English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For February 09/2023
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news

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Bible Quotations For today
Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 12/20-28/:”Among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks. They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and said to him, ‘Sir, we wish to see Jesus.’Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. Jesus answered them, ‘The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life.Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honour. ‘Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say “Father, save me from this hour”? No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.’ Then a voice came from heaven, ‘I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.’”

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on February 08-09/2023
Who was Saint Maroun That The Mronite Church Carries His Name?/Elias Bejjani/February 09/2023
Delegation of Lebanese Ministers Heads to Syria after Earthquake
Lebanese victim pulled from rubble 2 days after Turkiye quake; several remain trapped
Lebanese man pulled from Hatay rubble amid efforts to rescue two more
Lebanese team rescues several people in quake-hit Turkey
Many Lebanese missing in Turkey as Lebanese novelist, 3 sons killed
Lebanese ministerial delegation meets with Assad
Abu Faour meets Mouawad, says PSP hasn't abandoned him
Lebanese ministerial delegation meets with Syrian Foreign Minister in Damascus, expresses solidarity with Syrian people
Berri schedules session for Parliament Bureau for Monday
Berri meets Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister in Ain El-Tineh
Mikati chairs meeting for the ministerial committee tasked with electricity file, meets Head of the General Labor Confederation, new UNHCR Lebanon...
Mufti Derian broaches situation with Egyptian Ambassador, meets “Sovereign Front” delegation, Head of Economic Committees
Lebanese Politician Samy Gemayel: Hizbullah Kills The Spirit Of Lebanon, Brings A Culture Of Death, Martyrdom, And Wars; We Will Not Live As Second-Class Citizens, If 'Divorce' Is Needed – Let's Have It
Lebanese Columnist Khairallah Khairallah : The Arab States Have Given Up On Lebanon; They See It Was An Iranian Base Hostile To All The Countries Of The Region
Paris summit: Can Lebanon finally be protected from the region’s conflicts?/Nadim Shehadi/Arab News/February 08, 2023

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on February 08-09/2023
Crews Find Survivors, Many Dead after Türkiye, Syria Quake
Turkiye, Syria rescue hopes fading amid anger over disaster response
WHO Sending Medics and Supplies to Türkiye and Syria Earthquake Zone
Syria Requests Assistance from EU after Massive Earthquake
House lawmakers sharpen message on Iran by asking Europe to cut ties
U.S. Takes Action to Stem Iran’s Drone Capabilities
Sister: Health of French-Irish Citizen in Iran Failing
Israel steps up Jerusalem home demolitions as violence rises
CIA Chief Warns Netanyahu, Abbas of ‘Third Intifada’
Israeli Rights Activist Condemns Europe's Silence over Netanyahu's Policy
A key ally of Putin said he wants to invade Poland next, ignoring Russia's inability to capture Ukraine
Ukraine war: Putin 'is playing for time' and plans to 'bomb his way to negotiating table', European spy agency warns
Zelenskyy to Visit UK for First Time since Russia's Invasion
Ukraine's Zelenskiy promises to keep pushing for planes

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on February 08-09/2023
Pakistan's 'Purification' Campaign Against Its Minorities/Lawrence A. Franklin/Gatestone Institute/February 08/2023
Catastrophe in Turkiye, Syria causes deep heartache/Sinem Cengiz/Arab News/February 08/2023
Iran-Israel tensions: Israel appears to be aiming for the octopus’s head/Yossi Mekelberg/Arab News/February 08/2023
Iran protests: Iranian regime vulnerable but unlikely to implode/Osama Al-Sharif/Arab News/February 08/2023
Illegal Migration is Among the Primary Challenges Facing the World/Dr. Nassif Hitti/Asharq Al Awsat/February 08/2023

The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on February 08-09/2023
Who was Saint Maroun That The Mronite Church Carries His Name?
Elias Bejjani/February 09/2023
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/95781/elias-bejjani-who-was-saint-maroun-that-the-mronite-church-carries-his-name/
Fouad Afram Boustani, (1904- 1994), the Lebanese Maronite historian described the Maronite denomination as, a faith of intelligence, an identification of life, a solid belief in Catholicism, a love for others, an ongoing struggle for righteousness, a mentality of openness on the whole world, and on its different civilizations, and a vehicle for martyrdom.
The Maronites established the state of Lebanon and made it an oasis for the persecuted in the middle East. They believed and practiced multiculturalism and pluralism. They created with the help of other minorities in the Middle East the unique nation of Lebanon.
The Maronites made Lebanon their homeland since the 4th century after converting its native inhabitants to Christianity. They were identified by it, and it was identified by them, they were and still are one entity.
The Maronite people were always hopeful, faithful and strong believers in the Christian Catholic doctrine. They made victories of defeats, joy of sorrow and hope of despair.
The Maronites successfully created with hard work and a great deal of faith and sacrifices, the Maronite nation by fulfilling its four basic pillars, a land, a people, a civilization and a politically independent entity.
They constantly fight for what was theirs, and never ever surrendered to despair.
On the ninth of February for the past 1600 years, Maronites in Lebanon and all over the world have been celebrating the annual commemoration of St. Maroun, the founder of their Christian Catholic denomination.
Every year, on the ninth of February, more than ten million Maronites from all over the world celebrate St. Maroun’s day.
On this day, they pay their respect to the great founder of the Maronite Church, Maroun the priest, the hermit, the father, the leader and the Saint.
They remember what they have been exposed to, since the 4th century, both good and bad times.
They reminisce through the past, examine the present and contemplate the future. They pray for peace, democracy and freedom in Lebanon, their homeland, and all over the world.
Who was this Saint, how did he establish his church, where did he live, and who are his people, the Maronites?
St. Maroun, according to the late great Lebanese philosopher and historian, Fouad Afram Al-Bustani, was raised in the city of Kouroch. This city is located northeast of Antioch (presently in Turkey), and to the northwest of Herapolos (Manbieg), the capital of the third Syria (Al-Furatia). Kouroch is still presently in existence in Turkey, it is located 15 kilometers to the northwest of Kalas city, and about 70 kilometers to the north of the Syrian city, Aleppo.
As stated by the historians, Father Boutrous Daou and Fouad Fram Bustani, Maroun chose a very high location at the Semaan Mountain (called in the past, Nabo Mountain, after the pagan god, Nabo). Geographically, the Semaan Mountain is located between Antioch and Aleppo. People had abandoned the mountain for years, and the area was completely deserted.
The ruins of a historic pagan temple that existed on the mountain attracted Maroun. Boustan stated that St. Maroun moved to this mountain and decided to follow the life of a hermit. He made the ruined temple his residence after excoriating it from devils, but used it only for masses and offerings of the holy Eucharist. He used to spend all his time in the open air, praying, fasting and depriving his body from all means of comfort. He became very famous in the whole area for his faith, holiness and power of curing. Thousands of believers came to him seeking help and advice.
St. Maroun, was an excellent knowledgeable preacher and a very stubborn believer in Christ and in Christianity.
He was a mystic who started a new ascetic-spiritual method that attracted many people from all over the Antiochian Empire. He was a zealous missionary with a passion to spread the message of Christ by preaching it to others.
He sought not only to cure the physical ailments that people suffered, but had a great quest for nurturing and healing the “lost souls” of both pagans and Christians of his time. Maroun’s holiness and countless miracles drew attention throughout the Antiochian Empire. St. John of Chrysostom sent him a letter around 405 AD expressing his great love and respect asking St. Maroun to pray for him.
St. Maroun’s way was deeply monastic with emphasis on the spiritual and ascetic aspects of living. For him, all was connected to God and God was connected to all. He did not separate the physical and spiritual world and actually used the physical world to deepen his faith and spiritual experience with God.
St. Maroun embraced the quiet solitude of the Semaan Mountain life. He lived in the open air exposed to the forces of nature such as sun, rain, hail and snow.
His extraordinary desire to come to know God’s presence in all things allowed him to transcend such forces, and discover an intimate union with God.
He was able to free himself from the physical world by his passion and eagerness for prayer and enter into a mystical relationship of love with the creator.
St. Maroun attracted hundreds of monks and priests who came to live with him and become his disciples and loyal Christian followers.
Maroun’s disciples preached the Bible in the Antiochan Empire (known at the present time as Syria), Lebanon, Turkey, Iraq, Jordan and Israel, They built hundreds of Churches and abbeys as well as schools and were known for their faith, devotion and perseverance.
At the age of seventy, in the year 410 AD, and after completing his holy mission, St. Maroun died peacefully while surrounded by his disciples and followers. His will was to be buried in the same grave with his beloved teacher, the great monk, Zabena, in the town of Kena, next to Kouroch city, where a temple was built in Zabena’s name.
St. Maroun’s will was not fulfilled, because the residents of a nearby town were able to take his body and bury him in their town and build a huge church on his grave. This church was a shrine for Christians for hundreds of years, and its ruins are still apparent in that town.
After Maroun’s death, his disciples built a huge monastery in honor of his name, adjacent to the ornate spring, (Naher Al-Assi, located at the Syrian-Lebanese border). The monastery served for hundreds of years as a pillar for faith, education, martyrhood and holiness.
It was destroyed at the beginning of the tenth century that witnessed the worst Christian persecution era. During the savage attack on the monastery more than 300 Maronite priests were killed.
The surviving priests moved to the mountains of Lebanon where with the Marada people and the native Lebanese were successful in establishing the Maronite nation. They converted the Lebanese mountains to a fortress of faith and a symbol for martyrhood, endurance and perseverance.
Initially the Maronite movement reached Lebanon when St. Maroun’s first disciple Abraham of Cyrrhus, who was called the Apostle of Lebanon, realized that paganism was thriving in Lebanon, so he set out to convert the pagans to Christianity by introducing them to the way of St. Maroun.
St. Maroun is considered to be the Father of the spiritual and monastic movement now called the Maronite Church. This movement had a profound influence on northern Syria, Lebanon, Cyprus and on many other countries all over the world where the Maronites currently live.
The biggest Maronite community at the present time lives in Brazil. More than six million Lebanese descendents made Brazil their home after the massive emigration that took place from Lebanon in the beginning of this century.
God Bless all those who struggle for freedom and liberty all over the world.
N.B: The Above Piece was first published in 2013. It is republished with minor changes.

Delegation of Lebanese Ministers Heads to Syria after Earthquake
Beirut - Asharq Al-Awsat/Wednesday, 8 February, 2023
Lebanon is sending a high-level delegation to Damascus on Wednesday to see how to provide assistance following the devastating earthquake that hit several areas in northwestern Syria earlier this week. The ministerial delegation will be led by Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib and Public Works and Transport Minister Ali Hamieh. Hamieh was tasked by the Lebanese Cabinet as the main point of contact between Lebanon and Syria over relief efforts. Social Affairs Minister Hector Hajjar and officials from the Lebanese health ministry will also be part of the team. The delegation, which includes ministers representing the Amal movement, Hezbollah, and the Free Patriotic Movement, was sent to express support for Syria. Lebanon had earlier opened its ports and airports to humanitarian aid headed to Syria. Former Lebanese President Michel Aoun made a phone call to Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad offering him condolences for the earthquake victims and wishing a speedy recovery for those injured. Aoun also wished Assad success in rescuing those missing under the rubble and expressed solidarity with the Syrian people in their ordeal. Aoun called on the international community, especially the Arab countries, to override all political considerations and positions, and to rush to the aid of the Syrian people. Lebanon’s Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Latif Derian expressed his “extreme pain and grief over the devastating earthquake that struck Türkiye and Syria, which resulted in thousands of deaths and injuries.”He affirmed Dar Al-Fatwa's solidarity with the Syrian and Turkish families of victims. For his part, Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati held a series of meetings with ministers and politicians who expressed their solidarity with the Syrian people. Caretaker Health Minister Firas Al-Abyad held a meeting to coordinate the health sector’s response to seismic disasters and crises.

Lebanese victim pulled from rubble 2 days after Turkiye quake; several remain trapped
Najia Houssari/Arab News/February 08, 2023
Ambassador Ghassan Al-Muallem said about 10 to 15 Lebanese were known to have been in the area and most are safe, ‘however 4 or 5 people are still under rubble’
Caretaker PM Najib Mikati sent a ministerial delegation to Damascus on Wednesday to discuss rescue and aid efforts with Turkish officials, including President Bashar Assad
BEIRUT: Rescuers in Turkiye pulled Lebanese citizen Basel Habqouq alive from the rubble on Wednesday, 48 hours after the massive earthquake that caused devastating damage and loss of life in the southeast of the country and neighboring Syria. Meanwhile, teams continue their efforts to free Lebanese youths Elias Haddad and Mohammed Al-Mohammed who are trapped in the debris of the hotel in which they were staying. The efforts to track down other victims from Lebanon continue. Ghassan Al-Muallem, the Lebanese ambassador to Turkiye, said: “The embassy is working with the Turkish authorities … to ascertain the fate of the missing Lebanese citizens.
“We have been informed that there were 10 to 15 Lebanese in the area that was hit by the earthquake. Most of them are in good condition and we succeeded in communicating with them. However, there are four to five people still under rubble.”It is difficult to accurately calculate the total number of Lebanese nationals who were in the area at the time of the earthquake because some were not registered as residents and others were visiting as tourists or on business trips. It is known that Lebanese doctor Wissam Mohammed Khair Al-Asaad died, along with his daughter, though his wife survived.
The Roman Catholic patriarchate in Syria said that Father Imad Daher, a Lebanese priest at the Church of the Virgin Mary in Aleppo, Syria, had died. His body was found under the rubble of the building in which he lived in Al-Azizia district, Hama. There are also reports that Lebanese novelist Dalal Zain Al-Din is trapped under rubble in Antakya. Meanwhile, Mohammed Shamma and his son, Sarhan, survived but Shamma’s wife Susan is missing.
Relatives and friends of Lebanese who are missing have posted messages on social media seeking help to find loved ones they have been unable to contact. Among those whose fate remains unknown is Abdel Nour Ajaj, who lives with his family and his brothers in Turkiye, and Fatima Ramiz Zakaria from Tabbaneh, Tripoli. The Lebanese army said two units of its engineering regiment sent to help the rescue efforts in Turkiye and Syria “continue search and rescue work in cooperation with the Lebanese Red Cross and the Lebanese Civil Defense.” Members of the first unit arrived in the Turkish city of Adana and then traveled to the city of Al-Bustan, while the second unit went to the Syrian city of Jableh. “Immediately upon their arrival, the two units began working to remove the rubble and search for survivors in difficult weather conditions, low temperatures and an unsafe working environment as a result of the continued aftershocks that could cause additional collapses in the damaged buildings,” officials said.
Beirut Municipality said a rescue team it supplied, consisting of members of Beirut Fire Brigade and the city’s ambulance service, “saved a pregnant Turkish woman and her child who were pulled from the rubble of a completely destroyed building. They also saved a family and many children who were stuck inside a building, part of which had collapsed.”Ambassador Al-Muallem described the situation rescuers are faced with as “very difficult” and added: “The scenes are more devastating than what we see on television. Some roads are cut off and cannot be accessed as a result of the massive destruction. “Turkish rescue teams are working to respond to the calls and we are waiting to know the fate of the missing Lebanese.” In Syria, Talal Daher, charge d’affaires at the Lebanese Embassy in Damascus, said that a family of four from Lebanon had survived in Aleppom but that two Lebanese citizens died in the coastal city of Jableh in Latakia Governorate. Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati sent a ministerial delegation to Damascus on Wednesday to discuss rescue and aid efforts, the repercussions of the earthquake, and Lebanese relief capabilities.
The delegates spent 45 minutes with Syrian President Bashar Assad and also met Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad. During the meetings, officials said, they passed on “Lebanon’s solidarity with the Syrian people in this ordeal” and pledged to deploy “available capabilities to help in the areas of relief.”

Lebanese man pulled from Hatay rubble amid efforts to rescue two more
Naharnet/February 08, 2023
Lebanese national Bassel Habkouk was pulled out Wednesday from the rubble of a destroyed hotel in the earthquake-hit Turkish city of Antakya amid ongoing efforts to rescue two more Lebanese citizens trapped under the debris. Habkouk hails from the southern town of Maghdouche. The Lebanese Embassy in Turkey meanwhile confirmed that efforts are still underway to rescue Elias Haddad and Mohammed al-Mohammed. “Rescue crews have confirmed hearing voices coming from beneath the rubble at the site,” the Embassy added.

Lebanese team rescues several people in quake-hit Turkey
Naharnet/February 08, 2023
The Lebanese rescue and medical team has managed to pull out several people from the rubble in earthquake-stricken Turkey.
The team -- comprised of army engineering soldiers, Lebanese Red Cross medics and firefighters from the Beirut Fire Brigade and the Civil Defense -- managed to rescue a pregnant Turkish woman and her child as well as an entire family and a number of children who were trapped under the debris of two buildings, Beirut Municipality said in a statement. The Lebanese search and rescue operations will continue around the clock in a number of Turkish provinces and neighboring Syrian towns, the Municipality added.

Many Lebanese missing in Turkey as Lebanese novelist, 3 sons killed
Naharnet/February 08, 2023
Several Lebanese nationals have been reported as missing in Turkey following the devastating earthquake there. Lebanese Ambassador to Turkey Ghassan al-Muallem said the embassy is following up with Turkish authorities on the situation of five Lebanese who are “under the rubble.” “Rescue crews have not reached the area in which the missing Lebanese are believed to be due to the vast area affected by the earthquake and the cutoff of supply and transportation routes,” Muallem said in a radio interview. “We do not have an official tally of the Lebanese victims until the moment and we don’t know the number of the Lebanese who were present in Turkey because they had not informed the embassy (of their presence), in addition to the presence of tourists,” Muallem added, noting that “some Lebanese in the affected areas are communicating with the embassy and helping in the count of the missing.”Al-Jadeed TV meanwhile reported that Lebanese national Mohammed Shamma and his son have been rescued from the rubble in Turkey’s Hatay province while his wife was killed. The brother of missing Lebanese national Elias al-Haddad meanwhile urged the Lebanese state to move to “rescue the Lebanese who are trapped (under the rubble) in Turkey.”According to the brother, Haddad was in the Ozcihan Hotel, which has partially collapsed. Lebanese novelist and activist Dalal Zeineddine and her three sons and grandson were meanwhile killed in Hatay’s Antakya. According to media reports, she was married to a Syrian national and had moved to Turkey in the wake of the Syrian revolt. Zeineddine has two other sons and a daughter. The Lebanese Embassy in Syria meanwhile announced the death of three Lebanese in the earthquake and added that a Lebanese family was rescued in the Syrian province of Aleppo.
Prominent Lebanese basketball coach Ghassan Sarkis meanwhile said that he was present in Aleppo when the earthquake struck. He escaped unharmed. “There were moments of terror when the earthquake happened,” Sarkis said. “Huge aid is arriving in Turkey while no one is remembering Syria. This is saddening,” he added.

Lebanese ministerial delegation meets with Assad
Naharnet/February 08, 2023
A Lebanese ministerial delegation led by caretaker Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib met Wednesday with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to discuss earthquake relief efforts. The delegation had earlier met with Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad, expressing its "solidarity with the Syrian people in this plight" and noting that Lebanon "will offer its available capabilities to assist in the relief efforts," the National News Agency said. The delegation had been formed Tuesday at the instructions of caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati. The death toll from Monday's massive earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria rose above 11,200 on Wednesday, as rescuers raced to save survivors trapped under debris in the winter cold. Officials and medics said 8,574 people died in Turkey and 2,662 in Syria. Nearly 50,000 people were also injured in Turkey and another 5,000 in Syria, officials and rescuers on both sides said. The Syrian health ministry reported damage across the provinces of Aleppo, Latakia, Hama and Tartus. The Lebanese delegation comprises Bou Habib, Public Works and Transport Minister Ali Hamieh, Social Affairs Minister Hector Hajjar and Agriculture Minister Abbas Hajj Hassan. It also includes Secretary General of the High Relief Council Maj. Gen. Mohamed Kheir and Director of the Medical Care Directorate at the Ministry of Public Health Dr. Joseph el-Helou. The Lebanese Civil Defense, the Lebanese Red Cross and the Amal-affiliated Islamic Rissala Scout Association had earlier announced that they were sending rescue teams to Syria. Minister Hamieh announced Tuesday that Beirut's airport and the ports of Beirut and Tripoli will be open to receive tax-exempt humanitarian aid destined for Syria.

Abu Faour meets Mouawad, says PSP hasn't abandoned him
Naharnet/February 08, 2023
A delegation from the Progressive Socialist Party-led Democratic Gathering bloc on Wednesday held talks with MP Michel Mouawad. “The allegations that the Democratic Gathering has abandoned Mouawad are baseless and we do not intend to abandon each other. Our aim is to hold consultations in order to reach a solution,” Abu Faour said after the meeting. “Things do not look promising regarding the presidential file until the moment and we don’t have any other candidate, but we are exerting efforts and searching for a solution,” the MP added. “We have not nominated Mouawad as a person but as principles and an exemplar. We wanted to rally more votes and we worked on convincing some parties of this nomination and now we’re looking for what can push things forward,” Abu Faour went on to say. Mouawad for his part said “what’s more important is the project and not the person.”“I’m willing to fight the battle of any person who would relieve the Lebanese as part of the project on which we cannot bargain,” Mouawad added. “This meeting was necessary to raise the level of coordination and agree on a roadmap for the future, and to me the personal aspect is a detail and my nomination is the title of a roadmap based on Lebanonizing this juncture,” Mouawad went on to say.

Lebanese ministerial delegation meets with Syrian Foreign Minister in Damascus, expresses solidarity with Syrian people
NNA/February 08, 2023
A Lebanese ministerial delegation headed this morning [Wednesday] to Damascus, commissioned by Caretaker Prime Minister, Najib Mikati, to hold a series of meetings with Syrian officials on humanitarian affairs and the repercussions of the devastating earthquake that jolted several regions in Syria.
The delegation was headed by Caretaker Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Abdallah Bou Habib, and included Caretaker Minister of Public Works and Transportation, Ali Hamieh, Caretaker Minister of Social Affairs Hector Hajjar, Caretaker Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Abbas Hajj Hassan, and senior advisors and officials of the four ministries. Among a series of meetings scheduled for today, the delegation met with Syrian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Dr. Faisal Al-Miqdad, declaring their "solidarity with the Syrian people in this ordeal with the available capabilities to help in the areas of relief." The delegation also offered condolences on the earthquake victims and wished the wounded speedy recovery.

Berri schedules session for Parliament Bureau for Monday
NNA/February 08, 2023
House Speaker Nabih Berri has called the Parliament Bureau to convene at 2:00 pm on Monday, February 13.

Berri meets Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister in Ain El-Tineh
NNA/February 08, 2023
House Speaker, Nabih Berri, on Wednesday received at the Second Presidency in Ain El-Tineh Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister and Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator, Dr. Ali Bagheri-Kani, with an accompanying delegation, in the presence of Iranian Ambassador to Lebanon, Mujtaba Amani. Discussions reportedly touched on the current situation in Lebanon and the region, in addition to the bilateral relations between Lebanon and Iran. Bagheri said on emerging that his talks with Speaker Berri touched on an array of matters of common interest, whether in terms of the good and constructive relations between the two brotherly countries or in terms of developments taking place on the local and regional arena. Bagheri added: "I assured during the meeting that the Islamic Republic of Iran will always and forever remain by the side of the brotherly Lebanese Republic, supporting calm, security, stability, development and prosperity in this brotherly country and supporting the valiant Lebanese resistance against the enemies of this country.”He added that viewpoints were similar that the future of Lebanon should be forged through the free will of the brotherly Lebanese people. “I would like to affirm once again that the Islamic Republic of Iran will always remain supportive of the brotherly Lebanese people in various fields."Speaker Berri later received in Ain El-Tineh, the new Brazilian Ambassador to Lebanon, Tarcisio Costa, who paid him a protocol visit upon assuming his new duties in the country. The visit was an occasion to discuss the general conditions in the country, and the bilateral relations between Lenanon and Brazil. On the other hand, Berri has called the Parliament Bureau to convene at 2:00 pm on Monday, February 13.

Mikati chairs meeting for the ministerial committee tasked with electricity file, meets Head of the General Labor Confederation, new UNHCR Lebanon...
NNA/February 08, 2023
Caretaker Prime Minister, Najib Mikati, chaired a meeting at the Grand Serail for the ministerial committee in charge of the electricity file, our correspondent reported on Wednesday. Caretaker Water and Energy Minister, Walid Fayyad, said on emerging that the meeting took constructive and useful decisions in terms of implementing the electricity emergency plan, saying: “The most important decision is that the Electricité du Liban is ready to increase the power supply and will issue a statement next Friday announcing that the power supply will reach 500 megawatts, which is equivalent to about 4 hours of power supply per day.”Minister Fayyad also announced that the collection of bills according to the new rate will begin within the next ten days. Earlier today, Premier Mikati met with Head of the General Labor Confederation, Beshara Asmar, over the conditions and wages of the civil servants. Mikati also received at the Grand Serail, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Representative in Lebanon, Ivo Freijsen, who paid him an acquaintance visit upon assuming his new duties in Lebanon. Discussions reportedly touched on the UNHCR's activities in Lebanon.

Mufti Derian broaches situation with Egyptian Ambassador, meets “Sovereign Front” delegation, Head of Economic Committees
NNA/February 08, 2023
Grand Mufti of the Lebanese Republic, Sheikh Abdul Latif Derian, received at Dar-al-Fatwa on Wednesday, Egyptian Ambassador to Lebanon, Dr. Yasser Alawi, with whom he discussed Lebanese affairs and regional situation. Mufti Derian later met with a delegation of the “Sovereign Front”, over national affairs. Speaking in the name of the delegation on emerging, MP Camille Chamoun described the visit as very constructive and reassuring, adding that the delegation handed Mufti Derian the Front’s political document. MP Chamoun also hoped that a president of the republic will be elected as soon as possible. The Mufti also met with Head of the Economic Committees, former minister Mohammad Choucair, over the current situation in the country, including the current political, socio-economic conditions. On emerging, Choucair highlighted the need for the election of a president of the republic as soon as possible.

Lebanese Politician Samy Gemayel: Hizbullah Kills The Spirit Of Lebanon, Brings A Culture Of Death, Martyrdom, And Wars; We Will Not Live As Second-Class Citizens, If 'Divorce' Is Needed – Let's Have It
MEMRI/February 08/2023
Lebanese MP Samy Gemayel, leader of the Lebanese Kataeb Party said that the time has come to realize that Hizbullah is an "Islamic republic" with foreign funding, weapons, and ideology and that it is "trying to get its hands on the pluralistic Lebanese Republic," in a February 3, 2023 address during the party's 32nd general assembly that was posted on Kataeb News on YouTube. He said that Hizbullah is "trying to kill the spirit of the Lebanese Republic," and that Lebanon has moved from a culture of life, love, and openness to a culture of death, martyrdom, and wars. Gemayel said that if a "divorce" with Hizbullah is necessary, that is what should be done, and he added: "We will not live in Lebanon like second-degree citizens." He explained that he was not speaking only as a Christian, but as a Lebanese citizen. Samy Gemayel, is the nephew of Bachir Gemayel, a Lebanese President-elect who was assassinated by a Syrian terrorist in 1982.
Samy Gemayel: "Today, we have two states on the same land.
"On the one hand, you have the Republic of Lebanon, with all the people from all the sects who believe in it, and believe in the democratic system and the constitution, which governs the relations of the Lebanese from all sects with one another, and on the other hand, there is a state called the Islamic Republic of Hizbullah. "These Lebanese Republic and Islamic Republic exist on the same land. Each of them has its own funding, foreign policy, and army, and they both exist on this land. The time has come for us to realize this, and understand that this Islamic Republic, with its foreign funding, foreign weapons, and foreign ideology, is trying to get its hand on the pluralistic Lebanese Republic."This is what we need to fight today. Unfortunately, we are hiding behind some slogans, in an attempt to avoid this reality. The reality is that this Islamic Republic is trying to kill the spirit of the Lebanese Republic by changing its culture. We have moved from the culture of life, love, and openness, to a culture of death, martyrdom, and wars."Therefore, we have reached a point where we should tell Hizbullah that we are not prepared to continue living like this. On September 14, 2022, I said that if Hizbullah continued its attempts to impose over the rest of Lebanon its view of the future of Lebanon, it would be tantamount to telling us that it wants a divorce from us. "Let me state once again that we will not surrender, and if what is needed is a divorce between the Republic of Lebanon and the Republic of Hizbullah — let's have it. Let's have it. We will not live in Lebanon like second-degree citizens — and I'm saying this as a Lebanese, not as a Christian."

Lebanese Columnist Khairallah Khairallah : The Arab States Have Given Up On Lebanon; They See It Was An Iranian Base Hostile To All The Countries Of The Region
MEMRI/February 8, 2023
Lebanon | Special Dispatch No. 10473
https://www.memri.org/reports/lebanese-columnist-arab-states-have-given-lebanon-they-see-it-was-iranian-base-hostile-all
In an article in the Emirati daily Al-Arab, Lebanese columnist Khairallah Khairallah discusses the deep crisis Lebanon is experiencing and states that 2022 was one of the hardest years in its history. The Arabs, he adds, regard Lebanon as a failed state and an Iranian base hostile to all the countries in the region. The world likewise ascribes no importance to Lebanon, says Khairallah, seeing it as a country that is effectively ruled by Hizbullah. He states that Lebanon's tragedy will only end when Iran's Rule of the Jurisprudent regime ceases to exist and the region undergoes a profound transformation.
The following are translated excerpts from his article:[1]
"2022 was one of the hardest years Lebanon has known since it emerged in its present boundaries in 1920 and since its declaration of independence in 1943. In fact, 2022 can be seen as the hardest year Lebanon has ever known, after it transpired that no reform of any kind is possible and that the deliberate and planned bloodshed continues, with the aim of completely transforming Lebanese society. Now that Lebanon's Shi'ite society has been transformed, [Hizbullah believes] it is time to apply this transformation to the entire [Lebanese] society, including every sector and every region, amid the current Arab and international indifference.
"The Arabs generally regard Lebanon as a failed state from the political and military perspectives, [a state] controlled by Hizbullah, namely by Iran. The Arabs have become accustomed to living without a Lebanon that has anything to export except captagon[2] and [other] drugs. They have given up on Lebanon – which is an Iranian base – [although] they haven't given up on the Lebanese minds, which are welcome in the Gulf states for their extensive expertise. The Arabs have no use for Lebanon as a geographical entity, as long as the Lebanese brains go to the Gulf, which has become one of their last safe havens…
"Thanks to its weapons and various capabilities, the Iranian party [i.e., Hizbullah] has managed to turn Lebanon into a base that is hostile to anything Arab in the region. The best proof of this is the fact that Beirut has become the second most important city for the Yemeni Houthis – i.e., the Ansar Allah organization – who enjoy freedom of movement to and from this city. The Houthis also have a satellite channel that airs from the Lebanese capital with Hizbullah's protection and with the knowledge of the Lebanese [authorities], which are helpless to do anything about this reality. Lebanon can only watch as it becomes nothing more than an 'arena' that Iran uses for its own purposes by emptying it of every element of life and isolating it from the Arab world, especially from the Gulf and from the external modern world as a whole.
"Hizbullah secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah takes every opportunity to remind the people of the Gulf that Lebanon is party to the Iranian attack on them and that it is just a card in the hands of the Islamic Republic of Iran. He doesn't care if this harms Lebanese families that work in various Arab countries. The Iranian agenda, and the needs of Iran's sectarian [i.e., Shi'ite] expansion plan, take precedence over any other consideration.
"On the international level, Lebanon no longer has any importance [either], except on one level: that of defending Israel. 2022 was a decisive year, considering that it saw the closing of the only front that was still open vis-à-vis Israel: the south Lebanese front. The U.S. ultimately chose to sign an agreement with Iran to delineate the maritime border between Lebanon and Israel, which would not have been possible had Hizbullah not accepted this agreement and provided all the guarantees Israel needed. Israel will [now be able to] make use of the gas in [its] Karish gas field, whereas Lebanon's Qana field may or may not contain any gas, and [if it does] Israel will receive a share of the revenues, according to the agreement [it signed] with the French company TotalEnergies.
"The alarming aspect of the [agreement] on delineating the maritime border is that America now recognizes Hizbullah as the representative of the Lebanese government. It is not yet clear whether the U.S. administration will act according to the new reality on the ground, namely the Iranian occupation [of Lebanon], as it did in the past, after Lebanon was fully occupied by Syria in October 13, 1990.[3]
"Former president Michel 'Aoun and his son-in-law Gebran Bassil, who were [officially] in charge when the agreement [with Israel] was signed, were just pretty window-dressing for the agreement. It is not yet clear whether the U.S. has accepted Iran's patronage of Lebanon. This is not entirely certain, since it seems that Hizbullah has not managed to derive the benefit it hoped to derive from this agreement, at least so far. [The agreement] is the first of its kind in that it guarantees Israel's security, while also guaranteeing that the gas [it extracts] from the Karish field will arrive in Europe. [Hizbullah] may lose its profit due to the recent attack on the Irish [UNIFIL] unit operating in South Lebanon, in which one of the unit's soldiers were killed.
"Lebanon's tragedy is that we know when [the trouble] started, but not when it will end. It started with the signing of the reprehensible Cairo Agreement in 1969[4] and will end only when a significant change occurs in the region. This change will occur when the internal situation in Iran deteriorates, and it is bound to arrive sooner or later, especially since it is already clear that the existing Iranian regime is unacceptable to the overwhelming majority of the Iranian people. The popular revolution that has been unfolding in Iran since the death three months ago of young Mahsa Amini [a young woman who died in police custody after being arrested for wearing her hijab 'improperly'] is no longer limited to any particular ethnic group, like the Kurds, but rather encompasses all of [Iran's] ethnic groups: the Persians and the Azeris, as well as the Arabs and Balochis.
"The present situation of the Iranian regime will not allow it do survive without employing the worst kinds of oppression. But the questions that arise are the following. How long will it take the Iranians to end this nightmare that has been going on for over 40 years? And as for Lebanon, will anything be left of it when the rule of the mullahs and the Revolutionary Guards in Iran [finally] ends? Will anything remain of Lebanon to rebuild?
"Time is not working in Lebanon's favor. This is what we learned in 2022, which showed us, first and foremost, that [the name] 'Hizbullah' is short for the two Shi'ite [forces, Hizbullah and Amal], whereas the Sunnis are divided and the Christians suffer not only from a loss of their role in Lebanon but also from ceaseless emigration, which may turn them in the near future into a minority whose situation is similar to that of the Sunnis in Iraq, in the best-case scenario."
[1] Al-Arab (UAE), December 18, 2022.
[2] Captagon is a brand name for the amphetamine drug fenethylline hydrochloride.
[3] In October 13, 1990 a Syrian-led military operation forced Lebanon's president at the time, Michel 'Aoun, from the presidential palace in Baabda, putting a final end to the Lebanese civil war.
[4] The 1969 Cairo Agreement between the Lebanese army and PLO chairman Yasser Arafat established principles under which the presence of Palestinian forces in southeastern Lebanon were tolerated by the Lebanese state.

Paris summit: Can Lebanon finally be protected from the region’s conflicts?
Nadim Shehadi/Arab News/February 08, 2023
France, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt and the US — the five countries represented at Monday’s Paris meeting on Lebanon — have more complicated relations between them and with Iran than the problem they are trying to solve. The menu includes the war in Ukraine, relations with Russia and the global energy and food situation, as well as their internal politics and regional relations — no less than a global order in transition. By the time analysts dissect the geopolitics involved in the meeting, Lebanon’s problems may seem simple in comparison.
The question is why does Lebanon always need such international interventions and has it helped bring sustainable solutions to the country’s problems? While we hold our breath awaiting the results of the Paris summit, we do so with some apprehension. Let me explain the background and past experiences.
It is not for nothing that Lebanon was called “the merchant republic.” In the days of the Ottoman Empire, a Levantine merchant — a middleman between East and West — needed Western protection to operate via a delicate balancing act between local, regional and international players.
Consider late 18th-century Acre under its redoubtable governor Ahmad Pasha Al-Jazzar (The Butcher), the man who defeated Napoleon. His main adviser, Moallem Haim Farhi, was missing an eye and an ear, which he lost when Al-Jazzar had one of his temper tantrums. A merchant like Antoine Catafago, who had a near-monopoly over the cotton trade in the port of Acre, would hold several European honorary consular titles that sent a message to the tyrant that this person enjoyed protection: “If you mess with him, you are also messing with us.” This was also based on the old system of capitulations, whereby the Ottoman Empire allowed foreign powers to protect certain individuals and minorities.
Optimists have expectations that the Paris meeting will restore Lebanon’s protection, this time from Iran’s control
In a similar fashion, cosmopolitan Levantine trading cities like Alexandria, Smyrna and Beirut were said to be ruled by European consuls, with Lebanon conceived as the sole inheritor and last remnant of that system. This is why the whole world seems to have a say in the election of a president in Lebanon, which is what happened in Paris this week.
Under such a system, 20th-century Beirut attracted the merchant families of the whole region, as well as the intellectual elites who were ousted by the nationalist regimes that emerged in Turkey, Palestine, Egypt, Syria and Iraq. This system, which brought prosperity, was also precariously dependent on the sustainability of foreign, mainly Western, protection.
The international system still has some elements of this kind of protection. We have a living example of it with the Ukraine war. Had the message been clearer, perhaps Russia would have thought twice before invading the country. Moscow is probably betting that the Western protection of Volodymyr Zelensky will not persist forever. In the recent past, Saddam Hussein interpreted the hesitancy of an American envoy as a green light to invade Kuwait, while there are certainly some Taiwanese who are losing sleep over the sustainability of the American protection from Chinese ambitions.
There are several precedents to the Paris meeting and they have produced mixed results. In 1861, following a bloody civil war, European powers intervened to create a semi-autonomous Mount Lebanon, ruled by a council that represented all the elements of its society. This produced what historians call “the long peace,” which only ended when the protectors got busy with the First World War. The arrangement thus collapsed amid the changing world order.
In the 1940s, Lebanese elites felt the fading power of the old empires and sought the protection of the new rising power that was the US, which intervened to defend the country against the tsunami of Nasserism that was engulfing the region. This was followed by a treaty between Lebanon and Egypt that gave it some neutrality in the conflicts of the region. Thus, Lebanon had a combination of regional and international protection similar to what is happening today.
Optimists have expectations that the Paris meeting will restore Lebanon’s protection, this time from Iran’s control of the country through Hezbollah. But there are three precedents of internationally sponsored agreements on Lebanon that did not end well, even though they were reached with the best of intentions.
First is the Cairo Agreement of 1969, which was a compromise that allowed the Palestine Liberation Organization to establish a state within a state. It ended in civil war, Syria’s intervention under an Arab League umbrella, an Israeli invasion in 1982, and a multinational force of American and European troops restoring peace. This force was later ousted by Iran and Syria-sponsored terrorist attacks on American and French embassies and barracks.
Secondly, the Taif Agreement of 1989 was a regionally and internationally sponsored compromise that unintentionally helped establish Syrian control after the protectors got waylaid by the first Gulf War, disrupting the parameters under which the agreement was reached. This ended when Syria was expelled by the Cedar Revolution following the assassination of Rafik Hariri in 2005.
Finally, the Doha Agreement of 2008 — accompanied by rigorous American and French protection through the UN’s Special Tribunal for Lebanon — was a compromise that led to Hezbollah taking the state hostage when the US and EU turned a blind eye while they negotiated the nuclear deal with Iran. In 2010, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia arrived in Beirut with President Bashar Assad of Syria and they brokered a compromise with Saad Hariri that later turned sour amid the Syrian revolution and Iran’s intervention in Yemen. All this eventually led to Hezbollah’s takeover and the total collapse of Lebanon’s economy and its state institutions and the gradual disintegration of society.
What we have now is deja vu, with the same regional and international actors meeting in Paris, mainly to protect Lebanon from the Iranian influence that is also a threat to themselves and has ramifications that include the war in Ukraine, relations with Russia and China, and transatlantic relations between the US and Europe.
The Paris meeting took place at a time of internal deadlock in Lebanon, with a vacuum of power and a paralysis of state institutions. There is no president, no functioning parliament and only a caretaker government. Another external intervention could help, but one wonders once again if such protection is sustainable and if it can help Lebanon extract itself from the impact of regional conflicts in the long run.
**Nadim Shehadi is a Lebanese economist. Twitter: @Confusezeus

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on February 08-09/2023
Crews Find Survivors, Many Dead after Türkiye, Syria Quake
Asharq Al-Awsat/Wednesday, 8 February, 2023
Thinly-stretched rescue teams worked through the night into Wednesday, pulling more bodies from the rubble of thousands of buildings downed in Türkiye and Syria by a catastrophic earthquake that killed more than 7,700, their grim task occasionally punctuated by the joy of finding someone still alive.
Nearly two days after the magnitude 7.8 quake struck southeastern Türkiye and northern Syria, rescuers pulled a three-year-old boy, Arif Kaan, from beneath the rubble of a collapsed apartment building in Kahramanmaras, a city not far from the epicenter, The Associated Press said. With the boy's lower body trapped under slabs of concrete and twisted rebar, emergency crews lay a blanket over his torso to protect him from below-freezing temperatures as they carefully cut the debris away from him, mindful of the possibility of triggering another collapse. The boy's father, Ertugrul Kisi, who himself had been rescued earlier, sobbed as his son was pulled free and loaded into an ambulance. “For now, the name of hope in Kahramanmaras is Arif Kaan,” a Turkish television reporter proclaimed as the dramatic rescue was broadcast to the country. A few hours later, rescuers pulled 10-year-old Betul Edis from the rubble of her home in the city of Adiyaman. Amid applause from onlookers, her grandfather kissed her and spoke softly to her as she was loaded on an ambulance. But such stories were few more than two days after Monday's pre-dawn earthquake, which hit a huge area and brought down thousands of buildings, with frigid temperatures and ongoing aftershocks complicating rescue efforts. Search teams from more than two dozen countries joined more than 24,000 Turkish emergency personnel, and aid pledges poured in. But with devastation spread multiple several cities and towns — some isolated by Syria’s ongoing conflict — voices crying from within mounds of rubble fell silent, and despair grew from those still waiting for help. In Syria, the shaking toppled thousands of buildings and heaped more misery on a region wracked by the country's 12-year civil war and refugee crisis. On Monday afternoon in a northwestern Syrian town, residents found a crying newborn still connected by the umbilical cord to her deceased mother. The baby was the only member of her family to survive a building collapse in the small town of Jinderis, relatives told The Associated Press.
Türkiye is home to millions of refugees from the war. The affected area in Syria is divided between government-controlled territory and the country’s last opposition-held enclave, where millions rely on humanitarian aid. As many as 23 million people could be affected in the quake-hit region, according to Adelheid Marschang, a senior emergencies officer with the World Health Organization, who called it a “crisis on top of multiple crises.”Many survivors in Türkiye have had to sleep in cars, outside or in government shelters. “We don’t have a tent, we don’t have a heating stove, we don’t have anything. Our children are in bad shape. We are all getting wet under the rain and our kids are out in the cold,” Aysan Kurt, 27, told the AP. “We did not die from hunger or the earthquake, but we will die freezing from the cold.” Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said 13 million of the country's 85 million people were affected, and he declared a state of emergency in 10 provinces. More than 8,000 people have been pulled from the debris in Türkiye, and some 380,000 have taken refuge in government shelters or hotels, authorities said.
In Syria, aid efforts have been hampered by the ongoing war and the isolation of the rebel-held region along the border, which is surrounded by Russia-backed government forces. Syria itself is an international pariah under Western sanctions linked to the war. The United Nations said it was “exploring all avenues” to get supplies to the rebel-held northwest. Türkiye's Vice President Fuat Oktoy said at least 5,894 people have died from the earthquake in Türkiye, with another 34,810 injured. The death toll in government-held areas of Syria has climbed to 812, with some 1,400 injured, according to the Health Ministry. At least 1,020 people have died in the rebel-held northwest, according to volunteer first responders known as the White Helmets, with more than 2,300 injured. The region sits on top of major fault lines and is frequently shaken by earthquakes. Some 18,000 were killed in similarly powerful earthquakes that hit northwest Türkiye in 1999.

Turkiye, Syria rescue hopes fading amid anger over disaster response
Arab News/February 08, 2023
ANKARA: Hopes of rescuing survivors trapped under rubble by Monday’s earthquake are fading in southern Turkiye, sources told Arab News, as anger mounts over the official response to the disaster. Authorities have only reached 2-3 percent of collapsed buildings in some affected areas, sources said.
The final death toll from Monday’s 7.8-magnitude earthquake in Turkiye and neighboring Syria could exceed 20,000, the World Health Organization warned. Officials said on Wednesday that 8,574 people had died in Turkiye and 2,662 in Syria, bringing the official death toll to 11,236. A similar earthquake in the region in 1999 killed at least 17,000 people. Though several babies and refugee children have been saved from the rubble in high-profile rescues, hopes of finding large numbers of survivors are fading with each passing day. A US-based NGO, Global Empowerment Mission, mobilized about $10 million of relief aid in the past 24 hours for earthquake victims. On Wednesday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited affected regions to inspect quake damage and speak to survivors.
“Initially, 10,000 Turkish liras ($500) will be allocated to each citizen affected by the earthquake,” he said. In the wake of the disaster, search and rescue workers, as well as medics, have arrived in Turkiye and Syria from all corners of the globe. Turkish municipalities have deployed hundreds of their own rescue personnel. Though domestic rescue efforts have been criticized as insufficient by local residents, the rapid international response to the disaster has been praised.
Saudi Arabia’s leadership directed the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center to operate an air bridge, bringing medical supplies, shelter, food and logistical assistance to victims.
A UN emergency fund allocated $25 million to the humanitarian response in the region. Despite a growing diplomatic crisis between Greece and Turkiye, Greek TV opened a morning news session with images and videos from the quake zone, with lyrics from a folk song in the background saying: “I let the whole world know that I love you.” Several refugee children were also rescued by firefighters and mine workers on Tuesday, while a “miracle” newborn baby was dragged from rubble in northern Syria. Turkiye’s Association for Solidarity with Asylum-Seekers and Migrants has sent a team of 300 workers and volunteers to Antakya and Hatay, as well as translators and rescue dogs. Migrant survivors will be offered psychological support through the association.
Baris Sakir, an Urfa resident, survived the quake thanks to the modern design of his home.
“However, there are still some cracks inside the house and we don’t have the courage to go back inside. We are now living in the fine arts school where I was teaching piano lessons. My little son still faces post-trauma,” he told Arab News.
Restaurants and hotels are offering free meals and accommodation to those left homeless by the earthquake, with Turkish celebrities and municipalities sending food containers to locals as well as paying for their accommodation.
Meanwhile, Istanbul municipality intervened to stop a fire in Iskenderun port on Wednesday, while Ankara municipality started repairs on damaged Hatay airport. Communication channels have been significantly disrupted by the quake.
In Hatay, more than 2,000 buildings were destroyed, with just 2-3 percent being reached by rescuers, according to the latest reports.
Authorities have warned that growing numbers of rescued children have been left unaccompanied in local hospitals, with precautions being taken to prevent abductions. “Nature gave us exactly 23 years after the 1999 earthquake,” said Cem Say, a prominent Turkish computer scientist, referring to the major quake in the country’s northwest in 1999. Last year, Turkey spent about $1.3 billion on programs for disaster management — some 0.5 percent of central government budgetary spending. But experts have described the funding as insufficient.
Ismail Yolcu, a survivor of the earthquake in southeastern Adiyaman province, said that the homes of some relatives were completely destroyed. He told Arab News: “There is no electricity. There is no heating. It is rainy and extremely cold. We are sleeping in the streets. We are waiting for the tents to be established. But the situation is terrible.” Sermet Cuhadar, president of the Journalists Association in Kahramanmaras, said that the situation had “slightly improved” in the province. “We had to drink melted ice because there was no water in the city. Our eight-storey building collapsed during the first quake. Fortunately I was not in the building at that time. Only three people were rescued,” he told Arab News. Kamil Cuhadar, former mayor of Pazarcik village of Kahramanmaras, suffered a fractured skull during the first quake when a stone fell on his head.
“The supportive columns were strong in the building in Pazarcik. However, there is no standing building left in the village. The rescue efforts were insufficient. “They began today in the early morning, but it is already too late. The weather is so cold, it was minus 7 degrees Celsius yesterday when everybody was lying on the streets. “There is no sufficient equipment to remove the debris. There is no lifting instrument,” he told Arab News. There are reports that the government of Turkiye has blocked Twitter in some areas. (Supplied)
Naile Islek, from Dulkadiroglu village in Kahramanmaras, saw her neighbor’s home collapse during the quake, and ran to take shelter in her mother’s house. “We have electricity but still no water. Some people who benefit from this chaos are selling small bottles of water at double and sometimes triple prices. We didn’t have enough equipment to remove the debris. Men could barely remove it with their hands,” she told Arab News. Several municipalities from western Turkiye sent mobile kitchens and container pharmacies to the disaster zone, and launched programs to distribute biscuits, bread and medicine to survivors. Several sources told Arab News that the immediate rescue efforts were “minimal,” but have intensified in the last two days. Volunteers have attempted to fill the manpower gap, while several prominent activists as well as chefs have traveled to affected regions to help local residents. Tent cities were established in several regions while commando forces were deployed to the earthquake zone to aid in rescue efforts. In the wake of the disaster, Turkiye’s stock exchange also suspended trading for the first time in 24 years.

WHO Sending Medics and Supplies to Türkiye and Syria Earthquake Zone
Asharq Al-Awsat/Wednesday, 8 February, 2023
The World Health Organization is deploying expert teams and flights with medical supplies to Türkiye and Syria after Monday's devastating earthquake. It will send a high-level delegation to coordinate its response as well as three flights with medical supplies, one of which is already on its way to Istanbul, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a media briefing on Wednesday. "The health needs are tremendous," said Dr. Iman Shankiti, the WHO representative for Syria. The combined death toll in the two countries is currently more than 11,000 people. WHO officials have previously estimated that the toll may reach more than 20,000 deaths after the disaster. Many thousands are also injured, Shankiti said, adding that the Syrian healthcare system was already on its knees after years of war. In Turkey, WHO representative Batyr Berdyklychev said more than 53,000 people were injured and aftershocks are continuing. As well as trauma kits, WHO emergencies director Mike Ryan said that mental health support was also critical for survivors, as well as supporting other ongoing medical needs. WHO has released $3 million for its initial response. The WHO incident manager for the earthquake, Rob Holden, said that many people need support with the "basics of life", such as clean water and shelter in worsening weather conditions.
"We are in real danger of seeing a secondary disaster which may cause harm to more people than the initial disaster if we don't move with the same intention and intensity as we are doing on the search and rescue side," he said.

Syria Requests Assistance from EU after Massive Earthquake
Asharq Al-Awsat/Wednesday, 8 February, 2023
Syria has requested assistance from the European Union, two days after a massive earthquake hit it and neighboring Türkiye, the European Commission said on Wednesday. "Earlier today, this morning, we have received a request from the government of Syria for assistance through the civil protection mechanism," European Commissioner for crisis management Janez Lenarcic told reporters. Lenarcic said member states were being encouraged to contribute with assistance as requested. A country can request assistance through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism when the scale of an emergency or disaster overwhelms its response capabilities. Once activated, the EU's Emergency Response Coordination Centre coordinates and finances assistance provided by EU member states and eight additional participating nations.

House lawmakers sharpen message on Iran by asking Europe to cut ties
John Bowden/The Independent/February 8, 2023
House lawmakers joined together once again on Wednesday to unveil a resolution in support of Iranian protesters, but this time did so in a way that signaled a serious sharpening of the US Congress’ tone towards the government in Tehran. A resolution unveiled the morning after Joe Biden addressed a joint session of the House and Senate for his State of the Union would once again declare the US Congress’ support for a democratic government in Iran while also including language implicitly calling on the US’s European allies to cut ties with Tehran by closing consulates and calling diplomats back to their home country. The call for such aggressive action is significant for one reason: The bipartisan nature of the event, where the legislation was released. According to a source familiar with its crafting, the new House resolution has more original cosponsors than any previous Iran-related resolution to pass the lower chamber.
Though it has no practical effects, the legislation signals one thing: The US Congress is quickly approaching a consensus, at least between the conservative right and moderate Democratic left, on the issue of Iran. Progressives seem almost totally absent from the conversation: There have been few, if any, public calls from the left wing of the Democratic Party for a renewed effort to return Iran to compliance with the 2015 nuclear agreement signed under Barack Obama’s administration. Calls for an alternative to the maximum pressure campaign employed by the Trump administration and continued, to some extent, by the Biden administration are few and far between. And even some of the House and Senate’s most prominent progressives are derided as downright disinterested on issues of Iran policy by some advocates who find themselves partnering with the right and conservative Democrats out of necessity.
Wednesday’s announcement marks the second House resolution aimed at supporting Iranian protesters — and, by extension, delegitimising Tehran’s government — that the 118th Congress has pursued in less than two months. Protests have continued for months across Iran following the death last year of a young woman, Mahsa Amini, in police custody. She was detained and severely beaten after being accused of improperly wearing a head covering. In addition to frequent condemnations of the Iranian government and statements of support for the demonstrations, the Biden administration has also responded with a number of rounds of sanctions targeting security officials responsible for crackdowns against protesters. Officials in the White House including Mr Biden have said that talks centred around resuming the 2015 nuclear accord are stalled, but it remains unclear what the administration’s new strategy is for preventing Iran’s government from developing a deliverable nuclear weapon.

U.S. Takes Action to Stem Iran’s Drone Capabilities
FDD/February 08/2023
Latest Developments
The United States took steps last week to curtail Iran’s drone production capabilities, with reports over the weekend indicating that Moscow and Tehran plan to build a drone factory in Russia. The U.S. Commerce Department issued new trade restrictions against seven Iranian entities associated with drone production, adding them to its export control list. This will require U.S.-based companies to seek special permission to export their products to these entities. In addition, the Treasury Department sanctioned an Iranian manufacturer of Shahed unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), which Tehran has provided to Russia. Treasury also targeted an Iranian oil tanker with launch capabilities for UAVs as well as a ship accompanying it.
Expert Analysis
“The international hodgepodge of cheap commercial parts found in Iranian drones should be a wakeup call to both the U.S. government and the private sector to swiftly grow and abide by export controls, respectively. Growing this web of restrictions can become one leg of several used in a larger counter-Iranian drone policy by Washington.” — Behnam Ben Taleblu, FDD Senior Fellow
“Western companies should consider this a warning order that investigations are coming and enforcement actions will follow. Any company that’s found its components showing up in Iranian drones needs to start over-complying with U.S. export control requirements.” — Richard Goldberg, FDD Senior Advisor
American Parts Found in Iranian Drones
American companies have found it difficult to track the distribution of their products to ensure that third-party distributors are not reselling them to Iranian drone manufacturers. A Ukrainian intelligence assessment of a downed Iranian Shahed-136 drone used by Russia found that 13 American companies manufactured 40 of its 52 components. Companies in Canada, Switzerland, Japan, Taiwan, and China manufactured the other 12.
Companies Need to Monitor Supply Chains
Ensuring that American parts do not fall into the hands of Iran’s drone manufacturers would require expanding export controls and both informing and applying pressure on companies to better monitor their sales and supply chains. The Biden administration’s recent sanctions can help incentivize American firms to exercise enhanced due diligence with this process while being aware of diversion and end-user obfuscation-related concerns.

Sister: Health of French-Irish Citizen in Iran Failing
Asharq Al-Awsat/Wednesday, 8 February, 2023
The health of Bernard Phelan, a French-Irish prisoner in Iran who last month suspended a dry hunger strike, is deteriorating, his sister told AFP on Tuesday. Phelan, a Paris-based travel consultant, was arrested in October while travelling and is being held in Mashhad in northeastern Iran. His eyesight has started to fail, Caroline Masse-Phelan said in a written statement. Her brother has entered his fifth month of detention in Iran where he is accused of anti-government propaganda, a charge he denies. The 64-year-old Franco-Irish citizen in January gave up a hunger strike, that included refusing water, at the request of his family. "His health is getting worse," Masse-Phelan said in a statement to AFP Tuesday. "He can't see clearly anymore," after cornea surgery last year, she said. She said he fell on Thursday when his left knee buckled as he got up from bed. "He is suffering," she said, saying he was not given walking sticks or crutches. It was regrettable that her brother's name was not on the list of tens of thousands of people supreme leader Ali Khamenei has promised to release in pardons, she added. She said his cell in the Vakilabad prison in Mashhad was only a short distance from the cells of "people who are scheduled for execution after morning prayer". Efforts by the French and Irish authorities to get Phelan released have been in vain. Frenchman Benjamin Briere, also held in the same prison, has gone on hunger strike for the second time since his incarceration in May 2020, his sister and his lawyer said Monday. Briere, who was sentenced to eight years in jail for espionage, had already gone on hunger strike once before, at the end of December 2021. Seven French citizens and more than a dozen other foreign nationals are held by Iran which campaigners say is taking hostages to extract concessions from the West.

Israel steps up Jerusalem home demolitions as violence rises
JERUSALEM (AP)/Wed, February 8, 2023
Ratib Matar’s family was growing. They needed more space.
Before his granddaughters, now 4 and 5, were born, he built three apartments on an eastern slope overlooking Jerusalem’s ancient landscape. The 50-year-old construction contractor moved in with his brother, son, divorced daughter and their young kids — 11 people in all, plus a few geese.
But Matar was never at ease. At any moment, the Israeli code-enforcement officers could knock on his door and take everything away. That moment came on Jan. 29, days after a Palestinian gunman killed seven people in east Jerusalem, the deadliest attack in the contested capital since 2008. Israel’s new far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called not only for the sealing of the assailant's family home, but also the immediate demolition of dozens of Palestinian homes built without permits in east Jerusalem, among other punitive steps. Mere hours after Ben-Gvir's comments, the first bulldozers rumbled into Matar's neighborhood of Jabal Mukaber. For many Palestinians, the gathering pace of home demolitions is part of the new ultranationalist government's broader battle for control of east Jerusalem, captured by Israel in the 1967 Mideast war and claimed by the Palestinians as the capital of a future independent state. The battle is waged with building permits and demolition orders — and it is one the Palestinians feel they cannot win. Israel says it is simply enforcing building regulations.
“Our construction is under siege from Israel,” Matar said. His brothers and sons lingered beside the ruins of their home, drinking bitter coffee and receiving visitors as though in mourning. “We try really hard to build, but in vain," he said.
Last month, Israel demolished 39 Palestinian homes, structures and businesses in east Jerusalem, displacing over 50 people, according to the United Nations. That was more than a quarter of the total number of demolitions in 2022. Ben-Gvir posted a photo on Twitter of the bulldozers clawing at Matar's home. “We will fight terrorism with all the means at our disposal,” he wrote, though Matar's home had nothing to do with the Palestinian shooting attacks.
Most Palestinian apartments in east Jerusalem were built without hard-to-get permits. A 2017 study by the U.N. described it as “virtually impossible" to secure them. The Israeli municipality allocates scant land for Palestinian development, the report said, while facilitating the expansion of Israeli settlements. Little Palestinian property was registered before Israel annexed east Jerusalem in 1967, a move not internationally recognized. Matar said the city rejected his building permit application twice because his area is not zoned for residential development. He's now trying a third time. The penalty for unauthorized building is often demolition. If families don't tear their houses down themselves, the government charges them for the job. Matar is dreading his bill — he knows neighbors who paid over $20,000 to have their houses razed.
Now homeless, Matar and his family are staying with relatives. He vows to build again on land he inherited from his grandparents, though he has no faith in the Israeli legal system. “They don't want a single Palestinian in all of Jerusalem,” Matar said. Uphill, in the heart of his neighborhood, Israeli flags fluttered from dozens of apartments recently built for religious Jews. Since 1967, the government has built 58,000 homes for Israelis in the eastern part of the city, and fewer than 600 for Palestinians, said Daniel Seidemann, an Israeli lawyer specializing in the geopolitics of Jerusalem, citing the government’s statistics bureau and his own analysis. In that time, the city’s Palestinian population has soared by 400%. “The planning regime is dictated by the calculus of national struggle,” Seidemann said. Israel's city plans show state parks encircling the Old City, with some 60% of Jabal Mukaber zoned as green space, off-limits to Palestinian development. At least 20,000 Palestinian homes in east Jerusalem are now slated for demolition, watchdogs say.
Matar and his neighbors face an agonizing choice: Build illegally and live under constant threat of demolition, or leave their birthplace for the occupied West Bank, sacrificing Jerusalem residency rights that allow them to work and travel relatively freely throughout Israel.
While there are no reliable figures for permit approvals, the Israeli municipality set aside just over 7% of its 21,000 housing plans for Palestinian homes in 2019, reported Ir Amim, an anti-settlement advocacy group. Palestinians are nearly 40% of the city's roughly 1 million people. “This is the purpose of this policy,” said Aviv Tatarsky, a researcher at Ir Amim. “Palestinians are forced to leave Jerusalem." Arieh King, a Jerusalem deputy mayor and settler leader, acknowledged that demolitions help Israel entrench control over east Jerusalem, home to the city's most important religious sites.
“It’s part of enforcing sovereignty," King said. “I'm happy that at last we have a minister that understands," he added, referring to Ben-Gvir. Ben-Gvir is now pushing for the destruction of an apartment tower housing 100 people. Trying to lower tensions, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delayed the eviction that was planned for Tuesday, Israeli media reported.. King contended it was possible for Palestinians to secure permits and accused them of building without authorization to avoid an expensive bureaucracy.
When the al-Abasi family in east Jerusalem found a demolition order plastered on their new breeze-block home last month, they contemplated their options. The government had knocked down their last apartment, built on the same lot, eight years ago. This time, Jaafar al-Abasi decided, he would tear it down himself. Al-Abasi hired a tractor and invited his relatives and neighbors to join. The destruction took three days, with breaks for hummus and soda. His three sons borrowed pickaxes and jackhammers, angrily hacking away at the walls they had decorated with colored plates just last month. “This place is like a ticking time bomb,” said his brother in law, 48-year-old Mustafa Samhouri, who helped them out. Protests over the demolitions have roiled east Jerusalem in recent days. Two weekends ago, Samhouri said, the family's 13-year-old cousin opened fire at Jewish settlers in the neighborhood of Silwan just across the valley, wounding two people before being shot and arrested. “The pressure just grows more and more,” Samhouri said. “And at last, boom."
*Associated Press writer Sam McNeil contributed to this report.

CIA Chief Warns Netanyahu, Abbas of ‘Third Intifada’
Tel Aviv - Asharq Al-Awsat/Wednesday, 8 February, 2023
A senior official in Tel Aviv revealed on Tuesday that the head of the CIA, William Burns, warned both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas of the danger of a third Palestinian uprising in the near future.
The official said he was not surprised by Burns’ remarks in Washington, in which he confirmed that during his recent visit to Israel and the Palestinian Authority, he felt that the situation in the region was fragile and violence was escalating between Israelis and Palestinians. The official added that Burns told both Netanyahu and Abbas, as well as intelligence and security officials on both sides, that he followed the events in East Jerusalem and the West Bank, and noticed similarities to the scenes that prevailed prior to the outbreak of the second intifada in 2000. On Tuesday, a number of media outlets reported that Burns delivered a rare speech at Georgetown University in Washington, last Thursday, during which he touched on his visit to Israel and the Palestinian Authority. “I was a senior US diplomat 20 years ago during the Second Intifada, and I’m concerned — as are my colleagues in the intelligence community — that a lot of what we’re seeing today has a very unhappy resemblance to some of those realities that we saw then too,” the CIA director was quoted as saying. “Part of the responsibility of my agency is to work as closely as we can with both the Palestinian security services and the Israeli security services to prevent the kind of explosions of violence that we’ve seen in recent weeks. That’s going to be a big challenge, and I’m concerned about that dimension of the landscape in the Middle East as well,” he added.

Israeli Rights Activist Condemns Europe's Silence over Netanyahu's Policy
Paris - Asharq Al-Awsat/Wednesday, 8 February, 2023
Israeli human rights defender Yehuda Shaul denounced Tuesday Europe's "silence" regarding the policy of Benjamin Netanyahu's government, which he said is seeking to annex the occupied West Bank and transform Israel into an "illiberal democracy." During a press meeting in Paris, Shaul said Europe's silence regarding the Israeli government's policy "is being strongly heard in Israel and Palestine."Shaul is the co-founder of the Breaking the Silence organization, which includes former Israeli soldiers who denounce the practices of the army that has occupied the West Bank since 1967. He is the founder of the Ofek Center for the peaceful resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Shaul told Agence France-Presse (AFP) that his country is witnessing a "double revolution," an internal one that could transform Israel into a "completely illiberal democracy" - a reference to the amendments to the judicial system that Netanyahu proposed. The second revolution was linked to Israel's policy in the occupied Palestinian territories, "which ultimately aims at one thing: annexation."He emphasized that tens of thousands of Israelis are protesting against Netanyahu's attempts, especially in Tel Aviv, but everyone is silent regarding the government's policies in the West Bank. Shaul said Netanyahu believes in the "law of the strongest" and does not believe in "human rights or liberal democracy." He condemned international silence, noting in particular France's abstention from voting in late December on a UN resolution calling on the International Court of Justice to give opinion on the issue of the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories. Shaul stressed the need for more monitoring by the international community, stressing that he is an "extreme" supporter of the two-state solution and sees no other way for the two peoples to live in dignity and equality.

A key ally of Putin said he wants to invade Poland next, ignoring Russia's inability to capture Ukraine
Sinéad Baker/Business Insider/February 8, 2023
A Putin ally said he wants to turn to Poland after Ukraine, to "denazify and demilitarize" it. Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov said "I personally have such an intention." Russia has been struggling in Ukraine, but Kadyrov said the war would end this year.
A key ally of Russia's President Vladimir Putin said he wants to invade Poland after Russia takes over Ukraine. Ramzan Kadyrov, the Kremlin-appointed leader of Chechnya, said on Monday that Poland is in his sights as the next country that Russia could "denazify and demilitarize" — the excuse Russia gave in justifying its invasion of Ukraine. "What if, after the successful completion of the NMD, Russia begins to denazify and demilitarize the next country? After all, after Ukraine, Poland is on the map! I will not hide that I personally have such an intention," Kadyrov said on Telegram, according to a translation by the Daily Beast. "I have repeatedly stated that the fight against Satanism should continue throughout Europe and, first of all, on the territory of Poland," he added. It's not clear how Russia could go about this, given its ongoing struggles in Ukraine, where its military has been bogged down for almost a year in a grinding conflict. Many had expected Ukraine to be captured within days after the invasion began. Poland is also a NATO and EU member, which means it would get more support from the West than Ukraine has. Kadyrov also suggested, without justification, that the war in Ukraine could be over soon, telling a minister that the war would be "over before the end of this year," according to Russian news agency TASS. "European countries will admit they have been wrong, the West will fall to its knees, and, as usual, European countries will have to cooperate with the Russian Federation in all spheres. There should not and will never be an alternative to that," he said. Ukraine's neighbors were initially worried at the start of Russia's invasion that Russia could confront them next, or launch attacks while it was still fighting in Ukraine. Many ramped up their defense spending and agreed to new defense pacts to act as a deterrent and be ready for any attacks. But as the war ground on, any immediate fears subsided. Kadyrov, a close ally with Putin, has also been critical of the Russian army's performance in Ukraine, calling for even more brutal tactics. He has made some of the more outlandish comments and threats to the West since the invasion began, including saying in October that Russia should use a low-yield nuclear weapon, and that his three sons, aged between 14 and 16, were fighting in Ukraine.

Ukraine war: Putin 'is playing for time' and plans to 'bomb his way to negotiating table', European spy agency warns
Sky News/Wed, February 8, 2023
Russia will not run out of weapons or troops for its war "any time soon" and Vladimir Putin thinks he can "bomb" Ukraine to the negotiating table, a European spy agency has warned. The Estonian Foreign Intelligence Service (EFIS) - the Estonian equivalent of the UK's MI6 - also said that a Russian victory in Ukraine would increase the probability of an armed conflict between Moscow and the NATO alliance. Ukraine is not a member of NATO. Kaupo Rosin, the agency's new director general, said in a foreword to an annual report on international security published on Wednesday that the Russian president's goal in Ukraine has not changed despite setbacks over the past 12 months, which thwarted his plan for a quick coup. Two regions identified where Russia could launch offensive - Ukraine war latest updates
"For now, there is still enough fuel to keep the war machine going," he wrote. "Russia will not run out of cannon fodder, Soviet-era armaments or propaganda-induced imperialism any time soon."The comments contrasted with remarks made last October by Sir Jeremy Fleming, the head of the UK spy agency GCHQ, who said that Russian "supplies and munitions are running out". There is a discrepancy between how different nations assess the level of Russian stockpiles of weapons and ammunition, with the quantity calculated as far higher if outdated Soviet-era munitions - that are far less safe - are included. Yet, the reality on the ground in eastern Ukraine has seen little let-up in Russian bombardments against Ukrainian positions throughout the winter months. The Estonian spy chief played down any suggestion of an imminent breakthrough by Russia after so far failing to conquer its neighbour and paying a heavy price. The United States has said that Russia has suffered some 188,000 casualties so far.
Putin 'playing for time'
"A quality leap in Russia's war-fighting capability is very unlikely," Mr Rosin wrote, instead suggesting that whichever side can endure the longest will be key. "Putin is playing for time, believing that Ukraine and the West will wear out before Russia. Putin thinks he can 'bomb' Ukraine to the negotiating table."
The Estonian spy agency's full report, entitled International Security and Estonia 2023, said that Moscow was ready to "continue raising the stakes" in Ukraine through further mobilisation of its population and more strikes against Ukrainian power infrastructure.
Mr Putin already ordered a partial mobilisation of more than 300,000 personnel last September. About half are thought to have been pushed quickly into the fight but the rest have been receiving training and are expected to form part of a new offensive by the spring, according to western officials.
Putin believes Ukraine's resilience and western support will break before Russia
Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, who is visiting the UK on Wednesday, said last week that the Russian escalation has already started in the east, where the level of attacks has been increasing. "Russia believes that time is on its side in the war in Ukraine," the Estonian report warned. "In our assessment, Putin believes that Ukraine's resilience and western support will break before Russia will. Still, in Putin's opinion, Ukraine has not yet currently suffered enough to reach breaking point."The spy agency said the challenge still posed by Russia underlined the need for western allies to continue their support to Ukraine - something that was not just in Ukraine's interests but also in the interests of the wider western world. "European security in the medium term directly depends on the Ukrainians' will to determine their own future and western unity in supporting Ukraine with all necessary means," the Estonian Foreign Intelligence Service report said. It added: "The probability of a military conflict between NATO and Russia would increase if Russia were to achieve its strategic objectives in Ukraine. Therefore, Ukraine's victory in the war against Russia would also improve regional security."

Zelenskyy to Visit UK for First Time since Russia's Invasion
Asharq Al-Awsat/Wednesday, 8 February, 2023
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will visit Britain on Wednesday, his first trip to the UK since Russia's invasion began nearly a year ago and only his second confirmed journey outside Ukraine during the war. The British government says Zelenskyy will hold talks with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, address Parliament and meet with UK military chiefs, The Associated Press said. The UK is one of the biggest military backers of Ukraine and has sent the country more than 2 billion pounds ($2.5 billion) in weapons and equipment. The visit comes as Sunak announced that Britain will train Ukrainian pilots on “NATO-standard fighter jets.” Ukraine has urged its allies to send jets, though the UK says it’s not practical to provide the Ukrainian military with British warplanes. More than 10,000 Ukrainian troops have also been trained at bases in the UK, some on the Challenger 2 tanks that Britain is sending.
“I am proud that today we will expand that training from soldiers to marines and fighter jet pilots, ensuring Ukraine has a military able to defend its interests well into the future," Sunak said. "It also underlines our commitment to not just provide military equipment for the short term, but a long-term pledge to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Ukraine for years to come.” Zelenskyy addressed the UK Parliament remotely in March, two weeks after the start of the invasion. He echoed World War II leader Winston Churchill’s famous “never surrender” speech, vowing that Ukrainians “will fight till the end at sea, in the air. We will continue fighting for our land, whatever the cost.” It will be Zelenskyy's second known trip visit abroad since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24. He visited the US in December. European Union officials have been preparing for a potential visit by Zelenskyy to Brussels to coincide with a summit of the bloc this week. Before Sunak took office, Zelenskyy had formed a bond with Boris Johnson, who was one of Ukraine's most vocal backers while he was UK prime minister. Sunak took office in October and has pledged to maintain the UK's support.
The visit came as Russian forces blasted areas of eastern Ukraine with more artillery bombardments, Ukrainian officials said Wednesday, in what Kyiv authorities believe is part of a new thrust by the Kremlin’s forces before the invasion anniversary. Russian forces over the past day launched major shelling attacks on areas near the front line in Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region, killing a 74-year-old woman and wounding a 16-year-old girl in the border town of Vovchansk, local Gov. Oleh Syniehubov said. Russian forces in Ukraine are focusing their efforts on “waging a counteroffensive” in the country’s industrial east, with the aim of taking full control of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions that make up the Donbas, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said. Russian troops launched assaults near Bakhmut and Vuhledar, two mining towns in the Donetsk region that have been among Moscow’s key targets, Ukrainian officials said. Seizing Bakhmut could severely disrupt Ukraine’s military supply routes. It would also open a door for Moscow’s forces to drive toward key Ukrainian strongholds in Donetsk. Ukrainian authorities say the Kremlin’s goal is to complete full control of the Donbas, an expansive industrial area bordering Russia. That would give Russian President Vladimir Putin a major battlefield success after months of setbacks and help him rally public opinion behind the war. Military analysts say that after a Ukrainian counteroffensive that started last summer and recaptured large areas from Russia, the war has been largely static in recent months. Russia is now also trying to break through Ukrainian lines near the towns of Avdiivka and Marinka in Donetsk, as well as near Kreminna, a front-line town in the Luhansk region which lies along a key Russian supply route, the Ukrainian General Staff said.

Ukraine's Zelenskiy promises to keep pushing for planes
LONDON (Reuters)/Wed, February 8, 2023
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Wednesday he would do everything he could to persuade the world to provide Ukraine with the modern planes Kyiv needs to help his forces defeat Russia. "We ... will do everything possible and impossible to make the world provide us with modern planes to empower and protect pilots who will be protecting us," Zelenskiy told hundreds of lawmakers in London's Westminster Hall. He referred to Britain's monarch King Charles being a trained jet pilot and said in Ukraine all fighter pilots were regarded as kings "because they are so few, they are so precious". Zelenskiy then presented House of Commons speaker Lindsay Hoyle with a fighter pilot's helmet carrying the message "We have freedom give us wings to protect it".

The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on February 08-09/2023
Pakistan's 'Purification' Campaign Against Its Minorities
Lawrence A. Franklin/Gatestone Institute/February 08/2023
When Pakistan was created in 1947, 23% of its citizens were non-Muslim. Today in Pakistan -- "Land of the Pure" in Urdu -- only about 3% of citizens are non-Muslim.
The Pakistanis, it is clear, do not want to host minorities: instead, they seem to be increasingly engaged in "purifying the land of the pure."
The country's male-only, elementary school-level madrassas turn out millions of students who are taught to hate Hindus, Christian and Jews.
The imams of Pakistan, many of whom are trained in Saudi Arabia's austere Wahhabi branch of Sunni Islam, financially support Pakistan's madrassas and help to perpetuate intolerance. The International Center for Religion and Diplomacy reports that Pakistani seventh grade textbooks portray Pakistan's Hindus as a traitorous group that supports the country's arch enemy, India. The same books also portray Pakistan's Christians as agents of the West bent on destroying Islam.
Despite the Pakistani government's having established a "National Action Plan" to protect minorities, there is no discernible improvement in their daily lives.
The most venomous abuses of all are probably the false accusations of blasphemy, especially common in Islamabad, Lahore, and Karachi. In Pakistan, as in many other Muslim countries, blasphemy is a crime punishable by death, and often also ends up in mob violence against entire minority communities.
According to an Indian media report last month: "Pakistan was to review its harsh blasphemy laws. It has made them even harsher."
In December, after the beheading of Daya Bheel, a Hindu woman, who skin was reportedly peeled off her head, India's Foreign Ministry demanded that Pakistan fulfill its obligations to protect minorities. The demand will likely have little impact upon crimes such as the abduction of non-Muslim girls and women by Muslim men.
When Pakistan was created in 1947, 23% of its population was non-Muslim. Today, only about 3% of the population is non-Muslim. Pakistan's appalling treatment of its religious minorities has caused many of them to leave the country. Pictured: Thousands of people at a rally in Karachi, Pakistan, demanding the execution of Asia Bibi, on November 21, 2018. Bibi, a Christian woman, spent 8 years on death row in Pakistan because of a false accusation of blasphemy, before being released and exiled.
When Pakistan was created in 1947, 23% of its population was non-Muslim. Today in Pakistan -- "Land of the Pure" in Urdu -- only about 3% of the population is non-Muslim. At present, about 80-85% of its citizenry are Sunni Muslim. Pakistan's appalling treatment of Hindus, Christians, Shia Muslims and other Islamic sects, such as the Ahmadis, has caused many minorities to leave the country. Most Hindus have migrated to India, others to Singapore and Hong Kong.
The Pakistanis, it is clear, do not want to host minorities: instead, they seem to be increasingly engaged in "purifying the land of the pure."
The country's male-only, elementary school-level madrassas turn out millions of students who are taught to hate Hindus, Christian and Jews.
The imams of Pakistan, many of whom are trained in Saudi Arabia's austere Wahhabi branch of Sunni Islam, financially support Pakistan's madrassas and help to perpetuate intolerance. The International Center for Religion and Diplomacy reports that Pakistani seventh grade textbooks portray Pakistan's Hindus as a traitorous group that supports the country's arch enemy, India. The same books also portray Pakistan's Christians as agents of the West bent on destroying Islam. The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom noted in a 2016 report:
"[T]he content of Pakistani public school textbooks related to non-Islamic faiths and non-Muslims continue to teach bias, distrust, and inferiority. Moreover, the textbooks portray non-Muslim citizens of Pakistan as sympathetic towards its perceived enemies: Pakistani Christians as Westerners or equal to British colonial oppressors, and Pakistani Hindus as Indians, the arch enemy of Pakistan."
Even though Pakistan's constitution proclaims that all citizens, regardless of religion or ethnicity, will be treated equally before the law, this is clearly not what is taking place. Reports from numerous NGOs and the US Department of State detail the daily human rights abuses of minorities that violate the letter and spirit of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998. The US State Department has consistently listed Pakistan as a "Country of Particular Concern."
Despite the Pakistani government's having established a "National Action Plan" to protect minorities, there is no discernible improvement in their daily lives. The discriminatory treatment of Pakistan's minorities by governmental institutions is reflected in the everyday marginalization and humiliation of Hindus, Christians and other small communities of faith. These abuses include acts of arson at Hindu temples and churches as well as desecration of religious symbols, and vandalism at cemeteries and shrines of minorities. The most venomous abuses of all are probably the false accusations of blasphemy, especially common in Islamabad, Lahore, and Karachi. In Pakistan, as in many other Muslim countries, blasphemy is a crime punishable by death, and often also ends up in mob violence against entire minority communities. Morning Star News reported last month:
"According to the Lahore-based Center for Social Justice, 1,949 cases of people accused of blasphemy were registered in Pakistan between 1987 and 2021, including 928 Muslims, 643 Ahmadis, 281 Christians, 42 Hindus, and 55 of unknown faith."
Human rights violations on a mass scale also occur against women in Pakistan. These crimes include the kidnapping of Hindu or Christian girls, often pre-teens, who are then forced to convert to Islam and/or coerced into marriages. One report estimates that at least 1,000 Hindu and Christian females are abducted every year in Pakistan.
More unequal treatment of minorities arises during disputes between Muslims and their non-Muslim neighbors over land, business or personal disagreements. These usually end in a bad way for the minority family. A Muslim neighbor can pull the "blasphemy law card," falsely accusing the Christian of showing disrespect for the Koran, the Islamic Prophet Muhammad or some tenet of Islamic doctrine. This often results in the innocent non-Muslim either giving up in the dispute or being imprisoned.
A guilty verdict on a charge of violating the blasphemy law in Pakistan, whether the violation was intentional, accidental or fabricated, can result in severe penalties, including a death sentence. Since 1987 when the anti-blasphemy law was made more stringent, at least 1,500 Christians have been imprisoned. And according to an Indian media report last month: "Pakistan was to review its harsh blasphemy laws. It has made them even harsher."
This describes a mere fraction of the indignities and sufferings endured by Pakistani non-Muslims. In December 2022, there were two horrific anti-Christian incidents. In one , a mob murdered the brother of a woman, Lalli Kachi, who was abducted from her home in Sindh Province, and forced to convert to Islam. The other incident, also in Sindh, was the murder of a Christian mother Daya Bheel, whose mutilated body was found in a remote field.
Shia Muslims. who may constitute about 15% of the population, are condemned as heretics by their Sunni co-religionists. The Shia are victims of attacks during Friday prayers, including suicide bombings at their mosques. In 2021, (Sunni) ISIS terrorists slaughtered 11 Shia Muslim coal-miners. Shia Muslims are routinely harassed, particularly during the Islamic month of Muharram, when Shia hold public processions. Notably, even the Sunni-majority American Muslim Bar Association has criticized the failure of the Pakistani government, as a signatory of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, to abide by its commitments to safeguard minorities.
Ahmadis, another religious minority of whom there are estimated to be about half a million in Pakistan, are denounced by most Sunni Muslims as being non-Muslim, because they defer to their prophet, Mirza Gulam Ahmad, while Sunni and Shia Muslims believe that the last prophet was Mohammad. Ahmadis are so viciously persecuted in Pakistan that the sect moved its headquarters to Britain. There is no pretense of protection of Ahmadis in Pakistan: the government's Penal Code declares that Ahmadis are non-Muslims. By law, Ahmadis are not permitted to build mosques or to issue the public call to prayer.
In December, after the beheading of Daya Bheel, a Hindu woman, who skin was reportedly peeled off her head, India's Foreign Ministry demanded that Pakistan fulfill its obligations to protect minorities. The demand will likely have little impact upon crimes such as the abduction of non-Muslim girls and women by Muslim men.
*Dr. Lawrence A. Franklin was the Iran Desk Officer for Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld. He also served on active duty with the U.S. Army and as a Colonel in the Air Force Reserve.
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Catastrophe in Turkiye, Syria causes deep heartache
Sinem Cengiz/Arab News/February 08/2023
I am writing this article full of sorrow and despair, after waking up to the catastrophic news of the massive earthquakes that struck my country and its neighborhood. In the early morning on Monday, a major earthquake with a magnitude of 7.8 hit southern Turkiye and northwest Syria just before sunrise and another 7.5-magnitude quake struck in the early afternoon.
Turkiye is facing an immense challenge, as the devastating earthquakes are among the deadliest in the recent history of the country, with thousands killed, while those who survived are struggling to hold on to hope in the freezing weather conditions. Natural disasters strike people at unexpected moments and not only cause huge pain and misery, but also leave permanent marks in the memories of people who survive them. The latest earthquakes triggered the collective trauma caused by the 1999 earthquake in northwestern Turkiye, which left 17,000 dead and destroyed thousands of buildings.
On Aug. 17, 1999, at 3:02 a.m., I was caught in that catastrophic quake on the fifth floor of an apartment building in Bursa, a city very close to the epicenter. As a child who had never heard the word “earthquake” before in her life, I could not give meaning to what was happening. I was terrified by the panic all around, anxiously waiting for my parents, who left me at my uncle’s house that night. For days, like everyone else, we could not get inside our homes, so we slept either in our cars or outside of our buildings. Those were the days we never wished to remember again.
The scenes of floating dust, collapsed buildings and human desperation seen in the aftermath of Monday’s earthquakes touched me deeply; but the stories of children who died or were rescued hit me even harder. They took me back to the terrible memories of 24 years ago. Aug. 17, 1999, was a date of devastation for Turkiye that caused great personal and material loss. However, Feb. 6, 2023, caused even greater grief, not only for Turkish people but also Syrians, giving both nations a sense of shared fate.
The initial reports indicate that the latest earthquakes are sadly going to reveal a worse picture than the 1999 earthquake
These two nations are battling to respond to this historic earthquake, although the full scale of the catastrophe will not be known anytime soon. Rescue teams from overseas are already being deployed in the affected cities of Turkiye, with considerable international support both material and moral. It is vital that this support continues in the coming weeks as the country strives to overcome both the material and psychological costs of the catastrophe.
History has shown us many times that common struggles as a result of natural disasters such as earthquakes can bind many wounds. Sympathetic and supportive messages from across the region have created a sense of solidarity at this much-needed time. This brought to mind Leo Tolstoy’s famous words: “If you feel pain, you’re alive. If you feel other people’s pain, you're a human being.”One needs not only feel for the Turkish people, but also for the Syrians too. The situation across the border in Syria is also dire and devastating. Syrians have been suffering from 11 years of continuous war and now they are left without even temporary homes. Their situation is described by the International Rescue Committee as “a crisis within multiple crises.”Natural disasters are always a test for nations, but do countries draw lessons from these disasters? No place in this world is immune from disasters, whether earthquakes, floods or tornadoes. Turkiye is among the world’s most seismically active countries and it is at high risk of traumatic events, both natural and human-made. After the 1999 earthquake, Turkish people questioned institutions they had never questioned before and asked for the necessary changes to avoid the disaster being repeated. At the time, the authorities vowed to implement changes to the country’s building practices, institute new construction rules and ensure mandatory earthquake insurance for all buildings.
Although experts say it is too early to predict the losses at this stage, the initial reports indicate that the latest earthquakes are sadly going to reveal a worse picture than the 1999 earthquake. This heartbreaking disaster has shown us that there is something seriously wrong with the ways in which the country approaches or prepares itself for earthquakes. For years, experts have been calling for a cohesive strategy to prevent a catastrophe, warning that the rules are not being followed strictly enough. But their calls fell on deaf ears. This has increased the pain people are feeling and is fueling their anger.
The horrific number of people who have lost their lives is expected to increase, very sadly, while injuries, both mental and physical, are likely to remain for decades. My heart goes out to the people of Turkiye and Syria and all others affected by these horrific earthquakes. May the necessary lessons be drawn from this disaster to avoid such devastation being repeated in the future.
*Sinem Cengiz is a Turkish political analyst who specializes in Turkiye’s relations with the Middle East. Twitter: @SinemCngz

Iran-Israel tensions: Israel appears to be aiming for the octopus’s head
Yossi Mekelberg/Arab News/February 08/2023
In a little-known speech nearly five years ago, while he was still education minister, former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett presented his proposed “octopus doctrine” for dealing with the multidimensional challenges emanating from Iran.
In a speech of mixed metaphors, equating Iran either to a swamp that had become home to a swarm of mosquitos that aimed to sting Israel or an octopus attempting to grab hold of Israel, he advocated not only dealing with mosquitoes and octopus tentacles, but also called for the swamp to be drained and the head of the octopus struck. This doctrine became the government’s official approach during his short stint as prime minister, which was brought to an end by last year’s general election.
And if media reports that Israel was behind the recent attack on a weapons production facility in Isfahan, as well as two further strikes on arms convoys on the Syria-Iraq border, are correct, this doctrine has now been adopted by the new Benjamin Netanyahu government as its modus operandi in its conflict with Iran. Although, as is customary, no one claimed responsibility for the surprise drone attacks that caused a huge explosion in Isfahan, US officials were quick to inform the international media that they believed Israel had carried them out. The New York Times cited senior US intelligence officials, who claimed that this was the work of Mossad. With a new nuclear deal with Iran nowhere in sight, Tehran’s support of Russia in the war in Ukraine that includes supplying so-called suicide drones, and its fingerprints all over the arming of militant groups throughout the Middle East, the US and Israel are on the same page in their assessment that there is a need for a proactive strategy to contain Iran.
There is a strong suspicion in Tehran that its most sensitive military installations and political institutions have been compromised
When announcing his octopus doctrine, Bennett did not mince his words. “The Iranians don’t love dying,” he said, “but it is very easy for them to send others to die. While we’re shedding blood fighting their tentacles, the octopus’s head is lounging in its chair enjoying itself.” Hence, it was time, he said, for Israel to change its approach and to “aim at the head of the octopus and not its tentacles.”For Israel, the main tentacles, so to speak, are Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Gaza and the Occupied Territories. The US intelligence community has estimated that Tehran has spent as much as $700 million per year on its support for terrorist groups, including Hezbollah and Hamas, although economic hardship has probably reduced this sum more recently. For both the US and Israel, the regime in Tehran represents a global threat and is directly involved in plotting terrorism through its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and its Ministry of Intelligence and Security. Inherent to the octopus doctrine is the perception that excessive emphasis on containing Tehran’s nuclear program is compromising the overall danger posed by the regime and allowing it to prevail without fear of being directly targeted.
There might be an element of truth in this and, indeed, it has been reported that Israel has concentrated on hitting Iranian targets such as the IRGC and its Quds Force, which is tasked mainly with external operations, or attacking weapons convoys in third countries such as Syria, Iraq or Sudan. But this does not provide the full picture, as there have also been a string of assassinations of Iranian scientists inside Iran, not to mention cyberattacks and, more recently, drone attacks. Of these operations, those with the highest profile were the daring 2020 killing of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, Iran’s top nuclear scientist, and Israel’s spy agency Mossad obtaining a huge trove of documents that were stolen directly from official Iranian facilities — documents that seemed to confirm that Iran has nuclear military ambitions.
To be sure, much of Israel’s “war between wars” with Iran is taking place in third countries, but there has been a gradual shift toward the head of the octopus. In February 2022, a drone attack reportedly inflicted devastating damage on Iran’s own drone fleet at a site belonging to the IRGC in Kermanshah province. It is estimated that hundreds of drones were destroyed by the raid, which was followed by Iran firing missiles in response at what Tehran described as “secret Israeli strategic bases” in Irbil, Iraq.
Herein lies both the strategic benefit of the octopus doctrine and the high risk that accompanies it. On the one hand, it allows Israel to dictate the dynamic of its confrontation with Iran, in terms of places, types of target and the timing it chooses to hurt Iran and constantly keep it guessing. It is unsettling for the leadership in Tehran to know that no one and nothing is immune or beyond reach, including individuals and installations at the very heart of the regime, and this consequently interrupts its planning and operations.
There is also a strong psychological impact that affects morale when those who plot to inflict harm on others are forced to engage with ensuring their own safety, whether in Iran itself or elsewhere in the world. There is a strong suspicion in Tehran that its most sensitive military installations and political institutions have been compromised and are being monitored by Israeli intelligence, which adds to the leadership’s sense of vulnerability, if not paranoia.
On the other hand, if the intensity and frequency of these attacks inside Iran are to be increased, it remains to be seen at what point the regime will feel obliged to react within the limitations of its capabilities in order not to lose face and credibility.
A miscalculation by either side in terms of targets, timing and magnitude of damage could easily lead to a more direct and bloody confrontation. In the coming weeks and months, probably years, if Iran does not scale down its nuclear program and its menacing and destabilizing operations across the region, particularly those close to Israel’s borders, there is a real possibility that Israel will hit targets deep within Iran. There is no guarantee, however, that this would further deter Iran or its proxies, nor that it would further intensify the confrontation between these two sworn enemies.
*Yossi Mekelberg is professor of international relations and an associate fellow of the MENA Program at Chatham House. He is a regular contributor to the international written and electronic media. Twitter: @YMekelberg

Iran protests: Iranian regime vulnerable but unlikely to implode
Osama Al-Sharif/Arab News/February 08/2023
As the 44th anniversary of Iran’s Islamic Revolution approaches, the country of 87 million, ruled by religious hard-liners, finds itself facing the most serious domestic crisis since 1979. For more than four months, tens of thousands of mostly young Iranians have taken to the streets calling for an end to the theocratic regime, which has grown distant from its people. More than 60 percent of Iran’s population is under 30 years old and they now want to see an end to the decades of mismanagement of the country’s affairs; an end to the harsh treatment of women; an end to the foreign adventures that have squandered Iran’s resources; and an end to everything that 87-year-old Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei stands for.
Khamenei has ruled Iran with an iron fist for more than three decades. He has rejected all calls for reform and sought to alienate or sideline moderate supporters of the regime. Previous public uprisings were ruthlessly crushed and hundreds of dissidents executed.
But the ongoing protests — triggered by the death in custody of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who was arrested last September for allegedly wearing her headscarf “improperly” — are relentless. The regime’s response has been bloody. More than 500 Iranians have been killed by the Basij, a paramilitary force established to deal with local dissent. But the crackdown has not worked. Women protesters have been joined by students, laborers, merchants and professionals; all calling for structural reforms.
Tens of thousands of protesters have been arrested. At least four have been executed following summary trials. President Ebrahim Raisi, himself a hard-liner who sent hundreds to their deaths when he was a revolutionary judge, brushed aside calls from former Presidents Mohammed Khatami and Hassan Rouhani and former Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani — and even officers who were once associated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps — to adopt economic reforms, initiate dialogue and seek national reconciliation.
But Raisi has no alternative. Rouhani had earned Khamenei’s wrath when he appeared to adopt a moderate line as president. So did Khatami, whose calls for national reconciliation in 2017 were described as “meaningless” by Khamenei.
A mixture of xenophobia, religious fundamentalism and paranoia has clouded Khamenei’s judgment
So, did the supreme leader blink this week when he issued conditional pardons that would affect tens of thousands of those detained during the protests, many of whom had been convicted of various crimes? The conditions appear to exclude many, especially those involved in the protests, the majority of whom are young men and women, who are required to sign a declaration of remorse. This gesture is unlikely to succeed in stemming the growing opposition to the regime simply because of a deep lack of credibility.
The problem, as well as the challenge, has to do with Khamenei himself, who had enjoyed unchallenged authority as he surrounded himself with hard-liners. In his view, the ongoing protests, this time as before, are the product of a Western conspiracy to topple the Islamic Republic. A mixture of xenophobia, religious fundamentalism and paranoia has clouded the man’s judgment. Although he is still in control, he is reportedly in poor health and is yet to name a successor.
While the popular uprising, now spread all over the country including in the capital Tehran, is unlikely to subside, it will not bring down the regime anytime soon. In spite of years of economic sanctions and feeble economic performance, now made worse by a currency freefall, the regime is using its influence in Iraq to siphon off much-needed dollars at the expense of the Iraqi economy.
It has used the war in Ukraine to its benefit — for now — by bolstering a strategic alliance with Russia, while maintaining strong economic ties with China, with exports to Beijing worth about $5 billion annually. In 2021, the two countries signed a 25-year strategic cooperation agreement.
While most of Iran’s resources go on developing its nuclear and long-range missile programs, in addition to its advanced drone system and financing its proxies in Yemen, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon, little is spent on civilian infrastructure or on creating jobs, despite unemployment now standing at about 11 percent.
But the protests will continue to drain the regime’s ability to manage the country. Change could come from within the system itself.
In the past few days, two prominent Iranian opposition figures have called publicly for sweeping reforms. Long-detained former presidential candidate Mir-Hossein Mousavi has called for a nationwide referendum on adopting a new constitution; one that would end the unchallenged authority of the supreme leader. And Khatami has said he hopes that the use of “nonviolent civil methods” can “force the governing system to change its approach and accept reforms.” This is a boost to the popular uprising because it comes from people who know the system inside out.
Like all authoritarian rulers, Khamenei will continue to listen to his close cadre of hard-liners and opt for the use of force rather than making concessions that could open the proverbial floodgates for a regime that has never before looked as shaky or vulnerable.
On the other hand, one factor could change all that and breathe life into a beleaguered regime: An Israeli-led strike against Iran’s nuclear sites. The consequences of such a cataclysmic event could very well backfire and give the regime a new lease of life.
*Osama Al-Sharif is a journalist and political commentator based in Amman. Twitter: @plato010

Illegal Migration is Among the Primary Challenges Facing the World
Dr. Nassif Hitti/Asharq Al Awsat/February 08/2023
Illegal migration is a global challenge that has grown in scale for a number of reasons. At the top of the list, of course, are the repercussions of the coronavirus pandemic and the negative implications it has had for various parts of the world, albeit to different degrees decided by the extent to which the pandemic spread in each country, as well as the country’s economic and other capacities for successfully addressing its various repercussions.
The repercussions of the ongoing Ukrainian war have also played a role in increasing migration rates, mostly by pushing millions of Ukrainians to flee the country. According to the statistics of the National Bank of Ukraine released earlier this year, around nine million Ukrainians have left the country because of the ongoing war. The global food crisis, another one of the repercussions of this war, has had various repercussions across the world, pushing many to migrate for economic reasons.
To these factors, we can add the “traditional” historical reasons for migration. Among them are never-ending crises and wars that impoverish societies and make the living conditions of citizens unbearable, pushing them to seek refuge abroad. Of course, we also have the heated political crises plaguing countries across the globe and all the negative repercussions they imply, like turning these countries into what are known as failed states that are uninhabitable.
Climate change and the drought and desertification it causes have major demographic implications as well. They propel the migration of substantial segments of the population searching for a place where they can lead normal lives and meet their basic needs. Indeed, the famines that these climate conditions create are a major reason for migration.
Last year, Europe saw the highest rate of illegal immigration since 2016, with a 77 increase from 2021. The Western Balkans are among the main pathways for immigration toward the European Union: migrants coming from the Middle East and other Asian countries like Afghanistan and its neighbors. The Mediterranean region, in the east and south, is another route. It is not only taken by the residents of these Mediterranean countries, which have been hit with wars or severe economic crises - Libya, in particular, comes to mind. In fact, most of the migrants taking this route come from sub-Saharan Africa, especially from East Africa, where drought and desertification have wreaked havoc and exacerbated the acute economic crises in this region...
This has had an impact on Italy’s “Mediterranean” diplomacy. The Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and other officials have been proactively engaging with Libya, Algeria, and Egypt in an effort to assist and cooperate in developing policies to curb migration to the Old Continent through the Mediterranean. It goes without saying that Italy is a major gateway for this migration. Italy’s recent moves come within the context of the crystallization of a European Union policy to prioritize addressing illegal immigration and cooperation with the countries from which the immigrants reach Europe.
Mexico is another hub for illegal immigration. Most of those migrating from there to the United States of America illegally are, of course, from Mexico itself. However, it is also a gateway for citizens of other South American countries suffering from economic problems that also make life unbearable. Illegal migration through Mexico was on top of the agenda at the ‘Three Amigos’ summit that brought Mexico, the United States of America, and Canada together in Mexico less than a month ago.
It is should be noted that many European countries do, nonetheless, need legal immigration. This is not new to modern European history, and the same is true for the US. Indeed, some European countries suffer from what is called an inverted demographic pyramid (that is, the percentage of senior citizens and retirees far exceeds that of young people of working age or close to becoming of working age). This makes receiving immigrants of working age who can meaningfully contribute to the economy a necessity. They also work in particular sectors and businesses that struggle to find employees for an array of reasons.
The countries receiving these illegal immigrants face a massive challenge. The exacerbation of the economic crisis, first because of the coronavirus pandemic and then the Ukrainian war, makes this challenge more difficult. Another complicating factor is that many of these host countries are dealing with a broad array of economic crises due to globalization, which has limited their productive competitiveness... These problems have increased unemployment and laid the groundwork for the rise of racist populist movements.
The radical hard right feeds on crises and exploits these problems to push a conspiratorial, simplistic and reductive narrative that holds the “other” (those of a different ethnicity, nationality or religion) responsible for the crisis weighing down on citizens. This has heightened tension and field strife, undermining these countries’ ability to address the real causes of their economic crises.
Illegal immigration cannot be resolved overnight. It demands global cooperation and joint efforts that address the various causes of migration from the countries of origin, those that export immigrants and shun their people. It can only be addressed effectively through multi-faceted, multi-dimensional joint efforts and cooperation in addressing the domestic and global challenges specific to each country. International, regional, and national cooperation aimed at developing local solutions, even gradually, for countries suffering from acute crises will not be as easy as many think. However, it is not impossible. It requires a will to save these countries, which is in everyone’s interest, though in different ways and at different times. Only thus can we address what is simultaneously a humanitarian and strategic issue in its dimensions and implications.