English LCCC Newsbulletin For
Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For February 13/2022
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
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Bible Quotations For today
The Judgment Day: Then he will say to those at his left
hand, “You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for
the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was
thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not
welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you
did not visit me.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew
25/31-46/:”‘When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him,
then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered
before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates
the sheep from the goats, and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the
goats at the left. Then the king will say to those at his right hand, “Come, you
that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the
foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty
and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was
naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in
prison and you visited me.” Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when was
it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something
to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked
and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and
visited you?” And the king will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did
it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.”
Then he will say to those at his left hand, “You that are accursed, depart from
me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry
and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a
stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing,
sick and in prison and you did not visit me.” Then they also will answer, “Lord,
when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or
in prison, and did not take care of you?” Then he will answer them, “Truly I
tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do
it to me.”And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into
eternal life.’”
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials
published on February 12-13/2022
IMF Says More Work Needed for Lebanon Aid Deal
Salam: IMF keen to protect small depositors
Presidency Information Office emphasizes Aoun’s commitment to holding
parliamentary elections on time
Aoun: Shiite Ministers Behavior Shameful, Polls May be Delayed over Lack of
Funds
Hizbullah Accuses Miqati of Violating Taef Accord over 'Unconstitutional' Budget
Approval
AMAL Bloc Rejects How Budget was Passed and New Taxes
Agriculture Minister patronizes ceremony honoring Del Col: Our right to defend
our land is sacred
Minister of Public Works and Transport, Ali Hamiyeh, arrived this afternoon in
the Iraqi capital, Baghdad
Lebanon/Foreign Ministry urges Lebanese nationals in Ukraine to practice caution
Berri, Hardan review general situation in the country
"Prices still above fair level," highlights Abou Faour
Al-Sabah grants Lebanese doctor George Lutfi 'certificate of appreciation' for
his work
Banned in Kuwait and Lebanon, Saudis enjoy ‘Death on the Nile’ at the Kingdom’s
recently opened cinemas
Lebanon needs American help on two key fronts/Maria Maalouf/Arab News/February
12/2022
Titles For The Latest English LCCC
Miscellaneous Reports And News published
on February 12-13/2022
Biden tells Putin Ukraine invasion would bring swift, decisive response
Russia’s Putin tells Macron invasion claims of Ukraine are ‘provocative
speculation’
Tensions in Ukraine heighten as US, Russia pull out some diplomatic staff
Nations Ask Citizens to Leave Ukraine amid Highest Yet Fear of Russian Invasion
Canada Protesters Dig in with Military-Style Proficiency
Protest Convoy Approaches Paris Defying Police Deployment
Turkish intelligence said to abort plot by ‘Iran assassination team’
UN shifts to more neutral stance in Libyan crisis, backs away from siding with
Dbeibah
Sudan’s Burhan says Israel visits for security cooperation, dismisses sanctions
Sudan denounces Western criticism as ‘blatant interference’
Syrian Kurdish commander says ISIS threat growing despite US raid
Taliban free detained UNHCR staff, 2 foreign journalists
Canada/Joint Ministerial Statement on the International Day against the Use of
Child Soldiers
Titles For The Latest LCCC English
analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published
on February 12-13/2022
The Shia House is an illusion/Farouk Yousef/The Arab Weekly/February
12/2022
The roots of Islamophobia/Ali Sarraf/The Arab Weekly/February 12/2022
Biden is pursuing a dangerous policy of appeasement with the Iranian regime/Dr.
Majid Rafizadeh/Arab News/February 12/2022
on February 11-12/2022
IMF Says More Work Needed for Lebanon Aid Deal
Agence France Presse/February 12/2022
After two weeks of talks, the IMF said Friday it has advanced efforts to secure
an aid program to help Lebanon overcome its "unprecedented and complex" economic
crisis, but more work is needed. The country will need fiscal reforms that
ensure it can manage its debt load as well as measures to establish a "credible"
currency system, the International Monetary Fund said in a statement at the
conclusion of its virtual negotiation mission. "During the mission, progress was
made in agreeing on these necessary reform areas, although more work is needed
to translate them into concrete policies," IMF team leader Ernesto Ramirez Rigo
said. The Washington-based lender launched talks last month to pull the Middle
Eastern country out of its deepening economic crisis. In 2020, Lebanon defaulted
on its sovereign debt for the first time in its history. Its currency has lost
about 90 percent of its value on the black market and four out of five Lebanese
now live below the poverty line, according to the United Nations, a situation
made worse by triple-digit inflation. Ramirez Rigo said "strong upfront actions
will be necessary to start turning the economy around and rebuilding
confidence."He also urged that "decisive action by the authorities is needed to
tackle the deep-seated problem of corruption." But any program must include a
fiscal plan that "allows the government to invest in critically-needed social
spending to support the people," he added. IMF Managing Director Kristalina
Georgieva last week described the country's situation as "very, very dire" and
said that a comprehensive program was required.
Salam: IMF keen to protect small depositors
NNA/February 12/2022
Economy and Trade Minister Amin Salam told Radio-Lebanon today that “the
International Monetary Fund (IMF) is keen on protecting depositors, especially
small depositors.”“The IMF asked us, during the last meeting on Friday, via Zoom
application, to find several options since the stimulus plan will not be at the
expense of depositors,” he assured.
Presidency Information Office emphasizes Aoun’s commitment to
holding parliamentary elections on time
NNA/February 12/2022
“In order to rule out any confusion, President of the Republic, General Michel
Aoun, is committed to holding the parliamentary elections on their scheduled
date on May 15th, 2022," the Information Office of the Presidency of the
Republic clarified in an issued statement this afternoon. “As for overcoming the
financial difficulties in providing the needed funds to hold these elections,
the Council of Ministers will study the request of the Ministry of Interior in
this regard so as to adopt the necessary measures and ensure the required funds
for this, in its session scheduled for next Tuesday at Baabda Palace,” the
statement reassured.
Aoun: Shiite Ministers Behavior Shameful,
Polls May be Delayed over Lack of Funds
Naharnet/February 12/2022
President Michel Aoun has described the behavior of Shiite
ministers in the latest Cabinet session as “shameful,” as he said that he fears
that the parliamentary elections might be postponed due to a lack of funds. The
Shiite ministers’ “objection was not over the appointments themselves not over
the appointees. The issue is that there is a vacant post, the State Security
deputy chief, to whom the Shiite ministers want to name a successor, but they
did not bring a proposed name,” Aoun said in an interview with al-Akhbar
newspaper. “They demanded delaying the appointments until they provide the name.
I gave them a week to bring it in order to appoint him in the next Cabinet
session but they refused, so I was annoyed by their approach,” the President
added. “Chaos ensued but Cabinet approved the appointments. What they did was
shameful. What and whom were they questioning?” Aoun said. He stated that the
ministers’ call for postponing the appointments was “unacceptable,” adding that
“it is okay if they got upset.”“Next week we will appoint for them their
candidate,” Aoun went on to say, adding that “what happened will not affect
Cabinet sessions” and that “certainly there will not be a return to
boycotting.”Turning to the issue of elections, the President said the state
“does not have money for anything.”“That’s why I may have fear for the elections
and concerns that the vote might not be held,” he added.
Hizbullah Accuses Miqati of Violating Taef Accord over 'Unconstitutional' Budget
Approval
Naharnet/February 12/2022
A confidence crisis between the Shiite Duo and Prime Minister
Najib Miqati appears to be growing following the latest controversy over the
manner in which the state budget was passed in Cabinet, the pro-Hizbullah al-Akhbar
daily reported on Saturday. MP Hassan Fadlallah of Hizbullah meanwhile accused
Miqati of “violating the Taef Accord,” adding that what the premier “did in
Cabinet was unacceptable and unconstitutional.”“The eyes will be on you in the
coming period and you bear the responsibility for this state budget,” Fadlallah
added. Al-Akhbar meanwhile said that Miqati “smuggled the state budget taking
advantage of a state of chaos that engulfed the session after the item of
military appointments was raised from outside the agenda.”“Ministers were
surprised by WhatsApp groups quoting the premier as saying that Cabinet had
approved the budget, something that didn’t actually happen,” the daily added.
“When the budget approval session kicked off, the ministers did not have paper
copies (of the budget) in their hands after the amendments that were introduced.
They didn’t even have electronic copies on the laptops present in front of
them,” al-Akhbar said. “What happened with the state budget?” the newspaper
quoted Deputy PM Saade al-Shami as saying loudly at the end of the session. “The
same question was addressed by Labor Minister Mustafa Bayram to Finance Minister
Youssef Khalil,” the daily added. “I don’t know,” Khalil reportedly answered.
Bayram later announced in a TV Interview that “the budget was not discussed and
was not legally approved in Cabinet.”“As the budget discussion began, something
was raised from outside the agenda. We were asking for clarifications about this
issue and we were surprised that the session was adjourned and we didn’t know
what happened,” the minister added. On Saturday, Public Works Minister Ali
Hamiyeh of Hizbullah voiced similar remarks. “To us, the state budget has not
been approved and it was issued through a declaration and not a discussion. We
will decide what steps to take in the coming days,” he told al-Jadeed TV.
AMAL Bloc Rejects How Budget was Passed and New Taxes
Naharnet/February 12/2022
The Development and Liberation bloc of the Amal Movement on Friday stressed its
“rejection of the manner in which the state budget was approved” Thursday in
Cabinet. In a statement issued after a meeting, the bloc also rejected “that the
budget include any new taxes or fees targeting the Lebanese, of whom the vast
majority has become under the poverty line.”It also said that it categorically
rejects maintaining “the approach of exhausting the state’s finances by giving
loans to Electricite du Liban without obtaining electricity and amid the absence
of the sector’s regulatory commission and a clear plan by the relevant
ministry.”
Agriculture Minister patronizes ceremony honoring Del
Col: Our right to defend our land is sacred
NNA/February 12/2022
Agriculture Minister Abbas Hajj Hassan affirmed Saturday that "Lebanon's right
to defend its land is legitimized by United Nations laws,” and that these laws
“condemn all forms of occupation, and support peoples in liberating their land."
Hajj Hassan’s words came during his patronage of a ceremony held in honor of the
Chief Commander of the International Mission operating in south Lebanon (UNIFIL),
Major General Stefano Del Col, in the town of Maaraka, which was attended by MP
Enaya Ezzeddine, Mayor of Tyre Mohammad Jaffal, Head of the Union of
Municipalities of Tyre Hassan Dbouq, and several senior officials from the
region. The Minister thanked the dignitaries and citizens of the town of Maaraka
“for honoring the UNIFIL Chief, a man who worked hard to help the people of the
border areas with occupied Palestine, and who witnessed thousands of Israeli
violations by land, sea and air.” “Thank you for your efforts and your belief
that rights are the balance of justice,” Hajj Hassan said, addressing General
Del Col. He added, “No power in the world can take away the right of a people to
their land, sea and sky. As you leave our homeland, we entrust you with a
message to the whole world and to the United Nations…We are the owners of a
right guaranteed by international law and the Bill of Human Rights: our sacred
right to defend our land and what is left of it under Israeli occupation by all
means."
In turn, Del Col thanked Minister Hajj Hassan and the attendees for this special
ceremony, saying” I am honored to join you today, and thank you for holding this
ceremony in the town of Maaraka, a place that occupies a special place in my
heart."
He added: “As you know, my first experience as a peacekeeper with UNIFIL was in
the town of Maaraka in 2007. I witnessed the hospitality of the people in this
dear region of Lebanon, although at that time, this place looked completely
different and we slept in tents for six months, you welcomed us into your
homes.”“My experience here has prompted me to come back time and time again
whenever the opportunity would arise. I am honored to have one of the gardens
named after me, thank you. Now it's time to say goodbye, I will leave the town
of Maaraka and the South…but I will carry Lebanon in my heart wherever I go and
cherish every memory of my experience here,” Del Col maintained.
“Despite the difficult conditions that Lebanon is going through, you have always
carried and still feel with the burdens of others…Two weeks ago, a council was
organized to recite verses from the Holy Quran for the souls of flood victims in
Malaysia and in solidarity with those who were displaced as a result of this
natural disaster. This initiative had an impact not only on the members of the
Malaysian battalion, but on everyone in the UNIFIL mission,” Del Col asserted.
“The Lebanon that I experienced in the past is different from the Lebanon of the
present. During the past years, Lebanon witnessed a social and economic crisis
and the repercussions of a major pandemic. From the first moment of the epidemic
outbreak, I issued directives to the mission's personnel to put all our
capabilities at the disposal of the local authorities, and UNIFIL played a
modest and important role at the same time, through our limited resources, in
supporting civilians during this crisis. We will continue to work wherever
needed because we are partners of the sons of Maaraka and they are our partners
in UNIFIL…Thank you for this gathering and for your partnership, and thank you
very much for your friendship,” concluded the UNIFIL Chief.
Minister of Public Works and Transport, Ali Hamiyeh,
arrived this afternoon in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad
NNA/February 12/2022
Minister of Public Works and Transport, Ali Hamiyeh, arrived this afternoon in
the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, where he was received at the airport by his Iraqi
counterpart, Nasser Hussein Bandar Al-Shibli, and Lebanon’s Ambassador to Iraq,
Ali Adib Al-Habhab. Hamiyeh held a bilateral meeting with his Iraqi counterpart
upon arrival, where he expressed Lebanon’s appreciation and gratitude to the
Iraqi government and people for their support to Lebanon and the Lebanese,
stressing on the depth of bilateral relations and the common determination to
develop them. "Iraq is a dear and brotherly country, and we look forward to
developing fields of work between our two countries. During this visit, we will
discuss with Iraqi officials ways to strengthen relations in the areas of land,
sea and air transport and the issue of transit through Iraq to Kuwait, Iran and
the Gulf states, and the entry of Lebanese trucks to their final destination in
the cities and all Iraqi governorates,” Hamiyeh said. He also discussed with Al-Shibli
the establishment of agreements at the level of land, air and sea transport.
Lebanon/Foreign Ministry urges Lebanese nationals in
Ukraine to practice caution
NNA/February 12/2022
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants announced in a statement today
that it is closely following-up on the developments in Ukraine, calling on all
Lebanese nationals residing there, including families and students, to take
utmost care and caution.
The Ministry also encouraged them to contact the Lebanese Embassy in Kiev when
needed on the following numbers:
0038063600022
Mr. Tony Gemayel
00380632926000
Mr. Asaad Hakim
00380980182930
Ms. Elena Zrenchenko (Ukrainian)
Berri, Hardan review general situation in the country
NNA/February 12/2022
House Speaker Nabih Berri met Saturday at Ain El-Tineh with Syrian Social
Nationalist Party Chief, MP Asaad Hardan, with talks touching on latest
developments. On emerging, Hardan said he discussed with the House Speaker the
general situation prevailing in Lebanon, particularly the ongoing affirmation
that the parliamentary elections must take place on time. He indicated herein
that "all talk about the postponement of the elections is not serious and aims
to spread confusion in the country...""Our position is clear on the need for the
elections to take place on time, and in parallel, to work to get out of this
situation we are living in," Hardan asserted. On the annual state budget issue,
Hardan stressed that his Party is against the taxes and fees that are imposed on
citizens, especially those earning limited income. "Securing the people’s decent
standard of living and reforming the food security situation must be a priority,
specifically with regards to the fuel and medicine prices that are continuously
on the rise," he added.
"Prices still above fair level," highlights Abou Faour
NNA/February 12/2022
Member of the Democratic Gathering, MP Wael Abou Faour, said in a statement
today: "The efforts of the Ministry of Economy in combating monopoly and greed,
as well as the efforts of the judiciary, are good and deserve to be commended;
however, more firmness is required because prices until now are still above the
fair level, and a simple tour of various shops and department stores confirms
that..."
Al-Sabah grants Lebanese doctor George Lutfi 'certificate
of appreciation' for his work
NNA/February 12/2022
Kuwait's Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Sabah, granted the Lebanese
doctor George Antoine Lutfi, a certificate of appreciation for his outstanding
efforts in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic in Kuwait, wishing him "more
success in his efforts to maintain the safety of the homeland."It’s worth noting
that Dr. Lotfi is a Lebanese surgeon living in Kuwait, who hails from the region
of Baalbek.
Banned in Kuwait and Lebanon, Saudis enjoy ‘Death on the
Nile’ at the Kingdom’s recently opened cinemas
Arab News/February 12, 2022
RIYADH: As several countries in the Arab world like Lebanon and Kuwait took
measures to ban ‘Death on the Nile’ for starring Israeli actress Gal Gadot,
Saudis got to line up for the film in their newly opened, minted cinemas. This
isn’t the first time that Gadot, who went through the mandatory Israeli Defence
Forces military training, or films starring Israelis or directed by the gets
banned in some Arab countries, specifically those with close ties to Iran.
“Wonder Woman,” “The Post,” and “Schindler’s List” are among the more famous
movies that people have been prevented from seeing.
“The fact of the matter is that if you have a problem with the content of a
movie, the actor or actress leading it or anything pertaining to it. Simply
don’t go watch it. Call for a boycott, but you sure as hell have no right in
making sure no one else gets to watch it too,” blogger Elie Fares said when “The
Post” was banned. While Saudi Arabia has no diplomatic ties with Israel, and
consistently condemns its aggression on Palestinian soil and throughout its war
in Gaza, the Kingdom differentiates between what is seen as a fun film or a work
of art and what Hezbollah loyalists decry as Israeli propaganda and ways the IDF
gets funded. Films playing in Saudi Arabia as of February 12th, 2022.
(Screenshot) “Let’s face it, ‘Death on the Nile’ may be banned by Hizballah
authorities in Lebanon, but it will soon be the most popular streamed or
downloaded movie in all of Lebanon,” tweeted reporter and analyst Oubai
Shahbandar.
The whodunnit classic - adapted from one of Agatha Christie’s most popular books
- was directed by Kenneth Branagh and stars himself, Armie Hammer, and Gadot
among others. According to Kuwait’s Al-Qabas newspaper, the decision was taken
following demands on social media for the film to be banned. Social media users
pointed to Gadot’s praise of the Israeli army and her criticism of Hamas during
the 2014 war in Gaza.
Lebanon needs American help on two key fronts
Maria Maalouf/Arab News/February 12/2022
The US is currently activating its foreign policy in Lebanon in two areas.
First, there is an American demand that it must hold its parliamentary elections
in May. Second, Washington is urging the country to sign a maritime border
agreement with Israel.
While these two requests are critical to the existence of Lebanon as a sovereign
state, the Biden administration has to help it fulfill them and make sure they
serve the Lebanese national interest.
American officials have expressed strong views on these two policy issues. “The
international community is unanimous that the elections must be held on time in
a fair and transparent manner,” US Ambassador to Lebanon Dorothy Shea told
Reuters on Monday. “There’s no wiggle room.”
Amos Hochstein, senior US adviser on energy security, told the Lebanese
leadership that it is approaching “the last chance” to conclude a maritime
border agreement with Israel. The reward, he said, would be help for the two
nations in exploring more energy resources.
These important developments miss the critical fact that Lebanon needs help to
pursue these two goals. There are political forces in the country that want to
postpone the elections and oppose a maritime border agreement with Israel. Chief
among them is Hezbollah, whose ruinous policies have destroyed Lebanon in the
past. The country’s unified political will must not allow Hezbollah to destroy
Lebanon again.
In 2000, the UN demarcated the Blue Line, a temporary border between Lebanon and
Israel. The two countries can now draw a new and permanent maritime border
without recognizing each other diplomatically.
There are political forces in the country that want to postpone the elections
and oppose a maritime border agreement with Israel.
According to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, nations are given a
maximum of 12 nautical miles from their shorelines as territorial waters. And up
to 200 nautical miles can be used as a nation’s exclusive economic zone for
fishing and mineral rights. The US has to help Lebanon extend its rights in the
Mediterranean proportional to its state’s power and authority and in accordance
with its economic needs. The area in dispute between Lebanon and Israel is about
840 sq km. The US must determine how that area should be divided. Any oil
exploration in the maritime areas between Israel and Lebanon has to assess early
on any potential revenue for both.
Hezbollah wants to exploit any oil and energy resources in Lebanon for its own
advantages, and to cater them to Iran’s oil policy. The US must not let
Hezbollah make war against Israel on the pretext of protecting Lebanon’s
maritime sovereignty.
Hezbollah also wants to postpone the elections in Lebanon for fear of losing
power. This could happen if the result favors new individuals and political
forces that challenge the group’s hegemony over Lebanon.
In particular, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri’s Amal Movement and President
Michel Aoun’s Free Patriotic Movement, both allies of Hezbollah, know they will
lose big when the elections are held.
These three parties embody the utmost degree of political decay in Lebanon. They
could use violence to stop the elections from taking place on time. Hezbollah
could launch attacks against Israel as a delaying tactic. The three parties
could try to sabotage the elections by intimidating voters not to go to the
ballot box. Most likely, they will cast doubt over the legitimacy of the vote.
All these dangerous policies should have equivalent responses from the Lebanese
government. The Biden administration must support Lebanon in holding these
elections. Any effort by Hezbollah and its allies to play spoiler must be
detected early and thwarted. France also has a role to play.
The best outcome of the parliamentary elections depends on the Lebanese people
themselves. They have to fear nothing and organize themselves to restore their
lost political, economic and social freedoms when they select their
representatives.
• Maria Maalouf is a Lebanese journalist, broadcaster, publisher and writer. She
has a master’s degree in political sociology from the University of Lyon.
Twitter: @bilarakib
The Latest English LCCC
Miscellaneous Reports And News published on
February 12-13/2022
Biden tells Putin Ukraine invasion would bring swift, decisive response
Reuters/12 February ,2022
US President Joe Biden told Russia’s Vladimir Putin during an hour-long call on
Saturday that a Russian invasion of Ukraine would bring a decisive and swift
response from the West, as well as produce widespread suffering and diminish
Russia’s standing in the world. In the latest effort to avert hostilities, the
two men spoke by phone a day after Washington and its allies warned Russian
forces massed near Ukraine could invade at any moment. A senior Biden
administration official said the call was professional and substantive, but said
there was no fundamental change. Russia’s military buildup near Ukraine and a
surge of military activity has fueled fears that Russia could invade. Russia
denies having any such plans. Biden told Putin that the United States is
prepared for diplomacy and “other scenarios,” the White House said. The senior
Biden administration official said the pair had a direct conversation touching
on all the issues the United States has raised in public. The official said it
remains unclear whether Putin is willing to pursue a diplomatic path. Earlier on
Saturday, the US State Department ordered most of its embassy staff to leave
02-12 Ukraine, adding to its call on Friday for private citizens to get out of
the country within 48 hours. The Pentagon said it was withdrawing about 150
military trainers. More countries told their citizens in Ukraine to leave the
country immediately, with Israel, Portugal and Bulgaria joining the list on
Saturday. In a separate call on Saturday, French President Emmanuel Macron told
Putin that sincere negotiations were incompatible with an escalation in tensions
over Ukraine, France said. Biden and Macron are due to speak later on Saturday,
according to a French presidency official.
The official said there were no indications from what Putin told Macron that
Russia is preparing an offensive against Ukraine. Washington said on Friday that
a Russian invasion of Ukraine, likely beginning with an air assault, could occur
at any time. Moscow has repeatedly disputed Washington’s version of events,
saying it has massed more than 100,000 troops near the Ukrainian border to
maintain its own security against aggression by NATO allies. Russia, which has
accused Western nations of spreading lies to distract from their own acts,
meanwhile said on Saturday that it had decided to “optimize” its diplomatic
staff numbers in Ukraine, fearing “provocations” by Kyiv or others. It said its
embassy and consulates in Ukraine continued to perform their key functions.
Russia’s Putin tells Macron invasion claims of Ukraine
are ‘provocative speculation’
AFP/12 February ,2022
Russian President Vladimir Putin told his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron
Saturday that accusations Moscow plans to attack Ukraine were “provocative
speculation” and could lead to a conflict in the ex-Soviet country. Putin and
Macron discussed what Moscow called “provocative speculation related to an
allegedly planned Russian ‘invasion’ of Ukraine,” the Kremlin said after phone
talks, adding that “conditions are being created for possible aggressive actions
of the Ukrainian security forces in the Donbass.”Meanwhile, It is expected that
President Putin and US President Joe Biden are to hold a high-stakes telephone
call on Saturday as tensions over a possibility imminent invasion of Ukraine
escalated sharply and the US announced plans to evacuate its embassy in the
Ukrainian capital.
Tensions in Ukraine heighten as US, Russia pull out some
diplomatic staff
Agencies/February 12, 2022
Western intelligence officials warn that a Russian invasion of Ukraine is
increasingly imminent
Lavrov accuses US of 'propaganda' about Russian aggression
As tensions in Ukraine heighten over the possible Russian invasion, Moscow and
the US announced on Saturday that they ordered some of their embassy staff out
of Kyiv. “Fearing possible provocations from the Kyiv regime or other countries
we have indeed decided to optimise staffing at Russian missions in Ukraine,”
Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a press release,
responding to a media question on the subject. Aside from some embassy staff,
sources said Washington was also withdrawing its staff at the Organisation for
Security and Cooperation in Europe from Ukraine (OSCE). Today, the @StateDept ordered
non-emergency U.S. employees at the Embassy to depart due to continued reports
of a Russian military build-up on the border with Ukraine, indicating potential
for significant military action. https://t.co/6IgLvE4PJS
— U.S. Embassy Kyiv (@USEmbassyKyiv) February 12, 2022
The announcement came as the US officials say the State Department plans to
announce early Saturday that all American staff at the Kyiv embassy will be
required to leave the country ahead of a feared Russian invasion. The department
had earlier ordered families of US embassy staffers in Kyiv to leave. But it had
left it to the discretion of nonessential personnel if they wanted to depart.
The new move comes as Washington has ratcheted up its warnings about a possible
Russian invasion of Ukraine. The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity
because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly, said a limited
number of US diplomats may be relocated to Ukraine’s far west, near the border
with Poland, a NATO ally, so the US could retain a diplomatic presence in the
country.
‘Propaganda campaign'
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov during a phone call with US Secretary of
State Antony Blinken accused Washington of waging a "propaganda campaign" about
possible Russian aggression, the Russian foreign ministry said on Saturday.
Russia has built up military forces near Ukraine, fuelling fears it may invade.
Moscow denies such plans. In a readout of Saturday's phone call with Blinken,
Lavrov also said that Washington and Brussels had ignored key Russian security
demands.
Stoking panic
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday that warnings of an
imminent Russian attack on his country were stoking "panic" and demanded to see
firm proof of a planned invasion. "All this information is only provoking panic
and not helping us," the Ukrainian leader told reporters, adding that "if anyone
has any additional information about a 100-percent chance of an invasion, give
it to us"
OSCE
Separately, two diplomatic sources told Reuters that the United States was
pulling out its staff at the OSCE in Ukraine with immediate effect.
The OSCE did not respond to a request for comment. The OSCE conducts operations
in Ukraine including a civilian monitoring mission in the Russian-backed
self-proclaimed separatist republics in the country's east where a war that
erupted in 2014 has killed more than 14,000 people. One of the sources, who
spoke on condition of anonymity, said they expected other nations to make
similar evacuation decisions soon. The two sources told Reuters that Britain had
decided to move its members of the OSCE from the rebel-held regions of Ukraine
to the government-controlled area.
Escalating crisis
The crisis between Russia and Ukraine is escalating, but Germany is making all
efforts to find a diplomatic solution, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock
said on Saturday. “We must be prepared for all scenarios,” Baerbock said during
a news conference in Cairo.
Combat troops to Poland
The Pentagon announced Friday it is sending another 3,000 combat troops to
Poland to join 1,700 who already are assembling there in a demonstration of
American commitment to NATO allies worried at the prospect of Russia invading
Ukraine. The additional soldiers will depart their post at Fort Bragg, North
Carolina, over the next couple days and should be in Poland by early next week,
according to a defense official, who provided the information under ground rules
set by the Pentagon. They are the remaining elements of an infantry brigade of
the 82nd Airborne Division. Their mission will be to train and provide
deterrence but not to engage in combat in Ukraine.
That announcement came shortly after Jake Sullivan, President Joe Biden’s
national security adviser, issued a public warning for all American citizens in
Ukraine to leave the country as soon as possible. Sullivan said Russian
President Vladimir Putin could give the order to launch an invasion of Ukraine
any day now. In addition to the US troops deploying to Poland, about 1,000 US
soldiers based in Germany are shifting to Romania in a similar mission of
reassurance to a NATO ally. Also, 300 soldiers of an 18th Airborne Corps
headquarters unit have arrived in Germany, commanded by Lt. Gen. Michael E.
Kurilla. The American troops are to train with host-nation forces but not enter
Ukraine for any purpose. The US already has about 80,000 troops throughout
Europe at permanent stations and on rotational deployments.
Nations Ask Citizens to Leave Ukraine amid Highest Yet Fear
of Russian Invasion
Naharnet/February 12/2022
Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Joe Biden are to hold a
high-stakes telephone call on Saturday as tensions over a possibly imminent
invasion of Ukraine escalated sharply and the U.S. announced plans to evacuate
its embassy in the Ukrainian capital.Before talking to Biden, Putin is to have a
call with French President Emmanuel Macron, who met with him in Moscow earlier
in the week to try to resolve the crisis.
Russia has massed well over 100,000 troops near the Ukraine border and has sent
troops to exercises in neighboring Belarus, but insistently denies that it
intends to launch an offensive against Ukraine. However, Russian Foreign
Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Saturday that the country has
"optimized" staffing at its embassy in Kyiv, but said the move was in response
to concerns about possible military actions from the Ukrainian side.
"We conclude that our American and British colleagues apparently know about some
military actions being prepared in Ukraine that could significantly complicate
the situation in the security sphere," she said. "In this situation, fearing
possible provocations by the Kyiv regime or third countries, we actually decided
to somewhat optimize the staffing of Russian foreign missions in
Ukraine."Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State
Antony Blinken spoke by telephone Saturday. Lavrov told Blinken that "the
propaganda campaign launched by the United States and its allies about 'Russian
aggression' against Ukraine pursues provocative goals."
Britain on Saturday told its citizens to leave Ukraine. Armed Forces Minister
James Heappey told the BBC that U.K. troops that have been training the
Ukrainian army also would leave the country. Germany and the Netherlands also
called on their citizens to leave as soon as possible.
Adding to the sense of crisis, the Pentagon ordered an additional 3,000 U.S.
troops to Poland to reassure allies. Biden has said the U.S. military will not
enter a war in Ukraine, but he has promised severe economic sanctions against
Moscow, in concert with international allies. The timing of any possible Russian
military action remains a key question. The U.S. picked up intelligence that
Russia is looking at Wednesday as a target date, according to a U.S. official
familiar with the findings. The official, who was not authorized to speak
publicly and did so only on condition of anonymity, would not say how definitive
the intelligence was. The White House publicly underscored that the U.S. does
not know with certainty whether Putin is committed to invasion.However, U.S.
officials said anew that Russia's buildup of offensive air, land and sea
firepower near Ukraine has reached the point where it could invade on short
notice. A State Department travel advisory on Saturday said most American staff
at the Kyiv embassy have been ordered to leave and other U.S. citizens should
depart the country as well. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry on Saturday said "it
is critically important to remain calm, to consolidate within the country, and
to avoid actions that undermine stability and sow panic." It added that the
armed forces "are constantly monitoring developments and are ready to rebuff any
infringement on the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine."
Biden's national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, said Americans should not
expect the U.S. military to rescue them in the event that air and rail
transportation is severed after a Russian invasion.
Several NATO allies including Britain, Canada, Norway and Denmark also are
asking their citizens to leave Ukraine, as is non-NATO ally New Zealand.
Sullivan said Russian military action could start with missile and air attacks,
followed by a ground offensive. "Yes, it is an urgent message because we are in
an urgent situation," he told reporters at the White House. "Russia has all the
forces it needs to conduct a major military action," Sullivan said, adding,
"Russia could choose, in very short order, to commence a major military action
against Ukraine." He said the scale of such an invasion could range from a
limited incursion to a strike on Kyiv, the capital. Russia scoffed at the U.S.
talk of urgency.
"The hysteria of the White House is more indicative than ever," said Russian
spokeswoman Zakharova. "The Anglo-Saxons need a war. At any cost. Provocations,
misinformation and threats are a favorite method of solving their own problems."
In addition to the more than 100,000 ground troops that U.S. officials say
Russia has assembled along Ukraine's eastern and southern borders, the Russians
have deployed missile, air, naval and special operations forces, as well as
supplies to sustain a war. This week Russia moved six amphibious assault ships
into the Black Sea, augmenting its capability to land marines on the coast.
Sullivan's stark warning accelerated the projected timeframe for a potential
invasion, which many analysts had believed was unlikely until after the Winter
Olympics in China end on Feb. 20. Sullivan said the combination of a further
Russian troop buildup on Ukraine's borders and unspecified intelligence
indicators have prompted the administration to warn that war could begin any
time. "We can't pinpoint the day at this point, and we can't pinpoint the hour,
but that is a very, very distinct possibility," Sullivan said.
Biden has said U.S. troops will not enter Ukraine to contest any Russian
invasion, but he has bolstered the U.S. military presence in Europe as
reassurance to allies on NATO's eastern flank. On Friday the Pentagon said Biden
ordered a further 3,000 soldiers to Poland, on top of 1,700 who are on their way
there. The U.S. Army also is shifting 1,000 soldiers from Germany to Romania,
which like Poland shares a border with Ukraine.
Biden spoke to a number of European leaders on Friday to underscore the concerns
raised by U.S. intelligence about the potential imminence of a Russian invasion.
Russia is demanding that the West keep Ukraine and other former Soviet countries
out of NATO. It also wants NATO to refrain from deploying weapons near its
border and to roll back alliance forces from Eastern Europe — demands flatly
rejected by the West. Russia and Ukraine have been locked in a bitter conflict
since 2014, when Ukraine's Kremlin-friendly leader was driven from office by a
popular uprising. Moscow responded by annexing the Crimean Peninsula and then
backing a separatist insurgency in eastern Ukraine, where fighting has killed
over 14,000 people. A 2015 peace deal brokered by France and Germany helped halt
large-scale battles, but regular skirmishes have continued, and efforts to reach
a political settlement have stalled.
Canada Protesters Dig in with Military-Style Proficiency
Agence France Presse/February 12/2022
With support from ex-police and military intelligence officers, American
funding, and stockpiles of food and fuel, "Freedom Convoy" protesters are
hunkered down for a long stay in the Canadian capital. Their numbers have fallen
from a peak of almost 15,000 when the truckers first rolled into the capital two
weeks ago. At first the goal was to protest Covid restrictions although this has
morphed into a broader outcry against the government. The protesters remain
firmly entrenched, despite growing calls for them to end what Prime Minister
Justin Trudeau said Friday was an "unlawful" demonstration and threats of jail
and steep fines after a local state of emergency was declared. Outside
parliament, supporters serve up coffee, eggs and sausages to bleary-eyed
truckers, while others provided them with beds to sleep in, hot showers and even
laundry services. Nearby, kids played while their parents huddled by campfires
to stay warm. "Every day I come here to get my coffee, to get my emotional
support, my spiritual support," said protester George Dick. "These guys are
awesome! I couldn't do it without them," he says of the volunteers. Elian Renaud,
an 18-year-old mechanic, has been manning a grill since 4 a.m. (0900 GMT),
saying the truckers are very happy "to be eating a good dinner, not just small
snacks."Nearby a plastic table is close to buckling under the weight of water
bottles and soda cans, while protesters continue to ferry fuel in wagons to keep
the big rigs roaring -- despite efforts by police to cut off the convoy's diesel
supplies. Ottawa police Chief Peter Sloly has said this is "an entirely
sophisticated level of demonstrators.""They have the capability to run strong
organization here provincially and nationally, and we're seeing that play out in
real-time," he told a briefing.
Base camp
A few kilometers away, an encampment at a baseball stadium is being used as a
staging area. An AFP journalist saw barbecues, saunas and stockpiles of food and
fuel, as well as rows of portable toilets. Daniel Gagnon, sporting a goatee and
small round glasses, set up a booth to sell signs for Can$20 dollars (US$16) to
raise funds for the truckers. "If a truck driver needs something, no problem, we
find it," he says. "Everywhere, there is food. It's free. If anything is
missing, people can call, we'll help them out."Canadian authorities' freezing of
millions of dollars raised online for the protesters seems to have had little
impact as donations of goods pour in. Started at the end of January, they had
raised more than Can$10 million on GoFundMe, before the donation page was
removed for violating the crowdsourced fundraising site's terms of service that
"prohibit user content that reflects or promotes behaviour in support of
violence." A subsequent campaign launched on the Christian site GiveSendGo
raised several million dollars, before it too was frozen by the Superior Court
of Ontario. Scott Holt, 58, who's been sleeping in his truck since the protest
began, shrugged it off. "I'm getting financially supported... I need food, I've
got that. I need fuel, the organization supplies the fuel. Somehow, someway they
always get me fuel. What more do I need?" he said. On Friday, Trudeau indicated
that half of the donated funds supporting the trucker convoy has come from U.S.
sources. From the start, the protestors received the backing of American
conservatives, including former president Donald Trump and Texas Senator Ted
Cruz, who called the protesters "heroes" and "patriots."
Tripping up authorities -
Marcel Chartrand, a professor at the University of Ottawa, told AFP the
protesters "appear to be getting some direction from groups in the United
States."But there are still a lot of unanswered questions, he said. "How's this
organization being supported? How is it influenced? Who are the people behind
it... and where is it going?" Among the protestors are a number of retired cops
and soldiers -- more than 150 with "boots on the ground," according to Police on
Guard, a group opposed to Covid health restrictions. It also broadcasts videos
of the demonstrations, according to its website.
Daniel "Danny" Bulford, a former Mountie on the prime minister's security
detail, told a news conference he's been sharing his "extensive experience in
protective operations for large scale events" in the capital including "tactical
planning" with protest organizers, and helping to liaise with authorities.
He quit the RCMP last year over mandatory Covid vaccines, he said. Chartrand
noted that the protesters don't use "mainstream social media" and rely instead
on walkie-talkie app Zello to evade police barricades, or secure messaging app
Telegram to plan solidarity protests, for example, and they shun mainstream
media. "It makes it hard to follow them," he said, and has allowed the
protesters to circumvent efforts by "intelligence agencies and police" who too
often have been "finding out a bit too late to react and put a stop to, for
example, the closing of the Ambassador Bridge," a key Canada-U.S. trade
corridor.
Protest Convoy Approaches Paris Defying Police
Deployment
Agence France Presse/February 12/2022
Thousands of opponents of coronavirus rules encamped on the outskirts of Paris
early Saturday resumed their way to the French capital in convoys of vehicles,
defying a ban by authorities who are determined to prevent any blockade of the
city. Inspired by Canadian truckers paralyzing border traffic with the United
States, the demonstrators include anti-Covid vaccination activists, but also
people angry at fast-rising energy prices. Some drivers parked on the fringes of
Chartres, about 80 kilometers (50 miles) from Paris, left at around 5:00 am
(0400 GMT), according to messages seen by AFP. Messages said the aim was to
"create a mass of vehicles that the forces of order would find impossible to
contain.""Faced with several thousand vehicles capable of stopping or being on
the move" the police would not be able to do much, one message said. Nearly
7,200 police and gendarmes "are being deployed over the next three days to
enforce the ban on vehicle convoys," Paris police headquarters said. The prefect
of the Paris police, Didier Lallement, said they had created a temporary car
pound which, together with dozens of tow trucks, "will ... put an end to any
blockage."Police showed off their anti-blockage arsenal on Twitter, publishing
photographs of loader tractors for the removal of barricades as well as trucks
equipped with cranes or water cannon. Gendarmerie armoured vehicles have also
been deployed in the streets of the capital for the first time since the "yellow
vest" protests at the end of 2018.
Prime Minister Jean Castex vowed to remain steadfast.
"If they block traffic or if they try to block the capital, we must be very firm
about this," he said. Hundreds of cars, motorhomes and vans from Lille,
Strasbourg, Chateaubourg and elsewhere stopped Friday evening at the gates of
Paris, but a police source said no convoy had entered the capital.
They are demanding a withdrawal of the government's vaccine pass, which is
required for access to many public spaces, and more help with their energy
bills. "People need to see us, and to listen to the people who just want to live
a normal and free life," said Lisa, a 62-year-old retired health worker who
joined a convoy of more than 1,000 vehicles leaving Chateaubourg in the western
Brittany region early Friday. Like other protesters, Lisa has been active in the
"yellow vest" movement that erupted over a fuel tax hike before becoming a
platform for other complaints against President Emmanuel Macron.
Just two months ahead of presidential elections and with the government
desperate to avoid violent scenes in the capital, Macron said Friday he
understood the "fatigue" linked to the Covid-19 pandemic."This fatigue also
leads to anger. I understand it and I respect it. But I call for the utmost
calm," he told the Ouest-France newspaper.
'It's a betrayal'
Police estimated 3,300 vehicles were involved in the various convoys by Friday
afternoon. Paris police banned the gathering because of feared "public order
disturbances" and said protesters who tried to block roads would face fines or
arrest. The order prohibiting the assembly of convoys was upheld on Friday by
the courts, which rejected two appeals. "It's a betrayal. The basis of the order
is not respectful of the law, of the freedom to demonstrate," anti-vaccine and
"yellow vest" activist Sophie Tissier told AFP. "The right to demonstrate and to
have an opinion are a constitutionally guaranteed right in our republic and in
our democracy. The right to block others or to prevent coming and going is not,"
the prime minister said. Refuting any desire to block the capital, the
demonstrators were hoping to swell the ranks of the regular Saturday protests
against the government's vaccine pass. "It's important that we don't interfere
with other people on the roads," said one activist, Robin, on his way from
Illkirch-Graffenstaden in the eastern Alsace region. "That way we'll keep the
population on our side, like they did in Canada." Some then want to travel on to
Brussels for a "European convergence" of protesters planned there for Monday.
Phil, a 58-year-old on his way by truck from Brittany, said his refusal to get
vaccinated had created "upheaval" in his family and work relations. "When you
join a demonstration you feel less alone," he told AFP.
Turkish intelligence said to abort plot by ‘Iran
assassination team’
AFP//The Arab Weekly/February 12/2022
Turkish spies thwarted a plot orchestrated by Iran to kill an Israeli-Turkish
businessman based in Istanbul, a pro-government daily reported Friday. Turkey’s
National Intelligence Organisation (MIT) discovered a network of nine operatives
dubbed an “Iran assassination team” plotting to kill Yair Geller, the Sabah
daily reported. Geller has businesses in the aviation-defence industry as well
as in technology and software, the daily added. The assassination was supposed
to be in retaliation for the killing of top Iranian nuclear scientist Mohsen
Fakhrizadeh in 2020 which Iran blamed on Israel, Sabah claimed. Turkey at the
time condemned Fakhrizadeh’s assassination as an act of “terrorism”. Sabah’s
story comes as Turkey seeks a rapprochement with Israel after Ankara ordered out
Israel’s ambassador over the killing of protesters along the Gaza Strip border
in 2018. Istanbul police launched an operation to detain the nine men “a few
days ago”, the newspaper said, but the leader of the network is apparently in
Iran. Eight have been arrested on charges including “setting up an organisation
to commit a crime” and “being a member of a group set up to commit crime”, it
added. The men had been watched by MIT agents as they followed Geller at home
and at work, collecting information to prepare the assassination, Sabah said.
MIT also met with Israel’s Mossad spy agency in Ankara to inform them of the
plot’s next step to kill Geller. He was taken to a “safe house” shortly after,
it added. The newspaper even claimed the plot was an attempt to “derail
Turkey-Israel relations” after “positive steps were taken” to improve ties.
There had been high hopes in Ankara that Israeli President Isaac Herzog would
pay an official visit to Turkey this month but it is now expected by Turkey to
be in March. Turkey and Iran have historically close economic ties but have
found themselves on opposite sides of regional conflicts, including in Syria.
UN shifts to more neutral stance in Libyan crisis, backs
away from siding with Dbeibah
AFP/The Arab Weekly/February 12/2022
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for stability in Libya after
the country’s east-based parliament named a new prime minister, his spokesman
said Friday. The UN position seemed to reflect a regional and international
effort to lower tensions and avoid a confrontation between Libyan camps aligned
behind two prime ministers who are competing for legitimacy. Guterres’ appeal
seems to reflect a more neutral position than the UN’s initial support for the
current interim prime minister based in the capital, Tripoli, in western Libya.
The UN chief’s statement did not mention by name either Libya’s interim Prime
Minister Abdelhamid Dbeibah or the new prime minister appointed on Thursday,
Fathi Bashagha. Guterres also did not repeat what his spokesman had said a day
earlier, namely that the UN has continued to support Dbeibah as interim prime
minister. Libyan political sources suggested that Turkey, which wields huge
influence in western Libya, could intervene to prevent the scenario of the
emergence of a situation of two competing governments in Tripoli. The east-based
lawmakers on Thursday had appointed former Interior Minister Fathi Bashagha to
replace Abdulhamid Dbeibah as head of a new interim government, a development
that some feared could inflame tensions in the country, long divided between
rival administrations in the east and west.
Asked on Thursday, whether the UN still recognised Dbeibah. the UN spokesman,
Stephane Dujarric, had said “the short answer is yes.”On Friday, Dujarric gave a
more nuanced statement, saying Guterres is following the situation in Libya
closely. His special adviser, Stephanie Williams, is on the ground and has been
contacting the parties “trying to keep the process on track,” the spokesman
said. Guterres “takes note” of Thursday’s vote in the House of Representatives
in Tobruk to designate a new prime minister,” Dujarric said. “The
secretary-general further calls on all parties to continue to preserve stability
in Libya as a top priority.”“He reminds all institutions of the primary goal of
holding national elections as soon possible in order to ensure that the
political will of the 2.8 million Libyan citizens who registered to vote are
respected,” Dujarric said. Later Friday, Dujarric was again pressed on whether
the UN still recognises Dbeibah. “There’s a prime minister, currently, Mr
Dbeibah,” Dujarric said. “And I’ve mentioned, we’ve taken note that the relevant
Libyan institutions have voted for another person to be prime
minister-designate, who is reportedly to form a government in the coming
weeks.”The decision by the east-based lawmakers has raised fears of a return to
the divisions in Libya, which plunged into chaos after a NATO-backed 2011
uprising toppled longtime ruler Muammar Gadhafi. On Friday, dozens of protesters
gathered in central Tripoli to oppose Bashagha’s assuming the post of premier.
They called for the parliament in the eastern city of Tobruk that appointed him
to be dissolved. But Bashagha is also seen as enjoying a good measure of support
among Libyan factions in Tripoli, including armed militias.
Shifting balances
In April 2019, Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, commander of the east-based Libyan
National Army (LNA), launched an offensive to capture Tripoli, where the
UN-supported government is based. Haftar’s campaign collapsed after Turkey and
Qatar stepped up their military support for the Tripoli government with hundreds
of Turkish soldiers and thousands of Syrian mercenaries. Mediated by Williams,
then a UN envoy, an October 2020 cease-fire led to the formation of a
transitional government with Dbeibah as prime minister and scheduled elections
for December 24, which are now postponed. Lawmakers have argued that the mandate
of Dbeibah’s government ended on that date. The candidacy of many high profile
and controversial candidates such as Dbeibah himself, along with Libyan National
Army commander Khalifa Haftar, Parliament speaker Aguila Saleh and Seif al-Islam
Gadhafi, for presidential elections further complicated the process. “The
Parliament’s selection of a new government is another attempt to enter Tripoli
by force,” Dbeibah said in an interview. He said the parliament’s move was
similar to what happened in 2019 when the Libyan National Army (LNA) of eastern
commander Khalifa Haftar and his army attacked Tripoli. On Friday, Dbeibah
promised to draft a new election law to solve the political crisis in the North
African country. A day after surviving an alleged assassination attempt against
him, he told Libya Al Ahrar TV a bill would be presented to the House of
Representatives then transferred to the presidential council for ratification.
With Fathi Bashagha now challenging his power, backed by Haftar’s forces, some
analysts feared a return to conflict. But regional balances have shifted since a
year ago with Bashagha seemingly keeping better track of the shifts than his
rival, Dbeibah. The former interior minister reached out to France, Egypt as
well as Turkey, heeding the fact that Ankara was actively seeking reconciliation
with former regional rivals, such as Egypt and the United Arab Emirates. Within
Libya itself, things have also changed. “There really isn’t an East-West
division as there was a year ago,” said Amanda Kadlec, a former member of the UN
panel of experts on Libya. Still there is some risk of militia weapons spinning
out of control. “What is potentially dangerous is violence in Tripoli, as
Bashagha and Dbeibah both have deep connections across western Libya,” she
added. “The militias will move with whomever they perceive as having power,” she
said. Claudia Gazzini, senior Libya analyst with the International Crisis Group,
wrote on Twitter that the parliament was set to hold a vote of confidence on
Bashagha’s proposed cabinet two weeks from now.
“As recent events in Libya showed us, a lot can happen in two weeks,” she said.
Sudan’s Burhan says Israel visits for security
cooperation, dismisses sanctions
Reuters/February 12, 2022
KHARTOUM: Sudan’s military leader General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan said on
Saturday that a series of meetings between Sudanese and Israeli officials were
part of security and intelligence cooperation, and not political in nature.Asked
about relations with the United States, he said Washington was receiving
inaccurate information and that sanctions or the threat of sanctions were “of no
use.”
Sudan denounces Western criticism as ‘blatant interference’
Reuters//The Arab Weekly/February 12/2022
Sudan on Friday rejected Western criticism of the arrest of two high-profile
former officials opposed to military rule and charged with corruption, saying it
was contrary to “diplomatic norms and practices.”Khalid Omer Yousif and Wagdi
Salih were arrested on Wednesday, a move Norway, the United States, Britain, the
European Union, Canada, and Switzerland condemned as “harassment and
intimidation” by Sudan’s military authorities. “This is blatant interference in
internal Sudanese affairs, contrary to diplomatic norms and practices,” the
Sudanese Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Both men had been part of the government that was toppled on October 25 and had
been detained in the weeks following. Since then, military leaders have
repeatedly warned of foreign interference. The two had been involved in a
taskforce that seized assets from members of ousted President Omar al-Bashir’s
regime that has come under criticism from the military. A committee reviewing
its work said on Sunday it had found irregularities. “The two citizens referred
to were in fact detained based on clear criminal suspicion, not as a result of
any political charge or motive, and the ambassadors concerned should have taken
care to obtain accurate information from official sources,” the foreign ministry
statement said. The coup ended a partnership between the military and civilian
political parties, drawing international condemnation and plunging Sudan into
turmoil, with frequent nationwide demonstrations against the coup and a wave of
political detentions. Lawyers said this week more than 100 people remain in
prison, while some 2,000 had been arrested and released. Protests organised by
neighbourhood resistance committees have drawn hundreds of thousands of people,
and at least 79 have been killed and more than 2,000 injured in crackdowns.
Syrian Kurdish commander says ISIS threat growing despite
US raid
AFP/The Arab Weekly/February 12/2022
The Islamic State (ISIS) extremist group is a growing threat in northeastern
Syria despite the killing of its leader in a US commando operation last week,
says the chief commander of the US-allied Syrian Kurdish-led force. Mazloum Abdi,
who heads the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, warned that ISIS fighters are
still very much present in the wake of a deadly attack by the extremists on a
Syrian prison last month. That attack killed 121 fighters from the Syrian
Kurdish-led force, he added. “We are surrounded by the Islamic State,” Abdi said
in a wide-ranging interview with The Associated Press on Thursday night. “We
have said this many times. If we don’t strive to fight ISIS now, they will
spread again.”A tenuous calm has prevailed in the region since ISIS’s
spectacular January 20 attack on Gweiran Prison, or al-Sinaa — a Kurdish-run
facility in Syria’s northeast where over 3,000 ISIS militants and young boys,
mainly sons of ISIS fighters, were held. The attack on the prison led to 10 days
of fighting between US-backed Syrian Kurdish fighters and ISIS extremists that
left nearly 500 dead on both sides until the SDF brought the situation under
control eventually.
Abdi said immediate security measures were taken to contain ISS sleeper cells
after the assault: faulty detention centres prone to similar attacks have been
emptied, security sweeps are ongoing and curfews limit night-time movements.
But, the threat remains, he warned. The SDF assisted in the US operation that
killed IS leader Abu Ibrahim al-Quraishi in the northwestern Idlib region last
week by facilitating passage and logistics for the US, but did not participate
with fighters on the ground. “We provided safety and security for personnel who
went in, that’s all I can say,” he said.
While ISIS morale may have taken a hit with al-Quraishi’s death, Abdi said he
did not believe it would lead to the group’s decline. He said he shared blame
for the prison attack — the biggest and bloodiest since ISS lost the last sliver
of territory it held in Syria in 2019, marking the end of its self-declared
“caliphate” over large parts of Syria and Iraq.
“We didn’t execute our responsibilities well,” Abdi says. His fighters last year
twice got intelligence that ISIS sleeper cells were planning to attack the
prison, located in Hassakeh province, to free their fellow members inside. One
attack was even thwarted. “There was intelligence before that they wanted to
attack, and we took procedures, but then we failed,” he said. But he also blamed
the international community, which he says should assume responsibility for the
thousands of foreign ISIS fighters held in prisons and camps overseen by the
Syrian Kurdish-led forces.
Abdo said searches are now underway in 27 detention facilities housing ISIS
detainees to identify security weaknesses. Three prisons have been emptied,
their inmates scattered to different facilities. Abdi declined to name the
facilities, but said two were close to the Turkish frontier, where bombardment
is frequent. Another was found to have similar shortcomings as in Gweiran, he
added. The prison attack also shone a light on the hundreds of minors — a mix of
different nationalities and backgrounds — who had been holed up in the prison
along with hardened ISIS adult detainees. The teens have since been moved to a
new facility, separate from adults, but the conditions of their detention was
criticised and described as “dire” in a recent visit by Bo Viktor Nylund,
UNICEF’s Syria representative. Some of the boys were children when their parents
plucked them from their own countries after they decided to join ISIS, others
were born in Syria. Many attended ISIS-run schools where they were trained for
combat. Abdi could not give a number of the boys killed in the attack. A day
after al-Quraishi was killed, Human Rights Watch said hundreds of boys were
missing from the prison. Abdi said local Syrian Kurdish authorities lacked
resources to build new prisons capable of holding high-risk detainees. “This is
one of the main reasons that the incident happened,” he added. “”It is something
we could see (happening), but we didn’t know when.”Responding to criticism by
human rights groups surrounding the treatment of the teens, Abdi deflected
blame, saying the United Nations and the international community should have
been responsible for them. He also could not provide an accurate figure for the
number of teens killed in the prison attack, only saying they were “very few”
among the total 700.
Taliban free detained UNHCR staff, 2 foreign journalists
AP/February 12/2022
Afghanistan: The Taliban released two foreign journalists working with the
UN refugee agency and several of the aid organization’s Afghan staff on Friday,
UNHCR said, hours after news broke about their detentions in the capital, Kabul.
The announcement followed a tweet by the Taliban-appointed deputy minister of
culture and information, Zabihullah Mujahid, who said they were detained because
they didn’t have documents that properly identified them as UNHCR. Mujahid said
they were freed after their identities were confirmed.
“We are relieved to confirm the release in Kabul of the two journalists on
assignment with UNHCR, and the Afghan nationals working with them,” the
Geneva-based organization said in a brief two-sentence statement. “We are
grateful to all who expressed concern and offered help. We remain committed to
the people of Afghanistan.”The development in Kabul comes as President Joe Biden
signed an executive order that promised $3.5 billion — out of $7 billion of
Afghanistan’s assets frozen in the United States — would be given to families of
America’s 9/11 victims. The other $3.5 billion would be freed for Afghan aid.
The order would allow US financial institutions to facilitate access to the
money by humanitarian groups, which would then give it directly to the Afghan
people.
One of the detained foreign journalists was Andrew North, a former British
Broadcasting Corporation journalist who has worked extensively in Afghanistan.
His wife, Natalia Antelava had earlier issued a plea on Twitter for his release.
“Andrew was in Kabul working for the UNHCR @Refugees trying to help the people
of Afghanistan,” Antelava said. “We are extremely concerned for his safety &
call on anyone with influence to help secure his release.”
The Committee to Protect Journalist had also condemned the detentions and called
for the immediate release of the journalists.
“The Taliban must immediately release Andrew North and all other journalists
held for their work, and cease harassing and detaining members of the press,”
the CPJ statement said, noting they were detained on Tuesday. The Taliban swept
over Afghanistan, capturing Kabul and much of the country in mid-August, as US
and NATO troops were in the final, chaotic weeks of their pullout following the
20-year intervention. “The Taliban’s detention of two journalists on assignment
with the UN refugee agency is a sad reflection of the overall decline of press
freedom and increasing attacks on journalists under Taliban rule,” Steven
Butler, CPJ’s Asia program coordinator, said in Washington.Also released on
Friday was Parvaneh Ibrahimkhel, a women’s rights activist detained more than
two weeks ago. She spoke to local TOLO TV to confirm that she was free but few
other details were immediately available. The international community had also
demanded her freedom, as well as that of four other women activists. Since
taking control, the Taliban have imposed widespread restrictions, many of them
directed at women. Women have been banned from many jobs, outside the health and
education field, their access to education has been restricted beyond sixth
grade and they have been ordered to wear the Islamic headscarf, or hijab. The
Taliban have, however, stopped short of imposing the burqa, which was compulsory
when they previously ruled Afghanistan in the 1990s.
Universities for women have also begun to re-open and Taliban have promised
girls would be allowed to resume their education beyond grade 6 after the Afghan
New Year at the end of March. In January, the Taliban stormed the Kabul home of
activist Tamana Zaryabi Paryani who was among about 25 women who took part in an
anti-Taliban protest a few days earlier against the hijab. It wasn’t immediately
clear whether Paryani was also being released, but there have been international
demands for her freedom as well. The international community has been wary of
officially recognizing Afghanistan’s new rulers, concerned the Taliban would
impose the same harsh rule as they did when they were in power the first time.
In the wake of the takeover, international funding was suspended and billions of
dollars in Afghanistan’s assets abroad, mostly in the US, were frozen and
financial aid to the government was largely halted, pushing the Afghan economy
further into a tailspin.
Canada/Joint Ministerial Statement on the International Day
against the Use of Child Soldiers
February 12, 2022 - Ottawa, Ontario - Global Affairs Canada
Today, to mark the International Day against the Use of Child Soldiers, the
Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Honourable Harjit S.
Sajjan, Minister of International Development and Minister responsible for the
Pacific Economic Development Agency of Canada, and the Honourable Anita Anand,
Minister of National Defence, issued the following statement:
“Children continue to be robbed of their most basic rights because of their
recruitment and use in armed conflicts. Instead of living their childhood, these
children are trained to fight, and armed with deadly weapons. They are made
victims of child labour, are sexually exploited or forced into marriage. As a
result, many of these children are killed or suffer from severe and lasting
physical and emotional trauma.
“On this day, we reiterate Canada’s unwavering commitment to ending the
recruitment and use of children in armed conflicts. Canada continues to support
the UN Department of Peace Operations, which plays a crucial role in preventing
violations of children’s rights, by providing $2.5 million in project funding
for the integration of the Vancouver Principles in peacekeeping policy, guidance
and training. We continue to promote the Vancouver Principles, launched in 2017,
and call on more countries to join the 105 nations who have already endorsed
them. Together, we are stronger. Together, thanks to the Vancouver Principles,
we continue to equip peacekeepers with the training and tools they need to fight
against this practice. To further these efforts, Canada has committed additional
multi-year funding to support the international implementation of the Vancouver
Principles.
“In 2019, the Dallaire Centre of Excellence for Peace and Security was
established within the Canadian Armed Forces’ (CAF) to enable implementation of
the Vancouver Principles. In order to help put an end to this horrific practice,
the Centre’s core mandate is to enhance the CAF’s capabilities, by providing
strategic guidance and sponsoring doctrinal changes in support to peace and
security-related training and education.
“All children deserve a safe and peaceful childhood regardless of where they
live. Canada will always work with partners to put an end to violations of
children’s rights.”
The Latest LCCC English analysis &
editorials from miscellaneous sources published on
February 12-13/2022
The Shia House is an illusion
Farouk Yousef/The Arab Weekly/February 12/2022
It is simply not true that there is a “Shia political house” in Iraq. This is
one of the hilarious inventions of Ahmed Chalabi, who died after seeing the lie
of the liberation of Iraq crumble before his eyes.
Since the Americans imposed on Iraqis a political system based on quotas,
similar to the one in Lebanon, candidates seized power as representatives of the
so-called “components” that replaced the one Iraqi people who, somehow,
vanished.
According to US desires, the Shia, the largest component of Iraqi society, were
destined to take control of a larger part of the state. This meant that the old
and new Shia political parties would together access the lion’s share of Iraq’s
wealth, in a system where much is determined by corruption.
If one denies the existence of the so-called “Shia house,” it is for the reason
that such a house has never existed except as an illusion. This is because the
Shia parties and the militias affiliated with them (or directly affiliated with
the Iranian Revolutionary Guards) are not tied by a common ideological thread,
even if they belong to the same religious sect.
The Shia of Iraq are of different types. Their differences could lead to strife
if their interests clash. Before the occupation and the emergence of political
Shia organisations and their accession to power, there was an obvious difference
between Iran-aligned Shia and Arab Shia in Iraq.
Parties and militias tried to put an end to their differences temporarily, as
their grievances could wait. That worked for a few years. They were confident
that US-Iranian protection would keep them comfortable. There have been events
that could be considered an exception, such as the move by an angry Moqtada al-Sadr,
with his mass of followers, to occupy the seat of power which is the Green Zone.
The win by the political movement led by Sadr cannot be deemed a victory for the
so-called Shia house. Rather, it was a defeat for the greater part of that
house. That defeat exposed the lie. Although their militias occupy the street,
the Shia parties that are close to Iran will have to leave the Green Zone soon.
This is a notion that frightens those parties and militias affiliated with Iran.
Will we be returning to the circle of confrontation between the Shia of Iran and
the Arab Shia of Iraq?
I think we are in the midst of that struggle today.
Sadr does not need to remind the Iraqis of the corruption of Nuri al-Maliki,
although he has not mentioned the latter by name until now. But the Shia parties
and militias that lost in the elections do not dare abandon Maliki for fear of
being weakened themselves. Maliki is the leader of the Da’wa Party. But he is
also the only politician who can be easily brought to trial for abandoning Mosul
to ISIS when he ordered the Iraqi army, as commander-in-chief of the armed
forces, to withdraw without a fight and to leave their modern weapons as a gift
to the terrorist organisation.
Today, Sadr behaves as if he has no Shia partners. In fact, they were only
partners in the sharing of the spoils. Politics eventually allowed him to
posture in front of them as an opponent.
No one among all parties is competent to rule, but weapons are the problem.
There is no reconciliation as along as weapons are all around.
The roots of Islamophobia
Ali Sarraf/The Arab Weekly/February 12/2022
Islamophobia is a malicious tree whose branches are in the West. But its trunk
and roots are in the East with Muslims themselves watering it and caring for it.
Islamophobia, as Nusrat Ghani, the former British Conservative cabinet member,
has reminded us again, is not without a racist basis. It is absolutely
inseparable from its Crusader origins. It is also a favourite tool with which
the Western populist right-wing seeks to differentiate itself electorally from
the left, which is preoccupied with social issues. However, all this would not
have gained momentum had it not been for the terrorism industry which Muslims
have bred, not only with their schools of jurisprudence, but in their public
life as well.
Islam’s battle after liberation from the yoke of colonialism should have been
directed towards reconstruction, both of the souls of Muslims and of their
nations. However, the sheikhs of jurisprudence in Muslim countries managed only
to provoke sedition as they were preoccupied with trivial matters instead of
major issues. They acted out of a proclivity for tyranny or out of fear of it.
Islam, which should have been promoted, at least in its own societies before the
rest of the world, as a religion of justice, equality and civil rights, should
not have ignored the issues of poverty, corruption, social injustice and other
manifestations of political and economic failure. Before worrying about the
West, it should have treated its own social and economic ailments, which
continued to display themselves under a succession of failed rulers.
The flaws that have spread poverty, corruption and unemployment are also the
fault lines that paved the way for the emergence of terrorism as a lure for the
desperate.
One can ask how much of true Islam remains in place when justice is absent from
society? And when sectarianism turns into an alternative identity, how much of
Islam is left? And how much of Islam remains on the ground when cities turn into
ruins with their demolished homes falling on the heads of their inhabitants, all
so that some Islamist militias can impose their will on the rest? How much of
Islam is left to flourish when armed factions kidnap entire societies and
countries in the name of the faith?
Islam is a religion of love and compassion. But should we not ask if the
relations of Muslims in their own communities are better than their relations
with others? Have Muslims managed to live next to each other safely and in
peace? One cannot forget that in wars against Muslims, Muslims themselves were
at the vanguard of non-Muslim invaders.
What was initially a revolution against ignorance, became a cover for the spread
of illiteracy. What was a catalyst for seeking knowledge and erudition,
discouraged any form of education. What was an argument for the abolition of
slavery, oppression and the violation of rights, became an excuse for new forms
of slavery, oppression and abuse.
Terrorism is not a satanic seed planted by colonialism. It is a satanic plant of
our own cultivation. We watered it ourselves. When it became a threat to the
stability and the security of our countries and that of others, it was no
surprise that it was feared and perceived negatively. When that fear was mixed
with racism, "Islamophobia" became an acceptable form of behaviour especially
when it complied with the prerequisites of "political correctness" which Western
governments use as a cover.
Other societies and cultures are not required to understand Islam in a manner
commensurate with its foundations and values, if Muslims themselves do not
understand it.
Nusrat Ghani lost her job in the Conservative government because of "Islamophobia",
but found support within the parameters of "political correctness" which have
compelled Boris Johnson's government to conduct an investigation and perhaps
eventually deliver justice to Ghani.
Many others are exposed to manifestations of racism and hatred of Muslims and
may even pay for it with their lives. But the truth of the matter is that the
tree trunk is within us. It produces some kind of counter-hatred or
counter-Western racism, for which it finds justifications in Islamic
jurisprudence itself.
I do not want to list a host of verses from the Noble Qur’an that forbid the
killing of others unjustly and which encourage coexistence between religions.
This is very much well known. However, extremist narratives have continued to
thrive on widespread poverty, a decline in education levels, the preoccupation
of the Muslim sheikhs of religion with trivialities and petty things as they
condoned social abuse against women and children, the decline of scientific
knowledge and the spread of ignorance and illiteracy.
Structural flaws in the economy, culture and education, as well as the
disrespect for justice and rule of law, are what created the fertile ground for
terrorism. How can Islamophobia be far behind?
Islamophobia is in the roots and trunk of the tree. The West can work to block
its influence but can do nothing about the roots of the tree.
Biden is pursuing a dangerous policy of appeasement with the Iranian regime
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Arab News/February 12/2022
In general, there exist two distinct approaches for dealing with the Iranian
regime. There is the easy, but ultimately dangerous method, which involves
submitting to the demands of the leaders in Tehran and placating them. And there
is the effective path, which involves pressuring the Islamic Republic and
holding it accountable for its violations and defiance.
Unfortunately, it appears that the administration of US President Joe Biden has
chosen to take the easy but dangerous path. It seems to be appeasing Iran’s
leaders in an effort to revive the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, also
known as the Iran nuclear deal.
This appeasement has come in different forms. The administration first told the
Iranian leaders that not only it is willing to lift nuclear-related sanctions,
but that it is also considering lifting non-nuclear-related sanctions.
This was followed by the first concession toward Iran’s proxy militia group, the
Houthis. Even as the evidence — including a report by the UN — showed that the
Iranian regime was delivering sophisticated weapons to the Houthis in Yemen, the
Biden administration suspended some of the anti-terrorism sanctions on the
Houthis that the Trump administration had imposed. Soon after, the Biden
administration revoked the designation of the Houthis as a terrorist group.
In addition, in June 2021 the Biden administration lifted sanctions on three
Iranian former officials and several energy companies. Then, in a blow to the
Iranian people and advocates of democracy and human rights — just a few days
after the Iranian regime hand-picked Ebrahim Raisi to be its next president —
the Biden administration announced that it was also considering lifting
sanctions against Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Most recently, the Biden administration shockingly issued a sanctions waiver for
part of the Iranian regime’s nuclear program, which will permit companies from
countries such as Russia, China and Europe to work on Iran’s non-proliferation
projects such as the Tehran Research Reactor, electricity generation at the
Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant, and the Arak heavy water production sites.
An informed and effective policy to deal with the Iranian regime’s threats ought
to be anchored in imposing pressure on the Islamic Republic
What has been the reaction of the Iranian regime to the Biden administration’s
“goodwill” gestures during the past year? It has doubled down on its defiance,
both regionally and internationally.
For example, while the Biden administration was giving the sanctions waiver for
Tehran’s nuclear program, Tehran continued to violate all the restrictions of
the nuclear deal, defying the international community by enriching uranium at a
high and dangerous level and threatening that it is capable of enriching uranium
up to 90 percent purity, which is weapons grade.
The regime is also violating some of the US sanctions that are still in place,
along with UN Security Council resolutions. Its continuing efforts, for
instance, to ship oil to Syria and Hezbollah in Lebanon are a direct violation
of the US sanctions. The frequent shipments of weapons to the Houthis in Yemen
are yet another violation by Iran of UN Security Council Resolution 2140: The
“obligation to freeze all funds, other financial assets and economic resources
that are owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by the individuals or
entities designated by the Committee, or by individuals or entities acting on
their behalf or at their direction, or by entities owned or controlled by them;
no funds, financial assets or economic resources to be made available to or for
the benefit of such individuals or entities."
It is worth noting that the Iranian regime has also been emboldened to escalate
its crackdown on its own population. For example, in one of the latest waves of
protests, in November 2021, many demonstrators rose up against the Islamic
Republic, poured into the streets and criticized government officials over a
severe water shortage. In response, the regime cut off access to the internet,
and security forces fired shotguns and tear gas at protesters, intentionally
targeting their heads and eyes, according to reports. The result, not
surprisingly, was a number of deaths and hundreds of injuries. As #BloodyFriday
trended on Twitter, not a word of condemnation could be heard from the White
House, unfortunately.
More recently, the US Department of Justice announced on Dec. 7, 2021, the
successful forfeiture of two large caches of Iranian weapons. The hauls
reportedly included advanced arms including “171 guided anti-tank missiles,
eight surface-to-air missiles, land-attack cruise missile components, anti-ship
cruise missile components, thermal weapon optics and other components for
missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles (drones).”
The US Navy also seized Iranian petroleum products from “four foreign-flagged
tankers in or around the Arabian Sea while en route to Venezuela. These actions
represent the government’s largest-ever forfeitures of fuel and weapons
shipments from Iran.”
In a nutshell, an informed and effective policy to deal with the Iranian
regime’s threats ought to be anchored in imposing pressure on the Islamic
Republic. Appeasement will only embolden the Iranian regime and further
destabilize the region.
*Dr. Majid Rafizadeh is a Harvard-educated Iranian-American political scientist.
Twitter: @Dr_Rafizadeh