English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For April 03/2023
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news

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15 آذار/2023

Bible Quotations For today
It is impossible to restore again to repentance those who have once been enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit,and have tasted the goodness
Letter to the Hebrews 06/01-09:”Let us go on towards perfection, leaving behind the basic teaching about Christ, and not laying again the foundation: repentance from dead works and faith towards God, instruction about baptisms, laying on of hands, resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgement. And we will do this, if God permits. For it is impossible to restore again to repentance those who have once been enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit,and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, since on their own they are crucifying again the Son of God and are holding him up to contempt. Ground that drinks up the rain falling on it repeatedly, and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God. But if it produces thorns and thistles, it is worthless and on the verge of being cursed; its end is to be burned over. Even though we speak in this way, beloved, we are confident of better things in your case, things that belong to salvation.”;

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on April 02-03/2023
Commemoration Of The Zahle City siege: Heroism and Martyrdom/Elias Bejjani/April 02/2023
Palm Sunday...the Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem/ Elias Bejjani/April 02/2023
Patriarch Bechara Boutros Al-Rahi on Palm Sunday: Politicians are not lords
Report: Franjieh offers guarantees to KSA through Paris
Frangieh visits Paris, PSP emphasizes support for consensus candidate
Lebanese government wastes millions of dollars on unlawful recruitment amid country collapse
Concerns over media freedom in Lebanon as journalists face investigation
Bishop Aoudi: We need leaders, not politicians who entertain the government and the people!
Lebanese police arrested the suspect of assaulting a female journalist in Biel

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on April 02-03/2023
Pope Francis leads Palm Sunday service, bounces back from illness
Israel approves budget cuts to fund minister's national guard/Ben-Gvir condemned for ambitions to create 'private militia'
'Several pro-Iran fighters killed' in Israeli strike near Homs
Israel intensifies attacks on Iranian-linked targets in Syria/Third attack in four days comes as Iranian media report death of second Revolutionary Guard officer
Second Iranian Revolutionary Guard adviser dies after Israeli attack in Syria
Syria top diplomat visits Egypt in first since war
Saudi FM receives phone call from Iranian counterpart
Iran says it warned off U.S. Navy aircraft close to Gulf of Oman-Iranian media
Saudi Arabia to invite Syria's Assad to Arab leaders summit
Israeli government dismisses antisemitism envoy
Israel advances national guard force for right-wing minister
Israeli strikes in Syria’s Homs province wound five soldiers
Palestinian killed after West Bank car ramming as violence rises
Israel's Defense Minister visits West Bank, criticizes Iran
Russians tricking Ukrainian pilots into death traps
Armenia promises not to arrest Putin after he threatens it with economic ruin
Explosion in Russian cafe kills military blogger
UK govt ‘in negotiations’ after three British men held in Afghanistan
Six Canadian children to return from Syrian detention without their mother: advocates
Will the yuan challenge the dollar's dominance?

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on April 02-03/2023
There is movement on Syria, but the direction remains unclear/The regional and global powers need clarity and prudence over the war-torn country's future/Raghida Dergham/The National/April 02, 2023
Biden-Netanyahu disagreement will not change policies/Dalia Al-Aqidi/Arab News/April 02, 2023
Opportunities abound if Armenia, Azerbaijan can reconcile/Yasar Yakis/Arab News/April 02, 2023
Iran’s Nature Day a reminder of humanity’s responsibilities/Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Arab News/April 02, 2023
Time to ensure we remain the masters of AI and not its slaves/Dr. Amal Mudallali/Arab News/April 02, 2023

Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on April 02-03/2023
Commemoration Of The Zahle City siege: Heroism and Martyrdom
Elias Bejjani/April 02/2023
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/117073/elias-bejjani-commemoration-of-the-zahle-city-siege-heroism-and-martyrdom/
Any country whose people are not always ready to offer themselves as sacrifices on its altar will lose its sovereignty, and they will turn into humiliated slaves.
In this context of heroism and resistance, and under the leadership of Sheikh Bashir Gemayel, the great people of Zahle city, supported by all the free people of Lebanon, uttered a loud blatant and resounding NO to the Syrian occupation Army.
On April 02/1981, the Lebanese resistance stood tall like their country’s Holy Cedars and challenged the Syrian occupier’s terror, criminality, and barbarism. The Lebanese resistance did not succumb, but courageously defended Zahle City and defeated the occupier’s criminal siege.
The people of Zahle stood firm and defended their city, and its besieged residents with ferocity, pride and faith, while offering hundreds of martyrs. They heroically sad NO, to the barbaric Syrian Baathist armed attack, and because of their devotion and sacrifices Zahle City remained and is still remains free and proud.
About Christ’s salvation and crucifixion, Saint Paul wrote in his letter to the Hebrews/02/09: “But we see him who has been made a little lower than the angels, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that by the grace of God he should taste of death for everyone”.
As Jesus has tasted death for everyone, the Zahle City martyrs offered themselves on Lebanon’s alter to keep it a free, independent and sovereign holy country.
In this same realm of faith and sacrifice, and as the seeds parable teaches us in the holy Bible, John 12/24/: “Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.”, the Zahle City martyrs died so the people of Lebanon will multiply and live in deeply rooted faith values, love pride and dignity.
In contemplating the death of Christ and its holy Godly messages, we can accept death and transcend its unjust causes, hoping for its sublime purpose. Meanwhile it enables us to understand and accept the death of our martyrs in the city of Zahle, and in all of our dear and beloved Lebanon so we can overcome its unjust causes in order to reach its honorable goal, which is maintaining a free, holy and independent Lebanon.
The martyrs of Zahle, like Christ, had to taste death, and they did so for the good of all of us, the Lebanese loving peace and freedom people. They were martyred in order for us to remain as free Lebanese, and the city of Zahle to remain, free.
On the evening of April 2, 1981, Sheikh Bashir Gemayel addressed the resistance fighters in Zahle via the phone and delegated to them the sole decision to continue the resistance or to leave the city, and he said: “Because the road is still open for only a few hours, if you leave, you will save your lives, and the fall of the city becomes an inevitable reality, and this constitutes the end of the resistance epic.” and if you stay, you will find yourselves without water, without medicine, without food, without ammunition, and your task will be to organize the internal resistance and preserve the identity of the Lebanese Bekaa, and give meaning to our six years of war. And he added: “If you decide to stay, then know one thing, which is that heroes die and do not surrender.” Everyone replied, “We will stay,” and the slogan was born, and Zahle remained free, and Lebanon remained.
In conclusion, faith, heroism and martyrdom defeated the Zahle City Syrian siege, and Lebanon remained a free country.

Palm Sunday...the Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem.
Elias Bejjani/April 02/2023
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/107794/elias-bejjani-jesus-victorious-entry-into-jerusalem-palm-sunday-2/
(Psalm118/26): “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of Yahweh! We have blessed You out of the house of Yahweh”.
On the seventh Lantern Sunday, known as the “Palm Sunday”, our Maronite Catholic Church celebrates the Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. The joyful and faithful people of this Holy City and their children welcomed Jesus with innocent spontaneity and declared Him a King. Through His glorious and modest entry the essence of His Godly royalty that we share with Him in baptism and anointing of Chrism was revealed. Jesus’ Triumphant Entry into Jerusalem, the “Palm Sunday”, marks the Seventh Lantern Sunday, the last one before Easter Day, (The Resurrection).
During the past six Lantern weeks, we the believers are ought to have renewed and rekindled our faith and reverence through genuine fasting, contemplation, penance, prayers, repentance and acts of charity. By now we are expected to have fully understood the core of love, freedom, and justice that enables us to enter into a renewed world of worship that encompasses the family, the congregation, the community and the nation.
Jesus entered Jerusalem for the last time to participate in the Jewish Passover Holiday. He was fully aware that the day of His suffering and death was approaching and unlike all times, He did not stop the people from declaring Him a king and accepted to enter the city while they were happily chanting : “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, the King of Israel!”.(John 12/13). Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!” “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.” (Luke 19/39-40). Jesus entered Jerusalem to willingly sacrifice Himself, die on the cross, redeem us and absolve our original sin.
On the Palm Sunday we take our children and grandchildren to celebrate the mass and the special procession while happily they are carrying candles decorated with lilies and roses. Men and women hold palm fronds with olive branches, and actively participate in the Palm Procession with modesty, love and joy crying out loudly: “Hosanna to the Son of David!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Hosanna in the highest!” (Matthew 21/09).
On the Palm Sunday through the procession, prayers, and mass we renew our confidence and trust in Jesus. We beg Him for peace and commit ourselves to always tame all kinds of evil hostilities, forgive others and act as peace and love advocates and defend man’s dignity and his basic human rights. “Ephesians 2:14”: “For Christ Himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in His own body on the cross, He broke down the wall of hostility that separated us”
The Triumphal Entry of Jesus’ story into Jerusalem appears in all four Gospel accounts (Matthew 21:1-17; Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:29-40; John 12:12-19). The four accounts shows clearly that the Triumphal Entry was a significant event, not only to the people of Jesus’ day, but to Christians throughout history.
The Triumphal Entry as it appeared in Saint John’s Gospel, (12/12-19), as follows : “On the next day a great multitude had come to the feast. When they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, they took the branches of the palm trees, and went out to meet him, and cried out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, the King of Israel!” Jesus, having found a young donkey, sat on it. As it is written, “Don’t be afraid, daughter of Zion. Behold, your King comes, sitting on a donkey’s colt. ”His disciples didn’t understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written about Him, and that they had done these things to Him. The multitude therefore that was with Him when He called Lazarus out of the tomb, and raised him from the dead, was testifying about it. For this cause also the multitude went and met Him, because they heard that He had done this sign. The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, “See how you accomplish nothing. Behold, the world has gone after him.” Now there were certain Greeks among those that went up to worship at the feast. These, therefore, came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying, “Sir, we want to see Jesus.” Philip came and told Andrew, and in turn, Andrew came with Philip, and they told Jesus.”
The multitude welcomed Jesus, His disciples and followers while chanting: “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, the King of Israel!”.(John 12/13). His entry was so humble, meek simple and spontaneous. He did not ride in a chariot pulled by horses as earthly kings and conquerors do, He did not have armed guards, nor officials escorting him. He did not come to Jerusalem to fight, rule, judge or settle scores with any one, but to offer Himself a sacrifice for our salvation.
Before entering Jerusalem, He stopped in the city of Bethany, where Lazarus (whom he raised from the tomb) with his two sisters Mary and Martha lived. In Hebrew Bethany means “The House of the Poor”. His stop in Bethany before reaching Jerusalem was a sign of both His acceptance of poverty and His readiness to offer Himself as a sacrifice. He is the One who accepted poverty for our own benefit and came to live in poverty with the poor and escort them to heaven, the Kingdom of His Father.
After His short Stop in Bethany, Jesus entered Jerusalem to fulfill all the prophecies, purposes and the work of the Lord since the dawn of history. All the scripture accounts were fulfilled and completed with his suffering, torture, crucifixion, death and resurrection. On the Cross, He cried with a loud voice: “It is finished.” He bowed his head, and gave up his spirit.(John19/30)
The multitude welcomed Jesus when He entered Jerusalem so one of the Old Testament prophecies would be fulfilled. (Zechariah 9:9-10): “Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your King comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. I will take away the chariots from Ephraim and the warhorses from Jerusalem, and the battle bow will be broken. He will proclaim peace to the nations. His rule will extend from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth”.
The crowd welcomed Jesus for different reasons and numerous expectations. There were those who came to listen to His message and believed in Him, while others sought a miraculous cure for their ailments and they got what they came for, but many others envisaged in Him a mortal King that could liberate their country, Israel, and free them from the yoke of the Roman occupation. Those were disappointed when Jesus told them: “My Kingdom is not an earthly kingdom” (John 18/36)
Christ came to Jerusalem to die on its soil and fulfill the scriptures. It was His choice where to die in Jerusalem as He has said previously: “should not be a prophet perish outside of Jerusalem” (Luke 13/33): “Nevertheless, I must go on my way today and tomorrow and the day following, for it cannot be that a prophet should perish away from Jerusalem”.
He has also warned Jerusalem because in it all the prophets were killed: (Luke 13:34-35): “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, just as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not have it! “behold, your house is left to you desolate; and I say to you, you will not see Me until the time comes when you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord”.
Explanation of the Palm Sunday Procession Symbols
The crowd chanted, “Hosanna to the Son of David” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Hosanna in the highest!” (Matthew 21/09), because Jesus was is a descendant of David. Hosanna in the highest is originated in the Psalm 118/25: “Please, LORD, please save us. Please, LORD, please give us success”. It is a call for help and salvation as also meant by the Psalm 26/11: “But I lead a blameless life; redeem me and be merciful to me”. Hosanna also means: God enlightened us and will never abandon us, Jesus’ is a salvation for the world”
Spreading cloth and trees’ branches in front of Jesus to walk on them was an Old Testament tradition that refers to love, obedience, submission, triumph and loyalty. (2 Kings 09/13): “They hurried and took their cloaks and spread them under him on the bare steps. Then they blew the trumpet and shouted, “Jehu is king!”. In the old days Spreading garments before a dignitary was a symbol of submission.
Zion is a hill in Jerusalem, and the “Daughter of Zion” is Jerusalem. The term is synonymous with “paradise” and the sky in its religious dimensions.
Carrying palm and olive branches and waving with them expresses joy, peace, longing for eternity and triumph. Palm branches are a sign of victory and praise, while Olive branches are a token of joy, peace and durability. The Lord was coming to Jerusalem to conquer death by death and secure eternity for the faithful. It is worth mentioning that the olive tree is a symbol for peace and its oil a means of holiness immortality with which Kings, Saints, children and the sick were anointed.
The name “King of Israel,” symbolizes the kingship of the Jews who were waiting for Jehovah to liberate them from the Roman occupation.
O, Lord Jesus, strengthen our faith to feel closer to You and to Your mercy when in trouble;
O, Lord Jesus, empower us with the grace of patience and meekness to endure persecution, humiliation and rejection and always be Your followers.
O, Lord Let Your eternal peace and gracious love prevail all over the world.
A joyous Palm Sunday to all

Patriarch Bechara Boutros Al-Rahi on Palm Sunday: Politicians are not lords
Najia Houssari/Arab News/April 02, 2023
Qatar’s foreign affairs minister set to arrive in Beirut to discuss issues
BEIRUT: Politicians need to commit to serving love, justice, and the good of humanity, Lebanon’s Maronite Patriarch Bechara Boutros Al-Rahi said on Sunday. His appeal, which was made during a sermon, came as Christian denominations in Lebanon that follow the Western calendar celebrated Palm Sunday.
Economic and political matters were topics in Al-Rahi’s message as children carried candles and olive branches and participated in processions. Al-Rahi began his sermon — after a mass held in Bkerke — by reminding believers of the many children who are denied the joy of the holiday.
He said: “The purpose of the power entrusted to politicians is service, not oppression. “Those in power are not lords but servants of the common good. A true politician is a servant. “If they are not, then they are bad politicians. Politics is a noble art in service of the common good. “Politicians are thus called upon to destroy their inner tendencies to be corrupt and selfish and serve personal interests or embezzle public funds.” Al-Rahi addressed the nation’s MPs by saying that good politicians would promptly elect a president so that order can be restored to constitutional institutions. Al-Rahi is scheduled to meet Christian MPs on Wednesday in an attempt to smooth the way for a presidential candidate to emerge who enjoys broad support among the parties. A presidential vacuum has now prevailed in Lebanon for six months and Nabih Berri, parliamentary speaker, has ended sessions to elect a president after 11 failures.
Suleiman Frangieh, the head of the Marada Movement and the presidential candidate supported by Hezbollah and its allies, returned from Paris on Saturday after meeting French officials, most notably Patrick Dorrell, an adviser to the French president. Frangieh’s meetings were held as the French work to overcome obstacles impeding the presidential elections.
The Free Patriotic Movement and the Lebanese Forces party, the largest Christian blocs in parliament, oppose Frangieh’s candidacy, in addition to the Lebanese Kataeb Party. Leader of the Lebanese Forces Samir Geagea said: “The presidential road ahead of a president affiliated to Hezbollah’s team will be difficult. The candidacy of any figure from the axis of resistance, whoever they are, is a void in itself." Lebanese Forces and reformist MPs are still backing Michel Moawad’s bid for the presidency, but the Hezbollah team considers him provocative.
Mohammed Raad, the head of Hezbollah’s parliamentary bloc, said on Sunday: “This president will be subordinate to US orders, the International Monetary Fund, and the forces of global arrogance. “Communicating with the IMF to obtain a $3 billion program will not benefit the country.”Leaked information about Frangieh’s meetings in Paris revealed that he expressed readiness not to deviate from the Arab consensus in dealing with the issue of Syria, and gave guarantees that the government’s reform work would not be disrupted, stressing his desire to rescue the country from its economic crisis.
Frangieh reportedly reiterated that he wants better relations with Saudi Arabia and that he will facilitate the government’s work in agreeing with the IMF to develop a rescue plan. According to unofficial reports, Frangieh spoke of being authorized by Hezbollah and its secretary-general to discuss defense strategy.
Meanwhile, Mohammed bin Abdulaziz bin Saleh Al-Khulaifi, Qatar’s foreign affairs minister, will arrive in Beirut on Monday. The minister seeks to maintain communication with all political views, but he does not carry any specific initiative regarding any presidential candidate. Al-Khulaifi’s visit follows a trip to the country by the US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Barbara Leaf, during which she met Lebanese officials in Beirut. Leaf urged Lebanese lawmakers to implement desperately needed economic reforms, and emphasized the urgency of electing a new president, especially as the IMF had warned that the country was at a crossroads and in a very dangerous situation.

Report: Franjieh offers guarantees to KSA through Paris
Naharnet/April 02, 2023
French presidential adviser Patrick Durel has obtained Paris-demanded “guarantees” from Marada Movement chief Suleiman Franjieh and will discuss them with the Saudis, a senior French source said. “Reports claiming that Franjieh was invited by the French presidency to be asked to withdraw (from the presidential race) are baseless,” the source added, in remarks to Annahar newspaper published Sunday. Franjieh offered Durel “guarantees that he would not block the work of the reformist government, expressing his desire to rescue the country from its economic crisis while stressing that he wants the best relations with Saudi Arabia,” the daily added. “Paris will continue to work in the same direction, which is the dire need to carry out reforms in Lebanon with a reformist premier who would implement them and a president who would be accepted by the main Lebanese parties,” the senior French source said.

Frangieh visits Paris, PSP emphasizes support for consensus candidate
LBCI/April 02, 2023
Secrecy dominates the situation surrounding presidential candidate Sleiman Frangieh's visit to Paris. Both parties remain tight-lipped about the details of Frangieh's meeting with French presidential advisor Patrick Durel. The only exception is the French confirmation that Frangieh provided some guarantees without disclosing their details or nature. As the discussions of the visit are exclusive to Frangieh, his return to Lebanon is eagerly awaited to determine the course of the presidential entitlement. Allies of the head of the Marada Movement, particularly the Amal-Hezbollah duo, are keeping an eye on the details of the visit. They are also focused on completing the discussions with the Saudi side to determine whether Frangieh's guarantees will convince the kingdom to change its stance against the arrival of a Hezbollah-allied president. On the Progressive Socialist Party's side, whose leader Walid Jumblatt preceded Frangieh to Paris and advised the French to adopt a consensual rather than confrontational candidate, the Democratic Gathering resolved the debate about its position on the entitlement. MP Taymour Jumblatt announced that the parliamentary bloc and the party insist on calling for a consensus figure for the presidency who will not be a party to or pose a challenge to anyone. The candidate must have a reformist and rescue vision for the country. This position was previously proposed by Walid Jumblatt and announced in all domestic and foreign communications and discussions. "Enough with the imagination of some," Taymour Jumblatt concluded.

Lebanese government wastes millions of dollars on unlawful recruitment amid country collapse
LBCI/April 02, 2023
In a time of economic collapse, millions of dollars are being wasted on salaries for random recruits. In 2017, the Parliament passed the new salary brackets and prohibited new hiring in public administrations. However, in the run-up to the 2018 elections, some political parties and factions broke the law for political favors. According to a 2019 report from the Central Inspection, the state unlawfully hired 7,549 new employees, which defied the law, and they were regular employees and not managers. They were distributed among different government departments, including 3,305 employees in the Education Ministry and 453 in Ogero, which the General Director of Ogero admitted were distributed among political parties as well as another number of employees in more than one governmental and official department. In the Education Ministry and the rest of the departments, an employee's salary is between seven million and nine million LBP today. The average wage is around eight million LBP for each employee. Thus, 7,549 employees were unlawfully recruited, which still cost more than 60 billion monthly. These employees will receive their salaries this month at the Sayrafa exchange rate of LBP 60,000, meaning that one million dollars will go to these employees, who had been recruited due to political favors. In conclusion, we pay about one million dollars per month to employees violating the law. However, this amount would have secured a lot of life's necessities every month, such as internet, electricity, water, and additional dollars in the markets. Moreover, this scenario robs us daily. Why are these people still in their workplaces and not being dismissed, knowing that most public administrations suffer due to continuous strikes? They get paid without even working.

Concerns over media freedom in Lebanon as journalists face investigation
LBCI/April 02, 2023
Once again, the issue of restricting media freedom has resurfaced in Lebanon. This time, journalists Lara Bitar and Jean Kassir are being targeted. Lara Bitar was summoned by the Cybercrime Bureau to be investigated in a complaint filed by the Lebanese Forces party. The complaint alleges that Bitar published an investigation accusing the party of being involved in a toxic waste scandal decades ago. Jean Kassir was called in for questioning by the General Directorate of State Security, following an order from the General Prosecutor, Judge Ghassan Oweidat. The investigation was initiated in response to Kassir's post on Megaphone, titled "Lebanon is governed by fugitives from justice." The mentioned post featured several political and judicial figures, including Judge Ghassan Oweidat, who ordered Kassir's questioning. How can Oweidat be both the victim and the judge in the same case? It is well known that security agencies are not authorized to investigate journalists, as this falls under the jurisdiction of the Publications Court. According to legal experts, Oweidat does not have the right to charge defamation crimes without a personal claim. This type of charge is not covered by public law. Oweidat should have either filed a personal claim or requested another judge from the Public Prosecution to examine the case to ensure impartiality. Therefore, Oweidat's actions represent a conflict of interest.

Bishop Aoudi: We need leaders, not politicians who entertain the government and the people!
LCCC/03 April/2023
The Metropolitan of Beirut and its dependencies pointed out to the Greek Orthodox, Archbishop Elias Odeh, that “the whole country is idle. Its administrations are idle, employees are on strike, people’s interests are idle, billions of pounds are being wasted and we are begging for aid,” asking: “How can they live without a twinge of conscience and sleep without worry?” .“We need leaders, not leaders,” Odeh said in Sunday’s sermon. We need visionary thinkers, owners of a cause to defend it, not politicians who make fun of the government and the people.”

Lebanese police arrested the suspect of assaulting a female journalist in Biel
LCCC/03 April 2023
The General Directorate of the Internal Security Forces stated in a statement, this evening, Sunday, that “the Information Division, at record speed, arrested the suspect of assault and attempted rape of a British journalist in the waterfront area in Beirut near “Kids Mondo”, which took place on 3/29/2023. The investigation is underway under the supervision of the competent judiciary.

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on April 02-03/2023
Pope Francis leads Palm Sunday service, bounces back from illness
Reuters/April 02, 2023
ROME: Pope Francis led a Palm Sunday service the day after he was discharged from hospital following a bout of bronchitis, and urged the world to take better care of the poor, the lonely and the infirm. Thousands of people waved palm and olive branches as Francis was driven into St. Peter’s Square sitting in the back of a white, open-topped vehicle, before descending and starting the service from beneath an ancient Egyptian obelisk. The pope, 86, was taken to Rome’s Gemelli hospital on Wednesday after complaining of breathing difficulties, but recovered quickly following an infusion of antibiotics and returned to his Vatican residence on Saturday. Looking to allay concerns about his health, the Vatican has said he will take part a full array of Easter events this week, the busiest period in the Roman Catholic Church calendar, starting with the open-air Palm Sunday service. The pontiff, wearing red vestments, spoke with a quiet, but clear voice as he addressed a crowd of more than 30,000 faithful in weak spring sunshine. In his homily he called on people not to ignore those experiencing great suffering and solitude. “Today their numbers are legion. Entire peoples are exploited and abandoned; the poor live on our streets and we look the other way; migrants are no longer faces but numbers, prisoners are disowned; people written off as problems,” he said.
The pope, who marked the 10th anniversary of his pontificate in March, has long highlighted the plight of the poor and of migrants. He has suffered a number of ailments in recent years, including severe knee pain, which means he uses a cane and often a wheelchair in his public appearances. His difficulties with mobility have limited his participation at some events, and as happened last year, a senior cardinal celebrated the actual Mass on Sunday. Palm Sunday marks the day that the Bible says Jesus rode into Jerusalem to the cheers of the crowds, the week before Christian believe he rose from the dead following his execution on the Cross. On Holy Thursday, Francis will celebrate Mass in a prison for juveniles in Rome. It is not yet clear if he will participate in the traditional Good Friday Via Crucis (Way of the Cross) procession around Rome’s ancient Colosseum. The pope, head of the world’s nearly 1.4 billion Roman Catholics, will then preside over the Mass on Easter Sunday, the most important day on the Christian liturgical calendar, where he is expected to read his “Urbi et Orbi” (to the city and the world) message.

Israel approves budget cuts to fund minister's national guard/Ben-Gvir condemned for ambitions to create 'private militia'
Holly Johnston/The National/April 02, 2023
Israel's Cabinet on Sunday approved budget cuts that pave the way for a controversial minister to establish a national guard, described by the opposition as a "private militia".Ministers voted in favour of the cuts despite some opposition, Israeli media reported, with all ministries to be affected. The costly move has been heavily criticised by many in the opposition. Funds will be redirected for the establishment of a national guard under National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, one of the most polarising ministers in Israel's most right-wing government to date. Israel's Itamar Ben-Gvir to be police minister in 'fully right-wing government'. It follows weeks of unprecedented protests across Israel, with thousands rallying against judicial reforms set to vastly reduce the powers of the Supreme Court in favour of the government. Opposition leader and former PM Yair Lapid has hit out at the move. "The government approved horizontal cuts to fund Ben-Gvir's private militia. They will cut health, education, security, all to finance a private army of thugs for the TikTok clown," he said on Twitter. Mr Ben-Gvir plans to establish a group of about 3,000 police officers as part of the guard, who will answer to him only. Senior police and intelligence officials have also reportedly spoken out against the plans. Israel's police commissioner Kobi Shabtai wrote to Mr Ben-Gvir last week, Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported on Sunday, calling the move "unnecessary, with extremely high costs that may harm citizens' personal security." The guard may cause "heavy damage to country's internal security systems", he added, and asked to convene a cabinet meeting before making a formal decision. Mr Ben-Gvir, who has been widely condemned for his anti-Palestinian views, claimed he was promised the national guard in exchange for allowing a pause to the judicial reforms, which have caused uproar in Israel. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced a pause to the legislation until after the Passover holiday following mass demonstrations. Mr Ben-Gvir threatened to resign if the reforms, which still require several readings in parliament, were not passed. “The reform will pass. The national guard will be established. The budget that I demanded for the National Security Ministry will pass in full,” he later tweeted. The Prime Minister has not acknowledged such a deal.

'Several pro-Iran fighters killed' in Israeli strike near Homs
Agence France Presse/April 02, 2023
Five Syrian soldiers were wounded in an Israeli air strike near the western city of Homs early Sunday, Syria's state news agency SANA said. The strike was Israel's third in recent days after Damascus was targeted on the nights of March 30 and 31, according to the agency. "Today at around 00:35 (2135 GMT), the Israeli enemy carried out an air assault from northeast of Beirut targeting positions in the city of Homs and its province," SANA reported on Sunday, citing a military source. Syria's air defense intercepted several missiles, but five soldiers were wounded and some material damage was reported, the source added. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, said the strikes targeted several military positions of Syrian government forces and pro-Iran groups in Homs. The NGO said explosions rocked the city and a fire broke out in a research center, with ambulances heading to the scene of the attack. Observatory director Rami Abdul Rahman told AFP that in addition to the five wounded Syrian soldiers, several Iranian-affiliated fighters in the research center had been killed in the strikes. An officer from Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guards was killed in Israeli strikes in Syria on March 31, a website affiliated with the Guards said. Israel has conducted seven air strikes in Syria this month, according to the Observatory, which has an extensive network of sources in the country. While Israel rarely comments on the strikes it carries out on Syria, it has repeatedly said it will not allow its arch-foe Iran to extend its footprint in the war-torn country. Last month, an Israeli air strike killed 15 people in a Damascus district that houses state security agencies, the Observatory said at the time. Last week, an Israeli missile strike destroyed a suspected arms depot used by Iran-backed militias at Syria's Aleppo airport, the war monitor said. On March 7, three people were killed in an Israeli strike on the same airport that put it out of service. It reopened three days later. The Syrian war broke out in 2011 with the brutal repression of peaceful anti-government protests, and escalated into a deadly armed conflict that pulled in foreign powers and global jihadists. Some 500,000 people have been killed and around half of Syria's pre-war population has been forced from their homes.

Israel intensifies attacks on Iranian-linked targets in Syria/Third attack in four days comes as Iranian media report death of second Revolutionary Guard officer
Khaled Yacoub Oweis/The National/April 02, 2023
Israel struck on Sunday parts of Iran's zone of influence in central Syria, in another escalation of an indirect war between the two countries in the theatre of the Syrian civil war. Citing a Syrian military official, the Syrian state news agency said that five Syrian soldiers were wounded in strikes by the "Israeli enemy" on the city of Homs and other parts of the Homs governorate just after midnight. The official said air defences intercepted several of the missiles, which he suggested were fired from Israeli planes north-east of Beirut. Sources in the Syrian opposition to President Bashar Al Assad said rockets hit the T4 airbase in the desert east of Homs and Al Dabaa military airport near the Lebanese border. Iran Jordan Lebanon Syria Tunisia Arab Showcase Captagon Crisis Arab countries should 'get something' from Syria for normalisation, US official says Both sites have been recurring targets of Israeli strikes on Syria, which have numbered in the hundreds in the past several years. The Lebanese Hezbollah militia was instrumental in the regime regaining most of Homs from the armed opposition in 2014-2015 and has maintained a presence in the area since. The conflict in Syria broke out in March 2011 with peaceful street demonstrations against five decades of Assad family rule. The revolt militarised by the end of the year, after the regime used force to suppress the protest movement, and armed actors proliferated, from radical Sunni and Shiite Islamist groups to regional and international powers. Since an earthquake affected parts of Syria in early February, Israel has been increasingly attacking Iranian-linked targets in the country. Syria constitutes the longest chunk of a supply route between Tehran and Hezbollah, Iran's most powerful Middle East ally. On Thursday and Friday, Israeli raids on the outskirts of Damascus killed two members of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Iranian media said. The Revolutionary Guard said one of its officers in Syria, identified as Milad Haydari, was killed in the Israeli attacks on Friday. Iranian media reported on Sunday the death of a second officer, Meqdad Meqdani.
A month before, Israeli strikes on Damascus and one of its suburbs killed two Syrian officers thought to have close links with the Revolutionary Guard, according to sources in the regime and the opposition. Iranian officer killed as Israel strikes Damascus for second time in 24 hours
"Israel will continue its strikes. It appears to be receiving precise information," said veteran Syrian political commentator Ayman Abdel Nour Noor. He said the strikes could help keep the perceived Iranian threat prominent in Israel, in case Israel chooses at some point to attack Iran directly to curb its nuclear programme. The Israeli strikes come after an exchange of airborne attacks last month between US forces in Syria and pro-Iranian Shiite militias in eastern Syria. Wael Alwan, director of information at the Jusoor research centre in Istanbul, said the intensified Israel raids could be partly driven by suspicion that Iran has used earthquake aid flights to transfer more military supplies and technology to its militia allies in Syria. "The recent Iranian provocation against US forces in the east has confused the picture," Mr Alwan said. "But what is clear is that Israel feels the need to act to counter Iran's moves to strengthen its position in Syria after the earthquake." Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said Iran reserves its right to respond to what he described as Israeli terrorism "at the appropriate time and place".

Second Iranian Revolutionary Guard adviser dies after Israeli attack in Syria
Reuters/April 02, 2023
DUBAI: A military adviser to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps died of his injuries after an Israeli air strike near Syria’s capital, Iranian semi-official Mehr news agency reported on Sunday. Israel has for years carried out attacks against what it has described as Iran-linked targets in Syria, where Tehran’s influence has grown since it began supporting President Bashar Assad in the civil war that began in 2011. Iran says its officers serve in an advisory role in Syria at the invitation of Damascus. Dozens of Revolutionary Guards members including senior officers have been killed in Syria during the war. “Meqdad Mehghani was wounded during the Zionist attack on Friday dawn and was martyred,” Mehr news said. Friday’s air strike, the sixth attack by Israel in Syria in March according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, also killed another Revolutionary Guards military adviser and officer, Milad Haydari. The Revolutionary Guards vowed to respond to the Israeli attack on Friday.

Syria top diplomat visits Egypt in first since war
Agence France Presse/April 02, 2023
Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry has met with his Syrian counterpart Faisal Mekdad in Cairo, a first since Syria's civil war broke out over a decade ago, Shoukry's office said. The meeting comes amid amplified Arab engagement with the Damascus government which has been politically isolated in the region since the start of the Syria war and was expelled from the Cairo-based Arab League in 2011 over its bloody crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrations. Mekdad's visit to Cairo is the "first in more than 10 years" for a Syrian top diplomat and saw a closed door meeting between the two ministers followed by discussions between the two countries' delegations, the Egyptian foreign ministry said. Several Arab countries rushed to Syria's aid after a February 6 earthquake killed tens of thousands in the war-torn country and neighbouring Turkey. At the time, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi called his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad in an unprecedented show of support since Sisi took office in 2014. The two country's top diplomats also spoke over the phone in the aftermath of the quake. Shoukry then visited Damascus and met Assad on February 27 in the first trip of its kind in more than a decade. Discussions on Saturday focused on "supporting the Syrian people to restore (the country's) unity and sovereignty over its whole territories," the Egyptian ministry said in a statement. Shoukry called for a "comprehensive political settlement to the Syrian crisis", while reiterating Cairo's backing for the United Nations special envoy's efforts to resolve the conflict. The two ministers also agreed "on intensifying channels of communication" between their countries, the statement said. Unlike other Arab governments, Cairo never fully severed ties with Damascus after the war, but relations were downgraded. But the aftermath of the quake saw heavyweights like Saudi Arabia send aid to Syria, followed by talks between Riyadh and Damascus to resume consular services. The United Arab Emirates has led the charge to bring Syria back into the Arab fold, with President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan saying last month that "the time has come" for Syria to be reintegrated into the wider region.

Saudi FM receives phone call from Iranian counterpart
Arab News/April 02, 2023
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan received a phone call from his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amirabdollahian on Sunday. During the phone call, the ministers discussed issues of common interest and “the next steps in light of the recent tripartite agreement.”Last month, Saudi Arabia and Iran agreed to reestablish diplomatic relations and reopen their embassies within two months following years of tensions between the two countries. The deal was brokered by China.

Iran says it warned off U.S. Navy aircraft close to Gulf of Oman-Iranian media
DUBAI (Reuters)/Sun, April 2, 2023
The Iranian navy said it identified and warned off a U.S. reconnaissance plane near the Gulf of Oman on Sunday, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported. "After the warning, the plane was prevented from entering the country's skies without authorization," said the report, identifying the plane as a U.S. Navy EP-3E. While the opening line of the Tasnim report said the aircraft had crossed into Iranian airspace, the same report also said the aircraft had not entered Iranian skies and had left after the warning. The U.S. Defense Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Iran has had similar confrontations with U.S. forces in the past. In 2019, Iran shot down a U.S. drone which it said was flying over southern Iran. On Dec. 31, Iran said its military had launched a drone to warn off a reconnaissance plane trying to approach Iranian war games on the Gulf coast, without identifying the aircraft. The United States has long deployed weaponry and troops in the oil-producing Gulf to provide security to its allies. Long-strained relations between Iran and the United States have deteriorated further in the last year, as talks to revive the 2015 nuclear deal hit deadlock and after Tehran unleashed a deadly crackdown on protesters. U.S. sanctions have also targeted suppliers of Iranian drones which Washington said have been used to target civilian infrastructure in Ukraine during the conflict with Russia. Iran has previously acknowledged sending drones to Russia but said they were sent before the invasion. Moscow has denied its forces used Iranian drones in Ukraine. (Reporting by Dubai Newsroom;

Saudi Arabia to invite Syria's Assad to Arab leaders summit
Aziz El Yaakoubi and Maya Gebeily/Reuters/Sun, April 2, 2023
RIYADH/BEIRUT (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia is planning to invite Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to an Arab League summit that Riyadh is hosting in May, three sources familiar with the plans said, a move that would formally end Syria's regional isolation. Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan will travel to Damascus in coming weeks to hand Assad a formal invitation to attend the summit scheduled for May 19, two of the sources said. The Saudi government's communication office and the foreign ministries of both countries did not respond to requests for comments.
Gamal Roshdy, spokesperson for the Arab League secretary general, said the organisation is not privy to every move on the bilateral level between Arab countries. "We are not supposed to be informed in advance about the assumed visit," he added. Assad's attendance at an Arab League summit would mark the most significant development in his rehabilitation within the Arab world since 2011, when Syria was suspended from the organisation. Assad had been boycotted by many Western and Arab states over his brutal crackdown on protests - violence that led to a protracted civil war. Syria's return to the 22-member body would be mostly symbolic but it reflects a change in the regional approach towards the Syrian conflict. Hundreds of thousands of people have died in the war, which drew in numerous foreign powers, and splintered the country.
Last month sources told Reuters Riyadh and Damascus had reached an agreement to reopen their embassies after the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. The Saudi foreign ministry did not confirm an agreement was reached but said it was in talks with the Syrian foreign ministry to resume consular services.
One of the three sources said discussions have been ongoing for more than a year over a list of demands from Saudi Arabia for the Syrian government to meet as a condition to mend ties, including close cooperation on border security and drug trafficking. Initial discussions for a visit by Prince Faisal to Damascus or by Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad to Riyadh were postponed because of the earthquakes that hit Turkey and Syria in February, one of the sources said. Arab League heavyweight Egypt has also resumed contacts with Assad. Both sides agreed to strengthen cooperation on Saturday during the first official visit by a Syrian foreign minister to Cairo in over a decade. An Egyptian security source told Reuters the visit was aimed at putting in place steps for Syria's return to the Arab League through Egyptian and Saudi mediation. Some countries, including the United States and Qatar, have opposed the normalisation of ties with Assad, citing his government's brutality during the conflict and the need to see progress towards a political solution in Syria. Contacts between Saudi and Syrian officials gathered momentum following a landmark agreement in March between Saudi Arabia and Iran, Assad's main backer, to re-establish ties. The rapprochement between Riyadh and Tehran is part of major regional realignment, amid rising tensions between Iran and Israel. Israeli forces carried out air strikes on outposts in Syria's Homs province in a raid early on Sunday, Syria's defence ministry said, while Western intelligence sources said a series of air bases in central Syria where Iranian personnel are based were hit in the bombings.

Israeli government dismisses antisemitism envoy
JERUSALEM (AP)/Sun, April 2, 2023
Israel’s antisemitism envoy said Sunday that she was fired by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, citing her criticism of its planned judicial overhaul as a possible cause. Noa Tishby, a pro-Israel activist and actress, was appointed to the volunteer role to combat antisemitism last year by Israel’s previous administration. Tishby wrote on Twitter that “it is not possible for me to know if their decision was driven by my publicly stated concerns about this government’s ‘judicial reform policy.’”Last month Tishby published a column on the Hebrew-language news site Ynet critical of the government's proposed legislation, calling it an attempted “coup.” The Israeli Foreign Ministry declined answering questions about Tishby’s dismissal, but issued a statement wishing her luck. Netanyahu announced last week that he would pause the planned overhaul of the country’s judiciary. The government’s proposed defanging of the Supreme Court has divided the country and drawn weekly mass protests. Another diplomatic appointment by the prior government, Assaf Zamir, Israel’s Consul General in New York, resigned last week in protest.

Israel advances national guard force for right-wing minister
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP)/Sun, April 2, 2023
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government on Sunday gave preliminary approval for the creation of a national guard overseen by an ultranationalist Cabinet minister with a long record of anti-Arab rhetoric and stunts.
Netanyahu agreed to move ahead on the force last week after he postponed a contentious government plan to overhaul the judiciary as a way to keep National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir from quitting the coalition. Critics say the new force is effectively a personal militia for Ben-Gvir, a former far-right activist who has been convicted several times for incitement and support for a Jewish terror group. Ben-Gvir says the force is meant to fill in gaps in areas where police are spread thin, including in crime-ridden Arab communities, as well as dealing with Arab-Jewish violence and other issues. The force is expected to enlist hundreds at first and cost millions of dollars. The recruits' precise duties and authorities were unclear. Netanyahu's office said Sunday that his Cabinet approved the establishment of the force, but that a committee comprised of Israel’s existing security agencies would determine the guard’s authorities and whether it would be subordinate to the police, or take orders directly from Ben-Gvir, as he demands. The committee has 90 days to make its recommendations. The idea of a national guard was already in the works, created by a previous government after Arab-Jewish violence broke out in mixed cities in May 2021 during a war with Hamas. But Ben-Gvir's desire to have it answer to him rather than to police is what has sparked criticism. The force comes at a time of surging tensions between Israelis and Palestinians in the West Bank and east Jerusalem, which has led to one of the deadliest periods in those territories in years. Ben-Gvir, a hardline West Bank settler, has repeatedly carried out what the Palestinians view as provocations, like visiting a sensitive Jerusalem holy site, and the idea of a force loyal to him is seen by many as problematic. It remains to be seen whether the plan will be implemented. The force requires a change in current legislation to become official, and Netanyahu has reneged on promises to his political partners in the past. Israeli media reported that the current police chief, Kobi Shabtai, opposes the new guard. In a letter to Ben-Gvir and Netanyahu, Shabtai said the force was “needless” and that it could cause greater harm than good because it would confuse citizens and officers, the reports said. Moshe Karadi, a former police chief, said Saturday it was dangerous to grant a politician such power, suggesting Ben-Gvir could use the force to stage a coup. Other government ministers also reportedly objected to their budgets being cut to allocate funds for the new force. Netanyahu's decision to grant the force to Ben-Gvir also revved up a robust anti-government protest movement, which has been demonstrating for nearly three months against the overhaul and which has pledged to stand against the new guard. Tens of thousands protested again on Saturday night, despite the overhaul having been paused. Protesters on Saturday dressed up as mock recruits for Ben-Gvir's force, wearing black uniforms with their faces covered and chanting “with blood, with fire, we'll protect the tyrant.”Tens of thousands of Israelis spilled into the streets last week in a spontaneous burst of anger and workers went on strike after Netanyahu fired his defense minister, who had urged the prime minister to put the overhaul on hold, citing concerns about the damage to the military. Netanyahu paused the overhaul in response to the protests.

Israeli strikes in Syria’s Homs province wound five soldiers
AP/April 02, 2023
BEIRUT: Israeli airstrikes hit several sites in Syria’s Homs province early Sunday, wounding five soldiers, Syrian state media reported. It marked the ninth time Israel has struck targets in Syria since the beginning of the year, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition-linked war monitor. State news agency SANA, citing military sources, said the strikes had targeted sites in the city of Homs and surrounding countryside. Syrian air defenses intercepted the missiles and shot down some of them, it said. The observatory reported that the missiles targeted Syrian military sites and those of Iran-linked militias, including a research center. There was no immediate statement from Israel on the strikes. Israel has carried out hundreds of strikes on targets inside government-controlled parts of Syria in recent years, including attacks on the Damascus and Aleppo airports, but it rarely acknowledges specific operations.
Israel says it targets bases of Iran-allied militant groups, such as Lebanon’s Hezbollah, which has sent thousands of fighters to support Syrian President Bashar Assad’s forces. On Friday, Israeli airstrikes hit the suburbs of Syria’s capital city, Damascus, killing an Iranian adviser, the state media of Syria and Iran reported. Iran’s state television reported Friday that Milad Heidari, an Iranian military adviser, was killed during what it called a “criminal strike” by Israel. An Israeli airstrike last month targeting the airport in Aleppo put it out of commission for two days. The airport has been a main conduit for aid shipments since the deadly 7.8-magnitude earthquake that hit Syria and Turkiye on Feb. 6. Israel has also struck seaports in government-held areas of Syria, in an apparent attempt to prevent Iranian arms shipments to militant groups backed by Tehran, including Hezbollah.

Palestinian killed after West Bank car ramming as violence rises
Agence France Presse/April 02, 2023
A suspected assailant was killed by Israeli soldiers after a West Bank car ramming, the army said, in an escalation that threatens to end a relative lull during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan so far. The Palestinian's death came less than 24 hours after an Arab Israeli allegedly snatched a gun from a police officer at Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa mosque compound and fired it before being shot dead. The army said a "terrorist" had conducted a "ramming attack adjacent to the town of Beit Ummar" before being neutralized, with a spokesperson confirming to AFP the presumed assailant's death. Magen David Adom medics said the three men were taken to hospitals in Jerusalem with serious, moderate and light wounds. In a statement, the Palestinian Authority identified the dead man as Mohammed Baradyah, 23. Early Saturday, police said they shot dead 26-year-old medical student Mohammed al-Asibi, a resident of the Bedouin village of Hura in southern Israel. According to police, Asibi had snatched a gun from an officer and fired it at other police officers close to the nearby Chain Gate, an access point to the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in the Old City of Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem. Passers-by reported hearing gunfire, and an AFP photographer saw scores of police deployed in the Old City at around 1:00 am (2200 GMT on Friday). Asibi's family has disputed the police account of his death and demanded to see CCTV footage, Israeli media reported. Raam, the Israeli parliament's Islamist party, rejected the police account of events, noting in a Facebook post the claims from "witnesses" who said Asibi came to aid a woman who was in a scuffle with police. It called for an investigation.
'Execution'
The umbrella organisation representing Israel's Arab citizens announced a "general strike and day of mourning" on Sunday following the "execution" of Asibi. Police, meanwhile, were standing by their original version of events and issued another statement Saturday afternoon saying that the site of the attack was not covered by surveillance cameras. A video released by police showed what was described as Asibi milling around the compound alone. Another video showed people at the Chain Gate reacting in fright, presumably to the sound of gunshots. The police also rejected the notion a woman was involved, saying Asibi "arrived alone", with officers suspicious of his presence at the compound after closing hours. The shooting occurred hours after tens of thousands of Palestinians had packed the Al-Aqsa mosque compound for the second Friday prayers of Ramadan, which had passed off peacefully despite fears of bloodshed during the holy month. Israeli police said more than 100,000 faithful had gathered to pray at Islam's third holiest site, built on what Jews call the Temple Mount, Judaism's holiest site. More than 2,000 police officers had been deployed across the city. The Jordanian body which administers the mosque compound put the number of worshippers at 250,000. An upsurge in violence in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict since the beginning of the year has raised fears of bloodshed during Ramadan. Since the start of the year, the conflict has claimed the lives of 88 Palestinians, including militants and civilians, and one Arab Israeli. Fourteen other Israelis, including members of the security forces and civilians, and one Ukrainian have been killed over the same period, according to an AFP tally based on official sources from both sides.

Israel's Defense Minister visits West Bank, criticizes Iran
JERUSALEM (Reuters)/Sun, April 2, 2023
Israel's Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, who Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tried to dismiss last week, has completed his visit to the occupied West Bank and warned against Iranian interference. "We will not allow the Iranians and Hezbollah to harm us. We have not allowed it in the past, we won’t allow it now, or anytime in the future," Gallant said during the visit to an army brigade in the West Bank. Netanyahu announced Gallant's dismissal a week ago after he spoke out against the pace of the government's hotly contested judicial reforms. The announcement triggered foreign alarm and unprecedented street protest, and Gallant never received a formal dismissal letter from Netanyahu. Netanyahu's religious-nationalist coalition government has since moved to pause the judicial reforms. Gallant was briefed during his visit on a probe into a Palestinian motorist who the Israeli military said it shot on Saturday after he rammed his car into a group of soldiers in the West Bank. Israeli-Palestinian tensions are simmering after months of violence in areas of Jerusalem and the West Bank. Tensions are also simmering with Syria, Iran and with Iran-backed armed group Hezbollah. "All our fronts are tense. The Iranians are extending their outreach to (the West Bank) and Gaza, and are attempting to entrench themselves in Syria and Lebanon," said Gallant.

Russians tricking Ukrainian pilots into death traps
Danielle Sheridan/The Telegraph/April 2, 2023
Russia is setting sophisticated “traps” to ambush Ukrainian fighter jets, one of Kyiv's top pilots has revealed.. Major Vadym Voroshylov has told how every day it is becoming harder to keep the Russians at bay using outdated Soviet aircraft as he pleaded for the West to send F-16 fighter jets. Major Voroshylov, who in a rare break from the front line met with The Telegraph, warned: “The Russians change tactics all the time, so the war isn’t stable. They make traps. They will send up a Russian jet alone, tricking the Ukrainian pilot into thinking there is only one jet. Then, two or three more will appear either side of it, effectively swarming the Ukrainian aircraft.” As Ukrainian pilots continue to fly Soviet-era MiG-29s, he stressed they can do no more than “hold the battlefield”. Wiping out the Russians, who fly the Sukhoi Su-35s modern air superiority fighter jets and Su-34 bombers, has proved difficult. “Right now, we can only hold the enemy but with F-16s we could control the airfield, as well as the seas and the ground to protect infantry,” he said. “We need more modern aircrafts to be better than the enemy.” Ukraine has appealed to obtain the US-made F-16s, of which there are over 3,000 operating worldwide, before. The combat-proven, multi-role aircraft, has been upgraded and enhanced over the years, including some with fifth-generation technologies such as advanced radar. However, Joe Biden recently said he did not want to supply Ukraine with F-16 fighters for now, which prompted Volodymyr Zelensky to urge Rishi Sunak to give Ukraine RAF Typhoons. In February, the Prime Minister instructed the Ministry of Defence to investigate which of Britain's planes could be given to Ukraine, although Mr Sunak cautioned that it could take three years to train a pilot.
This time frame is something Major Voroshylov and his colleague Colonel Volodymyr Lohachov, chief of the aviation department of the Ukrainian Air Force Command, dispute. “Less than six months are required to train on such a jet,” Col Lohachov said. “As long as we continue to wait we will lose more pilots. We had a list of the most advanced pilots who could be trained on F-16s and unfortunately, some of them have already been killed in action.” In recent weeks, Eastern European Nato member states have begun transferring old Soviet fighter jets for the first time, with a promise from the West that newer models will be provided to backfill. Slovenia and Poland have both sent MiGs from their ageing stock, but some are only useful for spare parts. Despite a lack of promises over more advanced Western fighter jets, the Ukrainian pilots remain optimistic.
Intensive English lessons
Most advanced pilots and engineers are already undergoing intensive English lessons so that they can understand their instructors if the time ever comes to be trained on western jets. This is despite hints from London that Ukraine would not receive any British fighter jets until after the war. This is not something Col Lohachov wants to entertain. “To be effective in the air, jets should have modern radars and air-to-air missiles,” he explained. “The radars on Russian jets are about four times better than what we have and they can see much further. As well, the Russian missiles are significantly more capable than our Soviet ones. It is getting more dangerous. Sometimes we can’t even see that the Russians have launched missiles, which is very dangerous for pilots.” He explained how Russia has the capability to launch an attack from 200km away from the front line, whereas Ukraine has to be much closer to the enemy in order to shoot, which is far more dangerous. The pilots’ message is stark: “Getting F-16s would help us survive and keep more people alive.” At just 29-years-old Major Voroshylov, who goes by the callname “Karaya”, has become the most famous fighter jet pilot in Ukraine. In part, it is due to his huge following on social media but also after he was celebrated by President Zelensky following an incident while out on patrol which forced him to eject from his jet which he directed into a field to crash safely. He was flying in the evening when the Russians launched a number of drones. In order to get a better radar look at the drones, he flew closer and after taking out two of them, the second explosion destroyed his windshield, forcing him to eject. For Major Voroshylov, this is a prime example of why Ukrainians need better aircraft. “If we want to strike Russian jets we have to get much closer to the front line and fly at a low distance, which is very dangerous,” he said. “The Russians have 40 air bases and over 700 aircrafts and helicopters altogether and they are more modern than our jets. “We are working on the question to get Western jets because what we currently have is not enough to be effective on the battlefield.”Asked if getting Western fighter jets will mean the end of this war, the pilots are practical. “No one can say that,” Major Voroshylov said. “But it will help.”

Armenia promises not to arrest Putin after he threatens it with economic ruin
James Kilner/The Telegraph/Sun, April 2, 2023
Armenia has said that it won’t arrest Vladimir Putin despite preparing to join the International Criminal Court which has labelled the Russian leader a war criminal. Since its constitutional court approved joining the ICC last week, the Kremlin has threatened Armenia with “serious negative consequences” and banned its dairy imports. But in a blow to the authority of the ICC, a top Armenian official has now confirmed that police will not arrest Mr Putin if he travels to Yerevan. “The decision of the constitutional court does not find anyone guilty in any matter and does not require steps to arrest anyone,” said Hakob Arshakyan, deputy speaker of the Armenian parliament. “We have heard concerns expressed by the Russian Federation.”For the Kremlin, Armenia’s move towards the ICC was not only a humiliation but also posed a practical problem. The ICC ruled last month that Mr Putin was a war criminal for authorising the abduction of thousands of children from Ukraine. This means that the ICC now expects its 123 member states, and aspirants like Armenia, to arrest him. Mr Putin’s travel options have shrunk since he ordered the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February and he has restricted himself mainly to visiting former Soviet Central Asia and the South Caucasus. He travelled to Armenia in November for a security conference. The war has weakened Russia’s power and influence over its former Soviet satellite states. Armenia once viewed Russia as a vital ally that was able to impose peace in the South Caucasus but last year, Nikol Pashinyan, its prime minister, accused the Kremlin of failing to stop Azerbaijani border attacks. He has since cancelled a military exercise, threatened to leave the Russia-led CSTO security group and courted the US and the EU.
Armenia’s parliament approved joining the ICC in 1999 but this was blocked five years later by its constitutional court. In 2015 Armenia adopted a new constitution and in 2021 Mr Pashinyan asked the constitutional court to reconsider joining the ICC because he wants to prosecute Azerbaijani military commanders accused of crimes during a war in 2020.

Explosion in Russian cafe kills military blogger
AP/April 02, 2023
ST. PETERSBURG, Russia: An explosion tore through a cafe Sunday in the Russian city of St. Petersburg, and preliminary reports suggested a prominent military blogger was killed and more than a dozen people were injured.
Russian news reports said blogger Vladlen Tatarsky was killed and 16 people were hurt in the explosion at the Street Food Bar No. 1 cafe in Russia’s second-largest city. The reports did not mention any claim of responsibility or provide details beyond saying that a cafe visitor carried an “explosive device.”
Russia’s Interior Ministry said everyone at the cafe at the time of the blast was being “checked for involvement.” Russia media and military bloggers said Tatarsky was meeting with members of the public and that a woman presented him with a box containing a statuette that apparently exploded. Since the fighting in Ukraine began on Feb. 24, 2022, various fires and explosions have occurred in Russia without any clear connection to the conflict. Russia’s Tass news agency said Tatarsky, using various pseudonyms, had been filing text and video reports from Ukraine as well as from the Kremlin.

UK govt ‘in negotiations’ after three British men held in Afghanistan
AFP/April 02, 2023
LONDON: Britain’s interior minister Suella Braverman on Sunday said the UK government was “in negotiations” after three British men were detained by the Taliban in Afghanistan. Media reports have identified the men as charity medic Kevin Cornwell, 53, the unnamed manager of a hotel for aid workers and YouTube star Miles Routledge. “The government is in negotiations and working hard to ensure people’s safety is upheld,” Braverman told Sky News. The non-profit group the Presidium Network said on Twitter on Saturday it had been “working closely with two of the families.” “We are working hard to secure consular contact with British nationals detained in Afghanistan and we are supporting families,” the UK’s foreign ministry added in a statement. Scott Richards of the Presidium Network told Sky News: “We believe they are in good health and being well treated. “We have no reason to believe they’ve been subject to any negative treatment such as torture and we’re told that they are as good as can be expected in such circumstances.”He added, however, that there had been “no meaningful contact” between authorities and the two men Presidium was assisting. These two men are believed to have been held by the Taliban since January. It is not known how long the third man has been held for. Presidium on Twitter urged the Taliban to be “considerate of what we believe is a misunderstanding and release these men.”Last year the Taliban freed a veteran television cameraman and four other British nationals it had held for six months. Peter Jouvenal was one of a “number” of Britons that the government in London said had been held by the hard-line Islamists. Britain’s foreign ministry said the five “had no role in the UK government’s work in Afghanistan and traveled to Afghanistan against the UK government’s travel advice.”
“This was a mistake,” it added. At the time, Afghanistan government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid accused the Britons of “carrying out activities against the country’s laws and traditions of the people of Afghanistan.” “After consecutive meetings between the IEA (Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan) and Britain the said persons were released... and handed over to their home country,” he said. “They promised to abide by the laws of Afghanistan, its traditions and culture of the people and not to violate them again,” he added. The Taliban returned to power in August 2021 and has since sparked global outrage with its policies in particular toward women and girls.

Six Canadian children to return from Syrian detention without their mother: advocates
, The Canadian Press/Sun, April 2, 2023
OTTAWA — Six Canadian children are set to leave a Syrian prison camp and fly to Canada without their mother, who cannot come with them because federal officials have not completed her security assessment, advocates for the family say.
The federal government gave the Quebec woman until today to decide whether her children would join other Canadians on the repatriation flight, expected to depart any day now, or remain with her in Syria, said Alexandra Bain of the group Families Against Violent Extremism. "I'm shocked. It doesn't make any sense," Bain said Saturday in an interview. "It's not how I expect Canada to behave."
The Canadians are among the many foreign nationals in Syrian camps run by Kurdish forces that reclaimed the war-torn region from the extremist Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. The children, ranging in age from as young as three to 16 years, have no family in Quebec, said Bain, whose organization helps families with loved ones caught up in violent extremist groups. At least two of the six children were born in Syria. There is a plan for Quebec social service agencies to place the six in care, in three groups of two. The mother, who has no idea if or when she will be allowed to leave al-Roj camp in northeastern Syria, is worried about how she will maintain contact with her youngsters, Bain said. "She's doing this for her children. And she's terrified that she's doing the wrong thing."
Added lawyer Lawrence Greenspon, who is assisting the family: "It's not a choice that any parent should ever have to make."Bain and Greenspon requested that the woman's name not be published due to the sensitivity of the case and related privacy concerns. Greenspon has argued in Federal Court on behalf of several men, women and children detained in Syria that Global Affairs Canada must arrange for their return, saying that refusing to do so violates the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Greenspon reached an agreement with the federal government in January to bring home six Canadian women and 13 children who had been part of the court action. All 19 are expected to be on the imminent repatriation flight from Syria.
There was hope that the Quebec woman and her six children, though not part of the court case, would also be boarding the plane together.
Greenspon said while the children have been cleared to leave Syria, their mother is still undergoing a federal security assessment. Separating a mother from her children violates Canada's international commitments as well as the government's policy for assessing possible repatriation cases, Greenspon said. "Their own policy framework says that they shouldn't be doing this." Global Affairs Canada did not have an immediate response to questions about the Quebec family's case.
Bain received a Nov. 24 letter from Global Affairs saying the woman and her six children had met the criteria for federal consideration of assistance to Canadians detained in the region, spelled out in the government's January 2021 policy framework. The letter noted threats to the woman and her children's safety "given the dangerous security conditions inside the camp." It also cited reports of declining sanitary and living conditions, including possible cholera outbreaks and intermittent access to food and clean water.
Bain said the woman has been beaten and attacked while in detention. As part of the repatriation procedures, the RCMP has recently been conducting interviews with Canadian detainees in Syria. The Quebec woman spoke with the Mounties last Wednesday, an experience she found confusing and terrifying, Bain said. The next day, "they told her she couldn't come home." Bain is aware of 10 other Canadian children in detention in Syria to non-Canadian mothers. These mothers have decided not to send their children to Canada as part of the repatriation effort, she said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 2, 2023.

Will the yuan challenge the dollar's dominance?
LBCI/Sun, April 2, 2023
Saudi Arabia joined the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), which includes countries from Central Asia, Russia, and China. Accordingly, the economic war between the world's two largest economies, China and the United States, is expanding. China aims to make its national currency, the yuan, the world's dominant currency, replacing the US dollar, which currently dominates trade, transfers, and pricing of essential commodities, including oil, gas, and minerals. To achieve this, China seeks to include as many countries as possible using its currency in trade instead of the dollar. For instance, China's latest efforts in this regard have been with Brazil, Latin America's largest economy. Furthermore, China recently made a historic deal to import natural gas from the United Arab Emirates using the yuan. Additionally, the largest energy source, Russia, supports Beijing's efforts to reduce its dependence on the dollar and the euro following Western sanctions imposed on it. Moreover, the Russian gas company Gazprom signed an agreement in 2022 to convert payments for Russian gas supplies to China into yuan and rubles instead of the dollar. Other countries such as Pakistan, Bangladesh, Kazakhstan, and Laos have recently intensified their negotiations with China to enhance the use of the yuan in commercial transactions. China's ambitions also target Saudi Arabia, the world's largest oil producer, which declared its openness to trading in currencies other than the dollar earlier this year and is negotiating with China to replace the dollar with the yuan in trade. There are also reports of the possibility of Tehran and Riyadh joining the BRICS group. So, can the yuan shake the dollar's status? Some experts support this hypothesis, particularly as Beijing's policy has made the Chinese currency the fifth most active currency in global payments. Furthermore, these experts explain that if emerging economies and Saudi Arabia abandon the dollar in oil trade, the United States will face catastrophic consequences as it already faces inflation and financial crises. On the other hand, other experts believe that the dollar will remain dominant for a long time because 60% of the world's reserves, deposits, and loans are in dollars. Additionally, the dollar is easily traded due to the globalization of the American markets, unlike the closed Chinese system.

The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on April 02-03/2023
There is movement on Syria, but the direction remains unclear/The regional and global powers need clarity and prudence over the war-torn country's future
Raghida Dergham/The National/April 02, 2023
On Saturday, Russia assumed the UN Security Council presidency, which is rotated in alphabetical order among its members every month. Moscow takes over at a time when it is primarily focused on the war in Ukraine and its conflict with the West. Since 2011, however, the Syrian civil war has been a major Russian concern at the Security Council, where it has vetoed resolutions unfavourable to itself, sometimes paralysing the apex body in the process.
Over the past year, Moscow had outsourced its support for the Assad regime to Iran, with full consent from Damascus. Today, it appears that Russia seeks to restore its direct involvement in Syria, not just to maintain its military bases there, but also as part of its effort to strengthen ties to Turkey, challenge US objectives in the region, and build on recent overtures made by some Arab states towards Damascus.
Questions arise, however, as to the reasons and objectives for international engagement with Damascus at this stage; how countries such as Turkey and the US are thinking about Syria; and how all this affects smaller neighbours such as Lebanon, which hosts more than 1 million Syrian refugees.
In the coming week, the deputy foreign ministers of Russia, Turkey, Iran and Syria will meet in Moscow to agree on a deal that among others things would ultimately strengthen the Assad regime. Meanwhile, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to attend the opening ceremony of Turkey’s first nuclear reactor, built by Russia’s Rosatom, on April 27. The two leaders continue to discuss various issues, including Syria.
The war in Ukraine has benefited Damascus, with Moscow in dire need for successes elsewhere that can distract from its failures in Eastern Europe
I am told that Mr Erdogan may be close to acknowledging the Assad regime’s survival. If that is indeed the case, dealing with Damascus and accepting Russian conditions in Syria would be necessary for Mr Erdogan ahead of the Turkish presidential election in May.
The Assad regime has received support and goodwill from the region following the earthquake that struck Syria and Turkey in February. The tragedy seems to have further softened the Erdogan government’s stance towards a regime with which it has had serious differences for more than a decade.
The war in Ukraine has also benefited Damascus, with Moscow in dire need for successes elsewhere that can distract from its failures in Eastern Europe. Its leadership, it seems, needs to be seen to preserve Russia’s foreign interests, with Syria geopolitically and Iran strategically.
During Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian’s recent visit to Moscow, both countries agreed to complete their comprehensive strategic pact. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is expected to visit Tehran soon to sign the agreement. This isn’t surprising, given that Russia and Iran are allied militarily in both Syria and Ukraine.
But there are questions about Russian-Israeli relations, as Israel steps up its raids in the Damascus Governorate and other regions, targeting Syrian and Iranian military sites. Meanwhile, the Biden administration’s policies on Syria appear incoherent. Sometimes, it issues threats to the Assad regime and reaffirms its objections to the latter’s rehabilitation. Other times, it issues temporary waivers for the Caesar Act imposed on Syria that would allow the regime to benefit from electricity projects, for example, believing that this would help Lebanon when in actuality it helps Damascus.
Amid all this, several Arab countries are gradually improving relations with the Assad regime.
Since suspending Syria in 2011, the Arab League is divided. Some member states have maintained distance from the regime, while others have initiated rapprochement with it, particularly in the aftermath of the earthquake, including by sending much-needed aid to the affected areas.
China's Xi Jinping appears to be at ease at home and on the world stage
Confidence-building measures are no doubt important, and boycotting the Assad regime does not serve Syria’s opposition groups. But if the ultimate objective is to restore Syria’s unity and territorial integrity as a means to revive the country, then myriad challenges remain before this can be achieved.
The Assad regime will need to reach out to the many opposition groups and eventually agree to a new constitution. Also important is revitalising Syria’s relations with Lebanon, key to which is Damascus ending the violation of Lebanon’s sovereignty by putting a stop to the smuggling of various contraband into that country, and the obstruction of the return of Syrian refugees from it.
This is where the Biden administration can play a constructive role. Washington’s hand was evident in last year's demarcation of the maritime borders between Lebanon and Israel to allow exploration for oil and gas. It can do something similar on the Lebanese-Syrian border, which, of course, will also require Beirut’s political class to co-operate in good faith.
The UN appears largely absent from the Syrian theatre, having played no significant role there for years through its special representative. A divided Security Council, now with Russia at its helm, has not helped either.
For a truly united, stable and peaceful Syria to re-emerge, all the stakeholders involved, including the regional powers, need to show prudence as well as clarity on their policies vis-a-vis the country, and present a roadmap for their good-faith efforts in the broader Levant region.
*Raghida Dergham is the founder and executive chairwoman of the Beirut Institute and a columnist for The National

Biden-Netanyahu disagreement will not change policies
Dalia Al-Aqidi/Arab News/April 02, 2023
In all parts of the globe, including the Middle East, observers closely follow the verbal exchanges between US President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and attempt to speculate on the repercussions of their dispute.
The relationship between these two leaders has been strained over several issues, such as the approach to Iran’s nuclear program and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. However, most recently, the tensions have focused on a different issue that Israel considers an internal affair.
The White House is troubled by Netanyahu’s plan to reshape the Israeli judicial system, which would give the government greater control over appointments to the Supreme Court. Therefore, the US administration tried to distance itself from the right-wing parties supporting the Israeli prime minister.
Last week, Biden told reporters in North Carolina that the Israeli government “cannot continue down this road,” stressing that Netanyahu would not get a White House invitation in the “near term.” The Israeli PM fired back in a series of tweets, saying: “Israel is a sovereign country which makes its decisions by the will of its people and not based on pressures from abroad, including from the best of friends.”
But then he softened the intensity of his language when he said he had known President Biden for more than 40 years and expressed his appreciation of Biden’s long-standing commitment to Israel. “The alliance between Israel and the United States is unbreakable and always overcomes the occasional disagreements between us,” he wrote.
The latter post carried a message that Netanyahu wanted to stress globally: that no issue would come between them. The relationship between the US and Israel has been a crucial alliance for several decades. Despite the recent issues, their ties are expected to remain strong.
The two countries have built their alliance based on a long-standing partnership, which has led to successful cooperation in various areas, such as intelligence sharing, military aid and economic development.
Disagreements and policy differences are common between any two leaders or countries and should not necessarily reflect personal animosity.
Throughout his political career, Biden has been firmly committed to the US-Israeli alliance. During his presidential campaign, he promised to strengthen the relationship between the US and Israel, including expanding trade and investment and promoting cooperation in technology, energy and other fields.
Nevertheless, the relationship between the two allies has faced challenges before. During Barack Obama’s presidency, there were tensions between the two countries over the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action nuclear deal with Iran. This disagreement continued to the next Democratic president.
Biden clearly signaled his intention to reengage in diplomacy with Iran and rejoin the nuclear deal, which Netanyahu had been a vocal opponent of, arguing that it did not go far enough in preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. There have also been disagreements over the US Embassy’s relocation to Jerusalem, which Netanyahu supported and Biden has been critical of in the past.
While the US and Israel have a shared interest in promoting peace and stability in the region, the two parties do not agree on the right approach to resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
But despite these disagreements, they have managed to maintain a strong partnership and the US continues to provide Israel with significant military and economic support.
In conclusion, the relationship between the US and Israel remains as strong as before. The two allies will continue to share a stated deep commitment to democratic values, strategic interests and a vision for advancing peace and prosperity in the Middle East.
Disagreements and policy differences are common between any two leaders or countries and should not necessarily reflect personal animosity. While there may be disagreements and challenges ahead, the partnership between these close allies is grounded in a long history of cooperation and shared interests.
That said, after two years of floundering foreign policy, the Biden administration has lost important historical allies in the region. If it continues its policies for another term, America will have no partners in the area other than Israel.
*Dalia Al-Aqidi is a senior fellow at the Center for Security Policy. Twitter: @DaliaAlAqidi

Opportunities abound if Armenia, Azerbaijan can reconcile
Yasar Yakis/Arab News/April 02, 2023
The Azerbaijani army last week took measures to control new heights on the border with Armenia along a recently built road. This was in line with the terms of the tripartite ceasefire agreement of Nov. 9, 2020. This agreement determined that a new road had to be built to connect Armenia to Nagorno-Karabakh, avoiding the Lachin corridor, because the existing corridor crossed the province of Lachin that had to be returned to Azerbaijan.
The Azerbaijani government announced last August that a new road circumventing the city of Lachin was under construction. In turn, Yerevan said the subsidiary connections of this road to the border would be ready by April 1. Therefore, Azerbaijan on March 30 blocked the entrance to Armenia through the Lachin corridor as the new road was now available, allowing people to travel from Armenia to Nagorno-Karabakh. So, everything has unfolded according to previous agreements.
The Azeri authorities had warned on time both the Red Cross and the Armenian authorities that the Lachin corridor was soon to be closed. Minor confusion occurred when Armenian and Red Cross cars had to use the dirt roads. Extremists in Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh — and particularly in the Armenian diaspora in France and the US — used this incident and tried to cause a storm in a teacup.
There are already two live conflicts between Azerbaijan and Armenia. One of them is on the exploration of mines in Nagorno-Karabakh without the permission of the Azeri authorities. Strained relations are continuing in and around this corridor, each side blaming the other.
The second is the opening of the Zangezur corridor that links the Nakhchivan exclave with Azerbaijan proper. This was a sort of quid pro quo in exchange for the opening of the Lachin corridor. According to Article 9 of the ceasefire agreement, “all economic and transport connections in the region were due to be unblocked and the government of Armenia was expected to guarantee the security of transport between the western regions of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Nakhchivan Autonomous Region in order to arrange unobstructed movement of persons, vehicles and cargo in both directions.” Furthermore, the construction of new transport connections to link Nakhchivan to Azerbaijan proper was also agreed.
Now, with the opening of the alternative road, we have to see how the relations will evolve between Azerbaijan and Armenia.
Both Azerbaijanis and Armenians would benefit from the opportunities of the prosperous Azeri economy.
The EU will probably get involved following the recent controversy. It has already attempted to steal the mediation role from Russia and the competition between these two game-makers continues. Russia now has other priorities because of the Ukrainian war, but it does not want its pressure to slacken off. In turn, EU Council President Charles Michel hosted several meetings in Brussels and paid visits to the Caucasus with a view to trying to bridge the differences between Baku and Yerevan, but so far no tangible progress has been achieved. The French parliament, meanwhile, does not miss any opportunity to further spoil Azeri-Armenian relations.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev last week appointed Masim Mammadov as a special representative for the Lachin district, which also covers the Zangezur economic region.
During the 2020 military conflict, extensive physical damage was caused by the Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians to the environment in the Lachin corridor and many of them were illegally settled outside of the administrative limits of the region. Baku announced last year that it would evict the Armenians who had illegally moved into the houses owned by Azeris who had fled during the Armenian invasion of Lachin, as well as those in the villages of Zabukh and Sus. Azeris were forced to leave the region for the duration of the 30-year occupation. The Azeri government is now trying to prevent Armenians from returning to the houses they had illegally occupied for those three decades.
As a second step, it will ask Armenians to vacate the Azeri houses they are occupying illegally. Thirdly, the Azeri government wants to repair the houses that belonged to Azeris and were deliberately damaged when the Armenians had to flee as the advancing Azeri army approached.
Despite this dark background, now that there is a prospect of reconciliation, there is huge potential for cooperation between Baku and Yerevan. Azerbaijan is an oil-rich country of 10 million inhabitants. It is the biggest economy in the South Caucasus. All Azeri economic indicators are three to four times bigger than those of Armenia. Most Armenians are well-educated and skillful. At the end of the day, all Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh are full-fledged citizens of Azerbaijan. If peace could be established in the region, both Azerbaijanis and Armenians would benefit from the opportunities of the prosperous Azeri economy.
If only the two peoples could overcome their centuries-old hatred.
*Yasar Yakis is a former foreign minister of Turkiye and founding member of the ruling AK Party. Twitter: @yakis_yasar

Iran’s Nature Day a reminder of humanity’s responsibilities
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Arab News/April 02, 2023
Iranians on Sunday celebrated Nature Day, which is an official public holiday and important festival across the country. It is marked by many different ethnic groups, including Kurds, Azeris, Arabs and Persians. It is important to take the time on this significant day to ponder ways to help preserve nature not only for us, but also for future generations.
Nature Day is also known as Sizda Bedar, which comaes at the end of the 13-day Nowruz holiday. During Nowruz, relatives and friends visit each other and guests are offered tea, cookies, pastries, snacks, fresh and dried fruits, and mixed nuts. On the 13th day, Sizda Bedar, families enjoy nature, have picnics and spend most of the day outdoors.
The 13th day of every month in the Persian calendar is also called “Tir Ruz,” which is “named after Tishtrya, the star associated with rainfall.” It is believed that Jamshid, a mythological king of Iran, established Nowruz and the tradition of Sizda Bedar so that people could spend time in the “green nature under canopies and in the company of the people, every year. The tradition was established after a few years across all of the country.”
One interesting tradition on Nature Day is tying knots in the grass, which symbolizes the strengthening of relationships between life and nature, as well as fulfilling one’s wishes. Some of the other common Nature Day activities in Iran include playing music and dancing in groups, playing games and sports, wearing traditional clothes, eating lettuce with sekanjebin (a traditional Iranian drink) and cooking local foods.
Conserving nature is not only about protecting and preserving biodiversity and the planet, but it is also directly linked to protecting our future and the coming generations. Protecting and respecting nature has been important in Iran since the pre-Islamic era. And Islamic traditions have placed even greater emphasis on environmental protections.
As EcoMENA founder Salman Zafar, who is an expert in environmental protection and sustainable development, renewable energy, waste management and converting waste into energy, has written: “Islamic beliefs, traditions and values provide an effective and comprehensive solution to the current environmental challenges faced by the human race. Islam has a rich tradition of highlighting the importance of environmental protection and conservation of natural resources. According to Islamic law, the basic elements of nature — land, water, fire, forest, and light — belong to all living things, not just human beings.”
When it comes to protecting the planet, two of the most important issues to tackle are reducing greenhouse gas emissions and conserving water.
Two of the most important issues to tackle are reducing greenhouse gas emissions and conserving water.
It is critical to note that when we deal with issues such as safeguarding nature, regional and global cooperation is key. This is why programs such as the Middle East Green initiative, which was launched in 2021 by Saudi Arabia, are vital. But it is important that regional and global powers lead the way not just with words, but through their actions.
For example, the Middle East Green Initiative “is a regional effort led by Saudi Arabia to mitigate the impact of climate change on the region and to collaborate to meet global climate targets. By increasing regional cooperation and creating the infrastructure needed to reduce emissions and protect the environment, (it) can amplify impact in the global fight against climate change, while creating far-reaching economic opportunities for the region.” To help achieve these goals, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman last year announced that Saudi Arabia would host a dedicated Middle East Green Initiative secretariat and allocate $2.5 billion to support its projects and governance.
The second important step to protect the planet is conserving water. The world is increasingly facing water stress or scarcity, with demand frequently being higher than supply in some areas. The UN estimated in 2016 that approximately two-thirds of the world’s population could be facing water shortages by 2025. This would also negatively impact the ecosystem. And a 2022 report by the Council on Foreign Relations highlighted that water stress can “differ dramatically from one place to another, in some cases causing wide-reaching damage, including to public health, economic development, and global trade. It can also drive mass migrations and spark conflict. Now, pressure is mounting on countries to implement more sustainable and innovative practices and to improve international cooperation on water management.”
Let us take the opportunity of Nature Day to make every day a day of nature and be sure to thank Mother Earth for all the bounties and blessings it has provided. Finally, let us commit every day to safeguarding nature and our planet, not just for us but also for future generations — it is the only home we have.
*Dr. Majid Rafizadeh is a Harvard-educated Iranian-American political scientist. Twitter: @Dr_Rafizadeh

Time to ensure we remain the masters of AI and not its slaves
Dr. Amal Mudallali/Arab News/April 02, 2023
In an open letter last week, more than 1,000 tech leaders, scientists and academics sounded an alarm bell on artificial intelligence, warning that “AI systems with human-competitive intelligence can pose profound risks to society and humanity.”
They called for a six-month pause on the development of any AI projects more advanced than the existing ChatGPT-4 and, if this is ignored, urged governments to “step in and enact a moratorium.” Their clarion call was that “advanced AI could represent a profound change in the history of life on Earth” and so the time to regulate and manage the technology is now.
The letter, organized by the Future of Life Institute, contained ominous warnings about what might be in store for the world if managing the rise of AI is left solely to its creators, who, it said, could quickly be overcome and outsmarted by their own creations.
The signatories to the letter, who included Elon Musk and Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, did not mince their words as they set out the scale of the problem in stark terms.
“Contemporary AI systems are now becoming human-competitive at general tasks, and we must ask ourselves: Should we let machines flood our information channels with propaganda and untruth? Should we automate away all the jobs, including the fulfilling ones? Should we develop non-human minds that might eventually outnumber, outsmart, obsolete and replace us? Should we risk loss of control of our civilization?” they asked.
This was a wake-up call for those of us who were initially so excited about ChatGPT, impressed by its language model and its ability to compile great articles in seconds or answer any question, using the best available information, in a most polite manner, as its programming instructs it to do.
But things changed quickly as it became clear that ChatGPT was not always the polite, smart and fun bot it appeared to be. There was the time, for example, it declared its love for a New York Times journalist and urged him to leave his wife. Meanwhile, Microsoft’s latest version of Bing, powered by the same technology as ChatGPT, threatened to “hack” and “ruin” a researcher.
The fact is that these systems have no ethical core or understanding of the truth, and they are capable of making big mistakes. They can spread disinformation at lightning speed, compared with regular media, and the fake images that have proliferated on social media in recent weeks are just the tip of the AI iceberg.
The letter called for “all AI labs to immediately pause for at least six months the training of AI systems more powerful than GPT-4.” It also advised that “powerful AI systems should be developed only once we are confident that their effects will be positive and their risks will be manageable.”
The requirements for ensuring the risks of AI are manageable were clear: “AI research and development should be refocused on making today’s powerful, state-of-the-art systems more accurate, safe, interpretable, transparent, robust, aligned, trustworthy and loyal.”
The letter was perhaps notable as much for who did not sign it as who did. For example, the absence of the founder of OpenAI, the research laboratory behind the development of ChatGPT, or any other executives from organizations with major AI programs was telling.
It does not bode well for efforts to regulate the development and use of AI if there is no consensus within the technology sector on the importance and urgency of such regulations. Those who signed the letter are simply asking for time to develop and implement “shared safety protocols” before the technology is developed any further, but made it clear that governments must step in and “institute a moratorium” if developers ignore their request.
The fact is that these systems have no ethical core or understanding of the truth, and they are capable of making big mistakes.
In fact, Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has been calling for the regulation of AI since at least 2017, when he told US media organization National Public Radio he believes that, without such regulation, the technology represents “a fundamental risk to the existence of civilization.”
While some in the tech industry argue that it is too early in the development of AI to begin regulating it, others point out the pace of development and the difficulties regulators face in keeping up with the technology as being the more pressing argument for regulation to begin.
Governments, as is often the case in these situations, are being slow to respond to technological advances. Although general bills or resolutions relating to AI were introduced in 17 US states last year, for example, there is no “comprehensive federal legislation on AI in the United States to date,” according to reports by law firms that monitor the issue.
Despite the heightened risks highlighted by the open letter and others who are concerned, there appears little hope that comprehensive regulation will be easy to introduce or will happen quickly. Many experts believe that even convincing the tech industry to voluntarily accept a moratorium will not be a simple task.
Many hurdles stand in the way of AI regulation in the US alone, where the influence of various interest groups and the prevailing political atmosphere in the country might delay any significant attempts at regulation in a nation where there is traditionally strong resistance to regulations in general.
Many people in the US tech industry and the political arena believe that “premature regulation could stifle progress and limit American efforts to compete with China and other rivals,” as news website Axios noted in an article titled “AI rockets ahead in vacuum of US regulation.”
Yet, according to the US-based National Law Review, “China has taken the lead in moving AI regulations past the proposal stage.” It said: “In March 2022, China passed a regulation governing companies’ use of algorithms in online recommendations systems, requiring that such services are moral, ethical, accountable, transparent, and ‘disseminate positive energy.’”
Europe, meanwhile, is far ahead of both the US and China in efforts to regulate AI. As early as April 2021, in its first proposal for a comprehensive regulatory system, the European Commission introduced the Artificial Intelligence Act. The EU described it as “an attempt to ensure a ‘well-functioning internal market for artificial intelligence systems’” that is “based on EU values and fundamental rights.”
Other countries have also taken action to regulate AI. The National Congress of Brazil, for example, approved a bill that creates a “framework for artificial intelligence.”
Calls for regulation or a moratorium will not prevent countries from continuing the development of AI, however, out of a fear that their competitors will pull ahead. And the tense political situation in great power relations at this time makes it particularly difficult for international cooperation on AI regulation. Global competition in the AI arena will inevitably mirror the rivalries in other political, economic and military fields.
But there is some hope, as the open letter demonstrates, that within the industry and countries, efforts to regulate AI will find strong support at least among those who will suffer the most from its unchecked development and utilization, especially workers whose livelihoods are at stake.
Public pressure on the tech industry and governments can go a long way to help ensure humanity “enjoys a flourishing future with AI,” as the scientists said in the letter.
It also advised us to enjoy an “AI summer in which we reap the rewards, engineer these systems for the clear benefit of all, and give society a chance to adapt.” But at the same time it cautioned us not to then “rush unprepared into a fall.”
Let us hope we heed the warning.
*Dr. Amal Mudallali is an American policy and international relations analyst.