English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For April 13/2022
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news

The Bulletin's Link on the lccc Site
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/aaaanewsfor2021/english.april13.22.htm

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

Bible Quotations For today
Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them: It is better for you to have one man die for the people than to have the whole nation destroyed
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 11/47-54:”So the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the council, and said, ‘What are we to do? This man is performing many signs.If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and destroy both our holy place and our nation.’But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, ‘You know nothing at all! You do not understand that it is better for you to have one man die for the people than to have the whole nation destroyed.’He did not say this on his own, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus was about to die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but to gather into one the dispersed children of God. So from that day on they planned to put him to death. Jesus therefore no longer walked about openly among the Jews, but went from there to a town called Ephraim in the region near the wilderness; and he remained there with the disciples.””

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on April 12-13/2022
Lebanon Remembers Today The 46 Years Bloody Incident that is known by the Ain Al Remani Buss Incident
President Aoun meets Industry Minister
President Aoun signs laws recently passed by Parliament
Raja Salameh's release request approved, bail lowered to LBP 200 billion
Lebanon PM Mikati to visit Saudi Arabia as tensions ease
Appointments dispute delays call for Cabinet session
Bukhari says KSA doesn't interfere in Lebanon, Miqati lauds Saudi-French support
Lebanese queue for bread amid wheat shortages
Saudi Ambassador: We Wish Lebanon Well
With eyes on the presidency, Bassil reiterates support for
Saudi ambassador hits ground running on return to Beirut
Explosion in southern Lebanon kills one, injures several
Huge blast in Sidon town kills Amal member, injures at least 5
Bou Habib welcomes Kuwaiti Ambassador and British parl
Salam welcomes KSA Ambassador
Kataeb: Hezbollah has released password to attack us
Mikati follows up with Mawlawi on preparations for elections, discusses general developments with Serail visitors
Retired Lebanese Judge Peter Germanos: Lebanon Is Under Iranian Occupation; Hizbullah Has Effectively Partitioned Lebanon

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on April 12-13/2022
Gunman shoots eight in New York City subway car, officials say
Iran Steps Closer to Recover $7 Billion of Frozen Assets
Iran Summons Afghan Envoy over Attack on Diplomatic Missions
Concern over Possible Use of Chemical Weapons as Battle Rages in Besieged Ukrainian Port
Putin Warns the West: Russia Cannot Be Isolated - Or Held Back
As EU Eyes Stopping Russian Gas Imports, Israel Sees an Opening
Russia’s Gazprom Continues Gas Exports to Europe via Ukraine
Ukraine probes claim poisonous substance dropped in Mariupol
Israeli Officer Mistakenly Kills Israeli Citizen Thinking They Were Palestinian
German court charges IS returnee over alleged slave abuse
France's Le Pen Says She Has No 'Secret Agenda' to Exit EU
Turkey, Russia Hold Joint Patrol in Northeast Syria
Turkey Detains Former Kurdish Party Officials over PKK Links
Canada/Minister Joly meets with Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister and with President of Indonesia
US Orders Non-essential Consulate Staff to Leave Shanghai

Titles For The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on April 12-13/2022
Was the Infiltration of the Secret Service Part of an Iranian Plot to Kill John Bolton?/Lee Smith/The Tablet/April 12, 2022
Why Palestinians Celebrate the Murder of Jews/Khaled Abu Toameh/Gatestone Institute/April 12/2022
Leading from behind has an exciting new name./Daniel Greenfield/Gatestone Institute./April 12/2022
Political Tempest in Israel: Can Bennett Right the Ship?/David Makovsky/The Washington Institute//April 12/2022

The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on April 12-13/2022
Lebanon Remembers Today The 46 Years Bloody Incident that is known by the Ain Al Remani Buss Incident
Elias Bejjani/April 13/2022
For the passed 46 years the Lebanese in general and the Lebanese Christians in particular remember on April 13th the bloody incident of the Ain Al Remani terrorist Palestinian attack. The attack targeted a church in the Ain Al Rumani Mount Lebanon Al Maten Suburb where Late Kataab leader Pierre Gemayel was attending a holy mass. Below a report on the incident.
Ain el-Rammaneh incident
en.wikipedia.org
https://military.wikia.org/wiki/Bus_massacre
The Bus Massacre, also known as the ‘Ain el-Rammaneh incident’ (or ‘massacre’), was the collective name given to a short series of armed clashes involving Lebanese Christian and Palestinian elements in the streets of central Beirut, which is commonly presented as the spark that set off the Lebanese Civil War in the mid-1970s.
Background
Early in the morning of April 13, 1975, outside the Church of Notre Dame de la Delivrance at the predominantly Christian district of Ain el-Rammaneh in East Beirut, occurred an altercation between half a dozen armed Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) guerrillas (Arabic: Fedayyn) on a passing vehicle performing the customary waving and firing their automatic rifles into the air (Arabic: Baroud)[1] and a squad of uniformed militiamen belonging to the Phalangist Party’ Kataeb Regulatory Forces (KRF) militia who were diverting the traffic at the front of the newly consecrated temple where a family baptism was taking place. As the Palestinian militias refused to be diverted from their route, the Phalangists tried to halt their progress by force and a scuffle quickly ensued, which resulted in the death of the PLO driver of the vehicle after being shot.
At 10:30 am, when the congregation was concentrated outside the front door of the temple upon the conclusion of the ceremony, a group of unidentified gunmen approached in two civilian cars – rigged with posters and bumper stickers belonging to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a PLO faction – and suddenly opened fire, killing four Phalangist militants:[2][3][4] Joseph Abu Assi, a Phalange militant and father of the baptized child and his three bodyguards – Antoine Husseini, Dib Assaf and Selman Ibrahim Abou – shot while attempting to return fire on the assailants.[citation needed] They belonged to the personal entourage of the Maronite Zaim Pierre Gemayel, the powerful leader of the right-wing Phalangist Party, who was lightly wounded in the head. The attackers fled the scene under fire from the surviving bodyguards and KRF militiamen on duty at the time.
The Bus attack
In the commotion that followed, armed Phalangist KRF and NLP Tigers militiamen took the streets, and began to set up roadblocks at Ain el-Rammaneh and other Christian-populated eastern districts of the Lebanese Capital, stopping vehicles and checked identities,[5] while in the mainly Muslim western sectors the Palestinian factions did likewise.
Assuming the perpetrators were Palestinian guerrillas who carried out the attack and outraged by the audacity of the attempt on the life of their historical leader, the Phalangists planned an immediate response. Shortly after mid-day, a PLO bus carrying Palestinian refugees,[6] of whom some were armed, returning from a political rally at Tel el-Zaatar held by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine – General Command (PFLP-GC) passed through Ain el-Rammaneh on its way to Sabra refugee camp. The bus drove through the narrow street-alleys, where there was an armed Phalangist presence due to the earlier incident. Upon seeing it pass, the Phalangist militants opened fire on the bus, killing 27, and wounding 19. According to sociologist Samir Khalaf all 28 passengers were killed.[7]
Consequences
This bloody incident, which became known as the “Bus massacre”, incited long-standing sectarian hatred and mistrust, and sparked heavy fighting throughout the country between Kataeb Regulatory Forces militiamen and the Palestinian Fedayyn and their leftist-Muslim allies of the Lebanese National Movement (LNM) alliance, resulting in over 300 dead in just three days.[8]
The recently appointed Lebanese Prime-Minister, the Sunni Rashid al-Sulh, tried vainly to defuse the situation as quickly as possible by sending in the evening of the day following the massacre a Gendarmerie detachment from the Lebanese Internal Security Forces (ISF) to Ain el-Rammaneh, which detained a number of suspects. In addition, Prime-Minister Sulh tried to pressure Phalangist Party’ President Pierre Gemayel to hand over to the authorities the Phalangist KRF militiamen responsible for the death of the Palestinian driver. Gemayel publicly refused however, hinting that he and his Party would no longer abide by the authority of the government due to the influx of the Palestinians and PLO.[9]
He later sent a Phalangist delegation on a mission to secure the release of the previously detained suspects held in custody by Lebanese authorities, stating that the individuals involved in the incident were just defending themselves and that no charges could be pressed against them.
As news of the murders spread, armed clashes between PLO guerilla factions and other Christian militias erupted throughout the Lebanese Capital. Soon Lebanese National Movement (LNM) militias entered the fray alongside the Palestinians. Numerous ceasefires and political talks held through international mediation proved fruitless. Sporadic violence escalated into a full-fledged civil war over the next two years, known as the 1975-76 phase of the Lebanese Civil War, in which 80,000 people lost their lives and split Lebanon along factional and sectarian lines for another 16 years.
Controversy
The chain of events that led to the Ain el-Rammaneh PLO driver incident and the subsequent “Bus massacre” in April 1975 have been the subject of intense speculation and passionate debate in Lebanon since the end of the Civil War in 1990. There are two conflicting versions of what happened that day, with the Phalangists describing it as an act of self-defense by insisting that the bus carried armed ALF guerrilla reinforcements firing weapons, hurrying along to avenge their dead driver. The Phalangists anticipated such a reaction by waiting in ambush, and in the ensuing shoot-out they claimed to have killed 14 Palestinian Fedayin.[citation needed]
Although most PLO accounts deny this version of the event, describing the bus passengers as civilian families, victims of an unprovoked attack, and not fully armed guerrillas, Abd al-Rahim Ahmad of the ALF did confirm years later that some of them were off-duty members of his faction.[10] Another high-rank PLO official, Abu Iyad, later suggested that the incident was not the responsibility of the Phalange, but rather a deliberate provocation engineered by the National Liberal Party (NLP), a predominately Christian conservative Party led by former President Camille Chamoun.[11]
As for the SSNP gunmen involved in the April 1975 drive-by shooting, they were never apprehended and apparently disappeared without a trace. Some unconfirmed reports suggest that they were later killed in action.[citation needed]
The bus was found and exhibited in mid-2011.[12]

NNA/Tuesday, 12 April, 2022
President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun, asserted that “We must all mobilize to rise from the bottom of the abyss in which we are, as a result of the killing of production in our economy. The industrial sector is at the forefront of the sectors we rely on for recovery”.
The President also hoped that “There will be a boom in industrial products, which would contribute to the return of prosperity”, and noted that the agreement with the International Monetary Fund would push forward in this direction. President Aoun revealed that the train of reforms would start in order to start implementing the agreement where the economic cycle returns to rotation again. Moreover, the President emphasized the importance of implementing the Capitol Control Law, in addition to forensic audit, recalling the obstacles that were placed in their way and how he worked to overcome them. President Aoun revealed that if they had been adopted nearly two years ago, we would have been better than the current situation, and stressed that despair has no place in his thinking. “For the remainder of the Presidential term, let no one consider that I will stop working for recovery” the President said.
President Aoun’s positions came while receiving Industry Minister, George Boushikian, and a delegation of members of the new board of directors of the Association of Industrialists headed by Salim Zeenni.
Minister Boushikian:
“I and the new president of the Association of Lebanese Industrialists, Salim Al-Zeenni, and the members of the board of directors, are honored to visit you Mr. President, in a visit which comes after the association assumed new term.
You know, Mr. President, a good number of industrial colleagues who have served the association for many years. The new president, Mr. Salim Al-Zeenni, is famous and well-known in the industrial world.
We meet in a pioneering experience of close cooperation between the ministry and the association in order to achieve the demands of the industrialists. We will continue with the new council in the same approach with the support of His Excellency the President, the Prime Minister and other fellow ministers, because a number of ministries are concerned with achieving industrial demands.
Industry is the sector of the future, constantly developing, providing better conditions, and ensuring a work environment that meets the expectations of the new generations coming to the labor market, which allows young people to find their place and find opportunities and progress.
The industrial sector has proven in the past few years that it is capable of interacting with new industries that the Lebanese desperately need, for example, the Corona virus sterilizers and protective medical kits. And I give you another example, Mr. President, with the exacerbation of the economic crisis and the depreciation of the Lebanese pound; the industrialists doubled their production, and secured the local market needs and products that Lebanon used to import. This led to reducing the trade balance deficit and reducing the value of imports from about twenty billion dollars to eleven billion dollars, in addition to increasing exports.
Your Excellency, the industry in Lebanon is the only sector that expanded in the recent economic crisis despite the presence of many obstacles in front of it, and it is the sector least affected by the repercussions of this crisis. We at the Ministry of Industry directed the industrialists, facilitated granting them industrial licenses, and reduced competition. We have also taken many deterrent, protective and motivating decisions to adopt specifications and standards.
We are here to take your directions and thank you for your support of a promising productive sector that contributes to economic advancement”.
Zeenni’s Word
For his part, the President of the Industrialists’ Association thanked President Aoun for his reception.
Zeenni said “We have hope for you, Mr. President, to embrace and support the Lebanese industry, which has contributed to replacing imports with local manufacturing. This was our battle for steadfastness in the past few years. And we will continue it in order to advance all sectors, because industry is the second largest employer in Lebanon after the Lebanese state, and it opens new job opportunities and contributes to the introduction of hard currency into Lebanon”
“We hope, with all laws that we will reach to maintain this trend, because any defect would cause us to lose the best people who contribute to employment in Lebanon. We are rooted in this country and we will not carry our burdens and leave Lebanon. We will stay here for reconstruction country with your support” Zeenni continued.
“The most important thing that contributes to our steadfastness is addressing the cost of production, as a result of the high prices of fuels in the global markets. We hope that the process of importing it directly from the industrialists will be adopted, with the cancellation of all fees that burden the industrialists with many burdens, even for a year or two. We do not want subsidies, but we want to import fuels at their real price” Zeenni concluded.
The President called for facilitating the acquisition of common land from the state in order to build a headquarters for the Industrialists’ Association, “Which would be a beacon to the Lebanese economy”.
President Aoun:
President Aoun welcomed the attendees, and stressed the importance of his personal attachment to the productive economy.
The President said “This is a conviction I have, I have always talked about it, and I took the initiative to do so, since I was in exile. The productive economy is very important, because the lira is never supported by debt, but by production. We have paid a heavy price as a result of killing production, as the balance of payments has become very bad, and this is what led to the negative result we reached, in addition to the rampant corruption in the staff of the administration”.
“Today, we have nothing that would advance our economy except production, especially industrial production. We have allowed the import of fuels directly to industrialists, and we have designated a special warehouse for the matter” President Aoun added.
The President also stressed that work is ongoing with everyone, in order to achieve recovery.
Statement:
After the meeting, Minister Boushikian made the following statement:
“We were honored today, to visit His Excellency the President, I, the new Chairman of the Association of Lebanese Industrialists, Salim Al-Zenni, and the members of the Board of Directors, after their new term.
His Excellency the President knows a good number of industrial colleagues who have served the association for many years. The new Chairman, colleague Salim Al-Zenni, is famous and well-known in the industrial world.
Here we meet the public sector and the private sector in a pioneering experience of close cooperation between the Ministry and the Association in order to achieve the demands of the industrialists. We will continue with the new council in the same approach with the support of His Excellency the President, the Prime Minister and other fellow ministers, because a number of ministries are concerned with achieving industrial demands.
Industry is the sector of the future. It constantly develops, provides better conditions, and secures a work environment that meets the expectations of the new generations to come to the labor market, which allows young people to find their place, find opportunities, and advance.
The industrial sector has proven in the past few years that it is capable of interacting with new industries that the Lebanese desperately need, for example, but not limited to industries related to confronting the Corona virus, sterilizers, and protective medical kits. I gave an example to His Excellency the President, with the worsening of the economic crisis and the depreciation of the Lebanese pound, the industrialists doubled their production, and secured the local market’s need for the products that Lebanon was importing. This led to reducing the trade balance deficit and reducing the value of imports from about twenty billion dollars to eleven billion dollars, in addition to increasing exports.
It can be said that industry in Lebanon is the only sector that expanded in the recent economic crisis, despite the presence of many obstacles. It is also the sector least affected by the repercussions of this crisis.
We, in the Ministry of Industry, directed the industrialists, facilitated granting them industrial licenses, and reduced the intensity of unfair competition by closing unlicensed factories. We took many deterrent, protective and stimulating decisions to adopt specifications and standards.
We also thanked His Excellency the President for his support of a promising productive sector, which contributes to economic advancement”.
Zeenni’s Statement:
After the meeting, Mr. Zeenni made the following statement:
“We were honored to meet His Excellency the President, and we thanked him for sponsoring the industry and encouraging this basic sector of production.
We also thanked him for the presence of the Minister of Industry, Mr. Boushikian, who supported this sector and the industrialists. This contributed to the steadfastness in the face of all the current events, and helping us to reduce the cost of production, which is the main obstacle facing us, in order to be able to start more and more in replacing imports with exports.
The Lebanese market has taken its place in this crisis and has become the largest part of the domestic product. We are ready to grow further, as we are rooted in Lebanon and will not leave it. The industrialists will remain here, and they will continue in the economic reconstruction, and in developing the productivity that we currently have.
We hope that we will be as expected of us”.
Questions & Answers:
In response to a question about the anti-monopoly party, Minister Boushikian replied: “It is not related to the industry, but rather its reference is the Ministry of Economy. We are industrialists, and what we produce we sell. The industry has never tried to monopolize anything, but on the contrary, the Lebanese industrial sector always works and competes, whether in quality or prices”.
In response to the high prices of the Lebanese product, sometimes exceeding its foreign counterpart, Minister Boushikian replied: “We are more and more legalizing this matter, and there is a decision issued regarding licensing all factories, so that the product is only purchased by a licensed company, because today there are many unauthorized speculations. In addition, when we want a product of international quality, there is a cost. Let’s take an example: There is a product that you may use 5 milligrams from without a product because its quality is very high, and its price is 30% cheaper than the cheap product. This is an equation, we are working on it. Always price and quality should be equal”.
For his part, Mr. Zeenni responded to the same question, saying: “With regard to quality, if the imported product is of low quality and is not worthy for local consumption, then it is not subject to speculation. We are doing our best to reach international quality in order to take the place of import and not the other way around. And what happened in the past two years is the biggest proof that we have entered into quality and price together”. ----Presidency Press Office

President Aoun signs laws recently passed by Parliament
NNA/Tuesday, 12 April, 2022
President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun, signed 11 Parliament-approved laws, and referred them for publication according to the rules.
Laws:
-Law No. 283 of 12/4/2022 obligating banks operating in Lebanon to pay an amount of 10,000 US dollars to Lebanese university students studying abroad before the year 2020-2021.
-Law No. 284 of 12/4/2022 establishing a mandatory syndicate of nutritionists and meal planning specialists in Lebanon.
-Law No. 285 of 12/4/2022 extending the mandate of municipal and optional councils.
-Law No. 286 dated 12/4/2022 related to agreement mediation.
Law No. 287 of 12/4/2022 to support the locally produced pharmaceutical industry.
-Law No. 288 dated 12/4/2022 amending Law No. 389/1995 dated 12/1/1995 amended by Law No. 533/1996 dated 24/7/1996 (establishing the Economic and Social Council).
-Law No. 289 dated 12/4/2022 granting compensation and pensions to the families of the Lebanese victims who died in the August 15, 2021 bombings in the Akkar town of Al-Tleil and enabling the Lebanese who were injured to benefit from health benefits and the rights of people with additional needs.
-Law No. 290 of 12/4/2022 suspending legal, judicial and contractual deadlines for non-performing loans and cancelling or reducing fines.
-Law No. 291 dated 12/4/2022 authorizing the government to conclude the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its Optional Protocol.
- Law No. 292 dated 4/12/2022 requesting approval of the conclusion of the basic agreement between the Government of the Lebanese Republic and the World Food Programme.
-Law No. 293 dated 12/4/2022 amending Article 3 of Law No. 194 dated 16/10/2020 (Protecting the areas affected by the explosion in Beirut Port and supporting their reconstruction) and amending the fourth item of Law No. 185 dated 19/8/2020 (Extension of time limits and granting some exemptions from taxes and fees). ----Presidency Press Office

Raja Salameh's release request approved, bail lowered to LBP 200 billion
Naharnet/Tuesday, 12 April, 2022
The Mount Lebanon accusatory body led by Judge Pierre Francis on Tuesday approved a ruling to release Raja Salameh from jail, dismissing an appeal filed by Mt. Lebanon Prosecutor Judge Ghada Aoun. The accusatory body also agreed to slash the bail value from LBP 500 billion to LBP 200 billion. Salameh's lawyer had recently said that the LBP 500 billion bail that Investigative Judge Nicolas Mansour had ordered for the release of Salameh was "unprecedented" in the history of the Lebanese Justice Palace. "The amount is unreasonable and illogical," lawyer Marwan al-Khoury said, after having filed an appeal demanding that the bail amount be slashed. Mansour had ordered the release of Raja Salameh, Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh's brother, on a bail of LBP 500 billion, but Mount Lebanon Prosecutor Judge Ghada Aoun appealed against the decision and demanded that he be kept in custody. Aoun had charged Raja with "facilitating money laundering" after he was arrested over financial misconduct. The same charge was filed against Ukrainian national Anna Kosakova, who jointly owns a company with Raja Salameh.
The judge is also overseeing several legal cases against Riad Salameh, who has repeatedly failed to show up at hearings.

Lebanon PM Mikati to visit Saudi Arabia as tensions ease
Arab News/Tuesday 12/04/2022
Mikati will visit Saudi Arabia following the return of its ambassador to Beirut. Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati said on Monday he will visit Saudi Arabia during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, Al-Jadeed TV reported, in a sign of improving ties with the kingdom following the return of its ambassador to Beirut after he was withdrawn during a diplomatic rift. Saudi Arabia and fellow Arab Gulf states were once major donors to Lebanon but relations have been strained for years by the growing influence of the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement.
Ambassadors’ return
Earlier in April, Saudi Arabia announced the return of its ambassador to Lebanon. A diplomatic crisis erupted last October after the then-information minister was quoted criticising the Saudi role in Yemen, where a grinding war has produced what the UN describes as the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.
George Kordahi, who has since resigned, said in a television interview that the Houthi militias fighting Yemen’s internationally-recognised government were “defending themselves … against an external aggression.” He said “homes, villages, funerals and weddings were being bombed” by the Saudi-led coalition and called the war in Yemen “futile.”The Houthis are backed by Saudi arch-rival Iran, which has significant influence in Lebanon, where it backs the powerful Shia movement Hezbollah. In response to the remarks, Riyadh recalled its ambassador and ordered Lebanon’s envoy to leave the kingdom. Its Gulf allies the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Kuwait followed suit, expelling Lebanese envoys. Following the Saudi decision to return its envoy, Kuwait likewise announced the return of its ambassador to Beirut. The row, which has also seen Saudi Arabia ban the imports of Lebanese goods, was a blow to a country already in the grip of crippling political and economic crises. Lebanon, which had been counting on financial assistance from the Gulf to rescue its economy, welcomed the Saudi announcement. “We highly value the kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s decision to return its ambassador to Lebanon and we stress the fact that Lebanon is proud of its Arab allegiance and is adamant on maintaining the best ties with Gulf nations,” Prime Minister Najib Mikati tweeted in early April.
‘Worries’ over Hezbollah
Saudi Arabia, which wields strong influence over many of the Gulf states, had stepped back from its former ally Lebanon in recent years, angered by the influence of Hezbollah. Riyadh has long accused Tehran of supplying the Houthis with sophisticated weapons and its Hezbollah proxy of training the insurgents, charges which Iran denies. Saudi Arabia said in December it had “evidence of involvement of Lebanon’s terrorist Hezbollah in Yemen” including using the airport in Yemen’s capital Sanaa “to target the kingdom”. Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan had blamed deteriorating ties on Hezbollah and Iran’s dominance over Lebanese politics. “There is no crisis with Lebanon but a crisis in Lebanon because of Iranian dominance,” he told Al-Arabiya television in October. “Hezbollah’s dominance of the political system in Lebanon worries us,” he had said. The return of the ambassador, Saudi state media said earlier in April, came “in response to the calls and appeals of the moderate national political forces in Lebanon.”

Appointments dispute delays call for Cabinet session
Naharnet/Tuesday, 12 April, 2022
A heated dispute over appointments has delayed the scheduling of a new Cabinet session, a ministerial source said. The National News Agency later reported that an ordinary session has been scheduled for Thursday with 29 items on its agenda. A leaked copy of the agency contains no mention of the appointments. The source had told Nidaa al-Watan newspaper that the Cabinet session had been delayed due to “the aggravation of the dispute over the appointments parcel that is supposed to be discussed around Cabinet’s table, especially as to diplomatic appointments and those of the deans of the Lebanese University.”“This has pushed (Prime Minister Najib) Miqati to hold consultations behind the scenes in order to reconcile viewpoints regarding the appointments, which are very urgent and should be approved regardless of the ongoing political confrontations between the Baabda Palace and Mirna Chalouhi (Free Patriotic Movement’s HQ) on the one side and Ain el-Tineh on the other,” the source added. “Should the premier manage to reach middle-ground solutions regarding the posts that should be filled, a Cabinet session will be held at the presidential palace, but should the ongoing efforts fail, the session will be held at the Grand Serail,” the source went on to say.

Bukhari says KSA doesn't interfere in Lebanon, Miqati lauds Saudi-French support
Naharnet/Tuesday, 12 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.”

Lebanese queue for bread amid wheat shortages
Naharnet/Tuesday, 12 April, 2022
Some bakeries had already closed their doors when others threatened of closing on Monday night, as bakeries announced they do not have sufficient quantities of wheat to produce bread, urging officials for a fast solution. General Confederation of Lebanese Workers head Bechara al-Asmar warned Tuesday that there is a scarce quantity of wheat in the bakeries that can barely last for 10 days, urging officials to act swiftly and not to lift subsidies on wheat. A person had been reportedly injured in a shooting in front of a bakery in the southern suburbs of Beirut, as people queued on Monday to secure their bread, amid promises that the crisis will soon ease. Economy Minister Amin Salam had promised that a solution will be reached by today, Tuesday, as the central Bank failed to secure funds for the imported subsidized wheat. He said the funds will be secured. "Cabinet has decided in its latest session to dedicate $15 million for wheat but the Central Bank hasn't paid the sum yet," al-Asmar said. LBCI meanwhile said it has learned that Prime Minister Najib Miqati and Minister of Finance Youssef al-Khalil have signed a decision to exceptionally withdraw $15 million from Lebanon's Special Drawing Rights (SDR) to cover the emergency need for wheat. Agriculture Minister Abbas Haj Hassan denied the withdrawal, saying that Cabinet will convene in the upcoming hours. He assured that wheat subsidies won't be lifted any time soon.

Saudi Ambassador: We Wish Lebanon Well
Beirut - Asharq Al-Awsat/Tuesday, 12 April, 2022
On his first diplomatic activity following his return to Beirut, Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon Walid Bukhari met on Monday with Lebanese religious leaders. Bukhari met separately with Grand Sunni Mufti Sheikh Abdul Latif Derian, Vice President of the Supreme Islamic Shiite Council Sheikh Ali Al-Khatib, Druze Sheikh al-Akl Sami Abi Al-Muna, and Maronite Patriarch Bechara Al-Rai. Bukhari had arrived in Beirut on Friday, one day after Saudi Arabia announced it would send its ambassador back to Lebanon after a diplomatic spat last year. A statement by the Saudi foreign ministry said that the Kingdom made the decision after the “calls and appeals of the moderate national political forces in Lebanon.” The Kingdom also said that Lebanon had agreed to “stop all political, military and security activities affecting” it and other Gulf Arab nations. Bukhari began his tour by visiting Derian in Dar Al-Fatwa, carrying with him a gift from Saudi Arabia on the occasion of the holy month of Ramadan. The gift consisted of 30,000 copies of the Holy Qur’an to be distributed to mosques and religious centers, the National News Agency (NNA) reported. NNA said that Derian expressed satisfaction over the revival of Gulf diplomacy in Lebanon, saying the move “bodes well for the country, despite all the circumstances it is going through.”The Grand Mufti underlined the importance of preserving and maintaining distinguished relations with the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council, most notably Saudi Arabia.
“We wish Lebanon and the Lebanese well,” Bukhari responded. He also announced the launch of the annual holy Qur’an award, which is held yearly by the Saudi Embassy in Lebanon during the blessed month of Ramadan, under the patronage of the Mufti of the Republic. Sheikh Al-Khatib, for his part, hoped that the return of Bukhari to Lebanon would mark the beginning of a new path in consolidating the fraternal relations between the two brotherly countries. During Bukhari’s visit to the Sheikh Akl of the Druze Community, discussions touched on the latest political developments in Lebanon and the region, a statement by the Saudi Embassy in Beirut read. In Bkirki, the Maronite Patriarch seized the occasion of the visit to affirm that the Gulf Ambassadors’ return to Lebanon has reaffirmed the Arab brothers’ support for the country, “which is needed more than ever.”In the evening, Bukhari received Prime Minister Najib Mikati at his Yarzeh residence. “I have never felt that the Kingdom’s doors are closed in my face or in the face of any Lebanese. I will visit Saudi Arabia during Ramadan,” Mikati said, adding: “We know perfectly well that the Lebanese people receive full care and support from the [Saudi] leadership.”

With eyes on the presidency, Bassil reiterates support for
Arab News/Tuesday 12/04/2022
Hezbollah’s weaponry
The head of Lebanon’s Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) Gebran Bassil, voiced his support for Hezbollah’s weaponry, a day after the reconciliation, led by the Iran-backed Shia movement, between the FPM and the Marada movement, led by Suleiman Franjieh. Hezbollah said in a statement Saturday that the movement’s chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah had held a meeting with Bassil and Franjieh over a Ramadan Iftar banquet in the presence of a number of senior officials. In a television statement Monday, Bassil said “Hezbollah’s weapons formed a balance that made us able to negotiate the issue of maritime borders with Israel,” noting that he is against the use of these weapons when it comes to conflicts outside Lebanon. Observers said that Bassil is using the issue of Hezbollah's weapons to boost his electoral chances and serve the interests of his party. Bassil had previously criticised Hezbollah’s weapons as the political disputes on government formation raged on between the Shia movement and the FPM. With the approach of the parliamentary elections scheduled for May 15, Bassil has, however, adjusted his compass and made yet another shift, by voicing his support for Hezbollah’s weaponry for fear of angering the Iran-backed Shia movement. If Bassil loses the support of Hezbollah in the upcoming elections, he might suffer defeat, observers say. In past elections, Hezbollah’s support for Bassil and the FPM enhanced the fortunes of what is described as the Lebanon's largest Christian party in the country. For the upcoming parliamentary elections, Bassil hopes for continued support that will boost the FPM’s chances of winning more seats and help him succeed in his aspiration to become the next president. His successor, observers say, has been a top concern for current president Michel Aoun, who has not hidden his desire to see Bassil, his son-in-law, elected in his place. Bassil, who denies his intention to run for the pesidency, said, "As long as President Michel Aoun is in the Republican Palace, I will not address this point." Any support for the next presidential candidate depends on the results of the parliamentary elections. When Hezbollah backed Aoun, the latter was the head of the largest parliamentary bloc. Observers expect the Free Patriotic Movement led by Bassil to lose a large number of seats in the parliamentary elections, after the FPM’s popularity dwindled among Christians, who are now favouring the Lebanese Forces party led by Samir Geagea. Such factors, according to analysts, prompted Bassil to raise pressure on Hezbollah in the hope of obtaining an advance pledge that he will succeed Aoun, even if his parliamentary bloc suffers losses in the next parliament. Hezbollah, however, wants to deal pragmatically with the results of the upcoming elections, in which the Shia movement is expected to maintain the size of its parliamentary bloc, while its current ally, the FPM, is unlikely to maintain the same electoral weight. Many Lebanese hold Aoun and his son-in-law partly responsible for the disastrous economic and social situation in the country, especially as Aoun's tenure is nearing its end without any significant achievements. Lebanese political sources said that Hezbollah's refusal to support Bassil as a candidate to succeed Michel Aoun, whose term ends next October, has been the main reason behind the repeated past attacks levelled by the FPM’s leader against Hezbollah. However, the meeting that brought together Bassil with Nasrallah and Franjieh on Saturday has reportedly mended fences. A member of the Democratic Gathering bloc, MP Wael Abu Faour, said that “the head of the Free Patriotic Movement, Gibran Bassil, will be the March 8 candidate for the presidency, not the head of the Marada movement, Suleiman Franjieh,” noting, “of course, we will not elect Gibran Bassil to the presidency.”He revealed that “President Michel Aoun is exclusively concerned about securing Gebran Bassil's political future.”Abu Faour's statements came after the meeting that brought Nasrallah together with Bassil and Franjieh.

Saudi ambassador hits ground running on return to Beirut
Arab News/April 12/2022
BEIRUT: Saudi Ambassador Walid Bukhari praised Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati’s efforts to protect his country and restore relations with the Kingdom. It came as the ambassador held meetings throughout the day with Lebanese leaders on Monday, concluding with a grand iftar held at the Saudi Embassy in Beirut for Lebanese national figures, including Mikati and other former prime ministers. The improvement of Saudi diplomatic activity has an important political dimension in Lebanon, with the country preparing for parliamentary elections.
Hezbollah’s rush to help its allies win an overwhelming majority in preparation for holding presidential elections in its favor is offset by the opposition currently finding itself fragmented. At the end of October, Saudi Arabia summoned its ambassador to Lebanon for consultations and demanded the departure of the Lebanese ambassador from the Kingdom within 48 hours. The rapid deterioration of diplomatic relations between the two states came against the background of offensive statements made by former Lebanese Information Minister George Kordahi about the Kingdom. Riyadh accused Hezbollah of “controlling the decision (making) of the Lebanese state, turning Lebanon into an arena and launching pad for implementing (the) projects of countries that do not wish the best for Lebanon and its brotherly people, who — from all sects and religions — have historical ties with the Kingdom.”
Lebanon’s Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Latif Derian, meanwhile, welcomed the return of the Saudi ambassador to Beirut. During his meeting on Monday with the ambassador, he stressed the importance of maintaining the special relationship with the Gulf Cooperation Council states, particularly Saudi Arabia.
Derian praised the return of Gulf diplomacy to Lebanon, particularly the ambassadors of the Kingdom and Kuwait.
He said the return raised hope for Lebanon despite its difficult circumstances. Bukhari said: “We wish Lebanon and the Lebanese people good fortune,” before visiting the Supreme Islamic Shiite Council and meeting with Deputy Head Sheikh Ali Al-Khatib.
He also visited the headquarters of the Druze community in Beirut, and met with Sheikh Akl of the Unitarian Druze community Dr. Sami Abi Al-Muna. He concluded his tour by meeting the Maronite Patriarch Bechara Al-Rahi in Bkerke. On Friday, Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah held an iftar banquet for his two Maronite allies, the head of the Free Patriotic Movement Gebran Bassil, and the head of the Marada Movement Suleiman Franjieh, who are both candidates for the presidency. In the meantime, the electoral campaigns continued with the announcement of the lists of candidates for parliamentary seats.On Monday, in his speech during the announcement of an electoral list in the district of Zahle, the head of the Lebanese Forces Party, Samir Geagea, attacked “the axis of resistance — Hezbollah, the Syrian regime and their followers in Lebanon,” referring specifically to Bassil. Geagea addressed the average “Shiite voter,” saying: “Do you know that when you elect Hezbollah … you elect a person named Gebran Bassil, who was planted by Hezbollah in its lists across the country, and with every vote you give him or his candidates, who are planted in Hezbollah’s lists, you increase his chances and his credit so that he dominates you again.”
On Saturday, Bassil attacked “those who betrayed the Free Patriotic Movement” and threatened them with accountability. While Nasrallah spoke to Hezbollah’s Al-Manar TV about political developments on Monday evening, one observer expressed his fear that “Hezbollah is seeking to devote itself and its position as a determinant and maker of presidents and the biggest and main player.”The Lady of the Mountain Gathering, a Christian group which opposes Hezbollah, said that the party “seeks to turn itself into a national force that makes the presidents and forms the authority with all its hierarchies, regardless of the constitution and the choices of citizens.”It too welcomed the return of the Saudi and Kuwaiti ambassadors to Lebanon, and praised it “as a glimmer of hope for Lebanon to restore its Arab identity and remove the nightmare of the occupation, so that it can rebuild the state, achieve reforms, fight corruption and restore effective sovereignty.” The Gathering warned that Lebanon “is under Iranian occupation, and we call on Lebanon’s friends to help liberate it from this occupation.”

Explosion in southern Lebanon kills one, injures several
AP/Arab News/Tuesday 12/04/2022
An explosion ripped through a building in southern Lebanon early on Tuesday, killing one person and wounding several others, a Lebanese security official said. The blast in the town of Banaafoul, near the port city of Sidon, demolished the two-floor building that had served as the local municipality headquarters and a scout centre for the Shia Amal militia, headed by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri. According to the security official, the dead person was the son of the town’s mayor. Five people were injured, the official said, revising his earlier figure of seven wounded. It was not immediately clear what triggered the blast, which also caused material damage to nearby buildings and cars. The official said the explosion may have been caused by diesel fuel stored inside the building. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to give official statements. Other unconfirmed reports said the building contained a weapons cache. Army personnel sealed off the building as they searched through the rubble for clues and casualties. Samira Mustafa, whose nearby house received some damage, said she saw smoke and the sound of popping before the explosion. “I ran as stones fell on my head,” she said as she sat with neighbours on Tuesday morning, discussing the incident. Such mysterious explosions are not uncommon in Lebanon, particularly in the country’s south, awash with weapons. Late last year, arms stored for the Palestinian Hamas group exploded in a building in a Palestinian refugee camp in the south Lebanon port city of Tyre, injuring a dozen people. Hamas denied it had kept weapons there and said the explosion was caused by oxygen tanks stored in the building.

Huge blast in Sidon town kills Amal member, injures at least 5
Associated Press/Tuesday, 12 April, 2022
An explosion ripped through a building in southern Lebanon early on Tuesday, killing one person and wounding several others, a Lebanese security official said. The blast in the town of Banaafoul, near the port city of Sidon, demolished the two-floor building that had served as the local municipality headquarters and a scout center for the Amal Movement headed by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri. According to the security official, the dead person was the son of the town’s mayor, both of whom belong to Amal. Five people were injured, the official said, revising his earlier figure of seven wounded. Citing “preliminary information,” the Amal Movement said in an official statement that an “electric short circuit” led to a fire that resulted in the explosion of oxygen canisters that had been stored in the building during the Covid-19 crisis. The blast also caused material damage to nearby buildings and cars.
The security official had said that the explosion may have been caused by diesel fuel stored inside the building. Other unconfirmed reports said the building contained a weapons cache. Army personnel sealed off the building as they searched through the rubble for clues and casualties. MTV meanwhile reported an altercation between army troops and Amal members in the wake of the blast. Online videos showed a fire ripping through the building prior to the explosion. Witnesses also confirmed that they saw flames and heard sounds resembling fireworks before the blast. Samira Mustafa, whose nearby house received some damage, said she saw smoke and the sound of popping before the explosion. “I ran as stones fell on my head,” she said as she sat with neighbors on Tuesday morning, discussing the incident. Such mysterious explosions are not uncommon in Lebanon, particularly in the country's south, awash with weapons. Late last year, arms stored for the Palestinian Hamas group exploded in a building in a Palestinian refugee camp in the south Lebanon port city of Tyre, injuring a dozen people. Hamas denied it had kept weapons there and said the explosion was caused by oxygen tanks stored in the building.

Bou Habib welcomes Kuwaiti Ambassador and British parl
NNA/Tuesday, 12 April, 2022 
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants, Dr. Abdullah Bou Habib, on Tuesday welcomed Kuwaiti Ambassador to Lebanon, Abdel-Al Al-Qena'i, who wished on emerging “Lebanon and its people prosperity, success, and stability." Bou Habib also welcomed a British parliamentary delegation, with whom he discussed the situation in Lebanon, negotiations with the International Monetary Fund, and the Syrian refugee dossier. On another level, the Minister of Foreign Affairs received the credentials of the newly appointed ambassador of the State of Qatar to Lebanon, Ibrahim bin Abdulaziz Muhammad Saleh Al-Sahlawi, to be presented at a later stage to President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun.

Salam welcomes KSA Ambassador
NNA - Former Prime Minister, Tammam Salam, on Tuesday welcomed Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon, Walid Al-Bukhari.
Over the course of an hour, the pair discussed the most recent local and regional developments. “His Excellency the Ambassador has briefed me on all the great efforts that the KSA has been exerting in cooperation with other countries to help the Lebanese in their daily lives,” Salam said. “We are approaching a great democratic deadline in Lebanon, which is!parliamentary elections. We hope that elections will be an opportunity for positive change for Lebanon and the Lebanese people,” Salam added.
For his part, Ambassador Al-Bukhari, wished "the Arab and Islamic world, especially our people in Lebanon, all the blessings of the holy month of Ramadan.”

Kataeb: Hezbollah has released password to attack us
NNA/Tuesday, 12 April, 2022 
In a statement issued following a meeting headed by Kataeb Party Leader, Sami Gemayel, the Party’s Political Bureau indicated that Hezbollah seems to have released a password to attack the Lebanese Kataeb Party “now that attempts to entice or intimidate it have failed.”“Accordingly, programmed campaigns have been launched, the latest of which was yesterday by Hezbollah Secretary-General, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, whom to date, remains oblivious to what the Kataeb Party has been doing over the last thirty or forty years,” the statement read. “Opening side battles will not erase the fact that they [the Free a patriotic Movement] and their allies have handed the country over to Hezbollah, isolated it, and robbed it of its free decision; those are constants that the Kataeb Party has not and will not bargain over,” the statement added.

Mikati follows up with Mawlawi on preparations for elections, discusses general developments with Serail visitors
NNA/Tuesday, 12 April, 2022
Prime Minister, Najib Mikati, on Tuesday held a series of meetings at the Grand Serail. Within this framework, the PM followed up with Minister of Interior and Municipalities, Bassam Mawlawi, the security situation and preparations underway for parliamentary elections.
Mikati then met with MP Tony Franjieh and former Minister Roni Araiji, with whom he discussed the latest local developments. Mikati also had an audience with MP Mohammad Al-Hajjar, who expressed discontent regarding the water and energy minister’s new electricity plan. “I’ve briefed the PM on the studies that were conducted to replace Jiyeh power plant with a new one, and how all of those studies have been thrown away in order to set up a new plant in Selaata — at a much higher cost than replacing Jiyeh power plant,” Al-Hajjar explained. “Unfortunately, the Ministry of Energy’s new plan, which has been developed by Minister Walid Fayyad, came to jettison everything that had been accomplished, and to render all the circumstances suitable for the implementation of a new plant in Selaata — perhaps for electoral or future political goals,” Al-Hajjar added. Mikati separately welcomed Middle East Airlines Chairman, Mohammad Al-Hout, Director General of Ogero Authority, Imad Kreidieh, and President of the Association of Banks, Dr. Salim Sfeir.

Retired Lebanese Judge Peter Germanos: Lebanon Is Under Iranian Occupation; Hizbullah Has Effectively Partitioned Lebanon
MEMRI/April 12/2022
Source: MTV (Lebanon)
Retired Lebanese judge Peter Germanos, the former Government Commissioner to the Military Court, said in an April 3, 2022 interview on MTV (Lebanon) that UNSC Resolution 1559, which calls for the disbandment and disarmament of Lebanese militias, should be implemented in the areas of Lebanon where it is possible. He explained that he is not calling for the partitioning of Lebanon, but that it has already been effectively partitioned and turned into a federation by Hizbullah, which provides security, electricity, schools, and hospitals in the areas under its control. In addition, he said that Iranian influence in Lebanon is worse than Syrian influence and that it is "the worst thing that Lebanon has ever seen." He elaborated that Iran has sown destruction throughout the Arab world and said that Saudi Arabia is the "first line of defense against the Iranian expansion in the region." Moreover, Germanos said that 20% of Shiites in Lebanon oppose the Hizbullah-Amal bloc and Iran, and as a consequence suffer persecution, are silenced, are framed by the legal system, cannot work, and are sometimes killed.
Peter Germanos: "All of Lebanon is under occupation. We are talking about the pro-sovereignty front. Sovereignty is the foundation of the definition of a state. What kind of state has two armies? What kind of state contains a mini-state that is bigger than the state itself? So long as there is no sovereignty, there is no point in going into detail."
Host: "Has the Syrian influence returned [to Lebanon] vis this [Hizbullah] 'mini-state'?"
Germanos: "Iranian influence. There is no Syrian influence."
Host: "Is it worse than the Syrian influence?"
Germanos: "I think it is the worst thing Lebanon has ever seen. The worst.
"Saudi Arabia is the first line of defense against the Iranian expansion in the region. We and Saudi Arabia have the same problem."
Host: "But there is a Saudi-Iranian dialogue today.
Germanos: "We hope that such a dialogue takes place and Iran stops destroying the region. What is Iran doing in the Arab world? Does Iran do anything in the Arab world other than sow destruction? What has it done apart from destroying Iraq, Syria, and Yemen?"
Host: "It strengthens the Shiite sect."
Germanos: "Those Shiites are Arab, not Iranian. Iran has done nothing positive in the region. Only destruction."
"Twenty percent of Shiites are what I call 'suicidal.' There are the real 'suicide bombers.' They are against Hizbullah, against Iran's party, against the Amal-Hizbullah duo. They are framed in legal cases, are persecuted, cannot work... Sometimes, they are killed. Yes, they exist, but cannot talk. They are held hostage. The entire country is held hostage. We all are.
"Our decision is to engage in peaceful resistance, We do not want war."
Host: "Are you capable of waging war?"
Germanos: "Yes, why not? But we don't want to. We tried civil war in 1975 and it is futile. Among the proposed solutions... This comes from people working for the U.S. Congress. The proposal is to implement Resolution 1559 in areas where this is possible. If we cannot implement Resolution 1559 all over Lebanon, we cannot disarm Hizbullah, and we cannot enforce the sovereignty of Lebanon, at least this resolution can be implemented in areas that reject the Iranian occupation, so that these areas can recover."
Host: "You are calling for partition."
Germanos: "Absolutely not. It is Hizbullah that has divided [Lebanon]. Hizbullah has created a federal state in the areas it controls. In these areas, Hizbullah provides security, electricity, schools, and hospitals. It has created a federation."

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on April 12-13/2022
Gunman shoots eight in New York City subway car, officials say
Reuters, Ynet/Tuesday, 12 April, 2022
Media outlets citing law enforcement officials report the gunman set off smoke canisters in the train. earlier reports of explosive devices found on the scene said to have been false; city police commissioner says incident not being investigated as terror actA gunman threw smoke bombs and opened fire in a New York City subway car on Tuesday, injuring 16 people and throwing the morning commute into chaos in the latest violence in the city's transit system, officials said. New York City police commissioner said the incident was not being investigated as an act of terrorism. Eight people were shot in the incident, a New York Fire Department spokeswoman told Reuters, without saying how the other injuries occurred. The whereabouts of the perpetrator were unclear. Smoke billowed out as the train car pulled into the 36th Street station in Brooklyn's Sunset Park neighborhood and opened its doors, WABC-TV video showed. Riders trapped inside poured out, some collapsing to the ground. Images showed streaks of blood on the platform. Outside the station, in an area known for its thriving Chinatown and views of the Statue of Liberty, authorities shut down a dozen or so blocks and closed off the immediate area with yellow crime scene tape. Tacho Ramos, who was working in a deli near the station, said he initially thought a fight had broken out on the train when he noticed a commotion. "But then I saw all the police. ... This country is like that. It's crazy. Today it's New York, tomorrow it's Washington, then it's Chicago," he said. WABC and NBC New York, citing law enforcement officials reported that the gunman had set off smoke canisters in the train. Reuters could not immediately confirm those reports. The New York Police Department was holding a press conference on Tuesday afternoon.
'Terrifying'
President Joe Biden and U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland were briefed on the latest developments in the shooting, the White House and the Department of Justice said. White House staff were in touch with New York City Mayor Eric Adams and the police commissioner to offer any assistance, the White House said. Juliana Fonda, a broadcast engineer at radio station WNYC, told local news website Gothamist that she heard shots while in an adjoining subway car. "The reaction of the passengers was terrifying because they were trying to get into our car away from something that was happening in the back of the train," she said. In recent months New York has experienced a rise in gun violence in general and a spate of attacks in the city's transit system, one of the world's oldest and most extensive. Local and federal law enforcement officials gathered at the scene, watched by small crowds of people on sidewalks huddled against buildings in a drizzle. Many officers could be seen donning heavy-duty armor and helmets. Konrad Aderer, a commuter, was in the stairwell about to enter the 36th Street station when he saw a man with bleeding legs explaining what had happened to a worker at the station booth. "He just said that there was a lot of people bleeding," Aderer told Fox News in a phone interview. "He took it upon himself to make sure that people were alerted, despite being injured." Video footage showed a massive law enforcement presence around the subway station, including heavily armed officers and dozens of police cruisers and emergency vehicles.

Iran Steps Closer to Recover $7 Billion of Frozen Assets
London, Tehran - Asharq Al-Awsat/Tuesday, 12 April, 2022
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said on Monday that part of the Iranian assets frozen under US sanctions “will be released soon,” without giving further details. The official IRNA news agency quoted Khatibzadeh as saying that the necessary framework for removing the blockade of a “significant part” of Iran's frozen assets has been determined. His statements came about an hour after his weekly press conference, where he denied being well-informed about the release of the frozen assets or the imminent visit of a regional official. IRNA had reported that a high-ranking regional official “will travel to Tehran on Tuesday to finalize the mechanism for launching $7 billion.”“According to the agreement reached with countries that have contracts with Iran, the framework was set for lifting the seizure of a significant part of the country’s frozen assets,” IRNA said, noting that the agreement provides for the transfer of Iranian assets to the country’s bank accounts within weeks. The agency noted that the framework “is similar to that agreed upon with Britain,” in reference to the British-Iranian deal under which debts were paid to Iran in exchange for the release of Britons of Iranian origin. In turn, Tasnim agency, which is affiliated with the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, reported that the Iranian assets “are likely to be transferred to the (branch) account of the Central Bank of Iran in Amman, while a senior regional official is arriving to finalize the mechanism for releasing the $7 billion.” However, Khatibzadeh expressed on Monday Iranian doubts about the “determination” of the United States to reach an understanding to revive the 2015 nuclear agreement, speaking of continuing differences after a year of negotiations between Tehran and the six great powers. “We really don’t know if we’ll get a deal or not, because the United States hasn’t shown the necessary will to reach an agreement,” Khatibzadeh said, as quoted by AFP. “All components of maximum pressure must be removed,” he added. “Unfortunately, the United States is trying to maintain some of the elements of maximum pressure.”

Iran Summons Afghan Envoy over Attack on Diplomatic Missions
Asharq Al-Awsat/Tuesday, 12 April, 2022
Iran summoned the Afghan envoy to Tehran on Tuesday and is stopping all consular services in Afghanistan, Iranian state TV reported, a day after protesters threw rocks at Iranian diplomatic missions in Kabul and Herat.
The protests came after videos posted on Twitter in recent days showed young Afghan refugees in Iran being harassed and humiliated by ordinary Iranians. Reuters could not verify authenticity of videos. Iranian officials on Monday denied there was mistreatment of Afghan refugees in Iran, state television reported.
"The Afghan charge d’affaires in Tehran was summoned in protest to attacks on the Iranian embassy in Kabul and the Iranian Consulate in Herat in Afghanistan on Monday," state TV reported. Footage on social media, which could not be verified by Reuters, showed a small group of Afghan protesters throwing rocks at Iran's diplomatic missions in Kabul and in the western Afghan city of Herat on Monday. Iran's foreign ministry said the Taliban, which rules Afghanistan, are responsible for the security and safety of Tehran's diplomats and announced stopping its consular services in the neighboring country "until further notice", Iranian state media reported. Iran's semiofficial Fars news agency said Monday protesters were brought to the consulate in Herat from nearby rural areas and they threw stones at gates and windows of the building. It said Taliban forces dispersed the protesters by shooting into the air and blamed the rally on pro-Western groups in Afghanistan. In the Afghan capital of Kabul, about 20 demonstrators gathered outside the Iranian Embassy shouting "death to Iran” to protest the videos, which have gone viral. There have been longstanding tensions along the two countries' 900-km (560 miles) joint border, which has active smuggling routes. Over five million Afghans, both documented and undocumented, live in Iran, Iran's state news agency IRNA quoted Iranian Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian as saying last week.

Concern over Possible Use of Chemical Weapons as Battle Rages in Besieged Ukrainian Port
Asharq Al-Awsat/Tuesday, 12 April, 2022
Civilians were fleeing from areas of eastern Ukraine on Tuesday ahead of an anticipated Russian offensive, while Kyiv said it was checking reports that Russian forces had used chemical weapons in the besieged port city of Mariupol. The battle for Mariupol was reaching a decisive phase, with Ukrainian marines holed up in the Azovstal industrial district. Should the Russians seize Azovstal, they would be in full control of Mariupol, the lynchpin between Russian-held areas to the west and east. The city has already been laid waste by weeks of Russian bombardments that have killed possibly thousands of civilians.
Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malyar said the government was checking unverified information that Russia may have used chemical weapons while besieging Mariupol. "There is a theory that these could be phosphorous munitions," Malyar said in televised comments.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy had said on Monday night that Russia could resort to chemical weapons as it amassed troops in the eastern Donbas region for a new assault on Mariupol. He did not say if they actually had been used. The United States and Britain said they were trying to verify the reports. If Russia had used chemical weapons, "all options were on the table" in response, British Junior Defense Minister James Heappey said in London. The Russian defense ministry has not yet responded to a Reuters request for comment. Russian-backed separatist forces in the east denied using chemical weapons in Mariupol, the Interfax news agency reported. But should it prove to be the case, it would mark a dangerous new development in a war that has already left a trail of death of destruction since Russian President Vladimir Putin sent his troops over the border on Feb. 24.
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. Putin calls the action a "special military operation" to demilitarize and "denazify" Ukraine but it has drawn condemnation and alarm in the West, which has imposed a wide range of sanctions to squeeze the Russian economy. After their troops got bogged down in the face of Ukrainian resistance, the Russians abandoned their bid to capture the capital Kyiv for now. But they are redoubling their efforts in the east and Ukrainian forces are digging in to face a new offensive. The governor of Luhansk region, Serhiy Gaidai, urged residents to evacuate using five humanitarian corridors agreed for the east. "It's far more scary to remain and burn in your sleep from a Russian shell," he wrote on social media. "Evacuate, with every day the situation is getting worse. Take your essential items and head to the pickup point." In all, nine humanitarian corridors had been agreed for Tuesday, including one for private cars from Mariupol, Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said. In its morning briefing on the conflict, the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces said that aside from trying to take control of Mariupol, Russian forces were also intent on capturing Popasna, a town about two hours drive west of Luhansk, and were set to launch an offensive in the direction of Kurakhove, in the Donetsk region. The Ukrainian military said its troops had repulsed attacks in both Luhansk and Donetsk. President Zelenskiy pleaded overnight for more weapons from the West to help it end the siege of Mariupol and fend off the expected Russian offensive in the east. "Unfortunately we are not getting as much as we need to end this war faster... in particular, to lift the blockade of Mariupol," he said.
War crimes
The departure of Russian forces from the outskirts of Kyiv brought to light allegations of war crimes including executions and rape of civilians. Moscow dismisses the allegations as Ukrainian and Western provocations and has also accused Ukrainian forces of sexual violence. Senior UN official Sima Bahous told the UN Security Council on Monday that while all allegations must by independently investigated, "the brutality displayed against Ukrainian civilians has raised all red flags"."We are increasingly hearing of rape and sexual violence," she said. Kateryna Cherepakha, president of rights group La Strada-Ukraine, told the council via video: "Violence and rape is used now as a weapon of war by Russian invaders in Ukraine." Russia's deputy UN ambassador denied the allegations and accused Ukraine and allies of "a clear intention to present Russian soldiers as sadists and rapists". Russia's defense ministry said Ukraine's government was being directed by the United States to sow false evidence of Russian violence against civilians despite what it cast as Moscow's "unprecedented measures to save civilians". Putin is scheduled to meet Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on Tuesday to discuss Ukraine and Western sanctions, news agencies in Russia and Belarus reported. Belarus is a key staging area for Russian forces.

Putin Warns the West: Russia Cannot Be Isolated - Or Held Back
Asharq Al-Awsat/Tuesday, 12 April, 2022
President Vladimir Putin warned the West on Tuesday that attempts to isolate Moscow would fail, citing the success of the Soviet space program as evidence that Russia could achieve spectacular leaps forward in tough conditions. Russia says it will never again depend on the West after the United States and its allies imposed crippling sanctions on it to punish Putin for his Feb. 24 order for what he called a "special military operation" in Ukraine. Sixty one years to the day since the Soviet Union's Yuri Gagarin blasted off into the history books by becoming the first man in space, Putin traveled to the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russia's Far East, 3,450 miles (5550 km) east of Moscow. "The sanctions were total, the isolation was complete but the Soviet Union was still first in space," Putin said, according to Russian state television. "We don't intend to be isolated," Putin said. "It is impossible to severely isolate anyone in the modern world - especially such a vast country as Russia." Russia's Cold War space successes such as Gagarin's flight and the 1957 launch of Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite from earth, have a particular pertinence for Russia: both events shocked the United States. The launch of Sputnik 1 prompted the United States to create NASA in a bid to catch up with Moscow. Putin says the "special military operation" in Ukraine is necessary because the United States was using Ukraine to threaten Russia - including via the NATO military alliance - and that Moscow had to defend Russian-speaking people in Ukraine from persecution. He said on Tuesday that the had no doubts Russia would achieve all of its objectives in Ukraine - a conflict he cast as both inevitable and essential to defend Russia in the long term. "Its goals are absolutely clear and noble," Putin said. "It's clear that we didn't have a choice. It was the right decision."Ukrainian forces have mounted stiff resistance and the West has imposed sweeping sanctions on Russia in an effort to force it to withdraw its forces. Russia's economy is on track to contract by more than 10% in 2022, the biggest fall in gross domestic product since the years following the 1991 fall of the Soviet Union, former finance minister Alexei Kudrin said on Tuesday. Putin toured the space port in Russia's far east with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. "Why an earth are we getting so worried about these sanctions?" Lukashenko said, according to Russian state television. Lukashenko, who has a track record of sometimes saying things that appear to jar with his closest ally's stated positions on a range of issues, has insisted that Belarus must be involved in negotiations to resolve the conflict in Ukraine and has said that Belarus had been unfairly labelled "an accomplice of the aggressor".

As EU Eyes Stopping Russian Gas Imports, Israel Sees an Opening
Asharq Al-Awsat/Tuesday, 12 April, 2022
As Europe aims to wean itself off Russian fossil fuel because of the Ukraine invasion, Israel hopes to help fill the gap with gas from its offshore reserves. EU states remain divided on the time scale, but European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has said the bloc hopes to phase out its dependency on Russian gas, oil and coal by 2027. Israel could build one or more pipelines, potentially via Greece or Turkey, or increase the quantity of gas piped to Egypt to be liquified and shipped off, say officials and experts. Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid said after a recent visit to Athens that "the war in Ukraine stands to change the structure of the European and Middle Eastern energy market". "We are also examining additional economic cooperation, with an emphasis on the energy market."The Jewish state has worked for years to create gas export routes, with mixed results so far. Turkey, whose ties with Israel have recently thawed after over a decade of rupture, has expressed new interest in a pipeline, and its energy minister is expected in Israel in the coming weeks. During the years of diplomatic alienation from Turkey, Israel signed an accord with Greece and Cyprus in 2020 aiming to build the EastMed pipeline through those two countries from Israel to Europe. Turkey opposed the project, and a senior US diplomat said last week it would be too expensive and take too long to build. Energy Minister Karine Elharrar also hailed the potential for gas sales to Europe, telling the French Association of Defense Journalists that "we have the ability and we will try to do as much as we can". With both Greece and its regional rival Turkey vying to be the conduit for the gas, Israel would have to tread carefully amid the regional alliances it wishes to uphold and strengthen. Major gas finds in the eastern Mediterranean -- nearly 1,000 billion cubic meters (bcm) -- have in the past decade turned Israel from a natural gas importer into an exporter. It now sells small quantities from its two major offshore fields, Leviathan and Tamar, to Egypt and Jordan. Israel's domestic consumption over the next three decades would leave some 600 bcm available for export, said opposition lawmaker Yuval Steinitz, Israel's energy minister until last year. "In 2016 the pipeline to Turkey was examined, including with Turkey and commercial companies," said Orit Ganor, director of natural gas international trade at Israel's energy ministry.
"The project didn't reach fruition mainly due to economic reasons."
Ganor said "the EastMed pipeline is still an option, and the company advancing it, Poseidon, is in the final stages of geophysical and geotechnical surveys of the pipe's route in our waters and those of Greece and Cyprus".No financing has been secured for the project, which Steinitz said would cost about $6 billion and take around four years to complete. He said there was also agreement with Cairo on a seabed pipeline from Leviathan to Egypt's liquification plants that would allow for greater exports to Europe. Israel's Leviathan field, which would be the source for European exports, is operated by an Israeli-American consortium including NewMed Energy and US major Chevron. NewMed Energy CEO Yossi Abu recently stated his ambition of "bringing Israeli gas to Europe and Asia". Experts say Israel's current gas fields represent a third of potential reserves, but a means to sell future finds would be needed to encourage further exploration by private companies. The state of Israel provides exploitation licenses and regulatory support, but does not drill for gas or build pipelines. "There's a 'Catch-22' here," said Elai Rettig, a political scientist at Tel Aviv's Bar-Ilan university. "You need to find a customer that will agree to pay for this very, very expensive pipeline, and they won't do it until you show them you've found enough gas to justify it. "And you won't find enough gas to justify it until you show that there's someone to sell the gas to."Europe's efforts to diversify gas imports began before the Ukraine war when it "experienced harsh weather and gas prices rose significantly," said Ganor, the energy ministry official. Steinitz said a pipeline to Turkey would cost $1.5 billion and take two to three years to build. Israel "could definitely be a serious factor in creating more independence and a wealth of energy sources for Europe," he said.
He said Israel could even export via Greece, Turkey and Egypt at the same time because "we have enough gas to export through the three channels". Rettig stressed Israel's need for "balance" between Turkey and Greece and to "continuously talk to both sides and to reassure them that one doesn't come at the expense of the other".

Russia’s Gazprom Continues Gas Exports to Europe via Ukraine
Asharq Al-Awsat/Tuesday, 12 April, 2022
Russian state-owned gas producer Gazprom continued to supply natural gas to Europe via Ukraine on Tuesday at the pace of 74.6 million cubic meters per day, in accordance with requests from European consumers, the company said. This was in line with the 74.5 mcm reported earlier by Interfax news agency, which cited Ukraine's gas pipeline operator. On April 10, requests stood at 79.6 million cubic meters (mcm), which was slightly higher than the 78.3 mcm requested a day earlier.

Ukraine probes claim poisonous substance dropped in Mariupol
Associated Press/Tuesday, 12 April, 2022
Ukraine investigated a claim that a poisonous substance was dropped on besieged Mariupol, as Western officials warned Tuesday that any use of chemical weapons by Russia would be a serious escalation of the already devastating war.
Thwarted in his apparent ambition to overrun the Ukrainian capital, Russian President Vladimir Putin is now building up forces for a new offensive in the eastern Donbas region, and insisted Tuesday that his campaign would achieve its goals. He said Russia "had no other choice" but to launch what he calls a "special military operation," saying it was to protect civilians in the predominantly Russian-speaking Donbas. As Ukrainian forces brace for a new attack, Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said it was possible phosphorus munitions had been used in Mariupol, which lies in the Donbas and has been razed in six weeks of pummeling by Russian troops. The mayor said the siege has left more than 10,000 civilians dead, their corpses "carpeted through the streets."Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Monday night that Russian forces could use chemical weapons in the city, echoing similar, repeated warnings by Western officials. And leaders inside and outside of the country said they were urgently investigating the unconfirmed claim by a Ukrainian regiment that a poisonous substance was dropped on fighters in Mariupol.
British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said use of chemical weapons "would be a callous escalation in this conflict," while Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne said it would be a "wholesale breach of international law."In the face of stiff resistance by Ukrainian forces bolstered by Western weapons, Russian forces have increasingly relied on bombarding cities, flattening many urban areas and leaving thousands of people dead. In other areas, they have pulled back to regroup. Their retreat from cities and towns around the capital, Kyiv, led to the discovery of large numbers of apparently massacred civilians, prompting widespread condemnation and accusations that Russia is committing war crimes in Ukraine. The war has also driven more than 10 million Ukrainians from their homes — including nearly two-thirds of all children.
Still, there are fears of even wider carnage to come, amid signs the Russian military is gearing up for a major offensive in the Donbas. A senior U.S. defense official on Monday described a long Russian convoy rolling toward the eastern city of Izyum with artillery, aviation and infantry support.
The Donbas has been torn by fighting between Russian-allied separatists and Ukrainian forces since 2014, and Russia has recognized the separatists' claims of independence. Military strategists say Russian leaders appear to hope local support, logistics and terrain in the region favor Russia's larger and better-armed military, potentially allowing its troops to finally turn the tide decisively in their favor. Describing a battle happening around a steel mill in Mariupol, a Russia-allied separatist official appeared to urge the use of chemical weapons Monday, telling Russian state TV that separatist forces should seize the plant from Ukrainian forces by first blocking all the exits. "And then we'll use chemical troops to smoke them out of there," he said.
But Eduard Basurin was quoted by the Interfax news agency on Tuesday as saying that the separatist forces "haven't used any chemical weapons in Mariupol."It was the Ukrainian regiment defending the plant that claimed a drone had dropped a poisonous substance on the city. It indicated there were no serious injuries. The assertion by the Azov Regiment, a far-right group now part of the Ukrainian military, could not be independently verified. Truss said the U.K. was "working urgently" to investigate the report, while Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said in a statement that the U.S. could not confirm the drone report out of Mariupol. But Kirby noted the administration's persistent concerns "about Russia's potential to use a variety of riot control agents, including tear gas mixed with chemical agents, in Ukraine." Britain, meanwhile, has warned that Russia may use phosphorus bombs — which cause horrendous burns and whose use in civilian areas is banned under international law — in Mariupol. That city has already seen some of the heaviest attacks and civilian suffering in the war, but the land, sea and air assaults by Russian forces fighting to capture it have increasingly limited information about what's happening inside the city. Speaking by phone Monday with The Associated Press, Mariupol Mayor Vadym Boychenko accused Russian forces of having blocked weeks of attempted humanitarian convoys into the city in part to conceal the carnage. Boychenko said the death toll in Mariupol alone could surpass 20,000. He said, about 120,000 civilians in the city are in dire need of food, water, warmth and communications. Boychenko also gave new details of allegations by Ukrainian officials that Russian forces have brought mobile cremation equipment to Mariupol to dispose of the corpses of victims of the siege. Boychenko spoke from Ukrainian-controlled territory outside Mariupol. The mayor said he had several sources for his description of the alleged methodical burning of bodies by Russian forces in the city, but did not detail the sources. While building up forces in the east, Russia continued to strike targets across Ukraine in a bid to wear down the country's defenses. Russia's defense ministry said Tuesday that it used used air- and sea-launched missiles to destroy an ammunition depot and airplane hangar at Starokostiantyniv in the western Khmelnytskyi region and an ammunition depot near Kyiv.

Israeli Officer Mistakenly Kills Israeli Citizen Thinking They Were Palestinian
Tel Aviv - Asharq Al-Awsat/Tuesday, 12 April, 2022
Israeli security officials and politicians have criticized the state of hysteria and chaos that took over security services following their failure to confront a series of deadly shootings in Tel Aviv, Bnei Brak, Hadera and Beersheba. An Israeli officer was wounded by shrapnel of a bomb fired by another Israeli soldier at his forces. At first, the officer believed that the injury was caused by a Palestinian shooter. The forces responded with a retaliatory attack on the Palestinians, and later realized that the injury was caused by friendly fire. Another officer also killed the attacker of a female Israeli soldier thinking that the assailant was Palestinian. They later found out that the attacker was not a Palestinian, but a mentally ill Israeli citizen. Israeli officials also criticized the mobilization of large forces of special units from the army and General Security Service (Shin Bet) in Tel Aviv, during the operation carried out by a Palestinian.
The forces operated without organization, and lacked coordination among them, to the point of posing a threat to the lives of citizens. “The fact that we ended this event without any (Israeli) fatalities, with shooting by our forces, was a matter of luck rather than anything else,” said a senior Israeli security official who participated in the operation. “No one knew what was going on there,” the official added. “It turned out that Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's call for citizens to carry weapons and the approval of the army and police commanders on this, caused a dangerous situation, as citizens and soldiers were dragging their arms towards the residents' homes, and armed men in civilian clothes ran between the alleys without one of them knowing the other,” they explained. On Monday, the Israeli Haaretz daily reported that Israeli forces had shown similar disorganization and failures in the past following a series of operations by Palestinians. In 2015, such blunders had resulted in the death of an Israeli citizen in Jerusalem.

German court charges IS returnee over alleged slave abuse
Associated Press/Tuesday, 12 April, 2022
A German woman who allegedly abused a Yazidi slave while in Islamic State-held territory in Syria has been charged with crimes against humanity and other offenses, federal prosecutors said Tuesday. The woman, identified only as Jalda A. in keeping with German privacy laws, was arrested upon her arrival back in Germany on Oct. 7. Before her repatriation, she had been held captive by Kurdish forces since late 2017. She was charged with membership in a foreign terrorist organization, crimes against humanity, war crimes and being an accessory to genocide, prosecutors said in a statement.
The suspect traveled in April 2014 via Turkey to Syria, according to prosecutors, where she quickly married an IS fighter and gave birth to a son the following year. When her first husband died, she married two other men in succession. She lived with the third man in and near the Syrian city of Mayadin from September to October 2017, prosecutors said, adding that the husband kept a Yazidi woman as a slave and regularly raped her with the suspect's knowledge. The suspect also physically abused the woman "almost every day," according to prosecutors. She allegedly punched and kicked the woman, pulled her hair, and slammed her head against the wall, and on one occasion hit the woman in the head with a flashlight. In addition, prosecutors said, the suspect constantly watched the woman and repeatedly told her to pray according to Islamic custom, an act that "served the stated goal of the IS, to eradicate the Yazidi faith." The indictment was filed last month at the state court in Hamburg, which will have to decide whether and when to open a trial.

France's Le Pen Says She Has No 'Secret Agenda' to Exit EU
Asharq Al-Awsat/Tuesday, 12 April, 2022
French far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen on Tuesday said she had no "secret agenda" for France to leave the European Union, even if her attempts to reform the bloc fail. "I don't have a secret agenda," Le Pen told France Inter radio. "I think a large majority of French people no longer want the European Union as it exists today, which is a European Union that functions in an absolutely undemocratic way, which advances by threat, by blackmail and which implements policies that are against the interests of the people." Le Pen has ditched past plans to haul France out of the EU, its free-movement Schengen zone and the euro. However, she remains deeply euro-skeptic. She says she would renegotiate the agreement on Schengen and increase the number of customs agents, re-introducing checks on goods entering the country from other EU states. She says such a move would be to fight against "fraud" but analysts say it raises questions over friction-free trade within the EU's single market. Ultimately, Le Pen envisages the EU as an alliance of member states. Asked if she would leave the EU if all her attempts to reform the bloc fail, Le Pen replied: "Not at all."

Turkey, Russia Hold Joint Patrol in Northeast Syria
Ankara - Saeed Abdul Razzak/Asharq Al-Awsat/Tuesday, 12 April, 2022
Russian Military Police held on Monday a joint patrol with Turkish forces in Syria's Ain al-Arab (Kobani). The patrol was the 95th between the two forces in the region since both countries signed a ceasefire agreement in 2019. It comprised eight Russian and Turkish military vehicles, accompanied by two Russian helicopters, and set off from Gharib village, east of Kobani. The patrol toured the villages of Qarah Mogh, Jaishan, Kharabisan Tahtani and Baghdik to Khan village in the western countryside of Tel Abyad then returned to their set off position. Separately, the Turkish Defense Ministry announced the killing of two members of the Syrian Democratic Forces in the Euphrates Shield zone, under the control of Turkey and its loyal factions. Turkey has recently targeted the Kurdish-led SDF sites in north and northeastern Syria by intensifying its artillery bombardment in Ain Issa, north of Raqqa, and in other sites in Hasakeh, extending to the countryside of Aleppo. Meanwhile, Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) activists documented the death of two SDF members and the injury of three others by a landmine explosion targeting their car while passing through Hisha town, north of Raqqah, on Sunday evening. SOHR has reported 56 operations carried out by ISIS, including armed attacks and explosions, in areas under the control of the Autonomous Administration since early 2022.
According to the war monitor, the regime security services have arrested three new members of the “National Defense Forces” from al-Sokhnah town in the eastern countryside of Homs for “communicating with ISIS cells.”

Turkey Detains Former Kurdish Party Officials over PKK Links
Asharq Al-Awsat/Tuesday, 12 April, 2022
Turkish authorities have detained 46 people, including former local officials from a pro-Kurdish political party, who are suspected of having financial links to Kurdish militants, the state-run news agency reported on Tuesday. The detained are among 91 suspects sought by a chief prosecutor for allegedly “providing financial resources on behalf” of the banned Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, Anadolu Agency reported. They are accused of being a part of the PKK’s “economic structure,” of money-laundering and of taking instructions from PKK commander Murat Karayilan, it said.
Anadolu said the suspects include former deputy mayors, former party treasurers and former city council members of the pro-Kurdish People’s Democratic Party, or HDP, The Associated Press reported. There was no immediate comment from the HDP — the second-largest opposition party in Turkey’s parliament — which is fighting legal moves toward its closure at Turkey’s Constitutional Court. Prosecutors accuse the party of colluding with the PKK and of seeking to “destroy the unity of the state.” They are demanding that the party be dissolved, that it be deprived of treasury funding and that about 450 party members be barred from holding political office for five years. The HDP denies the accusations. Dozens of elected HDP lawmakers and mayors — including former co-chairs Selahattin Demirtas and Figen Yuksekdag — as well as thousands of party members have been arrested on terror-related accusations as part of a government crackdown on the party. Several HDP mayors who were elected in 2019 have, meanwhile, been replaced by state-appointed trustees.

Canada/Minister Joly meets with Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister and with President of Indonesia
April 11, 2022 - Jakarta, Indonesia - Global Affairs Canada
The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today, met with Retno Marsudi, Indonesia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, in Jakarta.
During her visit to Indonesia, Minister Joly also met with President Joko Widodo.
During her meeting with Ms. Marsudi, Minister Joly acknowledged the significant and long-standing bilateral relations between Canada and Indonesia as the countries celebrate 70 years of diplomatic relations. She highlighted the breadth of the bilateral relationship and its success, which is anchored in mutual respect, common interests and such shared values as the rule of law, human rights and democratic governance.
Minister Joly also drew attention to another important milestone: 2022 marks Canada’s 45th year as an ASEAN Dialogue Partner, which testifies to Canada’s sustained commitment to ASEAN centrality and to its aim to raise engagement with ASEAN as a Strategic Partner.
The ministers discussed the importance of maintaining regional peace and stability, amid the ongoing tensions in the South China Sea. Minister Joly noted the key role Indonesia played in leading ASEAN’s response to the crisis in Myanmar and thanked Minister Marsudi for her advocacy in support of the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan.
Minister Joly again strongly condemned President Putin’s illegal and unjustifiable invasion of Ukraine and called for Russia to withdraw its military and return to diplomacy.
Minister Joly discussed how the entire international community could work together to support Ukraine’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence.
The ministers exchanged views on the importance of working together to find a way for the G20 to address the war in Ukraine. They concluded their meeting by endorsing a new Plan of Action that will act as a roadmap for enhancing bilateral relations between Canada and Indonesia in the coming years.

US Orders Non-essential Consulate Staff to Leave Shanghai
Asharq Al-Awsat/ Tuesday, 12 April, 2022
The United States announced Tuesday it had ordered all non-essential employees at its Shanghai consulate to leave, while voicing concerns for the safety of Americans in China as the government enforces hard lockdowns to contain Covid-19. China has stuck to a policy of "zero Covid", aiming to eliminate infections through rigid lockdowns, mass testing and travel restrictions, reported AFP.. But the policy has come under strain since March as more than 100,000 cases in Shanghai have led to a lockdown of the city's 25 million inhabitants, sparking widespread public outcry over food shortages and an inflexible policy of sending anyone who tests positive to quarantine centers. The US State Department ordered the departure "due to the ongoing Covid-19 outbreak", a spokesperson from its Beijing embassy said in a statement.
American diplomats have also raised "concerns about the safety and welfare of US citizens with People's Republic of China officials," the statement added. "It is best for our employees and their families to be reduced in number and our operations to be scaled down as we deal with the changing circumstances on the ground," it read. China's largest city reported more than 23,000 new coronavirus infections on Tuesday. While some Shanghai residents who live in neighborhoods deemed a low virus risk have been allowed outside their homes this week, unclear rules and the threat of re-entering lockdown if new cases are found has left most in limbo. Criticism of China's unrelenting approach to crushing outbreaks is mounting, more so as the rest of the world learns to live with the pandemic. The European Union Chamber of Commerce has warned that China's coronavirus strategy is "eroding foreign investors' confidence". In a letter seen by AFP, it urged the Chinese government to shift its approach by vaccinating the elderly -- among whom inoculation rates are low -- and allowing people with mild Covid to quarantine at home. Beijing has hit back against the US complaints, with Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian on Saturday slamming the United States' "groundless accusations" and insisting that China's policy was "scientific and effective". Shanghai authorities have vowed the city "would not relax in the slightest", preparing tens of thousands of new beds to receive every person who tests positive for the virus -- whether or not they show any symptoms. Residents have taken to social media to vent about food shortages and heavy-handed controls, including the killing of a pet corgi by a health worker and a now-softened policy of separating infected children from their virus-free parents. On Tuesday, Shanghai residents were still deciphering the precise details of an announcement that allowed some living in areas with relatively few virus cases to begin leaving their compounds. Monday's adjustment set three levels of controls depending on the caseload. But freedom still appears far off for most in the city, with at least one southern district at the lowest level only allowing residents out once a day to buy supplies. Chinese social media was abuzz on Tuesday over a viral audio clip that appeared to show a Shanghai couple pleading with police not to send them to a quarantine facility after they were reportedly misdiagnosed as Covid cases. Authorities later said the couple eventually agreed to cooperate with officials and that "no misjudgment had occurred".

The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on April 12-13/2022
لي سميث: هل كان الإختراق الإيراني لأجهزة المخابرات السرية الأميركية هو جزء من مؤامرة لإغتيال جون بولتن
Was the Infiltration of the Secret Service Part of an Iranian Plot to Kill John Bolton?
Lee Smith/The Tablet/April 12, 2022
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/107843/107843/
Iran’s attempts to avenge the killing of Qassem Soleimani are another inconvenient truth for the Biden administration’s nuclear negotiators
Recently released court filings and press reports suggest that the two men apprehended for impersonating federal agents last week in Washington, D.C., might have been part of an Iranian assassination team whose mission was to kill former high-ranking U.S. officials. Yet even as the Biden administration became aware of a possible Iranian plot to kill Americans on American soil—an act of war—White House aides continued to negotiate the restoration of the Iran nuclear deal while seeking to accommodate the clerical regime’s thirst for revenge against former Trump administration officials: U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Special Envoy for Iran Brian Hook, and National Security Advisor John Bolton.
According to media reports, the two men, Arian Taherzadeh and Haider Ali, are U.S. citizens. The latter told witnesses he had connections to Pakistani intelligence, and early reports from The New York Times, NBC, Associated Press, and other news sources seemed to make a point of not mentioning any possible link to Iran, despite at least one of the men having visas to visit that country.
Unsurprisingly, both men are now being actively investigated for possible ties to Iranian spy services, according to CBS News. Ali reportedly visited Iran twice in recent years.
Clearly, the two men enjoyed the financial and logistical support of a well-funded organization that supplied them with arms, electronic devices, and cash, which they used to infiltrate and compromise U.S. law enforcement and intelligence agencies.
The nature of Taherzadeh and Ali’s activities in Washington, D.C., is certainly suggestive of an intention to infiltrate the U.S. Secret Service. Starting in February 2020, according to the affadavit filed in support of the arrest warrants, they worked out of a building in the southeast quadrant of Washington, D.C., in the fashionable Navy Yard district that is home to federal agents, congressional aides, and other government employees. Falsely representing themselves as agents from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the two men provided Secret Service agents—including agents connected to President Joe Biden’s security detail—as well as a DHS employee with rent-free apartments each worth more than $40,000 per year. According to the April 5th arrest warrant, they provided Secret Service agents with iPhones, surveillance systems, a drone, a flat-screen television, a generator, and what they said were “official government vehicles.” They also proposed buying an assault rifle for a Secret Service agent assigned to First Lady Jill Biden.
It seems odd that these actions barely raised the suspicions of the numerous federal agents living in the building. Taherzadeh told one DHS employee in the building that he had a list of all of the federal agents in the apartment complex, along with codes to the elevators that gave him access to every floor, and surveillance footage from around the building. After the DHS employee tried to verify that the two men worked for the agency by searching internal DHS databases, Taherzadeh said that his name was redacted due to his undercover status. But as the DHS employee might have known, had Taherzadeh really been working undercover, it’s unlikely he would’ve identified himself as an undercover agent—or shown building residents his tactical gear, surveillance equipment, and a high-powered telescope, as well as a handgun he claimed had been issued by a U.S. agency. He also told neighbors he and Ali could access data from the cell phones of everyone who lived in the building.
Taherzadeh and Ali’s stunning imposture was finally revealed by a U.S. Postal Service inspector who was investigating an attack on a postal carrier in the Navy Yard building and was told by residents that the two men might have witnessed the assault. The inspector interviewed Taherzadeh and Ali, who identified themselves as federal agents who had been deputized by the city government of Washington, D.C., as “special police.” The inspector also learned that the two men had given gifts to Secret Service agents. He then passed the information on to the FBI, which arrested the two men.
How is it possible that in a building full of federal law enforcement agents, it took a postal service inspector to uncover the two men? After all, press reports have suggested for months that the FBI and U.S. intelligence agencies are aware of active foreign plots against U.S. officials. In particular, the Iranians are intent on taking revenge for the targeted assassination of Qassem Soleiman, the onetime chief of the Quds Force, the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps’ external operations unit, who was second in command only to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
The Iranians have repeatedly threatened the three former Trump officials—Pompeo, Hook, and Bolton—by name in their own media. In a recent documentary, a former Iranian official, Seyed Hossein Mousavian, boasted that the Iranian regime’s threats to murder Hook have terrorized Hook’s family. “I went to America, and an American told me that Brian Hook’s wife can’t sleep. She cries and trembles, she told Brian, ‘They’ll kill you,’ since Hook was a partner in the death of Haj Qassem [Soleimani]. That’s how much they were trembling,” said Moussavian. Bizarrely, Moussavian holds a teaching post at Princeton University, which is apparently okay with faculty who use the university’s name and platform to amplify and celebrate murder threats by foreign governments against U.S. diplomats.
Because Pompeo and Hook are former State Department employees, their security is provided by the Diplomatic Security Service. Bolton worked in the White House, so his protective detail is provided by the Secret Service—the target of the penetration effort by Taherzadeh and Ali.
Early last month, the Washington Examiner reported that U.S. intelligence services had become aware that “at least two Iranians belonging to the Islamic Revolutionary Guards’ covert-action Quds Force have been plotting to assassinate” Bolton, and a full-time Secret Service protective detail was assigned to him earlier this year or late in 2021. When emailed by Tablet, Bolton declined to comment on the arrests of Ali and Taherzadeh.
This is not the first time the Iranians have plotted to kill their enemies in the U.S. capital. In September 2011, U.S. law enforcement arrested Manssor Arbabsiar, an Iranian-born naturalized U.S. citizen who, together with Iran-based Quds Force officers, had plotted to kill Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the United States Adel al-Jubeir at a Washington restaurant and subsequently bomb the Saudi and Israeli embassies.
At the time, President Barack Obama said that Iran “will pay a price” for plotting terror attacks that were likely to have killed a huge number of people in the U.S. capital. Instead, the Obama administration legalized Iran’s nuclear weapons program when it agreed to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action in July 2015.
The Biden administration is now negotiating to reenter the deal that the Trump administration withdrew from in May 2018. Despite some recent hand-wringing, it seems unlikely that Iran’s efforts to kill Americans will derail Biden’s negotiators. The Obama team eagerly embraced the Iranian nuclear program while ignoring Tehran’s terror plots and will almost certainly do so again under Biden. Robert Malley, the key negotiator for Obama’s Middle East team, now serves as Biden’s Iran envoy.
Apparently, Malley’s negotiating team tried to talk Iran out of killing Americans who served in government—but failed. According to Malley’s former deputy at the International Crisis Group, Ali Vaez, “It is politically impossible for the Iranians to publicly close the file on taking revenge for Soleimani. That proposal has been rejected by the Iranians. Iran has come up with a counterproposal that the US is now considering.”
In other words, rather than walking away from the deal with a terror state that is actively trying to murder former U.S. officials, the Biden administration has been trying to arrive at a formula that licenses Iranian vengeance against its predecessors in government. As depraved as that may sound to ordinary Americans, it is the reality that U.S. negotiators have brought about in their decade-long attempt to give international legitimacy, and U.S. protection, to Iran’s nuclear program.
*Lee Smith is the author of The Permanent Coup: How Enemies Foreign and Domestic Targeted the American President (2020).
https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/news/articles/infiltration-secret-service-iranian-plot-kill-john-bolton

Why Palestinians Celebrate the Murder of Jews
Khaled Abu Toameh/Gatestone Institute/April 12/2022
[T]he celebrations once again prove that a Palestinian who murders a Jew is a hero, whereas one who seeks peace with Israel is a traitor.
Here is an inconvenient truth for Blinken: the poll that was conducted one week before he arrived in Ramallah, the de facto capital of the Palestinians, showed that most Palestinians (58%) are opposed to the two-state solution. Why? They do not believe in Israel's right to exist.
These Palestinians want peace without Israel, not peace with Israel. The only peace they envision is one where Israel would cease to exist.
That is why -- as this and previous polls have shown -- most Palestinians continue to support Hamas, whose charter openly calls for the elimination of Israel.
Praising the recent wave of terror attacks in Israel, Hamas leader Mahmoud Zahar said on April 9, "These recurring heroic operations prove a clear fact -- that there is no future for the Jews on our Palestinian land."
[I]t is leaders such as Zahar whom the Palestinians would prefer as their president. A Palestinian leader who talks about destroying Israel or murdering Jews has a better chance of being elected than one who states that he is opposed to terrorism and wants to work towards achieving a two-state solution.
Palestinians have been radicalized... by their leaders to the point where peace with Israel or a two-state solution is seen as an opportunity to slaughter.
The Biden administration, meanwhile, continues to pretend that Abbas and his government are credible partners, and that Israelis and Americans can do business with them.
It would have been more useful had Blinken denounced the celebrations and publicly pressured the Palestinian leadership immediately to halt the massive campaign of incitement against Israel and the glorification of Palestinians who murder Jews.
It is time for the Biden administration and other Western donors to start banging on the table and demanding an end to the poisonous campaign to delegitimize Israel and demonize Jews. Until that happens, we will continue to see Palestinians dancing and handing out candy because Jewish blood flows at their feet.
The celebrations that took place in the West Bank and Gaza Strip after the recent terror attacks in Israel are yet another sign of the growing radicalization among the Palestinians and their refusal to recognize Israel's right to exist. Pictured: Gazans demonstrate their support for the terrorist who murdered three men in Tel Aviv this week, as well three Islamic Jihad terrorists who were killed after opening fire on Israeli soldiers. (Photo by Said Khatib/AFP via Getty Images)
The celebrations that took place in the West Bank and Gaza Strip after the recent terror attacks in Israel are yet another sign of the growing radicalization among the Palestinians and their refusal to recognize Israel's right to exist.
The expressions of joy, when Palestinians took to the streets to hand out sweets and chant slogans in support of the terrorists, are reminiscent of the celebrations that took place when then Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein fired missiles at Israel in 1991 during the First Gulf War, or when Hamas, Fatah, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and other terror groups carried out suicide bombing attacks, murdering hundreds of Israelis during the Second Intifada, which erupted in 2000.
Apart from demonstrating the Palestinians' disrespect for human life and support for terrorism, the celebrations once again prove that a Palestinian who murders a Jew is a hero, whereas one who seeks peace with Israel is a traitor.
A public opinion poll published on March 22 found that Palestinian support for an "armed struggle" against Israel has risen from 42% three months ago to 44%.
In the lexicon of the Palestinians, "armed struggle" is a euphemism for various forms of terrorism against Israel, ranging from rock-throwing to shooting, stabbing, car-ramming, rocket salvos and suicide bombing attacks.
The poll, conducted by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research, showed that a majority of 70% opposes a resumption of the peace process with Israel.
If new elections for the presidency of the Palestinian Authority (PA) were held today, Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of Hamas, the Iran-backed terrorist group that seeks to destroy Israel, would defeat PA President Mahmoud Abbas, according to the results of the survey. Additionally, a majority of Palestinians said that they would vote for Hamas in a parliamentary election.
Another 73% of the Palestinian public want the 86-year-old Abbas to resign. Previous polls have indicated that nearly 80% of the public wants to see Abbas step down.
While most Palestinians are saying that they want to see their president depart from the scene, the US administration seems to be among the few parties in the international arena that continue to deal with Abbas and pin hopes on him regarding the so-called two-state solution and peace with Israel.
After his last meeting with Abbas in Ramallah on March 27, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken again repeated the Biden administration's "commitment to the basic principle" of the two-state solution:
"Palestinians and Israelis alike deserve to live with equal measures of freedom, of opportunity, security, of dignity, and we believe that the most effective way, ultimately, to give expression to that basic principle is through two states."
Here is an inconvenient truth for Blinken: the poll that was conducted one week before he arrived in Ramallah, the de facto capital of the Palestinians, showed that most Palestinians (58%) are opposed to the two-state solution. Why? They do not believe in Israel's right to exist.
These Palestinians want peace without Israel, not peace with Israel. The only peace they envision is one where Israel would cease to exist.
That is why -- as this and previous polls have shown -- most Palestinians continue to support Hamas, whose charter openly calls for the elimination of Israel.
For them, it is a religious duty to work toward the "liberation of all of Palestine, from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea. Article 11 of the charter states:
"The Islamic Resistance Movement [Hamas] believes that the land of Palestine is an Islamic Waqf consecrated for future Muslim generations until Judgement Day. It, or any part of it, should not be squandered; it or any part of it, should not be given up."
Article 15 says:
"The day that enemies usurp enemies usurp part of Muslim land, jihad [holy war] becomes the individual duty of every Muslim. In face of the Jews' usurpation of Palestine, it is compulsory that the banner of jihad be raised."
The Hamas charter also reminds Muslims of the famous saying of the prophet Mohammed:
"The Day of Judgement will not come about until Muslims fight the Jews, when the Jew will hide behind the stones and trees. The stones and trees will say O Muslims, O Abdullah, there is a Jew behind me, come and kill him."
Moreover, the poll found that a vast majority of Palestinians (73%) believes that the Koran contains a prophecy concerning the demise of Israel. However, the majority (57%) does not believe the assessment, stated by a few Muslim scholars, that verses in the Koran predict the exact year of the demise of Israel: 2022.
So, the vast majority of the Palestinians are convinced that the Koran does include reference to the demise of Israel, they just are not sure what year that will happen. This conviction is a clear expression of wishful thinking on the part of most Palestinians, especially those who were cheering, dancing and distributing sweets to celebrate the terror attacks that took place in the Israeli cities of Be'er Sheva, Bnei Brak and Tel Aviv in the past few weeks.
Praising the recent wave of terror attacks in Israel, Hamas leader Mahmoud Zahar said on April 9, "These recurring heroic operations prove a clear fact -- that there is no future for the Jews on our Palestinian land."
As shown by the poll, it is leaders such as Zahar whom the Palestinians would prefer as their president. A Palestinian leader who talks about destroying Israel or murdering Jews has a better chance of being elected than one who states that he is opposed to terrorism and wants to work towards achieving a two-state solution.
For the Palestinians, it is much more important if one graduates from an Israeli prison than from any university. That is why former PA Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, a world-renowned economist and reformer educated in the US, won only two seats when his slate ran in the last parliamentary election in 2006. Fayyad's lack of popularity is mainly attributed to the fact that he never served time in an Israeli prison for murdering or wounding a Jew or engaging in terror activity against Israel.
One of the reasons behind the rising radicalization of the Palestinians is the vicious incitement by Abbas and the Palestinian Authority against Israel and Jews.
In the days and weeks before the wave of terrorism began, the Palestinian leaders were telling their people that Jews are planning to desecrate and commit crimes against the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. It is such libels that fuel the terrorists and increase their motivation to murder Jews. It is also this type of incitement that drives more Palestinians into the welcoming arms of Hamas and other extremists.
The Palestinians who are celebrating the murder of Jews have been told by their leaders that the terrorism aims to stop Israel from "committing crimes" against the Al-Aqsa Mosque. This of course is completely false because since the beginning of Ramadan, tens of thousands of Muslim worshippers have been freely and safely accessing the mosque for prayers.
That is another example of how Palestinian leaders have radicalized their own people to the point where the murder of young Jewish men enjoying their time in a bar in the center of Tel Aviv becomes a cause for public celebration. Palestinians have been radicalized and brainwashed by their leaders to the point where peace with Israel or a two-state solution is seen as an opportunity to slaughter.
The Biden administration, meanwhile, continues to pretend that Abbas and his government are credible partners, and that Israelis and Americans can do business with them.
It would have been more useful had Blinken denounced the celebrations and publicly pressured the Palestinian leadership immediately to halt the massive campaign of incitement against Israel and the glorification of Palestinians who murder Jews.
Ignoring the scenes of jubilation on the Palestinian street and continuing to pretend that the Palestinian Authority is a reliable partner for peace will only lead to further violence and bloodshed. It is time for the Biden administration and other Western donors to start banging on the table and demanding an end to the poisonous campaign to delegitimize Israel and demonize Jews. Until that happens, we will continue to see Palestinians dancing and handing out candy because Jewish blood flows at their feet.
*Khaled Abu Toameh is an award-winning journalist based in Jerusalem.
© 2022 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.

Leading from behind has an exciting new name.
Daniel Greenfield/Gatestone Institute./April 12/2022
What is "integrated deterrence"? It sounds better than leading from behind, which was Obama's version of it, but it's not too different from the failed approach of the Obama administration.
Like a lot of organizational jargon, "integrated deterrence" is a collection of meaningless buzzwords that no one understands concealing the same old thing that dresses up failure as success because under the exciting new approach, no one was even trying to succeed.
Or, as Austin put it during a visit to Poland, integrated deterrence uses "the capability and capacity that's resident in our partners and allies." Or, you know, leading from behind.
Announcing that our true asymmetric advantage is that we have allies is just an excuse for dumping the problem on them and then leading from behind. That's what Biden keeps doing.
And it isn't working.
Integrated deterrence asks top defense officials and military leaders to act as if non-military solutions are military ones. But just as it's not the job of diplomats to fight wars, diplomacy is not the work of generals.
We want generals to win wars, not negotiate with enemies. That absurdity is how Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Milley ended up assuring his Chinese opposite number that he would warn him of any attack. It's bad enough when diplomats act like this, it's much worse when generals do.
What is "integrated deterrence"? It sounds better than leading from behind, which was Obama's version of it, but it's not too different from the failed approach of the Obama administration. Or, as Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin (right) put it, integrated deterrence uses "the capability and capacity that's resident in our partners and allies." Or, you know, leading from behind. We want generals to win wars, not negotiate with enemies. That absurdity is how Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Milley (left) ended up assuring his Chinese opposite number that he would warn him of any attack.
Last year, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin claimed that a new strategy called "integrated deterrence" would be at the heart of Biden's new defense strategy. Last month, he was talking up a new National Defense Strategy driven by integrated deterrence while claiming that it would prove effective against Russia in the war in Ukraine. Instead the war showed "ID" doesn't work.
What is "integrated deterrence"? It sounds better than leading from behind, which was Obama's version of it, but it's not too different from the failed approach of the Obama administration.
Like a lot of organizational jargon, "integrated deterrence" is a collection of meaningless buzzwords that no one understands concealing the same old thing that dresses up failure as success because under the exciting new approach, no one was even trying to succeed.
Integrated deterrence, if you listen to Austin, is everything and therefore nothing. ID is going to perfectly integrate together all military capabilities without regard for service rivalries, combined with all elements of the federal government, and be ready to go anywhere at home or across the globe without any friction or limitations, while also seamlessly integrating with our allies.
Or, as Austin put it during a visit to Poland, integrated deterrence uses "the capability and capacity that's resident in our partners and allies." Or, you know, leading from behind.
ID means being "integrated across our allies and partners, which are the real asymmetric advantage that the United States has over any other competitor or potential adversary," Colin Kahl, Biden's Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, had claimed. "Our adversaries know that they're not just taking on the United States, they're taking on a coalition of countries who are committed to upholding a rules-based international order."
America has plenty of asymmetric advantages. Being tied to the Germans and the French, not to mention the awesome might of a variety of small countries that have marginal militaries and no desire to fight is not making China, Russia, or anyone else tremble in their leather boots.
A rules-based international order has not stopped a single war or deterred any aggressor.
Announcing that our true asymmetric advantage is that we have allies is just an excuse for dumping the problem on them and then leading from behind. That's what Biden keeps doing.
And it isn't working.
Biden's Pentagon flacks and hacks keep talking up the "integrated" part, but haven't actually integrated anything and they certainly haven't deterred anyone.
The "rules-based international order" has not stopped China's incursions into Taiwan's airspace (not to mention its violation of its agreement over Hong Kong's civil liberties), the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan, or Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Had they been unable to defend themselves, they would now be just another conquered province. That is the real lesson here.
That's the lesson every country, predator or prey, around the world is taking to heart.
Integrated deterrence saw its first real field test in the Ukraine war. And it failed.
International outrage, condemnation, and even the most punishing sanctions failed to stop Putin. Much as Obama's previous sanctions had done nothing to stop Putin from claiming Crimea, and as sanctions had likewise failed to do anything but annoy everyone from Saddam Hussein to the Kim crime family to the otherwise bankrupt socialist regime in Venezuela.
"You're seeing us lead with diplomacy. You've seen us work very, very carefully with our allies and partners to share information," Austin claimed in Poland.
Leading with diplomacy is appeasement and it works almost as well as sanctions. But, equally important, information sharing has been nearly as disastrous, not only among allies who were blindsided, as with the Poland plane deal, but even within the White House. Much as Obama and Kerry blindsided each other over Syria's chemical weapons, Biden, his cabinet members, and White House comms people keep contradicting each other about Ukraine and Russia.
If the Biden administration can't even integrate its own responses to a crisis at the White House level, what hope is there for the fantasy of a federal and multinational team "all woven together and networked" across all levels and theaters that lies at the heart of the ID fantasy?
The Biden administration hasn't even figured out how to crawl and in typical prog fashion unveiled a plan to not only fly, but encompass all space and time with a single thought.
Integrated deterrence provides a familiar set of excuses for not doing things.
Secretary of Defense Austin and other Pentagon brass are using ID to shift the burden away from building up a military that is ready to fight and win wars over to the State Department and other parts of the government. The deterrence part already signals retreat while the integrated part assigns the responsibility to everyone else including foreign governments and militaries.
While America's partners aren't where they need to be, the massive amounts of money we spend on the military are meant to buy us real offensive and defensive capabilities, not excuses.
Integrated deterrence deemphasizes the role of the military while focusing on alternatives to it as the solution to conflicts. This isn't a new idea for Democrats and the Left, it's also notoriously ineffective. The military can't and shouldn't be the default solution to everything, but neither should we pretend, as Biden is doing in Ukraine, that there are a variety of effective non-military solutions to military problems. We can choose to engage or not engage in conflicts, but when we get involved in a war by throwing out useless non-military solutions, we show weakness.
And that makes it more likely that we will end up having to fight a real war.
Integrated deterrence asks top defense officials and military leaders to act as if non-military solutions are military ones. But just as it's not the job of diplomats to fight wars, diplomacy is not the work of generals. Yet under Obama and Biden, the military has been dragged into doing the work of diplomats in Libya and Afghanistan even as our military capabilities have declined.
Unsatisfied with emphasizing appeasement over actions within the White House, the Biden administration's integrated deterrence is emphasizing appeasement within the military.
We want generals to win wars, not negotiate with enemies. That absurdity is how Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Milley ended up assuring his Chinese opposite number that he would warn him of any attack. It's bad enough when diplomats act like this, it's much worse when generals do.
And yet turning generals into diplomats is what integrated deterrence is built on. Not only don't we get good diplomats out of the deal, we also get useless generals.
Beyond integrated deterrence, Biden defense officials increasingly champion "holistic" solutions which efface specific capabilities. They insist that America's military isn't being weakened, it's becoming more "flexible" and "responsive", even as they eliminate metrics for everything from individual soldiers to classes of aircraft. When everything is "flexible" and "integrated", then nothing actually works because everything is a giant buzzword that never means anything.
It doesn't matter how well the F-35s work or whether the new fitness standards for recruits amount to anything because what really matters is the unsolvable puzzle, not the pieces.
That is invariably how leftist projects, which are all about the vision, not the details, fall apart.
When the real solutions don't come from the mere deployment of force, but emerge out the syzygy of identity politics, inspirational talks about innovation, and emergent integration of everything that military leaders have become obsessed with, then battlefield competence becomes a footnote in a progressive vision of tomorrow's military that doesn't work today.
And may never work.
Ukraine has shown that integrated deterrence is another in a series of Potemkin villages cloaking the same bad ideas in buzzwords and jargon. ID, in Obama's familiar line, tries to make a weakness seem like a strength, but in reality it just makes everything into one big weakness.
*Daniel Greenfield, a Shillman Journalism Fellow at the Freedom Center, is an investigative journalist and writer focusing on the radical Left and Islamic terrorism.
*This article was first published by Frontpage Magazine and is reprinted here by the kind permission of the David Horowitz Freedom Center.
© 2022 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.

Political Tempest in Israel: Can Bennett Right the Ship?
David Makovsky/The Washington Institute//April 12/2022
His coalition is just one lost seat from being legislatively hobbled or even ousted altogether, leaving him and his allies in Washington with little time for essential damage control.
Naftali Bennett’s government may have just faced its most difficult week yet. Ramadan has seen a string of terrorist attacks in Tel Aviv and other locales, with several civilians killed. Israeli forces responded by entering the Jenin refugee camp and surrounding areas in search of assailants. Meanwhile, coalition whip Idit Silman announced that her orthodox religious convictions have led her to consider leaving Bennett’s diverse government, which could be brought down by such individual moves because it holds a razor-thin majority of 61 seats in the 120-member Knesset. If she follows through on this threat when parliament reconvenes early next month, some have speculated it may give Likud Party opposition leader Binyamin Netanyahu a path to resume his long rule as premier. What are Bennett’s (and Washington’s) options for avoiding this scenario?
Netanyahu’s Limited Prospects
Netanyahu exalted Silman’s decision and predicted his imminent return to power, asserting that her departure puts him one parliamentarian away from controlling sixty-one seats and thereby calling for a no-confidence vote against Bennett’s government. In reality, however, Netanyahu and his largely ultraorthodox allies hold only fifty-two seats. His claim of being one seat away presumes that the six-member Arab-led Joint List would join his theoretical coalition, along with Silman and another disaffected member of Bennett’s Yamina Party, Amichai Chikli. This is a farfetched assumption given the Joint List’s ideological profile (i.e., too far left even for Bennett’s mixed coalition) and its public response so far. On April 9, Joint List leader Ayman Odeh stated, “If anyone thinks that we’re going to be Netanyahu’s partners in a constructive no-confidence motion—no way.”
Odeh’s remark is particularly significant because of the legal concept he referenced: “constructive no-confidence,” which the Knesset adopted in 2001 to prevent parliamentarians from attempting to bring down governments with no-confidence votes unless they have a viable replacement government on hand. More specifically, any party that votes to bring down the current government automatically commits to being part of a new government led by the party that sponsors the no-confidence resolution. Like Odeh, Defense Minister Benny Gantz has disavowed the prospect of his party joining a Likud government, so Netanyahu has no path to lead a no-confidence vote. His best hope is to throw Israel into yet another election cycle.
Can Bennett Right the Ship?
Silman stated that her decision was spurred by the health minister’s recent ruling that non-kosher food could be used in hospitals during Passover. Critics scoffed at this claim as a false pretense, however, insisting that her real impetus was a climate of right-wing intimidation in her religious community of Rehovot, many of whose residents believe Bennett’s government is overly solicitous toward the Arab Israeli community and therefore a threat to the state’s Jewish character.
Ironically, the prime minister’s own party is the coalition’s most wobbly faction. Yet this is not entirely surprising given that the seven-member Yamina list was chosen before Bennett decided to take the leap and head a hybrid government. Previously, it was a reliably right-wing faction.
In Bennett’s favor, the Knesset does not convene again until May 9, which could give him enough time to either coax Silman back to the fold or persuade her to resign in favor of the next person on the Yamina list who is deemed loyal to Bennett. Yet stopping the bleeding will presumably require him to go far beyond the one meeting he has held so far with his faction. Press commentary has been filled with accusations that Bennett is spending more time on the phone with Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky than improving relations with Yamina members, several of whom are unconvinced that this government is providing results for its base. Interestingly, the same people who call on Bennett to use honey also believe he should use vinegar—that is, by invoking a law against “renegade” parliamentarians who, once designated by the Knesset House Committee, cannot join a rival list in the next election. Bennett’s survival will depend on his ability to convince other members (particularly on the right) that the coalition is not a sinking ship. The recent spate of terrorist attacks does not help him in this regard.
If the Silman situation is not adequately dealt with in the coming weeks, the prime minister may be facing two big problems. First, certain parliamentarians—including three more of Bennett’s party members who are considered wobbly—may be emboldened by the idea that they can now extort the government on certain issues. Yamina member Nir Orbach has already announced that he wants to roll back measures designed to get more ultraorthodox Jews into the workforce. He also wants to link illegal West Bank outposts to the Israeli electricity grid and boost overall settlement activity without specifying location. How the government responds to Orbach will signal whether a few parliamentarians can dictate the tempo for Bennett.
Second, Silman’s departure alone could stymie the government’s parliamentary agenda by leaving it with just sixty seats and removing its slim majority. The potential inability to pass legislation would be terrible news for a coalition that wants to show progress on numerous popular initiatives, including a major public transportation push (e.g., a Tel Aviv area subway), kosher food certification reforms that would lower prices, and a streamlined process to dispel the legal limbo enveloping hundreds of thousands of Eastern Europeans who have sought to convert to Judaism and obtain citizenship. In that scenario, Bennett may try to reach understandings with the Joint List outside the coalition in order to pass certain legislation, much like Yitzhak Rabin did when he headed a minority government in the mid-1990s.
Under Israeli law, the current government will fall if it does not pass its next budget by March 2023. Nobody in Bennett’s coalition has strong enough polling numbers to favor early elections—most of them have been counting on accumulating achievements over a full four-year term.
If the above dynamics are not handled deftly, the government could be ousted even sooner than that. Only sixty-one votes are required to disperse the Knesset and schedule new elections—a fact that once again puts the spotlight on the Joint List and its crucial six seats. In theory, the same logic that led Odeh to say he will not help Netanyahu return to power via the no-confidence mechanism should also keep him from voting to disperse the Knesset, since the resultant elections could easily bring Netanyahu back via a different path. Yet Odeh’s main political rival is Mansour Abbas of the United Arab List, who has catapulted to become a linchpin of Bennett’s coalition. The longer the government survives, the more Abbas will be able to show Arab Israelis that his conciliatory approach—and not Odeh’s fiery rhetoric—brings them tangible results.
Implications for U.S. Policy
The Biden administration does not want to see the Bennett government hobbled, let alone ousted. First, a weakened government would presumably be pressed to build more settlement units in the West Bank, which is incompatible with the administration’s desire to move the Israeli-Palestinian conflict toward an eventual two-state solution.
Second, if the Iran nuclear deal goes forward—a question whose answer seems to change by the day—a weakened Bennett may feel obligated to mobilize against the agreement as Netanyahu did in 2015, if only to strengthen his hand domestically ahead of early elections. His stance so far has been to improve the deal’s terms, not reject it outright.
Third, U.S. officials have been more enthusiastic about supporting Bennett’s diverse government and its cross-partisan emphasis on upholding the independence of Israel’s law enforcement and judiciary institutions. A hard-right government that threatens to erode these institutions as Netanyahu did would be more difficult for Washington to support full-throatedly.
During Netanyahu’s last term, more Israelis backed him when it became clear he had full support from the Trump administration. President Biden is personally popular in Israel, but some citizens question his administration on various issues, particularly its apparent eagerness to make key compromises in order to render a nuclear deal more palatable to Iran. Accordingly, the Biden administration may decide that Israel’s political crisis represents an opportunity to support Bennett’s government even more meaningfully, perhaps by planning a presidential visit or prioritizing efforts to expand the Abraham Accords to other Arab states.
*David Makovsky is the Ziegler Distinguished Fellow in The Washington Institute’s Koret Project on Arab-Israel Relations and creator of the podcast Decision Points.