English LCCC Newsbulletin For
Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For March 28/2022
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
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Bible Quotations For today
Be sure of this, that no fornicator or impure person, or
one who is greedy (that is, an idolater), has any inheritance in the kingdom of
Christ and of God.
Letter to the Ephesians 05/03-13: “But fornication and
impurity of any kind, or greed, must not even be mentioned among you, as is
proper among saints. Entirely out of place is obscene, silly, and vulgar talk;
but instead, let there be thanksgiving. Be sure of this, that no fornicator or
impure person, or one who is greedy (that is, an idolater), has any inheritance
in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no one deceive you with empty words,
for because of these things the wrath of God comes on those who are disobedient.
Therefore do not be associated with them. For once you were darkness, but now in
the Lord you are light. Live as children of light for the fruit of the light is
found in all that is good and right and true. Try to find out what is pleasing
to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead
expose them. For it is shameful even to mention what such people do secretly;
but everything exposed by the light becomes visible
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese
Related News & Editorials published on March 27-28/2022
The Healing Miracle of the Paralyzed Miracle & The Significance Of
Praying For Others/Elias Bejjani/March 27/2022
The Dhimmitude and Iscariot so called strong Lebanese President will be, among
the guests of Beelzebub, the prince of demons, and in his unquenchable Eternal
fire/Elias Bejjani/March 26/2022
The Lebanese people shall have No mercy for those who like Judos sold their
country and honor for thirty silver dinars./Elias Bejjani/March 25/2022
Al-Rahi Slams 'Selective, Vindictive, Electoral, Political and Fabricated'
Judicial Measures
Rahi: The next president must pull the country out of the axes
Mikati concludes his visit to Qatar by meeting with IMF Executive Director,
Lebanon's Ambassador
Mawlawi: Protecting civil peace in Lebanon does not conflict with the Kuwaiti
initiative
Bassam Abu Zeid elected as new "Lebanese Press Club President"
March by Ukrainian community in Lebanon marking one month since the start of the
Ukrainian war
Agriculture Minister reassures that “no food product will be missing from
Lebanon despite the global crisis”
Ghada Aoun: To believe means to continue striving for our message
Education and Culture - Education Ministry denies circulated news about a
memorandum on school attendance during Ramadan
Sherine Njeim wins for second year the Beirut Marathon Association’s Women Race,
Joan Makari as runner-up
Meat Off the Menu in Crisis-Hit Lebanon as Poverty Bites
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published
on March 27-28/2022
UAE, Bahrain, Egypt and Morocco FMs arrive in Israel for regional
Israel PM expresses ‘sorrow’ to Saudi Arabia over Yemen Houthi attacks
UN condemns Yemen Houthi attacks on Saudi oil facilities
Blinken in Israel for 'Landmark' Arab Talks
Israeli PM Says he Hopes US Will Heed Calls against Delisting IRGC
Lapid: Israel, US to Work Together to Prevent Nuclear Iran
US Envoy Not Confident Iran Nuclear Deal Is Imminent
EU’s Borrell Says Nuclear Agreement with Iran Very Close
EU's Iran Talks Coordinator Plans to Travel to Tehran
Blinken: US Has No Strategy of Regime Change in Russia
War in Ukraine: Latest Developments
Zelenskyy says Russian businessmen offered Ukraine support
Zelensky: West Needs More Courage in Helping Ukraine Fight
Russia Struck Ukraine’s Lviv With Cruise Missiles
Turkey Says Ankara and Others Must Talk to Russia to Help End Ukraine War
Titles For The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources published on March 27-28/2022
Summit Message: Beware Russia, NATO is Determined/Omer Onhon/Asharq Al
Awsat/March 28/2022
When, Why and How Putin Might Use Nukes/Andreas Kluth/Bloomberg/March 28/2022
Europe and the Ukraine War’s Challenges/Dr. Nassif Hitti/Asharq Al Awsat/March
28/2022
The Persecution of Christians, February 2022/”Oh Allah… Destroy the Jews, the
Christians, the Hindus, the Russians, and the Shiites!”/Raymond Ibrahim/Gatestone
Institute/March 27, 2022
The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News
& Editorials published on March 27-28/2022
The Healing Miracle of the Paralyzed Miracle & The
Significance Of Praying For Others
Elias Bejjani/March 27/2022
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/73457/elias-bejjani-praying-for-others-and-the-healing-miracle-of-the-paralyzed-miracle/
On the fifth Lenten Sunday the Catholic Maronites cite and recall with great
reverence the Gospel of Saint Mark ( 02/1-12): “The Healing Miracle of the
Paralytic”
This great miracle in its theological essence and core demonstrates beyond doubt
that intercessions, prayers and supplications for the benefit of others are
acceptable faith rituals that Almighty God attentively hears and definitely
answers.
It is interesting to learn that the paralytic man as stated in the Gospel of St.
Mark, didn’t personally call on Jesus to cure him, nor he asked Him for
forgiveness, mercy or help, although as many theologians believe Jesus used to
visit Capernaum, where the man lives, and preach in its Synagogue frequently.
Apparently this crippled man was lacking faith, hope, distancing himself from
God and total ignoring the Gospel’s teaching. He did not believe that the Lord
can cure him.
What also makes this miracle remarkable and distinguishable lies in the fact
that the paralytic’s relatives and friends, or perhaps some of Jesus’ disciples
were adamant that the Lord is able to heal this sick man who has been totally
crippled for 38 years if He just touches him.
This strong faith and hope made four of them carry the paralytic on his mat and
rush to the house where Jesus was preaching.
When they could not break through the crowd to inter the house they climbed with
the paralytic to the roof, made a hole in it and let down the mat that the
paralytic was lying on in front of Jesus and begged for his cure.
Jesus was taken by their strong faith and fulfilled their request.
Jesus forgave the paralytic his sins first (“Son, your sins are forgiven), and
after that cured his body: “Arise, and take up your bed, and walk”.
Like the scribes many nowadays still question the reason and rationale that made
Jesus give priority to the man’s sins.
Jesus’ wisdom illustrates that sin is the actual death and the cause for eternal
anguish in Hell.
He absolved his sins first because sin cripples those who fall in its traps,
annihilates their hopes, faith, morals and values, kills their human feelings,
inflicts numbness on their consciences and keeps them far away from Almighty
God.
Jesus wanted to save the man’s soul before He cures his earthy body. “For what
does it profit a man, to gain the whole world, and forfeit his life?” (Mark
08:/36 & 37).
Our Gracious God does not disappoint any person when he seek His help with faith
and confidence.
With great interest and parental love, He listens to worshipers’ prayers and
requests and definitely respond to them in His own way, wisdom, time and manner.
“Ask, and it will be given you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and it will be
opened for you. For everyone who asks receives. He who seeks finds. To him who
knocks it will be opened”. (Matthew 07/07 &08)
Is any among you suffering? Let him pray. Is any cheerful? Let him sing praises.
Is any among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the assembly, and let them
pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord, and the prayer of
faith will heal him who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up”. (James 05:15)
In this loving and forgiving context, prayers for others, alive or dead, loved
ones or enemies, relatives or strangers, are religiously desirable.
God hears and responds because He never abandons His children no matter what
they do or say, provided that they turn to Him with faith and repentance and ask
for His mercy and forgiveness either for themselves or for others. “
There are numerous biblical parables and miracles in which Almighty God shows
clearly that He accepts and responds to prayers for the sake of others.
Jesus cured the centurion’s servant on the request of the Centurion and not the
servant himself. (Matthew 08/05-33 )
Jesus revived and brought back to life Lazarus on the request of his sisters
Mary and Martha. (John 11/01-44)
Praying for others whether they are parents, relatives, strangers,
acquaintances, enemies, or friends, and for countries, is an act that exhibits
the faith, caring, love, and hope of those who offer the prayers.
Almighty God, Who is a loving, forgiving, passionate, and merciful Father
listens to these prayers and always answers them in His own wisdom and mercy
that mostly we are unable to grasp because of our limited human understanding.
“All things, whatever you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.” (Matthew
21/22)
Almighty God is always waiting for us, we, His Children to come to Him and ask
for His help and mercy either for ourselves or for others.
He never leaves us alone. Meanwhile it is a Godly faith obligation to extend our
hand and pull up those who are falling and unable to pray for themselves
especially the mentally sick, the unconscious, and the paralyzed.
In this realm of faith, love and care for others comes our prayers to Virgin
Mary and to all Saints whom we do not worship, but ask for their intercessions
and blessings.
O, Lord, endow us with graces of faith, hope, wisdom, and patience.
Help us to be loving, caring, humble and meek. Show us the just paths.
Help us to be on your right with the righteous on the Judgment Day.
God sees and hears us all the time, let us all fear Him in all what we think, do
and say.
The Dhimmitude and Iscariot so called strong
Lebanese President will be, among the guests of Beelzebub, the prince of demons,
and in his unquenchable Eternal fire
Elias Bejjani/March 26/2022
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/107345/107345/
We strongly believe that not even one sane and patriotic Lebanese was shocked by
the subservience and Dhimmitude rhetoric of the mullahs’ so called strong
Lebanese President, that he viciously uttered in an interview with an Italian
newspaper.
In his interview, he allegedly claimed that, Hezbollah the terrorist Iranian
proxy, protects the Christians in Lebanon, and that it is not a terrorist
entity, but a Lebanese resistance body.
This odd opportunistic and chameleon creature does not represent the Lebanese
Christians, or the majority of the Lebanese people.
He was handpicked by the Iranian Mullahs, and by their servant Hezbollah’s
Nasrallah, and illegally and unlawfully imposed by force and intimidation as
president.
Practically, and in reality he is a mere puppet, trumpet and an Iranian
mouthpiece, and accordingly has no free, patriotic or independent saying or
stance in any matter.
He echoes in every word that he utters his Iranian masters faramans (decrees) no
more no less. and accordingly all his stances and what ever he alleges in any
domain, has no constitutional weight, or creditable value at all.
In summary, We strongly believe that this so called, “strong president” will end
in the in the pin of history, and with no shed of doubt as a guest of Beelzebub,
the prince of demons, and in his unquenchable Eternal fire.
The Lebanese people shall have No mercy for those who
like Judos sold their country and honor for thirty silver dinars.
Elias Bejjani/March 25/2022
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/107305/107305/
We hear every now and then some odd voices downplaying our resistance, and
taking sarcastic attitudes towards its outcome. We also receive from time to
time some advise saying, do not waste your time, the era of resistance has
become history, have lost its glamour and not worth your time and effort.
They add, Realism is the master of stances, be like every body else, cope with
the current status quo, live and let others live. Do what is required to be
done, and protect your personal interests, even if you have to compromise
freedom, dignity and divine beliefs.
To all those losers we loudly say, it is a well known historical fact that
Lebanon is not going to be liberated by the opportunists who exchange peace with
surrender, independence with subservience, liberation with collaboration,
freedom with slavery, honor with submission and sacred national causes with
individual interests and benefits.
Lebanon the 10452 km square, and the sacred land, by God’s will shall be
liberated by the honest, dignified, patriotic, faithful and courageous Lebanese
who are devoted to serve their people and country, and not themselves.
Those patriotic Lebanese are the lit torch in an era of defeatism, collaboration
and cajolism.
In summary, neither history, nor the Lebanese people shall have no mercy for
those officials, politicians and leaders who like Judos sold both their country
and honor for thirty silver dinars.
Al-Rahi Slams 'Selective, Vindictive, Electoral, Political
and Fabricated' Judicial Measures
Naharnet/27 March ,2022
Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi on Sunday lashed out at the country's
political forces for perpetuating "crises, seditions and grudges." In his Sunday
Mass sermon, al-Rahi also criticized what he called "selective, vindictive,
electoral, political and fabricated" judicial measures. He accordingly urged an
end to "the fabrication of accusations and lawsuits" and to the "inaction"
towards some "obvious" offenses, while criticizing those who have sought to
obstruct the Beirut port blast probe. The patriarch also decried perceived
attempts to "undermine the main institutions and banks" as well as "the seizure
of depositors' money and the harm against free economy." Apparently referring to
Judge Ghada Aoun's latest lawsuit against prominent talk show host Marcel Ghanem
and MTV, al-Rahi warned against encroaching on freedom of expression. In
addition to the measures against Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh, some banks
and Marcel Ghanem, Judge Fadi Akiki filed charges this week against Lebanese
Forces leader Samir Geagea over the deadly Tayyouneh clashes. In his sermon on
Sunday, the patriarch called on the "honorable judges" to address the "saddening
and dangerous state" of the judiciary. He also wondered whether the latest
measures are aimed at "creating a situation that would lead to the postponement
of the parliamentary elections."
Rahi: The next president must pull the country out of
the axes
NNA/27 March ,2022
Maronite Patriarch indicated during his Sunday homily in Bkirki this morning,
that “the right to express an opinion is born with the human being," warning
against violating it and transferring the country to a police regime, and
methods that do not resemble Lebanon. Rahi explained that "excessive repression
establishes a popular uprising," stressing that "in the face of the sad state of
the judiciary, we wonder where the judges are to protect the judicial body." He
wondered about the goal of the strict measures in the judiciary, pointing out
that “the parliamentary elections must be held on time, and the next president
must pull the country out of the axes."
Mikati concludes his visit to Qatar by meeting with IMF
Executive Director, Lebanon's Ambassador
NNA/27 March ,2022
Prime Minister Najib Mikati concluded his visit to Qatar this afternoon by
meeting with the Executive Director of the International Monetary Fund,
Kristalina Georgieva, on the eve of the arrival of a high-ranking delegation
from the Fund to Beirut tomorrow, to complete the discussion with the government
on the reform cooperation program with Lebanon. PM Mikati also received members
of the Lebanese embassy staff in Qatar, headed by Ambassador Farah Berri,
praising their exerted efforts to "strengthen cooperation between Lebanon and
Qatar and cater to the Lebanese community." Mikati also received a delegation
from the Lebanese community residing in Qatar, who briefed him on their
conditions.
Mawlawi: Protecting civil peace in Lebanon does not
conflict with the Kuwaiti initiative
NNA/27 March ,2022
In an exclusive interview with a newspaper, Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi
confirmed that "the Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia are a clear and direct
terrorist targeting of Arab legitimacy."He pointed out that "protecting civil
peace in Lebanon does not conflict with the Kuwaiti initiative and abiding by
its provisions, so the Lebanese government should respond to it without any
hesitation."
Bassam Abu Zeid elected as new "Lebanese Press Club
President"
NNA/27 March ,2022
Media professional Bassam Abu Zaid was elected today as "President of the Press
Club", with 56 votes out of 64 members who participated in the elections held
this morning in a democratic and friendly competitive atmosphere.
March by Ukrainian community in Lebanon marking one month
since the start of the Ukrainian war
NNA/27 March ,2022
The Ukrainian community in Lebanon, the Ukraine Universities and Institutes
Alumni Club in Lebanon and the Ukrainian Embassy in Lebanon, organized today a
vehicle rally in support of Ukraine marking one month since the start of the war
on its territory. Participants set out from Dbayeh along the highway
far-reaching Beirut’s downtown area, where they decorated their cars with
Ukrainian flags of blue and yellow and raised Ukrainian slogans and anti-war
banners. Arriving at Beirut central district, participants gathered at Martyrs'
Square to partake in the "Invincible Flag" event, where they carried the 30
meters long Ukrainian flag in the main square in Beirut, while representatives
from different countries joined, namely Lebanese, Ukrainians, Belarusians, Poles
and others, to "demand that Russia stops this bloody war affecting children,
women and civilians…for 140 children have been killed since the beginning of the
war and more than 5,000 homes and about 570 schools and kindergartens have been
destroyed, while 10 million Ukrainians have been displaced from their homes,
including 4 million children." Finally, Ukraine's Ambassador to Lebanon Ihor
Ostash thanked Lebanon for the statement condemning the "Russian aggression
against Ukraine", as well as its support for Ukraine during the two votes in the
United Nations General Assembly. He also thanked the Lebanese ambassadors for
providing significant humanitarian aid to Ukraine.
Agriculture Minister reassures that “no food product will
be missing from Lebanon despite the global crisis”
NNA/27 March ,2022
Minister of Agriculture, Abbas Hajj Hassan, stressed in a TV interview on Sunday
that “the food basket in the general sense is the first step and the prelude to
food security.”He added: “When we say food basket, we mean all the citizen’s
daily food needs, such as oil, sugar, legumes, wheat, flour, vegetables and
fruits.”Hajj Hassan revealed that "all of these items will be assessed next
Tuesday during the ministerial session of the Food Security Committee to
determine the government's capabilities to secure the food basket in full, and
thus confirm the issue of wheat and the inevitability of its importation.”
In this context, the Agriculture Minister assured all citizens that “there is no
crisis today in Lebanon,” and that “things are good, but there will be a slight
increase in wheat prices which is normal in wake of the global crisis known to
everyone.”Hajj Hassan stressed that "the main work today is to ensure that none
of the basic food commodities are missing from the Lebanese market, and this is
the main goal that the government is working to achieve."
Ghada Aoun: To believe means to continue striving for our
message
NNA/27 March ,2022
Mount Lebanon Public Prosecutor, Judge Ghada Aoun, said today via Twitter
account: "To believe means to pursue the struggle for our message even when we
do not see yielding fruits for some time...!"
Education and Culture - Education Ministry denies
circulated news about a memorandum on school attendance during Ramadan
NNA/27 March ,2022
The Media Office of the Ministry of Education announced in a statement this
evening that "what is being circulated on social media about an alleged
memorandum attributed to the Minister of Education related to school attendance
during the blessed month of Ramadan, is groundless and a mere rumor."The
Ministry called on those wishing to remain abreast regarding its news to follow
its official publications and statements through its websites or through
accredited media outlets and websites.
Sherine Njeim wins for second year the Beirut Marathon
Association’s Women Race, Joan Makari as runner-up
NNA/27 March ,2022
Lebanese Olympic Runner Sherine Njeim won the women's race for the second year
in a row, which was held today under the headline, "Your Way Your Decision", an
event organized by the Beirut Marathon Association in cooperation with the
Lebanese Athletics Federation at the Beirut waterfront area.
The activity included running for three distances, the first at seven o’clock in
the morning with the half-marathon race of 21 km for women and men, and at seven
o’clock with the competitive 10 km race for women only, and at nine o’clock the
5 km race open to all groups of different ages, dedicated to a cause in
coordination with 7 charities. Runner Njeim failed to enhance her record in last
year's race when she recorded 35:24 minutes, in comparison to today’s record of
36:39 minutes. Her runner-up, Joan Mkary, was third last year while this year
she finished the race in second place. In the semi-marathon of 21 km, women's
sprinter Liwa Zaarour came in first, while in the men's race came in Imad
Jezzini. President of the Beirut Marathon Association, May El-Khalil, the
Vice-President and Secretary-General of the Lebanese Olympic Committee, retired
Brigadier General Hassan Rustom, and Secretary & Media Advisor Hassan Muhieddine,
welcomed the official and sports figures at the event. President of the Lebanese
Olympic Committee, Pierre Jalkh, and Head of the Athletics Federation Roland
Saadeh were also present alongside a number of heads of sports federations and
clubs, as well as the Spanish Commander of the UNIFIL peace-forces operating in
southern Lebanon, General Aroldo Lazaro, heading a delegation of soldiers who
participated in the half-marathon, and a number of foreign ambassadors and
diplomats. Also partaking in the event was the Head of the National Commission
for Lebanese Women’s Affairs, Claudine Aoun, who ran the 5 km race; Lebanese
American University Vice President Saad El-Zein, at the head of a delegation
from the LAU Medical Center which spread out on the race tracks; Head of the
Emergency and Ambulance Service at the Lebanese Red Cross Rosie Boulos, at the
head of a delegation of young volunteers to ensure the safety of runners. The
Society's Ambassador in America Thomas Abraham also attended alongside
representatives of social organizations, charities, and local, Arab and foreign
media outlets.A ceremony was held at the end of the event during which
appreciation shields were distributed to first-place winners by official and
sports figures.
Meat Off the Menu in Crisis-Hit Lebanon as Poverty Bites
Agence France Presse/27 March ,2022
Layla Ibrahim has cut down on her daily meat consumption, not because of a
health fad but forced by Lebanon's bruising economic crisis.
"I used to eat a slice of meat, chicken or fish every day, but the prices of
these items have become ridiculous," the 44-year-old mother of two told AFP.
"Out of necessity and not choice, I have almost become a vegetarian," she added.
Lebanon is grappling with an unprecedented financial crisis that the World Bank
says is of a scale usually associated with full-scale wars. The currency has
lost more than 90 percent of its value on the black market, more than 80 percent
of the population lives in poverty, and prices have skyrocketed. The price of
imported red meat has increased fivefold, with some cuts costing more than the
monthly minimum wage of 675,000 Lebanese pounds ($33). As a result, dietary
habits have changed and plant-based dishes -- a popular part of Lebanon's
Mediterranean cuisine -- are now a main course in many households. For Ibrahim
and her family, meat is served only once a week and even then in small portions.
"We started using smaller quantities of minced meat in stuffings and stews,"
Ibrahim said. "Even the Sunday family barbecue has been scrapped."
Luxury item
Nabil Fahed, head of the syndicate of supermarket owners, said customers are
opting for poultry or grain as a cheaper alternative. Chicken is almost three
times cheaper than beef and sells at around 120,000 pounds ($5) a kilo. The
demand for red meat has plummeted since the government lifted subsidies on
certain food imports in March 2021, Fahed said. Sales dropped by around 70
percent in large supermarkets and the decline is even steeper in popular markets
frequented by people with low incomes, he said. Nancy Awada, a food inspector
working with the Beirut municipality, has noticed a change in supply. "The
quantities of meat stored in a butcher's refrigerator... today are a quarter or
a third of what they used to be," she said. "Instead of slaughtering two or
three calves a day, butchers make do with only one."
Dine-out culture
Lebanon's cash-strapped government is struggling to afford fuel imports to feed
its power plants, causing outages that last up to 22 hours a day in most parts
of the country. To safeguard stocks, traders and distributors have to pay for
expensive generator subscriptions to power refrigerators, said meat importer
Imad Harouk of the Fed Distribution company. A spike in transport costs due to
the lifting of fuel subsidies last year has also raised the overall meat bill,
Harouk told AFP. Adjusting to demand, importers have sized down on stocks.
"Lebanon used to import 70 containers of frozen meat every month, but now the
number is nearly 40," Harouk said. Tony al-Rami, head of the restaurant owners'
union, said inflation has altered ordering habits even in cheap fast-food
chains. "Demand has dropped for meat shawarma sandwiches, with consumers leaning
more towards chicken," he said. This trend has played out at the Kababji grill
house, a restaurant famous for its wide selection of meat skewers. "The economic
crisis combined with the Covid-19 pandemic has caused a significant decline in
overall sales, especially of meat-based dishes," said Hala Jebai, the manager of
Kababji's customer service department. "The high-quality meat that we offer is
imported and paid for in dollars... which has led to a significant decline in
demand," she added. In a Beirut department store, Charles Nassour approached the
butcher's counter to purchase minced meat. The 62-year-old used to put in a
standard order of one kilo (two pounds) before the crisis but now he asks for an
amount worth just under $2. "A lot of consumers are buying limited quantities
based on what they can afford," Harouk, the meat importer, told AFP. "Even the
well-off can't consume the way they used to."
The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on
March 27-28/2022
UAE, Bahrain, Egypt and Morocco FMs arrive
in Israel for regional
Reuters/27 March ,2022
UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Bahraini Foreign
Minister Abdullatif al-Zayani, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and
Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita arrived in Israel on Sunday to attend a
five-way regional summit, an official Twitter account for Israel reported, as
talks to revive a nuclear deal with Iran remain in limbo. US Secretary of State
Antony Blinken and the foreign ministers of the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain,
Morocco and Egypt will hold a series of diplomatic meetings on Sunday and Monday
in Israel. The UAE and Bahrain normalized ties with Israel in 2020 under a
US-brokered deal known as the Abraham Accords, creating a new regional dynamic
based on mutual concern over Iran. Morocco followed suit last year. The leaders
of Egypt, Israel and the United Arab Emirates met in the Red Sea resort of Sharm
el-Sheikh on Tuesday for talks on the economic impact of Russia’s invasion of
Ukraine and Iran’s influence, at a time of uncertainty over Washington’s
security commitment in the region.Israel and Egypt signed a peace treaty in
1979.
Israel PM expresses ‘sorrow’ to Saudi Arabia over Yemen
Houthi attacks
AFP/27 March ,2022
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett expressed Israel’s “sorrow” to Saudi Arabia on
Saturday following a wave of Yemen Houthi attacks, in a rare public message to
the country with which it lacks formal ties. “The State of Israel expresses its
sorrow to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia after the horrific attack by the
Iranian-backed Huthis,” Bennett wrote on Twitter. On Friday, a wave of Houthi
drone and missile attacks hit Saudi targets, including an oil plant that turned
into an inferno near a Formula One race in Jeddah. Bennett also reiterated
Israel’s concerns that the US would remove its “terrorist group” designation of
Iran’s powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as part of an agreement to
restore a 2015 nuclear deal with Tehran. “This attack is further proof that
Iran’s regional aggression knows no bounds & reinforces the concern of Iran’s
IRGC being removed” from the terror list, he wrote on Twitter. Bennett’s message
came as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken landed in Israel for landmark
meetings with foreign ministers from the UAE, Bahrain and Morocco -- Arab
countries that recently normalised relations with Israel -- and Egypt. Taking
place over two days in a southern desert resort, the rare meet is formally aimed
at “promoting peace in the region”, but also reflects an alliance around shared
regional concerns over Iran. Earlier this month, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin
Salman indicated ties could warm with Israel -- once the Palestinian conflict is
resolved. “We don’t look at Israel as an enemy, we look to them as a potential
ally, with many interests that we can pursue together,” the prince told The
Atlantic, according to a transcript issued by the official Saudi Press Agency.
“But we have to solve some issues before we get to that,” he said. “For us, we
hope that the conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians is solved.”In 2020,
the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, both Gulf allies of Saudi Arabia,
normalised ties with the Jewish state, as did Morocco.
UN condemns Yemen Houthi attacks on Saudi oil facilities
AFP/27 March ,2022
UN chief Antonio Guterres on Saturday condemned an exchange of attacks between
Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi militia and the Arab Coalition, calling for
“restraint” on all sides in the seven-year conflict. “The Secretary-General
strongly condemns the recent escalation of the conflict in Yemen,” UN spokesman
Stephane Dujarric said in a statement Saturday. The wave of assaults included an
attack at an oil plant that set off a huge fire near Jeddah’s Formula One
circuit during televised practice sessions on Friday. The exchange of fire came
ahead of the seventh anniversary of the coalition’s military intervention to
support Yemen’s government against the Houthis, after they seized Sanaa in 2014.
Earlier Saturday, the Houthis announced a three-day truce with the coalition and
dangled the prospect of a “permanent” ceasefire. There was no immediate response
from Saudi Arabia. Dujarric said the UN chief reiterated “his calls upon all
parties to exercise maximum restraint” and to “urgently reach a negotiated
settlement to end the conflict.”Thousands of people marched in the Yemeni
capital on Saturday to denounce the conflict, which has killed hundreds of
thousands directly or indirectly, according to the UN, and left millions
on the brink of famine.
Blinken in Israel for 'Landmark' Arab Talks
Asharq Al-Awsat/Sunday, 27 March, 2022
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was in Israel Sunday for a "historic"
meeting with Arab countries which have normalized relations with the Jewish
state in the US-brokered Abraham Accords. Blinken, who arrived in Tel Aviv
Saturday evening, will meet with his counterparts from Israel, Morocco, Egypt,
Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates in the Negev desert Sunday and Monday.
Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid described it as a "historic summit".
Blinken's visit, the first stop in a trip that will also take him to the West
Bank, Algeria and Morocco -- where he will hold talks with Abu Dhabi Crown
Prince Mohammed bin Zayed -- is focused in part on building support for Ukraine
after the Russian invasion. US officials say two other key issues are on the
agenda for the trip: quelling the Jewish state's worries about a looming nuclear
deal with Iran, and discussing the potential global wheat shortage caused by the
Ukraine war that could deal a heavy blow to the import-dependent Middle East.
"We know this pain is keenly felt in the Middle East and North Africa, where
most countries import at least half of their wheat", much of it from Ukraine,
State Department Acting Assistant Secretary Yael Lempert said ahead of the trip,
AFP reported. The war "will only continue to increase the price of basic staples
like bread in the region, taking money from the pockets of the hardest working
and most vulnerable families," she said. The trip comes as the United States and
Iran are in the final stages of negotiating a revival of the 2015 Joint
Comprehensive Plan of Action, which aimed to prevent Tehran from developing a
nuclear weapons capacity. The administration of former US president Donald Trump
quit the deal unilaterally in 2018 and reimposed punishing economic sanctions,
and Iran has since resumed many of its sensitive nuclear activities. The
conclusion of a renewed accord could come in a matter of "days", EU foreign
policy chief Josep Borrell, who is coordinating talks with Tehran, said
Saturday. "We are very close but there are still some issues pending," Borrell
told reporters on the sidelines of the Doha Forum in Qatar. Blinken will also
meet Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas in Ramallah in the Israeli-occupied West
Bank.After Israel, Blinken will travel to Morocco and Algeria to talk about
regional security and the disputed territory of Western Sahara.
Israeli PM Says he Hopes US Will Heed Calls against
Delisting IRGC
Asharq Al-Awsat/Sunday, 27 March, 2022
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett urged the United States on Sunday to heed
calls against any removal of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps from the US
terrorism blacklist. "We're concerned about the intention to delist the IRGC,"
Bennett told visiting US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. "I hope the United
States will hear the concerned voices from the region, Israel's and others, on
this very important issue." “When it comes to the most important element, we see
eye-to-eye,” Blinken told reporters at a news conference with Israel's foreign
minister earlier. “We are both committed, both determined that Iran will never
acquire a nuclear weapon.”The Biden administration has been working to renew the
2015 nuclear deal, which placed curbs on Iran's nuclear program in exchange for
billions of dollars in sanctions relief. With support from Israel, the Trump
administration withdrew from the deal in 2018, causing it to unravel. Blinken
said the US believes that restoring the nuclear deal “is the best way to put
Iran's program back in the box it was in.” He added: “Our commitment to the core
principle of Iran never acquiring a nuclear weapon is unwavering.” He also vowed
to cooperate with Israel to counter Iran's “aggressive behavior” across the
region. It remains unclear if or when the nuclear deal will be renewed, but
there are indications it could be soon despite several last-minute snags, one of
which involves Iran's demand for the US to lift its designation of the IRGC as a
“foreign terrorist organization.”
Lapid: Israel, US to Work Together to Prevent
Nuclear Iran
Asharq Al-Awsat/Sunday, 27 March, 2022
Israel's foreign minister said on Sunday that Israel and the US will cooperate
in preventing a nuclear-armed Iran despite disagreements they have over an
emerging nuclear deal. "We have disagreements about a nuclear agreement and its
consequences, but open and honest dialogue is part of the strength of our
friendship," Yair Lapid said in Jerusalem during a joint press conference with
visiting Secretary of State Antony Blinken. "Israel and the United States will
continue to work together to prevent a nuclear Iran." For his part, Blinken said
the return to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) is the best way to
put Iran’s nuclear program back in the box, noting that the US commitment to
core principle of Iran never acquiring a nuclear weapon is "unwavering." The top
official affirmed that Washington will continue to stand up to Iran when it
threatens us or our allies Meanwhile on Russia, Blinken told reporters that the
US has no strategy of regime change for Russia. This came after President Joe
Biden said Russian President Vladimir Putin "cannot remain in power". "I think
the president, the White House, made the point last night that, quite simply,
President Putin cannot be empowered to wage war or engage in aggression against
Ukraine or anyone else," Blinken said during a visit to Jerusalem, Reuters
reported. "As you know, and as you have heard us say repeatedly, we do not have
a strategy of regime change in Russia - or anywhere else, for that matter."
US Envoy Not Confident Iran Nuclear Deal Is Imminent
Asharq Al-Awsat/Sunday, 27 March, 2022
US Special Envoy for Iran Robert Malley said on Sunday that he was not confident
that a nuclear deal between world powers and Iran was imminent after 11 months
of talks in Vienna that have stalled. "I can't be confident it is imminent.. a
few months ago we thought we were pretty close as well," Malley said at the Doha
Forum international conference, Reuters reported. "The sooner we get back into
the deal, which is in our interest, and presumably Iran's interest, the more
faithfully we implement it."His assessment of negotiations in Vienna to revive a
2015 nuclear accord seemed to contradict Kamal Kharrazi, a senior advisor to
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. "Yes, it's imminent. It depends on
the political will of the United States," Kharrazi told the conference. Then-US
President Donald Trump abandoned the pact in 2018, prompting Tehran to start
violating its nuclear limits about a year later, and months of on-and-off talks
to revive it paused in Vienna earlier this month after Russia presented a new
obstacle. Russia later said it had received written guarantees that it would be
able to carry out its work as a party to the deal, suggesting Moscow could allow
it to be resuscitated. The failure of efforts to restore the pact could carry
the risk of a regional war, or lead to more harsh Western sanctions on Iran and
continued upward pressure on world oil prices that are already high due to the
Ukraine conflict, analysts say. Kharrazi said it was vital for Washington to
remove the foreign terrorist organization (FTO) designation against Iran's elite
Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). "IRGC is a national army and a national army
being listed as a terrorist group certainly is not acceptable," he said. Tehran
has also been pushing for guarantees that any future US president would not
withdraw from the deal, which would curb Tehran's nuclear program in exchange
for lifting tough sanctions which have hammered Iran's economy. The extent to
which sanctions would be rolled back is another sensitive subject.
EU’s Borrell Says Nuclear Agreement with Iran Very
Close
Asharq Al-Awsat/Sunday, 27 March, 2022
Top EU diplomat Josep Borrell said on Saturday Iran and world powers were "very
close" to agreement on reviving their 2015 nuclear deal, which would curb
Tehran's nuclear program in exchange for lifting tough sanctions. Then-US
President Donald Trump abandoned the pact in 2018, prompting Tehran to start
violating its nuclear limits about a year later, and 11 months of on-and-off
talks to revive it paused in Vienna earlier this month after Russia presented a
new obstacle. Russia later said it had received written guarantees that it would
be able to carry out its work as a party to the deal, suggesting Moscow could
allow it to be resuscitated. "Now we are very close to an agreement and I hope
it will be possible," the European Union's Borrell said in an address to the
Doha Forum international conference. The failure of efforts to restore the pact
could carry the risk of a regional war, or lead to more harsh Western sanctions
on Iran and continued upward pressure on world oil prices that are already high
due to the Ukraine conflict, analysts say. Enrique Mora, the EU coordinator for
the nuclear talks, said on Friday he would travel to Tehran on Saturday to meet
Iran's chief negotiator. There are several difficult issues pending. Iran wants
the removal of a US foreign terrorist organization (FTO) designation against its
Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein
Amirabdollahian said on Saturday that the lifting of US sanctions on the
Revolutionary Guards was among Iran's top demands in talks. "Certainly the issue
of (lifting sanctions against) the Guards is part of the talks," Amirabdollahian
told state TV. Amirabdollahian said senior Revolutionary Guards officials had
said that the deal should not be held up over the issue of sanctions against the
Guards if the accord serves the interests of the people, but he added that Iran
would not cross its "red lines". Amirabdollahian said this week that a nuclear
deal can be reached in the short term if the United States is pragmatic. But US
officials have been more cautious in their assessment of efforts to revive the
accord, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Tehran has also been
seeking guarantees that the United States will not unilaterally withdraw from
any agreement. The extent to which sanctions would be rolled back is another
sensitive subject.
EU's Iran Talks Coordinator Plans to Travel to
Tehran
Asharq Al-Awsat/Sunday, 27 March, 2022
The European Union coordinator for the Iran nuclear talks will travel to Tehran
on Saturday to meet Iran's chief negotiator, he said on Friday. "Closing
remaining gaps to Iran nuclear talks, must conclude this negotiation. Much is at
stake," Enrique Mora, the coordinator, said on Twitter. The talks were close to
an agreement until Russia made last-minute demands of the United States,
insisting that sanctions imposed on Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine would
not hurt its trade with Iran. Iran Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said
on Thursday that the vital issue of sanctions relief for Iran was not yet fully
resolved.
Blinken: US Has No Strategy of Regime Change in Russia
Asharq Al-Awsat/Sunday, 27 March, 2022
The United States has no strategy of regime change for Russia, Secretary of
State Antony Blinken told reporters on Sunday after President Joe Biden a day
earlier said Russian President Vladimir Putin "cannot remain in power". "I think
the President, the White House made the point last night that, quite simply,
President Putin cannot be empowered to wage war or engage in aggression against
Ukraine or anyone else," Blinken said at a press conference during a visit to
Jerusalem. "As you know, and as you’ve heard us say repeatedly, we do not have a
strategy of regime change in Russia or anywhere else, for that matter. In this
case, as in any case, it’s up to the people of the country in question. It’s up
to the Russian people," Blinken said. In a major speech during his trip to
Poland, Biden said that Putin "cannot remain in power", remarks a White House
official said later were meant to prepare the world's democracies for extended
conflict over Ukraine, not back regime change in Russia. Those comments by
Biden, including a statement earlier in the day calling Putin a "butcher," were
a sharp escalation of the US approach to Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine.
War in Ukraine: Latest Developments
Agence France Presset/Sunday, 27 March, 2022
Here are the latest developments in the war in Ukraine:
- Biden meets Ukraine ministers -
President Joe Biden calls his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin a "butcher" who
"cannot remain in power" after meeting top Ukrainian ministers for the first
time since Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Within minutes of his comments in Warsaw, a White House official plays down the
remarks, saying Biden "was not discussing Putin's power in Russia, or regime
change". Biden compares Ukraine's resistance against Russia to the anti-Soviet
"battle for freedom", but warns that the world must prepare for a "long fight
ahead."
- Over 3.7 million refugees -
More than 3.7 million people have fled Ukraine since Russia's invasion a month
ago, the U.N. says.
The U.N.'s refugee agency, UNHCR, says 3,772,599 Ukrainians have fled the
country -- an increase of 46,793 from the previous day's figure.
Around 90 percent of them are women and children. The U.N. estimates that
another 6.5 million people are displaced in Ukraine.
- Ukraine president calls for weapons -
In his latest video address, President Volodymyr Zelensky reiterates a call for
planes while urging allies to supply Ukraine with more weapons.
"We need more ammunition. We need it to protect not only Ukraine but other
Eastern European countries that Russia threatened to invade," he says. "What is
NATO is doing? Is it being run by Russia? What are they waiting for? It's been
31 days. We are only asking for one percent of what NATO has, nothing more."
- UK says sanctions could be eased with peace -
British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss says UK sanctions against Russia could be
lifted if Moscow commits to a full ceasefire and withdraws its troops. Truss
says the Kremlin must also agree to "no further aggression" towards Ukraine for
the British sanctions imposed on hundreds of people and entities to remain
eased. "Sanctions should only come off with a full ceasefire and withdrawal, but
also commitments that there will be no further aggression," Truss tells the
Sunday Telegraph.
- UK criticized over refugee policy -
Thousands of people rally in London in solidarity with Ukraine, as the capital's
mayor steps up criticism of the government's response to the refugee crisis. "We
want the people of Ukraine to know that in their darkest hour, they are not
alone," Sadiq Khan tells Sky News as the demonstrators gather. The Labor mayor
says he is "embarrassed" by the Conservative government's refugee policies. Red
tape is hampering the generous response of the British people, he says.
- Missiles strikes on Lviv -
At least five people are wounded in two barrages of strikes that damage
infrastructure including a fuel storage facility in a rare attack on the western
Ukrainian city of Lviv. Mayor Andriy Sadovy says the fuel storage facility
caught fire after the first strikes, while the second round inflicted
"considerable damage" to a defense facility in a residential area.
- Russia takes Chernobyl town -
Russian forces take control of a town where staff working at the Chernobyl
nuclear site live and briefly detain the mayor, sparking protests, Ukrainian
officials say. "I have been released. Everything is fine, as far as it is
possible under occupation," Yuri Fomichev, mayor of Slavutych, tells AFP by
phone, but later reports the death of three civilians.
- Ukraine forces recapture town -
Ukraine says its forces have recaptured the northeast town of Trostianets, near
the Russian border, one of the first towns taken in the Russian invasion. Its
defense ministry publishes images showing Ukrainian soldiers and civilians among
heavily damaged buildings, and what appeared to be abandoned Russian military
equipment along with a signpost to the town.
- Kyiv curfew cancelled -
The mayor of Ukraine's capital Kyiv cancels a curfew announced just hours
earlier for the next day. "New information from the military command: the Kyiv
curfew will not enter into force tomorrow," mayor Vitali Klitschko announces on
Telegram.
- Russian minister resurfaces -
Russia's defense minister Sergei Shoigu reappears on television after a two-week
absence from view prompted questions from journalists.
No dates accompany the images on state television, but Shoigu refers to a
finance ministry meeting that took place on Friday.
- Russia fueling nuclear arms race: Zelensky -
Russia's "bragging" about its nuclear weapons is fueling a dangerous arms race,
Zelensky tells the Doha Forum. "They are bragging that they can destroy with
nuclear weapons not only a certain country but the entire planet," Zelensky says
in a live video message to the forum. Ukraine's leader calls on Qatar to
increase production of natural gas to counter Russian threats to use energy as a
weapon.
- Russia denies calling up reservists -
Russia denies it is planning to call up reservists, denouncing what it claims
are "false" summons to Russian men by Kyiv's security services.
"The Russian defense ministry is not summoning and does not plan to summon any
reservists to the military commissariats," spokesman Igor Konashenkov says in a
statement.
- Turkey open to Russian oligarchs -
Russia's oligarchs can continue to do business in Turkey so long as they respect
national and international law, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu says. Turkey
has described Russia's invasion of Ukraine as "unacceptable" and has offered its
services as a mediator to help end the war, but has not joined the sanctions
imposed by the United States and EU member states.
Zelenskyy says Russian businessmen offered Ukraine
support
AFP, Kyiv/28 March ,2022
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Sunday that Ukraine had received offers of
support from Russian businessmen and that Kyiv would give refuge to anyone who
backed his country’s fight against Moscow. During an interview with Russian
journalists, Zelenskyy said he had received signals of support from Russian
businessmen, including Roman Abramovich. The Ukrainian leader said the
businessmen had told him they wanted to “do something” and “help somehow” to
de-escalate Russia’s now month-long military assault on Ukraine. “Some said that
they were ready to help rebuild the country after the war,” Zelenskyy said
during the interview conducted by journalists from several independent Russian
media. Western countries including the United States and the EU have imposed
unprecedented sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, including
placing oligarchs and other individuals close to Russian President Vladimir
Putin on sanctions lists. Abramovich was among the individuals listed under new
sanctions adopted by the European Union last week. Zelenskyy said that some
Russian business had offered support in the hope of being excluded from
penalties in return. He also said that Ukraine was prepared to help Russian
businessmen who aided Kyiv’s fight against Russian troops. “We are ready to
provide them with security and then provide work and development of their
business,” Zelenskyy said. Abramovich, 55, who bought the Chelsea football club
in 2003, has denied claims that he bought it on Putin’s orders, to expand
Russia’s influence abroad in the early 2000s.
Zelensky: West Needs More Courage in Helping Ukraine Fight
Asharq Al-Awsat/Sunday, 27 March, 2022
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused the West of cowardice as his
country fights to stave off Russia’s invading troops, making an exasperated plea
for fighter jets and tanks to sustain a defense as the war ground into a battle
of attrition. Speaking after US President Joe Biden said in a lacerating speech
that Russian President Vladimir Putin could not stay in power — words the White
House immediately sought to downplay — Zelensky lashed out Sunday at the West’s
“ping-pong about who and how should hand over jets” and other weapons while
Russian missile attacks kill and trap civilians. “I’ve talked to the defenders
of Mariupol today. I’m in constant contact with them. Their determination,
heroism and firmness are astonishing,” Zelensky said in a video address,
referring to the besieged southern city that has suffered some of the war’s
greatest deprivations and horrors. “If only those who have been thinking for 31
days on how to hand over dozens of jets and tanks had 1% of their
courage.”Ukraine's ambassador to the US, Oksana Markarova, said on NBC's “Meet
the Press” that her country had heard Biden “loud and clear.” “Now, it's all up
to all of us to stop Putin while it’s still local in Ukraine because this war is
not only about Ukraine," she said, but "an attack on democracy.” Russia’s
invasion of Ukraine, now in its 32nd day, has stalled in many areas. Its aim to
quickly encircle the capital, Kyiv, and force its surrender has faltered against
staunch Ukrainian resistance — bolstered by weapons from the US and other
Western allies. Zelensky signed a law Sunday that bans reporting on troop and
equipment movements that haven't been announced or approved by the military.
Journalists who violate the law could face three to eight years in prison. The
law does not differentiate between Ukrainian and foreign reporters.
Russia Struck Ukraine’s Lviv With Cruise Missiles
Asharq Al-Awsat/Sunday, 27 March, 2022
Russia struck military targets in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv with
high-precision cruise missiles, the Russian defense ministry said on Sunday.
Russia struck a fuel depot being used by Ukrainian forces near Lviv with
long-range missiles and used cruise missiles to strike a plant in the city being
used to repair anti-aircraft systems, radar stations and sights for tanks, the
ministry said, Reuters reported. "The armed forces of the Russian Federation
continue offensive actions as part of the special military operation," the
ministry said in a statement. Russia used sea-based long-range missiles to
destroy an arsenal of S-300 missiles and BUK anti-aircraft missile systems near
Kyiv, the ministry said. Russian forces also destroyed a number of drones, it
said.
Turkey Says Ankara and Others Must Talk to Russia to Help End Ukraine War
Asharq Al-Awsat/Sunday, 27 March, 2022
Turkey and other states must still talk to Russia to help end the war in
Ukraine, Turkey's presidential spokesman said on Sunday, adding that Kyiv needed
more support to defend itself. "If everybody burns bridges with Russia then who
is going to talk to them at the end of the day," Ibrahim Kalin told the Doha
international forum, Reuters reported. "Ukrainians need to be supported by every
means possible so they can defend themselves ... but the Russian case must be
heard, one way or the other."Meanwhile, the head of Ukrainian military
intelligence accused on Sunday Russia of trying to split Ukraine in two to
create a Moscow-controlled region after failing to take over the whole country.
"In fact, it is an attempt to create North and South Korea in Ukraine," Kyrylo
Budanov said in a statement, adding that Ukraine would soon launch guerrilla
warfare in Russian-occupied territory.
The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources published on March 27-28/2022
Summit Message: Beware Russia, NATO is Determined
Omer Onhon/Asharq Al Awsat/March 28/2022
“Russia’s aggressive actions constitute a threat to Euro-Atlantic security,”
NATO leaders stated in their Summit communique in Brussels on 14 June 2021.
And the same Heads of State and Government declared in their statement after
NATO’s extraordinary Summit in Brussels on 24 March 2022: “We met today to
address Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, the gravest threat to Euro-Atlantic
security in decades”.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that Putin may be on his way to
“Grozny-fy” Kyiv. This is a reference to Russia’s leveling to the ground the
town of Grozny in 1999. And this is not the first time that Russia acted in this
way; Caucasus in the 19th century, Syria in 2010 and now in Ukraine.
At the outset of the NATO meeting, President Zelensky addressed the leaders,
expressed his country’s appreciation and stressed the vital importance of even
more military assistance. So allies said that they were already providing
support to Ukraine with significant military supplies including anti-tank, air
defense systems and drones. “This support will go on,” they stated.
On the other hand, Secretary General Stoltenberg reiterated at the press
conference later that Allies will not deploy troops on the ground in Ukraine,
“so that this conflict does not become a full-fledged war between NATO and
Russia.”
Allies took several measures to strengthen deterrence. The leaders approved four
new NATO battlegroups in Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, and Slovakia. These are in
addition to the four already existing ones in the three Baltic countries and
Poland. A battlegroup is a multi-national, battalion size force, with 600 to
1,000 fully equipped troops and their war machines.
The decision to provide assistance and material to Ukraine against biological,
chemical, radiological and nuclear threats is noteworthy.
Now, WMD dimension of crisis is also in play. The US and others have recently
been drawing attention to possibility of Russia using chemical weapons. On the
other hand, Russians themselves have been making statements which imply
resorting to nuclear weapons if need arises.
President Biden, on his way to the Summit and in response to a question, said
that it is a real threat that Putin may use chemical weapons in Ukraine. The US
President said, "We would respond if he uses it. The nature of the response
would depend on the nature of use."
The possibility of Russia using chemicals is very scary. So are Biden’s words.
The whole concept is scary and it is a dilemma. One also immediately recalls
Syria when red lines were declared and red lines crossed dozens of times when
the regime of Bashar Assad used toxic gases against its people.
China was also on the agenda in Brussels. NATO leaders called on China to
refrain from rendering military or economic support to Russia’s war effort.
As it will be recalled, China has come under NATO radar recently. At the NATO
Summit meeting in Brussels in 2021, China was referred to as a potential
challenge. The exact wording was: China’s growing influence and international
policies can present challenges that we need to address together as an Alliance.
We will engage China with a view to defending the security interests of the
Alliance.
In response to NATO, Chinese officials are quoted as saying that China has not
taken sides, has abided by the UN Charter and principles, and understands the
security concerns of all countries. The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson
said, “to resolve the crisis, rationality and a cooling-down attitude rather
than fanning the flames is needed”.
China has also shown its teeth. Anonymous official sources are quoted as saying
that if the US takes measures that harm China's interests, including those of
Chinese enterprises and individuals, it will not sit idly by and will make a
strong response.
NATO leaders reaffirmed their strong commitment to NATO’s Open Door policy. At
the 2021 communique, the decision made at the 2008 Bucharest Summit that Ukraine
will become a member of the Alliance was reiterated.
This time, Ukraine was not named and what came out is no more than declaration
of a principle; one that no one, including President Zelensky, expects to be
applied to Ukraine, probably ever. In any case, this should be regarded as a
positive message by Russia, which claims that among its reasons to invade
Ukraine were its fears the Alliance would expand to reach its borders.
The principle of collective defense is the core of NATO and it commits members
to protect each other in case of need. NATO once again reminded Russia that if
any part of the Alliance is touched, NATO will not hesitate to act. “Our
commitment to Article 5 of the Washington Treaty is iron-clad” reiterated the
leaders. The leaders agreed that President Putin’s invasion of Ukraine has
changed the security environment for the long term, and that there is a new
security reality now. There is a “new cold war,” which requires that their
military commanders provide options for a long-term reset of NATO’s presence and
its military posture in the eastern part of the Alliance and across the whole
Alliance. “Long term” is the key here. Even if cease-fire in Ukraine is
achieved, NATO has concluded that it is necessary to be on its toes with so many
potential threats and an unpredictable, unsafe security environment.
NATO members had pledged in 2014 to increase their defense spending to two
percent of their gross domestic product by 2024. That was not an easy objective.
Many states had serious hesitations and even objections. Only around 10 members
had achieved the target and 15 or so more were thought to be able to achieve the
target by the deadline.
Now, almost all NATO countries are announcing plans for significant increases in
defense spending. Those member states, which feel most threatened by Russia,
mainly from the former eastern bloc, are at the forefront.
This Summit demonstrated a general sense of unity. Sweden, Finland and the
European Union were represented at the first part of the Summit. After the
Summit concluded, Germany hosted the meeting of G-7 leaders at the NATO
headquarters.
G-7 was G-8 until Russia was suspended indefinitely following the annexation of
Crimea in 2014. Biden recently said that Russia should also be removed from
G-20. But this will probably prove much more difficult, as the decision will
depend on the entirety of the G-20 countries, some of which would likely not go
along with such a proposal. The leaders extended the mandate of Secretary
General Stoltenberg by another year, until 30 September 2023. NATO did not have
time to occupy itself with the serious issue of selecting a new secretary
general. But I believe more than that, this decision was recognition of a
successful leadership in times of severe crisis. This is the third time that
Stoltenberg’s mandate has been extended.
When, Why and How Putin Might Use Nukes
Andreas Kluth/Bloomberg/March 28/2022
We must assume that a man like Vladimir Putin is capable of anything, even the
use of nuclear weapons. The Russian President has made abundantly clear that
human life is worth nothing to him unless it’s his own. And there are scenarios
in which he might calculate diabolically that launching one or more nukes could
keep him in power and save his skin.
That’s because we’ve entered a world that, in strategic terms, resembles Europe
in the volatile early years of the Cold War more than during its relatively
stable later stages. The effect is to scrap old notions of deterrence and raise
the risk of accidental nuclear Armageddon.
In the years following World War II, the US knew that its forces in western
Europe were inferior to the Soviet Union’s and probably wouldn’t withstand its
onslaught. To compensate, the Americans stationed comparatively low-yield (but
of course still unimaginably devastating) nuclear warheads on the soil of
European allies. The message was that, in case of a Soviet attack, NATO might
drop a few of these on the battlefield to snatch victory from the jaws of
defeat.
But as the nuclear arms race progressed, the Soviet Union caught up and
“strategic” weapons became more prominent. These are larger bombs that can be
launched, for example, on intercontinental missiles from the homeland of one
side against that of the other. They would take out entire cities at a time.
Apocalyptic as it sounds, this balance of terror has so far saved us from
nuclear war. In one metaphor, West and East were personified by two people
standing in the same room, up to their waists in gasoline. Each had some number
of matches. But neither lit up, because both would go up in flames.
Appropriately, this stalemate was called Mutual Assured Destruction (MAD).
In the two decades during which Putin has ruled Russia, however, the strategic
big picture has changed yet again. In a sense, it has reverted to the situation
just after World War II, but with the roles reversed.
Now it is Russia that suspects its army is inferior to NATO’s in a conventional
war. Therefore, it is Putin who’s compensating for that weakness by threatening
the use of tactical nukes to win battles or wars that initially aren’t going
well for him. Rather oxymoronically, this approach is called “escalate to
de-escalate.”For that purpose, Russia — which is roughly even with the US in
strategic nukes — has gained an edge of 10:1 in tactical weapons. It has roughly
2,000; America has only about 200, half of which are stationed in Europe. Putin
has already hinted several times that he might dip into his prodigious arsenal
if NATO were to cross his red lines. And because he confuses his own fate with
his country’s, he’s apt to interpret any threat of personal humiliation or
regime change in Moscow as such a line.
Say the Ukrainians — who are fighting heroically against the surprisingly
incompetent Russian invaders — come close to winning. Or that a hypersonic
Russian missile strays into Poland, a NATO member. Or that the West delivers
weapons to Ukraine that could tilt the war. Any of these twists could make Putin
fear his imminent demise — and escalate. His first strike would demonstrate
intent. He could drop a low-yield bomb on an empty forest or the open sea, just
to show he means business. As a next step, he could nuke a specific enemy
weapons depot, army base or battalion — in any case, not yet an entire city. The
variable yields of tactical warheads make such fine-tuning possible — you can
manipulate scenarios on this Nukemap.
Putin would thereby signal his determination to go all the way, gambling that
the US and its allies will not retaliate in kind. In his mind, he’d be calling
the West’s bluff. Cold War leaders on both sides knew they couldn’t win a
nuclear war. If Putin ever launches, it’s because he reckons he can. But would
he? NATO, and especially the US, must now prepare for harrowing decisions after
a Russian first strike. Should the West detonate its own low-yield nuke, to show
resolve? Where would both sides go from there?
Once these weapons — the deadliest in all of human history no matter their yield
— start going off, the risk of misunderstandings, errors, and accidents soars. A
“limited” strike by one side will still feel cataclysmic to the other. And the
missiles fly so fast, the other side would have only minutes to respond. The
temptation to “use it or lose it” would rise. Long before the nuclear age, a
bookish Prussian officer who’d witnessed the Napoleonic battles opined “On War.”
Carl von Clausewitz grasped the inherent tension between generals trying to keep
war limited and war wanting to become absolute, ending in the total destruction
of one or all parties. The imperative, Clausewitz concluded, is to always align
tactics and strategy. “War is nothing but the continuation of politics with
other means,” he wrote in his most famous (and often misunderstood) phrase. He
meant you must only fight the kind of war that makes the ensuing peace
tolerable. Let’s pray there are people left in Moscow who understand that.
Europe and the Ukraine War’s Challenges
Dr. Nassif Hitti/Asharq Al Awsat/March 28/2022
After the Cold War, the feeling in Europe was that war ended would mean the end
of the division that had split the continent between East and West, symbolized
by the Berlin Wall, too. The victorious West, it had been assumed, would expand
to reach Russia’s borders. This sentiment was, of course, fortified by NATO’s
expansion, which saw many countries (14) that had been part of the Soviet Union
or in its sphere of influence join the alliance.
Similarly, the European Union’s expansion, through its policy of integrating new
members in stages, saw several Eastern European countries join. However, the
first signs of a clash were seen in the summer of 2008 with the Russo-Georgian
War, as Russia was retrieving what it considers its historic place in the world
as a great power, regardless of the type of regime governing in Moscow or the
heading it gives this rule in its direct sphere of influence. This war
introduced Russia’s “stop” policy vis a vis the “strategic West.” Russia was
back to playing the role of a great power and felt ready for everything this
role implies. Crises recurred, and Russia flexed its military muscle in the
European strategic theater, especially in Eastern Europe.
The French Minister of Economy summed up the economic repercussions of the first
phase of the Ukrainian war with a warning that European countries, including
his, are facing stagflation, albeit to divergent degrees. He pointed out that
the current energy crisis “is as grave as the oil shock of 1973.”
The sanctions being imposed on Russia by Europe today have left the Europeans
asking themselves: Should we continue to depend on Russia for energy supply in
the future? Regardless of the answer, which has not yet matured, the search for
alternatives to Russian energy, especially gas, is underway in the United States
and in Western Europe. The search has begun in the Gulf with a focus on Qatar,
one of the largest natural gas producers in the globe, and the Eastern
Mediterranean, as well as other places around the world, are envisaged as
potential suppliers in the future. Meanwhile, despite the sanctions, Germany
warns that it cannot do without oil imports from Russia.
Europe is providing Ukraine militarily “support-” financial assistance allocated
mainly for the purchase of weapons, in addition to military aid from European
countries. NATO does not want to implicate itself in the Ukrainian war.
Nonetheless, on the other hand, the European position, like that of NATO, is to
refuse to impose a no-fly zone in the theater of war because it would inevitably
lead to a clash with Russia and dangerous escalation, possibly even a direct war
with the latter.
As well as the ongoing efforts to engage with Russia, especially by France and
Germany, to compel it to de-escalate and search for solutions, Europe continues
to warn Moscow, regardless of the effect these threats have on Russia’s stance.
For its part, Russia sees this war as a way to negotiate on the ground, not with
Ukraine per se, but the “West” as a whole, with the aim of advancing its vital
national security interests.
One of the messages Europe is sending was conveyed in the Informal Meeting of
the Heads of State or Government held in Versaille between March 10 and 11. At
the Meeting, the need to enhance Europe’s defensive capabilities was emphasized-
a strategy that falls within the framework of an objective that France had
always supported but never managed to make a reality, building a European
defense force.
The summit also called for enhancing economic cooperation within Europe and
building a strong economic base. Such calls are not new to Europe, but in light
of the war in Ukraine, they have become particularly significant. Another
development is that the leaders of neutral countries like Sweden and Finland,
which have adopted a form of neutrality particular to them, have been calling
for their countries to join NATO and the provision of robust and broad military
and non-military support to Ukraine.
One thing worth paying attention to is the prospect of new conflict zones in
Europe that replicate the Ukrainian model in one way or another. Calls for
secession- and eventually becoming part of Serbia, of course- by the Serbian
minority in the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina- have been growing louder.
The same thing is happening in Georgia, where the region of South Ossetia, which
Moscow recognizes as an independent state, is moving in the direction of
actually splitting from Georgia. Other projects for war in Eastern Europe over
varying disputes contribute to creating more open-ended conflicts that raise the
specter of wars and foreign interventions of varying pretexts in what used to be
the Soviet sphere of influence.
Ukraine declaring its neutrality, following the Finnish Cold War neutrality
model or maybe even the Swedish model, which goes further, has almost certainly
become a requisite for any political solution. Given its strategic military
significance, Russia also wants to retrieve the Crimean peninsula, which it
controls de facto. Indeed, the Russians consider it to have been a “gift” given
by the Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev, who transferred it from Soviet Russia
to Soviet Ukraine in 1954 as part of his effort to get the Soviet house in
order…
The North Atlantic- US- European West and Russia’s struggle to rearrange or
re-divide spheres of influence in Eastern Europe will shape the global agenda.
That has an array of implications for the “European strategic theater,” and
these repercussions will continue to be felt until the big players come to an
understanding. Until then, the ramifications of this war will continue to pile
up, as will the crises it has created around the world.