English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For February 02/2022
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news

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Bible Quotations For today
Simeon; this righteous Man took Jesus in his arms and said: ‘Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 02/25-35/:”Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying, ‘Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.’And the child’s father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, ‘This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed and a sword will pierce your own soul too.’

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on February 01-02/2022
Top US lawmakers call on Biden to ‘reconsider’ support for Lebanon energy deals
Vatican Envoy Accuses Lebanese Politicians of Profiting from Country’s Suffering
President Aoun meets Vatican Foreign Minister, affirms efforts to keep Lebanon home of message for East, West
President briefed on dialogue, tourism activities in Lebanon and Dubai
Gallagher from Ain El-Tineh: Meeting with Speaker Berri positive, honest
Cash-Strapped Lebanon Tells Diplomats to Find Donors to Fund Embassies
Lebanese Judge Subpoenas Central Bank Governor, Riad Salameh, amid Misconduct Probe
Judge Aoun Issues Subpoena for Riad Salameh
One Year On, Justice on Hold for Slain Lebanese Activist Lokman Slim
Erdogan Tells Miqati Turkey Ready to Invest in Lebanon, Rebuild Beirut Port
Lebanese-Turkish talks kick-start in Ankara, bilateral meeting between Erdogan, Mikati
Lebanese-Turkish expanded meeting starts in Ankara
Geagea Quoted as Saying Hariri Will be 'Forgotten', LF Slams 'Lies'
Shehayeb in wake of meeting with Geagea says Democratic Gathering to ally with LF in Parliamentary elections
Bou Habib holds talks in Kuwait with EU Ambassador to Lebanon
U.S. Ambassador Attends Donation Ceremony at Civil Defense Headquarters
Bassil Warns against Hizbullah Isolation, Denies Discussing Presidential Candidacy with Syria
BDL Allows Banks to Buy LBP at Sayrafa Rate
Power Cuts Turn Cafes into Co-Working Spaces
UNIFIL Receives EIF Grant to Enable Inclusive Environment for Women Peacekeepers
Lebanese Politician Charles Jabbour, Spokesman Of The Lebanese Forces: Hizbullah Turns Its Weapons against Its Opponents Within Lebanon And Holds Us Captive With Its Stone-Age 'Resistance Ideology'
Lebanese international Affairs Expert Abdo Laqis: Towers In UAE, KSA Are Legitimate Targets, They House Military Command Centers
The Kuwaiti Initiative For Lebanon: A Waste of Time, A Squandered Sympathy/Nadim Koteich/Asharq Al-Awsat/February 01/2022

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published  on February 01-02/2022
UAE diplomats call on US to relist Houthis as terrorists, demand more defense systems
Biden says he will designate Qatar as a major non-NATO US ally
Iran Calls for 'Political Decision' among Major Powers to Reach Nuclear Agreement
Possible Breakthrough Could Release US Detainees in Iran
Iran Moves Centrifuge-Parts Production Out of Disputed Workshop, IAEA Says
Iraqi Parliament Announces 25 Presidential Candidates
Barzani Launches Initiative to Resolve Shiite Rifts in Iraq
Assad: Dealing with Changes in Arab Reality Requires Changing Political Approach, Thinking
UN: Two Babies Killed by Winter Cold in Northwest Syria
IGAD Hold Talks with Burhan, Hemedti, Volker in Khartoum
Egypt, Saudi Arabia Conclude ‘Morgan-17’ Naval Exercise‎
Blinken Discusses Palestinian Authority Reform with Mahmoud Abbas
Blinken Urges Russia to Withdraw Troops from Ukraine Borders in Lavrov Call
Lavrov Says U.S. Ready to Discuss Russia's Security Concerns
Russian Military Analyst Pukhov: From A Purely Military Perspective, Russian Bases In Cuba Or Venezuela Are More Trouble Than They Are Worth
Canada/Foreign ministers’ joint statement on the situation in Myanmar

Titles For The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published  on February 01-02/2022
Biden's Borders: The Threat to America and the Threat to the Free World/Chris Farrell/Gatestone Institute/February 1, 2022
Korea, Iraq, Ukraine – In World Affairs, Words Have Consequences/Y. Carmon and A. Ungar/MEMRI/February 01/2022 |
Israeli PM pledges Iran will no longer be untouchable/Ben Caspit/Al-Monitor/February 01/ 2022
War of Nerves and Diplomacy between NATO and Russia/Omer Onhon/ Asharq Al-Awsat/February 01/2022
There’s a Russia-Sized Mystery in China’s Electricity Sector/David Fickling/Bloomberg/February 01/2022

The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published  on February 01-02/2022
Top US lawmakers call on Biden to ‘reconsider’ support for Lebanon energy deals
Joseph Haboush, Al Arabiya English/02 February ,2022
The top Republican lawmakers on the Senate and Congress foreign relations committees issued a letter Tuesday, calling on the Biden administration to reconsider its support for US-backed energy deals between Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Egypt. Under a World Bank proposal, backed by the United States, two plans would see Egypt and Jordan sell natural gas and electricity to Lebanon via Syria. But the deal would require transit fees being paid to the Assad regime, which has had crippling Caesar Act sanctions prevent foreign countries and companies from dealing with the Syrian government as a result of its war crimes. “While we acknowledge Lebanon’s precarious situation, its energy sector is a black hole of corruption. Not only would such deals likely benefit Assad financially, they would exacerbate corruption in Lebanon,” Senator Jim Risch and Congressman Michael McCaul wrote in a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Urging the Biden administration to “reconsider” its support for the deals, the lawmakers called for finding alternative ways of supporting Lebanon. “Should you choose to pursue these energy arrangements, we urge you follow the law and utilize a Caesar Act waiver to make clear to the world that this bipartisan, bicameral legislation is the core framework through which the United States views dealings with the Syrian regime,” they wrote. Risch and McCaul also voiced their concerns that the deal had provided “a blueprint for circumventing Caesar sanctions.”“If the administration continues to confer its support for these deals, it sets a precedent that the administration is unwilling to enforce the Caesar Act and will facilitate international actors finding loopholes to avoid the sanctions crafted by Congress with broad bipartisan and bicameral support,” they said. Last week, a senior State Department official told reporters that there would be no Caesar Act sanctions lifted or waived “in this case, or any other case, for that matter.”Speaking on condition of anonymity, the official insisted: “We do not support efforts to normalize relations with Syria or rehabilitate Assad. And none of these projects that we are currently supportive of are designed to do so. Nor do we believe that they actually will do so.”With Lebanon suffering from one of the worst economic downfalls in history and very few hours of electricity per day, the official said the plans were “entirely intended” to support Lebanon and the Lebanese people. “And if we do not address the power shortages in Lebanon in the near term, there are great risks of continued degradation of the economy.

Vatican Envoy Accuses Lebanese Politicians of Profiting from Country’s Suffering
Asharq Al-Awsat/Tuesday, 1 February, 2022
A Vatican envoy criticized Lebanon's politicians on his visit to Beirut on Tuesday, calling for an end to "the few profiting of the suffering of many" in a financial crisis which has plunged the bulk of the country into poverty. Archbishop Paul Gallagher's remarks come one week after the World Bank blasted Lebanon's ruling class for "orchestrating" one of the world's worst national economic depressions due to their exploitative grip on resources. "Let there be an end to the few profiting off the suffering of many. No more letting half-truth continue to frustrate people's aspirations," the archbishop said.
Lebanon is suffering a financial crisis that began in 2019 when its financial system collapsed under colossal state debts. While politicians have acknowledged that corruption exists in Lebanon, none have taken individual responsibility, saying they are doing their best to rescue the economy. The archbishop also warned against outside interference in Lebanon's affairs. "Stop using Lebanon and the Middle East for outside interest and profit," Gallagher said. While he did not mention Hezbollah, his words come as Lebanon is trying to thaw ties with Gulf countries that have accused the party of steering Lebanon away from its Arab fold and towards Iran. Hezbollah holds the majority in the parliament, has a militia more powerful than Lebanon's army, and supports Iran in its regional struggle for influence with U.S.-allied Gulf Arab states. Gulf Arab states say the group has aided the Iran-aligned Houthis who are fighting a Saudi-led coalition in Yemen. Lebanon's Maronite Patriarch Beshara Al-Rai has criticized Hezbollah, saying it has harmed Lebanon by dragging it into regional conflicts. "The Lebanese people must be given the opportunity to be the architects for a better future in their land without undue interference," Archbishop Gallagher said after meeting with President Michel Aoun, an ally to Hezbollah, at the presidential palace in Baabda. The archbishop added that the Holy See could host a dialogue between Lebanese political actors, if it is requested by all parties involved. The archbishop also said that Pope Francis would like to visit Lebanon soon. Aoun called in December for national dialogue on matters including defense. Most Lebanese parties declined to take part, preferring to wait for a general election due to be held in May, when Hezbollah's adversaries hope to overturn its majority.

President Aoun meets Vatican Foreign Minister, affirms efforts to keep Lebanon home of message for East, West
NNA/Tuesday, 1 February, 2022  
President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun, asserted that he is exerting all efforts so that Lebanon remains the homeland and message for the east and west, according to what Pope, John-Paul II wanted. The President also stressed that “As Lebanese, we believe that our homeland is a message, and we strive to preserve it in accordance with this vision despite all difficulties, which are many”.
Positions of President Aoun came while meeting Holy See Secretary for Relations between Countries, Monsignor Richard Paul Gallagher, today at the Presidential Palace.
The meeting was attended by: Papal Ambassador to Lebanon, Monsignor Joseph Spitri, Chargé d'Affairs at the Papal Embassy, Monsignor Giuseppe Franconi and Monsignor Marco Formica.
On the Lebanese side: former Minister, Salim Jreissati, Director General of the Presidency, Dr. Antoine Choucair, and advisors Rafic Chelala, Antoine Constantine and Osama Khashab.
Monsignor Gallagher is on a visit to Lebanon “At the request of Pope Francis, bearing the closeness of the Holy Father to the Lebanese people of all their sects, in the current difficult circumstances which the country is passing through”.
Monsignor Gallagher began the meeting by conveying the greetings of Pope Francis to President Aoun, and through the President to the Lebanese, stressing his “Meticulous follow-up on the developments in the Lebanese situation”.
Monsignor Gallagher quoted the Pope that “Lebanon deserves exceptional attention, because the entire Middle East looks to Lebanon as a message for the future, and from here comes the necessity of preserving the Lebanese national identity. If the situation develops positively, the Lebanese national identity will be reflected in the region. A strong and united Lebanon can set an example for the entire Middle East, with its Christians and Muslims, in the service of the common good for all, and this is the truth of the Lebanese call. We hope that this role will be played again in the future and it is easy to say that Lebanon is a message, but we must work together so that this message becomes a tangible reality”.
Monsignor Gallagher also emphasized that Pope Francis expressed his desire to visit Lebanon. “His Holiness will come soon, but we have to define the meaning of the word soon” Monsignor Gallagher said, wishing President Aoun to pay a visit to the Holy See.
For his part, President Aoun thanked Pope Francis for the depth of his love for Lebanon and his closeness to the Lebanese, on several occasions, wishing Monsignor Gallagher to convey the love of the Lebanese of different sects to His Holiness, and their attachment to the Holy See.
“We thank the Holy See in all its departments for the care it pays to Lebanon, and for standing to heal the wounds of the Lebanese through the assistance it provides on multiple levels, especially during the difficulties which Lebanon is witnessing” the President said.
The President also recalled the private meeting he had with the Pope and senior officials in the Vatican at the beginning of his presidential term, and said “We look forward with great interest to the visit that His Holiness promised to carry out to Lebanon, hoping that it will be the beginning of Lebanon’s resurrection and recovering from its crises. The role played by the Holy See is in the interest of all the Lebanese, hence the great appreciation that everyone has for them, looking forward to the Holy Father as a guarantor of Lebanon’s importance and presence in its surroundings and the world”.
“We look forward to continuing this support in view of the gravity of the challenges facing us, which are unprecedented in the modern history of Lebanon. We hope that with this support, along with other friends of Lebanon in the world, we will overcome the negative repercussions of regional crises and conflicts” President Aoun stressed.
Statement:
After the meeting,, Monsignor Gallagher made the following statement:
“I come to Beirut on the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Holy See and Lebanon, and on the 25th anniversary of the apostolic visit of His Holiness, Pope John-Paul II, to Lebanon on the occasion of signing the Apostolic Exhortation “A New Hope for Lebanon”.
We also recall that this occasion is the 10th anniversary of the apostolic visit of His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI, to Lebanon.
The Holy Father instructed me to convey, to the Lebanese people, his closeness and concern for Lebanon and the Lebanese, in the deep economic, social and political crisis which they are going through. When the Holy Father went to the Diplomatic Corps dinner a few days ago, to celebrate the New Year, he said the following about Lebanon: “I believe that necessary reforms, in addition to the support of the international community, will help Lebanon continue its own identity, as an example of peaceful coexistence and brotherhood between different religions. On this occasion, I urge the international community to continue providing support and assistance to Lebanon to reach the path of resurrection, and I hope that this country will continue to play the role of a model and an example as a society full of tolerance and pluralism in the Middle East, where the Christian community can make its contribution”.
In his speech to the diplomatic corps in 2021, Pope Francis said the following about Lebanon “Christians, through their educational, health and humanitarian work, constitute an integral part of the social and historical roots of Lebanon. It is necessary to ensure that Christians can continue their efforts for the sake of the country of which they were one of its founders. Any weakening of Christian presence would destroy the internal balance and the Lebanese identity.
I would like to benefit from this opportunity to express my closeness and sympathy to the victims of the horrific explosion of the Beirut Port on August 4th, 2020, and their families. I hope that all the Lebanese and victims of families receive consolation in their faith and in the pursuit of justice.
Finally, allow me to remind you of what Pope Francis said on July 1, 2021, when he gathered the heads of Churches in the Vatican “In these hopeful days, we would like to emphasize that Lebanon was, is and must remain a peace project”. His call is for Lebanon to be a land of tolerance and pluralism, and an oasis of eternity where all sects and religions meet, and sects live together, putting public interest and common good above their own interests. Here, I would like to reiterate the need for those in power to make the decisive decision to work for peace and not for their own interests. Let this be the end of some who profit from the suffering of all. It is not allowed for half the truth to frustrate the hopes of the people. Stop using Lebanon and the Middle East for foreign interests. The Lebanese people must have the opportunity for their own sons to be the makers of a better future, better than any outside interference”.
Questions & Answers:
Question: I would like to ask you the question of all the Lebanese: Will the Pope be among us during this year, and he had reiterated yesterday his intention to visit our country?
Answer: “The Pope assured me, before I started this visit that he intends and wants to come to Lebanon, very soon. But it remains for us to define the meaning of the word soon. He wants to come and he will come”.
Question: We, as Lebanese, know that our homeland is more than one country. It is a message for Pope Saint John-Paul II, and he is the heart and mind of the world for Pope Benedict, and here is Pope Francis repeating that it is a homeland and a message. And yet Pope John Paul II has expressed since 1989 his fear that this Lebanon will disappear, considering Lebanon’s demise as “The world's greatest regret”. In the Holy See, do you fear the demise of this Lebanon?
Answer: “This is self-evident when we observe what is happening not only in Lebanon, but also in the region. Yes, we fear that the future of this country will not be guaranteed. We call on everyone, and all leaders, whether locally or internationally, to preserve Lebanon as a message of living together, brotherhood and hope among religions”.
Question: We are suffering from a multi-sided crisis, the impact of which has been compounded by the presence of about three million displaced Syrians and Palestinian refugees. Is the Holy See ready to help us solve this aspect, especially since many areas in Syria have become safe?
Answer: “We are actively committed, during our talks with representatives of the countries of the region and international organizations, to this matter. We share this desire for the return of the displaced. But there is a difference of ideas regarding the security situation of the displaced Syrians. We are trying to work on this issue and we have held discussions in this regard in Baghdad and with the European Union on the reconstruction in Syria, and with the European Commission for Refugees. But these consultations were not very fruitful, but we are committed to this issue and will continue this effort”.
Question: You talked about establishing Lebanon’s special identity. Can you invite the leaders to a national dialogue to establish this special identity? Is the Vatican, which played a decisive role in ending the civil war, ready to sponsor such a dialogue?
Answer: “In fact, diplomatic activity is a dialogue and discourse between representatives of internationally recognized entities. In this case, we are talking about Lebanon and its government on one hand, and about the Holy See on the other. In any dialogue, it is not possible to predict what the outcome will be, but it is self-evident. We will implicitly and explicitly encourage political leaders and civil society according to the degree to which we will be in contact. When we talk about the role of facilitator or mediator between political actors, we can play this role if there is an invitation to the Holy See from all parties concerned to play this role. So if there is this desire or collective invitation, we are ready to play this role”.
Word of Honor:
Monsignor Gallagher wrote the following phrase in the Presidential Palace ceremonial register:
“I bring to Lebanon the prayers of the Holy Father, Pope Francis, and his best wishes for the Lebanese who are facing great challenges, praying to the Almighty God to fortify Lebanon’s steps on the path of recovery, cooperation and love”.--Presidency Press Office

President briefed on dialogue, tourism activities in Lebanon and Dubai
NNA/Tuesday, 1 February, 2022
President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun, received the Honorary President of the Phoenician track within the cultural tracks of the Council of Europe, Dr. Rachid Chamoun. Dr. Chamoun briefed the President on the activities that he is participating in preparing, for the occasion of the establishment of the “Academy of Human Encounters and Dialogue”, including the Dialogue Forum in early next April, which will be held in cooperation and coordination with the Lebanese American University, the Ministries of Tourism and Culture, and a number of concerned ministries and institutions.
Dr. Chamoun also briefed President Aoun on the celebration organized by the Ministry of Tourism and the municipality of Bkassine on February 16, after the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) announced the town of Bkassine as one of the best tourist villages in the world.
Moreover, Dr. Chamoun referred to the preparation of a festival at the Dubai International EXPO 2020 on cultural tourism and its role in developing the economy with the participation of the member states of the Council of Europe.—Presidency Press Office

Gallagher from Ain El-Tineh: Meeting with Speaker Berri positive, honest
NNA/Tuesday, 1 February, 2022  
Speaker of the House, Nabih Berri, on Tuesday welcomed at his Ain al-Tineh residence the Vatican's Secretary for Relations with States, Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, who visited him with an accompanying delegation, in the presence of the Vatican’s ambassador to Lebanon, Archbishop Joseph Spiteri. The meeting reportedly took stock of the general situation and the most recent developments in Lebanon. In the wake of the meeting, Archbishop Gallagher said that the meeting with Speaker Berri was positive and honest. “I’ve conveyed His Holiness the Pope's concern for Lebanon and the Lebanese people,” he added. “I was very interested in hearing the opinion of Speaker Berri, which I deem very enlightening. I believe that we can move forward through dialogue with the various political parties in Lebanon; this will help us understand the nature of the challenges facing Lebanon and the Lebanese,” Gallagher added. “We, at the Holy See, have made modest contributions to the Lebanese in order to encourage them not to lose hope, especially amid the difficult times they endure. We hope that the future will bring better days for Lebanon,” Gallagher concluded.

Cash-Strapped Lebanon Tells Diplomats to Find Donors to Fund Embassies
Asharq Al-Awsat/Tuesday, 1 February, 2022
Cash-strapped Lebanon has told embassies to look for donors to help cover their running costs, as it falls behind on paying diplomats' salaries and contemplates shutting missions abroad. A foreign ministry circular, dated Jan. 25 and reviewed by Reuters, asks foreign missions to seek donations from the Lebanese diaspora, and respond to its request within two weeks. The ministry is studying closing down a number of missions "as an urgent financial measure adopted by a large number of states swept by similar financial crises," the circular said. The foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for additional information about the document and the financial situation at its embassies. Two Lebanese diplomatic sources told Reuters that employees of foreign missions had not been paid their salaries for the month of January. One source said they had been told they would receive them in the next week.
Lebanon is in the throes of what the World Bank has described as one of the worst financial collapses in world history. Since 2019 it has burned through most of its reserves of hard currency, leading to a dollar shortage that has seen the national currency lose more than 90% of its value.
Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib said in December he had begun implementing a plan to cut spending at embassies, including rent allowances, diplomats' salaries and expenses for parties and travel. Savings could amount to $18 million out of a total budget of $95 million.

Lebanese Judge Subpoenas Central Bank Governor, Riad Salameh, amid Misconduct Probe
Asharq Al-Awsat/Tuesday, 1 February, 2022
A Lebanese judge said on Tuesday she had issued a subpoena for central bank governor Riad Salameh after he failed to show up for interrogation sessions as part of her probe into alleged misconduct initiated after Lebanon's 2019 financial meltdown. Judge Ghada Aoun confirmed to Reuters that she issued the subpoena after Salameh missed three separate sessions and said she had circulated the order to security agencies. Salameh was asked to come in as a witness and has not been charged in the case. He declined to comment on Tuesday. He has previously denied any wrongdoing and has characterized investigations against him in Lebanon and abroad as politically motivated. He has in the past accused Aoun of bias and last month said he filed a suit seeking her dismissal from investigations against him after she imposed a travel ban on him. Aoun subsequently froze Salameh's assets and property in Lebanon, including several cars and houses. A judicial source previously told Reuters that Aoun's probes center on allegations of fraud, embezzlement and the central bank's "financial engineering" operations that gave commercial banks lavish returns over several years to attract dollars into Lebanon.
Salameh has been governor for almost three decades and stayed in his post even as the economy has been crushed by a mountain of debt, the currency has collapsed and swathes of the nation have been driven into poverty.

Judge Aoun Issues Subpoena for Riad Salameh
Naharnet/Tuesday, 1 February, 2022
Mount Lebanon Attorney General Judge Ghada Aoun on Tuesday issued a subpoena for Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh, LBCI television reported. “The subpoena was referred to the State Security agency for implementation, after Salameh failed to show up for the third time for interrogation in the lawsuit filed by the People Want to Reform the System group,” the TV network added. The judge had recently issued a travel ban and an assets freeze against Salameh. The lawsuit accuses the governor of "illicit enrichment, money laundering and squandering public funds on personal benefits."
Salameh, one of the world's longest-serving central bank governors, is also facing judicial investigations in France, Switzerland and other European countries on suspicion of money laundering and illicit enrichment, among other allegations. Salameh has recently dismissed the cases against him as unfounded and lacking in evidence, claiming they were opened based on complaints filed by Lebanese citizens "for reasons that could be political... or tied to certain interests."He said that a top-tier financial audit firm had scrutinized his accounts at his request and presented him with a report that he then submitted to officials and judges. "I am ready to cooperate with all investigations," he said, claiming they were based on "fabricated evidence" that made it seem as though he "took all of Lebanon's money and pocketed it."

One Year On, Justice on Hold for Slain Lebanese Activist Lokman Slim
Agence France Presse/Tuesday, 1 February, 2022
A year after the murder of Lebanese intellectual and Hezbollah critic Lokman Slim, his family is still searching for accountability in a country where crimes often go unpunished. "We really need justice for Lokman," his widow Monika Borgmann told AFP from their home in the southern suburbs of the capital Beirut, days before the first anniversary of his killing. If his murder goes unpunished, it would be like "giving the green light to the killers, whoever they are, to continue" their crimes, she said, amid stalled investigations into his murder. A secular activist, 58-year-old Slim was found dead in his car on February 4 last year, a day after his family reported him missing. His body was found in southern Lebanon -- a stronghold of the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement -- but the culprits have yet to be identified. An outspoken activist and a researcher passionate about documenting the civil war that raged from 1975-1990 in Lebanon, Slim was a divisive figure.His sway over foreign diplomats in Lebanon often sparked the ire of Hezbollah and its loyalists. In several televised interviews, Slim accused the group of taking Lebanon hostage on behalf of its Iranian patrons. In one of his last TV appearances, he accused the Syrian regime of having links to the ammonium nitrate shipment that caused the catastrophic explosion at Beirut's port in August 2020. Slim's family has received no updates from the authorities since investigations into his murder started. This is not unusual for a country where even investigations into the Beirut port blast have yet to identify a single culprit -- a year and a half after the explosion destroyed swathes of the city. The judiciary is still working on gathering evidence from security agencies over Slim's murder, said a judicial source, explaining that investigations are still at an "information-gathering phase". They are yet to reach any key conclusions because not all security agencies have provided investigators with the necessary information, the same source added. Borgmann, Slim's widow, said that the family has been left in the dark. "We don't really know where we are going," she said, expressing doubts over whether any progress will ever be made. Slim's family has called for an independent, international probe into his murder. It is a demand that Borgmann said is within reach after United Nations experts last year called for a credible and impartial investigation. "The government should consider requesting international technical assistance to investigate the killing of Mr. Slim," UN human rights experts said in March. Lebanese politicians and media personalities have suspected Hezbollah's involvement in his murder, but Slim's family has never publicly accused the party of his killing. "Of course, I have my opinion who is behind (the murder)," said Borgmann, a film director, originally from Germany. "But for me it's not really enough to point the finger at anybody and... stop there," she added. "We need proof and we need accountability," she said, expressing hopes his killers will be jailed. Borgmann said Hezbollah had threatened Slim several times, most notably in December 2019. A group of people attacked his home in the southern suburbs of Beirut, plastering Hezbollah slogans and messages on the walls, calling him a traitor and warning that his "time will come". At the time, Slim said he would lay the blame squarely on the shoulders of Hezbollah and Amal movements should anything happen to him or his family. "Lokman said it himself," Borgmann said. There have been at least 220 assassinations and murder attempts since Lebanon's independence in 1943 until Slim's killing last year, according to Beirut-based consultancy firm Information International.
Investigations into these murders have rarely yielded results due to political interference or lack of evidence. After he was killed, Slim's family launched a foundation in his name that is devoted to studying political assassinations in Lebanon and in the region. "Political assassinations played a major role in controlling political life in Arab societies," said Hana Jaber, the foundation's director. They create "imaginary barriers... that deter societies from thinking freely or producing alternative political, societal and cultural projects". As a result, the foundation created in Slim's honor will work to counter the culture of impunity around political assassinations and "break the isolation of those who are under threat", Jaber said. For Borgmann, the foundation will serve to preserve Slim's legacy. "The fight against the culture of impunity has always been at the center of our work," she said. "Now we need to do it without him, but for him."

Erdogan Tells Miqati Turkey Ready to Invest in Lebanon, Rebuild Beirut Port
Naharnet/February 01/2022
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told Prime Minister Najib Miqati in a meeting in Ankara Tuesday that Turkish firms are ready to “execute infrastructure projects in Lebanon, including the reconstruction of Beirut's port.”“A friend in need is a friend indeed… and we reiterate our firm stance in support of Lebanon,” Erdogan added. “We want to reach all segments of the Lebanese society, without discrimination and in all fields, especially in the sectors of commerce, health, security and energy,” the Turkish leader said.
“We have great capabilities that we want to use with Lebanon,” he went on to say.

Lebanese-Turkish talks kick-start in Ankara, bilateral meeting between Erdogan, Mikati
NNA /February 01/2022
The Lebanese-Turkish talks began on Tuesday between Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Lebanese Prime Minister, Najib Mikati, at the presidential palace in Ankara. Premier Mikati and the accompanying Lebanese delegation have arrived at the presidential palace in Ankara, where a closed meeting was held between President Erdogan and Premier Mikati, to be followed by an expanded meeting in the presence of the Lebanese and Turkish delegations. mA joint press conference will be held afterwards by President Erdogan and Premier Mikati. Meanwhile, the Lebanese accompanying ministers held bilateral meetings with their Turkish counterparts in conference rooms at the presidential palace. The Lebanese delegation includes Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib, State Minister for Administrative Development Affairs Najla Riachy, Tourism Minister Walid Nassar, Energy Minister Walid Fayyad, Environment Minister Nasser Yassin, Agriculture Minister Abbas Hajj Hassan, Transport Minister Ali Hamieh, Economy Minister Amin Salam, and Mikati's advisor Boutros Asaker, as well as Lebanon's Ambassador to Turkey, Ghassan Al-Moallem. It is to note that Premier Mikati and the accompanying ministerial delegation’s first stop was a visit to the tomb of Turkey's founder, Ataturk.

Lebanese-Turkish expanded meeting starts in Ankara

NNA/February 01/2022
The expanded work meeting between Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Lebanese Prime Minister, Najib Mikati, began a while ago at the presidential palace in Ankara, with the participation of the Turkish and Lebanese ministerial delegations.President Erdogan and Premier Mikati addressed the conferees at the beginning of the meeting, then the Turkish and Lebanese ministers presented areas of bilateral cooperation

Geagea Quoted as Saying Hariri Will be 'Forgotten', LF Slams 'Lies'
Naharnet/February 01/2022
Ex-PM Saad Hariri has been “infuriated” by a leaked audio recording in which Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea talks to LF members about the former premier’s withdrawal from politics, al-Akhbar newspaper reported on Tuesday. The recording was leaked to Hariri by “a security agency belonging to a major Arab country that is seeking to play a permanent role regarding the Lebanese Sunnis,” the daily said. In the alleged recording, Geagea discusses Hariri’s exit from the political equation and expresses his relief over “getting rid” of Hariri, al-Akhbar added. “We know how we will attract his supporters and we have our ways,” Geagea was quoted by the newspaper as saying. “I promise you that I will bring every member of his group to me… They will forget him,” the LF leader added, according to al-Akhbar.In an interview with al-Jadeed TV, ex-MP Fadi Karam of the LF dismissed the newspaper’s report as “lies” aimed at “fragmenting the anti-Hizbullah front.”

Shehayeb in wake of meeting with Geagea says Democratic Gathering to ally with LF in Parliamentary elections
NNA/February 01/2022
Lebanese Forces leader, Samir Geagea, on Tuesday welcomed MPS Wael Abu Faour and Akram Shehayeb of the Democratic Gathering bloc. After the meeting, Shehayeb stressed that coordination has been ongoing with the LF. “It is true that parliamentary elections are approaching, but the historic reconciliation with the LF has brought us closer; March 14 has brought us together,” Shehayeb said. “We have a common view to see a homeland to which we belong, where justice, freedom, and human dignity prevail — not a mere platform or arena for others,” he added, stressing the importance of the upcoming elections. “We see elections as an opportunity for sovereign forces, with national personalities and forces, to make real change and social justice en route to sovereignty. We seek the protection of the constitution and the preservation of freedoms,” Shehayeb added. Moreover, he continued to express full understanding of “Prime Minister Saad Hariri’s special circumstances.”In a chat with journalists, Shehayeb revealed that the Democratic Gathering will delve into the parliamentary electoral alongside the Lebanese Forces in various regions. “As for the names of the candidates, they remain under study,” Shehayeb concluded.

Bou Habib holds talks in Kuwait with EU Ambassador to Lebanon

NNA/February 01/2022
Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib held talks in Kuwait with European Union's Ambassador to Lebanon, Ralph Tarraf, over the bilateral relations between Lebanon and the EU, in addition to an array of affairs of common interest.

U.S. Ambassador Attends Donation Ceremony at Civil Defense Headquarters
Naharnet/February 01/2022
U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Dorothy Shea on Tuesday attended the handover ceremony of a Seagrave Triple Fire Engine from the City of Los Angeles to Lebanon's General Directorate of Civil Defense. The 55,000-pound vehicle will be based at the Mar Mikhail Civil Defense Fire Station and will provide emergency-response capabilities for a community of over 200,000 residents.The donation comes from members of U.S. not-for-profit organizations Cedars Relief and the American Task Force on Lebanon (ATFL), with support from the U.S. Department of Defense and dozens of other organizations that provided for the fire engine’s refurbishment, decommissioning, shipment, and transfer. In her remarks, Ambassador Shea recognized the "important and ongoing efforts of U.S. not-for-profit organizations" to help meet the needs of the Lebanese people. "This donation demonstrates the spirit of volunteerism, goodwill, and friendship between the American and Lebanese peoples. I look forward to commemorating more private donations like this one, which is providing a Lebanese community with equipment to enhance its life-saving, emergency-response capabilities," Shea said. To date, the ATFL has collected and distributed over $50 million in aid to the Lebanese people, and Cedars Relief has responded with more than $6 million in supplies and medicines.

Bassil Warns against Hizbullah Isolation, Denies Discussing Presidential Candidacy with Syria
Naharnet/February 01/2022
Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil said that the Sunni presence is an essential component, and that any imbalance would harm all Lebanese and all sects. He also warned against the isolation of Hizbullah which he also considered as "an essential component" especially in the liberation of Lebanon from Israel. Bassil reiterated in a televised interview that the FPM has no intention to cancel the memorandum of understanding with Hizbullah, but wants it to evolve. He said he could have abandoned the MOU after he was sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department but he chose to preserve the alliance with Hizbullah. "Hizbullah's arms serve a particular function, defending Lebanon and preserving its sovereignty," Bassil said. "We shouldn't accept to isolate Hizbullah," Bassil told France 24, adding that that's what foreign countries want. The FPM chief said that Lebanon is very serious in dealing with the Kuwaiti initiative, and that the world, especially the countries that have created some crises in Lebanon and the region, should also bear their responsibility. "We love to live in peace without weapons, that is the desire of the Lebanese," Bassil added. "But is is a regional and an international issue, the world should bear with us."Last week, an FPM delegation visited Damascus for official talks. Bassil denied having sought Syria's support as a candidate for the presidential elections in October. "As long as President Michel Aoun is in Baabda, I am not concerned," he said. But he did not indicate whether he will seek the presidency, when Aoun's term ends. "It is a Lebanese issue and even if it would be discussed, it must be discussed in Lebanon not abroad," Bassil said.

BDL Allows Banks to Buy LBP at Sayrafa Rate

Naharnet/February 01/2022
Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh on Tuesday issued a statement saying commercial banks can now purchase Lebanese banknotes in return for cash dollars based on the exchange rate of the Sayrafa platform. Media reports said banks have in recent days been short on Lebanese pounds and were rationing the amounts given to clients. The central bank had recently allowed commercial banks to purchase U.S. dollars in return for Lebanese pounds also based on the Sayrafa exchange rate, which led to a major recovery for the Lebanese pound on the black market.

Power Cuts Turn Cafes into Co-Working Spaces
Agence France Presse/February 01/2022
The music is often hushed and the atmosphere studious -- for the patrons filling Beirut's cafes these days, the most important things are good lighting and stable wi-fi. That's because they now serve as substitute workplaces for people grappling with drastic electricity shortages and internet cuts stemming from Lebanon's unrelenting economic crisis. Aaliya's Books, in the heart of the capital's once-fabled nightlife spot of Gemmayzeh, is one such sanctuary. "Most of the time, if I come here, it's because I don't have electricity at home," said Maria Bou Raphael, nestled on a sofa. The power cuts, extending to 23 hours a day, have left many already deprived of an office by Covid restrictions with no option but to plant themselves in cafes all day, especially as the quality of many internet connections has also plummeted. Generators -- the only way to keep devices charged and connected -- are too expensive for many Lebanese, as they grapple with an economic crisis that has seen the local currency lose more than 90 percent of its black market value in recent years. Cafes are therefore among the few businesses to have largely bucked the wider meltdown driven by corruption, capital flight and would-be donors' reluctance to throw good money after bad. Aaliya's Books manager Niamh Flemming Farrell said that on weekdays her establishment feels more like a co-working space, with some customers staying for a full day. The sense of community created by the service that she provides to the neighborhood is reviving a cafe culture that had faded in recent years. Doubling up as a bookshop, the cafe takes its name from Aaliya Saleh, the central character in "An Unnecessary Woman", a novel by acclaimed Lebanese-American author Rabih Alameddine.The narrative focuses on a 72-year-old who lives secluded in her Beirut flat, in the sole company of her books while the 1975-1990 civil war rages outside.
'Relaxed spot' -
"We noticed that... our customers started working additional hours in our branches, fancying the locations that provide a higher level of comfort," said a spokesman for Cafe Younes, a roastery with 10 coffee shops mostly in the capital. Cafe Younes opened a new large branch in Beirut's central Hamra district a year ago that includes a multi-purpose study room with large desks each equipped with power sockets. Barzakh is another multi-purpose cafe that opened recently on the first floor of a busy building on the Hamra thoroughfare. Hamra used to epitomize a Beirut cafe culture that had its heyday in the 1960s but was gradually wiped out by bars conducive to more boisterous socializing. "I can see people running and yelling (outside) but I'm sitting here quietly in a relaxed spot," said fashion design student Mustafa al-Sous, sitting beside a large window. The young man sees Barzakh as a haven from the doom and gloom that has been so pervasive across Lebanon in recent years, but also as a place where he can work. Notebooks and laptops clogged the tables in this cafe, while tangled charger cables strewn across the floor threatened to trip waiters. "Originally we wanted to ban laptops," Mansour Aziz, the founder of the cafe-cum-library, which also hosts live shows in the evenings, recalls with a disbelieving smile. Many here, dragged out of their homes by the electricity crisis, now rely on the cafes for their social life, especially those who can no longer afford to party in the evenings.At Barzakh, patrons will often greet each other with a nod from across the room and come to know each other gradually. "I'm a very sociable person," Mustafa said. "I like it when people walk over to ask me what I'm working on."

UNIFIL Receives EIF Grant to Enable Inclusive Environment for Women Peacekeepers
Naharnet/February 01/2022
The Elsie Initiative Fund for Women in Peace Operations (EIF) has announced that the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) is the first U.N. field mission to receive funding to create an enabling and inclusive environment for women peacekeepers. The EIF was jointly established by the U.N. and Canada in 2019 with its secretariat within U.N. Women. The EIF, a U.N. trust fund, is funded by Member States. USD $30 million have been raised thus far. The USD $357,000 EIF grant will allow UNIFIL to build gender-sensitive accommodation and working conditions for women peacekeepers from the Ghanaian battalion. "It will also enable the peacekeeping mission to attain gender parity and equality," the U.N. said. “For success in peacekeeping operations we need more uniformed women to participate. Yet, too often women’s equal participation in these missions is deterred by inadequate gender-responsive living and working conditions,” said U.N. Women’s Executive Director, Sima Bahous. “The UNIFIL project, funded by the Elsie Initiative Fund, is setting a great example by specifically tackling this significant structural barrier. Its positive changes will help us attain parity in peace operations.”
The U.N. explained in a press note that "UNIFIL’s project is designed to address this barrier by installing four accommodation buildings, an ablution unit and a welfare area for women." The improved living conditions come at a time when Ghana, which currently deploys 861 military personnel to UNIFIL (16% of whom are women) is expected to increase its deployment of women peacekeepers. The project follows guidelines and recommendations from the Department of Operational Support’s new gender-responsive conceptual peacekeeping camp and accommodation designs created through the Elsie Initiative for Women in Peace Operations, funded by Canada.
“Women still face barriers that prevent them from contributing to peacekeeping to the fullest. This includes lack of information about deployment opportunities and not enough access to necessary training, as well as institutional constraints and biases, or inadequate facilities and infrastructure in field missions,” said Jean-Pierre Lacroix, U.N. Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations. “This project represents an expression of our shared values for gender equality and the promotion of women’s full, equal and meaningful participation in our workforce, in line with the Secretary-General’s Action for Peacekeeping initiative, which is critical to increasing performance and mandate implementation” he said. Over the years, UNIFIL has supported the increased participation of women peacekeepers from five percent in 2018 to nearly seven percent (or a total of 659 women) in 2021, the statement said.
It added that "with this project, UNIFIL seeks to support troop and police contributing countries to achieve the gender targets set in the U.N.’s Uniformed Gender Parity Strategy 2018-2028."The U.N. stated that the project contributes to UNIFIL’s implementation of U.N. Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) on Women, Peace and Security (WPS) and U.N. Security Council resolution 2538 (2020) that called for an increase in the deployments of women peacekeepers. "It is also in line with the Action for Peacekeeping (A4P) initiative and the A4P+, launched by the U.N. Secretary General in 2018 and 2021, respectively, to reinforce and harness the political commitment in advancing the WPS agenda and reaffirming women’s full, equal and meaningful participation in peacekeeping and peace processes," the U.N. said. "Our women peacekeepers participate in all types of operational activities, from de-mining to patrolling the Blue Line”, said UNIFIL Head of Mission and Force Commander Major General Stefano Del Col. “We are proud to put this funding to use to remove some of the practical barriers that may deter women's participation in our important work," added Del Col.

Lebanese Politician Charles Jabbour, Spokesman Of The Lebanese Forces: Hizbullah Turns Its Weapons against Its Opponents Within Lebanon And Holds Us Captive With Its Stone-Age 'Resistance Ideology'
MEMRI/February 01/2022
Source: Al-Jadeed TV (Lebanon)
Lebanese politician Charles Jabbour, the spokesman of the Lebanese Forces, said in a January 29, 2022 interview on Jadeed TV (Lebanon) that Hizbullah turns its weapons against anyone in Lebanon who does not reach an understanding with it. He elaborated that Hizbullah is ready to blow up the cars of its opponents and to assassinate them. In addition, Jabbour said that Hizbullah and its leader, Hassan Nasrallah, know nothing about economics are the reason for Lebanon's economic deterioration, which he said has caused Lebanon's humiliation. Charles Jabbour: "If you cannot reach understandings [with Hizbullah], it turns its weapons against you. As long as one group is ready to blow up your car, turn its weapons against you, or assassinate you — and the courts are yet to prove who assassinated a long list of martyrs... So people are afraid. They say: We don't need this."They know nothing about the economy. Once Nasrallah started talking about the economy, and nobody could understand anything. He does not understand the economy. "Hizbullah is responsible for all the assassinations, for people carrying guns, and for all the security incidents. Nobody in Lebanon wants to carry guns."What happened to the dollar exchange rate? Our way of life has changed. The banks are closing down. Schools are closing down. People are leaving. People are being humiliated at the airports, and for what? [All] of us are human beings who want to live in dignity in this country. Who is preventing us from living in dignity? Hizbullah. "Hizbullah holds us captive under a false resistance ideology from the Stone Age. Resistance against who in Yemen, Syria, and in Iraq? Leave us alone and go fight on your own. We do not want to fight alongside them."

Lebanese international Affairs Expert Abdo Laqis: Towers In UAE, KSA Are Legitimate Targets, They House Military Command Centers
MEMRI/February 01/2022
Source: Al-Alam TV (Iran)
On January 21, 2022, Al-Alam TV (Iran) aired a panel in which various pundits discussed potential retaliatory steps that the Houthis can take in response to the recent escalation of the conflict in Yemen. Lebanese international affairs expert Abdo Laqis said that well-known towers in the UAE and Saudi Arabia are legitimate targets because they house military command centers. He also said that Israel, the U.S., and Britain will be affected by the Houthi retaliation because they are the ones "directing" the war against the Yemeni people. For more information about Abdo Laqis, see MEMRI TV clips Nos. 9088, 8032 and 7954.Abdo Laqis: "A retaliatory action is being prepared quickly, and it will target the command and control centers from where the Zionists, American, and British orders are issued. They are found in well-known towers in those countries [UAE and KSA]. These towers are legitimate targets for retaliation, since there are command and control centers inside the towers and in the basements that oversee the hostile operations against the Yemeni people. This is one of their vulnerabilities. "The retaliation might include countries that have not been included so far in the retaliation strikes of the Yemeni army. Therefore, I believe that all those who have been taking part in this aggression against the Yemeni people, which has been going on for more than 7 years... We will witness an escalation of the retaliatory actions, and they will affect these countries. The Zionist entity, the U.S., and Britain should beware of the retaliation [strikes], because they will be included in them, since it is they who are actually directing the war against the Yemeni people and the Yemeni army."

The Kuwaiti Initiative For Lebanon: A Waste of Time, A Squandered Sympathy
Nadim Koteich/Asharq Al-Awsat/February 01/2022
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/105996/nadim-koteich-the-kuwaiti-initiative-for-lebanon-a-waste-of-time-a-squandered-sympathy-%d9%86%d8%af%d9%8a%d9%85-%d9%82%d8%b7%d9%8a%d8%b4-%d8%a8%d9%86%d8%a7%d9%86-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%85%d8%a8%d8%a7/
Nobody in Saudi Arabia or the United Arab Emirates has illusions about Lebanon. No one needed to examine the Lebanese response to the Kuwaiti initiative to understand that Lebanon is an occupied country. There was of course no harm in the assertion of the Kuwaiti Foreign Minister, Sheikh Ahmad Nasser Al-Mohammed, that the paper he presented was a Kuwaiti- Gulf -Arab endeavor. The initiative conveyed the essence of the declared Gulf position on Lebanon. I have at first particularly focused on Riyadh and Abu Dhabi because they are directly concerned, along with Kuwait, with the security, political and criminal activities of the “Hezbollah” militia. In fact, the Kuwaiti initiative will have the same fate as the entire endeavors that preceded it, not because of a deficiency in the intentions or efficacy of the initiators, but because it is nothing but a waste of precious time, and a squandering of a unilateral emotion that does not find echo with a capable and responsible authority.
Let’s start from the name of the Gulf visitor.
Sheikh Ahmad is the son of Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammed Al-Ahmad Al Sabah, the Prime Minister of Kuwait between 2006 and 2011, the Minister of the Emiri Diwan Affairs between 1991 and 2006, and the man through whom Lebanon dealt with the State of Kuwait, throughout the period of the country’s civil peace. Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammed, who is now in his eighties, is considered one of the last figures who share a Gulf affection for Lebanon and nostalgia to its beautiful era. Both affection and nostalgia were seen clearly in the letter of his son, Sheikh Ahmad, the current Kuwaiti Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Kuwaiti empathy and soft attitude towards Lebanon have always characterized its policy, despite the fact that one of the most notorious plots in the history of the country - the attack on the convoy of the Emir of Kuwait - was planned and executed by one of the leaders of the “Hezbollah” militia, Mustafa Badreddine.
The attempt to make a breakthrough in the Lebanese-Gulf relations through Kuwaiti mediation began on the sidelines of the Climate Summit in Glasgow last November, when Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati urged the Kuwaiti Prime Minister, Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al Sabah, in the presence of Foreign Minister Sheikh Ahmed Al-Nasser, to play a role in the crisis, which at the time was at its peak following foolish statements by former Minister George Kordahi on Yemen. Mikati succeeded in investing Kuwaiti sentiments and “implicating” Kuwait with a new initiative. However, Lebanon’s response to the endeavor confirmed the certain: Lebanon is an occupied country and none of its political forces have the ability to implement a single letter of an initiative that only defines the concept of the state, the sound conditions for international relations, and the basic obligations of international law.
Here we fall on an amazing paradox: Kuwait’s “entry” into the Lebanese crisis coincided with Saad Rafik Hariri’s “exit” from the political game, even if the man gave the least political explanation about the real reasons that justify his exit and his failure to build the state.
Among the many meanings of Hariri’s departure, and the suspension of his political participation, is that reform from within and through the mechanisms of the political system is almost impossible, regardless of the results of the parliamentary elections and no matter how far one goes in the logic of settlement and reassurances. As Hariri declares his despair, one wonders how a country like Kuwait does not ditch its hope for the possibility of change, through the political forces themselves and from within the institutions affiliated to them, and by betting on a Lebanese political game, in which the participants are skilled in all kinds of attrition, deception and dishonesty. This was evident in everything leaked about the Lebanese response, which says that the country “is committed to respecting all resolutions of international legitimacy in a way that guarantees civil peace and national stability for Lebanon,” without any reference to specific United Nations resolutions, nor to steps pertaining to their implementation.
The truth is that no one gives any importance to Lebanon’s respect for UN resolutions. What is required is not respect, but commitment to the wording of decisions and their implementation. As for linking the commitment to international resolutions to civil peace and national stability, it is nothing but an affirmation that the country is hijacked and that the hostages are demanding, on behalf of the kidnapper, a solution to the kidnapping process, in a way that preserves the safety of the hostages and the morale of the kidnapper at the same time! Such a response is an early, expected and awaited obituary of the renewed initiative towards Lebanon, and squanders the last forms of sympathy with the country. The Lebanese may wonder how the Gulf States can negotiate with Syria and Iran, or open up to Iraq and be tough on Lebanon.
The answer is simple:
In Syria, there are five forms of occupation that create a balance on the ground. This is fundamentally different from the reality of the “Hezbollah” militia’s tight grip on Lebanon. Also, in Syria, there are remnants of a state - even if by a slight degree of legality (I do not say legitimacy) - which has some elements that allow dealing with it as such. The same applies to Iran, where dialogues and agreements take place from state to state. As for Iraq, there is a clear political front that engages in an open and deliberate battle against the anomaly of Iranian influence in the country. This front includes the Kurdish forces, civil society and the Sadrist movement, and is represented within the state by Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi. All of the above are missing in Lebanon. There are neither state forces engaging in a battle, nor authorities capable of abiding by the minimum requirements of a state that deserves to be named as such.
Lebanon is an occupied country, no more, no less. An occupying power is a militia to which none of the standards of international law apply. As for the government, it is as independent from the control of the militia as the Vichy government was from the Nazi occupation of France.
Lebanon is an occupied country, and the response to the occupation is liberation, not striking deals with the occupier.

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published  on February 01-02/2022
UAE diplomats call on US to relist Houthis as terrorists, demand more defense systems
Tuqa Khalid, Al Arabiya English/01 February ,2022
The UAE called on the US to provide it with better anti-missile and anti-drone capabilities to continue defending itself against Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi attacks, Emirati diplomats wrote in a Wall Street Journal opinion piece after the militia attacked Abu Dhabi three times in January. UAE Ambassador to the US Yousef al-Otaiba and UAE permanent representative to the UN Lana Zaki Nusseibeh wrote in the WSJ article: “Better anti-missile and anti-drone capabilities are... needed. The US Patriot and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) systems prevented an even greater loss of life in the January strikes.” “The UAE will intensify its cooperation with the US to expand and improve this protective umbrella for itself, US assets in the region and other Gulf allies,” they added. In January, the Houthis targeted the UAE with three cross border aerial attacks using cruise and ballistic missiles, as well as drones. All the attacks targeted civilian sites and infrastructures and led to the death of three civilians. The UAE said it had coordinated efforts with US forces at Al Dhafra Air Base near Abu Dhabi, and Washington announced that its military forces in the Gulf country deployed Patriot surface-to-air missiles to intercept and deter the Houthi attacks on the Emirati capital. Otaiba and Nusseibeh said: “Containing Houthi aggression requires broad diplomatic pressure, tougher US and international sanctions, intensified efforts to block weapons proliferation, and the development and wider deployment of effective countermeasures.”They also reiterated their call for Washington to re-designate Yemen’s Houthis as a terrorist organization. President Joe Biden’s administration revoked a terrorist designation of the Houthis introduced by former President Donald Trump last February. Saudi Arabia and the UAE maintained over the course of the past year that they will continue to treat the Houthis as a terrorist organization regardless of whether the US decides to designate the group as such. The UAE diplomats added that the re-designation “would help choke off [the Houthis’] financial and arms supplies without restricting humanitarian relief for the Yemeni people.”They also called on greater pressure on Iran which provides financial and military support to the Houthis. According to a draft UN Security Council report circulated in January, Iran has been exporting thousands of weapons from the Iranian port of Jask on the Sea of Oman to Yemen. Iran has long been accused of fanning the flames of violence in the Middle East through financial and military support to its network of Shia proxies in the region, specifically in Iraq, Lebanon, Syria and Yemen. Tehran denies the accusation.

Biden says he will designate Qatar as a major non-NATO US ally
Joseph Haboush, Al Arabiya English/ 01 February ,2022
US President Joe Biden revealed Monday that he would designate Qatar as a major non-NATO ally, joining the likes of Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan and Kuwait. “I am notifying Congress that I will designate Qatar as a major non-NATO ally to reflect the importance of our relationship, I think it’s long overdue,” Biden said ahead of his meeting with the Qatari emir. The White House said Biden’s meeting with Qatar’s Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani would focus on the latest developments in the Middle East, the situation in Afghanistan and global energy security. For his part, the Qatari emir said the discussions would include the “equal rights of Palestinian people.”Washington is looking to Qatar as part of its efforts to secure alternative energy supplies for Europe as tensions with Russia over a potential invasion of Ukraine linger. “This past year our partnership with Qatar has been central to many of our most vital interests: relocating tens of thousands of Afghans, maintaining stability in Gaza and providing life-saving assistance to the Palestinians, keeping pressure on ISIS and deterring threats across the Middle East,” Biden said. Qatar also represents US diplomatic interests in Afghanistan, following the chaotic withdrawal ordered by Biden last summer. Other major non-NATO allies include Afghanistan, Argentina, Australia, Bahrain, Brazil, Egypt, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Korea, Kuwait, Morocco, New Zealand, Pakistan, the Philippines, Thailand, and Tunisia.Taiwan is treated as a major non-NATO ally but without a formal designation. The status, under US law, “provides foreign partners with certain benefits in the areas of defense trade and security cooperation.”But there are no security commitments to these capitals. Earlier in the day, al-Thani met with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin at the Pentagon. Ahead of their meeting, Austin said the US defense partnership with Qatar was wrong and served “as a cornerstone for our strategic relationship.”Austin thanked Qatar for hosting US troops. “This allows the United States to support a range of critical missions in the region,” he said.

Just last December, the US Navy seized two large caches of Iranian weapons from two vessels in the Arabian sea which Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corp (IRGC) intended to ship to the Houthi militias in Yemen, according to the US Justice Department.

Iran Calls for 'Political Decision' among Major Powers to Reach Nuclear Agreement
London, Tehran - Asharq Al-Awsat/Tuesday, 1 February, 2022
Iran’s foreign ministry has asked parties to the nuclear deal to take the decision to meet its demands to revive the agreement when negotiations resume a few days from now.
Speaking at a news conference, foreign ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh recognized that negotiations had achieved remarkable progress but said that “important and significant issues remain regarding the removal of sanctions that have not made an agreement possible so far.”
“The Iranian delegation in the past three weeks constructively put everything down in writing. We are now awaiting the response of the other sides,” Khatibzadeh said in defense of the Iranian delegation participating in the negotiations. Khatibzadeh's remarks came as the eighth round of negotiations to restore the agreement - known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) - has been on pause since Friday, with the negotiators returning to their capitals for consultations. The spokesman reiterated Iran's conditions in response to journalists’ questions about what is happening behind closed doors in Vienna. “We suggest that after returning from their capitals, [other parties] come with necessary decisions so that we can conclude quickly what has been prepared in drafts,” he said. “The other parties know the differences clearly. They need to make political decisions, especially in Washington,” he added.
“We await political decisions by Washington upon the return of the US delegation.”The US has participated only indirectly in the talks, which seek to bring Washington back to the accord and to ensure Iran returns to its commitments under the deal. “We can reach a lasting, reliable and good agreement the day after the return of the negotiators to Vienna” if the other parties make the “right” political decisions, he added. The European Union’s coordinator for the talks, Enrique Mora, said at the time that “political decisions” are required to break the deadlock, and that talks are expected to resume this week.

Possible Breakthrough Could Release US Detainees in Iran
Washington - Heba El-Koudsy/Asharq Al-Awsat/Tuesday, 1 February, 2022 -
While the Biden administration is showing great reservation when it comes to disclosing details on US dual nationals held hostage in Iranian prisons, reports indicate that Qatari mediation could conclude a deal for their release in exchange for $10 billion that Iran would get from funds frozen in South Korea, Japan and Iraq. A senior administration official told reporters on Sunday evening that the meeting between US President Joe Biden and Qatar’s ruler, Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, would review the ongoing talks in Vienna.
“Of course, Qatar, like many other of our partners in the region, are following events — following discussions quite closely,” said the official.
When asked about the role played by Qatar in negotiations for the release of US dual nationals in Iranian prisons, the official said: “The particulars of the detainees and so forth, I mean, these are being handled in other channels.”
Reports were also made on Qatar's foreign minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani holding discussions with his Iranian counterpart, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, ahead of the meeting between Biden and Qatar’s ruler at the White House. Media leaks spread a few hours before Biden and the Emir of Qatar met. According to the leaked information, Emir Tamim would announce “positive results” in the Qatari-Iranian talks to release American detainees. “Discussions are underway to conclude a settlement whereby Iran receives the frozen funds in exchange for the release of American detainees, and what we ask is that there be no nuclear agreement until after the file of the detainees’ release is completed,” said Nizar Zakka, a Lebanese national who was arrested by Iran in 2015, and was imprisoned until 2019.
He pointed out that “Qatar is able to conclude a deal and mediate between the two sides.”“Getting Iran $10 billion will not improve the collapsed economic situation there, but will motivate Iran to respond to the negotiations and the demands of the P5+1 group until it gets 340 billion dollars within two years if an agreement is reached to revive the nuclear deal,” added Zakka.

Iran Moves Centrifuge-Parts Production Out of Disputed Workshop, IAEA Says
Asharq Al-Awsat/February 01/2022
Iran has moved production of parts for advanced centrifuges, used to enrich uranium, out of a workshop only a month after agreeing to allow the UN nuclear watchdog to reinstall surveillance cameras there, the watchdog said on Monday. The move adds to uncertainty over Iran's nuclear activities while indirect talks between Tehran and Washington on saving the 2015 Iran nuclear deal are at a delicate stage. Western powers say there are only weeks left before Iran's atomic advances have hollowed out the deal completely. The workshop at the TESA Karaj complex was the victim of apparent sabotage in June that Iran blamed on its arch-foe Israel, which declined to comment. One of the International Atomic Energy Agency's four surveillance cameras at Karaj was destroyed in the apparent attack. Iran removed all four after the incident and the destroyed camera's footage is still missing. Western powers and the IAEA have demanded that Iran locate it. After a months-long standoff that threatened to scupper the wider nuclear talks, Iran agreed to let the IAEA re-install its cameras there last month. "On 19 January 2022, Iran informed the Agency that it intended to produce centrifuge rotor tubes and bellows at a new location in Esfahan, instead of at the centrifuge component production workshop at the TESA Karaj complex, and that the Agency could adjust its surveillance and monitoring measures accordingly," a confidential IAEA report seen by Reuters said. The IAEA issued a statement summarizing the report's contents. Both said the IAEA placed seals on machines at Karaj and removed its cameras there, adding that production at Karaj had "ceased". With the IAEA having been kept away from Karaj for so long and camera footage remaining with Iran for the time being, it is unclear what exactly happened at Karaj after the incident and whether equipment that could potentially be used to make nuclear weapons was secretly siphoned off, diplomats say. Iran says it wants nuclear technology only for civil uses. IAEA inspectors installed surveillance cameras at the workshop in the city of Isfahan on Jan. 24, the IAEA said, adding: "As of the same date, the production of centrifuge rotor tubes and bellows at this new workshop had yet to commence." The report did not say why Iran had moved production to Isfahan from Karaj, or how the two workshops compare.

Iraqi Parliament Announces 25 Presidential Candidates
Baghdad- Fadhel al-Nashmi/Asharq Al-Awsat/Tuesday, 1 February, 2022
The Iraqi Parliament announced on Monday the names of 25 candidates who will run in the upcoming presidential polls scheduled for February 7. Candidates need to obtain the votes of two-thirds of parliament members (220 out of 329 lawmakers) to win in the first voting round.
In case none of them met the required quorum, the parliament would vote in a second round for two of the candidates who obtained the highest number of votes. The candidate would win by obtaining a majority of half plus one of the votes (165 votes).
A female candidate is among more than 10 Kurdish candidates and another female is in a list of Arab candidates for the position. Prominent candidates that will most likely secure the highest votes are current Kurdish President Barham Salih, who is running for the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), and Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) senior official and former Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari. Political circles also expect Razkar Mohammed Amin, former Chief Judge of the Iraqi Special Tribunal that prosecuted former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, to have high chances, along with the former Minister of Water Resources and son-in-law of the late President Jalal Talabani, Latif Rashid. Most local observers are still reluctant to confirm the identity of the upcoming president, given the serious differences between the two main Kurdish parties, the PUK and KDP. To avoid their loss, perhaps both parties will agree to choose a candidate by consensus, the observers noted. The two Kurdish parties have shared positions in the Kurdistan Region and Iraq for five parliamentary rounds. The President of the Kurdistan Region represents the KDP while the President of Iraq represents the PUK.
However, differences between the two parties may this time change the previous equation.

Barzani Launches Initiative to Resolve Shiite Rifts in Iraq
Baghdad - Asharq Al-Awsat/Tuesday, 1 February, 2022
Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani launched on Monday an initiative aimed at bridging the divide between head of Iraq's Sadrist movement, Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, and the Shiite Coordination Framework. The initiative was discussed during a meeting between President of the Kurdistan Region Nechirvan Barzani, parliament Speaker Mohammed al-Halbousi and Sadr at his headquarters in Najaf city. The initiative is likely to kick off a series of dialogues in the country, but head of the State of Law coalition, former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, appears to be the biggest hurdle in ensuring its success.
Sadr has been adamant in rejecting Maliki's appointment to any government position. He has said that he would be open to a Maliki loyalist being named to cabinet. Sadr emerged as victor in the October parliamentary elections, allowing him control over the formation of the new government.
Masoud Barzani said on Monday that he was seeking to "resolve problems". The meeting in Najaf is aimed at holding consultations over how to continue the political process and remove obstacles, he added. Asharq Al-Awsat learned that the meeting helped overcome problems facing the political process.
Informed sources revealed that the initiative has been backed by Iran and is accepted by its loyalists in Iraq in an effort to appease Maliki and avoid any clash.

Assad: Dealing with Changes in Arab Reality Requires Changing Political Approach, Thinking
Damascus, London – Asharq Al-Awsat/Tuesday, 1 February, 2022
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said that “dealing with changes in reality and Arab society requires changing the political approach and thinking.”This came during his meeting with the Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Albusaidi in Damascus. According to state-owned SANA, Assad and Albusaidi reviewed “the distinguished relations that bind Syria and Oman and aspects of cooperation between the two countries.” The two sides stressed the importance of continuing work on all levels to enhance these relations through building on the principles and common interests that gather the two countries and peoples and fulfilling partnerships in various sectors that benefit the Syrian and Omani peoples and the peoples of the Arab region. The talks also tackled the latest Arab and regional developments, and issues of mutual concern. Assad referred to the mutual understanding and the close visions the two countries possess towards those issues, hailing the balanced role and method of Oman, its principled policies and stances towards Syria, and its support for the Syrian people in the war on terrorism. The Syrian president said Arabs need to lay the foundations for the methodology of political relations and hold objective dialogues based on the interests of the people. Assad added that dealing with changes in reality and Arab society requires changing the political approach and thinking, based on “our interests and our position on the international arena.” For his part, the Omani minister conveyed greetings of Sultan Haitham bin Tariq to President al-Assad, and his keenness on Oman’s firm stances towards Syria, considering that Syria is a basic player in the Arab world, and its strong and courageous policies and positions “make reliance on it great in facing the challenges that surround us.”He also met with Foreign Minister Faisal al-Mekdad. “The Sultanate has stood by Syria in its war against terrorism,” said Mekdad.

UN: Two Babies Killed by Winter Cold in Northwest Syria
Asharq Al-Awsat/Tuesday, 1 February, 2022
Two Syrian infant girls have died from harsh winter weather in northwest Syria where snow and rain have destroyed the tents of hundreds of displaced families, the United Nations said Tuesday. "A seven-day-old girl and a two-month-old girl have died from the cold in Idlib province," the UN's humanitarian agency OCHA told AFP. According to an AFP correspondent in northern Idlib, both children were announced dead on Tuesday. They were taken to the Al-Rahman specialist hospital in the Idlib village of Haranbush which has received an influx of children in recent days amid sub-zero temperatures, the correspondent said. Deaths due to the cold are an annual occurrence in Syria's last major opposition enclave, which the UN says is home to 2.8 million displaced people. Dwindling donor funds have already caused dire shortages of medicine and equipment in hospitals and clinics in the region, many of which are now at risk of closing down. "Children are at risk of the cold. They live in worn-out tents and there is a lack of winter clothes and fuel," said OCHA spokesman Patrick Nicholson. "The problem is getting worse due to the economic crisis, lack of resources to provide winter aid and increased needs." According to OCHA, harsh weather in January has destroyed at least 935 tents and damaged more than 9,000 others in several displacement sites in Syria's north. Unsafe heating methods, including exposed rudimentary heaters, have often triggered deadly fires. Since the start of the year, 68 fires were reported, which resulted in two deaths and 24 injuries in northern Syria alone, according to OCHA. The Save the Children charity condemned the latest deaths in a statement. "It is incomprehensible that any child should face the winter scared for their life," it said. "These avoidable and tragic deaths are a dreadful example of how children urgently need more humanitarian support."

IGAD Hold Talks with Burhan, Hemedti, Volker in Khartoum
Khartoum - Ahmed Younis/Asharq Al-Awsat/Tuesday, 1 February, 2022
The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) continued on Monday its efforts to end the political crisis in Sudan. IGAD’s Executive Secretary Workneh Gebeyehu held talks with head of Sudan’s Sovereign Transitional Council General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, as well as foreign diplomats and Sudanese political forces, during which he was briefed on the development of the situation and efforts to address the crisis. Asharq Al-Awsat learned that Gebeyehu and Burhan reviewed developments in Sudan and IGAD’s role towards negotiated solutions to the crisis through constructive engagement. Gebeyehu underlined IGAD’s full support for the country to achieve a peaceful resolution. Burhan briefed Gebeyehu and his accompanying delegation on the political developments and the ongoing efforts to resolve the crisis, the Sovereign Council said in a press statement. “Burhan underscored his keenness to hold talks with all relevant parties to achieve the political transition in Sudan.” This visit aims at tackling the political challenges facing Sudan, the statement quoted Gebeyehu as saying, adding that he is not in Khartoum as head of IGAD but as an active member of the organization. He held consultations with all the political actors to inform the IGAD member states of the outcomes of his visit, which will be presented at the next African Union summit, it added. He is expected to meet with political parties and civil society organizations, topped by the National Umma Party, the Sudanese Communist Party, and Forces of Freedom and Change alliance (FFC) before concluding his visit. He also met with the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General (SRSG) for Sudan and head of UNITAMS Volker Perthes, as well as representatives from the EU and the Troika (US, UK and Norway) countries in Khartoum to consult on the situation. “We agreed to support the efforts of the Sudanese people to find a comprehensive and lasting solution to the current prevailing political situation,” he tweeted. Gebeyehu had arrived in Khartoum on Sunday for a three-day visit. His visit is the first direct official action by the African body since the Oct. 25 military coup, which has plunged the country in its political crisis. The army takeover halted a power sharing arrangement between the military and civilians negotiated in 2019 after a popular uprising that forced the removal of longtime president Omar al-Bashir and his government.

Egypt, Saudi Arabia Conclude ‘Morgan-17’ Naval Exercise‎
Cairo, Riyadh - Asharq Al-Awsat/Tuesday, 1 February, 2022
The Saudi and Egyptian naval forces concluded Monday the joint naval exercise “Morgan-17” in Saudi Arabia, as part of a series of joint exercises between the two countries. The military drill included lectures and training conferences, as well as tactical exercises by naval special forces using various small arms and surface-to-surface artillery, the Egyptian Armed Forces said in a statement. The drill also included surface-to-air targeting and training on storming buildings, which showed the forces’ ability to carry out the required tasks with high efficiency and accuracy, the statement added. Several leaders from the Egyptian and Saudi armed forces attended the main phase of the exercise. Meanwhile, the joint aerial exercise Amun-22 between Egyptian and French air forces kicked off on Monday in Egypt. The military drill will take place over several days in some Egyptian air bases. Advanced fighter jets and helicopters will be used in the exercise. According to an Egyptian military statement, the exercise will include several theoretical lectures and practical exercises on planning and managing joint air combat operations to unify aerial combat methods between the two countries. It also includes executing various air combat methods to enhance the combat capacities of participating Egyptian and French forces.

Blinken Discusses Palestinian Authority Reform with Mahmoud Abbas
Asharq Al-Awsat/Tuesday, 1 February, 2022
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed the need for reform in the Palestinian Authority in a phone call on Monday with President Mahmoud Abbas in a further step to strengthen bilateral relations, the State Department said. President Joe Biden has sought to repair ties weakened when his predecessor, President Donald Trump, slashed aid to Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Gaza and closed a US consulate for Palestinians in Jerusalem. The Biden administration has restored aid and pledged to reopen the consulate over Israeli objections, while urging Abbas, 86, to change several policies including payments his self-rule authority makes to Palestinians held in Israeli jails. Briefing reporters on Monday, State Department spokesperson Ned Price did not mention the prisoner stipends but said Blinken and Abbas discussed "the need for reform within the Palestinian Authority."
The two also discussed "the need to improve quality of life for the Palestinian people in tangible ways," Price said, Reuters reported. In a readout of the phone call, Abbas' office did not mention any discussion of reform within the authority, which exercises limited self-rule in West Bank territory Israel captured in the 1967 Middle East war. Abbas told Blinken that Israel must "stop the abuse of prisoners and ... the withholding of taxes." Israel in 2018 began deducting the value of the prisoner stipends from taxes it collects on the Palestinian Authority's behalf and transfers to it monthly. Israel and the United States say the stipends, dispersed monthly to prisoners, their relatives and the families of Palestinians killed for allegedly carrying out attacks, encourage further violence. The Palestinians consider them a form of welfare for inmates and families they regard as national heroes. Blinken also spoke Monday with Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, Price said in a statement. The two discussed Ukraine, Iran and Israeli-Palestinian issues, and Blinken reiterated the Biden administration's commitment to Israel's security.

Blinken Urges Russia to Withdraw Troops from Ukraine Borders in Lavrov Call
Agence France Presse/Tuesday, 1 February, 2022
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Russia to "immediately" de-escalate tensions and withdraw its troops from Ukraine's borders in a call Tuesday with Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, the State Department said. Blinken "emphasized that further invasion of Ukraine would be met with swift and severe consequences and urged Russia to pursue a diplomatic path," the department said in a statement. A State Department official said Blinken told Lavrov that Washington and its allies were ready to sit down and discuss the proposals both sides have set out in a series of letters to resolve the crisis. Blinken told Lavrov that the discussions "will be best advanced by de-escalation of Russia's build up military forces on Ukraine's borders." However, the official said, "nothing we heard would give any indication that we would see a change in the coming days," in terms of de-escalation. "We continue to hear those assurances that Russia is not planning to invade, but certainly every action we see says otherwise, with the continued buildup of troops and heavy weapons moving to the border," the official said, speaking on grounds of anonymity. The official said that a letter sent by Lavrov to Blinken and counterparts in Europe late Monday was not Russia’s formal response to the positions the U.S. and European allies laid out in letters to Moscow last week. "They're still working on their formal response," that needs to be signed off on by President Vladimir Putin, the official said. Once that response is delivered, the different sides will be able to talk about the next steps in the process, the official said. But the U.S. side stressed the need for Russia to draw down some of the more than 100,000 troops it has amassed on Ukraine's border, including inside Belarus. "If President Putin does not intend war or regime change, the secretary (Blinken) told Foreign Minister Lavrov, then this is the time to pull back troops and heavy weapons and heavy weaponry," the official said.

Lavrov Says U.S. Ready to Discuss Russia's Security Concerns
Agence France Presse/Tuesday, 1 February, 2022
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Tuesday that Washington was ready to discuss Moscow's security concerns, in comments that came directly after a telephone conversation with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Speaking in a video statement to media after the Blinken talks, Russia's top diplomat made no direct mention of the Ukraine crisis, instead focusing on Moscow's demands that the West guarantee Russia's security. "We will insist on an honest conversation and an honest explanation of why the West does not want to fulfil its obligations or wants to fulfill them only selectively, in its own favor," Lavrov said. "Tony Blinken agreed that there is subject for further discussion. Let's see how things go," he added. Tensions between Russia and the West over Ukraine have been building for weeks, with the West accusing Moscow of preparing an imminent invasion of its pro-Western neighbor. Russia denies any plans to invade but is demanding that Ukraine never be allowed to join NATO and a series of other security guarantees against the U.S.-led military alliance's expansion in the ex-Soviet bloc.

Russian Military Analyst Pukhov: From A Purely Military Perspective, Russian Bases In Cuba Or Venezuela Are More Trouble Than They Are Worth
MEMERI/February 1, 2022
Russia | Special Dispatch No. 9746
At a State Department press briefing, the department's spokesperson Ned Price fielded the following question:
QUESTION: Russian officials have warned Moscow could deploy troops to Cuba and Venezuela if the U.S. and NATO insist on the crisis of Ukraine. Is the U.S. concerned about it? Have you seen any movement in that regard?
MR PRICE: Look, we are not going to respond to bluster. If we do see any movement in that direction, we will respond swiftly and decisively.[1]
The idea of Russia establishing bases in the Carribean and Latin America in the US' backyard was seen as a suitable riposte to NATO's expansion towards the border with Russia.
The speculation was fueled further when Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov was non-committal about the possibility in a January 13 interview. When asked about the possibility of deploying Russian missiles in Cuba or Venezuela in the event of a failure of negotiations on security guarantees for Russia. Ryabkov said that he did not want to "either confirm or exclude anything."
The Russian Foreign Ministry, expressed surprise over the hysteric Western response to Ryabkov's evasive answer. The ministry put it down to "arrogant thinking in the spirit of we can do everything, but Russia - nothing."
Putin's Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov claimed that the issue of Russian bases "was not specifically broached, and was not raised in recent discussions between Putin and Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.[2]
Russian officials and scholars have sought to quash anticipation that Russia would establish bases in Cuba or Venezuela. Former President and current Deputy Chair of Russia's Security Council Dmitry Medvedev said: "Cuba, Venezuela are countries that are close to us, our partners, countries that pursue an independent foreign policy. But these are absolutely sovereign countries. We cannot simply deploy anything in them... simply because it must be consistent with their geopolitical positions and with their own national interests.".
Russian bases would presently run counter to their national interests, since Havana and Caracas want to break out of isolation and establish normal relations with the United States, Medvedev added.[3]
The director of the Institute of the USA and Canada (Russian Academy of Sciences), Valery Garbuzov, predicted that Latin American countries would not agree to the deployment of Russian weapons on their territory. He explained that Cuba and Venezuela, which are under US sanctions, will not want to worsen relations with the United States, and the deployment of Russian missiles will only further tighten the sanctions regime.[4]
Professor Victor Jeifets director of the Center for Ibero-American Studies at St. Petersburg State University is similarly skeptical about Russian bases. Jeifets believes that the Cuban authorities have "no reason to agree to the placement of stations." The mere coincidence of viewpoints of between the Russian Federation and Cuba on the global situation does not suffice. The Cuban government "would like, naturally, large-scale economic assistance." But Moscow is unable to provide assistance comparable on the scale of Soviet era assistance to Cuba.
Jeifets also believes that Cuba has been burned twice before by Russia and this will fuel its reluctance to agree to Russian bases.
"I think that the Cuban authorities will withhold their consent. Cuba is most zealous about its sovereignty and autonomy. And Cuba was very offended at the time - both when, during the Caribbean crisis [the Cuban Missile Crisis], we removed our missiles without consulting them, and when at the beginning of this century, we removed the radar station from Cuba as a gift to the United States, again without considering the Cubans' opinion".[5]
Victor Jeifets (Source: Spbu.ru)
The widely circulated "Moskovskiy Komsomolets" newspaper chose to explore the issue from another angle – the actual military value that would accrue to Russia if such bases were established. The paper discussed the issue with Russian military analyst Ruslan Pukhov director of the Moscow Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies (CAST) and member of the Public Council at the Russian Ministry of Defense. Pukhov believed that Venezuela was the more likely candidate for a base as Cuba for the reasons cited above would prove reluctant. However, even given Venezuelan consent, it would be more trouble that it was worth. Advanced military technology had made such bases obsolete as naval groups could do the job just as efficiently and more economically. Additionally, given the political divide in a Venezuela ringed by hostile states, the base would become a security risk and a target of regime opponents and Russian personnel could even find themselves hostages.
Pukhov's analysis follows below:[6]
Ruslan Pukhov (Source: Tvc.ru)
"'It made sense to have military bases off the US coast 40-50 years ago. Now it is not so relevant for us. The development of military technology allows us to threaten, pressure, and strike at the potential enemy's targets from a distance. One doesn't have to be close to his [the enemy's] territory to do so. Thus, from a purely military viewpoint, the existence of such military bases is no longer such an important factor as it was previously,' said the expert [Pukhov].
"According to Pukhov, there is also an important diplomatic aspect to the issue."'Hopefully our military and diplomats consulted with Cuban and Venezuelan experts before announcing the establishment of any bases and voicing this decision to the Americans and the press. Otherwise such statements would be insulting to the leadership of those countries,' said the expert.
"The expert believes that in the event of such talks it would be easier to settle the issue of deployment of the Russian base in Venezuela, since we have a short history of relations with this country that is not burdened by any previous disagreements, as in the case of Cuba.
"'Back in the day, explains Pukhov, without Fidel's permission, Nikita Khrushchev withdrew our missiles from Liberty Island and brought them back to Soviet Union, which produced a major crisis in Soviet-Cuban relations. Fidel perceived the step, as a personal insult and humiliation of the Cuban people. Then, later, at the beginning of the 2000s we gave up our Cuban base in Lourdes, which was our main radio-electronic intelligence center. This too was done without individual talks with the Cubans. So we, coarsely speaking, duped them twice with our military bases. Thus, I believe, and with a high degree pf probability, they simply wouldn't want to play the same game with us for the third time, and they won't allow us to deploy anything there. And if we in this situation start making premature announcements, we won't look good,' explained Pukhov.
"Regarding Venezuela, according to the expert, the negotiation process could be simpler. The only question is: do we need it?
"'It is quite possible that the Venezuelan leadership will allow us to establish a base. However, this step will split the country in two, with half [of the population] being in favor, and the other half - sharply opposed. It should be remembered that the country's crime rate is high and it will be very difficult to deploy a real base there, not a nominal one. It will require serious security. One must also bear in mind that Venezuela is ringed by unfriendly states, as an example, Colombia that is 100% pro-American is one such state.
"'So, it may turn out that the base won't pose a threat to the Americans, but instead will be target by threats from pro-American forces. Our people deployed in this country (directly or indirectly) might even become hostages. In short, we should think many times over, whether we should begin the process of deploying our base there,' said Ruslan Pukhov.
"The expert also named the financial aspect as a no less important factor in deciding the issue of permanent bases.
"He stated, 'One has to understand that maintaining a full-fledged military base in a foreign country is a very expensive pleasure that requires huge investments. For that reason, it would be much cheaper (and even more effective today for a military perspective) to create not military bases, but, for example, naval groups, which (without any bases) could, once appearing on the US coast, perform the combat tasks that would be assigned them. We are quite capable of doing this today.'"
[1] State.gov, January 27, 2022.
[2] Interfax.ru, January 21, 2022.
[3] Ria.ru, January 27, 2022.
[4] Lenta.ru, January 28, 2022.
[5] Ria.ru, January 28. 2022.
[6] Mk.ru, January 26, 2022.

Canada/Foreign ministers’ joint statement on the situation in Myanmar
A joint statement by the High Representative on behalf of the European Union, and the Foreign Ministers of Albania, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Norway, Republic of Korea, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States, on the one year anniversary of the military coup in Myanmar:
On 1 February 2021, the military seized power in Myanmar, denying the democratic aspirations of Myanmar’s people. One year later, the devastating impact on the people of Myanmar is clear. Over 14 million people are in humanitarian need, the economy is in crisis, democratic gains have been reversed, and conflict is spreading across the country. The military regime bears responsibility for this crisis, which has gravely undermined peace and stability in Myanmar and the region. We once again call for the immediate cessation of violence and for constructive dialogue among all parties to resolve the crisis peacefully. We reiterate our call on the military regime to immediately end the State of Emergency, allow unhindered humanitarian access, release all arbitrarily detained persons, including foreigners, and swiftly return the country to the democratic process.
On the anniversary of the coup, we remember those who have lost their lives over the past year, including women, children, humanitarian personnel, human rights defenders, and peaceful protesters. We strongly condemn the military regime’s human rights violations and abuses across the country, including against Rohingya and other ethnic and religious minorities. We express grave concern at the credible reports of torture and sexual and gender-based violence. We express serious concern over the more than 400,000 additional people who have fled their homes since the coup. We also express grave concern at the deepening humanitarian crisis across the country and urge the military regime to provide rapid, full, and unhindered humanitarian access to vulnerable populations, including for the purposes of vaccination against COVID-19. We express grave concern over the large number of persons arbitrarily detained and the sentencing of State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and other political detainees.
We call on all members of the international community to support efforts to promote justice for the people of Myanmar; to hold those responsible for human rights violations and abuses accountable; to cease the sale and transfer of arms, materiel, dual-use equipment, and technical assistance to the military and its representatives; and to continue supporting the people of Myanmar in meeting urgent humanitarian needs.
We emphasise our support for the ASEAN Five-Point Consensus and the efforts of the ASEAN Special Envoy to support a peaceful resolution in the interests of the people of Myanmar. We call on the military regime to engage meaningfully with ASEAN’s efforts to pursue full and urgent implementation of the Five-Point Consensus, which includes ensuring that the ASEAN Special Envoy has access to all parties in Myanmar, including pro-democracy groups. We also welcome the work of the UN Special Envoy of the Secretary-General on Myanmar and urge the military regime to engage constructively with her.

The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published  on February 01-02/2022
Biden's Borders: The Threat to America and the Threat to the Free World

Chris Farrell/Gatestone Institute/February 1, 2022
Putin seems to understand Biden. Putin also seems to understand hollow threats and ineffective sanctions.
Putin, in addition, reduced natural gas exports to Europe by 41% last month... It appears to be a "squeeze play." Putin would appear to be choking off natural gas supplies to Europe as a wedge, to divide the United States from NATO allies over the threatened "severe sanctions."
The Biden administration is desperately trying to convince an unidentified audience watching somewhere that the administration is very, very serious about Ukraine's borders. The problem is, the administration, by its actions is not very, very serious about Ukraine's borders. If it were, it would have sent Ukraine substantial military materiel and conducted corresponding military exercises in adjoining NATO countries such as Poland and Hungary.
Engaging NATO and exercising military airlift, logistics and ground combat capabilities has always been an effective deterrent. Remember deterrence? It is not just a quaint relic of the Cold War. It is inducing an adversary to adjust its cost-benefit analysis, making the cost of creating trouble prohibitively high and ultimately not worth the effort.
To Putin, a Russian invasion of Ukraine is arguably just the next step in what appears an ongoing plan to incrementally reconstruct the former Soviet Union, or at least a large part of it. Putin began with Georgia and the Crimea; it is hard to imagine him stopping with Ukraine.
While the Biden administration blusters and postures over Ukraine's border, the administration has an increasingly dangerous situation along America's border.
Biden's deputy national security advisor, Jonathan Finer, was trotted out to lecture Americans about the fundamental principle for all nations – "that our borders should be inviolate, that our sovereignty should be respected." Oh, really? What about America's southern border?
Here is the shocking "fact sheet" – all you need to know about just how dangerous our border situation has become.
Russian President Vladimir Putin seems to understand US President Joe Biden. Putin also seems to understand hollow threats and ineffective sanctions. Putin reduced natural gas exports to Europe by 41% last month, choking off natural gas supplies to Europe as a wedge to divide the United States from NATO allies over the threatened "severe sanctions." Pictured: Biden and Putin meet on June 16, 2021 in Geneva, Switzerland. (Photo by Peter Klaunzer - Pool/Keystone via Getty Images)
A lot of Internet bandwidth has been dedicated to news reports of Russia's military activities along the Ukrainian border. President Biden has promised "severe sanctions" against Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russia, should the territorial integrity and national sovereignty of Ukraine be infringed upon (again) in any way.
In 2014, when Putin responded to a coup that ousted a pro-Russian regime in Kiev by occupying Crimea, President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden did nothing. Strongly-worded diplomatic notes? Sure. But it was still "nothing." When Putin aided anti-government separatist groups in the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts of Ukraine, collectively called the Donbas region, once again Obama and Biden did nothing. Putin seems to understand Biden. Putin also seems to understand hollow threats and ineffective sanctions. Putin, in addition, reduced natural gas exports to Europe by 41% last month in order to get the attention of NATO allies. It appears to be a "squeeze play." Putin would appear to be choking off natural gas supplies to Europe as a wedge, to divide the United States from NATO allies over the threatened "severe sanctions."
The Biden administration is desperately trying to convince an unidentified audience watching somewhere that the administration is very, very serious about Ukraine's borders. The problem is, the administration, by its actions is not very, very serious about Ukraine's borders. If it were, it would have sent Ukraine substantial military materiel and conducted corresponding military exercises in adjoining NATO countries such as Poland and Hungary. Engaging NATO and exercising military airlift, logistics and ground combat capabilities has always been an effective deterrent. Remember deterrence? It is not just a quaint relic of the Cold War. It is inducing an adversary to adjust its cost-benefit analysis, making the cost of creating trouble prohibitively high and ultimately not worth the effort. Russia's takeover of Ukraine is not a foregone conclusion – not even for a weak Biden administration. If it were all "just that easy," Putin could have rolled in weeks ago.
To Putin, a Russian invasion of Ukraine is arguably just the next step in what appears an ongoing plan to incrementally reconstruct the former Soviet Union, or at least a large part of it. Putin began with Georgia and the Crimea; it is hard to imagine him stopping with Ukraine. If Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are nervous, they have good reason to be. Sweden and Finland are practically being driven into the arms of NATO, after Putin demanded that NATO not expand to Nordic countries.
While the Biden administration blusters and postures over Ukraine's border, the administration has an increasingly dangerous situation along America's border.
Biden's deputy national security advisor, Jonathan Finer, was trotted out to lecture Americans about the fundamental principle for all nations – "that our borders should be inviolate, that our sovereignty should be respected."
Oh, really? What about America's southern border? Now, that is the real national security threat against the people of the United States.
Most Americans are not terribly concerned about the sovereign borders of Ukraine. Many could not find the country on a map. Despite the broader geopolitical implications, the fact remains that Americans are, at best, ambiguous about the 8,500 U.S. troops alerted as a saber-rattling stunt the Russians see as a transparent ploy.
Our NATO allies do not even believe the Biden administration. How did Germany respond to the latest beating of the war drums? They offered to send 5,000 helmets to Ukraine. America will not go to war with Russia over Ukraine.
Back at home, however, most Americans are terribly concerned about an out-of-control Mexican border. Mexican cartels control the U.S. southern border and profit from every unlawful crossing. The Mexican cartels make $100 million a week from human trafficking alone – not including the profits from fentanyl or other drugs. The Mexican cartels exploit human beings and bombard the United States with enough drugs to kill "everyone in America." What does the Biden administration do? The Biden administration, through negligence and complicity, has been subsidizing the criminal enterprises and endangering the American public.
In his "Argument in Defense of the Soldiers in the Boston Massacre Trials," in December 1770, John Adams stated:
"Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passion, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence."
Anecdotes and stories are marvelous, but the dire state of affairs on the Mexican border demand fact-based reporting and argument in order to change public policy and save American lives.
Here is the shocking "fact sheet" – all you need to know about just how dangerous our border situation has become:
In Fiscal Year (FY) 2021, 1,659,206 migrants attempting to enter the U.S. illegally were encountered at the U.S.-Mexico border – the highest number ever recorded.
Illegal encounters more than doubled from FY 2020 to FY 2021 in all nine Border Patrol sectors along the border.
27 percent of those encountered in FY 2021 were repeat illegal crossers. In FY 2019, only 7 percent of those encountered were repeat offenders.
63 percent of the illegal migrants encountered in FY 2021 were from countries other than Mexico. While most were form the Northern Triangle, there were also dramatic increases from Haiti (4,395 in FY 2020 to 45,532 in FY 2021), Cuba (9,822 to 38,139), Brazil (6,946 to 56,735) and Ecuador (11,861 to 95,692).
In FY 2021, 64 percent (1,063,285) of all illegal encounters at the border were single adults. This was more than three times the number of single adults encountered the year before (317,864).
During the first quarter of FY 2022, there were 518,360 illegal immigrant encounters along the southwest border. For comparison, there were "only" 128,347 encounters during the same time period in FY 2021.
146,925 of the illegal migrant encounters in FY 2021 involved unaccompanied minors, up from 33,239 in FY 2020.
Between FY 2020 and FY 2021, incidents of violence against border patrol personnel by illegal immigrants increased by 16 percent. This includes an increase in physical assaults from 204 to 275.
The number of individuals with prior criminal convictions arrested by the Border Patrol increased more than fourfold from FY 2020 to FY 2021, rising from 2,438 to 10,763. These include:
Homicide: 3 in FY 2020 to 60 in FY 2021
Drug offenses: 386 to 2,138
DUI: 364 to 1,629
Sex crimes: 156 to 488
Weapons charges: 49 to 336
In June 2021, the Biden administration abolished the Victims of Immigration Crime Enforcement Office, which had been established in February 2017.
The percentage of asylum claims granted has risen significantly during the Biden administration, from 29 percent in FY 2020 to 37 percent in FY 2021. The denial rate for asylum applications fell from 55 percent to 31 percent, the lowest rate of denials since 2016.
The number of illegal immigrants removed by ICE has plummeted under the Biden administration, from more than 20,000 per month in 2019 and early 2020 to fewer than 5,000 per month since January 2021. (Note: This trend began in 2020, likely as a result of COVID).
The backlog of pending immigration cases has ballooned during the Biden administration, increasing by more than 300,000 cases between December 2020 and December 2021. In May 2021, the administration announced its "Dedicated Docket" program to adjudicate cases involving illegal immigrant families more efficiently. As of December 2021, more than 7,000 of the cases handled under the program (approximately 10 percent of total cases) were dismissed because of the government's failure to prosecute the case by filing a Notice to Appear in time.
The number of removal orders issued fell to an unprecedented level in FY 2021. There were 164,777 such orders issued in FY 2020, dropping to 38,208 in FY 2021. For comparison, the lowest number of removal orders issued during any year of the Obama administration was 79,019 in FY 2014.
The percentage of individuals appearing in immigration court who are ordered removed fell from 70.3 percent in 2020 to 29.5 percent in 2021 to 23.4 percent to date in FY 2022.
The Biden administration has also greatly increased the use of "alternatives to detention" for illegal immigrants with pending cases. The number of individuals in the program (which includes bond, released on own recognizance ["RORs"], check-ins with ICE, and ankle monitoring) rose from 87,000 at the end of the Trump administration to 158,000 as of January 1, 2022.
The number of convictions for immigration-related charges is down precipitously from most of the Trump administration. There were 1,724 such convictions in December 2021, down from highs of more than 11,000 per month in early 2018 and approximately 8,000 in December 2019. (This downward trend also began in 2020).
In FY 2021, Border Patrol seized 11,201 pounds of fentanyl, up from 4,791 the previous year. Cocaine seizures rose from 58,002 to 97,638 pounds.
The attack on our southern border by Mexican cartels is a far greater threat, at least to Americans, than anything happening in Ukraine. The impact on American communities across the country is being felt, often in places and ways that have not had to deal with the volume and intensity of challenges.
When almost 2 million people arrive in your country in one year (a population larger than many major American cities), then there are consequences for local social services, healthcare, education, housing, police, fire and EMT – all of the threads of our community fabric. This has nothing to do with race or country of origin. It is a demographic challenge – sheer numbers of human beings.
Lastly, take into account the crime and drug statistics cited above – that compounds and exponentially multiplies the deadly challenges American communities face. That is the true threat to America.
*Chris Farrell is Director of Investigations at Judicial Watch and Distinguished Senior Fellow at Gatestone Institute.
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Korea, Iraq, Ukraine – In World Affairs, Words Have Consequences

Y. Carmon and A. Ungar/MEMRI/February 01/2022 |
Iraq, Korea, North, Ukraine | MEMRI Daily Brief No. 358
At a White House Press Conference, US President Joe Biden fielded a question about a hypothetical NATO response to a Russian attack on Ukraine. He answered: "I think what you're going to see is that Russia will be held accountable if it invades. And it depends on what it does. It's one thing if it's a minor incursion."[1]
Biden's answer appeared to signal to Putin that an American response to a Russian invasion of Ukraine would be limited or perhaps nonexistent if Russia limited itself to a minor incursion.
A horrified Volodomyr Zelensky, the President of Ukraine, tweeted his pained response: "We want to remind the great powers that there are no minor incursions."[2]
The Biden Administration, realizing its mistake, engaged in damage control by clarifying that if Russia sent its forces across the border, it would encounter “a swift, severe, and united response from the United States and [its] allies.”[3] The U.S. put thousands of troops on alert for dispatch to Europe and belatedly furnished weapons to Ukraine.
Biden's statement is reminiscent of Secretary of State Dean Acheson January 12, 1950 speech at the National Press Club Speech, in which he described which regions in the world the U.S. was duty bound to defend: "[Our] defensive perimeter runs along the Aleutians to Japan and then goes to the Ryukyus [which] we will continue to hold... The defensive perimeter runs from Ryukyus to the Philippine Islands."[4]
Acheson's description omitted South Korea, and the North Korean invasion of the south followed shortly afterwards. By some Soviet accounts, the Acheson speech had been rushed to Stalin and lessened his hesitation in approving the attack. In the end, the U.S. fought for South Korea in a tremendously costly war. Another similar situation occurred more recently, prior to Saddam Hussein's 1990 invasion of Kuwait, which triggered the First Gulf War. As Saddam amassed troops on the Kuwaiti border, U.S. Ambassador to Iraq April Glapsie had a conversation with Saddam. She said: "We have no opinion on the Arab-Arab conflicts, like your border disagreement with Kuwait." She also explained how already in the 1960's, Arab-Arab border disputes were considered to be "not associated with America." She had also said: "I admire your extraordinary efforts to rebuild your country." She then said: "I received an instruction to ask you, in the spirit of friendship -- not in the spirit of confrontation -- regarding your intentions."[5]
Like Acheson, Glaspie was later blamed for essentially greenlighting the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait.
Even the most perfect wording would not necessarily deter a determined invader, but for leaders who are weighing the potential consequences of an invasion, a stronger expression of opposition may prevent immediate war.
Words do count, particularly when they represent the authoritative position of the United States. The bottom line is that like Acheson and Glaspie did, President Biden has gutted U.S. deterrence and made war with Russia more probable. Time has yet to tell, but Biden's statement damaged America's strategic standing. If Putin ends up not invading the Ukraine, it is because the U.S. corrected this mistake with stronger actions indicating opposition to Russia's aggression.
Biden's gaffe is particularly damaging, because many today see America as a declining power, particularly after the withdrawal from Afghanistan. Before the Korean War and the Gulf War, everybody at least saw the U.S as the strongest superpower in the world.
The power of American statements and actions should be taken seriously not just with regard to Ukraine. Two rogue states, North Korea and Iran, have been recently testing America's resolve against them. In both cases, the American response has been underwhelming.
When North Korea launched a series of missiles in an unprecedented show of force, the U.S. simply went through the motions. The State Department responded: "These tests… are in violation of multiple UN Security Council Resolutions and pose a threat to the DPRK’s neighbors and the international community"[6] In addition, the U.S. imposed targeted sanctions on no more than five North Korean officials, one Russian individual, and one Russian company for abetting the illegal procurement of technology for North Korea's missile program. The U.S. Ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, also sought tougher UN sanctions against North Korea, but the attempt was expectedly blocked by China and Russia, who have been leading an effort to lift existing UN sanctions on North Korea. America's weak response is not going to impress Kim Jong Un, and we might expect a resumption of nuclear testing by North Korea as a result.
The case of Iran is far more dangerous because over the past few weeks, Iranian-backed militias have been directly targeting U.S. soldiers and military bases.[7]
The only thing America has been showing to Iran and North Korea is that violence pays off.
Clearly, the Biden Administration's goal is to avoid war at all costs, even if that means causing the U.S. to embarrass itself and lose some prestige. If that were an effective approach, then some embarrassment really wouldn't be a big deal. However, as we saw in the cases of the Korean War and the Gulf War, this approach is not effective against dictatorships.
The more likely outcome is both embarrassment and war.
*Yigal Carmon is President and Founder of The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI); Amiel Ungar is an analyst and the editor of the Russian Media Project at MEMRI
[1] Whitehouse.gov. January 19, 2022.
[2] Usatoday.com January 20, 2022.
[3] Washingtonpost.com January 20, 2021.
[4] Department of State Bulletin, XXII, No.551 (January 23, 1950), pp.111-118.
[5] New York times International September 23, 1990.
[6] Nationalinterest.org, January 30, 2022
[7] Iranian missiles are also being used by the Houthis, another Iranian proxy, to strike high value targets in the UAE, and the United States' only response is to call these attacks "troublesome." In addition, even though the Houthis openly state that they are targeting civilian and economic targets in the UAE, which constitutes a war crime, the Biden Administration has not restored to the Houthis their designation as a terrorist organization, which it had lifted as a gesture of goodwill to Iran ahead of the JCPOA negotiations.

Israeli PM pledges Iran will no longer be untouchable
Ben Caspit/Al-Monitor/February 01/ 2022
The Israeli military is on an accelerated shopping spree that Prime Minister Naftali Bennett described as a “period of unprecedented buildup.” The new acquisitions include missiles, rockets, ammunition, refueling aircraft, development of laser-based interceptor systems, offensive and defensive cybertools, restocking of supplies, and so on. The additional defense spending allocations follow two years of political tumult that held up approval of a new state budget and rearmament plans. In a series of interviews last week with Al-Monitor and other media, Bennett explained the goal of this buildup.
Judging by these interviews, seven months after assuming office, Bennett is starting to feel comfortable in his new perch despite widespread political criticism and poor polling. His self-confidence has skyrocketed and he is also buoyed by the failure of recent negotiations on a plea bargain in the corruption trial of his predecessor Benjamin Netanyahu. A plea deal banning Netanyahu from political office for at least seven years could have melted the glue holding together the ideologically disparate parties of Bennett’s coalition government. For now, such an agreement is off the table.
In response to a question by Al-Monitor, Bennett elaborated on his economic and security doctrine and on the need for billions in additional defense expenditure. “My goal is to bring about massive economic growth through reforms and incentives and to raise the gross domestic product to $1 trillion within 12 years,” said the former high-tech entrepreneur. “Some of the money will be allocated in real time for a buildup of our strategic advantages that would leave Israel’s enemies far behind. This will prevent war, not bring it closer, and result in stability and growth.”
Bennett was outspoken in his criticism of his predecessors, particularly Netanyahu. “We inherited an unacceptable legacy,” he said. “Two months before I took office, Iran started enriching uranium to the 60% level and no one did a thing about it. Iran is the closest it has ever been to nuclear capability. Zoom out for a minute: You have a long-standing war between two regional powers that is being fought by one side only. They hit out at us, and we do not hit out at them. They have enveloped Israel with octopus tentacles and instead of striking the head of the octopus, we are quarrelling with its arms.”
The prime minister, who fought as an officer in an elite army unit deep inside Lebanon during the 2006 Second Lebanon War, said, “We have been playing into the hands of the Iranians for years. When I fought in Lebanon, I was fighting against Iran’s [Hezbollah] proxies, while the ayatollahs funding and arming them were untouchable. When I took over as prime minister, I reassessed the situation on a clean slate. Iran will no longer be immune. The Iranian regime is rotten, corrupt, unable to supply its citizens with basic needs, the economy is collapsing, entire regions are without running water. So, my new perception is that Israel must enter the arena and work to further weaken the head of the octopus.”
No, Bennett is not declaring war and Israeli jet fighters will not be dive bombing over Tehran in the coming months. He likens Israel’s current situation to that of the United States under the Reagan administration in the late 1970s and 1980s, which exhausted the Soviet Union to the point that it fell apart almost overnight.
“Once we have full laser defences,” Bennett said, “the billions invested in the missile and rocket systems around Israel will be extraneous. The laser will provide a response to this threat. Israel is now on a momentum of laser technology development that will be a game changer. We are making massive investments in this matter and we will win the war through the power of our economy, democracy and innovation. I don’t know where we are on the scale as we head for a decisive victory, but we must continue to work all the time, in the military field, too, and exert pressure on Iran’s proxies in Syria. What business do they have there? What are they looking for on our borders?”
Asked whether the Israel Defense Forces were operating against Iran in locations and with tools that have not been made public, in addition to its activity in Syria as reported by foreign media, Bennett answered, “We’re just getting started, we have many tools.” Iran’s threat, he said, is not only nuclear. “Some 100,000 missiles in Lebanon are a significant threat with huge destruction potential. What is going on in Vienna could also inflict great damage.” Lifting the sanctions from Iran’s failing regime as part of an agreement signed in Vienna would mean an infusion of billions into its state-supported terrorism, he noted. “That is a cause of concern.”
The American-born leader also discussed Israel’s disagreements with the United States. “We must be honest in saying we have disagreements with the United States, our great friend. The way we see it, Iran is playing with a very weak hand and is bluffing. This lie must be exposed, and they must be given a choice — survival of the regime or a continued race to nuclear capabilities, and they must not be given a gift of tens of billions,” Bennett said.
Asked whether he would clash publicly with the US administration as his predecessor Netanyahu did, Bennett answered, “We are in dialogue with the Americans. Two days before Christmas, national security adviser Jake Sullivan flew here on a special flight and the visit was very beneficial. Either way, even if an agreement is signed [with Iran], it will not bind us.”
The prime minister was asked what would happen if world powers sign a nuclear agreement with Iran, leaving Israel completely alone in the campaign. “That will not change our fundamental strategy according to which the United States is our biggest and most important ally and our close friend, but the world is changing,” Bennett said. “We are in an era in which there is no longer one cop — there are other actors. Personally, I have invested a lot of time in restoring relations with the Biden administration and the Democrats, but Israel must seek support elsewhere, too, and forge additional alliances. Israel must become an asset for the world and we have the tools for this — in cyber, high tech, global warming, innovation. You create added value, join up with other forces and multiply your power.”
And meanwhile? Bennett was asked. “As the entire world can see, we are increasing our activity in terms of the 'war between the wars' with Iran. We are more active; we will not let go until Iran pulls out of Syria. They have no business being there. It is a lose-lose situation for them, because if they stay, they will continue to sustain blows, and if they fold up, they would be admitting defeat. And we have no intention of giving up,” he concluded.

War of Nerves and Diplomacy between NATO and Russia
Omer Onhon/ Asharq Al-Awsat/February 01/2022
On 26 January 2022, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg informed the public that NATO and the USA had responded to the “Russian list of demands”. NATO’s reply was prepared by the representatives of 30 member states at NATO Headquarters in Brussels and the USA reply was prepared in Washington. The two replies no doubt were closely coordinated.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said, “the responses offer grounds for serious talks only on matters of secondary importance and there is no positive response to the main issue”. In any event, Russia was pleased to receive the replies. They will be assessed, Lavrov said.
The issues which Lavrov emphasized as “main issues” are: “NATO enlargement towards the east” and “the deployment of strike weapons near Russia’s borders”.Fundamental differences between NATO and Russia:
-Russia claims that “in 1990, when Germany was reunified and the issue of European security was raised, they solemnly promised that NATO would not expand even an inch eastward beyond the Oder River” but this promise was not kept.
NATO denies the existence of any such guarantees.
-Russia wants NATO out of the territories of former Warsaw Pact countries which have become members after 1997. In other words, Russia wants to impose restrictions on NATO deployments there and create a kind of buffer or demilitarized zone.
Stoltenberg pointed out that within the framework of Article 5, all member states will be protected and defended. NATO says it is not up to Russia or anyone else, to impose or even suggest how this will be done.
On that point, Stoltenberg also reminded that in all member states, including those which became a member after 1997, NATO presence is based on their free consent and within the framework of an agreement, whereas, Russian forces are in Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova, without the consent of these countries. Stoltenberg called on Russia to withdraw these forces.
There may be ways to appease concerns. NATO stands by the principle that every nation has the right to choose its own path, decide whether to be a member of an organization or not. With this principle remaining, the Secretary-General drew a picture where, regardless of whether a nation has applied for membership (as in the case of Ukraine and Georgia), or not (as in the case of Sweden and Finland), NATO can establish very close partnerships, politically and militarily. Almost full membership in every sense, minus article 5 (and deployments) which is applicable only to full members and not partners? This notion may allow the continuation of building a close partnership with Ukraine and Georgia and also meet Russian concerns.
The 1990s were marked by a series of mutually enforcing agreements.
Risk reduction, transparency, and arms control have turned out to constitute a good part of NATO’s reply. These concepts had contributed so much to the achievements in the 1980s and 1990s. Let's recall the main instruments and their present-day status:
-Vienna Document: A politically binding document, consisting of a set of confidence and security-building measures It is still valid but has not been updated since 2011.
-The Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE): Limits the number of heavy weapons systems that may be kept in the area from the Atlantic Ocean to the Ural Mountains. At the end of 2007, Russia
suspended its participation in the CFE.
-Open Skies Treaty: A system of aerial monitoring of arms control agreements. The USA withdrew in 2020 and Russia followed in December 2021.
-The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty: Signed in 1988, the USA withdrew in 2019 and the Treaty is no more.
The present status and what may follow
-There seems to be a general understanding that there is a problem and a need to do something about it. Stoltenberg stated NATO’s readiness to listen to Russia’s concerns and discuss. He also emphasized what NATO will not accept as well as giving hints on what can be done within the framework of non-acceptable.
-We can expect the NATO-Russia Council to meet in the coming weeks, to discuss how to proceed.
-There are differing views on Russian objectives. One view is that Russia feels threatened and is flexing its muscles. The other view is that Russia is working to regain the ground it lost in the 1990s. In my opinion, it is a combination of both, but the latter being the stronger driving force.
-Even though NATO members have come up with a joint document, this does not necessarily mean that they are all on the same page. The economics and energy dimensions of the crisis are extremely sensitive. Germany and Croatia have their own concerns. France, once again, has dashed into the arena as the self-proclaimed political and military mastermind of Europe and the defender of “European problems to be solved by Europeans”.
-Russia, again, may find an opportunity to play into differences between the Allies and try to widen cracks that may exist.
-NATO is pursuing its dual-track approach, which is deterrence and defense on the one hand and dialogue on the other.
-Despite all the statements, movements, and mobilization, I think the risk of an invasion and military confrontation is small. But who knows how things may develop and what future may carry.
-As I wrote in my previous article on this issue (January 8) “no matter how complicated problems are, diplomacy is the best way to achieve a lot if given a chance”. It is encouraging to see that diplomacy is in play.
Would it be very unrealistic to wonder whether this war of nerves and diplomacy between NATO and Russia could eventually lead to a new era of calm?

There’s a Russia-Sized Mystery in China’s Electricity Sector

David Fickling/Bloomberg/February 01/2022
Here’s a new obstacle that could prevent the world finally turning the corner on climate change: Imagine that over the coming decade a whole new economy the size of Russia were to pop up out of nowhere. With the world’s fourth-largest electricity sector and largest burden of power plant emissions after China, the US and India, this new economy on its own would be enough to throw out efforts to halt global warming — especially if it keeps on growing through the 2030s.
That’s the risk inherent in China’s seemingly insatiable appetite for grid power.
From the cracking pace of renewable build-out last year, you might think the country had broken the back of its carbon addiction. A record 55 gigawatts of solar power and 48 gigawatts of wind were connected — comparable to installing the generation capacity of Mexico in less than 12 months. This year will see an even faster pace, with 93 GW of solar and 50 GW of wind added, according to a report last week from the China Electricity Council, an industry association.
That progress could in theory see the country’s power sector emissions peak within months, rather than the late-2020s date the government has hinted at. Combined with a smaller quantity of hydro and nuclear, 2022’s additional solar panels and wind turbines will probably add about 310 terawatt-hours to zero-carbon generation this year. That 3.8% increase would be sufficient to power the UK.
Countries that have reached China’s levels of per-capita electricity consumption (already on a par with most of Europe) typically see growth rates at less than half that level. Grid supply could grow at a faster pace than Brazil, Iran, South Korea or Thailand managed over the past decade without adding a ton of additional carbon to the atmosphere.
There’s a problem with that picture, however. If electricity demand grows at an even more headlong pace, there simply won’t be enough renewables to supply the grid. Fossil fuels, overwhelmingly coal, will fill the gap.
Such an outcome looks distinctly possible. Electricity consumption in 2021 grew at an extraordinary rate of 10%, and will increase again by between 5% and 6% this year, according to the CEC. That suggests the country is on pace to match the CEC’s forecasts of bullish grid demand over the coming decade, with generation hitting 11,300 terawatt-hours in 2030. External analysts, such as the International Energy Agency and BloombergNEF, envisage a more modest growth to around 10,000 TWh.
The difference between those two outlooks is vast — equivalent to all the electricity produced by Russia or Japan. If the CEC is right and the IEA and BloombergNEF are wrong, even the furious rate of renewable installations we’re seeing now won’t be enough to rein in China’s power-sector emissions.
Who’s correct? On one hand, it’s fair to say that power planners usually err on the side of overestimation. If your forecast for electricity demand is too high, state-owned generators will be less profitable than they otherwise would have been — but if it’s too low, you’ll see power cuts and shutdowns like China witnessed last autumn, a far more harrowing outcome.
On the other hand, the decarbonization of China’s economy itself should drive electricity demand well above what we’ve seen in the past. Some 3.3 million electric vehicles were sold in 2021 and BloombergNEF estimates a further 5.7 million will be bought in 2022. Every million EVs will likely add in the region of 2 TWh of load to the grid. Those sums quickly mounts up in a country where electric drivetrains are taking over a market that shifts more than 25 million new cars a year.
Decarbonizing industry, a key element on China’s road to zero emissions, could also change the picture. The IEA sees the country building 25 GW of electolysers to produce hydrogen by 2030, enough to consume some 200 TWh on their own if run close to full-time.
That’s still not enough to justify the scale of demand being forecast, though. China is already one of the least efficient countries in the world when it comes to translating energy into economic growth, and despite official pressure on the most wasteful, so called “dual-high” industries such as steel, oil refining, glass and cement, its targets for more thrifty energy usage remain pedestrian.
The countries that have decarbonized fastest are those, such as Germany, the UK and the US, that have seen power demand plateau or even decline, giving new renewable power a chance to swap out fossil-fired generators without chasing an ever-increasing burden on the grid. China’s inability to do this as its population peaks and energy consumption hits developed-country levels isn’t a sign of strength.
Instead, it’s a sign of a country that’s chronically unable to make the transition away from polluting heavy industry and toward the common prosperity and ecological civilization that its president keeps promising. Until China reins in that credit-fueled development model, the risks to its economy and the global climate will only increase.