English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For February 04/2022
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news

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Bible Quotations For today
Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink. As the scripture has said, “Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 07/37-39:”On the last day of the festival, the great day, while Jesus was standing there, he cried out, ‘Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink. As the scripture has said, “Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water.” ’Now he said this about the Spirit, which believers in him were to receive; for as yet there was no Spirit, because Jesus was not yet glorified.”

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on February 03-04/2022
Health Ministry: 9446 new Corona cases, 19 deaths
IMF will only support a ‘comprehensive program’ for Lebanon: Georgieva
Archbishop Gallagher visits Saint Charbel tomb in Annaya
Sheikh Aql receives Gallagher, USAID delegation: Lebanon needs the help and support of loyal ones
Archbishop Gallagher from Grand Serail: We will always stand by Lebanon
Archbishop Gallagher visits Foreign Minister: The Holy See is committed to cooperation, strengthening bilateral relations for the interest of Lebanon
Grand Mufti receives Archbishop Gallagher
President Aoun follows-up on draft budget, agrees with PM Mikati to hold Cabinet session next Thursday at Baabda Palace to study final version
Aoun Says Awaiting Saudi-Emirati Feedback on Lebanon's Response
Cabinet Exempts Food, Medical Imports from Fees
Aoun Hits Out at Geagea, Salameh, Jumblat
Berri Won't Accept Postponing Parliamentary Elections 'Even for One Minute'
Berri tells Press Syndicate will not approve postponement of elections
Rights Group Slams Lebanon for 'Flawed' Murder Probes
US Ambassador delivers word marking "One Year Anniversary of the Assassination of Lokman Slim"
Mikati receives invitation to attend Saint Maroun mass service
EU Launches 17th Edition of the 'Samir Kassir' Award for Freedom of Press
Lebanese Columnist: Letting Armed, Non-Democratic Forces Participate In Elections, As Happens In Iraq And Lebanon, Is Dangerous

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on February 03-04/2022
Biden Says US Forces Killed ISIS Leader in Syria Raid
US conducts raid in NW Syria taking out ISIS leader
US conducts counterterrorism raid in Syria killing ISIS leader
Islamic State leader killed in overnight US raid in Syria
Israel signs defense agreement with Bahrain in Gulf first
Bahrain’s King Meets with Visiting Israeli Defense Minister
Israeli Defense Chief Visits U.S. Naval Headquarters in Gulf
Israel Trains to 'Attack Iran' Under US Supervision
FBI Confirms it Bought Spyware from Israel's NSO Group
NATO Chief Wary of Russian Troop Buildup in Belarus
Erdogan Visits Ukraine Hoping to Play Mediator with Russia
Kremlin Urges US to ‘Stop Escalating Tensions’ over Ukraine
Putin Heads to China to Bolster Ties amid Ukraine Tensions
Opposition Says Iran Created Mercenary Naval Unit For Attacks
US approves potential weapons sales to Saudi Arabia, UAE, Jordan

Titles For The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on February 03-04/2022
Is the Future of the Persian Gulf Chinese?/Saeed Ghasseminejad/The National Interest/February 03/2022
Solid-Propellant Motor Test Proves Iran’s Continuing Missile Advancement/Behnam Ben Taleblu/The National Interest/February 03/2022
Canada must hold Iran accountable for downing of Ukrainian airliner/Tzvi Kahn/The Hill Times/February 03/2022
Not All Americans Want to Help Ukraine/Robert Ford/Asharq Al Awsat/February 03/2022
Biden Should Be Ashamed of His Treatment of the UAE/Con Coughlin/Gatestone Institute./February 03/2022
Time for Qatar to overcome its fear factor/Ali Sarraf/The Arab Weekly/February 03/2022

The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on February 03-04/2022
Health Ministry: 9446 new Corona cases, 19 deaths
NNA/Thursday, 3 February, 2022
In its daily report on the COVID-19 developments, the Ministry of Public Health announced on Thursday the registration of 9446 new infections with the Coronavirus, which raised the cumulative number of confirmed cases to-date to 948728. The report added that 19 deaths were recorded during the past 24 hours.

IMF will only support a ‘comprehensive program’ for Lebanon: Georgieva
AFP/04 February ,2022
IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said on Thursday the fund would only support a “comprehensive program” for Lebanon that would tackle all the country's ills, including corruption. “Our team is working very closely with their Lebanese counterparts,” Georgieva told reporters. “We are stressing that it has to be a comprehensive program.”Lebanese officials began talks with the IMF last month to pull the Middle Eastern country out of the worst economic crisis in its history. Georgieva called Lebanon's circumstances “very, very dire,” and said “it has been so for a long time, and short of a strong government commitment to change the course of the country, the suffering of the Lebanese people would continue.” She said the Washington-based crisis lender was negotiating over a budget proposal that would address Lebanon's banking sector and “reforms that the country needs including more transparency for what the government does.”Lebanon defaulted on its sovereign debt in 2020, a first in its history. Its currency has lost about 90 percent of its value on the black market and four out of five Lebanese now live below the poverty line, according to the United Nations, a situation made worse by triple-digit inflation. Despite the economic collapse, the country's ruling class has blocked reforms that foreign donors say must happen before aid is dispensed.

Archbishop Gallagher visits Saint Charbel tomb in Annaya
NNA/Thursday, 3 February, 2022
The Vatican's Secretary for Relations with States, Archbishop Paul Gallagher, and his accompanying delegation, on Thursday visited the tomb of St. Charbel in Saint Maroun-Annaya Monastery. They were welcomed by the General President of the Lebanese Maronite Order, Abbot Neemtallah Hashem, Head of the Monastery Father Abbot Tannous Nehme, the General Secretary of the Order Father Michel Abu Taqa, Father Milad Tarabay, and the Monastery monks. Archbishop Gallagher toured the monastery and celebrated the holy mass devoted to Lebanon and its people.

Sheikh Aql receives Gallagher, USAID delegation: Lebanon needs the help and support of loyal ones
NNA/Thursday, 3 February, 2022
Sheikh Akl of the Druze sect, Dr. Sami Abi Al-Muna, on Thursday welcomed at the Taifa House in Beirut, Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the secretary for relations with states and head of the Second Section of the Holy See's Secretariat of State, who visited him with an accompanying delegation. The meeting discussed the general situation and the future of Lebanon, especially that of the Lebanese youth. It was also an occasion during which Sheikh al-Aql expressed Lebanon’s need for the help and support of all its faithful friends in order to preserve its components, especially amid the current difficult stage it is going through. “This stage requires concerted efforts by all forces and deep belief in saving Lebanon from its crises,” Sheikh Al-Aql said. For his part, Gallagher conveyed His Holiness the Pope's aspiration to visit Lebanon to hold Islamic and Christian religious meetings, and then handed over a medal of appreciation to Sheikh Al-Aql. “It was a cordial and honest meeting with His Eminence, Sheikh Al-Aql. I say as I am leaving now, I carry hope for the future of cooperation between Druze, Christians, and all Lebanese for the good of Lebanon and the good of its people,” Gallagher added. Abi Al-Muna separately received a delegation from the US Agency for International Development, which briefed him on the activities carried out by the Agency in the mountainous region and possible areas of cooperation.

Archbishop Gallagher from Grand Serail: We will always stand by Lebanon
NNA/Thursday, 3 February, 2022
The Vatican's Secretary for Relations with States, Archbishop Paul Gallagher, confirmed from the Grand Serail that he came to Lebanon carrying the message of His Holiness Pope Francis, "it is a message of hope for a country that means a lot to him, and we are here to support the Lebanese and to assure them that we stand by their side in the face of challenges, and the decision for Lebanon’s recovery is a purely Lebanese decision on which efforts must be combined.”Prime Minister, Najib Mikati, on Thursday welcomed at the Grand Serail Archbishop Gallagher, and an accompanying delegation. During the meeting, Premier Mikati welcomed Archbishop Gallagher, saying: “We are proud of the affinity that His Holiness Pope Francis expresses towards all the Lebanese, and shares their pain and suffering that has impacted most aspects of their lives.”
Mikati added: "We appreciate your call for Lebanon to remain a project of peace and a homeland for tolerance and pluralism, where all sects and religions come together.”The PM added, “We are persisting and determined to implement the government's reform program despite all obstacles and difficulties, and we are all convinced, as you stated yesterday, that reforms are the ones to help Lebanon, along with the support of the international community.” Archbishop Gallagher, in turn, indicated: "Change is coming to Lebanon, and we pray that it will be for the good of this country, and in the name of His Holiness the Pope and the universal Catholic Church, we will always stand by Lebanon's side."

Archbishop Gallagher visits Foreign Minister: The Holy See is committed to cooperation, strengthening bilateral relations for the interest of Lebanon
NNA/Thursday, 3 February, 2022
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants, Dr. Abdallah Bou Habib, on Thursday welcomed in his office the Vatican's Secretary for Relations with States, Archbishop Paul Gallagher, and an accompanying delegation. After the meeting, which lasted for half an hour, Minister Bou Habib hoped that Archbishop Gallagher's visit to Lebanon will be frutiful, indicating thar “Lebanon and the Vatican share a cooperation relationship deeply rooted in history on the many issues that concern Lebanon, as we celebrate the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between us.” Archbishop Gallagher affirmed "the Holy See's commitment to cooperation and strengthening bilateral relations for the sake of Lebanon's interest."

Grand Mufti receives Archbishop Gallagher
NNA/Thursday, 3 February, 2022
Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdellatif Derian met Thursday at Dar-al-Fatwa with the Vatican's Secretary for Relations with States, Archbishop Paul Gallagher, and an accompanying delegation.Following the meeting, Gallagher said he held "positive" talks with the Grand Mufti, and that they discussed the situation in Lebanon and the importance of the role of Muslims and Christians in contributing to the country's future.

President Aoun follows-up on draft budget, agrees with PM Mikati to hold Cabinet session next Thursday at Baabda Palace to study final version
NNA/Thursday, 3 February, 2022
President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun, followed-up on the stages of study of the 2022 draft budget law, especially outstanding items, including the electricity advance, the social contribution of employees, and the exchange rate value, in addition to the mechanism for determining the exchange rate and the prices which will be adopted in imports. The President asserted the need to assist employees, and military and security forces in order to increase the productivity of state employees, especially in current economic conditions which Lebanon is facing. In addition, the President stressed the necessity of excluding imported resources such as basic foodstuffs, medicines and health supplies, from all taxes and fees, and emphasized the need to put the electricity file into practice. Then, President Aoun agrees with Prime Minister, Najib Mikati, on holding a Cabinet session next Thursday, at the Presidential Palace. The session will be devoted to tackle the final draft budget form, and to decide outstanding issues, provided that the Finance Ministry team will finalize the project based on the deliberation of Cabinet session previously held at the Grand Serail.
Former MP Bou Zeid:
President Aoun received his advisor for Lebanese-Russian relations, former MP, Amal Bou Zeid, today at Baabda Palace. The President discussed the development of Lebanese-Russian relations, and the upcoming visit of Energy Minister, Walid Fayyad to Moscow, to study methods for enhancing cooperation between both countries. Bou Zeid revealed that President Aoun had received an invitation from the Kremlin for a conference to be held in Moscow during the next two months on dialogue which includes Christian and Islamic Middle Easters parties. General affairs and recent political developments were also addressed in the meeting.
Former MP Khoury:
The President met his adviser for Health Affairs, former MP Walid Khoury. Dr. Khoury briefed President Aoun on the health situation and the developments of the spread of Corona pandemic and its mutations, especially “Omicron”.Political, health and social affairs, in addition to the needs of Jbeil region, were deliberated during the meeting. -- Presidency Press Office

Aoun Says Awaiting Saudi-Emirati Feedback on Lebanon's Response
Naharnet/Thursday, 3 February, 2022
President Michel Aoun affirmed that Lebanon is dealing with positivity with the Kuwaiti paper. Aoun told al-Joumhouria newspaper, in remarks published Thursday, that Lebanon has agreed on some points and has suggested to discuss others with a joint Gulf committee. "Some points are delicate," Aoun said in an interview with the newspaper, adding that Kuwait was positive and understanding. "We are awaiting the Saudi and Emirati response," he said. Meanwhile, Asharq al-Awsat newspaper said that the Lebanese response raised eyebrows among Arab sources concerned with the Lebanese file, as the response ignored all points related to Hizbullah, like the implementation of the U.N. resolutions 1701 and 1559.

Cabinet Exempts Food, Medical Imports from Fees
Naharnet /Thursday, 3 February, 2022
Cabinet convened Thursday at the Grand Serail to resume the discussion of the 2022 draft budget. Acting information minister Abbas Halabi said, when the session ended, that all food and medical imports will be exempted from all kinds of fees and charges. He added that Cabinet intends to support healthcare and medical services in the public sector, especially in the military sector. "A meeting will be held tomorrow to study the budget’s ability to contribute to supporting these funds," Halabi said. Cabinet also approved to collect fees on some imported goods based on the exchange rate on the sayrafa platform. An electricity advance that Energy Minister Walid Fayyad had requested as a funding for Électricité du Liban was postponed to a later session. Halabi said that Fayyad will present a reform plan to the Cabinet to be studied. The advance will be discussed later when the plan gets approved.
A Cabinet session will be held next Thursday at the Baabda Palace to study the final version of the state budget, the Presidency said. The Presidency added that President Michel Aoun is following up on the progress of the draft budget discussions and is urging Cabinet to help employees and military and security forces. Aoun also asked Cabinet to exempt basic imported goods from taxes and fees and to implement the electricity plan.

Aoun Hits Out at Geagea, Salameh, Jumblat
Naharnet/Thursday, 3 February, 2022
In an interview with al-Joumhouria newspaper, President Michel Aoun hit out at Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat, Lebanese Forces party chief Samir Geagea and Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh. Aoun told the newspaper, in remarks published Thursday, that he's had enough of the procrastination and of Salameh's "pretexts" regarding the forensic audit. "Salameh has to meet all the requests of the forensic audit firm Alvarez & Marsal and he has only a one-week deadline to respond," Aoun strictly said, adding that he can no longer show patience and indulgence. He warned of legal and political measures against Salameh if the latter doesn't cooperate. Aoun also lashed out at Jumblat's moodiness, saying that he constantly changes his alliances. "You wouldn't know to which Jumblat you should talk," he sarcastically added. Aoun hinted that the PSP chief was a partner in the twisted economic and financial policies and that he was protecting Salameh whom Aoun called "the bankruptcy and collapse engineer." The President, slamming his foes, did not exempt Geagea. "Have I hurt anyone? Have I built a castle? Have I betrayed an ally or mastered incitement," Aoun asked. He questioned Geagea's achievements and noted that he hadn't committed to his promise to give ex-Prime Minister Saad Hariri the LF's voices.

Berri Won't Accept Postponing Parliamentary Elections 'Even for One Minute'
Naharnet/Thursday, 3 February, 2022
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri said Thursday that what unites Saudi Arabia and Iran is "much greater than what separates them."Berri, in a meeting with the Press Syndicate, added that Arabs can only reunite when Syria returns to the Arab League and when Arabs return to Syria.
On another note, Berri said he does not accept postponing the parliamentary elections, "even for one minute."It is surprising, he added, that Amal and Hizbullah are accused of trying to postpone the elections "when it would be difficult to clinch even a single seat from the Shiite Duo." He confirmed that U.S. Special Envoy and Coordinator for International Energy Affairs Amos Hochstein will return to Lebanon next week. He said the resistance and its weapons will remain "as long as Israel is occupying one inch of the Lebanese territory." On another note, concerning the investigation into the Beirut port blast, Berri said "all we asked for is to apply constitution and law instead of politicizing the case."
Lebanon
"All he does is inciting. The Sunnis won't forgive him nor will they support him," Aoun said. He added that political rivalry is legitimate, but "hate speech and incitement" are not. Aoun who has many opponents among Lebanese parties had also recently reached an unprecedented level of frustration with Hizbullah.
"Hizbullah's choices regarding reforms sometimes surprise me," Aoun said before reiterating that the FPM-Hizbullah alliance only needs to evolve but remains "a national necessity."The President justified the multitude of rivals by claiming he was left alone for raising the forensic audit issue. "When I said I will fight corruption, they all applauded me but when I raised the forensic audit issue, I ended up alone," he said.

Berri tells Press Syndicate will not approve postponement of elections
NNA/Thursday, 3 February, 2022
House Speaker, Nabih Berri, on Thursday tackled an array of issues during his meeting with Press Syndicate, Head, Aouni al-Kaaki, and members of the Syndicate in Ain al-Tineh. Speaker Berri stressed that all what was requested concerning the port blast dossier was the implementation of the constitution and the law, “instead of politicizing the file.”On the issue of maritime border demarcation, Speaker Berri revealed that US envoy, Amos Hochstein, would be in Lebanon within a week. “It is assumed that negotiations will resume and that the framework of agreement will be adhered to,” he added.
Addressing the media, the House Speaker said, “Through you, I call on France and Total, and the other companies that have demonstrated commitment to drilling and exploration works, to kick start their activities, especially since the area, in which work must begin, is not disputed.”
On the impending parliamentary elections, Speaker Berri said, “I will not accept the postponement of elections, not even for one minute. How can the Shiite duo be accused of obstruction or delay when they are more than confident that it is difficult to infiltrate the duo, even with one seat?"
He added, "Elections are an essential juncture, and the Lebanese must choose; it should be an opportunity to restore Lebanon and restore relationships with Arabs. Parliamentary elections should be a new chapter of a new Lebanon.”
Berri then called for, “unifying the Arab economy among Arab countries to stop the Israeli invasion of Arab markets,” adding that “Lebanon can play this role."Moreover, Berri asserted that for as long as Israel was present on an inch of Lebanese territory, “the resistance and its weapons will remain a national need to curb Zionist ambitions. The resistance's weapons are a result of the enemy occupation and not the other way around.”On the heatedly debated state budget law, he said, “What the government is doing is very good in terms of following up on discussions in successive sessions, and it is not easy, but it is not permissible amid the current circumstances to impose taxes and fees on all people, on the poor, and the middle classes, which actually no longer exist.”With regard to a request of a treasury advance for the benefit of Electricité du Liban, Berri couldn’t help but wonder why the Lebanese government hasn’t been rushing to accept offers submitted to build energy production plants? “Why hasn’t an authority to regulate the electricity sector been formed?” Berri pondered, reminding of the fact that this is also a request by the World Bank. Speaker Berri then disclosed that a plenary parliamentary session would be held before the end of February to approve a series of reform laws.  The House Speaker also pushed for activating competent supervisory bodies to take swift measures against those manipulating the prices of commodities and consumer materials “up to the point of closing stores with red wax.”  Regarding the Saudi-Iranian contacts and the outcome of Vienna negotiations, Berri deemed them “positive and re-evaluate matters”.  “What unites the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with Iran is way greater than what separates them,” he added. “The Arab-Iranian consensus and convergence will have major and positive repercussions on various issues, starting from Yemen and Syria, reaching Lebanon,” Berri explained.  “I support every step that restores Arab reunification, and this reunification can only be healed by the return of Syria to the Arab League, but rather the return of Arabs to Syria,” he added. “The League of Arab States’ Secretary-General, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, has done well by calling to discuss the return of Syria to joint Arab action,” Berri concluded

Rights Group Slams Lebanon for 'Flawed' Murder Probes
Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 3 February, 2022
Human Rights Watch accused Lebanon on Thursday of "flawed" assassination probes and urged donors to review millions of dollars in aid to security forces in a country where crimes often go unpunished. "The unsolved murders and shoddy homicide investigations are a reminder of the dangerous weakness of Lebanon's rule of law in the face of unaccountable elites and armed groups," Aya Majzoub of Human Rights Watch said, AFP reported. Lebanon is gripped by political and economic dysfunction to the point that even investigations into the 2020 Beirut port blast which killed more than 200 people and ravaged entire neighborhoods have yet to identify a single culprit. The US-based watchdog reviewed preliminary investigations into the murders of four people since 2020, including Lokman Slim, an intellectual and outspoken critic of the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement. Slim was kidnapped in southern Lebanon exactly a year ago and his body found the next day. His family said Hezbollah had threatened Slim several times, most notably in December 2019. The three other victims are a retired colonel from the customs administration, an amateur military photographer and a bank employee.
Lebanese authorities have not identified suspects in any of the killings and failed to follow clear investigative leads, "even though the murders were committed either in proximity to residential and densely inhabited areas, in broad daylight," Human Rights Watch said.
In one case, the murder was even caught on camera. Lawyers and relatives of the victims cited by the watchdog said the police only asked them "superficial" questions limited to "far-fetched potential personal motivations for the murders." They ignored leads potentially linking the victims' politically-sensitive work to their assassination. The group urged authorities to open investigations into allegations of misconduct and gross negligence from officials dealing with the murder probes. Donor countries, which have funneled millions of dollars in assistance to Lebanon's security apparatus, should review their contributions "to ensure that they are not funding units engaged in the cover-up of sensitive murders," Majzoub said. In a recent interview with AFP Slim's widow, Monika Borgmann, expressed doubts that the local investigation into his murder would ever yield results. That, she said, would be like "giving the green light to the killers, whoever they are, to continue." 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.

US Ambassador delivers word marking "One Year Anniversary of the Assassination of Lokman Slim"
NNA/Thursday, 3 February, 2022 
The following is US Ambassador Dorothy C. Shea’s address as delivered marking one year anniversary of the assassination of Lokman Slim: “Let me begin by renewing my sincere condolences to the family of Lokman Slim as well as to all of those gathered here and beyond, who loved him, who worked with him. All of us here were affected by his work.  Lokman stood for the rule of law.  He was a champion of free speech, democracy, and civic participation. He was never intimidated by the repeated threats made against him.  In his life, he fought for justice and accountability.  In his death, he deserves those things.  
It is an extremely sad occasion for us all to mark the one-year anniversary of his assassination and it is even more troubling to see that there has yet to be justice. There has yet to be accountability. His assassination was not just an attack on one person, but also an attack on Lebanon itself.  The use of threats and intimidation to subvert the rule of law and silence political discourse and dissent remains unacceptable. In the wake of Lokman’s assassination, malign actors in Lebanon have tried to weaken, discredit, and delegitimize Lebanese civil society organizations, and institutions and NGOs. But their intimidation cannot keep the bold from speaking truth to power. To those of you who carry on the legacy of Lokman Slim, your freedom of expression, and your participation in democratic society, those represent the most powerful answer to those who resort to cowardly political violence. Now, more than ever, as we approach elections and as the Lebanese people endure compounding crises, we must all work to uphold the very principles of justice and accountability for which Lokman was working. Today, I join the many friends of Lebanon in renewing our calls for justice, to honor Lokman’s life and his work. Today we share in the tears and the resolve that I heard expressed here. Thank you.”

Mikati receives invitation to attend Saint Maroun mass service
NNA/Thursday, 3 February, 2022
Prime Minister Najib Mikati on Thursday received Beirut Maronite Archbishop Boulos Abdel Sater, who handed his host an invitation to attend the Saint Maroun mass service, to be held on February 9 at the Gemayze-based Saint Maroun cathedral.

EU Launches 17th Edition of the 'Samir Kassir' Award for Freedom of Press
Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 3 February, 2022
The European Union and the Samir Kassir Foundation launched the 17th edition of the Samir Kassir Award for Freedom of the Press on Wednesday. The award, which the European Union has been handing out since 2006, honors the Lebanese journalist and writer Samir Kassir, who was assassinated in 2005. Over 3,000 candidates from the Middle East, the Gulf and North Africa have taken part since it began. In a video message shared on social media and broadcast on television, European Union Ambassador to Lebanon Ralph Tarraf encouraged journalists from across the region to participate in this year’s edition.
“Together, let us continue defending freedom of expression and keeping democracy alive,” he said. For her part, Samir Kassir Foundation President Gisele Khoury stressed the importance of the award as “it perpetuates a legacy that believes in freedom of expression… It is a beacon of hope for new journalists to help them preserve their profession and their freedom.”The contest is open to candidates from North Africa, the Middle East and the Gulf. The deadline for sending in applications is April 1st, 2022. Three awards will be granted for the best:
- Opinion Article
- Investigative Article
- Audiovisual News Report
The contributions must be centered on one or more of the following topics: the rule of law, human rights, good governance, fight against corruption, freedom of expression, democratic development, and citizen participation. The winner of each of the three categories will receive a prize of €10,000.
The jury will be composed of seven voting members from Arab and European media outlets and one observer representing the European Union. The names of the jury members will be released during the award ceremony, which will be held on June 1st, 2022, in Beirut, on the eve of the 17th anniversary of Samir Kassir’s assassination. The contest regulations, application forms and details of the candidature file are available: www.samirkassiraward.org

Lebanese Columnist: Letting Armed, Non-Democratic Forces Participate In Elections, As Happens In Iraq And Lebanon, Is Dangerous
MEMRI/February 03/2022
In his January 20, 2022 column in the London-based daily Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, Lebanese journalist and political analyst Hazem Saghieh addresses the problematic phenomenon of militant and non-democratic forces taking part in the democratic process. These forces, he points out, participate in the democratic game when it serves them, but have no respect whatsoever for the principles that underpin it. Therefore, if they take part in elections and lose, they often use force and violence to fight the result. And if they win the elections, they immediately take steps to abolish the very democratic institutions that brought them to power. An example of this, says Saghieh, was provided by the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), the Iran-backed militias in Iraq, in the October 2021 elections to the Iraqi parliament. After the political factions affiliated with these militias lost the elections, the militias started targeting some of the victorious parliamentary factions with grenades and bombs. Another example is Hizbullah in Lebanon, which has assassinated many politicians from rival factions since 2005, including prime minister Rafiq Al-Hariri, in order to weaken their factions in parliament. The immediate inspiration for both these movements, Saghieh adds, is the Iranian regime, and further examples are the Nazi regime in Germany and the fascist regime in Italy – all of which rose to power by democratic means but then turned their countries into dictatorships.
Saghieh notes that it is important to remember the real nature of these belligerent forces and not to believe them when they pretend to embrace democracy.
Hazem Saghieh (Source: hafryat.com)
The following are excerpts from the article as published in the English-language edition of Al-Shar Al-Awsat, lightly edited for flow.[1]
"A question that often preoccupied political thought: ought non-democrats be allowed to take part in the democratic process? A more glaring question faces countries like Iraq and Lebanon today: Ought armed organizations that can impose their will by force be allowed to take part in the democratic process?
"To start with, let us say that the term 'ought' means little here, as the presence of weapons determines what 'ought to be' and what 'ought not to be.' Those who care about the democratic process and comply with its rules can do nothing about it.
"Elections were held in Iraq last October, and the results, as we all know, went against the armed factions loyal to Iran. Unrest spread alongside armed parades held in protest of the election results that the losing factions claimed had been rigged. Later, the Independent High Electoral Commission announced the results after looking into the challenges presented against it, which changed very little.
"Thus, the losing factions shifted their strategy, targeting some of the victorious parliamentary blocs, i.e., Taqadom, 'Azm, and the Kurdistan Democratic Party: a hand grenade was thrown at the latter’s headquarters, and two Kurdish-owned banks in Baghdad were bombed. Other bombs have targeted the headquarters of Taqadom and 'Azm in the capital, and an explosive device hit the home and office of Taqadom MP Abdul Karim Abtan.
"That is what has happened so far. What follows could be worse.
"The Lebanese might (?) hold their elections in May. They have had their own experiences that remind them of these developments in Iraq: The assassinations targeting MPs from the March 14 alliance, which were aimed at reducing their parliamentary majority after the assassination of Rafiq Hariri in 2005.
"Giving our 'brothers in nationality' in Lebanon and Iraq the benefit of the doubt would not prevent us from saying that they have little respect for the democracy they are taking part in and the parliaments in which they are represented. Their point of view, here, is simple: when we lose the elections, we do not behave in accordance with the results; rather, we challenge them with all of our strength, undermining their legitimacy. When we win, on the other hand, we render our electoral mandate absolute; nothing can undercut it.
"Of course, Lebanese Hezbollah and the Popular Mobilization Units in Iraq were not the ones to start this school, though they became among its most distinguished graduates. As is well known, the Iranian regime, which is the immediate inspiration for both, has a bizarre system for deceiving democracy. The Ruling Jurisprudent [i.e., the Supreme Leader], who is not elected, is the most powerful figure within the regime: He is the commander of the army and security forces, and he appoints the head of the judiciary, half of the members of the Guardian Council (aka Constitution Council), mosque preachers, and heads of the media outlets and networks; also, his charity institutions, which have a multi-billion-dollar budget, make up a significant chunk of the Iranian economy.
"Nonetheless, the President of the Republic and the Parliamentary Speaker are both elected. As for how they are elected, that is another story: in 2009, the election winners [according to the Iranian opposition], Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi, who were part and parcel of this same regime- despite being slightly [different from its other members]- were arrested. In 2020, more than 7,000 reformist and moderate candidates were not allowed to run. The conservatives thus inevitably recorded impressive victories.
"But it may be worth mentioning that it was European totalitarianism, with its leaders and intellectuals, according to their various belief-systems, who laid the groundwork for belittling democracy and parliament: Hitler, who, applying his principle of 'destroying democracy with the weapon of democracy,' came to power in 1933 through elections, considered democracy a 'stupid and filthy path to Bolshevism.'
"In turn, the Italian fascist leader Mussolini found that 'the people do not know what they want. They do not know what is best for them (...) Democracy is beautiful in theory; in practice, it is a fallacy.' Meanwhile, the struggle between fascism and democracy 'does not allow for compromises, it is either us or them.'
"In 1924, the Italian Fascist Party and its allies won a majority in elections brimming with intimidation tactics and violations. However, these elections that brought him to power were the last to be held until 1946 when Italy was liberated. The means Mussolini preferred was that of a putsch, which the fascists had carried out in 1922, calling it the 'March on Rome.' One year later, Hitler’s coup attempt in Munich, unlike its Italian predecessor, was fated to fail. Hitler ended up in prison after that adventure…
"Elections, as far as totalitarians are concerned, could be a useful opportunity to mobilize supporters, incite opponents, access the broader platforms they offer, and achieve an array of other objectives, [but they] are not a means for [bringing] change. [Elections are] a civic, political process, while [the totalitarians'] mindset is military and they see violence as their means for reaching power. And while elections allow us to reveal what is right in the relative sense of rightness, [the totalitarians] already know what is right, regardless of the people’s opinion. Also, while democracy, by definition, recognizes the other and those who are different as partners in a game, they are determined to seize power and make an enemy of the other. In addition, democracy assumes that politics springs from it, and they consider that actual politics - rather, war- lies elsewhere.
"In Lebanon and Iraq, elections were held and others may be held with similarly belligerent forces taking part. They claim to be democratic but despise nothing like they despise democracy. Pretending to believe them might be understandable. The important thing is not to believe them."
[1] English.aawsat.com, January 20, 2022.

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on February 03-04/2022
Biden Says US Forces Killed ISIS Leader in Syria Raid
Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 3 February, 2022
US special forces have killed one of the world’s most wanted terrorists, the ISIS leader, in an overnight raid in northwest Syria, President Joe Biden said on Thursday. “Thanks to the skill and bravery of our Armed Forces, we have taken off the battlefield Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Quraishi — the leader of ISIS,” Biden said in a statement. He said all Americans involved in the operation returned safely. Rescue workers said at least 13 people also died, including women and children. US special forces landed in helicopters and assaulted a house in an opposition-held corner of Syria, clashing for two hours with gunmen, witnesses said. Residents described continuous gunfire and explosions that jolted the town of Atmeh near the Turkish border. Quraishi succeeded Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi who led the group when it took over swathes of Syria and Iraq, ruling over millions of people at the height of its self-declared “caliphate.”Baghdadi was killed in Oct. 2019 by US troops - also in a raid in north Syria - after ISIS militants were defeated on the battlefield. The group is now waging insurgent attacks in Iraq and Syria. Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby earlier described Thursday's raid as a successful counter-terrorism mission, saying there were no US casualties.

US conducts raid in NW Syria taking out ISIS leader
AFP/Thursday 03/02/2022
US special forces hunted down high-ranking extremists in a rare airborne raid in northwestern Syria on Thursday, killing the leader of ISIS, in an operation, the Pentagon described as "successful". President Joe Biden said Thursday that the leader of the Islamic State (ISIS) extremist group had been “taken off the battlefield” by US forces in Syria. “Last night at my direction, US military forces in northwest Syria successfully undertook a counterterrorism operation to protect the American people and our allies, and make the world a safer place,” Biden said in a statement. “Thanks to the skill and bravery of our Armed Forces, we have taken off the battlefield Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi — the leader of ISIS. All Americans have returned safely from the operation,” Biden added. Biden was scheduled to make public remarks early Thursday on the operation. A video taken by a resident and seen by Reuters showed the bodies of two apparently lifeless children and a man in the rubble of a building at the location. A rebel official who declined to be named said the jihadist who was the apparent target of the raid was with his family at the time. A US official said Thursday the targeted ISIS leader blew himself up during the raid. The operation was thought to be the biggest of its kind by US forces in the jihadist-controlled Idlib region since the 2019 raid that killed Islamic State (ISIS) extremist group leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. The targets of the latest operation around the town of Atme, which residents and other sources said lasted around two hours, were not immediately clear. "US Special Operations forces under the control of US Central Command conducted a counterterrorism mission this evening in northwest Syria," spokesman John Kirby said in a statement. "The mission was successful. There were no US casualties," he added, without elaborating. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said seven civilians were among at least 13 people killed in the operation, which saw elite US forces make a perilous helicopter landing near Atme.Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman said: "13 people at least were killed, among them four children and three women, during the operation."US special forces have carried out several operations against high-value extremist targets in the Idlib area in recent months.
The area, the last enclave to actively oppose the government of Bashar al-Assad, is home to more than three million people and is dominated by jihadist extremists.
Jihadist haven
The region is mostly administered by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a group led by former members of what was once al-Qaeda's franchise in Syria. HTS has tried to rebrand itself in recent years as not linked to al-Qaeda. Other jihadist groups operating in northwestern Syria include Hurras al-Din (Guardians of Religion), an al-Qaeda-affiliated faction whose leaders include foreign fighters. US forces have used drones to target the group and other jihadists in the area for years, but Thursday's operation appeared to be the largest of its kind by US forces in the northwest since ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi died in a US special operations raid in 2019, said Charles Lister, senior fellow with the Washington-based Middle East Institute. Atme is home to a huge camp for families displaced by the decade-old conflict and which experts have warned was being used by jihadists as a place to hide among civilians. On October 23, the US military announced the killing of senior al-Qaeda leader Abdul Hamid Al-Matar. "Al-Qaeda uses Syria as a safe haven to rebuild, coordinate with external affiliates and plan external operations," said Central Command spokesman Army Major John Rigsbee in a statement at the time.
Syrian government forces and their main military backer Russia have carried out repeated attacks against jihadist and rebel groups in the Idlib region. However, a ceasefire deal which was brokered by Moscow and Ankara, the two main foreign powers in the area, almost two years ago is still officially in place. Assad has long insisted his goal was to recapture the whole of Syria, including Idlib province, but the contours of the jihadist-run enclave have remained largely unchanged since early 2020.
-- Resurgent ISIS --
Residents and activists described witnessing a large ground assault, with US forces using loudspeakers urging women and children to leave the area. There was at least one major explosion. A US official said that one of the helicopters in the raid suffered a mechanical problem and had to be blown up on the ground. The clandestine operation came as the Islamic State (ISIS) extremist group was reasserting itself, carrying out some of its biggest attacks since it was defeated in 2019. In recent weeks and months, the group has launched a series of operations in the region, including a ten-day assault late last month to seize a prison in northeastern Syria. A US-backed Kurdish-led force said more than 120 of their fighters and prison workers died in the effort to thwart the ISIS plot, whose goal appeared to free senior ISIS operatives from the prison. The prison houses at least 3,000 Islamic State group detainees. The attempted prison break was the biggest military operation by the extremist group since 2019. The US-led coalition carried out airstrikes and deployed American personnel in Bradley Fighting Vehicles to the prison area to help the Kurdish forces.

US conducts counterterrorism raid in Syria killing ISIS leader
CNN/February 03/2022
US Special Forces "successfully" conducted a counterterrorism mission in northwest Syria Wednesday evening killing ISIS leader Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi, President Joe Biden announced Thursday morning.
It was the the biggest US raid in the country since the 2019 operation that killed ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
US Special Forces conducted a "successful" counterterrorism mission in northwest Syria Wednesday evening, the Pentagon said, but offered few other details.Sources on the ground reported multiple fatalities. At least 13 people were killed in clashes that took place during and after the raid -- including six children and four women -- according to the Syrian civil defense group, the White Helmets. There were no US casualties, according to the Pentagon.

Islamic State leader killed in overnight US raid in Syria
Jared Szuba/Al-Monitor/February 0/ 2022
The leader of the Islamic State group blew himself up during an overnight raid by US special operations forces in northwest Syria, President Joe Biden said this morning. Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi and several civilians were killed during a pre-dawn raid at a house in Atmeh, in rebel-held Idlib province, just minutes away from the Turkish border. “Last night at my direction, US military forces successfully undertook a counterterrorism operation,” Biden said in a statement Thursday morning. “Thanks to the bravery of our armed forces, we have removed from the battlefield Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi, the leader of ISIS.”Al-Qurayshi, also known as Hajji Abdullah, took command the IS jihadist group following the death of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi during a similar US special forces raid just an hour's drive away in October 2019.
The Syrian White Helmets, a volunteer rescue organization operating in rebel-held areas, said Thursday its workers had recovered 13 bodies from the site so far, including six children and four women. Senior administration officials speaking to reporters on the condition of anonymity disavowed US responsibility for the deaths. "All casualties at this site were due to the acts of ISIS terrorists inside the residence," one official said. “I directed the Department of Defense to take every precaution possible to minimize civilian casualties,” President Biden said in a speech Thursday morning.
The raid began after midnight on Thursday and lasted more than two hours, culminating in heavy gunfire on the house from US helicopters circling overhead, according to local reports. US forces initially called via loudspeaker for men, women and children to exit the building, a witness said.
"As our troops approached to capture the terrorist, in a final act of desperate cowardice... he chose to blow himself up... taking several members of his family with him," Biden said in his speech. Officials said the blast destroyed much of the top floor of the house, images of which circulated on social media.
During the operation, another Islamic State member, whom US officials described as a lieutenant to Hajji Abdullah, barricaded himself and members of his own family on the second floor of the building. He and his wife were killed after opening fire on US forces, the administration officials said.
At least eight children were "safely removed" from the area after emerging from the building, they said.
At one point during the operation, a US helicopter was targeted with gunfire by personnel on the ground. Officials said two people were killed when US forces returned fire. Before withdrawing, American operators destroyed one of their own helicopters due to a mechanical malfunction, though it was not believed to have been due to any hostile action. The Pentagon released a statement after midnight on Thursday, Washington time, saying the operation was successful and there were no American casualties. The raid, which had been in planning for months, was approved by President Biden on Tuesday morning.
It came two weeks after the Islamic State launched a major prison break with at least one car bomb and more than a hundred fighters in northeast Syria, which is under the control of a Kurdish-led alliance of local multiethnic militias backed by the US military. Biden on Thursday said Hajji Abdullah was behind last month’s assault on the Sinaa prison in Hasakah, which led to a battle that left hundreds dead and took more than a week to contain. It remains unclear how many IS prisoners escaped, though the facility held as many as 5,000 suspected jihadists.This is a developing story and will be updated.

Israel signs defense agreement with Bahrain in Gulf first
AFP, Manama/Published: 03 February ,2022
Israel signed a defense agreement with Bahrain on Thursday, its first such deal with a Gulf country since establishing diplomatic ties with Manama and Abu Dhabi more than a year ago. Defense Minister Benny Gantz, making his first visit to Bahrain, said the memorandum of understanding, that covers intelligence, procurement and joint training, takes the countries’ relationship to “new heights.” Bahrain and the UAE normalized relations with Israel under the US-brokered Abraham Accords agreements in September 2020. “Only one year following the signing of the accords, we have achieved an important defense agreement, which will contribute to the security of both countries and the stability of the region,” Gantz said in a statement. Gantz earlier called for deeper cooperation with Gulf partners to confront “maritime and aerial threats,” as he toured the US Fifth Fleet headquarters based in Bahrain. The defense minister toured the guided missile destroyer USS Cole, which is set to make its way to Abu Dhabi to help defend the UAE against attacks by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis. The USS Cole was the target of an al-Qaeda suicide bombing in the southern Yemeni harbor of Aden in October 2000 that killed 17 sailors. The US base in Bahrain lies just across the Gulf from Iran. The waters are crossed by hundreds of oil and cargo vessels every day. There has been an increase in attacks on shipping in recent years that the US and its allies have blamed on Iran. The Islamic republic denies the allegations. “Against a backdrop of increasing maritime and aerial threats, our ironclad cooperation is more important than ever,” Gantz tweeted. “We reaffirmed our commitment to stand united in defense of the sovereignty of our regional partners as well as peace and stability in the region.”

Bahrain’s King Meets with Visiting Israeli Defense Minister
Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 3 February, 2022
King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa met on Thursday with visiting Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz at the Al-Sakhir Palace, Bahrain News Agency reported. The King reviewed with Gantz and his accompanying delegation bilateral relations and ways to enhance joint cooperation across various fields, within the framework of the “Declaration Supporting Peace” and the “Abraham Accords” agreement signed between the two countries, it said. King Hamad expressed hope that the Israeli minister’s visit to Bahrain would contribute to broadening the scope of fruitful cooperation and joint action between the two countries to serve their common interests. The King stressed the importance of building on the “Declaration Supporting Peace” signed between the two countries to support efforts to reach peace and achieve stability, security and prosperity in the Middle East for the best interests of the region’s countries and peoples. The Israeli Defense praised the progress of cooperation between the two countries across various fields, commended the King’s interest and keenness in enhancing relations, and lauded agreements signed on Thursday on the sidelines of his visit.

Israeli Defense Chief Visits U.S. Naval Headquarters in Gulf
Associated Press/Thursday, 3 February, 2022
Israel's defense minister on Thursday visited the headquarters of the U.S. 5th Fleet in Bahrain, in a show of cooperation aimed at sending a message toward archenemy Iran. Benny Gantz toured the U.S. naval base on the second day of his official visit to Bahrain — a strategically located Arab country in the heart of the Persian Gulf. Israel and Bahrain, which share a deep animosity toward Iran, established official relations in 2020. Gantz was joined by the commander of Israel's navy as well as Bahrain's defense minister on the tour. The delegation visited a U.S. guided-missile destroyer, the USS Cole, and discussed ways to cooperate in the volatile region. With Israel improving ties with Arab countries, the U.S. last year moved Israel away from its European Command and into its Central Command, which oversees the Middle East. Over the past year, Israel's cooperation with the 5th Fleet has expanded, Gantz said. "This strategic cooperation is critical in facing developing challenges in the region," he added. "Deepening cooperation will enable us to maintain regional stability and to defend the common interests of Israel, the United States and Bahrain."The visit comes at a time of growing tensions in the region fueled by the unraveling of the international nuclear deal with Iran and the ongoing war in Yemen. The U.S. and Israel have accused Iran of carrying out a number of attacks on ships in the Gulf, including Israeli-linked cargo carriers, and Iranian-backed Houthi rebels launched a series of recent missile strikes at the United Arab Emirates. Israel has acknowledged stepping up naval operations in the Red Sea, an important waterway in the region. Gantz's visit also comes as the U.S. leads a naval exercise with the participation of some 60 nations, including Israel and Saudi Arabia. "This visit highlights the importance of the U.S. 5th Fleet's decades-long strategic relationship with Bahrain and expanding partnership with Israel following the recent alignment of Israel to U.S. Central Command," said U.S. Vice Adm. Brad Cooper in a statement issued by Israel's Defense Ministry. "We are always at our best when we work together with our international partners."Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates were among four Arab countries that joined the "Abraham Accords," a series of diplomatic pacts with Israel brokered by the Trump administration. For years, Israel and Bahrain maintained clandestine security ties, rooted in their concerns about Iran. Since the agreement, the countries have opened embassies, signed a series of agreements and established direct flights and business ties. Bahrain's population is majority Shiite, and the country has been ruled since 1783 by the Sunni Al Khalifa family. Since Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution, Bahrain's rulers have accused Tehran of arming militants and fomenting dissent on the island, something Iran denies. Normalization with Israel remains a contentious issue for Bahrain's Shiite majority, which long has accused the country's Sunni Muslim rulers of treating them like second-class citizens.

Israel Trains to 'Attack Iran' Under US Supervision
Tel Aviv - Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 3 February, 2022
The Israel Air Force held exercises to simulate an attack on Iran, under the supervision of a US officer, Israel’s official broadcasting corporation (Kan 11) reported. Quoting unnamed sources, the corporation said the drills took place over the Mediterranean. It covered various scenarios such as mid-air refueling, long-range strikes, and different responses to anti-aircraft missiles. The Israeli channel pointed to the start of the Israeli exercises, noting that the participation of a US officer was a “precedent.” It also stated that these maneuvers simulated an attack on “long-range” targets, including in Iran.
According to Kan 11, dozens of aircraft participated in the exercises, which it linked it to the launch of the final stages of talks on the Iranian nuclear program between Tehran and the major powers in Vienna. It added that Israel was currently focusing on the defensive deployment on its northern front, in anticipation of any military option against Iran, in reference to the Lebanese Hezbollah, which is loyal to Tehran. The report came in parallel to statements by Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, in which he said his country would “continue action against Tehran, regardless of the results of the talks aimed at reviving the agreement on its nuclear program in Vienna.” He did not hesitate to express his hope that the talks “end without an agreement.”“In both cases, our campaign (against Iran) continues,” Bennett told the 15th annual international conference of the Israeli Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) in Tel Aviv. “The Iranians will remain Iranians.”He stressed that the plan to weaken Tehran had begun and was being implemented “in all its nuclear, economic and cyber” dimensions, in addition to “covert and overt operations.”Meanwhile, an Iranian hacking group has intensified its cyber-attacks against Israeli companies and personalities. Political sources in Tel Aviv told the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper that unlike normal ransomware attacks, the Iranian hackers were now operating out of geopolitical motives with the aim of harming Israel’s interests. They added that the website of the group mentioned a wide number of Israeli companies and organizations that the hackers claim to have attacked, including Unit 8200 (a unit in the Israeli intelligence responsible for electronic espionage) and Rafael (for defense industries).

FBI Confirms it Bought Spyware from Israel's NSO Group
Associated Press/Thursday, 3 February, 2022
The FBI has confirmed purchasing NSO Group's powerful spyware tool Pegasus, whose chronic abuse to surveil journalists, dissidents and human rights activists has long been established. It suggested its motivation was to "stay abreast of emerging technologies and tradecraft."
The agency added in a statement that it obtained a limited license from the Israeli firm "for product testing and evaluation only," never using it operationally or to support any investigation. But critics wondered why the premier U.S. law enforcement agency would need to pay for access to a notorious surveillance tool that has been extensively researched by public interest cyber sleuths if its interest was so limited. "Spending millions of dollars to line the pockets of a company that is widely known to serially facilitate widespread human rights abuses, possible criminal acts, and operations that threaten the U.S.'s own national security is definitely troubling," said Ron Deibert, director of Citizen Lab, the University of Toronto internet watchdog that has exposed dozens of Pegasus hacks since 2016. "At the very least, this seems like a terribly counterproductive, irresponsible, and ill-conceived way" to keep abreast of surveillance tech, he added. An FBI spokesperson did not say what the agency paid NSO Group or when, but The New York Times reported last week that it obtained a one-year license for $5 million, testing it in 2019. On Wednesday, The Guardian quoted a source familiar with the deal as saying the FBI paid $4 million to renew the license but never used the spyware, which infiltrates a target's smart phone, granting access to all its communications and location data and converting it into a remote eavesdropping device. In November, the U.S. Commerce Department blacklisted NSO Group, barring it from access to U.S. technology. Apple subsequently sued the company, calling it "amoral 21st century mercenaries."
NSO Group has said Pegasus is programmed not to target phones with the +1 U.S. country code, but American citizens living abroad have been among its victims. Deibert, of Citizen Lab, called for a congressional investigation. Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon said in a statement that the U.S. public deserves greater transparency from its government about any "relationships with NSO and other cyber-mercenaries" and should know if its government "believes the use of these tools against Americans is legal." People hacked with Pegasus have included Uganda-based U.S. diplomats, Mexican and Saudi journalists, leading members of Poland's opposition, the ex-wife of Dubai's ruler and her British lawyers, Palestinian human rights activists and Finnish diplomats. NSO does not identify its clients but says it sells its products only to state security agencies upon approval of Israel's Defense Ministry. It says the products are intended to be used against criminals and terrorists. The key parts of the FBI statement issued Wednesday, initially in response to a request from the Guardian: "The FBI works diligently to stay abreast of emerging technologies and tradecraft — not just to explore a potential legal use but also to combat crime and to protect both the American people and our civil liberties. That means we routinely identify, evaluate, and test technical solutions and services for a variety of reasons, including possible operational and security concerns they might pose in the wrong hands."The FBI procured a limited license for product testing and evaluation only, there was no operational use in support of any investigation. Since our testing and evaluation is complete, and we chose not to proceed with use of the software, the license is no longer active. Accordingly, the software is no longer functional."

NATO Chief Wary of Russian Troop Buildup in Belarus
Associated Press/Thursday, 3 February, 2022
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg expressed concern Thursday that Russia is continuing its military buildup around Ukraine, and that it has now deployed more troops and military equipment to Belarus that at any time in the last 30 years. Russia now has more than 100,000 troops stationed near Ukraine's northern and eastern borders, raising concern that Moscow might invade again, as it did in 2014, and destabilize the Ukrainian economy. Russian officials deny that an invasion is planned. "Over the last days, we have seen a significant movement of Russian military forces into Belarus. This is the biggest Russian deployment there since the Cold War," Stoltenberg told reporters at NATO headquarters in Brussels. He said that Russian troop numbers in Belarus are likely to climb to 30,000, with the backing of special forces, high-end fighter jets, Iskander short-range ballistic missiles, and S-400 ground-to-air missile defense systems. "So, we speak about a wide range of modern military capabilities. All this will be combined with Russia's annual nuclear forces exercise, expected to take place this month," Stoltenberg said. He called on Russia to "de-escalate," and repeated warnings from the West that "any further Russian aggression would have severe consequences and carry a heavy price."NATO has no intention of deploying troops to Ukraine should Russia invade, but it has begun to reinforce the defenses of nearby member countries — notably Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland. The 30-nation military alliance also plans to beef up its defenses in the Black Sea region near Bulgaria and Romania.

Erdogan Visits Ukraine Hoping to Play Mediator with Russia
Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 3 February, 2022
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan is set to visit his counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky in Ukraine on Thursday after pitching Turkey as a mediator to ease tensions with Russia, and an official said he was not picking any sides in the crisis. The Turkish official told Reuters that Ankara expects tensions to ease after the meeting in Kyiv. On Wednesday, Ankara and Kyiv said they would sign a free trade agreement and other deals. Russia has denied any plans of invading Ukraine amid concern by many Western nations over its build up of more than 100,000 troops near the border, but has demanded sweeping security guarantees from the West. Erdogan's trip comes after visits by leaders of NATO members Britain, Poland, and the Netherlands to Kyiv amid the standoff. Turkey has good ties with Kyiv and Moscow but has said it would do what is necessary as a NATO member if Russia invades.
Ankara offered in November to help ease building tensions, and last month Turkish diplomatic sources said both Russia and Ukraine were open to the idea. A separate Turkish official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Erdogan will call on both sides to exercise restraint, and added Ankara wanted to continue its cooperation with both of the "very important" countries. Turkey's "approach is not picking one side or standing against one country in the tensions," the official said. "With Erdogan's initiative and with some of the messages he will convey, we expect tensions to ease."Turkey shares the Black Sea with Ukraine and Russia. Erdogan has said conflict would be unacceptable in the region and warned Russia that an invasion would be unwise. While forging cooperation with Russia on defense and energy, Turkey has opposed Moscow's policies in Syria and Libya, as well as its annexation of the Crimean peninsula in 2014. It has also sold sophisticated drones to Ukraine and inked a deal to produce more near Kyiv, angering Russia. Ukraine's prime minister said on Wednesday that Ukraine and Turkey would sign a dozen agreements including a free trade deal during the talks in Kyiv.

Kremlin Urges US to ‘Stop Escalating Tensions’ over Ukraine
Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 3 February, 2022
The Kremlin on Thursday urged the United States to stop inflaming tensions after Washington sent several thousand troops to bolster NATO forces in eastern Europe amid the Ukraine crisis. “We are constantly urging our American partners to stop escalating tensions on the European continent,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, AFP reported. “Unfortunately, Americans are continuing to do it,” he said, adding that the most recent deployment of US troops to bolster NATO forces in Europe only worsened tensions. With Russia refusing to pull back 100,000 troops poised on Ukraine’s borders, 1,000 US soldiers in Germany are being sent to Romania, and another 2,000 stationed in the United States are being flown to Germany and Poland. “Obviously, these are not the steps aimed at de-escalating tensions, on the contrary, these are actions that lead to an increase in tensions,” Peskov said. Therefore, he added, Russia’s concerns over NATO’s eastward expansion and US troop deployment are “absolutely clear, absolutely justified.”“Any measures taken by Russia to ensure its own security and interests are also within reason,” the Kremlin spokesman added. Western powers have been engaged in intense diplomatic efforts -- coupled with the threat of sanctions against President Vladimir Putin’s inner circle -- to deter what they fear to be a looming invasion of Ukraine, despite strenuous denials from Moscow.

Putin Heads to China to Bolster Ties amid Ukraine Tensions
Associated Press/Thursday, 3 February, 2022
American and European officials may be staying away from the Beijing Winter Olympics because of human rights concerns, but Russian President Vladimir Putin will be on hand even as tensions soar over his buildup of troops along his country's border with Ukraine.
Putin's talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday will mark their first in-person meeting since 2019 and are intended to help strengthen Moscow's ties with China and coordinate their policies in the face of Western pressure. After, the two will attend the Games' opening ceremony.
In an article published Thursday by the Chinese news agency Xinhua, Putin wrote that Moscow and Beijing play an "important stabilizing role" in global affairs and help make international affairs "more equitable and inclusive."The Russian president criticized "attempts by some countries to politicize sports to the benefit of their ambitions," an apparent reference to a diplomatic boycott of the Olympics by the U.S. and some of its allies. Many Western officials are skipping the Beijing Games in protest of China's detention of more than 1 million Uyghur Muslims in the northwestern region of Xinjiang. But leaders of the ex-Soviet Central Asian nations, which have close ties with both Russia and China, all followed Putin's lead and attending. In an interview with China Media Group also released Thursday, Putin emphasized that "we oppose the attempts to politicize sport or use it as a tool of coercion, unfair competition and discrimination."Putin's meeting with Xi and attendance at the opening ceremony "announces the further promotion of the China-Russia relationship," said Li Xin, director of the Institute of European and Asian Studies at Shanghai's University of Political Science and Law. China and Russia have increasingly found common cause over what they believe is a U.S. disregard for their territorial and security concerns, Li said. Both their governments have also taken to mocking the U.S. over its domestic travails, from last year's Capitol riot to its struggle to control COVID-19. "The U.S. and the Western countries, on the one hand, are exerting pressure against Russia over the issue of Ukraine, and on the other hand, are exerting pressure against China over the issue of Taiwan," Li said, referring to the self-governing island democracy and U.S. ally that China claims as its own territory. "Such acts of extreme pressure by the West will only force China and Russia to further strengthen cooperation."
Yuri Ushakov, Putin's foreign affairs adviser, said that Putin's visit would mark a new stage in the Russia-Chinа partnership that he described as a "key factor contributing to a sustainable global development and helping counter destructive activities by certain countries."He said that Moscow and Beijing plan to issue a joint statement on international relations that will reflect their shared views on global security and other issues, and officials from the two countries are set to sign more than a dozen of agreements on trade, energy and other issues. Ushakov noted that Moscow and Beijing have close or identical stands on most international issues. He particularly emphasized that China backs Russia in the current standoff over Ukraine. "Beijing supports Russia's demands for security guarantees and shares a view that security of one state can't be ensured by breaching other county's security," Ushakov said in a conference call with reporters. A buildup of more than 100,000 Russian troops near Ukraine has fueled Western fears that Moscow is poised to invade its neighbor. Russia has denied planning an offensive but urged the U.S. and its allies to provide a binding pledge that NATO won't expand to Ukraine and other ex-Soviet nations or deploy weapons there and roll back its forces from Eastern Europe — the demands firmly rejected by the West.
Some observers suggested that Beijing is closely watching how the U.S. and its allies act in the standoff over Ukraine as it ponders further strategy on Taiwan, arguing that indecision by Washington could encourage China to grow more assertive. Putin on Tuesday accused the U.S. and its allies of stonewalling Russia's security demands but held the door open for more talks. He argued that NATO's expansion eastward and a potential offer of membership to Ukraine undermine Russia's security and violate international agreements endorsing "the indivisibility of security," a principle meaning that the security of one nation shouldn't be strengthened at the expense of others. The Russian leader has warned that if the West refuses to heed Russian demands, he could order unspecified "military-technical moves." Other than a full-fledged invasion in Ukraine that the West fears, Putin could ponder other escalatory options, including beefing up already extensive military ties with China. Russia and China have held a series of joint war games, including naval drills and patrols by long-range bombers over the Sea of Japan and the East China Sea. In August, Russian troops for the first time deployed to Chinese territory for joint maneuvers.
Even though Moscow and Beijing in the past rejected the possibility of forging a military alliance, Putin has said that such a prospect can't be ruled out. He also has noted that Russia has been sharing highly sensitive military technologies with China that helped significantly bolster its defense capability.

Opposition Says Iran Created Mercenary Naval Unit For Attacks
Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 3 February, 2022
Iran has created a new naval militia made up of mercenaries from around the region to attack enemies in its neighborhood and particularly off Yemen, the exiled opposition alleged on Wednesday. The National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) said the unit had been created as part of the Quds Force, the arm of the Revolutionary Guards responsible for extra-territorial operations. "The Quds Force has been recruiting mercenaries for newly created, armed and trained terrorist units to attack ships and maritime targets in the region," it said in a report based on information received from Iran. The NCRI, which is outlawed in Iran and is the political wing of the People's Mujahedin, said the mercenaries were being hired from Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and Africa. The fighters are brought to Iran for training and then sent back to their home countries to conduct the operations, it said. "The strategy affords the politically weakened and vulnerable Iranian regime a veneer of plausible deniability for its proxy war in the region, as it seeks to augment the export of terrorism on which it depends," the group added. It said the primary location for naval commando training is at a naval academy in Ziba Kenar on the Caspian Sea in Gilan Province. The militia troops are then organized in naval commando battalions, which are deployed in the Arabian Sea, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait between Yemen and the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea. The aim is to "disrupt maritime navigation of commercial ships, to attack ports, conduct ship hijackings and plant mines".
It detailed examples where such operations had already been carried out including suicide and bomb attacks using small boats off Yemen's Red Sea port of Hodeidah. Tensions have soared in recent days after Houthis launched missile attacks on targets in the United Arab Emirates, prompting the United States to step up its military presence. "No rockets are fired, no attacks on ships take place, and no suicide speed boats target the shores, unless the order has come from Tehran," said Soona Samsami, the NCRI's representative in the US. Pierre Razoux, academic director of France's Mediterranean Foundation of Strategic Studies think-tank, said the Quds Force had always had the mission of training proxies to carry out asymmetric warfare. "What is without doubt somewhat new is that now it's done through naval actions. But they will not go far with 200 Yemeni mercenaries," he told AFP. "The timing (of the allegations) is certainly aimed at trying to bring down the nuclear negotiations by putting pressure on the Americans."

US approves potential weapons sales to Saudi Arabia, UAE, Jordan
Reuters/04 February ,2022
The US State Department has approved several potential weapons sales to Mideast allies including Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Pentagon said on Thursday. The approvals included the possible sale of F-16 fighter jets and related equipment to Jordan at an estimated cost of $4.21 billion, the Pentagon's Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in a statement. There have been increased rocket and drone attacks on the United Arab Emirates in recent weeks.The State Department approved Jordan's request for 12 F-16 C Block 70 fighter jets, radios targeting pods and associated munitions components including guided missile tail kits. The prime contractor for the jets is Lockheed Martin Corp. Saudi Arabia was okayed to buy 31 Multifunctional Information Distribution System-Low Volume Terminals (MIDS-LVT) for as much as $23.7 million to upgrade its missile defense systems. The proposed MIDS-LVT terminals will be installed on the Kingdom's Terminal High Altitude Air Defense (THAAD) platforms, while the previously provided MIDS-LVT (BU1) terminals were installed on its PATRIOT missile defense system, the Pentagon said.
The United Arab Emirates was approved to buy $30 million worth of spare and repair parts for its Homing All the Way Killer (HAWK) missile defense systems. The Pentagon's Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress of the possible sale on Thursday. Despite approval by the State Department, the notifications do not indicate that contracts have been signed or that negotiations have concluded.

The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on February 03-04/2022
Is the Future of the Persian Gulf Chinese?
Saeed Ghasseminejad/The National Interest/February 03/2022
American proponents of abandoning the Persian Gulf often cite the need to pivot to Asia. However, Washington’s regional retreat may achieve the exact opposite of U.S. objectives, ultimately emboldening and empowering China.
In early January, the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, and the Islamic Republic of Iran traveled to China in the span of a week to strengthen their ties with the Chinese Communist Party. China, the emerging global superpower, has become the number one trading partner for these nations, thereby deepening Beijing’s political influence in the Middle East.
Over the last decade, on average, China imported half of its oil from the region. In 2020, China imported $82.6 billion of oil from Persian Gulf countries. Unlike Western democracies, China is in no rush to divest from fossil fuels. As the demand for Persian Gulf oil fades in the West, Chinese imports play an even more critical role in the region’s economic life.
According to the World Bank, in 2000, trade between Saudi Arabia and the United States was $20.6 billion. Twenty years later, in 2020, it was $20.1 billion. By contrast, the trade between China and Saudi Arabia grew from $3.1 billion in 2000 to $67.1 billion in 2020.
The contrast becomes more evident in light of the disparities among American, Chinese, and Saudi Arabian imports and exports. U.S. exports to Saudi Arabia rose from $6.2 billion in 2000 to $11.1 billion in 2020, while its imports dropped from $14.4 billion in 2000 to $9 billion in 2020. China’s exports to and imports from Saudi Arabia have risen from under $2 billion each in 2000 to $28 billion in exports and $39 billion in imports in 2020.
The picture is clear: Chinese and Persian Gulf economies are becoming more integrated, while regional and U.S. economic interests are on diverging paths.
For decades, the United States backed the Arab monarchies in exchange for a stable flow of oil to Western democracies. Today, the United States is the largest oil producer, and Western democracies are planning to reduce their fossil fuel consumption. That old deal has lost its rationale.
China has exploited these developments to augment its own power. China now has a twenty-five-year cooperation pact with the Islamic Republic of Iran and is helping Saudi Arabia not just with its ambitious economic plans but also in developing its nascent nuclear program.
Additionally, the countries in the Persian Gulf may find China a better patron. The absolute monarchies, autocracies, theocracies, and enlightened despots of the region may find a kindred spirit in China and its communist party. At least for now, China does not lecture them on how to treat their citizens as long as they do not lecture China on how it treats its citizens, including the Muslim Uyghurs.
Compared to the United States, China’s autocratic political system allows it a more consistent foreign policy. The Biden administration has paused, if not reversed, the Trump administration’s “maximum pressure” campaign against Tehran, removed the Houthis from the U.S. terrorism list, and increased pressure on Riyadh to end the war in Yemen. As a result, U.S. allies who strongly oppose these actions are diversifying their patrons—especially with China.
China wants to secure the flow of oil from the region. It seeks intelligence and political cooperation in the Middle East to provide a cover for Beijing’s persecution of Muslim minorities. And it aims to cultivate allies in its quest for global preeminence.
If the United States decides to keep retrenching in the Middle East, China will likely fill the gap. The region offers unrivaled energy resources and rising Chinese power there would grant Beijing more potential leverage over its rivals.
American proponents of abandoning the Persian Gulf often cite the need to pivot to Asia. However, Washington’s retreat from the region may achieve the exact opposite of U.S. objectives, ultimately emboldening and empowering China.
*Saeed Ghasseminejad is a senior advisor on Iran and financial economics at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), Follow Saeed on Twitter @SGhasseminejad. FDD is a Washington, DC-based, non-partisan research institute focusing on national security and foreign policy.

Solid-Propellant Motor Test Proves Iran’s Continuing Missile Advancement
Behnam Ben Taleblu/The National Interest/February 03/2022
Less than a decade ago, the Islamic Republic went to great lengths to downplay that it was seeking such longer-range strike capabilities. But steady technical advancements have made the regime somewhat more brazen.
One might be forgiven for missing a statement this January by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Aerospace Force (IRGC-AF) commander Amir-Ali Hajizadeh heralding the successful test of a solid-propellant motor for a carrier rocket. After all, amid renewed attacks by Iran-backed Shiite militias in Iraq and Syria against U.S. positions, missile attacks by Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen against an American base in the United Arab Emirates, and marathon nuclear diplomacy in Vienna, technical news related to a new rocket motor might sound, at best, tangential to the current slate of security challenges related to the Islamic Republic.
Such a view would be misguided, however. Iran’s steady advancement in the field of solid-propellant now includes solid-propellant motors for space/satellite-launch vehicles (SLVs), accentuating the overall threat posed by the Islamic Republic. They are also an important indicator of Tehran’s evolving missile prowess and continuing interest in developing longer-range strike capabilities.
Initially misreported as the launch of an SLV, the latest revelation is proof that Iran’s new ultra-hardline president, Ebrahim Raisi, and his administration are kicking the country’s space program into high gear as promised. This likely means greater government and industry support to Iran’s space program and more frequent SLV tests, something Raisi believes generates “power and pride” and promotes deterrence. It also means that the technical advancements in the service of these tests will contribute to Iranian missile power.
Indeed, despite their differing approaches to Iran policy, both the Trump and Biden administrations have criticized Tehran’s space program and SLV launches due to the overlap in technologies that SLVs and intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) inherently share. European powers have not been far behind in expressing similar concerns about Iranian SLVs. According to the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency, “Iran’s development of larger, more-capable SLV boosters remains a concern for a future ICBM capability.” And as expressed by the State Department, “Iran’s civilian space launch vehicle program allows it to gain experience with various technologies necessary for development of an ICBM – including staging, ignition of upper-stage engines, and control of a multiple-stage missile throughout flight.”
India remains a prime example of a nation that was able to leverage its space program and foreign assistance to work towards an ICBM capability. Previous U.S. assessments about an ICBM capability in Iran were predicated on the assumption or possibility of foreign assistance. Such assessments must now take leaps in domestic production capacity into greater account.
The newly tested motor produced by Iran’s IRGC is dubbed the Raafe. Some outlets have estimated that the Raafe weighs 12.5 tons, is 9 meters long, and 1.25 meters in diameter. This diameter size is the same as many of Iran’s medium-range ballistic missiles, like the Shahab-3 and its variants, the Ghadr and the Emad. The Shahab-3 engine, which is originally of North Korean origin, forms the basis for the first stage of Iran’s liquid-propellant SLVs like the Safir and Simorgh. The Simorgh was most recently launched in December 2021 and reportedly failed to put a satellite into orbit.
According to Hajizadeh, the Raafe was designed to power the first stage of an SLV and can allegedly generate up to 68 tons of thrust. Previously, Iran unveiled a smaller second-stage solid-propellant motor in 2020 called the Salman, which was used in combination with a liquid-propellant first-stage engine and a solid-propellant third-stage motor in the Qased SLV and was tested by the IRGC in April 2020. In January 2021, Iran reported it had tested another SLV featuring an unknown/unnamed solid-propellant motor in its Zuljanah SLV.
Despite their difference in size, the Salman and the Raafe share several critical similarities. First, both are developed by Iran’s IRGC rather than the “civilian” face of Iran’s space program, which is supported by sanctioned entities like the Iranian Space Agency, the Ministry of Defense, and its subsidiary, the Aerospace Industries Organization. This in turn affirms the theory of parallel space programs in Iran. Second, both the Raafe and Salman are produced using non-metallic composite motor casings which, although more challenging and costly to produce, result in an overall lighter rocket that can lift heavier payloads. Third, both motors employ thrust vectoring through flexible nozzles that can move mid-flight. A rocket controlled by thrust vectoring is ideal for a larger long-range strike weapon like an ICBM.
Fourth and most importantly, both the Salman and Raafe are solid-propellant motors which is overall more preferable for a military weapon. While missiles using liquid-propellant can be throttled to regulate the flow of fuel to the engine and improve steering, missiles featuring solid-propellant motors can be fueled and stored in advance of when they need to be moved and used. Solid-propellant systems are therefore more road-mobile and require considerably less preparation than their liquid-propellant counterparts prior to launch, making them less predisposed to detection and destruction by an adversary.
Iran has spent the past two decades making significant gains in the realm of solid-propellant ballistic missiles to include domestic motor production and testing, as well as propellant production. In this time, Iran has also developed and upgraded an entire class of single-stage, solid-propellant short-range ballistic missiles originating from the Fateh family. These variants include, but are not limited to, the Zulfiqar, which Iran employed in military operations against the Islamic State in Syria in 2017 and 2018; the Fateh-110B, which Iran used against Kurdish dissidents in Iraq in 2018; and the Fateh-313, which Iran employed alongside another missile against bases in Iraq housing American troops in 2020. Having proved their battlefield worth and demonstrating Iran’s embrace of solid-propellant systems, Hajizadeh elsewhere claimed that Iran is phasing out its older Scud-based Shahab platforms for the solid-propellant Zulfiqar.
A larger solid-propellant motor further bolsters Iran’s long-range strike ambitions by enabling the element of surprise. Iranian hardline media outlets heralded the Raafe as allowing the Islamic Republic to better catch its adversaries off-guard by requiring less preparation time before launch. Recall that when the IRGC first tested the Qased, it did so as a surprise launch and using a mobile launcher rather than a fixed launchpad. This was a significant source of concern for analysts who otherwise “disconnected the dots” between Iran’s SLV and missile programs. Traditionally, analysts have been able to use satellite imagery to see Iran preparing for the launch of its liquid-propellant SLVs days in advance.
Alluding to past motor developments when announcing the Raafe, Hajizadeh claimed that Iran could combine its efforts in this area to develop a full solid-propellant SLV and even test it next year. Such a development would mark a critical juncture in Iran’s SLV program and offer the regime the clearest path to date towards an ICBM capability that could one day target all of Europe or even the American homeland.
Working to prevent such a scenario might appear needless for those who believe Iranian officials when they claim Tehran is limited to a 2,000-kilometer range ban on its missiles per an order from the supreme leader. But a key lesson of the past four decades of Iran policy has been that taking the Islamic Republic’s word about its intentions is no way to deal with or thwart its evolving capabilities, be they missile, military, or nuclear. Others, particularly in the field of arms control and nonproliferation, understand the folly of merely trusting Iran to abide by this prohibition, and instead seek to enshrine this limit into a resurrected nuclear agreement or in a prospective missile deal with Iran. Such an agreement, however, would not be worth the paper it’s written on. Not only would trading away sanctions for this ban cement Iran’s existing ballistic missile arsenal—the biggest in the Middle East—but it would ignore how Iranian officials have caveated the ban over time. In 2018, for example, Hajizadeh claimed that Iran did not lack the capability to produce missiles over 2,000 kilometers, and that the limit was not set in stone. This was again reinforced by another IRGC commander in 2019.
What’s more, according to Hajizadeh’s deputy, the purported founder of Tehran’s ballistic missile program spent years before his death working with the IRGC on the country’s space program and solid-propellants to make sure Iran would not forsake range even as it appeared to conform to the 2,000-kilometer limit. Put differently, the space program is how Tehran is working to increase the range of its missiles.
Less than a decade ago, the Islamic Republic went to great lengths to downplay that it was seeking such longer-range strike capabilities. But steady technical advancements in the missile space, as well as impressions about the lack of American resolve and the strength of Iran’s military deterrence appear to have made the regime somewhat more brazen. In fact, just in the past two years Iranian officials and Iranian media have publicly flirted with references to a potential ICBM option. Most damningly, an ultra-hardline Iranian newspaper used the successful Raafe motor test to run a headline touting, “5,000 kilometer missiles are more within reach than ever.”

Canada must hold Iran accountable for downing of Ukrainian airliner
Tzvi Kahn/The Hill Times/February 03/2022
It is now clear that if Ottawa and its partners wish to achieve justice for the victims, they must impose harsher penalties on Iran.
Canada has had enough. The same goes for Sweden, Britain, and Ukraine. The four countries recently announced that they would no longer negotiate for reparations from Iran for its downing of a Ukrainian airliner two years ago.
Tehran, they noted, “is now categorically rejecting any further negotiations.” Additional attempts at dialogue, they argued, are “futile.” As a result, they asserted in a joint statement, they will impose unspecified remedies pursuant to international law.
The decision by the four-member coalition, which calls itself the International Co-ordination and Response Group, is common sense. The clerical regime, after all, not only continues to spurn meaningful dialogue. It dismisses compelling evidence that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)—the paramilitary force tasked with advancing Iran’s Islamist ideology—shot down the plane intentionally.
It is now clear that if Ottawa and its partners wish to achieve justice for the victims, they must impose harsher penalties on Iran. To date, however, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has tried to avoid antagonizing the Islamic Republic, limiting himself to tough rhetoric while abjuring tough policies. The actions he now takes—or fails to take—in response to Tehran’s rejection of negotiations will mark a key test of his resolve.
On Jan. 8, 2020, two Tor-M1 surface-to-air missiles struck Ukraine International Airlines flight PS752 minutes after it departed Tehran’s international airport, killing all 176 people on board, including 85 Canadian citizens and permanent residents, as well as dozens of Brits, Swedes, Ukrainians, and other nationals. Iran’s civil aviation authority subsequently blamed the tragedy on “human error,” maintaining that the plane “was misidentified as a hostile target by an air defence unit.”
But Tehran’s narrative lacks credibility. In fact, in a November 2021 report, the Association of Families of Flight PS752 Victims noted that Tehran’s “intentional act of keeping Iranian airspace open, the technical capabilities of the Tor-M1 surface-to-air missile system and Iran’s integrated air defence network in detecting hostile targets, the positioning of the Tor-M1 system near Tehran’s international airport, the systematic concealment of the root cause of the crash, the destruction of existing evidence, and Iran’s misleading reports, all indicate that the downing of Ukraine International Airlines flight 752 was deliberate.”
Ukraine has validated this allegation. “What happened on Jan. 8, 2020, was a terrorist act committed against a civilian aircraft,” Oleksiy Danilov, Ukraine’s National Defense and Security Council secretary, said earlier this year.
Canada’s justice system has made a similar determination. In May 2021, Ontario judge Edward Belobaba ruled that the shootdown was “intentional” and “an act of terrorism.” Last month, he awarded $107-million, plus interest, to the families of six victims. Unfortunately, Canada will likely prove unable to seize significant quantities of Iranian assets, since most reside in overseas accounts.
The burden now falls on the shoulders of the Trudeau government. Admittedly, the prime minister’s ability to change Iranian behaviour remains limited. Still, Canada can wage a diplomatic campaign that would increase Iran’s international isolation and further delegitimize the Islamist regime.
In its November report, the Association of Families of Flight PS752 Victims provides important recommendations that would help achieve these goals. For instance, the publication urges Canada to refer Iran to the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the UN agency that sets global aviation standards. ICAO manages the implementation of the 1944 Convention on International Civil Aviation, also known as the Chicago Convention, which prohibits attacks on civilian aircraft. If an airline fails to comply with a Council decision, the convention requires other countries to bar the offending nation from using their airspace. Likewise, the offender would lose ICAO voting rights.
The report also calls upon the RCMP to launch a criminal investigation of the shootdown. For reasons that remain unclear, the RCMP—despite pleas by families of the victims—has not accepted an offer by Ukraine, the only country conducting a criminal probe of the shootdown, to participate in a joint inquiry. Instead, the RCMP has merely assisted Ukraine’s efforts, devoting more than 120 RCMP personnel to conduct interviews, among other steps.
But families of the victims have criticized the pace and transparency of the RCMP’s collaboration. Hamed Esmaeilion, a spokesperson for the association who lost his wife and nine-year-old daughter on flight PS752, said Ukrainian officials told him that “co-operation has not been great.” In fact, Esmaeilion said, the RCMP has yet to send Ukraine information about an interview with him from one year ago.
The RCMP must ramp up its efforts. Moreover, Ottawa should take action against the individuals and institutions liable for the shootdown of PS752. For example, Canada should designate the IRGC as a terrorist organization. It should impose global Magnitsky sanctions on the IRGC members who conducted or oversaw the downing. And it should seek the submission of the case to the International Criminal Court.
By taking these steps, Trudeau can demonstrate that his denunciations of Tehran constitute more than merely rhetoric. Iran must pay, one way or another.
*Tzvi Kahn is a research fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a Washington, D.C.-based, non-partisan research institute focusing on national security and foreign policy. Follow him on Twitter @TzviKahn.

Not All Americans Want to Help Ukraine
Robert Ford/Asharq Al Awsat/February 03/2022
Thirty-one years after the liberation of Kuwait, many people still think America undertook that operation because of oil. Richard Haas who was the top Middle East official at the White House in his memoirs recalled that President Bush the father threw Iraqi forces out of Kuwait not because of oil. After the collapse of the Soviet Union Bush wanted a new international order that would stop aggression against smaller nations.
Now in February 2022 the predominant view in Washington about the reason to help Ukraine is the same as what Bush the father was saying about Kuwait. There is rare unity among Democratic and Republican leaders in Washington. America should help defend Ukraine’s territorial sovereignty said Republican Senator Rob Portman because Ukrainians want to be free.
Senator James Risch, the Republican leader on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said American always stands by countries that are democracies. Ignoring the historical contradictions in such words, a Senate delegation visited Ukraine in the middle of January in order to deter Russian President Putin from invading and also to pressure President Biden to adopt strong sanctions before Russia invades.
Democratic Senator Robert Menendez, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and his Republican party colleague Risch told CNN last Sunday that they expect to pass legislation this week that implements strong sanctions on Russia immediately. Russia hasn’t attacked Kyiv yet. What is their justification? They pointed to Russian cyber-attacks against Ukraine. And they warned that if Putin invades Ukraine, Washington would impose sanctions that would cripple the Russian economy. Risch even told American viewers that gasoline prices would rise because there would be no Russia oil in world markets. The senators did not explain why Putin would choose not to invade Ukraine if he faces new sanctions regardless of an invasion. Anti-Russian positions are popular in Washington now.
Washington is not America, however. A January 26 report from the Pew Research organization stated that a recent opinion survey showed only 26 percent of Americans think the Russian mobilization near Ukraine is a major threat to the United States; and 33 percent think it is a minor threat only. It was also notable that the report said that 41 percent of Americans think Russia is an enemy of the United States but 49 percent think it is a competitor, not an enemy. And remember that Americans will pay an economic price to defend Ukraine, but the vast majority cannot find Russia or Ukraine on a google map.
American leaders are trying to define America’s role in the world as we move towards the middle part of the 21st century. One side still argues for America to dominate everywhere in the name of freedom. In response, Republican Senator Rand Paul warns that the traditional Washington elite are pushing America into a war in Ukraine, as they did with Iraq in 2003. Paul’s language resembles Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign speeches. Other analysts, from a realist school of foreign policy, warn that America is no longer the only superpower and in view of the competition with China and the threat from Iran, Washington finds a compromise deal with Russia that accepts Ukraine will never join NATO. Along these lines, the influential commentator Tucker Carlson with Fox News, stresses that China is the big threat to American interests, not Russia.
We can easily see with Tucker Carlson and Rand Paul and others on one side, and James Risch and Robert Portman on the other that the issue of foreign intervention in countries like Ukraine is causing a division in the Republican Party. The party’s right wing asks why Republican leaders worry about Ukraine while they do not solve the issue of large immigration across America’s southern border. They reflect the December 2021 opinion survey from the YouGov-Charles Koch Institute that reported that 70 percent of Democrats and 76 percent of Republicans want Washington to focus on domestic issues, not foreign policy. A big part of this division comes from Donald Trump and his supporters who reject the traditional American foreign policy and foreign interventions.
Many Americans, both right-wing Republicans and left-wing Democrats whose focus is on America’s poor and middle class, will be angry if gasoline prices increase a lot. If intervention in Ukraine limits attention and funding in Washington for domestic problems, they will quickly criticize the Ukrainian intervention. The political arguments will grow sharper as the November congress elections approach. And as with Afghanistan and Iraq, most Americans know nothing about Ukraine. Bush the father lost the 1992 election despite liberating Kuwait because of domestic economic problems. Washington leaders risk the same with rising prices and interest rates. I won’t believe Americans are truly committed to Ukraine until they can find it on a map.

كون كوكلن/معهد كايتستون: على بايدن أن يخجل من طريقة معاملته لدولة الإمارات العربية
Biden Should Be Ashamed of His Treatment of the UAE
Con Coughlin/Gatestone Institute./February 03/2022
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/106055/106055/
"After the terrorist designation was lifted, it is clear the Houthis believed they could resume their terrorist operations because no one was prepared to stop them." — A senior Gulf security official, to the author, January 2022.
Emirati leaders have publicly called on US President Joe Biden to reimpose Washington's terrorist designation against the Houthis, a move Gulf officials say would ultimately disrupt Iranian attempts to supply the rebels with sophisticated weaponry.
In addition, Washington should also pay heed to the Emiratis' request, and that of other oil-rich potential targets in the Gulf, for enhanced defence capabilities to counter the Houthi threat.
At the very least, therefore, the Biden administration should make amends for its ill-conceived decision to lift the terrorist designation against the Houthis, and provide the Emiratis with the sophisticated weaponry they require to defend themselves against the deadly threat posed by the Iranian-backed rebels.
The continuing escalation by Iran and the Houthis is -- as most likely is their intent -- threatening to destabilise the region. If they are not stopped, and quickly, the Biden legacy, along with its catastrophic withdrawal from Afghanistan, will consist of appeasing and emboldening groups that draw on terrorism -- such as the Houthis, the Palestinians and possibly the Taliban -- as well as hostile regimes, including Russia, China and Iran.
Emirati leaders have publicly called on US President Joe Biden to reimpose Washington's terrorist designation against the Houthis, a move Gulf officials say would ultimately disrupt Iranian attempts to supply the rebels with sophisticated weaponry. Washington should also pay heed to the Emiratis' request for enhanced defence capabilities to counter the Houthi threat. The United Arab Emirates' defences currently rely on the US-supplied Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-missile interception system. Pictured: UAE airmen inspect a THAAD battery at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army)
The Biden administration should hang its head in shame over its February 2021 decision to lift the terrorist designation imposed on Yemen's Iranian-backed Houthi rebels, in the wake of the deadly attacks launched last month against the United Arab Emirates (UAE), one of Washington's key allies in the Gulf.
Ever since US President Joe Biden made his controversial decision to lift the Houthis' designation as a terrorist organisation shortly after he took office last year, there has been a marked escalation in the Houthis's terrorist activities.
Gulf security experts say the Houthis have increased their attacks against the Saudi-led coalition, of which the UAE is a key member, since the terrorist designation was lifted. These have included the use of missiles and drones supplied by Iran, which has emerged as the Houthis' main military backer.
"After the terrorist designation was lifted, it is clear the Houthis believed they could resume their terrorist operations because no one was prepared to stop them," a senior Gulf security official explained to me during a recent visit to the region.
In recent weeks, the Houthis have demonstrated their growing military sophistication - which is mainly due to the steady stream of weapons they are receiving from Tehran -- by launching a series of terror attacks against the UAE.
Three people were killed and six injured when the Houthi rebels launched a series of missile and drone attacks last month against several UAE targets, including Abu Dhabi International airport. This was followed by another rocket attack against the UAE, which was foiled after the Houthi missiles were intercepted and destroyed by the UAE defences.
Then, in the most recent terrorist operation, UAE security officials announced on Monday that the Emirates had intercepted a ballistic missile fired by Houthis as the Gulf state hosted Israeli President Isaac Herzog on his first visit to the region since the Emirates signed the Abraham Accords with Israel in 2020.
The dramatic escalation in attacks by the Iranian-backed Houthis, which comes at a time when Iran is supposed to be engaging in diplomatic efforts to revive the 2015 nuclear deal in Vienna, has prompted the UAE and the international community to renew calls for the Biden administration to take a firmer line in dealing with the terrorist movement.
Emirati leaders and others in the Gulf have publicly called on Mr Biden to reimpose Washington's terrorist designation against the Houthis, a move Gulf officials say would ultimately disrupt Iranian attempts to supply the rebels with sophisticated weaponry.
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 militia in Yemen, according to the US Justice Department.
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.
The recent upsurge in Houthi attacks against UAE targets has prompted the Emirati embassy in the US as well as Arab and Muslim countries in the region to call on the Biden administration and Congress to support the re-designation of the Houthi militia as a foreign terrorist organisation.
In addition, the UAE's influential ambassador to the US, Yousef Al-Otaiba, has called on the Biden administration to provide his country with enhanced military support to deal with the mounting threat posed by the Houthis, as have others who are apparently anxious about the Middle East soon becoming destabilized. In a Wall Street Journal opinion piece written together with Lana Nusseibeh, the UAE's permanent representative to the UN, Mr al-Otaiba called on the US to provide the UAE with better anti-missile and anti-drone capabilities to protect the Gulf state from further attacks by the Iran-backed Houthis.
The upsurge in Houthi violence against the UAE is certainly extremely embarrassing for the Biden administration, which took the decision to lift the terrorist designation against the Houthis in the hope that it would persuade them to drop their terrorist activities. Mr Biden also hoped removing the terrorist designation would be seen as a gesture of goodwill by Iran, the movement's primary backer, and persuade Tehran to adopt a more constructive approach to the nuclear talks in Vienna.
Instead, the opposite has been the case, with Gulf security officials identifying an instant increase in Houthi terrorist activity the moment the terrorist designation was lifted last year. In addition, Iran has shown little interest in reaching a deal on its nuclear programme at the talks currently taking place in Vienna, to the extent that US officials are publicly warning that the negotiations are set to end in failure if a breakthrough is not forthcoming in the next few weeks.
In such circumstances, it is therefore vital that the Biden administration acknowledge that it has made a fundamental error by lifting the terrorist designation against the Houthis, and take immediate action to place the movement back on the list of designated terrorist organisations.
In addition, Washington should also pay heed to the Emiratis' request, and that of other oil-rich potential targets in the Gulf, for enhanced defence capabilities to counter the Houthi threat.
In a recent interview with CNN, Ms Nusseibeh revealed that top-level security discussions, believed to include senior members of the Emirati National Security Council, were taking place in Washington about improving the state's defences, which currently rely on the US-supplied Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-missile interception system.
"Our ability to intercept and deflect these attacks is world class," she said. "There can always be upgrades and improvements and... additional intelligence co-operation and I think these are the fields we're looking at with our partners."
At the very least, therefore, the Biden administration should make amends for its ill-conceived decision to lift the terrorist designation of the Houthis, and provide the Emiratis with the sophisticated weaponry they require to defend themselves against the deadly threat posed by the Iranian-backed rebels.
The continuing escalation by Iran and the Houthis is -- as most likely is their intent -- threatening to destabilise the region. If they are not stopped, and quickly, the Biden legacy, along with its catastrophic withdrawal from Afghanistan, will consist of appeasing and emboldening groups that draw on terrorism -- such as the Houthis, the Palestinians and possibly the Taliban -- as well as hostile regimes, including Russia, China and Iran.
*Con Coughlin is the Telegraph's Defence and Foreign Affairs Editor and a Shillman Journalism Fellow at Gatestone Institute.
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Time for Qatar to overcome its fear factor
Ali Sarraf/The Arab Weekly/February 03/2022
Part of this alliance with Tehran stems from economic partnership, especially in one of the largest gas fields in joint regional waters. This partnership has provided Iran with funds under the radar of US sanctions. But another aspect relates to the Qataris' fear of their Iranian neighbour, which has no qualm about launching attacks or using threats and extortion. This forces Qatar to pay explicit and implicit protection money to Iran and its proxy militias.
The presence of about 10,000 US soldiers in military bases in Qatar, the “strong defence partnership”, as described Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani after his meeting with US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin, the remarkable role that Qatar played in sponsoring the negotiations between the Taliban and the United States and the huge facilities Doha has provided to American and NATO forces when withdrawing from Afghanistan, all make Qatar an ally that cannot be abandoned were it to face any threats.
The closer the relations between Washington and Doha, the more Qatari self-confidence outweighs fear of Iran. That is true at least to a point where Qatar no longer needs to pay protection money to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, channel undetectable funds to Hezbollah nor seek a foothold in the disputed gas fields between Lebanon and Israel, which could provide an additional opportunity to channel funds to Hezbollah under the radar of US sanctions.
Qatar has done well in forging ties, not only with the United States but with other NATO countries, as well. The role it played in providing facilities and arrangements during Afghanistan's transitional phase has given it a unique status as a respected ally for all NATO member states. If faced with any threat or any act of blackmail from Iran, Qatar will undoubtedly find all these members standing by its side in both word and deed.
Qatar's position as the world's largest gas supplier, in the midst of the crisis between Russia and its Atlantic partners over Ukraine, now shows it to be sitting on first-rate security and strategic reserves. This also highlights the considerable importance of maritime security in the Gulf, which is threatened by Iran.
Qatari naval warships have not been exposed to the types of threats that have faced Emirati or Saudi naval vessels.
The status of a “major non-NATO ally” provides Qatar with an opportunity to go beyond freeing itself from the tethers of unbalanced relations with Iran.
Doha can be a real partner in Gulf security when it comes to any threats posed by Iranian proxies against any other Gulf state.
The environment of Gulf reconciliation itself needs to be consolidated by a partnership that transcends everything secondary, in order to offer explicit solidarity with Saudi Arabia, the Emirates, Bahrain and Kuwait, each one of which is exposed to a different kind of threat from Iran and its militias as well as affiliated groups. As a powerful country, which holds the position of a reliable ally and friend of the United States and other NATO partners, Qatar should be quick to use its position to shore up Gulf security.
This is a valid argument even if Doha knows for a fact that the Gulf countries that are subjected to Iranian aggressive moves are able to thwart Tehran's ploys and respond to them effectively.
Egypt did not send planes, tanks nor missiles to the UAE, nor did it participate in the war against the Houthis in Yemen. However, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi went to Abu Dhabi, to tell Iran and the Houthis, “We are here,” and that the security partnership between the two countries is actionable at a moment's notice. Sheikh Tamim can do the same. Even if there have been some issues in the relations between Doha and other Gulf capitals, the acts of aggression against Abu Dhabi provide Qatar with a rare opportunity to demonstrate the highest level of solidarity.
Qatar is now in a position that qualifies it to make sure good prevails over the winds of evil that blow from the other side of the Gulf.
Freedom from fear is the first step and it has become an entitlement and a duty. Not because fear is no longer justified, but because the ties between Doha, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, Kuwait City and Manama are now much closer, making mutual support possible at a moment's notice.