English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For December 25/2020
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news

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Bible Quotations For today
Do not be afraid; for see I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is the Messiah, the Lord
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 02/01-20/:”In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for see I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.’ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favours!’When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.’So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on December 24-25/2021
Elias Bejjani/Video-Text: Christmas Is A Holy Event For Openness Prayers, Contemplation, & Forgiveness
What is the true meaning of Christmas?
Health Ministry: 2,119 new Corona cases, 16 deaths
Al-Rahi in his Christmas message: Lebanon without impartiality continuously stands on the brink of crises, divisions and wars
Al-Rahi Slams 'Unilateral Will' that is 'Paralyzing Institutions'
Rahi receives congratulatory calls from Berri, Mikati, continues to receive well-wishers on Christmas Eve
Beirut Port Blast Probe Suspended for Fourth Time
Port Blast Probe: What's the Snag?
World Bank Pledges $37 Million to Help Lebanon Teachers
Miqati Meets Italian Minister, Says Determined to Reunite Govt.
Dubai Police Seizes 'Captagon Lemons from Lebanon'
Lebanon’s Free Patriotic Movement signals possible end of Hezbollah alliance
So That the Plan to Somalize Lebanon Does Not Succeed!/Hanna Saleh/Asharq Al-Awsat/December, 24/2021

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on December 24-25/2021
Coronavirus Dampens Christmas Joy in Biblical Bethlehem
Baghdad Calls for Direct Negotiations between Washington, Tehran
Iran IRGC chief says military drill warning to Israel
Iran fires 16 missiles during annual drills in warning to Israel
UN Experts Condemn Secret Execution of Kurdish Prisoner in Iran
Washington Affirms Commitment to Two-state Solution, Reopening US Consulate in Jerusalem
Jordan Calls for Syria's Return to Arab League at Algeria Summit
Japan Health Panel Approves Merck’s Oral COVID-19 Treatment
Russian Gas Goes East via Yamal-Europe Pipeline for Fourth Day
Middle Eastern Migrants Camped in Belarus Warehouse Still Hope to Get to EU
Turkey Freezes Assets of US-based Foundation, 770 Individuals
Russia’s Putin says Europe only has itself to blame for surging gas prices

Titles For The Latest The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on December 24-25/2021
Youth exodus dampens spirit of Christmas among Syria's Christians/The Arab Weekly/Friday, 24 December, 2021
Biden's Global Challenges/Chris Farrell and Shea Bradley-Farrell/Gatestone Institute/December 24/2021
Yesterday’s Treaty and Tomorrow’s Threats/Amir Taheri/Asharq Al-Awsat/December, 24/2021

The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on December 24-25/2021
Elias Bejjani/Video-Text: Christmas Is A Holy Event For Openness Prayers, Contemplation, & Forgiveness
ذكرى الميلاد هي فرصة مقدسة للصلاة والتأمل والإنفتاح على الغير والمسامحة
Elias Bejjani/December 25/2021
#Elias_Bejjani_Christmas_Wishes
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/81746/elias-bejjani-christmas-and-the-obligations-of-the-righteous-%d8%b0%d9%83%d8%b1%d9%89-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%85%d9%8a%d9%84%d8%a7%d8%af-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%85%d8%ac%d9%8a%d8%af-%d9%88%d9%88%d8%a7%d8%ac%d8%a8/
Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. (Luke 02/11)
Glory to God in the highest, on earth peace, good will toward men (Luke 02/14)
The holy birth of Jesus Christ bears numerous blessed vital values and principles including love, giving, redemption, modesty and forgiveness.
Christmas is a role model of love because God, our Father Himself is love.
Accordingly and in a bid to cleanse us from our original sin He came down from heaven, was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, and became man.
This is my commandment, that you love one another, even as I have loved you. (John15/12)
There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. (John15/13)
Christmas is way of giving …God gave us Himself because He is a caring, generous, forgiving and loving and father.
Christmas embodies all principles of genuine redemption. Jesus Christ redeemed us and for our sake He joyfully was crucified, and tolerated all kinds of torture, humiliation and pain
Christmas is a dignified image of modesty ..Jesus Christ accepted to be born into a manger and to live his life on earth in an extremely simple and humble manner.
Let us continuously remind our selves that when our day comes that could be at any moment, we shall not be able to take any thing that is earthly with us for the Day of judgment except our work and acts, be righteous or evil.
Christmas is a holy act of forgiveness ….God, and because He is a loving and forgiving has Sent His Son Jesus Christ redeem to free us from the bondage of the original sin that Adam and Eve committed.
Christmas requires that we all genuinely pray and pray for those who are hurt, lonely, deserted by their beloved ones, feel betrayed, are enduring pain silently pain, suffer anguish, deprived from happiness, warmth and joy .
Christmas is ought to teach us that it is the duty of every believer to practice his/her faith not only verbally and via routine rituals, but and most importantly through actual deeds of righteousness….
Christmas’ spirit is not only rituals of decorations, festivities, gifts and joyful celebrations…But deeds in all ways and means by helping those who need help in all field and domains.
Christmas’s spirit is a calls to honour and actually abide by all Bible teachings and values.
In this realm we have a Biblical obligation to open our hearts and with love extend our hand to all those who are in need, and we are able to help him remembering always that Almighty God showered on us all sorts of graces and capabilities so we can share them with others.
Christmas is a time to hold to the Ten Commandments, foremost of which is “Honour your father and your mother”.
Christmas is a good time for us to attentively hear and positively respond to our conscience, which is the voice of God within us.
Christmas should revive in our minds and hearts the importance of fighting all kinds temptations so we do not become slaves to earthly wealth, or power of authority.
Christmas for us as patriotic and faithful Lebanese is a time to pray for the safe and dignified return of our Southern people who were forced to take refuge in Israel since the year 2000.
Christmas for each and every loving and caring Lebanese is a holy opportunity for calling loudly on all the Lebanese politicians and clergymen, as well as on the UN for the release of the thousands of Lebanese citizens who are arbitrarily and unjustly imprisoned in Syrian prisons.
Most importantly Christmas is a time for praying and working for the liberation of our dear homeland Lebanon, from the Iranian occupation.
No one should never ever lose sight for a moment or keep a blind eye on the sacrifices of our heroic righteous martyrs who willing sacrificed themselves for our homeland, identity, existence, and dignity. Our prayers goes for them on this Holy Day and for peace in each and every country, especially in the chaotic and troubled Middle East.
May God Bless you all and shower upon you, your families, friends, and beloved ones all graces of joy, health, love, forgiveness, meekness and hope.

What is the true meaning of Christmas?
gotquestions.org//December 25/2021
The true meaning of Christmas is love. John 3:16-17 says, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." The true meaning of Christmas is the celebration of this incredible act of love. The real Christmas story is the story of God’s becoming a human being in the Person of Jesus Christ. Why did God do such a thing? Because He loves us! Why was Christmas necessary? Because we needed a Savior! Why does God love us so much? Because He is love itself (1 John 4:8). Why do we celebrate Christmas each year? Out of gratitude for what God did for us, we remember His birth by giving each other gifts, worshiping Him, and being especially conscious of the poor and less fortunate.
The true meaning of Christmas is love. God loved His own and provided a way—the only Way—for us to spend eternity with Him. He gave His only Son to take our punishment for our sins. He paid the price in full, and we are free from condemnation when we accept that free gift of love. "But God demonstrated His own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).

Health Ministry: 2,119 new Corona cases, 16 deaths
NNA/December, 24/2021  
In its daily report on the Coronavirus developments, the Ministry of Public Health announced on Saturday the registration of 2,119 new Coronavirus infections, which raised the cumulative number of confirmed cases to-date to 709,242.The report added that 16 deaths were recorded during the past 24 hours.

Al-Rahi in his Christmas message: Lebanon without impartiality continuously stands on the brink of crises, divisions and wars
NNA/December, 24/2021  
Maronite Patriarch, Cardinal Bechara Boutros al-Rahi, delivered this morning from the “Church of Our Lady” in Bkirki, the message of Christmas entitled, “Lead us to Bethlehem to see this Word”, expressing his well-wishes to the Lebanese people in general, and Christians in particular, residing in the homeland and the countries of the Diaspora. In his homily, the Patriarch said: “Christmas is an invitation for us, and for every human and individual, to hasten to meet Christ, through the symbols of the cave and the tree, and actually through the secrets of salvation. He is our light in the thick darkness of our night, which surrounds us, as if without dawn to follow.”“Christmas is the feast of the Light of Christ that shines in the darkness of life, in order to dispel it. Let us hasten to Him with the faith and simplicity of the shepherds of Bethlehem, to be enlightened by His person, His words and His signs. Jesus is the dawn after our long night,” al-Rahi maintained, stressing that the world is in need of the light of Christ, the light of truth, to find a way out of its darkness. The Patriarch continued to indicate that “the birth of Lebanon is the exception that the Lebanese should have proposed as a rule for the peoples of the Middle East. But we did not know the value of this blessed homeland, so we doubted it and abandoned the blessing. We are not the only people who disagree on their past. All peoples differed and fought. Where are our wars from the wars of Europe, America and Asia…and others? But these peoples accepted their different history, reconciled, learned from their experiences, and set out towards a brighter future…. As for us, we still restate our differences, going backwards and destroying what our statesmen have built!”He added: “We demand the restoration of our democratic system because we have been living in a state of disorder for years…and the restoration of our state because we live outside its cover, and it lives outside its legitimacy, constitution and charter, and is subject to the deliberate imposition of a single will on constitutional institutions until they are shackled and disrupted.”“Lebanon without impartiality will always stand on the brink of crises, divisions and wars,” regretted al-Rahi, disclosing that in his meeting with the Secretary-General of the United Nations last Monday, he presented him with a memorandum comprising Bkirki’s usual positions on neutrality and the international conference on Lebanon and the necessity of implementing all international resolutions without fragmentation, especially since the State of Lebanon agreed to them successively. “We stressed to the Secretary-General the need for the United Nations to move before anyone else to crystallize an international solution that reflects the will of the Lebanese," the Patriarch underscored.

Al-Rahi Slams 'Unilateral Will' that is 'Paralyzing Institutions'
Naharnet/December, 24/2021
Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi on Friday lashed out at the parties that are imposing their “unilateral will” on state institutions to the extent of “confining and paralyzing” them. “We demand the restoration of our democratic system, because we have been living for years in a state of disorder,” al-Rahi said in his Christmas message. He also called for “recovering our state, because we are living outside its boundaries and it is living outside its legitimacy, constitution and National Pact.”The patriarch also reiterated that “the only gateway for salvation and rescue would be declaring Lebanon’s positive and active neutrality, in line with the National Pact that rejects turning Lebanon into a place or passageway for any foreign presence.

Rahi receives congratulatory calls from Berri, Mikati, continues to receive well-wishers on Christmas Eve
NNA/December, 24/2021
Maronite Patriarch, Cardinal Bechara Boutros al-Rahi, received Friday a series of congratulatory phone calls on the occasion of the glorious holiday season, most notably from Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Najib Mikati. The Patriarch also continued to receive well-wishers throughout the day, whereby he met respectively with Minister of Youth and Sports, Brigadier George Kallas, Judge Sakr Sakr, a delegation from the Maronite General Council and another from the General Secretariat of Catholic Schools. He also received MP Ali Osseiran, and later Minister of Industry George Pouchkian, who said on emerging: "My visit to His Beatitude Patriarch al-Rahi is to express my warmest well-wishes on the glorious Christmas celebration. Bkirki is a historical national and religious pilgrimage destination, and His Beatitude is entrusted with Lebanon the message as described by Pope Saint John Paul II." Pouchkian went on to assure that "His Beatitude is keen on Lebanon as a country of coexistence among all its sects, one which does not exist without all its children,” adding that “the uniting role of Bkirki brings the Lebanese together around common denominators.”He concluded by saying: “The birth of Christ is a feast of peace, hope, devotion and love, to thank God for all His blessings, and we are all full of confidence and belief that this stage will not be long…We will witness salvation and a promising future for our beloved country.”

Beirut Port Blast Probe Suspended for Fourth Time
Agence France Presse/December, 24/2021
The Lebanese judge leading investigations into last year's Beirut port blast, Tarek Bitar, has been forced to stop work over a lawsuit filed by ex-ministers he had summoned for interrogation, an official said. The suspension is the fourth since Tarek Bitar was chosen to lead investigations in February. It comes two weeks since Bitar was cleared to resume work, after a series of court challenges raised by political leaders derailed his efforts. On Thursday, Bitar was informed of a lawsuit submitted by lawmakers Ghazi Zoaiter and Ali Hassan Khalil -- both members of the Amal movement -- which forced him to pause the probe until a ruling is issued, a court official told AFP on condition of anonymity. The total number of lawsuits against Bitar now stands at 18, the official said, most of which were filed by officials he is seeking to interrogate on suspicion of criminal negligence. Rights groups and relatives of blast victims have repeatedly condemned what they have described as blatant political interference in the investigation. They say it aims to preserve a culture of political impunity in a country where even assassinations and bombings can go unpunished. The August 4, 2020 explosion was caused by a huge stockpile of ammonium nitrate fertilizer that was stored haphazardly at Beirut port for years. Top political and security officials knew of the dangers posed by the shipment but failed to take action. The powerful Iran-backed Hizbullah is leading demands to remove Bitar. Its ministers have said they will boycott Cabinet sessions until an official decision is taken to replace him. As a result, the government, which was formed in September to address an unprecedented economic crisis, has failed to meet since October, despite mounting woes.

Port Blast Probe: What's the Snag?
Agence France Presse/December, 24/2021
Sixteen months since a monster blast ripped through the Lebanese capital, the judge investigating the tragedy has been beset by numerous lawsuits, mostly filed against him by officials demanding his removal. With Judge Tarek Bitar forced to suspend his probe for a fourth time in the face of such complaints, here is a look at the increasingly complex web of court challenges obstructing investigations into Lebanon's worst peacetime disaster.
- What has prevented the probe? -
The August 4, 2020 explosion of a shipment of ammonium nitrate fertilizer stored haphazardly in a port warehouse for years killed at least 215 people and disfigured the capital. Top political and security officials were aware of the threat posed by the stored chemicals but failed to take action. In February, Fadi Sawwan, the judge initially appointed to lead the probe, was removed from the case after chasing some of the country's top brass. Bitar succeeded him, and has since faced similar hurdles amid a concerted political campaign to force his removal. Officials he had summoned on charges of negligence have filed more than a dozen lawsuits against him, forcing him to suspend his probe four times. They include several ex-ministers, two of whom were hit with arrest warrants in recent months after they failed to show up for questioning. Attempts by officials to dodge accountability have been aided by the state. Parliament has refused to lift immunity granted to lawmakers and top officials have turned down requests to interrogate top security officials. The Interior Ministry has also failed to implement arrest warrants issued by Bitar, further undermining his investigation.
- What is the political fallout? -
Attempts to obstruct Bitar's work have spilled onto the streets, with the powerful Iran-backed Hizbullah and its ally Amal staging a rally in October demanding his removal. The protest turned some of Beirut's suburbs into a war zone, with live fire exchanges between rival parties leaving seven dead.
Hizbullah and Amal allies are spearheading efforts to replace Bitar. Their affiliates in Cabinet have said they would boycott sessions until an official stance is taken on his replacement. As a result, Lebanon's fragile government, formed in September to stem the country's worst-ever financial crisis, has failed to meet since October. In a country where political leaders determine judicial appointments, including in top courts, there is little room for the judiciary to work against Lebanon's ruling elite. Bitar has been forced to suspend his probe repeatedly over lawsuits filed by officials he had called in for questioning on suspicion of negligence. A judicial source said the number of lawsuits filed against Bitar now stands at 18. Some of the judges who turned down requests to replace Bitar have since been hit with lawsuits themselves by the same officials, and they have in turn mobilized affiliated judges at every opportunity.
Last month, a judge backed by Hizbullah and Amal processed a lawsuit filed against Bitar that forced a third suspension in the investigation. This created a rift within judicial circles, with many arguing that the judge in question had no authority over the Beirut blast case. Following accusations of political "hijacking," a legal complaint filed against the judge forced him to stand down.
- What is the judiciary's role? -
The lawsuits against Bitar will inevitably delay the presentation of his findings which were previously expected by the year's end, according to a judicial source. In a country where even high-profile assassinations and bombings go unpunished, many fear a Lebanon-led blast probe will fail to hold anyone to account. "The judicial body in Lebanon is ill," a former judge told AFP on condition of anonymity. "Some judges are merely an echo chamber for the political leaders that appointed them," the same judge said. In a joint letter sent to the United Nations Human Rights Council in September, rights groups and relatives of blast victims said "flagrant political interference, immunity for high-level political officials, and lack of respect for fair trial" have rendered the Beirut blast probe incapable of delivering justice. Nizar Saghieh, who heads the local organization Legal Agenda, said divisions over Bitar's fate expose deeper rifts within the state. "The democratic components of the Lebanese state are supporting judges working to tighten the space for impunity, while others are backing judges that are working to preserve this system," he wrote on social media.

World Bank Pledges $37 Million to Help Lebanon Teachers
Agence France Presse/December, 24/2021
The World Bank said it has agreed with its partners to repurpose $37 million in funds to help Lebanon's public school teachers survive a crushing economic crisis. The World Bank and the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office would divert the money from the Lebanon Syrian Crisis Trust Fund, which aims to assist Lebanese communities accommodating Syrian refugees, the bank said in a statement. It would be used to "provide financial incentives to public school teachers suffering from the severe economic and financial crisis in Lebanon to ensure they can purchase fuel to travel to work," the statement added. The "exceptional" financing, which is valid only for the 2021-2022 academic year, came at the request of Lebanon's government, the bank said. Lebanon, home to more than one million refugees from war-torn Syria, is grappling with an economic crisis that the World Bank has branded as one of the worst the world has seen in modern times. More than 80 percent of the population lives in poverty and the local currency, the pound, has lost 90 percent of its value against the dollar on the black market. Public school teachers who were already underpaid before the onset of the economic crisis two years ago have since been pushed deeper into poverty. Their salaries in pounds are a fraction of what they used to be due to the currency's rapid devaluation. Many cannot afford to purchase fuel to go to work after the government gradually lifted subsidies causing the price of hydrocarbons to more than quadruple within a few months. To fill a medium-sized vehicle's tank, Lebanese motorists would now have to pay more than the monthly minimum wage of 675,000 pounds ($25).

Miqati Meets Italian Minister, Says Determined to Reunite Govt.
Naharnet/December, 24/2021
Prime Minister Najib Miqati held talks Friday with visiting Italian Defense Minister Lorenzo Guerini, who was accompanied by a delegation and by his country’s ambassador to Lebanon. During the meeting, Miqati thanked Italy for its “permanent support for Lebanon and its support for it at all levels,” and also for its “contribution to the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and the sacrifices of its troops for the sake of stability and security in the South.”He also reiterated “Lebanon’s commitment to U.N. Security Council 1701 and all U.N. resolutions.”The Italian minister for his part said Lebanon is “very important” for Italy, adding that the country can “fully count on Italy’s support in the issue of the negotiations with the International Monetary Fund and all relevant international institutions.” “As for our support for the army, it is full support, and we pledge to speed up the measures needed to deliver this assistance,” the minister added. Separately, Miqati extended Christmas greetings to the Lebanese people and said he is “determined to resolve all obstacles in order to reunify the government and continue the steps that we started to put Lebanon on the track of recovery and rescue.”

Dubai Police Seizes 'Captagon Lemons from Lebanon'
Agence France Presse/December, 24/2021
Dubai police said they have arrested four men "of Arab nationality" for trying to smuggle millions of dollars worth of captagon pills hidden in plastic lemons into the UAE. Captagon is an amphetamine-type stimulant manufactured mostly in Lebanon, although probably also in Iraq and Syria, and much of which is bound for Saudi Arabia. The drugs, which the official WAM news agency said had a street value of $15.8 million, were seized after a tipoff, police Major General Khalil Ibrahim Al Mansouri said. A total of 1,160,500 pills were seized. Mansouri said the illegal pills were "hidden in fake lemons in a shipment of lemons inside an incoming refrigerated container." Four suspects living in the UAE -- "all nationals of the same Arab country" -- were arrested. Police said that inside the refrigerated container were "3,840 boxes of lemons, 66 of which had fake lemons containing the captagon pills." They released a video of the find, showing boxes with markings indicating their origin was Lebanon. Lebanon is often criticized by Gulf countries for not cooperating in the war against drugs, particularly captagon. In April, Saudi Arabia announced it was suspending imports of fruit and vegetables from Lebanon after more than five million captagon pills hidden in fruit were seized.And in June, more than 14 million amphetamine pills concealed between sheets of tin and originating in Lebanon were seized in the kingdom. In October, Saudi Arabia denounced Lebanon's failure to "stop the export of the scourge of drugs" to the country.

Lebanon’s Free Patriotic Movement signals possible end of Hezbollah alliance
The Arab Weekly/December 24/2021
Prominent figures close to the party have said the 2006 Mar Mikhael Agreement between FPM and Hezbollah is at an end.
Lebanon’s top Christian party has indicated it is considering ending a political alliance with Iran-backed Hezbollah, threatening a fragile union that has shaped Lebanese politics for nearly 16 years. Gebran Bassil, leader of the Free Patriotic Movement party said earlier this week there would be “political consequences” for action taken against his party by Lebanon’s two main Shia parties Hezbollah and Amal. Prominent figures close to the party have also said the 2006 Mar Mikhael Agreement between FPM and Hezbollah is at an end.
“Mikhael is dead,” FPM pundit Charbel Khalil tweeted on Tuesday. The party’s support was critical in bringing President Michel Aoun, the FPM’s founder, to power in 2016, and the FPM has provided critical Christian political cover for Hezbollah’s armed presence under Lebanon’s sectarian power-sharing system. Hezbollah has not publicly commented. Pro-Hezbollah Sheikh Sadiq Al-Nabulsi said on Wednesday that Hezbollah had “a very high tolerance for pain and criticism” but Bassil was at risk of losing its support. “Today the FPM has no real ally other than Hezbollah, so why are you letting go of your last ally?” he said. Bassil’s party has faced growing political pressure to distance itself from Hezbollah since the country’s 2019 financial meltdown. Traditional allies in the Arab Gulf have been unwilling to provide Lebanon with aid, as they have in the past, because of what they have said is Hezbollah’s grip on the country and its support for Iranian proxies abroad including the Houthi rebels battling Saudi-backed forces in Yemen. The group is classified by the United States and major western nations as a terrorist group.In Lebanon, Hezbollah has taken a hardline stance against the judge investigating the August 2020 Beirut blast, causing a row that has left Prime Minister Najib Mikati’s government unable to meet since October 12 even as poverty and hunger worsen. But Hezbollah remains Bassil’s strongest ally. And with presidential and parliamentary elections due next year, some analysts say the FPM could be just posturing. “The FPM is stuck between a rock and a hard place today. they certainly realise that the Christian street no longer condones any form of acquiescence to Hezbollah’s demands,” said Karim Emile Bitar, director of the Institute of Political science at Beirut’s Saint Joseph University.
“But they simply cannot afford to completely let go of this alliance because it would ruin Bassil’s presidential ambitions and would certainly prevent them from getting a significant parliamentary bloc.”

So That the Plan to Somalize Lebanon Does Not Succeed!
Hanna Saleh/Asharq Al-Awsat/December, 24/2021
Speaking to a panel of scholars, French Envoy Dukan described the manner in which the Lebanese political class has dealt with the great financial, as well as economic and social, collapse as being apathetic, as though it were happening in another country.
He warned his interlocutors that the timeframe is not open and that there is a three-month deadline for reaching an agreement with the International Monetary Fund. Without such an agreement, Lebanon would be alone, and the international community would only concern itself with humanitarian aid and supplying the country with part of the medicine and food it needs.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, on his visit to Beirut, brought with him what remains of the international community’s desire to support the efforts to retrieve its role and status and what is left of the international community’s interest in the country that is besieged by a power-hungry mafia that has left it hostage to the axis of resistance. Of course, Lebanon is among the countries the UN has listed in its food and humanitarian aid programs, with unique assistance granted to the army and military and security apparatuses. That was emphasized despite international hopes that the small country could rise up.
Fighting off the collapse and retrieving growth demand a change in the approach being taken, and the visitor from the UN tried to explore this. He thus called on those clinging to power to take steps to stop the freefall. He also urged them to give precedence to citizens’ interests, respect the law and the judiciary, and commit to being transparent in dealing with the crime of the explosion at the port. He hinted at the pledges made by the prime minister of the paralyzed government about the negotiations with the IMF and his commitment to hold the elections on schedule. But Guterres got the real answer from the mafia controlling the country, which has left the Lebanese with two choices, either emigrate or starve!
The answer was in the scandalous mark of shame that Hezbollah has managed, which entails curtailing the diaspora’s right to vote in response to the demands of the general’s son-in-law Gebran Bassil in return for the dismissal of the lead investigator of the port crime in response to the demands made by Hassan Nassrallah a month ago. The latter is a demand Speaker Nabih Berri has strived to achieve to protect immunities and entrench impunity. Nothing comes before the power hungry’s priority of safeguarding their interests, ensuring that they stay in power, and entrenching the spoil-sharing system! Mikati brought down the agreement, with the appeal failing and the diaspora allowed to vote, while the lead investigator has maintained his position for now. But that is not a question of principle in as much as the deal’s crudeness belittled the premiership and threatened Mikati with a glaring defeat after his call with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and French President Emmanuel Macron, his adoption of the “Jeddah Declaration,” and standing behind the decision to distance the al-Wefaq group for attacking the Kingdom of Bahrain.
It is being echoed that the investigation into the port explosion crime, despite its secrecy and integrity, could be arriving at conclusions that do not please Hezbollah. There is talk of the party being held responsible for the ammonium shipment, that is, for turning a third of Beirut into ruble! For his part, Bassil was worried about the diaspora vote punishing his party, while Hezbollah was worried it could lose its parliamentary majority. That compelled them to draw up a plan that entailed a coup against the judiciary, putting judicial decisions in their hands and putting an end to the judicial revolt that had been heralding the judiciary’s independence.
It was clear to Guterres, who described the situation in Lebanon as “heartbreaking,” adding that “fundamental reforms must be implemented.” What is happening is a violation of the constitution, an insult to the institutions, and a flagrant assault on the Constitutional Council, which they have turned into a “peacemaker,” and belittlement of the state’s prestige. The authoritarian parties, which are the beneficiaries of citizens’ suffering, have turned paralyzing institutions into a tool for exerting control after having corrupted political life with “on-demand” laws, are the other side of the law granting amnesty for war crimes allow the mafia coalition to ascend to power and suffocate the country’s citizens! They strengthen the rumors that Lebanon has become a corpse awaiting an agreement on its burial day!
The picture is very bleak, especially considering the challenges facing the region that complicate the situation in Lebanon and impact it profoundly. The country has been sentenced to subordination since the settlement with Hezbollah was concluded in 2016, and it has been sold off in service of Tehran’s Vienna plan, with no regard for the repercussions of the comprehensive collapses that have hit it. These collapses have become a fireball that is consuming everything, while the government that was disrupted by Hezbollah a month after it was formed, a process that did not end until 13 months after the port explosion. What future awaits a destroyed country run by an alliance by a mafia and militia founded on the statelet’s surplus of power?
No agreement will emerge from the Geneva negotiations anytime soon. Indeed, it is looking increasingly distant, and the gap is massive. Tehran, which seeks to reach the nuclear threshold, is playing hardball, and it is behaving as though the “Persian Crescent” is on the rise on the regional scene. Meanwhile, in reality, its positions are shaky from Marib to Baghdad and Damascus. Only in Lebanon does it dominate, and that is thanks to Hezbollah’s hold on all the reins of power and its monopoly on decision-making.
This kind of situation, in which no effort is being made to halt the collapse and the government is unable to even positively surprise, means that the domestic scene will continue to collapse in Lebanon. There is a chance that the dynamics of these collapses and the dynamics of constitutional processes will collide soon. The first of these processes is the parliamentary election, and there are many strong indications that tension and widespread chaos are on the horizon. The sectarian factions are perhaps preparing to restore some aspects of the closed-off cantons seen during the civil war. Here, their bet that the military establishment would be able to contain a situation that mirrors Somalia may be misguided!
Behind these dangerous implications lies the truth; the old Lebanon is dead, and the new one is stumbling as it makes its way. The attempts to reinvigorate the spoil-sharing regime were not fated to succeed. The post-October 17 trajectory has proven that Hezbollah is responsible for the state’s kidnapping, and the collapses did not emerge by chance. Hezbollah imposed a mode of governance through deals that collide with the constitution and accelerated the fall of institutions, turning them into empty shells. What is happening on the judicial front affirms that this branch of government is being targeted, and there is much to suggest that the military establishment is being targeted as well. The wider goal is turning Lebanon into an uninhabitable place, a mere geographic space that is easy to control.
The October 17 revolution exposed the dimensions of this hegemony and put a dent in the attempts to hide behind a resistance that has run its course. What we are seeing is a militia defending a sectarian spoil-sharing regime that relies on legislative corruption. That corruption prevents the implementation of political and judicial decisions, protects those breaking the law, and undermines sovereignty. There is no doubt that those choking the country cannot be confronted without the people becoming political actors again, as we had seen during the first few months of the revolution. The situation is too critical to be dealt with as an “Arab outburst.” Indeed it demands that we stop satisfying ourselves with criticizing “groups” whose influence is now a thing of the past, as is the “leading figures” of the revolution being considered its engine. We can also be sure that targeting the revolution with violence, pursuing cases and fabricating crimes were all part of an effort to paralyze those involved in it and prevent the emergence of organized political groups. The latter could be depended on to crystalize a political alternative that opens the door to the return of political life and shakes it up. That affirms Lebanon and still changes course, and it is not fated to be Somalized.

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on December 24-25/2021
Coronavirus Dampens Christmas Joy in Biblical Bethlehem
Associated Presst/Friday, 24 December, 2021
The biblical town of Bethlehem is gearing up for its second straight Christmas Eve hit by the coronavirus -- with small crowds and gray, gloomy weather dampening celebrations Friday in the traditional birthplace of Jesus.
A ban on nearly all incoming air traffic by Israel -- the main entry point for foreign visitors heading to the occupied West Bank -- kept international tourists away for a second consecutive year. The ban is meant to slow the spread of the highly contagious omicron variant, which has shaken Christmas celebrations around the world. Instead, local authorities were counting on the Holy Land's small Christian community to lift spirits. Bethlehem's mayor, Anton Salman, said the town was optimistic that 2021 would be better than last year's Christmas, when even local residents stayed home due to lockdown restrictions. Bethlehem planned a return of its traditional marching band parades and street celebrations. "Last year, our festival was virtual, but this year it will be face to face with popular participation," Salman said. Police erected barricades early Friday as scout bands marched through Manger Square banging drums and holding flags ahead of the expected arrival from Jerusalem of Latin Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the top Roman Catholic clergyman in the Holy Land. Pizzaballa was scheduled to celebrate Midnight Mass at the nearby Church of the Nativity — which houses the grotto where Christians believe Jesus was born. By midday, several hundred people, nearly all of them Palestinians, milled about behind the barricades to celebrate the occasion. Before the pandemic, Bethlehem would host thousands of Christian pilgrims from around the world, bringing a strong dose of holiday spirit to the town and a huge jolt to the local economy. The loss of international tourism, the lifeblood of Bethlehem's economy, has hit hotels, restaurants and gift shops especially hard. "Under normal conditions for this time of year, I usually have a 20-meter queue outside," said Adil Abu Nayaf, owner of an empty food stall in Manger Square. Those who attended tried to make the best of a difficult situation. The Holy Land is home to over 200,000 Christians, a small but tight-knit community that makes up an estimated 1% to 2% of the population in Israel and the occupied West Bank. There are also thousands of foreign laborers and African migrants, as well as diplomats and journalists. Billy Stuart, an employee at the British Consulate in Jerusalem, said his experience in Bethlehem was uplifting, despite the smaller-than-hoped-for crowds. "The parade is amazing and I did not realize there were so many Palestinian bag pipers," he said.

Baghdad Calls for Direct Negotiations between Washington, Tehran
London, Tehran - Asharq Al-Awsat/Friday, 24 December, 2021
Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein called for direct negotiations between Iran and the United States to revive the 2015 nuclear deal. Meanwhile, his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian criticized European parties for not presenting “new practical initiatives.”US-Iran relations have been severed since April 1980, just months after the fall of the shah and the occupation of the American embassy by students loyal to Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. As for reviving the Iran nuclear deal, negotiations resumed in November after a five-month hiatus to try to restore the deal, which gave Iran sanctions relief in exchange for curbs on its nuclear activities. Diplomats from the remaining parties to the deal — Britain, China, France, Germany, and Russia — are in talks in Vienna with Iran and the US, with the two sides refusing direct contact. “We call for, and this is no secret, direct negotiations between the two parties,” Iraq’s top diplomat said in a joint press conference with Amir-Abdollahian. “Iraq’s interest is in helping the two parties to sit round a table and talk,” he said. “We have proposed this to the Americans and have made this proposal [to Iran] and even before our visit to Tehran. It is better that a direct meeting take place between the American party and the Iranian party,” Hussein said. He said Iraq felt there was a “problem” with the negotiating mechanism at the Vienna talks. “The negotiations with the American side are indirect, through the European envoy,” he said. “We think the time has come for direct talks between Washington and Tehran to reach common understandings not just on the nuclear issue, but also on sanctions. We need direct contact between the two parties and we are working towards that,” Hussein said. While the Iranian foreign minister did not directly respond to Hussein’s comments, he did address the Vienna talks by slamming European countries for not having positive stances. “We do not see the position of some European countries as constructive, specifically that of France,” said Amir-Abdollahian at the press conference. “When they say they are concerned about the progress of Iran’s nuclear program, we say out loud: ‘If you want to have your concerns addressed, then all sanctions must be lifted.’”The nuclear accord began unraveling in 2018 when then-President Donald Trump withdrew Washington out and reimposed stringent economic sanctions against Tehran, which responded by resuming and then accelerating its enrichment of uranium, a potential pathway to nuclear weapons.

Iran IRGC chief says military drill warning to Israel
Yaghoub Fazeli, Al Arabiya English/December ,2021
A military exercise launched earlier this week by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) was a warning to Israel, the head of the IRGC said on Friday, adding that if Israel takes military action against Tehran, “we will cut off their hands.” “The message of this exercise is a serious and real warning to the threats of the Zionist regime officials,” Maj. Gen. Hossein Salami said, referring to a five-day military exercise launched by the IRGC across Iran’s south on Monday in which the IRGC’s aerospace division and ground and naval forces participated. “If they (Israel) make any mistakes, we will cut off their hands,” Salami warned. Salami’s comments come amid heightened tensions over Iran’s nuclear program. Israel has warned it would use force should diplomacy fail to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. Tehran says its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only. Israel has the capability to carry out a successful strike on Iran’s nuclear sites as early as “tomorrow,” Israel’s incoming Air Force chief said earlier this week. Talks between the remaining signatories to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal – Iran, Russia, China, France, Germany and Britain –resumed in Vienna in November after a five-month pause. The eighth round of the talks will resume on Monday, officials have said. The US is participating indirectly in the talks that aim to bring Iran back into compliance with the nuclear pact and facilitate a US return to the agreement. Under the deal, Iran limited its nuclear program in return for sanctions relief. Washington withdrew from the deal in 2018 under then-President Donald Trump, reimposing sweeping sanctions on Tehran. Iran has since started enriching uranium up to 60 percent purity – a big step closer to the 90 percent that is weapons-grade material.

Iran fires 16 missiles during annual drills in warning to Israel
AFP/24 December ,2021
Iran fired multiple ballistic missiles Friday at the close of five days of military drills that generals said were a warning to arch-enemy Israel. “These exercises were designed to respond to threats made in recent days by the Zionist regime,” Iran’s armed forces chief of staff Major General Mohammad Bagheri told state television. “Sixteen missiles aimed and annihilated the chosen target. In this exercise, part of the hundreds of Iranian missiles capable of destroying a country that dared to attack Iran were deployed,” he added. The military drills dubbed Payambar-e-Azadm, or “Great Prophet,” began Monday in Bushehr, Hormozgan and Khuzestan provinces, each of which touch the Gulf. “The military exercise... is a serious warning to Zionist regime officials,” said Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps chief Major General Hossein Salami. “Make the slightest mistake, we will cut off their hand.”The drills come after US national security adviser Jake Sullivan met Wednesday with Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, amid Israel’s opposition to efforts to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. Bennett has accused Iran of “nuclear blackmail” and charged that revenue it gained from sanctions relief would be used to acquire weapons to harm Israelis. Israeli leaders have also hinted at striking Iran. Iran says it only wants to develop a civil nuclear program, but Western powers say its stocks of enriched uranium could be used to develop a nuclear weapon.

UN Experts Condemn Secret Execution of Kurdish Prisoner in Iran
Asharq Al-Awsat/Friday, 24 December, 2021
UN human rights experts have condemned in the strongest terms the arbitrary execution of Iranian Kurdish prisoner Heidar Ghorbani as a serious violation of Iran’s obligations under international human rights law. Ghorbani was executed in secret in Sanandaj Central Prison at dawn on December 19. His execution took place without prior notice to his family and lawyer, and his body was secretly buried by prison authorities, the UN said on Wednesday. Ghorbani was arrested in October 2016, in connection with the killing of three men affiliated to the Basij paramilitary forces reportedly by individuals associated with an armed opposition group. Ghorbani denied membership of the group and any involvement in the killing. A Revolution Court concluded that he was unarmed, yet still sentenced him to death for “baghy” (armed rebellion) following an unfair trial and allegations that he was tortured. “Iran executed Mr. Ghorbani in secret, on the basis of overbroad provisions, following a deeply flawed process, and while his case was still under consideration by the Supreme Court. In the context of continuing protests and widespread dissatisfaction with the authorities, we are concerned that such an arbitrary execution has been carried out to spread fear,” the experts stated. “We deeply regret that, despite our multiple interventions on Mr. Ghorbani’s case, the authorities chose to proceed with his execution. This act is yet another sign of clear disregard for their obligations under international human rights law -- and for international human rights mechanisms. We call on the Government to halt the imposition and execution of the death penalty,” the experts added.

Washington Affirms Commitment to Two-state Solution, Reopening US Consulate in Jerusalem
Ramallah – Ashar Al-Awsat/Friday, 24 December, 2021
United States National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan assured Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas that Washington is committed to the two-state solution it promised to the Palestinians. This came during the “frank and clear" talks between Abbas and Sullivan on Thursday, said the Palestinian presidency spokesman, Nabil Abu Rudeineh. Abbas said Palestinians are still waiting for President Joe Biden to implement his promises regarding the two-state solution, halting settlements, not displacing Jerusalemite citizens and reopening the US Consulate in East Jerusalem. According to Abu Rudeineh, Sullivan affirmed that the administration is keen to resolve all these issues. He told Bennett that Biden is committed to the two-state solution, plans to reopen the US consulate in Jerusalem and has reservations about all the settlement measures, the spokesman added. The meeting took place following the top US official’s recent meetings with Israeli officials which focused on Iran’s nuclear plans. Abbas and Sullivan agreed on the importance of joint action by all relevant parties to achieve peace and stability in the region. Sullivan conveyed Biden’s greetings to Abbas and his affirmation of the US commitment to the two-state solution. Abbas, for his part, briefed Sullivan on the latest developments in the Palestinian territories, urging the US to put an end to settlement activities and settlers's attacks. He underscored the importance of respecting the historical situation in Al-Aqsa Mosque, ending the expulsion of Palestinian residents from Jerusalem neighborhoods, halting tax cuts and the stifling of the Palestinian economy. “Abbas stressed the need to end unilateral Israeli practices that undermine the two-state solution and implement the signed agreements to start a real political process, in line with the international legitimacy and UN resolutions.” He also underlined the importance of bolstering bilateral ties and overcoming the obstacles that hinder their development.

Jordan Calls for Syria's Return to Arab League at Algeria Summit
Amman - Asharq Al-Awsat/Friday, 24 December, 2021
Jordan's parliament Speaker Abdul Karim al-Daghmi called for Syria to be fully reinstated to the Arab League during the upcoming summit in Algeria. "We, as the Arab Parliament, must put pressure on our governments and ask our leaders to green-light Syria's return to the Arab League when next summit convenes in Algeria, and to allow its delegation to participate in the Arab Parliament sessions as well," Daghmi said during a press conference on the sidelines of a session of the Arab Parliament in Amman on Thursday. The next Arab summit is scheduled to be hel in Algeria in March. "It is now high time for Syria to return to its Arab origins and rejoin the Arab League," said Daghmi, adding: "We must build on victories achieved by our brethren in Syria and Iraq over terrorist groups, step up our efforts in support of the unity, and security and stability of our nations as well as the territorial integrity of our countries." In October, Jordan's King Abdullah II received a call from Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, the first conversation between the two leaders since the war erupted in Syria. Observers believe the phone call signals the beginning of the end of Damascus' diplomatic isolation with Arab states. Jordanian authorities recently reopened the Jaber-Nassib border crossing with Syria for travelers and cargo after about two months of its closure due to a limited military escalation in Syria's southern Daraa governorate. Arab countries have been slowly restoring relations with Syria in recent years years.
The UAE has been at the forefront of efforts by some Arab states to normalize ties with Damascus and earlier this year called for Syria to be readmitted to the Arab League. After seven years of diplomatic estrangement, it reopened its embassy in Damascus in 2018. The UAE's foreign minister confirmed months ago that Syria's return to the Arab League is in its interest and the interest of other countries in the region. The Arab League suspended Syria's membership after the outbreak of the war in 2011. Several Arab states cut ties with Damascus, including the UAE, while others, including Jordan, maintained limited relations, except Oman. Syria has denounced the move as "illegal and a violation of the organization's charter."

Japan Health Panel Approves Merck’s Oral COVID-19 Treatment
Asharq Al-Awsat/Friday, 24 December, 2021
A Japanese health ministry panel on Friday recommended approval of the COVID-19 antiviral pill developed by Merck & Co Inc, part of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's plan to roll out new treatments by year-end as concerns rise about the Omicron variant. The panel's decision sets the stage for shipments of 200,000 doses across the country from this weekend, based on preparations announced earlier by Kishida. "I'm convinced the distribution of this drug is a major step forward for our nation's COVID-19 handling," health minister Shigeyuki Goto told reporters after the decision, adding that some medical institutions and pharmacies will start receiving the pill as soon as next Monday. Japan is betting heavily on oral treatments to keep serious infections and deaths at bay should a feared sixth wave of the pandemic emerge. The government agreed last month to pay Merck and its partner Ridgeback Biotherapeutics about $1.2 billion for 1.6 million courses of their drug molnupiravir. In addition, Kishida announced last week a deal to procure 2 million doses of a separate antiviral pill developed by Pfizer Inc. And Japan's Shionogi & Co is expected to soon file for approval of its own treatment, supplying another 1 million doses by early next year. US regulators on Thursday authorized the Merck pill for certain high-risk adult patients. Countries rushed to buy Merck's molnupiravir after very promising initial results, but subsequent company data in late November indicated the drug was markedly less effective than previously thought. France cancelled its order on Wednesday. Asked about the debate over its efficacy, Goto said on Friday the Japanese panel evaluated the use of molnupiravir based mainly on the earlier test result, while adding the updated result "does not negate this drug's effectiveness". Japan this week confirmed the first known cases of Omicron infections that could not be traced back to overseas travelers. Community transmissions of the variant have now been found in the western cities of Osaka and Kyoto, and a suspected case was announced in Tokyo on Friday.

Russian Gas Goes East via Yamal-Europe Pipeline for Fourth Day
Asharq Al-Awsat/Friday, 24 December, 2021
The Yamal-Europe pipeline that usually sends Russian gas to Western Europe was operating in a reverse mode for a fourth day on Friday, data from German network operator Gascade showed, shipping fuel from Germany to Poland. European gas prices climbed to a record this week after Yamal switched direction, but eased on Friday . Russia said the flow reversal was not a political move, although it coincides with rising tension between Moscow and the West over Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday the reversal was due to lack of requests from buyers, Reuters reported. European gas prices were expected to find some relief from redirected cargoes of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Asia as European prices make this diversion attractive. Gazprom , which has a monopoly on Russian gas exports by pipeline, has not booked gas transit capacity for exports via the Yamal-Europe pipeline for Dec. 24, auction results showed on Friday. Flows at the Mallnow metering point on the German-Polish border were going east from Germany into Poland at an hourly volume of around 1,218,000 kilowatt hours (kWh/h) on Friday and were expected to stay at these levels during the day, the data shows.
Data from Slovak pipeline operator Eustream showed capacity nominations for Friday's Russian gas flows from Ukraine to Slovakia via the Velke Kapusany border point were at 739,843 MWh, down from Thursday's 785,160 MWh. That drop was being balanced by higher nominations for flows from the Czech Republic to Slovakia, meaning nominations for flows from Slovakia to the Austrian hub Baumgarten were roughly stable compared with the previous day.

Middle Eastern Migrants Camped in Belarus Warehouse Still Hope to Get to EU
Asharq Al-Awsat/Friday, 24 December, 2021
Sleeping on mattresses in a Belarusian warehouse, hundreds of Middle Eastern migrants are still clinging to the hope of a future in western Europe as the year draws to a close. The nearly 600 migrants, from countries including Iraq, Turkey, Iran and Syria, are among thousands who flew to Belarus this year and tried to cross the forested border into Poland. The European Union says Belarus encouraged them to come and then pushed them towards the border in a deliberate attempt to destabilize its eastern frontier. Belarus denies orchestrating the crisis and its veteran leader Alexander Lukashenko has said it is up to the migrants themselves to decide if they want to head west or return to their home countries. Staff and volunteers of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) are working to register people willing to go back. But some are reluctant to do so, having spent thousands of dollars to get this far.
A migrant from Syria who gave his name as Yemen Jndali told Reuters: "My plans are to stay, because I can't go to the forest or back to Syria. Syria is nothing. I don't have anything. No house, school, work - I don't have anything."Many small children are among the hundreds of people who spend their time sleeping, queuing for food, wandering aimlessly around the huge warehouse or playing half-hearted games of football. Mohamed Refaad, senior operations coordinator with the IOM, said the government, local authorities and Belarusian Red Cross were all working to support the migrants but more help was still needed with food, shelter and education for the children. "We are working to increase efforts to supply all these needs," he said. Yuri Karay, a Belarusian presidential aide, said those who had declined the offer of homeward flights were still bent on getting to Europe. If any wanted to stay in Belarus, "they must understand that there are no unemployment benefits here, so people have to work for a living," he said. Jndali, the migrant from Syria, said he was still optimistic because he did not believe that children as young as one year old could just be left where they were. Asked about his chances of getting to Europe, he said: "I think there is hope."

Turkey Freezes Assets of US-based Foundation, 770 Individuals
Asharq Al-Awsat/Friday, 24 December, 2021
Turkey has frozen the assets of a total of 770 people and a US-based foundation on the grounds of terrorism financing, a ruling published in its official gazette showed on Friday. Chicago-based Niagara Foundation's assets were frozen because of links with the US based cleric Fethullah Gulen, accused by Turkey of staging a coup attempt in 2016. The assets of more than 400 people were frozen for links to Gulen, the gazette said, Reuters reported. This step was taken on the basis of reasonable grounds that they had committed the acts covered by the articles titled "the crime of financing of terrorism" and "acts prohibited from providing or collecting funds," it added. Assets of more than 200 individuals accused of links to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party and ISIS militant groups were also frozen, according to the decision.

Russia’s Putin says Europe only has itself to blame for surging gas prices
Reuters/24 December ,2021
The European Union can only blame its own policies for record gas prices as some of its members resell cheap Russian gas at much higher prices within the bloc, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday. Putin also called on the EU to approve a new Russian gas route, the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, to ease the price crunch. Europe’s benchmark gas price climbed to a new record on Tuesday, up almost 800 percent since the start of the year. The price eased on Friday, but it was still up more than 400 percent. Nord Stream 2 is opposed by the United States and particularly several east European states, which say the pipeline will make the EU even more reliant on Russian gas, which already supplies 35 percent of the bloc’s gas needs. The pipeline from Russia to Germany, which was built in September, is still awaiting regulatory approval from Berlin and Brussels. “The additional gas supplies on the European gas market would surely reduce the price on an exchange, on the spot (market),” Putin was quoted as saying by news agency RIA at a joint meeting of the State Council and a council on science and education. Adding to the squeeze, the Yamal-Europe pipeline that usually sends Russian gas to Western Europe was flowing in reverse for a fourth day on Friday, pumping fuel from Germany to Poland, data from German network operator Gascade showed. Russian gas giant Gazprom has not booked gas transit capacity for exports via the Yamal-Europe pipeline for Dec. 25, auction results showed.
Gazprom usually books capacity via the route on a short-term basis, after Poland and Russia chose not to extend their long-term transit deal last year.
Putin said Poland had “sidelined” Russia from managing the Yamal-Europe pipeline, which has been working in reverse mode by sending gas eastward. The pipeline runs from Russia to Belarus and further to Poland and Germany. “This does not increase the Russian gas volumes on the European market, so the price is rising,” Putin said according to Interfax news agency, about the reverse flows. Putin said on Thursday that Germany was reselling Russian gas to Poland and Ukraine rather than relieving an overheated market. In Ukraine, another transit route for Russian gas to Europe, the head of state gas transmission operator said Gazprom had reduced daily gas transit across Ukrainian territory to 87.7 million cubic meters (mcm) from 109 mcm. “The reduction in gas supplies to the European Union at a time when prices reached $2,000 suggests that these are not economic decisions but purely political ones, aimed at increasing pressure on the EU to launch Nord Stream 2 on terms of the Russian Federation,” Sergiy Makogon wrote on Facebook.
The benchmark European gas price soared above 2,200 euros ($2,495) per 1,000 cubic meters on Tuesday. Makogon said Europe had set a record for extracting gas from storage because of supply shortages. Russia has repeatedly dismissed charges it has played politics over gas and says it is meeting all the amounts it is contracted to supply. Companies with supply deals have also said their contracts have been met. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak also said Europe was missing out on additional Russian supplies because of delays to Nord Stream 2. “To my mind, European consumers are very interested in the project to start working, while the companies, which participate in it, they could have submitted additional requests as part of long-term relations on gas supplies via this new gas pipeline,” Novak told Russian state TV channel Rossiya-24.
He also said European leaders had made mistakes in reducing the use of long-term supply deals in favor of the spot market, where prices are more volatile.
“The countries, which receive gas via the long-term deals, they receive it much cheaper,” Novak said.
Europe’s red-hot gas market could find some relief from redirected cargoes of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Asia as European prices make this diversion attractive. Gazprom, which has a monopoly on Russia gas exports by pipeline, has not booked gas transit capacity for exports via the Yamal-Europe pipeline for Dec. 24, auction results showed on Friday. Gascade’s data on the Yamal-Europe pipelines showed flows at the Mallnow metering point on the German-Polish border going east from Germany into Poland at an hourly volume of around 1,218,000 kilowatt hours (kWh/h) on Friday and were expected to stay at these levels during the day. Data from Slovak pipeline operator Eustream showed capacity nominations for Friday’s Russian gas flows from Ukraine to Slovakia via the Velke Kapusany border point were at 739,843 MWh, down from Thursday’s 785,160 MWh.
That drop was being balanced by higher nominations for flows from the Czech Republic to Slovakia, meaning nominations for flows from Slovakia to the Austrian hub Baumgarten were roughly stable compared with the previous day.

The Latest The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on December 24-25/2021
Youth exodus dampens spirit of Christmas among Syria's Christians
The Arab Weekly/Friday, 24 December, 2021
"Who should I put it up for? Why would I celebrate alone, without my siblings, neighbours and friends?" said 49-year old Phillipe Azar.
Inside a Syrian monastery desecrated by jihadists, Matanios Dalloul stood alone by the shattered altar where a once-thriving community celebrated Christmas before the threat of death drove them out.
The 62-year-old is one of 20 Christians remaining in the central town of Al-Qaryatain out of the community that boasted 900 members before conflict broke out a decade ago. Tracing a cross against his body between piles of broken stone, the lone parishioner prayed for long life for the remnants of a dwindling community which has nobody left under the age of 40. "The holidays need people, they need young boys and girls, not just piles of stone," Dalloul said, gesturing at what remains of the mud brick walls of the Mar Elian monastery. "It is people who generate holiday cheer, and if people do not return, there will be no joy."The town of Al-Qaryatain in Homs province was once viewed as a symbol of coexistence between Christian and Muslim communities who had lived together for centuries before jihadists of the Islamic State (ISIS) extremist group seized the area in 2015. ISIS fighters razed the fifth-century Syriac Catholic monastery of Mar Elian (Saint Elian) and abducted hundreds of Christians, who were locked in an underground dungeon in the desert for 25 days before being freed.
Six years have passed since Russian-backed government forces ousted extremists from the town but most of the Christians who fled have not returned and those who remain have neither a church nor a priest to turn to this holiday season.
Last Christmas -
"The last time the churches of Al-Qaryatain celebrated Christmas was in 2015 before the arrival of ISIS," said Dalloul whose three children have all emigrated to Europe or Canada. "Now, there are no open churches, nor a priest to oversee Christmas mass," he said. Dalloul is not alone in his disappointment. Bassam Debbas said he does not have a single relative left in Syria and will therefore spend Christmas alone, working in a small workshop where he produces grape molasses."I don't have anyone left, not a father, nor a mother, nor siblings, nor a wife... I will spend the holiday as though it is any other day, any other working day," the 61-year-old said.
Debbas returned to Al-Qaryatain this year to resume the family trade of molasses production from a small workshop where grapes are fermented and then cooked. Constant power cuts make the cooking a challenge but he is trying to maintain bare minimum production levels despite the odds.
Outside his home, the street is empty. Traces of ISIS rule are still visible on the crater-riddled walls of neighbouring buildings, most of which are either levelled or abandoned.
"The holidays have become completely different since ISIS arrived and brought sadness into the hearts of the people," Debbas said.
"ISIS has gone, but the sadness remains," he lamented, the scent of molasses filling the air around him. - 'Nothing is the same' -Inside Samira Khoury's home, red rosary beads hang from a small golden cross placed on a wooden table.
A single red candle is lit beside a portrait of Jesus and the Virgin Mary.
There are no Christmas decorations.
The 68-year-old and her three sisters were among dozens of Christians kidnapped and locked up by ISIS in 2015. "Since that day, happiness has disappeared completely from our home," she said, huddling by a heater.
Without relatives or neighbours to celebrate with, Khoury said "happiness tastes different and the holidays don't look" the way they used to. "Nothing is the same," she said.
Feeding a small stove with firewood, Phillipe Azar said his Christmas is once again blighted by the sadness of the loss. "My family has left and my friends are dead," said the 49-year-old, who lives alone in a 10-room house once bustling with relatives.
Azar -- who hasn't put up any Christmas decorations since the start of Syria's war in 2011 -- said he will spend the holiday near his heater. He may invite an 80-year-old friend over for a glass of wine but that is only if he is in good enough health to come to visit.
"The Christmas tree has been packed in a box since 2011," Azar said. "Who should I put it up for? Why would I celebrate alone, without my siblings, neighbours and friends?"

Biden's Global Challenges
Chris Farrell and Shea Bradley-Farrell/Gatestone Institute/December 24/2021
Looking ahead, the proposed National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) is woefully inadequate in addressing ongoing Chinese aggression -- not just towards Taiwan -- but on all geopolitical fronts. While China surges ahead with its third "blue water" aircraft carrier and plan for a military base off the Atlantic coast, the NDAA seems to be five steps behind addressing the real threats. Meanwhile, Putin postures aggressively against Ukraine, and Iran races to threaten Israel with a nuclear weapon.
Biden is not going to commit US combat forces to defend Ukraine from a Russian invasion. One day after warning Russian President Vladimir Putin that he would face "severe" economic sanctions, "like ones he's never seen," should Russia invade Ukraine, President Joe Biden flatly stated that sending U.S. combat troops to Ukraine is "not on the table."
Fellow Democrat Representative Seth Moulton bucked the Biden White House line and went to the opinion page of the Wall Street Journal to advocate on behalf of Ukraine, urging weapons shipments, sanctions, and "clearly communicated grave consequences" (whatever that means). Moulton even had the courage to gently remind Biden of the Obama-Biden failure to respond to Russia's earlier regional conquest writing, "As in 2014, when America failed to deter Mr. Putin's Crimea offensive..."
Biden, despite the assurances of protection promised to Ukraine in the Budapest Memorandum, says he is not going to commit US combat forces to defend Ukraine from a Russian invasion, thereby further eroding "Washington's already tarnished credibility on the world stage."
Biden administration weakness emboldens our enemies and scares our friends. How many other countries -- and which -- will feel compelled to move ahead aggressively towards acquiring nuclear weapons themselves? Japan, Brazil, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt, Taiwan? If they cannot rely on America to come to their rescue, building nuclear capacity becomes a question of risk versus reward. And will nuclear know-how be sold to bad actors and terrorist groups?
"Evidence is growing that members of the IDF General Staff and the Mossad are beginning to realize that the US doesn't share Israel's goal of preventing Iran from becoming a nuclear power." — Caroline Glick, Israel Hayom, December 10, 2021.
President Joe Biden's foreign policy seems unfortunately to consist of abandoning allies, emboldening adversaries, and placing our national security at great risk. Biden's Afghanistan surrender to the Taliban was a strategic failure with enormous global consequences that humiliated the nation and cost countless lives. (Photo by Nicholas Kamm/AFP via Getty Images)
President Joe Biden's foreign policy seems unfortunately to consist of abandoning allies, emboldening adversaries, and placing our national security at great risk. Biden's Afghanistan surrender to the Taliban was a strategic failure with enormous global consequences that humiliated the nation and cost countless lives. Unfortunately, Afghanistan is now the "lens" through which to see the Biden administration's feeble foreign policy.
Looking ahead, the proposed National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) is woefully inadequate in addressing ongoing Chinese aggression -- not just towards Taiwan but on all geopolitical fronts. While China surges ahead with its third "blue water" aircraft carrier and plan for a military base off the Atlantic coast, the NDAA seems to be five steps behind addressing the real threats. Meanwhile, as the Biden administration ignores the 1994 Budapest Memorandum, in which the United States, Russia, and Britain committed "to respect the independence and sovereignty and the existing borders of Ukraine" and "to refrain from the threat or use of force" against the country. Those assurances played a key role in persuading the Ukrainian government in Kyiv to give up what amounted to the world's third largest nuclear arsenal, consisting of some 1,900 strategic nuclear warheads. In addition, Iran races to threaten Israel, Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States with a nuclear weapon. Apparently in over his head, it seems to be just "all too much" for Biden and his hapless squad.
Not just the police have been defunded; foreign policy has been defunded, literally as well as figuratively.
Biden, despite the assurances of protection promised to Ukraine in the Budapest Memorandum, says he is not going to commit US combat forces to defend Ukraine from a Russian invasion, thereby further eroding "Washington's already tarnished credibility on the world stage."
One day after warning Russian President Vladimir Putin that he would face "severe" economic sanctions, "like ones he's never seen," should Russia invade Ukraine, Biden flatly stated that sending U.S. combat troops to Ukraine is "not on the table."
Fellow Democrat Representative Seth Moulton of Massachusetts bucked the Biden White House line and went to the opinion page of the Wall Street Journal to advocate on behalf of Ukraine, urging weapons shipments, sanctions, and "clearly communicated grave consequences" (whatever that means). Moulton even had the courage to gently remind Biden of the Obama-Biden failure to respond to Russia's earlier regional conquest writing, "As in 2014, when America failed to deter Mr. Putin's Crimea offensive..." One thing Moulton leaves out of his public plea is any discussion of how Russia supplies 40% of Europe's natural gas and could shut off heat to millions of European homes during the winter. In part, that energy dependence is because Biden already waived sanctions on Russia over their Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline.
No doubt Chinese President Xi Jinping is watching the Biden administration's Ukraine decisions and actions for clues and indications over Taiwan. Xi longs for the return of Taiwan to the motherland after decades of separation –a national triumph that would put Xi's legacy on par with Mao Zedong. What will the Americans do if China attempts to use force to bring Taiwan back? Just as with Ukraine, the United States has no treaty obligation to fight to maintain the independence and sovereignty of the island. Twenty-four million Taiwanese look at Afghanistan, Hong Kong, and Ukraine -- and hope. Not exactly a strategy.
Biden recently ordered a diplomatic boycott of the Winter Olympics in China. While U.S. athletes can participate in the Olympic games, no U.S. government official will attend in a formal capacity. That is supposed to intimidate and influence the Chinese? It is difficult to believe anyone finds that convincing.
The Biden administration's inaction or stumbling, half-hearted measures -- should China force the submission of Taiwan -- would shake the credibility of U.S. treaty commitments to Japan, South Korea, the Philippines and Australia. Long-term, it may result in the greatest redrawing of global political lines, to America's detriment, in decades.
These challenges -- including an nuclear breakout from Iran "alarmingly soon" -- are not lost on the Israeli military. "Evidence is growing," notes the journalist Caroline Glick, "that members of the IDF General Staff and the Mossad are beginning to realize that the US doesn't share Israel's goal of preventing Iran from becoming a nuclear power."
During the recent Wall Street Journal CEO Council meeting, CIA Director William Burns said, mystifyingly, that there was no indication that Tehran is attempting to weaponize its nuclear program -- that the spy agency "doesn't see any evidence that Iran's supreme leader has made a decision to move to weaponize." Meanwhile, Iran is accelerating its program of enriching uranium -- needed for nuclear weapons: no enriched uranium, no nukes -- and there are reports (here and here ) that Iran already has nuclear capability.
Biden administration weakness emboldens our enemies and scares our friends. How many other countries -- and which -- will feel compelled to move ahead aggressively towards acquiring nuclear weapons themselves? Japan, Brazil, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt, Taiwan? If they cannot rely on America to come to their rescue, building nuclear capacity becomes a question of risk versus reward. And will nuclear know-how be sold to bad actors and terrorist groups?
Ukraine, Taiwan and Israel are all potential flashpoints with global consequences. Does the Biden administration present strong, clear, unambiguous leadership for the world? Are friend and foe convinced absolutely of American resolve? Sadly, the only response now is "No."
Chris Farrell is Director of Investigations at Judicial Watch and Distinguished Senior Fellow at Gatestone Institute.
*Shea Bradley-Farrell, Ph.D. is President of Counterpoint Institute for Policy, Research, and Education (CIPRE) and Affiliated Faculty and Policy Fellow at George Mason University's Schar School of Policy and Government.
© 2021 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.

Yesterday’s Treaty and Tomorrow’s Threats
Amir Taheri/Asharq Al-Awsat/December, 24/2021
Is the world on the eve of a new arms race that could spread nuclear weapons to a dozen or more countries within the next few years?
This is one of the questions that haunt the next Review Conference of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT).
Twice postponed because of the Covid-19 crisis the conference which under the NPT, should be held once every 10 years, is now scheduled for 4-28 January in New York.
Looking back to the past five decades that is to say since the launching of the treaty in 1968, one could observe three distinct phases in how the world regards the possession of nuclear weapons.
In the first phase, with worldwide anti-nuclear sentiments in the ascendancy, there was much hope that the NPT paving the way for the eventual elimination of nuclear weapons. Even those who believed that nuclear weapons and the doctrine of Mutual Atomic Destruction MAD) had prevented a Third World War believed that the NPT was a giant step towards eventual nuclear disarmament.
What happened, however, was rather different.
In the first decade, a number of new nuclear powers emerged, among them China, India, Pakistan, and (unofficially) Israel. At least 12 other countries, among them Iran under the Shah, South Africa under the Apartheid regime, and Argentina under the military junta took giant steps towards what is known as “the threshold status”, that is to say, a country that has the scientific, technical and industrial means of making nuclear weapons but stops just short of actually making and stockpiling them.
In the same period, France, which initially had not signed the treaty joined it but continued to modernize and expand its nuclear arsenal. France also continued helping Israel’s nuclear build-up while also putting Iraq, under the Ba’athist regime of Saddam Hussein, on the first step of the nuclear ladder.
In the second phase, a series of arms reduction agreements between the United States and the Soviet Union was counterbalanced by China’s decision to speed up its nuclear weapon while North Korea gate-crashed the exclusive nuclear club. In the third phase which witnessed the end of the Cold War hopes for an end to nuclear arsenals rose again while all the five officially recognized nuclear powers under the NPT, that is to say, the United States, Russia, Britain, China, and France continued to upgrade their nuclear arsenals. Federal Germany, never a nuclear power, was also caught red-handed trying to build a “threshold” capacity while in Japan a self-imposed ban on nuclear weapons faced growing opposition. Almost half a century after the NPT was launched even if its most ardent admirers find it hard to describe it as a success. The NPT, as its very name implies, was supposed to stop the emergence of new nuclear-armed nations. That hasn’t happened. In fact, the number of nations with nuclear arsenals, counting Communist China, has almost doubled.
Curbing proliferation hasn’t worked because two recognized nuclear powers, France and China, have chaperoned others on their way to building the bomb. At a lower level, North Korea and Pakistan helped the Islamic Republic in Iran to revive the moribund nuclear project. The building of a “nuclear research facility in Syria by North Korea was also a clear case of proliferation.
Preventing proliferation, however, was just one of NPT’s declared objectives.
The other one was disarmament. There, too, the NPT record is one of failure. On paper, both the US and Russia have reduced the number of nuclear warheads and the missiles needed to carry them to targets.
In reality, however, several new generations of warheads and missiles have been developed to give the two original “superpowers” much greater destructive capability. Those who preach “the right to develop nuclear weapons” in several countries use the fact that no meaningful nuclear disarmament has happened as an argument in favor of diverting resources to costly bomb-building projects.
The NPT has failed in other fields of its declared ambitions as well. It is supposed to operate risk-reduction schemes and promote security for non-nuclear nations.
It also holds the promise that established nuclear nations would freely and systematically share scientific and technological advances in the peaceful uses of nuclear power with non-nuclear nations. None of those, however, has gone beyond pious declarations and a few theatrical gestures.
President Barack Obama’s US administration dealt a severe blow to the NPT by undermining the authority of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the United Nations’ organ for monitoring the implementation of the treaty. The Obama administration took the dossier of the Islamic Republic’s nuclear project away from the IAEA and created an unofficial body, known as 5+1, that is to say, the five veto-holding members of the United Nations Security Council plus Germany, to initiate a “dialogue” with the Tehran mullahs outside NPT terms with the IAEA’s role reduced to one of inspection and observation the modalities of which are set by 5+1 and the Islamic Republic in Iran. The so-called Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) clearly states that it is tailor-made solely for Iran and will not be applicable to any other country. However, a precedent is set to bypass the NPT and the IAEA by putting in charge a group of nations that have not created a formal legal status and pretend to replace the UN just as a posse replaces the sheriff in some Western movies.
In a different register, President Donald Trump’s administration also undermined the NPT and the IAEA with his diplomatic pas-de-deux with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. In a sense, Trump even out-Oabamaed Obama by excluding the six-nation formula for dealing with Pyongyang. The twice-postponed golden jubilee of the NPT may provide an occasion for serious reflections on its failures and ways of reshaping it as an effective instrument to stop the spread of nuclear weapons and speed up the dismantling of arsenals that, if the NPT is to be believed, pose as great a threat to the planet as does climate change the currently fashionable “big cause”.
At the risk of sounding alarmist, we may be entering a phase of banalization of nuclear weapons, something that the NPT in its present form would not be able to deal with. Next month, once the golden birthday cake is cut and served in New York, serious work should start on revising a treaty that, devised to address the needs of yesterday, is manifestly unfit for dealing with the looming threats of tomorrow.