English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For November 07/2020
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news

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Bible Quotations For today
Make My joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves
Letter to the Philippians 02/01-11:”If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death even death on a cross. Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on November 06-07/2021
HEALTH MINISTRY: 701 NEW CORONA CASES, 6 DEATHS
Port Victims' Families to Sue Mezher as Activist Group Files Recusal Suit
Lebanon among Sponsors of U.N. Draft Condemning Attacks on Journalists
Lebanon’s neutrality essential for stability
Lebanon: Pressure Mounts on Mikati’s Government for Failing to Confront ‘Hezbollah’
Lebanese businesses feel the brunt of Saudi import ban
Kordahi would resign if it ‘guarantees’ a change in Gulf stance on Lebanon: Report
MP JUMBLATT: TO AVOID OBSTRUCTION, ADDRESS THE CRISIS WITH THE GULF
FOREIGN MINISTRY ADVISES LEBANESE EXPATRIATES IN ETHIOPIA TO LEAVE THE COUNTRY
STUDENT LIST SUPPORTED BY KATAEB, INDEPENDENTS WINS 15 SEATS IN USJ’S ELECTIONS
FPM CALLS FOR THE RETURN OF GOVERNMENT WORK WITHOUT CONDITIONS, SEEKS 'BEST RELATIONS' WITH SAUDI ARABIA
Rejoignez les rangs de la Task Force Lebanon/Jean-Marie Kassab/Novembre 06/2021
Lebanese expats angry with Beirut over potential internet collapse/Bassam Zaazaa/Arab News/November 06/2021
Uproar over ‘Hezbollah pressure’ on Lebanese military judiciary/Najia Houssari/Arab News/November 06/202
International observers vital to protect democratic process in Lebanon’s election/Hanin Ghaddar/Al Arabiya/November 06/2021
Question: "How can I heal from the hurt of a broken relationship?"/GotQuestions.org?/November 06/2021

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on November 06-07/2021
Iraq military: PM targeted in failed ‘assassination’ attempt, drone struck his house
Injuries reported after drone attack on Iraqi prime minister’s residence - Al Arabiya/November 07, 2021
In defiant posture, Iran flaunts higher uranium enrichment level
Pro-Iranian parties use street pressure to reverse losses in elections, spark violence
France casts doubts on future of Sudan debt relief
Israel suggests US open consulate for Palestinians in West Bank, not Jerusalem
Libya FM Minister Najla al-Mangoush suspended days before intl. conference
Turkey’s pro-Kurdish HDP says banning case should be thrown out
At Least 8 Dead after Crush at Texas Music Festival
The Era of Anti-Covid Pills Begins
Taliban Confirm Reports Four Women Killed in Northern Afghanistan
Canada/Joint Statement on release of OHCHR-EHRC joint investigation

Titles For The Latest The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on November 06-07/2021
Biden Admin Silent as EU, Iran and China Freely Violate US Sanctions/Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Gatestone Institute/November 06/2021
Iran, everywhere?/Ibrahim al-Zobeidi/The Arab Weekly/November 06/2021
Foreign meddlers can’t keep their noses out of Libya/Hafed Al-Ghwell/Arab News/November 06/2021

The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on November 06-07/2021
HEALTH MINISTRY: 701 NEW CORONA CASES, 6 DEATHS
NNA/November 06/2021
Ministry of Public Health announced Saturday in its daily report on the COVID-19 developments, the registration of 701 new infections with the Corona virus, which raised the cumulative number of confirmed cases to-date to 645,805.The report added that 6 deaths were recorded during the past 24 hours.

Port Victims' Families to Sue Mezher as Activist Group Files Recusal Suit
Naharnet/November 06/2021
The lawyers of the families of the Beirut port blast victims are preparing to take a host of legal measures Monday against Court of Appeals judge Habib Mezher, amid calls for the Higher Judicial Council to penalize him for “committing a blatant violation” and to refer him to judicial inspection, media reports said on Saturday. The Mutahiddoun activist group meanwhile said that its lawyer Rami Ollaiq has filed a recusal lawsuit against Mezher before the Court of Appeals, noting that the judge “has political connections directly linked to the figures who have been summoned for interrogation, which allows for legitimate suspicion over his role and the motives of his decision in terms of the lack of objectivity, neutrality and impartiality.” Mezher sparked controversy after he started looking into a recusal lawsuit filed against Beirut port blast investigator Judge Tarek Bitar. Court of Appeals head Habib Rizkallah later announced that he had “exclusively” tasked Mezher with handling a recusal lawsuit against Court of Appeals judge Nassib Elia, which is separate from the one filed against Bitar. Bitar's probe into the port case was suspended on Thursday after Mezher notified him of a lawsuit filed against him by ex-minister Youssef Fenianos. Mezher also asked Bitar to hand over the details of the case to enable the court to review the lawsuit. The Beirut-based rights group Legal Agenda warned that Mezher's request to see the full content of the investigation violates the secrecy of the probe. The group also said that Mezher's known opinions critical of Bitar may constitute bias. According to media reports, Mezher is close to Hizbullah and the Amal Movement, which both have called for Bitar's removal and launched a fierce campaign against him over alleged selectivity in his summonings.

Lebanon among Sponsors of U.N. Draft Condemning Attacks on Journalists
Associated Press/November 06/2021
A proposed U.N. resolution would "unequivocally" condemn all attacks, reprisals and violence against journalists and media workers and urge governments to take action to end the prevailing impunity and punish these crimes. The draft General Assembly resolution circulated Friday also urges "the immediate and unconditional release of journalists and media workers who have been arbitrarily arrested, arbitrarily detained or taken hostage or who have become victims of enforced disappearances." The resolution was drafted by Greece, France, Austria, Costa Rica and Tunisia, according to U.N. diplomats, and lists 34 co-sponsors including the United Kingdom, Germany and many other European and Latin American countries as well as the Ivory Coast and Lebanon. The United States was not included on the list, but an official at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations told The Associated Press the Biden administration has signed on as a co-sponsor. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to speak publicly. The draft resolution must first be approved by the General Assembly's human rights committee and it then needs final approval from the 193-member world body. Unlike Security Council resolutions, General Assembly resolutions are not legally binding, but they do reflect global opinion.
The proposed resolution stresses that the right to freedom of opinion and expression is guaranteed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It recognizes the importance of "free, independent, plural and diverse media and access to information, online as well as offline, in building inclusive and peaceful knowledge societies and democracies." And it acknowledges that journalism is continuously evolving and "contributing to the shaping of public debate." The draft calls on governments to take legal measures to protect journalists and media workers and to "do their utmost" to prevent violence, threats and attacks against them. And it calls on them "to develop and implement effective and transparent legal frameworks and measures for the protection of journalists and media workers and for combating impunity." It stresses the importance of accountability, first by conducting "impartial, speedy, thorough, independent and effective investigations into all alleged violence, threats and attacks against journalists and media workers, including sexual and gender-based violence against women journalists and media workers in armed conflict and non-conflict situations."The proposed resolution also urges political leaders, public officials, and government authorities "to refrain from denigrating, intimidating or threatening the media, including individual journalists and media workers, or from using misogynist or any discriminatory language towards women journalists, which thereby undermines trust in the credibility of journalists as well as respect for the importance of independent journalism."In addition, the draft would condemn "unequivocally" government actions aimed at disrupting access to information -- or the dissemination of information -- online or offline. This aims "to undermine the work of journalists in informing the public, including through practices such as Internet shutdowns or measures to unduly restrict, block or take down media websites, such as denial of service attacks," it says. The proposed resolution calls on all countries to halt such measures "which cause irreparable harm" to efforts to build inclusive, peaceful and democratic societies. It also calls on governments to ensure that defamation and libel laws are not misused.

Lebanon’s neutrality essential for stability
Gulf Today/November 07/2021
Crisis-ridden Lebanon is embroiled in an unwanted diplomatic crisis because of its Information Minister George Kordahi wrongly criticising the Gulf Arab states for the war in Yemen and defending the rebel Houthis. Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, UAE, Kuwait have cut off diplomatic relations with Beirut, and the newly-formed Lebanese government of Prime Minister Najib Mikati is desperately trying to mend fences with the neighbouring Arab states. Saudi Arabia and Kuwait have also blamed Lebanon for the illegal drug trafficking that originates in Lebanon and affects their respective countries.
Kordahi is seen as a political outsider, a TV personality who hosted the Arabic version of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, worked as a TV presenter of channel Al-Manar and earlier worked as BBC’s bilingual BBC correspondent in the Middle East. But his highly questionable pro-Houthi statement made before he became a member of the new coalition government of Mikati has endeared him to some, but those opposing in the country want Kordahi to quit the government and avert precipitate an avoidable crisis. But Kordahi has so far refused to oblige even as Prime Minister Mikati is making efforts to use diplomatic channels to the Gulf Arab states to end the standoff. The Mikati government has been formed after a year of unsuccessful bid to form a government which will include all the groups in the intensely factional country. For a government to survive in Lebanon, all the factions must be present in the government. But the position of and its allies is too pronounced to make things easy for Mikati. Meanwhile, Iranian foreign minister in the new Iranian government under President Ebrahim Raisi, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian on a visit to Beirut talked about positive dialogue between Iran and Saudi Arabia. And Mikati expressed the wish that Iran could help in the rapprochement between Beirut and the Gulf Arab states.
Whether it is in Lebanon or Yemen, it is the Iranian factor that has been the cause of political instability in these two countries. Iran perceives itself as a regional power which wants to unacceptably exert its influence beyond its borders, but it has failed to deal with the countries as such. In Yemen, it supports the violent Houthis, and in Lebanon the . And that is at the root of the problem. Despite the assurances of Abollahian, it is not clear how Iran could help in the matter. Mikati seems helpless even as some of the politicians have said Kordahi should resign or Mikati’s government would have to go as well. The stark fact is that if Mikati’s government falls, then it will push Lebanon deeper into chaos. France, Russia, the UN and the US have called for resolving the crisis, but there have been no specific solutions. US State Department Spokesman Ned Price said that Lebanon should leave all diplomatic channels open for a dialogue with the Arab states. The only solution seems to be the political neutrality of Lebanon, and this can be ensured only if Iran observes the rules of the game and desists from influencing political factions inside Lebanon. Whether Tehran would choose to do so for the sake of Lebanon remains an open question. can wreck any political truce in Lebanon and it does not appear that Iran can or is willing to convince . It is necessary then for Lebanese politicians of all factions to declare that their domestic affairs are off the limits for foreign powers. They must not allow themselves to be caught in the uneasy relations between Iran and the Gulf Arab states.

Lebanon: Pressure Mounts on Mikati’s Government for Failing to Confront ‘Hezbollah’
Beirut - Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 6 November, 2021
The crisis with Gulf states and its repercussions have become the focus of political stances in Lebanon, with many calling for expediting solutions and the resignation of Information Minister George Kordahi. Some even called for Prime Minister Najib Mikati to step down alongside other ministers because of Hezbollah’s hegemony over the work of a rather “helpless” government. “The Arab option must not fall at all, and all Lebanese parties must listen to the voice of reason,” urged Democratic Gathering Secretary, MP Hadi Abou al-Hassan, adding that Lebanon cannot withstand a row with fellow Arab countries.
“Kordahi’s resignation is the key to correcting the course of the relationship with the Kingdom (Saudi Arabia) and the Arab Brotherhood, and this requires dialogue and discussion and a return to diplomatic principles,” added al-Hassan. For his part, Free Patriotic Movement lawmaker Mario Aoun also called for Kordahi’s resignation. “It became clear that Mikati is desperately asking for the resignation of Kordahi,” said Aoun in a radio interview. As for the cabinet convening over Kordahi’s dismissal, Aoun said “the subject is yet to be discussed.”MP Nicolas Nahas, a member of Mikati’s parliamentary bloc, described the current political complications as “major,” noting that efforts are ongoing to curb the escalation with the Gulf states. He added: “The issue requires a clear and integrated roadmap to rebuild confidence, and the first step begins with Kordahi following his conscience. “If he does not resign, the president, the prime minister, and the parliament speaker would need to decide what measures to take.”Nahas stressed: “Serious work is required, and it is not permissible in any way for the people to pay the price for political disputes.”Former Lebanese Forces lawmaker Fadi Karam, for his part, warned that the government stepping down is “dangerous” and threatens upcoming elections.

Lebanese businesses feel the brunt of Saudi import ban
The Arab Weekly/November 06/2021
BEIRUT – At Oriental Paper Products, a stationery factory outside Beirut, machinery sits idle and shifts have been reduced. The firm was already struggling amid Lebanon’s financial crisis; a full-blown diplomatic row with Saudi Arabia has made matters worse.
Last week Riyadh extended a selective interdiction of some goods from Lebanon to a blanket ban, in response to remarks by Lebanese Information Minister George Kordani who described Saudi Arabia’s role in Yemen as “an aggression”. The comments exacerbated prior tensions, with Riyadh resenting Iran’s growing influence over Lebanon through the powerful armed Hezbollah movement. At Oriental Paper Products and businesses across Lebanon, the impact is already being felt. The company had been producing $500,000 worth of books and office supplies destined for Saudi Arabia when the ban came into force. “We already had our problems and now they (Lebanese politicians) increased them. God help the Lebanese,” Chief Executive Officer Ziad Bekdache told Reuters.
The row comes at a particularly bad time for the Lebanese economy.
Industries had sought to leverage increased competitiveness due to the currency’s collapse to boost exports to Saudi Arabia from $240 million in 2020 to $600 million, said Bekdache, also the deputy head of the Association of Lebanese Industrialists. “Now, it’s zero,” he said, noting several Lebanese companies had begun moving factories to countries including Oman, Turkey and Cyprus to evade the Saudi ban. Non-food Lebanese exports to Saudi Arabia include aluminum, gold and jewellery, machinery, soaps and paints. “It’s as if there is a plan to break the economic and industrial sectors in Lebanon, in addition to cutting the ties and connections between Lebanon and the world and especially the Gulf and Saudi Arabia,” Bekdache said.
‘Paying the price’
Lebanese businesses have been battered by one of the worst economic crises in the country’s history. That was compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic and a massive explosion at Beirut’s port last year that wrecked parts of the capital. The Lebanese pound, tethered to the US dollar for more than two decades, has depreciated by more than 90% since 2019, slashing the purchasing power of locals while the global shutdown drastically reduced exports. Then in April, Saudi Arabia blocked imports of Lebanese agricultural products and food after a spike in drug smuggling that Saudi authorities said Lebanon had failed to address. Lebanon says it has taken measures to address the problem since then, including several major drug busts. Last week, Saudi Arabia and four other Gulf nations recalled their envoys to Lebanon and the Saudi foreign minister said the kingdom saw no point in re-engaging so long as Lebanon was dominated by Hezbollah. Hezbollah have publicly backed Kordahi, whose comments sparked the latest row and who is under pressure from some politicians at home to step down. This week, Lebanon’s Foreign Minister Abdallah Bouhabib called the Saudi demands impossible to meet and urged Riyadh to resume talks with the government to resolve differences. Lebanese business leaders have voiced growing frustration. “Did we create Hezbollah? Do we have an arsenal of rockets? Why do we have to pay the price?” the head of a Lebanese company with over $1 million in exports to Saudi Arabia said, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter. Some firms had been working to mend ties with Saudi Arabia when the new crisis erupted. Lebanese businessman Joe Rizk, supply chain manager at Second House Products that makes spice blends and a variety of dry foods, met with the Saudi consul in Beirut the day before Kordahi’s comments. “We were trying to solve it any way possible, but things got complicated again,” Rizk said from a factory on the outskirts of Beirut. Before the ban, 20% of his products went to 700 restaurants in Saudi Arabia, Rizk said, and the company has been unable to find alternative buyers ahead of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan next spring, usually peak season for them. Now he says he is considering moving part of his production abroad, and worries about potential lay-offs. “We end up paying the price for these very big issues. They’re tired of it and we’re tired of it,” Rizk said, referring to Saudi and Lebanese people. “It’s a loss for both, not just for us.”

Kordahi would resign if it ‘guarantees’ a change in Gulf stance on Lebanon: Report
Tuqa Khalid, Al Arabiya English/06 November ,2021
Lebanon’s Information Minister George Kordahi linked submitting his resignation to “guarantees” it would change the Gulf’s stance towards his country, Turkish state news agency Anadolu reported, citing sources close to him. Anadolu’s sources said Kordahi was open to resigning only if his decision would guarantee a reversal of the Gulf’s actions against Beirut. Kordahi “seeks to find out whether the resignation is accompanied by guarantees that such a step will be received positively by the Gulf, because any resignation that does not change the Gulf’s stance on Lebanon would be in vain,” the sources told Anadolu.
Kordahi sparked a diplomatic crisis with Gulf countries because of his comments on Saudi Arabia and the UAE’s involvement in the Yemen war. He said the Iran-backed Houthis were “defending themselves… against foreign aggression [by the Arab Coalition]” during an interview aired on August 5. Saudi Arabia expelled Lebanon’s envoy from the country and banned all Lebanese imports. Bahrain and Kuwait followed suit, and the UAE withdrew its diplomats from Beirut and banned its citizens from traveling to Lebanon. Lebanon’s Prime Minister Najib Mikati has tried to contain diplomatic fallout early on by rejecting Kordahi’s comments and stressing that they had nothing to do with the government’s policy. Mikati urged Kordahi again on Thursday to prioritize the national interest of Lebanon: “I repeat my call to the Minister of Information to… adopt the stance that needs to be taken and give priority to the national interest.”

MP JUMBLATT: TO AVOID OBSTRUCTION, ADDRESS THE CRISIS WITH THE GULF
NNA/November 06/2021
Head of the Democratic Gathering, MP Taymour Jumblatt, stressed Saturday on the "convergence of all political efforts to find the necessary exits for the emerging crisis that has led to disrupting the launching of the government’s work, at a time when the country is in dire need of serious and responsible efforts to ease the burdens and sufferings of citizens.”He also called for searching for paths of solutions necessary at the social, daily living, educational and monetary levels, and to secure the continuation of the negotiation path with the International Monetary Fund as a prelude for the needed reforms and the expected productive work. Jumblatt highlighted the importance of “staying away from obstructive rivalries and approaching outstanding problems, by rendering the general national interest and the interests of the Lebanese at home and abroad over other internal and external policies, and addressing the crisis that has emerged with the Gulf in a manner that preserves the facet of Lebanon and the future of its youth, particularly that the delicate circumstances we are going through require the sacrifices of all and resorting to their national consciences.”
The MP’s words came before a number of civil, social and municipal delegations he met at Mukhtara Palace during the day.

FOREIGN MINISTRY ADVISES LEBANESE EXPATRIATES IN ETHIOPIA TO LEAVE THE COUNTRY
NNA/November 06/2021
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants advised, in a statement on Saturday, "Lebanese nationals residing in Ethiopia, especially families, to leave the country as soon as possible until the imminent danger has passed and things are back normal."It also called on them to "be careful when commuting at night and to ensure their personal supply of food and medicine for consumption when necessary."For emergency cases, the Ministry urged Lebanese expatriates to contact the Lebanese Embassy in Cairo at the following number: 00201225543703 .

STUDENT LIST SUPPORTED BY KATAEB, INDEPENDENTS WINS 15 SEATS IN USJ’S ELECTIONS
NNA/November 06/2021
The Kataeb Party announced, in a statement this evening, that the "Unified Students Movement" list backed by the Kataeb Party and the Independents won 15 seats in the Saint Joseph University elections, including the presidency of the Faculty of Pharmacy.
In this connection, MP Maged Eddy Abillama tweeted a while ago saying: “Congratulations to Lebanon for its youth's political awareness and belief in change.”Also in this context, the General Secretariat of Saint Joseph University in Beirut announced, in a statement today, the end of its student elections for the academic year 2021-2022 in its five campuses and university lesson centers in the regions, adding that “the elections took place in a positive atmosphere that was reflected in the turnout of 78.4%, and was implemented by adopting the proportional law which the University has adopted in its elections for years.”"The University has been adopting electronic voting for years, and this year, taking into account the current economic and health conditions, it decided to adopt remote voting, meaning that the student votes from his home without the need for attending to campus," the statement asserted.

FPM CALLS FOR THE RETURN OF GOVERNMENT WORK WITHOUT CONDITIONS, SEEKS 'BEST RELATIONS' WITH SAUDI ARABIA
NNA/November 06/2021  
The Free Patriotic Movement's political body held its periodic meeting today, chaired by its Chief, MP Gebran Bassil, following which it issued a statement highlighting the need for the government to resume its meetings and seek to improve relations with Saudi Arabia.
"We demand the return of government work without conditions and away from any influence, and not to burden the government with what is outside its specialization," the statement said. The Free Patriotic Movement also considered that "the urgent merits, especially the social crisis, require a government and parliament mobilization to approve the financial recovery plan, in parallel with reforms and measures to alleviate the suffering of the Lebanese." The conferees called for “making the crisis with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia an opportunity to institutionalize the relationship with it, which are aspired to be distinct, based on equality, mutual respect and common interests so that individual positions do not affect it.”

Rejoignez les rangs de la Task Force Lebanon.
Jean-Marie Kassab/Novembre 06/2021
Que Cordahi ou Mikati et son gouvenement collobo démissionnent ou pas , that is not the question.
Cordahi n'est qu ' un perroquet qui imite la voix de son maitre. C' est toute l'attitude et les actes du Hezbollah qui ont enervé l'Arabie. Que Mikati démissione ou pas ??? Qui s'en fout??? De toute façon ils ne font rien et ne feront rien, et ne pourront rien faire même s'ils le veulent. Eteignez la télé , la radio ou deconnectez vous du net et vous constaterez que Mikati et son gouvernement ne sont qu' une réalité médiatique et virtuelle. Le pays s'enfonce toujours dans la crise à grande vitesse et l'Iran est toujours là.
Pourquoi l' Arabie a soudain pensé et exprimé son interêt pour le Liban après tant de désinvolture et même de boycott du Liban ? That is the real question.
Pourquoi maintenant ? Dans quel but ? Rompre les relations diplomatiques avec un pays n'est pas chose commune et prélude toujours à des problèmes graves. On le saura bientôt. Très bientôt. L'affrontement ne se passera pas en silence ou inaperçu, il sera bruyant .
Vive la Résistance
Rejoignez les rangs de la Task Force Lebanon.
Vive le Liban
Jean-Marie Kassab

Lebanese expats angry with Beirut over potential internet collapse
Bassam Zaazaa/Arab News/November 06/2021
DUBAI: Lebanese expats are angry with the government in Beirut, fearing they could lose touch with their families if the Internet goes down because of the country’s ongoing energy and financial problems. The director general of telecoms company Ogero, Imad Kreidieh, warned on Thursday that Lebanon’s Internet service could go down within 10 days due to a lack of US dollars and insufficient quantities of the diesel needed to keep broadcast stations and backup generators operating. Electricite du Liban has only been able to secure power for a few hours a day for institutions and households since June, especially after a government subsidy on diesel was lifted, and fuel prices have continued to increase. Fuel is being made available only in dollars and at a black market rate. Kreidieh said that Ogero’s budget was in Lebanese pounds, which has been devaluing against the dollar, leaving the company unable to obtain the currency needed to purchase the required quantities of diesel.
The situation has led Lebanese expats in the Gulf and Europe to slam Beirut. UAE-based corporate banker Rana Arbid said that if the Internet collapsed, then so would she. She accused Beirut of being “irresponsible and useless” and blamed the ruling elite for jeopardizing people’s lives and the means of communication. “No Internet means no channels that connect people together, especially for us Lebanese living abroad,” she told Arab News. “Internet and mobile applications are our tools and means to communicate with our relatives and friends.”
Najib Youssef, a Germany-based sales manager, blamed an “unproductive government and administration” for disconnecting the diaspora from their families. “This government is just like previous ones, it is an infertile cabinet. By far, it has failed at administering the country. It has participated in killing all service sectors including telecommunications. If this happens, and I guess it will, that means killing us (expats) emotionally and mentally as the Internet is the only means to communicate with people inside,” said Youssef, who feared his two children would miss out on video chats with their grandparents every weekend. Barcelona-based photographer Moe Shamseddine described the current situation as “shameful” and also accused authorities of being irresponsible.
“If the Internet collapses, this will add up to their long list of failures,” he told Arab News. “Personally, I’m truly scared of not being able to communicate with my 78-year-old mother.”He stressed that most Lebanese people living in Europe could not afford to make international calls if the Internet went down as they needed to communicate using social media and messaging apps. “I am so upset and sad. Like most Lebanese living in the diaspora, we cannot wait for the 2022 elections to vote for new lawmakers, who are capable and won’t make us face such a communication crisis that would disconnect us from our families,” he added. Nada Khalil, who has been based in Istanbul since Lebanon’s economic decline started in 2020, said that those in power were not rulers. “They are a bunch of greedy thieves dressed up in suits and killing us slowly.”
She said they had created a telecommunication crisis with their “ignorance, failure and incompatibility.”
“This constant warning about Internet collapse has been ongoing and they always blame it on fuel and dollar shortage. It’s nothing more than a cheap form of blackmail to cover up their bid to increase tariffs like in most productive sectors,” added Khalil, who works in content development. “If it happens, it would be such a disaster if Lebanon gets completely isolated.”Saudi Arabia-based Bassam Al-Deek, a senior business professional, said an Internet collapse would be a continuation of isolating Lebanon from its surroundings. “As if what has been happening isn’t enough, now comes this fuel and dollar shortage issue to impede the telecommunication system and deprive us from communicating with our families at home,” he added. Frustrated and angered by what she described as the “stupid Lebanese administration,” Doha-based Shireen Ibrahim told Arab News: “This is so mean and hurtful. Imagine not being able to communicate with your parents because a bunch of ignorant morons cannot handle a country! How do you expect them to handle the telecom industry?” Ibrahim believed that nothing would start to change in Lebanon, except after voters got lawmakers out of the system in the 2022 elections.
Communications Minister Johnny Korm told MTV news on Friday that the crisis was being rectified and that he was working on securing sufficient funding to buy diesel. He promised that Lebanon would not witness the complete collapse of the Internet, but warned there could be “intermittent disruptions” in some parts of the country. He said the secured quantities of diesel were enough for the next 20 days.

Uproar over ‘Hezbollah pressure’ on Lebanese military judiciary
Najia Houssari/Arab News/November 06/2021
BEIRUT: The families of those arrested in the Tayouneh violence that occurred on Oct. 14, along with the families of those arrested in the Khalde incident that took place in early August, are up in arms over what they allege are the “biased actions” of the judicial authorities.
The families have in recent days been reacting angrily about the lack of arrests of anyone associated with Hezbollah regarding either incident, “although the party and its gunmen were clearly involved in both.”
The families are questioning whether the Lebanese military judiciary is turning a blind eye on those involved in the violence, or if the institution was shaken by the pressure Hezbollah exerts on every aspect of the state. Clashes had erupted in Khalde, south of Beirut, between Hezbollah members and residents affiliated to Arab tribes known as the “Arabs of Khalde,” during the funeral of Hezbollah official Ali Shibli. Two people died and several civilians were injured as a result.
The first acting military investigative judge, Judge Fadi Sawan, issued an indictment for the Khalde incident two days ago, referring 32 defendants, including 23 detainees from the Arabs of Khalde, to the military court for trial. However, he disregarded all Hezbollah affiliates who were involved in the clashes.
Sawan requested that the defendants be tried for “forming an armed group with the intent of committing crimes against people, murder, attempted murder, inciting sectarian strife, vandalism and the use of unlicensed war weapons.”Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah said that what happened in Khalde was “attempted murder, this massacre was committed by a gang.”He demanded that “all those involved, whose faces and names are well-known, be held accountable.”The families reacted strongly to Nasrallah’s narrative, asking him to “double-check his sources before slandering the Arab tribes.”The families of those arrested in the Khalde incident blocked the Khalde highway on Friday in protest against “focusing only on the tribes and leaving Hezbollah out of it.” They expressed anger toward the military court’s biased actions, since “21 young men from Khalde are yet to be released, while not a single Hezbollah affiliate, whose names and addresses the security services know, has yet been detained.”
Future Movement MP Rola Al-Tabash said: “The Arab tribes will not be a scapegoat. Why weren’t the gunmen who attacked the tribes in their homes arrested?”
He added: “The judiciary stood against the oppressed, and with the armed oppressor, right under the state’s nose.”Meanwhile, no indictment has yet been issued regarding the Tayouneh incident, which left seven dead and 32 injured. The defense team of the detainees, most of whom are affiliated to the Lebanese Forces, submitted a complaint before the military prosecution that includes “photos and videos documenting the armed individuals who participated in the clashes but were not summoned for interrogation.” However, the military prosecution “did not decide on the complaint,” according to the defense team, “and none of the mentioned individuals were summoned, and they are members of the Resistance Brigades, a faction affiliated with Hezbollah.”In the wake of the Tayouneh incident, Nasrallah publicly accused the Lebanese Forces of starting the clashes and demanded that the party’s leadership be held accountable. Consequently, Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea was summoned to testify before Lebanese army intelligence, but he did not comply.
The families of the detainees have been protesting in front of the military court. Antoine Saad, an attorney representing the detainees, said: “Ain Al-Remmaneh will not be a scapegoat."The lawyer added: “The judge is not treating all parties involved in the incident fairly. What was announced about the investigations contradicts what happened in reality.” The former head of the State Shoura Council, Judge Shukri Sader, told Arab News: “Many have complained about the military court that is handling the cases of the Tayouneh and Khalde incidents. It is believed to be an island that operates on its own and that the Supreme Judicial Council has no control over it. Is it permissible to try the victim and exclude the perpetrators?” He added: “The judiciary in Lebanon is a mess; the parties and the legislative and executive authorities are always exerting pressure on it. What is happening in the Beirut port blast probe is proof.”
Sader said the judicial investigator “has been prevented from questioning defendants, particularly political and security officials. Many have attempted to remove him from the case and illegally get their hands on the confidential investigations.”Sader noted: “It is clear that many are trying to influence and pressure the military judiciary.
“To prevent what is happening, the military judiciary’s powers must be limited to only trying military personnel. “Using the ‘terrorist acts’ pretext is abuse. The Tayouneh and Khalde incidents were not acts of terrorism, but a group of thugs roaming the streets, which is the product of warlords controlling the state. “These people do not want a state of law, but rather a farm; a farm that has infiltrated the judiciary.” Former Minister Ahmed Fatfat said that he is not surprised by the military judiciary avoiding arresting Hezbollah militants. “Hezbollah has taken all state institutions hostage, including the military judiciary, and is trying to take over the civil judiciary as well. But civil judges are speaking up, namely Judge Tarek Bitar, who is leading the investigation into the Beirut port blast,” he told Arab News.
Fatfat added: “This has been happening for a long time. Have we forgotten about the pilot officer, Samer Hanna, who was killed in 2008 while his helicopter was flying over an area where Hezbollah was stationed in Sejoud? At the time, Hezbollah sent a man with a hand disability to the military court and said that he was the one who shot down the helicopter. “This man later admitted that he was legally mandated by Hezbollah to say that he did it. The case was closed there and then, and Hezbollah was never held accountable.”He noted: “Some Lebanese parties refuse to admit that Lebanon is under Iranian occupation.
“As long as these parties provide cover for Hezbollah by sharing power, nothing will change. Hezbollah controls the country, but it does not bear responsibility. “People criticize the government and the president and do not realize that Hezbollah is the source of the crisis.”
Fatfat stressed: “We should let Hezbollah rule alone and bear the responsibility. “We should all join the political opposition against it and only then will Hezbollah’s true colors be revealed.
“I don’t know why the Free Patriotic Movement and even Prime Minister Najib Mikati are clinging to power. “What for? I don’t believe they fear another vacuum because the government is already disrupted by a Hezbollah decision.”

International observers vital to protect democratic process in Lebanon’s election
Hanin Ghaddar/Al Arabiya/November 06/2021
When the results of the Iraqi parliamentary elections came out, Iran and its regional proxies were taken aback. The fact that Iran-backed militias lost around 60 percent of their parliamentary seats reflected an Iraqi discontent with the behavior of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) in Iraq. The loss also sheds a dark light on the prospects of the upcoming Lebanese election. For Iran, the victory it scored in the 2018 Lebanese parliament is at risk. Iraq constituted a preview of what might ensue in Lebanon in six months. There are many similarities between the two countries in terms of Iran’s military presence and hegemony over state institutions. In addition, both Lebanon and Iraq witnessed massive street protests in the autumn of 2019, with the same calls for reforms; fury at the political establishment; corruption, and Iranian influence. Like the Iraqi people, the Lebanese public are looking at the March 2022 parliamentary elections as the only chance for change, but without a transparent and secure voting process this will not happen.
The international community must play a crucial official observing role to help the Lebanese people vote safely, without facing the risk of coercion or worse, violence. In Iraq, more than six hundred international observers were present at polling stations, including UN observers. Lebanon is much smaller, and does not need the same number, but it certainly needs the same determination and diplomatic weight. Without international support during this critical phase, Lebanon will lose its last chance to move on from the political deadlock, an economy in freefall, and Iranian influence. We have hit a crossroad where the West readies itself to return to the negotiating table with Iran over its nuclear program while Tehran positions itself to use its powerbase in Lebanon as a bargaining chip. With elections on the horizon, Iran is hitting a known unknown: no international observers will allow it to dictate the outcome, but if observers are present it will lose much of its political muscle. The discontent of the Lebanese voters in their political leaders, the scale of the diaspora’s ability to participate, and the presence of alternative electoral lists all add to the necessity of protecting the democratic process. It is not too late to apply the same international observation tools used in Iraq to oversee the transparency of the polling, and the safety of both the candidates and voters. But more importantly, having them in place ensures that the election take place on time.
In Lebanon, Iran’s main proxy Hezbollah is preparing for all scenarios, and might postpone or cancel the voting if they feel their control over the parliament’s majority is at risk. Creating the conditions to postpone or jeopardize the elections via violence or security risks is very easy, and incidents similar to the Tayyouneh clashes of last month can be repeated without trouble or accountability. Another tool the Iranian regime has in Lebanon is the presidency, the parliament, and the current government, where Hezbollah enjoys the majority and the blocking third. The elections could technically be postponed through legal means. However, this becomes unlikely if international pressure is coordinated and implemented, particularly at a time when Lebanon’s government needs to show signs of goodwill to the international community.
Decisions on the electoral process are taking place as the government prepares for the International Monetary Fund (IMF) negotiations, and while the country receives humanitarian assistance from the West and Arab states. Of course, Hezbollah in Lebanon is more rooted and established than the Iran-backed militias in Iraq, but the terrorist group still needs its allies and votes from other communities. With plummeting support for its main allies in the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM), President Michel Aoun and MP Gebran Bassil, the group risks losing the majority of the parliament.
If Bassil fails to guarantee victory or the government fails to postpone the elections, the political establishment might resort to electoral fraud, which has been common throughout the country’s modern history. To prevent violations from taking place, and to ensure the Lebanese people get the chance to act and move on from their crises, international observers and proper monitoring are vital.

Question: "How can I heal from the hurt of a broken relationship?"
GotQuestions.org?/November 06/2021
Answer: The world is full of people with broken hearts, broken spirits, and broken relationships. The pain of a broken relationship includes a very real sense of personal loss, not unlike bereavement. Sometimes the hurt is so great it prevents people from functioning properly and, in extreme cases, can result in mental breakdown or even a desire to commit suicide. The world puts forward various ways to assuage the pain: taking antidepressants, writing an angry letter and tearing it up, going on a shopping spree, getting a makeover, etc. Some advocate the power of positive thinking. The most common “cure” is time. While the intensity of a heartbreak may wane over time, only a child of God can experience complete recovery because only the Christian has access to the power of the Spirit of God, the One who “heals the broken-hearted and binds up their wounds” (Psalm 147:3).
Jesus understands the pain of rejection. “He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him” (John 1:11). Jesus was betrayed by one of His closest associates (John 6:71; cf. Psalm 41:9). As we deal with the pain of a broken relationship, we must take our burdens to the Lord (1 Peter 5:7). He weeps with those who weep (John 11:35; Romans 12:15), and He is able to “empathize with our weaknesses” (Hebrews 4:15).
A broken relationship can be the source of many negative emotions. Christians understand the futility of allowing their emotions to guide them. Jesus Christ has blessed us with every spiritual blessing and has made us accepted in Him (Ephesians 1:3, 6). This acceptance transcends all feelings of rejection we may have because it is not based on “hope so” but on “know so.” We know that God has accepted us because God’s Word tells us so, and as we appropriate this truth by faith, it changes our hearts and lives.
Everyone experiences the hurt of a broken relationship at one time or another. We are bound to be hurt and disappointed, for we live in a fallen world. What we choose to do with that hurt and disappointment can make us stronger in our walk with the Lord. God promises to walk through the disappointments in life with us (Hebrews 13:5), and He wants us to know His provision for us is sure. His grace and comfort are ours as we rest in Him.
Every born-again child of God has blessings in Christ, but we have to choose to utilize them. Living in constant gloom and dejection over a broken relationship is like having a million dollars in the bank and living like a pauper because we never make a withdrawal. It is also true that we cannot use what we do not know. Therefore, every believer should seek to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord” (2 Peter 3:18) and to be “transformed by the renewing of [his] mind” (Romans 12:2). We must face life armed with a real understanding of what it means to walk by faith.
As believers we are not defined by past failures, disappointment, or the rejection of others. We are defined by our relationship with God. We are His children, born again to newness of life, endowed with every spiritual blessing, and accepted in Christ Jesus. We have the faith that overcomes the world (1 John 5:4)
God has prepared for each of us unique opportunities to walk through the “all things” of this life. We can either walk in our own strength and what the apostle Paul calls our “flesh,” or we can walk in the power of the Holy Spirit. It is our choice. God has provided us with armor, but it is up to us to wear it (Ephesians 6:11–18).
We may suffer disappointment in this life, but we are children of the King, and the rejection we experience is a momentary pain compared to eternal glory. We can allow it to keep us down, or we can claim the heritage of a child of God and move forward in His grace. Like Paul, we can be “forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead” (Philippians 3:13).
Forgiveness of others is important to the healing process. Holding on to bitterness or nursing a grudge only poisons our own spirit. Yes, we may have been truly wronged, and, yes, the pain is real, but there is freedom in forgiveness. Forgiveness is a gift we can give because it was given to us by the Lord Jesus Christ (Ephesians 4:32).
What a comfort to know the God who said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5). God is always near to comfort the believer. “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles” (2 Corinthians 1:3–4). God, who cannot lie, has promised to go through our trials with us: “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze” (Isaiah 43:2).
“Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken” (Psalm 55:22). In reality, feelings come from thoughts, so, to change how we feel, we should change how we think. And this is what God wants us to do. In Philippians 2:5, Christians are told, “Have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.” In Philippians 4:8, Christians are told to think on things that are true, noble, just, pure, lovely, of good report, and praiseworthy. Colossians 3:2 says to “set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” As we do this, our feelings of rejection diminish.
Overcoming the hurt of a broken relationship requires taking one day at a time, praying for God’s guidance, and reading and meditating on God’s Word. The healing can never come from our own efforts; it comes only from the Lord. It helps to take our eyes off ourselves and focus on God instead. He can make us whole. He can take our brokenness and make us into what He wants us to be. A broken relationship is painful, but the Lord is gracious. He can give our lives meaning, purpose, and joy. Jesus said, “Whoever comes to me I will never drive away” (John 6:37). Our Lord’s relationship with His children is one that will never be broken.

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on November 06-07/2021
Iraq military: PM targeted in failed ‘assassination’ attempt, drone struck his house
Tuqa Khalid, Al Arabiya English/ 07 November ,2021
Iraq’s Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi was targeted in a “failed assassination attempt” after an explosive-laden drone struck his residence in Baghdad, Iraqi military said early Sunday. Kadhimi was unharmed in the attack and is in good health, the military said, adding that it was taking the necessary measures in connection with the failed attempt. Kadhimi took to Twitter soon after the attack and said he was fine and called for calm and restraint from the public. “The rockets of treachery will not discourage the believers… The steadfastness and insistence of our heroic security forces will not falter as they work to preserve the security of the people, achieve justice and enforce the law,” he said. “I am fine, praise be to God, among my people, and I call for calm and restraint from everyone, for the sake of Iraq,” Kadhimi added. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. Al Arabiya’s correspondent in Baghdad reported heavy gunfire exchange near the Green Zone, where Kadhimi's house is located along with the US embassy and other missions. Earlier on Saturday, pro-Iran Hashed al-Shaabi Shia militia supporters have camped outside one of the gates of the Green Zone, demonstrating against the results of last month's election, a day after a protestor was killed in clashes with security forces.

Injuries reported after drone attack on Iraqi prime minister’s residence - Al Arabiya/November 07, 2021
RIYADH: There have been injuries after an attack on the residence of the Iraqi prime minister, according to Al Arabiya TV. Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi was unharmed in the attack, according to officials.
Al Arabiya correspondent said a drone was used in the attack in Baghdad. Al-Kadhimi on Friday ordered the formation of a committee to investigate clashes between Iraqi security forces and supporters of parties that are disputing the results of a general election in October.

In defiant posture, Iran flaunts higher uranium enrichment level
The Arab Weekly/November 06/2021
TEHRAN, Iran— Iran’s atomic agency said Friday that its stockpile of 20% enriched uranium has reached over 210 kilogrammes, the latest defiant move ahead of upcoming nuclear talks with the West. The figure, attributed to agency spokesman Behrouz Kamalvan, was carried in a report by the semi-official Tasnim and Fars news agencies. Under the historic 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and the World Powers, Iran was not meant to enrich uranium above 3.67 percent. Enriched uranium above 90 percent can be used for nuclear weapons. After months of delays, the European Union, Iran and the US announced Wednesday that indirect talks to resuscitate the deal would resume on Nov. 29 in Vienna. The nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA, promises Iran economic incentives in exchange for limits on its nuclear program, and is meant to prevent Tehran from developing a nuclear bomb. Tehran insists its programme is peaceful. Kamalvandi also said that so far his agency has also produced 25 kilogrammes of 60% enriched uranium, a level that only countries with nuclear weapons have the physical capabilities to produce. The US unilaterally pulled out of the nuclear deal in 2018 under then-President Donald Trump, but Britain, France, Germany, China and Russia have tried to preserve the accord. Tehran’s strategy of deliberately violating the deal is seen as an attempt to put pressure particularly on Europe to provide it with incentives to offset crippling American sanctions re-imposed after the US pullout. On September 15, Iran’s nuclear chief Mohammad Eslami said Tehran removed surveillance cameras belonging to the United Nation’s nuclear watchdog because of unfulfilled commitments by other signatories of the nuclear deal. US President Joe Biden and European leaders criticised Tehran last week for what it saw as accelerated and provocative nuclear steps as Iran continues to enrich uranium to a higher levels. With the talks in Vienna now stalled, Iran has breached limits set by the accord and is enriching small amounts of uranium to its closest-ever levels to weapons-grade purity as its stockpile continues to grow. Iran says its nuclear program is only for peaceful purposes.

Pro-Iranian parties use street pressure to reverse losses in elections, spark violence
The Arab Weekly/November 06/2021
BAGHDAD--Street protests in Iraq over the results of the October 10 elections have sparked clashes with Iraqi security and led to bloodshed but did not seem to have met the expectations of their instigators. Political sources in Baghdad told The Arab Weekly that Iraqi political parties that had failed to win the recently-held elections could not mobilise huge crowds in sufficient numbers on Friday to put pressure on the leader of the Sadrist movement, Muqtada al-Sadr, who is said to have won the largest bloc in the elections. Pro-Iranian Shia factions are believed to have sought through the protests to improve the terms of negotiation with the Sadrist movement over the election outcome and their share in the next government. “Instead of proving their strength, these parties revealed the limits of support base, as the attendance of the protests was not as large as they had hoped,” said a source. Organisers of the protests wanted also to put pressure on the Electoral Commission in order to push it to change the voting results based on the new manual counting process. But results of the process have confirmed until now the already announced election scores. The Al-Fateh Alliance, which represents the Hashed al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilisation Forces- PMF) had issued clear threats to the Electoral Commission threatening to bring it down through the protests. Analysts say the “coordinating framework”, the umbrella group that brings together the parties that have lost the elections, is seeking to make up for its political decline by waving the threat of a PMF-backed escalation. Their manoeuvre is unlikely, however, to yield results. The “coordinating framework” includes the Rule of Law party headed by Nuri al-Maliki and the Fatah Alliance, which brings together the Popular Mobilisation militias led by Hadi al-Amiri.
Violence in the streets
An Iraqi protester was killed and more than 100 people injured Friday as police clashed with demonstrators venting their fury over last month’s election result, medical and security sources said. The political arm of the pro-Iran Hashed al-Shaabi paramilitary network saw its share of parliamentary seats decline substantially in the election, which the group’s supporters have denounced as “fraud”. On Friday, hundreds of Hashed supporters rallied in Baghdad near the Green Zone, a high-security district that houses the US embassy, government buildings and the Election Commission. Demonstrators from groups loyal to the Hashed threw projectiles and “blocked… access to the Green Zone” on three sides, before they were pushed back by police who fired in the air, a security source said, requesting anonymity. “There were 125 people injured, 27 of them civilians and the rest from the security forces,” the health ministry said. Later a security source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said a protester had been fatally wounded and died in hospital. Earlier, some pro-Iran channels on messaging app Telegram said police fired live rounds at protesters. “Two demonstrators were killed,” a leader of the Hezbollah Brigades, one of Hashed’s most powerful factions said. But the health ministry said no live rounds were fired, insisting that most of those wounded suffered minor injuries. A Hezbollah Brigade source said that after a brief lull, clashes resumed in the evening near the Green Zone, accusing security forces of torching protester tents in the area. Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi “ordered a full inquiry into Friday’s events,” his office said, while President Barham Salih urged restraint. The UN mission in Iraq said it “regrets the escalation of violence and the ensuing injuries in Baghdad today”.“We call on all sides to exercise maximum restraint, for the right to peaceful protest to be respected and for the demonstrations to remain peaceful.” The Fatah (conquest) Alliance, the political arm of the multi-party Hashed, won around 15 of the 329 seats in parliament, according to preliminary results. In the last parliament it held 48, making it the second-largest bloc. The big winner this time, with more than 70 seats according to the initial count, was the movement of Moqtada Sadr, a Shia Muslim cleric who campaigned as a nationalist and critic of Iran although no an opponent of Tehran. In a tweet on Friday, Sadr took no side over the clashes, condemning all violence whether from demonstrators or from the security forces.
Pro-Iran factions
The security source said that the protesters were mainly drawn from two Hashed factions, the Hezbollah Brigades and Assaib Ahl al-Haq. The Hezbollah Brigades dubbed last month’s election the “worst” since 2003, when Saddam Hussein was toppled in a US-led invasion.
The Hashed demands the withdrawal from Iraq of remaining US troops, who number about 2,500. The Hashed were integrated into state security forces and the political arm rode a wave of popularity to perform strongly in the 2018 election. An unprecedented protest movement broke out in 2019 and railed against the political class running the oil-rich but poverty-stricken country where youth unemployment is soaring. The election was brought forward as a concession to the protesters, who also complained that Iraq was beholden to Iran. Factions of the Hashed have faced accusations of targeting activists. Final election results are expected within weeks. Despite its losses in parliament, the Hashed will remain a political force as the country’s myriad of factions engage in marathon negotiations to form alliances and name a new prime minister.

France casts doubts on future of Sudan debt relief
The Arab Weekly/November 06/2021
PARIS--The military coup in Sudan has called into question the so-called Paris Club process allowing rich nations to cancel the African country’s debt, the French foreign ministry said on Friday. The announcement was the latest move by Western powers to put pressure on the Sudanese military, which seized power in a coup on Oct. 25. A deal was reached by the club of around 20 wealthy nations on July 15, cancelling much of the debt owed by Sudan to help it back into the international fold. Speaking to reporters in a daily briefing on Friday, Foreign ministry spokeswoman Anne-Claire Legendre said Paris had been an “unwavering” partner for Sudan and that the general debt cancellation programme as part of the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative was agreed at a conference in Paris in May. “A Paris Club agreement was reached on July 15, each creditor now having to sign a bilateral agreement with Sudan,” Legendre told reporters, responding to a question on whether Paris was reviewing its debt cancellation promise. “It is clear that the military coup of October 25 calls into question this process.”At that conference President Emmanuel Macron had vowed to cancel about $5 billion France is owed by Khartoum, provided a loan to clear Sudan’s arrears to the International Monetary Fund and organised a side event promoting investment into the country. In late October, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, Sudan’s de facto leader since strongman Omar al-Bashir was ousted in 2019, dissolved the government, detained civilian leaders, and declared a state of emergency. Sudan is wheezing under nearly $60 billion of debt, 40 percent of which — or $23.5 billion — is held by the Paris Club.
Under the July agreement, the Paris Club decided to cancel $14.1 billion of that debt and reschedule the rest. And at some point in the future, most of the rescheduled debt was likely to be cancelled as well. Sudan piled up heavy foreign debts under Bashir, who was ousted in an April 2019 palace coup following mass protests. But in order for the debt to be cancelled, Khartoum had to fulfil two conditions — clear its arrears with multilateral institutions such as the International Monetary Fund, World Bank and the African Development Bank, and implement “economic reforms showing the seriousness and rigour of the authorities,” the French ministry said on Friday.Mediators are trying to help Sudanese political protagonists reach a settlement easing the way for resumption of the civilian-military partnership. But despite promises of ‘imminent’ resolution, the military does not seem willing to relinquish power, yet. In a sign the junta is tightening its control, the military dissolved the boards of all state companies and national agricultural projects, state TV said on Friday. Under growing international and domestic pressure, the military rulers were challenged by a leading civilian group to release three political figures it said had been arrested after meeting an envoy for the United Nations.Last week’s takeover halted power-sharing between the military and civilians which was agreed after the overthrow of Bashir 2 1/2 years ago and meant to lead to elections by the end of 2023.

Israel suggests US open consulate for Palestinians in West Bank, not Jerusalem
Reuters/07 November ,2021
Israel stepped up its public opposition on Saturday to a plan by President Joe Biden's administration to reopen a US consulate for Palestinians in Jerusalem, suggesting such a mission should be in the occupied West Bank. Under former President Donald Trump, Washington delighted Israelis and outraged Palestinians by closing the Jerusalem consulate and placing its staff within the US Embassy to Israel that was moved to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv in 2018. Palestinians want East Jerusalem as the capital of a future state and saw the US initiative to move its embassy as undermining that aspiration. Israel, which captured East Jerusalem in 1967, calls Jerusalem its indivisible capital. Seeking to repair ties with Palestinians, the Biden administration has said it would reopen the consulate, although it has not given a date. “My position, and it was presented to the Americans ... is that there is no place for a US consulate which serves the Palestinians in Jerusalem. We are voicing our opinion consistently, quietly, without drama,” Prime Minister Naftali Bennett told reporters. Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, speaking next to Bennett, proposed reopening the consulate in the de-facto seat of Palestinian government in Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank. “If they (the United States) want to open a consulate in Ramallah, we have no problem with that,” he said. In Ramallah, the spokesman of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas rejected Lapid's comments. “We will only accept a US consulate in Jerusalem, the capital of the Palestinian state. That was what the US administration had announced and had committed itself to doing,” Nabil Abu Rudeineh told Reuters. Spokespeople for the US Embassy did not immediately comment. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said last month Washington would "be moving forward with the process of opening a consulate as part of deepening of those ties with the Palestinians", although one of his senior staff also said Israel's rejection of the plan was an obstacle. “My understanding (is) that we need the consent of the host government to open any diplomatic facility,” Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources Brian McKeon said during a US Senate hearing when queried on the consulate standoff.

Libya FM Minister Najla al-Mangoush suspended days before intl. conference
AFP/Published: 07 November ,2021
Libya's presidential council has suspended Foreign Minister Najla al-Mangoush from her duties and barred her from travel, a spokeswoman said Saturday, days before a major international conference. The council opened an inquiry into alleged “administrative breaches” by Mangoush, spokeswoman Najla Weheba told the Libya Panorama television channel, while El-Marsad news website close to eastern-based Khalifa Haftar said she took foreign policy decisions without consulting the council.US Vice President Kamala Harris is due to join French President Emmanuel Macron and other world leaders at a conference on Libya in Paris on November 12.

Turkey’s pro-Kurdish HDP says banning case should be thrown out
Reuters/November 07, 2021
ISTANBUL: An indictment which aims to ban Turkey’s Democratic Peoples’ Party, known as HDP, was prepared for political reasons and should be thrown out, an HDP official said on Saturday, a day after it submitted an initial defense to Turkey’s top court. Turkey’s Constitutional Court accepted the indictment against the pro-Kurdish HDP in June. The measure calls for the party to be shut down over alleged ties to militants. But the HDP denies any such ties and describes the case as a “political operation.” The case, brought by prosecutors at the Court of Cassation, follows a years-long crackdown on the HDP, in which thousands of its members have been tried on mainly terrorism-related charges. The party submitted its initial defense to the Constitutional Court on Friday. Umit Dede, a deputy chair of the HDP, told reporters on Saturday the initial defense did not address each allegation individually but sought to highlight procedural issues. “This case was prepared as a result of the pressure put on the chief prosecutors of the Court of Cassation by the ruling party and its partners. Therefore, in our defense we presented this matter to the attention of the Constitutional Court with evidence,” Dede said.
The party will address allegations individually after the prosecutor submits his analysis to the court, but the case should be thrown out before that, Dede said. Turkey has a long history of shutting down political parties, including pro-Kurdish ones. Critics say its judiciary is subject to political influence, a claim denied by the ruling AK Party and its nationalist MHP allies. Court of Cassation chief prosecutor Bekir Sahin said in the indictment that the HDP acts together with the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militant group, and aims to break the unity of the state. The HDP is Turkey’s third-largest party, with 55 seats in the 600-member parliament. The PKK is designated a terrorist group by Turkey, the US and EU. It has fought an insurgency since 1984 in which more than 40,000 people have been killed.

At Least 8 Dead after Crush at Texas Music Festival
Agence France Presse/November 06/2021
At least eight people died and several were wounded in a crush at the Astroworld music festival in the southern U.S. state of Texas on Friday night, authorities said. Houston fire chief Samuel Pena said the incident began at around 9 pm when "the crowd began to compress towards the front of the stage". "That caused some panic and it started causing some injuries, people began to fall out, become unconscious and it created additional panic," Pena said at a press conference outside NRG Park."We had at least eight confirmed fatalities tonight and scores of individuals that were injured," he said, adding the cause of death cannot be confirmed until after medical exams are completed. "We transported 17 patients to the hospital... 11 of those that were transported were in cardiac arrest," he said. Around 50,000 people were in the crowd at American rapper Travis Scott's Astroworld Festival, Pena added. Scott was on stage when the incident occurred and stopped his act on several occasions when he saw fans in distress near the stage, the Houston Chronicle reported. Houston police said they were investigating the cause of the mass casualty incident and looking at video footage from the arena. "Over the course of just a few minutes, suddenly we had several people down on the ground experience some type of cardiac arrest," police chief Larry J Satterwhite said, adding they then met with concert organizers and the event was ended.  Authorities later said the festival has been cancelled and will not continue on Saturday. Footage from NRG park circulating on social media showed scores of people rushing the gates with security at the gates unable to contain the flow. Several people could be seen falling over, bringing down the metal detectors at the arena entrance but it is unclear if that incident was linked to the deaths. However, authorities said more than 300 people were injured throughout the day at the event, including those with minor scrapes and bruises. Astroworld is a music festival created by Scott and launched in 2018. The 29-year-old rapper, who has a child with celebrity socialite Kylie Jenner, made his breakthrough in 2013 and has had six Grammy nominations. Other acts scheduled to play the festival over the weekend included the rappers Chief Keef and 21 Savage, as well as the Australian rock act Tame Impala. During Scott's headline set late Friday, he was joined onstage by Canadian rap superstar Drake.

The Era of Anti-Covid Pills Begins
Agence France Presse/November 06/2021
What if a simple pill could help heal from Covid-19?
U.S. pharma giants Merck and Pfizer have announced encouraging results for oral drugs, while an anti-depressant has also shown promise in what could open up a new chapter in the fight against the pandemic.
- What are these treatments ? -
They are pills taken orally as soon as the first symptoms of Covid-19 appear, to avoid serious forms of the illness, and therefore hospitalization. This form of treatment has been sought since the start of the global health crisis. After months of research, Merck and Pfizer say they have reached that elusive goal. Early October, Merck said it was seeking authorization in the United States for its pill molnupiravir, and Pfizer followed suit on Friday with paxlovid. They are both anti-virals that act by reducing the virus's ability to replicate, slowing down the disease. Both companies say clinical trials showed a strong reduction in the risk of hospitalization. Those who took molnupiravir saw that risk diminish by 50 percent and those who took paxlovid by nearly 90 percent, although direct comparisons of these efficacy rates should be avoided because of the different study protocols. An anti-depressant which is already available to the public, fluvoxamine, has also shown encouraging results in preventing serious forms of Covid-19, according to a study published in October by Brazilian researchers in the Lancet Global Health journal.
Why are they important?
If the efficacy of these drugs is confirmed, it will be a major step forward in the fight against Covid-19. They would add to vaccines to bolster the world's therapeutic arsenal against the virus. Treatments already exist, mostly in the form of synthetic antibodies. But these drugs, which usually target those who already have severe forms of the disease, are injected and therefore more difficult to administer. A pill can be quickly prescribed to a patient who will then take it easily at home. Merck and Pfizer's treatments, which so far have not shown many side effects, would entail taking around 10 doses over five days. "The success of these antivirals potentially marks a new era in our ability to prevent the severe consequences of SARS-CoV2 infection," British virologist Stephen Griffin told the Science Media Center.
What limitations
It is difficult so far to properly evaluate Merck and Pfizer's treatments given both groups have only published statements and have not made the data of their clinical trials available. French infectious diseases specialist Karine Lacombe warned in September that these types of announcements should be treated with "caution" until the studies can be scrutinized. She pointed out that these treatments represent a "potentially enormous" market for pharmaceutical groups. Nevertheless, some elements indicate that Merck and Pfizer are not making empty promises. For one, they both stopped their clinical trials earlier than expected as the results were so strong, with the okay of independent monitoring committees. Where fluvoxamine is concerned, the data is available but is not without criticism. Several researchers have complained that the authors did not just limit themselves to evaluating the frequency of hospitalizations, but also assessed the frequency of prolonged emergency room stays. This, they say, complicated the interpretation of data.
- When? And how much? -
Merck's molnupiravir has already been approved in the United Kingdom where health authorities on Thursday gave their green light to its use in patients at risk of developing a serious form of the illness, such as the elderly, obese people, or those suffering from diabetes.US and EU health authorities are also urgently reviewing the drug. The European Medicines Agency promised on Thursday to "accelerate" proceedings, without giving a firm date. Several countries have already ordered stocks of molnupiravir, such as the United States, with 1.7 million courses of the drug. The U.S. order gives an idea of the steep price of the drug. It comes to $1.2 billion, which equates to around $700 for a five-day course. As for Pfizer, while it has not outlined a price for paxlovid, it has promised it will be "affordable" and subject to a tiered pricing approach based on the income level of countries.

Taliban Confirm Reports Four Women Killed in Northern Afghanistan
Agence France Presse/November 06/2021
Four women have been found dead in the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif, a spokesman for Afghanistan's Taliban government said on Saturday, following reports that activists had been killed. Two suspects have been arrested after the four bodies were found at a house in the city's fifth police district, interior ministry spokesman Qari Sayed Khosti said in a video statement. "The arrested people have admitted in initial interrogation that the women were invited to the house by them. Further investigations are under way and the case has been referred to court," he said. Khosti did not identify the victims, but a source in Mazar-i-Sharif told AFP that at least one of the dead was a women's rights activist, whose family does not wish to speak to the media. A report on BBC Persian, citing civil society sources, said the four women were friends and colleagues who had hoped to travel to Mazar-i-Sharif airport for a flight out of the country. A rights group source told AFP on condition of anonymity that the women received a call that they thought was an invitation to join an evacuation flight and were picked up by a car, only to be found dead later. The Taliban, who seized power in Afghanistan in August after a 20-year war against the former US-backed government, are a deeply conservative Islamist movement. Under their last period of rule women were banned from public life and since the group's return to government many rights activists have fled the country. Some women who remained have held street protests in Kabul demanding that their rights be respected and that girls be allowed to attend public high schools. Taliban fighters have broken up some of the protests, and the government has threatened to arrest any journalists covering unauthorized gatherings. But the movement's leaders have insisted that their fighters are not authorized to kill activists and have promised that any who do will be punished.

Canada/Joint Statement on release of OHCHR-EHRC joint investigation
November 06/2021
Joint Statement on release of OHCHR-EHRC joint investigation, November 6, 2021
We, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States, would like to extend our gratitude to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) for their joint effort to investigate allegations of human rights violations and abuses, and of serious violations of international humanitarian law and international refugee law, committed by parties to the conflict in the Tigray region of Ethiopia between November 3, 2020, and June 28, 2021.
Notwithstanding the considerable challenges faced in gaining access to places, people and documentation, we commend OHCHR and EHRC for their impartial and transparent work. We also underscore the value of the investigation’s collection and documentation of human rights abuses and violations, and violations of international humanitarian law, for the purpose of supporting justice and accountability on behalf of victims and survivors. We underscore the concern expressed by High Commissioner Bachelet regarding continued restrictions on access for humanitarian organizations.
It is imperative to ensure meaningful and systematic accountability of those responsible for such abuses and violations. The report demonstrates the need for further investigations into abuses and violations documented in the report as well as into allegations arising since June 28, 2021.
The findings of the investigation included in the joint report are grave, and there are reasonable grounds to believe that abuses and violations of human rights, and violations of international humanitarian law, such as those involving attacks on civilians and civilian objects, unlawful or extra-judicial killings and executions, torture and other forms of ill-treatment, arbitrary detention, abductions and enforced disappearances, and sexual and gender-based violence, have taken place. The authors of the report conclude that some of these violations and abuses may amount to crimes against humanity and war crimes. These acts have resulted in suffering and distress as well as an atmosphere of terror and widespread fear among the civilian population. The report highlights widespread impunity for those responsible for these acts and lack of access to support for those who have been targeted, as well as for witnesses.
We strongly encourage all parties to the conflict to accept and implement the findings and recommendations. It is critical that all those responsible for violations and abuses of human rights and violations of international humanitarian law referenced in the report are held to account, and the governments of Ethiopia and Eritrea should ensure there are credible investigations.
In that regard, we acknowledge the Government of Ethiopia’s commitment to provide redress to victims of the violations and abuses identified in the report, noting, in particular, the need for redress and support for victims of gender-based atrocities. We urge a similar commitment be made by the Government of Eritrea and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front, and all other parties to the conflict.
We also welcome the Government of Ethiopia’s commitment to a transitional justice process and its decision to establish a special prosecutor’s office and a dedicated judicial bench to oversee cases involving defendants accused of committing the violations referenced in the joint report.
All parties must comply with their obligations under international humanitarian law, including with respect to the protection of civilians and humanitarian personnel. We also call for the immediate withdrawal of Eritrean forces in Ethiopia and underline the need for the Government of Eritrea to ensure accountability for violations and abuses committed by its forces in Tigray.
Truth, justice and accountability for victims and survivors requires more than investigations and prosecutions. We call on governing authorities to expand health services for survivors, including psychological support and sexual and reproductive health care, and support for community-based care, including by ceasing actions that continue to hinder humanitarian access. We reiterate our call for an inclusive national dialogue, which includes the full, equal and meaningful participation of women and youth, peacebuilders and community leaders.
Now, more than ever, the findings in the report make it abundantly clear that, as the war in northern Ethiopia rages on, the human toll of the conflict will continue to mount, not only through the conflict but also through starvation. As the risk of further atrocities increases, we call on all parties to immediately cease hostilities, end impunity for attacks on humanitarian personnel, and cease other actions that continue to hinder the delivery of urgent life-saving assistance to the people impacted. All parties must enter into negotiations without preconditions on a durable ceasefire and commit to achieving a durable peace, underscored by justice and accountability, that will enable future efforts towards reconciliation. Justice and accountability are crucial components of sustainable peace.
We support the stability, unity and territorial integrity of Ethiopia. We look forward to working with the African Union’s High Representative for the Horn of Africa and with the United Nations in efforts to cease hostilities, end impunity and support a lasting solution to issues of peace and security.
Signed,
Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States

The Latest The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on November 06-07/2021
د. ماجد رافيزادا/معهد كايتستون: إدارة الرئيس بايدن صامتة فيما الإتحاد الإوروبي والصين وإيران ينتهكون العقوبات الأميركية
Biden Admin Silent as EU, Iran and China Freely Violate US Sanctions
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Gatestone Institute/November 06/2021
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/103918/dr-majid-rafizadeh-gatestone-institute-biden-admin-silent-as-eu-iran-and-china-freely-violate-us-sanctions-%d8%af-%d9%85%d8%a7%d8%ac%d8%af-%d8%b1%d8%a7%d9%81%d9%8a%d8%b2%d8%a7%d8%af%d8%a7-%d9%85/
The Trump administration sent a robust message that violating sanctions would not be tolerated. But since the Biden administration came to power, it seems that almost everyone has been violating the US sanctions in Iran, China or wherever, and no one is being held accountable.
The Biden administration appears not to be taking any action against countries such as China or Iran, which continue freely to violate sanctions while using the revenues to bulk up their war machines.
This US passivity seems due an emerging pattern from the Biden administration of serial surrenders, as seen recently in Afghanistan, on the pretext that “We still believe diplomacy is the best path forward” — without the threat of an alternative outcome.
This US inaction also seems due to the false belief and myth, which the Obama administration seems to have held as well, that if you appease predatory regimes — if you side with the mullahs rather than your old regional allies such as Israel — then the ruling mullahs will suddenly change their behavior and become constructive players in the Middle East. The eight years of appeasement towards them by the Obama administration only further empowered the Iranian regime and happily bankrolled their military adventurism and nuclear program.
Since the Biden administration came to power, it seems that almost everyone has been violating the US sanctions in Iran, China or wherever, and no one is being held accountable. The Biden administration appears not to be taking any action against countries such as China or Iran, which continue freely to violate sanctions while using the revenues to bulk up their war machines.
One of the reasons behind US sanctions is to financially pressure a rogue state, such the Iranian regime, to halt its destabilizing behavior and its march towards acquiring a nuclear bomb. But if sanctions are being freely violated without any consequences, there is no incentive for a predatory and dangerous regime such as Iran to stop its malign activities.
Although the US sanctions did have a negative impact on Iran’s economy when they were first re-imposed by the Trump administration in 2018, they have become far less effective as many countries ignored and violated them — all while the Biden administration has not been taking any action to deter, disincentivize or punish those who breach the sanctions.
According to the US Treasury Department, persons and entities that are neither American nor Iranian will be sanctioned if they trade with the Iranian regime. The Treasury Department has clearly warned that the Iran sanctions are not limited to just Iranian or US entities:
“Consistent with this guidance from the President, the Department of State has revoked certain statutory waivers issued to implement the JCPOA sanctions relief, issued the necessary sanctions waivers to provide for an appropriate wind-down period, and plans to take appropriate action to keep such waivers in place for the duration of the relevant wind-down period, i.e., until August 6, 2018, or November 4, 2018, depending on the activity. Non-U.S., non-Iranian persons are advised to use these time periods to wind- down their activities with or involving Iran that will become sanctionable at the end of the applicable wind-down period.”
The Trump administration was holding those who violated sanctions and did business with sanctioned entities accountable. In 2018, for instance, Communist China’s Meng Wanzhou, the Chief Financial Officer of Huawei, the world’s largest telecom equipment maker, was arrested in Canada at the request of American authorities. Under the Biden administration, however, she was released to return to China. China’s ZTE Corp pled guilty to breaking US sanctions against the Iranian regime during the Trump administration. The Trump administration sent a robust message that violating sanctions would not be tolerated. But since the Biden administration came to power, it seems that almost everyone is freely violating the US sanctions on Iran, China or wherever, and no one is being held accountable.
The Iranian regime, for its part, is finding customers to buy its oil and with whom to trade in spite of the sanctions. The sanctions therefore are not crippling the regime financially even slightly, let alone bringing it to its knees. Before the US Department of the Treasury leveled secondary sanctions against Iran’s oil and gas sectors in 2018, for example, Tehran was exporting more than two million barrels of oil a day. In 2019 and 2020, Iran’s oil exports went down to fewer than 200,000 barrel a day, representing a decline of roughly 90%. This shift took place after the Trump administration decided not to extend its waiver for Iran’s eight biggest oil buyers; China, India, Greece, Italy, Taiwan, Japan, Turkey and South Korea.
In 2021, though, right after the Biden administration took office, China ramped up its oil imports from by Iran increasing them from 200,000 a day to nearly one million barrels a day. In other words, Iran is exporting approximately five times more oil than at its nadir in 2019 and 2020. Central Asian countries are also continuing to trade with the Iranian regime. As the sale of oil accounts for more than 80% of the country’s export revenues, Iran’s regime relies heavily on oil exports.
Additionally, in spite of the US sanctions, the European countries are freely trading with Tehran. From January to July 2021, the EU’s trade with Iran brought roughly $3 billion to the regime. The Financial Tribune reports:
“Germany remained the top trading partner of Iran during the seven months under review, as the two countries exchanged €1.01 billion worth of goods.”
“Italy came next with €347.96 million worth of trade with Iran…. The Netherlands with €264.48 million (down 9.23%), Spain with €178.33 million (up 9.25%) and Belgium with €140.14 million (up 6.79%) were Iran’s other major European trading partners. Estonia registered the highest growth of 709.52% in trade with Iran during the seven months under review. Malta with 471.77%, Romania with 284.86% and Croatia with 169.12% came next.”
Iran’s commodities exports to the EU in the first six month of 2021 was worth nearly half a billion:
“Iran exported €475.75 million worth of commodities to EU during the seven-month period, indicating an 8.08% growth compared with the similar period of the previous year. Germany with €162.38 million, Italy with €96 million, Spain with €48 million, Romania with €35 million and Bulgaria with €22 million were the main export destinations.”
The objectives behind the sanctions are to cut off the flow of funds to the Iranian regime and significantly impact its efforts to advance its nuclear program as well as fund and sponsor terrorist and militia groups across the region.
The Biden administration appears not to be taking any action against countries such as China or Iran, which continue freely to violate sanctions while using the revenues to bulk up their war machines.
This US passivity seems due an emerging pattern from the Biden administration of serial surrenders, as seen recently in Afghanistan, on the pretext that “We still believe diplomacy is the best path forward” — without the threat of an alternative outcome.
This US inaction also seems due to the false belief and myth, which the Obama administration seems to have held as well, that if you appease predatory regimes — if you side with the mullahs rather than your old regional allies such as Israel — then the ruling mullahs will suddenly change their behavior and become constructive players in the Middle East. The eight years of appeasement towards them by the Obama administration only further empowered the Iranian regime and happily bankrolled their military adventurism and nuclear program.
History has proven again and again that appeasing a rogue state will only embolden it. As Winston Churchill warned:
“Each one hopes that if he feeds the crocodile enough, the crocodile will eat him last. All of them hope that the storm will pass before their turn comes to be devoured. But I fear, I fear greatly, the storm will not pass.”

Iran, everywhere?
Ibrahim al-Zobeidi/The Arab Weekly/November 06/2021
A few months ago, the father-in-law of the Iranian president, Ibrahim Raisi, the Friday Imam in Mashhad, Mullah Alam Al-Huda, delivered a sermon where he spoke openly about the reality of the Iraqi, Lebanese, Syrian, Yemeni and Palestinian proxy militias and their functions.
He actually said, “Iran today is not limited by geographical borders. Today, Iran is the Popular Mobilisation Forces. It is also Lebanon’s Hezbollah. It is Ansar Allah in Yemen. It is the National Front in Syria. It is the Islamic Jihad and Hamas in Palestine and aren’t the Yemeni drones that caused such damage to the Saudis also Iran?” You say that the drones came from the north and not from the south. North or south, what is the difference? Iran is both.
And then, on September 25, the commander of the Khatam al-Anbiya headquarters of the Revolutionary Guards, Major General Ghulam Ali Rashid, came out with a similar statement in which he said, “The former commander of the Quds Force, Qassem Soleimani, had informed the leaders of the Iranian armed forces three months before his assassination that he had created an axis of six armies.
He listed them as “Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) and Islamic Jihad in Palestine, Ansar Allah forces (Houthis) in Yemen, the Popular Mobilisation Forces in Iraq and the Syrian army.” These are “the deterrent force against attacks on Iran.”
From these statements, three things emerge even if the Iranian mullahs, who are blinded by racism and arrogance, cannot not see them.
The first is that large numbers of conscripts were driven by compelling need to join these armies, which, they know very well, are not intended to defend the Shia sect or the Iraqi state. Their goal is to kill anyone who opposes Iranian occupation, even if he is the most faithful and loyal of Shia. The second is that serious shifts have occurred in the region and the world, which do not serve the interests of the Tehran regime and its expansionist project. These shifts are instead ratcheting up pressure on the regime and on the Iranian people as well. But the religious clerics in Tehran do not see the danger and do not understand that the era of conquest and occupation is over. Those who deny this are enemies of truth, freedom, justice and human rights. Resisting them is the right thing to do. What happened and is happening in Iraq since October 2019 until today, especially what the recent elections did to pro-Iran loyalists, regardless of Muqtada al-Sadr’s unconvincing new stances, all add to the the popular Shia resentment against the Iranian presence and the denunciation of Hezbollah by the Lebanese people, Israeli strikes, especially in Syria, the stalemate where the Houthis are mired and the dire situation of Iran’s militias in Syria. All are indications that these “six armies” are nothing more than fragile entities that will not be able to avoid their dark fate.
As for the third, the mounting domestic dissent against the regime is not simply due to the huge sums wasted by Tehran on wars and conspiracies and on the financing and arming of militias. There is also a worsening unemployment crisis, the lack of job opportunities and the low standard of living because of the failure of government policies and the outbreak of the pandemic, along with stifling US sanctions.
Data issued by the Iranian Statistics Centre showed that the number of unemployed has increased by two million during the first quarter of the last Persian year.
Javad Hassanzadeh, head of the Iranian Statistical Centre, revealed in a new report that “many companies have suspended their activities completely or partially in recent months.”
Iranian Oil Minister Javad Oji announced in a meeting held by the General Budget Coordination Committee that his country needs $160 billion to revive oil and gas projects suspended due to sanctions.
In an effort to compensate for these losses, the regime is forced to strap citizens with more taxes, fees and penalties.
The regime’s insistence on acquiring a nuclear weapon has increased its isolation and that of the Iranian people.
If the United States or Israel feel compelled to use force to destroy the reactors, this would mean to the Iranian people that the millions invested in the project will go in smoke. It would also mean that the burden of sanctions borne for years by these citizens would have been for naught and should not be forgiven. After all this, is Iran still everywhere?

Foreign meddlers can’t keep their noses out of Libya
Hafed Al-Ghwell/Arab News/November 06/2021
Libya is the perfect demonstration of the inevitable repercussions of failing to plan for the aftermath of a misguided foreign intervention in support of regime change. What was supposed to be a highlight of the so-called “Arab Spring,” when the great democracies of the West came to the aid and defense of an anti-Qaddafi coalition, soon collapsed in true Hobbesian fashion.
There was no great awakening in the aftermath of a short civil war that unceremoniously ended an eccentric 42-year dictatorship. Instead, vicious fighting over oil and gas revenues heralded the implosion of a subsidy regime designed to vest power in as few as possible by pauperizing the rest.
It was unsurprising that after the toppling of the regime there was little appetite left to develop much-needed institutional and structural capacity necessary for Libya’s democratic experiment. Coupled with the unmitigated proliferation of arms, and the unrelenting pursuit of mercenary interests, a Libyan state hobbled by decades of failed leadership was never going to survive — much less as a nascent democracy.
The previous regime, fearing a challenge to its grip on power. had made sure there was no functional civilian political arena where disparate interests and parties could negotiate compromises. It is also partly why several elections have consistently failed to bring about the national unity and social cohesion necessary to build these sorts of spaces, as well as empower them with mandates to safeguard Libya’s transition.
Longstanding structural weaknesses and institutional inadequacies have not only worsened Libya's myriad conflicts, they have also crippled any chances for the state to recover, and fully assume its role as a guarantor of a peaceful transition. Extreme factionalization and regional and tribal grievances continue to fester, complicating the Government of National Unity’s mandate to unify state institutions to deal with decades of internal fragility, bureaucratic incompetency, horrific levels of corruption, and systemic vulnerabilities. As a result, in the 10 years since the collapse of the Qaddafi regime, the toll has been devastating.
According to international estimates, a fifth of Libya's population, or roughly 1.4 million people, is in need of humanitarian assistance, while a quarter million are forced to live in sub-standard or damaged housing, too poor to rebuild or afford better alternatives. Another quarter million remain internally displaced by conflict, unable to return to their destroyed homes or impoverished communities. For those able to return, unexploded ordnance remains a serious risk with more than 300 fatalities since May last year. More than a million Libyans have acute health needs, but chronic underfunding, corruption and mismanagement have decimated the state’s ability to intervene.
These challenges are even more dire when accounting for the pandemic’s impact, and 10 years of persistent instability. Additionally, international assistance is failing to keep pace with the growing humanitarian needs on the ground, even as the GNU touts the little progress it has made in restoring state institutional capacities.
Meanwhile, the wider international community consistently failed to step up when necessary, fearful of the significant political costs of urging yet another intervention when the first one was such a catastrophic failure. Instead, the tenor of most Libya policy in capitals across much of the West was merely to maintain reckless ambivalence, insulated by lending perfunctory support to the UN-recognized, Tripoli-based government.
For the sponsors of regime change in Libya, such a position defied logic, especially when the country was spiraling further downward into protracted chaos and violence as warring factions preferred to settle with arms what they could not agree on in sponsored talks. This decision to not meaningfully intervene in Libya is emblematic of a Western perception that democracy lies at the end of a virtuous pursuit for liberty by an oppressed people. However, the reality in the Middle East and North Africa is that the “democracy” envisioned by the West is merely a means to an end — a typically less liberal, more exclusionary, and potentially extremist one.
In Libya’s case, with state power disintegrated, two rival power centers emerged, dooming any prospects of a unified Libya as the the governments in Tripoli and Tobruk became further entrenched, influenced by a rising tide of competing external interests. Some foreign players looked further afield, hoping to coopt Libya’s strategic location at the heart of the Mediterranean as well as its vast oil and gas resources, while others sought narrower priorities to deal with more immediate challenges.
Egypt, for instance, lent its support to the eastern warlord Khalifa Haftar in hopes of targeting Islamist forces taking advantage of the chaos in Libya to establish bases next to its western border. To Brussels, Libya remains useful for not just preventing migrants and refugees from crossing the Mediterranean, but also for its energy security given the proximity of its vast hydrocarbon reserves.
In France’s view, beyond migrants and oil, Libya’s non-existent security infrastructure and porous borders allow for the trafficking of arms, drugs and people, benefiting extremist elements that France is currently battling in the Sahel. Thus, it became imperative to make inroads with eastern-based forces while also maintaining diplomatic ties with the Tripoli government.
Russia, on the other hand , used Haftar and his eastern militias as a Trojan horse to enter Libya, but few believe Haftar now has any control over the Russian paramilitary Wagner group. Russia sees Libya as a base for its larger ambitions in Africa, a front-row seat on the Mediterranean and a thorn in the side of Europe and NATO.
Such duplicitous maneuvering and the pursuit of narrow objectives by external actors have created a situation where foreign self-interest supersedes the will and voice of Libyans, themselves caught in the crossfire of maximalist ambitions and cyclic retribution. Over the years, it has transformed Libya into a battleground for competing interests, emanating from far-off conflicts and rivalries, making it more challenging for the ever-growing cast of actors to acquiesce in Libya’s transition when it nets them little benefit.
By maintaining a foothold through the 20,000 foreign fighters and mercenaries, military bases, and arming non-state Libyan actors, external actors are able to protect their influence in the trajectory of Libya’s affairs. None of that would be possible should Libyans succeed in electing their first democratic government, forcing some external players to reset their relationship with Libya as equal sovereignties.
Thus, despite pronouncements in support of elections, foreign actors have so far resisted pulling out of Libya even at the urging of numerous UN resolutions. It is unlikely the elections in December will reverse this, and even if candidates were to campaign on promises of expelling foreign forces when elected, doing so would only risk more conflict.
*Hafed Al-Ghwell is a senior fellow with the Foreign Policy Institute at the John Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies. Twitter: @HafedAlGhwell