English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For April 30/2023
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
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15 آذار/2023

Bible Quotations For today
The Third Time That Jesus Appeared To The Disciples by the Sea of Galilee After His Resurrection

John/21/01-14/ Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Galilee. It happened this way: 2 Simon Peter, Thomas (also known as Didymus, Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. “I’m going out to fish,” Simon Peter told them, and they said, “We’ll go with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. He called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?”“No,” they answered. He said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish. Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, “It is the Lord,” he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. 8 The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards. When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread. Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.” So Simon Peter climbed back into the boat and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead.

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on April 29-30/2023
Israel bombs Syria 'Hezbollah depot' from Lebanon's airspace
European investigators to grill BDL audit firms
UNIFIL's West Sector Command pursues cooperation with Lebanese Army
Bou Habib meets with Swedish Foreign Affairs Ministry Official
Khoury issues clarification statement, urges media outlets not to circulate exaggerated news
Taymour Jumblatt: For responsible national approaches that render Lebanon on path of hope instead of waiting for the outside
Adwan confers with UN Special Coordinator on course of reform laws, crisis of displaced Syrians
Discovery of a sea cave south of Tyre, near Naqoura
Khalaf: We refuse to succumb to the outside
Al-Murtada from Switzerland: Diaspora is Lebanon's most important wealth, Lebanese diplomats its finest image
FIBA World Cup 2023 Draw: Lebanon Joins Canada, France, and Latvia in Group H
Lebanon to play in World Basketball Championship within France, Canada & Latvia's group
Iranian "operational order" for "Hezbollah" .. "quitting" Franjieh and "listen to the Qatari discourses!
Israel: “ Hezbollah is behind a bomb explosion in the country in March!
The Syrian Refugees Crisis and Lebanon’s Options.ظPierre Maroun/Jabalana Magazine/April 29/2023

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on April 29-30/2023
Pope in Hungary meets with Ukrainian refugees, Russian envoy
Pope, meeting Ukrainian refugees, says better future possible
EU Calls Upon Iran to Refrain From Executing German-Iranian Citizen
Advantage Tankers Accuse Iran of Seizing its Oil Tanker
Raisi to Begin Damascus Visit on Wednesday
Pentagon Deploys Warplanes with ‘Bunker Busting’ Bombs to Deter Iran
Russian official: Ukrainian drones strike Crimea oil depot
US should supply F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine now to end the stalemate with Russia and win the war, former US Air Force colonel says
Heads of state, top diplomats visit Ukraine to show support
Russia pledges harsh response after Polish 'seizure' of embassy school in Warsaw
Inside Biden’s Renewed Promise to Protect South Korea From Nuclear Weapons
Fighting enters third week in Sudan despite new truce
Sudan: Hamedti Says Ready for Negotiations with Burhan if Fighting Stops
Man kills 5 in Texas after family complained about gunfire

Titles For
The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on April 29-30/2023
Thousands of Political Prisoners are Rotting in Turkish Jails/Uzay Bulut/Gatestone Institute/April 29/2023
How the Ukraine war is impacting Russian security/Dr. Diana Galeeva/Arab News/April 29, 2023
Why Turkmenistan is emerging from the shadows/LukeDCoffey/Arab News/April 29, 2023

Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on April 29-30/2023
Israel bombs Syria 'Hezbollah depot' from Lebanon's airspace
Agence France Presse/April 29, 2023
Three civilians were wounded Saturday in Israeli air strikes near the Syrian city of Homs, Syrian state media reported, with a war monitor saying a Hezbollah munitions depot was hit. During more than a decade of war in Syria, Israel has launched hundreds of air strikes on its territory, primarily targeting Iran-backed forces and Lebanese Hezbollah fighters as well as Syrian army positions. 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. "At around 00:50 (2150 GMT)... the Israeli enemy carried out an air attack with a number of missiles, from the direction of north Lebanon, targeting several positions in the vicinity of the city of Homs," state news agency SANA reported. "Three civilians were wounded and a civilian petrol station caught fire and a number of fuel tanks and trucks were burned," it said, adding that Syrian air defenses had intercepted some of the missiles. When contacted by AFP, the Israeli military did not comment on the incident. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitor, said Israel "destroyed a munitions depot belonging to Lebanon's Hezbollah at the Dabaa military airport" in the countryside of Homs province. Without reporting any casualties, it said there were "loud explosions as the munitions in the depot blew up, with fires seen burning at the site." On April 2, Israel carried out similar strikes targeting a Hezbollah depot in the Dabaa airport area, the Observatory had said, killing two pro-Iran fighters and wounding five soldiers. The same day, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant repeated Israel's often repeated charge that Iranians are "attempting to entrench themselves in Syria and Lebanon." "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. When necessary -- we will push them out of Syria to where they belong -- and that is Iran," he told troops in the occupied West Bank. On Monday, Israel's army shelled a position belonging to a pro-Iran group in southern Syria near the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, the second such bombardment in days, the Observatory said at the time.

European investigators to grill BDL audit firms

Agence France Presse/April 29, 2023
European investigators probing Lebanese central bank chief Riad Salameh's wealth will question officials from two international firms previously tasked with auditing the central bank's accounts, a judicial official said. Salameh is the target of a series of judicial investigations at home and abroad on suspicion of embezzlement and money laundering, among other allegations, with investigators looking into the fortune he has amassed during three decades in the job. From next Tuesday, visiting European investigators plan to question officials from the Lebanon offices of Deloitte, Ernst and Young, and a local firm, the judicial official told AFP, requesting anonymity as they were not authorized to speak to the media. The three firms have been involved in central bank audits during Salameh's terms as governor. The European investigators arrived in Beirut this week on their third trip to Lebanon in connection with the probe. Salameh's brother Raja, who was expected to be questioned, failed to show up because of illness, his lawyer said. He is expected to appear next Wednesday. Salameh's former assistant Marianne Hoayek was questioned on Thursday and Friday "about accounts belonging to her or the Salameh brothers" and funds transfers, the judicial official said. France, Germany and Luxembourg seized assets worth 120 million euros ($130 million) in March 2022 in a move linked to a French probe into Salameh's personal wealth. Lebanese authorities have charged Salameh with embezzlement, money laundering and tax evasion as part of their own investigation. The domestic probe was opened following a request for assistance from Switzerland's public prosecutor looking into more than $300 million in fund movements by the Salameh brothers. Next week the European investigators also plan to question current Finance Minister and former central bank official Youssef Khalil, the judicial official said. Salameh, whose mandate is due to end in July, is part of the Lebanese political class widely blamed for a crushing economic crisis that began in late 2019 and which the World Bank has dubbed one of the worst in recent history. European investigators questioned Salameh, who denies wrongdoing, in Beirut last month. He has been summoned for a hearing in France on May 16.

UNIFIL's West Sector Command pursues cooperation with Lebanese Army
NNA/April 29, 2023
UNIFIL Western Sector Command is pursuing its partnership cooperation with the Lebanese Army south of the Litani River, by launching a training activity in the field of combat psychology aiming to enhance the self-awareness of the trained individuals and avoiding the sudden impact on the emotional level, which often harms the decision-making process and work effectiveness. This training is part of UNIFIL's efforts to boost the capabilities of the Lebanese Armed Forces in support of its objective of maintaining UNIFIL's area of ​​operations. In this context, Western Sector Commander, General Roberto Vergori, said: "We are working in close coordination with the Lebanese army with awareness and responsibility to ensure full compliance with UN Resolution # 1701 and support local institutions to maintain security and stability in southern Lebanon, using all our physical and mental resource capabilities with sincerity and professionalism, to defend the moral values ​​to which we have dedicated our lives and develop the interests of the local community that always come first."

Bou Habib meets with Swedish Foreign Affairs Ministry Official
NNA/April 29, 2023
Caretaker Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants, Abdallah Bouhabib, met Saturday with the Deputy Director General and Head of the Middle East and North Africa Department at the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sophie Baker, accompanied by the Swedish Ambassador to Lebanon, Ann Dismorr. During the meeting, Bou Habib requested an official clarification regarding the statements circulated in videos on social media by Swedish citizen, Kamal al-Labwani, in which he calls on the displaced Syrians in Lebanon to breach Lebanese laws, inciting them towards violence, hatred and taking-up arms in the country. Meanwhile, the Lebanese Foreign Ministry continues to follow up on developments in this case "which impacts national security," pending obtaining the desired clarifications from the concerned authorities.

Khoury issues clarification statement, urges media outlets not to circulate exaggerated news
NNA/April 29, 2023
Caretaker Minister of Justice, Henry Al-Khoury’s media office clarified in an issued statement today that what was circulated by some media websites about the meeting that took place last Thursday in his office with Caretaker Finance Minister, Youssef Khalil, was inaccurate. "Minister Al-Khoury affirms that the meeting did not last for more than half an hour, and not for three hours as some media websites reported, and the topics discussed are related to financial issues concerning the Ministry of Justice and have absolutely nothing to do with the work of the European delegation or the investigations it is conducting," the statement indicated. Therefore, it urged all media outlets to stay away from exaggerated news and extensive analyses.

Taymour Jumblatt: For responsible national approaches that render Lebanon on path of hope instead of waiting for the outside
NNA/April 29, 2023
"We are going through a delicate and sensitive stage at the national level, which requires that we all avoid tensions and stirring up more disputes, and that we move away from accusations and incitement on issues that need a national and rational discussion, such as the issue of the displaced Syrians and that of administrative decentralization,” underlined "Democratic Gathering" Head, MP Taymour Jumblatt. While emphasizing the Gathering’s belief in adopting administrative decentralization in terms of its direct connection to providing better services to citizens without threatening the unity of the Lebanese society and its political system, yet Jumblatt considered that fortifying Lebanon’s internal arena remains top priority at this stage in confronting the economic, social, financial and daily living risks and crises. He therefore called for "responsible national approaches that would place the country on the path of hope instead of waiting for the outside world and the rounds of various envoys,” and for “finding ways to break the severity of the existing deadlock, to elect a president for the republic and a new government that works to propose the required solutions.”"What is required is to prioritize Lebanon's interests over other strategies, and for all parliamentary blocs to shoulder their national and constitutional responsibilities before history and generations, and work to accomplish the entitlements as quickly as required," he maintained. Jumblatt’s words came in a statement on the sidelines of his meetings at Al-Mukhtara Palace today.

Adwan confers with UN Special Coordinator on course of reform laws, crisis of displaced Syrians

NNA/April 29, 2023
Administration and Justice Parliamentary Committee Chair, MP George Adwan, received at his residence today, the United Nations Special Coordinator in Lebanon, Joanna Wronica, with whom he tackled the relationship with the international community and the International Monetary Fund and the importance of activating discussions with the legislative authority. Talks also touched on the crisis of the displaced Syrians and the burdens it poses upon Lebanon. In this connection, Adwan stressed "the need to immediately implement practical steps for their return to their country, and for the international community to cooperate with the Lebanese authority in this regard and provide assistance to the displaced in their country to encourage them to return." He also emphasized the need to focus efforts in the Brussels conference on this approach and prioritizing the return of the displaced to Syria as a prelude for the return of Syria to the Arab League.

Discovery of a sea cave south of Tyre, near Naqoura
NNA/April 29, 2023
Tyre - As part of a series of expeditions in the caves of al-Bayada and Naqoura, the Lebanese Diving Center team managed to enter for the first time one of the caves by boat. The Center’s Director, Yousef Al-Jundi, indicated that the exploration "comes within the framework of highlighting the size of the cave, which represents a picturesque natural landmark and constitutes an added value to the southern beach that enjoys clean water and is a natural habitat and an attraction for southern beach visitors who frequent it annually from different regions.”

Khalaf: We refuse to succumb to the outside
NNA/April 29, 2023
MP Melhem Khalaf called on "the deputies entrusted with the constitution to hasten in electing a president for the republic, as the responsibility lies upon the 128 deputies," rejecting the equation of "submission to the outside."Khalaf questioned via "Voice of All Lebanon" Radio Channel, "Why do those concerned accept the presidential and governmental vacuum and the suspension of parliament?"

Al-Murtada from Switzerland: Diaspora is Lebanon's most important wealth, Lebanese diplomats its finest image
NNA/April 29, 2023
Lebanon's Ambassador to Switzerland, Rola Noureddine, held a dinner at her residence in the city of "Bern" in honor of Caretaker Minister of Culture, Judge Muhammad Wissam Al-Murtada, who is currently visiting Switzerland at the invitation of the Abegg Foundation, which is active in the field of restoration and preservation of textile antiquities. Attending the dinner was also Lebanon's Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva, Ambassador Salim Baddoura, Ambassador Rayan Saeed, Consul Rayan Al-Ashkar, and diplomats Sarah Nasr and Nabil Ferzli. The encounter was an occasion for Minister Al-Murtada to be briefed on the role played by this distinguished diplomatic team, whether at the United Nations forum in Geneva or at the level of following up on the affairs of the Lebanese community in Switzerland and interacting with the international and local cultural and political references in Switzerland. Talks also touched on the internal Lebanese scene and the overall positive conditions emerging in the region, which herald that the Lebanese will be able, if their efforts are united, to raise Lebanon from the ashes of crises to prosperous horizons once again. For his part, Al-Murtada stressed that "the Lebanese expatriate is Lebanon's most important wealth, and the Lebanese diplomats are the fine image of Lebanon on whom we rely to strengthen the relationship between the Lebanese emigrants and residents."

FIBA World Cup 2023 Draw: Lebanon Joins Canada, France, and Latvia in Group H
LBCI/April 29, 2023
The Lebanese national basketball team received its FIBA 2023 World Cup Draw assignment, with Lebanon set to face off against Canada, France, and Latvia in Group H of the prestigious tournament. Lebanon's group stage matches at the Jakarta Indonesia Arena are scheduled for Friday, August 25 against Latvia, Sunday, August 27 against Canada, and Tuesday, August 29 against France. The FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 Draw occurred at the Araneta Coliseum in Manila on April 29, determining the path to victory for the 32 teams participating in the event. The prestigious tournament, hosted by the Philippines, Japan, and Indonesia, is set to captivate fans and showcase the world's finest basketball talents. The tournament will start on Friday, August 25, and end on Sunday, September 10. Lebanon, as part of Group H, will play its matches at the Indonesia Arena in Jakarta. The team faces a formidable challenge, with opponents such as Canada, France, and Latvia, each boasting strong lineups and a rich history in international basketball. This event will test Lebanon's mettle as they strive for success on the world stage. The World Cup's group-stage games will take place across multiple venues. Groups A and B are set to play at the Araneta Coliseum in Manila, while Groups C and D will compete at the Mall of Asia Arena, also in Manila. Groups E and F will play at the Okinawa Arena in Japan, and Groups G and H will battle it out at the Indonesia Arena in Jakarta.

Lebanon to play in World Basketball Championship within France, Canada & Latvia's group
NNA/April 29, 2023
The draw for the Basketball World Championship scheduled for Indonesia, Japan and the Philippines between August 25 and September 10, which took place this afternoon in the Philippine capital, Manila, resulted in the selection of the Lebanese national team to play among the difficult eighth group that includes France, Canada and Latvia. Lebanon’s coach Jad Al-Hajj said in a televised interview: “All groups are difficult, but today we fell into a very strong group. We are going to war, and whoever goes to war while being afraid will lose it and should not fight it. This is the world championship and our dream. We will go there to fight and achieve surprises.”He continued, "The Lebanese national team has achieved previous victories in the World Cup, and we will try to achieve victory in every match. We have about three months to be ready for this merit." This year will be Lebanon's fourth participation in the World Cup after 2002, 2006 and 2010, noting that it won over France (74-73) in 2006 and Canada (81-71) in 2010.

Iranian "operational order" for "Hezbollah" .. "quitting" Franjieh and "listen to the Qatari discourses!
Janoubia/April 29/2023
In the midst of the “sophistic” parties of madness in which the Lebanese arena is buzzing, full of chaos, improvisation, and inflamed and lost presidential statements, in the absence of regional settlements and sharp internal divisions, the visit of Iranian Foreign Minister Hussein Amir Abdollahian to Lebanon comes, bringing with it questions about its causes at this critical time. And what did he carry in his bag for Lebanon amidst the blurry scene.
The visit, which is Abdullahian’s second to Lebanon this year, its importance lies in the fact that it came after the Iranian-Saudi agreement, and the region’s entry into a new phase, entitled dialogue, openness and reducing tensions, especially in Yemen and Syria, as well as Lebanon, whose system lacks immunity and suffers from vertical division, and its land is considered a platform Crises and a mirror of conflicts and disputes in the region. In this context, a source familiar with the events of the visit revealed to Janoubia that it “enters within the context of coordination and agreement between Saudi Arabia and Iran, and Abdullahian has conveyed a message to Hezbollah that it is necessary to brake his demand for the head of the Marada Movement, Suleiman Franjieh, and to listen and respond to the Qatari proposals, which Her delegate comes with signs of a settlement, and a name for the presidency, most likely to be the army chief, Joseph Aoun, or another name from outside the alignments. According to the source, “the Iranian official mourned in a way Franjieh’s fortunes, during his meeting with a number of pro-Iranian deputies yesterday evening at the Iranian embassy, and he stressed before them the need to solve their problems and agree on electing a president.” And it believed that “despite the failure of Iranian diplomacy, by attracting those who are not loyal to Iran to drop the embassy, the visit falls within the framework of Iran’s open policy in Lebanon and the region, and it seeks to prove its good intentions through a new Iran.” The source indicated that “the visit will constitute an “officer.” For its arms and for the slips of Hezbollah’s tongue and the domestication of its actions, and the refinement of its behavior after floundering in its speech since the announcement of the Beijing agreement. The source ruled out that "Iran would leave the choice to Hezbollah to decide its fate in this juncture, since the party's weapon is an Iranian deposit when Iran decides to recover it with two words." The source emphasized that “the visit has economic goals, as Iran considers itself more important to invest in Lebanon than the European countries that are greedy for the Lebanese wealth, and it is seeking this by luring Lebanon with electricity.” On the other hand, political sources opposed to “Janoubia” asserted that “despite the symphony of” electricity, Abdallahian came to Lebanon to deliver a message to Hezbollah to calm down and gain time, until the end of the two-month period of goodwill agreement with the Kingdom. The source concluded: “Lebanon will remain on the crater of the Iranian volcano, until the regional fog clears and the white thread emerges from the black thread.”

Israel: “ Hezbollah is behind a bomb explosion in the country in March!
Al-Hurra TV/April 29/2023
Israeli National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi indicated Friday that Lebanese Hezbollah was behind a rare roadside bomb attack last month that injured a motorist in northern Israel. The Israeli military said security forces killed a man carrying an explosive belt after he apparently crossed from Lebanon into Israel and detonated a bomb on March 13 near the Megiddo junction in northern Israel. Officials said at the time that the possible involvement of the Iranian-backed Hezbollah in the blast was being investigated. In response to a question on Channel 12 TV whether the political crisis in Israel due to plans to amend the judicial system has emboldened Israel's enemies, Hanegbi said, "Our estimates at the present time indicate that this may lead to operations that we did not take into account in the past." "We saw Hezbollah carry out operations like that, such as the attack in Megiddo, which failed, but it was a kind of opposition that we are not used to," he added.

بيار مارون: أزمة النازحيين السوريين والخيارات اللبنانية
The Syrian Refugees Crisis and Lebanon’s Options.
Pierre Maroun/Jabalana Magazine/April 29/2023
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/117772/117772/

Lebanon remains the country that is hosting the largest number of refugees per capita in the world. Reliable sources are estimating that 1.5 million Syrian refugees are present in the country. This influx of Syrian refugees into Lebanon, which increased in the last few years has had a profound impact on Lebanon, a country already struggling with its own socio-economic challenges. The crisis has resulted in a rapid deterioration in the living conditions of not only Syrian refugees but the Lebanese population as well.
According to various research and official figures, the Syrian crisis has had negative repercussions on the economy and the labor market. This comes at a time when economic growth has slowed, private investments have been reduced, the trade deficit has expanded, and real estate and tourism- the two most important sectors-have declined. Therefore, stronger support for the Lebanese vulnerable communities is urgently needed at this most crucial time.
While there is no quick fix for the crises, there are, however, feasible solutions to these problems. For example, here are some possible options:
1. International aid and support: Lebanon could seek financial support from international organizations, donor countries, and other sources to invest in its infrastructure. This would require a coordinated effort from the Lebanese government and international partners to identify priority areas for investment. However, one must note that the IMF has provided the Lebanese government with a list of reforms, which must be implemented before the international community is willing to provide aid or loans for Lebanon.
2. Private Sector Partnership: To circumvent the International Aid problem, Lebanon could leverage private sector investment to fund infrastructure projects. Public-private partnerships could be a way to attract investment and expertise to infrastructure projects, while also sharing risks and rewards between the public and private sectors. This may work well with the Lebanese expatriate communities which are willing and able to help their ancestral homeland. However, trust between the corrupt Lebanese government and Expatriates must be re-established. This is important especially since many Expatriates have lost their investments and lifetime savings during the collapse of the Lebanese banking system. Thus, there must be a kind of collateral measure put in place to secure the rights of private investors. One important matter would be to involve Lebanese Expatriates in government decision-making.
3. Prioritization and Competence: Lebanon could prioritize infrastructure investments based on their potential impact and return on investment. This would require a strategic approach to infrastructure planning and investment, as well as efficiency in project implementation and management. Here, too, Expatriates experts and investors may be part of the decision-making process.
4. Regional Cooperation: Lebanon could also explore opportunities for regional cooperation on infrastructure investment. For example, regional infrastructure projects could be jointly funded and managed by multiple countries, which could help reduce costs and increase efficiency. However, for this to work out, Lebanon must first mend its relationships with the Gulf states, especially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia by adopting neutrality vis-à-vis the Middle East conflicts. This is feasible since KSA and Iran have been normalizing diplomatic relations. As for the Arab Israeli conflict, many Arab countries have signed peace treaties with Israel, while many others are negotiating terms and conditions of similar treaties. Therefore, war with Israel is unlikely and the need for a “resistance” is unnecessary. The Lebanese Army is sufficient to control the borders.
In fact, the maritime demarcation agreement between Lebanon and Israel is considered a peace agreement by the International Community. For example, Section 1, Article E, states, “The Parties (Lebanon and Israel), agree that this Agreement, including as described n Section 1 (B), establishes a permanent and equitable resolution of their maritime dispute.” The emphasis is mine.
Furthermore, Section 4, Article A of said Agreement states, “The Parties intend to resolve any differences concerning the interpretation and the implementation of this Agreement through discussion facilitated by the United States.”
In addition, Section 4, article B affirms, “This Agreement shall enter into force on the date on which the Government of the United States of America sends the notice, based on the text in Annex D to this letter, in which it confirms that each Party has agreed to the terms herein stipulated.” Consequently, since the international community will enforce and will guarantee these terms, it makes it a binding treaty.
Ultimately, investing in infrastructure is essential for short- and long-term economic growth and development in Lebanon. Thus, the Lebanese politicians must implement the constitution by electing a president, and by starting the necessary political and economic reforms requested by the IMF. In addition, Lebanon must improve its relationships with its Arab neighbors, and it must build a trusting bridge with its expatriate communities.
Having said all that, the best solution to the Syrian refugee crisis in Lebanon is a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Syria, which would allow refugees to return to their homes and rebuild their lives. Until then, supporting refugees in Lebanon and their host communities through investment is essential to ensuring the safety and well-being of all. As for the Lebanese who fear the settling of the Syrian refugees in Lebanon, one must note that only the sovereign Lebanese government can provide citizenships to any foreigners, including refugees. The UN has no authority over the host country’s policies and laws.
Meanwhile, the Lebanese Military must take control of the camps and must continue to deport all Syrians who are taking advantage of their refugee status. Furthermore, Syrians who have been moving back and forth between Lebanon and Syria, which is evidence that their lives are not endangered, must lose their refugee status and must be deported back to Syria. On the other hand, the UN must keep the well-being of the Lebanese people in mind, and it must not compromise the sovereignty of the Lebanese government.
Furthermore, the latest hostile misconduct of many Syrian refugees who called their fellow refugees to arm themselves is a reckless and dangerous act, which may lead to chaos, and probably war. This is especially true since some Lebanese have responded in kind to these threats. Such misconduct will not bring a solution to the deteriorating economic crisis in Lebanon, and it will not resolve the Syrian refugee predicament in Lebanon, which many began to view as an occupation. Besides, some third parties may have been taking advantage of the situation to exert pressure on the Lebanese parliament to elect a certain presidential candidate or to expect disorder. Such threats must end.
Lastly, the Lebanese and the Syrian people must realize that once peace is reestablished in Syria, rebuilding the country will require a significant amount of manpower and resources. This could provide abundant opportunities for Syrian refugees who have been displaced to return to their homes and participate in the rebuilding process. This would also contribute to the overall economic and social development of Lebanon.
*Pierre A. Maroun – President of SOUL (Shield of United Lebanon), USA
https://www.jabalnamagazine.com/article2/139?fbclid=IwAR1ELWcsDednavBe1jyt0_4j0rtmcfKRZfVRqH5JfCLQDV2g__e1XlnsdqM

Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on April 29-30/2023
Pope in Hungary meets with Ukrainian refugees, Russian envoy
BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP)/Sat, April 29, 2023
Pope Francis plunged into both sides of Russia's war with Ukraine on Saturday, greeting some of the 2.5 million Ukrainian refugees who have fled across the border to Hungary during a public prayer service and then meeting privately with an envoy of the Russian Orthodox Church that has strongly supported the war. Francis maintained the Vatican's tradition of diplomatic neutrality during his second day in Budapest, where he's on a weekend visit to minister to Hungary's Catholic faithful. Starting the day, he thanked Hungarians for welcoming Ukrainian refugees and urged them to help anyone in need. He called for a culture of charity in a country where the prime minister has justified firm anti-immigration policies with fears that migration threatens Europe’s Christian culture. Speaking in the white-brick St. Elizabeth's church, named for a princess who renounced her wealth to care for the poor, Francis recalled that the Gospel instructs Christians to show love and compassion to all, especially those experiencing poverty and “even those who are not believers.” “The love that Jesus gives us and commands us to practice can help to uproot the evils of indifference and selfishness from society, from our cities and the places where we live — indifference is a plague —- and to rekindle hope for a new, more just and fraternal world, where all can feel at home,” he said. Hungary’s nationalist government has implemented firm anti-immigration policies and refused to accept many asylum-seekers trying to enter the country through its southern border, leading to prolonged legal disputes with the European Union. The conservative populist prime minister, Viktor Orbán, has said that migration threatens to replace Europe’s Christian culture. Orbán, who has held office since 2010, has hinged multiple election campaigns on the threats he alleges that migrants and refugees pose to Hungarians.
While Orbán's government has consistently rejected asylum-seekers from the Middle East and Africa, around 2.5 million Ukrainians fleeing war in their country found open doors. Around 35,000 of the refugees remain in Hungary and have registered for temporary protection there, according to the U.N. One who has chosen to stay was Olesia Misiats, a nurse who worked in a Kyiv COVID-19 hospital when she fled with her mother and two daughters on Feb. 24, 2022 — the day Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. First she went to the Netherlands, but high costs compelled her to move to Hungary, where she said she has found an apartment and given birth to her third daughter, Mila, who was in the pews Saturday with her mother and sister. “Here it's safe,” Misiats said of her new life. She said that she hopes to return to Kyiv one day, but for now she and her children are adapting. “I want to go back home. There it’s my life — it was my life,” she said. “But the war changed my life.”Immediately after greeting and encouraging the refugees, Francis visited the Greek Catholic church next door, which has been providing aid to refugees. And then he met with the Russian Orthodox Church’s representative in Hungary, Metropolitan Hilarion, who developed close relations with the Vatican during his years as the Russian church's foreign minister. The Vatican said the 20-minute meeting at the Holy See’s embassy in Budapest was “cordial.”
The Russian church’s strong support for the Kremlin’s war has rankled the Vatican and prevented a second papal meeting with Patriarch Kirill, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church and an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Francis and Kirill had a 2016 encounter in Cuba that marked the first between a pope and the head of the Russian church. They had planned a second one in June, but the meeting has been indefinitely postponed over Kirill's support for the war. In a statement, Hilarion's office said that he briefed Francis on the social and educational activities of the Russian church in Hungary and its relations with the Catholic Church here. He said that he gave the pope an Italian translation of a six-volume opus on the life of Christ. Francis' visit to Hungary, his second in as many years, is bringing him as close as he's come to the front lines of the war. Upon arriving in Budapest on Friday, he denounced the “adolescent belligerence” that had brought war back to European soil and demanded the EU recover its values of peaceful unity to end it. There were conspicuously few people of color in the pews of St. Elizabeth's church. Among them was artist and filmmaker Abouzar Soltani, a refugee from Iran who spent 553 days in one of Hungary’s transit zones with his 10-year-old son, Armin, after Hungarian authorities rejected their asylum claims in 2018. Soltani later said of their 18 months staying in container shelters that they felt like “fish in an aquarium.” When a European court decision closed the transit zones, Soltani opted to remain in Hungary, where he still lives. At the end of the event, a band of Hungarian Roma musicians serenaded the pontiff, drawing a standing ovation and cheers from the crowd and a thumbs-up from Francis. Francis started his Saturday visiting with children who have visual and physical disabilities. In the afternoon, he had his first big public event in Hungary, a youth rally at the city’s sports stadium where he was given a singularly Hungarian gift: A Rubik's Cube, the colorful puzzle invented by Hungarian architect Erno Rubik. In an event staged like a rock concert, Francis jazzed up the crowd riding around in a mini golf cart-like vehicle. And he repeated his frequent appeal to young people to put aside their cellphones and get back to socializing face-to-face: “Please don't virtualize your lives,” he said to laughs. Francis wraps up his visit with an open-air Mass on Sunday and speech at Pazmany Peter Catholic University in Budapest.

Pope, meeting Ukrainian refugees, says better future possible
BUDAPEST (Reuters)/April 29, 2023
Pope Francis on Saturday met Ukrainians who fled the war on Hungary's eastern border, telling the refugees that a different future is possible. Francis met with about 600 refugees, poor and homeless people in a visit to St. Elizabeth's church in Budapest on the second day of his visit, which began on Friday when he pointedly warned of the dangers in Europe. Francis was serenaded by a singing band of Hungarian Roma wearing flower-patterned clothing and seemed to enjoy the music as they hovered around him as he sat in his wheelchair. But what Francis heard earlier was much more sober. Oleg Yakovlev told of he and his wife Lyudmila and their five children had to leave Dnipro a year ago after Russian bombings. "We were welcomed here and we have found a new home (but) many have suffered and suffer still because of the war," Yakovlev told the pope. Sitting in the first row of the church with his family, the youngest of Yakovlev children, a boy of about four, was amused by the attention he was getting, making faces at reporters as his father spoke of missiles, crumbled buildings and a 1,500 km trip to safety. Since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, millions of refugees have fled through Central Europe, including Hungary, and moved to other countries. About 35,000 have applied for temporary protection status in Hungary. Francis said expressing compassion for those suffering from poverty and tragedy is an integral part of being a Christian, even if those in need are non-believers. "Even amid pain and suffering, once we have received the balm of love, we find the courage needed to keep moving forward: we find the strength to believe that all is not lost, and that a different future is possible," he said. Later the pontiff met with Metropolitan (bishop) Hilarion, representative of the Russian Orthodox Church(ROC)in Budapest. Hilarion was effectively ousted from the number two post at the ROC headquarters in Moscow last year, a decision seen as indicating discord at the top of the Russian Patriarchate over the war. The Russian Orthodox Church is by far the biggest of the churches in the Eastern Orthodox communion, which split with Western Christianity in the Great Schism of 1054. The Russian invasion of Ukraine divided world Orthodoxy and strained relations between the Vatican and the ROC. ROC Patriarch, Kirill, is a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Kirill fully backs the war as a bulwark against a West he describes as decadent. The European Union tried to put Kirill on its sanctions list last year but member states failed to find unanimity on the issue as Hungary opposed his inclusion. Relations between the Vatican and the ROC have been frosty since Francis said last year that Kirill should not be "Putin's altar boy".

EU Calls Upon Iran to Refrain From Executing German-Iranian Citizen
Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 29 April, 2023
The European Union said that it "strongly condemns" the death sentence imposed on jailed German-Iranian citizen Jamshid Sharmahd, the German news agency reported. Tehran's Supreme Court upheld Sharmahd's death sentence, first issued in February, on Wednesday. It is not clear when the sentence, typically done by hanging in Iran, will be carried out. In a statement issued on Friday, the European Union called on Tehran "to refrain from executing the death penalty on Sharmahd, repeal his sentence and ensure Sharmahd be provided the basic rights to which he is entitled unter international law without delay." The death penalty was handed to the 68-year-old in February. He had been in jail since 2020. Family members, human rights activists and an array of German politicians criticized the trial and described the allegations against him as unfounded.

Advantage Tankers Accuse Iran of Seizing its Oil Tanker
London – Tehran – Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 29 April, 2023 - The Iranian navy escorted Advantage Sweet to a port based on an "international dispute," announced Advantage Tankers.
On Thursday, Iran's navy seized a Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker heading to the US in the Gulf of Oman. Advantage Tankers, which owns Advantage Sweet, said the Iranian navy had transferred it to an unnamed port, according to the Agence France-Presse (AFP). "TankerTrackers" website, which specializes in tracking ship movements, said on Twitter that the vessel was located in the anchorage of Bandar Abbas in Iran "as expected." The US Navy said that forces from Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) seized the tanker, which was flying the Marshall Islands flag while it was sailing in international waters. The commander of the US CENTCOM, General Michael Kurilla, said in a statement that the "illegal seizure" of the tanker was "another in a continuing series of violations by Iran of the international rules-based order."
"This kind of harassing activity is commensurate with an established pattern of Iranian behavior that places the security and stability of the Middle East at risk," warned Kurilla. The Iranian army said a Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker was seized by the naval force in the Arabian Gulf after "it collided with an Iranian boat in the Gulf of Oman and tried to flee." It indicated that two members of the boat's crew were missing, and several were injured due to the ship's collision with the boat. Later, Maritime security company Ambrey said the vessel had been boarded via helicopter. "The vessel did not show any signs of conducting evasive maneuvers before the incident," it said. Munro Anderson, who works with Maritime security company Dryad, said separately that Iran usually detained vessels for "leverage or signaling." "The working hypothesis at the moment is that it could either be an arbitrary detention of a vessel by Iran in response to the US sailing its first unmanned vessel through the region last week - as a show of force," he said. Anderson noted that it could be in response to the US sanctions announced on Apr. 24 against personnel in Iran connected to the IRGC. According to Refinitiv ship tracking data, it is a Suezmax crude tanker chartered by oil major Chevron and last docked in Kuwait. The vessel's destination was the US Gulf of Mexico port in Houston. Advantage Tankers stated that the tanker was carrying 24 Indian crew members, stressing that the company" was "in close touch with all the appropriate authorities to obtain the release of the crew and vessel." Past experience shows that crew caught up in similar incidents are in "no danger," the ship's operator, Advantage Tankers, told AFP. Since 2019, there have been a series of attacks on ships in strategic Gulf waters at times of tension between the US and Iran. The development came when Iran's oil exports increased despite US sanctions over its nuclear program. Last year, the US tried to seize an Iranian oil shipment off the coast of Greece, prompting Tehran to hold two Greek-flagged tankers in the Gulf. Greece's Supreme Court ruled that the shipment should be returned to Iran. The two Greek tankers were later released. Senators from the Democratic and Republican parties urged US President Joe Biden to enable a federal government agency to seize Iranian oil and gas shipments. Senators Joni Ernst, a Republican, and Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat, said in a letter to Biden that the Department of Homeland Security's Investigations (HSI) office has been unable to seize an Iranian oil shipment for more than a year. HSI's enforcement has been curtailed by policy limitations within the Department of Treasury's Executive Office for Asset Forfeiture, the senators said in the letter, a copy of which was reviewed by Reuters. The senators said that since the activation of HSI's enforcement program in 2019, it had seized nearly $228 million in Iranian crude and fuel oil linked to Iran's Quds Force.

Raisi to Begin Damascus Visit on Wednesday

Damascus – Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 29 April, 2023
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi will visit Damascus next week, a senior regional source close to the Syrian government told Reuters on Friday. The visit will be the first by an Iranian president to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad since war broke out in Syria in 2011. Syrian newspaper “Al-Watan” confirmed that Raisi would visit Damascus next Wednesday in the first official visit by an Iranian president since 2010. The newspaper cited informed sources as saying that during a two-day visit, Raisi and Assad will hold official talks aimed at enhancing strategic cooperation between the two countries, “especially in the economic field.” According to Al-Watan, a significant number of agreements and MoUs on economic cooperation between the two countries will be signed during the visit. The visit by the Iranian president comes just days after Assad received Iranian Minister of Roads and Urban Development Mehrdad Bazrpash, and accepted the credentials of Hossein Akbari, Iran’s new ambassador to Syria. Assad has visited Tehran twice since the start of the Syrian civil war in 2011. Iran is a key supporter of Assad's regime, having provided it with weapons, thousands of military advisers, and armed militia members from various countries who are now deployed in military bases spread across Syria. Israeli strikes have repeatedly targeted Iranian and affiliated militia presence in Syria to prevent the arrival of advanced weapons. The proliferation of Iranian militias in Syria also created tension with the US and the international coalition it is leading to fight ISIS in the east of the country. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that “Iranian militias” have brought in howitzers and Grad rocket launchers loaded on four-wheel drive vehicles, towards the “Soleimani” base located near the fields in the eastern countryside of Deir al-Zour. The move aims to reinforce their military power and establish their presence in the area.

Pentagon Deploys Warplanes with ‘Bunker Busting’ Bombs to Deter Iran
Washington - Ali Barada/Saturday, 29 April, 2023
The US mil­i­tary is for the first time putting 250-pound “bunker bust­ing” bombs on at­tack air­craft re­cently sent to the Mid­dle East in the lat­est move to de­ter Iran, US of­fi­cials said. Wall Street Journal reported that the de­ci­sion to put more pow­er­ful weapons on a squadron of A-10 Warthogs was de­signed to give pi­lots a greater chance of suc­cess in de­stroy­ing am­mu­ni­tion bunkers and other en­trenched tar­gets in Iraq and Syria, where US forces have been re­peat­edly tar­geted by Iran-backed fight­ers. The move marks the first time that the US mil­i­tary will put these pre­ci­sion-guided weapons on board the Warthogs, which were re­cently re­fit­ted so that they could each carry up to 16 bunker busters, known for­mally as GBU-39/B bombs. The pow­er­ful bombs are ar­riv­ing in the Mid­dle East at a time of height­ened ten­sions with Iran. On Thurs­day, Iran’s Rev­o­lu­tion­ary Guard Corps (IRGC) de­tained an oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman as it car­ried crude to the US from Kuwait. Air Force Lt. Gen. Alexus Grynkewich said the A-10s are highly ef­fec­tive at some things we need to do. Grynkewich over­sees US mil­i­tary op­er­a­tions in the skies above Syria and 20 other na­tions in the Mid­dle East and South­east Asia as head of the US Air Forces Cen­tral Com­mand. The new squadron rep­re­sents a 50 percent in­crease in the num­ber of at­tack air­craft in the re­gion, Grynkewich said. The Pen­tagon sent the Warthog squadron, usu­ally around 12 planes, to the Mid­dle East last month af­ter Iran-backed forces car­ried out a se­ries of at­tacks on US bases in Syria, in­clud­ing one sui­cide-drone strike that killed a US con­trac­tor. US Pres­i­dent Joe Biden re­sponded to the at­tacks by or­der­ing airstrikes on Iran-backed mil­i­tants in Syria. Mov­ing the Warthogs into the Mid­dle East was part of a broader ef­fort to beef up the US mil­i­tary pres­ence amid ris­ing con­cerns about at­tacks by Iran and its mil­i­tant al­lies across the re­gion. The up­grade will give the Warthogs more fire­power than F-15 jet fight­ers, US of­fi­cials said. It also rep­re­sents an ad­vance on the mil­i­tary’s ef­forts to demon­strate the value of the ag­ing Warthog fleet that Pen­tagon of­fi­cials have been try­ing to re­tire for more than a decade. The US mil­i­tary also an­nounced the ar­rival last month of a guided-mis­sile sub­ma­rine in the Mid­dle East, a pub­lic show of force. At the time, US of­fi­cials said they had in­tel­li­gence that Iran was pre­paring to carry out a drone at­tack on a com­mer­cial ship in the re­gion, some­thing Wash­ing­ton has ac­cused Tehran of do­ing sev­eral times in re­cent years. Meanwhile, new research by Uk-based Conflict Armament Research (CAR) revealed that the Shahed-136 drones sold to Russia by Iran are powered by an engine based on German technology – technology illicitly acquired by Iran almost 20 years ago. The finding – made through a detailed examination of components recovered in Ukraine and shared exclusively with CNN – underlines Iran’s ability to mimic and finesse military technology it has obtained illegitimately. CNN reported that Western officials are also concerned that Russia may share Western-made weapons and equipment recovered on the Ukrainian battlefield with the Iranians. So far, there’s no firm evidence that this has happened.

Russian official: Ukrainian drones strike Crimea oil depot
KYIV, Ukraine (AP)/April 29, 2023
A massive fire erupted at an oil depot in Crimea after it was hit by two of Ukraine's drones, a Russia-appointed official there reported Saturday, the latest in a series of attacks on the annexed peninsula as Russia braces for an expected Ukrainian counteroffensive. Mikhail Razvozhayev, the Moscow-installed governor of Sevastopol, a port city in Crimea, posted videos and photos of the blaze on his Telegram channel. Razvozhayev said the fire at the city's harbor was assigned the highest ranking in terms of how complicated it will be to extinguish. However, he reported that the open blaze had been contained. Razvozhayev said the oil depot was attacked by “two enemy drones," and four oil tanks burned down. A third drone was shot down from the sky, and one more was deactivated through radio-electronic means, according to Crimea's Moscow-appointed governor, Sergei Aksyonov.
Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, a move that most of the world considered illegal. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in an interview this week that his country will seeking to reclaim the peninsula in the upcoming counteroffensive.
Russian President Vladimir Putin traveled to Crimea last month to mark the ninth anniversary of the Black Sea peninsula’s annexation from Ukraine. Putin's visit took place the day after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for the Russian leader accusing him of war crimes.
The attack reported in Sevastopol comes a day after Russia fired more than 20 cruise missiles and two drones at Ukraine, killing at least 23 people. Almost all of the victims died when two missiles slammed into an apartment building in the city of Uman, located in central Ukraine. Six children were among the dead, Ukrainian Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said Saturday, adding that 22 of the 23 bodies recovered have been identified. Two women remained missing, Klymenko said. Russian forces launched more drones at Ukraine overnight. Ukraine's Air Force Command said two Iranian-made self-exploding Shahed drones were intercepted, and a reconnaissance drone was shot down on Saturday morning. Razvozhayev said the oil depot fire did not cause any casualties and would not hinder fuel supplies in Sevastopol. The city has been subject to regular attack attempts with drones, especially in recent weeks. Earlier this week, Razvozhayev reported that the Russian military destroyed a Ukrainian sea drone that attempted to attack the harbor and another one blew up, shattering windows in several apartment buildings, but not inflicting any other damage. Ukraine's military intelligence spokesperson, Andriy Yusov, told the RBC Ukraine news site on Saturday that the oil depot fire was “God's punishment” for “the murdered civilians in Uman, including five children.”He said that more than 10 tanks containing oil products for Russia's Black Sea Fleet were destroyed in Sevastopol, but stopped short of acknowledging Ukraine's responsibility for a drone attack. The difference between the number of tanks Yusov and Razvozhayev gave could not be immediately reconciled. After previous attacks on Crimea, Kyiv also wouldn't openly claim responsibility, but emphasized that the country had the right to strike any target in response to Russian aggression.
Elsewhere, Ukrainian forces shelled the city of Nova Kakhovka, according to Moscow-installed authorities in the Russian-occupied part of southern Ukraine's Kherson province. “Severe artillery fire” cut off power in the city, the officials said. The Ukrainian-controlled part of the province also came under fire on Saturday. Russian shelling in the area of the village of Bilozerka killed one person and wounded another, according to the Kherson prosecutor’s office.

US should supply F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine now to end the stalemate with Russia and win the war, former US Air Force colonel says
Isobel van Hagen/Business Insider/April 29, 2023
F-16s are "critical" to rapidly defeat Russia, retired Air Force Col. Jeff Fischer told the Kviv Post.
It would only take two to six months to train Ukrainian pilots to use the jets, Fischer argued.
The Biden administration previously said it would not send the US-made fighter jets to Ukraine.
American-made F-16 fighter jets would help Ukraine defeat Russia and rapidly end the drawn-out conflict, according to an experienced former US Air Force serviceman. In an exclusive interview with the Kyiv Post, retired Air Force Col. Jeff Fischer laid out his thinking on why the US should provide F-16s to the war-torn country. "I have come to the conclusion that F-16s or a fourth-generation multi-role fighter is critical for Ukraine, and there's a simple reason why," Fischer said in an interview this week. "If you can dominate in the battle space and in the air domain, we can get away from this air parity, which exists right now," he added. Fischer served for over 30 years in the US Air Force and completed seven combat tours. While it may seem "counterintuitive," using greater force or having "air dominance" is actually likely to "bring the war to an end much faster," he said. "Send F-16s to Ukraine so Russia can be defeated now," he added. When asked about American Defense Undersecretary Colin Kahl's evaluation that it would take 18 months to train Ukrainian fighters to use F-16s, Fischer responded that he believed that assessment was "a little bit disingenuous." While it would take someone without any experience 18 months to learn, he said, a transition program for "already trained and skilled Ukrainian pilots" would only take two to six months, he argued. The retired colonel added that it would be simple to find people to help provide technical and logistical support for the jets because they already exist "in massive numbers."There are 4,500 fighter jets already manufactured, he said, and the US is still producing them. Fischer, noa an author and military analyst, noted that the current "war of attrition" means not only the cost of human lives but also a continued decrease in missiles and artillery shells for Ukraine's military. The jets, he said, would help to improve this situation. The stalemated war in Ukraine has been ongoing for over a year, and the question of whether the country's military should be supplied with Western-built fighter jets has been contentious. While some have argued the single-seat fighter jets would be a "game changer" for the country, other experts believe it might prove more complicated. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has urged the White House to send the jets, the Biden administration has said it is not a priority.

Heads of state, top diplomats visit Ukraine to show support
Associated Press/April 29/2023
Two heads of state and seven foreign ministers from a group of Ukraine's European backers have visited the war-torn country to express support for Kyiv in its defense against Russia's invasion. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, hosting his counterparts from four Nordic and three Baltic countries in the southern port city of Odesa, repeated a plea for the delivery of U.S.-made fighter jets to his country. "(The jets) are needed to cover our brigades that are going to (counter-attack)," Kuleba said. Although no promises were made, he added, "I have a feeling that our colleagues are well-disposed in this matter." Ukraine has long pushed for Western fighter jets for its air force, without success. Its Western partners have, however, provided a number of former Soviet MiG-29 fighters. Kuleba met with the foreign ministers of Denmark, Sweden, Iceland, Norway, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Because of government formation talks in Finland, the Nordic country was represented by a senior Foreign Ministry official. "Through this visit, we manifest strong Nordic and Baltic support for Ukraine and its people," said Tobias Billström of Sweden whose country currently holds the rotating six-month presidency of the European Union. "I honestly don't remember if Odesa ever hosted this many ministers of foreign affairs at once. If this is the first such time, we are glad, together with our colleagues, to set a new standard," Kuleba said. Also Friday, in Kyiv, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with the president of Slovakia, Zuzana Čaputová, and the Czech Republic, Petr Pavel. Zelensky said they discussed military aid to help Ukraine address Russia's invasion and "prepare for (the) counteroffensive," as well as the forthcoming NATO summit in July in Vilnius, Lithuania. "We are expecting ambitious decisions that will enforce Europe's security," he said. "The time has come to eliminate any uncertainty." There has long been talk of a Ukrainian spring counter-offensive against invading Russian forces, but it has still to materialize. Czech President Pavel said what he saw in Ukraine reminded him of the devastation from wars in Afghanistan and the former Yugoslavia. "Fortunately, it hasn't broken the Ukrainians," said Pavel, a retired army general and former senior NATO official. "Russia has shown such an inclination to barbarism in recent years that I'm not surprised."

Russia pledges harsh response after Polish 'seizure' of embassy school in Warsaw
MOSCOW (Reuters)/Sat, April 29, 2023
Russia on Saturday promised it would respond harshly to what it said was Poland's illegal seizure of its embassy school in Warsaw, an act it called a flagrant violation of the Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations. Polish state-run news channel TVP Info had earlier reported that police had showed up outside the Russian embassy school on Kieleckiej street in Warsaw on Saturday morning. When asked about the incident, a Polish foreign ministry spokesman told Reuters the building housing the embassy school belonged to the Polish state. Russia's foreign ministry said in a statement that the Polish authorities had burst onto the embassy school's grounds with the aim of seizing it. "We regard this latest hostile act by the Polish authorities as a blatant violation of the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and as an encroachment on Russian diplomatic property in Poland," the ministry said. "Such an insolent step by Warsaw, which goes beyond the framework of civilised inter-state relations, will not remain without a harsh reaction and consequences for the Polish authorities and Polish interests in Russia," it said. Lukasz Jasina, a Polish foreign ministry spokesman, told Reuters that it was Russia's right to protest but that Poland was acting within the law. "Our opinion, which has been confirmed by the courts, is that this property belongs to the Polish state and was taken by Russia illegally," he said. Sergei Andreyev, Moscow's ambassador to Poland, had earlier told Russian state news agencies that the building housing the embassy school was a diplomatic one which Polish authorities had no right to seize. The two countries' already fraught relations have soured further over the war in Ukraine with Warsaw positioning itself as one of Kyiv's staunchest allies, playing a leading role in persuading allies to provide it with heavy weaponry. Andreyev, the Russian ambassador, said earlier this week that Polish prosecutors had seized significant amounts of money from the frozen bank accounts of the Russian embassy and trade mission. In March 2022, Poland said it was expelling 45 Russian diplomats suspected of working for Moscow's intelligence services.

Inside Biden’s Renewed Promise to Protect South Korea From Nuclear Weapons

David E. Sanger and Choe Sang-Hun/The New York Times/ April, 29/2023
In the four years since President Donald J. Trump’s leader-to-leader diplomacy with Kim Jong-un of North Korea collapsed after a failed meeting in Hanoi, the North’s arsenal of nuclear weapons has expanded so fast that American and South Korean officials admit they have stopped trying to keep a precise count.North Korea’s missile tests are so frequent that they prompt more shrugs than big headlines in Seoul.
So when President Biden welcomes President Yoon Suk Yeol of South Korea to the White House on Wednesday, only the second state visit of Mr. Biden’s presidency, there will be few pretenses that disarming North Korea remains a plausible goal.
Instead, American officials say, Mr. Biden’s most vivid commitment to Mr. Yoon will focus on what arms control experts call “extended deterrence,” renewing a vow that America’s nuclear arsenal will be used, if necessary, to dissuade or respond to a North Korean nuclear attack on the South.
The emphasis on deterrence is a striking admission that all other efforts over the past three decades to rein in Pyongyang’s nuclear program, including diplomatic persuasion, crushing sanctions and episodic promises of development aid, have all failed. It is also intended to tamp down a growing call in South Korea for its own independent arsenal, on the very remote chance that North Korea would make the suicidal decision to use a nuclear weapon.
The North’s arsenal will hardly be the only topic under discussion during Mr. Yoon’s visit. He and Mr. Biden will also celebrate the 70th anniversary of the alliance between their countries, commitments for more South Korean investment in manufacturing semiconductors and plans to bolster Seoul’s always-fraught relationship with Japan. But the rapid expansion of North Korea’s capabilities is a subject of perpetual mutual concern for both countries. And what seems irreversible now is North Korea’s entrenched and advanced program.
With China expanding its arsenal to 1,500 weapons by around 2035, according to Pentagon estimates, and Russia threatening to use tactical weapons in Ukraine.
On Friday, North Korea’s foreign minister, Choe Son-hui, repeating a line that has been uttered by her government frequently in recent months, said the North’s status “as a world-class nuclear power is final and irreversible.”
Few experts believe the shift in rhetoric or the threats about first strikes indicate a greater willingness by the North to employ nuclear weapons. The response would be devastating. But gone are the days when American officials thought that the arsenal was a bargaining chip, something to be bartered away for trade deals. There was a mistaken belief, said Joseph S. Nye, who oversaw one of the first intelligence estimates of North Korea for the US government, “that they would try to cash in their chips and get something” for the nuclear weapons. But rather than developing the country, he said at the Harvard conference, the North’s highest goal was “to preserve the dynasty,” and that meant holding on to the arsenal, and expanding it.
North Korea’s new confidence in expanding the arsenal, American officials said in interviews, is partly explained by a change in the relationship with China. Previously, the United States worked with Beijing — the supplier of critical energy and trade to the North — to rein in the country. In the mid-2000s, the Chinese even hosted the so-called six-party talks — North Korea, along with Japan, Russia, the United States and South Korea — to resolve the nuclear issue. When Pyongyang conducted nuclear tests, Beijing often voted for sanctions, and imposed a few.
Now, rather than view North Korea as an unruly, angry neighbor, China has welcomed it, along with Russia and Iran, as part of what White House officials call a coalition of the aggrieved. While Chinese officials presumably fear North Korea’s nuclear tests could go awry, creating a radioactive cloud, it appears perfectly happy to have the North unsettling the United States and its allies with regular missile tests.
Pyongyang’s most recent tests of intercontinental ballistic missiles — including one powered by solid fuel, which makes it quick to roll out of hiding and launch — suggest that North Korea can now almost certainly reach American territory, even if its ability to hit specific targets is imprecise. And over the past year, the North has enshrined its nuclear capability in its laws and started talking about its first-strike capabilities, rather than casting its arsenal as purely defensive. On March 27, North Korea also released photos of Mr. Kim inspecting Hwasan-31, a small standardized nuclear warhead kit that can be mounted on its various nuclear-capable missiles and drones. If the module was a real thing, the photos mean that the North is showing off an ability to mass-produce standardized nuclear warheads, said Hong Min, an expert on North Korean weapons at the Korea Institute for National Unification in Seoul. Mr. Kim has also called for mass-producing nuclear warheads for an “exponential” increase in the country’s nuclear arsenal. Last month, he ordered his government to step up the production of weapons-grade nuclear materials.
South Korean officials said that some of the North’s claims, like the purported capabilities of its underwater drones and supersonic missiles, were exaggerated. The reaction in Washington and Seoul has been to vow to strengthen their alliance — made easier by the fact that Mr. Yoon takes a far more hawkish view of how to deal with the North than did his predecessor, Moon Jae-in, who visited Mr. Biden in May 2021.
So the two leaders are expected to speak at length, publicly, about “extended deterrence,” with Mr. Biden offering more regular, visible visits of nuclear-armed submarines and aircraft to South Korea, bolstering the recently reinstated and expanded joint military exercises. (The exercises were variously suspended and scaled down under Mr. Trump.) Kim Tae-hyo, a deputy national security adviser for Mr. Yoon, said that a top agenda item at the summit was how to boost South Korean confidence in Washington’s commitment to protect its ally with its nuclear umbrella. But Korean officials say that is more dependent on their confidence in the sitting American president — and whether, in the midst of a North Korean attack on the South that employed tactical nuclear weapons, Washington would be willing to take the risk to enter nuclear combat.

Fighting enters third week in Sudan despite new truce
Agence France Presse/April 29/2023
Warplanes on bombing raids drew heavy anti-aircraft fire over Khartoum on Saturday as fierce fighting between Sudan's army and paramilitaries entered a third week, despite a renewed truce. Sudan has plunged into chaos and lawlessness since the fighting erupted on April 15 between forces loyal to army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his number two Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who commands the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Burhan and Daglo have agreed to multiple truces since the start of the conflict, but none has effectively taken hold, with each side blaming the other for breaching them. The latest three-day ceasefire was agreed Thursday after mediation led by the United States, Saudi Arabia, the African Union and the United Nations aimed at securing a more lasting truce. "We woke up once again to the sound of fighter jets and anti-aircraft weapons blasting all over our neighbourhood," a witness in southern Khartoum told AFP. Another witness said fighting had been ongoing since the early morning, especially around the state broadcaster's headquarters in the capital's twin city of Omdurman. Residents across Khartoum -- home to five million people -- have largely sheltered at home despite supplies of food and water dwindling to dangerously low levels, and a lack of electricity. Some managed to sneak out only during brief lulls in fighting to buy desperately needed supplies.
- Trading blame -
As battles raged on the ground, the two rival generals took aim at each other in the media, with Burhan branding the RSF a militia that aims "to destroy Sudan", in an interview with US-based TV channel Alhurra. He also claimed "mercenaries" were pouring over the border from Chad, Central African Republic and Niger to exploit the chaos. Daglo denounced the army chief in an interview with the BBC, saying he was "not trustworthy" and a "traitor". The clashes have so far killed at least 512 people and wounded 4,193, according to the health ministry, with the death toll feared to be much higher. Some 75,000 have been internally displaced by the fighting in Khartoum and the states of Blue Nile, North Kordofan, as well as the restive western region of Darfur, the U.N. said. Tens of thousands of Sudanese have fled into neighbouring countries including Egypt, Ethiopia, Chad and South Sudan, while foreign countries have carried out mass evacuations of their nationals. Britain said it would end evacuation flights for its citizens and their relatives on Saturday, after airlifting more than 1,500 people this week. The United Nations said on Friday that its last international staff had been evacuated from Darfur. The World Food Programme has said the violence could plunge millions more into hunger in a country where 15 million people -- one-third of the population -- already need aid to stave off famine.
- 'Alarming' conditions in Darfur -
In West Darfur state, at least 96 people were reported to have been killed in the city of Geneina since Monday, according to UN human rights office spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani. The UN described the situation in Darfur as "alarming" while Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said there were reports of widespread looting, destruction, and burning of property, including at camps for displaced people. "The current fighting has forced us to stop almost all of our activities in West Darfur," said Sylvain Perron, MSF's deputy operations manager for Sudan. "We are incredibly worried about the impact this violence is having on people who have already lived through waves of violence in the previous years." Darfur is still reeling from its devastating 2003 war, when then hardline president Omar al-Bashir unleashed the Janjaweed militia, mainly recruited from Arab pastoralist tribes, to crush ethnic minority rebels.
The notorious Janjaweed -- accused by rights groups of committing atrocities in Darfur -- later evolved into the RSF, which was formally created in 2013. The scorched-earth campaign left at least 300,000 people dead and close to 2.5 million displaced, according to UN figures, and saw Bashir charged with war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide by the International Criminal Court.Burhan and Daglo -- commonly known as Hemeti -- seized power in a 2021 coup that derailed Sudan's transition to democracy, established after Bashir was ousted following mass protests in 2019.
But the two generals later fell out, most recently over the planned integration of the RSF into the regular army.

Sudan: Hamedti Says Ready for Negotiations with Burhan if Fighting Stops
Khartoum - Asharq Al-Awsat/April, 29/2023
Leader of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces in Sudan, Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, said on Saturday that he is ready for negotiations with army chief Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan on condition that fighting stops between the rival sides. In remarks to BBC on Saturday, Dagalo, better known by his nickname Hamedti, said that to have negotiations with Burhan there are conditions. "Cease hostilities. After that we can have negotiations,” he said. He added: "I am looking forward to having a civilian government today - before tomorrow, a fully civilian government. This is my principle.” Two days ago, al-Burhan agreed in principle to meet Hamedti, but he told local media on Friday that he refuses to sit with Hamedti describing his forces as "rebellious." Asked whether a truce could persist should the two generals reach one, Hamedti said: “We have called for a truce since day one of the war. We immediately opened humanitarian corridors inside the areas controlled by our forces. We started with a truce from our side.” On Friday, fighting continued in Khartoum and in the Darfur region in western Sudan, despite the extension of the truce. The conflict between the RSF and the Sudanese armed forces has been going on since mid-April. It claimed the lives of hundreds of people. Around 574 people have been killed since the fighting began, in addition to 74 others who died early this week.

Man kills 5 in Texas after family complained about gunfire
AUSTIN, Texas (AP)/Sat, April 29, 2023
A man went next door with a rifle and began shooting his neighbors, killing an 8-year-old and four others inside a house near Houston, after the family asked him to stop firing rounds in his yard because they were trying to sleep, authorities said Saturday.
San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers said authorities were still searching for 38-year-old Francisco Oropeza following the shooting in the town of Cleveland, about 45 miles (72 kilometers) north of Houston. He said Oropeza used an AR-style rifle in the attack, which happened shortly before midnight Friday. “All of his rounds were from the neck up, so basically in the head,” Capers told The Associated Press. The attack was the latest act of gun violence in what has been a record pace of mass shootings in the U.S. so far this year, some of which have also involved semiautomatic rifles. By late Saturday morning, Capers said authorities were using scent-tracking dogs and an overhead drone in the search for Oropeza, who they believe was intoxicated at the time of the shooting and then fled toward a heavily wooded forest a few miles from the scene. Capers said there were 10 people in the house — some of whom has just moved there earlier in the week — but that that no one else was injured. He said two of the victims, all believed to be from Honduras, were found laying over two children in a bedroom. Two other victims, a male and female, were found by the front door and the slain child was in the front room. Capers said three other “blood-covered” children were found in the home and taken to a hospital, where they were determined to be uninjured. “The Honduran ladies that were laying over these children were doing it in such an effort as to protect the child,” Capers said. The confrontation followed family members walking up to the fence and asking the suspect to stop shooting rounds, Capers said. The suspect responded by telling them that it was his property, according to Capers, and that one person in the house got a video of the suspect walking up to the front door with the rifle. Three of the victims were women and one was a man. Their names were not released. Capers said the victims were between the ages of 8 and about 40 years old. Capers said his deputies had been to Oropeza's home at least once before and spoken with him about “shooting his gun in the yard.” It was not immediately clear whether any action was taken at the time. Capers said the new arrivals in the home had moved from Houston earlier in the week, but he did not know whether they were planning to stay there. Across the U.S. since Jan. 1, there have been at least 18 shootings that left four or more people dead, according to a database maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today, in partnership with Northeastern University. The violence is sparked by a range of motives: murder-suicides and domestic violence; gang retaliation; school shootings and workplace vendettas. Texas has confronted multiple mass shootings in recent years, including last year's attack at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde; a racist attack at an El Paso Walmart in 2019; and a gunman opening fire at a church in the tiny town of Sutherland Springs in 2017. Republican leaders in Texas have rejected calls for new firearm restrictions, including this year over the protests of several families who children were killed in Uvalde.

The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on April 29-30/2023
Thousands of Political Prisoners are Rotting in Turkish Jails
Uzay Bulut/Gatestone Institute/April 29/2023
"Terrorism charges continue to be widely misused to restrict the rights to free expression and association.... As of July 2020, Ministry of Justice and Interior figures stated that 58,409 were on trial and 132,954 still under criminal investigation on terrorism in cases linked to the Gülen movement. Of those 25,912 were held in prison on remand." — Turkey: Events of 2020, Human Rights Watch.
"There are no published official numbers of prisoners held on remand or convicted for alleged links with the PKK, although on the basis of the previous years' figures the number is at least 8,500 and includes elected politicians and journalists. — Turkey: Events of 2020, Human Rights Watch.
"At time of writing, 58 journalists and media workers were in prison or serving sentences for terrorism offenses because of their journalistic work or association with media." — Turkey: Events of 2021, Human Rights Watch.
"Thousands of people every year already face arrest and prosecution for their social media posts, typically charged with defamation, insulting the president, or spreading terrorist propaganda." — Turkey: Events of 2021, Human Rights Watch.
"Scores of former HDP politicians including mayors are held as remand prisoners or are serving sentences after being convicted of terrorism offenses on the basis of their legitimate non-violent political activities, speeches, and social media postings." — Turkey: Events of 2021, Human Rights Watch.
A Kurdish musician received an effective life sentence at the age of 14 despite evidence of his innocence. Mazlum İçli was arrested in 2018 for allegedly being involved in killing four people during protests in the city of Diyarbakir in 2014. He was sentenced to the absurd prison term of 124 years and 8 months. According to news reports and Historical Traffic Search (HTS) records, images and testimonies showed that he was not at the scene of the crime. An expert examination later determined that İçli was at a wedding during the protests. This accords with the wedding videos and the testimonies of witnesses. Yet, İçli is still in jail. He is now 23 years old.
A Kurdish political prisoner, Mehmet Savur, who has spent 31 years in prison and was to have been released in 2021, is still behind bars.
A major problem in Turkey's judicial system is that statements from "anonymous witnesses" (or "protected witnesses", called in Turkish "secret witnesses") are enough to be sentenced to years in jail on alleged charges of terrorism.
Mehmet Emin Özkan, 84, for instance, suffers from severe illnesses and is still kept in prison despite the lack of any credible evidence – based on claims against him by two "secret witnesses".... Hospitals.... have provided reports saying that he should not be incarcerated and needed to be discharged to obtain medical treatment.
An overpowering problem is that Turkey fails to recognize its own crimes and atrocities. The Turkish military, for instance, evacuated and destroyed villages in southeast Turkey in the 1990s. But the government of Turkey blames others for committing these crimes and calls them terrorists.
Yusuf Özmen, a political prisoner and stage-4 cancer patient, remains incarcerated despite a medical report saying he is almost totally disabled.
While Erdogan's regime itself has well-documented ties with the Islamic State (ISIS) and al-Qaeda-affiliated groups in Syria, it accuses its own peaceful citizens of "terrorism," locks them up with no solid evidence against them, sends them to prison where they contract severe illnesses, then leaves them there to die.
The West should insist that all future economic cooperation with Turkey be linked to Turkey's improvement of human rights and respect for international law.... to induce positive change.
Such economic cooperation would be carried out only on the condition that the required changes are made and maintained. No human rights for the people in Turkey, and no respect for international law in the region? Then no economic cooperation, no commercial agreements.
The Turkish government will not change its behavior in any way unless it sees that violations bring serious consequences. Otherwise, this slow-motion mass murder of political prisoners will continue in Turkey, as well as its many reversals of civilized norms and the targeting of others, including Greece, Syria, Iraq, Cyprus, Armenians, Assyrians, Yazidis and Kurds,
In Turkey, criticizing President Recep Tayyip Erdogan or his family, requesting equal rights or autonomy for Kurds, or posting on social media your criticism of almost any government policy can land you in jail. Pictured: Erdogan in Ankara on October 5, 2020. (Photo by Adem Altan/AFP via Getty Images)
In Turkey, criticizing President Recep Tayyip Erdogan or his family, requesting equal rights or autonomy for Kurds, or posting on social media your criticism of almost any government policy can land you in jail. Even if you may be committed to non-violence and have nothing to do with any terrorist activity, you might, for these so-called charges, spend years in prison. It is common in Turkey for citizens to be labelled "terrorists" and jailed on charges of "terrorism".
Currently, the two groups that are most targeted for being or supporting "terrorists" are the Kurds, and those allegedly close to the movement of the Turkish Muslim cleric Fethullah Gülen, now in self-exile in the United States.
While Kurds are accused of supporting the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), the real or perceived supporters of Gülen are accused of participating in the 2016 failed military coup attempt to unseat Erdogan. Those who remain imprisoned in Turkey for allegedly being "terrorists" include journalists, human rights activists, elected politicians, musicians, teachers, medical doctors, lawyers, intellectuals, and many other civilians.
As Human Rights Watch (HRW) reported in 2021:
"Terrorism charges continue to be widely misused to restrict the rights to free expression and association in the fourth year after the coup attempt. As of July 2020, Ministry of Justice and Interior figures stated that 58,409 were on trial and 132,954 still under criminal investigation on terrorism in cases linked to the Gülen movement. Of those 25,912 were held in prison on remand.
"There are no published official numbers of prisoners held on remand or convicted for alleged links with the PKK, although on the basis of the previous years' figures the number is at least 8,500 and includes elected politicians and journalists."
The HRW also reported in 2022:
"While most news outlets are owned by companies with close government links, independent media in Turkey... are subject to regular removal of content or prosecution for news coverage critical of senior government figures and members of President Erdoğan's family or deemed to constitute an offense under Turkey's highly restrictive Anti-Terror Law. At time of writing, 58 journalists and media workers were in prison or serving sentences for terrorism offenses because of their journalistic work or association with media.
"Thousands of people every year already face arrest and prosecution for their social media posts, typically charged with defamation, insulting the president, or spreading terrorist propaganda.
"Scores of former HDP politicians including mayors are held as remand prisoners or are serving sentences after being convicted of terrorism offenses on the basis of their legitimate non-violent political activities, speeches, and social media postings."
Examples include:
A Kurdish musician received an effective life sentence at the age of 14 despite evidence of his innocence. Mazlum İçli was arrested in 2018 for allegedly being involved in killing four people during protests in the city of Diyarbakir in 2014. He was sentenced to the absurd prison term of 124 years and 8 months.
According to news reports and Historical Traffic Search (HTS) records, images and testimonies showed that he was not at the scene of the crime. An expert examination later determined that İçli was at a wedding during the protests. This accords with the wedding videos and the testimonies of witnesses. Yet, İçli is still in jail. He is now 23 years old.
Prior to his imprisonment, İçli played drums. All the members of his family are musicians. They formed a band called "Koma Sidar."
Another Kurdish musician, Nûdem Durak, has been sentenced to 19 years in jail for "terrorism." She suffers from severe illnesses that threaten her voice.
Durak, 35, is a Kurdish singer and folk musician. In 2015 she was arrested for charges related to" terrorism." She was sentenced to 19 years for "being a member of a terrorist organization" and for "terrorist propaganda." These charges are based on "political songs": she sang in Kurdish. Durak has complained of torture, of isolation, and of having her guitar broken by prison authorities.
According to a report by the Mesopotamia Agency, Durak contracted Grave's Disease (also known as toxic diffuse goiter) and her bones have thinned in prison. She is especially worried about Grave's Disease, which could irrevocably harm her vocal cords so that she will no longer be able to sing. Every month, she is taken from a prison in the city of Bayburt to a hospital in Erzurum province for medical treatment.
"She did nothing other than sing," said her mother, Hatice Durak. "She was arrested for singing in Kurdish... I haven't seen my daughter for two years. People from my family went to visit her but were not allowed to see her."
A Kurdish political prisoner, Mehmet Savur, who has spent 31 years in prison and was to have been released in 2021, is still behind bars.
Savur lived in a village in southeast Turkey, where he worked as a farmer before his incarceration. He has been imprisoned for 31 years for allegedly being a member of the PKK.
According to a news report that includes an interview with his lawyer, Savur went to the city to buy some materials for the field where he was working on July 3, 1991. He was kidnapped, then sentenced to 30 years based on "witness statements." His imprisonment has now entered its thirty-second year. Savur, who was to have been released on July 3, 2021, is still in prison. His lawyer, Şükran Öztürk, maintains that Savur has spent 31 years in prison with no evidence against him.
A major problem in Turkey's judicial system is that statements from "anonymous witnesses" (or "protected witnesses", called in Turkish "secret witnesses") are enough to be sentenced to years in jail on alleged charges of terrorism.
Mehmet Emin Özkan, 84, for instance, suffers from severe illnesses and is still kept in prison despite the lack of any credible evidence – based on claims against him by two "secret witnesses".
Özkan says that he was arrested, tortured, and received a life sentence 27 years ago for allegedly assassinating a military commander, and burning down Lice, his own village in Diyarbakir. However, Turkish soldiers are known to have burned down villages in southeast Turkey, including Lice in the 1990s, to make the Kurds, Assyrians and other minorities leave. It was also reportedly Turkey's Gendarmerie Intelligence Organization (JİTEM) that was responsible for certain political murders in southeast Turkey.
Özkan's lawyer says that there is no evidence that proves Özkan's involvement in the burning of his village or the assassination. Özkan is severely ill, yet has been incarcerated since 1996.
On January 21, the prisons commission of the Istanbul branch of the Human Rights Association (IHD) organized a protest in which Gülseren Yoleri, the head of IHD's Istanbul branch, read a statement to the press and demanded that Özkan be released.
Yoleri stated that Özkan has advanced heart disease, hypertension, thyroid and kidney diseases, Alzheimer's disease, and a cyst has been detected in his brain. Özkan has survived in prison only with the help of his son, who is imprisoned in the same ward. During his stay in prison, Ozkan has had five heart attacks. However, he has not been released as the Forensic Medicine Institute said he is fit to stay in prison. Hospitals, however, have provided reports saying that he should not be incarcerated and needs to be discharged to obtain medical treatment.
"It has become almost impossible for Ozkan to regain his health," Yoleri added. "If he is released and his treatment and care are continued in good conditions, it might be possible for him to live longer and spend his last days with his family."
A major reason these people are imprisoned is the extremely broad definition in Turkish law of "terrorism". The extremely sweeping and vague terrorism-related articles in the Turkish Anti-Terror Law and the Turkish Penal Code have long been criticized by international human rights organizations.
An overpowering problem is that Turkey fails to recognize its own crimes and atrocities. The Turkish military, for instance, evacuated and destroyed villages in southeast Turkey in the 1990s. But the government of Turkey blames others for committing these crimes and calls them terrorists. Until the Kurdish issue is resolved democratically and peacefully – in a way that recognizes the Kurdish right to self-determination – innocent people will continue to be incarcerated on trumped-up charges.
In addition to Kurdish political prisoners who are imprisoned under terrorism related charges, there are also those who are accused of facilitating the 2016 failed coup against Erdogan.
The Turkish government has claimed, and still does, that the movement of Gülen organized the coup attempt. Turkey further labels the Gülenist movement -- ironically, a former ally of the government -- a "terrorist organization." Thus, thousands of people in Turkey – both actual and supposed supporters of Gülen – have been dismissed from their jobs for being "terrorists" and even imprisoned, and are now suffering from severe illnesses. Examples include:
Yusuf Özmen, a political prisoner and stage-4 cancer patient, remains incarcerated despite a medical report saying he is almost totally disabled. Özmen, a food engineer, suffers from testicular cancer, which quickly metastasized to his lungs. He was arrested in 2018, when he had stage-3 cancer, and has been in prison ever since. During this time, he underwent major surgery and was returned to prison six days later.
A teacher, Veysel Tıkaç, who needs another stent for his heart, cannot get medical treatment. A religious culture teacher, Tıkaç was arrested in 2017 regarding the failed coup attempt. He already had stents implanted in his heart nine times and cannot undergo an angiography due to an embolism and kidney failure. In addition to kidney disease, Tıkaç suffers from diabetes, gout, and other ailments affecting his heart, stomach, intestines, and heart. His health has deteriorated further in prison and his treatment has been delayed. "A tenth stent needs to be placed in his heart, but [doctors of the state hospital] cannot do so because the vein is worn out, and because of his kidney failure," a relative said. The family's request to admit him to a private hospital has been rejected by prison authorities.
The Turkish Twitter account "Hasta Tutuklular" ("Sick Prisoners") monitors and posts the violations against sick political prisoners in the country. According to the Twitter page, patients who have been left to die in prison just in the town of Menemen include:
Bekir Bayram, 73 years old, has severe heart disease and is no longer able to walk. He used to work as a tradesman in the city of Isparta but has become bedridden. He was arrested in 2017. A year after his arrest, a stent was inserted in his heart due to heart failure. He now needs to use diapers and cannot even leave his bed. According to a 2021 news report, since his imprisonment four years earlier, he lost 40 kilograms.
Halil Karakoç, 83 years old, cannot get out of bed and takes 14 medicines a day.
Şerife Sulukan is paralyzed and 89% disabled.
All are accused of being "terrorists" and of participating in the failed 2016 coup attempt.
Kamil Acar, a teacher suffering from kidney bleeding, has been imprisoned for six years. "My father's kidney bleeding continues," his son said. "The prison does not take his illness seriously; they do not take him to a doctor in Izmir. They have not granted him his right to probation for the past four-and-a-half months."
The Turkish government claims that it purges these people in the name of "democracy." A parliamentary motion, however, submitted in 2017 by the opposition HDP party, calling for an investigation into "the political wing of the July 15, 2016 coup attempt," was rejected by MPs belonging to Erdogan's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP). It is the government itself that has not allowed an independent committee to investigate the 2016 failed coup attempt.
By labelling these prisoners "terrorists," Erdogan's regime aims to silence dissent and terrorize those who do not support his government.
While Erdogan's regime itself has well-documented ties with the Islamic State (ISIS) and al-Qaeda-affiliated groups in Syria, it accuses its own peaceful citizens of "terrorism," locks them up with no solid evidence against them, sends them to prison where they contract severe illnesses, then leaves them there to die.
The West should insist that all future economic cooperation with Turkey be linked to Turkey's improvement of human rights and respect for international law. Future economic cooperation between Turkey and the West needs to be conditional to induce positive change. Such economic cooperation would be carried out only on the condition that the required changes are made and maintained.
No human rights for the people in Turkey, and no respect for international law in the region? Then no economic cooperation, no commercial agreements.
The Turkish government will not change its behavior in any way unless it sees that violations bring serious consequences. Otherwise, this slow-motion mass murder of political prisoners will continue in Turkey, as well as its many reversals of civilized norms, including the targeting of others, including Greece, Syria, Iraq, Cyprus, Armenians, Assyrians, Yazidis and Kurds.
*Uzay Bulut, a Turkish journalist, is a Distinguished Senior Fellow at the Gatestone Institute. She is also a research fellow for the Philos Project.
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How the Ukraine war is impacting Russian security
Dr. Diana Galeeva/Arab News/April 29, 2023
Russia this week discovered a “Ukrainian” drone close to Moscow and local authorities promptly canceled their May 9 Victory Day parade for security reasons. To what extent, so far, has the Ukraine war challenged Russia’s own security? And what is the particular symbolism of the security threat prior to Victory Day?
On Monday, a drone filled with explosives was found in a forest in the Bogorodsky district of the Moscow region. According to preliminary data, as reported by the Kommersant newspaper, it was a Ukrainian-made UJ-22 Airborne drone that was carrying 30 briquettes of C-4 explosive weighing 570 g each, for a total of 17 kg of explosives. The head of the Bogorodsky city district, Igor Sukhin, reportedly said: “This is not the first drone that has appeared in the Moscow region.”
A day later, three crashed drones equipped with cameras were found in different areas in the Moscow region, TASS Russian News Agency reported. According to a security forces source, all the drones were unmarked.
These are not the only examples of drones being retrieved inside Russia. On Feb. 28, the city of St. Petersburg imposed a 200 km no-fly zone around its airports amid reports of an unidentified flying object. In the south of Russia, there was an explosion at an oil yard in Krasnodar, while drones also reached the Bryansk and Belgorod regions, which share a border with Ukraine. Furthermore, another drone was identified in Kolomna, just 100 km away from Moscow. So, this week’s discovery was not the first time a Ukrainian drone had evaded Russian security, but it may have been the first to suggest a concerted effort to launch an attack, rather than just being for surveillance.
This month has already proved challenging for Russian security. On April 2, an explosion in St. Petersburg, Russia’s so-called cultural capital, killed the famous pro-war military blogger Vladlen Tatarsky. Dozens of others were wounded in the blast. Public opinion immediately pointed to Ukraine as the culprit and compared the bombing to last August’s killing of Darya Dugina, a nationalist TV commentator and the daughter of Aleksandr Dugin, a political philosopher who had long called for Russia to annex Ukraine. Darya was killed by the explosion of her Toyota Land Cruiser while she was driving near Moscow after a conservative festival. Meanwhile, Russian forces accidentally dropped a bomb on their own city of Belgorod this month. About 3,000 people had to be evacuated while the explosive was disposed of.
This week’s discovery was not the first time a Ukrainian drone had evaded Russian security
A day after President Vladimir Putin’s 70th birthday in October 2022, the Kerch bridge, which connects Crimea and Russia, was blown up. Ukraine did not directly claim responsibility for the attack, but President Volodymyr Zelensky’s party linked it to Russia’s illegal occupation of Crimea. The bridge was a symbolic target, as the Russian media in 2018 called it “the construction of the century,” and it made a visible claim to Crimea being part of Russian territory. Satellite images showed that the explosion caused parts of the two-lane westbound carriageway to fall into the sea. The damaged section of the bridge was 274 meters long.
All these examples demonstrate how explosions have a symbolic as well as a material meaning. For this reason, the cancellation of certain Victory Day parades appears logical and understandable. The day itself has symbolic meaning, as the Ukrainian authorities have been depicted as “Nazis” and the parade marks the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in the Second World War. Prior to the drones being found this week, Russia had already canceled celebrations in the Kursk and Belgorod oblasts, which border Ukraine. Victory Day celebrations have also been canceled in Crimea.
Perhaps the best Victory Day for both parties would be the beginnings of a mediated deal, but the prospects of this, which initially seemed so promising, have again been ruined. After the unexpected Iran-Saudi Arabia deal, arranged by China, there were some promising signs regarding the possibility of mediation in the Ukraine war.
However, recent European fury about comments made by the Chinese ambassador to France seems to have smashed any possibility of Europe considering China to be a neutral party in the conflict. The furor occurred after ambassador Lu Shaye questioned the sovereignty of former Soviet countries in a media interview. While Ukraine called Lu’s statement “absurd,” France, Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia all expressed their dismay.
Furthermore, the recent proposal by Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva to form a union of neutral nations to come together and mediate between Russia and Ukraine was criticized by Kyiv for offering equal weight to “the victim and the aggressor.”
With such developments, the further escalation of the Ukraine war is only more likely. As it is, global military spending reached more than $2.24 trillion last year, up 3.7 percent on 2021, suggesting the widespread heightening of security concerns. As one leading think tank, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, put it, we are facing an “increasingly insecure world.” Clearly this includes and adds to Russia’s security challenges and concerns.
• Dr. Diana Galeeva is a former academic visitor to St. Antony’s College, Oxford University (2019-2022). Twitter: @Dr_GaleevaDiana

Why Turkmenistan is emerging from the shadows

LukeDCoffey/Arab News/April 29, 2023
The normally reclusive Central Asian state of Turkmenistan has been having an unusually busy time on the international stage. First, Eli Cohen became the first Israeli Foreign Minister to visit since 1994 when he opened a new Israeli embassy in the capital, Ashgabat.
The following week, Turkmenistan’s Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov was in Washington for talks with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. At the same time, the head of US Central Command in the Middle East, Gen. Michael Kurilla, was in Ashgabat meeting high level Turkmen officials to discuss regional security issues.
Turkmenistan leans toward isolationism and pursues a policy of self-described “permanent neutrality.” However, this cautious approach does not diminish Ashgabat’s importance in the region. Turkmenistan sits in the heart of the Eurasian landmass, has the world’s fourth largest natural gas reserves and shares a 1,150 km border with Iran and an 800 km border with Afghanistan.
Turkmenistan maintains great relations with Turkiye, mainly due to cultural and linguistic ties but also growing energy cooperation. Turkmenistan was once part of the Soviet Union, and Moscow’s presence is never far away. Meanwhile China is showing more interest in Turkmenistan’s energy resources. Consequently, Ashgabat probably welcomes more attention from the US and the Middle East. This is why recent Israeli and American engagement is noteworthy.
Cohen’s visit to Ashgabat was the logical next step in Israel’s deeper engagement in the Caspian region. Before arriving, Cohen visited Azerbaijan across the Caspian Sea. Israel and Azerbaijan have had close relations over the years. Baku provides Israel with almost 40 percent of its crude oil. Israel provides Azerbaijan with advanced weapons such as drones. While it is not discussed publicly, it is thought that the two countries have a close intelligence sharing and counter terrorism relationship. In this context both have one country in mind: Iran.
Israel sees an opportunity to build relations in Central Asia and Turkmenistan as a natural choice for energy and security reasons. During his visit, Cohen described Turkmenistan as an “energy superpower” in Central Asia. “I came to open an Israeli embassy 17 kilometers from the border with Iran, and to hold a series of meetings with the president and other officials,” he said. The specific mention of the exact distance between the new Israeli embassy and the Iranian border was a clue to the real purpose of his trip. Although the Turkmens would be cautious about admitting it publicly, there’s little doubt that Iran was a top discussion item when the two foreign ministers met. After all, relations between Turkmenistan and Iran have had theirfair share of problems in recent years — including a dispute over gas payments of $1.8 billion that Tehran owes Ashgabat but refuses to pay.
With Russian influence in the region waning because of Moscow’s focus on Ukraine, Turkmenistan will probably look to other regions and partners as a balancing act for cooperation
Turkmenistan has recently sought to improve relations with the Gulf states too. Last month President Serdar Berdimuhamedow paid a visit to Qatar. Last November he visited the UAE. Both visits were a first for Berdimuhamedow since he replaced his father last year. Considering the geopolitical situation with Iran, and the momentum from the Abraham Accords, it’s only natural that Turkmenistan and Israel would elevate relations.
Just as with Israel, the increase in US engagement has a lot to do with Iran. But US has concerns aboutAfghanistan too. In the years before the Taliban took over in August 2021, there had been skirmishes between Turkmen security forces and the Taliban. The security situation in Afghanistan has always made Turkmen officials nervous. At one point the authorities in Turkmenistan even attempted to seal its border with Afghanistan using fences, ditches, and various means of surveillance. But since the Taliban’s takeover, Turkmenistan has pursued a pragmatic and open-minded approach to engagement with Kabul. As with other Central Asian states, it remains to be seen if this approach will yield benefits.
The two biggest challenges that CENTCOM faces in the region are the reemergence of transnational terrorist groups in Afghanistan and the ongoing malign activities of Iran. Turkmenistan straddles both these problems and is therefore an important interlocutor for the US. Considering Turkmenistan’s location, US policymakers and military leaders could learn a lot from Ashgabat’s view and opinions of the region. Where there is a possibility of deepened cooperation with Turkmenistan, the US will probably take advantage of the opportunity.
However, nobody should expect a major shift in Turkmenistan’s foreign policy approach under the new president, at least in public. Caution, balance, and reclusiveness will continue to drive Ashgabat’s relations with its neighbors and on the international stage. However, the Turkmen leadership is fully aware of the geopolitical challenges that its Iranian and Afghan neighbors present to regional stability. With Russian influence in the region waning because of Moscow’s focus on Ukraine, Turkmenistan will probably look to other regions and partners as a balancing act for cooperation.
The recent engagement between Turkmenistan, Israel, the US and even the Gulf states is an example of this. For regional stability and security this is a good thing.
• Luke Coffey is a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute. Twitter: @LukeDCoffey

Vladimir Putin’s once feared and almighty navy is sinking into a sorry state
James Kilner/The Telegraph/April 29, 2023
A military band roared into life as Ekaterina Bogdasarova, a millionaire socialite married to a powerful governor, smashed a bottle of champagne against the Kremlin’s latest submarine.
But the pomp and glamour of the launch of the Mozhaysk at the naval shipyard in St Petersburg this week came at the end of a torrid month for the Russian navy, which analysts said has been exposed as often decrepit and dysfunctional.
Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, thought he had pulled off a diplomatic masterstroke by ordering his Pacific fleet, one of the Russian navy’s most powerful armadas, to go on exercise as China’s defence minister was visiting Moscow earlier this month.
He wanted to impress his ally. However, within days of his order, the commander of the once-feared Pacific fleet was reassigned to a job overseeing military gyms, while the flagship of Russia’s Northern fleet was earmarked for the scrap.
Blake Herzinger, a research fellow at the US Studies Centre in Sydney, said this reflected the “below-average leadership” in the Russian military.
“The snap exercises and subsequent relief of the fleet commander is probably more confirmation of the sorry state of the Russian navy,” he said.
The US-based Institute for the Study of War agreed. Dmitry Gorenburg, at the Center for Naval Analyses in the US, said the decision to promote an admiral from the Baltic fleet as the new commander over an officer from within the Pacific fleet suggested the Kremlin was unhappy.
“This is the first time that this hasn’t happened since the late 1990s, early 2000s,” he said.
Named after a Red Army defensive line against Nazi German invaders in 1941, the diesel-powered Mozhaysk can be armed with cruise missiles and is the fourth submarine to be built under the Kremlin’s Project 636.3.
Problems facing Russian ships
The sophisticated craft represents how the Russian navy wants to be seen by its enemies, although the sorry state of its legacy Soviet capital ships may be a more potent image.
Last week, Russian media reported that the nuclear-powered flagship of the Northern fleet, the Peter the Great, will probably be scrapped because it was too expensive to modernise.
With a crew of 700 sailors, the cruiser is the world’s largest non-aircraft carrier warship and was supposed to project Russia’s power and influence when it was launched in 1998.
But it has never seen battle, and now likely never will.
“The experience of repairing and modernising the Admiral Nakhimov has shown that this is very costly,” reported the Tass news agency.
The Admiral Nakhimov is a similar-sized Soviet-designed Kirov-class cruiser that was sent to port in 1999 for repairs. It is still there.
Then there is Russia’s only aircraft carrier, the Admiral Kuznetsov, which is famed for belching black smoke as it sails. However, it has also been under repair, since 2018.
The Russian navy has suffered several embarrassing setbacks since the Kremlin ordered its invasion of Ukraine.
In April 2022, Ukraine sank the Moskva, the flagship of the Black Sea fleet. Two months later, the Russian navy surrendered control of Snake Island in the Black Sea.
It has also had to move its submarines out of Sevastopol, its Black Sea base, because of the threat of Ukrainian boat drone attacks.
Analysts said that Putin will take these setbacks to his navy personally because of emotional scarring from early on in his presidency.
“It’s the legacy of the Kursk,” said Mr Gorenburg. “It was an emotive issue for Putin.”
The nuclear-powered Kursk submarine sank in the Barents Sea on Aug 12 2000 when a torpedo exploded on board, killing most of its crew of 118 and leaving 23 sailors trapped on the seafloor.
Russian rescue efforts failed. British and Norwegian divers later reached the submarine to find them dead.
The disaster eight months into his presidency was humiliating for Putin, who was accused of mishandling the crisis.
It also spurred his drive to modernise Russia’s army, air force and navy into world-class units.