English LCCC Newsbulletin For
Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For May 14/2023
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
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15 آذار/2023
Bible Quotations For today
While they were talking about this, Jesus
himself stood among them and said to them, Peace be with you. They were startled
and terrified. He said to them: Look at my hands and my feet; see that it is I
myself.
Saint Luke 24/36-45: “While they were talking
about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, ‘Peace be with
you.’They were startled and terrified, and thought that they were seeing a
ghost. He said to them, ‘Why are you frightened, and why do doubts arise in your
hearts? Look at my hands and my feet; see that it is I myself. Touch me and see;
for a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.’And when he
had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. While in their joy they
were disbelieving and still wondering, he said to them, ‘Have you anything here
to eat?’ They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate in their
presence. Then he said to them, ‘These are my words that I spoke to you while I
was still with you that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the
prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled.’
Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures.”
.
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese &
Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on May 13-14/2023
Mother's Day in
Canada: All people have hearts, but Mothers' Hearts brings all hearts together/Elias
Bejjani/May 14/2023
Franjieh vs Azour: President election reportedly imminent
Lebanese and UAE foreign ministers speak after man dies in custody
Lebanese man death in UAE custody raises questions about possible mistreatment
Hadi Hobeich to LBCI: We haven't made a decision yet to elect anyone for
presidency
Here are Jumblatt's rules: On Frangieh and others alike
Supreme Islamic Council addresses the urgency to elect a president
Sanctions loom over obstruction of Lebanese presidential elections
Al-Murtada represents Mikati in Book Fair inauguration
Lebanon security sting targets crime gangs, smuggling networks
Nasrallah denies reports linking Hezbollah to Syria drug dealer
Foreign Ministry: Ghazi Ezzeddine's family confirmed his death from a heart
attack
Geagea, UN Resident Coordinator discuss Syrian asylum file
Derian discusses with Evangelical Church delegation promotion of
Islamic-Christian relations
Khodr urges people of Deir Al Ahmar to demonstrate self-restraint
Hamieh thanks Iraq for allowing the first Lebanese truck to cross the transit
system, heading to Kuwait
Health Minister, Japanese Ambassador inaugurate solar energy project in Minnieh
Governmental Hospital
FPM denounces Bar Association's permission to prosecute Attorney Wadih Akl: We
will not rest until all those who contributed to Lebanese people's...
Daou: Together we will endeavor to complete the path of change
May 16: The Stranglehold Around
Salameh’s Neck Tightens/Hanna Saleh/Asharq Al Awsat/May 14/2023
Titles For The Latest English LCCC
Miscellaneous Reports And News published on May 13-14/2023
Pope Francis Warns
Pets Must Not Replace Children in Italy
Pope Francis Meets with Ukraine’s
President at the Vatican
Israel and Islamic Jihad agree Gaza truce
Israel-Gaza fighting continues as 2 Palestinians killed in West Bank raid
Germany unveils 2.7 billion euro weapons package for Ukraine
Blasts rock Khartoum as warring sides affirm humanitarian pledge
Sudan’s army and RSF to resume talks on Sunday
UN refugee agency: 200,000 have fled Sudan
China and Russia are increasing their military collaboration, Japan’s foreign
minister warns
Biden says US debt ceiling talks are moving along
Egypt implements second largest project in its history to save the country
European Countries Pressure the US to
Revive Nuclear Deal
Titles For
The Latest
English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on May 13-14/2023
Erdogan and the Future of an Islamist Autocracy/Charles Elias Chartouni/May
13/2023
The Biden Administration’s Green Light to Iran’s Terrorists and Nuclear
Program/Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Gatestone Institute/May 13, 2023
How Sudan crisis casts long shadow over Libya/Hafed Al-GhwellArab News/May 14,
2023
G7 summit will showcase revival of the Western alliance/Andrew Hammond/Arab
News/May 13, 2023
Sudan conflict jeopardizes regional stability/Talmiz Ahmad/Arab News/May 13,
2023
No alternative to Ukraine joining NATO,’ Estonian President Alar Karis tells
Arab News/Faisal J. Abbas/Editor In Chief/Arab News/May 13/2023
Latest English LCCC Lebanese &
Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on May 13-14/2023
Mother's
Day in Canada: All people have hearts, but Mothers' Hearts brings all hearts
together
Elias Bejjani/May 14/2023
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/86018/86018/
Canada celebrates today, on the ninth of May 14/2023, "The Mother's Day" and
honors with love and gratitude all her sacrifices, devotion, and commitments.
This blessed ritual of genuine honoring is certainly a faith obligation and a
human, moral, ethical, religious and ecclesiastical duty for each and every
believer who fears God and the day of his last Judgement, and at the same
adheres in his/her pattern of lifestyle, and practices to the Ten Biblical
Commandments in which its fifth one verbatim reads: "Honor your father and your
mother that your days may be long upon the land which the LORD your God is
giving you".
Honor means to give high regard, respect and esteem to; to bring respect or
credit to; an outward token, sign or act that manifests high regard.
Respect means to have deferential regard for, to treat with propriety and
consideration; to regard as inviolable.
Meanwhile, this honor and respect, though primarily intended by God to be given
to parents, are not limited to them. In spirit it includes civil, religious and
educational authorities as well.
God want us to honor our parents because the family is the basic building block
or unit of society, thus the stability of the community depends on the stability
of the families that comprise it.
"In God's eyes—and in a small child's—a parent stands in the place of God
Himself. In the physical sense, parents are the child's creator, provider,
lawgiver, teacher, and protector—and sometimes even savior. A child's response
to this relationship will greatly determine his later response to larger
relationships in society. And it is ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN to affect his
relationship with God. Thus, since parents represent God, it becomes their
obligation to live lives worthy of that honor. Ultimately, the responsibility
for keeping this commandment falls on the child, but it begins with the parents
through child training and example. If parents neither provide the correct
example nor teach the correct way, they can hardly expect their children to
honor them" (John W. Ritenbaugh).
Mothers and fathers, through the bond of sacred marriage, secure the continuity
of humanity. This holy and blessed institution, the institution of the family
"Marriage" is the cornerstone of every society. Without it, societies
disintegrate, lose values and morals after which destructive chaos and all
forms of loss of faith and immorality prevail.
In one of our proverbs back home in Lebanon we say: The Good mother is like a
magnet that pulls together her family members and holds them under her wings.
Practically this means that with her love, warm and big heart, devotion,
passionate, role model, hard work and sacrifices she brings her family members
together, embraces them, nurtures them, and always works to cultivate in them
all values of love, forgiveness, giving, humility, tolerance, and faith.
We congratulate the mothers on their annual day, and pray for the eternal rest
of the souls of the mothers who have passed away.
We ask our mothers who are in heaven dwelling in God's mentions to pray for us
and for peace in the world, especially during this time of world wide state of
loss, confusion, despair and fear, while facing the deadly threats of Corona
Virus plague.
A Special Prayer For The Mothers
Dear God,
Thank you for your endless provisions of grace and mercy. We come to you today
to lift up every woman who answers to the name of “mom.” We ask that you supply
each one with the strength they need for those difficult days. Give them wisdom
to know when to encourage and when to correct their children. Supply them with
an extra dose of patience. Remind them that children are a heritage and a reward
from You (Psalm 127:3 CSB), and shower them with special moments they can
cherish. Lord, we also ask that you draw them close to you daily. Remind them of
their worth in Your eyes - that they, too, are cherished children of a loving
Father. We pray for contentment in this very special calling. May every mom
realize that this is a mission from You, one that brings truly great rewards in
the end. quoted from the Batchelor Brothers page)
Amen
Franjieh vs Azour: President
election reportedly imminent
Naharnet/May 13/2023
Following "pressure" from Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon Walid Bukhari, the
Lebanese parties appear to have agreed to go to parliament within two weeks to
elect a president, media reports said on Saturday. “Those who met with Bukhari
over the past days -- before and after his Thursday meeting with Marada Movement
chief Suleiman Franjieh -- said that he called for electing the new president as
soon as possible or facing international sanctions on those obstructing the
election,” al-Akhbar newspaper reported. Bukhari also said that the
International Monetary Fund would exert similar pressures, the sources added.
“He urged the Christian blocs and parties to present a candidate who would face
Franjieh,” noting that the kingdom would not have a problem with the winner “as
long as he would be elected constitutionally and democratically,” the sources
said. Bukhari also revealed that he was “exerting strenuous efforts to push for
finalizing the juncture within weeks,” with the sources concluding that “his
words indicated that the presidential election session might be held within two
weeks at the latest.”“He reiterated to all those whom he visited or met with
that they should go to parliament, elect a president and avoid blocking the
session’s quorum,” the sources said. “May God grant success to whomever wins,”
the sources quoted Bukhari as saying. According to al-Akhbar, the Lebanese
Forces has lifted its veto on the nomination of ex-minister Jihad Azour, whose
chances seem to be better than those of Army chief General Joseph Aoun, whose
election would require a difficult constitutional amendment. “There are four
candidates who might face off with Franjieh, but Azour seems to be the most
likely candidate,” the daily added.
Lebanese and UAE foreign ministers speak after man dies in
custody
AP/LBCI/May 13/2023
Lebanon’s foreign minister spoke Saturday with his counterpart in the United
Arab Emirates following the death of a Lebanese citizen while in custody in the
oil-rich Gulf nation, the foreign ministry said in a statement.
Lebanon’s Foreign Ministry said in a short statement that Lebanon’s ambassador
to the UAE, Fouad Dandan, spoke by telephone with the wife and brother of the
late Ghazi Ezzedine, 55. The envoy later received a signed letter from the
family saying the man died as a result of heart problems.
Ezzedine’s death had earlier raised questions about his possible mistreatment by
authorities in the UAE. Earlier this week, a committee of family members of
Lebanese citizens detained in the UAE, including the man who died earlier this
month, alleged in a statement that Ezzedine had died as a result of being
tortured. The foreign ministry statement said UAE’s Foreign Minister Abdullah
bin Zayed Al Nahyan told his Lebanese counterpart Abdallah Bouhabib that
Ezzedine’s family can leave the UAE or stay if they want. The statement did not
say whether the family will be allowed to take the man’s body for burial in
Lebanon following reports that they were prevented from do so. Sima Watling, a
researcher with Amnesty International focusing on the Arab Gulf country, told
The Associated Press on Friday that according to Ezzedine’s family, he had been
arrested on March 22 along with eight other people, including two of his
brothers, on unknown charges. Ezzedine died on May 4, she said. His family was
only notified several days later, when his son was asked by authorities to come
to the cemetery and identify the body, she added. Ezzedine’s son was only
permitted to see his father’s face, while his body was kept covered. UAE
authorities denied the family’s request to bring him back to Lebanon for burial,
Watling said. The two brothers who were detained along with him were
subsequently released from detention but banned from leaving the country. UAE
authorities have detained dozens of Lebanese, mostly Shiites, in the past over
alleged links to the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. The UAE,
like other Gulf Cooperation Council members, considers Hezbollah a terrorist
organization. In 2019, the UAE sentenced one Lebanese national to life in prison
and two to ten years in prison on charges of links to Hezbollah.
Lebanese man death in UAE custody raises questions about possible mistreatment
Associated Press/May 13/2023
A Lebanese man who was detained in the United Arab Emirates on unknown charges
has died in custody, rights observers and family members said, raising questions
about his possible mistreatment by authorities. A committee of family members of
Lebanese citizens detained in the UAE, including the man who died earlier this
month, alleged in a statement that Ghazi Ezzedine, 55, had died under torture.
The UAE foreign ministry did not immediately respond to an Associated Press
request for comment. Sima Watling, a researcher with Amnesty International
focused on the Arab Gulf country, said that according to Ezzedine's family, he
had been arrested on March 22 along with eight other people, including two of
his brothers, on unknown charges. Ezzedine died on May 4, she said. His family
was only notified several days later, when his son was asked by authorities to
come to the cemetery and identify the body, she added. Ezzedine's son was only
permitted to see his father's face, while his body was kept covered. UAE
authorities denied the family's request to bring him back to Lebanon for burial,
Watling said. The two brothers who were detained along with him were
subsequently released from detention but banned from leaving the country. A
Lebanese official who is following the case told The Associated Press that
Ezzedine's cause of death was unknown. He said eight members of the same family
were detained for unknown reasons. The official spoke on condition of anonymity
because diplomatic contacts between Lebanon and the UAE are ongoing regarding
the death and the repatriation of the body. Afif Shouman, head of a group of
Lebanese families with relatives detained in the Gulf country, said Ezzedine had
lived in the UAE for 30 years "without so much as a traffic ticket." There were
"no suspicions about the man that he got involved in political matters or even
religious ones," he said. UAE authorities have detained dozens of Lebanese,
mostly Shiites, in the past over alleged links to Iran-backed Hezbollah. The UAE,
like other Gulf Cooperation Council members, considers Hezbollah a "terrorist
organization." In 2019, the UAE sentenced one Lebanese national to life in
prison and two to ten years in prison on charges of links to Hezbollah. Amnesty
International said in a statement at the time the trial of the men "failed to
meet international fair trial standards," as the evidence included confessions
that were "extracted under duress, and the defendants were detained
incommunicado for months and denied access to lawyers during interrogation and
investigation." Watling said Amnesty is concerned about the lack of transparency
regarding Ezzedine's case and the linked detentions. "If it is found that his
death was indeed unlawful, they must ensure that all those suspected of torture
and unlawful killing, including those with command responsibility, are held
accountable," she said.
Hadi Hobeich to LBCI: We haven't made a decision yet to
elect anyone for presidency
LBCI/May 13/2023
The Secretary-General of the National Moderation Bloc and former MP clarified
that "there is no doubt that the head of the Marada Movement, Sleiman Frangieh,
is a friend of most members of the bloc, but we haven't made a decision yet to
elect anyone for the presidency, emphasizing that the process of electing the
president can only proceed through consensus."On LBCI's "Nharkom Said" TV show,
Hobeich emphasized that "what distinguishes the National Moderation Bloc from
all political blocs is that its members have declared from the beginning that
they will not boycott any session to elect a president." "I support Speaker
Nabih Berri calling for sessions to elect the president on a daily basis, and no
one should boycott these sessions," he stressed.
Here are Jumblatt's rules: On Frangieh and others alike
LBCI/May 13/2023
No matter the justifications presented by the leader of the Marada Movement,
Sleiman Frangieh, to explain the circumstances of his visit to Saudi Ambassador
Walid Bukhari, it will be difficult for him to convince the Christian public of
the importance of those justifications, especially since the Saudi ambassador
has shown and will continue to show his readiness to meet a wide range of
official, except in the case of the "prominent" candidate for the presidency.
The latter decided to visit instead of being visited. Indeed, his step will be
hard to analyze.
**This article was originally published in and translated from Lebanese
newspaper Nidaa al-Watan.
Supreme Islamic Council addresses the urgency to elect a
president
LBCI/May 13/2023
The political developments in Lebanon and the region were discussed during the
meeting of the Supreme Islamic Council, chaired by Mufti Sheikh Abdul Latif
Derian. The attendees urged MPs to bear their responsibilities and elect a
President for the Republic as soon as possible. "When will the politicians in
Lebanon change what is within themselves and all make concessions for the sake
of the country and its institutions?" they asked. The issue of displacement was
also addressed during the meeting.
Sanctions loom over obstruction of Lebanese presidential
elections
LBCI/May 13/2023
In the past two weeks, Saudi Ambassador Walid Al-Bukhari withheld the roles of
the 'godmothers' of the presidential file, the US ambassador, Dorothy Shea, and
the French ambassador, Anne Grillo.
Saudi ambassador confirms non-interference in Lebanon's presidential elections
Just like the two ambassadors in previous months, whether they acted or remained
silent, Bukhari has also become a part of this. If he kept quiet, his silence
was viewed with suspicion and interpreted in various ways.
Similarly, the same scenario unfolds if his government requests him or he
returns to the country.
In recent days, the presidential elections have revolved around him. Sometimes
he becomes an obstacle in conducting the election, while other times, he is seen
as rushing it.
Speculations have increased surrounding his actions, whether he receives someone
or refrains from meeting someone else, with interpretations ranging from
positive to opposing political stances.
Bukhari inherited his role from Shea and Grillo without expecting anyone else to
inherit their roles.
Ultimately, the Saudi ambassador currently stands alone or enjoys the support of
the Americans, who are the actual makers of the next president, without
endorsing or opposing any candidate.
Regarding Bukhari's recent meetings, before and after his Thursday meeting with
the leader of the Marada Movement, Sleiman Frangieh, the following information
was deduced:
1- Bukhari is urging the election of a new president as soon as possible, or
sanctions will be imposed on those responsible for obstructing the election. He
did not disclose which countries would resort to sanctions, simply stating that
they are international. The International Monetary Fund may also exert similar
pressures. Additionally, Lebanese officials have received information indicating
that IMF has decided to be the sole and mandatory conduit for anything entering
Lebanon. It is also expected that the IMF tone will become more assertive
starting from the beginning of next month in an unprecedented manner.
2- Lebanese parties have two options: reaching a consensus on one presidential
candidate, which is the better choice to avoid further divisions, or going to
the Parliament with two competing candidates seeking the votes of MPs to win.
Bukhari stated that the Kingdom has no problem with the eventual winner as long
as the election is constitutional and democratic. Regardless of the next
president, he will not be an adversary or an enemy of the Kingdom. The Kingdom
has no enemies or opponents in Lebanon, and it is open to all parties.
So it is a positive signal regarding Frangieh if he becomes president, advancing
beyond what was previously said that the Kingdom had vetoed his election and
prevented its allied deputies from voting for him.
After the meeting between the two men on Thursday and the ambassador's repeated
confirmation that there is no Saudi veto on any candidate, the importance of his
new position and its progression in a week since his visit to Bkerke on May 3rd
became clear. It went from saying there is no veto on anyone to showing
readiness to cooperate with the elected president, whoever he/ she may be.
3- Lebanese should return to the Arab embrace by rebuilding their ties with the
Arab world. Bukhari tackled the positives and the next phase by discussing ways
Lebanon can cooperate with its neighbors like Iraq and Syria. He also praised
the Shia community and anticipated that Lebanon would receive assistance for
fulfilling its obligations. However, he also emphasized that the responsibility
lies entirely with the Lebanese, and they should not delay action. He then
revealed the extensive efforts being made to expedite the completion of these
obligations within weeks. Based on his statements, it can be inferred that a
session for electing the president could be held within two weeks at most.
4- He repeatedly urged everyone who visits or meets with them to go to the
Parliament and elect the president and to "avoid obstructing the quorum of the
session."
5- When asked if he sees Frangieh's alliance with Hezbollah as an obstacle, he
answered, "There is no veto on anyone," before adding, "We have no problem about
his relationship with Hezbollah. We are in dialogue with Iran, which is positive
and ongoing."
Bukhari signals international sanctions for those obstructing presidential
elections
In light of recent information, the possibility of a looming presidential
election is being discussed more seriously than ever before.
The information indicates that various international pressures are being exerted
on the Christian factions to agree on a candidate who can proceed to the
election session. Several key developments contribute to this emerging scenario:
1 - Attention to conviction of opposition Christian blocs:
There are indications that opposition Christian blocs are considering the
nomination of Frangieh and the necessity of overcoming their divisions by
accepting a candidate they previously rejected. Insiders have noticed a slight
retreat in the rigid opposition to Frangieh among Christian factions.
Previously, these factions had unanimously rejected attending the session of
their sole candidate, the head of the Marada Movement. However, they now appear
more inclined towards negotiating a candidate to confront Frangieh. This shift
reflects the intensity of the pressures exerted on them.
2 - Potential collaboration between major Christian parties:
The information showed that the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) and the Lebanese
Forces (LF) party might exchange their vetoes to push the ongoing dialogue
toward a consensus candidate with the smaller Christian blocs.
The FPM has abandoned its veto on the Army Commander General Joseph Aoun, while
the LF has withdrawn its veto on former minister Jihad Azour.
Azour's chances seem better than those of the Army Commander, given the latter's
need for constitutional amendments that are not currently available within the
limited remaining time. Furthermore, Speaker Berri has explicitly stated that
there will be no return to what happened in 2008, subjecting the presidential
election to Article 74 of the Constitution. Moreover, the Change MPs that oppose
electing the LAF Commander threaten to challenge the constitutionality of his
election outside the restrictions of Article 49.
3 - Difficulties in reaching a consensual election session:
Attaining a consensus-based presidential election session seems challenging. It
necessitates Frangieh's withdrawal, which appears difficult and seemingly
impossible at present, both for Frangieh himself and Hezbollah and Amal
Movement. However, his chances, at least apparently, have improved after meeting
with Bukhari on Thursday and lifting vetoes in all directions. 4 - Limited
options and Azour as the closest competitor: The possible choices to challenge
Frangieh have been narrowed down to four names. However, Azour seems to be the
closest to being adopted as a competitor to Frangieh in the second round of
voting to win an absolute majority (at least 65 votes). Without an opposing
candidate to Frangieh, the session would lead to his election if the
international sanctions are indeed on their way into the country, as currently
being pursued. The cost of obstruction is expected to be steep in the twelfth
session. As various factors converge, the possibility of a looming presidential
election in Lebanon continues to grow, marking a critical juncture for the
country's political landscape.
Al-Murtada represents Mikati in Book Fair inauguration
NNA/May 13/2023
Minister of Culture, Muhammad Wissam al-Murtada, representing Prime Minister
Najib Mikati, inaugurated the sponsorship of the 49th Annual Book Fair of the
Cultural Association in Tripoli, in the presence of the Minister of Information
Ziad al-Makari and the Mufti of Tripoli and the North Sheikh Muhammad Tarek. In
the opening speech, the minister considered that Tripoli is the oak of Lebanon,
steadfast in the face of the wind and spreading its love in every direction.
Lebanon security sting targets crime gangs,
smuggling networks
Najia Houssari/Arab News/May 13, 2023
BEIRUT: Drug gang and human trafficking ringleaders were arrested in a joint
security operation targeting smuggling hotspots on the Lebanon-Syria border on
Saturday. Large quantities of drugs, weapons and ammunitions were also seized in
the combined Lebanese Army and Intelligence Directorate operation, which struck
several locations in the northern Bekaa Valley simultaneously. Army and security
personnel closed three illegal crossings used by human trafficking gangs and
vehicle smugglers in Fessani, Wadi Al-Turkman, and Zeghrine in the Hermel
district on the northeastern border with Syria.
Military intelligence also raided Syrian refugee camps and houses in Masharih
Al-Qaa, a Lebanese region that overlaps Syrian territory, and arrested two
Syrian nationals wanted in connection with Captagon smuggling and human
trafficking. The two suspects were found with a large quantity of hashish and
Captagon pills, a military source said. Another Syrian national, a member of a
car theft and armed robbery gang, was also arrested. The gang fired on
intelligence directorate personnel two months ago in Brital in the
Baalbek-Hermel region. A Syrian national wanted on a string of weapons and
narcotics charges was also arrested in the raids. In a coordinated ambush in
Hermel, the Lebanese army in cooperation with the intelligence directorate
arrested two Lebanese nationals, one said to be the leader of a human
trafficking gang, while they were smuggling Syrians through illegal mountain
crossings. The raid in Hermel also targeted a kidnapping and drug smuggling gang
operating between Lebanon and Syria, the military source said. Residents of
Masharih Al-Qaa last month complained about criminal activity in the border
area, including illegal crossings by Syrians who carry out thefts, murders and
kidnappings for ransom.
The arrests follow a visit by army chief Gen. Joseph Aoun to the 1st Land Border
Regiment on Lebanon’s northern border with Syria. Aoun warned that terrorists,
as well as arms and drug smugglers, could easily cross uncontrolled borders, and
urged soldiers to be “patient because security cannot be compromised.” The army
chief said: “We are safeguarding the supreme national interest, which for us
remains an absolute priority.” In a speech on Friday night, Hezbollah
Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah suggested that sending a ministerial security
delegation to Damascus would help address the refugee issue.
Lebanon deported about 50 Syrians last month. All had entered Lebanon illegally,
but it is unknown whether they were registered as refugees by the UNHCR. The
deportations continue to spark protests by international institutions. In a
statement, 20 Lebanese and global organizations said on Saturday that the
deportations come amid an alarming surge in anti-refugee rhetoric in Lebanon and
other coercive measures intended to pressure refugees to return to their
countries. The statement was signed by groups such as Amnesty International and
Human Rights Watch. Deportations should be halted and due process respected, it
said. Lebanese authorities had “deliberately mismanaged the country’s economic
crisis, but instead of adopting much-needed reforms, they have instead resorted
to scapegoating refugees for their own failures,” it added. The organizations
said that they “continue to document horrific violations committed against
Syrian returnees, including unlawful or arbitrary detention, torture and other
ill-treatment, rape and sexual violence, and enforced disappearance.”
Nasrallah denies reports linking Hezbollah to Syria drug
dealer
Associated Press/May 13/2023
Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has denounced as "baseless lies" reports
that one of Syria's most well-known drug dealers, who was killed earlier this
week in an airstrike near the Jordanian border, was linked to his group.
Nasrallah's televised speech came four days after the rare strike that some
Syrian opposition activists claimed was carried out by Jordan's air force. The
activists and a war monitor said the amphetamine Captagon kingpin killed Monday
was among the most wanted by Jordanian authorities for drug smuggling across the
border with the backing of a small militia. Syrian activists say Merhi al-Ramthan,
who was killed with his wife and six children, worked closely with militias
linked to Syrian President Bashar Assad and Iran-backed Hezbollah. Western
governments estimate that Captagon has generated billions of dollars in revenue
for Assad, his Syrian associates and allies. Damascus has denied the
accusations. "Had we been making billions of dollars it would have been
noticed," Nasrallah joked about the charges. Speaking about linking al-Ramthan
to Hezbollah, Nasrallah said "these are lies and unjust charges." Nasrallah
added that had it not been for Hezbollah's help, the Lebanese state would not
have been able to carry out raids against drug dealers in Lebanon. Hezbollah
enjoys wide influence in northeast Lebanon, a region that for decades has been a
center of drug production. Monday's strike in southern Syria that killed al-Ramthan
and another that destroyed a factory came a day after Arab governments
reinstated Syria to the Arab League following the country's suspension for its
crackdown on protests that ultimately led to a lengthy civil war. As Arab
governments gradually restore ties with Damascus, one of the key topics of
discussion has been Syria's illicit drug industry, which has flourished during
the ongoing conflict — especially the illegal amphetamine Captagon. "These are
baseless lies. For us Captagon and other types of drugs are religiously
prohibited," said Nasrallah, a Shiite Muslim cleric and major political figure
in Lebanon. Hezbollah sent thousands of fighters to battle alongside Syrian
government forces during the 12-year war, helping tip the balance of power in
Assad's favor.
Foreign Ministry: Ghazi Ezzeddine's family confirmed his
death from a heart attack
NNA/May 13/2023
Caretaker Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants, Abdullah Bou Habib,
contacted Saturday the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates,
Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, after consulting with Parliament Speaker
Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Najib Mikati, to discuss bilateral relations and
the conditions of the Lebanese community residing in the UAE, where the Emirati
minister assured his Lebanese counterpart of the freedom of the family of the
late Lebanese national, Ghazi Ezzeddine, to leave the UAE or stay in it.
It is to note that Lebanon's ambassador to Abu Dhabi, Fouad Dandan, contacted
yesterday the spouse and brother of the late Ezzedine. Dandan received a written
letter signed by the family stating that "the late died of a heart attack and
the funeral and burial service took place in the presence of the family in the
Emirates, according to their wish.”Ambassador Dandan will also visit the family
soon, to offer condolences and find out their needs.
Geagea, UN Resident Coordinator discuss Syrian asylum file
NNA/May 13/2023
Head of the "Lebanese Forces" party, Samir Geagea, met in Maarab with the United
Nations Resident Coordinator in Lebanon, Imran Reda. Conferees discussed
developments on the Lebanese and regional arenas, with Geagea affirming that
Lebanon “has endured a lot in order to save and shelter the Syrian people, but
the situation today is no longer bearable, and we must work together quickly to
organize their return.” Geagea stressed that "Lebanon is a country of transit
and not of asylum, according to an agreement signed with the United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees in 2003," calling on the international community to
build on recent regional developments in order to get Lebanon out of this
escalating crisis, given that the issue has gone beyond the economic or
humanitarian concept or the economic one, especially since the provision of aid
has turned into a sovereign existential problem, and its solution has become a
top priority, to prevent its exacerbation and to preserve the stability of the
country on the one hand and the region on the other.
Derian discusses with Evangelical Church delegation
promotion of Islamic-Christian relations
NNA/May 13/2023
Grand Mufti of the Lebanese Republic, Sheikh Abdul-Latif Derian, received today
a delegation at Dar al-Fatwa including the Archbishop of the Evangelical Church
in the province of Wertenbach in southern Germany and the priest responsible for
developmental and ecumenical relations in the diocese, members of the
evangelical churches present in Lebanon, and a representative of the National
Evangelical Church in Beirut, Dr. Habib Badr, in the presence of the Secretary
General of the National Committee for Islamic-Christian Dialogue, Dr. Muhammad
Al-Sammak. Discussions touched on strengthening Islamic-Christian relations and
coexistence, in addition to general public affairs.
Khodr urges people of Deir Al Ahmar to demonstrate
self-restraint
NNA/May 13/2023
Baalbek-Hermel Governor Bashir Khodr tweeted today: “After the attack on the
cemetery, I call on our people in Deir al-Ahmar to exercise the highest degree
of restraint, and await the results of the investigation. I am following up on
the matter with the security services, and I am confident that they will arrest
the perpetrators.”
Hamieh thanks Iraq for allowing the first Lebanese truck to
cross the transit system, heading to Kuwait
NNA/May 13/2023
Caretaker Minister of Public Works and Transport, Ali Hamieh, indicated that the
first Lebanese truck has crossed today the border with Jordan, and is currently
inside Iraqi territory, heading to its final destination in Kuwait through the
Safwan border crossing, following coordination by the Lebanese embassy this
morning with the Iraqi authorities. Hamieh thanked the Iraqi authorities for
facilitating customs procedures and passport control. According to a statement,
this came after Hamieh’s visit in February 2022 to the Republic of Iraq, and
based on the meetings he held at the time - and in the presence of the Lebanese
ambassador to Iraq - with all concerned Iraqi officials in the Iraqi state.,
whereby discussions tackled all the dossiers that the Ministry of Public Works
and Transport in Lebanon handles, especially allowing the transit system for
Lebanese trucks loaded with goods to pass through Iraqi lands en-route to the
Gulf countries and other countries neighboring Iraq. "Given the utmost
importance this issue poses to Lebanon at the various economic and financial
levels, and after follow-up and continuous contacts with the Iraqi side, the
Iraqi authorities, thanks to a decision of the Iraqi Prime Minister's office,
instructed all concerned parties at the Iraqi borders to permit Lebanese trucks
to access the transit system and pass through Iraqi territory to their final
destination in the other neighboring countries of Iraq,” a statement by the
ministry indicated.
Health Minister, Japanese Ambassador inaugurate solar
energy project in Minnieh Governmental Hospital
NNA/May 13/2023
Caretaker Minister of Public Health, Firas Abiad, inaugurated Saturday the
alternative energy project for the Minnieh Governmental Hospital and the opening
of the "CT-Scan" Center with a grant from Japan and the implementation of the
United Nations Regional Service Center "UNIX", in the presence of the Japanese
Ambassador Magoshi Masayuki, Deputy Ahmed Al-Khair, Head of the Higher Relief
Commission, Major General Muhammad Al-Khair, District Commissioner of
Minnieh-Dinnieh, Jean Al-Khauli, Mayors of Minnieh and neighboring
municipalities, the hospital’s medical staff, and a crowd of activists and
residents of the region. In his inaugural word, Minister Abiad said: “It gives
me great pleasure to stand before you today on this important occasion of the
inauguration of the new renewable solar energy project at this Primary Health
Care Centre,“ pointing out that this project will reduce the energy costs and
allow the transfer of resources towards facilitating patients' access to primary
care, improving the quality of services, and supporting service providers and
workers in health care centers. He added: "The importance of primary health care
programs cannot be overemphasized. It is the second pillar of the National
Health Strategy, which was launched by the Ministry of Public Health two months
ago, and a significant step towards achieving comprehensive health
coverage...This program serves as the basis for providing health services,
especially in the underprivileged regions, and among the neediest segments of
society.”
Abiad went on to underline that “healthcare partnerships are key to optimizing
resource use and improving health outcomes,” expressing deep appreciation to
UNICEF, one of his ministry’s main partners, for the support provided over the
years. “This project is a testament to the strength of partnership and
cooperation between Lebanon and UNICEF in the field of health care. This project
is an important step towards better care, and a reminder that health care is a
basic human right,” he said. “As we inaugurate this project, let us pledge our
commitment to better care for our people and patients without any
discrimination, and that the Ministry of Public Health will continue to strive
to provide patients with better health services and costs that do not burden the
most vulnerable classes,” promised Abiad. Following the Health Minister’s word,
honorary shields were distributed to the Japanese ambassador and the
representative of the United Nations as a token of appreciation for the
contributions of the Japanese government and the United Nations in the
implementation of this project.
FPM denounces Bar Association's permission to prosecute Attorney Wadih Akl: We
will not rest until all those who contributed to Lebanese people's...
NNA/May 13/2023
In an issued statement by the Free Patriotic Movement this afternoon, it
denounced "what was issued by the Council of the Bar Association in Beirut on
giving permission to prosecute Attorney Wadih Akl, based on a lawsuit filed
against him by Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, for crimes of defamation
and provoking sectarian strife.""Everyone knows that this lawyer has rounds over
dossiers suspected of corruption, including, for instance, those related to the
Council for Development and Reconstruction, Intra Bank, the Middle East
Airlines, Al-Nafaa, Casino du Liban, and others...,” the statement said.
“Attorney Akl assumed the tasks of prosecuting the corrupt, whether in Lebanon
or abroad, and he had a key role in moving the foreign judiciary that is
conducting its investigations today with the Governor of the Banque du Liban and
his system...It is no secret that moving the criminal lawsuit submitted by Mr.
Mikati aims to intimidate and limit the movement and enthusiasm of Attorney Akl
and those who stand beside him or those who wish or have the intention to follow
his path in combating corruption and confronting the corrupt, whether political
or non-political,” then statement went on. It added: “The Bar Association is the
main protector of public freedoms and the source of immunity for every lawyer
who performs the duty to defend his clients, so how about if the client is the
Lebanese people whose money was stolen by these corrupt individuals?” The
statement stressed that the Free Patriotic Movement rejects the Bar
Association’s decision and insists on continuing its path in combating
corruption, no matter how heavy the sacrifices, assuring that Mikati's lawsuit
will have no impact on it while declaring support to Attorney Akl through all
available judicial procedures to challenge the decision of the Bar, according to
the rules, before the concerned judicial authority. The Movement also called on
anyone wishing to join its anti-corruption campaign “to keep pace with its steps
aimed at following up on all files, foremost of which being the Beirut port
explosion dossier.”The statement concluded by affirming that "the Free Patriotic
Movement will not rest until all those who contributed to the impoverishment of
the great Lebanese people are punished."
Daou: Together we will endeavor to complete the path of
change
NNA/May 13/2023
MP Mark Daou wrote today on Twitter: "A political meeting, a year after the
parliamentary elections, for parties, groups, and a number of figures and faces
of change from all Lebanese regions, including Progress, Red Line, National
Bloc, Change Movement in the South, North-Third District, Rise Up for
Sovereignty...We evaluated the successes and failures during the past year, and
called upon each other to coordinate work and all efforts to approach the main
political battles in the future by having established a prelude on which to
build further...We will confront together so as to complete the path of change.”
May 16: The Stranglehold Around Salameh’s Neck
Tightens
Hanna Saleh/Asharq Al Awsat/May 14/2023
May 16 is just a few days away. In just a few days, Central Bank Governor Riad
Salameh is scheduled to appear before the French judge Aude Buresi in Paris as
part of the investigation into corruption and money laundering charges. Many
questions about the great Lebanese theft could be answered that day. Whatever we
should expect, the implications are already being felt in Beirut. Mikati has
called for the question of the governorship to be settled by the government, and
Nabih Berri was quoted as saying that “the imminent juncture is appointing a
Central Bank Governor.”
They are preparing to turn a dangerous page opened by the foreign investigators,
after ignoring the charges of embezzlement made by “Case Authority” in the
Ministry of Justice, as well as its request that the property of Riad Salameh,
his brother Raja and his assistant al-Hoayek be seized and that he be arrested
and referred to the Criminal Court.
Judge Bourisi surprised Salameh by summoning himself on March 16, as soon as he
finished questioning him in Beirut. Over two days, Salameh was bombarded with
about 200 questions about $330 million worth of financial transfers via the
offshore company Forry Associates, which is registered in the British Virgin
Islands. Bourisi’s aim is to establish how the transfers ended up in his
accounts and identify the bankers in Europe who facilitated these financial
crimes.
For his part, Salameh certainly never considered the possibility that these
crimes would be exposed, as he showered the Lebanese with lectures about his
integrity and the awards he has won!
Salameh’s backers, politicians and beneficiaries, have been holding their breath
since being informed of the request that secrecy be lifted from the accounts
with links to the charges against the Central Bank Governor, as the information
about transfers could expose many of them! Indeed, it has been reported that the
investigators will probably surprise Salameh with the trove of information at
their disposal thanks to Marwan Kheireddine, the head of Al-Mawarid Bank, and
others...
There are rumors of a Forry 2 that played a role in dubious financial operations
totaling around $8 billion through Optimum Invest. Thus, Salameh’s defenders
have already begun anticipating the best case scenario, providing pretexts to
justify Salameh not showing up for questioning. They are trying to find ways to
bide their time, but they know that no matter what happens, the charges are not
going anywhere!
In fact, several sources have stressed that we should know what to expect. If
Salameh chooses not to show up, the investigation will be concluded, and an
arrest warrant will be issued against him in absentia and sent to Interpol. If
he does go, he will be charged, an arrest warrant will be filed against him, and
he will go to trial. His legal team is thus seeking a settlement. As with
Kheireddine, however, it would come at a steep price. The lawyers are looking to
buy time and gauge the price that must be paid to mitigate his punishment after
the charges are substantiated!
Meanwhile, nothing worries the people, who have been left to deal with the
arrogant mafia alone, more than the fact that the Lebanese judiciary is hesitant
to play the role demanded of it. It is neither acceptable nor comprehensible for
the judiciary to refrain from addressing these charges seriously and
responsibly, bearing in mind that the European investigators are building their
case on that opened by the Lebanese Judge Jean Tannous over a year ago. The
latter’s investigation was impeded by political interference, with the prime
minister threatening to resign if the case was not closed, and the prime
minister got what he wanted!
There are certainly many dimensions to the prosecution and trial of Salameh on
charges of corruption and money laundering. The case will have implications for
the alliance of politicians, bankers, and militias. The entire alliance is now
trial. Indeed, for decades, Salameh was the monetary wing of the ruling clique
that divided state revenues among its members and seized the deposits of
citizens, who went from being affluent to being poor in the blink of an eye!
Throughout this process, Salameh engineered the policies that allowed this to
happen. His role turned him into a model of success and a pivotal figure who
gave lectures on integrity, and it rendered him a candidate for the presidency
of the republic whenever a term ended!
Dr. Ghassan Ayyash (former Deputy Central Bank Governor) claims that those who
brought Riad Salameh to the governorship 30 years ago tasked him with pegging
the exchange rate and paying the balance of payments deficit, leaving the rest
to him!
They put the Code of Money and Credit to one side from the beginning. Instead of
the treasury taking care of the balance of payments deficit, subsidy policies,
and pegging the exchange rate, these tasks were entrusted to the Central Bank
Governor who had come from Merrill Lynch. He brought his bearer of secrets, Raja
Bouaasli, with him. Raja has told the investigators everything he knows. The
number of prominent positions he occupied is remarkable. He chairs the Higher
Banking Commission, the Special Investigation Commission, and the BDL Central
Council, as well as having the authority to regulate banks and presiding over
the oversight committee.
Salameh was never held accountable. He rarely complied with Parliament’s
requests to discuss monetary and financial matters, subsidies, debt, and
interest rates, all of which are pivotal issues he decides that bear heavily on
the standard of living of the Lebanese, Lebanon’s finances, and the economy.
Salameh was behind the most prominent fraudulent claim to the Lebanese: The lira
is fine. It was not fine for a single day of Salameh’s tenure!
His questioning in Paris will almost certainly turn the page on 30 years of Riad
Salameh controlling monetary policy in Lebanon. A rare consensus among the
entire political class has emerged on this matter. Will his crimes reawaken the
judiciary and push it to finish what the European investigations have started,
demonstrating where the looted funds have gone and who is responsible? The
Lebanese are right to demand a Governor who is not part of the clique, so he can
expose the plunder facilitated by the Central Bank... Could such a dream come
true?!
Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And
News published on May 13-14/2023
Pope Francis Warns Pets Must Not Replace Children in Italy
Reuters/May 13/2023
Starting a family in Italy is becoming a "titanic effort" that only the rich can
afford, Pope Francis has warned. Addressing a conference on Italy's demographic
crisis, he said pets were replacing children in many households. Also on stage
were dozens of young people, wearing t-shirts saying "we can do this" - alluding
to convincing people to have more children. Italy has one of the lowest
fertility rates in the EU and births dropped below 400,000 last year - a new
low. In his speech in Rome, the Pope said the declining birth rate signalled a
lack of hope in the future, with younger generations weighed down by a sense of
uncertainty, fragility and precariousness. "Difficulty in finding a stable job,
sky-high rents and insufficient wages are real problems," he said. Warning that
pets were replacing children in some households, the Pope recounted how a woman
had opened her bag and asked him to "bless her baby". Except it was not a baby,
but a small dog. "I lost my patience and told her off: there are many children
who are hungry, and you bring me a dog?" he added, triggering a round of
applause from the crowd.
Birth rates are slowing in many places - such as Japan, South Korea, Puerto Rico
and Portugal. But a shrinking population is a major worry for Italy - the
third-largest country in the eurozone. The country could lose almost a fifth of
its residents by 2050. At the same time, the population is ageing quickly - the
number of centenarians in Italy has tripled over the last 20 years. Italy is
often dubbed "The country of empty cribs". Even Elon Musk tweeted last month:
"Italy is disappearing!" Experts warn the population crisis will lead to the
impoverishment of the nation. Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti said that by
2042, Italy's declining birthrate would end up reducing its gross domestic
product (GDP) by 18%. There are many reasons why women in Italy are having fewer
babies. Young people struggle to find stable jobs and the childcare support
system is often inadequate, which makes it hard for mothers to juggle work and
family life. Six out of 10 mothers don't have access to nurseries, according to
the charity Save the Children. Many pregnant women are forced to resign, and
some get sacked when they get pregnant. Italy's plummeting birth rate "is a
national emergency" said Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who was speaking
alongside Pope Francis. The image of the two leaders - both dressed in white
head to toe - speaking together was very symbolic in Italy, as to show that the
issue is so urgent, that it goes beyond politics or religion. "Fixing the
problem is an absolute priority. We want Italy to go back to having a bright
future," she said. Mrs Meloni, who won the largest share of the women's vote in
September elections but does not consider herself a feminist, has made mothers
and families a central part of her discourse. She has created an ad hoc ministry
to address the issue of declining birth rates and her government has hinted at
encouraging people to have children by exempting them from paying income tax.
Pope Francis called for politicians to find "forward-looking solutions to avoid
Italy degenerating into sadness". At the end of his speech, several pregnant
women queued on stage to have him touch their belly and give them a blessing.
Shortly after, a flock of children encircled the Pontiff in a group hug -
something likely to have been orchestrated by the organisers of the event. ---
Reuters
Pope Francis Meets with Ukraine’s President at
the Vatican
News Agencies/May 14/2023
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held talks with Pope Francis at the
Vatican on Saturday, saying it was a great honor to meet with the pontiff, who
has previously offered to do what he can to try to end the war launched by
Russia's invasion of Ukraine a year ago. Zelenskyy held his hand of his heart as
the pope, using a cane, came to greet him before ushering the Ukrainian into a
papal studio near the Vatican's audience call. "Thank you for your visit,''
Francis said, as their 40-minute-long meeting began. In a written statement, the
Vatican said the two men spoke about Ukraine's "humanitarian and political
situation provoked by the war going on.'' "The pope assured his constant prayer,
paid witness to by his many public appeals and by his continued invoking of the
Lord for peace, since February of last year,'' the Vatican said, a reference to
the invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, by Russia's military. “Both agreed on
the need to continue humanitarian efforts” to help the population. “The pope
underlined in particular the urgent need for ‘humanitarian gestures’ toward the
most fragile persons, innocent victims of the conflict," the statement said.
Last month, Ukraine’s prime minister, Denys Shmyhal, met with Francis at the
Vatican and said he asked the pontiff to help Ukraine get back children
illegally taken to Russia during the invasion. Saturday's communique from the
Vatican made no mention of that, and there were no immediate details from
Zelenskyy's side about his meeting with the pontiff. Ahead of Zelenskyy's
arrival in late afternoon, police moved tourists to one side of St. Peter's
Square so the Ukrainian president's motorcade could speed across the vast
cobblestone space. Earlier in the day, Zelenskyy met with Italian officials
after his morning flight to Rome. He received pledges of both open-ended
military and financial support as well as stronger backing for Ukraine's
cherished aim to join the European Union. “The message is clear and simple,”
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said, flanked by Zelenskyy as the two briefed
reporters after their meeting at her office, which lasted more than an hour.
"The future of Ukraine is a future of peace and freedom. And it's the future of
Europe, a future of peace and freedom, for which there are no other possible
solutions.''Meloni, who had met with Zelenskyy in Ukraine in February, just
ahead of the anniversary of the invasion, renewed her pledge to champion
Ukraine's EU ambitions, saying Ukraine was moving ahead with required reforms
despite the war. According to The Associated Press, the premier, who staunchly
backs military aid for Ukraine, said Italy would back the country “360 degrees
for all the time necessary and beyond.”Zelenskyy began his official meetings by
calling on Italian President Sergio Mattarella at the presidential Quirinale
Palace. “We are fully at your side,″ Mattarella told Zelenskyy as he welcomed
him. Later, after their meeting, presidential palace sources said Mattarella
assured his guest that Italy would continue supporting Ukraine militarily and
financially, as well as with reconstruction and humanitarian aid, in both the
short and long term. Since the war began, Italy has furnished about 1 billion
euros ($1.1 billion) in military and financial aid, as well as humanitarian
assistance. Zelenskyy is heading to Berlin next for what would be his first
visit to Germany since the war began.
Israel and Islamic Jihad agree Gaza truce
Reuters/May 13, 2023
GAZA: Israel and the militant Islamic Jihad movement in Gaza have agreed a truce
that will go into effect at 10 p.m. (1900 GMT), Palestinian officials said,
signalling an end to the worst episode of cross-border fire since a 10-day war
in 2021. Egypt, which brokered the ceasefire, called on all sides to adhere to
the agreement, Egypt’s Al-Qahera News television channel reported. “In the light
of the agreement of the Palestinian and the Israeli side, Egypt announces a
cease-fire between the Palestinian and the Israeli side has been reached,” a
text of the agreement seen by Reuters read, and added the truce would begin at
10 p.m. “The two sides will abide by the cease-fire which will include an end to
targeting civilians, house demolition, an end to targeting individuals
immediately when the cease-fire goes into effect,” it said. There was no
immediate confirmation from Israeli officials. Even as the truce was being
finalized, the two sides kept up firing, with warning sirens sounding in
southern Israel and Israel’s military announcing it had hit six operational
command posts of Islamic Jihad. Israel launched the latest round of airstrikes
in the early hours of Tuesday, announcing that it was targeting Islamic Jihad
commanders who had planned attacks in Israel. In response, the Iranian-backed
group fired hundreds of rockets, sending one and a half million Israelis into
air raid shelters. During the five days of the campaign, Israel killed six
senior Islamic Jihad commanders and destroyed a number of military installations
but the airstrikes also killed at least 10 civilians, including women and
children.
Israel-Gaza fighting continues as 2 Palestinians killed in
West Bank raid
Associated Press/May 13/2023
Israel and Palestinian militants unleashed salvos of fire for a fourth day on
Saturday, with the Islamic Jihad militant group launching rockets and the
Israeli military pounding targets inside the Gaza Strip. There were no immediate
reports of casualties in Gaza or Israel on Saturday. But in a reminder of the
combustible situation in the occupied West Bank, the Israeli military raided the
Balata refugee camp in the northern city of Nablus, killing two Palestinians.
The Palestinian Health Ministry identified the two as 32-year-old Said Mesha and
19-year-old Adnan Araj. At least three other Palestinians were wounded in the
raid, the latest of near-daily Israeli arrest operations against suspected
militants in the territory. Meanwhile, hopes for an imminent cease-fire between
Israel and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad were fading as the Israeli military
early Saturday bombed an apartment belonging to Islamic Jihad commander Mohammed
Abu Al Atta, among other buildings in densely populated neighborhoods. Islamic
Jihad militants fired a barrage of rockets toward southern Israel, where
millions of Israelis were instructed to remain close to safe rooms and bomb
shelters.
Israeli officials told media that Egyptian-led efforts to broker a cease-fire
were still underway but that Israel has ruled out the conditions presented by
Islamic Jihad in the talks. Israel has said only that quiet will be answered
with quiet, while Islamic Jihad has been reportedly pressing Israel to agree to
halt targeted assassinations, among other demands. If the rocket fire continues
from Gaza, Israeli officials told local media, "the strikes (on Gaza) will
continue and intensify." The hostilities erupted on Tuesday when Israel targeted
and killed three senior Islamic Jihad commanders who it said were responsible
for firing rockets toward Israel last week. At least 10 civilians, including
women, young children and uninvolved neighbors were killed in those initial
strikes, which drew regional condemnation. Over the past few days, Israel has
conducted even more airstrikes, killing other senior Islamic Jihad commanders
and destroying their command centers and rocket-launching sites. On Friday,
Israel killed Iyad al-Hassani, an Islamic Jihad commander who had replaced a
leader of the group's military operations killed in a Tuesday airstrike. The
Palestinian Health Ministry has reported 33 Palestinians killed — six of them
children — and over 147 wounded. Islamic Jihad has retaliated by firing rockets
toward southern and central Israel. On Friday, the group escalated its assaults
and fired rockets toward Jerusalem, setting off air raid sirens in the Israeli
settlements south of the contested capital. Most of the rockets have fallen
short or been intercepted by Israel's Iron Dome aerial defense system. But one
on Thursday penetrated missile defenses and sliced through a house in the
central city of Rehovot, killing an 80-year-old woman and wounding several
others. Hamas, the larger militant group that has controlled Gaza since seizing
power in 2007, has praised Islamic Jihad's strikes but remained on the
sidelines, according to Israeli military officials, limiting the scope of the
conflict. As the de facto government held responsible for the abysmal conditions
in the blockaded Gaza Strip, Hamas has recently tried to keep a lid on its
conflict with Israel. Islamic Jihad has taken the lead in the past few rounds of
fighting with Israel. On Saturday, the deadly Israeli raid into the Balata
refugee camp turned the focus of the conflict back to the long-simmering West
Bank. Residents said that Israeli forces used shoulder-fired rockets to besiege
a militant hideout, sharing footage of a large explosion and smoke billowing
from the crowded camp. The two Palestinians killed were not the target of the
arrest raid, witnesses said, but among the crowds of protesters throwing stones
and explosives at Israeli troops. The Israeli military had no immediate comment.
Israeli-Palestinian fighting has surged in the West Bank under Israel's most
right-wing government in history. Since the start of the year, 111 Palestinians
have been killed in the occupied territory, at least half of them affiliated
with militant groups, according to a tally by The Associated Press — the highest
death toll in some two decades. In that time, 20 people have been killed in
Palestinian attacks on Israelis.
Germany unveils 2.7 billion euro weapons package for
Ukraine
Agence France Presse/May 13/2023
Germany is preparing a new weapons package for Ukraine worth 2.7 billion euros,
reportedly Berlin's largest since Russia invaded last year, the defense ministry
said Saturday. "We all hope for a rapid end to this terrible war by Russia
against the Ukrainian people, but unfortunately this is not in sight," Defense
Minister Boris Pistorius said in a statement. "This is why Germany will supply
all the help that it can, for as long as necessary," he said. The package, worth
$3 billion, will include 30 additional Leopard-1 tanks, Marder armoured
vehicles, air-defence systems and surveillance drones, the ministry said.
Der Spiegel magazine said it would be Germany's largest since the outbreak of
the war. It comes as Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to travel
to Rome on Saturday for talks with political leaders, which could be followed by
a trip to Berlin. German officials have not confirmed the visit, but Berlin
police have opened an inquiry after details of a possible trip attributed to the
force appeared in the media. Western allies have delivered increasingly powerful
weapons to Kyiv since Russia sent its forces into Ukraine in February 2022,
though so far not the advanced fighter jets that Zelensky has requested.
Germany last year provided military support worth two billion euros and had
earmarked 2.2 billion euros for this year, though details had not yet been
finalised. Berlin has also promised to supply its more advanced Leopard-2 tanks,
and has begun training Ukrainian soldiers on their use.
Blasts rock Khartoum as warring sides affirm humanitarian
pledge
AFP/May 13, 2023
KHARTOUM: Airstrikes pummeled Khartoum on Saturday, with representatives of
Sudan’s warring factions meeting in Saudi Arabia for talks to prevent a
“humanitarian catastrophe” as the fighting entered a fifth week. A witness in
west Khartoum reported army airstrikes on paramilitary forces, as brutal urban
warfare continued in Sudan’s densely-populated capital. More than 750 people
have been killed and hundreds of thousands displaced since fighting erupted on
April 15 between army chief Gen. Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan and his deputy turned
rival Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, who commands the paramilitary Rapid Support
Forces. Over half a million people have fled Khartoum alone, according to the
UN, with hospitals there having been shelled and rampant looting reported as
residents suffer under chronic shortages of food, electricity and medicine.
BACKGROUND
Sudan has appealed to the international community, including the UN, the African
Union, and other regional organizations, ‘to provide humanitarian assistance,’ a
Foreign Ministry statement said. Representatives of both generals have been in
the Saudi city of Jeddah for a week, for talks intended “to protect Sudan from
any escalation that will lead to a humanitarian catastrophe,” a Saudi diplomat
said. The diplomat also said Gen. Al-Burhan had been invited to attend the Arab
League summit planned to take place in Jeddah on May 19 but it was unclear who
would be representing Sudan. “We didn’t receive the name of the delegations, but
we’re really expecting Sudan will be present in the Arab summit,” the diplomat
said. Envoys in Jeddah agreed on Thursday to “affirm our commitment to ensure
that civilians are protected.” However the deal, dubbed the Jeddah Declaration,
did not amount to a truce and the situation on the ground appeared unchanged as
battles raged throughout the week of negotiations and into Saturday. In the
capital’s twin city of Omdurman, “houses are shaking from the force of
explosions,” a witness said on Saturday, reporting “clashes using all kinds of
weapons.” Thursday’s deal commits both sides to let in badly needed humanitarian
assistance and also calls for the restoration of electricity, water and other
basic services. Sudan launched on Saturday a call to the international
community, including the UN, the African Union, and other regional
organizations, “to provide humanitarian assistance,” a Foreign Ministry
statement said. The government committed to “dedicating the port and airports of
Port Sudan” on the Red Sea, Dongola airport in the country’s north and Wadi
Seidna air base near the capital “to receive aid.” Civilians and aid groups have
repeatedly pleaded for humanitarian corridors to secure vital assistance, as aid
agencies have been systematically looted and at least 18 humanitarian workers
killed. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed hopes the Jeddah deal
would “ensure that the relief operation can scale up swiftly and safely to meet
the needs of millions of people in Sudan,” where a third of the population
relied on aid even before the current conflict. Guterres also reiterated “his
call for an immediate ceasefire and expanded discussions to achieve a permanent
cessation of hostilities” in a Friday statement. An RSF statement on Friday said
the group had signed the Jeddah agreement despite their “full knowledge” that
the army “will not heed the suffering of our people.”Hopes for a ceasefire
remain dim after multiple truces were violated in past weeks. US officials have
described the talks as difficult, with one saying the two sides were “quite far
apart.”But the Saudi diplomat said there had been “a positive response” and
there was “a good spirit from the two parties.” For Aly Verjee, Sudan researcher
at Sweden’s University of Gothenburg, “it is not surprising that the Jeddah
Declaration is weak.”“Initial agreements usually are,” he said. ““The mediators
are still in the public honeymoon phase ... this explains the claims of
optimism, even when there is little evidence to justify such views.”On the
ground, both sides have continued to trade gunfire and accusations, each blaming
the other for attacking infrastructure and civilians. “We keep hearing that
there will be a truce, but then you go out in the street and there are bullets
everywhere,” Sudanese citizen Wahag Gafar said after a grueling journey to the
border with Egypt, where over 60,000 have fled the fighting. Almost 200,000
people have escaped Sudan, in addition to hundreds of thousands who have been
displaced inside the country, the UN said Friday.
The exodus has seen Sudanese rush to neighboring Chad, South Sudan and Ethiopia,
where the UN refugee agency warned that its operations were “already
significantly underfunded.”
Sudan’s army and RSF to resume talks on Sunday
Reuters/May 13, 2023
KHARTOUM: Sudan’s warring army and Rapid Support Forces paramilitary will resume
talks on Sunday as air strikes and heavy fighting raged overnight around
Khartoum despite an agreement to protect civilians. Saudi Arabia, which has been
hosting the talks aimed at securing a cease-fire deal, has also invited army
chief Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan to Friday’s Arab League summit in Jeddah, a
diplomat told Reuters. The conflict that broke out suddenly a month ago has
killed hundreds, sent more than 200,000 people into neighboring states,
displaced another 700,000 inside the country and risks drawing in outside powers
and destabilising the region. Despite Burhan’s invitation to the Jeddah summit,
he is not expected to leave Sudan for security reasons. Burhan was invited
because he is head of Sudan’s Sovereign Council that was meant to be overseeing
a planned transition to civilian rule before the conflict erupted, the Saudi
diplomat said. His rival RSF chief Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, is
deputy head of the council. “We haven’t yet received the names of the
delegation, but we are expecting Sudan to be represented in the summit,” the
Saudi diplomat said. The two sides agreed on Thursday to a “declaration of
principles” to protect civilians and allow humanitarian access, but there has
been no let up in the fighting, with clashes and strikes ringing around Khartoum
and neighboring areas. In the resumed talks in Jeddah, the sides will start by
discussing mechanisms to implement Thursday’s agreement including plans for aid
delivery, safe corridors and the removal of forces from civilian areas. Talks
would then move onto ways to end the conflict, eventually paving the way for a
civilian government. “The nature of the conflict affects the dialogue. Yet I
found a very good spirit from both sides,” the Saudi diplomat said. In public
neither side has shown any sign it is willing to compromise and they battled
through previous truces. Although the RSF has promised to uphold Thursday’s
agreement, the army has not yet commented on it. Neither side seems able to
secure a quick victory, with the RSF dug into residential districts throughout
the capital and the army able to call on air power.
UN refugee agency: 200,000 have fled Sudan
Reuters/May 13/2023
Some 200,000 people have fled from Sudan to neighbouring countries since
violence erupted last month, a spokesperson for the U.N. refugee agency said on
Friday, including many malnourished children arriving in Chad. Some 60,000 have
arrived through the desert to Chad, including about 30,000 in the past few days,
U.N. refugee agency (UNHCR) spokesperson Olga Sarrado told a Geneva press
briefing. Nearly 90% of the new arrivals are women and children, she said, and
one fifth of the young children are malnourished. "UNHCR calls for immediate
financial support for all actors involved in the response to avoid a
humanitarian catastrophe, prevent tensions over strained resources and support
those forcibly in a dignified manner," she said. "Support from the private
sector has been slow compared to other emergencies, despite the urgency and
severity of the crisis," she added, saying a new appeal was expected after the
agency called for $445 million last week. At the same briefing, a spokesperson
from the U.N. children's agency said that a factory in Sudan's capital,
Khartoum, producing food for malnourished children had burnt down. "This is the
darkest, most distinct illustration to date of how this conflict threatens the
lives of children through multiple means," said UNICEF spokeperson James Elder.
He did not know whether the factory, which produces 60% of the ready-made food
cartons in Sudan, was deliberately torched. --- Reuters
China and Russia are increasing their military
collaboration, Japan’s foreign minister warns
LBCI/May 13/2023
Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi expressed concern Saturday about
Russian and Chinese military cooperation in Asia and said the security situation
in Europe and the Indo-Pacific region was indivisible since Moscow’s full-scale
invasion of Ukraine. Speaking at a meeting of European and Indo-Pacific foreign
ministers in Sweden, Hayashi said Russia’s war in Ukraine had “shaken the very
foundation of the international order” and must face a united response by the
international community. “Otherwise, similar challenges will arise in other
regions and the existing order which has underpinned our peace and prosperity
could be fundamentally overturned,” Hayashi said. Japan firmly backs Ukraine in
the war but China says it remains neutral while declaring a “no limits”
relationship with Moscow and blaming the US and NATO for provoking the conflict.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida visited the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, in
March at the same time as Chinese President Xi Jinping met Russian counterpart
Vladimir Putin in Moscow. Hayashi accused Beijing of “continuing and
intensifying its unilateral attempts” to change the status quo in the East and
South China seas by force and increasing its military activities around Taiwan.
“In addition, China and Russia are strengthening their military collaboration,
including joint flights of their bombers and joint naval exercises in the
vicinity of Japan,” Hayahshi said. China, which claims most of the South China
Sea as well as Japanese-held islands in the East China Sea, says it has the
right to defend its sovereignty and development interests. Hayashi also warned
that North Korea was “escalating provocations” in the region by conducting
ballistic missile launches “with a frequency and in a manner that are
unprecedented.”He joined dozens of ministers from the European Union and the
Indo-Pacific region for the meeting just north of the Swedish capital. China was
not invited to the talks. “Since the aggression of Russia to Ukraine, the
security situation here in Europe and the security situation in the Pacific are
not separable. So this is very important and this is very meaningful that the
European ministers and also the ministers from the Pacific area are jointly
discussing about those issues here in Stockholm,” Hayashi told reporters as he
arrived. Pakistani Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar said the whole world was
affected by the war in Ukraine, adding to global challenges such as climate
change and the COVID-19 pandemic. “We all try and address it in our own
different ways,” she said. “I think a lesson a country like Pakistan has learned
is that percolation of conflict is never the answer; that we want an end to
hostilities, an end to conflict, so people can go back to building lives rather
than destroying more lives.”
Biden says US debt ceiling talks are moving along
Reuters/May 13/2023
President Joe Biden said on Saturday that talks with Congress on raising the US
government's debt limit were moving along and more will be known about their
progress in the next two days. "I think they are moving along, hard to tell. We
have not reached the crunch point yet," Biden told reporters at Joint Base
Andrews. "We'll know more in the next two days," he said. Biden is expected to
meet with Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and other congressional
leaders early next week to resume negotiations. The leaders had canceled a
planned meeting on Friday to let staff continue discussions. Aides for Biden and
McCarthy have started to discuss ways to limit federal spending as talks on
raising the government's $31.4 trillion debt ceiling to avoid a catastrophic
default creep forward, Reuters has reported.
The Treasury Department says it could run out of money by June 1 unless
lawmakers lift the nation's debt ceiling.
Egypt implements second largest project in its history to
save the country
NNA/May 13/2023
Egypt is implementing huge projects in the field of agricultural development to
increase the agricultural area and expand productivity to save the country from
a shortage of strategic crops, according to "Russia Today".
The project aims to add about 230,000 acres to the agricultural area, which is
completely irrigated from the waters of the underground reservoir in the region,
where the project applies the method of clean farming, with the aim of providing
agricultural produce free of pollutants to be exported abroad, and the number of
companies for which land is allocated in the region is 16, all of which have
started implementation.
European Countries Pressure the US to Revive
Nuclear Deal
Washington : Elie Youssef/Asharq Al Awsat/May 14/2023
Iran continues to improve its capability to produce a nuclear weapon, chairman
of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark A. Milley has said. "[Iranian leaders]
continue to improve their capability to produce a nuclear weapon," Milley told
the Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee on Thursday. The general said
Iran could produce enough materiel to produce an atomic weapon quickly, and then
it would only be a few months before a deliverable weapon was ready. He stressed
that US policy remains the same. “The United States remains committed that Iran
will not have a nuclear weapon.”
Milley added that Iran continues to disturb the peace in the Middle East and
beyond by its support of terrorists and proxy forces. His comments came as the
United States said it was sending reinforcements to the Gulf after what it
called increasing harassment by Iran of ships in the region’s waters. This move
raised questions whether Washington wanted to send a message of reassurance to
European countries which are fearing that the White House might have put a
possible revival of the nuclear deal with Iran on the side. On Friday, The Wall
Street Journal said that European countries are pressing the Biden
administration to revive the diplomatic track with Tehran that they hope would
help avoid a possible nuclear crisis. It said the EU countries are alarmed by
Iran’s progress in enriching uranium at close to weapons-grade levels. After 18
months of negotiations, talks on reviving the 2015 nuclear accord collapsed in
August when Tehran rejected a deal that would have largely restored the original
pact’s terms. Iran is now amassing 60 percent highly enriched uranium and
recently produced a small amount of near-weapons grade material, according to
the United Nations atomic agency.
The Latest LCCC English analysis &
editorials from miscellaneous sources published
on May 13-14/2023
Erdogan and the Future of an Islamist Autocracy
Charles Elias Chartouni/May 13/2023
The elections scheduled on Sunday (May 14, 2023) may usher a new era in the life
of the Turkish Republic, and put an end to the self defeating politics of an
Islamist autocracy, undermined by rampant inflation, pervasive corruption and
clientelism (highlighted after the late earthquakes catastrophes), economic
failures, highly fractured political landscape, revival and strengthening of
ethno-religious cleavages (Kurds, Alevis and anti-Christian discrimination),
Neo-Ottoman Islamism, Pan-Turanianism, and the revival of the imperial legacy,
the celebration of the genocidal narrative, the unraveling of the Kemalist
political legacy of secularism, Constitutional Statehood and professional public
administration, and the cumulative imbroglios of a contentious foreign policy
and its power politics blunders and strategic overstretching.
The defeat of Erdogan, after an absolute reign of twenty years, over Turkish
politics brings about major transformations on both the domestic and foreign
aisles of Public Affairs, it brings back normalcy and helps Turkey extract
itself from the pitfalls of autocracy, its hubris and conflict prone political
positioning. The stakes of this election, far from being incidental, are
decisive insofar as the future of Democracy and Constitutional Statehood, the
peaceful resolution of ethno-political conflicts within Turkey, the tackling of
regional conflicts on the interfaces with Syria, Iraq, Iran and the European
Community, the dissipation of the strategic ambiguities in regard to NATO, the
EU partnership and the rising Cold War configuration.
The declining fortunes of a discredited autocracy are counterweighted by a long
term trail of political fraud and violence, excavated judiciary, debased stature
of the army as the guardian of the secular legacy and the pro-Western political
culture, and shifting strategic alliances which aim at buttressing the
discretionary power of a contested and fledgling autocracy. Far from being a
strictly Turkish political event, the upcoming election is a decisive episode
with manifold consequences that are invariably impacting the future of Turkish
Politics, the regional and European political equilibriums, and utmostly the
resurgence of authoritarianism and its variants, as a political paradigm and the
ordering variable of an international counter-system. The outcomes of this
contest and its aftermath are quite symptomatic of the chances of orderly
democratic transitions in Turkey, and countries dealing with controversial
political legacies and geo-strategic dilemmas.
The Biden Administration’s Green Light to
Iran’s Terrorists and Nuclear Program
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Gatestone Institute/May 13, 2023
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/118199/118199/
إدارة بايدن تعطي الضوء الأخضر لإرهاب إيران ولبرنامجها النووي
ماجد رفي زاده/معهد جيتستون / 13 آيار/ 2023
ترجمة موقع غوغل
“It is unacceptable that a U.S. government program, which makes the United
States and its allies safer, provides funds to remediate the victims of
terrorism, and generates income for the United States in a cost-effective manner
has been allowed to languish. United States sanctions should be enforced to the
fullest extent of the law. As Iranian oil sales continue to rise, and the IRGC
continues to target U.S. citizens and servicemembers, including inside the U.S.,
it is imperative that we use all available government assets to limit the
activities of the Iranian regime.” — Senator Joe Manchin and 11 other Senators,
in a letter to President Joe Biden, April 27, 2023.
Under the Biden Administration, however, which suspended new oil and gas leases
on US public lands and waters, Iran is now producing more oil and selling it at
levels close to the pre-sanctions era to countries such as China…
Iran reportedly is exporting more than 1.5 million bpd — approximately 80% of
the oil they used to export before the sanctions.
Iran is also shipping considerable amounts of oil to Venezuela without either
country fearing repercussions from the Biden Administration.
The Biden Administration’s appeasement policies towards Iran is contributing to
the regime’s increased revenue, the major beneficiaries of which are the IRGC,
terrorist and militia groups — and of course the Iranian regime’s nuclear
weapons program.
Under the Biden Administration, Iran’s oil exports have expanded to more than
1.5 million bpd — approximately 80% of the oil they used to export before the
sanctions.
Under the Biden Administration, sanctions against the ruling mullahs of Iran
have simply become superficial and cosmetic. The Administration appears to be
turning a blind eye when Iran’s violates the sanctions, thereby allowing the
regime vastly to increase its revenues. Most of these usually assist the
regime’s powerful militia and terror group, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard
Corps (IRGC), designated as a terrorist organization by the US Department of
State.
Recently, US Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV), a member of the Senate Armed Services
Committee, led a bipartisan group of 12 Senators in urging the Biden
Administration to completely enable the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS)
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) office to seize Iranian oil and gas
shipments.
According to a press release on Manchin’s Senate website:
Despite several additional sanctions issued against Iranian petrochemical and
petroleum sales over the past year, the volume of Iranian oil exports from Iran
from 2021 to 2022 increased by 35%, approximately 430 million barrels of oil,
evading sanctions. When HSI seizes and processes Iranian oil, 75% of seizure
revenues are allocated to the U.S. Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund.
“It is unacceptable that a U.S. government program, which makes the United
States and its allies safer, provides funds to remediate the victims of
terrorism, and generates income for the United States in a cost-effective manner
has been allowed to languish,” the Senators continued. “United States sanctions
should be enforced to the fullest extent of the law. As Iranian oil sales
continue to rise, and the IRGC continues to target U.S. citizens and
servicemembers, including inside the U.S., it is imperative that we use all
available government assets to limit the activities of the Iranian regime.”
As the Senators’ letter added:
“Specifically, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) – Quds Force, an arm
of the Iranian regime and a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization, continues
to sponsor attacks on U.S. citizens and servicemembers, as well as our partners
and allies. Enforcement of sanctions against Iranian petrochemical and petroleum
sales will defund terrorists’ intent on harming the United States and our
partners.”
The regime’s major revenues come from selling oil. The Iranian regime reportedly
possesses the second-largest natural gas reserves and the fourth-largest proven
crude oil reserves in the world, and the sale of oil accounts for nearly 60% of
the government’s total revenues and more than 80% of its export revenues.
Iranian leaders have spoken of Iran’s major dependence on oil exports. “Although
we have some other incomes, the only revenue that can keep the country going is
the oil money,” then President Hassan Rouhani said in 2019.
During the Trump administration, Iran’s oil exports were significantly reduced
to 100,000 to 200,000 barrels a day. Iran is currently exporting more than 1
million barrels a day. “Oil sales have doubled,” Iran’s hardline President
Ebrahim Raisi previously boasted. “We are not worried about oil sales.”
Under the Biden Administration, however, which suspended new oil and gas leases
on public lands and waters, Iran is now producing more oil and selling it at
levels close to the pre-sanctions era to countries such as China, which
desperately needs more oil. China has been steadily ramping up its oil imports
from Iran, to currently nearly 1 million bpd, while global oil prices have
increased. Iran reportedly is exporting more than 1.5 million bpd —
approximately 80% of the oil they used to export before the sanctions.
Iran is also shipping considerable amounts of oil to Venezuela without either
country fearing repercussions from the Biden Administration. According to a June
13, 2022 report by Reuters:
“An Iran-flagged tanker carrying about 1 million barrels of crude from the
Middle Eastern country arrived in Venezuelan waters over the weekend, according
to a shipping document seen by Reuters on Monday.
“The cargo is the third of Iranian crude supplied by Iran’s Naftiran Intertrade
Co (NICO) to Venezuela’s state-run oil firm PDVSA following a supply contract
providing the South American nation with lighter crude. Venezuela has been
processing the Iranian oil in its refineries.
“Other two Iran-flagged tankers, the very large crude carriers (VLCCs) Dino I
and Silvia I, had arrived last month at Venezuelan ports carrying the first
cargoes of Iranian crude for Venezuela.”
The Biden Administration’s appeasement policies towards Iran is contributing to
the regime’s increased revenue, the major beneficiaries of which are the IRGC,
terrorist and militia groups — and of course the Iranian regime’s nuclear
weapons program.
*Dr. Majid Rafizadeh is a business strategist and advisor, Harvard-educated
scholar, political scientist, board member of Harvard International Review, and
president of the International American Council on the Middle East. He has
authored several books on Islam and US Foreign Policy. He can be reached at
Dr.Rafizadeh@Post.Harvard.Edu
© 2023 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do
not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No
part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied
or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/19643/green-light-to-iran
How Sudan crisis casts long shadow over Libya
Hafed Al-GhwellArab News/May 14, 2023
As crisis grips a Sudan strangled by years of political instability, economic
hardship and widespread unrest, neighboring countries such as Libya could become
casualties of Sudan’s rapid deterioration. The North African country remains
crippled by its political crisis, and a conflagration at its border with similar
dynamics has grave implications for a Libya expecting some dividends from the
latest UN-led push to secure its long-term stability and unification of its
institutions. Given the interconnectedness of the region’s political, economic
and security environments, key stakeholders, regional playmakers, aspiring
statesmen or potential mediators must acknowledge and address the possible
consequences of Sudan’s crisis beyond Libya’s political landscape.
Any interventions suing for de-escalation and dialogue must be accompanied by
effective, practicable strategies for promoting stability in both countries and
the wider North Africa region so as not to repeat the unforced errors of the
post-2011 decade that are partly responsible for Libya’s woes. As neighboring
countries, it is easy to pinpoint how the civil war in Sudan could quickly spill
over into Libya and other countries from Egypt to Chad, Eritrea, Ethiopia and
South Sudan.
For Chad, worsening conditions in Sudan already present significant risks, as
many refugees, armed personnel and weapons will likely cross the border. The
Sahelian country already hosts 400,000 Sudanese refugees, despite facing acute
challenges ranging from extreme poverty to acute food insecurity that will only
worsen with more displaced Sudanese. It previews how a Darfur-like conflict
could become another potent stressor, particularly in porous border zones
between fragile states. Additionally, their respective governments there could
potentially use the crisis to justify more illiberalism, unperturbed by threats
of sanctions or isolation since the international community will likely be
distracted by events in Sudan.
Similarly, for Libya, cross-border migration will be one of the ways Sudan’s
maladies could seep their way into the North African country. As Sudanese
citizens flee the deteriorating situation in their country, they may seek refuge
in Libya, thereby adding pressure on the already strained resources and security
apparatus. Alternatively, Libya could become a launch point for migrant vessels
headed for European shores, transporting desperate Sudanese, much like Tunisia
is today for sub-Saharan Africa.
The influx of migrants could exacerbate tensions between various factions in
Libya, further escalating the country’s political crisis. Additionally, the
increased presence of refugees in Libya could create a humanitarian crisis, with
inadequate resources to address the basic needs of the new arrivals, further
straining Libya’s already fragile social fabric.
Secondly, instability in Sudan could also contribute to the proliferation of
arms trafficking and non-state armed groups in the region. As the Sudanese state
weakens, its control over arms depots and border regions may diminish, leading
to a further increase in the illegal flow of arms into Libya. This, in turn,
could empower non-state actors in Libya, such as militias and extremist groups,
who may capitalize on the chaos to expand and terrorize areas they control,
undermining efforts to establish a unified Libyan government. Even before the
mid-April clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid
Support Forces, a report by the UN highlighted the role of Sudan in the
proliferation of arms in Libya, emphasizing the need for effective border
control and regional cooperation to counter this threat — an unachievable
prospect now.
Cross-border migration, arms trafficking, economic interdependence and shifting
international relations could further destabilize Libya and undermine attempts
to establish a unified government there.
Moreover, escalations in Sudan endanger plans to repatriate Sudanese mercenaries
from Libya, further complicating Libya’s already tenuous political situation.
The continuing uncertainty in Libya, exacerbated by Sudan’s deepening conflict,
threatens to prolong Libya’s political transition and intensify security risks.
Libya relies on Sudan for coordination and information exchange concerning the
repatriation of Sudanese mercenaries and limited commercial trade. The presence
of more than 10,000 Sudanese mercenaries in Libya, primarily aligned with the
Libyan National Army, or LNA, raises concerns about potential spillovers and
increased cross-border movements of combatants into Libya, which would worsen
border insecurity in southern Libya. This development could prompt the LNA to
focus on securing the border with Sudan to limit the flow of arms and fighters
to its adversaries in Libya while also providing sanctuary to Sudanese soldiers,
many of whom may have previously served in LNA ranks before the October 2020
ceasefire.
Thirdly, Sudan and Libya share some economic ties, particularly in trade and
investment. The UN estimated that a peaceful transition and reconstruction in
Libya could potentially enhance Sudan’s economic performance by more than $20
billion over four years beginning in 2021. However, continued turmoil and
escalating violence in Sudan may dampen these economic prospects due to
heightened concerns about security and political and economic management. A
conflict in Sudan will further disrupt these economic links, affecting both
countries’ economies and exacerbating existing hardships.
In addition, a destabilized Sudan could have broader implications for the
regional stability of North Africa, as it may hinder regional cooperation
efforts and undermine the international community’s attempts to restore peace
and order in Libya. For instance, the African Union and the Arab League have
been key players in the mediation efforts in Libya. Still, a crisis in Sudan
could divert their focus and resources away from the situation. Egypt is also
active inside Libya and will likely move to exert some influence over the
developing situation in Sudan to safeguard its regional strategic interests now
under threat, especially the dispute with Ethiopia over the Grand Ethiopian
Renaissance Dam, or GERD.
Egypt’s policy toward Sudan has always focused on aligning with Gen. Abdel
Fattah Al-Burhan due to their shared approach to the GERD issue. However, an
all-out conflict will undermine Egypt’s efforts to create a united front with
Sudan, emboldening Addis Ababa to continue taking unilateral action despite
Egypt’s repeated warnings. Prolonged conflict in Sudan also raises the risk of
GERD talks collapsing and the likelihood of Egypt becoming more militarily
aggressive in the region, possibly directed at Ethiopia, or reasserting itself
on its borders, including in Libya.
Sudan’s crisis was never going to be a localized affair likely to wax and wane
between brief skirmishes, ceasefires, protracted talks and vague settlements
within its borders. Its spillovers will complicate diplomatic efforts to resolve
Libya’s political impasse while putting pressure on neighboring countries. Thus,
as regional and international actors become increasingly preoccupied with
managing the catastrophic fallout from Sudan’s turmoil, they may be less able or
willing to focus on Libya’s challenges, which still need sustained external
support. Furthermore, divergent or combative responses to Sudan’s crisis by
members of the global community will worsen divisions among key stakeholders,
making it more difficult to build consensus around a common strategy for
resolving Libya’s political deadlock. The fragmentation of the international
community’s approach has been a critical obstacle in the Libyan peace process,
and the crisis in Sudan could further exacerbate this.
In conclusion, the crisis in Sudan poses a significant risk to Libya’s efforts
to overcome its political crisis. The spillover effects, such as cross-border
migration, arms trafficking, economic interdependence and shifting international
relations, could further destabilize Libya and undermine attempts to establish a
unified government. As such, it is crucial to highlight the potential
consequences of Sudan’s crisis on Libya’s political landscape in order to
develop effective strategies for promoting stability in both countries as well
as in the wider region. Failing to do so could result in a protracted conflict
that will not only affect the two countries but also have far-reaching
consequences for the stability and security of North Africa as a whole.
*Hafed Al-Ghwell is a senior fellow and executive director of the Ibn Khaldun
Strategic Initiative at the Foreign Policy Institute of the Johns Hopkins
University School of Advanced International Studies in Washington, DC, and the
former adviser to the dean of the board of executive directors of the World Bank
Group. Twitter: @HafedAlGhwell
G7 summit will showcase revival of the Western alliance
Andrew Hammond/Arab News/May 13, 2023
In the build-up to this week’s G7 summit, a wide range of issues, from climate
change to the global economy have been discussed by Western ministers. However,
the overriding issue to be discussed in Hiroshima from May 19-21 is the conflict
in Ukraine and its ongoing ramifications.
It is getting close to 500 days since Russia’s invasion, and there is no obvious
sign that the conflict will be over any time soon. This was highlighted last
Tuesday by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who said: “I don’t think peace
negotiations are possible at the moment. … Both sides are convinced they can win
… I don’t see Russia being willing to pull out of the territories it’s occupying
at the moment and I think Ukraine is hoping to retake them.”
The outcome of the conflict therefore remains highly uncertain. What is much
clearer is the galvanizing effect it has had on the West, including the G7, in
the past year and a half.
While Joe Biden is still widely criticized, it is his presidency that has helped
rebuild and renew the transatlantic and wider Western alliance, and also
highlight the areas in which international cooperation is now most urgently
needed.
The G7’s revival as a political and economic force has surprised many,
especially after the woes of Donald Trump’s presidency, and also the early
successes of the G20 after it became a leadership forum following the 2007-08
financial crisis.
Indeed, for some time it was speculated that the G7 might even cease to exist.
Part of the reason for that was the G7’s declining share of the world economy.
In the 1970s, the members of the Western club were responsible for about 80
percent of global gross domestic product; the figure is now closer to 30
percent. Fast forward to 2023, however, and the unexpectedly unified Western
response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has renewed the G7’s self-confidence.
To be sure, that might yet unravel, especially if there are any “bumps in the
road” arising from Ukraine.
One such challenge could be the return of higher energy prices. Last Tuesday,
for example, Goldman Sachs predicted gas prices will nearly treble this coming
winter across Europe. It forecast prices could rise above €100 ($108) per
megawatt hour in the second half of this year, compared with the current €36.
However, for now at least, there has been a reversal of the trend in the years
between 2017 and 2021 when a dominant narrative was the uncertainty about the
enduring purpose of the West (which some analysts termed “Westlessness”).
It should be remembered, too, that while the G7’s membership no longer includes
all of the world’s most-dominant economies, as it did in the 1970s, it still
retains significant economic strength and its members accounted for almost 15
percent of global GDP growth in the period from 2012 to 2022.
Of course, key questions about the future of the West predate Trump’s term as US
president. Moreover, it is not only Trump who has highlighted the problems with
key Western alliances, as illustrated by the UK’s Brexit vote in 2016 to leave
the EU.
What is now needed is a multiyear dialogue during which forums such as NATO and
the G7 step up to the plate.
Yet, there is no question that Trump’s presidency intensified the concerns about
the future of the West, which is why there has been such a sense of urgency
among transatlantic partners since then to develop a strategy for a new,
unfolding era of great-power competition.
The revival of the West as the world’s leading political and economic force is
far from complete, however, even now. Significantly more needs to be done to
accomplish Biden’s goal of seeing the Western community reunify against what he
perceives as common challenges from not only Russia but also China.
One necessary move is for all key parties, including the EU, Canada and Japan,
to acknowledge that it might not be possible for the old liberal order to be
brought back in exactly the same form as before. Desirable as that might be for
many, it is now clear that a return to the full mosaic of the old rules-based
international order might not be realistic, not least given that significant
portions of populations in Western societies remain supportive of populist
leaders such as Trump.
The window offered by Biden’s presidency is therefore the right moment to try to
address these issues. It is also the time to explore what a new Western-led
approach to global governance should look like.
A prerequisite for enabling these goals is concentrating on the big strategic
questions facing the West. While Ukraine is currently top of that list, there
are many more beyond it.
One example is the future of international trade, more than a quarter of a
century after the creation of the World Trade Organization. This system is
creaking and may yet collapse under the strain of recent sanctions imposed
around the globe.
To help address this, and other key questions, there is a need for more of the
West, and its allies, to agree that there are a range of economic, and not just
military, challenges that are better met together. What is now needed is a
multiyear dialogue during which forums such as NATO and the G7, imperfect though
they are, step up to the plate, given that they are organizations of powerful,
like-minded democracies with shared values.
Some skeptics will say nothing significant will change any time soon. Yet this
might be too pessimistic.
At this latest moment of geopolitical and economic crisis following Russia’s
invasion of Ukraine, 2023 and 2024 might well prove to be decisive years during
which to build the foundations of a renewed West, a project that would be
galvanized if Biden wins a second term in next year’s election.
*Andrew Hammond is an associate at LSE IDEAS at the London School of Economics.
Sudan conflict jeopardizes regional stability
Talmiz Ahmad/Arab News/May 13, 2023
Sudan has, since last month, been witnessing a serious military confrontation
between two of its own generals: Gen. Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, who heads the
nation’s armed forces, and Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, popularly called “Hemedti,”
who leads a militia, the Rapid Support Forces, or RSF. This month-old conflict
has already claimed at least 600 lives, displaced several thousand nationals and
plunged the volatile Horn of Africa region into a deep political and economic
crisis.
At the heart of the current crisis is the “existential” rivalry between the
country’s two generals. Al-Burhan had earlier cooperated to subvert the nascent
democratic government in October 2021. However, with no challenge from advocates
of democracy, the rivalry between the two generals was exacerbated as each
attempted to undercut the other. Al-Burhan started to recruit army personnel
from Dagalo’s home base in Darfur, while the latter moved his troops from Darfur
to Khartoum.
The framework agreement put together in December 2022 by the “Quad,” made up of
the US, the UK, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, provided a roadmap toward popular
participation in governance. This agreement collapsed as neither of the two
generals was willing to dilute his political and military authority and
financial advantages from control over domestic commercial assets.
On April 15, Dagalo’s RSF launched surprise attacks on several army bases across
the country, including in Khartoum. Since then, several ceasefires have gone
unheeded, while the trail of killing, displacement and destruction continues
unabated. During the latest round of negotiations in Riyadh, the representatives
of Sudan’s warring sides have signed up to a framework agreement to protect
civilians and allow for humanitarian aid flows into the country. Diplomats have
clarified that this is not a ceasefire, though there were hopes that this
agreement would eventually lead to one.
This could be wishful thinking. There is continuing fierce fighting not only in
Khartoum, but two other strategically important areas — the North Kordofan
province in the south and Darfur in the west. North Kordofan lies on the route
from Khartoum to Darfur, the home-base of Dagalo and most of his men. It also
has an airstrip that gives a military advantage to Burhan’s forces as they
control the country’s air force; hence Dagalo’s interest in taking control of
this province.
In Darfur, the fighting appears to be between the RSF and local African
militants, suggesting a replay of the earlier conflict two decades ago. In both
arenas, civilians, including displaced persons, have been caught in the
crossfire and have suffered heavy casualties.
Sudan’s recent history is not very reassuring. The country has a population of
45 million and is the third-largest country in Africa. It dominates the
geography of northeastern Africa, bordering seven countries — Egypt, Libya,
Chad, the Central African Republic, South Sudan, Ethiopia and Eritrea — as well
as having an 850 km coastline on the Red Sea. The White and Blue Nile rivers
merge in Sudan, providing the country with 60 percent of the Nile River Basin.
Sudan lost 75 percent of its oil reserves with the secession of South Sudan in
2011, but it still has gold mines and 80 percent of the world’s gum Arabic,
which is used in the food and soft drinks industry and to make cosmetics, glue
and paints.
The personal ambitions of the two generals have become the central feature of
Sudan’s politics.
Sudan’s recent history is replete with turbulence. Since 1956, it has
experienced more than 15 military coups. Its two civil wars in the south, from
1955 to 1972 and 1983 to 2005, left more than a million dead, while the conflict
in Darfur from 2003 to 2020 caused the deaths of another 200,000 people.
Given Sudan’s instability and its location in an extremely volatile region, the
conflict is likely to have deleterious implications for its neighbors,
particularly those in the Horn of Africa — Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti and
Somalia — all of which, with the exception of Djibouti, are in the throes of
severe domestic turmoil.
The countries of the Horn, such as Egypt and Chad, have porous borders for
refugees fleeing from the region’s conflicts. The present confrontation in Sudan
has unleashed a massive movement of refugees. By early May, 42,000 Sudanese had
gone to Egypt, 30,000 had left for Chad, more than 27,000 were in South Sudan,
nearly 10,000 were in Ethiopia and another 6,000 in the Central African
Republic. The UN has warned that, if the conflict continues, more than 800,000
Sudanese could flee their country.
Before this conflict, Sudan itself had accommodated more than 1 million refugees
from its neighbors, as well as 2 million internally displaced persons, mainly
from Darfur.
With the zero-sum perspective shaping the approaches of both sides, the most
likely prospect is a long-drawn-out conflict, with widespread death,
displacement and economic privation. Already, Sudan and its seven neighbors have
40 million people experiencing food insecurity and the situation will only get
worse, possibly beyond the capacity of international agencies to provide relief.
South Sudan’s economy could also collapse; being landlocked, the only outlet for
its oil exports is a pipeline through Sudan.
A prolonged conflict would also sound the death knell for democratic aspirations
in Sudan, as well as the prospect of the country emerging as the breadbasket of
the Middle East.
The Red Sea, already at the center of geopolitical competitions, will see
greater big power activity as a result of a prolonged conflict. This could also
lure extremist forces, which thrive on state breakdown to spread their messages
of hate and wanton violence. All of this will lead to state disintegration and
warlords claiming control over bits of valuable real estate for personal
advantage. State breakdown will encourage greater drug and human trafficking
from Sudan to Libya and on to the Mediterranean.
Unless both of Sudan’s feuding generals are exiled and a democratic process
reinitiated, the country faces breakdown and ruin, with its neighbors being
dragged into the quagmire as well.
• Talmiz Ahmad is a former Indian diplomat.
No alternative to Ukraine joining NATO,’
Estonian President Alar Karis tells Arab News
Faisal J. Abbas/Editor In Chief/Arab News/May 13/2023
TALLINN, Estonia: There is no alternative to Ukraine joining NATO, Alar Karis,
the president of Estonia, told Arab News in an exclusive interview at the
presidential palace in the capital Tallinn on the margins of the annual Lennart
Meri Conference on Friday. In recent days, 95 Estonian legislators have signed a
statement calling for Ukraine’s immediate ascension to NATO at the alliance’s
July summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, claiming it was the only option for ensuring
world order, peace and security. Karis said the Estonian government was seeking
a “road map” for Ukraine’s acceptance into NATO to strengthen the bloc’s
collective security against Russia, which invaded Ukraine in February last year.
“The same with the EU. We need to have these steps, concrete steps, of what one
country has to do to become a member,” he said.
However, there is currently little alignment between key NATO member states on
the timing or necessity of Ukraine’s inclusion in the bloc, with Hungary,
Germany, and even the US voicing concerns over the move.
In September, asked if Ukraine’s request for accelerated membership in NATO is
something that Washington was ready to consider, Jake Sullivan, the US national
security adviser, said the best way to support Kyiv is “through practical,
on-the-ground support” and that “the process in Brussels should be taken up at a
different time.” How do nations on NATO’s eastern fringes react to this attitude
of the Biden administration?
“Different countries, of course, have different opinions,” Karis said. “The same
also with EU membership. So that means we have to discuss and explain how and
why it’s important. It doesn’t happen overnight, but that doesn’t mean that we
shouldn’t talk about it. So we should discuss how to reach this goal. It doesn’t
mean we have to keep silent also in Vilnius.
“It is important to be a member of an alliance, and the only ally, defense ally,
which is now available is NATO. There is no other way actually. But that would
require all member states to approve.”
For Karis and other Eastern European leaders, it is a matter of collective
defense. “It’s not only us. It’s not only Estonia — Latvia, Lithuania and now
Finland. It affects all of us. It’s not only Europe. There is also a
transatlantic dimension,” he said. “So, as I said, you have to explain why it is
important, and go back to history, looking for a future because there is no
other alternative. What’s the alternative? If somebody comes up with an
alternative, we can discuss. But there is no alternative at the moment.” Drawing
a parallel with the Baltic state’s past, Karis said: “Estonia was in the very
same situation at the beginning of the 1990s, or even the end of the 1980s, when
we were about to leave the Soviet Union. We had started to talk about NATO
already. “And even when we regained our independence, in the beginning of the
1990s, we still had Soviet forces here in our country. And we started to discuss
NATO membership and we managed to get this membership, and now we are already 19
years a NATO member.
“So we have to start the same discussions with Ukraine, although there is a war
going on at the moment.”
NATO Article 5
Not everyone views Ukraine’s inclusion in NATO as the best security guarantee.
Some argue that aggressively expanding NATO into Russia’s traditional sphere of
influence has actually provoked Moscow, forcing it to act out of self-defense.
In a survey of 7,000 people in 14 Arab countries, conducted for Arab News by the
UK-based polling agency YouGov, most felt it was NATO and US President Joe Biden
that were to blame for the situation in Ukraine.
Other analysts have argued that had Ukraine’s NATO membership been expedited
prior to the war, the Russian invasion would likely never have happened, as
Moscow would never have dared challenge Article 5 of the NATO charter, which
obliges members to lend collective support to any member when attacked.
Estonia has been a member of both the EU and NATO since 2004, placing it under
the protection of the wider alliance. With a 183-mile shared border with Russia,
Estonia and other frontier states are considered especially vulnerable to acts
of aggression or retaliation.
Drone attack mystery
On May 3, a drone was shot down over the Kremlin in Moscow. Many commentators
believe the incident constituted a direct attack on President Vladimir Putin,
raising fears of a potential Russian retaliation against Ukraine or a NATO
member state.
Owing to its NATO membership and the guarantee of collective security, Karis
said he was not concerned about the possibility of a retaliatory attack.
“First of all, we don’t know where the source of this attack is. So it’s not
clear at all,” he said. “And we have been next to Russia for centuries, so we
know what to expect and what not to expect. We are not afraid of anything.
“As I mentioned, we are a member of NATO’s alliance. And I do believe, and we do
believe, that Article 5 still is going to work. So we are not afraid of any
threat. Of course, we have to be prepared. That’s why we need to increase our
defense budget, to have more NATO forces on our ground to train and practice and
so forth. So this is how to deter Russia.”
Estonia has come under attack on a different front — in cyberspace. Last year,
it was subjected to a record number of cyberattacks by pro-Russian hackers.
Still, Karis said his country’s cybersecurity defenses were top notch.
“We were first attacked in 2007. And we started to prepare ourselves, to defend
ourselves, to build up our cybersecurity defense system. And it’s really good,”
he said. “We are all under constant attack, not only our country but many
countries. Nothing really has happened so far but we have to continue preparing
and developing our defense system as far as cybersecurity is concerned.
“And the same actually in Ukraine. We have assisted the Ukrainians and they have
been defending themselves very well as far as cybersecurity is concerned or
cyberattacks are concerned.” Given Estonia’s position as a leader in the digital
transformation of commerce and services, among countries in the region it
perhaps offers the most opportunities for hackers to try their luck.
“We have to develop our defense system, and we are doing it constantly,” Karis
said. “And not only us but together with other countries. And we even have
NATO’s security defense center over here. So there are many ways to be
prepared.”While Karis highlighted Estonia’s cybersecurity prowess, he refused to
be drawn into discussing whether the nation’s defense analysts have determined
who was behind the Kremlin drone attack.
“There are many conspiracy theories, of course, among Russians themselves as
well,” he said. “We do not know and this is not our aim to figure out who has
done it, at least from our point of view. But of course, we follow the news of
what the result of this kind of investigation is.”
International tribunal
In a recent interview with Newsweek, Kaja Kallas, Estonia’s prime minister,
launched a scathing attack on Russia’s conduct in Ukraine, accusing Russian
forces of exhibiting the same “brutality” as the Soviet troops in eastern and
central Europe during the Second World War.
Kallas called for a special international tribunal to try Russian officials in
absentia for alleged war crimes and abuses, which she claimed had gained the
backing of 30 nations, including Ukraine, Lithuania and the new entrant to NATO,
Finland.
“Russia has to be accountable for these crimes and atrocities that they have
made,” Karis said. “I have been to Kyiv and the Kyiv suburbs, so I have seen
what this aggression has done in Ukraine. So that means they have to be
accountable. “There should be a discussion about what kind of court, what kind
of tribunal is going to have any effect on this situation. It’s an ongoing
discussion.
“Estonia and some other countries have proposed a special tribunal … the most
prominent are neighboring countries, which realize it’s important. And we have a
history, again, after the Second World War the Soviet Union didn’t have any
tribunal over the atrocities against our nation and other nations of theirs.”
Asked whether the establishment of such a tribunal for Russia but not for Israel
concerning its treatment of the Palestinian people constituted a double
standard, Karis said the two issues were entirely separate and had to be
addressed on their individual merits.
“We’re just discussing now about the war in Ukraine and not different conflicts
around the world — other conflicts as well, not only in Israel and Palestine,”
he said. “So, it’s a case we want to solve first and then we can continue with
other conflicts in other regions in the world.”
Urmas Reinsalu, Estonia’s former foreign minister, broke with the EU’s stance on
the issue of Israel and Palestine late last year when he said the Baltic state
would no longer vote for UN resolutions condemning Israeli actions in the West
Bank and the Gaza Strip. “It’s the position of a former foreign minister. And
now we have a new government,” Karis said. “You can ask our new minister of
foreign affairs what’s his opinion or what’s that government’s opinion.”
Sudan refugees
Ukraine is not the only conflict on the international agenda. The violence in
Sudan, which began on April 15 between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the
paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, has raised the specter of a new influx of
displaced people into Europe. European nations, alongside Saudi Arabia, acted
quickly to evacuate foreign citizens from Sudan and have mobilized aid
deliveries to help those displaced by the fighting and the collapse of
infrastructure.
Although grappling with the arrival of some 50,000 Ukrainians on Estonian soil,
Karis did not shy away from the question whether, in principle, Estonia would be
welcoming to Sudanese refugees.
“If we discuss the matter and make sure that we are able to take, and how many
we are able to take,” he replied.
But would he flat out refuse to take Sudanese refugees?
“No,” he said, adding: “We have limited resources and we already have so many
refugees from Ukraine. So, it’s impossible to take another, let’s say, 10,000 or
20,000 migrants from Sudan. But of course, there are other countries who have
taken and will take, probably, like Germany and some others.
“Of course there is a burden for these countries who are next door. But I think
we start to understand more about what’s happening, what kind of migrants are
coming from different countries.”
For the time being, there is a great deal of goodwill and openness among
Estonians to assisting refugees from Ukraine. But if the war drags on for
several years and burdens on the economy grow, how sustainable is this longer
term?
“So far, we have been able to give shelter, give education to Ukrainian
children, and give jobs,” Karis said. “But then again, we are not the only ones
here, because Finland is next door and they propose that if there are too many
and we cannot manage with refugees, they will take them. That’s why you need
allies and friends.”
He added: “Of course, we are a small country, with limited resources, also
military-wise, but we still can provide ammunition and some other things as
well. And our people giving humanitarian aid, these numbers are also very high.
So we are trying.
“But of course, it’s not only Estonia, but also the US has limited resources if
this war lasts dozens of years. So, we have to make sure that this war is going
to be over as soon as possible.”
ALAR KARIS: BIOLOGIST TURNED PRESIDENT
For an apolitical academic whose background is in molecular genetics, Alar Karis
created a sensation when he replaced the incumbent president of Estonia in the
second round of voting on Aug. 31, 2021, with almost unanimous support in
parliament.
Since then, Karis has sought to strengthen Estonia’s relations with its EU, NATO
and OECD partners as well as the wider world, including the Gulf countries,
while underscoring the need for a rules-based world order and respect for the
principles of international law. To this end, he has repeatedly drawn attention
to Estonia’s achievements in education, innovation and digital transformation.
For instance, visiting the Estonia pavilion at the Dubai Expo in 2020 in March
last year, Karis mentioned that Estonia had the highest number of unicorns per
capita in Europe, had a lot to offer in education technology, and had made
maximum use of e-services in the public sector and businesses to build a digital
society.
At home, Karis has expressed a desire to talk to the different people and
communities, including ethnic Russians, who make up Estonia’s population of 1.2
million. The war in Estonia’s neighborhood has, however, obliged Karis to be a
vocal defender of the government’s staunchly pro-Ukraine foreign policy.
He has described the Russian invasion as not only an attack on a neighboring
country but a war on transatlantic values and democracy itself.
Before becoming president, Karis served as the rector of both the Estonian
University of Life Sciences and the University of Tartu, led the work of
Universities Estonia a number of times, founded the University of Tartu-spawned
Visgenyx, and worked at universities in Germany, Britain and the Netherlands.
Born on March 28, 1958, in Tartu, Karis has been married to Sirje Karis since
1977, with whom he has three children and five grandchildren.