English LCCC Newsbulletin For
Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For May 15/2023
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
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15 آذار/2023
Bible Quotations For today
Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever
does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother
Mark 03/31-35//04/01-09: “Then his mother and his
brothers came; and standing outside, they sent to him and called him. A crowd
was sitting around him; and they said to him, ‘Your mother and your brothers and
sisters are outside, asking for you.’And he replied, ‘Who are my mother and my
brothers?’And looking at those who sat around him, he said, ‘Here are my mother
and my brothers! Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and
mother.’ Again he began to teach beside the lake. Such a very large crowd
gathered around him that he got into a boat on the lake and sat there, while the
whole crowd was beside the lake on the land. He began to teach them many things
in parables, and in his teaching he said to them: ‘Listen! A sower went out to
sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and the birds came and ate it
up. Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and it
sprang up quickly, since it had no depth of soil. And when the sun rose, it was
scorched; and since it had no root, it withered away. Other seed fell among
thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. Other
seed fell into good soil and brought forth grain, growing up and increasing and
yielding thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.’And he said, ‘Let anyone with ears
to hear listen!’”
.
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese &
Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on May 14-15/2023
Mother's Day in Canada: All people have hearts, but Mothers' Hearts
brings all hearts together/Elias Bejjani/May 14/2023
Maronite Patriarch Al-Rahi to Lebanese officials: If they had listened to the
word of God, they would have conducted negotiations with Syria and the
international...
Patriarch Al-Rahi calls on officials to conduct negotiations with Syria,
international community for Syrian refugees' return
Bishop Elias Aoudi: What is this impossibility in electing a figure to head the
state? Is the country devoid of men whose heart beats with the love Lebanon?
Report: Berri to call for presidential vote, Safa to meet Bassil
Bou Habib talks to UAE foreign minister after Lebanese man dies in custody
Khawaja to LBCI: The other 'team' agreed not to support Frangieh, but did not
agree on an alternative name
Lost potential: The untapped benefits of Lebanon's marijuana industry
Frem visits Bukhari, Rahi
Finance Ministry: Tomorrow, Monday, is the last day to benefit from exemptions
from fines on taxes, violations
Global Ambassador for Peace tours political, religious figures in Lebanon, calls
for cross-sectarian dialogue table that consolidates coexistence
Environment Minister underlines importance of transitioning to sustainable
transportation to reduce pollution
BDL Third Deputy Governor: Sayrafa platform a financial & economic need, first
step towards liberalizing exchange
Titles For The Latest English LCCC
Miscellaneous Reports And News published
on May 14-15/2023
US Welcomes Israel-Gaza Ceasefire
Gaza residents wake up to quiet Sunday after announcement of ceasefire
Palestinians and Israelis Resume Normal Life after Gaza Truce
Syria's main insurgent group seeks to move away from al-Qaida past, get off
Western terrorism lists
Khartoum region under bombardment as Sudan's rivals talk
Zelensky calls Germany a ‘true friend’ as Ukraine prepares counter-offensive
Zelenskiy: Ukraine, West can make Russia's defeat 'irreversible' this year
Ukrainian President Says Counterffensive Does Not Aim to Attack Russian
Territory
Footage shows massive explosions and fireballs after a wave of Russian drones
targeted a city in western Ukraine
Russia Says Ukraine Made ‘Mass Attempts’ to Break through Bakhmut Defenses
2 senior Russian commanders have been killed in fighting near Bakhmut, defense
ministry says
Türkiye Votes in Pivotal Elections, with Erdogan Rule in Balance
Iran summons Iraq envoy over Kurdish opposition groups
As net tightens, Iranians pushed to take up homegrown apps
Abdollahian: We hope to see a serious breakthrough in Iranian-Egyptian relations
EU says latest Armenia-Azerbaijan talks should build momentum for peace
Titles For
The Latest
English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on May 14-15/2023
Washington… What about the People?/Tariq Al-Homayed/Asharq Al Awsat/May
14/2023
Israel under Fire and The West's Pusillanimous Response/Richard Kemp/Gatestone
Institute./May 14, 2023
Biden administration lacking a major foreign policy success/Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Arab
News/May 14, 2023
G7 summit will showcase revival of the Western alliance/Andrew Hammond/Arab
News/May 14, 2023
Two Vital Summits This Week: Jeddah’s Arab Summit and Hiroshima’s G7/Raghida
Dergham/The National/May 14/2023
Latest English LCCC Lebanese &
Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on May 14-15/2023
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
Maronite Patriarch Al-Rahi to Lebanese
officials: If they had listened to the word of God, they would have conducted
negotiations with Syria and the international...
NNA/May 14/2023
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/118225/118225/
Maronite Patriarch, Cardinal Beshara Boutros Al-Rahi, indicated, during Sunday
Mass in Bkirki, that a third of Lebanon's population lives from the agricultural
sector. In this regard, the Patriarch made three appeals, the first to the
Lebanese state to support this sector, in order to protect the national produce,
open markets for it, and increase production capacity, and the second to the
expatriates in order to market Lebanese products in their countries of
residence, and the third to international and donor organizations in order to
incubate the agricultural sector and its advancement. He pointed out that
"Lebanon's representatives and officials cannot continue to hear the voice of
their interests at the account of the country's interest, starting with the
election of a president who inspires confidence at home and abroad." In his
address to the Lebanese officials, Al-Rahi indicated that "if they had listened
to the word of God, they would have accelerated the reform of institutions and
the financial situation, stopped the migration of our lively forces, and moved
forward in conducting the necessary negotiations with Syria and the
international community for the return of the displaced who have become a threat
to our country."
Patriarch Al-Rahi
calls on officials to conduct negotiations with Syria,
international community for Syrian refugees' return
LBCI/May 14/2023
Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Bechara Boutros al-Rahi considered during his sermon
on Sunday Mass in Bkerki that "agriculture is of strategic importance for
achieving food security by securing Lebanon's need for food and raw materials
for food factories, limiting the import of food needs, which exceeded 75
percent, and increasing agricultural exports to bring hard currency into
Lebanon." He said, "The patriarchate, eparchies, and monastic orders are in
constant coordination with the Director General of Agriculture, agricultural
colleges, associations, unions, and cooperatives to keep the farmer on his land,
reduce displacement, migration, and the sale of land, and to create job
opportunities for the youth." "A third of Lebanon's population lives off the
agricultural sector, which includes plants, domestic animals, and sea fish," he
added. During his sermon, al-Rahi launched three appeals: The first is for the
Lebanese state to support this sector and make it essential in the national
economy, reconsider the agreements to protect the national product, open markets
for agricultural production, improve the livelihood of farmers and producers,
increase production capacity, enhance the efficiency and competitiveness of
agricultural and food production chains, and improve adaptation to climate
change. The second is for the Lebanese emigrants to market Lebanese
agricultural products, food, and Lebanese cuisine in their countries. Third,
international organizations and donor bodies to embrace and advance the
agricultural sector, secure a food safety net, and transform the Lebanese
agricultural and food system into a more resilient, inclusive, competitive, and
sustainable system. Additionally, he addressed the deputies by saying,
"Our deputies and political officials cannot continue to deafen their ears from
hearing the word of God and continue to hear the voices of their private and
factional interests, and the voices of hatred and maliciousness, at the expense
of demolishing state institutions." According to him, this starts with not
electing a president of the republic that would inspire confidence at home and
abroad, leading to the loss of the parliament's legislative power, the
deprivation of the government of all its powers, the disruption of due
appointments, and the spread of corruption in public administrations. "If
they had heard the word of God, they would hasten to reform the structures and
institutions, to advance the economy and reduce the impoverishment of the
people, and to reform the financial situation, and stop the migration of our
living forces," al-Rahi expressed. He went on to say: "Let them be firm
and united in their word and proceeded to conduct the necessary negotiations
with Syria and the international community for the return of the Syrian refugees
to their country who have become an increasing danger to our country," calling
on the United Nations to help them on their homeland. "They would have
heard the painful cry of the merchants, expressed by the Jounieh and Keserwan -
Ftouh Traders Association in an open letter that they presented to us yesterday
so that we join our voice to theirs." He added, "O deputies and political
officials, all this ruin will fall on your heads and consciences because of your
failure and pride. What is worse is that the region is in a state of change,
settlements, dialogues, and calm. Where are you from the audacity of dialogue?
And where are you going in Lebanon, making it a loose land? It is not yours, but
the property of the benevolent Lebanese people who preserved it with sacrifices
and redeemed it with the blood of its martyred sons."
Bishop Elias Aoudi: What is this impossibility
in electing a figure to head the state? Is the country devoid of men whose heart
beats with the love Lebanon?
NNA/LCCC/May 14/2023
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/118225/118225/
Bishop Elias Aoudi in his sermon today said: "Our country today
is similar to Samaritan in its sin. Its multiple marriages, that is, the
attachments of most leaders and officials in it and their attachment to an
external affiliation, have brought it to the bottom of the chasm in which it
languishes today. If our officials had returned to the Bible and read what was
written in it about Lebanon, they would have known its value and their loyalty
would have been to Him alone." Because God chose him, and built his temple from
his cedars. The surrounding countries used to yearn for Lebanon, some of them
loved him, some sought to be like him, and others envied him. Now they all
preceded him, and they are searching for a solution to his cause because of the
shortcomings of his sons and their differences and divisions. They say what They
don't. They release stances and slogans based on principles and values, but
their actions reveal their intentions. Everyone is calling for the necessity of
electing a president and defining his characteristics. What are they waiting
for? What is this impossibility in electing a figure to head the state? Is the
country devoid of men whose heart beat with love for Lebanon? Isn't it necessary
for all those responsible to return to the Lord, and seek the aid of the Holy
Spirit, who, just as He helped the apostles in electing a successor to Judah,
would inspire his petitioners and show them the path leading to their salvation?
And he concluded: “The Church calls us today to drink from the fountain of
living water, Christ who alone is able to revive our souls and bodies, and we
are called to carry the word of God and hasten to thirst for it, just as the
Samaritan did, who lit up the darkness of the hearts of a people who were
darkened by distance and alienation from God. It was the reason for his
salvation."
Report: Berri to call for presidential vote,
Safa to meet Bassil
Naharnet/May 14, 2023
The “countdown” for Speaker Nabih Berri’s call for a presidential election
session has started, informed sources quoted a prominent political leader as
saying. “His remarks about June 15 as a deadline are not only aimed at pushing
political forces to take decisions, but are also based on several indications
and elements,” the sources added, in remarks to ad-Diyar newspaper published
Sunday. “The positive atmosphere as to finalizing things is more serious than
ever,” the political leader added. A prominent parliamentary source from the
Shiite Duo meanwhile expressed to ad-Diyar his “relief” over the latest
developments, saying that “there is a good and positive foreign atmosphere and
an active domestic drive that can be counted on in securing the right
circumstances for the election of the president.” “Speaker Berri is inclined to
call for a presidential election session and the other camp must name its
candidate,” the source added. Informed sources meanwhile told the daily that
Hezbollah liaison and coordination officer Wafiq Saqa will meet next week in Sin
el-Fil with Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil.
Bou Habib talks to UAE foreign minister after Lebanese man dies in custody
Associated Press/May 14, 2023
Lebanon's foreign minister has spoken with his counterpart in the United Arab
Emirates following the death of a Lebanese citizen while in custody in the
oil-rich Gulf nation, Lebanon's Foreign Ministry said in a statement. The
Ministry said 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 Bou
Habib 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 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./May 14, 2023
Khawaja to LBCI: The other 'team' agreed not to
support Frangieh, but did not agree on an alternative name
LBCI/May 14, 2023
Member of the Development and Liberation bloc MP Mohammad Khawaja considered
that Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri set June 15 as a deadline for electing a
president to "light the red light in front of all political forces represented
in Parliament that there are important dues waiting us after June 15."
"If we reach presidential vacancy to the aforementioned date, it will be
extended to the governorship of Banque du Liban and others, and we are against
extending to the governor," he added. On the presidential issue, Khawaja said in
an interview on LBCI's Nharkom Said TV show, "We support our candidate, Suleiman
Frangieh, and our position is declared and cannot be changed, and the other
party must decide its options for the sessions to be meaningful." "The other
party agreed not to support Frangieh's name, but it did not agree on an
alternative name," he added. He believed that all Speaker Berri aspired to was a
"dialogue session." If it had taken place, "we would have had a president four
months ago." Regarding the file of Syrian refugees, Khawaja indicated that
"talking with Assad is necessary to resolve this issue" and believed that "Frangieh
can carry out this task and he is known for his courage and frankness, and he
can talk with the Syrian leaders in this file as a friend and not as an
opponent."
Lost potential: The untapped benefits of Lebanon's marijuana industry
LBCI/May 14, 2023
Lebanon is the fourth largest producer of hashish in the world, but until today
it has not been able to benefit from this plant. The cultivation of cannabis,
also known as Indian hemp, started here in the plains of Lebanon, and this is
its history: According to experts and residents, the cultivation of cannabis in
Lebanon dates back to the Roman era, and the evidence is a carving of a cannabis
leaf found on one of the stones of the Temple of Bacchus in Baalbek. It is also
worth noting that during the Ottoman era, this cultivation flourished
significantly. But what Lebanese people are aware of is that marijuana played a
role during the years of the Lebanese Civil War (1975-1990), as it constituted a
significant source of funding for political parties and militias. Not only did
Lebanese political parties benefit from this cultivation, but the Syrian army
also extended its control over the cultivation and trade of marijuana due to its
significant financial return. This is the history of the thriving marijuana
industry in Lebanon, which came to a certain end after the war when the
government began trying to eradicate this cultivation and replace it with other
crops without providing alternative plans that could have achieved substantial
profits.
Frem visits Bukhari, Rahi
NNA/May 14, 2023
Chairman of the Executive Council of "Project Watan", MP Neemat Frem, visited
today Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon, Walid Al-Bukhari, in Yarzeh, and Maronite
Patriarch, Cardinal Beshara Butros Al-Rahi, in Bkirki. Both visits came within
the context of consultations and deliberations over latest developments and
challenges facing Lebanon and the Lebanese, and the dire need for a quick exit
from the presidential vacuum tunnel.
Finance Ministry: Tomorrow, Monday, is the last day
to benefit from exemptions from fines on taxes, violations
NNA/May 14, 2023
In an issued statement on Sunday, the Ministry of Finance pointed out to all
citizens and taxpayers that tomorrow, Monday, May 15, 2023, is the last day to
benefit from exemptions from fines for taxes, fees, and violations amounting to
100% based on Article 20 of the Budget Law 2022.
The Ministry called on all those concerned who wish to benefit from these
exemptions to head tomorrow to its centers in all governorates during official
working hour, and also announced that it will extend the deadline for issuing
receipts until twelve o'clock midnight on Monday, May 15th, in its main building
at the Directorate of Imports and TVA in Adlieh - Corniche Al-Nahr. The Ministry
encouraged those concerned with tax on built property to access its website
www.finance.gov.lb to find out the status of their files.
Global Ambassador for Peace tours political,
religious figures in Lebanon, calls for cross-sectarian dialogue table that
consolidates coexistence
NNA - Global Ambassador for Peace, Hussein Ghamloush, met with a number of
spiritual, political and administrative figures within the framework of his
visit to Lebanon and encounters with Lebanese leaders. According to a statement,
Ghamloush visited the Grand Mufti of the Republic, Sheikh Abdul-Latif Darian;
the Deputy Head of the Supreme Shiite Islamic Council, Sheikh Ali al-Khatib; the
Druze Sheikh Al-Aql, Sheikh Sami Abi al-Muna; the Archbishop of Ferzol, Zahle,
and the Bekaa of the Melkite Roman Catholics, Ibrahim Mikhael Ibrahim, and the
Archbishop of Bekaa and Zahle of the Zahle Maronite Archdiocese, Joseph Moawad.
The statement indicated that he discussed with the religious authorities the
current situation prevailiong in the country and called for "a cross-sectarian
dialogue table in order to consolidate coexistence and civil peace in all
regions," and to "exert pressure to elect a president of the republic to enhance
stability so as to move the economic and tourism wheels in Lebanon."Ambassador
Ghamloush also visited Lebanese Red Cross President, Antoine Al-Zoghbi, and the
Vice-President of "Caritas Lebanon", Nicolas Hajjar. He also met with Caretaker
Minister of Industry George Boushkian, with whom he discussed ways of
cooperation between Arab and foreign businessmen in the European continent with
Lebanon. In the context of his visit to the Bekaa, Ghamloush met with the Mayor
of Hasbaya, Rawad Salloum, where the general situation in the Hasbaya district
was reviewed, in addition to a number of development projects of interest to
citizens in the region, especially in the agricultural sector. Finally, the
Global Peace Ambassador concluded his tour by visiting Parliament Speaker Nabih
Berri in Ain al-Tineh, affirming his support for his fellow Lebanese and his
"relentless endeavors with donors to provide assistance in all development
fields to enhance stability and internal civil peace in the country."
Environment Minister underlines importance of
transitioning to sustainable transportation to reduce pollution
NNA/May 14, 2023
The Ministry of Environment organized a forum on "sustainable transportation"
within the activities of the Electric Vehicles Exhibition in Beirut. In his
address on the occasion, Caretaker Environment Minister Nasser Yassin stressed
"the importance of moving to sustainable transportation in order to reduce
pollution, protect public health and ensure justice," considering that "this
transition achieves economic savings due to the waste caused by road
congestion." The Environment Minister suggested "appointing a regulatory
authority for the transport sector, with a modern organization of the sector
based on the above-mentioned principles being among its tasks." He also
suggested "taking advantage of climate finance and green finance opportunities
to build sustainable public transport and encourage investments in this field,
in addition to designing walking and cycling paths such as those set for
Beirut."
BDL Third Deputy Governor: Sayrafa platform a
financial & economic need, first step towards liberalizing exchange
NNA/May 14, 2023
Third Deputy Governor of the Banque du Liban, Salim Chahine, met in his office
at BDL with a delegation from the Beirut Trustees Forum headed by Fadi Ghalayini,
with talks centering on the overall financial and monetary conditions prevailing
in Lebanon at the economic level. Chahine responded to the inquiries of the
delegation members, explaining that the "Sayrafa exchange platform is a
financial and economic need and a first step towards liberalizing the exchange
rate and placing the financial situation on the right track," adding that "more
transparency is required to know the movement of transactions on the platform as
well as the motives for buying and selling.""It requires high-quality technical
management far from any tensions, so that it can play its actual role in the
markets and not be a competitive tool," he went on. Chahine revealed that there
is no substitute for an effective role by the International Monetary Fund in
ending the financial crisis in Lebanon. "This role is essential in rebuilding
the financial and economic sectors," he said, stressing on "the Fund's demand
for structural reforms in the public and financial sectors, while the Parliament
Council solely focuses through the Capital Control Law on determining losses and
the fate of depositors' funds." "What is required is to take bold decisions to
move the national economy and not to be held hostage to the cash economies, and
therefore we pushed for the approval of Circular 165, which gives a margin for
action pending reform decisions," Chahine continued to explain. He emphasized
that "there must be a separation between the Central Bank's responsibility as to
the party entrusted with maintaining monetary stability and the role of other
bodies required to effectively control the movement of the banking sector."
Chahine considered that "the decisions issued by the Banque du Liban are the
decisions of the Central Council, while the circulars are issued by the Governor
personally, and he has the authority to do so, and those decisions may be after
consultation with the government and the Minister of Finance." He also hinted
that many of the statements that are issued are "populist" in nature and have
nothing to do with reality. "It would be preferable if communication occurs with
those in charge of financial policy to give these statements and positions their
actual value, most recent of which being the statements about the value of
gold," Chahine underlined.
Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports
And News published
on May 14-15/2023
US Welcomes Israel-Gaza
Ceasefire
Reuters/Sun, May 14, 2023
The White House welcomed the announced ceasefire between Israel and the
Gaza-based militant Islamic Jihad group on Saturday night, thanking Egypt for
helping to broker a halt to escalating cross-border fighting. "The United States
welcomes tonight's announcement of a ceasefire between Israel and Gaza-based
militants brokered by the Egyptian government after nearly five days of
fighting," White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said. The White House
said US officials worked with regional partners to achieve the resolution and
thanked Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and senior Egyptian for
"critical diplomatic efforts," as well as Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani
of Qatar.
Gaza residents wake up to quiet Sunday after
announcement of ceasefire
Agencies/Arab News/May 14, 2023
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip: Residents of the Gaza Strip woke up to a Sunday
morning without the sounds of bombardments and explosions after five days of
continuous fighting between Islamic Jihad and Israel. Cars returned to the
streets, stores opened their doors, and residents greeted each other, letting
their neighbors know that they had not lost relatives or property. The
Palestinian Ministry of Education in Gaza also announced the resumption of
classes starting Monday, after inspecting school buildings to determine whether
they had suffered damages from the bombing.
The Ministry of Economy said that the initial losses for each day of the
“Zionist aggression on the enclave amounted to $10 million, with a total of $50
million as a result of the disruption of the production process.”Israel and
Islamic Jihad agreed to a ceasefire on Saturday night, mediated by Egypt with
efforts by Qatar, the UN and the US. Yahya Abu Obeid, 55, was searching through
the rubble of his house in the city of Deir Al-Balah in the middle of the Gaza
Strip, looking for clothes and the remnants of furniture or household supplies.
“We left the house without any belongings,” he told Arab News, adding that he
hoped to find items he could make use of while waiting for the rubble to be
removed and, possibly, his house to be rebuilt. Israel bombed Abu Obeid’s house
for the second time during the latest round of fighting. It was destroyed in the
2014 war as well.
“It took three years to rebuild the house in 2014. I don’t know when I will
rebuild it again. We are currently living with relatives,” he said. There were
10 people — Abu Obeid and his sons — living in the two-story house. “Our lives
as Palestinians are full of tragedies,” said Abu Obeid. “This is not the first
time, and it may not be the last. “Israel does not differentiate between
civilian homes and others. When it lacks goals, it destroys civilian homes to
put pressure on the residents.”The destruction of Abu Obeid’s house by a single
Israeli missile caused widespread destruction in the surrounding area, damaging
several houses beyond repair. Ali Sarsour, 36, was cleaning his house with his
wife. His apartment was next to Abu Obaid’s house and suffered extensive damage
to the windows and walls. “There is no safety in this place,” said Sarsour. “How
long must we suffer before the world understands that we deserve a better
life?”The Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza confirmed that 33 Palestinians
— including six children — were killed, while at 190 others were injured. During
the fighting, 11 Islamic Jihad members were killed, including six of its most
prominent military commanders and some of their children and families, according
to an official statement. Islamic Jihad does not see the end of this latest
round of fighting as an end to the confrontation with Israel, but rather as “one
episode in a long war.” In a statement following the announcement of the
ceasefire, Ziyad Al-Nakhala, secretary-general of Islamic Jihad, said: “Today we
announce the end of another round of conflict with the Zionist project, in which
we lost our dearest sons among the martyred leaders.”
Palestinians and Israelis Resume Normal Life
after Gaza Truce
AFP/Sun, May 14, 2023
Life on both sides of the Gaza Strip border began returning to normal on Sunday
after an Egyptian-mediated ceasefire halted five days of fighting between Israel
and Islamic Jihad, which killed 34 Palestinians and an Israeli. Israel reopened
its goods and commercial border crossings, allowing fuel to flow to the lone
power plant in the blockaded coastal enclave. Shops and public offices reopened
and crowds returned to streets that had been deserted for days. Leaders from
both sides of the conflict confirmed their commitment to the truce, but gave
different interpretations of the terms, such as whether Israel would end
targeted killings of Palestinian militant leaders. The latest fighting, the
longest bout since a 10-day war in 2021, began when Israel launched a series of
air strikes in the early hours of Tuesday, announcing that it was targeting
Islamic Jihad commanders who had planned attacks against it. In response, the
Iranian-backed group fired more than 1,000 rockets, sending Israelis fleeing
into bomb shelters. In areas of southern Israel around Gaza, schools were still
closed on Sunday and many of the thousands of residents who had been evacuated
had yet to return. "It's no simple matter to come back from such a situation,"
Gadi Yarkoni, mayor for several Israeli towns on the Gaza border, told radio
station 103 FM.
Palestinian health officials said 33 people, including women and children as
well as Islamic Jihad fighters, were killed in Gaza. In Israel, an Israeli woman
and a Palestinian laborer were killed by Gazan rockets. Mohammad Al-Hindi, a
senior Islamic Jihad official who co-negotiated a ceasefire in Cairo with
Egyptian officials, said in a statement on Sunday that the group was prepared to
halt its rocket launches in exchange for Israel's agreement to stop targeting
houses, civilians, and militant leaders. "We are committed to the calm agreement
as long as the enemy abided by it," he said. But Israel denied it had made any
such undertakings, saying only that it would it hold fire as long as there was
no threat. "I have said time and again: Whoever strikes at us, whoever tries to
strike at us, whoever tries to strike us in the future - his blood is forfeit,"
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told his weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem.
Israeli forces had "successfully concluded five days of fighting the Islamic
Jihad terrorist group," he said in the televised remarks, without mentioning a
ceasefire agreement. Hamas, the group that controls Gaza, did not take part in
the fighting and Israeli military officials said their strikes did not target
its infrastructure or leaders. How long the latest ceasefire will hold remained
unclear. The latest bout of fighting came only a week after another round of
overnight barrages and even as the truce was being finalized, the two sides kept
up their firing. "We will continue doing everything that has to be done with one
consideration alone: What serves the security interests of the State of Israel,"
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a member of Netanyahu's security cabinet told
Kan radio. "We dealt a serious blow to Islamic Jihad (but) we have not solved
the Gaza problem. This is a problem that requires a much more dramatic
solution," Smotrich said. In Gaza, people were picking up the pieces after days
of bombardment that Israel said targeted Islamic Jihad command centers and other
military infrastructure, but which also damaged or destroyed dozens of houses.
"This is my room, it had the toys I used to play with and the books I used to
study, there was nothing left," said Ritaj Abu Abeid, 12, as she stood inside
her wrecked bedroom. Maddah Al-Amoudi, 40, one of around 3,000 Gaza fishermen
who had been blocked from going to sea, also welcomed the return to normality.
"We have no alternative to the sea. If there is work in the sea, we can earn
money and food for our children and if there is no sea, there is nothing."
Syria's main insurgent group seeks to move
away from al-Qaida past, get off Western terrorism lists
IDLIB, Syria (AP)/Sun, May 14, 2023
The leader of an insurgent group that rules much of northwest Syria rose to
notoriety over the past decade by claiming deadly bombings, threatening revenge
against Western “crusader” forces and dispatching Islamist religious police to
crack down on women deemed to be immodestly dressed. Today the man known as Abu
Mohammed al-Golani is trying hard to distance his group, Hayat Tahrir al Sham,
known as HTS, from its al-Qaida origins, spreading a message of pluralism and
religious tolerance. As part of the rebranding, he has cracked down on extremist
factions and dissolved the notorious religious police. For the first time in
more than a decade, a Mass was performed recently at a long-shuttered church in
Idlib province. Al-Golani told a recent gathering of religious and local
officials that Islamic law should not be imposed by force. “We don’t want the
society to become hypocritical so that they pray when they see us and don’t once
we leave,” al-Golani said, pointing to Saudi Arabia, which has relaxed its
social controls in recent years after decades of strict Islamic rule. The pivot
comes at a time when al-Golani's group is increasingly isolated. Countries that
had once backed insurgents in Syria’s uprising-turned-civil-war are restoring
relations with Syrian President Bashar Assad.
Saudi Arabia, a one-time Assad foe, reversed course and led a push resulting in
Syria's return to the Arab League last week, after 12 years of regional
isolation. Even Turkey, the main remaining state backer of armed opposition
groups in Syria, has signaled a shift. Last week, the Turkish foreign minister
met with his Syrian counterpart in Moscow, the first such meeting since 2011.
The foreign ministers of Russia and Iran, Assad's main allies, also attended.
The meeting marked a significant step toward Damascus and Ankara restoring ties,
even as the presence of Turkish troops in northwest Syria remains a sticking
point. At the same time, the United States considers HTS a terrorist group and
has offered a $10 million reward for information on al-Golani’s whereabouts. The
United Nations also designates it a terrorist organization. Earlier this month,
the U.S. and Turkey jointly slapped sanctions on two people who allegedly raised
money for militant groups, including HTS. Al-Golani rose to prominence in the
early months of the Syrian uprising in 2011, when he became the leader of al-Qaida’s
branch in Syria, known at the time as the Nusra Front. Militants and top
officials from Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaida flocked to the group’s base of
operations in northern Syria, where many of them were later killed in U.S.
strikes.
In July 2016, the Nusra Front changed its name to Fatah al-Sham Front and said
it was cutting ties with al-Qaida, in what was seen by many as an attempt to
improve its image. Fatah al-Sham later merged with several other groups and
became Hayat Tahrir al Sham.
During that period, al-Golani showed his face publicly for the first time and
changed his style of dress from white turbans and robes to shirts and trousers.
His fighters went after Islamic State group militants who fled to Idlib after
their defeat and cracked down on Horas al-Din or “Guardians of Religion,”
another militant group that includes hardcore al-Qaida members who broke away
from HTS. The change in al-Golani’s public image appears not to have impressed
the U.S. government. Posts on social media accounts of the U.S. government’s
Rewards for Justice show a photo of al-Golani wearing a light blue shirt and
dark blue blazer with a caption in Arabic that reads: “Hello, handsome al-Golani.
Nice shirt. You can change your uniform, but you will always be a terrorist.
Don’t forget the $10 million reward.”In 2017, HTS set up a so-called “salvation
government” to run day-to-day affairs in the region. At first, it attempted to
enforce a strict interpretation of Islamic law. Religious police were tasked
with making sure that women were covered, with only their faces and hands
showing. Its members would force shops to close on Fridays so that people could
attend the weekly prayers. Playing music was banned, as was smoking water pipes
in public. In March 2020, Russia and Turkey, which support rival groups in the
conflict, reached a truce. Since then, rebel-held northwestern Syria has
witnessed relative calm, and HTS focused its efforts on cracking down on the
remnants of IS and other jihadist groups. The International Crisis Group think
tank, in a report earlier this year, said HTS has evolved and “distanced itself
from global jihadism.”HTS has also sometimes portrayed itself as a defender of
minorities in the primarily Sunni Arab northwest. In March, members of a
Turkish-backed armed group shot dead four Kurdish men in the town of Jinderis as
they lit a fire to celebrate the Kurdish new year. Al-Golani met with the
victims’ families and other Kurdish residents of the area and promised revenge
against the perpetrators.
In a 2021 interview with PBS, al-Golani called his group’s terrorist designation
“unfair” and “political,” saying that while he had criticized Western policies
in the region, “we didn’t say we want to fight (them).”Al-Golani said his
involvement with al-Qaeda has ended, and that even in the past his group was
“against carrying out operations outside of Syria.”The State Department said in
a statement that al-Golani remains a designated terrorist and that it does not
comment on possible deliberations about changing such designations. Aron Lund, a
fellow with the Century International research center, said he believes it’s
unlikely the U.S. will remove HTS and al-Golani from its terrorism list. “As far
as I can tell, the U.S. government remains genuinely concerned about the group’s
links to global jihadism,” Lund said. Waiel Olwan, a researcher at the
Turkey-based think tank Jusoor for Studies, said he believes al-Golani is trying
to show he is in control of Idlib and to guarantee a place for himself in Syria
once the conflict ends. Asim Zedan, an activist whose group tracks violations by
HTS, said the ongoing terror designation is a blow to al-Golani’s self-image.
“After forming the salvation government and setting up ministries, al-Golani now
sees himself as a head of state,” Zedan said.
Khartoum region under bombardment as Sudan's rivals talk
KHARTOUM (Reuters)/Sun, May 14, 2023
Shelling and air strikes pounded parts of Sudan's capital on Sunday with little
sign that warring military factions were ready to back down in a conflict that
has killed hundreds despite ceasefire talks in Saudi Arabia. Khartoum and the
adjoining cities of Bahri and Omdurman across the Nile's two branches have been
the main theatre of conflict along with western Darfur province since the army
and Rapid Support Forces paramilitary started fighting a month ago. Shelling
struck Bahri and air strikes hit Omdurman early on Sunday, according to a
Reuters reporter and witnesses. Al Arabiya television reported heavy clashes in
central Khartoum. "There were heavy air strikes near us in Saliha that shook the
doors of the house," said Salma Yassin, a teacher in Omdurman. The fighting has
killed hundreds of people, sent 200,000 into neighbouring countries as refugees,
displaced another 700,000 inside Sudan triggering a humanitarian catastrophe and
threatens to draw in outside powers and destabilise the region. The number of
people killed in fighting on Friday and Saturday in Geneina, capital of West
Darfur, reached more than 100, including the imam of the city's old mosque, the
Darfur Bar Association said in a statement. The local rights group blamed the
killings, looting and arson in Geneina, where hundreds died in violence last
month, on attacks by armed groups on motorbikes and the RSF. The RSF has denied
responsibility for the unrest. Army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and RSF leader
Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, had shared power after a 2021 coup that
itself followed a 2019 uprising that ousted veteran Islamist autocrat Omar al-Bashir.
But they fell out over the terms and timing of a planned transition to civilian
rule and neither man has shown he is ready for concessions, with the army
controlling air power and the RSF dug deep into city districts. Truce deals have
been repeatedly broken but the United States and Saudi Arabia are mediating
talks in Jeddah aimed at securing a lasting ceasefire. "You don't know how long
this war will continue ... The house became unsafe and we don't have enough
money to travel out of Khartoum. Why are we paying the price of Burhan and
Hemedti's war?" said Yassin, the teacher. On Thursday the sides agreed a
"declaration of principles" to protect civilians and secure humanitarian access,
but with Sunday's discussions due to address monitoring and enforcement
mechanisms for that deal, the fighting has not let up.
Zelensky calls Germany a ‘true friend’ as
Ukraine prepares counter-offensive
AFP/May 14, 2023
BERLIN: Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday called Germany a “true
friend and reliable ally” in his country’s battle against Russia, as Berlin
unveiled a huge new military package for Kyiv on his visit to the EU giant.
Zelensky’s trip to Germany follows meetings in Rome with Italian leaders and the
pope, and comes as Kyiv is preparing a much-anticipated counter-offensive. “In
the most challenging time in the modern history of Ukraine, Germany proved to be
our true friend and reliable ally, which stands decisively side-by-side with the
Ukrainian people in the struggle to defend freedom and democratic values,” he
wrote in the guestbook at the German president’s official residence. “Together
we will win and bring peace back to Europe,” he added in the entry, before
heading into talks with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. Ukrainian
forces have been training troops and stockpiling Western-supplied munitions and
hardware that analysts say will be key to reclaiming territory captured by
Russia. Once accused of reticence in supplying military gear to Ukraine, Germany
has since become a major contributor of tanks, rockets and anti-missile systems.
On the occasion of Zelensky’s visit, Berlin unveiled its biggest armaments
package for Ukraine yet, including tanks, missile defense systems and combat
vehicles worth 2.7 billion euros. Zelensky said he “discussed the current
situation and the intensive cooperation between Germany and Ukraine” with
Steinmeier. He was later greeted by Chancellor Olaf Scholz with military honors
before heading into talks behind closed doors.
He is also expected to head to the western German city of Aachen, which this
year is awarding him and the Ukrainian people the Charlemagne prize — an honor
awarded for efforts to foster European unity. Scholz, European Commission
President Ursula von der Leyen and Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki are
due to attend the ceremony in Aachen. A meeting with the European leaders could
help prepare the ground ahead of an EU summit in Reykjavik next Tuesday,
followed by the G7 gathering of world leaders in Hiroshima, Japan. Zelensky’s
visit rounds off over a year of choppy relations with Germany, which is now one
of Ukraine’s biggest armaments suppliers, but only after much pressure from
Kyiv. In a clear show of its backing for Kyiv, Berlin on Saturday said it would
send Ukraine more firing units and launchers for the Iris-T anti-missile system,
30 additional Leopard 1 tanks, more than 100 armored combat vehicles and over
200 surveillance drones. “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.
Mykhaylo Podolyak, an adviser to Zelensky, hailed the announcement, saying it
indicated that Russia was “bound to lose and sit on the bench of historical
shame.”Early on in the conflict, Kyiv had accused Germany of being too
accommodating to Russian President Vladimir Putin, while Berlin’s reliance on
Russian energy had proved tricky. Kyiv had also snubbed a visit by Steinmeier in
the weeks following the invasion, which in turn delayed Scholz’s first trip to
the war-torn country. Both Steinmeier and Scholz have since visited Ukraine. As
Kyiv prepares its offensive to retake ground in the eastern Donetsk and Lugansk
regions, as well as the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions in the south, Germany’s
continued military backing will likely prove vital. High-tech German-made
Leopard 2A6 tanks sought by Kyiv have already been put to use at the frontlines,
and the medium-range Iris-T missile defense system from Germany is also helping
to bolster Ukraine’s protection against Russian strikes. On the front line, near
the eastern flashpoint town of Bakhmut, both sides claimed to be making
progress. “Our soldiers are moving forward in some areas of the front, and the
enemy is losing equipment and manpower,” commander of the Ukrainian ground
forces Oleksandr Syrskyi said on social media on Saturday. Russia said its
forces were still pushing inside Bakhmut. “In the Donetsk direction, assault
detachments liberated a block in the northwestern part of the city of Artemovsk,”
the defense ministry said, referring to Bakhmut by its Russian name. Western
allies have delivered increasingly powerful weapons to Ukraine. Britain this
week announced it was sending Storm Shadow missiles, becoming the first country
to send longer-range arms to Kyiv. Russia described it as “an extremely hostile
step” and on Saturday accused Kyiv of using the British missiles to target
civilian sites in eastern Ukraine, wounding six children. In Rome, Zelensky said
he discussed with Pope Francis the fate of “tens of thousands of children” that
Kyiv says were deported to Russia, as well as his plans for peace. Zelensky also
thanked Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni “for helping to save lives.” “I am
convinced that Ukraine will win and be reborn stronger, more proud and more
prosperous than before,” said Meloni in response.
Zelenskiy: Ukraine, West can make Russia's
defeat 'irreversible' this year
KYIV (Reuters)/Sun, May 14, 2023
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Sunday that Kyiv and its Western
supporters could make Russia's defeat in the war in Ukraine "irreversible" this
year, as he thanked Germany for its military support. The Ukrainian leader told
a joint news conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin that Kyiv
would always be grateful to Germany for its support during Russia's full-scale
invasion. "Now is the time for us to determine the end of the war already this
year, we can make the aggressor's defeat irreversible already this year," he
said. Ukraine is expected to launch major counter-offensive operations in the
coming weeks to try to recapture tracts of its east and south from Russian
forces who launched a full-scale invasion in February last year. Zelenskiy said
Kyiv was prepared to discuss outside initiatives from other states to bring
peace to his country but that those proposals should be based on Ukraine's
position and its peace plan."The war is happening on the territory of our
country and so any peace plan will be based on Ukraine's proposals," he said.
Kyiv has ruled out the idea of any territorial concessions to Russia and has
said it wants every inch of its land back. Russia claims to have annexed the
Crimean peninsula and four other Ukrainian regions, which Moscow now calls
Russian land.
Ukrainian President Says Counterffensive Does Not Aim to
Attack Russian Territory
APSun, May 14, 2023
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Sunday his country is preparing a
counteroffensive designed to liberate areas occupied by Russia, not to attack
Russian territory. Speaking during a news conference with German Chancellor Olaf
Scholz in Berlin, Zelenskyy said Ukraine’s goal is to free the territories
within its internationally recognized borders, reported The Associated Press.
Scholz told Zelenskyy that Germany will support Ukraine “for as long as
necessary.” Zelenskyy was welcomed with military honors Sunday as he made his
first visit to Germany since Russia invaded Ukraine. The Ukrainian president is
visiting allies in search of further arms deliveries to help his country fend
off the Russian invasion, and funds to rebuild what's been destroyed by more
than a year of devastating conflict. A Luftwaffe jet flew Zelenskyy to the
German capital from Rome, where he had met Saturday with Pope Francis and
Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni. On the eve of his arrival — which is taking
place amid tight security — the German government announced a new package of
military aid for Ukraine worth more than 2.7 billion euros ($3 billion),
including tanks, anti-aircraft systems and ammunition. “Already in Berlin.
Weapons. Powerful package. Air defense. Reconstruction. EU. NATO. Security,”
Zelenskyy tweeted Sunday, in an apparent reference to the key priorities of his
trip. After initially hesitating to provide Ukraine with lethal weapons, Germany
has become one of the biggest suppliers of arms to Ukraine, including Leopard 1
and 2 battle tanks, and the sophisticated IRIS-T SLM air-defense system. Modern
Western hardware is considered crucial if Ukraine is to succeed in its planned
counteroffensive against Russian troops. Zelenskyy first met with President
Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Germany's head of state, who was snubbed by Kyiv last
year, apparently over his previous close ties to Russia, causing a chill in
diplomatic relations between Ukraine and Germany. Since then, both Steinmeier
and Chancellor Olaf Scholz have visited Ukraine, assuring Zelenskyy of their
support for his country's fight against the Russian invasion. Announcing the new
arms package, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said Berlin would help
Ukraine for “as long as it takes.” After meeting Scholz and other senior
officials at the chancellery, the two leaders are expected to fly to the western
city of Aachen for Zelenskyy to receive the International Charlemagne Prize
awarded to him and the people of Ukraine. Organizers say the award recognizes
that their resistance against Russia's invasion is a defense "not just of the
sovereignty of their country and the life of its citizens, but also of Europe
and European values.” While German leaders have expressed strong backing for
Ukraine, German voters are divided on whether the country should provide further
weapons, particularly advanced fighter jets of the kind Kyiv is asking its
allies for.
Footage shows massive explosions and fireballs after a wave
of Russian drones targeted a city in western Ukraine
Bethany Dawson/Business Insider/May 14, 2023
The Khmelnytskyi Oblast Military Administration confirmed "critical
infrastructure" had been hit. Russia announced that they had destroyed an ammo
depot and a hangar at an airbase. Dramatic footage circulating on social media
shows a massive explosion rocking the western Ukrainian city of Khmelnytskyi
following a mass attack by Russian drones. The Khmelnytskyi Oblast Military
Administration confirmed on Telegram that "critical infrastructure" had been hit
in the attack on Friday night. A wave of 21 attack drones were fired at the
city, according to reports. "Unfortunately, not all drones were destroyed that
night – 17 out of 21 UAVs. There are four hits in Khmelnytskyi region," said
Yuriy Ihnat, spokesman for the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, per
Mail Online. The mayor of the region, Oleksandr Simchyshyn, wrote that
"educational institutions, medical facilities, administrative buildings,
industrial facilities, multi-story buildings, and private houses have been
damaged" in the attack. Simchyshyn confirmed that there had been civilian
casualties. Local news outlets reported at least 21 civilians were injured,
citing the Khmelnytskyi Oblast Military Administration. The Russian Ministry of
Defense said that the attack had destroyed an ammunition depot and hangar at the
Starokostiantyniv airbase in Khmelnytskyi, per Sky News. On Saturday night,
another western city was bombed by Russia. Putin's forces struck Ternopil, the
hometown of Ukraine's Eurovision contestants, the duo Tvorchi, moments before
they went on stage for the international song contest in Liverpool. Ukrainian
forces intercepted and destroyed three missiles and 25 drones overnight,
Ukraine's air force said, per Sky News.
Russia Says Ukraine Made ‘Mass Attempts’ to
Break through Bakhmut Defenses
AP/May 14/2023
Russia's Defense Ministry on Sunday said that Ukrainian forces made "mass
attempts" to break through its defenses in the city of Bakhmut over the past 24
hours, Russian news agencies reported. "All attacks by units of the Ukrainian
Armed Forces have been repelled. There have been no breakthroughs of the Russian
troops' defenses," Interfax quoted Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov
as saying. Separately, the defense ministry said it carried out long-range
strikes on the Ukrainian city of Ternopil, targeting "units of Ukraine's armed
forces and ammunition storage sites".
2 senior Russian commanders have been killed in fighting near Bakhmut, defense
ministry says
Alia Shoaib/Business Insider/May 14, 2023
Russia's Defense Ministry said two senior commanders had been killed near
Bakhmut, eastern Ukraine. It claimed Putin's forces were repelling Ukrainian
attacks but admitted to losing the top officers. Ukraine has reportedly advanced
in Bakhmut in recent days. The Wagner chief called it a Russian "rout."
Two Russian commanders have been killed in fighting near Bakhmut in eastern
Ukraine, the Russian Ministry of Defense said on Sunday. The ministry said the
commanders died while repelling Ukrainian attempts to break through the
frontline. The commander of the 4th motorized rifle brigade, Colonel Vyacheslav
Makarov, was wounded in the fighting and died while being evacuated from the
battlefield, the ministry said. Meanwhile, the deputy commander of the army
corps for military-political work, Colonel Yevgeny Brovko, died of multiple
shrapnel wounds sustained during a battle, it said. The department claimed that
Ukrainian forces had not succeeded in breaking through Russian defenses and that
hundreds of Ukrainian troops had been killed. Russian Defence Ministry spokesman
Igor Konashenkov said on Friday that Ukraine had launched an attack north of
Bakhmut with more than 1,000 troops and up to 40 tanks, which would be the
biggest Ukrainian offensive since November if confirmed, per Reuters. He said
that some Russian troops had fallen back from the north of Bakhmut to regroup to
better positions following further reports of Ukrainian advances in the south.
The founder of the paramilitary Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, who often
criticizes the Russian military and blames them for not supporting his fighters
in Bakhmut, described the retreat as "a rout' and not a regrouping." He added
that Ukraine had taken high ground overlooking Bakhmut and freed up the Chasiv
Yar-Bakhmut road, a vital supply line. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
said on Sunday that his forces are preparing to launch a counteroffensive to
free territories occupied by Russia. It is unclear whether the advances in
Bakhmut are part of the much-anticipated counteroffensive.
Türkiye Votes in Pivotal Elections, with Erdogan Rule in
Balance
Asharq Al Awsat/May 14/2023
Turks voted on Sunday in one of the most important elections in modern Türkiye’s
100-year history, which could either unseat President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and
halt his government's increasingly authoritarian path or usher in a third decade
of his rule. The vote will decide not only who leads Türkiye, a NATO-member
country of 85 million, but also how it is governed, where its economy is headed
amid a deep cost of living crisis, and the shape of its foreign policy. Opinion
polls have given Erdogan's main challenger, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, who heads a
six-party alliance, a slight lead, with two polls on Friday showing him above
the 50% threshold needed to win outright. If neither of them wins more than 50%
of the vote on Sunday, a runoff will be held on May 28. Polling stations in the
election, which is also for a new parliament, will close at 5 p.m. (1400 GMT).
Turkish law bans the reporting of any results until 9 p.m. By late on Sunday
there could be a good indication of whether there will be a runoff. "I see these
elections as a choice between democracy and dictatorship," said Ahmet Kalkan,
64, as he voted in Istanbul for Kilicdaroglu, echoing critics who fear Erdogan
will govern ever more autocratically if he wins. "I chose democracy and I hope
that my country chooses democracy," said Kalkan, a retired health sector worker.
Erdogan, 69 and a veteran of a dozen election victories, says he respects
democracy and denies being a dictator. Illustrating how the president still
commands support, Mehmet Akif Kahraman, also voting in Istanbul, said Erdogan
still represented the future even after two decades in power. "God willing,
Türkiye will be a world leader," he said. The election takes place three months
after earthquakes in southeast Türkiye killed more than 50,000 people. Many in
the affected provinces have expressed anger over the slow initial government
response but there is little evidence that the issue has changed how people will
vote. Erdogan, voting in Istanbul, shook the hands of election officials and
spoke to a TV reporter in the polling station. "We pray to the Lord for a better
future for our country, nation and Turkish democracy," he said. A smiling
Kilicdaroglu, 74, voted in Ankara and emerged to applause from the waiting
crowd. "I offer my most sincere love and respect to all my citizens who are
going to the ballot box and voting. We all miss democracy so much," he told the
assembled media. The parliamentary vote is a tight race between the People's
Alliance comprising Erdogan's Islamist-rooted AK Party (AKP) and the nationalist
MHP and others, and Kilicdaroglu's Nation Alliance formed of six opposition
parties, including his secularist Republican People's Party (CHP), established
by Türkiye’s founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.
Change or continuity
In Diyarbakir, a city in the mainly Kurdish southeast, some said it was time for
change while others backed Erdogan. Queues formed at polling stations in the
city, with some 9,000 police officers on duty across the province. Kurdish
voters, who account for 15-20% of the electorate, will play a pivotal role, with
the Nation Alliance unlikely to attain a parliamentary majority by itself. The
pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) is not part of the main opposition
alliance but fiercely opposes Erdogan after a crackdown on its members in recent
years. The HDP has declared its support for Kilicdaroglu for the presidency. It
is entering the parliamentary elections under the emblem of the small Green Left
Party due to a court case filed by a top prosecutor seeking to ban the HDP over
links to Kurdish militants, which the party denies. Erdogan, a powerful orator
and master campaigner, has pulled out all the stops on the campaign trail. He
commands fierce loyalty from pious Turks who once felt disenfranchised in
secular Türkiye and his political career has survived an attempted coup in 2016,
and numerous corruption scandals. However, if Turks do oust Erdogan it will be
largely because they saw their prosperity, equality and ability to meet basic
needs decline, with inflation that topped 85% in Oct. 2022 and a collapse in the
lira currency. Kilicdaroglu promises that if he wins he will return to orthodox
economic policies from Erdogan's heavy management. Kilicdaroglu also says he
would seek to return the country to the parliamentary system of governance, from
Erdogan's executive presidential system passed in a referendum in 2017. He has
also promised to restore the independence of a judiciary that critics say
Erdogan has used to crack down on dissent. Erdogan has taken tight control of
most of Türkiye institutions and sidelined liberals and critics. Human Rights
Watch, in its World Report 2022, said Erdogan's government has set back
Türkiye’s human rights record by decades.
Iran summons Iraq envoy over Kurdish
opposition groups
AFP/May 14, 2023
TEHRAN: Iran has summoned Iraq’s ambassador to protest over the presence of
Iranian opposition groups at an official ceremony in Iraq’s autonomous Kurdish
region, media reported Sunday. Quoting the foreign ministry, ISNA news agency
said that during Saturday’s meeting Tehran expressed its “strong objection” to
the invitation of members of “separatist groups” at the ceremony “contrary to
the recent security agreement between the Islamic republic and Iraq.” Iran uses
the words “separatist groups” to describe Kurdish factions opposed to the
Iranian government, and considers them to be “terrorist” organizations. Iraq’s
autonomous Kurdistan region hosts camps and rear-bases operated by several
Iranian Kurdish factions, which Iran has accused of serving Western or Israeli
interests in the past. In March Iran and Iraq signed a deal to protect their
common border, and the following month Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi
acknowledged the “security” agreement saying “the security of Iraq and its
borders is very important to us.” On Thursday a ceremony was held in the
Kurdistan region to inaugurate a cultural center in tribute to the late Kurdish
national hero Mustafa Barzani. The event was attended by Iraqi President Abdel
Latif Rashid and Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, as well as
representatives of Iranian opposition groups. “Following the invitation of
members of separatist groups to an official ceremony in the Kurdistan Region of
Iraq and the continuation of some terrorist groups’ movements in this region,
the Iraqi ambassador in Tehran was summoned to the ministry of foreign affairs
on Saturday,” ISNA said. In November, Iran launched cross-border missile and
drone strikes against several of the groups in northern Iraq, accusing them of
stoking nationwide protests triggered by the death in custody last September of
Iranian Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini.
As net tightens, Iranians pushed to take up
homegrown apps
AFP/May 14, 2023
TEHRAN: Banned from using popular Western apps, Iranians have been left with
little choice but to take up state-backed alternatives, as the authorities
tighten Internet restrictions for security reasons following months of protests.
Iranians are accustomed to using virtual private networks, or VPNs, to evade
restrictions and access prohibited websites or apps, including the US-owned
Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. The authorities went as far as imposing total
Internet blackouts during the protests that erupted after the September death of
22-year-old Mahsa Amini, following her arrest for an alleged breach of the
Islamic republic’s dress code for women. Connections are back up and running
again, and even those who are tech-savvy are being corralled into using the apps
approved by the authorities such as Neshan for navigation and Snapp! to hail a
car ride. As many as 89 million people have signed up to Iranian messaging apps
including Bale, Ita, Rubika and Soroush, the government says, but not everyone
is keen on making the switch. “The topics that I follow and the friends who I
communicate with are not on Iranian platforms,” said Mansour Roghani, a resident
in the capital Tehran. “I use Telegram and WhatsApp and, if my VPN still allows
me, I’ll check Instagram,” the former municipality employee said, adding that he
has not installed domestic apps as replacements.
At the height of the deadly Amini protests in October, the Iranian government
cited security concerns as it moved to restrict Internet access and added
Instagram and WhatsApp to its long list of blocked applications. “No one wants
to limit the Internet and we can have international platforms” if the foreign
companies agree to introduce representative offices in Iran, Telecommunications
Minister Issa Zarepour said last month. Meta, the American giant that owns
Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, has said it has no intention of setting up
offices in the Islamic republic, which remains under crippling US sanctions.
The popularity of the state-sanctioned apps may not be what it seems, however,
with the government encouraging people to install them by shifting essential
online public services to the homegrown platforms which are often funded by the
state. In addition, analysts say, Iranian users have online safety concerns when
using the approved local apps. “We have to understand they have needs,” said
Amir Rashidi, director of digital rights and security at the New York-based
Miaan Group. “As an Iranian citizen, what would you do if registering for
university is only based on one of these apps? Or what would you do if you need
access to government services?,” he said. The locally developed apps lack a
“clear privacy policy,” according to software developer Keikhosrow Heydari-Nejat.
“I have installed some of the domestic messaging apps on a separate phone, not
the one that I am using every day,” the 23-year-old said, adding he had done so
to access online government services. “If they (government) shut the Internet
down, I will keep them installed but I will visit my friends in person,” he
said. In a further effort to push people onto the domestic platforms, the
telecommunications ministry connected the four major messaging apps, enabling
users to communicate across the platforms. “Because the government is going for
the maximum number of users, they are trying to connect these apps,” the analyst
Rashidi said, adding all of the domestic platforms “will enjoy financial and
technical support.” Iran has placed restrictions on apps such as Facebook and
Twitter since 2009, following protests over disputed presidential elections. In
November 2019, Iran imposed nationwide Internet restrictions during protests
sparked by surprise fuel price hikes. A homegrown Internet network, the National
Information Network (NIN), which is around 60 percent completed, will allow
domestic platforms to operate independently of global networks. One platform
already benefitting from the highly filtered domestic network is Snapp!, an app
similar to US ride-hailing service Uber that has 52 million users — more than
half the country’s population.
But Rashidi said the NIN will give Tehran greater control to “shut down the
Internet with less cost” once completed.
Abdollahian: We hope to see a serious
breakthrough in Iranian-Egyptian relations
NNA/May 14, 2023
Today, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian expressed his hope that
Iranian-Egyptian relations will witness serious and mutual development and
openness, according to "Russia Today" news agency. In an exclusive interview
with IRNA, Abdollahian touched on the upgrading of relations between Iran and
Egypt, and explained that the two countries' interests care office is active in
Tehran and Cairo, so there is an official channel for direct communication
between both countries. He said, "There are countries that are making efforts
and encouraging the Islamic Republic of Iran and Egypt to raise the level of
relations between them," stressing, "We always welcome the development of
relations between Tehran and Cairo, and there are meetings that brought together
the heads of the interests section of the two countries." On the other hand,
Abdollahian shed light on the relations between Tehran and Riyadh, pointing out
that "the Saudi Foreign Ministry presented its new ambassador to Tehran last
Tuesday," adding that "Iran will appoint its new ambassador in Riyadh soon." On
reopening the embassies of Iran and Saudi Arabia, he explained: "My colleagues
in the Foreign Ministry have been making efforts for weeks to reopen the embassy
and consulate."
EU says latest Armenia-Azerbaijan talks should
build momentum for peace
(Reuters)/Sun, May 14, 2023
The European Union on Sunday welcomed the latest meeting between the leaders of
Armenia and Azerbaijan as a positive step toward clinching a durable peace
agreement between the two neighbouring states which have fought two major wars
in 30 years.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev
met in Brussels at the EU's invitation. Neither leader commented after the
meeting, the latest in a series since a six-week conflict between the two
countries in 2020. During that fighting, Azerbaijan recaptured chunks of
territory it had lost in a war that engulfed the region as Soviet rule was
collapsing in the 1990s. The two countries' foreign ministers also met in the
United States this month. Russia, which brokered a truce to halt the 2020
fighting, has also been active in peacekeeping. Charles Michel, president of the
EU's Council, said the leaders made progress on issues including return of
prisoners, demarcation of borders and access through each other's territory to
reach isolated regions in the Caucasus. He said talks will continue on the
conflict's focal point: the status of Nagorno-Karabakh, internationally
recognised as part of Azerbaijan, but populated mainly by ethnic Armenians. "The
leaders shared a common willingness for a South Caucasus at peace. I commend
their respective efforts," Michel said in a statement on the EU Council website.
"Following the recent positive talks held in the United States on the peace
treaty, the momentum should be maintained to take decisive steps towards the
signing of a comprehensive peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan." As
talks have proceeded, border clashes remain constant. At least two Armenian
soldiers and one Azerbaijani serviceman died in incidents last week and
Azerbaijan accused Armenia on Sunday of training mortar fire on its positions in
Kalbajar district near the border, an allegation denied by Armenia. In his
statement, Michel said both sides agreed to recognise the borders set down after
the end of Soviet rule in 1991. Referring to Nagorno-Karabakh, Michel said he
encouraged Azerbaijan to "engage in developing a positive agenda with the aim of
guaranteeing the rights and security of this population." He told both sides to
"refrain from hostile rhetoric, engage in good faith and show leadership" to
find solutions. The two leaders are due to meet again on June 1 at a development
conference in Moldova, another ex-Soviet state lying between Ukraine and EU
member Romania. Both French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf
Scholz are to attend.
The Latest LCCC English analysis &
editorials from miscellaneous sources published
on May 14-15/2023
Washington… What about the
People?
Tariq Al-Homayed/Asharq Al Awsat/May 14/2023
Not a day passes without an article about our region and President Biden’s
administration dealing with it, strategically and tactically, whether in
American newspapers or research center reports. Most of these stories focus on
the revival of Saudi-Iranian relations through Chinese mediation, and criticism
of the administration’s handling of the region. These analyses about Saudi
Arabia have a positive aspect following a period of systematic demonization,
accompanied by some naivety in understanding the region and the Kingdom. Most
importantly, attention is currently drawn to the vacuum created by the US
administration in this part of the world as a result of the lack of diplomatic
presence and the severance of communication channels with allies. What is odd
about most of these articles is their neglect of the most important dimension -
the people of the region, their future and their concerns. Instead, they talk
arrogantly and naively about combating terrorism and “ensuring” that Iran does
not obtain nuclear weapons. I used the inverted commas in the word above because
there is basically no trust and no strategy for dealing with Tehran. Moreover,
this coverage, which ignores the people of the region and their interests, is
constantly and blatantly focusing on peace with Israel, as if the Netanyahu
government is extending a hand for peace, while in reality, it is in conflict
with the Israelis themselves.
I am saying this because I am a supporter of peace, and I am certain that the
battle after peace will be fiercer than today’s conflicts. It will be a battle
for scientific and economic supremacy, which will be felt by the Iranian
citizens, for example, now that Saudi-Iranian relations have been restored, and
movement between the two countries is possible. Therefore, the real story in our
region is the people, their right to a dignified and secure life, education,
self-development and children, health, a decent job, and above all, the ability
to cover their basic living costs. People in the region are keen on their oil
revenues to ensure a decent life more than guaranteeing the price of oil for the
sake of an electoral campaign. The people of the region need to keep pace with
technological progress to develop their way of life and the future of their
children, and their eagerness to achieve this goal outweighs Washington’s
endeavor to curb the Iranian nuclear file. The people of the region care about
their lives in a serious manner, and more seriously than the way the US
administrations have dealt with them, specifically during the Obama era, up to
the current administration, where there is complete disregard for the lives of
Syrians, and what the Assad regime has done to them, or the way the
administration deals with Afghanistan. Despite all the US administration’s
praise, for example, of the Saudi international and regional political efforts,
we find that the discourse in the US media is focused on secondary issues, with
an outdated rhetoric that does not take into account the changes in the region.
For example, Saudi Arabia is today the best model of partnership for those who
want positive change in the region, along with the Gulf States. All of this
falls in the interest of people first, which is constantly ignored by analysts
and politicians in Washington. If the American administration and elites are
serious about what is being proposed, then the most important aspect that must
be highlighted is the people who are looking for a decent life and a bright
future, instead of talking about human beings with indelicate propaganda. Today,
there is an opportunity for a partnership that elevates human values,
coexistence, and opportunities for peace. Are some people in Washington aware of
this fact? It is enough to visit Saudi Arabia, for example, or conduct a Gulf
tour, to feel this opportunity. Does Washington want the Saudi model, or the
model of demolishing the countries around us?
Israel under Fire and The West's
Pusillanimous Response
Richard Kemp/Gatestone Institute./May 14, 2023
Neither Ukraine nor Israel has any territorial ambitions or aggressive intent
against their attackers — both Ukraine and Israel are fighting purely defensive
wars to protect their civilian populations.
There is another common factor. Islamic Jihad in Gaza is an Iranian proxy
terrorist group, funded and directed from Tehran. Iran's hand is behind this
conflict....
I do not recall any Western government or international body suggesting moral
equivalence between the aggressor and the defender in the Ukraine war, but that
is exactly what we have seen repeatedly in this and previous conflicts between
Israel and Gaza with the UN Secretary General calling on "both sides" to
exercise restraint.
Unlike the immediate condemnation of Russian violence, we have seen only silence
in the US and Europe since Islamic Jihad's rockets began to fall on Israel. The
best we have heard from the White House is that "Israel has the right to protect
itself", a statement of the blindingly obvious. None of this is good enough when
what is needed is the strongest support for Israel and the most blunt
condemnation of Islamic Jihad, along the lines we see over the Ukraine war.
The usual media suspects, such as the BBC and CNN, both cheerleaders for
Ukraine's defensive operations, have predictably been doing their best to slant
their coverage against Israel.
As we can see from the Western approach to Ukraine as well as wars everywhere,
no other country that is unlawfully attacked by a foreign power is portrayed as
the aggressor or at best on a par with the attacker.... The IDF takes the
greatest possible care to defend its civilians while avoiding unnecessary
casualties among civilians on enemy territory, frequently aborting attacks when
there is the risk of killing innocent people....
Gaza terrorist leaders, on the other hand, make sure their wives and children
are nearby and ready to die whenever there is the risk of attack against them.
They deliberately position their weapons stores, missile launch sites and
fighters among the civilian population, including in schools, hospitals and
occupied residential buildings. The IDF will frequently warn civilians to get
out of the area when preparing an attack. Understanding how this undermines
their policy of causing maximum casualties on their own civilians in order to
achieve international condemnation of Israel, terrorists in Gaza have warned
their citizens that anyone who complies will be punished.
In such circumstances it is impossible for the IDF to do the vital work of
destroying offensive weapons aimed against their own population and eliminating
the terrorist commanders who direct them without inflicting some civilian
casualties. Despite the misguided or malign commentary of some journalists,
politicians, academics and human rights groups, such collateral damage is not
illegal or a war crime, provided all possible measures are taken to avoid it.
In the last five days, more than 1,234 rockets have been fired from Gaza, 976 of
which have crossed into Israel – a country roughly the size of New Jersey --
with the remainder falling short into Gaza itself. The nearest comparable
bombardment against Western countries was in 1944, when the Germans fired
rockets at Britain with a maximum rate of 100 per day. Britain responded with a
bombing campaign of devastating force in which many civilians were unavoidably
killed.
The question Western commentators so eager to condemn Israel should ask
themselves is: how many rockets fired into their own countries would be
tolerated?
The Ukraine war has focused European governments' minds on this issue and their
current planning includes not just improving missile defences but also offensive
capabilities to strike at the enemy in his own territory, just as Israel is
forced to do today.
The Israeli military takes the greatest possible care to defend its civilians
while avoiding unnecessary casualties among civilians in enemy territory. Gaza
terrorist leaders, on the other hand, make sure their wives and children are
nearby and ready to die whenever there is the risk of attack against them. They
deliberately position their weapons stores, missile launch sites and fighters
among the civilian population, including in schools, hospitals and occupied
residential buildings. Pictured: Terrorists fire rockets at Israel from within a
densely populated residential area in Gaza City on May 13, 2023. (Photo by
Mahmud Hams/AFP via Getty Images)
When Russia invaded Ukraine last year, Western governments, international
organizations, media and human rights groups quite rightly rallied round without
hesitation, recognising the need to give unreserved moral support to a nation
defending itself from violent attack.
We see a very different picture today as Israel is assaulted by aggressors in
Gaza, to all intents and purposes a foreign country.
There is some commonality between the two conflicts, although they are on an
altogether different scale. Russia and Gaza's Islamic Jihad both believe the
countries they are attacking are illegitimate, have no right to exist and need
to be destroyed in their current forms by violence. Neither Ukraine nor Israel
has any territorial ambitions or aggressive intent against their attackers —
both Ukraine and Israel are fighting purely defensive wars to protect their
civilian populations.
There is another common factor. Islamic Jihad in Gaza is an Iranian proxy
terrorist group, funded and directed from Tehran. Iran's hand is behind this
conflict and the ayatollahs have pressured Hamas terrorist leaders to join
Islamic Jihad's assault on Israel while doing all they can to prevent a
ceasefire brokered by Egypt. Iran's role in Ukraine is not as significant, but
we should not forget that it has supplied Russia with explosive drones to fire
at Ukrainian civilians.
I do not recall any Western government or international body suggesting moral
equivalence between the aggressor and the defender in the Ukraine war, but that
is exactly what we have seen repeatedly in this and previous conflicts between
Israel and Gaza, with the UN Secretary General calling on "both sides" to
exercise restraint.
Unlike the immediate condemnation of Russian violence, we have seen only silence
in the US and Europe since Islamic Jihad's rockets began to fall on Israel. The
best we have heard from the White House is that "Israel has the right to protect
itself", a statement of the blindingly obvious. None of this is good enough when
what is needed is the strongest support for Israel and the most blunt
condemnation of Islamic Jihad, along the lines we see over the Ukraine war.
The usual media suspects, such as the BBC and CNN, both cheerleaders for
Ukraine's defensive operations, have predictably been doing their best to slant
their coverage against Israel. BBC commentary went as far as to imply that the
killing of Gaza civilians is a deliberate policy of Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu and his government while a CNN interviewer claimed that
Israel deliberately targeted civilians. In Israel Haaretz published an article
branding the IDF's operation as "patently illegal" and accused its soldiers of
war crimes.
As we can see from the Western approach to Ukraine as well as wars everywhere,
no other country that is unlawfully attacked by a foreign power is portrayed as
the aggressor or at best on a par with the attacker. Yet in this conflict, the
differences between the two sides could not be more stark. The IDF takes the
greatest possible care to defend its civilians while avoiding unnecessary
casualties among civilians in enemy territory, frequently aborting attacks when
there is the risk of killing innocent people, and using attack profiles designed
to minimise collateral damage even when targeting occupied apartment blocks.
Gaza terrorist leaders, on the other hand, make sure their wives and children
are nearby and ready to die whenever there is the risk of attack against them.
They deliberately position their weapons stores, missile launch sites and
fighters among the civilian population, including in schools, hospitals and
occupied residential buildings. The IDF will frequently warn civilians to get
out of the area when preparing an attack. Understanding how this undermines
their policy of causing maximum casualties on their own civilians in order to
achieve international condemnation of Israel, terrorists in Gaza have warned
their citizens that anyone who complies will be punished.
In such circumstances it is impossible for the IDF to do the vital work of
destroying offensive weapons aimed against their own population and eliminating
the terrorist commanders who direct them without inflicting some civilian
casualties. Despite the misguided or malign commentary of some journalists,
politicians, academics and human rights groups, such collateral damage is not
illegal or a war crime, provided all possible measures are taken to avoid it.
That is exactly what the IDF does in every engagement, to the extent that
several Western generals have admitted that their own forces would be unable to
achieve anything like the same standards in protecting civilian life.
In the last five days, more than 1,234 rockets have been fired from Gaza, 976 of
which have crossed into Israel – a country roughly the size of New Jersey --
with the remainder falling short into Gaza itself. The nearest comparable
bombardment against Western countries was in 1944, when the Germans fired
rockets at Britain with a maximum rate of 100 per day. Britain responded with a
bombing campaign of devastating force in which many civilians were unavoidably
killed. The question Western commentators so eager to condemn Israel should ask
themselves is: how many rockets fired into their own countries would be
tolerated? The Ukraine war has focused European governments' minds on this issue
and their current planning includes not just improving missile defences but also
offensive capabilities to strike at the enemy in his own territory, just as
Israel is forced to do today.
*Colonel Richard Kemp is a former British Army Commander. He was also head of
the international terrorism team in the U.K. Cabinet Office and is now a writer
and speaker on international and military affairs. He is a Shillman Fellow at
Gatestone Institute.
© 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.
Biden administration lacking a major foreign policy success
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Arab News/May 14, 2023
President Joe Biden has now been in office for more than two years, which is an
adequate time period to make an assessment regarding the successes, challenges
and failures of his administration’s foreign policy up until now.
One of the important foreign policy issues that the Biden administration
campaigned on was repairing the damaged ties between the US and its European
allies. A month into his presidency, he told the Munich Security Conference:
“America is back. The transatlantic alliance is back … I know the past few years
have strained and tested our transatlantic relationship, but the United States
is determined to reengage with Europe, to consult with you, to earn back our
position of trusted leadership.”
Under Biden’s predecessor Donald Trump, relations between the transatlantic
partners appeared to have been undermined beyond just simple disagreements. As
Ian Bond, the director of foreign policy at the Centre for European Reform think
tank, pointed out: “There had been serious transatlantic disagreements in the
past — notably over Iraq in 2003 — but no previous president since World War II
had challenged the very principle of the transatlantic alliance in the way that
Trump did when he questioned whether the US should feel obliged to defend a NATO
ally that was attacked.”
The Biden administration has pursued a more conventional foreign policy with the
EU by reaffirming American support for NATO. And Biden has restored normality in
transatlantic ties. Nevertheless, challenges remain when it comes to trade and
subsidy concerns.
One example is the Biden administration’s Inflation Reduction Act, which
provides $369 billion for climate-related investments and which provides tax
breaks, but only to companies that have their operations located on US soil.
Such protectionist policies tend to create tensions between allies.
And when it comes to US policy toward the Ukraine-Russia conflict, although some
believe that the president’s cautious foreign policy has kept the US from being
dragged into a full-fledged war with Moscow, many believe the administration has
failed. This is because the White House does not appear to have a clear agenda
or endgame for resolving the conflict.
In other words, the administration’s policy seems to be anchored in only
providing weapons, ammunition and financial assistance to Ukraine. In February,
Biden announced nearly half a billion dollars of additional assistance to Kyiv,
including “the delivery of artillery ammunition, anti-armor systems, and air
surveillance radars to help protect the Ukrainian people from aerial
bombardments.” However, National Public Radio reported: “After Congress
appropriated more than $112 billion in military and economic support in the
space of a single year — and with no signs of an end to the conflict — polls
show a growing number of Americans feel the United States is giving Ukraine too
much.” Another conventional foreign policy move by Biden has been to reassert US
respect for international and intergovernmental organizations. One of his first
acts in office was to declare that the US would reengage with the World Health
Organization. In addition, he signed an executive order to have the country
reenter the Paris Agreement on climate change.
One of the most controversial policies was the Biden administration’s withdrawal
from Afghanistan. Some people viewed the withdrawal as being poorly planned
because the US had delivered seven new helicopters to Afghanistan just a month
before it fully withdrew. “They’ll continue to see a steady drumbeat of that
kind of support, going forward,” Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told reporters a
few days after the delivery of the helicopters. Weeks later, the Taliban took
control of the military equipment the US left behind.
For many, it was mind-boggling that the Biden administration announced its
withdrawal from Afghanistan without any apparent plan to either secure the
billions of dollars-worth of US military equipment or make the slightest effort
to recover or destroy it. This military equipment cost $7 billion of American
taxpayers’ money, according to the Department of Defense.
This has caused outrage among many lawmakers. As noted in a letter written by a
group of Republican senators: “It is unconscionable that high-tech military
equipment paid for by US taxpayers has fallen into the hands of the Taliban.
Securing US assets should have been among the top priorities for the US
Department of Defense prior to announcing the withdrawal from Afghanistan.” And
Rep. Michael McCaul, the ranking Republican on the House of Representatives
Foreign Affairs Committee, told Reuters: “We have already seen Taliban fighters
armed with US-made weapons they seized from the Afghan forces. This poses a
significant threat to the United States and our allies.”When it comes to the
Middle East, at a time when the US military presence seems to be shrinking and
other forces may be looking to fill the vacuum, it is more essential than ever
for the Biden administration to improve its foreign policy by working closely
with Gulf states and reconfirming America’s commitment to Middle Eastern
security. Finally, concerning the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, commonly
known as the Iran nuclear deal, the Biden administration has failed to score a
political victory, as several rounds of negotiations ended without any concrete
progress toward a permanent resolution. So far, the Biden administration’s
foreign policy can be characterized as cautious and conventional, while lacking
any significant achievements. But Biden still has time to improve his
administration’s foreign policy on several important fronts.
• Dr. Majid Rafizadeh is a Harvard-educated Iranian-American political
scientist.
Twitter: @Dr_Rafizadeh
G7 summit will showcase revival of the Western alliance
Andrew Hammond/Arab News/May 14, 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.
Two Vital Summits This Week: Jeddah’s Arab Summit and
Hiroshima’s G7
Raghida Dergham/The National/May 14/2023
What should we keep a close eye on next week and why? Two game-changing summits
will be held on Friday 19 May. That day, Saudi Arabia is hosting the Arab
summit, amid a major restructuring in the Arab, regional, and international
landscapes under an unusually bold Saudi leadership determined to chart out a
radically different course. On the same date, Japan is hosting the G7 summit of
the world’s richest nations, where China is set to be the primary focus of
attention, followed by Russia as the Ukraine war enters a new phase next week
with Britain supplying long-range rockets to Kyiv, giving it the ability to
strike inside Russian territory.
The other important event is the Turkish presidential elections, which may
result in the defeat of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, not only because of the
success of the opposition but also thanks to the momentum of the youth vote in
Turkey. If Erdogan is routed in the presidential elections, his ambition for a
neo-Ottoman Empire could go down with him, and Turkey may regain some of its
secularism and end the quest to transform it into an Islamic state. The impact
of the Turkish elections results will extend beyond the domestic scene because
the United States, Russia, Europe, and the Middle East will be affected in no
small measure by the outcome if Erdogan loses.
The Jeddah summit will mark the beginning of the year-long Saudi presidency of
the Arab League. There are numerous expectations surrounding the plans of the
Saudi leadership. However, comprehending the Saudi diplomatic trajectory is not
an easy feat, given the level of secrecy and deliberate ambiguity for which it
is traditionally known, rendering it difficult to anticipate what is being
planned and prepared.
The opening act of the 32nd Arab summit is sure to generate much media intrigue
and ingenuity. Many will refer to it as "The Assad Summit," due to the Syrian
President Bashar al-Assad's return to the Arab League after 12 years of
banishment following the Syrian conflict, which began when he turned an uprising
against his regime into a destructive war against his own people. Assad opened
the doors for terrorists to sabotage the revolution and provide him with a
pretext to destroy the opposition with help from Russia, Iran, and Hezbollah. He
encouraged drug trafficking, especially to Arab Gulf countries, in what has
become known as his "captagon" policy, which earns him huge amounts of money and
instils terror in Saudi Arabia and other nations. Therefore, it was necessary to
bring an end to this by using inducements as part of a deal for Assad's return
and rehabilitation, and his attendance at the summit, despite some Arab
countries' dissatisfaction and reservations regarding his restoration.
The welcome extended to Assad and his rehabilitation are not unconditional. It
is a conditional return that hinges on the implementation of all his promises,
which include ending drug trafficking and taking tangible steps towards a new
constitution based on UN Security Council resolutions. Additionally, the
reconstruction of Syria will be conditional on ensuring the return of Syrians
who have been displaced and who have sought refuge in neighbouring countries.
This may be a summit of rehabilitation for Assad, but it is also a summit of
testing his commitments, including to disengage in one way or another from
Hezbollah's activities, not only inside Syria but also in Gulf countries.
Time will test Assad's intentions, particularly as the Saudi-Emirati initiative
that brought Syria to the Arab Summit in Jeddah faces its own difficulties and
obstacles. These countries do not intend to violate the Security Council
resolutions pertaining to Syria or contravene US laws, such as the "Caesar Act,"
but rather aim to coordinate their efforts with the US administration.
The Biden administration doesn't seem to be very upset about the rush towards
rehabilitating Assad or towards seeking exemptions from the "Caesar Act" which
prohibits economic cooperation with Bashar al-Assad. However, Republicans in the
US Congress will not remain silent on the matter, especially as we near the
election cycle. Nonetheless, they are relenting to give Saudi Arabia a chance to
implement the policy of containment towards Iran and Assad through inducement
rather than intimidation.
The United States is encouraging Saudi Arabia's role in calming tensions and
finding solutions to the problems of the region, from Sudan to Lebanon. A Gulf
official has described Saudi Arabia as a "reservoir of moderation," that can be
used in various issues and conflicts and can be built upon within the Saudi
vision for the region's future. China is also at ease with this reservoir, as it
seeks an open Middle East region to support its economic initiatives. However,
Saudi Arabia is cautious not to fall into China's expectations, which are rooted
in the competition between China and the United States. Furthermore, the Kingdom
is not entirely prepared to fulfil American expectations within the framework of
competition with China.
The Saudi vision for leading the 32nd Arab summit and presiding over the League
for the next year is based on the belief that the Kingdom is uniquely capable of
providing leadership, particularly given the decline of traditional leaders like
Egypt and the instability spreading throughout North Africa. Saudi Arabia is
also convinced that it is the most qualified country to lead within the Gulf
region and that the roadmap it envisions will enable it to spearhead a new type
of leadership. This is particularly important in light of waning American
interest in the region and the Russian retreat due to Moscow's preoccupation
with the Ukrainian war.
The issues that will be tackled at the summit are not limited to conflicts as
the Saudi vision encompasses economic and developmental aspects, in addition to
political ones. However, due to the ongoing wars and chaos in the Arab region,
the summit cannot ignore some issues, even if it has to overlook others such as
Tunisia's chaotic situation and Morocco's economic challenges.
It is expected that the Lebanese file will be on the agenda of the summit,
albeit with a cautious approach to support a compromise solution acceptable to
Saudi Arabia.
Likewise, the Palestinian cause will also be addressed at the summit, not to
endorse Hamas or Islamic Jihad in their confrontation with Israel, but to
promote moderation and discourage futile actions that harm the Palestinian
people and their aspirations. Therefore, the summit is likely to support the
moderate course of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and distance itself from
the actions of Hamas and Jihad.
Iraq is a crucial issue. The Arab countries are aiming to demonstrate their
support for Prime Minister Mohammed Al-Sudani and solidify his position in the
policy of weakening Iran’s grip and influence on Iraq.
In Sudan, tribal wars and competition over gold and other spoils of war continue
to rage, making it a top priority to secure a ceasefire that will put an end to
these battles, which are serving conflicting local, regional, and international
interests. The situation in Sudan poses a threat to the future of the Red Sea
region, which is of great importance to the Saudi leadership. The Saudis realize
that there are hidden threads behind the recent developments in Sudan, which are
aimed at undermining the Saudi vision.
Of course, Yemen will also be on the agenda, as this challenging issue moves
towards a possible solution, thanks to the Chinese-brokered Saudi-Iranian
agreement and its outcomes. Today, Saudi Arabia is acting as a mediator between
the Yemeni factions, and it hopes that Iran will continue to exert pressure on
the Houthis to accept a genuine compromise and bring an end to the tragedy in
Yemen.
Saudi Arabia wants to take the burden of Yemen off its shoulders to focus on its
major projects, vision, and regional leadership. The upcoming Arab Summit
presents a delicate and critical opportunity to achieve these ambitions,
potentially serving as the "launchpad" for a new era in the Arab region and
elevating Saudi's positioning in the Middle East. Therefore, calling it the "Assad
Summit" reflects short-sighted and naive thinking, failing to acknowledge the
broader and deeper Saudi project with its comprehensive vision.
Another summit of global interest, beyond the Middle East, is the G7 Summit in
Hiroshima, where US President Joe Biden will join leaders from Britain, Germany,
France, Italy, Canada, Japan, and the European Union. The first
‘present-absentee’ at the summit will be China, the focus of Western fear and
Japanese doubt and mistrust. The second will be Russia, which was once the
eighth member of the G7 and is now at odds with the West due to the Ukrainian
war.
The Ukrainian war is undergoing an important phase change this week, with
Britain delivering long-range missiles capable of striking deep into Russia with
a radius of 300 km. There is speculation that Russia may retaliate with
pre-emptive attacks targeting hubs of Western weapons deliveries to Ukraine on
the Ukrainian-Polish border. While the Biden administration has stipulated
conditions for the delivery of long-range missiles to Ukraine, prohibiting their
use against Russian territory, Britain did not demand such guarantees. These
events may lead to a new stage of the war, accompanied by reports of incoming
counter-offensive operations this spring.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is in critical need of Germany's support,
especially at this juncture. He is seeking guarantees from Germany, a crucial
source of funding for him and the war effort. Thus, his visit to Germany holds
utmost importance.
While European countries fundamentally support Ukraine, they are somewhat
divided. Some welcome China's role in seeking to end the war and initiate
negotiations, while others are hesitant. French President Emmanuel Macron aims
to lead the negotiating process with China, independent of the United States and
Germany. China does not want to be the sole advocate for negotiations before
guaranteeing their outcome, and it is proceeding with great caution, especially
given Russia's lack of enthusiasm for the idea.
The Biden administration is cautious about European acceptance of Chinese
proposals, but it is aware of Europe's desire to avoid problems with China while
fearing American pressure. The United States is preparing to impose its 11th
round of sanctions, including, for the first time, sanctions on Chinese
companies thought to be supporting Russia, which could create a significant new
crisis. Europe finds itself in a dilemma because agreeing to US sanctions would
trigger a severe Chinese economic response towards European countries.
All these issues will be present at the Hiroshima Summit, where draft proposals
are being prepared to adopt a firm stance towards China. Some reported American
formulations propose declaring that China poses a direct threat to the West,
which would escalate the standoff to a new level. Thus, monitoring the Hiroshima
Summit is of utmost importance for the Sino-European and American-European
relationships as many fear that Japan may encourage an anti-China summit par
excellence.