English LCCC Newsbulletin For
Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For November 30/2020
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
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Bible Quotations For today
For as in
one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function,
so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one
of another
Letter to the Romans 12/01-08: “I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters,
by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and
acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this
world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern
what is the will of God what is good and acceptable and perfect. For by the
grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more
highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgement, each
according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we
have many members, and not all the members have the same function, so we, who
are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of
another. We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy,
in proportion to faith; ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching; the
exhorter, in exhortation; the giver, in generosity; the leader, in diligence;
the compassionate, in cheerfulness.”"
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials
published on November 29-30/2021
UN Special Coordinator Briefs the Security Council on the Implementation of
Resolution 1701
Aoun seeks Qatari support to weather impact of row with Gulf countries
Aoun Meets Qatari Emir, Qatari FM to Visit Lebanon Soon
Qatar emir, Lebanon president meet in Doha amid Gulf row
Aoun Says Will Leave Next Year unless Parliament Wants Him to Stay
Lebanese president says he disagrees with Hezbollah on dismissing Beirut port
blast judge
Aoun in an interview to Al-Raya: The visit to Qatar is an expression of the
depth of friendship and the strength of the relationship between the two...
President Aoun affirms to Al-Jazeera Parliamentary elections will be held, says
opposes extension of Parliament’s mandate
President meets Palestinian counterpart, discussed with him Lebanese-Palestinian
relations, Israeli aggressions
Mikati’s meeting with IMF follow-up committee winds up, affirms dispute over
numbers is over
Lebanon beats Indonesia in FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers
Berri discusses situation with PM Mikati, meets Arslan, receives Independence
congratulatory cable from Al-Ghanim
Lebanon President calls Hezbollah 'besieged', warning of potential civil war
Miqati Meets Berri as He Seeks to Resume Cabinet Sessions
Shiite Duo to Boycott Cabinet until 'Root Cause is Addressed'
Protesters Block Roads across Lebanon over Dire Living Conditions
Lebanese protest against deteriorating living conditions
Al-Rahi: Miqati Hasn't Let Me Down and It's Up to Judiciary to Decide on Port
Probe
United States Welcomes Australia’s Intended Action Against Hizballah
Lebanese Protesters Block Roads to Protest Crisis
Bassil Says 'No Iranian Occupation', Blasts Salameh, Political Rivals
New lows, new strains/Your weekly roundup from NOW//Monday, 29 November, 2021
Lifting medicine subsidies threatens Lebanon with more chaos/Makram Rabah/Al
Arabiya/November 29/2021
Taking the streets is good!/Jean-Marie Kassab/November 29/2021
Lebanon, Disintegrating Arab World, Delinquency and the New Cold War/Charles
Elias Chartouni/November 29/2021
Titles For The Latest English LCCC
Miscellaneous Reports And News published on
November 29-30/2021
More Omicron Cases Pop Up as World Rushes to Learn More
Scepticism prevails as Iran nuclear talks resume under Raisi’s shadow
Iranian official calls for Israel's destruction
Bennett's message to the world: A murderous regime like Iran should not be
rewarded
Foreign Min. Lapid: Iran coming to talks only to get sanctions lifted
Nuclear Talks Resume as West Asks Whether Iran Is Serious or Stalling
Can World Powers Curb Iran in New Nuclear Talks?
Arrest Warrant against Pro-Iran Cleric Stokes Tensions in Iraq
Appeals against Dbeibah, Saif al-Islam's Candidacies Dominate Libya Elections
Families of Munich Attack Victims Demand 110Mln Euros in Compensation from Libya
Burhan reshuffles key Sudan security positions to head off ripple effects from
violent clashes
Titles For The Latest The Latest LCCC
English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on
November 29-30/2021
For Palestinians, Terrorism or Peace?
Abbas Wants It Both Ways/Khaled Abu Toameh/Gatestone Institute/November 29/2021
Re Confidence in 'Ruler'/Lawrence Kadish/Gatestone Institute/November 29/2021
UK and France play politics with migrants’ lives/Jonathan Gornall/The Arab
Weekly/November 29/2021
The Latest English LCCC Lebanese &
Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on November 29-30/2021
UN Special Coordinator Briefs the Security Council
on the Implementation of Resolution 1701
NNA/November 29/2021
UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon Joanna Wronecka, Under-Secretary-General for
Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix and UNIFIL Force Commander Maj. Gen.
Stefano del Col today briefed the UN Security Council on the implementation of
Security Council Resolution 1701 (2006) and the situation in Lebanon, with a
focus on the latest report of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. Special
Coordinator Wronecka recognized the formation of a Government as a positive
development while regretting that it had not resulted in progress in the
implementation of a reform agenda in Lebanon since her last briefing to the
Security Council in July 2021. Noting the deteriorating socio-economic
conditions in Lebanon and their acute impact on people’s daily lives, the
Special Coordinator hoped the Lebanese Cabinet would resume its meetings that
have been suspended since 12 October and take urgent measures in the interest of
the country and the people. “Commitments must translate into actions if
Lebanon’s leadership intends to overcome the country’s deep crisis, recover
Lebanon’s political and institutional stability and address the needs and rights
of the Lebanese people,” the Special Coordinator said. In this regard, she
stressed that “fair and transparent elections within constitutional timelines
are the linchpin of democracy, an integral part of reform and place Lebanon on a
path of recovery,” and reiterated international readiness to support the
electoral process.
Members of the Security Council welcomed UNIFIL’s efforts to maintain peace and
security in south Lebanon and its close coordination with the Lebanese Armed
Forces. They also emphasized the importance of all parties honouring their
commitments to fully implement resolution 1701 and respect the cessation of
hostilities. Encouraging additional international support to the Lebanese Armed
Forces, the Special Coordinator commended the critical role played by the army
in safeguarding Lebanon’s security and stability despite the impact of the
socio-economic crisis on the military institution and its servicemen.
Noting recent tensions related to the investigation into the Beirut Port
explosions, the Special Coordinator reiterated the UN’s calls for justice and
accountability through the swift conduct of an impartial, thorough and
transparent investigation.
The Special Coordinator highlighted the UN’s ongoing efforts to support Lebanon
during this difficult period and its steadfast commitment to Lebanon’s security,
stability and territorial integrity.—UNIC
Aoun seeks Qatari support to weather impact of row with
Gulf countries
The Arab Weekly/November 29/2021
Lebanon’s president arrived in Qatar Monday for the opening ceremony of an Arab
soccer tournament and for talks amid an unprecedented diplomatic crisis between
Beirut and oil-rich Gulf nations. President Michel Aoun’s face-to-face meetings
with the emir of Qatar and other Qatari officials come as Lebanon is sinks
deeper into its economic crisis, the worst in its modern history. The country’s
financial meltdown, coupled with multiple other crises, has plunged more than
three-quarters of the population of six million, including a million Syrian
refugees, into poverty. During his Doha meetings Aoun is expected to discuss the
tense relations between Lebanon and Arab Gulf nations led by Saudi Arabia . Aoun
has repeatedly said that Lebanon wants excellent relations with Saudi Arabia,
which lists Hezbollah as a terrorist organisation. Aoun is a political ally of
the Iran-backed Shia group.
Saudi Arabia, a traditional supporter of Lebanon, withdrew its ambassador from
Beirut and asked the Lebanese envoy to leave last month following televised
comments by George Kordahi, Lebanon’s information minister. Kordahi said the war
in Yemen was futile and called it an aggression by the Saudi-led coalition.
Yemen’s war began with the 2014 takeover of Sana’a by the Houthi militias, who
control much of the country’s north. The Saudi-led coalition entered the war the
following year, determined to restore the internationally-recognised government
and oust the rebels.
Aoun told Qatar’s Al-Raya daily that in face-to-face meetings, he will call on
the country’s emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, to invest in the
reconstruction of Beirut’s port which was destroyed last year in a massive
blast.
Aoun also said he would seek investments in other infrastructure projects,
including electricity, which is cut for much of the day in Lebanon. Qatar has
one of the largest natural gas reserves in the world and had been a major
investor in Lebanon in the past. However many countries have refused to sink
money in Lebanon or offer assistance to its government before it implements
major reforms to fight the corruption and mismanagement that sparked the
economic meltdown in 2019. On Tuesday, Aoun will be at the opening ceremony of
the FIFA Arab Cup in which 16 teams will compete. The 19-day tournament is an
opportunity for the world to witness Qatar’s new stadiums which will host the
World Cup next year. Aoun’s visit came as scores of protesters blocked major
roads in Lebanon Monday to voice their anger against the country’s political
class for the worsening economic crisis and harsh living conditions. The road
closures with burning tyres were mainly in the capital Beirut, the northern city
of Tripoli, the southern port city of Sidon and the eastern Bekaa valley.
Lebanon’s economic has crisis worsened in recent weeks with the Lebanese pound
hitting new lows of 25,800 to the US dollar eradicating the purchasing power of
most the country’s residents who get paid in pounds. The minimum monthly wage is
675,000 pounds or ($27).
Aoun Meets Qatari Emir, Qatari FM to Visit Lebanon Soon
Naharnet/29 November, 2021
President Michel Aoun met Monday with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani,
who affirmed Qatar’s support for Lebanon and said “Qatar is ready to help
Lebanon in all fields,” the Presidency said. Sheikh Tamim said that the Qatari
foreign minister will soon visit Lebanon “to offer aid and support,” the
Presidency added. The two leaders agreed during the meeting that “the current
stage requires the support of Arab countries for Lebanon” and that “overcoming
any problem that might affect these relations is a necessity.” The Presidency
said that competent ministers from Lebanon and Qatar will hold meetings to study
the discussed topics based on the agreements between the two countries. Aoun and
Sheikh Tamim also discussed the bilateral relations between the two countries
and ways to improve them, the Presidency said, and Aoun welcomed any Qatari
investment in Lebanon.
Aoun had told al-Raya Qatari newspaper, in remarks published Monday, that his
visit to Qatar expresses “the depth of the friendship and the strength of the
relation between the two countries.”He also expressed gratitude for Qatar’s
support for Lebanon after the Beirut port blast and praised Qatar’s diplomacy.
Qatar has one of the largest natural gas reserves in the world and had been a
major investor in Lebanon in the past. However many countries have refused to
invest in Lebanon or offer assistance to its government before it implements
major reforms to fight the corruption and mismanagement that sparked the
economic meltdown in 2019. On Tuesday, Aoun will attend the opening ceremony of
the FIFA Arab Cup in which 16 teams will compete. The 19-day tournament is an
opportunity for the world to witness Qatar’s new stadiums that will host the
World Cup next year. Aoun’s visit came as scores of protesters blocked major
roads in Lebanon Monday to express anger against the country’s political class
for the worsening economic crisis and harsh living conditions.
Qatar emir, Lebanon president meet in Doha
amid Gulf row
MENA/29 November, 2021
Lebanon President Michel Aoun met with Qatar Emir Sheikh Tamin bin Hamad Al-Thani
in Doha on Monday to discuss bilateral ties amid an ongoing diplomatic crisis
between Beirut and the Gulf. Aoun will attend the opening of the 2021 FIFA Arab
Cup being hosted in Qatar, a pan-Arab football tournament which will take place
between 30 November to 18 December. The Lebanese presidency said talks between
Aoun and Sheikh Al-Thani touched on developing bilateral relations and Qatar's
support for Lebanon, reeling under numerous crises. "The visit to Qatar is an
expression of the depth of the friendship and the strength of the relationship
between the two countries, and its support for Lebanon after the explosion of
the (Beirut) port is much appreciated," Aoun said in comments to Qatari daily,
Al-Raya. "Qatari diplomacy is present in regional and international forums. The
world today is in need of giving the language of reason and dialogue priority
over the language of conflict." Aoun invited Qatar to invest in Lebanon, which
is witnessing its worst-ever financial and economic crisis as the Lebanese lira
continues to collapse. Unlike its Gulf neighbours, Qatar has maintained a
centrist approach towards Lebanon after Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, and
Kuwait pulled their diplomats from Beirut late last month over comments made by
a Lebanese minister regarding the war in Yemen. It was viewed by many as part of
general distrust among Gulf states about Hezbollah's dominant role in Lebanese
politics.
Saudi Arabia expelled the Lebanese ambassador from Riyadh, while Kuwait has
banned Lebanese from entering the country. It is the worst diplomatic crisis
ever witnessed between Lebanon and the Gulf monarchies in decades. Lebanon Prime
Minister Najib Mikati met with Emir Al-Thani on the sidelines of the COP26
climate conference in Glasgow earlier this month. It was reported that Qatar’s
Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al-Thani would visit Beirut to
help find a solution to the Lebanon-Gulf crisis, but no date has yet been set.
Aoun Says Will Leave Next Year unless Parliament Wants
Him to Stay
Naharnet/November 29/2021
President Michel Aoun has said that he will leave the Baabda Palace when his
presidential term ends in 2022, while noting that he would “stay” if parliament
decides that he should stay. “The parliamentary elections will be held and we’re
taking all measures to hold the polls,” Aoun, who is visiting Qatar, said in an
interview with the Doha-based Al-Jazeera television. Separately, the President
said that he does not agree with Hizbullah over the calls for sacking Beirut
port blast investigator Judge Tarek Bitar, while noting that “Hizbullah is
committed to (U.N. Security Council) Resolution 1701 and has not committed any
disruption since 2017.”As for Lebanon’s row with the Gulf countries, Aoun said
he discussed the matter in his talks Monday with Qatar’s ruler Sheikh Tamim bin
Hamad. “We want the most cordial and best relations with Saudi Arabia and the
Gulf countries,” the President stressed. He added: “I have not asked anyone to
resign and (Information Minister George) Kordahi will act on the basis of what
is best for Lebanon.”
Lebanese president says he disagrees with Hezbollah on
dismissing Beirut port blast judge
Reuters/November 29/2021
CAIRO, Nov 29 (Reuters) - Lebanese President Michel Aoun said on Monday he did
not agree with the Lebanese Shi'ite group Hezbollah on dismissing the judge
investigating the Beirut port blast. Tarek Bitar is leading an investigation
into an explosion at Beirut port that killed more than 200 people on Aug. 4 last
year. Hezbollah, Amal and the Christian Marada Movement have accused Bitar of
politicising the investigation after he sought to question former ministers
affiliated with the latter two parties. Aoun also told Al Jazeera TV that he
would leave his position at the end of his presidential term unless parliament
decided that he should stay. Reporting by Moataz Abdelrahiem; Editing by Gareth
Jones and Emelia Sithole-Matarise
Aoun in an interview to Al-Raya: The visit to Qatar is
an expression of the depth of friendship and the strength of the relationship
between the two...
NNA/November 29/2021
President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun, asserted that his visit to Qatar
is in response to the invitation of its Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani to
attend the opening of the 2021 FIFA Arab Cup and the inauguration of sports
stadiums, and it is an expression of the depth and strength of these relations
between the two countries that are free of interests.
The President praised the Qatari initiatives to help Lebanon, especially after
the explosion of the port of Beirut, noting that he would call on the Emir of
Qatar to direct investment in Lebanon, "noting that the land is fertile at the
present time”.
In addition, President Aoun considered that Qatari diplomacy is a pioneer and
always present in regional and international forums, and the world today needs
more than ever to give priority to the language of reason and dialogue instead
of the language of fighting, distance and strength.
The President also clarified that his saying “I will not surrender for vacancy”
was invested incorrectly within the framework of the focused and programmed
campaigns to offend, and that what he meant was to emphasize that there would be
no vacuum after the end of the presidential term, knowing that the Lebanese
Constitution provided for the possibility of a vacancy occurring for any reason
and stipulated that the Cabinet collectively exercises the powers of the
president until a new president is elected by the House of Representatives,
noting that there is no logical reason to bring the parliamentary elections
earlier.
The President stressed that a term extension is not possible, and that the next
president should have proper representation and have the qualifications that
would enable him to assume this great responsibility, be familiar with the
distinctive Lebanese structure, and be an element of convergence and not
division.
Moreover, President Aoun pointed out that the events that Lebanon witnessed
during the past two years negatively overshadowed all the positives that were
achieved in the era, perhaps the most prominent of which was the approval of
decrees for extracting oil and gas, which occupies the forefront of the
positives, adding that Lebanon demanded amendments to the indirect negotiation
lines with Israel over the maritime borders, considering that there are
“geopolitical” considerations in this context, and the decision-making country
in this context may be close to us geographically and may be far from us, but
what is certain is that its impact on the oil companies is very large.
In addition, President Aoun affirmed his keenness on the principle of separation
of powers, and on not interfering in the work of the judiciary, noting that it
is not within the power of the Council of Ministers to decide on the issue of
Judge Tariq Al-Bitar, and this matter is left to the judiciary exclusively. The
President explained that he had not seen the images provided by Russia via its
satellites of the Beirut port before and after the explosion, and that he
requested that the images be handed over to the judiciary to find out the
circumstances.
President Aoun’s positions came during an interview with the Qatari newspaper
“Al-Raya” on the occasion of his visit to Doha, where he explained that he had
received an invitation from His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim to attend the
opening ceremony of the Arab Cup FIFA 2021 and the inauguration of sports
stadiums, and that this invitation comes “in the context of the friendship that
unites me with His Highness the Prince Sheikh Tamim and before with His Highness
the Father Prince, and this friendship of ours is old, pure and free of
interests, and I had the honor of him visiting me at my home with Her Highness
Princess SheikhaMoza”.
The President pointed out that the relationship between Lebanon and Qatar is
old, solid and strong.
“After my election as President of the Republic, I paid a special visit to the
State of Qatar, and this visit was to express the depth of our relations and the
friendship that unites us, and these relations continued to grow and develop
year after year. Lebanon and its attendance at the summit, and the communication
between us has never been cut off during this period. The standing of His
Highness Emir Sheikh Tamim and the brotherly Qatari people by Lebanon after the
explosion of the port is appreciated and thanked. The Qatari presence was
distinguished and strong after the disaster that struck Lebanon. His Highness
directed to send a lot of aid, and we appreciate Doha's constant support by our
side, and we thank His Highness for following up on the good and bad news of
Lebanon” President Aoun said.
“In short, what unites us and Qatar goes beyond friendship and rises to the
level of brotherhood where the brother fears for his brother. You fear for us
and we fear for you” the President added.
Qatari presence in Lebanon
In response to a question, the President of the Republic considered that Qatari
diplomacy is a pioneer and always present in regional and international forums,
and constantly plays conciliatory roles that help establish understandings for
the sake of stability, safety and the well-being of peoples, and the world today
needs more than ever to give priority to the language of reason and dialogue
instead of the language of fighting and distance and strength.
Regarding the Qatari presence in Lebanon and the aid to the army, he said:
“Lebanon is going through a stifling economic crisis, and the Lebanese army and
other security institutions are not immune from it. The causes of the crisis are
manifold, and they start with the catastrophic consequences of the Syrian war,
which blocked land ports to the Arab Gulf states, disrupted the export movement,
harmed the Lebanese economy, flooding Lebanon with one million and 850 thousand
displaced Syrians, only a few groups of them have returned because the return is
voluntary, which constituted a huge financial burden on us, especially since the
United Nations has limited its financial aid to the displaced themselves.
According to the International Monetary Fund, Lebanon spends between 3 and 4
billion dollars annually on the displaced. In 2019, there were demonstrations
that contributed to the deepening of the economic problem, and then the Corona
pandemic came to tighten the noose further on our economy.
There are no basic Qatari investments in Lebanon, knowing that the land is
fertile at the present time. During my visit to Doha, I will call on His
Highness the Emir to direct investment in the reconstruction of the port of
Beirut, in electricity and infrastructure, in addition to banking employment.
The large debt is one of the main reasons for the collapse of the national
currency, and the additional factors I mentioned above contributed to reaching
the comprehensive collapse. We are working through the government to formulate
an integrated economic plan, based on the principle of negotiation with the
International Monetary Fund and carrying out the necessary reforms and
reorganizing several sectors, including the banking sector, and controlling and
rationalizing spending and other points. We put in the pre-existing government
an integrated plan supervised by the "McKinsey group, but the political
developments that accelerated after that prevented its implementation”.
On the electricity situation, President Aoun indicated that government neglect
“Has brought us to where we are today, and if the ideal and integrated plan that
was drawn up in 2010 had been adhered to, we would have been far from this
crisis, and it is known that the plan has been obstructed by a political
decision for which the Lebanese pay dearly. It is the political wrangling and
personal considerations that prevented the implementation of the plan, and those
who obstructed it are known to all Lebanese.
President Aoun was asked about Qatar’s hosting of the World Cup next year, and
he replied that “Despite its small area, Qatar’s name is big in the world, and
had it not been for the exceptional effort made by the wise Qatari leadership,
which was distributed on more than one axis and on more than one level, Qatar
would not have occupied these top ranks. For an Arab country to host the World
Cup in football is a major event in itself, and success will crown this
hosting”.
In response to another question, he stressed that the relationship with Qatar is
fraternal, ancient and solid, "And there is a special treatment that Doha gives
to the Lebanese it hosts on its lands, and we undoubtedly appreciate this
special Qatari gesture. Despite all the pitfalls caused by Arab-Arab disputes,
Qatar adhered to the policy of open doors with the Lebanese, and this matter is
appreciated by us. God willing, we will see you in Beirut next summer. My
message to the Lebanese in Doha is to be, as we have entrusted them, messengers
of love between the two countries and to remain loyal and giving, while they
feel that Qatar is their second country and act on this basis”.
The delusion caused by the phrase "I will not surrender to vacancy," which he
said, President Aoun asserted that the phrase was misused within the framework
of the focused and programmed campaigns to abuse. "What I meant was to confirm
that there will be no vacuum after the end of the presidential term, given that
the Lebanese constitution stipulates the possibility of a vacuum for any reason
and stipulates that the Council of Ministers collectively exercises the powers
of the president until a new president is elected by the House of
Representatives. It has already happened. That happened twice after Taif.. I
hope that we will not reach the hypothesis of a vacancy, knowing that the
constitution is clear. The existing government is the one who collectively
assumes the powers of the president” the President said.
President Aoun responded to a question about the possibility of a
term-extension: “For me, an extension is out of the question. I have said this
repeatedly and I will repeat it today. As for the next president, he must have a
parliamentary majority, which means that he has a correct representation and has
the qualifications that enable him to assume this great responsibility and be
familiar with the Lebanese structure. It will be an element of convergence and
not discrimination, and it is not yet certain who will have the next majority in
the Parliament, and the picture becomes clear after the electoral merits are
completed”.
President Aoun also said that he was elected by the House of Representatives,
for a specific term that ends on October 31, 2022, and “I will continue to
assume my full responsibilities until that date. Then I did not understand yet
what is the reason that necessitates my resignation?! The calls that are issued
from time to time are not realistically justified. Rather, it falls within the
framework of populist bidding and slogans, which if their launchers had realized
the extent of their danger, they would have refrained from repeating them”.
Pros of the Presidential Term:
President Aoun was asked about the popular protests that took place, and he
replied that “When a government falls under popular pressure, a new government
is formed that takes into account the demands for which the people took to the
streets. I called on the movement to listen to its demands and to carry out the
required reforms, and it turned out with time that the groups are contradictory
and lack a unified leadership and one reference, and then we learned that the
operators of these groups are abroad and not in Lebanon. With regard to the
parliamentary elections, apparently there is no cohesion between the movement's
groups despite repeated attempts to reunite, and her irregularity in unified
lists, will make it difficult for the movement to win the elections”.
President Aoun also considered that the crisis we are experiencing is what will
remain in the minds of the Lebanese, "but the positive factor in this negative
atmosphere is that I was able to maintain stability despite the great
international pressure for several reasons, most notably regarding Hezbollah's
weapons, which the entire Lebanese people do not unite in their view of it."
Despite that, we created a peaceful situation among the Lebanese, and there was
not a single hit. Unfortunately, the events that Lebanon witnessed during the
past two years overshadowed, with their negativity, all the positives that were
achieved in the era, perhaps the most prominent of which was the adoption of
decrees for the extraction of oil and gas, which occupies the forefront of the
positives”.
Oil and demarcation
In response to a question, President Aoun confirmed that there is no oil war
being waged against Lebanon, "But there are geopolitical" considerations. There
is something ambiguous. I was told by the ship that was drilling in Block No. 4
that it was found that there was gas present. I received the congratulatory call
when we were at sunset, and I asked to keep the matter secret until my visit to
the ship the next day, when an announcement would be made from there that gas
had been discovered. The next morning I received a call saying that the amount
of oil was not commercial, so I told them thank you... I added jokingly: Because
you were able to measure the basin at night!!! I immediately estimated that the
reasons are international political, and the country that makes the decision in
this context may be close to us geographically and may be far from us, but what
is certain is that its impact on the oil companies is very large.. Among the
positives, is the "Fahr Al Juroud" operation and the cleansing of Lebanon from
sleeper terrorist cells. Also among the positives is the new electoral law on a
proportional basis, for the first time in Lebanon's political history, after our
system was a majority. This law established a state of balance between the
Lebanese sects, in addition to a balance within each sect. Financial regularity
is also one of the most prominent advantages, as after 12 years of not setting a
state budget, where the exchange was based on the twelve rule, the budgets were
completed annually, and the audit began to cut the necessary account to achieve
the auditing bureau according to the rules, in addition to the organization of
the diplomatic body and the procedure Diplomatic placements, launching projects
to construct water dams, many roads, highways, and other developmental
achievements”.
With regard to the file of demarcation of the maritime borders, the President of
the Republic stressed that “the position that I have defined since the first day
is that Lebanon has water borders in which the exclusive economic zone contains
oil and gas wealth. We are now in the process of relaunching the path, and in
similar cases the wealth is hidden and the borders are not known, and sharing is
adopted in such a case.. We demanded amendments to the negotiation lines and in
negotiating for each party to make a concession to reach a solution”.
Regarding the date of the parliamentary elections, President Aoun considered
that “there is no logical reason to bring the election date closer, and all the
pretexts presented do not justify bringing it closer, so I decided to exercise
my constitutional rights. Determining the date of the elections is the
responsibility of the executive authority, not the legislative authority, and to
the issue of powers is added the huge constitutional violation represented in
incorrectly calculating the number of deputies that constitute the absolute
majority during the voting process. The number should be 65 out of 128, but the
vote took place with only 59 votes. If the parliamentary elections take place in
the month of March, some of the Lebanese will lose their right to vote, and some
will be unable to move to the mountainous areas due to the cold weather at that
period and the high fuel prices, and therefore we will be in this case before a
council of the wealthy, and we have counted 17 heirs who joined the movement Al-Madani
presenting themselves with new faces!”.
Hezbollah, the government and the judiciary:
As for the issue of the judiciary and the problems that have emerged, President
Aoun said: “Our constitution clearly speaks of the separation of powers, that
is, a separation between the executive authority, the legislative authority, and
the judicial authority. And if it is ordered to decide on lawsuits against the
state, it is left to the judiciary and its appreciation of the laws in force. I
basically do not interfere in the work of the judiciary and respect its
independence. What is said about Amal and Hezbollah linking a conflict between
the government and the judiciary, the link is not in place. It is not within the
power of the Council of Ministers to decide on the issue of Judge Tariq Al-Bitar,
and this matter is left to the judiciary exclusively. I wrote a tweet in which I
cited a statement by Imam Ali saying, "Whoever puts himself in charge, does not
blame the one who thinks badly of him." The question is: Why do they put
themselves in the position of the accused? There is no justification for their
fear of the judiciary. Hezbollah is not yet concerned, because those summoned to
the investigation do not belong to its ranks, and its sensitivity on the matter
is due to the interdependence of paths between the two parties”.
As for the responsibilities, President Aoun replied that he did not see the
investigation and therefore "I cannot address any detail in light of my lack of
knowledge of the file, and I preferred not to contact any judge so as not to be
placed within the framework of my interference. The case of the investigation
into the Beirut Port explosion file is one of the most difficult and complex
issues, and the limits of my authority is to ensure that things are going
properly and not to interfere in the work of the judiciary, and despite my
immutable immunity, I put myself at the disposal of the judiciary to present a
good example to the ministers and representatives who upheld their immunities. I
asked President Putin for satellite images of the port and he responded. The
pictures arrived in a secret and closed envelope. I refused to receive it and
demanded that it be handed over to the Minister of Justice, who in turn handed
it over to the judiciary, and we cannot determine in advance what the pictures
might reveal, nor can we rely on speculation. The case is before the judiciary
and the investigation shows whether it was Israel or someone else”.
Regarding Australia's inclusion of Hezbollah on the list of terrorism, the
President of the Republic asked whether Australia had taken this step by
self-determination?! He pointed out that Hezbollah is almost besieged, and this
external siege of it may generate an internal explosion if it exceeds this
limit, and the security explosion inside - if it happens, God forbid - is a sign
of the outbreak of a civil war. We are currently bearing the bad consequences of
the siege, but this situation, despite its disadvantages, is much better than
the civil war, which is unlikely to happen because no one can enter this losing
adventure”. --Presidency Press office
President Aoun affirms to Al-Jazeera Parliamentary
elections will be held, says opposes extension of Parliament’s mandate
NNA/November 29/2021
President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun, asserted that the parliamentary
elections will take place, and that all arrangements are being made for this
election to take place. The President stressed that he is against the extension
of the Parliament, and that he will not remain in Baabda Palace after the end of
his presidential term. In addition, President Aoun emphasized that it is not
possible to have a presidential vacancy after the end of his term, because the
government is able to assume responsibility even if it is in the stage of
caretaking. Regarding the crisis with some Gulf countries, President Aoun
considered it unfair to hold the Lebanese people responsible for what one
citizen said, and that work is underway to resolve the crisis, noting that he
did not ask Minister George Kordahi to resign, and that the Minister of
Information “understood what he should do in the interest of the country”.
On the other hand, President Aoun considered that forensic audit should not be
preempted to say whether the governor of the Banque du Liban, Riad Salameh, was
corrupt or not, but the governor bears responsibility for monetary policy.
President Aoun's stances came during a television interview conducted with,
Hassan Jammoul, on the "Special Meeting" program for the Qatari "Al-Jazeera"
channel this afternoon at his residence in Doha. During the interview,
President Aoun pointed out that his visit to Doha is to participate in the
opening of the Arab Football Cup, but when it comes to Lebanon, it is about its
problems, which are many. “We thanked His Highness the Prince for his
permanent presence in Lebanon when the country needed it, especially after the
recent explosion of the Port of Beirut. Qatar was also present after the 2006
war, as well as in the development, restoration and other projects that it
contributed to in Lebanon and had white hands in this. We also talked about many
of the accumulated crises that Lebanon suffers from, and we reviewed the general
situation. We welcome all help from Qatar in this field” the President said.
The crisis with some Gulf countries:
President Aoun was asked about the upcoming visit of the Minister of Foreign
Affairs of Qatar to Lebanon, where he confirmed that the visit was discussed
between His Highness the Emir and Prime Minister Najib Mikati, and it is normal
that the topic of discussion is to review the situation and contribute to
resolving outstanding issues, and "We have good relations with Qatar”. President
Aoun answered a question about the crisis with some Gulf countries, and stressed
that the issue was also raised during the meeting between him and the Emir of
the State of Qatar. The crisis is known in its details, and matters will be
announced in due course. The President also revealed that there are proposals
for a solution, but they have not yet been presented, and “We must distinguish
whether the solution depends on Lebanon or on a person. Yet it is unfair to
blame the entire Lebanese people, fir what one person did”.
In response to a question, President Aoun clarified that he did not ask Minister
George Kordahi to resign, and “This is a matter that he bears responsibility on,
and will act on this basis, which is an understanding of what he should do in
the interest of the country. We, on our part, seek to resolve matters”.
Hezbollah's role:
When asked about Hezbollah’s role in the crisis with the Gulf states, President
Aoun replied that Hezbollah represents a third of the Lebanese people, and
“Since my election in 2016 until today, it has adhered to Resolution 1701 and
has not issued any defect in this context, nor has it made any mistake on
Lebanese territory. Hezbollah is not responsible for any security incident in
Lebanon, which means that they are committed to the Lebanese laws in Lebanon,
and they have not been exposed to any person who entered Lebanese territory,
whether a citizen of the countries that classified the party as a terrorist or
not. Therefore, security is available to every person who enters Lebanon.
Nothing was asked of the Lebanese state to do against Hezbollah, and we are
ready to discuss any demand, provided that it does not lead to the bombing of
the country or to a military confrontation or civil war”.
The President also reiterated Lebanon's desire to establish the best relations
with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Gulf states, and "We will not allow
aggression against them or their citizens. Before this tension occurred, one of
the news programs presenters was dismissed because he spoke incorrectly, so he
was dismissed because he did not correct the guest's words. Also, the former
Foreign Minister Charbel Wehbe was a guest on the "Al-Hurra" channel, and the
other guest was a Saudi journalist, who cursed me and no action was taken
against him for insults, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs was even asked to
do the necessary, and he asked to be relieved of his duties”.
Government:
With regard to the reasons for disrupting the government's meeting and ways to
solve it, President Aoun pointed to the principle of the separation of powers
(executive, legislative and judicial), and that each authority must address any
error that occurs within it. “Consequently, the Council of Ministers must meet,
but that did not happen due to an internal problem. I do not support any
position taken because the Council of Ministers has not convened, and I, as
President of the Republic, cannot be a party with one party against another, but
matters must be distinguished and strive to solve problems."
Regarding Hezbollah’s request to remove Judge Tariq Al-Bitar, President Aoun
announced his disagreement with the party’s opinion in this regard, and that a
solution to this problem must be reached, considering that what took place in
the tripartite meeting that gathered him and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and
Premier Mikati in Baabda Palace on the anniversary of independence. “It is a
private matter and should not be published publicly” President Aoun said,
promising that this issue would be resolved.
BDL Governor:
In response to a question about the fate of Arab and international funds that
had arrived in Lebanon over the years, President Aoun clarified that “The matter
is mismanagement or other reasons, and it must be determined after the forensic
audit that I imposed and, former Prime Minister Hassan Diab and the Council of
Ministers agreed about”. Regarding the audit company’s complaint that it did not
obtain the required information, President Aoun pointed out that this matter has
been addressed, and that the Banque du Liban is subject to criminal scrutiny,
and “I cannot anticipate the results of the investigation and say that the
Governor of the Banque du Liban is corrupt or not, and the investigation must
determine the responsibilities and the reasons for Lebanon’s arrival to this
huge financial crisis”.
The President also denied what was said about the inability to touch Governor
Salame because he is supported by the United States, "If the United States wants
to intervene to protect him, let the US compensate us for the lost money, as the
Governor bears responsibility for monetary policy”.
Moreover, President Aoun considered that Hezbollah's statement that the entire
judiciary is politicized and protects one another is the party's opinion, and
"I, as President of the Republic, have reservations about everything that is
said and must be scrutinized before I take a position”.
Finally, President Aoun affirmed that negotiations with the International
Monetary Fund are ongoing, despite all the internal problems, and despite the
fact that the government has not convened, the ministerial committees charged
with negotiating with the Fund are still doing their work.
Border demarcation and elections:
Regarding the issue of demarcation of the maritime borders, President Aoun
explained that the issue is still in the indirect negotiation stage with Israel,
and “Lebanon has specific borders according to a letter to the United Nations,
and the committee proposed changing the border line and negotiating it.
Negotiations prevents any party from defining its borders unilaterally. And my
signature on the new decree is linked to another event”.
In response to a question about the holding of the parliamentary elections and
what is said about the extension of the parliament mandate and the President,
confirmed that the parliamentary elections are being held and that arrangements
are being made, “It is surprising at the same time that some extended it without
my knowledge”. The President also considered that what is said about his quest
for an extension comes in the context of "judging through intentions", which is
the most dangerous thing we can witness in the media, whereby a person is given
intentions that he does not have. President Aoun explained that what he said
about not handing Lebanon over to vacancy means that in the event of a vacancy,
there is a government that takes over responsibility even if it is in the
caretaker stage, and in the absence of the government there is a parliament that
can form a government, and therefore there cannot be a vacancy because there is
who fills it. “I did not mean that I would remain in my position after the end
of my term” President Aoun assured. Asked about the extension of the parliament
mandate, President Aoun stated that he would oppose that, and that in the event
the parliament is extended, it is up to the parliament to decide whether the
president will stay in Baabda Palace or not. “I will leave when my term ends,
unless the House of Representatives has another word, and this matter is
possible, but it is not desirable or planned” President Aoun said.
As for the reasons that led to the situation in Lebanon reaching what it is
currently in, President Aoun explained that there were previous accumulations.
“I reached the position of the presidency and inherited a great legacy of debt
that exceeds 158 billion dollars. Economically, due to the war in Syria and
hostility with Israel, in addition to the displacement of more than one million
and 850 thousand displaced people from Syria, which cost Lebanon about 3 to 4
billion dollars, and the demonstrations that took place led to an increase in
economic problems due to the closure of roads and others, and then an epidemic
spread Corona, and the explosion of the port of Beirut, all of these things hit
the Lebanese economy, while debts were a heavy legacy as a result of wrong
policies and the adoption of a rentier economy instead of a productive one”
President Aoun indicated.
When asked whether he regretted his quest for the presidency, President Aoun
replied: "I am an optimistic man, and I have faced crises throughout my life,
and when I take charge, I do not run away, but I follow it to the end, and my
responsibility ends on October 31, 2022. I was also exposed with many of my
supporters to political assassination. I and the leader of the Free
Patriotic Movement, Gibran Bassil, are accused for all the problems that are
taking place, whatever their kind. And to say that I am trying to get Gibran
Bassil to the presidency is a judgment on intentions.
I do not lead the country on the basis that I am working for Bassil to reach the
presidency, even though he has the right, like others, to run for this position.
Of course, I will not be disturbed if he reaches the presidency, but I, as
President of the Republic, have not influenced any of the authorities that work
in the Lebanese Republic for this”. On the other hand, the President pointed out
that he was not the one who said that "Whoever will succeed me in the presidency
will not be the same as before me. But that this came in the context of a press
article”.—presidency press office
President meets Palestinian counterpart, discussed with him Lebanese-Palestinian
relations, Israeli aggressions
NNA/November 29/2021
President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun, received the President of the
State of Palestine, Mahmoud Abbas, in his suite at the "Sheraton" Hotel in Doha
this evening.
Lebanese-Palestinian relations were tackled, where President Abbas expressed his
high appreciation for the sacrifices made by the Lebanese people for the sake of
the Palestinian cause and the Palestinian people for 73 years.
President Abbas stressed that the Palestinians will not forget Lebanon's
positions, especially the position of President Aoun at the United Nations and
at the Arab summits, where the Palestinian cause was included his words on all
occasions.
Moreover, President Abbas explained to President Aoun the stages of the
development of the Palestinian cause and the countries' positions on it. The
meeting also addressed the situation of the Palestinians in Lebanon and the
existing coordination with the Lebanese state.
For his part, President Aoun expressed his hope that the Palestinian cause will
find its way to a solution soon after years of promises, so that a just,
comprehensive and lasting solution that preserves security and stability in the
Middle East will be achieved.
The delegation accompanying President Abbas included: Secretary of the Central
Committee of the "Fatah" movement, head of the Palestinian Football Association,
Lieutenant-General Jibril Rajoub, head of the General Authority for Civil
Affairs, Minister Hussein al-Sheikh, head of the General Intelligence Service,
Major General Majid Faraj, advisors: Mustafa Abu al-Rub and Majdi al-Khalidi,
Yasser Abbas, and the Palestinian ambassador to Qatar, Munir Ghanem.
The Lebanese side included: Minister of Energy and Water, Walid Fayyad, Lebanese
Ambassador to Qatar, Mrs. Farah Berri, Director General of Public Security Major
General Abbas Ibrahim, and advisors: former Minister, Pierre Raffoul, Rafic
Chelala and Osama Khashab.
After the meeting, President Abbas said: "I met His Excellency President Michel
Aoun and discussed with him the Lebanese and Palestinian situation. I am proud
of my relations with His Excellency the President since before his election
until this day. We talked about our common Lebanese and Palestinian concerns,
which are one. We pray that God protects Lebanon and Palestine”.—Presidency
Press Office
Mikati’s meeting with IMF follow-up committee winds up,
affirms dispute over numbers is over
NNA/November 29/2021
Prime Minister, Najib Mikati, on Monday held at the Grand Serail a meeting with
the follow-up committee tasked to hold negotiations with the International
Monetary Fund, in the presence of Deputy Prime Minister, Saadeh Al-Shami,
Minister of Finance, Youssef Khalil, and Central Bank Governor, Riad Salameh.
After the meeting, Al-Shami affirmed “clarity” in terms of numbers and
evaluations of the financial sector. “We hope to hold a second meeting later
this week to arrive at a unified and final vision to be presented during
negotiations with the International Monetary Fund,” he added.
“We had hoped to reach a preliminary agreement with the IMF towards the end of
the year, but there may be some delays depending on the circumstances. I think
we will reach an agreement as soon as possible,” Al-Shami said. In
response to a question about the dispute over the huge discrepancy in numbers,
he said: "The dispute over numbers has ended, and there is a clear agreement
between the President, the Ministry of Finance, and the Central Bank.” He added
in response to a question: "Our mission is to achieve an integrated reform
program, and what we talked about today is part of the reform program; there is
also the general budget for 2022, in addition to a clear economic plan that we
will discuss with the International Monetary Fund, and God willing, in the
coming months, we will reach a final agreement and begin to put the country on
the path of solutions.”
Lebanon beats Indonesia in FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers
NNA/November 29/2021
Lebanon's men's basketball team renewed its victory over its Indonesian
counterpart with a difference of 46 points (110-64) in the second match of the
"Second Window" within the frame of the FIBA Asia Cup international basketball
tournament qualifiers for the World Cup finals.
The match took place on Monday afternoon at Nouhad Nawfal complex in Zouk Mikael.
Berri discusses situation with PM Mikati, meets Arslan, receives Independence
congratulatory cable from Al-Ghanim
NNA/November 29/2021
House Speaker, Nabih Berri, on Monday met at the Second Presidency in Ain El-Tineh
with Prime Minister, Najib Mikati, who briefed him on the outcome of his visit
to the Vatican. Discussions also touched on the current general situation and
the most recent political developments. On emerging, Premier Mikati left Ain El-Tineh
without making any statement. On the other hand, Berri also received at his Ain
El-Tineh residence the Lebanese Democratic Party Head, MP Talal Arslan, in the
presence of former Minister, Saleh Al-Gharib, and MP Ali Hassan Khalil.
Discussions touched on an array of national affairs. On the occasion of
Lebanon’s Independence Day, Berri received a congratulatory letter from Speaker
of the Kuwaiti National Assembly, Marzouq Al-Ghanim, in which he underlined the
historical brotherly relations between the two brotherly countries and peoples
and keenness to strengthen joint cooperation ties in the various domains.
Lebanon President calls Hezbollah 'besieged', warning of
potential civil war
MEM/November 29/2021
Lebanese President, Michel Aoun, has claimed that the Iran-backed Shia militant
group, Hezbollah, is undergoing a siege-like attack, warning that it could lead
to a civil war in the country if it continues. In an interview with the Qatari
newspaper Al-Raya, during his visit to Doha over the weekend to attend the
opening ceremony of the Arab Cup FIFA 2021 and the inauguration of sports
stadiums, Aoun was asked about his opinion regarding Australia's recent
designation of Hezbollah as a terrorist organisation. "Hezbollah is almost
besieged and this foreign siege may generate an internal explosion and, if it
exceeds its limit, a security explosion," Aoun responded. He added that "If this
happens – God forbid – it's a sign of the outbreak of civil war." In recent
years, especially over the past year since the Beirut blast, sectarian divisions
and tensions have risen sharply in Lebanon. Opposition to Hezbollah and its
powerful influence over the political scene and military – as well as its
attempts to obstruct the ongoing investigation into the blast – has also grown
amongst much of the public, leading many to see it as Iran's attempt to gain
hegemony over the country. Last month, concerns over civil war being a likely
occurrence were raised after clashes broke out in Beirut during protests
surrounding the investigation and the judge leading it, Tarek Bitar, who
Hezbollah and others affiliated with it accuse of bias against the group. Seven
people were killed in those armed clashes, with dozens of others wounded.
President Aoun's defence of the Iran-backed group comes as no surprise to many,
as he is in a political alliance with Hezbollah which helped him to win the
presidency in 2016. His comments are seen as granting further legitimacy to the
group, however, with critics asserting that Lebanon is itself under a siege by
Hezbollah and its influence. Despite his warning of a potential civil war if the
"siege" on Hezbollah continues, the President afterwards seemed to contradict
his comments by saying that "This situation, despite its disadvantages, is much
better than a civil war, which is unlikely to happen because no one can pursue
this losing adventure." Last month, Hezbollah claimed that it is against any
situation leading to a new civil war, asserting that it will not be dragged into
such as path. In the interview with the paper, Aoun also insisted that he
supports the separation of powers and that he is against political interference
in the judiciary, attempting to prove it by rec
Miqati Meets Berri as He Seeks to Resume Cabinet
Sessions
Naharnet/November 29/2021
Prime Minister Najib Miqati met Monday with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and
left Ain el-Tineh without making a statement. Meanwhile Miqati’s circles said
that “he is working in every possible way to resume the Cabinet sessions.”
The sources told al-Joumhouria newspaper, in remarks published Monday, that
Miqati will not lose hope, “especially amid the international support that his
government is receiving.”They added that the government and the ministers are
working on the reforms files in order to be ready to be implemented once Cabinet
convenes.
Shiite Duo to Boycott Cabinet until 'Root Cause is
Addressed'
Naharnet/November 29/2021
Development and Liberation bloc’s MP Qassem Hashem said that the Shiite duo is
still holding the same position concerning boycotting the Cabinet sessions. “The
reasons that resulted in freezing the sessions must be resolved first,” Hashem
said in a televised interview. “We have said clearly that it is necessary to
return to the constitutional and legal principles in the Beirut port blast
investigation,” he added. Hashem stressed that the presidents and ministers must
be investigated by the Higher Council for the Trial of Presidents and Ministers,
“as the Constitution says.”He revealed that forming an accusation committee was
a main item on the agenda of one of the parliamentary sessions, but the quorum
was not reached. Hashem added that “the Free Patriotic Movement "was the first
bloc that did not attend that session."Hashem considered that the FPM is ready
to "exploit any cause to achieve populism and to secure a political quorum for
the elections.
Protesters Block Roads across Lebanon over Dire Living
Conditions
Associated Press/November 29/2021
Scores of protesters blocked major roads across Lebanon on Monday to express
anger against the country's political class for the worsening economic crisis
and harsh living conditions. The road closures with burning tires were mainly in
the capital Beirut, the northern city of Tripoli, the southern port city of
Sidon, the eastern Bekaa valley and the Zouk highway. Lebanon's economic crisis
deteriorated in recent weeks with the Lebanese pound hitting new lows of 25,800
to the U.S. dollar eradicating purchase power of most the country's residents
who get paid in pounds. The minimum monthly wage is 675,000 pounds or ($27). In
Beirut, protesters blocked several roads around Tariq al-Jedideh in addition to
roads in the city’s center, Verdun and Hamra. In a statement recited in Corniche
al-Mazraa, protesters calling themselves “October 17 Revolutionaries” warned
that Monday’s protests are only the “beginning” of popular anger aimed at
“preventing the aggravation of the crisis.”“Citizens can no longer bear the
crisis,” the protesters added, while denouncing “the regime that is imposing
itself on the Lebanese people.”“We promise you to continue the peaceful protests
until fulfilling the people’s demands,” the protesters said. MTV meanwhile
reported that new protests are planned for Wednesday.
Lebanese protest against deteriorating living conditions
Now Lebanon/November 29/2021
Protesters blocked roads throughout Lebanon as the Lebanese pound continues to
plunge amid the worsening economic crisis. Protesters blocked roads in major
cities around Lebanon on Monday as the economic crisis that has crippled the
country over the last two years worsens and the Lebanese Lira reached 25,000 to
one US dollar. The protesters blocked major roads, such as the highway in Zouk,
Palma highway in Tripoli, Elia Square in Saida and various roads throughout
Beirut like in Corniche al-Mazraa. On Friday, November 26, the lira hit an
all-time low of 25,700 for one US dollar, prompting some people to panic-buy
goods and fuel over fears that prices would increase. Following the roadblocks,
the sound of gunfire could be heard in the Beirut neighborhood of Tariq al-Jadideh.
While the Lebanese army said that it has been able to clear some roads, others
continue to remain blocked and protesters continue to call for demonstrations
over worsening living conditions. According to a UN report in September,
nearly “three-quarters of the population is living in poverty” in Lebanon. Much
of this poverty has stemmed from the devaluing of the local currency and the
hyperinflation that has crippled the country. In addition to this, Lebanon’s
foreign reserves have been significantly depleted, leading to the effective
lifting of most subsidies. The Lebanese government has said that they will roll
out ration cards for the poorest in the country as a way of making essential
goods more affordable, but the program has so far failed to find funding. The
government has also been looking at receiving a bailout from the International
Monetary Fund, but this requires them to submit figures of their financial
losses, something that the government has failed to do up until this point. With
no safety net and no tangible solutions, the economic crisis is only expected to
deepen.Follow NOW Lebanon for more updates and also follow us on Twitter,
Instagram, Facebook, or LinkedIn.ommending
that Russia's photos regarding the Beirut port explosion be given to the
judiciary investigating the event, rather than to himself. Last week, however,
three Lebanese judges resigned due to politicians' interference in the judiciary
and their attempts to influence judicial cases, such as that of the blast.
Al-Rahi: Miqati Hasn't Let Me Down and It's Up to
Judiciary to Decide on Port Probe
Naharnet/November 29/2021
Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi has announced that he is “against the
government’s resignation,” noting that its prime minister Najib Miqati has not
let him down. “I have appreciated his acceptance to head a government in these
circumstances, but unfortunately the obstructors have paralyzed the government
through illegal means,” al-Rahi added in an interview with LBCI television.
“Those paralyzing the government today are committing a crime against the
country and citizens,” the patriarch charged. As for the probe into the Beirut
port blast, al-Rahi said the matter is “an issue that is the judiciary’s
specialty,” adding that “the principle of the separation of powers must be
respected.”“Jurisdiction is something to be decided by the judiciary, not by the
government nor by parliament,” the patriarch went on to say. He also hit back at
veiled accusations made by Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, stressing
that “the church has not interfered in the Tayyouneh incidents case.”“I do not
know Judge Fadi Akiki and I have never met him, and in the Beirut port blast
case, I do not know Judge Fadi Sawwan nor Judge Tarek Bitar and I am
deliberately choosing so,” al-Rahi added, emphasizing that the church has not
stepped in to push for the release of the Tayyouneh detainees.
United States Welcomes Australia’s Intended Action
Against Hizballah
Ned Price, Department Spokesperson/US Department of state/26/November/2021
We welcome Australia’s intention to declare Hizballah in its entirety a
terrorist organization under Australia’s criminal code. Erasing the erroneous
distinction between Hizballah’s military wing and the rest of the terrorist
organization is a critical step forward.
Hizballah is a dangerous terrorist organization that threatens the safety of the
international community and undermines the sovereignty of the Lebanese state.
The organization’s robust paramilitary and terrorist capabilities, as well as
its propaganda machine and corrupt financial networks, are major obstacles to
peace and stability in Lebanon, in the Middle East and around the world. Today’s
action is an important step toward countering Hizballah’s ability to operate in
Australia and abroad.
Lebanese Protesters Block Roads to Protest Crisis
Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 29 November, 2021
Demonstrators, some of them burning tires, blocked roads across parts of Lebanon
on Monday in protest at the country's economic meltdown and the increase in
prices of consumer goods, days after the Lebanese pound sank to new lows. Roads
were blocked by burning tires in central Beirut, Tripoli in northern Lebanon and
the southern city of Sidon. Lebanon's economic crisis, which erupted in 2019,
has propelled more than three quarters of the population into poverty and the
local currency has plummeted by over 90%. The Lebanese pound sank to more than
25,000 against the dollar last week, from a peg in 2019 of 1,500. There has been
little progress since Prime Minister Najib Mikati's government was appointed in
September after more than a year of political deadlock that compounded the
crisis. Mikati's government has been in paralysis since a row over the lead
investigator into a fatal explosion at Beirut port last year flared during a
cabinet meeting on Oct. 12. The cabinet has not met since then. Subsidies have
been cut back on almost all goods including fuel and medicine, pushing up prices
as basic services such as healthcare crumble. The cabinet's main focus was on a
revival of talks with the International Monetary Fund, needed to unlock foreign
aid. But an agreement on vital financial figures, a requirement to start
negotiations, has not been reached.
Bassil Says 'No Iranian Occupation', Blasts Salameh,
Political Rivals
Naharnet/Monday, 29 November, 2021
Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil on Sunday noted that “there is no
Iranian occupation of Lebanon,” as he lashed out at political rivals and Central
Bank Governor Riad Salameh. “Today they want to convince you that there is a new
occupation that has come to Lebanon, which is the Iranian occupation, but if
there is an Iranian occupation, we as FPM will be the first to confront it, the
same as we confronted the Israeli occupation and Syrian tutelage,” Bassil said.
“Do not be afraid. There is no Iranian occupation of Lebanon, because no one can
occupy our culture, religion or faith. No one can occupy or step on this land
and these mountains,” the FPM chief added, in a speech in Kfardebian. “We want
to have friends in the world, not to be the cronies of anyone,” he stressed.
Apparently hitting out at Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea, Bassil added:
“They take political money from foreign forces to be tools for nations and
foreign intelligence agencies. They kill when they are asked to and they endorse
policies such as toppling the Orthodox (electoral) law and the President’s
powers.” Moreover, the FPM chief said that President Michel Aoun’s tenure has
“confronted the wrong financial policies and dismantled the regime.”“This is the
most important and no one else would have been able to do it,” Bassil added. “We
are being liberated from the political regime that has ruled Lebanon since the
1990s and it is disintegrating. They are falling one after another, but the
financial regime remains, led today by the governor (of the central bank)… The
lie of pegging the exchange rate has ended and they can do no magic after
today,” the FPM chief went on to say. He added that Salameh “cannot remain in
his post if we want to restore confidence in the lira.”“He is being judicially
prosecuted in seven countries in Europe… If the United States is behind him, we
want to topple him, and if the political regime is behind him, it must fall and
he should fall with it,” Bassil said. He added: “We will liberate Lebanon’s
economy and this is the objective and the battle, before, during and after the
elections. Remember well that we’re the ones who liberated Lebanon from every
occupier and tutelar, and we will liberate it from them and their
policies.”Referring to political rivals, Bassil accused them of preventing the
FPM from “providing electricity and fixing the financial policies.” “But we in
return prevented them from seizing control of the country,” Bassil boasted. He
added: “Their scheme of seizing control of the country has fallen, the
naturalization (of Palestinian refugees) has fallen and the integration of the
displaced Syrians has fallen, because Syria is rising and the Syrians will
return home.”“The scheme of allowing terrorism to enter from the mountains (of
the eastern border) has failed and we’re the ones who prevented them,” he said.
New lows, new strains
Your weekly roundup from NOW//Monday, 29 November, 2021
The Lebanese pound sank to a new low on the market on Friday. The pound was
trading at 25,000 to the dollar, or nearly 17 times less than its official peg
value of 1,500. The new record, topping a previous low of more than 24,000
earlier this week, adds to the troubles of the newly-formed Lebanese government,
which has failed to meet for more than a month amid a festering diplomatic
crisis with Gulf countries. For many reasons, the rising rate should not be
referred to as “black”. It’s the actual market rate, but influenced by factors
that are not necessarily organic to the market and it’s pushed back and forth by
financial engineering moves by various actors. In Lebanon, it is all in shades
of grey – and I am not talking about that movie. Legal and illegal are words one
uses on paper; everyone in power can turn the legal into illegal and vice versa.
There are no boundaries. The state is not necessarily captured by one entity. It
is also not an entity per se educating people into governable citizens (as most
states do). Lebanon is a negotiated political space between various interests,
families, dynasties, but also protest movements, civil society organizations,
and foreign interests (be they military, political or financial). Each strand of
society sets its own rules, develops its network and then negotiates its
political role and standing against other networks.
It’s a system older than the state of Lebanon and it will be hard to shake off.
Definitely not by the next round of elections, and not even in a decade.
Not even the French Revolution was successful in two years, and it was followed
by a bloody purge. Corrupted systems continue. In order to be defeated, they
need to be studied and their mechanisms understood. That takes time and
adaptation. The Lebanese opposition has taken a few blows lately in the
professional syndicates’ elections (an interesting system of professional orders
that basically function like the medieval guilds – you’re not part of them, you
don’t exist, which is pretty much an abusive system). The so-called
“establishment” parties scored some unexpected wins. And they scored those wins
by simply through political manipulation, doing nothing in terms of concrete
policies. They threw their support behind independent candidates or even
opposition candidates and thus deepened the divisions between the radical
opposition that wants nothing to do with the establishment, and the moderate
opposition that is willing to navigate a hybrid system, make compromises
(sometimes too many), and strike deals with existing parties in order to shake
the past gradually.
But the opposition needs people who know how to navigate the system in order to
become part of the system and change it from inside. They don’t only need people
to formulate policies and align those policies to political doctrines, but also
people who know how to negotiate politically, who know both worlds. They need
representatives that can talk to people from both worlds and reach out to groups
of voters that are also part of that patron-client system and are afraid that
without it, they will not survive. Reaching out to them does not only require
making oneself known, but also convincing them that it is beneficial to break
that patron—client contract. It takes time, and more than a website and policies
on paper. It requires actual change, proof that things can work without
patronage, that their sons and daughters can get a decent job without wasta,
that their family business can survive without the backing of the local
mid-level za’im who reports to the higher zu’ama.
On the edge
Plunging pound: With the currency losing more than 90 percent of its value in
two years on the black market, the purchasing power of Lebanese is plummeting,
and the minimum monthly wage of 675,000 pounds is now worth just $27.
Higher fuel prices: The energy ministry on Friday also raised the prices of
petrol, diesel fuel, and cooking gas, according to the state-run National News
Agency. Fuel prices in Lebanon are adjusted regularly to reflect fluctuations in
the exchange rate. Filling a vehicle’s fuel tank now costs more than the minimum
monthly wage, AFP reported. Into despair: Lebanese protesters blocked roads once
again on Monday to protest against the deteriorating living conditions in the
country. According to the United Nations, four in five Lebanese are now
considered poor. The World Bank estimates it may take Lebanon nearly two decades
to recover its pre-crisis per capita GDP. Uncertain future: UNICEF called on
Lebanon on Tuesday to take urgent action to protect children after it documented
a spike in child labor rates and food insecurity since April. “The future of an
entire generation of children is at stake,” it said in its latest report titled
“Surviving without the basics”.
Deadlock
Rejected: Lebanese courts on Thursday rejected lawsuits that had blocked the
probe into last year’s Beirut port explosion, clearing the way for investigative
judge Tarek Bitar to resume his work. The probe into the crime had been
suspended for three weeks following several lawsuits filed by officials against
judge Tarek Bitar, demanding his removal. No errors: The Court of Cassation on
Thursday threw out two lawsuits submitted by ex-premier Hassan Diab and
ex-interior minister Nohad Machnouk accusing Bitar of summoning them illegally,
a judicial source told AFP. It ruled there was no evidence suggesting Bitar had
committed any errors, the source said. The same court also overturned two
similar lawsuits filed by lawmakers Ali Hasan Khalil and Ghazi Zeaiter, the
court official said on condition of anonymity. Also on Thursday, the Criminal
Court of Cassation rejected a lawsuit filed by ex-public works minister Youssef
Fenianos that had demanded Bitar’s removal from the blast probe.
All five officials had been summoned by the investigator on suspicion of
negligence that led to the tragedy. Resignations: Also, three judges, all of
them women, tendered their resignation to protest against relentless political
interference in the judiciary. The Higher Judicial Council rejected the
resignations.
Still blocked: There were “no positive indications” that the governmental crisis
would be any closer to a breakthrough, some political sources told al-Joumhouria
newspaper on Saturday. “Everything that has been said in this regard is nothing
more than hypotheses that are not based on serious foundations,” the sources
added. Hezbollah not compromising: Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah repeated in
his speech last Friday that the port blast probe was politicized and the justice
system was “selective”.
Drugs and bans
Surprise spaghetti: The Syrian army said on Thursday that it has seized half a
ton of Captagon concealed in a spaghetti shipment as it was being smuggled out
of the country. It was the latest in a string of similar drug busts in Syria,
AFP reported. Last month, Syrian authorities confiscated 180,000 Captagon pills
hidden inside a box containing Arabic sweets in Damascus and, in a different
bust, seized four million pills inside a vehicle on the Damascus-Homs highway.
In July last year, Italy seized a record 14-tonne haul of the drug — or 84
million pills — that had arrived from Syria. These busts should definitely be
seen as linked to the smuggling activities through Lebanon that have led to the
recent breakup with Saudi Arabia and several Gulf countries. Aoun in Qatar:
Lebanese President Michel Aoun arrived on Monday morning in Doha to talk about
the Saudi ban and ask for help in negotiating with Riyadh. Australia: Australia
on Wednesday listed all of Hezbollah as a “terrorist organisation”, extending a
ban on armed factions to the entire movement, which wields considerable power
over Lebanon.
Hezbollah did not like this: the party of God denounced Australia’s decision,
accusing Canberra of bowing to US and Israeli demands.
The new wave
Omicron: The new Coronavirus variant, now known as Omicron, has cast doubt on
global efforts to fight the pandemic because of fears that it is a highly
infectious strain. Scientists are racing to determine the threat posed by the
heavily mutated strain — particularly whether it can evade existing vaccines.
Several countries have also announced plans to restrict travel from southern
Africa, where it was first detected, including Qatar, the United States,
Britain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the Netherlands. No direct flights: Health
Minister Firass Abiad has reassured that “Lebanon has no direct flights from
South Africa or neighboring countries.” “Furthermore, very few passengers arrive
from these destinations. All passengers arriving in Lebanon currently undergo
PCR testing,” Abiad added, in an English-language tweet.
In other news
No advertising: Lebanon’s government on Thursday ordered travel agents to stop
promoting Belarus as a destination in a bid to stem the flow of migrants
attempting to enter the European Union. Tourism in Syria: Visitor numbers to
Syria are growing again after a collapse caused by a decade of war, the tourism
minister said Wednesday, adding he hoped for a return of European tour operators
next year. “We are expecting 2022 to be better than previous years,” Tourism
Minister Mohammed Martini told a press conference in Damascus, announcing a
10-year plan to revive the sector. A report by Deutsche Welle looked more
in-depth at EU travel agencies restarting tours. The number of arrivals to Syria
so far this year stands at 488,000, in what he said was already an annual
increase, although he did not provide last year’s figures.
Lebanon+:
Ici Beyrouth, a new publication in French, launched last Monday and promises
in-depth and reliable coverage. Former L’Orient Le Jour journalists Michel Touma
and Michel Hajji Georgiou are the founders. Podcasts: Ronnie Chatah had our
coworker Dana Hourany as a guest on The Beirut Banyan on Sunday evening. They
spoke about the opposition rising in Beirut, political opportunities, and many
other things. You’d think they would have talked about these things many times,
but with the pandemic and our offices being destroyed in the blast, they
actually had few chances to meet outside social media. Mouin Jaber and Medea
Azouri, spoke on Sarde after Dinner to Kamal Mouzawak, founder of Souk el Tayeb,
Lebanon’s first farmer’s market. Journalist Jad Ghosn spoke to Mona Harb,
Professor of Urban Studies and Politics at the American University of Beirut.
Follow Mona on Twitter.
Agenda:
President Michel Aoun is in Doha on Monday to discuss relations with the Gulf
after the recent fallout over Hezbollah’s increasingly assertive role in the
Lebanese state. On Wednesday, December 1, the Finance and Budget Committee is
set to convene and discuss a proposal to establish exceptional and temporary
controls on bank transfers. Till next week, keep safe. Follow NOW Lebanon on
Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
Lifting medicine subsidies threatens Lebanon with more
chaos
Makram Rabah/Al Arabiya/November 29/2021
Many Lebanese traveling from far-off lands back home have subsisted their
customary gifts to family and loved ones with bags full of medication instead.
Baby milk formula and simple pain killers widely available in pharmacies around
the world are now on the diaspora’s shopping lists.
A range of essential items are either out of stock or can only be purchased at
exuberant prices on the black market.
This medical crisis was further exasperated last week after the Lebanese
Ministry of Health announced its decision to lift or in some cases, reduce the
subsidies placed on medicines.
The move will have a dire effect on availability of amongst other drugs, chronic
disease medication. It will place these products outside the reach of over 70
percent of the population.
The medicine calamity is not something to be taken lightly, nor will it simply
peter out similar to other challenges the Lebanese people have faced over the
years.
For all the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the
app.
In reality the abysmal situation of the healthcare system along with government
policy covering the sector is nothing but a reflection of the decay of the
Lebanese political system. Over the decades its malaise has allowed the ruling
establishment and its network of pharmaceutical companies and lobbyists to drain
state resources and expose Lebanon’s health security to risk.
The Ministry of Health’s decision to lift subsides took a long time, coming
after the central bank warned that its fast depleting foreign currency reserves
were no longer sufficient to pay for essential medical products.
That the Lebanese cabinet under Najib Mikati has failed to make any significant
strides in its ongoing talks with the International Monterey Fund, a much needed
step is needed if the country is to receive the $10bn in loans it has requested.
For decades many of Lebanon’s politicians and their circle of cronies have
allowed international pharmaceutical brands to dictate the price of medicine
while blocking access to cheaper generic drugs. This exploitative policy has
been a drain on Lebanon’s healthcare funding for decades.
The health ministry’s commission that prices medication - with many officials in
place for decades – accept the hefty prices that are imposed on them by these
multinational pharma companies or their local agents.
A prudent policy that balances the healthcare needs of the people running in
parallel to affordable budgets adopted by the government has never happened.
It is essential that this happens as soon as possible.
Coincidently, Lebanon has a flourishing pharmaceutical manufacturing sector but
it has never become the main supplier of drugs to the Lebanese market. It only
acts to offer auxiliary products deliberately because by importing ingredients
and selling abroad it generates foreign currency. The monies gathered are then
invested outside of the country.
Equally some pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities receive subsidies and tax
exemptions, but their holding companies prefer to export products to Africa and
other parts of the world rather than supply the local market. When existing drug
supplies in Lebanon are limited and expensive, these national policies are both
unethical and dangerous.
Put simply, successive Lebanese governments have failed to introduce one single
sustainable policy where subsidies offered to provide basic healthcare and
access to medication for all citizens.
Noticeably, in the recent past most medication for chronic diseases was
subsidized by international donors such as Young Men Christian Association-
Lebanon (YMCA). But the process of obtaining these drugs was highly centralized
and broad access for people wasn’t possible.
Given that essential reforms are not in the horizon the vast majority of
Lebanese people are left with few options when trying to obtain regular
medication when required.
On this front the Lebanese diaspora have been active in their attempts to raise
funds to purchase and ship meds and other lifesaving and essential healthcare
products to loved ones struggling in their homeland.
At many check-in desks at airports around the world for flights to Lebanon, you
will see lots of people carrying extra bags with essential meds.
Rather than trying to look for easy ways out of their ballooning predicaments,
the Lebanese at large need to stop taking political placebos to avoid
confronting their rivals properly. They need to ultimately tackle the real
disease of corruption and abduction of the state by unscrupulous politicians and
their cronies.
Taking the streets is good!
Jean-Marie Kassab/November 29/2021
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/104479/%d8%ac%d8%a7%d9%86-%d9%85%d8%a7%d8%b1%d9%8a-%d9%83%d8%b3%d8%a7%d8%a8%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%86%d8%b2%d9%88%d9%84-%d8%a5%d9%84%d9%89-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%b4%d9%88%d8%a7%d8%b1%d8%b9-%d8%a3%d9%85%d8%b1-%d8%ac%d9%8a/
Leaving the streets without any achievement done is bad, very bad.
All that was done so far was demands and demands and more demands. Iran and its
proxies will never answer any demand. Why would they? They are the occupiers.
Occupiers never answer demands. Occupiers cause problems, they don’t solve them.
Claiming things, asking for them, shouting demands, never works in an occupied
country. Demands are listened to in sovereign countries where the people is
listened to. Governments in normal countries can fall if demonstrations are
done. Our situation is different: Lebanon is under occupation.
I have had many demands in my life and never got any of them. The only things I
got were the ones I took by force and bold perseverance.
The people of Lebanon should do the same. Take the streets and stay there until
the current State falls. Not the government, I am referring to the state of
Lebanon, from top to bottom. The State of Lebanon is a puppet of the Iranian.
Burn ministries, public buildings, bring down the state. Not a problem, it is
already rotten. It does not matter; the people will rebuild. Otherwise we will
run round and round in endless circles until everything collapses. Elections if
they ever happen will not change a thing.
This is not the time for politics, this is the time for struggle. Stand up and
fight This is the time for commitment before all is lost.
Long live the Resistance.
Jean-Marie Kassab
Task Force Lebanon.
شارل الياس شرتوني: لبنان، تفكك العالم العربي، الإنحراف
والحرب الباردة الجديدة
Lebanon, Disintegrating Arab World, Delinquency and the New Cold War
Charles Elias Chartouni/November 29/2021
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/104481/charles-elias-chartouni/
The deadly political stalemate which prevails in Lebanon, the metastasizing
festering abscesses throughout the erstwhile Arab geopolitics, the vagrant waves
of desperate migration mounted and manipulated by organized criminal and
terrorist networks have found the congenial environment generated by the New
Cold War. Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Lybia, Yemen…, have all become, each in its own
right, epitomes of failed States and political wastelands instrumentalized by
competing regional and international power politics, and have a hard time
rebuilding their endogenous political dynamics, and extracting themselves from
the sway of colliding power politics and the abysmal voids of imploding
geopolitics. There are no chances to reconstruct state matrices and a new
geopolitical order in a region that lost its political and moral gravity, and
lives in an environment of rampant nihilism enframed by rival Islamic legal and
political codifications, and dog eat dog power politics.
This state of dreadful void has no chances evolving its political and normative
antidotes, unless these social protracted conflicts are extracted from their
damning destructive cycles through international mediations and comprehensive
political settlements monitored by the United Nations. The mimetic effects of
this state of diffuse normlessness, are the enduring features of a disheveled
regional political order devoid of the necessary intellectual and political
resources to rebuild future equilibriums, if ever. The cascading implosions of
this region testify to its structural deficits at every level, and inability to
get its act together to overcome self defeating ideological fallacies,
devastating authoritarianism and a well entrenched predicament of anomie and
prostration. The blighted political condition offers no perspective, of
whichever nature, to the programmed cycles of open-ended crises and conflicts,
since the true reformist blueprints and actors are missing, the double gaming
made possible by the resurgent Cold War, and the systemic cognitive dissonance
and socio-political and economic unraveling, have created the proper conditions
for self sustaining and long hauled dynamics of self destruction, blame
externalization and the pathos of victimization, belligerent self pity and
nihilistic drifts.
The centennial political order which succeeded the demise of the Ottoman Empire
has come to end and its chaotic epilogue accounts for the intractable dilemmas
of nowadays. The failure of the Territorial State, the rejuvenation of the
yearnings for an imperial Islamic order modulated around the Caliphate, the
vicarious Imamate and their renderings, and the nihilistic parsing of political
Islam, in both Sunnite and Shiite versions, are quite disparaging and offer no
alternative to the downfall of the Arab inter-State system and its deleterious
impact on European and Western security and the World order. This wholesale
unraveling is unlikely to be dealt with unless the internationalization of the
nested configuration takes place and makes possible effective political
arbitrations, bargaining political processes, geopolitical stabilization,
cumulative institutional building and governance reforms.
The Latest English LCCC
Miscellaneous Reports And News published on
November 29-30/2021
More Omicron Cases Pop Up as World Rushes to Learn
More
Associated Press/November 29/2021
Cases of the omicron variant of the coronavirus popped up in countries on
opposite sides of the world Sunday and many governments rushed to close their
borders even as scientists cautioned that it's not clear if the new variant is
more alarming than other versions of the virus.
The variant was identified days ago by researchers in South Africa, and much is
still not known about it, including whether it is more contagious, more likely
to cause serious illness or more able to evade the protection of vaccines. But
many countries rushed to act, reflecting anxiety about anything that could
prolong the pandemic that has killed more than 5 million people.
Israel decided to bar entry to foreigners, and Morocco said it would suspend all
incoming flights for two weeks starting Monday — among the most drastic of a
growing raft of travel curbs being imposed by nations around the world as they
scrambled to slow the variant's spread. Scientists in several places — from Hong
Kong to Europe to North America — have confirmed its presence. The Netherlands
reported 13 omicron cases on Sunday, and both Canada and Australia each found
two.
Noting that the variant has already been detected in many countries and that
closing borders often has limited effect, the World Health Organization called
for frontiers to remain open. Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National
Institutes of Health in the United States, meanwhile, emphasized that there is
no data yet that suggests the new variant causes more serious illness than
previous COVID-19 variants. "I do think it's more contagious when you look at
how rapidly it spread through multiple districts in South Africa. It has the
earmarks therefore of being particularly likely to spread from one person to
another. … What we don't know is whether it can compete with delta," Collins
said on CNN's "State of the Union."
Collins echoed several experts in saying the news should make everyone redouble
their efforts to use the tools the world already has, including vaccinations,
booster shots and measures such as mask-wearing.
"I know, America, you're really tired about hearing those things, but the virus
is not tired of us," Collins said. The Dutch public health authority confirmed
that 13 people who arrived from South Africa on Friday have so far tested
positive for omicron. They were among 61 people who tested positive for the
virus after arriving on the last two flights to Amsterdam's Schiphol airport
before a flight ban was implemented. They were immediately put into isolation,
most at a nearby hotel. Canada's health minister says the country's first two
cases of omicron were found in Ontario after two individuals who had recently
traveled from Nigeria tested positive. Authorities in Australia said two
travelers who arrived in Sydney from Africa became the first in the country to
test positive for the new variant. Arrivals from nine African countries are now
required to quarantine in a hotel upon arrival. Two German states reported a
total of three cases in returning travelers over the weekend. Israel moved to
ban entry by foreigners and mandate quarantine for all Israelis arriving from
abroad. And Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Monday that Japan is
considering stepping up border controls. Kishida told reporters that he planned
to announce new measures in addition to the current 10-day quarantine
requirement for travelers from South Africa and eight other nearby countries.
Japan still has its border closed to foreign tourists from any country.
Morocco's Foreign Ministry tweeted Sunday that all incoming air travel to the
North African country would be suspended to "preserve the achievements realized
by Morocco in the fight against the pandemic, and to protect the health of
citizens." Morocco has been at the forefront of vaccinations in Africa, and kept
its borders closed for months in 2020 because of the pandemic.
The U.S. plans to ban travel from South Africa and seven other southern African
countries starting Monday. "It's going to give us a period of time to enhance
our preparedness," the United States' top infectious diseases expert, Dr.
Anthony Fauci, said of the ban on ABC's "This Week."
Many countries are introducing such bans, though they go against the advice of
the WHO, which has warned against any overreaction before the variant is
thoroughly studied.
Fauci says it will take approximately two more weeks to have more definitive
information on the transmissibility, severity and other characteristics of
omicron, according to a statement from the White House.
South Africa's government responded angrily to the travel bans, which it said
are "akin to punishing South Africa for its advanced genomic sequencing and the
ability to detect new variants quicker."
The WHO sent out a statement saying it "stands with African nations" and noting
that travel restrictions may play "a role in slightly reducing the spread of
COVID-19 but place a heavy burden on lives and livelihoods." It said if
restrictions are put in place, they should be scientifically based and not
intrusive.
In Europe, much of which already has been struggling recently with a sharp
increase in cases, officials were on guard.
The U.K. on Saturday tightened rules on mask-wearing and on testing of
international arrivals after finding two omicron cases, but British Health
Secretary Sajid Javid said the government was nowhere near reinstituting work
from home or more severe social-distancing measures.
"We know now those types of measures do carry a very heavy price, both
economically, socially, in terms of non-COVID health outcomes such as impact on
mental health," he told Sky News.
Spain announced it won't admit unvaccinated British visitors starting Dec. 1.
Italy was going through lists of airline passengers who arrived in the past two
weeks. France is continuing to push vaccinations and booster shots.
David Hui, a respiratory medicine expert and government adviser on the pandemic
in Hong Kong, agreed with that strategy. He said the two people who tested
positive for the omicron variant had received the Pfizer vaccine and exhibited
very mild symptoms, such as a sore throat.
"Vaccines should work but there would be some reduction in effectiveness," he
said.
Scepticism prevails as Iran nuclear talks resume under
Raisi’s shadow
The Arab Weekly/November 29/2021
Five months after they were suspended, international talks on Iran’s nuclear
programme will restart on Monday in Vienna with analysts foreseeing major
obstacles to any speedy resumption of the 2015 nuclear deal. The talks paused in
June on a positive note, with diplomats saying they were “close” to an
agreement, but the arrival of ultraconservative Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi
in office has changed the outlook. Iran ignored appeals from Western countries
to restart the talks for several months, all the while strengthening the
capabilities of its nuclear programme.
While the talks are now finally restarting, the mood music is downbeat. The US
Special Envoy for Iran Rob Malley has said that Tehran’s attitude “doesn’t augur
well for the talks.”“If they start getting too close, too close for comfort,
then of course we will not be prepared to sit idly,” Malley told the US National
Public Radio earlier this week.
‘No progress’
The 2015 deal, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA),
offered a lifting of some of the array of economic sanctions Iran had been under
in return for strict curbs on its nuclear programme. But the deal began falling
apart in 2018 when then US president Donald Trump pulled out and began
reinstating sanctions on Iran. The following year, Iran retaliated by starting
to exceed the limits on its nuclear activity laid down in the deal. In recent
months, it has started enriching uranium to unprecedented levels and has also
restricted the activities of inspectors from the International Atomic Energy
Agency (IAEA), the UN watchdog charged with monitoring Iran’s nuclear
facilities. IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi visited Tehran last week in the
hope of addressing several bones of contention between the agency and Iran.
However, he said on his return that “no progress” had been made on the issues he
raised. In order not to jeopardise the JCPOA talks, Western diplomats decided
not to press for a resolution critical of Iran at last week’s meeting of the
IAEA’s Board of Governors. However, the US has said it could convene a special
meeting of the board in December if the impasse continues.
“Iran’s unwillingness to reach a relatively straightforward compromise with the
IAEA reflects poorly on the outlook for the nuclear talks,” according to Henry
Rome, Iran specialist at the Eurasia Group. “Iran may calculate that its
unconstrained nuclear advances… will put more pressure on the West to give
ground in talks quickly,” Rome said in a note, but added that this would instead
“likely have the opposite effect”.“The situation regarding Iran’s nuclear
advances is increasingly precarious,” Kelsey Davenport, an expert with the Arms
Control Association, told journalists in a briefing last week.
UK, Israel join hands
“While the Trump administration manufactured this crisis, Iran’s actions are
really prolonging it,” Davenport said. “Iran is acting like the United States is
going to blink first but… pressure is a double-edged sword” which could kill any
prospect of the 2015 deal being restored, she added. One particular area of
concern for the IAEA is a centrifuge components manufacturing unit in Karaj,
near Tehran. The IAEA has not had access to the site since its cameras there
were damaged by an “act of sabotage” in June. Iran has accused arch-foe Israel
of carrying out an attack on the site. “If there are gaps in the IAEA’s
monitoring, it will drive the speculation that Iran has engaged in illicit
activity, that it has a covert programme, whether there’s evidence to that or
not,” Davenport pointed out, which could in turn “undermine the prospects for
sustaining the deal”. The talks will take place in the Palais Coburg hotel where
the 2015 agreement was clinched. Along with Iran, diplomats from the UK, China,
Germany, Russia and France will attend. The US will take part in the talks
indirectly. Top Israel diplomat Yair Lapid was meanwhile scheduled to meet
Monday with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Foreign Secretary Liz Truss
in London, and with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Tuesday.
Britain and Israel will “work night and day” in preventing Iran from becoming a
nuclear power, the foreign ministers of the two countries wrote in a joint
article. “The clock is ticking, which heightens the need for close cooperation
with our partners and friends to thwart Tehran’s ambitions,” the UK’s Liz Truss
and her Israeli counterpart Yair Lapid wrote in the Telegraph newspaper on
Sunday. Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said earlier in the day that his
country was “very worried” that world powers will remove sanctions on Iran in
exchange for insufficient caps on its nuclear programme, as negotiators convene
in Vienna on Monday in a last-ditch effort to salvage a nuclear deal. Russia’s
ambassador to the UN in Vienna Mikhail Ulyanov noted on Saturday that the talks
had been subjected to “a very protracted pause”. “There is the obvious need to
speed up the process,” Ulyanov said. The US has already warned it will turn to
“other efforts… to address Iran’s nuclear ambitions” if the talks fail but
analysts say there are no obvious options available outside the negotiations.
Iranian official calls for Israel's destruction
Arutz Sheva Staff , November 29/2021
Spokesperson for Iran’s armed forces: We will not back off from the annihilation
of Israel, even one millimeter. Brigadier General Abolfazl Shekarchi, a
top-level spokesperson for Iran’s armed forces, called for the destruction of
Israel days before the resumption of nuclear talks between Iran and world
powers. “We will not back off from the annihilation of Israel, even one
millimeter,” Shekarchi was quoted by i24NEWS as having told the ISNA news
agency. “We want to destroy Zionism in the world,” he added. Shekarchi also
denounced the diplomatic ties established with Israel by Bahrain and the United
Arab Emirates, dubbing the moves “intolerable” Iranian officials regularly
threaten Israel. The most recent threat came from the commander of the Iranian
Revolutionary Guard's aerospace forces, Amir Ali Hajizadeh, who said that Israel
was "doomed to disappear" and that any action by Israel against the Islamic
Republic would hasten that disappearance. Previously, Iran’s Foreign Minister,
Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, spoke at the United Nations Durban IV conference,
where he said his nation’s "willpower is dedicated" to the elimination of
Zionism. In September, Iranian Defense Minister Mohammad Reza Ashtiani warned
Israel that "any unwise and stupid measure will trigger a crushing response from
Iran that would inflict heavy costs on the aggressor." Shekarchi’s comments come
as nuclear talks between Iran and world powers are set to resume in Vienna on
Monday. Iran has gradually scaled back its compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal
it signed with world powers in response to former US President Donald Trump’s
withdrawal from the agreement in May of 2018.Iran has repeatedly demanded that
the US lift sanctions imposed on Iran as part of the nuclear talks and also
reassure Iran it will not abandon the deal again.
Bennett's message to the world: A murderous regime like Iran should not be
rewarded
Arutz Sheva Staff , November 29/2021
Bennett delivers message ahead of nuclear talks with Iran in Vienna. 'Do not
give in to Iran's nuclear blackmail.' On the backdrop of the talks in Vienna
that begin today, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has issued the following
message: Today, Iran will be arriving at negotiations in Vienna with a clear
goal: To end sanctions in exchange for almost nothing. Iran won't just keep its
nuclear program; from today, they'll be getting paid for it. Iran doesn’t hide
its intentions. Just a couple of days ago, the senior command of Iran’s Armed
Forces declared, and I quote, "We will not back off from the annihilation of
Israel, not even one millimeter." Just this week, the Iranian regime shot its
own people on the streets of Isfahan for having dared to protest the lack of
water in their country. Yes, they shot their own citizens just for being
thirsty. Such a murderous regime should not be rewarded. Despite Iran’s
violations and undermining of the nuclear inspections, Iran will be arriving at
the negotiation table in Vienna, and there are those who think they deserve to
have their sanctions removed and hundreds of billions of dollars poured right
into their rotten regime. They're wrong. Iran deserves no rewards, no bargain
deals and no sanctions relief in return for their brutality. I call upon our
allies around the world: Do not give in to Iran's nuclear blackmail.
Foreign Min. Lapid: Iran coming to talks only to get sanctions lifted
Arutz Sheva Staff , November 29/2021
'Iranians will play for time, earn billions, and covertly advance their nuclear
program,' Foreign Minister Yair Lapid warns.
Israeli Foreign Minister of Foreign Affairs Yair Lapid (Yesh Atid) on Monday met
the United Kingdom's Foreign Secretary, Elizabeth Truss, at the Foreign,
Commonwealth, & Development Office in London. At the start of his remarks, Lapid
said, "I know that we are committed to the same goal – Iran will never be
allowed to get a nuclear weapon." "The Iranians are coming to these talks for
only one reason - to get sanctions lifted," Lapid stressed. "They will play for
time, earn billions from the removal of sanctions, continue to deceive the
world, and covertly advance their nuclear program. This is what they have done
in the past, and it is what they will do this time as well." "The world must
prevent this, and it can prevent this. Tighter sanctions. Tighter supervision.
Conduct any talks from a position of strength.' He added: "Foreign Secretary
Truss and I signed today a memorandum of understanding on strategic cooperation
between our countries. This is not only an agreement between close friends, but
between two technological superpowers. This MoU will lead to a free trade
agreement between the United Kingdom and Israel. It will strengthen economic,
security, technological and cultural ties between us. "This agreement is not
just a win-win, but a must-must," he concluded.
Nuclear Talks Resume as West Asks Whether Iran Is Serious or Stalling
Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 29 November, 2021
World powers and Iran will gather in Vienna on Monday to try to salvage their
2015 nuclear deal, but with Tehran sticking to its tough stance and Western
powers increasingly frustrated, hopes of a breakthrough appear slim. Diplomats
say time is running low to resurrect the pact, which then-US President Donald
Trump abandoned in 2018, angering Iran and dismaying the other powers involved -
Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia. Six rounds of indirect talks were
held between April and June. The new round begins after a hiatus triggered by
the election of a new Iranian president, Ebrahim Raisi, a hardline cleric.
Tehran's new negotiating team has set out demands that US and European diplomats
consider unrealistic, Western diplomats say. They include insisting that all US
and European Union sanctions imposed since 2017, including those unrelated to
Iran's nuclear program, be dropped.
In parallel, Tehran's conflicts with the UN atomic watchdog, which monitors the
nuclear program, have festered. Iran has pressed ahead with its uranium
enrichment program and the IAEA says its inspectors have been treated roughly
and refused access to reinstall monitoring cameras at a site it deems essential
to reviving the deal. "If Iran thinks it can use this time to build more
leverage and then come back and say they want something better, it simply won't
work. We and our partners won't go for it," US envoy Robert Malley told BBC
Sounds on Saturday. He warned that Washington would be ready to ramp up pressure
on Tehran if talks collapse. Iranian officials have insisted in the run-up to
Monday that their focus is purely the lifting of sanctions rather than nuclear
issues. Highlighting that, its 40-strong delegation mostly includes economic
officials. "To ensure any forthcoming agreement is ironclad, the West needs to
pay a price for having failed to uphold its part of the bargain. As in any
business, a deal is a deal, and breaking it has consequences," Iran's top
nuclear negotiator, Ali Bagheri Kani said in defiant column in the Financial
Times on Sunday. "The principle of 'mutual compliance' cannot form a proper base
for negotiations since it was the US government which unilaterally left the
deal." Diplomats have said Washington has suggested negotiating an open-ended
interim accord with Tehran as long as a permanent deal is not achieved.
Failure to strike a deal could also prompt reaction from Israel which has said
military options would be on the table. "The talks can't last forever. There is
the obvious need to speed up the process,' Moscow's envoy Mikhail Ulyanov said
on Twitter.
Can World Powers Curb Iran in New Nuclear Talks?
Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 29 November, 2021
Can the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers be restored? As Iran and
six global powers gather in Vienna Monday to discuss the tattered treaty, the
answer appears to be no. Since then-President Donald Trump withdrew from the
agreement in 2018, Iran has raced forward with its nuclear program, making it
all but impossible to simply turn back the clock. The election of a hard-line
leader in Iran, coupled with a US administration seen as weak in the region,
have further dampened prospects for a breakthrough. The outlook appears so grim
that prominent voices in Israel, which pushed Trump to withdraw from the deal,
are now saying the move was a huge mistake. Former Israeli Defense Minister
Moshe Yaalon, who fiercely opposed the original deal, was one of the rare
Israeli voices to argue against withdrawal at the time. He now says the US
pullout has turned out to be the “main mistake” in the region of the past
decade. A flawed deal, he told a security conference last week, “probably was
better than not having the agreement and to allow the Iranians to use the
withdrawal as an excuse to go ahead with the project.”“Now they are in the
closest stage they have been ever to become a (nuclear) threshold state,” he
said. The Associated Press takes a closer look at the deal and what to expect
this week:
Why did the original deal collapse?
The 2015 agreement between Iran and world powers -- spearheaded by President
Barack Obama -- aimed to prevent Iran from being able to build a nuclear bomb.
It offered Iran relief from crippling economic sanctions in exchange for curbs
of 10 to 15 years on its nuclear activities. Iran says its nuclear program is
solely for peaceful purposes. Critics, led by then-Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu, assailed the deal because the restrictions on Iran were
temporary. They also complained it did not address Iran’s non-nuclear military
activity -- such as its support for hostile militant groups and development of
long-range missiles. When Trump withdrew, with strong urging from Netanyahu, he
promised a campaign of “maximum pressure” on Iran. However, the approach appears
to have backfired. Despite increased U.S. sanctions, Iran’s government remains
firmly in power, and the country has raced forward with nuclear research banned
by the original deal.
Can’t the deal just be reinstated?
Iran began exceeding the limits of the agreement after the US withdrawal, and
now enriches small amounts of uranium up to 60% purity — a short step from
weapons-grade levels of 90%. Iran also spins advanced centrifuges once barred by
the accord and its uranium stockpile now far exceeds the accord’s limits.
Experts say that even if Iran were forced to give up its uranium stockpile or
halt its research, the expertise it has gained cannot be taken away.
What are the prospects for this week’s talks?
In the short term, it does not look encouraging. Heading into the talks, Iran’s
hard-line president, Ebrahim Raisi, has made maximalist demands, including calls
for the US to unfreeze $10 billion in assets as an initial goodwill gesture. The
tough line might be an opening gambit. European negotiators remain confident a
deal will be reached in the short to medium term. But US officials do not appear
optimistic. President Joe Biden and his top advisers have held a series of
meetings in recent weeks with key allies and negotiating partners to prepare for
the possible failure of talks. Because of Trump's withdrawal, the Americans
won't even be in the negotiating room. Instead, they will be nearby and work
through mediators. In an interview broadcast Friday, chief US negotiator Rob
Malley said signs from Iran “are not particularly encouraging.”Speaking to NPR,
he said the US prefers a diplomatic solution. But if that is impossible, he said
the US will respond accordingly. “The options that are at America’s disposal
are, you know, they’re familiar to all,” he said. Given the tepid US response to
alleged Iranian military activity in the region, including attacks on civilian
shipping in the Gulf and a strike on a US base in Syria, US military action does
not seem to be a serious threat. The United States’ bungled pullout from
Afghanistan has further eroded American credibility in the region. “I’m very
pessimistic,” said Yoel Guzansky, a former official in the Israeli prime
minister’s office who is now a senior fellow at the Institute for National
Security Studies in Tel Aviv. “Iran shows patience, resilience, determination.
I’m sorry to say the Americans don’t show that, and we don’t have a lot of
time.”
What can Israel do?
Israel is not a party to the talks, but it has a huge stake in the outcome.
It considers Iran to be its No. 1 enemy and views a nuclear-armed Iran as an
existential threat. Israel is believed to be the only nuclear-armed state in the
region, though it does not publicly acknowledge its own arsenal.
Netanyahu's successor, Naftali Bennett, has been careful not to clash with Biden
in public. But his positions are similar to Netanyahu’s. He has expressed hope
an improved deal would emerge from the talks but reiterated Israel’s
longstanding threat to take unilateral action if necessary.
“We will maintain our freedom to act,” he said last week. On Sunday, he said
Israel is “very disturbed” by what he sees as a willingness by the global powers
to lift sanctions and reinstate “insufficient restrictions in the nuclear
sphere.” He said Israel has been passing this message to all concerned parties.
Despite such threats, Israel might hesitate. Iran has spent the past decade
scattering its nuclear sites and hiding them deep underground. Plus, Israel
might be reluctant to sabotage a global diplomatic effort.
Is Iran overplaying its hand?
China and Russia, two important Iranian outlets for trade and parties to the
deal, could grow impatient with Tehran, especially if a now-shaky system of
international nuclear inspections falls apart. Economic pressure continues to
squeeze Iranians, who have seen their savings evaporate with the free-fall of
the country’s currency.If talks drag on, the US might turn to new sanctions or
even military action. There’s also the risk of a military intervention by
Israel. “We’ll see in the coming days what exactly” Iran's approach will be,
State Department spokesman Ned Price said last week. “But we’ve also been very
clear that this is not a process that can go on indefinitely."
Arrest Warrant against Pro-Iran Cleric Stokes Tensions in
Iraq
Baghdad - Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 29 November, 2021
A court in the Iraqi city of Najaf has issued an arrest warrant on terrorism
charges against a cleric who is close to Iran. The suspect is Hamid al-Husseini,
who is head of the Iraqi Radio and Television Union, which is funded by Iran.
Another arrest warrant on the same charges was issued against Ammar Ibrahim
Talal al-Bouamer. Observers have ruled out the possibility that the warrants may
be linked to the assassination attempt against Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi
earlier this month. Tensions have been high in Iraq in wake of the failed
attempt on the PM's life. Pro-Iran factions, which were the major losers in the
October parliamentary elections, are widely believed to be behind the attack.
They have held protests in Baghdad to express their rejection of the vote, which
they have dismissed as a "sham". The elections commission has completed the
recount of votes in ballot stations whose results have been appealed. Ten days
remain to complete the process, but as it stands, the recount will not alter the
outcome of the elections, which saw Sadrist movement leader cleric Moqtada al-Sadr
emerge as victor. The official results of the elections will be revealed once
the Federal Supreme Court approves them. In the meantime, the losing factions
will be bracing themselves for a new round of confrontation with the government,
Kadhimi and the Independent High Electoral Commission, which they accuse of
being beholden to internal and foreign powers.
Appeals against Dbeibah, Saif al-Islam's Candidacies
Dominate Libya Elections
Cairo - Khaled Mahmoud/Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 29 November, 2021
Libya's High National Election Commission extended to Wednesday the deadline for
people to receive their voter card for the upcoming presidential and
parliamentary elections. It justified the extension by citing the high turnout
to receive their cards. It also acknowledged some of the difficulties some
people have faced in showing up in person to receive them. Over 2 million people
have received their cards. Meanwhile, appeals have been submitted against the
candidacy of head of the Government of National Unity (GNU), Abdulhamid Dbeibah.
Son of late ruler Moammar al-Gaddafi, Saif al-Islam al-Gaddafi, has also
appealed his disqualification from the race. Activists have cited Dbeibah's dual
nationality as sufficient reason to dismiss his candidacy. Meanwhile, the UN
mission to Libya expressed alarm on Friday about an incident at a court where
Saif al-Islam's lawyer said armed men stopped him from lodging an appeal against
his client's disqualification.
The UN Support Mission in Libya said it was alarmed by the reported attack at
the appeal court in Sebha on Thursday, strongly condemned any form of
electoral-related violence, and reiterated that the electoral process must be
protected. The US Embassy in Libya said it shared the UN mission's concerns over
violence related to the Dec. 24 election, which is part of a peace process meant
to end a decade of turmoil but has stirred fears of renewed conflict.
The elections commission disqualified Saif al-Islam and 24 others on Wednesday.
Gaddafi's lawyer, Khaled al-Zaidi, said in a video that armed men had raided the
court in the southern city of Sebha, one of only three registration centers, and
stopped him entering to lodge his client's appeal. The Justice Ministry in
Tripoli said an armed group had forced everyone to leave the court building. No
faction claimed responsibility for the attack. In a statement on its Twitter
feed, the US Embassy said: "Attacks against judicial or election facilities or
judicial or elections personnel are not only criminal acts, punishable under
Libyan law, but also undermine Libyans’ right to participate in the political
process." Saif al-Islam's candidacy was rejected on the basis of a 2015
conviction in absentia by a Tripoli court for war crimes committed during the
fighting that ousted his father in 2011.
The court in Sebha was able to review the appeal on Sunday. Meanwhile, head of
the Presidential Council, Mohamed al-Menfi stressed that he was "working hard"
to ensure that the elections are a success by providing all guarantees that
ensure that they are "transparent and free and reflect the will of the Libyan
people". Menfi met with Jan Kubis, outgoing United Nations envoy, on Sunday. He
quoted the diplomat as saying that the UN supports the presidential and
parliamentary elections and the international community is hoping that they will
be held and allow the Libyans to restore stability and peace.
Families of Munich Attack Victims Demand 110Mln Euros in Compensation from Libya
Tel Aviv - Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 29 November, 2021
Families of the 11 Israeli athletes who were killed in a Palestinian attack at
the Munich Olympics 49 years ago demand that the United Nations provide them
with 110 million euros ($124.5 million) in compensation. Supported by the
Israeli government, the families asked the UN to grant them compensation from
slain Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi’s funds, which were confiscated by the
organization after his death in 2011, according to a report by German newspaper
Suddeutsche Zeitung. They claim Gaddafi contributed to financing the Palestine
Liberation Organization (PLO), which carried out the attack on the Israeli
athletes, and therefore they are entitled to receive compensation from Libya.
Israel’s ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan assisted in presenting the UN with
documents that prove Gaddafi's involvement. Erdan also provided the Bar
Association representing the families of the dead Israeli athletes with a report
stating that some of the gunmen entered Germany with forged Libyan passports,
granting them access to the Olympics ground to carry out the attack. “Gaddafi
awarded then-Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat $5 million as a gift for the
attack,” it read, adding that the gunmen were trained on Libyan soil. On Sept.
5, 1972, during the 20th Olympic Games, eight gunmen from the PLO splinter group
“Black September” raided the Israeli team’s quarters in the Olympic village in
Munich, Germany. They killed an Israeli weightlifter and a wrestling coach
almost immediately, took nine others hostage and demanded the release of 236
prisoners held in Israel. Later at Fuerstenfeldbruck military airfield near
Munich, from where the gunmen were hoping to leave Germany, police opened fire
and a gunfight erupted. All nine hostages were killed in two helicopters that
had ferried them there from the Olympic site, and five of the gunmen and a
policeman also died. Three remaining gunmen, who were captured alive, were freed
when Palestinian hijackers took a Lufthansa airliner in Oct. 1972. They were
flown to Libya where they received a hero’s welcome. Israel responded by sending
agents to kill the men it considered were the masterminds of the attack, in an
alleged covert operation that lasted a number of years.
Burhan reshuffles key Sudan security positions to head
off ripple effects from violent clashes
The Arab Weekly/November 29/2021
The chairman of the Sudanese Sovereignty Council, Lieutenant-General
Abdel-Fattah Al-Burhan, has hastened to pre-empt any new moves by Prime Minister
Abdullah Hamdok, announcing Sunday, the dismissal of high-ranking security
officials, including at least eight General Intelligence officers and the head
of military intelligence. Analysts see Burhan’s move as an reaction to Hamdok’s
decision last week to remove the police chief and an attempt to head off a
snowballing purge which the military could not stop. The struggle between Burhan
and Hamdok returned to the fore despite their recent signing of a political
agreement, which temporarily stopped the rising tensions. Hamdok is trying to
improve his image with the Forces of Freedom and Change and the Revolutionary
Committees both of which are leery of the agreement he signed with the army
chief, and are holding the security bodies responsible for the casualties
incurred by anti-coup protesters. Burhan aims by his removal of the security
officials to prevent accusations, as well as the results of any probe into the
dismissed police chief’s actions, from reaching him personally in his capacity
of commander-in-chief of the army and overseer of most security services.
General Burhan dismissed a number of senior officers of the Sudanese General
Intelligence Service, relieving its director, Lieutenant-General Jamal Abdul
Majeed and his deputy and appointing Lieutenant-General Ahmed Ibrahim Mufaddal
in his place.
Among those dismissed were major generals, who had led important departments in
the intelligence service and four brigadier generals, who managed key
portfolios. The change of the commander of the intelligence service signalled a
possibly different future tack in tackling a number of domestic security
challenges, some of which having to do with external interferences and the fight
against terrorism. The General Intelligence is expected to play an important
role addressing economic security and the social fallouts of the country’s
financial difficulties. Observers described Burhan’s firings as “bowing to the
forthcoming storm” after restructuring the security services became a priority
for Hamdok “to prove he is not under the thumb of the military.”
Security expert, Lieutenant-General Ahmed Al-Tohamy, said that the prime
minister wants to demonstrate he is in control of political decision-making
while he strives to restore the confidence of his original support base, which
turned against him after his signing of the political agreement with Burhan and
demonised the police forces and their leadership. Burhan’s move came one day
after Hamdok fired Lieutenant-General Khaled Mahdi Ibrahim al-Imam as police
director general and his deputy Lieutenant-General Al-Sadiq Ali Ibrahim Ali. He
replaced them with Lieutenant-General Anan Hamid Muhammad Omar as
director-general with Major General Muddathir Abdul Rahman Nasr Al-Din Abdullah
as his deputy as well as police inspector general.
Sources said the possible involvement of the security services in violence
against the demonstrators prompted the removal of these figures by Burhan, in
the hope of assuaging the street and political forces, both clamouring for an
international investigation into the killings of demonstrators.
Police are not seen to have dealt professionally with past protests, even
claiming that only one protester was killed. That claim led to more protests and
sparked calls for charges to be brought against leaders accused of being
involved in the killing of demonstrators.
The dismissal of high-ranking security figures has not convinced many political
factions and large segments of the public, who are still insisting on holding
senior officials accountable for the killing of protesters, including Burhan
himself.
The dismissal of some leaders also aims to send signals at home and abroad that
there is a desire to put some order into the Sudanese security and political
scene and that moves are likely in both the courts and the executive branch as a
new government is formed.
Political analyst Magdi Abdel Aziz said that police command reshuffles aimed to
pre-empt the results of any investigation into the killing of demonstrators and
divert pressure away from Burhan himself. Analysts point out that Burhan has
often dismissed senior officials since the overthrow of Omar al-Bashir’s regime
in order to suggest that he is determined to introduce reforms in the security
system. However, many civilian activists remain convinced that hundreds and
perhaps thousands of security elements affiliated with the former regime are
still active in the army and police institutions and they bear the
responsibility for the many casualties among demonstrations. There is still an
agreement between the military and civil components to reform the security and
military institutions during the transitional period, a provision that is
included in the constitutional document.
The Latest The Latest LCCC English
analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published
on November 29-30/2021
For Palestinians, Terrorism or Peace? Abbas Wants
It Both Ways
Khaled Abu Toameh/Gatestone Institute/November 29/2021
If Abbas is really interested in returning to the negotiating table with Israel,
he needs to decide whether he is on the side of his peace partners in Israel or
his political enemies in Hamas.
Abbas needs to decide whether he belongs to the pro-peace camp in Israel and the
Arab world, or the enemies of peace, including Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad
and their patrons in Iran.
For now, it seems that Abbas wants it both ways.
Abbas, in other words, is telling Westerners that he supports peace with Israel
while reaching out to the Iranian-backed terrorist group that openly states its
intention to eliminate Israel and wage jihad (holy war) on Jews.
Instead of welcoming the UK's decision to ban Hamas, Abbas was one of the first
Palestinians to condemn the move. By condemning the decision, Abbas is sending a
message to the international community that he actually does support terror and
Hamas.
Yet, in the world of the Palestinian Authority, it seems that combating a
radical terrorist group is a bad thing.
If Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is really interested in
returning to the negotiating table with Israel, he needs to decide whether he is
on the side of his peace partners in Israel or his political enemies in Hamas.
Pictured: Abbas (right) meets with Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal on November 24,
2011 in Cairo, Egypt.
Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas said this month that he is
interested in resuming peace talks with Israel. Abbas made his statement on the
eve of a meeting he held on November 23 with Russian President Vladimir Putin in
the Black Sea resort city of Sochi.
Abbas specified that he wants the peace talks with Israel to resume under the
auspices of Russia and the three other members of the International Quartet:
European Union, United Nations, and the United States.
If Abbas is really interested in returning to the negotiating table with Israel,
he needs to decide whether he is on the side of his peace partners in Israel or
his political enemies in Hamas. Abbas needs to decide whether he belongs to the
pro-peace camp in Israel and the Arab world, or the enemies of peace, including
Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and their patrons in Iran.
For now, it seems that Abbas wants it both ways. On the one hand, he is
presenting himself as a moderate and pragmatic leader who is seeking to revive
the peace process with Israel. Abbas has been sending this message not only to
the Russians, but also to representatives of the US administration and the EU
with whom he has been meeting on a regular basis in recent months.
On the other hand, Abbas is also telling Palestinians that he has a great deal
of sympathy for Hamas and is even prepared to include it in a future Palestinian
unity government.
This is the same Hamas that does not recognize Israel's right to exist and
opposes any form of normalization or peace agreements with the "Zionist entity."
Abbas, in other words, is telling Westerners that he supports peace with Israel
while reaching out to the Iranian-backed terrorist group that openly states its
intention to eliminate Israel and wage jihad (holy war) on Jews.
Hamas is a threat not only to Israel, but to Abbas and his PA regime, as well.
Abbas and Hamas have been at each other's throats since 2007, when Hamas seized
control of the Gaza Strip through a bloody coup, and threw some of Abbas's men
off the rooftops of multistory buildings.
This month, Abbas again proved that he is trying to have it both ways regarding
the peace process with Israel and Hamas, after UK Home Secretary Priti Patel
delivered to parliament "an order to outlaw the militant Islamist terrorist
movement Hamas in its entirety from the UK." Common sense dictates that Abbas
should have welcomed the move against his rivals in Hamas, a group that
denounces him as a traitor, has plotted a coup, and does not hide its desire to
see him toppled from his throne of power.
The UK decision to outlaw Hamas is undoubtedly good news for Abbas, who for the
past decade has been making huge efforts to undermine Hamas and end its rule
over the two million Palestinians of the Gaza Strip.
"Hamas has significant terrorist capability, including access to extensive and
sophisticated weaponry, as well as terrorist training facilities," Patel said in
a statement on November 19. "That is why today I have acted to proscribe Hamas
in its entirety."
Instead of welcoming the UK's decision to ban Hamas, Abbas was one of the first
Palestinians to condemn the move. By condemning the decision, Abbas is sending a
message to the international community that he actually does support terror and
Hamas.
A statement issued by Abbas's foreign ministry in Ramallah condemned the British
government's decision to label Hamas a terrorist organization. The statement
said that the Palestinians consider the British move "an unjustified attack on
the Palestinian people."
The most laughable part of the Palestinian ministry's statement is the one
arguing that the British decision "places obstacles in the way of achieving
peace." How can a decision to outlaw a terrorist group that has sworn never to
have peace with Israel be seen as an "obstacle" to peace?
Yet, in the world of the Palestinian Authority, it seems that banning a radical
terrorist group is a bad thing.
"The [Palestinian] ministry calls on the British government to stop the policy
of double standards and immediately retract this decision," the statement went
on to say.
The dirty game of double standards, however, is one that, over the past decades,
Abbas and the PA leadership has perfected.
The measures that Abbas and the PA have taken to fight Hamas are far more
serious than the British government's decision to outlaw the terrorist group.
In 2007, Abbas issued a "presidential decree" that effectively banned Hamas and
its armed militias. The move came shortly after Abbas dismissed the Hamas-led
Palestinian unity government.
Since 2018, Abbas has imposed a series of economic and financial sanctions on
the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip as part of an effort to encourage Palestinians there
to revolt against the terrorist group, Hamas.
Because of the sanctions, which have so far failed to remove Hamas from power,
tens of thousands of Palestinians have lost their jobs or sole source of income.
The sanctions in the Gaza Strip, needless to say, have only aggravated the
economic and humanitarian crisis.
In addition, Abbas has suspended the salaries of Hamas members of the
Palestinian Legislative Council, fired Hamas-affiliated employees from
PA-controlled governing bodies and arrested thousands of supporters of the group
in the West Bank.
On the same day that Abbas's ministry denounced the British decision, his
security forces arrested Hussein Ziyad, a Bethlehem school teacher, on charges
of expressing support for Hamas.
Ziyad's father was quoted as saying that the official reason for the arrest was
that his son had "offended the Palestinian flag" by telling his students that he
prefers the Hamas flag.
On the same day that Abbas's ministry condemned the British decision against
Hamas, the Palestinian security forces assaulted Hamas supporters in Ramallah
for carrying Hamas flags in public.
According to Palestinian media reports, the Palestinian security forces fired
tear gas canisters at the Hamas supporters and confiscated the Hamas flags they
were carrying.
In a similar incident this month, the Palestinian security forces attacked Hamas
supporters in the town of Bala'a in the northern West Bank, arrested several
people, and confiscated Hamas flags.
Abbas is well aware that were it not for Israel's presence in the West Bank,
Hamas would have booted him from power long ago. As Abbas was denouncing the
British move, Israel announced that it has arrested dozens of Hamas terrorists
in the West Bank who were suspected of planning terror attacks against Israelis.
It is such Israeli security measures that keep Abbas and the Palestinian
leadership in the West Bank safe and protected against Hamas terrorism.
Yet, instead of thanking Israel for cracking down on Hamas, Abbas continues to
denounce Israel in horrific terms. Instead of expressing gratitude to the
British government for outlawing Hamas, Abbas chooses to condemn the British
decision and defend Hamas.
It is time for Abbas and other Palestinian leaders for once to tell the truth
about which side they are on: the side of those who are combating terrorism and
whom they treat as their enemies, or the side of those who wish to topple them
to form yet another fundamentalist dictatorship and wipe Israel off the map.
*Khaled Abu Toameh is an award-winning journalist based in Jerusalem.
© 2021 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.
Re Confidence in 'Ruler'
Lawrence Kadish/Gatestone Institute/November 29/2021
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.
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.
© 2021 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.
UK and France play politics with migrants’ lives
Jonathan Gornall/The Arab Weekly/November 29/2021
Just over a year ago, on the fifth anniversary of the drowning of three-year-old
Syrian refugee Alan Kurdi, I speculated in print that maybe, just maybe, his
horrific death might not have been utterly in vain.
Perhaps, I pondered naively, his dreadful end, conveyed so powerfully by the
shocking images of his small body lying face-down at the water’s edge on a beach
in Bodrum, Turkey, might save others from the same fate.
Unfortunately, I reckoned without the self-serving determination of politicians
and governments to cling on to power by pandering to the very worst in human
nature.
Last week, death among refugees on a scale previously seen only in the
Mediterranean finally came to the English Channel, the narrow but nevertheless
formidable final barrier to migrants hoping to reach the promised land that many
perceive Britain to be. Twenty-seven people attempting to cross from France to
the UK drowned off the French coast when their flimsy rubber boat failed. Among
the victims were seven women, one of whom was pregnant, and three children. This
brings to almost 350 the number of asylum-seekers, including 36 children, who
have drowned in the Channel over the past 20 years.
What is most striking about this latest tragedy is how the reactions of the two
governments that might have prevented it, have focused not on cooperating to
stop it happening again, but on blaming each other in the pursuit of domestic
political agendas.
This year the French government has failed to prevent 25,000 people from risking
their lives by crossing the Channel in small boats, either by stopping them
putting to sea or by breaking up the cynical gangs of people-smugglers operating
with near impunity in France. Last week photographs emerged of French police
officers standing by and watching as a large inflatable was launched on a beach
near Calais. On board were more than a dozen adults and six children, aged from
about three to seven. For the French and for the wider European Union, there is
little to be gained by easing Britain’s post-Brexit troubles, especially those
troubles related so directly to the Brexiteers’ xenophobic, referendum-winning
pledge to “take back control of our borders.”The EU cannot afford for other
European countries to start thinking that Britain has done well out of Brexit.
After the deaths last week, French President Emmanuel Macron pledged that
“France will not let the Channel become a cemetery,” overlooking the fact that
it already had. Then, after Macron had called for an emergency meeting of
governments, including the British, France played to its electorate’s mounting
exasperation with Britain by disinviting British Home Secretary Priti Patel.
The French had taken offence to an extraordinarily undiplomatic public rebuke
posted on social media by Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Johnson is not exactly known for his mastery of diplomacy. But that alone does
not explain why he thought it a good idea to go public with his demands that
France should establish joint patrols with British personnel and agree to take
back any migrants who made it across the Channel.
This was not diplomacy. This was a very public waving of the isolationist flag
by a government battered almost daily by allegations of sleaze and incompetence
and desperate to prove to an increasingly disillusioned electorate that Brexit
had some kind of real-world purpose.
Meanwhile, Patel has been under increasing pressure from right-wing Conservative
MPs to “get tough” on illegal immigrants, an objective she has embraced
enthusiastically.
Opening safe routes to the UK for migrants would, of course, kill the business
model of the people-smugglers overnight, but that would upset too many
Conservative voters and their MPs.
Most astonishingly, at one point Patel proposed a piece of legislation that
would have made it an offence, punishable by up to 14 years in prison, to assist
anyone attempting to cross illegally to the UK by boat. Unsurprisingly, the
Royal National Lifeboat Institute, whose hugely respected volunteer boat crews
have come to the aid of thousands of refugees in various degrees of difficulty
in the Channel, was appalled by the knee-jerk reaction. Meanwhile, as Europe’s
“adults” squabble and manoeuvre for political advantage, children drown and, as
they do, there has been little focus on the causes of Britain’s migration
problem. Probably the greatest and yet least acknowledged of the “pull factors”
attracting migrants to the UK is the English language, which was imposed on much
of the world during the centuries of Britain’s great imperialist adventure. When
desperate people look to migration as the only possible solution to impossible
circumstances, naturally those for whom English is a second language are drawn
to Britain. As for the circumstances that trigger migration, economic or
otherwise, let us not forget that many of the crises now creating such
desperation in the Middle East and beyond owe their origins to past British
colonial meddling. Now, as the rising tide of migration laps at Britain’s south
coast, it is no exaggeration to suggest that it had it coming. The very least it
should do is own its imperialist past and act apolitically to save the lives of
those thrown upon its shores by the currents of British history.
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