English LCCC Newsbulletin For
Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For May 12/2023
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
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15 آذار/2023
Bible Quotations For today
For where two or three are gathered in my
name, I am there among them
Matthew 18/18-22:”Truly I tell you, whatever you
bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be
loosed in heaven. Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about
anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two
or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.’Then Peter came and
said to him, ‘Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often
should I forgive? As many as seven times?’Jesus said to him, ‘Not seven times,
but, I tell you, seventy-seven times.”
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese &
Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on May 11-12/2023
Sajaan Azzi left Lebanon the freedom, identity, sovereignty and
resistance that he loved, and defended with the sacred word, which is God, and
left us to the world of eternity/Elias Bejjani/May 11/2023
US Justice Department seizes 13 Hezbollah domains
Frangieh's visit to Saudi ambassador and the Saudi position on Lebanese
presidency: An overview
Cordial and excellent': Franjieh meets Bukhari in Yarze
Bukhari meets "National Moderation" bloc MPs
Report: Rahi might meet Macron soon, after sensing French rapprochement
Opposition forces to meet in bid to agree on presidential candidate
Report: Qatar's push for army chief nomination backed by US, KSA
Berri urges new president before June 15
Sami Gemayel warns of civil war if Hezbollah continues same policy
Deputy Governor Mansouri's approach to vacancy in BDL Governor's position
The rise and fall of Captagon cartels: Lebanon's battle against drug trafficking
The dark side of Syria's Captagon: The billion-dollar drug trade and its routes
to the Gulf
20 organizations demand Lebanon to halt 'summary' deportation of Syrian refugees
Hajjar discusses Iranian-Saudi agreement and its reflection on Lebanese dossiers
with Iranian Ambassador
Mikati chairs meetings over 2023 state budget, Nahr al-Bared electricity
situation, meets Economic and Social Council Head, Arab-African...
Jumblatt broaches developments with Australian Ambassador, meets Sheikh Al-Aql,
cables Barzani
British Embassy in Beirut celebrates coronation of King Charles III and Queen
Camilla
For Immediate Release/LIC Celebrates its 24th Annual Convention
Who is Ghada Aoun, the dismissed judge fighting Lebanon's corruption?
Titles For The Latest English LCCC
Miscellaneous Reports And News published
on May 11-12/2023
Pope urges countries to manage
migrant waves, expand legal channels
Israel assassinates Islamic Jihad rocket commander in Gaza Strip
No letup in deadly Israeli raids against Palestinians
Israel kills senior Gaza commanders as rockets cause first death in Israel
Israeli-Palestinian fighting intensifies as Egyptian cease-fire efforts falter
Egypt, Jordan, France, Germany urge end to Israeli-Gaza fighting
U.N. urges halt to Sudan conflict as fighting rumbles on despite talks
Humanitarian workers in Sudan share harrowing story fleeing war-torn nation
Sudan's conflict since fighting erupted in mid-April
1 soldier killed, several others wounded in clashes between Armenia, Azerbaijan
Saudi envoy: Yemen peace push 'serious' but next steps unclear
US lawmakers introduce bill to combat normalization with Syria's Assad
Second Syrian policeman dead after Damascus car bomb attack
Tunisia investigates guardsman's motive for killing 5 outside historic synagogue
Top Pakistan court says Imran Khan's arrest was illegal - lawyer
Iran still smuggling weapons, narcotics to Yemen, U.S. envoy says
Ukraine is fast running out of time – and Putin must know it
Titles For
The Latest
English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on May 11-12/2023
The Real Meaning of 'From The River To The Sea, Palestine Will Be Free'/Bassam
Tawil/Gatestone Institute/May 11, 2023
Syria’s Normalization and the GCC: Adjusting to A New Modus Vivendi/Leonardo
Jacopo Maria Mazzucco/Washington Institute/May 11/2023
World can start stabilizing Syria without involving Assad/Dr. Dania Koleilat
Khatib/Arab News/May 11, 2023
Syria reconstruction would bring huge benefits for the region/Dr. Majid
Rafizadeh/Arab News/May 11, 2023
Candid discussions key to building effective GCC-NATO partnership/*Dr. Abdel
Aziz Aluwaisheg/Arab News/May 11, 2023
Latest English LCCC Lebanese &
Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on May 11-12/2023
Sajaan Azzi left Lebanon the freedom, identity,
sovereignty and resistance that he loved, and defended with the sacred word,
which is God, and left us to the world of eternity
Elias Bejjani/May 11/2023
The Lord gave and the Lord took, blessed be his
name
Former Minister, Writer, and former “Kataeb’’ party member, Sajaan Azzi, passed
away today at the age of 71, after a struggle with illness. He departed to the
next world where there is no pain or worries, but happiness, comfort and
reverence. Sajaan Azzi left his pen and the Lebanon of freedom, identity,
sovereignty and resistance that he loved, worshiped, and defended with the
sacred word, which is God, until the last breath of his life. ..He left us to
the world of eternity. This morning, God restored His life deposit from Azzi ,
Lebanese patriot, the distinguished and stubborn resistance fighter. Sajaan has
moved today from death to life, so let us pray for the rest of his soul in the
heavenly dwellings alongside the righteous and saints. For years, I have been
waiting for his article every Thursday that used to be published in An-Nahar
newspaper to re-publish it on my LCCC website and distribute it to friends and
followers, on many social media facilities. His memory remains in hearts and
consciences. We extend our deepest condolences to the family of the dear
deceased, his followers, sovereigns, liberals, and lovers of the word.
Whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live.
US Justice Department seizes 13 Hezbollah
domains
Naharnet/May 11/2023
The U.S. Justice Department announced Thursday that it has seized 13 domains
used by Hezbollah and its Affiliates. The United States obtained court
authorization to seize moqawama.org, almanarnews.org, manarnews.org,
almanar-tv.org, alshahid.org, manartv.net, manarnews.net, almanar-tv.com,
almanar-tv.net, alidaamouch.com, Ibrahim-alsayed.net, alemdad.net, and
naimkassem.net, the department of justice said. "Today’s web domain seizures
deny terrorist organizations and affiliates significant sources of support and
makes clear we will not allow these groups to use U.S. infrastructure to
threaten the American people," said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen
of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. "This seizure
demonstrates the FBI’s persistence in using all of our tools to hold accountable
terrorists and their affiliates when they violate U.S. laws," said Assistant
Director Robert R. Wells of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division. "Pursuant to
the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), Specially Designated
Nationals (SNDs) and Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs), such as
Lebanese Hezbollah, Al Manar TV, Ali Damush, Ibrahim al-Sayyid, Islamic
Charitable Emdad Committee, Martyrs’ Foundation in Lebanon, Naim Qasim, and
their members may not obtain services, including website and domain services, in
the United States without a license from the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).
No such license was obtained for any of the 13 seized domains," the U.S.
Department of Justice said.
Frangieh's visit to Saudi ambassador and the Saudi position
on Lebanese presidency: An overview
LBCI/May 11/2023
In form, it is a visit by presidential candidate Sleiman Frangieh to Saudi
ambassador to Beirut, Walid Bukhari. In form, Frangieh ended the meeting by
thanking the ambassador for his invitation to visit. Frangieh described the
meeting as friendly and excellent without mentioning any other details. Although
leaks indicate that the atmosphere is positive, the Saudi position still insists
on completing the presidential entitlement as soon as possible. The kingdom does
not interfere with names, as this is an internal matter. It is up to the
political forces to meet to get the country out of the crisis. While information
was circulating about an upcoming visit by Bukhari to Bnachai, diplomatic
sources told LBCI that there was no planned visit by the Saudi ambassador to
Bnachai in the first place. The day of ambassador Bukhari was characterized by
his meeting with Frangieh and members of the National Moderation bloc. The
outcome of the meeting was that the Saudi position on the Lebanese presidency
file remains the same. Riyadh supports consensus among the Lebanese and does not
veto anyone, including Frangieh. Still, it will judge the practice and respects
Lebanese sovereignty.
Cordial and excellent': Franjieh meets Bukhari in Yarze
Naharnet/May 11/2023
Saudi Ambassador Walid Bukhari and Marada leader Suleiman Franjieh met Thursday
at Bukhari's residence in Yarze. The two sat in the garden after having
breakfast to discuss the presidential crisis. The meeting was cordial and
excellent," Franjieh tweeted after the meeting. Franjieh, 57, a former lawmaker
and minister close to Hezbollah and a personal friend of Syrian President Bashar
al-Assad, is officially nominated for presidency by Hezbollah and Amal, although
Hezbollah's ally the Free Patriotic Movement would not endorse him, and
Hezbollah's opponents say they wouldn't attend a voting session that would elect
Franjieh. Kataeb leader Sami Gemayel who strongly opposes the election of
Franjieh said Thursday after he met with Democratic Gathering bloc MP Wael Abou
Faour that Frnajieh's visit to Bukhari is not a Saudi "Green light."
Bukhari has long said that his country doesn't want to interfere with the
presidential file and doesn't endorse or oppose any candidate chosen by the
Lebanese. He urged in all of his latest meetings with Lebanese leaders and MPs
for a swift election of a president.
Bukhari meets "National Moderation" bloc MPs
NNA/May 11/2023
The Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Lebanon, Waleed Bukhari, is
currently meeting with "National Moderation Bloc" MPs, at the Bloc’s office in
Saifi.
Report: Rahi might meet Macron soon, after sensing French rapprochement
Naharnet/May 11/2023
France has decided to go back to consulting Bkerki regarding the presidential
file, a church source told MTV. According to the source, this is what Maronite
Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi has sensed after he met with French Ambassador to
Lebanon Anne Grillo. MTV also said Thursday that al-Rahi might visit Paris soon
to meet with French President Emmanuel Macron over the presidential file. Grillo
had reportedly tried to mend ties with Bkerki by telling al-Rahi that her
country is “keen on the centuries-long, historic relation between Paris and the
patriarchate.” The ambassador also told the patriarch that Paris no longer backs
any presidential candidate and that it “will not take any step that harms the
Christian and national interest,” effectively announcing the end of French
support for Suleiman Franjieh’s nomination, the Nidaa al-Watan newspaper said.
Opposition forces to meet in bid to agree on presidential
candidate
Naharnet/May 11/2023
The opposition forces will hold a meeting Thursday in an attempt to agree on a
presidential candidate, in the first such talks between them, a media report
said. The meeting will be attended by the MPs of the Lebanese Forces, the Kataeb
Party, the Tajaddod bloc and a number of Change and independent MPs, the Nidaa
al-Watan newspaper said. The Democratic Gathering will not attend the meeting
but it is “communicating” with the rest of the opposition parties, the daily
added.
Report: Qatar's push for army chief nomination backed by US, KSA
Naharnet/May 11/2023
Army Commander General Joseph Aoun has once again become “one of the most
serious candidates” for the Lebanese presidency, especially for the main foreign
nations concerned with the Lebanese file, a media report said.
According to media reports, a Qatari delegation has recently promoted Aoun’s
nomination during a visit to Lebanon. Ad-Diyar newspaper meanwhile quoted
“credible sources” as saying that “the Qatari drive seems to be coordinated with
Saudi Arabia and the United States.”
Berri urges new president before June 15
Naharnet/May 11/2023
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri has stressed that the election of a new president
is the “beginning of beginnings,” warning that “the presidential election should
be finalized before June 15 at the latest, seeing as no one would know where the
country would head if the presidential vacuum continued.”“The mother of all
problems is the sectarianism that is deep-rooted in all the joints of the
state,” Berri added, underlining that “there is a dire need to work for reaching
a non-sectarian electoral law and implementing what has not been implemented of
the Taif Accord, especially its reformist articles.”As for the looming expiry of
Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh’s term, Berri said: “We do not accept that a
central bank governor be chosen without the (new) president having a say in this
matter, and this also applies to the army commander post.”Moreover, the Speaker
noted that “the regional and international atmosphere regarding the presidential
juncture are encouraging and appropriate.”
Sami Gemayel warns of civil war if Hezbollah continues same
policy
Naharnet/May 11/2023
Kataeb leader Sami Gemayel met Thursday with Democratic Gathering bloc MP Wael
Abou Faour over the presidential file. Gemayel had said Wednesday in a televised
interview that meetings with other opposition parties are in an advanced stage.
"We are meeting with all the opposition parties to discuss with them the need to
prevent Hezbollah from imposing its president," Gemayel said. "If Hezbollah
continues to impose its decisions on the Lebanese, that could lead to civil
war," he added. "we can't accept to be crushed." Gemayel went on to say that
this party is not Lebanese and its arms and funding are not Lebanese, and that
the opposition must stop it from taking over presidency. "The French have
understood that their proposal will not work," he said.
Deputy Governor Mansouri's approach to vacancy in BDL
Governor's position
LBCI/May 11/2023
What will Deputy Governor Wassim Mansouri do in the event of a vacancy in the
governor's position? Any decision he takes will be with the support of Speaker
Nabih Berri. Mansouri's decision is not to assume the governor's duties; Berri
understands this. The other deputy governors support Mansouri's approach. Unlike
the MPs and ministers, the deputy governors do not slack in their duties. They
call for either a president's election or a new governor's appointment. The
Shiite dominance over the Ministry of Finance, the Audit Bureau, the Financial
Prosecutor, and the governorate will not be acceptable to the Lebanese,
especially the Shiites. They are also ready to cooperate with any new governor
and develop a plan for financial reform.
The rise and fall of Captagon cartels: Lebanon's battle
against drug trafficking
LBCI/May 11/2023
With the war in Syria, the trade and manufacturing of Captagon became famous,
and Syria became the leading manufacturing center. Meanwhile, some Lebanese
regions, especially Brital, Hortaala, and their outskirts, witnessed the
establishment of similar factories, and the Captagon business had its tycoons.
It was necessary to curb this business, so the Lebanese army carried out
operations to strike it starting from 2020. The most famous and complex of these
operations targeted 19 factories in these regions. They were carried out in one
day, on July 31, 2021. The factories were destroyed, and during the operation,
some top leaders, including Lebanese and Syrians, were killed, and others were
arrested. Those who managed to escape the army's grip fled to Syria. Among the
most prominent were the Lebanese Moussa Ali, Wajih Jafar, and Ali Monzer Zaater,
nicknamed Abou Salla, and the Syrians Abou Abbas Rishq, Ibrahim Alouka, and Amer
Al-Battal. They continued their Captagon business and flooded Gulf countries
with drugs. Today, the challenge is different and even harder. One of the main
conditions for Syria to return to the Arab fold and restore its bilateral
relations, especially with Saudi Arabia, is to stop the manufacturing and
exporting of Captagon. This reality will put the regime that covered up Captagon
activity, according to Western sanctions, in confrontation with cartels. These
cartels are either under the control of Syrian security agencies or partially
based in Lebanon. Is Lebanon ready to prevent the return of these cartels while
the eastern border with Syria remains porous?
The dark side of Syria's Captagon: The billion-dollar drug trade and its routes
to the Gulf
LBCI/May 11/2023
Captagon, the drug manufactured in Syria, has been a topic of discussion in the
region, especially since curbing its export is a basic condition for developing
Syrian-Gulf, specifically Syrian-Saudi relations. For years, we have heard about
the seizure of Captagon shipments almost weekly in Arab, European, and African
countries. The latest seizure was last Wednesday in Saudi Arabia, where more
than 8 million pills worth more than $120 million were seized. Recently, the
pace of seizures in the region has increased between the UAE, Iraq, Jordan, and
Saudi Arabia. Quantities of Captagon with a total value of over a billion
dollars have been seized. We are only talking about the last three weeks,
according to security data issued by these countries. So, how is Captagon
reaching Saudi Arabia and other countries from the factories in Syria? The first
line is the air route, which is rarely used. The second line is the sea route:
operations are mainly carried out from Latakia and Tartus towards Greece, Italy,
and Libya, from where the drugs are transported to Europe or re-exported to Gulf
countries. Attempts were also made to use the ports of Tripoli and Beirut to
smuggle shipments of Captagon pills to European countries and some Gulf states.
After the story of Lebanese ports was uncovered and Gulf countries tightened
their monitoring of goods coming from Lebanon and Syria, drug smuggling
operations began to use some African ports as a transit before re-shipping to
the Gulf. The third line is the land route. The main route for exporting
Captagon from Syria is smuggling the pills across the desert towards Jordan and
from there to Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries. There is also smuggling
from Syria toward Iraq and Turkey. There have been reports of small quantities
of Captagon pills reaching Israel through operations that originated from
Quneitra in Syria towards the occupied Golan Heights and through the barbed wire
fence at the Lebanese border in the areas of Al-Ghajar and Al-Wazzani, according
to Israeli authorities.
20 organizations demand Lebanon to halt 'summary' deportation of Syrian refugees
LBCI/May 11/2023
A group of 20 national and international organizations urged Lebanon to halt
summary deportations of Syrian refugees to Syria, which are "in breach of the
principle of non-refoulment." This statement comes after the Lebanese Armed
Forces summarily deported hundreds of Syrians to Syria, "where they are at risk
of persecution or torture," according to a group of 20 national and
international organizations, as the deportations come amid a surge in
"anti-refugee rhetoric in Lebanon" and other measures to pressure refugees to
return. Based on the organizations, since April, the Lebanese Armed Forces have
been carrying "discriminatory raids" on Syrian refugees' houses across Lebanon,
and many of those returned are registered or known to the United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Deportees have told Amnesty International
that they were not given the opportunity to speak with a lawyer or UNHCR and
that they were not provided the right to challenge the deportation and argue the
case for protection. "The Lebanese authorities have deliberately mismanaged the
country's economic crisis, impoverishing millions and denying them their basic
rights. But instead of adopting much-needed reforms, they have instead resorted
to scapegoating refugees for their own failures," said the organizations.
Additionally, interviewees, including refugees registered with UNHCR, told
organizations that the Lebanese Army drove the deportees to the border and
handed them to the Syrian authorities, and some were arrested or disappeared
upon their return. According to the 20 organizations, the deportations were
accompanied by measures to coerce Syrian refugees to return to Syria. "The rise
in anti-refugee rhetoric, much of which is based on misinformation, is
contributing to violence and discrimination against refugees. Media outlets and
political figures should be protecting the rights of everyone in Lebanon,
including refugees, not inciting violence against them," the organizations said.
According to them, since Lebanon is a party to the Convention Against Torture,
the country is obligated not to return or extradite anyone in danger.
It is also bound by international law principle of nonrefoulement not to return
people to a place where they would be at risk of persecution or human rights
violations. Further, under Lebanese law, deportation orders can be issued by a
judicial authority or by a decision of the General Director of the General
Security in exceptional cases and on an individual assessment. They also called
the international community to fulfill its obligations by stepping up its
assistance to help Lebanon cope with an estimated 1.5 million refugees.
Hajjar discusses Iranian-Saudi agreement and its reflection on Lebanese dossiers
with Iranian Ambassador
NNA/May 11/2023
Caretaker Minister of Social Affairs Hector Hajjar, on Thursday met with Iranian
Ambassador to Lebanon, Mujtaba Amani. Discussions reportedly focused on the
Iranian-Saudi agreement and its reflection on some Lebanese dossiers, especially
the file of the displaced Syrians in Lebanon. According to the Minister’s Media
office, Minister Hajjar explained the official position of the Lebanese state on
this issue and the decisions it has recently begun to implement, in addition to
the initiatives that may facilitate the safe and speedy return of the displaced
Syrians to their country, as well as the role of the Arab countries and some
other countries in contributing to overcoming some of the obstacles that may
prevent the implementation of these initiatives.
Mikati chairs meetings over 2023 state budget, Nahr
al-Bared electricity situation, meets Economic and Social Council Head,
Arab-African...
NNA/May 11/2023
Caretaker Prime Minister, Najib Mikati, on Thursday chaired a meeting at the
Grand Serail devoted to discussing the 2023 state budget. The meeting was
attended by Deputy Prime Minister, Saadeh Al-Shami, Caretaker Minister of
Finance, Dr. Youssef Al-Khalil, Director General of the Ministry of Finance,
George Maarawi, and Mikati’s Advisors, former Minister Nicolas Nahas and Samir
al-Daher. Caretaker Premier Mikati also chaired at the Grand Serail a meeting
devoted to discussing the electricity situation in Nahr al-Bared. The meeting
was attended by Caretaker Minister of Energy and Water, Dr. Walid Fayyad, MP
Ahmad al-Khair, Head of the Civil Service Council, Nisreen Machmouchi, and
Director General of the Electricity of Lebanon (EDL) Kamal Hayek. Premier Mikati
received this morning the President of the Economic and Social Council, Charles
Arbid, who said on emerging that he briefed the Premier on the atmosphere of the
meetings that the Economic and Social Council is undertaking regarding the issue
of the Syrian displacement. Mikati later received a delegation representing the
"Arab-African Friendship Association" headed by Ali Murad, who said after the
meeting that the delegation briefed the PM on the Association's activities in
Arab and African countries and its plan to open a main office for it in Beirut,
in addition to offices in Doha, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Angola, Uganda, Burundi and
Congo-Kinshasa. Murad added that the delegation also briefed the Premier on the
atmosphere of a conference to be patronized by the Association in June in
Bujumbura, Burundi. Murad also relayed that Premier Mikati promised to support
the Association's efforts and goals..
Jumblatt broaches developments with Australian Ambassador,
meets Sheikh Al-Aql, cables Barzani
NNA/May 11/2023
Progressive Socialist Party leader, Walid Jumblatt, on Wednesday cabled head of
the Kurdistan Democratic Party, Masoud Barzani, thanking him for his invitation
to open the Barzani National Museum dedicated to the memory of late Mullah,
Mustafa Barzani, in Kurdistan. On the other hand, Jumblatt welcomed at his
Clemenceau residence, on Tuesday evening, Australian Ambassador to Lebanon,
Andrew Barnes, with whom he reviewed the latest developments and general
conditions. Jumblatt also welcomed on Wednesday Sheikh Al-Aql of the Unitarian
Druze community, Dr. Sami Abou Al-Mouna, in the presence of MP Hadi Aboul Hessen
and Judge Sheikh Gandhi Makarem. The visit was an occasion to present the
general situation.
British Embassy in Beirut celebrates coronation of King
Charles III and Queen Camilla
Naharnet/May 11/2023
The British Ambassador to Lebanon, Hamish Cowell CMG, hosted a celebration of
the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla on Wednesday, May 10 at the
Sursock Palace Gardens in Beirut. The evening showcased the best of British and
Lebanese talent. Internationally-renowned Lebanese musician Guy Manoukian
performed a blend of British and Lebanese music. The Royal Academy of Music’s
Kyan String Quartet flew out from the UK especially for the occasion. And
Lebanon-based British Artist Tom Young exhibited work about historic
Anglo-Lebanon connections around the time of Lebanon’s Independence in 1943.
Guests were treated to classic British food and drink, including ‘Fish & Chips’
and ‘Coronation Chicken’, and traditional dishes from around the region cooked
by ‘Soufra’, the kitchen founded by refugees.
The event was held in the presence of MP Fadi Alameh representing Speaker Nabih
Berri and caretaker Minister of Environment Nasser Yassine, representing
caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati. A wide range of dignitaries from the
Government of Lebanon, the diplomatic corps, military officials, business
leaders and media figures attended the event. Addressing the guests, Ambassador
Cowell, said: "I am delighted to welcome you here in the beautiful Sursock
Palace to celebrate the coronation of His Majesty King Charles the Third. And,
in my first year here, to celebrate the strong ties of friendship between the UK
and Lebanon." "The restoration of the Sursock Palace [after the port blast] is a
symbol of Beirut’s renewal and how Lebanon can rebuild itself after terrible
events. But Sursock is also a reminder that rebuilding from a catastrophe or a
crisis is about more than just restoring the integrity of physical structures.
It is also about restoring confidence in the integrity of state and public
structures. That is why, like other international friends of Lebanon, the UK
will continue to push for progress in the port investigation and for
accountability and justice for all those affected," Cowell added. "During his
Coronation His Majesty The King promised ‘I come here not to be served, but to
serve’. That commitment is particularly important in a country in a time of
crisis, as Lebanon is. In my first year in Lebanon, I have been inspired by
meeting those here dedicated to that same spirit of public service, including
civil society groups working with the vulnerable, and public servants and
security personnel working on a fraction of their salaries to keep their
institutions running," the ambassador went on to say. He added: "I am pleased
that the UK has been able to help – from schools to security and from
e-governance to the environment. But I think it is a legitimate question to ask
why Lebanon, with its huge potential, with its extraordinary human capital which
it exports across the world, with its legendary entrepreneurial spirit, should
need that help? And why, three years on from the start of the economic collapse,
Lebanon is still struggling to end it?"
Cowell also hoped that Lebanon’s leaders will "work urgently together in the
public and national interest to resolve the economic and political crises."
"Like Lebanon’s many international friends, we stand ready to help. But it is
first and foremost for Lebanon and its leaders to agree on the urgently-needed
path to reform and renewal," he added. Guests were invited to make a donation to
the ‘’Becky’s Button’’ campaign in memory of the British Embassy’s colleague
Rebecca Dykes who was tragically killed in 2017. Becky’s Button is a safety
alarm for women and girls, which is being distributed to some of the most
vulnerable women in Lebanon. Food Blessed, a Lebanese NGO, collected leftover
food and distributed it to families in need.
For Immediate Release/LIC Celebrates its 24th
Annual Convention
Thu, May 11
Washington, DC, May 11th, 2023-The Lebanese Information Center (LIC) hosted its
24th Annual Convention at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in
metropolitan Washington, DC, followed by a gala dinner on Saturday, April 22,
2023. Hundreds of members of the LIC and Lebanese American community attended
the convention and joined the gala dinner. The successful event highlighted the
extensive work done in the past year by LIC grassroots members and laid out the
vision for the future.
The LIC is grateful for the strong participation at this year’s convention, with
nearly 450 members present at workshops, presentations, and panel discussions.
The following gala dinner witnessed the attendance of two Lebanese Members of
Parliament, policy experts from DC-based think tanks, staff members of Congress,
and several U.S. government officials, including Deputy Assistant Secretaries of
State and Assistant Administrators from USAID. Numerous other officials sent
letters of support in their stead, including members of the U.S-Lebanon
Friendship Caucus and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee as well as the U.S.
Ambassador to Lebanon Dorothy Shea. These letters thanked the LIC for its
advocacy efforts and for being an important partner in U.S.-Lebanon relations.
The LIC thanks all those who participated in the events and demonstrated their
support and encouragement.
The LIC continues to steadfastly advocate for a free and prosperous Lebanon for
the past two decades through its work in Lebanon, in Washington, DC, and across
the country. The LIC raised $3 million over the past three years to support
struggling families and rebuild homes following the Beirut port explosion. We
rallied voters in the U.S. to participate in the 2022 Lebanese elections, one of
the most important elections in Lebanon’s history. Through continued advocacy
and engagement with members of the U.S. Congress and administration, the LIC
supported key diplomatic initiatives, including the landmark maritime border
agreement with Israel, the energy agreement with Egypt and Jordan, negotiations
with the IMF, and efforts to end the presidential vacancy. The LIC is also
immensely grateful for the significant U.S. aid to Lebanon, which exceeded $6
billion in humanitarian and security assistance over the past decade.
Sadly, Lebanon continues to face particularly difficult challenges and our work
is not concluded. The economic collapse, aftermath of the Beirut port explosion,
and persistent political paralysis continue to affect the health and wellbeing
of Lebanese citizens. Through the convening of members and officers from across
the country and discussion of the current situation in Lebanon, the LIC was able
to hold productive conversations and planning sessions for the upcoming year’s
grassroots organization and events, engagement with policymakers, and advocacy
work. With the support of our flourishing grassroots community, the LIC will
continue to press for a safe and sovereign Lebanon, committed to democratic
ideals, responsive to its citizens, and engaged with the international
community.
The LIC strongly appreciates the steadfast support and encouragement of the
Lebanese American community in these tough times. The LIC relies upon the
participation and enthusiasm of its members, without which none of this would be
possible. As the largest organization of Americans of Lebanese descent, the LIC
would like to thank every single member who has given their time and support
along with all of those who attended this year’s conference and helped create an
exceptional gala. Lebanon and Lebanese-U.S. relations are better due to your
dedicated and unrelenting work.
###
The Lebanese Information Center in the U.S. is the largest grassroots
organization of Americans of Lebanese descent, committed to building a free,
sovereign, and democratic Lebanon for the good of the Lebanese people and in the
interest of the United States of America.
LEBANESE INFORMATION CENTER
1101 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20004
Phone: 202-505-4542 . Fax: 202-318-8409
Email: lic@licus.org www.licus.org
Who is Ghada Aoun, the dismissed judge
fighting Lebanon's corruption?
Nada Maucourant Atallah/The National/May 11/ 2023
Removed prosecutor's ‘fearless but controversial’ stance led to direct
confrontation with top officials
A fearless fighter against corruption for some Lebanese and, for others, a
politically influenced prosecutor with close ties to the Free Patriotic
Movement, one of Lebanon’s largest Christian political parties.
Ghada Aoun is a divisive figure in the country. But who is Mount Lebanon's
prosecutor, who was removed from her office last Thursday?
“I'm not afraid of anyone. Even if they want to kill me, I have no problem,”
said Ms Aoun, after the disciplinary council's decision to remove her.
Ms Aoun has appealed against the decision, which is now before the High
Disciplinary Court for a final ruling. She remains in her position in the
meantime.
Although the reasons for her dismissal from the post, which she assumed in 2017,
were not disclosed, Ms Aoun has been accused in the past of allegedly
overstepping her authority.
She is known for her unconventional methods, which she claims serve the fight
against corruption. Judge Aoun has notably provoked the ire of caretaker prime
minister Najib Mikati, who previously criticised her for taking “populist and
police measures” that “stir up unbearable tensions” in the country.
She launched legal proceedings against him in 2019 for illicit enrichment
following allegations that politicians and affluent individuals had benefited
from fraudulent subsidised loans.
She is known for her high-profile money laundering cases brought against
Lebanese banks and individuals, as the country grapples with a steep economic
crisis since 2019, brought about with decades of corruption and mismanagement by
the country's ruling elite.
In March last year, Ms Aoun made headlines when she brought charges against Riad
Salameh, the embattled central bank Governor of Lebanon, who she accused Mr
Salameh of illicit enrichment in connection to his purchase of luxurious
apartments in Paris.
As a result, Raja Salameh, the governor's brother, was detained on suspicion of
helping in the alleged embezzlement scheme and spent nearly two months in jail
in 2022 before he was released on a record bail of approximately 100 billion
Lebanese pounds ($3.7 million).
She also initiated a preliminary investigation in April 2020 into the tainted
fuel scandal surrounding deliveries to Lebanon's state-owned electricity
company. The probe uncovered an alleged corruption network involving the
falsification of fuel quality tests, which enabled importers to sell
non-compliant fuel at the price of good fuel.
Ms Aoun's cases have also made waves beyond Lebanon's borders, as two fuel
importers for EDL, the Rahmeh Brothers, recently had sanctions imposed on them
by the US Office of Foreign Assets Control for “engaging in corrupt practices”
against the backdrop of the tainted fuel scandal.
Her unorthodox methods were displayed during her investigation into the Mecattaf
money transfer company for money laundering, when she forcefully conducted a
widely publicised raid on the company premises, despite being ordered to step
down from the case by her hierarchy.
Ms Aoun responded to an approach for comment by The National, saying she wanted
to uphold her duty to confidentiality until a decision regarding her case was
reached. “I want nothing to be leaked to the press under my name at this
moment,” she said.
Politically motivated?
Lebanon's political landscape has long been polarised between the anti-Hezbollah
and pro-Hezbollah coalitions, which, supposedly, mirrors a similar divide
between the pro and anti-banks camps. Within Lebanon's highly politicised
judiciary, Ms Aoun's critics have accused her of employing radical tactics to
further FPM's agenda, which was aligned with the pro-Hezbollah side.
“Her targets are very selective. She fights corruption on one side but
disregards anything that could touch the interests of Hezbollah or FPM,” a
judicial source who wanted to stay anonymous told The National. She notably
faced criticism for not pursuing Qard Al-Hasan, a microcredit institution
associated with Hezbollah.
Ms Aoun has never concealed her sympathy for the FPM founder, former president
Michel Aoun. She holds a strong base of loyal supporters within the party. On
Sunday, FPM supporters held a rally outside the house of Higher Judicial Council
Chief Judge Suheil Abboud, protesting against the ruling, which they deemed
“arbitrary and unfair”. On Twitter, former president Aoun said that the
“corruption mafia” was trying to “destroy the judiciary”, while FPM leader
Gebran Bassil accused the “corrupt establishment” of “conspiring against the
upright judge, who does not take instructions from anyone”. For her detractors,
this political backing is evidence that her endeavours hide vested interests,
which her targets systemically use to discredit the grounds of her cases. “False
and politically motivated”, the prime minister's son, Maher Mikati, had
previously told The National, describing Ms Aoun's case against his family,
which has since been dropped.
Double standard?
The disciplinary council's move last week did not come as a total surprise.
In February, caretaker interior minister Bassam Mawlawi ordered security forces
to stop implementing decisions made by Ms Aoun, following a letter from Mr
Mikati asking for legal action to be taken against her. Ms Aoun said at the time
that Mr Mikati was “blatantly interfering in the judiciary”. While the
disciplinary council's decision remains undisclosed, sources have confirmed that
it referred to Ms Aoun's failure to consider recusal notices, which require a
judge to temporarily remove themselves from a case to avoid a conflict of
interest. The decision also raised concerns regarding her adherence to
confidentiality, as the judge frequently expresses her opinions in front of the
media and on social networks. “While mistakes have undoubtedly been made, the
magnitude of the sanction against Ms Aoun raises however questions about its
proportionality, especially in the context of a corrupt and dysfunctional
country where accountability is scarce,” said former justice minister
Marie-Claude Najm.
“This also raises questions about the message being sent to the judiciary and
the population at large, suggesting a double standard in a judicial system where
precedents show less severe repercussions, and sometimes none at all, for
corruption or inaction.”For Lebanese lawyer Karim Daher, her removal is a
"judicial assassination". "She was one of the few who dared tacking highly
sensitive financial corruption cases, and used her prerogative to lift banking
secrecy. Her use of this tool, only granted to the judiciary without condition,
struck fear into the ruling class," he said.
What is next?
The appeal should be ruled by the High Disciplinary Court “in a few months' time
by a simple majority”, former president of the Council of State Chucri Sader
told The National. If the council rules for Ms Aoun's removal, there will be
“continuity in the cases”, and the interim will be ensured by the
highest-ranking attorney general until a new magistrate is appointed. “The cases
that Ghada Aoun was working on will then be handled by the new prosecutor and
continue the legal proceedings to ensure there is no vacuum,” he said. The
question at large here is could this be the final chapter in Ms Aoun's long
career that started in 1981? The Mount Lebanon prosecutor still has more to say.
Reports suggest that on Tuesday, Ms Aoun initiated legal proceedings against
BankMed, a Lebanese bank, citing allegations of money laundering.
Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And
News published
on May 11-12/2023
Pope urges countries to manage
migrant waves, expand legal channels
Reuters/May 11, 2023
Pope Francis appealed to countries on Thursday to manage waves of migrants as
best they can and to expand channels for their safe and regular movement, as the
United States grapples with a surge of new arrivals at its southern border.
Francis made his comments in his message for the Roman Catholic Church's annual
World Day of Migrants and Refugees, whose title this year is "Free to Choose
Whether to Migrate or to Stay". He called for a "shared commitment" to manage
migration, with politicians in countries of origin implementing "transparent,
honest and farsighted" policies and rich countries shunning any form of
"economic colonialism" that exploits the natural resources of poorer countries.
"Persecutions, wars, atmospheric phenomena and dire poverty are among the most
visible causes of forced migrations today. Migrants flee because of poverty,
fear or desperation," Francis said, calling on countries to work together to
eliminate the causes. "Even as we work to ensure that in every case migration is
the fruit of a free decision, we are called to show maximum respect for the
dignity of each migrant; this entails accompanying and managing waves of
migration as best we can, constructing bridges and not walls, expanding channels
for a safe and regular migration," he wrote.
Israel assassinates Islamic Jihad rocket
commander in Gaza Strip
James Rothwell/The Telegraph/May 11, 2023
Israel has assassinated the commander of Islamic Jihad's rocket launch forces in
the Gaza Strip in an overnight airstrike, dampening hopes of a swift ceasefire
as fighting continued for a third day. The Israeli military said it targeted Ali
Ghali, the Islamic Jihad commander, inside a safehouse in a predawn airstrike
that also killed two other militants from the same group. His death was also
confirmed in a statement by Islamic Jihad, the second largest militant group in
the Gaza Strip. "Ghali was responsible for directing and carrying out rocket
fire at Israeli territory, including the recent barrages during Operation Shield
and Arrow," a spokesman for the Israel Defence Forces said, using the name of
its current conflict with Gaza. "Ghali was considered a central figure in the
organization and dealt with its routine management." It came as officials in
Gaza said that 25 Palestinians had been killed by Israeli airstrikes so far and
76 people wounded. The Israeli attack on Ghali was carried out despite reports
on Wednesday night of both sides nearing an agreement on a ceasefire. Air raid
sirens sounded in the south of Israel on Thursday morning as the country braced
for more rocket fire in retaliation for Ghali's death. The current round of
fighting began early on Tuesday morning, when an Israeli air strike killed three
Islamic Jihad commanders and 10 civilians, including the commanders' wives and
children. Islamic Jihad responded by launching several waves of rockets at
Israeli cities, including a large barrage on Tel Aviv. Israeli officials say
Palestinian militants in Gaza had fired around 500 rockets at Israel as of
Thursday morning. No Israelis have been wounded so far as most rockets fired
from Gaza are intercepted by the country's high-tech Iron Dome missile defence
system. The Israeli military also announced that a separate, mid-range air
defence system, David's Sling, had for the first time successfully intercepted a
rocket during the fighting on Wednesday. The Israeli government has acknowledged
that Egypt-led ceasefire talks were held overnight, but claimed that Islamic
Jihad had been insisting on dictating the terms. The militant group has
reportedly said that an end to Israeli assassinations of its senior members is a
condition of any ceasefire. Earlier on Thursday, the Israeli military released
footage of its forces calling off an airstrike in Gaza after they spotted
children in the same area. The Israeli military also claimed that three
Palestinian children had been killed by rockets falling short inside the Gaza
Strip. There was no immediate response from militant groups in Gaza to the
claim. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The
Telegraph free for 1 month, then enjoy 1 year for just $9 with our US-exclusive
offer.
No letup in deadly Israeli raids against
Palestinians
Arab News/May 11, 2023
RAMALLAH: The Israeli army killed a Palestinian and arrested 30 in the West Bank
on Thursday. The Palestinian Health Ministry said Ghazi Shehab, 66, succumbed to
injuries in the evening after being shot earlier in the day when Israeli forces
stormed Nur Shams camp near Tulkarm in the northern West Bank.
It brought the number of Palestinians killed by the Israeli army and settlers to
141 — 26 in Gaza — since the beginning of the year. More than 200 armed soldiers
stormed the Nur Shams camp from all sides. They vandalized and destroyed
contents and furniture in several houses and smashed 10 vehicles in a four-hour
operation. Taha Irani, head of the camp services council, said that such an
incursion was not rare, adding that forces had recently intensified campaigns
against the camp, coinciding with the forthcoming 75th anniversary of the Nakba,
which is also known as the Palestinian Catastrophe. The Israeli army also
launched a massive arrest campaign in the West Bank at dawn on Thursday,
arresting 30 citizens. An Israeli settler attacked Palestinian vehicles with
stones on the same day near the town of Beit Ummar, north of Hebron, while a
19-year-old woman sustained bruises after being hit by a car driven by a settler
near Al-Aroub refugee camp. Ghassan Daglas, an official in charge of settlement
affairs in the northern West Bank, said settler bulldozers had been working
since Thursday morning to destroy the land between the towns of Asira Al-Qibliya
and Urif, which is planted with olive trees.
Meanwhile, Israeli authorities have announced the suspension of work on
extending a water facility for agriculture in Masafer Yatta, south of Hebron.
Palestinians have accused the Israeli authorities of depriving citizens in those
areas of essential services as part of a policy aimed at displacing residents
from their land to help the settlement expansion. The Palestinian Foreign
Ministry said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was taking advantage of
a “double standard” of the international community “to cover up his crimes
against the Palestinian people.” It said global silence on the Israeli
aggression and the biased position of some countries served as a “green light”
for Israel to continue its actions against Palestinians. It added that Netanyahu
had bragged about using military force against the Palestinians in the Gaza
Strip, while countries ignored the crimes committed by Israel in killing
Palestinian civilians, including women and children, “in the sight of the
international community.”It criticized countries that justified his crimes under
the pretext of “self-defense,” while lamenting the interpretation of
international humanitarian law “according to the identity of the executioner and
the victim.”Palestinians have accused Israel of enforcing apartheid in the West
Bank by erecting 650 iron gates to separate Palestinian villages, as well as
demolishing buildings and depriving refugees of their right to work. Ibrahim
Melhem, a spokesman for the Palestinian government, told Arab News that the
Israeli army was waging an open war in all areas, towns and camps in the West
Bank in an attempt by Israel’s right-wing leadership to win the conflict. He
said: “The Israeli army now considers every Palestinian a target, either by
killing, wounding, or arresting, because of the terrorist mentality that shapes
the behavior of those killers.”
Israel kills senior Gaza commanders as rockets
cause first death in Israel
Arab News/May 11/2023
GAZA CITY: Israeli military aircraft on Thursday bombed an apartment building in
a residential complex in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Yunis, killing
three Palestinians and wounding seven. Islamic Jihad announced the killing of
Ali Hassan Ghali, the commander of the rockets program of Saraya Al-Quds, the
body’s military wing, during the attack, along with his brother Mahmoud and his
nephew. Ghali is the fourth prominent military commander killed by Israel during
the current round of fighting that started before dawn on Tuesday. He is a
member of the military council and leads the military wing of Islamic Jihad. The
Israeli warplanes also completely destroyed three homes in Khan Yunis in the
south, and Beit Lahiya in the northern Gaza Strip, after warning its residents
to evacuate, without causing any injuries. “The Zionist occupation continues to
target people who are safe in their homes and apartments with US-manufactured
missiles, which the occupation planes struck again, targeting a residential
building in Hamad Town in Khan Yunis,” the militant group said in a statement.
It said the attack led to the “martyrdom” of three people and the destruction of
homes, apartments and residential buildings.
“The policy of assassination by bombing residential buildings will not give the
enemy victory, and the upcoming strikes will reveal its weakness and impotence,”
the statement added. It said the “martyrdom of Commander Ali Ghali will not stop
the rocket fire, and the Al-Quds Brigades are able to expand and increase the
beam of fire.”On Wednesday morning, the Palestinian Ministry of Health announced
that the number of victims of the Israeli bombing had risen to 25 Palestinians,
including six children and four women, and that more than 70 others were
injured, with some of them in critical condition. Palestinian militants
continued to fire rockets at Israeli towns, despite the Israeli bombardment of
various areas in the Gaza Strip, the largest of which was on the city of Tel
Aviv on Wednesday evening.
Tariq Selmi, spokesman for the Islamic Jihad in Gaza, said: “The resistance is
capable of confronting the occupation’s attacks and inflicting casualties on its
ranks.”The Israeli bombardment, and the firing of missiles from Gaza, continue
amid attempts by Egypt and other parties to reach a ceasefire that will restore
calm to the Gaza Strip. Officials of Islamic Jihad had traveled to Cairo for the
talks — most notably Muhammad Al-Hindi — the political official from the
organization in the Gaza Strip, who is currently living in Istanbul. “We
received an invitation from our Egyptian brothers to discuss the details of the
ceasefire, and a number of leaders traveled to Cairo for that,” Selmi told Arab
News. The Palestinian group requires that Israel stop the “assassination” policy
against its leaders and Palestinian factions, in addition to returning the body
of Khader Adnan, who died in an Israeli prison after a hunger strike. “A
ceasefire agreement will not be reached without the occupation’s pledge to
completely stop the policy of assassinations,” the spokesman said. The residents
of the Gaza Strip continue to suffer as a result of the continued fighting with
Israel, and the closure of the Erez and Kerem Shalom crossings.
The government’s information office stated that “the occupation prevented the
supply of fuel needed for the only power plant in the Gaza Strip for the third
day in a row, threatening the continuation of the work of the power plant and
its ability to produce electricity.”The statement added: “The quantities of fuel
have begun to run out, and the countdown to shutting down the station has begun,
which foreshadows a humanitarian, health and environmental crisis in the Gaza
Strip.” An Israeli political official, in a statement distributed to
Hebrew-language media from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office, said: “We
will not stop the policy of assassinations, and we will not return the body of
Khader Adnan under any conditions.” The official added that “there are
continuous contacts, and we did not promise Egypt anything, and we will not
accept any conditions.”
Israeli-Palestinian fighting intensifies as
Egyptian cease-fire efforts falter
Agence France Presse/Thu, May 11, 2023
Israel's army and Gaza militants traded heavy cross-border fire overnight, with
at least 22 Palestinians killed over two days in the worst escalation of
violence to hit the coastal territory in months. Sirens in the Tel Aviv area and
Israel's south warned of incoming rockets, with an AFP reporter observing
launches from Gaza as Israeli officials said Egypt was working on a possible
truce with the militant group Islamic Jihad. Islamic Jihad said one of its
military leaders had been killed in a pre-dawn strike Thursday carried out by
Israeli forces. "Ali Ghali... commander of the rocket launch unit... was
assassinated in the south of the Gaza Strip along with other martyrs," said a
statement from the Al-Quds Brigades, the armed branch of the group. Smoke
billowed from the densely populated coastal enclave after Israel announced it
was targeting the group's rocket launch sites.
Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant noted over 400 launches from Gaza late
Wednesday, as Islamic Jihad said Palestinian "resistance" was keeping up its
fire.
A home and car were hit by rockets in the southern Israeli towns of Ashkelon and
Sderot, Israeli officials said, with the army announcing a series of new strikes
on the blockaded Gaza Strip. Gaza's health ministry said seven people were
killed Wednesday, a day after Israeli strikes on the Palestinian territory left
15 dead. Four of those killed were fighters with the Popular Front for the
Liberation of Palestine, the group said. Late Wednesday, Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu said Israel was "still in the midst of the campaign", noting that "no
Israeli civilian has been wounded up to now". The Israeli-Palestinian conflict
has escalated since Netanyahu's latest coalition, including extreme right and
ultra-Orthodox parties, took office in December. The escalation has come against
the backdrop of Israel's biggest domestic crisis in decades around now-shelved
judicial reforms proposed by the government of Netanyahu, who is himself on
trial for corruption he denies.
Egypt ceasefire efforts -
Earlier, an Israeli official had told AFP on condition of anonymity that Egypt
was "trying to facilitate a ceasefire". Sources in Gaza close to Islamic Jihad
and Hamas confirmed Egyptian efforts to secure a truce, without providing
further details.
In Washington, the White House said that National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan
had spoken with his Israeli counterpart Tzachi Hanegbi and reaffirmed the U.S.'
"ironclad support for Israel's security". The latest violence comes a day after
Israeli strikes on Gaza killed three top Islamic Jihad militants and 12 others,
including four children, according to a health ministry toll. Israeli Foreign
Minister Eli Cohen told public broadcaster Channel 11 late Wednesday that
Islamic Jihad were "begging for a ceasefire". Islamic Jihad had vowed Tuesday to
retaliate, with Israel warning its residents near the border to stay near bomb
shelters. Ahead of Wednesday's exchange of fire, Gaza's usually bustling shops
were closed. People in Gaza "expect the worst", said resident Monther Abdullah.
"Everyone feels anxious and people aren't on the street much. I definitely feel
like there's a war coming," the 50-year-old told AFP. In Tel Aviv, Odelia
Abromovitch said the rocket fire at her city was "scary." "It's one of the first
times I hear a siren in Tel Aviv," she said. "But this is the situation we live
in."
West Bank deaths -
The latest violence comes on the second anniversary of a devastating 11-day war
fought between Gaza militants and Israel. Hamas spokesman Abdul Latif al-Qanou
said Wednesday that "the strikes of the unified resistance are part of the
process of responding to the massacre committed by (Israel)". Both Hamas and
Islamic Jihad are considered terrorist organizations by Israel and the United
States.The top Islamic Jihad militants killed on Tuesday were named as Jihad
Ghannam, Khalil al-Bahtini and Tareq Ezzedine. On Wednesday, Israeli troops
raided the West Bank town of Qabatiya, killing two people whom the army accused
of firing at soldiers. The Palestinian health ministry identified the two men as
Ahmed Jamal Tawfiq Assaf, 19, and Rani Walid Ahmed Qatanat, 24.
'Barbaric' strikes
Israel has occupied the West Bank since the Six-Day War of 1967 and its forces
regularly operate in Palestinian cities. The Arab League on Wednesday condemned
the "aggressive (and) barbaric Israeli raids on the Gaza Strip, which targeted
civilians, children and women in residential neighborhoods".
Germany meanwhile "strongly" condemned the "indiscriminate" Palestinian rocket
attacks on Israel, which it said must "stop immediately". This week's Gaza
violence is the worst since a three-day escalation in August killed 49
Palestinians, with no Israeli fatalities. While Hamas has fought multiple wars
with Israel in recent years, the group stayed on the sidelines of last year's
conflict between Israel and Islamic Jihad. The latest violence brings to 132 the
number of Palestinians killed in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict so far this
year. Nineteen Israelis, one Ukrainian and one Italian have been killed over the
same period, according to an AFP count based on official sources from the two
sides. These figures include combatants as well as civilians, and, on the
Israeli side, three members of the country's Arab minority.
Egypt, Jordan, France, Germany urge end to Israeli-Gaza
fighting
Agence France Presse/Thu, May 11, 2023
Foreign ministers of France, Germany, Jordan and Egypt on Thursday called for an
end to the violence between Israel and Gaza militants, who have been trading
heavy fire for three days. "The bloodletting must end now," said German Foreign
Minister Annalena Baerbock after hosting talks with her counterparts. Jordan's
Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi also said the "negative developments must end,
peace must be revived."
U.N. urges halt to Sudan conflict as fighting rumbles on
despite talks
KHARTOUM (Reuters)/Thu, May 11, 2023
The U.N. on Thursday urged countries with influence in Africa to help end the
conflict in Sudan after reported progress in truce talks between the army and
the rival paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. Clashes rocked Halfaya, an entry
point to the capital, early on Thursday as residents heard warplanes circling
over Khartoum and its adjoining sister cities of Bahri and Omdurman, but the
fighting appeared calmer than on Wednesday. In public neither side has shown it
is ready to offer concessions to end the conflict that erupted suddenly last
month, threatening to pitch Sudan into a civil war, killing hundreds of people
and triggering a humanitarian crisis. Army general Yassir al-Atta was quoted on
Thursday saying the talks should aim at removing the Rapid Support Forces (RSF)
from Khartoum, merging its fighters into the regular military and putting its
leaders on trial. "Any dialogue outside those points is simply delaying the war
to another time," he told Asharq al-Awsat newspaper, adding the army had beaten
back RSF forces at one key Khartoum location. The RSF on Wednesday said it held
nearly all of Khartoum and accused the army of "unrelenting violations". Reuters
could not independently verify their accounts. The talks in the Saudi port of
Jeddah represent the most serious effort yet to stop the fighting and U.S.
mediators said on Wednesday they were "cautiously optimistic". Previous
ceasefire agreements have been repeatedly violated, leaving civilians to
navigate a terrifying landscape of chaos and bombardment with failing power and
water, little food and a collapsing health system. On Thursday the army warned
it would target what it said were RSF fighters in civilian clothes using
motorcycles, and warned ordinary residents of the capital not to use the
vehicles.
JEDDAH TALKS
The World Health Organization has said that more than 600 people have been
killed in Sudan and more than 5,000 injured in the fighting. The Health Ministry
said at least 450 people were killed in the western Darfur region. Many have
fled Khartoum and Darfur, uprooting 700,000 people inside the country and
sending 150,000 as refugees into neighbouring states according to U.N. figures.
The Jeddah talks are focused on securing a ceasefire and guarantees of safe
access for humanitarian assistance in a country where 16 million people already
depended on aid before fighting began. U.N. Sudan envoy Volker Turk said in
Geneva that both sides had trampled international humanitarian law and he urged
"all states with influence in the region to encourage, by all possible means,
the resolution of this crisis". Western countries condemned abuses by both sides
at a human rights meeting in Geneva, but Sudan's envoy there said the conflict
was "an internal affair". Many foreign countries have evacuated their nationals
from Sudan, including through an organised week-long airlift and naval operation
that took out thousands. However, thousands of citizens of impoverished Yemen,
which is itself immersed in conflict, remain stranded in Sudan across the Red
Sea from their homeland. "We were surprised with the slow procedures to evacuate
the displaced to Yemen," said Abdel Hakeem Ali, a Yemeni national in Port Sudan
who had fled from Khartoum in a group that included 10 children. Saudi Arabia
said it would extend the residence permits of Sudanese pilgrims visiting Islam's
holy sites in the kingdom.
Humanitarian workers in Sudan share harrowing
story fleeing war-torn nation
Ray Hanania/Arab News/RAY HANANIA
CHICAGO: The American director of a major humanitarian aid organization and a
Sudanese doctor working to provide medical care in the African country have
shared their personal experiences navigating bullets and bombs as they fled the
violence in Sudan last month. Preferring anonymity, the woman director of the
major NGO that provides healthcare to more than 200,000 refugees, migrants and
asylum seekers, shared details of her story on The Ray Hanania Radio Show
sponsored by Arab News. She described how the violence erupted around her home
and offices in Khartoum on April 15 and the harrowing exodus of some 50 people
she led to safety — through warring factions, nights filled with explosions and
bombings, as well as checkpoints manned by jittery young armed militia members.
“The evacuation plans by the international community were flawed if not
nonexistent. We had hoped to join the UN convoy to Port Sudan. We had a bus that
we had arranged. And I was going to take 50 people, four who are international
staff of mine that we were able to get from my international staff to the hotel,
thanks again to the Sudanese, our guards, (who) made four round trips to get
them to safety,” she said, her voice cracking with emotion.
“We were all in the hotel and at midnight the night before we were supposed to
leave (but) we found out that our bus was outbid by the UN. So we were willing
to pay a certain amount and the UN doubled it so they could take our bus in
their convoy. So we were left stranded without transport.”
People desperate to get out split from the group leaving her with about 20
people, mostly Sudanese volunteers and workers. Making it more difficult. She
said the UN added an additional hurdle by only allowing non-Sudanese nationals
to join the UN-sanctioned convoy out of the war zone.
“They (the UN) also had a mandate that Sudanese would not be allowed in the
convoy. And when I found that out, I said that is unfair. I am not leaving my
Sudanese family,” she said, referring to the growing entourage of scared people
desperate to flee the violence.Not being able to travel with a UN convoy, she
said the group she was with was forced to regroup. They detoured hoping to get
to El-Gadarif (Al-Qadarif) where her NGO also had a large operation and would be
able to help.
The remaining group stayed in the basement of the As-Salam Hotel in Khartoum. As
they waited, more people desperate to leave begged to join them. Saying she
could not possibly say no to anyone, they packed 26 people, all Sudanese except
for six other nationals, into four sports utility vehicles, creating a new
convoy. They had to pay a black-market rate of $110 per gallon of gasoline for
the vehicles. “When we left, there were bodies on the street, buildings bombed
out. Military vehicles burned out. It was clear there had been the day before a
lot of fighting. There was bombing right around the hotel. We were in a bunker
in the basement for about an hour as air strikes were happening,” she recalled.
“They bombed a bank right next door to the hotel, which was the impetus for us
saying we have got to move. We were able to get out of Khartoum without
incident. We were moving very slowly, the convoy of four (vehicles). The
paramilitary let us through.”
The scenes she saw were bizarre, with intense violence and bombing in some areas
and peace and tranquility and business as usual in areas just 15 minutes away
from the hotel, that took 45 minutes to navigate. “Life was normal. Public
transport was working, shops were open. People were on the streets.”
As they got further away from the fighting in Khartoum, she said the Sudanese in
homes they passed came out and greeted convoys and offered food and water to
those fleeing the fighting. “We made it to Madani, had a bunch of falafel
sandwiches, our first meal for a couple of days and then we made it to Gadarif.
That whole trip usually takes about six hours. It took us about nine. Along the
way, there were beautiful young Sudanese on the road holding signs saying: ‘For
those of you coming from Khartoum we can protect you in our village.’
“They were handing out water and food. I get very emotional remembering those
moments because that is Sudan. That is who the Sudanese are. They will give you
everything even if it means they will take nothing. And the beauty of Sudan and
its people will not be broken by this conflict. They took care of the
international staff, putting themselves at risk because that is who the Sudanese
are.”
Instead of going to Port Sudan, they instead crossed the border into Ethiopia
and drove to the safe environs of Gondar. She then traveled to Addis Ababa, from
where she recently flew back to the US. She said she is planning to return to
Sudan as soon as possible.
Dr. Hafeez AbdelHafeez, a board member of the Sudanese American Physicians
Association and surgeon with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, shared a
similar story. SAPA consists of doctors and surgeons who went into the war zone
to treat the injured. Two Americans and one SAPA doctor, Dr. Bushra Suleiman,
had been killed 10 days after the fighting began.
AbdelHafeez said he arrived in Sudan with his young children to celebrate Eid
Al-Fitr only five hours before the fighting erupted on April 15. He described
the situation in Khartoum as “disastrous” and said the bombings and gunfights
destroyed homes, hospitals and schools in many areas of Khartoum and other
Sudanese cities. “It is a devastating, brutal war that erupted in a very sort of
strange time. It was a festive time. The end of Ramadan. The Eid. People were
expecting a political agreement to be signed and to transition the government
back to civilian government. And then this fighting between those two generals
erupted,” AbdelHafeez said, adding that there was no way to immediately estimate
how many people have been killed. “But what I (can) tell, what is sad about this
war is seeing an escalation on targeting health workers and health facilities.
Seventeen hospitals (have) been bombed. Twenty hospitals (have) been forcefully
evacuated. More than 15 physicians (have) been killed. And you know ambulances
had been confiscated. It is just a brutal war with no ethics
whatsoever.”AbdelHafeez said Suleiman was a personal friend. He described him as
a champion for patient rights who went back home to help his people.
“This is a war in the city, on the streets of this city … Bullets going through
the wall,” he said. “It is a very difficult situation now.”While Khartoum was
under siege, he said he and his children were able to find refuge in the
Sudanese city of Madani. AbdelHafeez said SAPA plans to open a new office in
Khartoum to provide supplies and salaries to medical workers who are operating
dozens of hospitals and healthcare facilities.
Sudan's conflict since fighting erupted in mid-April
KHARTOUM (Reuters)/Thu, May 11, 2023
Sudan's capital has been devastated by a conflict between the army and
paramilitary Rapid Response Forces (RSF) since mid-April.
Here is a timeline of major events since fighting began:
April 15 - After weeks of tensions building over a plan to hand power to
civilians, heavy fighting erupts in Khartoum and clashes are reported in several
other cities. RSF forces loyal to Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, better known as Hemedti,
storm the residence of army chief General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, as they try to
seize strategic sites in the heart of the capital.
April 16 - The U.N. World Food Programme announces that it is temporarily
suspending operations in Sudan, one of its biggest programmes globally, after
three of its staff were among aid workers killed in early fighting. The WFP says
on May 1 that it is resuming work, later warning that up to 2.5 million more
people in Sudan could slip into hunger.
April 18 - The first of multiple ceasefires is announced but gunfire echoes
across Khartoum soon after it is due to come into effect, with both sides
blaming the other for violating the truce. The fighting traps millions of
civilians in their homes or neighbourhoods and leads to cuts to power, water and
telecommunications, as well as a breakdown of law and order.
April 21 - The number of residents fleeing the fighting in Khartoum accelerates
during the Eid al-Fitr holiday, which comes at the end of the Muslim fasting
month of Ramadan. Many seek refuge in towns and cities outside Khartoum and some
head for Sudan's borders.
April 22 - The United States says special operations forces have evacuated all
its embassy staff from Khartoum. France, Britain and other nations follow,
leaving Sudanese worrying they will be left to fend for themselves.
April 25 - Ahmed Haroun, a former minister wanted by the International Criminal
Court over alleged crimes in Darfur, says that he and other ex-officials from
ousted leader Omar al-Bashir's administration have walked free from prison.
Officials later confirm that Bashir, who is also wanted by the ICC, had been
transferred to a military hospital before fighting began.
April 26 - Clashes, looting and the burning of houses is reported in several
days of deadly violence in El Geneina, Darfur, amid concerns that the power
struggle in Khartoum could fuel more killing and displacement in the western
region of the country already scarred by years of conflict.
May 1 - The United Nations projects that more than 800,000 people could flee
Sudan's conflict to its seven neighbouring countries, and that more than 70,000
had already done so. The largest numbers head north to Egypt.
May 3 - U.N. aid chief Martin Griffiths visits Port Sudan in a push to secure
safe passage for humanitarian relief, saying he's seeking public guarantees in
face-to-face meetings with the warring parties.
May 5 - More than 1 million polio vaccines intended for children have been
destroyed as a result of looting, UNICEF says, following warnings that the
provision of medical care and hospital capacity is collapsing as a result of the
fighting.
May 6 - The United States and Saudi Arabia announce the start of talks in the
Saudi city of Jeddah aimed at securing corridors for humanitarian relief and an
effective ceasefire.
May 9 - The IOM says 700,000 people have been internally displaced within Sudan.
Sudan's Banks Union condemns theft and looting at some bank branches, one
example of the impact of the war on an economy that was already deep in crisis.
May 10 - Airstrikes and artillery fire rattle Khartoum as battles intensify,
while a U.S. official says negotiators are "cautiously optimistic" about the
talks in Jeddah.
1 soldier killed, several others wounded in clashes between
Armenia, Azerbaijan
YEREVAN, Armenia (AP)/Thu, May 11, 2023
Armenian and Azerbaijani troops exchanged artillery fire Thursday along their
tense border, leaving at least one soldier dead and several others wounded in
the latest bout of escalation between the longtime adversaries that threatened
to derail their latest attempts at peace talks.
The two countries' authorities traded blame for triggering the clashes and
accused each other of trying to undermine negotiations on a prospective peace
deal. The Armenian Defense Ministry said that Azerbaijani forces opened
artillery fire on Armenian positions near the town of Sotk in the eastern
Gegharkunik province, leaving four Armenian soldiers wounded. Azerbaijan's
Defense Ministry said that one Azerbaijani soldier was killed and another one
was wounded by Armenian fire. The exchange of fire follows U.S.-hosted peace
talks earlier this month between the Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign minister,
which U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said had achieved “tangible
progress.” Blinken said that he believed a peace deal could be “within sight,
within reach” and praised the two sides for coming together to try to find
common ground. U.S. engagement in the conflict challenged Russia’s influence in
the area it regards as part of its historic sphere of influence at the time when
Moscow is busy with the fighting in Ukraine. The European Union also sought to
step up mediation efforts, planning to host Sunday's meeting in Brussels between
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.
But on Thursday, Armenia and Azerbaijan quickly accused each other of initiating
the hostilities to block the prospective peace talks. The Armenian Foreign
Ministry charged that Azerbaijan was trying to “derail the process of
negotiations through the use of force and exert pressure on Armenia.”
Azerbaijan, in turn, accused Armenia of a “deliberate provocation” reflecting
the lack of interest in the peace process. "All responsibility for the
deliberate aggravation of the situation lies with the military-political
leadership of Armenia,” the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Despite Thursday's clashes, Pashinyan confirmed his intention to travel to
Brussels on Sunday for talks with Aliyev, but said that chances for reaching a
quick deal are small. Azerbaijan also confirmed that Aliyev was set to attend
the meeting. Armenia and Azerbaijan have been locked in a decades-old conflict
over Nagorno-Karabakh, which lies within Azerbaijan but in 1994 came under the
control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia, which also seized sizable
surrounding Azerbaijani areas. In six weeks of fighting in 2020, Azerbaijan
reclaimed control of a large part of Nagorno-Karabakh and all the surrounding
territory previously occupied by Armenians. The hostilities ended with a
Moscow-brokered truce that saw the deployment of a Russian peacekeeping force of
about 2,000 troops. In an apparent effort to retain its position as a key power
broker in the region, Russia also has recently tried to prepare the talks
between the Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders.
Saudi envoy: Yemen peace push 'serious' but next steps
unclear
Agence France Presse/Thu, May 11, 2023
Warring parties in Yemen are "serious" about ending a devastating eight-year-old
conflict but it is impossible to predict when direct talks, much less a
breakthrough, might happen, Saudi Arabia's envoy told AFP. "Everybody is
serious. Serious means everybody is looking for peace," Mohammed al-Jaber said
in his first extensive comments after meeting with Huthi leaders in Sanaa last
month. But he added: "It's not easy to be clear about next steps." The comments
seemed to undercut expectations for an imminent deal to conclude fighting that
has killed hundreds of thousands of people directly and indirectly and left
two-thirds of Yemen's population dependent on aid, according to the United
Nations. Saudi Arabia mobilised a coalition to back the internationally
recognised government in 2015, after the Iran-backed Huthis seized the capital
Sanaa the previous year. Subsequent coalition air strikes killed and injured
tens of thousands, according to the UN, while failing to dislodge the Huthis,
though fighting diminished considerably after a truce announced in April 2022.
Jaber, Riyadh's ambassador to Yemen, travelled to Sanaa in April as part of a
plan to "stabilise" the truce, which officially expired in October. But no deal
was struck and Jaber said there were no concrete plans to move the process
forward. "Nothing is clear, but I'm optimistic, and we hope inshallah (God
willing) Yemenis can find a way as soon as possible," he said. The push for
peace in Yemen appeared to be revived by a surprise rapprochement deal between
Saudi Arabia and Iran announced in March. However, hopes for a quick resolution
"have somewhat receded", according to one diplomat working on the file.
Saudi mediation? -
The Huthis see Saudi Arabia as a party to the conflict, whereas Jaber indicated
that Riyadh sees itself as more of a mediator trying to facilitate an agreement
between the rebels and Yemen's government. "Because of Saudi Arabia's
relationship with all Yemenis, including the Huthis, we used our leverage to
convince all Yemenis to sit at the table and discuss those issues," Jaber said
during the interview on a flight back to Saudi Arabia from Aden, where he
inaugurated Saudi-funded upgrades to the main hospital and airport. "In the end,
it's about Yemenis," he added, though he also noted the two sides currently
"refuse to sit together". In a separate interview at the presidential palace in
Aden, Rashad al-Alimi, chair of the Yemeni government's Presidential Leadership
Council (PLC), also told AFP that Riyadh was acting as a mediator. "The Saudi
role is a mediating role between the official government and the rebels," Alimi
said in his first public remarks on the process. Diplomats and analysts have
said PLC members are frustrated by being excluded from the talks, especially as
they touch on issues like whether Yemeni oil revenue could be used to pay Huthi-appointed
civil servants' salaries. "There has to be more consultation with other Yemenis.
All the (PLC members) hunkered down in Riyadh only have a basic knowledge of
what is happening," one diplomat said.
'Out of the war'
Yet Alimi said talks between Riyadh and the Huthis are merely "a way to reach
Yemeni-Yemeni peace talks" and pushed back on claims the PLC had been sidelined.
"We were informed by the Saudi side of these steps before they began, and we are
also informed of what is going on in these contacts," he said.
There are also persistent concerns about whether the PLC, an eight-member body
formed in Riyadh in April 2022, can stay united. Earlier this week, the United
Arab Emirates-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC), whose leadership is
represented on the PLC, unveiled a new charter affirming its push for a "federal
independent" state. Alimi insisted there was "no disagreement within the
Presidential Leadership Council", which he said "represents all Yemeni parties".
For his part, Jaber rejected the notion that Riyadh is focused solely on
securing a quick exit from a war that did not go as planned. "I don't agree," he
said. "We are working hard to take Yemen out of the war. If we take Yemen out of
the war, we can go out of the war and start supporting the economy and
supporting the government."
US lawmakers introduce bill to combat normalization with
Syria's Assad
LBCI/Thu, May 11, 2023
A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers introduced a bill on Thursday intended to
bar the US government from recognizing Bashar al-Assad as Syria’s president and
enhance Washington’s ability to impose sanctions in a warning to other countries
normalizing relations with Assad. The bill, first reported by Reuters, would
prohibit the U.S. federal government from recognizing or normalizing relations
with any government in Syria led by Assad, who is under US sanctions, and
expands on the Caesar Act, a US law that imposed a tough round of sanctions on
Syria in 2020. The bill comes after Arab states turned the page on years of
confrontation with Assad on Sunday by letting Syria back into the Arab League, a
milestone in his regional rehabilitation even as the West continues to shun him
after years of civil war. Regional countries, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar and
others, had for years supported anti-Assad rebels, but Syria’s army - backed by
Iran, Russia and allied paramilitary groups - regained most of the country. The
icy ties with Assad began to thaw more quickly after devastating earthquakes in
Syria and Turkey in February. The United States has said it will not normalize
ties with Assad, and its sanctions remain in full effect.
“Countries choosing to normalize with (the) unrepentant mass murderer and drug
trafficker, Bashar al-Assad, are headed down the wrong path,” U.S.
Representative Joe Wilson, the chair of the Subcommittee on the Middle East,
North Africa, and Central Asia, said in a statement.
The bill was introduced by Wilson alongside House of Representatives Foreign
Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul and co-chairs of the Free, Democratic
and Stable Syria Caucus, Republican French Hill and Democrat Brendan Boyle;
among others. The legislation is a warning to Turkey and Arab countries that if
they engage with Assad’s government, they could face severe consequences, a
senior congressional staffer who worked on the bill told Reuters. “The
readmission of Syria to the Arab League really infuriated members and made clear
the need to quickly act to send a signal,” the staffer said.
The staffer said the State Department was consulted in the drafting of the bill.
The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The
bill’s provisions include a requirement for an annual strategy from the
secretary of state for five years on countering normalization with Assad’s
government, including a list of diplomatic meetings held between Syria’s
government and Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and others. The bill
would also clarify the applicability of U.S. sanctions on Syrian Arab Airlines
and another carrier, Cham Wings. Under the proposed bill, countries that allow
the airlines to land would face sanctions against that airport, the staffer
said. If passed, the bill would also require a review of transactions, including
donations over $50,000 in areas of Syria held by Assad’s government by anyone in
Turkey, the UAE, Egypt and several other countries.
Second Syrian policeman dead after Damascus car bomb attack
Agence France Presse/Thu, May 11, 2023
A second Syrian police officer has died following a car bombing at a Damascus
police station, the interior ministry said Thursday, a day after the blast that
was claimed by Islamic State group jihadists. The ministry said Wednesday that a
vehicle exploded at the Barzeh police station in the north of the capital,
killing a lieutenant colonel and wounding four others, adding that an
investigation was ongoing. On Thursday it said that a second policeman had died,
with his body transferred to the police hospital in Damascus. Security
incidents, including blasts targeting military or civilian vehicles, occur
intermittently in Damascus. The capital has been largely spared jihadist
violence in recent years, especially since the government retook the last rebel
bastion near Damascus in 2018. In April, state media said an unclaimed car
bombing rocked the Damascus district of Mazzeh, with the interior ministry
saying two people were slightly injured. In October 2022, a bomb attack on a
Syrian army bus near Damascus killed at least 24 soldiers. The Syrian
Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, attributed that
attack to IS cells. The IS group's self-declared "caliphate" that once straddled
swathes of Syria and Iraq shrank to its death in eastern Syria in early 2019.
The conflict in Syria has killed more than 500,000 people, displaced millions
and battered the country's infrastructure and industry. While the front lines
have mostly quietened in recent years, large parts of the country's north remain
outside government control.
Tunisia investigates guardsman's motive for killing 5
outside historic synagogue
Associated Press/Thu, May 11, 2023
Tunisian authorities have opened an investigation into a shooting attack at a
synagogue that killed two Jewish pilgrims and three members of the country's
security forces. The motive of the gunman, whom guards killed before he could
enter the building on the island of Djerba, remained unclear.
The island's historic Ghriba synagogue, thought to be one of the world's oldest
Jewish temples, is a popular pilgrimage destination, but it was unknown if the
assailant, a member of the Tunisian National Guard, specifically targeted Jews
in Tuesday's attack. The death toll from the attack rose to five Wednesday when
a police guard who was hospitalized in the immediate aftermath died of his
wounds, according to a medical official cited by Tunisia's TAP news agency. Four
other members of Tunisia's security forces remain hospitalized in Djerba,
including one in critical condition. The chair of the synagogue's committee,
Perez Trabelsi, was in the house of worship during the attack and told The
Associated Press of his terror "when the sound of the cartridges broke out."
"I was scared, as were most of the people gathered in the 'oukala,' a large
space adjacent to the synagogue. Everyone was panicked. Many took refuge in the
rooms for fear of being hit by the shots that came from outside," he said. The
synagogue attracted more pilgrims this year — around 6,000 people from the
United States, Canada, Australia, Europe and beyond — than it had for some time,
Trabelsi said. He said he was saddened that the pilgrimage to the site that is
revered in Judaism "was spoiled by those who wish Tunisia harm." Israeli and
Tunisian authorities and family members identified the civilian victims as
cousins: Aviel Haddad, 30, who held dual Tunisian and Israeli citizenship, and
Benjamin Haddad, 42, who was French. Four civilians were also wounded, the
Tunisian Interior Ministry said. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said
he was sorry to hear that two "members of our people" were killed in Djerba. "On
behalf of myself and the government of Israel, I send condolences from the
bottom of my heart to the families of the murdered," he said in a statement. The
assailant, a guardsman affiliated with the naval center in the island's port
town of Aghir, first killed a colleague with his service weapon before seizing
ammunition and heading toward the Ghriba synagogue, the Tunisian Interior
ministry said. When he reached the site, he opened fire on security units
stationed at the temple. The guards fired back, killing him before he reached
the entrance, the ministry said. Jews have lived on Djerba, a picturesque island
off the southern coast of Tunisia, since 500 B.C. The first Jewish arrivals were
said to have brought a stone from the ancient temple of Jerusalem that was
destroyed by the Babylonians. The stone is kept in a grotto at the synagogue.
Women and children descend into the grotto to place eggs scrawled with wishful
messages on them.
Djerba's Jewish population is one of North Africa's biggest, although in recent
years it declined to 1,500, down from 100,000 in the 1960s. Most left following
the 1967 war between Israel and Arab countries, and the economic policies
adopted by the government in the late 1960s also drove away many Jewish business
owners. Djerba, a dusty island of palm trees and olive groves, lures hundreds of
thousands of tourists every year — mainly Germans and French — for its sandy
beaches and rich history. The Ghriba synagogue itself, said to date to 586 B.C.,
once drew up to 2,000 visitors per day, Jewish leaders have said. The French
Foreign Ministry expressed its "deep sadness" at the attack. In a statement, the
ministry paid tribute to the "rapid intervention of the Tunisian security forces
and stands by Tunisia to continue the fight against antisemitism and all forms
of fanaticism." Israeli Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli noted that
"unfortunately, the incident was preceded by a tense period of shouts and
harassment of the Jewish community at the site," according to his office.
Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen spoke with Tunis Chief Rabbi Haim Bitan, and
"told him that Israel stands alongside the community in this difficult hour." He
said he instructed ministry officials to provide all needed aid. Israel and
Tunisia don't have formal diplomatic relations. The European Jewish Congress
expressed its "shock and outrage". "Terror attacks continue to target Jews
around the world even when they are gathered in prayer, as we know from
countless experiences over the years including at this very synagogue," Congress
President Ariel Muzicant said in a statement. Former Tourism Minister René
Trabelsi told Tunisian radio station Mosaique FM that he was at the Ghriba
synagogue with family members during the attack. He described the place as
almost empty because most visitors had already left the site. "The shooting was
heavy and the attacker tried to enter the synagogue compound," he said. "The
counterterrorism officers, who were extremely professional, quickly blocked all
exits. A carnage was thus avoided."Aviel Haddad's sister, Rona, told Israel's
Kan public radio that the entire family had immigrated to Israel from Tunisia,
and that her brother, a jeweler, traveled to Djerba frequently. She said that
she and her family tried unsuccessfully for hours after the attack to contact
him and later learned the news through family friends. She said the family
intended to bury her brother in Israel.
The president of the Israelite Consistory of the southern French city of
Marseille, Michel Cohen-Tenoudji, said Benjamin Haddad, a father of four, was a
well-known, very active member of the local Jewish community. "He was running a
kosher bakery in the city center and was known for offering Shabbat bread to
people in need," Cohen-Tenoudji told French media. "The family is devastated. On
a personal level, I feel indignation, horror and sorrow." In 2002, a truck
bombing killed about 20 people at the entrance to the same temple during the
annual Jewish pilgrimage. Al-Qaida claimed that attack, whose victims included
German and French tourists as well as Tunisians. In 2015, an attack in Tunisia
at the Mediterranean resort of Sousse killed 38 people, mostly British tourists.
The Islamic State group claimed the attack, along with attacks that year on the
famed Bardo Museum in the capital Tunis and on a bus carrying presidential
guards.
Top Pakistan court says Imran Khan's arrest was illegal -
lawyer
Reuters/Thu, May 11, 2023
Pakistan's top court on Thursday ruled that the arrest of former Prime Minister
Imran Khan was illegal, his lawyer said, two days after his detention on graft
allegations ignited deadly protests and a tussle with the powerful military.
"The Supreme Court reversed all legal proceedings against Imran Khan ... he has
been asked to present himself in the Islamabad High Court on Friday morning,"
lawyer Babar Awan told reporters. Awan added that the Supreme Court had ruled
that Khan was now under its custody and not the anti-graft agency. Khan would
spend the night in the same police guest house as before but allowed to meet a
limited number of friends and family. It was not immediately clear when he would
be allowed to go home.Khan, 70, a cricket hero-turned-politician, has denied any
wrongdoing. Violence triggered by his arrest has aggravated instability in the
country of 220 million people that is grappling with a severe economic crisis,
eroding hopes of a quick resumption of an IMF bailout. Nearly 2,000 people have
been arrested and at least five killed after Khan's supporters clashed with
police, attacked military establishments and set other state buildings and
assets ablaze, prompting the government to call out the army to help restore
order. Footage on Thursday showed Khan walking towards the Supreme Court dressed
in a blue traditional shalwar kameez and wearing dark glasses. On Tuesday, he
was picked up by heavily armed paramilitary police from Islamabad High Court
premises, shoved into an armoured car and whisked away. Broadcaster Geo TV
reported that Khan was brought to the Supreme Court under heavy security in a
motorcade of nearly a dozen vehicles led by a top police official. Khan has
showed no sign of slowing down since being ousted in April 2022 as prime
minister in a parliamentary no-confidence vote - even after being wounded in a
November attack on his convoy as he led a protest march to Islamabad calling for
snap general elections. His arrest came at a time when Pakistanis are reeling
from the worst economic crisis in decades, with record high inflation and
anaemic growth. The IMF bailout package has been delayed for months even though
foreign exchange reserves are barely enough to cover a month's imports. The
graft case is one of more than 100 registered against Khan since his ouster
after four years in power. In most of the cases, Khan faces being barred from
holding public office if convicted, with a national election scheduled for
November.
Iran still smuggling weapons, narcotics to Yemen, U.S.
envoy says
WASHINGTON (Reuters)/Thu, May 11, 2023
-Iran has continued supplying weapons and drugs that fuel the Yemen war despite
its agreement to restore diplomatic ties with Saudi Arabia, U.S. Special Envoy
for Yemen Tim Lenderking said on Thursday. The Chinese-brokered accord reached
in March, talks between Saudi Arabia and Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis, and a
ceasefire that largely has held despite expiring in October have boosted
prospects for an end to the conflict. But, Lenderking told reporters in an
online briefing on his latest visit to the region, Iran is still supplying arms
and drugs that help fuel the war that erupted in 2014 and has created one of the
world's worst humanitarian crises. "The Iranians have continued to smuggle
weaponry and narcotics toward this conflict and we are very concerned that this
would continue despite the benefits that would come from a Saudi-Iran deal. So I
think that is a space we have to watch," Lenderking said. "Despite the fact that
we welcomed an agreement between the Saudis and the Iranians, I remain concerned
about Iran's role," he said, contending that Tehran has trained Houthi fighters
and equipped them "to fight and attack Saudi Arabia." Iran denies arming the
Houthis, who seized Yemen's capital Sanaa after ousting the government and
control large swaths of the country. The war widely has been seen as a proxy
fight between Saudi Arabia, which led a military coalition that intervened in
2015, and Iran. U.S. officials have accused Iran of violating U.N. resolutions
by supplying the Houthis with drones and missiles for cross-border attacks on
Saudi Arabia, although there have been no such strikes in more than a year. The
war has killed tens of thousands of people and left millions dependent on
international aid. The Saudi-Iran deal alone will not end the conflict, which
only can be settled through negotiations between the Yemeni sides, Lenderking
said. The United States will not reopen its embassy in Sanaa until it is
confident the war is over and a "very firm and irreversible" peace process is
underway, he said.
Ukraine is fast running out of time – and Putin must know
it
Sir Kim Darroch/The Telegraph/Thu, May 11, 2023
As the 450th day of the war in Ukraine approaches, the Russian offensive is
failing. President Zelensky is understandably sowing doubts in Russian minds
about timing, but the Ukrainian counteroffensive is coming soon.
Its outcome is likely to determine not just the state of the battlefield, but
also the wider political landscape, as well as the shape of any eventual
settlement. Ukrainian success depends almost totally on Western supplies and
support. So this is the moment to go all in; to step up delivery to Ukraine of
everything from bullets and shells to tanks, missiles and air defence systems.
But the clock is ticking. We are probably at the moment of peak Western resolve.
It is likely to weaken over the next 18 months – for, in an alliance of
democracies, the inescapable reality is that there is always an election looming
somewhere. In Europe there are upcoming general elections in Greece, Luxembourg,
Poland, Slovakia, Spain, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Lithuania, Romania and some
German constituent states. The economic backdrop is ruinous, with high inflation
and low economic growth. Every government is struggling. None of them wants to
fight an election in such circumstances. All of them want the end to be in
sight. As for the United States, the Biden administration’s support for Ukraine
has dwarfed that of other allies, amounting to 90 per cent of military supplies.
But this policy does not have complete bipartisan support, with dissent from the
top, including the two leading candidates for the 2024 Republican presidential
nomination.Donald Trump – who initially described Vladimir Putin’s invasion as
“genius” – has consistently refused to express support for Ukraine, and has
promised, if elected, to “end the war in 24 hours”. Ron DeSantis described the
war as “a territorial dispute” with “no vital national interest” for the US. And
while most mainstream Republican politicians support current US policy, they are
under pressure from their grassroots: recent polls find that 54 per cent of
Republican voters think the US is giving Ukraine too much support.
Even Joe Biden, Ukraine’s supporter-in-chief, came to office promising an end to
“forever wars” and will not want to campaign for re-election while seemingly
trapped in an expensive stalemate.
In short, the next six months may be the last, best, chance to deliver the
decisive defeat to Vladimir Putin that we all declare to be the objective. If we
mean what we say, Nato leaders must now take two decisions.
They must respond to Zelensky’s latest pleas by boosting the flow to Ukraine of
what has already been promised, and their industrial capacity to sustain it. And
they must overcome their reluctance to supply more potent weapons, especially
F16 fighter planes and long-range missiles, such as the US ATACMS tactical
missile system. The UK has already made a start by dispatching long-range Storm
Shadow missiles, but the offensive will falter unless the Ukrainians can disrupt
Russian supply lines with precision attacks on logistics hubs and depots far
behind the front line.
Doubling down in this way will inevitably heighten fears of uncontrollable
escalation. But the greater risk is that we snatch defeat from the jaws of
victory; that we cut and run, as we did in Afghanistan, out of a lack of resolve
and staying power. We shouldn’t over-estimate Putin’s strength: his position now
hangs by the thread of Xi Jinping’s support. Xi has built his leadership on the
proposition that only the Chinese Communist Party led by him can guarantee
China’s continued rise. His trade-dependent economy cannot afford a big new
global shock. So escalation would be dangerous for him. He would have little
control over events that could be as devastating for China as for the
protagonists themselves. He may or may not be able to help bring peace to
Ukraine, but he will not want Putin to raise the stakes in the war. His
pronouncements against the use of nuclear weapons suggest he would use his
leverage. At this critical moment in the war we must not lose our nerve and
sacrifice what has already been achieved. At the end of the Second World War,
our grandparents built a new order based on the principle that no aggressor
should ever again get away with redrawing the map by force. That has been a
foundation for peace and prosperity ever since, including for the deep and
dependable markets that have made possible China’s progress. Putin, with his
appalling invasion, with all its human costs, is now trying to force us to
abandon that principle. Our success in defending it will hinge on our
single-minded and sustained support for Ukraine’s offensive. It is imperative
that the next autocrat who might be tempted to follow Putin’s example should be
deterred by his unambiguous failure in Ukraine. Kim Darroch is chairman of Best
for Britain, former UK ambassador in Washington and former national security
adviser. John Ashton has been a diplomat in Beijing and an advisor to Governor
Chris Patten in Hong Kong. He is co-founder of the think tank E3G.
The Latest LCCC English analysis &
editorials from miscellaneous sources published
on May 11-12/2023
The Real Meaning of 'From The River To The Sea,
Palestine Will Be Free'
Bassam Tawil/Gatestone Institute/May 11, 2023
It is impossible to imagine that the anti-Israel activists have no idea that the
chant is a common call-to-arms for those who want to destroy Israel.
The slogan reflects the wishes of Iran and its terror proxies -- especially
Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Hezbollah -- to replace Israel with a 57th
Islamic state – from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea.
Iranian leaders and officials have often repeated that their goal is to "wipe
Israel off the map."
By using this slogan, Iran and Hamas are saying, bluntly... that the land
stretching from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea is all Muslim-owned
land that cannot be given away to any non-Muslims.
Article 11 of the Hamas Charter leaves no room for doubt; it is
straightforwardly genocidal: "The Islamic Republic Movement [Hamas] believes
that the land of Palestine is an Islamic Waqf consecrated for future Muslim
generations until Judgement Day. It, or any part of it, should not be
squandered; it, or any part of it, should not be given up."
Articles 13 of the Hamas Charter openly advocates the use of violence to kill
Jews and eliminate Israel: "There is no solution for the Palestinian question
expect through Jihad [holy war]."
Article 15 of the Hamas Charter states: "Jihad is the individual duty of every
Muslim... It is necessary to instill the spirit of Jihad in the heart of the
nation so that they would confront the enemies and join the ranks of the
fighters."
The anti-Israel activists who chant "From the river to the sea, Palestine will
be free" are -- whether they know it or not -- endorsing the ideology of Iran's
mullahs, Hamas and other terror groups that have long worked to achieve their
goal of destroying Israel.
These activists, who often describe themselves as "pro-Palestinian," do not
actually care about Palestinians or "freeing Palestine." If they did, they would
instead be calling for better opportunities for Palestinians; Palestinian
governance that was less corrupt; the equal application under Palestinian
leadership of the rule of law; women's and children's rights, and freedom of
speech, assembly and the press.
The current protestors are nothing but Israel-haters -- really, anti-Semites --
who have aligned themselves with Muslim extremists and terrorists.
By chanting "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free" on a university
campus in the West... these activists are serving as a mouthpiece for Muslim
terrorists who daily murder people in cold blood at schools, cafés and on the
roads, such as a Jewish mother and her two daughters on their way to celebrate a
Jewish holiday. Hamas has even boasted that its men were behind the murder of a
British family, the Dees, in a drive-by shooting attack in the Jordan Valley in
early April.
The next time someone shouts the "from the river to the sea" slogan in the US,
Canada or Europe, they should take note that they are voicing support for the
regime of Iran -- reportedly poisoning its schoolgirls by the hundreds and
hanging its own citizens for "crimes" such as "insulting religion" -- as well as
for Iran's designated terrorist groups: Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and
Hezbollah.
The anti-Israel activists who chant "From the river to the sea, Palestine will
be free" are -- whether they know it or not -- endorsing the ideology of Iran's
mullahs, Hamas and other terror groups that have long worked to achieve their
goal of destroying Israel. (Image source: Andrew Ratto/Wikimedia Commons)
Anti-Israel students on many university campuses in the US, Canada, Australia
and Europe often chant the slogan "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be
free." This slogan, which basically means Israel has no right to exist on the
land between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea – in other words, all
the land that currently makes up Israel -- has long been endorsed by Islamist
groups that openly call for eliminating Israel.
The same call has been repeated at:
A recent meeting of the University of Sydney Student Council, where Jewish
students were obstructed from speaking or displaying Israeli flags on Israel's
Independence Day by fellow council members.
A rally on April 8, called "Hands Off Al-Aqsa [Mosque]," held by several
pro-Palestinian organizations in New York City. At the rally, speakers praised
the Palestinian "resistance" and its "martyrs," and repeated the same chant.
An event hosted earlier this year by Jewish groups at University College London,
where dozens of anti-Israel activists chanted, "Free Palestine from the river to
the sea."
"We should be calling upon the Arab and Muslim armies to liberate Palestine,"
one speaker at the anti-Israel gathering stated explicitly.
Late last year, the Jewish community at Northwestern University in Chicago was
shocked to see that printed copies of an op-ed piece about Jewish pride were
turned into a big sign painted with the words "From the river to the sea,
Palestine will be free."
It is impossible to imagine that anti-Israel activists have no idea that this
slogan is a common call-to-arms for those who want to destroy Israel.
The slogan reflects the wishes of Iran and its terror proxies -- especially
Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) and Hezbollah -- to replace Israel with a
57th Islamic state -- from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea.
Iranian leaders and officials have often repeated that their goal is to "wipe
Israel off the map." Recently, Iran's Foreign Ministry echoed the call by
declaring that Jerusalem is "the eternal capital of Palestine, from the river to
the sea."
On the eve of his recent visit to Syria, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi
repeated his regime's wish to see Israel removed [from the face of the Earth].
Hamas, the Iranian-backed terror group controlling the Gaza Strip, has never
missed an opportunity to declare its intention to deliver the same message. In
December 2022, on the 35th anniversary of its founding, Hamas unveiled its
slogan: "Palestine from the river to the sea." A map accompanying the slogan
depicted -- without Israel -- all the land from the Jordan River to the
Mediterranean Sea.
Earlier this year, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh again repeated his group's goal
of destroying Israel, saying:
"All of Palestine, from the river to the sea, and from Ras al-Naquora [on the
Israel-Lebanon border] to Umm al-Rashrash [Eilat, Israel's southernmost city],
is one land that is indivisible and cannot be sold or bargained."
Hamas spokesperson Husam Badran also affirmed his group's endorsement of
eliminating Israel: "The Palestine we know is from the river to the sea -- not
missing an inch," he said.
By using this slogan, Iran and Hamas are saying, bluntly, that there is no room
for a Jewish state in the Middle East.
They are also saying that the land stretching from the Jordan River to the
Mediterranean Sea is all Muslim-owned land that cannot be given away to any
non-Muslims.
Article 11 of the Hamas Charter leaves no room for doubt; it is
straightforwardly genocidal:
"The Islamic Republic Movement [Hamas] believes that the land of Palestine is an
Islamic Waqf consecrated for future Muslim generations until Judgement Day. It,
or any part of it, should not be squandered; it, or any part of it, should not
be given up. Neither a single Arab country nor all Arab countries, neither any
king or president, nor all the kings and presidents, neither any organization
nor all of them, be they Palestinian or Arab, possess the right to do that."
Articles 13 of the Hamas Charter openly advocates the use of violence to kill
Jews and eliminate Israel:
"There is no solution for the Palestinian question expect through Jihad [holy
war]."
Article 15 of the Hamas Charter states:
"Jihad is the individual duty of every Muslim... It is necessary to instill the
spirit of Jihad in the heart of the nation so that they would confront the
enemies and join the ranks of the fighters."
Similarly, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, another Iranian-backed terror group based
in the Gaza Strip, also insists that the entire land from the Jordan River to
the Mediterranean Sea should fall under Islamic rule. Like Hamas, PIJ has been
involved in countless terror attacks against Israel and rejects Israel's right
to exist.
The anti-Israel activists who chant "From the river to the sea, Palestine will
be free" are -- whether they know it or not -- endorsing the ideology of Iran's
mullahs, Hamas and other terror groups that have long worked to achieve their
goal of destroying Israel.
These activists, who often describe themselves as "pro-Palestinian," do not
actually care about Palestinians or "freeing Palestine." If they did, they would
instead be calling for better opportunities for Palestinians; Palestinian
governance that was less corrupt; the equal application under Palestinian
leadership of the rule of law; women's and children's rights, and freedom of
speech, assembly and the press.
The current protestors are nothing but Israel-haters -- really, anti-Semites --
who have aligned themselves with Muslim extremists and terrorists.
By chanting "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free" on a university
campus in the West or at a rally in New York, these activists are serving as a
mouthpiece for Muslim terrorists who daily murder people in cold blood at
schools, cafés and on the roads, such as a Jewish mother and her two daughters
on their way to celebrate a Jewish holiday. Hamas has even boasted that its men
were behind the murder of a British family, the Dees, in a drive-by shooting
attack in the Jordan Valley in early April.
The next time someone shouts the "from the river to the sea" slogan in the US,
Canada or Europe, they should take note that they are voicing support for the
regime of Iran -- reportedly poisoning its schoolgirls by the hundreds and
hanging its own citizens for "crimes" such as "insulting religion" -- as well as
for Iran's designated terrorist groups: Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and
Hezbollah.
*Bassam Tawil is a Muslim Arab based in the Middle East.
© 2023 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do
not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No
part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied
or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.
Syria’s Normalization and the GCC: Adjusting to A New Modus
Vivendi
Leonardo Jacopo Maria Mazzucco/Washington Institute/May 11/2023
Though GCC member states may disagree on Syria's normalization, the collective
memory of past conflicts and the desire for regional stability will likely
override internal divisions.
On April 18, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan al-Saud made a
historic visit to Damascus, meeting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in the
first official trip of a high-ranking Saudi royal to Syria since the two
countries severed diplomatic ties in 2011. The meeting covered several thorny
issues, from the need for a “comprehensive political settlement of the Syrian
crisis” to “the return of Syria to its Arab surroundings” and the “return of
Syrian refugees and displaced persons.”
On the same day, the UAE and Qatar announced that work is underway between the
two countries to restore full bilateral relations and reopen embassies. Although
the three-and-a-half-year blockade of Qatar by a small coalition of countries
including the UAE formally ended in January 2021 with the al-Ula declaration, it
took more than two years for the UAE and Qatar to now pursue a more substantive
diplomatic normalization process.
These moves to improve bilateral ties occur amid a broader regional push to
stabilize the Middle East after a turbulent decade. At the moment, two distinct
but equally-relevant reconciliation effort tracks are taking place, with member
states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) taking center stage. On the one
hand, the GCC countries are de-escalating tensions with deep-seated regional
rivals and competitors in order to promote durable stability in the GCC’s
immediate neighborhood. On the other hand, the GCC monarchies are taking steps
to ease internal frictions and defuse future clashes within the GCC itself.
The readmission of Assad to the Arab fold is where these two tracks of regional
diplomacy intersect, bearing far-reaching implications for the overall stability
of the Middle East and the success of the current de-escalation momentum.
From Regime Change to Regime Embrace
Syria was suspended from the Arab league in 2011 against the backdrop of the
Assad regime’s cruel repression of street protests. At the time, some Arab
states even supported armed rebel groups who hoped to oust Assad. After
obtaining a lifeline in the form of a joint Russian-Iranian military
intervention, however, the Assad regime went on to achieve a major victory in
Aleppo in early 2017 and has gradually regained control over much of the country
since. Albeit grim, the Assad regime’s survival has become a de facto reality in
war-torn Syria.
Still, Syria has remained on shaky ground in the regional sphere. The country’s
long-lasting allies—namely Russia, Iran, and Hezbollah—did prove critical in
ensuring the regime’s military victory on the ground, but there is not much they
can do to shore up Syria’s massive legitimacy deficit and to bankroll the
multi-million reconstruction endeavors needed across the country. Beset by
crippling sanctions and existing as a pariah in its own neighborhood, Assad has
long hoped to expand its club of friends to ensure the regime’s long-term
survival.
Gathered in Jeddah on April 15 to discuss Syria’s future within the Arab League,
the foreign ministers of the GCC countries, Egypt, Iraq, and Jordan initially
failed to reach a consensus on the path ahead, revealing some underlying
frictions within the Arab camp. On May 7, the Arab foreign ministers reunited at
the Arab League's headquarters in Cairo, and the high-level officials voted to
reinstate Syria’s membership. Although the decision ended Syria’s 11-year-long
diplomatic isolation and paved the way for Assad’s participation in the next
Arab League Summit on May 19 in Saudi Arabia, the rehabilitation process still
reflects a fragmented reality among Arab states. Indeed, only 13 of the 21 Arab
League’s effective members attended the voting session and gave the green light
to the normalization motion.
Polarization within the Arab Fold
Once one of the staunchest supporters of regime change in Syria, Saudi Arabia
has carefully pursued a radical U-turn in its policies over the past several
months. On several recent occasions, the Saudi Foreign Minister has reiterated
that Arab countries were gradually converging on the idea of dialogue channels
with Damascus. The Foreign Minister has also made statements suggesting that
Syria’s isolation was proving fruitless. His state visit to Damascus in
mid-April left no doubt about the Saudi repositioning on the Syrian file.
Ultimately, with Saudi Arabia agreeing to resume diplomatic activities at its
embassy in Damascus on May 9, the Saudi-Syrian rapprochement is making momentous
strides. Once foes, now friends, Saudi Arabia and Syria are heading hastily
toward the re-establishment of full bilateral ties. The Kingdom’s about-face
suggests a high-level recalculation of the viable foreign policy tools that
Riyadh has in regards to Assad. Believing that political and economic isolation
has failed, Saudi Arabia now seeks to build influence over Assad by extending
him an olive branch.
Although Saudi Arabia is now leveraging its solid diplomatic credentials to
hasten Syria’s return to the Arab fold, the UAE and Bahrain laid the groundwork
for the normalization process by reopening their embassies in Damascus in late
2018. While Abu Dhabi and Manama initially kept diplomatic representations at
the level of chargé d’affaires, these overtures bore a heavily symbolic message:
the Syrian regime still had friends in the GCC. Since then, the UAE has done
most of the heavy lifting to re-legitimize Assad. Positioning itself as the
spearhead of normalization, the UAE has scaled up its bilateral interactions
with Syria, sending Foreign Minister Abdallah bin Zayed al-Nahyan to Damascus on
several occasions. Assad has now been received twice by UAE President Sheikh
Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan since early 2022. The intensity of diplomatic
engagement between the Emirati and Syrian leadership speaks volumes about the
UAE’s pivotal role in leading the normalization process.
Among the GCC countries pushing back on the normalization of Syria, Qatar stands
out as the most vocal. While it does not oppose the idea per se, Doha maintains
that a potential diplomatic overture to Assad must result from tangible
improvements by the regime in dealing with opposition groups and reforming the
Syrian political architecture. From the Qatari standpoint, Assad has made no
meaningful efforts to ease the violent repression of dissidents, and the
conditions for his regime’s ostracization still stand.
Although more moderate in its resistance than Qatar, Kuwait has also manifested
some reservations about Assad’s return to the Arab fold. Due to its composite
sectarian demography, the Syrian file remains a highly contentious issue in the
eyes of the Kuwaiti public. Still, Kuwait has no tradition of being a bold
player in Middle Eastern politics, and it typically crafts its foreign policies
by seeking consensus within regional multilateral organizations such as the Arab
League, the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation, and the GCC. With Saudi
Arabia taking up the baton of Assad’s rehabilitation, Kuwait will likely take
advantage of the current thaw to carefully test the waters domestically and
regionally. Regarding Oman, the country has long preferred a neutral stance
towards the Syrian civil war, stressing the conflict’s humanitarian dimensions.
Like its Arab peers, Oman did scale down its diplomatic representation in Syria
in 2012, but it has adamantly refrained from taking bold positions on Syrian
domestic affairs and has never entirely severed relations with Damascus. As the
first GCC country to reinstate its ambassador to the Syrian capital in early
October 2020, Oman is now openly supporting Syria’s reintegration into the Arab
League. Assad’s state visit with Omani Sultan Haitham bin Tariq al-Said in late
February reflects the warm ties between the two leaders and underscores Oman’s
support for the normalization push.
New Contours of GCC Politics Having divergent strategic priorities and pursuing
opposing outcomes is not unusual among the GCC members. Since its foundation in
1981, the GCC has experienced numerous stress tests challenging its survival.
However, frictions have never reached the point of no return, and no member
states have ever defected.
While the 2021 al-Ula summit brought an end to the most recent, three-year-long
GCC spat, it also contributed to reshaping the contours of GCC politics. By
welcoming Qatar back into the GCC, Arab Gulf monarchies informally ushered in a
new status quo in which each GCC member has the right to pursue an independent
foreign policy and any attempts to impose hegemonic views are rejected. Of
course, though the GCC members have made significant strides in achieving a
durable modus vivendi capable of accommodating different political agendas,
there is much work to do to fully overcome the type of internal conflicts that
have ripped them apart in the past. Efforts to rebuild mutual trust within the
GCC are still at an early stage, and unresolved divergences on burning issues
such as Syria’s normalization might prompt the Arab Gulf monarchies to resume
old disruptive habits. On the one hand, Saudi Arabia’s proactive diplomacy over
the Syrian file reflects the Kingdom’s resolve to shore up its regional
leadership credentials. As the Chinese-brokered Saudi-Iranian rapprochement deal
and de-escalation talks with the Houthis lighten the burden on Riyadh, the
Kingdom might perceive the current geopolitical moment as favorable to a more
assertive Saudi role in the Arab world. On the other hand, Qatar continues to
view bold moves by its regional neighbors with suspicion. With the 2017
blockade’s symbolic wounds barely healed, any push to dictate hegemonic postures
will evoke bitter memories for Doha.
So far, the GCC members have shown enough resolve to handle internal dissent on
Syria’s political future peacefully. Qatar still retains its steadfast
opposition to normalization with Assad, but it has also refrained from playing
an antagonist role to the Saudi-backed normalization push within the Arab
League. Heeding the lessons learned from previous clashes, the Arab Gulf
monarchies are approaching their apparently irreparable frictions on the Syrian
file with caution and pragmatism.
What Next?
The Assad regime’s normalization still strongly polarizes the GCC. However,
given the current geopolitical realities, the already-significant diplomatic
resources spent to nurture the regional thaw, and the widespread desire for
durable stability, it is unlikely that the Arab Gulf monarchies will bring the
conflict over Syria’s political future to the extreme, jeopardizing their
recently restored unity. The common desire to build security and stability seems
to have prevailed over centrifugal forces and zero-sum thinking, further
reinforcing the GCC’s most salient feature: its members’ capacity to retain a
minimum degree of consensus on mutual interests. The Syrian regime still
suffers a substantial legitimacy deficit on the international stage. The United
States and European countries have not done much to dissuade their partners in
the Middle East from normalizing with Assad, however they intend to stand by
Syrian sanctions unless the regime takes concrete steps towards a political
solution to the civil conflict based on the UN Security Council Resolution 2254.
As a result, Arab states will be significantly exposed to Western sanctions as
they seek to take advantage of lucrative reconstruction deals and enhanced
economic exchanges with Syria. Faced with this reality, the GCC members who have
assumed an active role in rehabilitating Assad will likely carefully hedge
between measured engagement on symbolic issues and a wait-and-see approach.
Ultimately, the dynamics unleashed by the recent flurry of diplomatic activism
in the Middle East speak to a growing resolve among regional geopolitical
players to rebuild agency in their neighborhood. Although it is still unclear to
what extent the Arab states will be able and willing to fully reincorporate the
Assad regime into the fold, this collective endeavor illustrates a new phase in
the Middle East in which appeasing dialogue and mutually beneficial cooperation
have replaced head-on confrontation and stiff rivalry. While conflicting views
and underlying tensions continue to represent a major reality of GCC politics,
as exemplified by Qatar’s hardline anti-Assad stance, the Arab Gulf monarchies
have manifested a strong resolve to compartmentalize dissent and pursue a good
neighborliness policy with fellow GCC members.
***Leonardo Jacopo Maria Mazzucco is a researcher who focuses on the security
affairs of the Gulf region. He is also an analyst at Gulf State Analytics (GSA),
a Washington-based geopolitical risk consulting firm. He is a contributor to
Fikra Forum.
World can start stabilizing Syria without
involving Assad
Dr. Dania Koleilat Khatib/Arab News/May 11, 2023
The Arab League announced on Sunday that it had readmitted Syria. Two days
earlier, the US State Department’s regional spokesperson Hala Ghrait announced
that the White House was against normalization with Bashar Assad as long as the
regime refused to change its behavior. However, the Arab overture is far from
normalization. At best, it can be described as conditional engagement.
So far, Assad has only shown rigidity. He thinks that the Arab Gulf states will
just acknowledge him as the winner of Syria’s war and give him billions of
dollars for reconstruction.
Saudi Arabia issued a communique following last month’s visit to Damascus by
Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, in which countering the trade in
narcotics was highlighted. Shortly after this visit, and while the Syrian
foreign minister was meeting with Arab counterparts in Amman, Jordan, the Saudi
authorities busted a shipment of Captagon in Jeddah. If this means anything, it
is that Assad has no control over what happens on the ground.
Even if he was unwilling to change his behavior, Assad would not have sent the
shipment so soon. He would have waited until he got something from the deal.
This episode shows that, in all likelihood, the step-by-step process linked to
Assad’s readmission to the Arab League will not work. Even if he is willing,
which is highly doubtful, he is incapable of fulfilling the basic conditions to
stabilize Syria and secure the safe return of refugees.
Hence, a parallel track should be adopted. The EU, which is most concerned about
Syria because it does not want another wave of refugees heading toward its
borders, should make a serious effort to stabilize the country — and this
definitely does not mean talking to Assad. The international community should
speak to Assad’s patrons, Russia and Iran. In order to do that effectively, the
international community should work with Saudi Arabia. Europe, because of the
sanctions, cannot talk to Russia, but Saudi Arabia can. And regarding Iran,
Saudi Arabia is working on a rapprochement. Syria can be an area for
cooperation.
Even if Assad is willing, which is highly doubtful, he is incapable of
fulfilling the basic conditions to stabilize Syria
The goals should be stabilizing the security situation, ensuring the safe return
of refugees and jumpstarting the local economy so that people can sustain
themselves. The low-hanging fruit is Deraa in the southwest. The Russians did
try to establish local reconciliation in Deraa in order to stabilize the area,
but it failed due to the regime reneging on all its commitments. In 2018, a deal
was brokered between the regime and the opposition, driven by the Russians and
approved by the Americans. The agreement consisted of the opposition forces
reconciling with the regime and becoming a legion in the army named the 8th
Brigade. It joined the 5th Corps, which is under Russian control, in return for
the regime giving its fighters amnesty and reinstating those who were government
employees to their jobs. The settlement included 12 points, but the regime did
not commit to any of them.
Young men who had been given amnesty were stopped at a checkpoint on the way to
Damascus and tortured and killed, with their bodies sent back to their families.
So, the Russian effort failed because of Assad. Nevertheless, Russia has no
choice in Syria but to back Assad as he is guaranteeing Moscow’s jurisdiction
over its only naval base on the Mediterranean. Throughout history, Russia has
waged wars to reach warm waters. Syria is Russia’s only foothold on the
Mediterranean.
Russia and Iran were banking on the international community accepting Assad and
giving him funds for reconstruction, from which they would benefit. They are now
realizing this is not the case and Assad is more likely to face the same destiny
as Omar Bashir. The Caesar Act sanctions are unlikely to be removed and he is
unlikely to be accepted by the international community. Hence, their hopes of a
comprehensive solution are fading away.
A deal with Russia should be clinched by bypassing the regime. The deal should
include international recognition of Moscow’s jurisdiction over the Tartus naval
base. Though the international community is working on delegitimizing Russia and
curbing its presence worldwide, it needs to make this compromise in order to get
the Kremlin on board with ending the conflict. The agreement should also include
the involvement of Russian companies in the redevelopment of Deraa, along with
local councils and in the presence of international observers. Russia should
then guarantee the safe return of those internally displaced people who are from
Deraa but are currently in Idlib.
It is in Hezbollah’s interest to withdraw from the areas it occupies in Syria in
order to facilitate the refugees’ return
Another deal should be struck regarding the areas around Lebanon, where the main
actors are Iran and Hezbollah. Most of the refugees in Lebanon come from areas
that are occupied by Hezbollah, such as Qalamoun, Qusayr, Harasta and Zabadani.
Basically, Iran is in Syria to secure the “useful Syria,” which is a term to
describe the land bridge that links Iraq to Lebanon and the Mediterranean. Iran
has secured this, but at a high cost. Iranian forces are facing regular bombing
raids from Israel and these strikes are likely to increase as Tel Aviv feels
more insecure. This means their presence is not sustainable.
Internally, in Lebanon, there is a huge campaign against Syrian refugees. The
public discourse is asking for their return to Syria. Hezbollah is worried about
their presence in Lebanon. According to a Hezbollah source, 80,000 of the Syrian
refugees in Lebanon are armed. This a ticking time bomb for the group because,
if the refugees do ever use these arms, it will be mainly against those who
drove them out of their homes in the first place.
So, it is in Hezbollah’s interest to withdraw from the areas it occupies in
Syria in order to facilitate the refugees’ return; but it would need to cover
its back. It would not want any hostile armed group crossing from Syria and
targeting them in Lebanon. Zabadani, for example, is a strategic point in Syria
overlooking the Beqaa Valley, which is a stronghold of Hezbollah.
The withdrawal should be coupled with the deployment of a joint Islamic force,
including Arab deterrence troops as well as Iranian ones. Israel is unlikely to
strike any units that include Arab Gulf forces. On the other hand, Israel will
be appeased, as the Iranian forces would be operating within a framework,
keeping their hostile activities toward Israel under control. The international
community should give legitimacy to such a force.
These two deals would be a stepping stone to a more localized agreement across
the country. They would also make Assad irrelevant in the eyes of his patrons.
This is much better and more effective than clinching a deal with the brutal
dictator, who will use any funds to reconstruct his regime.
*Dr. Dania Koleilat Khatib is a specialist in US-Arab relations with a focus on
lobbying. She is president of the Research Center for Cooperation and Peace
Building, a Lebanese nongovernmental organization focused on Track II.
Syria reconstruction would bring huge benefits for the
region
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Arab News/May 11, 2023
Extended domestic conflicts can have a devastating impact on a country’s
infrastructure, economy, safety and the living standards of its people. Often,
once the conflict finally ends, it can still take many years to rebuild the
affected nation, its economy and its infrastructure. One example is Syria, which
is currently suffering one of the worst humanitarian crises of our time.
The February earthquake, which inflicted an estimated $5.1 billion of damage in
Syria, has further exacerbated the situation caused by more than 12 years of
civil war. Even before that disaster, more than two-thirds of the Syrian
population needed humanitarian assistance, according to UNICEF, due to the
“worsening economic crisis, continued localized hostilities, mass displacement
and devastated public infrastructure.”
UNICEF stated last month: “Now, the country is also grappling with severe human
and material damage from catastrophic earthquakes and aftershocks … that have
left families in urgent need of food, water, shelter, and emergency medical and
psychosocial assistance. Around 90 percent of families in the country live in
poverty, while more than 50 percent are food insecure. The economic crisis is
worsening negative coping mechanisms and particularly affecting female-headed
households while contributing to the normalization of gender-based violence and
child exploitation.”
The estimated reconstruction cost for Syria is up to $1 trillion. The longevity
of the conflict has played a critical role in imposing significant damage on the
country’s infrastructure and economy. Several concentric circles of violence
were also occurring at the same time, prolonging the conflict. Many rebel groups
were not only fighting the government, but also each other, and some proxy and
militia groups from other countries became engaged in the domestic war.
Meanwhile, there was a global stalemate on reaching a resolution between the US
and other Western countries on the one hand and Russia and China on the other.
In addition, global terror groups such as Daesh gained prominence at different
points during the conflict.
The longevity of the conflict has played a critical role in imposing significant
damage on the country’s infrastructure and economy
But after more than a decade of turmoil, it is now important, for several
reasons, that the international community focuses on measures that can help
rebuild Syria.
First of all, it is important to point out that, when a country’s economy is
impacted to such a significant level, it also has negative effects on other
countries in the region. As the World Bank reported in 2020, the conflict in
Syria has imposed “a heavy economic and social toll on the country’s neighbors
in the Mashreq region. From 2011 onward, average annual gross domestic product
growth rates were reduced by 1.2 percentage points in Iraq, 1.6 percentage
points in Jordan, and 1.7 percentage points in Lebanon in real terms solely
because of the conflict in Syria. Cumulatively, these reductions correspond to
11.3 percent of the combined pre-conflict (2010) GDPs across the three
countries.”
It added: “The fallout was transmitted through multiple channels. With
decreasing transit trade through Syria and stalling service exports like
tourism, the marginal effect of the trade shock on GDP reached -3.1 percentage
points in Jordan and -2.9 percentage points in Lebanon.”
In other words, moves to reconstruct and rebuild Syria would not only help
improve the living standards of the Syrian people and address the widespread
poverty across the country, but they would also assist neighboring countries,
particularly Iraq, Lebanon and Jordan, in improving their economic outlook.
Secondly, there may be some concerns that financial assistance or loans diverted
to Syria may not end up being utilized for the reconstruction of the country.
But this issue can be resolved if global financial institutions were to monitor
the situation and cooperate with the private sector. One important step would be
to help expand the private sector in Syria.
Before the conflict erupted, the World Bank Group provided “support to Syria
through its technical assistance and advisory services on private sector
development, human development, social protection, and environmental
sustainability. Following the onset of the conflict in 2011, all World Bank
operational activity and missions to Syria were halted. Nonetheless, the World
Bank monitors the impact of the conflict on the Syrian people and the economy in
consultation with other members of the international community. This helps
inform international thinking on Syria from an economic and social perspective
and build preparedness for post-agreement recovery efforts, when and if
mandated.”
Thirdly, rebuilding Syria would help promote security in the country, due to the
fact that poverty and conflict-stricken states can often be ripe locations for
terror and militia groups to grow, gain power and inflict damage on the country
and broader region. If the international community were to concentrate on
rebuilding Syria, it would also help to resolve the Syrian refugee crisis
Finally, if the international community were to concentrate on rebuilding Syria,
it would also indirectly help to resolve the Syrian refugee crisis. After more
than 12 years of conflict, Syria remains the largest refugee crisis in the
world. The UN Refugee Agency reported in March that more than “14 million
Syrians have been forced to flee their homes in search of safety. More than 6.8
million Syrians remain internally displaced in their own country, where 70
percent of the population is in need of humanitarian assistance and 90 percent
of the population live below the poverty line.”
Helping resolve this issue would also have a tremendous positive impact on
countries such as Lebanon, Turkey, Jordan, Egypt and Iraq. As the UN Refugee
Agency stated: “Approximately 5.5 million Syrian refugees live in the five
countries neighboring Syria … Germany is the largest non-neighboring host
country with more than 850,000 Syrian refugees.”
In a nutshell, the international community ought to focus on measures that can
help rebuild Syria’s infrastructure in order to address the widespread poverty
and humanitarian crisis, the nation’s crippled economy, and its security. Such
measures would also have positive impacts on neighboring countries’ economy and
security, and thus help stabilize this volatile part of the world.
*Dr. Majid Rafizadeh is a Harvard-educated Iranian-American political scientist.
Twitter: @Dr_Rafizadeh
Candid discussions key to building effective GCC-NATO
partnership
*Dr. Abdel Aziz Aluwaisheg/Arab News/May 11, 2023
Bahrain this week hosted an important meeting of NATO and its regional partners
to discuss closer cooperation. This was the fifth meeting held by the Istanbul
Cooperation Initiative Policy Advisory Group since it was established and its
first since 2018, reflecting the urgency NATO gives to the Gulf region after the
Ukraine conflict.
The Istanbul Cooperation Initiative was established at the 2004 NATO Summit in
Istanbul to promote security cooperation between the organization and partner
countries. Although the original purpose was to include the broader Middle East
region, currently only four countries have joined the ICI — Bahrain, Kuwait,
Qatar and the UAE. Other GCC countries participate in selected activities within
the ICI framework without formally being part of it.
Activities under the ICI initiative include political and security dialogue,
practical cooperation, defense planning, civil preparedness, counterterrorism
and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
NATO has applauded the ICI partners’ contributions to NATO-led operations and
missions. It cites Bahrain’s contribution to the International Security
Assistance Force in Afghanistan. Kuwait, meanwhile, signed the first ever
transit agreement in the Gulf with NATO in 2012, allowing for the movement of
military equipment through the country. It is also part of the Shared Awareness
and Deconfliction mechanism, an international initiative to combat piracy in the
Indian Ocean. Qatar participated in Operation Unified Protector in Libya in
2011. The UAE has also contributed substantially to NATO operations and missions
over the years, including in Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom,
which started in 2003, and joining the International Security Assistance Force
in 2008. The UAE also participated in Operation Unified Protector in Libya in
2011.
In recognition of the importance of Kuwait and the Gulf region in general to
NATO, the NATO-ICI Regional Center was established in Kuwait City in 2017. It
acts as a hub for the enhancement of practical cooperation between NATO and its
ICI partners and the GCC region as a whole. According to NATO, the center’s goal
is to “improve common understanding of security challenges … increased
interoperability and standardization.” It promotes practical cooperation in
various areas including strategic analysis, civil preparedness,
military-to-military cooperation and public diplomacy. Its activities are open
to all countries participating in the ICI, as well as other GCC countries and
the GCC Secretariat.
The GCC and NATO have overlapping interests, but they also have differences in
their approach to regional crises
The Bahrain meeting held on Wednesday and Thursday sought to shore up
cooperation between NATO and its ICI partners, but also to the rest of the GCC
membership and its institutions. When the GCC was established in 1981,
integration between its six member states was its main objective. Since then,
the focus of that process has revolved around four main parallel tracks —
political, defense, internal security and economic integration — almost in equal
measures.
Those four paths of integration intersect during the GCC’s periodic assessments
of regional threats and challenges. On Sunday, for example, its regional
security team will meet, for the fourth time in the past 12 months, for that
purpose.
In the current review of regional security, more than a dozen threats and
serious challenges are examined. They include Iran’s nuclear deal, the
proliferation of missiles and drones, territorial disputes with Iran,
instability in neighboring countries, maritime security, cybersecurity,
terrorism, arms smuggling, drug trafficking, illegal migration, and human
trafficking. Challenges that also affect regional security include climate
change, water security, food security and the recurrent spread of pandemics.
There are also competing Gulf security concepts that the GCC needs to address.
Most, though not all, of these security concerns intersect with those of NATO,
which argues for closer cooperation between the two organizations. NATO has
recognized the need to engage with countries outside its membership and, given
the GCC states’ strategic importance and geographic location, those countries
have figured prominently in its partnership plans with nonmembers. The Ukraine
war has added some urgency to NATO’s reaching out to GCC states and others.
There were extensive discussions on enhancing cooperation among ICI partners,
which will likely continue within the ICI and NATO institutional setup. In
addition, NATO is seeking out wider cooperation with other GCC states that are
not currently ICI members and with the GCC organization. The GCC and NATO have
been discussing for some time possible formal instruments for cooperation. GCC-NATO
cooperation would be in parallel with and not a substitute for cooperation among
the current ICI partners, although they will likely overlap at times. Some of
the proposals currently under discussion for GCC-NATO engagement include
political dialogue, as both organizations are concerned with regional crises and
their spillover effects globally, such as the conflicts in Yemen, Sudan,
Palestine/Israel and Syria/Lebanon. Security dialogue is also important, as both
are also concerned about Iran’s nuclear program and the proliferation of
missiles and drones, cyberwarfare and threats to maritime security and freedom
of navigation. The political and security dialogues being proposed for GCC-NATO
are similar to those conducted or planned under the framework of the GCC-EU
Strategic Partnership announced in February 2022.
In addition to these dialogues, the GCC and NATO could also consider closer
engagement on defense integration modalities, including the GCC’s unified
military command. NATO naturally provides a model for the most effective joint
command. Another area of cooperation could involve the recently established GCC
Strategic and Defense Academy, which will accept its first students in
September. The GCC and NATO have overlapping interests, but they also have
differences in their approach to regional crises. To build an effective
partnership, open and candid discussions need to take place to address the
shared interests, differences and special concerns that each organization may
have.
*Dr. Abdel Aziz Aluwaisheg is the Gulf Cooperation Council assistant
secretary-general for political affairs and negotiation, and a columnist for
Arab News. The views expressed in this piece are personal and do not necessarily
represent GCC views. Twitter: @abuhamad1