English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For September 17/2022
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news

The Bulletin's Link on the lccc Site
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/aaaanewsfor2021/english.september17.22.htm

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Bible Quotations For today
With the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day
Second Letter of Peter 03/01-09/:”This is now, beloved, the second letter I am writing to you; in them I am trying to arouse your sincere intention by reminding you that you should remember the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets, and the commandment of the Lord and Saviour spoken through your apostles. First of all you must understand this, that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and indulging their own lusts and saying, ‘Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since our ancestors died, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation!’ They deliberately ignore this fact, that by the word of God heavens existed long ago and an earth was formed out of water and by means of water, through which the world of that time was deluged with water and perished. But by the same word the present heavens and earth have been reserved for fire, being kept until the day of judgement and destruction of the godless. But do not ignore this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day. The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance.”

Question: “What does it mean that the heavens declare the glory of God?”
GotQuestions.org?/September 16, 2022
Answer: Psalm 19:1 states, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims His handiwork.” This is one of the clearest biblical statements that nature itself is meant to show the greatness of God. These words are in the present tense. That is, the heavens “are declaring,” and the sky “is proclaiming” the creative work of God. It’s a continual display. What we see in nature is meant to constantly show us that God exists and tell us how amazing a Creator He truly is.
One of the strongest arguments in favor of the existence of God is the teleological argument, or the “argument from design.” This approach claims that observations of design in nature are best explained by a deliberate, intelligent act of creation rather than by randomness or luck. The conveyance of information is a key aspect of this. Information is always seen as the product of intelligence. Some patterns are complex but random. Others may be well-defined but carry no information. But whenever we see a specific, complex arrangement that displays information, we recognize that it was the work of a mind, not mere chance.
Psalm 19:1 connects this idea to Scripture. The more we learn about the universe, the more clearly we can see the work of God. A perfect example of this is modern “Big Bang” cosmology. Prior to this theory, scientists and atheists assumed that the universe was eternal. The combination of Einstein’s theories and advances in physics made it clear that, in fact, the universe did have a “beginning.” At first, this idea was rejected by scientists as being theology, not science. Over time, however, it became impossible to deny. The fact that the universe “began” is something we can see purely by observing the heavens and the sky—just as Psalm 19:1 says. Romans 1 also ties into this idea. God has revealed enough of Himself in nature that nobody has an excuse for rejecting Him or for doing what is wrong. “Since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities . . . have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made” (Romans 1:20). The heavens declare the glory of God. Because “the heavens declare the glory of God,” we can be confident in using science to explore. The more we know about the world around us, the more glory we give to God. The more we discover, the more evidence we have that He is the One responsible for nature and its laws. A person needs the Bible and personal faith in Christ in order to have a proper relationship with God. However, a person needs only to look honestly at the world around him in order to realize that God exists.

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on September 16-17/2022
Martyr Bachir Gemayal: The Grain of Wheat & the Yeast/Elias Bejjani/September 14/2022
Lebanese banks declare three-day closure over security concerns/Najia Houssari/Arab News/September 16/2022
At least 5 banks stormed across Lebanon, ABL declares 3-day strike
Lebanese activists promise more bank raids
Mawlawi says some 'sides' inciting depositors to storm banks
Geagea: Bank storming operations and chaos are 'their Lebanon'
Budget session adjourned over lack of quorum as public wage hike approved
Israel preparing to connect to gas field disputed by Lebanon
Report: FPM again says won't let Mikati rule with caretaker govt.
Nasrallah meets with top Huthi negotiator
Memorial service held in Beirut for Queen Elizabeth II
Bloc of Arab parties splits ahead of Israeli elections

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on September 16-17/2022
Pope studying Bahrain visit, looking at February for Africa
Five Syrian soldiers killed in Israeli airstrike on Damascus: state media
Prince Andrew seen in military uniform for first time as Queen's children hold vigil at lying in state
Russia will do everything it can to end Ukraine war 'as soon as possible', Vladimir Putin says
Iran’s supreme leader undergoes surgery after falling ‘gravely ill’: Report
Fury in Iran as young woman dies following morality police arrest
Iran woman's death after morals police arrest sparks protests
Armenia says 135 troops killed in recent clashes with Azerbaijan
UAE foreign minister meets with Israel’s Netanyahu, other politicians
Kyrgyz, Tajik leaders order forces to 'withdraw' after clashes

Titles For The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on September 16-17/2022
New Iranian Warship Signals Longer Maritime Reach, More Aggressive Strategy/Farzin Nadimi/The Washington Institute/September 16/2022
Increased Israeli air activity over Syria: Why now?/Jonathan Spyer/Jerusalem Post/September 16/2022
Is Islam the True Obstacle to Peace in the Middle East?/Ryan Jones/Times Israel/September 16, 2022
Europe's Energy Crisis/Pete Hoekstra/Gatestone Institute./September 16, 2022
Nuclear power makes a comeback in Europe/Zaid M. Belbagi/Arab News/September 16/2022

The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on September 16-17/2022
Martyr Bachir Gemayal: The Grain of Wheat & the Yeast
Elias Bejjani/September 14/2022
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/45774/elias-bejjani-martyr-bachir-gemayal-the-grain-of-wheat-the-yeast/
John 12/24: “Most certainly I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains by itself alone. But if it dies, it bears much fruit.”
On September 14, 1982, on the same day that Lebanon was celebrating the Day of the Holy Cross, its President-elect, Sheik Bachir Gemayel, passed away into the hands of the Almighty God after carrying the cross of the country to heaven. He was not even 34 years old, but what he achieved for the freedom and dignity of Lebanon places him among the great men who left a stamp of glory on the history of Lebanon.
Bachir, the hero, dreamt of a sovereign, free and independent Lebanon, and his dream became the objective of all free-minded Lebanese men and women. And even as the hands of evil and hatred took him away through a cowardly assassination plot (14/09/82), his dream lives on in the fiber of our people and their conscience for as long as the Cedars of Lebanon tower over the country from their peaks.
Today we remember Bachir in our prayers. We also remember his fallen comrades who gave so much for our beloved country, and we learn from their sacrifice many a lesson. On this sad day, our hopes are renewed, our determination is re-energized, and our commitment to the cause is re-confirmed.
Bachir’s bright star was high in the skies of Lebanon and with it the hopes of the Lebanese people. But the joy was killed and the hopes dashed when his star fell from the skies, a martyr to his noble ambitions aiming at building a strong Lebanon, confirmed in its sovereignty and independence.
Bachir believed that “the one Lebanon is the Lebanon of the 10,452 km2, that the Lebanese must win back completely so that it belongs to its sons and daughters in all their communities, creeds, and beliefs”. But even as he departed, what he believed in remains in the hearts and minds of all the Lebanese people.
Bachir was raised on the cross of Lebanon on the day we remember the Cross. He was killed in a political act at the intersection of the interests of nations, individuals, and terrorist groups that feared for their own egotistical interests should a unified, free and sovereign Lebanon rise from its ashes. Bachir established the framework and then was unjustly taken from us too soon.
Those same regimes of evil, Syria and Iran, and groups and factions like the terrorists, Hezbollah, continue today to hold the Lebanese people and their country hostage to their greed, hatred, and savage schemes. They have mastered the art of subservience and bowing at the doorstep of the forces of occupation. They are shepherds of doom who have reneged on every pledge they made and abandoned their flock.
They are factions whose job is to drive wedges between the free people of the Land of the Cedars, assassinating their aspirations and hopes in deed, thought, decision and execution. They assassinate Lebanon every morning and every hour of their waking day, killing its sovereignty, its free decision-making, its democracy and culture.
Bachir’s venomous assassination still lingers to this day in all its ugliness, its corruption and its neglect. It still lingers in its displacement and emigration, Dhimmitude, apostasy, with economic, social, financial, political, security and patriotic decline.
It still lingers with the rule of personal over national interests. It still lingers with the dismemberment of the political parties; the politicization of the judiciary; the truncation of sovereignty with the imposition of foreign interference, and the abandonment of human, religious and ethical values.
Bachir’s dream is here to stay and will never disappear, because it is the dream of a people who want a dignified life, a dream that calls upon unity, sovereignty and peace.
We are today together to remember the martyrdom of Bachir and his 22 comrades, lifting our eyes and hearts in the midst of danger and trouble to the redeemer of suffering humanity, Jesus-Christ, who said “And if I were to rise above the earth, I shall take with me everyone” (John12/32). We ask Him for light, faith, strength, and hope to continue our march forward and lift ourselves, our homeland, and our people to victory, to peace, to righteousness, to freedom and to all that is good in this world. For Bachir is alive in our beings and in our minds.
Sheik Bachir, Lebanon’s elected president who was assassinated before assuming his presidential responsibilities was and still is the patriotic blessed yeast that was brewed and produced solid foundations of freedom, sovereignty and independence, as well as perseverance and hope in all Lebanese minds and hearts. Terrorists and powers of evil could not destroy the dream that Bachir left for us. Even the gates of hell shall not be able to shake our deeply-rooted faith in peace, love and democracy. Bachir is the grain of wheat and the yeast. Bachir’s dream is alive and glowing. As expressed in Galatians 5/9: “A little yeast grows through the whole lump”.
Bachir the Dream shall never die

Lebanese banks declare three-day closure over security concerns
Najia Houssari/Arab News/September 16/2022
BEIRUT: Depositors wanting to recover withheld savings carried out hold-ups in at least five different banks across Lebanon on Friday. The banks have been denying people access to their money for three years, with the government yet to establish a legal framework for the recovery of deposits, pushing depositors to retrieve their funds by force. In Friday’s incidents, security forces negotiated with depositors, some of whom voluntarily headed to police stations to surrender after making sure their money safely reached relatives. They followed events on Wednesday, when Sali Hafiz stormed her local bank with a toy gun and managed to recover part of her savings to help pay for her sister’s cancer treatment. The security forces issued an arrest warrant against her, but she remains at large. Hassan Moghnieh, the head of the Lebanon’s Depositors Association, told Arab News: “It is an uprising of depositors who can no longer endure more than three years of having their savings withheld. Five banks were stormed on Friday, and there is news about more banks being stormed in Nabatiyeh in the south, Batroun, and Halba in the north.”
STORMING OF THE BANKS
Banks reportedly held up by depositors
• Byblos Bank in Ghazieh
• BLOM Bank at Beirut’s Tarik El-Jadida
• Bank Audi in Chiyah
• Banque Libano-Française branches at Kafaat and Hamra
• Lebanon & Gulf Bank at Ramlet El-Baida
• BLOM Bank in Concorde
• Fransabank in Beirut
• BankMed in Chehim in Mount Lebanon
Friday’s incidents prompted the bank association to hold an emergency meeting and decide to close banks for three days starting Monday. Depositor Mohammed Reda Korkmaz and his son Ibrahim stormed the Byblos Bank branch in Ghazieh. The father held employees hostage, poured gasoline, and threatened to set the branch on fire if he did not get his money back. Panic ensued at the bank for some time, and Korkomaz managed to retrieve $19,200 from his account and handed it over to someone who was waiting for him outside the bank.
It turned out that Korkmaz worked as a taxi driver, and he used a plastic pistol and a gasoline bottle to threaten employees. Later, he and his son surrendered, smiling to the security forces at the scene.
Abdel Rahman Sobra stormed the BLOM Bank branch in Tariq Al-Jdideh, one of the most popular and crowded neighborhoods in Beirut. He claimed to have a gun in his pocket but did not use it to threaten employees. He demanded to recover his withheld deposits, estimated at $165,000. Sobra said he was a businessman and is unable to pay his dues and cover his employees’ salaries.
A woman in her 80s later joined Sobra, asking to be allowed to withdraw her money as she needs to pay her medical bills. Video footage from inside the bank showed that security forces entered to negotiate with Sobra but did not arrest him.
An armed depositor broke into the Bank of Lebanon and Gulf in Ramlet Al-Bayda, in the south of Beirut, carrying a hunting rifle. The depositor, identified as Jawad Sleem, is unemployed, according to his brother, who was waiting for him outside the bank. Sleem used to work in real estate but became unemployed after the economic collapse in the country. He demanded $35,000 from his deposit of $50,000 and held five hostages inside the bank. Armed with a gun, a depositor from Al-Moussawi family stormed the Libano-Française bank in Mrayjeh in one of Beirut’s southern suburbs, and forcibly took his entire deposit of $20,000. A depositor who is a serving lieutenant in the Internal Security Forces broke into Bankmed in Chehime in Iklim El-Kharoub. It was said that he fired into the air. Activist lawyer Haytham Azzo, known for defending civilians protesting in the streets and depositors breaking into banks, told Arab News that these depositors do not have criminal intentions, and only want their rightful property. “This is the result of the state not addressing the frozen dollar deposits crisis as the economic crisis worsens. The state is turning normal civilians into criminals when they are not as such,” Azzo said.
Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi called for an immediate meeting of the Central Security Council. “The law will be strictly enforced, however, I will not accept a confrontation between people and the security forces; There will be no gunfire or harsh treatment,” he said. Mawlawi addressed depositors: “You cannot reclaim your rights in such a way as it harms the banking system and leads to the rest of the depositors losing their rights.”
The bank association said its decision to suspend work came “after the repeated attacks on banks, especially the physical assaults on bank employees and their dignity.” It also came “after taking into account the risks that the customers are facing inside the branches subjected to storming operations.”
The association stressed that “it wants to protect the interests of depositors” and that “violence was not and will not be a solution.” Economic expert Jassem Ajaka told Arab News that storming banks is a “very dangerous indicator that the government has given up on its role, to the extent that people themselves are now reclaiming their rights.”He said: “This is a warning for the government to approve the draft of the Capital Control Law, restructure banks and acknowledge public debt.”President of the Lebanese Depositors Association Hassan Moghnieh said: “An increase in bank break-ins was expected,” adding “closing down banks will not address the crisis, since the break-ins will restart on the first day of banks reopening their doors.”
He warned of “massive social chaos” and denied that “any party was responsible for depositors’ uprising.”

At least 5 banks stormed across Lebanon, ABL declares 3-day strike
Agence France Presse/Associated Press
At least five banks were stormed by depositors on Friday, prompting the Association of Banks in Lebanon (ABL) to declare a three-day strike and caretaker Interior Minister Bassam al-Mawlawi to call for an emergency meeting of the Central Internal Security Council.
The incidents started in the morning, when a depositor carrying a gun and a jerrican of fuel withdrew his frozen savings at gunpoint from Byblos Bank in Ghazieh. The depositor, reported to be in his 50s, stormed the premises with his adult son. He threatened bank employees with a gun, which a TV channel said may have been a toy, and demanded his savings. "He emptied a jerrican of fuel on the floor," a bank security guard told an AFP reporter. The man walked away with around $19,000 and turned himself in to the police moments later as a crowd formed in front of the bank to support him. Later in the day, a depositor stormed BLOM Bank's Tariq al-Jedideh branch. The man was identified as Abed Soubra, an indebted businessman who has around $300,000 in his account and the accounts of his family.
Witnesses said the man entered the bank carrying a gun and employees were about to give him money before refraining from doing so with the arrival of security forces, who convinced the man to hand over the gun. The man remains locked inside the bank together with police officers. Another depositor armed with a hunting rifle stormed a branch of the Lebanon and Gulf Bank in Beirut's Ramlet el-Baida neighborhood, taking hostages and demanding he be given his $50,000 deposit. The man was identified as Jawad Sleem, a former contractor and a father of seven, who has been jobless for months.
The depositor Mohammed Ismail al-Moussawi meanwhile said that he managed to recover $20,000 from the BLF bank in Kafaat in Beirut’s southern suburbs. He added that he was carrying a toy gun that he left outside the bank and that he was heading to turn himself in to security forces after having seized his deposit by force. “We have been impoverished and we want medicines. I’m standing idly by in the face of my children because I can’t get them what they want seeing as my money is trapped in the bank,” Moussawi said.
Later in the day, gunshots were fired after an army first lieutenant stormed BankMed in Chehim in Mount Lebanon. There were also unconfirmed reports of other similar incidents in Hamra, Concordes and Nabatieh. The confirmed incidents raise the number of bank heists this week in Lebanon to seven. The savings of depositors in the country have been devalued and trapped in banks for almost three years amid a crippling economic crisis. They are usually acts of economic desperation by depositors with no criminal record trying to settle bills, and have drawn wide sympathy among the general public. On Wednesday, a young woman held up a bank in central Beirut using a similar modus operandi, in what she said was an attempt to retrieve the savings of her sister, a cancer patient. Sali Hafiz became an instant hero on social media, and a phone picture of standing on a desk inside the bank during the heist became viral.
Also on Wednesday, a man held up a bank in the city of Aley northeast of Beirut, the official National News Agency reported. Last month, a man received widespread sympathy after he stormed a Beirut bank with a rifle and held employees and customers hostage for hours, to demand some of his $200,000 in frozen savings to pay hospital bills for his sick father. He was detained but swiftly released. Lebanon has been battered by one of its worst-ever economic crises. Its currency has lost more than 90 percent of its value on the black market, while poverty and unemployment have soared.

Lebanese activists promise more bank raids
Associated Press/September 16, 2022
A Lebanese activist group has vowed to organize more bank heists to help people retrieve their locked savings as the country's years-long economic crisis continues to worsen. Activists from Depositors' Outcry group accompanied Sali Hafez into a Beirut bank branch on Wednesday, and she was able to retrieve some $13,000 in her savings to fund her sister's cancer treatment. Hafez carried a toy gun when she walked into BLOM Bank on Wednesday, while the activists who accompanied her poured about gasoline, threatening to set the bank on fire if she did not get her money out. The group told The Associated Press that they had also coordinated with a man who tried to take some of his money from a bank in the mountainous town of Aley. Local media said he carried an unloaded shotgun. Lebanon's cash-strapped banks have imposed strict limits on withdrawals of foreign currency since 2019, tying up the savings of millions of people. About three-quarters of the population has slipped into poverty as the tiny Middle East country's economy continues to spiral. Alaa Khorchid, the head of Depositors' Outcry, said there is now no other choice for Lebanese bank depositors but to "take matters into their own hands." He spoke at a press conference in Beirut. "BLOM Bank issues a statement saying that this is a pre-orchestrated operation. Yes it is, what were you thinking?" Khorchid told reporters, referring to the bank's statement condemning Hafez and the activists. "And we're organizing more than this, and you have no choice. People's rights are sacred," he added, addressing banks in general. "The real beginning of the revolution started yesterday, when Sali Hafez entered the bank, and there is no turning back," Ibrahim Abdullah, a member of the Depositors' Outcry group said at the press conference. "This revolution is against all the banks."
Several groups advocating and protesting for Lebanese depositors have emerged since 2019, with some -- like the one named the Depositors' Union -- opting to file lawsuits against banks to help depositors retrieve their money. Wednesday's heist occurred weeks after a food delivery driver broke into another bank branch in Beirut and held 10 people hostage for seven hours, demanding tens of thousands of dollars in his trapped savings. Many Lebanese hailed him as a hero. The standoff and public sympathy for those taking matters into their own hands to get their savings has exposed the depths of people's despair in Lebanon's economic crisis, which has pulled over three-quarters of the country's population into poverty, unable to cope with skyrocketing food, electricity, and gasoline prices. Meanwhile, Lebanese officials struggle to implement structural reforms for an economic recovery plan approved by the International Monetary Fund to unlock billions of dollars in loans and aid to make the country viable again.

Mawlawi says some 'sides' inciting depositors to storm banks
Naharnet/September 16/2022
Caretaker Interior Minister Bassam al-Mawlawi on Friday suggested that certain “sides” are inciting depositors to storm banks, shortly after the country witnessed a record five bank “heists” in one day. “Our meeting’s aim is not to protect the banks but rather the country,” Mawlawi said after an emergency meeting for the Central Internal Security Council, telling depositors that their money “cannot be recovered through a method that is punishable by law.” “This issue destroys order and makes the other depositors lose their rights. Deposits are for all people and I don’t know if anyone accepts to take their deposit at the expense of the rest of the people,” the minister added. “I know that all Lebanese people are depositors and they should not allow anyone to push them to implement certain agendas that lead to disrupting order,” Mawlawi went on to say, charging that “certain sides are pushing people to act against banks.”“I cannot disclose the details due to the confidentiality of the investigations,” he added. Mawlawi also said that he will not accept any confrontation between the people and security forces, reassuring that authorities will not open fire nor deal with depositors and protesters by force.

Geagea: Bank storming operations and chaos are 'their Lebanon'
Naharnet/September 16, 2022
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea appeared Friday to disapprove of the wave of bank heists that occurred throughout the day. “The bank storming operations that occurred today and the chaos that accompanied them are their Lebanon,” Geagea tweeted.
“No one can pull us out of their Lebanon into the Lebanon that we aspire for other than a salvation president. Anything else would be a waste of time,” the LF leader added. At least five banks were stormed by depositors on Friday, prompting the Association of Banks in Lebanon (ABL) to declare a three-day strike and caretaker Interior Minister Bassam al-Mawlawi to call for an emergency meeting of the Central Internal Security Council. The confirmed incidents raise the number of bank heists this week in Lebanon to seven. The savings of depositors in the country have been devalued and trapped in banks for almost three years amid a crippling economic crisis. They are usually acts of economic desperation by depositors with no criminal record trying to settle bills, and have drawn wide sympathy among the general public. Lebanon has been battered by one of its worst-ever economic crises. Its currency has lost more than 90 percent of its value on the black market, while poverty and unemployment have soared

Budget session adjourned over lack of quorum as public wage hike approved
Naharnet/September 16, 2022
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri on Friday adjourned a legislative session on the 2022 state budget to September 26 after the meeting lost its quorum due to a walkout by the opposition MPs. The legislature had earlier approved a three-fold hike in the salaries of public sector employees, pensioners and the armed forces. “We’re the ones who stripped the budget approval session of its quorum and what’s happening inside and outside parliament indicates that we’re living in two different worlds. Instead of seeking to return depositors’ money, they are working on smuggling it,” MP George Adwan of the Lebanese Forces bloc said. “Amendments and increases to the figures were made in the last moment and we discussed the budget without final accounts. These are unacceptable things. We are ready to stay in parliament and sleep here on the condition that a budget with good numbers be passed, but this way of work does not respect the law,” Adwan lamented. MP Michel Mouawad for his part said that “those who want to preserve people’s money must reject this state budget.”Caretaker PM Najib Mikati meanwhile said that “all opinions will be taken into consideration during the preparation of the next budget.”
“The country needs rescuing, and this can only achieved if we work together and cooperate without populism and denial, because realism must prevail,” Mikati added. “This is a corrective budget for a transitional period and it has an urgent nature. I’m ready to cooperate with everyone. Consider yourselves an executive government. Monitor, legislate and present the proposal that you want to rescue the country and we will continue working together in order to pass what’s needed,” Mikati went on to say.

Israel preparing to connect to gas field disputed by Lebanon
Agence France Presse/September 16, 2022
Israel's energy ministry said Friday it was set to conduct tests on a maritime field claimed in part by Lebanon, ahead of connecting it to Israel's gas network. The ministry "was preparing to connect the Karish reservoir to the Israeli system," a statement said. The gas field has been licensed to London-listed company Energean. "As part of the next stage of the project, planned for the upcoming days, the rig and natural transmission system from the rig to the national network will be tested," the statement added. Officials told AFP the test would be conducted by transferring gas from Israel to the rig. The ministry announcement comes less than 10 days after Energean announced it was "on track to deliver (the) first gas from the Karish development project within weeks." Israel says the Karish field is located entirely within its exclusive economic zone, but Lebanon insists that part of the field falls within its own waters. The United States has mediated the dispute, which escalated in early June when Energean brought a production vessel into the field. Last Friday, U.S. mediator Amos Hochstein noted "progress" in the talks, but said that "still more work needs to be done."Lebanon and Israel, whose border is patrolled by the United Nations, have no diplomatic relations. They had resumed maritime border negotiations in 2020, but the process was stalled by Beirut's claim that the map used by the United Nations in the talks needed modifying. Lebanon initially demanded 860 square kilometers in the disputed maritime area but then asked for an additional 1,430 square kilometers, including part of the Karish field. Israel claims the field lies in its waters and is not part of the disputed area subject to ongoing negotiations. Hezbollah, which launched drones towards the Karish gas field in July, had threatened attacks if Israel proceeds with gas extraction in the disputed area. On Thursday, Israel's national security advisor Eyal Hulata addressed Hezbollah's threats, noting an agreement to export gas to energy-starved Europe. "Israel will not be deterred by these threats and continue to realize its energetic interests, activate Karish and fulfill the important contracts it signed, including with Egypt and the EU," he said at a conference at Israel's Reichman University in Herzliya.

Report: FPM again says won't let Mikati rule with caretaker govt.
Naharnet/September 16, 2022
The Free Patriotic Movement will not allow caretaker PM Najib Mikati to “rule” the country with his caretaker government in the event of a presidential vacuum, FPM sources told Asharq al-Awsat newspaper in remarks published Friday. Sources informed on the meeting that Mikati held with President Michel Aoun on Thursday meanwhile told the daily that “it turned out that there is still a desire to form a government.” “The discussion of the previous formats will be continued: keeping the government as it is with some adjustments or adding six state ministers,” the sources added. “This will become clear at the end of next week or at the beginning of the week that follows, after Mikati returns from his tour” abroad, the sources said.

Nasrallah meets with top Huthi negotiator
Naharnet/September 16, 2022
Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has met with the official spokesman of Yemen’s Huthi rebels and the head of the Huthi negotiating team, Mohammed Abdul Salam, Hezbollah said on Friday.
The talks tackled “the latest political situations in the region in general and in Yemen in particular, especially as to the negotiations of the current truce, the developments on the ground, and the prospects for the proposed solutions,” Hezbollah added in a statement.

Memorial service held in Beirut for Queen Elizabeth II
Naharnet/September 16, 2022
On Thursday 15 September, a memorial service to celebrate the life and service of late British Queen Elizabeth II was held at the All Saints Anglican Episcopal Church, Beirut, led by Reverend Imad Zoorob. The British Ambassador to Lebanon, Hamish Cowell, together with the Ambassadors of Australia Andrew Barnes and Canada Stefanie McCollum attended the service alongside Embassy staff, diplomats, MP Edgard Trabulsi, members of the British community and friends. The British Ambassador expressed his gratitude for the “thousands of warm and heartfelt messages of condolences and sympathy received over recent days, including from Lebanese officials, the public and the British community, and his appreciation for the declaration of three days of national mourning,” the British embassy said in a statement. At the memorial service, the Ambassador said: “My colleagues at the Embassy and I have been overwhelmed and very touched by the many messages of condolence … which reflect how much Her Majesty was respected and admired in Lebanon, as throughout the world.”In an address to the congregation, the Ambassador said: “…We come here in sadness, to share our loss. But also to celebrate and remember a unique and remarkable life.”“Queen Elizabeth II gave a lifetime of extraordinary service. Her exceptional dedication … set an example to us all of selfless duty,” he added. Quoting King Charles III, Hamish Cowell said: “Queen Elizabeth’s was a life well-lived … a promise with destiny kept … and she is mourned most deeply in her passing.”Since Friday 9 September, hundreds have made their way to the Ambassador’s residence, the British Embassy and the National Library of Lebanon, to sign a book of condolences paying tribute to the queen. The Queen’s State Funeral will take place at Westminster Abbey, followed by a Committal Service at St George’s Chapel in Windsor on Monday 19 September. The All Saints Anglican Episcopal Church Beirut will be broadcasting the funeral live starting 12:30pm Beirut time.

Bloc of Arab parties splits ahead of Israeli elections
Associated Press/September 16, 2022
A bloc of Arab parties has split ahead of Israel's fifth elections in less than four years, a move that could dilute the minority's political influence and aid former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's return to power. Israeli media reported late Thursday that the nationalist Balad party will run separately from the other two parties in the Joint List. If it does not meet the minimum threshold, Balad would not enter the next parliament and its votes would essentially be wasted. The disunity could also dampen overall turnout among Israel's Arab minority, which accounts for 20% of Israel's population.
Arab parties have helped block Netanyahu from returning to power in recent elections. A fourth Arab party, the Islamist Ra'am, also broke from the Joint List and made history last year by joining the governing coalition, a first for any Arab faction. Israel's Arab citizens have close familial ties to Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and Gaza, and largely identify with their cause, leading them to be viewed with suspicion by many Jewish Israelis. Arab citizens have made major gains in recent decades, in medicine and other fields, but still face widespread discrimination. The Nov. 1 elections, like the last four, are expected to be a hard-fought race between former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is on trial for corruption, and a constellation of parties from across the political spectrum that believe he is unfit to rule. Israeli elections are contests among multiple political parties, none of which has ever won an outright majority. Would-be prime ministers must assemble coalitions with at least 61 seats in the 120-member Knesset. The fracturing of the Joint List would appear to benefit Netanyahu by diluting the influence of his most strident opponents. However, without the hard-line Balad, the other two parties might be more open to joining a coalition led by the current caretaker prime minister, Yair Lapid, a center-left politician and Netanyahu's main opponent. It's unclear, however, whether Lapid's potential right-wing allies would accept such an alliance. Recent polling predicts a close-fought race between Netanyahu and Lapid, with each political camp struggling to assemble a majority. If both fail, the country would go to elections yet again.

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on September 16-17/2022
Pope studying Bahrain visit, looking at February for Africa
Associated Press/September 16, 2022
Pope Francis is studying a possible visit to Bahrain in November and said he is looking to reschedule his trip to South Sudan and Congo for February. Francis told reporters en route home from Kazakhstan that his strained knee ligaments still hadn't healed and that travelling was "difficult." But the 85-year-old pontiff said he would undertake a next trip — a reference to a three-day visit to Bahrain in early November that is currently under study by the Vatican, spokesman Matteo Bruni said. Francis had to cancel a planned July trip to South Sudan and Congo after his doctors said he needed more time to undergo therapy on his right knee. Francis has been using a wheelchair and cane for months since he strained the ligaments, and he was in visible pain during the three-day trip to Kazakhstan to participate in an interfaith conference. Francis has declined to undergo surgery, saying he had a bad reaction to anesthesia when he had a chunk of his large intestine removed in July 2021. The South Sudan leg of the Africa trip was supposed to have included the Archbishop of Canterbury as well as the moderator for the Church of Scotland. Francis said Thursday he had recently spoken with Archbishop Justin Welby "and we saw a possibility of going to South Sudan in February. And if I go to South Sudan, I'd go to Congo." Other papal trips expected in 2023 are closing out World Youth Day, scheduled for August in Lisbon, Portugal.

Five Syrian soldiers killed in Israeli airstrike on Damascus: state media
AFP/September 17, 2022
DAMASCUS: Israeli strikes targeted Damascus Saturday, Syrian state media said, adding that the Syrian air defense intercepted some of them. “Our air defenses intercepted hostile missiles in the airspace of Damascus and its countryside, shooting down a number of them,” Syrian’s official Sana news agency said.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor said Israeli shelling targeted sites where Iran-backed groups are stationed near Damascus airport and in the Damascus countryside. In the past month, Israeli airstrikes have targeted Aleppo airport twice. The monitor, which relies on a wide network of sources inside Syria, said at the time that those strikes had targeted weapons depots belonging to Iran-backed militias. Since civil war erupted in Syria in 2011, Israel has carried out hundreds of strikes against its northern neighbor, targeting government troops as well as allied Iran-backed forces and Hezbollah fighters. While Israel rarely comments on individual strikes, it has acknowledged carrying out hundreds. It says its air campaign is necessary to stop arch-foe Iran gaining a foothold on its doorstep.

Prince Andrew seen in military uniform for first time as Queen's children hold vigil at lying in state
Reuters/Fri, September 16, 2022
Prince Andrew has been seen in military uniform for the first time as the Queen's children gathered at Westminster Hall to stand vigil over the Queen's coffin. Considered one of the most poignant ceremonies before the monarch's funeral, the Vigil of the Princes saw King Charles, Prince Andrew, Princess Anne and Prince Edward mount guard at the four sides of the catafalque (raised platform), taking turns to watch over the coffin. Mourners warned of cold temperatures overnight for lying in state queue - royal news latest updates. Arriving at the historic London building together, the siblings appeared sombre and carried out the ceremony in silence, with their heads bowed. Prince Andrew was seen in uniform for the first time in recent days, after being given special dispensation to wear it. He stopped being a working royal in the wake of the Jeffery Epstein affair, and so lost the automatic right to wear military dress at ceremonial occasions. He wore the uniform of an honorary vice admiral in the Royal Navy. As they slowly marched to take their positions, members of the public, who had entered the building to pay their respects, paused and fell silent. King Charles stood at one end of the Queen's coffin, with Prince Andrew at the other, and Princess Anne and Prince Edward stationed at either side. Shortly after they stood up on the catafalque, viewing from the public resumed, with people filing past and some stopping to curtsy or bow. Other members of the Royal Family, including the Queen Consort, Princess Anne's husband Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence and the Countess of Wessex, were spotted standing on the hall's balcony, watching the vigil take place. Some of the Queen's grandchildren were also there, including Princess Eugenie, Princess Beatrice and Zara Tindall, who was joined by her husband, former rugby player Mike Tindall. Tens of thousands of people have gathered in the capital to pay their respects to the Queen, with the waiting time to view her coffin currently sitting at more than 22 hours. As King Charles left Westminster Hall in his black Rolls-Royce, crowds broke out into a loud round of applause. Earlier this week, the King was joined by Princess Anne, Prince Edward and Prince Andrew to carry out the same ceremony at St Giles' Cathedral, in Edinburgh. During that ceremony, Prince Andrew did not wear his military uniform, and the King wore a kilt.

Russia will do everything it can to end Ukraine war 'as soon as possible', Vladimir Putin says
Sky News/September 16, 2022
Vladimir Putin says Russia will do everything it can to bring the Ukraine war to an end "as soon as possible", despite the direction of the conflict swinging against his military in recent days. Russian troops have been routed in parts of the north east with thousands of square kilometres of territory liberated by defence forces near Kharkiv. The Ukrainian flag flies once again over dozens more settlements, including the key city of Izyum where a mass burial site was unearthed, as a top police investigator expressed his shock at the discovery. Ukrainian forces, buoyed by the surging advance near Kharkiv and progress in the south near Kherson, hope to push Russian soldiers out of all Ukrainian territory. This however is likely not what President Putin means by a swift conclusion to the conflict. Appearing at a televised summit in the Uzbek city of Samarkand, he spoke to Indian prime minister Narendra Modi. "I know that today's era is not an era of war, and I have spoken to you on the phone about this," Mr Modi told the Russian president. As the Indian leader made the remark, Mr Putin pursed his lips, glanced at him and then looked down before touching the hair on the back of his head. He told Mr Modi that he understood he had concerns about Ukraine, but that Moscow was doing all it could to end the conflict. "I know your position on the conflict in Ukraine, the concerns that you constantly express," he said. "We will do everything to stop this as soon as possible." In the recently recaptured city of Izyum, there has been an outcry following the discovery of a mass burial site. Speaking on Telegram on Friday afternoon, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said: "Today, the world must see what the Russian army left behind. "More than four hundred graves are in the forest near Izyum. We still don't know exactly how many bodies are there... "Russia has already become the biggest source of terrorism in the world, and no other terrorist power leaves behind so many deaths. "This must be recognised legally. The world must act. Russia must be recognised as a state sponsor of terrorism."

Iran’s supreme leader undergoes surgery after falling ‘gravely ill’: Report
Al Arabiya English/September 16/2022
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei underwent surgery last week after falling “gravely ill” and is currently on bed rest under observation by a medical team, the New York Times reported on Friday, citing four people familiar with Khamenei’s health condition. Khamenei “had surgery some time last week for bowel obstruction after suffering extreme stomach pains and high fever,” the NYT reported, citing one of the people. Khamenei is currently being monitored “around the clock” by a team of doctors after undergoing the surgery, according to the report. Khamenei’s condition was considered “critical last week, but has improved, and he is currently resting,” the report added. “His doctors are monitoring him around the clock and remain concerned that he is still too weak to even sit up in bed.”Khamenei’s office canceled all meetings last week, including an annual meeting with the Assembly of Experts on September 6 because he was “too ill to sit up,” the report said. The assembly is a clerical body that supervises, appoints and in theory, can sack the Supreme Leader. Khamenei, 83, has been the supreme leader of Iran since 1989. He is the country’s highest authority and has the final say on all state matters.

Fury in Iran as young woman dies following morality police arrest
Rana Rahimpour - BBC Persian/September 16, 2022
A 22-year-old Iranian woman has died days after being arrested by morality police for allegedly not complying with strict rules on head coverings. Eyewitnesses said Mahsa Amini was beaten while inside a police van when she was picked up in Tehran on Tuesday.
Police have denied the allegations, saying Ms Amini had "suddenly suffered a heart problem". It is the latest in a series of reports of brutality against women by authorities in Iran in recent weeks. Ms Amini's family say that she was a healthy young woman with no medical conditions that would explain a sudden heart problem. However, they were informed she had been taken to hospital a few hours after her arrest and the family said she had been in a coma before she died on Friday. Tehran police said Ms Amini had been arrested for "justification and education" about the hijab, the headscarf which is mandatory for all women to wear. Her death comes in the wake of growing reports of repressive acts against women, including those judged not to be complying with Islamic dress code being barred from entering government offices and banks. Many Iranians, including pro-government individuals, are expressing their outrage on social media platforms regarding the very existence of the morality police, also known as Guidance Patrols, and are using hashtags that translate as Murder Patrols. Videos have emerged on social media appearing to show officers detaining women, dragging them on the ground, and forcefully whisking them away.
Many Iranians blame the Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, directly. An old speech of his is being reshared on social media in which he justifies the role of the morality police and insists that under Islamic rule, women must be forced to observe the Islamic dress code.The latest episode will only deepen the divide between a large part of Iran's young and vibrant society and its radical rulers, a rift that seems ever harder to mend.

Iran woman's death after morals police arrest sparks protests
DUBAI/Reuters/September 16, 2022
A young Iranian woman has died after falling into a coma following her detention by morality police enforcing Iran's strict hijab rules, sparking protests by Iranians on social media and on the streets on Friday. In the past few months, Iranian rights activists have urged women to publicly remove their veils, a gesture that would risk their arrest for defying the Islamic dress code as the country's hardline rulers crack down harder on "immoral behaviour". Videos posted on social media have shown cases of what appeared to be heavy-handed action by morality police units against women who had removed their hijab. Authorities launched probes into the death of Mahsa Amini following a demand by President Ebrahim Raisi, state media reported on Friday, as police said the 22-year-old was taken ill as she waited together with other detained women at a morality police station. "Based on detailed investigations, since her transfer to the vehicle and also at the location (station), there was no physical encounter with her," a police statement said, rejecting allegations on social media that Amini was likely beaten. Closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage carried by state TV appeared to show a woman identified as Amini falling over after getting up from her seat to speak to an official at a police station. Reuters could not authenticate the video. Police earlier said Amini had suffered a heart attack after being taken to the station to be "convinced and educated," state television said, denying allegations she was beaten. Her relatives have denied she suffered any heart condition. Among critical social media comments, outspoken reformist politician Mahmoud Sadeghi called on Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Twitter to speak out about the case as he had denounced the killing of George Floyd by U.S. police in 2020. Postings on social media included videos showing protesters chanting "Death to the dictator (Khamenei)" as drivers sounded their car horns to back protests in a Tehran square near Amini's hospital amid a heavy police presence. U.S. special envoy for Iran, Robert Malley, said on Twitter: "Mahsa Amini’s death after injuries sustained in custody for an 'improper' hijab is appalling... Those responsible for her death should be held accountable."Rights group Amnesty International said on Twitter: "... allegations of torture and other ill-treatment in custody, must be criminally investigated... All agents and officials responsible must face justice."Under Iran's sharia (Islamic) law, imposed after the 1979revolution, women are obliged to cover their hair and wear long,loose-fitting clothes to disguise their figures. Violators facepublic rebuke, fines or arrest. Decades after the revolution, clerical rulers stillstruggle to enforce the law, with many women of all ages andbackgrounds wearing tight-fitting, thigh-length coats andbrightly coloured scarves pushed back to expose plenty of hair.

Armenia says 135 troops killed in recent clashes with Azerbaijan
Agence France Presse/September 16, 2022
Armenia said Friday that the number of its soldiers confirmed dead in this week's clashes with Azerbaijan had risen from 105 to at least 135. The fighting -- which erupted on Tuesday and ended on Thursday -- has jeopardized fledgling peace talks between Baku and Yerevan who are locked in a decades-long territorial dispute. "For the moment, the number of dead is 135," Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan told a cabinet meeting, after the worst fighting between the arch-foes since 2020. "Unfortunately it is not the final figure. There are also many wounded." Azerbaijan has reported 71 deaths among its troops. Armenia's security council has said the violence ended overnight on Thursday "thanks to international mediation," before forcing hundreds of Armenian civilians to flee their homes. Both sides have traded accusations of initiating the fighting which came as Yerevan's closest ally Moscow is distracted by its nearly seven-month war in Ukraine. The Caucasus neighbors fought two wars -- in the 1990s and in 2020 -- over the contested Nagorno-Karabakh region, Azerbaijan's Armenian-populated enclave. The six weeks of fighting in 2020 claimed the lives of more than 6,500 troops from both sides and ended with a Russian-brokered ceasefire. Under the deal, Armenia ceded swathes of territory it had controlled for decades, and Moscow deployed about 2,000 Russian peacekeepers to oversee the fragile truce. Ethnic Armenian separatists in Nagorno-Karabakh broke away from Azerbaijan when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991. The ensuing conflict claimed around 30,000 lives.

UAE foreign minister meets with Israel’s Netanyahu, other politicians
Kate Oglesby, Al Arabiya English/16 September ,2022
The UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed met with Israeli politicians, including former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a visit to Tel Aviv, state press agency WAM reported on Friday. Sheikh Abdullah’s visit comes just days after the countries celebrated two years since their signing of the US-led Abraham Accords which marked a turning point in bilateral relations between Israel and the UAE. During his meeting with Netanyahu, the politicians reportedly discussed the growing cooperation between the two countries since the signing of the accords in 2020. The UAE top diplomat said that over the course of two years the countries provided “a model to be emulated for constructive and fruitful cooperation at all levels,” WAM reported. Netanyahu said that the “UAE-Israel cooperation has witnessed a remarkable development over the past two years in several fields,” WAM added. The UAE foreign minister also met with Minister of Finance of Israel Avigdor Lieberman during his visit to Tel Aviv and Minister of the Interior Ayelet Shaked.

Kyrgyz, Tajik leaders order forces to 'withdraw' after clashes
Agence France Presse/September 16, 2022
Tajikistan's President Emomali Rahmon met his Kyrgyz counterpart Sadyr Japarov Friday at a summit in Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan said, and ordered their forces to draw down after border clashes left dozens injured. "The leaders of the two countries agreed to instruct the relevant structures to cease fire and withdraw forces and assets from the line of contact," the presidency said in a statement, after Kyrgyz authorities announced a ceasefire deal had been reached.

The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on September 16-17/2022
New Iranian Warship Signals Longer Maritime Reach, More Aggressive Strategy
Farzin Nadimi/The Washington Institute/September 16/2022
The Iranian catamaran missile corvette Shahid Soleimani on its launch in 2022
Farzin Nadimi, an associate fellow with The Washington Institute, is a Washington-based analyst specializing in the security and defense affairs of Iran and the Persian Gulf region.
Brief Analysis
Although Tehran tends to exaggerate its naval achievements and blue-water capabilities, the heavy investments it has made in this sector are yielding regionally significant progress.
On September 5, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy launched the Shahid Soleimani, its first of at least three new catamaran missile corvettes with potential stealth features. According to IRGCN chief Adm. Alireza Tangsiri, the vessels will increase the navy’s operational reach beyond the Persian Gulf to as far away as 9,000 km, which would cover the entire Indian Ocean down to Cape Town. The IRGCN has long aspired to send warships to waters near the United States as a propaganda achievement and show of defiance, but it has not been very successful with long-range naval operations thus far—notwithstanding the July 2021 voyage in which the Islamic Republic of Iran Navy (IRIN) deployed the converted supertanker Makran and another vessel to St. Petersburg, Russia, using a circuitous route that circled Africa and crossed in and out of the Mediterranean Sea.
During the launch ceremony for the Shahid Soleimani (FS313-01), IRGC chief Maj. Gen. Hossein Salami called the aluminum warship a new high point in Iran’s strategic competition as a world-class power bent on establishing regional hegemony over its adversaries. According to him, the country’s “national security domain and radius go as far as where our interests rest”—including faraway seas if so determined by the Armed Forces General Staff.
The New Ship’s Capabilities
Similar in length (65 meters) and capability to Taiwan’s Tuo Chiang-class missile corvette launched in 2014, the Shahid Soleimani is designed to support and provide protective fires for high-speed armed boats far from Iranian waters. This includes the three boats it can carry itself. The Taiwanese class is designed to counter Chinese naval vessels via hit-and-run tactics and has been dubbed a “carrier killer.” The same nickname has been applied to the smaller Chinese Type 22 catamaran missile boat, which Iran reportedly tried to buy in past years before producing its own class (Beijing refused to sell). The IRGCN also claims that the Shahid Soleimani is a “stealth” vessel with the radar cross-section of a small boat, though its actual capabilities in this regard are uncertain.
Regarding weapon systems, the new vessel is the first Iranian warship equipped with vertical launchers that can fire antiaircraft missiles up to a claimed range of 150 km. It can also use six box launchers to fire antiship missiles such as the Nasir, Ghader, and Ghadir, with ranges of 35 to 300 km. Taken together, these capabilities led Iranian officials to claim that Shahid Soleimani has a “lethal range” in excess of 750 km. To be sure, Iran already has other weapon systems that meet or exceed that range, such as the Abu Mahdi antiship and land-attack cruise missile unveiled in 2020, which can reportedly reach 700-1,000 km. Yet the Shahid Soleimani could greatly extend its reach (albeit with less destructive punch) by launching suicide drones such as the Shahed-131 or 136, which can strike targets up to 1,000 km away (or even 2,200 km according to some unconfirmed sources). The vessel may also be able to launch the Quds-1/2 cruise missile and “Article 385” loitering antiaircraft cruise missile that Iran previously provided to Houthi forces in Yemen.
As for electronic warfare capabilities, the ship is reportedly able to carry extensive equipment of this type, including advanced decoy launchers. In its current configuration, however, Shahid Soleimani has minimal electronic equipment installed. Catamarans are generally faster and more maneuverable than conventional ships and offer better stability and seakeeping at rougher seas thanks to their twin hull design. This also makes them harder to sink—though aluminum ship hulls tend to melt quickly if set afire by a sea mine, missile, or other projectile (as seen when a catamaran operated by the United Arab Emirates was wrecked by a single Houthi missile in October 2016 while transiting the Bab al-Mandab Strait)
A Naval Industry in the Making
More missile corvettes of the same type as Shahid Soleimani are currently being built at shipyards in Bandar Abbas, Qeshm Island, and Bushehr, and the IRGCN claims it will roll them out at a rate of one per year, indicating an expedited delivery schedule. The prime contractor for this program is the IRGCN’s Shahid Mahalati Naval Industries, with the Defense Ministry firms Shahid Darvishi and Shahid Mahboobi working as subcontractors.
In November 2018, Iran’s parliament passed a law merging all Defense Ministry marine factories and industrial groups into one entity, the “Marine Industries Organization of the Armed Forces.” Collectively, these firms produce everything from small speedboats to frigate-size warships, medium submarines, Aframax tankers, diesel engines, waterjets, gearboxes, and so forth, with the aim of making Iran’s domestic naval production fully self-sufficient. This goal may be facilitated by the fact that Iran’s marine industries are believed to be less affected by U.S. sanctions than its aviation and missile industries.
Strategic Implications
Iran vehemently objects to the U.S. naval presence in Middle East waters, with IRGCN officials noting that they work daily to prepare and expand their arsenal toward the goal of repelling U.S. forces. Another key mission has emerged over the past couple years: deterring Israel from expanding its maritime reach to waters near Iran following Jerusalem’s normalization of relations with the UAE and Bahrain. Tehran has also been expanding its supposed “maritime security” presence in the Red Sea after a slew of strikes against Iranian ships there, culminating in the April 2021 attack on the floating armory/spy ship Saviz. In addition, IRGCN officials note that Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has called on them to expand their reach to “far seas,” framing this mission as a supplement to IRIN’s “strategic blue-water responsibility” but looking more like direct competition with it. In any case, once the Shahid Soleimani completes its protracted sea trial period, the new vessel class may give the IRGCN significant new capabilities—namely, longer-range deployment of missile boats, antiship/antiaircraft missiles, and drones. Coupled with the converted mothership/replenishment vessels Shahid Roudaki (L110-1) and Shahid Mahdavi (110-3), the new corvettes will likely enable sustained IRGCN operations farther into the Indian Ocean and perhaps beyond, including support for smaller and more covert speedboat missions.
Of course, the IRGCN has made a habit of exaggerating its accomplishments in the past, and its overall capabilities remain a far cry from America’s both quantitatively and qualitatively. Yet its modest progress toward sustained blue-water operations is undeniable, and there are a number of scenarios in which it could pose a considerable threat to U.S. Navy assets and facilities, not to mention international freedom of commerce and navigation. Going forward, IRGCN assets can be expected to cause trouble farther down the Indian Ocean, both to divert attention and resources from the Persian Gulf and to disrupt regional maritime security initiatives. Iran might also seek to project naval power in the East Mediterranean and escort cargo ships carrying weapons to Syrian ports, especially now that Israel is increasingly pressuring its air-land logistical hubs deeper inside Syria.
Accordingly, the United States and its partners should closely scrutinize the IRGCN’s evolving role and development of new systems. This is especially true today because Iran’s domestic industrial base is gradually beginning to catch up and deliver suitable platforms and associated subsystems, whether by building them from the ground up or converting and repurposing merchant ships.
*Farzin Nadimi is an associate fellow with The Washington Institute, specializing in security and defense in Iran and the Gulf region.

جونسين سباير/جيروزلم بوست: ما هي خلفيات وأسباب أزدياد الغارات الجوية الإسرائيلية على سوريا
Increased Israeli air activity over Syria: Why now?
Jonathan Spyer/Jerusalem Post/September 16/2022
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/111992/jonathan-spyer-jerusalem-post-increased-israeli-air-activity-over-syria-why-now-%d8%ac%d9%88%d9%86%d8%b3%d9%8a%d9%86-%d8%b3%d8%a8%d8%a7%d9%8a%d8%b1-%d8%ac%d9%8a%d8%b1%d9%88%d8%b2%d9%84%d9%85-%d8%a8/
The tempo of attacks reflects a more general readiness for confrontation as the region enters a new phase.
A notable uptick in Israeli air operations against Iran-linked targets on Syrian soil has taken place over the last month, according to regional media.
Israeli aircraft struck Aleppo Airport in northern Syria on September 6. This operation followed on the heels of an earlier strike at the same target, on August 31. According to SANA, the official Syrian regime media agency, the raid on September 6 damaged the runway, putting it temporarily out of service.
SANA reported that missiles were launched from over the Mediterranean, west of Syria’s Latakia coastline. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), meanwhile, associated with the Syrian opposition, reported that the raid targeted a warehouse used by an Iran-linked militia.
“If planes whose purpose is to encourage terrorism land, Syria’s transport capacity will be harmed.”
North Press, a media agency associated with the Kurdish de facto authority in northern Syria, had a slightly different account. The September 6 raid, the agency contended, targeted a plane bound for Najaf, in southern Iraq, which had two members of Lebanese Hezbollah aboard. North Press cited a source at Aleppo Airport as the basis for this account.
Reuters, meanwhile, cited a “commander in an Iran-backed regional alliance” as claiming that the raid took place just prior to the arrival of a plane from Iran. This latter account would seem to dovetail with a statement from Ram Ben-Barak, chair of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee and a former senior intelligence officer, according to which: “The attack meant that certain planes would not be able to land, and that a message was relayed to Assad: If planes whose purpose is to encourage terrorism land, Syria’s transport capacity will be harmed.”
Regardless of the precise nature of the operation, it followed a series of attacks attributed to Israel to have hit Syrian targets in recent weeks. On August 25, several military sites in the western Hama countryside were hit by missiles.
On August 27, a statement from the Russian airbase at Khmeimim claimed success for the Russian Pantsir-S1 and S-75 systems operated by Syrian armed forces in downing some missiles aimed at the Scientific Studies and Research Center in Masyaf, a frequent target for Israeli air power.
On August 15, airstrikes targeted Syrian military posts in Tartus and Damascus Governorates, with three reported fatalities. On August 12, two people were wounded in shelling of a village north of Quneitra, close to the Israel-Syrian border.
These are the statistics for the last month. North Press estimates that 24 Israeli air operations have taken place against targets in Syria since the beginning of the year. The clear majority of these were conducted against Iranian targets. If this figure is accurate, then six such operations in the last month represent a clear increase in tempo.
Why are the attacks on Syria happening now?
SO THE question is: why is this happening now? A number of factors are worthy of attention.
The specific targeting of Aleppo Airport is almost certainly related to recent indications that Iran is relying increasingly on its “air bridge” to Syria and Lebanon, because of Israel’s successful and systematic targeting of efforts to move weaponry and equipment by land.
In this regard, it is noteworthy that Cham Wings, Syria’s largest private airline, announced that all flights would be diverted to Damascus International Airport following the strikes. Cham Wings has been sanctioned by the US Treasury since 2016 for “providing material support to entities sanctioned for proliferation and terrorism activities.” The company is widely believed to play an active part in the funneling of weapons and militia fighters between Iran and Syria.
But the increased tempo of activity is not solely related to the specific issue of greater use of air transport by Tehran. Rather, it is part of a broader picture of increasing regional tension. There are a number of contributory factors to this emergent picture.
Russia’s pullback from Syria
Firstly, Russia appears to be pulling back in Syria. This requires an immediate caveat. There are no prospects for a complete Russian withdrawal. The air base at Khmeimim and the naval facilities at Tartus and Latakia are hard strategic assets that will be maintained.
The maintaining of Assad’s rule is also a clear objective for Moscow. But beyond this, the Russians are busy now with a flailing, faltering military campaign in Ukraine. Moscow lacks the capacity for two close strategic engagements at once. The Israeli company ImageSat International revealed evidence in late August that the S-300 air defense system deployed in the Masyaf area has been dismantled and returned to Russia.
Evidence is currently emerging that the Russian government-linked defense company Wagner has in recent months been actively recruiting among pro-regime Syrians. Syrian volunteers are then sent to help the Russian effort in Ukraine. It is a curious, and significant, reversal of roles.
Greater freedom for Iran in Syria
RUSSIAN ABSENCE means greater importance and greater freedom for the Iranian role in Syria. The two countries have pursued notably separate and occasionally opposed projects in Syria in recent years. But the Russian drawback also reduces a complicating factor for Israel. Iran may increase activities as the Russians drawdown, but Tehran’s vulnerability and Israeli freedom of action will also increase.
Secondly, assuming that some last-minute twist does not occur, it now looks like a return to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action is not imminent. In the absence of any diplomatic process related to the Iranian nuclear program, and given Israeli determination to roll back Iran’s regional ambitions, confrontation becomes more likely.
In this regard, the recent bellicose statements made by Hassan Nasrallah, leader of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp’s Lebanese Hezbollah franchise, are worthy of particular note.
The common interpretation emerging from the security echelon in Israel has been that these statements were related to an attempt by the Hezbollah leader to claw back some of his movement’s lost public legitimacy, as he poses as the defender of Lebanon’s natural resources.
It is just as likely, however, that the Hezbollah leader’s sudden increased defiance reflects the opening of a more general mood among Iranian proxies and franchise organizations – proclaiming a greater readiness for the risk of clashes with Israel in the period now opening up.
It is worth noting that Iran is set this week to achieve full membership of the China-led Shanghai Cooperation Organization, at a summit of that organization in the Uzbek city of Samarkand. Chinese oil purchases enabled the Iranians to ride out the Trump administration’s strategy of “maximum pressure.”
A failure by the current US administration to succeed in nuclear diplomacy where Trump’s policy of coercion also failed will deepen Tehran in its conviction that the US is a departing power in the Middle East. Iran is moving toward closer relations with the alliance that perceives itself as the rival to the fading US hegemon.
Lastly, it is important to note that the uptick in Israeli activity is clearly not related to Syria alone. Rather, it is part of a more general broadening and deepening by Israel in recent months of its assertive posture regarding the full gamut of Iranian activity in the region.
This new, more comprehensive approach, was reflected this week by Mossad head David Barnea in his speech to the International Institute for Counter-Terrorism conference in Herzliya. Barnea told his audience that “the Iranian leadership must understand that attacks against Israel or Israelis, directly or indirectly by proxies, will be met with a painful response against those responsible, on Iranian soil. We will not pursue the proxies, but the ones who armed them and gave the orders, and this will happen in Iran.”
As nuclear diplomacy reaches its final round, the mood in the rival camps in the Middle East appears to be toward a greater willingness for confrontation. The increasing scope and boldness of Israeli air activity in Syria reflect this changing season.

Is Islam the True Obstacle to Peace in the Middle East?
Ryan Jones/Times Israel/September 16, 2022
Last will of PA police officer says martyrdom for Allah is highest ideal, urges companions to carry on the jihad against Israel.
It’s called the “religion of peace,” but that label was forcibly applied after the massive jihadist attacks of September 11, 2001, lest people begin to think that all Muslims were terrorists.
And then there’s the Abraham Accords, which so far seem to demonstrate that Jews and Muslims can successfully and peacefully coexist in this region. Though more pious Muslims would likely argue the genuineness of the faith of the more secular leaders of the United Arab Emirates. (This is not to say the UAE leaders aren’t religious. “Secular” here is applied in the same way it is to Israeli leaders, most of whom would consider themselves practitioners of Judaism, but who are not driven by their religious belief.)
It was believed when the Oslo Accords were signed that the more secular, and thus pragmatic PLO led by Yasser Arafat would prevent Islamists like Hamas from making a mess of things.
But this approach exposed the naïveté of the Western power brokers behind Oslo, as well as the like-minded Israeli politicians who eagerly signed on. Islam was still there, just below the surface, waiting to scuttle the best-laid plans of our most esteemed “experts.”
Earlier this week, a Palestinian Authority police officer, one of those supposedly secular and pragmatic Palestinians, participated in a shooting attack that resulted in the death of an Israeli army officer.
That’s worrying enough for those who had placed all their eggs in the Oslo basket. But far more concerning should be the will left behind by this man, Ahmad Abed.
According to a report by MEMRI, Abed left a written will in which he explained that he had decided to die as a martyr for Allah’s sake because this is the highest ideal, as well as the best way to obtain Allah’s favor and elevate Islam.
A translation of the letter reads:
“I write this last will in anticipation of my death as a martyr for the sake of Allah, for martyrdom is the best way to draw close to Allah, and no ideal can compare to it. My friends and loved ones, do not abandon the path of jihad, for every people that neglected jihad was humiliated. Do not lay down your guns, which will bring you honor and supremacy.” Anyone who still thinks that Islam isn’t the primary driver behind Israel’s foes is sticking his or her head in the sand. This is a religious war, plain and simple.
With reporting by JNS.

Europe's Energy Crisis
Pete Hoekstra/Gatestone Institute./September 16, 2022
In response to Russia severely restricting or cutting off gas supplies, EU governments will take dramatic actions over the coming months. Germany recently announced it would keep two of the nuclear plants it was shuttering as backups, just in case. EU leaders will then go back to the voters and describe the amazing job they did while failing to mention they were the ones who made the decisions that put their countries in this crisis in the first place. The entire current crisis was avoidable if the EU had developed a rational plan instead of one based on a daydream, no matter how enticing.
The U.S. needs urgently to examine what is happening in Europe and develop a rational energy transition plan. Any long-term solution must include strategies for reliable power production, affordable sustainable energy and a massively strengthened electrical grid.
Europe's plan was built on the hope that consumers would accept higher prices, that Russia and Putin would be reliable, and that battery storage technology would be robust enough to cover the times when "the wind doesn't blow and the sun doesn't shine."
This strategy, sadly always doomed to failure, provides a cautionary tale for "solutions" based solely on hope. The U.S. should not repeat the same mistakes as the EU by continuing down a path that cuts domestic fossil fuel production, bans gasoline-powered vehicles, and ignores that the power generation capacity and energy infrastructure are not in place to achieve an unrealistic and unfortunately unsustainable green agenda. In response to Russia severely restricting or cutting off gas supplies, EU governments will take dramatic actions over the coming months. Germany recently announced it would keep two of the nuclear plants it was shuttering as backups, just in case. Pictured: The Neckarwestheim nuclear power plant, one of two that the German government plans to allow to continue running as a backup. (Photo by Thomas Niedermueller/Getty Images)
Europe is facing a growing energy crisis. Individuals and industries are being battered by rising energy costs. On August 31, Russia shut down the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline to Germany for initially what was supposed to be 72 hours, but followed by an announcement of "technical difficulties" that would prevent a resumption. Russian energy giant Gazprom also announced that natural gas supplies to French energy company Engie SA would be immediately reduced. These actions have created significant uncertainty and the threat of much higher energy prices in Europe as the cold winter season approaches.
In the Netherlands last month, I had the opportunity to discuss the skyrocketing energy costs. Monthly utility bills of 400 to 600 euros are not unusual. One company said it was spending four times the amount for natural gas than a year ago. The company indicated because of these higher costs, it would be cutting its production by 50% this winter. Most European Union countries are experiencing an eight-fold increase in energy prices.
Both Germany and the Netherlands have been seeing extreme energy price spikes. Germany's prices surged to 1,050 euros per megawatt hour (MWh) before falling to 610 euros in August. Last year, the approximate cost was only 85 euros per MWh.
This dramatic inflation in energy costs is resulting in predictable actions with unpredictable outcomes. The Dutch have reported demand destruction. This means that when the price for a product increases, the demand for it decreases. What we are seeing in Europe is significant decrease in demand for energy because of the huge price increases. An example is the business that will cut production by 50% because energy costs have significantly increased the costs of their end product, resulting in a 50% cut in demand for their product.
The Dutch used 25% less natural gas in the first six months of 2022 than they did in the comparable period in 2021 — primarily due to customers' responses to the higher prices and mercifully somewhat milder than expected temperatures.
The EU has already asked member states to cut energy use by 15% this winter. When it comes to Russian gas supplies, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned Europe to prepare for the "worst situation." Meanwhile, the Norwegian energy company Equinor estimates that European power companies will need to find 1.5 trillion euros to cover the costs of margin calls related to soaring energy prices. Europe and the West look as if they will be in for a rough, expensive winter.
Predictably, EU government leaders believe that the EU and its member states "must act." Several countries have already unilaterally implemented measures -- from imposing price caps to direct government handouts to deal with the immediate costs of the crisis. At the EU level, there now appears to be a consensus that the entire energy market structure must be redesigned, and quickly. They seem to be hoping that this might be completed by early 2023, but none of these actions is laying the foundation for a long-term, workable energy solution.
The reality, however, is that this situation did not develop overnight and will not be fixed overnight. Despite European politicians blaming all this on Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the root causes go deeper. The EU made a commitment to sustainability and so-called green energy years ago. Germany, Austria, Italy and the Netherlands are now reportedly going back to coal-fired plants to save on natural gas usage. Experts in Germany say the coalition government is "trying to buy time with coal so that it can come up with a more sustainable long-term solution."
In January, Germany closed half of its six remaining nuclear power plants despite rising energy costs. Germany's lofty sustainable climate goals did not include plans on how to replace the energy that was being provided by its safe, clean and reliable nuclear power plants.
Instead, to achieve its climate utopia, Germany decided that it would become more dependent on Russian gas, that consumers willingly would pay higher prices, and that it could turn to power from far less reliable wind and solar energy. This fantasy became the model across the EU, and the EU has no one else to blame for the results.
The frustrating outcome is that businesses, families and individuals will be forced to shoulder the burden caused by unwise policy decisions by their leaders. As one Dutch farmer said, their governments are run by a bunch of bureaucrats who sit in chairs and have no real-world experience. It might be worth adding they also have no accountability.
In response to Russia severely restricting or cutting off gas supplies, EU governments will take dramatic actions over the coming months. Germany recently announced it would keep two of the nuclear plants it was shuttering as backups, just in case. EU leaders will then go back to the voters and describe the amazing job they did while failing to mention they were the ones who made the decisions that put their countries in this crisis in the first place.
The entire current crisis was avoidable if the EU had developed a rational plan instead of one based on a daydream, no matter how enticing.
The U.S. needs urgently to examine what is happening in Europe and develop a rational energy transition plan. Any long-term solution must include strategies for reliable power production, sustainable energy and a massively strengthened electrical grid.
Europe's plan was built on the hope that consumers would accept higher prices, that Russia and Putin would be reliable, and that battery storage technology would be robust enough to cover the times when "the wind doesn't blow and the sun doesn't shine."
This strategy, sadly always doomed to failure, provides a cautionary tale for "solutions" based solely on hope.
The U.S. should not repeat the same mistakes as the EU by continuing down a path that cuts domestic fossil fuel production, bans gasoline-powered vehicles, and ignores that the power generation capacity and energy infrastructure are not in place to achieve an unrealistic and unfortunately unsustainable green agenda.
*Peter Hoekstra was US Ambassador to the Netherlands during the Trump administration. He served 18 years in the U.S. House of Representatives representing the second district of Michigan and served as Chairman and Ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee. He is currently Chairman of the Center for Security Policy Board of Advisors, and a Distinguished Senior Fellow at Gatestone Institute.
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Nuclear power makes a comeback in Europe
Zaid M. Belbagi/Arab News/September 16/2022
When electricity was generated by a nuclear reactor for the first time in 1951, this miracle fuel provided an opportunity for war-torn European countries to rebuild. Following the 1973 oil crisis, the demand for power became so great that a rapid expansion in nuclear generation took place, with France constructing 25 nuclear power plants in 15 years.
However, with time and following several major incidents, power generation from nuclear fission, nuclear decay and nuclear fusion became more controversial. Many major nuclear powers presented timetables for the winding down of their reactors as a result. That was, of course, until Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February. Amid high energy prices and uncertainty around Russian gas supplies to Europe, the unmistakable yellow and black radiation warning signs look set to remain as the continent turns once more to its nuclear power stations.
The two offshore natural gas pipelines that run under the Baltic Sea from Russia to Germany, known as Nord Stream, are central to the continent’s energy security. The two longest undersea pipelines in the world, with a capacity of more than 100 billion cubic meters of gas per year, were fiercely opposed owing to concerns that they would increase Russia’s influence in Europe. Given that the majority stakeholder is Russian state company Gazprom, this critical infrastructure has always been, despite assurances, a potential Russian chokehold over Europe.
It was therefore unsurprising that, owing to Western opposition to Moscow’s military action in Ukraine, Nord Stream 1 was temporarily shut down for reasons of maintenance and most recently halted altogether owing to a lack of equipment, supposedly because of the Western sanctions on Russia. Amid the disorder, Gazprom issued a statement confirming Europe’s greatest fears, namely declaring force majeure in that it cannot fulfill its supply obligations because of “extraordinary circumstances.” Though, legally speaking, the declaration was intended to release Gazprom from its contractual obligations, it was in reality tantamount to Russia’s weaponization of energy supplies.
So, Europe is turning once again toward nuclear power. Much as the petroleum crisis of the 1970s focused minds in Japan and France, the next few winters are likely to be difficult for governments and for vulnerable households to manage.
With winter on the horizon, the continent needs to diversify not only its suppliers, but also its energy sources
Not only did Russia supply 45 percent of the EU’s total gas imports last year, but it has also consistently sought to create uncertainty around Nord Stream. In August 2021, prior to the invasion of Ukraine, it began reducing supplies to the EU in an attempt to drive up prices and reopen the case for investment in Nord Stream 2. After the start of the war, supplies were further reduced when it was demanded that European companies pay in rubles, causing deliveries to 12 member states to be partly or completely stopped.
With winter on the horizon, Europe needs to diversify not only its suppliers, but also its energy sources.
The immediate solution is to extend reliance on coal-powered plants or nuclear reactors. Though both are unpopular with campaigners, so acute is the current global economic situation that European governments have little option.
France’s energy minister this month said that power giant EDF had committed to restarting all of its nuclear reactors by this winter to help consumers. In Germany, the crisis has caused a rupture in Olaf Scholz’s new administration, as Europe’s largest economy struggles to keep going through the winter. His economy minister announced that electricity blackouts “cannot be fully ruled out” and, despite being a leading figure within The Greens party, committed to keeping two of Germany’s three final nuclear power plants on standby, taking them way beyond the closure deadline previously set.
In such circumstances, it is likely that the German government will commit to a longer-term extension of the life of the country’s nuclear power plants. In circumstances where, in Germany and across Europe, mothballed coal-fired power plants are being used to generate electricity, a choice between this — the most environmentally damaging source of fuel — and nuclear energy is clear.
Despite the crisis, it would seem that large-scale investment in the power sectors of the past is challenging, as countries strive to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. Though the shortcomings of an overreliance on Russian gas have been exposed, only a committed effort to generate power from renewable sources will offer a long-term solution. However, fully replacing gas and nuclear energy with renewables will take years and such sources are themselves greatly impacted by climate change. The severe drought this summer, believed to be the worst in 500 years, led to a drop in hydropower generation across Europe, while repeated heat waves forced the closure of nuclear reactors over environmental concerns.
For the next two decades, Europe will remain exposed to global energy shocks until sustainable ways of generating renewable power, alongside a change in consumption, can be guaranteed.
• Zaid M. Belbagi is a political commentator and an adviser to private clients between London and the GCC. Twitter: @Moulay_Zaid