English LCCC Newsbulletin For
Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For January 13/2023
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
The Bulletin's Link on the lccc Site
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/aaaanewsfor2023/english.january13.23.htm
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Bible Quotations For today
John beheaded/Herodias’s daughter Salome asked Herod to give her on a platter
John the Baptist’s Head & He did what she asked for
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew
14/01-12./:”At that time Herod the ruler heard reports about Jesus; and he said
to his servants, ‘This is John the Baptist; he has been raised from the dead,
and for this reason these powers are at work in him.’For Herod had arrested
John, bound him, and put him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother
Philip’s wife, because John had been telling him, ‘It is not lawful for you to
have her.’Though Herod wanted to put him to death, he feared the crowd, because
they regarded him as a prophet. But when Herod’s birthday came, the daughter of
Herodias danced before the company, and she pleased Herod so much that he
promised on oath to grant her whatever she might ask. Prompted by her mother,
she said, ‘Give me the head of John the Baptist here on a platter.’ The king was
grieved, yet out of regard for his oaths and for the guests, he commanded it to
be given; he sent and had John beheaded in the prison. The head was brought on a
platter and given to the girl, who brought it to her mother. His disciples came
and took the body and buried it; then they went and told Jesus.
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese &
Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on January 12-13/2023
OEIL: Oueidat requested to interrogate auditors of BDL accounts
Amnesty says blocking Bitar akin to crushing port investigation
Report: Bitar will not meet visiting French judges over port case
Report: Iranian foreign minister in Lebanon
Two arrested in Koura town for insulting ISF and Bkirki
Higher Judicial Council fails to meet as Port victims' families rally
Bassil urges int'l community to stop 'pressuring' Lebanon over Syrian refugees
Lebanese Officials Remember Hussein Husseini’s Wisdom, Moderate Stances
Hussein al-Husseini: The Guardian of the Taif Accord
Mikati mourning late ex-speaker Hussein Husseini: In his honor, we must always
strive to follow up on full implementation of Taif Agreement away from...
Beat the traffic: While Beirut politicians cling to motorcades, a European
diplomat opts for a bike
Hussein el-Husseini: A politician above politics/Nadim Shehadi/Al Arabiya
English/January 12/2023
Lebanon's FPM calls for repatriation of Syrian refugees
Families of Beirut port blast victims stage mass sit-in
Titles For The
Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published
on January
12-13/2023
Sadrist Movement: Iran Fears Iraq’s Rapprochement with Gulf
US Extends Protection for Ex-Trump Aides from Iran Threats
Iran Video Links Detained British-Iranian to Death of Nuclear Scientist
Iran FM Denies News of his Resignation, Summons Iraq Envoy over ‘Arabian Gulf’
Notorious Russian arms dealer freed in Brittney Griner exchange awkwardly backs
out of pledge to fight in Ukraine
Russia could expand draft age as soon as this spring - lawmaker
Scale of alleged torture, detentions by Russian forces in Kherson emerges
Factbox-Who is Russia's new war commander Gerasimov and why was he appointed?
Russian-installed official says Ukrainian 'resistance' persists in Soledar
Germany’s Scholz Backs Joint EU Funding to Counter US Aid
Battle rages in Ukraine town; Russia shakes up its military
Israeli forces kill three Palestinians in West Bank operations
Turkish foreign minister says he could meet Syrian counterpart in early February
Macron Says Won’t Apologize to Algeria for Colonization
Titles For The
Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published
on January 12-13/2023
It is time for the EU to get tough on Iran/Ray Hanania/Arab News/January 12,
2023
The Execution Of Kurds By The Islamic Republic Of Iran/Himdad Mustafa/MEMRI
Daily Brief No. 447/January 12/2023
Palestinians Recruit Minors as Terrorists, Then Condemn Israel for Shooting
'Innocent Children'/Bassam Tawil/Gatestone Institute/January 12, 2023
Iran ‘May Be’?! /Tariq Al-Homayed/ Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper/January, 12/2023
Iran's Strategic Priority in the Caucasus is Reviving the ‘Persian Empire’/Huda
al-Husseini/Asharq Al-Awsat/January, 12/2023
Biden’s Visit to the Border Is Bound to Be Awkward/Farah Stockman/The New York
Times/January, 12/2023
Negotiating with Iranian regime legitimizes its brutal crackdown/Dr. Majid
Rafizadeh/Arab News/January 12, 2023
on January 12-13/2023
OEIL: Oueidat requested to
interrogate auditors of BDL accounts
Naharnet/Thursday, 12 January, 2023
The Observatoire Européen pour l’Integrité du Liban has said that General
Prosecutor Ghassan Oueidat has received a request to interrogate several
individuals responsible for auditing the accounts of the Central Bank. A
European judicial delegation from France, Germany, and Luxembourg had started to
arrive in Lebanon this week to probe the country's Central Bank governor and
dozens of other individuals over suspected corruption. Oueidat received a
request to interrogate Walid Naqour (Ernst & Young), Ramzi Accaoui (Ernst &
Young), and Nada Maalouf, the OEIL said. Oueidat had reportedly asked Attorney
General Judge Ziad Abu Haidar to facilitate the work of the German judicial
delegation seeking to look into the corruption case of Salameh and Abu Haidar
tasked Judge Raja Hamoush to facilitate the delegation's mission, local media
reports said.
Amnesty says blocking Bitar akin to crushing port
investigation
Naharnet/Thursday, 12 January, 2023
Amnesty International on Thursday decried that blocking the work of Beirut port
blast investigator Judge Tarek Bitar is “akin to crushing the domestic
investigation.”“Judge Bitar should be allowed to resume his work immediately.
But the international community should also heed the victims’ calls for an
international investigation,” Amnesty’s MENA dept. tweeted on its official
account. “The Lebanese authorities have made it patently clear that they are not
interested in truth or #justice, & that they will use all the tools at their
disposal to obstruct the domestic investigation and protect the politicians
charged in the case,” Amnesty added. It also lamented that “it is absurd to see
the judiciary acting swiftly to penalize families of the victims who are
demanding justice for throwing stones at the Judicial Palace, while almost 2.5
years after the #Beirutblast that decimated over half the city, no one has been
held to account.”
Report: Bitar will not meet visiting French judges over
port case
Naharnet/Thursday, 12 January, 2023
A french memo requesting a meeting with those concerned with the port blast file
has been confirmed, al-Akhbar newspaper reported Thursday. The memo asked for a
January 24 appointment between two French judges and Attorney General Sabbouh
Suleiman, who is tasked by the public prosecution to oversee the file of the
port investigation, the daily said. A German judicial delegation has already
arrived to Lebanon, while two other delegations from France and Luxembourg are
scheduled to arrive next Monday to probe the country's Central Bank governor and
dozens of other individuals over suspected corruption. They will leave the
country four days later. Justice Palace sources told al-Akhbar that the lead
investigator into the Beirut port blast, Judge Tarek Bitar, will not be able to
meet with the French judges because of the legal challenges suspending his
investigations, adding that the Lebanese law prohibits the disclosure of any
confidential information related to the probe. Meanwhile informed French sources
have told al-Joumhouria that the judicial delegation's tasks are very serious,
and will reach tangible results and decisions that will be put into effect.
Report: Iranian foreign minister in Lebanon
Naharnet/Thursday, 12 January, 2023
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian arrived in Lebanon on Thursday
evening, al-Jadeed television reported. The top Iranian diplomat will meet with
Lebanese officials during his visit, the TV network added.
Two arrested in Koura town for insulting ISF and Bkirki
Naharnet/Thursday, 12 January, 2023
Two people have been arrested for preventing members of an Internal Security
Forces patrol from removing a construction violation in the Koura town of Kfar
Qahel as well as hurling insults against the patrol’s members and Bkirki. “To
preserve the state’s prestige and prevent any transgression against religious
authorities and security forces, the (ISF’s) Intelligence Branch arrested Diaa
and Mustafa Qaraali in Batroun after they insulted security forces and Bkirki in
Kfar Qahel, Koura,” caretaker Interior Minister Bassam al-Mawlawi tweeted. In a
video that went viral on social media, the two men are seen confronting the ISF
members, hurling insults at them and Bkirki and threatening to destroy an ISF
vehicle. One of them also threatened to seek the intervention of the
Hezbollah-linked Resistance Brigades, which eventually denied any link to the
incident. The incident drew condemnations from several parties, including the
Maronite League, MP Tony Franjieh of the Marada Movement, MP George Atallah of
the Free Patriotic Movement and MP Fadi Karam of the Lebanese Forces.
Higher Judicial Council fails to meet as Port victims'
families rally
Naharnet /Thursday, 12 January, 2023
Families of the port blast victims gathered Thursday in front of the Justice
Palace after some judges asked the Higher Judicial Council to meet to discuss
the requirements of the judicial probe into the case of the Beirut port blast.
Prosecutor Ghassan Oueidat left the Justice Palace after quorum was not secured.
Higher Judicial Council judges Habib Mezher, Dany Chebli, Mireille Haddad and
Elias Richa on Wednesday invited the Higher Judicial Council to convene
Thursday. Families of the blast victims had on Tuesday stormed the Justice
Palace in Beirut in protest at perceived political and judicial obstruction of
the investigation, a few days after the judiciary ended a lengthy judicial
strike. The investigation into the blast, which killed over 230 people, injured
thousands and caused billions of dollars in damage has been blocked for months
now by Lebanon's political powers. That came after three former ministers filed
legal challenges against investigative Judge Tarek Bitar effectively suspending
his investigations. A spokesman for the families, William Noon, threatened
Thursday that the protests won't be peaceful if the Higher Judicial Council
convenes and if its decisions won't be in favor of the families and the victims.
Kataeb MPs Sami Gemayel and Elias Hankash joined the rally in front of the
Justice Palace. So did Change MPs Firas Hamdan, Waddah al-Sadek and Paula
Yacoubian, independent MP Michel Douaihy, and Lebanese Forces MPs Razi al-Hajj
and Ghassan Hasbani.
Bassil urges int'l community to stop 'pressuring' Lebanon
over Syrian refugees
Associated Press/Thursday, 12 January, 2023
Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil urged Thursday the Lebanese
government to immediately start working on returning the displaced Syrians to
their homeland. In an FPM conference on refugees, Bassil said that Lebanon must
implement its plan to return the refugees and must apply local and international
laws. Bassil asked the international community to stop pressuring Lebanon,
financing the displaced and making them scared of returning to their land. "The
international community must rather finance the safe return of refugees," Bassil
said. Lebanon has given shelter to more than 1 million Syrian refugees but many
claim the number is far higher. The U.N. refugee agency has registered about
825,000 Syrians but stopped counting them in 2015 at the request of Lebanese
authorities. Officials touted last year a plan to return 15,000 refugees a
month, which has so far failed to materialize. UNHCR says at least 76,500 Syrian
refugees returned voluntarily from Lebanon since 2016, some in
government-organized trips and some on their own. Syria’s conflict that began in
March 2011 has killed hundreds of thousands and displaced half the country’s
pre-war population of 23 million.
Lebanese Officials Remember Hussein Husseini’s Wisdom,
Moderate Stances
Beirut - Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 12 January, 2023
The death of Lebanese former parliament Speaker Hussein al-Husseini was an
occasion for officials to reiterate their commitment to the 1989 Taif Accord
that helped end Lebanon’s 15-year civil war.
Husseini was known as the “godfather” of the accord that ended the 1975-90
conflict. He died on Wednesday at 86 after suffering from a strong flu. He was
admitted to Beirut’s American University Medical Center on January 3, the
state-run National News Agency said. NNA added that Husseini remained in the
intensive care unit until his death.
Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati declared a three-day mourning period in
the crisis-hit Lebanon while parliament Speaker Nabih Berri postponed a session
that was scheduled to take place on Thursday to elect a new president. The
elections will be held on January 19.
Berri remembered Husseini as one of Lebanon’s “greats”, who dedicated his life
“to defending the nation and its people, unity, and national and popular
identity.” Mikari said Lebanon lost in Husseini a “purely national and
constitutional figure”.
“With his passing, we close a bright chapter of distinguished political and
parliamentary work,” he added.
He said Husseini left a mark on parliamentary work, punctuating his long career
with landmark moments. He highlighted Husseini’s pioneering role at the Taif
conference and credited him in approving the national pact that ended the civil
war. Former Prime Minister Fuad Siniora underscored Husseini’s role in the Taif
Accord, as well as his “defense of Lebanon as a nation of coexistence between
Muslims and Christians.” “No doubt the Lebanese people, who are enduring
critical conditions on the national and constitutional levels amid the control
of unauthorized weapons over the state and national life, will miss Husseini and
feel his absence,” he said. He called for following “Husseini’s path, which he
never veered away from, in order to protect and consolidate the national pact
that was agreed at Taif.” By committing to this path, “Lebanon can again return
to being a free, Arab, independent and prosperous nation for all of its people,”
he stressed.
Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdullatif Derian said Lebanon and the Arab world lost a
“major symbol and political player.”
Husseini left his mark in history and “honorable stances at parliament, both as
speaker and lawmaker,” he added. The Higher Islamic Shiite Council said Husseini
leaves behind a long career that is marked by national and Islamic stances that
championed the causes of the nation and ummah. It noted his role in forming the
Amal movement, which is now headed by Berri, and in confronting war and strife
between the Lebanese people. It described him as a “man of dialogue and openness
and cooperation between the Lebanese people, who worked tirelessly to fortify
civil peace.” Husseini will be remembered for his moderate stances and
patriotism. His name will forever to linked to the Taif accord that helped end
the civil war and strife and approve the constitution.
Hussein al-Husseini: The Guardian of the Taif Accord
Beirut - Nazir Rida/Asharq Al-Awsat/January, 12/2023
Late Lebanese Parliament Speaker Hussein al-Husseini was known as the
“godfather” of the Taif Agreement, thanks to his ingenuity in resolving disputes
and mediating between the country’s conflicting parties, before the signing of
the Lebanese national reconciliation agreement in 1989. Many see him as the
guardian of the Taif Accord and the most prominent advocate of its
implementation. He has also pushed for the development of the political system
in Lebanon “in a way that guarantees loyalty to the state and its
institutions.”Illness has prevented Al-Husseini from attending the Taif Forum,
which was sponsored by the Embassy of Saudi Arabia at the UNESCO Palace in
Beirut last month. His health condition worsened, until he passed away on
Wednesday at the age of 86, leaving behind a rich political career and a leading
role in the signing of the historic agreement that ended Lebanon’s civil war.
Under the sponsorship of Saudi Arabia, Lebanon’s disputing leaders met in the
Saudi city of Taif in September 1989 and signed what has become known as the
Lebanese national reconciliation agreement, putting an end to 15 years of civil
war. Since 1989, Al-Husseini has kept the minutes of those meetings locked in
his office, and refused to make them public. Those who know him say that he did
so to prevent opening old wounds, or provoking political crises. In this sense,
he has always been the guardian of national unity. His diplomacy and moderation
qualified him to be the link between the warring parties at that time. Al-Husseini’s
clean reputation and neutrality towards the disputing sides at that time were
acclaimed by the Lebanese people from all components. His “patriotism and
honesty,” as stated in his obituaries on Wednesday, made him keen not to reveal
any “useless” disputes that would obstruct the Lebanese pact that was
established between the sects, and distinguished Lebanon in terms of coexistence
among its people regardless of their various affiliations. Al-Husseini would not
have achieved this unifying role, had it not been for his experience, which was
characterized by moderation and diplomacy. He was a man of dialogue, and did not
get involved in the Lebanese war as a party, although he was one of the founders
of the Amal Movement in 1973, and assumed its presidency between 1978 and 1980,
after the disappearance of its founder, Imam Musa al-Sadr. Al-Husseini was
elected deputy for the Baalbek-Hermel constituency in the Bekaa region for five
consecutive terms, the first in 1972 until his resignation from Parliament in
2008. In 2018, he announced his abstention from running in the parliamentary
elections, which practically marked the end of his political career. He presided
over the House of Representatives during the Lebanese Civil War between 1984 and
1992. Al-Husseini is known for his moderation and diplomacy, and his remoteness
from political disputes that have marked the political scene in Lebanon since
the end of the civil war and repeatedly paralyzed the institutions and
government work. With his departure, Lebanon and the Arab world lose one of the
pillars of legislation, humanity and high-end diplomacy, as stated by Lebanon’s
National New Agency (NNA).
Mikati mourning late ex-speaker Hussein Husseini: In his
honor, we must always strive to follow up on full implementation of Taif
Agreement away from...
NNA/January 12/2023
Caretaker Prime Minister, Najib Mikati, also representing House Speaker Nabih
Berri, attended the funeral of late former parliament speaker Hussein Husseini
this afternoon in the Beqai town of Shmustar.
The wife of the Caretaker Prime Minister, Mrs. May, also attended the funeral.
Mourning the late parliament speaker Hussein Husseini, Mikati said: “We are
going through very sad moments as we bid farewell to the ‘Father of the Taif’
and the founder of the new republic. And I repeat what I always say: In his
honor, we must always strive to follow up on the full implementation of the Taif
Agreement, away from selectivity. I am confident that this approach will lead
Lebanon to the safety shores. The late Al-Husseini has made a great
constitutional and parliamentary effort, and we must complete what he has
started in the right way. May God have mercy upon his soul. He was a friend, a
brother and a mentor, and we are not the only ones who will miss him, but all of
Lebanon as well.”
Beat the traffic: While Beirut politicians
cling to motorcades, a European diplomat opts for a bike
Arab News/January 12/2023
LONDON: While Lebanese politicians typically travel in multi-car motorcades, at
least one European diplomat is beating the heavy Beirut traffic by getting on a
bike. In a message posted on Twitter on Thursday, Hans Peter van der Woude, the
Dutch ambassador to Lebanon, posted a photo of himself wearing a helmet and
standing next to an e-bike as he prepared to set off for a meeting. The photo
sparked an online debate about the country’s traffic problems, with many people
praising him as an “example” for everyone to follow. “Setting a great example.
Drive safely,” one user wrote. Another asked the envoy whether he feels safe
cycling around the busy streets of the capital. “I felt really comfortable on a
bicycle in traffic,” van der Woude replied. “Just because drivers are not used
to cyclists, they are more careful. One has to be vigilant though, like everyone
in Lebanese traffic.”He added that he completes his journeys really quickly
compared with people in cars, who often get stuck in traffic jams. Nasser Yassin,
Lebanon’s environment minister, retweeted the envoy’s photo, thanked him and
said the government backs the use of non-motorized transport options, also known
as “soft mobility.”
“We are supporting initiatives that will promote soft mobility in Beirut and
other cities; but we need to work more with municipalities and others to create
the right environment for soft mobility in our cities,” he wrote. However, the
minister faced criticism from people who accused him of hypocrisy, given the
lack of a government strategy to tackle Lebanon’s traffic problems. One person
wrote: “Mr. Nasser Yassin, in your government’s ministerial statement, you
announced ‘the pursuit of a comprehensive transport plan and the adoption of a
partnership mechanism between the public and private sectors.’ And you, with
this tweet, are encouraging support for soft mobility initiatives. Can you tell
us how and what you have accomplished or what you intend to accomplish … apart
from tweeting on Twitter?” In recent years, traffic congestion in Lebanon has
increased as a result of the poor state of roads, the growing number of vehicles
using them, and a flawed public-transport system. According to World
Bank-affiliated Urban Transport Development Project, people in Lebanon spend an
estimated average of 720 hours in vehicles each year. Officials have promised to
find solutions to the over-reliance on private vehicles in the country but have
been accused of hypocrisy on the issue. In 2017, for example, the Lebanese
government was criticized for purchasing, or receiving as grants and donations,
an “excessively large number of vehicles” for use by ministries, departments,
public institutions and municipalities. The government was also accused of
breaking laws and regulations by using money from the public purse to pay for
maintenance, insurance, fuel and other expenses arising from the use of an
estimated 12,000 government-owned vehicles.
Hussein el-Husseini: A politician above
politics
Nadim Shehadi/Al Arabiya English/January 12/2023
Lebanon mourns Sayyid Hussein el-Husseini who died yesterday at the age of 86.
One of the main founders of the Amal movement, former speaker of parliament and
the principal architect of the Taif agreement that ended the Lebanese civil war.
He will also be remembered for having stepped back from politics in 2008 and
resigned from parliament of which he was a member since 1972. This was in
protest at the Doha agreement and the behavior of his fellow politicians and,
such a step is a very rare phenomenon in Lebanon where politicians tend to cling
to power. His parting words on the 12th of August 2008 were that, "in the face
of the fact that the authority is capable but unwilling I announce my
resignation from the membership of this council."
In a country that is in revolt against its entire political class, this earned
Hussein el-Husseini unanimous respect. He had the unique status and the
credibility of an eminent elder statesman who can comment and oppose from
outside the system with a certain degree of objectivity.
He was a firm believer in coexistence based on four postulates: freedom,
equality, a life of dignity as well as solidarity defined by the interdependence
of people and communities. He saw this as Lebanon’s universal mission as a
property of humanity that transcends its current population and size.
His influence remained in his role as a political activist and staunch defender
of the principles behind the Taif agreement which he saw as the culmination of
previous efforts to resolve imbalances in the system that were present since the
creation of the state in 1920. It is in this spirit that he deplored the
Christian boycott of elections in 1992 which created an imbalance in the
application of the Taif agreement.
He also criticized UN Security Council Resolution 1559 of 2004 calling for the
withdrawal of Syrian troops and disarming of the resistance. He saw it as aiming
to turn the clock backwards and returning Lebanon to a previous state rather
than move the country forward. He also claimed that it led to the assassination
of Rafik Hariri.
Most of all he disapproved of the Doha agreement of 2008 which imposed
governments of National Unity inclusive of all political parties. This in his
view paralyzed the state and led to the travesty of government by consensus
which was undemocratic and anti-constitutional. Instead of there being an
opposition the system was corrupted and hijacked by a handful of politicians
dedicated to sharing the spoils. He used harsh words going as far as calling for
an orderly and peaceful civil resistance against a powerless bankrupt and failed
state which he considered as illegitimate and authoritarian; holding the country
hostage and incapable of delivering any services to its citizens. He called for
a referendum as a tool of bringing the power back to the people based on the
fundamental principle that the people are the source of power.
He had faith in the people as the source of power and in a civil society that is
aware of the maneuvers of politicians and their tricks such as the continuous
use of the threat of civil war. The fundamental basis of politics needed to be
honesty, sincerity and integrity.
He was also critical of calls for national dialogue initiatives because they
usurp the role of parliament where such dialogue should take place and puts the
decisions in the hands of five people who have decided to share the spoils. This
is consistent with his lifelong belief in institutions rather than individuals.
He led the Amal Movement in 1978 after the disappearance of its founder Imam
Moussa el-Sadr. Husseini’s vision of the movement is consistent with his defense
of Taif and the principle of coexistence. He describes it as a continuation of a
trend in Lebanese politics with its roots in the politics of President Fouad
Chehab. This is based on an awareness of imbalances in the path of building the
Lebanese state and part of resolving fundamental issues in its development. This
is a process which culminated in the Taif agreement itself.
The Amal movement is therefore for him a movement for social justice which had
broad participation and represents a continuity in Lebanon, it is not to be seen
as a sectarian party. His resignation in 1980 after two years of leading the
movement also demonstrated his belief in institutions and could have been the
result of having differences in vision. In 2013 he proposed a National
Initiative to Rebuild the State in which he urged civil society to push for a
system of proportional representation which was later adopted in the electoral
law of 2018. He also saw this as a remedy for the imbalances in favor of
independents and political minorities. He failed to form an independent list in
2018 and remained in opposition: A politician above politics and a believer that
Lebanon was already a civil state with its potential to be realized by the next
generation.
Lebanon's FPM calls for repatriation of Syrian
refugees
The National/January 12/2023
A refugee return conference organised by the Free Patriotic Movement was
attended by Hungary's Minister of Foreign Affairs
The head of one of Lebanon’s largest Christian political parties, the Free
Patriotic Movement, urged Lebanon’s government on Thursday to put in place
further measures to cut the number of Syrian refugees in the country. At an FPM-organised
conference on the impact of Syrian refugees, party chief Gebran Bassil also
appealed to the international community to refrain from pressuring Lebanon “and
financing the residency of the displaced on its land while intimidating [Syrian
refugees] from returning to their land.” Among the conference's participants was
Peter Szijjarto, Hungary's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Hungary is led
by a far-right nationalist government with an explicitly anti-immigration
ideology. It's not the first time Lebanese politicians have courted far-right
European figures. In 2017, then-President Michel Aoun met with far-right
anti-immigration French politician Marine Le Pen to discuss the Syrian refugee
crisis. The conference theme was “Leave no one behind”, in reference to both the
host country’s citizens and its Syrian refugee population. Mr Bassil stressed
the importance of Syrian refugees returning to their country.
As Syria’s war has reached a tentative stalemate in recent years, Lebanon’s
politicians have increasingly called for refugee repatriation, arguing that
Syria is a safe country. However, government-held areas of Syria with no active
conflict have suffered a severe and prolonged economic crisis which has left its
citizens without electricity or fuel and facing food shortages. Lebanon’s
economic crisis which began in 2019 has similarly led to soaring inflation and
left its citizens with limited goods and services. That has led to widespread
resentment of Lebanon's Syrian refugee population, considered by many to be a
drain on the state's resources. Widespread poverty punctuates life in both
struggling nations. Lebanon’s politicians, including Mr Bassil, say Lebanon is
ill-equipped to support the some one million Syrian refugees in the country.
“Lebanon cannot be a political asylum,” Mr Bassil said at the conference.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Mr Szijjarto called on the international community to
stop managing "dangerous" refugee flows and to instead fix the root causes
leading to displacement. Immigration "is one of the most pressing factors for
instability" in Hungary and other countries, Mr Szijjarto warned. Syrians argue
they fear return for political and economic reasons. An army draft awaits most
eligible men, and although there is no active fighting in government-held areas,
rights organisations say that Syria is still unsafe for returns, documenting
arbitrary arrests, detention, and torture by the Syrian government — as well as
involuntary or enforced disappearances. “Syrian refugees who returned between
2017 and 2021 from Lebanon and Jordan faced grave human rights abuses and
persecution at the hands of the Syrian government and affiliated militias,”
Human Rights Watch said last year. Mr Bassil proposed an amendment to the law
which regulates the entry and residency of Syrians in Lebanon, as well as the
immediate return of those who enter illegally. He also proposed a law which
would return convicted and imprisoned Syrians to their country because they are
“neither a displaced person nor an asylum seeker, but a criminal.”
Families of Beirut port blast victims stage mass sit-in
Najia Houssari/Arab News/January 12, 2023
Families gathered outside the Justice Palace in Beirut on Thursday as members of
the Higher Judicial Council attempted to force through Bitar’s replacement
William Noun, brother of one of the victims and the families’ spokesman, thanked
“the judges who caused the loss of quorum”
BEIRUT: Families of the victims of the Beirut port explosion staged a mass
sit-in to protest at the obstruction of the official investigation that has been
in limbo for more than a year.
The investigation into the August 2020 blast has sunk into the murk of Lebanese
politics, as suspects including ministers and former prime ministers evade
questioning and counter-sue the lead investigator Tarek Bitar. The Free
Patriotic Movement, Hezbollah and Amal are all pushing for the removal of Bitar
to force through the release of suspects, including the head of customs Badri
Daher, who are being held in custody. Families gathered outside the Justice
Palace in Beirut on Thursday as members of the Higher Judicial Council attempted
to force through Bitar’s replacement. The motion however failed after two
judges, including the council’s president, Suhail Abboud, refused to attend.
William Noun, brother of one of the victims and the families’ spokesman, thanked
“the judges who caused the loss of quorum.” He said: “We don’t have a problem
with the judges or the court, but with those who are trying to obstruct the
investigation. Those who died in the explosion are not numbers and the court is
for justice.” Deputy Melhem Khalaf, former president of the Bar Association in
Beirut, told Arab News that the attempt to replace Bitar was “an attempt to mess
with the crime of the century and to turn against justice, the judiciary, and
the law.”The protest came a day after victims’ families threw stones at the
Justice Palace, shattering the glass of some windows.
Several protesters were summoned for questioning on charges of vandalism and
damaging offices. This further enraged the group, who said that they were being
treated “as criminals, while they are families of innocent victims.” Khalaf
described the summoning as “a suspicious and unjust act toward the families of
the victims who are already abused. We will not allow them to overthrow the case
and insult the families of the victims.”Many Kataeb and reformist deputies,
including Sami Gemayel, Waddah Sadek, Elias Hankash and Michel Doueihy, joined
the protest in solidarity with the families who were holding pictures of their
victims. Deputy Hankash said: “It’s shameful that the victims’ families are
being summoned, while those accused of the crime don’t attend their hearings and
consider themselves above the law. They are outsmarting the judiciary. How can
they ask the victims’ families to remain peaceful?”
Deputy Ghassan Hasbani, who joined Thursday’s protest, said that “no one can
escape punishment no matter how long it takes because right holders are always
more powerful.” The port explosion was caused by 1,750 tons of ammonium nitrate
and other explosive material stored in a warehouse. More than 230 people were
killed and 6,500 injured as the blast tore through Beirut’s waterfront and
nearby neighborhoods. Bitar had subpoenaed former Prime Minister Hassan Diab,
and three former ministers — Ali Hassan Khalil (Finance), Ghazi Zeaiter (Public
Works) and Nohad Machnouk (Interior) — to be prosecuted for “possible
intentional killing” and negligence.It is alleged that all knew the ammonium
nitrate was stored in unsafe conditions but did nothing to secure it. Amnesty
International said on Thursday that it was “absurd” that no one had been held
accountable, more than two years after the disaster.
The Latest English LCCC
Miscellaneous Reports And News published
on January 12-13/2023
Sadrist Movement: Iran Fears Iraq’s Rapprochement with Gulf
Baghdad - Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 12 January, 2023
The Iraqi government has continued to ignore Iran’s protests of Iraqi officials
using the term “Arabian Gulf” as Basra hosts the 25th Arabian Gulf Cup football
tournament. Iran has protested the name, summoning the Iraqi ambassador in
Tehran to demand that it be changed to “Persian” Gulf. The term “Arabian Gulf”
has been used by Iraqi officials, including Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani.
Social media users in Iraq have continued to highlight Iran’s attempts to change
the name of the tournament. They noted the cable of congratulations it sent to
Iraq in wake of its national team’s victory against Saudi Arabia. It used the
term “Persian” Gulf, in what many users viewed as Iranian meddling in internal
sovereign affairs. They slammed Baghdad’s silence over Tehran’s protests.
Observers and experts, however, said Iraq has so far ignored the complaints
because it does not want to become embroiled in a diplomatic dispute with Iran,
especially as Baghdad is playing a key role in achieving rapprochement between
regional countries, most notably Saudi Arabia and Iran. While Baghdad has not
officially commented on the “Arabian Gulf” dispute, the Sadrist movement, led by
influential cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, rejected Tehran’s summoning of the Iraqi
envoy. Leading member of the movement, Issam Hussein said on Wednesday that
Tehran is not justified in summoning the envoy. Moreover, he noted that the move
gives Iran’s supporters in Iraq the “green light” to criticize the naming of the
tournament.
He remarked that Iran is “greatly bothered” by the rapprochement between the
Iraqi and Gulf people. It fears that this rapprochement could develop into an
increase in tourism and later development in economic and investment, he added.
It is therefore, seeking to hinder any progress in relations by objecting to the
naming of the tournament, Hussein said. “Iran has problems with the countries of
the Gulf and it does not want any rapprochement between them and Iraq. Rather,
it wants Iraq to remain subordinate to its foreign policy,” he went on to say.
“For 40 years, Iran has called itself the ‘Islamic Republic’ and now it objects
to the term ‘Arabian’ instead of the ‘Persian’ Gulf, proving that it is a
populist republic, not an Islamic one,” he said. Meanwhile, editor-in-chief of
the Aalem al-Jadeed Iraqi news website, Montather Nasser told Asharq Al-Awsat
that Iran’s complaint is a “dangerous precedent” because it is objecting to
official Iraqi discourse. “Countries are free to name their territories,
regions, waters and landmarks as they wish. No country has the right to impose
their names on others,” he explained. Furthermore, he noted that seven Arab
countries overlook the Gulf and combined, they boast a coast stretching 3,490
kms, while Iran – the only Persian nation - only boasts 2,440 kms.
US Extends Protection for Ex-Trump Aides from Iran Threats
Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 12 January, 2023
The Biden administration has again extended government protection to former
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and one of his top Iran aides due to persistent
threats against them from Iran. In separate notices sent to Congress late last
week, the State Department said the threats to Pompeo and Brian Hook remained
“serious and credible.” Hook served as the Trump administration’s special envoy
for Iran, The Associated Press reported. Along with Pompeo, Hook was the public
face of the US “maximum pressure” campaign against Iran following President
Donald Trump’s 2018 decision to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal. Iran also
blamed both men for the US assassination of Iran Revolutionary Guard commander
Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad in January 2020 and vowed revenge. The Jan. 5
notifications to Congress marked the 10th time the State Department has extended
protection to Hook since he left office in January 2021 and the seventh time it
has been extended to Pompeo. The discrepancy arises because Pompeo, as a former
Cabinet secretary, automatically had government security for several months
after leaving office. The notifications, obtained by The Associated Press, were
signed by Acting Deputy Secretary of State John Bass. “I hereby determine that
the specific threat with respect to former Secretary of State Michael Pompeo
persists,” Bass wrote. He used identical language to refer to the threat against
Hook. The AP reported in March 2022 that the State Department was paying more
than $2 million per month to provide 24-hour security to Pompeo and Hook. The
latest determinations did not give a dollar amount for the protection. Even as
the Biden administration has made those determinations and spent money for
Pompeo and Hook’s protection, it has continued to press ahead with indirect
talks with Iran aimed at salvaging the 2015 Iran nuclear deal that Trump
withdrew from in 2018. Those talks have been stalled for many months now and the
administration is pessimistic they will resume anytime soon. The administration
has blamed Iran for the breakdown in talks, saying it has raised demands outside
the scope of the deal, which gave Tehran billions in sanctions relief in return
for curbs on its nuclear program.
Iran Video Links Detained British-Iranian to Death of
Nuclear Scientist
Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 12 January, 2023
Iranian state media published a video on Thursday in which British-Iranian
national Alireza Akbari, sentenced to death for spying, said he played a role in
the 2020 assassination of the country's top nuclear scientist. In a separate
audio recording broadcast by BBC Persian on Wednesday, Akbari said he was
tortured in detention over months to confess to crimes he had not committed.
Iran sentenced the former deputy defense minister, who holds dual
Iranian-British citizenship, to death on charges of spying for Britain, Iranian
state media reported on Wednesday. Britain described the death sentence as
politically motivated and called for his immediate release. British officials
did not immediately comment about the video clips aired by Iran's state media.
"They wanted to know about high-ranking officials depending on the major
developments ... for example he (the British agent) asked me whether Fakhrizadeh
could be involved in such and such projects and I said why not," Akbari said in
one of the video clips. Scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, killed in a 2020 attack
outside Tehran, was widely seen by Western intelligence as the mastermind of
clandestine Iranian efforts to develop nuclear weapons. Tehran denied that.
Iran’s state media often airs purported confessions by suspects in politically
charged cases. In the audio recording broadcast by BBC Persian, Akbari said he
was forced to confess to crimes he had not committed. "I was interrogated and
tortured for over 3,500 hours in 10 months. All of that were recorded on camera
...By using the force of gun and making death threats they made me confess to
false and baseless claims," Akbari said in the audio message. Akbari was a close
ally of Ali Shamkhani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council who
served as defense minister from 1997 to 2005 when Akbari was his deputy. "He was
one of the most important agents of the British intelligence service in Iran who
had access to some very sensitive centers in the country," Iran's Intelligence
Ministry said. "Akbari had fully, knowingly provided information to the enemy's
spy service."
Iran FM Denies News of his Resignation, Summons Iraq Envoy
over ‘Arabian Gulf’
London, Tehran - Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 12 January, 2023
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian denied on Wednesday “rumors”
about his resignation amid criticism over his participation at the Baghdad
conference in Jordan last month. Critics viewed the conference as an attempt to
take Iran out of “regional equations”. French President Emmanuel Macron had at
the summit remarked that problems in Lebanon, Iraq and Syria cannot be resolved
without weakening Iran’s regional role. Former Iranian ambassador to London
Jalal Sadatian has described the government’s current foreign policy as “very
weak”, noting a “loss in balance” in Tehran’s foreign relations – a reference to
its reliance on China and Russia. Amirabdollahian had also come under attack for
acknowledging that Iran had sent drones to Russia before later repeatedly
backtracking on the comments. The Farheekhtegan daily, which is close to the
supreme leader, described the FM’s behavior as “harmful” and “evidence of
serious diplomatic weakness”, doubting that this approach could secure national
interests. The FM’s qualifications again came to light this week amid uproar in
Iran over the naming of the 25th Arabian Gulf Cup football tournament that is
being hosted by neighboring Iraq.
Amirabdollahian summoned the Iraqi ambassador to complain about “Iran’s
sensitivities” over the term “Arabian Gulf”. Iraq on Friday welcomed Arab
national teams from across the region to its southern city of Basra for the 25th
edition of the competition officially known as Arabian Gulf Cup. It is the first
time Iraq has hosted the biennial competition — commonly referred to as the
“Gulf Cup” — since it was launched in 1979. “We summoned the Iraqi ambassador”
on Sunday over the issue, Amirabdollahian said, quoted by state news agency IRNA.
“Although we have strategic, brotherly and deep relations with Iraq, we have
clearly expressed our protest about this issue,” he said.
Notorious Russian arms dealer freed in Brittney Griner
exchange awkwardly backs out of pledge to fight in Ukraine
Mia Jankowicz/Business Insider/January 12, 2023
Freed arms dealer Viktor Bout appeared to reverse his position on whether he'd
fight in Ukraine.
After being freed in exchange for Brittney Griner last December, Bout said he'd
"readily volunteer."
But he shied away after he was confronted during an interview on Wednesday, The
Daily Beast reported.
The Russian arms dealer who was freed in a prisoner exchange for Brittney Griner
late last year has walked back on earlier claims that he would volunteer to
fight on the front line in Ukraine.
In an interview on Russian radio station Komsomolskaya Pravda Radio on
Wednesday, Viktor Bout became evasive and irritable when reminded of an earlier
statement about his willingness to fight, according to The Daily Beast. Bout was
speaking at length about his pride in the Russian invasion of Ukraine, when the
interviewer cut in to relay a question from a listener, saying: "Let Bout prove
his patriotism towards the Motherland by joining Wagner in Soledar," according
to The Beast.
The listener went on to ask whether Bout had received an offer to join the
troops of the Wagner Group, a mercenary army fighting on Russia's behalf.
Earlier this week Wagner claimed to have captured the eastern Ukrainian town of
Soledar, although independent assessments question the extent of its control.
According to The Beast, Bout said: "No, there were no offers to join the
[private military company]. There again, you have to understand where you can be
most useful, and which of your skills and knowledge would be handy."It was a
strong about-face from comments Bout made to Russian state TV only a month ago.
Back then, Bout told RT that: "If I could, I would share the skills I have and I
would readily volunteer" to fight. Bout was freed from US jail on December 9, in
exchange for WNBA star Brittney Griner, in a high-profile prisoner swap
engineered by the Biden administration. Bout attracted the nickname of "The
Merchant of Death" over his prominent arms dealing operation in the 1990s, as
Insider previously reported. He was arrested in a sting operation in 2008, and
later convicted in the US of conspiring to provide material support to
terrorists. When freed he was serving a 25-year prison sentence, most recently
at a federal penitentiary in Marion, Illinois, according to The New York Times.
Bout has loudly backed Russia's military in interviews since his release, and
has joined the ultra-nationalist, pro-Kremlin Liberal Democratic Party, as
Reuters reported.
Russia could expand draft age as soon as this spring -
lawmaker
Reuters/January 12, 2023
Russia could raise the upper age limit for citizens to be conscripted into the
armed forces as soon as this spring, a senior lawmaker has said, as part of
Moscow's plans to boost the number of Russian troops by 30%. President Vladimir
Putin gave his backing in December to defence ministry proposals to raise the
age range for mandatory military service to cover Russian citizens aged 21-30,
rather than the current range of 18-27. The chairman of the Russian parliament's
defence committee, Andrei Kartapolov, said in an interview with the official
parliamentary newspaper that Russia could raise the upper age limit for
conscription to 30 for this year's spring draft. But only after a one-to-three
year "transition period" would the lower limit be raised from 18 to 21 years,
Kartapolov said. Critics said the idea of a transition period was a transparent
attempt by Russian authorities to increase the number of Russians eligible to be
called up for military service to plug massive manpower shortages resulting from
heavy losses in the war in Ukraine. Russia's armed forces are a mix of
contracted soldiers and conscripts. Shoigu has outlined plans to increase the
total number of combat personnel to 1.5 million from 1.15 million. Asked about
the possible changes, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday that
President Vladimir Putin "conceptually supported" raising the conscription age,
but the exact details were up to the defence ministry to work out. The role of
conscripts in Ukraine came under intense focus soon after Russia's invasion last
February, with the defence ministry acknowledging some had been sent to fight
there despite statements from Putin that this would not happen. In September,
Russia announced its first mobilisation since World War Two, calling up more
than 300,000 former soldiers - including ex-conscripts - in an emergency draft
to support the war in Ukraine. Western governments say Russia has lost tens of
thousands of soldiers in nearly 11 months of fighting.
Scale of alleged torture, detentions by Russian forces in
Kherson emerges
KHERSON, Ukraine (Reuters)/Anthony Deutsch, Anna Voitenko and Olena Harmash/January
12, 2023
Oksana Minenko, a 44-year-old accountant who lives in the Ukrainian city of
Kherson, said she was repeatedly detained and tortured by occupying Russian
forces. Her husband, a Ukrainian soldier, died defending Kherson’s Antonivskyi
bridge on the first day of full-scale war, she said. During several
interrogations in the spring, Russian forces submerged her hands in boiling
water, pulled out her fingernails and beat her in the face with rifle butts so
badly she needed plastic surgery, according to Minenko. “One pain grew into
another,” said Minenko, speaking while at an improvised humanitarian aid centre
in early December with scarring visible around her eyes from what she said was
an operation to repair the damage. “I was a living corpse.”The methods of the
alleged physical torture administered by occupying Russian forces have included
electric shocks to genitals and other parts of the body, beatings and various
forms of suffocation, according to interviews with more than a dozen alleged
victims, members of Ukrainian law enforcement and international prosecutors
assisting Ukraine. Prisoners were also held in overcrowded cells without
sanitation or sufficient food or water for periods of up to two months, some of
the people said. Reuters wasn’t able to independently corroborate individual
accounts shared by Minenko and other Kherson residents but they fit with what
Ukrainian authorities and international human rights specialists have said about
conditions and treatment during detention, including detainees being blindfolded
and bound, subject to beatings and electric shocks and injuries, including
severe bruising and broken bones, forced nudity and other forms of sexual
violence. “This was done systematically, exhaustingly” to obtain information
about the Ukrainian military and suspected collaborators or to punish those
critical of the Russian occupation, according to Andriy Kovalenko, the Kherson
region’s chief war crimes prosecutor. The Kremlin and Russia’s defence ministry
didn’t respond to Reuters’ questions, including about alleged torture and
unlawful detentions. Moscow, which has said it is conducting a “special military
operation" in Ukraine, has denied committing war crimes or targeting civilians.
According to the most comprehensive figures to date on the scale of alleged
torture and detentions, shared exclusively with Reuters by Ukraine’s top war
crimes prosecutor, the country’s authorities have opened pre-trial
investigations involving more than a thousand people in the Kherson region who
were allegedly abducted and illegally detained by Russian forces during their
months-long occupation.
The scale of alleged crimes in the Kherson region now emerging appears to be
much greater than around the capital of Kyiv, say members of Ukrainian law
enforcement, which they attribute to the fact that it was occupied for so much
longer.
Ukraine’s top war crimes prosecutor, Yuriy Belousov, said authorities have
identified ten sites in the Kherson region used by Russian forces for unlawful
detentions. Around 200 people who were allegedly tortured or physically
assaulted while held at those sites and about another 400 people were illegally
held there, he said. Ukrainian authorities say they expect the figures to grow
as the investigation continues following Russia’s mid-November withdrawal from
Kherson city, the only regional Ukrainian capital it captured during its nearly
year-long war against its Western neighbour.
Nationwide, authorities have opened pre-trial investigations into alleged
unlawful detentions of more than 13,200 people, Belousov said. They have
launched 1,900 probes into allegations of ill-treatment and illegal detention,
he said.
Russia has accused Ukraine of carrying out war crimes and the West of ignoring
them, including alleging that Ukrainian soldiers had executed Russian prisoners
of war. The United Nations in November said it had found evidence that both
sides had tortured prisoners of war, with a U.N. official saying Russian abuse
was “fairly systematic.” Kyiv has previously said it would investigate any
alleged abuses by its armed forces. Minenko believes her alleged tormentors
targeted her because her husband had been a soldier. During his burial a week
after his death, Russian forces turned up at the cemetery and made Minenko kneel
next to his grave, firing their automatic weapons in mock execution, she said.
According to Minenko, on three occasions in March and April men in Russian
military uniforms with their faces covered by balaclavas came to her home at
night, interrogated her and took her into detention. On one occasion, the men
forced her to undress and then beat her while her hands were tied to the chair
and her head was covered. “When you have a bag on your head and you’re being
beaten, there is such a vacuum, you cannot breathe, you cannot do anything, you
cannot defend yourself,” Minenko said.
‘WIDESPREAD’ CRIMES
Moscow's February invasion of Ukraine plunged Europe into its biggest land war
since World War Two. Having begun its occupation of Kherson city in March,
Russia withdrew its forces in November saying it was futile to waste more
Russian blood there. Of more than 50,000 reports of war crimes that have been
registered with Ukrainian authorities, Belousov said more than 7,700 have come
from the Kherson region. More than 540 civilians remain missing from the region,
he added. Some people have been taken to Russian-held territory in apparent
forced deportations, including children, according to Kovalenko, the regional
prosecutor. Belousov said authorities have found more than 80 bodies, the
majority of whom were civilians, with more than 50 of those people having died
as a result of gunshot wounds or artillery shelling. Belousov added that
hundreds of bodies of civilians had been found in other areas that Russian
forces had withdrawn from. That includes more than 800 civilians in the Kharkiv
region, where investigators have had longer to probe after Ukraine retook a vast
tract of territory in September. Ukrainian authorities have also identified 25
locations in the Kharkiv region they described as “torture camps,” according to
a Jan. 2 Facebook post by Kharkiv’s regional police chief, Volodymyr Tymoshko.
Some of the thousands of alleged war crimes committed by Russian forces could be
escalated to overseas tribunals if they are deemed sufficiently serious. The
Hague-based International Criminal Court (ICC) has opened an investigation into
alleged war crimes in Ukraine. The numbers that are emerging on the scale of
alleged detentions and torture, “point to widespread and grave criminality in
Russian-occupied territory,” said British lawyer Nigel Povoas, lead prosecutor
with a Western-backed team of legal specialists assisting Kyiv’s efforts to
prosecute war crimes. Povoas said there appears to have been a pattern to
inflict terror and suffering across Ukraine, which reinforces “the impression of
a wider, criminal policy, emanating from the leadership” to target the country’s
civilian population.
ALLEGED BEATINGS, ELECTRIC SHOCKS
One 35-year-old man from Kherson city said that during a five-day detention in
August, Russian forces beat him, made him undress and administered electric
shocks to his genitals and ears. When the current hits “it’s like a ball flying
into your head and you pass out,” said the man, who asked to be identified only
by his first name Andriy due to fear of reprisals. He said his captors
interrogated him about Ukraine’s military efforts, including the storage of
weapons and explosives, because they suspected him of having links to the
resistance movement. Andriy told Reuters he knew people who served in the
Ukrainian military and territorial defence forces but wasn’t a member himself.
One of the largest detention facilities in the region was an office building in
Kherson city, according to Ukrainian authorities. They say more than 30 people
are known to have been held in just one of the rooms in the warren-like basement
that was used for detention and torture during the Russian occupation. An
investigation to establish the total number of people held is ongoing,
authorities said. During a December visit to the building’s basement, the smell
of human excrement filled the air, bricked-up windows blocked the light and
lying visible were signs of what Ukrainian authorities say were tools of torture
by Russian forces such as metal pipes, plastic ties for ligatures and a wire
hanging from the ceiling allegedly used to administer electric shocks. Scratched
on the wall were notches, which authorities said were made by detainees possibly
to count the number of days held, as well as messages. One read: “For Her I
Live.” Another location in the city where people were allegedly interrogated and
tortured was a police building that locals have referred to as “the hole,”
according to Ukrainian authorities and more than half a dozen Kherson residents
Reuters spoke to.
Liudmyla Shumkova, 47, said she and her 53-year old sister were held captive at
the site, on No. 3 Energy Workers’ Street, for most of the more than fifty days
they spent in detention this summer. She said the Russians asked them about her
sister’s son because they believed he was involved in the resistance movement.
Shumkova, who works as a lawyer in the health sector, said about half a dozen
people packed into a cell with just a small window for light and as little food
as one meal a day. She said she wasn’t physically tortured but fellow detainees
were, including a female police officer she shared a cell with. Men received
particularly harsh torture, she said. “They screamed, it was constant, every
day. It could last for 2 or 3 hours.”
INVESTIGATION CONTINUES
Investigators continue to try to identify those responsible for the alleged war
crimes, including the possible role of senior military leadership. When asked
whether authorities had initiated criminal proceedings against alleged
perpetrators of torture, Belousov, the war crimes chief, said more than 70
people had been identified as suspects and 30 people had been indicted. Belousov,
who didn’t name the individuals, said most of the suspects are lower-ranking
military officials but some are "senior officers, in particular colonels and
lieutenant colonels” as well as senior figures in pro-Russian Luhansk and
Donetsk military-civilian administrations. Representatives of the pro-Russian
Luhansk People’s Republic and Donetsk People’s Republic didn’t respond to
questions about whether their forces were involved in unlawful detentions or
torture. The Kremlin and Russian defence ministry didn’t respond to questions
about alleged perpetrators.On a cold December day in the village of Bilozerka in
the Kherson region, war crimes investigators pored over a courthouse Ukrainian
authorities say was used by Russian forces to detain and torture individuals as
well as a nearby school that was turned into a barracks for around 300 Russian
soldiers. The now deserted school building, where walls were painted with the
“Z” symbol that has become an emblem of support for Russia in the war, was
littered with debris including gas masks and medical kits, Russian literature
and bullets fired into a brick wall. At the courthouse, a small team of
investigators dusted for fingerprints and collected DNA samples. In an adjacent
garage, they had placed numbered yellow markers to identify evidence. A desk
chair lay upturned and nearby lay plastic ties littered as well as a gas mask
attached to a tube and pouch for liquid, which two prosecutors said resembles
improvised torture devices allegedly used by occupying Russians to create a
sensation of drowning.
The Kremlin and Russian defence ministry didn’t respond to questions about
methods of alleged torture.
Factbox-Who is Russia's new war commander
Gerasimov and why was he appointed?
Reuters/Thu, January 12, 2023
President Vladimir Putin's defence minister has appointed Russia's most senior
general, Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov, 67, to lead its war in
Ukraine, the most dramatic in a series of senior command changes since Russia
invaded in February.
CRITICISM
Many of the nationalist war bloggers who have licence from the Kremlin to
criticise the conduct of the war have blamed Gerasimov for the fact that a
superpower military - supposedly modernised and expensively re-equipped in the
last 15 years - has failed so signally to subjugate its much smaller neighbour.
Critics in Ukraine, the West and even inside Russia cast the Russian armed
forces as naive, poorly prepared and equipped, slow to react, and riven by
disparate and often distant command structures. After the failure of an
unplanned mobilisation campaign to turn the tide in Russia's favour, rumours had
swirled for months that Gerasimov, largely invisible to the public, would be
sidelined. Both Yevgeny Prigozhin, founder of the Wagner Group contract militia,
and Ramzan Kadyrov, leader of the southern Russian republic of Chechnya, have
made thinly veiled criticisms of Gerasimov while demonstratively claiming
battlefield successes for their own, supposedly superior, semi-autonomous
forces. Supporters of the defence ministry say Russia often performs poorly at
the start of wars, and that many of the problems that have become apparent in
supply, technology and command over the past 10 months have been or are being
resolved.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR THE BATTLEFIELD?
The defence ministry said the seniority of the commander in charge of the
"special military operation" reflects the expansion of its scale and the need to
improve organisation and command. Gerasimov's deputies will be Army General
Sergei Surovikin, the previous theatre commander, appointed three months ago and
nicknamed "General Armageddon"; Army General Oleg Salyukov; and Deputy Chief of
the General Staff Colonel-General Alexei Kim. Igor Korotchenko, a hardline
military expert who is given generous space on state television, said Putin's
decision stemmed from Ukraine's receipt of longer-range heavy weapons from the
West and the prospect that it would soon receive Western armoured fighting
vehicles and possibly battle tanks. He said Gerasimov's arrival increased the
likelihood that Russia might use battlefield nuclear weapons in Ukraine: "The
appointment of Gerasimov means that all means of destruction in the arsenals of
the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation - without exception - can be
used."Shoigu vowed on Tuesday to build a deeper arsenal of weapons, bolster
aviation technology to better evade air defences and improve drone production.
WHAT ABOUT THE POLITICS?
By putting Gerasimov in direct command, Putin can send a signal to the West
about his determination to win the war, reinforce the standing of the army
relative to Prigozhin and Kadyrov's militias and, not least, make his top
general more accountable for the day-to-day conduct of the invasion. "Now the
General Staff is directly and uncompromisingly responsible for absolutely
everything," said Semyon Pegov, a Russian military blogger who uses the name
Wargonzo. "'General Armageddon' is still at the centre of decision-making, but
in a much less vulnerable position." Tatiana Stanovaya, founder of the R.Politik
analysis firm, was unconvinced that the change would make much difference. "Gerasimov
was handed command of the military operation because of Surovikin's serious
setbacks," she said. "Putin is looking for effective tactics against the
background of a 'creeping' defeat." "He is trying to reshuffle the pieces and is
therefore giving chances to those he finds persuasive. Today, Gerasimov turned
out to be persuasive. Tomorrow it could be anybody else."
WHO IS GERASIMOV?
Gerasimov was appointed chief of the general staff and deputy defence minister
by Putin on Nov. 9, 2012, three days after Putin's long-time ally Sergei Shoigu
was made defence minister. Each of the men holds one of the three nuclear
briefcases that can order a Russian nuclear strike. Gerasimov played key roles
in Russia's seizure of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and in Russia's game-changing
military support for President Bashar al-Assad in the Syrian Civil War. The U.S.
State Department sanctioned him the day after the invasion of Ukraine, saying he
was one of three senior Russians alongside Putin who were directly responsible
for the war. Nevertheless, Gerasimov sometimes speaks with U.S. Army General
Mark Milley, the chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff. Gerasimov was born
on Sept. 8, 1955, in Kazan, rising through the ranks from Russia's tank forces
to graduate in 1997 from the Military Academy of the General Staff.
Russian-installed official says Ukrainian 'resistance'
persists in Soledar
Reuters/January 12, 2023
A Russian-installed official in Ukraine's Donetsk region said on Thursday that
"pockets of resistance" remained in the Ukrainian town of Soledar, undermining
claims that the town had been taken by Russian forces. Yevgeniy Prigozhin, the
powerful head of the Wagner private military group whose soldiers are fighting
to capture the town, had said on Wednesday that Soledar was under the "complete
control" of Russian forces. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has
ridiculed those claims, and independent analysts say fighting is likely ongoing
in the town. "At the moment, there are still some small pockets of resistance in
Soledar," Andrei Bayevsky, a military figure and Russian-installed local
politician, said in an online broadcast. "Our guys continue to push the enemy in
these places. In general, the operation has been going well, and already the
western outskirts of Soledar are completely under our control," he added. The
Kremlin and Russian defence ministry have remained quiet on the situation around
the town. In its daily military briefing on Thursday, the Russian defence
ministry said only that offensive actions in the Donetsk region were continuing
"successfully", with no reference to Soledar.
A map displayed in the briefing showed Soledar straddling areas marked under
Russian control, but singled out no recent fighting or significant hits on
Ukrainian forces in the area. If Russian forces do manage to capture the town,
it would mark the first territorial advance in the conflict by Russia since last
July. Western military analysts also disputed Prigozhin's claims his forces had
taken the town. "Russian forces have not yet fully captured Soledar despite
recent Russian advances," analysts at the Institute for the Study of War wrote.
Germany’s Scholz Backs Joint EU Funding to Counter US Aid
Michael Nienaber and Alberto Nardelli/Bloomberg/January 12/2023
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and his Social Democrats will call for the
European Union to create new joint financing instruments to help member states
compete against increased US subsidies for green technology. Scholz’s Social
Democrats want to see a reform of the EU’s existing state-aid rules and more
funds to match the US green-aid push, according to a draft paper on European
industrial strategy seen by Bloomberg. A person with knowledge of his thinking
said the chancellor supports the proposals set out by his party and wants EU
leaders to endorse additional financing tools so that member states with tighter
budgets won’t be left behind in the green-subsidy race. Italian bonds extended
gains after the report, narrowing the yield spread over 10-year German bonds to
the lowest level since April at 181 basis points. The euro also moved higher,
rallying 0.4% to as much as $1.0776. The move comes amid growing skepticism in
Brussels and other European capitals that President Joe Biden’s administration
will make any meaningful changes to its $370 billion green-investment plan. The
bloc says the law unfairly discriminates against European companies and
threatens to lure green industries across the Atlantic.
“We need a European industrial investment initiative with a special focus on
future technologies, the expansion of renewable energies and the promotion of
industrial innovation,” the party says in the document, which was finalized
Monday and is due to be published this week.
To this end, the EU should reallocate unused funds from the post-pandemic
recovery fund and beef up its energy investment program in particular. In
addition, the SPD wants member states to use the upcoming review of the EU
budget to prioritize investment projects for the green transformation.
“Additional joint financing instruments should also be examined constructively,”
the draft strategy paper says — without specifying whether that would also
involve joint EU borrowing, a contentious issue for many Germans, who worry that
they will be on the hook for the uncontrolled spending of other countries.
Scholz was finance minister under his predecessor, Angela Merkel, in 2020 when
leaders sealed a historic agreement to issue joint debt to finance loans and
grants for the recovery fund. The SPD hinted that this time jointly backed loans
issued by the European Investment Bank could be an option for member states with
tight national budgets. “We want to strengthen the role of the European
Investment Bank,” the strategy paper says. “The EIB must be comprehensively
strengthened in terms of its organization and also be equipped with additional
instruments.”
Discussions on the subject among EU leaders are at a very early stage and it
will be difficult to forge a consensus given the resistance in some member
states with a tradition of fiscal prudence, the person close to Scholz said. Any
agreement will probably take several months but Scholz nevertheless believes
that there must be European financing in addition to ramping up national
subsidies, the person added. According to the SPD strategy paper, the suggested
steps should create a strong, common framework for European support that will
demonstrate solidarity to those member states that do not have sufficient
funding opportunities of their own. The SPD wants the EU to expand its subsidy
program for important European technology projects. Existing projects in the
areas of battery-cell production and green hydrogen should be deepened and given
more funding while new ones in other areas should be ramped up much faster and
with less bureaucracy, the paper says. EU leaders will meet in Brussels next
month to discuss its response to the US law, with some proposing a so-called Buy
European Act to help bolster domestic companies. The bloc has said it may file a
complaint against the US at the World Trade Organization, a prospect that could
undermine transatlantic unity in the midst of Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Nonetheless, Scholz and the SPD want the EU to deepen its trade relations with
the US as its most important trading partner and use talks at the EU-US trade
and technology council to lower or even abolish tariffs. “A first step could be
the resumption of negotiations for a European-American industrial tariff
agreement,” the paper says. In addition, the EU should sound out whether the US
is willing to start new negotiations for a broader agreement for a common
free-trade area.
--With assistance from Libby Cherry and Greg Ritchie.
Battle rages in Ukraine town; Russia shakes up
its military
Associated Press/January 12, 2023
The fate of a devastated salt-mining town in eastern Ukraine hung in the balance
Wednesday in one of the bloodiest battles of Russia's invasion, while Ukraine's
unflagging resistance and other challenges prompted Moscow to shake up its
military leadership again.
Russian forces used jets, mortars and rockets to bombard Soledar in an
unrelenting assault. Soledar's fall, while unlikely a
turning point in the nearly 11-month war, would be a prize for a Kremlin starved
of good battlefield news in recent months. It would also offer Russian troops a
springboard to conquer other areas of Donetsk province that remain under
Ukrainian control, such as the nearby strategic city of Bakhmut.
Donetsk and neighboring Luhansk province, which together make up the
Donbas region bordering Russia, were Moscow's main stated territorial targets in
invading Ukraine, but the fighting has settled mostly into a stalemate.
In an apparent recognition of battlefield setbacks, Russia's Defense
Ministry announced the demotion of the head of Russian forces in Ukraine after
only three months on the job. Russia's top military officer — the chief of the
military's General Staff, Gen. Valery Gerasimov — was named as the replacement
for Gen. Sergei Surovikin, who was demoted to deputy.
During his short time overseeing the troops in Ukraine, Surovikin was credited
with strengthening coordination, reinforcing control and introducing a campaign
to knock out Ukraine's public utilities as a pressure tactic. But he also
announced a humiliating withdrawal in November from Kherson, the only regional
center Russian forces had captured just weeks after the Kremlin illegally
annexed the area. His demotion signaled that Russian President Vladimir Putin
wasn't fully satisfied with his performance. Gerasimov,
meanwhile, was seen as the top architect of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and
critics have blamed him for Moscow's military setbacks.
Britain's Defense Ministry said putting Gerasimov in charge is "an
indicator of the increasing seriousness of the situation Russia is facing, and a
clear acknowledgement that the campaign is falling short of Russia's strategic
goals." It added in a tweet that Russian ultra-nationalists and military
bloggers critical of Gerasimov are likely to greet the news with "extreme
displeasure."
The Russian Defense Ministry's formal explanation was that expanded military
tasks and the need for "closer interaction between branches of the military as
well as increasing the quality of supplies and the efficiency of directing
groups of forces" prompted the leadership changes.
On the battlefield, a Ukrainian officer, near Soledar, told The Associated Press
the pattern is that first the Russians send one or two waves of soldiers, many
from the private Russian military contractor Wagner Group, who take heavy
casualties as they probe the Ukrainian defenses. When Ukrainian troops suffer
casualties and are exhausted, the Russians send a fresh wave of highly-trained
soldiers, paratroopers or special forces, said the Ukrainian officer, who
insisted on anonymity for security reasons. Ukrainian
officials denied Russian claims that Soledar had fallen but the Wagner Group's
owner repeated the assertion of a breakthrough late Wednesday.
"Once again I want to confirm the complete liberation and cleansing of
the territory of Soledar from units of the Ukrainian army," Yevgeny Prigozhin
wrote on his Russian social media platform. "Civilians were withdrawn. Ukrainian
units that did not want to surrender were destroyed." He claimed about 500
people were killed and that "the whole city is littered with the corpses of
Ukrainian soldiers."
Ukraine's military said late Wednesday Russian forces had suffered "huge losses"
in the Soledar fighting.
The AP was unable independently to verify either side's claims.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stopped short of declaring the municipality's
capture, telling reporters Russian forces had achieved "positive dynamics in
advancing" in Soledar. "Let's not rush, and wait for official statements," he
added. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy weighed
in Wednesday in his nightly video address: "Now the terrorist state and its
propagandists are trying to pretend that some part of our city of Soledar - a
city that was almost completely destroyed by the occupiers - is allegedly some
kind of Russia's achievement." He said Ukrainian forces in the area are holding
out against the Russians. Soledar, known for salt
mining and processing, has little intrinsic value but it lies at a strategic
point 10 kilometers (six miles) north of the city of Bakhmut, which Russian
forces want to surround. Taking Bakhmut would disrupt
Ukraine's supply lines and open a route for the Russians to press toward
Kramatorsk and Sloviansk, Ukrainian strongholds in Donetsk province.
Soledar's fall would make "holding Bakhmut much more precarious for
Ukraine," Michael Kofman, the director of Russia Studies at the CAN nonprofit
research group in Arlington, Virginia, noted.
The war of attrition, with heavy casualties, may make a Russian victory as
deadly as a defeat.
"I don't think the outcome at Bakhmut is that significant compared to what it
costs Russia to achieve it," Kofman said in a tweet.
The Wagner Group, which now reportedly includes a large contingent of convicts
recruited in Russian prisons and constitutes up to a quarter of all Russian
combatants in Ukraine, has spearheaded the attack on Soledar and Bakhmut.
Delivering victory in Soledar and Bakhmut after months of Russian
frontline difficulties would help Prigozhin, who has criticized Gerasimov,
increase his clout in what has emerged as somewhat of a rivalry with Russia's
military leadership. Russian troops have struggled to
gain control over Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and another Ukrainian province the
Kremlin illegally annexed in September, after incorporating the Crimean
Peninsula in 2014. When Russian forces withdrew from Kherson, the battle heated
up around Bakhmut. Putin identified the Donbas region
as a focus from the war's outset, and Moscow-backed separatists have fought
there since 2014. Russia captured almost all of Luhansk during the summer.
Donetsk escaped the same fate, and the Russian military subsequently poured
manpower and resources around Bakhmut.
The Institute for the Study of War said Russian forces were up against
"concerted Ukrainian resistance" around Bakhmut. "The
reality of block-by-block control of terrain in Soledar is obfuscated by the
dynamic nature of urban combat ... and Russian forces have largely struggled to
make significant tactical gains in the Soledar area for months," the
Washington-based think tank said. An exceptional
feature of the fighting near Bakhmut is that some has taken place around
entrances to disused salt mine tunnels, which run for some 200 kilometers (120
miles), according to Western intelligence reports.
In other developments:
— Putin claimed Wednesday that Russia had successfully resisted Western
pressure, especially sanctions, over its invasion of Ukraine and vowed that his
country has enough resources to beef up its military while continuing social
programs. "Nothing of what our enemies forecast has happened," Putin said in a
video call with his Cabinet. "We will strengthen our defense capability and will
undoubtedly solve all issues related to supplies to military units involved in
the special military operation," he said, using the Kremlin's euphemism for the
war. Reports have circulated that Russia is struggling to produce enough
weapons, equipment and clothing for its troops battling in Ukraine.
— Polish President Andrzej Duda said his country is willing to send
German-made Leopard tanks to help Ukraine as part of a larger international
coalition. Duda spoke after meeting in Lviv with Zelenskyy, who said Ukraine
needs tanks to win the war. In Britain, another staunch Ukraine ally, Prime
Minister Rishi Sunak's spokesman said no final decision has been made whether to
send tanks. — The Russian and Ukrainian human rights
commissioners agreed to swap more than 40 military prisoners, Turkey's state-run
Anadolu Agency reported. The two warring parties have exchanged prisoners
multiple times, in one of the few areas of cooperation. Turkish President Recep
Tayyip Erdoğan said his country has proposed establishing a corridor to bring
the wounded to Turkey. "This is our humanitarian duty, our duty of conscience,"
he said.
Israeli forces kill three Palestinians in West
Bank operations
AFP/January 12, 2023
QALANDIA, Palestinian Territories: Israeli forces killed three Palestinians in
two separate incidents in the occupied West Bank Thursday, the Palestinian
health ministry said, as the army reported opening fire on fleeing suspects and
troops being pelted with rocks during raids.
The uptick in West Bank violence continued the trend of 2022, which was the
deadliest since UN records began in 2005. Fears of a military escalation in the
territory have been sparked by the inauguration in late December of the most
right-wing government in Israel’s history, led by Benjamin Netanyahu. The
Palestinian health ministry said that Habib Kamil, 25, and Abdulhadi Nazal, 18,
were killed by live Israeli bullets in the town of Qabatiya near the northern
West Bank city of Jenin. The Israeli army said that during a raid to arrest a
suspect in Qabatiya, “the wanted suspect and an additional suspect fled the
scene.”“The forces fired toward them. The wanted suspect was apprehended and a
hit on the additional suspect was identified,” the army said in a statement. In
an ensuing gunfight and clashes, Israeli soldiers shot two other Palestinians,
the statement said.
The West Bank, occupied by Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War, is home to about 2.9
million Palestinians. An estimated 475,000 Jewish settlers now also live in West
Bank communities considered illegal under international law. Earlier in the day,
the Palestinian health ministry announced that 41-year-old Samir Aouni Harbi
Aslan was killed “by a bullet of the Israeli occupation army” in Qalandia
refugee camp, near Ramallah. The Israeli military said troops had fired on
people who “hurled rocks and blocks from the rooftops aiming at soldiers
operating beneath.”Eighteen people were arrested in raids overnight
Wednesday-Thursday across the West Bank, the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club
advocacy group said. Azzam Abdel Qader, who witnessed the raid, said Aslan was
shot on the balcony of his home as his son was being detained. “He shouted at
the soldiers and said to his son: ‘Don’t be afraid’,” Qader told AFP. “After
that, stones were being thrown at the occupation soldiers in the neighborhood,
so the soldiers started shooting randomly.”Mourners gathered in Qalandia for the
funeral of Aslan, the third Palestinian killed in the West Bank in 24 hours. The
Qabatia deaths bring the number of Palestinians killed by Israeli fire since the
start of the year to nine. On Wednesday, an Israeli civilian shot dead a
19-year-old Palestinian who had knifed an Israeli near a settlement in the
southern West Bank. The incident followed Israeli troops killing a Palestinian
militant in a firefight during an incursion by the forces into the northern city
of Nablus. His funeral on Thursday drew hundreds of mourners, who gathered in
the city hours after another incursion by Israeli forces. Two Palestinian
journalists were among those wounded during the raid.The military said Israeli
forces shot at people when the troops came under fire while arresting a
Palestinian. A surge in bloodshed last year saw at least 26 Israelis and 200
Palestinians killed across Israel and the West Bank, according to an AFP tally.
More than 150 of the fatalities were in the West Bank, according to United
Nations figures. After a series of attacks that began in March and targeted
Israelis, the army stepped up raids in Jenin and Nablus, bastions of armed
Palestinian factions in the West Bank.
Turkish foreign minister says he could meet Syrian
counterpart in early February
ISTANBUL/Reuters/Thu, January 12, 2023
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Thursday that he could meet
his Syrian counterpart Faisal Mekdad early in February, rejecting reports that
the two could meet next week. Such a meeting would mark the highest-level talks
between Ankara and Damascus since the Syrian war began in 2011 and signal a
further thaw in ties. NATO member Turkey has played a major part in the
conflict, backing President Bashar al-Assad's opponents and sending troops into
the north. Moscow is Assad's main ally and Russian President Vladimir Putin has
urged reconciliation with Ankara. Speaking on a live broadcast, Cavusoglu said
there was no set date for the meeting but it would held "as soon as possible." A
senior Turkish official told Reuters on Wednesday a meeting could be scheduled
before the middle of next week, but Cavusoglu said it would not happen that
soon. "We have said before that there were some propositions for a date for next
week but that they did not suit us ... It could be at the beginning of February,
we are working on a date," he said. The Turkish and Syrian defence ministers
held landmark talks in Moscow last month to discuss border security and other
issues. Last week, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said he may meet Assad after
a trilateral foreign ministers meeting. The conflict in Syria, which has killed
hundreds of thousands of people, displaced millions and drawn in regional and
world powers, has ground on into a second decade, although fighting has cooled.
With backing from Russia and Iran, Assad's government has recovered most Syrian
territory. Turkish-backed opposition fighters still control a pocket in the
northwest, and Kurdish fighters backed by the United States also control
territory near the Turkish border. Washington does not support countries
re-establishing ties with Assad. It has partnered with the Kurdish-led Syrian
Democratic Forces, which includes the YPG militia, in fighting Islamic State in
Syria.
Macron Says Won’t Apologize to Algeria for
Colonization
Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 12 January, 2023
President Emmanuel Macron has said he will not "ask forgiveness" from Algeria
for French colonization but hopes to continue working towards reconciliation
with his counterpart Abdelmajid Tebboune. "It's not up to me to ask forgiveness,
that's not what this is about, that word would break all of our ties," he said
in an interview for Le Point magazine published late Wednesday. "The worst thing
would be to decide: 'we apologize and each go our own way'," Macron said. "Work
on memory and history isn't a settling of all accounts," he added. But in the
interview, he also expressed hope that Tebboune "will be able to come to France
in 2023", to return Macron's own trip to Algiers last year and continue their
"unprecedented work of friendship". France's 100-year colonization of Algeria
and the viciously fought 1954-62 war for independence have left deep scars on
both sides, which Macron has by turns prodded and soothed over his political
career. In 2017, then-presidential candidate Macron dubbed the French occupation
a "crime against humanity". A report he commissioned from historian Benjamin
Stora recommended in 2020 further moves to reconcile the two countries, while
ruling out "repentance" and "apologies". Macron has also questioned whether
Algeria existed as a nation before being colonized by France, drawing an angry
response from Algiers. "These moments of tension teach us," Macron told the
Algerian writer Kamel Daoud in the interview. "You have to be able to reach out
your hand again and engage, which President Tebboune and I have been able to
do," he added. He backed a suggestion for Tebboune to visit the graves of
Algerian 19th-century anti-colonial hero Abdelkader and his entourage, who are
buried in Amboise in central France. "That would make sense for the history of
the Algerian people. For the French people, it would be an opportunity to
understand realities that are often hidden," Macron said. Algeria and France
maintain enduring ties through immigration, involvement in the independence
conflict and post-war repatriations of French settlers, touching more than 10
million people living in France today.
The Latest LCCC English analysis &
editorials from miscellaneous sources published
on January 12-13/2023
It is time for the EU to get tough on
Iran
Ray Hanania/Arab News/January 12, 2023
A group of former European Parliament members this week participated in a panel
discussion regarding the failure of the EU to take tough action in response to
Iran’s brutal oppression of protesters. The protests began in September
following the killing of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman, after she was
arrested by Iran’s so-called morality police for failing to properly wear a
hijab while in public. Protesters believe she was tortured. During the past four
months, more than 500 protesters have been killed. Yet, despite the brutality of
the Iranian regime, the protests continue to spread throughout the country and
grow in strength. Surprisingly, the EU, along with most of the world, has done
little more than express outrage and support long-standing sanctions that have
failed to encourage the Iranian mullahs to end their oppressive policies and
actions. But many diplomats and leaders in Europe believe their countries can
and must do more.
One answer is for European nations to escalate their rhetoric and take serious
action, such as by closing down Iran’s embassies and consulate offices in their
countries and expelling all of their diplomats. Activists and former EU
diplomats also argued during a recent press conference in Brussels that all
nations, including those in the EU, should close their own embassies that are
located in Iran. It is estimated that Iran has 101 embassies and 34 consulate
missions around the world. And there are more than 75 foreign embassies and 16
consulates inside Iran.
Empty words of support for the protesters are doing nothing to discourage the
oppression or encourage democracy
People are being murdered by Iran without consequence. The international
condemnation and the empty words of support for the protesters are doing nothing
to discourage the oppression or encourage democracy. Iran under this regime is a
terrorist state. The US designated Iran a state sponsor of terrorism in 1984. In
2019, Washington toughened its designation by specifically identifying the
country’s elite military unit, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, as a
foreign terrorist organization. So why does the US allow this terrorist nation
to have a diplomatic presence in its capital? While it does not have an embassy,
Iran maintains an Interests Section in the Pakistani Embassy. Many Arab
countries — despite Iran’s assault on the Arab and Muslim worlds over the years
— also host full Iranian embassies. There are even more in Europe and the West.
And there are many in South America and Central America too.
How is it that a state sponsor of terrorism, which fuels conflict throughout the
Gulf, the Arab world, Europe and the West, can maintain an official presence in
the countries in which it has engaged in violence?
Closing the embassies would be painful to many wealthy Iranian citizens. But it
would be a short-term action if the ban were implemented across the board. All
of the Iranian embassy properties should be turned over to the opposition
People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran as a demonstration of the world’s
commitment to demanding that Iran implement democracy and end its violence
against citizens, particularly women. The protests sweeping through Iran are a
true revolution that are being led by the country’s women, who are demanding
freedom from oppression. They are risking their lives every day by protesting
and speaking out against Iran’s oppression and its violations of their civil and
human rights. They have been joined by citizens from every profession and they
need our real support, not lip service. Weakening Iran would undermine its
terrorist network, which operates in countries around the world. It would make
the world a safer place. And it would undermine Iran’s influence in other
conflict zones, where it has been using drones to attack civilian and government
targets in countries like Saudi Arabia and Ukraine.
No one seems to waste any time speaking about the effort to return to the Joint
Comprehensive Plan of Action nuclear deal. Those negotiations have been a joke;
a tactic by Iran to delay any effort to curtail its campaign to build a nuclear
weapon. Once Iran has a nuclear weapon, all hope of bringing the regime to its
knees will evaporate. It is not enough to talk. Talking only gives Iran’s regime
more time to achieve its nuclear goals. Something must be done. We need to
listen to the voices of reason, support the protesters in a real way and give
some bite to our words condemning Iran’s terrorist actions.
**Ray Hanania is an award-winning former Chicago City Hall political reporter
and columnist. He can be reached on his personal website at www.Hanania.com.
Twitter: @RayHanania
The Execution Of Kurds By The Islamic Republic Of
Iran
Himdad Mustafa/MEMRI Daily Brief No. 447/January 12/2023
https://www.memri.org/reports/execution-kurds-islamic-republic-iran
Over the past decade, tensions between the Iranian central government and its
Kurdish minority have been rising, as economic inequality and cultural and
ethnic oppression grew. In particular, since the beginning of the 2022 uprising
against the Islamic Republic, which spread from Kurdistan to all over Iran after
the killing of the 22-year-old Kurdish girl, Jina (Mahsa) Amini, the Iranian
regime has escalated its repression against the Kurdish minority.
"Jîna giyan, to namirî, nawit ebête remiz" ("Jina, my soul. You will not die.
Your name will become a symbol"), these are the Kurdish words engraved on Jina
Amini's gravestone by her family, a few days before she became the national
symbol of the revolution against the Islamic Republic of Iran. (Source: See
MEMRI Daily Brief No. 425, 40 Days Without Jina – The Revolution Continues In
Her Name, October 26, 2022)
Khomeini's "Firman" Against Kurds Still Haunts Them After 43 Years
Hoping to achieve greater autonomy under the rule of Ayatollah Ruhollah
Khomeini, Kurds initially supported the 1979 Revolution, as many other Iranians
did. However, they soon revolted against the new regime as their demands for
basic human and ethnic rights were rejected.
In August 1979, Khomeini issued a firman ("order"), authorizing the massacre of
the Kurdish people, whom Khomeini called koffar ("unbelievers").[1] A military
campaign to exert control over the Kurdish region between 1979-1983 resulted in
almost 10,000 deaths (almost 1,200 of them were political prisoners and were
executed). Entire Kurdish towns and villages were shuttered to the ground to
force Kurds into submission. Furthermore, the Kurdish language and Kurdish
political parties – which Khomeini called "parties of Satan" – were banned.
It is worth noting that, in those years, Ayatollah Sadeq Khalkhali, who was
appointed by Khomeini as the Head of the Islamic Revolutionary Court and was
known for his public hatred of the Kurds, became known as the "Hanging Judge"
because of his usage of summary and mass executions to crush the Kurdish
uprising against the Islamic Republic.[2]
In addition, in 1980, Qassem Soleimani, who at the time was just 23 years old,
was given the command of a volunteer force from his home province of Kerman,
which became the 41st Tharallah Division of the IRGC. This newly formed division
was deployed to Iran's Kurdistan province. It was here that Soleimani gained
first-hand war experience and rose to prominence for his role in quelling the
Kurdish uprising.
Khomeini's firman still has repercussions on how the Iranian central government
deals with Kurdistan. Over the past four decades, Kurdish people in Iran have
faced intersectional discrimination, and they have been oppressed for both their
religious (the majority of Iran's Kurds are Sunni) and ethnic backgrounds.
A report by Iran Human Rights (IHR) stated: "The absolute majority of those
executed for their political affiliation belong to ethnic minority groups, and
in particular to the Kurdish minority. An overview of IHRNGO reports between
2010 and 2021 shows that among the 137 people who were executed for affiliation
to banned political and militant groups, there were 70 Kurds (51%), 38 Baluch
(28%) and 21 Arabs (15%). Furthermore, most of those executed from these groups
were Sunni Muslims."[3]
The Norway-based Hengaw Organization for Human Rights also reported: "According
to Amnesty International's annual report on executions in 2021, with the
exception of China, where the number of executions is unknown, at least 597
prisoners have been executed in 17 other countries. Comparing the statistics of
this organization with the statistics recorded in the Statistics Center of
Hengaw Human Rights Organization, it can be said that more than 8.2% of all
executions in the world last year were Kurdish citizens in Iran... According to
statistics previously published by Hengaw Human Rights Organization, in 2021, at
least 48 Kurdish prisoners were executed in the prisons in Iran, which compared
to Amnesty International statistics, shows that... 15.3% of all executions in
Iran were Kurdish citizens."[4]
Concerning the year 2022, the Hengaw organization stated: "At least 52 Kurdish
citizens were executed and more than 2,212 people were arrested, 155 of whom
were tried and sentenced to death, imprisonment, and flogging."[5]
The Execution Of Six Kurds In The Beginning Of 2023
In the first days of 2023, the Islamic Republic executed several Kurdish
prisoners, after being tried in sham trials with forced confessions.
On January 4, the following Kurdish detainees were hanged at dawn: Farhad Karimi,
from Paveh, charged with "premeditated murder," was executed in Kermanshah; and
Saadullah Karimi Sirini, 42 years old, from Kermanshah, charged with
"premeditated murder" (no photos of Karimi Sirini were available online).
On January 5, the following Kurdish detainee was hanged in the morning: Rostam
Abbaszadeh, 45 years old, married with children, from Selmas, charged with drug
possession, executed in the Ghezel Hesar prison of Karaj.
On January 9, the following Kurdish detainees were hanged at dawn: Rashid
Lawandpour, from Urmia, his charges were related to "narcotics," was executed in
the Rajaei Shahr prison in Karaj; and Khaleq Khizirzadeh, 32 years old, from
Piranshahr, his charges were related to "narcotics," was executed in Bandar
Abbas, on the southern coast of Iran, almost 2,000 kilometers away from his
hometown and family.
On January 10, the following Kurdish detainee was hanged in the morning: Peyman
Arab Gicheh, from Urmia. His charges were related to "narcotics" and he was
executed in the central penitentiary of Karaj.
The above-mentioned detainees had been arrested in the past few years. Some of
them were charged with "deliberate murder," and others with "drug possession"
without having a fair trial.[6] The Hengaw Organization for Human Rights wrote:
"An informed source says that Farhad Karimi was apprehended and given a death
sentence three years ago... for a murder that he did not commit."[7] The
organization also reported that the news of Rashid Lawanpour and Khaleq
Khizirzadeh's executions was not announced in the official media of the Iranian
judiciary.[8]
The execution of the detainees took place while the prison authorities had
deprived them of the last meeting with their families.[9] In the case of Rostam
Abbaszadeh, on January 4, the head of the prison lied to his family members
telling them that he got a "stay of execution," but he was hanged the next day
at dawn.[10] It is worth noting that Rostam Abbaszadeh was arrested along with
Mehdi Asgari, a 32-year-old father of two from Tehran who was also hanged on
January 5 in the Ghezel Hesar prison of Karaj. The two prisoners were charged
with drug possession.
*Update: On January 11, 2023, at dawn, two Kurdish citizens, 40-year-old Azad
Dadvand from Sardshat and 42-year-old Kaiwan Amini Tawakeol from Baneh, were
executed in Arak Central Prison after having been charged with drug-related
crimes. Hengaw reported that along with these two detainees, three other men
whose identities have not been confirmed have also been sentenced to death for
drug-related crimes.
Executions Of Seyed Mohammad Hosseini And Mohammad Mehdi Karami
On January 7, 2023, Iran hanged Seyed Mohammad Hosseini, a 39-year-old volunteer
children's coach, and Mohammad Mehdi Karami, a 22-year-old Kurdish karate
champion, for having participated in the uprising against the Islamic Republic.
They were both sentenced to death by hanging for their alleged involvement in
the killing of Basij member Ruhollah Ajamian, who died during a demonstration
against the regime on November 3, 2022, in Karaj. November 3 was the 40th day of
mourning for Hadith Najafi, a 22-year-old woman who was killed by the regime.
Fifteen people were tried for Ajamian's death (though the Shargh daily reported
that they were 16). They were sentenced to death along with Dr. Hamid
Ghare-Hassanlou, Hossein Mohammadi, and Reza Aria. Dr. Ghare-Hassanlou' wife,
Farzaneh, and three minors – Mehdi Shokrollahi, Arian Farzamnia, and Amir-Mehdi
Jafari – received lengthy prison terms.[11] On January 3, the Iranian media
reported that Amir Hashemi, the Supreme Court's public relations director,
informed on Twitter that based on the court's decision, the death sentences for
Hamid Ghare-Hassanlou, Hossein Mohammadi and Reza Aria "were being revoked due
to a flaw in the investigation."[12]
Mohammad Hosseini
Some Kurdish media outlets suggest that Seyed Mohammad Hosseini's ethnicity was
Kurdish.[13] However, there is no information about his ethnic background, as
his parents died years ago and his brother is being detained in jail. Therefore,
there was no one that could talk about him and follow up on his condition.[14]
Some users of social networks said that he was a poultry worker and used to
travel between Qazvin and Karaj every day for his livelihood, besides being a
volunteer children's coach.[15]
"The story of Seyed Mohammad Hosseini is so sad. He lost both his parents. He
visited their graves every Thursday. He coaches kids for free," German
politician Ye-One Rhie, who advocated his case, wrote on Twitter. She said that
Hosseini was arrested on his way to visit his parents' graves, located in the
cemetery in the Behesht Sakineh area of Karaj, where Basij member Ruhollah
Ajamian was killed.[16]
Seyed Mohammad Hosseini was charged with Ifsad fi al-Arz ("corruption on
earth"). Concerning the trial, Ali Sharifzadeh Ardakani, Hosseini's lawyer,
tweeted: "I met with Seyed Mohammad Hosseini at Karaj Prison. He cried through
his account of tortures, being beaten with tied hands and legs and blindfolded,
to being kicked in the head and losing consciousness, the soles of his feet
being beaten with an iron rod to being tased in different parts of the body." He
then added: "There is no legal validity to the confessions of a man who has been
tortured."[17]
It is worth noting that Ali Sharifzadeh Ardakani was not allowed to represent
Hosseini in the process of appeals of the death sentence. "This is a gross
violation of the rights of a person sentenced to death," he tweeted on December
15. [18]
After being executed, Mohammad Hosseini had no immediate family to receive his
body. He was buried next to Mohammad Mehdi Karami's grave in Eshtehard, Alborz.
Mehdi's family attended Hosseini's grave, lit candles and placed flowers in his
memory.[19]
Mohammad Mehdi Karami
Mohammad Mehdi Karami, a 22-year-old Kurdish-Iranian karate champion from Bijar,
in the Kurdistan province, and a resident of Nazarabad, Karaj city. He was
charged with Ifsad fi al-Arz ("corruption on earth"). Media reported that Karami
told his family he has been under "severe physical, sexual, and psychological
torture." Iran International also said that regime agents sexually harassed him
during detention and "threatened to rape him while touching his genitals."[20]
Furthermore, the 1500 Tasvir Twitter account, which is run by activists,
reported that, at the time of his arrest, "he was beaten so badly that he was
unconscious, and the government forces thought he was dead and threw his body
around the Nazarabad court, but when they left, it was discovered that he was
still alive."[21]
Mohammad Mehdi Karami (Source: Twitter)
Karami with his family dancing to Kurdish music (See the full video on Twitter)
Karami was denied the right to access his lawyer during detention and even
during the court session. It was reported that Karami told his father: "Dad,
they have issued the verdicts. My sentence is death... Do not tell mom
anything."[22]
The parents tried to plead with the judiciary in order to spare their son's
life. "I am Mashallah Karami, father of Mohammad Mehdi Karami," said the father
in a video that circulated on social media, along with his wife. "I respectfully
ask the judiciary, I beg you please, I ask you... to remove the death penalty
from my son's case." However, on January 7, 2023, Karami was executed by
hanging.[23]
Karami's parents (See the full video on Twitter)
Karami's father at his son's grave. (See full video on Twitter)
Karami's father at his son's grave. The funeral's ritual may suggest that Karami
was a follower of the Yarsani religion (Source: Twitter)
Kurdish Rapper Tried To Commit Suicide In Prison
Saman Teimur Seydi, also known as Saman Yasin, is a 24-year-old Kurdish-Iranian
rapper, songwriter, and composer from Kermashan who lives in Tehran with his
family. Yasin was not arrested at the scene of protests; he was violently
abducted by regime security forces at the home of a friend in Tehran at 4 or 5
am on October 2, 2022, three days after his birthday. He was taken to
Fashafouyeh Prison, also known as The Greater Tehran Central Penitentiary, and
then transferred to Tehran's notorious Evin Prison on October 10.
His whereabouts were not known to his family until televised court proceedings
aired on October 29, nearly a month after his arrest. On November 9, Yasin went
on hunger strike to protest being denied access to his family and the
uncertainty of his situation in Evin. On the second day of his hunger strike,
the Security Prosecutor's Office based in Tehran's Evin Prison contacted his
family and they managed to meet with him. On November 24, 2022, he met with his
family again, for the last time since his arrest. In late November, Yasin was
transferred to Rajaei Shahr Prison in the city of Karaj.
Human rights groups say Yasin was tortured in detention to extract a confession.
According to Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN), "Saman Yasin has been
subjected to severe physical and mental torture to make a televised confession.
Being kept in a very cold place for three days, severely beaten, and thrown from
a height are among the tortures that this Kurdish artist endured during this
period. Reportedly, as a result of this torture, he was forced to make a
confession on TV."
On October 29, Iranian state news agencies reported that a court hearing had
been held for several arrested protesters, among them Saman Yasin, at the 15th
branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Court, presided over by Abolqasem Salavati
and without any family members or attorneys present. On the same day, a video of
Yasin's forced confession was released by state media.
During the hearing, Salavati accused Yasin of attempting to kill security forces
members, alleging that he appears in a video firing a gun three times into the
air. Salavati, known as the "Execution Judge" and "Judge of Death" because he
has sentenced hundreds to death at Evin prison, further accused Yasin of
damaging public property, singing antirevolutionary songs, and supporting the
"riots."
Mizan News Agency, the official media outlet of the Iranian judiciary, announced
on October 29 that Saman Seydi (Yasin) had been charged with moharebeh ("war
against God") and "assembly and collusion with the intention of acting against
the security of the country."
Although the news of Yasin's death sentence was published by news agencies and
human rights organizations, it has not been officially announced by Iranian
state media due to the sensitivity of this case – that is, his Kurdish
background. The regime fears that a public announcement of his death sentence
would only spark more anti-regime protests in Iranian Kurdistan.
However, on December 8, Hengaw Organization for Human Rights reported that Yasin
had been sentenced to death by Branch 15 of the Islamic Revolutionary Court in
Tehran and that the sentence had been officially announced to the family. It
added that Yasin's sudden transfer from Evin to Rajaei Shahr Prison and the
possibility of his imminent execution have caused his family concern.
On December 20, Yasin attempted to commit suicide by taking pills due to his
harsh detention conditions in prison in Karaj; he was taken to the hospital to
have his stomach pumped, regained consciousness, and was returned to prison (See
MEMRI Inquiry & Analysis Series No. 1673, In Iran, Kurdish Rapper Sentenced To
Death Based On False Evidence, December 20, 2022).[24]
On December 24, the media reported that Yasin's appeal against his death
sentence was accepted. He is now waiting for a retrial. Meanwhile, the Kurdistan
Human Rights Network reported that he is suffering from a breathing disorder,
caused by torture. "During the interrogation in Ward 241 of Tehran's Evin
Prison, Saman was tortured to make forced confessions. During an interrogation
session, one of the interrogators inserted a pen into his nose, causing a tear
in Saman's left nasal cavity," a source said. Since about a month ago, Yasin has
been suffering from nosebleeds and a breathing disorder that worsens at night.
Nevertheless, Iranian authorities "have refused to send him to a hospital
outside the prison for a check-up and to receive treatment."[25]
The appeal of another protester, Mohammed Ghobadlou, was rejected.[26] Ghobadlou,
along with another protester, Mohammad Boroughani, are at imminent risk of
execution.[27]
Saman Yasin (Source: Twitter)
Six Kurdish Protesters Sentenced To Death In Oshnavieh For Waging "War Against
God"
Farzad Tahazade and Farhad Tahazade, two Kurdish brothers from Oshnavieh, West
Azerbaijan Province, were detained by security forces respectively on September
25 and November 13 over participation in the protests. Both were charged with
moharebeh ("war against God") and were sentenced to death by the Revolutionary
Court of Urmia.[28]
Farzad Tahazade and Farhad Tahazade (Source: Twitter)
Kurdistan Equality Party (KYK), a Kurdish-Iranian political party, said in a
statement that the sentence was handed down without trial by Judge Qazi Ali
Sheiklo at the Branch 2 of Revolutionary Court of Urmia.
Shahla Peighami, the mother of the two brothers, made a plea to save her sons in
a video on December 14. "For the love of God, get to the aid of my sons, they
are both innocent. They have been sentenced without a trial without any
evidence, they have been tortured, my sons are young and their children are
awaiting them," she said.[29]
After the video was shared on social media, Peighami was called in for
interrogations to pressure her to stop sounding the alarm on her children's
cases.[30]
(Source: Kolbarnews)
Shahla Peighami, the mother of Farzad and Farhad Tahazade, made a plea to save
her sons. (See the full video on Twitter)
France politician, Sophie Taillé-Polian, and a member of German parliament,
Hakan Demir, have assumed the political sponsorship of Farzad and Farhad, whose
executions may be imminent. Demir urged the Iranian ambassador to Germany to
stop the execution, saying that "the two brothers shall not be executed."[31]
Taillé-Polian wrote in tweet in December: "The international community must
break its silence, the French government must act firmly. I carry the voice of
the brothers Farzad and Farhad Tahazadeh condemned to death for participating in
protests."[32]
On December 14, Hana Human Rights Organization reported that the Revolutionary
Court in Urmia issued death sentences to four more protesters from Oshnavieh
city, who were detained during the nationwide protests.[33]
The names of the four citizens facing execution for moharebeh ("war against
God") are: Karvan Shahiparvaneh, 23 years old; Hajar Hamidi, 35 years old;
Shahram Maarouf Molla, 22 years old; and Reza Islamdoost, 24 years old (no photo
of Islamdoost are available online).
Karvan Shahiparvaneh (Source: Twitter)
Hajar Hamidi (Source: Twitter)
Shahram Maarouf Molla (Source: Twitter)
It is worth noting that the Judiciary chief of Iran's West Azerbaijan province
keeps refuting "claims that six protestors from Oshanvieh had been sentenced to
death."[34] However, according to Hengaw Organization For Human Rights, the
court-appointed attorney for Farhad Tahazade and Farzad Tahazade has told their
mother that the death sentence for their sons was confirmed.[35] Firat News
Agency reported that the death sentence was issued for these six Kurdish
prisoners in their absence. It also remains unknown where they were transferred
from the Urmia Prison. Uncertainty about their condition has caused suspicion
that they will soon be executed.[36]
Four Kurdish Political Prisoners May Have Been Already Executed
On July 23, 2022, while doing political activism in Urmia, four members of the
secular and social democratic Komala Party of Iranian Kurdistan,[37] were
arrested by the forces of the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence, accusing them of
being linked to the Mossad. They were charged with "espionage" against the
Islamic Republic. Their names are: Pejman Fatihi, 28 years old, from Kamiyaran;
Vafa Azarbar, 27 years old, from Bukan; Mohsen Mazloom, 28 years old, from
Mahabad; and Mohammad Hazhir Faramarzi, 28 years old, from Dehgolan.
(Source: Hengaw Organization for Human Rights)
News agencies affiliated with the government said: "These individuals (Mossad-linked
agents) had identified a sensitive center in Esfahan [home to Iran's largest
multi-purpose nuclear research complex], planted strong explosives there, and
only a few hours were left until the explosion," when they were arrested.[38]
London-based media outlet Iran International reported: "[The Islamic Republic's
intelligence] ministry alleged that they were directly chosen by the [Komala's
leader] Abdullah Mohtadi and were introduced to the Mossad, adding that they had
transferred vast amounts of equipment and explosives to Iran through Iraq's
autonomous Kurdistan region." [39]
However, the accusation that they were in Esfahan is contradicted by the fact
that they were detained in the village of Yengejeh in the Soma and Bradost of
Urmia, in northwestern Iran.[40]
A family member of one of the detainees also said in an interview with Kurdistan
Human Rights Network (KHRN): "Contrary to the claims of the Ministry of
Intelligence, these people were sent to Urmia only to carry out organizational
and political work and did not have any weapons with them."[41]
Hengaw Organization For Human Rights wrote that the Islamic Republic of Iran
Broadcasting (IRIB) aired the four political prisoners' "forced confession" for
the second time on December 5, 2022, in which it is evident that the four Komala
members were severely tortured. "The signs of harsh torture are clearly visible
in the video of these citizens' forced confessions, and this issue highlights
the precarious circumstances of their detention," Hengaw wrote.[42]
In December 2022, the young wife of Mohsen Mazloom, Joanna Taimasi, published a
video stating: "More than four months have passed since my husband and his three
friends were arrested, and despite the frequent appeals of families and their
lawyers... the Iranian regime has not given any response to their families and
even threatened and interrogated them. After 80 days of not knowing the
whereabouts and physical health [of the four political prisoners], forced
confessions were aired by the regime media... Mohsen, Pejman, Vafa and Mohammad
have been in the most difficult situation for more than four months.
"The physical and mental torture of these four Kurdish political prisoners can
be clearly seen in their forced confessions... Please help these four Kurdish
political prisoners and do not let the Islamic Republic dictatorship that
silently issues unfair sentences for loved ones in courts. I demand a fair trial
for my husband and his three friends in the presence of their families and an
independent lawyer. Please, be our voice."[43]
(See the full video on Twitter)
Mohsen Mazloom and his wife Joanna Taimasi (Source: Twitter)
The Komala party said that "the Islamic Republic raises such false accusations,
in order to use them as a pretext for further crackdown on the Kurdish minority
and as part of propaganda against the Iranian people's righteous struggles."[44]
In a statement, the Kurdistan Human Rights Network said: "The security agencies
of the Islamic Republic of Iran have repeated fictitious scenarios by attempting
to link the detained Komala members to Israel's Mossad, raising concerns about
their fate."[45]
The Campaign to Free Political Prisoners in Iran (CFPPI) also wrote: "On July
27, the Ministry of Intelligence of the Islamic regime made a bogus claim that
these four activists are members of a 'terrorist team sent to Iran by the
Israeli intelligence organization, Mossad, to carry out explosions and sabotage.
This type of fabricating cases against political prisoners is very common and
often used by the Islamic regime to arrest and execute political activists.
"The bogus charge of 'Cooperating and Communication with Israel' ... carries the
punishment of the death penalty. The regime in Iran, intentionally, links these
activists to Mossad by creating these baseless cases against them...
"These four political activists are not allowed to contact their families and
the families do not know of their situations or their whereabouts. By keeping
these families in the dark, they are being pressured by the regime not to speak
up about their jailed children. Based on previous cases, without any doubt,
these detainees are being severely tortured to pressure them to make forced
confessions. The regime then uses forced confession to sentence each of these
activists to either execution or a lengthy prison sentence. This is also another
attempt by the Islamic regime to further increase the number of security forces
and their presence within the province of Kurdistan in Iran, where these four
activists are from, in order to confront upcoming protests."[46]
On December 6, 2022, Radio Farda reported that the rebroadcast of their forced
confessions by state media has raised fears that the four Kurdish prisoners may
have been executed.[47]
On December 8, Joanna Taimasi, the wife of Mohsen Mazloum, wrote in a tweet that
her husband "loves life and like every freedom-loving person wants an equal
world without discrimination. But now he has fallen into the hands of the
bloodthirsty and dictatorial regime." She said I hold the Islamic Republic
"responsible for the lives of my husband and his three friends."[48]
Pejman Fatihi's mother, Afsane Yousefi, also pleaded in a video for her son's
release and rights.[49] She said: "It has been six months since [the Iranian]
intelligence has arrested my son. I went to every intelligence department and
prison, but they did not tell me the truth... I have cancer. Pejman has no
father, no brother, and no relative to follow up on his issue. His wife and
child are wandering and waiting. I ask the people of the world and human rights
associations, and anyone who can do anything, to defend my son. My expectation
from the Islamic Republic is that my son will call me or meet him and show him
to me. I want to know if he is alive and what have they done with him. Let me
meet him. Allow me to call my son to see if he is alive. I want to know what
happened to him. I am begging the whole world, please defend my son, let your
voice be Pejman's voice. For Sabah [his son] and Bayan [his wife]."[50]
(See the full video on Twitter)
Conclusion
Although Kurds make up less than 15 percent of Iran's population, the NGO Iran
Human Rights (IHR) stated on December 7 that out of 458 Iranian civilians killed
in the protests, more than 130 are Kurds, which comprises 28 percent of the
deaths and shows that the Kurdish region is paying one of the highest tolls in
this uprising.[51] The numbers also indicate that the Kurdish people in Iran are
targeted because of their ethnic and religious background.
It is worth noting that the Persian opposition abroad often refuses to mention
the ethnic identity of Kurdish victims or even to cooperate with the Kurdish
opposition. Any mention of Kurdish grievances or their cultural and ethnic
demands is viewed as a "separatist" plot aimed at dividing Iran. By the same
token, in an article published last December, state-controlled Press TV tried to
invalidate Kurds' legitimate demands, stating that "ethnic rhetoric has been
widely used since the beginning of the unrest in Iran in mid-September, with a
special focus on Kurds, to promote division and tension among Iran's different
ethnicities and back a 'divide-Iran' policy."[52]
However, in order to bring about regime change, the Persian opposition needs to
start acknowledging the rightful demands of the Kurdish people. This uprising
can succeed only if all of Iran's ethnicities stick together, which should start
with recognizing not only each other's basic human rights, but also ethnic and
religious rights.
*Himdad Mustafa is a Kurdish scholar and expert on Kurdish and Iranian affairs.
[1] G. Chaliand,"Iranian Kurds under Ayatollah Khomeini," in A people Without a
Country: The Kurds and Kurdistan. 1993. Pp. 211-212; Youtube.com/watch?v=5vUpo1OrPCI
[2] Allan Hassaniyan. Kurdish Politics in Iran. 2021. pp.98-100; Steven Ward.
Immortal: A Military History of Iran and its Armed Forces. 2009. pp.231–233;
Michael M. Gunter. Historical Dictionary of the Kurds. 2010. p. 159
[3] Iranhr.net/media/files/Annual_Report_on_the_Death_Penalty_in_Iran_2021_BwW7LPR.pdf,
2021
[4] Hengaw.net/en/news/in-2021-more-than-8-of-all-executed-prisoners-in-the-world-were-kurdish-prisoners-in-iran,
May 24, 2022.
[5] Hengaw.net/en/news/2022/12/hengaw-organizations-yearly-report-on-human-rights-violations-in-iranian-kurdistan-2022,
December 30, 2022.
[6] Hengaw.net/en/news/2023/01/in-kermanshah-and-karaj-prisons-three-kurdish-prisoners-were-executed-by-hanging,
January 5, 2023; Hengaw.net/so/news/2023/01/%D8%AC%DB%8E%D8%A8%DB%95%D8%AC%DB%8E%DA%A9%D8%B1%D8%AF%D9%86%DB%8C-%D8%B3%D8%B2%D8%A7%DB%8C-%D8%B3%DB%8E%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%B1%DB%95%DB%8C-%D9%87%D8%A7%D9%88%D9%88%DA%B5%D8%A7%D8%AA%DB%8C%DB%8C-%DA%A9%D9%88%D8%B1%D8%AF-%D9%84%DB%95-%D8%A8%DB%95%D9%86%D8%AF%DB%8C%D8%AE%D8%A7%D9%86%DB%95%DB%8C-%DA%95%DB%95%D8%AC%D8%A7%DB%8C%DB%8C%D8%B4%D8%A7%D8%B1%DB%8C-%DA%A9%DB%95%D8%B1%DB%95%D8%AC
[7] Hengaw.net/en/news/2023/01/in-kermanshah-and-karaj-prisons-three-kurdish-prisoners-were-executed-by-hanging,
January 5, 2023.
[8] Hengaw.net/en/news/2023/01/the-death-sentences-of-two-kurdish-prisoners-were-carried-out,
January 9, 2023.
[9] Hengaw.net/en/news/2023/01/in-kermanshah-and-karaj-prisons-three-kurdish-prisoners-were-executed-by-hanging,
January 5, 2023.
[10] En.iranhrs.org/four-prisoners-executed-in-qezel-hesar-and-dieselabad-prisons-in-kermanshah/,
January 6, 2023.
[11] See MEMRI Inquiry & Analysis Series No. 1672, Compassionate Doctor
Sentenced To Death In Iran, December 16, 2022.
[12] Rferl.org/a/iran-revokes-death-sentences-three-protesters/32205510.html,
January 3, 2023.
[13] Basnews.com/en/babat/790170, January 7, 2023.
[14] Radiozamaneh.com/748258/, January 7, 2023.
[15] Radiozamaneh.com/748258/, January 7, 2023.
[16] Edition.cnn.com/2023/01/07/middleeast/iran-protesters-executed-intl-hnk/index.html,
January 7, 2023.
[17] Iranintl.com/en/202212190250, December 19, 2022.
[18] Iranintl.com/en/202212190250, December 19, 2022.
[19] Twitter.com/1500tasvir_en/status/1612119959815036930, January 8, 2023.
[20] Iranintl.com/en/202212108015, December 10, 2022.
[21] Thenationalnews.com/world/2022/12/13/iranian-protester-sentenced-to-death-tells-father-dont-tell-mum/,
December 13, 2022.
[22] Iranwire.com/en/prisoners/111212-father-of-iranian-protester-sentenced-
to-death-says-designated-lawyer-doesnt-answer-phone-calls/, December 12, 2022.
[23] Siasat.com/iran-parents-plead-with-judiciary-to-spare-son-on-death-row-2483905/,
December 20, 2022.
[24] See MEMRI Inquiry & Analysis Series No. 1673, In Iran, Kurdish Rapper
Sentenced To Death Based On False Evidence, December 20, 2022.
[25] Kurdistanhumanrights.org/en/tortured-kurdish-rapper-denied-medical-care-outside-prison/,
January 10, 2023.
[26] Reuters.com/world/middle-east/iran-supreme-court-accepts-appeals-two-protesters-sentenced-death-2022-12-24/,
December 24, 2022.
[27] See MEMRI Tv clip n. 10045, Iranians Protest Against Impending Executions
Of Mohammad Ghobadlou And Mohammad Boroughani: There Will Be An Uprising If You
Carry Out The Executions! This Is The Year Of Bloody Uprising, Khamenei Will Be
Toppled!, January 8, 2023.
[28] Iranwire.com/en/politics/111297-iran-protest-crackdown-alarm-raised-over-imminent-execution-of-two-kurdish-brothers/,
December 14, 2022.
[29] Rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iran/14122022, December 14, 2022.
[30] Twitter.com/HengawO/status/1602969235818713089?s=20&t=ygmWYIxJ-u4oJQOz52OFHQ,
December 14, 2022.
[31] Mobile.twitter.com/HakanDemirNK/status/1605157514810646528?cxt=HHwWgICz7aqQ1cYsAAAA,
December 20, 2022.
[32] Twitter.com/STaillePolian/status/1604139077170655232?cxt=HHwWgMCjkbv_hcMsAAAA,
December 17, 2022.
[33] Hana-hr.org/content/20221215-orumieh-four-other-arrested-citizens-sentenced-to-death-by-the-islamic-republic-s-judiciary,
December 15, 2022; Jinhaagency.com/en/actual/uprising-in-iran-enters-its-88th-day-public-anger-grows-32442,
December 13, 2022.
[34] Rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iran/14122022, December 14, 2022.
[35] Twitter.com/1500tasvir_en/status/1603005570352664577, December 14, 2022.
[36] Anfenglish.com/human-rights/unable-to-crush-protests-iranian-regime-turns-to-executions-64427,
December 21, 2022.
[37] Komalainternational.org/
[38] Iranintl.com/en/202207243953, July 24, 2022.
[39] Iranintl.com/en/202207273526, July 27, 2022.
[40] Hengaw.net/en/news/2022/12/the-severe-condition-of-four-kurdish-
political-prisoners-who-are-facing-torture-forced-confessions-
and-framing- up-cases-raise-concern, December 15, 2022.
[41] Kurdistanhumanrights.org/en/concerns-grow-over-detained-komala-members-fate/,
August 3, 2022.
[42] Hengaw.net/en/news/2022/12/the-severe-condition-of-four-kurdish
-political-prisoners-who-are-facing-torture-forced-confessions-
and- framing-up-cases-raise-concern, December 15, 2022.
[43] Twitter.com/Hengaw_English/status/1601336407523356673, December 10, 2022.
[44] Twitter.com/IranIntl_En/status/1552357402145595392?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7
Ctwterm%5E1552357402145595392%7Ctwgr%5E75d7af03883c74af5f654a0b3f35b05dad292905%7Ctwcon%5Es1
_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fd-32084236313900094774.ampproject.net%2F2301031703000%2Fframe.html,
July 27, 2022.
[45] Kurdistanhumanrights.org/en/concerns-grow-over-detained-komala-members-fate/,
August 3, 2022.
[46] Cfppi.org/2022/08/17/the-lives-of-four-political-activists-peshmerga-are-in-danger-in-iran/,
August 17, 2022.
[47] Rferl.org/a/iran-confessions-four-kurds-executed-mossad/32164716.html,
December 6, 2022.
[48] Twitter.com/JTeimasi/status/1600794037262614529?cxt=HHwWgoDQ2cHslLcsAAAA,
December 8, 2022.
[49] Twitter.com/PanahiRafiq/status/1610352079700197384?t=-yYAgsgQ0TUId2OSPpdePw&s=19
[50] Twitter.com/Kamran43453852/status/1610476444966129664, January 4, 2023.
[51] Institutkurde.org/info/at-least-201-dead-including-23-children-1-800-injured-and-over-2-400-arrest-1232552182,
December 7, 2022.
[52] Presstv.ir/Detail/2022/12/16/694575/Iranian-Man-Admits-Murder-Western-Media-Insists-On-His-Innocence,
December 16, 2022.
Palestinians Recruit Minors as Terrorists, Then Condemn Israel for Shooting
'Innocent Children'
Bassam Tawil/Gatestone Institute/January 12, 2023
Palestinian terror groups are recruiting minors to carry out terrorist attacks
while Palestinian leaders and international organizations are screaming that
"innocent children are being killed."
The Palestinian Authority... glorifies terrorists and rewards them and their
families with monthly stipends -- essentially a "jobs program" that solicits
murder....
Those who send minors to carry out terror attacks should be held responsible for
committing a crime against the Palestinians, for deliberately placing their
children in danger, and not only Israel.
Ayyad, who was killed during violent clashes with Israeli soldiers, had even
written a will expressing his desire to die as a "martyr."
"I'm happy that God has fulfilled one of my dreams: martyrdom." So much for
being an "innocent child."
Palestinian children are brainwashed against Israel from the cradle and are
deliberately placed in harm's way, while the UN and the rest of the world look
the other way.
The UN members who held an emergency session to discuss the visit by a Jew to
the Temple Mount are the biggest hypocrites of all. These supposed purveyors of
virtue do not want to acknowledge that the Palestinian recruitment of children
as soldiers is the real threat to peace and security, and not a Jew walking on
the grounds of a holy site in Jerusalem.
It would have been better for the UN and all those who rushed to condemn Ben-Gvir's
visit had they called an emergency session to see why Palestinian children are
being sent by their own people to die in clashes with the Israeli army.
It would also have been better had the UN held a special session to discuss the
Palestinian leadership's responsibility for its ongoing incitement against
Israel and encouraging minors to seek death as "martyrs."
The blood of the next Palestinian child killed in battle will be on the hands of
the liars in the corridors of the UN and the offices of major newspapers around
the world, which continue to ignore Palestinian atrocities against their own
people.
Palestinian terror groups are recruiting minors to carry out terrorist attacks
while Palestinian leaders and international organizations are screaming that
"innocent children are being killed." Palestinian children are brainwashed
against Israel from the cradle and are deliberately placed in harm's way, while
the UN and the rest of the world look the other way. Pictured: Hamas terrorists,
armed with rocket-propelled grenades, parade with children in the Gaza Strip,
July 20, 2017. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) was quick to hold an emergency
session on January 5 because a Jew dared to walk on the holiest site in Judaism,
the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Two days earlier, that Jew, Itamar Ben-Gvir,
Israel's National Security Minister, had made a quiet, 13-minute tour of the
site.
Although Jews visiting the Temple Mount are often harassed, threatened and
sometimes physically attacked by Muslims, Ben-Gvir's brief tour ended peacefully
and no violent incidents were reported by either Muslims or Jews. Still, the
Palestinians and some countries, dubbing the visit a "dangerous and
unprecedented provocation," continued to condemn Israel over it. Revealingly, in
the same week that the UNSC and various countries were denouncing Jews for
visiting their holiest site in Jerusalem, Palestinians, in an ongoing form of
child abuse and crimes against humanity regularly ignored by the media and
international community, were again sending minors to attack Israeli soldiers in
the West Bank.
Crimes against humanity, according to the United Nations, include:
h. Persecution against any identifiable group or collectivity on political,
racial, national, ethnic, cultural, religious, gender as defined in paragraph 3,
or other grounds that are universally recognized as impermissible under
international law, in connection with any act referred to in this paragraph or
any crime within the jurisdiction of the Court;
k. Other inhumane acts of a similar character intentionally causing great
suffering, or serious injury to body or to mental or physical health.
The exploitation of Palestinian minors in the war against Israel is not a new
occurrence. It started immediately after the establishment of several
Palestinian terror groups, particularly the Palestine Liberation Organization
(PLO) more than 50 years ago. These groups have not hesitated to brainwash
children and recruit them as combatants in the "armed struggle" against Israel.
In recent weeks, the Palestinian terror groups operating in the West Bank have
been dispatching minors aged 15-17 to confront Israeli soldiers who enter
Palestinian communities to arrest terrorists. Many of the minors are armed with
automatic rifles and improvised explosive devices, as well as Molotov cocktails,
stones and other objects.
When these minors are injured or killed during clashes with the soldiers,
Palestinian leaders are quick to condemn Israel for targeting "innocent
children." Many sloppy foreign journalists and human rights activists have no
problem parroting the false Palestinian narrative regarding the death of the
minors.
The most recent victims of the Palestinian abuse and exploitation of children
are Amer Abu Zeitoun, 16, from Balata Refugee Camp, and Adam Ayyad, 15, of
Dheisheh Refugee Camp. The two, who were killed during violent clashes with
Israeli soldiers in the first week of January, were anything but "innocent
children."Those who send minors to carry out terror attacks should be held
responsible for committing a crime against the Palestinians, for deliberately
placing their children in danger, and not only Israel.
Abu Zeitoun, according to the Palestinians, was one of several minors recruited
by the armed groups in his camp to monitor the movements of Israeli soldiers
engaged in counterterrorism operations. The minors are called "The Guards of the
Camp" and their job is to alert the terrorists when they see soldiers in the
area.The ruling Fatah faction headed by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud
Abbas admitted that Abu Zeitoun was actually involved in the armed clashes
between the Israeli soldiers and the Palestinian terrorists. In a poster
published on January 5, Fatah hailed Abu Zeitoun as a "martyr, hero and
fighter."
Abu Zeitoun's funeral was attended by dozens of gunmen, most likely the same
terrorists who recruited him and sent him to attack the Israeli soldiers.
The Palestinian Authority that glorifies terrorists and rewards them and their
families with monthly stipends – essentially a "jobs program" soliciting murder
-- organized a "military funeral" for the Palestinian minor. This is the same
Palestinian Authority that allows the terror groups to freely operate in areas
under its control. This is the same Palestinian Authority that does not call out
the terrorists for exploiting the children and sending them to fight the Israeli
army, one of the strongest armies in the Middle East.
The second recent victim of Palestinian child abuse, Adam Ayyad, also turned out
not to be an "innocent child." According to his friends and neighbors, Ayyad was
affiliated with the PLO's Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP),
a notorious Palestinian group designated as a terrorist organization by the US,
European Union, Canada and Israel. During his funeral, Ayyad's body was wrapped
with the red-colored flag of the PFLP.
Ayyad, who was killed during violent clashes with Israeli soldiers, had even
written a will expressing his desire to die as a "martyr."
"I'm telling everyone that martyrdom is not just death," Ayyad wrote. "Martyrdom
is a pride for yourself and pride for the whole world. Martyrdom is a true
victory that ends your life, but it ends while you are happy. I'm happy that God
has fulfilled one of my dreams: martyrdom."
So much for being an "innocent child." Like Abu Zeitouneh and other minors,
Ayyad knew exactly what he was doing and that he could be killed while attacking
Israeli soldiers. The PFLP, whose leaders recruited and dispatched Ayyad to the
battlefield, later held a ceremony to honor him for his "martyrdom."
Abu Zeitouneh and Ayyad were not the only minors recruited by terrorist groups
to carry out terrorist attacks. In November 2022, Mahdi Hashash, a 15-year-old
boy from Balata Refugee Camp, was killed when an improvised explosive device he
was preparing to throw at Israeli soldiers, accidentally went off prematurely.
After his death, a local terror group, called Balata Battalion, praised Hashash
as a "hero" and "lion."
Palestinian terror groups are recruiting minors to carry out terrorist attacks
while Palestinian leaders and international organizations are screaming that
"innocent children are being killed."
Palestinian children are brainwashed against Israel from the cradle and are
deliberately placed in harm's way, while the UN and the rest of the world look
the other way.
The UN members who held an emergency session to discuss the visit by a Jew to
the Temple Mount are the biggest hypocrites of all. These supposed purveyors of
virtue do not want to acknowledge that the Palestinian recruitment of children
as soldiers is the real threat to peace and security, and not a Jew walking on
the grounds of a holy site in Jerusalem.
It would have been better for the UN and all those who rushed to condemn Ben-Gvir's
visit had they called an emergency session to see why Palestinian children are
being sent by their own people to die in clashes with the Israeli army.
It would also have been better had the UN held a special session to discuss the
Palestinian leadership's responsibility for its ongoing incitement against
Israel and encouraging minors to seek death as "martyrs."
By failing to confront the child exploitation, the UN and Israel's enemies are
endangering the lives of more Palestinian children who have been recruited to
join the jihad (holy war) against Israel and Jews.
The blood of the next Palestinian child killed in battle will be on the hands of
the liars in the corridors of the UN and the offices of major newspapers around
the world, which continue to ignore Palestinian atrocities against their own
people.
*Bassam Tawil is a Muslim Arab based in the Middle East.
© 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.
Iran ‘May Be’?!
Tariq Al-Homayed/ Asharq Al-Awsat newspaperJanuary,
12/2023
US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan recently said that Iran’s weapons
“are being used to kill civilians in Ukraine and to try to plunge cities into
cold and darkness, which from our point of view puts Iran in a place where it
could potentially be contributing to widespread war crimes.”
He then added that he would visit Israel to discuss the threats posed by Iran,
emphasizing that the US administration has already made clear that while
concluding a nuclear agreement with Iran is not a priority at present, it still
believes diplomacy is the means through which to prevent it from obtaining
nuclear weapons. Sullivan will discuss this matter with the new Israeli
government, promising to “work through any differences we have on tactics.”
Alright, what do these statements by the national security advisor mean?
It is clear that Washington does not have a plan for dealing with Iran. It has
not developed a clear plan and is trying to engage with the Iran file through
reaction rather than a strategy. Washington is addressing Iran under the
pressure of several shifts, among them the need to work with the Republicans in
Congress, who have begun taking on President Biden. Another is the developments
in Israel, where Benjamin Netanyahu has formed a rightwing government that will
complicate things in the region. Netanyahu has already made pledges to stop
Iran’s nuclear program even if he has to do so without coordinating with
Washington. That is why Sullivan says that Iran “may be” among the countries
“contributing to widespread war crimes in Ukraine,” despite evidence of its
involvement and everyone being aware of the scale of the crimes and clampdown
the mullahs have perpetrated against the peoples of Iran after four months of
robust protest that have shaken the regime.
And so, there is no doubt that the White House has not developed a strategy for
dealing with Iran and the ramifications of its actions on the region and US
national security. Today, it is trying to find its way through statements that
seem reassuring to allies but do not imply genuine commitments.
That is why the national security adviser used the term “may be,” thereby
pledging “to work through any differences” with the Israelis “on tactics.” These
are clearly not minor differences but are fundamental and consequential - too
significant to be considered a question of “tactics.”
Iran is certainly among the dictatorial regimes most reliant upon deception. The
mullah regime is fully committed to violating international laws and norms, and
the confusion evident in the Supreme Leader’s speeches tells us the regime is
more likely to defend from the front. It would not be surprising if the mullah
regime now moves to stir a foreign crisis to reduce the domestic pressure it is
facing, especially once we account for the significance of the fact that the
regime is now imprisoning figures from prominent families that had played
important roles in bringing the regime to power, including the daughter of
Hashemi Rafsanjani. This shows us that the composition of the regime in Iran is
now dominated more by the military than it is by the turbans. The religious
figures are no longer referred to, and their last civilian representative is the
Supreme Leader. Everything beneath the turban, as I have written before, is for
the soldiers. Despite all of that, observers can now be sure that there is no US
strategy for dealing with Iran, where things could move in unanticipated
directions.
Iran's Strategic Priority in the Caucasus is Reviving the
‘Persian Empire’
Huda al-Husseini/Asharq Al-Awsat/January, 12/2023
The Mullah regime in Iran is facing a difficult conundrum. The Islamic Republic,
which claims to support Islam and Muslims across the globe and to lead the
Shiites in their struggle in preparation for the return of the disappeared Imam,
the awaited Mahdi, is allied with a Christian country, Armenia, in its conflict
with the Muslim, Shiite-majority Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh.
Iran has been siding with Armenia since the conflict between the two countries
began. This is despite the fact that Azeris make up approximately 25 percent of
the population in Iran, with Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei among them. This is due
to a set of complex historical and cultural factors that left the Azeri Iranians
considered closer to Sunni Türkiye than Shiite Iran/Qom. Khamenei agrees with
this view despite his ethnic background. He has isolated the Azeris throughout
his time in power, not recognizing their language and rejecting their customs
and traditions, just as he did with the Kurds, Turkmen, and other minorities.
Because of Azerbaijan’s history, culture, and religion, Iran has always seen
Azerbaijan as a region that had been lost and should become part of Iran or at
least fall within Iran’s sphere of influence, an aspiration it has for the
entire South Caucasus. There are several parallels between its view of
Azerbaijan and the way Russia sees Ukraine: a piece of the homeland that has
lost its way but will “come home” one day.
For three decades, Iran was content with allowing Russia to impose its influence
on the Caucasus, as well as the two manufactured frozen conflicts in Azerbaijan
and Georgia. That was until the second Nagorno-Karabakh in 2020. The double
standards of Iran’s commitment to upholding the countries’ territorial integrity
were evident throughout this time, as it overlooked Armenia’s occupation of
one-fifth of Azerbaijan’s territory. Indeed, it supported this occupation de
facto.
At the same time, Iran is highly sensitive to threats to its own territorial
integrity. Iran’s support for Russia’s annexation of Ukrainian territory speaks
to this. Thus, Iran and Russia want Azerbaijan and Ukraine to be weak and to
prevent the restoration of these countries with alliances with Türkiye or the
West. Armenia agrees and would also like to see a weak Azerbaijan. Iran shares
Russia’s interest in perpetuating the unresolved frozen conflicts in the region,
as both view frozen conflicts as a means for continuing to divide and rule,
thereby preserving influence in the Caucasus.
After nearly three decades of being content with the reality on the ground, Iran
has become more aggressive since Azerbaijan defeated Armenia in the Second
Karabakh War in 2020.
Since its ally’s defeat, Iran has repeatedly threatened Azerbaijan with military
action, conducting several military exercises near the border and issuing stark
warnings. It has begun supplying Armenia, as well as Russia, with drones. It has
trained and provided funding and intelligence to Islamic terrorist groups
operating in Azerbaijan.
Azerbaijan has been cracking down on extremist Shiite cells and expelling
Iranian clerics since October 2021. It has detained nineteen members of the
banned Muslim Unity Movement who had been trained by Iran in Syria to carry out
terrorist attacks. They also smuggled prohibited radical religious literature
into Azerbaijan.
The Azerbaijani security service also exposed WhatsApp groups run by Iranian
citizens residing in Iran who were “implementing the orders of the Iranian
secret services and spreading extremist religious ideas.” Their aim is to change
the regime into a Shiite theocracy.
The Azerbaijani State Security Service has arrested five Azeri members of what
it called an Iranian spy network. They had been recruited by Iranian
intelligence services and made to collect intelligence on military exercises,
facilities, and equipment, including Israeli and Turkish drones, as well as
energy infrastructure and ports.
Additionally, the Iranians recruited a ship captain working for the State Oil
Company of the Republic of Azerbaijan’s (SOCAR) Caspian Sea Oil Fleet while he
had been studying religion in the Iranian city of Qom. He gathered information
about foreign companies operating in Azerbaijan, shared the schedules and
locations of the Azerbaijani Navy’s military exercises in the Caspian Sea, and
informed the Iranians about the goods delivered to offshore oil platforms.
We have seen a strengthing of the somewhat bizarre military alliance between two
fundamentalist countries - one Shiite country (Iran), seeking to impose a Shiite
theocracy in Azerbaijan and pull the country back into the Iranian sphere of
influence, and the other a Christian (Armenia) country. This alliance has been
enhanced in three ways. First, Armenia has been helping Iran and, more recently,
Russia evade international sanctions. Second, it plays the role of an
intermediary, facilitating the transfer of drones and missiles to Russia, which
the Kremlin uses to attack Ukrainian targets. Third, Armenia supports Iran
diplomatically in the United Nations and in other international organizations.
The escalation we are seeing from Iran today can be explained by the defeat of
its close ally Armenia and the strategic partnership between Azerbaijan and
Türkiye, which can be seen in the Shusha Declaration of June 2021...
Iran, which has always viewed Azerbaijan as its “younger brother,” found that it
had lost ground to Türkiye and that its neighbor had come under Turkish
influence. For this reason, it seeks to confront Türkiye through a close
alliance with Armenia and Russia, to which India could potentially be added.
Iran could not overlook the military aspect of the Shusha Declaration, which
states that in the event of a threat or an act of aggression from a third state
or states against their independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, the
inviolability or security of their internationally recognized borders,
Azerbaijan and Türkiye will hold joint consultations in order to eliminate this
threat or acts of aggression.
The type of assistance is not specified because security threats can be quite
diverse. Nonetheless, the Shusha Declaration clearly outlines a military
dimension of the Azeri-Turkish strategic partnership.
Iran is particularly angry at what it sees as having lost a border with Armenia.
Iran and Armenia have started working on an alternative route between north and
south with India to replace the Zangezur Corridor, but neither country has the
financial means to invest in such a massive project. Although the Zangezur
Corridor will create economic and trade opportunities for the South Caucasus and
Iran, Tehran views it through the prism of geopolitics and believes that it will
undermine its influence.
Iran is convinced that the Zangezur Corridor will weaken Iran’s influence, as it
has been the primary link between the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic and
Azerbaijan. It would also lose its role as a bridge between Türkiye and Central
Asia. Moreover, it will lose its significance as a trade route between East and
West more generally. Finally, the Eurasian Economic Union, of which Armenia is a
member and with which Iran has agreed a free trade agreement, will become more
isolated. Iran sees Armenia as its gateway to Russia and the Eurasian Economic
Union, while it sees Türkiye as its rival for influence in Central Asia. The
Zangezur Corridor would provide Türkiye with an alternative route to Central
Asia that bypasses Iran.
In fact, Türkiye and Iran are competing with China, which has greater
capacities, for influence in Central Asia. Meanwhile, the biggest loser is
Russia. Iran also sees Azerbaijan as a threat because of the latter’s strategic
partnership with Israel, which Tehran has repeatedly said it wants erased from
the map of the Middle East. Iran is convinced that Israel targeted high-ranking
Iranian military personnel from Azerbaijani territory.
Since the first attack in late August, Iran has been supplying drones and
missiles to Russia in an alliance forged through a shared hostility to the
so-called “unipolar world order” and a mutual animosity for the West founded on
xenophobia. Iran would benefit from both a Russian victory, which would be seen
as a lethal blow to the “unipolar world order,” or a Russian defeat, as Iran
could then replace it as the leading superpower. Both Iran and Russia hinder
peace and economic development in the South Caucasus. Neither Iran nor Russia
wants the European Union to succeed in mediating a peace treaty between Armenia
and Azerbaijan. Iran and Russia are also watching on with astonishment as
Türkiye expands its influence. The latter’s successful diplomacy allowed the
grain that had been blockaded in Ukraine to be exported, and it made massive
arms sales to Ukraine during the war. Iran’s military support for Russia is an
extension of its three-decade-old security policy, which combines xenophobic
anti-Westernism with economic opportunism.
Going back to the Iranian position on Azerbaijan’s conflict with Armenia,
Western diplomatic sources have said that Iran has taken its position because of
Baku’s determination to build the Zangezur Corridor along the Azerbaijan-Armenia
43 km-long border, as Tehran believes the Corridor would threaten Iran’s only
trade route to Europe through Armenia. Khamenei voiced this concern at the July
22 Tehran Summit that brought him together with Russian President Vladimir Putin
and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
He stressed that the Islamic Republic would not accept any changes to its
northern borders. According to the Supreme Leader, such changes would allow NATO
access to reach the country, and this is what the United States, Israel and
Britain are planning. After the summit, Khamenei realized that Iran’s northern
borders were not a priority for the Russians and that Türkiye’s alliance with
Azerbaijan against the Armenians had deep foundations.
This was made evident on December 14, when Erdogan met with the President of
Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and the President of Turkmenistan Sardar Mammadov, and
they discussed means for transporting gas to Europe.
Iran has sent IRBC 10,000 soldiers to its northern 700 km-long borders with
Azerbaijan. It also carried out military exercises last October that involved
building floating bridges and landing operations in an attempt to demonstrate
that its military can cross the Aras River into Azerbaijani lands. For its part,
Baku concluded a 220 million dollar defense arms deal with Israel, making Israel
Azerbaijan’s second largest arms supplier. The two countries also signed a
mutual defense treaty stipulating that an attack on either of them is an attack
on both.
Western intelligence sources have claimed that Israel is launching explosive
drones Iran’s way from Azerbaijan, including those that targeted the Natanz
Nuclear Facility. The assassination of Iran’s chief nuclear scientist, Mohsen
Fakhrizadeh, was also launched from Azerbaijan.Regardless of the threats Iran is
exposed to at home and those that come from its neighbors, the conundrum that is
the Islamic Republic of Iran’s position on the conflict between Azerbaijan and
Armenia exposed the regime’s lies. It has demonstrated the emptiness of its
claims of supporting the Muslims and leading Shiites all over the world. It is
the return of the Persian Empire, not the awaited Mahdi that Iran is after. The
biggest losers are those who take their orders from this lying, twisted regime.
Biden’s Visit to the Border Is Bound to Be Awkward
Farah Stockman/The New York Times/January, 12/2023
Republicans have been hounding President Biden for more than a year to travel to
the southern border and see the situation there with his own eyes. “I guess I
should go down,” he conceded in a town hall meeting with CNN in October 2021,
but he explained that he had been too busy to make the trip. Last month, when
Mr. Biden went to tour the site for a computer chip manufacturing plant in
Arizona but not the southern border, Fox News blasted him.
On Sunday, Mr. Biden will finally give the southern border its due. His planned
trip to El Paso, a city that has received so many migrants that it had to turn
its convention center into a homeless shelter, is the first of his presidency to
a border community and apparently the first since he was on the campaign trail
in 2008.
It is bound to be awkward.
Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas has done his best to embarrass the administration for
its immigration policies by sending busloads of migrants to New York and
Washington, including a few that dropped migrants near Vice President Harris’s
home. If Mr. Biden wouldn’t come to the border to see the crisis firsthand,
Republicans were going to send the border crisis to him.
White House officials, meanwhile, took considerable pains to avoid using the
word “crisis” at all.
I get it. It doesn’t make sense to spotlight a problem until you have a
solution, and solutions on the border don’t come easy. But Mr. Biden is arriving
with a plan. It involves extending a pathway of legal migration made available
to some Venezuelans to people from Nicaragua, Haiti and Cuba. Under the new
program, they will be allowed to apply for “parole,” which would permit them to
work in the United States for two years if they can pass a background check and
have friends or relatives here who are willing to sponsor them.
At the same time, countless migrants from those countries will no longer be able
to wait on US soil for an asylum claim to make its way through a court. Instead,
they will have to download an app, CBP One, on their smartphones, to book an
appointment with a US official who can interview them at a port of entry.“CBP
One — O-N-E,” as Mr. Biden helpfully spelled it out in remarks to reporters at
the White House on Thursday when he unveiled the program. Those who fail to use
the app to make an appointment will be expelled back to Mexico under an
arrangement that Mexican authorities have agreed to.
After his stop in El Paso, Mr. Biden will travel to Mexico City for meetings
with President Andrés Manuel López Obrador of Mexico and Prime Minister Justin
Trudeau of Canada.
The idea is to expand legal, safe, orderly pathways and discourage people from
trekking across the border. In a perfect world, the app would radically improve
the chaos at the border, by allowing people to apply for an asylum interview
from their homes. Ideally, it would cut out the dangerous middlemen who charge a
small fortune to smuggle people through the jungle so they can reach the border
and apply for asylum.
It could also modernize the way the US government keeps track of asylum cases
and of the migrants themselves, making the whole process more smooth. Some
immigrants’ rights groups, including the American Immigration Council, have
raised valid questions about how the government will use the GPS coordinates and
biometric data collected by the app.
But CBP One has the potential to be transformative, in a good way. Hundreds of
people die every year making the dangerous journey to the United States. Imagine
if they could get an appointment to file an asylum claim without ever having to
put themselves in harm’s way.
For those who have already walked through jungles to reach the border, news of
the app is likely to be a heartbreak. Until recently, Cubans, Nicaraguans and
Venezuelans stood a good chance of gaining admittance to the United States; it
is difficult to deport them because of their countries’ frosty relations with
the United States. But under Mr. Biden’s new plan, the Mexican government will
accept up to 30,000 people from these three countries and Haiti per month,
effectively crushing their hopes of ever reaching America.
This aspect of the new program has outraged human rights activists, leading some
to compare Mr. Biden to the former guy. But the comparison isn’t fair. Overall,
the Biden administration did a decent job of reversing the cruelty-is-the-point
Trump-era policies that separated parents from their small children, made
undocumented workers live in constant fear of deportation and slashed refugee
admissions.
However, Mr. Biden’s efforts to restore the image of America as a big-hearted
and welcoming country come with a downside. Migrants in Mexico had high hopes
when Mr. Biden took office that he would immediately change policies to let them
in. Since then, more than a million asylum-seekers have been allowed into the
United States with notices to appear in court for cases that most likely won’t
be called up for years.
As some American schools and homeless shelters are inundated with migrants,
public opinion seems to be shifting even further in favor of stronger
restrictions at the border. The percentage of people who say that increasing
security along the US-Mexico border to reduce illegal crossings “should be an
important goal” has risen to 73 percent from 68 percent three years ago,
according to a recent Pew Research Center poll. The increase is largely driven
by Democrats (59 percent today vs. 49 percent then).
Now Mr. Biden is scrambling to try to reduce the numbers of migrants who cross
the border. “He knows how border issues have crippled presidencies,” Muzaffar
Chishti, a senior fellow at the Migration Policy Institute, told me. “He doesn’t
want to be stamped with this brand of an unmanageable border.”
The program doesn’t solve the structural problems with the US immigration
system, including enormous backlogs in asylum cases and no clear path to
citizenship for children who were brought into the country by their parents.
Parole granted under Mr. Biden’s plan rests on shaky legal ground, some argue,
and expires after two years; after that, the ranks of people living in the
United States with a precarious legal status and no path to citizenship will
continue to grow. What the country really needs is comprehensive immigration
reform, passed by Congress. If the spectacle and speeches in the House in the
last week are any indication of what is to come, I won’t hold my breath. Until
Congress gets itself together to govern, schemes like the parole program are the
only game in town.
د.ماجد رفي زاده /عرب نيوز: التفاوض مع النظام الإيراني يضفي الشرعية على حملته
القمعية والوحشية
Negotiating with Iranian regime legitimizes its brutal crackdown
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Arab News/January 12, 2023
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/114868/dr-majid-rafizadeh-arab-news-negotiating-with-iranian-regime-legitimizes-its-brutal-crackdown-%d8%af-%d9%85%d8%a7%d8%ac%d8%af-%d8%b1%d9%81%d9%8a-%d8%b2%d8%a7%d8%af%d9%87-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%aa%d9%81/
The EU still appears to be determined to pursue diplomacy with the Islamic
Republic and negotiate with the Iranian leaders in order to revive the Joint
Comprehensive Plan of Action nuclear deal. But this is the worst time to hold
talks with the Iranian leaders and reach an agreement with the theocratic
establishment for several reasons.
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell last month met with Iranian Foreign
Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian in Jordan, stressing that the revival of the
nuclear deal is an important step. He said, according to Mehr News: “I still
believe that when it comes to nuclear nonproliferation, there is no alternative
to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. Those who think otherwise simply fool
themselves.” He added that he would “continue working toward restoring the JCPOA
based on the results of the Vienna negotiations … Bringing the JCPOA back to
life does not happen in a strategic vacuum. It is part, a key part, of a broader
picture.”
It is important to point out that negotiating with the Iranian leaders at this
critical time is a major blow to the Iranian people. The regime continues to
employ brute force to crack down on protesters. But the Iranian people have been
courageously protesting against the clerical regime for nearly four months now.
The uprising has spread to many cities and it appears to cut across all sectors
of society, even including high school students, who are showing remarkable
courage and political consciousness.
Any deal that benefits the regime will likely weaken the uprising, which has
given a real sense of empowerment and optimism to the Iranian people. This has
cemented the idea for many that the regime’s days are numbered and its overthrow
is finally within reach.
Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei issued his boldest warning yet in a bid to
intimidate the population into submission. But people in many cities, including
Tehran, Karaj, Shiraz, Tabriz and Arak, defied Khamenei’s warning and took to
the streets with even more ferocity than before. Images of the supreme leader
were burned and the vehicles of security forces were torched. Protesters clashed
with security forces in scenes that have now become normal.
The world should finally abandon a policy that has appeased the mullahs in Iran
for four decades, unnecessarily extending their reign of terror.
By attempting to reach a deal with the Iranian leaders, the West is also sending
a message that it is ignoring the regime’s brutal crackdown, as well as its
abysmal human rights record. Thanks to decades of brave resistance by the
Iranian people, particularly women, many in the international community are
aware that these people have a legitimate right to protest against a cruel,
tyrannical regime that continues to massacre its people — as it did in 1988,
when 30,000 political prisoners were murdered. The world should finally abandon
a policy that has appeased the mullahs in Iran for four decades, unnecessarily
extending their reign of terror.
In addition, the EU should not take any action that legitimizes the Islamic
Revolutionary Guard Corps’ oppression. Contrary to some narratives, the IRGC is
heavily involved in the suppression of protesters. But its forces seem to be
exhausted and demoralized. Recently revealed orders by the IRGC’s top brass to
quickly crush the persistent protests are perhaps the best illustration that the
suppressive machinery is running out of gas.
Furthermore, the EU ought to be cognizant of the fact that any nuclear deal that
lifts economic sanctions against the Iranian regime will most likely empower it
to continue supporting Russia in the Ukraine conflict, as well as more
forcefully pursue its own military adventurism and terror activities in the
Middle East. The Iranian regime continues to provide Russia with military
drones, which have inflicted significant damage on Ukraine. This marks the first
time that Iranian weapons have been deployed on European soil. According to the
Wall Street Journal: “Russia has inflicted serious damage on Ukrainian forces
with recently introduced Iranian drones, in its first wide-scale deployment of a
foreign weapons system since the war began.”
While the Iranian regime and Russia are increasing their economic and military
cooperation, the Iranian leaders are unfortunately seeing no adverse
consequences for their actions. “When you project strength, you have peace,” US
Rep. Michael McCaul pointed out in September. “When you project weakness like
this, how can any country look at this performance and not think about weakness
and maybe incompetence?”
In a nutshell, as the Iranian people continue to protest against tyranny, this
is not the time for the West to negotiate with the Iranian leaders, reach a deal
and lift sanctions against Tehran. This will only legitimize the regime’s brutal
actions.
*Dr. Majid Rafizadeh is a Harvard-educated Iranian-American political scientist.
Twitter: @Dr_Rafizadeh