result is the very definition of insanity.
The two regimes share more than a superficial affinity manifested recently at the opening of a new Chinese-funded railway between the two capitals, at which the two strongmen attracted ridicule for waving at nonexistent crowds.
Both leaders exploit grievances about their countries’ lost territories and prestige. At the 100th anniversary of the 1920 Treaty of Trianon, Orban called on the present generation to reverse the post-World War I settlement and restore a “Great Hungary.” Similarly, Serbian nationalists never quite accepted the demise of Yugoslavia and the emergence of independent countries such as Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina with their own ethnic Serbian populations.
The yearning for former imperial glory promoted by Vucic and Orban harbors the same potential for violence and destruction as the one that is driving Putin’s genocide in Ukraine. In Serbia’s case, to talk of “potential” violence is a dramatic understatement. After the world had seen Slobodan Milosevic’s genocide of Bosniak Muslims in the 1990s firsthand, a young Vucic thought it a good idea to join Milosevic’s government. “For every Serb killed, we will kill 100 Muslims,” he vowed to Serbia’s parliament in 1995.
Since becoming president in 2017, Vucic toned down his rhetoric and pledged to bring Serbia closer toward the EU, although, fundamentally, he has pursued the same agenda as his predecessors. The Serbian government called for the creation of the “Serb World”—a Balkan parallel to Putin’s “Russian World” where all Serbs would live and be united under a common cultural framework. In Montenegro, Serbia seeks to exercise influence via the Orthodox Church. In Bosnia, the Milorad Dodik-controlled Republika Srpska, a client of Belgrade and Moscow, regularly threatens to secede, while keeping the country’s complex federal politics paralyzed.
In all of this, Serbia is largely acting in accordance with Moscow’s wishes. Serbia is completely dependent on Russian energy, which Russia successfully uses as a negotiating tool. Although the EU is imposing severe sanctions on Russia, this week Putin and Vucic discussed further energy cooperation. Moscow has also supplied Belgrade with weapons, securing Serbia’s role as a regional power, which threatens neighboring NATO countries. Serbia’s destabilization of the Western Balkans meets Putin’s objectives by distracting NATO’s leaders and straining their cohesion. To that point, Belgrade and Moscow also pledged to fight “color revolutions” together.
Orban’s methods might be more subtle, but his goals are much the same—and similarly consistent with Putin’s ambitions. The Fidesz party government has been giving away Hungarian citizenship to ethnic Hungarians in neighboring countries, buying soccer clubs in formerly Hungarian areas, and channeling funds into Hungarian parties abroad. At regular intervals, Hungary’s neighborhood policy rattles the country’s neighbors, including Slovakia and Romania, which understandably dread the prospect of large irredentist populations holding Hungarian passports on their territory. Beyond undermining regional cohesion, its revanchism has long placed Hungary in a chronic conflict with Ukraine, as Orban has repeatedly undercut Kyiv’s efforts to forge a closer relationship with NATO and the EU.
In Russia’s genocidal war, not only has Hungary ruled out providing any military assistance to Ukraine, but it has also prohibited any such shipments from other NATO countries to move through its own territory. Orban’s government, touting its own 15-year contract with the Russian state energy company Gazprom, has also pledged to veto any energy sanctions. “We will by no means allow Hungarians to be made to pay the price of war,” Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said last week. In a bow to Yugoslavia’s communist dictator, Josip Broz Tito, Vucic also wants to have a “neutral” foreign-policy balance among Beijing, Moscow, Brussels, and Washington. While Serbia did vote in favor of a recent United Nations resolution calling on Russia to stop its war in Ukraine, it is rejecting any sanctions on Russia over Ukraine and pledged not to join “anti-Russian hysteria.”
For far too long, Vucic and Orban have been able to have their cake and eat it, too. They have benefited, in Serbia’s case, from candidate status and being on the receiving end of EU assistance, and, in the case of Hungary, from the pocketing of literally billions in EU funds by Orban-connected oligarchs. It would be the height of fecklessness for Brussels and Washington to respond to the two leaders’ reelection by doing more of the same.
Following a move by the European Commission on Tuesday, Hungary is being cut off from EU funding on rule-of-law, or “conditionality,” grounds. That situation must be made permanent. Budapest must also be excluded, by default, from future EU initiatives that can be pursued under the rubric of enhanced cooperation among the 26 remaining member states. Serbia’s EU candidate status must be revoked, too. Most importantly, this is time for leadership from Germany. For far too long, Vucic and (even more significantly) Orban were able to hide behind German equivocation on Russia. If Berlin takes a more hawkish view on Putin’s genocidal regime—which it should for reasons unrelated to Serbia and Hungary—the multivector foreign policy pursued by Budapest and Belgrade will no longer be tenable.
Adopting a much harsher tone toward both an EU member (Hungary) and a candidate state (Serbia) would have a deterrent effect on other governments that are toying with the idea of entrenching themselves by undermining principles of rule of law—or of making overtures to Moscow and Beijing. Particularly in the Western Balkans, a reminder that the EU stands for something would have a salutary impact on countries’ genuine efforts to join by actually meeting accession criteria and not simply using the EU as a cash cow.
Washington, too, would do well to signal to Hungary that its current geopolitical outlook is incompatible with having a future in NATO and impose sanctions on Fidesz politicians and the regime’s most prominent kleptocrats. Last year already, the White House started sanctioning Serbian officials who are destabilizing or threatening the integrity of Serbia’s neighbors. That policy ought to be strengthened and expanded further to cover a broader swath of individuals.
Vucic and Orban are clever political actors. But, as the histories of their own countries show, clever triangulation to extract favors from all sides can misfire terribly at a time of war. It is time for the West to force the hands of the two aspiring dictators, make them pick sides, and face the consequences.
*Ivana Stradner is an advisor to the Barish Center for Media Integrity at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. Dalibor Rohac is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. Follow Ivana on Twitter @ivanastradner. FDD is a Washington, DC-based, nonpartisan research institute focusing on national security and foreign policy.

Opinion: Biden won’t remove Iran’s Revolutionary Guard from terror list. He’s right.
David Ignatius/The Washington Post/April 11/2022
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/04/08/ignatius-biden-irgc-terrorist-organization-revolutinary-guard-iran-deal/
The Biden administration plans to reject an Iranian demand that the United States lift its designation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization as a condition for renewing the 2015 nuclear agreement — putting completion of the deal in jeopardy.
Sign up for a weekly roundup of thought-provoking ideas and debates
A senior administration official told me that President Biden doesn’t intend to concede on the terrorist designation, even though this may be a dealbreaker: “The onus is on Iran as to whether we have a nuclear deal. The president will stick to core principles. The Iranians know our views.”
The official’s comments amplify a statement earlier this week by Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Asked during an interview with NBC News whether the IRGC is a terrorist organization, Blinken answered, “So, they are.” He continued: “I’m not overly optimistic at the prospects of actually getting [the nuclear] agreement to conclusion.”
Iran’s demand that the United States remove the IRGC from its “foreign terrorist organization,” or FTO, list has emerged as the main obstacle to reviving the 2015 nuclear pact. European countries have urged the United States to find a compromise formula that will save the deal, whose basic provisions have been negotiated in Vienna over the past year.
Jason Rezaian: The U.S. shouldn’t miss the opportunity to punish Iran’s actual terrorists
The administration isn’t walking away from negotiations with Iran, and it’s possible some acceptable formula could be negotiated with the help of European allies that would satisfy Biden’s desire not to reward an organization that has killed thousands around the world, including hundreds of Americans.
But Biden apparently doesn’t want to budge — nor should he. This might largely be a symbolic issue, but the IRGC needs to earn its way off the list.
The president is said to view the IRGC question as separate from the nuclear talks, even though Iran insists they are related. Biden and other U.S. officials are adamant because they believe the IRGC’s activities, through its network of proxies, directly affect the safety of U.S. personnel and its partners in the region.
The latest example of suspected Iranian-backed activity was an artillery attack early Thursday on a base in eastern Syria known as Green Village and used by U.S. troops there. The two rounds injured four U.S. servicemembers, who the Pentagon said are being treated for minor wounds and possible traumatic brain injuries. The Pentagon has not said whether the United States will retaliate.
Appearing Thursday before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Army Gen. Mark A. Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, reinforced the assessment of the IRGC. “In my personal opinion, I believe the IRGC Quds Force to be a terrorist organization, and I do not support them being de-listed,” Milley told the panel.
Proponents of removing the IRGC from the list argue that other sanctions against the group will remain, even if the FTO designation is withdrawn, and that it doesn’t make sense to describe as “terrorist” an organization so large that it touches many parts of Iran’s economy and government. Europeans have suggested a compromise in which Iran would pledge to de-escalate regional tensions and stop attacking Americans.
But the IRGC issue can’t just be a bargaining chip. If Iran is serious about curbing the violence and intimidation the IRGC has spread throughout the region, then it needs to say so clearly and emphatically — not as a side deal to a nuclear pact.
Victoria Coates and Robert Greenway: We put Iran’s Revolutionary Guard on the terrorist list. Biden must keep it there.
The issue of the IRGC’s designation as a terrorist group has been closely watched by Israel and Arab Gulf nations such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. They see it as a test of the Biden administration’s credibility and commitment in the Middle East. The Trump State Department formally designated the IRGC as a foreign terrorist organization in 2019 despite arguments from some senior officials in the U.S. military that the step was unnecessary and potentially counterproductive. However, once the designation was imposed, congressional Republicans and Democrats alike have argued that it shouldn’t be removed without meaningful improvements in the IRGC’s behavior. Removing the designation and related sanctions would further strain relations with the Saudis and Emiratis, who have grumbled about the United States’ unreliability.
The deeper question is whether the impasse over the IRGC label will derail what had appeared to be a successful effort to reimpose terms of the 2015 nuclear deal in exchange for lifting U.S. economic sanctions against Iran. Administration officials concede that the draft deal is far from ideal; some of its provisions would expire soon, and it would leave Iran perilously close to having a “breakout” stockpile of enriched uranium sufficient for a nuclear weapon.
But the administration argues that Iran was able to advance its program, enriching uranium to the 60 percent level that approaches weapons grade, only because the Trump administration decided to withdraw from the deal in 2018 — effectively voiding its limits. President Donald Trump’s decision is viewed by many national security analysts, including some leading security officials in Israel, as a costly mistake.
The Israeli government views the revived agreement that has been patched together in Vienna as a bad deal, because some of its provisions will expire so quickly and because it could provide a pathway for Iran to eventually have nuclear weapons capability. But senior Israeli officials also recognize the danger of having no deal, which would allow the Iranians to race even faster toward bomb-making capability.
Some analysts fear that if Iran isn’t constrained by a new pact, it would increase enrichment to the weapons-grade 90 percent level. Officials said that Tehran had considered taking this step after Trump voided the deal but backed away after European countries warned Iran privately that such a move would trigger new sanctions.
At the heart of the IRGC issue is Iran’s destabilizing role in the region, through a network of proxies the IRGC oversees. The Yemen war is one example, and the administration has been encouraged by the cease-fire there announced last weekend, which will bring a 60-day truce between Saudi-backed government forces and Iranian-backed Houthi rebels.
Saudi Arabia facilitated the Yemen diplomacy by announcing a unilateral Ramadan truce, and U.S. officials credit Prince Khalid bin Salman, the Saudi deputy defense minister, for the de-escalation in Yemen. Iran didn’t oppose the truce. But Iranian-sponsored Houthi missile attacks remain a threat to both Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
The war in Ukraine has been dominating the headlines, for good reason. But U.S. tensions with Iran may be about to ratchet upward if the IRGC issue leads to a breakdown in the nuclear talks and an escalation in Middle East tensions. To paraphrase a saying attributed to Soviet revolutionary Leon Trotsky: You may not be interested in the Middle East, but the Middle East is interested in you.

Why does Biden keep giving Iran a free pass?
Washington Examiner/April 11/2022
The United States is rightly pressuring allies, partners, and adversaries alike to take robust action in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Many are listening. Even China has at least qualified its public support for Russia, fearing the loss of valued trade and political relationships in Europe.
Yet the Biden administration doesn't seem to care that certain nations, friend and foe, keep happily snuggling up to Moscow.
In the case of India, which has refused to join international sanctions imposed on Russia, there is at least an understandable reluctance to retaliate. Although New Delhi has defended Moscow's international legitimacy and abstained or voted in Russia's favor on important votes in the United Nations, the Biden administration has reasons not to overplay its hand and risk losing Indian cooperation against China. However, no such rationale exists concerning Iran. And this makes all the more pathetic Biden's desperate attempts to restore the Iran nuclear deal at any cost. The Islamic Republic's leaders are laughing at Biden. In recent days, Iran has voted against Russia's expulsion from the U.N. Human Rights Council. It has pledged to strengthen its economic ties with Moscow, even as Russian atrocities are broadcast. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's state media also suggest that Iran will honor Russia's demand to purchase Russian oil with rubles — a symbolic and practical tip of the hat to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Put simply, as Biden seeks to align the international community against the outrage occurring in Ukraine, he is nonetheless rewarding Iran for proudly standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the architect of the atrocities.
At the very least, Biden should be calling out Iran for its complicity in cruelty. A more serious response would involve sanctioning all Iranian companies and persons engaged in dealings with Russia. Instead, the president holds his tongue. That's because his desire to reach a nuclear accord with Iran supersedes all moral and practical considerations. As outraged as Biden claims to be by Russia's actions in Ukraine, they are apparently not bad enough to hold the hostile nation of Iran accountable for its complicity therein.
Numerous U.S. negotiators have quit the delegation conducting negotiations with Iran in Vienna, apparently in disagreement with Biden's inordinately conciliatory posture. But Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Biden remain unmoved. They have repeatedly extended the deadline for Iran to reach a deal. The scale of this American submission is astonishing. As the Washington Examiner has reported, Biden administration officials refuse even to bring charges against Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps assassins who have plotted to kill former national security adviser John Bolton.
Pushback in Washington is growing. Testifying before Congress this week, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley broke with the White House talking points and stated his opposition to Biden's insane plan to delist the IRGC as a foreign terrorist organization. Yes, the Biden administration is considering accepting this Iranian demand as the price for restoring a nuclear agreement that is already far too generous to the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism.
A bipartisan coalition in Congress believes that the administration is giving Iran far too much and getting a precious nothing in return. If the old nuclear deal or some version of it is restored, expect major resistance on Capitol Hill that will only grow if Republicans take back control of Congress in November.
What Russia is doing in Ukraine is an outrage that demands universal condemnation. It's one thing to excuse a friendly country such as India for failing to join in due to complicated diplomatic considerations. But for a sworn enemy like Iran (not a democracy, not a major trading partner, and not a counterbalance against China), Biden has no business extending this free pass.

On the Strength of the Russian War and its Weakness
Hazem Saghieh/Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 11 April, 2022
There is a noticeable discrepancy between the Russian war on Ukraine as a military event on the one hand and the political factors fueling this war on the other. A consensus has emerged that the offensive, which has become confined to the East, is faltering. In the inconsistency of this offensive, slow progress blends with rapid retreat, and we continue to see more and more reports that no Russia enthusiast or admirer of Russian army or weaponry would enjoy reading.
However, despite the broad political and humanitarian sympathy for Ukraine and two successive votes in the United Nations that saw the majority choose to punish Russia, the gains, large and small, that the Russian war and its politics have made racked up should not be underestimated.
China, whose puzzled hesitation has been broadly discussed, declared its support for Moscow through its ruling Communist Party. The latter prepared a documentary discussed by senior officials in which Vladimir Putin was depicted as a hero and compared to Stalin (who is revered in Chinese Maoism) during World War II. According to Western press reports, it seems that the ruling party and the universities, public of course, have backed a systematic campaign to spread the "correct understanding" of the war and accuse the United States of being the only one responsible for it.
Not very far from China, ousted Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan accused this same United States of standing behind an attempt to remove him as part of its effort to change the regime in Pakistan. As for his evidence of these US intentions, it is his meeting with the Russian president when the war on Ukraine began, which shows that he was following an "independent foreign policy." It is well known that the Pakistani parliament passed a vote of no confidence in Khan right on the eve of his campaign against Washington.
Of course, we have also seen the oil and gas front falter, as it does not seem easy to link cooperation there with cooperation on other regional fronts that concern countries traditionally friendly with the US. Things are stalled even in Europe itself. Despite the increasing pressure to do so, Germany has all but affirmed that it would not go completely without Russian oil and gas, though it will reduce its dependence on Russian fossil fuels after the Bucha massacre. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused former German Chancellor Angela Merkel, as well as former French President Nicolas Sarkozy, of emboldening Putin and encouraging his military policy by granting him too many concessions.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban also won a resounding victory in the elections - 135 out of 199 seats were won by his Hungarian Civic Alliance (FIDEZ), ensuring him a fourth term. Very soon after, Orban distanced himself a little from his "friend" Putin in the aftermath of the attack on Ukraine, indeed immediately after winning the elections, his “nature” overwhelmed the altered image he had been trying to “nurture” briefly. In his post-election speech, he attacked the "Brussels bureaucrats" and Zelensky, calling them "enemies." The latter had criticized Orban's policy of refusing to allow the transfer of arms to Ukraine through his neighboring country. Not too concerned by the European Union's opposition, the Hungarian prime minister also rushed to declare another position pushing in the same direction, indicating his willingness to pay for Russian gas in roubles.
In Serbia, things are moving along the same track as Hungary. The ultranationalist, anti-American and pro-Russian incumbent Aleksandar Vucic won a second term. Like Orban, Vucic has been among the leaders most sharply criticized by the opposition and European Union countries for human rights violations and the treatment of those with differing opinions in their countries.
Putin, for his part, was among the first to congratulate the Hungarian prime minister and Serbian president on their victories.
Another development with some relevance in this regard could be added: the Franco-Polish quarrels. Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki compared French President Emmanuel Macron negotiating with Putin to negotiating with Hitler, Stalin and Pol Pot. This pointed accusation was made in the aftermath of the Bucha massacre and in the run-up to the first round of French presidential elections. It warranted a response no less fiery from the French president, who accused the Warsaw regime of opposing democratic values and economic reforms, adding that the people of Poland "deserve better."
The impact of political support for Russia or the denial of support for Ukraine is tied to the performance of the Russian army on the ground and thus to Moscow's ability to benefit from the support it receives or the lack of support for the Ukrainians. It seems that until further notice, Russia's military performance will give its constituency little cause for optimism.
Moreover, it is noteworthy that problems plaguing countries' relations with the US, or the EU, are the reason for most of the political support that has been gifted to Moscow. With the exception of the "secret leak" of the Chinese Communist Party, those sympathetic to Putin do not necessarily hold him in particularly high esteem; few argue in defense of particular virtues that define the Russian regime.
Finally, we have the Ukrainian resistance, which the facts on the ground have so far indicated will have a major say in the war that many predict will go on for a long time. As for the capacity of the Ukrainian resistance to make an impact, it is expected to grow and expand as Russia's military failure exacerbates and "scorched earth" tactics continue to be pursued.

Polisario's decision to 'break' contacts with Madrid augurs further Algerian escalation
Mohamed Alaouii/Arab News/Monday 11/04/2022
The Polisario Front and behind it Algeria reacted to Spain's decision to support Morocco’s autonomy initiative as a basis for solution to the Sahara issue by ending contacts between the Polisario and Madrid.
The Polisario, on Sunday, announced a "break" in contacts with the Spanish government in protest at the policy shift by Madrid, which told Morocco last month it considered Morocco’s autonomy initiative as "serious, credible and realistic.""The Polisario Front has decided to break contacts with the current Spanish government" over its "instrumentalisation of the Western Sahara question", the movement said in a statement.
It added the break would last until Madrid "conforms with decisions of international legality, which recognises the Sahrawi people's right to self-determination and with respect for the borders of their country, as internationally recognised". Mohammed Tayyar, a researcher in strategic and security studies, told The Arab Weekly, “Polisario’s announcement of suspension of contacts with the current Spanish government is essentially a new measure taken by its patron, Algeria, after it realised that recalling its ambassador from Madrid did not affect the new course of relations between Spain and Morocco, nor deter Madrid from confirming it commitment to its new position on the issue of the Moroccan Sahara.”
Tayyar noted that “Polisario’s statement coincided with the visit by the Spanish prime minister to Morocco and the removal by the Spanish ministry of foreign affairs of the border line separating Morocco and its southern provinces on its official map, which reflects the watershed impact of Spain’s policy shift and illustrated the threat posed by Madrid’s decision to Algeria’s and Polisario’s designs.”Morocco's King Mohammed VI last week hosted Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez in a landmark visit, which consecrated the mending of the two countries’ ties.
Algeria had recalled its ambassador to Madrid for consultations, after Spain's decision, which reflected its shock at Spain’s unexpected move. Algiers described Spain's decision to support the Moroccan initiative as "Spain's second historic betrayal of the Sahrawi people."
The Polisario office in Madrid is registered as an NGO and not as an official foreign body. All official contacts by Spain regarding the status of the Tindouf camps on Algerian soil are made through the Algerian embassy in Madrid, given that Algeria is legally responsible for the camps.
Tayyar said that “As it announces the suspension of its contacts with the current Spanish government, the Polisario is hoping for the coming to power of a new government that would restore Madrid’s previous position and this alone, is evidence of the inability of Algeria and the Polisario to soundly interpret the balance shifts and new developments regarding the Moroccan Sahara issue and how Morocco finally has resolved the whole contrived problem.”Analysts expect further escalation by Algeria against Spain in the near future to put pressure on Madrid in hope of forcing it to reverse course.
Former Algerian minister and diplomat, Abdelaziz Rehabi, said he expects Algeria to use the migration card, as it shares borders with seven countries in Africa, in addition to the gas lever, in order to pressure the Spanish government to reverse position.
Sanchez has not wavered in defending his decision to support the autonomy initiative. He noted that it is similar to the decisions of other countries such as France, Germany and the United States and stressed that Madrid’s decision allowed for the normalisation of relations with Morocco.
Commenting on the Polisario’s ending of contacts with Madrid, Mohamed Salem Abdelfattah, head of the Sahrawi Observatory for Media and Human Rights, said, “If the Polisario intends to obstruct the humanitarian support by Spanish official and civil bodies to the population of the Tindouf camps, led by the Spanish Cooperation Agency, the residents of those camps will be affected by that kind of decision, not Spain”.
For decades, Algeria has played a major role in the conflict over the Sahara issue through its support for the Polisario Front. The international community sees the North African country as part of the problem, an assessment which Algiers opposes despite its involvement at all levels in the conflict.
The Security Council has asked the UN envoy Staffan de Mistura to resume the round tables with the four parties, namely Morocco, Algeria, Mauritania and the Polisario Front, but Algeria has refused to participate.
It is expected that the UN Security Council will hold a session on April 20 regarding the Sahara issue, during which de Mistura will present for the first time a report on the current status of crisis following his last tour in the region.
According to Tayyar, the Polisario’s statement could actually signal the end of the front itself, after Spain abandoned its leaders, most of whom, led by their leader Ibrahim Ghali, hold Spanish citizenship,
Tensions between Madrid and Rabat had erupted in April 2021 when it allowed Ghali to be treated for COVID-19 at a Spanish hospital under an assumed identity and then permitted him to be smuggled out of the country when a civil court case was launched against him .

Ordinary Iranians to suffer due to abolition of subsidized exchange rate
Dr. Mohammed Al-Sulami/Arab News/April 11, 2022
Iranian lawmakers recently confirmed that the government’s decision to revoke Iran’s subsidized exchange rate system will adversely impact medicine and healthcare in the country. Despite the significance of the decision, the Majlis announced that it was the government’s prerogative, only putting in place some meaningless conditions. The preferential subsidized exchange rate has helped in importing affordable medicine and healthcare supplies from abroad. But the parliament approved the elimination of this exchange rate — a step described on social media platforms as the “premeditated mass murder of the Iranian people.” This blow will be especially harsh as it comes just as the Statistical Center of Iran announced that the country last month witnessed the third-highest inflation rate since the 1979 revolution, with health insurance falling short of covering millions of Iranians.
The stated reason for the government’s decision was to “eradicate the corruption of importers who had used the subsidized exchange rate for purposes other than those for which it was created” and preserving Iran’s already scarce foreign currency reserves. It is worth mentioning that the Central Bank’s governor announced a few days ago that securing hard currency had become easier over the past year, claiming that the country’s hard currency reserves have increased by 57 percent, reaching more than $57 billion from oil and non-oil exports.
The subsidized exchange rate meant that the government offered a special exchange rate for the dollar — far lower than the market exchange rate, where one dollar is valued at more than 26,000 tomans. The subsidized exchange rate meant that the dollar was valued at 4,200 tomans. The Iranian currency has suffered several major setbacks over the past four years, losing 75 percent of its value, with the exchange rate to the dollar rising from less than 5,000 tomans four years ago to more than 26,000 tomans and sometimes above 30,000 tomans.
Among the meaningless conditions proposed by the parliament in response to the abolition of the subsidized exchange rate was that insurance companies should be compelled to meet the difference between the old and new prices. Lawmakers also proposed that prices would be fixed according to those posted between March 2021 and March 2022.
At first glance, the conditions set by parliament seem unrealistic. The proposal to fix prices in line with the past year and not increase them is an impractical condition. How can producers keep prices unchanged while the cost of raw materials and production inputs continuously rise? Of course, there will be no incentive for producers to continue production in case they incur losses, which will lead to medicines becoming scarce. This applies in the case of domestically manufactured medicines using imported components.
In the case of importing already-produced medicine from abroad, the situation will be even worse because the exchange rate of foreign currency on the free market is unstable and has been shooting upwards over the past three years, meaning massively increased costs for importers should the toman’s value increase in the future. This, in turn, will lead to increasing costs for patients. If the prices are fixed, both traders and producers will not be able to sell at prices that compensate for the costs incurred, which will ultimately create a black market for medicine.
Despite medicines being exempt from US sanctions, the medicine and healthcare sectors have suffered several crises since the sanctions were imposed. Iranians have suffered severe shortages in some types of medicine over the past two years, especially those used for treating chronic and incurable diseases, with Iran also devastatingly affected by a scarcity of the medical supplies needed to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Many global drug companies — as well as Iranian medical personnel — have fled the country, which has prompted the regime to rely on 120 local companies to produce medicine. Nonetheless, the remaining medical companies in Iran still need to import raw materials from abroad to manufacture drugs domestically. With exchange rates subsidized, these companies were able to keep prices affordable, hence producing drugs and other medical items at a cost manageable to citizens.
Government’s move will put even more pressure on already-stressed patients and may cause several insurance companies to go bankrupt.
As for the proposal that insurance companies pay the price difference, the matter is not that simple. There are two major problems. First, there are millions of Iranians left out of the health insurance network. The second is whether the insurance companies will be able to bear the significant difference between the old, subsidized exchange rate and the new one.
According to health insurance coverage tallies, there are between 6 million and 9 million Iranians not covered by health insurance, while 25 percent of medicine and healthcare products are not covered by health insurance. Accordingly, many Iranian specialists in the healthcare sector believe that abolishing the subsidized exchange rate will put even more pressure on already-stressed patients and may cause several insurance companies to go bankrupt because of the price shock. This will leave the people, especially the poor and vulnerable, without affordable healthcare and cause a crisis in insurance coverage in case the government does not intervene to compensate the insurance companies.
Even when the government was offering the subsidized exchange rate in the past, Iranians suffered from inflated food and medicine prices, with the continued rise in the dollar exchange rate further exacerbating inflation. The price hikes surpassed 60 percent on many occasions, affecting medicine, food, restaurants and housing in particular over the past year. According to the Statistical Center of Iran, inflation in health and medication was 40 percent in January 2022, while the inflation rate for the year ending in March reached 40.2 percent. Food and beverages posted an inflation rate of 51.9 percent. Citing these rates gives us a picture of the dizzying levels that prices could soon reach as a result of abolishing the subsidized exchange rate. This could be devastating for crucial and sensitive sectors such as medicine and healthcare — and there is no clear plan for protecting the Iranian people from the consequences.
In remarks to the ILNA news agency, Alireza Mahjoub, secretary-general of the Workers’ House, said: “It seems that the government didn’t conduct studies before making such a decision. The parliament didn’t assign a mission or plan for the government to act following the elimination of the subsidized exchange rate, except allowing it to freely spend the billions of dollars resulting from eliminating the subsidized exchange rate at will.” He expects that the price of medicine will increase more than 100 percent, adding that “this decision came at a time when our experts, not the government’s, estimated the minimum level of the subsistence basket to be at 9 million tomans per month.” Workers’ monthly wages in Iran are far less than half of this rate.
Iran’s economic decision-makers are in disarray, to the extent that one outgoing government issues a decision that the incoming government immediately abolishes, with the next government reinstating the previously revoked decision, and so on. At times, subsidizing commodities is the best solution to subsidize the Iranian economy, while at others cash subsidies are the best solution — a policy pursued by former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad but curbed by his successor Hassan Rouhani, whose government instead introduced the subsidized exchange rate, which Ebrahim Raisi’s government has decided to eliminate.
Such chopping and changing of policies prevents any sort of long-term planning, with the ordinary people bearing the brunt in the end. The disarray this time has impacted a sensitive and important sector, that of healthcare, with middle and working-class citizens the worst affected. It is worth noting that Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi was aware of the importance of healthcare at the end of his reign and gained some popularity for his policies in this field, such as expanding health insurance coverage to include all Iranian citizens and providing free food items for mothers and babies.
• Dr. Mohammed Al-Sulami is President of the International Institute for Iranian Studies (Rasanah).
Twitter: @mohalsulami

Extremists seek electoral victory in Paris and Beirut
Baria Alamuddini/Arab News/April 11, 2022
The received wisdom in the aftermath of Russia’s attack on Ukraine was that it would precipitate a collapse in support for the Kremlin-aligned far right throughout the Western world.
However, despite the massive European outpouring of support for Ukraine, two of Vladimir Putin’s closest European allies — in Hungary and Serbia — scored easy wins in recent elections. Given President Viktor Orban’s iron grip over the Hungarian media and institutions, this wasn’t a huge shock, but it may indicate that European public opposition to Russia’s invasion is shallower than first thought — which could spark further challenges as the impact of millions of refugees and conflict-fueled inflation bite further. Orban even described Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as his “opponent.”
In the French presidential election, the second-round runoff between Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen on April 24 looks likely to be closely fought. Why does this matter? Because Le Pen is the pretty face of the xenophobic, pro-Moscow, populist, neo-fascist extreme right.
Macron is suffering from dire popularity ratings in a nation where presidents are rarely awarded a second term. He isn’t without his failings, but he is exactly the leader that France and Europe need right now. In a continent direly lacking in visionary leadership, Macron is a centrist who believes in taking an assertive position on the global stage. He is one of the few Western leaders who continue to engage with Putin in seeking to work toward a pragmatic outcome in Ukraine, and one of even fewer who have sought to engage with the Lebanon morass.
Meanwhile Le Pen’s Rassemblement National has fought political campaigns with borrowed Russian money, and only since the Ukraine invasion has she tried to distance herself from Putin, having previously boasted of their closeness. With a distracted Macron absent from the campaign until the past week, Le Pen smiles sweetly and engages voters in their concerns about the cost of living, obscuring her anti-immigrant, Islamophobic, anti-EU and anti-NATO ideology.
A critical mass of such disruptive leaders as Orban and Le Pen would be a disaster for the EU’s efforts to present a united front toward Putin; they may seek to quit or dismantle the bloc, or find themselves thrown out.
Meanwhile in Lebanon, Hezbollah continues to dominate a fragmented electoral landscape, in a situation where a plethora of opposition candidates are largely running against each other — and thus are likely to lose out to the same corrupt old faces. With over 1,000 candidates, there are more women and more young people standing than ever before. There are more than 100 electoral lists, including a “national council for ending Iranian occupation” comprising Christian and Muslim civil society figures.
Much is at stake, with the new parliament due to elect a successor to President Michel Aoun. Most Lebanese are anxious that this should be anyone who isn’t Gebran Bassil. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah’s iftar last week with two figures with presidential ambitions, Bassil and Suleiman Franjieh, appeared to be an attempt to neutralize infighting between these bitter rivals for the sake of maximum parliamentary gain, while securing Nasrallah’s role as Shiite kingmaker for the Christian Maronite presidency.
Never has the situation looked bleaker. Deputy Prime Minister Saadeh Al-Shami warned last week that Lebanon was bankrupt and the political classes were living in a state of denial. The currency has lost 90 percent of its value and national debt has soared to $100 billion, more than double GDP. The banking sector’s losses are estimated at more than $70 billion. The election may even be delayed for a number of reasons, one being that the national electricity company cannot guarantee uninterrupted power for the voting and counting centers.
Most Lebanese see themselves as hostages to regional and global factors. Tehran blocks progress as long as nuclear negotiations remain deadlocked, Iran and its proxies attack Western and Gulf targets, and national finances are buffeted by soaring food prices related to the Ukraine conflict.
Many of these challenges could be ameliorated if citizens came together to ensure that Hezbollah and its allies decisively lost the vote, although the Iraq experience demonstrates that even when Tehran’s allies are soundly thrashed in elections it is not easy to force them to relinquish political influence.
The problem in these nominally democratic Arab states, as well as throughout much of Europe and also in Russia, is that a critical mass of citizens dance to the tune of corrupt populist politicians who play on their base fears and prejudices, while swamping them in a deluge of lies and propaganda and plundering billions of dollars of citizens’ wealth. In France, the cradle of sophisticated civilization, it’s not unlikely that half those voting could lend their support to somebody widely seen as a neo-fascist, while in Russia a convincing majority of citizens appear to support an illegal and incompetently fought war.
Even the culture wars waged by Hezbollah and the Western far right to whip up popular support against so-called “liberal values” are remarkably similar. Hezbollah has also been playing the sectarian religious card more aggressively than before, raising concerns of conflict amid Lebanon’s precarious status quo.
Every single Lebanese citizen would be massively better off if Hezbollah were electorally eliminated, but they and their cronies will almost certainly win enough votes to attain their talismanic “blocking third” and the ability to paralyse and sabotage the political system.
Such are levels of public disenchantment in Lebanon and France that crucial proportions of society are unlikely to vote, thus tossing the advantage to extremists. Many Lebanese can’t even afford petrol to get to the polling stations.
The election of Le Pen would be a catastrophe for European unity at this critical moment in history, and Lebanon cannot survive four more years of the failed Hezbollah-dominated consensus. Consequences would include a massive new exodus of citizens, IMF refusal to prevent further economic meltdown, and likely civil conflict that could deteriorate into regionalized war.
Both these elections themselves are little short of a war between good and evil — between competent and conscientious figures who believe in democratic accountable governance, and rabble-rousing extremists who seek to drag the world back into the cultural and political dark ages.
Voters must grasp what is at stake before it’s too late.
*Baria Alamuddin is an award-winning journalist and broadcaster in the Middle East and the UK. She is editor of the Media Services Syndicate and has interviewed numerous heads of state. Her new book, “Militia State —The Rise of Al-Hashd Al-Shaabi and the Eclipse of the Iraqi Nation State,” is published by Nomad Publishing.