English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For February 11/2022
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news

The Bulletin's Link on the lccc Site
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/aaaanewsfor2021/english.february11.22.htm

News Bulletin Achieves Since 2006
Click Here to enter the LCCC Arabic/English news bulletins Achieves since 2006

Bible Quotations For today
The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those in authority over them are called benefactors. But not so with you
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 22/24-30: “A dispute also arose among them as to which one of them was to be regarded as the greatest. But he said to them, ‘The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those in authority over them are called benefactors. But not so with you; rather the greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like one who serves. For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one at the table? But I am among you as one who serves. ‘You are those who have stood by me in my trials; and I confer on you, just as my Father has conferred on me, a kingdom, so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”’’

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on February 10-11/2022
Lebanon, The Maronities And Saint Maroun In His Annual Day/Elias Bejjani/February 09/2022
Corona - Health Ministry: 6060 new Corona cases, 20 deaths
Aoun chairs Cabinet session, says approval of draft budget law for 2022 accomplished
Cabinet Approves Budget, Miqati Says Revenues Almost Equal to Spending
Berri calls for plenary session February 21, 22
Qaouq Says Hizbullah Strongly against Elections Postponement
Mawlawi Bans Two Pro-Bahraini Opposition Rallies at Lebanese Hotel
Miqati Urges Cooperation with Govt., Truth in Port Blast Case
Lebanese officials busy themselves with border dispute discussions against backdrop of port blast anger
U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon Visits South Lebanon
Conclusive Results on Maritime Border Demarcation 'Within Weeks'
U.S. Envoy Urges Lebanon, Israel to Settle Maritime Border Dispute
Families of Beirut Port Victims Storm Justice Palace, Urge Probe to Resume
Archbishop Gallagher on hopes for Lebanon’s future/Francesca Sabatinelli/Vatican News/February 10/2022
Kick the iranians out and bring to justice those directly involved culprits/Jean-Marie Kassab/February 10/2022
Biden Pays Army Salaries to Iranian Ally/Tony Badran/The Tablet/February 10/2022
Germany must implement its ban of Hezbollah terror activities/Benjamin Weinthal/Jewish News Syndicate/February 10/2022
Lebanese must not lose hope despite Hezbollah’s oppression/Khaled Abou Zahr/Arab News/February 10/2022
Colombia is tackling the threat of Hezbollah in South America/Alissa Pavia and Joze Pelayo/Al arabiya/February 11/2022

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on February 10-11/2022
US says committed to supporting Saudi Arabia defend itself from Houthi attacks
At least 12 people injured after drone intercepted above Saudi Arabia’s Abha airport
US condemns Iran-backed Houthi attack on Saudi Arabia’s Abha airport
As nuclear talks resume, Iran's oil exports increase
US pressures Iran to revive nuclear agreement quickly
German FM Says Iran Nuclear Talks Entering 'Final Phase'
Iran Unveils New Missile with Reported Region-Wide Range
Diplomats Meet in Moscow and Berlin as Russian Drills Held
Saudi Arabia Says 12 Hurt in Attack Targeting Airport Near Yemen
Prince William Focuses on Conservation during First UAE Trip
Libya Parliament Names Rival PM in Challenge to Unity Govt.
Adrift after Enslavement, Yazidi Teen Says She Can't Go Home
EU to invest €1.6 billion in Morocco over next five years
Monitors Say North Korea May be Preparing Military Parade
Pope to visit Malta on April 2-3, Vatican says
200 Jordanian phones linked to Israeli hacking scandal

Titles For The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on February 10-11/2022
Les aléas de l’accord nucléaire, du même au même/Charles Elias Chartouni/February 10/2022
Russia Eyeing Kazakhstan? China and Russia Vying for Influence/Lawrence A. Franklin/Gatestone Institute/February 10/2022
The Real Apartheid in the Middle East/Khaled Abu Toameh/Gatestone Institute/February 10/2022
The pursuit of power/Mohamad A. Hamdan/Now Lebanon/February 10/2022
Libyan PM Dbeibah said to escape assassination attempt amid growing struggle for power/The Arab Weekly/February 10/2022
Is Biden about to get tough on Iran?/Dr. Dania Koleilat Khatib/Arab News/February 10, 2022

The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on February 10-11/2022
Lebanon, The Maronities And Saint Maroun In His Annual Day
Elias Bejjani/February 09/2022
(From 2013 Archives)
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/36434/elias-bejjani-lebanon-maronities-and-saint-maroun/
Fouad Afram Boustani, (1904- 1994), the Lebanese Maronite historian described the Maronite denomination as, a faith of intelligence, an identification of life, a solid belief in Catholicism, a love for others, an ongoing struggle for righteousness, a mentality of openness on the whole world, and on its different civilizations, and a vehicle for martyrdom. The Maronites established the state of Lebanon and made it an oasis for the persecuted in the middle East. They believed and practiced multiculturalism and pluralism. They created with the help of other minorities in the Middle East the unique nation of Lebanon.
The Maronites made Lebanon their homeland since the 4th century after converting its native inhabitants to Christianity. They were identified by it, and it was identified by them, they were and still are one entity. The Maronite people were always hopeful, faithful and strong believers in the Christian Catholic doctrine. They made victories of defeats, joy of sorrow and hope of despair. The Maronites successfully created with hard work and a great deal of faith and sacrifices, the Maronite nation by fulfilling its four basic pillars, a land, a people, a civilization and a politically independent entity. They constantly fight for what was theirs, and never ever surrendered to despair.
On the ninth of February for the past 1600 years, Maronites in Lebanon and all over the world have been celebrating the annual commemoration of St. Maroun, the founder of their Christian Catholic denomination.
Every year, on the ninth of February, more than ten million Maronites from all over the world celebrate St. Maroun’s day. On this day, they pay their respect to the great founder of the Maronite Church, Maroun the priest, the hermit, the father, the leader and the Saint. They remember what they have been exposed to, since the 4th century, both good and bad times. They reminisce through the past, examine the present and contemplate the future. They pray for peace, democracy and freedom in Lebanon, their homeland, and all over the world.
Who was this Saint, how did he establish his church, where did he live, and who are his people, the Maronites?
St. Maroun, according to the late great Lebanese philosopher and historian, Fouad Afram Al-Bustani, was raised in the city of Kouroch. This city is located northeast of Antioch (presently in Turkey), and to the northwest of Herapolos (Manbieg), the capital of the third Syria (Al-Furatia). Kouroch is still presently in existence in Turkey, it is located 15 kilometers to the northwest of Kalas city, and about 70 kilometers to the north of the Syrian city, Aleppo.
As stated by the historians, Father Boutrous Daou and Fouad Fram Bustani, Maroun chose a very high location at the Semaan Mountain (called in the past, Nabo Mountain, after the pagan god, Nabo). Geographically, the Semaan Mountain is located between Antioch and Aleppo. People had abandoned the mountain for years, and the area was completely deserted.
The ruins of a historic pagan temple that existed on the mountain attracted Maroun. Boustan stated that St. Maroun moved to this mountain and decided to follow the life of a hermit. He made the ruined temple his residence after excoriating it from devils, but used it only for masses and offerings of the holy Eucharist. He used to spend all his time in the open air, praying, fasting and depriving his body from all means of comfort. He became very famous in the whole area for his faith, holiness and power of curing. Thousands of believers came to him seeking help and advice.
St. Maroun, was an excellent knowledgeable preacher and a very stubborn believer in Christ and in Christianity. He was a mystic who started a new ascetic-spiritual method that attracted many people from all over the Antiochian Empire. He was a zealous missionary with a passion to spread the message of Christ by preaching it to others. He sought not only to cure the physical ailments that people suffered, but had a great quest for nurturing and healing the “lost souls” of both pagans and Christians of his time. Maroun’s holiness and countless miracles drew attention throughout the Antiochian Empire. St. John of Chrysostom sent him a letter around 405 AD expressing his great love and respect asking St. Maroun to pray for him.
St. Maroun’s way was deeply monastic with emphasis on the spiritual and ascetic aspects of living. For him, all was connected to God and God was connected to all. He did not separate the physical and spiritual world and actually used the physical world to deepen his faith and spiritual experience with God. St. Maroun embraced the quiet solitude of the Semaan Mountain life. He lived in the open air exposed to the forces of nature such as sun, rain, hail and snow. His extraordinary desire to come to know God’s presence in all things allowed him to transcend such forces, and discover an intimate union with God. He was able to free himself from the physical world by his passion and eagerness for prayer and enter into a mystical relationship of love with the creator.
St. Maroun attracted hundreds of monks and priests who came to live with him and become his disciples and loyal Christian followers. Maroun’s disciples preached the Bible in the Antiochan Empire (known at the present time as Syria), Lebanon, Turkey, Iraq, Jordan and Israel, They built hundreds of Churches and abbeys as well as schools and were known for their faith, devotion and perseverance.
At the age of seventy, in the year 410 AD, and after completing his holy mission, St. Maroun died peacefully while surrounded by his disciples and followers. His will was to be buried in the same grave with his beloved teacher, the great monk, Zabena, in the town of Kena, next to Kouroch city, where a temple was built in Zabena’s name. St. Maroun’s will was not fulfilled, because the residents of a nearby town were able to take his body and bury him in their town and build a huge church on his grave. This church was a shrine for Christians for hundreds of years, and its ruins are still apparent in that town.
After Maroun’s death, his disciples built a huge monastery in honor of his name, adjacent to the ornate spring, (Naher Al-Assi, located at the Syrian-Lebanese border). The monastery served for hundreds of years as a pillar for faith, education, martyrhood and holiness. It was destroyed at the beginning of the tenth century that witnessed the worst Christian persecution era. During the savage attack on the monastery more than 300 Maronite priests were killed. The surviving priests moved to the mountains of Lebanon where with the Marada people and the native Lebanese were successful in establishing the Maronite nation. They converted the Lebanese mountains to a fortress of faith and a symbol for martyrhood, endurance and perseverance.
Initially the Maronite movement reached Lebanon when St. Maroun’s first disciple Abraham of Cyrrhus, who was called the Apostle of Lebanon, realized that paganism was thriving in Lebanon, so he set out to convert the pagans to Christianity by introducing them to the way of St. Maroun. St. Maroun is considered to be the Father of the spiritual and monastic movement now called the Maronite Church. This movement had a profound influence on northern Syria, Lebanon, Cyprus and on many other countries all over the world where the Maronites currently live. The biggest Maronite community at the present time lives in Brazil. More than six million Lebanese descendents made Brazil their home after the massive emigration that took place from Lebanon in the beginning of this century.

Corona - Health Ministry: 6060 new Corona cases, 20 deaths
NNA/February 10/2022  
In its daily report on the COVID-19 developments, the Ministry of Public Health announced on Thursday the registration of 6060 new infections with the Coronavirus, which raised the cumulative number of confirmed cases to-date to 999155 ،The report added that 20 deaths were recorded during the past 24 hours.

Aoun chairs Cabinet session, says approval of draft budget law for 2022 accomplished
NNA/February 10/2022  
The Cabinet convened this afternoon, at the Presidential Palace, in a session chaired by President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun, and attended by Prime Minister, Najib Mikati and ministers. The Council of Ministers approved the 2022 draft budget law, and decided to refer it to the Parliament. Part of the session was attended by the Acting Director General of the Ministry of Finance, George Marawi. The Cabinet also took a series of decisions, the most prominent of which were: Contractors of various names in the Ministry of Education and Higher Education benefiting from a daily transportation allowance for a maximum of 3 days per week, provided that the number of daily teaching lessons is not less than 3 during each week. The Cabinet also decided to extend work by the decision to give social assistance which is equivalent to half a salary, provided that it is given to employees who are committed to attending the regular official working hours starting from its date. In addition, the Cabinet assigned Mr. Ziad Nasr to carry out the duties of the government’s commissioner to the Council for Development and Reconstruction, and appointed Brigadier General Muhammad Al-Mustafa as Secretary-General of the Supreme Defense Council, and Brigadier General Pierre Saab as a member of the Military Council. President Michel Aoun stressed the follow-up of programs to support the poorest families, the financing card and joint contracts concerned with the conditions of people with special needs, as well as following up on the conditions of health care centers and enhancing their capabilities to enable them to provide necessary medical services. President Aoun also emphasized the need to secure medicines for incurable diseases, permanent treatments and hospital services, which have become a difficult burden.
In addition, President Aoun stressed the activation of the work dynamics in various departments and institutions and the return of employees to their work centers, especially after adjusting and increasing the value of daily transport. The President pointed out that “We cannot accept that departments and institutions open one or two days per week. Citizens go to public administrations and institutions run their business without avail, work is delayed, and there is procrastination and failure to implement any work under the excuse that employees are absent, hence bribes and connections begin”.
Then, the President spoke about the draft budget, and said: “It is important that the draft budget be accompanied by the financial and economic recovery plan that is under discussion and preparation by the task force, headed by the Deputy Prime Minister, provided that it includes: Determining losses and how they are distributed (the state, the Central Bank, banks and depositors. I insist on not harming small depositors who constitute about 93% of their total), restructuring banks, recapitalizing and restructuring the BDL, structural reforms, and fighting corruption, starting with a forensic audit and an executive plan for the social safety net”. For his part, PM Mikati addressed the most prominent amendments that occurred in some articles of the draft budget, pointing out that revenues are almost equal to expenditures with an amount of 7000 billion LBP in the budget reserves. PM Mikati stressed that the general trend is to pay attention to social and living aspects and to facilitate the conditions of citizens and their health and care affairs. In addition, PM Mikati pointed out that after approving the budget in the Cabinet, specialized sessions will be held to study specific sectors, the most important of which are electricity, communications and waste, provided that the economic recovery plan has been completed to be presented to the Council of Ministers, and after approval it will be presented for a wide discussion by various concerned authorities.
In addition, the Prime Minister focused on the importance of achieving required reforms, whether through decrees issued by the Council of Ministers or laws approved by the Parliament, pointing to the importance of solidarity to work to save the country from the painful reality it is passing through.
The session was preceded by a bilateral meeting between the President of the Republic and the Premier, during which the topics on the agenda were discussed, in addition to some life and livelihood affairs.
PM Mikati:
After the session ended, PM Mikati made the following statement:
“Today we have completed the first step in a series of measures that will be taken on the financial level. We now have a budget, which is necessary for the orderly conduct of state affairs. The Finance Minister described the budget as corrective for a transitional phase that has an emergency character.
Every word of the budget specifications is a fact, and we have great challenges, including inflation, stumbling, and the inability to finance externally, and we have a primary goal that is to achieve financial, monetary and economic stability.
We set out the priorities of supporting the social, health and hospital sectors, and keeping pace with the situation of management and employees in the public sector. A series of measures have been taken, including giving one month increment for each month of work for public sector employees, provided that it is not less than two million pounds and does not exceed six million pounds. We gave the retirees an additional salary for each month, provided that it is not less than one million and seven hundred thousand pounds and not more than five million and one hundred thousand pounds, and the application takes place as soon as the budget is issued in the Parliament, and until the budget is issued, we continue to apply Decree No. 8737, which was issued, according to which we were given grants for a month November and December.
The social issue took a great deal of research, and 400 billion pounds were allocated for social affairs, including care homes of all kinds, aid to the victims of the Port of Beirut, and economic stimulus by giving the Investment Promotion Corporation new powers to give tax incentives to small and medium enterprises. In the budget, there was a correction in taxes and fees based on the inflation occurring in the exchange rate. As it is known, we are trying to achieve a balance on these issues, through the difference in the foreign exchange rate against the Lebanese pound. We also made a correction to the halves and family deductions and tax deductions on all taxes and fees, enhancing tax compliance and settling taxes or pending objections. We reduced the fines for collection, and if the collection takes place within a period of six months, a large part of the fines are cancelled. We also reduced the real estate transfer fee from 5% to 3%, and removed the tax on bank interest for a period of 5 years.
As for the budget figures before the latest amendments that took place in the Council of Ministers today, the total estimated imports amounted to 39 thousand billion Lebanese pounds, and the total expenditures are about 47 thousand billion Lebanese pounds. As for the estimated deficit, it is 8 thousand billion Lebanese pounds, which was set as a budget reserve. The deficit in expenditures compared to imports, reached the limits of 17%, and therefore I think that the budget’s impact will be good. We are waiting for the budget’s discussion in the House of Representatives, and inevitably the Council will have its opinion on the project.
What has been achieved today is the first step in the financial correction, and we have a long path ahead of us represented by the economic recovery plan, which is the basis for discussion with the International Monetary Fund. It is true that we are in the process of negotiating with the Fund, but we have to set our priorities for our own good, and carry out the required reforms. There are more than 14 reform decrees that must be issued by the government, and more than 30 reform laws that must be issued by the parliament, and therefore we will follow up with the International Monetary Fund on the issue of the economic recovery plan, in parallel with internal work to accomplish the required reforms.
After we finished studying the budget, we have a workshop focused on the economic recovery plan, and there is a second stage related to negotiating with Eurobond holders in order to reach a settlement with them, and then restructuring the banks in general.
These matters take time, and we are today in a difficult stage, The most important thing that must be done is to achieve the required balance between the exchange rate, which has risen very much, and the required expenses, and this takes time each time, i.e. between two and three years, and we have to bear this situation, and it will not be as easy as we expect.
The most prominent challenges before us are the failure of the financing capacity, as we used to obtain external financing and issue external bonds, this luxury is no longer available today, and we have to obtain the signature of the International Monetary Fund to open up to us again the possibilities of external financing, and the sooner we complete the agreements, the faster the solution.
This issue does not concern the government alone or the ministers alone, but rather all the Lebanese, and if we do not speed up the steps, we may reach a point where we may no longer be able to import wheat. Every day that passes without reforms is a loss for us, even if the issue was resolved a year ago. The financial gap was about 40 billion dollars, while today it is about 70 billion dollars. Everything we do will be announced, the economic recovery plan will be available for public discussion, and everyone can provide a constructive opinion. We are ready to hear their opinion and take it into account if it is consistent with the presented plan”.
Questions & Answers:
Question: What do you say to people about the issue of the customs dollar?
Answer: “The customs dollar is not applied immediately, but when the budget is approved and issued in the House of Representatives. The draft budget law that we will send to the House of Representatives depends on the “exchange” rate. Every last month, the Finance Minister will announce the price of the following month according to the exchange rate platform, taking into consideration the abolition of customs duties and additional fees on any category related to medicine and all food commodities.
A 10 % tax was imposed on tea and coffee, but it was abolished. There is also the challenge of controlling smuggling, because we fear an increase in smuggling, and there will be a plan in this regard in terms of the "scanner" operation and border control, all the studies we have on the customs dollar show that the prices of goods will not increase compared to the increase in the price of the customs dollar. In most extreme cases, the increase will not exceed 3 to 5 %”.
Question: What about the intimidation taking place on the issue of taxes, which is said to be painful?
Answer: “In the first session of the Council of Ministers, which was held in the Grand Serail, to start discussing the budget, I told the ministers that this budget had reached the Council of Ministers from the Ministry of Finance, but it would be issued by the Council of Ministers by agreement between all the ministers, and I asked the ministers about the taxes and fees that were added on paper.
There are fees that have been modified, including a fee of 500 pounds, then it became five thousand pounds, there is a financial stamp, and a forensic record fee which was five thousand LBP, and it was raised to 15 thousand LBP. I gave an example of that forensic record because there was a great controversy over it, so the price of paper changed, as did printing and ink, from here we have to cut this stage that we called the transitional stage and it acquires an emergency character”.
Question: It was agreed to put the electricity plan aside, and there is a proposal by His Excellency the President talking about paying interest on internal debts and transferring part of this money to electricity instead of an advance. Will this proposal be taken into account?
Answer: “At the beginning of the budget, an amount of 5,000 billion Lebanese pounds was mentioned as an advance for electricity, and we had taken in precautionary an amount of another 5,000, because the Minister of Energy had requested the advance within a year.
The past years, one after the other, amounted to about $23 billion, and we asked where the electricity is? as the situation is like a punctured bucket in which money does not accumulate. So we asked to define this issue, and I previously said from here that we will hold a cabinet session at three in the afternoon on Tuesday. The next meeting will be held on February 15th, in Baabda Palace, to discuss the electricity plan, which consists of three issues: the first is the formation of the regulatory authority, and that Electricité du Liban shall be subject to Law No. Certain, specific tariffs and specific marketing, we can reach the solution we want.
The tariff will not affect small consumers, at a time when the dollar is equal to the Lebanese pound, as we are no longer able to give electricity, telephone and water for free, we cannot and do not have the ability to do so. You and I wish we had this ability. The citizen has to understand this matter. The citizen wonders from where the money can be secured if the banks refuse to give it, and for this citizen I say you are right, we have to pass this very difficult stage because our concern is to return Lebanon to the right track”.
Question: You talked about the percentage of the deficit without calculating the deficit caused by the electricity. Is separating the issue of Electricité du Liban from the budget to reduce the deficit, and what about describing the pictorial numbers to approach the numbers requested by the IMF?
Answer: “What you are saying is correct. When there is an integrated and balanced plan, there will be no electricity deficit. In order to secure this balance, we have removed the plan from the budget because it is laid without a bottom and we continue to pay, and to be frank, this deficit may increase, and no matter how plans are presented, it cannot be implemented tomorrow, even if the tariff increases, we will start implementing and not collecting, which means that there will be a deficit. But we know that we are in front of a road map, and we have many problems in the electricity sector, because Beirut airport has been without electricity for three days, and Tripoli also, So what to do?”.
Question: Will Lebanon agree to the US proposals regarding the demarcation of the maritime borders?
Answer: “This is a national issue with distinction that cannot be unique to one person. A discussion has been conducted in this regard, and I believe that the offer is serious and must be discussed by all concerned authorities. All Lebanese sides are concerned starting with His Excellency the President and the Speaker of Parliament, and me as well. We have to sit together and discuss this issue, I cannot alone and no one can make a decision alone. Hopefully we are on the right path”.
Question: The citizen will pay the customs dollar at the exchange rate platform, so why can’t this citizen take out the dollar returned to him from the banks at the exchange rate platform in Lebanese pounds?
Answer: “The issue of withdrawing from banks will be part of the recovery plan, and I repeat that we were able to put in place a balanced budget, and the recovery plan is not easy and it takes a lot of time, but everything that has been published about it so far is incorrect. We have several options, which we discuss with the International Monetary Fund. We will put forward the best option, which I repeat that it will not be final by the government before it is intended for various bodies, associations and depositors, and then referred to the Council of Ministers and from it to the Parliament for approval. The situation is difficult, but we bear in mind that if there is a way to save the country and the Lebanese economy, we are ready for that”.
Statement:
Then, Minister Abbas Al-Halaby, read the Cabinet statement:
“The Cabinet convened in a session chaired by President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun, and attended by Prime Minister, Najib Mikati and ministers. At the beginning, the President welcome the ministers and appreciated their efforts in completing the 2022 draft budget law, in addition to working in difficult conditions at various levels.
President Aoun said: “What is required at this stage is to focus efforts to address citizens’ living and social issues which burden them and cause them daily sufferings, hence the need to find sustainable solutions. The President also called for monitoring prices, combatting high prices, implementing laws and setting controls to monitor commercial activities and the commitment to scientific and legal foundations to determine profits and prices.
Moreover, the President stressed the follow-up of programs to support the poorest families, the financing card and joint contracts concerned with the conditions of people with special needs, as well as following up on the conditions of health care centers and enhancing their capabilities to enable them to provide necessary medical services. President Aoun also emphasized the need to secure medicines for incurable diseases, permanent treatments and hospital services, which have become a difficult burden.
In addition, President Aoun stressed the activation of the work dynamics in various departments and institutions and the return of employees to their work centers, especially after adjusting and increasing the value of daily transport. The President pointed out that “We cannot accept that departments and institutions open one or two days per week. Citizens go to public administrations and institutions run their business without avail, work is delayed, and there is procrastination and failure to implement any work under the excuse that employees are absent, hence bribes and connections begin”.
Then, the President spoke about the draft budget, and said: “It is important that the draft budget be accompanied by the financial and economic recovery plan that is under discussion and preparation by the task force, headed by the Deputy Prime Minister, provided that it includes: Determining losses and how they are distributed (the state, the Central Bank, banks and depositors. I insist on not harming small depositors who constitute about 93% of their total), restructuring banks, recapitalizing and restructuring the BDL, structural reforms, and fighting corruption, starting with a forensic audit and an executive plan for the social safety net”.
Afterwards, President Aoun stressed the need to complete the financial accounts that are still being completed at the Audit Bureau, indicating that he agreed with Premier Mikati to set a special session for the electricity, in which a plan would be approved and a draft law program for its implementation would be drawn up.
President Aoun also pointed out that the draft budget notes an amount of 7,600 billion LBP in interest, of which 1,200 billion are long-term debts to international institutions, and an amount of 6,400 billion will accrue interests at a rate of 1/3 to banks and 2/3 to the Central Bank, knowing that the draft budget did not include interests on Eurobonds.
“Accordingly, it is assumed that interest will not be paid on the internal debts of the Banque du Liban and banks, similar to the Eurobonds, and that the amount of 6400 billion will be distributed at a rate of 2/3 for electricity instead of the noticeable advance, and the remaining 1/3 is an increase in public sector pensions. This measure reduces the budget deficit, cancels the treasury advance, and mitigates the inflationary effects resulting from printing a currency for interest, especially since all depositors do not receive interest on their deposits and do not receive their deposits” President Aoun said.
“The IMF proposed the necessity of reconsidering the Lebanese tax system to include the tax plate in an ascending manner, in order to achieve tax justice, improve the level of revenues, and achieve social stability. As for the 2022 draft budget, it does not present any reform orientations with regard to the tax system and is satisfied with raising revenues on some traditional sections of the budget” President Aoun concluded.
PM Mikati:
Then, Prime Minister Mikati thanked the ministers for the efforts they made to approve the draft budget law, which was fully studied, subject to article, and was subject to a wide discussion among the ministers.
PM Mikati presented the most prominent amendments that occurred in some articles of the draft budget, pointing out that revenues are almost equal to expenditures with an amount of 7000 billion LBP in the budget reserves. PM Mikati stressed that the general trend is to pay attention to social and living aspects and to facilitate the conditions of citizens and their health and care affairs.
In addition, PM Mikati pointed out that after approving the budget in the Cabinet, specialized sessions will be held to study specific sectors, the most important of which are electricity, communications and waste, provided that the economic recovery plan has been completed to be presented to the Council of Ministers, and after approval it will be presented for a wide discussion by various concerned authorities.
In addition, the Prime Minister focused on the importance of achieving required reforms, whether through decrees issued by the Council of Ministers or laws approved by the Parliament, pointing to the importance of solidarity to work to save the country from the painful reality it is passing through.
Finally, PM Mikati considered that any rescue work requires sacrifices and cooperation by all and this is what we hope for, far from negativity and populism”.
Afterwards, the Cabinet began studying the draft budget law. The Finance Minister presented the most prominent outlines of the budget, and ministers continued to state their observations and suggest some amendments to the draft, which was approved after adopting the amendments.
The Council took a series of decisions, most notably:
-Various contractors in the Ministry of Education benefit from a daily transportation allowance for a maximum of 3 days per week, provided that the number of daily teaching lessons is not less than 3 during each week.
-Extension of work by a decision to give social assistance equivalent to half a salary, provided that it is given to workers who are committed to attending the regular official working hours starting from its date. The minimum is one and a half million LBP, the maximum is three million LBP, and for retirees, one and a half million LBP.
-Assigning Mr. Ziad Nasr to carry out the duties of a government employee at the Council for Development and Reconstruction.
-Appointment of Brigadier General, Muhammad Al-Mustafa, as Secretary-General of the Supreme Defense Council, and Brigadier General, Pierre Saab, as a member of the Military Council.
The Council of Ministers also approved the 2022 budget, and it was decided to refer it to Parliament soon”.—Presidency Press Office

Cabinet Approves Budget, Miqati Says Revenues Almost Equal to Spending
Naharnet/February 10/2022  
The Cabinet on Thursday approved the 2022 state budget during a session at the Baabda Palace.
Speaking at a press conference after the session, Prime Minister Najib Miqati said the budget’s revenues are expected to be LBP 39,000 billion and its expenditure is expected to be LBP 47,000 billion. “This is the first time ever that the revenues and expenditure in the budget are this close,” Miqati said. “There are 400 billion Lebanese liras for social aid, which include compensations for those affected by the Beirut port blast,” Miqati added, noting that the budget is “a first step on the course of financial rectification.”“There will be a workshop over the economic recovery plan and we will then hold discussions with the holders of Eurobonds in order to reach a settlement and then restructure banks,” the premier went on to say. Noting that the fees of the so-called “customs dollar” plan will only be enforced when the state budget gets approved in parliament, Miqati added that the exchange rate that will be followed will be according to the Sayrafa platform and “will be announced monthly by the Finance Minister.” The premier also stressed that medicine, foodstuffs, coffee and tea will be exempted from any customs fees. “There will be no direct taxes on citizens, but rather fees in return for services. The fee of issuing a criminal record has become LBP 15,000 and these are reasonable increases due to the hike in the prices of paper and other things,” Miqati went on to say. Noting that electricity generation costs have not been included in the budget and will be discussed separately in the next Cabinet session, Miqati added: “We can no longer provide electricity and telecommunications for free because we no longer have money.”

Berri calls for plenary session February 21, 22
NNA/February 10/2022  
House Speaker, Nabih Berri, on Thursday called for a plenary session to be held at 11:00 am on Monday and Tuesday, February 21 and 22, at the UNESCO Palace to study and approve the bills and law proposals on the parliament’s agenda. Speaker Berri chaired today a meeting of the Parliament's bureau. In the wake of the meeting Ferzli made it clear that the meeting studied the law proposals and bills that had been completed by committees, as well as the proposals for expedited laws. Speaker Berri later received MP Farid Heikal Al-Khazen, with whom he discussed the general situation and the latest political developments. On the other hand, Speaker Berri telegraphed Palestinian National Council member, Rawhi Fattouh, on the occasion of his election as Chairman of the Palestinian National Council.

Qaouq Says Hizbullah Strongly against Elections Postponement
Naharnet/February 10/2022  
Senior Hizbullah official Sheikh Nabil Qaouq on Thursday stressed that his party’s “clear and decisive stance” is against the postponement of the parliamentary elections. “This stance cannot be distorted or misinterpreted,” he added. Noting that some parties are “inciting against Hizbullah and spreading lies to raise questions marks about its stance on the upcoming parliamentary elections,” Qaouq accused “Saudi and American officials” of “touring various regions and holding electoral meetings to select candidates, set up lists and manage electoral campaigns.”“The incitement campaigns against Hizbullah are paid campaigns and will increase as the date of the parliamentary elections nears further and further,” the Hizbullah official went on to say.

Mawlawi Bans Two Pro-Bahraini Opposition Rallies at Lebanese Hotel
Naharnet/February 10/2022  
Interior Minister Bassam al-Mawlawi on Thursday announced that he has banned two pro-Bahraini opposition rallies that had been scheduled to be held at a Lebanese hotel. In a statement, Mawlawi said the two events had been scheduled to be held on February 11 and 14 at the al-Saha Hotel near Beirut airport. He added that the two rallies would have “addressed insults to the official Bahraini authorities and the Arab Gulf states” and “therefore would have obstructed the official efforts that are being exerted by the Lebanese state to strengthen ties with the Arab Gulf countries,” especially in light of the latest “Kuwaiti initiative.”The Lebanese state “has committed itself to conducting all measures that prevent verbal or physical harm against the brotherly Arab state,” Mawlawi went on to say, noting that his decision was taken following consultations with Prime Minister Najib Miqati.
He added that he has “addressed two memos to the Directorate General of the Internal Security Forces and the Directorate General of General Security, asking them to immediately inform the hotel’s administration not to host the events for their failing to obtain legal permissions.”Mawlawi also asked the security agencies to carry out investigations to gather information about “the organizers, the inviters and the invitees.”

Miqati Urges Cooperation with Govt., Truth in Port Blast Case
Naharnet/February 10/2022  
Prime Minister Najib Miqati on Thursday called on all Lebanese to “cooperate with the government in its clear and difficult mission,” which is to “halt the collapse and work on finalizing a recovery plan that puts Lebanon on the course of stability.”He added that the government “will oversee the organization of timely elections” seeing as it is “a chance for change,” noting that “launching a national program for economic recovery after completing the talks with the IMF would put the country on the track of strategic recovery.”
Turning to the issue of the Beirut port blast, the premier described it as an “earthquake” that caused “tragedies,” adding that the wounds “will not heal before the truth is fully uncovered.”

Lebanese officials busy themselves with border dispute discussions against backdrop of port blast anger
Najia Houssari/Arab News/February 10/2022
BEIRUT: Lebanese officials on Thursday began internal discussions in preparation for a response to US envoy Amos Hochstein, who has urged them to settle a maritime border dispute with Israel. Hochstein conveyed ideas for advancing the negotiations, which have been stalled for several months. After he met Prime Minister Najib Mikati on Thursday, presidential adviser and former minister Elias Abi Saab said: “We evaluated the meetings that took place, where is Lebanon's interest, and what are the next steps for this visit. There is a step forward in what the mediator presented, but nothing is final yet, and we will see how its results will be. “Some things must be completed internally, and there are things that Hochstein will present later.”Hochstein, who is the US State Department's senior adviser for global energy security, arrived in Lebanon on Tuesday to revive talks between Lebanon and Israel over a maritime border dispute that is holding up oil and gas exploration.
While the ideas he conveyed to the Lebanese side were not revealed, it was reported that he had “made a positive offer regarding Line 23, giving Lebanon the area of 860 sq. km that it demands, in addition to preserving the entire Qana field." Before leaving Lebanon on Wednesday evening, Hochstein said that Lebanon had an opportunity to reach a deal. “We are at the moment of bridging the gaps in the maritime delimitation file,” he said. He linked reaching an agreement with addressing the economic crises that Lebanon is mired in, emphasizing that Lebanon needed to support itself. “Let's see something that works, that the reforms that are necessary are passed, are in place, and are serious, and then the international community will support Lebanon,” he said.
The head of the Lebanese Phalange Party, Sami Gemayel, said in response to the visit: “In a failed state, the international negotiator must negotiate with all the political and security authorities and turn into a judge of peace among them.”Businessman Bahaa Hariri tweeted: “The time has come for the maritime border demarcation file to witness the birth of a solution that is far from the political class's quotas and the mistakes that Lebanon made as a result of its influence. “Reaching an agreement as soon as possible may be a step toward mitigating the severity of the economic collapse.”
Retired soldiers staged a sit-in at the intersection of the Presidential Palace in Baabda, coinciding with a Cabinet session. They called on the Cabinet not to approve the 2022 draft budget because it did not guarantee “justice, equality and the right to a decent life, livelihood and medicine.”They said the draft budget did not secure the “life needs and concerns of the military in active service and retirement, but rather imposes additional taxes and fees that they cannot bear.”
The movement of retired service personnel extended to Tripoli, in north Lebanon, where protesters staged a sit-in in front of the Tripoli Finance Building branch and marched to the home of Mikati. Others staged a sit-in in front of the house of Finance Minister Youssef Khalil in the southern city of Tire, and a similar move was carried out in front of the Zahle Saray in the Bekaa. Also on Thursday, dozens of families of the Beirut port blast victims stormed the Justice Palace in Beirut to demand faster court decisions in the case. They were objecting against the delay in deciding on requests for response against the investigator, Judge Tarek Bitar, to enable him to resume his investigations into the crime and issue the indictment. Riot police tried to prevent the families from entering the building and a stampede broke out. The families managed to enter the palace, holding pictures of their loved ones, the Lebanese flag, and banners calling for “support for justice and for Judge Rola Al-Masry to speed up the response requests that obstruct the investigation and justice process.”
They stressed the need for Bitar to resume his work and investigations.
Judge Suhail Abboud, the first president of the Courts of Cassation, met the protesters upon the insistence of the families and the activists accompanying them. He told the activists that Al-Masry was studying the case carefully and she would retire only in April and not this month. The families’ spokesman William Noun, who is also a brother of one of the blast victims, expressed his fear of the issue becoming diluted through the way the case was being dealt with. “This is totally unacceptable by the families of the martyrs,” he said.

U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon Visits South Lebanon
Naharnet/February 10/2022
The United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Joanna Wronecka, has visited southern Lebanon including Sidon, Bissariye, Sarafand and Amraa. A statement issued by her office said she met with the Directorate of General Security, visited a collective shelter and spoke to Lebanese and refugee families supported by the U.N. and its partners. "The current economic crisis is having a severe impact on communities in the south, where vulnerable Lebanese and refugee families are struggling," the Special Coordinator said. “During today’s visit, I spoke with many families who shared their difficulties to provide for their loved ones and their overall desire to live in dignity.”In Bissariye, the Special Coordinator visited a collective shelter hosting some 46 families who are increasingly relying on humanitarian assistance given the impact of the current economic crisis, the lack of livelihood opportunities and the increase of prices of basic commodities. Representatives from UNHCR briefed the Special Coordinator on the situation of Syrian refugees. Nine out of ten Syrian refugees in Lebanon continue to live in extreme poverty and 30% are food insecure. They also discussed the assistance extended by UNHCR to refugees and to Lebanese host communities, particularly during the winter season. "Faced with one of the harshest winters, many families are relying on the assistance provided by the United Nations to cope. Still, the needs are immense and most families cannot make ends meet," the Special Coordinator said while participating in the distribution of UNHCR’s winter assistance in Amraa. "I was pleased to see support provided to both refugee and Lebanese families. It is crucial to continue to support Lebanese families and municipalities in order to mitigate the impact of the current compounded crises and contribute to longer-term development,” Wronecka added. The Special Coordinator also reiterated “the importance of safeguarding stability and social cohesion in Lebanon despite the severe socio-economic crisis, and the U.N.'s strong commitment to leaving no one behind.”

Conclusive Results on Maritime Border Demarcation 'Within Weeks'
Naharnet/February 10/2022 
Lebanon is expecting decisive results "within weeks" concerning the maritime border demarcation between Lebanon and Israel, an informed Lebanese source said. The source told Asharq al-Awsat newspaper, in remarks published Thursday, that the ambiance is "very positive" and conclusive results are expected to be reached "within weeks."The source explained that while "serious and tangible ideas" are currently being exchanged, there is hope for an agreement to be reached by "two months at the latest."Although nothing is final yet, there is a "clarity" in Lebanon's position "bringing us closer to reaching our rights", the source added. U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein had arrived in Lebanon on Tuesday to revive talks between Lebanon and Israel over a maritime border dispute that is holding up oil and gas explorations. He met Wednesday with President Michel Aoun, Prime Minister Najib Miqati and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri. "I think that we’re at the moment of narrowing gaps towards a deal," Hochstein said in an interview, adding that "there’s no later anymore. This is the later. This is the last minute."

U.S. Envoy Urges Lebanon, Israel to Settle Maritime Border Dispute
Agence France Presse/February 10/2022 
U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein has urged Lebanese authorities to settle a maritime border dispute with Israel, saying it was the "last minute" for an agreement that could facilitate hydrocarbon exploration. "I think that we’re at the moment of narrowing those gaps towards a deal," Hochstein told LBCI in an interview.
"There’s no later anymore. This is the later. This is the last minute," he added. Hochstein, the State Department's Senior Advisor for Global Energy Security, arrived in Lebanon on Tuesday to revive talks between Lebanon and Israel over a maritime border dispute that is holding up oil and gas explorations. The U.S. envoy had met Wednesday with President Michel Aoun, Prime Minister Najib Miqati and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri. Israel and Lebanon had resumed negotiations over their disputed maritime border in 2020 but the process was stalled by Beirut's claim that the map used by the United Nations in the talks needed modifying. Lebanese politicians hope that commercially viable hydrocarbon resources off Lebanon's coast could help lift the debt-ridden country out of an unprecedented financial crisis branded by the World Bank as one of the planet's worst in modern times. "I am confident that there will be a unified position in Lebanon and that there’ll be a unified position in Israel, and that we’ll be able to move forward," Hochstein said. "My advice to people in Lebanon: focus on –- not what you’re missing, not what you may lose if you compromise. Think about what you gain."Lebanon is currently grappling with its worst ever financial crisis, and fuel shortages have ground the country to a halt in recent months. With a bankrupt state unable to deliver more than an hour or two of mains electricity a day, individuals, businesses and institutions have relied almost entirely on diesel-powered generators.

Families of Beirut Port Victims Storm Justice Palace, Urge Probe to Resume
Naharnet/February 10/2022
Families of the victims of last year’s explosion in Beirut’s port stormed Thursday the Justice Palace in Beirut, as they protested "towards justice."Holding photos of their loved ones and Lebanese flags, the families rallied on Thursday morning outside the Justice Palace to urge a faster court decision regarding recusal lawsuits obstructing the investigation into the blast. They expressed their support for the lead investigator into the Beirut port blast, Judge Tarek Bitar, who has been suspended for two months because of a delay in taking legal decisions after a deluge of recusal lawsuits filed by defendants. "This bullshit has to end," said William Noun, brother of Joe Noun, a member of the Fire Brigade team who was killed by the devastating blast. The families considered the delay to be an intentional obstruction to the probe as suspended Bitar waits for a court decision, from Judge Rola al-Masri, to return to work. Masri fails to appear to take the decision. "The decision should have been taken a week ago," Noun said, adding that "it is unacceptable to take this case so lightly."Families ended their sit-in inside the Justice Palace after they met with Higher Judicial Council chief Suheil Abboud who told them al-Masri is studying the lawsuit and "doing her job."

أمين سر دولة الفاتيكان للعلاقات مع الدول، كبير الأساقفة بول ريتشارد غالاغر، يطلع الدبلوماسيين المعتمدين لدى الكرسي الرسولي على زيارته الأخيرة إلى لبنان.
والبابا إلى لبنان قريبًا؟!
Archbishop Gallagher on hopes for Lebanon’s future
Francesca Sabatinelli/Vatican News/February 10/2022
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/106242/archbishop-gallagher-on-hopes-for-lebanons-future-%d8%a3%d9%85%d9%8a%d9%86-%d8%b3%d8%b1-%d8%af%d9%88%d9%84%d8%a9-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%81%d8%a7%d8%aa%d9%8a%d9%83%d8%a7%d9%86-%d9%84%d9%84%d8%b9/
Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Secretary for Relations with States, briefs diplomats accredited to the Holy See on his recent visit to Lebanon. The people of Lebanon entertain such a deep desire for Pope Francis to visit that a papal trip is conceivable as soon as conditions permit.
Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher made that assertion to ambassadors accredited to the Holy See on Wednesday. The Vatican’s Secretary for Relations with States visited the Land of the Cedars from 31 January to 4 February, and told the diplomats that the Holy See is already “studying the possibility for a visit, perhaps even by the end of the year.”
Exploring Lebanon’s complex realities
The Archbishop said his visit to Lebanon offered a very “interesting experience due to the intensity of the meetings, and excellent from the political-diplomatic point of view.” He was able to “touch the realities” of the Middle Eastern nation and experience first-hand the many people who sought to meet with him as a representative of the Holy See, noting that a “true consensus of problems and solutions” needs to be found. During his visit, Archbishop Gallagher met with families of the victims of the Beirut port explosion on 4 August 2020. “They live with a strong sense of frustration,” he pointed out, since they fear the “process is being hampered.” Another daily struggle for most Lebanese, he said, is access to “liquidity and banks”, given the high rate of inflation and an ongoing cash crunch. At the same time, many are beginning to resent the large population of Syrian refugees as a threat to the country’s demographic and economic balance.
May elections
Archbishop Gallagher said a key issue in Lebanese politics is the ongoing implementation of the Taif Agreement, a treaty that ended the civil war of 1975-1990, and its requirements for a power-sharing formula between religious groups. Speaking to the ambassadors to the Holy See, the Archbishop reflected on alternative proposals to achieve a certain “neutrality” in Lebanon, among them one promoted by Cardinal Béchara Boutros Raï, the Patriarch of Antioch of the Maronites. “This seems to be an essential element for the future of Lebanon,” said Archbishop Gallagher, though he admits that talks about neutrality will be difficult in the region. A next step will be taken, he hopes, during the upcoming elections in May. But he warns that the Lebanese diaspora could tip the vote on the basis of the budget, since many Lebanese living abroad send critical economic support for their families.
Young people and interreligious dialogue
The Secretary for Relations with States then spoke about the issue of the emigration of young Lebanese, saying many of them personally expressed to him their desire to leave. At the same time, Archbishop Gallagher said he also witnessed several “projects of hope”, such as that of the Carlo Acutis Youth Center run by the Lazarist Fathers, which he visited. He admitted that many young people expressed to him criticism of the Lebanese Church, which they view as “rich in the midst of so many poor young people,” an issue he says he brought up with the Maronite Synod.
Archbishop Gallagher wrapped up his speech noting the positive impact Pope Francis’ Day of Prayer for Lebanon, held on 1 July 2021, made on interreligious dialogue in the country.
The Pope’s visit to Iraq in March 2021, he added, also had a “great impact, especially the meeting with Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, which became a source of encouragement for everyone.”

Kick the iranians out and bring to justice those directly involved culprits
Jean-Marie Kassab/February 10/2022
I have been following the news inside the justice palace. I have been watching the angry faces of the parents of the victims. Their screams are in my ears and in my head. Their pain is eating my heart out.
One conclusion, one resolve : To put an end to this tragedy. These people need to do their mourning and put a lid as much as possible on their intense pain.
One conclusion, one resolve: to kick the iranians out and bring to justice those directly involved culprits. Iran's actions are behind the port explosion. Iran's occupation of Lebanon has destroyed our country. And you ask me why after all this why do I have this strong urge for revenge as well ?
Time to act is nearing. Stay tuned or join in.
Vive la Résistance
Vive le Liban
Task Force Lebanon.

مقالة لطوني بدران من موقع “تبليت” ينتقد من خلالها المساعدات الأميركية المالية للجيش ولقوى الأمن في لبنان بحجة الخوف من أن يستفيد منها حزب الله الإرهابي..عنوان المقالة: بايدين يدفع معاشات لجيش حليف لإيران
Biden Pays Army Salaries to Iranian Ally
Tony Badran/The Tablet/February 10/2022
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/106238/tony-badran-the-tablet-biden-pays-army-salaries-to-iranian-ally-%d9%85%d9%82%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%a9-%d9%84%d8%b7%d9%88%d9%86%d9%8a-%d8%a8%d8%af%d8%b1%d8%a7%d9%86-%d9%85%d9%86-%d9%85%d9%88%d9%82%d8%b9/
An unprecedented new salary assistance program for the Lebanese military is ‘cleverly’ structured to evade U.S. law.
As part of its policy of pouring taxpayer money into Hezbollah-dominated Lebanon, the Biden administration notified Congress late last month that it was repurposing $67 million in aid to the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) in order to provide them with “livelihood support.” Less than a week later, the administration followed with another notification, which has not yet been reported, that it was repurposing a separate $16.5 million, also for “livelihood support,” to Lebanon’s Internal Security Forces (ISF). With this action, the administration is stretching standard U.S. practice pertaining to longstanding foreign assistance programs beyond all recognition, and abusing the authorities Congress has provided them. More troubling still, by injecting nearly $84 million into Lebanon with no ability to oversee how it ultimately gets spent, the administration could very well entangle the United States in terrorism financing.
For months now, the administration, spearheaded by the U.S. ambassador in Lebanon, has been broadcasting its intention to help the LAF and other Lebanese security agencies pay their salaries. The $67 million in Foreign Military Financing (FMF) was first announced last October by Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland during her visit to Beirut. That announcement was the latest in the administration’s quest for what it called “creative ways” to subsidize LAF expenditures, including mining for every available penny in order to help free up the LAF’s budget. As such, the bulk of the $67 million was reprogrammed from FY 2016 FMF funds for Pakistan that Congress was notified about in August 2017.
When it notified Congress about the reprogramming in September 2021, the Biden administration did not disclose that the purpose was to supplement LAF salaries. Instead, the nonpublic notification, which Tablet has viewed, mentioned funds “specifically intended for lethal military equipment” and that would also “help provide sustainment and training for some of this equipment.” The U.S. FMF program authorizes the President “to procure defense articles and services to enhance the capacity of foreign security forces.” It says nothing about directly supplementing the salaries of a foreign military, as even advocates of the aid policy have acknowledged. But the administration is intent on setting a new precedent.
Perhaps aware that it’s blowing up established practice, the administration’s January notification to Congress that it would “expand the program content” to provide “livelihood support” does not include an explanation of how the funds will be disbursed. The ambiguity likely stems from the fact that FMF funds were never designed to be used in this manner. (Funding for Afghan National Army salaries, for example, was authorized under the Afghanistan Security Forces Fund—a specifically legislated case).
To get a better sense of the administration’s explicit intention, consider its February notification to Congress for International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement (INCLE) funds to Lebanon’s ISF. This nonpublic notification, which Tablet has also seen, changed the program content for $16.5 million pulled together from FY 2015 to FY 2020 INCLE funds, also to provide “livelihood support.” The notification clarifies that this will offer “approximately $100 per month” to eligible ISF members. As it happens, on Jan. 19, the LAF Directorate of Intelligence, which works closely with Hezbollah, issued a directive to officers to inform personnel that they would be receiving installments of financial assistance in U.S. dollars.
The administration and its supporters among Lebanon-affiliated advocates, think-tankers, and consultants have been discussing and advocating various scenarios for such cash injections. One scheme reportedly under consideration involved disbursing monthly stipends through a U.N.-managed fund totaling, in a remarkable coincidence, roughly the same amount of $86 million a year.
For now, the administration appears to have settled on stretching “military financing” well beyond its statutory definition so as to use it for whatever the White House and State Department desire, with no regard to whether such use is intended by Congress. Language like “livelihood support” belongs in programs like the U.S. Agency for International Development, not FMF or even INCLE, which are meant to fund equipment and training. By blurring this line, the administration has created a dangerous precedent that will invite abuse.
Still more remarkable is the administration’s decision to establish this globally significant precedent in, of all places, Lebanon—where the financial system is soaked in Hezbollah money laundering and financial crimes, and just about every facet of life is touched by Hezbollah activities. There are reportedly 80,000 uniformed personnel in the LAF and some 28,000 in the ISF. It is impossible that the administration will vet all these recipients of U.S. taxpayer dollars and their families. And because there are no controls, there is no way to know how these individuals will use the new cash.
Some amount of it could flow through Hezbollah exchange houses, or possibly be spent at Hezbollah-run businesses and retailers. Some might be used to pay outstanding loans to Hezbollah lenders (like the al-Qard al-Hassan Association). These are just a few possibilities, because there is simply no way the U.S. government will be able to certify that none of its $84 million in fungible cash donations will have found its way to the terror group that dominates Lebanon and permeates its economy.
If Congress allows it to stand, the Biden administration’s new precedent will severely damage the FMF and INCLE programs by turning them into slush funds for financing nation-building projects in Iranian-controlled satrapies and beyond, and possibly even making the United States complicit in financing terrorism.
https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/israel-middle-east/articles/biden-pays-army-salaries-to-iranian-ally

بنجامين ونثال: على الماني تنفيذ قوانين منعها حزب الله ووضعه على قوائم الإرهاب
Germany must implement its ban of Hezbollah terror activities
Benjamin Weinthal/Jewish News Syndicate/February 10/2022
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/106240/benjamin-weinthal-germany-must-implement-its-ban-of-hezbollah-terror-activities-%d8%a8%d9%86%d8%ac%d8%a7%d9%85%d9%8a%d9%86-%d9%88%d9%86%d8%ab%d8%a7%d9%84-%d8%b9%d9%84%d9%89-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%85%d8%a7/
To great fanfare, Berlin announced in April 2020 that it outlawed all activities of the Lebanese terrorist movement Hezbollah within the territory of the Federal Republic. However, the ban remains a dead letter because Germany and its 16 states largely refuse to enforce it.
According to a 2021 intelligence report from the state of Lower Saxony’s domestic intelligence agency, the number of Hezbollah’s supporters and members in Germany rose from 1,050 in 2019 to 1,250 in 2020. Despite the ban, Germany has not arrested them. Note that a mere three Hezbollah operatives managed to blow up a tour bus in Bulgaria in 2012, resulting in the murder of five Israelis and their Bulgarian Muslim bus driver.
Hezbollah remains a deadly threat to Jews and Israelis in Europe.
Richard Grenell, the former U.S. ambassador to Germany who was largely responsible for impelling Berlin to pass its anti-Hezbollah ban, tweeted in June 2021: “It’s good the Germans moved last year to outlaw Hezbollah, despite the E.U.’s inaction. The German government now has more legal tools to shut Hezbollah down and arrest its supporters.”
The pressing question is: Will Germany and its constituent states use their new legal and counter-terrorism tools to crack down on Hezbollah’s activities?
Take the disturbing example of the southwestern state of Baden-Württemberg, where Hezbollah stored ammonium nitrate and currently has 75 active operatives, according to the state’s most recent intelligence report.
Hezbollah terrorists have used ammonium nitrate to plot bomb attacks in Argentina, Britain, Bulgaria, Cyprus and France, and the same explosive material destroyed the Beirut port in August 2020, killing 218 people, wounding more than 7,000 others, leaving an estimated 300,000 people homeless and causing more than $15 billion in property damage.
In September 2020, Timur Lutfullin, a parliamentary advisor for the Free Democratic Party in the Baden-Württemberg state government, contacted me and noted that he along with two politicians “prepared the initiative … regarding Hezbollah activities in Baden-Württemberg.”
The initiative came in the form of a questionnaire that sought answers from the state’s government about how Hezbollah was able to store explosive materials in Baden-Württemberg and what the state was doing to combat the terrorist organization.
Lutfullin added, “We would like to continue [with] the issue in the public [sphere] and to grow the pressure on our government.”
The sense of urgency about Hezbollah’s activities in Baden-Württemberg has intensified since it was revealed that Michael Blume, the state’s commissioner tasked with fighting anti-Semitism, has promoted via likes and retweets a Twitter account run by Axel Mylius, a reportedly German anti-Semite who a launched radical Islamist initiative in Berlin. Mylius is a former “great friend” (and likely still a supporter) of Hezbollah’s chief financial sponsor and ally—the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Documents show how Mylius, using the name “Omar Mylius,” celebrated the Islamic Republic’s anti-Semitic 1979 Islamic Revolution at a commemoration event held at Tehran’s embassy in Berlin. Mylius is deemed anti-Semitic by the Vienna-based think tank Mena-Watch.
Mylius’s Twitter account has compared Israelis Ambassador to the United Nations Gilad Erdan, Israeli Finance Minister Avigdor Lieberman and former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to fascists, clear examples of contemporary anti-Semitism. Blume did not object to the comparisons when sent press queries; he also went silent about the dangers posed by the terrorist entity Hezbollah in Baden-Württemberg.
All of this helps to explain why the prominent Jewish human-rights organization the Simon Wiesenthal Center included Blume on its “Top 10” list of the worst outbreaks of global anti-Semitism for 2021.
Blume, wrote Wiesenthal, “has continued since 2019 social-media activity where he ‘Liked’ a Facebook posting comparing Zionists to Nazis. He has since continued to ‘Like’ and retweet anti-Jewish, anti-Israel and conspiratorial Twitter accounts.”
Daniel S. Mariaschin, B’nai B’rith International CEO, said of Blume: “It is distressing that a public official entrusted with fighting anti-Semitism would ‘Like’ Facebook comparisons of Zionism to Nazism, not speak out against a bank that counts amongst its clients an organization dedicated to delegitimizing Israel, and not call for an end of relations between Freiburg and an Iranian regime that issues genocidal calls for Israel’s elimination.”
The city of Freiburg in Baden-Württemberg is helping to mainstream both Iran—the worst state-sponsor of terrorism and anti-Semitism, according to the U.S. government—and Iran’s proxy Hezbollah.
Mariaschin added that “this appears to be another example of the convenience of taking aim at Israel with no penalty. Contemporary anti-Semitism is very much about the campaign to demonize the Jewish state. Understanding that reality should very much be a requirement for holding a position intended to call out those who engage in this kind of blatant defamation.”
Michael Wolffsohn, a distinguished German-Jewish historian and commentator on modern anti-Semitism, told the Swiss daily NZZ that Blume promotes the cause of anti-Semites.
“Hence my simplified conclusion: Blume is a useful idiot of anti-Semites,” said Wolffsohn.
Henryk M. Broder, a best-selling author and a columnist for Die Welt, said Blume is not a classical anti-Semite, but he “relativizes anti-Semitism.” Broder has testified to a Bundestag panel on modern Jew-hatred in Germany.
Blume should be dismissed from his post because he continued to ignore the Hezbollah threat in his state. Equally disturbing, Baden-Württemberg’s Interior Minister Thomas Strobl and Gov. Winfried Kretschmann are enabling Blume’s attacks on Jews and Israel, and refusing to clamp down on Hezbollah.
Hans-Ulrich Rülke, a member of the state legislature in Baden-Württemberg from the Free Democratic Party, said “Strobl must finally act and prevent Hezbollah-affiliated organizations from inviting hate preachers to Baden-Württemberg and collecting money for terrorist purposes.”
Hezbollah’s activities are not limited to Baden-Württemberg. The terrorist organization’s members and network crisscross the Central European country. There are 180 Hezbollah members and supporters in the state of Lower Saxony, up 20 from 2019.
If Germany were at all serious about its prohibition of Hezbollah activities, Chancellor Olaf Scholz would order the arrest of all of the terrorist movement’s members and shut down its mosques and associations in the Federal Republic.

Lebanese must not lose hope despite Hezbollah’s oppression
Khaled Abou Zahr/Arab News/February 10/2022
I received more criticism than I expected for last week’s column presenting the advantages of federalism for Lebanon. The criticism revolved around two main points. The first was a view that the country needs a complete shift in its political direction, along with a centralized system to bring back order, and federalism would complicate this process. The second critical view was more nuanced and opposed it on the basis that the current situation does not permit positive change and that Lebanon already effectively has a de facto decentralized system. As an example, some areas allow westernized behavior and others forbid it. Some areas even allow the production of chemical weapons, drugs and the launch of missiles.
Both of these views indirectly conclude that, with Hezbollah in control, the main problems facing Lebanon cannot be solved. The judiciary’s independence, the country’s foreign policy and the army’s sovereignty — all of these and much more are decided by Hezbollah and imposed on the state. Hence, for both families of critics, federalism is not the solution. This description of the state of the country is true and I agree with it. I would go so far as to add that Lebanon lives under the occupation and oppression of this group. I would argue that, with Hezbollah in control, there is no rule of law and the group has total immunity to act against the interests of the people.
It is also true that the people of Lebanon cannot do much about it on their own. Those who dare to voice their opposition end up facing threats of violence or even death. We all recognize this, especially as this month marks the one-year anniversary of the assassination of Lokman Slim. We are, in fact, reminded of the situation by death and terror anniversaries every single month of the year. How many have been assassinated for opposing Hezbollah and the Syrian regime? This is why it is important for the Lebanese to keep their voice alive and to keep opposing, in any way they can, the nefarious role Hezbollah plays on the orders of its patrons in Tehran.
It is also important to voice our concerns over the ongoing nuclear deal negotiations that could give Iran more money and resources to assert its control over Lebanon. America is a friend of Lebanon. If you are not convinced of this, then just look at what the US Justice Department has done to bring down the networks of Hezbollah and Iran. It has done more for the country than the Special Tribunal for Lebanon and without costing the Lebanese taxpayer a single lira. And so we need to let the US and the West know that Lebanon will not be helped by pragmatism. Was pragmatism ever the solution when facing the Nazis or other fascists? Was it the answer to any evil force? It is the opposite — evil forces feed off pragmatism and become stronger. Help for Lebanon does not come in the form of a consensus that gives Hezbollah legitimate power. It comes from facing down this evil and forcing it to retreat. The world needs to understand that Hezbollah is not the color of Lebanon, just as the current regime in Iran is not the color of the Middle East.
However, the Lebanese should not wait for international help in order to initiate the idea of change or the idea of a better place for all. It is by uniting around the dream of a new Lebanon that we can start unifying more efficiently to oppose this group and its plans. The reaction of Hezbollah and its allies to the idea of federalism is a good indicator that this is something positive. This is also why, as much as it controls everything, demanding a referendum on federalism makes more sense than just accepting useless legislative elections. It would also be a great way to clarify what federalism is and show how it is more than simple decentralization.
It is by uniting around the dream of a new Lebanon that we can start unifying more efficiently to oppose this group and its plans.
We all know that any transparent referendum or truly free election will not be permitted. We all understand that, for now, Hezbollah will block any positive change. But this does not mean we cannot start dreaming of building something new. We are still allowed to dream of a better future.
Once again, the current situation will not last. History tells us that various external influences take over Lebanese politics and rule over its minorities, only to eventually fade away. But we also need to reevaluate and ask why these influences keep succeeding one another. Why does Lebanon keep living in this vicious circle? It is due to a flawed and imposed political structure that traps the country under the rule of political gangster families. This is exactly what needs to be destroyed and why the dream of a new Lebanon starts with federalism.
So there are two separate questions: How do we overcome the oppression of Hezbollah? And how do we build a new state? Even if change cannot come today, these two challenges feed off each other. If we have nothing to dream about, then we become prisoners of the current situation and this is what Hezbollah and the political families want. If we see that there is hope and a new horizon, then we will find ways to defeat evil and the world will support us.
*Khaled Abou Zahr is CEO of Eurabia, a media and tech company. He is also the editor of Al-Watan Al-Arabi.

أليسا بافيا وجوز بيلايو العربية/ كولومبيا تتصدى لتهديد حزب الله في أمريكا الجنوبية
Colombia is tackling the threat of Hezbollah in South America
Alissa Pavia and Joze Pelayo/Al arabiya/February 11/2022
Questions surrounding Hezbollah’s presence in South America resurfaced when a former Israeli official was the target of an assassination attempt in Colombia in November. In a government report addressed to the government, Israel’s intelligence agency Mossad linked the effort to Hezbollah. It was part of a plot to assassinate “a handful of high-profile foreigners,” including US diplomats.
Bogata is worried about Hezbollah’s presence in neighboring countries, particularly in Venezuela, where the group is said to have strong links to the regime. The group’s ties to the Chavista “leader” are central to terrorism and drug trafficking. Colombia has increased its efforts to curb the Iran-backed militia by escalating its anti-Iran rhetoric and cracking down on Hezbollah operatives. Defense Minister Diego Molano has described Iran as an “enemy” common to Israel and Colombia. Hezbollah’s presence in Colombia and South America at large is not a new phenomenon, with its pervasiveness to the US and Israeli national security interests long disputed.
One leader to voice concerns was Israeli President Isaac Herzog during Colombian President Ivan Duque’s state visit to Jerusalem in November. Reports revealed that Duque and Bennett discussed the possibility of cooperating on common security challenges, particularly the Iranian threat.
Venezuela remains a haven for terrorists and organizations with political and financial interests in the region, such as Delnoosh and Varamin, a company owned by the Iranian Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics (MODAFL). US sanctions were enforced on the company for its alleged role in ballistic missile development. With the UN arms embargo on Iran expired, Caracas and Tehran will sign a 20-year cooperation agreement to expand cooperation. This contract could include exports of a range of military equipment. Hezbollah has always posed as a terrorist threat in the region. The attacks on the Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires in 1992 and the 1994 AMIA bombing indicate the group’s work. Together, they left 114 people dead and hundreds more wounded. Despite evidence suggesting Hezbollah’s involvement, no one has been held accountable. Critics argue that this lack of accountability emboldens Hezbollah allowing it to grow stronger militarily and politically.
The terrorist group has grown powerful in Lebanon since the civil war in 1990, while the international community remains silent. It is now one of the most influential parties in the Lebanese parliament. Hezbollah’s overseas operations have often reflected domestic politicking in Lebanon and targeted Israel. Since the Beirut Port explosion, Hezbollah has been aware that it has entered a new chapter in Lebanon, where living conditions are poor. Hezbollah’s hands could be tied, but the Iranian-backed group could decide to escalate through violence both in and outside the Middle East should, among other things, the JCPOA talks fail to produce an agreement. As of February 2022, a nuclear deal is getting closer. However, under a potential agreement, Hezbollah may not see any negative fallout; on the contrary, this will likely ease pressure on funds and financial aid to the party coming from Tehran. The recent escalation by the Houthis against the UAE and Saudi Arabia is the latest proof that Iran and its proxies will continue to target innocents to project power against Israel—and now against Gulf countries.
Potentially, another Iran-backed Hezbollah assassination attempt against US or Israeli diplomats and citizens is present. The conditions for another attack similar to the AMIA bombing is not missing from the chessboard either. As a reminder, Hezbollah is turning increasingly anxious amid its impression that other sects are trying to isolate it. The party may well decide to take action overseas to make gains at home with its narrative of being anti-imperialist and the protector against the US and Israel. The current Israeli administration and the US and Colombia should increase counterterrorism cooperation and combat the Iran-Hezbollah threat emanating from Venezuela against its interests and citizens in the region.
President Biden should monitor Hezbollah and the IRGC’s growing presence in the region by expanding the “Iran watcher” program. The move would make it more interregional and closer to the nature of the Iran-Hezbollah threat, which aims to hurt the US and Israeli interests and serve as a sticking point against Washington’s presence in the Arab Gulf states (both financially and strategically). The Biden Administration should release the report that Congress ordered in early 2019 for the State and Treasury Departments to produce on Hezbollah as part of legislation known as the Hezbollah International Financing Prevention Amendments Act of 2018. The Biden Administration should also take coordinated action to limit Hezbollah’s access to financial aid and hard currency from Iran and ramp up designations under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act. Reaching a nuclear deal in the next few weeks should be accompanied by the US and its allies making sure this does not come at the expense of the Lebanese people. The Biden Administration should continue to push the European Union to list Hezbollah in its entirety as a terrorist organization to weaken the group and disrupt its unlawful activities in the continent.

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on February 10-11/2022
US says committed to supporting Saudi Arabia defend itself from Houthi attacks
Arab News/February 10/2022
LONDON: The US said it is committed to supporting Saudi Arabia in the defense of its people and territory from Houthi attacks on Thursday. The reiteration of commitment came after the Houthis launched a cross-border attack on Abha airport in which 12 civilians were injured at midday Arabia Standard Time.
The Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen said Saudi air defenses thwarted a cross-border attack at 12:05 p.m that involved a booby-trapped drone launched by the Iran-backed Houthi militia in a deliberate attempt to target civilians at the airport.
“The United States strongly condemns today’s terrorist attack against Abha in Saudi Arabia, which injured at least a dozen innocent civilians,” National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said in a statement. He promised to work with the US’ Saudi and international partners to hold the Houthis accountable.“America will have the backs of our friends in the region,” he added. The UN also condemned the attack on Abha airport. “We condemn this and all attacks that target civilian infrastructure,” the spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Stephane Dujarric, said. The British ambassador to Saudi Arabia Neil Crompton also “strongly condemned” the attack. “I wish the injured a speedy recovery, and I call on the Houthis to end the violence,” the diplomat said. The UAE called the Houthi attack “a cowardly terrorist act and a war crime that requires a deterrent response.”It called on the international community to support measures taken by the coalition to stop the Houthis targeting civilian objects and deter them from threatening countries in the region.

At least 12 people injured after drone intercepted above Saudi Arabia’s Abha airport
Marco Ferrari, Al Arabiya English/10 February ,2022
Saudi Arabia’s air defenses have intercepted a drone targeting Abha’s airport, an Arab Coalition spokesperson said. At least 12 people of different nationalities were injured as a result of the attack on Thursday afternoon, the spokesperson added. Debris from the intercepted drone reportedly fell within the vicinity of the airport. Air traffic had returned to normal just over an hour after the initial report, the spokesperson said. “We will take firm operational measures in response to the threat of targeting civilian airports and travelers,” a coalition spokesperson said in a statement carried by the official SPA news agency. Abha, near Saudi Arabia’s southern border with Yemen, is a regular target of drone and missile strikes launched by the Iran-backed Houthi militia fighting coalition forces in Yemen. One notable attack occurred on Tuesday August 31, when eight civilians were injured after an explosive-laden drone was intercepted above the airport. Several attacks in June of 2019 led to the death of one Syrian national, and injured 47 others. A civil war has been raging in Yemen since the Iran-backed Houthis took control of the capital Sanaa in 2014. The Arab Coalition including Saudi Arabia and the UAE intervened in 2015.

US condemns Iran-backed Houthi attack on Saudi Arabia’s Abha airport
Joseph Haboush, Al Arabiya English/10 February ,2022
White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan hit out at the Iran-backed Houthis Thursday after they claimed an attack on Saudi Arabia’s Abha airport. “The United States strongly condemns today’s terrorist attack against Abha in Saudi Arabia, which injured at least a dozen innocent civilians,” a statement from the White House read. Sullivan said the US would stand with Saudi Arabia and its international allies to hold the Houthis “accountable.”On Wednesday, President Joe Biden called King Salman to voice Washington’s commitment to support Saudi Arabia in the defense of its people and territory from such attacks. “America will have the backs of our friends in the region,” Sullivan said on Thursday. Debris from an intercepted Houthi drone reportedly fell within the vicinity of Saudi Arabia’s Abha airport, bringing air traffic to temporary halt. Abha, near Saudi Arabia’s southern border with Yemen, is a regular target of drone and missile strikes launched by the Houthis fighting coalition forces in Yemen. During their call Wednesday, Biden and King Salman discussed regional developments and issues of mutual concern, “including Iranian-enabled attacks by the Houthis against civilian targets in Saudi Arabia.”
A statement from the White House said Biden underscored Washington’s commitment to supporting Saudi Arabia in the defense of Houthi attacks and “full support for UN-led efforts to end the war in Yemen.”Biden said last month that the US was considering re-designating the Houthis as a terror organization, as the UAE and other countries ramped up pressure to make the move. One of the US president’s first foreign policy moves after taking office saw the Houthis removed from the terror blacklist. Additionally, the Biden administration lifted senior Houthi officials’ names off the Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) list. In the meantime, political sources in Washington believe Biden will sanction individual Houthi officials for the time being.

As nuclear talks resume, Iran's oil exports increase
Reuters/10 February ,2022
Iranian oil exports have risen to more than 1 million barrels per day for the first time in almost three years, based on estimates from companies that track the flows, reflecting increased shipments to China. Tehran's oil exports have been limited since former US President Donald Trump in 2018 exited a 2015 nuclear accord and reimposed sanctions aimed at curbing oil exports and the associated revenue to Iran's government. Iran has kept some exports flowing despite sanctions as intermediaries find ways to disguise the origin of the imports. Tanker tracking companies say China is the destination of most of those shipments. President Joe Biden's administration has discussed the imports with China but has not imposed sanctions on Chinese individuals and companies. Beijing has urged the US to lift the sanctions on Iran, which China opposes. Indirect talks between Iran and the US on reviving the nuclear deal resumed on Tuesday. If the talks are successful, Iran could restart open oil sales. Iran managed to increase exports in 2021 despite the sanctions, according to estimates from oil industry consultants and analysts. Those exports remain well below the 2.5 million barrels per day (bpd) shipped before the reimposition of sanctions. Consulting firm Petro-Logistics, which tracks oil flows, said Iran's crude exports surged in December to more than 1 million bpd, the highest level in almost three years, although they fell back to about 700,000 bpd in January. “We wouldn't expect to see 1 million bpd consistently until there is a change in the political landscape,” said Petro-Logistics Chief Executive Daniel Gerber. A senior trade source said January volumes dropped by about 300,000 bpd from December and added that the volumes fluctuate because there is a shortage of ships. The increase in Iranian exports comes as tight global supply has helped to push oil prices to a seven-year high of $94 a barrel. A lifting of US sanctions would in theory allow Iran to start bringing crude exports back toward 2.5 million bpd, a rate last seen in 2018. Iran's oil and foreign ministries did not respond to a Reuters request for comment on the oil export levels. China's foreign ministry, in response to a question on China's Iranian oil imports, said: "the international community, including China, has been conducting normal cooperation with Iran under the global legal framework, which are both reasonable and legitimate. They deserve respect and safeguard,” the spokesperson's office of China's Foreign Ministry revealed.
Higher in January
SVB International, another consulting firm that tracks Iranian oil supply, also noted an increase in Iranian crude exports to more than 1 million bpd, although it registered the increase in January rather than December. Crude exports reached 1.085 million bpd in January, based on SVB estimates, up from 826,000 bpd in December. SVB has not seen a big difference from January exports to date in February. “I don't think it can go much higher without a waiver,” said Sara Vakhshouri, president of SVB. January's exports are the highest since waivers were stopped by the Trump administration, she said. The waivers had granted exemptions for certain buyers of Iranian oil and these were stopped in 2019. There is no definitive figure for Iranian exports and estimates often fall into a wide range. Iran generally does not release oil export figures. Last year, China brought in an average of 600,000 bpd of Iranian oil, mostly sold as crudes from other sources, such as Oman, the UAE and Malaysia, oil and gas data analysts Vortexa Analytics said. That compared with the pre-Trump peak recorded by Chinese customs in 2017 at some 623,000 bpd. China in January reported the first official imports of Iranian crude in a year.
Another source who tracks Iranian flows put the December volume even higher at 1.2 million bpd, although he agreed with Petro-Logistics on the downward move in January shipments. “Almost all of that volume went to China,” claimed the source, who is not authorised to speak to the media.

US pressures Iran to revive nuclear agreement quickly
AP/The Arab Weekly/February 10/2022
The White House publicly pressured Iran on Wednesday to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement quickly, saying that it will be impossible to return to the accord if a deal is not struck within weeks. “Our talks with Iran have reached an urgent point,” White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters, noting that the US Special Envoy for Iran Rob Malley has returned to Vienna for indirect talks with Iran on both sides resuming compliance with the pact. “A deal that addresses the core concerns of all sides is in sight, but if it’s not reached in the coming weeks Iran’s ongoing nuclear advances will make it impossible for us to return to the JCPOA,” she said, referring to the deal by the acronym for its official name, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. Psaki’s comments echoed those of a senior US State Department official who told reporters on January 31 that “we only have a handful of weeks left” to revive the agreement. Under the accord, Iran restricted its nuclear program to make it harder to obtain the fissile material to make a bomb, an ambition that Tehran denies. In return, the United States and other nations eased sanctions that have crippled Iran’s economy.Former US President Donald Trump abandoned the deal in 2018, arguing that it had failed to stop Iran’s support for regional proxies and gave Tehran too much sanctions relief for the nuclear restrictions. He then restored US sanctions, prompting Iran to begin violating the deal’s nuclear limits a year later.

German FM Says Iran Nuclear Talks Entering 'Final Phase'
Associated Press/February 10/2022
Germany's foreign minister said Thursday that nuclear talks with Iran are entering a "final phase" and that, despite Israeli reservations, a return to a nuclear agreement would make the region safer. Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock spoke at a joint press conference in Tel Aviv with her Israeli counterpart, Yair Lapid, during an official visit to Israel. Her remarks come as negotiations between Iran and world powers reconvened this week in an effort to revive a 2015 nuclear accord that curbed Tehran's nuclear program. That deal crumbled after the Trump administration withdrew from the agreement in 2018. Israel and Iran are archenemies, and Israel has vocally objected to U.S.-led efforts to revive the deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. Its leaders have said it would not be bound by any agreement between world powers and Iran, leaving it room to maneuver militarily. Lapid said that he and Baerbock discussed the nuclear talks and presented her with Israel's position "that a nuclear Iran endangers not only Israel, but the entire world." He said that Iran is "an exporter of terror from Yemen to Buenos Aires" and that the agreement must take into account its regional aggression. Baerbock said that she was "convinced that a full restoration of the JCPOA would make the region more secure, including Israel, otherwise we would not be having these talks."She said the talks with Iran, of which Germany is a party, have reached a "very critical point" and that it was important for Iran to come back to the table "with a willingness to compromise and without maximum demands." "We want to do everything we can to ensure that with this agreement, Israel's security is guaranteed," Baerbock said. Israel was formed in the wake of the Holocaust in 1948 and the two countries only established diplomatic ties in 1965. Over the decades, those ties have warmed and Germany is one of Israel's closest and most important international allies and trade partners.

Iran Unveils New Missile with Reported Region-Wide Range
Associated Press/February 10/2022
Iran has unveiled a new missile with a reported range that would allow it to reach both U.S. bases in the region and targets inside its archfoe Israel. State TV reported that the missile uses solid fuel and has a range of 1,450 kilometers (900 miles). It is called the Khaibar-buster, a reference to a Jewish castle overrun by Muslim warriors in the early days of Islam. The report said the missile has high accuracy, is manufactured completely domestically, and can defeat missile shield systems. The information has not been independently verified. Israel's closest point to Iran is some 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) away. Iran has missiles that can travel up to 2,000 kilometers (1,250 miles). The report comes as negotiations continue in Vienna to revive Tehran's tattered nuclear deal with world powers. Iran, which has long said it does not seek nuclear weapons, insists its missile program is only a deterrent. Meanwhile, U.S. President Joe Biden on Wednesday spoke with King Salman of Saudi Arabia. The White House said Biden briefed the Saudi leader on the multilateral talks aimed at getting Iran to return to compliance. Former President Donald Trump withdrew the U.S. from the deal in 2018. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said on Wednesday a deal is "in sight" but warned that "if it's not reached in the coming weeks Iran's nuclear advances will make it impossible" for the U.S. to return to the deal. Earlier in January Iran tested an engine for a solid-fuel rocket designed to launch satellites. Satellite carriers usually use liquid fuel but solid-fuel rockets can be adapted for mobile launchers that can be driven anywhere on a major road or rail system. Pure solid-fuel rockets are mostly associated with ballistic missiles systems.

Diplomats Meet in Moscow and Berlin as Russian Drills Held
Associated Press/February 10/2022
Britain's top diplomat urged Russia on Thursday to defuse tensions over Ukraine and take the path of diplomacy even as thousands of Russian troops engaged in sweeping maneuvers in Belarus as part of a military buildup near Ukraine that has fueled Western fears of an invasion. U.K. Foreign Secretary Liz Truss again warned Russia that attacking its neighbor will "have massive consequences and carry severe costs," urging Moscow to de-escalate the tensions and abide by its international agreements that commit it to respecting Ukraine's independence and sovereignty. Facing Truss across the table, the grim-faced Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov set a stern tone for the talks, emphasizing that Moscow won't accept Western lecturing. "Ideological approaches, ultimatums and moralizing is a road to nowhere," Lavrov said, noting that his talks with Truss mark the first meeting of the two countries' top diplomats in more than four years. Russia has concentrated more than 100,000 troops near Ukraine's border and has launched a series of military maneuvers in the region, but says it has no plans to invade its neighbor. It wants guarantees from the West that NATO won't allow Ukraine and other former Soviet nations to join as members, that the alliance halt weapon deployments there and that it roll back its forces from Eastern Europe. The U.S. and NATO flatly reject these demands.
Moscow's military buildup includes the deployment of troops on the territory of Russian ally Belarus for sweeping joint drills, which entered their decisive phase Thursday. The Ukrainian capital is located just about 75 miles (47 miles) south of the border with Belarus, and the West feared that Russia could use Belarusian territory to invade Ukraine. Russia and Ukraine have been locked in a bitter conflict since 2014, when Ukraine's Kremlin-friendly was driven from office by protests, Moscow annexed Crimea and then backed a separatist insurgency in the east of the country. The fighting between Russia-backed rebels and Ukrainian forces has killed over 14,000 people. A 2015 peace deal brokered by France and Germany helped end full-scale hostilities, but frequent skirmishes have continued along the tense line of contact and efforts to negotiate a political settlement have stalled. The Kremlin has accused Kyiv of sabotaging the peace agreement, and Ukrainian officials in recent weeks said that implementing it would hurt Ukraine.
Foreign policy advisers from Germany, France, Russia and Ukraine, who met in Paris on Jan. 26 without scoring any visible progress, are scheduled to have another round of talks in Berlin on Thursday to try to reach a common interpretation of the 2015 agreement and plan further steps.
The talks in Berlin come are part of renewed diplomatic efforts, which included French President Emmanuel Macron visiting Moscow for more than five hours of talks Monday with President Vladimir Putin in Moscow before meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv the next day.
Macron said Putin told him he wouldn't initiate an escalation, but also acknowledged that it will take time to find a diplomatic solution to the biggest security crisis between Russia and the West since the Cold War. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is to follow suit with visits to Kyiv and Moscow on Feb. 14-15. He met Monday with Biden, who vowed that the Nord Stream 2 Russia-to-Germany gas pipeline will be blocked in the event of an invasion. Such a move against the pipeline, which has been completed but isn't yet operating, would hurt Russia economically but also cause energy supply problems for Germany.
NATO also has stepped up the deployment of troops to bolster the alliance's eastern flank. The U.S. has begun to move the 2nd Cavalry Regiment's stryker squadron from Vilseck, Germany, to Romania, which borders Ukraine. U.S. officials have said they would send about 1,000 NATO troops. About 1,700 U.S. soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division are going to Poland and about half have now arrived, with more expected to flow in during the coming days, Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said. Britain also has pledged to send 350 more troops to Poland and already has sent anti-tank weapons to Ukraine. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is set to hold talks with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg in Brussels before heading to Poland on a visit that includes meeting British troops deployed to the country. Johnson's office said that he will "stress to allies that they must not compromise on NATO's fundamental principles. This includes inviolability of countries' sovereignty, the right of every European democracy to aspire to NATO membership and NATO's obligation to protect the security of its member states."

Saudi Arabia Says 12 Hurt in Attack Targeting Airport Near Yemen
Associated Press/February 10/2022
The Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen said Thursday that 12 people were injured by falling debris from an attempted drone attack on an airport in the southern Saudi region of Abha near the kingdom's border with Yemen. The coalition statement said the people who were hurt included travelers and workers at the airport. Two of the injured were Saudi citizens, four were Bangladeshi residents and three were Nepali residents. There was also one person each from Sri Lanka, the Philippines and India hurt. Saudi air defenses destroyed the bomb-laden drone that the coalition said was launched by Houthi rebels inside Yemen early Thursday afternoon. Saudi state television and accompanying social media accounts carried video from inside Abha's airport showing operations there running as normal after the incident. Saudi Arabia has been at war in Yemen since 2015 fighting against Iranian-backed Houthis who overran the capital and ousted the government from power. On Tuesday, President Joe Biden spoke with Saudi King Salman. The White House said the president and king discussed "Iranian-enabled attacks by the Houthis against civilian targets in Saudi Arabia." Biden underscored U.S. commitment in supporting Saudi Arabia in the defense of its people and territory from such attacks, it added. The war has killed tens of thousands of people, both fighters and civilians, and spawned the world's worst humanitarian crisis.
Charity group Oxfam this week said a yearlong battle over the strategic Yemeni city of Marib alone has displaced about 100,000 people. The fighting in Marib led to increased Houthi attacks against Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in recent weeks. The UAE is part of the Saudi-led coalition and backs Yemeni militias fighting the Houthis. U.S. officials have scrambled to reassure the Gulf strategic allies of U.S. defensive support. The U.S. initially backed the Saudi war effort as the coalition tried to drive the Iranian-backed Houthis from the capital, Sanaa, and restore the previous government to power. President Biden, however, has since tried to distance the U.S. military from involvement in Yemen's war, where both sides are accused of human rights abuses. A Saudi readout of the monarch's call with Biden said King Salman discussed the importance of strengthening mutual security cooperation and cited Saudi support for U.S. efforts in preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. The White House says Biden briefed the king on ongoing multilateral talks focused on Iran's nuclear program. King Salman stressed the need to work together to counter the destabilizing activities of Iran's proxies in the region, according to the state-run Saudi Press Agency. The two also discussed their shared commitment to maintaining balance and stability in oil markets as Brent crude hovers around $90 a barrel.

Prince William Focuses on Conservation during First UAE Trip
Associated Press/February 10/2022
Britain's Prince William made his first official visit to the United Arab Emirates on Thursday, where the future monarch is highlighting his passionate work around wildlife conservation and climate change. The one-day visit by the Duke of Cambridge marks a significant milestone in relations between the U.K. and the UAE, a Western-allied Gulf Arab nation ruled by hereditary leaders. The prince is expected to meet with Dubai Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the son of Dubai's ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. Sheikh Mohammed's headline-grabbing divorce settlement and custody battle has played out in British courts over the past year. Queen Elizabeth II first visited the UAE as monarch in 1979, while Prince Charles' last visit was in 2016. The former British protectorate is a magnet for British nationals, whose culture permeates nearly every aspect of expatriate life in this country of over 9 million, where foreigners comprise around 90% of the population. There are more than 100,000 British citizens living in the UAE and more than 6,000 British companies operating in the country, according to the British Business Group in Dubai and Northern Emirates.
The Duke of Cambridge's visit coincides with the U.K.'s national day at Expo 2020, the world's fair taking place in Dubai. Prince William is expected to visit the U.K. pavilion and tour the $7 billion grounds of the Expo site, where he will discuss the importance of conservation efforts with young Emiratis, officials and conservationists.One initiative close to Prince William's heart is United for Wildlife, established in 2014 by the duke to help facilitate efforts to counter the trade in illegal wildlife.
In his first stop in Dubai, Prince William visited DP World's massive Jebel Ali Port, where he watched cargo being unloaded from container ships by crane and then scanned and inspected by customs. This is apparently aimed at highlighting efforts tackling the illegal wildlife trade. The Dubai-based global ports operator DP World is a principal partner of Prince William's United for Wildlife. The Dubai government-owned port operator, in partnership with Dubai Expo 2020, is also among the founding funding partners to the prince's Earthshot Prize. Launched by Prince William and The Royal Foundation of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in late 2020, The Earthshot Prize held its first-ever award ceremony late last year, offering five, 1 million-pound ($1.36 million) prizes to innovators, entrepreneurs and scientists seeking solutions to the world's greatest environmental problems. The award is being funded for 10 years, totaling 50 prizes. This year's award ceremony will be held in the United States. Last year's finalists will showcase their innovative solutions to an audience at Expo's DP World pavilion following a speech by Prince William.
The duke, like his father Prince Charles, has long used his platform to advocate for greater environmental awareness, warning that the Earth is at a tipping point and facing irreparable damage unless action is taken to repair the planet. Prince William, who is traveling without his wife, Catherine, began his tour in the UAE with a visit to Abu Dhabi's Jubail Mangrove Park to learn more about local conservation efforts for the plant that helps protect coastal areas from erosion. There, he met with children planting mangroves, and he planted one himself. He was accompanied by Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, a son of Abu Dhabi's powerful crown prince. While in Dubai, the duke is also expected to meet with U.K. sports figures as the Queen's Baton Relay makes it way around Dubai's Expo site to pavilions of countries in the Commonwealth — mostly territories with former colonial ties to Britain.
The baton contains a message from Queen Elizabeth and travels to all all 72 nations and territories ahead of the Commonwealth Games.
Katy Holmes, general manager of the British Business Group in Dubai, said Britons are really excited about the prince's visit because it sends a positive message about strengthening a bilateral relationship so well established by Queen Elizabeth II, who marked 70 years on the throne Sunday.
"He's very well regarded as a royal and he is the future of the U.K. monarchy, so I think there's interest from that perspective. But it's also a celebration of Expo," said Holmes, who is among those invited to attend an evening performance at Expo that will be attended by Prince William.
The territories of the UAE have attracted British attention since the early 18th Century, when the area was seen as part of a strategic Persian Gulf trade route with links to India and other British colonies. The territories, ruled by various tribal sheikhs, later became a British protectorate and remained so for 150 years until the founding of the United Arab Emirates in 1971. Oil wealth helped rapidly transform Abu Dhabi's and Dubai's humid coastlines into a head-turning metropolis of skyscrapers and endless five-star hotels. South Asian migrant workers have borne the brunt of building and paving the UAE's cities from the desert up. British nationals, however, have largely enjoyed the higher pay, warmer winters, lower tax rates and luxury living conditions afforded to Western expatriates in the Gulf. British nationals fill critical teaching jobs in the country, but also hold a range of positions working as hair stylists, fitness trainers, real estate brokers, bartenders, hotel managers and events planners, to name a few. British accents dominate English-language radio broadcasts and British pub culture is popular in Dubai. In a rare move, the UAE granted citizenship to Sir Tim Clark, the British president of the long-haul carrier Emirates, who helped grow the Dubai-based airline into a globally recognized brand.

Libya Parliament Names Rival PM in Challenge to Unity Govt.
Agence France Presse/February 10/2022
Libya found itself with two prime ministers Thursday, after its parliament named a rival to replace the existing unity government's chief Abdulhamid Dbeibah, threatening a new power struggle in the war-torn nation. The House of Representatives, based in Libya's east, "unanimously approved Fathi Bashagha to head the government," the parliament's spokesman Abdullah Bliheg said. The move threatened to deepen the struggle for control between the eastern assembly and the western-based administration of Dbeibah in the capital Tripoli, where experts warned of potential violence. "Dbeibah is refusing to step down, so there is potential for some kind of conflict in Tripoli and beyond," Amanda Kadlec, a former member of the UN Panel of Experts on Libya, told AFP. "It could get ugly really fast." It came hours after Libyan media carried unconfirmed reports that Dbeibah's car was targeted by gunfire overnight, without specifying whether he was inside the vehicle at the time. Dbeibah, a construction tycoon appointed a year ago as part of United Nations-led peace efforts, has vowed only to hand power to a government that emerges from a democratic vote. His administration had a mandate to lead the country to elections last December 24, but the polls were cancelled amid bitter divisions over their legal basis and the candidacies of several controversial figures. Parliament speaker Aguila Saleh, who like Dbeibah and Bashagha had been a presidential candidate, has since spearheaded efforts to replace the unity government. The assembly in the eastern port of Tobruk had considered seven candidates to lead the administration. But shortly before Thursday's confirmation vote, Saleh had announced that Bashagha's only remaining challenger, former interior ministry official Khaled al-Bibass, had withdrawn from the race. The live television feed cut just before the vote took place.
'Groundhog Day'
Libya has seen a decade of conflict since the 2011 revolt that toppled dictator Moammar Gadhafi, leaving a patchwork of militias vying for control over an oil-rich country riven by regional divisions. Experts warned that Thursday's vote threatens a repeat of a 2014 schism which saw two parallel governments emerge. "Libya has two prime ministers. Again. Groundhog Day," Anas El Gomati of Libyan think tank the Sadeq Institute wrote in a tweet. The 2014 crisis had seen a UN-backed unity government face off against the parliament, which is backed by eastern military chief Khalifa Haftar -- another candidate in the elections set for December. In the run-up to the polls, Bashagha had travelled to meet Haftar, whose self-proclaimed Libyan Arab Armed Forces said Thursday it backed the decision of parliament. In a televised address on Tuesday, Dbeibah vowed he would "accept no new transitional phase or parallel authority" and declared he would only hand over power to an elected government. Bashagha and Dbeibah, both from the powerful western city of Misrata, have the support of rival armed groups in the Libyan capital and the surroundings. "Bashagha and Dbeibah both have deep connections across western Libya, and the militias will move with whomever they see as having power," Kadlec added. "The Tripoli militias might also take a wait-and-see approach. Alliance-hopping is part of the playbook in Libya." The U.N., western powers and even some members of parliament have called for Dbeibah to stay in his role until elections, for which a new date has not yet been set. Peter Millett, a former UK ambassador to Libya, said the main division now was "between the Libyan people -- who want elections -- and the political elite, who don't." "The motivation of many MPs is to hang on to jobs and privileges rather than allow for a smooth process leading to elections," he told AFP. "This seems like a decision taken to deprive the people of the right to vote by delaying elections even further and causing potential instability in Tripoli."

Adrift after Enslavement, Yazidi Teen Says She Can't Go Home
Associated Press/February 10/2022
Roza Barakat's tormentors have been defeated, but the horrors she endured still hold her captive. She was 11 years old when she was captured and enslaved by the Islamic State group, along with thousands of other Yazidi women and girls taken when the militants overran northern Iraq in their brutal 2014 campaign. Torn from her family in the town of Sinjar, the enclave of the ancient religious Yazidi minority, she was taken to Syria, sold multiple times and repeatedly raped. She bore a child, a boy she has since lost. Now, at 18, she speaks little of her native Kurdish dialect, Kurmanji.
With the defeat of IS in 2019, Barakat slipped into the shadows, opting to hide in the turmoil that followed the worst of the battles. As IS fighters were arrested, their wives and children were packed into detention camps. Barakat was free, but she couldn't go home. "I don't know how I'll face my community," she told The Associated Press, speaking in Arabic, as she nervously played with the ends of her long dark braid, the red polish on her dainty fingers fading. For years, her IS captors told her she would never be accepted if she returned. "I believed them," she said.
Barakat's tale, corroborated by Yazidi and Syrian Kurdish officials, is a window into the complicated realities faced by many Yazidi women who came of age under the brutal rule of IS. Traumatized and lost, many struggle to come to terms with the past, while the Yazidi community is at odds over how to accept them."What do you expect from a child who was raped at 12, gave birth at 13?" said Faruk Tuzu, co-chair of Yazidi House, an umbrella of Yazidi organizations in northeastern Syria. "After so much shock and abuse they don't believe in anything anymore, they don't belong anywhere."
The AP does not typically identify people who say they are victims of sexual assault unless they grant permission. Barakat spoke to the AP from a safe house run by Tuzu's group just a few days after the leader of the Islamic State group, believed to have played a key role in the enslavement of Yazidi women, was killed in a U.S. raid in northwestern Syria. She shrugged off the news, saying it doesn't make a difference. IS first sold Barakat to an Iraqi from Tal Afar, a man older than her father. She shudders as she recounts how he "made me call his wife 'mother.'" After a few months she was sold to another man. Eventually, her IS captors gave her a choice: Convert to Islam and marry an IS fighter, or be sold again. She converted, she says, to avoid being sold. She married a Lebanese they chose for her, a man who ferried food and equipment for IS fighters.
"He was better than most," she said. At 13, she gave birth to a son, Hoodh. At the peak of the militants' self-proclaimed "caliphate," they lived in the city of Raqqa, the IS capital. Once, she begged her husband to find out what happened to her older sisters who had been taken just like her. She had lost hope that her parents were still alive.
Some weeks later, he told her he found one of her sisters, holding up a photo of a woman in Raqqa's slave market where Yazidi girls were sold.
"How different she looks," Barakat remembers thinking. By early 2019 as IS rule was crumbling, Barakat fled with her husband first to the eastern Syrian city of Deir el-Zour, and then to the town of Baghouz, which became IS's last stand. As U.S.-backed Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces surrounded Baghouz, a safe passage was offered to women and children. At this point, Barakat could have stepped forward and identified herself as a Yazidi and sought safety. But instead, she clutched Hoodh in her arms and walked out of the town with other IS wives. Today, over 2,800 Yazidi women and children are still missing, said Tuzu. Some have cut ties and are building new lives outside the community, believing that if they return, they'd be killed. Others fear being separated from their children, fathered by IS members. Iraq's Yazidi community has forced women returning to Sinjar to give up their children as a condition to return. Many were told their children would be adopted by Syrian Kurdish families but dozens have ended up in an orphanage in northeastern Syria. The fate of the children has been at the center of an ongoing debate within the Yazidi community. In 2019, the Yazidi Spiritual Council, the highest authority among Yazidis, called on members to accept all Yazidi survivors of IS atrocities. Days later, the council clarified the decision excluded children born of IS rape. "This is our mistake, and we recognize that — we didn't allow the children to stay with their mothers," said Tuzu. He confirmed that some Yazidi women are still at al-Hol camp, which holds tens of thousands of women and children, mostly wives, widows and children of IS members.
Many of the missing Yazidis scattered across Syria and Turkey, others live clandestine lives in the Syrian city of Aleppo and in Deir El-Zour. Tuzu expects the majority may have gone to the rebel province of Idlib, where al-Qaida is dominant but where IS also maintains a presence.
After walking out of Baghouz with other IS women in March 2019, Barakat slipped away to a nearby village rather than end up in a camp. With the help of IS sympathizers, she took a smuggling route and ended up in Idlib, in northwesten Syria, in a home for IS widows. Her husband was killed in Baghouz. Here, Barakat's story diverges from what she told officials. Initially, she told them she had left her son behind in Idlib to find work elsewhere. She told the AP that Hoodh died after an airstrike in Idlib. When pressed to clarify, she said: "It's hard. I don't want to talk about it."
With the help of a smuggler, she made her way to Deir el-Zour and eventually found work at a clothing market, saving up for a new life in Turkey. She still dreamed of making it to Turkey when Kurdish internal security forces caught her last month, waiting in a house in the town of al-Tweinah to be taken by smugglers across the Syria-Turkey border. She was held and interrogated for days. "I did everything to hide that I was Yazidi," she said. She told the investigators she was from Deir el-Zour, and was hoping to get medical treatment in Turkey, but they didn't buy it. One held up an old photo found on her mobile phone — a young Yazidi woman in an IS slave market — and asked her to explain. "The words just came out: 'That is my sister,'" Barakat said. Once the truth was out, Barakat was taken to a safe house in the village of Barzan, in Syria's Hassakeh province, where the Yazidi community welcomed her. "I was in shock to hear their kind words, and to be welcomed the way I was," she said. She isn't ready to go back to Sinjar just yet. Her entire family was either killed or is still unaccounted for. What is there to go back to, she wonders. "I need time, for myself."

EU to invest €1.6 billion in Morocco over next five years
AP/The Arab Weekly/February 10/2022
The European Union will invest €1.6 billion to support Morocco’s energy and digital transition efforts, the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Wednesday. “This is a great opportunity for green and digital transition,”‌ Von der Leyen said on her Twitter account following talks in Rabat with Moroccan Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch. Morocco is targeting a 45.5% cut in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and has set a renewable energy goal of more than 52% in installed electricity capacity by 2025. The aid is part of an EU plan, dubbed Global Gateway, announced in September to mobilise up to €300 billion over 2021-2027 in support of sustainable projects that boost connectivity between the EU and its partners, an EU source said. Widely seen as a competitor to China's Belt and Road strategy, Global Gateway relies on both public and private sector investment as an alternative to Chinese loans. "(Investment options in Africa) too often have hidden costs. " said von der Leyen, "The financial, political, environmental and social costs are sometimes very heavy. These options often create more dependency than real links. "Global Gateway is a different proposition. It is an investment anchored in the values to which Europe is attached, transparency, good governance, concern for the environment and the wellbeing of the population," she added. Morocco, in particular, enjoys good relations with Brussels, which take into account Europe's need for Rabat’s key role in dealing with security and immigration issues. This comes at a time when other North African states are witnessing instability, which makes it difficult for the EU to negotiate with them and seal strategic agreements. This factor, observers said, has made Morocco Europe's main North African partner

Monitors Say North Korea May be Preparing Military Parade
Associated Press/February 10/2022
Satellite photos show hundreds of people in formation at a training ground in North Korea's capital in a possible sign the country is preparing for a military parade amid heightened animosities over its recent missile tests. The 38 North website, which specializes in North Korea studies, said the Feb. 5 imagery taken on the Mirim airfield in Pyongyang — where rehearsals for past military parades occurred — likely signals a forthcoming parade. NK News, another website that monitors North Korea, also reported Wednesday that there have been signs of increased preparations for a military parade in Pyongyang in recent weeks. It cited unidentified informed sources on the ground and satellite imagery. North Korea often marks important anniversaries with parades and other displays, and the websites noted several upcoming occasions, such as next week's 80th birthday of Kim Jong Il, the late father of current leader Kim Jong Un, and April's 110th birthday of Kim Il Sung, the late grandfather of Kim Jong Un. The three Kims, who have been ruling North Korea successively since its foundation in 1948, are the subject of a strong personality cult among its 25 million people. The birthdays of the two late Kims are the country's most important holidays, and its powerful Politburo recently decided to celebrate their upcoming birth anniversaries "with splendor" and make them as "the great festivals of victory and glory to shine long in the annals of the country."
North Korea hasn't disclosed what events it would hold to mark the upcoming birth anniversaries. But on past birthdays and other key state anniversaries, North Korea often paraded goose-stepping soldiers and new weapons systems through a main Pyongyang plaza to bolster unity and intimidate its rivals. Last month, North Korea carried out a spate of missile tests in what some experts called an attempt to boost its weapons arsenals and pressure the Biden administration to make concessions such as sanctions relief. It appears to be pausing the tests during the Winter Olympics in China, its most important ally and economic lifeline, but observers say North Korea could test bigger weapons after the Olympics. In a call Thursday, the defense chiefs of the United States, South Korea and Japan emphasized that North Korea's recent missile tests "are destabilizing to regional security" and they committed to continue efforts to achieve the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, the U.S. Department of Defense said in a release. It said the U.S. commitment to the defense of Japan and South Korea is "ironclad." During the call, South Korean Defense Minister Suh Wook described the North's tests as "a direct and serious threat to us" and said Seoul would bolster its own military capability and military alliance with Washington, according to his ministry. It's not clear whether the latest purported parade preparation was related to Kim Jong Il's birthday or Kim Il Sung's. The 38 North website said training at the Mirim airfield in recent years usually began one to several months ahead of the festivities. South Korea's military said last month it had detected signs that North Korea was preparing for military parades. Ahead of previous parades, the website said large numbers of trucks and other military vehicles were often parked in the fields around the practice area. It said such vehicles weren't seen in the current image, indicating an upcoming event will consist largely of people or that vehicles have yet to arrive.

Pope to visit Malta on April 2-3, Vatican says
NNA/February 10/2022
Pope Francis will visit Malta on April 2-3, the Vatican said on Thursday, a trip that was originally to have taken place in 2020 but was postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

200 Jordanian phones linked to Israeli hacking scandal
Arab News/February 10/2022
AMMAN: Almost 200 phones belonging to Jordanian journalists, activists and members of the royal court were among the thousands targeted in the hacking scandal linked to Israeli companies, a local news agency has revealed. Samir Hiari, the publisher of Ammon News, said he was alerted to the breaches by a Reuters journalist who was doing a report on the subject. The report revealed that Apple had sent messages about a possible security breach to several Jordanians, including lawyer Hala Ahed, social media influencer Deema Amad and Senator Mustafa Hamarneh.
“Once we collected the info we discovered that a little bit less than 200 — among them royal court and Olympic committee members and activists — were victims of the hacking, which included scrapping everything on their phones, including WhatsApp content, messages, photos, videos and text messages,” he said. Ammon News reporter Ahmad Hiari quoted a US source as saying it was still unclear if “any local parties cooperated with Tel Aviv in the (phone) hacking.”
Rana Sabbagh, co-founder and former executive director of Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalism, told Arab News how she discovered that her phones had been hacked. “A friend told me that they received a message from Apple ... so I decided to send both my phones to OCCRP data security experts to be tested.”Sabbagh, who is now a senior editor at the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project, said the forensic test showed the two phones had been compromised. “We found that they had been hacked in July 2020 and in April 2021. Another colleague from the same organization discovered their phone was hacked in September 2021,” she said.Sabbagh, a veteran Jordanian reporter and former chief editor at the Jordan Times, said that the dates were important as it was just before the publication of the Pandora Papers. “It is really worrisome … we know generally that we are being always checked but what upsets me is that I don’t want my sources to be hurt.
“It is upsetting when you discover that your entire life has been invaded in a mega way. They took away all our documents, photos and videos. I am not sure if the attack is local or international.”Hiari said that he was worried about how the hacked information might be used. “I know that there is always an effort to listen to our phones. This action is inhuman and illegal and we know this happens. I am worried about how the info is being used. “I am worried about people being blackmailed, we need international protection,” he added. Neither Hiari or Sabbagh would say if they thought local parties were involved in the hacking of the Jordanian phones. Hiari said: “We don’t have any information about local parties, but our international contacts assured us that the software that was used against Jordanian phones was used and bought from external countries.”Botrus Mansour, a Palestinian lawyer and citizen of Israel, told Arab News that the Israeli-created Pegasus software was part of Israel’s security ecosystem. The system had been used not only used against Palestinians and others around the world but also to hack the phones of Israelis, including directors of ministries and mayors without any legal warrants or criminal suspicion, he said. “The occupation has corrupted Israeli morality inside Israel, and what happens in the occupied territories is reflected inside Israel itself and has caused a major erosion of Israeli democratic values even against Israelis — a phenomena accelerated by the attempts of the last Israeli prime minister to escape court.”Wadie Abu Nassar, a Haifa-based commentator on Israeli politics, told Arab News that Israel had crossed moral red lines before. “Espionage is an old habit in Israel,” he said. “The red line was crossed long ago but it is revealed now and with an indication it was systematically used against everybody.”

The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on February 10-11/2022
شارل الياس شرتوني: مخاطر الإتفاق النووي، نت التماثل إلى التماثل
Les aléas de l’accord nucléaire, du même au même
Charles Elias Chartouni/February 10/2022
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/106232/charles-elias-chartouni-les-aleas-de-laccord-nucleaire-du-meme-au-meme-%d8%b4%d8%a7%d8%b1%d9%84-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%8a%d8%a7%d8%b3-%d8%b4%d8%b1%d8%aa%d9%88%d9%86%d9%8a-%d9%85%d8%ae%d8%a7%d8%b7/
L’ironie des négociations entre les États Unis et la régime iranien tient au fait qu’elles butent sur les mêmes obstacles, les non-dits qui se répètent à l’identique, les manœuvres dilatoires, et le mensonge comme vérité première de ce mode d’échanges qui vise tout sauf la communication franche, la recherche de solutions effectives, et la normalisation des rapports entre des parties antagonistes. En réalité, il s’agit de gagner du temps, éviter des engrenages conflictuels délétères qui risqueraient de mettre en danger la survie du régime et sa politique de déstabilisation régionale, alors que toute la trame négociatoire repose sur une hypothèse de travail préjudicielle, la dissociation des enjeux sécuritaires et stratégiques, comme ne cessent de le répéter les officiels iraniens. Ce mode opératoire rend malaisée la diplomatie américaine qui est à la recherche d’une approche d’ensemble qui se défie du double langage, des faux-semblants et du cynisme aux codifications religieuses. Or avec le régime iranien, nous avons affaire aux trois, alors que la gravité des enjeux suppose au bout du compte des engagements résolus, et un passage délibéré à l’acte.
Autrement, la partie américaine reprend la négociation à partir d’un blocage double, celui de la négociation inaugurale qui n’a pas tenu ses promesses, où le régime iranien s’est servi de l’accord pour mener à bien sa politique déstabilisatrice sur l’ensemble du Moyen Orient, louvoyer sur les régimes d’inspection, poursuivre la répression intérieure et s’interdire toute normalisation statutaire; l’autre blocage est celui de la résiliation de l’accord par l’administration Trump et ses prolongements non aboutis. L’autre difficulté de taille procède du rejet catégorique du mode opératoire en vigueur par les républicains qui guettent toute défaillance pour dérailler le processus, alors que les élections fédérales sont à quelques mois et préparent l’élection présidentielle de 2024. La marge de manœuvre de Biden est sensiblement réduite et consiste principalement à naviguer dans des eaux troubles aux écueils multiples, alors que les enjeux de la politique interne sont hautement controversés et la polarisation est à son zénith.
Les conduites à risque du régime iranien en Syrie et au Liban, directement ou par voie de procuration via le Hezbollah, sont fermement déjouées par les israéliens et laissent présager les difficultés rédhibitoires d’un accord bâclé, unilatéral ou prêtant à équivoque, car il s’agit d’un casus belli inévitable. Les manœuvres interminables de l’Iran doivent prendre fin et donner lieu à une dynamique de normalisation, où les enjeux du nucléaire militarisé doivent donner lieu à une désescalade résolue, une adhésion ferme aux solutions concertées des conflits régionaux, et une libéralisation progressive du régime à l’intérieur de l’Iran, alors que les trois scénarios remettent en question sa légitimité défaillante, sa gouvernance anachronique et non effective et une narrativité islamique largement déboutée. La quête de solution via la voie diplomatique n’est pas seulement une affaire d’État à État, mais surtout de choix internes normalisés, et de volonté d’intégration aux normes d’un ordre international libéral et démocratique créé par les États-Unis après la deuxième guerre mondiale, or il n’en est rien, le régime islamique iranien poursuit sa politique de déstabilisation au Moyen Orient, et se donne l’illusion de participer à la création d’un contre-système international semblable à celui des autoritarismes et totalitarismes du siècle dernier, et du terreau de la nouvelle guerre froide, en intégrant son architecture inchoative, et rejoignant la mouvance, aux contours imprécis,
du révisionnisme russo-chinois.

Russia Eyeing Kazakhstan? China and Russia Vying for Influence
Lawrence A. Franklin/Gatestone Institute/February 10/2022
The widespread violent unrest in Kazakhstan and subsequent arrival of mostly Russian troops who helped restore order last month exposed a further contest of rivals for power there between its ostensibly friendly neighbors, Russia and China.
One also might wonder if Russia was taking advantage of the crisis of the large Russian troop presence deployed along the Ukrainian border to divert the West's attention from Putin's objective of also eventually reabsorbing Kazakhstan into the Kremlin's orbit.
Russian troops already occupy portions of several former Soviet republics, including Georgia, the Ukraine, and Moldova -- "uninvited."
Russia also deploys elements of the former 201st Motorized Rifle Division on its base in Tajikistan, another former Soviet republic.
Kazakhstan is home to 15% of the world's supply of uranium -- necessary for nuclear weaponry as well as nuclear power plants, and is the world's largest producer of uranium.
The widespread violent unrest in Kazakhstan and subsequent arrival of mostly Russian troops who helped restore order last month exposed a further contest of rivals for power there between its ostensibly friendly neighbors, Russia and China. Pictured: Kazakh soldiers patrol on a street in Almaty on January 10, 2022. (Photo by Alexandr Bogdanov/AFP via Getty Images)
What can one believe about the recent events in Kazakhstan? According to the autocratic post-Soviet regime in Kazakhstan, peaceful protests by Kazakh citizens purportedly demonstrating against steep fuel price hikes implemented on New Year's Day were transformed into violent riots by foreign-trained terrorists. There is no indication, however, from the many thousands of arrested protestors that any of them were foreigners.
While the fuel price hike was the immediate cause of people taking to the streets of Kazakhstan's major cities, there also appears to be deep-seated anger over the wealth disparity between elites of the former Communist regime and the rest of the populace. By way of response, Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jobart Tokayev, in an apparent attempt to reduce anti-regime anger, fired his cabinet and canceled the fuel price hike.
Tokayev, the hand-picked successor by the still powerful "retired" president and former Communist Party leader of Kazakhstan, Nur Sultan Nazarbayev, now claims that the unrest was a meticulously planned attempted coup that had internal support. Lending credence to Tokayev's accusation, while the rioting was at its peak, the president removed his unpopular predecessor, Nazarbayev, from his post as chairman of Kazakhstan's National Security Council. This move was followed on January 6 by the arrest on charges of treason of the country's former counterintelligence chief, Karim Massimov, just one day after he was fired by the president.
Unable to control the nationwide violence, Tokayev then activated the defense clause of the Russian-led Collective Security Organization (CSTO). Five days after the demonstrations began, troops from Russia and other signatories of the 1992 CSTO treaty, "flooded" Kazakhstan's Almaty airport and quickly helped restore order in the country's largest city.
One also might wonder if Russia was taking advantage of the crisis of the large Russian troop presence deployed along the Ukrainian border to divert the West's attention from Putin's objective of also eventually reabsorbing Kazakhstan into the Kremlin's orbit.
Russia's President Vladimir Putin, who once bemoaned the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union "as the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the century, is also quoted as belittling Kazakhstan's sovereignty by remarking in August 2014 that "Kazakhs never had a state." Putin's prime directive appears to be a desire to dominate the territorial space of the former Soviet empire which now consists of independent states. Russian troops already occupy portions of several former Soviet republics, including Georgia, the Ukraine, and Moldova -- "uninvited." Russia also deploys elements of the former 201st Motorized Rifle Division on its base in Tajikistan, another former Soviet republic.
Russia's most valued enterprise in Kazakhstan is the Baikonur launch site for Russian space missions. Russian soldiers, after entering Kazakhstan, quickly moved to protect it. The Kremlin might also believe that it has some responsibility for the welfare of Kazakhstan's 3.5 million ethnic Russians, most of whom live in the northern half of Kazakhstan.
China's primary interest in Kazakhstan seems to be that it serves as the Chinese Communist Party's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) overland thoroughfare for export of Chinese goods to Europe and the Middle East. Kazakhstan, the world's ninth-largest country, is home to 15% of the world's supply of uranium -- necessary for nuclear weaponry as well as nuclear power plants. Most of Kazakhstan's 17 uranium mines are in the southeastern section of the country near its border with China. Kazakhstan -- the world's largest producer of uranium and now the main supplier to China's Nuclear Power Corporation -- sends more than half its annual uranium exports to China.
Kazakhstan is also blessed with huge oil fields at Tengiz and Karachaganak in the northwestern part of the country. China has investments in Kazakhstan's oil and gas reserves that give the Chinese about 24% and 13% control of these energy resources. As early as late 2019, the Kazakh regime announced that China had invested in 55 separate projects in Kazakhstan.
There is, apparently, another story behind Tokayev's request of the Kremlin-dominated CSTO security forces. Kazakhstan also is a member state of the Chinese-led Central Asian security pact, called the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) established in 2001. Only after Russian soldiers from the CSTO arrived in the Kazakh capital, did China make noise about assisting Kazakhstan to restore peace and security in the Central Asian country.
China's vocal but belated support for Kazakhstan appears politically paltry beside Moscow's quick response. The competition between these historical rivals for power and influence in Central Asia, it seems, is still being sorted out.
While both Russia and China have major investments in Kazakhstan, it is clear that Putin stole a march on Beijing by responding more rapidly to the Kazakh regime's request for security assistance. While reports indicate that CSTO units, including Russian troops are now exiting Kazakhstan, it is likely that the Kremlin will leave behind souvenirs, including military advisors, internal security officers, and logistical support technicians -- hinting at yet greater influence inside still another portion of the former Soviet empire.
*Dr. Lawrence A. Franklin was the Iran Desk Officer for Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld. He also served on active duty with the U.S. Army and as a Colonel in the Air Force Reserve.
© 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.

The Real Apartheid in the Middle East
Khaled Abu Toameh/Gatestone Institute/February 10/2022
Where is the outcry from Amnesty International and other human rights organizations? When an Arab country subjects Palestinians to actual apartheid measures, the international community is too busy lying about Israel's alleged abuses to take notice.
"It is estimated that 65% of the Palestinian refugees in Lebanon live under the poverty line." — UNRWA, October 2017.
Palestinians in Lebanon have long been prevented from practicing such professions as medicine and law, given that only the Lebanese could join professional syndicates.
Thirty-nine professions remain prohibited to Palestinians in the following fields: healthcare (general medicine, dentistry, nursing, midwifery, pharmacy) transport and fishing, services and daycare, engineering, law, tourism, and accounting.
Palestinian refugees in Lebanon are at risk of food insecurity, electricity blackouts, increased health problems and complications amid the shortages of medicine and health-care interventions. — UNRWA, January 2022.
"My husband works as a driver and earns less than two dollars a day. We mainly eat vegetables and beans because that's all we can afford. Meat and chicken have become a dream; we can't buy them because prices have increased so sharply. We no longer eat three meals a day, and sometimes I send my kids to bed without dinner." — Rihab Maajel, a 50-year-old Palestinian from Shabriha in southern Lebanon, UNRWA, January 2022.
"I fear that I may freeze to death this winter. I cannot afford to buy gas for heating." — Nawal Kayed, 66, Palestinian in Lebanon, UNRWA, 2022.
The group also noted that Palestinian refugees in Lebanon who want to receive medical treatment in a Lebanese hospital have to wait for weeks to obtain a permit. — palhrw.org, January 20, 2022.
When Palestinians in Lebanon cannot feed their children this winter, chalk it up to the world's unjust lethal obsession with Israel.
Five thousand homes belonging to Palestinians in Lebanon are at risk of collapsing and are in dire need of renovation, according to a report in the Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar. These are the kind of reports that Amnesty International and many human rights organizations around the world apparently choose to ignore because Israel is not involved. Pictured: Jerry-rigged electrical connections between apartment buildings in UNRWA's Borj al-Branjeh refugee camp for Palestinians in Beirut, Lebanon.
Five thousand homes belonging to Palestinians in Lebanon are at risk of collapsing and are in dire need of renovation, according to a report in the Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar.
These are the kind of reports that Amnesty International and many human rights organizations around the world apparently choose to ignore because Israel is not involved.
The report was published on the 25th anniversary of the Lebanese authorities' decision prohibiting the entry of construction and repair materials into Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon without a permit. The decision was issued by the Lebanese government in 1997, and the order for its implementation was referred to the Ministry of Defense because the army is responsible for granting construction permits to the Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon.
Seventeen years later, the Lebanese government allowed the entry of construction and restoration materials into the refugee camps, but reversed its decision after six months, without giving any reason.
The ban includes water pipes, electrical cables, wooden and iron doors, windows, cement, gravel, sand, tiles, water tanks, aluminum, glass and paint materials. A Palestinian who violates the ban and is caught trying to bring in any of the building or renovation materials without permission is arrested and transferred to an army barracks, where he is subject to an investigation and a fine.
Where is the outcry from Amnesty International and other human rights organizations? When an Arab country subjects Palestinians to actual apartheid measures, the international community is too busy lying about Israel's alleged abuses to take notice.
According to the report, 20,000 Palestinian homes in Lebanon urgently require repairs and renovation due to natural factors, and any natural disaster may endanger the lives of those living in the camps.
The report quoted an official with the United Nations Relief and Work Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) as saying that it was "only a matter of time before we witness a humanitarian catastrophe resulting from the poor conditions of the buildings."
In 2001, the Lebanese parliament approved law number 296, regarding the acquisition of real estate rights by "foreigners" in Lebanon. Various Lebanese governments have classified the Palestinians as "foreigners, refugees or stateless people," even though they were born in Lebanon. Palestinians, in addition, are generally not granted Lebanese citizenship. According to a report by the Norwegian Refugee Council:
"In 2001 the Lebanese Parliament amended the Right to Real Estate Acquisition for Foreigners... to prohibit non- Lebanese from acquiring real rights in Lebanon without a permit. The amendment was interpreted to specifically prohibit Palestinian refugees in Lebanon from acquiring real estate property rights... including through inheritance."
According to UNRWA, 63% of Palestinians in Lebanon reside in 12 refugee camps that are overcrowded and affected by sub-standard infrastructure, sanitation and housing. In addition, camp inhabitants have extremely limited abilities to improve their housing conditions, partly for economic reasons but also due to the Lebanese authorities' restrictions on the transfer of building materials into the camps. UNRWA notes:
"In the absence of Lebanese government presence in most of the camps, Palestinian political factions and armed groups exert some form of control. As a result, no single recognized authority exercises responsibility, including with respect to law enforcement. It is estimated that 65% of the Palestinian refugees in Lebanon live under the poverty line."
The issue of the entry of construction and repair materials into refugee camps is far from the only problem Palestinians have been facing in Lebanon.
Palestinians in Lebanon have long been prevented from practicing such professions as medicine and law, given that only the Lebanese could join professional syndicates.
In 1982, the Lebanese authorities further restricted the list of professions open to Palestinians, depriving them from working in more than 70 commercial and administrative professions.
In 1995, the restrictions were slightly lifted with the introduction of a new clause which exempted foreigners who were born in Lebanon, born to Lebanese mothers or married to Lebanese women from these restrictions.
UNRWA, however, has pointed out that Palestinians are still prohibited from practicing many professions, mainly due to the precondition of holding the Lebanese nationality. Thirty-nine professions remain prohibited to Palestinians in the following fields: healthcare (general medicine, dentistry, nursing, midwifery, pharmacy) transport and fishing, services and daycare, engineering, law, tourism, and accounting.
Another report published by UNRWA last month found that Palestinian refugees in Lebanon are at risk of food insecurity, electricity blackouts, increased health problems and complications amid the shortages of medicine and health-care interventions.
Rihab Maajel, a 50-year-old Palestinian from Shabriha in southern Lebanon, was quoted as saying:
"Today, we had potatoes for lunch. My husband works as a driver and earns less than two dollars a day. We mainly eat vegetables and beans because that's all we can afford. Meat and chicken have become a dream; we can't buy them because prices have increased so sharply. We no longer eat three meals a day, and sometimes I send my kids to bed without dinner."
Another Palestinian, Nawal Kayed, 66, said:
"I fear that I may freeze to death this winter. I cannot afford to buy gas for heating. The cash assistance I receive from UNRWA is barely enough to buy food and cover very basic needs."
Palestinians who fled from Syria to Lebanon over the past few years are also facing harsh and discriminatory measures.
A report published by the Beirut-based Palestinian Association for Human Rights (Witness) on January 20, 2022 revealed that Palestinian refugees from Syria to Lebanon suffer from the absence of legal protection, as the Lebanese authorities treat them as foreigners or tourists who must obtain a residence permit, which is renewed every six months.
"Palestinian refugees from Syria to Lebanon complain about the absence of UNRWA assistance," the group said. "This problem is considered one of the most difficult challenges, as refugees live in a state of anxiety and fear of arrest at any moment."
The group accused UNRWA of reducing the services it provides to the refugees, and noted that Palestinian refugees in Lebanon who want to receive medical treatment in a Lebanese hospital have to wait for weeks to obtain a permit. The group warned:
"The humanitarian situation of Palestinian refugees from Syria to Lebanon is extremely difficult... They do not enjoy legal protection in the full sense of the word. Because of the difficult conditions, their numbers have declined since the start of the Syrian crisis in 2011, from 100,000 to 27,000, with the majority believed to have emigrated from Lebanon. UNRWA bears full responsibility for their legal and humanitarian situation and is obligated to fulfill its moral and legal obligations towards them."
The director of the Lebanese-Palestinian Dialogue Committee, Abdel Nasser Al-Ayee, told the London-based Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper that many Palestinians have been fleeing Lebanon, especially over the past few years.
"The wave of Palestinian immigration from Lebanon has been on the rise since 2005, but the numbers doubled in the last two years... In 2020, between 6,000 and 8,000 Palestinians left Lebanon without returning, while in the next year 12,000 Palestinians left the country and did not return."
Palestinians in Lebanon will continue to suffer because of the discriminatory practices and policies of the Lebanese government -- but also because of the indifference of the international community.
Amnesty International and other human rights organizations are too busy bashing and delegitimizing Israel to pay attention to the real apartheid the Palestinians are experiencing in an Arab country. When Palestinians in Lebanon cannot feed their children this winter, chalk it up to the world's unjust lethal obsession with Israel.
*Khaled Abu Toameh is an award-winning journalist based in Jerusalem.
© 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.

The pursuit of power
Mohamad A. Hamdan/Now Lebanon/February 10/2022
Mansour Abbas, an Islamist member of the Israeli Knesset, may have taken many by surprise when he became part of the governing coalition last year, but his ascension may just be due to the inability of leftist progressive Arab parties to solve the pressing problems in the Arab Israeli community.
The Jewish-ness of the State of Israel is rarely contested among supporters of Israel, but it’s not every day that an Arab reaffirms this notion. Especially not a Palestinian member of parliament.
But in a TV appearance on December 21, Mansour Abbas, the leader of the United Arab List in the Knesset, broke the chokehold and declared, in Hebrew, that Israel is a Jewish state and will continue to be so. He was also the first Arab political leader to have brought his political faction into an Israeli government coalition. Mansour has been making daily headlines, challenging the normally static situation of the Palestinian political community in Israel. What Mansour stands for, and how he is being perceived by the Arab-Israeli public, revives natural curiosity and challenges perceptions of the Arab-Israeli community.
So, who is Mansour Abbas, and would the “integration politics” prove effective in the context of the Arab-Israeli community?
So near, and yet so far
The Palestinian citizens of the Israeli state, more commonly known as “Arab-Israelis”, continue to be estranged, dis-attached from the Levantine and Arab political environments, despite the fact that this is where they belong. Following the peace process and its consequent failure, Arabs have become further distant from their blue ID fellow Palestinians by the day. Their tragedies, concerns, victories, and way of life find boundaries at the Green Line, a “border” that does not even intersect the states of Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan, but rather is intergalactically remote.
Deconstructing and investigating the deteriorating relationship with these Palestinians could be arduous and exhaustive; in other words, it has become increasingly clear that what goes on in Haifa or Nazareth has become deeply dis-attached and irrelevant to Arab daily news intake that Abbas’ rhetoric would surprise many, if not all Arabs, to say the least.
The Palestinian community in Israel has been surviving in the reality of a Jewish state for decades. Ever since the dismantlement of military rule in the Palestinian towns in 1966, the Palestinians living in the state of Israel have had to face further social and economic trials and hardships. A report by Amnesty International released in 2020 stated that “Israel continued to discriminate against Palestinian citizens of Israel in areas of planning, budget allocation, policing and political participation”. Activists counted 65 laws that discriminate against Palestinians.
Local Palestinian councils in Israel went on strike to protest against discrimination in the distribution of the state budget for local councils. The vast majority of Palestinians in Israel, comprising over 20 percent of the total population, live in around 139 towns and villages, and they received in 2020 only 1.7 percent of the state budget for local councils, the report added.
Moreover, in the years following the Second Intifada until today, another issue threatening these Palestinian communities is rampant violence.
Today, around 60,000 Palestinian men work for mobs, loan sharks, and other organized criminal organizations, according to local reports. A crime wave has been plaguing the community for the last couple of years, claiming the lives of 97 Palestinians in 2020.
This continued strain of violence and murder may have engendered an Arab-Israeli shift in politics that was never before possible, finding home in an Islamist from the North, Mansour Abbas, or as Israeli newspapers and international media alike called him, the Kingmaker.
A man from Maghar
Considered an obscure politician before his move to join the government coallition in June 2021, Abbas was born into a traditional Palestinian family and grew up in Maghar, a mixed Palestinian city in Northern Israel (where he still lives today). He later attended the prestigious Hebrew University, where he earned his degree and license in dentistry. At Hebrew University, Abbas flourished in politics as an active member in the Islamist movement. He rose in the ranks of the movement and according to the Knesset website, eventually contributed to the make-up of their charter.
He is a devout follower of Islam and even gives sermons at his local mosque, where his charisma and amiable persona has attracted hundreds. Abbas’ Islamism pertains to the political brand of the founder of the Movement in the country, the late Sheikh Abdulla Nimar Darwish.
Sheikh Darwish is another political figure that has created controversies. After he was imprisoned for two years in Israel, he publicly supported the peace process and led the first normalization movement within the largely conservative Muslim population. Sheikh Darwish was responsible for the Southern Branch of the Islamic Movement, laying the grounds of opposition to other Islamists in the country who rejected Oslo and any form of political cooperation with the Jewish state.
Mansour Abbas, who is more audacious in his approach towards normalization, rose to fame after he met up with the ever-so antagonistic Benjamin Netanyahu in May 2021 in an attempt to salvage his chances in his fourth election bid in just 3 years. Netanyahu seemed to have found an unconventional partner in Mansour Abbas.
The Israeli former prime minister’s divisive record with the Palestinian population revolved around inciting bigotry against them whenever it was politically expedient. Bibi has henceforth been one of the most damaging Israeli politicians towards the national liberation prospects of the Palestinians. In his more than a decade as PM, the Jewish settler population in the West Bank has grown exponentially, further damaging any prospects for a Palestinian state. His expansionism has been noted further by the American recognition of East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights as Israeli. Netanyahu has been an opponent of peace and an instigator of rage and bigotry towards the Palestinian community.
The weight of Bibi’s and the Likud party’s transgressions bids clear and honest opprobrium of Abbas’ “integration”- focused rapprochement and his verity as an Arab Knesset Member.
A convincing anti-crime narrative and weak opposition
Quite phenomenally, Abbas put forth concessions never given up by any other Arab politician historically. Abbas deliberately sought out the word “occupation” and embraced the right-wing Israeli rhetoric. The Joint List and Hadash party leading figure Ayman Odeh has denounced Abbas’s maneuvers.
Demonstrations against Abbas broke out in Nazareth following his first meeting with Netanyahu last May; nevertheless, the degree to which opposition to Abbas has become popular is debatable.
Abbas’ obsession with the “eradication” of violence and crime in the community remains his strongest stance. However, nationally proud the Palestinians remain, the concept of integration within Israeli politics in order to ameliorate the situation in the community has been rather persuasive. A portion of the Palestinians are seemingly willing to step over their hearts and accept such political gestures despite their national pride. A new poll by Panet demonstrates Abbas at 47 percent support within the community, more than 20 points higher than Hadash’s Ayman Odeh.
To the tragedy of his former coalition partners Odeh and Ta’al leader Ahmad Tibi, Abbas has struck a nerve and appealed to many of the “average” conservative Palestinians who have failed to see any progress in their situation, as leftist progressives had dominated Arab politics for decades.
This political reality, which Abbas has accepted and is capitalizing on, revolves around a Jewish state which controls everything from the river to the sea. Building on Abbas’ venture, there is a suggestion that only through collaboration with this state can the Palestinians secure small victories which are crucial for the economic and political advancement of their communities. Some Arabs may call Abbas’ supporters “Uncle Toms”, or any other derogatory epithet, but his promotion of the integration of the Arab populace within the state is a forced reality, and it’s an Islamist taking on the reins.
*Mohamad A. Hamdan is a writer and political activist. He tweets at @modbeirut.

Libyan PM Dbeibah said to escape assassination attempt amid growing struggle for power
The Arab Weekly/February 10/2022
After the parliament named Fathi Bashagha as new prime minister, the country seems slated to enter a new phase of protracted political limbo without necessarily entering a new phase of armed confrontation. Assailants struck Libyan Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah's car with bullets early on Thursday but he escaped unharmed, a source close to him said. The incident occurred amid intense factional wrangling over control of the government after the eastern-based parliament named former interior minister Fathi Bashagha as new prime minister. Dbeibah had vowed to hand over power only to "an elected government". The source said the attempt of the life of the interim prime minister happened as Dbeibah was returning home, describing it as a "clear assassination attempt," adding that the attackers fled and the incident has been referred for investigation. Footage carried by a regional TV channel later showed what it said was Dbeibah's vehicle, which had what appeared to be a bullet mark on the windscreen and two other marks on a headlight and the chassis. If confirmed, an attempt to assassinate Dbeibah could aggravate the crisis over control of the reins of power, after the prime minister said he will ignore a vote scheduled by the eastern-based parliament later on Thursday to replace him. Armed militias have mobilised more fighters and equipment in the capital over recent weeks, raising fears the political crisis could trigger fighting. Libya has had little peace or stability since the 2011 NATO-backed uprising toppled Muammar Gadhafi. The country split in 2014 between warring factions in east and west. Dbeibah was installed in March as head of the UN-backed Government of National Unity (GNU) that was meant to unify the country's divided institutions and oversee the run-up to an election on December 24, as part of a peace process. Rival factions have been jostling for a position after planned elections fell apart amid disputes over the rules, including over the legitimacy of Dbeibah's own candidacy for president after he had pledged not to run. The United Nations and US envoys insisted on holding the vote on time even though conditions were clearly not ripe for the ballot, which ended up being cancelled. The UN's Libya adviser, Stephanie Williams and Western countries have said they continue to recognise the GNU. They have hinted they will not recognise any newly-declared authority while still pushing for elections as a priority.
Rosemary A DiCarlo, UN Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peace-building Affairs, told the Security Council at the end of January that Libya is at a “delicate and fragile juncture in its path to unity and stability” and urged the international community to remain united in supporting national elections postponed last month. “So many Libyans have told us, the way towards a stable and united Libya is through the ballot box, not the gun”, she said “We must stand with them”. Williams has also reiterated that the focus of the political process now, should remain on hold “free, fair, inclusive and credible national elections” in the shortest possible timeframe.
Endless limbo
Political blocs seem to be, however, on a collision course, without necessarily being doomed to clash militarily. The parliament said this week that no elections would be held this year, after it and another political body amended the country's temporary constitution, dismaying the many Libyans who had registered to vote. The parliament moved Thursday to appoint a former interior minister as prime minister, in a challenge to Dbeibah’s administration. “The House of Representatives unanimously approved Fathi Bashagha to head the government,” the parliament’s spokesman Abdullah Bliheg said in a Tweet. The parliament's choice of a new prime minister may lead to a return to the situation before Dbeibah's unity government was installed, with parallel administrations seeking to rule Libya from different cities. Libyans, who had been hoping that the UN-backed process would result in the first chance for eight years to elect new leaders, are resigning themselves to another long transition dominated by the same group of power brokers. Analysts say a return to the warfare between western groups and the eastern-based Libyan National Army (LNA) led by Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, appears unlikely for now, though the risk of internal struggles within each of those camps is higher. While many of the divisions between eastern and western camps remain in place, the past 18 months have reconfigured the network of alliances and enmities that define relations among both political factions and the fighters holding the streets. However, the political leaders across factional lines and the foreign powers that have backed them seem for now unlikely to actively seek armed confrontation. Turkey, which had played a key role backing the western region in its showdown with the Haftar-led LNA, has taken a step back and is making overtures to all its former regional rivals, such as Egypt and the UAE.
Populist policies
In a televised address on Tuesday, Dbeibah vowed he would resist any attempts by the parliament, which is based in the eastern city of Tobruk, to replace his Tripoli-based government. "I will accept no new transitional phase or parallel authority," he said, declaring that his administration would only hand over power to "an elected government".He launched a tirade against what he called the "hegemonic political class", accusing it of "stealing the dreams of 2.5 million voters" who had registered to vote in the election. He further accused parliament of passing laws without meeting the legal quorum for votes. In Tripoli, Dbeibah has pushed a populist policy of social and project spending during his year in office. His critics accuse him of corruption, which he denies, while rival factions and leaders who had initially supported the GNU have come to see him as a threat to their own standing. After picking Fathi Bashagha, a former adversary of the eastern camp and interior minister under the previous Tripoli government, as prime minister, the parliament is expected to task him with naming a new interim government, a process likely to involve lengthy horse-trading for position among rival factions. The UN, western powers and even some members of parliament have called for Dbeibah to stay in his role until elections, for which a new date has not yet been set. But parliament speaker Aguila Saleh, a leader of the eastern faction who, like Dbeibah was a candidate in the presidential vote, has forged ahead with efforts to have the premier replaced.
Both Dbeibah and Bashagha are from the central coastal city of Misrata, whose armed groups are among the strongest in Tripoli and which constantly seek to expand their influence and revenue. Experts believe Libyan players seem more likely to pursue their quest for continued power in other ways than armed confrontation, such as through pressure on the state oil company, or through backroom wrangling. "Libya will again be in limbo without even a clear process to move forward. On both sides the clear intention to seize or keep power is all too transparent," said Wolfram Lacher of the German think tank SWP.

Is Biden about to get tough on Iran?
Dr. Dania Koleilat Khatib/Arab News/February 10, 2022
President Joe Biden’s nominee to be the new commander of US Central Command, Lt. Gen. Michael Kurilla, this week gave a briefing to Congress in which he stated that Iran was the No. 1 destabilizing actor in the Middle East. He admitted that any sanctions relief that releases funds to Tehran would help it fund its proxies and their terrorist activities across the region. It is surprising that such a statement came from a Biden nominee while the current administration is adamant it wants to return to the Iran nuclear deal. Could it signal a shift in policy ahead of a possible flip in the balance of power in Congress following the midterms in November?
The Republicans are taking a firm stance and have insisted on oversight of any new deal, otherwise they will sabotage it. In the meantime, Biden last week fell to the lowest approval rating since the beginning of his presidency and it is likely there will be a change in Congress following the midterms, perhaps even in both houses. If that were to happen, the Republicans would make life much more difficult for the Biden administration’s foreign policy team.
A letter presented last week and signed by 33 senators warned Biden that Congress would block implementation of a renegotiated nuclear deal if it was not given oversight. This will present a real hurdle for any deal with Iran if the Senate flips in November. The Republicans will not tolerate Iran’s destabilizing activities for the sake of a nuclear deal that is becoming less and less relevant as a result of Iran’s breakout time being reduced due to its increased uranium enrichment following Donald Trump’s exit from the original deal in 2018.
On the other hand, Iran is not really helping Biden by showing any goodwill. In fact, in Republican circles, people are talking of American humiliation as the Iranians have refused to talk directly to their American counterparts during the negotiations in Vienna. Instead, European diplomats have been shuttling between rooms passing on messages.
If Biden is planning on gradually shifting his Iran policy in anticipation of a change in Congress and as a result of the Iranians being as stubborn as ever, that would be a smart move. The Iranians are requesting the lifting of all sanctions and at the same time asking Biden to give guarantees that the deal will not be reneged on by a future president. However, their demands simply cannot be met. Biden cannot remove all sanctions. Those pertaining to Iran’s destabilizing activities cannot be removed as long as Tehran does not change its behavior. And there is no way that Biden can guarantee the maintenance of the deal.
On the Iranian leaders’ side, there is a feeling that they have endured the US pressure and won. They outlasted Trump and his sanctions. And if they did not make concessions to Trump, why would they make any to Biden? They are also in a period where the regime needs to step up its regional activities, not curtail them. Iran is losing in Iraq and in Yemen, so offering concessions on regional activities would be viewed as an admission of defeat.
The Iranian leadership is very keen to show its constituency that it does not bow to the US and that it is negotiating from a position of power, not a position of weakness. The hard-liners who long criticized Hassan Rouhani and Javad Zarif for bowing to the US in the original nuclear deal cannot be seen as doing the same. But this also puts Biden in a corner. He campaigned on the promise of agreeing a longer and stronger deal, but in the face of a more rigid Iranian administration he will have to give more to get a weaker and shorter deal, including a significantly shorter breakout time.
If the US president shows he will not tolerate Tehran’s destabilizing activities, it might drive the Iranians to reconsider.
Putting pressure on Iran would be a good negotiating tactic for Biden. The Iranians are known to keep raising the bar until someone slaps them on the wrist. If Biden shows that he will not tolerate Tehran’s destabilizing activities and that he will not succumb to blackmail, even if he has to scrap the deal altogether, that might drive the Iranians to reconsider. Two weeks ago, US Special Envoy Robert Malley said that a return to the deal was impossible while Iran holds four American hostages. Some in the region have been critical of this demand, noting that the US is only asking about four hostages and has not mentioned the four capitals that have been hijacked by the regime, alluding to Iran’s destructive influence in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen. However, this demand is a signal from Washington to the Iranians that it will not return to the deal at any cost.
Biden’s positive approach does not seem to have worked with Iran, meaning a revision is needed. What is really significant is that Kurilla stressed the importance of working with allies in the region. This might be a wake-up call to the Biden administration, which has tried to distance itself from the states in the region that have been allies of the US for decades. Maybe the president now realizes that he needs to work with the Arab Gulf states and that a so-so deal with an unreliable Iranian leadership would not be enough to bring stability to the region. Domestically, a tougher approach toward Iran would also allow Biden to fend off the Republican resistance that is most likely coming with force in November.
*Dr. Dania Koleilat Khatib is a specialist in US-Arab relations with a focus on lobbying. She is co-founder of the Research Center for Cooperation and Peace Building, a Lebanese nongovernmental organization focused on Track II.