English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For November 08/2022
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news

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http://eliasbejjaninews.com/aaaanewsfor2021/english.november08.22.htm

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Bible Quotations For today
I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those whom you gave me, because they are yours
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 17/09-13/I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those whom you gave me, because they are yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine; and I have been glorified in them. And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one. While I was with them, I protected them in your name that you have given me. I guarded them, and not one of them was lost except the one destined to be lost, so that the scripture might be fulfilled. But now I am coming to you, and I speak these things in the world so that they may have my joy made complete in themselves.”

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on November 07-08/2022
Taef Agreement Is A problem, A trap And Not A Solution. Any International Conference For Lebanon Whose Sole Goal To implement This Agreement Is A Definite Recipe For Failure/Elias Bejjani/November 06/2022
Al-Rahi slams ruling class for failing to elect a president
'Surprise' candidate expected in Thursday session as breakthrough ruled out
US Embassy Beirut expands interview waiver eligibility for nonimmigrant visas
Mikati meets IMF head and leaders of Egypt, Iraq and Pakistan
Hannibal Gaddafi Suffers Health, Psychological Setback, Refuses to See Doctors
Qassem says Hezbollah not seeking new system in Lebanon
Berri warns Lebanon can bear few more weeks of deterioration
Bou Saab will not cast a blank vote, what about the FPM MPs?
Capital control debate adjourned over Salameh's absence
Ghosn Escape Accomplices Return to US, Lawyer Confirms
Lebanon Seeks to Distribute 600,000 Cholera Vaccines in 3 Weeks
Lebanese forum delegates unite on implementing all terms of Taif Agreement

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on November 07-08/2022
Iran Lawmakers Demand Severe Punishment for ‘Rioters’ as Protests Rage
'Minor' Fire Breaks Out at Oil Facility In Southern Iran
Sisi Kicks off World Leaders Climate Summit with Plea to End Ukraine War
UN Chief at Climate Summit: Humanity Must Cooperate or Perish
Syria Cholera Outbreak Worsened by Regime, Türkiye, Says HRW
Group Warns of Rampant Violence in Syria Camp of ISIS Families
Ukraine hails arrival of Western air defense systems
Russian Authorities: Power Back on in Occupied Kherson
Ukraine war: US confirms 'communications' with Kremlin
Blinken hosts Armenia and Azerbaijan ministers, praises 'courageous steps'
Blinken hosts Armenia and Azerbaijan ministers, praises 'courageous steps'
Kremlin Declines to Comment on Reported Ukraine Talks with Biden Aide
Fire, Building Collapse Injures 20 People in Iraq’s Capital
Iraqi PM Decrees Kadhimi’s Retirement
North Korea says missile tests were practice to attack South, US
Three Egyptian journalists start hunger strike to free dissident
Amnesty says Egypt has days to save jailed activist's life
Musk says US voters should back Republicans in midterms

Titles For The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on November 07-08/2022
The War in Ukraine...Grain Deal, Türki̇ye’s Role/Omer Onhon/Asharq Al Awsat/November 07/2022
Most Corrupt Country on Earth..Palestinians Vote For Terrorists, Then Claim Israelis Are 'Extremists'/Bassam Tawil/Gatestone Institute/November 07/2022
Iran seeks external enemy to distract from domestic failures/Dr. Mohammed Al-Sulami/Arab News/November 07, 2022
As the world burns, faith leaders urge ‘civilizational acquaintance’/Baria Alamuddin/Arab News/November 07, 2022
For Western Islamists, Not Wearing Hijab Worse than Killing Protesters in Iran/Martha Lee/Focus on Western Islamism/November 07/ 2022

The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on November 07-08/2022
Taef Agreement Is A problem, A trap And Not A Solution. Any International Conference For Lebanon Whose Sole Goal To implement This Agreement Is A Definite Recipe For Failure
Elias Bejjani/November 06/2022
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/98875/elias-bejjani-taif-agreement-is-a-problem-a-trap-and-not-a-solution-any-international-conference-for-lebanon-whose-sole-goal-is-to-implement-this-accord-is-a-definite/
The Taef Agreement that came into existence in 1989 during the bloody and Stalinist Syrian occupation era of Lebanon has been from day one extremely ambiguous, inapplicable, a trap and a malice recipe for ongoing governance crises.
This Agreement was not implemented, and will never, ever be, because its main purpose is division and not unity, or a stable formula of governance.
That is why a serious, genuine and fruitful review of this inapplicable agreement that has become an integrated part of the Lebanese constitution is a must by all Lebanese communities after the liberation of the country, and not while it is still under the Iranian terrorist Hezbollah's occupation.
Therefore, any international conference for Lebanon whose sole goal is to implement the Taef Agreement is a national disaster, and a mere recipe for total failure.
In this context, it is a national, sovereign and moral duty and patriotic obligation for all free, sovereign and sincere Lebanese people, either in Lebanon or Diaspora, not to fall in the vicious trap of all those politicians, activists, parties and officials who are malevolently advocating for restricting and limiting the agenda of any International Conference for Lebanon on the heresy of the implementation of this tricky, ambiguous and self defeating Agreement.
Practically, all those leading this inconsistent, and wrong headed advocacy, are either blind to the Agreement's incoherencies, or harbouring anti-Lebanese agendas aimed at aborting the efforts aimed at liberating occupied Lebanon, and reclaiming its self determination, confiscated independence, sovereignty, freedoms and free decision making process.
In conclusion, any international conference that is held for Lebanon must not be based on the implementation of the inapplicable Taef Agreement, but MUST aim on the full implementation of the UN Resolutions addressing Lebanon's occupation and its National Security concerns, which are, the Armistice Agreement with Israel, 1559, 1701 and 1680.
In summary, once Lebanon is again an independent, free. sovereign and democratic country, and after all the UN resolutions are fully implemented, than and only than representatives of all Lebanese communities and under the auspices and umbrella of the UN shall meet under the UN umbrella to reach peacefully a new constitution and governing formula.

Al-Rahi slams ruling class for failing to elect a president
Naharnet/November, 07/2022  
Lebanon is in the most dangerous stage of its political, economic, financial and social history, said Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi. Al-Rahi said Monday that war makers cannot make peace, and that the ruling class has failed to elect a new president because "those who made the war are ruling our country." "The state is paralyzed because of their disputes," al-Rahi said, adding that "the fire is still burning under the ashes." Parliament has held four rounds of voting since September, with no candidate garnering enough support. It will convene on Thursday in the fifth attempt to elect a new president.

'Surprise' candidate expected in Thursday session as breakthrough ruled out
Naharnet/November, 07/2022 
As several Free Patriotic Movement lawmakers announced that their parliamentary bloc will not cast blank votes in Thursday’s presidential election session, an independent MP told ad-Diyar newspaper that a “surprise” candidate will be voted for in the session. Sources close to Hezbollah meanwhile told Asharq al-Awsat daily that they rule out any breakthrough in the presidential file before the end of the year, seeing as “things are linked to domestic and foreign circumstances.” The sources added that Hezbollah is seeking an agreement over Marada Movement chief Suleiman Franjieh’s nomination with each of Free Patriotic Movement leader Jebran Bassil, Progressive Socialist Party chief Walid Jumblat and a number of Sunni MPs. Sources informed on the presidential file meanwhile told al-Joumhouria newspaper that “the regional-international situation is not appropriate for the election of a president at the current moment.”

US Embassy Beirut expands interview waiver eligibility for nonimmigrant visas
Naharnet/November, 07/2022  
The U.S. Embassy in Beirut has announced the expansion of interview waiver eligibility for Lebanese citizens who are renewing B1/B2 tourist and business visas. Lebanese citizens of ages 50 and older and whose B1/B2 visas have expired within the last 24 months may qualify for Interview Waiver which allows for visa renewal without an interview. "This is a procedural change to provide better customer service and more efficiently process renewals of business and tourist visas for qualified and eligible Lebanese citizens. As required by U.S. law, some eligible visa holders may be required to appear at the U.S. Embassy for interviews after submission of their applications. If an interview is required, an Embassy representative will contact the applicant," the Embassy said in a statement. Applicants may visit https://www.ustraveldocs.com/lb/lb-niv-visarenew.asp to determine if they are eligible for an interview waiver. For further details and answers to other questions, you can visit: https://www.ustraveldocs.com/lb/lb-gen-faq.asp

Mikati meets IMF head and leaders of Egypt, Iraq and Pakistan
Naharnet/November, 07/2022   
Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati held meetings Monday in Sharm el-Sheikh with International Monetary Fund chief Kristalina Georgieva, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid and Pakistani PM Shehbaz Sharif. Mikati and the IMF chief discussed “the steps that Lebanon has taken since the preliminary agreement was signed between Lebanon and the Fund,” Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported. Georgieva for her part hoped Lebanon will “speed up the needed steps to sign the final agreement with the IMF before the world gets preoccupied with other files,” NNA added. Mikati is taking part in the meetings of the U.N.'s COP27 climate summit in Sharm el-Sheikh. In his meeting with al-Sisi, the caretaker PM thanked the Egyptian leader for “Egypt’s permanent support for Lebanon.” He also extended gratitude to al-Sisi for “speedily meeting the request that he had made to him days ago at the Arab Summit in Algeria for providing Lebanon with cholera vaccines and medicines.” Mikati also dicussed bilateral relations with each of Iraq’s president and Pakistan’s premier.

Hannibal Gaddafi Suffers Health, Psychological Setback, Refuses to See Doctors
Beirut - Youssef Diab/Asharq Al-Awsat/November, 07/2022
An official Lebanese source revealed that Hannibal Gaddafi, the son of former Libyan President Muammar Gaddafi, “is going through a very difficult health and psychological condition,” as he awaits his prosecution seven years after his detention under an arrest warrant in Lebanon. The Lebanese judiciary accuses the son of Muammar Gaddafi of “withholding information related to the fate of Imam Musa al-Sadr and his two companions, Sheikh Muhammad Yaqoub and journalist Abbas Badreddine,” who went missing during a visit to the Libyan capital in 1978. The official source told Asharq Al-Awsat that Hannibal “suffers from difficult health symptoms,” adding that his condition has further deteriorated in recent weeks. “He refuses to talk to anyone or to be examined by doctors,” according to the source. Gaddafi’s attorney, Ghassan al-Mawla, refused to give details on his client’s situation, telling Asharq Al-Awsat that he was “committed to the instructions of the Bar Association, which prevent lawyers from making media statements.” Hannibal Gaddafi’s judicial case has seen no progress in seven years, due to the Libyan authorities’ reluctance to cooperate with Judge Zaher Hamadeh, who is in charge of the matter.
An informed judicial source told Asharq Al-Awsat that the judicial investigator has “sent several memos to notify 13 Libyan individuals of their suspicious involvement in the case, including officers and key cadres in the Muammar Gaddafi regime.”But Libyan authorities deliberately ignored the Lebanese requests, the source underlined. The source stressed that Hannibal was arrested according to the law and without any injustice, adding that legal measures were taken against him for concealing information about the kidnapping and disappearance of Imam al-Sadr and his two companions and his suspicious involvement in the case.

Qassem says Hezbollah not seeking new system in Lebanon
Naharnet/Monday, 7 November, 2022
Hezbollah deputy chief Sheikh Naim Qassem has said that his Iran-backed party is not seeking a change of the political system in Lebanon. “During this period, Hezbollah has not called for amending or changing the political system related to the Taif Accord, in light of the sensitivities present in Lebanon, and because the problem in the first place is not in amending it or not but rather in implementing what was stipulated in the Taif Accord,” Qassem said in an interview with Iran’s FARS news agency.
“After that we would see whether changes are needed or not,” he added. “The first step for reform is the election of the president, the second is the formation of a Lebanese government and the third is the approval of the rescue, recovery or reform plan,” Qassem went on to say. Asked about the current presidential vacuum in Lebanon, Hezbollah number two said: “What’s needed is an agreement among a number of blocs to rescue Lebanon in this period and finalize the presidential juncture.”“The issue needs some time and contacts and in the end we will inevitably reach a solution,” Qassem added.

Berri warns Lebanon can bear few more weeks of deterioration
Naharnet/Monday, 7 November, 2022
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri on Monday warned that Lebanon can only bear a few more “weeks” of further deterioration at all levels. “Lebanon might bear for a few weeks, but it can’t bear more than that, and Lebanon and the Lebanese cannot bear further deterioration,” Berri said in a meeting with Press Syndicate chief Awni al-Kaaki and the members of the syndicate. “The top priority is the election of a president,” Berri added, reiterating his call for “consensus” over the presidential election. “God created us different and separate so that we listen to each other and come together. In the face of the accumulation of crises, mainly the economic crisis which plunged 80% of the Lebanese people under the poverty line, in addition to the electricity crisis on which we spent tens of billions and the dialogue with the International Monetary Fund, that all must lead to speeding up the election of a president,” Berri went on to say.
He also confirmed that he will continue to schedule a president election session every week.

Bou Saab will not cast a blank vote, what about the FPM MPs?
Naharnet/Monday, 7 November, 2022
Deputy Speaker Elias Bou Saab has said that he will not cast a blank vote in Thursday's presidential election session. Bou saab told LBCI that "blank ballots are no longer acceptable," and that all the MPs of the Free Patriotic movement have agreed on this. He said that the Strong Lebanon bloc will have further discussions on Tuesday. "I hope the bloc will agree on a name instead of casting a blank vote."Bou Saab added that he hasn't yet decided who he will vote for but that he will definitely vote for a candidate. According to the Deputy Speaker, any "confrontational" candidate has no chances, and this is why the blocs should find an non-confrontational president through consultations. "Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri has asked me to hold consultations with the parliamentary blocs, as a Deputy Speaker," Bou Saab said, adding that he will communicate with the parties this week to launch consultations. "It could be through a dialogue headed by Berri, or through separate consultations," Bou Saab said. Berri had cancelled last week his invitation for a national dialogue so that political parties can agree on a new president. Berri's media office said that the speaker decided to cancel his initiative following "objections" from the Lebanese Forces and the Free Patriotic Movement.

Capital control debate adjourned over Salameh's absence
Naharnet/Monday, 7 November, 2022
A parliamentary committees session to discuss the long-awaited capital control law was adjourned Monday due to the absence of Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh, Deputy Speaker Elias Bou Saab said. “Bou Saab asked Central Bank Vice Governor Alexandre Mouradian to leave the session of the joint committees, demanding the personal presence of Governor Riad Salameh in the session,” al-Jadeed TV reported. Bou Saab said the joint committees will convene anew on Tuesday morning to discuss the draft law. Speaking during the session, Free Patriotic Movement chief MP Jebran Bassil decried that “there is a political will not to approve the capital control law.”“The law should have been passed three years ago,” he added, charging that “a number of banks are still transferring money to abroad selectively and arbitrarily and to the benefit of influential figures.”Bassil also suggested limiting the law temporarily to the issue of foreign transfers in order to bypass the dispute over domestic withdrawals. The discussion of the capital control draft law had been postponed several times during previous sessions due to the refusal to pass it by the majority of MPs without the approval of an economic recovery plan that would protect both depositors and banks. The law would regulate both deposit withdrawals and transfers.It is one of the most important steps demanded by the International Monetary Fund for signing a final agreement with Lebanon.

Ghosn Escape Accomplices Return to US, Lawyer Confirms
Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 7 November, 2022
The American father and son duo who helped former Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn dramatically escape from Japan have been returned to the United States after spending 20 months in Japanese jails, their lawyer said Monday.
Former Green Beret operative Michael Taylor, 62, was being held at a Los Angeles detention facility with a release date set for January 1, 2023, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, while son Peter Taylor was home with family in Massachusetts, their lawyer Paul Kelly told AFP, confirming reporting by The Wall Street Journal. The Taylors' return to America is the latest twist in the extraordinary Ghosn saga, which began with the former auto tycoon's shock arrest in 2018 on financial misconduct allegations. The men admitted helping smuggle Ghosn onto a private jet inside an audio equipment box in an audacious December 2019 escape from Japan while he was on bail. Ghosn, who holds French, Lebanese and Brazilian passports, is now an international fugitive in Lebanon. The former chairman and chief executive of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance says he fled Japan because he did not believe he would receive a fair trial. The Taylors were extradited from the United States to Japan in March 2021. In July that year Michael Taylor was sentenced to 24 months in prison and son Peter to 20 months, after apologizing at previous hearings. According to the prosecution, the Ghosn family paid the Taylors more than $860,000 for preparation and logistical costs, and $500,000 in cryptocurrency for lawyers' fees. Ghosn has always denied the charges against him, arguing they were cooked up by Nissan executives who opposed his attempts to more closely integrate the firm with French partner Renault. Last March former Nissan executive Greg Kelly was handed a six-month suspended sentence by a Tokyo court over allegations he helped Ghosn attempt to conceal income.

Lebanon Seeks to Distribute 600,000 Cholera Vaccines in 3 Weeks
Beirut - Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 7 November, 2022
Caretaker Health Minister Firass Abiad announced Sunday that Lebanon is expected to shortly receive 600,000 doses of the cholera vaccine, adding that a vaccination drive will kick off in the country next Saturday. The minister was speaking during a tour of the Baalbek-Hermel region to prepare for the campaign. He was accompanied by a delegation of NGOs and local and international organizations. Abiad started his tour from the village of Arsal where he visited a camp for displaced Syrians and a field hospital. The minister explained that the hospital could accommodate 25 cholera patients instead of transferring them to distant hospitals. He said the number of cases in the Bekaa is less than those in Akkar, but expressed concern over the spread of the disease. "Next Saturday, the cholera vaccination campaign will begin with the aim of protecting and limiting its spread in agricultural areas," Abiad announced. He stressed that the campaign aims to vaccinate 600,000 Syrian and Lebanese people in three weeks. Abiad said food security is a top priority, adding that it is important to work to limit the spread of cholera and eradicate it from the country. He added that tests have revealed that irrigation water in some areas was contaminated with cholera. “We appeal to citizens to adhere to the instructions for washing vegetables. As long as we have water problems, there are sanitation problems,” he said. The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that cholera is spreading “rapidly” across Lebanon.  Lebanon’s economic collapse has caused the healthcare sector to deteriorate with many doctors and pediatricians leaving the country.

Lebanese forum delegates unite on implementing all terms of Taif Agreement
Najia Houssari/Arab News/November 07, 2022
BEIRUT: The terms of a 1989 deal negotiated in Saudi Arabia to end Lebanon’s civil war and return political normalcy to the country must be implemented in full, a former minister has claimed. Rashid Derbas’ comments echoed those of Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri who said on Monday that the Taif Agreement acted as a constitution providing equality among the Lebanese people. Their remarks followed a recent forum, organized by the Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon Walid Al-Bukhari and held at the UNESCO Palace in Beirut, commemorating the 33rd anniversary of the accord.
Speakers at the gathering unanimously pointed out the need to apply provisions of the agreement still to be enacted and they reiterated their objections to amending them. “The Taif Agreement needs to be implemented in full. Circumstances are different today, with Syria’s absence from Lebanon, and all parties have expressed their adherence to the Taif Agreement,” Derbas said. The public renewal of consensus on the Taif Agreement followed an invitation to dinner on Nov. 8 from the Swiss ambassador to Lebanon. Although the planned engagement was later cancelled, some believe the dinner date had been set up as a prelude to launching a Lebanese dialogue in Geneva under Swiss sponsorship. On the Taif Agreement provisions that had not been implemented, Berri said: “We have failed thrice to establish a supreme national commission to abolish political sectarianism, an election law outside sectarian restrictions, and the senate.” The Lebanese Parliament was expected to hold another session on Thursday in a fresh attempt to elect a new president. Berri added: “Our top priority is electing a president; 80 percent of the Lebanese people are below the poverty line, and we are still facing an electricity crisis, despite the fact that we spent tens of billions of dollars on this sector. “And we also need to resume negotiations with the International Monetary Fund. This is why we need to elect a president as soon as possible. “Lebanon may be able to endure weeks (of power vacuum), but it cannot bear more than that. Lebanon and the Lebanese cannot bear further deterioration. “All the Lebanese conflicts were resolved through dialogue and consensus. The security situation in Lebanon remains strong, and the Lebanese are smarter than falling for attempts to stir up strife.”Forum delegates highlighted the importance of appointing a new Lebanese president who was loyal to the Taif Agreement. The forum was attended by representatives of all political parties in Lebanon, except for Hezbollah, including Amal Movement MP Enaya Ezzedine. Derbas told Arab News: “The forum is a proactive action, validating the constitution and proving that no one is about to amend the agreement. “The presence of presidential candidate Suleiman Franjieh at the forum was of great significance, just as the balanced Christian, Sunni, and Druze presence, that of the UN representatives, and former (Lebanese) President Michel Suleiman. “Al-Bukhari also made it a point to stress that France has no intention of holding any dialogue that would damage the Taif Agreement. Every detail at the forum was meaningful and will bear a positive outcome,” he said.

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on November 07-08/2022
Iran Lawmakers Demand Severe Punishment for ‘Rioters’ as Protests Rage
Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 7 November, 2022
Hardline Iranian lawmakers urged the judiciary on Sunday to "deal decisively" with perpetrators of unrest, as the country struggles to suppress the biggest show of dissent in years. Widespread anti-government demonstrations erupted in September after the death of young Kurdish Iranian woman Mahsa Amini, who had been detained by morality police for allegedly flouting the strict dress code imposed on women. "We ask the judiciary to deal decisively with the perpetrators of these crimes and with all those who assisted in the crimes and provoked rioters," 227 lawmakers from Iran's 290-seat, hardline-led parliament said in a statement, according to state media. The activist HRANA news agency said that 318 protesters had been killed in the unrest as of Saturday, including 49 minors. Thirty-eight members of the security forces had also been killed, it added. State media said last month that more than 46 security forces, including police, had been killed. Government officials have not provided an estimate of any wider death count. Iranian leaders have vowed tough action against protesters they have described as rioters, blaming enemies including the United States of fomenting the unrest. Demonstrations continued in many cities on Sunday, from Tehran to central city of Yazd and northern city of Rasht, according to rights groups and videos on social media. Reuters could not verify the rights groups' reports independently, or the social media posts and footage. In the Kurdish city of Marivan, rights group Hengaw said security forces opened fire on crowds who had gathered after the funeral of another woman, Nasrin Ghaderi, to protest against her death. Hengaw said Ghaderi died in a coma on Saturday after suffering severe blows to her head by the security forces while demonstrating in Tehran. A prosecutor, cited by state media, said Ghaderi had a pre-existing heart issue and had died of "poisoning", without going into further detail. There was no immediate official comment on the report of gunfire. Weeks after Amini's death, a coroner's report denied Amini had died due to blows to the head while in custody, as claimed by her parents, and linked her death to past medical conditions. Students in a dozen universities, including in the northern cities of Rasht and Amol, held protests on Sunday chanting "death to Dictator", a reference to Iran's top authority Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, according to the unverified videos on social media.

'Minor' Fire Breaks Out at Oil Facility In Southern Iran
Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 7 November, 2022
A fire that broke out at an oil export facility in southern Iran was brought under control without causing any damage, according to local media. "A fire has occurred in an open oil channel leading to the export port in the city of Mahshahr," Fars news agency reported after the Sunday incident. Thick smoke filled the sky over the port, the agency stated. Mahshahr is located in Khuzestan, an oil-rich province bordering Iraq. The Tasnim agency described the fire as "minor", adding that there was no "human or financial loss". A security manager at the port, quoted by the Rokna news website, said the fire was caused by technical failure in a lighting system near the open channel. Mahshahr Governor Fereydoun Bandari said "firefighters prevented the fire from spreading to oil tanks at the export port", according to Fars. The cause of the incident is under investigation, he added. It occurred following weeks of protests in Iran after the September 16 death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian Kurd, three days after her arrest by vice police. In a separate incident in the same city, Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps said Sunday its forces had killed an "element hostile to the revolution" after an attack on a military base in Mahshahr. "The forces fired on two terrorists on motorbikes in order to protect the headquarters, killing one of them while steps were taken to identify and arrest the second person," the IRGC said in a statement. Iran has the world's second largest gas reserves, after Russia, and the world's fourth largest oil reserves, but is under strict US sanctions which have restricted exports and isolated it from the global financial system.

Sisi Kicks off World Leaders Climate Summit with Plea to End Ukraine War
Asharq Al-Awsat/November, 07/2022
Egyptian President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi kicked off Monday the world leaders summit at COP27 with a plea to end the war on Ukraine given its impact on the world. Speaking at the landmark Sharm el-Sheikh event, Sisi warned that climate challenges are growing day after day and that climate change is claiming major losses in life and incurring massive costs. He remarked that people have grown more aware of the extent of the challenge and were looking forward to the effective implementation of pledges. Egypt, he went on to say, has taken steps in combating climate change, such as investing in the green economy. Moreover, Sisi called for responding to concerns of Africa, urging developed countries to meet their pledges. He urged providing the necessary funding to developing countries, saying they are suffering the most from the impact of climate change. Nearly 50 heads of states or governments on Monday will take the stage in the first day of high-level international climate talks in Egypt with more to come in the following days. Egypt has officially taken the reins as COP host from the UK and has billed the conference as one that will turn the pledges made at the 2021 climate talks in Glasgow into action. Delegates on Sunday set a positive tone by agreeing to add discussion of compensating poor nations for climate damage to the conference agenda for the first time ever, something that will usher in rounds of tough negotiations.

UN Chief at Climate Summit: Humanity Must Cooperate or Perish
Asharq Al-Awsat/November, 07/2022
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told countries gathered at the start of the COP27 summit in Egypt on Monday they face a stark choice: work together now to cut emissions or condemn future generations to climate catastrophe. The speech was intended to set an urgent tone as governments sit down for two weeks of talks on how to avert the worst impacts of climate change, even as they are distracted by Russia’s war in Ukraine, rampant consumer inflation and energy shortages. "Humanity has a choice: cooperate or perish,” Guterres told delegates gathered in the seaside resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh. Leaders from countries from Britain to Saudi Arabia were scheduled to speak later in the day. Guterres called for a pact between the world's richest and poorest countries to accelerate the transition from fossil fuels and speed up delivery of the funding needed to ensure poorer countries can reduce emissions and cope with the unavoidable impacts of warming that has already occurred. “The two largest economies – the United States and China – have a particular responsibility to join efforts to make this pact a reality,” he said. Guterres asked countries to agree to phase out the use of coal, one of the most carbon-intense fuels, by 2040 globally, with members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development hitting that mark by 2030. Despite decades of climate talks - the Egypt COP is the 27th Conference of the Parties - progress has been insufficient to save the planet from excessive warming as countries are too slow or reluctant to act, he noted. “Greenhouse gas emissions keep growing. Global temperatures keep rising. And our planet is fast approaching tipping points that will make climate chaos irreversible,” he said. “We are on a highway to climate hell with our foot on the accelerator.”Signatories to the 2015 Paris climate agreement pledged to achieve a long-term goal of keeping global temperatures from rising more than 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. Scientists have set this as the ceiling for avoiding catastrophic climate change. Guterres said that to keep any hope alive of meeting that goal means achieving global net zero emissions by 2050. "It is either a Climate Solidarity Pact – or a Collective Suicide Pact," he said.

Syria Cholera Outbreak Worsened by Regime, Türkiye, Says HRW
Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 7 November, 2022
Human Rights Watch Monday accused the government in Damascus and Türkiye of exacerbating Syria's deadly cholera outbreak by restricting aid and water-flow to the country's Kurdish-held northeast. Syria has recorded 81 deaths and more than 24,000 suspected cases of the extremely virulent disease since September, according to the World Health Organization, in the country's first outbreak for more than a decade. Ankara has "failed to ensure" adequate water flow down the Euphrates river and supply from the strategic Turkish-controlled Alouk water station, HRW said. The rights group also slammed the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for its "discriminatory diversion of aid and essential services" away from Kurdish-held areas in the northeast. Residents of this area are facing waning river flow from the Euphrates, where water testing in September proved the presence of bacteria responsible for cholera, a Kurdish health official told reporters at the time. Syrian Kurdish authorities have also accused neighbor and archfoe Türkiye of weaponizing water by tightening the tap upstream -- claims Ankara has denied. "Türkiye can and should immediately stop aggravating Syria's water crisis," said Adam Coogle, deputy Middle East director at HRW. "This devastating cholera outbreak will not be the last waterborne disease to impact Syrians if the country's severe water problems are not immediately addressed." Cholera is generally contracted from contaminated food or water and spreads in residential areas that lack proper sewerage networks or mains drinking water. "Longstanding restrictions on aid reaching Kurdish-held areas... have left healthcare facilities and humanitarian groups operating in northeast Syria scrambling to respond to a disease that can spread rapidly," HRW said, elaborating on the Syrian government's alleged culpability. Inside Syria, the Euphrates flows mostly along territory controlled by semi-autonomous Kurdish authorities, whose US-backed fighters dislodged the ISIS group from the extremists’ last scrap of Syrian territory in 2019. Türkiye regards these Kurdish fighters as terrorists. "All parties to the conflict need to ensure the right to clean water and health for everyone in Syria," HRW said.

Group Warns of Rampant Violence in Syria Camp of ISIS Families
Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 7 November, 2022
A sprawling camp in northeastern Syria housing tens of thousands of women and children linked to the ISIS group is witnessing pervasive violence, exploitation and lawlessness, an international aids group said Monday. Doctors Without Borders also said that countries with citizens held in the detention center of al-Hol in Syria’s northeastern province of Hassakeh have failed to take responsibility for protecting them. Repeated breaches of human rights and recurrent patterns of violence have been observed at the camp, said the group, also known as Medecins Sans Frontieres or MSF. MSF, which runs mobile clinics and also clinic for patients with chronic diseases in the camp, said that counter-terrorism policies have trapped thousands of civilians in the camp in a cycle of indefinite detention, danger and insecurity. In addition to the killings in the camp, this cycle of violence “permeates every aspect of their daily lives and deprives them of their fundamental human rights,” it said. The report came as several Western countries have repatriated dozens of women and children over the past weeks, according to the Kurdish-led local authorities in northeastern Syria. The latest repatriations from al-Hol followed a major security operation in the facility and a call by a top US military commander for repatriations. Following the rise of IS in 2014 and its declaration of a co-called caliphate, some countries stripped some of their citizens who had headed to Syria and Iraq to join ISIS of their nationalities. A German woman with ISIS was sentenced last year for crime against humanity for killing a 5-year-old Yazidi girl, while some women at al-Hol still feed their children the group’s extremist ideology. However, MSF's report said members of the US-led coalition that fought ISIS, as well as other countries whose nationals remain held in al-Hol and other detention facilities and camps in northeastern Syria, “have failed to take responsibility for protecting their nationals or for identifying long-term solutions to their indefinite containment.”Instead, these countries “have delayed or simply refused to repatriate all their nationals, in some cases going so far as to strip them of their citizenship, rendering them stateless,” the group said.
Kurdish authorities currently operate more than two dozen detention facilities scattered across northeastern Syria, holding about 10,000 ISIS fighters. Among the detainees are some 2,000 foreigners whose home countries have refused to repatriate them, including about 800 Europeans.
At al-Hol, about 50,000 Syrians and Iraqis are crowded into tents in the fenced-in camp. Nearly 20,000 of them are children; most of the rest are women, wives and widows of ISIS fighters. In a separate, heavily guarded section of the camp known as the annex are an additional 10,000 people: 2,000 women from 57 other countries — they are considered the most die-hard ISIS supporters — along with about 8,000 of their children. The report by MSF came nearly two months after US-backed Syrian fighters concluded a 24-day sweep at al-Hol during which dozens of extremists were detained and weapons were confiscated in the operation. The operation came after ISIS sleeper cells committed crimes inside the camp. “Residents have described themselves as being trapped ‘between two fires,”’ MSF said referring to violence by the extremists inside the facility and security operations by US-backed fighters. In mid-October, France repatriated 15 women and 40 children, and later officials from Germany, the Netherlands, Canada and Australia visited northeast Syria and were handed dozens of women and children to take back home, according to figures released by Kurdish authorities. Dozens of Iraqi and Syrian families were also repatriated over the past year. “We hope that more countries take similar steps,” Shixmus Ehmed, a local official in the Kurdish-led administration, told The Associated Press. MSF also criticized the US-led coalition for leaving the situation in the hands of the local Syrian Kurdish-led authorities and urged the coalition to pressure them to take “immediate steps to guarantee people’s wellbeing, protection and fundamental human rights” at al-Hol. Khaled Ibrahim, another local official in northeastern Syria, said about 1,000 children and 500 women have been repatriated since 2019. But local authorities cannot control the large numbers of people still at al-Hol. “This is a time bomb,” Ibrahim said.

Ukraine hails arrival of Western air defense systems
Agence France Presse/Monday, 07 November, 2022
Ukraine announced on Monday it had received more air defense systems from Western military allies, saying the weapons would help defend against Russian attacks that have recently targeted energy infrastructure. "NASAMS and Aspide air defense systems arrived in Ukraine! These weapons will significantly strengthen the Ukrainian army and will make our skies safer," Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said on social media. "We will continue to shoot down the enemy targets attacking us. Thank you to our partners -- Norway, Spain and the U.S.," Reznikov added. Russian strikes over the past month have destroyed around a third of Ukraine's power stations and the government has urged Ukrainians to save electricity as much as possible. Authorities in Kyiv said on Monday that the situation around the city's ability to supply energy to residents remained "tense" and urged Ukrainians in the capital to limit use of electricity in peak hours. "We ask all residents of the region to support energy workers in the struggle on the energy front," it said on the social media platform Telegram. Reznikov said last month that Ukraine had received the first Iris-T defense system from Germany.

Russian Authorities: Power Back on in Occupied Kherson
Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 7 November, 2022
Russian-appointed authorities say they are working to partially restore power in the occupied Ukrainian city of Kherson following what they have called a Ukrainian terrorist attack on power lines. The southern city in the region that Moscow illegally annexed in September was cut off from power and water supplies on Sunday following damage to three power lines. Kirill Stremousov, deputy head of the pro-Kremlin administration of the partially occupied Kherson region, said Monday that "power and connectivity is being partially restored" in Kherson city. The alleged attack occurred on the Berislav-Kakhovka power line, and Russian state media reported on Sunday that the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station had also been damaged by Ukrainian strikes. Ukrainian officials have not responded to the allegations. Stremousov has repeatedly called for civilians to evacuate from Kherson — which lies on the western bank of the Dnieper River — to Russian-controlled territory on the eastern bank in anticipation of a major Ukrainian counteroffensive to retake the strategic port city. Last month, Ukraine’s Southern Operational Command reported that occupying Russian forces in the Kherson region had been purposefully shutting off electricity and water and depriving the population of internet access in order to force them to evacuate. Tens of thousands of civilians have already left the regional capital after being ordered to evacuate the area in October in the face of the Ukrainian counteroffensive which has retaken numerous settlements in the region. Yet on Monday, the region's Russian-installed administration announced it was halting "the movement of civilian vehicles across the Dnieper by water and pontoon ferry," citing "increased military danger" and threats to civilians. Meanwhile, in another annexed region, Donetsk, Russian-installed officials accused Ukrainian forces of shelling the regional capital, also called Donetsk, with HIMARS rocket launchers early on Monday. The city's Kremlin-backed mayor, Alexei Kulemzin, said a fire broke out in an administrative building of the Donetsk Railways, but that the blaze had been contained and there were no casualties. Ukrainian authorities have not commented on the incident. The city of Donetsk has been controlled by Russian-backed separatists since 2014. In territory held by Ukraine, Russia has been repeatedly targeting power infrastructure. Ukraine's state-owned electricity grid operator Ukrenergo on Monday announced power outages in the capital Kyiv and the surrounding region, as well as in the Chernihiv, Cherkasy, Sumy, Kharkiv, Poltava and Zhytomyr regions. The deputy head of Ukraine’s presidential office, Kyrylo Tymoshenko, said that Russian strikes in the Zaporizhzhia region targeted civilian objects including as a cultural center, farmers’ warehouses and private residences. The official noted that the Zaporizhzhia region — also illegally annexed by Russia in September but not fully controlled by Russian forces — was shelled 52 times over the past 24 hours, and one person was killed.

Ukraine war: US confirms 'communications' with Kremlin
BBC/November 7, 2022
US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan has confirmed communication channels between Washington and Moscow remain open despite the war in Ukraine. Speaking in New York, Mr Sullivan said it was "in the interests" of the US to maintain contact with the Kremlin. But he insisted officials were "clear-eyed about who we are dealing with". It comes as the White House refuses to deny reports that Mr Sullivan has been leading talks with Russia to prevent a nuclear escalation in Ukraine. The Wall Street Journal reports that Mr Sullivan has held confidential discussions with his Russian counterpart, Security Council secretary Nikolai Patrushev, and senior Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov, over the past several months. Senior officials told the paper the men had discussed ways to guard against the risk of nuclear escalation in the war in Ukraine, but had not engaged in any negotiations around ways to end the conflict. Last month, Mr Sullivan said any use of nuclear weapons would have "catastrophic consequences for Russia". He told the US broadcaster NBC that senior officials had "spelled out" the scope of the potential US response in private discussions with Russian officials. US National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson refused to confirm the story, telling the paper that "people claim a lot of things", while Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov accused Western newspapers of "publishing numerous hoaxes". But White House Press Secretary Karin Jean-Pierre said on Monday that the United States reserved the right to hold talks with Russia. And Mr Sullivan - who is said to be one of the most senior advisers to US President Joe Biden still pushing for discussions with Russia - said maintaining contact with Moscow was in the "interests of every country who is affected by this conflict". Last week, the Washington Post reported that senior US officials were urging Kyiv to signal an openness to hold negotiations with Russia and drop their public refusal to discuss an end to the war while President Vladimir Putin remained in power. But Mr Sullivan told a public event in New York that the Biden administration had "an obligation to pursue accountability" and pledged to work with international partners to "hold the perpetrators of grave and grotesque war crimes in Ukraine responsible for what they have done". "I was just in Kyiv on Friday. and I had the opportunity to meet with President [Volodymyr] Zelensky and my counterpart Andriy Yermak, with the military leadership and also to get a briefing on just what level of death and devastation has been erupted by Putin's war on that country," Mr Sullivan said. Concerns have been heightened in recent months that Russia could resort to using nuclear weapons in a desperate attempt to defend four regions of eastern and southern Ukraine that it illegally annexed. Meanwhile, Ukraine has invoked its war-time martial laws to take control of the assets of five strategically important companies. Some of the companies - which include two energy companies and firms that make engines, vehicles and transformers - Are linked to oligarch Vyacheslav Bohuslayev, who was arrested on suspicion of collaborating with Russia. President Zelensky said the move would help Ukraine's defence sector meet the needs of the military, which is currently engaged in counteroffensives in southern and eastern Ukraine.

Blinken hosts Armenia and Azerbaijan ministers, praises 'courageous steps'
WASHINGTON (Reuters)/Monday, 7 November, 2022
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday praised Armenia and Azerbaijan for taking "courageous steps" toward a durable peace, as foreign ministers from the two South Caucasus nations that have clashed repeatedly over control of the Nagorno-Karabakh region met in Washington.
Blinken met with Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan and Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov at Blair House, a state guest house in Washington, just weeks after the worst fighting between the two countries since a 2020 war.
"What we are seeing now are real steps and courageous steps by both countries to put the past behind and to work toward a durable peace," Blinken said in public comments opening the meeting on Monday. Blinken said the talks would build on earlier discussions at the UN General Assembly in New York and other conversations between officials from Armenia, Azerbaijan and the United States."The United States as a friend to both Armenia and Azerbaijan is committed to doing everything that we can to support you in this effort," he added.
The rest of the meeting was being held behind closed doors. The two countries' leaders met late last month in the Russian Black Sea port of Sochi, along with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and agreed not to use force and to stick to earlier agreements that sought to end the fighting, Russia's RIA news agency said. The two sides earlier in October agreed to a EU mission alongside their shared border.

Kremlin Declines to Comment on Reported Ukraine Talks with Biden Aide
Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 7 November, 2022
The Kremlin declined to comment on Monday on a Wall Street Journal report that Washington had held undisclosed talks with top Russian officials about avoiding further escalation in the Ukraine war. According to the report, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan held talks with aides to President Vladimir Putin in the hope of reducing the risk that the war in Ukraine spills over or escalates into a nuclear conflict. "We have nothing to say about this publication," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. "Once again I repeat that there are some truthful reports, but for the most part there are reports that are pure speculation," he said, directing people to contact the White House or the paper itself. He added that while Russia remains "open" to talks, it is unable to negotiate with Kyiv due to the latter's refusal to hold talks with Russia. Few high-level contacts between US and Russian officials have been made public in recent months as Washington has insisted that any talks on ending the war in Ukraine be held between Moscow and Kyiv.

Fire, Building Collapse Injures 20 People in Iraq’s Capital
Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 7 November, 2022
More than two dozen people were injured, including the head of Iraq’s civil defense directorate, when a commercial building in the capital caught fire and then collapsed Sunday, authorities and the state news agency reported. The official Iraqi News Agency said the civil defense director, Maj. Gen. Kadhim Bohan, and some firefighters were among those injured when the burning building collapsed. No deaths were reported. No information was immediately available on the cause of the blaze. Brig. Gen. Qusai Younis, director of civil defense for the Al-Rusafa district of Baghdad, told The Associated Press that at least 28 people had been injured. He said two of the three stories in the building, which contained warehouses storing flammable materials such as perfume, collapsed due to the fire. The civil defense announced late Sunday evening that the fire had been fully extinguished and first responders were searching for missing people at the scene. On Oct. 29, a gas tanker exploded near a soccer field in northeastern Baghdad, killing at least nine people and injuring 10 others. The explosion was found by an investigative committee to be an accident.

Iraqi PM Decrees Kadhimi’s Retirement
Baghdad - Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 7 November, 2022
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani issued a decree that sends his successor, Mustafa al-Kadhimi, to retirement. The decree also applies to ministers in Kadhimi’s government. The measure is routine in Iraq after any change in government or parliament. Meanwhile, Sudani decided that he will directly oversee the country’s main security apparatuses: the national intelligence and national security agencies. Observers told Asharq Al-Awsat that the PM’s move will avert any sharp dispute over the agencies between various rival political parties in the future.
Sudani had last week visited the headquarters of the two agencies and met with their top officials. He stressed to them the importance of their commitment to the constitution and regulations at the agencies to achieve national security and interests. Former aide at the Defense Ministry Maan al-Jabbouri told Asharq Al-Awsat that Sudani comes from a civilian background and he had assumed civilian positions throughout his career. He remarked that his overseeing of the two agencies may be a “good thing in the short-term, but he may not be able to retain this role in the long one.” Security expert Fadel Abou Ragheef told Asharq Al-Awsat that Sudani’s move aims to avoid political disputes over these security agencies, describing it as a “step in the right direction.” Sudani has managed to complete his 21-minister cabinet lineup, nearly a month since his designation, in spite of lingering disputes between Kurdish parties over some portfolios.

North Korea says missile tests were practice to attack South, US
Associated Press/Monday, 7 November, 2022
North Korea's military said Monday its recent barrage of missile tests were practices to "mercilessly" strike key South Korean and U.S. targets such as air bases and operation command systems with a variety of missiles that likely included nuclear-capable weapons. The North's announcement underscored leader Kim Jong Un's determination not to back down in the face of his rivals' push to expand their military exercises. But some experts say Kim also used their drills as an excuse to modernize his nuclear arsenal and increase his leverage in future dealings with Washington and Seoul. North Korea fired dozens of missiles and flew warplanes toward the sea last week — triggering evacuation alerts in some South Korean and Japanese areas — in protest of massive U.S.-South Korean air force drills that the North views as an invasion rehearsal. U.S. and South Korean officials responded they would further enhance their joint training events and warned the North that the use of nuclear weapons would result in the end of Kim's regime. "The recent corresponding military operations by the Korean People's Army are a clear answer of (North Korea) that the more persistently the enemies' provocative military moves continue, the more thoroughly and mercilessly the KPA will counter them," the General Staff of North Korea's military said in a statement carried by state media. It said the weapons tests involved ballistic missiles loaded with dispersion warheads and underground infiltration warheads meant to launch strikes on enemy air bases; ground-to-air missiles designed to "annihilate" enemy aircraft at different altitudes and distances; and strategic cruise missiles that fell in international waters about 80 kilometers (50 miles) off South Korea's southeastern costal city of Ulsan.
The North's military said it also carried out an important test of a ballistic missile with a special functional warhead missioned with "paralyzing the operation command system of the enemy." This could mean a simulation of electromagnetic pulse attacks, but some observers doubt whether North Korea has mastered key technologies to obtain such an attack capability.
The North's military statement didn't explicitly mention a reported launch Thursday of an intercontinental ballistic missile aimed at hitting the U.S. mainland, though its main newspaper published a photo of an ICBM-like missile as one of the weapons mobilized during last week's testing activities.
Some experts say many other North Korean missiles launched last week were short-range nuclear-capable weapons that place key military targets in South Korea, including U.S. military bases there, within striking range.
Later Monday, South Korea's military disputed some of the North's accounts of its missile tests. Spokesperson Kim Jun-rak said South Korea didn't detect the North's cruise missile launches and that it's also notable that North Korea didn't mention what Seoul assessed as an abnormal flight by an ICBM.
This year's "Vigilant Storm" air force drills between the United States and South Korea were the largest-ever for the annual fall maneuvers. The drills involved 240 warplanes including advanced F-35 fighter jets from both countries. The allies were initially supposed to run the drills for five days ending on Friday, but extended the training by another day in reaction to the North's missile tests.
On Saturday, the final day of the air force exercises, the United States flew two B-1B supersonic bombers over South Korea in a display of strength against North Korea, the aircraft's first such flyover since December 2017.
South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said the participation of the B-1Bs in the joint drills demonstrated the allies' readiness to sternly respond to North Korean provocations and the U.S. commitment to defend its ally with the full range of its military capabilities, including nuclear.
After their annual meeting Thursday in Washington, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and South Korean Defense Minister Lee Jong-Sup issued a joint statement strongly condemning the North's recent launches and carrying Austin's warning that any nuclear attacks against the United States or its allies and partners "is unacceptable and will result in the end of the Kim regime." South Korea's military has previously warned the North that using its nuclear weapons would put it on a "path of self-destruction."
Both defense chiefs also agreed on the need to enhance combined exercises and training events to strengthen readiness against North Korean nuclear and missile threats.
Even before the "Vigilant Storm" drills, North Korea test-launched a slew of missiles in what it called simulated nuclear attacks on U.S. and South Korean targets in protests of its rivals' other sets of military exercises that involved a U.S. aircraft for the first time in five years. In September, North Korea also adopted a new law authorizing the preemptive use of its nuclear weapons in a broad range of situations. South Korean and U.S. officials have steadfastly maintained their drills are defensive in nature and that they have no intentions of invading the North.
U.S. and South Korean militaries have been expanding their regular military drills since the May inauguration of conservative South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, who has promised to take a tougher stance on North Korean provocations. Some of the allies' drills had been previously downsized or canceled to support now-stalled diplomacy on North Korea's nuclear program or to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic. For months, South Korean and U.S. officials have said North Korea has completed preparations to conduct its first nuclear test in five years. On Monday, South Korean Unification Minister Kwon Youngse told lawmakers that North Korea could carry out the nuclear test at any time but there were still no signs that such a test explosion was imminent.

Three Egyptian journalists start hunger strike to free dissident
Agence France Presse/November 07/2022
Three Egyptian journalists said Monday they had begun hunger strikes to demand authorities free Alaa Abdel Fattah, a jailed political dissident who has been refusing food and now water too. British-Egyptian Abdel Fattah, 40, a major figure in the 2011 revolt that toppled longtime president Hosni Mubarak, stopped drinking water on Sunday to coincide with the opening of the COP27 climate summit in Egypt. "We have stopped eating now because Alaa Abdel Fattah is in danger of dying," journalist Mona Selim told AFP during a sit-in at the journalists' union in Cairo. She was speaking alongside Eman Ouf and Racha Azab, the two colleagues who have gone on hunger strike with her. Selim said that the three are also demanding the "liberation of all prisoners of conscience" in Egypt. They number more than 60,000 in Egypt, according to rights groups -- jailed under the rule of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who deposed Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013, before being elected the following year. After a seven-month hunger strike during which he consumed only "100 calories a day", Alaa Abdel Fattah has refused food altogether since last Tuesday. On Sunday he launched a "water strike", said his sister Sanaa Seif, who on Monday travelled to Sharm el-Sheikh where world leaders arrived for the COP27.
- 'Not a lot of time' -
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said Abdel Fattah's plight is "a priority", and in a letter to the activist's sister strongly suggested that his case will be discussed at the summit. Speaking to journalists at the climate summit, Sunak said: "I am hoping to see President Sisi later today. I will, of course, raise this issue." "It's something that not just the United Kingdom but many countries want to see resolved," he added. Activists at COP27 have posted prolifically on Twitter under the hashtag #FreeAlaa and several speakers have ended their speeches with the words "you have not yet been defeated" -- the title of his book, prefaced by Canadian author Naomi Klein. "There is not a lot of time -- 72 hours at best," Amnesty International chief Agnes Callamard said in Cairo on Sunday, referring to Alaa Abdel Fattah's possible remaining lifespan. She urged Egypt to release him and said that, "if they don't, that death will be in every single discussion in this COP". Abdel Fattah has since late last year been serving a five-year sentence for "broadcasting false news", having already spent much of the past decade behind bars. In Lebanon's capital Beirut, around 100 people protested against his detention near the British embassy, an AFP photographer reported. Abdel Fattah "embodies the Arab world's fight against repressive authorities in the past 12-13 years," said journalist Diana Moukalled. "We are gathering today to raise our voice and demand the release of Alaa and thousands of other political detainees in Egypt and other Arab countries," she said.
Abdel Fattah's continued detention comes despite Egypt having granted presidential pardons to a total of 766 political prisoners since the reactivation of a pardon policy in April this year, according to data compiled by Amnesty. But over this period 1,540 political dissidents have also been put behind bars, Amnesty says. The group Reporters Without Borders, in its 2022 World Press Freedom Index, ranked Egypt 168 out of 180 countries.

Amnesty says Egypt has days to save jailed activist's life
Associated Press/November 07/2022
Amnesty International's head has warned that the proceedings of COP27 in Egypt could be stained by the death of one of the country's leading rights activists from a hunger and water strike in prison if Egyptian authorities do not release him within days. Secretary General of Amnesty International Agnes Callamard said Egypt had no more than 72 hours to save the life of jailed dissident Alaa Abdel Fattah, who is also a U.K. citizen. Egypt's hosting of the climate summit, known as COP27, has trained a spotlight on its human rights record as a wide-reaching crackdown continues under President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi. The conference is being held in the Egyptian Red Sea resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh. "If they do not want to end up with a death they should have and could have prevented, they must act now," Callamard said at a news briefing in the capital Cairo. Callamard said she will be attending COP27 to push for action on human rights issues related to climate change, including loss and damage or reparations from richer countries to vulnerable nations suffering from climate change. Egypt is a proponent of the issue. But she will also be there to push for immediate action on the case of prominent Egyptian activist and U.K. citizen Alaa Abdel Fattah and that of the tens of thousands of political prisoners estimated to be inside the country's jails, she said.
Opposition figure Abdel-Fattah escalated his hunger strike this week, refusing also water, to coincide with the first day of the COP27, according to his family. His aunt, the writer Ahdaf Soueif, said he stopped drinking water at 10 a.m. local time on Sunday, amid growing concerns about his health.
Alaa Abdel-Fattah hails from a family of well-known Egyptian activists and rose to prominence with the 2011 pro-democracy uprisings that swept the Middle East and in Egypt toppled long-time President Hosni Mubarak. The 40-year old activist spent most of the past decade behind bars and his detention has become a symbol of Egypt's return to autocratic rule. For more than six months, he has been on a partial hunger strike, consuming only 100 calories a day. In April, Abdel Fattah's family announced he had obtained British citizenship through his mother, Laila Soueif, a math professor at Cairo University who was born in London. The family has criticized U.K. leaders for failing to push harder for a consular visit to him in the detention facility. On Sunday, his family released a letter they had received from the U.K.'s Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who will be attending COP27. The letter said the global summit is an opportunity to raise Abdel Fattah's case "with the Egyptian leadership." Sunak will "continue to stress to President (el-Sissi) the importance that we attach to the swift resolution of Alaa's case and an end to his unacceptable treatment," it added.
The prime minister's office confirmed the contents of the letter.
Abdel-Fattah's younger sister, Sanaa Seif, meanwhile, landed in Sharm el-Sheikh early Monday, coming on a flight from London through the Turkish city of Istanbul, her family said. "I'm here to do my best to try and and shed light on my brother's case and to save him," Seif said upon her arrival. "Today (Sunday) he took his last glass of water, so it's a matter of hours. I'm really worried. I'm also here to put pressure on world leaders coming."She is expected to take part along with Callamard in Egypt's human rights situation on the sidelines of the COP27. Seif, also a rights defender who had been imprisoned for one year over charges of spreading false news and insulting a police officer, will focus on the case of her brother and other jailed activists. Seif, who is also a British citizen, had staged a sit-in at the headquarters of Britain's Foreign Ministry in recent weeks, part of a rallying campaign to push the U.K. to take action in her brother's s case. Since 2013, el-Sissi, a U.S. ally with deep economic ties to European countries, has overseen a massive crackdown, jailing thousands of Islamists, but also secular activists involved in the country's 2011 uprising. Many other activists, journalists and academics have fled the country.
Amnesty also said Sunday it had documented a new wave in the government's crackdown. There have been 766 Egyptian political prisoners released in the run-up to the conference, Callamard said, according to the group's figures. She added that more than 1,500 people have been arrested since April, including more than 150 in just the past two weeks. The latest sweep came after the Muslim Brotherhood, designated a terrorist group and driven largely into exile, called for anti-government protests on Nov. 11, aiming to take advantage of Egypt's worsening economic hardships and global attention on COP27. Other rights groups also criticized Egypt on Sunday for restricting protests and stepping up surveillance during the summit. New York-based Human Rights Watch said it had had joined about 1,400 groups from around the world urging Egypt to lift the restrictions on civil society groups, and also expressed concern about the new rounds of arrest. "It is becoming clear that Egypt's government has no intention of easing its abusive security measures and allowing for free speech and assembly," Adam Coogle, the group's deputy director for the Middle East and North Africa, said in a statement.

Musk says US voters should back Republicans in midterms
Agence France Presse/November 07/2022
Elon Musk, the billionaire new owner of Twitter, on Monday called for US voters to back Republican candidates on the eve of knife-edge midterm elections. "Shared power curbs the worst excesses of both parties, therefore I recommend voting for a Republican Congress, given that the Presidency is Democratic," Musk tweeted to his 114 million followers. "Hardcore Democrats or Republicans never vote for the other side, so independent voters are the ones who actually decide who's in charge!"The Tesla boss' stewardship of Twitter -- one of the world's leading platforms for discourse and activism -- has prompted warnings over its political neutrality. Musk has indicated he plans to lift the ban on former president Donald Trump, though not before the midterm vote on Tuesday. Trump was banned for allegedly inciting last year's attack on the Capitol by a violent mob seeking to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. Musk's sacking of many Twitter staff has also underlined fears that the site will be flooded by hate speech and disinformation, leading some advertisers to back away.

The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on November 07-08/2022
The War in Ukraine...Grain Deal, Türki̇ye’s Role
Omer Onhon/Asharq Al Awsat/November 07/2022
The war in Ukraine led to a very serious risk of a food crisis at a global level when Ukraine, one of the world’s top producers and exporters of grain was no longer able to export its products because of Russia’s blockade.
Before the war, Ukraine exported five million metric tones of grain each month. With the war, its grain exports went down by almost 90 percent and the UN World Food Program raised alarms. There was a relief when in July, a Russia-Ukraine deal was brokered by the UN and Türkiye. In accordance with this deal, ships are loaded at the Ukrainian ports, they cross the Black Sea by safe corridors, pass through the Straits and travel to their destinations. The whole operation is supervised by the Joint Control Center in Istanbul.
The most important aspect of the agreement was that it would not be exploited for other purposes and would not be used as a cover for military operations. In this regard, an inspection of ships using the “humanitarian corridor” (the safe corridor through which they sail) is an an essential part of the deal.
In general, the deal has worked very well. One major issue was whether the recipients of the grain were countries in most need or not. In any case, according to the United Nations, “since the operation began in August, 9.8 million tonnes of grain and foodstuffs have been moved from Ukrainian ports in more than 400 shipments under the Black Sea Grain Deal”.
However, a major incident occurred on 29 October, when ships of the Russian Black Sea Fleet came under attack by a number of drones. Russia’s Minister of Defense claimed that the attack was perpetrated by Ukraine and they had exploited the terms of the deal. The Russian Minister of Defense announced that for this reason, his country had suspended its participation in the deal. This announcement sent shockwaves throughout the world.
Diplomacy came to the rescue. The UN and Türkiye, as the enablers of the grain deal, intervened. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan talked to Presidents Putin and Zelensky. The Ministers of Defense of these countries also engaged.
On Wednesday Russia announced its decision to rejoin the deal but reserved the right to withdraw altogether if Ukraine went back on its word. Several western leaders and analysts stressed that Russia’s sharp u-turn was mainly due to not giving into its threats and blackmail. During the time between Saturday and Wednesday, grain shipments from Ukrainian ports continued in Russia’s absence.
It seems that in its efforts, Türkiye was able to get assurances from the Ukrainians that the grain corridors would not be used for military operations against Russia. Whether this is an admission of the fact that Ukraine did use the corridor to stage military operations is a question that comes to mind. But what matters now is that Ukraine gave assurances and Russia accepted.
Another issue that was discussed was Russia’s difficulties in exporting its grain and fertilizers. Even though these items are not sanctioned, the so-called secondary sanctions are in play; high insurance and freight costs make exporting unfeasible. High-level Turkish officials indicated that this issue will be important in extending the grain deal which expires on November 19. Everyone hopes that it will be extended and for a longer period.
Putin has praised Türkiye’s efforts and pointed to the benefits of President Erdogan's neutrality in the conflict as a whole.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also thanked Erdogan “for his active participation in maintaining the grain agreement, and his unwavering support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine." UN Secretary-General Guterres joined them and said he was grateful for the diplomatic efforts of Türkiye.
These are great news for the Turkish President who is facing a number of very serious issues in the wake of presidential and parliamentary elections which are a few months away.
The major difficulty that Erdoğan is facing at home is in the economic sphere. On Thursday, the Turkish Statistical Institute came up with October statistics, according to which, the annual inflation rate increased to 85.5 percent in October, from 83.5 percent in the previous month. The monthly rise in consumer prices was 3.54 percent compared to a 3.1 percent rise in the previous month.
The war in Ukraine has provided Türkiye or rather the Turkish government with opportunities, political and economic. Turkish President has taken credit for acting as an honest broker and deal-maker between the two warring sides. His relationship with Putin has become pivotal.
The pro-Erdoğan Turkish press has been presenting these developments as outcomes of his diplomatic brinkmanship. President Erdoğan told the press that the secret of his success is frank talk with his counterparts. He also made references to strategic projects between Türkiye and Russia which are in the making, namely building nuclear reactors.
Also, a few weeks ago Putin said a natural gas hub could be set up in western Türkiye, in the Thrace region, to provide Europe with gas. President Erdogan responded very positively. This idea came as a surprise to many, as it implied that there was a demand for Russian gas in Europe but the problem was how to deliver it. Whereas, in reality, the Europeans no longer regard Putin and Russia as a partner and they are looking for ways to reduce dependency on Russian gas by the way of alternatives. In any case, we can assume that the idea is for the distant future when (hopefully) things will be back to normal.
Putin and Erdoğan have an interesting history. The relations between the two countries were at their lowest with the downing of a Russian military plane by a Turkish jet in 2015. In time, things picked up and the two countries’ relationship now covers even the most strategic elements, including nuclear reactors and air defense systems.
These relations have become a concern for Türkiye’s NATO allies. But despite concerns, and even criticisms on a number of accounts, the positive and very important role that Türkiye has played, at least in the grain deal, has been appreciated.
A high-level UN official stated clearly, “exports from Ukraine and Russia under the deal, help lower grain prices, stabilize markets, and help feed millions where hunger and inflation are on the rise.”

Most Corrupt Country on Earth..Palestinians Vote For Terrorists, Then Claim Israelis Are 'Extremists'
Bassam Tawil/Gatestone Institute/November 07/2022
The Palestinians, who keep complaining about the rise of the right-wing parties in Israeli elections, are the ones who brought the terrorist Hamas group to power.
In 2006, a majority of Palestinians voted for Hamas, whose charter openly calls for the elimination of Israel.
The Palestinians who voted for a jihadist terror group would therefore seem to have little justification to complain about the outcome of any Israeli election.
The statements that Palestinian leaders and officials are making in response to the latest elections are identical to those they issued after previous rounds of voting in Israel.
After Israel's 2020 election, Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum... urged Palestinians to step up the "resistance" against Israel to thwart then US President Donald J. Trump's plan for peace in the Middle East, titled "Peace to Prosperity: A Vision to Improve the Lives of the Palestinian and Israeli People."
As far as the Palestinians are concerned, any elected government in Israel that does not submit to 100% of their demands is a bad and dangerous government.
The second camp, represented by Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and several other armed groups, is seeking to replace Israel with an Islamist state. This camp does not believe in Israel's right to exist....
The Palestinians... continue to engage in fear-mongering after each Israeli election in efforts to intimidate the Israeli public into complying with their demands. They also have used this tactic for three decades to frighten the international community into pressuring Israel to make dangerous territorial concessions.
The Palestinian claim that there is no partner for peace in Israel is totally false. In fact, the opposite is true.... The sad fact is that there is no partner for peace on the Palestinian side.
The next time the Palestinians wring their hands about Israeli elections, the international community might remind them that it is Palestinian terrorism that drives the Israeli ballot-box results.
The Palestinians also need to be reminded that it is their own leaders, and not those of Israel, who reject peace.
Rather than bemoaning the Israeli election results, Palestinian leaders should be granting their own people even a part of what the Israelis wish for them in the Abraham Accords: equal justice under the law, freedom to speak and publish without fear of retribution, freedom to become prosperous, and freedom to live lives that have opportunity apart from the cottage industry of terrorism -- lives free from their own leaders' corrupt, unending suppression.
The Palestinians, who keep complaining about the rise of the right-wing parties in Israeli elections, are the ones who brought the terrorist Hamas group to power. In 2006, a majority of Palestinians voted for Hamas, whose charter openly calls for the elimination of Israel. Pictured: Ismail Haniyeh, a leader of the Hamas terrorist group, casts his vote in the Palestinian Authority legislative election in, on January 25 2006 in Gaza City. (Photo by Abid Katib/Getty Images)
Even before the final results of the latest Israeli general elections were announced, Palestinian leaders and officials were quoted as expressing deep concern and fear that the outcome of the vote would lead to increased tensions and violence between the Palestinians and Israel.
Palestinian Authority (PA) Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh was quoted as saying that the results of the election "confirms" that the Palestinians have no partner in Israel for peace."
The Palestinians, who keep complaining about the rise of the right-wing parties in Israeli elections, are the ones who brought the terrorist Hamas group to power.
In 2006, a majority of Palestinians voted for Hamas, whose charter openly calls for the elimination of Israel. Since then, Hamas has carried out countless terror attacks, killing and injuring thousands of Israelis. The Palestinians who voted for a jihadist terror group would therefore seem to have little justification to complain about the outcome of any Israeli election.
After Israel's 2021 election, Shtayyeh also remarked that the results showed there was little hope for peace. He said that the right-wing dominance in the election results indicated there could be no potential for talks with the Israeli side. Shtayyeh called on the international community to "stop Israeli attacks on Palestinian land, water and property."
This was not the first time that the Palestinians had expressed dissatisfaction with, and concern over, the outcome of an Israeli election, especially when right-wing parties win a majority of the votes, and either form the government or become part of the ruling coalition.
The statements that Palestinian leaders and officials are making in response to the latest elections are identical to those they issued after previous rounds of voting in Israel.
After Israel's 2021 election, PLO official Tayseer Khaled was quoted as saying that the results indicated that the Israeli public was leaning toward "fascism" and extremism." After the November 1, 2022 election, Khaled published a similar statement in which he called on all Palestinians to "confront Israeli fascism." He also warned that the rise of the right-wing parties in the election constituted a serious challenge to the Palestinians' present and future because it could lead to "ethnic cleansing."
After Israel's 2020 election, Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said that the results will not stop the Palestinians from pursuing the fight against Israel. He urged Palestinians to step up the "resistance" against Israel to thwart then US President Donald J. Trump's plan for peace in the Middle East, titled "Peace to Prosperity: A Vision to Improve the Lives of the Palestinian and Israeli People."
Commenting on Israel's 2019 election, Hamas accused all the Israeli parties of "inciting aggression on the Gaza Strip and the desecration of the Al-Aqsa Mosque."
After Israel's 2015 election, senior Hamas official Ahmed Bahr claimed that the rise of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to power was a "declaration of war" on the Palestinians. Similar warnings were issued by another senior Hamas official, Musa Abu Marzouk.
It is hard to remember when the Palestinians were ever fully satisfied with the results of any election in Israel. As far as the Palestinians are concerned, any elected government in Israel that does not submit to 100% of their demands is a bad and dangerous government.
What are the Palestinian demands?
Israel is facing two Palestinian camps that have their own demands. The first camp, represented by the Palestinian Authority, wants Israel to fully withdraw to the indefensible "borders" of pre-1967. This is in addition to the demand that Israel allow more than five million Palestinian "refugees" to flood the country as part of the so-called "right of return." Such a move would mean the end of Israel as the homeland of the Jewish people, who would have to live as a minority in a new Arab state in the Middle East.
Under the current circumstances, an Israeli withdrawal to the pre-1967 lines would result in the emergence of an Arab terror state run by Hamas and funded and armed by the mullahs of Iran.
The second camp, represented by Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and several other armed groups, is seeking to replace Israel with an Islamist state. This camp does not believe in Israel's right to exist and, like the first camp, has been carrying out terrorist attacks against Israelis for several decades.
The Palestinians, who have failed to hold general elections since 2006 due to the ongoing dispute between Hamas and the ruling Fatah faction headed by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, continue to engage in fear-mongering after each Israeli election, in efforts to intimidate the Israeli public into complying with their demands. They also have used this tactic for three decades to frighten the international community into pressuring Israel to make dangerous territorial concessions.
The Palestinian claim that there is no partner for peace in Israel is totally false. In fact, the opposite is true.
All the peace offers made by Israeli leaders to the Palestinians over the past two decades have been rejected by the Palestinian leadership. In 2000, then PA President Yasser Arafat turned down the peace offer made by then Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak at the Camp David summit. Referring to Arafat, Barak was later quoted as saying:
"He did not negotiate in good faith; indeed, he did not negotiate at all. He just kept saying no to every offer, never making any counterproposals of his own."
Abbas, for his part, has admitted that he rejected a peace deal offered by then Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in 2008. Olmert said that he had offered a near-total withdrawal from the West Bank.
In 2020, the Palestinians rejected Trump's peace plan as a "conspiracy." The plan proposed a "two-state" solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which envisages Israel and a future Palestinian state living alongside each other.
The Palestinians later rejected the Abraham Accords normalization agreements signed between Israel and four Arab countries – the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco – dubbing them a "stab in the back of the Palestinian people" and a "betrayal" of Jerusalem and the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
The sad fact is that there is no partner for peace on the Palestinian side.
The 87-year-old Abbas is not a partner because he is too weak and unwilling to deliver: he correctly fears that, like the late Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, he would be murdered by his own people as a traitor. Public opinion polls have shown that Abbas is extremely unpopular, with more than 70% of the Palestinian public demanding his resignation.
Abbas is also aware that he does not have a mandate from his people to strike any peace deal with Israel. His rivals in Hamas, on the other hand, have repeatedly and consistently made it clear that they are categorically opposed to any peace agreement with Israel.
What is equally noteworthy is that the Palestinians keep stating that they see no difference between right-wing and left-wing parties in Israel. If that is so, why do the Palestinians always voice concern when the right-wing parties win elections?
The next time the Palestinians wring their hands about Israeli elections, the international community might remind them that it is Palestinian terrorism that drives the Israeli ballot-box results.
The Palestinians additionally need to be reminded that it is their own leaders, and not those of Israel, who reject peace.
Rather than bemoaning the Israeli election results, Palestinian leaders should be granting their own people even a part of what the Israelis wish for them in the Abraham Accords: equal justice under the law, freedom to speak and publish without fear of retribution, freedom to become prosperous, and freedom to live lives that have opportunity apart from the cottage industry of terrorism -- lives free from their own leaders' corrupt, unending suppression.
*Bassam Tawil is a Muslim Arab based in the Middle East.
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Iran seeks external enemy to distract from domestic failures
Dr. Mohammed Al-Sulami/Arab News/November 07, 2022
Iran has recently launched a barrage of threats and accusations against several external actors, which it accuses of being behind the protests that have erupted across the country following the death of a young Kurdish woman, Mahsa Amini, at the hands of the regime’s so-called morality police.
To begin its quest to spin lies and distract attention, the Iranian regime targeted Iranian-Kurdish opposition parties in northern Iraq, with their positions struck with missiles. However, as the protests continued to swell and rage for more than a month, the regime claimed that Daesh had targeted a shrine in Shiraz. The Iranian public, knowing the regime’s duplicity all too well, were skeptical of its claim. Most Iranians believe that the regime’s continuous revelations about supposed terror cells targeting state institutions and society are nothing more than an attempt to distract attention and create a bogeyman to justify its harsh repression of protesters, allowing it to brutally crush the increasingly frequent anti-regime protests across the country.
The regime has also, equally predictably, directed conspiratorial accusations against the US and Israel, accusing them of plotting the protests in Iran. Saudi Arabia has also come in for more than its fair share of accusations, as well as threats from many senior Iranian regime officials, including the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, who threatened the Kingdom and called for its media apparatus to be curtailed. These threats came in the context of media coverage by some Persian-language outlets, which Tehran claims are funded by Riyadh. Tehran accuses Saudi Arabia of inciting young Iranian men to participate in the protests.
This is of, course, nothing new from the Iranian regime, which is simply parroting the same conspiracy theories and slogans it has repeated constantly for the past four decades. This is the regime’s automatic reaction to any failure or any criticism, domestic or foreign. It blames everything on external conspiracies, flatly ignoring and refusing to acknowledge its own failures and missteps.
The regime is fully aware that these failures, more than any other factor, are the true causes of the country’s dire situation and that the public’s dissatisfaction with all aspects of life is the result of repression, dictatorship, extrajudicial killings, exclusion, and extensive corruption and marginalization, not to mention the unimaginably harsh living conditions that have placed an unbearable burden on the Iranian people; but it simply does not care.
The Iranian regime has instilled despair and frustration in young Iranians while it spends billions of dollars on fictitious projects that serve its own grandiose external ambitions and aspirations for regional expansionism at the cost of the Iranian people’s well-being. As a result, it will continue to face massive and unprecedentedly violent protests, which are a natural byproduct of its domestic failures that have nothing to do with Saudi Arabia or any other external actor.
The ludicrous accusation of IRGC Commander-in-Chief Maj. Gen. Hossein Salami that Saudi-funded media outlets are inciting young Iranians to protest against the regime, while simultaneously vowing action against the Kingdom and threatening to undermine its security through young Iranians, completely ignores the fact that these same young Iranians are at the forefront of the widespread protest movements against the political system of which Salami is one of the key pillars. Every day, these young Iranians chant, “Down with the regime and its supreme leader.”
The regime is simply parroting the same conspiracy theories and slogans it has repeated constantly for the past four decades
The way in which young people have led and become iconic figures for protest movements that have raged across several regional countries over the past year has become a source of deep concern for the Iranian regime, as it fears meeting a similar fate to other tyrannical regimes. This fear has grown especially as Iran’s security services and the IRGC have failed to quell the waves of protest that have swelled across Iran in recent years, with the latest one still ongoing.
At this point, we believe that Salami’s threat against Saudi Arabia reflects a tacit acknowledgement by the Iranian regime that the Iranian youth are being influenced by media coverage that has, to a considerable extent, succeeded in clarifying the truth about what is happening in Iran and the scope of the violence and repression inflicted on the Iranian people. This threat reveals the regime’s concern about young Iranians becoming a locomotive of a larger protest movement that targets its very existence and uproots it, as was the case with Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi in 1979.
To avoid a repeat of this scenario, Iran’s current leaders should focus on their domestic problems, work to reestablish their deteriorating relations with the Iranian people and overhaul their domestic and foreign policies to restore stability in the country. Instead, the regime continues to bet on spinning lies about external conspiracies. Even worse, the regime expects the Iranian people to believe these lies.
The threats by Salami and other Iranian officials against Saudi Arabia come at a time when the regional political environment has been awaiting the sixth round of talks between Tehran and Riyadh in Baghdad. While there was hope of resolving outstanding issues and restoring regional stability and normal political relations between the two Middle Eastern powerhouses, the current anti-Saudi rhetoric makes it clear that Tehran prefers to maintain its hostile, crisis-mode model of relations with the Kingdom.
It seems probable that Tehran wishes to direct its internal crises outward by inciting tensions with neighboring states through the use of its proxy actors rather than engage in a direct confrontation with Saudi Arabia, given the risks involved and the long-term consequences for the Iranian regime.
• Dr. Mohammed Al-Sulami is president of the International Institute for Iranian Studies (Rasanah). Twitter: @mohalsulami

بارعة علم الدين/عرب نيوز: فيما العالم يكتوي بنار الصراعات والحروب والكراهية والفرقة، قيادات مسيحية واسلامية بارزة تلتقي في البحرين وتحث على إلتزام قيم السلام وقبول الآخر، وتعارف وتلاقي الحضارات
As the world burns, faith leaders urge ‘civilizational acquaintance’
Baria Alamuddin/Arab News/November 07, 2022
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/113226/baria-alamuddin-arab-news-as-the-world-burns-faith-leaders-urge-civilizational-acquaintance-%d8%a8%d8%a7%d8%b1%d8%b9%d8%a9-%d8%b9%d9%84%d9%85-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%af%d9%8a%d9%86-%d8%b9/
The shocking, racist comment that “Europe is a garden ... Most of the rest of the world is a jungle, and the jungle could invade the garden” was made last month by the EU’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell.
At last week’s Bahrain Dialogue Forum, Al-Azhar’s Grand Imam Sheikh Ahmed Al-Tayeb — without mentioning Borrell by name — retorted that such “irresponsible” statements demonstrated “gross ignorance of the civilizations of the East and their history.” Sitting alongside him, Pope Francis added his voice, warning that “in the garden of humanity, instead of cultivating our surroundings, we are playing instead with fire, missiles and bombs.”
This is an era in which wars, intolerance, environmental destruction and religious tensions are multiplying — yet never have complacent global leaderships appeared more apathetic and disengaged. This Bahrain event offered a moment for resetting the global clock, with high-level representation from all the world’s major faiths.
The Bahrain Dialogue Forum: East and West for Human Coexistence came into being with backing from major religious organizations like the Muslim Council of Elders, the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, Al-Azhar, the Catholic Church, and the King Hamad Global Centre for Peaceful Coexistence. During the event, Al-Tayeb made a groundbreaking call for Sunni-Shiite dialogue.
King Hamad stressed the necessity of working for “the good and advancement of mankind, so that every human being may enjoy a dignified and fulfilling life in a more stable and secure world.”
Bahrain is a microcosm for this vision of tolerant coexistence. Al-Tayeb stressed that Bahrain’s history was defined by the cherishing of “diversity and acceptance of the other, no matter the differences in race, belief, thought or culture … They have transformed the best aspects of these civilizations into a source of creative energy that fosters societal stability and constructive social development.” Pope Francis spoke movingly about how the islands of Bahrain served as a model of peaceful coexistence for mankind, reminding us “that we are indeed one family: not islands, but one great archipelago.”
This is a perilous era for religious coexistence. In India, the Hindu nationalist ruling Bharatiya Janata Party has unleashed a torrent of hostility and discrimination against Muslims and minorities. Not to mention the genocidal campaigns against the Uighur and Rohingya peoples.
The inexorable rise of the far right has been a dominant and destabilizing trend throughout the Western world. In recent days, extreme-right tendencies have surged to power in Israel, with Benjamin Netanyahu ushering in neo-Nazis and ultra-Zionist fascists on his coattails. This bodes ill for the Palestinian cause, as well as the prospects for coexistence between the region’s Jews, Muslims and Christians.
In the US midterm elections, a resurgent Republican Party is showcasing some of its most radical and deranged candidates for political office. The hammer attack against House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband is a symptom of how hate speech, antisemitism, Islamophobia and conspiracy-mongering are universally on the rise.
In my own nation, economic collapse and political chaos herald major risks for Lebanon’s delicate balance of coexistence between sects and ethnicities. Hezbollah and Gebran Bassil, in their efforts to divide and conquer, have ruthlessly played the sectarian card over and over again, knowing that once the genie of interconfessional violence is out of the bottle, there is no putting it back. Iraq is in a similarly dangerous situation, for similar reasons, with Tehran ruthlessly stirring the pot in a manner that has allowed its sectarian proxies to sweep back into power.
Daesh recently exploited the unrest in Iran to stage its first attack in the country for several years, massacring worshippers at a major shrine in Shiraz. Daesh’s expansion throughout Africa has seen the burning of dozens of churches and the slaughter of thousands of Christians and Muslims.
All this demonstrates that efforts to foster religious coexistence are not merely window dressing, but rather constitute an essential element for ensuring mankind’s continued coexistence. For much of our collective history, humans have been genetically programmed to see those who are different, physically and culturally, as the enemy. This is glaringly apparent in Europe, where the fear of Black, Muslim or impoverished immigrants has long been a dominant political force. There are those who would be only too happy to see the boatloads of refugees fleeing conflict and persecution all drown in the Mediterranean Sea or the English Channel.
Borrell’s comment that the European “garden” was menaced by invaders from the world’s “jungles” exemplified these fears, while failing to recognize the irony that such intolerant dynamics are subverting the vision of a European oasis of progress, coexistence and stability that the EU seeks to propagate.
Al-Azhar’s imam called for replacing the “clash of civilizations” theory with the concept of “civilizational acquaintance” (al-ta’aruf al-hadari), highlighting the Qur’an’s emphasis of the need for acquaintanceship and engagement between “peoples and tribes.” He warned of the dangers of “stoking the fires of nationalistic and ideological sentiments … The cruelty of our world against humanity has grown even worse with the violation of man’s most basic rights to minimum security.”
Pope Francis warned of the “bitter consequences if we continue to accentuate conflict instead of understanding, if we persist in stubbornly imposing our own models and despotic, imperialist, nationalist and populist visions, if we are unconcerned about the culture of others, if we close our ears to the plea of ordinary people and the voice of the poor, if we continue simplistically to divide people into good and bad.”
Cherishing the hope that we do not destroy ourselves and our planet does not feel like an excessive aspiration.
We can never simply cast our enemies into the sea. Many religions teach how we have to learn to have love for our enemies and treat all mankind as our neighbors. If we desire as a species to survive into the 22nd century, then these are lessons we must quickly learn. I am often accused of being too idealistic, yet cherishing the hope that we do not destroy ourselves and our planet does not feel like an excessive aspiration.
The grand imam called for the rebuilding of “bridges of dialogue, understanding and trust, and to establish peace in a world full of wounds,” while the king of Bahrain urged the replacement of “disagreement with consensus” and “unity in place of division.”
Across this increasingly multipolar planet, we can either learn to amicably coexist or die in bloodshed and anarchy. As Pope Francis observed: “In a globalized world, we only advance by rowing together; if we sail alone, we go adrift.”
*Baria Alamuddin is an award-winning journalist and broadcaster in the Middle East and the UK. She is editor of the Media Services Syndicate and has interviewed numerous heads of state.

For Western Islamists, Not Wearing Hijab Worse than Killing Protesters in Iran
Martha Lee/Focus on Western Islamism/November 07/ 2022
While Iranian dissidents and their allies in the West protest the Iranian regime in the aftermath of Mahsa Amini’s death in police custody in Iran, Western Islamist have another agenda. They express more outrage at women who do not wear the hijab than they do over the death of Amini who was taken into custody in mid-September for improperly wearing a hijab. Above, protesters express outrage over Amini's death at a rally held in New York City earlier this year.
As women in Iran have continued to remove and burn their hijabs in protest against the regime that killed 23-year-old Mahsa Amini in September, Western Islamists have been more outraged about the protesters taking off their hijabs than they are about the death of Amini in police custody. They also seem indifferent to the deaths of more than 300 protesters in the streets of Iran since mid-September. Such reactions are a reminder that the desire to impose hijab on women is evidently not limited to Islamic theocracies, but is also found in Muslim communities in the West.
Message to liberals: I do not need rescuing from my hijab.
Anjum Anwar
Well-known Islamist Roshan Salih denounced the women as “Western stooges.” Salih, who runs the British Islamist publication 5 Pillars, was among the most aggressive detractors of the protesters, claiming that the Iranian women opposing the regime were “insulting Islam” and that “Muslims all over the world are looking at [them] in disgust.”
Salih’s 5 Pillars published a series of op-eds on the hijab by Muslim women. One piece, written by Anjum Anwar, was titled “Message to liberals: I do not need rescuing from my hijab.” Another took a more Islamist perspective, claiming that “[hijab-wearing women] are the flag bearers of Islam” and warning women who burned their hijab that they had also burned “the bridges that will lead them to the submission of desires in place of their Lord.” In a third op-ed, activist Shabnam Kulsoom asserted that “Muslim women who disrespect hijab should not be “celebrated” and described the hijab as a “a magnet for attracting respect and repelling disrespect.”
Islamist religious figures assented. Prominent Canadian imam Younus Kathrada criticized as “completely false” the idea that no one could tell someone else how to dress. Kathrada accused certain hijab-wearing women, who support the right of other women not to wear it, of sounding “like the rhetoric of the modernist ‘scholars’ who support the rights of people who want to commit sodomy and live contrary to the [nature] God created us upon.”
Youssef Soussi, a Californian Islamist imam, explained that “the so-called [Muslim woman] who burns a veil/hijab in this [world] may very well be the reason why she burns in Hell in the [next world].” American Islamist Ismael Royer argued that the protests were evidence of “mental self-colonization.” Meanwhile in London, the director of the Islamic Centre of England accused the protesters of being “soldiers of Satan.”
Hardline Islamist Daniel Haqiqatjou, who runs the Islamist publication Muslim Skeptic, declared that not “mandating hijab is a crime against humanity” and claimed that “Islam protects” the “fundamental human right” of having a “modest public space free from promiscuity and harassment by the inappropriately dressed.”
Western Islamists seem more concerned about women not wearing hijabs than they are about the deaths of Masha Amini and hundreds of other activists in Iran since mid-September. Amini, pictured above, died while in police custody in Iran after she was arrested by the “Morality Police” for improperly wearing a hijab. She is one of more than 300 protesters to have died at the hands of the Iranian regime in recent weeks. (Wikipedia photo.)
Haqiqatjou’s publication, Muslim Skeptic, published an op-ed on the “Hijab Burnings in Iran and the Liberal Muslim’s Hatred for Islam.” The writer condemned liberal Muslims’ “colonised worldview” as “the biggest hurdle” to the Muslim community’s “attainment of the leadership of the world.” A couple of weeks prior to the protests, Muslim Skeptic’s regular contributor Bheria had penned a piece on “the Inevitable Failure of Political Shi’ism: The Secularization of Iran.”
As for the Council on Arab-American Relations (CAIR), it published an op-ed warning that supporting women who remove their hijab but not those who put it on “translates into Islamophobia that risks perpetuating more violence against girls and women.”
Others were busy attacking Muslim minority sects. Writer Talha Abdulrazaq, infuriated by Ismaili professor Khalil Andani’s stating that there is no consensus that hijab is mandatory, accused Ismailis of “thinking it’s ok to burn down mosques” and concluded that “hijab burning is nothing to [Ismailis] by comparison.” Ismailis are a Shia sect of Islam that embraces an inward understanding of the religion and is reputed for its support of women’s rights. The 48th Ismaili leader completely abolished the hijab for Ismaili women while encouraging their education.
Western Islamists are, of course, not in a position to legally impose the hijab on Muslim women but their reactions leave little doubt that they would gladly do so. Many Muslim communities in the West continue to be dominated by hardline religious figures who give women the ‘choice’ to wear the hijab or be ostracized and go to hell.