English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For November 18/2020
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news

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Bible Quotations For today
Whoever is from God hears the words of God. The reason you do not hear them is that you are not from God
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 08/46-50: “Which of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me? Whoever is from God hears the words of God. The reason you do not hear them is that you are not from God.’The Jews answered him, ‘Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?’Jesus answered, ‘I do not have a demon; but I honour my Father, and you dishonour me. Yet I do not seek my own glory; there is one who seeks it and he is the judge.”

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on November 17-18/2021
All Earthly Riches Remain On Earth/Elias Bejjani/November 17/2021
Geagea Urges 'Clear Political Confrontation' against Hizbullah
Miqati Calls for Cabinet to Re-Convene ASAP
Strong Lebanon Bloc Files Appeal against Electoral Law Amendments
Miqati Co-Chairs Third 3RF Consultative Group Meeting
UNICEF, U.S. Embassy Deliver 97 Tons of Urgent Medical Supplies to Lebanon
Salameh Says Will Share with Judiciary Audit Report that Rebuts Allegations
Egypt, Iraq step up efforts to help ease Lebanon’s power crisis
Turkey postures as patron of Lebanon’s Sunnis, taking advantage of void after Gulf row
Register to Vote/Ronnie Chatah/Now Lebanon/November 17/2021
Lebanese Journalist Tony Abi Najem Calls On Arab Countries To Oppose Hizbullah, Iranian Influence In Lebanon: Iran Is Using Hizbullah To Bring Chaos, Destruction To Arab Countries
Open Invitations/Michael Young/Carnegie/November 17, 2021
Plotting like a revolutionary: The need for growing like-minded humanistic networks of Iranians and Arabs/Alberto M. Fernandez/MEI@75 site/November 16/2021

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on November 17-18/2021
Iran still denying inspectors ‘essential’ access to workshop: IAEA report
U.N. Atomic Watchdog Says Iran Further Raising Nuclear Stockpile
U.S. Northwest, Canada Devastated by Flood, 1 Death Reported
Azerbaijan Loses 7 Troops in Border Clashes with Armenia
U.N. Palestinian Refugee Agency Fails to Fill Funding Gaps
China, U.S. to Ease Restrictions on Each Other's Journalists
Yemen crisis tops agenda as US envoy returns to Gulf
Naturalisation moves in Gulf region re-open debate on bidoons’ issue
Experts blame mismanagement as Turkish lira accelerates record slide

Titles For The Latest The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on November 17-18/2021
Spain: Migration Crisis Spirals Out of Control/Soeren Kern/Gatestone Institute/November 17, 2021
Water, please/Farouk Yousef/The Arab Weekly/November 17/2021
For Iraq’s pro-Iran militias, drones are just a continuation of politics/Faisal Al Yafai/The Arab Weekly/November 17/2021
Refugees are now the pawn in the game of political cat and mouse/Makram Rabah/Al Arabia/November 17/2021

The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on November 17-18/2021
All Earthly Riches Remain On Earth/الياس بجاني: كل ثروات الأرض تبقى عليها
Elias Bejjani/November 17/2021
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/14935/elias-bejjaniall-earthly-riches-remain-on-earth%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%8a%d8%a7%d8%b3-%d8%a8%d8%ac%d8%a7%d9%86%d9%8a%d9%83%d9%84-%d8%ab%d8%b1%d9%88%d8%a7%d8%aa-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%a3%d8%b1%d8%b6-%d8%aa%d8%a8/
In a bid for us to live in peace, harmony, love, actual faithو and true transparency, we are always strongly required to keep remembering seriously, with great gratitude and sincerity, that all what we have and own, including our lives, are generous gifts from Almighty God.
At the same time, we are ought to keep in mind, that we have a holy and Godly obligation to share these gifts with others, especially with those who are in need of what we have.
If every one of us commits himself to this great concept of love and sharing ,and frees himself from selfishness, hatred and grudges, then there will be no wars, and no one shall be left hungry, isolated, persecuted, sad, abandoned or downtrodden.
We need to be always fully aware that our life on this mortal earth is so short, so transient, and so unpredictable.
Due to the solid fact that we do not know when Almighty God will decide to reclaim back our soul (our life), we are supposed to be always ready to face Him on the Day Of Judgment with our deeds, and our deeply rooted faith.
Not even one individual, no matter rich or poor, strong or weak, sick or healthy, righteous or evil, educated or illiterate, white or black, young or elderly, that has left this mortal world was able to carry with him any earthly riches.
When we pass away, we can only and only carry with us our deeds. Based on these deeds, be good or bad, and not on the earthly riches we will face the Day of Judgment.
Definitely it is our choice to either hold on to the earthly riches, or to the good deeds, and accordingly carry the consequences.
Accordingly the choice for the eternity fate, be in Hell or Heaven is in our hands. Let us be wise and take the right choice before it is too late.
In conclusion all earthly riches remain on the earth, and we only carry with us our deeds for the Day of Judgment

Geagea Urges 'Clear Political Confrontation' against Hizbullah
Naharnet/November 17/2021
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea has called for “grabbing the parliamentary majority” in the upcoming elections to “prevent Hizbullah from controlling the formation of governments.”“If they want to make troubles, let them make troubles. A clear political confrontation is necessary,” Geagea added, in an interview with Annahar newspaper published Wednesday. Labeling the electoral battle as “salvation,” the LF leader said he is counting on the electoral juncture. “We must start from the point of building the state and it is necessary to work as statesmen and to form a government that would take serious decisions,” Geagea added.Commenting on the Tayyouneh-Ain al-Remmaneh incidents, the LF leader reiterated that his party “does not have a military organization.”“Hizbullah tried to hold the LF responsible for the Ain al-Remmaneh incidents in a bid to isolate it and strike the last truly resistant position in Lebanon but it achieved the opposite,” Geagea went on to say.

Miqati Calls for Cabinet to Re-Convene ASAP
Naharnet/November 17/2021
Prime Minsiter Najib Miqati stressed Wednesday the necessity of resuming Cabinet sessions and of making the required steps to solve the recent row with the Gulf states. He said that contacts are being made to find a solution based on constitutional and legal foundations, adding that ministerial meetings and workshops are being held in order to facilitate administrative work and put things on the right track. “Only dialogue can solve disagreements,” Miqati said. The prime minister considered that all parties should cooperate to achieve an economic recovery. “It is a national responsibility,” he said. He added that collaboration is key to maintain security and political stability

Strong Lebanon Bloc Files Appeal against Electoral Law Amendments
Naharnet/November 17/2021
The Strong Lebanon parliamentary bloc filed Wednesday an appeal against the electoral law’s amendment before the Constitutional Council. The bloc’s MP Alain Aoun said the Constitutional Council will take a decision concerning the appeal within a month. “We respect the Council’s decision,” he added. Aoun said that his bloc has presented to the Constitutional Council the reasons that necessitate repealing the electoral law’s amendments. Free Patriotic Movement head Jebran Bassil said Tuesday that his bloc is keen on holding the elections on time and that the appeal is “against the amendments” and not against the entire electoral law. He stressed that the appeal “will not affect the administrative procedures for the elections’ preparations.”

Miqati Co-Chairs Third 3RF Consultative Group Meeting
Naharnet/November 17/2021
The Consultative Group (CG) of the Reform, Recovery and Reconstruction Framework (3RF) has held its third meeting at the Grand Serail, co-chaired by Prime Minister Najib Miqati, Lebanese civil society, European Union (EU) and United Nations. The 3RF Consultative Group members discussed progress achieved so far and next steps in four main sectors: the anti-corruption sector; the Build Beirut Businesses Back Better (B5) program; the social protection sector; and the housing sector. The CG welcomed the formation of the new government and called for concrete reforms, and for justice and accountability through a transparent, independent and credible investigation into the Beirut port explosion, the co-chairs said in a statement. "Potential benefits from the IMF Special Drawing Rights should be maximized," the co-chairs said. The group also reiterated the call for free and fair elections, to be held according to the electoral calendar provided by law and ensuring full representation and participation of women in the democratic process and in government. The CG called for donors to contribute to the 3RF, the statement said, adding that "civil society was first to respond after the blast and continues to support those worst affected, though uneven attention is given to poor neighborhoods." "There is a need for a housing recovery strategy and action plan, linking housing to wider urban recovery while remaining sensitive to heritage, cultural life and the environment," the co-chairs said. The co-chairs said that in-kind assistance was provided to more than 300,000 families nation-wide affected by the economic crisis and that some 20,000 disabled beneficiaries will soon receive social grants. The CG reiterated the call for a transparent 2022 budget with strong funding for social protection and welcomed Miqati’s decision to form a ministerial committee on Social Protection and a technical committee to work on the national Social Protection strategy.

UNICEF, U.S. Embassy Deliver 97 Tons of Urgent Medical Supplies to Lebanon
Naharnet/November 17/2021
Through funding from the U.S. Government, UNICEF said it has delivered 97 tons of lifesaving medical supplies valued at over one million U.S. dollars to the Ministry of Public Health, in response to severe shortages of supplies and medicines affecting health facilities across Lebanon.
The humanitarian shipment arrived Tuesday to the Beirut international airport through a UNICEF charter flight, UNICEF said in a press release. It added that the shipment included essential drugs, oral rehydration salts and antibiotics, medical and surgical supplies, and nutritional commodities.
"These supplies will support access to healthcare for around one million children and women through five public hospitals and 166 primary healthcare centres and border vaccination centres for over one year," UNICEF stated. The medical supplies were handed over at the airport and then directly moved to a UNICEF warehouse where the shipment was received by U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Dorothy Shea, Minister of Public Health Firass Abiad, and UNICEF Representative in Lebanon Yukie Mokuo.
“The U.S. Government is proud to support UNICEF’s efforts to deliver lifesaving medical supplies to address the most urgent needs of Lebanon’s health sector. This is one of several efforts we are undertaking with trusted partners to help the Lebanese people,” Ambassador Shea said.
The Lebanese minister of public health for his part said: “Amidst the difficult circumstances Lebanon is going through, the support of UNICEF and the international community continues to play an important role in alleviating the ongoing hardships.”
“The life-saving medical items delivered today will support children and vulnerable families through the healthcare sector across Lebanon during these critical times. UNICEF is putting every effort to support families caught up in this unprecedented crisis that is putting children’s health and wellbeing at risk,” said Yukie Mokuo, UNICEF’s Representative in Lebanon. “It is thanks to donors like the United States Government that we are able to provide humanitarian assistance in support of children and families affected by this terrible crisis.”
UNICEF said it will deliver, in the coming weeks, the supplies directly to healthcare facilities as part of its redoubled efforts to support families caught up in this unprecedented crisis that sent the national currency into freefall, prices soaring and families struggling to afford even the most basic items.
"UNICEF has enhanced its social assistance, is providing emergency support to avoid the collapse of the public water services and is supporting thousands of children to ensure their access to education, healthcare and child protection services. Yet, the needs are massive, and UNICEF needs more support to reach more vulnerable children," the press release concluded.

Salameh Says Will Share with Judiciary Audit Report that Rebuts Allegations
Naharnet/November 17/2021
Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh said Wednesday that he has asked a renowned audit firm to audit the transactions and investments that were subject to media “campaigns” against him.
Salameh said in a statement that the results of the audit firm invalidated “false information” that he has used public funds to pay fees to the Forry Associates Ltd. Company. He added that he had never hidden his personal wealth and that he had revealed the sources of his personal wealth to the public in April 2020. Salameh said he will share the audit report with the judicial authorities. Salameh has been under investigation in Switzerland, France and Luxembourg on suspicion of serious money laundering and embezzlement from the central bank. The Lebanese public suspect him and other high officials of transferring money abroad during a 2019 uprising, when ordinary people were prevented from doing so.

Egypt, Iraq step up efforts to help ease Lebanon’s power crisis
The Arab Weekly/November 17/2021
BEIRUT--Efforts to ease Lebanon’s power crisis are gathering pace, with Iraq pledging to send 500,000 tonnes of gas oil and Egypt planning to begin exporting 60-65 million cubic feet of gas per day to the country by early next year. The Iraqi cabinet approved on Tuesday an agreement to send Lebanon half a million tonnes of gas oil, Iraq’s communication minister said after a cabinet meeting. In July, Iraq signed a deal allowing the cash-strapped Lebanese government to pay for one million tonnes of heavy fuel oil a year in goods and services, helping Lebanon ease its acute power shortage. Egypt is also expecting to begin exporting 60-65 million cubic feet of gas per day to Lebanon by early next year, Egyptian Petroleum Minister Tarek El Molla said on Tuesday. Egypt will supply the gas, in line with the quantity that Lebanon had requested, “as soon as we can … we might expect it end of the year, early next year”, Molla said on the sidelines of an oil and gas conference in Abu Dhabi. “We are just (doing) due diligence, checking the pipelines,” he said. Under a US-backed plan to help ease Lebanon’s power crisis, Egypt will supply natural gas to Lebanon via a pipeline passing through Jordan and Syria.

Turkey postures as patron of Lebanon’s Sunnis, taking advantage of void after Gulf row
The Arab Weekly/November 17/2021
BEIRUT--Turkey is working to redefine the type of influence it can exert in Lebanon after the void left there by the disengagement of Gulf countries after the row sparked by the Lebanese foreign minister’s remarks.
Ankara seeks to benefit from the Arab withdrawal from the Lebanese political field, especially after the diplomatic and economic measures taken by Saudi Arabia.Turkey thinks it can posture as the patron of the Sunnis, in the face of Iran, the key sponsor of Iran’s Shia groups, led by Hezbollah.
Analysts say this might be the first time that Turkey pushes to fill a void in a Middle Eastern country without the help of a local Muslim Brotherhood affiliated-organisation. Lebanese political experts say that the vacuum created by the Arabs’ absence from the multi-sectarian country, especially after the recent escalation with Gulf countries, will not be exploited by Iran with its near total control of the Shia community and a large part of the Maronites. Ankara believes it has many tools at its disposal to make significant inroads into the Sunni community and exploit the community’s sense of injustice, by using a narrative of solidarity and willingness to help, while playing on the bonds of history and religion as well as providing token humanitarian aid. Ankara is also attempting to focus on criticising Saudi and Arab “abandonment” of the Sunnis of Lebanon to their fate.
Lebanese political analysts said that the visit of Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu to Beirut, and his emphasis on his country’s readiness to offer support to Lebanon reflect clear intent to play a new role that takes advantage of the near-complete withdrawal of Saudi Arabia from Lebanon and its suspension of financial, investment and tourism support to the cash-strapped country, which its seeks as being under the yoke of Hezbollah and Iran.
The analysts do not think Turkey is interested in competing with Iran, which Cavusoglu had visited right before coming to Lebanon. Its main goal instead would be to fill the void left by the Saudis’ absence. But it is doubtful that Ankara would be able to provide support of the same kind that Riyadh used to provide. Moreover, the Lebanese are not likely to be swayed by mere promises since they feel that many of the regional and international pledges of help made to them in the past have not been fulfilled. These analysts say that Ankara is not thinking of playing the role of a lever to lift Lebanon out of its morass. Its main concern is to lay the foundations for a long term role in the country and does not envision a repeat of the type of role it has played in such places as Syria, Libya and Azerbaijan. But they point out also to the ambiguity of the statements made by the Turkish foreign minister, who did not present any specific ideas or projects for cooperation. Cavusoglu said, during a joint press conference with his Lebanese counterpart Abdullah Bouhabib, in Beirut, that Turkey and Lebanon share geography and destiny, as well as deep-rooted historical, cultural and human relations.
He stressed that Turkey is committed to Lebanon’s sovereignty, security, stability and prosperity, pointing to the support and solidarity provided by Ankara to Lebanon after the port of Beirut and Akkar blasts.
“We have expressed our sadness over the recent crisis between Lebanon and the Gulf. We received information concerning the latest developments towards its resolution. And if there is anything that can be done for the issue to be resolved as soon as possible we are ready to carry it out,” Cavusoglu told reporters after meeting his Lebanese counterpart Abdallah Bouhabib.“Everyone should provide support to the Lebanese government in order to find solutions to the crises facing the country and to be able to hold general elections as soon as possible,” he added.
“The Lebanese people are waiting for an urgent solution to their problems, and they should not pay the price for regional bargaining,” he stated, in an implicit criticism of Saudi Arabia’s position after Lebanese Information Minister George Kordahi’s statements labeling Riyadh’s military role in Yemen an “aggression”.
Commenting on the crisis between Lebanon and the Gulf, Cavusoglu expressed his “hope” for a “resolution of this problem as soon as possible through diplomacy and dialogue on the basis of mutual respect.” The Turkish chief diplomat also mentioned his country’s support for the Lebanese army and security forces, noting that Turkey had extended its contribution to the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) for another year. The Lebanese foreign minister said that his country is keen on forging stronger relations with Turkey, expressing his hope that Ankara would facilitate the access of Lebanese products to Turkish markets. Bouhabib said that “Lebanon and Turkey, in addition to Jordan and Iraq, host the largest number of displaced Syrians, and therefore it is in their interest to unite efforts and call on the international community to assume its responsibilities for a just distribution of burdens and work for the safe return of the displaced.”The Turkish foreign minister met with President Michel Aoun, Prime Minister Najib Mikati and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri. Cavusoglu extended an official invitation to the Lebanese Prime Minister to visit Turkey to discuss cooperation between the two countries.

Register to Vote
Ronnie Chatah/Now Lebanon/November 17/2021
Ronnie Chatah looks at the maneuvering space afforded to next year’s parliamentary elections, despite Lebanon’s unresolved geopolitical problems, and dwells on what governing with older established parties could look like.
A Lebanese protester sprays graffiti on a concrete barrier beneath the "October 17 torch" during a demonstration marking the one year anniversary of the beginning of a nationwide anti-government protest movement, in front of the devastated port of the capital Beirut where a massive explosion took place more than two months ago, on October 17, 2020.
For a country better defined by political violence than standard democratic practice, it is hard to build a case for fundamental change following next year’s parliamentary elections. We can go a step further…Lebanon will almost certainly remain ungovernable so long as it hosts a regional army – and geopolitical conflict – within its borders. Electoral outcomes in our recent history have not ushered in improvement. A proxy army sets the limits for good governance, and whatever agency remains is confined to the margins.
A small amount to work with, where skills and knowledge are taken to the halls of power and fail.
Yet the pessimistic reality we live with may actually offer the first step in eventually pushing inwards, even if that is years from now. And one day, perhaps, even allow us to enter the system’s core, and usher in long-overdue reform.
Previous efforts have been made. I have, in fact, used this column to express that sentiment in detail (see last week’s piece, ‘Agency, Not Surrender’). I also acknowledge that 2021/22 is not exactly 2005 or 2009. Those earlier election years saw majority wins amount to nothing against Hezbollah’s demands, accompanied by assassinations and the impact that weapon has on politics. At the same time, small differences that have emerged since are important, and they offer good reason to still hold onto the electoral process as a conduit for hope.
October 17
Large swathes of Lebanese have lost hope in traditional political parties. They may not be the majority, but a sizable minority that turns to the October 17 uprising for inspiration believes that new groups – and new names – are needed.
And they are organizing. Fast. The same individuals that protested with revolutionary chants two years ago in Martyrs Square, Riad el Solh and throughout Lebanon, in those early days following October 17, eager to barge into government buildings and reclaim what was rightfully theirs, have now entered mainstream politics and are campaigning across the country. Candidate lists will be announced over the coming weeks (individuals have started launching their candidacies). Coalitions among October 17 supporters have come to fruition. There are smaller groups – perhaps out of principle and stubbornness – that continue to go at it alone, and their presence will likely diminish once elections are underway. But a new political force, rising from the street and currently politicking, has begun.
A new political force, rising from the street and currently politicking, has begun.
A friend from civil society, and a voice I turn to when I need a positive jolt, offered his take: “a new name in parliament from a brand-new party is a 100% increase in visibility.” Two is two hundred. And so on…
I agree. These individuals need the experience of navigating Lebanon’s complexities. The narrowest of accomplishments they muster will provide some respite. And the more they persuade, the greater the numbers will grow in 2026 and 2030.
They are setting the stage for the long haul. March 14 was given that opportunity (twice), and Hezbollah murdered those aspirations. October 17 deserves their try, and here comes my limited hope in regional political developments as they impact Hezbollah’s position in Lebanon.
The Proxy
I may be stretching here, and I realize recent years have pointed in the exact opposite direction of what I am about to say…
But I think Hezbollah, as it exists now, with its known capabilities, is untenable. And that bodes well for reformists in the long-run.
For several reasons. The first has to do with Iran’s limitations in subverting the Lebanese state. The cash-strapped Iranian economy is crippled by sanctions. IRGC military adventures abroad (proxies from Yemen to Iraq and Lebanon) are increasingly expensive, and equally important, unpopular at home. The Abrahamic Accords, irrespective of their sidelining of the Palestine question, have also made it difficult for Iran to claim ownership of the Palestinian cause through Hamas and Hezbollah’s arsenal, alone – both groups have withered in popularity and, to a degree, legitimacy within their own respective populations and cannot confront Israeli without paying an enormous price. And the US and Iran’s return to nuclear negotiations, combined with increased bilateral talks between Iran and Saudi Arabia, hint at possible stabilization in the near future. Lebanon’s status is up in the air, but there is a trend towards rapprochement between Iran and its Gulf opponents, and we may benefit from reposturing in the region.
The second is Hezbollah’s local limitations. The group clearly circumvents justice – years spent on the Special Tribunal for Lebanon’s investigation and verdict against Hezbollah operative Salim Ayyash brought no direct political consequence to the party, and Ayyash remains free. Obstacles placed by that group against the port blast investigation, in addition to a delegitimization campaign against Judge Tarek Bitar’s mission, have forced the cabinet to suspend its meetings while further obstructing the investigation process.
Members of parliament that resigned lamenting stagnation and decline, as well as parties that nominated reform-minded ministers to previous cabinets, should be embraced by October 17.
Yet despite Hezbollah’s uncompromising position, the group today, unlike in 2005 and 2009, is increasingly unpopular, and is blamed for political assassinations alongside accusations for indirect responsibility for the port blast, along with protecting regime figures summoned by Judge Bitar. Public opinion against Hezbollah has shifted dramatically against the party following their entry into the Syrian war and military support for the Assad regime, and their recurring threat of civil war increasingly falls on deaf ears. Even their political allies do not always speak in line when it comes to the port blast investigation. And their weapons’ raison d’être as a bulwark against Israel has long expired.
The third is the state of the state they depend on. The group’s position is unsustainable without a semi-functioning government that protects the group’s security needs. The real threat of social explosion harms Hezbollah as much as any other entrenched party, and they have limited interest in involving themselves with the day-to-day affairs of statehood. That they have increasingly dominated local affairs places them in the crosshairs with a population largely fed up with the status quo Hezbollah helped preserve. That status quo may not be directly challenged in next year’s parliamentary elections, but if regional trends cool the temperature down enough on Lebanon, it is critical to have reform-minded sovereigntists in positions of power and ready to advance the goals set out on March 14, 2005.
Traditional parties
This may remain an unpopular opinion until election day, but I think members of parliament that resigned lamenting stagnation and decline, as well as parties that nominated reform-minded ministers to previous cabinets, should be embraced by October 17. When and how and in exactly what form that embrace occurs is not for me to say, but excluding older parties in the conversation is senseless, and there should be a hand extended to established and reforming groups that seek common cause in state-building.
And that should include members of the present cabinet. There are individuals affiliated with traditional parties in ministerial positions today, not because of corruption and mediocrity but rather their skills and expertise. One in particular, Minister of Environment Nasser Yassin, is openly supportive of the aspirations of October 17, and was nominated by Najib Mikati and Saad Hariri. Another member named by both, Minister of Health Firas Abiad, shined during the coronavirus pandemic with confidence and competence as he presided over Rafik Hariri Hospital. The SSNP-somewhat-affiliated (and Mikati-approved) Deputy Prime Minister Saade Shameh, an IMF-man through and through, is a well-positioned economist able to help push for our much-needed IMF deal.
The acknowledgment that reform is a necessity, and not a luxury, has taken hold. Those that do not conform, and their leaders in their later years, will begin to fade away. It is a matter of time.
I could expand on this list (with obvious limitations in mind), but irrespective of their old guard backing, these individuals are not political the way the term has been abused in recent history. They are neither power-grabbers nor authority-chasers, and refreshingly shy away from celebrity-like notoriety. They are technocrats and are playing their small role in preventing Lebanon from complete collapse. At the same time, no matter who is running the environment ministry, there are extreme consequences to corruption and limitations to extinguishing forest fires that raged across Lebanon over the weekend without the necessary equipment. Irrespective of anyone in charge of the health ministry, a parallel black-market taking advantage of lifted subsidies will continue to rob Lebanese of the medicines they depend on, regardless of organization skills. And whether or not a prime minister’s deputy is eager to get an IMF deal signed, there are endless impediments to getting everyone on board, from careerists at the finance ministry to the head of the Central Bank, and almost everyone in-between.
That may as well be the entire state. The benchmark may be low when it comes to expectations. But the acknowledgment that reform is a necessity and not a luxury, has taken hold. Those that do not conform, and their leaders in their later years, will begin to fade away. It is a matter of time. New names eager to join parliament next year, alongside earlier reformists pushing through against the odds, will face a decades-old nightmare.
But they are just getting started.
And if you believe in their potential, and their commitment to this country in its most difficult of times…support them. Because they need your vote. And if you live in the diaspora and there is one thing you have not done yet, you have until this Saturday, November 20 at midnight Beirut time to register to vote.
Click here for the direct link to register, and click here for a podcast episode outlining the process step by step. Ronnie Chatah hosts The Beirut Banyan podcast, a series of storytelling episodes and long-form conversations that reflect on all that is modern Lebanese history. He also leads the WalkBeirut tour, a four-hour narration of Beirut’s rich and troubled past. He is on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter @thebeirutbanyan. The opinions expressed are those of the author only and do not necessarily reflect the views of NOW.

Lebanese Journalist Tony Abi Najem Calls On Arab Countries To Oppose Hizbullah, Iranian Influence In Lebanon: Iran Is Using Hizbullah To Bring Chaos, Destruction To Arab Countries
MEMRI/November 17/2021
Source: MBC TV (Saudi Arabia)
In a November 5, 2021 interview on MBC 1 (Saudi Arabia), Lebanese journalist Tony Abi Najem called on the Arab countries to oppose Hizbullah and the influence of Iran in Lebanon and the region. Abi Najem said that Iran has been using Hizbullah to advance a "Persian plan" to bring chaos and destruction to the Arab world, and stressed that there can be no peace as long as Hizbullah controls Lebanon. He also said that a joint front of Arab countries would be able to confront Hizbullah and pressure it to disarm in accordance with U.N. Security Council resolutions. In a reference to recent tensions between Saudi Arabia and Lebanon, Abi Najem urged Saudi Arabia not to withdraw from Lebanon because many people in Lebanon are Saudi Arabia's allies and need its support. For more information about Tony Abi Najem,
Tony Abi Najem: "We in Lebanon have been abandoned a while ago, I'm sad to say. The biggest problem was some Arab countries' mistaken view of the Lebanese crisis. Their premise was that as long as Hizbullah operates [only] in Lebanon we should let the Lebanese figure this out by themselves. At the same time, Iran's perspective was different. For Iran, the birth of Hizbullah, its training, and its armament, was in order to turn it into a spearhead in their plan to export the Revolution. In fact, this is a plan to export chaos and destruction.
"Therefore, all this time that Hizbullah was allowed to grow stronger, it maintained relations even with Saudi Arabia, and some Arab countries facilitated its activities. It was like breeding a wild breast inside the Arab home. Eventually, the Arab countries woke up once they felt that Hizbullah started to threaten their interests directly – whether in Syria, in Iraq, or in the war in Yemen.
"So the [Arabs'] relaxed approach of the past, and their refraining from engaging in an international lobbying campaign in order to force the implementation of U.N. Resolutions 1559, 1680, and 1701, which clearly state that the militias and first and foremost Hizbullah, must disarm... The fact that there is no pressure to implement these international resolutions has turned Lebanon into a hostage, into a country occupied by Hizbullah. "We need people in the Arab world to exert external pressure on the superpowers, in the Security Council and anywhere else, in order to secure the implementation of the U.N. resolutions regarding Lebanon. "It is futile to expect peace in any Arab country as long as Hizbullah has a hold on Lebanon, because it constitutes Iran's backyard in the region. As long as [Hizbullah] is comfortable here in Lebanon, there will be no security in any Arab country. "We need support for the Lebanese who oppose Hizbullah, so that they can persevere and continue to operate. There are several ways this can be done – there isn't only one way. Saudi Arabia and the Arab axis still have major allies in Lebanon, like the Lebanese Forces, the Lebanese Opposition Front, the Phalanges, and others, but they all suffer from the financial and economic situation, and because foreign powers gave up on them. "In addition, they need help in applying pressure on the international community, so it doesn't abandon Lebanon to the mercy of Hizbullah. There also needs to be pressure on France specifically, because it is trying to implement the agenda of Hizbullah and Iran in Lebanon in order to reap profits in contracts with Iraq and possibly Iran, in the future. Many things can be done, but this will not be achieved if Saudi Arabia completely withdraws from Lebanon. "Hizbullah is not only murdering Lebanese people, it has become an influential and destructive power in all Arab countries. What we need is a joint front to stop this plan, to confront the Persian enterprise, and to stop the situation from continuing this way and moving towards all-out chaos."

Open Invitations
Michael Young/Carnegie/November 17, 2021
By encouraging outside powers to have a stake in Lebanon, Hezbollah’s foes may create spaces to contain Iran.
For a divided country like Lebanon, foreign involvement in its affairs has always been a curse. Regional and international actors have manipulated the perennial divisions in society to advance their interests, while the Lebanese have paid a heavy price for this. However, is it possible to take advantage of outside interventions?
Societies divided along sectarian lines can be volatile affairs. In the Lebanese case, the sectarian communities are all, in one way or another, minorities, each with its existential fears. If other sects gain too much power, a sect’s instinctive reaction is to anticipate its own elimination. Often this can lead to war, as a fearful minority overinterprets the actions of rivals, and prepares to fight for what it regards as its survival. This is what happened in the period before the civil war in 1975, when Maronite political parties began arming. They viewed the growing strength of Palestinian military groups as a factor decisively favoring the Sunni community, believing this threatened their own place in the state, and ultimately their presence.
Sectarian systems tend to sanction sects that try to impose their will on the others. When the Palestinians left Lebanon, in 1982 and then more conclusively in 1983, the Sunnis lost their main military prop and faded for years. The Maronites thought they could impose their supremacy through Israel’s invasion of 1982, but this was undermined by Israeli reluctance to become entangled in Lebanese enmities, hostility to Maronite ambitions from other sects, and military aid provided to these opponents by foreign countries. The result was a major loss of Maronite power once the war ended.
Today, a more complicated situation prevails with the Shia community, or that part of it that endorses Hezbollah. The party is heavily armed, but its foreign sponsor, Iran, is not physically present in Lebanon, so there is no real option of forcing its departure to weaken Hezbollah. On the contrary, the Iranians anchored their regional project in the wreckage of Arab discord—in Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, and Yemen—not in open-ended military deployments. This has led many people to wonder what can be done to put an end to Hezbollah’s hegemony, short of initiating a civil conflict that would ruin the country and very likely resolve nothing. The simple answer is that nothing can be done at the moment.
However, that does not mean there is no way of placing limits on the party’s margin of maneuver. And here it may be useful for the Lebanese opposed to Hezbollah to build upon wider foreign involvement, the very poison plaguing their country since independence. If Lebanon again becomes an open field for regional and international competition, there could be a latitude to set limits to what Tehran and its allies do and turn the country into a place of negotiation, as opposed to its remaining an exclusive Iranian satellite.
In many regards we’ve seen the beginning of this during the past year, as Lebanon’s economic collapse and the Beirut port explosion have invited outside concern. The explosion allowed French President Emmanuel Macron to enter the Lebanese scene with gusto. His initiative was later neutralized, but it also turned France into a recognized player in the country. The French were central to the government formation process, and will doubtless take the lead in any European effort to help Lebanon’s economic recovery.
The electricity crisis opened the door to an Egyptian and Jordanian initiative as well, supported by the United States, to supply Lebanon with energy and alleviate its disastrous economic situation. The belief among these countries is that Hezbollah and Iran would benefit from a full social and economic breakdown. The willingness of Lebanese to accept cheap Iranian fuel in recent months has proven this.
Similarly, the efforts by certain Arab states—the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and Jordan—to begin normalizing with the Assad regime in Syria, is partly seen by them as a way of bolstering the country with respect to Iran. This could have definite repercussions on Iranian power in Lebanon if the Syrians attempted to revive their influence and networks in the country, this time supported by Russia.
On the other hand, the decision of some Gulf countries to cut Lebanon off has led nowhere. The latest decision to target the country in the aftermath of comments by Information Minister George Qordahi—comments he made before he was a minister—was a case in point. The statement of Saudi Foreign Minister Faysal bin Farhan earlier this week raised more questions than answers. He declared that it was up to the political class to “liberate Lebanon from Hezbollah and Iran.” Meanwhile, the Saudis saw no impetus to communicate with the Lebanese government “for the time being.”
No doubt the Saudis and other Gulf states are legitimately fed up with the Lebanese political class, given that so many politicians have taken advantage of Saudi and Gulf largesse, for little return. But how does Prince Faysal propose that Lebanon liberate itself, short of war? It is a country where a clear majority of the population rejects Iran’s agenda. But when the Gulf states fail to make the most of this and their isolation of Lebanon only facilitates Hezbollah’s efforts to dictate the country’s direction, how does this qualify as a successful policy? Normally, in politics one struggles for power, one doesn’t pout.
No one should expect clear or rapid outcomes from the foreign countries seeking stakes in Lebanon. Hezbollah and Iran will fight tooth and nail for every inch of terrain—witness the Iranian foreign minister’s recent efforts to torpedo a French plan to rebuild Beirut port, by offering that Iran do the same and more. Change will require patience by states to use their advantages, while accepting that zero-sum expectations will fail: Eliminating Iran’s sway from Lebanon will not happen, given the large Shia community there. With time, a regional consensus over the country may emerge to stabilize things, similar to the Syrian-Saudi understanding over the Taif agreement.
The Lebanese may groan at such a warmed over outcome, as well they should. Unfortunately, the country has not shown any of the unity necessary to avoid those kinds of solutions. Unless, and until, the population is unified, Lebanon will remain a football in other people’s matches. So, for the moment, it is preferable to exploit that shortcoming to prevent the country from being solely an Iranian tool, which would only reinforce the Arab quarantine imposed on it and even bring wholesale destruction in the event of a war with Israel.
*Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.

مقالة للكاتب البرتو أم. فرنندس يبين من خلالها الحاجة إلى نمو شبكات إنسانية متشابهة التفكير من الإيرانيين والعرب بما يشبه النموذج الذي كان يقوم به الشهيد لقمان سليم
Plotting like a revolutionary: The need for growing like-minded humanistic networks of Iranians and Arabs
Alberto M. Fernandez/MEI@75 site/November 16/2021
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/104171/alberto-m-fernandez-plotting-like-a-revolutionary-the-need-for-growing-like-minded-humanistic-networks-of-iranians-and-arabs-%d9%85%d9%82%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%a9-%d9%84%d9%84%d9%83%d8%a7%d8%aa%d8%a8/
It is a mistake to view Iran’s regional aggression and hegemony as purely a result of violence and terrorism. Certainly, a major impetus of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and of its local militias in Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and elsewhere is the projection of violence of every sort. But Iran’s powerplay also has important media, political, economic, and cultural aspects. Its scope is not limited to Shi’a Muslims alone. In Iraq and Lebanon, Iran empowers certain Christian proxies, as it does with Sunni Muslims elsewhere.
These thick, layered networks of influence, encompassing politics, greed, fear, and violence, give Iran’s political ambitions lasting power, even though a specific correlation of groups may wax and wane. In the recent Iraqi elections, the most openly pro-Iranian militias/parties did poorly. But other Iranian collaborators among the Iraqi political class did better than in the previous elections.
If Iran and its allies and friends cast their nets widely, those forces — political, economic, social, cultural — opposing them are all too often atomized and scattered. There seems to be little patience or will to make the effort to build durable, on-the-ground networks of like-minded people, drawing together Arabs and Iranians, who represent a different, more humanistic vision of what the region should look like, in opposition to the concept of Velayat-e-Faqih (guardianship of the Islamic jurist) espoused by the Iranian regime. Perhaps the West and others in the region need to think more like subversives and revolutionaries than regimes but in any case, there is a vacuum that exists in the anti-Iranian ground game in the Middle East. And in this vacuum, there is opportunity for growth.
One Arab who saw that bigger picture was Lebanese anti-Hezbollah activist and publisher Lokman Slim, cruelly gunned down earlier this year with impunity, like so many other prominent anti-Hezbollah figures in Lebanon during the past decade. Lokman didn’t have one project or initiative, he had many. He was a publisher (along with his sister, the acclaimed novelist Rasha al-Ameer), an activist, a researcher, a documentary film maker, a media personality and pundit, and a builder of networks and loose like-minded communities of interest among Lebanese, especially his own Lebanese Shi’a community. Among the books translated and disseminated by his publishing house, Dar al-Jadeed, were the works of free thinking and secular Iranians and Iraqis, Lebanese and Syrians.
His aspirations were that this type of anti-Iranian regime dynamism could one day be regionalized. And his anti-Iranian regime views were coupled with a deep respect for Iran as a people and a civilization. He knew the danger, we see it in the region today still, of opposition to the regime in Iran degrading into a type of generalized anti-Iranian or anti-Shi’a bigotry by Arabs who lacked a deeper understanding and appreciation of Iranian-Arab relations.
Lokman’s work was intensive and important but in the larger scheme of things, compared to the organization and push coming from Tehran, it was modest. Despite the claims of the pro-Hezbollah propaganda network in Lebanon, his tangible support among foreign embassies and Western donors was also modest. He was able to reach out to Shi’a communities in the towns of Southern Lebanon but the idea of broader, regional informal networks, collaborations, and initiatives remained a dream. While Iran thinks regionally — Lebanese Hezbollah provided key media support, from Beirut, for the Houthis in Yemen and organizational help to the Iraqi militias in Baghdad — the West and its allies in the region all too often seem to suffer from a lack of imagination or daring to envision a region different than what it is today.
Bringing together like-minded individuals and groups, promoting local initiatives and activities along a spectrum of humanistic, free thinking, enlightened, and liberal worldviews in the “Greater MENA” region was once quite fashionable in Washington. It was one element in the Bush administration’s so-called Freedom Agenda after 9/11 and one of the offshoots of such an effort, the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI), still exists in the U.S. Department of State. Like much that was done in that administration, there was an important element of truth in such a broad-brush agenda, one that was overdone — the region as a whole was never on the verge of Jeffersonian democracy — poorly done, or not done at all. But while the region was not on the edge of a democratic transformation, that is not to say that there is no dynamism toward reform and humanism. The heroic demonstrators in recent years in Lebanon, Iraq, and Sudan are testimony to the very real vitality of people and inchoate movements on the ground. There is more than a whiff of George W. Bush’s Freedom Agenda in President Joe Biden’s Democracy Summit and a risk that it will be either another exercise in government overreach or mere propaganda.
Rather than the fanfare of another government program, what makes more sense — away from the official limelight — are private initiatives aimed at bringing people together, people that share certain values and interests but who don’t know each other and their work, initiatives that eschew the hype, superficiality, and the overblown rhetoric of past years, that work quietly, more like patient revolutionaries seized with a vision and a passion for the future and less like showmen for another flashy, but ultimately empty, American political campaign reimagined for Middle East lands.
*Alberto M. Fernandez is Vice President of the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI). The views expressed in this piece are his own.

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on November 17-18/2021
Iran still denying inspectors ‘essential’ access to workshop: IAEA report
Reuters/November 17/2021
The UN nuclear watchdog has still not had access to re-install surveillance cameras at the TESA Karaj centrifuge-parts workshop in Iran, though that is essential to reviving the Iran nuclear deal, the agency said in a report on Wednesday. International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors have also continued to be “subjected to excessively invasive physical searches by security officials at nuclear facilities in Iran”, a second quarterly report issued on Wednesday said, after diplomats said such incidents had happened at the Natanz nuclear site. The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday that production resumed months ago at the workshop, which was hit by apparent sabotage in June. One of four International Atomic Energy Agency cameras there was destroyed in the attack and Iran subsequently removed the rest. Iran has blamed Israel for the sabotage.

U.N. Atomic Watchdog Says Iran Further Raising Nuclear Stockpile
Associated Press/The Arab Weekly/November 17/2021
The United Nations' atomic watchdog says it believes Iran has further increased its stockpile of highly enriched uranium in breach of a 2015 accord with world powers. The International Atomic Energy Agency told member nations in its confidential quarterly report Wednesday that Iran has an estimated stock of 17.7 kilograms (39 pounds) of uranium enriched to up to 60% fissile purity, an increase of almost 8 kilograms since August. Such highly enriched uranium can be easily refined to make atomic weapons, which is why world powers have sought to contain Tehran's nuclear program. The Vienna-based agency told members that it is still not able to verify Iran's exact stockpile of enriched uranium due to the limitations Tehran imposed on U.N. inspectors earlier this year. The IAEA has been unable to access surveillance footage of Iranian nuclear sites or of online enrichment monitors and electronic seals since February. The agency's chief, Rafael Mariano Grossi, told The Associated Press this month that the situation was like "flying in a heavily clouded sky." Grossi is expected to travel to Tehran this month for direct talks with Iranian officials on restoring the agency's ability to know in real-time what the country is doing.

U.S. Northwest, Canada Devastated by Flood, 1 Death Reported
Associated Press/November 17/2021
As many parts of western Washington began drying out after a storm that dumped rain for days, waters in some areas continued rising, more people were urged to evacuate and crews worked to restore power and reopen roads. Officials in the small city of Sumas, Washington, near the Canada border called the flood damage there devastating. Officials said on Facebook Tuesday that hundreds of people had been evacuated and estimated that 75% of homes had water damage. The soaking reminded people of western Washington's record, severe flooding in November 1990 when two people died and there were more than 2,000 evacuations, officials said. "These families and businesses need our prayers and support as we start the process of cleanup and rebuilding over the next few days," the Facebook post said. Across the border, the body of a woman was recovered from a landslide northeast of Vancouver, British Columbia, near Lillooet that was triggered by record rainfall. Royal Canadian Mounted Police said at least two other people were reported missing. Fast-rising water levels from a Sumas River in Washington state overwhelmed rescuers in Abbotsford, British Columbia, on Tuesday, where 1,100 homes were evacuated. Those residents joined thousands of others in the province who were forced from their homes by floods or landslides starting Sunday night. Abbotsford Mayor Henry Braun said Tuesday that impassable highways were creating havoc as authorities tried to get people to evacuation sites. "It breaks my heart to see what's going on in our city," he said. Southwest of Sumas, Washington, a 59-year-old man from Everson identified by police Tuesday as Jose Garcia remained missing after his truck was swept into a flooded field and he had been clinging to a tree.
Crews partially reopened the West Coast's main north-south highway, Interstate 5, near Bellingham, Washington, following its complete closure overnight because of mudslide debris. The northbound lanes remained closed Tuesday evening as crews continued working.
Additionally, six railroad cars that had been sitting on tracks in a BNSF rail yard in Sumas derailed in the flooding Tuesday, said Lena Kent, BNSF general director of public affairs. Trains in that location and others in western Washington won't be running until water recedes and tracks are inspected and repaired if necessary, she said. Canada's two largest railways expect it will take several days to clear track outages in southern British Columbia that are hindering the movement of goods to the port in Vancouver.
In the northern Washington city of Ferndale, officials on Tuesday urged people in homes and businesses to evacuate in an area near the rising Nooksack River. Bystanders near the town's main street rescued a man Tuesday who mistakenly drove into floodwaters. The half-dozen people waded into waters up to their chests and pushed the floating car to drier ground. The rains were caused by an atmospheric river — a huge plume of moisture extending over the Pacific and into Washington and Oregon. It was the second major widespread flood event in the northwest part of Washington state in less than two years, and climate change is fueling more powerful and frequent severe weather, Whatcom County officials told the Bellingham Herald.
About 5.57 inches of rain fell at Bellingham International Airport from Saturday through Monday, Nov. 15. The normal monthly rain total is 5.2 inches for November, according to National Weather Service data. At the height of the storm, more than 158,000 electrical customers in western Washington on Monday had no power as wind speeds reached 60 mph (96 kph), including one gust of 58 mph (93 kph) at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Schools in and around the city of Bellingham were closed Tuesday for the second day in a row. West of Seattle on the Olympic Peninsula, the U.S. Coast Guard helped local authorities evacuate about 10 people Monday near the town of Forks. More than 31,000 Washington state electrical customers remained without power on Tuesday. The National Weather Service had issued flood warnings for several rivers around western Washington. There was good news in that south of Bellingham, the Skagit River at Mount Vernon crested at a level below that of a flood wall constructed in 2016 to hold back rushing waters, The Seattle Times reported. Up the Skagit River from Mount Vernon in the town of Hamilton, floodwaters that surrounded homes were slowly receding Tuesday evening, Q13-TV reported. Dozens of people, including Bert Kerns, escaped to higher grounds at the Hamilton First Baptist Church on Sunday. He was among those who hadn't been able to get to his house yet. "Rough. Kind of like a nightmare," said Kerns, who has lived in Hamilton since 1980. Gov. Jay Inslee on Monday declared a severe weather state of emergency in 14 counties.

Azerbaijan Loses 7 Troops in Border Clashes with Armenia
Agence France Presse/November 17/2021
Seven Azerbaijani troops have been killed in border clashes with Armenia near the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region, officials in Baku said on Wednesday. On Tuesday, Armenian and Azerbaijani forces engaged in their worst clashes since going to war last year over the long-disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region. The six-week conflict, which claimed the lives of more than 6,500 people, ended last November in a Russia-mediated deal that saw Armenia cede swathes of territory it had controlled for decades. The clashes on Tuesday along the Caucasus neighbors' shared border sparked fears of another flare-up in their territorial dispute. "Seven servicemen died and 10 more were wounded in the clashes provoked Tuesday by Armenia," Baku's defense ministry said, adding that the situation at the border "stabilized on Tuesday evening." Armenia's defense ministry said one Armenian soldier was killed, 13 were captured by Azerbaijani forces and 24 more servicemen were missing. It said "the situation at the border's eastern sector was relatively calm and a ceasefire agreement was being respected" on Wednesday morning. Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Tuesday accused Azerbaijan of "targeting Armenia's statehood, sovereignty, and independence." Baku said Armenia was responsible for a "large-scale military provocation."Armenia appealed to ally Russia for military support under the Collective Security Treaty Organization pact, which obliges Moscow to protect it in the event of a foreign invasion. A ceasefire was reached Tuesday evening following mediation by Russia's Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. The European Union, France, the United Nations, and the United States have called on both sides to de-escalate tensions. Ethnic Armenian separatists in Nagorno-Karabakh broke away from Azerbaijan as the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, and an ensuing conflict claimed around 30,000 lives.

U.N. Palestinian Refugee Agency Fails to Fill Funding Gaps
Agence France Presse/November 17/2021
The U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, fell well short Tuesday of its target to plug a $100-million gap this year and secure full long-term funding despite fresh pledges from donors.
UNRWA warned it was facing an "existential" threat as it urged the international community to commit to more stable financing at a conference in Brussels, insisting it needs to find $800 million a year going forward.  In the short-term, the agency was scrambling to cover a shortfall of $100 million for the final months of this year after warning it faced having to shut down some of its activities.A statement said donors committed an extra $38 million for this year -- leaving the agency still $60 million short. "So we are making progress. But we still need support to cover all services and salaries for November and December," UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said. He warned that financing gaps posed a threat of a "truly existential nature" to the agency that provides social welfare to Palestinian refugees and their descendants. "I had to raise the alarm because if we do not find real solution now and for the future, the institution is on the edge of a collapse," Lazzarini said. "We are struggling today already to feed our stock of medicine and to pay bills and our staff has to deal with frozen benefits and delayed salaries."
Going forward, the agency said donors had vowed $614 million in new or renewed multi-year agreements with just 40 percent of the agency's core budget covered for next year. "Our operation require a minimum of $800 million a year. It is not possible to operate with less than that," Lazzarini said. UNRWA, which has a staff of 28,000, provides assistance to more than five million Palestinians registered with it in the Palestinian territories, Jordan and Lebanon.

China, U.S. to Ease Restrictions on Each Other's Journalists
Associated Press/November 17/2021
China and the U.S. have agreed to ease restrictions on each other's journalists amid a slight relaxation of tensions between the two sides.
The official China Daily newspaper on Wednesday said the agreement was reached ahead of Tuesday's virtual summit between Chinese leader Xi Jinping and U.S. President Joe Biden. The agreement represents a degree of progress on an issue that has long aggravated relations, but details remain to be ironed out. COVID-19 travel restrictions and long-standing obstacles faced by foreign media within China are also factors standing in the way of a major breakthrough in media relations. Under the agreement, the U.S. will issue one-year multiple-entry visas to Chinese journalists and will immediately initiate a process to address "duration of status" issues, China Daily said. China will reciprocate by granting equal treatment to U.S. journalists once the U.S. policies take effect, and both sides will issue media visas for new applicants "based on relevant laws and regulations," the report said.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian gave no information on a timeline for implementation, but called the agreement a "hard-won achievement that is in the interest of both sides and should be cherished." "We hope that the U.S. will keep its promise to put the relevant measures and policies in place as soon as possible and work with China to create favorable conditions for both (nations') media to continue to work and live in each other's countries," Zhao said at a daily briefing. In a statement to The Associated Press late Tuesday, the State Department said China had committed to issuing visas for a group of U.S. reporters "provided they are eligible under all applicable laws and regulations." "We will also continue issuing visas to (Chinese) journalists who are otherwise eligible for the visa under U.S. law," the statement said. China also committed to increase the length for which U.S. journalist visas are valid from the current 90 days to one year. "On a reciprocal basis, we are committing to increase validity of U.S. visas issued to PRC journalists to one year as well," the State Department statement said, referring to the People's Republic of China. Not mentioned in either statement were press conditions in the semi-autonomous Chinese territory of Hong Kong, where both local and international media have come under increasing pressure. The Economist said last week that Hong Kong refused a visa renewal for its correspondent Sue-Lin Wong. Authorities have not explained the rejection.
Limits on journalists have fueled tensions between the two countries for more than a year after the U.S. cut 20 visas issued to Chinese state media journalists and required those remaining to register as foreign agents, among other changes.
China responded by expelling journalists working for U.S. outlets and severely restricting conditions for those continuing to work in the country.
The new agreement "was the result of more than a year of difficult negotiations over the treatment of media outlets in both countries," China Daily said. "It is hoped that more good news is ahead for the two countries' media outlets through further China-U.S. cooperation," the newspaper added. The State Department said it has "remained in close consultation with the affected outlets, as well as other outlets facing personnel shortages due to PRC government policy decisions, and we are gratified their correspondents will be able to return to the PRC to continue their important work. We welcome this progress but see it simply as initial steps."The State Department also said it would continue to work toward expanded access and better conditions for U.S. and foreign media in China, where they face considerable obstacles ranging from questioning by police, harassment preventing them from doing their work, personal threats and lawsuits brought by people they interview.
"We will continue to advocate for media freedom as a reflection of our democratic values," the State Department told the AP. Asked about Wong's case, Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said the issuing of visas is at the "autonomy and the discretion of any government." Lam added that the authorities do not comment on individual cases but will continue to facilitate the operation of overseas media based in Hong Kong "in a legitimate manner" according to the city's mini-constitution, known as the Basic Law. The city's Foreign Correspondents' Club said it was "deeply concerned" over the denial of Wong's employment visa. "We again call on the government to provide concrete assurances that applications for employment visas and visa extensions will be handled in a timely manner with clearly-stated requirements and procedures, and that the visa process for journalists will not be politicized or weaponized," the club said in a statement last week. Wong is the latest in a string of journalists in Hong Kong to be denied visas. In 2018, Hong Kong authorities refused to renew the work visa of Financial Times senior editor Victor Mallet after he chaired a lunchtime talk at the Foreign Correspondents' Club with the leader of a now-banned pro-Hong Kong independence party. Authorities did not say why Mallet's application was rejected. In 2020, Hong Kong did not renew a work visa for Chris Buckley, a New York Times reporter who had been working in Hong Kong after being expelled from China, as well as for Irish journalist Aaron Mc Nicholas, who was then an incoming editor for the independent media outlet Hong Kong Free Press.

Yemen crisis tops agenda as US envoy returns to Gulf
The Arab Weekly/November 17/2021
DUBAI--US Special Envoy for Yemen Tim Lenderking is visiting Saudi Arabia and Bahrain to coordinate on regional security and concerns over Iran and for talks on UN-led peace efforts for Yemen, the State Department said on Tuesday. It said Lenderking would also discuss the detention by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi militias, the de facto authority in the north, of some Yemeni staff at the US embassy compound in the capital, Sana’a, which was closed in 2015. The State Department had earlier said the majority of the local employees had been released, without saying how many had been detained or when.
The US embassy in Sana’a shut after the Houthis ousted the internationally-recognised government from Sana’a in late 2014. It has since operated out of Riyadh. Mohamed Ali al-Houthi, head of the Houthi supreme revolutionary committee, in a Twitter post on Sunday criticised the United States for “abandoning” local staff, but did not directly refer to their detention.
Stalemate
Lenderking has visited the region frequently this year as part of UN-led efforts to engineer a ceasefire in Yemen needed to restart political talks to end the war, in which a Saudi-led coalition intervened in March 2015 against the Houthis. The conflict, which has killed tens of thousands of people and caused a dire humanitarian crisis, is seen as a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran. Washington has been pressing Riyadh to lift a coalition blockade on Houthi-held ports, a condition from the group to start truce talks. Riyadh wants a simultaneous deal. Lenderking’s visit comes as Houthi militias advance in areas south of the main port of Hodeidah following a withdrawal by coalition forces in the area. The militias have also recently made territorial gains in gas-rich Marib, the government’s last northern stronghold and in oil-rich Shabwa in the south.
Bloody battle
The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said Tuesday it has killed over 130 Houthi militiamen in the past 24 hours in strikes in and near Marib. The coalition has been reporting high death tolls in almost daily strikes since October aimed at repelling a rebel offensive on the city of Marib, the government’s last stronghold in the north. The Iran-backed Houthis rarely comment on the tolls, which have now according to the coalition exceeded 3,700 in the past weeks. “Sixteen military vehicles were destroyed and more than 130 terrorist elements eliminated” in the latest raids, the coalition said in a statement carried by the Saudi state news agency SPA.
It said the operations were carried out in Marib and Al-Bayda provinces.

Naturalisation moves in Gulf region re-open debate on bidoons’ issue
The Arab Weekly/November 17/2021
LONDON--Saudi Arabia announced this week that it had granted citizenship to an unspecified number of foreigners whose expertise could help the country as it diversifies away from oil, a major shift that follows a similar decision by the neighbouring UAE earlier this year.
The programme targets people with “outstanding capabilities” and backgrounds in “rare specialities,” the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported, noting that the kingdom will focus on naturalising foreigners in fields including Sharia, medicine, science, culture, sports and technology, “in order to strengthen the pace of development” and boost its attractiveness for investment and human capital. With this move, Saudi Arabia became the second Gulf country to formalise a process aimed at giving expatriates a bigger stake in the economy after the UAE announced its own naturalisation programme for exceptional foreigners in January. The Saudi move, experts said, renewed the debate about efforts, in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states, to resolve the issue of stateless people, known as Bidoon. The issue of Bidoons, experts added, has become a chronic problem that affected the image of countries in the region and their human rights record. Immigrants make up a third of the population in Saudi Arabia, but with extremely limited mechanisms for granting permanent residency or nationality, they have little long-term stability.
Even as officials work to attract more highly-educated foreigners, the government has been reserving for Saudis many jobs once occupied by lower-income immigrants from other Arab, Asian and African countries, part of an effort to tackle citizen unemployment of over 11%.
Observers, however, said that social reforms led by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz could provide a valuable opportunity to resolve the issue of Bidoons. This could come in line with the image that the new Saudi Arabia is seeking to develop, with new laws that abide by human rights, including laws related to women and the judiciary.
While Saudi Arabia has been avoiding any discussion of the Bidoon issue, countries such as the UAE and Qatar are increasingly working to naturalise stateless residents, creating a precedent at the regional level. Qatari and Emirati moves, experts say, could embarrass Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, especially since local public opinion in the two countries is not enthusiastic about opening the citizenship file. The Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani said during a speech on October 26 that his country would soon amend its citizenship laws to naturalise stateless residents such as members of the Al-Murra tribe. This came after criticism at home and abroad over the exclusion Al-Murra tribe from standing or voting in the recent legislative elections. The Bidoons in the Arabian Gulf are mostly descendants of the desert nomads who failed to register as citizens when Gulf countries began to gain their independence. Some of the Bidoons also belong to cross-border tribes. The number of Bidoons living throughout the Arabian Gulf is estimated at between 170,000 and 350,000, most of whom reside in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. However, accurate figures cannot be obtained due to the absence of official statistics. For decades, Arab Gulf states refused to grant citizenship to these residents in order to maintain tribal or sectarian balances within their borders. Besides, some governments have long questioned the national loyalties of the Bidoons who live within their borders.
Observers of Gulf affairs believe that opening of the naturalisation issue in Saudi Arabia and the rest of Arab Gulf states, within the context of attracting expertise, could provide an adequate climate for a political and societal debate about expanding this approach to include the Bidoons.
The new momentum also provides a valuable opportunity for the authorities to listen to Bidoons’ demands and realise the suffering of stateless people, notably the younger generation that has been struggling with an identity issue. A report by the Stratfor Centre for Strategic Geopolitical Studies and Research indicates that Kuwait and Saudi Arabia have been slower to naturalise their much larger Bidoon populations, which makes it unlikely for the Bidoons there to obtain citizenship as quickly as residents of Qatar or the UAE. The report adds that despite the encouraging incentives of the golden visa programme and the new citizenship decree for people with exceptional expertise, Saudi Arabia has a pull-back that hinders the naturalisation of Bidoon, as it measures its steps according to the conservative public attitude towards rapid social and cultural changes. The report does not rule out that bidoons, who are removed from the social welfare system from cradle to grave, will object to the naturalisation of new residents, who will compete with them for jobs and government services.

Experts blame mismanagement as Turkish lira accelerates record slide
The Arab Weekly/November 17/2021
ISTANBUL--The Turkish lira suffered one of its worst falls of the year on Tuesday and hit new lows to cement its status as the year’s worst-performing emerging market currency. It fell nearly four percent to 10.41 to the dollar before clawing back some of its losses ahead of a meeting Thursday at which the central bank is expected to lower interest rates for the third successive month. Turkey’s nominally independent bank has bowed to incessant pressure from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to drive down the cost of doing business in order to stimulate growth. This push has put Turkey’s economy on course to expand by roughly ten percent this year. But it has also seen the official annual inflation rate reach almost 20 percent and the lira lose more than a quarter of its value against the dollar during the year. “There is a growing risk that the central bank’s continued obedience to pressure from President Erdogan for interest rate cuts results in sharp and disorderly falls in the currency over the coming days and weeks,” Capital Economics analyst Jason Tuvey said in a research note.
Focus on elections
The central bank has lowered its policy rate by 300 basis points to 16 percent since August. This means Turkey has a negative real interest rate, a policy that devalues lira assets and gives additional incentive for people to buy foreign currencies and gold. The lira has been put under further pressure by concerns that the US Federal Reserve may raise interests rates sooner than expected to fight a spike in inflation. That makes dollar holdings more attractive and drains investments away from emerging markets. But analysts blame most of Turkey’s problems on unconventional economic policies that focus on economic growth at the price of high inflation and a depreciating currency. Such measures can help exporters and big businesses, but hurt ordinary citizens who see prices shoot up for daily goods. Even big businesses have started to express alarm that Turkey may be spiralling towards a currency crisis that puts pressure on banks because they have billions in dollar-denominated debt coming due in the next few months. Finance Minister Lutfi Elvan told a business forum on Tuesday that the government was still focused on achieving price stability and stemming the lira’s losses. But emerging markets economist Timothy Ash said Erdogan, whose approval ratings are near the lowest point of his 19-year rule, has decided that economic expansion at any cost will help him win re-election in polls scheduled for 2023.
“It’s an interesting call that the Erdogan team think growth and jobs rather than beating down on inflation will win them the next election,” Ash wrote in a note to clients.
Hitting people hard
Many people in Turkey are facing increased hardship as prices of food and other goods have soared. While rising consumer prices are affecting countries worldwide as they bounce back from the coronavirus pandemic, economists say Turkey’s eye-popping inflation has been exacerbated by economic mismanagement, concerns over the country’s financial reserves and Erdogan’s push to cut interest rates.Caught in the middle are everyday Turks trying to make ends meet. “Everything is so expensive, I cannot buy anything,” Suheyla Poyraz said as she browsed food stalls at the Ortakcilar market in Istanbul’s Eyupsultan district. The 57-year-old homemaker has voted for Erdogan’s party and called on the government to act to end inflation. “If you are the government and if we are voting for you to put things right, why aren’t you intervening? Why aren’t you stopping the rising prices?” Poyraz said. High inflation has been hurting the popularity ratings of Erdogan, whose early years in power were marked by a strong economy. Opinion surveys indicate that an alliance of opposition parties that have formed a bloc against Erdogan’s ruling party and its nationalist allies are fast narrowing the gap. The Turkish government says inflation rose nearly 20% in October compared with a year earlier, but the independent Inflation Research Group, made up of academics and former government officials, put it close to a stunning 50%. There are concerns about Erdogan’s influence over monetary policy. He has appointed four central bank governors since 2019 and fired bankers who are said to have resisted lowering interest rates. Foreign investors have been dumping Turkish assets and Turks have been converting their savings to foreign currencies and gold. “There has been a massive sell-off in financial markets just due to this intervention to the central bank’s independence,” said Ozlem Derici Sengul, an economist and founding partner of the Istanbul-based Spinn Consulting. “There are several factors that move both inflation and financial market prices … (but) the dominant factor is the central bank’s policy.”
She estimates more than half of the population “is struggling in terms of income.”

The Latest The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on November 17-18/2021
Spain: Migration Crisis Spirals Out of Control
Soeren Kern/Gatestone Institute/November 17, 2021
"Guys, listen, most of you want to emigrate. Follow this plan: we need 40 volunteers. All the Brooklyn guys who book a flight to Turkey will fly over Spain. One of you will activate the GPS and when the plane approaches Spain you will begin to scream and feign an illness. The stewardess will come and ask for patience until the plane arrives in Turkey. At this moment the others begin to protest and claim that the passenger is going to die... If everyone shows sympathy for the sick passenger, the plane will make an emergency landing in Spain to protect the reputation of the company and to free itself of responsibility." — Description of a plot to enter Spain illegally, published in a Moroccan Facebook group, as reported by El Mundo and EFE news agency, November 7, 2021.
The plot, months in the making and unmatched in audacity, has demonstrated that commandeering airliners is a cheaper and safer way to reach Europe than paying people smugglers thousands of euros for perilous sea crossings.
"Obviously, what can be done with this data is to ignore it and let the problem fester, which is what has been done so far. The last straw is that in Spain they insult you by calling you 'xenophobic' and 'racist' for the mere fact of pointing out a problem revealed by the official statistics. What they are trying to censor is not a political position, but reality." — Spanish commentator and blogger Elentir, November 6, 2021.
As in other parts of Europe, migrant crime in Spain is spiraling beyond the capacity of law enforcement to contain the violence. Migrant crimes are rarely reported by national news outlets, but local newspapers show that migrant criminality is a nationwide problem. Many migrants have criminal records but are repeatedly released back onto the streets by lenient judges. Migrant criminals are rarely deported; many are unable or unwilling to integrate into Spanish society, so the cycle of crime continues apace.
"We say that the requirements to obtain nationality must be toughened because Spanish nationality is a treasure that we are not willing to give away to those who do not respect it and do not deserve it." — Vox President Santiago Abascal, November 6, 2021.
"[T]he others begin to protest and claim that the passenger is going to die... the plane will make an emergency landing in Spain to protect the reputation of the company..." — Description of a plot to enter Spain illegally. Pictured: Two illegal migrants, who were part of a group that forced an airliner down, arrive at the courthouse in Palma de Mallorca, Spain on November 8, 2021.
Prosecutors in Spain have charged a dozen North African migrants with sedition for illegally entering the country by forcing a commercial airliner to land on Spanish territory.
The plot, months in the making and unmatched in audacity, has demonstrated that commandeering airliners is a cheaper and safer way to reach Europe than paying people-smugglers thousands of euros for perilous sea crossings.
Spanish authorities, notorious for closing a blind eye to illegal immigration from North Africa, fear that the plot has set a precedent that will be repeated, not only in Spain but at other airports in Europe.
On the evening of November 5, a Moroccan migrant on an Air Arabia Maroc flight between Morocco and Turkey pretended to be suffering from a diabetic coma. The supposed medical emergency forced the pilot to land the plane in Palma, a city on the Spanish island of Mallorca, located in the western Mediterranean Sea.
Upon landing, an airplane door was opened to allow a medical team to transfer the allegedly sick traveler to a local hospital. At that moment, more than two dozen migrants rushed to the door, exited the aircraft, fled across the runways, and jumped the airport's perimeter fence. A video of the incident, initially censored by Spanish media, was made public by Vox, a conservative party opposed to mass migration.
After hours of searching, twelve of the migrants were eventually found and detained. At least 13 others, thought to be Moroccans and Palestinians, remain at large. They are believed to have boarded ferries for the seven-hour voyage from Mallorca to Barcelona on the Spanish mainland.
Once in Spain, illegal immigrants are protected by European Union human rights laws and are unlikely ever to be deported. They are also able to travel unhindered from Spain to other EU countries including France, Belgium and the Netherlands, all of which have large Moroccan communities. At this point, the fugitives could be anywhere in Europe and are not likely to be found.
Spanish police said that the plot, which forced the closure of the Palma de Mallorca airport, the third-busiest in Spain, was hatched by a Moroccan Facebook group called Brooklyn.
Police revealed that in July 2021 the private Facebook group, which has more than 15,000 mostly Moroccan followers, published a post that described a plot similar to that at the Palma airport. According to the Spanish newspaper El Mundo, the message, reportedly written in a Moroccan dialect, stated:
"Guys, listen, most of you want to emigrate. Follow this plan: we need 40 volunteers. All the Brooklyn guys who book a flight to Turkey will fly over Spain. One of you will activate the GPS and when the plane approaches Spain you will begin to scream and feign an illness. The stewardess will come and ask for patience until the plane arrives in Turkey. At this moment the others begin to protest and claim that the passenger is going to die.
"If everyone shows sympathy for the sick passenger, the plane will make an emergency landing in Spain to protect the reputation of the company and to free itself of responsibility. After the forced landing you will be taken to a terminal that is not the arrivals terminal. There will be a door from where the 'patient' needs to exit. Then the rest of you will rush that exit together. The private security agent will not be able to stop you. There are no police in that place.
"In the next few days, we will organize it. Interested parties sign up."
Air Arabia is a low-cost airline and the migrants paid around 200 euros for the flight from Morocco to Turkey. This amount is miniscule in comparison to the 2,500 euros that migrants typically pay people smugglers to cross the Mediterranean Sea by boat from North Africa.
Spanish prosecutors believe that the migrants had been planning the "air boat" (patera aérea) scheme for several months and took advantage of the fact that Moroccan nationals do not need a visa to visit Turkey.
Prosecutors said that the man who faked the illness was a 32-year-old Moroccan who in 2020 was arrested in Marbella, a city in southern Spain, for physical assault and resisting arrest. He reportedly was not deported from Spain at the time. It remains unclear why he left Spain and tried to return. At the hospital in Palma the man "did not show any symptoms" and experienced a "miraculous recovery," according to police.
In a move apparently aimed at deterrence, Spanish prosecutors charged each of the 12 detainees with two separate crimes: sedition and public disorder. Under Spanish law, sedition includes crimes committed in airspace. The charges, which entail lengthy prison sentences, are intended to ensure that the migrants cannot be released on lesser immigration offenses. The 12, who are being held without bail, have refused to cooperate with police and reportedly deny having committed a crime.
Runaway Migration, Spiraling Crime
The incident in Palma de Mallorca has refocused attention on the problem of runaway mass migration to Spain and the concomitant increase in crime and insecurity in Spanish towns and cities.
Spain, along with Greece and Italy, is one of the main gateways for illegal immigration into Europe from Africa, Asia and the Middle East. Official statistics show that migration flows are returning to the levels they were at before the Covid-19 pandemic suppressed the number of arrivals in 2020.
At least 35,000 migrants illegally entered Spain during the first ten months of 2021, according to data compiled by the Spanish Interior Ministry. Most of the migrants — 32,713 in 1,905 boats and dinghies — arrived by sea to the Spanish mainland, as well as to the Balearic and Canary Islands and Spain's North African exclaves, Ceuta and Melilla.
The actual number of arrivals certainly is far higher because many migrants who arrive on Spanish beaches go undetected and are not counted in official statistics. Security officials estimate that between 30% and 40% of migrant boats arriving in Spain are not intercepted by border patrols.
The government's 2021 data also omits, apparently for political reasons, the estimated 10,000 migrants who illegally entered Ceuta between May 17 and 18, when migrants stormed the maritime borders in a coordinated assault. It remains unclear how many of those migrants were returned to Morocco and how many remain in Spain. In any event, the number of asylum applications in Ceuta increased by 700% during the first nine months of 2021 compared to the same period in 2020, according to government data provided to the Spanish parliament.
Meanwhile, the number of illegal immigrants in Spain is now estimated to be well over 800,000, according to the nationwide radio broadcaster COPE.
Mass migration has contributed to an increase in crime and delinquency in Spain. On November 6, the Spanish blogger Elentir analyzed the latest crime figures released by the Spanish Interior Ministry. He found that foreigners comprise roughly 30% of the Spanish prison population, although they make up only 11.5% of the Spanish population. He found that Moroccans comprise 26% of Spain's foreign prison population.
Elentir also noted that in Catalonia, which for ideological reasons has deliberately promoted immigration from the Muslim world, foreigners comprise nearly 50% of the Catalan prison population while they make up 16% of the Catalan population. He called on the Spanish government to establish more demanding requirements when admitting non-EU mmigrants:
"Obviously, what can be done with this data is to ignore it and let the problem fester, which is what has been done so far. The last straw is that in Spain they insult you by calling you 'xenophobic' and 'racist' for the mere fact of pointing out a problem revealed by the official statistics. What they are trying to censor is not a political position, but reality."
As in other parts of Europe, migrant crime in Spain is spiraling beyond the capacity of law enforcement to contain the violence. Migrant crimes are rarely reported by national news outlets, but local newspapers show that migrant criminality is a nationwide problem. Many migrants have criminal records but are repeatedly released back onto the streets by lenient judges. Migrant criminals are rarely deported; many are unable or unwilling to integrate into Spanish society, so the cycle of crime continues apace. Following are a few examples of crimes committed in recent weeks:
November 10, 2021. In Madrid, a 19-year-old Moroccan youth with a long criminal history set fire to three homeless people who were sleeping in a city park. The culprit has been arrested eight times since turning 18; he was arrested five times for robbery in October alone.
November 5, 2021. In Cartagena, a 54-year-old Yemeni man was arrested for kidnapping his two nieces for eight years.
November 4, 2021. In Lleida, a 45-year-old Algerian man was arrested for raping a woman in the city center. After his arrest, he went on a rampage and caused mass destruction inside the police station.
November 2, 2021. In Alcoy, two Moroccans, both with prior police records, were arrested for robbing at knifepoint residents of a student dormitory.
October 31, 2021. In Mallorca, a 24-year-old Moroccan man with a long criminal history of sexual offenses raped and robbed a woman at knifepoint.
October 26, 2021. In Lanzarote, a 19-year-old Moroccan with a long criminal history was arrested for robbing three people at knifepoint and for masturbating in front of his victims, including a 74-year-old woman.
October 25, 2021. In Gran Canaria, three Moroccan youths, all with prior records, attacked police who tried to break up a street fight.
October 24, 2021. In Vitoria, four North African males assaulted a 30-year-old woman. She offered them her wallet and cellphone, but their stated objective was to disfigure her. "We just want to bust your pretty face," the assailants said while they beat her to a pulp. Vitoria Mayor Gorka Urtaran warned against xenophobia: "We must not generalize."
October 23, 2021. In Málaga, a Moroccan jihadist was arrested in a counter-terrorism operation.
October 20, 2021. In Valencia, a 31-year-old Moroccan man with a long criminal history was arrested after attempting to cut a man's throat with pruning shears.
October 19, 2021. In Madrid, a Moroccan man seriously injured a 64-year-old man by punching him in the head. The victim was placed on life support.
October 19, 2021. In Pontevedra, two Moroccans were arrested for sexually assaulting two female minors.
October 19, 2021. In Zaragoza, a 27-year-old Moroccan with a criminal history injured two police officers who were trying to arrest him. The man, who remains at large, attacked the officers by throwing them down two flights of stairs and then severely biting them.
October 17, 2021. In Almería, an Algerian migrant wanted for lynching and then murdering a man in Algeria, was arrested while disembarking from a boat in the port area. The migrant, who was carrying a 40 cm (15-inch) machete at the time of his arrest, just recently arrived in Spain on a dinghy.
October 17, 2021. In Zaragoza, a Moroccan youth was arrested after attacking an off-duty police officer who asked him to put on his mask while on a city bus.
October 14, 2021. In Madrid and Barcelona, five jihadists of Algerian origin were arrested in a counter-terrorism operation. They had recently arrived in Spain on dinghies.
October 13, 2021. In Melilla, 12 migrants of sub-Saharan origin attacked a police officer in the face with an iron hook as they tried to scale the six-meter-high border fence. Of the 12, seven succeeded in reaching Spanish territory. More than 60 officers have been injured by migrants during 2021.
October 3, 2021. In Alicante, several Moroccan migrants were arrested after numerous people were stabbed during street fights. Gangs of Moroccan migrants in the locality have been fighting each other for months, and local officials appear unable or unwilling to stop the violence.
October 3, 2021. In Granada, a Moroccan migrant was arrested for armed robbery. Police revealed that since arriving in Spain on a dinghy in February 2020, he has been arrested at least nine times for armed robbery and for assaulting police officers.
October 1, 2021. In Sabadell, two North African males brutalized a taxi driver after he asked them to pay for their trip. They pepper sprayed him in the face, punched him in the face and beat him until he fell to the ground. The attackers then stole both of his cellphones. The driver, who has been working in the sector for nearly 20 years, was taken to the hospital with two broken ribs and a broken nose. "I have the feeling that there is more and more violence," he said. "The aggressors increasingly believe themselves to be immune."
September 28, 2021. In Madrid, two North African males attacked a railway station employee after he asked them to wear a mask. The man was hospitalized for knife wounds to his face and neck.
September 21, 2021. In Ibiza, two Senegalese migrants were arrested for drugging a young woman and sexually assaulting her.
September 21, 2021. In Tarragona, three North African males raped a Spanish woman for wearing a T-shirt with a logo of Vox, a party opposed to mass migration. One of her attackers said: "You have to take off that shirt. If you don't take it off, I'll take it off myself." After sexually assaulting her, an attacker warned: "Tomorrow, don't wear this shirt again."
Many of the migrants arriving in Spain are unaccompanied minors, colloquially known as menas (menores extranjeros no acompañados). Menas, who are often housed for free in four star hotels, sometimes for months at a time, costing Spanish taxpayers tens of millions of euros each year.
Violent altercations involving menas are increasingly commonplace. In Madrid, for instance, the SUP police union estimates that menas comprise three out of four of the minors arrested in the capital. Following are a few examples of crimes committed by menas in recent weeks:
November 5, 2021. In Fuerteventura, six Moroccan menas locked up two caregivers at a mena reception center after the caregivers complained about them smoking cannabis in the facility and not wanting to share rooms with sub-Saharan Africans.
October 18, 2021. In Palma de Mallorca, police dismantled an Algerian gang dedicated to bringing menas to Mallorca to commit robberies. The group consisted of 16 people who are charged with 150 crimes. Investigators said these figures are "only the tip of the iceberg." The 16 had previously been arrested a cumulative total of 133 times and were always released.
October 13, 2021. In Zaragoza, a large group of menas seriously injured two people during a robbery attempt. One of the victims was hit on the head with a bottle. Police later discovered that five of the menas have long criminal records, including for drug dealing and violent robbery. The Prosecutor's Office requested that the menas be jailed, but a judge determined that it was not justified and ordered them to be released.
October 5, 2021. In Madrid, violent gangs of North African menas, often armed with machetes, are terrorizing local residents. The menas specialize in stealing cellphones which they then sell to an underground network of buyers. They have stabbed at least a dozen people who refused to hand over their phones.
October 1, 2021. In Madrid, two North African menas ambushed an elderly couple in their apartment building in order to rob them. Police said that one of the menas recently had run away from the reception center where he was being housed.
September 30, 2021. In Bilbao, a 16-year-old North African mena stabbed to death a 20-year-old man at a local railway station.
August 2, 2021. In Madrid, a 17-year-old Moroccan mena threatened to murder his teachers after they withheld a weekly social security payment due to his bad behavior. When security guards arrived, he attacked them with rocks.
February 2021. In Gran Canaria, a massive brawl broke out between 300 menas of different nationalities; they destroyed the hotel in which they were being housed.
The Spanish government, which consists of a coalition between hard-left socialists and communists, recently announced a plan to give residency permits to 15,000 menas illegally in Spain. The move gives them a pathway to obtain Spanish nationality. Critics say the plan will only encourage more migration of menas to Spain.
Government ombudsman Francisco Fernández Marugán recently called on Spanish lawmakers to be more welcoming to migrants:
"Spain, like most developed countries, has an aging population and therefore requires labor. Immigrants and refugees often provide it to them. Despite the obvious benefits, immigrants, particularly Africans, continue to be the target of a particular xenophobia."
The conservative party Vox accused the government of implementing "population replacement." Vox has called for toughening the conditions to obtain Spanish nationality. The party argues that "nationality implies the identification of the national with a national tradition and values ​​and that the relationship of a citizen with his nation implies rights, but also obligations."
To acquire Spanish citizenship by residency, Vox is calling for the current period of 10 years of legal and continuous residence to be extended to 15 years. In addition, foreigners seeking Spanish citizenship would have to: prove good civic conduct; no criminal record either in Spain or in their native country; show sufficient integration into Spanish society; possess an official language certificate; and pass an exam on the Spanish constitution, history and culture.
Vox President Santiago Abascal explained:
"We say that the requirements to obtain nationality must be toughened because Spanish nationality is a treasure that we are not willing to give away to those who do not respect it and do not deserve it."
*Soeren Kern is a Senior Fellow at the New York-based Gatestone Institute.
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Water, please
Farouk Yousef/The Arab Weekly/November 17/2021
Russian humour is not without a sense of tragedy since it is being suggested that a solution to the Iraqi refugee crisis on the border separating Belarus and Poland, would be that every Polish soldier who contributed to the destruction of Iraq during the US campaign of 2003, should take in an Iraqi refugee. This is not a political solution and has nothing to do with the law, but it is just a formula that combines the tragic burden of history with the muffled cries of humanity.
Polish soldiers look at their defenceless enemies behind the barbed wire without seeing them. Only guns are visible. It is the guns that can speak if the two sides are forced to talk to each other. Each thinks from a different perspective. One side thinks of death while the other thinks of life. For a pregnant woman, the moment doors open to a secure future for her daughters and for that child who still basks in unmitigated innocence, there is no more thought of the past. The woman thinks of heaven so she dares not look back, for fear she will see hell. She does not see the barbed wire, nor the soldiers, nor their guns and thinks she has left death forever. She has left death behind.
“I encourage every Iraqi to join us in search for a better life,” she said. “A life worthy of humans”. She considers her dire situation time wasted until she can cross the border with her daughters and the blessed child to reach true life.
I have never seen anyone so confident in his or her fate as was that lady. The secret lies in the deep pain that inhabits the Iraqi soul. There is no hope in Iraq. Those fugitives, those hated, rejected, homeless, hungry and forgotten, do not need to invent new enemies. They want someone to love them. They want to believe that the land that lies beyond the barbed wire is the land of love. It was enough for them that their country hated them as they were made to understand that they were not citizens. There was enough homesickness even at home where the windows overlooked the killing fields. How many Iraqis did the two thousand Polish soldiers kill? That is the question no one asks. And how many of their Iraqi guests will Polish soldiers kill on the other side of the border with Belarus?
It would be some kind of black humour if we talked about the human tragedy on the Belarusian-Polish border without going back to the roots of the problem, in Iraq. There, the enemy brothers threaten each other with a dire political future in light of partisan, factional, sectarian and soulless considerations where there is no room for Iraqi men and women.
Iraqis were unlucky in the sense their country fell prey to the delusions of the greatest power on earth, in terms of weaponry, economic might, media power, lies and deception and, to be on the safe side, the ability to push the whole world to keep quiet. No one in the midst of this international crisis is looking at Iraq. Why are Iraqis leaving a rich country and exposing themselves to various kinds of humiliation, deprivation, starvation and even death in a strange land?
“Water, please,” the girl mumbled as she talked to Polish soldiers. There was no answer. Not because the Polish soldiers do not understand English, but because they cannot hear. They were brought there not hear anyone, but to kill. The little girl was thirsty and pointed to her younger sister, who shared her suffering. However, the scene was cinematic and looked like a movie out of Hollywood. Moreover, I am sure that the media isolation imposed on Iraq does not tempt the film production companies which had excelled in Syria to fabricate films through which people could have an inkling of the Iraqi tragedy.
The government of Belarus looks as if it could to go to war as it asked big sister, Russia, to supply it with nuclear missiles. The European Union, for its part, is not abandoning Poland, which provides it with a wall protecting Germany from a new wave of refugees. It threatens to impose new sanctions on the Minsk government.
As for the Iraqi state, whose people could be opening a chapter of a new cold war between Russia and the West, it is silent and not concerned with the issue. Those stuck between borders have no choice but to return voluntarily. But to where? To Iraq, which expelled them after humiliating and persecuting them and exercising various forms of abuse and persecution against them? Or to a country that could not accommodate them and opens for them camps for the displaced whose homes vanished after the land were their houses used to be were confiscated?
The odd thing is that no one asks Iraq what motivates its citizens to risk their lives for asylum in Europe. That is a forbidden question as members of the political class enjoy all kinds of luxury, prosperity, tranquility and security. Even if they reach the end of the world, the Iraqis’ voice will not be heard by anyone. If a non-Iraqi child said “water, please”, I am sure the entire world would have quivered.

For Iraq’s pro-Iran militias, drones are just a continuation of politics
Faisal Al Yafai/The Arab Weekly/November 17/2021
The three drones that targeted the residence of the Iraqi prime minister on Sunday were sent to deliver a clear message to the heart of Baghdad’s state power: it is not through the ballot box alone that power is wielded in Iraq. The prime minister was slightly injured by the explosion and remained defiant: “We know the perpetrators very well,” he said in a televised address the same day, “and we will pursue them.”
In truth, however, the perpetrators scarcely intended to hide their identities. Although no-one has claimed responsibility, multiple intelligence sources pointed to the Iran-backed Shia militias. These militias not only have access to armed drones, but have used them in previous attacks.
They also have a record of personal animus towards Mustafa al-Kadhimi, a prime minister who has tried to rein in their extensive power. After losing seats in October’s election, the militias have gone to considerable lengths to demonstrate that power, staging a mass protest on the streets of Baghdad that turned deadly after clashes with police. For them, drone attacks and massprotestsare not merely a means of challenging state power; they are in fact thecontinuationofpoliticsby other means.
Sunday’s attack was not the first time the militias have sought to flex their muscles.
Even since the Fatah political coalition, which functions as the political arm of the militias, slumped from the second-largest bloc in the previous parliament to just17 seats in October’s election, they have been claiming fraud, convinced the vote was rigged against them. Monitoring groups have found no evidence, but the militias organised a mass protest last Friday, two days before the attempted assassination. The protesters marched on the Green Zone and two were killed when security forces fired on them to stop them entering government offices. Barely 48 hours later, Kadhimi’s residence was attacked.
The militias, of course, were taking aim at the Iraqi state itself with this attack, but the prime minister himself is locked into tit-for-tat shows of force with the Popular Mobilisation Forces, as the armed groups are collectively known. He sends a message, then they send a message.
Over the summer, he arrested Qasim Muslih, the head of the PMF in Anbar, western Iraq. Powerful figures like Muslih usually operate with impunity, so the arrest was seen as a major attempt to curb their power. In response, heavily-armed militia fighters took to the streets of Baghdad and seized an entrance to the Green Zone. It was a message to Kadhimi that the state does not solely run Iraq.
Two weeks later, Muslih was released but, depending on your perspective, a powerful message had been sent. After all, when Kadhimi had tried the same thing a year earlier, arresting 14 fighters, they were released within hours, again after a show of force from the militias.
Protesters storming foreign embassies and the drone attack are the latest round. Ostensibly, the protesters were alleging electoral fraud. But the real reason was the same as the drone attack: a show of force to demonstrate to Kadhimi and the government that, even if these groups lost political power at the election, they still retain popular support, or at the least the ability to bring hundreds on to the streets, while showing off their hard power, in the form of drones and armed fighters.
As post-election negotiations continue over the formation of a new government, the militias want to ensure that Kadhimi or, had the attack on Sunday been successful, his successor, understood that their interests had to be taken into account, regardless of what the voters say.
The central problem is that Iraq has rival power centres, each able to exert both popular and military power. This is a problem that predates Kadhimi; indeed it is a problem that predates the formation of the PMF.
Muqtada Al-Sadr, both a religious and political leader, emerged as the winner of last month’s parliamentary election. But during the American occupation, he was a perennial thorn in the side of the US, unwilling to accept diktats from Baghdad and fighting American troops. His transformation into a nationalist politician, one who warned after the attempted assassination that Iraq could return “to a state of chaos … controlled by non-state forces”, does not change the fact that in addition to holding sway over the Sadrist movement, he also commands a paramilitary organisation, the Peace Brigades. That gives him influence beyond the ballot box.
The same is true, of course, of Iran, which backs the militias. So concerned was Iran that blame not be placed at its door, that it dispatched the commander of its elite Quds Force to Baghdad within hours of the attack to meet Kadhimi personally and deny any connection to Tehran. Yet its support for militias that are not controlled by the Iraqi state continues.
Successive Iraqi prime ministers have tried to rein in the power of these militias, but to little avail. Kadhimi’s predecessor Adel Abdul Mahdi sought to force the militias to abandon their military headquarters around the country. He was ignored. The prime minister before him, Haider aAl-Abadi, tried to drag the militias under the umbrella of the national security forces. He, too, was ignored.
The tragedy of the militia’s twisted demonstrations of political power is that, in some way, they serve their purposes. Kadhimi’s measured response on Sunday before the Council of Ministers that he would “expose” the perpetrators is a recognition that he lacks the ability to genuinely fight them, a reality unchanged by the expressions of support from countries abroad. The last thing Iraq needs is a civil war between rival political factions and their militias.
The attempted assassination of Iraq’s prime minister may be an escalation, but it is one very much in keeping with the militias’ attempts to use non-political means to express their political power. Having failed to convince Iraqis through the ballot box, they have turned to streetprotestsand assassinations. Such extraordinary actions are fast becoming business as usual in Iraq’spolitics.
Syndication Bureau

Refugees are now the pawn in the game of political cat and mouse
Makram Rabah/Al Arabia/November 17/2021
The humanitarian crisis transpiring on the Belarus-Poland border has generated tremendous controversy with many human rights groups condemning the manhandling and the terrible conditions in which these refugees endure as they try to flee into the EU.
Naturally, the brutal manner and the living conditions which the Belarusian authorities have subjected these refugees is unacceptable.
Belarus and many other nations have time and again weaponized refugee crises and used them to promote their own interests regardless if they come at the expense of the suffering of innocent women and children.
The Belarus-Poland standoff is not unprecedented, but rather a repeat of many previous incidents where neighboring countries governments have realized that using refugees can yield positive results. This can include improving their own populist standings within their own populations, while damaging the reputation of bordering countries. A country refusing to accept refugees is viewed as publicly endorsing poor human rights values, while adopting staunch xenophobic policies.
The many conflicts across the globe exacerbated by the economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic have created eruptions in the sheer scale of refugees in specific parts of the world.
In Syria there are around seven million refugees spread around the globe matching the same number internally displaced. The situation is benefiting bordering Turkey where President Recep Tayyip Erdogan uses the refugee issue as a pawn in attempts to block threats of sanctions from the US and EU. Almost a year ago, Erdogan facilitated the entry of thousands of Syrian refugees onto the Turkish border with Greece, inflaming an already volatile relationship with Athens. It was a crude attempt to force the international community to acquiesce to Ankara’s growing role in the ongoing Syrian war. Similarly in Lebanon, the pro-Iran axis represented by Gebran Bassil does not miss an opportunity to remind Europe that Beirut is unwilling to house Syrian refugees. While continuing to place sanctions on Bashar al-Assad the EU itself can take the refugees instead, is Bassil’s view.
These scarecrow tactics have worked and led many western countries to attempt to appease the Lebanese political establishment by throwing money at them with the implicit understanding that Beirut will not allow refugees to escape via the Mediterranean Sea to Europe.
Giving into threats and blackmail never works in your favor, and unsurprisingly the Lebanese state did not uphold its side of the deal.
Using refugees as bargaining chips also crosses into the realm of economics. The Moroccan-Spanish border crisis is a case in point. While Morocco has tried to use the threat of refugees crossing the short expanse of water into Spain to coerce Madrid into supporting its claims over the Western Sahara, financial investment is also a ploy. Morocco wants the Spanish government to invest heavily in its economy. If Spain does finally agree to financial demands, the Moroccan authorities will crack down on illegal immigration.
The Belarus crisis is perhaps the most vivid example of refugee wringing in recent times. When Alexander Lukashenko - who has remained in power since 1994 - tried to enforce a sixth term in office, sparking nationwide protests he suppressed the legitimate uprising with brutal force. In so doing he provoked the ire of Europe. The sanctions introduced by the EU did little because of Lukashenko’s support from Russia. His regional patron Vladimir Putin is likely to have rubber stamped the Belarusian despot’s strategy of creating a refugee crisis on the border with Poland. He invited desperate and downtrodden refugees into his country with promises of entry into the EU with the deliberate intent to force the EU’s hand.
Lukashenko has never had a problem killing his own people, so it comes as no surprise that he is willing to expose thousands of refugees to their deaths from freezing, hunger or from the risk of being gunned down by Polish border guards.
It is futile to try to reason with people who will happily use other human beings as cannon fodder.
Trying to address isolated, but recurring attempts to use refugees as political and economic weapons, it is perhaps wise to try to solve the original problem, and remove the reasons why refugees exist in the first place.
Refugees willing to ride the open sea on makeshift rafts or carry infants into the freezing Belarusian woods are victims of serial criminals who displace them from their homes and lands and then turn them into bargaining chips in regional tug of wars.
Many liberals are outspoken about protecting these refugees stuck at the Polish border, but these same voices - and particularly those in Europe - continue to engage with dictators such as Bashar al-Assad and his Iranian allies or Alexander Lukashenko.
They have unknowingly contributed to the tragedy on the Polish border.
Once these simple truths are recognized maybe then the international community can take responsibility for its lack of action and once and for all try to address the roots of the crisis rather than its aftershock.