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

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Bible Quotations For today
If I were still pleasing people, I would not be a servant of Christ
Letter to the Galatians 01/01-10/:"Paul an apostle sent neither by human commission nor from human authorities, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead and all the members of God’s family who are with me, To the churches of Galatia: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to set us free from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be the glory for ever and ever. Amen. I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel not that there is another gospel, but there are some who are confusing you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should proclaim to you a gospel contrary to what we proclaimed to you, let that one be accursed! As we have said before, so now I repeat, if anyone proclaims to you a gospel contrary to what you received, let that one be accursed! Am I now seeking human approval, or God’s approval? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still pleasing people, I would not be a servant of Christ."

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on March 08-09/2023
Al-Akhbar Newspaper Keeps On Spreading its Venom Against The Honorable Lebanese Citizens/Abu Arz – Etienne Saqr/March 08/2023
France asks Lebanon to question 2 suspects in 1983 bombing
38 nations at Human Rights Council urge impartial probe in Beirut port blast
Report: Bukhari openly told al-Rahi that KSA opposes Franjieh election
Report: FPM calls for agreement on 'third' candidate
Kanaan denies political meetings with Riachi, says no talks with LF
Franjieh slams Christian rivals for reversing stance on vote boycott
LF MP says Franjieh nomination may activate presidential file
MP says FPM does not intend to boycott presidential vote
Mikati-chaired meeting tackles tensions between Slim and army chief
Ambassador for a Day: 12 winners demonstrate huge potential of young girls in Lebanon
Families of Beirut port blast victims welcome call for international probe
In Daesh-ruined Iraqi city, restored church bells signal hope
Under Unesco’s ‘Revive Spirit of Mosul’ initiative, mosques, churches are being rebuilt

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on March 08-09/2023
AMCD Calls on Iranians Worldwide to Boycott German Companies if German-Iranian Hostage is Executed
US, Israeli Officials Hold Talks to Prevent Iran from Acquiring Nuclear Weapons
US Targets Iranian Officials for Abuse of Women, Girls
Franco-Irish Citizen Sentenced to 6.5 Years in Iran as Health Worsens, Says Family
Russia will have to rely on nukes, cyberattacks, and China since its military is being thrashed in Ukraine, US intel director says
US, European Powers Express Alarm at Iran Enriching Uranium to 84%
Iran Urged to Release Reporter Who Covered Mystery Poisonings
Actor Nazanin Boniadi asks world to back Iran women protests
Putin’s Troops Filmed Threatening to Turn Weapons on Bosses
Ukraine first lady Olena Zelenska in UAE amid Russia's war
EU Agrees to Push Ahead on Joint Arms Buying to Aid Ukraine
Jordanian Senate’s Palestine Committee calls on inter-Palestinian unity to face Israeli aggression
UN 'alarmed' at West Bank violence day after Israeli raid
Palestinian police fire tear gas, disperse militant funeral
US defense secretary: Egypt partnership 'essential pillar'

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on March 08-09/2023
Is Prayer in School Constitutional?/Alan M. Dershowitz/Gatestone Institute/March 08/2023
The Philippines, Tired of China's Bullying, Restores Military Alliance with the U.S./Lawrence A. Franklin/Gatestone Institute/March 08/2023
International 'Laxity' Agencies/Tariq Al-Homayed/Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper/March, 08/2023
Iran’s Rulers, Shaken by Protests, Now Face Currency Crisis/Vivian Yee/The New York Times/March, 08/2023
Race riots the latest evidence of Tunisia's malaise/Zaid M. Belbagi/Arab News/March 08, 2023
Iran Needs to Believe America’s Threat/Dennis Ross/The Washington Institute/March 08/2023

Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on March 08-09/2023
Al-Akhbar Newspaper Keeps On Spreading its Venom Against The Honorable Lebanese Citizens
Abu Arz – Etienne Saqr/March 08/2023
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/116374/%d8%a7%d8%a8%d9%88-%d8%a7%d8%b1%d8%b2-%d8%a7%d8%aa%d9%8a%d8%a7%d9%86-%d8%b5%d9%82%d8%b1-%d8%ac%d8%b1%d9%8a%d8%af%d8%a9-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%a7%d8%ae%d8%a8%d8%a7%d8%b1-%d8%aa%d8%a8%d8%ab-%d8%b3%d9%85/
Al-Akhbar Newspaper continues to spread its venom against the honorable people in Lebanon, and accuses them of treason… when in reality it is the den of real collaborators who destroyed the country and everything in it.
We advise this astray-mercenary mouthpiece to stop fabricating false news, and not to lecture too much on chastity, because the Lebanese, even the simple ones among them, have come to distinguish well between the real traitors who destroyed Lebanon, and the honorable ones who defended it.
#Labbaik_Lebanon
#Abwarz #Etienne Saqr
Chairman of the Cedar Guards Party

France asks Lebanon to question 2 suspects in 1983 bombing
BEIRUT (AP)/Wed, March 8, 2023
French authorities have asked Lebanese prosecutors to detain two people suspected of involvement in a 1983 bombing in Beirut that killed dozens of French troops, Lebanese judicial officials said Wednesday. It is highly unlikely that Lebanese authorities will detain the suspects nearly 40 years after the attacks. Neither has ever been taken into custody. The request identified the two suspects as Yousef al-Khalil and Sanaa al-Khalil and called on Lebanon’s prosecutor’s office to detain and question them, then inform French authorities of the outcome. It was not immediately clear if the two are related.
On Oct. 23, 1983, suicide car bombers simultaneously blew up a U.S. Marine base and French paratroopers headquarters in Beirut, killing 241 American servicemembers and 58 French troops. The American and French troops were deployed in Lebanon a year earlier as part of a multinational force following Israel’s 1982 invasion of Lebanon. A pro-Iranian Shiite group, Islamic Jihad, claimed responsibility for the 1983 attacks, which marked the beginning of the end of Western attempts to stop Lebanon’s 1975-90 civil war. Several months later, the peacekeeping force of U.S., French, British and Italian troops left Lebanon. Islamic Jihad was believed to be linked to Hezbollah, although Hezbollah officials have denied that. The judicial officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations, did not say whether the two are members of the Iran-backed Hezbollah. The request did not say whether the two are still alive, the officials said without giving further details. In 1997, Lebanese authorities ordered two men investigated for possible links to the suicide bombings of U.S. and French military bases in the first legal action in the case. The two men that police were ordered to investigate at the time were Hassan Ezzedine and Ali Atwi, believed to have been senior security officials of the powerful Iran-backed Hezbollah in the 1980s. The men were never detained.

38 nations at Human Rights Council urge impartial probe in Beirut port blast
Naharnet/March 08, 2023
Thirty-eight countries at the U.N. Human Rights Council have condemned the political obstruction of Lebanon’s domestic investigation into the August 4, 2020 explosion at Beirut’s port. In a joint statement delivered by Australia before the U.N. Human Rights Council, the 38 states called on Lebanon to “to take all necessary measures to safeguard, in law and in practice, the full independence and impartiality of the Lebanese judiciary,” and to ensure that a “swift, independent, impartial, credible, and transparent investigation into the explosion” be carried out. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, for his part called for a "serious investigation" into the disaster. "Serious investigation into the explosion of August 2020 is urgently needed, without political interference or further delay," he said.

Report: Bukhari openly told al-Rahi that KSA opposes Franjieh election
Naharnet/March 08, 2023
Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon Walid Bukhari has openly told Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi that KSA refuses the nomination of Marada leader Suleiman Franjieh for presidency, al-Akhbar newspaper reported Wednesday. Al-Rahi and Bukhari had met Tuesday in Bkerki over the Lebanese presidential file. Bkerki’s spokesperson told the media after the meeting that the qualifications that al-Rahi wants in a president are not too far from those of Bukhari, adding that when there are qualifications, there will definitely be a Saudi veto on those who don’t have these qualifications. Informed sources told al-Akhbar, in remarks published Wednesday, that KSA wants a president and a prime minister who would confront Hezbollah. Franjieh, a former lawmaker and minister, is close to Hezbollah and a personal friend of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad. Like many of Lebanon's prominent political figures, Franjieh hails from a storied dynasty. His grandfather and namesake was president when Lebanon's 1975-1990 civil war broke out. On Monday, Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah openly endorsed the presidential nomination of Franjieh, days after Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri also said he backs him for president. Nasrallah said Hezbollah will not accept that foreign countries impose a president on Lebanon and will also not accept a foreign “veto” against any candidate, an apparent reference to Franjieh. A Maronite Christian, Franjieh does not have the backing of the Lebanese Forces and the Free Patriotic Movement which have the two largest Christian blocs in parliament. Kataeb chief MP Sami Gemayel and MP and presidential candidate Michel Mouawad also oppose the election of a Hezbollah-backed candidate.

Report: FPM calls for agreement on 'third' candidate
Naharnet/March 08, 2023
After Hezbollah and the Amal Movement officially nominated Suleiman Franjieh for the presidency, a senior Free Patriotic Movement official has called for agreeing on a so-called “third.”In remarks to Annahar newspaper published Wednesday, the official called for proposing several names in an attempt to agree on “a candidate who represents an intersection among the majority of political forces, and if possible all forces.”This candidate should “reassure everyone and be embraced by everyone and should perform his missions in order to exit the bad situation which we are suffering from economically and socially,” the FPM official added. Noting that the FPM’s stance not to back Franjieh is a “principled stance,” the official stressed that his Movement will not change its position and that the exit from the current procrastination would be through “picking a figure from outside the alignments” and “abandoning” the current alignments.

FPM calls for electing rescue and reform president
Naharnet/March 08, 2023
The Free Patriotic Movement on Wednesday called for the election of “a president who embodies a complete salvation and reform program, in line with what was said in the presidential priorities paper that has been proposed by the FPM.”“It’s about time for dialogue and understanding among us as Lebanese, without waiting for foreign forces and without accepting that anyone outside or inside the country impose their decision,” the FPM’s political council said in a statement after a meeting chaired by FPM chief Jebran Bassil. “Under any circumstances, we in the FPM will only endorse what we believe in, after we paid, and will continue to pay, hefty prices for our convictions,” the statement said. The FPM’s stance comes a few days after Hezbollah openly endorsed Suleiman Franjieh as its presidential candidate.

Kanaan denies political meetings with Riachi, says no talks with LF
Naharnet/March 08, 2023
There is no political communication between the Free Patriotic Movement and the Lebanese Forces, FPM MP Ibrahim Kanaan said Wednesday. "The coordination is limited to some specific files in parliament," Kanaan said. Ad-Diyar newspaper had earlier on Wednesday reported a "timid communication" between the LF and the FPM, and political meetings between Kanaan and LF MP Melhem Riachi. It claimed that the two parties have agreed on boycotting the upcoming presidential election sessions to prevent the election of Marada leader Suleiman Franjieh who might garner the 65 needed votes.
Kanaan was not the only FPM MP to refute the report. Also on Wednesday, MP Salim Aoun said that "until the moment" the FPM does not intend to boycott the presidential vote sessions.

Franjieh slams Christian rivals for reversing stance on vote boycott
Naharnet/March 08, 2023
Marada Movement chief Suleiman Franjieh on Wednesday hit out at his Christian rivals for reversing their stance on the boycott of presidential election sessions. “True Christianity is through dialogue, openness, love and forgiveness,” Franjieh said during a visit to a monastery in the Zgharta district town of Ashash.“Our political stance is on our forehead and we are not ashamed of it. We are rather proud of it, because we have never sought strife but have always been open to everyone and we have worked and will work for all of Lebanon,” Franjieh added. Hitting out at Christian rivals, he said: “Yesterday the boycott of parliamentary sessions was a lethal sin and against the constitution for some parties, while today these parties are considering this boycott a right.”“Christians agree on the bad and not the positive things. If only they agree for once on positivity and let the constitution be the guarantee. But if they don’t want the constitution, let them have the courage to demand its amendment. We cannot be with the constitutions when it befits it and be against it if we have no interest; this is unacceptable,” Franjieh added. “We have to implement the constitution in the presidential election. If we don’t implement it, we would be like a religious council in which the four Christian parties agree on a president and render the elections unnecessary. Is this what they want?” the Marada leader went on to say. “The president’s election requires the presence of two thirds of the parliament, which means the presence in the session of half of the Christian MPs, in order to secure conformity to the National Pact,” Franjieh noted. He added: “We are Christian Arabists and we’re from an Arab house that believes in Arabism, dialogue and the best relations with everyone, because the country’s future lies in its unity and in coexistence.” Franjieh’s stance comes three days after Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah openly endorsed his presidential nomination.

LF MP says Franjieh nomination may activate presidential file
Naharnet/March 08, 2023
Hezbollah and the Amal Movement’s nomination of Suleiman Franjieh for the presidency was not a “surprising move” but it might “activate the presidential election file,” MP Ghassan Hasbani of the Lebanese Forces said on Wednesday. He however noted, in remarks to Radio All of Lebanon, that the Shiite Duo’s candidate “does not enjoy the needed majority.” Moreover, Hasbani said that the LF is “not communicating with the Free Patriotic Movement over the issue of blocking sessions’ quorum, while the channels of communication are open with the rest of the opposition blocs.” Hasbani also said that the LF is still clinging to MP Michel Mouawad’s nomination until the moment. “There is no use from proposing new names, because the numbers might change when the vote enters its serious course,” Hasbani added.

MP says FPM does not intend to boycott presidential vote
Naharnet/March 08, 2023
The Free Patriotic Movement does not intend to boycott presidential vote sessions “until the moment,” MP Salim Aoun of the FPM said on Wednesday. In an interview with Radio All of Lebanon, Aoun added that the FPM’s decision not to back Suleiman Franjieh’s nomination is not aimed at confronting the Shiite Duo. Calling for “dealing positively with any development in this file,” Aoun said that “so far, no candidate has a 64+1 majority.” “The FPM has been seeking to agree with the biggest number of blocs to find a candidate who enjoys the support of 65 MPs and its efforts in this regard are still ongoing,” the lawmaker added. “More than 10 candidates might be acceptable for the biggest number of forces,” Aoun said. “The efforts have been underway since the beginning of the vacuum crisis, but they were activated today after the file was activated following a period of paralysis,” the MP added, referring to the Shiite Duo’s nomination of Franjieh.

Mikati-chaired meeting tackles tensions between Slim and army chief
Naharnet/March 08, 2023
Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati on Wednesday chaired a ministerial-security meeting at the Grand Serail. The National News Agency said the meeting demonstrated "the situations of the military institution and the relation between the Defense Ministry and the Army Command." "It was agreed to resolve differences with a spirit of cooperation to preserve the army and its role and the firm relation between the defense minister and the army chief," NNA added.
The meeting also tackled the financial needs of the army and all security agencies. MTV had reported Tuesday that Army Commander General Joseph Aoun had requested the meeting to “discuss servicemen’s situations amid the aggravation of the economic crisis and its impact on their salaries as well on the desertion cases that are affecting the various security institutions.”The meeting was attended by caretaker Defense Minister Maurice Slim, caretaker Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi, Army chief General Joseph Aoun, Internal Security Forces head Maj. Gen. Imad Othman, State Security chief Maj. Gen. Tony Saliba, acting General Security director Brig. Gen. Elias Bayssari.

Ambassador for a Day: 12 winners demonstrate huge potential of young girls in Lebanon
Naharne/March 08, 2023
The British Embassy Beirut launched the Ambassador for a Day Lebanon competition in January this year. The competition was open to 15-18 year old girls across Lebanon and over 500 girls submitted entries on the International Women’s Day 2023 theme “Embrace Equity”. The creativity, passion and potential in their applications was inspiring.
Twelve winners were selected. Each winner will be paired with an Ambassador and will spend a day shadowing the Ambassador in an “unforgettable experience that aims to build confidence, leadership and diplomatic skills,” the British embassy said in a statement.
British Ambassador to Lebanon, Hamish Cowell, hosted a reception at his residence Tuesday in honor of the winners and the participating diplomatic missions.
In his opening words at the event, Ambassador Cowell said: “You should be proud to have won the Ambassador for a Day competition. All 12 of you showed great passion, potential and creativity. We ran the competition to demonstrate the huge potential young girls in Lebanon, like you, have to become leaders and advocates for change. You proved us right. Lebanon’s future will be brighter because of young people like you.”The competition is part of the UK’s “continued commitment to women’s and girls’ rights,” the British embassy said.
On Wednesday, the UK’s Foreign Secretary launched the new Women and Girls Strategy to mark International Women’s Day. This strategy kicks off a new global campaign championing the rights, freedom, and potential of women and girls, putting them at the heart of the UK’s international work to tackle gender inequality across the globe.
Ambassador for a Day Lebanon 2023 Winners:
1. Selena Daibis - Sovereign Order of Malta
2. Joy el Esta – Embassy of Canada
3. Charlize Farah – Embassy of Spain
4. Elina Haber – Office of the United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon (UNSCOL)
5. Liliane Hajj – Embassy of Australia
6. Tala al Halmoushi – Embassy of Germany
7. May Hamzeh – International Monetary Fund IMF
8. Maurina Mehri – US Embassy
9. Carole Sahyoun – Embassy of Jordan
10. Sasha Sfeily – Embassy of Mexico
11. Jennifer Reaidy – British Embassy
12. Amazy Zaidan – UN Women

Families of Beirut port blast victims welcome call for international probe
Najia Houssari/Arab News/March 08, 2023
The lawyer representing the victims’ families, Cecile Roukoz, told Arab News: “The statement is not bad, but it does not truly meet our expectations.”
Human Rights Council members — including European countries, Canada, and the UK — believe that the probe was stalled due to systematic obstruction, interference, intimidation and political deadlock
BEIRUT: The families of the victims of the Beirut port explosion have welcomed the condemnation of systematic interference in its investigation at a Geneva conference, where multiple countries called on Lebanon to abide by its international obligations.
In a joint statement issued on Tuesday by 38 countries at the 52nd session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, the Australian envoy, on behalf of member countries, called for a “swift, independent, impartial, credible and transparent investigation” into the Aug. 4, 2020 blast.
The lawyer representing the victims’ families, Cecile Roukoz, told Arab News: “The statement is not bad, but it does not truly meet our expectations. We aspired for an international fact-finding committee. But the statement is indeed important because it shows that countries are aware that there is a systematic obstruction to the investigation, and it includes a reminder of the rights of the victims. We will continue to demand the formation of a fact-finding committee.”
Human Rights Council members — including European countries, Canada, and the UK — believe that the probe was stalled due to systematic obstruction, interference, intimidation and political deadlock.
Volker Türk, UN high commissioner for human rights, said: “There is an urgent need for a serious investigation without political interference or further delay.”
Michèle Taylor, the permanent US representative to the council, stressed the need to conduct a rapid and transparent investigation, as “the lack of progress so far proves the need for judicial reform.”
Roukoz said: “The families have full confidence in Judge Tarek Bitar, the judicial investigator in charge of the probe. We respect the Lebanese judiciary, but the obstruction caused us to demand an international fact-finding committee that accompanies the work of the Lebanese judiciary through its reports.
“Lebanon is a signatory to treaties related to human rights, and individuals whose rights are violated can submit complaints directly to the committees supervising human rights treaties. The Human Rights Council voted in its session to consider the port explosion a crime against human rights and voted in favor of our right to live, and the Lebanese state has a duty to respect its obligations.”
Explaining the most recent obstructions, Roukoz said the public prosecutor has accused Bitar of usurping power, pointing out that these accusations are being investigated and the families are awaiting the results to see how to move forward with the case.
A judicial source told Arab News: “The formation of an international committee to assist the judicial investigator does not negate Bitar’s role. We have to wait until June to find out how things will turn out.”
Speaking on behalf of the families of the Beirut fire brigade, whose members were killed in the explosion, Peter Bou Saab, the brother of victim Joe Bou Saab, told Arab News: “What the Human Rights Council concluded is very new, and it is a first step on the road to an international investigation, and there are steps we will follow to reach this investigation. We will not stop. What happened is the result of joint efforts by the families and the 48 MPs who signed a petition calling for an international investigation, which helped convince the countries of the obstruction put up by the Lebanese judiciary.”
The families and lawyers are betting on exerting more pressure to form an international fact-finding committee at the next Human Rights Council session in June.
The Aug. 4 Gathering, a civil society bloc formed to support the families of the victims, believe that the continuous efforts of the latter — in cooperation with local and international human rights organizations — are what led to the statement issued by the 38 countries.
The group said: “These efforts will continue, especially during the Human Rights Council session in June, with the aim of having the decision to form an international fact-finding committee. This comes in light of the continued suspension of the internal investigation into the crime and interference to obstruct justice.”
The Human Rights Council consists of 47 state representatives, and its mission is to promote and protect human rights around the world by addressing cases of violations and making recommendations thereon.
A French judicial delegation to investigate the Beirut port explosion visited the Lebanese capital in mid-January and met Bitar and the public prosecutor, Judge Ghassan Oweidat.
France is conducting an internal investigation into the crime, as two French nationals, Jean-Marc Bonfils and Therese Khoury, were killed in the explosion. The two are among the 52 non-Lebanese victims, or those who hold Lebanese citizenship and another nationality, who died in the explosion.
French authorities had already sent a letter of assistance to the Lebanese judiciary, which remains unanswered due to litigation claims.
Meanwhile, Bitar was forced to withdraw from the case a year ago due to complaints filed against him by politicians he had accused of being involved in the crime.
However, the Supreme Judicial Council in Lebanon was unable to appoint a substitute judge due to the lack of quorum and consensus.

In Daesh-ruined Iraqi city, restored church bells signal hope
Under Unesco’s ‘Revive Spirit of Mosul’ initiative, mosques, churches are being rebuilt
Gulf News/ March 08, 2023
MOSUL, Iraq: Where brutal terrorists once ruled in Iraq, church bells rang out on Tuesday, a symbol of hope, reconstruction, and unity.
“They ring for everyone,” the UN’s cultural chief Audrey Azoulay said on a visit to the northern metropolis of Mosul, Iraq’s second city.
Her agency, Unesco, is rebuilding churches, mosques and other buildings devastated by the Islamic State (Daesh) group’s three-year occupation of a city known for its religious and cultural diversity. “It’s a symbol of a return to peace, connection to history but also a symbol of hope for the future,” said Azoulay, director-general of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. She spoke on the second day of a visit to demonstrate Unesco’s support for the rebuilding of Iraq, whose rich heritage has been ravaged by conflict over the past 20 years. Since 2018 Unesco has raised more than $150 million for projects in Iraq, mostly the reconstruction of Mosul. Daesh seized the city as its stronghold before being pushed out in 2017, but the battle to retake it reduced the Old City to rubble. Under Unesco’s “Revive the Spirit of Mosul” initiative, mosques, churches and century-old homes are being rebuilt.
The sound of dialogue
Among the most prominent of the restorations is Our Lady of the Hour convent, where the three church bells newly arrived from France pealed from the bell tower where they have just been installed. Known in Arabic as Al Saa, the clock church, it was named for a timepiece given by France in 1880 to recognise the Dominicans’ cultural and social work. Azoulay said the convent provided Iraq’s first school for girls and first teachers’ college for women. The site also hosted the first printing press in Mesopotamia, she said. Its three new bronze bells, named after the archangels Gabriel, Michael and Raphael, the heaviest of which weighs 270 kilograms (168 pounds). They were cast at the same French foundry in Normandy which made those at Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, said Azoulay, a former French culture minister. “We are in a place of religion, of culture, of coexistence, of education... very symbolic place,” she said.
The walls of the convent church have been restored with “magnificent stone, gilded a little like bread”, said Dominican Father Olivier Poquillon. Unesco is also restoring Mosul’s Al-Nuri mosque and the adjacent landmark minaret nicknamed Al Hadba or the “hunchback”, which dates from the 12th century. They were destroyed during the battle to retake the city from IS. Iraq’s army accused Daesh of planting explosives at the site and blowing it up. The terrorists’ arrival further decimated an Iraqi Christian population which has lived in the region for millenia. Since the 2003 US-led overthrow of Saddam Hussain, Iraq’s Christian community has shrunk to about 400,000. Still, “we are seeing life return to the area,” Poquillon said late last month as he supervised installation of the bells which he hopes will regain “a function of dialogue”. In Mosul’s Old City, the church bells and the mosque minaret are neighbours and people can hear them both calling their faithful to prayer, he said.
https://gulfnews.com/world/mena/in-daesh-ruined-iraqi-city-restored-church-bells-signal-hope-1.94314242?fbclid=IwAR3YTc3kBWptrfj11-6LCRktRgfqbvLpvt9zN2Cf_meNDbIkX-PFl4juZDY

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on March 08-09/2023
AMCD Calls on Iranians Worldwide to Boycott German Companies if German-Iranian Hostage is Executed
AMCD/March 08/2023
The American Mideast Coalition for Democracy will call for a worldwide boycott of German companies doing business with Iran if the regime carries out its planned execution of Jamshid Sharmahd.
Jamshid Sharmahd is a German Iranian citizen who was living in California and running a website for an Iranian monarchist organization based in Los Angeles, the Kingdom Assembly of Iran, or Tondar, which seeks to restore the Iranian monarchy. After a breach occurred on the website, he was identified by Iranian intelligence and agents were sent to California to assassinate him. He survived that attempt but was later kidnapped by Iranian agents while on a stopover flight in Dubai and taken to Iran in 2020. While in Iranian custody, he was tortured and signed a “confession.” Sharmahd was convicted in Iranian court for the crime of “corruption on earth” and, according to Islamic law, has been sentenced to death.
Germany expelled two Iranian diplomats in response. “The death sentence for Jamshid Sharmahd is absolutely unacceptable,” German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said in a statement, promising a “strong reaction” to the court’s decision. “Not only is the death penalty cruel, inhuman and degrading, but Jamshid Sharmahd has never had anything approaching a fair trial. We call on Iran to revoke Jamshid Sharmahd’s death sentence and provide him with a fair appeal process based on the rule of law,” Minister Baerbock said.
“German companies doing business in Iran could find themselves in a very vulnerable position,” stated AMCD co-chair Tom Harb. “Iranians love German cars and buy a lot of them. But not only could there be a worldwide campaign to stop buying German cars, but these German companies could possibly be sued for helping to fund the terrorist state that tortured and killed this hostage.”
“A boycott of German cars could be the beginning of the end of European involvement with Iran,” added AMCD co-chair John Hajjar. “The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), or the Iran deal, did nothing to stop Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, but European companies took advantage of the opportunity to trade with Iran, ignoring their massive human rights violations, while making plenty of euros for themselves.”
“Iranian people have to fight back,” began Iranian American AMCD co-chair Hossein Khorram. “A campaign to boycott German cars and other products made by companies doing business with the regime might have a cascade effect and be the Achilles heel that finally brings down this corrupt, terrorist regime — #boycottvolkwagen! #boycottmercedes-benz! Many times, economic pressure becomes the key to political pressure.”

US, Israeli Officials Hold Talks to Prevent Iran from Acquiring Nuclear Weapons
Washington - Ali Barada/Asharq Al-Awsat/Wednesday, 8 March, 2023
Senior US and Israeli officials have held talks in Washington to reinforce security coordination with the aim of preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons and deterring its increasing hostile activities in the Middle East and other regions. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met Monday with Israeli Minister for Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer and National Security Advisor Tzachi Hanegb. The Israeli officials also met Jake Sullivan, US President Joe Biden’s national security advisor, and other US officials. It came as part of the meetings of the US-Israel Strategic Consultative Group, which was established in 2021 to enable US-Israeli collaborative efforts to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. According to the White House readout, the meeting attendees reviewed Iran’s progress on its nuclear program “with significant concern”. Both sides “pledged to enhance coordination on measures to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon and to further deter Iran’s hostile regional activities,” and Israeli and US officials reviewed joint military exercises. They also welcomed the slated visit of US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to Israel this week. The officials discussed US efforts to add regional signatories to the Abraham Accords, as well as other diplomatic frameworks such as the Negev Forum. Austin announced his visit after his phone call with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant last week. During the telephone conversation, Austin urged Gallant to de-escalate tensions in the West Bank. They discussed the enduring strength of the US-Israel bilateral relationship, State Department Spokesman Ned Price said. The Secretary reiterated that the US is committed to preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon and noted the importance of the US-Israel Strategic Consultative Group in advancing cooperation on threats posed by Iran. He also expressed concern regarding the continuing violence in Israel and the West Bank and emphasized the need for all parties to take steps to restore calm and de-escalate tensions. The meetings come after Iran indicated over the weekend its “readiness” to cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency. The UN nuclear watchdog last month found uranium enriched to 84 percent in Iran. Last week, US Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Colin Kahl warned that Tehran could produce enough fissile material for a nuclear bomb in less than two weeks, comments that echoed those made in a recent interview by CIA chief William Burns. The meetings came days after far-right lawmaker Bezalel Smotrich, Israel’s finance minister, caused an international uproar by calling to “wipe out” the flashpoint West Bank town of Huwara, later walking back the comment, which put the top minister’s expected trip to the US this week in question. Smotrich is slated to visit Washington for an Israel Bonds conference on March 12-14, though he has faced boycott calls. Officials say the White House has been holding discussions on whether or not to grant Smotrich a visa for the trip — but indicate they are unlikely to ultimately block his visit. US Ambassador to Israel Tom Nides denied ever saying reported comments that “If I could, I’d throw him off the plane to Washington.” And Smotrich himself tweeted: “I’m not angry and I’m convinced that he didn’t intend to incite my killing by saying I should be thrown off the plane, just like I didn’t mean harming innocents when I said Huwara should be wiped out.”

US Targets Iranian Officials for Abuse of Women, Girls
Asharq Al-Awsat/Wednesday, 8 March, 2023
The United States on Wednesday imposed sanctions on Iranian officials and companies over accusations of serious human rights abuses, stepping up pressure on Tehran over its crackdown on protests as Washington marks International Women's Day. The US Treasury Department in a statement said it imposed sanctions on two senior Iranian prison officials it accused of being responsible for serious human rights abuses against women and girls.Washington also put sanctions on Iran's top army commander, a senior official in the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps and an official tied to the Iranian government's efforts to block internet access. Also hit with sanctions were three Iranian companies and their leaders who have enabled law enforcement repression, according to the statement. The step marks the 10th round of such US sanctions since Tehran's crackdown on protests that began after Mahsa Amini, a woman from Iran's Kurdistan region, died in September in the custody of the morality police who enforce strict dress codes. The protests by Iranians from all walks of life mark one of the boldest challenges to the ruling theocracy since the 1979 revolution. Iran accuses Western powers of fomenting the unrest, which security forces have met with deadly violence. "The United States, along with our partners and allies, stand with the women of Iran, who advocate for fundamental freedoms in the face of a brutal regime that treats women as second-class citizens and attempts to suppress their voices by any means," US Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian Nelson said in the statement. "We will continue to take action against the regime, which perpetuates abuse and violence against its own citizens -especially women and girls," Nelson added. The Treasury said it acted in concert with the European Union, Britain and Australia to mark International Women's Day. Iran's mission to the United Nations in New York did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Wednesday's move freezes any US assets of those targeted and generally bars Americans from dealing with them.

Franco-Irish Citizen Sentenced to 6.5 Years in Iran as Health Worsens, Says Family
Asharq Al-Awsat/Wednesday, 8 March, 2023
Iran has sentenced Franco-Irish citizen Bernard Phelan to 6.5 years in prison for "providing information to another country", his sister said in a statement, adding that her 64-year-old brother was at risk of dying in custody. Ties between France and Iran have deteriorated in recent months with Tehran detaining seven French nationals in what Paris has said are arbitrary arrests that are equivalent to state hostage taking. One of those, Iranian-French academic Fariba Adelkhah, was released, but it is still unclear how much longer she will have to stay in Iran before returning to France. "The Franco-Irish citizen Bernard Phelan has just been sentenced to 6.5 years in prison in Iran for having provided information to an enemy country," Caroline Phelan said in a statement. "He had been promised an early release for health reasons before this was cancelled."Phelan, a tourism consultant, was detained in early October as anti-government protests spread across the country. France has demanded that local authorities provide him urgent medical care due to a heart condition. His sister said his eye sight had now worsened and that he was at risk of dying. A spokesperson for Ireland's Department of Foreign Affairs said the government was extremely concerned about the case, especially given Phelan’s ill health. Iranian judicial authorities and the French foreign ministry did not immediately comment. Phelan's sentence comes just days after a second French national, Benjamin Briere, who has been held since May 2020 after being sentenced to eight years, was cleared of all charges and ordered to be released from prison, his lawyer said in a statement on March 2. However, he has since remained in custody without a reason given for his ongoing detention. In recent years, Iran's Revolutionary Guards have arrested dozens of dual nationals and foreigners, mostly on charges related to espionage and security. Rights groups have accused Iran of trying to extract concessions from other countries through such arrests. Iran, which does not recognize dual nationality, denies taking prisoners to gain diplomatic leverage.

Russia will have to rely on nukes, cyberattacks, and China since its military is being thrashed in Ukraine, US intel director says
Chris Panella,John Haltiwanger/Business Insider/ March 8, 2023
Russia's military losses in Ukraine will leave it reliant on "asymmetric" options, the US intel director said. Russia will need to rebuild for years to pose a substantial conventional military threat, she added. Other US officials have made similar comments about Russia's future as a military power. Russia's high losses and wasted resources in Ukraine have made it less of a traditional military threat and will leave it reliant on "asymmetric" options such as nuclear weapons, cyberattacks, and space technology, and other countries like China, the US intelligence director said Wednesday. At a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing, Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines said Russia "has suffered losses that will require years of rebuilding and leave it less capable of posing a conventional military threat." As a result, Haines said, "Russia will become even more reliant on asymmetric options such as nuclear, cyber, space capabilities, and on China."She also noted that Moscow will have future trouble operating as a leading power both in Eurasia and "on the global stage" because of both its weakened status as a military power and global backlash against Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine a little over a year ago. Russia's strategic failures in Ukraine, from botched strategies to substantial casualties, estimated to be nearing 200,000 killed or wounded, have been well documented since the beginning of its invasion. Putin has made repeated nuclear threats as his invasion struggles to achieve its objectives, and his threats of using nuclear weapons have received widespread attention and condemnation. As recent as late February, Russia suspended its participation in a major nuclear arms control pact with the US, leaving potential for expanded arsenals and the start of a "dangerous new nuclear era."Discussions on Russia's relationship with China have also been ongoing, including speculation that Beijing might be considering sending lethal aid to Russia. The US and other partner nations have warned of "consequences" if Beijing takes that step. China has in turn criticized the West for its provision of weapons to Ukraine. Though Beijing claims to be neutral in the war, experts say that China does not want to see Putin lose the fight or emerge humiliated by its outcome. China "doesn't want the war to drag on with all the attendant instability, but it doesn't want Russia to lose or the regime to collapse," Susan Thornton, former acting assistant secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs at the State Department, recently told Insider. But Thornton also said that Beijing doesn't want to get too involved in the war and doubts that China would provide weapons to Russia. "But there are a lot of Chinese companies and it's a big country — things can happen, and if there are shipments, they will be detected and things will get worse," Thornton added. Haines' comments on Wednesday echo the sentiments of other US officials on Russia's status after its war in Ukraine. In late February, a top Pentagon official told lawmakers Russia had lost the war and will emerge from war in Ukraine a "shattered military power." The official, Colin Kahl, the under secretary of defense for policy, said last November that Russia will "emerge from this war weaker than it went in." And top military experts have offered similar assessments. "Russia's invasion of Ukraine has been a strategic defeat. So far, the Kremlin has not been able to achieve its strategic-level objectives, and it has incurred significant costs. Russia's military is going to have to be rebuilt," George Barros, a military analyst at the Institute for the Study of War, told Insider in September.

US, European Powers Express Alarm at Iran Enriching Uranium to 84%
Asharq Al-Awsat/Wednesday, 8 March, 2023
The US and Europe's top powers on Wednesday expressed alarm at Iran having produced a tiny amount of uranium enriched to 84% purity, very close to weapons grade, and said Iran must explain how it happened. The UN nuclear watchdog found uranium particles enriched to up to 83.7% at Fordow, a site dug into a mountain and the second place where it is continuously enriching uranium to up to 60%. Weapons grade is around 90%. The so-called spike is large but it remains unclear whether it was accidental. It happened in two interconnected cascades, or clusters, of centrifuges that the watchdog recently found Iran had made substantial changes to without notifying it beforehand as it should have. "With respect to the detected particles of uranium enriched to 83.7 percent, all Board members should be gravely concerned by this alarming development," a US statement to a quarterly meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency's 35-nation Board of Governors said. "Iran must provide full and immediate cooperation with the IAEA to clarify what happened and facilitate all appropriate verification and monitoring measures deemed necessary by the Agency so that any future occurrence is promptly detected. Iran must ensure that such an incident never occurs again." It added that "the fact that these new developments occurred in a heavily fortified facility that was originally built covertly only deepens our concerns". The United States and Europe's top three powers - Britain, France and Germany, known as the E3 - have refrained from pushing for a resolution condemning Iran at this board meeting but they made clear they could act at a future session. The last quarterly board meeting in November passed a resolution ordering Iran to urgently cooperate with a years-long IAEA investigation into uranium particles found at three undeclared sites.
Iran assured IAEA chief Rafael Grossi last weekend that it was prepared to provide further information to that long-stalled investigation. Iran and the IAEA issued a joint statement on Saturday outlining that pledge that went into few details. "The E3 are especially alarmed by the recent sampling at Fordow," the European powers said in a statement made to the board on Tuesday evening and published on Wednesday. "This unprecedented enrichment at up to 83.7% U-235 is an extremely grave escalation," they said, adding that it "brings Iran dangerously close to actual weapons-related activities".

Iran Urged to Release Reporter Who Covered Mystery Poisonings
Asharq Al-Awsat/Wednesday, 8 March, 2023
Leading media rights group Reporters Without Borders (RSF) on Wednesday urged Iran to release a journalist arrested after closely covering a spate of mystery poisonings of schoolgirls, saying the detention appeared to be an attempt to silence him.
The spate of poisonings has affected over 5,000 pupils, mainly girls, since November, according to the authorities. Rights groups based outside Iran have accused the authorities of failing to do enough to protect women's education and there were protests across Iran outside education authorities on Monday and Tuesday, according to monitors. But supreme leader Ali Khamenei called Monday for the perpetrators of the "unforgivable crime" to be tracked down "without mercy". Paris-based RSF said Ali Pourtabatabaei began covering the story for the Qom News website and on Twitter as soon as the first cases of poisoning were reported in the city of Qom at the end of November, and he was still covering the story when he was arrested on March 5. It said he managed to phone his sister to tell her he had been arrested but it was not clear where he was being held. Pourtabatabaei had criticized the lack of any reaction from the authorities in Qom to the first reported cases of poisoning, it added. The mystery poisonings have intensified tensions in Iran almost six months into the protest movement sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini who had been arrested for allegedly violating the mandatory dress code for women. Since the early days of the protest movement, Iran has held the two Iranian female journalists, Niloufar Hamedi and Elaheh Mohammadi, who helped expose the Amini story. "As they already did with the journalists who revealed what happened to Mahsa Amini, the Iranian authorities are trying to silence those who dare to investigate and report other stories that are embarrassing for the government," said Jonathan Dagher, the head of RSF´s Middle East desk. He said some 30 journalists and media workers were currently held by Iran. Most were arrested in the crackdown on the protest movement.
"Ali Pourtabatabaei must be released unconditionally... The systematic persecution of journalists who still dare to do their job must end," he said. The interior ministry said in a statement on Tuesday "a number of people" suspected of manufacturing hazardous substances had been arrested in six provinces, including a pupil's parent. With public anger rising, protests took place this week over the authorities' response in several cities including Tehran, Mashhad and Shiraz, Norway-based NGO Iran Human Rights (IHR) said. It said authorities fired on protesters and arrested teachers to disperse a protest in the city of Sanandaj in western Iran.

Actor Nazanin Boniadi asks world to back Iran women protests
AP/March 08, 2023
ABU DHABI: Actor Nazanin Boniadi on Wednesday urged the world to back the protests in her native Iran calling for women’s rights and political change, saying despots fear nothing “more than a free and politically active woman.”Speaking on the sidelines of the Forbes 30/50 Summit in Abu Dhabi, Boniadi told The Associated Press that she hopes people will sign a petition she’s supporting accusing Taliban-controlled Afghanistan and Iran of committing “gender apartheid” with their policies targeting women. “These systems of oppressing women, of dehumanizing women, are based on strengthening and keeping these entrenched systems of power in place,” she said. “So we have to legally recognize this as gender apartheid in order to be able to overcome it.”Boniadi, who as a young child left Tehran with her family for England following the 1979 Islamic Revolution, has used her fame as an actor in the series “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” on Amazon Prime and in roles in feature films to highlight what’s happening back in Iran. Since September, Iran has faced mass protests following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, a woman who died after being detained by the country’s morality police. In the time since, activists say over 500 people have been killed and more than 19,000 others detained in a security force crackdown. “The thing that is unprecedented is we’re seeing 12-year-old girls, schoolgirls, come out into the streets saying, ‘We don’t want an Islamic Republic,” Boniadi said. “The courage that takes is astounding. And that courage has been contagious.” However, recent months have seen suspected poisonings at girls’ schools in the country. While details remain difficult to ascertain, the group Human Rights Activists in Iran says at least 290 suspected school poisonings have happened over recent months, with at least 7,060 students claiming to be affected. It remains unclear what chemical might have been used, if any. No one has claimed the attacks and authorities have not identified any suspects. Unlike neighboring Afghanistan, Iran has no recent history of religious extremists targeting girls’ education. However, some activists worry extremists might be poisoning girls to keep them out of school. “The thing that ties us together is that (with) dictators and despots, there’s nothing that they fear more than a free and politically active woman. And so that’s why the crackdowns exist today in Iran ... as you’re seeing with the chemical attacks on schoolgirls.” She added: “We have to come together. We have to unite. We have to find a way forward and end these atrocities against women.”

Putin’s Troops Filmed Threatening to Turn Weapons on Bosses
Allison Quinn/The Daily Beast./March 8, 2023
A group of Russian troops sent to Ukraine to fight for the Kremlin’s “new” territory is threatening to raise absolute hell over what they describe as pointless suicide missions—and they’ve made clear they’re willing to turn their weapons on members of their own team if necessary.
The draftees from Kaliningrad have already appealed directly to Russian President Vladimir Putin to complain of ancient weapons, lack of training, and people dying “for nothing.” In a video released publicly earlier this week, they shamed top military brass by saying there appears to be no battlefield strategy whatsoever and declaring that “this is no way to fight a war.”Now, a video has leaked capturing the aftermath of their complaints. In a five-minute clip released by the independent outlet Ostorozhno, Novosti, the men can be seen surrounding a commander sent out from Kaliningrad and warning him they will put up a fight if they are not heard. “You can jail us all! How many years is it, 5, 7, 10? We don’t give a fuck!,” one soldier yells after the commander tries but fails to convince them to obey orders and storm Ukrainian positions. The troops say they were never meant to be part of assault teams, but were instead assigned as members of territorial defenses. The Kremlin-backed proxy troops fighting in occupied Donetsk, they say, send them on suicide missions while they themselves “run away” or sit around away from the gunfire. ‘You’ve Been Screwed’: Russian Inmates Rebel and Flee From Commanders
They shout that they’d rather go to jail than go on guaranteed-to-fail assault missions “for who knows what.” “Did you see that puddle of blood here? That person was sent to storm [Ukrainian positions], so he pulled the trigger, because he knew where he was headed,” one soldier says. “Do you want suicides here?” After the commander responds that they’ve presented a “weak” argument for not obeying orders, they warn that they will use force. “No one is going on this storm. You can fucking jail us all. And if someone tries to trick us and say we supposedly aren’t going there and then they throw us on the frontline, it will be a shitshow, it won’t be forgiven, we will just go head to head against them,” one soldier says. “Honestly, we’re ready for that,” he says, asking the entire group: “Is everyone ready for that?”“Yes, yes! Everyone!” the group responds in unison. “We are so fucking angry after the deaths of our friends, … we’ll walk on foot, we’ll leave by taxi. Fight your fucking self!” the apparent leader of the group says. He goes on to tell the commander that several other soldiers had been “taken away,” apparently after also protesting conditions. “They came at night. What is that? Is it 1939? NKVD? Black ravens?” he said, referring to the Soviet secret police rounding up “enemies” in night-time raids. The latest uprising by draftees is just the latest of many as the Russian war machine finds itself running out of men to use as cannon fodder. And in a particularly ironic twist, more and more of the same young Russian citizens that Putin claimed to be trying to protect from outside forces with his full-scale invasion are now being sacrificed for the sake of his conquest on Ukrainian land. “Previously, the Donetsk and Luhansk draftees were used as expendable materials, but now it’s the Russians,” military analyst Kirill Mikhailov told iStories of the mounting conflict between Kremlin-backed troops in Ukraine’s occupied territories. “They cannot fight any other way. If the approach doesn’t fundamentally change, which I doubt, then Russian draftees will keep dying this way.”

Ukraine first lady Olena Zelenska in UAE amid Russia's war
Associated Press/Wednesday 08 March, 2023
Ukraine's first lady on Wednesday offered spirited support to her nation's people while visiting the United Arab Emirates, a country that still remains open to Russia despite Western sanctions. Olena Zelenska described her role and that of other first ladies and gentlemen in the world as a real power while speaking before a packed ballroom on International Women's Day. She also applauded the work of the average Ukrainian amid the ongoing war. "We are a force and we can continue to change the world," Zelenska said at the Forbes 30/50 Summit via a translator. Zelenska's trip to the United Arab Emirates capital comes as the UAE remains one of the few direct routes out of Moscow — for both people fleeing conscription and for the wealthy who want to park their money in a nation with access to Western financial markets. Already, the U.S. Treasury has expressed concerns with the Russian money flowing into Dubai's red-hot real estate market. Meanwhile, the superyachts of Russian oligarchs also have repeatedly turned up in the Emirates since the start of Moscow's war on Ukraine last year. However, the UAE has voted against Russia's invasion at the United Nations and has donated humanitarian aid to Ukraine since the war began. Her husband, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has held multiple calls with UAE leader Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Meanwhile, the UAE hosted the prisoner exchange that freed WNBA star Brittney Griner and Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout in December. Zelenska arrived in the UAE on Tuesday and met with Sheikh Mohammed at Qasr al-Bahar in Abu Dhabi, the country's capital.
There, Sheikh Mohammed pledged $4 million to Zelenska's foundation that will go toward the construction of orphanages, the Emirates' state-run WAM news agency reported. "Sheikh Mohammed reiterated the UAE's commitment to the people of Ukraine through ongoing humanitarian aid, while stressing the importance of international and regional efforts aimed at reaching a political solution to re-establish security, stability and peace," WAM said. Zelenska has taken a more prominent role in promoting Ukraine since the war began. She met with U.S. first lady Jill Biden when the American president's wife made a surprise, quick visit to Ukraine from Slovakia in May. She's also traveled across the world, met leaders and told the United Nations in February: "We have the right to live free, not to be killed or tortured." Speaking before the crowd, Zelenska recounted the story of a schoolteacher still leading her students via a video call from a snowy street, even though power and internet connections remain shaky in the country. She also brought up a 30-year-old female combat medic killed in the fighting near Bakhmut in the east, which drew a gasp from the women gathered at the summit. "We are inspired by the examples and I'm sure these exmaples will stay in our hearts forever," Zelenska said. She added, to cheers: "Ukrainian women and men have been adapting so fast that our enemies have not been able to come up with new challenges for us."

EU Agrees to Push Ahead on Joint Arms Buying to Aid Ukraine
Asharq Al-Awsat/Wednesday 08 March, 2023
European Union countries agreed on Wednesday to speed up supplies of artillery rounds and buy more shells to help Ukraine but still have to work out how to turn these aims into reality. Under a plan drawn up by foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, EU states would get financial incentives worth 1 billion euros ($1.06 billion) to send more of their artillery rounds to Kyiv while another 1 billion euros would fund joint procurement of new shells. "There has been a general agreement on this procedure but there are questions pending. Everything has to be discussed in detail," Borrell said after a meeting of EU defense ministers in Stockholm also attended by their Ukrainian counterpart Oleksii Reznikov. Borrell said he hoped the plan would be finalized at a meeting of EU foreign and defense ministers on March 20. Reznikov had urged the ministers in Stockholm to support an Estonian plan for EU countries to club together to buy 1 million 155-millimeter shells this year at a cost of 4 billion euros to help fight Russia's invasion and launch a counter-offensive. Borrell's plan is smaller in scale but would still be a landmark step for the EU as defense procurement has largely been the preserve of the bloc's individual member governments.
Boosting capacity
EU officials say if the bloc places a large order on behalf of member governments, they will get a better price and give arms firms a strong incentive to invest in increasing capacity. However, officials said there was still much work to be done to hammer out details such as how the funding would work and who would take the lead in sealing deals with arms firms. Ukraine is burning through shells faster than its allies can make them, officials say, prompting a renewed search for ammunition and ways to ramp up production. Reznikov said Ukraine wanted 90,000 to 100,000 artillery rounds per month. "We need to move forward as soon as possible," he told reporters before the meeting. But EU ministers and officials have been unable to say how much capacity Europe's defense industry has to provide the shells Ukraine needs. Dutch Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren said she had proposed that industry leaders join the March 20 meeting. "We are talking a lot about industry. I suggested we should also talk with industry," she said. Funding will also be a subject for further debate. While Estonia said EU countries should provide fresh money for joint procurement, Borrell has proposed using cash already allocated to an EU-run fund, the European Peace Facility. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said Wednesday's discussions about joint procurement were "right and necessary" but should not distract from the fact that it would take time for industry to ramp up capacity. "We have to face the truth. Just because we all place more orders does not mean there is more ammunition. It has to be produced before it can be delivered," he said.

Jordanian Senate’s Palestine Committee calls on inter-Palestinian unity to face Israeli aggression
Arab News/March 08, 2023
AMMAN: The Jordanian Senate’s Palestine Committee has reiterated its call for inter-Palestinian reconciliation and unity to face blatant Israeli aggression, Jordan’s News Agency reported on Wednesday. In a statement, the committee referenced Israel’s violent operations against the Palestinian people in the West Bank, Jerusalem and Gaza, in conjunction with incursions by the Israeli army and Jewish settlers into cities of Nablus, Jenin and Hawara, which led to numerous people being injured. Headed by Nayef Qadi, the committee said hundreds of extremist Jewish settlers stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque and carried out provocative activities and rituals under the protection of Israeli police. Decrying Israel’s measures against the Palestinians, the committee said that such activities undermine a just settlement to end Arab-Israeli conflict by establishing a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital on the June 4, 1967 borders. At the same time, the committee praised the “remarkable” efforts made by Jordan’s diplomacy to achieve a solution that meets Palestinians’ aspirations and restores their full rights of sovereignty, dignity and independent will. The committee lauded Jordanian King Abdullah’s efforts and his calls to reach a fair settlement by returning to negotiations, as was the case in the recent Aqaba meeting, the ensuing agreement of which Israel has refused to implement.

UN 'alarmed' at West Bank violence day after Israeli raid
Agence France Presse/March 08, 2023
The U.N. Middle East peace envoy urged Israel and the Palestinians Wednesday to calm surging violence in the occupied West Bank, a day after the latest Israeli raid killed six people. "We are in the midst of a cycle of violence that must be stopped immediately," Tor Wennesland said in a statement. "The Security Council has spoken with one voice, calling on the parties to observe calm and restraint, and to refrain from provocative actions, incitement and inflammatory rhetoric." The call came a day after intense fighting during an Israeli raid in the flashpoint northern West Bank city of Jenin, in which the soldiers killed six Palestinians, including a member of Hamas accused of killing two Israeli settlers last month. Wennesland said he was "alarmed" at the violence, which the army said included soldiers launching shoulder-fired rockets amid ferocious gunfire. Nabil Abu Rudeina, spokesman for Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas, called the use of rockets in Jenin refugee camp on Tuesday an act of "all-out war", Palestinian news agency Wafa reported. The Jenin raid was the latest in a string of deadly military operations in the Palestinian territory, which Israel has occupied since the Six-Day War of 1967. Among the six killed was Abdel Fatah Hussein Khroushah, 49. The Israeli army said he was a "terrorist operative" suspected of killing two Israeli settlers in the Palestinian town of Huwara on February 26. The killing of the two settlers, which came just hours after Israeli and Palestinian officials pledged in Jordan to "prevent further violence", sparked fury among Israeli settlers, with hundreds later torching Palestinian homes and cars in the West Bank town. "I am deeply disturbed by the continuing violence," Wennesland said, condemning both Israeli settler violence against Palestinians and Palestinian attacks against Israelis. "Israel, as the occupying power, must ensure that the civilian population is protected and perpetrators are held to account," he said. Overnight, a rocket was fired from the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip but fell short and exploded inside the coastal enclave, the Israeli military said. Commitments made by the two sides in Jordan last month, when they agreed to "commit to de-escalation", must be implemented if "we are to find a way forward", Wennesland said. "The parties must refrain from further steps that would lead us to more violence," he added.

Palestinian police fire tear gas, disperse militant funeral
NABLUS, West Bank (AP)/Wed, March 8, 2023
Palestinian security forces on Wednesday fired tear gas canisters and flash grenades at angry Palestinian protesters during a funeral for a militant in the occupied West Bank. It was a rare encounter that highlighted deep public dissatisfaction with the Palestinian self-rule government. Palestinians gathered in the northern West Bank city of Nablus for the funeral of Abdul Fattah Kharushah, a 49-year-old Hamas militant killed in an Israeli raid Tuesday. Kharushah had been wanted for killing two Israeli brothers in the nearby town of Hawara. It was the latest bloody raid into the flashpoint Jenin refugee camp, leaving five other Palestinians dead and over two dozen wounded. Wednesday's funeral procession through Nablus spiraled into chaos after the mourners began to chant against the Palestinian Authority, which exercises limited self-rule in parts of the West Bank. The PA has long drawn resentment for its security cooperation with Israel, which allows its security forces to crack down on its Islamist rival, the Hamas militant group.“Traitors!” the crowds shouted at the Palestinian security forces. “Spies!”According to Palestinian security spokesman Talal Dweikat, Palestinian forces intervened when a group of Hamas supporters interrupted the procession and grabbed the shrouded body, almost dropping it. The group turned the funeral into a protest against the PA, Dweikat said, “instead of cursing the (Israeli) occupation that has committed crimes against our people.”Palestinian security forces unleashed tear gas on the crowds, sending mourners running in all directions, and returned Kharushah's body to the ambulance. They also prevented anyone from raising Hamas flags, even as Kharushah's body remained covered in one. There were no reports of casualties. The Fatah-dominated Palestinian Authority is a fierce rival of Hamas, which seized control of the Gaza Strip from President Mahmoud Abbas' forces in 2007. Attempts at reconciliation have repeatedly failed. The scenes from the funeral sparked condemnations from across Palestinian society. Hamas in particular seized on the chance to denounce the PA's use of force against its own people. Many Palestinians see the rule of the 87-year-old Abbas as increasingly autocratic, with the authority clamping down on critics, civil society organizations and democratic advocacy. “The suppression of the funeral procession in Nablus ... marks a new moral failure added to (the PA's) dark record of oppression and abuse of our own people," Hamas said. Further exposing the divisions tearing at Palestinian society, Fatah delivered its own condemnation of Wednesday's mayhem, accusing Hamas of “sedition” and “creating strife” at a funeral that opened with a military salute and should have been a unifying occasion.
The infighting comes at a time of heightened violence in the West Bank, where many young Palestinians disillusioned with the PA are taking up weapons against Israel's open-ended occupation. Support for new armed groups that claim no links to any Palestinian party is growing. Under pressure from Israel and the United States, the PA has sought to rein in the fledgling militias but risks further inflaming the public. Already this year, Israeli military raids have killed at least 70 Palestinians, about half of them militants, according to an Associated Press tally. Palestinian attacks against Israelis have killed 14 people, all but one of them civilians. Settler violence against Palestinians has also surged in the West Bank, with a mob attack on Hawara after the killing of the two Israeli brothers last month — the worst such rampage in recent memory. Settlers torched dozens of homes, businesses and cars and assaulted Palestinians, leaving one dead and others wounded. In the southern West Bank city of Hebron, prominent Palestinian activist Issa Amro said Wednesday that Israeli settlers attacked his house, hurling wine bottles, breaking into his backyard and overturning chairs and tables. A video of the incident appeared to show Israeli soldiers initially standing by and watching the settlers bombard Amro's house with stones. The Israeli army did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

US defense secretary: Egypt partnership 'essential pillar'
Associated Press/March 08/2023
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Wednesday that America's defense partnership with Egypt is an "essential pillar" of Washington's commitment to the Middle East. Austin made the remark on Twitter after touching down in Cairo on the latest leg of his Middle East tour. He was greeted by senior Egyptian military officials at the Cairo airport. Austin is expected to hold talks with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi and other high-ranking officials before departing later Wednesday for Israel. His previous stoops on the tour included Jordan and Iraq. He was in Baghdad on Tuesday on an unannounced visit, days before the 20th anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion that ousted Saddam Hussein. Egypt is one of the largest recipients in the Mideast of American economic and military aid and an abiding U.S. ally in the region. But in recent years, U.S. lawmakers have sought to condition that aid on human rights improvements and reforms. Since coming to power in 2013, el-Sissi's government has overseen a wide-ranging crackdown on dissent, jailing thousands. Officials have targeted not only Islamist political opponents but also pro-democracy activists, journalists and online critics. ''The U.S.-Egypt defense partnership is an essential pillar of our commitment to this region,'' Austin posted on Twitter. ''I'm here to strengthen our coordination on key issues and to pursue opportunities to deepen our long-standing bilateral partnership with Egypt.'' Egypt has also played a key role in brokering numerous cease-fire agreements between Israeli and Palestinian leaders over recent years. Austin's trip comes as violence has surged across the occupied West Bank to its highest levels in years. Both the United States and Egypt are also currently engaged in cross-party talks seeking to end enduring political crises in neighboring Libya and Sudan.

The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on March 08-09/2023
Is Prayer in School Constitutional?
Alan M. Dershowitz/Gatestone Institute/March 08/2023
The First Amendment of the United States Constitution reads: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion..." That means any religion, all religions. It does not matter which.
Please read not only the First Amendment but also the dozens of court cases that have applied it to prohibit religious prayer in public schools.
Adams also suggested a false choice between prayer in the schools and guns in schools.... Neither prayers nor guns belong in schools.
Too many Americans, like Mayor Adams, are prepared to ignore or defy the Constitution when it serves their political interests. He says: "Don't tell me about no separation of church and state." Others say: "Don't tell me about the 5th amendment, or the 4th amendment, or the First Amendment" – or the impeachment clause of the Constitution. "We want to get our way, and the Constitution be damned."
So instead of starting each school day with a prayer, why don't we start each school day with the recitation of the First Amendment? Then the teacher can explain why prayer is a private matter – for the home, the church or the mind. It is not the job of the teacher to inculcate his or her religious views — or those of Mayor Adams.
Too many Americans, like New York City Mayor Eric Adams, are prepared to ignore or defy the Constitution when it serves their political interests. He says: "Don't tell me about no separation of church and state." Others say: "Don't tell me about the 5th amendment, or the 4th amendment, or the First Amendment" – or the impeachment clause of the Constitution. "We want to get our way, and the Constitution be damned." (Image source: iStock)
New York City Mayor Eric Adams, whom I generally admire, has advocated reintroducing prayer in public schools. The suggestion, though doubtless well-meant, is nevertheless unconstitutional. The First Amendment of the United States Constitution reads: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion..." That means any religion, all religions. It does not matter which.
The First Amendment poses no barrier to his personal preference. This is what Mayor Adams said: "Don't tell me about no separation of church and state."
Well Mayor Adams, I am going to tell you about separation of church and state. It was a great idea espoused by Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and the brilliant writers of our Constitution. It was based on the writing of Rhode Island Minister Roger Williams, who saw it as protecting the church from the corrupting influence of the State. Please read not only the First Amendment but also the dozens of court cases that have applied it to prohibit religious prayer in public schools. You have the right to believe that the "Church is the heart." So keep going to church, but do not compel young students to pray to your God or to any God.
Adams also suggested a false choice between prayer in the schools and guns in schools: "When we took prayers out of schools, guns came into schools." There is no evidence to support this questionable theory of causation. Neither prayers nor guns belong in schools.
Adams may not be able to "separate [his] belief" from his actions as mayor. But the Constitution requires that mayors, as public officials, do just that. He claims that "the policies we make as an administration are rooted in the Mayor's belief in his creator." In other words those citizens of New York – and there are many of them – who do not necessarily believe in "his" creator, are not included in his policies.
We are divided enough today along racial, ethnic, gender, ideological and partisan lines. Now Mayor Adams wants to divide us further along religious lines. History has proved that there is no such thing as "interdenominational" prayer, because all religions are different, and those individuals with no religion are not included. Mayor Adams did not inform us whose prayer he would include: should it be Protestant, Catholic, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist? What about the child who was brought up as an atheist or agnostic? Or the religious student who does not believe in public prayer? When it comes to religion, there can be no consensus. Nor should there be.
When "non-denominational prayer" was introduced in Boston several decades ago, fights erupted in the classroom. When a young Jewish woman, who refused to recite a Christian prayer, was shamed and disciplined, I had to come to her defense. When my mother was a public school student in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, her Catholic teacher made her memorize parts of the Latin Mass, which she was always able to recite. The teacher honestly thought she was instilling Americanism into these children of immigrants. But Americanism requires compliance with the United States Constitution.
All around the nation, public schools are becoming platforms for propaganda. Students are being told what to think, rather than being taught how to think, critically and analytically. Personal and political views about race, gender, ideology – and now religion – are replacing (or at least supplementing) math, science and objective history. Many on the right want religion, but not sex or race ideology, to be taught in public schools. Many on the left want sex and race ideology, but not religion. Both are wrong. Neither belongs in taxpayer-supported public schools.
Mayor Adams' call for unconstitutional prayer is merely the tip of a very deep and dangerous iceberg that afflicts both the left and the right. Tragically, it also afflicts the center, as reflected by the demand being made by Mayor Adams, who himself is a centrist.
Too many Americans, like Mayor Adams, are prepared to ignore or defy the Constitution when it serves their political interests. He says: "Don't tell me about no separation of church and state." Others say: "Don't tell me about the 5th amendment, or the 4th amendment, or the First Amendment" – or the impeachment clause of the Constitution. "We want to get our way, and the Constitution be damned."
So instead of starting each school day with a prayer, why don't we start each school day with the recitation of the First Amendment? Then the teacher can explain why prayer is a private matter – for the home, the church or the mind. It is not the job of the teacher to inculcate his or her religious views— or those of Mayor Adams.
*Alan M. Dershowitz is the Felix Frankfurter Professor of Law, Emeritus at Harvard Law School, and the author most recently of The Price of Principle: Why Integrity Is Worth The Consequences. He is the Jack Roth Charitable Foundation Fellow at Gatestone Institute, and is also the host of "The Dershow" podcast.
© 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.

The Philippines, Tired of China's Bullying, Restores Military Alliance with the U.S.
Lawrence A. Franklin/Gatestone Institute/March 08/2023
Manila apparently ran out of patience.
After a decade of suffering China's aggressive acts against Philippine vessels, fishermen and energy exploration efforts in waters within the archipelago country's Exclusive Economic Zone, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. recently welcomed an expanded US military presence.
Marcos now has responded to continued Chinese belligerence by granting US forces access to five additional military bases on Philippine territory.
In a direct rebuke to China, two of these new bases are on Palawan, one of the disputed Spratly Islands, which are also claimed, as is much else, by Communist China.
Philippine officials have failed to persuade China to abide by the May 2016 ruling of the Hague's Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), which said that China had consistently violated the Philippines' rights, guaranteed under the 1982 United Nations Convention of the Law of the Sea.... Upon completion of the proceedings, the PCA's 501 page decision sided entirely with the Philippines.
China, by bullying its neighbors, is bringing about what it fears the most: a united phalanx of Asian powers under an American umbrella that is ready to prevent China from expanding to what it claims as its historic land and maritime borders.
Manila apparently ran out of patience.
After a decade of suffering China's aggressive acts against Philippine vessels, fishermen and energy exploration efforts in waters within the archipelago country's Exclusive Economic Zone, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. recently welcomed an expanded US military presence.
Marcos now has responded to continued Chinese belligerence by granting US forces access to five additional military bases on Philippine territory.
In a direct rebuke to China, two of these new bases are on Palawan, one of the disputed Spratly Islands, which are also claimed, as is much else, by Communist China. A US military presence on Palawan will be a direct challenge to the Chinese Communist Party's plan to ultimately seize Taiwan: Palawan is the closest large Philippine island to Taiwan and the equally disputed waters of the South China Sea. US air and naval assets on Palawan could potentially play a large role in supporting the Free World forces against China.
Despite Chinese President Xi Jinping having agreed to manage maritime differences through consultation, during Marcos' state visit to China in January, the Chinese Coast Guard initiated another incident with the Philippines in disputed waters in the South China Sea. A Chinese Coast Guard vessel on February 6, 2023, lasered a Philippine Coast Guard ship. The Chinese vessel directed a military-grade laser at the bridge crew of the Philippine ship twice, temporarily blinding a Filipino sailor.
On February 14, Marcos summoned China's Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian. Marcos then condemned the Chinese Coast Guard vessel's "dangerous maneuvering," in which it came within 150 yards of the Filipino ship. The US government called China's use of laser beams against the ship "provocative and unsafe." Both the Australian and Japanese Embassies in the Philippines followed up the US diplomatic protest with similar condemnatory notes to their Chinese counterpart in Manila.
In 2022, the Philippines criticized China's aggressive maneuvers in South China Sea waters by lodging roughly 200 protests with Beijing. This pattern of reckless Chinese behavior may have helped Marcos to reverse the pro-China slant of former President Rodrigo Duterte, his predecessor. Duterte foolishly sought to appease Beijing during his term from 2016 to 2022, by issuing flippant statements such as: "It's time to say goodbye to Washington." Duterte, during his mid-October 2016 visit to China, attempted to negotiate a diplomatic agreement with Xi to defuse any incidents involving conflicting claims in the South China Sea. During his fifth visit to China in August 2019, however, where he finally was permitted an audience with Xi, Duterte failed to lower China's ambition to control the entirety of the East and South China Seas.
Philippine officials have failed to persuade China to abide by the May 2016 ruling of the Hague's Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), which said that China had consistently violated the Philippines' rights, guaranteed under the 1982 United Nations Convention of the Law of the Sea. The Philippines filed their complaint at the PCA against China three years earlier, in January 2013. Upon completion of the proceedings, the PCA's 501 page decision sided entirely with the Philippines. The PCA's unanimous ruling by a five-judge panel declared that China was responsible for disrupting the enterprise of Filipino fishermen, interfering with Philippine hydrocarbon operations, and creating environmental hazards with its construction activity on seven different entities. The PCA also criticized China for having constructed airfields, ports facilities and other military installations on artificial islands in the South China Sea, particularly the Scarborough Shoal and the Mischief Reef in the Spratly Islands.
China, by bullying its neighbors, is bringing about what it fears the most: a united phalanx of Asian powers under an American umbrella that is ready to prevent China from expanding to what it claims as its historic land and maritime borders.
*Dr. Lawrence A. Franklin was the Iran Desk Officer for Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld. He also served on active duty with the U.S. Army and as a Colonel in the Air Force Reserve.
© 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.

International 'Laxity' Agencies
Tariq Al-Homayed/Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper/March, 08/2023
Over two days, we saw the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the Iranian regime release conflicting statements, giving us tangible evidence that we cannot rely upon the IAEA nor trust the Iranian regime.
Here is a summary of what transpired to those who had not been following up; IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi issued a statement, in Tehran, saying that Iran had allowed the UN agency to re-install surveillance cameras and enter undeclared facilities. He also claimed that the mullah regime also allowed the IAEA to access individuals involved in a faltering investigation. Iran denied these claims, so Grossi admitted that the assurances Iran had given him during his visit are hinged on future negotiations.
Reuters reported that when journalists pressed Grossi on the commitment Iran had made and the extent to which his stance depends on future negotiations, he said: “Why don’t you let us do our job? Unless you want to join us as an inspector, which could be interesting. We know how to do these things.”
“I believe that there is a good opportunity. I cannot guarantee, of course. When people say, these were (only) promises: well, first, it’s not (only) promises. We do have certain agreements which are concrete. And at the same time, I need to do my job and never give up,” he then added.
Grossi’s statements, those on Iran’s repudiation, mean that he did not share what had actually been agreed upon. Instead, he spoke of his “good intentions” - of what could be achieved through future negotiations with the mullah regime.
The negotiations with Iran through the IAEA cannot go on with such naivety and leniency. The Director General’s statements regarding Iran’s supposed cooperation were little more than an attempt to preclude us from blaming Iran and considering the 2015 nuclear agreement void.
In fact, the Europeans hinted at this idea last week, which the Americans met with reluctance, and now it is clear that Mr. Grossi is discussing what the negotiations hope to achieve, not what he has achieved through his visit to Tehran. There is an immense difference here.
The truth is that the laxity shown by this UN agency towards such a perilous matter is dumbfounding, given how lightly Iran has dealt with the situation. We are not talking about a disagreement over how a trade agreement is interpreted but rather the enrichment of Uranium that could leave Iran on the brink of reaching the nuclear threshold, which would change the region.
I use the term leniency because the IAEA Director issued other strange statements from Tehran that suggest he is keen on protecting the mullah regime from the military option. Indeed, Grossi has said that any Israeli or US attack on Iranian nuclear facilities would be illegal!
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu jokingly responded by saying that “Grossi is a person of value who made a statement of no value.” Thus, it seems that the laxity, or should I say, complacency, of some organizations warrants changing their name to international agencies of “laxity” with Iran. They have been lenient in addressing its malign actions, be it the nuclear program, the poisoning of Iranian students, or Tehran’s crimes in the region and Ukraine.

Iran’s Rulers, Shaken by Protests, Now Face Currency Crisis
Vivian Yee/The New York Times/March, 08/2023
As their currency plunged to new lows recently, Iranians did what they had grown all too used to: They crowded exchange shops, hoping to convert their increasingly worthless rials into dollars.
At the grocery store, prices had climbed so high that many people had only enough to buy vegetables. And as the Persian New Year approached, some had little left for holiday meals, shopping and travel.
The rial has lost some 30 percent of its value against the dollar since the beginning of the year, the latest setback for an economy whose outlook has steadily dimmed since 2018, when President Donald J. Trump walked away from an agreement to limit Iran’s nuclear activities in exchange for lifting sanctions. Instead, he imposed even harsher sanctions.
The currency’s recent decline has added to a sense of despair and to Iranians’ grievances against the government. The prospects for economic relief and political change now appear slim: The nuclear deal looks unlikely to be revived, and a violent crackdown by the authorities has largely crushed the mass protests against clerical rule that erupted in September.
For an increasingly vocal number of Iranians, the long lines outside the currency exchanges were the latest evidence that the authoritarian leadership was steering the country off the rails.
Frustration with the theocratic rulers, whether over economic policies or social restrictions, also drove the recent protests, which posed one of the greatest challenges to the Islamic Republic since it was established in 1979.
“As someone who has been studying her whole life, I am full of rage that I can’t have a normal life or afford the minimum that I want,” said Sima, 33, a pharmacologist from the capital, Tehran, whose savings have plummeted in value with the currency. She hopes to emigrate to Canada, but if she makes it, her money will be worth far less than before.
“I have no future in this country,” she said.
Iran, its residents often say, should be rich, with some of the world’s largest oil reserves and a well-educated population. Instead, with inflation routinely topping 50 percent annually, some Iranians can no longer afford meat.
Others pare down middle-class comforts they once took for granted: No more eating out. No more travel or new clothes. No more offering visitors the sour plums and green almonds that are traditional nibbles for guests, or no more hosting at all. Marriages are delayed, babies put off.
Economic frustration over a sudden spike in gasoline prices set off major protests in 2019. But last year’s demonstrations, which began after the death in police custody of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who was accused of violating the strict religious dress code for women, first took aim at the mandatory head scarf law and the systemic sexism protesters said it symbolized.
The movement quickly expanded, however, to encompass a broad range of grievances with the ruling establishment, including a lack of political and social freedoms, corruption and economic mismanagement.
Economists say the current crisis can be traced to years of Western sanctions on Iran’s oil industry and financial sector over an Iranian nuclear program that the US and its allies suspect is aimed at producing weapons.
“There is no way for this government, without increasing oil revenues, to find money to help people find jobs or even give them mere income,” said Djavad Salehi-Isfahani, an Iranian-born economist at Virginia Tech. “They’ve gotten themselves into a very bad situation.”
Data shows that Iran’s economy grew and poverty rates fell steadily until 2011, when the West first imposed heavy sanctions. The rial exchange rate is now about 500,000 to the dollar, compared with 32,000 when the original nuclear deal was signed in 2015. Poverty has spread, especially in rural areas.
But the government’s handling of a series of recent crises did little to dispel the widely held belief that mismanagement and corruption are also to blame.
In the last several months, victims of an earthquake in northern Iran denounced a too-little-too-late emergency response, according to social media posts. The authorities responded to protests with water cannons.
Mohamed Ali Kadivar, a Boston College sociologist who studies Iranian protest movements, said that “because of the dominance of the hard liners, the people who take government jobs are loyal, they’re not people with expertise,” which makes the system “incapable of problem-solving.”
Government interventions to stop the currency’s slide over the last week have had minor success. The government has given cash to low-income and some middle-income Iranians and urged the private sector to create jobs. But economists say Iran has failed to use levers it has to hold back poverty.
Much of the economy is controlled by well-connected government loyalists or the powerful Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, creating advantages for insiders that, along with the political uncertainty, hinder investment.
Iran’s leaders blame Western sanctions for the economic problems and foreign meddling for the recent unrest.
Some analysts say one way for Iran to gain badly needed cash and investment would be to negotiate a new nuclear deal that would ease sanctions, as President Biden has tried to do. But some of the ruling establishment’s fiercest critics argue that such an agreement would only grant Iran’s leaders revenue and power. Any hint that negotiations are stalling or picking up can send the rial fluctuating, and the growing belief that sanctions are here to stay was probably a factor in the rial’s decline, analysts said. New restrictions on dollars flowing into neighboring Iraq made the US currency even scarcer in Iran, a major trading partner, according to analysts.
In one supermarket in Amol, a city in northern Iran, the price of shampoo went up by nearly 60 percent in a week, while the price of meat increased tenfold, said Leili, 39, a teacher. To save, she said, she and her husband walked instead of taking taxis, stopped eating meat and dairy and bought more canned goods to use less cooking gas.
The idea of having a child, as she once imagined, no longer seemed realistic. “This political system is the reason that we work for most of the day, and at the end of the day, we still have nothing. We’re entirely incapable of affording the basics,” said Leili, who, like other Iranians whom The Times interviewed, gave only her first name to avoid government reprisal.
Batoul, a 77-year-old pensioner in a poor area of south Tehran whose rent alone rose this year to more than twice her monthly pension, began asking for a grocery store’s castoff fruit, hoping to find a few edible pieces among the rot.
To be sure, total economic collapse remains a ways away. Iran’s economic output other than oil has managed to grow slightly in recent years. On recent visits to several cities, restaurants and hotels still had some guests, and bazaars and sweet shops had customers.
But with the dizzying swings in the currency’s value, the uncertainty and the lack of opportunities for young people, despair is little surprise, said Mr. Salehi-Isfahani, the economist.
The government has done little to blunt the pain other than to avoid raising gas prices, one of its few means of raising revenue. Such a move could lead to protests, as it did in 2019. This year’s budget did not increase welfare payments to match inflation, according to analysts, or increase subsidies for food staples and gasoline. The budget did, however, allocate more money to the Revolutionary Guards force and other defense sectors.
“It’s just more money for the defense industry and cuts for the people,” said Henry Rome, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy who studies Iran, “and I think that kind of speaks for itself.”

Race riots the latest evidence of Tunisia's malaise
Zaid M. Belbagi/Arab News/March 08, 2023
With a cult of personality taking shape, parliament’s back broken and a neutered political opposition, Kais Saied’s Tunisia is a world away from the one that gave birth to the Jasmine Revolution in 2011.
Home to what had once been the only successful transition of power to democracy following the wave of regional protests, Tunisia’s liberals have been enveloped by an authoritarian centralization of power, while the country’s economy has been deemed “bankrupt,” according to the most recent rating agency reports. As national government debt has soared to four times gross domestic product, the otherwise-welcoming and peaceful country has been host to a stark increase in racist attacks and state-sanctioned arbitrary arrests of sub-Saharan migrants — a telling trait of a society that is broken.
Despite soaring youth unemployment, a precarious fiscal situation and looming authoritarianism, Tunisian society has miraculously retained a certain calm. However, events in recent days — typified by the frenzied plight of Tunisia’s sub-Saharan African community — show the extent of the malaise across all aspects of society.
Saied last month denounced undocumented sub-Saharan African immigration to Tunisia in a meeting with the National Security Council. In comments that were later published online, the president declared that the arrivals were aimed at changing Tunisia’s demographic makeup. He said: “The undeclared goal of the successive waves of illegal immigration is to consider Tunisia a purely African country that has no affiliation to the Arab and Islamic nations.”
Playing on recent social media campaigns that have focused on the issue, the president has arranged for a makeshift prison to detain migrants, who now also face heavy fines and public bullying despite already dealing with the travails of the legal limbo they occupy.
In the wake of the record low voter turnout (the lowest since the 2011 revolution) at the December-January parliamentary elections, Saied has stoked xenophobic tensions to divert attention from the country’s impending catastrophe and his government’s inability to remedy it. Though the constitutional coup that brought him to power was seen by a large block of Tunisian society as a welcome opportunity to embolden the executive to reorder the country’s political and economic life, Saied no longer enjoys widespread public support.
The president’s efforts to rally the population around the issue of African migrants, whose presence has, in all fairness, increased the strain on the fragile Tunisian economy, have resulted in a situation whereby sub-Saharan Africans are facing a surge of racist acts. He is not the first authoritarian to stoke up public fear and xenophobia to shore up his position amid rising food prices, unemployment and political instability. Black Tunisians, who make up about 10 percent of the country’s population, have also been mistakenly targeted in racist attacks, bringing home the cost of irresponsible populism.
Events in recent days — typified by the frenzied plight of Tunisia’s sub-Saharan African community — show the extent of the malaise across all aspects of society.
Last week’s attacks are only the latest controversy surrounding Saied, who seized power in 2021, dissolving the country’s democratically elected parliament. Amid several other authoritarian actions, Saied has accused “traitors,” who have been arrested as part of the latest crackdown, of “price fixing,” “market manipulation,” and “hoarding.” Such fifth columnist rhetoric ties into a wider narrative that has characterized the president’s escalating confrontation with critics who accuse him of a coup and who the security forces have now arrested.
Tunisia last week banned a protest by the country’s main opposition coalition, the National Salvation Front, but the group pressed ahead and on Sunday demonstrated against “political arrests and violations against public and individual freedoms.” The protest came as the governor of Tunis, Kamel Feki, said such marches had “not been approved as some of its leaders are suspected of plotting against state security.”
Last month, the president’s eccentricity in regards to counter-coups and plots against him reached a new low as he accused Esther Lynch, the Irish general secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation, of making statements that “interfered with Tunisian internal affairs” when she spoke during a protest organized by the Tunisian General Labour Union. Thereafter expelled from the country, she was spirited out in scenes reminiscent of the darkest days of Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali’s police state.
Within this context, the EU and US continue to “express concern.” Their reticence and Tunisia’s relative economic insignificance make the situation easy to ignore. The Saied government has long surrendered any semblance of democratic transition and its impending authoritarianism is drastically reducing the willingness of international partners to invest in Tunisia and, more importantly, provide the bailout the country needs.
Tunisia’s race riots are just the latest social disturbance caused by the country’s increasing instability. To truly support the Tunisian people, international parties must condition future financial assistance on reforms and a term limit for Saied’s tenure. Tunisia’s powerful security apparatus should not expect foreign funding until they get behind a return to democratic rule.
• Zaid M. Belbagi is a political commentator and an adviser to private clients between London and the GCC.
Twitter: @Moulay_Zaid

Iran Needs to Believe America’s Threat
Dennis Ross/The Washington Institute/March 08/2023
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/116379/dennis-ross-the-washington-institute-iran-needs-to-believe-americas-threat-%d8%af%d9%8a%d9%86%d8%b3-%d8%b1%d9%88%d8%b3-%d9%85%d8%b9%d9%87%d8%af-%d9%88%d8%a7%d8%b4%d9%86%d8%b7%d9%86-%d8%b9/
Four steps could help check Tehran’s progress toward a nuclear bomb and avoid the regional risks of a unilateral Israeli attack.
While the international community was focused on the anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, inspectors from the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), discovered uranium residue enriched to 84 percent in Iranian centrifuge cascades. Weapons-grade fissile material is typically characterized as uranium enriched to 90 percent, but it is worth recalling that the U.S. atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima in August 1945 was a fission weapon enriched to an average of 80 percent. The Iranians may claim that they are not enriching beyond 60 percent, and that these are mere particles, but the discovery should set off alarm bells.
It is a reminder that Iran has achieved the capacity to produce weapons-grade material very quickly. Enriching to 60 percent—something that the IAEA’s director, Rafael Grossi, says has “no justification for civilian purposes”—has already put the Iranians in that position. Granted, creating weapons-grade fissile material is not the same as having a bomb, but it is the most important element needed for bomb-making. The IAEA may not know yet whether the 84 percent is simply a limited residue from the cascades or whether this was a deliberate move by the Iranians to enrich to near weapons-grade. But we do know that, for the second time in a month, Iran has engaged in suspicious activity at an enrichment site. At Fordow, the Iranians connected two clusters of advanced centrifuges enriching uranium to 60 percent and did not inform the IAEA that it had done so. This is contrary to their obligations under the terms of the nuclear-nonproliferation treaty. Now there is also the 84 percent finding.
Regardless of the Iranian explanation, Iran is drawing closer to enriching to weapons-grade, and on its current pace could easily accumulate 10 bombs’ worth of fissile material enriched to 60 percent by the end of this year. And a senior defense official this week suggested that it would take the Iranians less than two weeks to make such material weapons-grade. Two implications of this emerging reality need to be considered. First, the Iranians are acting as if enriching to near weapons-grade and accumulating large amounts of fissile material pose no risk to them. And second, the idea that Israel will sit back and not act against what its leaders view as an existential threat is an illusion.
Israel may be preoccupied with the Netanyahu government’s judicial-overhaul plan and the growing levels of violence with the Palestinians, but Israeli leaders from across the political spectrum share the prime minister’s concerns about the quantity of bomb-making fissile material that Iran is accumulating and the hardening of its nuclear infrastructure, which will make it more and more difficult for Israel to destroy. Benjamin Netanyahu has already told U.S. officials and French President Emmanuel Macron that if nothing is done soon to stop the advance of the Iranian nuclear program, Israel will have no choice but to attack.
The IAEA’s discovery of the enriched materials will only confirm the deepening Israeli belief that the current approach of the U.S. and its allies will eventually result in Iran getting a bomb, and that, regardless of statements to the contrary, America and the international community are prepared to live with that outcome. Israel, however, is not.
If the Biden administration wants to force the Iranians to recognize the dangerous risk they are running and convince the Israelis that it has a way to deter the Iranians from advancing their program, it must respond to the recent revelation. The Iranians, the Israelis, and others in the region will certainly be watching to see what the U.S. does.
To be effective, that response should be shaped by a four-part strategy. First, the Biden administration must alter its declaratory policy. Saying that “every option remains on the table,” as Secretary of State Antony Blinken did in an interview, impresses no one, least of all the Iranians. Instead, Blinken or President Joe Biden should announce that although the U.S. favors diplomacy for resolving the threat of the Iranian nuclear program, the Iranians continue to demonstrate that they don’t; instead, their actions are drawing them closer and closer to a bomb, something that the U.S. has pledged to prevent, and Iran must understand that its actions jeopardize its entire nuclear infrastructure, including parts that could in theory be used for civilian energy purposes. Declaring this would signal that the U.S. is beginning to prepare the American public and the international community for possible military action against Iran’s nuclear program.
Second, to give these words force, the Iranians need to see the U.S. rehearsing its own air-to-ground attacks in exercises in the region. The recent major joint exercise with Israel was a good first step. It needs to be repeated. Parallel to this, the Biden administration should be visibly engaging with the Israelis, Saudis, Emiratis, and others on consultations and exercises designed to blunt any possible Iranian attacks against those countries. This would demonstrate that the administration is not only preparing for a possible attack, but also anticipating how the Iranians might retaliate against American allies in the region—and how the U.S. has planned to foil that.
Third, Tehran is under two misapprehensions: It does not believe that we will act militarily against Iran, and it thinks we will also stop the Israelis from doing so. The administration can counter that impression by providing material and munitions that would make any Israeli strikes more effective. Given the distances involved and the lack of access to forward bases, Israel needs refueling tankers so that it can hit fortified Iranian targets multiple times. It has contracted for four Boeing KC-46A air tankers, but the first is not scheduled for delivery until late 2025. The Biden administration can ensure that the Israelis are first in line, enabling tankers to arrive this year. The U.S. can also provide more powerful munitions than the ones Israel currently has for collapsing hardened targets. This unusual move of providing Israel with such specific military assistance would send a message loud and clear: Far from holding the Israelis back, the U.S. will support them.
Fourth, the Biden administration must also act in a way that is out of character in Iranian eyes. Over the past month, America’s forces in Syria were targeted twice by Iranian Shiite-militia proxies. In neither case did the U.S. retaliate. The Iranians need to see something they do not expect—a military response showing that whatever constraints were previously observed now no longer apply. Proxy attacks must be answered, without hesitation and disproportionately. Such action could include, for example, unacknowledged U.S. air strikes on the camps in Iran where these militias are trained. If the U.S. does not claim responsibility, the Iranians would not be forced to respond—but they would get the point.
If the U.S. adopts all of these measures, the Iranians would take notice. The aim would be to get the Iranians to stop the advance of their nuclear-enrichment program, and in so doing reopen the possibility of a diplomatic pathway to reverse it.
Is such an approach free of risk? No. Iran may test us to see how serious we are. The Islamic Republic’s leaders may say that they will walk away from the nonproliferation treaty, and so deny the IAEA any access at all. But this much is certain: For the U.S. to hold to the current policy will do nothing to alter Iran’s progress toward the moment when it can choose to go for a bomb—and Israel is simply not going to wait for that.
Without a clear show of resolve by the U.S. to act on its own behalf, unilateral Israeli strikes on the Iranian nuclear program will trigger Hezbollah and maybe Hamas missile attacks on Israel, potentially numbering thousands per day. Iran itself may launch retaliatory attacks against the Saudis and other regional adversaries, in an effort to show that if Iran pays a price, everyone will pay a price. If the Biden administration does not change course, there is a good chance it will face a regional conflict in the Middle East.
To avoid a war with a threatening adversary, that adversary has to believe you will use force. A clear signal of a new American approach may now be essential not only to persuade the Iranians to stop their advance toward a nuclear weapon, but also to show China and Russia that the U.S. is capable of dealing with multiple threats at once and that it has the will to do so. As well as deterring the Iranians, the Biden administration can alter the calculus of the Chinese and Russians over expansionist plans in other parts of the world.
*Dennis Ross, a former special assistant to President Obama, is the counselor and William Davidson Distinguished Fellow at The Washington Institute. This article was originally published on the Atlantic website.