English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For February 10/2023
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news

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Bible Quotations For today
Let your word be “Yes, Yes” or “No, No”; anything more than this comes from the evil one.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 05/27-37/:”‘You have heard that it was said, “You shall not commit adultery.” But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to go into hell. ‘It was also said, “Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.” But I say to you that anyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of unchastity, causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery. ‘Again, you have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, “You shall not swear falsely, but carry out the vows you have made to the Lord.”But I say to you, Do not swear at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. Let your word be “Yes, Yes” or “No, No”; anything more than this comes from the evil one.”

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on February 09-10/2023
Who was Saint Maroun That The Mronite Church Carries His Name?/Elias Bejjani/February 09/2023
Al-Rahi at St. Maroun's Day Mass in Bkirki: For returning to our Maronite identity that rejects seclusion, narrow interests
Saint Maron History
Iranian Official Reiterates from Beirut Tehran's Support for 'Lebanon and its Resistance'
Lebanese Delegation Visits Syria, Sparking Debate About ‘Normalization with Damascus’
Bassil says Lebanese consensus obligatory for electing president
Panic in Tripoli as 4.2 quake hits near Hermel
Bou Habib meets with Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister & Iranian Ambassador
Bassil after his visit to John X: We support the call of the Patriarchs to agree on electing a president for the republic
Makary: Celebrations of Beirut, Capital of Arab Media, were canceled in solidarity with Syria and Turkey
FPM holds its periodic meeting
Strengthening the prison health system in Lebanon: The Ministry of Interior and Municipalities collaborates with the World Health Organization within...

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on February 09-10/2023
Turkiye-Syria earthquake: Clock is ticking against harsh weather conditions
Death toll rises to over 17,100 in Turkey, Syria quake
First aid reaches Syria rebel-held areas since quake
Türkiye, Syria Quake Toll Tops 17,000
Earthquake Damages 248 Schools in Syria
First UN Quake Aid Convoy Reaches Syria as Envoy Says Needs Immense
Khamenei Urges ‘National Unity,’ Warns of ‘Rifts’
US targets Iranian petrochemicals, petroleum in fresh sanctions
Panama Says Iran Warships Might be Allowed Through Canal
Sudanese Delegation Set to Visit Israel
Hamas Begins Consultations in Cairo, Egypt Seeks to Stop Escalation
Ukraine’s Zelenskiy Thanks EU for Help, Set to Press Leaders for Jets
US government map shows areas most at risk of being targeted in nuclear war
Russia has lost at least 1,500 tanks since the start of the Ukraine war, more than half of its invasion force: report
Barcelona mayor brands Israel apartheid state, cuts ties
China confirms it refused US call over 'irresponsible' balloon shootdown

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on February 09-10/2023
The Arsenal of Tyranny...Tehran arms jihadis, terrorists, and neo-imperialists/Clifford D. May/The Washington Times/February 09/2023
Islamic Justice Prevails: Stripped Naked and Paraded in Egypt, Christian Grandmother Is Now the Guilty One/Raymond Ibrahim/Gatestone Institute/February 09/2023
Lebanese Writer Gilbert Achcar: President Assad Destroyed Syria In The Civil War, Which Was A Greater Disaster Than The Palestinian Nakba, And Left Syria Unable To Deal With The Earthquake/MEMRI/February 09/2023
Why Hasn’t Putin Used Nuclear Weapons?/Joseph Cirincione/The Daily Beast./February 9, 2023
Turkiye, Syria earthquakes: Helping the Syrian people more important than politics/Daoud Kuttab/Arab News/February 09, 2023
US should beware Iran’s Latin American maneuvers/Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Arab News/February 09, 2023
World must quickly find a way to end the Ukraine war/Mohamed Chebaro/Arab News/February 09, 2023

The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on February 09-10/2023
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.

Al-Rahi at St. Maroun's Day Mass in Bkirki: For returning to our Maronite identity that rejects seclusion, narrow interests
NNA/February 09/2023
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/115632/%d8%b1%d8%a7%d8%a8%d8%b7-%d9%81%d9%8a%d8%af%d9%8a%d9%88-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%82%d8%af%d8%a7%d8%b3-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%a5%d9%84%d9%87%d9%8a-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%b0%d9%8a-%d8%aa%d8%b1%d8%a3%d8%b3%d9%87-%d8%a7%d9%84-2/
Maronite Patriarch, Cardinal Beshara Boutros al-Rahi, presided over a Mass service in Bkirki this morning on the occasion of Saint Maroun's Day. In his homily, the Patriarch considered that this blessed occasion invites members of the Maronite Sect to return to their identity in terms of rejecting seclusion and narrow personal interests. "All these years our Church has been in full partnership with the Mother Church of Rome, rooted in our identity and our land and spread throughout the world in the example of the fragrant Cedar of Lebanon, firmly rooted in its land while its branches are spread throughout the globe...This is the basis of our culture and civilization, and this is the basis of every action that we must take, as a guarantee for man, humanity, and the dignity of the human person, ecclesiastically, socially, nationally, and politically," the Patriarch underlined. "He who is ignorant of his roots lives in chaos and corruption, and he who is ignorant of his past is ignorant of his reality and his future," al-Rahi continued. "Today, Saint Maroun's feast is nothing but a reminder of our identity and a call to our consciences and roots. We ask our father Maroun to make us realize his spirituality so that we can live according to his example while we bear responsibility for his name and way of life," the Patriarch asserted. At the end of his homily, al-Rahi extended his deepest condolences to the families of the victims of the devastating earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria, wishing a speedy recovery for the wounded, and thanking God for protecting Lebanon and the Lebanese from this disaster. After the Mass, the Patriarch received well-wishers who congratulated him on Saint Maroun's Day.

Saint Maron History
Today's Saint site/February 09/2023
What we know about Maron, the spiritual father of the Maronites comes from Theodoret, the bishop of Cyr. In approximately 444 AD, Theodoret undertook the project of writing a religious history about his religion. Theodoret never knew Maron personally, but only through the disciples of this holy man. He described Maron as "the one who has planted for God the garden which flourishes now in the region of Cyr."Little is known of the birth or early years of Maron. It is generally accepted that he was born in what is now modern Syria, in the middle of the 4th century. Maroun was a priest who later became a hermit, retiring to the Taurus Mountains in the region of Cyrrhus, near Antioch. His holiness and miracles attracted many followers and drew attention throughout the empire. According to history, Maron was never satisfied with the ordinary practices of asceticism, but was "always seeking for new ways to accumulate all the treasures of wisdom." Maron was the spiritual leader not only of the hermits who lived near him but of all the Christian faithful in the area. He used to counsel them, heal their bodily and spiritual ills. All of these apostolic endeavors manifested wisdom and holiness of the hermit Maron. The date of Maron's death is placed somewhere between 407 and 423. Because of his great popularity among the people, riots broke out at the time of his death because everyone wanted to save his remains in their village. The Maronite Church formerly celebrated the feast of this great saint on January 5th. (This is the day in which the church of Kfarhai was consecrated in his honor.) However, in the seventeenth century, the feast was transferred to February 9th. Lebanon has proclaimed Maron as its patron saint and Pope Benedict XIV granted a plenary indulgence to everyone who visited a Maronite Chruch on February 9th. There are approximately twenty saints among Maron's disciples, three of whom were women. Theodoret describes these disciples of Maron with these words: "These anchorites were virtuous and heroic, totally dedicated to a life of contemplative prayer. They were strangers to any other consideration in the world. They were obedient to Church authority and tried to imitate their predecessor in their exercises of austerity. At times, their acts of penance and mortification were excessive, but they were always obedient to ecclesiastical authority." After the Council of Chalcedon, Bishop Theodoret worked to construct the famous Monastery of Saint Maron. In addition to being a stronghold for the defense of the teachings of the Council of Chalcedon, this monastery was for a long time the center of the cultural and theological heritage of Antioch.

Iranian Official Reiterates from Beirut Tehran's Support for 'Lebanon and its Resistance'
Beirut - Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 9 February, 2023
Iranian Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Ali Bagheri on Wednesday pointed to an "embargo exercised by the enemies of the region against Iran and Lebanon," saying, however, that he trusted Lebanon and its resistance in fighting these acts. Bagheri, who is also Iran's chief negotiator in international talks to revive the 2015 nuclear deal, arrived in Beirut this week to participate in the opening ceremony for the Iranian embassy new building in Beirut. Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and Iran's ambassador to Beirut Mojtaba Amani attended the event. Bagheri said that during his visit he met with a number of officials and they discussed issues of common concern and the good and constructive relations between the two brotherly countries, in addition to local and regional developments. During his meeting with Berri, Bagheri said he affirmed that Iran will always stand by Lebanon to support its security, stability and progress. He also stressed Iran's support for the Lebanese resistance against the country's enemies. Bagheri assured that "Lebanon and the resistance will remain in a position of strength and able to fight against these attempts," noting that Iran will keep on supporting the Lebanese people in various fields.

Lebanese Delegation Visits Syria, Sparking Debate About ‘Normalization with Damascus’
Beirut - Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 9 February, 2023
An official visit by a Lebanese ministerial delegation to Damascus stirred a debate between those who said the trip normalized relations with the regime and others who considered it a "duty" after the devastating earthquake that recently struck Türkiye and Syria. On Tuesday, Lebanese rescue workers were also dispatched to Syria to assist local teams searching for survivors. The ministerial delegation headed to Damascus at the request of caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati. It held several meetings with Syrian officials on humanitarian affairs and the repercussions of the devastating earthquake that struck several areas in Syria. The delegation was headed by the caretaker Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Abdallah Bou Habib. It included caretaker Minister of Public Works and Transportation Ali Hamieh, the Caretaker Minister of Social Affairs, Hector Hajjar, caretaker Minister of Agriculture Abbas Hajj Hassan and senior advisers and officials from the four ministries. They met Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Foreign Minister Faisal al-Miqdad. The delegation conveyed to Assad the condolences and solidarity of Mikati and the Lebanese cabinet. They discussed measures and decisions taken by the Lebanese government to provide assistance to Syria and coordinate with relief organizations. They also announced that Lebanon was willing to open airports and seaports to receive aid that comes to Syria from any country or destination. Assad thanked the delegation for their support and the measures the Lebanese government took to provide and facilitate aid dispatch to Syria. The visit sparked criticism among those opposing the Syrian regime, considering it an unjustified step towards normalizing relations, indicating that aid could have been sent without an official meeting with the regime. The pro-Syrian regime parties said, however, that the visit was a "duty" towards Syria and its people after the disaster. Lebanese MP Ibrahim Mneimneh wondered if the delegation's visit aimed to normalize ties with the Assad regime or to show support to the Syrian people and provide aid. On his Twitter account, Mneimneh drew question marks on the purpose behind visiting the presidential palace, adding: "Wasn't it more useful to send aid and support directly to the affected areas? Is there anyone seeking to exploit the suffering for regional political agendas?" But the Hezbollah bloc issued a statement expressing solidarity and support with the people in Syria and Türkiye. It called on all the states, governments, and international and humanitarian organizations to immediately provide aid to save those who remain trapped under the rubble, rescue the injured, pull the casualties and shelter the homeless. The statement pointed out that Syria and Türkiye deserve to be supported by all Arab and Islamic countries.

Bassil says Lebanese consensus obligatory for electing president
Naharnet/Thursday, 9 February, 2023
Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil on Thursday stressed that the presidential election is “a national juncture and not only Christian or Maronite.”“We are obliged to agree, especially if we want it to take place in line with the constitution and the needed quorum,” Bassil added, following a meeting with Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East John X Yazigi. “We want to reach a salvation program and a president who would also implement this program,” Bassil added.

Panic in Tripoli as 4.2 quake hits near Hermel
Naharnet/Thursday, 9 February, 2023
A 4.2-magnitude earthquake hit five kilometers south of Lebanon's eastern Hermel region on Wednesday evening, Lebanon's National Center for Geophysics said. The Center added that the tremor occurred at 8:58 pm and was felt by residents in the Bekaa, the North, Metn, Keserwan and Beirut. In Tripoli, residents panicked by the quake took to the streets and two public parks were opened for them at the instructions of Tripoli Municipality chief Ahmed Qamareddine. Lebanon's residents are still reeling from the powerful 7.8-magnitude earthquake that struck southern Turkey before dawn Monday and was strongly felt across Lebanon for around 40 seconds.

Bou Habib meets with Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister & Iranian Ambassador
NNA/February 09/2023
Caretaker Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants, Abdallah Bou Habib, received today Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister and Chief Negotiator on the Iranian nuclear file, Dr. Ali Bagheri Kani, in the presence of Iran's Ambassador to Lebanon, Mojtaba Amani. After the meeting, Kani said: "Today we had a valuable opportunity and were honored to meet Minister Bou Habib, where we talked about the best climate through which we can strengthen bilateral relations between the two brotherly countries in various fields.'He added: "As you know, the good bilateral relations between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Lebanese Republic are historical and ancient...This allows us, as two countries, two governments and two peoples, to enhance the level of bilateral relations and constructive cooperation between us in different domains more than ever before..."The Iranian official reaffirmed that his country "will always remain alongside the brotherly Lebanese Republic, supporting and defending it in various fields, and will spare no effort in providing any needed support to secure a better tomorrow and a decent life for brotherly Lebanon and its dear people."He concluded, "We have a firm conviction that the Lebanese political elites on the one hand, and the Lebanese people on the other hand, have sufficient awareness, insight and wisdom that qualify them to decide the future of this brotherly country through the independent and free Lebanese national will, away from any external dictates."

Bassil after his visit to John X: We support the call of the Patriarchs to agree on electing a president for the republic
NNA/February 09/2023
The Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, John X, received today the head of the Free Patriotic Movement, MP Gebran Bassil, on top of a delegation that included MPs George Atallah and Asaad Dergham, and the movement's candidate in Koura, Ghassan Karam. During the meeting, Bassil offered condolences to Patriarch John X for the victims of the earthquake in Turkey and Syria, saying: "We are facing a great human tragedy that affected the Syrian and Turkish peoples, and our sympathy is with every affected person from all sects and societies, especially those for whom aid is difficult to reach in light of the difficult circumstances."Bassil called for the immediate lifting of sanctions imposed on Syria, as the current blockade is restricting the efforts to provide the Syrian people with the basic needs to respond to the devastating earthquake that struck the country. Regarding the presidential election, Bassil supported the call of the Christian Patriarchs who delegated Patriarch Al-Rahi to make an agreement on electing a President for the Republic, saying: ”It is a national merit and not only a Christian or a Maronite entitlement, and we are bound to agree, especially if it takes place according to the constitution and the quorum.”

Makary: Celebrations of Beirut, Capital of Arab Media, were canceled in solidarity with Syria and Turkey
NNA/February 09/2023
"In solidarity with Syria and Turkey, and out of sensitivity to the difficult humanitarian conditions that the Syrian and Turkish peoples are going through as a result of the devastating earthquake that left thousands of victims, wounded, displaced and missing persons, it was decided to cancel the festive appearances on the occasion of Beirut, the capital of Arab media, and to suffice with the relevant cultural and intellectual activities, while preserving the same dates previously scheduled for the opening on the 23rd and 24th of this month," caretaker Minister of Information Ziad Makary announced in a statement this afternoon.

FPM holds its periodic meeting
NNA/February 09/2023
The Political Commission of the Free Patriotic Movement held its periodic meeting under the chairmanship of MP Gebran Bassil. It discussed her agenda and released the statement below:
1- The Free Patriotic Movement expresses its full sympathy to Syria and Turkey regarding the natural disaster that has befallen the two countries. It considers that their pain is that of Lebanon and offers its sincere condolences to all the victims.
The Free Patriotic Movement believes that this huge catastrophe that has struck the Syrian people requires changing the course of international engagement with regard to Syria and opening the door to fairly serious decisions with a view to lifting the blockade and injustice, since it is no longer a question of targeting a regime, but rather a deadly drain on an entire people; which is rejected by all divine and positive laws.
 2 - Under the impact of the earthquake and its latest news, the Prime Minister of the resigning and interim government convened a session during which he once again violated both the Constitution and the consensus.It was obvious that the purpose of the session was to perpetuate the provocation since no item on the agenda justified its holding, and no urgent business that has no constitutional solutions required it. On the other hand, clauses have been invented from scratch to justify the holding of the session, which is completely unacceptable.
What is regrettable is that those who participate in condoning this consensual massacre contribute to notching divisions and reinforcing national fractures; they strive to strike at partnership and destroy consensus, something that can neither be accepted nor tolerated.
3 - With what is happening within the land registers and the Vehicle Registration Center on the one hand and the various judicial investigations against the corrupt on the other hand, the government has a duty to ensure the continuity of the departments which are investigated so that their services are not interrupted in the face of citizens. It is a right for the latter and a duty for the administration, and their interruption only exacerbates the crisis and increases the dislocation of the state.
The judiciary has a duty to continue to prosecute the corrupt within all administrations, and the government, on the other hand, must refrain from invoking legal proceedings, but must rather assume the responsibilities that derive from them by ensuring that the service is not interrupted and that public sector employees continue to perform their duties, and for that, the government must provide them with the necessaties.

Strengthening the prison health system in Lebanon: The Ministry of Interior and Municipalities collaborates with the World Health Organization within...
NNA/February 09/2023
The Minister of Interior and Municipalities, Judge Bassam Al-Mawlawi, the Norwegian Ambassador, Martin Yttervik and Representative of the World Health Organization Office in Lebanon, Dr Abdinasir Abubakar, launched the second phase of a project aimed at strengthening the prison health system and access to health services in Lebanon’s central prisons and women prisons.  In this context, His Excellency the Minister of Interior and Municipalities mentioned that health in prison is a basic human right. “We would like to express our gratitude to WHO and the Norway Embassy for your support in improving the health conditions in Lebanese prisons. Any collaboration makes a difference. The Ministry of Interior and Municipalities is committed to providing basic needs for prisoners including health care and to improving their condition in line with human rights”, expressed the Minister Judge Bassam Al-Mawlawi.
“The terrible health conditions in prisons are a major concern. We hope Norway’s support will further strengthen the health system in prisons and that the learnings from this programme can help improve the national health system to the benefit of everyone in Lebanon”, said the Norwegian Ambassador Martin Yttervik. As mentioned in the United Nations Mandela Rules, “prisoners should enjoy the same standards of health care that are available in the community and should have access to necessary health care services free of charge without discrimination on the grounds of their legal status.”
Through this project, WHO will continue to work closely with the Internal Security Forces to support Roumieh Central Prison in providing a comprehensive health assessment and services and follow-up for prisoners via a multidisciplinary team of physicians, nurses and social workers, in line with the national protocols of care. Special emphasis will be given to prisoners with chronic conditions including mental disorders and those aged 50 years and above. Through Norway’s support, and in close coordination with the Ministry of Public Health, the Roumieh medical centre was integrated in the national Primary Health Care network in 2022. Under this project, the health care service support will be extended to the other central prisons (Zahle and Qobbe) and to women’s prisons. Another important component of the project also includes equipping health clinics in central prisons and women's prisons with basic medical equipment and supplies. This project complements other health projects implemented by WHO including early detection and management of prison inmates with COVID-19 or cholera as well as coverage of hospitalization for inmates with COVID-19 or other severe acute life-threatening diseases.
“Since the start of COVID-19, WHO has been supporting Lebanese prisons to mitigate the impact of the pandemic on prisoners and their families as well as on prison personnel. WHO is committed to continue its support for improving access and availability of essential health services to the prison population, so that no one is left behind”, said the WHO Acting Representative in Lebanon, Dr Abdinasir Abubakar.

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on February 09-10/2023
Turkiye-Syria earthquake: Clock is ticking against harsh weather conditions
Arab News/February 09, 2023
The first UN aid convoy crossed the border from Turkiye into northwest Syria on Thursday
Rescue teams have urged local citizens who are anxiously awaiting news of their loved ones to remain quiet as they try to find signs of life under debris
ANKARA: Cansu Cilingir, a choir member and music teacher in the southern Turkish city of Hatay, was singing “Autumn Leaves” just two months ago. Originally an opera singer, Cilingir delivered a moving performance with her mellifluous voice, unaware that in just a short time, tragedy would bring an early end to her career.
After three days buried under the rubble of Turkiye’s 7.8-magnitude earthquake as she and her neighbors waited for help from a single crane, Cilingir passed away on Wednesday around noon.
“We lost our...lovely friend Cansu. We will always remember her with her beautiful voice, sincerity and smile,” said Masis Aram Gozbek, conductor of the Magma Choir, with which Cilingir had long been a singer.
Over 14,014 people have been killed in Turkiye and 3,162 in neighboring Syria, according to the latest figures, which keep rising. More than 100,000 rescuers are currently working in 10 provinces of Turkiye following Monday’s twin earthquakes.
The first UN aid convoy crossed the border from Turkiye into northwest Syria on Thursday.
Given the geographical extent of the disaster, local citizens have been drawing attention to the urgent need for cranes, diggers and lift operators to remove the debris and hasten search and rescue efforts.
There have been reports from the region that disaster management agency AFAD’s teams could not operate in buildings where they were unable to hear voices.
Rescue teams have urged local citizens who are anxiously awaiting news of their loved ones to remain quiet as they try to find signs of life under debris. The sister of Taha Duymaz, who made a name for himself with the food videos he shot in his low-income house in Hatay, garnering 1.2 million followers on Instagram, made rescue pleas for her brother and other relatives. She said rescue services had been halted as the teams could not hear victims’ voices from the wreckage.
Duymaz had posted a video on TikTok just hours before the first quake. His sister believes he might have fainted, which would explain why he could not call for help from under the debris.
AFAD completed its rescue and search efforts in some cities, including Kilis and Sanliurfa.
There have been some miraculous rescues, with people being pulled from the rubble after four days. These, however, have tended to be young people, children and babies — and rarely adults — who have managed to remain safe in a small space under the rubble.
International support in the search and rescue efforts has been notable, with France and Spain having immediately worked to establish field hospitals in the region.
The Turkish government has set up tents and temporary accommodation facilities outside the quake zone, and sport centers, shelters and similar locations were allocated for those who wished to leave the disaster area.
Mobile kitchens and bakeries are also being established with governmental and civil society efforts. A sports center in Kahramanmaras was turned into a mortuary, but several survivors told Arab News that they are in urgent need of shrouds and vehicles to transfer corpses to the cemeteries as victims’ families have had to carry their dead loved ones using trolleys. Many people have said there is a strong smell of corpses in the streets.
Ayse Yildiz, a professional search and rescue worker who previously took part in the catastrophic 7.6-magnitude Marmara earthquake, was dispatched yesterday to the southeastern Malatya province to help with rescue efforts.
An academic by profession who works on international refugee law, she passed the night searching for survivors under a collapsed building and slept a short while on the floor as there was no tent large enough to accommodate all volunteers in the region. But Yildiz, who after a sleepless night engaged again in an intense rescue operation, is also aware that the clock is ticking.
“We have only been removing dead bodies from under the debris. There is no one alive in these freezing temperatures. Hatay province was less cold than Malatya, but here, the rain and snow threaten the lives of those trapped under the rubble, who end up dying by hypothermia,” she told Arab News.
“We thank all the international rescue teams here who are showing great efforts in helping victims and survivors. I have seen Maltese and Italian teams so far,” Yildiz said.
In some parts of Malatya, aid workers have drawn attention to insufficient equipment and tents where rescue teams can have small breaks and sleep in shifts.
“We are only using human force. I descended into the debris, but I couldn’t remove any of it because it had disintegrated into pieces. I left my little one in Izmir, and I wanted so much to save the life of a child here. It seems impossible. There will be a serious problem with hygiene and disease here after a while,” Yildiz said.
In the southeastern province of Adiyaman, another zone hard hit by the earthquake, some survivors died from internal bleeding after being rescued. “My student Nazim Can Hartlap was rescued the first day from the wreckage of the hotel he was staying at, but we lost him afterward because he succumbed to internal injuries. When he came to Eskisehir Anadolu University, he had financial problems, but we found him a place to stay. He worked so hard to be an informed and educated guide,” Meral Unver told Arab News.
In the same collapsed hotel, rescuers also found the bodies of three school volleyball players from Northern Cyprus.
In March, a conference is expected to be hosted in Brussels by the EU to mobilize funds from the international community to support Turkish and Syrian earthquake victims.
In total, a record number of 1,485 rescuers and 100 search dogs were mobilized in Turkiye as part of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism operations, one of its largest search and rescue operations. Twenty-one 21 EU member states, together with Albania, Montenegro and Serbia, offered rescue and medical teams. European Commissioner Janez Lenarcic, crisis coordinator of the EU’s response, arrived in Gaziantep on Thursday. The EU also sent temporary accommodation units, tents and beds to Turkiye.
In the meantime, as criticisms regarding the speed of rescue efforts have mounted, Twitter has been restricted in Turkiye on Wednesday and many users have reported requiring a connection via a virtual private network. Twitter was a powerful communication tool during the rescue efforts as many people under the debris communicated their locations to their families and the authorities by posting tweets.
Electricity has returned in the streets and avenues of the regions hit by the quake, but the underground main circuits are still being repaired. “On the first day, bad weather conditions prevented us from…monitoring the region with drones and planes. Now, we are also supporting our rescue efforts with an aerial component,” Vice President Fuat Oktay said during a press conference on Wednesday. Several celebrities, including well-known singer Tarkan and actor Kivanc Tatlitug, have donated large sums of money to humanitarian efforts. The World Health Organization estimates that the final death toll may be over 20,000, making it the highest recorded by Turkiye since its 1999 earthquake.

Death toll rises to over 17,100 in Turkey, Syria quake
Agence France Presse/Thursday, 9 February, 2023
The death toll from a huge earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria climbed to more than 17,100 on Thursday, as hopes faded of finding survivors stuck under rubble in freezing weather. Officials and medics said 14,014 people had died in Turkey and 3,162 in Syria from Monday's 7.8-magnitude tremor, bringing the confirmed total to 17,176.

First aid reaches Syria rebel-held areas since quake
Agence France Presse/Thursday, 9 February, 2023
An aid convoy reached rebel-held northwestern Syria Thursday, the first since a devastating earthquake that has killed thousands, an official at the Bab al-Hawa border crossing told AFP. An AFP correspondent saw six trucks passing through the crossing from Turkey, carrying tents and hygiene products. Border official Mazen Alloush said the delivery had been expected before Monday's quake.

Türkiye, Syria Quake Toll Tops 17,000
Asharq A-Awsat/Thursday, 9 February, 2023
Freezing temperatures deepened the misery Thursday for survivors of a catastrophic earthquake and series of aftershocks in Türkiye and Syria that killed more than 17,000 people, as rescuers raced to save countless people still trapped under rubble. The death toll from Monday's 7.8-magnitude quake is expected to rise sharply as rescue efforts pass the 72-hour mark that disaster experts consider the most likely period to save lives. “The first 72 hours are considered to be critical,” said Steven Godby, a natural hazards expert at Nottingham Trent University in England. “The survival ratio on average within 24 hours is 74%, after 72 hours it is 22% and by the fifth day it is 6%.”Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday conceded "shortcomings" after criticism of his government's response to the earthquake, one of the deadliest this century. Survivors have been left to scramble for food and shelter -- and in some cases watch helplessly as their relatives called for rescue, and eventually went silent under the debris. "My nephew, my sister-in-law and my sister-in-law's sister are in the ruins. They are trapped under the ruins and there is no sign of life," said Semire Coban, a kindergarten teacher, in Turkey's Hatay province.
"We can't reach them. We are trying to talk to them, but they are not responding... We are waiting for help. It has been 48 hours now," she said. Still, rescuers kept pulling survivors from the debris as the death toll continued to rise. As criticism mounted online, Erdogan visited one of the hardest-hit spots, the quake's epicenter Kahramanmaras, and acknowledged problems in the response. "Of course, there are shortcomings. The conditions are clear to see. It's not possible to be ready for a disaster like this," he said. Twitter access returned on Thursday morning after the social network did not work on Turkish mobile networks for several hours Wednesday, according to AFP journalists and the NetBlocks web monitoring group. Turkish officials had held talks with Twitter leaders after which deputy infrastructure minister Omer Fatih Sayan tweeted Thursday that Turkey expected the social network to cooperate more in the "fight against disinformation".Temperatures plunged to minus-five degrees Celsius (23 degrees Fahrenheit) in Gaziantep early Thursday, but the cold did not stop thousands of families from spending the night in cars and makeshift tents, too scared to stay in their homes or prohibited from returning to them. Parents walked the streets of the southeastern Turkish city -- close to the epicenter of the earthquake -- carrying their children in blankets because it was warmer than sitting in a tent. "When we sit down, it is painful, and I fear for anyone who is trapped under the rubble in this," said Melek Halici, who wrapped her two-year-old daughter in a blanket as they watched rescuers working late into Wednesday night. Officials and medics said 12,873 people had died in Türkiye and at least 3,162 in neighboring Syria from Monday's quake, bringing the total to 16,035. Experts fear the number will continue to rise sharply.
Teams from more than two dozen countries have joined the local emergency personnel in the effort. But the scale of destruction from the quake and its powerful aftershocks was so immense and spread over such a wide area that many people were still awaiting help.

Earthquake Damages 248 Schools in Syria
Damascus - Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 9 February, 2023
The Syrian Education Ministry said 248 schools have been damaged by the powerful earthquakes that rocked a vast region of Türkiye and northern Syria on Monday. Minister of Education Dr. Darem Tabbaa said that the number of affected schools has reached 71 in Aleppo province, 50 in Lattakia, 27 in Hama, 99 in Tartous and only one school in Idlib countryside. He made his remarks during his meeting with the directors of education in the provinces of Aleppo, Lattakia, Tartous, and Hama. Tabbaa noted that 126 schools were designated as shelters in the damaged provinces. He also called for providing the ministry with a list of victims and injured staff and students. The Director of Aleppo Education, Eng. Mustafa Abdul-Ghani, stated that 71 schools were damaged by the earthquake, of which four schools were completely damaged, and students cannot return to them. The rest need immediate emergency intervention, he added, indicating that 99 schools have been designated as shelters in the city and three centers in the countryside, which currently house 17,000 people. Moreover, the Director of Lattakia Education, Omran Abu Khalil, explained that the earthquake affected 50 schools in the governorate, 45 of which need repair, and five are facing the risk of falling, according to the construction committee. A total of 13 schools have been turned into shelters for the displaced, 11 of which are in the governorate and two centers in Jableh, which currently includes 700 displaced people, he noted. Speaking about the conditions of schools in Tartous, the Director of Tartous Education, Ali Shahrour, confirmed that 99 schools were damaged in the governorate, with minor damage that does not impede the attendance of students. They are distributed as follows: 25 schools in Qadmous, 21 in Baniyas, five in Safita, 13 in Drakeish, 12 in Sheikh Badr, and eight in Safsafa. The rest are distributed in the regions of the province. He pointed out that seven schools have been allocated as shelters for the affected, and there are no people in them currently. For his part, the Director of Hama Education, Yahya Munjid, revealed that the number of damaged schools in the governorate reached 27 schools that were partially damaged. Four schools in the governorate have turned into shelters, according to Munjid. Meanwhile, Idlib Education Director, Eng. Abdul Hamid Mimar, indicated that one school in the regime-ruled area in the province was damaged as a result of the earthquake, and it is in Khan Shaykhun in rural Idlib. The search for survivors continued in Aleppo, Lattakia, and Jableh. Aleppo was the most damaged with 53 buildings fully destroyed. Around 3,000 buildings could collapse due to aftershocks, local media reported.

First UN Quake Aid Convoy Reaches Syria as Envoy Says Needs Immense
Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 9 February, 2023
The first United Nations convoy carrying aid to Syrians stricken three days ago by a deadly earthquake crossed from Türkiye on Thursday, witnesses and a border crossing official said. The convoy entered Syria at the Bab al-Hawa crossing, the sources said. Turkish authorities said they would open other crossing points in two days if security was sound. The UN's envoy to Syria earlier said "absolutely everything" was needed in terms of aid following Monday's huge earthquake, which devastated swathes of southern Türkiye and northern Syria. It stuck at night and was followed by powerful aftershocks. The death toll from it neared 16,000 on Thursday as frustration simmered over the slow delivery of aid. The UN has described Bab al-Hawa as a "lifeline" for accessing the opposition-controlled area of Syria, where it says some 4 million people - many displaced by the country's 12-year conflict there - were already relying on humanitarian assistance before the quake struck. "We need lifesaving aid," UN envoy Geir Pedersen told reporters in Geneva. "It's desperately needed by civilians wherever they are, irrespective of borders and boundaries. We need it urgently through the fastest, most direct and most effective routes. They need more of absolutely everything."Pedersen called for assurances that there would be no political hindrances inside Syria to getting aid to where it was most needed. "We had a problem because the roads leading to the border crossing (between Türkiye and Syria) had been destroyed," Pedersen said. "But we were assured that we will be able to get through the first assistance today."

Khamenei Urges ‘National Unity,’ Warns of ‘Rifts’
London - Adil al-Salmi/Thursday, 9 February, 2023
Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei called for national unity, accusing “enemies” of seeking to sow discord among Iranian officials. At the same time, Khamenei criticized those trying to raise women’s issues and generational differences. In an annual address to Iran Air Force commanders, Khamenei claimed that the main target of enemies was to bring Iran to its knees and to destroy it by stoking rifts and suspicion. Khamenei described “national unity” as an essential requirement for the present time. Likening national unity to a dam and robust wall standing against the enemy, Khamenei said this unity has played a significant role in the victory of the 1979 revolution and its progress in past years. “Today, we need to increase this (national) unity as much as possible,” said Khamenei. “There is nothing wrong with political disagreements, differences in viewpoints, and natural disagreements, but they must not end in slander,” added the Iranian leader. Khamenei accused the US of trying to bring his nation to its knees despite a letter he received from former US President Barack Obama. “Of course, they (enemies) say the opposite, as the president of the US wrote to me about 15 years ago, saying explicitly that ‘we do not intend to change your government.’ But we had reports at the same time that they were planning in their centers to destroy the Islamic Republic.”Khamenei linked attempts to eliminate the Iranian regime to its regional role and said that his country has managed to take a strategic and important region out of the grasp of the “enemies.”The leader’s speech comes days after the Iranian judiciary announced he had approved amnesty for tens of thousands of prisoners, including some detainees from recent anti-regime protests. Demonstrations have been rocking Iran in the wake of the death of a young Kurdish woman, Mahsa Amini, last September. Amini died in the custody of Iran's notorious morality police that took her in for violating Iran’s strict dress code.

US targets Iranian petrochemicals, petroleum in fresh sanctions
Reuters/February 09, 2023
The US Treasury Department in a statement said it imposed sanctions on six Iran-based petrochemical manufacturers
The latest US move against Iranian oil smuggling comes as efforts to revive Iran's 2015 nuclear deal have stalled
WASHINGTON: The United States on Thursday imposed sanctions on companies it accused of playing a critical role in the production, sale and shipment of Iranian petrochemicals and petroleum to buyers in Asia, as Washington increases pressure on Tehran.
The US Treasury Department in a statement said it imposed sanctions on six Iran-based petrochemical manufacturers or their subsidiaries and three firms in Malaysia and Singapore over the production, sale and shipment of hundreds of millions of dollars worth of Iranian petrochemicals and petroleum.
The latest US move against Iranian oil smuggling comes as efforts to revive Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal have stalled and ties between the Islamic Republic and the West are increasingly strained as Iranians keep up anti-government protests. “Iran is increasingly turning to buyers in East Asia to sell its petrochemical and petroleum products, in violation of US sanctions,” Treasury Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian Nelson said in the statement. “The United States remains focused on targeting Tehran’s sources of illicit revenue, and will continue to enforce its sanctions against those who wittingly facilitate this trade,” Nelson said. Iran’s mission to the United Nations in New York did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Thursday’s move targeted firms the Treasury accused of being involved in facilitating the sale and shipment of petroleum and petrochemicals on behalf of Triliance Petrochemical Co. Ltd., which was hit with sanctions by Washington in 2020. Among the Iranian companies targeted were petrochemical producer Amir Kabir Petrochemical Co. (AKPC), its subsidiary Simorgh Petrochemical Co. and four subsidiaries of previously sanctioned Marun Petrochemical Co.
Treasury said Triliance has purchased millions of dollars worth of low-density polyethylene produced by AKPC for shipment to buyers in China. Treasury accused Singapore-based Asia Fuel PTE. Ltd., which was also targeted, of facilitating the shipment of petroleum products worth millions of dollars to customers in East Asia. Sense Shipping and Trading SDN. BHD. in Malaysia and Singapore-based Unicious Energy PTE. Ltd. were also hit with sanctions. The action freezes any US assets of those hit with sanctions and generally bars Americans from dealing with them. Those that engage in certain transactions with the companies also risk being hit with sanctions.

Panama Says Iran Warships Might be Allowed Through Canal
The Panama Canal. Reuters/London - Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 9 February, 2023
Iranian naval ships will be allowed to sail through the Panama Canal as long as they abide by international norms, Panamanian authorities said Tuesday following reports that Tehran was sending vessels to the strategic waterway. Any Iranian military presence in the Canal would anger the United States, which built the channel linking the Atlantic and Pacific oceans at the beginning of the 20th century, and Washington has warned that it is closely monitoring Tehran’s activity in the Western Hemisphere. Citing a 1977 international treaty, which handed control of the canal to Panama and established its neutral status, the Panama Canal said the waterway must “remain safe and open for the peaceful transit,” provided that ships abide by global safety norms, pay tolls and not commit any hostile acts, according to AFP. “Based on the aforementioned regulations, the Panama Canal Authority has the obligation to allow the passage of any vessel that meets all these requirements,” the agency said in a statement. Local media have been reporting on the imminent arrival of Iranian Navy ships. The newspaper La Estrella de Panama wrote on January 13 that Tehran plans to position its warships in the Panama Canal as it seeks to boost its presence in Latin America. Former Florida governor Jeb Bush added fuel to the fire when, in a Washington Post column on January 16, he accused Panama of helping Iran evade Western oil sanctions. “Without Panama’s support, the Iranian regime would face significant hurdles in smuggling its oil and gas around the world,” wrote Bush, who is the brother and son of two American presidents. Last week, US State Department spokesman Vedant Patel said Washington is keeping a close eye on Tehran’s naval activities in the Western Hemisphere. “We continue to have a number of tools in our tool belt available to hold the Iranian regime accountable,” Patel told reporters. The United States completed the canal in 1914 and opened military bases to protect it. The 1977 treaty paved the way for the handover of the canal to Panama on December 31, 1999. More than 14,000 vessels went through the 80-kilometer waterway in 2022, according to the Panama Canal Authority. The canal accounts for five percent of world maritime trade.

Sudanese Delegation Set to Visit Israel
Tel Aviv - Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 9 February, 2023
A high-ranking Sudanese delegation is expected in Israel in the coming days, a political source in Tel Aviv has revealed. The upcoming visit will follow that of Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen to Khartoum two weeks ago, during which he met his Sudanese counterpart as well as the head of the Sudanese Sovereignty Council, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and other senior officials. The Sudanese delegation will hold talks in Jerusalem on the draft peace agreement to advance bilateral relations. The delegation will be headed by a Sudanese general who is also a minister. During his visit to Khartoum, Cohen discussed the draft peace agreement between Israel and Sudan. After his return, the minister said the deal should be signed this year after the transfer of power to a civilian government in Khartoum. Sudan would thus become the fourth country to normalize relations with Israel under the Abraham Accords, after the UAE, Bahrain, and Morocco. During his discussions, Cohen spoke of Israel's willingness to assist Sudan's development efforts in various areas, including security, food, water resources management, and agriculture. Both sides are expected to hold intensive talks on the agreement so that it is ready by the time power is transferred to civilians in Khartoum.

Hamas Begins Consultations in Cairo, Egypt Seeks to Stop Escalation
Cairo - Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 9 February, 2023
The Hamas delegation kicked off intensive consultations with Egyptian security officials after Ismail Haniyeh, the head of the movement's politburo, arrived in Cairo. An informed Egyptian source said that Cairo is determined to move forward with its plan to achieve calm, adding that the consultations with Hamas, and the Jihad movement ahead of it, come within that aim. The source, who asked not to be named, told Asharq Al-Awsat that Egyptian officials insisted on the presence of the Hamas delegation, despite the recent operation carried out by Israeli forces in the West Bank, during which five Palestinians were killed, including members of Hamas armed forces. The source stressed that the operation would not affect Hamas consultations in Cairo, noting that Egypt continues its contact with the various parties, including Palestinian factions, the Palestinian Authority, and Israel, in coordination with high-ranking Jordanian officials. More than 35 Palestinians have been killed during the clashes between the Palestinians and Israeli forces since the beginning of this year, according to Palestinian human rights reports. About 10 Israelis were killed in separate shootings in Jerusalem. The source explained that Egypt is racing against time to stop any escalation that may lead to more bloodshed, pointing out that the recent days witnessed a relative improvement from the Israeli government. He indicated that officials were trying to ensure that the situation does not escalate into an open confrontation with the Palestinian factions, which some hard-line groups in the Israeli government want. The source asserted that Egypt's contacts with all Palestinian factions were ongoing, adding that Cairo stood at the same distance from the various parties, seeking to coordinate efforts and prevent further deterioration. Egypt invited the Jihad and Hamas leaders to hold consultative meetings in Cairo to achieve calm in the occupied territories and prevent the current escalation from reaching the Gaza Strip. Over the past few days, Egyptian security officials held intensive meetings with leaders of the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank and with Israeli officials in Tel Aviv to stop the escalation and ensure calm in the territories. The head of the Egyptian intelligence service, Minister Abbas Kamel, and the head of the Jordanian intelligence service, Ahmed Hosni, delivered a letter of "support and solidarity" to President Mahmoud Abbas, in Ramallah, from President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and King Abdullah II of Jordan. The Jihad delegation concluded its visit to Cairo on Tuesday, headed by Secretary-General Ziad al-Nakhala. The movement said that Nakhala met with several Egyptian officials and held an official meeting with Kamel as part of Cairo's attempts to contain the situation and ensure calm in the Palestinian territories. The movement said that the discussions focused on the situation in the West Bank and Jerusalem, and the political developments, stressing the importance of achieving national unity to confront the Israeli government. In recent years, Egypt reached a cease-fire agreement between the Israeli occupation forces and the Palestinian factions in Gaza, the latest of which was in August and December 2021.

Ukraine’s Zelenskiy Thanks EU for Help, Set to Press Leaders for Jets
Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 9 February, 2023
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy thanked the European Union and its citizens on Thursday for the help Ukraine has been receiving to defend itself against the Russian invasion, before joining a summit of the bloc's leaders to ask for more weapons. Having won promises of Western battle tanks in recent weeks, Ukrainian officials are now focused on trying to secure the supply of longer-range rockets and fighter jets. But Zelenskiy did not mention Ukraine's demand for jets in his speech in the European Parliament, which seemed less aimed at pressing politicians than ensuring support from ordinary EU citizens suffering from steep inflation partly driven by the fallout from the war. "Thank you," Zelenskiy said in a speech to EU lawmakers, who gave him a long standing ovation, cheering and applauding, some of them wearing the blue and yellow colors of the Ukrainian flag. "I would like to thank you, all of you, who have been helping our people, our ordinary citizens, our resettled people here who called on their leaders to increase and enhance their support," he said, mentioning anyone from teachers and students to energy grid workers. While Zelenskiy is unlikely to leave with immediate pledges to satisfy his request for jets, the visit gives him a chance, later in the day, to press his case in person with all the EU's 27 national leaders for the first time since Russia invaded his country on Feb. 24, 2022. "We are defending ourselves in the battlefield, we Ukrainians, together with you," he said, adding that his country was fighting the "biggest anti-European force of the modern world". Ukraine, which wants to join the EU, is also pushing for membership talks to start within months. "A victorious Ukraine will be part of the European Union that will prevail," Zelenskiy said. While some EU member countries are keen to give Ukraine the morale boost that would come with starting talks to join the bloc, others are much more cautious. They have stressed would-be members need to meet a range of criteria - such as cracking down on corruption - before they can even start negotiations.

US government map shows areas most at risk of being targeted in nuclear war
Gustaf Kilander/The Independent/February 9, 2023
A map showing the areas of the US that may be targeted in a nuclear war originally issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in 2015 is making the rounds again amid the Russian war in Ukraine. The map indicates that areas such as Montana and North Dakota may be vital to strike US forces. The map outlines possible targets in every US state, mostly located in the east, but also along the Californian coast. In the west, Colorado, Montana, North Dakota and Wyoming have clusters of targets noted on the map. Some of the larger targets include active nuclear plants. There are approximatley 90 plants across the US, with some located in Alabama, Arizona, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee. Areas of rural Idaho, Maine, Northern California, as well as Oregon may be more improbable targets. The US has placed its nuclear forces away from areas with high populations. Intercontinental ballistic missile silos (ICBMs), military bases, and nuclear storage are spread out across the US. Irwin Redlener at Columbia University specialises in disaster preparedness and notes that there are six cities in the US that are more likely to be targeted in a nuclear attack – New York, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington DC. The cities have infrastructure considered to be vital to the workings of the country, such as financial centres, government agencies and energy plants. Other possible targets include Dallas-Fort Worth, Miami, and Philadelphia. Last month, the State Department noted that Russia isn’t adhering to the last active nuclear arms agreement with the US, which was renewed in 2021. Russia responded by rejecting the claims and accusing the US of not following the agreement. Late in 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened to use nuclear weapons not just in Ukraine.
He claimed that the West was employing “nuclear blackmail” and said Russia has “various means of destruction” in a threat directed at the US and Europe. “To defend Russia and our people, we doubtlessly will use all weapons resources at our disposal,” he said. “This is not a bluff.” Mr Putin said in December that Russia may change its policy of not being the first to use nuclear arms in a military conflict. “They have it in their strategy, in the documents it is spelt out — a preventive blow. We don’t. We, on the other hand, have formulated a retaliatory strike in our strategy,” Mr Putin during a press conference, referring to the US and Russia, according to CNN. “So if we’re talking about this disarming strike, then maybe think about adopting the best practices of our American partners and their ideas for ensuring their security. We’re just thinking about it. No one was shy when they talked about it out loud in previous times and years,” he said. “If a potential adversary believes it is possible to use the theory of a preventive strike, and we do not, then this still makes us think about those threats that are posed to us,” he added. “As for the idea that Russia wouldn’t use such weapons first under any circumstances, then it means we wouldn’t be able to be the second to use them either — because the possibility to do so in case of an attack on our territory would be very limited,” he said. “We are not just fighting with Ukraine, but with the collective West,” Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said. “Raising the alert of Russian nuclear forces is a bone-chilling development,” UN Secretary-General António Guterres said last year.

Russia has lost at least 1,500 tanks since the start of the Ukraine war, more than half of its invasion force: report
Sinéad Baker/Business Insider/February 9, 2023
More than 1,500 Russian tanks have been lost since it invaded Ukraine, a monitoring group found.
That's over half of the operational tanks Russia likely started its invasion with, the group said. Western allies are now sending Ukraine modern, advanced tanks, creating a new challenge for Russia. Russia has lost more than 1,500 tanks, around half of its operational fleet, in Ukraine, according to a Dutch monitoring group that has been tracking Russian equipment losses. Onyx, an open-source intelligence analysis platform, said in an update this week that at least 1,000 Russian tanks had been destroyed since the war began, and 544 more captured. That's more than half of the operational tanks that Russia is believed to have started its invasion with in February 2022. Jakub Janovsky, a military analyst taking part in the tracker, told CNN that Russia started the war with around 3,000 tanks "so there is a good chance that Russia has lost one half of [its] usable tanks." It is not clear if Russia has managed to replenish its tank force. Onyx said its figures for lost Russian tanks represent only those where there is photographic or video evidence of their destruction, and that "all possible effort" went into making sure that no equipment was recorded twice. This means that the amount of Russian equipment that has actually been destroyed is likely "significantly higher" than what's been recorded, the group said. It also said that it was able to confirm 79 additional Russian tanks as damaged, and 65 that it could confirm as abandoned. There is no official count for how many tanks Russia has in Ukraine. Reports of Russian tanks destroyed and Ukrainian troops seizing tanks from Russian forces have been widespread since the invasion began. The UK Ministry of Defence said last October that Ukrainian troops had likely captured at least 440 tanks, and that captured vehicles were boosting Ukraine's own equipment stocks. It suggested that captured tanks likely accounted for over half of Ukraine's deployed tank force. In October, Forbes reported that Russia had lost on average 10 tanks a day in the six weeks since Ukraine launched its counteroffensive. Ukraine, meanwhile, is set to receive modern, advanced tanks from its Western allies.The US said last month that it will send 31 M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine, though they will not arrive for several months. Germany is sending Ukraine its Leopard 2 tanks, with other European countries also planning to send tanks to Ukraine.

Barcelona mayor brands Israel apartheid state, cuts ties
MADRID (AP)/Thu, February 9, 2023
The mayor of Barcelona has severed her city’s official ties with Israel, accusing the country of “the crime of apartheid against the Palestinian people.”
Wednesday’s decision by Mayor Ada Colau has little practical impact – with the most concrete effect being a halt to its 25-year-old twinning agreement with Tel Aviv.
But the announcement by the city, a popular tourist destination and home to one of the world's best-known soccer clubs, carries significant symbolism and adds to a growing list of critics that have labeled Israel an apartheid state. Israel rejects such accusations as delegitimizing and antisemitic and called the decision “unfortunate.”
In a letter to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Colau said the step came in response to a campaign by dozens of local groups and thousands of activists.
She cited a number of Israeli policies, including its 55-year military occupation of the West Bank, its annexation of east Jerusalem and its construction of settlements on lands claimed by the Palestinians for a future state.
“As mayor of Barcelona, a Mediterranean city and defender of human rights, I cannot be indifferent to the systematic violation of the fundamental rights of the Palestinian population,” she wrote. “It would be a severe mistake to apply a policy of double standards and turn a blind eye to a violation that has been, for decades, widely verified and documented by international organizations.”
In recent years, three well-known human rights groups – Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and Israel’s B’Tselem – have accused Israel of apartheid, both inside the country as well as in the occupied territories.
Amnesty and the other groups say the very fragmentation of the territories in which Palestinians live is part of an overall regime of control designed to maintain Jewish hegemony from the Mediterranean Sea to the Jordan River.
They point to discriminatory policies within Israel and in annexed east Jerusalem, Israel’s blockade of the Gaza Strip, which has been ruled by the Hamas militant group since 2007, and its continued control of the West Bank and construction of Jewish settlements that most of the international community considers illegal. The election of Israel's new hard-line government, dominated by ultranationalists opposed to Palestinian independence, has added to these concerns.
The Palestinians seek the West Bank, east Jerusalem and Gaza, areas captured by Israel in 1967, for a future independent state.
Israel says its own Arab citizens, who make up about 20% of the population, enjoy equal rights, including the right to vote, and have reached the upper echelons of business, entertainment, law and entertainment. It considers the West Bank to be disputed territory whose status should be resolved through negotiations and says it it withdrew from the Gaza Strip in 2005, two years before Hamas seized control. Israel’s Foreign Ministry called Barcelona’s decision “unfortunate” and claimed it went against the wishes of the majority of the city’s population. “The decision gives support to extremists, terrorist organizations and antisemitism,” it said. “The friendship between Israel and Barcelona is long-standing, and is based on shared culture and values. Even this unfortunate decision will not damage this friendship.” The grassroots Palestinian-led movement promoting a boycott of Israel welcomed Barcelona’s decision. Alys Samson, an activist with the “Stop Complicity with Israel” coalition in Barcelona, said the group had gathered almost 5,000 signatures for its campaign. “We are very happy,” she said. “We hope many more governments and institutions will follow suit.” Meanwhile, the mayor of Barcelona's arch rival Madrid immediately offered to take up the twinning agreement with Tel Aviv, as both he and Colau jostle for position on international issues and investment in an election year. José Luis Martínez-Almeida, the Spanish capital's conservative mayor, accused Barcelona's leader of antisemitism and tweeted that he had written to Tel Aviv's mayor to share “Madrid’s commitment to democracy and freedom." “It would be an honor to be twinned with Tel Aviv,” he added. Spain’s right-wing politicians are increasingly making diplomatic and commercial outreach to Israel.
Spain’s two largest cities are constantly at odds on everything from politics to soccer. Colau, distrusted by the Catalan pro-independence movement, is a leading left-wing politician who is facing a difficult election in May.
Federman reported from Jerusalem.

China confirms it refused US call over 'irresponsible' balloon shootdown
Agence France Presse/February 09/2023
China said Thursday it refused an offer of a call with the U.S. defense chief because of Washington's "irresponsible" decision to shoot down an alleged surveillance balloon last week. "This irresponsible and seriously mistaken approach by the U.S. did not create a proper atmosphere for dialogue and exchanges between the two militaries," China's defence ministry said in a statement. "The U.S. insisted on using force to attack the airship, which seriously violated international practice and sets a bad precedent," it added. "China reserves the right to use necessary means to deal with similar situations." The Biden administration last week shot down a large white balloon after it drifted across the United States, saying it was being used by China for surveillance purposes. Beijing admitted that the inflatable had originated in China, but has insisted it was for civilian use. The episode led U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to postpone a visit to Beijing aimed at reducing tensions as he accused China of violating U.S. sovereignty. Blinken said he sought to maintain communication with China, but a Pentagon spokesman said China rebuffed a request for a call between Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and his Chinese counterpart Wei Fenghe immediately after the shootdown.

The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on February 09-10/2023
The Arsenal of Tyranny...Tehran arms jihadis, terrorists, and neo-imperialists
Clifford D. May/The Washington Times/February 09/2023
https://www.fdd.org/analysis/2023/02/08/the-arsenal-of-tyranny/
More than 3,000 assault rifles, 578,000 rounds of ammunition, and 23 anti-tank guided missiles. A shipment from Americans to Ukrainians defending themselves from Russian invaders? No, a shipment from the Islamic Republic of Iran to Houthi rebels attempting to take over Yemen.
The good news is that these weapons didn’t arrive as scheduled. In coordination with the U.S. military, French special forces seized them in the Gulf of Oman on January 15. It’s encouraging to see Western allies working together against common enemies.
But this was no isolated incident. On Jan. 6, U.S. forces intercepted a vessel carrying 2,100 assault rifles from Iran bound for Yemen. And in December, the U.S. Navy seized a boat loaded with 1,400 AK-47 rifles, 226,000 rounds of ammunition, and rocket propellants.
How many such shipments have made it into the hands of the Houthi movement is anyone’s guess. But the insurgents have sufficient firepower to hold much of western Yemen, including Sana’a, the capital.
The Islamic Republic has become the Arsenal of Tyranny. Thanks to its assistance, Lebanon-based Hezbollah outguns the Lebanese Armed Forces. The regime provides weapons to its troops and proxies in Syria and Iraq, to Hamas and Islamic Jihad in Gaza and, increasingly, also in the northern West Bank over which the Palestinian Authority has been losing control. Israel does its best to destroy such weapons caches either en route or upon arrival.
Most recently, Tehran has been sending drones to Russia, to be used by Vladimir Putin to slaughter Ukrainians. A weapons factory in Isfahan was recently damaged or destroyed. Israelis have neither confirmed nor denied responsibility. Over the weekend it was revealed that Moscow and Tehran are building a drone factory in Russia.
That should be the last nail in the coffin of the Iran deal President Obama concluded, and from which President Trump withdrew.
President Biden has attempted to revive it in a weaker form. In exchange for the promise of Iran’s rulers to delay – not terminate – their development of nuclear weapons, they’d receive hundreds of billions of dollars they could use to better arm their cronies abroad, make more sophisticated missiles, and continue killing, torturing, and imprisoning dissidents at home.
Returning to Yemen: Its civil war has been ongoing since 2014. It’s produced what the U.N. calls the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. The insurgency was launched by the Houthi movement, officially Ansar Allah, Partisans of God. The group draws followers from the Zaidi-Shias who constitute about a quarter of Yemen’s 30 million people. Most other tribes are Sunni.
Backing Ansar Allah is one way Iran’s rulers spread their revolution. Through Hezbollah, they have become the most powerful force in Lebanon. Hand-in-hand with Russia, they have propped up the mass-murdering Assad dictatorship in Syria. And they are slowly – though perhaps not surely – turning Iraq into a colony.
Yemen sits on the eastern shore of one of the world’s most strategic waterways: the Bab-el-Mandeb which connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and, by extension, the Mediterranean to the Indian Ocean.
It would be a game-changer if Tehran took control of that passage as well as the Strait of Hormuz which separates Iran from the Arabian Peninsula and through which 30 percent of the world’s seaborne crude oil trade passes daily.
A ceasefire between the Houthis and the Yemeni government was negotiated last April but lapsed in October. Tehran will do what it can to prevent a diplomatic settlement so long as victory remains in reach.
The Yemeni government is supported by the Saudis, an American strategic partner since President Franklin Roosevelt met with King Abdul Aziz Ibn Saud on Valentine’s Day in 1945. The tacit understanding since: The U.S. will provide security and the Saudis will keep the oil flowing at reasonable levels and prices to fuel international economic growth.
President Obama violated that arrangement when he tilted toward Tehran and told the Saudis to “share the neighborhood.”
The 2018 assassination of Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi dissident and contributor to the Washington Post, further soured relations.
As a presidential candidate, Joe Biden vowed to make the Saudis “pay the price, and make them in fact the pariah that they are.”
Soon after moving into the White House, he removed the Houthis from a terrorist blacklist (a conciliatory gesture that was undeserved and unreciprocated) and “directed an end to the United States support for the Saudi-led Coalition’s offensive military operations against the Houthis in Yemen.”
Iran’s rulers were undoubtedly delighted. The Saudis were obviously dismayed. Why would the American president help Tehran’s clients? The Houthis launch missiles and drones at Saudi and Emirati targets. Why doesn’t Mr. Biden want to make them pariahs? Does he not understand what it would mean if the Houthis rule Yemen on the Saudis’ southern doorstep while Tehran solidifies its Shia crescent north of the Arabian Peninsula?
Some analysts argue that the U.S. should seek detente with the Houthis. Some of these same analysts had advised – indeed still do – that within the Taliban are moderates with whom we can get along.
The Houthi movement’s slogan is “God is great, death to the U.S., death to Israel, curse the Jews, and victory for Islam.” Call me crazy but I can’t see free and decent nations finding much common ground with such folks.
If I’m right, America should do all it can to prevent Tehran’s weapons from reaching its proxies – with help from the French, the Israelis, and other allies. It’s not in the U.S. national interest for Yemen to become another colony of the Islamic Republic’s expanding and bellicose empire.
*Clifford D. May is founder and president of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) and a columnist for the Washington Times. Follow him on Twitter @CliffordDMay. FDD is a nonpartisan research institute focusing on national security and foreign policy.

Islamic Justice Prevails: Stripped Naked and Paraded in Egypt, Christian Grandmother Is Now the Guilty One
Raymond Ibrahim/Gatestone Institute/February 09/2023
Her "crime" was that her son was accused of being romantically involved with a Muslim woman. Islam assumes the man is superior, and that non-Muslims must never have authority over Muslims. Non-Muslim men may therefore never court or marry Muslim women, although Muslim men may court and marry non-Muslim women. Why do so many Western women support this unabashed discrimination?
Several Christian homes in the village were also looted and torched during this 2016 riot, in keeping with Islamic law, or sharia, which prescribes the collective punishment of non-Muslim "infidels."
It took the... local policemen more than two hours to appear, giving the mob of 300 "ample time"... to brutalize her.
Sadly, such is the notion of "justice" in many Muslim nations. Muslims, because they are part of the "right" tribe -- Islam -- are seldom punished when transgressing the rights of "infidel" minorities, who, in keeping with the prevailing sentiment, are apparently supposed to feel lucky to be afforded any tolerance at all.
Not only have the Muslim men who stripped naked and publicly abused an elderly Christian grandmother been acquitted in a court of law; now she is the one facing serious legal charges to compensate her tormentors. Pictured: The Court of Cassation in Cairo, which disgracefully acquitted 76-year-old Soad Thabet's attackers. (Photo by Mohamed El-Shahed/AFP via Getty Images)
Islamic "justice" — which usually finds Muslims in the right, and non-Muslims in the wrong — or rather, tribal justice, has, once again, prevailed in Egypt.
Not only have the Muslim men who stripped naked and publicly abused an elderly Christian grandmother been acquitted in a court of law; now she is the one facing serious legal charges to compensate her tormentors.
As the nearly seven-year-old case of Soad Thabet, now 76, comes to its disgraceful close, it is important to recall the facts.
On May 20, 2016, in the village of al-Karm, Minya governorate, some 300 Muslim men descended on the Christian woman's home, stripped her naked, and then beat, spat on and dragged her through the streets by the hair — to jeers, whistles, and triumphant shouts of "Allahu Akbar."
Her "crime" was that her son was accused of being romantically involved with a Muslim woman. Islam assumes the man is superior, and that non-Muslims must never have authority over Muslims. Non-Muslim men may therefore never court or marry Muslim women, although Muslim men may court and marry non-Muslim women. Why do so many Western women support this unabashed discrimination?
Several Christian homes in the village were also looted and torched during this 2016 riot, in keeping with Islamic law, or sharia, which prescribes the collective punishment of non-Muslim "infidels."
While being kicked on the ground, cursed and spat upon, Thabet had managed to slide herself underneath a wagon. While hidden there, as the furious mob rampaged, an unidentified woman slipped her some garments. Thabet eventually managed to escape.
"I never saw the woman who covered me and don't know how I survived," she later recalled during a closed meeting with Coptic clergymen. They testified that Thabet's body was "covered with wounds," adding, "though she is strong, it is sometimes hard for her to speak; she's always fighting back tears and sometimes breaks down."
Thabet and her household had been harassed and threatened several days before the attack. On the morning of the assault, some of the property at her home had been stolen and vandalized. She and her husband went to the local police, who accused the couple of being troublemakers and threw them out of the station. The attack on Thabet occurred just a few hours later. It took the same local policemen more than two hours to appear, giving the mob of 300 "ample time," as one clergyman put it, to brutalize her.
It is also worth noting that this assault, like so many Islamic attacks on religious minorities, occurred on a Friday — the day of the week when Muslims congregate in mosques, where they are often whipped into a frenzy against "infidels" and their alleged transgressions against the honor of Islam.
Like many women in her situation — indeed, like many rape victims — Thabet was initially reluctant to take legal action against her abusers: doing so would just protract the scandal. She said in 2016:
"I tried to hide and suppress what occurred, but I could only take the feelings of humiliation and oppression for four days, at which point I decided to return to the local police station and testify about what happened to me before those who had refused to hear me."
When Thabet duly took her tormentors to court, her case became one of Egypt's most prominent — to the point that Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi met with Thabet and promised her justice. Tragically, that visit might have been just for show.
Despite video evidence and eyewitnesses clearly identifying the three Muslim men primarily responsible for the assault, from the very first court hearing in 2016 until the present, Egyptian courts appear to be doing everything possible to exonerate the perpetrators: they continuously acquitted the three men, tried to close the case, delayed and postponed hearings, and judges even recused themselves. Thabet and her lawyers nevertheless determinedly reopened and pursued the case in appellate courts.
All during these years, Thabet and her family received threats and had to relocate from their village, even as the three guilty Muslim men walked freely, heads held high.
Finally, on January 9, 2023, the Court of Cassation -- the highest court of appeals in Egypt -- closed the door on the possibility of justice for Thabet by upholding the acquittal of the three Muslim men. According to one report:
"Not only will the men who assaulted Thabet not be held accountable, but Thabet is facing litigation that could see her have to compensate the three men who assaulted her."
Discussing this gross miscarriage of justice, Adel Guindy, co-founder and first president of Coptic Solidarity, said:
"The judiciary system maintained the appearances but was void of true justice. Right from the beginning of the case in 2016, the police and prosecution colluded in mishandling the investigation to avoid presenting any reliable or specific evidence against the accused. In fact, the witnesses who initially supported the victim were later 'convinced' to alter their testimony and claim in front of the court that, after all, they were not really sure who assaulted the old woman. Acting upon technicalities, the courts—all the way to the top [Cassation] Court — simply absolved the defendants and never challenged the investigative authorities. In the end, the final ruling ultimately exposes Egypt's injustice."
Thabet is hardly the first Christian woman in Egypt to be treated this way. In 2013, rioting Muslims "burned down a Christian school, paraded three nuns on the streets like 'prisoners of war,' and sexually abused two other female staff even as at least 58 attacks on Christians and their property were reported across Egypt over the last four days. At least two Christians have died in the attacks."
Nor is this an "Egyptian" practice; it is an "Islamic" one. In Pakistan, a 28-year-old pregnant Christian mother of four was stripped naked, beaten, and forced to march nude in her town by two Muslim brothers after an argument. She lost her baby in the ordeal, which "was motivated because of Bibi's [Christian] religious beliefs." Similarly, a Muslim family kidnapped, beat and left naked on the streets an 8-year-old Christian girl, as a way to "punish" her uncle for pursuing a relationship with a female member of the Muslim family.
Sadly, such is the notion of "justice" in many Muslim nations. Muslims, because they are part of the "right" tribe -- Islam -- are seldom punished when transgressing the rights of "infidel" minorities, who, in keeping with the prevailing sentiment, are apparently supposed to feel lucky to be afforded any tolerance at all.
*Raymond Ibrahim, author of Defenders of the West, Sword and Scimitar, Crucified Again, and The Al Qaeda Reader, is the Distinguished Senior Shillman Fellow at the Gatestone Institute and the Judith Rosen Friedman Fellow at the Middle East Forum.
© 2023 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/19368/islamic-justice

Lebanese Writer Gilbert Achcar: President Assad Destroyed Syria In The Civil War, Which Was A Greater Disaster Than The Palestinian Nakba, And Left Syria Unable To Deal With The Earthquake
MEMRI/February 09/2023
In an article titled "Syria and the Ongoing Disaster" in the London-based Qatari daily Al-Quds Al-Arabi, French-Lebanese academic and journalist Gilbert Achcar notes that the number of Syrian victims in the recent earthquake is especially large, and this is because Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad destroyed the country in the civil war that has been ongoing since 2012, leaving it unable to cope with a disaster like an earthquake. The Syrian civil war, he adds, was a greater disaster than the Palestinian Nakba, because the number of people who were killed in it and in the oppression that accompanied it is ten times greater. He notes further that the Syrian refugees living in parts of Turkey affected by the quake were packed into buildings constructed hastily and in violation of earthquake regulations, which contributed to the high death toll.
Gilbert Achcar
The following are translated excerpts from Achcar's article.[1]
"If what happened in Palestine before the founding of the state of Israel can be described as a nakba [catastrophe], then what happened in Syria, especially since the start of the civil war there in 2012, can [certainly] be called a calamity. It is one of the two largest calamities in contemporary Arab history, and it is much greater than the Palestinian Nakba, if you count the number of victims. The number of people killed by the war and the oppression in Syria in the last 11 years is about ten times greater than the number of Palestinians killed by Zionism since it first invaded Palestine. And the number of Syrians who have fled from the country and those who are displaced within its borders is equal to the number of Palestinians [now] living in their homeland and in the diaspora [combined]. The only calamity in our region similar in its magnitude to the Syrian one is the calamity that has been unfolding in Iraq since Saddam Hussein seized power there and embroiled [the country] in his stupid wars. This was followed by the American occupation, the arrival of ISIS and everything that happened later.
"We do not present these figures to downplay the Palestinian tragedy, which involves a homeland that was usurped, but in order to highlight the horrific magnitude of the Syrian tragedy. What makes this tragedy worse is that [Syria] is now subjected to five different occupations: the Zionist occupation of the Golan, which has been ongoing since 1967, and the Iranian, Turkish, Russian and American occupations, which began in the recent decade and still continue. And now disaster has once again befallen the Syrian people, since the epicenter of the biggest earthquake to strike Turkey since 1939 was in the city of Gaziantep, which is more or less the capital of the Syrian refugees in Turkey. Moreover, the first quake that struck the region in the small hours of Monday morning [February 6, 2023] also affected a large part of northwest Syria, with Aleppo at its center and Idlib to the west of it.
"Obviously is was Turkey itself, and the Turks and Kurds who live in the area where the quake occurred, that were most affected by it. But the Syrian areas are much weaker in the face of the disaster than the Turkish ones, since some of them are [under the control] of a state that is much better at killing and destroying than at helping to clear the rubble, while others are not [controlled by] any state at all and are even outside the operation zone of most international aid organizations. Furthermore, the Syrian refugees living in southwest Turkey were crowded into many ramshackle buildings which collapsed in a horrific manner, since –due to greed [of contractors] wishing to increase their profits – they were built in violation of the regulations [for construction] in earthquake-prone areas. This means that the number of Syrians earthquake victims, which will surely reach tens of thousands, will be disproportionately high, compared to their share of the population.
"The Syrian people are truly wretched. What a curse has afflicted them since the rise to power of Bashar Al-Assad and of the republic-kingdom he inherited from his father, Hafez Al-Assad. [Hafez] imposed his dictatorship on the Syrians for 30 years, and now his son [Bashar] has been holding the same position for over 23 years. So in seven years he will be ruling as long as his father did! But the fact is that the years of the son's presidency are far worse than his father's. Over half of them were the years in which Syria was destroyed, and the end is not yet in sight, as the saying goes.
"The truth is that Syria's greatest disaster is this regime, in which a young man not yet 35, with minimal experience in governance, inherited the rule over one of [the world's] most ancient and complex societies, became drunk with power and lost his way. When the social and political situation in Syria reached a boiling point, as happened in the other countries of the region in 2011, he did not seek a solution for the crisis that would keep the country and people safe. The only thing that interested him and his gang of a family, which joins him in enjoying the privileges of absolute power over Syria… was cleaving to power, even at the cost of burning down the country, as stated in their hated slogan, 'Assad or we burn down the state.'
"The great earthquake that struck Syria and its people only added fuel to this fire. The destruction of Syria under Bashar Al-Assad left it in a terrible condition, [unable] to cope with this natural disaster following the blows of the man-made earthquake and tragedies it has suffered."
[1] Al-Quds Al-Arabi (London), February 8, 2023.
https://www.memri.org/reports/lebanese-writer-president-assad-destroyed-syria-civil-war-which-was-greater-disaster

Why Hasn’t Putin Used Nuclear Weapons?
Joseph Cirincione/The Daily Beast./February 9, 2023
Russian President Vladimir Putin has loudly and repeatedly warned that he could use nuclear weapons in his war on Ukraine. But Putin has now suffered three major strategic defeats, losing the battles for Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Kherson. And Ukrainian forces continue to attack his military in the provinces he illegally annexed, and have even launched long-range attacks deep within Russia proper.
So why hasn’t he used nuclear weapons to reverse his defeats?
On the day he invaded Ukraine, Putin warned: “No matter who tries to stand in our way… they must know that Russia will respond immediately, and the consequences will be such as you have never seen in your entire history.”The World Needs to Wake Up to Putin’s Nuclear Terrorism. For months, these threats tumbled from Russian officials and media spokespersons almost daily. We had to take them seriously. Putin has the means, method, and motive to implement his threats. He has almost 6,000 nuclear weapons in his arsenal, at least 1,000 of which could be quickly fitted to the missiles he is currently using to pummel Ukraine’s cities. Some of those weapons are stored at Engels Air Force Base, which Ukraine has twice hit with drone attacks, and could be mounted on the bombers that launch from there. Russian military doctrine details multiple scenarios for using those weapons first in a conventional battle. And Putin is motivated. Losing the war would be a grave threat to maintaining his grip on power. Though fears of Putin’s nuclear weapons use were justified in the first, highly uncertain months of the war, any analysis has to adjust to events. Evidence gleaned over the past five months indicates the risks are decreasing.
Here’s why.Ukrainian servicemen prepare to fire a BM-21 Grad multiple launch rocket system towards Russian positions on a frontline near the town of Marinka, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Donetsk region, February 7, 2023.
First, Putin is losing slowly. There is no moment in this war where Putin was faced with a decision to go nuclear or go home. Ukrainian forces are advancing, but they do so by tens of kilometers, not hundreds. Russian forces are being ground down, but not routed. There could be a sudden collapse, but a slow retreat back to Russia’s borders seems more likely. And Putin still believes he can win. He is preparing for a new offensive now.
So while this is the closest the world has come to the intentional use of nuclear weapons since the Cuban Missile Crisis, it is not as intense as that showdown was over 13 terrifying days in October 1962. It is very hard, even for Putin, to justify exploding nuclear weapons over a slow, grinding defeat. Like a frog who sits in a pot of water heating slowly, Putin doesn’t feel any point at which he must make a nuclear leap.
Secondly, President Joe Biden has carefully threaded the nuclear needle. His administration has supplied Ukraine with the weapons, training, and intelligence it needs to blunt the invasion, but has not given it weapons with ranges long enough to reach deep into Russian territory. U.S. officials have carefully—perhaps too carefully—calibrated arms deliveries, ratcheting up the quality and quantity of aid. Nor have senior officials made the mistake of responding to Putin’s nuclear threats with their own nuclear braggadocio. They are firm, but do not directly threaten Putin. Instead of “fire and fury” and claims about whose nuclear button is bigger, U.S. officials continue to search for diplomatic ways to end the war. In short, they have engaged in smart escalation control.
It has worked. If Putin’s threats were intended to deter the West from aiding Ukraine, the administration’s own deterrence tactics over the past six months have made a difference.
There Is No Such Thing as a ‘Small’ Nuclear Strike. If Putin Uses a Tactical Nuke, It’s World War III.
Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) told a Harvard forum this January that U.S. officials have done the three things necessary to prevent the use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine: They have made the case directly to Russia that crossing the nuclear line would result in catastrophic consequences, including multiple economic, diplomatic, cyber, and conventional military responses from the U.S. and its allies; they have built an international coalition that lets Russia know that it will pay a generational price if they start a nuclear war; and “they have made clear to Putin that we will not allow him to destroy the democracy of Ukraine.”
Putin must know that joint global economic and diplomatic measures alone could isolate and cripple Russia unlike anything done to a nation is history. In extreme, U.S. and NATO forces could pulverize Russian forces with devastating conventional military attacks. As French President Emmanuel Macron has made clear, with these options there is no military need to respond to a Russian nuclear attack with a nuclear attack of its own.
It is not just the West who opposes any Russian use of nuclear weapons. Putin’s closest allies, China and India, have explicitly warned him not to cross the nuclear line.
U.S. President Joe Biden welcomes Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to the White House in Washington, U.S., December 21, 2022.
Chinese President Xi Jinping said in early November that the world should “jointly oppose the use of, or threats to use, nuclear weapons.” A few weeks later, Xi reaffirmed his view that nuclear use in Ukraine was “totally unacceptable” in meetings with Biden. This may be why Putin’s bombastic threats have declined. Nor have there been any detectable changes in Russian nuclear deployments.
Third, even if Putin became desperate, there is no obvious military advantage to using nuclear weapons. They would not win the war.
There are dozens of scenarios for using nuclear weapons in Ukraine, but none of them end in a Russian victory. All would trigger a massive Western and global response. Whatever nuclear fantasies hardline Russian pundits unspool on Russia’s state television, it has become clearer that the consequences of nuclear use far outweigh any potential benefits.
“Russia is a country that you can expect a lot from but not outright idiocy,” says Maj. Gen. Kyrylo Budanov, Ukraine’s military intelligence chief, “Carrying out a nuclear strike will result in not just a military defeat for Russia but the collapse of Russia. And they know this very well.”
Trump Is Still a Putin Stooge and a Traitor to His Country
This is why Putin has more to lose than he has to gain. He can suffer a conventional military defeat in Ukraine and still maintain his power in Russia. As Michael McFaul—a former ambassador to Russia during the Obama administration—has detailed, after retreating from Ukraine, Putin would be weaker but “the most likely scenario is Putin will remain in control… albeit discredited and diminished.” If he used nuclear weapons, he would almost certainly lose not just Ukraine, but Russia and quite likely, his life. Nothing in war is risk free. But the argument that we cannot aid Ukraine because it risks nuclear war is unsupported by the evidence. Indeed, as author Eric Schlosser points out, the real danger is allowing Putin to claim victories through nuclear threats that his army cannot secure.
That would validate nuclear coercion for Russia and other nations, incentivizing the spread of these weapons. That could be the greatest nuclear risk of all.

Turkiye, Syria earthquakes: Helping the Syrian people more important than politics
Daoud Kuttab/Arab News/February 09, 2023
In times of crisis, such as when a humanitarian disaster takes place, the importance of saving lives and helping fellow human beings must rise above politics. The recent earthquakes that hit Turkiye and Syria have caused death, destruction and homelessness affecting thousands of our fellow human beings. But while aid has poured in from all over the world to Turkiye, only a handful of countries have sent support to Syria.
According to the UN, the earthquakes affected more than 1 million Syrians, with hundreds of thousands in need of aid and assistance. The disaster also caused widespread damage to infrastructure and housing, making it even more difficult for those affected to access necessities such as food, water and medical supplies. In addition to the earthquake, the humanitarian crisis in Syria has been exacerbated by years of conflict and the economic sanctions imposed on Damascus by the international community due to the leadership’s repeated violations of the basic human rights of its own citizens. These sanctions, which target the Syrian government and its supporters, have made it difficult for aid organizations and foreign governments to provide support to the affected population.
Sanctions on Syria, especially the Caesar Act, which was passed into law by the US during the Trump era, have had a devastating effect. But it has been the people, not the regime, who have paid the highest price for these sanctions. The Syrian people are again paying a high price for the inaction and hesitation of many countries. Although the sanctions that have been imposed on the Assad regime due to its harsh treatment of fellow Syrians provide an exception for humanitarian support, most countries have refrained from providing such support. Those countries are either unaware of this exception or are avoiding cooperation with the Syrian government from a position of exaggerated concern that they may be breaking international sanctions.
The Syrian people are again paying a high price for the inaction and hesitation of many countries
Despite the overall boycott of Syria, several countries — largely its neighbors — have provided aid to the Syrian people. But as of the time of writing, not a single Western country has offered direct support.
The countries that have offered support include but are not limited to: Saudi Arabia, which has flown medical and humanitarian supplies to the affected areas and has pledged to continue to support the relief effort through its aid organizations; Jordan, which has sent a team of aid workers and medical supplies and has pledged to continue to support the relief effort as needed; Russia, which has dispatched emergency teams and aid supplies; Turkiye, which has sent search and rescue teams as well as aid supplies; Iran, which has sent medical and humanitarian aid; Qatar, which has pledged financial support for the relief effort; Egypt, which has sent five military transport planes loaded with large quantities of medical supplies to Turkiye and Syria; and Algeria, which has sent planes loaded with about 115 tons of food and medical supplies, tents and blankets.
In addition to these countries, several international organizations have also offered support, including the UN, the International Committee of the Red Cross and various nongovernmental organizations. These organizations have provided essential supplies such as food, water, shelter and medical supplies to those affected by the earthquakes. Religious groups, including mosques and churches, and private charities from Jordan, Palestine and other countries have also launched fundraising efforts for affected Syrians.
It is important to note that the aid provided by these countries and organizations has been coordinated with the Assad government with the assurance that it will reach those who need it most. By working together, all parties involved are hoping the affected population receives the support and assistance required in the wake of this disaster.
Despite the challenges posed by the sanctions, the international community and aid organizations must work closely with the Syrian government to address this humanitarian crisis. This requires a coordinated effort to ensure that aid is distributed efficiently and effectively and that those in need receive the support and assistance they require.
It is important to note that the Caesar Act sanctions are intended to pressure the Assad government to end the conflict and respect human rights. However, in the wake of Monday’s earthquakes, it is essential that these sanctions do not undermine the ability of the international community and aid organizations to provide support and assistance to those affected. The Biden administration needs to revisit this act, which has hurt the Syrian people much more than the Assad regime.
The current situation in Syria has highlighted the importance of cooperation with the Syrian government in addressing the humanitarian crisis it has caused. Despite the challenges posed by the US sanctions and the ongoing conflict, it is crucial that all parties work together to provide support and assistance to those in need. The well-being of the Syrian people should be the top priority. It is time to set aside political differences in the face of this disaster.
*Daoud Kuttab is a Palestinian journalist from Jerusalem. He is a former Ferris Professor of Journalism at Princeton University. Twitter: @daoudkuttab

US should beware Iran’s Latin American maneuvers
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Arab News/February 09, 2023
It should be a serious warning to the international community, particularly the US, that the Iranian regime has been increasing its military presence in Latin America.
The Islamic Republic has been emboldened to the extent that it is currently sending warships to the Panama Canal for the first time in its history. Iranian state-controlled news outlet Tasnim News Agency, which is linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, last month boasted: “The Iranian flotilla, comprised of Dena and Makran warships, will reportedly arrive at the Brazilian port (Rio de Janeiro) within the next few days. The 86th flotilla set sail from south of Iran in early autumn with the purpose of circumnavigating the world. The trip to Brazil appears to be part of a mission to the Panama Canal. On January 11, Iranian Navy Commander Rear Admiral Shahram Irani said plans are underway to dispatch naval forces to the Panama Canal as Iranian servicemen are approaching the coasts of the Americas.”
It is important to point out that the Iranian regime possesses the largest and most diverse arsenal of ballistic missiles and drones in the Middle East, in spite of the sanctions imposed against it. The regime has been sending drones to Russia and Tehran is a major arms provider to its proxy militia and terror groups across the region. Tasnim reported that the regime’s warship Dena, which is heading to Central America, is a “Mowj-class warship that joined the Iranian Navy in June 2021. The military vessel is equipped with anti-ship cruise missiles, torpedoes and naval cannons.” It added: “The other vessel of the flotilla is Makran, a forward base ship weighing 121,000 tons. The oil tanker-turned-warship can carry five helicopters and is employed for providing logistical support for the combat warships.”
Iran’s agenda in the Americas is anchored in political opportunism and strategic penetration of Latin America. As Mohsen Rabbani, who was the Iranian cultural attache in Buenos Aires during the 1994 AMIA attack, pointed out: “According to our Islamic point of view, Latin America is for us and the international world a virgin area that, unfortunately, till now, its huge potential has not been taken into account by the Islamic people of Iran … We have a solid support against the imperialism and Zionism intrigues, being an important aid in favor of our presence in the area.”
Latin American countries are opportune places for covert intelligence operations, specifically against the US
But in addition to expanding their military stranglehold in the region, the Iranian leaders have also been strengthening relationships with Latin American countries for economic reasons, mainly to evade sanctions. For example, the Islamic Republic has been shipping considerable amounts of oil to Venezuela without either country fearing repercussions from the US Biden administration.
According to Reuters, a shipment that was delivered last June was “the third of Iranian crude supplied by Iran’s Naftiran Intertrade Co. to Venezuela’s state-run oil firm PDVSA following a supply contract providing the South American nation with lighter crude. Venezuela has been processing the Iranian oil in its refineries … (Another) two Iran-flagged tankers, the very large crude carriers Dino I and Silvia I, had arrived last month at Venezuelan ports carrying the first cargoes of Iranian crude for Venezuela.”
It is worth noting that the Iranian regime is also signing long-term agreements with its oil clients to permanently insulate its economy from US sanctions. For example, the regime last year signed a 20-year cooperation agreement with Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro to expand their bilateral ties. “We have important projects of cooperation between Iran and Venezuela in the fields of energy, petrochemicals, oil, gas and refineries,” Maduro stated.
Former Florida Republican Gov. Jeb Bush, who is an advisory board member of United Against Nuclear Iran, confirmed that Panama has also been helping Iran by buying its oil. He added that Panama “has been instrumental in the (Iranian) regime’s continued survival” and that it is “strengthening Iran by helping it to circumvent sanctions.”
Furthermore, from the perspective of the Iranian leaders, Latin American countries are opportune places for covert intelligence operations, specifically against the US. This has caused concern among some officials about Iran’s increasing influence in America’s backyard. For example, Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio said in a statement last week that “Iran’s growing presence in the Western Hemisphere should come as no surprise as the Biden administration has a history of appeasement and engaging with authoritarian regimes. Tehran’s ability to expand its military presence in our hemisphere should be a warning sign, especially as it seeks to support the left-wing Marxist regimes that will undermine peace and stability throughout the region.”
In a nutshell, the US should not underestimate or disregard the Iranian regime’s rising military presence in Latin America.
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh is a Harvard-educated Iranian-American political scientist. Twitter: @Dr_Rafizadeh

World must quickly find a way to end the Ukraine war
Mohamed Chebaro/Arab News/February 09, 2023
Nearly a year has lapsed since Russia launched its special operation to change the regime in Ukraine and prevent the country from allegedly seeking further ties with the EU and NATO. However, the invasion of Ukraine has been met by a series of unexpected obstacles that have exposed Russia’s limited power and highlighted once again how a small force with the right tactical weapons, intelligence and a determined human asset can blunt the efforts of one of the largest armies in the world.
As political and diplomatic efforts continue to be elusive, the Russian preparations for a late winter offensive that would metamorphose into an all-out spring push to punch through Ukrainian defenses are likely to yield only limited results, according to most military experts, further highlighting the conundrum the world finds itself in.
Moscow looks unable to achieve its maximalist aim of annexing Ukraine or influencing a regime change at its doorstep in the face of alleged eastward NATO expansion. The Ukrainians, despite the substantial support they have received, will not be able to liberate all the territories occupied since Feb. 24, 2022, or those seized in 2014.
All evidence, therefore, continues to point to the fact that attrition is likely to remain the name of the game in Ukraine for the foreseeable future, with no one likely to emerge victorious in 2023 — short of course of an accident or a miracle that could spur all parties back to the negotiation table.
Losses in military terms have been colossal for the Russians, as well as for the Ukrainians, who have also suffered substantial civilian losses and infrastructure damage, which, given Kyiv’s defensive posture, is likely to continue as the conflict risks becoming frozen.
All evidence continues to point to the fact that attrition is likely to remain the name of the game for the foreseeable future
A year on, it is obvious that Russia has lost out and, in comparison, Ukraine has survived, with its military successes emboldening its leadership. The West has also outperformed all expectations and remained united in the pursuit of its goal of supporting Ukraine with enough “defensive” weapons to frustrate Moscow’s advances. At the same time, the West is denying the Ukrainians the assault capabilities to turn the table on the Russians in the hope of keeping a ramp open for the Kremlin to walk down in the future. Meanwhile, global players like China and India have reaped some short-term benefits through their access to cheaper Russian energy, but they have stayed on the fence, refraining from actively pushing for peace, even though a protracted war would likely negatively impact their economic growth.
Russia’s invasion has descended into a zero-sum game and a guessing game to counter the fluid strategy of the opponent. It is clear that the West has crossed a new threshold in its assessment of the war, scaling up its weapons deliveries to Kyiv in terms of numbers and strategic quality, which modern theaters of war have not seen used before. This demonstrates the stakes at play in the game of denying Russia a victory that could further encroach on democracy, liberty and Western freedoms and way of life.
Russia’s illegal annexation of four partially occupied regions of Ukraine last October, along with the constant posturing and nuclear threats, have served to persuade hesitant nations in the West, such as Germany, to open their storage facilities and deliver advanced battle tanks, air defense shields and other hardware to Ukraine. This disproves the Kremlin’s long-held view that EU countries would not stay the course and that their support to Ukraine would falter in the face of energy security disruptions, the increased cost of living and economic volatility.
All the indications coming from the Kremlin point to the intention of achieving all prewar goals, unless something drastic happens. The Ukrainian leadership, meanwhile, is intent on winning back at least what it has lost since February 2022 as the only way to prevent any future Russian adventures.
Another aspect of this war is that it has constantly tested the world order that was fought for and conceived during and after the Second World War. Its conclusion cannot be allowed to see the demise of that order at this junction of history, when humanity is facing threats of a chaotic transition induced by the new digital age, overseen by a short-termist global leadership that is still grappling with climate change, shrinking resources and wider gaps between the haves and have-nots. All of this comes at a time of unparalleled geopolitical divisions and a world that is, more than ever, lacking in trust and solidarity to uphold the common good.
The Global North, like the Global South, has a common interest in quickly bringing this conflict to an end.
*Mohamed Chebaro is a British-Lebanese journalist, media consultant and trainer with more than 25 years of experience covering war, terrorism, defense, current affairs and diplomacy.