English LCCC Newsbulletin For
Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For January 06/2022
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
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Bible Quotations For today
John the Baptis Baptizes Jesus at The Jordan
River
Luke 03/15-22/The people were waiting expectantly
and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Messiah.
John answered them all, “I baptize you with water. But one who is more powerful
than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will
baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand to
clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will
burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” And with many other words John
exhorted the people and proclaimed the good news to them. But when John rebuked
Herod the tetrarch because of his marriage to Herodias, his brother’s wife, and
all the other evil things he had done, Herod added this to them all: He locked
John up in prison. When all the people were being
baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened and
the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came
from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials
published on January 05-06/2022
President Aoun signs 16 laws approved by Parliament
Mikati visits Aoun, says 2022 general budget ready
Aoun Says Khalil's Words 'Impolite', Amal's Opposition 'Detrimental' to Country
Miqati, Aoun Agree on Legislative Session, PM to Call for Cabinet Session
Naharnet
No Govt. Solution as Miqati-Hizbullah Tensions Deepen Crisis
UNIFIL Urges Lebanon to Probe 'Attack' on Peacekeepers
UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon were attacked by unknown
Hizbullah Official Nabil Qaouq At Event Honoring Soleimani: In A Future War, We
Will Have 100,000 Fighters With The Spirit, Will, Determination Of Soleimani
US lawsuit filed against Lebanon and its powerful intelligence agency
Geagea: Nasrallah's Speech Full of Lies, Taking Up Arms Not LF's Plan
Lebanese Journalist: Contrary To Hizbullah's Narrative Of 'Victory Over Israel',
The Truth Is That Lebanon Is In The Pits Of Crisis Whereas Israel Is At The
Pinnacle Of Success
En réponse à ce qui se passe./Jean-Marie Kassab/January 05/2022
Lebanon's president has leverage but his alliance with Hezbollah isn't
over/Michael Young/The National/January 05/2022
Titles For The Latest English LCCC
Miscellaneous Reports And News published on
January 05-06/2022
U.S.-Led Coalition, Pro-Iran Militias Trade Fire in Syria
More than 200 detained in Kazakhstan unrest, president removes ex-leader from
post
Iraqi former deputy electricity minister sentenced to six years for corruption/Raad
Al Haris, an adviser to the PM, has been given a $10 million fine
Katyusha Rocket Hits Military Base at Baghdad Airport
Jordan’s king publicly hosts Israeli official for 1st time in 4 years
Israel Issues First Sentence in Mob Attack on Arab Driver
US-coalition against ISIS faces dual attacks in Syria and Iraq by Iran-backed
groups
U.S. hopes to build on Iran nuclear talk progress this week
Khartoum, Washington discuss need to complete democratic transition in Sudan
Algeria Envoy to France to Resume Duties
Canada/Statement on resignation of Sudan’s Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok
Titles For The Latest The Latest LCCC
English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on
January 05-06/2022
Is Iran messaging holding hard-line or setting stage for softening deal?
- analysis/Yonah Jeremy Bob/Jerusalem Post/January 05/2022
Iran's "Nuclear Blackmail": Iran Has No Interest in Negotiating a New Nuclear
Deal/Con Coughlin/Gatestone Institute/January 05/2022
Biden’s foreign policy challenges mounting up/Maria Maalouf/Arab News/January
05, 2022
The Iraqi political satirist who weaponized laughter/Dalia Al-Aqidi/Arab
News/January 05, 2022
How Iran’s Ahwazi Arabs, betrayed, fell victim to oppression that continues to
this day/Joanathan Gornall/Arab News/January 05, 2022
The Latest English LCCC Lebanese &
Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on January 05-06/2022
President Aoun signs 16 laws approved by Parliament
NNA/January 05, 2022
President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun, signed 16 laws that were
approved by the Parliament, in its last session.
After signing, laws were referred to the Official Gazette for publication
according to the rules.
Signed Laws:
-Law No. 253 of January 5, 2022, establishing the National Drug Agency.
-Law No. 254 of January 5, 2022, establishing a Syndicate of Psychiatrists in
Lebanon.
-Law No. 255 of January 5, 2022, approving subjects from vocational education in
the curricula of the basic and secondary stages of pre-university education,
with the aim of vocational guidance (known as the Vocational Guidance Law for
Public Education Students).
-Law No. 256 of January 5, 2022, amending Article 604 of the Penal Code.
-Law No. 257 of January 5, 2022, extending the provisions of Article 1.
-Law No. 237 of 16/7/2021 (suspension of legal, judicial and contractual
deadlines and suspension of debt instalments).
-Law No. 258 of January 5, 2022, cancelling the lump sum annual fee stipulated
in Article 29 of Law No. 173/2000 dated February 14, 2000.
-Law No. 259 of January 5, 2022 amending some provisions of Law No. 62/1988
relating to the Beirut and Tripoli lawyers' retirement funds.
-Law No. 260 dated January 5, 2022 amending the only article of Law No. 75 dated
10/27/2016 (cancellation of bearer shares and shares to order).
-Law No. 261 dated January 5, 2022, to determine the terms of equivalency for
the “freshman” class - the American educational curriculum - at the Lebanese
High School, and to regularize the status of students for previous years.
-Law No. 262 dated January 5, 2022 amending Article 66 of Law No. 144 dated July
31, 2019 (the General Budget and Annexed Budget Law for 2019).
-Law No. 263 of January 5, 2022, to subject Lebanese journalists and
photographers who do not benefit from any benefits, to the provisions of the
Social Security Law - with regard to medical care in cases of illness and
maternity only.
-Law No. 264 of January 5, 2022, setting the conditions for licensing Health
Clubs, and amending the law regulating the Ministry of Youth and Sports.
-Law No. 265 of January 5, 2022, authorizing distance teaching in higher
education in cases of necessity for the academic years 2019-2022.
-Law No. 266 of January 5, 2022, to adopt an educational identity with a coded
number for the student and the student in Lebanon (educational identity).
-Law No. 267 of January 5, 2022, amending Articles 554, 555, 556, 557 and 559 of
the Penal Code in terms of strengthening legal protection for doctors and their
assistants and hospital workers.
-Law No. 268 of January 5, 2022 amending Article 567 of the Penal Code.
----Presidency Press Office
Mikati visits Aoun, says 2022 general budget ready
NNA/January 05, 2022
President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun, met Prime Minister, Najib Mikati,
today at the Presidential Palace.
After the meeting, PM Mikati revealed that it was agreed to sign a decree to
immediately open an extraordinary Parliamentary session.
PM Mikati also indicated that the 2022 general budget is ready, and that once he
receives it within the next two days, it becomes necessary for the Council of
Ministers to convene to approve it and refer it to the Parliament.
In addition, the Prime Minister asserted that the financial benefits that were
previously promised to public and private sector employees will be released
today.
Statement:
After the meeting, Premier Mikati made the following statement:
“I consider that my meeting with His Excellency the President today was very
fruitful. We first agreed to sign a decree to open an extraordinary Parliament
session, which will start immediately until the date of the regular session.
As for the second issue, it is the 2022 general budget, where I informed the
President that it is ready and I will receive it during the next two days, and
as soon as this happens, it will become necessary for the Council of Ministers
to convene to approve it, which is a prerequisite for the International Monetary
Fund and for all the reform issues that we are working on. Therefore, we will
call the Cabinet to convene upon receipt of the budget, to consider it as the
most important issue at the present time, and then send it to the Parliament.
As for the third issue that I agreed on with His Excellency the President, it is
the release of financial benefits, especially for public and private sector
employees, which we promised to give, that is, half a month for November and
half a month for December, and that will be done today, God willing.
I renew my call that it be a good year for all”.
Questions & Answers:
In response to a question about the existence of new data regarding the special
Parliament session and the call for a cabinet session, Prime Minister Mikati
replied: “The agenda and the existence of the budget have become more than
necessary for the Cabinet meeting. I do not think that anyone will fail in this
national duty”.
Question: Has the agenda been set?
Answer: “The priority is the budget”.—Presidency Press Office
Aoun Says Khalil's Words 'Impolite', Amal's Opposition 'Detrimental' to Country
Naharnet/January 05, 2022
President Michel Aoun described MP Ali Hassan Khalil’s words as “impolite and
not true,” when the latter said there are two presidents in Lebanon. “Every word
he uttered is a lie,” Aoun said in a press interview. He added that “they are
mixing between the Republic’s president and the Free Patriotic Movement’s
president.”“I am the President of the country, (Jebran) Bassil is president of
the biggest parliamentary bloc. I manage the country’s affairs, he manages the
party’s affairs,” Aoun stated. “They hate him because I have raised him and like
me, he refuses to bargain,” the president said. On another note, Aoun claimed
that Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri’s opposition since he was voted President
has been “detrimental” to the country and has disrupted many draft laws proposed
by the FPM. “His ministers are refusing to attend Cabinet sessions,” Aoun added.
“Disrupting the government is a grave mistake, and no party has the right to do
so.”Aoun went on to say that he wanted to replace Central Bank Governor Riad
Salameh but it was Khalil, back then minister of finance, who asked him to
discuss Salameh’s term extension in Cabinet.He said that “if we fail to conduct
a forensic audit, I will say what is obstructing it and I will name the ones who
stole the people’s money.”
Miqati, Aoun Agree on Legislative Session, PM to Call for Cabinet Session
Naharnet
Naharnet/January 05, 2022
Prime Minister Najib Miqati said Wednesday, after meeting with President Michel
Aoun, that they have agreed on opening an extraordinary legislative session.
Miqati described the meeting at the Baabda Palace as “fruitful” and affirmed
that “Cabinet will be asked to convene within two days.”“I have informed the
president that the state budget for the year 2022 is ready and will be received
within two days,” Miqati said. He added that he will call for a Cabinet session
right after receiving the state budget. Meanwhile media outlets said that,
during the meeting, Aoun and Miqati held a call with Parliament Speaker Nabih
Berri to see if the Shiite Duo will attend the Cabinet session or not.
No Govt. Solution as Miqati-Hizbullah Tensions Deepen
Crisis
Naharnet/January 05, 2022
Amid the latest rapid developments in the country, the efforts to resolve the
standoff over Beirut port blast investigator Judge Tarek Bitar seem to have
ceased, al-Joumhouria newspaper reported on Wednesday. “There will be neither a
solution nor a (Cabinet) session, and the focus is now on other issues,” a
senior political source told the daily.“The latest tensions between Prime
Minister Najib Miqati and Hizbullah will be an addition reason to deepen the
crisis, although Hizbullah has told the relevant parties that it is not inclined
to complicate things,” the source added.
UNIFIL Urges Lebanon to Probe 'Attack' on Peacekeepers
Associated Press/January 05, 2022
Unknown perpetrators attacked a group of U.N. peacekeepers in southern Lebanon,
vandalizing their vehicles and stealing official items from them, a U.N.
official said Wednesday. Such scuffles with U.N. peacekeepers are not uncommon
in southern Lebanon since the peacekeeping force was expanded following the 2006
war between Israel and Hizbullah. The U.N. force, known as UNIFIL, called on
Lebanese authorities to "investigate quickly and thoroughly, and prosecute all
those responsible for these crimes," said Kandice Ardiel, a UNIFIL press
official. She added that the attack occurred on Tuesday night. Local media
reported that residents of the southern town of Bint Jbeil scuffled with Irish
peacekeepers who they said were taking photographs of residential homes. The
reports added that the U.N. force was not accompanied by Lebanese troops. Bint
Jbeil is a Hizbullah stronghold and large parts of its were destroyed during the
2006 war. Ardiel said that contrary to the disinformation being spread, the
peacekeepers were not taking photos and were not on private property. She added
that the peacekeepers were on their way to meet members of the Lebanese Army for
a routine patrol. "UNIFIL condemns attacks on men and women serving the cause of
peace, which are violations of both Lebanese and international law," Ardiel
said, adding that UNIFIL also condemns those who "manipulate" local residents to
serve their purposes. UNIFIL was originally created to oversee the withdrawal of
Israeli troops after a 1978 invasion. The mission was expanded in Lebanon under
a U.N.-brokered truce after the monthlong war between Israel and Hizbyllah in
2006.A similar incident with peacekeepers in south Lebanon late last year was
condemned by Lebanon's Foreign Ministry.
UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon were attacked by
unknown
AP/January 05, 2022
The UNIFIL called on Lebanese authorities to “investigate quickly and
thoroughly, and prosecute all those responsible for these crimes”
Local media reported that residents of Bint Jbeil scuffled with Irish
peacekeepers
BEIRUT: Unknown perpetrators attacked a group of UN peacekeepers in southern
Lebanon, vandalizing their vehicles and stealing official items from them, a UN
official said Wednesday.
Such scuffles with UN peacekeepers are not uncommon in southern Lebanon since
the peacekeeping force was expanded following the 2006 war between Israel and
the Lebanese militant Hezbollah group.
The UN force, known as UNIFIL, called on Lebanese authorities to “investigate
quickly and thoroughly, and prosecute all those responsible for these crimes,”
said Kandice Ardiel, a UNIFIL press official. She added that the attack occurred
on Tuesday night. Local media reported that residents of the southern town of
Bint Jbeil scuffled with Irish peacekeepers who they said were taking
photographs of residential homes. The reports added that the UN force was not
accompanied by Lebanese troops. Bint Jbeil is a Hezbollah stronghold and large
parts of its were destroyed during the 2006 war. Ardiel said that contrary to
the disinformation being spread, the peacekeepers were not taking photos and
were not on private property. She added that the peacekeepers were on their way
to meet members of the Lebanese army for a routine patrol. “UNIFIL condemns
attacks on men and women serving the cause of peace, which are violations of
both Lebanese and international law,” Ardiel said, adding that UNIFIL also
condemns those who manipulate local residents to serve their purposes. UNIFIL
was originally created to oversee the withdrawal of Israeli troops after a 1978
invasion. The mission was expanded in Lebanon under a UN-brokered truce after
the monthlong war between Israel and Hezbollah militants in 2006. A similar
incident with peacekeepers in south Lebanon late last year was condemned by
Lebanon’s Foreign Ministry.
Hizbullah Official Nabil Qaouq At Event Honoring
Soleimani: In A Future War, We Will Have 100,000 Fighters With The Spirit, Will,
Determination Of Soleimani
MEMRI/January 05/2022
Al-Manar TV (Lebanon)
Nabil Qaouq, a member of Hizbullah's Central Council, attended a ceremony
launching a tree planting campaign marking two years since the U.S.
assassination of IRGC Qods Force Commander General Qasem Soleimani. At the
event, in which olive trees were planted along Lebanon's border with Israel,
Qaouq said that in a future war with Israel, Hizbullah will have 100,000
fighters "armed" with the spirit, will, and determination that Soleimani had. A
report about the event was aired on Al-Manar TV (Hizbullah-Lebanon) on January
2, 2022. According to the report, Hassan Ezzeddine, a member of Hizbullah's
parliamentary bloc Loyalty to the Resistance, was also present at the event. For
more about Nabil Qaouq, see MEMRI TV Clips Nos. 1136 and 294.
Narrator: "At this location overlooking Palestine, where he stood smelling its
scent and promising to liberate it, a firmly rooted olive tree was planted,
named after the martyr General Qasem Soleimani. [The tree] affirms the right of
the owners of the land to their land, and that the occupier is certain to leave.
"Under the auspices of Hizbullah's Central Council member, Sheikh Nabil Qaouq,
with the presence of a member of the Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc, Hassan
Ezzeddine, as well as a number of ulema activists, dignitaries, and a group of
residents, Hizbullah launched a forestation campaign named 'Soleimani's Olive
Tree' along the border with occupied Palestine.
"The ceremony began in the Iran Gardens in the village of Maroun Al-Ras, where
Sheikj Qaouq declared that in any future war, the resistance will fight the
enemy with 100,000 resistance fighters armed with the determination and faith of
Qasem Soleimani.
Nabil Qaouq: "When we meet here, in Maroun Al-Ras, where Hajj Qasem stood, we
recall the deeply-rooted Arab identity, that of Palestine, the Arab identity
that Hajj Qasem served and sacrificed for its sake. It is the identity
relinquished by all the 'normalizing' Arabs. Hajj Qasem sent rockets to
Palestine. I dare all the 'normalizing' Arabs to send even a single rocket to
Palestine. "In any future war, we will fight the enemy with 100,000 resistance
fighters armed with the spirit, will, and determination of Hajj Qasem Soleimani."
Narrator: "The campaign is scheduled to continue in the coming days — olive
trees will be planted in the footsteps of the martyr Soleimani, along the border
with occupied Palestine."
US lawsuit filed against Lebanon and its powerful
intelligence agency
دعوى قضائية أميركية ضد لبنان ومخابراته القوية
“We are dumbfounded that the Lebanese government would decide to intervene and
make itself a party to this proceeding with all that this entails. Amazingly, it
has now subjected itself and its intelligence agency to the American court’s
jurisdiction,” the family’s lawyer said.
Joseph Haboush, Al Arabiya English/Updated: 05 January ,2022
The head of Lebanon’s General Security may have landed himself and his country
in hot water after intervening in a US lawsuit that initially accused Iran of
ordering the detainment and detention of a Lebanese-American citizen.
The family of Amer Fakhoury, who had worked with an Israeli-backed militia in
southern Lebanon until 2000, is now suing Lebanon, the General Security and its
chief, Abbas Ibrahim, who is known for negotiating prisoner swaps and freeing
captives, including US citizens.
Fakhoury worked as a senior warden at the notorious Khiam Prison in south
Lebanon, run by the Israeli-backed South Lebanon Army (SLA), before Israel ended
its 18-year occupation in 2000. His family says he worked at the prison but
never had contact with inmates and did not torture prisoners.
Despite being accused by Lebanese officials of torturing prisoners during his
time with the SLA, Fakhoury’s lawyer said he was given assurances that he could
enter Lebanon after nearly 20 years.
He reportedly met with Lebanon’s president, Michel Aoun, during a visit to
Boston before traveling to Lebanon. According to a lawsuit by the family,
Fakhoury was also in contact with a member of Aoun’s presidential office.
He was detained in Beirut in September 2019 and released the following March.
But a travel ban was placed on him after a military judge appealed the decision.
Nevertheless, he was flown out of the country following a movie-like operation
from the US Embassy in Beirut. Fakhoury died just months after returning to the
US. His family has accused Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah of being part of
Tehran’s order to detain and torture Fakhoury. “The Iranians were hoping to
pressure the Trump Administration to trade the captive American for a Hezbollah
operative, Kassim Tajideen, a Lebanese national who was imprisoned in the US for
his role in financing Hezbollah terrorist activities around the world,” a
statement from Fakhoury’s family and lawyer said on Wednesday.
As a result, Fakhoury’s family sued the government of Iran in a US federal court
last year.
Accused Hezbollah financier released by US
Tajideen was arrested in 2017, in Morocco, following an international arrest
warrant and then extradited to the US. Although he was accused of financing
Hezbollah, Tajideen only pleaded guilty to charges of evading sanctions imposed
on him, not for financing the Iran-backed militia. He was released by the US in
June 2020, a few months after Fakhoury, on compassionate grounds due to the
coronavirus pandemic. Tajideen remains a Specially Designated Global Terrorist
by the US Treasury Department, and US citizens are prohibited from working with
him.
Lebanon’s General Security head intervenes
While Lebanon enjoys sovereign immunity, making it illegal to be named as a
defendant in US courts, a move by the General Security head Abbas Ibrahim may
have upended the privilege.
On December 12, Ibrahim filed a motion to strike his name and his agency from
the lawsuit against Iran. “The fact that he filed the motion on behalf of
General Security, which is a state institution, has allowed us to pursue him and
Lebanon, legally,” Fakhoury’s daughter, Guila, told Al Arabiya English.
“We will not back down, even if they withdraw [their motion], because they were
officially part of this. Now, they allowed us to pursue them in court,” she
added.
Only a handful of governments can be sued in US courts, which include state
sponsors of terrorism. Iran, the country sued by the Fakhoury family, was
designated by the US State Department in 1979.
“Remarkably, however, Lebanon and its [General Security chief Abbas Ibrahim]
recently filed a motion to intervene in the family’s case against Iran. They are
attempting to have their role in the torture of Fakhoury formally stricken from
the family’s court papers, arguing that it is scandalous,” the family’s
statement read. “By attempting to intervene and appear in the proceedings
against Iran, the Lebanese government has become a full-fledged party and has
subjected itself to the US Court’s jurisdiction. Thus, the plaintiffs have filed
a supplemental complaint naming the Lebanese government as a defendant.”
Al Arabiya English was unable to contact Lebanon’s General Security, and the
Lebanese presidency said it was unaware of the lawsuit being brought against the
country, Ibrahim and General Security.
“We are dumbfounded that the Lebanese government would decide to intervene and
make itself a party to this proceeding with all that this entails. Amazingly, it
has now subjected itself and its intelligence agency to the American court’s
jurisdiction,” the family’s lawyer said.
Geagea: Nasrallah's Speech Full of Lies, Taking Up Arms
Not LF's Plan
Naharnet/January 05/2022
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea on Wednesday charged that the latest speech
of Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah was “full of fallacies and lies”
regarding Saudi Arabia’s role in Lebanon and the region.
Speaking to Sky News Arabia, Geagea added that “taking up arms is not at all the
LF’s plan.”“What happened in Tayyouneh showed that we have no right at all to
take up arms, seeing as the incident showed that the there is a Lebanese state
institution, the Lebanese Army, which is ready to protect the Lebanese and
separate between them,” the LF leader said. Asked whether he will run for
president, Geagea said: “I’m not a candidate in the classic sense of the word,
but I’m a natural candidate, seeing as the LF leader is currently the head of
the biggest Christian party in Lebanon, but what’s more important at the moment
is finding a real republic.”He also stressed that “repeating the scenario of the
Maarab Agreement” to “secure Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil’s
election as president” is not possible, noting that “what happened once due to
the intersection of certain circumstances will not be repeated today.”
Lebanese Journalist: Contrary To Hizbullah's Narrative
Of 'Victory Over Israel', The Truth Is That Lebanon Is In The Pits Of Crisis
Whereas Israel Is At The Pinnacle Of Success
MEMRI/January 05/2022
In a recent article titled "Victorious Lebanon and Defeated Israel," Shi'ite
Lebanese journalist Nadim Koteich, a known Hizbullah opponent, mocks the
narrative of "victory over Israel" that this organization has been marketing,
especially since the Israeli withdrawal from South Lebanon in 2000. In the
article – which was posted on the Asas Media website, owned by Lebanese former
interior minister Nohad Al-Machnouk, of the March 14 Forces – Koteich wonders
what has happened to this victory. How, he asks, did Lebanon and Hizbullah
deteriorate from this pinnacle of triumph to the pits of the present economic
crisis, whereas the Israel rose from this "defeat" and conquered pinnacles of
success in the arenas of global technology, innovation and high-tech? He
illustrates his point by describing the vast difference between Israel's
attractive booth at the Expo 2020 in Dubai and Lebanon's poor one, which,
Koteich says, reveal to the world that it is Lebanon that is defeated and still
mired in the past, whereas Israel is victorious and future-oriented.
Nadim Koteich (Source: asasmedia.com)
The following are translated excerpts from his article:[1]
"'Lebanon the victorious and Israel the defeated' – In order to reflect the
issue accurately, there is no point in considering defeat and victory in any
logical sense [of these terms], because the claim about Israel's defeat is
Hizbullah's central claim, so much so that it has become [central to] its party
and sectarian identity... Hizbullah does not let anyone question its 'victory,'
and insists on it more than ever when it comes to Israel.
"So… let's not argue with Hizbullah about whether it defeated Israel or Israel
defeated Hizbullah, along with [the rest of] us. [Instead,] let's ask it why it
has slipped, along with us, from the pinnacle of victory into the pits of
defeat, while Israel has climbed from the pits of defeat to the throne of many
victories. How is it that, 15 years after [the 2006 war between Hizbullah and
Israel], Israel has overcome its 'defeat' while we have squandered our
'victory'[?]
"In September [2021], the World Health Organization assessed that Lebanon, once
the hospital for the entire Middle East, has lost 40% of its doctors and 30% of
its nurses since 2019. Most of them left [the country] this year, according to
the Lebanese Order of Nurses. In addition, [it has been reported that] the
American University in Beirut – which, along with the [Saint Joseph] Jesuit
University, played an important part in the founding of Lebanon – intends to
open a campus in the UAE. Naturally, it is not doing so as part of expanding or
decentralizing its activity… This is simply a case of 'migration,' in the full
sense of the term.[2] The report about the 'migration' of the American
University [from Beirut] is accompanied by shameful reports about three Lebanese
universities that sold tens of thousands of academic diplomas in the Iraqi
'market'!![3] Similar or even more alarming data can be found regarding other
[Lebanese] sectors, such as [our] industry…
"To become convinced of the bitter end that awaits him, the Lebanese citizen
surely does not need [to hear] the statements made by Olivier De Schutter, the
UN's Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, who told Reuters
after a two-week investigation into Lebanon's poverty: 'I'm very struck by the
fact that this is a state that, if it is not failed yet, is failing and that the
needs of the population are still not addressed.' More importantly , the UN
rapporteur described Lebanon's officials as living 'in a fantasy land.'[4] I'm
not sure if this fantasy land includes the glorious victories Hizbullah is
always nattering about…
"All these things are among the signs of the 'victory' that has been lost and
that nobody managed to exploit and to preserve…
"Conversely, it seems that Israel, which, according to Hizbullah's glorious
narrative, suffered a bitter 'defeat' 15 years ago, managed to learn its lesson
and carve out a Via Dolorosa leading from the pits of hell to the place where it
is today. Today Israel controls 8% of the 'unicorns,' i.e., privately held
startup companies valued at over $1 billion, while its citizens comprise [only]
0.1% of the world population. This means that its status in terms of innovation
exceeds its demographic weight by a factor of almost 100.
"An examination of Israeli [financial] reports reveals that its technological
industry accounted for over 50% of its exports in 2020. This helped it deal with
the economic implications of the Covid pandemic, because the technological
sector – unlike traditional economic sectors – experienced waves of success that
strengthened the Israeli economy and all the economies involved in the fourth
industrial revolution, and provided them with strategic economic solvency that
allowed them to overcome the economic effects of the pandemic.
"Among these few examples – and we could have discovered hundreds of others in
the fields of science, printing and publishing, philosophy, development,
universities, medicine, etc. – [we can also mention] the [2020] Expo in Dubai,
which showed the entire world the difference between 'the victorious Lebanon'
and 'the defeated Israel.' The Lebanese booth, whose erection was voluntarily
funded by the Emirati hosts, presented a selection of cliches about Lebanese
tourism that seem to be taken from the archives of Lebanese television, and some
random examples of Lebanese products, which included apparel, hand-made crafts,
a few wines, and a few scattered works of graphic art, which were an insult to
the rich record of modern and contemporary Lebanese art and its considerable
contribution to the regional and global plastic art scene.
"The Israeli booth, on the other hand, is a continuation of the Israeli
narrative launched 20 years ago…. which markets Israel as a startup nation. It
exhibits state-of-the-art inventions in the fields of irrigation, water
[management], renewable energy, financial technology, pharmaceuticals, cyber
security, artificial intelligence, tourism and sustainable social economy. Not
to mention the accompanying conferences, debates and presentations hosted by the
Israeli booth.
"These two examples suffice to define the victory and the defeat. The
'victorious' Lebanon, with nothing to show except its Roman past, and the
'defeated' Israel, which strengthens its pioneering role in shaping the future,
not only of its own state but [of the world], since it is a global partner in
the making of tomorrow."
[1] Asasmedia.com, November 15, 2021.
[2] In January 2021, Al-Arabiya reported that, due to financial hardships and
political persecution, the American University in Beirut was considering
relocating to Dubai (see English.alarabiya.net, January 21, 2021), but
university officials later denied this (see The961.com, January 27, 2021;
businessnews.com.lb, September 23, 2021). In September of the same year it was
reported that the university plans to open branches in Dubai and in Cyprus, but
that its main campus will remain in Lebanon (businessnews.com.lb, September 23,
2021).
[3] In late 2021 a scandal erupted after it was discovered that Lebanese
universities had sold 27,000 fake master's and doctorate degrees to Iraqis,
including officials in the Iraqi leadership. See e.g., Aljazeera.net, November
20, 2021.
[4] Reuters.com, November 12, 2021.
En réponse à ce qui se passe.
Jean-Marie Kassab/January 05/2022
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/105331/%d8%ac%d8%a7%d9%86-%d9%85%d8%a7%d8%b1%d9%8a-%d9%83%d8%b3%d8%a7%d8%a8-%d8%ac%d8%a7%d9%86-%d9%85%d8%a7%d8%b1%d9%8a-%d9%83%d8%b3%d8%a7%d8%a8-%d9%8a%d8%b7%d9%84%d9%82-%d9%85%d8%a8%d8%a7%d8%af%d8%b1%d8%a9/
Je déclare mon domicile comme étant libéré de l’occupation Iranienne. J’y
possède des armes et je suis disposé à le défendre contre toute intrusion y
inclus les représentants de cette occupation et de n’importe appartenance qu’ils
soient. Je refuse ainsi l’occupation Iranienne ainsi que l’autorité Libanaise
collaboratrice. Je suis en état de désobéissance civile. Si vous êtes de mon
avis, suivez mon exemple et déclarez-le en public. Si vous le suivez nous serons
ainsi des centaines de milliers pour (au moins) ébranler cette situation.
Vive la Résistance.
Vive le Liban
Task Force Lebanon
مايكل يونغ/ذا ناشيونال: للرئيس
اللبناني نفوذ لكن تحالفه مع حزب الله لم ينته بعد
Lebanon's president has leverage but his alliance with
Hezbollah isn't over
Michael Young/The National/January 05/2022
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/105336/105336/
Hezbollah’s critics should support Michel Aoun’s calls to talk about a national
defence strategy.
In a speech two days after Christmas, Lebanese President Michel Aoun took a
novel position on Hezbollah that contrasted sharply with his enduring
appeasement of the party. While the speech received mixed reviews, Mr Aoun did
create an opening that Hezbollah’s critics must exploit to try to find a
solution for its weapons.
In his speech, the president called for an urgent national dialogue around a
national defence strategy for Lebanon, along with other objectives. Agreement
over a defence strategy has particular resonance for Hezbollah, as this is
another term for finding a formula to integrate the party’s weapons arsenal into
the state. Mr Aoun declared: “It’s true that defence of the country requires
co-operation among the army, the people, and [Hezbollah], but the prime
responsibility belongs to the state. Only the state can establish a defence
strategy and supervise its implementation.”
In a broadside aimed at Hezbollah and the allied Amal movement, Mr Aoun
continued: “Before reaching this stage, we need to begin by putting an end to
the deliberate, systematic, and unjustified blockage leading to the dismantling
of institutions and the dissolution of the state.” Both Hezbollah and Amal are
boycotting cabinet sessions until a resolution is found for the investigation of
the Beirut port explosion. Hezbollah wants the investigating magistrate, Tarek
Bitar, removed from the case, because he is trying to interrogate former
ministers affiliated with the party’s allies.
Mr Aoun’s rivals dismissed his comments as too little, too late. They noted that
the president’s purpose in highlighting his differences with Hezbollah was to
push the party to support the presidential ambitions of his son-in-law, Gebran
Bassil. Unless it did so, Mr Aoun implied, his alliance with Hezbollah was open
to reconsideration.
There is considerable truth to that conclusion. However, disregarding the
president’s remarks and leaving things at that would be a mistake. After 2005,
when Syria’s army was forced to withdraw from Lebanon, those seeking Hezbollah’s
negotiated disarmament were frustrated because the party had allied itself with
Mr Aoun’s and Mr Bassil’s Free Patriotic Movement. This created a political
stalemate in Lebanon that prevented progress in pushing the party to surrender
its weapons.
It would be premature today to assume that the Aoun-Hezbollah alliance is over.
If anything, Mr Aoun is opportunistically holding up the possibility of a
divorce to avoid such an outcome by ensuring that Mr Bassil can succeed him.
However, for the first time the president has placed the formula for a defence
strategy on the table – based on a Hezbollah that must be subordinate to the
state, and therefore whose weapons, implicitly, must be integrated into a larger
entity that retains paramount responsibility for defending the nation. The
party, which is keen on preserving an independent military capability outside
the confines of the state, mainly to benefit Iran, is unwilling to enter into a
serious national discussion on the matter.
If Hezbollah were to commit to Mr Bassil’s presidency now, Aoun might move away
from his call for a dialogue on a defence strategy
Yet Mr Aoun has some leverage, as Hezbollah regards his endorsement of its
status as a resistance force as valuable official legitimisation. Were Mr Aoun
to withdraw this, the party would be isolated against a majority of Lebanese who
believe the main problem in their country is the presence of an armed group
acting as a proxy for a foreign power and that will always impose a debilitating
status quo to protect its interests.
If Hezbollah’s critics should do anything, it is to collectively support Mr
Aoun’s calls for a dialogue over a national defence strategy, and insist it
begin as soon as possible. Hezbollah made it clear after the president’s speech
that now was not the time to discuss this. That is precisely why Hezbollah’s
rivals should try to take advantage of the space between the president and the
party to work toward that objective.
If Hezbollah were to commit to Mr Bassil’s presidency now, it is likely that the
president would move away from his call for a dialogue on a defence strategy.
However, it is highly improbable that it will do so. Hezbollah prefers to leave
its options open and may be under pressure from Syria to back a more overtly
pro-Syrian president.
In that case, Mr Aoun may be thinking of something else. He realises that a
majority of his Christian co-religionists do not sympathise with Hezbollah’s
state within a state. Amid Lebanon’s severe economic crisis, the party has
alienated many Arab countries, leaving the Lebanese isolated and facing poverty,
with little outside help. Nor does the prospect of a war with Israel on Iran’s
behalf appeal to Christians, or anyone. Christians also are especially keen to
see Mr Bitar pursue his investigation.
If Mr Aoun can make progress over a defence strategy, he feels he might bolster
his Christian bona fides and help his party in elections in May – and perhaps
even Mr Bassil’s chances. The party will not give up its weapons, but if its
rivals, along with Mr Aoun, can limit its margin of manoeuvre somewhat, this
could be something to build upon in the future. Mr Aoun may feel this is a fight
worth embarking on, whether it succeeds or not, because his party and Mr Bassil
desperately need to revive their political appeal.
***Michael Young is a Lebanon columnist for The National
https://www.thenationalnews.com/opinion/comment/2022/01/05/lebanons-president-has-leverage-but-his-alliance-with-hezbollah-isnt-over/
The Latest English LCCC
Miscellaneous Reports And News published on
January 05-06/2022
U.S.-Led Coalition, Pro-Iran Militias
Trade Fire in Syria
Agence France Presse/January 05, 2022
The U.S.-led coalition fighting the Islamic State group said one of its bases in
northeast Syria came under fire on Wednesday from Iran-backed groups, the latest
in a string of attacks. The development came one day after coalition forces said
they had foiled a rocket attack on the same base, located in a part of Syria
under the control of Kurdish forces. "Coalition forces were targeted this
morning by eight rounds of indirect fire at Green Village" base, a statement
said Wednesday. "The attack did not cause any casualties, but several rounds
impacted inside the coalition base and caused minor damage." The coalition said
it responded by firing six rounds of artillery towards the source of the attack,
outside the eastern town of Al-Mayadeen in Deir Ezzor province. It blamed
"Iran-supported malign actors" operating from "civilian infrastructure"."Our
coalition continues to see threats against our forces in Iraq and Syria by
militia groups that are backed by Iran," coalition spokesperson Maj. Gen. John
W. Brennan, Jr. was quoted as saying. "The coalition reserves the right to
defend itself and partner forces against any threat."The attacks targeting U.S.
installations came as Tehran and its allies across the Middle East held
emotional commemorations marking the second anniversary on Monday of the
assassination of Iranian commander General Qasem Soleimani and his Iraqi
lieutenant in a U.S. drone strike at Baghdad airport. Earlier on Wednesday, the
Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said pro-Iran militia fighters
fired shells towards a US base in eastern Syria's Al-Omar oil field, causing
damage but no casualties. At least three shells landed in Al-Omar, according to
the Observatory, which relies on a network of sources inside Syria. One fell on
a helicopter landing pad, while the two others hit an open area, the Observatory
said. There were no immediate reports of casualties. When asked about the
incident, the coalition said it hadn't received reports of new attacks. The
developments in Syria have coincided with similar incidents in neighboring Iraq.
On Tuesday, US-led coalition forces shot down two armed drones targeting an air
base in western Iraq, according to a coalition official. On Monday, the
coalition shot down two armed drones targeting its compound at Baghdad airport.
More than 200 detained in Kazakhstan unrest, president removes ex-leader from
post
AFP/January 05, 2022
ALMATY: Kazakhstan’s president stripped his powerful predecessor of a role as
head of the country’s security council on Wednesday after demonstrators stormed
and torched public buildings in the republic’s worst unrest for more than a
decade. The cabinet resigned, but that failed to quell the demonstrators’ anger
after days of unrest triggered by a fuel price rise in the oil-producing Central
Asian country. Some protesters chanted slogans against Nursultan Nazarbayev, 81,
who has retained wide authority since stepping down in 2019 as the
longest-serving ruler of an ex-Soviet state.
Nazarbayev’s hand-chosen successor, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, said he had
taken over as head of the powerful Security Council, a post that had been
retained by Nazarbayev. The former president has still been widely seen as the
main political force in Nur-Sultan, the puropose-built capital which bears his
name. His family is believed to control much of the economy. In a televised
address, Tokayev did not mention Nazarbayev by name. The former president has
not been seen or heard from in public since the start of the protests.
With the Internet shut down across Kazakhstan after the unrest, it was not
possible to determine whether removing Nazarbayev from the Security Council post
would satisfy the protesters. Tokayev also removed Nazarbayev’s nephew from a
post as number two at the State Security Committee, the successor to the
Soviet-era KGB. An Instagram live stream by a Kazakh blogger showed a fire
blazing in the office of the mayor of the main city, Almaty, with apparent
gunshots audible nearby. Videos posted online also showed the nearby
prosecutor’s office burning.
Earlier on Wednesday, Reuters journalists saw thousands of protesters pressing
toward Almaty city center, some of them on a large truck. Security forces,
ranked in helmets and riot shields, fired tear gas and flash-bang grenades.
The city’s police chief said Almaty was under attack by “extremists and
radicals,” who had beaten up 500 civilians and ransacked hundreds of businesses.
States of emergency were declared in Nur-Sultan, Almaty, and westerly Mangistau
province where protests first broke out.
Meanwhile, Kuwait's budget carrier Jazeera Airways suspended flights to Almaty
in Kazakhstan due to the situation in the city on Wednesday. “We will provide an
update on our operations when we have further information,” an airline
spokesperson said in a statement.
Almaty is the airline's only destination in Kazakhstan, according to the
company's website.
Reuters journalists reported the Internet had been shut down as the unrest
spread. Netblocks, a site that monitors global Internet connectivity, said
Kazakhstan was “in the midst of a nation-scale Internet blackout.”Though the
unrest was triggered by a fuel price rise, there were signs of broader political
demands.
Footage showed police and security officials in civilian clothes breaking up a
small group of protesters in the city of Shymkent, hauling away men and pushing
them into a police car and a white van as some chanted “Nazarbayev, go away!“In
the city of Aqtobe, what appeared to be several hundred protesters gathered on a
square shouting: “Old Man, go away!.” A video posted online showed police using
water cannon and stun grenades against protesters near the mayor’s office there.
After accepting the Cabinet’s resignation, Tokayev ordered acting ministers to
reverse the fuel price rise, which doubled the cost of liquefied petroleum gas
from the start of the year. The gas is widely used to power vehicles in
Kazakhstan because official prices made it much cheaper than gasoline.
Kazakhstan’s reputation for political stability under Nazarbayev has helped it
attract hundreds of billions of dollars of foreign investment in its oil and
metals industries. The unrest saw the price of Kazakhstan’s dollar bonds plunge
by nearly 6 cents, the worst showing since the height of the market collapse of
2020 after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Political analysts said the
veneer of stability has masked anger among a younger generation denied the
liberalization seen in other former Soviet states. “I think there is an
underlying undercurrent of frustrations in Kazakhstan over the lack of
democracy,” said Tim Ash, emerging market strategist at BlueBay Asset
Management. “Young, Internet savvy Kazakhs, especially in Almaty, likely want
similar freedoms as Ukrainians, Georgians, Moldovans, Kyrgyz and Armenians, who
have also vented their frustrations over the years with authoritarian regimes.”
Kazakhstan is a close ally of Russia. The Kremlin said it expected the country
to quickly resolve its internal problems, warning other countries against
interfering. Kazakhstan has been grappling with rising price pressures.
Inflation was closing in on 9 percent year-on-year late last year — its highest
level in more than five years — forcing the central bank to raise interest rates
to 9.75 percent.
Iraqi former deputy electricity minister sentenced to
six years for corruption/Raad Al Haris, an adviser to the PM, has been given a
$10 million fine
Mina Aldroubi/January 05, 2022
A former deputy minister of electricity in Iraq was sentenced to six years in
jail on Wednesday for corruption and mismanagement. Raad Al Haris will also be
fined $10 million after the Rusafa Criminal Court in Baghdad delivered the
verdict, based on the findings of an investigation.
Al Haris received “financial bribes” and his conviction involved “the assignment
of the electricity ministry’s project to affiliated sub-companies,” said a
statement by the court. Transparency International's corruption perception index
has placed Iraq 160th out of 180 countries. The public views the electricity
ministry as one of the most corrupt state institutions. In November 2020, Al
Haris was arrested by Iraq's security forces based on a complaint from the
committee set up to investigate major cases of corruption in the country. The
arrest warrant was issued despite the fact that Al Haris was an adviser to Prime
Minister Mustafa Al Kadhimi. Iraq's main power grid is plagued throughout the
year by daily hours-long cuts, but the shortages worsen during the summer months
when temperatures regularly reach 50 degrees and households rely on air
conditioning. Nearly $60 billion has been spent on the country's electricity
sector since the US-led invasion in 2003, Mr Al Kadhimi said last year. But the
majority of the funds have been lost to corruption and mismanagement. Nearly
$450bn in public funds has vanished into the pockets of politicians and business
representatives since 2003, the government estimates.
Katyusha Rocket Hits Military Base at Baghdad Airport
Associated Press/January 05, 2022
A Katyusha rocket struck an Iraqi military base hosting U.S. troops at Baghdad's
international airport on Wednesday, an Iraqi military statement said. No damage
or casualties were reported from the attack, the third in as many days since
Monday's anniversary of a U.S. airstrike that killed top Iranian general Qassim
Soleimani in Baghdad two years ago. The Iraqi military statement said a rocket
launcher with one rocket was located in a residential district in western
Baghdad. The area has been used in the past by Iran-backed militias to fire
rockets at the airport. On Monday, two armed drones were shot down as they
headed toward a facility housing U.S. advisors at Baghdad airport. Two
explosives-laden drones targeting an Iraqi military base housing U.S. troops in
western Anbar province were destroyed on Tuesday. The 2020 U.S. drone strike at
Baghdad's airport killed Gen. Qassim Soleimani, who was the head of Iran's elite
Quds Force, and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, deputy commander of Iran-backed militias
in Iraq known as the Popular Mobilization Forces. Pro-Iran Shiite factions in
Iraq have vowed revenge for the killing and have conditioned the end of attacks
against the U.S. presence in Iraq on the full exit of American troops from the
country. The U.S.-led coalition formally ended its combat mission supporting
Iraqi forces in the ongoing fight against the Islamic State group last month.
Some 2,500 troops will remain as the coalition shifts to an advisory mission to
continue supporting Iraqi forces. The top U.S. commander for the Middle East
Marine Gen. Frank McKenzie warned in an interview with the Associated Press last
month that he expects increasing attacks on U.S. and Iraqi personnel by
Iranian-backed militias determined to get American forces out.
Jordan’s king publicly hosts Israeli official for 1st
time in 4 years
Daoud Kuttab/Arab News/January 05, 2022
AMMAN: Jordan’s King Abdullah has publicly hosted a senior Israeli official for
the first time in more than four years.
Pictures released by the official Jordanian news agency Petra showed the
monarch, Minister of Foreign Affairs Ayman Safadi, and the director of his
office Jafar Hassan, with Israel’s Defense Minister Benny Gantz. The meeting
took place less than 24 hours after Israel defused a tense situation in the
occupied Palestinian territories leading to the end of a 141-day hunger strike
by Hisham Abu Hawash who was protesting his administrative detention by the
Israelis. Petra said that during talks, the king reiterated the need to maintain
calm in the Palestinian territories, and to take the necessary measures toward
achieving a just and comprehensive peace, based on the two-state solution.
Tagreed Odeh, a Jordanian analyst focused on the Palestinian issue, told Arab
News that the visit would help “improve diplomatic relations” with Israel after
years of Amman being sidelined during the administrations of former US President
Donald Trump and ex-Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The key for
Jordan, Odeh said, was to find a way to “bring back all parties to the
negotiating table for a peace based on the two-state solution which is what the
king has repeatedly called for.”Gantz pointed out the importance of relations
with Jordan. “I thank His Majesty for keeping the stability in the region and
the improvement of the relations between Israel and Jordan since the new
government was formed in Israel,” he said. Hazem Kawasmi, a Jerusalem-based
Palestinian civil society activist, told Arab News: “The people of Gaza under
siege are not going to accept any more ceasefires without the lifting of the
siege. “Palestinians in the West Bank are suffering from the increasing settler
attacks, and everyone can see that there is no political horizon left for the
two-state solution.”Ofer Zalzberg, director of the Middle East program at the
Herbert C. Kelman Institute, told Arab News: “(Gantz) is trying to frame himself
through international engagement with Washington, Amman, and Ramallah as a new
Yitzhak Rabin (former Israeli PM) — a war hero who ensures Israeli interests are
served through foreign policy successes.”On the policy issue, he said the
meeting was “part of elevating a stabilization policy in the face of a weakened
Palestinian Authority.”
Israel Issues First Sentence in Mob Attack on Arab
Driver
Associated Press/January 05, 2022
An Israeli court on Wednesday sentenced a man to one year in prison for his
involvement in a mob attack on an Arab motorist during a spasm of communal
violence last year. Lahav Nagauker, who was 20 at the time, was convicted of
incitement to violence and racism as part of a plea deal that resulted in
lighter charges. His sentencing was the first in the incident that took place
last May, when a mob yanked Said Moussa from his car and proceeded to beat him
in an assault that left him motionless and bloodied on the ground. Moussa was
seriously injured in the attack. The court said Nagauker was not involved in the
actual attack, but threw a bottle at Moussa's car, damaging the rear windshield.
The beating, which took place in the Tel Aviv suburb of Bat Yam, occurred while
Israel was at war with Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip. The 11-day war ignited
an unprecedented wave of internecine Jewish-Arab violence in cities around the
country. The unprovoked beating of the motorist was caught on live television,
shocking the public. Nagauker was interviewed live moments after the beating,
telling a reporter "we came tonight to fight with Arabs ... if we must we will
kill them, and if we must we will murder them."
According to the plea deal, Nagauker confessed to the charges against him. His
one-year prison term is retroactive to the day he was arrested in May. He was
also ordered to pay 2,000 shekels ($645) to a restaurant damaged in the unrest.
Nagauker is among at least 10 people who were charged in the incident. In all,
hundreds of people, mostly Arabs, were arrested for the nationwide violence,
which saw mobs of Jews or Arabs vandalize property and violently clash, in some
cases resulting in deaths. Also Wednesday, an Israeli military court sentenced a
Palestinian-American man to two life sentences for carrying out a deadly attack
on Israelis in the occupied West Bank. Israel says Muntasser Shalaby, 44,
carried out a drive-by shooting last May that killed Israeli student Yehuda
Guetta and wounded two others. He was arrested days after the attack and Israeli
forces demolished his house weeks later. Israel says its controversial policy of
punitive demolitions are meant to deter future attacks. But critics view them as
a form of collective punishment. The demolition of Shalaby's home was especially
controversial because he was estranged from his family and stayed there only for
short periods when visiting from the United States. The court also required
Shalaby to pay 2.5 million shekels ($800,000) in damages.
US-coalition against ISIS faces dual attacks in Syria
and Iraq by Iran-backed groups
Tuqa Khalid, Al Arabiya English/05 January ,2022
The US-led coalition fighting the terrorist group ISIS faced dual attacks, with
one base in Syria and the other in Iraq coming under fire by Iran-backed groups,
the coalition said on Wednesday. “Coalition forces
were targeted this morning by eight rounds of indirect fire at Green Village, a
Syrian Democratic Forces base with a small Coalition advisory presence, in
northeast Syria,” the coalition said in a statement, it added that there were no
casualties but there was minor damage inside the base.
The Coalition responded by firing six rounds of artillery towards the point of
origin of the attack just outside al-Mayadeen town in Syria’s Deir Ezzor
province. The second attack was in Iraq, where five rockets landed near Ain al-Asad
airbase, which hosts US and other international forces in western Iraq. The
attack caused no casualties or damage. Coalition spokesperson Maj. Gen. John W.
Brennan, Jr. said: “Our coalition continues to see threats against our forces in
Iraq and Syria by militia groups that are backed by Iran. These attacks are a
dangerous distraction from our coalition's shared mission to advise, assist, and
enable partner forces to maintain the enduring defeat of [ISIS].”This is the
latest in a series of recent attacks on US bases or locations where there is
American presence in both Syria and Iraq. On Tuesday, two armed drones
approached Ain al-Asad airbase and coalition forces shot them down. On Monday,
the coalition also shot down two armed drones targeting its compound at Baghdad
airport. The developments coincide with the two-year anniversary of the death of
Iran’s General Qassem Soleimani, the former commander of the Quds Force, the
overseas arm of the IRGC, who was killed in a US drone strike in Iraq on January
3, 2020, along with Iraqi militia commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis.
U.S. hopes to build on Iran nuclear talk progress this week
Reuters/January 05/2022
Nuclear deal talks with Iran in Vienna have shown modest progress and the United
States hopes to build on that this week, State Department spokesman Ned Price
said on Tuesday amid efforts to revive a 2015 agreement. The Joint Comprehensive
Plan of Action (JCPOA) lifted sanctions against Tehran in exchange for
restrictions on its atomic activities but Donald Trump pulled Washington out of
the deal in 2018, a year after he took office. Iran later breached many of the
deal's nuclear restrictions and kept pushing well beyond them. Tehran says it
has never pursued the development of nuclear weapons. In the latest round of
indirect talks between Iran and the United States in Vienna, Tehran is focused
on getting U.S. sanctions lifted again. "There was some modest progress in the
talks last week. We hope to build on that this week," Price told reporters.
“Sanctions relief and the steps that the United States would take… when it comes
to sanctions together with the nuclear steps that Iran would need to take if we
were to achieve a mutual return to compliance with the JCPOA – that’s really at
the heart of the negotiations that are ongoing in Vienna right now."
Khartoum, Washington discuss need to complete democratic transition in Sudan
Arab News/January 05, 2022
DUBAI: Sudan’s leaders have said they hope the US will continue in its efforts
to assist the country in moving forward with the democratic transition process,
Al-Arabiya TV reported. Sudanese Vice-President of the Transitional Sovereign
Council, Lieutenant-General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti) discussed in a phone
call with the US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Molly Fay the
need to complete the arrangements for the democratic transition in the country.
Hemedti said the way out of the political crisis in the country required a
comprehensive dialogue that lead to a national consensus.
From her side, Fay affirmed her country’s keenness to coordinate with Sudan’s
government in order to make the transitional phase a success and achieve a
democratic transformation. She said her country and the international community
were ready to provide everything that would help the Sudanese people to achieve
stability and democratic transition. The United States and European Union warned
Sudan’s military on Tuesday against naming its own prime minister after civilian
leader Abdalla Hamdok quit amid protests against the junta. Meanwhile, Abdel
Fattah Al-Burhan, chairman of the sovereign council, held talks with Volker
Perthes, UN envoy to Sudan and head of the UN Integrated Transition Support
Mission in Sudan, to discuss the current political situation in the country
after Hamdok’s resignation, state news agency SUNA reported. Al-Burhan briefed
Perthes on developments in the transition process and the two sides stressed the
need to complete the structures of the transitional period and expedite the
appointment of a new prime minister to succeed Hamdok.
Algeria Envoy to France to Resume Duties
Agence France Presse/January 05/2022
Algeria's ambassador to Paris is to resume his post after he was recalled in
October following comments by French President Emmanuel Macron that Algiers
deemed offensive, the presidency said Wednesday. Algerian President Abdelmadjid
Tebboune on Wednesday met with the envoy, Mohamed Antar-Daoud, announcing that
he "will resume his duties in Paris from Thursday," the presidency said in a
statement. It follows calls last month by France's top diplomat Jean-Yves Le
Drian for an easing of tensions with Algeria, after repeated crises between the
North African country and its former colonial power.
Canada/Statement on resignation of Sudan’s Prime
Minister Abdalla Hamdok
January 5, 2022 - Ottawa, Ontario - Global Affairs Canada
The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today issued the
following statement:
“Canada regrets the resignation of Abdalla Hamdok, Prime Minister of Sudan, and
recognizes his efforts during the early years of the country’s transition to
democracy.
“Canada calls on all parties to work toward the common goal of getting this
transition back on track. The gains made since the Sudanese revolution must not
be lost. Canada stands with the Sudanese people and supports their rights to
freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.
“The Sudanese authorities must not shirk their responsibilities to their
citizens. Canada calls for a quick resumption of the transition to democracy and
for an immediate end to all forms of violence being committed against
protesters. Canada supports the Sudanese people in their quest for freedom,
peace and justice.”
The Latest The Latest LCCC English
analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published
on January 05-06/2022
Is Iran messaging holding hard-line or setting stage for softening deal?
- analysis
Yonah Jeremy Bob/Jerusalem Post/January 05/2022
There have been contradictory messages expressed – sometimes on the same day and
certainly in the same week.
One thing Iran’s spin doctors have not been during the current nuclear
negotiations is coherent.
There have been contradictory messages expressed – sometimes on the same day and
certainly in the same week.
The confusion has increased with aggressive Iranian actions, like its satellite
launch last weekend (which could double for advancing toward longer-range,
ballistic-missile capabilities) and its proxies targeting US bases in Iraq twice
in 24 hours on Monday.
Another major message on Monday came from Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, who
demanded that the US hand over former US president Donald Trump and former US
secretary of state Mike Pompeo for their roles in ordering the assassination of
IRGC Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani in January 2020.
So is all of this part of messaging for holding a hardline position in the
nuclear talks in Vienna, or is it trying to notch achievements and proclaim last
victories before setting the stage for cutting a deal with the West that it has
said it would not cut? Since nuclear talks came back in late November, the
Islamic Republic on an almost daily basis puts out statements assuring its
people and the world that it is winning and that all of the negotiations are
focusing on lifting sanctions.
There is nothing about nuclear limits, and it is dead set against an interim
deal to slow or freeze its nuclear progress for some partial sanctions relief.
But if this was Tehran’s full game plan, why do its negotiators also constantly
give upbeat reports on positive progress with the world powers at the same time
that the US and the EU-3 (England, France and Germany) condemn the regime as
putting forth unrealistic positions? If it just wanted to play hardball, then it
could point to the West’s negative statements and walk away from the table.
Apparently, there is something more complex going on.
In fact, Iran in past negotiations has sworn it would never do an interim deal,
only to do just that.
The 2015 JCPOA was preceded by the 2013 JPA, which was some version of the
partial sanctions relief for a partial nuclear-limits formula, along with a
framework for future negotiations.
So it seems that even if Raisi has mixed feelings about returning to the JCPOA
and wants to try to maintain some of the nuclear advances he has achieved, he
also wants some things from the negotiations.
What he wants might include reducing the economic pressure, mitigating pressure
from the IAEA and attaining some diplomatic cover from the West to dissuade
Israel from either covert or overt military operations.
For example, even in a “less for less” deal with partial nuclear limits on Iran
for partial sanctions relief, it will become harder for Jerusalem to take
independent action against the Islamic Republic than it has been for the last 18
months when the regime was an open nuclear violator. An eye needs to be kept on
South Korean officials who are reportedly engaging with negotiators in Vienna
during the coming week. This could be a sign of unfreezing around $7 billion in
Iranian assets frozen by South Korea at the urging of the US.
Although there were multiple rumors of these assets being unfrozen in the past,
including as a possible sweetener to get Iran back to the negotiating table this
past April, the assets remain frozen and available as a bargaining chip of
partial sanctions relief.
Another eye should be focused on Tehran’s obsession with Trump. Reviewing
Iranian media, there are often more stories about him – as though he were still
president – than the US’s actual current president and commander in chief, Joe
Biden.
One story in Iranian media on Tuesday noted a poll showing Trump ahead of Biden
should the two face off against each other in a 2024 rematch of 2020.
Incidentally, there are polls showing each of the two men leading, so it was not
a coincidence that the regime highlighted only the poll of Trump leading.
Iran and Raisi are terrified of Trump or a Trump-like, vehemently anti-Iranian
Republican returning to the presidency.
They do not want to give up too much of their nuclear future for economic
relief, which may never fully play out (even before Trump, many Western
businesses refused to invest in Iran, due to charges of bribery and corruption)
or be cut off in a couple of years.
In fact, the most likely scenario is that the Islamic Republic itself has not
decided its endgame.
This past month’s and even the current negotiations all seem to be testing
whether the US and EU really will pull out of the talks and enter a more
confrontational phase.
It will probably only be when Raisi is convinced that the US and EU are on the
verge of confrontation that we will know whether all along he wanted a deal and
was just holding out for as many concessions as possible, or whether the eight
rounds of talks were all to play for time in order to get closer to the nuclear
threshold.
Iran's "Nuclear Blackmail": Iran Has No Interest in
Negotiating a New Nuclear Deal
Con Coughlin/Gatestone Institute/January 05/2022
"If the Iranians think the world does not seriously intend to stop them, they
will race towards the bomb. We must make it clear that the world will not allow
this to happen. There needs to be a credible military threat on the table." —
Yair Lapid, Israeli Foreign Minister, interview with the author, December, 2021.
Mr Lapid's calls have been echoed by US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan
who, following talks with Mr Bennett in Jerusalem, called for world powers to
adopt a "common strategy" for dealing with Iran.
Mr Lapid's concerns about Iran's approach to the Vienna talks are supported by
Western security officials closely monitoring the negotiations, who state that,
far from taking a constructive approach to the negotiations, the Iranians are
simply playing for time.
In the meantime Iran has sought to string out the negotiations in Vienna by
concentrating on relatively minor issues, such as whether UN inspectors can have
surveillance cameras operating at key sites. Iran's obstructive conduct,
moreover, is being backed by Russia and China, which were also signatories to
the 2015 deal but now want to embarrass the Biden administration by ensuring the
current round of talks end in failure.
The hardline approach being adopted by Tehran certainly makes the prospect of
military action to destroy Iran's nuclear facilities more likely in 2022, with
US military officials confidently asserting that, if military option is
required, it would be possible to target Iran's entire nuclear programme.
The big question that remains, though, is whether, if the talks do fail, Mr
Biden will have the resolve to initiate military action, or will instead seek to
hit Iran with more -- ineffective -- sanctions.
In the meantime, Tehran continues to work on its controversial uranium
enrichment activities so that, unless urgent action is taken soon, the world
could soon find itself having to confront a nuclear-armed Iran.
Western intelligence agencies are warning that Iran could be just weeks away
from producing the weapons grade uranium required to build nuclear warheads.
Tehran continues to work on its uranium enrichment activities so that, unless
urgent action is taken soon, the world could soon find itself having to confront
a nuclear-armed Iran. Pictured: The Isfahan uranium enrichment facility in
Isfahan, Iran.
Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid's observation that Iran is engaging in
"nuclear blackmail" with Western negotiators provides a damning indictment of
the current state of play regarding the negotiations being held in Vienna on
Tehran's nuclear activities.
With Western intelligence agencies warning that Iran could be just weeks away
from producing the weapons grade uranium required to build nuclear warheads,
there is mounting concern over progress being made at the Vienna talks, which
are trying to revive the flawed 2015 deal agreed by the Obama administration.
Instead of taking the negotiations seriously, however, Western negotiators --
including US Secretary of State Antony Blinken -- have expressed frustration
that Iran is using the talks as a delaying tactic while it continues work on its
uranium enrichment activities, which have now moved well beyond the level
originally agreed upon in the 2015 deal.
This contingency has prompted Mr Lapid to call on the West to develop a
"credible" military threat to deal with Tehran if the talks end without a
satisfactory resolution.
Speaking exclusively in an interview this author conducted with the Israeli
Foreign Minister for The Daily Telegraph in late December, Mr Lapid declared
that such measures were necessary if Tehran was to be prevented from acquiring a
nuclear weapons arsenal.
"If the Iranians think the world does not seriously intend to stop them, they
will race towards the bomb," said Mr Lapid. "We must make it clear that the
world will not allow this to happen. There needs to be a credible military
threat on the table."
Mr Lapid, a former journalist who was also appointed Israel's alternate prime
minister when he was appointed foreign minister by Israeli Prime Minister
Naftali Bennett earlier this year, said it was vital the West developed "a plan
for Iran's continued intransigence and advancing of its nuclear program."
Mr Lapid's calls have been echoed by US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan
who, following talks with Mr Bennett in Jerusalem, called for world powers to
adopt a "common strategy" for dealing with Iran.
Mr Lapid's concerns about Iran's approach to the Vienna talks are supported by
Western security officials closely monitoring the negotiations, who state that,
far from taking a constructive approach to the negotiations, the Iranians are
simply playing for time.
Instead of focusing on key issues, such as Iran's enrichment activities, Iran's
main demand has been for the lifting of the punitive economic sanctions
implemented as part of the former Trump administration's policy of applying
"maximum pressure" on the regime. Not even the supine Biden administration,
which is desperate to agree a new nuclear deal, is prepared to capitulate on
this issue, with US President Joe Biden insisting that Iran must first adhere to
its commitments under the 2015 deal.
In the meantime Iran has sought to string out the negotiations in Vienna by
concentrating on relatively minor issues, such as whether UN inspectors can have
surveillance cameras operating at key sites. Iran's obstructive conduct,
moreover, is being backed by Russia and China, which were also signatories to
the 2015 deal but now want to embarrass the Biden administration by ensuring the
current round of talks end in failure.
With the talks resuming in Vienna earlier this week, there is mounting pessimism
among Western negotiators that they are unlikely to deliver any tangible
breakthrough, not least because the hardline regime of Iran's recently-elected
president, Ebrahim Raisi, is disinclined to engage in meaningful diplomatic
negotiations with the West.
The hardline approach being adopted by Tehran certainly makes the prospect of
military action to destroy Iran's nuclear facilities more likely in 2022, with
US military officials confidently asserting that, if military option is
required, it would be possible to target Iran's entire nuclear programme.
The big question that remains, though, is whether, if the talks do fail, Mr
Biden will have the resolve to initiate military action, or will instead seek to
hit Iran with more -- presumptively ineffective -- sanctions.
The Biden administration's appetite for confronting Iran could certainly prove
to be pivotal to the outcome of the nuclear issue, especially in terms of
Washington's military support for Israel.
Even though the Israel Air Force has the ability to conduct long-range bombing
operations that rely on its current fleet of Re'em air refuelling tankers,
Jerusalem is keen to develop its long-range bombing capacilities, and to this
end placed a $2.4 billion order in March last year with the US for eight new
Boeing KC-46 refuelling aircraft.
Israel subsequently made a request to the Biden administration to speed up the
delivery of the aircraft, which could prove vital to any future military action
against Iran. But the request has been denied by Washington, with the result
that the first plane will not be delivered until 2024 at the earliest.
In the meantime, Tehran continues to work on its controversial uranium
enrichment activities so that, unless urgent action is taken soon, the world
could soon find itself having to confront a nuclear-armed Iran.
*Con Coughlin is the Telegraph's Defence and Foreign Affairs Editor and a
Shillman Journalism Fellow at Gatestone Institute.
© 2022 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do
not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No
part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied
or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.
Biden’s foreign policy challenges mounting up
Maria Maalouf/Arab News/January 05, 2022
As US President Joe Biden approaches the end of his first year in the White
House, foreign policy challenges are mounting up. How will he act regarding the
situation in Ukraine? Then there is the debate over the possible signing of a
new nuclear deal with Iran. These foreign policy stakes should not hide the fact
that, despite Biden’s focus on China and Russia, his track record still sticks
to US norms. He is very cautious when dealing with old and new foes alike. He is
trying to restore the world’s confidence in America. He is not yet relying on
military force to achieve his foreign policy goals. He is still adopting a
wait-and-see approach to assess how other nations will shape their foreign
policies in a post-COVID-19 world.
On the Middle East, it is obvious that Biden has given a big role to National
Security Adviser Jake Sullivan. Sullivan is seen as the point man for the
administration in reference to Iran. He provides the institutional memory for
the ongoing negotiations in Vienna. This suggests that any possible new nuclear
deal between the US and Iran will be in the mold of the 2015 agreement, but with
more stringent conditions on Tehran’s ability to enrich uranium. It is arguable
that Biden has so far refused to accept Iran’s demands to remove all the US
sanctions on Tehran. This will likely continue under the mandate of a new
nuclear agreement.
Meanwhile, the United States Institute of Peace last year published a study on
the relations between the Biden administration and both the Israelis and the
Palestinians. It said: “The Biden administration has not prioritized the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict on its foreign policy agenda.” However, there is no
doubt that the conflict in Gaza in May 2021 changed that attitude. Right after a
ceasefire was declared, there was talk of plans for the reconstruction of Gaza.
And, while Biden is a supporter of the Abraham Accords, he has killed off the
so-called deal of the century. Biden has also taken a different approach toward
Jerusalem and the US now intends to reopen its consulate in East Jerusalem. This
could be an important friendly gesture to the Palestinians. It would be a
recognition of the rights of Muslims and Christians in the Holy City.
Further, it seems that the Biden administration was the catalyst for the delay
in the convening of the Libyan elections. Its rationale rested on the need to
avoid a stalemate following the results, which could have preempted a political
deadlock.
Improving relations with the Palestinians would also reflect positively in the
attitudes of the Arabs and Muslims inside America
All these foreign policy gambits will lead to important questions. First, what
kind of pressure will the Biden administration exert on Israel in case it
opposes any political deal over Iran’s nuclear program? Second, what tools will
it use to stop a future war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas?
On Egypt, the Biden administration seems to be almost silent. It has to endorse
Cairo’s mediation between the Israelis and the Palestinians. It has to engage
more with the Egyptian leadership and must be more encouraging regarding a
settlement of the dispute involving Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan over the
construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. The longer it waits on this
issue, the more unresolvable the conflict will be.
Quoting the Institute of Peace again, it said that the Biden administration
finds that both the Israelis and the Palestinians are deserving of “equal
measures of security, freedom, opportunity and dignity.” In terms of US domestic
politics, this means that improving relations with the Palestinians would also
reflect positively in the attitudes of the Arabs and Muslims inside America, a
majority of whom voted for Biden in the 2020 election. He has to invest in this
political stock. Otherwise, he will lose a crucial support base not only for
himself, but for the Democratic Party generally.
This also means it is critical for Biden to explain to the American public why
he wants to renew the US’ rivalry with Russia. Moscow has, over the last two
decades, enjoyed much success in the Middle East. If Biden is more hostile,
Russia could be more of a handicap to a positive American role in Syria. It is
time for Biden to consult more with the Kremlin over Syria. This can be done
professionally and without any personal closeness with President Vladimir Putin.
My crystal ball sees that the Biden administration will encourage more summits
similar to the one between Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz and Palestinian
Authority President Mahmoud Abbas that took place last week. It has to back up
such diplomatic steps with a greater effort to collaborate with Russia and end
the region’s conflicts.
*Maria Maalouf is a Lebanese journalist, broadcaster, publisher, and writer.
Twitter: @bilarakib
The Iraqi political satirist who weaponized laughter
Dalia Al-Aqidi/Arab News/January 05, 2022
Before 2003, Iraqi citizens were unable to choose the sources from which they
received news, or the radio programs and television channels they listened to or
watched. Instead, under Saddam Hussein, they were limited to what the regime
chose for them, since the government was the sole owner of all media outlets. As
is the case under any totalitarian regime, they were told what to read, watch
and think. Saddam’s suppression of basic freedoms reached the point of punishing
anyone who owned a satellite TV dish and dared to wonder how the free world
thought, exchanged information or even enjoyed entertainment programs. Following
the toppling of his regime, however, dozens of private media outlets were
founded and Iraqis could finally watch anything they desired without facing
harsh consequences. This opened the door for a new generation to explore
journalism as a career.
Since then, many talk shows have discussed the political, security and economic
situation in the country, based on the viewpoint of the station’s owner and the
political party to which he belongs. However, criticizing certain political
parties or exposing the extent of corruption in the country became so risky that
journalists faced a difficult decision when it came to protecting not only their
jobs, but also their lives.
Most of these shows failed to attract Iraqi teenagers and university students
due to their failure to address common concerns and interests. Then, in 2014, a
young Iraqi journalist, Ahmad Al-Basheer, came up with the idea of using dark
comedy as a method of criticism, while speaking the language and sharing the
interests of a younger generation. As Al-Basheer’s show moved from one
television outlet to another amid numerous death threats, it gained a large
viewership. This included millions of young Iraqis, both inside and outside the
country, who were yearning for someone who could voice their concerns, instead
of being used by political parties for electoral gain.
Al-Basheer became the voice of the protesters confronting the brutality of the
security forces and pro-Iran militias
Gradually, the show gained momentum, until it reached its peak audience in
October 2019, when thousands of young Iraqis took to the streets of Baghdad and
several southern provinces to express their anger at the high unemployment rate,
lack of decent public services, widespread corruption and, most importantly,
foreign interference in the country’s internal affairs.
Al-Basheer was known for crossing all the red lines — breaking political,
cultural and religious taboos — and became the voice of the protesters
confronting the brutality of the security forces and pro-Iran militias. More
than 600 young activists were killed, while hundreds were kidnapped and
tortured, and more than 30,000 innocent Iraqis injured. Al-Basheer’s job became
more important for the voiceless and helpless, who wanted only a bright future
for themselves and their children and a “homeland.”
The comedian has become the protesters’ virtual guide and inspiration, raising
their morale and informing them about the latest crackdowns.
Meanwhile, the authorities and pro-Iran media outlets have intensified their
attacks, accusing Al-Basheer and young demonstrators of being paid by the US,
describing them as “sons of the US embassy.”
Fortunately, Al-Basheer is not broadcasting or living in Iraq, which makes it
impossible for the militias and corrupt politicians to silence him. However,
many other journalists in Iraq have been kidnapped or killed for doing their
job.
According to the Press Freedom Advocacy Association in Iraq, 233 violations
against journalists were recorded in 2021, despite promises by Prime Minister
Mustafa Al-Kadhimi to protect the media and the right to free speech. These
included assassination attempts, kidnappings, death threats, lawsuits, arrests,
detention and physical intimidation. Iraqi journalists have long asked why the
international community and media advocates ignore their sacrifices and
struggles, while celebrating Western journalists for doing their job.
Regardless of our views on Al-Basheer’s political satire, he is a hero who
should be encouraged, celebrated and supported. He has chosen to fight
oppression, tyranny and terrorism through jokes and laughter tinged with
bitterness and sadness. Iraq needs more like Ahmad Al-Basheer and fewer corrupt,
sectarian and criminal political players.
*Dalia Al-Aqidi is a senior fellow at the Center for Security Policy. Twitter: @DaliaAlAqidi
How Iran’s Ahwazi Arabs, betrayed, fell victim to oppression that continues to
this day
Joanathan Gornall/Arab News/January 05, 2022
LONDON: In November 1914, Sheikh Khazaal, the last ruler of the autonomous Arab
state of Arabistan, could have been forgiven for thinking the troubles of his
people were over. Oil had been discovered on his lands, promising to transform
the fortunes of the Ahwazi people, and Britain stood ready to guarantee their
right to autonomy. In reality, the troubles of the Ahwazi were just beginning.
Within a decade, Sheikh Khazaal was under arrest in Tehran, the name Arabistan
had been wiped from the map, and the Ahwazi Arabs of Iran had fallen victim to a
brutal oppression that continues to this day.
For centuries, Arab tribes had ruled a large tract of land in today’s western
Iran. Al-Ahwaz, as their descendants know it today, extended north over 600 km
along the east bank of the Shatt Al-Arab, and down the entire eastern littoral
of the Gulf, as far south as the Strait of Hormuz.
However, the independent status of Arabistan was struck a blow in 1848 by the
geopolitical maneuverings of its powerful neighbors. With the Treaty of Erzurum,
the Ottoman empire agreed to recognize “the full sovereign rights of the Persian
government” to Arabistan. The Arab tribes whose lands were so casually signed
away were not consulted. Within 10 years, however, Sheikh Khazaal’s predecessor,
Sheikh Jabir, had found a powerful friend — the British Empire.
Trade in the Gulf was vital for Britain’s interests in India and Sheikh Jabir
was seen as a valuable ally, especially after his support for the British during
the short Anglo-Persian war of 1856-1857 in which Britain repelled Tehran’s
attempts to seize Herat in neighboring Afghanistan.
Keen to maintain Afghanistan as a buffer, the British had backed the emir of
Herat’s independence. Now, it seemed, Queen Victoria’s government meant to do
the same for the sheikh of Arabistan. Read our full interactive Deep Dive on the
Ahwazi Arabs and their traumatic history in Iran here
The British opened a vice-consulate at Mohammerah in 1888. By 1897, by which
time Sheikh Khazaal had become the ruler of what the British referred to as the
Sheikhdom of Mohammerah, imperial Britain was heavily invested in Arabistan.
As a British Foreign Office summary of dealings with Sheikh Khazaal put it, “an
essential part of British policy in the Gulf was the establishment of good
relations and the conclusion of treaties with the various Arab rulers, and the
sheikhs of Mohammerah, controlling territory at the head of the Gulf, thus came
very prominently into the general scheme.” With the might of the British at his
back, Sheikh Khazaal appeared to be steering Arabistan toward a bright,
independent future. But, in 1903, the Shah of Iran, Muzaffar Al-Din, formally
recognized the lands as his in perpetuity. Then, in 1908, vast reserves of oil
were found on the sheikh’s land at Masjid-i-Sulaiman.
By 1897, by which time Sheikh Khazaal (pictured) had become the ruler of what
the British referred to as the Sheikhdom of Mohammerah, imperial Britain was
heavily invested in Arabistan. (Supplied)
In 1910, after a minor clash between Arabistan and Ottoman forces on the Shatt
Al-Arab, Britain sent a warship to Mohammerah, “to counteract a certain amount
of loss of prestige suffered by the sheikh and also to make a demonstration in
face of the growth of Turkish ambitions in the Arabian Gulf area.”On board was
Sir Percy Cox, the British political resident in the Gulf. In a ceremony at the
Palace of Fallahiyah on Oct. 15, 1910, he presented the sheikh with reassurances
of Britain’s steadfast support, and the insignia and title of a Knight Commander
of the Order of the Indian Empire.
In 1914, in a letter from Sir Percy, the sheikh had in his hand what amounted to
a pledge by the greatest imperial power of the time to preserve his autonomy and
protect Arabistan from the Persian government.
In the letter, dated Nov. 22, 1914, the British envoy wrote that he was now
authorized “to assure your excellency personally that whatever change may take
place in the form of the government of Persia, His Majesty’s government will be
prepared to afford you the support necessary for obtaining a satisfactory
solution, both to yourself and to us, in the event of any encroachment by the
Persian government on your jurisdiction and recognized rights, or on your
property in Persia.”
Read our full interactive Deep Dive
on the Ahwazi Arabs and their traumatic history in Iran here
https://www.arabnews.com/ahwaz
In fact, all of Britain’s assurances would prove worthless and, just 10
years later, Arabistan’s hopes of independence would be shattered.
The problem was oil. The Arabs had it, the Persians wanted it. And when it came
to the crunch, the British, despite all their promises of support, chose to back
the Persians. Britain’s change of heart was triggered by the Russian revolution
of 1917, after which it became clear that the Bolsheviks had designs on Persia.
In 1921, fearing that the failing Persian Qajar dynasty might side with Moscow,
Britain conspired with Reza Khan, the leader of Persia’s Cossack Brigade, to
stage a coup.
Reza Khan, as a British report of 1946 would later concede, “was ultimately
personally responsible for the sheikh’s complete downfall.”
In 1922, Reza Khan threatened to invade Arabistan, which he now regarded as the
Persian province of Khuzestan. His motive, as US historian Chelsi Mueller
concluded in her 2020 book “The Origins of the Arab-Iranian Conflict,” was
clear.
In a ceremony at the Palace of Fallahiyah on Oct. 15, 1910, he presented the
sheikh with reassurances of Britain’s steadfast support, and the insignia and
title of a Knight Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire. (Supplied)
“He eyed Arabistan not only because it was the only remaining province that had
not yet been penetrated by the authority of central government but also because
he had come to appreciate the potential of Arabistan’s oil industry to provide
much-needed revenues,” Mueller wrote.
Sheikh Khazaal asked for Britain’s protection, invoking the many assurances he
had been given. Instead, he was brushed off, and reminded of his “obligations to
the Persian government.”
Time was running out for the Arabs. In a despatch sent to London on Sept. 4,
1922, Sir Percy Loraine, British envoy to Iran, wrote “it would be preferable to
deal with a strong central authority rather than with a number of local rulers”
in Persia. This, he added, “would involve a loosening of our relations with such
local rulers.”In August 1924, the Persian government informed Sheikh Khazaal
that the pledge of autonomy he had won from Muzaffar Al-Din in 1903 was no
longer valid. The sheikh appealed to the British for help, but was again
rebuffed.
Reza Khan demanded the sheikh’s unconditional surrender. It was, the British
concluded, “clear that the old regime had come to an end and that Reza Khan,
having established a stranglehold over Khuzestan, would be unlikely ever
voluntarily to relinquish it.”
The British government was “now in an embarrassing position” because of “the
services which the sheikh had rendered them in the past.” Nevertheless, for fear
of Russian incursion in Persia, Britain had now decided firmly to support the
central government in Tehran.
The Ahwazi were on their own.
On April 18, 1925, Sheikh Khazaal and his son, Abdul Hamid, were arrested and
taken to Tehran, where the last ruler of Arabistan would spend the remaining 11
years of his life under house arrest. The name “Arabistan” was expunged from
history and the territories of the Ahwaz finally absorbed into Persian
provinces. Khazaal’s last days were spent in futile negotiations with Tehran,
marked, the British noted, by a series of “gross breaches of faith on the part
of the central government, which had obviously no intention of carrying out the
promises given to the sheikh.”
The Persians, concluded the British, “were obviously merely waiting for the
sheikh to die.” That wait ended during the night of May 24, 1936.
In the almost 100 years since the Ahwazi people lost their autonomy, they have
experienced persecution and cultural oppression in almost every walk of life.
Dams divert water from the Karun and other rivers for the benefit of Persian
provinces of Iran, Arabic is banned in schools, while the names of towns and
villages have long been Persianized. On world maps, the historic Arab port of
Mohammerah became Khorramshahr.
Protests are met with violent repression. Countless citizens working to keep the
flame of Arab culture alive have been arrested, disappeared, tortured, executed
or gunned down at checkpoints.
Many Ahwazi who sought sanctuary overseas are working to bring the plight of the
Ahwazi to the attention of the world. Even in exile, however, they are not safe.
Ahmad Mola Nissi, one of the founders of the Arab Struggle Movement for the
Liberation of Ahwaz, fled Iran with his wife and children and sought asylum in
the Netherlands in 2005. (Supplied)
In 2005, Ahmad Mola Nissi, one of the founders of the Arab Struggle Movement for
the Liberation of Ahwaz, fled Iran with his wife and children and sought asylum
in the Netherlands. On Nov. 8, 2017, he was shot dead outside his home in the
Hague by an unknown assassin.
In June 2005, Karim Abdian, director of a Virginia-based NGO, the Ahwaz
Education and Human Rights Foundation, appealed to the UN Sub-Commission on the
Promotion and Protection of Human Rights.
The Ahwazi, he said, had been subjected to “political, cultural, social and
economic subjugation, and are treated as second and third-class citizens,” both
by the Iranian monarchy in the past and by the current clerical regime.
Nevertheless, they still had “faith in the international community’s ability to
present a just and a viable solution to resolve this conflict peacefully.”
Sixteen years later, Abdian despairs of seeing any improvement in the position
of his people. “I don’t see any way out currently,” he told Arab News, though he
dreams of self-determination for the Ahwazi in a federalist Iran.
In the meantime, “as an Ahwazi Arab, you cannot even give your child an Arabic
name. So, this nation, which owns the land that currently produces 80 percent of
the oil, 65 percent of the gas and 35 percent of the water of Iran, lives in
abject poverty.”