English LCCC Newsbulletin For
Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For December 19/2020
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
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Bible Quotations For today
Let love be genuine; hate
what is evil, hold fast to what is good
Letter to the Romans 12/09-21/:”Let love be
genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with
mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honour. Do not lag in zeal, be
ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering,
persevere in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality
to strangers. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.
Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with
one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be
wiser than you are. Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what
is noble in the sight of all. If it is possible, so far as it depends on you,
live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for
the wrath of God; for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the
Lord.’ No, ‘if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give
them something to drink; for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their
heads.’Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials
published on December 18-19/2021
MoPH: 1690 new Corona cases, 12 deaths
U.N. Chief Addresses 'People of Lebanon' on Eve of Visit
U.S. Says Doesn't Want Lebanon to Become a 'Failed State'
Abboud: This is the Era of Judicial Resilience and Independence
Interior Minister: We have taken the necessary legal measures to deport members
of the Bahraini ‘Al-Wefaq Society’
Lebanon imposes curfew for unvaccinated to prevent new holiday outbreak
Settlers Attack Palestinian Villages after West Bank Killing
UK Court Rules in Favor of Lebanese Bank over Transfers Abroad
Geagea: Obstructing government's work goes beyond politics
FPM warns that intersection of interests could be behind government's disruption
Expecting, in Lebanon/Sally Abou AlJoud/Now Lebanon/Saturday, 18 December, 2021
Titles For The Latest English LCCC
Miscellaneous Reports And News published on
December 18-19/2021
Russia Reveals Details About Israeli Raids Near Damascus Airport
Iran Nuclear Talks Adjourn, Europeans Say Pause Disappointing
Congress Intensifies Efforts against Iran's UAV Program
Trump Promised Netanyahu to Help Israel Build What Iran Missiles Destroy
Washington Restricts ‘Entities’ Helping Iran ‘Militarily’
Company: Iran-linked Hackers Attack Israeli Targets
Erdogan pushes Turkish interests in Africa while concern mounts about currency
crisis at home
Philippines: Typhoon Leaves Scores Dead, Many Homes Roofless
Titles For The Latest The Latest LCCC
English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on
December 18-19/2021
Biden Administration Silent Against Iran's Mullahs' Terror Threat/Majid
Rafizadeh/Gatestone Institute/December 18/ 2021
For the Gulf, war with Iran is the wrong choice/Ali Sarraf/The Arab
Weekly/December 18/2021
Could an end to the Turkey-Armenia deadlock finally be in sight?/Sinem Cengiz/Arab
News/December 18, 2021
The Latest English LCCC Lebanese &
Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on December 18-19/2021
MoPH: 1690 new Corona cases, 12 deaths
NNA/Saturday, 18 December, 2021
In its daily report on COVID-19 developments, the Ministry of Public Health
announced Saturday the registration of 1690 new Coronavirus infections, which
raised the cumulative number of confirmed cases to-date to 699,464.
The report added that 12 deaths were recorded during the past 24 hours.
U.N. Chief Addresses 'People of Lebanon' on Eve of Visit
Naharnet/Saturday, 18 December, 2021
U.N. chief Antonio Guterres has addressed a video message to the "people of
Lebanon" on the eve of his visit to the country which will take place on Sunday.
Below is the full transcript of the message as received from the U.N.: "I am
coming to Lebanon with one simple message: the United Nations stands with the
people of Lebanon. From our political teams and peacekeepers to our humanitarian
aid workers and development professionals, the entire UN family is focused on
supporting Lebanon and its people. During my visit, I will meet different
Lebanese leaders and representatives to discuss how we can best support you to
overcome the crisis and promote peace, stability, justice, development and human
rights. I hope to have the chance to talk with, and listen to, people from all
backgrounds and communities. Lasting solutions can only come from inside
Lebanon. It is essential for leaders to put the people first, and implement the
reforms needed to set Lebanon back on track, including efforts to promote
accountability and transparency, and root out corruption. Next year’s elections
will be key. Lebanon’s people must be fully engaged in choosing how your country
moves forward. Women and young people must have every opportunity to play their
full part. This is the only way Lebanon will lay the foundations for a better
future. The United Nations will support Lebanon on every step of this journey.
Thank you, shukran, and I look forward to spending time in the Land of the
Cedars."
U.S. Says Doesn't Want Lebanon to Become a 'Failed State'
Naharnet/Saturday, 18 December, 2021
The White House has said that Washington does not want Lebanon to become a
“failed state,” while noting that it has used “a combination of carrots and
sticks” in its approach towards the country.
“One thing we want to try to make sure is that we don’t have any more failed
states in the Middle East region. Failed states open vacuums, and those vacuums
are not filled by moderates, they’re filled by extremist actors on all sides and
become kind of proxy fights by regional powers,” a senior administration
official told journalists in a year-end discussion on the Middle East. ”Lebanon
had all the signs of a potential failing -- a potential failed state,” the
official noted, adding that Washington has worked “quite hard” and “quite
quietly” through its ambassador in Beirut and along with France and others in
order to address the Lebanese situation. The official also said that Washington
imposed sanctions on “particularly corrupt individuals of Lebanon’s political
system” to make clear that “the only people that can save Lebanon are the
Lebanese and particularly the Lebanese political leaders who have to make hard
choices to save their country.” “So, a combination of carrots and sticks.” The
official added that Washington is in “close touch” with Prime Minister Najib
Miqati. And citing the visits to Lebanon by U.S. Under Secretary for Political
Affairs Victoria Nuland and U.S. Senior Advisor on Energy at the State
Department Amos Hochstein, the official noted that Washington has facilitated a
“very important” Egypt-Lebanon gas deal that would contribute to “maintaining
stability and trying to get Lebanon out of the crisis that it’s in.” The
agreement, which has backing from the World Bank, is “getting underway,” the
official added. ”An awful lot of work is going on behind the scenes on Lebanon
as we move forward,” the official went on to say.
Abboud: This is the Era of Judicial Resilience and
Independence
Naharnet/Saturday, 18 December, 2021
Higher Judicial Council chief Judge Suheil Abboud on Friday announced that “this
is the era of resilience” and “consolidating the independence of the judicial
authority.”Abboud voiced his remarks during a ceremony to swear in 33 judges who
graduated from the Institute of Judicial Studies.
“Let us all be, new or old, unified under the banner of this independence,”
Abboud said. He called on the new judges to “defend the cause of the judiciary”
in the face of “attacks, unjust accusations and irresponsible remarks.”“We want
a free and liberated judiciary that works in the service of the people… away
from every bias, selectivity or partisanship,” Abboud urged. He also called for
keeping “politics” outside of Lebanon’s courts.
Interior Minister: We have taken the necessary legal
measures to deport members of the Bahraini ‘Al-Wefaq Society’
NNA/Saturday, 18 December, 2021
Minister of Interior and Municipalities, Judge Bassam Mawlawi, announced that
the “necessary legal measures have been taken regarding the deportation of
members of the Bahraini Al-Wefaq Society, in accordance with the law and our
convictions and firm position."
Speaking in an interview with “Al-Hadath - Al-Arabiya” Channel, he said: "We
asked the concerned security services to carry out the necessary procedures and
investigations, and to provide us with a list of the names of the people who
were present, and the association's activity in Lebanon, which would lead to
prosecution, and we commissioned the Public Security to deport these
individuals, according to our convictions and commitment to the Arab position
and the significant ties that bring us together with the Arab Gulf states.”"The
discontent of a particular political party does not preclude the application of
the laws in force, or taking legal measures that are consistent with our
convictions and with Lebanon's interest," Mawlawi underscored, noting that
"preemptive measures should have been taken in implementation of the law, our
convictions and our Arab affiliation." Mawlawi continued to salute Lebanon’s
brethrens in the Saudi Kingdom, the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council
and all the Arabs, saying: “Our commitment is to the interest of our state, its
affiliation, and our Arab identity, as well as to our keenness towards their
interest, their safety, and the safety of their people.”
Lebanon imposes curfew for unvaccinated to prevent new
holiday outbreak
Najia Housari/Arab News/December 18, 2021
BEIRUT: Lebanese security services have imposed a three-week curfew for
unvaccinated residents, with fines for those who break it, from 5 p.m. to 6 a.m.
until Jan. 9, 2022, amid rising cases across the country. The committee that
follows up on coronavirus disease preventative measures said it would exclude
those “with at least one vaccine dose or a negative PCR test in the last 48
hours and children under 12.”On Friday, the Ministry of Public Health reported
1,912 new COVID-19 cases, mostly in people between 30 and 39 years old, some of
whom had received three vaccine doses. In addition, 14 deaths were recorded. The
ministry said: “We have had 22,168 active cases these last 14 days,” adding only
34 percent of people had received two vaccine doses, with the lowest vaccination
rate recorded in the Bekaa region. Lebanese Red Cross Secretary-General George
Kettaneh said that “ambulance teams transport 80 to 100 cases to hospitals every
day, while over 1,200 oxygen concentrators have been distributed.” So far,
Lebanon has had 60 cases of the new omicron variant, but Lebanese Health
Minister Firass Abiad noted it is “rapidly spreading … two and a half times
faster than the delta variant.”
Those who have received three vaccine doses have greater protection against
omicron, he added. Lebanon fears yet another outbreak over the holidays,
particularly since the medical sector is exhausted amid shortages in staff,
fuel, oxygen, medical supplies and medicines.
Suleiman Haroun, head of the Syndicate of Private Hospital Owners, said:
“Hospitals are still able to accommodate patients, but they are of course under
a lot of pressure, especially since 80 to 90 percent of COVID-19 beds are
occupied.”Haroun added: “We fear the numbers will rise. The majority of cases
currently do not require intensive care, but some patients are staying up to
three weeks in the hospital.”In a bid to avoid an outbreak over the holidays,
the committee that follows up on COVID-19 preventative measures imposed a limit
of 50 percent capacity at any venue. In addition, nightclubs, restaurants and
hotels will deny entry to those without at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose or a
negative PCR test in the past 48 hours. Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General Antonio
Guterres will arrive in Lebanon on Sunday to meet with President Michel Aoun,
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Najib Mikati, as well as civil
society representatives. Political observers ruled out the possibility of this
affecting the work of the Cabinet, which has been paralyzed since mid-October.
The Canadian Embassy in Lebanon has urged Canadian nationals to “exercise a high
degree of caution in Lebanon due to an unpredictable security situation and the
risk of terrorist attack.”The embassy advised people to avoid certain areas,
namely the southern suburbs of Beirut, Tripoli, Baalbek-Hermel, all Palestinian
camps and areas south of the Litani, “due to the presence of armed groups and
the risk of violence from organized crime, kidnappings and threat of terrorist
attacks.”
Settlers Attack Palestinian Villages after West Bank
Killing
Associated Press/Saturday, 18 December, 2021
Jewish settlers have burst into several villages in the occupied West Bank,
smashing homes and cars and beating up at least two people, Palestinian
officials said. The attacks came a day after Palestinian gunmen killed an
Israeli man in a shooting ambush in the territory. The death of settler Yehuda
Dimentman, killed when gunmen opened fire on his car near a West Bank settlement
outpost late Thursday, threatened to ignite further violence between Palestinian
residents and Israeli settlers. Two other passengers in Dimentman's vehicle were
lightly wounded. Ghassan Daghlas, a Palestinian Authority official who monitors
settlement activities, said groups of settlers entered several Palestinian
villages near the northern city of Nablus early Friday, smashing up cars and
homes. Two Palestinians required hospital treatment. In the Palestinian village
of Qaryout, settlers broke into one house and tried to abduct a local resident,
Wael Miqbel, according to Daghlas. Photos later shared on social media showed
Miqbel with bruises and swelling across his face, while other videos and photos
published online showed confrontations between armed settlers and Palestinian
residents.
Israeli leaders have vowed to find the assailants behind Thursday's shooting and
the army deployed additional forces to the area. According to the official
Palestinian news agency, Wafa, at least three men from the northern village of
Burqa were arrested in overnight raids. The army said Friday the manhunt for the
Palestinian gunmen was still ongoing, but gave no further details. Dimentman's
car came under fire after leaving a Jewish seminary in the outpost of Homesh, a
former settlement evacuated as part of Israel's withdrawal from the Gaza Strip
in 2005. In recent years, settlers have re-established an unauthorized outpost
at the site, one of dozens of outposts in the West Bank that are considered
illegal but often tolerated by the Israeli government. No group has claimed
responsibility for the shooting, although the Hamas militant group, which rules
the Gaza Strip, praised the attack. Hundreds gathered for Dimentman's funeral
services in Homesh on Friday morning, before the body was taken to Jerusalem for
burial. The latest attacks come amid an uptick in Israeli-Palestinian violence
across the West Bank and in east Jerusalem. Earlier this month, an
ultra-Orthodox Jew was left seriously injured after being stabbed by a
Palestinian attacker outside the walls of Jerusalem's Old City. A week before, a
Hamas militant opened fire in the Old City, killing an Israeli man. Both
attackers were killed by Israeli forces. Settler violence against Palestinians
has seen a similar uptick during the olive harvest. In mid-November, Jewish
settlers attacked a group of Palestinian farmers with pepper spray and clubs in
the farmland surrounding Homesh, injuring four people. Israel captured east
Jerusalem and the West Bank in the 1967 Mideast war. The territories are now
home to more than 700,000 Jewish settlers, although Palestinians seek both areas
as parts of their future independent state. Palestinians, along with most of the
international community, consider settlements to be illegal and the major
obstacle to peace.
UK Court Rules in Favor of Lebanese Bank over Transfers Abroad
Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 18 December, 2021
A British court ruled on Friday in favor of a Lebanese bank in a case brought by
a depositor barred from transferring funds abroad because of capital controls in
place since Lebanon's financial system collapsed in 2019. The court ruled that
BLOM Bank could be considered to have discharged its debt to the plaintiff,
Bilal Khalifeh, by issuing a cheque in Lebanon. Banks have imposed tight
controls on accounts, including a de facto ban on transfers abroad and local
withdrawals of dollar-denominated deposits in dollars, but the controls have
been challenged in Lebanese and international courts.
Banks have sought to discharge dollar-denominated funds via banker's cheques
which cannot be cashed out in dollars and are instead sold on the market at a
discount of about three-quarters of their value. The ruling by London's High
Court of Justice, Queens Bench Division, said BLOM Bank was under no obligation
to transfer some $1.4 million in Khalifeh's savings abroad and could be
considered to have discharged his account via a cheque deposited with a notary.
"The debt due from the Bank was payable in Lebanon and... Mr Khalifeh had no
contractual right to require the Bank to transfer funds abroad," it said.
Khalifeh told Reuters he would appeal the ruling. In a separate case last month,
a French court ordered Lebanon's Saradar Bank to pay $2.8 million to a client
residing in France, saying payment via cheque in Lebanon was not valid. In that
case, the documents opening the account were signed by the plaintiff in Paris.
Khalifeh did so in Lebanon. "This judgement means that BLOM Bank can continue to
treat all depositors equally in terms of international transfers and cash
withdrawals, irrespective of the size of their deposits and their place of
residency," BLOM Bank said in a statement.
Geagea: Obstructing government's work goes beyond
politics
NNA/Saturday, 18 December, 2021
Head of the Lebanese Forces Party, Samir Geagea, considered that obstructing the
government's work goes beyond politics, calling on "the President of the
Republic, the Prime Minister and the ministers to assume their responsibilities
towards this crisis."Geagea, whose words came during the party's new affiliation
card distribution ceremony, indicated that "the upcoming legislative elections
can guarantee an exit from the current crisis in the country, and that the
parliamentary elections are an opportunity for change to end this painful
reality." He also called on the Lebanese to take a fair decision in light of
changing the current political class and implementing reforms that would
extricate the country from the political impasse.
FPM warns that intersection of interests could be behind government's disruption
NNA/Saturday, 18 December, 2021
The Free Patriotic Movement’s political body held its periodic meeting this
Saturday, chaired by its Chief, MP Gibran Bassil, following which it issued a
statement cautioning against the intersection of political interests as possibly
being behind the deliberate disruption of the government, renewing its call on
those concerned body to "release the cabinet and allow it to carry out its
duties in addressing pressing crises on the people financially, economically and
in their daily living.”The political council also considered that "the President
of the Republic is right not to accept exceptional approvals as long as the
existing government has full constitutional prerogatives,” adding that some,
under the pretext of solving crises, are pushing the President of the Republic
to violate the constitution and accept the abolition of the Council of
Ministers’ role and its replacement with exceptional approvals.
“Accordingly, the Parliament is called upon to hold the government accountable
for failing to convene, and the Movement will do what is necessary in this
direction, because the regularity of constitutional institutions is the basis,
and the charter is a guarantee of partnership and not a tool for obstruction,”
the FPM council underscored. As or the Beirut Port blast, the Movement’s
political council deemed that the “discretion that marred the judicial
investigation into the explosion of the Port, and the delay in completing the
investigations, increases fears that the truth will not be revealed. Thus, FPM
stresses that the time has come for the judicial investigator to issue the
presumptive decision and lift the injustice off the detainees, most of whom are
accused of administrative negligence, while their families agonize on the eve
the holidays, as their tragedy persists for a year and four months now.”
“The Movement affirms its support to the people in demanding the release of
those unjustly detained,” the statement maintained.
With regards to the upcoming elections, the Council renewed its confidence and
hope that the Constitutional Council will resolve the challenge submitted by the
“Strong Lebanon” parliamentary bloc with the amendments made by the
parliamentary majority to the electoral law, particularly in terms of the legal,
constitutional, charter and blatant entity flaws.At the financial level, the FPM
polit-bureau criticized the Central Bank Governor, saying that his practices
“call for suspicion and confirm doubts about his competence and intentions,
which necessitates his immediate suspension and holding him accountable,” adding
that his issued circulars “confirm his confusion, either intentionally or out of
ignorance.”“This situation, which is unparalleled in any place in the world,
violates the guidelines of the International Monetary Fund to unify the exchange
rate and leads to an unjust deduction, or even theft of depositors' money,” the
statement went on to underline. It also noted that within the context of
concealing the crimes, a new scandal was revealed, namely that the Middle East
Airlines company, which is owned and operated by the Banque du Liban, has not
verified its accounts for more than 10 years, and today it is auditing its
accounts as of 2011, while the law requires that this process be conducted
annually, which raises question marks over the coverage of previous violations
and the concealment of the truth of the numbers that the BDL Governor fears will
appear in any financial or forensic audit that takes place.
Expecting, in Lebanon
Sally Abou AlJoud/Now Lebanon/Saturday, 18 December, 2021
Reproductive health and motherhood are particularly afflicted amid a deep
economic crisis. Maternal mortality rate more than doubled, shortages in infant
vaccinations and labor pain relievers are more common, and a threat to women’s
general wellness lingers.
With the local currency continuously plunging and the hospital fees increasing
to astronomical amounts, more and more mothers-to-be opt for giving birth in
underfunded public hospitals. Photo: Raul Arboleda, AFP.
A hospital gown unfurled across Hiba Al-Sobahi’s body that has been tenderly
accommodating and nourishing a baby who had to brave an irregular heartbeat that
afternoon. Uterine contractions began, putting the fetus under further stress.
With her baby in a dire situation and little time to waste, Al-Sobahi, 31, was
bound for urgent cesarean delivery.
For Al-Sobahi, who has a higher-than-normal risk of developing blood clots
during pregnancy, who has been desperately trying to safely conceive a baby for
almost three years after having several miscarriages, and who decided to stick
it out through a pandemic and an unprecedented political and economic meltdown,
the moment of her baby’s arrival has been eagerly awaited, though ideally in
better circumstances.
But as fate would have it— both hers and her baby’s—Al-Sobahi, asymptomatic,
tested positive for COVID-19 moments before delivery.The hospital was lacking
isolation beds in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
“We cannot deliver your baby,” a pediatric nurse told her. “You have to find
another hospital.” Lebanon was once-famed for its quality health care and
supplying the medical sector with some of the Middle East’s top medical
personnel. The country ranked 23rd in the world for healthcare efficiency in
2019, with a life expectancy of 79.4 years, trouncing countries like the U.S.,
according to Bloomberg’s Healthcare Efficiency Index.
But Lebanon’s healthcare system has been pushed to its limits amid cascading
crises, and a medical plight continues to backpedal decades of gains in the
sector and endanger people’s welfare while the government provides “band-aid”
assistance. Reproductive health and motherhood were particularly afflicted.
Maternal mortality rate more than doubled, shortages in infant vaccinations and
labor pain relievers are more common, and threats to women’s general wellness
linger. A picture taken on August 15, 2021 shows the entrance of the emergency
ward of Beirut's Geitaoui hospital, where many people wounded as a result of a
fuel tank explosion in Lebanon's northern region of Akkar were receiving
treatment. - At least 20 people were killed and nearly 80 others injured when a
fuel tank exploded in Lebanon's northern region of Akkar, the Red Cross and
state media said. The official National News Agency said the explosion took
place following scuffles between "residents that gathered around the container
to fill up gasoline" overnight.
Howling with pain
For many women in Lebanon, the process of bringing new life into the world has
become ever more gruesome. Some women who unintentionally become pregnant have
asked for induced abortions, said Manal Hubeish, an obstetrician and a
gynecologist (OB-GYN) who works for several private hospitals. She said she
doesn’t provide the procedure, for religious reasons, so her patients seek other
physicians. More patients have been requesting to be placed on long-term birth
control, but there is a dearth of contraceptive pills in pharmacies, among other
medications essential for women’s wellbeing. The human papillomavirus vaccine,
which alleviates the risk of cervical cancer, is no longer available in Lebanon.
For the last six months, most of Hubeish’s patients have been delivering their
babies without epidural analgesia, a commonly employed technique of
administering local anesthesia to provide pain relief during labor, as the
treatment is no longer available in most non-prestigious hospitals.
Over the course of eight hours, Al-Sobahi’s obstetrician relentlessly called
other hospitals hoping to admit her elsewhere. But she was rejected everywhere.
No hospital wanted to take in a pregnant woman in labor and positive for
COVID-19. Grasping at straws and terrified her baby would die inside her, Al-Sobahi
asked the nurses around her, “Weren’t you just saying the baby is in a critical
condition?”
It was pure agony.
Eventually, the hospital agreed to deliver the baby on one condition – after
delivery, the baby would be handed to the father and both mother and newborn
would be immediately discharged, Al-Sobahi said. “If anything were to happen to
the baby, would it just die? This is the solution they offered me.”Al-Sobahi
suffered from an increased risk of developing blood clots during pregnancy, and
Lovenox injections, a medication that prevents and treats dangerous clots, were
crucial throughout. She and her family searched far and wide to find these
injections, purchasing some from Turkey at high prices. “It was pure agony,” Al-Sobahi
said. Many women who are proceeding with their pregnancy in these circumstances
are women suffering from infertility, Hubeish said. “They are willing to pay
everything and do anything in order to get pregnant.”
Meanwhile, recommended infant immunization doses are not available in most
hospitals. Hubeish said she has delivered some babies who are now two months or
older and haven’t been vaccinated yet. “If lack of vaccination continues,
disease is going to spread, such as measles, chicken pox, and other viruses,”
Hubeish asserted. “This is how the infant mortality rate might spike.”
Maternal deaths more than double
“The health sector as a set has been seriously affected and mainly women and
children suffer the consequences because in any form of crisis, whether
human-made or natural, women, young girls, children, LGBTQI+, the disabled,
older people and refugees suffer the most and the pandemic was no stranger to
this pattern,” said Faysal El-Kak, OB-GYN, chair of the National Technical
Committee on Corona and Pregnancy at the American University of Beirut Medical
Center and director of its Women’s Integrated Sexual Health (WISH) program.
Realizing the requirements of the Millennium Development Goal 5 and the
Sustainable Development Goal 3, Lebanon achieved a 75 percent reduction in the
annual maternal mortality rate—a ratio measuring maternal deaths for every
100,000 live births—from 1990 to 2013, the highest reduction rate in the MENA
region.
“Lebanon was among 18 countries in the world that reduced maternal mortality
rate,” said El-Kak, who is also the coordinator at the National Committee for
Safe Motherhood, whose efforts, along with the Ministry of Public Health and
other organizations, instigated this favorable decline.
The ratio of maternal deaths stabilized at 12 -15 between 2010 and 2018, despite
the steep influx of Syrian refugees who enlarged the number of births by 40,000
to 50,000 annually. But the ratio of maternal deaths has more than doubled in
2021, according to El-Kak, shooting up to a startling 36 per 100,000 live
births. . Health minister Firas Abiad said this indicator is “dangerous” in a
televised interview on Alhurra TV. “This means that maternal healthcare is
deteriorating,” he added.
The surge is mostly attributed to COVID-19 complications as 17 maternal deaths
out of the total number of 36 were caused by the virus, El-Kak said. An increase
from four in 2020. “The number is due to an expected combination; being
unvaccinated, the arrival of the Delta variant, which is known to have a more
severe impact on women, and the severity of the infection,” El-Kak explained.
Another wave of COVID-19 is sweeping across Lebanon as the number of cases
surges while only 34.5 percent of the population who are more than 12 years old
have received both vaccine doses.
Pregnant women have the same risk of contracting COVID-19 as other women, but
once an expecting mother catches the virus, she’s at a higher risk of developing
complications, including death, El-Kak said.
Hospitals are ill-equipped with COVID wards, especially in the pediatric care
units, said Hubeish, who has five or six pregnant patients testing positive for
coronavirus weekly.
El-Kak said the rise in maternal deaths could have been avoided if more people
were getting vaccinated. He has been advocating vaccinations against the
infectious coronavirus for pregnant women only to be encountered with hesitation
from doctors and those expecting.
Hospital beds line a hallway at the Rafic Hariri University Hospital. Photo: AFP.
A threat to women’s health
The government has gradually rolled back subsidies for fuel, medication and baby
formula, all of which are suffering shortages, without providing a social safety
net. The national currency devalued almost 95 percent, slashing most of the
population’s purchasing power and spurring medical staff mass exodus.
Medical staff who remain are in limbo as their work becomes arduous.
“There is a big nurse gap compelling those who are still here to take more
shifts which affects their performance and increases the human error,” Hubeish
said. “One midwife per pregnant woman used to be the ratio, now it’s around one
midwife for every four pregnant women.”
Astronomical medical bills have constrained women’s gynecology checkup visits.
“Previous patients who had ovarian cysts discovered them thanks to consistent
checkups and treated it thanks to early detection,” OB-GYN Charlotte Al-Hajjar
said. “Now it’s different; patients are coming in at the end stage of the
disease which in some cases is requiring an immediate surgery.”
“Before the crisis, most of my patients opted for the most expensive hospital,”
she said. “The more expensive, the more likely they would choose it because it
translated to better care.”
But things have turned 180 degrees. Al-Hajjar said her patients now beg for
reservations at public hospitals where the load is increasing. The healthcare
system in Lebanon has long been highly privatized and public hospitals are
generally poorly equipped and underfunded. Hubeish had to refer a patient
expecting twins to another physician at a public hospital as she has a risk of
prenatal delivery and the private hospital she was registered at demanded
L.L.100 million in insurance to be paid prior to the delivery date. On the other
hand, a normal delivery would now cost between L.L.40-60 million at private
hospitals. It wasn’t until the next morning that Al-Sobahi joyously learned that
a hospital in Saida, a city South of Beirut, had accepted her admission. Al
Hamshari hospital, run by the Palestinian Red Crescent and funded by the United
Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA),
welcomed Al-Sobahi and prepared her for the delivery.
One hour later, baby Abed Alkader arrived. Born weak with fatigued lungs and
desperate for incubation, the baby nonetheless came as a gift to parents drained
by the grueling process of giving birth to a child Lebanon.
*Sally Abou AlJoud is a multimedia journalist with @NOW_Leb. She is on Twitter @JoudSally.
The Latest English LCCC
Miscellaneous Reports And News published on
December 18-19/2021
Russia Reveals Details About Israeli Raids Near Damascus
Airport
Moscow, Damascus, London - Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 18 December, 2021
Israel raided Damascus International Airport as the Syrian defenses downed seven
of the eight missiles that were fired, according to the Russian Center for
Reconciliation. Deputy Head of the Center Rear Admiral Vadim Kolet said that
four Israeli F-16 jets fired in December eight missiles from Golan airspace
targeting the Damascus airport area. Kolet said the Syrian air defenses shot
seven of the missiles using Russian-made Pantsir-S systems. He confirmed that
the Israeli airstrike caused damages to a warehouse and killed one person. Also,
a Syrian soldier was killed in an airstrike on Thursday, the Syrian Arab News
Agency (SANA) reported. The agency quoted an unnamed military source saying that
the Israeli enemy attacked the occupied Syrian Golan, targeting some points in
the southern region, indicating that the air defenses shot down most of the
missiles.
The Israeli army refused to comment on the news. The Syrian Observatory for
Human Rights (SOHR) indicated that Israel recently intensified its strikes in
Syria. An attack on November 24 killed five people. Meanwhile, the UK's Defense
Ministry said that British fighter jets shot down a drone approaching al-Tanf
base in Syria. It is the first time the British army had shot down another enemy
aircraft since the Falklands War nearly 40 years ago. The Ministry of Defense
said that the drone, which was downed on December 14, posed a threat to the
coalition against ISIS in southern Syria.
The UK's Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said: "This strike is an impressive
demonstration of the RAF's ability to take out hostile targets in the air that
pose a threat to our forces." "We continue to do everything we can alongside our
coalition partners to stamp out the terrorist threat and protect our personnel
and our partners." Two RAF Typhoon FGR4s were patrolling over Syria and Iraq on
Tuesday as part of the global coalition against ISIS and were ordered to
investigate hostile drone activity near the al-Tanf military base.
The pilots identified a small hostile drone and shot it down using an advanced
short-range air-to-air missile. It was the first operational air-to-air
engagement conducted by an RAF Typhoon and the first air-to-air missile firing
during Operation Shader, targeting the remnants of ISIS in Iraq and Syria.
A spokesman for US Central Command, US Navy Capt Bill Urban, said two drones
entered the al-Tanf garrison "deconfliction" zone on Tuesday. One of them was
shot down as it moved closer to the base. He indicated that there were no
casualties or damage to facilities.
Iran Nuclear Talks Adjourn, Europeans Say Pause
Disappointing
Associated Press/December 18/2021
Talks aimed at salvaging Iran's tattered 2015 nuclear deal with world powers
adjourned Friday to allow the Iranian negotiator to return home for
consultations after a round marked by tensions over new demands from Tehran.
European diplomats said it was "a disappointing pause" and that negotiators in
Vienna are "rapidly reaching the end of the road." However, they did point to
"some technical progress" so far. A senior U.S. official involved in the talks
also expressed frustration. "It was better than it might have been, it was worse
than it should have been, which leaves us in an uncertain position as to whether
we can get to where we need to go in the short time that we have left to get
there," the official said, briefing reporters on condition of anonymity.
Participants said they aim to resume quickly, though they haven't yet firmed up
a date. China's chief negotiator, Wan Qun, said the talks will "resume hopefully
before the end of the year." Enrique Mora, the European Union diplomat who
chaired the talks, echoed that, saying: "I hope it will be during 2021."The
current talks in Vienna among the remaining signatories to the 2015 nuclear
agreement — known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA — opened
on Nov. 29, after more than five months, a gap caused by the arrival of a new
hard-line government in Iran. There was also a short break last week as
delegations returned home to consult with their governments. The United States
has participated indirectly in the ongoing talks because it withdrew from the
accord in 2018 under then-President Donald Trump. President Joe Biden has
signaled that he wants to rejoin the deal.
"For the eighth round, we have a lot of work ahead, a very complex task, I have
to say," Mora said. "Difficult political decisions have to be taken." The accord
was meant to rein in Iran's nuclear program in return for loosened economic
sanctions. Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China are still part of the
agreement. Negotiators from the three Western European powers said they
"respect" Iranian negotiator Ali Bagheri Kani's decision to return to Tehran
"though it brings a disappointing pause in negotiations." They said the other
participants were ready to continue the talks, and stressed that "this
negotiation is becoming ever more urgent."After twice expressing frustration
during the recent talks, they said that "there has been some technical progress
in the last 24 hours, but this only takes us back nearer to where the talks
stood in June."Following the U.S. decision to withdraw from the deal and
reimpose sanctions on Iran, Tehran has ramped up its nuclear program again by
enriching uranium well beyond the thresholds allowed in the agreement. Iran has
also restricted monitors from the U.N. atomic watchdog from accessing its
nuclear facilities, raising concerns about what the country is doing out of
view.
Diplomats from the three European nations said earlier this week that they were
"losing precious time dealing with new Iranian positions inconsistent with the
JCPOA or that go beyond it."Still, there was one sign of progress on a related
issue when Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency reached a deal
Wednesday to reinstall cameras damaged at an Iranian site that manufactures
centrifuge parts, though inspectors remain limited on what footage they can
access. "We hope that Iran is in a position to resume the talks quickly, and to
engage constructively so that talks can move at a faster pace," the European
negotiators said. Iran's nuclear program "is now more advanced than it has ever
been," making it critical that Tehran refrain from taking further steps that
escalate the situation, they said. "As we have said, there are weeks not months
before the JCPOA's core non-proliferation benefits are lost," they added. "We
are rapidly reaching the end of the road for this negotiation."Russia's delegate
to the talks, Mikhail Ulyanov, said the latest round has set a "sound basis for
more intensive negotiations." "The negotiators now much better understand each
other," Ulyanov wrote on Twitter.
Congress Intensifies Efforts against Iran's UAV Program
Washington - Rana Abtar/Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 18 December, 2021
US lawmakers have stepped up their efforts to confront the threat of the Iranian
unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) program after the House Foreign Affairs Committee
approved a bill imposing sanctions on it.
On Thursday, senators proposed a similar plan at the Senate Foreign Relations
Committee. The Committee Ranking Member, Jim Risch, and Chairman Bob Menendez
introduced on December 16 bipartisan legislation to prevent Iran and any
terrorist or militia groups aligned with Iran from acquiring lethal drones.
They indicated that the US government is intensifying its efforts to stop
Tehran's flourishing lethal UAV program. The Stop Iranian Drones Act of 2021
seeks to amend the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA)
to include any action that seeks to advance Iran's UAV program, as defined by
the United Nations Register of Conventional Arms, as sanctionable under US law.
Menendez warned that Iran's increasing reliance on unmanned aerial vehicles to
attack US personnel and assets across the Middle East and shipping vessels,
commercial facilities, and regional partners are a serious and growing menace to
regional stability. He cautioned that Iran's reckless export of this kind of
technology to proxies and terrorist actors across the region represents a
significant threat to human lives. "We must do more to hold Iran accountable for
its destabilizing behavior as we continue to confront the threat of its nuclear
program." "I'm pleased to join our colleagues in the House of Representatives in
this effort to add UAVs to existing laws that counter conventional threats from
Iran, bringing it in line with the UN Register of Conventional Arms."Risch
asserted that the efforts must do more to halt Iran's regional terrorism.
"Iran's armed drone capability presents a growing threat to the Middle East.
This legislation rightly imposes costs on the Iranian drone program and its
supporters." CAATSA, the US law passed by Congress in 2017, includes penalties
for anyone who supplies, sells, or transfers combat drones to or from Iran,
which can be used in attacks against the United States or its allies.
Trump Promised Netanyahu to Help Israel Build What Iran
Missiles Destroy
Tel Aviv - Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 18 December, 2021
Journalist Barak Ravid revealed some secrets of the Israeli-US relations during
the term of former US President Donald Trump and his feelings of resentment
towards former Israeli prime minister and current opposition leader Benjamin
Netanyahu. Ravid said that although the US administration pledged to help Israel
rebuild everything that gets destroyed by Iran's missiles in the event of a war,
the Trump administration felt it was "backstabbed" by Tel Aviv. Ravid said that
during his interview with the former president for his new book "Trump's Peace:
The Abraham Accords and the Reshaping of the Middle East," Trump said he felt
used on the Soleimani strike and "Israel did not do the right thing." The
assassination of Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani in January 2020 seemed like
the height of US-Israel cooperation. However, it became a significant point of
tension between the two allies. "I can't talk about this story. But I was very
disappointed in Israel having to do with that event. ... People will be hearing
about that at the right time," Trump said. Trump expected Israel to play a more
active role in the attack, and he believed Netanyahu was "willing to fight Iran
to the last American soldier," according to a former senior Trump administration
official. The former senior US official said Trump's anger wasn't warranted, but
that he put the episode into the same box he had put his feelings for NATO - of
allies wanting the US to do their fighting for them. Netanyahu tried to pull
Trump aside to make amends when he visited the White House in September 2020 to
sign the Abraham Accords. However, Trump wasn't convinced and continued to
believe Netanyahu had used him, a former White House official told Ravid. A
senior Israeli defense official told Ravid that Israel proposed a more active
role for Israeli forces. However, the US insisted on being the ones to execute
the strike. Israel provided the US with crucial intelligence support for the
attack. The former VP Mike Pence called the Israeli National Security Adviser,
Meir Ben Shabat, to thank him. Meanwhile, journalist Alex Fishman affirmed that
the reconstruction was part of a confidential plan that only a few Israeli
political and security officials knew about. In an article in Ynet, Fishman said
that Israel and the US do not have a military alliance yet. However, they
establish deep cooperative relations, especially between the security commands.
The US realized that it could use Israeli intelligence and military capabilities
to fight ISIS. Thus intelligence and military cooperation were established on
Syrian territory, Fishman added. In recent years, a special operations room for
the Air Force was set up at the headquarters of the Israeli army in Tel Aviv to
cooperate with the US in Syria. A senior Israeli official described it as an
unprecedented close and daily cooperation level. Fishman noted that the claim
that Israel does not need to inform the US about its intentions against Iran is
"obsolete."He indicated that Netanyahu and his defense minister at the time,
Ehud Barak, claimed they authorized an independent military attack against Iran
in 2011, however, it was a mere threat. According to Fishman's report, experts
from outside the Israeli security service estimate that Tel Aviv is three to
five years far from a situation in which it will attack Iran independently and
achieve an effective result.
Washington Restricts ‘Entities’ Helping Iran ‘Militarily’
Washington - Muath Alamri/Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 18 December, 2021
The US Department of Commerce on Thursday blacklisted several trade companies
for aiding Iran’s military programs and helping Tehran circumvent US sanctions.
A statement issued by the Commerce Department said that it was acting against
entities operating in Georgia, Malaysia, and Turkey for diverting or attempting
to divert US items to Iran’s military programs, according to Reuters. The move
against collaborators with Iran’s military programs coincided with the
imposition of export restrictions on many Chinese companies for their role in
suppressing the Uyghurs. Meanwhile, former US officials and diplomats have
called on the Biden administration to seriously consider military options to
pressure Iran away from getting its hands on nuclear weapons, curb its military
drone program and deter its destabilizing activities in the region. Democratic
Senator Joe Lieberman, a former US Senator, demanded that the Biden
administration exists the Vienna negotiations, voicing his strong belief that it
presents the best opportunity to counteract the impressions that we’re left with
the withdrawal from Afghanistan. Speaking at an event organized by the National
Council of Resistance of Iran, Lieberman noted that the withdrawal from
Afghanistan in the “chaotic” manner that it was done had sent a message to
enemies, like China and others, that US might be dwindling. Moreover, Lieberman
accused Iran of weakening Lebanon and threatening regional stability and that
standing against these actions is “consistent with the priority the US gives to
democracy and human rights.” He pointed to the Iranian regime’s continued
targeting of minorities and terrorizing of people. “How can you trust a regime
this?” said Lieberman, wondering how the US can pursue negotiations with Iran in
Vienna with all the atrocities its regime has committed.
“We have to change course toward Iran not only to limit its threats but also to
use this opportunity to tell our friends and enemies that we’re willing to be
tough,” said Lieberman. “It’s time to stop this game they’re playing with
us.”Lieberman called for being prepared to have all other options on the table,
including, if necessary, joining or supporting military activities by allies.
For his part, Ambassador Robert Joseph, former Under Secretary of State for Arms
Control and International Security, considered that the Biden administration
seems to be paying a high price for a bad agreement. He pointed out that
millions of dollars returning to Tehran was a grave mistake and that Iran’s
drone program was a reason for significant concern. He accused Iran of using the
negotiations in Vienna to buy time and continue its destruction. “The correct
decision, both politically and morally, is to support the people of Iran in
their struggle for freedom and democracy,” said Joseph. David Shedd, former
Acting Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, noted that although talking
with Iran was not something he opposes, the most crucial matter remains that the
regime changes from within.
Company: Iran-linked Hackers Attack Israeli Targets
Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 18 December, 2021
An Iran-linked hacking group attacked seven Israeli targets over a 24-hour
period this week, an Israeli cyber-security firm said, in the latest episode of
cyber-warfare between the rival states. The targets of the attack by the group
called "Charming Kitten" included the Israeli "government and business sector",
Tel Aviv-based Check Point said in a statement late Wednesday, without providing
specifics. "Check Point has blocked these attacks, as we witnessed
communications between a server used by this group and the targets in Israel,"
said the firm. "Our reports of the last 48 hours prove that both criminal
hacking groups and nation state actors are engaged in the exploration of this
vulnerability."Allegations of cyberwar between Iran and Israel have escalated in
recent months.Israel has been blamed for a series of cyber-attacks on Iranian
infrastructure, including the country's fuel distribution system in October.
Another purportedly Iran-linked hacking group called "Black Shadow" claimed an
October cyber-attack on an Israeli internet service provider.
Erdogan pushes Turkish interests in Africa while concern
mounts about currency crisis at home
Ali Sarraf/The Arab Weekly/December 18/2021
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held talks with several African leaders, on
Friday, on the sidelines of the 3rd Turkey-Africa partnership summit, held in
Istanbul under the lofty goal of “enhanced partnership for common development
and prosperity.”But despite the high hopes he pins on the Africa-Turkey event,
taking place, on Friday and Saturday, Erdogan is unlikely to have been
distracted from the worsening currency crisis and its growing side-effects at
home. Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said that 16 heads of state and 102
African ministers are taking part in the summit. The event comes on the heels of
a top-level business forum held, in October, with a focus on investment and
trade. Cavusoglu called Ankara's approach to Africa "long term" and "strategic",
including cooperation in such diverse topics as health, education, agriculture
and industry. But military sales, including the export of drones and other
hardware, loom large in Ankara's trade with Africa. Turkey, in August, also
signed a military cooperation pledge with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed,
who has been embroiled in a war with Tigrayan rebels for the past year. “The
most important sector is the defence sector because this is a new asset. Turkey
has pushed this sector a lot, especially drones,” Federico Donelli, an
international relations researcher at the University of Genoa, told AFP. Turkish
defence and aviation exports to Ethiopia rose to $94.6 million between January
and November from around $235,000 in the same period last year, according to
figures published by the Turkish Exporters Assembly. Sales to Angola, Chad,
Tunisia, Morocco and other African nations have increased. Turkey has reportedly
set up a web of 37 military offices across Africa in all, in line with Erdogan’s
affirmed goal of tripling the annual trade volume with the continent to $75
billion in the coming years. Ankara has extended its overall footprint in Africa
during the last few years. The number of Turkish embassies in Africa has grown
from 12 to 43 while Turkish Airlines services more than 60 African destinations.
Its soft-power strategy has included the donation of COVID-19 vaccines with
additional 2.3 million doses announced for the coming period.
Not the right time
The Turkey-Africa event in Istanbul comes, however, at a very inopportune time
for Erdogan, who is struggling at home with a serious monetary crisis that is
spreading upheaval beyond the banking sector. The weakened lira is driving
prices higher, making imports, fuel and everyday goods more expensive. Many
people in the country of more than 83 million are struggling to buy food and to
provide for other basic needs as experts see growing signs of social turmoil.
Turkey's beleaguered currency has lost 55% of its value against the dollar since
the start of the year. The lira crashed to a new all-time low against the
dollar, on Friday, a day after the Central Bank again lowered a key interest
rate despite surging consumer prices, a move spurred by President Recep Tayyip
Erdogan’s unconventional economic policy. The lira’s fall prompted the Central
Bank to intervene by selling off more foreign currency. It was the bank’s fifth
intervention in recent weeks to attempt to prop up the lira. The lira hit a new
record low of 17.14 against the dollar before the bank intervened and the
currency recovered some of its losses on Friday. Still, it was around 5% weaker
against the US currency from Thursday’s close.
Erdogan, who has long argued that high interest rates cause inflation, has
pushed for low borrowing costs to stimulate the Turkish economy, boost growth,
exports and employment. Meanwhile, the Turkish stock exchange Borsa Istanbul's
benchmark index saw a sharp decline Friday, triggering automatic
circuit-breakers that temporarily halted transactions, Analysts say that while
Turkey's promotion of its economic and military interests in Africa is part of
the country's long term ambitions, the currency crisis and its economic ripple
effects present an immediate challenge, as they come against a background of
mounting political woes that might embolden Erdogan's opposition even more and
further weaken the president's popularity at home while the spectre of early
elections is not a partisan illusion anymore.
Philippines: Typhoon Leaves Scores Dead, Many Homes Roofless
Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 18 December, 2021
A powerful typhoon left at least 19 people dead, knocked down power and
communications in entire provinces and wrought widespread destruction mostly in
the central Philippines, officials said Saturday. A governor said her island
province has been “leveled to the ground."
Typhoon Rai blew away Friday night into the South China Sea after rampaging
through southern and central island provinces, where more than 300,000 people in
its path were evacuated to safety in advance in a pre-emptive move officials say
may have saved a lot of lives, The Associated Press reported.
At its strongest, Rai packed sustained winds of 195 kilometers (121 miles) per
hour and gusts of up to 270 kph (168 mph), one of the most powerful in recent
years to hit the disaster-prone Southeast Asian archipelago, which lies between
the Pacific Ocean and the South China Sea. The typhoon slammed into the
country’s southeastern coast Thursday but the extent of casualties and
destruction remained unclear two days after with entire provinces still without
power and cellphone connection. The national police reported at least 19 dead
but did not provide other details. The government’s main disaster-response
agency reported a lower death toll of 12, mostly villagers hit by falling trees,
because it said it had to carefully validate each death. Officials on Dinagat
Islands, one of the first provinces to be lashed by the typhoon’s ferocious
winds, remained cut off Saturday due to downed power and communication lines.
But its governor, Arlene Bag-ao, managed to post a statement on the province’s
website to say that the province of about 180,000 “has been leveled to the
ground.” She pleaded for food, water, temporary shelters, fuel, hygiene kits and
medical supplies. She said only a few casualties have been reported in the
capital so far because other towns remain isolated. “We may have survived, but
we cannot do the same in the coming days because of our limited capacities as an
island province,” Bag-ao said, adding some of Dinagat’s hospitals could not open
due to damage. “Most of our commercial and cargo vessels ... are now unsuitable
for sea voyages, effectively cutting us off from the rest of the country.”Vice
Gov. Nilo Demerey managed to reach a nearby province and told DZMM radio network
that at least six residents died and that “almost 95% of houses in Dinagat have
no roof,” and even emergency shelters were destroyed.
“We’re currently doing repairs because even our evacuation centers were
destroyed. There are no shelters, the churches, gymnasium, schools, public
markets and even the capitol were all shattered,” Demerey said.
Pictures posted on Dinagat’s website show low-slung houses with roofs either
blown off or damaged and surrounded by tin roof sheets and debris. In central
Bohol province, which was directly hit by the typhoon, the coast guard said its
personnel on board rubber boats rescued residents who were trapped on roofs and
trees, as waters rose rapidly. It released footage showing coast guard staff
helping people from the roof of a house nearly engulfed by brownish floodwater
to a rubber boat. They also help a villager climb down from a tree above the
floodwater while another man, also wearing an orange life vest, waits for his
turn. With government contingency funds used for the coronavirus pandemic,
President Rodrigo Duterte said he would look for money to help the provinces. He
planned to visit the devastated region this weekend.
About 20 storms and typhoons batter the Philippines each year. The archipelago
is located in the seismically active Pacific “Ring of Fire” region, making it
one of the world’s most disaster-prone countries.
The Latest The Latest LCCC English
analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published
on December 18-19/2021
ماجد رفي زاده / معهد جيتستون: إدارة بايدن صامتة تجاه التهديد الإرهابي لملالي
إيران
Biden Administration Silent Against Iran's Mullahs' Terror Threat
Majid Rafizadeh/Gatestone Institute/December 18/ 2021
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/104899/majid-rafizadeh-gatestone-institutebiden-administration-silent-against-irans-mullahs-terror-threat-%d9%85%d8%a7%d8%ac%d8%af-%d8%b1%d9%81%d9%8a-%d8%b2%d8%a7%d8%af%d9%87-%d9%85%d8%b9%d9%87%d8%af/
The conflict in Yemen means more to the Iranian regime than merely taunting its
Gulf rivals. Rather, it seems to be an ideological crusade to unite the Muslim
world under its own Islamist rule, one that will always see any attempts at
peace as merely a delay in the process.
One of the Iranian leaders' main objectives in empowering their militias and
terror groups in other countries is to export the Islamic Republic Revolution to
other nations. This mission is, in fact, part of Iran's Constitution.
Iran's Army and Revolutionary Guards "will be responsible not only for guarding
and preserving the frontiers of the country, but also for fulfilling the
ideological mission of (Shiite) jihad in God's way; that is, extending the
sovereignty of God's (Shiite) law throughout the world ... in the hope that this
century will witness the establishment of a universal holy government and the
downfall of all others." — Iran's Constitution.
The Biden administration needs, once and for all, to abandon its appeasement
policy towards Iran's ruling mullahs. They are in charge of a predatory regime
that has understatedly been called the world's top state sponsor of terrorism.
Yet the current US administration seems hell-bent on empowering them.
The US Department of Justice announced on December 7, 2021 the successful
seizure and forfeiture of two large caches of Iranian weapons. The arms were
being shipped from Iran to the Houthis in Yemen, in yet another Iranian
violation of UN Security Council Resolution 2140. One of the Iranian leaders'
main objectives in empowering their militias and terror groups in other
countries is to export the Islamic Republic Revolution to other nations.
Pictured: Iranian Type 358 surface-to-air missiles that were seized by the US
Navy on February 9, 2020.
In the wake of the largest seizure of arms and fuel from Iranian terror groups
to date, the Biden administration has remained silent.
The US Department of Justice announced on December 7, 2021 the successful
forfeiture of two large caches of Iranian weapons. The weapons reportedly
included advanced arms such as "171 guided anti-tank missiles, eight
surface-to-air missiles, land attack cruise missile components, anti-ship cruise
missile components, thermal weapon optics and other components for missiles and
unmanned aerial vehicles [drones]". The U.S. Navy also seized Iranian petroleum
products from "four foreign-flagged tankers in or around the Arabian Sea while
en route to Venezuela. These actions represent the government's largest-ever
forfeitures of fuel and weapons shipments from Iran."
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) -- created as a military
counterweight to the Shah's army to promote Iran's 1979 Revolution, and
designated as a terrorist organization by the US Department of State --
orchestrated these shipments.
The IRGC is also the backbone of the clerical establishment in Iran. The senior
cadres of the IRGC and the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei enjoy the final
say in Iran's domestic and foreign policy and support for proxies. The IRGC, in
addition, is engaged in the domestic repression of dissidents; the suppression
of freedom of speech, press and assembly, and imprisoning political opponents.
The Washington office of an Iranian opposition group, the National Council of
Resistance of Iran (NCRI), has released a 175-page book, "The Rise of the
Revolutionary Guards Corps Financial Empire," demonstrating that the IRGC
controls more than half Iran's GDP and owns several major economic powerhouses
and religious endowments, such as Astan-e Qods Razavi, in the northeastern city
of Mashad. The NCRI also published another detailed book on 15 Iranian terrorist
training centers, where the IRGC provides ideological, military and tactical
training to foreign recruits, who are later dispatched to conduct terrorist
activities in the Middle East and beyond.
These shipments of weapons, which were headed to the Houthis in Yemen, is yet
another violation by Iran of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2140:
"Obligation to freeze all funds, other financial assets and economic resources
that are owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by the individuals or
entities designated by the Committee, or by individuals or entities acting on
their behalf or at their direction, or by entities owned or controlled by them;
no funds, financial assets or economic resources to be made available to or for
the benefit of such individuals or entities."
Unfortunately the Biden administration has remained silent -- presumably because
it does not want to scuttle the prospect of reviving the flimsy, lethal 2015
nuclear deal, also known as the JCPOA, which in reality is a runway for the
Islamic Republic, in a few years, to have an unlimited nuclear arsenal.
Meanwhile, the Houthis in Yemen have been fortunate enough to have Iran as a
powerful ally in attempts to unseat the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, presumably to
take possession of Islam's two holiest places, Mecca and Medina. The Houthis'
Iranian backers will not let them run out of ammunition. The Iranian government
continues to be persistent in smuggling illicit weapons and technology into
Yemen
Iran's efforts to smuggle these illicit weapons to its militia and terror groups
gives an insight into the tactics and long-term strategies of Iranian-trained
and armed proxies across the Middle East. Their plans and agenda appear to be
built on four pillars: destabilization, conflict, assassination, and the
rejection of any solution that has Sunni or Western origins. The conflict in
Yemen means more to the Iranian regime than merely taunting its Gulf rivals.
Rather, it appears to be an ideological crusade to unite the Muslim world under
its own Islamist rule, one that will always see any attempts at peace as merely
a delay in the process.
The Iranian regime utilizes various methods -- through land, sea and commercial
flights -- to smuggle weapons. According to Israel's former ambassador to the
UN, Danny Danon:
"The Iranian Al-Quds Force packs weapons, ammunition and missile technology to
Hezbollah in suitcases and puts them on Mahan Air flights... These planes fly
directly to the airport in Lebanon or Damascus and from there the weapons are
transferred on the ground to Hezbollah."
One of the Iranian leaders' main objectives in empowering their militias and
terror groups in other countries is to export the Islamic Republic Revolution to
other nations. This mission is, in fact, part of Iran's Constitution. The
Constitution, its preamble states, "provides the necessary basis for ensuring
the continuation of the Revolution at home and abroad." The Iranian Constitution
goes on to say that Iran's Army and Revolutionary Guards
"will be responsible not only for guarding and preserving the frontiers of the
country, but also for fulfilling the ideological mission of (Shiite) jihad in
God's way; that is, extending the sovereignty of God's (Shiite) law throughout
the world ... in the hope that this century will witness the establishment of a
universal holy government and the downfall of all others."
The Biden administration needs, once and for all, to abandon its appeasement
policy towards Iran's ruling mullahs. They are in charge of a predatory regime
that has understatedly been called the world's top state sponsor of terrorism.
Yet the current US administration seems hell-bent on empowering them.
*Dr. Majid Rafizadeh is a business strategist and advisor, Harvard-educated
scholar, political scientist, board member of Harvard International Review, and
president of the International American Council on the Middle East. He has
authored several books on Islam and US foreign policy. He can be reached at
Dr.Rafizadeh@Post.Harvard.Edu
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For the Gulf, war with Iran is the wrong choice
Ali Sarraf/The Arab Weekly/December 18/2021
Nobody in the United States buys the idea that Israel wants to attack Iran.
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett did not find anyone in the UAE to buy it
either. The entire Gulf region does not take Israeli threats to Iran seriously.
Even if something happened that might prompt the White House to green-light a
strike on Iran's reactors, the United States would be better equipped for the
task than Israel. In both cases, the Gulf states do not need to be a party to
the conflict nor to be caught in the middle of it, over an issue that is not
high on the scale of their concerns.
For the Gulf countries, war against Iran, for whatever reason, is the wrong
choice. First, because it is onerous. Second, because it will set back the
situation in the region twenty years by fuelling political and social turmoil.
Third, because it will provide ammunition for extremist escalation, both in
discourse and in acts of terrorism. Fourth, because the results from such an
attack are not guaranteed. And fifth, because, instead of providing solutions,
it will complicate existing crises. It is true that Iran is behaving like an
aggressive expeditionary force. And it is true that it wants to continue
supporting its proxy militias in Iraq, Lebanon and Yemen. But it is also true
that these policies have done Iran more harm than good. It has also transformed
the countries that fell under the influence of its militias into failed states.
And Iran itself is turning, by what it is doing to itself, into a failed state
that is unable to provide water and medicine to large segments of its provinces
and citizens.
The Gulf viewpoint is that Iran is causing enough harm to its own interests by
itself. Not one dirham needs to be spent on making the miserable conditions of
this country worse. On the contrary, from the Gulf perspective and that of the
UAE, in particular, the opposite is true. Iranian officials are not so blind as
not to realise the magnitude of the failure they have inflicted upon themselves.
They know that if they want to reverse course, they will need the friendship of
the Gulf states instead of their animosity.
The politics of threats and blackmail has not yielded any benefits to Iran and
will not do so in the future. When water and medicine are available to the 85
million Iranians, Iranian officials will realise that they needed a whole a new
approach to relations with the countries of the region, based on cooperation,
mutual benefit and investments so that the region is able to mobilise its
economic capabilities and employ them to serve its development.
Without a doubt, Naftali Bennett heard in Abu Dhabi, that it is the
“zero-problems” policy that opened the doors to Israel and is the same policy
pursued towards Iran, Turkey and others. The Emiratis view all the countries in
the region as a vital area for investment and economic cooperation. They believe
that political differences and disputes can be addressed through cooperation and
confidence-building, instead of useless tension and political escalation.
Israel wants to appear as a power capable of acting outside its geographical
borders. This may help raise morale at home, but for the Gulf states, this is a
part of the problem that has made Israel what it is today. This approach offers
no solution when it targets Iran, Syria or Lebanon. This is the disease of
military hubris. Time for it to end.
The peace agreements with Israel were in fact aimed at curbing the tendency to
use military force in order to impose political realities. Bennett returned from
Abu Dhabi with an understanding that the Gulf states want stability in the
region, not war and conflicts. The Iranian nuclear problem is not what worries
the Gulf people. The region has the capabilities it needs to ensure its own
security. If Saudi Arabia had wanted, it would have become a nuclear power much
more quickly than Iran. But being the land of holy places, it would not have
wanted to tread such a path.
Perhaps Israel has the right to be concerned about the Iranian nuclear
programme. This is understandable. However, Israel's security is dependent on a
broad Western cover. This also makes it necessary for the Jewish state to take
the lead in curbing the Iranian nuclear project on its own.
The Gulf people understand, on this basis, that Israeli threats to strike Iran
are a domestic fanfare tactic aimed at raising the morale of the people at home
and an attempt to motivate Western backing for Israel's security.
The UAE has created new equations in the region, by insisting that regional
stability is what is needed. Cooperation among the countries of the region,
regardless of their orientation, is the cornerstone for rebuilding the region's
economies and societies. Political disputes can be settled on the basis of
mutual understanding and common interests.
In Abu Dhabi, Bennett received an important lesson in the significance of peace.
No wonder he returned from there brimming with "optimism".
Could an end to the Turkey-Armenia deadlock finally be in
sight?
Sinem Cengiz/Arab News/December 18, 2021
In an apparent breakthrough in the long-standing deadlock between Ankara and
Yerevan, the two neighbors have pledged to appoint special envoys to pave the
way for the normalization of Turkish-Armenian relations, after nearly three
decades of enmity.
After months of several positive public statements by Turkish and Armenian
officials, the announcement of the appointment of special envoys was made by
Ankara and endorsed by Yerevan, with the latter stating that Armenia is ready to
initiate a normalization process with Turkey “without preconditions.”
The Turkish side added that charter flights between Istanbul and Yerevan would
resume soon.
Ankara has named Serdar Kilic, a former Turkish ambassador to Washington who has
a close relationship with the Turkish presidency, as its special envoy to lead
the discussions with the Armenians, while Yerevan has yet to announce a name.
Through the appointment of envoys, which is the most concrete step taken so far
toward normalization, Ankara and Yerevan will be able to negotiate without third
parties involved in the process.
When announcing the news of the special envoys, Ankara stressed that every step
in the process will include consultations with Azerbaijan. This statement
indicates that Ankara is cautious and determined not to relegate Baku to the
sidelines as it did in 2009 when the Zurich Protocols between Turkey and Armenia
were signed. That earlier attempt to establish diplomatic relations, and reopen
the joint border between Turkey and Armenia, was derailed by Baku.
Therefore, the success of the new process between Turkey and Armenia will also
depend on the separate track between Baku and Yerevan. If peace can be achieved
between Azerbaijan and Armenia, progress could be made in Turkish-Armenian
relations.
Last year’s six-week Nagorno-Karabakh War between Azeri and Armenian troops
ended in favor of Baku, thanks to Turkey’s support, and provided a new impetus
to restore ties between neighbors.
For a deeper understanding, I asked Armenian and Turkish civil society
representatives about their perspectives on the appointment of special envoys.
According to Richard Giragosian, director of Yerevan-based Regional Studies
Center, the announcement, which is seen as Ankara taking the first step in
support of normalization with Armenia, is crucial for three reasons.
“Firstly, the process of normalization is part of a broader post-war effort to
restore regional trade and transport in the South Caucasus region,” he said.
“Secondly, a return to diplomatic engagement between Turkey and Armenia offers a
rare success in Turkish foreign policy and a positive development after months
of political instability and economic crisis in Turkey. And thirdly, this is
also a component of a more ambitious Turkish effort of rapprochement with
Israel, the UAE and others.”
Mensur Akgun, director of the Global Political Trends Center in Istanbul, is
optimistic but cautious about this new impetus.
“It is a positive step; however, the appointment of special representatives, not
diplomatic representatives, shows us that the negotiation process is not over,”
he said. “It is possible that Turkey will link the normalization to the genocide
allegations and will try to maintain the balance in the twin protocols signed in
2009. “On the other hand, both parties need to hurry up because their own public
opinion and the regional conjuncture may follow a course against the
normalization process.”
In addition to the Nagorno-Karabakh issue, Turkish-Armenian relations continue
to be soured by the events that led to the deaths of Armenians living in
Anatolia during the First World War. Armenians say the events amounted to
“genocide,” while Turkey vehemently objects to the suggestion that there was a
plan to systematically wipe out the Armenian population, and describes the
events as a tragedy in which both sides suffered casualties.
For many years, therefore, the “G-word” has remained a major obstacle to the
normalization of Turkish-Armenian relations, and all efforts by civil society
organizations, intellectuals and officials to overcome it have failed.
One of the keys issues relating to the normalization of relations is the
creation of a joint commission, made up of historians and lawyers from Turkey
and Armenia, to discuss past humanitarian tragedies. Ankara has repeatedly
proposed such an initiative as a requirement; however, it seems to be a
prerequisite that is not easily acceptable to the Armenian side.
According to Akgun, the reason behind the Turkish desire for a normalization of
the relations is to alleviate the pressure exerted by third parties on Ankara,
and this can only be achieved by the establishment of such a commission.
Therefore the current Turkish-Armenian rapprochement is being strongly supported
by various international actors, in particular by Washington and Moscow.
Although a challenging road lies ahead, sincerity and speedy efforts will be the
keys to breaking the Turkish-Armenian deadlock.
But analysts maintain that the path to Turkey-Armenia normalization is not going
to be a bed of roses.
One of the preconditions that Turkey included in the 2009 protocols for the
establishment of diplomatic relations was Armenia’s recognition of Turkish
territorial integrity. Article 11 of the Armenian Declaration of Independence of
Aug. 23, 1990 refers to Eastern Anatolia, in Turkey, as Western Armenia and, as
such, holds that the area is part of Armenia. This is considered by Turkey to be
a policy that undermines good neighborly relations. Because of this article, the
Armenian constitutional court did not allow the 2009 protocols to be ratified.
Needless to say, no one expects the issues between Turkey and Armenia to be
resolved overnight. The normalization of relations will involve several aspects
related to both domestic and regional constraints.
Although a challenging road lies ahead, sincerity and speedy efforts will be the
keys to breaking the Turkish-Armenian deadlock. Both countries should be able to
benefit from the new climate in the region that is more conducive to
deescalation and diplomacy.
*Sinem Cengiz is a Turkish political analyst who specializes in Turkey’s
relations with the Middle East. Twitter: @SinemCngz