English LCCC Newsbulletin For
Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For December 11/2022
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
The Bulletin's Link on the lccc Site
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/aaaanewsfor2021/english.december11.22.htm
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Bible Quotations For today
An angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph, son of David,
do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is
from the Holy Spirit.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint
Matthew 01/18-25./:"Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way.
When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together,
she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a
righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss
her quietly. But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord
appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to
take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.
She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people
from their sins.’All this took place to fulfil what had been spoken by the Lord
through the prophet: ‘Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they
shall name him Emmanuel’, which means, ‘God is with us.’When Joseph awoke from
sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife,
but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named
him Jesus."
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese &
Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on December
10-11/2022
Thugs on Motorcycles tried to Invade Ashrafieh
Army commander begins visit to Qatar
Mikati holds talks with Chinese president in Riyadh
Wronecka: Every country, including Lebanon, needs to secure human rights of its
citizens
Mikati meets President Jinping during Arab-Chinese Summit in Saudi Arabia
Hale, Geagea meet
Israel Threatens to Bomb Beirut Airport If Used to Deliver Iranian Weapons
Lebanon: Disputes Emerge Between FPM, Hezbollah
Why can’t Lebanon elect a president?
Skiing in Lebanon, climbing in Tunis: Med tourism site goes online
Byblos Christmas tree brings comfort to Lebanese despite uncertain future
Titles For The Latest English LCCC
Miscellaneous Reports And News published
on December
10-11/2022
Iran supreme leader’s niece sentenced to 3 years for supporting ongoing
protests
London, Berlin Summon Iranian Diplomats over Execution of Protester
Australia Imposes Sanctions on Iran, Russia over Protests Crackdown
Iran’s Raisi Promises to Pursue Crackdown on Protesters
US sounds alarm over 'harmful' Iran-Russia military partnership
Russia Trying to Get Ballistic Missiles from Iran, Says Britain
Ukraine: Russian Forces Target Energy Infrastructure with Iranian-made Drone
Russia Grinds on in Eastern Ukraine; Bakhmut 'Destroyed'
Chinese president departs Saudi Arabia following state visit
Kansas Oil Spill Biggest in US In Past Decade
Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony, a Call to Arms for Ukraine
US Presses UN on Israeli Settlement Business Blacklist
US Sounds Alarm over 'Harmful' Iran-Russia Military Partnership
Bad news piles up for candidate Trump
Titles For The
Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published
on December
10-11/2022
Question: “Why is the virgin birth so important?”/GotQuestions.org?/Saturday,
10 December, 2022
Iran’s Mullahs: When Will the EU Wake Up?/Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Gatestone
Institute/December 10/2022
Türkiye-Syria Rapprochement Still Distant/Robert Ford/Asharq Al Awsat/December
10/2022
The Chinese Are Coming/Abdulrahman Al-Rashed/Asharq Al Awsat/December 10/2022
on December
10-11/2022
Thugs on Motorcycles tried to Invade
Ashrafieh
LCCC/December 10 / 2022
Tonight At 7:45 this evening, about fifty thugs on motorbikes entered Sassine
Square in Ashrafieh, where Christmas celebrations were being held. The
provocative and terrorist thugs were taught a lesson by the residents after
which Army intelligence intervened and deployed its troops in in the targeted
streets
Army commander begins visit to Qatar
Naharnet/Saturday, 10 December, 2022
Army Commander General Joseph Aoun on Saturday traveled to Qatar at an
invitation from its deputy PM and foreign minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin
Abdulrahman Al-Thani, the army said. The army chief “will discuss means to
support the army during this period,” the army added in a statement. Recent
media reports had said that Qatar had “strongly” waded into the Lebanese
presidential file in terms of negotiating with Iran. “It had told Free Patriotic
Movement chief Jebran Bassil during his recent presence in Doha that it supports
the election as president of Army chief General Joseph Aoun,” sources told ad-Diyar
newspaper in remarks published Wednesday. Qatar argued that Aoun “enjoys the
support of most political parties in Lebanon, does not represent a provocation
to anyone, and is accepted regionally and internationally,” the sources added.
Mikati holds talks with Chinese president in Riyadh
Naharnet/Saturday, 10 December, 2022
Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati has held talks in Riyadh with Chinese
President Xi Jinping. During the meeting, held on the sidelines of an
Arab-Chinese summit, China’s leader said his country appreciates Lebanon’s
positive contribution to boosting cooperation between the Arab countries and
China. “China is interested in developing cooperation with Lebanon in the
economic and social fields, and it will continue to support Lebanon with
everything it needs, especially in the field of renewable energy,” Xi added.
Mikati for his part thanked Beijing for its “effective contribution to
protecting stability in south Lebanon through its active participation in the
UNIFIL forces.” He also said that Lebanon is looking forward to “more Chinese
investments in Lebanon, especially in the field of infrastructure in which China
has vast expertise.”He also hoped China will open its markets to Lebanese craft
products.
Wronecka: Every country, including Lebanon, needs to
secure human rights of its citizens
NNA/Saturday, 10 December, 2022
"Today's Human Rights Day reminds us that while we are all one human family,
many are still unable to enjoy a life in dignity, freedom & justice," the United
Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Joanna Wronecka, wrote this morning on
her Twitter account.
"Every country, including Lebanon, needs to secure the human rights of its
citizens in order to achieve sustainable peace & development," Wronecka added.
Mikati meets President Jinping during Arab-Chinese Summit
in Saudi Arabia
NNA/Saturday, 10 December, 2022
Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati met at his place of stay in Riyadh with
Chinese President Xi Jinping, during the Arab-Chinese Summit hosted by the
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on Friday.
The meeting was attended by: caretaker Minister of Foreign Affairs and
Expatriates Abdallah Bou Habib, caretaker Minister of Finance Youssef Al-Khalil,
caretaker Minister of Industry George Boushkian, Advisor to PM Mikati, former
Minister Nicolas Nahas, Ambassador of Lebanon to Saudi Arabia Fawzi Kabbara, and
Ambassador of Lebanon to China, Melia Jabbour. During the meeting, the Chinese
president said that his country "appreciates Lebanon's positive contribution to
strengthening cooperation between Arab countries and China," adding that China
is interested in developing cooperation with Lebanon in the economic and social
fields, and continues to support Lebanon, especially in the field of renewable
energy. In turn, Mikati thanked China for its effective contribution over the
years to protecting stability in southern Lebanon through its active
participation in the UNIFIL forces. "Lebanon is looking forward to more
Chinese investments in Lebanon, especially in the field of infrastructure, in
which China enjoys extensive experience," Mikati added. He also expressed his
desire to open Chinese markets before Lebanese handicrafts, thanking China for
providing funding to build the National Institute of Music.
Hale, Geagea meet
NNA/Saturday, 10 December,
2022
Head of the "Lebanese Forces" Party, Samir Geagea, received today former US
Assistant Secretary of State, Ambassador David Hale, who returned to Lebanon on
a personal visit. According to a statement issued this morning, the meeting
discussed the general situation at the local and regional levels. Geagea also
briefed his guest on the latest developments in the Lebanese arena, stressing
that "the opportunity is ripe today to achieve radical change, which begins with
the election of a sovereign president who puts at the top of his priorities a
reform plan to advance the country and place it on the path of salvation."
Israel Threatens to Bomb Beirut Airport If Used to Deliver Iranian Weapons
Tel Aviv- Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 10 December,
2022
Israel raised threats on Saturday of plans to bomb the Beirut airport if the
terminal gets used as an Iranian weapons smuggling route, in a situation similar
to what it did in Syria. Israeli political sources in Tel Aviv said that Israel
was aware of a report broadcast by “Al-Arabiya Channel” about Iran's plans to
use a new smuggling corridor for its weapons through Beirut after the failure of
the Damascus corridor. The sources said that Tel Aviv is investigating Tehran’s
attempt to smuggle weapons through civilian flights to Beirut airport. They
confirmed that Israel’s intensified air raids on Syria, in recent years, have
proven beneficial in thwarting most of the Iranian weapons smuggling operations
to its armed militias in Syria and to Hezbollah in Lebanon and destroying a
number of Iranian air bases and sites on Syrian territory. They stressed that
Israel will not be lenient with the transport of Iranian weapons through Beirut
airport, threatening to carry out harsh military strikes if the terminal is used
for Iranian ammunition deliveries. Sources in Tel Aviv linked the matter to a
visit made by Hezbollah leader Hasan Nasrallah two weeks ago to Syria where he
met Syrian President Bashar Assad. They said Nasrallah discussed the
difficulties faced by Iran and Hezbollah in Syria as a result of the Israeli
strikes there. In 1968, Israel bombed Beirut airport in response to an attack
carried out by the "Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine" on an Israeli
civilian plane. The Palestinian organization had bases in Lebanon at the time.
The Israeli raid destroyed a number of civilian aircrafts belonging to Middle
East Airlines.
Lebanon: Disputes Emerge Between FPM, Hezbollah
Beirut - Asharq Al-Awsat/Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 10 December, 2022
For the first time since the signing of the Mar Mkhayel Agreement in 2006, a
dispute emerged between former President Michel Aoun’s Free Patriotic Movement
(FPM) and Hezbollah. The conflict between the two sides was publicly announced
in the media on Monday, following the participation of Hezbollah’s ministers in
a cabinet meeting called for by caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati to make
some “emergency” decisions. The FPM, which had announced its boycott of the
session, strongly criticized the party, saying that its participation in the
ministerial meeting has “shaken” the Mar Mkhayel agreement. In a press
conference, the head of the FPM, MP Gebran Bassil, said: “Our problem is with
the truthful ones who reneged on the agreement, the promise and the guarantee,”
hinting at Hezbollah. The party responded, in a statement on Thursday, saying
that the FPM’s behavior as “unwise and inappropriate.” “We don’t want to engage
into a debate with any of our friends, although much of what was mentioned in
Minister Bassil’s words needs discussion. We find ourselves concerned with
clarifying two issues for the public opinion. The first is that Hezbollah did
not make a promise to anyone that the caretaker government would not meet until
all its components agreed to meet, so that Minister Bassil would consider that
the government meeting that took place is a breach of the promise,” the
statement read. It added: “The language of treachery… especially among friends,
is unwise and inappropriate behavior. Our concern for friendship… remains the
basis of our dealings with any reaction, especially since Lebanon today is in
dire need of communication, dialogue and internal discussion… to overcome
difficult crises…”On Thursday, the two parties tried to mitigate the impact of
the crisis, when Hezbollah’s MP, Ali Fayyad, said: “We are not engaging into a
discussion about the future of the relationship with the FPM.”Other signs
pointed to an attempt to mend the relations, including a meeting between
Hezbollah MPs Ali Ammar and Hassan Fadlallah, with FPM MPs Bassil and Ghassan
Atallah.
Why can’t Lebanon elect a president?
AP/Saturday, 10 December, 2022
The country's deeply-divided parliament has met nine times to elect Aoun's
successor and failed every time, worsening political paralysis and stalling
measures to alleviate crippling economic crisis
Lebanon has been without a president for over a month, its legislators unable to
agree on a new head of state.The impasse is holding up a range of initiatives,
from putting into place structural reforms for an International Monetary Fund
programme to allowing the country’s state-owned television channel to broadcast
the World Cup. Here is a look at the latest episode of political paralysis in
the crisis-hit country. President Michel Aoun, an ally of Iran-backed Hezbollah,
completed his six-year term on October 30. Lebanon’s deeply-divided parliament
has met nine times to elect a successor and failed every time, worsening
political paralysis and stalling measures to alleviate a crippling economic
crisis that has pulled three-quarters of the population into poverty.
The weekly sessions have become farcical with most legislators casting
blank ballots. Others have written in mock candidates, including late former
presidents Nelson Mandela of South Africa and Salvador Allende of Chile.
Parliamentarians often leave the session midway through, resulting in no quorum.
“In order to elect a president in Lebanon, you first need to find a
consensual figure who is not vetoed by major Lebanese players, and who is vetted
and okayed by regional powers,” said Karim Emile Bitar, Professor of
International Relations at Beirut’s Saint Joseph University. “So far you have a
tug-of-war between the Iranian-Syrian axis backing Hezbollah and on the other
hand the alliance that is closer to the United States and Saudi Arabia.”
The country has frequently witnessed political paralysis in its short and
troubled history, including a presidential vacuum of over two years before
Aoun’s election in 2016. In 2008, armed clashes erupted for a week, before
politicians gathered in Doha, Qatar to reach a settlement for a consensus
presidential candidate. Ibrahim Mneimeh, an
independent reformist legislator, says the impasse has become the “status quo”
and believes traditional parties are waiting for “foreign interference” for a
settlement.
“Unfortunately this is happening over and over again.” Mneimeh said.
WHO ARE THE CANDIDATES?
Under Lebanon’s power-sharing system since its independence from France in 1943,
a president has to come from the Maronite Catholic sect; the prime minister is a
Sunni and the parliament speaker a Shia. While
Hezbollah has yet to publicly name a candidate, public perception is that the
group backs Sleiman Frangieh, a close ally of the party and of Syrian President
Bashar Assad. The nominal candidate of the camp opposing Hezbollah and that
often describes the group as a state-within-a-state is parliamentarian Michel
Moawad. Both candidates come from established political families.Moawad has
received more votes than any other candidate, but has failed to garner a
majority and is widely seen as too divisive a figure to reach the presidency.
Meanwhile, Lebanese army chief Gen. Joseph Aoun has reportedly been discussed as
a possible consensus candidate, though his name has not yet appeared on the
ballot.
Parliamentarian Gebran Bassil, the son-in-law of President Aoun, the head of the
Free Patriotic Movement party, and an ally of Hezbollah, has long been seen as
Aoun’s successor of choice. Though he appears out of the running due to limited
popular support and being targeted by US sanctions, he and his party have not
yet endorsed another candidate.
WHAT ARE THE REPERCUSSIONS?
With no developments to break the impasse, most experts say that political blocs
will focus on trying to extract maximum political concessions, including
divvying up the appointment of ministerial and senior government posts.
A Western diplomat who had met with most of Lebanon's political blocs
told The Associated Press that they are playing a “waiting game.”
Hage Ali likens the current deadlock to a game of poker. “You keep your
cards hidden, you don’t blink or flinch, and wait until the side breaks down,”
he explained. “Everyone is manoeuvring at this point, either showing up with a
blank ballot or choosing a candidate who isn’t viable.”Meanwhile, tensions
between hostile political groups in Lebanon continue to worsen.
Hezbollah deputy secretary general Naim Kassem said the group would not
accept a candidate who opposes its stockpile of arms and supports what he
alleged was “the American-Israeli project” in Lebanon.
In the opposing camp, Moawad has slammed Hezbollah and its allies’ for ruining
ties with the Gulf and the wider international community, and at a discussion
panel said would prefer paralysis over a new president affiliated to them.“We’re
seeing a repeat of the past where Hezbollah and allies gives Lebanon two
choices: either accept their candidate or have a presidential vacuum,” said
Charles Jabbour, a spokesman for the Lebanese Forces party, a Moawad ally.
There are also fears that a prolonged paralysis will further delay a
possible IMF deal to recover its economy and renew investor confidence in the
country. The IMF has set conditions following a
tentative agreement last April, including amending its banking secrecy law,
restructuring its banks, and formalizing capital controls. Lebanon needs a
president to ratify any laws that parliament passes.
In the meantime, Lebanon is set to have the second highest inflation rate
worldwide in 2022. “We are already on the verge of
state collapse,” Bitar said. “If the paralysis lasts more than just a few weeks
or months it could lead to a complete collapse.”
Skiing in Lebanon, climbing in Tunis: Med tourism site goes
online
Arab News/December 10, 2022
DUBAI: Nature, sports and adventure lovers are a click away from the best
destinations across the Middle East and North Africa, thanks to a
newly-launched, EU-funded website, Mediterraneanadventures.org, created to
jumpstart tourism in the region. The website suggests activities such as skiing
in Lebanon’s Keserwan mountainous area and crossing a biosphere at below sea
level in Jordan’s Karak, in addition to canoeing and diving in Torre Guaceto in
Puglia, southern Italy. The platform was created in collaboration with the
Puglia and Sardinia regional governments in Italy and Barcelona’s Chamber of
Commerce in collaboration with Jordan, Lebanon, and Tunisia. It is divided into
eight sections ranging from water sports and skiing to climbing and horseback
adventures, and from long nature walks and underground explorations to biking
and birdwatching. The Catalonia region offers climbing up to 3,000 meters in the
Pyrenees, exploration of hidden bays in the nature of the Costa Brava, the
nature of the Ebro delta, and then 6,400 km dedicated to nature bike trails and
forest trails along old railways that are no longer used. According to
Mediterraneanadventures.org, many adventures are also on offer in Puglia, which
is described as brilliant for outdoor experiences with two national parks, 18
regional parks, 16 nature reserves and three protected marine areas to explore
and enjoy, from Salento to Gargano, while also exploring its food through 188
educational restaurants and discovering the land of olive oil. With its
mountains also reaching 3,000 meters above sea level, Lebanon is described as
“the place where you can ski and swim in the same day” and has many ski resorts
in addition to the 225 km of coastline, with many nature reserve beaches such as
Tyre Nature Park. There are also walking and biking routes through the country’s
historic heritage, discovering the Roman Hemperean peoples to the Phoenicians,
the Ottomans to the French.“Silent desert and scorching sea,” is what defines
the adventures that can be enjoyed in Tunisia, from hiking or climbing in the
Atlas Mountains and forests that then lead to the sea across 1,300 km of
coastline.
Byblos Christmas tree brings comfort to Lebanese despite
uncertain future
Nada Homsi/The National/December 10/2022
Tree's size speaks of more prosperous times, but residents are comforted by its
presence nonetheless.
This year in Lebanon, hope and perseverance are symbolised by a Christmas tree.
The holidays in Byblos are a dazzling sight, despite the country entering the
fourth year of a financial crisis that has paralysed state institutions, caused
basic services to collapse and impoverished most of the population. For the
second year in a row, the ancient city of Byblos — known for its extravagant
Christmas festivities — inaugurated the holiday season with its famous
tree-lighting ceremony. “It’s always a magnificent sight,” said Namir Abdel
Qader, a university student and resident of Byblos. Although they are not
Christian, Namir and her family attend the lighting ceremony every year. “It’s
famous. People from all over the country wait for it.” A marching band in red
suits and Santa hats opened the ceremony, playing a mix of Christmas music
accompanied by the traditional derbake, or Arabic drum. A dance performance
followed.
When the Christmas tree was lit following a countdown, fireworks erupted
overhead. For most, the lighting ceremony was a comforting break from the
worries of daily life amid political and economic instability, and a signal of
better times ahead. In 2020, the city could not afford to display a Christmas
tree due to the prolonged economic crisis, compounded by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The next year saw its return, but this year — with political paralysis
preventing even the most basic of economic reforms and the trajectory of
Lebanon’s future uncertain — many residents worried the tree would not make an
appearance. The tree’s resurrection on Friday assuaged those concerns. “It’s
smaller than previous years,” said Mariam, who attended the tree-lighting
ceremony with her husband and four children. “But its presence here … it tells
us everything will be OK.”But she added: “If you came to Byblos four or five
years ago, before the economic crisis — the tree was even better.”Her son Joseph
chimed in, saying: “I’m glad they put it up this year during such a difficult
situation, even though it’s small.”The lighting ceremony was accompanied by a
Christmas market, similar to others set up throughout the country. Stalls
brimmed with food and crafts, toy salesmen distributed balloon animals, and
dancers performed on stage. For the average person, the event was an
inexpensive, wholesome family-friendly activity in a country where care-free fun
has become a rarity. But authorities hope to leverage the holiday season to draw
tourism to the struggling country, which relies on remittances and tourism
income from its extensive diaspora. Byblos has always attracted visitors during
the holidays, but the tourism sector was hit hard by Lebanon’s financial
collapse and by successive lockdowns during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“The prospect of tourism during these difficult days ahead will give us so much
hope,” Lebanon’s caretaker tourism minister Walid Nassar told the crowd of
hundreds gathered for the ceremony. Wissam Zaarour, mayor of the Byblos
municipality, told those assembled that he wanted the city to focus on better
days. “We hope to shed light on the positive things in Lebanon, because that
will reflect positively on our tourism.”
Stephanie Saliba released after questioning in Salameh case
Agence France Presse/Associated Press/December 10, 2022
Lebanese actress Stephanie Saliba was released after questioning Friday as a
witness in a corruption probe involving Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh, a
judicial source and her agent told AFP. Saliba was detained after failing to
appear for previous summons in the case and was subsequently "questioned as a
witness" in the investigation into money laundering and illicit enrichment, the
source said. Saliba was set free on condition she return for more questioning
when needed, a judicial official and the state-run National News Agency said.
The arrest is the latest in the controversy surrounding the governor, Riad
Salameh, who is being investigated for corruption as an economic meltdown and
financial collapse convulse the tiny nation. According to the National News
Agency, a judge, acting on the request by Lebanon's top financial prosecutor Ali
Ibrahim, ordered that Saliba be placed in custody after she showed up earlier in
the day at the prosecutors office in Beirut for questioning. The report gave no
reason for her arrest. A judicial official said investigative Judge Iman
Abdullah questioned Saliba over "illicit enrichment and money laundering." The
official, who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations, did not
give further details. Saliba was later questioned by Mount Lebanon Prosecutor
Judge Ghada Aoun, who has been investigating Salameh. Aoun set Saliba free on
Friday evening on condition that she comes for further questioning when needed,
the judicial official said, adding that Saliba will be also banned from leaving
the country until the questioning ends. Salameh is being investigated in several
European nations, including Switzerland, France, Luxembourg, and Liechtenstein,
for potential money laundering and embezzlement. He has repeatedly denied
corruption charges.nReports in Lebanese media say the governor gave Saliba
expensive gifts. Earlier this week, Aoun issued a search warrant for Saliba's
home as part of her investigation of the governor. Since 2019, Lebanon has been
in the grips of the worst economic and financial crisis in its modern history,
rooted in decades of corruption and mismanagement by the country's political
class.Many hold the 72-year-old Salameh responsible for the crisis, citing
policies that drove up national debt and caused the Lebanese pound to lose 90%
of its value against the dollar. The Central Bank governor, who has held the
post for the past three decades, still enjoys the backing of top politicians.
The Latest English LCCC
Miscellaneous Reports And News published
on December
10-11/2022
Iran supreme leader’s niece sentenced to 3 years for supporting ongoing
protests
Arab News/December 10, 2022
DUBAI: The niece of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has been sentenced to
three years in prison. Farideh Moradkhani, an outspoken critic of the Islamic
Republic, was arrested in November when she declared her support for the ongoing
anti-regime protests taking place across Iran. She even called on the
international community to cut ties with Tehran, wrote Moradkhani’s lawyer,
Mohammad Hossein Aghasi, on Twitter. Aghasi also said that his client was
initially sentence to 15 years in prison, but after an appeal, Moradkhani’s
sentence was reduced. He also noted that the outspoken critic was tried by
Iran’s Special Clerical Court, a body independent of the country’s judiciary
tasked with prosecuting clerics and answers only to the supreme leader.
Moradkhani’s lawyer explained that the court has no jurisdiction over his
client’s case given she is not a cleric. He also did not say what his client was
charged with, and authorities have not commented on the case to date. Moradkhani
has been arrested twice, earlier this year and in 2018, for being critical of
the regime. Earlier this week, Badri Hosseini Khamenei, Moradkhani’s mother and
Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s sister, also declared her opposition to her
brother’s regime, and called on military forces to join protesters before ‘it’s
too late’. She reportedly expressed her views in letter shared by her son, who
is based in France. “Ali Khamenei’s Revolutionary Guards and mercenaries should
lay down their weapons as soon as possible and join the people before it is too
late,” the letter read. “As my human duty, many times I brought the voice of the
people to the ears of my brother Ali Khamenei decades ago. However, after I saw
that he did not listen and continued the way of [ex-Supreme Leader Ruhollah]
Khomeini in suppressing and killing innocent people, I cut off my relationship
with him,” she continued. Protests erupted across Iran since September 16 after
22-year-old Iranian Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini died after she was arrested by
morality police in Tehran. At least 458 people, including 63 children and 29
women, have been killed by security forces in the protests, according to the
Oslo-based rights group Iran Human Rights.
London, Berlin Summon Iranian Diplomats over Execution of
Protester
London, Brussels – Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 10 December, 2022
Britain on Friday summoned Iran's most senior diplomat in London to protest the
hanging of Mohsen Shekari, the first such execution over ongoing anti-government
unrest. "The execution of Mohsen Shekari by the Iranian regime is abhorrent. He
is a tragic victim of a legal system in which disproportionate sentences,
politically motivated trials, and forced confessions are rife," Foreign
Secretary James Cleverly said in a statement. "We have made our views clear to
the Iranian authorities – Iran must immediately halt executions and end the
violence against its own people," Cleverly added.
Germany on Friday condemned Iran's execution of a man over recent
anti-government unrest, called on Tehran to immediately end its violence against
protesters, and confirmed it had summoned the Iranian ambassador in Berlin. "The
German government strongly condemns the Iranian regime's death sentence and
execution of a demonstrator in connection with the demonstrations in Iran," a
government spokesperson told a news conference in Berlin. The European Union is
preparing to add 20 people and an Iranian entity to its blacklist over human
rights violations committed in Iran during the repression of demonstrations,
diplomatic sources in Brussels said on Friday. Amnesty International said it was
"horrified" by the execution. "His execution exposes the inhumanity of Iran's
so-called justice system" where many others face "the same fate", it added. "The
international community must immediately and strongly react to this execution,"
Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, director of the Norway-based group Iran Human Rights,
said in a statement."If Mohsen Shekari's execution is not met with serious
consequences for the government, we will face mass execution of protesters," he
added. Overnight, protesters took to the street where Shekari was arrested,
shouting, "They took away our Mohsen and brought back his body," in a video
shared by 1500tasvir. Elsewhere, chants of "Death to the dictator" and "Death to
Sepah" were heard at a demonstration in Tehran's Chitgar district, in reference
to supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and Iran's Revolutionary Guards. Hamed
Esmaeilion, an Iranian-Canadian activist who has organized mass protests in
Berlin, Paris, and other cities, said more demonstrations would be held at the
weekend. "Regardless of belief and ideology, let's join these gatherings in
protest against the brutal execution of Mohsen Shekari," he tweeted. Nationwide
protests erupted after the death of 22-year-old Iranian woman Mahsa Amini on
Sept. 16. Iran executed a protester on Thursday who was convicted of injuring a
security guard and closing off a street. The Iranian Foreign Ministry said that
"in countering riots, Iran's shown utmost restraint and -unlike many Western
regimes who smear and violently crackdown even the peaceful protests- Iran has
employed proportionate and standard anti-riot methods. The same is true for the
judicial process: restraint and proportionality.”"Yet, public security is a
redline. Armed assault and vandalism are not tolerable, even to Western regimes
who've found an opportunity to hypercritically lecture Iran. Instead of exposing
its mendacity by politicized statements, West must stop hosting, backing, and
encouraging terrorists," the ministry noted. "Fighting terrorism, violence and
hate speech are unequivocal int. responsibilities," Iranian Foreign Minister
Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said. "Hypocritical is that Germany considers these as
red lines for its territory and security, but incites the same sinister
phenomena in Iran and duplicitously denounces our legitimate struggle against
them," he added.
Australia Imposes Sanctions on Iran, Russia over Protests
Crackdown
Moscow - Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 10 December, 2022
Australia's foreign minister said on Saturday the government would place
targeted sanctions on Russia and Iran in response to what it called "egregious"
human rights violations. Foreign Minister Penny Wong said in a statement
Australia was imposing sanctions on 13 individuals and two entities, including
Iran’s Morality Police and Basij Resistance Force, and six Iranians involved in
the crackdown on protests sparked by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in
custody in September. Seven Russians involved in what the foreign minister said
was the attempted assassination of former opposition leader Alexei Navalny would
also have human rights sanctions imposed on them, Wong said in her statement. In
addition to human rights sanctions, Wong said Australia was placing further
targeted financial sanctions on three Iranians and one Iranian business for
supplying drones to Russia for use against Ukraine. Australia's foreign minister
said on Saturday the government would place targeted sanctions on Russia and
Iran in response to what it called "egregious" human rights violations. Foreign
Minister Penny Wong said in a statement Australia was imposing sanctions on 13
individuals and two entities, including Iran’s Morality Police and Basij
Resistance Force, and six Iranians involved in the crackdown on protests sparked
by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in custody in September. Seven Russians
involved in what the foreign minister said was the attempted assassination of
former opposition leader Alexei Navalny would also have human rights sanctions
imposed on them, Wong said in her statement. In addition to human rights
sanctions, Wong said Australia was placing further targeted financial sanctions
on three Iranians and one Iranian business for supplying drones to Russia for
use against Ukraine.
Iran’s Raisi Promises to Pursue Crackdown on Protesters
Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 10 December, 2022
A prominent dissenting Sunni cleric on Friday said the death sentence of a
protester involved in recent Iranian anti-government unrest violated religious
law, as President Ebrahim Raisi promised to press on with a security crackdown a
day after the man's execution. On Thursday, Iran hanged Mohsen Shekari, who had
been convicted of injuring a security guard with a knife and blocking a street
in Tehran, the first such execution after thousands of arrests over the unrest,
drawing a chorus of Western condemnation. Nationwide protests that erupted
after the death in police custody of 22-year-old Kurdish Iranian woman Mahsa
Amini on Sept. 16 pose one of the biggest challenges to theocratic rule in Iran
since the 1979 revolution. "The identification, trial and punishment of the
perpetrators of the martyrdom (killing) of security forces will be pursued with
determination," Raisi said at a ceremony honoring security forces killed during
protests, according to state media. Molavi Abdolhamid, a Sunni cleric,
criticized the death sentence, according to his website. "When someone has not
killed but only blocked a road and stabbed and injured a Basij (militia) member
with a knife, he cannot be put to death under sharia," Molavi Abdolhamid said.
"Listen to these protests and negotiate with the people of Iran. Beating,
killing and executing this nation is not right. This protest will not be quelled
by killing people," he said, addressing authorities. State media published
a video of what it said was Shekari's confession where he appears with a bruise
on his right cheek. He admitted to striking a member of the Basij militia with a
knife and to blocking a road with his motorbike alongside one of his friends.
Human rights groups said Shekari was tortured and forced to confess. In Geneva,
UN Human Rights High Commissioner Volker Turk called the execution “very
troubling and clearly designed to send a chilling effect to the rest of the
protesters." He called on the Iranian authorities to immediately institute a
moratorium on death penalty. In a Friday prayers sermon, however, hardline
cleric Ahmad Khatami thanked "the judiciary for sending the first rioter to the
gallows.”
Iran's foreign ministry rejected Western criticism of rights abuses during the
crackdown as meddling in Iran's internal affairs and in violation of
international law. "Under the slogan of supporting human rights or women's
rights, (Western countries) incite and promote violence against the integrity of
the nation and Iran's national security," ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani
said in a statement carried by state media.
‘Sham trials’
Amnesty International has said Iranian authorities are seeking the death penalty
for at least 21 people in what it called "sham trials designed to intimidate
those participating in the popular uprising that has rocked Iran". Iran has
blamed the unrest on its foreign foes including the United States, although
protesters have come from all walks of life in the republic and have drawn
public support from prominent cultural and sports figures, as well as a sister
and a niece of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Germany on Friday condemned the
execution, called on Tehran to immediately end its violence against protesters
and confirmed it had summoned the Iranian ambassador in Berlin. Britain
announced sanctions on Friday against 30 people worldwide, including officials
from Russia, Iran and Myanmar it deems responsible for human rights abuses or
corruption. Molavi Abdolhamid made his critical comments from Zahedan, the
capital of restive Sistan-Baluchistan province, home to Iran's Baluch minority
who have faced discrimination and repression for decades, according to human
rights groups. Protests were held in Zahedan and other cities on Friday,
according to online videos. The top security body in the province said on Friday
Molavi Abdolvahed Rigi, a Friday prayers imam in the town of Khash, was
kidnapped and killed by unidentified individuals, state media reported.
US sounds alarm over 'harmful' Iran-Russia military
partnership
Agence France Presse/Saturday, 10 December, 2022
The United States expressed alarm over a "full-scale defense partnership"
between Russia and Iran, describing it as "harmful" to Ukraine, Iran's neighbors
and the world. Iran stands accused by Western powers of supplying drones to
Russia for its war against Ukraine, as Moscow batters the country's energy
infrastructure in search of an advantage in the bloody conflict. Washington has
previously condemned Iran-Russia security cooperation, but on Friday described
an extensive relationship involving equipment such as drones, helicopters and
fighter jets. "Russia is seeking to collaborate with Iran in areas like weapons
development, training," White House national security spokesman John Kirby told
reporters. Moscow "is offering Iran an unprecedented level of military and
technical support -- that is transforming their relationship into a fully
fledged defense partnership," he said. "We have also seen reports that Moscow
and Tehran are considering the establishment of a joint production line for
lethal drones in Russia. We urge Iran to reverse course (and) not to take these
steps." Kirby said that the United States would sanction three Russian-based
entities active in "the acquisition and use of Iranian drones." Last month,
Tehran admitted it had sent drones to Russia, but insisted they were supplied
before the invasion of Ukraine. Kirby said the United States is also concerned
that Russia "intends to provide Iran with advanced military components,"
including helicopters and air defense systems.
'Sordid deals'
Iranian pilots have reportedly been learning to fly advanced Sukhoi Su-35
warplanes in Russia, and Tehran may receive the aircraft within the next year,
which would "significantly strengthen Iran's air force relative to its regional
neighbors," Kirby said. The United States also believes that Iran is considering
the sale of "hundreds of ballistic missiles" to Russia, he said. Britain's
Foreign Secretary James Cleverly took aim Friday at the "sordid deals" between
Moscow and Tehran, saying in a statement that Iran had sent drones to Russia in
exchange for "military and technical support" from Moscow. This "will increase
the risk it poses to our partners in the Middle East and to international
security," Cleverly said, vowing that "the UK will continue to expose this
desperate alliance and hold both countries to account." Kirby on Friday
announced a new $275 million aid package to help boost Ukraine's air defenses,
against Russian drones in particular. He said the aid "will soon be on its way
to provide Ukraine with new capabilities to boost its air defenses and counter
the threats that Ukraine is facing from drones." The Pentagon released details
on the package, saying it includes counter-drone equipment, as well as
ammunition for Himars precision rocket systems, 80,000 155mm artillery rounds,
some 150 generators, and other equipment. The United States has previously said
that generators were being provided to Kyiv to help Ukraine with its electricity
needs amid repeated Russian strikes on energy infrastructure. The latest package
-- which is made up of equipment taken from existing US stocks -- brings
Washington's military assistance to Ukraine since Russia's February 24 invasion
to more than $19.3 billion.
Russia Trying to Get Ballistic Missiles from Iran, Says
Britain
Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 10 December, 2022
Russia is attempting to obtain more weapons from Iran, including hundreds of
ballistic missiles, and offering Tehran an unprecedented level of military and
technical support in return, Britain's UN Ambassador Barbara Woodward said on
Friday. Since August Iran has transferred hundreds of drones - also known as
unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) - to Russia, which had used them to "kill
civilians and illegally target civilian infrastructure" in Ukraine, Woodward
said. "Russia is now attempting to obtain more weapons, including hundreds of
ballistic missiles," Woodward told reporters.
"In return, Russia is offering Iran an unprecedented level of military and
technical support. We're concerned that Russia intends to provide Iran with more
advanced military components, which will allow Iran to strengthen their weapons
capability," she said. She also said that Britain was "almost certain that
Russia is seeking to source weaponry from North Korea (and) other heavily
sanctioned states, as their own stocks palpably dwindle." The Iranian, North
Korean and Russian missions to the United Nations did not immediately respond to
a request for comment. Iran last month acknowledged that it had supplied Moscow
with drones, but said they were sent before the war in Ukraine. Russia has
denied its forces used Iranian drones to attack Ukraine. Iran has promised to
provide Russia with surface-to-surface missiles, in addition to more drones, two
senior Iranian officials and two Iranian diplomats told Reuters in October.
The United States said on Wednesday that it has seen the continued provision of
Iranian drones to Russia, but that Washington had not seen evidence that Iran
has transferred ballistic missiles to Russia for use against Ukraine. Woodward
spoke ahead of a Security Council meeting later on Friday, requested by Russia,
on weapons from the Ukraine conflict that Russia says are "falling into the
hands of bandits and terrorists" elsewhere in Europe, the Middle East and
Africa. The United Nations is examining "available information" about
accusations that Iran supplied Russia with drones, UN Secretary-General Antonio
Guterres told the Security Council in a report earlier this week in the face of
Western pressure to send experts to Ukraine to inspect downed drones. Britain,
France, Germany, the United States and Ukraine say the supply of Iranian-made
drones to Russia violates a 2015 UN Security Council resolution enshrining the
Iran nuclear deal. Russia argues that there is no mandate for Guterres to send
UN experts to Ukraine to investigate the origin of the drones. Guterres said in
the latest report that the transfer of drones or ballistic missiles - with a
range of more than 186 miles (300 km) - from Iran to another country would
require prior approval from the Security Council.
Ukraine: Russian Forces Target Energy Infrastructure with
Iranian-made Drone
Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 10 December, 2022
Ukraine’s southern operational command said Russian forces struck energy
infrastructure with Iranian-made drones in the Odesa region, which left
thousands of people without power, Bloomberg reported. Ukrainian forces on
Friday repelled Russian attacks near 13 settlements. This came in a statement on
the Facebook page of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In the
last 24 hours, Russia has carried out five missile strikes, about 20 air strikes
and more than 60 rocket launcher attacks, the Ukrainian General Staff of the
Armed Forces added. The country's energy system and critical infrastructure
continue to be under the threat of attacks.
Russia Grinds on in Eastern Ukraine; Bakhmut 'Destroyed'
Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 10 December, 2022
Russian forces have “destroyed” the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, President
Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, while Ukraine's military on Saturday reported missile,
rocket and air strikes in multiple parts of the country that Moscow is trying to
conquer after months of resistance.
The latest battles of Russia's 9 1/2 month war in Ukraine have centered on four
provinces that Russian President Vladimir Putin triumphantly — and illegally —
claimed to have annexed in late September. The fighting indicates Russia's
struggle to establish control of those regions and Ukraine's persistence to
reclaim them, The Associated Press said. Zelenskyy said the situation “remains
very difficult” in several frontline cities in eastern Ukraine's Donetsk and
Luhansk provinces. Together, the provinces make up the Donbas, an expansive
industrial region bordering Russia that Putin identified as a focus from the
war's outset and where Moscow-backed separatists have fought since 2014.
“Bakhmut, Soledar, Maryinka, Kreminna. For a long time, there is no living place
left on the land of these areas that have not been damaged by shells and fire,"
Zelenskyy said in his nightly video address, naming cities that have again found
themselves in the crosshairs. "The occupiers actually destroyed Bakhmut, another
Donbas city that the Russian army turned into burnt ruins.”Zelenskyy didn’t
specify what he meant by “destroyed” — and some buildings remain standing and
residents still mill about in city streets. The Ukrainian military General Staff
reported missile attacks, about 20 airstrikes and more than 60 rocket attacks
across Ukraine between Friday and Saturday. Spokesperson Oleksandr Shtupun said
the most active fighting was in the Bakhmut district, where more than 20
populated places came under fire. He said Ukrainian forces repelled Russian
attacks in Donetsk and neighboring Luhansk. Russia's grinding eastern offensive
succeeded in capturing almost all of Luhansk during the summer. Donetsk eluded
the same fate, and the Russian military in recent weeks has poured manpower and
resources around Bakhmut in an attempt to encircle the city, analysts and
Ukrainian officials have said. After Ukrainian forces recaptured the southern
city of Kherson nearly a month ago, the battle heated up around Bakhmut,
demonstrating Putin’s desire for visible gains following weeks of clear setbacks
in Ukraine.
Taking Bakhmut would rupture Ukraine’s supply lines and open a route for Russian
forces to press on toward Kramatorsk and Sloviansk, key Ukrainian strongholds in
Donetsk. Russia has battered Bakhmut with rockets for more than half of the
year. A ground assault accelerated after its troops forced the Ukrainians to
withdraw from Luhansk in July. But some analysts have questioned Russia's
strategic logic in the relentless pursuit to take Bakhmut and surrounding areas
that also came under intense shelling in the past weeks, and where Ukrainian
officials reported that some residents were living in damp basements.
“The costs associated with six months of brutal, grinding, and attrition-based
combat around #Bakhmut far outweigh any operational advantage that the #Russians
can obtain from taking Bakhmut,” the Institute for the Study of War, a think
tank in Washington, posted on its Twitter feed on Thursday. On Friday, Putin
lashed out at recent comments by former German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who
said a 2015 peace deal for eastern Ukraine negotiated by France and Germany had
bought time for Ukraine to prepare for war with Russia this year. That deal was
aimed to cool tensions after pro-Russia separatists seized territory in the
Donbas a year earlier, sparking a war with Ukrainian forces that ballooned into
a war with Russia itself after the Feb. 24 full-scale invasion. Ukraine's
military on Saturday also reported strikes in other provinces: Kharkiv and Sumy
in the northeast, central Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia in the
southeast and Kherson in the south. The latter two, along with Donetsk and
Luhansk, are the four regions Putin claims are now Russian territory. In Odesa,
a key Black Sea port city to the west, drone attacks overnight left much of its
region without electricity, local government head Maxim Marchenko said.
Chinese president departs Saudi Arabia following state
visit
Arab News/December 10, 2022
RIYADH: Chinese President Xi Jinping has left Riyadh Saturday morning following
an official three-day state visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The president
was seen off at King Khalid International Airport by Prince Faisal bin Bandar
bin Abdulaziz, Governor of Riyadh, and Prince Faisal bin Farhan, the kingdom’s
Minister of Foreign Affairs. During the visit, President Xi Jinping attended
summits with Saudi, Gulf and other Arab leaders, describing the talks as a
historic milestone for relations with the energy-rich Middle East. He
highlighted close security and energy ties with Gulf nations during summit
meetings in the Saudi capital. Xi Jinping said that relations between China and
the Arab countries witnessed great developments in recent years. Saudi Arabia
and China vowed to prioritize relations as part of their foreign policy and set
a model of cooperation and solidarity for developing countries, according to a
joint statement released after the Saudi-Chinese summit.
Kansas Oil Spill Biggest in US In Past Decade
Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 10 December, 2022
A ruptured pipe dumped enough oil this week into a northeastern Kansas creek to
nearly fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool, becoming the largest onshore crude
pipeline spill in nine years and surpassing all the previous ones on the same
pipeline system combined, according to federal data. The Keystone pipeline spill
in a creek running through rural pastureland in Washington County, Kansas, about
150 miles (240 kilometers) northwest of Kansas City, also was the biggest in the
system’s history, according to US Department of Transportation data. According
to The Associated Press, the operator, Canada-based TC Energy, said the pipeline
that runs from Canada to Oklahoma lost about 14,000 barrels, or 588,000 gallons.
The spill raised questions for environmentalists and safety advocates about
whether TC Energy should keep a federal government permit that has allowed the
pressure inside parts of its Keystone system — including the stretch through
Kansas — to exceed the typical maximum permitted levels. With Congress facing a
potential debate on reauthorizing regulatory programs, the chair of a House
subcommittee on pipeline safety took note of the spill Friday. A US Government
Accountability Office report last year said there had been 22 previous spills
along the Keystone system since it began operating in 2010, most of them on TC
Energy property and fewer than 20 barrels. The total from those 22 events was a
little less than 12,000 barrels, the report said.
Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony, a Call to Arms for Ukraine
Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 10 December, 2022
A trio representing the three nations at the center of the war in Ukraine will
receive the Nobel Peace Prize on Saturday, showing no sign of giving up the
fight against Vladimir Putin and his Minsk ally. Jailed Belarusian human rights
advocate Ales Bialiatski, Russian human rights organization Memorial, and
Ukraine's Center for Civil Liberties (CCL) will be presented with their awards
at a formal ceremony in Oslo. While the Peace Prize may be a small balm for the
laureates' souls, it has in no way weakened their resolve. "Putin will stop when
he will be stopped", CCL head Oleksandra Matviichuk told reporters Friday at the
Nobel Institute. "Authoritarian leaders ... see any attempt to dialogue as a
sign of weakness", she said, urging Western countries to continue to help
Ukraine liberate its territories occupied by Russia, including Crimea. The CCL
has documented war crimes committed by Russian troops in Ukraine for the past
eight years, crimes for which Matviichuk wants to see Russian President Putin
and his ally, Belarusian strongman Alexander Lukashenko, brought to justice.
"This war has a genocidal character," she said in English. "If Ukraine stops its
resistance, there will be no more of us." "So I have no doubt that sooner or
later Putin will appear before an international court."The chairman of the board
of Memorial, Yan Rachinsky, agreed, while remaining more cautious in his remarks
due to the penalties imposed by Moscow on those who criticize the conflict in
Ukraine. "Ukraine has to fight for its independence", he said. "Ukraine is not
fighting for its interests alone. It is fighting for our joint peaceful future".
"The choice before the international community ... is between the unpleasant
situation today and the catastrophe tomorrow", he said. Founded in 1989,
Memorial has for decades shed light on crimes committed by Stalin's totalitarian
regime and worked to preserve the memory of the victims, as well as documented
human rights violations in Russia. The country's Supreme Court ordered it
dissolved at the end of 2021, and ordered a raid of its Moscow offices on
October 7 -- the very day it was announced as co-winner of this year's Peace
Prize. "When it comes to rights defenders, at this juncture in Russia, the
situation is terrible", Rachinsky said. The third co-laureate, Ales Bialiatski,
founder of rights group Viasna, has been detained since July 2020 pending trial
following Minsk's crackdown on large-scale protests against the regime. He faces
12 years in prison. His wife Natalia Pinchuk, who will accept his Nobel prize on
his behalf, said "the issue of Belarus is also being decided on the battlefield
of Ukraine". She said Bialiatski -- whom she has seen only once since his
arrest, through a glass pane -- was not authorized to give her an acceptance
speech for the prestigious prize.The ceremony at Oslo's City Hall will start at
1:00 pm (1200 GMT), attended by the Norwegian royal family and special
dignitaries. Meanwhile, in Stockholm, a separate awards ceremony will take place
honoring the winners of the other Nobel prizes in the fields of medicine,
physics, chemistry, literature and economics. Also in attendance will be the
laureates from 2020 and 2021, when the Stockholm festivities were cancelled due
to the Covid-19 pandemic. This year's laureates will receive a gold medal,
diploma and cheque for 10 million Swedish kronor ($970,000).
US Presses UN on Israeli Settlement Business Blacklist
Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 10 December, 2022
The United States said Friday it was pressing the United Nations not to update a
blacklist of companies doing business in Israeli settlements, despite
Washington's calls on its ally to stop expansion in occupied Palestinian
territory. The State Department confirmed that it had approached the UN human
rights office with concerns about the list, whose first publication in 2020
infuriated Israel, AFP said. The United States "continues to oppose any work to
update it" and has raised concerns "directly with the Office of the High
Commissioner" for rights, State Department spokesman Vedant Patel told
reporters.
"Our view is that this database only serves to reinforce an anti-Israel bias
that too often finds traction in UN venues," he said. "Also, this database poses
a genuine threat to companies doing business or considering business operations
in the region."The initial publication -- which listed US companies including
Airbnb, Expedia and TripAdvisor -- was denounced by the then administration of
Donald Trump, which had reversed longstanding US opposition to settlements in
the West Bank. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a speech Sunday warned the
incoming right-wing government of Benjamin Netanyahu that the United States
would oppose settlement expansion as well as any bid to annex the West Bank.
Axios, quoting Israeli sources, said that the new UN rights chief, Volker Turk,
faced an upcoming choice on whether to update the list and may do quietly
without announcing it. The UN report comes in response to a 2016 UN Human Rights
Council resolution calling for a "database for all businesses engaged in
specific activities related to Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian
territory." After the list's publication, Airbnb said it would stop advertising
in settlements but it backtracked after a backlash in the United States and
Israel. In Norway, the list led the sovereign wealth fund to dump companies
involved in settlements, citing concern over human rights violations.
US Sounds Alarm over 'Harmful' Iran-Russia Military Partnership
Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 10 December, 2022
The United States on Friday expressed alarm over a "full-scale defense
partnership" between Moscow and Tehran, describing it as "harmful" to Ukraine,
Iran's neighbors and the world. Iran stands accused by Western powers of
supplying drones to Russia -- which rejected the US allegations -- as Moscow
batters Ukraine's energy infrastructure in search of an advantage in the bloody
conflict. Washington has previously condemned Iran-Russia security cooperation,
but on Friday described an extensive relationship involving equipment such as
helicopters and fighter jets as well as drones, with the latter items resulting
in new US sanctions. "Russia is seeking to collaborate with Iran in areas like
weapons development, training," White House national security spokesman John
Kirby told reporters. Moscow "is offering Iran an unprecedented level of
military and technical support -- that is transforming their relationship into a
fully fledged defense partnership," he said. "We have also seen reports that
Moscow and Tehran are considering the establishment of a joint production line
for lethal drones in Russia. We urge Iran to reverse course (and) not to take
these steps."Moscow's UN envoy Vassily Nebenzia pushed back later in the day,
telling a Security Council meeting that "the military industrial complex in
Russia can work perfectly fine and doesn't need anyone's assistance." The drone
allegations, he said, were "already refuted" multiple times before. Earlier,
Kirby announced that the United States would sanction three Russian-based
entities active in "the acquisition and use of Iranian drones."The sanctions
target the Russian Aerospace Forces, the 924th State Center for Unmanned
Aviation, and the Command of the Military Transport Aviation. "The United States
will continue to use every tool at our disposal to disrupt these transfers and
impose consequences on those engaged in this activity," Secretary of State
Antony Blinken said in a statement on the sanctions. Last month, Tehran admitted
it had sent drones to Russia, but insisted they were supplied before the
invasion of Ukraine.
'Sordid deals'
Kirby said the United States is also concerned that Russia "intends to provide
Iran with advanced military components," including helicopters and air defense
systems. Iranian pilots have reportedly been learning to fly advanced Sukhoi
Su-35 warplanes in Russia, and Tehran may receive the aircraft within the next
year, which would "significantly strengthen Iran's air force relative to its
regional neighbors," Kirby said. The United States also believes that Iran is
considering the sale of "hundreds of ballistic missiles" to Russia, he said.
Britain's Foreign Secretary James Cleverly took aim Friday at the "sordid deals"
between Moscow and Tehran, saying in a statement that Iran had sent drones to
Russia in exchange for "military and technical support" from Moscow. This "will
increase the risk it poses to our partners in the Middle East and to
international security," Cleverly said, vowing that "the UK will continue to
expose this desperate alliance and hold both countries to account."Kirby on
Friday announced a new $275 million aid package to help boost Ukraine's air
defenses, against Russian drones in particular. He said the aid "will soon be on
its way to provide Ukraine with new capabilities to boost its air defenses and
counter the threats that Ukraine is facing from drones."The Pentagon released
details on the package, saying it includes counter-drone equipment, as well as
ammunition for Himars precision rocket systems, 80,000 155mm artillery rounds,
some 150 generators, and other equipment. The United States has previously said
that generators were being provided to Kyiv to help Ukraine with its electricity
needs amid repeated Russian strikes on energy infrastructure. The latest package
-- which is made up of equipment taken from existing US stocks -- brings
Washington's military assistance to Ukraine since Russia's February 24 invasion
to more than $19.3 billion.
Bad news piles up for candidate Trump
Agence France Presse/Saturday, 10 December, 2022
Having launched a new bid for the White House, Donald Trump has not been met
with the energy he had been hoping for.
Quite the opposite, in fact.
"In all, it has been a truly terrible launch of a presidential campaign," said
Lara Brown, political science professor at George Washington University, noting
that the one-term former US president has stumbled through "one scandal after
another."Having hoped to ride a Republican "red wave" in the midterm elections
last month, Trump instead found himself high and dry after most of the
noteworthy candidates he backed were defeated. Spurned by conservative
heavyweights, the former president once again found himself the target of
intense criticism last month after dining with rapper Kanye West, who has been
accused of anti-Semitism, and a white supremacist. Many Republicans who had long
been fearful of incurring their leader's wrath now piled their scorn on the real
estate mogul, calling the dinner "ridiculous," "disgusting" and "scandalous."
Their efforts to distance themselves from the former president accelerated
further when Trump -- who falsely claims he won the 2020 election -- issued
calls to abandon the U.S. Constitution. And the point was driven home yet again
Tuesday, when one of Trump's most famous protege candidates, former American
football player Herschel Walker, lost a bid for a Senate seat in the state of
Georgia. "Trump has also had a number of high-profile donors publicly state that
they are not interested in supporting his 2024 campaign," Brown told AFP. The
billionaire, known for his inflammatory speeches to rallies of red-hatted
supporters, has not held any campaign event outside his residence at the Mar-a-Lago
golf club in Florida since declaring his candidacy in November. And while the
76-year-old has always thrived on political controversy, he is now the subject
of myriad criminal and civil investigations, from his handling of classified
documents to his financial affairs in New York.
Assault on the Capitol
Trump's real troubles are likely only just beginning.
For more than a year, the contentious Republican has been under investigation
over allegations of exerting pressure on Georgia state officials during the 2020
presidential election, which could lead to an indictment. And a Congressional
committee investigating his responsibility for the attack by his supporters at
the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, is set to release a voluminous report in the
coming weeks. The panel has already indicated that it would recommend
indictments, without specifying who could be targeted. The decision of
whether or not to charge the former president will ultimately rest with Attorney
General Merrick Garland, who in mid-November appointed a special prosecutor to
independently investigate Trump. The courts have already found his family
business guilty of tax evasion, a blow for the ex-businessman, although he
himself has not been tried.
Hard core
But with the 2024 presidential election nearly two whole years away, Trump still
has plenty of time to stage a comeback. When he was abandoned by some in the
conservative movement after the Capitol riot, the former leader managed within a
few months to regain almost total control of the party. Trump's political demise
has been predicted over and over again, but so far he has survived. The more
scandals he accumulates, the less effect any individual incident seems to have
on his power. After taking office in November 2016 in an unprecedented political
upheaval that almost no one predicted, Trump may also be tempted to play the
position of rebel candidate if the defections in his ranks continue. Polls show
he is still a big favorite in a hypothetical Republican primary, a fact he likes
to tout at every opportunity. He can also still count on a steadfast base, which
swears unfailing support to the former president and continues to flock to his
rallies. But even those loyalists could eventually lose patience,
predicted Brown. “While some in his base may rally to support him when he in the
coming months claims to be a victim of a political witch hunt, for many, I
imagine that act is getting old,” she said.
The Latest LCCC English analysis &
editorials from miscellaneous sources published
on December
10-11/2022
Question: “Why is the virgin birth so
important?”
GotQuestions.org?/Saturday, 10 December, 2022
Answer: The doctrine of the virgin birth teaches that Jesus Christ was born of a
virgin. That is, when Mary conceived Jesus, she had never had sexual
intercourse. Jesus’ birth, therefore, was truly miraculous. The virgin birth of
Jesus is a crucially important doctrine and one that the Bible plainly teaches
in Matthew 1:23 and Luke 1:27, 34.
Let’s look at how Scripture describes the virgin birth. The angel Gabriel visits
the Virgin Mary to bring her the news that she would be the mother of the
Messiah. Mary asks, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” (Luke 1:34, ESV).
Gabriel’s reply indicates the miraculous nature of the conception: “The Holy
Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:35). The angel
points not to any human act but to the Holy Spirit and the power of God as the
agency of Jesus’ birth. Jesus would properly be called the Son of God. Gabriel
later repeats the news to Joseph, betrothed to be married to Mary: “What is
conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 1:20). Joseph needed this
information because, “before they came together, [Mary] was found to be with
child through the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 1:18). Accepting God’s word on the
matter, Joseph proceeded to take Mary as his wife, but she remained a virgin
until after Jesus was born: “He did not consummate their marriage until she gave
birth to a son” (Matthew 1:25).
The gospel writers are judicious in their wording to maintain the doctrine of
the virgin birth. In his genealogy of Jesus, Luke mentions that Jesus was “the
son (as was supposed) of Joseph” (Luke 3:23, ESV). In his genealogy, Matthew
carefully avoids calling Joseph the father of Jesus; rather, he speaks of “Jacob
the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, and Mary was the mother of Jesus who
is called the Messiah” (Matthew 1:16).
The virgin birth of Jesus Christ was predicted in the Old Testament: “The Lord
himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son,
and will call him Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14, quoted in Matthew 1:22). There is also
a possible allusion to the virgin birth in Genesis 3:15, which says that the
“seed” of “the woman” would destroy the serpent.
The Bible teaches the preexistence of the eternal Son of God. In Isaiah 9:6, the
child who is “born” is also the son who is “given.” In like manner, Galatians
4:4 also teaches the preexistence and virgin birth of Christ: “God sent His Son,
born of a woman.” The virgin birth is important because that was the means by
which “the Word became flesh” (John 1:14). The incarnation is when the eternal
Son of God took on human flesh; without losing any of His divine nature, He
added a human nature. That miraculous, history-changing event took place in the
Virgin Mary’s womb.
In the virgin birth, the immaterial (the Spirit) and the material (Mary’s womb)
were both involved. Just as, at creation, “the earth was formless and empty” and
dark (Genesis 1:2), Mary’s womb was an empty, barren place. And just as, at
creation, “the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters” (Genesis 1:2), the
Spirit of God came upon Mary (Luke 1:35). Only God can make something out of
nothing; only God could perform the miracles of creation, the incarnation, and
the virgin birth.
The virgin birth is important in that it preserves the truth that Jesus is fully
God and fully man at the same time. His physical body He received from Mary. But
His eternal, holy nature was His from all eternity past (see John 6:69). Joseph
the carpenter did not pass on his sinful nature to Jesus for the simple reason
that Joseph was not the father. Jesus had no sin nature (Hebrews 7:26).
The virgin birth of Jesus is an example of God’s gracious work on our behalf.
God took the initiative—Mary was not looking to become pregnant—it was all God’s
idea. Joseph had no role in the conception—his body was not involved—so the
power had to come from God. In a similar way, our salvation is based solely on
God’s initiative and God’s power—we did not seek God, but He sought us; and we
did nothing to earn our salvation, but we rely on God’s power.
Unsurprisingly, Jesus’ enemies among His contemporaries denied His virgin birth.
They went so far as to publicly accuse Jesus of being a Samaritan, i.e., a
person of mixed race (John 8:48). Those today who would deny the virgin birth
contradict the clear teaching of Scripture, call into question other miracles
recorded in the Bible, and open the door to a denial of Christ’s full deity or
His full humanity.
مقالة للدكتور الإيراني ماجد رفي زاده من معهد جيتستون
تسأل: متى تستفيق الدول الأوروبية من غيبوبة جبنها والغباء والجهل والذمية، في كل
ما يتعلق بملالي إيران وإرهاب نظامهم القمعي والوحشي وخطرهم الدولي وخبثهم
معهد جيتستون/10 كانون الأول/2022
Iran’s Mullahs: When Will the EU Wake Up?
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Gatestone Institute/December 10/2022
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/113960/113960/
Does the EU know that the Russian President Vladimir Putin has received huge
support for Moscow's invasion of Ukraine from the Iranian Supreme Leader
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei? Iran has been supplying kamikaze drones to Russia. That
is why the Ukrainian foreign ministry reportedly stripped Iran's ambassador in
Kyiv of his accreditation and reduced the embassy's diplomatic staff there.
The Biden administration is also not putting any pressure on the EU to stop its
business dealings with Iran's ruling clerics....
"Russia has used almost 4,500 missiles against us. And their stock of missiles
is dwindling. Therefore, Russia went looking for affordable weapons in other
countries to continue its terror. It found them in Iran." — Ukrainian President
Volodymyr Zelensky, Jerusalem Post, November 4, 2022.
"Each one hopes that if he feeds the crocodile enough, the crocodile will eat
him last. All of them hope that the storm will pass before their turn comes to
be devoured. But I fear -- I fear greatly -- the storm will not pass.... It will
spread to the South; it will spread to the North." — Winston Churchill, January
20, 1940.
Does the EU know that the Russian President Vladimir Putin has received huge
support for Moscow's invasion of Ukraine from the Iranian Supreme Leader
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei? Iran has been supplying kamikaze drones to Russia.
Even though the Iranian regime has been increasing its military support for
Russia's invasion of Ukraine – a gift that poses a significant threat to the
European Union – the EU's appeasement policy toward the ruling mullahs of Iran
barrels on.
It is shocking that the EU continues to trade with the predatory regime of Iran,
openly referred to as the "world's worst state sponsor of terrorism." The Tehran
Times bragged in a recent report that Iran's exports to the EU have gone up "28%
in 9 months on year".
"The Eurostat's data show that Iran exported commodities worth €799 million to
the union in the nine-month period of this year, while the figure was €623
million in the same time span of the previous year....
"According to the Eurostat, the total value of trade between Iran and the
European Union reached €3.947 billion in January-September 2022, while the
figure was €3.025 billion in the same period of 2021.
"Iran exported €72 million worth of goods to the EU in September, while
importing €472 million from the mentioned union. The value of the Islamic
Republic's exports to the EU stood at €68 million last September and the imports
from the union were reported to be €308."
Iran's rising exports to the EU are increasing the regime's revenues and most
likely assisting it to supply more weapons to Russia. Does the EU know that the
Russian President Vladimir Putin has received huge support for Moscow's invasion
of Ukraine from the Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei? Iran has been
supplying kamikaze drones to Russia. That is why the Ukrainian foreign ministry
reportedly stripped Iran's ambassador in Kyiv of his accreditation and reduced
the embassy's diplomatic staff there.
The EU's appeasement of the ruling mullahs continues even though the EU itself
acknowledged that the Iranian regime was indeed "provid[ing] military support
for Russia's unprovoked and unjustified war of aggression against Ukraine"
through the "development and delivery of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles to Russia". As
British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly noted in a statement:
"These cowardly drone strikes are an act of desperation. By enabling these
strikes, these individuals and a manufacturer have caused the people of Ukraine
untold suffering."
The EU, however, is allowing the Islamic Republic to act with impunity. That is
most likely why Iran has sent troops to Crimea to assist Russia in its attacks
on Ukraine's infrastructure and civilian population , as well as to increase the
effectiveness of the suicide drones.
The Biden administration is also not putting any pressure on the EU to stop its
business dealings with Iran's ruling clerics, even though the Biden
administration acknowledged that it had evidence that Iranian troops were
"directly engaged on the ground" in Crimea supporting Russian drone attacks.
National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby stated:
"[T]he systems themselves were suffering failures and not performing to the
standards that apparently the customers expected. So the Iranians decided to
move in some trainers and some technical support to help the Russians use them
with better lethality."
Iran's theocratic rulers also recently agreed to send ballistic missiles and
even more drones to Russia. Iran has the largest and most diverse ballistic
missile arsenal in the Middle East. According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr
Zelensky:
"In eight months of full-scale war, Russia has used almost 4,500 missiles
against us. And their stock of missiles is dwindling. This is why Russia went
looking for affordable weapons in other countries to continue terror. It found
them in Iran."
The European Union would be well-advised to listen to what Winston Churchill
famously warned when it comes to appeasing the aggressor:
"Each one hopes that if he feeds the crocodile enough, the crocodile will eat
him last. All of them hope that the storm will pass before their turn comes to
be devoured. But I fear -- I fear greatly -- the storm will not pass. It will
rage and it will roar, ever more loudly, ever more widely. It will spread to the
South; it will spread to the North."
*Dr. Majid Rafizadeh is a business strategist and advisor, Harvard-educated
scholar, political scientist, board member of Harvard International Review, and
president of the International American Council on the Middle East. He has
authored several books on Islam and US Foreign Policy. He can be reached at
Dr.Rafizadeh@Post.Harvard.Edu
© 2022 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do
not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No
part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied
or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/19215/iran-mullahs-when-will-the-eu-wake-up
Türkiye-Syria Rapprochement Still Distant
Robert Ford/Asharq Al Awsat/December 10/2022
There has been much media speculation about a rapprochement between Syria and
Türkiye. Russian officials, including the Kremlin spokesman and the Russian
presidential envoy to Syria last Friday said Moscow is trying to arrange a
meeting between Presidents Erdogan and Assad. I don’t expect to see a photograph
soon with a somber Erdogan shaking hands with a smiling Assad in Moscow.
Erdogan and Assad agree on only one issue: both reject real autonomy for the
Syrian Kurdish regions. At the November meeting about Syria in Astana, the Turks
again agreed with Assad’s allies, the Iranians and the Russians, to resist
“further separatist plans aimed at undermining Syrian territorial integrity and
threatening the national security of neighboring countries.”
The message is aimed at the Syrian Kurdish faction PYD and its “People
Protection” militia, connected to the PKK, who manage the autonomous
administration in northeast Syria under an American military umbrella.
The Americans in the short-term will stay unless the PYD and its militia tell
them to go. The PYD so far has succeeded in balancing between Washington on one
side and Damascus and Moscow on the other to deter a full-scale Turkish
invasion.
Russia has spoken about returning to the 1998 Adana agreement that ejected the
PKK from Syria but achieving that return is not in sight.
Russia and Syria so far refuse to fight the PYD and its militia. The autonomous
administration survives.
In addition, it is almost 2023, and restoring an old agreement from 1998, even
if it were possible, will not enable a Türkiye-Syria rapprochement. Both sides
have deeper grievances than they did 25 years ago. Ankara has to doubt that the
Syrian government can actually control all of northern Syria. Damascus cannot
even control Daraa, an hour’s drive from Damascus. How will it control Qamishli,
400 miles from the capital?
In addition, Turkish foreign minister Cavusoglu on November 8 conditioned a
resumption of political talks on ensuring the safe return of Syrian refugees
from Türkiye back to Syria. Turkish intelligence chief Hakan Fidan emphasized
this refugee issue when he met Syrian intelligence official Ali Mamlouk in
September. Fidan stayed two days in Damascus. That is a long visit, but Turkish
statements indicate no big progress on bilateral relations.
It is worth remembering that while the Damascus government has officially
welcomed the return of refugees, Assad also said in 2017 that Syria is stronger
and more homogenous after their departure. He doesn’t want all those refugees
back. Where would they live? Where would they find jobs? How would they find
food? How could the Assad government trust all of them?
Damascus won’t trust them and it won’t issue guarantees about their safety to
Fidan, Cavusoglu and Erdogan. And Assad won’t accept safe zones in Syria for
refugees under Turkish control. He wants the Turk soldiers out of Syria. There
are many stories of Syrians who formally reconciled with the government who
later died under torture in detention. The 3.7 million Syrian refugees in
Türkiye know this. Ankara does not want nightly television around the world to
show screaming refugees forced at gunpoint to cross back over the border into
Syria.
The refugee issue is huge but there are other difficult issues. What to do about
the displaced Syrians near the Turkish border and their safety? What will
Türkiye do with thousands of Syrian rebel fighters that it has sponsored? Where
will they go? It is impossible to imagine that all the opposition fighters will
voluntarily surrender to the mercy of the Syrian security forces. Ankara wants
to avoid the bitterness and fighting that will follow its abandoning the Syrian
opposition.
Turkish foreign minister Cavusoglu in August said the Syrian opposition must
reconcile with Assad. And in November he said that progress must be made on
these issues before talks between Ankara and Damascus can move from the level of
intelligence directors to a “political level.” Ankara wants the Syrian
opposition and Assad to accept compromises.
Assad’s father Hafez was known for his patience and the son has learned it too.
Media reports suggest Bashar is in no hurry to meet and give a political boost
to his old friend Erdogan.
Assad’s government has never made political compromises in this civil war.
Instead, he waits and watches strong Turkish opposition attacks on Erdogan’s
entire Syria policy. Those opposition parties call for a fast political opening
with Damascus. Assad probably hopes that if the Turkish opposition wins in the
June elections, he can get an agreement to eliminate Turkish support for rebel
fighters more easily and thereby gain a little more leverage with the PYD.
Therefore, the Syrian president politely declines Putin’s invitation to come for
a photograph with Erdogan. We should remember that even leaders of weak states
sometimes can say, “no, thank you.”
**Robert Ford is a former US ambassador to Syria and Algeria and a senior fellow
at the Middle East Institute for Near East Policy in Washington
The Chinese Are Coming
Abdulrahman Al-Rashed/Asharq Al Awsat/December 10/2022
“The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming” is a 1966 American film
narrating the Cold War tension with the story of a Soviet submarine that got
stuck on a sandbar off the coast of New England. “The Chinese are coming”,
however, is what a hotel receptionist told me to justify the lack of vacant
rooms due to the arrival of many international delegations for the three summits
taking place in the Kingdom.
The visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping and his large delegation to Saudi
Arabia is a major historical event that will have implications on many fronts in
the years to come. However, some are likening this Saudi-Chinese rapprochement
to the shift of former Egyptian President Jamal Abdel Nasser from the US to the
Soviet Union. This comparison is far from accurate, as the zeitgeist is
different and the emerging Saudi-Chinese ties have mainly economic motivations.
Saudi-US relations are attributed to their mutual interests. The US used to be a
major oil importer and the protection of its zones and passageways was a top
policy priority. However, since the discovery of shale oil, the US is no longer
a major oil importer and can easily find alternatives to Saudi oil. In
comparison, with more than 3 million barrels per day, China has become a major
oil importer from Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries.
Politics follow economic interests. With its declining oil purchases from the
Middle East, the US also waned its former commitments to the region and has
shown more interest in other markets in Southeast Asia.
Meanwhile, China is expanding its commercial activities in the Middle East where
it has a brighter future with its thriving economy, increasing need for energy
sources, and growing hunger for new markets for its products.
Truly, commercial interests guide political directions, especially under the
realistic vision that currently marks the Saudi Government. The same could be
said of China, which regards Saudi Arabia as its key energy source for the
forthcoming 25 years or so, despite the emergence of other alternative energy
sources, particularly since the Kingdom will remain one of the few oil-producing
countries that will continue to supply major markets in the long run. China also
sees in the Kingdom a large market for its exports and an inevitable route for
its trade.
A lot of ink will be spilled on Xi Jinping’s visit to Riyadh and on the three
summits it will host for him. Some people will portray Saudi Arabia as betraying
the US and shifting sides. However, we never perceived the Saudi-Chinese ties to
be at the expense of Saudi-American ones.
On the one hand, the relationship between Riyadh and Beijing is not driven by
politics, nor does it represent a military alliance. Instead, these ties are
purely economic and rather comfortable as China is stable, predictable, and
reliable. Moreover, Beijing does not overburden its partners with political
demands or expectations, and it refrains from interfering in their internal
affairs. Also, and at least for the time being, China wishes to carry out its
commercial activities with Saudi Arabia and Iran without committing to the
protection of specific markets or trade routes, which poses a large burden on
the shoulders of regional countries.
On the other hand, the US has shaky relationships with the rest of the world,
severe internal divisions regarding its foreign policy, and a powerful military
presence inside the region. At any rate, the US still wants to preserve good
ties with major regional markets, such as the Gulf ones, as well as its presence
in the same regions that matter to China in the spirit of global
competitiveness.
In conclusion, I rule out that Saudi Arabia is entering new alliances or getting
involved in international conflicts. Rather, by adopting the Saudi 2030 Vision,
the Kingdom wishes to remain open to all international markets and diverse
partnerships.
*Abdulrahman Al-Rashed is the former general manager of Al-Arabiya television.
He is also the former editor-in-chief of Asharq Al-Awsat, and the leading Arabic
weekly magazine Al-Majalla. He is also a senior columnist in the daily
newspapers Al-Madina and Al-Bilad.