English LCCC Newsbulletin For Le

English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For November 25/2022
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news

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http://eliasbejjaninews.com/aaaanewsfor2021/english.november25.22.htm

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Bible Quotations For today
Jesus answered them, ‘Do not complain among yourselves. No one can come to me unless drawn by the Father who sent me; and I will raise that person up on the last day.”I am the bread that came down from heaven
Saint John 06/40-44: “This is indeed the will of my Father, that all who see the Son and believe in him may have eternal life; and I will raise them up on the last day.’Then the Jews began to complain about him because he said, ‘I am the bread that came down from heaven.’They were saying, ‘Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, “I have come down from heaven”?’Jesus answered them, ‘Do not complain among yourselves.No one can come to me unless drawn by the Father who sent me; and I will raise that person up on the last day.”Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to beings that by nature are not gods

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on November 24-25/2022
Lebanon MPs Again Fail to Elect President despite Economic Crisis
MPs fail anew to elect president as 1 vote goes to Badri Daher
Karami returns to parliament as wins of Fanj, Salloum annulled
Report: KSA backs Gen. Aoun for presidency as Marada-LF mediation begins
Mikati urges president election and final agreement with IMF
Institutional vacuum complicates economic crisis in Lebanon
Report: French initiative on Lebanon's presidential file hits dead end
UNRWA commissioner-general visits Lebanon
Report: Bassil proposes 3 candidates as Franjieh talks to Paris, Moscow
Lebanon: Tenfold Increase in Customs Duties
Constitutional Council annuls Rami Fenj and Firas Salloum’s parliament membership
Berri broaches general situation with Choucair, receives congratulatory independence cables
Mikati briefed by Caretaker Minister of Information on Tunisia talks, meets MP Strida Geagea, International Finance Corporation delegation
Army Chief receives German Ambassador, Lebanese-Syrian Supreme Council Secretary General
Presentation of findings for urban community Al-Fayhaa Local Economic Development Assessment
IN BETWEEN Festival hosted by British Council Lebanon wraps up its extensive programme of conversations and spaces
Zaynab, Daughter Of Hizbullah Leader Hassan Nasrallah: When My Brother Hadi Was "Martyred," My Parents Did Not Shed A Single Tear; We Are Embarrassed That Our Sacrifice Was That Small
How Lebanon collapsed into a state of paralysis/Nadim Shehadi/Arab News/November 24, 2022

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on November 24-25/2022
UN Calls on Iranian Authorities to Halt 'Unnecessary Use of Force' Against Protesters
UN Rights Council Votes to Probe Iran’s Ongoing Crackdown
Iran Arrests Outspoken Player amid World Cup Scrutiny
Kurdish Groups Call for Strikes against Revolutionary Guards’ Suppression of Protests
Govt: Netherlands Has No Consular Access to Dutch Man Detained in Iran
Kurdish Groups Call for Strikes against Revolutionary Guards’ Suppression of Protests
Germany Urges UN Rights Council to 'Raise Voice' for Iranians
Russian-Ukrainian Meeting in UAE to Discuss Prisoner Swap, Ammonia
UK: Russia Likely Redeployed Major Elements of Airborne Forces to Eastern Ukraine
US Senators Urge Biden Administration to Give Ukraine Advanced ‘Drones’
Poland Asks Germany to Send Patriot Missile Launchers to Ukraine
Pentagon: Turkish Air Strikes in Syria Threaten Safety of US Personnel
Turkish Drones Target Security Guards at Al-Hol Camp, ISIS Families Try to Escape
In Kuwait, Sudani Affirms Iraq’s Keenness to Build Balanced Relations with Neighbors

Titles For The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on November 24-25/2022
'A Nation Cannot Exist Without Confidence in its Ruler'/Lawrence Kadish/ Gatestone Institute/November 24, 2022
The Iranian Revolution is Reminiscent of the Shah’s Final Days/Huda al-Husseini/Asharq Al-Awsat/November, 24/2022
The looming danger of Iranian regime’s nuclear program/Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Arab News/November 24, 2022

on November 24-25/2022
Lebanon MPs Again Fail to Elect President despite Economic Crisis
Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 24 November, 2022
Lebanese lawmakers failed for a seventh time Thursday to elect a successor to former president Michel Aoun, even though the vacancy is hampering efforts to rescue the stricken economy. Parliament is split between supporters of the powerful Iran-backed Hezbollah movement and its opponents, neither of whom have a clear majority. Lawmaker Michel Moawad won the support of 42 of parliament's 128 MPs, but his tally fell well short of the required majority and was exceeded by the number of spoilt ballots cast by pro-Hezbollah lawmakers. Moawad's candidacy is opposed by Hezbollah, whose leader Hassan Nasrallah called this month for a president ready to stand up to the United States. "This is not an electoral process, it's a process of waiting for compromise that is to the detriment of the country, the people, the economy and the constitution," said Christian MP and Moawad supporter Sami Gemayel. There have been delays in electing previous Lebanese presidents. Aoun's own election in 2016 followed a more than two-year vacancy at the presidential palace as lawmakers made 45 failed attempts before reaching a consensus on his candidacy. But the failure to elect a successor to Aoun before his mandate expired at the end of last month came with Lebanon mired in an economic crisis the World Bank has dubbed one of the worst in modern history. The country has also had only a caretaker government since May, despite warnings from creditors that sweeping reforms need to be enacted to clear the way for the release of billions of dollars in emergency loans. "An unprecedented institutional vacuum will likely further delay any agreement on crisis resolution and critical reform ratification, deepening the woes of the Lebanese people," the World Bank warned in a statement on Wednesday. "Lebanon's total contraction of 37.3 percent in real GDP since 2018 -- among the worst the world has seen -- has already wiped out 15 years of economic growth and is scarring the country's potential for recovery." Parliament will convene for an eighth attempt to elect a new president on December 1.

MPs fail anew to elect president as 1 vote goes to Badri Daher
Naharnet/Thursday, 24 November, 2022
Parliament on Thursday held a seventh session for the election of a new president to no avail, prolonging the political crisis in the country. As 50 blank votes were cast by Hezbollah and its allies, 42 votes went to MP Michel Mouawad, eight for “New Lebanon”, six went to the academic and historian Issam Khalife, two went to ex-minister Ziad Baroud and one went to jailed Customs chief Badri Daher. A new presidential election session has been scheduled for next Thursday. Speaking after the session, Mouawad said: “Propose to us a convincing and serious sovereign candidate and I'm willing to endorse him.” MP Ali Ammar of Hezbollah for his part acknowledged that “Army chief Joseph Aoun has set a good example in his management of the institution and has managed to protect civil peace through his leadership,” but noted that “this matter is not linked to the presidential juncture.”“We don’t use the term ‘veto’ in the Lebanese interior,” Ammar added.

Karami returns to parliament as wins of Fanj, Salloum annulled
Naharnet/Thursday, 24 November, 2022
The Constitutional Council on Thursday annulled the parliamentary membership of Rami Fanj (Tripoli, Sunni) and Firas al-Salloum, declaring the win of Faisal Karami (Tripoli, Sunni) and Haidar Nasser (Tripoli, Alawite). Karami is an ally of Hezbollah and the March 8 camp while Fanj was a member of the 13-MP Change bloc. Nasser meanwhile was a member of Fanj’s electoral list. Constitutional Council chief Tannous Meshleb told al-Jadeed TV that the Council re-counted votes from nearly 50 polling stations.“The lead between Rami Fanj’s list and the other list was nominal and when the votes we re-counted the results changed,” Meshleb added. He also revealed that the rulings in the appeals filed over the electoral results in Metn and Akkar might be declared in two weeks. Karami for his part told al-Jadeed that the proposals of the Change MPs are similar to his aspirations. “A lot of work awaits us, especially that we are in a state of presidential and governmental vacuum, and a president cannot be elected without consensus and dialogue,” he added. Salloum meanwhile offered congratulations to Nasser and said he trusts the Constitutional Council but he noted that he was hoping that the Council would “re-count the votes of all polling stations.”

Report: KSA backs Gen. Aoun for presidency as Marada-LF mediation begins
Naharnet/Thursday, 24 November, 2022
Saudi Arabia has informed its allies in Lebanon that it supports the election as president of Army Commander General Joseph Aoun, because he is “firm in his stances, centrist, unbiased and capable of talking to all political parties in Lebanon,” an Arab diplomat has said in a closed-door meeting. “He is the most suitable candidate in the current period,” ad-Diyar newspaper quoted the Arab diplomat as saying. An informed political source meanwhile told the daily that “a prominent political official has launched a mediation to open communication channels between the Lebanese Forces and the Marada Movement.” The source added that the LF will be asked “not to strip quorum from a session that might lead Franjieh to the presidency, seeing as the LF has decided not to vote for him but Saudi Arabia’s non-opposition might contribute to securing quorum by the opposition without voting” for Franjieh.
Speaking to ad-Diyar, LF sources declined to comment on the report, albeit without denying it.

Mikati urges president election and final agreement with IMF
Naharnet/Thursday, 24 November, 2022
Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati announced Thursday that exiting the country’s multifaceted crisis should be through “a general solution and a general settlement.”He added that such a settlement “should before anything else entail the election of a president as soon as possible, the formation of a new government, speeding up the cycle of the aspired reforms and reaching a final agreement with the International Monetary Fund.”This would allow Lebanon to “obtain the promised international aid in order contain the current risks, as a precondition for any hoped for economic revival on the medium and long terms,” Mikati went on to say. He was speaking at the Beirut Economic Forum 2022 at the Phoenicia Hotel, organized by the Union of Arab Banks (UAB) and titled "Arab Experiences in Economic Reforms and an Agreement with the International Monetary Fund."

Institutional vacuum complicates economic crisis in Lebanon
Naharnet/Thursday, 24 November, 2022
"This is not an electoral process, it's a process of waiting for compromise that is to the detriment of the country, the people, the economy and the constitution," said MP and Kataeb party chief Sami Gemayel. Gemayel decried the results of a seventh parliamentary session that failed again Thursday to elect a successor to former president Michel Aoun, even though the vacancy is hampering efforts to rescue the stricken economy. There have been delays in electing previous Lebanese presidents. Aoun's own election in 2016 followed a more than two-year vacancy at the presidential palace as lawmakers made 45 failed attempts before reaching a consensus on his candidacy. But the failure to elect a successor to Aoun before his mandate expired at the end of last month came with Lebanon mired in an economic crisis the World Bank has dubbed one of the worst in modern history. The country has also had only a caretaker government since May, despite warnings from creditors that sweeping reforms need to be enacted to clear the way for the release of billions of dollars in emergency loans. "An unprecedented institutional vacuum will likely further delay any agreement on crisis resolution and critical reform ratification, deepening the woes of the Lebanese people," the World Bank warned in a statement on Wednesday. "Lebanon's total contraction of 37.3 percent in real GDP since 2018 -- among the worst the world has seen -- has already wiped out 15 years of economic growth and is scarring the country's potential for recovery."
Parliament will convene for an eighth attempt to elect a new president on December 1.

Report: French initiative on Lebanon's presidential file hits dead end
Naharnet/Thursday, 24 November, 2022
The French drive regarding the Lebanese presidential file has hit again a dead end, al-Akhbar newspaper said Thursday, as foreign sources indicated a long period of presidential vacuum.
The daily reported that the French are trying to imply a progress by inaccurately interpreting the Saudi position, but that Saudi Arabia is standing its ground regarding the file. Riyadh is sticking to the American-French-Saudi statement of support for Lebanon. So is Washington. "It is critical to elect a President who can unite the Lebanese people and work with regional and international actors to overcome the current crisis," the joint statement had read.
According to the daily, France has clearly been informed by Saudi Arabia that the kingdom is not interested in the French attempts nor would it accept any compromises regarding the presidential file. It is only adhering to the Taif Agreement and the implementation of the international resolutions and is not interested in the presidential file. France as a result sought to bring back the humanitarian Saudi-French project to the spotlight, in an attempt to smooth the rough edges, by keeping communication channels open, in the hope that it might later lead to the reactivation of the presidential talks.
After the visit of Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil to Paris, France decided to open its doors to all the Lebanese political forces for presidential talks, as it became clear that the presidential file has become more and more complicated, the daily said.

UNRWA commissioner-general visits Lebanon
Naharnet/Thursday, 24 November, 2022
People in Lebanon, among them Palestine refugees, are “suffering and paying the price for something not of their making,” UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said during a visit to the country. “I met with Palestine refugees during my visit who are completely ravished by poverty, despair and lack of prospect. The humanitarian situation of Palestine refugees in Lebanon is extremely alarming. People are dying a slow death as many are unable to afford medicines or co-share the cost of treatment especially for chronic diseases and cancer. Levels of poverty and unemployment are unprecedented due to one of the worst economic crises in recent history. The spread of cholera is the latest tragic layer that adds to acute hardship and helplessness,” Lazzarini added. “While I walked on dark streets due to long power cuts, I wondered if Lebanon was at a point of no return,” he said. “In the Beddawi Palestine refugee camp, north of Lebanon, I met Salim, who asked that I relay his call for help so that his family can survive this dark episode of the country’s economic freefall,” Lazzarini went on to say. “Last month, I put out a plea on behalf of Palestine refugees highlighting the levels of despair they are living in. I asked the world to ‘Hear Their Voices’ and act to help UNRWA help Palestine refugees with the bear minimum, to make ends meet and live in dignity,” he added. Heeding UNRWA’s call for urgent assistance, the Government of Germany “generously contributed US$ 6 million for Palestine refugees in Lebanon,” Lazzarini said. “With this support, UNRWA will be able to do a round of cash assistance distribution to the most vulnerable as they prepare for winter. This cash assistance also includes Palestine refugees from Syria who depend on monthly assistance from UNRWA to survive,” he added. “While this is very welcome, it’s only the tip of the iceberg. People in Lebanon need and deserve to have a better life far from dependence on humanitarian and cash assistance. It is a nation known for its creativity, generosity and love of life against all odds,” Lazzarini said. “However, and until a more sustainable solution is found, UNRWA will continue to do everything possible to help Palestine refugees have a life of dignity. I call for further support to UNRWA so that we continue to assist families in need.”

Report: Bassil proposes 3 candidates as Franjieh talks to Paris, Moscow
Naharnet/Thursday, 24 November, 2022
During his latest visit to Paris, Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil tried to convince the French with endorsing a number of presidential candidates, a media report said on Thursday. “He raised the names with them seeking ‘a bargain and an exchange of services,’ an approach that the French side did not welcome,” highly informed sources told the Nidaa al-Watan newspaper. The sources revealed that the names were Jihad Azour, Ziad Baroud and George Khoury and that Bassil pledged to provide for any of them a Christian cover, “something that (Marada Movement chief Suleiman) Franjieh lacks in light of the Christian blocs’ rejection of his election.”Franjieh for his part is seeking to “promote himself with the French” and had recently dispatched an envoy to Paris to try to sway the French into endorsing him for the presidential settlement that they are working on, the newspaper quoted “credible” sources as saying. Franjieh is also “continuing to activate his channels of communication with the Russian leadership, which have stayed open since his latest visit to Moscow,” the sources added. “He had heard forthright Russian support for his nomination and a promise that Russian diplomacy would do all it can to push for boosting his presidential chances with the allied and friendly countries,” the sources said.

Lebanon: Tenfold Increase in Customs Duties
Beirut - Ali Zeinddine/Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 24 November, 2022
The Ministry of Finance announced on Wednesday that the government will start collecting customs duties with a tenfold increase, starting the first of December. The announcement came a day after the Governor of the Banque du Liban said that the official exchange rate of the dollar would be raised to LBP 15,000 as of February. Minister of Finance in the caretaker government, Youssef Al-Khalil, said that his ministry has sent a letter to Banque du Liban, informing it that it would calculate foreign exchange rates on taxes and fees collected by the Customs Administration on imported goods and merchandise, on the basis of LBP 15,000 pounds per US dollar, as of the first of December. Khalil noted that this measure would limit the exploitation of price differences, and mitigate the losses incurred by the treasury. In a televised interview on Monday, BDL Governor Riad Salemeh said: “We are in the process of unifying the exchange rates”.The BDL bank would have just two rates, he said, the LBP 15,000 and the Sayrafa rate, the official exchange rate platform managed by the Central Bank, where the Lebanese pound is currently trading at about 30,000 to the dollar. Lebanon’s financial and banking circles were not surprised by the announcement. In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, a senior banking official asserted that the monetary authority’s moves were aimed at covering up the constitutional and political voids on the one hand, and the executive authority’s continued inability to find emergency solutions to stop the series of monetary and financial collapses. He noted that any move to correct monetary losses caused by the multiplicity of exchange rates would fall within effective approaches to developing a methodology for managing the major monetary and financial crises that the country has been experiencing for three years. It also contributes, according to a previous assessment by the general manager of the First National Bank, Najib Samaan, to alleviating the burdens and exchange losses incurred by depositors in banks, who carry out withdrawals within monthly ceilings at the rates of LBP 8,000 and 12,000 per one dollar.
In line with this assessment, Salemeh said: “We are trying, through these circulars, to manage the crisis.”He continued: “This crisis came amid challenges that are beyond the scope of the Banque du Liban… The most important of which was the cessation of paying foreign Lebanese bonds, which largely isolated Lebanon from the financial markets and made it difficult for dollars to enter the country... in addition to the Covid-19 pandemic, which left its marks on the economies of the world as a whole.”

Constitutional Council annuls Rami Fenj and Firas Salloum’s parliament membership
NNA/November 24/2022
The Constitutional Council has annulled the parliament membership of Rami Fenj and Firas Salloum, and declared the victory of Faisal Karame and Haidar Assef Nasser respectively, our correspondent reported on Thursday.

Berri broaches general situation with Choucair, receives congratulatory independence cables
NNA/November 24/2022
House Speaker, Nabih Berri, on Thursday received at the Second Presidency in Ain El-Tineh, the head of the Federation of Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture in Lebanon, former Minister Mohammad Choucair, with whom he discussed the current general conditions, especially the economic ones.
On the occasion of Lebanon’s 79th Independence Day, Speaker Berri received congratulatory cables, namely from the Secretary General of the Asian Parliamentary Assembly (APA) Muhammad Reza Majidi, and from the former Iraqi Vice President, Dr. Ayad Allawi. On the other hand, Berri received a response letter from the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China.

Mikati briefed by Caretaker Minister of Information on Tunisia talks, meets MP Strida Geagea, International Finance Corporation delegation
NNA/November 24/2022
Caretaker Prime Minister, Najib Mikati, on Thursday met at the Grand Serail, with Caretaker Minister of Information, Ziad Makary, with whom he discussed the situation of the media sector in the country and relevant Ministry affairs.
Following the meeting, Caretaker Minister Makary said, "I briefed the Premier on my talks in Djerba-Tunisia, on the sidelines of the Francophone Summit, where I met with a number of heads of state and ministers concerned with the Lebanese affairs."
He added: “The second issue we discussed pertains to the broadcast of the Qatar World Cup. I am one of those who do not lose hope; however, we faced a major obstacle, namely the absence of a session of the Council of Ministers. This has hindered the signing of the commercial contract by the Lebanese government, either represented by the Ministry of Telecommunications or Television of Lebanon (TL), as per legal necessity."On the other hand, Caretaker Premier Mikati met with MP Strida Geagea, in the presence of the Secretary-General of the Higher Relief Commission, Major General Mohammed Khair.
On emerging, MP Geagea said: "My visit today comes in wake of the recent unfortunate incident that took place in the Cedars. I came today to thank Premier Mikati for commissioning Major General Mohammed Khair, to inspect the damages, and I hoped compensations, even if partially, would be paid for the losses incurred by the company.”Mikati later received, in the presence of Deputy Prime Minister, Saade Al-Shami, a delegation representing the International Finance Corporation, headed by the IFC's Regional Director for the Middle East, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, Khawaja Aftab Ahmed. Discussions during the meeting reportedly touched on prospects of helping Lebanon and some joint projects.

Army Chief receives German Ambassador, Lebanese-Syrian Supreme Council Secretary General
NNA/November 24/2022
Lebanese Army Commander, General Joseph Aoun, received at his Yarze office on Thursday, German Ambassador to Lebanon, Andreas Kindl, accompanied by the Military Attaché, Lt. Col. Heino Matzken. An agreement was signed between the two sides, according to which the German Ambassador presented a financial donation to the military institution.On the other hand, Maj. Gen. Aoun received the Secretary General of the Lebanese-Syrian Supreme Council Nasri Khoury, with discussions reportedly touching on various issues.

Presentation of findings for urban community Al-Fayhaa Local Economic Development Assessment
NNA/November 24/2022
In line with its efforts to support local authorities in addressing current socio-economic and basic service challenges, and within the framework of the Municipal Empowerment and Resilience Programme (MERP) funded by the European Union, the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) are presenting the findings and recommendations on local economic development of the LED assessment for Urban Community Al-Fayhaa November 29th 2022, at Florida Beach Hotel in Al-Herri.
The study is the first and to date the only analysis of the impact of the economic and financial crisis at the local level and its implications for unions and municipalities It is a unique opportunity for Urban Community Al-Fayhaa and the local community to better understand key challenges threatening sustainable economic development. The findings provide key figures and a tangible roadmap for coordination and partnership between unions, the local community and the local private sector to set the basis for a sustainable local economy that will create jobs and economic opportunities and improve the living conditions of the entire community. This event will present to the municipalities, the Urban Community Al-Fayhaa, the local community and the private sector the results and outcomes from the LED assessment work conducted under the MERP project in partnership with Unites Cities Lebanon/Bureau Technique des Villes Libanaises and a transdisciplinary team of experts including experts in economics, urban planning, public financial management, legal affairs, capacity development, GIS and data analysis expertise.
EVENT: The event is one of a series of launch events organized by the UN Habitat and UNDP on unions of municipalities as enablers of local economic development.
The two other events: Matn (December 1st 2022) and Tyre (December 2nd 2022).
DATE: Tuesday November 29th 2022, from 9:30 to 13:15 p.m.
PLACE: Florida Beach Hotel – Al Herri.
PARTICIPANTS
Senior representatives from UNDP and UN-Habitat, LED experts, Union of Municipalities and Municipalities representatives.

IN BETWEEN Festival hosted by British Council Lebanon wraps up its extensive programme of conversations and spaces
NNA/November 24/2022
The IN BETWEEN Festival, which took place in nine different locations throughout Beirut, concluded its multifaceted, 23-component programme, giving young artists and more than 25 Lebanese and British professionals a chance to network professionally through several creative sectors, including dance and performing arts, music, games, and visual arts.
The festival, which took place from November 16 to November 20, 2022, and was attended by 15 delegates from the United Kingdom, strengthened relationships and started new projects with leaders in Lebanon's creative and cultural sector.
Conversations and spaces, the program's two main themes, were seen as complementary parts that are important for finding new ways to live and make a living, especially in the current situation, which creates a lot of uncertainty about the creative economy and how we should respond to global issues.
For a special closing session, Fields of Power, a collaborative piece of art that promotes environmental awareness and women's empowerment, was unveiled at the Beirut Digital District (BDD) in the presence of HMA Hamish Cowell, the British Ambassador to Lebanon, Skinder Hundal, the British Council Global Arts Director, and Mayssa Dawi, British Council Country Director - Lebanon
During his speech, HMA Hamish Cowell, the British Ambassador to Lebanon stated: “The whole festival is a testament to what makes Lebanon so special in this region, that they include so many diverse issues - from gender and LGBTQ issues to emigration and alienation to the environment to gaming.”
HMA Hamish Cowell, the British Ambassador to Lebanon
Photography by Jean Hatem Image Courtesy of British Council Lebanon
The mural work, Fields of Power, created by Lebanese artist Samer Bou Saleh and Scottish artist Lauren Morsley, is now located in the centre of BDD's outdoor amphitheatre and serves as a symbol of friendship and cross-cultural and creative exchange between Lebanon and the UK.
The mural marks a collaboration between the British Council Lebanon, Art of Change, Open/Close Dundee, and BDD.
During the unveiling event at the BDD, the hub and community for the digital, Mayssa Dawi, British Council Country Director - Lebanon, announced that the hub will now house the council's office.
Local and global landscapes that are always changing have led to a state of complete liminality, where projections are unclear and boundaries are not clear. As a result, new spaces for thinking and making have sprung up, offering new chances to rethink how arts and culture can help us move forward.
As a response, the festival adds theatre and literature to a year-long programme of professional capacity-building programmes in the visual arts, dance and performing arts, music, and games sectors and asks the audience to think about what could happen in the spaces between.
As British Council Global Arts Director, Skinder Hundal said: “In ART we trust, and through activities like these we deepen the linkages that make us human and we extend from port to port, city to city, building trust”.
The festival featured a variety of events, including plays, performances, book releases, and displays of visual arts that offered readings in alternating chronologies. Among them, the launch of The Rise of Shuruq: The New Platform Showcasing Contemporary Music from the SWANA Region (south west Asia/north Africa). Shuruq is a talent development and discovery platform for music from Swana and its diasporas. Initiated by Station Beirut with partners, Shuruq seeks to showcase artists and transmit the diversity of music cultures from Swana to the world.

Zaynab, Daughter Of Hizbullah Leader Hassan Nasrallah: When My Brother Hadi Was "Martyred," My Parents Did Not Shed A Single Tear; We Are Embarrassed That Our Sacrifice Was That Small
MEMRI/November 24/2022
Source: Al-Manar TV (Lebanon)
https://www.memri.org/tv/zaynab-daughter-of-hassan-nasrallah-brother-hadi-martyrdom-did-not-shed-a-tear
Zaynab Nasrallah, the daughter of Hizbullah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah, said in a November 10, 2022 show on Al-Manar TV (Hizbullah-Lebanon) that when her brother Hadi Nasrallah was "martyred" by Israeli forces in 1997, her father and her mother did not shed a "single tear." She said that her mother was not being obtuse by not crying, but rather that she was convinced of the path of Jihad that Hadi had chosen from a young age. Zaynab elaborated that her mother had said that Hadi had "made a shortcut" to the afterlife and had not allowed an atmosphere of mourning after his death. Rather, Zaynab said that there was an atmosphere of pride and honor. The show host then invited Zaynab's son, who is also named Hadi, to the stage, and he brought with him the uniform that Hadi Nasrallah had worn while "waging Jihad." Hadi Nasrallah was killed in battle with the Israeli military in September 1997.
Zaynab Nasrallah: "You can say that we have sacrificed much less than many other families of martyrs, who sacrificed an only child, or two or three children. We are embarrassed that we have made such a small sacrifice.
"When it became clear that [my brother Hadi] was one of the martyrs – when [his] pictures emerged on Israeli websites and it was clear he was martyred – [my mother] did not shed a single tear. When people started coming to congratulate..."
Interviewer: "Excuse me, Zaynab, but some might see this as obtuseness..."
Nasrallah: "No, it's not obtuseness."
Interviewer: "Then what is it?"
Nasrallah: "It is a manifestation of the fact that she accepted that her son had set out on Jihad from a young age. It is [a display of] conviction in this path. The first thing she said when she learned that Hadi had been martyred, and the people were coming to congratulate us – we don't say they were coming to extend condolences... There was this atmosphere, with one woman crying, another getting emotional... My mother said: 'If you don't mind, I don't want this atmosphere. Hadi just made a shortcut.'
"I don't remember ever seeing my father shedding a single tear over the martyr Hadi."
Interviewer: "Never?"
Nasrallah: "Never. Even my mother. Back then, I never saw her crying. We have never gathered and had a memorial service or anything. Absolutely not. The atmosphere is one of pride and honor."
Interviewer: "I would like to invite [your son, who is also called] Hadi. We asked sister Zaynab to bring something left behind by [her brother, the] martyr Hadi. Welcome, Hadi. Make yourself comfortable. Welcome, brother Hadi."
Hadi: "Hello."
Interviewer: "Tell us what you carried in and gave to your mother."
Hadi: "I gave her something left behind by my uncle – the uniform he was wearing while waging Jihad."

نديم شحادة/عرب نيوز: كيف انهار لبنان ووصا إلى حالة الشلل
How Lebanon collapsed into a state of paralysis
Nadim Shehadi/Arab News/November 24, 2022
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/113622/113622/
Once upon a time, perhaps near the end of the last century, a well-meaning bureaucrat was sold on the idea of a world where everyone — and he or she did mean everyone — would own their own home, no matter their background. This set in motion a process where bad or subprime loans were facilitated and it ended as the global financial crisis of 2007-09, the most serious meltdown since the 1929 Great Depression. There were many participants in the chain of events that led to that collapse, but no one remembers who made the original decision.
In “The Big Short,” a 2015 movie about the crisis, we saw all the protagonists unaware of the implication of their actions. Realtors, bankers, lenders, borrowers, hedge fund managers, quantitative analysis whiz kids and fintech brokers were all acting in character and at the same time contributing to the collapse. If this was a crime that robbed widows of their pensions and savings, then they are all guilty, yet they are all at the same time innocent — they were doing no more than what they would normally do. If Oprah Winfrey brought them on to her show, they would be pointing fingers and accusing each other. Our well-meaning and faceless bureaucrat would hardly be mentioned as a suspect. It was the perfect crime.
Something similar happened in Lebanon. The country has been catapulted into the abyss and everyone is accusing everyone else. People accuse bankers, who accuse the central bank, who accuse politicians, who accuse each other, and so on. Everyone is guilty, including the depositors, who are accused of being greedy for depositing their money in high-interest accounts; yet they are also somehow innocent because they acted in character, doing what they do.
Total collapse is a complex phenomenon that can be explained through several disciplines. Engineers have a concept whereby an accumulation of shocks — the systematic and constant pounding of the edifice, with none of the shocks large enough to collapse the structure alone — can have a fatal cumulative effect. They call it fatigue failure. A classic example is the 1876 Ashtabula River railroad disaster in Ohio. None of the many trains that passed over the bridge were too heavy, but at some point, due to train after train, the bridge’s cast-iron elements cracked and collapsed due to fatigue. Trains and planes have crashed, tanks filled with molasses exploded and oil platforms keeled over, all due to ruptures caused by constant pounding and fatigue.
Lebanon’s collapse can also be explained by the constant battering the country has experienced over a long period. The chronology is astounding. I have described it before and one wonders how many countries could have survived such a systematic succession of crises. Cracks began starting to show in Europe when it received the equivalent of 2 percent to 3 percent of its population as refugees. Lebanon received as much as a third in a shorter period due to the Syrian war.
Since 2004, the country has been through a series of assassinations that created a paralytic state of terror. Then there was the destructive war with Israel in the summer of 2006, the 18-month political crisis, Hezbollah’s attack on Beirut in 2008, and then an imposed agreement in Doha that continues to paralyze decision-making and government formation to this day.
A coup in January 2011 brought down the government. This happened when a politician was forced to withdraw his party’s support due to threats of violence against his person, his family and his community. Then the impact of the war in Syria came after that, followed by a major political crisis with the country’s main economic partners in the Gulf. The result of this isolation and boycott by the Gulf states was a run on the banking system that began in November 2017, not in October 2019 as is commonly believed. This was when the country’s partners decided that Lebanon was completely dominated by Hezbollah and gave up on it. The economy was being strangled year in, year out as a result of these successive crises, with widening budgetary and balance-of-payment deficits, until the coup de grace came when, under political pressure, a salary scale and benefits review turned out to be several times more expensive than the Ministry of Finance had estimated. This more than doubled the annual budget deficit in one year. An MP opposed to it predicted that the consequences on the country would be several times more severe than the war with Israel in 2006 — and they were.
There could have been measures taken to prevent the country’s total collapse, but not while there was a constant paralysis of government and state institutions. Long-term stagnation and inactivity in any organism can bring about what doctors describe as atrophy — deterioration and decline leading to degeneration and an incapacity to function. This is, for me, what best describes the effect of the political paralysis on Lebanon.
The cracks started to show in 2011 and a wise monetary policy could have prevented the total collapse. Yet there was more than three years of total paralysis, with no functioning parliament, government or president. All this while constant tension was maintained by several declarations of war with Israel every year, resulting in failed tourist seasons and canceled investment projects. It is difficult, under these circumstances, to imagine a central bank governor making decisions such as getting the currency off the peg with the US dollar or announcing the cessation of subsidies for electricity and essential items like bread and fuel, and then resigning as some suggest.
Developments after the initial crash were far worse. The default on debt servicing in the spring of 2020 and declaration of bankruptcy precipitated the downward spiral of the Lebanese currency, while the draining of what remained of the reserves and with it people’s access to their deposits was continuing via the smuggling of fuel and other subsidized commodities through porous borders. Debts were also paid back in Lebanese lira at a fraction of their value.
One wonders how many countries could have survived such a systematic succession of crises.
We have now entered another period of paralysis of the three principal institutions: A caretaker government incapable of taking major decisions, a parliament that meets with one item on the agenda, and the presidency in total vacuum with no candidate in sight.
Prof. Saleh Machnouk estimates that, between 2005 and 2021, Lebanon was in a state of paralysis and stagnation for 2,925 days, i.e., more than half the time. This is how Hezbollah gained control of the country, thanks to the hollowing out of institutions, the constant battering of the edifice and the paralysis of decision-making, with everyone, including the protestors of the 2019 revolt, accusing everyone else, including the experts, of being responsible.
*Nadim Shehadi is a Lebanese economist. Twitter: @Confusezeus
Disclaimer: Views expressed by writers in this section are their own and do not necessarily reflect Arab News' point of view

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on November 24-25/2022
UN Calls on Iranian Authorities to Halt 'Unnecessary Use of Force' Against Protesters
Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 24 November, 2022
The UN human rights chief on Thursday made a strong appeal to Iranian authorities to stop their "unnecessary and disproportionate" use of force against protesters in Iran in a speech to the Human Rights Council on the ongoing crisis. "We are now in a full-fledged human rights crisis," High Commissioner of Human Rights Volker Turk said in his first address to the council since starting last month. "The unnecessary and disproportionate use of force must come to an end," he said. Turk added that so far, more than 300 people have been killed in the protests, including more than 40 children, while around 14,000 have been arrested. The body is debating a motion brought by a group of some 50 countries led by Germany and Iceland to create a new investigative fact-finding mission to probe alleged abuses since a wave of protests began over the death in custody of 22-year-old Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini on Sept. 16.

UN Rights Council Votes to Probe Iran’s Ongoing Crackdown
Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 24 November, 2022
The UN Rights Council voted on Thursday to appoint an independent investigation into Iran's deadly repression of protests, passing the motion to cheers of activists amid an intensifying crackdown in Kurdish areas over recent days. Volker Turk, the UN rights commissioner, had earlier demanded that Iran end its "disproportionate" use of force in quashing protests that have erupted after the death in custody of 22-year-old Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini on Sept. 16. The protests have particularly focused on women's rights - Amini was detained by morality police for attire deemed inappropriate under Iran's religious dress code - but have also called for the fall of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. The unrest has posed one of the boldest challenges to Iran's clerical ruling elite since it came to power in the 1979 revolution, though authorities have crushed previous rounds of major protests. The mission appointed by the rights council's vote on Thursday will collect evidence into abuses during the authorities' deadly crackdown. Evidence assembled by a mission appointed by the same council was later used for the prosecution of a Syrian ex-officer in Germany who was accused of war crimes. Tehran's representative at the Geneva meeting Khadijeh Karimi earlier accused Western states of using the rights council to target Iran, a move she called "appalling and disgraceful". Thursday's vote had been seen as a test of Western clout in the council with China pushing a last-minute amendment to strip out the investigation but it eventually passed easily. Turk, who said Iran faced a "full-fledged human rights crisis" with 14,000 people arrested, including children, said Tehran had not responded to a request he had made to visit the country. Iran has given no death toll for protesters, but a deputy foreign minister, Ali Bagheri Kani, said on Thursday that around 50 police had died and hundreds been injured in the unrest - the first official figure for deaths among security forces. He did not say whether that figure also included deaths among other security forces such as the Bassij or the Revolutionary Guards.
Crackdown
The crackdown has been particularly intense in Kurdish areas, located in western Iran, with the UN rights monitor this week noting reports of 40 deaths there over the past week. A parliament member from the mainly Kurdish city of Mahabad said he had been issued repeated summons by the judiciary for his stance in support of protesters. "The judiciary has raised a complaint against me as a representative of the mourning people instead of conserving the legal rights of the protesting people and the families of victims in Mahabad and Kurdish cities," Jalal Mahmoudzadeh tweeted on Wednesday. Prominent Sunni Muslim cleric Molavi Abdulhamid, a member of the Baluch minority in the southeast who has been outspoken in criticizing the treatment of mostly Sunni ethnic minorities by the mainly Shiite ruling elite, spoke against the crackdown. "The dear Kurds of Iran have endured many sufferings such as severe ethnic discrimination, severe religious pressure, poverty and economic hardships. Is it just to respond to their protest with war bullets?" he tweeted on Wednesday. Several Sunni religious scholars from the northwestern city of Urmia issued a video posted by the activist HRANA news agency backing the protests and calling for the release of prisoners and an end to the killing of demonstrators. Reuters could not immediately verify the video's authenticity. The United States has sanctioned three Iranian security officials over the crackdown in Kurdish-majority areas, the Treasury Department said on Wednesday.

Iran Arrests Outspoken Player amid World Cup Scrutiny
Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 24 November, 2022
Iran has arrested a prominent former member of its national football team over his criticism of the government as authorities grapple with nationwide protests that have cast a shadow over the team as it competes in the World Cup before a global audience. The semiofficial Fars and Tasnim news agencies reported Thursday that Voria Ghafouri was arrested for "insulting the national soccer team and propagandizing against the government." Ghafouri, who was not chosen to go to the World Cup, has been an outspoken critic of Iranian authorities throughout his career, objecting to a longstanding ban on women spectators at men's soccer matches as well as Iran's confrontational foreign policy, which has led to crippling Western sanctions. More recently, he expressed sympathy for the family of a 22-year-old woman whose death while in the custody of Iran's morality police ignited the latest protests. In recent days he also called for an end to a violent crackdown on protests in Iran's western Kurdish region. The reports of his arrest came ahead of Friday’s World Cup match between Iran and Wales. At Iran’s opening match, a 6-2 loss to England, the members of the Iranian national team declined to sing along to their national anthem and some fans protested. The protests were ignited by the Sept. 16 death of Mahsa Amini, a Kurdish woman arrested by the morality police in the capital, Tehran. They rapidly escalated into nationwide demonstrations calling for the overthrow of the republic. The western Kurdish region of the country, where Amini was from, has seen particularly intense protests and a deadly crackdown by security forces. Ghafouri, who is also a member of Iran's Kurdish minority, has criticized government policies in the past. Officials have not said whether that was a factor in not choosing him for the national team. He plays for the Khuzestan Foolad team in the southwestern city of Ahvaz. The protests show no sign of waning, and mark one of the biggest challenges to Iran's ruling clerics since the 1979 revolution that brought them to power. Authorities have blamed the unrest on hostile foreign powers, without providing evidence. The protesters say they are fed up after decades of social and political repression, including a strict dress code imposed on women.

Kurdish Groups Call for Strikes against Revolutionary Guards’ Suppression of Protests
London, Tehran - Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 24 November, 2022
Kurdish parties opposed to the Iranian regime called on all Iranians to carry out strikes and protest marches on Thursday. They urged demonstration in response to the Revolutionary Guards’ oppression of protests in Kurdistan and in several other areas. For the tenth week since the young Kurdish woman, Mahsa Amini, died in the custody of the Iranian morality police, the Revolutionary Guards have been suppressing widespread protests in Iran. Kurdish groups called on political organizations, civilian activists, and Iranian citizens to strike and protest in support of Iranian Kurdistan and unity among Iranians. “Several days ago, the regime started a bloodbath with all its might in Kurdistan and committed a general massacre,” the Kurdish Parties’ Coordinating Committee said in a statement. The number of people killed by security forces during the protest movement since mid-September has risen to 437. This figure, according to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), has included 61 minors. HARANA also pointed to Iranian authorities arresting 18,055 individuals during the unrest. As protests continue in various forms, senior officials in Iran have defended the crackdown to quell the demonstrations. “People expect us to have a firm confrontation,” said Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi. Member of Parliament and general of the Revolutionary Guards Muhammad Ismail Kothari had also approved sending ground forces to Kurdish cities to confront “separatists.” Brigadier-General and Commander of the Revolutionary Guard Ground Forces Mohammad Pakpour called on the people of the Iraqi Kurdistan region to evacuate the centers and headquarters of what he labeled as “terrorists,” in a hint at Iranian Kurdish groups. In a press conference, Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said that “76 terrorist centers that are opposed to the revolution are active in the Kurdistan region.”“These groups have allowed US and Israeli weapons to the country,” he added. “As long as there is a threat from the neighborhood against us, our armed forces will continue their actions to ensure the maximum national security of the country,” affirmed the top diplomat.

Govt: Netherlands Has No Consular Access to Dutch Man Detained in Iran
Asharq A-Awsat/Thursday, 24 November, 2022
The Netherlands said Wednesday it had no consular access to a Dutch man detained in Iran, where authorities say they have arrested dozens of foreigners in connection with mass protests. "It is disappointing that, despite continuous pressure, the Iranian authorities have so far not granted consular access to this Dutch detainee," the Dutch government said in a letter to parliament. Iran has repeatedly accused outside forces of stirring up widespread protests triggered by the death in custody of a 22-year-old Kurdish Iranian woman. Mahsa Amini died three days after her arrest by the country's morality police for allegedly breaching Iran's strict dress code for women. "Iran has not shared any evidence of the alleged foreign interference," AFP quoted the Dutch government as saying. On Tuesday Iran's judiciary said it had arrested 40 foreigners during the two months of protests, accusing them of being "implicated in the recent riots". It did not specify their nationalities, or when or where they were arrested. In September, Iranian authorities announced the arrest of nine foreigners in connection with the protests, including someone from the Netherlands.

Kurdish Groups Call for Strikes against Revolutionary Guards’ Suppression of Protests
London, Tehran/Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 24 November, 2022
Kurdish parties opposed to the Iranian regime called on all Iranians to carry out strikes and protest marches on Thursday. They urged demonstration in response to the Revolutionary Guards’ oppression of protests in Kurdistan and in several other areas. For the tenth week since the young Kurdish woman, Mahsa Amini, died in the custody of the Iranian morality police, the Revolutionary Guards have been suppressing widespread protests in Iran. Kurdish groups called on political organizations, civilian activists, and Iranian citizens to strike and protest in support of Iranian Kurdistan and unity among Iranians. “Several days ago, the regime started a bloodbath with all its might in Kurdistan and committed a general massacre,” the Kurdish Parties’ Coordinating Committee said in a statement. The number of people killed by security forces during the protest movement since mid-September has risen to 437. This figure, according to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), has included 61 minors. HARANA also pointed to Iranian authorities arresting 18,055 individuals during the unrest. As protests continue in various forms, senior officials in Iran have defended the crackdown to quell the demonstrations. “People expect us to have a firm confrontation,” said Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi. Member of Parliament and general of the Revolutionary Guards Muhammad Ismail Kothari had also approved sending ground forces to Kurdish cities to confront “separatists.” Brigadier-General and Commander of the Revolutionary Guard Ground Forces Mohammad Pakpour called on the people of the Iraqi Kurdistan region to evacuate the centers and headquarters of what he labeled as “terrorists,” in a hint at Iranian Kurdish groups. In a press conference, Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said that “76 terrorist centers that are opposed to the revolution are active in the Kurdistan region.” “These groups have allowed US and Israeli weapons to the country,” he added. “As long as there is a threat from the neighborhood against us, our armed forces will continue their actions to ensure the maximum national security of the country,” affirmed the top diplomat.

Govt: Netherlands Has No Consular Access to Dutch Man Detained in Iran
Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 24 November, 2022
The Netherlands said Wednesday it had no consular access to a Dutch man detained in Iran, where authorities say they have arrested dozens of foreigners in connection with mass protests. "It is disappointing that, despite continuous pressure, the Iranian authorities have so far not granted consular access to this Dutch detainee," the Dutch government said in a letter to parliament. Iran has repeatedly accused outside forces of stirring up widespread protests triggered by the death in custody of a 22-year-old Kurdish Iranian woman. Mahsa Amini died three days after her arrest by the country's morality police for allegedly breaching Iran's strict dress code for women. "Iran has not shared any evidence of the alleged foreign interference," AFP quoted the Dutch government as saying. On Tuesday Iran's judiciary said it had arrested 40 foreigners during the two months of protests, accusing them of being "implicated in the recent riots". It did not specify their nationalities, or when or where they were arrested. In September, Iranian authorities announced the arrest of nine foreigners in connection with the protests, including someone from the Netherlands.

Germany Urges UN Rights Council to 'Raise Voice' for Iranians
Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 24 November, 2022
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock urged the UN Human Rights Council to "raise its voice" for Iranians, during a special session Thursday about the deadly crackdown on protests in the country. "The Iranian demonstrators have no seat at the Human Rights Council in Geneva, they have no voice at the United Nations," she said ahead of the urgent meeting. So the council "can raise its voice for the indivisible rights of Iran's people," added Baerbock, who will attend the session. Thursday's meeting, requested by Germany and Iceland with the backing of more than 50 countries, will discuss whether to launch a high-level international investigation into the Iranian crackdown. It follows weeks of demonstrations in Iran sparked by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, after she was arrested for an alleged breach of the country's strict dress rules for women. Baerbock said that "day after day, we have had to witness how Iranians have become victims of brutal violence". Germany supports those "who demand their rights with courage and dignity," she said. "Just for making these demands, they are killed by the hundreds, arrested by the thousands, and oppressed by the millions." Diplomats at the council will Thursday debate a call for an international investigation of alleged violations linked to the ongoing protests. Baerbock called for the council to vote in favor of the resolution, saying: "We owe it to the victims.""Every vote counts," AFP quoted her as saying. "Our message is: We are not just looking on. We go where we can use our vote to do something for the rights of Iranians." According to Norway-based group Iran Human Rights, more than 400 people have been killed across Iran during the violent suppression of protests. The UN says thousands of peaceful protesters, including women, children and journalists, have also been arrested.

Russian-Ukrainian Meeting in UAE to Discuss Prisoner Swap, Ammonia
Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 24 November, 2022
The UAE said that since the beginning of the Russian-Ukrainian crisis, it has called for de-escalation and dialogue, and has supported all diplomatic initiatives in this regard. Lana Nusseibeh, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation for Political Affairs, issued a statement saying that the UAE firmly believes that diplomacy remains the only viable way to end the crisis. She also said her country shares the international community’s deep concerns about the repercussions of the current situation on civilians in and out of Ukraine, and regional and international peace, security and stability.
"In times of conflict, our collective responsibility is to leave no stone unturned towards identifying and pursuing paths that bring about a peaceful and swift resolution of crises. As such, the UAE remains firmly committed to help keep channels of communication open, encourage dialogue, support diplomacy, leveraging all the tools at our disposal to alleviate suffering and find a peaceful and sustainable solution that enhances international peace and security and ends the humanitarian impact on civilians,” she added, state news agency WAM reported. Also, representatives from Russia and Ukraine met in the UAE last week to discuss the possibility of a prisoner-of-war swap that would be linked to a resumption of Russian ammonia exports, which go to Asia and Africa, via a Ukrainian pipeline, Reuters cited three sources with knowledge of the meeting as saying.

UK: Russia Likely Redeployed Major Elements of Airborne Forces to Eastern Ukraine
Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 24 November, 2022
Russia has lately redeployed major elements of its airborne forces to Eastern Ukraine, the UK Defense Ministry said in its latest Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine. The ministry said the forces were likely redeployed to the Donetsk and Luhansk fronts in the Donbas. Between September and October, most of the VDV units were dedicated to the defense of Russian-held territory west of the Dnipro River in Kherson Oblast. Some weakened VDV units have likely been reinforced with mobilized reservists. The Russian airborne forces are considered an elite unit, a separate branch of the armed forces. At the beginning of the war against Ukraine nine months ago, the troops were supposed to take over Kyiv with the support of ground forces, but they were confronted.

US Senators Urge Biden Administration to Give Ukraine Advanced ‘Drones’
Washington - London - Tehran - Kyiv - Elie Youssef & Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 24 November, 2022
A bipartisan group of US senators has urged the Biden administration to reconsider its decision not to give Ukraine advanced drones, saying that the technology could help Kyiv to hold its territory and gain battlefield momentum. In a Nov. 22 letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, 16 senators urged the administration to give Ukraine MQ-1C armed drones, or Gray Eagles, which are medium-altitude drones that can fly for more than 24 hours, The Wall Street Journal reported. “The long-term upside of providing Ukraine with the MQ-1C is significant and has the potential to drive the strategic course of the war in Ukraine’s favor,” the legislators wrote. Among the signatories are Sen. Joni Ernst, Sen. James Inhofe, who is the outgoing ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, Sen. Tim Kaine, Sen. Joe Manchin and Sen. Mark Kelly. In the past few weeks of the nearly nine-month-long war, Iran has provided Russia with drones that have been pummeling Ukrainian population centers and civilian infrastructure, and which legislators said gave Russia a battlefield advantage. The Ukrainians should have a US-supplied arsenal to counter what Russia has received, they said. “This system’s operational attributes—availability, lethality, survivability, and exportability—complement existing weapon systems used by the Ukrainians and will increase the lethality of the Ukrainian military,” the legislators wrote. Training Ukrainians on the MQ-1C, which are made by General Atomics, would take 27 days, the senators explained, adding that if Ukraine had access to its own drones it “could find and attack Russian warships in the Black Sea, breaking its coercive blockade and alleviate dual pressures on the Ukrainian economy and global food prices.” The White House and the Pentagon declined Ukraine’s request for the drones earlier this month. US officials, at times, have worried that the technology aboard the drone could be stolen on the battlefield. The Pentagon is assessing what the effect the provision of the drones would have on the US military, said Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh.
“We are always assessing and evaluating what we can send to Ukraine,” she said.
US officials said the reluctance to provide the drones stemmed from technical issues, not fears of escalation. The letter was the latest example of a monthslong tension between Capitol Hill and the White House over what kind of weapons to provide Ukraine.
Members of Congress from both parties have repeatedly pushed the administration to give Ukraine armed drones. In a September letter, 17 lawmakers urged the administration to speed up its review process about providing Gray Eagles, leading to the decision earlier this month. In the latest letter, the legislators asked Austin to explain by Nov. 30 the Pentagon’s reasons for concluding that the US shouldn’t provide Ukraine MQ-1C drones. The new letter contradicts the circulated speculation about the possibility of a change in the support of the US Congress for the US aid to Ukraine. This comes amid remarks that this support will not be given without any return. “Ukrainian successes on the battlefield are encouraging, but [Russian President] Vladimir Putin’s intent to conquer all of Ukraine remains unchanged. The timely provision of effective lethal aid to stabilize Ukrainian defenses and enable long-term resistance against future Russian aggression remains urgent,” the letter read. Kyiv is under pressure from some of its Western backers to signal readiness for negotiations with Moscow amid concerns about the global economic fallout of the war. The United States announced $400 million in additional military aid for Ukraine on Wednesday. The US continues to support Ukraine with additional military assistance to help defend itself, including from the Kremlin’s relentless attacks on Ukraine’s critical energy infrastructure, said a statement by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Pursuant to a delegation of authority from President Joe Biden, Blinken said he is authorizing twenty-sixth drawdown of US arms and equipment for Ukraine since August 2021. “This $400 million drawdown includes additional arms, munitions, and air defense equipment from US Department of Defense inventories.”It will bring the total US military assistance for Ukraine to an unprecedented level of approximately $19.7 billion, since the beginning of the Administration. He pointed out that the artillery ammunition, precision fires, air defense missiles, and tactical vehicles the US is providing will best serve Ukraine on the battlefield. “We are joined in our efforts by France and the UK, including the £50 million in air defense systems offered by UK Prime Minister Sunak during his recent visit to Kyiv, and we note Sweden’s recent air defense commitment valued at nearly $300 million,” the statement said.

Poland Asks Germany to Send Patriot Missile Launchers to Ukraine
Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 24 November, 2022
Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak said on Wednesday he had asked Germany to send Patriot missile launchers offered to Poland to Ukraine. "After further Russian missile attacks, I asked Germany to have the Patriot batteries offered to Poland transferred to Ukraine and deployed at its western border," Blaszczak wrote on Twitter. "This will protect Ukraine from further deaths and blackouts and will increase security at our eastern border."On Monday Poland said it would propose deploying additional Patriot missile launchers near its border with Ukraine, following an offer from Germany, according to Reuters. Berlin offered Warsaw the Patriot missile defense system to help secure its airspace after a stray missile crashed in Poland last week. It had earlier said it would offer its eastern neighbor help in air policing with German Eurofighters. The missile that hit Poland last week, killing two people, appeared to have been fired accidentally by Ukraine's air defenses rather than to have been a Russian strike, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg has said.

Pentagon: Turkish Air Strikes in Syria Threaten Safety of US Personnel
Washington - Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 24 November, 2022
The Turkish air strikes in northern Syria threatened the safety of US military personnel and the escalating situation jeopardized years of progress against ISIS militants, the Pentagon said on Wednesday. “Recent air strikes in Syria directly threatened the safety of US personnel who are working in Syria with local partners to defeat ISIS and maintain custody of more than 10,000 ISIS detainees,” Pentagon Press Secretary Brig Gen Patrick Ryder stated. Earlier on Tuesday, Türkiye struck several targets in Syria after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan issued new threats to launch a ground operation "soon" against Kurdish fighters despite calls for de-escalation from Washington and Moscow. Ankara launched a series of air strikes in Operation Claw-Sword on Sunday -- hitting dozens of Kurdish targets across Iraq and Syria -- and announcing that its military was once again "on top of the terrorists". The air raids followed a bombing in Istanbul on Sunday that killed six people and wounded 81. Türkiye blamed the attack on the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which is blacklisted as a terror group by the European Union and the United States.

Turkish Drones Target Security Guards at Al-Hol Camp, ISIS Families Try to Escape
Damascus - Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 24 November, 2022 -
Two Turkish strikes Wednesday targeted forces guarding the exterior of Syria's Al-Hol detention camp, amid a state of chaos and fear among ISIS families and attempts by some of them to flee, a war monitor said. The camp is home to over 50,000 people including relatives of suspected ISIS militants.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported that the number of airstrikes fired by Turkish drones on areas held by the Autonomous Administration had amounted to 15 on Wednesday. A Turkish drone attacked two positions in al-Malkiyah countryside in far north eastern Syria, the SOHR said.
In the first attack, the drone shelled positions in Shirk village, and in the second attack the drone attacked a fuel station in Ala Qos area in al-Malkiyah countryside near borders between Syria and Iraq. A Turkish drone also hit power transmission station near a coronavirus hospital in al-Qamishli, while ambulances rushed to the targeted area. The London-based war monitor had previously reported that a Turkish drone targeted a checkpoint for the (Kurdish) Asayesh security forces in Abu Rasin town in Hasaka’s northwestern countryside, injuring members of the checkpoint. Another Turkish drone also targeted a house in Kararshak village in the countryside of Ain al-Arab (Kobani). Turkish drones further targeted an oil station in Mashuq village and the Kil Hasnak station in al-Qahtaniyah countryside.

In Kuwait, Sudani Affirms Iraq’s Keenness to Build Balanced Relations with Neighbors
Kuwait - Merza al-Khuwaldi/Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 24 November, 2022 -
Kuwaiti Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al Sabah held on Wednesday official talks with his Iraqi counterpart, Muhammad Shia Al-Sudani, who is on his first visit to Kuwait since taking office. The Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) said that the discussions were friendl” and touched on bilateral relations and means to strengthen cooperation to serve the interests of the two peoples. Kuwaiti Crown Prince Sheikh Mishaal Al-Ahmad Al Sabah also met with the Iraqi premier on Wednesday. The Iraqi News Agency said that the Kuwaiti Crown Prince affirmed his country’s “keenness to support Iraq’s stability and prosperity.”The media office of the Iraqi Prime Minister stated that Al-Sudani met the Crown Prince of Kuwait, Sheikh Mishaal Al-Ahmad, in the presence of Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmed Nawaf Al Sabah, adding that the officials reviewed bilateral relations, within the framework of the historical ties that unite the two countries.According to the statement, Al-Sudani underlined “Iraq’s keenness to build balanced relations with its neighbors, based on mutual respect and preservation of the sovereignty of the two countries,” pointing to the need to “resolve many files in a manner that supports common interests and achieves stability in the region.”For his part, the Kuwaiti Crown Prince welcomed the Iraqi premier, emphasizing “the strength of the distinguished relations that bind the two countries and unite their peoples”He also reiterated Kuwait’s keenness to support Iraq’s stability and prosperity, praising Baghdad’s pivotal role in the region and its quest to enhance long-lasting security.

The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on November 24-25/2022
'A Nation Cannot Exist Without Confidence in its Ruler'
Lawrence Kadish/ Gatestone Institute/November 24, 2022
Our election integrity is under assault, as is our Constitution. We have lost confidence in our rulers. We have lost confidence in how we elect our rulers. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
"Tsekung asked about government and Confucius replied: 'People must have sufficient to eat; there must be a sufficient army; and there must be confidence of people in the ruler.' 'If you are forced to give up one of these three objectives, what would you go without first,' asked Tsekung. Confucius said, ' I would go without the army first.' 'And if you were forced to go without one of the two remaining factors, what would you rather go without,' asked Tsekung again. 'I would rather go without sufficient food for the people.... [A] nation cannot exist without confidence in its ruler.'"
— From The Wisdom of China and India by Lin Yutang.
Our election integrity is under assault, as is our Constitution. We have lost confidence in our rulers. We have lost confidence in how we elect our rulers. As of this writing, the US midterm election has been over for more than two weeks; in Arizona, which reported massive voting problems – from voting machines that failed to work to "mixed ballots" -- the result still has not been tallied. We have lost confidence in mail-in ballots -- a reservation about which the Carter Commission warned in 2005; in ballot-harvesting and "ballot hunting" as opposed to verifiable voting with one-man-one-vote. We have lost confidence in the hundreds of "dirty," uncleaned voter rolls and the lack of voter identification in many states.
Most of all we have lost confidence in the millions of political dollars such as Mark Zuckerberg's "Zuckbucks", provided privately, where $400 million, laundered through supposedly non-governmental organizations, effectively "swung" elections in Georgia. Now, they are available "on steroids." After 25 states ruled out private political donations such as Zuckbucks, the Biden administration put $370 billion in public funds -- nearly a thousand times what Zuckerberg used -- in the hands of long-time Democrat political operative John Podesta, to be disbursed at his discretion, ostensibly for climate change. What cannot be said out loud is that the climate change NGOs that hope to receive this bounty,will most likely be asked quietly to agree that a goodly percentage of what they get be used to "educate" voters in districts known through gerrymandering to be sympathetic.
We have lost confidence in the blindingly unequal application of the law. This abuse of political power cuts through the leadership of virtually all of the government agencies, starting with the Department of Justice and its offshoot, the FBI.
The Department of Justice was recently exposed, among other matters, as having supported a fake investigation for three years. costing $40 million in taxpayer money, into a fraudulent campaign to unjustly discredit former President Donald J. Trump when the people leading the investigation have been shown to have known from the start that it was fraudulent. The FBI deliberately launched a campaign to discredit as "having all the earmarks of Russian disinformation" the contents of a laptop belonging to Hunter Biden, which again they know from the start to be genuine – again to meddle in US elections and throw the vote to a mentally incapacitated and reportedly compromised President Joe Biden.
The Internal Revenue Service was caught targeting "conservatives", and even the Environmental Protection Agency has been capriciously harassing ranchers (here and here). Now, Congress has voted $80 billion for the Biden administration to hire 87,000 more IRS agents to harass small shopkeepers and hard-working Americans who cannot afford expensive accounting firms -- not the billionaires and large corporations who can -- into paying even more taxes. Worse, in the middle of a recession that the Biden administration induced on day one by launching a war on fossil fuels, thereby causing the price of literally everything to skyrocket, people who can afford it the least are forced to choose between "eat or heat."
Where were the dollars appropriated for more agents at the US Southern border to stop the entry of 5 million illegal immigrants, along with fentanyl from China that has been poisoning more than 100,000 Americans; massive human trafficking and sex-slavery; the possible unspeakable future of thousands of unaccounted-for children; nearly a million "gotaways" about whom we know nothing; and the nearly one million who have died trying to enter?
These questions are not new. One year ago, on these pages, reprinted below, similar questions were raised. The answers have only gotten worse.
Re Confidence in 'Ruler'
by Lawrence Kadish/November 29, 2021
An ancient philosopher is attributed to once observing that a nation can survive deprivation or even a battlefield defeat but it cannot survive the loss of confidence in its leadership.
As the Great Depression dismantled hopes and dreams across America, a president who had once rescued Europe from famine following World War I -- and whose organizational skills as U.S. Secretary of Commerce were extraordinary -- lost the confidence of his countrymen.
Hebert Hoover would lose his reelection bid to a man who inspired hope, trust, and most of all, confidence among citizens of a nation where nearly a quarter of them were out of work. Franklin Delano Roosevelt would receive nearly 23 million votes to Hoover's nearly 16 million. The electoral vote was even more telling: 472 to 59.
Yet, as historians will remind us, Roosevelt, despite all of his initiatives, did not have the means to put an end to the Depression through most of his first two terms. What he did manage to do, however, was restore and sustain the confidence of the American people by allowing them to take pride in themselves and the belief that there was a future worth waiting for.
President Lyndon B. Johnson found a nation solidly behind him following the shocking assassination of John F. Kennedy. Yet by the time he announced he would not seek a second term, his approval ratings had sunk to 36% as the Vietnam War stalemated in Southeast Asia and anti-war protests rocked our cities.
The nation had lost confidence in the man who rallied America after those dark days in Dallas. LBJ, ever the political pragmatist, recognized that with such lost confidence was the end of his ability to govern effectively. He knew it was time to exit the Oval Office.
President Jimmy Carter is still another example of a president who failed to gain the confidence of the American people and lost at the polls against a charismatic, inspiring leader, Ronald Reagan. Historians observe that even Democrats were unhappy with Carter's tenure, coupled with his handling of the Iran hostage crisis and a wretched economy.
President Joe Biden's tenure in office will be judged against a similar perspective. There is little question that he will be viewed as the commander in chief who ordered our chaotic Afghan retreat, stood mute in the face of inflation creep, and proposed a multi-trillion dollar budget deficit that has the ability to bankrupt future generations tasked with paying it down. The result is that Biden may well be losing the confidence of the American people. The most recent poll shows that more than half of the American public disapprove of his tenure. Already Democrats are openly wondering who will be their candidate when Biden's first term ends.
For Biden, it could be worse.
In Great Britain, the loss of confidence can immediately bring down a government.
If the House of Commons passes a "no confidence" resolution, the current Prime Minister and his cabinet are required to resign. It ensures that there is not a day the Prime Minister isn't aware of the need to secure the confidence of Parliament and those voters who sent those representatives to sit in that historic hall.
The upcoming mid-term Congressional election may become the tipping point for the Biden Administration's ability to govern. It will reveal far more accurately than any poll whether the American people have confidence in a president who, in his suggested confusion, has presided over multiple policy failures.
During its history, America has endured much but this much is clear: its citizens have no patience for a president in which they have lost confidence.
*Lawrence Kadish serves on the Board of Governors of Gatestone Institute.
© 2022 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.

The Iranian Revolution is Reminiscent of the Shah’s Final Days!
Huda al-Husseini/Asharq Al-Awsat/November, 24/2022
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/113610/%d9%87%d8%af%d9%89-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%ad%d8%b3%d9%8a%d9%86%d9%8a-%d8%ab%d9%88%d8%b1%d8%a9-%d8%a5%d9%8a%d8%b1%d8%a7%d9%86-%d8%aa%d8%b0%d9%91%d9%83%d8%b1-%d8%a8%d8%a2%d8%ae%d8%b1-%d8%a3%d9%8a%d8%a7%d9%85/
Iran has no friends left. It buys friendships with weapons, as it is doing with Russia and Armenia, leaving death and victims behind it. That is how Hezbollah managed to leave Lebanon without friends.
By the way, we must pay tribute to the Iranian national football team currently playing in the World Cup in Qatar. It defied the injustice of its regime, refusing to sing the national anthem of the Islamic Republic. “Our people are not happy,” one player said. For his part, the captain declared: “I would like to express my condolences to all the bereaved families. They should know we are with them. We support them, and we sympathize with them.”
Of course, this is brave. However, fears of reprisals against the Iranian players who refused to sing the national anthem have been growing, and they have been threatened to repeat it. Several sources of divergent leanings have reported that Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei, the son of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, visited his father alongside former speaker of parliament and presidential candidate Ali Larijani and Ali Larijani’s brother Sadeq (better known as Amoli), who heads the Expediency Discernment Council. Though everyone close to the Supreme Leader had agreed not to include him in discussions of sensitive topics that could annoy or physically and intellectually exhaust him, the Supreme Leader’s son subtly violated this agreement.
Mojtaba said that the brothers, Amoli and Ali, wanted to share their apprehensions regarding the state of affairs in the country and sought the direct council of Khamenei. Amoli explained that things are not right in the country and that this is what has led to the popular uprising led by angry, hopeless Iranian youths. Many people sympathize with them, and the harsh manner with which Ebrahim Raisi has dealt with the situation has made things worse. After the Basij brutalized protesters in cities across the country, they reacted with counter-violence, and the uprising expanded, reaching regions far from the capital.
Amoli Larijani went on to add that some security forces have fled and mutiny, often out of apparent sympathy for the rebels. Ali then said that he need the wise council of the Supreme Leader on how to resolve the crisis. Lying on his bed, Khamenei replied that the conniving insurgents should only be negotiated with after having been punished and requesting mercy. As for those who disobey orders, they should be executed and made an example of.
One news source said that Ali Larijani told him, after visiting the Supreme Leader, that what he saw is similar to what happened with the Shah the day he order a clamp down on the protests. It was the end of the regime. The overwhelming majority of the insurgents are Iranians seeking political change, freedom, and democracy. More importantly, they want to hold the despots in power accountable for the state of the country, which has become far worse than it had been under the Shah, and repression should not be an alternative to dialogue.
What has been called the women’s insurgency in Iran has not stopped since Mahsa Amini was murdered by the morality police because a few strands of her hair were showing beneath her veil. They then claimed that she had died of a health problem she had had while detained as videos documenting the violence she had been subjected to while she was being taken to the police station to were going viral.
Amini was the spark that lit the fuse of a generation that opposes the ideological regime in power. It has two faces. One wants to build on the demands of the 14 Iranian insurgencies that preceded it. The other face insists on changing the ruling political system, greater freedoms, an end to the security regime, bringing down the dictator, and accountability. In an interview broadcast last on ITV, a protester says he wants “a regime that does not interfere in the affairs of neighboring countries, spending everything the country has to fund terrorist militias… and supply Russia with drones while its people are now eating out of garbage cans and lack basic needs.”
The clampdown by the Basij was violent. Save the Children has condemned the repression and demanded a response to reports of hundreds of children in Iran being maimed and detained, calling for the establishment of an independent investigative body. However, also worth noting is the resistance of the insurgents, who fought with stones, sharp, and the light arms left behind by fleeing security forces. Many civilians have died or been wounded, as have several of the Basij forces. Despite this, neither the protests nor the repression ended. Despite totally cutting the internet and cell phone reception, social media pages associated with the insurgency continue to translate information about the developments in Iran. They have reported on the developments of the past week… Among them are the following:
- A mass protest was held in Saro Street in the Shahr-e-Ziba neighborhood of Tehran. “This year is the year of blood, Khamenei will fall” was among their chants.
- A mass protest was held in the city of Bijar in Iranian Kurdistan.
- Thousands of men and women revolutionaries took control of the city of Bukan, occupying all the Basij headquarters there and setting them on fire. They gave the forces of repression a deadline time to hand in their arms. In the city of Kerman, protesters chanted: “Your end is near, Khamenei,” and “Victory to the Iranian revolution.” All the government buildings, police headquarters, and IRGC and army barracks in the city are under the control of the Kurdish revolutionaries in Iranian Kurdistan.
- A member of the special unit, Ismail Chiraghi, was killed in clashes with the rebels in the city of Isfahan.
- Protests were held in Sanandaj, where Basij colonel Hassan Yousefi on Saturday during clashes with insurgents blocking the city’s roads to prevent the Basij from entering it.
All international protocols would designate the use of a “nerve agent” in Javanrud a clear example of war crimes. The Iranian people are calling on the international community to invoke the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) law.
In Asulyeh, laborers in the 11th refinery located in South Pars Gas Company went on strike. And, to put it briefly, Iran will significantly increase enrichment. It announced that it had begun Uranium enriched at 60 percent.
Going back to Khamenei, he described the protesters as “weak, small, and unable to harm the regime” while talking about the youths who have been in the streets since September 16. Nonetheless, he demanded that they and those who “incited them to take to the streets” be punished.
Khamenei is an 83 religious cleric who has led the Islamic Republic since 1988, and he is growing more isolated by the day. He is totally out of touch with reality and cannot understand the demands of the youths crying out “death to the dictator.” Most of those who have been arrested are between 16 and 22 years old. They do not care what Khamenei thinks about revolution, and they detest the values that the so-called Supreme Leader and his aids claim to stand for. The youths are chanting “women, life, freedom-” three vulgar terms in Khamenei’s world.
This week, many older Iranians took part in the protests. Shopkeepers, businessmen, and university students went on strike for three days, reminding Iranians of the hundreds, some estimates say thousands, of Iranians killed in November 2019.
Brute force ended that round of protests. The state spilled blood for longer than the insurgency itself had gone it, and this came at a steep cost. However, for those who had still been diluted, the veil has been lifted off of this regime’s face forever. November reminds them that the Islamic Republic cannot be reformed. It is a hopeless case. Even at this painful time, Iranians take the time to pay tribute to those who will never see Iran free.
Doing so under a government that relies on people forgetting is an act of defiance.
The regime has made flagrant mistakes, not only domestically but also internationally. Regional expansion through militias that fight wars and repress their people has become gospel in Iran. It also implicated itself in the war in Ukraine, sending drones to Russia and choosing a side in this pointless war. Instead of opting for positive neutrality, it took the option of antagonizing the West, which was left with no choice but to deal with the Islamic Republic as a source of evil and terror.
The Iranian regime’s media blames the “riots” on the great satan, the US, the Israelis, and their allies, especially the Arabs. However, the regime and its media seem unaware that their rhetoric about a global conspiracy is not working. The Iranian people know that it is this stubborn, close-minded regime that is responsible. The Gulf states, which are not richer than Iran, prosper and progress, giving the Iranians an idea of what their country- stuck in backwardness, darkness, and poverty- could have been. Iran, of course, has enemies seeking the right moment to pounce on its divisions. However, they would have no hope of succeeding if the Iranians had, first and foremost, reinforced the home front and had played their diplomatic cards right.
The regime will probably maintain the clamp down- to defend itself and its survival before anything else. Indeed, Ebrahim Raisi gives the orders, but he takes orders from his boss Khamenei. Though Khamenei can hardly leave his bed, Raisi wouldn’t be in the position he is in if the Supreme Leader had not decided so. The Larijani brothers are well aware of this fact, though it did take some time and a meeting with the Supreme Leader, who has now become known as a “child killer” after killing over forty of them.

The looming danger of Iranian regime’s nuclear program
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Arab News/November 24, 2022
Since assuming office at the beginning of last year, the Biden administration’s primary policy regarding the Iranian regime’s nuclear program has been centered on employing diplomacy in order to revive the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action nuclear deal. But after nearly two years of negotiations, progress has stalled and the White House does not seem to have any other plan to counter the Islamic Republic’s nuclear threat and prevent it from potentially obtaining nuclear weapons.
The Iranian regime is expanding its nuclear program amid the backdrop of the stalled talks. Tehran is also seeking assistance from its ally, Russia, in order to bolster its program, according to US intelligence officials. Iran has been providing drones and plans to deliver ballistic missiles to Russia. As a result, it makes sense that the Iranian leaders would seek something in return.
UK envoy to the International Atomic Energy Agency Corinne Kitsell wrote on Twitter that Iran “continues its unprecedented nuclear escalation. This raises serious doubts as to the nature of Iran’s nuclear program.” In addition, diplomats from several European countries, including the UK, France and Germany, this week issued a joint statement calling the situation concerning Iran’s nuclear defiance “concerning.”
In addition, the Iranian leaders have also been stonewalling the IAEA, which monitors the Islamic Republic’s nuclear activities and compliance. The regime continues to keep cameras at its nuclear facilities turned off, effectively preventing the UN nuclear watchdog from monitoring its nuclear activities, including uranium enrichment and the use of centrifuges.
This led the EU to last week point out: “For the past years, the EU has repeatedly expressed, and again reiterates today, its serious concerns at the presence of nuclear material at undeclared locations in Iran. The EU is deeply concerned that the current location of this nuclear material and/or of equipment contaminated by nuclear material, which may still exist in Iran today, is not known to the agency. On many occasions, the EU has called on Iran to provide the IAEA with the necessary explanations in accordance with the obligations under its Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement … Despite repeated calls for action, Iran has yet to take the necessary actions and provide technically credible explanations.”
The Iranian leaders have also been stonewalling the IAEA, which monitors the Islamic Republic’s nuclear activities and compliance
Furthermore, the Iranian regime is continuing to refuse to answer the IAEA’s questions about uranium particles found at three of its undeclared nuclear sites. And the UK, France and Germany acknowledged last year that Tehran “has no credible civilian need for uranium metal R&D (research and development) and production, which are a key step in the development of a nuclear weapon.”
The Iranian authorities claim that their nuclear program is designed for peaceful purposes. But if that is the case, why is the Islamic Republic refusing to cooperate with the IAEA and why has it shut off its cameras at the nuclear facilities? The evidence suggests that the regime wants to become a nuclear-armed state.
Based on Israel’s 2018 seizure of documents from a “nuclear archive” in Tehran, the Institute for Science and International Security explained that: “Iran intended to build five nuclear warheads, each with an explosive yield of 10 kilotons and able to be delivered by ballistic missile.”
If the theocratic establishment becomes a nuclear-armed state, it is likely that either nuclear weapons will fall into the hands of its proxy and militia groups or the regime will share its nuclear technology with them. It has already set up weapons factories abroad and manufactured advanced ballistic missiles and weapons in foreign countries, including Syria. These include precision-guided missiles with advanced technology to strike specific targets.
Furthermore, since the theocratic establishment is already supplying advanced weapons to its proxies, what would stop it from sharing its nuclear technology to empower these groups, undermine its perceived adversaries’ national security interests and expand its reach? As a UN report revealed: “An increasing body of evidence suggests that individuals or entities in the Islamic Republic of Iran supply significant volumes of weapons and components to the Houthis.”
In a nutshell, since President Joe Biden assumed office, the Iranian regime has been making major advances in its controversial nuclear research and defying the IAEA. The international community must immediately chart a path to halt the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program before it is too late.
*Dr. Majid Rafizadeh is a Harvard-educated Iranian-American political scientist. Twitter: @Dr_Rafizadeh