English LCCC Newsbulletin For
Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For December 12/2022
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
The Bulletin's Link on the lccc Site
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/aaaanewsfor2021/english.december12.22.htm
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Bible Quotations For today
The world cannot hate you, but it hates me
because I testify against it that its works are evil
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint
John 07/01-13:”After this Jesus went about in Galilee. He did not wish to go
about in Judea because the Jews were looking for an opportunity to kill him. Now
the Jewish festival of Booths was near. So his brothers said to him, ‘Leave here
and go to Judea so that your disciples also may see the works you are doing; for
no one who wants to be widely known acts in secret. If you do these things, show
yourself to the world.’(For not even his brothers believed in him.). Jesus said
to them, ‘My time has not yet come, but your time is always here. The world
cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify against it that its works are
evil. Go to the festival yourselves. I am not going to this festival, for my
time has not yet fully come.’After saying this, he remained in Galilee. But
after his brothers had gone to the festival, then he also went, not publicly but
as it were in secret. The Jews were looking for him at the festival and saying,
‘Where is he?’ And there was considerable complaining about him among the
crowds. While some were saying, ‘He is a good man’, others were saying, ‘No, he
is deceiving the crowd.’Yet no one would speak openly about him for fear of the
Jews.”
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese &
Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on December
11-12/2022
Rahi calls for “internationalization of the Lebanese cause”
Al-Rahi renews call for 'internationalizing Lebanese cause'
Al-Rahi pointed out that all parties needed to put their differences to one side
if they were to avoid losing the trust of the Lebanese people and the respect of
the international community
Lebanese religious leader slams MPs for failing nation’s people, world
Clash erupts as motorbike convoy enters Ashrafieh after Morocco win
Qatar praises the role of the Lebanese army in maintaining stability
A stern Israeli warning to the “party”!
Politicians react to Sassine clash and 'provocations'
Saudi crown prince meets Mikati 'at Macron's request'
Bassil says attack on Hezbollah not targeted at Nasrallah, warns MoU at risk
Foreign Ministry congratulates Morocco on its victory
Titles For The Latest English LCCC
Miscellaneous Reports And News published
on December
11-12/2022
Iranian currency falls to record low against dollar amid anti-govt
protests
Work proceeds on Ukraine's power supply, particularly Odesa, says Zelenskiy
Ukrainian air strikes hit Russian barracks in occupied Melitopol with
US-supplied HIMARS, reports say
Ukraine port of Odesa not operating after Russian drone attack on energy
facilities -minister
Russia ramping up production of 'most powerful' weapons
Ecstatic Moroccans celebrate qualifying for World Cup semifinals
US forces kill two Daesh ‘officials’ in Syria raid
Erdogan calls on Putin to establish Syrian corridor
Titles For The
Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published
on December
11-12/2022
The Biden Administration's Hostility to Israel/Guy Millière/Gatestone
Institute/December 11, 2022
Iran: Protests and Paralysis/Amir Taheri/Asharq al-Awsat/December 11, 2022
No surprise that Iran regime faces a revolution at home/Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Arab
News/December 11, 2022
Why the world is in wait-and-see mode on Iran protests/Dr. Dania Koleilat Khatib/Arab
News/December 11, 2022
Iranian influence fuels injustice in Iraq/Dalia Al-Aqidi/Arab News/December 11,
2022
German coup attempt brings political violence back to the fore/Zaid M. Belbagi/Arab
News/December 11, 2022
on December
11-12/2022
Rahi calls for “internationalization of the Lebanese
cause”
NNA/December 11/2022
Maronite Patriarch, Cardinal Mar Beshara Boutros Rahi, considered that the
authority does not exist in Lebanon as a result of the non-implementation of the
Taif Agreement and the misapplication of what was implemented. In his Sunday
sermon, Patriarch Rahi called for turning to the United Nations and
decision-making countries to save Lebanon before it is too late, saying: "There
is no escape from the internationalization of the Lebanese issue after the
failure of internal solutions." "Those who fail in internal solutions are those
who refuse internationalization, and when the internal solution is disrupted and
internationalization is rejected, this means that these parties do not want any
solution to the Lebanese issue," the patriarch retorted. With regard to the
meeting of the caretaker government, Rahi confirmed that he wished the
PM-designate Najib Mikati, last Sunday, to reconsider the cabinet session and
postpone it for further consultation, but the government held its session with
those who attended. The prelate appealed to the government to be careful in
using its powers in order to ensure national unity, and to prevent some from
using these meetings for political and sectarian purposes. Finally, he believed
that the best thing the government could work on was to speed up the election of
a president for the republic.
Al-Rahi renews call for 'internationalizing Lebanese cause'
Naharnet/December 11/2022
Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi on Sunday reiterated his call for “heading to
the U.N. and world powers to rescue Lebanon before it’s too late.”“The
internationalization of the Lebanese cause is inevitable after the failure of
all domestic solutions,” al-Rahi said in his Sunday Mass sermon. “It is notable
that those who are foiling the domestic solutions are the same ones who are
rejecting internationalization. When the Lebanese solution is being blocked and
internationalization is being rejected, this means that these parties do not
want any solution for the Lebanese situation,” the patriarch lamented.
“They want Lebanon to be as they want or not be, but everyone must know that
Lebanon will be like all its loyal sons want it to be,” al-Rahi went on to say.
Turning to the issue of the controversy over the latest caretaker cabinet
session, the patriarch called on the government to be “careful in using powers,
out of keenness on national unity and to prevent some from exploiting these
meetings for political and sectarian goals.” “The best that the government can
do, especially its premier, would be work on the Arab and international levels
to speed up the election of a president,” al-Rahi added.
Bishop Aoudi: We hope that the deputies will be aware of
their responsibility and vote in the next session
LCCC/December 11/2022
Bishop Elias Aoudi in his homely today said: "With the end of the ninth session
of the House of Representatives without electing a president, and with the
continuation of the general deterioration, and the increasing cost for the
country and its people, we hope that the representatives will be aware of their
responsibility, implement the constitution, carry out their patriotic duty and
vote in the next session for whoever they see fit, and reach the election of a
president with the steps that follow. The constitution of the country will not
go as waste as the wind blows away.
Aoudi concluded: “Our call today is to participate in the Lord’s table, and not
to abstain, citing the reasons for sins. He dispenses with possessions, power,
and passions, and neglects his salvation. If we realize that everything is
transitory, except God, then we will strive to cast aside all worldly cares, and
prepare to receive the King of all, who comes incarnate for our salvation, Amen.
Al-Rahi pointed out that all parties needed to put their
differences to one side if they were to avoid losing the trust of the Lebanese
people and the respect of the international community
Lebanese religious leader slams MPs for failing nation’s
people, world
Najia Houssari/Arab News/December 11, 2022
Al-Rahi pointed out that all parties needed to put their differences to one side
if they were to avoid losing the trust of the Lebanese people and the respect of
the international community.
The head of the Maronite Church in Lebanon on Sunday launched a withering attack
on the country’s political leaders accusing them of failing the Lebanese people
and the world.
In his Sunday sermon, Maronite Patriarch Bechara Boutros Al-Rahi called for
urgent international intervention to help resolve Lebanon’s dire political and
economic situation.
And he slammed members of parliament for neglecting their duties to the nation.
Al-Rahi said: “Everything that the political and parliamentary group does is
contrary to the foundations on which Lebanon has been built since its founding.
“It does not respect the idea of Lebanon’s establishment, partnership,
pluralism, independence, the National Pact, Taif (Agreement), and the
constitution.
“Is there a deliberate decision to demolish existing Lebanon and build on its
ruins a draft state that does not belong to its people, its history, or its
surroundings?”The religious leader’s comments followed MPs’ inability for a
ninth time to elect a new president, with many lawmakers at Thursday’s vote
spoiling their ballots. “This means that they do not want to elect a president,
or they are not qualified to elect a president,” he added. Al-Rahi pointed out
that all parties needed to put their differences to one side if they were to
avoid losing the trust of the Lebanese people and the respect of the
international community.
With no internal solutions to the crises seemingly on the horizon, he reiterated
his plea for the UN and other key decision-making countries to be drafted in to
help before it was too late. During his sermon, he said too many of Lebanon’s
decision makers had failed to implement the letter and spirit of the Taif
Agreement accusing them, “of being the ones who reject internationalization and
do not want any solution to the Lebanese situation. “Either Lebanon will be as
they want it to be, or it will not be. But let everyone know that Lebanon will
be as all its loyal sons want,” he added. On the Church’s involvement in the
country’s political crisis, Al-Rahi said: “It does not take sides except with
the national right and adheres to the inclusive national principles, historical
constants, and the constitution with its pact dimension.” Jaafari Mufti Sheikh
Ahmad Qabalan, who represents the Shiite Amal Movement and Hezbollah, hit back
at Al-Rahi’s call for international assistance. He said: “The UN has no business
but to undermine Lebanon’s demographic structure through the UNHCR (refugee
agency) and (other) associations, and New York is the center for sharing deals.
“Internationalization of the Lebanese cause is an explicit blow to Lebanese
sovereignty, and we will not accept offering the head of Lebanon to any
international or regional butcher. “The solution is to respond to (Lebanon’s
Parliament) Speaker Nabih Berri’s call that takes the country from estrangement
to dialogue to save Lebanon from disasters. What is required is national courage
for internal rescue,” Qabalan added. Lebanese Forces MP Ghassan Hasbani said the
party would be happy to participate in such a dialogue but added that there was
“division within parliament as a result of the fact that there are those who
want a reformist, sovereign president, and a party that wants a president who
protects Hezbollah.”Representative Ayoub Hamid, a member of the Parliamentary
Development and Liberation Bloc headed by Berri, said: “The results of the
parliamentary elections have produced a new reality that no one should deny.
Dialogue remains the priority.
“There is no room in Lebanon for the dominance of one party, the arrogance of
others, or exaggeration in dealing with national issues. “Therefore, the call
for dialogue in any matter is obligatory, because without dialogue, we cannot
cross to safety.”
Clash erupts as motorbike convoy enters Ashrafieh after
Morocco win
Naharnet/December 11/2022
A clash erupted overnight at Ashrafieh’s Sassine Square after dozens of
individuals arrived in the area on motorbikes carrying “flags of Morocco,
Palestine and Syria,” media reports said. The incident followed Morocco’s
historic win and qualification for the FIFA World Cup semifinals in Qatar.
Videos posted online showed the revelers chanting Islamic slogans in front of
the Christmas tree in Sassine. The scenes were deemed provocative by young men
from the area, which triggered a clash. Another video showed army troops
intervening to contain the clash and separate between the two sides.
Qatar praises the role of the Lebanese army in
maintaining stability
Doha, Beirut, agencies / Sunday, December 11, 2022
Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani praised the
performance of the Lebanese army in preserving Lebanon's stability and
safeguarding its civil peace, despite the challenges posed by the current
crisis. This came after he received the Lebanese Army Commander, General Joseph
Aoun, in the Qatari capital, Doha, according to a statement issued by the
Lebanese Army Command. For his part, the Army Commander expressed his thanks for
the support provided by Qatar to his country's forces, as Lebanon is going
through an economic crisis that has cast a shadow on all sectors. Aoun thanked
the Qatari Foreign Minister, according to the statement, for the repeated
initiatives that Qatar is taking to assist the Lebanese army during this stage,
while the Qatari minister praised the performance of the Lebanese army in
preserving Lebanon's stability. According to the statement, Aoun also met
Lieutenant General Salem bin Hamad bin Aqil. Al Nabit, Chief of Staff of the
Qatari Armed Forces. The two sides discussed relations of cooperation between
the armies of the two countries and ways of continuing Qatari support for the
Lebanese army in order to help it overcome the current difficulties.
A stern Israeli warning to the “party”!
Kuwaiti political newspaper / Sunday, December 11, 2022
Reliable sources revealed to the Kuwaiti Al-Seyassah newspaper that the Israeli
threats to Rafic Hariri International Airport carry real dangers from targeting
this vital facility that forms Lebanon's interface to the world, calling on the
security services to deal with these threats seriously, and to subject all
Iranian planes to thorough inspection. After the increasing talk about the
transfer of Iranian weapons to “Hezbollah” via Iranian civil aviation. She
pointed out that the Israeli message constitutes a stern warning to Lebanon and
the party together, and therefore it cannot be underestimated at all, which
requires the security authorities to tighten procedures inside Hariri Airport,
and remove it from Hezbollah's control, in order to avoid any aggressive Israeli
action that could constitute a door to a military escalation. There is a great
deal between Lebanon and Israel,” blaming Iran for “a primary responsibility in
any aggression that Lebanon may be subjected to, especially as it continues to
supply Hezbollah with weapons and missiles through Damascus International
Airport, and now through Hariri Airport.” The sources believed that “the airport
is under the control of Hezbollah, and therefore it is not surprising that
Iranian planes carrying weapons for the party land, within the framework of the
continuous support that Tehran provides for its military wings in the region,
primarily the party and the rest of the extremist Palestinian organizations,
such as Hamas, Jihad and others.” .
Politicians react to Sassine clash and 'provocations'
Naharnet/December 11/2022
Several MPs and political parties on Sunday condemned the overnight incidents at
Ashrafieh's Sassine Square that followed Morroco's World Cup win. "We call on
all Lebanese to show vigilance in order not to fall into a major problem that we
can do without," Ashrafieh MP Hagop Terzian said. The National Liberal Party
(al-Ahrar) meanwhile wondered why "some are trying to undermine the security
situation" and "for what purposes.""For the last time we tell all those fishing
in troubled waters: Ashrafieh is not a mailbox nor a passageway for mobs. The
imposed dialogues do not pass through Ashrafieh or other areas. If you haven't
read history, ask those who came before you," the party added. Liberty Front
leader Fouad Abou Nader, who is a former Lebanese Forces chief, meanwhile said
that "Morocco's historic victory" was "distorted by a barbaric invasion of
Ashrafieh whose timing and objectives are suspicious," describing the incident
as "condemned and totally unacceptable."Ashrafieh MP Ghassan Hasbani of the LF
for his part deplored the "provocation," warning that "Ashrafieh cannot be
violated and its people cannot stand idly by despite their adherence to peace
and the love of life and their faith that is based on love and tolerance." "The
provocation aimed at stirring sectarian sentiments under the excuse of football
should not be repeated, so that it does not draw harsh reactions against the
violators," Hasbani added. Ashrafieh MP Jihad Pakradouni of the LF also warned
that Ashrafieh cannot accept provocations and "rejected practices.""Regardless
of who did them, whether out of thuggery or a premeditated action, the result
and the repercussions will be the same: further tensions," Pakradouni warned.
"Haven't they drawn lessons from the Tabaris and Tayyouneh incursions?" he
wondered. The overnight clash broke out after dozens of individuals arrived in
the area on motorbikes carrying “flags of Morocco, Palestine and Syria,” media
reports said. Videos posted online showed the revelers chanting Islamic slogans
in front of the Christmas tree in Sassine. The scenes were deemed provocative by
young men from the area, which triggered a clash.
Saudi crown prince meets Mikati 'at Macron's request'
Naharnet/December 11/2022
Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati has met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed
bin Salman in Riyadh following "a request from French President Emmanuel
Macron," LBCI TV reported overnight.
A statement carried by Saudi Arabia's official news agency said Mikati expressed
gratitude for Riyadh's "historic stances towards Lebanon and the kingdom's
essential role in establishing the Lebanese reconciliation and peace era."Mikat
also stressed that "the Lebanese government is committed to taking all the steps
that prevent harm against KSA and all Arab nations, especially the GCC
countries."Mikati and Bin Salman also emphasized the importance of electing a
new Lebanese president and implementing the long-awaited reforms. The Saudi
crown prince for his part underlined "the kingdom's keenness on Lebanon's
security and stability," vowing that his country will continue offering
humanitarian aid to "the brotherly Lebanese people."
Bassil says attack on Hezbollah not targeted at Nasrallah,
warns MoU at risk
Naharnet/December 11/2022
Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil announced Sunday that his latest
criticism of ally Hezbollah was not targeted at its leader Sayyed Hassan
Nasrallah, as he warned that the 2006 memorandum of understanding with the party
is at risk. “The Mar Mikhail agreement has not collapsed but is at risk,” Bassil
said in an interview on LBCI TV, in reference to the latest tensions with
Hezbollah over the caretaker cabinet session that was held despite the FPM’s
rejection and boycott. “In the issue of the cabinet meeting, no direct agreement
was made with Sayyed Nasrallah, who has a special place in my heart,” Bassil
explained. “When Sayyed Nasrallah makes a commitment to me, he commits till the
end and I do not question his honesty,” the FPM chief added. He also confirmed
that he meant the “Amal-Hezbollah duo” when he recently spoke of caretaker PM
Najib Mikati’s “handlers.”
As for the issue of electing a new president, Bassil said Hezbollah has tried to
convince him with backing Marada Movement chief Suleiman Franjieh’s nomination
to no avail. “We do not agree to the principle of choosing a president who would
protect the resistance… We want a president who would protect the state,
partnership in the state, and the resistance,” Bassil added. He also said that
the equation “either Suleiman Franjieh or Joseph Aoun” is rejected because “no
one can impose equations” on the FPM. “We will not vote for Franjieh nor for
Joseph Aoun,” the FPM chief stressed. As for the dialogue that Speaker Nabih
Berri intends to organize, Bassil said the FPM will take part in it. “We don’t
want problems with anyone, especially with Hezbollah, because we paid a lot of
prices to reach the agreement with Hezbollah,” the FPM chief said. And noting
that he has not nominated himself in order “not to embarrass anyone,” Bassil
revealed that he told Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi in their meeting on
Friday that “Christians should choose a president who would be a guarantee and
who would reassure everyone, topped by Hezbollah.”
Foreign Ministry congratulates Morocco on its victory
NNA/December 11/2022
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates offered, in a statement, its
"sincere congratulations to the sisterly Kingdom of Morocco for the great
victory and qualification for the first Arab and African team to reach the
semi-finals of the FIFA World Cup as a historical sporting achievement for the
Kingdom and its people." The ministry wished "the Moroccan national team success
in the upcoming matches and achieving more victories."
The Latest English LCCC
Miscellaneous Reports And News published
on December
11-12/2022
Iranian currency falls to record low against dollar amid
anti-govt protests
Arab News/December 11, 2022
JEDDAH: Iran’s currency fell to a record low against the dollar on Sunday, with
nationwide anti-government protests now in their third month. A breakdown in
negotiations to restore Tehran’s nuclear deal has also hurt the value of the
rial. Traders in Tehran were exchanging the rial at around 370,000 to the dollar
on Sunday, up from 368,000 on Thursday. Iran’s currency was trading at 32,000
rials to the dollar at the time of the 2015 nuclear accord that dropped
international sanctions in exchange for tight controls on Iran’s nuclear
program. Iran has been gripped by nationwide protests since September.
Demonstrations broke out following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in the
custody of the country’s morality police. The poor state of Iran’s economy is
also another factor driving the protests, Rights groups warned that several
people were on Sunday at risk of imminent execution over the protests after an
international backlash over Iran’s first hanging linked to the movement. Iran’s
judiciary has reported that 11 people received death sentences so far in
connection with the protests, but campaigners say around a dozen others are
facing charges that could see them also receive the death penalty. Unless
foreign governments “significantly increase” the diplomatic and economic costs
to Iran, the world “is sending a green light to this carnage,” said Hadi Ghaemi,
executive director of the New York-based Center for Human Rights in Iran.
Amnesty International said Iran was now “preparing to execute” Mahan Sadrat, 22,
just a month after his “grossly unfair” trial. He was convicted of drawing a
knife in the protests, accusations he strongly denied in court. On Saturday,
Sadrat was transferred from Greater Tehran Prison to Rajai Shahr Prison in the
nearby city of Karaj, “sparking concerns that his execution may be carried out
imminently,” Amnesty said. “Like all other death row prisoners, he was denied
any access to his lawyer during the interrogations, proceedings and show trial,”
said another group, Oslo-based Iran Human Rights. Amnesty warned the life of
another young man arrested over the protests, Sahand Nourmohammadzadeh, was also
at risk “after a fast-tracked proceeding which did not resemble a trial.” He was
sentenced to death in November on accusations of “tearing down highway railings
and setting fire to rubbish cans and tires,” the group said. Among others given
the same sentence is Saman Seyedi, 24, from Iran’s Kurdish minority. His mother
pleaded for his life on social media in a video. “Protester executions can only
be prevented by raising their political cost” for the regime, IHR director
Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam said, calling for a “stronger than ever” international
response. Another dissident, Toomaj Salehi, who expressed support for
anti-regime protests, is charged with “corruption on earth” and could face a
death sentence, Iranian judicial authorities confirmed last month. “We fear for
the life of Iranian artists who have been indicted on charges carrying the death
penalty,” UN experts said in a statement, referring to the cases of Sayedi and
Salehi. Amnesty and IHR have also raised the case of Hamid Gharehasanlou, a
medical doctor sentenced to death. They say he was tortured in custody and his
wife was coerced into giving evidence against him which she later sought to
retract. The US, EU members and UK strongly condemned the execution of Mohsen
Shekari. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said it showed a “boundless
contempt for human life.”with soaring prices, high unemployment and corruption a
common complaint among protesters.
Work proceeds on Ukraine's power supply, particularly Odesa,
says Zelenskiy
Reuters/December 11, 2022
Emergency crews were working to ease power shortages in many parts of Ukraine
after Russian attacks, particularly the Black Sea port of Odesa, President
Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Sunday.
"At this time, it has become possible to partially restore supplies in Odesa and
other cities and districts in the region," Zelenskiy said in his nightly video
address. "We are doing everything to reach the maximum number possible in the
conditions that developed after the Russian strikes."Russian forces used
Iranian-made drones to hit two energy plants in Odesa on Saturday, knocking out
power to about 1.5 million customers - virtually all non-critical infrastructure
in and around the port. Zelenskiy said Odesa was "among the regions with the
most frequent power outages". Other areas experiencing "very difficult"
conditions with power supplies included the capital Kyiv and Kyiv region and
four regions in western Ukraine and Dnipropetrovsk region in the centre of the
country. The work on restoring electricity for the general population was
constant, Zelenskiy said. Since October, Russia has been targeting Ukraine's
energy infrastructure with large waves of missile and drone strikes. Russian
forces invaded Ukraine in February in what Moscow calls its "special military
operation" to remove what it says is a potential threat against its own
security. Ukraine and its allies accuse Russia of an unprovoked war to grab
territory from its pro-Western neighbour.
Ukrainian air strikes hit Russian barracks in occupied
Melitopol with US-supplied HIMARS, reports say
Alia Shoaib/ Business Insider/December 11, 2022
Ukraine launched a missile attack on the occupied city of Melitopol, Ukrainian
and pro-Kremlin authorities said. Pro-Russian authorities said that the attack
killed two people and injured 10. Videos appear to show the site engulfed in
flames and rescue workers on the scene. Ukraine launched missile attacks on
Russian barracks in the occupied city of Melitopol on Saturday evening, The
Guardian reported. Multiple explosions were reported in the southern city, with
both Melitopol's exiled mayor and the Russian-installed authorities confirming
the strikes took place, per Reuters.
The pro-Russian authorities said that the attack killed two people and injured
10. The exiled mayor Ivan Fedorov claimed on Telegram that an estimated 200
"occupiers" were killed in the attack, which reportedly used US-supplied High
Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS).
Yevgeny Balitsky, the Russia-installed head of the Zaporizhzhia region, also
said that HIMARS struck Melitopol, per the Kyiv Post. "Air defense systems
destroyed two missiles, four reached their targets," Yevgeny Balitsky, the
Moscow-appointed governor of the occupied part of the Zaporizhzhia region, said
on Telegram. Different reports gave slightly different descriptions of the site
that was struck by the missiles. The Moscow-appointed Zaporizhzhia governor said
that the missiles struck and destroyed a "recreation center" where people were
dining. The Ukrainian exiled mayor said on his Telegram channel that the attack
hit a church that Russians had turned into a gathering place. According to The
Guardian, the missiles struck a former resort and hotel complex next to a church
which was reportedly being used as Russian barracks. Videos posted on social
media appear to show the site engulfed in flames, and rescue workers on the
devastating scene with dead and wounded men scattered amid the carnage. Many on
social media claimed that the site was being used by the notorious Wagner Group.
Insider could not independently verify the reports. Oleksiy Arestovych, an
adviser to Ukraine's president, said that the strategic city of Melitopol is key
to defending the south of the country. "All logistics linking the Russian forces
on the eastern part of the Kherson region and all the way to the Russian border
near Mariupol is carried out through it," he said, according to Sky News. "If
Melitopol falls, the entire defense line all the way to Kherson collapses.
Ukrainian forces gain a direct route to Crimea." Federov last month said Russia
had turned Melitopol into "one giant military base," per CNN. The Ukrainian
attacks on Melitopol come amid a fresh wave of attacks across the country from
both sides. Russia used deadly Iranian-made drones to strike key energy
infrastructure in Odesa, leaving more than 1.5 million people without
electricity, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. Russian state media
also reported that 20 missiles hit the Donetsk People's Republic on Sunday
morning, according to CNN. There were also reports of a lethal fire at a
barracks in Crimea and explosions at the headquarters of the Russian Black Sea
fleet.
Ukraine port of Odesa not operating after Russian drone
attack on energy facilities -minister
Pavel Polityuk/Reuters/December 11, 2022
The Ukrainian port of Odesa was not operating on Sunday after the latest Russian
attack on the region's energy system, Agriculture Minister Mykola Solsky said,
but added that grains traders were not expected to suspend exports. Two other
ports - Chornomorsk and Pivdennyi - authorised to export grains from Ukraine
under a deal between Russia and Ukraine were partially operating, he said. "Chornomorsk
port is now operating at about 80% of capacity," Solsky told Reuters in a phone
call. More than 1.5 million people in the southern Odesa region were without
power after Russian drone strikes hit two energy facilities, Ukrainian President
Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in a video address late on Saturday. Solsky said that
Odesa port was not operating at the moment because the power generators had not
been switched on yet. Grains traders continued to ship grains via the two other
ports, he said.
"There are problems, but none of the traders are talking about any suspension of
shipments. Ports use alternative energy sources," Solsky said. Since October,
Moscow has been targeting Ukraine's energy infrastructure with large waves of
missile and drone strikes.
Odesa regional authorities said electricity for the city's population will be
restored "in the coming days," while complete restoration of the networks may
take two to three months.
"The situation is difficult to predict because we are dealing with an enemy for
whom there are no principles," the Ukrainian infrastructure ministry quoted
Oleksiy Vostrikov, the head of Ukraine's state seaport authority, as saying. "As
for exports, Russia has already slowed them down by creating problems with
inspections in the Bosporus, and the lack of energy supply will certainly slow
them down even more," Vostrikov said. Ukraine is among the world's largest
producers and exporters of corn and wheat but its exports have fallen
significantly due to the Russian invasion. After an almost six-month blockade
caused by the invasion, the three Black Sea ports in the Odesa region were
unblocked at the end of July under the deal between Moscow and Kyiv brokered by
the United Nations and Turkey. Kyiv had sought to have the agreement expanded to
include more ports, but that has not been concluded so far. The three ports
involved in the deal - Odesa, Chornomorsk and Pivdennyi - have the combined
capacity to ship around three million tonnes of grains a month. Ukraine wanted
to include the ports of the southern Mykolaiv region, which shipped 35% of
Ukrainian food exports before Russia's invasion. Mykolaiv was Ukraine's
second-largest grain terminal according to 2021 shipment data, so its addition
would allow for a much larger volume of grains and oilseeds to be exported.
Grain exports from Ukraine in the first eight days of December fell 47.6% from a
year earlier to 1.09 million tonnes, agriculture ministry data showed.
Russia ramping up production of 'most powerful' weapons
Agence France Presse/December 11/2022
Russia's ex-president Dmitry Medvedev said on Sunday the country was ramping up
production of new-generation weapons to protect itself from enemies in Europe,
the United States and Australia. "We are increasing production of the most
powerful means of destruction. Including those based on new principles,"
Medvedev said on messaging app Telegram. "Our enemy dug in not only in the Kyiv
province of our native Malorossiya," Medvedev said, using the term to describe
territories of modern-day Ukraine that were part of the Russian Empire under the
tsars. "It is in Europe, North America, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and a
whole number of other places that pledged allegiance to the Nazi." Medvedev, who
serves as deputy head of Russia's Security Council, did not provide details of
the weapons. President Vladimir Putin repeatedly said that Russia has been
developing new types of weapons including hypersonic weapons that he boasts can
circumvent all existing missile defence systems. Since Putin sent troops to
Ukraine on February 24, 57-year-old Medvedev has regularly taken to social media
to write increasingly bombastic posts. With Moscow on the back foot in its
offensive in pro-Western Ukraine, the military stalemate has raised fears that
Russia could resort to its nuclear arsenal to achieve a military breakthrough.
On Friday, Putin said Russia could amend its military doctrine by introducing
the possibility of a preemptive strike to disarm an enemy, in an apparent
reference to a nuclear attack.
The Kremlin chief claimed that Russia's cruise missiles and hypersonic systems
were "more modern and even more efficient" than those in the United States.
Ecstatic Moroccans celebrate qualifying for World Cup
semifinals
Associated Press/December 11/2022
Ecstatic Moroccans poured into the streets of cities across the North African
country and far beyond on Saturday, waving flags, honking horns and lighting
flares to celebrate the national soccer team's historic victory over Portugal at
the World Cup. Morocco beat the Portuguese 1-0 in Qatar, knocking Cristiano
Ronaldo out of the tournament and making the Atlas Lions the first African and
first Arab team to reach the World Cup semifinals. The capital, Rabat, was
bursting with joy while Morocco fans also celebrated in the streets of Doha and
in cities across Europe, where many Moroccans live. Other fans from the Middle
East and Africa who have adopted the Atlas Lions as their team were also
jubilant. "We were so stressed as if we were on the pitch with the players, but
now we want the trophy," said Mohamed Amine, celebrating in Rabat. "The players,
this team lifted Morocco's reputation high among the nations of the world."The
victory has Morocco fans full of confidence for the days ahead. The team will
face defending champion France in the semifinals on Wednesday. "I am so happy
that I don't even know if I can express myself, but if we are here now, I
believe that we can make it to the final," Yasmine Benmehredj said during
celebrations in the Moroccan capital. "I think we can win this World Cup." In
Qatar, hundreds of elated fans clad in green and red outside Al Thumama Stadium
celebrated Morocco's win, chanting, ululating, banging on drums and waving the
national flag. Some chanted: "Congratulations to us for this beginning! It will
only go on and on!""This is unbelievable. It's the first time ever," said Saleh
al-Rayes, a 27-year-old fan from Saudi Arabia in Doha. As an Arab at the first
World Cup held in the Middle East, al-Rayes said he feels a sense of inclusion
and representation in the world of soccer, a spot that has been dominated by
European and South American teams."You come in as an underdog and then you win.
It's Arab pride," al-Rayes said. "All Arab countries were here in the stadium
supporting Morocco."
Palestinians packed cafes and a sporting hall, turned into a free World Cup
viewing venue by Qatar for residents of the impoverished Gaza. Some held posters
with Palestinian and Moroccan flags and a slogan that said: "One People, One
Country."Morocco's success has touched Palestinians since the players and many
of their supporters expressed solidarity on and off the field during the World
Cup. Palestinian flags were regularly featured in groups of Morocco's supporters
in Qatar and among fans celebrating in Europe. On Tuesday, some of the team's
players unfurled Palestinian flags on the field after they defeated Spain. "It's
an indescribable feeling. I swear, it's as if it's Palestinians that were
playing," said Ibrahim al-Lilli, a Morocco supporter in Gaza. Similar scenes
were seen in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Palestinians took to the streets,
cars honking. In Nablus, video posted on social media showed groups of
Palestinians chanting "Morocco!" under the watchful eye of Israeli soldiers
across the street. "It's beautiful," said 23-year-old Abdullaziz Errayes, who is
from Libya and had his national flag tied around his neck like a superhero cape
as he was leaving the stadium in Doha. "It's the first Arab, the first African
country to reach the semifinals. Morocco is representing us." Morocco's
phenomenal run also reverberated across Africa. "Continental history!" the
Confederation of African Football wrote on Twitter after Morocco's victory.
"Historic and fantastic," African Union chair and Senegalese President Macky
Sall wrote in a tweet. Musicians also underlined the significance of the victory
for the continent. "Africa stand up ... what an incredible ride - keep it up
gentlemen," Haitian-born rapper and singer Wyclef Jean tweeted. Shakira, a
Colombian pop singer with Lebanese roots, celebrated with a one-line tweet:
"This time for Africa!" Moroccans in Europe celebrated too. In Brussels, fans
watched the game anxiously in cafes or outside in the December cold - and
erupted in cries of joy as Morocco sealed its victory. Amid largely peaceful
celebrations, police said 59 people were briefly detained and one arrested after
minor skirmishes. Paris saw a similar outpouring of exuberance on the Champs-Elysees.
On the sidelines, riot police fired tear gas as some revelers threw objects,
according to a police spokesperson. But the celebrations were mainly joyful. In
Tunisia, supporters of the rival North African team danced and chanted slogans
hailing the Atlas Lions. "It's a source of pride the Moroccan team's
achievement, for the first time in the history of Arab and African football,"
said Ahmed Ben Messaoud in Tunis.
US forces kill two Daesh ‘officials’ in Syria raid
AFP/December 11, 2022
BEIRUT: US forces killed two Daesh “officials” in an overnight raid in eastern
Syria, US Central Command said on Sunday. The forces “conducted a successful
helicopter raid in eastern Syria at 2:57 am (2357 GMT)... killing two Daesh
officials,” CENTCOM said in a statement without providing a more specific
location. It identified one of those killed as “Anas,” a Daesh “Syria province
official” who was involved in “plotting and facilitation operations in eastern
Syria,” according to the statement. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war
monitor said it was the “most prominent” anti-Daesh operation for at least three
weeks. Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman said the anti-terrorism unit of the
Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) also took part in Sunday’s operation,
identifying the village of Al-Zor in eastern Deir Ezzor province as the target
area. CENTCOM called it a “unilateral operation,” adding that “initial
assessments indicate no civilians were killed or injured.” The United States
supports the SDF, which is the Kurds’ de facto army in northern Syria and led
the battle that dislodged Daesh from the last scraps of its Syrian territory in
2019. Hundreds of American troops remain in Syria as part of an international
coalition fighting Daesh remnants. Turkiye said it launched strikes on Kurdish
fighters’ positions in northern Syria and Iraq on November 20 after a deadly
bombing in Istanbul last month that it blames on Kurdish groups. Ankara says it
has struck positions of the Syrian Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG),
which dominate the SDF but which Ankara sees as an offshoot of the outlawed
Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday
told Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin that it was imperative the Kremlin
“clear” Kurdish forces from the border area of northern Syria.
The SDF has warned that a threatened Turkish ground incursion would jeopardize
the fight against Daesh.
Erdogan calls on Putin to establish Syrian corridor
AP/December 11, 2022
ISTANBUL: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for a 30-km security
corridor on Turkiye’s border with Syria in a phone call with Russian President
Vladimir Putin, Erdogan’s office said on Sunday. Referring to Kurdish militants
that Ankara considers terrorists, Erdogan reiterated the “importance and
urgency” of creating the corridor in northern Syria in accordance with a 2019
agreement between Turkiye and Russia, the statement added. The call came three
weeks after Turkiye launched air and artillery strikes in Syria and Iraq in
response to a bomb attack in Istanbul on Nov. 13 that killed six people and
wounded dozens. The Turkish government has blamed the bombing on the Kurdistan
Workers’ Party, or PKK, and its Syrian affiliate the People’s Protection Units,
or YPG.
Both groups have denied involvement in the attack.
The PKK has waged a 38-year insurgency against Turkiye that has led to the loss
of tens of thousands of lives. It is listed as a terrorist organization by
Turkiye, the US and the EU. The YPG, however, is not designated as a terror
group by Washington or Brussels and has spearheaded the US-led fight against
Daesh in Syria. Erdogan has threatened to follow up strikes on northern Syria
with a ground offensive. A planned Turkish invasion earlier this year was halted
amid opposition by the US and Russia, both of which have military posts in the
region. Under a 2019 deal signed with Turkiye, Russia promised to establish a
buffer zone between the Turkish border and YPG forces that would be controlled
by the Syrian army and Russian military police. The agreement was not fully
implemented although both Russian and Syrian government forces are present in
the border region, as well as some US troops.
Moscow, which is the main backer of Syrian leader Bashar Assad, has closely
cooperated with Turkiye in northern Syria in the past and in recent months has
pushed for reconciliation between Ankara and Damascus. The call between Erdogan
and Putin follows a visit to Turkiye this week by Russian Deputy Foreign
Minister Sergei Vershinin for talks on the situation in Syria. In a readout of
the call, the Kremlin said “close contacts” would be maintained between the
Russian and Turkish defense and foreign ministries.
The Latest LCCC English analysis &
editorials from miscellaneous sources published
on December
11-12/2022
The Biden Administration's Hostility
to Israel
Guy Millière/Gatestone Institute/December 11, 2022
The January 28, 2021 appointment as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Israeli and
Palestinian Affairs of Hady Amr, a man who wrote "I was inspired by the
Palestinian intifada" and who falsely accused Israel of "ethnic cleansing," was
a significant step that promised the worst.
Two days before that, the Biden administration not only restored relations with
the Palestinian Authority, but resumed most of the financial aid that had been
suspended by the Trump administration -- but they failed to ask the Palestinian
leaders to stop financing and supporting terrorism.
The Biden administration also announced its willingness to return to a basically
fictitious "two-state solution."
A speech by Deputy U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Richard Mills,
announcing these decisions, defined the "settlements" as "an obstacle to peace".
He left out that many Palestinians regard the entire state of Israel as one big
settlement to be dismantled.
Since then, any construction of homes in the existing Israeli suburbs has been
condemned by the State Department in the strongest terms. By contrast, the Biden
administration has never made the slightest remark concerning the massive
illegal Palestinian construction intended to create "facts on the ground" or
"land grabs" in both the West Bank and Israel's Negev desert.
On a more deadly front, on July 14, 2022, Biden signed a Joint Declaration on
the US-Israel Strategic Partnership, and promised he would "never allow Iran to
acquire a nuclear weapon". Since the first days of coming to power, however, on
January 29, 2021, the Biden administration has done its utmost to reach a new
"nuclear deal" with Iran's mullahs that would enable them to have not only
nuclear weapons, but up to $1 trillion dollars, which would quite certainly not
be used for human rights.
America's negotiators -- led by Robert Malley and Russia, mediating supposedly
on behalf of the US, as the Americans are not even allowed in the room -- have
not stopped making concessions.
For months, the Biden administration pressured Israel to accept an off-shore gas
deal with Hezbollah-run Lebanon, now effectively a satrapy of Iran. The deal
fundamentally alters Israel's maritime borders, denies Israel tens of billions
of dollars and allows Hezbollah, Iran's terrorist proxy, to receive billions of
dollars potentially to be used to further threaten Israel.
Lebanon expert Tony Badran explained in detail that the Biden administration
wants to "give as much money as possible to Lebanon" — with full knowledge that
it will be money given to Hezbollah. Hezbollah is believed to have 200,000
rockets and missiles pointed at Israel. "All land and sea targets of Israel are
in the range of Hezbollah missiles, " Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said in
July. Why is the Biden administration helping an Iranian proxy militia to get
rich to destroy Israel?
The Biden administration -- evidently unable to see that it was a new wave of
Arab terrorism inside Israel that had most likely propelled voters to elect its
new government -- in a move perhaps unprecedented, then abruptly lobbied to keep
some of Israel's democratically-elected religious politicians out of government.
Meanwhile, only last week, the Biden administration begged Venezuela's
illegitimate and brutal dictator, Nicolás Maduro, to sell the US its low-quality
crude oil, while denying a loan to US ally Guyana, which is a producer of light,
sweet oil.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and National Security Adviser Jake
Sullivan hinted that if Itamar Ben Gvir becomes a minister in Israel's new
government, they would not work with him. US Ambassador to Israel Thomas Nides
also made clear to Netanyahu that the Biden administration was opposed to the
possible appointment of Bezalel Smotrich as defense minister.
Nides recently gave a speech suggesting that if the new Israeli government
deviates from the positions of the Biden administration, the relationship
between the United States and Israel could suffer: "I'm confident that these men
and women [in the new government] understand the importance of this bilateral
relationship and understand that we have shared values and everyone wants to
achieve the same thing". Is that a threat?
Just as the launching of an FBI investigation against the army of a democratic
ally of the US has no precedent, the attempt to interfere in the composition of
a government of a democratic ally also has no precedent.
Biden last week said that he wanted to upgrade U.S. ties with the Palestinian
Authority, and promoted Hady Amr to a new post: special envoy to the
Palestinians. Amr met members of the outgoing Israeli government and said that
his mission is to "strengthen the Palestinian Authority". He did not say a
single word about the increase of shootings, stabbings, firebombs, and stoning
attacks against Israelis in Jerusalem and in the West Bank; on the recent
Jerusalem bus stop bombings, or that the PA continues to finance terrorism and
murdering Israeli Jews.
The time when support for Israel in the United States was bipartisan is
unfortunately over. The Biden administration's proclamations of friendship
toward Israel cannot hide actions of relentless hostility. While the Republican
Party now has pro-Israeli positions, the Democratic Party includes
representatives who not only hate Israel but do not even try to deny it.
Ilhan Omar wrote tweets saying that "Israel has hypnotized the world", and
adding "may Allah awaken the people and help them see the evil doings of
Israel". Rashida Tlaib spoke of the "brutal apartheid government of Israel".
Their party did not disavow them.
That there are 57 Democratic house members to ask the FBI and the State
Department to launch an investigation into Israel, apparently with a desire to
harm Israel, is a reality that Israel must urgently take into account.
The January 28, 2021 appointment as US Deputy Assistant Secretary for Israeli
and Palestinian Affairs of Hady Amr (pictured), a man who wrote "I was inspired
by the Palestinian intifada" and who falsely accused Israel of "ethnic
cleansing," was a significant step that promised the worst. (Photo by Ryan
Rayburn/IMF via Flickr)
May 11, 2022. Jenin. West Bank. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launch an
operation against a cell of Palestinian Islamic Jihad, a terrorist organization
funded by the regime in Iran, which, since it came to power in 1979, has
continuously threatened to obliterate the Jewish state. As exchanges of fire
took place, Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, embedded with the
terrorists, was killed by a bullet, not clear from where.
Immediately after the battle, when Israeli soldiers withdrew, the Palestinian
Authority (PA) and Palestinian Islamic Jihad scrubbed the battle scene to erase
all traces of what just happened. The PA refused to let Israeli forensic doctors
examine the body of the journalist or hand over to Israeli authorities the
bullet that killed her – at least, until much, much later.
Palestinian propaganda immediately erupted and said that Shireen Abu Akleh was
intentionally murdered by the IDF.
On May 19, fifty-seven Democrat members of the US House of Representatives asked
the FBI and the US State Department to launch an investigation. The IDF launched
its own investigation, and, on September 5, published a report. It noted that
"there is a high possibility that Ms Abu Akleh was accidentally hit by IDF
gunfire that was fired toward suspects identified as armed Palestinian gunmen".
As early as July 4, the US State Department had issued a statement saying there
is "no reason to believe that this was intentional but rather the result of
tragic circumstances during an IDF-led military operation against factions of
Palestinian Islamic Jihad on May 11, 2022, in Jenin, which followed a series of
terrorist attacks in Israel".
With that, the file could have been closed. It was not. On November 14, the FBI,
at the request of the Department of Justice, decided to launch its own
investigation to "elucidate the conditions of the death of Shireen Abu Akleh".
Israeli authorities immediately announced that they would refuse to cooperate
with it. "IDF soldiers", said Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid, "will not be
interrogated by the FBI or by any foreign body or foreign country, no matter how
friendly."
By asking the FBI to launch an investigation against the IDF, the Biden
administration revealed an unprecedented distrust of a democratic ally of the
United States. The Biden administration contributed to the false idea that
Israeli soldiers had deliberately assassinated a journalist, and provided grist
to the mill for Palestinian terrorist organizations and anti-Israeli
propagandists across the world.
This request was just another serious step in the obstinate and incessant
hostility that the Biden administration has shown toward Israel since Biden took
office.
The January 28, 2021 appointment as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Israeli and
Palestinian Affairs of Hady Amr, a man who wrote "I was inspired by the
Palestinian intifada" and who falsely accused Israel of "ethnic cleansing," was
a significant step that promised the worst.
Two days before that, on January 26, 2021, the Biden administration not only
restored relations with the Palestinian Authority, but resumed most of the
financial aid that had been suspended by the Trump administration -- but they
failed to ask the Palestinian leaders to stop financing and supporting
terrorism.
The Biden administration also announced its willingness to return to a basically
fictitious "two-state solution."
A speech by Deputy U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Richard Mills,
announcing these decisions, defined the "settlements" as "an obstacle to peace".
He left out that many Palestinians regard the entire state of Israel as one big
settlement to be dismantled.
Since then, any construction of homes in the existing Israeli suburbs has been
condemned by the State Department in the strongest terms. By contrast, the Biden
administration has never made the slightest remark concerning the massive
illegal Palestinian construction intended to create "facts on the ground" or
"land grabs" in both the West Bank and Israel's Negev desert.
After the Hamas missile offensive suffered by Israel in May 2021, President
Biden recognized Israel's right to defend itself (could he do less?), then
insisted on the need to "marshal international support for the people of Gaza
and the Gaza reconstruction efforts". He did not speak once of the material and
human damage suffered by Israel. He never directly incriminated Hamas and did
not say a word that the missile technology used by Hamas had been supplied to
terrorists by the Iran's mullahs.
Then, during his visit to Israel in July 2022, Biden made a point of showing
that he did not recognize Israeli sovereignty over the entirety of Jerusalem.
Before going to an Arab hospital in the eastern part of the city, he demanded
that the Israeli flags be removed from the presidential car and prohibited any
Israeli politicians or journalists from accompanying him. Once in the hospital,
he inaccurately compared the United Kingdom's occupation of Ireland to Israel's
presence in the West Bank, thereby implying that he considered Israel a colonial
power that was occupying Palestinian territories by force, despite the Arabs
having started -- and lost -- all the wars in the region since Israel's
independence in 1948:
"My background and the background of my family is Irish America, and we have a
long history ... not fundamentally unlike the Palestinian people with Great
Britain and their attitude toward Irish-Catholics over the years, for 400
years."
Only Barack Obama had been more insulting to Israel. In his Cairo speech in May
2017, Obama compared Israel to the pre-Civil War slave-holding Southern
Confederacy.
The Biden administration's desire, repeatedly affirmed, to reopen the former
United States consulate in Jerusalem to "manage diplomatic relations with the
Palestinian Authority" came up against Israel's legitimate objection. Israel
correctly noted that to create a quasi-embassy of the US to the PA, which is not
a state, in Israeli territory would constitute an extremely serious violation of
the sovereignty of Israel over its territory. The suggested move was rightly
defined by Professor Eugene Kontorovitch, of George Mason University's Antonin
Scalia School of Law, as a way "to recognize Palestinian claims to Jerusalem".
On a more deadly front, on July 14, 2022, Biden signed a Joint Declaration on
the US-Israel Strategic Partnership, and promised he would "never allow Iran to
acquire a nuclear weapon". Since the first days of coming to power, however, on
January 29, 2021, the Biden administration has done its utmost to reach a new
"nuclear deal" with Iran's mullahs that would enable them to have not only
nuclear weapons, but up to $1 trillion dollars, which would quite certainly not
be used for human rights.
America's negotiators -- led by Robert Malley and Russia, mediating supposedly
on behalf of the US, as the Americans are not even allowed in the room -- have
not stopped making concessions. The Biden administration lifted sanctions on
Iran and allowed the mullahs to receive billions of dollars which they
immediately used accelerate their quest for nuclear weapons and financing
terrorist organizations. The Biden administration has never even asked Iran's
regime to stop threatening Israel with destruction. On November 10, the
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said that Iran had enough 60%-enriched
uranium to reprocess into fuel for at least one nuclear bomb, and confirmed that
Iran is dangerously approaching the nuclear threshold.
For months, the Biden administration pressured Israel to accept an off-shore gas
deal with Hezbollah-run Lebanon, now effectively a satrapy of Iran. The deal
fundamentally alters Israel's maritime borders, denies Israel tens of billions
of dollars and allows Hezbollah, Iran's terrorist proxy, to receive billions of
dollars potentially to be used to further threaten Israel.
Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid bowed to pressure and accepted the deal in
early October. Israeli Prime Minister-elect Benjamin Netanyahu defined the deal
as a historic surrender to Hezbollah and said that when he officially becomes
Prime Minister, he will neutralize the deal. Without intense pressure from the
Biden administration, the deal would not even have been discussed by Israeli
politicians, let alone accepted. Lebanon expert Tony Badran explained in detail
that the Biden administration wants to "give as much money as possible to
Lebanon" — with full knowledge that it will be money given to Hezbollah.
Hezbollah is believed to have 200,000 rockets and missiles pointed at Israel.
"All land and sea targets of Israel are in the range of Hezbollah missiles, "
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said in July. Why is the Biden administration
helping an Iranian proxy militia to get rich to destroy Israel?
Since June 13, 2021, Israel has had a weak government, led by rotating Prime
Ministers Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid, who refrained from making any negative
remarks about the Biden administration's positions on Palestinian terrorism or
Iran. After the fall of the government, new elections took place on November 1,
and were won by a coalition of right-of-center and religious parties, led by
Netanyahu.
The Biden administration -- evidently unable to see that it was a new wave of
Arab terrorism inside Israel that had most likely propelled voters to elect its
new government -- in a move perhaps unprecedented, then abruptly lobbied to keep
some of Israel's democratically-elected religious politicians out of government.
Meanwhile, only last week, the Biden administration begged Venezuela's
illegitimate and brutal dictator, Nicolás Maduro, to sell the US its low-quality
crude oil, while denying a loan to US ally Guyana, which is a producer of light,
sweet oil.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and National Security Adviser Jake
Sullivan hinted that if Itamar Ben Gvir becomes a minister in Israel's new
government, they would not work with him. US Ambassador to Israel Thomas Nides
also made clear to Netanyahu that the Biden administration was opposed to the
possible appointment of Bezalel Smotrich as defense minister. Ben Gvir and
Smotrich will nonetheless be part of the Israeli government and have important
positions, but tensions between Israel and the Biden administration will almost
certainly erupt in the near future.
Nides recently gave a speech suggesting that if the new Israeli government
deviates from the positions of the Biden administration, the relationship
between the United States and Israel could suffer:
"I'm confident that these men and women [in the new government] understand the
importance of this bilateral relationship and understand that we have shared
values and everyone wants to achieve the same thing".
Is that a threat?
Just as the launching of an FBI investigation against the army of a democratic
ally of the US has no precedent, the attempt to interfere in the composition of
a government of a democratic ally also has no precedent. The nationalist stances
of Ben Gvir and Smotrich may displease the Biden administration, but trying to
secure their exclusion from the government of Israel is unconscionable and
speaks volumes both about how the Biden administration behaves, and what it
thinks of Israel.
Biden last week said that he wanted to upgrade U.S. ties with the Palestinian
Authority, and promoted Hady Amr to a new post: special envoy to the
Palestinians. Amr met members of the outgoing Israeli government and said that
his mission is to "strengthen the Palestinian Authority". He did not say a
single word about the increase of shootings, stabbings, firebombs, and stoning
attacks against Israelis in Jerusalem and in the West Bank; on the recent
Jerusalem bus stop bombings, or that the PA continues to finance terrorism and
murdering Israeli Jews. In this context, strengthening the PA can only mean
strengthening terrorism and murder.
"It is important to note," the journalist Caroline Glick remarked, "that the
Biden administration is totally committed either to not noticing anything that
is happening, or to denying that what is happening has any significance".
The time when support for Israel in the United States was bipartisan is
unfortunately over. The Biden administration's proclamations of friendship
toward Israel cannot hide actions of relentless hostility. While the Republican
Party now has pro-Israeli positions, the Democratic Party includes
representatives who not only hate Israel but do not even try to deny it.
Ilhan Omar wrote tweets saying that "Israel has hypnotized the world", and
adding "may Allah awaken the people and help them see the evil doings of
Israel".
Rashida Tlaib spoke of the "brutal apartheid government of Israel".
Their party did not disavow them. That there are 57 Democratic house members to
ask the FBI and the State Department to launch an investigation into Israel,
apparently with a desire to harm Israel, is a reality that Israel must urgently
take into account.
US support for Israel at the United Nations has saved Israel from many negative
and damaging decisions; that has changed. Until December 23, 2016, the United
States vetoed anti-Israeli resolutions presented to the UN, but that day,
President Barack Obama decided to not use the veto power of the United States
and to allow a resolution to be adopted demanding that "Israel immediately and
completely cease all settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian
territory, including East Jerusalem".
On November 10, 2021, the Biden administration chose to not reject a UN General
Assembly Resolution that said:
"[Palestinian] refugees wishing to return to their homes and live at peace with
their neighbors should be permitted to do so at the earliest practicable date
... compensation should be paid for the property of those choosing not to return
and for loss of or damage to property".
The text claimed that there are 5.7 million Palestinian refugees, and endorsed
the "right of return" to Israel of people who have never lived there. The
"return" of these people to Israel would mean flooding Israel's Jewish people
with a hostile population, and ultimately the destruction of Israel.
US military aid remains important to Israel; it accounts for 20% of the IDF
budget. Decades ago, Israel began working towards military autonomy. Israel now
domestically produces many of its most essential weapons. Netanyahu and other
Israeli leaders see that the US is no longer a reliable ally, and that Israel
must depend ever more on its own strength. The diplomatic strategy led for years
by Netanyahu, and the Abraham Accords, mean that Israel now has ties with a
number of regional states that were formerly its enemies -- a change welcomed by
all of the parties.
At a conference recently organized in Tel Aviv, Professor Alan Dershowitz said:
"The future Israel-American relationship is in grave danger.... Israel must
prepare to go to it alone without the support of the US, and it must adopt a
doomsday strategy in relation to US-Israeli relation; it can and it will because
Israel has the will to survive and it will survive."
In spite of the Biden administration.
*Dr. Guy Millière, a professor at the University of Paris, is the author of 27
books on France and Europe.
© 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.
Iran: Protests and Paralysis
Amir Taheri/Asharq al-Awsat/December 11, 2022
The failure of the Khomeinist clique to develop a coherent narrative, let alone
a strategy to deal with what looks like an existential crisis for the regime,
has led to a chaotic response to the popular uprising. According to
semi-official figures, between 300 and 500 protesters have been killed by the
security forces and more than 15,000 jailed. By the time of this writing, four
executions have also been officially reported.
But when you break down those figures, a curious pattern emerges.
Almost 60 percent of the deaths happened in just nine cities in two provinces:
Sistan-Baluchistan and Kurdistan.
Despite the depth and breadth of the protests, just confirmed by widespread
strikes in more than 30 cities, the Khomeinist establishment is still unable to
understand what is really going on. Divided between its natural reflex to crush
any dissent and its lack of self-confidence, it is spreading its paralysis
throughout Iran's political life, hoping to be saved by inertia.
After 10 years of negotiations to buy natural gas from Iran, China has decided
to sign a 60-year deal with Qatar instead.
[T]he ayatollah's abracadabra seems unlikely to force this genie back into the
bottle.
The failure of Iran's rulers to develop a coherent narrative, let alone a
strategy to deal with what looks like an existential crisis for the regime, has
led to a chaotic response to the popular uprising. Pictured: Iran's President
Ebrahim Raisi speaks during a rally in Tehran on November 4, 2022. (Photo by
Atta Kenare/AFP via Getty Images)
Almost three months after the current popular uprising against the Islamic
Republic started in Iran, three things are clear.
The first is that even if the uprising hits an interlude to recuperate, as is
often the case with such movements, it is unlikely to simply fade away. It has
mobilized energies that cannot be tamed with time, and raised such hopes and
expectations that even the most hard-boiled cynics in power won't be able to
disregard.
Next, most of those who have mobilized those energies, that is to say the
thousands of young men and women who risked all to openly challenge one of the
most brutal regimes in contemporary history, while knowing what they want, don't
know how to translate their desiderata into the cold political reality of
securing and using power.
The third thing that seems clear to me is that the Khomeinist establishment is
struck by a paralysis in decision-making that prevents it from even suggesting a
way out of the historic impasse it has led Iran into.
The first fact that hits an observer is the inability of the regime to develop a
coherent narrative of what is happening.
One faction, let's call them "turbaned ostriches," insist that what is going on
in almost every Iranian town and city is nothing but "sporadic disturbances"
fomented by Israel, the US, France, Britain and a handful of secessionists hired
by Turkish or Arab secret services.
According to the grandest of those ostriches, including Supreme Guide Ayatollah
Ali Khamenei, what we see is "eghteshashat", a word borrowed from Arabic which,
in its purest etymological sense, means "injecting impurity" -- such as adding
copper to gold. In other words, Khomeinism is pure gold and those who challenge
it are the "injectors of impurity." It is not hard to see that such metaphysical
claptrap cannot provide a basis for serious policy-making.
The trouble is that because Khomeinism, like Hitlerism and North Korean Kimism,
is based on the cult of personality of the chief, it is hard for anyone else
within the ruling clique to promote a radically different narrative.
In the first two weeks of the uprising, a number of officials and semi-official
mullahs, among them President Ebrahim Raisi, tried to promote a "yes-but"
narrative. Let's call them "equivocating mules", those who tacitly grant the
legitimacy of at least some grievances but immediately refuse to budge from
their position or suggest any way of addressing the grievances.
The third faction could be labelled "parrots gone mute": grand and not so grand
ayatollahs, generals, politicians, tycoons, celebrities, household philosophers,
and hangers-on who have a name without anyone knowing why, who have always
championed garrulity but have suddenly gone silent.
The failure of the Khomeinist clique to develop a coherent narrative, let alone
a strategy to deal with what looks like an existential crisis for the regime,
has led to a chaotic response to the popular uprising. According to
semi-official figures, between 300 and 500 protesters have been killed by the
security forces and more than 15,000 jailed. By the time of this writing, four
executions have also been officially reported.
But when you break down those figures, a curious pattern emerges.
Almost 60 percent of the deaths happened in just nine cities in two provinces:
Sistan-Baluchistan and Kurdistan.
Nearly half of those arrested were in 30 cities, out of Iran's 900 towns and
cities, in 11 out of 31 provinces, with Tehran, Mazandaran and Khorasan getting
the biggest shares. When it came to the early release of those arrested, there
were also curious disparities. In some places, for instance Bushehr, Qazvin,
Sari and Ahvaz, many of those arrested were set free after a few days, perhaps
because prisons were too full, as was admitted by the Mayor of Sari in
Mazandaran. In at least a few dozen cases, families of those arrested bought
their release with cash or by depositing property deeds to obtain bail.
In some cases, quick release came when it turned out that those arrested were
children of senior members of the Khomeinist clique or celebrities too popular
to be kept under lock and key for long.
The incoherence of the regime's response was also reflected in the confusion
about how and by whom those arrested should be prosecuted. The Khomeinist system
has a number of different courts labelled "Islamic", "civil" or "revolutionary"
in addition to military and security tribunals and episodic courts set up by
powerful clerics close to but not part of the government. More than a week after
the tragic event, it is not yet clear which court issued the four death
sentences in Baluchistan and the 17 death sentences still pending in Tehran and
Kurdistan.
Despite the depth and breadth of the protests, just confirmed by widespread
strikes in more than 30 cities, the Khomeinist establishment is still unable to
understand what is really going on. Divided between its natural reflex to crush
any dissent and its lack of self-confidence, it is spreading its paralysis
throughout Iran's political life, hoping to be saved by inertia.
The regime's inability to develop a coherent strategy is also leading to
paralysis in its foreign policy. The so-called "nuclear talks", advertised by
successive presidents in Tehran as the ultimate potion to cure all of Iran's
ailments, remain frozen, if not dead, because the participants prefer to wait
and see the denouement of the current crisis.
Several visits by foreign leaders, including Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz
Sharif and Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, have been "rescheduled" sine
die. After 10 years of negotiations to buy natural gas from Iran, China has
decided to sign a 60-year deal with Qatar instead. Talks to buy arms from Russia
have also been frozen, despite the fact that the UN Security Council embargo on
arm deals with Iran expired last October.
At a time that leaders of major industrial nations go to the four corners of the
world to clinch energy deals, no one makes a stopover in Iran, which was once
the world's biggest exporter of oil. The planned week-long seminar to mark the
40th anniversary of the creation of the Hezbollah network under Ayatollah
Khomeini has been cancelled and the 300 or so invited "brothers" from 20
countries were asked to stay home. Khamenei has never hidden his admiration for
North Korea's "splendid isolation" and may still dream of adopting it as a model
for his Islamic Republic. But that would require the end of the current national
uprising one way or another. However, the ayatollah's abracadabra seems unlikely
to force this genie back into the bottle.
*Amir Taheri was the executive editor-in-chief of the daily Kayhan in Iran from
1972 to 1979. He has worked at or written for innumerable publications,
published eleven books, and has been a columnist for Asharq Al-Awsat since 1987.
No surprise that Iran regime faces a revolution at home
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Arab News/December 11, 2022
Since its establishment in 1979, the Iranian regime has primarily focused on
exporting its revolutionary ideals beyond its borders, while neglecting the
needs of its population.
As the regime’s founding Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khomeini famously pointed out:
“We shall export our revolution to the whole world.” This important mission of
the Iranian regime is also incorporated in its constitution, which stipulates
that it “provides the necessary basis for ensuring the continuation of the
revolution at home and abroad. In particular, in the development of
international relations, the constitution will strive with other popular
movements to prepare the way for the formation of a single world community.”
One of the key tactics the regime has employed to export its revolution is
instigating communities in other nations to rise up against their states,
creating chaos that can be exploited by Tehran. For instance, soon after
Khomeini assumed power, he directly called on the people of Iraq to rise up
against their government. He said: “Honorable people of Iraq. You are the
descendants of those who drove Britain out of Iraq; rise up and cut off his
criminal hand from your country before this corrupt regime destroys everything
for you. O tribes of the Euphrates and Tigris. Unite all together and with all
the nation and eradicate this root of corruption before the opportunity is
lost.”
Another strategy used by the Iranian regime to export its revolution is to
sponsor and establish proxies in other nations to advance its parochial and
ideological interests. For instance, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and
its elite branch, the Quds Force, infiltrated Lebanon and consolidated the
Shiite militias, which ultimately resulted in the creation of Hezbollah. In
Iraq, Iran has sponsored a conglomerate of militias known as the Popular
Mobilization Units. In Syria, it assembled a coalition of Shiite forces and
militias that came from Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Lebanon. In Yemen, the
regime’s goal was to create a political reality out of the Houthis, just as it
did with Hezbollah in Lebanon.
When the regime fails to set up militia or terror groups in other countries, it
instead attempts to establish terror cells or hire assassins to carry out
terrorist attacks or assassinate journalists, officials and dissidents. For
example, one of the regime’s own diplomats, Assadollah Assadi, is serving a
20-year jail term in Belgium over his role in a 2018 terrorist plot. Assadi
reportedly delivered explosive materials to his accomplices with the aim of
bombing an Iranian opposition rally in Paris. Had the plot not been discovered
at the very last minute, hundreds of people could have been killed, including
international dignitaries and many European parliamentarians.
The younger generation is fed up with the system and sees no prospect for
progress under the current political establishment.
While the regime continues to spend the nation’s resources and invests
significant political and economic capital on exporting its revolution to other
nations, it neglects the prosperity of its own people and silences those who
dared to criticize it. It has also suppressed the Iranian people’s freedoms of
speech, press and assembly. Although many people have political grievances, the
dire economic situation in Iran plays a key role in the ongoing protests. Many
have become significantly disaffected with the regime’s handling of the economy
and the hemorrhaging of the nation’s resources on foreign proxies. The continued
devaluation of Iran’s currency has negatively affected their living standards,
as well as significantly cutting into people’s purchasing power. The average
monthly salary in Iran is about 3.5 million rials ($100). To put this into
perspective, the average rent in urban areas often exceeds the salaries of
full-time workers, without even taking into account other basic necessities such
as food, medicine, transportation and school fees. The younger generation is fed
up with the system and sees no prospect for progress under the current political
establishment. For example, Soheila, 21, from Tehran, said: “My father is a
schoolteacher. Everyday after school, he also drives for Snapp (a ride-hailing
company). My mother works at a factory and cleans houses after her shift. Each
works approximately 15 hours a day. We (the children) rarely see them. In spite
of the hard work, we still can’t make ends meet. There is no hope with the
(mullahs) system.”Therefore, it should not come as a surprise that the Iranian
regime, which has focused for more than four decades on exporting its revolution
to other countries while neglecting its own people, is now facing a crisis at
home.
• Dr. Majid Rafizadeh is a Harvard-educated Iranian-American political
scientist. Twitter: @Dr_Rafizadeh
Why the world is in wait-and-see mode on Iran protests
Dr. Dania Koleilat Khatib/Arab News/December 11, 2022
The sister of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei last week supported protesters
and called for the end of the regime. Former President Mohammed Khatami also
called on the government of Iran to carry out reforms “before it is too late,”
adding that freedom and security do not negate each other. The issue is whether
it is already too late for the regime to reform. Should we expect a big bang? If
so, what would be the repercussions?
The protests show one thing: The system as it is does not work. It needs a
reboot, both domestically and in terms of foreign policy. However, as I wrote in
a previous article, the regime’s rigidity has prevented any change. Even the
recent claim that the so-called morality police was to be abolished, which
should not have had an effect on the security of the regime, was soon revoked.
The initial report was based on the comments of Iranian Attorney General
Mohammed Jafar Montazeri. Though his comments said the notorious morality police
was under review, this does not mean that the hijab is no longer mandatory.
Caving in to the protesters’ demands risks emboldening them. Also, the demands
have migrated from the issue of the hijab to refusing the entire system.
According to one of my professional acquaintances, the regime is not a monolith;
not everyone is ideological. Khamenei is ideological, of course, and now his
leadership is at its weakest point. He is in poor health and his son Mojtaba,
who is a potential successor, is very unpopular.
Khatami has warned that the regime might be at the point of no return and,
unless urgent and immediate reforms take place, it might soon be too late. He
described the slogan the protesters are chanting, “Woman, life, freedom,” as “a
beautiful message that shows movement toward a better future.” He said the
regime should recognize the mistakes of governance, while Khamenei’s sister said
that she had relayed to her brother the demands of the people and their
grievances, only for them to fall on deaf ears.
This means that people close to the regime are turning against it. However,
those who are rejoicing that the regime might fall should be careful what they
wish for. If the regime were to feel threatened and become desperate, it might
take desperate measures. This might take the form of a foreign adventure. Iran
has already attacked an oil tanker off the Gulf of Oman and the Kurds in
northern Iraq since the protests began. However, if it gets really desperate, it
might think of a bigger adventure to divert public attention.
If the regime were to feel threatened and become desperate, it might take
desperate measures.
The markets in Iran went on strike for three days last week. Is that deja vu to
the Iranian revolution? The regime has every reason to feel threatened and, to
preserve its existence, it might resort to desperate measures and take risks
that could have repercussions for the entire region. There is a process taking
place and it is important to be steered in the right manner to minimize the
consequences.
If the regime were to fall without a viable replacement in place, this would
definitely result in chaos. This is why the transition should be steered in a
particular manner to minimize the chaos. A crash in Iran might be as
destabilizing as the 1979 revolution. The ideal would be to reach out to
moderate elements within the regime and bring about the change necessary to
cater to the needs of the Iranian people, who desire representation and dignity,
and the needs of countries in the region, which want security.
The international community needs to orchestrate a soft landing for those
protests. There is always a question mark about what might come next. Would it
be worse than what we have now? However, it is easier said than done. How can
the international community identify moderate members of the regime who can
bring about change? And how can it engage with them? This is a complicated
process.
And any foreign interference might even make the situation worse if not managed
properly with the right people. The Arab Gulf, Israel and the West are in
wait-and-see mode. However, a regime that is not necessarily more peaceful might
emerge from these protests. One option would be for the power to be more
concentrated in the hands of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The guards
are the power center with most gravitas in Iran. They were always wary of the
army for its alleged loyalty to the shah.
This is why there is doubt that the army can stand up to the IRGC. What would
happen if the IRGC took over from the religious authority? This could mean
replacing Khamenei with a figurehead while the IRGC calls the shots. This could
mean relaxing the rules at home but the foreign policy would not change. That
could be one option. It would give the world the appearance of reform, even
though it will not actually be reformed at all. In the current situation, does
Iran still have the window to reform domestically and appease the popular anger?
We are not so sure. What should the West and its allies do at this point in
time? This is also a difficult question.
Now that the regime is weak, should they lend it a helping hand while imposing
the condition of good behavior domestically as well as in the region? Maybe, but
that will not necessarily work. The regime might agree to the conditions to get
financial help so that it can appease the anger, but then it might renege on its
promises. Also, the situation might have reached a point where the regime cannot
redeem itself even if it wanted to. Facing all these uncertainties, it is
difficult to craft a strategy or devise a policy on how to deal with the
situation in Iran. Amid this cloudy scenery, the international community’s
safest bet might be to just wait and see.
• Dr. Dania Koleilat Khatib is a specialist in US-Arab relations with a focus on
lobbying. She is an affiliated scholar at the Hoover Institution, Stanford, and
is president of the Research Center for Cooperation and Peace Building, a
Lebanese nongovernmental organization focused on Track II.
Iranian influence fuels injustice in Iraq
Dalia Al-Aqidi/Arab News/December 11, 2022
An Iraqi court judgment imprisoning a young man for criticizing a governmental
entity sparked anger and rejection in the southern province of Nasiriyah last
week, prompting hundreds of young people to demonstrate and confront the
security forces, who killed at least two demonstrators.
The story began when 20-year-old Haider Al-Zaidi apparently criticized the late
deputy commander of the pro-Iran Popular Mobilization Units, Abu Mahdi Al-Muhandis,
on Twitter. In June, the PMU security department arrested Al-Zaidi and held him
for 16 days over a tweet criticizing Al-Muhandis that stated “only in Iraq would
a spy be described as a martyr.” On Dec. 5, the Rusafa Criminal Court in Baghdad
charged the young man with insulting state institutions and sentenced him to
three years in prison.
During his detention and interrogation, the high school student was tortured and
insulted by his captors, according to his father, who is seeking to free his
son. “We are waiting for the (PMU) to drop the charges and solve the case. We
are trying to find a solution through our personal contacts,” Hameed Al-Zaidi
told reporters, noting that his son’s current condition was good and that he was
allowed to visit him and bring him food and clothing.
According to an Iraqi news agency, it was stated in the verdict that the PMU
reserves the right to compensation after the ruling becomes final, adding that
the accused’s mobile phone will remain in the custody of the investigative party
for containing security information.
The young activist was sentenced based on 1969’s Article 226 of Iraq’s Penal
Code, which prohibits “publicly insulting” the national assembly, armed forces
or any other government agency.
Is this the new Iraq that people fought for following the end of Saddam
Hussein’s dictatorship? What kind of a message was the ruling regime trying to
send through its judicial system?
The pro-Iranian ruling class aims to extend the radical, brutal system from
Tehran to Baghdad by force through its militias. It punishes whoever disagrees
with its agenda.
The pro-Iranian ruling class aims to extend the radical, brutal system from
Tehran to Baghdad by force through its militias.
Adam Coogle, the deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch, criticized
the Iraqi justice system, which should not be used as a tool to suppress
peaceful criticism of the authorities or armed actors. “It is a sad reflection
on the rule of law in Iraq that an activist like Al-Zaidi gets three years in
prison for a Twitter post he says he didn’t write while dozens of officials and
armed groups enjoy impunity for killing activists and protesters,” he said.
The questionable Iraqi judicial system is suppressing the people’s freedoms in
favor of militia leaders and Vilayat-e Faqih followers. This goes against the
country’s new constitution, which is supposed to protect the rights and freedoms
of the Iraqi people.
The verdict sparked anger and disappointment in the Iraqi street, especially as
it came only about a week after the release of a man who was accused of stealing
more than a billion dollars of public funds.
Only in Iraq are criminals acquitted, while the innocent are criminalized based
on their lack of loyalty to a neighboring country.
Only in Iraq are abductions, torture and murders legal as long as they oppress
the opposition that dared to dream about living in peace and dignity.
The Khomeini loyalists put Al-Muhandis, a radical terrorist, brutal killer and
militia leader, in the category of saints. He and his ilk, who receive their
orders directly from the regime in Tehran, have killed hundreds of young
protesters and wounded thousands around the country. Al-Muhandis, the founder of
the Kata’ib Hezbollah militia who was killed in a 2020 US drone attack along
with his superior, Qassem Soleimani, was nothing but a terrorist. He was
sentenced to death in Kuwait for his involvement in the 1983 bomb attacks on the
US and French embassies, while he also fought for the Iranian army against Iraq
during the 1980s war between the two countries.
The case of Al-Zaidi was not the first and will not be the last. As long as
these groups continue to hold Iraq hostage, thousands will be murdered or
imprisoned as long as they refuse to bow to the regime in Iran.
If these barbaric, bloodthirsty terrorists control the cradle of civilization,
hashtags, petitions, and protests will not save the people from their crimes.
• Dalia Al-Aqidi is a senior fellow at the Center for Security Policy. Twitter:
@DaliaAlAqidi
German coup attempt brings political violence back to the
fore
Zaid M. Belbagi/Arab News/December 11, 2022
It came as a great shock last week when, as a result of the largest
counterterrorism operation in German history, it came to light that a coup was
being planned and that its ringleaders had been arrested. A hitherto
little-known group had drawn up detailed plans to install a new government with
an obscure prince at its head. The thrilling narrative, of which Ian Fleming
would have been proud, offered a window into Germany’s far-right movement and
was a cause for concern for many democratic governments regarding homegrown
threats.
The cast for Germany’s 21st-century coup was a gift to scriptwriters: A
blue-eyed, 71-year-old German aristocrat sat in a neo-Gothic hunting lodge, an
opera tenor with aspirations of being minister of culture, a
paratrooper-turned-militia leader, and a Russian femme fatale liaising with
Moscow. Sharing their dastardly plans over encrypted messaging service Telegram,
the plotters hoped to install the septuagenarian golf course chairman as their
kaiser.
The objectives of the motley crew were, however, less comical. The estimated 50
men and women are understood to be part of the Reichsburger, or “Citizens of the
Reich,” a far-right group that unites extremists and conspiracy theorists. Not
recognizing the modern Federal Republic of Germany, seeing it rather as a vassal
state controlled by international interests, the heavily armed group planned to
violently install a new government.
The news of the planned coup has unsettled many, given its intention to solicit
Russian support. Even though there is nothing to suggest that the group’s
efforts to contact the Russian authorities were successful, the plans are of
great concern given the current political climate in Europe.
The group’s ringleader, Heinrich XIII, Prince of Reuss, has long courted
far-right politics and been dismissed as a conspiracy theorist. However, to his
followers and the members of the Reichsburger specifically, he is a revered
leadership figure. Descended from a dynasty that established itself in the 12th
century and which traces its roots back to A.D. 900, Heinrich certainly has
pedigree.
Having ruled vast swaths of what is now Germany, Heinrich’s great-grandfather
abdicated at gunpoint, as the German princely states were absorbed into the
young republic following the country’s defeat in the First World War.
Heinrich’s complaint with modern Germany relates to his family’s loss of
property, status and influence in a country that, after the experiences of
imperialism, fascism and communism, was only delicately reunified in 1990.
Though Germany does not officially recognize royalty, the descendants of
princely houses do still use their titles and have some access to their
properties.
However, their political involvement is limited and it is Heinrich’s involvement
in this coup attempt that has raised eyebrows.
He is, of course, not the first of his kind to lead a monarchist putsch. In
1920, the legitimate German government was forced to flee Berlin as aristocrats
supported right-wing nationalists and militarist circles that sought to
overthrow Germany’s young republic.
In 1944, German Count Claus von Stauffenberg, alongside other aristocrats, came
within hours of overthrowing Adolf Hitler and the Nazi regime. So, although
Germany’s aristocrats are generally apolitical, there is precedent for them
having central roles in political putsches.
The involvement of Heinrich has also drawn attention to the dark reality of the
extremist fringes of German politics. Though Germany is today Europe’s largest
democracy, groups like the Reichsburger have grown in prominence. As with
elsewhere in Europe, nationalist parties have been on the rise in Germany,
especially in its deindustrialized east. Unified in their deep rejection of
state institutions and of democracy itself, these groups have increasingly
voiced that they wish to “correct” Germany by violent means.
In February 2020, a mass shooting left nine people dead at two shisha bars in
the city of Hanau, near Frankfurt, in an act of racist violence. It was not
surprising, therefore, that almost half of last week’s arrests took place in the
southern states of Baden-Wurttemberg and Bavaria, the historical heartlands of
Nazism. More than one in five Reichsburger members are understood to be based in
the southwestern state of Baden-Wurttemberg alone.
Though the presence of these groups is not alarming in itself, it is rather
that, throughout the 20th century, Germany had a history of political violence
both on the left and the right, making the tragic comedy of the coup attempt
more sinister, as it represents a wider political malaise in German society.
The news of the planned coup has unsettled many, given its intention to solicit
Russian support.
Last week’s arrests, though surprising, are not without precedent. The great
trauma from which the German state was created invariably meant that the modern
republic would always have its detractors. Such opposition is not uncommon when
systems of government change. In a historic parallel, it was Heinrich’s
ancestor, Henry XXII of Reuss, who, alone among all the confederate princes,
remained opposed to the unification of Germany in 1871.
This opposition is not of concern on its own, but rather worrying is the fact
that the plotters had renewed calls for political violence in a Germany that
seemed to have put the tumult of its past to bed. How the republic manages to do
this going forward, as Germany grapples with the effects of deglobalization,
will be a significant test of its strength as a democratic system.
*Zaid M. Belbagi is a political commentator and an adviser to private clients
between London and the GCC. Twitter: @Moulay_Zaid