English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For February 21/2022
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news

The Bulletin's Link on the lccc Site
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/aaaanewsfor2021/english.february21.22.htm

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

Bible Quotations For today
Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees, that is, their hypocrisy. Nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing secret that will not become known.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 12/01-05/:”Meanwhile, when the crowd gathered in thousands, so that they trampled on one another, he began to speak first to his disciples, ‘Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees, that is, their hypocrisy. Nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing secret that will not become known. Therefore whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered behind closed doors will be proclaimed from the housetops.‘I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that can do nothing more. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him!”

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on February 20-21/2022
Health Ministry: 3,145 new Corona cases, 20 deaths
Pope Francis: Tragedy in Lebanon continues
Absi, Rahi preside over Mass service in Rome
Mikati pursues his meetings on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference
Mikati also met with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, with discussions centering on Lebanese-Egyptian relations.
Berri optimistic about upcoming situation following elections: Lebanon is not bankrupt, and we will not relinquish a drop of our sea & gas
Hezbollah Slammed by Lebanese Officials after it Flies Drone over Israel
Lebanon's 'Zombie Banks' Downsize to Weather Crisis
Berri Rejects Prosecution of Salameh without 'Evidence'
Qaouq Says 'Hassan' Drone is 'Very, Very Significant Message' to Israel
Energy Minister says "implementation of first phase of electricity plan to start in Spring, power supply to increase 8 to 10 hours"
Sami Gemayel at the general meeting of the Kataeb electoral machine: We are capable of change
Geagea: Upcoming elections are crucial
Artist Sami Clark passes away
Bassil inspects roads in Batroun district, listens to municipalities, citizens’ demands
Skiing in Lebanon too steep for most with currency in freefall
Riad Salameh: The Lebanese mafia’s consigliere who knows too much/Dr. Dania Koleilat Khatib

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on February 20-21/2022
Israel Sees Iran Nuclear Deal 'Shortly,' Warns It Will be 'Weaker'
Last-Ditch Push to Head Off Russian Attack on Ukraine
UK Warns Russia Could Start Europe's 'Biggest War since 1945'
Iran Lawmakers Want Guarantees US Won't Leave Revamped Deal
Iran: Teachers’ Protests Sweep Across 100 Cities
Shelling in East Ukraine, Russia Nuclear Drill Raise Tension
Britain's Queen Elizabeth Catches COVID
Israeli MP Cites Progress in Prisoner Swap with Hamas
Arab Parliament Stands against Foreign Interference in Regional Affairs
UAE Warns of Drone Threat as It Opens Defense Conference
American Mideast Coalition for Democracy (AMCD) urges Congress to reject Iran’s Insistence that Congress commit to Iran Deal Before it is Negotiated

Titles For The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on February 20-21/2022
Presidents Biden and Putin Are a Lot Angry and a Little Afraid/Raghida Dergham/The National
Former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad: '[Afghan] Taliban Are A Serious Threat To The World, China, Russia, And Pakistan Will Regret Supporting Taliban'/MEMRI
A New Class War Comes to Canada/Ross Douthat/The New York Times
When Citizens are Convicted Even After Being Acquitted/Hoshyar Zebari/Asharq Al-Awsat
Nuclear deal return would offer Iran multiple benefits/Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/February/Arab News/February 20/2022

The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on February 20-21/2022
Health Ministry: 3,145 new Corona cases, 20 deaths
NNA/Sunday, 20 February, 2022
In its daily report on the COVID-19 developments, the Ministry of Public Health announced on Sunday the registration of 3,145 new Coronavirus infections, which raised the cumulative number of confirmed cases to-date to 1,046,173.The report added that 20 deaths were recorded in the past 24 hours.

Pope Francis: Tragedy in Lebanon continues
NNA/Sunday, 20 February, 2022
Pope Francis told participants in the Synod of Eastern Churches, yesterday, Saturday, that the tragedy in Lebanon continues, leaving many people without bread. His Holiness welcomed the participants to the Synod of Eastern Churches on Saturday, noting their presence in the bloody conflicts in the Middle East, Syria, Iraq and Tigray, as well as threats of war in Eastern Europe. He reminded that the tragedy continues in Lebanon, where many people were unable to buy bread, which caused many young people and families to leave their country.

Absi, Rahi preside over Mass service in Rome
NNA/Sunday, 20 February, 2022
Greek Catholic Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, Youssef Al-Absi, is presiding over a Mass service in the Roman Catholic Church of the Kings in Rome, Bocca della Verita, in the presence of a number of diplomats and community members. Maronite Patriarch, Cardinal Mar Beshara Boutros Al-Rahi, will also preside over a Mass service at the Maronite Institute in Rome.

Mikati pursues his meetings on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference
NNA - Prime Minister Najib Mikati pursued today his meetings in Germany, on the sidelines of his participation in the "Munich Security Conference".In this context, PM Mikati held a meeting with German Minister of State for International Cooperation Nils Anin, in the presence of Lebanon's Ambassador to Germany, Mustafa Adib, with talks touching on bilateral relations and Germany's efforts to support Lebanon in all international forums.

Mikati also met with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, with discussions centering on Lebanese-Egyptian relations.
NNA/Sunday, 20 February, 2022
The Prime Minister seized the opportunity to ask Minister Shoukry to convey his greetings to President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, thanking him for Egypt's constant support for Lebanon, particularly for the recent aid that Egypt sent to Lebanon. Mikati also met with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian, in the presence of the Director General of Public Security, Major General Abbas Ibrahim, who is also participating in the Munich Conference, alongside Lebanon's Ambassador to Germany. Following the meeting, Minister Abdollahian issued a statement indicating hat he called on all countries to support Lebanon's stability and security without any country interfering in its internal policies, stressing that "Tehran emphasizes the need to strengthen relations between Iran and Lebanon in the political and economic fields."Among Premier Mikati's meetings in Munich was also his encounter with a delegation from the US Congress, which included Senators Chris Murphy, Jane Shaheen and Chris Van Hollen. The Prime Minister held talks as well with the President of the Kurdistan Regional Government, Masrour Barzani, with bilateral relations between Lebanon and the Kurdistan region topping their discussions. Both men stressed the need to strengthen and develop said ties, while also tackling developments in Iraq and the region and efforts to form the new Iraqi government. PM Mikati also met with the former head of the German Christian Democratic Party and candidate for chancellor and member of the German Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee, Armin Laschet.

Berri optimistic about upcoming situation following elections: Lebanon is not bankrupt, and we will not relinquish a drop of our sea & gas
NNA/Sunday, 20 February, 2022
House Speaker Nabih Berri stressed today that "Cairo has never stopped helping us," noting that "487 tons of Egyptian aid arrived in Lebanon a few days ago, including 265 tons of medicines."Berri hailed Egyptian President Abdel-Fatah Al-Sisi's remarkable achievements in advancing his country, particularly at the level of construction and urban development. His words came in a recent interview with the Egyptian "Al-Ahram" newspaper. Touching on the situation in Lebanon, the Speaker stressed on the great significance of moderation and internal unity, saying: "In Lebanon there are 18 sects and multiple parties, but Lebanon only thrives through moderation and unity," adding that resistance to Israel would not have succeeded without Lebanese unity. At the economic level, Berri considered that to-date Lebanon is not bankrupt, for it is still rich in its origins and resources, as it has a sea full of gas and a very wide and successful Lebanese Diaspora but currently suffers from shortage in liquidity. Over the demarcation issue, Berri said: "We will not give up a drop of water from our sea and our gas."He also expressed his optimism that "the situation will improve after the elections," considering that "the implementation of the Taif Agreement's provisions will lead to the abolition of political sectarianism."

Hezbollah Slammed by Lebanese Officials after it Flies Drone over Israel
Beirut - Asharq Al-Awsat/Sunday, 20 February, 2022
The Iran-backed Hezbollah party's flying of a drone from Lebanon over to Israel this week was widely condemned by officials. The party said on Friday that it flew the aircraft over northern Israel, where it hovered for 40 minutes, crossing 70 kilometers before returning to Lebanon. The move triggered Israel's air defenses and the scrambling of fighter jets. Its jets flew at low altitude over Beirut, terrifying the people who are still reeling from the 2020 port explosion. On Thursday, Israel said it had downed a drone that belonged to Hezbollah after it crossed into Israeli air space. Earlier this week, Hezbollah said it had started producing its own drones in Lebanon. Head of Lebanon's Progressive Socialist Party (PSP) Walid Jumblatt took to twitter to mock the state of affairs in Lebanon. He noted that the country fails to generate 24-hour electricity and yet Hezbollah has the technology to manufacture drones. "The recovery plan with the IMF is becoming clear. The senior advisors from the Lebanese team recommended adopting the Lebanese pound and investing it in national companies, such as Electricite du Liban [the state electricity company], the highest example of success," he said mockingly. "I suggest that we invest the depositors' money in the local production of drones, rockets or explosives because they bring better returns," he added. Other officials slammed Hezbollah for launching the drone and boasting that it was now producing the aircraft in Lebanon. Former President Michel Suleiman said: "Under the slogan 'made in Lebanon' and amid the failure to find hope, a dignified living and alternative energy, the crisis-hit nation can find prosperity in the production of drones, precision-guided missiles, captagon, perpetual garbage, taxes... and everything that takes us to the lowest of lows."Lebanese Forces MP Imad Wakim tweeted an image of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah with a play on words about drones, saying he was being controlled by Iran. Retired officer and opposition parliamentary elections candidate George Nader said: "The state has collapsed and there is a general sense of degradation and indifference."Addressing Nasrallah, he asked: "What is your position on the demarcation of the maritime border [with Israel] and the deal that will be taking place at Lebanon's expense? Who protects Lebanon and the Lebanese from hunger and need?"In remarks to local radio, he said Hezbollah is attempting to rally support ahead of the elections by launching drones to Israel. The party meanwhile, defended its move. Its MP Ali Fayyad said Hezbollah was expanding its reach on land, sea and air, "which is a reality that will force Israel to retreat. This will consequently help restore Lebanon's sovereignty and marine wealth." "It is only a matter of time and a product of the balances of power between us and the Israeli enemy. These balances are leaning day after day in the resistance's [Hezbollah's] favor because the enemy is incapable of adapting with its rules," he claimed.

Lebanon's 'Zombie Banks' Downsize to Weather Crisis
Asharq Al-Awsat/Sunday, 20 February, 2022
Once the economy's crown jewel, Lebanon's banks are shutting branches and laying off employees in droves, resizing to the bleak reality of a crisis they are widely blamed for. Before the onset in 2019 of a financial collapse deemed one of the world's worst since the 1850s by the World Bank, the small Mediterranean country had an oversized but prosperous banking sector. The capital Beirut was a booming regional financial hub, attracting savers keen to profit from high interest rates and banking secrecy laws. But more than two years into the crisis, the reputation of Lebanese lenders has been shredded, AFP reported. A dizzying currency collapse, coupled with banks imposing strict withdrawal limits and prohibiting transfers abroad, has left ordinary depositors watching on helplessly as their savings evaporate. And yet bankers stand accused of bypassing those exact same capital controls -- stoking the crisis by helping the political elite squirrel billions of dollars overseas. Their trust destroyed, citizens now keep new income well away from the banks, which in turn are deprived of money they could lend. "The whole banking system today is made up of zombie banks," said economic analyst Patrick Mardini."They don't work as banks anymore -- they don't give loans, they don't take new deposits."
'Abandoned country'
As a result, the industry has been forced to scale back its operations.
In 2019, Lebanon ranked second in the region for bank branches per 100,000 people, according to the World Bank, and held a total of around $150 billion in deposits. Deposits by Arab investors and Lebanese expatriates propelled the banking sector to peak at three times the value of national economic output. But more than 160 branches have closed since the end of 2018, leaving a total of 919 branches operating across the country, according to the Association of Banks in Lebanon (ABL). The number of employees has dropped by around 5,900, reducing the sector's workforce to roughly 20,000 late last year. "Lebanon is an abandoned country," ABL chief Salim Sfeir told AFP, referring to negligence by the nation's authorities. The association claims the sector has been "forced to adapt to the contraction of the economy," even as others blame the banks for overall economic activity plunging by more than half since 2019. The Lebanese pound, officially pegged at 1,507 to the greenback since 1997, has lost more than 90 percent of its value on the black market. The slide has prompted banks to adopt a plethora of exchange rates for transactions even though the official rate remains unchanged. Those who hold dollar accounts have mostly had to withdraw cash in Lebanese pounds and at a fraction of the black market rate. "If we apply international accounting standards, almost all Lebanese banks are insolvent," investment banker Jean Riachi said.
'Exit the market'
Lebanon's government defaulted on its foreign debt in 2020, stymying the country's hopes of quickly securing new international credit or donor money to stem the crisis. The ruling elite, beset by internal rifts that have repeatedly left the country without a government, has yet to agree on an economic recovery plan with international creditors. Disagreements between the government, the central bank and commercial banks over the scale of financial sector losses have dogged talks with the International Monetary Fund that first started nearly two years ago. In December, the government of Prime Minister Najib Mikati set financial sector losses at around $69 billion in a crucial step towards advancing IMF talks. But while the global lender said early this month that efforts to agree on a rescue package have progressed, it made clear more work was needed, especially in terms of "restructuring of the financial sector". The analyst Mardini said bank restructuring proposals have been discussed by several governments. Central bank chief Riad Salameh has said banks that are unable to lend must "exit the market". But meaningful progress on restructuring has been impeded by a political elite who maintain large shares in some of the main banks, according to Mardini. For out-of-pocket depositors, the details of any restructuring arrangements are a secondary concern. "I just want to recover my savings," said Hicham, a businessman who asked to use his first name only over privacy concerns. "All the parties concerned must assume their responsibilities."

Berri Rejects Prosecution of Salameh without 'Evidence'
Naharnet/Sunday, 20 February, 2022
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri has warned against stirring clashes between security agencies in connection with the latest standoff over the enforcement of the subpoena issued against Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh. “Despite the circumstances that Lebanon is going through, there is something that is very good, which is security, but creating problems between security agencies is something very dangerous and will certainly affect the negotiations with the International Monetary Fund,” Berri said in an interview with Egypt's al-Ahram newspaper. He added: “Parliament has issued a decision and law on forensic auditing, starting by the central bank and ending by ministries, and it has already started.”“I always say that in genera we shouldn’t convict someone unless there is evidence for accusing them and they should then be punished,” the Speaker went on to say.

Qaouq Says 'Hassan' Drone is 'Very, Very Significant Message' to Israel
Naharnet/Sunday, 20 February, 2022
Senior Hizbullah official Sheikh Nabil Qaouq stressed Sunday that “the resistance in the year 2022 is at its strongest historic phases in terms of quantity and quality.”“No one can threaten its existence, not through war nor through other means,” Qaouq said. “The equations have changed in the era of the resistance’s victories, seeing as Israeli drones used to violate Lebanon’s airspace and today the Lebanese drones are penetrating the airspace of the Israeli entity,” the Hizbullah official added. Noting that “the Zionists are today sinking in the sea of panic due to their army’s inability to protect them,” Qaouq emphasized that “the ‘Hassan’ drone is a very, very significant message that has been interpreted very well by the enemy.” “It has hit the Israeli military capabilities with a shock, an insult and a historic humiliation,” he added.Separately, Qaouq stressed that the parliamentary elections will be held on time and that Hizbullah is preparing for the vote.

Energy Minister says "implementation of first phase of electricity plan to start in Spring, power supply to increase 8 to 10 hours"
NNA/Sunday, 20 February, 2022
Minister of Energy and Water Walid Fayyad revealed that "the headline of the first phase of the electricity plan that he presented to the cabinet is to increase power supply to 8-10 hours by extracting gas from Egypt and electricity from Jordan at the best prices," explaining that "gas is cheaper than fuel oil, though which today's power plants operate."Fayyad confirmed, during in an interview with “LBCI Channel” this morning, that "the implementation of the first phase of the plan will begin upcoming spring, as the final copy of contracts on Egyptian gas will be duly signed.""Obtaining financing from the International Monetary Fund is linked to obtaining exemptions and making sure that the money provided will not be wasted,” Fayyad explained. He stressed that "the plan will positively affect the Lebanese," noting that "the first phase is practical and technical, and far from political polemic," noting that "a large part of the financing of the electricity plan depends on the private sector." The Minister of Energy explained that "today, Lebanon gets 3 hours of electricity, secured by Iraqi fuel at a cost of 70 million dollars per month, and we will reach 17 hours of electricity by the year 2023." As for the second phase of the electricity plan, Fayyad referred to “operating the Deir Ammar and Al-Zahrani plants on gas instead of fuel via the Arab Gas Pipeline,” adding that “the third phase consists of securing a necessary ground for establishing new power plants and stopping the Zouk plant due to its negative impact on the economy and the environment.”

Sami Gemayel at the general meeting of the Kataeb electoral machine: We are capable of change
NNA/Sunday, 20 February, 2022
Kataeb Party Head, Sami Gemayel, confirmed during the general meeting of the Kataeb electoral machine that his Party is capable of change and able to save Lebanon and its economy, noting that "solutions exist and our project is complete and ready to be implemented, but we must draw strength to take Lebanon forward."Gemayel pointed out that Hezbollah flew a drone over Israel which could drag Lebanon into calamities, criticizing the silence of the president of the republic, the government and the parliament, asking "who assigned the party to operate the drone and by whose decision and strategy", asserting that "the decision is actually in the hands of Hezbollah and not the state." "Today we are required to fight a new battle, and the most important thing is that we have reached the maturity we are waiting for...We are required to fight it with all our might," he concluded.

Geagea: Upcoming elections are crucial
NNA/Sunday, 20 February, 2022
Lebanese Forces party leader Samir Geagea said the upcoming elections are crucial, stressing on efforts being made to convince voters of the importance of their voice and their right choices.Geagea, who participated in an electoral workshop of the LF Beirut office on Sunday via Zoom application, in the presence of the party's candidate for the Orthodox seat of the first constituency, Ghassan Hasbani, refused to consider that the elections are incapable of triggering change. He also noted that some candidates are "mere obstruction tools" so that his party does not get a majority of votes in the elections.

Artist Sami Clark passes away
NNA/Sunday, 20 February, 2022
The Lebanese artist, Sami Clark, died this morning in Al-Roum Hospital, at the age of 74.

Bassil inspects roads in Batroun district, listens to municipalities, citizens’ demands
NNA/Sunday, 20 February, 2022
Head of the Free Patriotic Movement, MP Gibran Bassil, inspected Sunday a number of roads in the Batroun district, which are financed by the “World Bank” according to international standards and have been under construction since 2017, whereby Bassil has been following up on their successive implementation phases. Bassil was accompanied on his tour today by the supervisory and executing authorities of all four roads, and listened to the demands of municipalities and citizens in this regards and made the necessary contacts to implement them.

Skiing in Lebanon too steep for most with currency in freefall
Reuters/February 20, 2022
BEIRUT: Skiing in Lebanon has long been a luxury for the well-off, but the eastern Mediterranean country’s financial meltdown has thrown most people into poverty and made taking to the slopes even more exclusive. The Lebanese pound has lost more than 90 percent of its value since 2019.
“Skiing is a hobby for the dollar class, not for us,” said Mohammad Atwi on a recent visit to the mountains. “We came here to sit and have shisha. The most we spend is 200,000 pounds ($10).” Prices for ski passes at the Mzaar ski resort, which boasts panoramic views over the Mediterranean, are listed in dollars in a country where the vast majority earn in pounds.An all-day pass runs at $35 on weekdays and $50 at weekends, according to a website listing prices. That equates to between 700,000 and a million pounds — more than the current monthly minimum wage and a sizeable chunk of an average salary.
Lebanon is mired in its worst crisis since the 1975-90 civil war, with banks imposing tight restrictions on how much cash savers can withdraw, forcing even those with money to think more carefully before they spend. Still, the slopes are packed at weekends with those who can afford it.
“Skiing has become expensive, especially if you have many kids, but at the end we want to live,” said Delphine Markarian as she walked through the snow with skis strapped to her back. “When the weather is nice like this, you ski with your children, they enjoy it and that is what we look for — an experience to be happy with our children. That’s the most important thing.”
 

د. دانيا قليلات الخطيب/رياض سلامة: مستشار المافيا اللبنانية الذي يعرف الكثير
Riad Salameh: The Lebanese mafia’s consigliere who knows too much
Dr. Dania Koleilat Khatib/February 20/2022
The consigliere is an important figure in mafia circles. He is the one who negotiates and makes deals on behalf of the chief, both within the mafia and with external parties. It is no exaggeration to say that Lebanon is a country run by a mafia. If we consider the current ruling class as the mafia, then central bank governor Riad Salameh is the consigliere, as all deals go through him. Last week, Judge Ghada Aoun issued a warrant to arrest Salameh, who of course left the country on a private jet just in time. If the country's mafia has decided to get rid of the consigliere who knows too much, what is next for Lebanon?
Of course, Salameh is a culprit in the entire corruption scam. However, he is not the source of corruption, but merely a conduit that facilitated it. In order to understand Salameh’s role, it is important to understand the relationship between the government or ruling class, the central bank and the banking system. People put deposits into the banks, lured by high interest rates. The banks then put this money in treasury bills with the central bank at an even higher rate. The central bank lent the money it took from the banks to the mafia, which squandered it on inflated public contracts and expenses and, of course, kickbacks. Salameh worked as the cashier of the corrupt elite, allowing them to finance their corruption with the hard-earned money of regular citizens.
The position of central bank governor has a lot of independence. Salameh could have said no to the ruling elite, but he preferred to become their partner rather than be sacked. He knew very well that the money was feeding corruption, but he did not seem to mind and no one dared say anything. In fact, when Byblos Bank chairman Francois Bassil in 2014raised alarm bells and accused the government of stealing depositors’ funds, he was admonished by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and had to retract his accusations and apologize.
Salameh knows it all — he knows who took what and when. He is a deal-maker who was able to adapt to all the different governments. When Michel Aoun became president in 2016, it was believed he would get rid of Salameh and expose him. However, the two suddenly found an arrangement and Salameh was givenanother term as governor of the central bank.
In 2020, the investigative outlet Darajissued a report on Salameh’s immense wealth, which is spread across the world, some in his name and some in the names of his brotherand a female associate. Perhaps now the ruling elite think it is a good time to get rid of the consigliere by giving him a proper exit. They definitely do not want him to go on trial and testify against them. However, the arrest warrant also offers them a scapegoat: They can blame Salameh for the bad policies and can always say that they wanted him arrested and for an investigation to be carried out, but too bad that he ran away before any of that could happen. That could be a good stunt prior to the elections, especially since the ruling class has lost all credibility with the people.
On the other hand, Salameh, who is under the microscope globally, cannot give them what is left of the people’s deposits or the gold reserve without facing international scrutiny. Though the international community knows about him, it also worries that, if he leaves and the current Hezbollah-dominated government names a replacement, the situation will be much worse. Hence, Salameh was no longer of any use to the current political class. His time was up, he had to leave the stage.
The drama staged by the corrupt elite dictated that a warrant was issued, but at the same time Salameh was able to escape the country.
The exit of Salameh shows how every single member of the system has a role to play and the different characters take turns like in a play at the theater. The drama staged by the corrupt elite dictated that a warrant was issued, but at the same time Salameh was able to escape the country. State security officials were reportedly confrontedby Salameh’s Internal Security Forces teamand he was driven to the airport under their protection. The question is who comes next? They will find another puppet who will do whatever they ask of him and take what is left in the central bank to prop up the corrupt elite for a little bit longer.
There is now speculation that the corrupt elite — since it has already squandered the Lebanese depositors’ money — will resort to selling the gold that is the last defense of the national currency. The gold, which the late central bank governor-turned-president Elias Sarkiscollected ounce after ounce to protect the Lebanese pound and economy, risks being sold in order to keep the current system afloat. The gold is the last resort of the corrupt elite: They cannot borrow any more from the people and the international community will not give them any aid without reforms. What is really shocking is the Lebanese people’s ability to tolerate a corrupt political class that has stripped them of everything.
*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.

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on February 20-21/2022
Israel Sees Iran Nuclear Deal 'Shortly,' Warns It Will be 'Weaker'
Agence France Presse/Sunday, 20 February, 2022
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said Sunday that Iran may "shortly" agree a new nuclear deal with major powers but warned it will be weaker than the original 2015 agreement. Bennett was speaking ahead of a weekly cabinet meeting following indications that the outline of a deal was taking shape at talks in Vienna. "We may see an agreement shortly," Bennett said. "The new agreement that appears will be made is shorter and weaker than the previous one." The 2015 Iran nuclear agreement offered Tehran sanctions relief in exchange for curbs on its nuclear program, but the United States unilaterally withdrew in 2018 under then-president Donald Trump and reimposed heavy economic sanctions. Talks on reviving the initial pact, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), have been held in the Austrian capital since late November, involving Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia directly and the United States indirectly.Bennett has been a staunch opponent of the JCPOA and repeatedly warned any revenue Tehran sees from new sanctions relief will be used to purchase weapons that could harm Israelis. "This money will eventually go to terrorism," he reiterated Sunday. Bennett has said Israel will not be bound by a restored agreement and will retain the freedom to act if Iran advances towards producing a nuclear weapon. "We are organizing and preparing for the day after, in all dimensions, so that we can maintain the security of the citizens of Israel on our own," he told his cabinet.
'Moment of truth'
Bennett also claimed, without detailing his sources, that the new deal could expire in 2025, when the original JCPOA negotiated under former U.S. president Barack Obama was due to lapse. "If the world signs the agreement again -— without extending the expiration date -— then we are talking about an agreement that buys a total of two and a half years, after which Iran can and may develop and install advanced centrifuges, without restrictions," the hawkish premier said.  Since the Vienna talks resumed, senior Israeli officials have said the Jewish state could support negotiations on a more robust pact with Iran, one that effectively makes it impossible for the Islamic republic to develop a nuclear weapon. There is broad opposition across the Israeli and political establishment against the terms of the JCPOA. Signs of a deal coming together emerged at the weekend, with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz saying there "was the chance to reach an agreement that will allow sanctions to be lifted.""But if we do not succeed very quickly, the negotiations risk failing," Scholz told the Munich Security Conference, describing this phase of the talks as "the moment of truth". Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, speaking at the same Munich gathering, said his country was "ready to achieve a good deal at the earliest possible time if the other side makes the needed political decision."

Last-Ditch Push to Head Off Russian Attack on Ukraine
Agence France Presse/Sunday, 20 February, 2022
Last-ditch diplomatic efforts were underway on Sunday to prevent what Western powers warn could be the imminent Russian invasion of Ukraine and a catastrophic European war. French President Emmanuel Macron was to call his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin as ceasefire monitors and Ukrainian commanders reported intense shelling in eastern Ukraine. Macron met Putin on February 7 and has since, along with fellow Western leaders like Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz, been urging his Russian counterpart to pull back from the brink of war. Sunday's call, Macron's office said, represented "the last possible and necessary effort to avoid a major conflict in Ukraine." More bombardments were heard overnight close to the frontline between government forces and the Moscow-backed rebels who hold parts of the districts of Lugansk and Donetsk.
Occupied enclave
"Every indication indicates that Russia is planning a full-fledged attack against Ukraine," NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said, echoing U.S. President Joe Biden, who believes the invasion is imminent. The Moscow-backed separatists have accused Ukraine of planning an offensive into their enclave, despite the huge Russian military build-up on the frontier. Kyiv and Western capitals ridicule this idea, and accuse Moscow of attempting to provoke Ukraine and of plotting to fabricate incidents to provide a pretext for a Russian intervention. "Russian military personnel and special services are planning to commit acts of terror in temporarily-occupied Donetsk and Lugansk, killing civilians," alleged Ukraine's top general Valeriy Zaluzhniy. "Our enemy wants to use this as an excuse to blame Ukraine and moving in regular soldiers of the Russian armed forces, under the guise of 'peacekeepers'," the military chief of staff said.
The rebel regions have made similar claims about Ukraine's forces and have ordered a general mobilization, while staging an evacuation of civilians into neighboring Russian territory. Officials with the Lugansk rebels claimed Sunday they had repulsed an attack by Ukrainian forces that had left two civilians dead, but the Ukrainian interior ministry immediately denounced the claim as an "absolute fake."Russian investigators said they had opened a probe into the alleged incident. Russia, according to Western leaders, has more than 150,000 troops along with missile batteries and warships massed around Ukraine, poised to strike. Some 30,000 of these troops are in Belarus, ostensibly for an exercise alongside Putin ally Alexander Lukashenko's forces, but also close to the Ukraine frontier and the road to the capital Kyiv. All eyes were on this force Sunday, the day when the exercises are scheduled to end. If Putin fails to withdraw them to Russia as promised, this will be seen as a further escalation of the threat. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told Macron on Saturday he would not respond to Russia's provocations, according to the Elysee. But in his speech to the Munich Security Conference, he also condemned "a policy of appeasement" towards Moscow. "For eight years, Ukraine has been holding back one of the greatest armies in the world," he said. He called for "clear, feasible timeframes" for Ukraine to join the U.S.-led NATO military alliance -- something Moscow has said it would never accept, as it tries to roll back Western influence. Western officials in Munich warned of enormous sanctions if Russia attacks, with U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris saying this would only see NATO reinforce its "eastern flank."
Nuclear drills
On Saturday, from the Kremlin situation room, Putin and Lukashenko watched the launch of Russia's latest hypersonic, cruise and nuclear-capable ballistic missiles. Putin has also stepped up his rhetoric, reiterating demands for written guarantees that NATO roll back deployments in eastern Europe to positions from decades ago. "The big question remains: does the Kremlin want dialogue?" European Council President Charles Michel asked at the Munich Security Conference. "We cannot forever offer an olive branch while Russia conducts missile tests and continues to amass troops."The volatile front line between Ukraine's army and Russian-backed separatists has seen a "dramatic increase" in ceasefire violations, monitors from the OSCE European security body have said. Hundreds of artillery and mortar attacks were reported in recent days, in a conflict that has rumbled on for eight years and claimed more than 14,000 lives. The OSCE said there had been 1,500 ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Lugansk on Friday alone, and AFP reporters in the area have heard heavy shelling since. On Saturday, a dozen mortar shells fell within a few hundred meters of Ukraine's Interior Minister Denys Monastyrskiy as he inspected a frontline position with journalists in tow.

UK Warns Russia Could Start Europe's 'Biggest War since 1945'
Agence France Presse/Sunday, 20 February, 2022
Russia is preparing to plunge Europe into its worst conflict since World War II, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said, warning that any invasion of Ukraine would freeze Moscow out of global finance.
"The fact is that all the signs are that the plan has already in some senses begun," he said in a BBC interview broadcast Sunday from the Munich Security Conference, after two Ukrainian soldiers were killed in attacks around rebel-held enclaves. Russian invasion plans would see its troops not just enter Ukraine from the rebel-held east, but from Belarus to the north and encircle the capital Kyiv, Johnson said, citing U.S. intelligence relayed to Western leaders by President Joe Biden. "People need to understand the sheer cost in human life that could entail," he said, after previously indicating that the West would continue to support any Ukraine resistance after an invasion. "I'm afraid to say that the plan we are seeing is for something that could be really the biggest war in Europe since 1945, just in terms of sheer scale."In a speech Saturday to the conference in Germany, Johnson warned that Western sanctions in response to any invasion would make it "impossible" for President Vladimir Putin's regime to access the City of London's deep capital markets. He indicated a global reach for the sanctions also involving U.S. measures, telling the BBC that they would stop Russian companies "trading in pounds and dollars" -- which he said would hit Russia "very, very hard."The UK government has long been accused of turning a blind eye to lucrative flows of Russian-sourced money through London, some of which has ended up in Conservative coffers, although Johnson's party says all its donations are legal. The Sunday Times newspaper reported a list of elite party donors which it said had privileged access to Johnson's government, including Lubov Chernukhin, who is married to Putin's former deputy finance minister Vladimir Chernukhin. Amid accusations that the Putin regime has vast wealth hidden abroad, British law on company and property ownership has also long benefited investors who want to keep their involvement a secret. But Johnson said Saturday that Britain intended to "open up the Matryoshka dolls of Russian-owned companies and Russian-owned entities, to find the ultimate beneficiaries within."Foreign Secretary Liz Truss meanwhile told the Mail On Sunday newspaper that unless Russia is stopped in Ukraine, Putin would look to "turn the clock back to the mid-1990s or even before then" by possibly annexing the Baltic States and the Western Balkans. And writing in the Sunday Telegraph, Home Secretary Priti Patel said the "effects would be felt here too" if war breaks out, pointing to past cyber "interference" against British media, telecommunications and energy infrastructure that was blamed on Russia.

Iran Lawmakers Want Guarantees US Won't Leave Revamped Deal
Asharq Al-Awsat/Sunday, 20 February, 2022
Iranian lawmakers have urged President Ebrahim Raisi to obtain guarantees from the US and three European countries that they won't withdraw from the nuclear agreement being renegotiated in Vienna, an Iranian news agency reported Sunday. Meanwhile, Israel’s prime minister said the emerging deal is less stringent than the previous agreement, The Associated Press said. Negotiators from Iran and the remaining parties to the agreement — Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China — are working to restore life to the 2015 accord, which granted Iran sanctions relief in exchange for curbs on its nuclear program. The United States has participated indirectly in the talks because it withdrew from the deal in 2018 under then-President Donald Trump. President Joe Biden has signaled that he wants to rejoin the deal. The Iranian parliament’s news agency, ICANA, reported that 250 lawmakers in a statement urged Raisi and his negotiating team to obtain guarantees from the US and the three other European counties that they won't withdraw from the deal after it is renegotiated. Under Trump, the US re-imposed heavy sanctions on the Iranian Republic. Tehran has responded by increasing the purity and amounts of uranium it enriches and stockpiles, in breach of the accord — formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA. Iran long has insisted its nuclear program is peaceful. But the country’s steps away from its obligations under the accord have alarmed its archenemy Israel and world powers.Tehran has started enriching uranium up to 60% purity — a short technical step from the 90% needed to make an atomic bomb, and spinning far more advanced centrifuges than those permitted under the deal. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz told participants at the annual Munich Security Conference on Saturday that the talks have come a long way over the past 10 months and “all elements for a conclusion of the negotiations are on the table.” But he also criticized Iran for stepping up its enrichment and restricting inspections by monitors from the UN nuclear agency. Iran’s foreign minister said that it’s up to Western countries to show flexibility and “the ball is now in their court.”Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said Sunday the emerging deal over Iran’s nuclear program is less stringent than the previous agreement, which Israel vehemently opposed. It has urged negotiators to take a hard line against Iran in the current round of talks. “The emerging new deal is shorter and weaker than the previous one,” he told a meeting of his Cabinet. He said the deal would see Iran rein in its nuclear activity for two-and-a-half years, rather than the 10 years under the collapsed previous deal, granting Iran sanctions relief for only a brief slowdown of its nuclear activity. After that, he said, Iran could develop and install “stadiums of centrifuges.” Bennett said that sanctions relief would free up cash Iran will use to fund its proxies along Israel’s borders. Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz said during an appearance Sunday at the Munich Security Conference that action must be taken to ensure that Iran does not continue to enrich uranium in additional facilities and "oversight must be increased.”"A nuclear deal, if signed with Iran, does not mark the end of the road,” he said. Israel has watched with trepidation as the talks have carried on. Israel considers Iran to be its greatest enemy and it strongly opposed the 2015 deal. It says it wants an improved deal that places tighter restrictions on Iran’s nuclear program and addresses Iran’s long-range missile program and its support for hostile proxies along Israel’s borders, like the Lebanese militant Hezbollah.

Iran: Teachers’ Protests Sweep Across 100 Cities
London - Tehran - Asharq Al-Awsat/Sunday, 20 February, 2022
Thousands of teachers staged demonstrations in more than 100 Iranian cities on Saturday, protesting the slow implementation of wage and pension reforms. Members of the Iranian Teachers’ Syndicate said that at least 15 teachers were arrested in the city of Karaj. The weekend’s demonstrations are the latest in a series of moves recently held by the Teachers’ Syndicate, in protest against the deteriorating living and economic conditions, which were exacerbated by the US sanctions on the country. Iran has faced unceasing protests by workers last year over inflation, which hit 40 percent, high unemployment, and mismanagement. Iranian Labor News Agency (ILNA) said that the legislative proposals, which were recently discussed in Parliament “do not meet their demands.”Iranian media reported on Saturday that a large number of education sector employees gathered in front of the Education Ministry’s departments, especially in the cities of Karaj, Isfahan, Shiraz, Kermanshah, Ahwaz, Shahrkard, Sanandaj, Kerman, Ardabil, Yasuj, Yazd, and Bushehr. A member of the Teachers’ Syndicate, Mohammed Habibi, published video recordings of teachers gathering in several Iranian provinces. One of the videos showed teachers being beaten by security forces before the arrest of a number of them in the city of Karaj. Habibi reported that the attack ended with the arrest of 15 teachers.

Shelling in East Ukraine, Russia Nuclear Drill Raise Tension
Asharq Al-Awsat/Sunday, 20 February, 2022
Hundreds of artillery shells exploded along the contact line between Ukrainian soldiers and Russia-backed separatists, and thousands of people evacuated eastern Ukraine, further increasing fears Sunday that the volatile region could spark a Russian invasion. Western leaders warned that Russia was poised to attack its neighbor, which is surrounded on three sides by about 150,000 Russian soldiers, warplanes and equipment. Russia held nuclear drills Saturday in neighboring Belarus and has ongoing naval drills off the coast in the Black Sea, The Associated Press said. The United States and many European countries have alleged for months that Russia is trying to create pretexts to invade. They have threatened massive, immediate sanctions if it does. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to choose a place where the two leaders could meet to try to resolve the crisis. Russia has denied plans to invade. “Ukraine will continue to follow only the diplomatic path for the sake of a peaceful settlement,” Zelenskyy said Saturday at an international security conference in Munich, Germany. There was no immediate response from the Kremlin. A top European Union official, Charles Michel, said Sunday that “the big question remains: does the Kremlin want dialogue?”“We cannot forever offer an olive branch while Russia conducts missile tests and continues to amass troops,” Michel, the president of the European Council, said at the Munich Security Conference. He said, “One thing is certain: if there is further military aggression, we will react with massive sanctions.”Separatist leaders in eastern Ukraine on Saturday ordered a full military mobilization and sent more civilians to Russia, which has issued about 700,000 passports to residents of the rebel-held territories. Claims that Russian citizens are being endangered might be used as justification for military action. In new signs of fears that a war could start within days, Germany and Austria told their citizens to leave Ukraine. German air carrier Lufthansa canceled flights to the capital, Kyiv, and to Odesa, a Black Sea port that could be a key target in an invasion.
NATO’s liaison office in Kyiv said it was relocating staff to Brussels and to the western Ukraine city of Lviv. “They are uncoiling and are now poised to strike, ” US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Saturday of Russia's readiness to launch an attack. US President Joe Biden said late Friday that based on the latest American intelligence, he was now “convinced” that Putin has decided to invade Ukraine in coming days and assault the capital. A US military official said an estimated 40% to 50% of those ground forces have moved into attack positions closer to the border. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal US assessments, said the change has been underway for about a week and does not necessarily mean Putin has settled on an invasion. Lines of communication between Moscow and the West remain open: the American and Russian defense chiefs spoke Friday. French President Emmanuel Macron scheduled a phone call with Putin on Sunday. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov agreed to meet next week.
Immediate worries focused on eastern Ukraine, where Ukrainian forces have been fighting the pro-Russia rebels since 2014 in a conflict that has killed some 14,000 people. Ukraine and the separatist leaders traded accusations of escalation. Russia on Saturday said at least two shells fired from a government-held part of eastern Ukraine landed across the border, but Ukraine's foreign minister dismissed that claim as “a fake statement.”Top Ukrainian military officials came under a shelling attack during a tour of the front of the nearly eight-year separatist conflict in eastern Ukraine. The officials fled to a bomb shelter before hustling from the area, according to an Associated Press journalist who was on the tour. Elsewhere on the front lines, Ukrainian soldiers said they were under orders not to return fire. Zahar Leshushun, peering into the distance with a periscope, had followed the news all day from a trench where he is posted near the town of Zolote. “Right now, we don’t respond to their fire because ..." the soldier started to explain before being interrupted by the sound of an incoming shell. "Oh! They are shooting at us now. They are aiming at the command post.”Sporadic violence has broken out for years along the line separating Ukrainian forces from the Russia-backed separatists, but the spike seen in recent days is orders of magnitude higher than anything recently recorded by international monitors: nearly 1,500 explosions recorded in 24 hours. Denis Pushilin, the head of the pro-Russia separatist government in Ukraine’s Donetsk region, cited an “immediate threat of aggression” from Ukrainian forces in his announcement of a call to arms. Ukrainian officials vehemently denied having plans to take rebel-controlled areas by force. “I appeal to all the men in the republic who can hold weapons to defend their families, their children, wives, mothers,” Pushilin said. ”Together we will achieve the coveted victory that we all need.”A similar statement followed from his counterpart in the Luhansk region. On Friday, the rebels began evacuating civilians to Russia with an announcement that appeared to be part of their and Moscow’s efforts to paint Ukraine as the aggressor. Metadata from two videos posted by the separatists announcing the evacuation of civilians to Russia show that the files were created two days ago, the AP confirmed. US authorities have alleged that the Kremlin’s effort to come up with an invasion pretext could include staged, prerecorded videos. Ukraine’s military said two of its soldiers died in firing from the separatist side on Saturday. Authorities in Russia's Rostov region, which borders eastern Ukraine, declared a state of emergency because of the influx of evacuees. Media reports on Saturday described chaos at some of the camps assigned to accommodate them. The reports said there were long lines of buses and hundreds of people waiting in the cold for hours on end to be housed without access to food or bathrooms. Putin ordered the Russian government to offer 10,000 rubles (about $130) to each evacuee, an amount equivalent to about half of an average monthly salary in eastern Ukraine. The separatist regions of Ukraine, like much of the country’s east, are majority Russian speaking, and Putin on Tuesday repeated allegations of a “genocide” there in explaining the need to protect them. One of the evacuees, a Donetsk resident who identified himself only as Vyacheslav, blamed Ukraine's government for his plight.
“Let them calm down," he said. "It’s our fault we don’t want to speak Ukrainian, is that it?”

Britain's Queen Elizabeth Catches COVID
Asharq Al-Awsat/Sunday, 20 February, 2022
Queen Elizabeth, 95, has tested positive for COVID and is experiencing mild symptoms but expects to continue light duties this week, Buckingham Palace said on Sunday. "The queen has today tested positive for COVID," the Palace said. "Her Majesty is experiencing mild cold like symptoms but expects to continue light duties at Windsor over the coming week.""She will continue to receive medical attention and will follow all appropriate guidelines," the Palace said. Charles, 73, the heir to the throne, earlier this month pulled out of an event after contracting coronavirus for a second time. A palace source said he had met the queen just days before, Reuters said. The health of the queen, the world's oldest and longest-reigning monarch, has been in the spotlight since she spent a night in hospital last October for an unspecified ailment and then was advised by her doctors to rest. Elizabeth on Wednesday quipped to members of the royal household that she could not move much as she carried out her first in-person engagement since Charles tested positive.

Israeli MP Cites Progress in Prisoner Swap with Hamas
Ramallah - Asharq Al-Awsat/Sunday, 20 February, 2022
Israeli Labor MP Emilie Moatti revealed on Saturday progress in the indirect talks with the Hamas Movement over the return of Israeli civilians and remains of Israeli soldiers being held by the Palestinian group. “There is progress on the issue of the prisoners and missing persons,” Moatti said without elaborating. “It is sensitive and confidential and there are moves that I will not detail, but I am optimistic that they will be home soon,” Moatti, a member of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, said during an event in Petah Tikva. Little progress has been made in the swap deal amid accusations by both Israel and Hamas that they have missed opportunities to hold the exchange. Three weeks ago, Hamas politburo member in charge of the swap, Zaher Jabarin said the movement will force Israel to go ahead with the deal in spite of Tel Aviv's politial indifference over the issue.
He accused Israel of not being serious over the file and of dismissing Hamas' proposals and other efforts that have been made in this issue. He revealed that mediators from Switzerland, Qatar, Turkey, Egypt, Norway and Germany had all intervened to achieve a breakthrough, but they all "reached the conclusion that Israel was not serious about striking a deal at this stage."There are four Israelis held by Hamas in Gaza, including soldiers Oron Shaul and Hadar Goldin, who were captured by the movement in the war that broke out in the summer of 2014. Israel believes they are dead, however, Hamas does not provide any information about their fate. Hamas is also detaining Avraham "Avera" Mengistu, an Israeli of Ethiopian descent, and Hisham al-Sayed, of Arab descent. Both crossed Gaza borders at two different times after the war. There are about 4,500 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli prisons. Israeli sources said Prime Minister Naftali Bennett fears his coalition will collapse if he takes a step that includes the release of senior prisoners.

Arab Parliament Stands against Foreign Interference in Regional Affairs
Cairo - Fathia Eldakhakhny/Asharq Al-Awsat/Sunday, 20 February, 2022
The Arab Parliament underlined the need to confront foreign interference in regional affairs and called for a comprehensive strategy to deter the threats of Iranian policies in the region. At the conclusion of its meeting on Saturday at the Arab League headquarters in Cairo, the Fourth Conference of the Arab Parliament and the heads of Arab Councils and Parliaments approved a document entitled, “A Parliamentary Vision to Achieving Security and Stability and Advancing the Current Arab Reality.”During a press conference, Arab Parliament Speaker Adel bin Abdul-Rahman Al-Assoumi emphasized the need for “an Arab strategy to address foreign interference that affects the stability of Arab countries.”He described Iranian interference in the region as “dangerous”, as it “contradicts international norms and laws and supports terrorism,” calling for “the development of an integrated Arab plan to confront this threat.”
The document, which presented the Arab vision towards various affairs, including in Palestine, Yemen, Libya, Sudan, Somalia and Lebanon, underlined the need to curb foreign interference in the affairs of Arab countries, combat terrorism and extremist ideology, and address issues of water and nuclear security.
It also touched on women and youth empowerment, education development, promotion of inter-religious and intercultural dialogue and investment in modern technology. “The decline of the Arab role in resolving the crises facing the region has created a vacuum that has been exploited by terrorist and sectarian organizations, and by regional and international parties, to control the capabilities of our peoples and drag them into sectarian and ethnic conflicts,” Al-Assoumi said. He warned of the escalation of cybercrime, which he said threatened the digital economy and vital infrastructure in Arab countries. He noted that the Arab parliament “intends to organize the first parliamentary conference on protecting and enhancing cyber security in the Arab world, in partnership with a number of regional and international institutions.”Arab League Secretary General Ahmad Aboul Gheit told the meeting that challenges facing the Arab countries “require vigilance to plots aimed at dividing societies on sectarian, ethnic, religious or regional basis.”

UAE Warns of Drone Threat as It Opens Defense Conference
Agence France Presse/Sunday, 20 February, 2022
The United Arab Emirates warned Sunday of the rising threat of drone attacks, such as those launched against it by Yemen's Huthi rebels, at a defense industry conference on unmanned systems. "We have to unite to prevent the use of drones from threatening civilian safety and destroying economic institutions," said Mohammed bin Ahmad al-Bawardi, UAE's minister of state for defense affairs. The Unmanned Systems Exhibition (UMEX) kicked off in Abu Dhabi, with regional and Western military and industry representatives, including from the United States, Britain and France. While the event will showcase the latest in high-tech drone technology, the host country warned that such weapons are becoming cheaper and more widespread. They are now part of the arsenals of "terrorist groups that use the systems to terrorise civilians or to impact the global system in a negative way," said the UAE's minister of state for artificial intelligence, Omar bin Sultan al-Olama. "That is a challenge that requires us to... work together to ensure that we can create a shield against the use of these systems."The UAE is part of a Saudi-led military coalition that has been fighting in Yemen since 2015 to support the government against Iran-backed Huthi rebels. While the Emirates announced it withdrew its troops from the country in 2019, it remains an influential player, backing fighters there. The UAE has been on heightened alert since a Huthi drone and missile attack killed three oil workers in Abu Dhabi on January 17. Authorities have since thwarted three similar attacks, including one claimed by a little-known militant group believed to have ties with pro-Iran armed factions in Iraq. The UAE's staunch ally the United States has deployed a warship and fighter planes to help protect the Middle East financial and leisure hub, usually a safe haven in the volatile region. Meanwhile, France said it would bolster its defense cooperation with the UAE, mostly in securing its air space. Yemen's Iran-backed Huthis have recently launched hundreds of drones against Saudi Arabia, while Tehran has been accused of being behind an attack on an Israeli ship last year. Israel's military said its air defenses fired at a drone that had crossed into its airspace from Lebanon on Friday, the second such incident in as many days.

American Mideast Coalition for Democracy (AMCD) urges Congress to reject Iran’s Insistence that Congress commit to Iran Deal Before it is Negotiated
February 21/2022
Iran is urging US Congress to issue a “political statement” that Washington will stay committed to a possible agreement in Vienna talks to restore the 2015 nuclear deal, which would bind the US to an agreement that has not yet been negotiated.
“This sounds like another Iranian ploy to play for time while they secretly work to obtain a nuclear weapon,” said AMCD Co-Chair Tom Harb. “There is no possibility the US Congress would commit to an agreement they have not seen.”
“There is an easy remedy for this: a formal treaty which could pass the Senate by two thirds vote,” added AMCD Co-Chair John Hajjar. “The founding fathers wisely created such a high bar for passing treaties to prevent our country from being bound to bad agreements. The executive branch cannot put treaties in place without the overwhelming support of the people’s representatives in the Senate.”“I don’t know what they mean by Congress issuing a political statement,” began AMCD Co-Chair Hossein Khorram. “No such statement would be legally binding on the country and there is no Senator or Congressperson who would sign such a statement before seeing the agreement. It really doesn’t make any sense except to prolong the process and give them time to make advances toward a nuclear weapon.”

The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on February 20-21/2022
Presidents Biden and Putin Are a Lot Angry and a Little Afraid
Raghida Dergham/The National/February 21/2022
It doesn’t matter who will win the duel between President Joe Biden and President Vladimir Putin. Both men know they know each other’s weaknesses, and that the other man’s hands are tied somehow, somewhere. This round of the duel has revealed Mr Biden to be a decisive president who could push back against the Russian president’s diktats against NATO, throwing in the bin the Russian impossible demands for security guarantees flashed by Putin along with a threat of military measures if the West refused them. Biden’s stock has risen as a leader of the West who defied Russian provocations, united Europe around one policy against the Kremlin, and prepared devastating sanctions for Russia if it dared invade Ukraine. For his part, Mr Putin has appeared to the world in this round of the duel as a man of steel, letting NATO powers led by the United States know that adding Russia’s neighbours to NATO is a threat to Russian national security that makes it impossible for Moscow to watch and sit idly by, being such an existential threat to Russia and Putin himself – in his view the two are one. Putin’s wager is that Biden and other NATO leaders will not intervene in a direct war with Russia to save Donbass from forced secession from Ukraine pursuant to the Russian military strategy – and in this wager Putin is right. Indeed, the US president will not send Americans to fight for Ukraine’s territorial integrity, and the Europeans will not fight a war to save Donbass from Russia. Already, Russia has annexed Crimea, and if Russia annexes the Russian-speaking region of Donbass, as the Russian Duma has urged Putin to do, the result will be a victory for the logic of militarization to resolve differences between Russia and the West. But the question here what would the cost of this military victory be, and is it what the Russian people really want? Here, Putin’s wager becomes a dangerous gamble, because the sanctions awaiting him and Russia could be fatal. Who has implicated whom then, and who has implicated themselves? How will the world align in a new Cold War between Russia and the West, in an era very different from the times of the United States’ Cold War with the Soviet Union, and their arms race and proxy wars? Where will the Arab states stand? Is there way to pull back from the brink to give diplomacy a chance?
Today, the tensions do not seem to be easing. All indications are of further escalation, pressure, anger, and uncalm measures. Moscow is furious with NATO leaders’ dismissal of Putin’s demands, when he requested security guarantees during his now-famous sharply worded address at the Ministry of Defence on 21 December. I wrote at the time, on 26 December, an article titled Has Russia raised the stakes too high on Ukraine? (https://www.thenationalnews.com/opinion/comment/2021/12/26/has-russia-raised-the-stakes-too-high-on-ukraine/) and it may be worth returning to that analysis to understand what is going on today. Putin’s address was an ultimatum coupled with a threat of military-technical measures, but as a result, Putin put himself in a corner and ran up a tree that would be hard to climb down. He himself understood this at the time, saying that Washington “should understand that we have nowhere further to retreat to”. Since that day, the Master of the Kremlin has held the world’s breath and his own, leading us to February, a month caught between diplomacy and the hurricanes of confrontation (https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/february-between-tightropes-diplomacy-hurricanes-raghida-dergham/).
The Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov tried to engage diplomatically with NATO leaders and the European Union last week, to inquire about the security principles in Europe that the West wanted to discuss after it had responded to Putin’s impossible demands with polite rejection. However, the West has moved after concluding that Russia is fabricating pretexts to justify an invasion of Ukraine, and ignored Lavrov, who thought he could play his usual diplomatic games with the West. This was perhaps the first time the seasoned diplomat was ignored by his counterparts and was instead given a harsh cold shoulder.
The substance of that rejection is that the NATO powers now stand as one vis-à-vis the Russian escalation against Ukraine, NATO, its powers, and the independence of its decisions, including the decision to admit new members into the alliance or deploy forces in the territories of its member states as they deem fit. The NATO message is that Russia’s attempts to bargain are not welcome under the shadow of Putin’s ultimatums, and that the agreed firm response to Russia will be severe sanctions that could turn the Russian people against their leaders and turn Russia into another Iran if Putin persists.
The Russian president has put himself in the corner of militarized diplomacy and can no longer back down. He knows that some in Russia will stand with him against the West for strategic reasons, because sitting idly by while Ukraine is introduced to NATO could further open the door to others to join and encircle Russia. However, he also knows that some in Russia see Ukraine as no real justification for an economic setback and a return to the Iron Curtain and the costly Cold War. These voices cite Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, which have joined NATO, yet no major threat has emerged to Russia and its security, despite St. Petersburg standing mere kilometres from Lithuania.
Putin himself has put himself on the defensive, and as a result has fallen into the trap set by Biden, who deliberately engineered a response that would put Putin and Russia on the defensive. At the same time, the US president has asked Putin to forget his impossible demands and sit at the table to negotiate security issues, acting with self confidence and the confidence of a galvanized, reunited NATO that has rallied behind his program of crippling sanctions against Russia and Putin.
The US president has benefited from getting Putin to appear hesitant, despite having flexed his muscles and mobilized huge numbers of soldiers along the border with Ukraine, including in Belarus – all while declaring that Russia does not intend to invade and that all talk of invasion is Western and American hysteria.
Thus, Putin has come to appear afraid of war yet without being able to backtrack from war. He has found himself facing a NATO keen to empower and arm Ukraine like never before. He has found that the NATO powers – including Germany and France who are part of the Normandy Quartet alongside Russia and Ukraine in the Minsk Process – unwilling to pressure Kyiv to agree to amend its constitution to become a federal state or agree to implement the Minsk Agreement on the terms Russia insists on. While both the West and Ukraine support the continuation of the Minsk Process, Moscow does not want just a ‘process’, and now that diplomatic door is shut.
Only the United States can launch a new initiative to replace the Minsk Process, whether in the context of resolving the Donbass issue, the context of repairing relations between Russia and NATO, or the context of serious discussions about European security and to avoid a return to the Cold War.
One problem here is that President Biden is furious with his Russian counterpart after his escalation, including the expulsion of the US deputy ambassador to Russia. Another is that it is difficult for Biden not to seize the opportunity/gift provided by Putin to conduct himself as the leader of the free world who has refused to cave to the bullying of the Russian leader.
Indeed, this is a great gift for Biden, who is preparing to sign a nuclear deal with Iran in the coming days. His stern positions against Putin on the Ukraine issue would rally Western support for him and his values and protect and shield him from domestic and international criticism when he signs an agreement that will give Iran and its regional proxies the ability to threaten the interest of America’s partners in the region.
Joe Biden does not care whether the deal with Iran’s rulers will be opposed or approved by the Arab Gulf states. He wants to cut a deal at any cost. Joe Biden does not care either if the Arab Gulf states support the US in the crisis with Russia or adopt a neutral position, which would be unprecedented in the history of the relations between traditional allies amid a climate of renewed cold war.
The Arab Gulf states have told the United States for some time that they will not be pawns in a Cold War, whether with China or Russia. And this position is one of the results of the US pivot away from traditional alliance with the Gulf states in more than one area. It is the result of the reduced American investment in the Arab states, and of the Biden administration and before it the Obama administration choosing Iran as a preferred partner, despite the latter’s strategic alliance with both Russia and China.
What Biden cares about today is how to deal with what he considers provocation from President Putin. They are both very angry men, but also very fragile in some places. Putin may wager on a divide emerging in NATO because any sanctions imposed on Russia would hit the economies of these countries. He can also continue believing that the West is afraid of a conflict erupting in Ukraine, and may therefore stop to reconsider his demands.
True, a Cold War would be costly for all sides. But a hot war could benefit major arms manufacturers and their short and long-term projects in an era of proxy conflicts. To be sure, the arms race is essential in the equation of militarized diplomacy aiming to trigger confrontation. This worries the world as it struggles to read the minds of the US and Russian presidents.
Presidents Biden and Putin are angry a lot and afraid a little, which puts the entire world on the edge of the precipice.

Former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad: '[Afghan] Taliban Are A Serious Threat To The World, China, Russia, And Pakistan Will Regret Supporting Taliban'
MEMRI/February 20/2022
The following report is now a complimentary offering from MEMRI's Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor (JTTM).
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the former president of Iran, recently gave an interview to the Afghan media group, Aamaj News, in which he discussed a range of issues concerning the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, the Taliban jihadi organization which seized power on August 15, 2021. The former president, who is known for his fierce opposition to America and Israel, also warned that the Taliban jihadi group's seizure of power will have large implications for the entire region involving Afghanistan and its surrounding countries.
The interview was published under the title "The Taliban Are A Serious Threat To The World, China, Russia, And Pakistan Will Regret Supporting Taliban: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad In An Exclusive Interview With Aamaj News." In the interview, the former Iranian president is critical of not only America but Iran too for having supported the Afghan Taliban. He warns that Russia, China, and Pakistan will regret their support for the Islamic Emirate.
Also, the interview is mainly within the context of Afghanistan. However, when the Aamaj News interviewer, Matiullah Shirzad, asks for his views on the Taliban, the Islamic State (ISIS), and the anti-Taliban National Resistance Front (NRF) led by Ahmad Massoud, Ahmadinejad seems to switch back to Palestine – an issue on which he was known for his fierce ideological threats to Israel.
Ultimately, the interviewer is forced to return to his specific question about the NRF's opposition to the Taliban. Even then, Ahmadinejad brings the Palestinian issue, stating: "You are talking of Resistance Front in Afghanistan. It is not related to the Palestine issue. It is natural that the people of Afghanistan do not like to live in this condition, and they are in search of solution and salvation."
Following are excerpts from the interview:[1]
"[The Taliban Organization] Is A Group Working For The Implementation Of International Powers' Policies For The Domination Of The Important Geography Of Central Asia"
Aamaj News: "Five months have passed since the Taliban came into power in Afghanistan [on August 15, 2021]. But these five months neither found foundation for internal nor for international recognition. What will be the guarantee for the continuation of the Taliban [government]? What are the difficult challenges before the Taliban? How does Iran see the Taliban? And in the end, whether Afghanistan will again turn into the battle of games for regional and world powers? The former Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, a well-known and famous figure, answers these questions. We thank you Mr. Ahmadinejad for your interview with Aamaj. Let's start with the Taliban. How do you define the Taliban?"
Ahmadinejad: "Let me first send my greetings to the noble people of Afghanistan, workers of your organization, and all those who are watching this program. The Taliban's definition or how they define themselves is that they consider themselves as a religious group and have the responsibility of the heavy mission to bring the whole world under their control. But on the other hand, the people of Afghanistan think of it [the Taliban organization as] an invading group that repeatedly tried to win the will and vote of the people and in the end compelled to impose themselves on the people of Afghanistan with the help, weapons, and power of others [foreign countries].
"If we see it from outside Afghanistan, yes, it is a group working for the implementation of international powers' policies for the domination of the important geography of Central Asia. This group has been formed [by] them, has been supported [by] them so that these powers could be able to implement their policies."
Aamaj News: "What do you think – the Taliban are a religious movement or an ethnic movement?"
Ahmadinejad: "In my view, they are neither religious nor ethnic. Faith does not go by weapon. Faith is love, humanity, and respecting others is faith. If we talk of ethnicity, the Pashtun ethnicity was here but did not give them the vote. They were unable to win the Pashtun nation's will. There are some big personalities in the Pashtun nation who do not like the Taliban and the Taliban's ideology and stand against them. They are neither a religious, nor an ethnic [group]..."
"How Is It Possible Americans, Who Start Wars For The Dollar, Surrendered $80 Billion [Worth Of] Weapons Very Easily To Taliban..."
Aamaj News: "A day before the fall of Kabul [on August 15, 2021], you called the Taliban a serious threat to Iran and the region. Do you think the same now?"
Ahmadinejad: "Exactly, the same. An armed group that is managed and supported by other enemies from outside the region comes and becomes the ruler against the aspirations of a nation is a threat to the whole world."
Aamaj News: "Before the capture of Kabul by the Taliban, you had said that the Taliban want to rule Afghanistan with the support of 'outsiders' and with the force of weapons. What do you mean by 'outsiders?'"
Ahmadinejad: "A lot. The United States especially supports them. Some countries in the region support them. To a large extent, the Taliban was trained and organized in Pakistan. The U.S. provided them weapons, aircraft; some Gulf countries provided them money; some regional countries, Russia on one hand and China on the other, supported them. Iran also did not adopt a good stance. In my view, Iran made a historic mistake in the Taliban issue [by engaging with them]."
Question: "You talked of big powers. But how do you see the Taliban's relations with neighboring countries like Pakistan, China, and Turkmenistan?"
Ahmadinejad: "Look, they shall not show mercy to anyone because they are not free; rather [they are] implementing the policies of world powers who want to dominate the whole region. How is it possible that the Americans, who start wars for the dollar, surrendered $80 billion weapons very easily to the Taliban, and also paid training expenses? It is clear that they are following some high interests. I think that Russia and China will regret their support to the Taliban."
Aamaj News: "The Taliban's opponents say they are the puppets of Pakistan. Do you think so?"
Ahmadinejad: "I think Pakistan will suffer huge damage from its participation in this project [of foreign powers in bringing the Taliban to power]."
Aamaj News: "And do you think Pakistan is involved...?"
Ahmadinejad: "The Taliban were there [in Pakistan], lived there, and trained there, and organized there. I think that Pakistan will regret it."
"[Claims That Iran Was Providing Weapons To Afghan Taliban] Should Be Investigated; There Might Have Been Some Groups Who Have Done It"
Ahmadinejad: "Unfortunately, there are people in different countries who seize power and act against the will of the nation. There are also similarly people in Iran who have influence and have done things that the nation is not happy with."
Aamaj News: "If Iran has the same thinking about the Taliban, what they had five months ago?"
Ahmadinejad: "What do you mean by Iran?"
Aamaj News: "I mean Iranian government."
Ahmadinejad: "Then ask your questions to them."
Aamaj News: "What is your personal point of view?"
Ahmadinejad: "My view has not changed. The way the Taliban talk, my belief is further strengthening what they are doing now."
Aamaj News: "An Iran's view?"
Ahmadinejad: "I hope they will improve."
Aamaj News: "You were the president of Iran for eight years from 2005 to 2013. What was Iran's policy on Afghanistan, especially the Taliban, at that time?"
Ahmadinejad: "What the government was doing at that time was assistance, cooperation in development, peace, and security. My belief was that what Afghanistan wanted should be done with them. This can be done through free elections. People come, give their view, and vote. We tried whatever was possible at that time to cooperate in the development of Afghanistan."
Aamaj News: "Claims were made in different times that Iran is providing weapons to the Taliban. Was that true?"
Ahmadinejad: "This should be investigated. There might have been some groups who have done it. Iran is a big country."
"Until Palestine Is Liberated, All Kind Of Movement Is For The Palestine"; "It Is Natural That When Occupation Takes Place Anywhere In The World, The People Of The Occupied Land Make Efforts For The Freedom Of Their Land"
Aamaj News: "In general, is Iran's policy on the Taliban, Daesh [ISIS], and [the anti-Taliban] Resistance Front clear today? What does the Islamic Republic of Iran want?"
Ahmadinejad: "Look, you said Daesh, Taliban and..."
Aamaj News: "Let me explain it a little. For example, the Resistance Front has active offices in Iran, the Taliban's visits to Iran, Daesh [ISIS] threat in Afghanistan... These three issues may be a threat to Iran because it is a neighboring country from security point of view."
Ahmadinejad: "The [nature of] resistance is a little bit changed. Resistance refers back to Palestine. The land of Palestine has been occupied. They have been given permission in the light of all the international laws to defend themselves and liberate their land. Some countries of the region also supported them or are supporting them. From there, the concept of Resistance Front came. But the Taliban and Daesh are different from them [the Resistance Front]. These groups do not work for the freedom of Palestine; rather working for the destabilization of the countries of the region. So, they cannot be put together. They are different from each other."
Aamaj News: "I mean that what policy Iran has about these three groups?"
Ahmadinejad: "In my view, they are not parties or movements. How can the Taliban and Daesh [ISIS] be one group? Groups or movements emerge from the people. As the movement is being handled by international powers in every sense, some ignorant people may be a part of it. So, it is not a movement or a party, it is a political movement or a political group."
Aamaj News: "And the Resistance Front?"
Ahmadinejad: "I said resistance refers back to the people of Palestine. Until Palestine is liberated, all kind of movement is for the Palestine, it is there in Palestine and in other countries. It is natural that when occupation takes place anywhere in the world, the people of the occupied land make efforts for the freedom of their land. This act will affect a circle."
Aamaj News: "We talked of Daesh. How much the Daesh threat is serious in Afghanistan?"
Ahmadinejad: "I think Daesh is the part of the same plan [by foreign powers to use the group to dominate Central Asia]. I mean, after the Taliban domination, the ground will be given to Daesh. They [Taliban] have been given this time. The Daesh and Al-Qaeda are rapidly preparing themselves in Afghanistan and when they are ready, they will be serious threat to all the neighboring countries of Afghanistan."
Aamaj News: "Let's come to the Ahmad Masoud-led [National] Resistance Front. Do you see that this movement is serious?"
Ahmadinejad: "You are talking of the Resistance Front in Afghanistan. It is not related to the Palestine issue. It is natural that the people of Afghanistan do not like to live in this condition, and they are in search of a solution and salvation. In Panjshir, I think, Panjshir will stay in its place. No major incident has occurred so far. However, it is possible these movements may expand in the future and influence the future incidents."
Aamaj News: "What are the weak and strong points of the Resistance Front and the Taliban's other opponents?"
Ahmadinejad: "You see, there has been chaos in Afghanistan for the last nearly 50 years. The bases of the people have weakened. The people are badly weakened. Most of the people migrated and were forced to migrate to neighboring countries, even to Turkey and rest of the world. This weakens the nation. A weak nation cannot move and take decisions. I think, this is the biggest problem that exists. But despite that there is the need for unity among all."
"The U.S. Also Wants [Control Of] All Of Central Asia; So, Afghanistan Is A Key Place"
Aamaj News: "How do you see world and other influential powers' policy toward Afghanistan? Like the U.S., China, Russia, and India?"
Ahmadinejad: "As I said earlier, India does not directly interfere now. But despite that India will suffer damage from the Taliban rule. As far as the countries you named, I think they are not seeking the interests of the people of Afghanistan, rather [they are] in search of international agendas and their own interests. I insist that they will suffer damage in the future."
Aamaj News: "If the countries are divided into groups over their interests in Afghanistan?"
Ahmadinejad: "No, there is an understanding that the Taliban will come into power, but this compromise will soon turn into competition."
Aamaj News: "What is the basic problem of Afghanistan? Why is there always war there?"
Ahmadinejad: "I think, foreign interference and rule. Afghanistan has not seen a good day since the Britons came to Afghanistan. Their policy was to keep nations in poverty so that they could stay in power. When the [Soviet] communists entered [Afghanistan] they sought their own interests and suppressed all the talents of Afghanistan. Afghanistan is an important country. There live the world's wise people. The people of Afghanistan are wise, hard workers, and cultured. This is their nature, and this is their history. If we see their culture, its people are loving, friendly, pure and sincere. They are also very wealthy, i.e., have mines, copper mines, and other mines. This is the reason that world powers have expectations from Afghanistan and want to stay there for a long period and pursue their long-term policies.
"The communists wanted to reach warm waters, tried for a long time to reach them via Iran but suffered defeat and they moved toward Afghanistan. They captured Afghanistan, but we saw what they did in Afghanistan. They [got] trapped there. The people of Afghanistan do not easily accept foreign rule. The U.S. also wants [control of] all of central Asia. So, Afghanistan is a key place. We saw when they occupied Afghanistan 22 years ago [in 2001], it affected the whole region. Differences and fire erupted in the whole region. Its cause was their presence. I pray that evils will soon be eliminated, and the people of Afghanistan will live their own lives..."
[1] Aamaj News, January 16, 2022. The English version of the interview was prepared by Aamaj News and has been lightly edited for clarity and standardization.

A New Class War Comes to Canada
Ross Douthat/The New York Times/Sunday, 20 February, 2022
A great and mostly unknown prophet of our time is Michael Young, whose book “The Rise of the Meritocracy,” published way back in 1958, both coined the term in its title and predicted, in its fictional vision of the 21st century, meritocracy’s unhappy destination: not the serene rule of the deserving and talented, but a society where a ruling class selected for intelligence but defined by arrogance and insularity faces a roiling populism whose grievances shift but whose anger at the new class order is a constant. This year it’s Canada’s turn to live inside Young’s somewhat dystopian scenario, set in the 2030s but here ahead of schedule. On one side of the trucker protests you have Justin Trudeau, a condensed symbol of meritocracy-blurring-into-aristocracy — with degrees from two of Canada’s three best universities, but also the pedigree of being Pierre Trudeau’s son — and behind him a Canadian establishment that has followed public-health advice on Covid more closely than the United States, imposing more stringent restrictions throughout the pandemic. Then on the other side you have the truckers and their allies: A complex mix of forces in the style of France’s gilets jaunes, organized in part by right-wingers but inclusive of all kinds of characters and ideas, defined by an exhaustion with pandemic restrictions and a strong connection to the physical portion of the economy, the part that relies on brawn and savvy, not just the manipulation of words and symbols on a screen.
This last division was not precisely anticipated in Young’s book, writing as he did before the true rise of the computer, but it has ended up being a key expression of the meritocracy-populist divide. To quote the pseudonymous writer N.S. Lyons, the trucker protests have sharpened a division between “Virtuals” and “Practicals” — meaning the people whose professional lives are lived increasingly in the realm of the “digital and the abstract,” and the people who work in the “mundane physical reality” upon which the virtual society still depends.
This division is not always one of money: Plenty of Practicals do very well for themselves while plenty of Virtuals scrape along on, say, graduate-student stipends or middling think-tank salaries. But the class divide between the two categories is clear, and so is the gap between their respective influence over the central nodes of Western power. And their simmering conflict is most likely to flare up when plans devised by meritocrats create problems in the physical dimension — whether it’s a gasoline tax increase devised by French technocrats touching off protests among French drivers, or just an accumulating exhaustion with Covid restrictions among Canadians who work in the real world rather than on Zoom.
Moreover, as Lyons points out, in the Canadian clash each side has used the weapons appropriate to its position. The truckers have leveraged the imposing presence of their trucks and the sympathy of other Practicals — from tow-truck drivers to cops — to attack the physical underpinnings of the capital’s economy. Meanwhile the counterstrike, while it’s finally evolved to actual physical removal, has been strikingly virtual:first a PR blitz to encourage friendly media to brand all the truckers as racists and anti-Semites and Trump supporters, then the convenient hacking and “doxxing” of donors to the convoy, and then an invocation of the Emergencies Act which lets the government attack the protesters via the digital realm, freezing bank accounts and even cryptocurrency funds connected to the protests. Since politics exists to organize fears, a major question for people caught between these two camps is which kind of power seems more frightening. The power to shut down the heart of a major city, perhaps even with the sympathy of some of the police, or the power over money and information that the Trudeau government is relying upon in its response? The specter of an insurrection or the specter of a digital police state? A revolt of the disaffected middle or a revolt of the elites? At the moment, judging by the Canadian polls, people are unhappy with Trudeau but seem to fear the disruptions and shutdowns more than the government response. A similar preference for a disliked elite over a chaotic and disreputable opposition is why Joe Biden is president rather than Donald Trump, and why Emmanuel Macron may yet be re-elected in France. But at the same time the truckers have already won a tacit victory in the move away from vaccine passport systems in Ontario and Quebec — which, like the ongoing swing against public-health restrictions in the United States, suggests the fluidity of these conflicts. And the conflicts are also more complex, inevitably, than any binary can capture: The resilience of reality creates fissures inside the meritocracy (as lately between parents and educational bureaucrats, say), while the populist side has its own virtual dream palaces (the world of QAnon and related conspiracies is not exactly a practical dimension). Still, once you recognize the divisions that Young prophesied, you see them in some form all over, as a novel class war that constantly raises the old question: Which side are you on?

When Citizens are Convicted Even After Being Acquitted!
Hoshyar Zebari/Asharq Al-Awsat/February, 20/2022
The judicial system was intended to be a refuge where the persecuted could seek recourse when their rights are violated and when they are slandered since it came into being in what is now a bygone era. All kinds of governance systems task their judicial institutions with presiding over disputes and issuing judgments about them, and it was entrusted with delivering justice to citizens and allowing them to defend themselves against persecution. These systems of governance granted it the final say; nothing and no individual or institution can reverse its rulings or impede their implementation. Iraq was no exception. Its 2005 constitution granted the judiciary these same powers, and its constitution guaranteed that this institution is distanced from the political minefields, free of political pressure. It gave judicial decisions in general and those of the Federal Supreme Court in particular- a force above all else and all state institutions- finality. Indeed, all state institutions are obliged to accept and recognize the decisions of this court entrusted with upholding the rights and freedoms of individuals, and it did not establish a mechanism for contradicting its rulings or appealing them.
This perhaps stems from the constitution’s assumption that it would be absolutely impartial, unprejudiced by rivals’ orientations, that it would have no objective whatsoever beyond enforcing the constitution and laying its foundations. At the time, those who were drafting it wanted to introduce an era in which rights and freedoms flourish, and the principles of democracy, justice and fairness are applied after decades of oppression and injustice. However, but the era in the new Iraq did not last long, a lot was said about the biases brimming within the federal judiciary and its favoring of this or that faction. Suspicions about the faction that saw many decisions go its way were particularly strong, and it wouldn’t take someone looking into the matter objectively a long time to affirm that several rulings were issued to suit big players and prominent figures. Nonetheless, it would be a timid analysis and a cautious assessment that finds that those raising their voices against some of those unfair decisions are swiftly prosecuted for contempt of the judiciary and undermining its reputation. The persecuted, under such circumstances, have no choice but to quell their anger and be patient, even if they are part of the executive. Sharing Mr. Haider al-Abadi’s famous tweet, in which he asks: “Where can grains of wheat settle their grievances when chickens are the arbiters,” spares us the need to go into details.
It is no secret that Parliament once withdrew its confidence in me- and a political ruling beyond a shadow of a doubt. The proof that it is political is that the body issuing it is political par excellence; its decisions are not inviolable in any sense. The Commission of Integrity acquitting me of all the accusations that Parliament had leveled against is further proof. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Finance, which I had led, as well as the Ministry of Justice- being an independent and neutral body- said that they have no complaints against me because of the lack of evidence that I had failed to meet any of my duties. If doing so did not make the article too long, I would have cited these acquittals and their numbers and the dates in which they had been issued. However, these parties are familiar with them, as is the Federal Supreme Court, which I had characterized as a body uphold and thought it would base its decision on the rulings of Commission of Integrity and the fact that neither the ministries I headed nor any other neutral party that became involved in the investigation had filed a complaint against me.
However, the gray day when the court issued its bizarre ruling deeming my candidacy for President of the Republic of Iraq unconstitutional was founded on extremely strange and bewildering logic. It cited Parliament’s decision to withdraw its confidence from me as the reason for depriving me of the right to take part in the race to become President. At that time, dozens of questions, whose background only those deeply familiar with what goes on behind the scenes know, were posed to me. Isn’t the federal judiciary aware that the decision to withdraw confidence, even if it were the right one, has no legal implications beyond rendering the minister resigned? Is the federal judiciary not obligated to issue its rulings in accordance with the constitution rather than decisions made by other bodies whose decisions are not final in any way, shape or form? Is the court genuinely unaware that the accusations leveled against me by some politicized deputies have been proven false by the judiciary and the investigations have proven? Is it right for the Parliament’s decision, which the judiciary and investigations have proven baseless, to form a basis for depriving citizens of the rights and freedoms to fairly take part in politics and governing the country? Was the court justice in its ruling that claimed the Parliamentary decision undermines my reputation and integrity despite this not being mentioned in the constitution and the decision not being definitive?
These questions and others left me and many legal experts and constitutional specialists despondently pondering the fate of the constitutional article stipulating that the accused are innocent until proven guilty in a fair, legal trial, to say nothing about those whose innocence had been proven. Are they not more entitled to enjoy all their rights? I do not want to hide the fact that I was thinking of bringing a case against Parliament because of its decision to withdraw confidence from me on the grounds that had been proven partisan and to have been an example of abuse of power and political slander. And now I receive this historic Federal Supreme Court ruling declaring citizens can be convicted even if proven innocent and that the politicized decisions that the judiciary and investigation have proven baseless suffice to deprive citizens of their political rights. Indeed, it demonstrates that the constitution’s provisions exist merely for domestic consumption and to facilitate hypocrisy at the international level. In reality, these rights and freedoms are hollow. They are crumbling. The court interprets their limits as it wishes, and the ruling is perhaps akin to bidding any hopes that the oppressed and persecuted could receive justice. We are in an era in which the judiciary is trapped in the maze of politics, if not an era when the judiciary is controlled by politics and run by the powerful!

د. ماجد رفي زاده/ العودة إلى الاتفاق النووي ستوفر لإيران فوائد متعددة
Nuclear deal return would offer Iran multiple benefits
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Arab News/February 20/2022
The fact that the Iranian regime continues to negotiate with the P5+1 world powers (the UK, Russia, China, France and the US, plus Germany) concerning the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action nuclear deal reveals that the regime wants to revive it. A new nuclear agreement would bring several critical benefits for Iran.
First of all, a nuclear deal would boost the Iranian regime’s ballistic missile program. In order to keep the Islamic Republic in the nuclear deal, the world powers would likely be reluctant to hold the theocratic establishment accountable for its ballistic missile violations — and there is a precedent for such an assumption.
Tehran accelerated its missile activities and tests after the original nuclear deal was reached in 2015. Basedon detailed intelligence obtained from inside the clerical establishment in Iran — specifically internal reports obtained from the Defense Ministry and the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps by the National Council of Resistance of Iran — Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei tasked the IRGC’s Aerospace Force with executing this mandate. The opposition group verified the locations of 42 centers involved in the production, testing and launching of missiles by the IRGC. Fifteen of these sites formed part of the regime’s missile manufacturing network, includingseveral factories related to a missile industry group. “The IRGC’s Aerospace Force is responsible for the regime’s missiles program and the scope of the program is much more extensive than what it was previously perceived,” saidthe NCRI’s Alireza Jafarzadeh.
However, at the time, the UN Security Council disregarded Iran’s ballistic missiles advancements, even though the nuclear deal stated that Iran should not undertake any suchactivity “until the date eight years after the JCPOA Adoption Day or until the date on which the IAEA submits a report confirming the Broader Conclusion, whichever is earlier.”
It is worth noting that Iran’s ballistic missile capability is one of the most critical pillars of Tehran’s national security policy. Aside from managing the country’s nuclear program and supporting its proxies, the IRGC’s third important program is its ballistic missile program. Tehran possessesthe largest ballistic missile program in the Middle East and no country, other than Iran, has acquired long-range ballistic missiles before obtaining nuclear weapons.
The second benefit of a new nuclear deal is that it would lift the financial strain on the Iranian regime, as sanctions on the Islamic Republic’s energy, financial and shipping sectors would be removed. Tehran’s economic woes began after the nuclear deal fell apart under the Trump administration. The regime is currently facing one of the worst budget deficits in its four-decade history. This deficit has increased inflation and further devalued the Iranian currency.
With a renegotiated nuclear deal in place, Tehran would be able to take full advantage of its plentiful natural resources. It has the world’s second-largest natural gas reserves and fourth-largest proven crude oil reserves, and the sale of these resources accountsfor more than 80 percent of its export revenue.
Thirdly, a nuclear deal would also be a victory for Iran’s militia and terror groups. The 2015 agreement allowed the flow of billions of dollars into the Iranian regime’s treasury, thereby providing the funding that the IRGC needed to escalate its military adventurism in the region. This included financing, arming and supporting its proxy terror and militia groups in Lebanon, Iraq, Syria and Yemen. In the wake of the nuclear agreement, Iran’s meddling, interventions in the region and funding of militia groups escalated. Iran also increased its deliveries of weapons to militias, as the number of ballistic missiles deployedby Iran’s proxies rose to an unprecedented level.
The regime would gain global legitimacy, making it even more difficult to hold Tehran’s leaders accountable for their malign behavior and terrorist activity.
But when the nuclear deal was scuttled in 2018, some Iranian authorities publicly announcedthat they did not have enough money to pay their mercenaries abroad. For example, in an interview with the state-run Ofogh television network, Mostazafan Foundation head Parviz Fattah stated: “I was at the IRGC Cooperative Foundation. Haj Qassem (Soleimani, the commander of the Quds Force who was killed by a US drone strike) came and told me he did not have money to pay the salaries of the Fatemiyoun (Afghan mercenaries). He said that these are our Afghan brothers, and he asked for help from people like us.”
Finally, with a return to the nuclear deal, the regime would gain global legitimacy, making it even more difficult to hold Tehran’s leaders accountable for their malign behavior and terrorist activity.
In conclusion, a renegotiated nuclear deal would bring several important advantages to the Iranian regime, while destabilizing and posing a threat to the security of the region.
*Dr. Majid Rafizadeh is a Harvard-educated Iranian-American political scientist. Twitter: @Dr_Rafizadeh