English LCCC Newsbulletin For
Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For February 07/2022
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
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Bible Quotations For today
If any want to become my followers, let them
deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew
16/24-28: "Then Jesus told his disciples, ‘If any want to become my followers,
let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who
want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake
will find it. For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but
forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life? ‘For the
Son of Man is to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he
will repay everyone for what has been done. Truly I tell you, there are some
standing here who will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in
his kingdom."
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials
published on February 06-07/2022
Israel pursues Lebanese companies dealing with “Hezbollah”
Al-Rahi Defends Salameh, Refuses Blaming Entire Crisis on Single Person
Health Ministry: 6,147 new Corona cases, 17 deaths
Foreign Ministry: Lebanon’s letter to UN Security Council is not a ‘secret
document’, but rather an official paper...
“No diesel crisis,” reassures Abu Chakra
Salam officially announces Turkey's lifting of ban on importing scrap metals:
Provides Lebanon with nearly 100 million fresh...
Public Works Minister’s Press Office: Ship accident occurred due to strong
winds, no pollution to the environment
Lebanese Forces to file lawsuit against "Gulf Monitor" Website on charges of
spreading lies, slander & misinformation
Diab receives Del Col on a farewell visit
Qaouq Rejects 'Arabism that is Allied with Israeli Enemy'
Lebanon Returns 337 Artifacts of Different Eras to Iraq
Hizbullah MP Confirms Party to Ally with FPM, Amal in Elections
Maj. Gen. Aroldo Lázaro Sáenz of Spain Named UNIFIL Chief
Iraq receives hundreds of trafficked antiquities from Lebanon
This Zeal for Defending Things We Don’t Like/Hazem SaghiehAsharq Al-Awsat/February,
06/2022
Titles For The Latest English LCCC
Miscellaneous Reports And News published
on February 06-07/2022
Israeli leader talks to Biden about Daesh, Iran
IAEA: Without Tehran’s Commitment, There Will Be No Agreement
Alleged Leader of US-based Iran Militant Group Goes on Trial
Iran Says Vienna Talks 'Far from Balance in Commitments'
France's Macron speaks with US President Biden ahead of his trip to Moscow
US Airborne Infantry Troops in Poland amid Ukraine Tension
Morocco in Shock after Tragic Death of 'Little Rayan'
Officials from the U.N. children's agency visited a prison in northeast Syria
that witnessed 10 days of fighting between U.S.-backed fighters and Islamic
State group militants, the agency said Sunday.
Arab Parliament: Freezing decision to grant Israel ‘observer status’ in African
Union a new victory for Palestinian...
Tunisian president dissolves Supreme Judicial Council
Titles For The Latest LCCC English
analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published
on February 06-07/2022
The Master of the Kremlin Holds the World’s Breath.. and His Own/Raghida
Dergham/February 6, 2022
If Russia Takes Ukraine, Insurgency Could Be Putin's Nightmare/James Stavridis/Bloomberg/February,
06/2022
Will France Wake Up and Defend Her Freedom – or Not?/Giulio Meotti/Gatestone
Institute/February 06/2022
Terrorist roads all lead to Tehran/Dalia Al-Aqidi/Arab News/February 06, 2022
Iran desperate to ensure Assad regime survives/Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Arab
News/February 06, 2022
Too many fingers in the Libyan pie/Yasar Yakis/Arab News/February 06, 2022
on February 06-07/2022
Israel pursues Lebanese companies dealing with
“Hezbollah”
Agencies- Al Arabiya/06 February/2022
Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz has signed an arrest warrant for Lebanese
companies that supply the Lebanese Hezbollah with raw materials for the
manufacturing of precision missiles. Israeli Army Radio revealed that Benny
Gantz had signed an arrest warrant for three Lebanese companies that deal with
Hezbollah and provide it with raw materials for the manufacturing of precision
missiles. This is the second time that the Defense Ministry has issued an order
in this regard, in recent months. The Israeli radio indicated that the aim of
the process of undermining these three Lebanese companies is to obstruct
Hezbollah's missile project. Benny Gantz stressed that Hezbollah endangers
Lebanon and the Lebanese citizens, and that Israel will continue to provide
humanitarian aid to the Lebanese citizens, and will act decisively in the face
of the Iranian project that operates from inside Lebanon. In this context, Al-Arabiya
confirmed that Israel decided to pursue 4 Lebanese civilian companies linked to
Hezbollah.
Rahi urges politicians to stop damaging reputation of Central
bank
NNA/February, 06/2022
Maronite Patriarch, Cardinal Bechara Boutros al-Rahi, presided over Sunday Mass
in Bkirki this morning, whereby he emphasized in his homily: "It is not
acceptable to allow practices that undermine constitutional institutions, and it
is unacceptable to overthrow the independence, prestige and dignity of the
judiciary, and that some judges lose their independence."He added: “We support
holding all corrupt people accountable, not picking someone and holding them
accountable for the practices that took place over the past 30 years."On another
note, al-Rahi stressed the importance of holding the parliamentary elections on
time, saying: "Let the deputies remember that they are entrusted by the people
and they are not entitled to renew their mandate without the permission of the
people.”Finally, the Patriarch called on the political officials to "stop
fabricating news, rumors, abuse, revenge, hatred, and harming the reputation of
Lebanon, the Lebanese currency, the central bank, the army, and the judiciary."
Al-Rahi Defends Salameh, Refuses Blaming Entire Crisis on
Single Person
Naharnett/February, 06/2022
Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi on Sunday defended Central Bank Governor Riad
Salameh without naming him and accused some judges of politicization. “It is
unacceptable to destroy the judiciary’s independence, prestige and dignity. Some
judges lose their independence, submit to the political authority and implement
its directions without evaluating the danger of these practices on Lebanon’s
higher interest,” al-Rahi said in his Sunday Mass sermon. “Some judges are
harming the judiciary’s mission and independence through politicizing and
sectarianizing it,” the patriarch lamented. He accordingly called on the senior
judicial authorities to “end their hesitation and put an end to the judicial
islands inside the judiciary.” Apparently referring to Salameh, al-Rahi added:
“We demand trying all the corrupts who wasted public funds and led the country
into the political, economic and financial collapse, instead of authorities
picking out a single person from the entire republic to blame him for the entire
Lebanese crisis and the failure of the past 30 years.”
Health Ministry: 6,147 new Corona cases, 17 deaths
NNA/February, 06/2022
In its daily report on the COVID-19 developments, the Ministry of Public Health
announced on Sunday the registration of 6,147 new Coronavirus infections, thus
raising the cumulative number of confirmed cases to-date to 971,774. It added
that 17 deaths were recorded during the past 24 hours.
Foreign Ministry: Lebanon’s letter to UN Security Council
is not a ‘secret document’, but rather an official paper...
NNA/February, 06/2022
In an issued statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants on
Sunday, it commented on the recently circulated news in the media regarding a
letter submitted by Lebanon's delegate to the United Nations in New York in
response to the Israeli letter objecting to the Lebanese licensing cycle in
Lebanon's exclusive economic zone, whereby it was insinuated that this is a
“leaked secret document”.The Lebanese Foreign Ministry clarified herein that
“the letter addressed by Lebanon to the UN Security Council is not a secret
document, but rather an official paper issued and circulated to all Council
members as a document of the Security Council under the number S/2022/84 dated
February 2, 2022, and was duly published according to the applied norms.”
“No diesel crisis,” reassures Abu Chakra
NNA/February, 06/2022
Fuel Distributors Representative Fadi Abu Chakra confirmed in a call with the
"National News Agency" on Sunday, that "there is no diesel oil crisis", in wake
of circulating news that a ship carrying 42 thousand tons of diesel was
subjected to a marine accident near the coast of Amchit due to strong winds.
Abu Chakra said: "There is no crisis in fuel oil because of this incident, and I
made a call with the Head of Oil Importing Companies Group, Maroun Al-Shamas,
who confirmed that the ship, which had a normal malfunction due to weather
conditions, will be towed to Beirut."
He added that “the ship will be unloaded within 48 hours, and there is a second
ship loaded with diesel coming to Lebanon," reassuring that "diesel will be
available during the next week and there is no crisis but a shortage because of
the huge demand due to the cold weather."Finally, Abu Chakra hoped that "all
roads would be accessible in mountainous areas," in wake of the snow storm that
has hit Lebanon recently.
Salam officially announces Turkey's lifting of ban on
importing scrap metals: Provides Lebanon with nearly 100 million fresh...
NNA/February, 06/2022
The Minister of Economy and Trade, Amin Salam, has officially announced that
Turkey has lifted the ban on importing scrap metals from Lebanon, which secures
about $100 million annually for Lebanon from fresh dollars.Salam said: "During
my meeting in Ankara with Turkish Trade Minister Mehmet Muş, Interior Minister
Suleiman Soylu, Chairman of the Lebanese-Turkish Joint Higher Committee, and
Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, within the framework of President Najib
Mikati's visit to Ankara at the head of the ministerial delegation, we discussed
the steps that we can take In order to raise the rate of trade exchange to
greater levels than has been achieved so far, we have attached importance to
putting the free trade agreement into effect. And we agreed to hold a meeting of
the joint higher committee in Turkey at the earliest. On the recommendation of
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish side expressed the readiness of
Turkish companies to start implementing important infrastructure projects,
including the reconstruction of the Port of Beirut. He added: As a result of
these bilateral meetings, we succeeded, in the first stage, on lifting the ban
on exporting scrap metals to Turkey, noting that the ban deprived the Lebanese
economy of nearly $100 million in export revenues annually since 2018, according
to figures from the Lebanese Customs General Directorate. The embargo was
imposed in 2018, Lebanon exported to Turkey more than 40% of the total exported
scrap metal, securing approximately $100 million annually for the Lebanese
economy. Salam continued: "Minister Mehmet Mus contacted me and informed me that
the decision has become official, and Lebanon can immediately return to
exporting scrap metal. This positive initiative from Turkey supports the
Lebanese economy at a very delicate time in which Lebanon appeals to all sister
countries to support it to get out of its acute crisis on the path of recovery
and reform towards the new Lebanon, a destination for FDI, prosperity and
brilliance.
Public Works Minister’s Press Office: Ship accident
occurred due to strong winds, no pollution to the environment
NNA/February, 06/2022
In an issued statement by the Public Works and Transport Minister’s press office
on Sunday, it explained that "the unfortunate maritime accident that afflicted
the ship, Pyxis Epsillon, near the coast of Amchit, en route from the port of
Aliaga in Turkey to the port of Amchit and loaded with 42 thousand tons of
diesel, occurred due to strong winds.”“This resulted in damages that stopped the
unloading process without leading to any environmental or oil pollution,” the
statement added. “Following coordination with the Minister of Public Works and
Transport, it was decided to tow the ship from Amchit to Beirut port so that the
cargo would be unloaded at Dora port on Monday morning,” the statement
concluded.
Lebanese Forces to file lawsuit against "Gulf Monitor" Website on charges of
spreading lies, slander & misinformation
NNA/February, 06/2022
Lebanese Forces Party media department issued a statement on Sunday in which it
denied what was mentioned in a recent article by the "Gulf Monitor" website,
which is in opposition to the Gulf states, as per the Party.
The LF statement asserted that said article, published under the headline, "Geagea
to Saudi delegate", is totally baseless. “While the LF media department denies
all the fabrications contained in this article, it affirms that a lawsuit will
be filed against the website for spreading lies, slander and misleading news,”
the statement underlined.
Diab receives Del Col on a farewell visit
NNA/February, 06/2022
Former Prime Minister Hassan Diab received at his home in Beirut today the Chief
Commander of the United Nations Interim Forces operating in southern Lebanon,
General Stefano Del Col, on a farewell visit, where he presented the missions
carried out by the "UNIFIL" to maintain stability in southern Lebanon. During
the meeting, Diab stressed that "the role of UNIFIL is essential in obligating
the Israeli enemy to respect the implementation of UN Resolution # 1701, and to
stop its land, sea and air violations of Lebanese sovereignty," calling on
UNIFIL to "play its role in preventing the Israeli enemy from continuing to
infringe on Lebanese sovereignty."
Qaouq Rejects 'Arabism that is Allied with Israeli Enemy'
Naharnet/February, 06/2022
Hizbullah central council member Sheikh Nabil Qaouq on Sunday lashed out at what
he called “the Arabism that is allied with the Israeli enemy.”
“The Arabism that is allied with the Israeli enemy is an American Arabism that
doesn’t belong to us and we don’t belong to,” Qaouq said during a memorial
service in the southern town of Kfar Tebnit. “It neither resembles nor honors
us. Is this the Arabism that they are inviting us to?” he added.
“You want Lebanon to be alongside Israel in the camp of treason, while we in
Lebanon and Palestine are an example of genuine Arabism,” Qaouq went on to say.
Moreover, he called on Saudi Arabia to “preserve its Arab identity” and not to
“lose its Arabism by allying with the Israeli enemy.”
Lebanon Returns 337 Artifacts of Different Eras to Iraq
Associated Press/February, 06/2022
Lebanon's Ministry of Culture handed over to Iraq on Sunday 337 ancient
artifacts that had been on display in a Lebanese museum for years. The items,
which included clay tablets, were returned by Minister of Culture Mohammed
Murtada to Iraq's ambassador to Lebanon during a ceremony held at the National
Museum of Beirut. Murtada told Iraq's state-run news agency in a Saturday report
that a Lebanese committee had been investigating the items since 2018. The
artifacts had been stored most recently at the private Nabu Museum in northern
Lebanon. The report gave no further details about the artifacts' provenance. "We
are celebrating the handing over of 337 artifacts that are of different eras of
civilizations in Mesopotamia," Iraq's ambassador to Lebanon Haidar Shyaa al-Barrak
said at the ceremony. This will not be the last handover, he added, without
elaborating. Many of Iraq's antiquities were looted during the country's decades
of war and instability, mostly since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion that toppled
Saddam Hussein. Iraq's government has been slowly recovering the plundered
antiquities since then. Archaeological sites across the country however continue
to be neglected due to lack of funds. At least half dozen shipments of
antiquities and documents have been returned to Iraq's museum since 2016,
according to Iraqi authorities.
Hizbullah MP Confirms Party to Ally with FPM, Amal in
Elections
Naharnet/February, 06/2022
MP Hassan Ezzeddine of Hizbullah’s Loyalty to Resistance has confirmed that his
party will ally with the Free Patriotic Movement and the Amal Movement in the
upcoming parliamentary elections. “This would achieve the national interest in
Lebanon and the interest of our people,” he added, during a political gathering
organized by Hizbullah in the southern town of Anqoun. “These elections are an
important juncture and the Americans, Saudis and French are betting on it,” the
lawmaker noted. He however pointed out that no side will be able to do radical
changes should it win the parliamentary majority, while accusing Washington and
Riyadh of intending to “pay political money in these elections.”“They want to
win the majority and they are working for that,” Ezzeddine added.
Maj. Gen. Aroldo Lázaro Sáenz of Spain Named UNIFIL Chief
Naharnet/February, 06/2022
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Saturday announced the
appointment of Major General Aroldo Lázaro Sáenz of Spain as Head of Mission and
Force Commander of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). Sáenz
succeeds Major General Stefano Del Col of Italy, who will shortly complete his
assignment. "The Secretary-General is grateful to Major General Del Col for his
exemplary service and leadership," the U.N. said in a statement. Sáenz has had
"a long and distinguished career in the Spanish Army, currently serving as
Adviser to the Ministry of Defense for Defense and Security cross-cutting
affairs," the U.N. added. He has since 2000 served in EUROFORCE Headquarters
(Florence), NATO Rapid Deployable Corps Spain (Valencia), Spanish Brigade
“Guzmán el Bueno” (Cordoba) in three assignments, Brigade Commander, Regiment
Commander and Chief of Staff. Sáenz has a vast international experience and has
been deployed to Peacekeeping Operations: three tours in Bosnia & Herzegovina
under the command of the United Nations (UNPROFOR), NATO (SFOR) and the European
Union (EUFOR) respectively; and three additional tours in UNIFIL as a Liaison
Officer in Naqoura, Chief of Staff and Sector East Commander. He is a graduate
of the General Military Academy and Spanish Army General Staff College in Spain
and has academic training in the field of diplomacy, peace and security.
Iraq receives hundreds of trafficked antiquities from
Lebanon
Najia Houssari/Arab News/February 06, 2022
BEIRUT: Iraq on Sunday received hundreds of trafficked antiquities from Lebanon.
The artifacts had been in Nabu Museum, a private institution in Lebanon’s Byblos
region, and the handover took place at the National Museum, with the items given
to Iraq’s embassy in Lebanon.
“A total of 337 artifacts were handed over, 331 of which are cuneiform and six
others that were among 32 disputed pieces,” said Lebanese Culture Minister
Mohammed Wissam Al-Murtada. “Iraqi, Syrian and Lebanese committees verified that
the six pieces belong to Iraq, so it was decided that they should be handed over
as well.”Al-Murtada described the handover as “a gesture embodying cooperation
between Lebanon and Iraq in the cultural field.”Speaking about whether or not
these disputed artifacts had been smuggled from Iraq, he said: “Lebanon’s
General Directorate of Antiquities had previously revealed in a 2018 report that
some pieces may have Iraqi origins.”He added that the ministry “consequently
assigned a committee of technical specialists to look into these disputed
pieces.”Archeology expert Dr. Jaafar Fadlalah told Arab News: “The owner of the
Nabu Museum, who is a well-known businessman, obtained the antiquities displayed
in his museum either by buying them from markets specialized in antiques or from
auctions. When they were displayed in the museum, some of these pieces were
found to belong to either Syria or Iraq. “These artifacts should thus be
returned to their rightful owners, while the disputed pieces remain in place
until their ownership is proven. This is a rule followed in all museums around
the world. “During the wars in Lebanon, Iraq and Syria, a large number of
antiquities were lost, and some of them were seized later, either during
smuggling operations or found in antique shops.
“However, several artifacts may still be stored by those who acquired them but
never displayed them, so it is impossible to know where they are and who their
rightful owners are. “The ceremony that was held at the National Museum to hand
over the pieces to the Iraqi authorities is to encourage collectors to preserve
the antiquities." He said that Lebanon had previously returned many pieces
“without any celebrations” because they had been seized either during smuggling
operations or found in local markets. Nabu Museum owner Jawad Adra emphasized
the “ongoing communication” with countries of the region to revive and preserve
heritage, and that this understanding “annoys smugglers because we embarrass
them.” The General Directorate of the Internal Security Forces announced on
Sunday the recovery of 300-year-old antiquities belonging to the ancient Saint
John Church in Byblos, after they were stolen in late January.It said that three
people had been arrested. One was Lebanese, another was Syrian, and the third
was Egyptian.
This Zeal for Defending Things We Don’t Like
Hazem SaghiehAsharq Al-Awsat/February, 06/2022
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/106128/%d8%ad%d8%a7%d8%b2%d9%85-%d8%b5%d8%a7%d8%ba%d9%8a%d8%a9-%d8%b4%d9%8a%d8%a1-%d9%88%d8%a7%d8%ad%d8%af-%d9%85%d9%86-%d9%84%d8%a8%d9%86%d8%a7%d9%86-%d9%83%d8%a7%d9%86%d8%8c-%d9%88%d9%84%d8%a7-%d9%8a/
There is a foundational contradiction, rarely ever referred to, in the narrative
Hezbollah and its supporters have developed about themselves. They say, at the
same time, sometimes with the same phrase, that they are defending Lebanon. They
have volunteered to take this task upon themselves, paying with their dear
blood. They do so, a task that the Lebanese army and the state do not dare or
are not willing to do, in defense of the country.
In other words, they are putting forward, in theory and practice, a radical form
of patriotism that goes beyond those that preceded it and were mired by
complacency and cowardice, if not treacherous conspiracy as well.
On the other hand, however, they are not concerned with Lebanon in the
slightest. Beyond it being a battleground or a bridge to a battle, the country
does not preoccupy them much or weigh heavily on their plans. They are, for
example, not interested in developing an economic plan. Their deputies have not
set an example with their legislation. Their secretary-general announced his
enlistment in the Iranian Velayat-e-Faqih army. Their intellectuals, and the
nationalist and leftist intellectuals who have joined them, do not miss an
opportunity to ridicule Lebanon, show their contempt for it, and reiterate that
it is superfluous. The opinions of the majority of the Lebanese about their
resistance do not concern them. The country’s cultural environment is alien to
them, and they are alien to it. The historical figures they are proud of (Adham
Khanjar and Sadeq Hamza...) are among those who had objected to Lebanon’s
existence since 1920 and were enthusiastic about Syrian unity under Faisal I.
One thing regarding Lebanon did concern and continues to concern Hezbollah and
its supporters, the regime’s survival in such a way that facilitates their armed
mission, that the regime remains a safe background for carrying out their
resistance activities.
So, there is utmost determination to defend Lebanon and shed blood for it and,
at the same time, the lowest possible degree of practical recognition of
Lebanon, its past, present, and future, economically, politically and
culturally...
How can this “practice” and that “theory” coexist?
It can be done with one of two possibilities or both possibilities. However, we
can be absolutely certain that there is no third possibility:
The first is that what is meant by defense is defending a segment of the
Lebanese population and a region of Lebanon after having isolated this segment
of the population and its region from the entire country. Also, no links are
established between defending them and connecting them to a particular economy
and central authority. Such an understanding of “defense,” and by extension of
“liberation,” is pre-national and extremely primitive: It deals with the issue
as if it is a conflict between communities, groups, and regions, which history
is brimming with. In its Lebanese translation, this is a sectarian defense or a
sectarian liberation, and while it can be used against a foreign power like
Israel, it can also be used, in different circumstances, against someone close
or another Lebanese community. The second possibility is that hostility to
Israel, not defending and liberating Lebanon, is what drives this tendency.
While such hostility is understandable and justified, leaving it to determine
the fate of the Lebanese and asking them to plan their lives accordingly is
neither comprehensible nor justified. Making this definition more viable is that
Hezbollah and its milieu do not defend Lebanon in the face of non-Israeli
occupation; indeed, they ally with it against the rest of the country. Hassan
Nasrallah, in a symbolic gesture, gave the ‘resistance machine gun’ as a present
to (Syrian officer) Rustom Ghazali, to give one of many examples.Thus, it
becomes legitimate, as is the case for every contrarian consciousness, to pose
the question: Let us assume, theoretically, that Israel did not exist in the
first place or that it has ceased to exist. Would this mean that nothing
justifies Lebanon’s existence, given that fighting Israel is the only
justification for this existence?
This zeal for defending an entity whose defenders do not like it is Hezbollah’s
foundational contradiction- one that creates an arrangement of fabrications that
represent a paradigm for understanding the world and its affairs before
marketing it. Here, we suffice ourselves with two of those fabrications, which
are now broadly familiar because they are the largest among them.
- It was the United States that created ISIS (once when Hillary Clinton was in
charge and another when Mike Pompeo was at the held...), and, for some reason,
it has killed its leaders, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi,
in succession. Before ISIS, this same United States had created al-Qaeda in the
laboratory of Afghan cooperation against the Soviets. But al-Qaeda, for some
reason, directed its major attacks against the United States, and so, the latter
led the attack on Afghanistan and then eliminated the man who had established
al-Qaeda, Osama bin Laden.
- There is also a long line of “Israeli agents” in Lebanon. It starts with Rafic
Hariri and does not end with Luqman Salim. But suddenly, they were all
assassinated in the most horrific ways. Who assassinated them? Israel, of
course.
No doubt, the narratives of Hezbollah and its followers entail a magical and
fantastical world that has the capacity to enrich the myths that are invented by
talented few and believed by many who are unfortunately not too talented at
distinguishing myth from reality.
At the end of the day, we could marry an elephant off to an ant, and we could
also celebrate their wedding. As for awaiting children to emerge from this happy
marriage and asking others to wait for them with us, in order not to be traitors
and spies, this is a little too much.
The Latest English LCCC
Miscellaneous Reports And News published on
February 06-07/2022
Israeli leader talks to Biden about Daesh, Iran
AP/February 06, 2022
JERUSALEM: Israel's prime minister on Sunday congratulated President Joe Biden
for last week's deadly raid in Syria that killed the leader of Daesh, the
Israeli premier's office announced. In a phone call with the president, Naftali
Bennett told Biden that “the world is now a safer place thanks to the courageous
operation of the US forces,” his office said.Bennett and Biden also discussed
Iranian military activity across the Middle East and efforts to block Iran's
nuclear program, it said. Israel and Iran are arch-enemies, and Israel has
raised vocal concerns about US-led efforts to revive the 2015 international
nuclear deal between Iran and world powers. The deal unraveled after President
Donald Trump withdrew from it in 2018. Israel objected to the initial deal and
believes any attempts to restore it will not include sufficient safeguards to
prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapons capability. Israel also says any
deal should address Iranian military activity across the region as well as its
development of long-range missiles capable of striking Israel. Earlier Sunday,
Bennett said Israel is closely watching world powers' negotiations with Iran in
Vienna, but reiterated his position that Israel is not bound by any agreement
reached by them. Israel has repeatedly threatened to strike Iran if it believes
it is necessary to halt the country's nuclear program. Iran says its nuclear
program is for peaceful purposes only.“Anyone who thinks such an agreement will
increase stability is wrong,” Bennett told his Cabinet early Sunday. “Israel
reserves its right to act in any case, with or without an agreement.”
IAEA: Without Tehran’s Commitment, There Will Be No
Agreement
London - Asharq Al-Awsat/February, 06/2022
The Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael
Grossi, stressed that without the commitment of Tehran and the cooperation of
all parties, no agreement would be reached in the Vienna talks. He added that
the IAEA was intensifying its efforts to support reaching an agreement and to
ensure its implementation, noting that talks were moving in the right direction
despite the difficult challenges. In an interview with Al-Arabiya channel on
Saturday, Grossi said that reaching an agreement within days was complicated,
but not impossible, adding that the next few days would clarify where the
current efforts would lead. The difficulties persist and exist, but the parties
should work on solving them one by one, according to the IAEA chief. Grossi
pointed out that the agency was concerned about the presence of undeclared
nuclear materials in Iranian sites. He called on Iran to cooperate and allow
full access to the monitoring and surveillance equipment on Iranian nuclear
facilities, stressing that without the commitment of the Iranian authorities and
the cooperation of all parties, there would be no agreement. The United States,
as well as diplomats from key countries, including France, Britain, Germany,
Russia, and China, have repeatedly warned Tehran that time was running out, and
that the next few weeks would be crucial in reviving the agreement that was
abandoned in 2018 by the former US administration of Donald Trump. However, the
Iranian authorities are still insisting on some conditions that constitute a
major obstacle to reaching a solution, including the request to provide
guarantees that the US administration would not withdraw from any new agreement,
as well as the lifting of all sanctions imposed on the country, especially those
related to terrorism. For his part, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National
Security Council Ali Shamkhani said on Saturday that Tehran had the right to
continue nuclear research and development, adding that this matter could not be
restricted by any agreement. Shamkhani wrote on his Twitter account: “Iran’s
legal right to continue research and development and to maintain its peaceful
nuclear capabilities and achievements, along with its security against supported
evils, cannot be restricted by any agreement.”He added: “Real, effective and
verifiable economic benefit for Iran is a necessary condition for the formation
of an agreement. The show of lifting sanctions is not considered constructive.”
Alleged Leader of US-based Iran Militant Group Goes on
Trial
Asharq Al-Awsat/Sunday, 6 February, 2022
The alleged leader of the militant wing of a US-based Iranian opposition group
went on trial Sunday, state TV reported. He's accused of planning a 2008 bombing
at a mosque that killed 14 people and wounded over 200. In 2020, Iran’s
intelligence service detained Jamshid Sharmahd, an Iranian-German national and
US resident. Iran said he is the leader of Tondar, the militant wing of the
opposition group Kingdom Assembly of Iran. Sharmahd's family says he is only the
spokesperson for the Kingdom Assembly of Iran, known in Farsi as Anjoman-e
Padeshahi-e Iran. His hometown is Glendora, California. Sharmahd confessed to
having a relationship with both the FBI and the CIA, state TV reported. It said
he was in contact with nine FBI and CIA agents and his last meeting was in
January 2020. At the time of his detention, Iran alleged Sharmahd was behind the
2008 bombing that targeted the Hosseynieh Seyed al-Shohada Mosque in the city of
Shiraz and that he was planning other attacks around Iran. Besides the 14 killed
in the bombing, 215 were wounded. Sharmahd, who supports restoring Iran’s
monarchy that was overthrown in the 1979 Revolution, had been previously
targeted in an apparent Iranian assassination plot on US soil in 2009. Iran
hasn’t said how it detained Sharmahd, which came against the backdrop of covert
actions conducted by Iran amid heightened tensions with the US over Tehran’s
collapsing nuclear deal with world powers. Sharmahd was trying to travel to
India for a business deal involving his software company, his son said. He was
hoping to get a connecting flight despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic
disrupting global travel. The Kingdom Assembly of Iran seeks to restore Iran’s
monarchy, which ended when the fatally ill Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi fled the
country in 1979 just before the Iranian Revolution. The group’s founder
disappeared in the mid-2000s. Last week, Iran said its intelligence units
arrested the No. 2 leader of Tondar, or “Thunder” in Farsi, identified only as “Masmatus.”
Iran has also accused the group of being behind a 2010 bombing at Khomeini’s
mausoleum in Tehran that wounded several people.
State TV said some family members of victims of the mosque bombing attended
Sunday's hearing, which was presided over by Judge Abolghasem Salavati in
Revolutionary Court 15 in the capital Tehran.
Iran Says Vienna Talks 'Far from Balance in Commitments'
Agence France Presse/Sunday, 6 February, 2022
Iran's top security official said Sunday that Washington and Tehran had so far
failed to produce "balance" in their commitments during the Vienna talks aimed
at restoring the nuclear deal. "Despite limited progress in the #ViennaTalks, we
are still far from achieving the necessary balance in the commitments of the
parties," Supreme National Security Council secretary Ali Shamkhani said in a
Twitter post. "Political decisions in #Washington are requirements for balance
of commitments to reach a good agreement."Iran is engaged in negotiations with
Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia directly and with the United States
indirectly to revive the 2015 deal formally called the Joint Comprehensive Plan
of Action. After months of stalemate, progress has been made in recent weeks to
revive the agreement that was supposed to prevent Iran from acquiring an atomic
bomb, a goal it has always denied pursuing.
Former U.S. president Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from the pact in 2018
and reimposed tough economic sanctions on Iran, prompting the Islamic republic
to begin pulling back from its commitments under the deal. Talks on reviving the
agreement were halted last week and the negotiators returned to their capitals
for consultations. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, in a phone call with
Iran's foreign minister on Saturday, said he expected all parties to come to
Vienna with a clear agenda to reach an agreement and be ready to make political
decisions. Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said in the call
that "positive developments have taken place since the previous talks, but they
still do not meet our expectations. "We are determinedly seeking a good deal,
but at the same time we are focusing on preserving our red lines and national
interests." The U.S. State Department on Friday said it was waiving sanctions on
Iran's civil nuclear program in a technical step necessary to return to the
JCPOA. The waiver allows other countries and companies to participate in Iran's
civil nuclear program without triggering U.S. sanctions on them, in the name of
promoting safety and non-proliferation. "What happens on paper is good but not
enough," Amir-Abdollahian said on Saturday, adding that "we seek and demand
guarantees in the political, legal and economic sectors."
France's Macron speaks with US President Biden ahead of his
trip to Moscow
Reuters/07 February ,2022
French President Emmanuel Macron spoke again on Sunday with US President Joe
Biden in a “coordination logic” ahead of his trip to Moscow on Monday, the
French Presidency and the White House said. The 40 minutes-long call allowed the
two leaders to “share information about contacts made during the weekend” for
good coordination ahead of the trip, the French Presidency said. Macron is due
on Monday to visit Russia, which has massed troops near Ukraine, stoking Western
fears of an invasion. The White House said the two leaders discussed “ongoing
diplomatic and deterrence efforts in response to Russia’s continued military
build-up on Ukraine’s borders.”Macron and Biden affirmed their support for
Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and agreed their teams will
remain in touch and continue consulting with their allies and partners,
including Ukraine, it added. Russia has denied planning to invade Ukraine but
has tens of thousands of troops near its neighbour's borders, prompting the US
to order about 3,000 extra troops to bolster NATO's eastern flank in Poland and
Romania. As Russia masses more than 100,000 troops near the border, Moscow has
said it could take unspecified military action if its security demands are not
met. Those include a promise that NATO will never admit Ukraine, a demand the US
and NATO have called unacceptable.
US Airborne Infantry Troops in Poland amid Ukraine Tension
Asharq Al-Awsat/Sunday, 6 February, 2022
Hundreds of U.S elite troops were expected to arrive in southeastern Poland near
the border with Ukraine on Sunday on President Joe Biden's orders to deploy
1,700 soldiers there amid fears of a Russian invasion of Ukraine.The airborne
infantry troops of the 82nd Airborne Division were expected at at the Rzeszow-Jasionka
airport. Their commander is Maj. Gen. Christopher Donahue, who was the last
American soldier to leave Afghanistan Aug. 30, The Associated Press said. Biden
ordered additional US troops deployed to Poland, Romania and Germany to
demonstrate to both allies and foes America’s commitment to NATO’s eastern flank
amid rising tensions between Russia and Ukraine. NATO's eastern member Poland
borders both Russia and Ukraine. Romania borders Ukraine. The division can
rapidly deploy within 18 hours and conduct parachute assaults to secure key
objectives. Based in Fort Bragg, North Carolina, the division's history goes
back to 1917. Earlier in the week, US planes brought equipment and logistics
troops in preparation for the arrival of elements of the division to the
airport, located some 90 kilometers (56 miles) from Poland’s border with
Ukraine. Polish soldiers have previously worked together with the US. division
on missions in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to Maj. Przemyslaw Lipczynski,
spokesman for the Polish Army 18th Mechanized Division. Some 4,000 US troops
have been stationed in Poland since 2017, on a rotating basis.
Morocco in Shock after Tragic Death of 'Little Rayan'
Agence France Presse/Sunday, 6 February, 2022
Morocco was in shock Sunday after emergency crews found a five-year-old boy dead
at the bottom of a well in a tragic end to a painstaking five-day rescue
operation that gripped the nation and the world. The ordeal of "little Rayan"
since he fell down the well on Tuesday afternoon gained global attention and
sparked an outpouring of sympathy online, with the Arabic hashtag #SaveRayan
trending. Throughout the operation to extricate him from the bottom of the
32-metre (100-foot) well shaft, authorities had cautioned that they did not know
whether he was alive. And reflecting the emotions provoked by the drama, it was
Morocco's royal cabinet that announced he had been found dead. "Following the
tragic accident which cost the life of the child Rayan Oram, His Majesty King
Mohammed VI called the parents of the boy who died after falling down the well,"
a statement from the royal court said. By mid-afternoon Saturday, rescue crews,
using bulldozers and front-end loaders, had excavated the surrounding red earth
down to the level where the boy was trapped, and drill teams began creating a
horizontal tunnel to reach him from the side. But progress slowed to a snail's
pace as the drill teams worked by hand to avoid any vibrations that might bring
the brittle soil down on the stricken child, local authorities said. AFP
correspondents saw the boy's parents walk down the slope into the horizontal
tunnel, visibly crushed, before returning and boarding an ambulance without
saying a word. After a period of confusion, a crowd of onlookers began
dispersing in sombre silence. The family was yet to announce the date of the
funeral, but according to Muslim tradition it must take place soon, in principle
as early as Sunday.
'So tragic'
Tributes poured in in the wake of the news that the rescue efforts had failed to
recover Rayan alive. "I want to say to the family of little Rayan and to the
Moroccan people that we share your pain," French President Emmanuel Macron said
on Facebook. "Rayan's courage will stay in our memories and continue to inspire
us," wrote AC Milan's Algerian midfielder Ismael Bennacer in a tweet accompanied
by a drawing of a child being lifted into the sky, carried by a heart-shaped
balloon marked with the colors of Morocco."We all of us had been holding out
hope that little Rayan would make it," Moroccan-American novelist Laila Lalami
wrote on Twitter. "This is all so tragic."
Race against time
Thousands of people had gathered and even camped in solidarity around the site
in recent days, where AFP reporters have said the tension has been palpable.
Some had applauded to encourage the rescuers, sang religious songs or prayed,
chanting in unison "Allahu akbar" (God is greatest). Workers had tried to get
oxygen and water down to the child but it was not clear whether he was able to
use them, AFP correspondents reported. "I keep up hope that my child will get
out of the well alive," Rayan's father had told public television 2M on Friday
evening. "I thank everyone involved and those supporting us in Morocco and
elsewhere."He said earlier in the week that he had been repairing the well when
the boy fell in. The shaft, just 45 centimeters (18 inches) across, was too
narrow for the boy to be reached directly, and widening it was deemed too risky
-- so earth-movers dug a wide slope into the hill to reach him from the side.
The operation made the landscape resemble a construction site, and red-helmeted
civil defense personnel had at times been suspended by rope, as if on a cliff
face. Overnight they worked non-stop under powerful floodlights that gave a
gloomy air to the scene.
Officials from the U.N. children's agency visited a
prison in northeast Syria that witnessed 10 days of fighting between U.S.-backed
fighters and Islamic State group militants, the agency said Sunday.
Associated Press/Sunday, 6 February, 2022
The UNICEF team said after visiting some children at the prison in the city of
Hassakeh on Saturday that they have lived in dire conditions at the detention
center for years and in January "witnessed and survived heightened violence" in
and around the prison. The visit came two days after IS's top leader, Abu
Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi, was killed in a U.S. raid on his safehouse in
northwest Syria. President Joe Biden said al-Qurayshi had been responsible for
the Syria prison assault. Over 3,000 inmates, of which some 600 are children,
are held at the Hassakeh prison, known as Gweiran or al-Sinaa. "Despite some of
the basic services now in place, the situation of these children is incredibly
precarious," Bo Viktor Nylund, UNICEF's Syria representative, said in the
statement. While boys were held separately from adults, the groups mixed when IS
militants stormed the prison in a jailbreak on Jan. 20. Some inmates escaped,
while others including child detainees were taken hostage in the ensuing battle.
"Children should never have been there in the first place," Nylund said, adding
that UNICEF is working to provide safety and care for them while calling on all
stakeholders to urgently find long-term solutions in the best interests of the
children. He said UNICEF is ready to help support a new safe place in Syria's
northeast to take care of the most vulnerable children, some of whom are as
young as 12. At a press conference on Jan. 31, the U.S.-backed and Kurdish-led
Syrian Democratic Forces said they had retaken control of the prison and
confirmed that 77 prison employees, 40 Kurdish fighters and four civilians were
killed, alongside 374 IS detainees and attackers. The SDF provided no breakdown
of the dead detainees, or how many of them were children. Nylund said
destruction in the surrounding area of the prison is significant with destroyed
homes affecting an estimated 30,000 people. He said every effort, including by
the Syrian government and local authorities, to provide immediate assistance
should be supported. "Children should never be in detention due to association
with armed groups," Nylund said. "Children associated with and recruited by
armed groups should always be treated as victims of conflict." He said UNICEF
calls for the immediate release of children in all detention centers across
northeast Syria and for handing them over to child protection agencies. He said
UNICEF calls on member states of foreign children to repatriate them. For years,
some countries have refused to repatriate detained children in Syria while
Kurdish authorities have expressed concern they may have extremist tendencies.
"UNICEF stands ready to facilitate the speedy and systematic repatriation of
foreign children and the reintegration of children in Syria to their communities
of origin," Nylund said. He added that the pace of repatriation and integration
of children stranded in Syria "is far too slow. This is unacceptable."On Friday,
Human Rights Watch said hundreds of boys are missing from the fighting in and
around the prison.
Arab Parliament: Freezing decision to grant Israel
‘observer status’ in African Union a new victory for Palestinian...
NNA/February 6, 2022
The Arab Parliament welcomed the decision taken by the African Summit, held
today in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, to freeze Israel’s membership as an
observer in the African Union, following its accession in August 2021 to the
Union as an observer based on a decision by the Chairperson of the Commission.
The Arab Parliament affirmed that this decision corrected the previous
individual position of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa
Faki, and confirms that African support for the Palestinian cause and the
legitimate rights of the Palestinian people will not be drained nor will it be
affected by any Zionist entity attempts. It also praised the efforts of Arab
diplomacy to correct this position in line with international laws and United
Nations resolutions. “This decision is a new victory for the Palestinian people
and a support for their just cause, steadfastness and struggle against the
Israeli occupier that has usurped their land," the Parliament asserted. It
hailed as well the historical positions of the African Union towards the
Palestinian cause, and its decisions that always emphasize "unwavering support
for the inalienable, permanent and unconditional right of the Palestinian people
to determine their fate, including their right to live in liberty, justice and
dignity, and their right to establish their independent state, with Jerusalem as
its capital."
Tunisian president dissolves Supreme Judicial Council
Reuters/06 February ,2022
Tunisian President Kais Saied said on Sunday he has decided to dissolve the
Supreme Judicial Council, the body that deals with judicial independence, a
controversial move that will spark a struggle over the judiciary. Saied’s
decision caps months of his sharp criticism of the judges, when he repeatedly
said he would not allow judges to act as if they are a state, instead of being a
function of the state. Saied has frequently criticized the judiciary’s delay in
issuing rulings in cases of corruption and terrorism. Saied said the council has
become a thing of the past, adding that he will issue a temporary decree to the
council. He gave no details about the decree. Saied, who dismissed the
government and suspended parliament last July in a move that his opponents
described as a coup, faces widespread criticism after he seized all power and
rejected dialogue with all political parties. The Supreme Judicial Council is an
independent and constitutional institution that was formed in 2016. Its powers
include ensuring the independence of the judiciary, disciplining judges and
granting them professional promotions. Last month, Saied revoked all financial
privileges for council members.
The Latest LCCC English analysis &
editorials from miscellaneous sources published on
February 06-07/2022
The Master of the Kremlin Holds the World’s Breath.. and
His Own
Raghida Dergham/February 6, 2022
During Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to attend the opening ceremony
of the Beijing Winter Olympics, China is not set to sign new military agreements
with Russia and will limit itself to political support for Moscow and statements
denouncing the West’s ‘arrogance’ and accusing the United States of
manufacturing a climate for a Cold War amid the crisis in Ukraine. The foreign
ministers of Germany and France, as they visit Kyiv this week, will fail to
revive the Minsk Agreements between Russia and Ukraine, which were stillborn and
appear even more hopeless today as the drums of war are beaten in eastern
Europe. There is no leader or nation qualified to mediate between Moscow and
Kyiv; what Turkish President Erdogan tried to market as an ability to play this
role has crashed on take-off against the wall of Russia’s categorical rejection,
not least because of Erdogan’s stance on the entire crisis and political and
military support to Ukraine, fully toeing the line of NATO of which Turkey is
member.
In other words, the door to diplomacy appears closed today, unless the Master of
the Kremlin decides to crack it open, if for any reason then the fact that
escalation would be extremely costly for the Russian economy as it would invite
Western sanctions already drafted by the NATO powers. Yet President Putin may
find himself forced to stand his ground against NATO and its projects in
Ukraine, including expansion of its membership, because this is an existential
issue for him and Russia. So, what shall Putin do? How will he interpret the
language of NATO leaders, including US President Joe Biden? Does he hold other
surprises in other places while the world’s eyes are trained on the borders of
Ukraine? Or will he decide that his interests are best served by leaving the
world hanging from a cliff, until the climate of confrontation blows over
without solutions or compromises, or wars and sanctions?
It is Vladimir Putin who will ultimately decide, but the nature of his decision
remains hidden in the folds of his mind, amid a tug of war between the Russian
diplomats and generals who advise him. The coming week could prove fateful, or
nothing of note could happen. A meeting previously postponed may bring together
Russian FM Sergei Lavrov with American counterpart Antony Blinken this week, but
the problem still lies in the substance of what each man wants to be at the
heart of their talks. The US official will want to talk about security issues,
while the Russian top diplomat has instructions from his boss to focus on the
guarantees demanded by Putin on Ukraine, NATO membership, and NATO forces’
deployment in the Russian ‘sphere of influence’. Putin’s demands have been met
with categorical rejection from NATO, albeit this was sugar-coated with a
willingness to engage in talks (not about the guarantees demanded). This has
left Putin furious.
All the parties concerned are anxious. President Putin will likely avoid
deliberate military escalation while visiting China – he is set to conclude his
visit on Sunday – and any embarrassment to his allies in China as they host the
Olympics. But what if there was an incident in Donbass or other regions sitting
on a powder keg? What if the intelligence shared by Washington is true and
Russia is preparing to stage a false flag attack to have a pretext to invade
Ukraine, for example through a Ukrainian ‘assault’ on Russia or Russian-speaking
regions of Eastern Ukraine?
Decision-makers in both Russia and NATO are considering all scenarios and making
contingency plans. Some are preparing for scenarios that now appear impossible,
such as reviving the Minsk Process brokered by the Europeans, bearing in mind
that neither Moscow nor Kyiv can roll back the clock when it comes to the facts
on the ground in Donbass.
Some are keeping an eye on Belarus, where Russia has posted thousands of troops
carrying out joint military exercises, mere hours away from the Ukrainian
border, at the invitation of the Belarusian government and President Lukashenko.
Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia are all feeling anxious about the prospect of
Russia using Belarus to encircle Ukraine.
Some will remember Putin’s surprises, from when he invaded Chechnya in 1999 and
seized the Crimea in 2014. Some cite Putin’s shrewd deployment of Russian
influence in Syria since 2015, where he established the strategic Hmeimim
airbase near Latakia, and seized control of Syria’s decision through his
necessary partner Bashar al-Assad. Many are closely watching; perhaps Putin has
similar big surprises for Ukraine.
Some predict Putin will turn the crisis into an opportunity to claim that his
escalation had forced the West and the United States to sit at the table to
discuss security arrangements in Europe. He can play the Iranian card to appear
keen on the success of the nuclear talks in Vienna, and that he alone can
convince Tehran to make the necessary compromises to revive the JCPOA – thus
serving the Biden administration instead of deepening the adversity with
Washington.
Next week will be crucial for both the Vienna talks and the Ukraine crisis.
However, decision-makers in the Western capitals and Moscow are also considering
their options in the event the talks fail, but also in the event they succeed,
that is, for both the scenarios of escalation in Ukraine with a Russian invasion
or incursion, or the scenario of de-escalation.
Russia is planning a global series of actions as part of the scenarios it is
considering, including activating fronts far from Europe if the crisis becomes a
confrontation with NATO powers. Russia may even be envisaging an anti-Western
bloc that includes Venezuela, Caribbean states, and Iran and China.
According to reliable information, Moscow has also started drafting potential
new policies in view of the developments in Vienna. While Iran is a permanent
ally in the Russian calculus, the nature of Iran’s regional behavior in the
event the nuclear talks succeed will require developing a different Russian
tactic that seeks to capitalize on investing in the talks’ success. If the talks
fail, the anticipated Iranian retaliation would require Russia to pursue
different tactics, especially since Moscow does not want a direct animus with
the Arab Gulf states with whom it shares important interests and investments.
Moscow, for example, doesn’t want to become involved in an animus with Israel if
its crisis with the United States is contained, but is willing to use the
Iran-Israel animus to further its own interests if things escalate into a
confrontation with the West and to retaliate against the United States.
Meanwhile, the Russian political establishment is working on a new concept of
Russian foreign policy and a new plan for Russian activities including in the
Middle East. For example, Russian decision-makers are considering ways to move
things forward in Syria, where there is currently a deadlock, when Putin had
wanted to use Syria as a success story for Russian strategy.
Now, Russia appears in need of Iran and Hezbollah in Syria as partners in
retaliation against the West, but this constrains Russia and leaves it no longer
with the upper hand. In turn, this forces Moscow to be in the same box as Iran
and Hezbollah in Lebanon too, following an agenda led by the IRGC. This is a
source of embarrassment for Russian diplomacy, which found itself forced to
engage the Kuwaiti diplomacy to speak about the Gulf initiative for Lebanon to
encourage it as a starting point, but not to adopt its details. This is while
bearing in mind that Tehran and Hezbollah refuse for the Lebanese state to
asserts its sovereignty on its full territory and disarm Hezbollah in
implementation of UN resolutions 1701 and 1551.
Currently, Russian, Gulf, US, and European diplomats all have a desire to
de-escalate. Emirati diplomats have reached out to Iranian diplomats with a
phone call between the two countries’ foreign ministers, who stressed the need
to stop the dangerous escalation in the region and commit to a political
solution in Yemen. The UAE has chosen to defuse the tensions and contain
escalation in the wake of the attacks and threats launched by the Houthis on
Emirati installations. The Iranian foreign minister spoke the language of
working to prevent sources of crisis to take a hold in the region, saying
Israel’s presence in the region posed a threat to all its countries. The
minister also said that the continuation of war in Yemen was not in the interest
of any party.
The same applies to Saudi-Iranian talks, the fifth round of which are supposed
to be held in Iraq in an attempt to reach accords that seem difficult today.
However, the mere continuation of these talks is a positive indication in the
view of the Gulf countries, the US, Europe, China, and Russia.
The tensions and anxieties as a result of the Ukraine crisis have left everyone
holding their breath, especially in light of the mystery surrounding Putin’s
next moves. However, decision makers cannot sit in the corner waiting for
escalation or de-escalation. For this reason, they are all sitting at the table
drafting options and scenarios in anticipation of the implications for what the
Master of the Kremlin shall do, now that he has backed himself into a corner.
If Russia Takes Ukraine, Insurgency Could Be Putin's
Nightmare
James Stavridis/Bloomberg/February, 06/2022
If Russia invades Ukraine, President Vladimir Putin will face an immediate and
difficult choice: how far to go. Most analysts believe he will probably move
forward with an invasion, but is likely to have his military stop within the
pro-Russian enclaves of southeastern Ukraine. This would allow him to declare
independence for the Donbas region and secure a “land bridge” from Russia proper
to its annexed territory in Crimea.
But what if he decides to drive to Kyiv, and overturn the democratically elected
government of President Volodymyr Zelenskiy? Putin has positioned enough
firepower on the border — troops, tanks, missiles — as well as naval and
cyberwarfare assets to conduct a shock-and-awe campaign similar to the 2003 US
invasion of Iraq.
This is something the US and Western allies are thinking about seriously. In the
aftermath of such a total invasion, would there be a strong Ukrainian resistance
movement? And what would the West do to support it?
In my visits to Ukraine as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s military
commander, I found its troops and government officials to be fiercely proud of
their language, heritage and national sovereignty. Ukrainian troops deployed to
Afghanistan under my command, and also participated in several other NATO
missions. What they may have lacked in training and equipment they made up
through determination and toughness.
The Ukrainian collective memory stretches back through many involvements with
Russian troops in the interwar years of the 20th century, during the famines and
fighting of World War II, and during the Cold War years of the Soviet Union. As
Timothy Snyder points out in his book “Bloodlands,” the Ukrainians suffered
greatly and at the hands of Russians over the past century. They can and will
fight. And the Western democracies can help.
The US has been on both sides of insurgencies, of course. It fought a long war
in Vietnam that it ultimately lost to the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong. More
recently, the Taliban simply outlasted US patience in Afghanistan.
On the other hand, Washington supported a successful insurgency, ironically,
against the Soviets during their occupation of Afghanistan — American Stinger
missiles may have been the key technology that helped turn the tide. Allied
support to the French resistance in World War II was a crucial element in
undermining German control over the population in the months leading up to
D-Day.
This kind of support can be done clandestinely, led by the Central Intelligence
Agency. But in the situation of a democracy overrun by an authoritarian neighbor,
there seems little value in hiding the ball. If the US makes the decision that
it will support a potential Ukrainian resistance movement, it should be laying
the groundwork immediately, while Russian tanks are still parked on the other
side of the border.
This means getting supplies into the hands of Ukrainian special forces, who
would be a central part of such a resistance force. They would need the ability
to move out of the population centers, organize and live off the land,
communicate collectively, and above all inflict damage on the occupiers.
This implies a need for transportable explosives, light but lethal handheld
missiles to use against Russian tanks and close-air support, and plenty of
conventional ammunition and hardware including sniper rifles, high-end optical
sights and night vision devices. Cyberwarfare support would be a must. And
trainers in-country — both military and CIA.
One key would be for the Zelenskiy government to get out of Kyiv before the
Russians consolidated control. The government-in-exile should be welcomed in a
NATO capital, and provided full support from the alliance administratively and
diplomatically. It should continue to function via its system of ambassadors
worldwide, and communicate effectively with the resistance leadership within the
country. The model of Charles de Gaulle’s Free French government — despite
occasionally being a challenge to the World War II allies — would be suitable.
And much as the mujahideen of the 1980s gradually turned Afghanistan in a
killing field for Russian troops, so could a well-armed and supported resistance
force make Ukraine a very deadly experience. This would entail cutting Russian
supply lines, targeting senior officers, destroying Russian heavy equipment,
using cybertools to damage Russian command and control, and rallying the
populace for civil resistance (strikes, shop closures and transportation
shutdowns).
No one wants to see an invasion of Ukraine, and we should all hope diplomacy and
common sense will prevail. And if Putin chooses to unleash his forces, it’s
likely they will be limited to the southeast of the country.
But combat has a way of getting out of control, of climbing the ladder of
escalation. If Russian tanks roll across the Dnieper River to the capital,
Ukrainians will fight — and a powerful resistance movement may be the best hope.
The West should preparing now to help.
Will France Wake Up and Defend Her Freedom – or Not?
Giulio Meotti/Gatestone Institute/February 06/2022
"If every time we are shocked, we were to pronounce death sentences, what would
become of us? What kind of society would we live in?" — Mila to a tribunal,
L'Union, June 21, 2021.
"We resist because, otherwise, they will have won". — Mila's mother, testifying
in court, bfmtv.com, June 21, 2021.
One morning... Val learned that Al Qaeda had issued a death sentence on him. The
poster showed his photograph, stained in blood.
Social media are filled with ways to kill her -- bullets, explosives, crushing
her head, slitting her throat or setting her on fire.
These threats and attempts to intimidate prove the danger presented by those
committed to... creating a new society by force and terror: If you criticize me,
I will kill you -- behead you or slit your throat.
Fear works. No one wants to see their name on an internet hit list, or falsely
be called racist. Journalists studiously look the other way and are nowhere to
be found.
In April, the country will vote. The next day, it will be possible to tell what
direction the country -- and with it, Europe -- will take. Will it submit -- or
not?
The threats and attempts to intimidate prove the danger presented by those
committed to creating a new society by force and terror: If you criticize me, I
will kill you -- behead you or slit your throat. Fear works. No one wants to see
their name on an internet hit list, or falsely be called racist. Journalists
studiously look the other way and are nowhere to be found. (Images source:
iStock)
"What else do you need to wake up and understand that we have to defend
ourselves?", asked the late Italian journalist Oriana Fallaci.
We should be worried about Europe. It is the cradle of European culture,
especially France. Henry James, in The Ambassadors, writes about France as the
epitome of civilization, as the "eldest daughter of the Church". Now, however,
France's churches are being burned, demolished and abandoned, and its adherents
sacrificed on the altar of political correctness. France's Jews, "the canaries
in the coalmine", are being physically attacked and leaving their country. Since
2000, more than 60,000 have fled.
In the face of this massive assault on freedom and culture, an army of "useful
idiots" is siding with the enemies of civilization. Professor Robert Redeker was
forced into hiding after criticizing radical Islam and now has to be protected
by police.
Mohamed Sifaoui's mobile phone contains 853 numbers of police and security
officers: all assigned to protect him. Some have retired, others have been
transferred, many are still active. His driver began his career with him. "It
will be nineteen years in April," Sifaoui told Le Point. "I met him young and we
grew old together". This journalist, a specialist in terrorism and radical
Islam, holds a record: since 2003, he has intermittently been living under the
eyes of the police. "I happened to have up to six bodyguards, with men posted in
front of my building, long guns in hand. When I couldn't take it anymore, I went
on assignments abroad to get away from it all".
Forced to change his address regularly, Sifaoui has paid a high price for being
"protected by the Republic".
"For relatives, it is an unbearable pressure. Planning your schedule around that
of your policeman is hellish, even if you end up getting used to no longer going
to the terrace, frequenting certain neighborhoods and experiencing any
unforeseen events. You get used to it, like an amputee can get used to living
with one limb missing..."Thirty-five persons in France are now living under
police protection for criticizing Islam. Women include Zineb el Rhazoui; Marika
Bret; Claire Koc; Christine Kelly, a star of the CNews channel and longtime
studio partner of Éric Zemmour, threatened with beheading by Islamic
fundamentalists, also lives under guard; Fatiha Agag-Boudjahlat, a teacher and
author who had reproached a few students for not respecting the minute of
silence during the homage to Samuel Paty, and most recently Ophélie Meunier.
Meunier is a reporter ofr the TV program Zone Interdite, who filmed a
documentary, "The Islamization of Roubaix", broadcast on prime time television.
She is the third French citizen in a single week to go under police protection.
A high school science teacher in Trappes and Amine Elbahi, a lawyer who appeared
in the film, were both threatened with beheading.
Meunier showed what is happening in France: men who will not shake hands with
women, restaurants with curtained cubicles reserved for women "so that the women
can neither see out or be seen", and toys and children's books without faces, as
in Islam, depiction of images is forbidden (Hadith, Sahih Muslim, 818-875).
Dozens of people in France have been thrown into a parallel universe of fear,
threats, insidious noises, prying eyes, policemen who follow them everywhere and
death lists. This is all taking place not in Pakistan, Iran, Saudi Arabia or
Somalia, but in the capital of Enlightenment and European culture.
It is not just about politicians such as Marine Le Pen or judges such as Albert
Lévy. The whole country now lives in fear of Islam. Anyone who dares to speak
about it in a straightforward way can expect alarms, armored doors, "safe
rooms", metal detectors, automatic weapons, precautions, movements coordinated
with the police. Meanwhile, two churches a day are vandalized, and in 2021, ten
Jews a day emigrated from France.
Imams such as Hassen Chalghoumi also live under guard. After he supported the
law banning the burqa in public, Islamists besieged his mosque and entered the
prayer room. One of the Islamists exclaimed: "Aiqtalah aiqtala! Let's kill him!
Let's kill him!" He now travels in armored vehicles, is protected by six
policemen and never sleeps two nights in the same place. Terrorists have placed
a bounty of 150,000 euros ($172,000) on his head.
A high school student, Mila, has been removed from a military school where she
took refuge after receiving 50,000 death threats after, at the age of 16,
criticizing Islam on Instagram.
A feminist, Peggy Sastre, wrote in Le Point that feminists who had turned out to
protest a potential award for the filmmaker Roman Polanski had failed to show up
on for Mila's first hearing on June 3:
"Why so much disaffection on the part of feminists? It is perhaps because, in
Mila's case, rising up against the most violent and retrograde manifestations of
the Muslim religion requires taking real risks and can lead to far more real
consequences than we would expect when we leave a movie theater and are careful
to hold up our evening dresses not to fall down the stairs".
Listening to what Mila said in a Paris court, one understands why these flaccid
multiculturalists deserted the trial. Mila said what none of them wants to hear.
"If every time we are shocked, we were to pronounce death sentences, what would
become of us? What kind of society would we live in?" she asked.
"I am sure that if I had formulated my criticism of Islam without vulgarity,
without profanity, they would have reacted exactly the same way, with other
arguments. Because their goal is, first of all, to prevent any criticism of
Islam. But I'm not giving up".
Mila then replied to those who told her that it is better to leave social media:
"I no longer go to school, I have no social life, I have lost everything, and
what's more, do I have to let myself be forgotten? Do I have to disappear
completely? Should a woman who has been raped not go out on the street to avoid
being raped again? I say no! I would be psychically dead, destroyed, if I had
let all these people trample me".
"Mila... knows she cannot have a future," her mother testified in court. "Beyond
the risk of an attack, what future can we imagine with such deadly pressure? We
resist because, otherwise, they will have won".
"Islamism is gaining ground on our soil", wrote 60 French MPs in Le Journal du
dimanche. "Islamism is poisoning France, rotting many minds and many
neighborhoods that are now lost territories for the Republic".
Éric Zemmour, a candidate in the upcoming presidential elections who has been
called "the most endangered man in France", the prominent French novelist,
Michel Houellebecq, and a dozen teachers and professors, from Trappes to
Grenoble, also live under guard. Many have seen their careers, lives and names
destroyed. The entire editorial staff of the satiric magazine Charlie Hebdo --
after a massacre on January 7, 2015, in which 17 people lost their lives --
still live protected behind 85 police officers and 6 armored doors. The house of
its former director, Philippe Val, has bulletproof windows and an armored "safe
room" with a direct telephone line for rescue, if needed. One morning at the
Ministry of the Interior, Val learned that Al Qaeda had issued a death sentence
on him. The poster showed his photograph, stained in blood.
A former journalist of Charlie Hebdo, Zineb El Rhazoui, spoke with police about
her daily life:
"Do you see the confinement? Well, I've been confined since 2015. I kept
fighting against something that kept getting stronger. The fate that the
Islamists want to reserve for me is unacceptable, but I want to bury the
hatchet".
The French newspapers call her "the woman in danger" and "the most protected
woman in France". El Rhazoui, originally form Casablanca, Morocco, has, for
security, moved from home to home in Paris over the years, and has more
bodyguards than most ministers. Walking down the street or taking the subway is
unthinkable. Social media are filled with ways to kill her -- bullets,
explosives, crushing her head, slitting her throat or setting her on fire. "Zineb
El Rhazoui must be killed to avenge the Prophet", ordered a fatwa after the
attacks. "I arrived at a moment of my journey," El Rhazoui said to Le Point,
"when I feel the urgent need to get out of the fight". That this courageous
woman and journalist, after five years of countering death threats, wants to get
out of this fight is understandable, but it means that we are losing the fight.
These threats and attempts to intimidate demonstrate the danger presented by
those committed to Islamizing the society and creating a new one by terror or
force: If you criticize me, I will kill you -- behead you or slit your throat.
Meanwhile, the state and the judicial institutions prove to be paper tigers.
Fear works. No one wants to see their name on an internet hit list, or falsely
be called racist. Journalists studiously look the other way and are nowhere to
be found.
"This is what happens when you show the French people the Islamization of our
country," wrote Éric Zemmour, one of the few to speak the truth.
This is France 2022. In April, the country will vote. The next day, it will be
possible to tell what direction the country -- and with it, Europe -- will take.
Will it submit -- or not?
*Giulio Meotti, Cultural Editor for Il Foglio, is an Italian journalist and
author.
© 2022 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do
not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No
part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied
or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.
Terrorist roads all lead to Tehran
Dalia Al-Aqidi/Arab News/February 06, 2022
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/106145/dalia-al-aqiditerrorist-roads-all-lead-to-tehran-dr-majid-rafizadeh-iran-desperate-to-ensure-assad-regime-survives-%d8%af%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%8a%d8%a7-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%b9%d9%82%d9%8a%d8%af%d9%8a-%d9%83/
US President Joe Biden surprised the world last week by announcing the death of
the leader of Daesh, Abu Ibrahim Al-Hashimi Al-Qurashi, who had led the
terrorist group since the killing of his predecessor, Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi, in a
US raid in 2019. According to the president, Iraqi national Al-Qurashi was
responsible for the recent attack on a prison in northeast Syria that was
holding Daesh fighters and was also the driving force behind the genocide of the
Yazidi people in northwestern Iraq in 2014.
“We all remember the gut-wrenching stories: Mass slaughters that wiped out
entire villages, thousands of women and young girls sold into slavery, rape used
as a weapon of war. And thanks to the bravery of our troops, this horrible
terrorist leader is no more,” Biden said.
Despite the domestic and international challenges facing the US administration,
especially the fears of a Russian move on the Ukrainian border, the White House
wanted to deliver a global message that Washington will continue its war against
terrorism and extremism wherever they are. Biden also wanted to erase the
negative image of the US military’s chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan and
restore confidence in its ability to carry out successful missions. Eliminating
a terrorist leader will provide the president and his Democratic Party with a
much-needed push before the US midterm elections and a foreign policy victory in
case his efforts to revive the Iran nuclear deal fail. Undoubtedly, the world is
much safer without Al-Qurashi, but will Daesh collapse as a result of his death?
Absolutely not. The death of Al-Baghdadi did not end the terrorist group, nor
will the killing of Al-Quraishi prevent it from executing more attacks against
innocent people, especially in the Middle East and North Africa.
Dr. Hans-Jakob Schindler, senior director of the Counter Extremism Project and
former coordinator of the UN Security Council’s Daesh, Al-Qaeda and Taliban
Monitoring Team, predicted that retaliation was likely once the group has named
Al-Quraishi’s successor. “Most likely it is going to be an Iraqi, simply because
there is a big structure in Iraq and Daesh is originally from that country, and
they chose Al-Quraishi because of his tribal affiliation,” Schindler told the
Jerusalem Post. As soon as 2022 began, Daesh strongly returned to the fore by
carrying out operations in unstable countries such as Iraq, Syria and Libya.
Last year, the group managed to significantly increase its funding, which led to
the reorganization of its ranks in these countries, especially Iraq. It is not
surprising that Daesh’s terrorist operations have been escalating amid the Iraqi
political dispute. The results of last October’s elections pulled the rug from
under the feet of the pro-Iranian militias, who had insisted on taking all the
credit for the liberation of Mosul and the defeat of Daesh in 2017. The leaders
of the Iranian proxy militias and their supporters act as if they control Iraq
and its citizens under the pretext of protecting their honor and liberating
their lands.
If Daesh were to be defeated, the presence of multiple pro-Iran militias in Iraq
would no longer be needed. Suppose that Daesh is ultimately defeated and all its
sleeper cells in Iraq are eliminated. In that case, the many pro-Iran militias
would no longer be needed, but Tehran strongly rejects this. To serve their own
political interests, militia patrols and checkpoints are required to turn a
blind eye to the movement of Daesh members and even facilitate their attacks.
Simply put, if Daesh dies in Iraq, so too do the pro-Iran militias.
Meanwhile, in Syria, the presence of the terrorist group gives Bashar Assad, who
continues to murder his own people, global legitimacy and a valid argument. This
also benefits the regime in Tehran.
If we take a closer look at the map of this troubled region, all roads lead to
Tehran.History will describe the war against terrorism as one of the most
prolonged and bloodiest wars of all time, as long as this dangerous ideology
continues to receive oxygen.
Dalia Al-Aqidi is a senior fellow at the Center for Security Policy. Twitter: @DaliaAlAqidi
Iran desperate to ensure Assad regime survives
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Arab News/February 06, 2022
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/106145/dalia-al-aqiditerrorist-roads-all-lead-to-tehran-dr-majid-rafizadeh-iran-desperate-to-ensure-assad-regime-survives-%d8%af%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%8a%d8%a7-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%b9%d9%82%d9%8a%d8%af%d9%8a-%d9%83/
The Iranian regime is expanding its presence in Syria and increasing its
military, financial and advisory assistance to militia groups there in order to
preserve one of its top national security interests.
Tehran’s increasing influence in Syria can particularly be seen in the eastern
part of the Arab state. On the military side, according to the Washington Post:
“Iran has been playing the long game in Deir Ezzor, successfully recruiting
local Syrians to allied militias, providing services the deeply distrusted
government cannot deliver and putting down roots in a strategic province that
could further Tehran’s regional interests even after the Syrian civil war
eventually ends and Iran’s support for President Bashar Assad is no longer as
vital.”
To more effectively infiltrate and control Syria, the Islamic Republic has also
been building and opening schools and attempting to convert some Sunni mosques
into Shiite ones. Some of Iran’s leaders even think of Syria as part of Iran.
For example, Mehdi Taeb, a confidant of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, said Syria
is Iran’s “35th province… if we lose Syria we won’t be able to hold Tehran.”
From the perspective of the Iranian regime, Syria is of great strategic
importance as it is the crux of Tehran’s regional hegemonic strategy. Hence,
Syria is a matter of national security for the Islamic Republic. In addition,
the regime has long used Syria as its main weapons conduit to Hezbollah. And a
convergence of interests exists between the foreign policies of Syria and Iran,
particularly with respect to their stance toward the US.
In other words, any fundamental change in Syria’s political establishment would
echo across the Middle East and significantly affect the region’s political
chessboard.
This is why the Iranian regime has put all its efforts into ensuring the
survival of the Alawite state and President Assad’s hold on power. The Islamic
Republic began by providing advisers to the Syrian government. Later, it also
provided technological, financial and intelligence assistance. Iran has also
assisted and trained Assad’s forces militarily and dispatched soldiers from the
Quds Force, an elite branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps that
conducts extraterritorial operations. When these soldiers proved to be
insufficient, more IRGC forces were sent to fight in Syria.
Tehran has also sought the help of its Shiite proxies, primarily Hezbollah, to
fight major battles in support of Assad’s forces. When the numbers of Syrian
rebel and opposition groups increased, Iran hired Shiite fighters from other
countries, including Pakistan and Afghanistan.
In addition, the Islamic Republic has hemorrhaged billions of dollars
maintaining Assad’s presidency. One of the major reasons Iran has been capable
of successfully keeping Assad in power and increasing its influence and presence
in Syria is that Tehran’s agenda is based on a long-term plan and its policy
toward Damascus is proactive.
To counter the Iranian regime, the US can take several steps. First of all, it
must form a coalition within the Gulf states and support regional powers such as
the UAE and Saudi Arabia. This would allow Washington to more effectively oppose
the Iranian regime’s growing presence and influence in Syria. Secondly, the US
should be careful when renegotiating the nuclear deal with Iran. Any agreement
that lifts all sanctions against Tehran would help the regime and its militias
in Syria — this is due to the fact that Iran would rejoin the global financial
system and significantly increase its revenue by increasing oil exports. Since
Iran’s economy is primarily a state-controlled economy, the major beneficiaries
of additional revenues are the supreme leader, the IRGC and Iran’s network of
terror and militia groups.
The Iranian regime’s financial assistance to Assad is among the most critical
factors, so the US cutting this lifeline would be vital. This has almost been
done in the past, such as in 2014, when Iran was in a difficult situation
financially due to UN Security Council sanctions. The pressure on Tehran was
reflected in speeches made by Khamenei, who anxiously called on Assad to make
reforms and control the situation in Syria. Unfortunately, those sanctions were
lifted as a result of the 2015 nuclear deal. One crucial way to cut the
financial lifeline to Syrian militia groups would be to reimpose those sanctions
on the Iranian regime. Syria is of great strategic importance as it is the crux
of Tehran’s regional hegemonic strategy. Thirdly, America’s focus should also be
on Iran’s human rights violations. Cases should be pursued to bring to justice
those Iranian leaders and militia groups that have engaged in crimes against
humanity in Syria. The International Criminal Court, Amnesty International, the
UN and human rights organizations can be used to achieve this.
In a nutshell, the Iranian regime continues to increase its presence and
influence in Syria. To confront Tehran, the US must cut off the flow of funds to
the regime and form a powerful coalition with the Gulf states, particularly
Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
*Dr. Majid Rafizadeh is a Harvard-educated Iranian-American political scientist.
Twitter: @Dr_Rafizadeh
Too many fingers in the Libyan pie
Yasar Yakis/Arab News/February 06, 2022
Elections in Libya that were scheduled for Dec. 24 last year could not be held
for a number of reasons. The most important one was that the High National
Election Commission could not publish the final list of candidates because
militias had threatened to stop the electoral process if it did so.
In September, the Tobruk-based House of Representatives had withdrawn its
support from the Government of National Unity of Prime Minister Abdul Hamid
Dbeibeh. According to the UN-sponsored roadmap, if he wanted to stand in the
elections, he had to resign three months before they took place. He still has
not done so.
Dbeibeh last week stated that his government would remain in office until the
elections, which are now scheduled for June this year. In other words, he
extended his own mandate for almost half a year. Parliament Speaker Aguila Saleh
opposed Dbeibeh’s decision and said that a new prime minister would be voted in
on Wednesday. These are the signs of an impending earthquake in Libya’s domestic
politics. There have also been changes on the side of the UN. Jan Kubis, the
special envoy for Libya, resigned his post in November, probably at Washington’s
instigation, and was replaced by US diplomat Stephanie Turco Williams. The White
House does not want to lose control of the unfolding of events in Libya.
After it became clear that the elections could not be held on the scheduled
date, the chairman of the High National Election Commission said they may not be
held for another six to eight months.
In light of the divided nature of the country, it has become all the more
difficult to make forecasts about the outcome of the political process. Even
though Dbeibeh claims he is prime minister, Saleh believes that Dbeibeh’s
mandate expired on Dec. 24. Therefore, he cannot act as PM.
Adding to the complications, Saif Al-Islam Qaddafi, a man wanted by the
International Criminal Court, last year emerged as a contender in the elections.
Khalifa Haftar is another strong candidate. These two candidates have the
potential to have a fundamental effect on the unfolding of the democratic
process in Libya. If and when the elections are held, the next issue to be
addressed will be the withdrawal of foreign forces from Libya. A more or less
satisfactory framework already exists for this task. A team called the 5+5
Libyan Joint Military Commission was created under the auspices of the UN
Support Mission in Libya. This commission agreed in October last year to urge
the withdrawal of foreign military forces from Libya. This decision was in line
with the ceasefire agreement signed on Oct. 23, 2020, and with UN Security
Council resolutions 2570 and 2571. It was also in line with the decisions
adopted at last June’s Berlin Conference. The plan was submitted to the Libya
Stabilization Conference held in Tripoli in October last year. It was an
important step toward Libyan ownership of the process, but what matters most is
the implementation. Almost every major stakeholder in Libya has its own
interpretation of the decisions.
Despite the genuine wish of the UN to introduce a Libyan-owned electoral
process, the countries that have important stakes will not easily withdraw their
hands from this country.
Russia will not withdraw its Wagner Group mercenaries unless a solution meets
its own expectations. Egypt is very much interested in the withdrawal of the
foreign forces because it has a long common border with Libya. France and Italy
have their own plans. And the US has already demonstrated through Williams that
it means business.
In light of the divided nature of the country, it has become all the more
difficult to make forecasts about the outcome of the political process.
Turkey also has its own expectations. So far, it has only been dealing with the
Government of National Accord based in Tripoli. It now understands that the
Libyan chessboard is more complicated than it first thought. It has contacted
more local players in the country and foreign actors such as Egypt and the UAE.
Ankara has already expressed its view that the Turkish military presence in
Libya was based on an agreement signed with the legitimate Libyan government —
though this agreement has yet to be ratified by the Tobruk-based parliament.
Despite close contact between Turkey and Russia, Ankara recently made a surprise
statement saying: “Turkey will be working together with the US in Libya.” We
will see in due course what exactly this means.
Last but not least, the oil companies will perhaps play a more assertive role
during the election process. Their methods may prove to be even more efficient
than those of the Libyan politicians and foreign countries.
*Yasar Yakis is a former foreign minister of Turkey and founding member of the
ruling AK Party. Twitter: @yakis_yasar
د. مجيد رافيزادا: تستمت إيران لضمان نجاة واستمرارية نظام الأسد
Iran desperate to ensure Assad regime survives/Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Arab
News/February 06, 2022
داليا العقيدي: كل طرق الإرهاب تؤدي إلى طهران
Terrorist roads all lead to Tehran/Dalia Al-Aqidi/Arab News/February 06, 2022
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/106145/dalia-al-aqiditerrorist-roads-all-lead-to-tehran-dr-majid-rafizadeh-iran-desperate-to-ensure-assad-regime-survives-%d8%af%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%8a%d8%a7-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%b9%d9%82%d9%8a%d8%af%d9%8a-%d9%83/
US President Joe Biden surprised the world last week by announcing the death of
the leader of Daesh, Abu Ibrahim Al-Hashimi Al-Qurashi, who had led the
terrorist group since the killing of his predecessor, Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi, in a
US raid in 2019. According to the president, Iraqi national Al-Qurashi was
responsible for the recent attack on a prison in northeast Syria that was
holding Daesh fight