English LCCC Newsbulletin For
Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For May 19/2023
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
The Bulletin's Link on the lccc Site
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15 آذار/2023
Bible Quotations For today
I know what it is to have little, and I know
what it is to have plenty. In any and all circumstances I have learned the
secret of being well-fed and of going hungry, of having plenty and of being in
need
Letter to the Philippians 04/08-14/:”Finally, beloved,
whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure,
whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if
there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Keep on doing the
things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God
of peace will be with you. I rejoice in the Lord greatly that now at last you
have revived your concern for me; indeed, you were concerned for me, but had no
opportunity to show it. Not that I am referring to being in need; for I have
learned to be content with whatever I have. I know what it is to have little,
and I know what it is to have plenty. In any and all circumstances I have
learned the secret of being well-fed and of going hungry, of having plenty and
of being in need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. In any
case, it was kind of you to share my distress.”
.
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese &
Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on May 18-19/2023
The May 17, 1983, agreement between Lebanon and Israel was a fair
opportunity for peace that Lebanon lost/With the Agreement textظElias Bejjani/May
17/2023
Demands grow for dismissal of Lebanese central bank governor amid economic
crisis
LF calls government to appoint new Central Bank Governor
Salameh stands ready for legal challenges, commits to currency stability,
announces term-end departure
Bassil 'hurt' by Hezbollah, finds 'common ground' with opposition
Franjieh supporters expect his election after Arab Summit
How will PSP, Sunni and Change blocs vote?
Frem intends to officially declare his presidential nomination
Mikati: No Saudi, int'l aid for Lebanon before reforms
MP says FPM trying to be 'bridge between Defiance camp and opposition'
Behind the lens: Uncovering the challenges faced by journalists and
photographers in Lebanon
Health Ministry's circular sends solid message to pharmacies across Lebanon
General Security confirms that it has enough passports to meet all requests
Scent of tradition lingers in Lebanon's 'village of roses'
Makary meets 'National Intellectual Forum' delegation
Archbishop Soueif meets French Ambassador
Oil prices ease on caution over US debt ceiling talks
Bou Habib meets Arab counterparts on sidelines of Arab Summit
Berri broaches situation with Bou Saab, meets Lebanon's Ambassador to Germany,
Liwaa newspaper Editor- in-Chief
Mikati and accompanying ministerial delegation arrive in Jeddah to participate
in Arab Summit
USAID Celebrates Closing of Workforce Development Project to Enhance Access to
Quality Technical and Vocational Education for More than 1,000...
Lebanon’s problems are not always due to sectarianism/Khaled Abou Zahr/Arab
News/May 18, 2023
Titles For The Latest English LCCC
Miscellaneous Reports And News published
on May 18-19/2023
Arab leaders, including Syria’s al-Assad, arrive in Jeddah for Arab
League summit
Leaders including Assad arrive in Jeddah for Arab League Summit
Assad heads to KSA for regional summit, sealing country's return to Arab fold
Hope and anger as Saudi-based Syrians await Assad visit
Iran ‘never’ considered Saudi Arabia as an enemy: President Raisi
Jordan’s King Abdullah II urges ‘close cooperation’ to address challenges facing
Arab countries
Israeli settlers and politicians storm Al-Aqsa ahead of far-right march
Israel deploys heavy police presence ahead of contentious Jerusalem march
Ukraine says it advances, repels Russia attacks at Bakhmut
Russia targets Kyiv, Odesa with missiles, Ukraine says most were shot down
All targets 'destroyed' in overnight Ukraine strikes: Russia
Visit of African peacekeeping mission to Moscow being prepared, says Russian
envoy
At Japan's G7 summit, the big elephants are China and Russia
New Pentagon missile defense radar is delayed and over budget, GAO says
Senators introduce bill to scrap last nuclear arms treaty with Russia
“Treaties aren’t effective when one party lies and cheats,” Senator Marco Rubio
said.
Tunisian president evokes 'tolerance' after synagogue attack
UN envoy cautiously optimistic Yemen parties will resume UN-led negotiations
Titles For
The Latest
English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on May 18-19/2023
Blasphemy in European Parliament. They respect anyone but not
Christians/Catholic Block spot/May 18, 2023
Dithering Biden is Seriously Harming Ukraine's Victory Prospects/Con Coughlin/Gatestone
Institute./May 18, 2023
A deal with Russia on Syria could shorten the war in Ukraine/Dr. Dania Koleilat
Khatib/Arab News/May 18, 2023
The disastrous consequences of Dagalo’s Sudan coup attempt/Ali Mohamed Ahmed
Osman/Arab News/May 18, 2023
Syria needs Gulf states for stability and security/Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Arab
News/May 18, 2023
Tunisia Can “Bounce Back” from Authoritarianism with Proper Support/Sabina
Henneberg, Sarah Yerkes/The Washington Institute/May 18/2023
Latest English LCCC Lebanese &
Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on May 17-18/2023
The May 17, 1983, agreement between
Lebanon and Israel was a fair opportunity for peace that Lebanon lost/With the
Agreement text
Elias Bejjani/May 17/2023
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/118293/118293/
Today, Lebanon remembers the May 17 peace agreement that was signed by the
Lebanese and Israeli states on May 17, 1983, during the reign of President Amin
Gemayel, and Prime Minister Shafiq Al-Wazzan, after through and arduous
negotiations, through which the skilled Lebanese negotiators managed to succeed
par excellence in consolidating and preserving all the elements of sovereignty
and rights. And most importantly securing complete unconditional, peaceful
withdrawal of the Israeli army from all Lebanese territories.
The agreement was supported by the majority of the Lebanese people, the
Presidency of the Republic, the Council of Ministers, and the parliament. It was
also welcomed by most Arab countries, and all countries of the free world. It
was indeed a great and irreplaceable opportunity to establish true peace in the
Middle East region in general, and between Lebanon and Israel in particular.
However, through its Local cancerous influence on armed Lebanese groups,
mercenaries, merchants of the false resistance, leftists and fundamentalists,
the Syrian Baathist regime thwarted the agreement and forcibly prevented its
implementation. The Syrian regime did not want Lebanon to have peace with Israel
in a bid to maintain its barbaric occupation and hegemony.
The Syrian Baathist regime, as well as the current Iranian occupier continue
striving to keep Lebanon an open arena for absurd wars, a mailbox for their
fiery terrorist messages, and a negotiating and bargaining chip. Syria and Iran
falsely claim to be anti - Israel, and use this camouflaging and deceiving tag
as an excuse to freely oppress their people and remain in power.
The May 17 agreement, was and still is a need, because the Lebanese want peace,
stability and prosperity for their country, just as the Egypt, Jordan, Sudan
Morocco, and the majority of the Arabian Gulf states did through peace
agreements with Israel. However the Baathist Syria and Iranian mullahs' regimes,
along with all merchants of the resistance, the Leftist and fundamentalists,
thwarted the May 17 agreement by force, and they are still continuing to impose
the same dirty plot on Lebanon and the Lebanese, but with different faces and
under new malicious titles.
Certainly, Lebanon will not obtain from Israel at any time, and under any
circumstances a peace agreement with better terms and conditions than the May 17
agreement one, therefore all those mercenary mouthpieces who attack the
agreement must shut up and swallow their sharp tongues that are only fluent in a
wooden language and in all arts of lies, hypocrisy, blasphemy, fabrication, and
transgression against others... at the forefront of those are Iran, Hezbollah
and their Lebanese mercenaries.
Yes, Lebanon has the right, legally and nationally, for striving to preserve its
interests, security, sovereignty and independence, and that was exactly the main
goal of the May 17 agreement, which unfortunately was thwarted by the Syrian
regime, the resistance merchants and terrorists.
In conclusion, All Patriotic Lebanese leaders are required to put an end to
their hypocrisy, trading with the blood and the livelihood the Lebanese, and
work hard to serve both their people and country through forging real peace with
all countries, including the state of Israel, as the majority of Arab countries
did. And YES, The Lebanese have the right to enjoy peace and tranquility in a
state that resembles them, and does not resemble the axis of evil, Syrian and
Iranian regimes.
Demands grow for dismissal of Lebanese central bank governor amid economic
crisis
Najia Houssari/Arab News/May 18/2023
BEIRUT: Ten reformist MPs issued a joint statement on Thursday demanding the
immediate removal of Riad Salameh from his position as central bank governor.
The MPs condemned Salameh’s approach of “financing the policies of successive
governments without accountability” and pledged to form a parliamentary
investigation committee. Lebanese newspaper Al-Nahar reported on Thursday that
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati
requested Salameh’s resignation in a letter. It said, however, that the governor
categorically refused to step down before the end of his term in July as that
would be an “admission of (guilt regarding) the accusations against him, which
is unacceptable.” A judicial source said the Lebanese Public Prosecution had not
yet received any memorandum from France over 48 hours after the issuance of the
French judicial decision to prosecute and arrest Salameh. “If the memo arrives,
the Lebanese judiciary will request Salameh’s case, which is with the French
judiciary, to know the charges against him,” the source said. Consequently,
Salameh would be tried in Lebanon and before the Lebanese judiciary, the source
added, and would not be handed over to the French authorities, as happened with
Lebanese businessman Carlos Ghosn. The French judge responsible for
investigating Salameh’s funds and assets in Europe, Aude Buresi, issued an
international arrest warrant against Salameh after he failed to attend his
questioning session before a Paris court, which was scheduled for May 16. The
European investigation — involving France, Germany, and Luxembourg — focuses on
the relationship between Banque du Liban and Forry Associates, owned by the
governor’s brother, Raja Salameh. The company is registered in the British
Virgin Islands, with an office in Beirut, and is alleged to be a shell company
used to transfer money out of Lebanon to European banks. It is suspected that
more than $330 million were embezzled from the central bank through a grant
contract with the company, in addition to illegal commissions from local
Lebanese banks. Salameh did not appear before the first investigating judge,
Charbel Abou Samra, in Beirut on Thursday as part of the Lebanese
investigations. He — along with his brother Raja and his assistant Marianne
Hoayek — has been indicted for crimes including embezzlement of public funds,
money laundering, forgery, use of counterfeits, illicit enrichment, and tax
evasion. The legal representatives of the accused appeared before Judge Abou
Samra to inquire about the court’s response to the formal objections raised by
them. They had demanded the removal of the Cases Authority at the Ministr of
Justice from the case due to lack of jurisdiction.
Judge Abou Samra, however, rejected the objections, saying that the involvement
of the Cases Authority in the lawsuit was legally justified. He also scheduled
June 15 for Raja Salameh’s interrogation. The date for the interrogation of Riad
Salameh and Hoayek will be determined later.
Salameh’s defense attorneys did not appeal Judge Abou Samra’s decision. Despite
the charges against him, Salameh is still considered a suspect in the Lebanese
investigations. The judicial source said that the issuance of the indictment
made him an accused person, and the judgment made him a convicted person.
The demands for Salameh’s dismissal from his position grew on Thursday because
of the judicial developments.
This step requires a Cabinet session, but there are differences of opinion
regarding the legitimacy of holding such a meeting in light of the caretaker
government and the presidential vacuum. Samir Hammoud, former head of the
Banking Control Commission, said: “The decision to circulate Salameh’s name to
Interpol seems to have been made in advance, and what is happening in the
judiciary is still within the preliminary procedures.”Hammoud said Lebanon was
experiencing an unprecedented financial crisis, ongoing in the context of the
presidential vacuum, the presence of a caretaker government and the controversy
over its powers to appoint a new central bank governor.
Ten reformist MPs issued a joint statement on Thursday demanding “the immediate
removal of the accused, Riad Salameh, from his position.” The MPs questioned:
“Is it acceptable for the person pursued in these heinous and dangerous crimes
to remain at the helm of governance, given the powers granted to him to oversee
the safety of the national currency and the financial system? “Is it acceptable
for the Lebanese judiciary to engage in unpredictable adventures aimed at
covering up the governor’s reluctance to attend investigation sessions in
France?”
In the joint statement, opposition parties and groups emphasized that “the
issuance of an international arrest warrant against Salameh is a crucial
milestone in holding the ruling political and financial class accountable, which
has become accustomed to general amnesty and impunity despite their numerous
crimes against the Lebanese people.” They stressed that “the extremely serious
and unprecedented charges against the governor of the central bank necessitate
his immediate removal from his position.” The arrest warrant, they said,
“represents a historic and very dangerous precedent for Lebanon’s financial
reputation and evidence of the state’s decay due to the absence of
accountability and supervision under the rule of the mafia and militia.” They
added: “The governor must resign immediately, in compliance with the principle
of responsibility and the relevant provisions of the Code of Money and Credit,
which hold the pursued governor accountable for his dereliction of duty and
gross mismanagement of affairs.” The opposition parties and groups hold the
parliament responsible for the vacancy in the governorship of the central bank,
as it has thus far failed to elect a president.
A president can serve as a gateway to reconstitute an executive authority with
full powers to appoint a governor, they added.
LF calls government to appoint new Central
Bank Governor
LBCI/May 18/2023
The media division of the Lebanese Forces Party has issued the following
statement: Waiting for the end of the Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh's term
is no longer feasible, as an international memorandum has been issued against
him, making his resignation imperative, and the immediate appointment of a new
governor for the Central Bank of Lebanon is necessary. Failure to do so would
result in international entities ceasing to engage with him, exacerbating and
complicating the financial crisis. The national crisis in Lebanon, characterized
by the absence of a functioning state, has also severely impacted the financial
sector, reaching catastrophic levels. Swift action is required to address this
issue, with the role of the central bank governor being pivotal in resolving the
crisis. In light of the internal and external developments surrounding Salameh,
it is no longer in Lebanon's best interest to allow him to remain in his
position until the end of his term. It has become imperative for him to resign
immediately for the central bank to regain its responsibilities and role, free
from the burdens associated with his continued presence. Despite being a
caretaker, the government is urged to promptly appoint a new governor who can
restore Lebanese and international confidence in this position. However, caution
is advised against appointing individuals known for their questionable
practices, particularly in a position of such sensitivity and significance. The
role of the central bank governor carries great importance and rests on the
success of the country's financial crisis management.
Salameh stands ready for legal challenges, commits to
currency stability, announces term-end departure
LBCI/May 18/2023
In an exclusive interview with Al Hadath, Riad Salameh, the Governor of the
Central Bank of Lebanon, stated that the country had been predicted to collapse
after months of crisis. However, he stressed that it would not fall under his
watch. Addressing the report from the World Bank about the Sayrafa platform,
Salameh described it as "stupid". He asserted that deposits could return to
their owners as is, far removed from populism. He vowed not to allow the
bankruptcy of the banks and said that the Central Bank governor was being
targeted because of fears of targeting politicians. He
mentioned that his deputy at the Central Bank would assume his position after
his term ends and he confirmed he would not remain in his position after his
term concludes. In light of the allegations and investigations, he advised the
judiciary to start with politicians and not with the Central Bank governor. He
assured that if any judgment is issued against him, he would step aside.
Salameh also addressed the Al-Qard Al-Hasan, an entity affiliated with
Hezbollah, stating that it is not licensed by the Central Bank of Lebanon. He
urged authorities who allowed this unlicensed operation to be held accountable.
While he referred to the legal process as unjust, he professed his
preparedness to face it. He confirmed his readiness to attend any investigative
session notified to him properly. In response to the recent uproar around French
investigations, Salameh dismissed them as baseless. He added that they had asked
the French judge to notify them properly, a request which was declined.
The governor reassured that the Central Bank would intervene and would
not allow further exchange rate fluctuations. Investigations by the
International Monetary Fund, he added, show no falsification in the budgets of
the Central Bank of Lebanon. Finally, he mentioned that the notification by the
French judge was not according to the proper procedures of the agreement between
Lebanon and France. In closing, Salameh indicated the Central Bank's readiness
to purchase all local currency in the market.
Bassil 'hurt' by Hezbollah, finds 'common
ground' with opposition
Naharnet /May 18/2023
Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil is deeply hurt by Hezbollah, he told
Asharq al-Awsat newspaper, in remarks published Thursday. "There is a big
disagreement" Bassil said, adding that the country needs to resist through its
economy and the dignity of its people, and not just through arms.
Yet, there is no divorce between the two parties, as Bassil considered
communication a must. "Communication with the Axis of Defiance is not severed,"
Bassil said. "Dialogue over a presidential agreement is also making progress
with the opposition parties, and there are points of agreement, on the names,
the approach or the project," Bassil said, although he accused some parties of
"stubbornness" that, according to him, led to an unneeded waste of time and
delayed dialogue. "We have no other choice but consensus," Bassil said,
stressing that if every party continues to challenge the other party by clinging
to its candidate, the vacuum will drag on."
Franjieh supporters expect his election after Arab Summit
Naharnet/May 18/2023
The political parties that support Suleiman Franjieh’s presidential nomination
are “very relieved” over the latest developments, a media report said on
Thursday. Speaker Nabih Berri has “publicly expressed this relief,” al-Akhbar
newspaper reported. “It is based on a host of indications linked to the Saudi
efforts,” the daily added. “Franjieh’s election as president is expected to take
place after the Arab Summit, specifically between May 20 and June 15, as a
reflection of the calm regional atmosphere that is expected to be achieved by
the Summit after the latest regional reconciliations,” the pro-Franjieh sources
expected.
How will PSP, Sunni and Change blocs vote?
Naharnet/May 18/2023
Progressive Socialist Party chief Walid Jumblat had recently suggested the
addition of ex-MP Salah Honein to the list of the proposed presidential
candidates, but Free Patriotic Movement leader Jebran Bassil rejected the
suggestion, seeing as Honein’s nomination would “provoke” Hezbollah, a media
report said. “Jumblat then agreed to (Jihad) Azour’s nomination and asked his
bloc to vote for him, but he told the bloc’s members that he would await the
decision of the Christian blocs,” al-Akhbar newspaper quoted informed sources as
saying in remarks published Thursday. “As for the Sunni MPs bloc, its members
told those who contacted them from the three Christian blocs that they have
decided to delay their stance until after a session is scheduled,” the sources
said. “They stressed that they will not be part of any camp and that they have
aspects that concern them which might not make them unified in voting,” the
sources added. The Sunni MPs, however, emphasized that they “will not be part of
any decision to block the quorum.” As for the Change bloc, some of them are
supporting Honein, some are backing Azour while some are “rejecting any
candidate on whom the parties of the political establishment might agree, be
them from Hezbollah or its rivals.”
Frem intends to officially declare his presidential
nomination
Naharnet/May 18/2023
MP Neemat Frem has said that he intends to officially announce his presidential
nomination. According to al-Akhbar newspaper, Frem expressed his intention
during a dinner banquet that he held at his home last week. The dinner was
attended by a number of MPs, including Alain Aoun, Fouad Makhzoumi and Melhem
Riachi, in addition to ex-MP Hadi Hbeish and a number of economists. Frem told
the attendees that he is awaiting the “right moment” to make the announcement,
the daily said. “Frem has been quoted as saying that he believes that he would
be the second choice when Jihad Azour’s nomination gets dropped, because
contrary to the latter, he enjoys the ability to draw votes from the other camp,
especially Hezbollah,” the newspaper said. “He has carried out contacts and
meetings with Hezbollah officials, which he kept under wraps in order not to
harm his chances,” the daily added.
Mikati: No Saudi, int'l aid for Lebanon before reforms
Naharnet/May 18/2023
There will be no solution and no aid for Lebanon before reforms are carried out,
Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said. Mikati told Saudi al-Riyadh daily,
in remarks published Thursday, that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has told
him that Saudi Arabia will support Lebanon on the condition that it implement
reforms, elect a new president, and take all measures to prevent any action that
would harm the Saudis, like drug smuggling. Mikati said he sensed from all his
meetings abroad that there is almost complete unanimity that there will be no
aid for Lebanon before reforms are implemented.
MP says FPM trying to be 'bridge between Defiance camp and opposition'
Naharnet/May 18/2023
MP Salim Aoun of the Free Patriotic Movement has stressed that “the FPM does not
intend to move from one alignment to another, because Lebanon’s structure
necessitates consensus over the presidential juncture, not confrontation.” “The
FPM is trying to be a bridge between the (Hezbollah-led) Defiance (camp) and the
opposition in order to reach common denominators,” Aoun said in an interview
with Radio All of Lebanon. Expecting the presidential vacuum period to protract,
the MP said that “the FPM’s mission is not easy.” Aoun also denied that “the FPM
backpedaled after endorsing ex-minister Jihad Azour,” noting that “things have
not yet reached the stage of agreeing on a candidate.”
Behind the lens: Uncovering the challenges
faced by journalists and photographers in Lebanon
LBCI/May 18/2023
Between their duty to document and cover events and the economic crisis plaguing
the country, photographers and journalists in the media field are working. But
where are their social and economic rights?
Shocking numbers published by the Samir Kassir Foundation reveal:
- 84% of journalists and photographers do not receive a decent living wage.
- 38% of journalists have verbal contracts, as they need to work in multiple
media institutions to secure additional income.
- The numbers also indicate that 37% of journalists reported that their
transportation expenses during event coverage are not reimbursed.
- Furthermore, 34% of journalists and photographers do not have health insurance
or any form of coverage.
Regarding arbitrary dismissals, 71% of cases were collective due to the closure
of the media institution, and approximately 67% of those who received full
compensation were paid at an exchange rate of 1,500 Lebanese lira.
The study also found that 60% of photojournalists use their personal equipment
while working. Since protective equipment such as helmets and bulletproof vests
are expensive in Lebanon, most of them do not wear such gear to ensure their
safety while working. The media institutions participating in the study
conducted by the Samir Kassir Foundation confirmed that they respect the
journalists' employment contracts during their daily work, including adherence
to salary payments and flexible working hours. They also stated that they are
working on developing internal policies within the institution to improve daily
work conditions.
Health Ministry's circular sends solid message to
pharmacies across Lebanon
LBCI/May 18/2023
In a time when many pharmacists have disregarded regulations and ethical
standards, turning the profession into a business, the daily life of Lebanese
citizens has become a constant search for affordable medicine.
However, most of the time, they do not receive what they're looking for.
The greed to achieve unlawful profits at the expense of patients' medication has
backfired on its perpetrators. That is what happened at this pharmacy. The red
wax stamp and the closure were carried out after the Health Ministry discovered
that the pharmacy did not adhere to the price index set daily on the MedLeb
application. What happened here on Tuesday served as a warning for all
pharmacists. After confirming that the pharmacist manipulated drug prices and
sold them higher than the official price index, the Ministry warns that any
pharmacy following suit will face legal action. The Order of Pharmacists quickly
circulated the news of the Health Ministry closure of the pharmacy in the
Bouchrieh real estate area through WhatsApp groups dedicated to pharmacists,
demanding compliance with the laws and price index. Otherwise, the syndicate
will not cover anyone. Will the commitment and adherence to the official price
index be officially enforced among pharmacists? To ensure that pharmacies in
Lebanon adhere to the price index set by the Health Ministry, it is recommended
to download the MedLeb patient guide on their mobile phones, which allows access
to all the information related to medication, especially its selling price.
We asked several pharmacies about the medications, some of which adhere
100% to the Ministry's index, especially after the syndicate's circular. In
contrast, others refused to answer our questions or stated that those
medications were unavailable. Here, the search for the truth begins.
General Security confirms that it has enough passports to
meet all requests
LBCI/May 18/2023
Lebanon's General Directorate of General Security confirmed that it has enough
passports to meet all requests at home and abroad and appealed to citizens to
make way for those forced to obtain it while emphasizing that every Lebanese is
eligible to have a passport.
In this context, the General Security said the following:
- The daily capacity for printing is 3,000 passports, while the number of
citizens who come daily to general security centers exceeds 5,000.
- About 80 percent of the completed passports have not been used yet,
meaning that the reasons for rushing to obtain passports are not justified,
especially when they are available in sufficient quantities.Based on these
facts, the General Directorate of General Security appealed to Lebanese citizens
that the Directorate bore the responsibility of securing the rights of citizens
and asked the citizens not to rush in front of the centers to obtain passports,
except for those who are in dire need of it.
Scent of tradition lingers in Lebanon's 'village of roses'
Agence France Presse/May 18/2023
On a gentle slope looking out over Lebanon's Bekaa Valley, villagers work their
way across pink-dotted terraces, gathering perfumed Damask roses that are used
for essential oils, sweets and cosmetics. The rose harvest "gives you a bit of
hope, it makes things beautiful, it calms you down -- it gives you strength to
carry on", said Leila al-Dirani, picking the flowers from her family's land in
the village of Qsarnaba. A soft bag tied around her waist and her hands
scratched from the thorns, the 64-year-old plucks the small, pink buds from
their bushes as their rich and heady scent wafts across the hill. The oil
derived from the famed Damask rose --- named after the ancient city of Damascus
located just across the mountain range separating Lebanon and Syria -- is a
staple of perfumers. Experts swear by the flower's therapeutic properties in
fighting infection and as a relaxant, while rose water is used across the Middle
East both as a refreshing drink, in sweets such as Turkish delight, to scent
mosques and even to bestow luck at weddings. After a morning collecting roses,
the workers in Qsarnaba drop their fragrant bundles at a warehouse in the
village where they are paid based on their harvest. At the facility carpeted
with pink petals, Zahraa Sayed Ahmed -- whose first name means "flower" -- buys
the raw materials to produce her rose water, syrup, tea and jam. Around four
years ago, she set up a small workshop at her house, using a traditional metal
still that "belonged to my grandfather", said Sayed Ahmed, 37.
'Roses help put food on the table'
With a kilogram (2.2 pounds) of rose petals, she said she can make up to half a
liter of rose water. She then also bottles and labels her modest production by
hand, putting it on limited sale locally. "The production of rose water is a
part of our heritage," said Sayed Ahmed. "In every home in Qsarnaba there is a
still, even if it's just a small one." The rose season only lasts a few weeks,
but it is a busy time for Qsarnaba's residents. "This year is the first year
that we didn't bring workers to help us because the production is low and we
couldn't afford it," said Hassan al-Dirani, 25, who has been picking the flowers
alongside his mother, Leila. Since late 2019, Lebanon has been grappling with a
devastating economic crisis that has seen the local currency collapse and pushed
most of the population into poverty. "The rose harvest and all other harvests
have lost about 80 percent of their value... because of the economic crisis,"
said local official Daher al-Dirani, who hails from the extended family that is
the biggest in Qsarnaba. "But the roses help people put food on the table," he
added.Exported from Syria to Europe for centuries since the time of the
Crusades, the ancient Damask rose is also cultivated in countries including
France, Morocco, Iran and Turkey. "Our village produces the most roses out of
any village in Lebanon" and more than half of the country's rose water, Sayed
Ahmed claimed proudly, as the captivating scent lingered in the air.
"Qsarnaba is the village of roses."
Makary meets 'National Intellectual Forum' delegation
NNA/May 18/2023
Caretaker Minister of Information, Ziad Makary, received, at his ministry office
on Thursday, a delegation from the executive office of the ‘National
Intellectual Forum’.The delegation handed Minister Makary the Forum’s founding
document, and briefed him on the Forum’s activities in the various Lebanese
regions. The delegation also invited Minister Makary to attend the workshop
organized by the Forum on the Syrian displacement on May 30 at the Catholic
Information Center.
Archbishop Soueif meets French Ambassador
NNA/May 18/2023
Archbishop of the Maronite Archdiocese of Tripoli, Bishop Youssef Soueif, on
Thursday received at the Archdiocese in Tripoli, the French Ambassador to
Lebanon, Anne Grillo, accompanied by a delegation from the Embassy. Discussions
touched on national, developmental and educational affairs, and means to
strengthen cooperation in terms of implementing vital projects that create job
opportunities for unemployed young men and women, according to a statement by
the Archdiocese. Archbishop Soueif hailed the Ambassador’s efforts especially in
developmental, social and educational matters.For her part, Ambassador Grillo
stressed that France will spare no means to help Lebanon and its people,
stressing her country's support for national dialogue and the implementation of
a strategic vision to preserve Lebanon's uniqueness and stability, so that its
people can live in safety and prosperity.
Oil prices ease on caution over US debt ceiling talks
Reuters/May 18/2023
Oil prices fell on Thursday as traders warily watched for signs of progress on
talks to raise the U.S. debt ceiling, after surging nearly 3% in the previous
session on optimism over U.S. fuel demand. Brent crude futures dipped 29 cents,
0.4%, to $76.67 a barrel as of 0705 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude
dropped 32 cents to $72.51 a barrel. A sharp plunge in U.S. gasoline inventories
due to demand surging to the highest levels since 2021, and optimism surrounding
negotiations over the U.S. debt ceiling, helped the main crude benchmarks settle
more than $2 higher on Wednesday.
Bou Habib meets Arab counterparts on sidelines of Arab
Summit
NNA/May 18/2023
Caretaker Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants, Dr. Abdallah Bou Habib, on
Thursday partook in the preparatory ministerial meeting for the 32nd Arab League
Summit. Within this framework, Bou Habib held a series of bilateral meetings
with the foreign ministers of Jordan, Syria, Oman, Emirates, Kuwait, and
Algeria, as well as with the special envoy of the Russian foreign minister for
Middle East affairs. Talks between Bou Habib and his Arab counterparts
reportedly touched on bilateral relations, with special focus on the need to
coordinate efforts to activate joint Arab action in light of Syria's return to
the League of Arab States.
Berri broaches situation with Bou Saab, meets Lebanon's
Ambassador to Germany, Liwaa newspaper Editor- in-Chief
NNA/May 18/2023
House Speaker, Nabih Berri, on Thursday received at the Second Presidency in Ain
El-Tineh, Lebanon’s Amabssador to Germany Mustafa Adib. Speaker Berri also
received Al-Liwaa newspaper Editor-in-Chief Salah Salam. This afternoon, Berri
met with Deputy House Speaker, Elias Bou Saab, with whom he discussed the
current general situation, political developments and legislative affairs. Bou
Saab left without making any statement.
Mikati and accompanying ministerial delegation arrive in
Jeddah to participate in Arab Summit
NNA/May 18/2023
Caretaker Prime Minister, Najib Mikati, arrived this afternoon in the city of
Jeddah in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, chairing the Lebanese delegation to the
meetings of the thirty-second regular session of the Arab League Council at the
summit level, which will be held tomorrow afternoon, Friday.
The Lebanese official delegation to the Summit includes Caretaker Ministers of
Foreign Affairs and Emigrants, Abdallah Bou Habib, Industry Georges Bouchikian,
Trade and Economy Minister Amin Salam, Tourism Walid Nassar, and Agriculture Dr.
Abbas Hajj Hassan, in addition to Premier Mikati’s Diplomatic Adviser,
Ambassador Boutros Asaker. The delegation will be joined by the Lebanese
Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Fawzi Kabbara, and the Lebanese
Ambassador to the Arab League, Ali Al-Halabi. Greeting Prime Minister Mikati at
King Abdulaziz International Airport had been Makkah Deputy Governor Prince Badr
bin Sultan, Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, Ahmed Aboul Gheit,
Lebanon’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Fawzi Kabbara, and Saudi Ambassador to
Lebanon Walid Bukhari.
USAID Celebrates Closing of Workforce Development Project
to Enhance Access to Quality Technical and Vocational Education for More than
1,000...
NNA/May 18/2023
On May 17, 2023, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID),
through its Community Support Program (CSP), held a closing ceremony for its
four-year workforce development project in Lebanon. Since 2019, USAID invested
$7.3 million to improve the skills of and
employment opportunities for 1,087 unemployed or underemployed residents of
vulnerable Lebanese communities. USAID Lebanon’s Mission Director Mary Eileen
Devitt, representatives from other donor agencies, technical and vocational
education training (TVET) institution partners, and
partner businesses attended the ceremony. In her remarks, USAID Mission Director
Eileen Devitt stated, “For years, we have invested in training and mentoring for
students and young entrepreneurs here in Lebanon. Whether through engaging them
in municipal-community projects, or offering scholarships, or helping them
achieve their business ideas, we are constantly striving to ensure that young
Lebanese can access opportunities that can enhance their career prospects and
allow them to contribute to the development of a strong and vibrant
economy.”During the event, participants reflected on project achievements,
witnessed student testimonials, and held a panel discussion on recommendations
for future workforce development programing in Lebanon. These included continued
stakeholder collaboration to enhance TVET’s institutional capacity, sustained
coordination to develop a national action plan to reform the TVET sector and
investing in efforts to continue addressing the negative stigma associated with
TVET education. Through USAID’s workforce development project, CSP developed,
adapted, and sought accreditation for five TVET curricula in three promising
employment sectors: home-based health care, industrial repair and maintenance,
and information and communication technology (ICT) in addition to a soft skills
training course that was provided to all beneficiary students to improve their
ability to compete for jobs. The courses are now available at CSP’s thirteen
partner TVET institutes across Lebanon, where 1,052 job seekers aspiring to work
in thesesectors – primarily from the North, South, and Beqaa Valley regions of
Lebanon – benefitted from scholarships. In addition to full tuition coverage,
scholarship recipients received health insurance, a monthly stipend for
transportation, and a computer or tablet to facilitate
online learning. As part of its market-driven approach, CSP partnered with 48
private sector businesses and built linkages between them and the TVETs to
facilitate graduates’ access to employment opportunities, resulting in more than
745 internship placements and full-time employment for 153 graduates. CSP also
implemented an informative media campaign to raise awareness and improve public
perceptions of TVET education which reached more than 1.5 million viewers.
Lebanon’s problems are not always due to
sectarianism
Khaled Abou Zahr/Arab News/May 18, 2023
I am surprised when listening to opposition leaders in Lebanon claiming that
Hezbollah is blocking the election of the president. Indeed, one may ask who is
the opposition and who is the ruling party? Hezbollah is in the government and,
more importantly, in the parliament in charge of electing the next president.
And so, if they are all together in the same government, who is really in
charge? The answer lies in the famous “no victor and no vanquished” formula. In
my opinion, it is the worst political formula there is. It may in theory sound
good, but in practice it makes political leaders the winners and the population
the losers. In fact, this formula is quite convenient for all political leaders.
It is convenient because they can easily avoid accountability with their
constituents and shift the blame. It gives Hezbollah what it wants. The armed
militia can claim that it is not involved in politics but just has the notorious
blocking third. And all the other political groupings can easily blame Hezbollah
for not being able to achieve any reforms. And so, everyone can play
make-believe politics, which, they always remind us, is better than a total
vacuum, chaos or the burning down of the country.
This formula is causing the dead end in the presidential election. It is
nevertheless not the only file preoccupying the Lebanese and facing a dead end.
The other one is their lost deposits and the legal case against Central Bank
Governor Riad Salameh. The first dead end is absolutely caused by the sectarian
political system, but the second is not. The fact is that, despite what everyone
claims, everything in Lebanon is not always due to sectarianism.
Starting with the election of a new president, everyone is focusing on what is
happening outside Lebanon to determine the outcome inside the country. Yet, the
reality is that all the political blocs have agreed to this status. They have
agreed to have a system that cannot bring change; a system where each solution
to a problem automatically causes the next problem. It never ends and nothing
changes. It is like they feed off each other.
In order to get the votes to be able to form a government, a blocking third veto
for Hezbollah was a necessity. And so, this was automatically going to stop any
future positive change in the country. The same applies to the election of a
president — a two-thirds majority is needed in the parliament. If this fails,
then an absolute majority should be enough. The only problem is that the
interpretation of the quorum needed changes according to the political
affiliation. And so, once again, history will remember a deadlock, leaving
Hezbollah as the final decision-maker.
This is why the advisers to French President Emmanuel Macron have chosen a cold
and ruthless transactional pragmatism in their support of Suleiman Frangieh for
the presidency. Macron engaged himself personally in this issue and this is the
best way to bring about a diplomatic victory for France by filling the current
vacuum. It is interesting to notice that, with the political downfall of Michel
Aoun’s clan, the Christian political formations are now opposed to France, which
has been their traditional foreign ally. This is a great symbol of the
transactional politics of Lebanon. And so, the wait will continue until a deal
is made that will almost certainly bring about the next problem for the country.
We can also quickly notice how the sectarian political system is at the root of
this situation.
The second “current thing” is the future of Salameh. And, here too, France plays
a role, as it is leading the investigation into the corruption case. French
prosecutors this week issued an arrest warrant for Salameh, who will appeal. The
warrant followed his failure to attend a court hearing in Paris after the
Lebanese authorities failed to hand him the official summons. Unable to question
him about the alleged corruption charges, the prosecutors chose a
non-transactional and direct approach.
Salameh is one man within an entire system. He may be an important one, but he
is not its architect.
This will probably have no impact on the outcome of lost deposits. Yet, it puts
pressure on the political class. The reality is that Salameh is one man within
an entire system. He may be an important one, but he is not its architect. And
the amounts stated in this corruption case are most probably his share of the
Ponzi scheme. The important questions are who are the corruptors and where are
they? These questions will not be answered. But if they were, it would prove
that this is absolutely not a sectarian issue, but rather one of greed and abuse
of the state.
It is very clear that the only losers in this state of affairs are the citizens,
regardless of their confession. They are the ones who have lost their savings
and have seen the value of their currency plummet. They are living through
insecurity and hunger. They are living through abuse. They are being robbed of
their dignity and their right to fight for a better future.
The “no victor and no vanquished” formula is just an illusion. The reality is
that, by blurring the lines between ruling party and opposition, they have all
become accomplices in a broken system. Whether willingly or not, they allow for
the worst to happen: international interference, occupation, lack of
accountability. And worst of all, they have allowed an armed militia to take
over the country and its decision-making processes. They have fast-tracked this
group’s international recognition and even promoted it.
*Khaled Abou Zahr is the founder of Barbicane, a space-focused investment
syndication platform. He is the CEO of EurabiaMedia and editor of Al-Watan Al-Arabi.
Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports
And News published on May 18-19/2023
Arab leaders, including Syria’s al-Assad,
arrive in Jeddah for Arab League summit
Al Arabiya English/18 May ,2023
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad arrived Thursday in Saudi Arabia to join an
Arab League summit for the first time in more than a decade of war. Al-Assad
“arrived at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah to participate in...
the Arab League summit” on Friday, Syrian state television reported. Leaders
from Oman, Mauritania, Tunisia, Egypt, Bahrain, Lebanon, Palestine and Yemen
also arrived in Jeddah to participate in the summit, the Saudi Press Agency
reported. The President of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, Mohamed Ould
Cheikh Ahmed al-Ghazwani, arrived in Jeddah on Thursday to participate in the
32nd Arab Summit of the Council of the League of Arab States. (SPA)The President
of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, Mohamed Ould Cheikh Ahmed al-Ghazwani,
arrived in Jeddah on Thursday to participate in the 32nd Arab Summit of the
Council of the League of Arab States. (SPA) The 22-member bloc suspended Syria
in November 2011 over al-Assad’s deadly crackdown on protests which spiraled
into a conflict that has killed more than 500,000 people and displaced millions.
Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries either severed or downgraded ties with al-Assad
at the time. But earlier this month, the pan-Arab body welcomed Damascus back,
with host Saudi Arabia inviting al-Assad to Friday’s summit. Syrian
pro-government newspaper al-Watan said al-Assad will likely meet “a number of
leaders in bilateral meetings” Thursday evening and Friday morning. The last
Arab League summit al-Assad attended was in 2010 in Libya. With AFP
Leaders including Assad arrive in Jeddah for
Arab League Summit
Arab News/May 18, 2023
RIYADH: Arab leaders including Syrian President Bashar Assad have started to
arrive in Jeddah ahead of the Arab League Summit that will be hosted by the
Kingdom on Friday. First to arrive was Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi,
followed by Lebanon’s Prime Minister Najib Mikati, Palestinian President Mahmoud
Abbas, Bahrain’s King Hamad, the President of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership
Council Rashad Al-Alimi, Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, Oman’s
Deputy Prime Minister for International Relations and Cooperation Affairs Sayyid
Asaad bin Tarik Al-Said, Tunisian President Kais Saied, and President Assad.
After arriving in the port city, Bahrain’s king said the summit is a “good
occasion” for leaders to consult, exchange opinions, and enhance joint
coordination in order to support Arab action. King Hamad expressed his
appreciation to King Salman for inviting Bahrain to participate in the summit
and praised the bonds between their countries.
Assad heads to KSA for regional summit,
sealing country's return to Arab fold
Associated Press/May 18, 2023
Syrian President Bashar Assad headed to Saudi Arabia on Thursday to attend a
regional summit, his first visit to the oil-rich kingdom since Syria's conflict
began in 2011, the president's office said. Assad's attendance at the Arab
League summit, which starts Friday, is expected to seal Syria's return to the
Arab fold following a 12-year suspension and open a new chapter of relations
after more than a decade of tensions. The 22-member league, which is convening
in the Saudi city of Jeddah, recently reinstated Syria and is now poised to
welcome Assad, a long-time regional pariah, back into the fold. The Syrian
president was officially invited to attend the summit last week. During Syria's
civil war, Saudi Arabia had been a key backer of armed opposition groups
attempting to overthrow Assad. However, in recent months, Riyadh has called for
dialogue to end the conflict that has killed half a million people and displaced
half of Syria's pre-war population. Assad's troops have taken control of much of
Syria thanks to his main allies Russia and Iran that helped tip the balance of
power in his favor. Relations between Syria and Saudi Arabia had been turbulent
since Assad took office in 2000, following the death of his late father and
former president, Hafaz Assad. The two countries cut relations in 2012, at the
height of Syria's conflict. Last week they agreed on reopening their embassies.
In April, Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad visited Riyadh and his Saudi
counterpart, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, visited Damascus and met with Assad.
Mekdad also took part in Arab foreign ministers meeting in Jeddah on Wednesday
ahead of the summit. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has been pushing for
peace in the region and over the past months, Riyadh has improved its relations
with Iran, restored ties with Syria and is ending the kingdom's yearslong war in
Yemen. Iran, a main backer of the Syrian government in the country's conflict,
signed an agreement in China in March to resume relations with Saudi Arabia. The
renewed Saudi-Iran ties are expected to have positive effects on Middle East
countries where the two support rival groups. However, investments in war-torn
Syria are unlikely as crippling Western sanctions against Assad's government
remain in place and could prevent oil-rich Arab countries from rushing to
release reconstruction funds. Washington has been strongly opposed to
normalization of relations with Assad, saying a solution to Syria's conflict
based on U.N. Security Council resolutions should happen first. Diplomatic
contacts intensified between Damascus and Arab countries following the Feb. 6,
earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria killing more than 50,000 people, including
over 6,000 in Syria.
Hope and anger as Saudi-based Syrians await
Assad visit
Agence France Presse/May 18/2023
Tributes to Syrian culture are everywhere at Riyadh's Damascu Cafe –- from the
traditional bean stew on the menu to folk songs that pour from the speakers,
name-checking the war-torn country's cities and towns. There's even a staffer
who was hired for his resemblance to beloved Syrian comedian Duraid Lahham, and
who spends long shifts posing for selfies with homesick customers. But while the
crowds that flock to the cafe each day are united in love for their native
country, they are sharply divided on whether their adopted home, Saudi Arabia,
has done the right thing by welcoming President Bashar al-Assad to this week's
Arab League summit. Some hope the move, which ends Assad's exile of more than a
dozen years from the pan-Arab body, signals an easing of Syria's broader
isolation and related economic hardship since the start of the war there in
2011. "We were waiting for this moment," said 37-year-old Syrian expat Hiba
Sidawi. "It's a pain now to visit our country and see our family. War didn't
bring us any added value." In the other camp are those who can't bear the
thought of Assad on Saudi soil –- all of whom spoke on condition of anonymity to
avoid riling both Saudi and Syrian officials. "I hate him! I hate him!" said one
woman. "Let him come for what, what will he do? Will he fix things? Will he
change the country? He's the one who needs to be changed. I want to say out loud
I am against him but I have relatives in Syria, they will drag them all and kill
them."
'Will he heal our pain?'
Saudi Arabia cut ties with Assad's government in 2012 in response to the brutal
crackdown on pro-democracy protests that triggered the civil war, which has
killed more than 500,000 people and displaced millions. It was also the reason
Syria was suspended from the Arab League. The steps leading to Syria's
reintegration into the Arab fold go back to at least 2018, when the United Arab
Emirates re-established ties with Damascus. But the process picked up speed
after a deadly earthquake struck Syria and Turkey in February, prompting an
influx of aid from the region. During the conflict, Saudi officials had openly
championed Assad's ouster. But after the quake, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince
Faisal bin Farhan said a consensus was building in the Arab world that a new
approach to Syria requiring negotiations with Damascus would be needed to
address humanitarian crises. The two countries' foreign ministers have since
exchanged visits, and Riyadh lobbied hard for Assad's invitation to Friday's
summit in Jeddah. As waiters at Damascu sang birthday songs for a customer
earlier this week, one man said news of Assad's impending arrival was nothing to
celebrate. "How can I be optimistic about it? Whenever I look into his face, I
remember how many people died because of him," he said. "Will he bring back our
beloved who died? Will he heal our pain and injuries?" But Fatima, a diner, said
the move stirred hopes of a return to pre-war normalcy, even though there is
still no political resolution to the Syrian conflict.
"The main problem is travelling, imports and investment. Those are all things
which have been closed," she said. "Now they will go back to normal and things
will become better." Ahmed Abdulwahab, who performs at the cafe, said he shared
Fatima's optimism. "In the past we were left alone... now we are coming back
together," he said, referring to the Arab League. At the same time, he stressed
that reintegration hardly undoes the pain of the past 12 years. "Any Syrian,
when you talk to them about their country, you see tears in their eyes," he
said. "It's more than sadness. It's like your heart is burning."
Iran ‘never’ considered Saudi Arabia as an
enemy: President Raisi
Yaghoub Fazeli, Al Arabiya English/18 May ,2023
Iran has “never” considered Saudi Arabia an enemy, President Ebrahim Raisi said
on Thursday, adding that Israel is the “common enemy” of all Muslim countries.
“We have never considered Saudi Arabia as our enemy. Based on the principled
policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran, we consider the Zionist regime as a
common enemy of the Islamic world,” Iranian state media quoted Raisi as saying
during a meeting with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. In March, Saudi
Arabia and Iran announced that they had reached an agreement, brokered by China,
to reestablish diplomatic relations after seven years of no formal ties. Under
the deal, the two countries agreed to reopen embassies and consulates in each
other’s territories and implement security and economic cooperation agreements
that were signed over 20 years ago. Saudi Arabia severed ties with Iran in 2016
following an attack by pro-regime protesters on its embassy in Tehran and
consulate in Mashhad. Last week, Iran’s finance minister traveled to Jeddah,
marking the first visit by an Iranian official to Saudi Arabia since Riyadh and
Tehran agreed to resume diplomatic relations. Earlier this month, Iranian
Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said that Saudi Arabia had introduced
its new envoy to Tehran, and that Iran will soon reciprocate by introducing its
new envoy to Riyadh, according to Iranian state news agency IRNA.
Jordan’s King Abdullah II urges ‘close cooperation’ to
address challenges facing Arab countries
Arab News/May 18/2023
RIYADH: King Abdullah II of Jordan has expressed confidence in the success of
the upcoming Arab League summit in Jeddah, anticipating the start of a new phase
of Arab action based on a solid foundation of economic cooperation that benefits
all parties. During an interview with Ghassan Charbel, editor-in-chief of the
Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper, King Abdullah emphasized the need to address
political challenges facing Arab nations, the foremost of which being the
Palestinian cause. He stressed the importance of establishing an independent
Palestinian state, with East Jerusalem as its capital, based on the 1967
borders. “I am confident that the efforts of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman
have laid the groundwork for a successful summit, as everyone is committed to
its success,” said King Abdullah. “What further strengthens my belief in its
success is the conviction we have witnessed in recent months regarding the need
to establish pan-Arab relations based on solid economic cooperation, ensuring
tangible benefits for our people. “This would fortify our cooperation against
occasional political divergences.”The Arab world faces a breadth of shared
challenges regarding the environment, governance and development, which King
Abdullah says will require greater regional collaboration to address. “Our
countries face a range of challenges that necessitate close and profound
cooperation, driven by mutual benefit,” he said. “These challenges include
stimulating and developing the economy to create employment opportunities for
future generations, advancing governance and reforms, combating corruption,
addressing refugee and water issues, as well as illicit drugs, enhancing
education and healthcare services, and tackling environmental concerns.” In
particular, King Abdullah emphasized how deepening economic cooperation could
open avenues of hope for the region’s youth and provide a solid foundation for
stability and prosperity. With collaborative effort and effective planning, he
said it is possible to improve regional standards of living, which have suffered
as a result of conflicts and tensions. King Abdullah affirmed the strategic and
historical nature of mutual ties between Jordan and Saudi Arabia, built on the
principles of cooperation, consultation and pursuing stability through
responsible policies. He also highlighted his excellent relations with King
Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and expressed pride in witnessing
the reforms and developments underway in Saudi Arabia, viewing the Kingdom’s
endeavors as an inspiring example for other nations to follow. Saudi Arabia’s
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman embraces Jordan’s Crown Prince Hussein. (Crown
Prince Hussein)
Embracing economic modernization, leveraging technology and engaging youth in
the process, together with promoting culture, tourism and the arts, has positive
impacts not only for the respective nation, but also for the surrounding region,
he said. Highlighting the friendship and cooperation between the Saudi crown
prince and Crown Prince Hussein of Jordan, King Abdullah said: “The aspirations,
capabilities and hopes of this generation of Arab youth promise a brighter
future for our countries.”In his concluding remarks, King Abdullah said he hopes
the region will enjoy further opportunities to realize its collective potential,
serve the development project and open avenues for prosperity and stability that
serve the public interest.
Israeli settlers and politicians storm Al-Aqsa ahead of far-right march
Agencies/May 18/2023
Israeli settlers and politicians stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque on Thursday morning,
ahead of thousands taking to the streets of Jerusalem for a divisive annual
ultra-nationalist march. Security officers cleared the Qibli prayer hall of
Palestinian worshippers following the Fajr dawn prayers, according to sources
cited by Palestinian media. At 7am local time, the Moroccan Gate (Bab al-Magharib)
to Al-Aqsa's courtyards was opened and hundreds of settlers stormed the holy
site. Several lawmakers were in there ranks, including Negev and Galilee
Development Minister Yitzhak Wasserlauf, who belongs to the far-right Jewish
Power party. Three MPs in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party, Dan
Illouz, Amit Halevi and Ariel Kallner, also partook. Al-Aqsa Mosque is an
Islamic site where unsolicited visits, prayers and rituals by non-Muslims are
forbidden, according to decades-long international agreements.
Israeli groups, in coordination with authorities, have long violated the
delicate arrangement and facilitated raids of the site and performed prayers and
religious rituals. Settlers who stormed the mosque on Thursday were reportedly
given a tour of the courtyard before performing Talmudic rituals near the Dome
of the Rock. The hill on which Al-Aqsa Mosque sits is known to Jews as the
Temple Mount, and is the site of the Jewish Temple destroyed by the Romans in
the first century. Though many Jews believe it is forbidden to stand upon it,
and the Status Quo agreement states Jewish prayer must also be avoided,
far-right Israelis, most often settlers, have increasingly flouted these rules
backed by Israeli authorities.
Israel deploys heavy police presence ahead of
contentious Jerusalem march
Associated Press/May 18, 2023
Israel deployed over 2,000 police on Thursday for a march by flag-waving Jewish
nationalists through the main Palestinian thoroughfare in Jerusalem's Old City,
a contentious event that comes as tensions are already running high. Authorities
say the beefed up security is a determined effort to ensure the march passes
without violence. Police have decided to allow the thousands of marchers to take
the traditional route through the Old City's Damascus Gate — despite an uptick
in Israeli-Palestinian violence over the past year and heavy fighting between
Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza last week. Early Thursday, hundreds of
Jews were ascending to a sensitive Jerusalem site holy to both Jews and Muslims
as part of the day's activities, visits the Palestinians view as provocative.
Among them was at least one Israeli Cabinet minister from the country's
right-wing government, according to Jewish activists leading the visits.
While Israeli officials describe the march as a festive parade, it has been
marred by anti-Arab racist chants and violence toward local Palestinians by some
of the marchers. Two years ago, it helped spark an 11-day war between Israel and
Palestinian militants in Gaza, and the Hamas militant group has urged
Palestinians to confront the parade this year. Chief Supt. Yoram Segal, a senior
Jerusalem police official, told reporters Wednesday that authorities were
determined to prevent violence this time around. He said some 2,500 officers
were being deployed throughout the area, both to ensure safety and to react
quickly toward any potential violence.
"We are going to deal harshly with anyone who tries to disturb the peace," he
said. He said past troubles were caused by a tiny minority of people, but said
there there would be no tolerance for incitement or violence that could
"endanger the people that are along the route or living along the route."Segal
said police have been working "hand in hand" with Jewish and Palestinian
community leaders to keep things peaceful. He also confirmed that there had been
a number of pre-emptive arrests of people who were believed to be planning
violent disruptions. He declined to elaborate. The march marks "Jerusalem Day,"
which celebrates Israel's capture of east Jerusalem in the 1967 Mideast war.
Israel considers all of Jerusalem to be its eternal capital, but its annexation
of the eastern sector, home to the city's most important holy sites, is not
internationally recognized. The Palestinians claim east Jerusalem as capital of
their future state.
Each year, thousands of Israeli nationalists participate in the march, waving
blue and white Israeli flags and singing songs. But in some cases, protesters
chant anti-Arab slogans as they pass by Palestinian onlookers and businesses.
Israel's national security minister, far-right politician Itamar Ben-Gvir, has
joined the march in past years. It was not known whether he would join this
year, his first as a Cabinet minister. On Wednesday, Gaza's ruling Hamas
militant group called on Palestinians to oppose the parade. "We ask the people
of Jerusalem to mobilize the masses to confront the march of the flags in
Jerusalem tomorrow," said Mushir al-Masri, a Hamas official in Gaza.
Hamas urged Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and inside Israel to "clash
with the occupation." It also said it would hold a demonstration, with people
waving Palestinian flags along Gaza's heavily fortified frontier with Israel.
Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spokesman for the Palestinian president, said allowing the
march to snake through the Palestinian areas of the Old City "will only lead to
a rise in tension and could lead to an explosion." In a test ahead of the
parade, about 300 Jews were visiting Jerusalem's most sensitive holy site early
Thursday, according to Beyadenu, an activist group that promotes Jewish visits
to the site. Police were seen escorting groups of Jewish visitors walking
through the compound and several coalition lawmakers also arrived at the site.
The hilltop compound is known to Jews as the Temple Mount, home to the ancient
Jewish Temples, and is the holiest site in Judaism. Palestinians revere it as
the Noble Sanctuary, and today it is home to the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the
third-holiest site in Islam. Under longstanding agreements, Jews are permitted
to visit the site but not pray there. But an increase in such visits, along with
scenes of some Jews quietly praying, have raised concerns among Palestinians
that Israel is trying to alter the status quo — a charge Israel denies. The
competing claims to the site lie at the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict and often spill over into violence, including the 2021 war between
Israel and Hamas.
The parade comes as fighting in the occupied West Bank and east Jerusalem is at
its highest level in two decades. It also comes just days after a cease-fire
took effect ending five days of heavy fighting between Israel and the Islamic
Jihad militant group in Gaza. Hamas stayed on the sidelines during the fighting,
and Israel avoided attacking the group in an effort by both sides to contain the
violence. But if unrest erupts in Jerusalem, Hamas could enter the fray. Two
years ago, weeks of unrest in Jerusalem erupted into the 11-day war during the
parade. "The resistance is ready to protect Al-Aqsa Mosque and prevent the
Judaization of Jerusalem," al-Masri said.
Ukraine says it advances, repels Russia
attacks at Bakhmut
Reuters/18 May ,2023
Ukraine said it had repelled a day of Russian attacks in and around the ruined
eastern city of Bakhmut on Thursday and made gains of a kilometer in some places
while buying time for “certain planned actions.”While Russia boosted its forces
in the city, attacked the suburbs to the north and engaged in fierce fighting in
the southern suburbs, Ukraine’s forces advanced 500 meters in the north and in
some areas in the south by one kilometer, Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar
said on her Telegram channel. “The defense of Bakhmut and its outskirts is
meeting its military objectives,” she said. “As of now, we control the
southwestern part of Bakhmut.” She said that Russia had attacked Bakhmut all day
having “significantly strengthened” its grouping in Bakhmut by bringing most of
its reserves there. “All the attacks were repelled by our defenders,” she added.
Kyiv has for days been hailing battlefield successes around Bakhmut that could
eventually trap forces of Russia’s Wagner mercenary group inside the city.
Wagner is spearheading the Russian assault on the city. Moscow sees Bakhmut, a
city of about 70,000 before Russia’s full-scale invasion nearly 15 months ago,
as a stepping-stone toward capturing the rest of the eastern Donbas region.
Russia targets Kyiv, Odesa with missiles,
Ukraine says most were shot down
Associated Press/May 18, 2023
Russia launched cruise missiles at Ukraine's capital and the Odesa region early
Thursday, officials said, in an escalation ahead of a much-anticipated
counteroffensive. Most of the missiles were shot down, and one death was
reported from the attacks. Loud explosions were heard in Kyiv, and falling
debris caused a fire in a nonresidential building. It was the ninth Russian air
raid that targeted the capital this month, a clear escalation after weeks of
lull and ahead of a much-anticipated Ukrainian counteroffensive using newly
supplied advanced Western weapons. The attack was carried out by strategic
bombers from the Caspian region, probably using cruise missiles, and Russia
later deployed reconnaissance craft over the capital. According to preliminary
information, all enemy targets were destroyed, Serhiy Popko, head of the Kyiv
Military Administration, said in a Telegram post. Debris fell on two Kyiv
districts and the fire at a garage complex was extinguished. There was no
information so far about any victims, Popko said. In the southern region of
Odesa, one person died and two were wounded in a Russian missile attack, Serhiy
Bratchuk, a spokesperson for the Odesa military administration, said on
Telegram.
"Most of the enemy's missiles were shot down over the sea by the Air Defense
Forces. Unfortunately, an industrial object was hit: 1 person died, two were
injured," Bratchuk said. Earlier this week, Ukrainian air defenses, bolstered by
sophisticated Western-supplied systems, thwarted an intense Russian air attack
on Kyiv, shooting down all missiles aimed at the capital, officials said. The
bombardment, which targeted locations across Ukraine, included six Russian
Kinzhal aero-ballistic hypersonic missiles, the most fired in a single attack in
the war so far, according to Ukrainian air force spokesman Yurii Ihnat.
The cruise missiles used Thursday were apparently X-101 and X-55 types developed
during Soviet times. The hypersonic missiles used Tuesday have been repeatedly
touted by Russian President Vladimir Putin as providing a key strategic
competitive advantage and among the most advanced weapons in his country's
arsenal. The missiles are difficult to detect and intercept because of their
hypersonic speed and maneuverability. Sophisticated Western air defense systems,
including American-made Patriot missiles, have helped spare Kyiv from the kind
of destruction witnessed along the main front line in the country's east and
south. While most of the ground fighting is stalemated along that front line,
both sides are targeting other territory with long-range weapons. Meanwhile,
Russian state media reported that five train cars carrying grain derailed in
Russian-occupied Crimea Thursday morning. Quoting a source within the emergency
services, state news agency RIA Novosti said that the incident occurred not far
from the city of Simferopol. The Crimean Railway reported that the derailment
was caused by "the interference of unauthorized persons" and that there were no
casualties.
The Russia-installed head of Crimea, Sergei Aksyonov, said that trains on the
affected section of the line were suspended.
All targets 'destroyed' in overnight Ukraine
strikes: Russia
AFP/May 18/2023
Russia said Thursday it hit all targets in a series of strikes on Ukraine
overnight, after Kyiv said it downed 29 of the 30 missiles launched by Moscow.
"All assigned targets have been destroyed," the Russian defence ministry said,
adding that its forces hit "a significant stock of weapons and ammunition of the
Ukrainian armed forces." --
Visit of African peacekeeping mission to Moscow being
prepared, says Russian envoy
TASS/May 18/2023
The visit of the African peacekeeping mission to Moscow to seek a peaceful
settlement of the Ukrainian crisis is being worked out, a Russian Foreign
Ministry representative said on Thursday. "It is being worked out," Oleg Ozerov,
Ambassador-at-Large and Head of the Secretariat of the Russia-Africa Partnership
Forum, told TASS on the sidelines of the 14th International Economic Forum
"Russia - Islamic World: KazanForum", answering a question about whether a
corresponding visit was being prepared. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa
said on May 14 that African countries are "quietly" working to try to persuade
Russia and Ukraine to start negotiations. The region is concerned about the
crisis as it negatively affects African states. On May 16, the South African
president said that the Russian and Ukrainian governments had agreed to host an
African delegation to seek a peaceful settlement of the conflict. Ramaphosa was
speaking on behalf of a group of six African countries: Egypt, Republic of
Congo, Senegal, South Africa, Uganda, and Zambia.--TASS
At Japan's G7 summit, the big elephants are China and
Russia
Reuters /May 18/2023
The longest shadows at the Group of Seven (G7) leaders' summit this week will be
cast by two countries that weren't even invited to the Hiroshima gathering:
China and Russia. As the heads of the world's advanced democracies meet for
three days from Friday in the western Japanese city, they will need to overcome
some differences of their own, officials say, as they aim to project unity
against challenges from Beijing and Moscow. Divisions within the G7 appear to be
the most notable over China, multiple officials told Reuters, with countries
grappling on how to warn against what they see as China's threat to global
supply chains and economic security without completely alienating a powerful and
important trade partner. The G7 countries -- the United States, Japan, Germany,
the United Kingdom, France, Canada and Italy -- are all closely tied
economically to China, the world's second-largest economy and a key global
manufacturing base and market. How the G7 will deal with the "great power
competition" is an important issue for the summit, said Narushige Michishita, a
professor at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS) in
Tokyo.
"They have to address economic security and how to deal with sensitive
technologies," Michishita said. "Everything is part of the great power
competition that is taking place between the United States and Russia, and the
United States and China." Their differences on China were put in sharp focus
after French President Emmanuel Macron visited Beijing last month and called for
the European Union to reduce its dependence on the United States. A senior U.S.
administration official told Reuters this week the summit would show leaders
unified behind a common approach to China, although he acknowledged it was "one
of the more complex issues" for the meeting.--
New Pentagon missile defense radar is delayed
and over budget, GAO says
Bloomberg/19 May ,2023
Delivery of Lockheed Martin’s new ground radar for the US system in Alaska
intended to track and intercept missiles from North Korea or Iran will be
delayed by more than a year, according to congressional auditors. The Pentagon’s
Missile Defense Agency announced in December 2021 the completion of construction
of the site in Alaska to house the radar. Since then, however, “the program
continues to experience cost increases and schedule delays, which have postponed
the contractor’s delivery until at least Sept. 30,” the Government
Accountability Office said in its annual report on US missile defenses. Missile
Defense Agency officials previously told the GAO that delivery was planned
during the fiscal year that ended last September. The new radar is intended to
integrate with the US’s existing missile-defense network of space and sea-based
sensors that tie into missile interceptors in Alaska and California. Like many
defense programs, the radar project was dogged by disruptions related to
COVID-19, which added 4 1/2 months of delays and $43.7 million in costs. The
complexity of “calibrating the radar added an additional 4 1/2 months, the GAO
said. And an investigation into a “radar component failure” and corrective
action “further delayed delivery by nine months,” it said. The delays have
pushed back by a year a key flight test designed to demonstrate the radar is
operational to sometime between July to Sept. 30 — or about when the system is
supposed to be delivered. So the radar is “at risk of being delivered before it
“participates in any successful flight tests.” That means its “capability and
limitations may not be fully known or verified prior to government acceptance,”
the GAO said. Vice Admiral Jon Hill, director of the Missile Defense Agency,
said in congressional testimony this month that the radar is intended to be
operational in fiscal 2024, or sometime after Oct. 1. Lockheed and the Missile
Defense Agency didn’t have an immediate comment on the GAO report.
Senators introduce bill to scrap last nuclear
arms treaty with Russia
“Treaties aren’t effective when one party lies and cheats,” Senator Marco Rubio
said.
Joseph Haboush, Al Arabiya English/18 May ,2023:
Several US lawmakers on Thursday urged the Biden administration to scrap the
last nuclear arms control treaty with Russia after Moscow suspended its
participation in February. Russian President Vladimir Putin said the Kremlin
would not allow US inspections of its nuclear sites after Washington began
supporting and arming Ukraine. According to the US, the treaty places
“verifiable limits” on all Russian-deployed intercontinental-range nuclear
weapons. It was extended to 2026 by the Biden administration. “Treaties aren’t
effective when one party lies and cheats. We’ve seen evidence for the last
decade that Russia is no longer honoring its obligations under the New START
Treaty,” Senator Marco Rubio said after a group of Republican senators
introduced the “No START Treaty Act.” Rubio called it “irresponsible and
dangerous” for Washington to unilaterally limit itself in the face of growing
hostility abroad, namely from China. On Monday, under its obligation in the
treaty and despite previously vowing to stop sharing this information, the US
publicly released data on its nuclear arsenal and urged Russia to reciprocate.
The top Republican senator on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee said the
new legislation would correct the US mistakes by conditioning future arms
control agreements with Russia to include all classes of nuclear weapons as well
as China. “We must be prepared for a strategic environment in which the United
States faces two nuclear peers – China and Russia,” Senator Jim Risch said.
Meanwhile, Senator Tom Cotton slammed the Biden administration for extending the
treaty and said the US should bolster its nuclear forces. “The New START Treaty
handcuffed America while Vladimir Putin has taken advantage of the treaty’s
flaws for years,” Cotton said.
Tunisian president evokes 'tolerance' after
synagogue attack
Agence France Presse/May 18, 2023
Tunisian President Kais Saied has hosted Jewish, Muslim and Christian leaders
following a deadly mass shooting outside a local synagogue, telling them Tunisia
was a country of "tolerance and coexistence". The May 9 attack on the resort
island of Djerba killed five people and sparked panic during an annual Jewish
pilgrimage at the historic Ghriba synagogue, Africa's oldest. The interfaith
meeting on Wednesday "attests to the tolerance and coexistence that have
characterised Tunisia for centuries", Saied said, according to a video released
by the presidency. It included Tunisia's Grand Rabbi Haim Bittan, Mufti Hichem
ben Mahmoud and Archbishop Ilario Antoniazzi. The gunman, a police officer,
killed three other officers and two worshippers, a French-Tunisian and an
Israeli-Tunisian man, before being shot dead himself by police. During the
meeting, Saied said a probe was underway to determine whether the shooter had
any accomplices. Four people linked to the gunman and suspected of involvement
in the attack have so far been arrested, the private Mosaique FM radio reported
late Wednesday. Tunisian officials have denounced the attack as "criminal" but
refrained from referring to it as a "terrorist" operation which would imply
anti-Semitic motives. Saied told the religious leaders on Wednesday that the
attack sought to "undermine Tunisia and its stability, and sow discord and
division". "You can live in peace, and we will guarantee your safety", he said,
addressing the Jewish community. Saied noted a "distinction between Judaism and
Zionism", rejecting any "normalisation" with Israel and calling on the
international community to "put an end to the tragedy of the Palestinian
people." Rabbi Bittan called the meeting "excellent" and said he had received
"guarantees that what happened (in Djerba) would not repeat." The pilgrimage to
Ghriba is at the heart of Jewish tradition in Tunisia, where only about 1,500
members of the faith still live -- mainly on Djerba -- compared with around
100,000 before independence in 1956. The Ghriba pilgrimage was previously
targeted in a 2002 suicide truck bombing that killed 21 people and was claimed
by Al-Qaida.
UN envoy cautiously optimistic Yemen parties
will resume UN-led negotiations
Associated Press/May 18, 2023
The U.N. envoy for Yemen has expressed "cautious optimism" that the country's
warring parties will return to U.N.-led negotiations to end their deadly
eight-year conflict. Hans Grundberg told the U.N. Security Council he is
confident last month's prisoner releases agreed to by the government and rival
Houthi rebels will "build further confidence between the parties" and support an
environment conducive for dialogue. The conflict has claimed thousands of lives
and further impoverished the Arab world's poorest nation. Grundberg said he was
encouraged by positive and detailed discussions he had recently with officials
from the government and the rebels, as well as with senior regional and Yemeni
officials in Saudi Arabia's capital Riyadh and the United Arab Emirates capital
Abu Dhabi, and with senior U.S. officials in Washington. The parties
"demonstrated an understanding of the immensity of what is at stake and
displayed willingness to constructively engage on the way forward," he said.
"There is a clear determination on all sides to make progress towards a deal on
humanitarian and economic measures, a permanent cease-fire, and the resumption
of a Yemeni-led political process under U.N. auspices," Grundberg said. Yemen's
devastating conflict began in 2014, when the Iranian-backed Houthis seized the
capital of Sanaa and much of northern Yemen and forced the government into
exile. A Saudi-led coalition including the United Arab Emirates intervened in
2015 to try to restore the internationally recognized government to power. A
U.N.-backed truce initially took effect in April 2022 and raised hopes for a
longer pause in fighting, but it ended on Oct. 2 after just six months.
Grundberg told the council that seven months after its expiration "the truce
continues to deliver," pointing to continuing commercial flights in and out of
Sanaa and ships carrying fuel and other commercial goods arriving and leaving
Yemen's main port at Hodeida. "While sporadic military incidents continue to
occur, levels of hostilities are significantly lower than before the truce," he
said. "But the fragility of the military situation, the dire state of the
economy and the daily challenges facing the Yemeni people provide us with
constant reminders of why a more comprehensive agreement between the parties is
so vital." Grundberg pointed to continuing reports of violence across frontlines
in the provinces of Al Jawf, Taiz, Marib and Saada. He also mentioned
restrictions on freedom of movement, especially in Houthi areas, and the
government's inability to export oil, which generated more than half its revenue
last year, as examples of the fragility of the current situation. He said the
situation underscores the need for a formal cease-fire. "The cornerstone of an
agreement on the way forward must be the resumption of a Yemeni-led political
process under U.N. auspices to bring an end to the conflict," Grundberg said,
stressing that partial or temporary solutions can't tackle Yemen's myriad
problems.
The Latest LCCC English analysis &
editorials from miscellaneous sources published
on May 18-19/2023
Blasphemy
in European Parliament. They respect anyone but not Christians.
Catholic Block spot/May 18, 2023
Borchia on blasphemy in European Parliament: 'Anti-Christian escalation. I have
written to President Metsola".
Blasphemous, offensive and objectionable content with the image of Jesus Christ
offended. This is the feeling - and it is not just a feeling, but reality - that
Elisabeth Ohlson's exhibition in the European Parliament provoked.
An exhibition - on show these days until tomorrow - that continues to provoke
public discussion and indignation, especially among citizens of the Christian
faith. In this regard, Paolo Borchia, MEP and member of the Identity and
Democracy group, decided to send a letter to President Roberta Metsola
expressing his disappointment, and that of other MEPs. Besides him, in fact,
Alessandra Basso, Marco Campomenosi, Susanna Ceccardi, Angelo Ciocca, Rosanna
Conte, Gianantonio Da Re, Paola Ghidoni, Valentino Grant, Danilo Oscar Lancini,
Elena Lizzi, Alessandro Panza, Antonio Maria Rinaldi, Maria Veronica Rossi,
Silvia Sardane, Isabella Tovaglieri, Annalisa Tardino, Stefania Zambelli signed
the letter. We interviewed Borchia directly, asking if this is not yet another
act of an anti-Christian conscience and a heavy escalation of this sentiment
that we are experiencing in today's society. Borchia said: "We see the
escalation of this on a daily basis, also because lately it seems to me that the
value of the artistic work is subordinated to the notoriety, the visibility that
is thought to derive from provocation. This is the logic we have seen in this
exhibition of self-styled works of art organised by the European Parliament. It
is not the first time. It reminds me a bit of Oliviero Toscani's style'.
There is therefore an anti-Christian advance that probably has deep roots and is
rooted in the attempt to revisit today's society, pushing it towards nothingness
of values and unbridled hedonism. For Borchia, the explanation is actually even
more practical: "This polarises the debate, splits public opinion and alleged
artists receive free publicity and visibility that they would otherwise not have
received due to the mediocrity of the level of their works. Then clearly the
difficulty found in Europe in protecting the dignity of Christian values is
nothing new. We notice a total lack of respect if we think that an invitation
email arrived at the parliamentary level in which an inclusive exhibition was
mentioned. However, we have seen that the level of the works has been quite the
opposite'.
EXCLUDE BLASPHEMY FROM THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT - SIGN HERE!
Borchia informs us that the President of the European Parliament may not have
been aware of the content of the exhibition: 'This is something very divisive,
disrespectful towards sensitivities, so I felt it was my duty to send a letter
to President Metsola: as far as I know, she was not aware of the exhibition,
because it seems that there is no authorisation from the presidency and
therefore no upstream screening'. It is difficult to ascertain whether the
president actually knew nothing. What is certain is that we can see how, for the
umpteenth time, everything is being done in the European Union to protect the
rights of single-minded minorities, while nothing is being done to protect the
traditions and sensitivities of the world on which Europe itself should be
based. The time to look the other way is now perhaps definitely over.
Dithering Biden is Seriously Harming Ukraine's Victory
Prospects
Con Coughlin/Gatestone Institute./May 18, 2023
While U.S. President Joe Biden has constantly pledged his support for Kyiv, his
rhetoric has invariably failed to result in providing the Ukrainians with the
military support they require. Even when, as happened earlier this year, the
White House reluctantly agreed to provide Ukraine with Abrams tanks - a move
that was only approved after Washington came under intense pressure from allies
such as Poland - the slow delivery timetable has made Ukrainian commanders
despair that the equipment will ever actually arrive.
As for the promised Abrams tanks, U.S. officials readily admit that the Abrams
are months away from arriving as the Pentagon looks at its stocks to see what it
can send.
In a recent interview with Foreign Policy magazine, Sasha Ustinova, a Ukrainian
lawmaker, confirmed the U.S. military had delivered far less than what Valeriy
Zaluzhny, Ukraine's top general, had asked for from the Pentagon. U.S. military
aid is only arriving piecemeal as the Biden administration warns it is nearing
the end of its ability to provide weapons that can be pulled off of the
Pentagon's shelves to give to the Ukrainians.
Ustinova said that Ukraine hoped to begin the offensive in April, but the lack
of weapons has pushed the launch date back indefinitely.
Certainly, any delay in the Ukrainians launching their offensive will only help
to convince the Kremlin that, despite all the setbacks it has suffered over the
course of the past year, it may still end up winning the war.
With the White House refusing to provide Ukraine with long-range weapons that
are capable of striking targets within Russia, the Ukrainians are increasingly
resorting to making their own homemade weapons to fill the gaps in their arms
supplies. The Biden administration's constant dithering over supplying weapons
to Ukraine is proving to be a decisive factor in the Ukrainian military's
decision to delay its long-awaited spring counter-offensive against Russian
forces.
Since the end of last year, when the Ukrainians inflicted a series of
humiliating defeats against their Russian foes, Kyiv has been warning that it is
in urgent need of fresh supplies of military equipment from its Western allies
if it is to continue its campaign to liberate Ukrainian territory from Russian
occupation.
In particular, the Ukrainians say they are in urgent need of replacements of
tanks and other heavy armour, long-range missiles and aircraft - including F-16
fighters. While the U.S. and its allies have pledged to provide limited supplies
of weapons, however, the slow pace of delivery has prompted the Ukrainians to
conclude they have no option but to delay their offensive until they are fully
equipped.
The scale of the challenge facing the Ukrainians was highlighted by President
Volodymyr Zelensky, who said his country is still awaiting the delivery of
promised military aid from its Western allies, which was holding up Kyiv's plans
to launch its much-anticipated counter-offensive.
Speaking at his headquarters in Kyiv, Zelensky described combat units, some of
which were trained by Nato countries, as being "ready", but said the army still
needed "some things", including armoured vehicles that were "arriving in
batches". "With [what we already have] we can go forward, and, I think, be
successful," he said in an interview for public service broadcasters who are
members of Eurovision News, like the BBC. "But we'd lose a lot of people. I
think that's unacceptable. So we need to wait. We still need a bit more time."
One of the key reasons for the delay is the Biden administration's hesitancy
about providing Kyiv with the firepower it requires to defeat the Russian
occupiers, which has been a constant feature of its response to Russia's
unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.
While U.S. President Joe Biden has constantly pledged his support for Kyiv, his
rhetoric has invariably failed to result in providing the Ukrainians with the
military support they require. Even when, as happened earlier this year, the
White House reluctantly agreed to provide Ukraine with Abrams tanks - a move
that was only approved after Washington came under intense pressure from allies
such as Poland - the slow delivery timetable has made Ukrainian commanders
despair that the equipment will ever actually arrive.
In recent months Ukraine has taken delivery of German-made Leopard tanks that
have been donated to the Ukrainian cause by frontline European countries such as
Poland. The Leopards, though, are arriving from eight different countries and
fire different types of shells, which means the Ukrainians cannot buy munitions
in bulk.
As for the promised Abrams tanks, U.S. officials readily admit that the Abrams
are months away from arriving, as the Pentagon looks at its stocks to see what
it can send. In a recent interview with Foreign Policy magazine, Sasha Ustinova,
a Ukrainian lawmaker, confirmed the U.S. military had delivered far less than
what Valeriy Zaluzhny, Ukraine's top general, had asked for from the Pentagon.
U.S. military aid is only arriving piecemeal as the Biden administration warns
it is nearing the end of its ability to provide weapons that can be pulled off
of the Pentagon's shelves to give to the Ukrainians. Ustinova said that Ukraine
hoped to begin the offensive in April, but the lack of weapons has pushed the
launch date back indefinitely. The Biden administration has been even less
forthcoming with regard to Kyiv's request for F-16 fighter jets and long-range
missiles that can destroy targets deep within Russia. The White House is
reluctant to provide such weaponry for fear of provoking Russian President
Vladimir Putin into escalating the war further.
With the White House refusing to provide Ukraine with long-range weapons that
are capable of striking targets within Russia, the Ukrainians are increasingly
resorting to making their own homemade weapons to fill the gaps in their arms
supplies. Recent reports have revealed that Ukrainian engineers have designed a
"people's missile" using similar technology to the German V1 "doodlebug" rocket
that terrorised London during the Second World War, and which has twice the
range of the US-supplied HIMARS rocket systems.
In addition the Ukrainians have been busy developing their own fleet of
long-range drones, which can carry payloads of 300 kilograms and fly hundreds of
kilometres, depending on their configuration.
Having the ability to produce their own weaponry certainly allows the Ukrainians
a degree of flexibility in choosing their targets, a luxury they were not
allowed when they were obliged to accept the constraints imposed on their
military operations by the West.
Even so, there are mounting concerns that without the heavy firepower that
Ukraine's supposed Western allies can provide, Kyiv's ability to launch its
spring counter-offensive will be severely diminished.
Certainly, any delay in the Ukrainians launching their offensive will only help
to convince the Kremlin that, despite all the setbacks it has suffered over the
course of the past year, it may still end up winning the war.
**Con Coughlin is the Telegraph's Defence and Foreign Affairs Editor and a
Distinguished Senior 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.
A deal with Russia on Syria could shorten the
war in Ukraine
Dr. Dania Koleilat Khatib/Arab News/May 18, 2023
It was reported last week that Russian troops had retreated in Bakhmut due to a
“severe shortage of credible combat units.” Moscow rushed to deny the news.
While Westerners are rejoicing in every Russian setback, they should be careful
what they wish for. The last thing the West needs is for Russia to become
desperate and to take desperate measures.
The Russians will not accept defeat. This is beyond Vladimir Putin or the
Kremlin, it is about Russian national pride. They will take every measure to
prevent defeat. Hence, a negotiated settlement is needed to end the war with the
fewest casualties and least damage possible. Syria could be a gateway to such a
settlement, as the West and Russia have the common goal of stabilizing the
country. But there is of course one point of contention: Bashar Assad.
So far, the West’s policy toward Russia has been to isolate it. However,
isolating Russia is unlikely to end the war. Moscow is finding creative ways to
survive. It is looking to US competitors for alliances. It is now closer to
China and is definitely closer to Iran. US allies like Saudi Arabia and Turkiye
have remained neutral on Russia. They have not deemed it worthwhile to sever
their ties with Russia to please an unreliable and whimsical partner.
Despite the confiscation of Russian funds in Western capitals, Russia seems to
be able to survive. Germany plans to stop almost all Russian oil imports this
year, with the broader plan to wean itself off the country’s gas by mid-2024.
The EU has a similar plan. It wants to quit Russian fossil fuels by 2027. These
are all efforts to isolate Russia instead of engaging with it. Nevertheless,
Russia will find alternative buyers for its gas and will make friends in the
East. The economic hardship will not push Russia to surrender.
So far, a settlement does not appear to be a possibility, as the trend is to
isolate Russia rather than to engage. A settlement needs engagement and, for
engagement to work, it needs confidence to be built. Today, there is a high
amount of mistrust between the West and Russia. The issue is also complicated.
The Ukraine dossier involves Crimea, the Donbas, Georgia, the status of NATO in
Europe and many other complications.
An easier path to take would be to start engaging with Russia on Syria, for the
simple reason that the long-term goal of both the international community and
Russia is to stabilize Syria. Arab states are today engaging with Assad on a
step-by-step basis in order to contain the influence of Iran and Turkiye in
Syria. Despite its narrative, the US would tolerate this process if it led to
Russian influence being diminished.
However, Assad is unwilling and incapable of making any changes. He does not
even have the muscle to capture a drug dealer in the southwest of the country.
Instead, the Jordanian air force had to do the job for him. Assad also has a
track record of reneging on his promises. There is no reason for him to change
his behavior now, hence the need to engage with the regional powers. And Russia
is a main player that needs to be on board to stabilize Syria.
Syria could be a gateway to a settlement, as the West and Russia have the common
goal of stabilizing the country.
Though Assad is Russia’s ally, Moscow knows he cannot stabilize Syria. Russia
has clashed with Assad on several files. For example, during the battle for
Aleppo, Moscow sent in the Chechen military police. It sent Sunni units to make
sure the local population did not feel offended or aggressed. The units were
tasked with stabilizing the city and ensuring that no homes were confiscated.
However, Assad and the Iranian militias kept on conducting operations against
the Russians. Ultimately, the Russians retreated because they did not want to
confront Assad or the Iranians.
And in a 2018 initiative to encourage the return of refugees, Russia pressured
Assad to issue an amnesty for those who had failed to report for conscription.
Assad, in order to prevent the return of refugees, had issued a law, under which
all males who turned 18 and did not report for conscription were subject to a
jail term and a fine. This pushed those refugee families with boys that had
reached that age while they were outside the country to stay outside. Despite
the amnesty, Assad found creative ways to prevent people from coming back.
Returnees were arrested on arbitrary and false charges. Hence, people were
deterred from returning. Another instance where Assad played the role of the
spoiler was in Deraa, where he reneged on all his commitments as Russia’s effort
to reconcile the regime and the rebels fell short of stabilizing the area.
Nevertheless, Russia has no one but Assad to protect its interests in Syria. If
he goes, Moscow will lose all the investments it has made to protect its
interests, namely its bases in Tartus and Hmeimim. So, if the West clinches a
deal with Russia and treats it as an equal, this can be the first
confidence-building step.
Though the Western frame of mind is against giving Russia any concessions and is
driven by a zero-sum mentality, flexibility is needed, otherwise Ukraine is set
for a long conflict with Russia — and, even worse, a more devastating war, in
which Russia uses extreme measures. So, it is important to engage and Syria
could be a relatively easy entry point. Also, a deal on Syria could save face
for Putin. A deal that protects Russia’s strategic interests can encourage Putin
to go for another deal, while telling his audience that he has finally come to
terms with the West and that the West understands Russia cannot be humiliated.
The West should quickly engage with Russia and stabilize Syria, as this is a
good entry point for the streamlining of other issues. However, the first step
would be for the West to get rid of its zero-sum attitude when dealing with
Russia.
• Dr. Dania Koleilat Khatib is a specialist in US-Arab relations with a focus on
lobbying. She is president of the Research Center for Cooperation and Peace
Building, a Lebanese nongovernmental organization focused on Track II.
The disastrous consequences of Dagalo’s Sudan coup attempt
Ali Mohamed Ahmed Osman/Arab News/May 18, 2023
The recent coup attempt by Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo was a threat to the whole of
Sudan, including his own Rapid Support Forces militia, and created grave dangers
that will continue to have dire consequences for decades to come. This is
particularly troubling for a country like Sudan, which is seeking to recover
from multiple internal conflicts and which has suffered greatly throughout its
modern history. As one of the most powerful military forces in Africa, the
Sudanese Armed Forces has a rich tradition of patriotism, bravery and
professionalism. Its military doctrine dates back nearly 100 years and it is
known to have taken part in the fight against Nazism and fascism during the
Second World War, including liberating two of our neighbors, Libya and
Ethiopia/Eritrea, from the perils of fascism. It was the first threat that
Dagalo, the rebel leader, disregarded.
There is no comparison between regular forces with this background and his
forces, which are primarily made up of tribal and mercenary groups from other
African nations seeking to profit from Sudan’s looted money, especially gold
revenues. At the same time, Dagalo has benefited and greatly enriched himself by
sending young fighters from poor African countries to take part in wars in the
region. Above all, these rebel forces lack a well-established combat doctrine.
Dagalo’s biggest mistake was attempting a coup in a situation where the Sudanese
political arena was experiencing extreme divisions and a complete lack of
consensus — in addition to the international community’s position on military
coups, including the firm opposition of the African Union. This represented both
political and military suicide, even if the intention was to hand over power to
a civilian government, as it was claimed. However, that was just a pretext for
circumventing power and is not supported by the facts of the man’s history of
treachery.
Dagalo previously betrayed the isolated President Omar Bashir, who had
established and sponsored his RSF, as well as his president in the Transitional
Military Council and the Sovereignty Council, Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan. Before
that, he had betrayed the masses of young revolutionaries in the vicinity of the
General Command of the Sudanese Armed Forces in the wake of the fall of the
previous regime and pounced on them, leaving large numbers of dead and missing.
It is the accepted norm globally that the path to democracy involves enhancing
societal and political discourse in order to arrive at a fair agreement on the
key issues and guiding principles for the state. One of Dagalo’s paradoxes is
that he was the one who was adamant and refused to integrate his forces into the
Sudanese Armed Forces. He demanded a minimum period of 10 years to integrate his
forces, in contrast to the Sudanese Armed Forces’ position, which demanded two
years, or the total length of the transitional period, allowing the elected
government to take office without being constrained by the remnants of the past.
The systematic destruction of water and electricity infrastructure, the theft of
public funds from banks and government institutions, the looting of people’s
money and the forced eviction of residents from their homes, while using them as
human shields, are just some of the negative effects of the use of rebel forces
that lack proper military doctrine and training. For example, Dagalo’s forces
this week attacked a church, injuring the priest and some of the congregation.
All of the violations committed by the dissolved rebel RSF in the wake of the
failure of its coup attempt will be remembered for generations to come.
The RSF will face wider isolation from the international community if it
attempts to take advantage of the latest ceasefire.
Along with the economic destruction brought on by the disruption of Sudan’s
market mobilization, the deep psychological effects on the majority of Sudanese
people caused by the rebel forces’ violations and hijacking of the political
dialogue, which was in its final stages, will have a significant negative
economic impact on the nation, especially in the shadow of the Russian-Ukrainian
war, which has affected wheat imports to Sudan, thus threatening food security.
All these unfavorable consequences have extended to the many foreign nationals
living in Sudan, including the staff members of diplomatic missions and
international organizations. The rebel forces have continued to inflict harm on
these people even after they made the decision to leave Sudan, as the RSF
intercepted the evacuations of many diplomatic missions.
In conclusion, the Jeddah Declaration of Commitment to Protect the Civilians of
Sudan, which was agreed last week by the Sudanese government and the rebel
forces’ leaders, is a first step toward resolving certain pressing humanitarian
challenges. However, there are certified and documented violations by the rebel
forces of the similar previous truce initiatives. Therefore, the rebel RSF will
face wider isolation from the international community, which has indicated its
support for this declaration, if it attempts to take advantage of the latest
ceasefire.
*Ali Mohamed Ahmed Osman is the Charge d’affaires of the embassy of the Republic
of the Sudan in Tokyo.
Syria needs Gulf states for stability and security
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Arab News/May 18, 2023
Syria’s regional policy ought to be grounded in respecting the national and
security interests of other Arab states, particularly the Gulf states. It is in
Syria’s interest if its foreign policy is based on pursuing diplomacy, dialogue
and common interests to strengthen bilateral and multilateral relationships with
the countries of the region. Gulf states can play a critical role in
helping to resolve Syria’s crisis. Several recent developments show that the
Syrian people could also begin to experience more stability, security and
economic development.
For example, the Arab League recently readmitted Syria, which ended a more than
decade-long suspension. According to the Saudi Foreign Ministry, the Arab League
foreign ministers “consulted and exchanged views on the efforts made to reach a
political solution to the Syrian crisis that ends its repercussions and
preserves Syria’s unity, security, stability, and Arab identity; returns it to
its Arab surroundings, to achieve the good of its brotherly people.”
Other important developments include the phone call between UAE President Sheikh
Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan and Syrian President Bashar Assad on bilateral ties
between the two nations. In addition, Saudi Arabia has made an important
decision to resume the work of its diplomatic mission in Syria.
Syria’s readmission to the Arab League, in addition to the latest diplomatic
rapprochements between Damascus and the Gulf states, is most likely going to be
just the start of a long process that will hopefully help to resolve the crisis
in the country. This goal was also acknowledged by Arab League Secretary-General
Ahmed Aboul Gheit.
The Arab League, a 22-member organization founded in 1945, can play a critical
role in discussing and resolving Syria’s underlying problems, as the
organization is one of the most influential and powerful intergovernmental
bodies in the world.
It was established with the purpose of strengthening relations between Arab
states, safeguarding their sovereignty and addressing general concerns about the
affairs and interests of member nations.
The Arab League’s primary role is to coordinate the political, cultural,
economic and social programs of its members, as well as to mediate disputes
between them.
In addition, the Arab League is a key international player that has the
capability to pave the way for tremendous social, economic and political
changes. It can also push for specific measures and policies to be considered by
other international organizations. For instance, the Arab League has
successfully urged the UN to adopt resolutions that have had significant
positive impacts on regional peace and security.
However, it is critical to note that Syria’s crisis is multifaceted and complex.
The economy is crippled after years of conflict, which has inflicted an
unimaginable degree of devastation. Syria’s gross domestic product has more than
halved and its currency has lost a significant portion of its value, leading the
World Bank to rank it as a low-income country.
Damascus needs to make it a priority to improve its economy and, more
importantly, the living standards of its people.
Prior to 2011, when Syria’s economic and political relationships with the Gulf
states were amicable, its economy was improving thanks to these bilateral ties
and tourism.
But after the civil war began, sanctions on the regime changed the situation and
left Syria with “a limited national budget to subsidize commodities such as
bread and fuel … Displaced families and other vulnerable households are caught
in the middle of a financial crisis caused by a rapidly depreciating currency
and lack of available jobs. This means it is incredibly hard for Syrian families
to provide for themselves, particularly amid growing food insecurity. Reports …
describe families waiting for hours in bread lines, causing children to miss
school or caregivers to miss work in order to find loaves of bread,” according
to the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
The second issue is related to enhancing the security of the country in a way
that ensures safety and stability for the Syrian people, protecting them from
the threats posed by militia and terror groups.
The Gulf states are skilled in adopting modern counterterrorism strategies and
in establishing institutions that promote an alternative and moderate ideology,
while educating and raising awareness about extremist ideologies online.
Examples include Saudi Arabia’s setting up of the Ideological Warfare Center,
the Digital Extremism Observatory, the King Abdulaziz Center for National
Dialogue and the Global Center for Combating Extremist Ideology. The Kingdom
aims to challenge the messages of extremist groups through these initiatives.
If Syria’s economic crisis is adequately addressed, security will likely be
enhanced in the country as well.
If Syria’s economic crisis is adequately addressed, security will likely be
enhanced in the country as well, due to the fact that poverty and
conflict-stricken states can often be ripe places for terror and militia groups
to grow, gain power and inflict damage on the country and broader region.
Finally, the largest refugee crisis in the world belongs to Syria. This has
impacted neighboring countries economically and politically. By addressing the
nation’s security and economic issues, the refugee crisis will gradually see
signs of improvement as well.
Syria’s crisis is deep and complex, but the region can play a key role in
resolving it. The latest diplomatic initiatives between Damascus and the Gulf
states have the potential to bring more stability, safety, security and economic
development to the Syrian people. This requires that the Syrian government seize
the opportunity by respecting the national and security interests of the Gulf
states, while grounding its foreign policy in diplomacy, dialogue and shared
interests.
*Dr. Majid Rafizadeh is a Harvard-educated Iranian-American political scientist.
Twitter: @Dr_Rafizadeh
Tunisia Can “Bounce Back” from
Authoritarianism with Proper Support
Sabina Henneberg, Sarah Yerkes/The Washington Institute/May 18/2023
Other countries that have restored democratic norms in recent years have seen
progress in five distinct areas.
Since July 2021, when Tunisia’s democratically elected president unilaterally
launched a series of measures to consolidate power in his own hands, U.S. and
Western policymakers have grown increasingly perplexed about how to restore
democracy in that country. After instituting a decade-long transition process
that saw enhanced civil liberties; multiple rounds of free and fair elections;
and the elaboration of an exceptionally progressive constitution, President Kais
Saied has dismantled almost all those gains in less than two years. Yet a global
perspective on democratization shows that such “backsliding” can be reversed,
and that the international community can play a significant role in assisting
such reversals. The Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem) Project, which seeks to
measure democracy globally, identified eight countries in 2022 that “bounced
back” from authoritarianism after having previously made democratic gains. A
closer look at these cases can be instructive in crafting responses to the
Tunisian case.
Common Elements of “Bounce Back” and Their Application in Tunisia
Five elements unite the eight cases of “bounce back” from autocratization.
Although not every element was present in all eight cases, and although no
single element was responsible for reversing autocratization in any country,
together these five factors suggest areas for democracy supporters inside and
outside Tunisia to focus on.
The first element is large-scale popular mobilization against the incumbent. For
instance, major protests in South Korea in 2016 and Moldova in 2014—both sparked
by corruption scandals— triggered institutional actions that ultimately forced
the autocrat out of power. In Tunisia, large-scale popular mobilization has been
a catalyst for democratization in the past. But today, several barriers hamper
such mobilization. Even the Tunisian General Workers’ Union (UGTT), the
country’s largest organization, hasn’t managed to organize protests that can
pressure the president to initiate a dialogue, due to internal splits and lack
of a unifying agenda. Notably, opposition demonstrations have taken place even
though they are legal only with official approval. Protestors have also on
occasion defied bans and use of force by authorities. This could potentially
represent a tiny window of hope: as long as Saied’s opponents retain this avenue
for expression, they might succeed in preventing more damage from being done and
in buying themselves time to build new pathways of resistance.
The second element is unified opposition coalescing with civil society. In North
Macedonia, for example, a parliamentary boycott in 2015 against the autocratic
ruling party of former Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski’s state capture organized
by a lead opposition party allowed the latter to deepen its social ties with
youth and other activists. This in turn helped enlarge the opposition party’s
voter base and ultimately led to the election in 2016 of a new pro-democracy
government. Unfortunately, the potential for opposition political parties and
civil society actors to coalesce in Tunisia—despite the country’s experience
with such cooperation—remains weak. Saied remains a deeply polarizing figure who
has taken advantage of existing political and social divisions to incapacitate
his opponents. To date, the UGTT and some opposition political parties refuse to
work with the main Islamist party, Ennahda, which has lost support due to its
perceived incompetence and corruption while in government. Such underlying
divisions remain a key barrier to resisting autocratization.
The third factor is elections. In Ecuador, results of local-level elections
demonstrated lack of support for the party of the autocratizing President Rafael
Correa and ultimately allowed his vice president, Lenin Moreno, to take over and
institute a series of democratizing reforms. Moreno’s takeover was facilitated
by the ruling party’s attempt to secure power by removing term limits starting
after Correa stepped down for a term, in response to the outcome of local
elections. Moreno’s moves to reintroduce checks and balances in the interim
therefore caught Correa off guard.
Recent elections in Tunisia—a constitutional referendum in July 2022 and two
rounds of parliamentary elections in December 2022 and January 2023—produced
abysmally low voter turnout. Explanations for these high levels of voter
abstinence include an overwhelming preoccupation with economic concerns, a
restricted legal framework for elections designed by Saied, and the stakes of
the elections (for example, under the new constitution, the powers of parliament
are significantly reduced). Widespread disillusionment with politicians and
political parties and a boycott by some—but not all—opposition figures also
contributed. Clearly, for a decisive election to occur in Tunisia, voters’ faith
in democratic politics will need to be restored.
The fourth factor is judiciary reversing executive takeover. In Moldova, for
example, constitutional court rulings helped protect the holding of free and
fair elections from attempts by the ruling party to block them, ultimately
giving the democratic opposition a majority in parliament. Judicial independence
in Tunisia has historically been weak, but steps taken to address this since the
authoritarian overthrow in 2011, along with sustained activism among some
magistrates against Saied’s attempts to subordinate the judiciary to the
executive, are indicative of the role the judicial sector could play over the
long term. While Saied has called on the police to help advance this
subordination, it is not clear that he has full support from security forces.
Any break within the executive could give momentum to the opposition. Meanwhile,
elements of the judiciary continue to resist Saied’s actions, using methods such
as a month-long hunger strike by magistrates and an administrative court order
in August 2022 to reinstate 49 of the 57 judges whom Saied had fired the
previous June.
The Role of International Actors
The fifth uniting element among countries that bounced back from
authoritarianism over the past 20 years is international support. In Bolivia,
the Organization of American States (OAS) was a key player in helping nudge the
country toward a democratic path following a series of anti-democratic actions
beginning under President Evo Morales (2005–2019) and continuing under President
Jeanine Áñez (2019–2020) and current President Luis Arce. While Bolivia still
faces several challenges, including polarization and threats to judicial
independence, continued attention by the international community has helped the
country show marked improvement on democracy indices over the past year.
Morales undertook several anti-democratic steps in the lead-up to the 2019
elections, running for a controversial fourth term after his loyalist-packed
constitutional court overrode the Bolivian people’s rejection of a 2016
constitutional referendum that would have prevented him from running. Statements
by OAS election observers regarding improprieties and inconsistencies during the
2019 election provided a crucial counterpoint to Morales’s narrative, and
ultimately contributed to Morales’s decision to step down and leave Bolivia in
the wake of a popular uprising against him. The OAS continued to issue critical
statements calling for investigations into the violence and “crimes against
humanity” committed under his successor. And despite free and fair elections
bringing Arce into office, international actors, including U.S. officials,
called out the Arce government’s politicization of the judiciary and vengeful
approach toward Áñez and her supporters. These sentiments were echoed in a
Washington Post editorial in March 2021.
The United States has had a less influential role than the OAS, particularly
since the Bolivian government expelled the U.S. ambassador in 2008 and kicked
USAID out of the country in 2013. However, in FY2018 the United States spent
nearly half of its $1.8 million foreign assistance package on support for
government and civil society and provided an additional $5 million to support
the 2020 elections. Those numbers fell dramatically in FY2022, when the United
States provided only $275,800 in assistance for government and civil society,
signaling less of a commitment to this sector.
In Ecuador, Moreno’s election as president in 2017 was expected to be a
continuation of his predecessor’s administration, as Moreno was Correa’s vice
president. But Moreno quickly broke with Correa and began rolling back some of
his predecessor’s anti-democratic actions by reinstating presidential term
limits, taking steps to restore judicial independence, and working to address
polarization. However, Moreno faced his own corruption allegations in 2019 and
did not run for reelection in 2021. While Moreno’s reforms did not fully return
Ecuador to a democratic path, and he left office with an extremely low approval
rating, his actions were rewarded by the United States with significant
financial and diplomatic support. Following the reinstatement of the USAID
mission in Quito in 2020, the United States and Ecuador signed an agreement for
a $62.5 million grant to support democracy, governance, and environmental
projects in Ecuador over five years. And in fiscal year 2021, the United States
provided Ecuador with $4.13 million in support for government and civil society.
The United States also showed its support for Ecuador’s democratic progress with
visits by U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield in May
2021 to attend the inauguration of Moreno’s successor, President Guillermo
Lasso, and by Secretary of State Antony Blinken in October 2021. And in May
2022, First Lady Jill Biden visited Ecuador and met with Lasso, his wife, and
various civil society organizations with a specific focus on strengthening
democracy in Latin America. During her visit, Biden applauded Ecuador’s
progress.
North Macedonia strayed from the democratic path under Gruevski (2006–2016).
Opposition figures accused Gruevski’s government of numerous abuses and
corruption, triggering a widespread political crisis in 2015. The United States
and the European Union played a key role in returning North Macedonia to a
democratic path by brokering the 2015 Przino Agreement, which led to early
elections in 2016, and the two international actors intervened repeatedly
throughout the following year to help defuse tensions. The Social Democratic
Union of Macedonia (SDSM) Party, which ran on a reform platform and pledged to
implement a reform agenda backed by the EU, prevailed in the parliamentary
elections in 2016. While many of the reforms have yet to come to fruition, North
Macedonia has shown positive signs in addressing the political instability of
the past decade.
One of the factors that analysts have pointed to as aiding North Macedonia’s
bounce-back is the two large carrots of NATO and EU membership. North Macedonia
joined NATO in 2020 and began the EU accession process, although the EU
accession process has faced several hurdles including vetoes by France and
Bulgaria. While the European Union is North Macedonia’s largest donor and
partner, the United States has a defense partnership with North Macedonia and
contributes significantly to North Macedonia’s political and economic reform
efforts. Over one-third of U.S. assistance to North Macedonia is for government
and civil society ($7,708,000 million out of $19,670,240 total bilateral
assistance in FY22), with the goal of supporting reforms necessary for full EU
accession.
Zambia also experienced a turn toward autocracy following the election of
President Edgar Lungu in 2014, as the Lungu government oversaw attacks on
opposition figures and freedom of expression. U.S. and European pressure,
coupled with a strong pro-democracy civil society movement, helped return Zambia
to democratic rule. The 2021 presidential elections were a major turning point
for Zambia, with opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema defeating Lungu. While the
election was marred by violence and initially contested by Lungu, he eventually
stepped down.
The U.S. government played a key role in pressuring Lungu to abide by the
election results, threatening sanctions, travel bans and visa restrictions on
those who instigated election violence. The African Union’s election observer
mission also made clear that Lungu’s complaints regarding electoral fraud had no
bearing. And the European Union called out the election for “abuse of
incumbency,” noting “selective application of laws and regulations, misuse of
state resources and one-sided media reporting meant that a level playing field
was not achieved.”
The United States has continued to applaud and highlight Zambia’s democratic
steps. In FY22, the United States provided Zambia with $9.7 million in
governance and civil society support. During the 2022 U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit
in Washington, Hichilema received significant administration attention and
signed multiple deals with U.S. public and private sector entities. Zambia was
also selected to co-host the 2023 Summit for Democracy and Vice President Kamala
Harris visited Zambia in March 2023.
Conclusions and Recommendations
There is no question that local popular support for democracy is a necessary
condition for a return to a democratic path. Without a unified opposition to
mobilize against an authoritarian incumbent and an independent elections
commission and other such institutions to act as guardrails, no amount of
international pressure will be sufficient to reverse the authoritarian drift.
Moreover, other research on “democratic bright spots” suggests that there is no
one-size-fits-all approach to supporting countries at risk of authoritarian
backsliding. International support is particularly tricky in Tunisia currently,
where the president’s populist rhetoric about “foreign interference”—and even
some cases of apparent arrests of individuals for having met with foreign
diplomats—has helped create a climate of fear. Nonetheless, targeted
international involvement can clearly make a difference in cases of
democratization that are at risk, illustrating why abandoning Tunisia at this
critical stage is more likely to lead to further backsliding.
In particular, Tunisians’ fight for judicial independence, as well as media and
other freedoms that can help expose corruption, will rely on moral and
operational support from the international human rights community. Under former
dictator Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, such ties between international and Tunisian
human rights activists were critical in fighting for democratic reform. In
addition, quiet influence from Tunisia’s international military partners—the
U.S. military is close to Tunisian security forces and is thought to be
particularly influential and rewarded Tunisia with Major Non-NATO Ally status in
2015—could conceivably discourage other disputed practices such as the use of
military courts to try civilians. This in turn would send a signal to Saied that
he cannot count on the military to support him as he plows ahead with his
project of one-man rule.
A growing number of international actors have called for intervention to help
prevent Tunisia’s economy from a collapse. The international community has
learned the hard way that neglect for Tunisia’s economy will undermine even the
most valiant democracy promotion efforts. Going forward, it will be important
for the United States and other external actors to balance their support for
Tunisia’s most vulnerable, such as through continued economic assistance and
support for pro-democracy actors, with diplomatic efforts to isolate Saied to
ensure that any assistance does not inadvertently strengthen Saied’s hand.
A final factor implied in the V-Dem findings important for bouncing back is what
some research calls “democratic stock,” or developing strong democratic
institutions over time. Tunisia’s experience with democratic rule is extremely
limited, putting it at a disadvantage. Additionally, no unifying and democratic
alternative ruler behind which Tunisians could rally can emerge overnight to
halt autocratization, given Tunisia’s deep economic challenges and societal and
political divisions. Until conditions allow for the right combination of
elements to help the country reverse course, the United States and the
international community must use consistent, behind-the-scenes support to make
sure Tunisia does not sink deeper into autocratization. This should be done in
coordination with non-Western actors such as the African Union and should be
reinforced by rhetoric that condemns anti-democratic actions.
*Sabina Henneberg is a 2022–23 Soref Fellow at The Washington Institute. Sarah
Yerkes is a senior fellow in the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace’s
Middle East Program.